Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

On Friday, we decided to visit the Basilica Cistern. It’s one of several ancient underground water reservoirs that are open to the public for a fairly substantial sum of money and they’re not part of the Istanbul Museum Card program. The original floor is covered with several centimetres of water and we were walking on…

Our second full day, Thursday February 23, was all about focus. First on the list was a visit to the Grand Bazaar. It really was a religious experience! Mahmood coached me in advance about how to bargain if I decided to purchase anything. He also emphasized not paying any attention to the stall owners as…

A city where continents and cultures collide A trip to Istanbul has been on the back burner for two years. Yesterday, well. actually today it became reality. My friend Mahmoud from Tehran met me at the Istanbul airport at 1H00 and we made the trek into the city by bus. We’re staying in a small…

The Algarve is celebrating Carnaval. In Loulé, the festivities began on Sunday February 19 and continue until the end of the following Tuesday, or Mardis Gras. Having never experienced this event up close and personal, it was suggested by my friends that I go to Loulé. They were going to another town and a somewhat…

In the past few days, the weather has been somewhat changeable – a mix of cloud, rain, cool temperatures and then a glorious sun filled day. One of those came along and we went to Faro beach! And then there was a long leisurely lunch on the terrace of Wax restaurant. Good food, sunshine, breeze…

Yes, the day finally arrived – February 9th -and a huge thank you to Randy and Marc and Joanne for making my day so extra special. The hike I had hoped we would take didn’t happen because of rain the previous day: muddy trails are slippery trails and not that safe. However, the clouds did…

Festivals in Portugal, as in the rest of the world, have taken a Covid Pandemic beating so the 2023 Festival of Almond Flowers in Alta Mora drew a large and very vibrant crowd. Randy, Joanne, Jackson and myself set out on Saturday February 4 to check out what it was all about. It took slightly…

As January gives way to February, Ireland initiates a new state holiday on the first day of the month – Saint Brigid’s Day. Plus, February is my birthday month along with my friends, Randy, Pearl and Clarence – Aquarians all! So, Happy Birthday everyone and let the celebrations begin! CORRECTION: Randy, although born in February,…

The week began with a road trip to Quinta da Tor, a popular vineyard and winery a short distance from Loulé. Artist and friend, Marc Thivierge was involved in an art exposition that was officially opening on Sunday January 22. It was well worth the gut wrenching up hill and down dale drive from Estoi…

Hiking was on the Friday & Saturday menus An invitation came from Randy and Joanne to meet up with them and Pat and Gary on Friday to hike the trail up Cerro da Cabeça near Moncarapacho. It was a beautiful sunny day at the beginning with a cool breeze that brought some cloud cover. Not…