Opposite of many other large cities, in the core of the Cape Town dwells the wealthy, and the “suburbs” are where the poor reside within townships. As part of the school’s immersion program, we spend an afternoon having lunch at and visiting one such township, the Langa Township. Much of what we see there could [...]
Like Perugia and like Spoleto and like probably many other small towns throughout Italy, Lucca hosts a summer music festival complete with big name artists. This summer, some of the names that Lucca is or has already hosted includes Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Arcade Fire, Ben Harper, and James Blunt. Timing worked out that we [...]
With Lucio Dalla (listen here) playing through the car speakers, Mom, Dad, and I set off for Florence. After the adrenaline rush of driving through the city and finding parking, we go straight to the Galleria degli Uffizi. In one building, we are able to enjoy the works of Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Giotto, and [...]
We leave Sciacca, but before heading to northeastern Sicily, we drive through the Valley of the Temples near Agrigento. Gabe and I really appreciate having Becky here because as she explains what we are seeing, we better understand the importance of the seven monumental Greek temples all constructed in the Doric style during the 6th [...]
Despite popular tourist opinion, there is a lot more to see and experience in Pisa beyond its leaning tower. Pisa is a university town through and through. The University of Pisa has about 60,000 students in a city of only 100,000 inhabitants. When we walked through the town at night there were students congregated in [...]
Soon after arriving in Berlin, I realize that I would like to walk up to the top of the glass dome above the Reichstag. The Reichstag is Germany’s parliament building that was burned down in 1933 and rebuilt. The idea of the glass dome is that the German government is supposed to be transparent and [...]
Berlin’s art, music, museum collections, and memorials all sum together to create an atmosphere that includes something for everyone. Although there is much I could mention on this topic, I will describe one encounter I have with said culture on a night I decide to go to a nearby jazz club. This contemporary jazz club, [...]
About one month before arriving in Morocco, there was a bombing at a location that I was planning to visit, Marrakech’s Djemaa el-Fna, killing 16 people, including eight French nationals and several other foreigners. The risk of these attacks is real but luckily they occur with low frequency, the last three having occurred in 2003, [...]
Coming from Turkey and now being in Morocco, I feel it appropriate to at least learn some of the basics of Islam as it is now surrounding me. And in order to remember some of what I am learning, I will record a little here. Importantly, there are five pillars of Islam: Shahadah (Testimony): There [...]
While touring southern Morocco, we arrive at a new place, either by train or by bus, and are immediately accosted by many of the local youth. They hand you “gifts” only later to request dirham in return. I try to hand back their present to me, and they refuse. I say no thank you and [...]