Friendship Road
In brief: It's a much finer road with friends on it, as in Astana We have been fortunate to meet interesting people throughout our travels and maintain friendships long after. Especially in a country new…
Kaz Capital: Shining City on the Steppes
In brief: When Astana became Kazakhstan's capital 30 years ago, a new city was built atop the old. It's wealthy, friendly, growing rapidly, and often monumental. Astana, Kazakhstan, is a largely invented capital city, created…
An Early Spring Falls Hike
In brief: We relished the opportunity to enjoy a 10-kilometer hike in hilly countryside near Lisbon, starting from the charming village of Bucelas. After months of storms and gloom, we were cheered by a sunny,…
Misty Monsaraz: Walled Hilltop Town
In brief: In a rainy off-season, we finally had the chance to visit this old fortified town. “Oh, you must visit Monsaraz!” “You must visit Monsaraz!” We’ve known about this walled hilltop town in the…
Roman walls, Córdoba
Terrain in Spain: Off-season Córdoba
In brief: Even when the rain drenches Spain, Córdoba offers delights. We just visited Córdoba in as off an off-season as you could choose: cold and rainy, with a series of drenching storms from the…
Royal Chapel, Córdoba
Harmonic Spaces: Córdoba’s Mosque-Cathedral
In brief: At Córdoba's famous Mosque-Cathedral, the blending of styles and materials reminded us how faiths could harmonize as well. For millennia, in Europe, wealthy cultures would build grand spaces where the devout could gather,…
Host of social center, Madinah
People & Places: Recollections of Saudi Arabia
In brief: We hold many memories of sight, sound, and taste from our visit to the Kingdom. In the end, though, it’s the people such as those below that made the time special. We also…
Tall houses, Al-Balad
Peaks & Seas: W. KSA (Jeddah, Mts, Farasan, Najran)
The southwestern part of Saudi Arabia surprised us with the fascinating contrasts of Jeddah, the stunning mountain landscape that parallels the Red Sea, the unexpected Farasan Islands off the coast, and our return to the…
Maraya center, Al Ula
Serene & Sacred: N. Saudi Arabia (Al Ula, Hegra, Madinah)
In brief: The northwest spans eternities, from the timeless grandeur of sandstone formations to the architectural sensibility of the Nabataeans to the spiritual centers of Islam. As the sun slid beyond the bulbous hills, and…
Al Masmak fortress, Riyadh
Desert & Dreams: Riyadh and Eastern Saudi Arabia
In brief: We explore the desert cities in the east: Riyadh, the expanding capital; Buraydah, a crossroads for trade; and Hail for ancient art. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – a land with a rich…