the alphabet travelogs

Salon de Provence

Another travel day. I left from Albi while it was still dark. I’d grown accustomed to the rolling river valleys of central France that are thickly forested. The landscape morphed […]

Gargilesse-Dampierre

When I decided to go to France, I determined to see some “charming” villages. I may have been influenced by Pinterest and the following lists: 15 of the Most Beautiful […]

The Cliffs of Etretat

Good news and bad news. The good news is I’m successfully navigating the trains, subways, and buses. The bad news is taxis aren’t readily available in small villages where I’m […]

Mont Saint Michele

Mont Saint Michele looks ethereal when it dramatically appears above the horizon. Almost disturbing from miles away. This impression seems to be in harmony with its origins. Bishop Saint Aubert […]

Paris: One Big Museum

Leaving Paris was painful. Literally. We broke our record for steps in one day! Our new personal best is 22,231. We crammed everything else we wanted to do into that […]

Word of the Day in Paris: Vigilance

What a relief to have someone posted at our metro entrance on the day we needed help getting to Versailles! She approached us and showed us what to select on […]

Paris: A Gastronomical, Olfactory, and Optical Feast

I feel like a glutton. But Jasmine has been tracking […]

Paris, a Pleasure to Walk

I could walk forever in this city! I’m in France because my daughter, Jasmine, has always wanted to see Paris. So I’m lucky enough to have Jasmine and her husband […]

“F” is for France! And I’m Here!!

First impressions: The rooftops are charming! I came directly to Strausberg from the airport. When the train arrived it was dark. When I woke up this morning I was delighted […]

Addis Ababa Ethiopia

I finally arrived in Addis on Monday morning after a 13-hour flight wearing the same clothes I had worn from home on Friday! Yikes. I’d been planning how I could […]

Lalibela, Ethiopia

An Ethiopian mother watched with fascination as a swarm of bees surrounded her infant in the 12th century, AD. The bees inflicted no harm on the boy. She interpreted this […]

The Queen of Sheba

When I decided to go to Ethiopia, my only reference was the Queen of Sheba. My sister, Cindy, and I fondly remember our Grandma Pope–if she perceived an insult–declaring “she […]

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The girls are responsible for gathering firewood in the Ethiopian villages, either for use at home or to sell at market. It’s backbreaking labor, and each time we passed a […]

Yerer Village Life in Ethiopia

Yesterday was our last day with the children. They are so eager to see us each day that they crowd around the entrance to the school, waiting to get a […]

Debre Zyet, Ethiopia

I’ve never been in a country where I wake each morning to the chanting of prayer. It’s been a problem for some of my colleagues because the chanting sometimes starts […]

Yerer, Ethiopia

We knew immediately it was a Market Day because we passed a multitude of donkeys bearing burdens. And oxen. And horse-and-buggys. And people. They walk from Yerer to Debre Zeyt […]

Ethiopia

There are 80 languages in Ethiopia and over 200 dialects, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when I delivered my well-rehearsed “selam tena jistilign” (hello) and the young woman shook […]

Ethiopia?!?

How did Ethiopia happen? Well, I have a dear friend that works for Engage Now Africa and they are building a school in the village of Yerer in June. And I’m […]

Las Galeras and La Playita Beach, Samana Peninsula, Dominican Republic

Having experienced most forms of Dominican transportation–taxis, buses, boats, catamarans, […]

Los Haitises National Park, Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic

Another win for Vacation Rental by Owner! VRBO is great because […]

‹ Newer 1 2 3 4 5 Older ›