Blog
Is That a UFO on top of a Bulgarian Mountain? No, It’s Buzludzha!
An unknowing traveler might momentarily imagine an alien space ship as the flying saucer-shaped structure appears at the crest of a barren hill.
Named for the mountain on which it “landed,” Buzludzha (buzz-lud’-ja) served as a grand and lavishly appointed ceremonial headquarters for communist leaders from throughout Bulgaria and the Soviet Union for a brief period of time. Of the six core Eastern European countries comprising the USSR’s “satellite countries” (politically independent, but closely aligned), Bulgaria was considered the closest to the Soviet regime in Moscow.
We Sail India’s Ganges River in Search of the Bengal Tiger
India. The name evokes a range of reactions and emotions, from wondrous and magical to crowded, noisy, and poor. From my seven trips to the subcontinent, I can confirm that India exhibits both extremes. I’ve made my own peace with this dichotomy, allowing myself to experience the rich aspects of this 5000-year-old civilization and culture that fall in between the extremes. The sum of these experiences has greatly impacted my life and opened my eyes to a broader way of being in life.
The Netherlands’ Keukenhof Gardens Dazzles with Acres of Spring Blooms
Amsterdam Central Station is a ten-minute walk from Dam Square, the city’s center plaza. Built in 1889, the stately Gothic and Renaissance Revival structure suggests a medieval cathedral, according to civic architects. About 180,000 passengers daily rush through its doors and off to other destinations in the Netherlands and to cities throughout Europe.
Travel Recommendations for Discovering Central Asia’s Spectacular Treasures
Our nineteen-day itinerary to visit Central Asia’s Stans countries proved to be the trip of a lifetime. Every day revealed new cultural experiences that amazed, thrilled, challenged and opened my eyes to an unknown world to me. Excuse the borrowed locational reference, but I felt I was living One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, and every day Scheherazade revealed a fresh magical story.
The Silk Road’s History Conjures Exotic Daydreams
We scheduled our nineteen-day journey to the far-off lands of the fabled Silk Road countries in Central Asia six months before our departure with Bestway Tours and Safaris. But I always begin planning way before that, and this journey required more thoughtfulness about the possible destinations. Part of embarking on any exotic expedition involves researching the internet; reading fiction books, non-fiction articles and guide books; and studying maps to set priorities for sight-seeing. Of course, I learn so much more once I’m on the ground submersed in the local culture. Yet understanding the history of a place and the dynamic influences that shaped it gives context for the real time experiences. Let’s look at what happened there over the centuries.
Kyrgyzstan’s Eagle Hunters Preserve an Ancient Cultural Practice
With four-inch razor-sharp talons, she grasps the leather glove that covers the trainer’s hand and forearm. Her large, protruding eyes peer fiercely, as she swivels her head to survey the surrounding landscape in search of movement along the ground. Her prominent curved black beak ends in a sharp hook, useful for piercing, tearing, and shredding fur, flesh, and bones. Golden brown feathers circle her neck, crown and shoulders, while dark chocolate brown plumage covers the rest of this huge raptor. The majestic golden eagle flaps and spreads her wings, showing off her six-and-a-half-foot span.
All Hell Breaks Loose at Turkmenistan’s Darvaza Gas Crater
You’ll find it on lists of “The Oddest Places in the World to Visit.” The gigantic hole in the desert floor is on fire, and it’s been burning continuously since 1971. Measuring 200-230 feet in diameter and about 100 feet deep, the “Gates of Hell” presents a spectacular, supernatural scene at night, an eerily glowing, gaping maw against the surrounding pitch black Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan.
Three Winning Perennials Attract Attention in My Spring Garden
The verdant shades of new growth in spring always promise a bountiful growing season in my Mid-Atlantic American garden (Zone 7b). Spring inspires the “visions of sugar plums” kind of fantasy; gardeners imagine vibrant colors, beautiful arrangements, succulent fruits and vegetables, and tasty herbs that we will enjoy and share into early fall.
Mid-Century Modern Architectural Style Promised a Bright Future for Fort Lauderdale and Palm Springs
Basic design elements of the Mid-Century Modern (MCM) style represent a radical departure from styles preceding it. Architectural lines are clean, a departure from the ornate, traditional ornamentation of previous styles. Instead, bold geometric shapes characterize both exterior and interior spaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors in offices and homes create strong connections to the outdoors. Bright colors and natural materials like stone and wood, as well as concrete and glass, embody this architectural mode.
Romania’s Merry Cemetery: Finding Humor In Death
What’s so funny about death?! After all, it’s no laughing matter, right? The ritual trappings of death in our western culture demand solemnity, as we lay to rest the recently expired and speak only of the best aspects of their earthly lives.
Japan’s Remote Koyasan Holds Spiritual Wonders of Buddhism
Traveling by train thrills me; I feel like I’m on an amusement park ride. On this track to Mount Koya, nature’s beauty and humanity’s creations stream by. I’m mesmerized by the unfamiliar sights, and my mind makes up stories about them. There’s a small village nestled among hills draped in an evergreen mantle. “Why is it there?” I wonder. Our train travels through another rural town, slowing down as it approaches the station. I can see the backs of houses along the tracks revealing neat rectangular vegetable gardens; a few have pine trees trimmed in layers to resemble clouds, a style that mimics a large-scale version of Japanese bonsai.
Three Winning Perennials Attract Attention in My Spring Garden
The verdant shades of new growth in spring always promise a bountiful growing season in my Mid-Atlantic American garden (Zone 7b). Spring inspires the “visions of sugar plums” kind of fantasy; gardeners imagine vibrant colors, beautiful arrangements, succulent fruits and vegetables, and tasty herbs that we will enjoy and share into early fall.
Mid-Century Modern Architectural Style Promised a Bright Future for Fort Lauderdale and Palm Springs
Basic design elements of the Mid-Century Modern (MCM) style represent a radical departure from styles preceding it. Architectural lines are clean, a departure from the ornate, traditional ornamentation of previous styles. Instead, bold geometric shapes characterize both exterior and interior spaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors in offices and homes create strong connections to the outdoors. Bright colors and natural materials like stone and wood, as well as concrete and glass, embody this architectural mode.
Romania’s Merry Cemetery: Finding Humor In Death
What’s so funny about death?! After all, it’s no laughing matter, right? The ritual trappings of death in our western culture demand solemnity, as we lay to rest the recently expired and speak only of the best aspects of their earthly lives.
Thailand’s Buddhist White Temple Dazzles the Senses
Our van pulled away from Thailand’s beautiful northern city, Chiang Mai, on the pot-holed road heading towards the neighboring city, Chiang Rai. At our midday lunch stop for a Thai buffet, a large billboard advertised Cabbages and Condoms, a Bangkok restaurant that promoted family planning. (It must be in a theme category all by itself.) The billboard was a harbinger of sorts to the surprising spectacle awaiting us.
Traveling to Japan: Insights, Cultural Impressions, and Must-Know Tips
KONNICHIWA! A three-week dive into the wonders of the Land of the Rising Sun–– Japan––introduced me to a society steeped in rich tradition, yet at the forefront in twenty-first century modernity. Japan’s bounteous treasures saturated our senses as soon after we deplaned following the fourteen-hour ride over the top of the planet from New York’s JFK International Airport to Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport.
Southwest USA’s National Parks Display Nature’s Eminence
I’m a lifelong Eastern Seaboard resident, and my open space fix is gazing out at the vast Atlantic Ocean, with its uninterrupted, slightly curved horizon. Except for a few trips to California, I hadn’t enjoyed our country’s big skies “out west” (as we easterners refer to it) for many decades; it was time to explore the Southwest’s national parks. A few years ago, husband Rick and I boarded a September American Airlines flight for a ten-day trip to do just that.
Turda Salt Mine: The Underground, Romanian Amusement Park
In today’s colloquial parlance, the phrase “salt mine” conjures up unpleasant or even grueling work. “Back to the salt mines!” goes the phrase as one returns to work after a break. So you can imagine my puzzled reaction to see the Turda Salt Mine near the top of our Romanian travel itinerary.
“Faces Are Windows into Cultures Around the World” a Talk with the Philadelphia Society of Photographers
Watch a virtual presentation of my work for the Photographic Society of Philadelphia. My talk, titled “Faces are Windows into Cultures Around the World,” uses informal portraits of people I’ve taken around the globe to highlight local architecture, religion, customs, and a sense of place.
Visiting Évora’s Chapel of Bones
“What are we going to do with all these bones?” Sixteenth century Franciscan friars must have asked themselves this challenging question once the bones were dug up from cemeteries and local churchyards throughout Évora, Portugal. The bones and skulls of thousands of dearly departed must have created quite a huge pile. How did this situation come to be? And why here? A look at Évora’s history reveals the answers.