I read a lot of blogs: about travel, politics, home decorating how-to’s, photography, recipes and other topics.   I read them via a blog-reader called Bloglovin.’  I can easily follow any blog on the ‘net by adding them to my Bloglovin’ list and scanning daily.

As you can probably guess, my favorite blogs are about travel. I’ve listed my “Top 10” in the margin on the lower right of this screen. Pay no attention to the numbers – I just haven’t learned how to make them disappear yet. When I’m not on the road, many of these writers are.  They take me to places I haven’t yet explored and to places I’ve loved. Here’s a short description of my favorites.

Adventures in Wonderland  Allison and Don sold everything when they retired so they could truly experience the world. Several years on they are still traveling, more often to fascinating natural places than to cities. The photography and writing on their blog is extraordinary.

EuroCheapo.com  EuroCheapo sends me daily short suggestions for the best affordable hotels and restaurants in large European cities as well as tips for traveling cheaply and securely.

French Word-a-Day  The blog I’ve followed longest, Kristin’s “diary” of life on a Provencal vineyard with her wine-maker husband and two young-adult children is enhanced by her excellent photography.

Hole in the Donut  Barbara gave up the rat race several years ago to travel as far and as often as possible. She bravely goes to places far off the beaten path. (Sleeping on the Great Wall of China and climbing to the top of the world in Ecuador are two of her experiences I recall several years after reading about them.) She uploads excellent photos daily and frequently writes honest descriptions of the places she visits.

Living the Life in Saint Aignan  Ken and his partner purchased a home in the Loire Valley about a decade ago. He blogs daily about his life there. Several times a year he describes and shares photos from his travels. Recently he posted a series of photographs of Paris taken from the top of the Montparnasse Tower that will interest any lover of the City of Light.

Mike’s Travel Guide  I like Mike! That is, I like Mike’s posts about the places he’s visited. He takes the time to show in detail over a number of days the places he has enjoyed in the cities of Europe, and sometimes provides useful information about local sites.

Senior Nomads in Europe  Michael and Debbie have begun the third year of non-stop travel around Europe. They have visited 45 countries, 125 cities and stayed in 80 different AirBnB rentals. I found them when they were the subject of a New York Times article several months ago. They write less frequently than others listed here but they always have an interesting story to tell.

Chasing the Donkey  A young Australian expat writes this excellent blog about Croatia. Calling herself “SJ Begonja,” she writes a travelogue, often detailing lesser known places in Croatia and providing suggestions for enjoying them. She’s really writing a terrific guidebook, one page at a time.  I can’t wait for a clever publisher to pull it into one package for publication.

Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site  Matt Kepnes has been traveling the world since 2006. He’s the author of the best-selling book How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. His book has many innovative suggestions. Matt’s website supplements his book, helping others travel more while spending less. It also includes an on-blog book club.

Intelligent Travel  National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel blog is produced with the professionalism you would expect from that fine organization. It covers the world in brief but informative essays, illustrated by fine photography. Occasionally, in a series entitled I Heart My City, they play 20 Questions with a resident of one of the world’s great cities.

* * *

Just a couple of other bits about blogs. You probably know that a blog is a site on the internet that anyone can create to express opinions, show photos, or share their experiences. They are often free. See Blogger.com or WordPress.com to learn about starting a blog of your own.

What are your favorite blogs? Please use the “Comments” area below to share your suggestions or to comment about some of the blogs I’ve listed.

P.S. I hope you’ll follow my blog!