Pepperoni or Salami Pizza by the Adriatic.

It was August - hot in the Magic Kingdom, hot in the Mediterranean, or more specifically Dubrovnic, Croatia on the shores of the Adriatic.
Yes we picked a time of year when Europeans tend to take summer holidays so we expected it to be crowded, but not expecting the unexpected heat wave this part of the world was enduring. Fortunately not the degree of humidity with the heat that we were experiencing on the shores of the Red Sea, so a "pleasant" escape - "temperature" being relative.

The coast of Croatia is rocky, with many islands, making it a destination for many sailors - but not us this time, this being a land based holiday. Considering the size of the Mediterranean, the Greek islands, and those off Croatia, are the only two locations with numerous island groups. But I understand from Captain Bob, who has just recently departed these waters on his sailing vessel, that the holding (for anchoring) is not great in this region, being a rocky bottom. We based ourselves in Dubrovnic, doing some day trips by boat as well as by bus, which will be topics of Blogs to follow.

Dubrovnic is not an ancient city by the standards of this part of the world, although of enough historical significance, and being a well preserved walled city, to be a UNESCO world heritage site. The more recent damage inflicted by the relatively recent war (this being part of the breakup of old Yugoslavia) is not evident after appropriate repairs had been carried out.

Grapes growing over the ceiling of this shaded café on top of the perimeter wall of the old city. Wineries are located inland, in higher elevations, making some very pleasant wines. Ancient trade in the Med carried wine & olive oil as important staples. It is said that the first wine to be drunk in Burgundy, France, was imported from Greece (the French I am sure would disagree).

The sea is clearly an important part of the charm, and economy, of this part of the world, going back to the days of ancient history.

Today recreational, as well as commercial, boats of all varieties ply these waters.

The Maritime Museum in the old town was an interesting and worthwhile visit. Although one thinks of wind powering ships of old, it was an interesting reminder that the winds during the summer can be light, and that oar power, usually produced through the efforts of chained slaves, moved these vessels for trade and war.

Model of an early sailing vessel clearly with a Middle Eastern influence with its sailing rig.

Then the modern tourist/commercial vessels plying these waters.

Then those vessels of the rich, seen in great abundance here.

Unfortunately, for us anyways, this has also become a popular cruise ship stopover. Why "unfortunate"?
Cruise ships ok.
Once upon a time there would be a few hundred passengers.
Now many of the cruise ships have multiple layers of cabins, with guests in the thousands - not ok.
As the masses disgorge onto the local sites, watching them in some ways being herded like cattle, or perhaps like trying to herd cats, by their guides, crowding out the destination for the few hours of shore time, then rushed away again - well you get the picture.
A mixed blessing for the locals - economy versus crowds.

      Being "guided" in herds. "Time" to take in the atmosphere??

At these moments we would attempt to seek out quieter spots, walking the walls & small side streets, guiding ourselves at our own pace.

Yes time for lunch, noting pizza (and pasta) being popular, as this coastline sits opposite Italy on the other side of the Adriatic.
And yes in addition to a cold beer we ordered "pepperoni" in addition to the basic tomato, cheese & mushrooms. Is that not a basic ingredient for which we have become accustomed?
Well travelling to foreign lands does sometimes lead to challenges in interpretation.
Instead we got the basic ingredients but with the addition of hot peppers!
We discovered that if we wanted something resembling "pepperoni" as we expect, that you ask for "salami". Lost in translation?
It still went down well with a cold beer.

The waiter felt so badly about the "mistake" that he brought us a dessert on the house, a delicious chocolate/orange cake. Although some have said that the people here are not that friendly we found that that was the exception, as the kindness of this waiter demonstrated. On paying the bill I had mixed in a Euro note instead of their local money - he came back just as we were leaving pointing out my mistake - he could have taken it, being worth more, but showed his honesty.

The evenings by the water were beautiful, either staying before going back to our hotel, or strolling back in the evening - fortunately by then the cruise ship passengers had left.

The timing of this trip fit between two important dates - our wedding anniversary (11 years!) and the Admiral's birthday (age unknown).
A seafood buffet, cooked after we pointed out our choices, with a pleasant singer in the background, and a good bottle of local wine went down well.
Seafood is abundant here and the local wine surprisingly good (not unexpected being the same latitude and climate as Italy across the water).

Dubrovnic was an interesting site to visit, despite the crowds at times.
As noted earlier we used our hotel there as a base for some day trips out of the city environs, both by water and by bus - the following Blogs will cover those aspects.

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Conference Break and Ramblings - Part II

Yes Part II, to be read second after Part I (earlier Blog) - explanation attached to previous Blog. Oh the idiosyncrasies of the electronic world - when computers comply with intended actions, great - when they don't, then we have to resort to a Part II at a later date. Suddenly this morning I was able to add pictures to this saved draft - to a point, then it stopped again not allowing further picture downloads!

As noted in Part I, I visited Berlin, Germany for a conference.
Although a brief stint it was a nice break from the usual rules & regulations required for day to day life in the Magic Kingdom. "Rules & Regulations" being a relative term, whether to keep a "normal" society functioning in an orderly manner, or to coerce people to a certain lifestyle and degree of conformity. I'll let the reader do the math so to speak.
As noted before my hotel was a pleasant ten minute walk from my hotel, through pleasant green urban landscape, a nice change from a desert urban setting. Berlin is a walking city, with wide sidewalks, cafes, and trees - the many trees apparently planted after the destruction of WW II.

The fairly central part of Berlin, where the conference and hotel were located, was great for walking, but "relatively" new by European standards as much had been rebuilt after WW II. Clearly Germany shows the evidence of prosperity despite all the problems presently being seen in the Euro zone.

Cafes & eating out are part of the European way of life.
What I sampled was something unique to Berlin - the Currywurst, as seen in the next three images. A fast food snack, basically a cut up sausage with some spicey ketchup based sauce - I think you have to be a local to enjoy its attraction.

What image comes to mind when considering Germany?
The home of VW, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche.
Clearly there were many examples as well as other forms of transportation, including the ubiquitous bicycle. Also an example of a unique way to park a small or "smart car".
It's interesting that even if a cyclist goes through a red light, or disobeys a traffic sign, they can get a ticket. Very Germanic, another set of orderly conduct activities that may or may not be welcomed elsewhere.

Walking the side streets revealed a quieter & more peaceful part of the city.

All in all a nice break from the hot humidity of the coast of the Magic Kingdom.
No I did not visit the Berlin Wall - little left now and at some distance to where I was staying. A piece of history not actively promoted in this modern Germany. Many other sites unfortunately were also not visited due to the conference and time restrictions of a short visit.
Yes this episode of the Blog also somewhat terse & "Germanic" in style.
We will see what "luck" I have in downloading pictures in future episodes.

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TGIW now TGIT not TGIF.

The electronic world of computer workings continues to be a challenge.
Despite "cleaning up" some aspects of this electronic beast on which I am typing I am still unable to download pictures to the blog site. Part II of the trip to Berlin will have to wait.

Now to the issue of TGIW versus TGIT, or TGIF at home.
Confusing?
Most places in the world celebrate TGIF, with the work week Monday to Friday (hence TGIF).
The Arabian peninsula for some time remained out of step with the work days Saturday to Wednesday (hence TGIW) with the weekend being Thursday/Friday, as Friday is the holy day.
Make sense?
However being out of step to most of the world created some issues in communications as transactions elsewhere only allowed three in common working days.
Ah, so what happened next?
The rest of the Arabian peninsula (eg. Dubai), but not the Magic Kingdom, switched their weekend to Friday/Saturday.
So now there were four working days in common to the rest of the world.
This month however, with a week's notice, the whole kingdom switched to the Sunday to Thursday work week (hence TGIT).
The weekend is now Friday/Saturday.
Has the sudden change created some challenges?
You do the scenario.

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German Beer and More.... Part I.

I arrived at the Immigration & Customs booth at the Berlin airport after my two segment flight from the Magic Kingdom.
He took my passport, flipped open the front page with my picture, accepted that it was the same person as in the image standing in front of him, scanned it in his magical device, looked for the only page in my passport that now had multiple stamps on all pages except one, did his duty with his stamp, and handed it back for me to go ...... all in less than thirty seconds.
Only when I said at that time that "maybe its time to get a new passport" (as now my one remaining unused page was now used) did I get a smile from him ..... otherwise all efficiency.
Yes, somewhat different from the "differences in efficiency" from my point of departure. No talking to his buddies, no going to get tea, no directing traffic while the line in front loomed large. Just efficiency.

I had routed through Istanbul, a city previously visited, a fascinating crossroads between two cultures, where the airport was nice but with the air of being somewhat more "gritty".

First Istanbul airport.

Now Berlin.

Yes the atmosphere could be a parallel universe. Different sides of a coin.

The image of the electronic board at this bus stop also tells the story ... the buses being monitored such that us impatient riders can tell how many minutes the next bus will arrive to take us to our destination ..... just try this in the region in which I am now situated! But all is not perfect as one is able to note the poster that some "vandal" plastered onto the board.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves, as the title suggests.
Clearly Germans are known for their beer ..... and wine, and cars (aka VW, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche), pharmaceuticals (eg. Bayer ... aspirin) and more, presently the economic powerhouse of the European economy. Were they not the ones who lost WW II?

At any rate the reason for my brief trip to Berlin was to attend a conference, the MASCC or International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer.
A moderate sized conference with a large mix of international attendees.
My hotel was a ten minute walk to the venue which was nice allowing the blood to get moving while progressing along a pleasant green cityscape.
"Green" was appreciated that being a sporadic color where I am residing.

Now an unexpected event has just happened in our discussion of "efficiency" ..... I am now unable to download pictures!
Is this not ironic?
Has the program stopped responding or has the "internet surveillance" decided that I have said something unacceptable?
Usually at this time, being Friday morning here, the locals are still asleep such that internet traffic is at a minimal, so usually the uploads work reasonably efficiently .... there I go again with that "efficiently" word.
In any event my Blog will have to continue at a later time, as Part II, with this segment being read first.

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Countdown and Time.

"Let's go to the beach" was the request from Tord & Joe.
The work week had ended, being sunny and hot ( around 40 deg C).
My admiral (Joy) was in the States visiting family, Tord was batching with his wife in Los Angeles, Joe likewise with his wife in Beirut, Lebanon.
All of us having endured a more than usual hectic work week.

We left at 0900 and were comfortably settled on the sand by 0945, first row of seats so to look directly out to the blue waters of the Red Sea.
Being early, by local standards, we were almost alone for the first hour.
The small sea crabs could be seen scuttling about on the shore, before the crowds forced them into seclusion. The early day sun was sparkling on the water, only small wavelets to be seen. It was quiet and peaceful.
By noon the scene would change with increasing numbers of families and bodies jumping in the waters in front of us - oh for the serenity of the "early" hours. But seeing normal bathing outfits and bikinis, and children making monuments in the sand, made it feel like a normal western beach - although the occasional "full length" outfit squashed those notions, but only slightly.
By noon the sand became so hot that it was not possible to walk on it without shoes or sandals. The glare off the sand and the water also required sunglasses, unlike the softer lighting earlier. It was time for a dip before lunch.
On wading out the water close to shore felt almost like a bath, not refreshing. Small fish could be seen, and occasionally felt against our feet during the wading out. On swimming out towards a small man made island off the beach the cooler mixed currents of water could be felt, but not truly refreshing until at least fifty yards out. It felt good on the legs while swimming in a low impact setting. The goal was to swim around the "island" then back to shore, a reasonable workout, more pleasant than the gym.
At times it was nice to stop and simply float on my back, with eyes closed, gently drifting, feeling the warm sun on my face. The increased salinity and hence buoyancy producing gentle bobbing. Serenity. The trials of the Magic Kingdom far away. This aspect, with its close proximity, will be missed.

Then it was off to lunch at the small restaurant just off the beach.
A small mixed salad, grilled chicken off their BBQ, and sparkling cold apple juice (yes we are in the Magic Kingdom where only artificial beer can be purchased - legally).

By three pm it had become too hot for mere western souls so we drove home, taking in the simple pleasure of a shower, a small dinner, and a pirated DVD.
Looking out from my balcony the evening lights were coming on, the traffic increasing, as the usual night time hours of the locals had begun. But I was tired, from sun, sand & water, now instead of an evening stroll, to enjoy my bed in a cool air conditioned apartment - another simple pleasure.

On awakening this morning it was with the awareness that it is now "countdown" mode. Yesterday at the beach it was exactly five months to my last working day - today it is one day shy of five months.
Joy will be back tomorrow, from her last planned trip across the Atlantic before we depart in November.
Next weekend I plan to fly to Europe for my last planned conference while here.
This August we have planned our last real vacation to Europe while here.
The process of getting ready for departure is rapidly approaching.

Being patient and open minded is required for a long term expat life here - but it is now "time" for us. Yes there would be advantages to staying longer, and easy to be lulled into signing on for yet another contract year, as many expats have done, one year drifting into another. But then at some point to stop, stand back, and balance this time against the other significant disadvantages, of being away from home, family, and friends. To balance this against our other life goals. What is of value to us? Time is not a commodity that can be put in the bank to earn interest, for when it is gone it is gone, not to be re captured at a later date. Time needs to be used wisely.
That notion of reasonable "balance" in life, that notion of an important goal, can be an elusive concept, not easy to determine, but eventually requiring the decision to jump at some point, weighing the good and the bad. Otherwise we drift through life - and time disappears. What is good, what is bad, an individual value or choice.
Our "jump" has now begun as the "countdown" takes place.
It's time to walk to my local Starbucks.

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More Masalamas and B Day.

Masalamas (goodbye parties) are getting to be a regular event here, as more and more expat friends are deciding to exit the Magic Kingdom.
Their reasons for leaving are varied (it is "time"), something we will be doing ourselves later this year. We believe it is the end of a long era, already slowing when we arrived in 2010, when western expats were previously a large part of the workforce here, when the "community" was large with an adventurous spirit, but no more. The geographic region around us is in turmoil (although stable here), the native populations are being placed in many previous expat positions, and of course the difficulties for adjustment for many in a strict society that is changing at a glacial pace. It's been a great experience for us, particularly having experienced the 90's here (in Riyadh) as well as a decade later during this tour of duty (in Jeddah), but again it is now "time".

As a result we have experienced four masalama events over the past month, a sad but expected part of the expat experience.

Aside from masalama (goodbye) to friends & colleagues, there is also the same to be said regarding our chronologic years as they go by, and the new challenges we face with the advancing years. The years gone by have been good, being fortunate to have experienced many valuable family times, good friends, and the numerous adventure opportunities along the way, and with the good health to enjoy those years. Things have not been perfect, but what is, but its been a great run despite the "bumps" in the road of life.
June 6th was my 66th birthday, a time when our previous generation had put people "out to pasture". Sitting in the here and now one ponders the wisdom of that philosophy, as the skipper believes he has still much to offer, as many others must have felt before me. Although it will be our masalama from the Magic Kingdom later this year, we believe it will open the next chapter of the life adventure as we are feeling far from being "put out to pasture".

Being a weekend here on the B-day it was "fitting" for the old guy to savor some downtime. Although we did the ten minute walk to our local Starbucks this morning we stayed in the rest of the day being officially 48 deg C outside(unofficially over 50 deg C)! A several day heat wave, which occurs sporadically. Usual summer temperatures here are high 30's to low 40's deg C, with "some" humidity being a coastal city.
But we did go to the gym in our building, with the clear understanding that with age comes the need to keep myself moving. Some of this activity is clearly "home physio" for my knees, agreeing to do much myself instead of as many official appointments. The resolution now is to try to keep this pace up several days a week .... we will see.

And yes it is around 50 deg C, and humid, outside the window of our gym.
We have our own sauna ........ when walking outside on these days.

A Post regarding some aspects of indoor life when not out and about.
Masalama for now.

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