Photo of the Week: Repose

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Pergamum (168)Pergamum, Turkey

Walking up the winding road we came upon the ruins of Pergamum, an ancient city that once rivaled that of Alexandria and Ephesus.  Perched atop a windswept mountain is the Theater of Pergamum, one of the steepest theaters in the world. We sat on the well-worn steps among the remnants of the forgotten city and were transported back to another time.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

Berlin: East Side Gallery

/ lifeafter9to5 / 3 Comments

IMG_5040

I love street art. So when I was in Berlin, I couldn’t pass up a chance to explore the stirring art of East Side Gallery that has come to represent Germany’s turbulent history between East and West. This large open-air gallery is an international symbol of freedom. It is the longest remaining part of the Berlin Wall at 1.3 km long and located along the banks of the river Spree in Friedrichshain borough. After the Wall was brought down in 1989, artists came from around the world to transform the gray barriers into 105 paintings, each a testimony to victory of the human spirit. Continue reading →

Berlin: Free Walking Tour

/ lifeafter9to5 / 4 Comments

IMG_5135

The best way to explore a new city is always on foot.  Based on prior trips to Europe, I knew that Sandemans offers great walking tours.  So while in Berlin, we made it a point to reserve a spot on their FREE city tour.  The tour is the perfect introduction to Berlin and helps you orient yourself to navigate the city.  The tour is offered in English and Spanish at four different times daily, each one lasting about 2.5 hours. A lot of people sign up, so make sure you book in advance to ensure a space.  On our tour, about 100 people showed up and we were quickly divided into smaller groups of 20-30.

Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Offering

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

IMG_3039Chiang Mai, Thailand

A visit to the ancient city of Chiang Mai is not complete without a stop to one of its 300 temples. The wats come in all different shapes and sizes, some are conspicuous with their glittering gold statues while others are crumbling and receded back into history.  Each one is filled with wafting incense smoke as people came to make their offerings and pay their respects to Buddha. 

This gold bowl with beautiful mums, reminiscent of the orange robes worn by the monks caught my attention.  I love the pop of colors against the whitewashed walls. 

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Eating in Berlin

/ lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

IMG_5489

Germany is a country known for its food — from massive schnitzel to juicy currywursts to giant steins of beer. That was what I had expected to eat for the entirety of my trip to Berlin, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that this German capital is a full-fledged culinary metropolis with amazing diverse food from all over the world.  Shows how much I know!  It’s true that these are not your typical “German food” places, but Berlin has become an international city, and its food reflects that status. It’s going to be a long post, so let’s get started.  Here are a few of my favorite places to eat in Berlin: Continue reading →

Atlanta: Aquarium

/ lifeafter9to5 / 5 Comments

IMG_7734

Atlanta might be land locked, but in the center of the city is one of the largest aquariums in the world; housing more than 10 million gallons of water, and home to tens of thousands of fish and other sea creatures representing several hundred species.  This was where we spent a hot Saturday afternoon exploring the aquatic life. The ticket price of $38.95 per person is steep, but it includes access to a dolphin show, 4D movie, and many other exhibitions. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Promenade

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

IMG_4456Brooklyn, New York

Home sweet home.  I never get tired of looking at the New York skyline no matter how many times I see it, from all the different angles and vantage points. This particular picture was taken from the Brooklyn Heights promenade with the idyllic view of the Brooklyn bridge spanning the East river to lower Manhattan on the other side.  This park is a great place to get away from the bustling city and hosts many activities from yoga sessions to free movie nights. It is also a great place to take your date on a romantic stroll.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Atlanta: Graffiti

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

IMG_7655

This past June, Fausto went to the annual Society of Actuaries Health meeting in Atlanta and I tagged along.  While there, I had a chance to explore the city’s small but growing street art scene. Atlanta has hosted the annual street art conference called Living Walls, The City Speaks, where artists from all over the world are invited to create street art.  The large murals are often painted directly on the side of the buildings throughout the city, with permission from the owners of course.

Continue reading →

Stuck in Africa…Almost

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

700-cancelled-flights-board

[photo credit: www.skyscanner.com]

When you travel there is always the possibility of delays and flight cancellations.  That’s part of the “experience”.  Somehow, it seems to happen to us quite a bit. On our last night in Stone Town as we were weaving our way through the markets, Fausto got an alert that our 5:45 am flight on Kenya Airways was cancelled. We had 2 tight connections to get home, so a cancelled flight would mean that we’d miss all of our other flights; and that was no good since we both had to be back at work Tuesday morning.  What was a great vacation turned into a bit of a nightmare as we scrambled to find a way home. Continue reading →

Day 10: On the Road in Stone Town

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

IMG_2618

Our last day on the road, we stopped in Stone town, a once sleepy beach town turned into a major port city for East Africa. Goods flow through here from Asia and the Middle East before traveling off to other cities. This port city also has a sordid history.  Hundreds of years ago, this was hub of the slave market where traders came from all over the world to trade in human flesh.

All of that is long gone, and now as you walk around the city, all you’ll notice is the intricate wood carved doors. Zanzibar is known for their beautifully elaborate woodwork designs.