Brazilian Christmas

Thiago, Me, and Uli

Simply stated, the weather was against me. What was supposed to be a few pleasant days at the beach over Christmas ended up being a blah, 'this just wasn't meant to be' experience. My friend Thiago, who I met in Brazil through Alex, had invited me here from Buenos Aires to relax after the long journey. Neither of us could foresee the weather how it was, but we made the best of our time together. 

A Week in Provence

While spending the summer of 2004 in France, my godfather, Uncle Rick, came to visit. Mentor, motivator, creator, role model - if there is anyone I owe (or can blame) for inspiring me to get out and see the world, it's him. A fellow francophile and my benefactor, it was no surprise he wanted to come check in on me. We decided to rendezvous in Nice.

Obviously this is not my photo. Promenade d'Anglais. 

Alsace, France - The Summer That Changed My Life

Garden in Thanvillé

When I was 13, I started working as a busboy at a small French restaurant called La Petite France. The owners, Chef Paul Elbling and his wife Marie-Antoinette, were good friends of my parents and my godfather (who had taken me there for dinner the night I was offered a job). After some time working at the restaurant, Chef Paul told me that since I was learning French in school and had straight A's that if I wanted I could go live with his family in Alsace for the summer. 

When my father came to the restaurant to pick me up one evening (but not before socializing with the last remaining patrons), Chef Paul strategically made the offer again, this time in front of my father. As I turned to my dad with that look on my face saying, "Father, may I?," he quickly added, "If Mack Brown (head coach of U Texas football) has a summer camp in France then you can go." Honestly, my heart sank a bit, only to float back to the surface with a wonderful inflatable I call determination. 

Colombian Countryside

We left at 5:30 Thursday morning for the Colombian countryside. Diego's car isn't permitted inside Bogota after 6:00am so we had to rush out of the city.  It was a long drive through beautiful mountains and valleys until we finally reached our destination of Villa de Levya. Isolated even by today's standards, it was built some 400 years ago as a monastic retreat as well as a quiet place where soldiers retired. Back in those days most people did not survive the journey for any number of reasons - bandits, natives, disease, and fatigue. 

Main Plaza with Church, Villa de Leyva

Cartagena - Jewel of the Caribbean

A jewel in the Caribbean crown steeped in history dating back nearly five centuries, remnant of the once vast Spanish colonial empire. Cartagena is alive today as much as it was in its heyday as a thriving port city and center of trade in the New World. For Alex and I, it was the perfect place to commence our adventures in Latin America. 

Cartagena contrasts between old and new: Bocagrande with its high rises and seaside hotels is reminiscent of Miami beach while the quaint streets of Gestramani are lined with tiny, colorful houses and daring graffiti art. We quickly discovered that the action was in the historic district - the fortified city. These walls were taller, wider, and far longer than Galle Fort in Sri Lanka (previous trip). It evoked all the images and romance of Pirates of the Caribbean, not surprising since it is a favorite hangout of tourists and locals alike. People walk endlessly around the ramparts looking down at the narrow, cobblestone streets lined with buildings painted in vibrant colors. 

Colombian Cuisine

The food in Colombia was absolutely incredible. Having a native friend as our guide was wonderful since he was able to point out all the local, indigenous foods and delicacies to try. Below you will find several of the highlighted dishes. 

Pan de Yoca, Empanada, Arepa, Butifarra

Bogota

Bogota a la funicular 

Our flight to Bogota was delayed 4.5 hours, so it wasn't until 2:30am we arrived. Waiting for our luggage at baggage claim, we noticed a large group of people pressed against the glass wall. All of a sudden, an outburst of clapping and cheers drew our attention to a huge Colombian family - men, women, and children of all ages, more than a dozen people - holding signs welcoming one person. All I could think of was Gloria's Colombian relatives from Modern Family. 

Diego met us at the airport and together we whisked our way through Bogota's clogged highways and streets avoiding maniacal drivers and street performers literally performing in the street. (Take a note US panhandlers: learn to juggle or something entertaining - people will be more likely to give you something.) Thanks to Diego's aggressive driving we avoided rush hour and more importantly the daily monsoon. We parked next to his alma mater, the University of the Andes (most prestigious in Colombia) and walked downtown to lunch. A cool fountain runs down the length of the street. Locals tease that the homeless bathe in it. 

RMS Queen Mary - Long Beach, CA

Long Beach is home to an iconic treasure, a perfect fusion of two of my favorite subjects: maritime vessels and history. Having sailed on her protégé  the time had come to homage to this most tantalizing lady of the seas: The Queen Mary.

I am always on the lookout for educational opportunities for the kids, and hoped that the immense energy given off by this ship would inspire them to continue seeking out cultural diversions wherever they are. Queen Mary did falter. 

36 Hours in Paris

Paris: the city of light and the city of love. For me, there is nothing quite like it anywhere in the world. Writers, artists, musicians, poets, and tourists alike have for centuries been drawn to this magical city. I myself have made the 'pilgrimage' no fewer than five times thus far, each visit different from the last. Of course one tends to see some of the same places over and over again, yet somehow the perspective always seems quite different and often enjoyably surprising. It was no coincidence that when booking our flights to Europe the best option brought us to Paris - nine long years since I'd last visited. Though we were only allotted a short time, it was enough for me to give Alex his first taste of France. 

Arc de Triomphe

Prague, Czech Republic

Looking south from the Metronome. (Center) Charles Bridge 

The sun was still sleeping when our train pulled into Prague's notorious main railway station. My friend and host, a graduate from VMI's arch rival - the Citadel - would meet us outside the city closer to his home, leaving Alex and I to make our way out of the city via one of the three color-coded subway lines. Easy, right? Not unless you read Czech! Granted, as with the previous countries traversed on our adventure, I had learned a few key words to help me get by, but quickly realized my Czech wasn't exactly up to par.

Kraków, Poland

St. Mary's Church, Market Square

The original schedule of our train from Budapest to Kraków had us leaving in the morning and arriving in the afternoon, giving us splendid views of the Slovakian countryside; however, the schedule changed to an overnight train leaving us an extra full day in Budapest and two full days in Kraków. It was our first overnight train in the sleeping compartment and proved much nicer than the ones in China. We arrived early the next morning, greeted by frost-covered Polish fields and deep blue skies. Jack Frost nipped us really good as we disembarked, and he wouldn't leave us alone the rest of the day. Thankfully we were able to leave our bags at the hotel, but being exhausted and incredibly early (7:15 am), our emotions were overcome when told we weren't allowed to check in. I could tell it was going to be a long, long day. 

The Children of Auschwitz-Birkenau

The most gut-wrenching experience at the concentration camps was an exhibit dedicated to the children. In an empty white room, artists recreated sketches that were found all over the camps, usually hidden, and all done by children. The only thing these pictures have in common is that all the children who made them were killed. Most of the children didn't fully understand what was going on; this was the world through their eyes…

Auschwitz - Birkenau

During our time in Cracow, we took a day-trip to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. They are actually two separate camps officially called Auschwitz I and II. There were plans to build a third, but it never happened. Birkenau is a much larger camp. Since most people are well aware of the events that happened here, I have decided to use my photos to share the stories of the few who survived and the many who perished. 

Arbeit Macht Frei

Budapest, Hungary

Our train ride from Bratislava to Budapest went by without incident, graciously allowing us to take in the wonderful scenery as we steamed along the mighty Danube (ok, not a steam engine, but was still nice) flanked by golden autumn colored trees, small boats dotting the river, and an overall peace and serenity that made me wish the train would just break down for an hour or two. Not today, sadly, but Budapest was waiting for us to indulge in her glory. 

Buda on left, Pest on Right, Danube and Chain Bridge center from Memorial Statue

Bratislava, Slovakia

I should work in advertising...

Following our wonderful excursion in Vienna, it was time for us to slow down a bit. We were about halfway through the trip and the small city of Bratislava was a perfect place to catch our breath and take our time exploring. Only one night was necessary for this not-so-hoppin city, about four hours to actually see the place in its entirety. However as the saying goes, "It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it…"; Bratislava could be summed up this way in that small as it may be, it packs a lot of charm and beauty - and thankfully for us, almost no tourists. 

Being only one hour from Vienna it seemed getting here would be quite easy. Once again, for a Stelly, it proved to be the opposite. It all started back in Vienna when we arrived at the train station and could not find which platform was to be our train. Turns out we were at the wrong station, the correct one being on the other side of town. So after getting to that station via a streetcar not named Desire, we were stuck again not knowing how to find the platforms since this station was under construction and trying to find the platforms was comparable to looking for the "Goblet of Fire." 

Vienna the Magnificent

Ahhh, Vienna - city of musicians, lavish capital of the Hapsburg Empire, the city of dreams (Sigmund Freud was from here)- no wonder it is regarded as one of the most livable cities in the world. From the large palaces and museums to the abundance of bars, clubs, and cafes, the Viennese enjoy a plentiful life of diversity and culture that emulates in my opinion the very best mankind has to offer. 

Our adventure began as we boarded one of the old trolleys that notoriously winds its way through Vienna's narrow streets. About half the cars are new and low to the street, while the rest still date from the days of the Cold War and are a bit more difficult to get onto yet still enjoyable to ride. It was mid-afternoon by time we managed to drop off the bags at the hotel - a quaint hundred year old reasonbly-priced establishment - and head southwest to the royal family's grand summer residence, the Schönbrunn Palace. A massive complex of grounds and gardens surrounding a central palace of more than 1,400 rooms, it is the only palace in Europe that comes close to rivaling Versailles. Clear skies and warm sunlight only enhanced our excitement to explore and play among the scores of locals and tourists alike.