Constantine We arrived in Ghardaïa after midnight and drove to Beni Isguen Oasis. We stayed in a traditional guesthouse. The rooms were basic, yet had everything that was needed. Water in the shower was hot and no bugs of any kind. The group now consisted of 5 women. The rooms were double, so I had […]
Sahara, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
Timgad Numidians were first to populate this area; they called their city Cirta. In the 3rd century B.C., the Romans razed it to the ground, then rebuilt it under a new name, Constantine, after Emperor Constantine the Great. The city is located on the edge of a deep ravine that makes it a natural fortress.
Constantine, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
Djemila On the following morning, when we were going to Timgad, we learned the reason for police protection. Some Islamist in Janet attacked a Swiss tourist with a knife while she was sitting with her children in a popular café and cut her throat. The woman died and the attacker escaped. While he was on
Timgad, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
Algiers Our next daytrip was to an ancient Roman settlement of Djemila which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is inland and in the hills. Djemila is one of the best preserved Roman cities with amazing mosaics. I was very impressed by mosaics in Syria where I was one month before coming to Algeria.
Djemila, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
I noticed some kind of pattern in my traveling. Every year, I spend summer in Europe with side trips to Asia and Africa. In the fall, I start moving toward home in Colorado with stopovers along the way. This year, I did a trip to Syria from Bulgaria. Then time came to leave Europe, I
Monaco My fourth and last day in France was in Antibes, a small town on the coast about 20- minute train ride from Nice. The main reason for going there was to see Fort Carre. I love forts, fortresses, castles and alike and I had an extra day to kill in France. Fort Carre was
Antibes, France, Oct 2024 Read More »
Nice Not going to Monaco while staying in Nice would have been a big mistake. So, I took the train to Monte Carlo, the capital city of this tiny state, and spent a day visiting the main attractions there. Next was the Oceanographic Museum founded by Price Albert I over 100 years ago. The two
Two weeks on the road during the Syria trip with not enough sleep took the toll on me. I spent 3 weeks in Bulgaria recovering and getting ready for my next destination, Algeria. It was possible to fly from Bulgaria to Algiers on one ticket but this meant a long journey and sleepless nights again.
Nice, France, Oct 2024 Read More »
I hardly got any sleep that night. Breakfast was at 4.30 a.m. and I had no appetite so early in the morning. However, we had a long day ahead and little time for meal breaks. The road from Damascus to Palmyra alone was 5 hours one way. Knowing that, I forced myself to swallow two
Palmyra, Syria, Sep 2024 Read More »
In Damascus Bosra is another ancient city in Syria. During the Roman times, it was the regional capital and a stopover for caravans on the way to Mecca. Today, it is a huge archaeological site containing Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim ruins. It takes 2 hours to get to Bosra from Damascus. The road goes so
Bosra, Syria, Sep 2024 Read More »
