The Road from Gonder to Axum, Ethiopia
In January I had the great pleasure to travel with my brother Tim and with two new friends from Italy, Ester and Giulio. We hired a vehicle to travel from Gonder to Axum through the Simien Mountains. The 350 kilometer journey took the better part of a day. Or, I...
Four Swords Good. Two Spears Better.
Seeing this statue making tribute to the exploits of Alexander the Great made me think: there has always been a weapons race. I knew that, but the length of these spears showed clearly that a guy with only a sword would have a hard time getting close enough to use it....
The Castles of Transylvania
Had a chance to see some of these places shaped by years of conflict and war. If you wanted you and your family, friends and townsfolk to stay alive, then you fortified your place. No wall, no life. The old phrase about finding the best real estate is "location,...
Rooms With a View
While we're on the idea of traveling, I'm thinking it might be helpful to explain the process of travel by showing you some of the places I've stayed. And more importantly, the view from the window. This is what I see from the window of my place today in Sighisoara,...
In the Carpathians
Me too. I never knew what the Carpathians were or are. Turns out the Carpathians are a mountain range poised majestically in the west part of Romania. And the royal family of Romania chose these mountains for their summer residence. But they had to build a palace...
Zagreb, Croatia: “And Now for Something…
Completely Different." I wonder if our friends in the Monty Python troupe ever predicted that the phrase they made popular would ever be used to introduce contemporary art from Croatia. Tis time for a break from my political commentary to take an art break. So...
Build This and the People Will Kill You: Bucharest, Romania
For once I'm writing as I travel. Today I took this photo of the world's second largest administrative building. The largest is the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The building you see here is the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania. It was ordered in 1983...
Our Earth
Extracting from our EarthExtracting from our EarthTaking GasGrabbing GoldSnatching every bit of CrudeWe'll get it AllSometime SoonAll the Wealth Inside Our EarthWill be in Our HandsOr in Our FiresThen I Wonder?What Shall We Do?Our Earth is EmptyIt's Larder BareIt's...
A Mirror
I looked into a mirror today. And, as I looked, I thoughtWho is that guy?I've lived with himAll my life. And I wonder why.