Ed Boitano
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Was never even considered as the Fifth Beatle
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Articles by Ed Boitano
Words Change Meaning
Yes, words do change meaning as they go out into the world. Take Cracker, generally defined as a “good ol’ boy'” from the deep South. But it really means Georgia cattlemen who would winter their cattle in the Florida Panhandle who had a unique way of ‘cracking‘ their whips. “Here comes those ‘crackers’” which Floridians would expound. A real ‘cracker,’ in Florida. Courtesy of Cracker Cowboys.
Finding Peace in La Paz –The World’s Aquarium on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez
Story by Ed Boitano. Photographs by Deb Roskamp Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico. Photo by miguelangelbriones in Envato.com There was not a hint of litter on the street. Mexican children frolicked on the beach. Los Pacenos (La Paz natives) offered gentle smiles as they jogged past me along the Malecón – La Paz’s bay-front boardwalk that stretches along the historic downtown.
Smart & Stylish Slovenia: Backdoor to Europe
Paris, London, Rome and Ljubljana. Yes, Ljubljana. This enchanting city is the capitol of the equally charming nation of Slovenia — and it is poised to become one of Europe’s hottest travel destinations. Plus, with the sinking value of the U.S. dollar, it makes a great Back Door to Europe destination that’s much easier on the Yankee pocketbook than other higher profile touristic locations.
Ousmane Sembène: The Father of African Cinema
“Real misfortune is not just a matter of being hungry and thirsty; it is a matter of knowing that there are people who want you to be hungry and thirsty.” “The development of Africa will not happen without the effective participation of women. Our forefathers’ image of women must be buried once for all.” Ousmane Sembène, the son of a poor Senegalese fisherman and wife, taught himself to read and write in French. His maternal mother primarily reared and greatly influenced him.
There was once a New Zealand New Wave Cinema: But few people knew it.
Starting on the heels of the Australian New Wave Cinema,There was once a New Wave heard around the World: Australian Cinema recently published in Traveling Boy. New Zealand’s New Wave Cinema emerged in the late 1970s, with the help of the Zealand Film Commission and government tax incentives for film production.
There was once a New Wave heard around the World: Australian Cinema
Did I say ‘Once’ around the world.Itwas revolutionary then,where the ‘jump cuts’ and ‘freeze frames’ of the various New Waves madeTV commercials as standard fare today. It all began with the French New Wave, which inspired the British New Wave’s Kitchen Sink Realism, New German Cinema, Japan’s New Wave, the Hollywood Renaissance;it seemed to be everywhere.
Homage to Mount Rainier
Mount Rainer in all its glory. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia. I was lucky but didn’t know it. My high school years were spent at Queen Anne High School, nestled on top of one of Seattle’s seven hills. With views of the Space Needle, Puget Sound, downtown and Mount Rainer. We had a joke, if you could see this volcanic mountain, it meant it was about to rain. But we didn’t care, taking our lofty location for granted. Mount Rainer was sacred to my family.
An Expedition to the Norwegian Arctic
Story and Photos by Ed Boitano* As recently as 1990 there was virtually no tourism to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. Located in the Arctic Ocean between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole, Svalbard (“cold edge”) was believed to be discovered by the Vikings in the 12th century. It became a base for many Arctic expeditions, then home to whalers and coal miners. Thanks to companies like Hurtigruten, it is now on the map for the world to see.
Eugene Chaplin Introduces Chaplin’s World Museum In Vevey, Switzerland
Manoir de Ban: Charles Chaplin’s home for 25-years. Courtesy photo Eugene Chaplin in Los Angeles. Courtesy Switzerland Tourism An artist in his own rite, Eugene directed the documentary film Charlie Chaplin: A Family Tribute and created the musical ‘Smile,’ a narration of his father’s life through his music. He’s also a recording engineer, having worked with The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Queen.
All Roads Really do Lead to Rome: Hadrian’s Wall
What can be said that has not already been said about Hadrian’s Wall: A marvel of Roman ingenuity, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the last frontier of the Roman Empire. A stretch of 73 miles of stones from sea to sea, covering the entire width of the island of Britannia, from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. A Wall once believed to be 15 ft. in height and 6 ft. deep with large forts and smaller mile castles and intervening turrets.
Kraków, Poland - Traveling Boy
Question 1: What are some of the “things” or activities that the people of Kraków do for fun? The Main Market Square in Kraków. Answer: Tourists: sightseeing, shopping, clubbing, eating in restaurants, walking (source: the annual research of tourist traffic in Kraków). Inhabitants: shopping, going to day spa, eating in restaurants, going to the zoo and boulevards of the Vistula river. Question 2: What is one thing the public probably does NOT know about Kraków? Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków.
Frederick Wiseman: RIP
On February 16, 2026, documentarian film director, Frederick Wiseman, passed away. He was 96 years old. His most famous documentary films include Titicut Follies (1967, Hospital (1970), Welfare (1975), and In Jackson Heights (2015). His films were renowned for possessing a dramatic structure despite not using a traditional documentary narrative, plus focusing on social and economic themes. ourtesy WireImage.
The 2026 Winter Paralympics - Traveling Boy
The 2026 Winter Paralympics (Italian: Milano Cortina 2026 Giochi paralimpici invernali), is an upcoming international winter multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities. This year it is scheduled to take place from March 6 to 15 at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy.
Up the Staircase to the Top of the Duomo di Milano: Exploring Milan, The City of Now
I had never seen so many tall and sleek model types in my life. I watched with fascination as they rushed through Milan’s Piazza del Duomo (“Cathedral Square”) for an unknown rendezvous or appointment, dressed in the latest fashion. It was also the first time I had ever paid $16 for a café latte, but it was well worth the price for a front row table facing the magnificent Piazza. At the other end of the square sat the iconic symbol of Milan: The Duomo di Milano.
The Best Virtual Vacations
You may not be traveling to far-away places in the immediate future, but we can bring them to you. Here’s a series of T-Boy’s virtual vacations, and we hope you’ll be able to go there and to other distant destinations soon.
America's First Destination Sea Resort: Sun Valley
No, not me. But there’s plenty of powder for the extreme skier. Photo courtesy of Dylan Crossman/Sun Valley Resort Hemingway slept above me. No, not in the same room, of course. In fact, not even in the same century. But room #206 – The Ernest Hemingway Suite – was the room directly above my own at the Sun Valley Lodge. It was a big deal for me.
Around the Desert Town of Onsen Hotel & Spa
Story by Ed Boitano; Photographs by Deb Roskamp. Desert Hot Springs has long been a destination for rest and rejuvenation. Situated 20 minutes from Palm Springs’ expansive golf courses, artistic rows of palm trees and desert estates, rustic Desert Hot Springs feels a world away. It is one of the few places on the globe with naturally occurring hot and cold mineral springs.
Who Were the Night Witches?
This is an abridged article taken from the Wright Museum of World War II, the History Channel and National WW II Museum. Meet the Night Witches. Photograph courtesy of the History Channel via Wikimedia Commons. The Night Witches were the all-women pilots of Russia’s 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. In World War II, the Night Witches were the first women military pilots in the 20th century to directly engage an enemy in combat.
Holiday Music - Traveling Boy
‘Tis the season for holiday songs, and below are among the first and finest. A local Italian choir filled the Naples Support Site Chapel with the sounds of a Christmas Cantata. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Richard Kiroy via Wikiimedia Commons Christmas carols originated in Italy, where history tells us that the earliest Christmas hymns took place in Rome in the 4th century.
I remember John Lennon: 1940 - 1980 - Traveling Boy
On February 9th, 1964, my life changed. America was getting their first live look at four English musicians with unusually long hair on Ed Sullivan’s Sunday night show. As I huddled around my parents’ black and white TV, I was immediately transformed into a new world. 60 years ago, the Beatles performed on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’. The group’s performance on the program was seen by over 73,000,000 people, people, setting a record at the time for the largest television audience in America.
An Afternoon With Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg (1843 –1907). Image courtesy of Elliott & Fry, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Despite his diminutive 5 ft frame, Norwegian composer Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a towering rock star long before the expression existed. Born into a successful Bergen merchant family in 1843, his life dramatically changed when violin virtuoso Ole Bull recognized his talent and also introduced him to the treasures of Norwegian folk music.
The Golden Nugget that Sparked California’s Horrific Past
There is a horrific period in America’s consciousness that is not generally covered in history books. It is a heart wrenching piece of U.S. history that is shrouded in greed, blood and injustice. It all started with the discovery of a single golden nugget. In the 1840s, Las Californias — the collective name for Alta California and the Baja California Peninsula — was the ancestral homeland of the indigenous Nisenan Maidu people.
The Aran Islands: Ireland's Living History
In Robert Flaherty’s brilliant 1934 documentary film, Man of Aran, we see an Irish man smashing limestone rocks to bits, while his wife gathers seaweed from the shore below the island’s steep windswept cliffs. Meanwhile, their young son scavenges for precious particles of dirt that have collected between the rocks blown from the mainland. These three ingredients will be used to create the soil in order to grow potatoes – the family’s main source of subsistence.
The Caesar Salad
Today, the whole world knows of the Caesar Salad — a salad generally consisting of romaine lettuce and croutons, dressed with parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Curiously enough, many people attribute its birthplace to the nation of Italy. Most dispute this claim, and credit the Caesar Salad’s creation to restaurateur Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant who operated restaurants in both the U.S. and Mexico.
Pilgrimages: Sacred Destinations
A production of the Oberammergau Passion Play in Bavaria. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GERMAN TOURIST OFFICE. The T-Boy Society of Film & Music’s final poll for 2020 is dedicated to PILGRIMAGES: Sacred Destinations. You’ll find members’ selections to be deeply personal, reflective and educational; experiences that helped shape their lives. I know I did. Clockwise from Top Left: Oberammergau, a Bavarian village which experienced two major pandemics.
Northern Ireland
This installment of Three Things is courtesy of Eileen Power, Publicity & Communications at Tourism Ireland Photo courtesy of Patrick Lennon We’re surprised how many tourists are unaware that Northern Ireland, along with England, Scotland and Wales, make up the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” We share the island with our friends in the Republic of Ireland. The land that makes up Belfast has been occupied since the Bronze Age.
The Islands in My Life: Four Island Destinations
Courtesy: Iceland Saga Tours For many of us, traditional images come to mind at the mention of an exotic island destination: swaying palm trees, crystal clear waters and pristine golden sands. A place where time stands still and all troubles seem to be caressed away by gently blowing tropical trade winds. I recently asked my brother, James, to name his favorite exotic island destination. Without a second’s hesitation he replied, “Iceland, definitely.” “Iceland?” I exclaimed.
Christmas Songs & Hanukkah, too
‘Tis the season for holiday songs, and below are among the first and finest. A local Italian choir filled the Naples Support Site Chapel with the sounds of a Christmas Cantata. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Richard Kiroy via Wikiimedia Commons Christmas carols originated in Italy, where history tells us that the earliest Christmas hymns took place in Rome in the 4th century.
Christmas Songs & Hanukkah, too
‘Tis the season for holiday songs, and below are among the first and finest. Christmas carols originated in Italy, where history tells us that the earliest Christmas hymns took place in Rome in the 4th century. Later, St. Francis of Assisi helped popularize Christmas carols in the 12th century, as well as creating the first symbol devoted exclusively to Christmas with the advent of the Nativity Scene, complete with living figures.
Christmas in London Guide and The Western Fjords of Norway
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Egypt: A personal interpretation of its land, people and antiquities, Part 1
By Ed Boitano; Photographs by Deb Roskamp While driving deep into the desert of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, we sat three hours in a van, which was part of a convoy, apparently to assist other vans in case of mechanical failures or possible attacks from terrorists or unknown assailants. There were many checkpoints along the way, guarded by soldiers and policemen.
Egypt: A personal interpretation of its land, people and antiquities, Part 1
By Ed Boitano; Photographs by Deb Roskamp While driving deep into the desert of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, we sat three hours in a van, which was part of a convoy, apparently to assist other vans in case of mechanical failures or possible attacks from terrorists or unknown assailants. There were many checkpoints along the way, guarded by soldiers and policemen.
Egypt: A personal interpretation of its land, people and antiquities, Part 1
By Ed Boitano; Photographs by Deb Roskamp While driving deep into the desert of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, we sat three hours in a van, which was part of a convoy, apparently to assist other vans in case of mechanical failures or possible attacks from terrorists or unknown assailants. There were many checkpoints along the way, guarded by soldiers and policemen.
Traveling Boy - Traveling Boy
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About Kaua’i. Hawaii. - Traveling Boy
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People and Places: Who’ve Changed Our Lives
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US Presidents and their Pets
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Pets - Traveling Boy
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Beyond T-Boy’s Journey into the Curious Case of Nursery Rhymes
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Presidents and Pets: A T-Boy Odyssey Into Why They Loved One Another
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The Film Soundtracks in Our Lives
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The Red Sea Sinai Peninsula, Sharm El Sheik & the 5-Star Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheik, Russian tourist, the Bedouins & camels
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The Swimming Pools in My Life
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Beneath the Best Films of 2023
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What’s New and Old in England’s North: Final Chapter
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3 Things We Didn’t Know About airberlin
This installment of THREE THINGS is courtesy of Madeleine Vogelsang – Product Manager, Airberlin Group. Question 1: What’s new with airberlin this year out of the U.S.? airberlin, Germany’s second largest airline strives to provide an extensive global route network for its flight guests in addition to convenience and flexibility by increasing efficiency in all areas of its operations.
Charles Schulz: New Book
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HADRIAN’S WALL: All Roads Really do Lead to Rome
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3 Things We Didn’t Know About Ottawa
(This installment of THREE THINGS is courtesy of Jantine Van Kregten – Director of Communications,Ottawa Tourism.) Question 1: What are some of the “things” or activities that people in Ottawa do for fun? In summer, we love our music festivals (jazz, blues, folk, country, chamber music, etc., etc.) and riding our bikes along an excellent network of interconnected pathways, many of which meander along the Ottawa River, Rideau River or Rideau Canal.
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