In Italian even the word impatient sounds romantic, impaciento. This is what my nanny called me, while my twin sister, inevitably, was the patient one. I am old enough now to know I have suffered under the spells of certain personality traits, or defects as they call them in AA, impatience, impulsiveness and could be said to have taken their toll, but, as a left leaning Californian with ample sel Read on...
Today we have to get up early. As usual its the one day I am not already awake. We need to be in the mountains for our ice cave tour at 9.30am. Google says one hour, the say twoso we allow two and a half, thinking it will probably take one and a half plus an hour for our breakfast in the van.
Its dry when we leave camp at 7am but we can see dark clouds over the mountains. We are suitably clad (at Read on...
The Aussie East Coast bushfires of 2019 and 2020 were not only the most devastating and destructive in documented history with over 5,900 buildings destroyed including over 2,800 homes and 33 lives lost...but the estimation of loss of wildlife was in the billions.
The images of blackened singed koalas and wallabies in burnt, scorched, smoking wastelands circled the World in 2019 like the soundwav Read on...
Perugia is considered the green heart of Italy due to its location in the centre of the country as shown on the map that Patrizia, our guide, showed at the start of our tour overlooking the surrounding area of the city with great views.
Patrizia made her way down the 700 year old steps to the Etruscan Arch, one of the 7 remaining arches that served as an entrance to the city of Perugia in ages pa Read on...
1WWe have been in Turkey since the end of May and have gotten quite a bit done on the boat that needed to be done with the help of some great technicians. We knew some of the projects as we had lined them up before when we were here last Fall, but more kept popping up such as losing water pressure and still working out the software and settings for the controls for the batteries and solar system.
Read on...
This morning started with the ship slowly cruising into Sitka, Alaska and it was overcast and dreary looking but as we got closer and closer to the pier, the clouds lifted and it was a nice day overall. Clear (no sun) and 54 degrees was the high today according to our TV. We walked off the ship and took the free shuttle to downtown Sitka. From there, we walked about 20 minutes to the Sitka Nationa Read on...
We didnt have that much territory to cover today, so we did not leave the hotel until 8:55. But the real reason is that we are on the far west side of the eastern time zone and it is still dark at 7 AM. So we did not wake up until after 7:30. So, two excuses, you pick one. LOL
When we left the hotel it was 67 degrees with a promise of warming into the 80s. And it did. The plan was to drive east f Read on...
This is the first focal point if visitors climb up from Box Hill & Westhumble station. Peter labelliere was a well known Dorking resident for his eccentric personality. He was buried being upside down.
We caught the train from Waterloo and reached Box Hill and Westhumble station round the lunch time. There were several young people who seemed to head for Box Hill from the station. We remembered h Read on...
The festive lights of Birmingham with the ferris wheel turning was really pretty as we started our virtual tour with Heygo.
It was interesting to hear from Ian how Birminghams German market was set up in 1997, known more formally as the Frankfurt Christmas Market Birmingham because from the German twin city.
Kurt Stroscher, Frankfurt City Councils director of festivals and events, came up with t Read on...
What do any of us really know about the Mob here in Chicago? Yes, I watched Robert Stack (as Eliot Ness) in The Untouchables in the 60s, and it scared the cr*p out of me. Many stories exist, some true, some not. Yet, I think we all have a fascination about their fame and notorious crimes. The most famous mobster was none other than Al Capone. And his influence reached California, Florida, and Neva Read on...