After dropping DJ off in Shanghai, we needed a way to get closer to the time zone of Europe without starting the Schengen Zone clock, as we would need the full 90 days allowed for our Camino walk -- so not Europe. We had strongly considered Dubai but then Trump started his stupid war in the region so that was out of the question. Istanbul was the next best fit.An old colleague of Hillary's had spent years living in Turkey but beyond that we knew...
One of the things you see time and again on social media about Istanbul is cats. According to these posts you will find cats permeating all corners of the city, but I wasn't quite sure what we would find when we got here.True to the posts, we did, in fact, find cats everywhere. Most seem to be quite friendly, allowing you to pet them with ease. There certainly are cat fights occasionally but these seem to be few and far between.The cats of...
According to Wikipedia, Istanbul as the largest city in the middle east, and as the capital of the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1453, has the largest number of mosques of any city in the world.During our visit we walked through many different parts of the city. Along the way we saw dozens and dozens of mosques, large and small, new and old. There are active mosques that are well maintained and those that have fallen out of use and are falling...
Two big moments have arrived. First, we have left the USA on our long planned, extended travel. We aren't sure when we will return to the country. At some point we surely will, but we've got relatively solid plans in place that could take us through the end of 2027 (and more ideas are right behind).The second big moment is DJ's start of college at NYU Shanghai. We knew this moment would arrive eventually though it's hard to believe it's now come...
DJ's high school graduation and transition to college is fast approaching. While he seems to be "all-in" on NYU Shanghai, we still jumped at the chance to visit Shanghai for their Admitted Students Weekend. We felt this was a good way to see the city together in a "safe" environment with us and raise any concerns now.Given how long it takes to get to Shanghai, we really didn't want to go for a just a weekend. Instead, we made it a nine day...
We've lived here in the Washington DC area for over 30 years now. As our time in the area rapidly comes to a close we've finally, after all these years, walked both ends of the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail. I've got mixed emotions about leaving this trail behind as it has been one of the most constant fixtures in our time here.For much of the past 30 years we lived in western Loudoun County, having our home first in Lovettsville,...
Amador Causeway is one of the top attractions referenced both by Panama Tourism as well as virtually every other tourism related website. They tend to focus on shopping, bike rentals, and generally the more touristy activities. This isn't our thing. Instead, we loved the Amador Causeway for the walk, the views, and more importantly as a mechanism for understanding Panama history and its strategic importance to the United States. /*!...
The Cinta Costera (literally Coastal Strip), is a hidden gem in Panama City. It's a strip of park next to the Pacific Ocean that runs from Democracy Plaza and Punta Paitilla all they way to Casco Viejo. The park is well manicured with lots of different types of trees and plants. You will see date palms, golden pothos vines, birds of paradise, and many more. The Cinta Costera also features a wide bike and rollerblade path next to an equally wide...
