“Ever wonder if those weather watchers who charge into the teeth of the storm are brave, crazy or a little bit of both? You can ask the chasers who have entered their vehicles into the festival’s storm-chaser car show, affording visitors an up-close look at chase vehicles and their gadgets and gizmos, some of which get beat all to hail by Mother Nature’s fury.”

Just off the south end of the Hippodrome and literally in the shadow of the Blue Mosque, the hotel is also walking distance from the Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace and the underground cistern. The Sultanahmet tram stop, which provides easy access to the Galata Bridge and a quick connection to the airport metro, is a short walk away.

Our room was spacious, clean and adequately appointed. The staff we encountered were friendly and eager to help. The hotel’s breakfast offering was standard European fare; cold cuts, breads, boiled eggs and the like. The hotel’s rooftop terrace provides great views of the Blue Mosque, especially at night when the towering minarets are bathed in light. There are also numerous restaurant choices just a few streets away.

My only note of caution would be to request a room away from the street, especially on the lower floors. Traffic noise might just be enough to bother a light sleeper.

Blue Mosque from the rooftop terrace

But something must have stuck, because the city and its struggles have always intrigued me. That’s why I couldn’t miss the opportunity to travel to Belfast as a day trip from Dublin when we visited the Irish capital.

In our travels, my lovely wife and I have been in a location or two where we felt uncomfortable and maybe even a bit unsafe, and that’s exactly what I expected from Belfast. While my rational mind told me this was not the Belfast of the 1980s, my irrational mind did its part to create concern.

We were most interested in exploring the city’s famous murals which are painted to express both political and religious views. The murals are spread out, so we decided to hire a cabby to show us the city. We hired our driver through Belfast Attractions. A 1.5-hour tour guide cost about $45, a decent travel deal. He picked us up at the train station and our Belfast travel trip began there.

Our tour included the murals on Falls Road and Shankill Road as well as Milltown Cemetery. We also visited a few gardens of remembrance which were built to honor the lives lost during “The Troubles.”

I was captivated by what our driver called the Peace Wall. Built to divide the Falls Road and Shankill Road neighborhoods, our driver told us the wall’s gates are still locked at 6 p.m. to prevent cars from passing between neighborhoods at night. He also showed us that the homes which are built close to the wall have defensive fences to protect the windows from objects hurled over from the other side. Our driver was Catholic so we only spent a little time in the Protestant areas, especially Shankill, because he said he was “not comfortable” there.

The Peace Wall

Defensive fencing on homes near the Peace Wall

In spite of what my irrational mind was trying to tell me, I never felt unsafe in Belfast. While many of the murals espoused violence and revenge, the people with whom we dealt were friendly and nobody really gave us a second look.

After our tour we walked to Sandy Row which greets visitors with a chilling reminder that the violence may have subsided, but the scars of the city’s sectarian divide are far from faded.

Here are the highlights:

• Medicine Park, Okla., is featured at number 9 on the list of The Coolest Small Towns in America. Way to go Okies.
• iPhone really needs to get the Google Goggles app touted in the Sixth Annual Extra Mile Awards story. It’s currently only available for Android.
• An online-only piece about hand gestures is worth a read to help avoid making someone mad unintentionally.

Two other pieces caught my attention. Discount Detours details deals at outlet malls near several European hot spots and Cell Phone Smarts provides tips on how to avoid big cell phone fees while traveling overseas. Since these stories  aren’t online, you’ll have to buy the magazine.

Our room was average in size for big-city lodging, but tastefully appointed and quite comfortable with a large bathroom, desk and flat screen TV. The staff we dealt with were friendly and helpful. And, most importantly, our room was clean.

I was eagerly anticipating gawking at the skyscrapers along famed Michigan Avenue and looking down on the city from the Sears, now Willis, Tower or the Hancock Building. I couldn’t wait to eat a hot dog at a White Sox game on the south side and munch a pretzel while watching the visitors beat the Cubs at Wrigley. I was excited to see what may be my favorite painting in the whole world at the Chicago Institute of Art and look at the distorted reality that reflects in the Bean in Millennium Park. But one of the things I most enjoyed was a boat cruise along the Chicago River which winds its way through the towering structures on its banks.

While several companies offer floating city tours, we chose the Wendella tour. A fun and relaxing way to see the city, the tour lasted 90 minutes and came complete with a guide who provides a running commentary on the history of the city and its architecture with a few funny quips and “so and so big celebrity lives there” moments thrown in. Our tour included a short cruise through the lock out onto Lake Michigan which afforded great views of the skyline. A note of caution, we cruised in the evening so the setting sun was behind the buildings and our photos suffered – example below. A morning cruise with the sun rising over the lake would undoubtedly offer a prettier picture.

At $25 per person, the tour may seem a bit pricey, but in my opinion it’s worth the money.

A cautionary tale - cruise in the morning so the sun is at your back instead of right in your eyes

It’s easy to spout off the reasons to visit places like London, Rome, Tokyo or Seattle, but ask someone to name the tourist attractions in Lisbon, Portugal, and you’ll probably receive only a blank stare in return. While the Portuguese capital many not be high on many travelers’ must-see lists, it ranks among my favorite places in all the world.

Why Lisbon? That’s easy…

Neighborhoods – The Baixa is Lisbon’s old downtown, the winding streets of the sailors’ quarter are called the Alfama and you can look down on the town from the Bairro Alto.

Bairro Alto

Belem – The Monastery of Jeronimos’ breathtaking cloisters, the soaring and inspiring Monument to the Discoveries and the island fortress of Belem Tower.

Monastery of Jeronimos

Food – Hidden in a crappy-looking building along Rua das Portas de Santo Antao, Casa do Alentejo offers hearty meals and a charming atmosphere. Above the main square in the Bairro Alto, Cervejaris Trindade serves homemade brew and meals in Lisbon’s oldest beer hall which is housed in a former monastery. How’s that for history? If the weather allows, sit outside in the cloisters.

Casa do Alentejo

Sidewalks – Where else can you find pattern-tile sidewalks that themselves are works of art?

tiled sidewalks

Sintra – Hop on the train and spend the day in this former summer city of Portugal’s kings and queens. The Royal Palace with its unique twin chimneys is interesting, but it’s whimsical, Ludwig-esque Pena Palace that’s Sintra’s star. You can also see the ruins of a Moorish castle and views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Pena Palace

Public Transit – The hilly city uses trolleys, funiculars and elevators like the Elevador de Santa Justa, designed by a student of Gustav Eiffel, to move locals and tourists around. Much cooler than buses and subways.

Elevador de Santa Justa

To borrow, and butcher, a line from the Fresh Prince, “Lisbon lovin’, lovin’ Lisbon it’s all good, I’m lovin’ Lisbon it’s all good.”

 This week’s article highlights the Little River Zoo.

“You can pet a porcupine, feed a kangaroo and get friendly with a 17-foot albino Burmese python at Norman’s Little River Zoo.”

Located near the intersection of Hildebrand and McCullough Avenues, Taco Taco impresses not with its decor, but with tasty breakfast tacos so good Bon Appetit declared the place as home of the best tacos in America.

Local friends tell me lines of hungry fans often snake around the restaurant on weekends just waiting to fill up on their favorites from among almost 20 different types of breakfast tacos. With homemade tortillas wrapping up your favorite ingredients, it’s easy to wait in line to dine on these heavenly tacos.