Algarve, the southernmost province in Portugal, was the first stop on our cruise around the Iberian peninsula and I have to admit I did zero research on the history before we left. That was a mistake. Besides being beautiful, the land has a truly interesting history....
The names of most inept pirates are long forgotten because they didn’t really succeed in scaring anyone or taking much of anything. However, there is one infamous pirate who really was known for his stupid mistakes more than anything else. Stede Bonnet was born to a...
The best pirates in history are not funny. Pirates who were good at their jobs took other people’s property by threatening violence, and they were prepared to carry out their threats. Even if they spoke in a funny pirate drawl and all looked like Johnny Depp,...
This year everyone may be trying to find the perfect ugly Christmas sweater, but popular winter fashions certainly change with time. One winter about 150 years ago, instead of ugly Christmas sweaters or Santa hats, the women of Key West all wanted red shawls. At that...
The Turks and Caicos National Museum looks like a little old house because that’s what it is. But the displays inside don’t have much to do with the building or the people who lived there or even life on the islands in general. Most of the museum is devoted to the...
A friend just wished everyone a “Happy Talk like a Pirate Day” on Facebook and since it’s too early to start on the rum (never a good idea before jump rope practice), I thought I’d write about this strange phenomenon that proves once again, just how much spare time we...
