INDIA, AGRA: THE ITIMAD-UD-DAULAH OR "BABY TAJ"

 December 27, 2024

Between the Agra Fort and our next destination, we passed a few interesting things on the street, including this man on horse back (left) who I think is Shivaji I, a 17th century Indidan ruler. The guy in the right peering in our van window is a bit scary, don't you think?

I think that is a mechanic's shop on the left with it's very own domed verandah. It's hard to believe that the "Hotel Alleviate" (right) could offer anything better.

This little roadside stand selling water and cigarettes had a sign that said "Try unmatched quality." It also had monkeys on the roof.

We saw more monkeys on a roof and in a tree when we got to our destination the Itimad-ud-Daulah, locally known as the "Baby Taj."

INDIA, VARANASI: WEAVING FACTORY, MORE CITY WALKING, AND THE GHATS AT NIGHT

 December 25, 2024

India is famous for its textiles, particularly its silk, and Varanasi is known as one of the chief and best producers of silk in India. If we had known that, we may have purchased fewer woven items from the looms in Kaziranga/Assam! (Okay, maybe not.)

With our permission, our guide took us to one of the weaving ateliers in Varanasi. It was located in what looked like a large, beautiful home.

We walked into a large room full of a dozen or more looms, some in use and some not.

The host who guided us through the workshop showed us some samples of their most exquisite work. Look at all the colors and the intricate detail!

The crude back of the same piece makes the front seem even more remarkable. This is not embroidery--it is weaving with warp and weft.

INDIA, VARANASI: WALKING TOUR

 December 24, 2025

We arrived in Varanasi on a flight from Delhi at about noon. Compared to Delhi, Varanasi has a small airport, but it was still very interesting. I have no idea what this tree sculpture is all about, but I love the symbolism of trees, so I had to stop and look.

This next display is one I could decipher. The G20 Summit, an annual meeting of leaders from the world's largest economies, was held in Delhi in 2023. A branch of the G20, the G20 Culture Ministers' Meeting, was held in Varanasi.

So why were we in Varanasi, a city I hadn't heard of before Bob told me he wanted to go there?

Varanasi is a huge city on the Ganges River that is the main pilgrimage site for Hindus, much like Mecca is for Muslims. It is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities, and according to Hindu mythology, it was founded by Shiva, one of the three principal Hindu deities along with Vishnu and Brahma. One story is that Shiva brought the Ganges from heaven to earth in his hair. Another is that Vishnu pierced a hole in the universe from which the Ganges flowed to earth. Either way, this is a sacred spot for Hindus.

The modern city is about 32 square miles and houses 1.2 million actual residents, but in 2024, 11 million tourists came to the city, making it possibly the most crowded city in the world. Many of the tourists are not coming for sightseeing, but rather to die here and/or spread their loved one's ashes in the Ganges. Dying in this holy city is said to result in moksha, or release from the endless cycle of dying and rebirth. It is thought that about 32,000 corpses are cremated each year on the banks of the Ganges, after which their ashes are spread on the river. Other Hindus come here to bathe in or even drink from the river, which is said to have healing properties. 

But I am getting way ahead of myself. Our first stop was at our hotel, the Taj Ganges Varanasi. That's a pretty presumptuous name for a very normal-looking hotel.

Photo from Booking.com

NORTHERN IRELAND: BELFAST - C. S. LEWIS SQUARE AND CITY HALL

 July 10, 2024

I was quite excited to go to Belfast, which to me--prior to this trip--had been the center of all the conflict that occurred in Northern Ireland. I remembered the terrible fighting that defined the city during my teen years and well into my 30s. I remember when my mother, a first grade teacher, attended the International Reading Conference in Belfast when I was in my late 20s or early 30s, and how scary that was for me! I was sure she would be blown up!

But from everything we read, Belfast was now a lovely, peaceful city. That turned out to be mostly true, but not completely.

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland and has a population of about 350,000. As we drove into town, I was struck again by the artistry of the Irish (although here it would be the British).  Murals are everywhere.

This is one of my favorites: My City, My People, My Heart by Dee Crait. I think it honors the laborers, those who keep us fed and housed.

This one is also pretty awesome--the Luminaries and Legends of East Belfast mural, also by Dee Craig, including Van Morrison (musician, top left) and some sports figures, actresses, playwrights, and other musicians.

This mural commemorates 50 years since the formation of The Regimental Band of the Ulster Volunteer Force, and next to it is a World War I Memorial. I especially love the red poppies, which we saw frequently painted into memorials in Belfast.

 

IRELAND, DAY 2: CORK

 July 5, 2024

Our next destination was Cork, located in (what else) County Cork, the largest and southernmost county of Ireland.

With a population of about 225,000, Cork is the second largest city in Ireland. That's a small population for the second largest city of a country! But then, the largest, Dublin, has fewer than 550,000 people.

My first impression of the city came from this fantastic mural, which I have since learned is entitled What Is Home? The artist, a guy named Asbestos, explains, "I painted this figure wearing a cardboard box on its head to start a conversation with the public about what home means to them. As a country we are currently in an existential crisis over housing and our need to put a roof over our heads. There's a fear and uncertainty about finding a safe space, and the system seems to be stacked in favour of the landlords." The mural, painted in 2021, is part of a street art project started during the 2020 lockdown.

It was mid-afternoon and we were hungry. We hadn't eaten much since breakfast. Bob had scoped out a restaurant weeks before the trip located in Cork's English Market--Farm Gate Café. 

We both ordered lamb stew and were a little disappointed. It was only average.

ITALY: NAPLES - DANTE PIAZZA, MARADONA, STREET ART, THE CHAPEL OF SANSEVERO, CHRISTMAS ALLEY, AND THE CHURCH OF SOULS IN PURGATORY

March 15, 2024

After a decent night of sleep, we met Chris and Stan for a mediocre breakfast in the hotel at 7:00 AM. We had 9:00 tickets for our first destination, and we had to figure out how to get there.

The streets are very narrow, and we were quite impressed by the parking job of the car below. We were also very glad we didn't have a car that we had to park. The ice cream visual on the right was tempting, but we couldn't be late for our first appointment.

This is the University Institute of Mediation. At first I thought that was "Meditation," and that those four guys holding up the balcony were deep in thought. 

It turns out they need someone to negotiate their release.

NEW YORK CITY: THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

May 2023

I am blown away that I have a son who enjoys opera. He didn't get that from his dad, that's for sure. When he suggested we could all go to the Metropolitan Opera House to see a performance of Verdi's Aida, I was on it right away, and Bob reluctantly agree to come with us.

The "Met" opened in 1966 and has a capacity of over 4,000 guests, making it the largest repertory opera house in the world. It is also one of the most technically advanced and has astounding acoustics.

It is located in the Lincoln Center, a complex of buildings on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I don't know how the LDS Church was able to get the property for the temple just a block away, but what an amazing location. The Juilliard School of Music is also just around the corner from the Met.

This is Geffen Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic. There are 35 large paintings that comprise a temporary artwork on the side of the building. Collectively, they are entitled "San Juan Heal" and celebrate both Lincoln Center and the Black and Puerto Rican neighborhood (named San Juan Hill) that was displaced when the performing arts complex was built.

COLOMBIA: THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

 March 14-23, 2023

After many of our trips, starting with some of the trips we took with our kids, we have made a list of all of our favorite experiences and things we want to remember. We decided to do that for this trip. So, in no particular order other than this is the order we came up with them, here are our favorite experiences, places, people, and things from our trip to Colombia.

- Fruit EVERYWHERE! Mangosteen was our favorite, but we also enjoyed granadilla, dragonfruit, lulo, and guanábana.

- Fruit juice of all kinds, but especially the kind mixed with milk (probably sweetened condensed milk).

- And speaking of juice, the raspberry grape juice with dinner in Bogotá was Judy's favorite.

- Cartagena--everything about it. It was our favorite city, and Carolina was our favorite guide.

COLOMBIA: MEDELLIN, PART 2 - LUNCH, BOTERO PLAZA

 March 22, 2023

After walking around Comuna 13, we were hot, tired, and hungry. It was time for lunch. Our driver picked us up when we got down to the flatter part of town and took us to a restaurant Jakob thought we would enjoy.

There was plenty of street art to see on the way, even on the freeway underpasses.

La Familia Restaurante specializes in platos típicos, or local dishes. The most expensive thing on the menu was about $10.

COLOMBIA: MEDELLIN, PART I - COMUNA 13

 March 22, 2023

In Hotel 10 in Medellín, breakfast was included with our room, and it turned out to be a very nice buffet that included Colombian dishes, muffins, cheeses, lots of fruit, juices, an omelet station, and more. It was a feast.

Medellín (pronounced Med-uh-ZHEEN by the locals) is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá. Situated in the Andes Mountains at an elevation over 4,900 feet above sea level, it has a population of 2.5 in the city proper, with an additional 1.5 million people in the surrounding metro area.

Medellín was named for a small village in Spain that was the birthplace of Hernán Cortéz. Today, the city is made up of 16 comunas, or districts.

We were picked up by our guide, Jakob, at 9:00 a.m. and driven to Comuna 13, located on the opposite side of the city. We walked a few blocks, almost immediately starting uphill. We said hello to Che Guevara . . . 

COLOMBIA: BOGOTA PART II (SHOPPING, PLAZA DE BOLIVAR, CITY STREETS, AND A SERENDIPITOUS MEET-UP)

 March 17, 2023

From the Botero Museum, we walked to an area where souvenir items are for sale on tables lining the street. This is the "Old Town," known in Bogotá as the Candelaria District, and it includes the foundation buildings of the city. Candelaria is Spanish for "Candlemas," a Christian holiday that commemorates the presentation of the baby Jesus at the temple.

On our way there, we passed this awesome three-wheeler that was selling, among other things, arroz con leche, or rice pudding.

The Nobel prize-winning novelist Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014) is extremely popular in his home country of Colombia, as well he should be. There are many sites named for him, such as the cultural center in Bogotá that we walked by.

We also saw many artworks depicting "Gabo," as he is affectionately known in Colombia. He looks like someone I would want to know, at least in this painting!

There was a lot of art for sale, often copies of well-known works, such as Botero's Mona Lisa in the bottom right corner.