Canon EOS Rebel
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Love Shopping? I Have a Grand Bazaar for You
More Details: Love Shopping? I Have a Grand Bazaar for YouThis is one of the neatest places to go in Istanbul if you like to shop and haggle, and even if not, it is still quite impressive by its sheer scale in size and offerings. You can almost picture business going on here for centuries! The bazaar is huge – it is a veritable maze…
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Going Under in Istanbul
More Details: Going Under in IstanbulI have shared in other posts about the incredible Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, and the beautiful mosques of Istanbul – definite must-sees in that great city. But be aware, right under your feet could be some of the remnants of good ole Roman engineering: the cisterns of Istanbul. Old cities tend to have lots of…
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The Ottoman Ruler’s Residence: Topkapı Palace
More Details: The Ottoman Ruler’s Residence: Topkapı PalaceTopkapı Palace sits at the entrance to the Golden Horn, an inlet of water that splits the European side of Istanbul. It is located quite close to the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. It was the Ottoman ruler’s humble abode for part of the time they ruled the empire (the rulers eventually moved to…
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Out, Up, and Down in Chile’s Valparaíso
More Details: Out, Up, and Down in Chile’s ValparaísoChile is truly an amazing country. Nature, in and of itself, offers a myriad different possibilities from the Atacama Desert and the salt lakes in the north to the fjords and glaciers down in Patagonia. But Chile’s urban areas offer some incredible sights and experiences. And Valparaíso may take the cake as its character is…
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Jewels of Istanbul: Its Mosques
More Details: Jewels of Istanbul: Its MosquesDuring my 5-day visit to Istanbul, I had ample time to walk around, often aimlessly, to get to know the city. While some sights were on the must-see list (like the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace), I also “discovered” places not on my list. I quickly developed an interest in entering the many mosques…
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History via One Monumental Building: Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia
More Details: History via One Monumental Building: Istanbul’s Hagia SophiaThe highlight of my visit to the great former Byzantium, former Constantinople, or current Istanbul is Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. Getting there is always step one After having had some challenges getting out of Egypt, my arrival in Istanbul continued to offer “experiences” as there was an unexpected change of plans that I shared in my…
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A Fall Outing that Helps Keep the Doctor Away?
More Details: A Fall Outing that Helps Keep the Doctor Away?Fall is here and it is time for lots of good things: cooler temperatures, awesome colors of the trees as they move to winter “mode”, and apple picking! I was invited by friend to join them in taking their young daughters for a fun outing of apple picking about an hour or so north of…
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There’s Something about Tallinn
More Details: There’s Something about TallinnOn my way around the Baltic Sea with my family a couple of years ago, we stopped in the capital of Estonia: Tallinn. It was not a picture perfect June day weather-wise but, of course, we wanted to get off the ship and see the town. Tallinn is an old city in that part of…
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Exploring Mount Nebo, Jordan
More Details: Exploring Mount Nebo, JordanMount Nebo, Jordan is located on an area north of the Dead Sea that sits high on a ridge. According to the Bible, Mount Nebo is the place where Moses was allowed to see the Promised Land he would never enter (after guiding his people out of Egypt for 40 years!). Exploring Mount Nebo is…
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Of Zombies, Fantasy, and Fun: The DragonCon Parade in Atlanta
More Details: Of Zombies, Fantasy, and Fun: The DragonCon Parade in AtlantaThe world’s largest conference (over 50,000 attendees) of fantasy and science fiction, DragonCon, made its yearly arrival in Atlanta this weekend and downtown of all sudden acquired a totally different personality. The conference business is what keeps downtown Atlanta afloat since us residents do not generally go there for much, except for pro sports events,…
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Photo of the Week – Château of Azay-le-Rideau, Loire Valley
More Details: Photo of the Week – Château of Azay-le-Rideau, Loire ValleyA few years ago, right before spending two weeks in Tours, France for language immersion, I spent a few days exploring the wines and chateaux of the Loire Valley. Chenonceau, Chambord, etc. are all phenomenal castles to explore with their idyllic settings, great architecture, and sense of history. One of my favorite settings and chateaux…
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A Wild Time in the Serengeti – Safari!
More Details: A Wild Time in the Serengeti – Safari!The Serengeti is the epitome of the national park offering what we call a safari experience (“safari” actually means “journey” in Swahili). Its vast expanse and, of course, the natural beauty and wildlife offer a very unique experience to us who don’t love in remote areas of Africa. I had done a one day in-and-out…