Audrey Hepburn
When I was in Greece this year, a well-intended young Greek woman told me that my adopted Muslim daughter, Nahid, should not wear a hijab if she wants to be accepted in Greece. I guess I wasn’t surprised at her comment but it gave me something to think about. Continue reading
Five days in Milan, Venice and Florence is not enough but it was enough for a wonderful detour on my way home from Greece. These three Northern Italian cities were once rich and powerful city-states and remain important cultural centers with strong local economies. Well, duh, it’s Italy! Continue reading
Art work by a refugee child at Jasmine squat
I spent most of my fall in Athens even though it is not the kind of place I would normally want to visit for more than a day or two. Athens is a train wreck — dirty, ugly, full of hazards like slippery sidewalks, crazy drivers and railings on sixth floor verandas that are easily scaled by ambitious toddlers. Continue reading
I have had a theory for a long time. I have told a few people about it. Some try to look interested. I have tried to explain it in long emails to professors at various universities who refer me to someone else who doesn’t reply. Continue reading
The Renaissance houses of Old Town
Wow, Stockholm is nice — beautiful — like out of a story book beautiful. It is also stylish in every way — the architecture, the public art, the food and the women in boots and short skirts. Part of the city’s romance is its location on inlets of the Baltic Sea, 14 islands connected by 57 bridges. Fishing boats and yachts sit comfortably along the roadways, and if you are not on a boat, the city is very walkable. Continue reading
I have been spending a couple of days in Berlin doing the things tourists do — walking, eating, museums. Berlin is beautiful and clean and civilized. I have enjoyed all of it but what will always stay with me is the time I spent at the Berlin Wall. Continue reading
The air is breezy and warm on the balcony of Sayed and Nahid’s 6th floor apartment. The top of a large plastic table is a mosaic of plates piled high with rice and meat and vegetable dishes, mostly Afghan. From the table, we can see the Acropolis — 17 of us perched on rickety chairs or lounging on a small sofa that looks like early Ikea. Continue reading
This morning I walked up the street three blocks to see the damage at a squat called Notara 26. Last night it was set on fire with 120 people inside, among them, a large number of children. When I arrived, residents and volunteers were throwing burned debris out of second story windows and hauling buckets of ashes to dumpsters. The bottom two floors are gutted. Continue reading
Camino Milagro 