The Slow Road
Join us on our journeys!
Hi, we’re Chris and Melissa. For more than 15 years, we’ve been full- or part-time vagabonds, traveling slowly through the world to discover destinations off the beaten track and to savor the places we love.
The Slow Road
Two Women Wandering The World
Hi, we’re Chris and Melissa
For more than 15 years, we’ve been full- or part-time vagabonds, traveling slowly through the world to discover destinations off the beaten track and to savor the places we love.
Our StoryWe’re in
Amberg, Germany
Heading to
Nuremburg, Germany
We’re in
Amberg, Germany
Heading to
Nuremburg, Germany
Explore our latest posts from
Europe and Antarctica
In the Far South of the World
I have always wanted to visit Antarctica, the White Continent at the southern end of the Earth. But I could never justify the cost, especially since Melissa wasn’t as interested in going. So when a … READ MORE
September 1, 2025
Explore by Region
Spotlight on Some Unusual Places
Island of the Gods
Bali, Indonesia
Famous as a tropical island paradise for beach getaways, Bali is also home to one of the most fascinating, intricate, and thriving traditional cultures in the world. The Balinese practice a unique form of Hinduism. Everything from people’s names to the layout of their homes and towns, their celebrations, their two calendar systems, their sense of direction, their music and dance, and the spirit offerings they make each day is suffused with ritual and a love of beauty.
The Wild West Meets Spain
El Rocio, Spain
This little town in southwestern Spain is one of the oddest places we’ve ever been. It’s designed for horses, with streets of sand and hitching rails in front of buildings. It’s sleepy and quiet, except when tens of thousands of pilgrims arrive in late spring to visit the local icon of the Virgin Mary. And though it’s dry and dusty, El Rocio sits on the edge of a huge wetland national park. From benches in town, we saw wonderful birds, such as spoonbills, storks, and flamingos.
Unique Rituals of Life and Death
Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia
The south-central highlands of Indonesia’s third-largest island, Sulawesi, are home to the Torajans. In their fascinating culture, traditional houses are shaped like boats on stilts, wealth is measured in water buffaloes, funerals are lavish multiday affairs, and the dead are laid to rest in trees, boulders, and caves throughout the landscape. Rarely have we felt so far off the usual tourist path as we did exploring those aspects of life and death in Tana Toraja.
