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Berlin - A Tale of Two Sisters

Barely two hours after landing at Tegel airport, I’m whisked by friends to a private club on the Wannsee Lake. I call it “Sonia’s Villa”. My friend, Sonia who recently turned 80 years of age, had worked 33 years at a government bank. As a former employee, she has access to the well-manicured grounds of this beautiful resort. Under the shade of a large plane tree, we lie on beach chairs overlooking the calm, cerulean waters of the Wannsee. Sailboats flutter in the slight breeze and the soft rustle of leaves is balm to my jarred senses. But I can’t seem to unwind. My travel weary body is as stiff as a camel buried under Sahara sands. I’m on vacation but my subconscious is still at work. The next few days include visits to the villa in late afternoon. I’m feeling more relaxed and enjoying the routine of drinking tea and eating sweets while watching the sun slide down the horizon, transforming the lake from shades of blue to shimmering grey. It is an idyllic time. Short forays into t

Vienna, Salzburg and Budapest

  The Kiss by Gustav Klimt from the digital show at the Atelier des Lumieres Everything seems big in Vienna - its buildings, the wide boulevards, its palaces and its art collection. But it has a cozy feel that warms up to you soon after you arrive. Within the old city once surrounded by walls, are many testaments to the power this capital once held. I strolled to church on a Sunday morning and attended mass at the Church of Maria am Gestade, a Neo-Gothic structure that sits above a flight of stairs on Heinrichgasse. The space is small and narrow, so much so that its nave does not run on a straight line from the altar. Nevertheless, this church is still one of the most beautiful and intimate places of worship in Vienna. The size of the art collection at the Kunsthistoriches is formidable but rewarding for the viewer. It appears that the Hapsburgs were serious art collectors. There are Mid-Eastern, Western, and decorative arts on display. (Sadly the Egyptian collection was closed on the

Sensory Overload

Karnak Temple   As the wheels of our plane glided across the runway at Luxor airport, I had the impression we were landing on a bed of sand. Egypt, after all, is a vast desert broken by the Nile River and delta. But rather than steaming Sahara-like temperatures, the chilly air had me buttoning up my jacket. Eyes heavy with sleep, I followed a group of people to a waiting bus where our guide outlined our plan for the day. We were driving directly to Karnak to avoid the hordes of tourists who were surely still drinking their first cup of morning coffee. I was quite unprepared for what I was about to see. Who was Amun for whom the great temples of Karnak and Luxor were built? In the Ban region where the veneration of Amun thrives, the locals refer to him as “The Unknowable Lord” because he represented the hidden life force of the universe. Amun rose in stature to king of the gods when he was later associated with Re, the sun god, for which he was accorded the name Amun-Re. When Amun-Re’s

Sand in my Shoe

Racing out of Cairo toward Giza, I caught a glimpse of the pyramids in the distant horizon. I saw hazy outlines because the Egyptian sky goddess, Nut, had swallowed all but a tiny slice of the sun and the sheer veil of twilight had draped the countryside. Looking out the window, I was surprised to see the looming pyramid of Kufhu (Cheops). It would take another week before I could view these vestiges of the Old Kingdom up close and explore them intimately. For several days we drifted leisurely on the Nile, from Luxor to Aswan, and marveled at the temples and tombs of the kings. Every morning I woke up to a spectacular sunrise and the promise of new discoveries. Our guide would take us to a historical site early in the day and there he would nourish us with interesting vignettes of pharaonic civilization. The evenings were devoted to sampling Egyptian cuisine and colorful local entertainment. Sunrise on the Nile The unhurried and gentle life on the Nile with tremendous views of green ri

Has Portofino Sold Out?

Italian Riviera by Mario Borgoni* Memories of my first visit to Portofino linger like a favorite scent. We were driving from the south of France and across the border to Italy, ducking in and out of tunnels which stretches on for miles, when we got stuck inside one due to an accident that snarled traffic  along the coast of Genoa. It was a big relief when the line of cars finally started moving and we could breathe fresh air again. Today it’s different. I’m taking a public bus for the short ride to Portofino from Santa Margherita Ligure. Along the way, the driver honks the horn just before a blind curve and he repeats this at every bend to warn oncoming cars of our approach. It’s important that he sounds the horn often on these hairpin turns so drivers can stick to their side of this pencil-thin road. After the driver deposits us behind the Piazetta, I walk to the dock to get a good view of the sheltered cove. It is as I remember it. Waterfront cafés and restaurants, boats bobbing in t

On Popes and Artists

We are in Rome because of my mother's long standing dream to see the Pope. Her parish priest has arranged for us to attend an audience with John Paul II. We pick up our tickets at the North American College near the Trevi Fountain on  Tuesday afternoon for the papal audience the following day at which approximately 15,000 people are expected. On Wednesday morning, we get up early and dress in our Sunday best. There are people already queued up to enter the temporarily enclosed square when we arrive at St. Peter's. We have to pass through a detector machine since the current pope was the target of an assassination attempt. It's early so we find good seats and while waiting, we let our eyes roam and admire the beautiful colonnades by Bernini, the dome of St. Peter's originally designed by Michaelangelo and the Swiss Guards in their striped uniform and beret. Gian Lorenzo Bernini's symmetrical colonnades consists of four rows of 300 Doric columns. Built during the papa

Finding Amore in Cinque Terre

A trail with a name like Via dell'Amore is an overt invitation to savor the pleasures that amore promises. So without trepidation, I plunged headlong to discover what so many visitors to the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) have been exclaiming about. But before I could set out, a couple asked me to take their photo at the entrance to the trail. I happily obliged and as I clicked away, I caught them kissing each other on film. What a romantic beginning! The Via dell'Amore starts at the hilltop village of Riomagiorre. All is peaceful in autumn primarily because the summer crowds have come and gone and this town, which sits at the southern tip of the Cinque Terre, is often skipped by day-trippers in favor of Vernazza to the north. The trail hugs the cliff as it meanders along the coast. The walkway is wide and well paved and there are benches for those who wish to pause and gaze at views of multi-hued waters and pastel painted villages peeking through the hills. Like a stolen kiss, the