Galleries

Dallas Smith's Blog

Corfu

March 2022 - World Cruise

Anchor Image

Corfu, Greece, is located offshore from mainland Greece at Greece’s northwest corner, offshore from Albania, which has a turbulent history with Greece.  Corfu is proud to be Greece’s greenest island, in terms of climate.

Israel & Palestine: Two Views from the Middle East

Anchor Image

Welcome to Israel Arriving in Israel less than a week ago for a short visit on the way to the conference in Jordan, their first question was: “What the _______ (insert appropriate word of your choice) is going on in the US?” To which we replied, “What the ______ is going on in Israel?” It’s complicated. I hardly know where to start. But we have to start somewhere, to bring attention to what’s going on in these turbulent times...

Celebrating With Wine In Portugal

Anchor Image

Christmas Eve in Portugal Sometimes small personal interactions with local residents can color a whole experience of a visit to a foreign country. This happened to me today. My friend Bill and I took the morning excursion from the Viking River Cruise boat. . .

A Tourist's View of Israel

February, 2015

Anchor Image

The world is a big place…I was picked up at 3am to travel to the Mumbai airport for a 6:40am Turkish Airlines flight, which flew seven hours from Mumbai to Istanbul. After a couple of hours in the chaotic, crowded, and very international Istanbul airport, I flew two hours to the Ben Gurion airport outside Tel Aviv Israel. Met by Susan, we traveled half an hour by taxi to the town of Rehovot, where Susan’s sister and her husband have lived for many years. . .

Jordan: Amman and Petra

June 2012

Anchor Image
We left our group tour in Turkey to begin a private tour in Jordan, via a two-hour flight from Istanbul to Amman.  As expected, there was a gentleman holding a sign with our names as soon as we entered the Amman airport immigration hall.  After purchasing a visa, changing some money, having our passports stamped, and collecting our luggage, we were introduced to our driver, Mazen, who would be our companion throughout our travels during our short four-day sojourn in Jordan. . .

Encounter with Remarkable Nurses

September, 2016

Anchor Image

I became a musician because when I was young, I loved listening to music and was drawn to learn how to make music myself. Fast forward half a century, and my music has led me, together with my wife Susan and our creation . . .

Puerto Vallarta: Our Second Port of Call

January 2022

Anchor Image

Following our first port of Cabo San Lucas and three days at sea, our second port of call on the Viking world cruise was the famous tourist city Puerto Vallarta.  Puerto Vallarta is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, a state which is approximately the size of South Carolina.  Tourism is its main “industry.”  Susan and I joined a city tour with a local guide who spoke perfect English.  We toured the downtown area including the cathedral, followed by a half-hour drive out of the city to tour a tequila factory...

India Blog #3: Wildlife

February 2023

Anchor Image

I experienced wildlife in India that I had imagined could only be experienced on an African safari.

Alaska: Mountains, Lakes, and Glaciers

Anchor Image

Stockholm & Oslo

Two of My Favorite Cities

Anchor Image

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. . .