Travel Letters

Escape to Hvar

Hvar Island

(pop 11,200)

Adriatic Sea

Republic of Croatia

June 2, 2015

 

Hello,

On Hvar, the hills are alive with the sound of motor scooters.  Automobiles are impractical given the steep and narrow cobbled lanes,

I stroll down the floral-forested path from my hilltop guest house to the shoreline and the pebbled beach.

Luxury hotels replete with lagoon-sized swimming pools and spas face west to the gleaming sea.  (Thai Massage anyone?)

Dubrovnik: My Favorites

Dubrovnik  (pop 42,615)

Croatia

June 9, 2015

Hello,

The crowds in Dubrovnik are overwhelming. 

(If you’ve been here, you know what I’m talking about.)

Wikipedia says, “Dubrovnik is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic Sea.”

The Old Town is swarming with tourists and passengers on an excursion from their cruise ships.  (Yes, ships!  Every day, ships!) 

Once again I employ my “Split Strategy.”

On the Road: Apollonia

Saranda

Albania

May 16, 2015

My Driver and Me

So here’s what happens:

Sometimes I ask my driver to stop at what I consider to be a particularly lovely spot.  For example, we find a quiet agricultural scene in the mountains and a lakeside retreat.

Occasionally my driver will insist on taking me to an important site.  The ancient city of Apollonia is his choice today.  The Greek columns are grand, of course, but I continue to be enthralled by the sculptures.  How is it possible to convert a hunk of solid marble into a costume of diaphanous gauze?

Butrint: Archaeological Site

Butrint

Albania

May 15, 2015

A Fascinating Day

Butrint is surely the quintessential archeological site of Southeastern Europe.

Butrint became an urban center in the 4th Century BCE and was settled for several centuries before that.  And even before that, this whole area was settled in prehistoric times. 

The ancient Greek tribe Chaonians, the Romans, Byzantines, Ostrogoths, Bulgarians, Venetians, and Ottomans all occupied Butrint over the centuries.   Even the French were here for a couple of years.  Finally, Albania gained its independence in 1912 and rightfully took possession of this ancient city.     

Athens: Museums

Athens

Hellenic Republic

Sunday

April 26, 2015

 

I need a drink every time I visit a place like this.

Housed in a small, lovely building, displaying a variety of secular artifacts and religious icons, the Jewish Museum of Greece carries the appropriate name - a museum - the lifeless panorama of history.

Jews lived in Greece for more than two thousand years.  But in large numbers, Jews arrived in Greece following their expulsion from Spain and Portugal in the late Fifteenth Century.  For more than four hundred years, communities thrived here, especially in the northern city of Thessalonica, known as the “Little Jerusalem.”  In 1940, the Jewish population of Thessalonica exceeded 53,000 children, women and men.

Athens: The Fun Ride

Athens

Greece

April 26, 2015

Hello,

My friend Ralph Velasco is a professional photographer and tour guide.  He recently published a book called Essence of a Place.

The subtitle of the book is A Travel Photographer's Guide to Using a Shot List for Capturing Any Destination.

http://ralphvelasco.com/products/essence-of-a-place-photography-ebook/

Ralph suggests more than a dozen categories including “Customs and Traditions.”

May I add a sub-category?  “Recreation.”

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