In Greater New Haven, the town of East Haven is a matter of minutes east of its big sister, but very much its own place. In summer the town’s beach is a blissful spot to kick back by Long Island Sound. I’m a big fan of the great little seafood restaurant, conveniently located just behind. …
Inhabited by Europeans from the end of the 17th century, the small town of South Windsor is on the east bank of the Connecticut River, close to Hartford. Tobacco was once a lifeblood for the town, and was grown in the Connecticut River Valley since colonization. The industry reached its zenith here in the first …
A residential suburb in Greater Hartford, Newington has plenty of things I want to share with you. Amateur radio operators will already know it as the hometown of the American Radio Relay League and the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station. Newington is also the proud owner of America’s littlest waterfall. This can be found in …
If I had to pick a perfect small town to sum up the best of New England, Glastonbury on the east bank of the Connecticut River would come close. The town is flush with beautiful colonial-era houses. Some of these go back to the 17th century, and its main Historic District is on a classic …
The Erg Chebbi dunes on the Morocco-Algeria border chime with everyone’s most romantic notion of the Sahara. These ethereal dunes are shades of orange, gold and bronze, and a whole industry has sprouted on their western cusp, allowing you to live like a nomad for a day or two. On expeditions into the desert you’ll …
In the 19th century the walled coastal city of Essaouira was Morocco’s main seaport, connecting trade routes through its Saharan hinterland with the rest of the world. Essaouira had been revived the century before by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah (1710-1790). He set up a large Jewish quarter and commissioned the French engineer, Théodore Cornut to …
The prosperous town of New Milford rests on the northeastern shore of Lake Candlewood. Generations of wealthy New Yorkers have set up second homes in these parts. One such estate belonged to the industrialist Frank Harden in the middle of the 20th century. This has since become the genteel Harrybrooke Park, with its own museum …
On the east side of the Connecticut River Valley, the town of Vernon is only 15 minutes from Hartford via I-84. But when I walked Vernon’s trails it seemed impossible to me that a big city could be so close. Arcing through the town, the Vernon Rails to Trails Park is a narrow strip of …
Civilisations and dynasties from the Phoenicians to the Merenids have all claimed this place on the estuary of the river Bou Regreg as their home. That complicated heritage is laid at your feet at the Chellah, at the ruins of the Roman city and an Almohad necropolis. The Kasbah of the Udayas is a citadel …
The city of Norwich grew up in the 17th century where the Yantic and Shetucket Rivers converge at the head of the Thames. This spot was primed for a port and by the 18th century Norwich had lively shipping and shipbuilding trades. Nowadays there’s a picturesque riverside park where the docks used to be. The …