November 1, 2025 We sailed south from Naples toward two notable cities in Sicily, Taormina and Catania. We disembarked in Taormina. The views from Taormina are among the most breathtaking in all of Italy. The Bay of Naxos, Mount Etna in the distance, and sometimes even Calabria on a clear day. From Taormina you see… Read more

October 31, 2025 Within a short walk, to the left of the pier, are three of Naples best known landmarks: Castel Nuovo, the 17th Century Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale) and the elaborate 18th Century San Carlo Opera House. This is where we are going to concentrate our energy for the day. Why? Because Naples is… Read more

October 30, 2025 Cinque Terra is the gateway to Florence and Pisa. The Italians of this region of the Eastern Italian Riviera are known for their taste for good living. Cinque Terre consists of 5 miles of rocky coastline quite similar in appearance. It is named for the five small towns: Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza… Read more

October 29, 2025 You may be wondering why Chongae and I are in Italy after just recently returning from 5 weeks in Seoul, South Korea. Our trip to Seoul was well deserved as Chongae got to visit with her family who all still live in South Korea. As I shared in previous blogs, the best… Read more

October 27, 2025 “The ordinary human being does not live long enough to draw any substantial benefit from his own experience. And no one, it seems, can benefit by the experience of others. Being both a father and a teacher, I know we can teach our children nothing…each must learn its lessons anew.” Albert Einstein,… Read more

Sunday, October 5, 2025 3:15 p.m. As I prepare to leave South Korea in a few days I wanted to take the time to share some final observations and recommendations with you in the event that you ever plan a visit to this beautiful and unique country. I hope you find them useful. Bowing Is… Read more

October 4, 2025 This is the sign on the wall of the apartment where we are staying in Seoul, South Korea. A constant reminder that your environment is shaped by how you feel. Seoul is a megacity…and a busy one. Seoul is the largest city proper in the developed world. Seoul’s population density is almost twice… Read more

September 30, 2025 We have spent the last month in Seoul, South Korea. With an almost nineteen-hour flight from Orlando (with a stopover in Detroit, Michigan) we planned to spend some time here. With our departure planned for October 8th, it was time to share with you some of my observations. One cannot come to… Read more

August 24, 2025 We love Medellin. We have been here many times. It is a beautiful city. Like many cities around the world wealth is the main symbol of social stratification and that is evident in Medellin. Medellín is divided into six social and economic strata based on income levels: This disparity in income has been further… Read more

June 6, 2025 Yesterday, in one of the comments to this blog I was asked for my thoughts of the world’s political situation from my view of looking from the outside in. Here is my reply. First, I think if you connect the dots historically you will see that political dynamics have not changed much… Read more