Lost My Hat On the Way Back To Balat

The colorfully decorated street that I am living on now, again in the Balat neighborhood of Fatih, Istanbul, my third visit to Turkey

I’m back in Balat, my favorite neighborhood in Istanbul, biding time and getting some work done in advance of the Rolf Potts Travel Writing Workshop I’m attending July 30-Aug. 4 in Paris.

The Flixbus trip from Sofia, Bulgaria, to here was eventful.

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Bulgaria: A Pleasant Surprise

Starting month three of a delightful stay in Sofia

Enjoying a recent event in the center of Sofia, my friends and I toast Bierra Moretti, an Italian beer promoting its recent introduction to the city. I’m here with friends, from left, Liubo, an author of several books in Bulgaria, Nick, president of the local Taxpayers Association, Nick’s wife Alexandra, and my fellow retiree and good friend Chris, an Australian living in Bulgaria.

As the warmth of Spring arrives in this Baltic country of Bulgaria, where I’ve been a guest since April in the capital city, Sofia, I’m captivated by the easy-going, comfortable way of life and the warmth and friendliness of the many friends I’ve made here.

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A Touch of New Jersey In Tirana, Albania

I couldn’t resist visiting the New Jersey Snack Bar Coffee before I left Tirana, Albania.

What good New Jersey native could pass up an opportunity to visit a genuine “New Jersey Snack Bar Coffee” in Tirana, Albania?

Well, I couldn’t, but I have to confess, I walked out thinking there was more going on there than met the eye.

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Enroute To Sofia, A Night In A Skopje Bus Station

The Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria, could fit a small city inside!

My friend Peggy, whom I met in a cafe in the White Mountains of Crete, sent me advice in a cautionary email after reading a brief post I wrote mentioning my night in the Skopje bus station.

Skopje is the capital city of Northern Macedonia, one of the Balkan states in southeastern Europe. It was formerly part of Yugoslavia until it gained its independence by referendum in 1992 following the Yugoslav wars.

I was just passing through on my way to Sofia, Bulgaria.

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Mission Accomplished: The Northern Lights!

An epic shot of me satisfying my quest to see the northern lights of Finland, taken by the outstanding @NordicOdyssey tour guide/photographer Herve. Not only is here your adventurous traveler and the lights above, but note the Big Dipper in the center-left part of the sky. A great touch!

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Postcards From My Fun Working Holiday In Paris

I returned a week ago from a travel memoir writing workshop in Paris where a dozen participants, 11 from around the U.S. and one polite Canadian (thank you, Garrett), communed with fellow travelers, writers, and American travel writing legend and all-around good guy Rolf Potts who organized the event.

I been basking in the glow of that marvelous 6-day experience ever since.

The Eiffel Tower beams its blue light over the Seine River, where the French people and we tourists crowded its banks every night to wine and dine into the wee hours.

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Playing With Light At New Delhi’s Lotus Temple

India — a photograper’s delight! Here’s one among many favorites of mine from a recent month-long stay in New Delhi, India’s capital city. The Lotus Temple, a Baha’i worship center, is named for the shape of the flower used in its unique design.

India is fascinating, a country of many stark contrasts, and the images are stunning almost everywhere you turn.

Yet the fascination comes with a jumble of mixed feelings, as in the advantage I took in shooting the scene above of the beautiful Baha’i Lotus Temple.

I was there at dusk with the setting sun, good for taking a photo of almost anything, anywhere. And in New Delhi, with the most polluted air of any capital city in the world, shooting straight into the sun like that, I was able to use the pollution like a filter to mute the sun’s rays coming directly through my lens from behind the temple to capture the scene with dramatic effect.

At least I thought so. Let me know if you disagree.

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Flashing Scandal Exposed In Greece?

He’s clearly not amused, while she’s got a wry smile on her face, and the serpent seems quite curious.

“I have no objection to anyone’s sex life as long as they don’t practice it in the street and frighten the horses.”

  – Oscar Wilde 1854-1900

Let me take you back to an amusing discovery I made in the excellent Acropolis Museum in Athens when I was there in February.

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