15 Days in Egypt: By Land and By River Egypt had been on my travel bucket list since I was 8 years old. In 1968, I started 3rd grade at PS 151 in Woodside, Queens, New York with Mrs. Bouhafa. On the first day of class I walked into her classroom and observed in wonderment at the photographs she had of herself taken in different … Continue reading Enchanting Egypt
Pre-Departure Visas – Prior to our departure we obtained our visas for Egypt on their portal listed in the links at the bottom of the article. Egypt E-visas: https://www.visa2egypt.gov.eg Covid Travel Restrictions and Requirements: Make sure you read and understand the COVID restrictions and requirements imposed by both your airline and by Egypt. Uniworld and Egypt required proof of vaccine. Lufthansa required a negative Covid … Continue reading Visiting Egypt – Helpful Tips
I had visited the beautiful colonial city of Cartagena, Colombia on various occasions but it was not until my 2018 trip that I made it to Cartagena’s neighborhood of Getsemani located right outside the walled city. While Cartagena as a city enjoyed a renaissance during the 1990’s, not all of its communities enjoyed the prosperity. Getsemani was known for its crime, drugs, and prostitution. By … Continue reading Getsemani in Cartagena, Colombia – Where the Art Does Not Hang in a Gallery but on the Walls of the Neighborhood
This past May our family visited Greece. As part of our trip we visited the beautiful island of Crete and stayed in two cities, Chania and Heraklion. All of our research and recommendations from friends told us that hiking the Samaria Gorge in Crete was an absolute must. The Samaria Gorge is a National park located in the Lefka Ori(White Mountains) in the South Western … Continue reading Hiking the Samaria Gorge – An Absolute Must
One of my Italian friends shared a link for a recipe for Parmigiana Bianca Di Melanzane or Eggplant White Parmigiana on her Facebook page. Since eggplant is in season I decided to try this layered eggplant dish with mozzarella that turned out to be a huge success with the family. The recipe calls for Pesto sauce so I have included the link to my homemade … Continue reading Eggplant White Parmigiana
The city of Cartagena located on the Atlantic Coast of Colombia was founded by the Spaniards in 1533. It was known then as Cartagena de Indias. By 1586 construction began on a stone fortification to protect the city from Caribbean pirates. In time, the city was enclosed by 7 miles of militarily fortified walls. It is considered one of the most extensive fortifications of South … Continue reading Colorful Cartagena, Colombia
A Spanish-American friend in college used to boast about Spain’s famous “Chocolate con Churros”, and how he would dip the delicious deep-fried dough pastry into the thick hot chocolate. Although I have been to Spain multiple times the opportunity to try “Chocolate con Churros” would finally come when I visited Seville. And it was all that my friend said it would be, it was heavenly! Our … Continue reading Chocolate con Churros
Photo courtesy of Clara Petrucelli. (Top row, left to right) Penne Rigate all’Arrabiata – Penne in a spicy tomato sauce with crushed red pepper flakes. Fettuccini Porcini – Fettuccini with Porcini mushrooms. Rigatoncini all’Amatriciana – Small rigatoni with sauce made with Guanciale (pork cheek), pecorino cheese, and tomato. This pasta originates from the town of Amatrice. One of the towns in Italy hit recently by the … Continue reading Nine Mouth-Watering Reasons to Visit Italy
This summer our family returned to Italy. We ventured to the Amalfi coast and stayed in the beautiful town of Positano. From Positano we took several day trips to the town of Amalfi, Ravello, and to the Island of Capri. It was during our boat trip to Capri that the captain pointed to the beaches of the town of Nerano and said that the famous … Continue reading Spaghetti alla Nerano
Well-known Vietnamese blogger, Nguyen Huu Vinh, and his assistant, Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, were found guilty yesterday and imprisoned for five and three years, respectively. There were found guilty of abusing their democratic freedoms. What freedoms? Let’s not kid ourselves. In 1975 the Communist regime of Vietnam took over the whole country. By 1985, Communism had not worked very well for the country’s economy so … Continue reading The Freedoms I Take for Granted
Navigating the Labyrinth of Life 