Most of today, our final day in London, was spent walking through two of the city’s glorious parks. To get there, we took a bus that dropped us off near Marble Arch on Oxford Street. Oxford Street, the main shopping street in London, was decorated with Union Jacks and was quite festive looking. We made a brief stop to buy … Read More
London, England – Day 6
After breakfast this morning I sent Scott, Sherrie and Brianna off on their own. Scott was interested in visiting firehouses. I was interested in stretching my back and resting. When I had rested, I went out for a walk. I had no destination in mind. Turning left out of the hotel I found myself in front of the London School … Read More
London, England – Day 5
This morning began gray and drizzly. After breakfast Scott, Sherrie and Brianna headed to the Tower of London. I didn’t go with them because I knew my back wouldn’t be happy with the amount of standing. Instead, I took off for the Victoria and Albert Museum, my favorite museum in London. It’s a world-renowned museum, famous for art and design, … Read More
London, England – Day 4
When I bought the tickets for the London Eye, I held my breath and crossed my fingers in the hopes that we’d have a bright day. Luck was on our side, when we went on it, there were a few wispy clouds and a bright sky. Later, the clouds thickened, but we had perfect weather. For anyone who is unfamiliar … Read More
London, England – Day 3
The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace occurs every morning at 11am. At this point, the ceremony has no real meaning, except as a tourist spectacular. And boy, does it ever draw crowds. We arrived around 10:30. I sent Scott, Sherrie and Brianna to see if they could find a spot where they might see something. I stayed behind … Read More
London, England – Day 2
One of the first things I do in any new city is to take a hop-on-hop-off bus. It’s a convenient way to get an overall feeling for the place and, if I pay attention and am lucky, to figure out the geography. I know London so well that the only time I go on the bus is when I am … Read More
London, England
Though every seat on the plane was filled, the flight from New York to London was a breeze. After the 14-hour nightmare returning from the Middle East, this was very civilized. On this journey, I’m traveling with my nephew Scott, his wife Sherrie and their 12-year old daughter Brianna. This is their first overseas adventure. It’s fun seeing a place … Read More
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Short entry today. This morning I flew from Muscat, Oman to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tomorrow morning I fly home. By the time i got off the plane, got through the airport and immigration, and to my hotel, it was afternoon. With a few hours to kill, I made my way to a local mall, home to the LuLu Hypermarket. I … Read More
Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Sands, Oman
Today involved even more driving than yesterday. I wasn’t the one doing the driving, but I’m still exhausted. For more than two hours we headed south through areas that became progressively less populated. We passed loads of small villages, each backing up to the mountains, with perhaps ten or twelve homes. Not only were there fewer buildings, but there was … Read More
Nizwa and Al Jabal Al Akhdar (the Green Mountains), Oman
Today included a lot of driving, much of it through strikingly beautiful mountain ranges. The first stop was Nizwa, almost two hours southwest of Muscat. It is the capital of the interior and the birthplace of Islam in the Sultanate of Oman. First, I walked through the souk. It was surprisingly modern. I bought two of the local specialties, rose … Read More