Leaving Your Comfort Zone and Clothes Behind I wrapped my yukata, a cloth kimono, around my naked body, pulling the left side of the fabric over the right, as instructed, and tied the obi sash securely at my waist. The hotel provided these robes to guests to wear throughout their stay, even to dinner. Putting […]
Japanese Onsen Public Hot-Spring Etiquette Read More »
As Florence drove out our mile-long dirt lane, I felt happier than on a Christmas morning. My mother’s friend ignored family protocol to treat the four sisters equally and often brought gifts just for me. I never understood why, but perhaps she had also been a ‘stuck in the middle’ child, wearing faded, hand-me-down clothes
Put This on Your Bucket List Our small ship, Azamara Journey, sliced through the rough, open waters, hugging the western coast of Norway on Day 7 of our 3,300 nautical mile voyage, zigzagging in and out of Norwegian fjords from south to north. Passengers had gathered on Pool Deck 9 that day at sea, to
Passage Through Norway’s Trollfjord Read More »
Soon our journey would be over. That framed picture, displayed atop the bedroom bureau would no longer be “just a photograph.” Soon we’d be able to hug Miriam. As we inched up the steep slope of the extinct volcano, Villejo kept the four-wheel-drive steady. On our vertical ascent, neighborhood housing declined from well-kept adobes in
Not Just a Photograph Read More »
Deceased July 4, 2023 Margie Keane, longtime Lakeside resident, noted writer and poet, died peacefully in her San Antonio Tlayacapan home on July 4, 2023, with her husband of 27 years by her side. Margie had just celebrated her 90th birthday, having been born on July 1, 1933, on her grandparents’ farm in rural Glendale,
Part 2 (Part 1 appeared in the January 2023 issue) Afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass wall on the 13th floor observation deck, unveiling the shimmering headwaters of the Oslo fjord. Captivated by the sights 600 meters below, we watched men in scanty Speedos and women in scantier bikinis run from floating saunas moored along
Five of Oslo’s Venues with “Wow” Power Read More »
Social and Economic Tidbits On arrival at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport, I knew something was different as we exited the terminal with our scheduled driver. He guided us to a 2021 Mercedes Benz minivan, but I didn’t smell exhaust fumes or hear motors running. As we pulled from the curb, I commented on the quietness. The
Carol Bowman entrawalls us with another trip. This time above the Arctic Circle. And the animal life she encounters.
An Expedition to Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago Read More »
Carol Bowman describes a recent trip to Malta, where they drifted from the normal tourist attractions and discovered the essence of Malta.
The Subtle Secrets of Malta Read More »
She sat at the top of the stairs, her big ebony eyes peering through the banister slats at the commotion below. Mia stuck her tongue out in pure playful innocence, made a funny impish face, then squealed with laughter and put on her small red and white speckled sunglasses, as if to hide her glee.
