• Gilded Age Travel The world stood on the brink of an unprecedented and unexpected transformation. A cascade of events, including a World War, a devastating pandemic, and a global economic depression, swiftly erased most of the opulence that defined the Gilded Age. As the turn of the century approached, the Gilded Age seemed poised for a grand culmination. […]
  • Beyond the Brochure with Jean -Arles, and Avignon Join me as I explore the art of Arles, the history behind the medieval city of Avignon and the magnificent Pont du Gard during my Viking journey from Avignon to Lyon. This is the second episode of five on Viking.TV as we sailed the beautiful Rhone River Valley.
  • Beyond the Brochure with Jean-Avignon Join me as I explore the fruit of Avignon’s olive groves and vineyards during my Viking journey from Avignon to Lyon. This is the first episode of five on Viking.TV as we sailed the beautiful Rhone River Valley.
  • Beyond the Brochure with Jean I invite you to enjoy the trailer for the debut of Viking.TV’s new series, “Beyond the Brochure with Jean: Lyon & Provence,” a new original travel series. Join us for five episodes of inspiring programming as I sail France’s Rhône River on Viking‘s 8-day Lyon & Provence itinerary. Follow along as I explore iconic sites […]
  • Egyptomania 47 BC to 2022 Viking Osiris. Photo: Viking Egyptomania- 47 BC to 2022. Most historians say Egyptomania began when Napoleon visited Egypt in 1798-1801. I disagree. It began when Cleopatra sailed down the Nile with Julius Caesar and every Roman wanted to visit this magical land. In 2022 you can sail down the Nile, tour the temples, including the […]
  • Viking TV interviews Jean Newman Glock, Viking’s Ambassador-at-Large Onwards! Thank you, Viking TV and Anne Diamond, for a fun interview about travel, past, present, and future. Thanks for watching. Here are the Cliff Notes (does that age me?) 1. Embrace the now. Everyone is asking when travel will return to normal. There never was a normal with travel, and there will not be […]
  • Packing Tips for a 2 week Viking Cruise Puppy Panic What do I pack for 2 weeks cruising the Danube with Viking? This is the question I am asked most often so here is a very boring packing post. Warm weather packing is easier than colder but I do just carry on for both. 1. It always starts with a panicked pandemic puppy who […]
  • Looking for a Scapegoat? Everyone is looking for a scapegoat for the plague we have been enduring. We are tired and weary but blaming one segment of the travel industry, the cruise industry, without looking at the facts does not help us develop policies and procedures needed to move on with our lives. I would argue the opposite. The […]
  • Could Energy Costs Replace COVID as the Biggest Threat to Travel’s Recovery? Update: July 16, 2022 I could say I was prescient…..or not. I wrote this article in October 2021, and I did not foresee Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Germany’s withdrawal of support for Nord Stream 2 due to the war. But the basic tenet of Russia ( and OPEC) using gas and now oil supplies […]
  • Asking When Travel Will Return to Normal is the Wrong Question When Will Travel Return to Normal? Two excellent travel writers asked this question of their readers this week. The responses were predictable. “There is a new normal.” “Demand is so high we are back to 2019 levels”, “Travel is back and travelers are more interested in sustainable metrics, ecologically, economically, and culturally.” Bravo, so it […]