Happy New Year / L' Shana Tovah

We Jews are lucky. We get two New Years. The regular one and the Jewish one. Except the Jewish one isn't so festive, in that Dick Clark-now Ryan Seacrest-can I stay up until Midnight because the champagne I drank way too early has made me loopy and I can't keep my eyes open kind of way. It's a sit in temple (and usually during the hottest day of the year) in your best suit and tie and contemplate the year you've had and the year that's coming up kind of way. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm home and it's 2 am and I can't sleep. It's New Year but unfortunately this year, I was flying as the Jewish New Year began and for the first time in a long time, I wasn't in temple. I stressed out a little and then rationalized that perhaps being at the Western Wall last Thursday was the next best thing I could've done. I'm not sure, but just in case, I'll ask for forgiveness next week on Yom Kippur.

From me to you, a sweet and Happy New Year

A long, last vacation blog 9.28.09

Cruising the high seas isn’t for you if:

You don’t like people who talk loudly. I’ve noticed a pattern now and it has nothing to do with the fact that cruises typically attract older people who might, in turn, be hard of hearing. Outside on dry land, people talk a moderate level and even when the occasion necessitates an elevation of voice volume (“Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!” or “You’re what???” or “My stock is NOT worth how much?!”). But for some reason, the open ocean makes people want to talk loudly. They talk loudly at meals (I’ve heard every detailed conversation from people several tables away); they talk loudly during on board presentations; they even talk loudly in the library (“Miss, why is it that I can’t get my “In-ter-net” to connect to my favorite soap opera web site?”). I figure it must be that we’re so removed from civilization, from the throngs of people we encounter in our daily lives back home, that many people feel the need to release all that pent up noise and just TALK. They’re loud and they’re proud of where they hail from. I think it’s an American thing. The foreign types I’ve seen like the Germans, the Spaniards, the Chinese don’t seem to talk as loudly as the Americans.

You don’t like to see big bellies and by-pass operation scars by the poolside. Cruisers are very proud of their bodies, no matter what shape or size they come in. And if they got scars, well, show ‘em off, they seem to say, as they parade around the pool (and sometimes around the dining areas, library and shops), scars in full view. I know you know that I’m a bit of a shy guy, some might say a prude but a scar is one thing. A big belly is another. But big bellies with scars just don’t look good together.

You don’t like people watching. If you don’t like people watching or observing how people on board remind you of people back home, try another kind of vacationing. I for one LOVE watching people and looking at how much they remind me of famous people is one activity I get into here. Everyone we’ve met on board does it! Even the nice couple from Minne-SOH-tah that we’ve been fortunate to share our dinner table with each evening does it. The woman who sits behind us each night is “Lucille Ball.” “Look, Lucille Ball is getting on tour number 4.” The Asian guy with the long white hair and moustache is “Mr. Miyagi.” “Mr. Miyagi” was doing the 4000 piece crossword puzzle in the library.” Last night I found myself saying to everyone at the dinner table that I ran into Wilford Brimley in the elevator and everyone nodded in agreement, knowing exactly whom I was talking about. It’s fun!



Anyway, back to my travels. After two days of open sea cruising (I spent time reading, going to the movies (saw a great little movie called “The Visitor” and napping) I woke up early yesterday morning in Israel. It had been 20 years since I’d been to Israel and I had forgotten what a beautiful country it is. And safe. I had a chance to talk to our tour guide Moshe about the threat of terrorism and he said that it was all a matter of perspective. He said to take into account the number of days in the year that you DON’T hear about something bad happening in Israel (or any place for that matter). He also said if he believed the news, the US is more dangerous than Israel. He said the news from the US is always about school shootings, hurricanes, commuter train accidents and child abductions. Perspective.

It was interesting to note that during the course of this trip, I got 4 emails from friends who sent me news about 8 tourists kidnapped in Egypt. Was it a warning not to go there? (Too late, tour ticket’s been paid for). Eight million tourists visit Egypt each year; I’m not good at math but 8 out of 8 million is a pretty small percentage. I know, I know, you’re just watching out for me but again, try looking at the world from the opposite end of the binoculars. The stuff up close looks awfully small if you just turn the binoculars around and look in the other end. Every day people die, but babies are born. Every day, people get into car accidents and many die, but millions more enjoy the road. And every day people travel all over the world visiting the most exotic and wonderful places and a very small, small, small percentage are kidnapped or killed.

One thing that has changed in Israel since I was last here is the traffic. It’s crowded as hell on Israeli highways and many times I thought it made LA traffic look like Christmas morning. They don’t drive fast in Israel but they drive crazy. Cars come perilously close to each other as they drive down narrow streets; but no one seems to get hit! Pedestrians are brave too; they dart in and out of cars and manage to make it across the street in one piece, even as vehicles barrel down on them. It’s funny that I’ve seen more accidents on big wide highways in the States than the narrow little streets or scary traffic circles that you see all over Europe and the Middle East


That being said, after a few hours of landing in beautiful Haifa (reminded me of San Francisco with it’s hills and seaside locale), we found ourselves at the Jaffa Gate, ready to proceed on foot into the Old City, Jerusalem. The golden stones which the city is built from and which brightly reflects the sunlight, only enhanced the sense of holiness that surrounds the city.


Our first stop was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the church erected on the site where Jesus was crucified. Imagine climbing a narrow set of steps with people from all over the world, speaking every language imaginable to a small hole in the ground where the cross that Jesus died upon was placed in the ground. The wait to see the spot where Jesus was resurrected was even more crowded and the line to crawl into the room, 6 people at a time, was 2 ½ hours long. The best bet to get close to Jesus was the slab of rock where his body was purified. That only required a few minutes wait as people kissed the stone, placed their money and crucifixes on it (obviously to bless the crucifixes but I couldn’t figure out why they put their money on it). Even as Jew, I was in awe of the history of the place; a church where millions of people over the eons have come to pray and remember a man who started out as a simple carpenter.



Our next stop was the magnificent Western (Wailing) Wall. I had only been here once before and it still gave me goose pimples when I walked up to it. There at the wall, I saw the thousands of notes placed in the cracks as I placed the 8 notes that friends had given me. I also said a personal prayer and then, of course, did the tourist thing and began snapping pictures. I didn’t want to forget the moment. My dad walked over in his floppy hat and smiled broadly for the camera. Not bad for an 84 year old guy!

The rest of the day was devoted to walking in and among the streets of Jerusalem. It was interesting to hear from our jovial Israeli tour guide that the Arabs in Israel were just that - Arabs - and he seemed to refuse to recognize any of them as Palestinians. He also told me that most Israelis are not religious, contrary to what many might think. Patriotic yes, religious no. But here and there, we did see the familiar black hats, long coats and beards and we laughed to hear Moshe say “why they think that wearing clothes from 100 years ago in Russia in 90 degree heat means you will be closer to God, makes no sense to me.”

We left Israel watching traffic crawl on the other side going into Jerusalem for at least 20 miles and the Mediterranean sun setting before us. If any of you ever had doubts of coming to Israel, get rid of them. The sense of history is just too much to ignore. Plus they’ve got the best hummus this side of Pico Boulevard.



Next we visited the largely unconsidered island of Cyprus. I say unconsidered because how many of you would ever think of going there? It’s really quite interesting; an amalgam of Greek, Turkish and British cultures. It’s supposedly the birthplace of Aphrodite and we visited many sites of antiquities devoted to her and her mate, Apollo. But more importantly, it’s the home of Haloumi cheese! Yes the only cheese you can throw on the grill (I learned that from our very musky smelling but pleasant tour guide). We visited a small Greek Cypriot village, tasted some very sweet Cypriot wine and marveled at the overpriced souvenirs.

Yesterday we’re cruised our way to Egypt and waited to begin our tour at --groan -- 6 am. That’s because we landed in Alexandria and Cairo was 3 hours away. In fact, we had signed up for a 12-hour tour where we were scheduled to see the Pyramids at Giza and the much-heralded Egyptian Museum. No matter what time I had to get up, I was determined to go, as I’ve wanted to see the Pyramids for years. Last year it was the Great Wall and this year it had to be the Pyramids. (Maybe next year it will be the Taj Mahal in Agra, India)

Egypt was fascinating. My first impression was that it was pretty poor as countries go. Many buildings are left empty, litter covers the highways and public transportation consists of several people jamming into private mini buses. The landscape was definitely desert and reminded me of parts of Mexico – cactus, date palms and dry riverbeds. But what was fascinating was the influence of religion on daily life. Unlike in Turkey where being a Muslim wasn’t necessarily reflected in the clothes that you wear, in Egypt you’ll rarely see a woman’s head uncovered. At one point in the Egyptian Museum, I saw the freakiest sight – three women dressed in black, head to toe with just their eyes exposed looking into a display case of mummified animals. The room must have been 90 degrees (no A/C at the Egyptian Museum so if you want a sauna experience, go there first) and yet they walked about without a bead of sweat on their eyebrows (all I could see!). Wild!


When we drove into Cairo and saw the Pyramids in the distance, I found myself bouncing up and down as if I was ten years old again waiting to see the Matterhorn along side the San Diego Freeway on our way to Disneyland. Funny, they looked just like the Luxor Hotel from afar! But when we drove up to them, the size and grandeur of 3 pyramids perched on a sandy hill was just awe inspiring. I couldn’t believe I was finally there.


I also couldn’t believe how much of humanity was there; thousands of people, on foot, on bus, on camel -- all crowding the site. And it was hot – Palm Springs hot; about 90 degrees and a very warm wind blowing the dust about. Nevertheless, I tackled my photo taking in earnest and snapped about as many angles as I could of the spectacular stone structures. Next we ventured to the magnificent Sphinx, which, as I’m sure you’ve all heard, is not as big as you would imagine.


But I was impressed nonetheless probably because the damn thing has always appeared to the statue where all the world’s secrets reside. The sight of the sand colored statue, worn and weathered by time, as it gazes towards the East, and knowing how many people over thousands of years have come to visit it is overwhelming. You can’t help but take pictures as if you’ve seen a UFO for the first time. By the time we left the Sphinx, I was dripping in sweat having had to contend with thousands of people who ventured together through stone corridors to find the right vista which to see the spectacular Sphinx.



After a great lunch at the Cairo Hilton, we made our last stop at the magnificent Egyptian Museum, the largest museum of Egyptian antiquities in the world. It was crazy to think that we had only 2 hours to see over 500,000 pieces so we budgeted our time wisely and tackled the main exhibits like the Rosetta Stone and the treasures of King Tut. The museum was oppressively hot – no air conditioning as I said EXCEPT in the King Tut treasure room. Once we found it, we all huddled in there like dogs lying on a cool garage floor trying to escape the summer heat. But it was certainly worth it to see that funeral mask, in all its gold and lapis glory once again (remember when the King Tut exhibit and all the hoopla that accompanied it came to the US in the late 70’s?). Even the creepy room of mummies at 90 degrees was worth the visit. It’s too bad they didn’t allow cameras; otherwise I would have been there for hours snapping away.

We got back to the ship at 7:30, tired and sunburned but satisfied that we saw sights that not many have a chance to see. Which brings me to the point that I want to make here. Travel if you can. The world is so damn interesting to stay locked up at home. If you’re afraid of what might happen, fuggedaboutit. You’ve been watching the news too much. There are millions of tourists who visit these places every day and the chances are greater that you’ll slip and fall in your bathtub than suffer some terrible fate while traveling on the road in some faraway country.

And if you can’t afford to travel, open up a book and read about those faraway places. Go to the bookstore and open up a big atlas and see how many countries you can read about; renew your subscription to National Geographic (and when you’re done with a bunch of issues, give them to a school or donate them to the Goodwill; they love to take them!). You will find yourself amazed and fascinated by the variety of the world’s culture and its people when you have the chance to see it in person or through the lens of travel books and magazines. Travel is a great leveler. One you’re away from home, you find all the cultural arrogance you carry with you slipping away and in its place, and you’ll find some much needed humility. I can’t live without it.

I’ll be back home tomorrow night but going right back to work and this time traveling to more sedate places like Alabama and Michigan. In the meantime, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about this trip as much as I have had writing about it.
Cheers,
655Jack

Just a moment while I return to the real world. Then it's back to vacation...9.26.09

I'm writing this from somewhere in the Mediterranean, between Cyprus and Egypt and I read this transcript on line and couldn't resist posting it. It's amazing how news that takes place 6,000 miles away can seem so close thanks to the wonders of the Internet. I feel like I'm at home with all of you, cringing each time Sarah Palin speaks.

Back later with my vacation blog from Israel and Cyprus.
655

COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia--

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.

I'm Available for Weddings & Bar Mitzvahs: 9. 22.08

So, we’ve sailed through the strait of water that separates Europe and Asia. We’ve visited ancient churches in Bulgaria and the famous Potempkin Steps in Odessa, Ukraine. We’ve even visited Romania, home of Transylvania and Count Dracula’s Castle and what’s been the highlight for me during the last three days? I made marzipan flowers…see? What do you think? I’m the next Food Network star!

Three days ago (I’ve lost track of days of the week) we sailed the Bosporus. It was wild to find ourselves between two continents, sailing up a waterway that men and women have been sailing through for thousands of centuries.



The next day we found ourselves in Bulgaria (I heard someone refer to it as Ulgaria because they didn’t find it so pretty. I’m inclined to agree). Not much to speak of but we did find ourselves in a Bulgarian Orthodox Church where two monks chanted in harmony together beautifully. (I'll try and upload the video later).

Speaking of ugly, because it was cold outside that day, I decided to wear my Obama ’08 hat to keep my keppe warm. Just as I was departing for our tour bus, some fat American guy walked by, looked at my hat and exclaimed loud enough for me and about 20 other people to hear, “there’s another idiot!” I yelled out “who said that?” and this guy with a gut so big that he probably hadn’t seen his feet in a few years said defiantly “I did.” I considered the source and left it alone. But I was fuming. I wanted to yell out something but couldn’t come up with a comeback fast enough. Then I looked around to see if people were nodding in agreement with him or me. But I should’ve known. No one seemed to care. They wanted to start their tours, damnit!

The next day, we were in more picturesque Odessa, Ukraine but the weather was pretty bad with rain coming down in sheets and a cold wind blowing like it was the middle of November. Now instead of signs being in letters we could recognize, were definitely in a place where they used the Cyrillic alphabet. I couldn’t decipher anything. Despite the rain, we were able to visit the magnificent Potemkin Steps and later, marveled at the architecture that reminded me a bit of St. Petersburg, Russia; buildings painted in pink and yellow and there were large boulevards lined with Sycamore trees. It’s unfortunate that the weather ended up being so bad because Odessa seemed to have a great deal of character and I would’ve liked to have explored more of the city on foot.


After a delay of a couple of hours last night due to rough seas, today we visited the last of three countries on our Black Sea tour - Romania. Romania was probably my least favorite. Except for the magnificent Beaux Arts Casino that was built around 1913, the architecture was gray and drab. Even the people seemed stuck in another era as they walked about in long shapeless dresses, clunky shoes and pants and jackets that were straight out of the video for “Bad.” But I guess that’s understandable when you realize that the country just came out from one of the most oppressive Communist regimes only in the 1990’s. An interesting side note: our tour guide told us that if you wanted to make a lot of money in Romania, just open a chain of private restrooms for public use. There are so few public restrooms available in Romania, he said, that people would be willing to pay just to use a clean toilet. Imagine that, a chain of public restrooms. I’ll call McCrapper; anyone want to make a fortune with me?

Seriously, there is money to be made in the countries of Bulgaria, Romania and Odessa. They have joined the European Union but the change over is still a few years away. So before they switch over to the Euro, it’s clear that there are bargains to be had. Seeing, for example, that the average salary in Ukraine is $500 a month, one could easily snatch up some cheap land or set up a business. And if commerce isn’t your style, just take a vacation here. Traveling is very cheap. Granted you wont get the usual luxuries you might be used to but still pretty reasonable and it would certainly be an adventure, if that were your thing.

Back to my marzipan. And no scoffing at my stylings; from what I’ve read on line about the Emmys last night, my marzipan making class sounds like it's way more exciting!

655 Jack

Istanbul, Day Two: A Day of Contrasts 9.19.08

New York may be The Big Apple. Paris may be the City of Lights. And after being in Istanbul for 2 days, I’d have to say that Istanbul is the City of Prayers and Spices. Everywhere you go in this city, the air is filled with the scent of spices and herbs as you see men on their bended knees in supplication to Allah. As a city that straddles two continents, it’s a city of contrasts, of architecture old and new, of a culture both religious and secular, and of cuisine both East and West. It was the perfect place for us to enjoy new adventures while indulging in our past.

Yesterday we had a chance to visit the Grand Bazaar with our friend Lale whom my parents met over 25 years ago in the town where my Grandmother was born – Canakkle (pronounced “cha-nah-kah-LAY”). Canakkle is the modern name of the area of what was once known as ancient Troy. Lale brought her friend Isaac, whom we found out after a few minutes was also from Canakkle, shared a few of the names we had in our own family – Candiotti and Gormizano. If the name Gormizano looks familiar that’s because it is the real name of Edyie Gorme, whose family came from Canakkle and was distantly related to my Grandmother. Like most immigrants, they shortened their name when they came to U.S. Can you imagine if they hadn’t? “Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome to the Stardust, Steve Lawrence and Edyie Gormizano!”



Lale and Isaac became our interpreters for the day as roamed the halls of the Grand Bazaar, as we looked and bargained for souvenirs. At one point Lale exclaimed “Mashallah” which I recognized instantly as a word my Grandmother used to say whenever she saw a beautiful baby or someone she was very proud of. I asked Lale what it meant in Turkish and she said it meant “Praise Allah” and that was said as a means to ward of the evil eye. Immediately, I came to understand that it was a word that the Sephardic Jews who lived in Turkey and Greece appropriated but which was actually a word that Muslims used. Now I know what to say when most Ashkenazi Jews say “kenahora”. I’ll just say “Mashallah” instead! Isaac and Lale then took us for a walk down cobblestone streets to the Egyptian Bazaar, otherwise known as the Spice Market. There, we were overcome by the scent of a thousand spices – Curry and Cardamom, Cinnamon and Cumin. The sight of piles of rainbow colored spices and herbs was incredible. Now we were hungry!

Though we thought we could just find a restaurant and sit down, we were told that if we didn’t move fast, we’d be out of luck. That’s because in the Muslim calendar it is Ramadan, and as such, Muslims fast all day but eat from 7:30 pm to 4 am. We quickly found a great Turkish restaurant near Spice Market just before the Ramadan crowds began. We had more great food and topped it all off with creamy rice pudding just like Grandma used to make. We got back to our cabin on the ship wondering if we ever needed to eat again.



Today, we had an early pick up at the port and drove 45 minutes outside of central Istanbul to meet our cousins, Joseph Abrevaya and his wife Sara. Joseph and my dad are second cousins; their Grandfathers were brothers. While my dad’s family moved to the United States, Joseph’s parents stayed in Turkey. My parents had first met Joseph and his wife Sarah in 1982 but I had never met them before. If you would ask me to pick them out of a crowd, it would’ve been easy; the family resemblance was scary. Every Abrevaya looks the same! Joseph, a hearty and strong 89 years old and his wife Sara, who is 82, both spoke good English but the conversation veered in and out of Turkish, English and Ladino, the Judeo Spanish language of Sephardic Jews that my Grandmother spoke to us. We found out that a Great-Great Uncle, Jack Abrevaya was an interpreter to the Grand Sultan of Turkey and that the Abrevayas all share a tendency to be hard of hearing or deaf and live to be in their late 80’s and 90’s; some have lived to be over 100! “Mashallah!”

I forgot to mention that when we walked into the Abrevaya house, I was instantly transported back to my childhood and my Grandmother’s house. There were the familiar scents of borekas and boyos, of cheese and olives; a visit to a Sephardic household is ever done without food. We looked pictures and delved into memories of families who were separated by years and miles but who still remained close to each other’s hearts. How awesome it was to know that I was sitting in a room with a man with whom I shared the same Great Great Grandfather!


Soon it was time to head back to our ship and we said our goodbyes. It was great to know that we didn’t have to wonder if we’d return to Istanbul to see each other again; the Abrevayas go each year to Chicago to visit their children. Back at the port we indulged in one more Turkish treat and we had “cay” (pronounced “chai” and which means tea in Turkish, served in little curved glasses) and Baklava with Lale and Isaac at the restaurant that first popularized the sweet honey and nut treat in Istanbul. I noticed that unlike the hard chewy Baklava we had in Rhodes, this Baklava was soft and delicate. When I asked Lale where Baklava really came from – Greece or Turkey, she asked me which Baklava I liked better; the one I was just eating or the one we had a few days ago in Greece. The one I was eating right now, I told her. “Need I say more?” she replied.

Tonight we sail up the Bosporus, the channel of water that separates Asia and Europe and into the Black Sea. Tomorrow we will wake up in Bulgaria. The thrill of venturing someplace I’ve never thought of visiting is exciting.

655Jack

Food Glorious Food - Jasons on the High Seas 9.18.08

On our way to Istanbul…

Today, we arrive in Istanbul at 3 pm where our old friend Lale will meet us and take us to town so we can shop to our hearts delight at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market.

The Grand Bazaar is a fantastic, where you can find most anything from brass pots for making Turkish Coffee to Pashminas in any color that you can imagine. I’ve not yet been to the Spice Market but my brother tells me it’s full of scents that feel like you’ve dunked your head in a stew pot full of the most savory ingredients. I can’t wait.

The trip has been relaxing and great so far. There are a few things I noticed being outside the US:

--Penelope Cruz is the most advertised face in the world; her face graces billboards, TV ads, newspaper pages. There must be something about that slightly long nose and half smile that appeals across cultures.

--Everyone parks on streets as they see fit. Going one way down a street doesn’t mean you have to park in that direction. You can even park on corners. Sometimes I wish we could do that in LA on days when there is alternate side of the street parking. It would be such a better and more efficient use of space.



Now a little about the cruise; if you haven’t done it, you should try it once. A giant hotel where every morning you wake up in a different city, that’s what it is; great for traveling with kids or older parents. The lodging is great and the food is fantastic. Last night, the highlight for me was my roasted tomato bisque – smoky and thick - topped with a freshly baked crouton and drizzled with crème fraiche, while for my mom and brother it was their Dungeness crab salad, delicate and light and featuring the perfect mix of Asian spices. Dad’s favorite was his New York steak that he said was the best he had in years.

The food kept on coming today as watched the ship’s master chef prepare a Grand Marnier Chocolate Volcano Cake in a cooking demonstration in the Food Network style kitchen (with cameras and witty repertoire) and then passed around individuals little volcanoes for all to savor. Yum!



Not much else really. The vacation hasn’t really started until we land in Istanbul, so more later. Meanwhile, it’s time for a game of Scrabble with my mom…

Catch you all later.
655Jack

Yankee Where Are You? - The Jasons are Traveling Again! 9.16.08

Let me just get this off my chest and then I'll give you a bit of my travelogue. John McCain can't be operating on all pistons if he says as I'm reading in the international papers that the general state of the US economy is sound. Everywhere we've been in Greece has indicated otherwise...

It used to be that dollars were accepted freely in exchange for the local currency or that credit cards were also accepted. The mighty Visa and Mastercard ruled. Not so this time. Merchants demand cash - European cash. Ask for an explanation, they say "Lehman Brothers" or something about falling stocks. Today someone even said something about "Ike." It also used to be that you could easily run into Americans everywhere you went overseas. That's also changed. Granted that summer's over and everyone is back to work, back to school so not many Americans are out but even in slow seasons it used to be that you would hear American English SOMEWHERE. But we haven't this time. It almost feels that when they look at us, it's as a curiosity.

Let me be bold and extrapolate here that perhaps the sinking/shrinking dollar or our fear of all things "foreign" has diminished our incentive to spread our wealth overseas as we once did? If that's the case, then I think we're on a bad path. You see, I believe that the wealth that we once spread like sweet smelling manure around the world though at times was annoying to others was actually helping to spread American culture and fostering American goodwill. But all we see are Russians, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Brits and Germans.

The point of all this melodramatic musing is to say that being here really makes it clear to me that it's time for a change back home. So, that's why I'm wearing my Obama 08 baseball cap the whole time on this trip to let people know that there are some of Yanks eager for change and that we all don't march lockstep to the drumbeat that's been pounding out of DC for the last 8 years. Some of us actually think about the rest of the big world we live in.

That's just the way I see it.



Okay, now for the trip. It's very hot in Greece at the moment - it must be in the upper 80's and very humid. Despite the drippy heat, we've had a great time eating Greek salads, visiting our Grandparent's neighborhood and generally having a good chuckle as we watch German tourists, mostly the guys, walk around with their flabby white (and if they weren't careful in the sun, very red)

beer bellies hanging over their 2 inch Speedos as they walk about munching on Gyros.

We marveled at how the only remaining Jewish Synagogue in Rhodes has undergone even greater improvements and now there is a full museum and library featuring all the history of the Jews of Rhodes including all of those who were transported to the concentration camps during the last months of WW II. Sad to think that if the 1400 or so Jews that were here had lived, there would be thousands around and this would be a very different place.



I've had a lot of fun being corned by the close talking elderly Irish tourist who talks to me and my brother (he thinks we're the same person) for hours about the smallest things he's encountered on his trip at a distance where I can actually see his nose hairs. His Lucky Charms accent almost feels like a put on but as he explained to me, he never gets out of his little green isle.

Thankfully the food is much different here than in China. No mystery meat here. Just your basic chicken, meat or fish and if course, because it's prepared in Greek kitchens, it's fantastic. And the desserts, of course, are to die for. Baklava, Kadayif, Greek Coffee. It's all good. And the pace is lazy and laid back. A check will be presented only when you ask for it and even then it'll take a long while for the waiter to bring you back the change or shoo you out of the restaurant. It just doesn't happen.


If you're itchin' for a little R&R in a place where you don't have to worry about drinking the water check out Greece. And if you want a better deal, go to Turkey. They're not on the Euro yet so the prices aren't as high there - yet!

On our way to Athens tomorrow and hopping on the Rotterdam to begin our cruise to Turkey and the Black Sea. I'll check in with you in a couple of days.