Still Alive
When I was 20 I wanted to enter the foreign service. I got the application package, and was ready to write the exam. But when I started going through the package, one of the questions was, “Are there any countries…
Tema Frank
Historical Fiction & Business Author, World Traveler & Speaker
Tema Frank
Historical Fiction & Business Author, World Traveler & Speaker
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
(Sorry if I get the They Might Be Giants song, Istanbul (not Constantinople) stuck in your head; I’m afraid it was going through mine the whole time I was there! Don’t click the link unless you want to risk the earworm.…
Arriving in the Promised Land
Israel is not off to a great start for me. The Israeli couple who sat next to me on the plane didn’t even acknowledge my presence when they sat down. I don’t think I’ve ever had that happen before. I…
Speaking in Kuwait
I was excited to go to Kuwait, as it was a new part of the world for me. And when you get to go with a conference organizer ensuring that all the details are taken care of for you, and…
Gearing Up for Nearly 5 Months of Travel
Yikes! I’m just a day away from departing on my next batch of travels. This time I’ll be going to: Kuwait Turkey Israel Spain Morocco I hope to have the energy to blog while I’m in each of these places,…
Tema Frank: History Detective!
Shmuel, father of Idel, who was the father of Baruch When you hear the words “genealogical research” what comes to mind? For me, it was a little old lady sitting at her computer trying to find out about her distant…
View From a Naples Pizza Stand
DH and I rarely do speed tourism. We prefer to stay in one location for several days at least, preferably weeks or months, so we can soak in what the place is really like. Unfortunately, this is DH’s teaching term,…
Vietri Sul Mare, Italy
1705 Platter The town of Vietri Sul Mare, once known as the gateway to the Amalfi Coast, is famous for its ceramics. The streets of the small village are lined with ceramic shops. According to the guides, there was a…
Why Does My Body Keep Betraying Me?
When I was a kid I envied my classmates who broke their limbs. They would get a cast that all the other kids, and even the teacher, would sign. Everybody made a fuss about them. My neighbour, who broke…
Amalfi Coast Hike: Agerola to Priano to Amalfi
The Amalfi Coast is famous for its spectacular scenery, and one of the best ways to experience it is by hiking. We chose to base ourselves out of Agerola, in the mountains, because it is the starting point for several…
Pompeii and Herculaneum
Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy -- where time stood still, thanks to the deadly eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD
Read MorePompeii and HerculaneumNaples, Italy – First Impressions
View of Mount Vesuvius from our hotel room It feels good to be back in Europe. Surprising how I react to that, but I guess I’ve spent so much time in my life in Europe that it has become a natural…