14 years later...

Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan

I am back in Erbil after an absence of 14 years and, wow, it's a different place. Lots and lots of apartments already up and more on the way. A lot more glitzy, too...

The whole lake with a FANTASTIC book!

Seattle, Washington

Hadn't been around the whole lake in a long time. Most of the ride was great except a serious downpour at the end. But the book I am listening to is FANTASTIC! Not that I would ever even want to undertake that kind of bike ride (along the length of the Silk Road) but it was glorious to take the trip with the author! And what writing!

More "books on bikes":

• "Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road" by Kate Harris. Wow!

50.6 miles

The joy of fall riding

Seattle, Washington

Had a lovely ride today up Juanita Hill. Weather wasn't spectacular but fall is in the air. I feel SO incredibly lucky to be out riding!

More "books on bikes":

• "The World and All it Holds" by Aleksandar Hemon

34.3 miles

Chance encounters

Seattle, Washington

Back on my bike after 3.5 weeks--and it feels great despite the heat. Just finished another fun book on my bike, but the highlight of the ride was spotting a familiar face as I hustled along the Burke Gilman. I turned around to introduce myself this this fellow and, indeed, it was a gentleman that my family travelled with to China 41 years ago. That's pretty good face recognition after 40+ years!

More "books on bikes":

• "Avalon" by Nell Zink

42 miles

Downtown Helsinki!

Helsinki, Finland

A gorgeous late August morning and time for a stroll in downtown Helsinki. The downtown area is packed with all sorts of interesting building and churches. Turned around when I got down to the harbor and found this wonderful old Customs House: "Tull & Packhus." A glorious day for it!

Taiteiden yö - Konstens natt

Helsinki, Finland

Our arrival this morning in Helsinki happily coincided with Helsinki's "Night of the Arts." After dinner, we headed out to explore and there was so much going on that I only had energy for a few things. But I definitely fell in love with the Finnish art at the Ateneumin! On the way home I also stopped into the Svenska Teatern--what a fantastically ornate theater!

Danish minimalism, Part II

Lyngby, Denmark

Saturday morning and we stroll the 1km into the city center to buy breakfast food at the grocery store. We pass a brutalist boxy concrete structure that is clearly a church. It stands out particularly in a city with some of the most gorgeously preserved old Danish houses I have seen. And lovely old churches, too. I find myself wondering...

Sunday morning and I repeat the stroll toward the grocery store but this time I decide to try the doors of the church--it IS Sunday morning, after all. Inside a quite lovely interior awaits. I am reminded of one of my favorite churches in Berlin--a concrete monstrosity that from the inside has some of the most beautiful (modern) stained glass I have ever seen--and a delight to be inside.

Old truisms about not judging books by their covers spring to mind. Though, seriously, from the outside this place looks pretty rough...