We spent the day driving along the coastline from Lisbon up to just south of Coimbra. The first stop was at Obidos, a small ancient walled city of about 3,000 people. As luck would have it, this was one of the weekends for the Chocolate Festival and cars surrounded the outskirts of the city with thousands descending into the old town. We parked along with many others on the side of the road and some old guy started yelling at us and everyone else … [Read more...]
Destination: Savannah, GA
“Are you interested in purchasing that house?” He said to my husband and I, as we stood tiptoed peering into the windows of a brick-faced two-story townhouse. It had a wraparound porch that was covered with intricately curving rod iron gates. The man startled us from our daydream. “No, we’re just looking,” we replied. “Oh, well I know the owners and they are very interested in sellin’ it.” He continued as we strolled with him and his dog down the … [Read more...]
Destination: Buenos Aires, Argentina
I could see myself, watching myself. An “out of body experience,” they call it. I was naked, wallowing hysterically in the crisp, clean, white sheets of the king-sized bed in my Marriott hotel room. I hadn’t eaten for many hours, too tired, emotional, and downright fearful to leave the room to forage for even a candy bar, of which there were plenty. Abundant bodegas were filled to the brim with candy brands foreign and domestic; chocolate … [Read more...]
Exploring Lisbon Portugal
Headed out to Lisbon this week to catch up with my brother who is living in Verona, Italy - it was a good chance to deliver his mail from California as well as spend some time sightseeing in a city neither one of us have been to before. The airport is a small one and easily navigable. Oh and the metro connects right to the arrivals hall. I quickly jumped on the metro - found the hotel, buzzed up to the hotel room and we headed out. My brother … [Read more...]
The Mozambique of my youth, happening now
I'm walking on Maputo Beach, a beautiful, litter-strewn stretch of coastline to the north-east of Mozambique's capital city. It's overcast, so most of the tourists have stayed away. I am among a group of ex-pat stragglers, making their way to the ubiquitous piri piri chicken stands dotted all along the coastline. We feast on the chicken, sitting on plastic chairs on the beach. After we finish, a group of four children between the ages of six … [Read more...]
Beware of Camels and Mysterious Shisha
I thought to myself, “I knew this was a bad idea.” I was officially stuck on top of a camel. Even after two weeks in this scandalous country, I had managed to fall into yet another obvious scam. A young boy had approached me at the base of the Great Pyramid in Giza and sweet talked me into climbing onto his camel for a picture. It seemed harmless enough; camels are pretty docile, and I was not obligated to pay for a ride. Just a quick … [Read more...]
Jerusalem: the Lion of this Kingdom
In May of 2009, my mother and I traversed France over 10 days. On our final day, at a Paris hotel, I perused cheap flights on the Internet, chancing upon a low-cost Belgian airline, JetAirFly, with one-way flights from Liege, Belgium, to Tel Aviv, for 99 euros. In Jerusalem, my nephew, Guy, and his mother, Miri, agreed to shelter me from the incoming cultural storm. My nerves tingled as I considered the implications: Judea, Israel, Jerusalem, … [Read more...]
Peace, Love and Vodka
The Woodstock Festival took place in New York State’s Catskill Mountains in 1969. Whether you lived through it or were born decades later, Woodstock is the stuff of legends, three days of peace, love and music. Rock and roll giants such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, Grateful Dead and many other icons preformed. Though called Woodstock, the concert didn’t actually take place in the town of Woodstock. It took place in the rural community … [Read more...]
A lifetime of local Knowledge – Thai Village Life
It is impressive the resourcefulness Syy's mom has at her disposal. We've been washing dishes from a liquid soap she's created from a number of mostly organic ingredients. She makes a lip balm out of coconut milk and wild bees wax collected from nearby hives. It smells quite pleasant and works very well for chapped lips. The rice wine takes her most of the day to make - and ferments for about 8 days before its ready to drink. We've had running … [Read more...]
Free Admission to Queen Mary, Long Beach CA
WHISTLE SALUTES, FIREWORKS CELEBRATION AND PUBLIC VIEWING OF HISTORIC MEETING OF SHIPS IN LONG BEACH HARBOR LONG BEACH, CA (March 5, 2013) --- On the evening of March 12th, 2013 in the Long Beach Harbor the world famous former Cunard liner R.M.S. Queen Mary, once the undisputed Grand Dame of the North Atlantic, will be visited by the youngest Cunarder Queen Elizabeth. In celebration of this historic moment, the Queen Mary will offer free … [Read more...]
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