A Roman Well in a Sinai Bedouin Camp

 Earlier this month, I made a trip up the Sinai Peninsula en route to Mount Sinai. Along the way, I stopped at a bedouin camp I had heard about that had a Roman well.  While there, I also practiced some broken Arabic to bargain for handcrafted bling.

This little girl reminded me so much of the Afghany girl with the startling green eyes from a National Geographic cover I once saw. They looked nothing alike, but yet there was that same intensity in the eyes that drew parallels.

Got that in turquoise, per chance?

I loved the rich colorful galabeyas that this particular tribe wore. These girls were so sweet and loved having their pictures taken.

This little fellow cracked me up as he smiled for the camera too.

The Roman well was amazingly intact. It's ironic that the significance of this 2,000 year old well had no bearing on the bedouin tribe that lived by it, but then again 2,000 years is nothing in the land where pyramids are over 6,000 years old!

Had it been a wishing well, I would've heaped a ton of wishes. Instead, I gave it heaps of my admiration.

Andrea Bocelli Concert at the Cairo Pyramids!

The Ticket.

Andrea Bocelli performed at the Cairo pyramids on September 25, 2010 --- AND YOURS TRULY WAS THERE! I was so excited to be part of that magical night. I missed his concert when he performed at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy when I lived there in 2005. To miss seeing the world's biggest selling solo artist in the history of classical music perform at the world's oldest and still active opera house was one of the biggest regrets I ever had. I made a promise to myself that should another iconic venue come up with him performing at it and me nearby, then I would be there no matter what! Hence, Andrea Bocelli performed at the Cairo pyramids---- AND YOURS TRULY WAS THERE!

The Billboard.



The line forming up to the Sound and Light Theatre at the Pyramids.



The symphony and choir came out first, and a hush fell over the audience.

The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx lit up in dramatic colors to coincide with the moods and rhythms of the music.

And then the great tenor appeared on stage, and immediately enthralled the audience. 

The Finale.

The concert was 2 hours long, and was marvelously accompanied by Mr. Bocelli's traveling soprano, alto, and violinist.  After the finale, Andrea Bocelli performed 5 encores that pleased the audience, and left them begging for more.

The Programs.

Enjoy an Andrea Bocelli classic below: Con Te Partiro. 

Turning 10 on 10-10-10

I HAVE TO DO A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO MY BEAUTIFUL NIECE, YASMINE, FOR HER BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!

She turns 10 today on 10-10-10!  Gotta also give props to my baby sis Pamela for making the cake (and taking the pic) AND hosting Yasmine's birthday slumber party. Our little girl was so worth it.

HAPPY  10TH  BIRTHDAY,  YASSY!!! 

Passage Back to Reality

The voyage back to Copenhagen was bittersweet. Debbie and I had seen quite a bit in six days, therefore the 7th day of our cruise was spent in relaxation and recovery mode... and enjoying the archipelago or little islands that trailed Sweden's coastline.

I found this one island rustic and charming.  It reminded me greatly of the Millennium series I had finished reading prior to the trip. The Millennium series was also known as "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series by Stieg Larsson, which became best-sellers after his death. The series is an action-packed read based on a fictional magazine of the same name that is the connection for lead characters Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, who unravel a mystery on a small island in Sweden that was similar to the ones I was seeing.

The cruise back was uneventful. The majority of the time was spent at what Deb and I affectionately dubbed our "reading corner."

Debbie took over one side with her huge novel in hand, and I took over the other side with my trusty Kindle.

And meanwhile, the sunset over the Baltic Sea shifted in varying shades of pastels...

Until evening harkened the skies black.

By morning, the "Costa Deliciosa" pulled into port, and we were greeted with a sign that claimed our return back to Copenhagen.

We quickly debarked and hailed a cab, so we could make our mid-morning flights back to reality. Before Deb and I separated and caught our respective flights home, we looked at the statues of these two wistful girls seamingly dreaming of future destinations, and declared they were symbols of our young selves who finally got their wish of seeing the world come true. I know those "girls" will always hold a symbolic spot for us in Copenhagen. It was a trip of a lifetime, and one that I was grateful to share with my oldest and dearest friend. And so until our next big adventure, "Laverne", keep your suitcase packed and ever ready to go.  THIS I guarantee! ;)



Absolut Icebar Stockholm

In honor of our last port call, I wanted to do something that would really make it memorable. I had read about an ice bar in Stockholm that was a popular tourist spot. The Absolut Icebar Stockholm was the world's first permanent ice bar that opened in 2001. Since then, it has become a global ice bar chain, and was one that I was dying to experience. So after our tour at the Vasa Museum, Debbie and I meandered through the streets of Stockholm and found our way at the Nordic Sea Hotel where the Absolut Icebar was located. 

At the icebar Debbie and I were issued hooded arctic coats and gloves, and told to follow a dimly lit passageway that would lead us to the bar's subzero temp room that opened by way of a sliding metal door. The bar was kept at -5 degrees F, and was made of solid ice within a backlight of neon blue lighting.

Behind the bar were assortments of alcohol, glasses made of ice, and a cash register.

The glasses were verrrry "cool."

This was the cocktail menu that was frozen in the bar stand.

We had to use our gloves when we were drinking because our fingers would have gotten frostbite.

Deb and I toasted several rounds of shots to a dream vacay that exceeded our wildest expectations.

And then, we made our farewell toast to Stockholm with bittersweet regards and hopeful promises of return, and made our way out of the subzero temp, and back to the "Costa Deliciosa" for the passage back to reality. It goes without saying that the icebar was our "coolest" experience ever!