Sinai Desert
Suzi and I decided not to take a bus tour from Sharm to St. Catherine’s Monastery (featured in the next post) the home of the burning bush at the foot of Mt. Saini, but to hire a car and guide, … Continue reading Sinai Desert
Yankee Stadium
If my parents could see me they would die a second time. Last night Suzi and I went to Yankee Stadium and I rooted for the Yankees. I was thrilled when the Yanks popped 4 homers and scored 9 runs in the second inning. I cheered when the scoreboard showed Baltimore losing to Tampa Bay giving the Yanks sole possession of first place with two games left in the season. At the end of the game I sang along with Frank Sinatra, long gone but still beloved , in a chorus of “New York, New York.” We had planned to … Continue reading Yankee Stadium
Festa in Malta
Each town in Malta has its Festa, dedicated to the town’s patron and church. Festa season runs from April to September. Festa starts on Saturday with booths, food stands, fireworks and brass band concerts (a tradition carried over from the … Continue reading Festa in Malta
Madaba, Jordan
In the last post I mentioned the Madaba mosaic map of the Holy Land on the church floor. here are some pictures of the Madaba map. Madaba has a mosaic school that is worth a visit. Continue reading Madaba, Jordan
Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
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.
Khor Virap Monastery, Armenia
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
Sacré Coeur in Casablanca.
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.
Casablanca Art Deco
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
Sitka WhaleFest 2013, The Whale Watch Cruise
The highlight of the 17th Sitka WhaleFest was whale watching. November is when Humpback Whales gather in Sitka Sound to bulk up, either before they make their swim to Hawaii to mate or give birth, or as a prelude to … Continue reading Sitka WhaleFest 2013, The Whale Watch Cruise
Sitka WhaleFest, 2013.
I’ve never before been to Sitka’s WhaleFest, even though it has been run by old friends. I have missed 16 of them. I’ve always been out on assignment in early November and never thought to rearrange my schedule to be … Continue reading Sitka WhaleFest, 2013.
Termination Dust, Sitka Alaska, November 2, 2013
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
Fayoum’s Water Wheels, Creating an Oasis in Egypt
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
Jefferson’s Monticello, Reflections on Our Democracy
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
Alexander Dubcek’s Grave. All Saints Day 1998, Bratislava, Slovakia.
“For All the Saints Who From Their Labors Rest,” Especially for one. All Saint’s Day 15 years ago at Dubcek’s grave. This is All Saints’ Say. Today Slovaks visit cemeteries and light candles on graves. Most of my staff … Continue reading Alexander Dubcek’s Grave. All Saints Day 1998, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Halloween in Riga, Latvia, 2003
The depth of snow varied on our drive from Vilnius to Riga. In some places it was just a dusting, a bit of white on top of still green fields. In Northern Lithuania we saw a farmer with a horse … Continue reading Halloween in Riga, Latvia, 2003
Wooden Tallinn, Estonia.
In Tallinn, there are architectural rings. Right outside the old town is the “new town” a mix of modern steel and glass and Stalinist “wedding cake” architecture. Beyond that are working class Tallinn neighborhoods that consist of almost all old wooden buildings, single family dwellings, shops, workshops, and wooden apartment houses. Many have carpenter Gothic touches and are painted in different colors. The most famous of these neighborhoods is Kalamaja. I hope that at least some of these neighborhoods can be “protected,” as the old town from the modern “new town” encroachments. More than the German styled Hanseatic League old … Continue reading Wooden Tallinn, Estonia.
Soft Borders, Belgium and the Netherlands at Baarle.
Our friends Dave and Carol Lam took us to Baarle when we were working in the Balkans. We wondered about the possibility of ever being able to draw borders that reflected ethnic realities. Dave said he had something he wanted to show us, the municipality of Baarle in Belgium, or is it the Netherlands? The map of Europe has many geographic anomalies. But one of the strangest borders runs through Baarle. The town is divided between the countries, Baarle-Nassau is Dutch and Baarle-Hertog is Belgian. The dividing line is anything but straight, or rational. The border was set in the Treaty … Continue reading Soft Borders, Belgium and the Netherlands at Baarle.
The Evolution of Egyptian Pyramids.
Egyptian pyramids evolved. They did not just pop out of the ground at Giza. A series of mistakes litter the desert. In a short space of miles you can see those mistakes and follow that evolution. Saqqara has a stepped pyramid (and rubble of a step pyramid that didn’t hold up so well.) It was an early incarnation of Pharaonic funeral monuments. Then the builders decided to shift to smooth sided pyramids. The Collapsed Pyramid at Meidum was their first big mistake. The builders made the angle too steep. Instead of the pressure of the weight at the top of … Continue reading The Evolution of Egyptian Pyramids.
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar,– I.M. Pei’s symphony of geometric light and shadow.
The gem of Qatar is the Museum of Islamic Art, with pieces from the time of Mohammad to the beginning of the 21st century. The building, by American Architect I.M. Pei, is designed to allow for the play of sun and shadow on both the outside and inside the atrium. Natural light plays against structural forms, floor patterns, winding staircases, balconies and light fixtures to create massive geometric patterns that move with the sun and complement the micro geometric patterns common in Islamic art. In this building you can get lost in yourself, the art and perhaps infinity. Having lived in … Continue reading Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar,– I.M. Pei’s symphony of geometric light and shadow.
“A Mighty Fortress” The fortified churches of Thierache, France.
In Eastern France there are several war related “roads” to follow, the “road of the fortified towns,” “The road of the battlefields” linking battlefields of the two world wars, and “The road of the military cemeteries.” Wars happened here with alarming regularity. The road I found most fascinating was the “The Road of the Fortified Churches” celebrating about 65 churches (God’s castles someone called them) built in the Thierache region for the protection of the civilian population. These towns sat on the border between Champagne and Picardy near Flanders. They could not afford to wall themselves. Many did not have … Continue reading “A Mighty Fortress” The fortified churches of Thierache, France.
Chena Ice Hotel and Museum, Chena Hot Springs, Alaska
We decided to come to Chena Hot springs because the resort has built the world’s first year around ice hotel. This takes a little explaining. The resort hauled a high arched Quonset frame surplus from Prudhoe Bay and fit it … Continue reading Chena Ice Hotel and Museum, Chena Hot Springs, Alaska
Monasteries and MiGs, Sanahin Side.
The Drive from Yerevan to Tbilisi is through the Debed Canyon that runs north from Vanadzor to the border. The canyon has decaying industrial towns at its base and soaring monasteries, surrounded by traditional villages, on its peaks. Armenia has … Continue reading Monasteries and MiGs, Sanahin Side.
Monasteries and MiGs, Haghpat Side.
Haghpat Monastery looks across the Debed Valley at the Sanahin Monastery. In the valley in the middle sits the industrial town of Alaverdi. The Alaverdi region is famous for its monasteries and its Soviet heroes. It is the home of … Continue reading Monasteries and MiGs, Haghpat Side.
Prizren, the Picture Perfect Balkan Town
Prizren is the picture perfect Balkan town. It’s cut in two by the Drini River; a graceful Turkish arched bridge unites the two halves of the town. A 15th century Mosque dominates the riverbank. That Mosque is built on Roman foundations. At least 5 other minarets pierce the skyline. The citadel overlooking the town was first built in the 4th century BC by the Illyrians and used, in turn, by the Romans, Byzantines and Turks. Halfway up the hill sits a Byzantine monastery. Another Orthodox church sits near the main town square. Then there is the clock tower and Turkish … Continue reading Prizren, the Picture Perfect Balkan Town