Athens: The Fun Ride

Posted April 26, 2015 by twj
Greece

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.”

Athens: The Acropolis

Posted April 25, 2015 by twj
Greece

Athens

Greece

April 25, 2015

Here I am at THE Acropolis, one of the wonders of the ancient world. 

So why am I so “down?”

Jetlag?

Homesick?

Headache from the din of noisy tourists?

Just can’t get motivated!

Then along come a Greek Goddess and her Faithful Companion. 

Athens: The Local Scene

Posted April 24, 2015 by twj
Greece

Athens
Greece
April 24, 2015

My friends,

I suppose that when you think of Athens you think of Greek temples and marble columns and sculpture from centuries ago.  And I am sure that very soon I will see those unique features of the city.

But on this first morning I head out from my hotel to Victoria Square.   From the square I can take the subway to the Acropolis stop.  But instead  I decide to walk in that direction.   I eventually arrived at the station but not at the temple.

Neurostimulation and the Fountain of Youth

Posted April 1, 2015 by Jan

Bangkok 

Thailand 

April 1, 2015 

Sunny and Hot

Dear Friends, 

What’s the problem? 

Does everyone I know in my age category seek their own personal Fountain of Youth?  Has “growing old gracefully” gone completely out of fashion? 

One of my friends here swears by Yoga to keep fit and mentally alert.  Another friend attends weekly Buddhist meditation sessions. 

One friend in China urges me to drink organic green tea.  Another recommends Vitamin D supplements.  One friend touts Ginkgo biloba.

One of my friends goes on an annual pilgrimage to Alaska to fish for salmon.  Another friend in New York goes hunting for sharks!  And does everyone and his cousin play tennis? 

One friend in Florida pitches on an All Star softball team.  And another volunteers all night for Neighborhood Watch.  Another flies his own airplane.

Some of my friends slog to remote locations just to catch a glimpse of a rare bird.  Another schlepped to South Asia and made the trek to the Base Camp of Mount Everest!

(I'm talking about Senior Citizens here.)

The View from Balikpapan

Posted March 9, 2015 by Jan
Indonesia: Kalimantan

Balikpapan

East Kalimantan

Borneo

Indonesia

March 10, 2015

When I called my Cousin Stanley in Florida and mentioned my upcoming trip to Borneo, he had one immediate response.  When I called my dear friend Bill in Connecticut and mentioned my upcoming trip to Borneo, he had the same immediate response. 

Stanley was born in 1932 and I believe Bill was born in 1931.  And so “Borneo” triggered their boyhood recollections of land and sea battles during the Second World War.  

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