Vartholomio
Βαρθολομιό
Peloponnese
Greece
May 6, 2015

So my friends,

It’s the end of my journey in the Peloponnese.

What shall I do?

Visit yet another marble site of Ancient Greece?

Explore the crumbling remains of the Byzantine Empire?

Climb the stone ramparts of one more Venetian Castle?

Admire the aqua view of the sea once again?

I decide on “None of the above.”

Shkodra (pop 135,612)

Republic of Albania

Republika e Shqipërisë 

May 11, 2015

Buongiorno,

Pizza. Pizza. Pizza!

Isn't there anything else to eat here in Northern Albania?

Apparently not.

My driver, Mr. Edmond * and I search and search and search for some local or traditional Albanian fare along the main pedestrian promenade here in Shkodra (Shkodër).   Finally we find an outdoor café and order, you guessed it, pizza.  We also order a salad and a meatball dish that passes for “local” food.

Berat

Republic of Albania

May 12, 2015

Mirëmëngjesi – Good morning,

“I wish I had planned to stay here longer.”

Haven’t we all have expressed that sentiment at one time or another?

That’s exactly how I feel in Berati.   I’m here on a day trip from Tirana, but I wish I can stay longer.

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.  

Misfat al Abreyeen

Oman

January 16, 2015

An hour’s drive from Nizwa, the mountain-hugging village of Mifat (Misfah) is one of the oldest in Oman (pop 300).

Built in Yemeni style, the mud brick buildings and narrow rocky paths provide a glimpse of the traditional lifestyle of the region.

And the views are marvelous!

Back to The Golden Tulip Hotel in Nizwa, the Hajar Mountain Range renders a lovely sunset setting.

Trip Advisor Reviews of Misfat: