August 18, 2023 by Chris - 4 Comments

Different Season – same place! Iceland

We’re back for a few days and it’s been fun taking some of the same routes, but seeing a completely different landscape. Last time everything was snow and ice covered; this time the lichen, moss, grass and lava rock are exposed.

The ponies are moving around more freely and grazing instead of standing huddled together for warmth.

Streams, rivers and lakes are running.

Last time the roads were impassable to Gullfoss falls; we are so glad we had the opportunity to visit this time and see these powerful waters rushing off the edge and dispersing through the narrow gorge.

The sweet little churches are often situated with commanding views of the valleys.

As we drove along rte 435 we followed the Nesjavellir pipeline that carries hot water from the Nesjavellir geothermal power plant to storage tanks east of Reykjavík for a distance of 27km – most of it above ground. The insulated pipeline can carry up to 40% of the hot water demand for space heating and domestic hot water in Reykjavik.

We ended the day with a soak in the warm mineral baths at Sky Lagoon situated on the coast south of Reykjavik.

January 11, 2023 by Chris - 1 Comment

Tel Aviv

Our hotel is just one building back from the beautiful sand beach, Mediterranean and a walking/biking path that runs for many miles.

We have a slice of a view from our window.

… and an even better ocean view from our second hotel – Hotel Metropolitan.

Tel Aviv is a modern city with many interesting buildings and styles.

This wall adorned with knit and crocheted objects.

Outdoor eateries and cafes abound. On this day, January 11th, the temps were in high 60’s. Electric scooters are everywhere, and special lanes are marked on the streets for bicycles. Bikes and mopeds with the Wolt containers buzz around everywhere delivering food.

Carmel Market offers beautiful fresh produce, sweets, baked goods, wonderful looking food ready to eat, and other merchandise.

We had a late lunch early dinner at Abraxos North which I discovered in a Bloomberg article: “Ottolenghi reckons this may be the best restaurant in Tel Aviv. It’s owned by Eyal Shami, who changes the menu twice a day. You eat the food directly from the sheet of paper that covers the table, without the intervention of a plate. The dishes are colorful, flavorsome and very messy. The menu is eclectic, with everything from Jericho green beans perfumed with garlic, lemon and olive oil to sugar-coated bananas wrapped in dulce de leche.”

The best green beans EVER! Sea bass done to perfection, and lamb skewers.

December 2, 2022 by Chris - 2 Comments

Ethnobotanical Garden and Santo Domingo Museum of Oaxacan Cultures

Wrapping up Oaxaca – we visited two interesting sites – both of which connected to Santo Domingo.

The museum explains cultural aspects of pre-Hispanic Oaxaca starting with the earliest archaeological evidence from 10,000 BC up until the building of cities like Monte Álban. It shows the effect of the Spanish arrival on these cultures and how they incorporated with Spanish and continues up until present day.

The condition of the pottery artifacts is exemplary.

The museum is housed in the former convent.

The ethnobotanical gardens occupy 2.32 acres of land adjacent to the Church of Santo Domingo. The garden was originally part of the Santo Domingo monastery grounds until it was occupied by the Mexican army for over 120 years. When the garrison was relocated in 1994, the state government made a plan to develop the site as a luxury hotel and car park, but a Toledo-led group lobbied for the garden alternative and won. The garden was officially opened in 1998.

The purpose of the garden, and the definition of ‘ethnobotanical’, is the exploration of the relationship between plants and people. The garden tells a story about the cultural and artistic traditions of Oaxaca and its place in the natural history of Mexico.