I’m in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a land where much is changing. There are sparkling skyscrapers, Starbucks, Uber, all mixed up together with traditional conservative ways. Here’s a photo of a typical Riyadh Starbucks. Note the two entrances, separated by a wooden wall. The entrance on the left is for “singles” (unaccompanied men) the one on […]
Browsing Posts in Travel
Riyadh: Segregated Starbucks
December 22, 2019
Oslo: Norse Gods
August 6, 2019
On the outer wall of Oslo City Hall are a series of sixteen carved scenes from Norse Mythology. They are one of my favorite sights in the city! Odin rides out on eight-legged Sleipner, with his ravens Huggin (Thought) and Munin (Memory) flying overhead. Opposite is hammer-wielding Thor, riding on his goat-drawn chariot across the […]
Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site
May 15, 2019
I’ve been visiting the old Soviet nuclear weapons test site at Semipalatinsk, aka “the Polygon”. The site isn’t nearly as bad as its rather dire historic reputation – the last 25 years have seen a lot of clean up and containment. The worst areas have either been scraped off and buried, or are fenced off. […]
Semey: A Bronze Titan
May 14, 2019
I’m in Semey, Kazakhstan. The Lonely Planet guide mentions that a backstreet park houses relocated statues of Lenin. I found the park and saw several small Lenins lurking among the trees. But where was the promised “large statue” that once stood in the main square? Then I looked up, and there he was. At somewhat […]
Komsomolsk: A familiar face
April 30, 2019
I’m in Komsomolsk-na-Amure, in the Russian Far East. I was visiting the city’s WWII memorial, when I suddenly spotted a familiar face. It can’t be, can it? Yes it is! Stalin himself. Smiling calmly, without a care in the world. What was most startling is that the bust is quite new, erected just last year. […]
Escape From the Château d’If
February 5, 2019
I have successfully both entered and escaped the legendary Château d’If! The real-life Château d’If is almost exactly as described in Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo. A stern 16th century castle on a tiny fortified island offshore from Marseilles, with strong walls, dank cells, and few visitors. The tourist authorities have helpfully labeled one […]
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