Our first 24 hours in Uzbekistan was by far some of the most challenging on our trip. We had experienced language obstacles before, but Hannah and I typically had enough command of Spanish, French, Greek, and English to navigate the issues. The lingua franca in the former Soviet countries is Russian or the native language, … Continue reading Bukhara, Uzbekistan: I Am So Hungry, I Could Eat a Horse! (and did!)
Seville was a very walkable city. The best way to see it was to get slightly lost in the annals of its streets and sights. In the Santa Maria Luisa park, heavy foliage was draped with birds of varying types, colors, and chirps. The Plaza de Espana wrapped around in a semi-circle with beautiful arches … Continue reading Seville, Spain: Bulls, Christopher Columbus, and a Birthday
The pim-pam sounds of a man playing a hand-pan instrument warp me back to when I was 11. I was sitting at my family’s old Window’s XP desktop computer playing a game: Age of Empires. It was a real-time strategy game where the player takes on the conquests of history as the commander of a … Continue reading Granada, Spain and the Moorish Marvels of Andalusia
At the beginning of this trip, we hardly knew anything about the United Kingdom and Ireland division and past tensions. In fact, our travel friend whom we met in Bulgaria, Brian, graciously took the time to explain that Northern Ireland is actually part of the United Kingdom and how it worked. Even then, the deep … Continue reading A City Divided: Belfast, UK
Old Town Krakow Main Square Krakow had much the same charm as Warsaw, but more. The city had medieval styled walls that surrounded the Old Town, with a beautiful green park circling it. We walked through the sturdy red walls each morning into a vibrant city center. White, speckled horses click-clacked through the square, shaking … Continue reading Krakow, Poland
It is difficult to even put into words how wonderful an experience that we had in Fiumefreddo Bruzio. We stayed with family of Hannah’s cousin, Claire. Denise and her daughter Monica made us feel very comfortable and relaxed the entire stay. Their hospitality and generosity were some of the best I have ever experienced. Denise’s … Continue reading Fiumefreddo Bruzio, Italy
Day 3/Palm Sunday I woke up sicker than the prior day but wanted to at least leave the Airbnb for a bit. We decided to walk down to Vatican City to meet Hannah’s cousin Claire at Palm Sunday Mass in Vatican Square. The square was not as packed as I had expected. There were 2 … Continue reading Rome, Italy: Part 2
Outside Vatican square, we passed a large fortress and castle. Beside it, the rounded arches of 3 separate bridges skipped across the murky, opaque green of the river running beneath them. The bridge held a gaggle of merchants selling wares and beggars seeking charity, just as they would have in centuries past.
It was directly reminiscent of the Muslim 3PM call to prayer that we experienced in Skopje, Macedonia. This time, white clothed nuns in hair covered habits made their way through the maze of churches, just as the Muslim women in their flowing black draping traversed the Bazaar. This reflection made me draw pause, perhaps we aren’t as different as we have been led to believe.
It's A Ritch Life 