The names of stories and mysteries. Casablanca, Fes, Tangier, Rabat, Meknes, Marakech, plus, new ones to add: Chefchaouen- the blue city, Voubilis-Roman ruins.
What a compact list of exciting places. All places to get
Lost in the medinas, and, did, repeatedly. Its what your supposed to do.
Casablanca: Jewish museum, learned that intricate metal work is their contribution.
Mosque with tallest minaret and immense outside area full of mosaics was built in record time.
Rabat: Went to to Moulay Idriss named after the man who brought Islam to Morocco. Really lost there.
Meknes: Walked around Volubilis, Roman ruins which had a very fancy rich merchants home complex. Olive oil press with channel's for oil to run off and a party room complete with vomitorium next to a ten hole toilet area. Intricate mosaic floors.
Fes: I was excited to finally see the tannery and dye baths. We were given a sprig of mint to offset the smell. It wasn't that bad. People raise pigeons to supply the poop for the process. It works, the leather is so soft.
Chefchaouen: The Blue city, why is it blue? Mosquito repellent, maybe.
Tangier: Thoughts of pirates and meeting of the waters of the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Truly lost there.
Marrakech: Yes, actually on the train to Marrakech😊 10 hours of it. Mostly overnight.
A day at Yves St. Laurents garden and extensive showroom. Lovely.
I ate my favorite-pastilla at every chance.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Thursday, October 17, 2019
GREENLAND Sept. 2019
I was not disappointed. Flying from Reykjavik I saw the memorial to John Lennon that Yoko Ono put in a small island close to the harbor. Landing at Constable Point to meet the ship, get our big boots suitable for the many Zodiac landings ahead. A red helicopter arrived with an indigenous couple that would accompany us to learn ways to incorporate the cruise passengers and their village of Ittoqqortoormiit in the future. Lucky us. They wore local costumes that were so intricate, made my craft mind reel.
Off we sailed, deep into fjords, thousands of icebergs, no reference point to compare them, might be the size if a city.
We saw outposts for the former Danish patrols, fishermen, dog sledders. (later in Morocco, met a woman whose husband was a Danish patroler)
Bloomsterbugten was the Bay if Flowers and Renbugten was the home of purple and gold rocks.
Spotted by crew- polar bears! In total five! All healthy. Captain followed one bear with the ship as he walked down the hill to swim in the sea. Now, that was accommodating of him.
We had many expedition staff that covered all aspects of the Arctic with daily talks.
I saw plenty of tiny moss specimens and colored limestone rocks.
Musk Ox under hair is very valuable, soft and very warm, woven into hats etc.
Many had opportunities to Kayak, hike and look around without doing either. Always had perimeter armed look outs.
Auroras came into view two nights, pale, and tantalizing.
Food was 5* and served beautifully. Service - excellent.
Great trip.
Friday, July 5, 2019
Romania, Moldova, Transnistria, Ukraine. June 2019
Romania
Bucharest: Biggest park in Europe, so many really big fountains, Greek restaurant next to one with Kokopeli as the logo. Had a blood test, all good.
Tulcea: Cruise on the Danube Delta! Finally. Olympic rowers sourced from here as they grow up rowing heavy wooden boats. Then they are fast as the wind in the competition boats. Someone was clever. Settled by Orthodox running from Peter The Great. How great was he if his people ran away?
Moldova:
Comrat: Capital of Gagauzia least visited area of least visited country. Lunch in a village-so much meat.
Chisinau: More meat and lots of wine. Have I mentioned the cigarettes? Lots.. not really small shops to get water etc.
Polenta served at every meal. I like polenta, its lost in all the meat dishes. Too bad, just polenta and butter would make me happy. Wine? Toured Milestii Mici wine cellar, 200 kilometers of passages, holding 2 million bottles. Internationale people have a locked cubby for private stash. They have to get there to open with their key.
Transnistria:
"Independent" country from Moldova. Wants Soviet back, Lenin statue stands, Soviet tanks, big fort, hour boat ride on Dniester river. Sidewalks in better shape than neighbor countries. No graffiti, all ship shape.
Odessa: Opera house contender of La Scala. Jaw dropping and the performance was excellent. Good vibe.
Overnight train: Old Soviet style.
Kiev: Shinny gold topped churches. More opera, second part of performance was a full ballet company dancing to Bolero. Imagine, symphony orchestra and that music! Fantastic.
Chernobyl and Pripyat: Amazing. Didn't imagine we could go inside the buildings in Pripyat. Surreal. 50,000 people evacuated in a day. Wore a counter and was tested upon leaving, twice. Actually get more radiation flying, I do lots of that.
Having rest days in a suburban area of Kiev. Its a huge complex, difference from Soviet and Chinas dense living buildings is that they are painted pastels. Addresses same as Soviet. Feel like I'm in prison, screaming kids, barking dogs, workmen drilling.
That's all folks.
Next?
Bucharest: Biggest park in Europe, so many really big fountains, Greek restaurant next to one with Kokopeli as the logo. Had a blood test, all good.
Tulcea: Cruise on the Danube Delta! Finally. Olympic rowers sourced from here as they grow up rowing heavy wooden boats. Then they are fast as the wind in the competition boats. Someone was clever. Settled by Orthodox running from Peter The Great. How great was he if his people ran away?
Moldova:
Comrat: Capital of Gagauzia least visited area of least visited country. Lunch in a village-so much meat.
Chisinau: More meat and lots of wine. Have I mentioned the cigarettes? Lots.. not really small shops to get water etc.
Polenta served at every meal. I like polenta, its lost in all the meat dishes. Too bad, just polenta and butter would make me happy. Wine? Toured Milestii Mici wine cellar, 200 kilometers of passages, holding 2 million bottles. Internationale people have a locked cubby for private stash. They have to get there to open with their key.
Transnistria:
"Independent" country from Moldova. Wants Soviet back, Lenin statue stands, Soviet tanks, big fort, hour boat ride on Dniester river. Sidewalks in better shape than neighbor countries. No graffiti, all ship shape.
Odessa: Opera house contender of La Scala. Jaw dropping and the performance was excellent. Good vibe.
Overnight train: Old Soviet style.
Kiev: Shinny gold topped churches. More opera, second part of performance was a full ballet company dancing to Bolero. Imagine, symphony orchestra and that music! Fantastic.
Chernobyl and Pripyat: Amazing. Didn't imagine we could go inside the buildings in Pripyat. Surreal. 50,000 people evacuated in a day. Wore a counter and was tested upon leaving, twice. Actually get more radiation flying, I do lots of that.
Having rest days in a suburban area of Kiev. Its a huge complex, difference from Soviet and Chinas dense living buildings is that they are painted pastels. Addresses same as Soviet. Feel like I'm in prison, screaming kids, barking dogs, workmen drilling.
That's all folks.
Next?
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
The rest of Bulgaria May-June 2019
Dobrinishte:
Home of narrow gauge old train that originates here, so, off I went to find it. It was very old, the equipment in the office was probably from the 40,s.
Train too. Ladies boarded dressed like the babushkas of my childhood.
Then..the compartment filled with a school of children about 7-8. Screamed in every tunnel, there were many.
Forgot toilet paper.
Huge spa/pool complex in town, the waters are popular all around this part of the world.
Lovely mountains to look at.
Plovdiv: trout were used to test the water for poison, not today.
Its the oldest lived in city in Europe.
The Roman ruins are many and in good shape. Stadium, theatre, mosaics in situ, forum!
Lovely Airbnb hosts, watched the series-Chernobyl. Appropriate as I was going there. Learned to make
, Tarator, yummy cucumber soup.
Veliko Tarnovo: Medieval capital, built up the sides of a valley with a river down the bottom. Artisinal street keeps crafts alive.
Rusé: Border town on the Danube. Nope, no lunch or dinner cruise here. Its an opportunity.
Sheets fit like a small tablecloth.
Bum bags everywhere, plain and fancy. and, men carry a bag.
Sidewalks are an obstacle course. Cement squares all jumbled.
Lions are the symbol of the country, there aren't any, just like them because they are strong.
Home of narrow gauge old train that originates here, so, off I went to find it. It was very old, the equipment in the office was probably from the 40,s.
Train too. Ladies boarded dressed like the babushkas of my childhood.
Then..the compartment filled with a school of children about 7-8. Screamed in every tunnel, there were many.
Forgot toilet paper.
Huge spa/pool complex in town, the waters are popular all around this part of the world.
Lovely mountains to look at.
Plovdiv: trout were used to test the water for poison, not today.
Its the oldest lived in city in Europe.
The Roman ruins are many and in good shape. Stadium, theatre, mosaics in situ, forum!
Lovely Airbnb hosts, watched the series-Chernobyl. Appropriate as I was going there. Learned to make
, Tarator, yummy cucumber soup.
Veliko Tarnovo: Medieval capital, built up the sides of a valley with a river down the bottom. Artisinal street keeps crafts alive.
Rusé: Border town on the Danube. Nope, no lunch or dinner cruise here. Its an opportunity.
Sheets fit like a small tablecloth.
Bum bags everywhere, plain and fancy. and, men carry a bag.
Sidewalks are an obstacle course. Cement squares all jumbled.
Lions are the symbol of the country, there aren't any, just like them because they are strong.
Sofia, Bulgaria May 2019
Ahhh, Sofia-means Wisdom.
Its the second oldest city after Athens.
The Bulgarian government foiled Hitler by using diversionary tactics to save their Jews from being sent away. Clever.
How clever are Bulgarians, when I was in Antarctica, they were the ones that discovered the hole in the Ozone layer.
In the center of town, all the religions
had a place of worship in an area close to each other. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox, and now McDonalds for the latest worship $$.
Went to the opera and symphony. Super.
As its a crossroads, it had many invaders:
Thraceans- garlic and wine
Slavic-farmers with bread
Bulgars-nomadic, meat and dairy
Romans-spices
Ottomans-sweets
Communism- standard menus
Its the second oldest city after Athens.
The Bulgarian government foiled Hitler by using diversionary tactics to save their Jews from being sent away. Clever.
How clever are Bulgarians, when I was in Antarctica, they were the ones that discovered the hole in the Ozone layer.
In the center of town, all the religions
had a place of worship in an area close to each other. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox, and now McDonalds for the latest worship $$.
Went to the opera and symphony. Super.
As its a crossroads, it had many invaders:
Thraceans- garlic and wine
Slavic-farmers with bread
Bulgars-nomadic, meat and dairy
Romans-spices
Ottomans-sweets
Communism- standard menus
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Rome May 2019
While in Rome, I revisited some favorites.
Michelangelos Pieta in St. Peters
Borghese Gallery
Almost more Bernini sculptures than I could take in.
On the city walk, I learned:
+ Rome has more pyramids than any other city
+ Vespa started in 1946
+ 5000 gelato opportunities
+ First 100 days of Colleseum opening, thousands of animals and gladiators killed
+ Ferrets were used for pest control
+ Margarita pizza is colors of the flag
+ 3000 Euros a day removed from Trevi Fountain
Upon arriving, police told me wrong street, trudged up a hill in the rain. Meant I could go downhill when I left.
Michelangelos Pieta in St. Peters
Borghese Gallery
Almost more Bernini sculptures than I could take in.
On the city walk, I learned:
+ Rome has more pyramids than any other city
+ Vespa started in 1946
+ 5000 gelato opportunities
+ First 100 days of Colleseum opening, thousands of animals and gladiators killed
+ Ferrets were used for pest control
+ Margarita pizza is colors of the flag
+ 3000 Euros a day removed from Trevi Fountain
Upon arriving, police told me wrong street, trudged up a hill in the rain. Meant I could go downhill when I left.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Doha, Qatar Dec. 2018
My third Saudi Peninsula country. These people are expansive and clever. Like big. Architects can be fanciful and build gravity defying buildings because they can. The newest museum looks like a desert rose. Transport is very limited, hence, plenty of cars, taxis and Ubers.
The men are very particular about their appearance. Not a hair untrimmed, nor a spot in the white robe. Ladies black robes quite plain.
Indigenous population is very small, many thousands of imported workers.
An area being developed solely for education. US university's have facilities here so locals dont have to travel abroad.
I'm staying in an apartment building, built in an artificial island curving around a lagoon with its own island.
Yes, its artificial and glitzy, but what fantasy fun.
The men are very particular about their appearance. Not a hair untrimmed, nor a spot in the white robe. Ladies black robes quite plain.
Indigenous population is very small, many thousands of imported workers.
An area being developed solely for education. US university's have facilities here so locals dont have to travel abroad.
I'm staying in an apartment building, built in an artificial island curving around a lagoon with its own island.
Yes, its artificial and glitzy, but what fantasy fun.
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