Aguas Calientes
Jueves, el 20 de Noviembre
Thursday 20 November 2003
Saludos a mi familia y mis amigos,
I am sitting in the central square of Aguas Calientes, a town tucked away in a valley in the Andes. Surrounding the town are steep, straight-to-the-sky green mountains topped with clouds.
I am watching and listening
July 20, 2002
Istanbul, Turkey
Dear Family and Friends,
Turkey. What a wonderful country! Beautiful rivers and mountains and valleys. Excellent sites.
Istanbul. What a wonderful city! Elegant mosques and palaces. Hospitable and enthusiastic people.
In Istanbul, the most pleasurable moment of the day was to stop for a while, take a coffee and just watch and listen.
Bangkok
Thailand
July 29, 2002
Dear Family and Friends,
I am not feeling particularly clever or articulate at the moment. I am sad. I am leaving Southeast Asia after almost six weeks.
Cambodia - a wonderful adventure: ancient temples, unusual scenery, smiling faces and delicious food in a country struggling to regain its footing after years of war and torment.
Laos - it never stopped raining. I got so depressed I left early. I did meet several warm, helpful and soft-spoken people. I bought a beautiful golden silk shawl that I plan to drape over my piano. What I did see in Vientiane and Luang Prabang was inspiring scenery and architecture.
Brookmans Park
North Mymms
Hertfordshire
England
August 12, 2002
My Cousin Dorothy and her husband Roger live in Brookmans Park, a charming village outside of London.
The first day we strolled into the village centre and stopped by the chemist, the greengrocer and the fishmonger. The one story brick homes, they call them bungalows, are surrounded by cheerful flower gardens. There are few traffic lights and not a McD in sight. I would say that very little has changed here in fifty years. I love it.
Miami, Florida August 19, 2002 Wherever I travel, an unexpected emotional moment may arise - an encounter with someone or something that can move me to tears of happiness. West of Bangkok, in Nakhon Pathom, I was wandering around a very large market place. Everyone stares since I am the only farang (foreigner) around.
Madrid
Spain
Saturday
November 30, 2002
Sunny and Cool
Dear Family and Friends,
Saludos de España!
My guest room at the Sofitel Hotel is richly decorated with solid walnut furniture and gentle gold, brown and mint green pastel accents. First Class all the way!
I am sipping an agua minerale con gas from the mini-bar.
Today I relax. I am tired from my travels.
My flight from Madrid to Miami was oversold so I “volunteered" to fly tomorrow. I thought "volunteering" was unpaid. You would be shocked to know, in their desperation, how much the airline "paid" me. Plus I am overnight in this four-star hotel enjoying three lovely meals, all courtesy of American Airlines. Though I think I do have to pay for the mini-bar refreshments.
