The view of the Acropolis from the rooftop terrace (bar) of our hotel. What a sight!

It is Istanbul in May. Must mean it is time to take the kids to the museum - just like when I was there two years ago! Two years ago I got kidded about making friends via a camera. This time, it was Sally's turn to find out how a camera can bridge all cultures!

Stained glass on display at the Mosaic Musuem in Istanbul.

More from the Mosaic Musuem!

The Acropolis in Athens. Notice the white marble - these are pieces inserted as a part of restoration efforts. Quarried from the same quarry as the original materials, one can only imagine what the Acropolis looked like new!

Sally at the Acropolis.

A perfect evening in Istanbul, relaxing with a view of the Hague Sophia.

Our view from dinner the first night in Istanbul, looking up the Golden Horn.

At the Acropolis

We arrived in Greece yesterday, opting to take the Metro into the city. What a fantastic system! It is clean, secure, fast, and moves a really large number of people. Forty minutes from the airport for Euro 6 each, or at todays exchange rates about $8 US.

We found our hotel. The book was right - an outdated cinder block Communist era style building that leaves much to be desired. But what shoudl one expect for Euro 90 - after all it is within walking distance of the Acropolis! My being tired did not help, but we are adjusting and spent a few hours yesterday afternoon and evening walking the streets taking in the sights - and believe me, there are plenty to take in! And we haven’t even gotten to the ruins yet!

After arriving back at the hotel, Sally went to do some email and I went to the terrace bar. The look on Sally’s face was priceless when she arrived, turning the corner to come face to face with the Acropolis situated not too distant from where we sat. I have a photo to post but don’t seem to have a USB port, so pictures will have to wait.

As often seems to happen on these sort of trips, we arrived to news of a likely strike (agian) on the 20th. Expectations are the strike will include transportation workers (airport), thought they don’t formally announce the strike plans until the day before. According to our plan, that is the day we are (were) supposed to fly to Santorini. As a result we scurried around exploring options. End result - cancel Delphi, schedule transport by ferry to Santorini via two nights on Paros, and then back to the pre-planned itinerary. We hope. Anyway, it is not all bad, as the islands should be great and the ferry a nice way to see some of the area. Keeping our Delphi tour, getting stuck in Athens, and losing the island time was not the most attractive of options.

I will do my best to get a few photos posted soon.

We leave Istanbul in the morning for Greece. 

For those of you waiting for updates with photos, they are not likely at this time.  That said, all is well and we have been enjoying Istanbul.

This past weekend was one of discussion, indecision, and eventually, decision.  We watched the news of all the travelers stranded across Europe and elsewhere, the reports of drifting ash clouds, another eruption, long term airline delays, full hotels, and sleeping in airports.  We talked about how the trip could be cancelled at the last moment by a new eruption, and possibly worse, how we could be stranded overseas unable to get home for days or possibly even longer.

We listed our concerns.  For me, the house, the boat, and Sally.  For Sally, her job, the dog, the house, and herself.  Not, I should say, in any particular order.  After Sally checked in at work, further discussion and contemplation, the decision was made to move forward.  Barring a blocked departure, we are going, and we will deal with whatever comes our way once we are gone!

As with a vineyard tour, one often discovers a wine or two that is especially pleasing and they come back to that particular wine time and again.  Such is the case with Istanbul. 

Returning home in 2008, I raved about many of the locations I visited, one of which was Istanbul, and another Dubrovnik.  Having heard enough, my wife Sally finally said she wanted to go.  So in May we will fly to Istanbul, but rather than going to Dubrovnik, we will then go to Athens, Delphi, and Santorini before returning home.  We leave May 10, and return two weeks later.

One evening this past week I was visiting with one of our local councilmembers.  I knew he had followed my postings during my travels last year, but I did not know he was continuing to check back to see what else had transpired.  He told me he enjoyed my writing and hoped I would write more!  His compliment is appreciated.

As I look periodically at my online Cluster Map, I can see that others also are visiting.  Since the maps are updated monthly, it is possible to determine the level of activity, and from where that activity has come.  It may well be that they are all first time visitors stumbling upon the site with the help of Google, but I would like to think there may be a few that are coming back to see what is new.  That I can not tell.

I believe I have heard it said that writing is not so much about the end result, but rather the process.  In the case of an author writing a story this may be not so true, but when one is writing about their own life perhaps it is.  At the end of the day, is it most important that someone reads what I write - or that I did write?  For me, I suspect it is the latter.

On May 1, I thought briefly about a year ago when I departed for Beijing.  My thoughts were only brief, as I was getting ready to fly to Colorado on the 3rd for my annual fishing trip with my cousin Pete.  As I sat in the airport the morning of the 3rd, I thought again about my 2008 trip.  In so many ways it seems so long ago, and yet it has only been a year!

As I write this page today, the date is May 17th.  One year ago today, I was in Sarajevo, contemplating the atrocities that tormented the residents of that part of the world thirteen or so years back.  Needless to say, it is tragic that today wars continue in numerous parts of our world, and I am certain they will continue in the future as they always have in the past. 

In November, I wrote a piece sharing the changes that I had made, as well as a bit about my near term plans.  Those plans included preparing for tax season with H&R Block, a greater emphasis on commercial real estate, and more time volunteering with the Wooden Boat Center in Seattle.

Tax season was great! I studied hard, learned a lot, and met a huge variety of people from all walks of life. There were a few that shed tears of relief and happiness, and a few that shed tears of frustration and pain. There were some that were stoic and even angry, and others that were engaging, interesting, and very enjoyable. In many ways I was sad to see the season end, and if available I anticipate being back next year with even more education and training.

My pursuit of commercial real estate has been slow. Given the continued state of the real estate market in general, that is probably not much of a suprise to anyone. I have a few listings, and there is some activity. I continue to offer my support to the Windermere Real Estate office in Monroe, and expect I will continue to do so. Not only for me, but also for all those impacted by the difficult markets we continue to experience, I hope the market further improves as 2009 progresses.

Volunteering continues to be a priority. Unfortunately, the Wooden Boat Center has not evolved as quickly as I had hoped. The fault is mine - they will take whatever I have to give in way of time - so far it has proved more difficult that I anticipated to schedule the time. Hopefully that is changing. This past weekend Sally and I drove into Seattle Saturday afternoon. I went to the Center where I worked on some maintenance projects and then cut small boat models for the various kids programs, and Sally went to Pike Place Market. It worked well!

I have never cared for writers that ramble, so I detest the idea of being one. It is time for me to close. Before I do, however, there is one more item I wish to explore.

I titled this post “To Write or Not to Write”. It is meant as a rhetorical question, and one that is directed at me. As I mentioned earlier, I believe my writing is first and foremost something I do for my own benefit. If there are others that enjoy what I write, so much the better. Your interest is appreciated and taken as a compliment. I thank you.

This blog was originally launched with the primary purpose of being a medium for me to share my 2008 trip with those that were interested in keeping track of where I was and what I was experiencing. In ways, it also became a story of who I am, as I shared some of my frustrations with work and life. Going forward, it may well be that this blog evolves into something more, perhaps less focused on me and my activities, and more focused on those issues I find interesting. We will see. For now, I shall from time to time continue to write, and hope that in the process of doing so there are those that find what I have to say interesting and enjoyable.

As you may recall, I returned to work as manager at Windermere Real Estate in Monroe in July, following my three month “sabbatical” that has been the main subject of this site.  I returned not knowing for sure what I wanted to do - whether stay as manager or pursue some other path.  What I did know was that during my time away - whether it was in Mexico with Sally, fishing with my cousin Pete in Colorado, traveling solo through Asia and Eastern Europe, or visiting with family at the Diamond D Ranch in Idaho - there was no blinding revelation or sudden realization that presented me with an answer.  What I realized was that I needed to return to work, and that by doing so, I would be most likely to come up with my answer.  It did not take long.

Returning to work, I soon realized this was not what I wanted to be doing.  That said, I did not have an alternative plan, but rather a recognition that as long as I was either there or going back, I would not find an answer. 

Over the course of the next four to six weeks, I talked with Sally, met with my general manager, and other friends and peers.  It was a time of exploration and also one of closure as I participated in the drafting of a succession plan for the office.  Suffice it to say the process went quickly, was well supported by all, and culminated in my resignation as manager effective October 1, 2008. 

It is now almost six weeks later.  I am still affiliated with the office in an assistant manager capacity, supporting the agents and especially the new manager, Kristine Nicholls, as she transitions from her previous role of assistant manager to manager.  To put it another way, our roles flip-flopped!  In addition to my role as assistant manager, I am also looking at doing some transactions, with an emphasis on commercial. 

I am also completing a tax class with H&R Block in Monroe, with the potential for some part-time tax prep work during the upcoming tax season.  I must admit to getting more than a few startled looks upon sharing this latest endeavor - but I have to admit I love it!  For those of you that know me, you probably are not surprised.  Given the current state of the real estate business and economy, this may turn out to have been a good decision!

As I reflect back, I am convinced I have made the right decision.  It feels good!  Where I will be a year or two or three from now I have no idea, but I am excited about the process of figuring it out. 

In addition to supporting Kristine and the office, and learning about taxes, I have also decided to dedicate a certain amount of time to volunteering at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle.  Sally and I have been members for a number of years, and it will provide the opportunity for me to spend time in the maritime environment that I have always enjoyed.  As a volunteer I anticipate I will be instructing in their “Sail Now” program, as well as any number of other opportunities. 

I hope you have enjoyed this update.  Please feel free to share any comments you might have, as I will continue checking for postings.  As life changes, or events occur I deem worth writing about, I will from time to time add my own postings.

In late May, after returning home from overseas, I promised to write some closing words on my travels.  To facilitate doing so, I would like to start first with some specific comments relating to the places I visited, and then close with some more general comments about my time away from work.

When I first wrote about this trip, I had commented that Tibet and Nepal were of particular interest.  As it turned out, I visited neither.  The option of visiting Tibet was taken away by the Chinese, and the decision to not visit Nepal was a choice I made.  In hindsight, the loss of the Tibet portion was significant, as it effectively took away the only really structured part of the trip and left me traveling independently for a much longer time than planned.  As it turned out, that was hard for me.

The change of plans caused me to enter India via Kolkata, which given the high heat and humidity was a poor introduction (for me) to India.  Right or wrong, I think Kolkata set the tone for the entire week in India and was directly involved in my decision to leave India early and not venture into Nepal.

It is said that things work out the way they do for a reason.  By leaving early, and not going to Jaipur from New Delhi, I missed the bombings that killed 80 and injured more than 200.  Of course, if I had gone to Nepal from Darjeeling, I would have also missed the bombings.  Regardless of the reasons, I was feeling pressured in India and desirous of getting out.  So I got out.

I have been asked if I would go back to India.  My answer is yes.  I still think it is a fascinating country, with many areas I would like to visit.  I am inclined to think I would do so with the assistance of some sort of tour - perhaps a week through the Golden Triangle - and then a week independently into northwestern India and possibly Nepal.  I would also find a cooler time of year in which to visit!

It was in India I decided to come home early.  In New Delhi, knowing I was leaving, June 10 seemed a long time away.  I was hot, uncomfortable, and cranky.  I knew that if I wanted to change my flight home, it could not reasonably be done at the last moment.  I made the change effectively shortening my trip by the amount of time I would have spent on the tour with Gap Adventures through Tibet.  In hindsight, if I had waited a few more days until I arrived in Turkey before making the decision, I probably would not have shortened the trip - there is so much to see in Eastern Europe and I started to have a much better time!

My postings elaborate on my experiences in Eastern Europe.  There is no need for me to rehash those times here.  Suffice it to say, the experience was great and I am ready to go again!  Sally and I are already talking about a trip to Turkey, Greece, Croatia and Austria next year.

I have also been asked if I am glad to have done the trip.  The answer is a resounding yes!  Obviously there were disappointments, but overall the experience was one I am happy to be able to reflect back on.  Good or bad, we learn and grow from our experiences.

While my trip overseas was a big part of my three months off, it is not all that I did or experienced.  There was the week in Mexico with Sally, a week in Colorado with my cousin Pete, and a week in Idaho at the Diamond D Ranch.  All good times.

During my three months, there was also the unexpected passing of my father-in-law, Jerry, more formally known as Vice Admiral Jerome H. King Jr. 

In mid-June, Sally and I flew south to the LA area to attend the graduation of her niece Melissa from Cal-Tech with her PhD.  Sally’s family - including her dad Jerry, stepmom, sisters, and one nephew - all gathered in Pasadena for the festivities.  We had a great dinner Thursday evening, and all attended the graduation ceremonies the next morning.  It was after the ceremony, while walking back to the car, that Jerry collapsed and was taken by EMS to Huntington Memorial Hospital where he died a short time later. 

Over the past year, Jerry had been suffering from bouts of pneumonia and had grown increasingly weak.  In hindsight, perhaps the strain and heat of graduation was too much, but knowing Jerry, he wasn’t going to miss it!  A tragic and unexpected ending, but one surrounded by those he loved and without the days, weeks, or months of suffering that could have been.

In late July we will travel again to southern California for a celebration of Jerry’s life.  And in September, we will travel to Washington D.C. for Jerry’s burial with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

My three months have been full.  In addition to travel, chores were accomplished at home, and the sale of a family owned apartment building was completed largely ending the process of dealing with my dad and Peggy’s estates.

As I head back to the office I wonder how I will adjust.  Will the issues I raised in my earlier writing be resolved?  Or is it time for me to seek other pursuits?  I had hoped that those answers would become clear during my time away, but it seems more likely those answers will be found following my return.  While I had hopes for what some might call a revelation, or perhaps a moment of clarity in which the answer appeared, it did not happen.   At least not yet.

As I am sure many have heard, the trains in Europe are great.  They are reasonable cost, the numerous and frequent, and they seem to go everywhere!  The infrastructure is amazing that is in place to support the network.  And with the exception of the high speed trains, it is a mode of transportation that has changed little.  As an example, waiting in the station for the train, I saw a worker moving alongside the train using what was effectively a ball peen hammer on a long handle to check the wheels.  Tap the wheel and hope it “rings true” - if not the car gets pulled and the wheel replaced.  I wonder how many years the wheels have been checked that way?

Travel by train, and to a lesser extent, provides a great opportunity to see the countryside.  Small villages, each with at least one church, set in a valley or on the side of the hill.  The mountains in Slovenia and Austria were stunning.  Still covered with snow at the higher elevations - and everything else was green.  Not a whole lot different than home - except the mountains are bigger, the villages more frequent, and the distances are much greater.  Consider that in Washington State you can go from Seattle to Cle Elum in 90 minutes and in that time you will have gone from sea level, up to 3,000 feet through the pass, and down into Eastern Washington.  From Ljubljana to Salzburg is four hours, most of which is in the mountains.  And in that four hours you have crossed half of Slovenia, and most of Austria northward almost to the border with Germany.

  View through the glass on the train

Salzburg was stunning.  Less in the mountains than I expected, but the mountains nonetheless provide an incredible backdrop.  The city itself in fascinating.  For those of you that might be fans of The Sound of Music, you may recall some of the scenes that were filmed in Salzburg.  Two in particular that I enjoyed visiting were the cathedral where the Captain and Maria were married, and the cemetery where the von Trapp family hid while escaping the Nazis. 

Salzburg is much more that a place made famous by a movie.  It is a city full of history and vibrant with culture.  It is home to Salzburg University, located in the heart of the old city.  It is a city full of cathedrals, a flourishing open air market, music (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born there), museums, sidewalk cafes, clubs (have I mentioned Europeans like to eat dinner at nine and party till the very late hours of the night) and friendly people.   I would return to Salzburg in a heartbeat - it is deserving of much more than one day.

  Yours truly, enjoying the view of Salzburg      Looking down on the old town

  The river though Salzburg, with pedestrian malls that bustle with activity

  One of Salzburg’s cathedrals. 

  The open air market - and yes, I did enjoy some fresh fruit

      The potted tree was located at the corner of a sidewalk cafe.  As I was approaching, so was the fire department.  Seems their normal duties include the recovery of wayward swarms of bees.  By the time I took this photo, at least half of the swarm had already been put in the hive.  Needless to say, the cafe was empty, and staff looked very unhappy!

       Fascinating cemetery, surrounded by walls and chapels, and recognizable from The Sound of Music

  As always, one can’t help but appreciate and enjoy the architecture

The morning of the 25th I caught the train to Vienna.  Again, a pretty ride, but nowhere near as stunning as the previous day.  Arriving in Vienna, I checked my bag at the train station (after all, I could figure out lodging later - either in town or near the airport as I had a 6:45 am flight), and caught the subway downtown.  Speaking of the subway, it is clean, fast, and apparently run on the honor system.  People had passes or bought tickets from machines or a ticket office, but there were no turnstiles or ticket collectors!

The subway took me to the square where St. Stephens Cathedral is located.  It is the heart of old town Vienna.  Like so many of the other cities I visited, vehicular traffic is very restricted resulting in expansive pedestrian malls with cafes, shops, etc.  Limited on time, and it already being later in the afternoon, I visited St. Stephens, toured the Catacombs (originally built back in the 1400’s), and wandered around the palace grounds, past the Spanish Riding School, and other landmarks. 

Vienna, like Salzburg, requires more than a day.  There is so much to see and do.  And while there are certainly similarities, there are dramatic differences.  Vienna is a big city, and while Salzburg is not small, it is a lot smaller than Vienna and has that small town feel.

      A couple examples of Vienna statues

      Views inside St. Stephens Cathedral.  It is immense!

  Vienna architecture

As I mentioned, I flew home starting early the morning of the 26th.  As had happened so many times, I met some wonderful people, two of whom I shall mention.  The first is Carmen.  Carmen is from Romania, speaks fluent English, and was on her way to Juneau Alaska to work in a duty free shop on one of the major cruise ships.  Carmen talked about life in Romania, the mountains, the beaches on the Black Sea, and the friendly people.  We had a great visit!

Sitting next to me on the flight to Seattle was Julian.  Julian is from Budapest, and was also enroute to Juneau to join his cruise ship where he functions as the safety officer.  We had a great visit, talking about our various trips, where he has been (many more places than me), families, life at our respective homes, and - of course - American politics.  It is likely we will get together for dinner during one of his Seattle port calls.

As you know, I am home.  All is good here.  That said, I am still jet lagged, but doing better.  Actually managed to sleep until 5:15 this morning, which is much better than the 3:00am yesterday.  Tomorrow will likely be even better.

In a few days I will post some closing thoughts.   In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed my writings.

Flew to Zagreb yesterday with no problem, took the bus from the airport to the bus station, walked to the train station, got a ticket to the capital of Slovenia - and somehow missed the train even though I was sitting there waiting for it!  I could have taken a train at 9pm, but it would be nice to travel in the daylight, plus I am not crazy about arriving after 11pm.  So I got a room here in Zagreb. Oh well.

The city of Zagreb was not overly exciting.  Lots of big, old, stone buildings - with some nice park spaces scattered about.  There are however, some very nice pedestrian walkways with street-side cafes and shops.  Not touristy, but rather the city.  Given that yesterday was a holiday, the citizens of Zagreb were out in force last night, wandering the streets, sitting at the cafes, and enjoying the evening.  One of things I have enjoyed on this trip is the ability to wander these various cities and see how the residents live.  It really does vary from city to city and country to country.

The train ride this morning from Zagreb was enjoyable and comfortable.  Through a low lying mountain range, with villages scattered through the valleys.  Nice way to travel - I am glad I did it in the daylight.

This afternoon I have wandered around the center of Ljubljana.  The old part of town lies on the south side of the river, with the newer part (it is relative) on the north.  On a hill above the old town is Ljubljana Castle, with great views of the city.  Like Zagreb, Ljubljana has many pedestrian streets-capes, with many cafes, bars, and shops.  Lots of people - even in the rain - and lots more tourists.

Tomorrow I take the train to Salzburg, and then on to Vienna on Sunday.  Going through Salzburg only adds two hours to the train trip, so I thought it would make a nice route.

One other comment about Ljubljana - it took me an hour to find an internet cafe (course I missed the one I am at by a short block after about 30 minutes of searching).  This is the first city that has not had a proliferation of access options!

Not sure when I will get pictures uploaded.  If not before I fly home, I will do so after I get there.  Stay tuned!