Leading up to the Sochi Olympics, we were most curious about what we were going to be eating and drinking in Russia. This kept our minds off the media hype. Russians love to drink and eat. And we loved eating and drinking in Russia, too. Sharing a glass or a meal is the best way we know of getting acquainted with people. We felt so fortunate to become acquainted with Russians of every age, and from a variety of regions during the Olympic Games. Fed on an information diet which consisted Continue Reading
Central Europe Architecture: 7 Images of Dignity in Disrepair
We photographed the faded, the forlorn and the crumbling facades. A theme - Central Europe architecture in disrepair - emerged. It was beautiful. When traveling for extended periods, you begin to cluster your impressions. It's no longer a trip which is segmented into days, but a trip comprised of themes. This happens, I believe, because we look for similarities. In new places, we draw upon previous experiences and proceed to compare. Familiarization such as this can be a comfort Continue Reading
European Luxury Hotels: A Month of Affordable Stays!
How could we afford a month in European luxury hotels? We're transitioning back to Kauai after over a month in Europe and Russia. More than one person has wondered just how could we afford a month, staying as we did at quite a few European luxury hotels, enjoying more than one comprehensive excursion, and traveling to a dozen countries or more? We most definitely are not wealthy, but that doesn't stop us from preferring the comforts associated with high end experiences. We're not the first Continue Reading
Russians: What We Think vs What We Know
Is what we thought about Russians accurate? We and the Russians, a family of 3, were the only ones on the Winter Olympics gondola leaving Sanki Sliding Center. The descent to the Krasnya Polyana hub is spectacular and very swift. There was just enough time for the young dad to turn to me and ask, "What do you know about the Olympics?" Startled, I racked my brain. What do I know? Dates, statistics, locations? Oh! Then it dawned! He wanted to know what I thought about the Olympics. Different Continue Reading
Sochi Security: What We Saw
One of the media's favorite pre-Olympics topics was security threats at the Sochi Games. When we were traveling in Europe prior to arriving in Sochi, we could tell when the U.S. media ramped up the hype on how unsafe our destination was going to be. We got many email and social media messages from concerned relatives and friends every time this happened. They worried about our personal safety, warned us about electronic hacking and being robbed of our belongings, and wondered would we be Continue Reading