Trip West to the Old–and New–East: Part 4 – China
We stopped in four Chinese ports. The first was Dalian, where we found a mix of old and new that I still don’t quite understand yet. That “faux old” section … Continue reading
Trip West to the Old–and New–East-part 1
Both Gary and I have been to Asia before. He had six months of shore duty, in 1964, in Okinawa and Yokosuka, Japan. Later in his civilian career in the … Continue reading
Trip East to the Old West
Life has changed with the commissioning of USS Portland. Our first extended driving trip, Aug, 22 to Sept. 1, since he was tapped as Chair of the Commissioning Committee was … Continue reading
other end of the canal
We explored Panama City in reverse chronological order, beginning at the Visitor Center of one of those engineering feats that we take for granted now. When it opened to shipping on … Continue reading
Not monkey business at first…
Last November, three sisters and a couple of our spouses agreed to come to Naples, FL, in late February of this year to celebrate the 90th birthday of the last surviving member … Continue reading
Spectacular Scenery & Memorable Meals, Part 2
Spectacular scenery took center stage as we traveled north: part of the way by ferry on Sognefjord and part of the way by road, passing farms, forests, small villages, going further … Continue reading
Art All Around
There’s a great deal of art to be found at home, here in Portland; but it’s not so easy to find. My friend Sybilla Cook’s Walking Portland will help a lot. In … Continue reading
Kings & Queens/History & Politics
One’s head spins with the profusion of kings and queens whose inter-related and lavish lifestyles are proudly displayed in all the countries we visited, despite turbulent political upheavals over the centuries. Christian IV (1577-1648), … Continue reading
First, dodge the bullet
We realized nine years ago, when we nearly missed a flight to Italy to board a cruise ship, that we should always plan a couple of extra days at the … Continue reading
Back to Beacon Rock
We talked last winter of spending the entire month of July in a leisurely meander up the Columbia River to Lewiston, ID. In the event–as they say–what with family visits … Continue reading
illuminate history 