Month: November 2013

Holy Land, Jordan, ReligiousLeave a comment

Bethany Beyond the Jordan.

Rich McClear

This is the first of my posts on Holy Land sites.  Over the months there will be more.  We cannot be sure where most things in the Bible actually happened because, at the time, people didn’t put down GPS markers.  For instance, there are two competing sites of the crucifixion in Jerusalem.  The Via Dolorosa has changed routes several times.  The upper room touted as the site of the Last Supper is in a building erected in the 11th Century – AD.  This is one of three sites claiming to be the place Jesus was baptized.  If you’re looking for … Continue reading Bethany Beyond the Jordan.

Armenia, ReligiousLeave a comment

Khor Virap Monastery, Armenia

Rich McClear

Khor Virap is the Armenian monastery closest to the sacred Mt. Ararat.  Because of a combination of fog and cloud we were only graced with fleeting glimpses of the mountain and never got its picture.  But when we got to the Monastery a man pushed pigeons into our hands (he said they were doves) and told us to release them with our fondest dreams so they could fly off to the holy mountain (which is in Turkey, behind barbed wire and watchtowers that the clouds did not obscure from the monastery).  Apparently, by releasing doves we were following the example … Continue reading Khor Virap Monastery, Armenia

Morocco, ReligiousLeave a comment

Sacré Coeur in Casablanca.

Rich McClear

The French Cathedral Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Cathedral) is at the heart of French Colonial Art Deco Casablanca.  It was built in 1930, abandoned for Catholic worship in 1956 on Morocco’s independence.  It sat derelict for years and reopened as an art gallery just before I got there in 2005.  It is built in a mix of Gothic and Art Deco styles with Islamic touches.  The stained glass is set in cutwork geometric patterns much like the decoration in a mosque.  Paul Tournon was the architect for this church turned art gallery.  It serves its new purpose well.  For more … Continue reading Sacré Coeur in Casablanca.

MoroccoLeave a comment

Casablanca Art Deco

Rich McClear

Who wouldn’t want to visit Casablanca made famous by the Bogart film?  Of course that movie was shot in Hollywood, not North Africa.  Some current guidebooks tell us that Casablanca is good as a portal to pass through on your way to more interesting places like Fez and Marrakesh.  One book said that aside from the Grand Mosque of King Hassan II there is not much in the way of ‘sights’ of interest to the tourist, unless you want visit made up sites, two bars designed after the movie set, “Rick’s” and “Casablanca.” My work took me to Casablanca three … Continue reading Casablanca Art Deco

SitkaLeave a comment

Termination Dust, Sitka Alaska, November 2, 2013

Rich McClear

This has been a wonderful weekend in Sitka.  While we see snow on our mountains all year, those closest to the sea are bare in the summer.  We had a lot of rain at sea level during the week; in the mountains it was snow.  On Saturday it cleared and the near peaks and our volcano got their white snow caps back. “Termination Dust” is what Alaskans call it, the snow that means summer jobs are over. Some of these are shots taken on the water this weekend on a whale watch sponsored by Sitka WhaleFest (the whales I will … Continue reading Termination Dust, Sitka Alaska, November 2, 2013

EgyptLeave a comment

Fayoum’s Water Wheels, Creating an Oasis in Egypt

Rich McClear

At the roadblock the police asked where we were going.  Our driver mentioned several towns in the Fayoum Oasis (Faiyum) I wanted to see.  “But no tourist ever goes there,” which, of course, is the point.  Egyptian friends told us about these villages, each dedicated to some traditional manufacture, like pottery.  The roads into them are bad.  They don’t have bus service.  Pickup trucks act as public transport.  Because of security concerns westerners are not allowed to use public transportation here.  We must either travel in protected tour busses or a private car, which the police told us, require an … Continue reading Fayoum’s Water Wheels, Creating an Oasis in Egypt

Contiguous USLeave a comment

Jefferson’s Monticello, Reflections on Our Democracy

Rich McClear

I wrote this on my 55th birthday, November 21, 2001.  We had just finished work in Serbia and Kosovo and were home.  We had been expats for the better part of 8 years.  We had no idea what we would do next, but we came home to a different America.  We had watched the World Trade Center Towers collapse on CNN from Kosovo. We had worked with independent media in Serbia, Albania and Slovakia.  Our re-entry to the States was a road trip across country, from New Jersey to Bellingham, Washington and the ferry that took us home to Alaska. … Continue reading Jefferson’s Monticello, Reflections on Our Democracy