Enjoying

Eating And Enjoying

Having a Baguette Sandwich and some Wine along the Seine River in Paris, France.

Having some Bangers and Mash (Sausage and Mashed Potatoes) with a Pale Ale along the River Thames  in London, England.

Having some Shashlik (Shish-Kabab) and YarPivo sitting on a park bench by the Volga River in Yaroslavl, Russia.

Having a Currywurst and a Pilsener while sitting along the Rhein River in Germany.

Having some Chicken Kyiv and some Arsenal along the Dnieper River in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Having a Cheeseburger and an IPA along the Potomac River in Washington DC.

Having Minc and Tatties (Beef and Potatoes) and a Scotch Ale along Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Having some Cevapcici and some Ozujsko by the Adriatic Sea in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Having some Schnitzel and a Goldstar Dark at the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Having some Moussaka and a KEO along the Mediterranean Sea in Limassol, Cyprus.

A good drink, some tasty food and a nice body of water is all I need.

Note: I have done all of these.

Deodorant

Be The Deodorant

There's nothing like riding ......

a crowded Subway in New York City on a hot and humid August day.

a crowded Metro Car in Moscow, Russia with all its odd smells.

being in a crowded street in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and smelling all the awful smells before a person even gets close to you.

having a creepy smelly Old Kuwaiti Guy sit on you at the Airport in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

being on a crowded bus in Wiesbaden, Germany with people who wear socks with their sandals but not deodorant.

being on a crowded Metro Car in Paris, France where you can only smell cologne and perfume instead of fresh air.

being in a crowded Trolleybus in Yaroslavl, Russia on a hot and humid Summer Day and having to push through so many people from the window to the door to leave.

I have experienced it all and much more.

In a world of Heat Waves and Bad Smells be the Deodorant.

Eat And Enjoy

Eating And Enjoying

Having a Baguette Sandwich and some Wine along the Seine River in Paris, France.

Having some Bangers and Mash (Sausage and Mashed Potatoes) with a Pale Ale along the River Thames  in London, England.

Having some Shashlik (Shish-Kabab) and YarPivo sitting on a park bench by the Volga River in Yaroslavl, Russia.

Having a Currywurst and a Pilsener while sitting along the Rhein River in Germany.

Having some Chicken Kyiv and some Arsenal along the Dnieper River in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Having a Cheeseburger and an IPA along the Potomac River in Washington DC.

Having Minc and Tatties (Beef and Potatoes) and a Scotch Ale along Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Having some Cevapcici and some Ozujsko by the Adriatic Sea in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Having some Schnitzel and a Goldstar Dark at the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Having some Moussaka and a KEO along the Mediterranean Sea in Limassol, Cyprus.

A good drink, some tasty food and a nice body of water is all I need.

Note: I have done all of these.

Deorderant

 

Be The Deodorant

There's nothing like riding ......

a crowded Subway in New York City on a hot and humid August day.

a crowded Metro Car in Moscow, Russia with all its odd smells.

being in a crowded street in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and smelling all the awful smells before a person even gets close to you.

having a creepy smelly Old Kuwaiti Guy sit on you at the Airport in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

being on a crowded bus in Wiesbaden, Germany with people who wear socks with their sandals but not deodorant.

being on a crowded Metro Car in Paris, France where you can only smell cologne and perfume instead of fresh air.

being in a crowded Trolleybus in Yaroslavl, Russia on a hot and humid Summer Day and having to push through so many people from the window to the door to leave.

I have experienced it all and much more.

In a world of Heat Waves and Bad Smells be the Deodorant.

Travel Classes

I have stayed at 5 Star Luxury Resorts across the World.

I have stayed at Hole-In-The-Wall Motels across the World.

And everything in- between.

I have flown/ridden First Class.

I have flown/ridden Basic Economy.

And everything in-Between.

I have eaten at 5 Star Luxury Restaurants across the Globe.

I have eaten at Hole-In-The-Wall Shacks across the Globe.

And everything in-between.

One thing I have noticed is it doesn’t always matter how much or how little you pay for something -  good Food and good Service only depends on both the Character of the People working/running at those places and also your Attitude towards them.

I have had one of the worst experiences when paying High-End Prices.

I have had one of the greatest experiences when paying Low-End Prices.

Victory

Today (May 9th) is Victory Day in Russia. It remembers the Soviet Victory over Germany during World War.

(Here is a picture I took of the Victory Day Parade on Soviet Square in Yaroslavl, Russia on May 9, 2002.)

Some things to know:

From August 1939-June 1941 the Soviet Union was officially allied with Nazi Germany giving them lots of raw materials – the last shipment going to the Germans on June 20, 1941 (the day before the Germans invaded the USSR.)

Stalin had a one-sided “Bromance” with Hitler and felt so betrayed that his “Friend” had invaded the USSR during Operation Barbarossa that he fled to his Dacha after the Invasion on June 21, 1941.

Because Stalin was crying over his betrayal it was up to Soviet Foreign Minister, Vyacheslav Molotov, to announce to the Soviet People of the German Invasion.

Stalin did not address the Soviet People about the German Invasion or the War until July 3, 1941.

Stalin continued to feel so betrayed by Hitler that he enacted Order No. 270 in 1941 and Order No. 227 in 1942 making it illegal for any Soviet Citizen (Soldier or Civilian) to “allow themselves to be captured by the Germans.”

Those that did “allow” themselves to either be captured or occupied by the Germans – including going to a Death Camp or a Concentration Camp – were to later be punished by the Soviets. Many Holocaust Survivors went from a German Death Camp right into a Soviet Gulag for this “crime.”

On August 9, 1945 the USSR declared War on Japan. It was 3 days after the US dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and the same day the US dropped the Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki.

Russia (as the Successor Country to the Soviet Union) is still at War with Japan since they never signed a Peace Treaty due to the Soviet and now Russian Occupation of the Japanese Kuril Islands.

From 1945 until the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991 every single Soviet Citizen that was even 1 minute old when World War 2 ended (May 9, 1945 according to the Soviets) had to constantly file Official Questionnaires (to enter Grade School, to go to a Trade School, to go to a University, to get a Job, to get the Mandatory Internal Passport, to get the Official Town Propiska, to serve in the Military – required for all Men – to get Married, to be buried, etc.) about where they were and what they did from June 21, 1945 to May 9, 1945.

Anyone who had allowed themselves to live under German Occupation was required to file lengthy Questionnaires where they were constantly judged by the different Communist Authorities in charge of whatever they were applying for as to what their punishment should be.

Yuri Gagarin (the 1st Human in Space) almost wasn’t allowed to be a Cosmonaut because on his Questionnaires he stated that from October 18, 1941 until March 9, 1944 he had allowed himself (starting from the age of 6) to live under German Occupation in his Russian village – even though his family were forced to live in a 10 x 10 mud hut since the Germans took their house, his 2 older Siblings were deported to Germany as Slave Laborers and that Gagarin was beaten so badly by the Germans for refusing to work for them that he spent months in a hospital. It was only after a Pardon by Nikita Khrushchev that Gagarin was allowed to become a Cosmonaut.

The Soviet Government (Mikhail Gorbachev) officially admitted being an ally of Nazi Germany in December 1989.

In August 2009 the Russian Government (Vladimir Putin) condemned the Soviet Union’s 1939-1941 Collaboration with Nazi Germany as “immoral” yet he quickly changed his tone and started praising Stalin.

While Russia’s Victory Day remembers the Soviet Victory over Nazi Germany Putin’s Nazi Russian Military is carrying out a Genocidal War in Ukraine (Putin has called for the complete destruction of the Ukrainian Nation as well as every Ukrainian Man, Woman and Child.)

You would think Putin and the Russians would have learned from what happened to the Nazi Germans in 1945 and not try to recreate all of that, but they have. Putin is the new Hitler and the Russian Zs are the new Nazis carrying our Mass Murder, Rape and War Crimes across Ukraine.

Putin even hides in his Bunker the way Hitler did – hopefully he follows Hitler’s final act too. Only then can Russia and the Russian People hope to atone for their Crimes and start returning to the Civilized World.

Good Time

Having a Baguette Sandwich and some Wine along the Seine River in Paris, France.

Having some Bangers and Mash (Sausage and Mashed Potatoes) with a Pale Ale along the Thames River in London, England.

Having some Shashlik (Shish-Kabab) and YarPivo sitting on a park bench by the Volga River in Yaroslavl, Russia.

Having a Currywurst and a Pilsener while sitting along the Rhein River in Germany.

Having some Chicken Kyiv and some Arsenal along the Dnieper River in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Having a Cheeseburger and an IPA along the Potomac River in Washington DC.

Having Mince and Tatties (Beef and Potatoes) and a Scotch Ale along Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Having some Cevapcici and some Ozujsko by the Adriatic Sea in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Having some Schnitzel and a Goldstar Dark at the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Having some Moussaka and a KEO along the Mediterranean Sea in Limassol, Cyprus.

A good drink, some tasty food and a nice body of water.

I have done all of these.

 

My Trips

Going along with my previous Post (about going to places where there is Violence or War) I have been to those kinds of places and had to do lots of research and planning beforehand.

(Picture: I took in Belfast, Northern Ireland in June 2010.

 Each Neighborhood looked similar to this one.

This one has the Red, White and Blue of the British Flag with words like Loyalist to show that it is a Protestant Neighborhood and that Catholics are not welcomed or safe entering there.

The Catholics have a similar thing in their Neighborhoods although they use the Green, White and Orange or the Irish Flag with words like Republican to show that it is a Catholic Neighborhood and that Protestants are not welcomed or safe entering there.)

I went to Northern Ireland in June 2010.

We had hired a Driver from the Republic of Ireland to drive us around the Republic of Ireland, into Northern Ireland and then back through the Republic of Ireland.

That meant we had hired a Catholic Driver with Republic of Ireland License Plates (ie. Catholic) so people would be able to know right away.

People in Northern Ireland are still divided between Protestants and Catholics even though The Troubles officially ended in 1998.

The People of Northern Ireland can tell if a Stranger is Catholic or Protestant by: their First and Last Name, the District they Live in, what kind of Pound they use to buy things (using English Pounds and Bank of Ulster Pounds means you are Pro-British and a Protestant while using Bank of Ireland Pounds means you are Pro-Ireland and a Catholic.)

I had no desire to tell anyone when we were in Northern Ireland if we were Catholic or Protestant. I simply said we were American.

By the way I was born, raised and consider myself to be Catholic.

I had to hush my Dad up several times when he would tell complete Strangers that his Grandmother was Scots-Irish since that automatically meant she was a Protestant.

Think there weren’t any issues while we were in Northern Ireland for those several days (2 days in Belfast and 1 day in Derry/Londonderry – officially the City is called Londonderry and only Protestants call it that while Catholics call it Derry) think again.

There was a 300 lbs. bomb found in Belfast the day we left the City to continue through the coast and to Derry/Londonderry.

It was left by the Protestants who were mad that the British Prime Minister had Officially Apologized for the British Government and British Military’s Role and Decades-Long Cover-Up of Bloody Sunday in 1972 which targeted Catholics.

 

I went to Russia 5 times (Visiting as a Tourist in 2000, 2001 and 2003 and Living there as a Student in 2002 and 2004.)

Back then there was no War in Ukraine (that started in 2014), but they were fighting in the 2^nd Chechen War from 1999 to 2009 and there were lots of Terrorist Attacks throughout the Country (including the 2002 Theater Hostage Taking and the 2004 Belsan School Hostage Taking.)

I did go to see a Musical (“Chicago’) in Moscow a few months after the Nord-Ost Hostage Taking and knew where the Emergency Exits were just in case.

I knew I was entering a potentially dangerous Country and so every time I went to Russia I had different plans on what to do if there was a Hostage Situation, a Bombing or I had to flee Russia (I had maps and Cash in Dollars always with me in my Messenger Bag so I could flee overland to safer Countries like Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia or Ukraine (which was safe at that time.)

I never had to use those plans though.

 

I went to Israel and the Palestinian West Bank (as I already said) in 2017.

Before I went to Israel I carefully researched and planned everything for my Sister and I on how to stay safe in case a War started while we were over there.

I looked up all the different Public Air Raid Shelters in all the Cities we would be visiting in Israel and the West Bank.

I learned how to say "Where is the Air Raid Shelter" and "Where is the closest Hospital" in both Hebrew and Arabic (I already knew it in Russian - which is the most widely spoken Language in Israel after Hebrew.)

There was no War when we entered Israel (I would have cancelled the trip if there was) but a War did start 3 months after we left in December 2017.

 

I went to Mexico in 2003.

Because of all the Drug Cartels and Gangs there kidnapping American Citizens for Ransom I had plans on where I should and should not go to and tried not to be the “Loud American.”

 

I went to Cyprus in 2007.

Cyprus has been at War with Turkey since Turkey invaded and occupied the northern part of Cyprus in 1974.

I didn’t expect any issues in Greek Cyprus and I didn’t have any, but I had a trip scheduled to Turkish-Occupied Northern Cyprus and so had some Back-Up Plans in case the Land Border was closed and I was stuck in Turkish-Occupied Cyprus (you can only fly to/from Turkish-Occupied Cyprus by going through Cyprus.)

I had Cypriot Pounds, Turkish Lira, Euros and US Dollars to help if I needed it.

The day I was supposed to go to Turkish-Occupied Cyprus the Tour Company cancelled the trip as I was standing waiting for the Bus so I never went up north.

 

I went to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montengero in December 2010.

Even though the Wars in the Former Yugoslavia ended in the 1990s the People there still don’t trust the different Ethnic Groups and Religions.

When my Mom and I went to Bosnia and Herzegovina I knew the Bosniaks (the Muslims), the Bosnian- Croatians (the Catholics) and the Bosnian Serbs (Orthodox Christian) keep things segregated between them (Schools, their Language, etc.) so I also knew that there could be violence at anytime.

I didn’t plan on a Full-Fledge War erupting while we were there, but I did plan on Riots and other acts of Violence to erupt.

Luckily none did and the People of Bosnia and Herzegovina that I encountered were some of the Friendliest and Most Helpful People I have ever met.

Personal March 8th

The first and only time I celebrated International Women’s Day in-person was on my Third Trip to Russia (my first time Living in Russia and the first time I was in Russia in March.)

I wasn’t in Russia in March in the 4 other times I was in Russia but I still sent Gifts and Flowers to my Girlfriend, her Mom and a few of my Russian Female Friends (through Online Websites.)

I remember having to go out and buy lots of Gifts and Flowers (at Double Marked-Up Prices since it was a Holiday and I was a Foreigner.)

That first International Women’s Day I bought Gifts and Flowers for my 4 Russian Teachers and the Female Secretary (I was studying by myself so didn’t have any Female Students to also buy for) as well as my Girlfriend and her Mother.

I also bought a Gift and Flowers for the Female Woman in charge of the Men’s Locker Room at the Indoor Swimming Pool and Gym I went to and had become Friends with.

Russians (like many Europeans) give Flowers in odd numbers (even numbers are bad luck) and I couldn’t get over the American idea of not buying a dozen (12) Flowers and so made the Florist handmake 8 bouquets with 12 flowers each (and getting lots of questionable stares from her as she did it.)

The 8 Flower Bouquets alone cost me $592 US Dollars - I paid for them in Russian Rubles of course. (Keep in mind the Average Russian only made $118.75 US Dollars a month then.

That doesn’t include the Gifts I also bought everyone.

On International Women’s Day I went with my Girlfriend and her Mom to a Former Pioneer Communist Youth Camp outside of Yaroslavl where there were outdoor celebrations (for Women’s Day as well as Saying Good-Bye to Winter – which is a tradition taken from Russian Pagans.)

They had a Peasant-Looking Mother Winter that they then burned.

 

Urquhart Castle

 

I have visited Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness in Scotland 9 times in the Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall.

It is one of my favorite places in the world.

I really wish I could go back there one last time.

PEI Bridge

 

This is Confederation Bridge that connects the Province of Prince Edward Island to the rest of Canada (via the Province of New Brunswick.)

It was built in 1997 and is 8 miles long.

It is Canada's Longest Bridge and the World's Longest Bridge Over Iced Water.

Entry into PEI is free, but you have to pay $50 Canadian Dollars ($36 American Dollars to leave - whether you go over the Bridge or the Ferry.)

My Mom and I entered PEI on the Confederation Bridge and left via Ferry to Nova Scotia in July 2012.

My Hotels

Here are just a few of the Hotels I have stayed at around the World.

The Abbeyglen Hotel in Clifton, Ireland

The Savoy in London, England.

The Broadmoor in Coloradoan Springs, Colorado.

The New Dolmen Hotel in St. Paul’s, Malta.

The Excelsior Hotel in Dubrovnik. Croatia.

The Ardlui Hotel at Loch Lomond, Scotland.

Casa Bascara in Catalonia.

Off The Path

I have always been one who likes to travel off the beaten path.

I don’t go on Group Tours (unless they are 1 Day ones) and I don’t like travelling by myself.

I have used all sorts of different traveling methods: an Old Soviet Train with Uncomfortable Wooden Benches in Russia; Over-Crowded Ferries; a Plane that was held together with Duct Tape; High Speed Trains; a 3 Seater Arctic Hydro-Plane; Limousines; First Class Planes; Private Taxis; Public Taxis; a Private Jet; a Hired Car with a Private Driver; a Snowmobile; a Gondola in Venice; a Monorail; a Speed Boat; in a Hot Air Balloon; an Over-Crowded Plane with no Class Sections and random Animals on it (Not Service Animals); a Paddle Boat; a Helicopter;  a Bike; a Funicular in Ukraine; a Canoe and a Dog Sled.

I have stayed in all sorts of different places: in a Hostel that was a Former Jail in Canada; in the back of a Pick-Up Truck; at a 6 Star Resort; at a Haunted Motel; at a Soviet Khrushchevka in Ukraine;  at All-Inclusive Resorts; at a Hotel that was constantly bombed during the 30 years of The Troubles; in the Back Seat of my Car;  at a French Castle; at a Closed Rest Area with no Visitor’s Center during a snowstorm; in an Ice Fishing Hut; in a Wilderness Emergency Cabin; on the Beach; in a Tent; on the Bare Ground; on a Bench during the Russian Winter; in a Cave; on a Houseboat; on a Barn; in a Tree House and at an Irish Castle.

I have done many fun and exciting things: gone Sky-Diving; gone Bungee Jumping; gone Para-Gliding; jumped out of a Helicopter into the Mediterranean Sea; gone Skinny Dipping; went to the Blue Grotto in Malta; swam in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland; went to German, Croatian, French, Dutch, British and Austrian Christmas Markets; went Rock Climbing off a Scottish Castle on Loch Lomond; skied in the Austrian and German Alps; swam with Dolphins in the Bahamas; spent the night at Frankenstein’s Castle in Darmstadt, Germany; went to Raves; went to Euro Disney in Paris; went to Disney World in Florida; went to Lego Land;  went to the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland; walked on an Alaskan Glacier; went to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland; went to the Munich Oktoberfest; went to the Gullfoss in Iceland (where the European and Atlantic Tectonic Plates meet); went to the Gaeltacht (Irish-Speaking Area of Ireland); sat on the Throne at the Winter Palace/The Hermitage in Saint Petersburg; saw the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels); saw the Crown Jewels of England; went into the World Trade Center many times over the years when my Mom worked there; went to the Pentagon several times when my Dad worked there, went to the Rosh Hanikra Caves in Israel; saw the Canadian Maple Crown; went inside Lenin’s Mausoleum on Moscow; went to Stonehenge; went to the Masada Fortress in Israel; went to Sherwood Forrest;  went to Peterhof Castle in Saint Petersburg; flew a small plane from West Germany to England; fed Shamu at Sea World in San Antonio; reenacted in a Revolutionary War Battle at Saratoga; went to the Prime Minister’s Question Time in Canada; went to the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica; went up Magnetic Hill in Canada; took a tour of the White House; had a Colonial-Themed Meal at Colonial Williamsburg; swam in the Dead Sea; went to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem; visited the Oldest City in the World – Jericho and rode a Horse in the Rain Forrest in Costa Rica.

I have travelled to many places most Americans haven’t: Several Hours North of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, Russia (living there 2 times and visiting there 3 times); Montenegro; Croatia; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Prince Edward Island, Canada; Cyprus; the West Bank Palestinian Territories; Iceland; West Germany; Campobello Island, Canada; Poland; the Isle of Skye, Scotland; the United Arab Emirates; Northern Ireland; Malta; Kuwait; Greece; Israel and Ukraine.

I have been very lucky and have gotten to do so many fun and interesting things in so many fun and interesting places.

I don't take any of that lightly.

For the past 17 years I have lived off-the-beaten path on my Mountain here in  New England where the Arctic Circle gets more Visitors every year then we do.

Off The Path

 Off The Path

I have always been one who likes to travel off the beaten path.

I don’t go on Group Tours (unless they are 1 Day ones) and I don’t like travelling by myself.

I have used all sorts of different traveling methods: an Old Soviet Train with Uncomfortable Wooden Benches in Russia; Over-Crowded Ferries; a Plane that was held together with Duct Tape; High Speed Trains; a 3 Seater Arctic Hydro-Plane; Limousines; First Class Planes; Private Taxis; Public Taxis; a Private Jet; a Hired Car with a Private Driver; a Snowmobile; a Gondola in Venice; a Monorail; a Speed Boat; in a Hot Air Balloon; an Over-Crowded Plane with no Class Sections and random Animals on it (Not Service Animals); a Paddle Boat; a Helicopter;  a Bike; a Funicular in Ukraine; a Canoe and a Dog Sled.

I have stayed in all sorts of different places: in a Hostel that was a Former Jail in Canada; in the back of a Pick-Up Truck; at a 6 Star Resort; at a Haunted Motel; at a Soviet Khrushchevka in Ukraine;  at All-Inclusive Resorts; at a Hotel that was constantly bombed during the 30 years of The Troubles; in the Back Seat of my Car;  at a French Castle; at a Closed Rest Area with no Visitor’s Center during a snowstorm; in an Ice Fishing Hut; in a Wilderness Emergency Cabin; on the Beach; in a Tent; on the Bare Ground; on a Bench during the Russian Winter; in a Cave; on a Houseboat; on a Barn; in a Tree House and at an Irish Castle.

I have done many fun and exciting things: gone Sky-Diving; gone Bungee Jumping; gone Para-Gliding; jumped out of a Helicopter into the Mediterranean Sea; gone Skinny Dipping; went to the Blue Grotto in Malta; swam in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland; went to German, Croatian, French, Dutch, British and Austrian Christmas Markets; went Rock Climbing off a Scottish Castle on Loch Lomond; skied in the Austrian and German Alps; swam with Dolphins in the Bahamas; spent the night at Frankenstein’s Castle in Darmstadt, Germany; went to Raves; went to Euro Disney in Paris; went to Disney World in Florida; went to Lego Land;  went to the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland; walked on an Alaskan Glacier; went to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland; went to the Munich Oktoberfest; went to the Gullfoss in Iceland (where the European and Atlantic Tectonic Plates meet); went to the Gaeltacht (Irish-Speaking Area of Ireland); sat on the Throne at the Winter Palace/The Hermitage in Saint Petersburg; saw the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels); saw the Crown Jewels of England; went into the World Trade Center many times over the years when my Mom worked there; went to the Pentagon several times when my Dad worked there, went to the Rosh Hanikra Caves in Israel; saw the Canadian Maple Crown; went inside Lenin’s Mausoleum on Moscow; went to Stonehenge; went to the Masada Fortress in Israel; went to Sherwood Forrest;  went to Peterhof Castle in Saint Petersburg; flew a small plane from West Germany to England; fed Shamu at Sea World in San Antonio; reenacted in a Revolutionary War Battle at Saratoga; went to the Prime Minister’s Question Time in Canada; went to the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica; went up Magnetic Hill in Canada; took a tour of the White House; had a Colonial-Themed Meal at Colonial Williamsburg; swam in the Dead Sea; went to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem; visited the Oldest City in the World – Jericho and rode a Horse in the Rain Forrest in Costa Rica.

I have travelled to many places most Americans haven’t: Several Hours North of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, Russia (living there 2 times and visiting there 3 times); Montenegro; Croatia; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Prince Edward Island, Canada; Cyprus; the West Bank Palestinian Territories; Iceland; West Germany; Campobello Island, Canada; Poland; the Isle of Skye, Scotland; the United Arab Emirates; Northern Ireland; Malta; Kuwait; Greece; Israel and Ukraine.

I have been very lucky and have gotten to do so many fun and interesting things in so many fun and interesting places.

I don't take any of that lightly.

For the past 16 years I have lived off-the-beaten path on my Mountain here in northern New England where the Arctic Circle gets more Visitors every year then we do

18: Big August Trip

18 years ago I went on my Big August Trip.

(Kuwait)

My Dad was working in Iraq at the time and my Mom and I wanted to see him. So, after months of planning and checking schedules, my Mom and I flew from Boston to London.

We spent the day in London. It was the 60th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip – my Mom was a Royal Fan – being Canadian - and we had ordered tickets several months in advance to take a Private Tour of Buckingham Palace.

I had been to the Palace on Tours before, but not a Private Tour. We saw rooms that usually were closed off to the public, the Royal Stables, a 60th Wedding Anniversary Exhibit as well as had High Tea in the backyard garden.

That night we flew from London to Kuwait and arrived early the next day where we met up with my Dad who had arrived from Iraq.

We had a pre-scheduled Private Tour across Kuwait (including seeing several sights my Dad had seen when he was a Soldier during 1990-1991 Desert Shield/Storm. We went to the Al-Qurain Resistance Museum (where Kuwaiti Resistance fought the Iraqis during the War.) We also went inside the Kuwait Towers.

(Buckingham Palace - London)

The next day I left Kuwait (my Parents stayed another day and then they flew to England and took the train up to Scotland where they went to the Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands.)

While they went to England and Scotland I went from Kuwait to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

I then went to Limassol, Cyprus and spent several days going around the Greek-Park of the Island with a Russian Friend of Mine. I tried to go to the Turkish-Occupied Part of the Island, but the tour was cancelled minutes before it was to start.

From Cyprus I went to Athens, Greece and then to Munich, Germany.

I spent several days in Starnberg with a German Friend of mine. We went to the Zugspitze Mountains, swam in Lake Starnberg and a bunch of other fun things.

From Munich I flew to London where I met-up with my Parents at Heathrow. My Dad flew back to Iraq and my Mom and I flew back to Boston.

It was a lot of fun – especially since most of my planning and booking worked out well.

As I do with most of my trips (except when going to places like Russia where it’s Illegal for Foreigners to bring in Local Currency) I had pre-ordered a bunch of different Currencies that we would need for the whole trip that arrived at the house before we left.

I had British Pounds (for England and Scotland), Euros (for Germany and Greece), Kuwaiti Dinars (for Kuwait), UAE Dirhams (for the United Arab Emirates), Turkish Lira (for Turkish-Occupied Cyprus) and Cypriot Pounds (for Greek Cyprus.) I only had to exchange the Turkish Lira since I wasn’t able to go there.

Locker Lady

The first time I studied in Russia in 2002 I would go to a Sports Center (with an indoor-pool and an exercise area) at least once a week.

While there I met a Woman, Alla Nikolaevna, who worked in the Men’s Locker Room handing out the Locker Keys, cleaning the Locker Room and the Shower and the Bathroom.

She was in her 60s.

Note: Throughout Russia Older Women (in their 60s-90s) have to do menial jobs after they retire so they can make ends-meet.

The Average Russian Retiree only makes $237 a month.

 You see them everywhere (at Coat Checks, at Public Pay Bathrooms, as Street Cleaners, as Snow Shovelers, as Conductors on Public Transportation, as Janitors, etc.) Most are overlooked and not given a second glance.

Back to my Story: In 2002 I was just learning Russian and so wasn’t fluent in it yet.

I would go to the Sports Center and either swim (you were only allowed to swim laps) or go to the exercise room.

After swimming or working out I would take a shower and wait for the Friends I had come with (who were in the Female Locker Room.)

The Locker Lady – I didn’t know her name at first – saw that I was always waiting and after a few weeks asked me (in Russian of course) what I was doing.

I told her that I was waiting for Friends to finish up. She could tell from my broken Russian and thick accent that I was a Foreigner and asked me where I was from. I told her the US and she beamed with excitement saying she had never met an American before.

She then invited me into her room and made tea (Russians are obsessed with tea) and gave me some cookies and said I could wait in there whenever I wanted to.

At least once a week for the next 6 months I would hang out with Alla Nikolaevna (I always used her First Name and her Patronymic) for about 30 -45 minutes while the Others finished up.

We would have tea and I would bring some treat to go along with it (a cake, cookies, etc.) and talk about regular things.

Alla Nikolaevna had been an Engineer in the Medical Field and worked her whole life and had travelled across the USSR and even went to Communist Poland once (which was a big deal since 99% of Soviets weren’t allowed to travel outside the USSR.)

She survived the Collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 (along with her Husband), but during the 1998 Financial Crisis (when the Russian Government changed the Russian Ruble from 1,000 Rubles to 1 Ruble overnight) she lost her life savings.

Her Husband also got sick and died at the same time and she had to pay for his Medical Bills (Health Care in Russia is technically free, but you have to either bring or pay for your own food, blankets, medicines, etc.)

So she went from being a Retired Engineer to a Locker Lady.

In 2002 I saw her every week for 6 months and then set up her Mail.ru account so we could e-mail after I left.

When I went back to study in  Russia for the 2nd time in 2004 I went back to the Sports Center, but mostly to hang out with Alla Nikolaevna.

This time I was fluent in Russian and so there was no Language Barrier anymore.

On her Birthday I brought her her favorite Cake and a small present and we celebrated. Even her Co-Workers whom she had know for 6 years didn’t even know it was her Birthday and were surprised that I did.

When I left Russia again we continued to stay in contact through e-mail.

We kept in regular contact until her Daughter wrote me a Letter in 2013 saying that Alla Nikolaevna had passed away and that she had found my Letters and E-Mails at her Mom’s place and wanted to let me know.

There are many good People around Russia, the US and the rest of the World who many do not give a second glance to: the Elderly, the Homeless, the Hungry, Veterans, the Disabled, etc.

I’m really glad that I randomly met Alla Nikolaevna and made the effort to get to know her and keep in touch. She was a very interesting and funny person.

Edinburgh Tattoo

Edinburgh Tattoo

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo starts today (August 1^st and goes until August 23^rd.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has been held every year at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland’s Capital of Edinburgh since 1949. Around 200,000 People see it live every year.

My Family and I went to the one in 1995. We were living in Germany and drove across Belgium to the Ferry at Zeebrugge.

We had the day to kill before the Ferry Crossing so we went to the Boudewijn Seapark - Dolfinarium in Bruges which was very fun. The People there were so friendly and excited to have Americans visit.

That night we took the Ferry to Felixstowe, England.

We then drove 398 miles through England to Edinburgh, Scotland.

We stayed at a small RV Park (called a Caravan Park in the UK) in a rented RV (Caravan.) We were the only Americans to stay there and the Leader of the Youth Club loved showing us off.

Back to the Tattoo: We went to see the Tattoo in Edinburgh while in Scotland. We had really nice weather (for Scotland in August) and it was a lot of fun with different Bands from across the UK and the World-  including Egypt. We bought a VHS Copy of the Tattoo (British Version of course – which we still have.)

We had a fun time at the Tattoo, in Edinburgh and in Scotland, but then had to go back to Germany before School started.

We always wanted to go back to the Edinburgh Tattoo, but never made it in our 12 other Trips to Edinburgh (or Scotland.)

Price Doesn't Matter

I have stayed at 5 Star Luxury Resorts across the World.

I have stayed at Hole-In-The-Wall Motels across the World.

And everything in- between.

I have flown/ridden First Class.

I have flown/ridden Basic Economy.

And everything in-Between.

I have eaten at 5 Star Luxury Restaurants across the Globe.

I have eaten at Hole-In-The-Wall Shacks across the Globe.

And everything in-between.

One thing I have noticed is it doesn’t always matter how much or how little you pay for something -  good Food and good Service only depends on both the Character of the People working/running at those places and also your Attitude towards them.

I have had one of the worst experiences when paying High-End Prices.

I have had one of the greatest experiences when paying Low-End Prices.

Personal Connection

(Picture: I took of the TV in my Hotel Room in Germany.)

I met Margot Friedlander, a Holocaust Survivor, when I worked at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and saw her on German Television on November 27, 2024 when I was in Germany.

She died today (May 9, 2025) at 103 years old.

80: Russia

Today (May 9th) is Victory Day in Russia. It remembers the Soviet Victory over Germany during World War.

(Here is a picture I took of the Victory Day Parade on Soviet Square in Yaroslavl, Russia on May 9, 2002.)

Some things to know:

From August 1939-June 1941 the Soviet Union was officially allied with Nazi Germany giving them lots of raw materials – the last shipment going to the Germans on June 20, 1941 (the day before the Germans invaded the USSR.)

Stalin had a one-sided “Bromance” with Hitler and felt so betrayed that his “Friend” had invaded the USSR during Operation Barbarossa that he fled to his Dacha after the Invasion on June 21, 1941.

Because Stalin was crying over his betrayal it was up to Soviet Foreign Minister, Vyacheslav Molotov, to announce to the Soviet People of the German Invasion.

Stalin did not address the Soviet People about the German Invasion or the War until July 3, 1941.

Stalin continued to feel so betrayed by Hitler that he enacted Order No. 270 in 1941 and Order No. 227 in 1942 making it illegal for any Soviet Citizen (Soldier or Civilian) to “allow themselves to be captured by the Germans.”

Those that did “allow” themselves to either be captured or occupied by the Germans – including going to a Death Camp or a Concentration Camp – were to later be punished by the Soviets. Many Holocaust Survivors went from a German Death Camp right into a Soviet Gulag for this “crime.”

On August 9, 1945 the USSR declared War on Japan. It was 3 days after the US dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and the same day the US dropped the Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki.

Russia (as the Successor Country to the Soviet Union) is still at War with Japan since they never signed a Peace Treaty due to the Soviet and now Russian Occupation of the Japanese Kuril Islands.

From 1945 until the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991 every single Soviet Citizen that was even 1 minute old when World War 2 ended (May 9, 1945 according to the Soviets) had to constantly file Official Questionnaires (to enter Grade School, to go to a Trade School, to go to a University, to get a Job, to get the Mandatory Internal Passport, to get the Official Town Propiska, to serve in the Military – required for all Men – to get Married, to be buried, etc.) about where they were and what they did from June 21, 1945 to May 9, 1945.

Anyone who had allowed themselves to live under German Occupation was required to file lengthy Questionnaires where they were constantly judged by the different Communist Authorities in charge of whatever they were applying for as to what their punishment should be.

Yuri Gagarin (the 1st Human in Space) almost wasn’t allowed to be a Cosmonaut because on his Questionnaires he stated that from October 18, 1941 until March 9, 1944 he had allowed himself (starting from the age of 6) to live under German Occupation in his Russian village – even though his family were forced to live in a 10 x 10 mud hut since the Germans took their house, his 2 older Siblings were deported to Germany as Slave Laborers and that Gagarin was beaten so badly by the Germans for refusing to work for them that he spent months in a hospital. It was only after a Pardon by Nikita Khrushchev that Gagarin was allowed to become a Cosmonaut.

The Soviet Government (Mikhail Gorbachev) officially admitted being an ally of Nazi Germany in December 1989.

In August 2009 the Russian Government (Vladimir Putin) condemned the Soviet Union’s 1939-1941 Collaboration with Nazi Germany as “immoral” yet he quickly changed his tone and started praising Stalin.

While Russia’s Victory Day remembers the Soviet Victory over Nazi Germany Putin’s Nazi Russian Military is carrying out a Genocidal War in Ukraine (Putin has called for the complete destruction of the Ukrainian Nation as well as every Ukrainian Man, Woman and Child.)

You would think Putin and the Russians would have learned from what happened to the Nazi Germans in 1945 and not try to recreate all of that, but they have. Putin is the new Hitler and the Russian Zs are the new Nazis carrying our Mass Murder, Rape and War Crimes across Ukraine.

Putin even hides in his Bunker the way Hitler did – hopefully he follows Hitler’s final act too. Only then can Russia and the Russian People hope to atone for their Crimes and start returning to the Civilized World.