The Peloponnese
Greece
May 4, 2015
Civilizations are born, grow, prosper, decline and disappear.
Empires are here for a moment and fade into history books.
Fortresses are built. Castles and walls are constructed, besieged, breached and conquered.
Here in Greece I encounter three such examples.
How many past examples do we need?
The American writer William Faulkner wrote: “The past is not dead. It's not even past.”
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.”
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 (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.”
July 21, 2015
The Kingdom of Denmark
Copenhagen, the capital city
A lovely city …
A bright city …
A colorful city …
A walkable city …
A modern city …
A traditional city …
And yet, a city where anything goes?
Copenhagen
Denmark
July 22. 2015
Dear Friends,
As its name implies, Copenhagen is a town that has a long history of international commerce and trade.
The name of the city reflects its origin as a harbour and a place of commerce. The original designation, from which the contemporary Danish name derives, was Køpmannæhafn, meaning "merchants' harbour", or Hafn or Havn ("harbour").
Wherever I walk, I find water: rivers and canals and the open sea.
