Travel Letters

Escape to Hvar

Hvar Island

(pop 11,200)

Adriatic Sea

Republic of Croatia

June 2, 2015

 

Hello,

On Hvar, the hills are alive with the sound of motor scooters.  Automobiles are impractical given the steep and narrow cobbled lanes,

I stroll down the floral-forested path from my hilltop guest house to the shoreline and the pebbled beach.

Luxury hotels replete with lagoon-sized swimming pools and spas face west to the gleaming sea.  (Thai Massage anyone?)

Dubrovnik: My Favorites

Dubrovnik  (pop 42,615)

Croatia

June 9, 2015

Hello,

The crowds in Dubrovnik are overwhelming. 

(If you’ve been here, you know what I’m talking about.)

Wikipedia says, “Dubrovnik is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic Sea.”

The Old Town is swarming with tourists and passengers on an excursion from their cruise ships.  (Yes, ships!  Every day, ships!) 

Once again I employ my “Split Strategy.”

Polatschek Family Reunion

Prague

Czech Republic

June 15, 2015

 

They mourn differently. 

I read somewhere that when parents lose a child, the mother and father mourn differently.  In general, Women “speak.”  Men “work.”

So it was in my own family. 

On June 5, 1972, at the age of twenty-eight, my sister Paula Carol Wiesenfeld passed away unexpectedly.  From that day forward my mother Ruth Polatschek spoke lovingly and admiringly and proudly of her only daughter. 

From that day forward my father Otto Polatschek closeted himself and immersed himself in his lifelong devotion to stamp collecting.  He also began a new Project.  I can only guess his motivation; he decided to construct a Polatschek Family Tree.

Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid

Macedonia

May 17, 2015

Lake Ohrid was my first stop after crossing the border from Albania to Macedonia. *

Here are a few facts about this unusual lake:

Lake Ohrid straddles the mountainous border between southwestern Macedonia and eastern Albania.  It is one of Europe’s deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem that is of worldwide importance, with more than 200 endemic species.

On the Road: Apollonia

Saranda

Albania

May 16, 2015

My Driver and Me

So here’s what happens:

Sometimes I ask my driver to stop at what I consider to be a particularly lovely spot.  For example, we find a quiet agricultural scene in the mountains and a lakeside retreat.

Occasionally my driver will insist on taking me to an important site.  The ancient city of Apollonia is his choice today.  The Greek columns are grand, of course, but I continue to be enthralled by the sculptures.  How is it possible to convert a hunk of solid marble into a costume of diaphanous gauze?

Athens: The Fun Ride

Athens

Greece

April 26, 2015

Hello,

My friend Ralph Velasco is a professional photographer and tour guide.  He recently published a book called Essence of a Place.

The subtitle of the book is A Travel Photographer's Guide to Using a Shot List for Capturing Any Destination.

http://ralphvelasco.com/products/essence-of-a-place-photography-ebook/

Ralph suggests more than a dozen categories including “Customs and Traditions.”

May I add a sub-category?  “Recreation.”

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