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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Lunar New Year

Gung Hay Fat Choy from Hanoi.
We arrived here just after the Lunar New Year celebrated as Tet in Vietnam.

These flowering bushes are found in practically every storefront or business.

Portable Pho stand.

We made our way to the temples along with tons of other people.

Happy Year of the Tiger.

Snacking on snails.

Then there are water chestnuts, or are they arrowroot?

We're staying on the top floor of this building (no elevator).

The first two floors are occupied by a trendy bar and restaurant serving everything from tapas to french crepes.

Five weeks on Nai Harn Beach on the island of Phuket. It's a small-ish beach lined with beach chairs for rent (same as all the tourist beaches on the island). Not many Americans, mostly Europeans. Italians dripping with jewelry (don't know why large dangling ear rings are needed at the beach). French, who bring their own oil and vinegar to the beach (for their salads, not suntan), Germans (ordering another round of beers).
Then there are the Russians (thrifty or cheap, you be the judge). They usually don't want to invest in beach chairs at the hefty rate of $3.00 a day (yes, it is a bit of a rip-off).

Every day, many of the same people on the beach (I wonder if they say that about us?)
This guy brings his Chihuahua every day (who says dogs resemble their owners?).

Then there was this old girl. Scars and open wounds on many parts of her body and face, from a recent fight no doubt.

She spent the day scrounging for whatever she could find to eat. Here she is chewing on a seed pod. Back home, she would have been rounded up and put down.

So we started feeding her, mostly leftovers from our lunch and of course some water.

She spent the days sleeping under our chairs.

We felt a little bad on our last day and gave her some extra fried rice.
Luckily there were other people occasionally giving her food.

Shes one dog we would have happily taken home with us if we could.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Happy New Year from Chiang Mai (again)

Happy New Year from Chiang Mai.

We spent New Year's Eve going to temple, along with thousands of others.

Our New Year's Eve partying began with a small get-together on the roof of our guesthouse.
There was, of course, karaoke, and no, we did not sing.

We then made our way down t0 Tapae Gate where the "big" celebration was (sorta like Times Square only without the big ball dropping). There were probably twice as many people as there were last year (must be the recession) but we fought through the crowds and sent a lantern into the sky.

"Big Heads" are the BIG thing here now.

Yes, more litter in the skies but people here are pretty good about cleaning it all up.

Blind Musicians are also a favorite here. They never fail to draw a generous crowd.

Happy New Year everyone.

Good Health, Good Fortune, and Good-Bye for now.

30 years of marriage celebrated with 10 days in Italy

Rome: after a red-eye flight that took 14 hours.

One of mom's favorite picture

Ahhhh...Gelato is tasty!

Rome Still-Dad is researching the area

Mom's favorite policeman in Italy. He helped mom with the train departures.

Dad in Siena, a medieval town is steeped in tradition: quite the staircase.

Chinese restaurant in Siena--must be authentic.

Now that is more like it: PIZZA in Florence...and not a bad price either.

Who can guess where they are here????

Florence-the Duomo. These are the doors to the Baptistry aka the "gate of paradise". Well, duplicates actually. The real gold doors are in museum and took 21 years to create....

My favorite picture: Florence.