March 15, 2016 “But don't hurry your journey at all. Far better if it takes many years, and if you are old when you anchor at the island, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will give you wealth. Ithaca has given you a beautiful journey.” ― Barry B. Powell "I wanted magic shows and miracles Mirages to touch I wanted such a little thing from life I wanted so much I never came close, my love We nearly came near It never was there I think it was h

March 12, 2026 “How many fond fools serve mad jealousy?” -William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors,  Ac2, Sc1 I think its not fair.  I am the same age as George.  I am even three inches taller.  And there is no doubt I married better. That is not why I hate George Clooney. Nor am I upset with Mr. Clooney because he has ridiculously good hair, is at least 30 pounds lighter than me, and got to play Batman in the movies   (Albeit his suit was the silly one with nipples - so the

March 10, 2026 “While painting The Last Supper, Leonardo would sometimes stare at the work for an hour, finally make one small stroke, and then leave. He told Duke Ludovico that creativity requires time for ideas to marinate and intuitions to gel. “Men of lofty genius sometimes accomplish the most when they work least,” he explained, “for their minds are occupied with their ideas and the perfection of their conceptions, to which they afterwards give form.” Most of us don’t ne

Juliet's Balcony March 6-7, 2026 “Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet,  Ac1, Sc 1 For the very few in the world who are Bard nerds like me, Northern Italy is Shakespeare country.  In all of his canon, 13 plays were set in Italy and, although his descriptions were often highly accurate, there is no evidence he ever left England.  Still, it seems clear that he had no greater muse than Italy. It is ea

March 3-4, 2026 “And they have gelato…” - Colleen Dobbs,  reading to me on the train from a guidebook This fabulous gothic masterpiece is the Duomo di Milano, or simply the Duomo.  It is the centerpiece of Milan and its most recognizable landmark, particularly after the recent Winter Olympics.  Admittedly this post is a bit of a photo dump. There was a lot to see. The central train station in Milan built by Mussolini The central train station in Milan built by Mussolini The c

An Egyptian bride getting wedding photos at Karnak temple. What a dress! March 2, 2026 “IT'S WAR! USA AND ISRAEL LAUNCH MAJOR STRIKE ON IRAN 'KHAMENEI DEAD' TEHRAN HITS AMERICAN MILITARY BASES EXPLOSIONS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST MANY FLIGHTS CANCELLED. AIR SPACES CLOSING TEL AVIV TARGETED UPDATES SKY LIVE” Headlines here in Egypt on Monday March 1, 2026. (* The pictures I am showing are from our last night in Luxor on February 28th) We have left Egypt .  We were not scheduled to l

February 26, 2025 "Yes, wonderful things." — Howard Carter, in response to Lord Carnarvon asking if he could see anything peering a candle through a small opening in the tomb of Tutankhamun We crossed the Nile River today to the West Side or “The Land of the Dead”.  At least that is what our driver referred to it and I doubt the residents of this side of the river appreciate the sobriquet.   The name comes from that this is the location of the multiple tombs of the various ph

February 25, 2026 “Ramadan is not only to stay thirsty and hungry; it is also to realize the real thirsty and hungry ones to help; it is true worship.” ― Ehsan Sehgal So last night was the beginning of Ramadan here in Egypt.  For those that are not aware, Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar — a sacred time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community for Muslims around the world. It marks the month when the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by

"The pyramids may be more stupendous and the Parthenon more beautiful... Yet in nobility of conception, in vastness of detail, in mystery of the highest order, [the Hypostyle Hall] surpasses them all." — Amelia Edwards, 1877 During this episode we have visited a number of ancient ruins telling epic stories.  As grand as they all have been none have hit has hard as The Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple here in Luxor Egypt. Some background -  Thebes is the ancient name for this Eg

February 23, 2026 "To put it bluntly, I felt like a walking ATM while visiting Egypt. The level of tourist exploitation is absolutely next level." — Embrace Someplace Since this is a travel blog, it seems reasonable to comment on the challenges of traveling to Egypt.  Despite the enormous popularity of the country as a tourist destination, it remains one of the most challenging. The reasons for this view are complex but mainly center on the grinding poverty that is part of ev

February 20, 2026 “Know Thyself” The saying etched to the pediment at the entrance of the Temple of the Oracle of Delphi No one really knows how all of this started.  Legend tells us that Zeus, wanting to know how big the world was released two eagles flying in opposite directions.  It was here, they met and thus the place was called the Omphalos  - the navel or center of everything. Zeus? Sunset from our hotel room It is also said the God Apollo fought a great battle here ag

Nike for Victory February 19, 2026 “Without doubt, the athlete of Olympia was protected, to a certain point, by the sacred nature of the exercises in which he engaged, and the crown of wild olive placed on the victor's head remained a symbol of selflessness and the chivalrous spirit.” Baron Pierre de Coubertin “Say Billy, ever seen a grown man naked?” Airplane - the Motion Picture 1980 “It is very difficult for men to run while naked, because their parts flop around. It is no

February 16-18, 2026 "Two Corinthians 3:17, that’s the whole ballgame... is that the one you like? I think that’s the one you like, because I loved it”. Donald Trump It seemed simple enough.  We were due to leave Athens and start on a several day road trip around the Peloponnese peninsula.  Although the traffic in Athens is notorious, the car rental office was right beside our hotel on a major thoroughfare with allegedly quick access to the freeway. After over an hour at the

February 14-15, 2026 “He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must either be a beast or a god.” —Aristotle Oh I have heard it before.  When I go on these trips I obsess over history details as if everyone would find them as fascinating as I do. They don’t.  I get it. We were in a taxi yesterday with yet another loquacious driver.  He asked if this is our first time here and, when he discovered it was,  proceeded to tell us

February 13, 2026 “Tell them to stay calm, to breathe deep, and find beauty in unexpected places... look beneath the surface and hang tight”. - Wisdom of the goddess Athena One day the great god Zeus was suffering from an Olympian size headache.  Nothing seemed to work to alleviate his pain.  Recently, in an act of self preservation he ate another goddess Metis, his consort, who was pregnant at the time.  The reason was it was foretold she would have a son that would one day

February 12, 2026 "There are two kinds of people. Greeks, and everyone else who wish they were Greek." - My Big Fat Greek Wedding As our trips have gone, the journey here ranks among the the most grueling of our adventures.  The flight involved 3 connections and some 16 hours in the air in total.   With modern air travel it seemed simple enough.  However, on our second leg in New York the plane had maintenance issues resulting in time on the tarmac, returning to the gate, dep