Galleries

How much of Istanbul can one see in a short two-day visit?  Actually, quite a bit, when logging over 20,000 steps/day on my FitBit.  When we first planned our Viking River Cruise, I told our friends Bill and Linn, who were traveling with us, that we would be so close to Istanbul while visiting the Balkan countries, that we must add it on to our trip.  And so, following our Danube River cruise, we flew from Budapest to Turkey, arriving in Istanbul the evening before Election Day. . .

The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik has been called “the Pearl of the Adriatic.”  The city dates from the 7th century, and existed as a prosperous independent city-state during the Middle Ages, known for its diplomacy and wealth. 

I first heard of Cape Verde Islands in the title of a jazz composition by pianist Horace Silver, The Cape Verdean Blues. 

Many years ago, I was told the following joke which highlights Scandinavian cliché stereotypes: In a ferry sailing on the Baltic Sea, two Danes, two Norwegians, two Finns, and two Swedes walk into the bar. The two Danes clap each other on the back. . .

This blog will describe Southern Chile: Puerto Montt, two impressive glaciers, Punta Arenas, and our transit around Cape Horn, the southernmost part of Tierra Del Fuego, South America.

Stockholm is one of my favorite cities in the world.  It is very beautiful, the historic capital of Sweden.  I've visited Stockholm over a dozen times, enough to learn a respectable fluency in the Swedish language (which is much easier than German).  It's also home to dear old friends.  Seeing them was the goal of this visit.  I share insights comparing the Swedish and American healthcare and political systems.

Wadi Rum is the landscape used in the hit movie The Martian (starring Matt Damon) and countless other movies.