(Couldn't help myself--thank you, Robin Williams.) Great to connect via FaceTime, Mom. As promised, I am sending an update on our time in Vietnam. Where to start is the question. We have heard such great things about Vietnam from friends who have traveled here. Most of the comments focused on the natural beauty of the … Continue reading Good Morning, Vietnam!
Hi, Mom. It has been a few days since our last update. Dan and I have made our way from Thailand to Cambodia. What an experience; there has been a lot to take in! While in Cambodia we spent our time on the coast, exploring villages on the Gulf of Thailand, which is a very … Continue reading Cambodia
Oh, Mom, I am bursting with excitement and enthusiasm for where we are!!! Yesterday we made our way North from Bangkok to Sai Yok, a Thai National Park district. We are staying on The River Kwai, less than 15 kilometers from Myanmar (formerly Burma). I write this as I sit on our floating deck, watching … Continue reading The River Kwai
Not kidding. This is a Shangrila (opps, that’s another hotel).....an oasis, utopia. The Peninsula Hotel Bangkok is a special place. While yes, our room is literally an apartment, with floor-to-ceiling windows, on the 12th floor, overlooking the river, it is not just the room itself that makes this place incredible. It is not just the … Continue reading I Want to Live at the Peninsula Hotel Bangkok
Hi, Mom. Dan and I safely arrived in Japan. Though it was a long travel day, we found refuge and regeneration at our first night's hotel. We opted to travel through Tokyo, making a brief stop for dinner. We then hopped on a train to Hakone, our destination for the first night. We stayed at … Continue reading Hello, Japan: Beds on the Floor, Hot Springs and Tiny Slippers.
Hi, Mom. Today is our last day on the islands of Greece, so we spent it at the beach. This, Kamari Beach, is a black sand beach so it is particularly warm, even early in the season. Of course Dan went swimming, and snorkeling. He noted how distinctly he could identify visible lava flow under … Continue reading A Day at the Beach
Today, the highlight was a late afternoon sail through the center of the volcano, called The Caldera. Santorini used to be a single island with a center peak, which was actually a volcano--and in fact, is still an active volcano today. Nearly 4,000 years ago the volcano erupted, an event that is considered to be … Continue reading Sailing the Caldera
What an experience it has been, a highlight of our travels to spend Easter in Crete. We arrived yesterday, welcomed with candles to partake in the Greek Orthodox traditions of "Big Saturday" (closest translation of a reference similar to Holy Saturday). At 11:00 PM we went to the cathedral to join hundreds of worshippers for … Continue reading Easter in Crete
We received some sad news yesterday, Good Friday. Sweet Grey kitty passed away in his sleep. I can't help but wish I had been there for him in his last days. I know he had plenty of love from all of the family and friends who have spent time at our house while we were … Continue reading An Unexpected Farewell
Hi, Mom. It was so nice to talk with you today. The photo below shows our view, as we were talking. Our hotel is on a cliff, with magnificent views of the bay of Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, and Sorento, Italy. We are on the island of Capri, staying in Anacapri. Nature is overwhelmingly stunning here. … Continue reading Hello, from Capri!
Hi, Mom. Enjoying a glass of wine and a salad, sitting on the waterfront piazza in Positano. My entertainment, this cat supervising the local street artist's work.
Good morning, Mom. Yesterday we made our way to Positano, Italy. It was quite a day! We flew in to Naples, then had a beautiful lunch in the city. We felt compelled to have a classic Margherita pizza in the city in which it was invented. And the experience did not disappoint. We then went … Continue reading What a Day
No need to worry about us, Mom. We are far removed from the more contentious area of the Mediterranean; no war ships in the bay of Cannes. Yesterday we drove to St. Tropez for lunch, and the night prior we took a sunset drive along the rocky cliffs of the Mediterranean coast to find a … Continue reading Good morning, from our peaceful little corner of the Mediterranean.
Good morning, Mom! We are beginning our Wednesday morning here in Cannes, France (still at the house overlooking the Mediterranean Sea), as you are likely sleeping. The time difference is seven hours, we are ahead. Our time here has been wonderful. So beautiful and relaxing. The intensity of the sun is incredible! This area is … Continue reading Good morning, Mom.
Today we made our way into the French countryside of Provence. It was magical and touching, the sensory elements transported me back to moments of Spring at home. Crisp air, blue skies dotted by the occasional passing cloud, Spring greens, and all of the energy of new growth, buds pushing through. I don't know if … Continue reading A Little Bit of Home
Enjoying escargot at Benoit Paris (opened in 1812)
Hi, Mom. Coming to you today from one of the most astonishing places on earth, Chobe National Park in Botswana. Seriously, this is one of the most incredible places I have ever been. In my last post, I made reference to the fact that Africa gripped me immediately. It was a connection I didn’t expect. … Continue reading Africa – Chobe National Park, Botswana
Hi, Mom. We made it to Africa! Departing from Mumbai, we flew through Ethiopia to the Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe. Then after a brief car ride we hopped on a boat to be transferred down the Zambezi River to our first safari lodge. And the adventures began soon thereafter. The beauty of the river … Continue reading Africa – Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Hi, Mom. It was great to FaceTime with you yesterday; so nice to her your voice and see your smiling face. As promised, here is some information about our time in Mumbai. For me, this was a return to Mumbai, just over a decade since I was first there. And I was happy to share … Continue reading A Return to Mumbai
Hi, Mom. Last we spoke, Dan and I had spent some time in Delhi and there was a lot on our minds. From there, we boarded a train and have been making our way through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. As the map shows, we covered more than 1,600 miles and still … Continue reading Our Journey Through India
Hello, from India, Mom. Dan and I have been in India for just over a week now. We began our trip in Delhi—the political capital—and are making our way down to Mumbai, which is considered the business/economic capital of India. Having been to a few spots in India prior to this trip, I had a … Continue reading India – A Cultural Splendor
Hi, Mom. Moving on from Northern Israel, we headed to Tel Aviv. As we made our way South from Tiberias we visited the ancient city of Acre. Settled during The Bronze Age—3,000+ BC—Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. This is largely due to the prime location, at the point … Continue reading Tel Aviv
Ok Mom, here we go—another dimension of our time here. There are a few reasons for my lag in posting details of our travel through Israel. Yes, we have been doing a lot so time and energy are precious. But beyond that, we didn’t want to worry you as tensions have been escalating. We deliberated … Continue reading Northern Israel – Geopolitical Sites
Hi, Mom. What an incredible time we are having! Our guide, Ron, is just excellent, making our time here rich with experience and enjoyable. He has an impressive depth of knowledge, and a giggle that reminds me of Andy 😉 Ron Harari, “Ron The Guide” Ron first brought us to The Mount of Beatitudes, where … Continue reading Northern Israel – Religious Sites
Hello from Israel, Mom. Dan and I are so excited to begin our journey of discovery in The Middle East. I am writing to you from our starting point, Tiberias on The Sea of Galilee, in the North of Israel. We planned this trip with intentions to see the holy land, and have a deep … Continue reading Israel 2023
Notes to Mom 