Friday Postcard: The Medina in Tangier, Morocco



Ladies Talking at the Medina Gate in Tangier

The wail “Allahu Akbar” echoes through the Medina calling the Islamic faithful to prayer.  As we wandered the narrow lanes of this city in northwest Africa, we couldn’t help being impressed with the call to prayer of the mosques.  Tangier, Morocco was our first trip to an Islamic country and we didn’t know what to expect, but we loved the tranquility and simplicity of this city at the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Hiking in the Arizona Desert at Dove Mountain

The Giant Saguaro Cacti at Dove Mountain

We never tire of the stark beauty of the desert southwest.  A recent work trip brought us to the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain for a week, giving us the opportunity to hike the canyons, do some geocaching and see the giant saguaro cacti.  We were impressed with these giants of the desert that can grow to over 30 feet tall and live to be over 200 years old!

A Day Trip to Charming Bratislava, Slovakia



Manhole Statue in Bratislava

Bratislava.  The capital of the Slovak Republic is only less than 60 miles (100km) from Vienna, making them the two closet capital cities in the world.  Bratislava was behind the Iron Curtain for decades and was a bit of mystery to us as we are only beginning to explore “The East.”  Our expectations of Bratislava were low, which is to say, we didn’t really have any expectations at all.  However, after a day in this city, we absolutely fell in love with it.

Laura felt that my fascination with Bratislava had more to do with “collecting” my 43rd country (her 33rd) and less to do with any actual desire to see the place.  It’s worth noting that her allegations were not totally unfounded, as I have a history of taking us on crazy day trips with varying levels of success.  Gibraltar was great.  Greenland was not so much.  However, we both were absolutely enchanted by this city on the Danube that is often over-shadowed by its bigger neighbors of Vienna and Budapest.

Friday Postcard: Cobblestone Streets in Dinan, France



The Cobblestone Street of Rue Jerzual in Dinan, France

In the northwest of France along the River Rance sits the cozy little hamlet of Dinan.  The village sits on the top of the hill and is connected to the port at the river below by a steep cobblestone street called Rue Jerzual.  It is so picturesque that you can fall in love right there – and we did.  Brittany stole our hearts.

Soaking Up the Sun in Puerto Vallarta

Sand Sculpture in Puerto Vallarta

Unlike some Mexican resort cities, Puerto Vallarta was a town long before the tourists began arriving in the 1950s, so there is history to see here.  We stopped here on a recent Holland America cruise and spent a full day enjoying the quaint hills and beautiful sandy beaches.