Istanbul is at the crossroads of the old world and history. Once called Constantinople and the center of Christianity, it was the capital of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Latin Empire. In 1453, the Ottoman Turks captured the city, renamed it Istanbul, and made it the capital of the Ottoman Empire and the Muslim world. It lies on two continents and three strategic waterways. And it’s a very cool place to visit!
Wall at Moria, Lesvos
It is very hard to comprehend what has happened on the Island of Lesvos in a very short time. For more than a year, Lesvos was a place of kindness and generosity to half a million refugees. Local residents and international volunteers scrounged up resources with almost no help from government or large NGOs. Food, sanitation and shelter were inadequate but compassion and mutual understanding were in abundant supply.
Graffiti in Mytilene
I am heartbroken, like so many others, that Europe today adopted an illegal and inhumane agreement to deport refugees from Greece to Turkey.
Camino Milagro 