This time our focus was the Ramesseum, the massive memorial temple of Ramses II, the Pharaoh of the Exodus. We saw the massive inscription of his 80 year reign, full of references that bring alive the story of the Exodus and the building of the Mishkan. The temple is surrounded by mudbrick storehouses that date from the period of the Exodus.
At this site we entered several tombs. Migo and Rabbi B Read on...
On our second trip to Istanbul I put myself down for a tour of the Spice Market followed by a visit to the the Hamam (a turkish bath).
The Spice Market or Egypt Market was very busy and at every corner vendors called you inside to try their product. Its was very hard to resist and by the fifth stall I was convinced I needed to buy some tea. But before deciding on the right tea they made me taste Read on...
This is probably my longest blog post but wow! What a week! Not sure how I feel about Kentucky now haha.
Sunday: Early morning to Mammoth Caves national park which is about 30 miles away. Beautiful weather on the surface- high of 70* and sunny. The caves of course do not have weather- they are around 55* year round. Copper and I found a few trails around the visitor center which went by natural e Read on...
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. – Marie Curie
Way back in mid 1926, the camp fire blazed and flickered and lit up the immediate surrounds with its golden light. Deck chairs were positioned as close to the fire as possible and those hardy soles were probably the first to visit the Kruger National Park, es Read on...
After spending the last few weeks in the mountains, it is time to head to the beach. We had initially thought of finding a place somewhere in the north of Portugal, but nowhere stood out so we opted for somewhere in northwest Spain instead. The holiday season has begun so availability is limited and cheap places in the popular beach resorts which generally are in the area close to San Sebastian ar Read on...
Today was a bus day. We left Granada at 8:00AM with a quick stop at the top of the mountain to take some pictures below. We didnt get to see much of Granada, but I dont think we missed much, just your typical European city. As the bus headed east, the scenery alternated between mountains and farmlands. Occasionally we could see the Mediterranean, and the seaside houses and apartments that went wit Read on...
This day started out a little different. Since our first event was right here in town we had a later breakfast and departure time. We got to sleep in just a little longer!
We went on a jaunting, horse drawn carriage ride through the Killarney National Park. It is the only means to get through the forest unless you walk, rent a bike, or ride a horse. The Ross Castle and the Lakes of Killarney are Read on...
We awake to a text message from our beloved Qantas telling us that our flight home next week has been delayed. Weve had these messages before; they usually tell us that the flights been delayed by five minutes which then leaves us wondering why they bothered sending it in the first place. We decide to check this one just to be sure. It seems that they probably should have bothered; its been delaye Read on...
My last visit to Lisboa, or Lisbon was right after I spent most of my time in Portugal playing golf on the Algarve, and just a few nights is Lisboa. I hope to learn more about this very underrated city and country during my visit. One thing I learned on my first trip: Do not try to use Spanish, in hopes that the Portuguese will understand. English works better! Lisboa is the capital with just ove Read on...
Unusual style here, quite hostel in the feel. Certainly not the Savouy but fine. They changed the towels and tidied up which wasnt really necessary but still appreciated. Breakfast was fine with some cooked options but plenty of fruit, cereal and yogurt and even toast and crumpets that you can cook yourself so you get them exactly how you like them and when you want them. Novel idea!
Walked to th Read on...