I’ve been fascinated by Spirit Houses (“san phra phum”) since our very first visit to Thailand. They are miniature shrines placed outside homes, offices, hotels, shops, and important outdoor places to shelter the guardian spirit of the land. Their roots go back to animist beliefs about…
I spent over a year planning a trip with Marla and our granddaughters to Japan, Thailand, Bali, Singapore, and Hong Kong but it almost didn’t happen! A week before our departure Marla was in the hospital for 3 nights with a fracture in her foot that had not…
Father’s Day brings back special memories of my Dad as well as my journey as a father to 2 wonderful daughters. This is a photo of my Dad as a young boy in California. My father often visited his grandfather who was a country doctor in rural Missouri…
We visited the beautiful temple of Edfu, one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom. The present temple began construction in 237 B.C. The temple is remarkably well preserved. Over the centuries, the temple became buried to a depth of 39 feet beneath drifting desert sand and…
Like the 19th century travelers in the painting above, I want to explore more than ever! Many of us have a desire to change the current narrative and make a shift to the positive. For me, traveling is a much needed elixir, especially in these tumultuous times. The key is…
Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 has captivated people throughout the world. I was enthralled with the story as a young boy and hoped to someday visit the tomb itself. We flew to Luxor to see King Tutankhamun’s actual tomb in the…
Egypt was supposed to be part of a tour of the Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya and a cruise to the Seychelles Islands in 1997. Sadly, there was a terrorist attack in Luxor killing 62 people, mostly tourists. We were advised to stay on the plane at both the Luxor…
I am from a long line of horticulturists. Marla’s plants do very well with her loving care. My grandfather had a large greenhouse and grew beautiful orchids. My Mom and grandmother knew the names of just about every flower and plant. But, alas, my talents are not at…
The seaport town of Honfleur captivated Marla and I on many levels. I’ll take you on a visual tour of the town to see the areas we loved. The aerial view above shows “Vieux Bassin” or “Old Harbour”. Honfleur’s most famous painter…
Our boat docked at the Quai de la Savonnerie in Rouen, the capital of the French region of Normandy. We heard the city was fascinating, but we not prepared for its’ beauty. We were ready to disembark with our Uniworld guides. This is the magnificent Cathédrale Notre-Dame…