Every time I attend a Ferro Gaita show, I always leave believing it was the best I have seen. Perhaps it’s just the enormous adrenaline rush that swirls within me. Then, I keep on thinking about other great concerts, other great artists, and still, I don’t doubt myself simply because Ferro Gaita never gives you time to catch a breath. It is intense, groovy, and always worth the money spent. [More]

Remember last year’s star-studded “La Semaine Du Cap-Vert,” which ran in Paris, France, from May 26th through June 3rd 2007? Well, it’s Brazil’s turn to get completely engulfed by our culture. The South American country, or at least a small part of it, Santo André... [More]

A few weeks ago on CNN, I was watching George Bush honor a former ambulance driver who was the last living American Veteran of World War I. It gave me that "time waits for nobody" jolt because I remember as a kid our backyard barbeques being heavily peppered with 60 and 70-somethings who unprophetically called their War, "The War to end all Wars". And now, four wars and 90 years later, only 107 year old Frank Buckles is left to personally recollect an era gone by. [More]

I learned a long time ago that when not carrying a camera, bring pen and pad; or at least a scrap of paper to capture a fleeting scene that if not recorded will get lost with the millions of other bits of irretrievable information cluttering my mind. So with that in ‘mind’, below are some recent snapshots I was lucky enough to remember to commit to paper. [More]

A few weeks back, I finally had an opportunity to travel to São Nicolau; the last of our unvisited islands (save for Santa Luzia). Since there are no direct flights from Praia, we flew through Sal and decided to layover one night on our way and for 8 hours on our return. It has been 15 year... [More]

Back in Tarrafal’s (São Nicolau) Residencial Natur, my wife and child were asleep and I was still savoring our recently consumed dinner of fresh grilled tuna, home grown squash and carrots. I was also considering a return trip to the Restaurant Golfinho because of a black and white mi... [More]

After scouting the southern coast of São Nicolau, it looked like swimming was going to be out of the question. Praias Frances, Barril and Grande had that sole searing black sand, innumerable invisible rocks beyond the surf and an undertow that could suck a Volkswagen out to sea. Then Maria de Monte, proprietor of Residencial Natur in Tarrafal told us about this remote, white sandy beach called Praia Baixo Rocha. (Shameless plug department: If you are ever in Tarrafal looking for a place to stay, I highly recommend Residencial Natur. [More]