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Lisboa, Portugal

August in Lisbon.  Once again, I am out of sync.  The Locals have left Lisbon for seaside, and only us silly tourists remain.  Summer heat and panting tourists.  That’s what I love. The weather, though, has been surprisingly nice.  Highs of 28C (82F), with a constant breeze.  I can’t speak for modern buildings, but the …

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Izmir, Turkey

I decided to see a bit more of Turkey while I was here, something beyond Istanbul.  So, I went to Izmir for two weeks, because it gave me the opportunity to visit Pamukkale and Ephesus.  More on that later. Izmir is Turkey’s third largest city and sits on the enormous Bay of Izmir.  The bay …

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Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul:  A great city by any other name.  And it has had a few.  Other names, that is.  Starting in the olden days, the site has been regularly inhabited since at least 3,000 BCE.  The Greeks established the city of Byzantium in the 7th century BCE.  Later, the Roman emperor Constantine established his capital here …

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Cairo, Egypt

I was very excited to visit Cairo and to see the wonders of ancient Egypt.  My first impression of Egypt is that I would never want to drive here.  Nope, never. The thing about driving in Cairo, is you have to understand the recommendations.  The dashed white lane-lines are recommendations.  Use them in any way …

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La Marsa, Tunisia

As Ramadan was winding down—Just a week left to go—I went to La Marsa, Tunisia.  About as close as you can get to Sicily and still be in Africa.  Still, it was Ramadan so restaurants were closed (although work had begun in earnest to complete renovations before the restaurants would reopen).  Museums were also closed …

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