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Letter to James – July 2022
James, It’s July 9th, 2022 and your dad is leaving Boston today to spend two weeks with Jack, Carter and Papa J in Great Britain. The last time the Franklin men took a trip together was in 2019, when we all travelled to San Francisco and the wine valleys, a trip we all loved. Your grandma Gizzy will be taking care of you in Boston for the next two weeks while your dad is away with his dad and brothers. And she is so happy to spend two weeks with you and your mom, who is also looking forward to Gizzy’s stay. The Franklin men will land in London early Sunday…
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Algarve Coast of Portugal – June 10th to 12th 2022
Last Southern Portugal Blog before preparations begin for two week trip to Great Britain with Davis, Jack and Carter!
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Alentejo Region of So. Portugal June 7th – 9th
June 7th – After meeting our Backroads Group in Lisbon, we head southeast to the Alentejo Region through “New Lisbon”, over the second longest bridge in Europe to the other side of the River Tagus (Rio Tejo), and on through rural Portugal and to the ancient town of Monsaraz, one of the country’s oldest settlements in the heart of southern Portugal. Here we’re introduced to the region’s hearty fare with lunch at a historic olive oil factory and charming local restaurant. After lunch, we cycled 22 miles through the rolling hills past vineyards, olive groves and cork fields with a climb up to the medieval town of Monsaraz for views…
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July 1 – On This Day 159 Years Ago
Today is July 1st and is the beginning of what is hopefully, a celebratory and happy weekend for most Americans. However, on July 1st of 1863, our young country was locked in a bitter civil war. And on this day, 159 years ago, two large armies would collide near the small village of Gettysburg. And July 1st would mark the beginning of a deadly battle that would claim over 50,000 American casualties, more than any other battle in American history. Most historians would agree that The Battle of Gettsyburg was a defeat for General Robert E. Lee and the south and marked the beginning of the end of the American…
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June 5 and 6 – Lisboa, Portugal, 2022
June 5 – After arriving in Lisbon from Fes, Morroco, we checked into our Hotel, the Pousada Lisboa and spent the evening with Ana Paula, our food tour guide, who would take us through the oldest part of Lisbon, the Alfama neighborhood, where we would sample street food. During our tour we sampled Pastel de Nata, the most iconic pastry in Portugal and one of the most delicious gifts that Portugal ever gave to the world. Because egg whites were needed by the nuns to whiten their clothes, monks combined the leftover egg yolks with flower, sugar, and almonds – and the famous Pastel de Nata was born. In early…
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The Trip That Almost Wasn’t
In this Post-Covid era of pent-up demand for goods and services, including travel, supply has not caught up. And that includes trained pilots to fly planes. As a result, flights are being cancelled last minute left and right, including a recent flight that two of my sons and daughter-and-law were to take to Boston. They drove to Boston instead. The following link is a well written narrative on a blog written by one of my friends about a similar experience that almost ruined their vacation. There are some takeaway lessons from this if any of you are planning trips in the near future. Cruise to Norway, Iceland and Scotland: Episode…
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Days 7 and 8 in Morocco – Fes
After a big breakfast at our Riad, Mohamed and Hakim, who Pete nicknamed “The Rock”, met us at our hotel. We then spent all morning walking and exploring the Medina of Fes, winding our way in and out of a variety of souks – from vegetable markets through the street of butchers, alleys of Harira soup cafes, weavers, carpenters and so much more. We also passed many bread ovens that continue to be so much a part of daily medina life. We also visited two Universities, one of which started in the 9th century, which, according to Mohamed, is the oldest in the world. One University, the Medersa Bou Inania,…
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Day 6 (June 3) in Morocco – Rif Mountains and Fes
When I awoke in this beautiful city of Chefchaouen on Day 6, I went for a run/walk up to the Mosque on the top of the hill overlooking the city. At that hour I only saw two old men walking and some stray dogs. When I got to the topI realized that this spot had the best views of Chefchaouen below. After breakfast, we left this magical blue city nestled in the Rif Mountains and took a 45 minute shuttle into a beautiful valley for some hiking. On the way to our car, we saw some Muslim women selling some mint and other fragrant plants outside of the cemetery. On…
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Morocco 2022 – Day 5 -Meknes and Chefchaouen
A post from Day 5 of my 2022 Trip to Morocco
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Morocco – Days 3 and 4 – Marrakech and the High Atlas Mountains
On Day 4 I had written a great post during my 7-hour car ride from The Atlas Mountains to Meknes. It covered how the palaces and museums I saw related to French colonialism in Northern Africa, and how Yves-Saint Laurent, as a French citizen, got drafted into the Algerian War for Independence, and how that almost destroyed his brilliant career. But how persevered and founded arguably the most successful design label during the 60s, 70s and 80s. I discussed how African nations have a distrust of the West, and deservedly so using Morocco and Algeria as examples. This is part of the reason that half of African Nations, including Morocco,…
