As we recently made the rounds to visit friends and family before our departure to Morocco January 11, 2015, we put together and refined a “brief” slideshow to share. Some people asked for copies of some of the photographs. To that end, below is a copy of the slideshow. For those who missed the slideshow,…
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On our return trip to Budapest from Krakow, having driven through Eastern Slovakia, Erika and I decided to drive through the Western side. Our eventual destination, where we would stay the night, was the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, located just a stone’s throw from the Austrian border. Our thought was to be close enough to…
It’s only been eight months, but I’ve already been many places throughout Morocco. It is a beautiful country with tremendous variety in geography. Thus far, my absolute favorite place is the lovely coastal town of Essaouira. It has a nice blend of history and newness. One can just as easily wander the inner city or…
Note: This post was begun months ago during the end of summer, but life became complicated so its final edits and publication were postponed again and again. Every week, it seems, I discover yet another amazing aspect of Morocco. Over the course of the last few weeks, I’ve had a chance to explore the coastline…
After the amazing chance encounter with the Greek soldiers demonstrating changing of the guard, I was excited to see if we could watch the Bulgarian changing of the guard.
At the beginning of the video, the soldiers are coming out to change the guard. Their long stomping strides reminded me of toy soldiers with a hint of ballet technique.
After changing the guard, the troop returns to the barracks from whence they came. It was neat to see. I now want to see each of the different style as we progress and I regret not investigating if Turkey had one.
Below is an edited version of the video I shot. Some parts are shaky because I realized I was in their path and had to move out of the way. Enjoy!
Athens is angry, it seems. It’s a tempered anger, for the most part, but it is lies always below the surface. One always has the feeling of underlying tension, not with each other, but with people and social systems in power. This is most evident in the ubiquitous graffiti. In Greece, especially in major cities…
Just off France’s northern coast sits a little island, Mont Saint-Michel, atop which is a lovely old monastery. Surely, you’ve seen the pictures. It’s an amazingly beautiful spot. When I say, “island,” that is true most of the time, though the most days the tide is low enough to walk there. In fact, it was…
Reason 1,242 Why I Love Morocco:
The Marrakech medina is actually just many little medinas within one enclosure
Most neighborhoods, whether in a big city or small town, still adhere to a medina mentality, meaning most daily needs are within only a few blocks. Each small area typically has a butcher, a green grocer, a dry cleaner, a hammam, a baker (or community oven), a barber/hairdresser, at least four cafés, a pharmacy, hardware store, tailor, a dry goods shop, and endless small convenience stores. What’s not in a shop, is usually at a nomadic stand that shows up every morning. Often, there are also shops for clothing and shoes, doctors’ offices, gyms, and small restaurants.
Since we’ve been waylaid by the incomparable island of Karpathos, Greece and our realization that time well-spent in place is equally good as time well-spent elsewhere. It’s a matter of perspective. Every place can be awe-inspiring if one takes the time to notice, our original intended itinerary needed to be modified. Therefore, our updated plans,…
