Lee Abbamonte
Try to become the youngest person to travel to every country in the world
Bull Run
By Lee | 
11 Comments » 
I think that every traveler has a little bit of Hemingway in them. His writings are equally inspiring and interesting. My favorite Hemingway book is The Sun Also Rises. Of course, this brings our hero to Pamplona, Spain for the Fiesta de San Fermin, which is more commonly recognized as the running of the bulls. Ernest Hemingway wrote reverently about the festivities that he witnessed and brought them to the attention of the wider world for the first time. Today, thousands of runners, wannabe runners, thrill seekers and party goers make their way to this small town each July for the eight day fiesta.
(more…)
Ehh on the Azores
By Lee | 16 Comments » 
Visiting another island right after Madeira would be tough for any island to live up to, especially when it is another autonomous island of Portugal and has similar roots, origins and location. I have been comparing this to visiting Guadeloupe after visiting fabulous Martinique as it just can’t compare where on its own it would be fine. To the credit of the Azores, in particular Sao Miguel Island and Ponta Delgada where I am staying, there are 9 islands in the Azores Archipelago and I am only seeing one, albeit the biggest and supposedly the best, and it is a very pleasant place to be. It’s just not Madeira although I hate to compare like that.
(more…)
Marvelous Madeira
By Lee | 10 Comments » 
To say that Madeira is a nice place to be would be an insult. To say the weather here is great would be an insult. To say the people are nice here would be an insult. To say that the Madeira sweet wine is good would be an insult. Are you sensing a pattern here? Madeira is a spectacular island and I have had the most perfect weather imaginable and have met and dealt with the nicest people around. This is an island that all islands should strive to be like.
(more…)
Meandering around Madrid
By Lee | 10 Comments » 
Madrid to me is kind of the forgotten capital of Europe. You know it’s there but you always prefer to go elsewhere in Europe and especially in Spain. Barcelona, anywhere in Andalucia or anywhere along any of the coasts all seem more appealing. The are no beaches, the weather is so so and other than art, it’s not really known for anything of note except for its nightlife. The city isn’t as attractive as some of the other great capitals of Europe and it is certainly not as easy to navigate. But Madrid does have a positive vibe to it and the only way to get to know this massive city is to walk around and stop in the shops and eat in the cafes. I had three days in Madrid which was two more than the only other time I was here and I have to say I really enjoyed the city that loves jamon (ham) and especially its charming cafes and outdoor culture.
(more…)
Força Barça!!!
By Lee | 5 Comments » 
When I rank my favorite cities on Earth, Barcelona is always at the top of the list. What other city in the Northern Hemisphere combines the beauty, history, food, nightlife and beaches that Barca does? It is also the home of the newly crowned European Champions, FC Barcelona, who rocked Manchester United last week 2-0 and completed their league, cup and Champions League trebel sweep. We are staying for free in an amazing suite above storied Las Ramblas (see the view out our balcony window below) at the Le Meridien complements of Starwood Preferred Guest and it is a lot of fun. The vibe in this city is second to none and it’s a fast paced and exciting place to be and today it was the place where I watched Roger Federer finally win at Roland Garros and complete his career grand slam!
(more…)
Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples
By Lee | 5 Comments » 
The ferry from Lampedusa brings you to a place called Porto Empedocle which is the port town to Agrigento, a fairly large gorgeous city perched on a hill on Sicily’s Mediterranean Coast and the gateway to the Valley of the Temples. This is a very important UNESCO World Heritage Site and a very cool place to visit. Not to be outdone, Agrigento has a few reasons to stay a night as well with great restaurants, cafes and an old world charm that is unmistakably Sicilian.
(more…)
Loving Lampedusa
By Lee | 5 Comments » 
I owe the Travelers Century Club and their list big time for introducing me to Lampedusa which is the last volcanic island in the Mt. Etna chain and the southernmost island in the Mediterranean belonging to Europe. It is in fact administered by Italy and in considered a part of Sicily but is hardly so in reality. It is actually situated between Libya and Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea and has more recently become famous for the political maelstrom caused by the thousands of illegal African refuges attempting to flee poverty to European shores. The solution of which has not really been come up with as the Italian Government apparently detains them at a detention center on the Eastern side of the island where there is nothing to see but barbed wire and a military zone that doesn’t allow photographs to be taken. Lampedusa is said to be Africa’s last gift to Europe-so to speak.
(more…)
Italia in Short and Pictures
By Lee | 2 Comments » 
A journey through Italy is a treat in every sense of the word. It may be the best place to visit on Earth because you get so much for your experience. The food alone is worth the price of the trip. From Michelangelo’s David to the endless amounts of pasta, pizza, gelati, cannolis, bread and anything else you can fit down your throat, Italy is a true delight. The history of Rome and scenery of Tuscany are amazing. When you’re in Italy, you never want to leave and you don’t want to think about anything else. This is why I haven’t blogged much lately (along with a lack of wifi as Italy tends to operate like a third world country) and I am doing this as a condensed entry (albeit with a bunch of pictures) to summarize our trip down through all of Italy.
(more…)
A Milano Quickee
By Lee | 1 Comment » 
If you listed the great cities of Europe, you’d probably have to look pretty far down the list to find Milan. Unless you are a top model or footballer, there isn’t much to make you stay in Milan. Milan was not originally on the agenda for this trip but sometimes things don’t work out exactly how you plan. However, it gave us a great opportunity to spend a night in the city of finance and fashion and Italy’s second largest city to see the few sights the city does have to offer.
(more…)
A Truly International City
By Lee | 1 Comment » 
If one city on the planet could say that it fits the whole world in its hand then surely that city would be Geneva. Laid out along the shores of the utterly gorgeous Lake Geneva; Europe’s largest Alpine lake, Geneva is about as International as it gets. In Geneva you’ll hear words uttered in just about every language there is and 40% of the people of Geneva are not from Switzerland. It is a city of bankers, diplomats and transients and it belongs not so much to Switzerland but in fact the world. This is evidenced by the presence of over 200 top governmental and non-governmental international organizations like the UN, WHO, ILO and the International Red Cross. But the thing about Geneva that makes it special in my mind is that it’s a wonderful place to be and it has a feel of a place that you could actually live in.
(more…)
Pages
- About Lee Abbamonte
- Ask/Contact Lee
- Country List
- Country Qualifications-What makes it Count as a Country
- Mt. Kilimanjaro Journal
- Mt. Kilimanjaro Slideshow
- Newsletter
- Pictures of Lee
- Press Clips
- Radio Spots
- Sponsorship
- Standards for Visits
- Useful Travel Links
- Why Travel?
Email Updates
Categories
- Africa
- Airlines
- Asia
- Australia/New Zealand
- Caribbean
- Central America
- Europe
- General Travel
- Indian Subcontinent
- Middle East
- New 7 Wonders
- North America
- Oceana
- Picture of the Day
- Random
- South America
- Top 5 Lists
- Travel on TV
- Trip Blog
- Trivia
- World Sport
- Indian Ocean
Monthly Archives
Travel links
- Travel Insurance
- Discount Hotels
- Campground Reservations
- London Hostels
- Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
- Hostels in Honolulu
- Travel Blogs
- Travel Visas
- Adventure Travel
- Airport Parking
My Links
- Travel Sites