Category Archives: Travels

Thanksgiving Travel to America

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Stop and smell the coffee

A cup. The floor. Sadness.

Well, that’s great advice but it needs to be made first so I did just that and did it before the sun got a chance to make my day a bit brighter. But then gravity took over and my coffee fell to the floor of my car. A taste would have been nice, but it really did smell good for the next three hours as I drove from Naples to Rome. The extra moisture caused me to turn on my defroster from time to time. No problem. But then twice at the airport I was taken aside and swabbed. I began to wonder if whatever was in the artificial creamer settled on me and set off the machines. I think it was a coincidence. Create your conspiracy theory and leave a comment. We all could use a chuckle or two.

Monte Cassino and the snow covered mountain

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Monte_Cassino

Just below and to the left of the mountain is a rebuilt abbey. It was destroyed for the fifth time during World War II. I have been there twice and it is amazing so much of it survived. I saw the snow long before I saw the abbey as I drove to the airport. It was the first snow of the season. A large storm passed through Italy a couple of days before and snow was visible once the clouds lifted. Thankfully the traffic was light and I was able to snap a few pictures as I passed. There was no point and shoot–it was more like shoot in the general direction and hope that something turns out.

A flower for Steve

A beautiful plate of ham in Rome’s Fiumicino airport

Okay. Okay. This was not a flower. But it was a beautiful and tasty display in the ITA lounge. For some reason I reached Gold Medallion status at Delta Airlines so their Italian partner gave me free access. Very nice! After a couple of cappuccinos, some eggs, bacon, and a couple of servings of yogurt later I entered the plane very contented. By the way, I should have said cappuccino instead of cappuccinos as the plural form cappuccini is derived from Italian cappuccini. The more you know….

Too much information

I am hoping my plane is not below the ocean

I can almost see the ocean from my seat in the plane and I know for a fact that I am not 14 below sea level. No problem….unless the instruments are wrong when I land and the landing is really, really hard.

Flying over my house in NY

Somewhere over NY

After listening to many hours of podcasts and sleeping a bit from time to time, I looked at the monitor and saw I had entered the United States. Only a few more hours to go.

As it turned out, the landing was smooth and I barley woke up. Kudos to the crew. A peaceful flight uninterrupted.

Reminds me of a sunset from another time

A beautiful Atlanta sunset

This was a beautiful sunset and it reminded me of a home movie my dad made 50 years ago. There is nothing more magnificent than looking at the beautiful side of Mother Nature. And there is nothing better than being reminded of a parent who took the time to share his interest in our world. I have remembered that sunset since I was a kid.

Thankful for my mom

Thankful for the food and those who prepared it

My sisters and their many helpers created a wonderful meal and a beautiful environment

A bonus the morning after Thanksgiving

My mom made biscuits from scratch

My sisters decorated their Christmas Tree after Thanksgiving

The lights twinkled
This ornament was a 1999 gift from Jerusalem

Epilogue

Remember those cheesy TV shows that wrapped up everything in a few words before the credits began to roll? Well, these are my parting words. My trip back to see family in America was filled with food and happiness and love. There is never enough time and that was certainly true of this trip. 24 hours to get to America, 72 hours on the ground, and 24 hours on the return to Italy. A lifetime of memories were made in that short time. I love my family and I appreciate how they welcomed me with open arms. One last thing. As much as I loved being with these family members, I missed being with those that couldn’t be there. I hope to see them soon.

Split Croatia 2022

Aside

This Veteran’s Day weekend my wife and I took a couple of extra days to explore a part of the world we had never been, and what a beautiful part of the world it is!

In the Peristil.

The main attraction is Diocletian’s Palace, a Roman era retirement home built 1,700 years ago for the only Emperor who willingly stepped down from the throne.

An artist’s rendering of Diocletian’s Palace

This is the south wall of the palace and the arches are where the Emperor’s quarters were. The palace has been transformed over the last 1700 years and the walkway goes along stores and coffee shops. The sea used to be right next to the south wall. Look at the artist’s image to see the water and a boat passing by.

These are a few pictures of the palace. There are many houses built inside the palace and few open spaces, so these pics capture bits and pieces of the palace.

A couple of arches with an interesting circular structure at the top.
This is the Golden Gate. It is the north gate and the Emperor entered this gate and walked directly to his apartment at the other end of the palace.
Another arch. This one is part of the Golden Gate entrance.
This building is just outside the western wall of the palace.
This arch is part of the western wall structure.
A 1700 year old column worn down by weather.
Archeological activity outside the eastern gate.
A wall just outside the eastern gate.
A street with a visible part of the palace wall carved out to make a passageway.
A wall with visible repurposing scars.

Some pictures of an open space known as the Peristil.

This is called the Peristil. This open space led to the Emperor’s apartment and the structure at the end of this picture is the entrance.
These arches are just outside Diocletian’s mausoleum. There is now a church inside the mausoleum.
Shadows of the arches.
This Sphinx was one of many brought from Egypt 1700 years ago. The Sphinx is 3500 years old.
This tower was built in front of the Diocletian’s mausoleum.
This hole in the roof used to be covered by a dome and was a part of the main entrance to the Emperor’s apartment.
A temple dedicated to Jupiter near the mausoleum. It was made into a baptistry.
A visitor sign next to the temple.
Another Sphinx. This one is located at the Jupiter Temple entrance.

An enjoyable meal.

Enjoying the moment.
Beautiful and tasty risotto.
Bambolini. Something tasty coated and deep fried. Cheese and bits of pork I think.
Croatian wine is very good.
This placemat has a great truth!
A Croatian favorite street food named burek. It is a flaky crust filled with various types of food; spinach, chicken, potatoes, cheese, or apple

A few more buildings, but they aren’t 1700 years old.

This clock has 24 hours. Quite a feat since the markings are in Roman numerals.
A hotel just outside the Diocletian Palace.
A piece of art just outside the Golden Gate.
A plaza styled after St. Mark’s Square in Venice.
A Venetian wall from the 1400’s that has been repurposed.

This video starts with a Christmas shop and ends with the entrance to a synagogue dating from the 1500’s. Not shown is the Islamic center just just around the corner.

Split Jews killed during World War II.
Synagogue’s interior.
Jewish cemetery.
Jewish burial stones.

Valencia Redux

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A second 2015 trip to Valencia was only a bit different than the first. A second walk through ancient streets and peeks into churches that took hundreds of years to complete and another opportunity to taste the local food.

The streets were just the same, the churches were still populated with more tourists than worshippers, and the local food was very good again. Maybe this is what makes these old cities so immortal. People pass through them yet that which makes Valencia, Valencia, remains the same. Treasures like this city exist as they have for thousands of years and the character remains largely unchanged; whether the political system is inclusive or oppressive or secular or religious. Valencia suffered through the Inquisition and through the Islamic invasions hundreds of years earlier, and the wars to literally push the Islamic hordes from its shores. Now there are the cruise ships with their hordes, just waiting to sample local cuisine and Spanish hospitality.

Truthfully, the second time at Valencia is probably the last. I’ll leave it for others to explore and experience. The old city takes only an afternoon to see and I have little appetite for the encroaching modern buildings. There is little in the way of perspective that modern architects can bring to bear and city planners are probably beholden to those who put them in office.

So, I am on the cruise ship watching Valencia disappear in the distance while the sun sets on the day. I look forward to recommendations that might bring me back to this part of Spain. I look forward to being surprised and I look forward to finding a new reason to come back to this part of the world.