Travels with Tommy

The city of Izmir lies on the Aegean Sea and until the 20th century was known as Smyrna. It is a city of over 4 million people and ranks as the 3rd largest city in Turkey. The waterfront in Izmir is one of the finests public waterfront areas you'll find anywhere in the world. I've been many places around the world and I can't think of one that is nicer. The area along the Aegean Sea drew me like a moth to a flame. It is alive with people fishing, The Clock Tower dates to 1901 walking, running, bicycling, picnicking, romancing, reading, playing music, and just sitting. The Kordon is a place where you can breathe in the fresh sea air while a crescendo of Turkish life plays out all around you. Starting with the seawall, you find people fishing, relaxing, or maybe romancing. Next is a wide promenade, wide enough for thousands of locals and tourists to get their steps in. Next is a bit of green space, a bicycle path, and then a wide open green space that fills up with...

Gran Teatro de La Habana Throughout my life, Cuba has had a certain mystique about it, a place that was both exotic and forbidden. It is a place filled with old cars, Spanish architecture, lively music, friendly people, cigars, and rum. Technically Cuba isn't open for vacationing Americans but you can visit for specific reasons as laid out by the American government. I'm not going to cover regulations for visiting because they have changed a number of times since I first visited Cuba in 2016. It's hard to decide where to begin because there are so many things about Cuba that are worth writing about, so this post will be the first of many about Cuba.  People who have been to Ireland speak of how many lovely shades of green exist there, how the greens are unlike any greens found anywhere in the world. I went to Ireland and saw it for myself. It was amazing! Well, in my opinion, the same sort of comparison can be made to the blue skies of Cuba, the Havana Blues. The m...

The spectacular Library of Celsus The Republic of Turkey holds many treasures of the ancient world. One of the more well-known places is Ephesus. An important city in ancient Greece Christians know Ephesus as home to the one of the The Seven Churches of Asia as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. It was also home to the Temple of Artemis (550 B.C.), which was one of the Seven The theater held 25,000 and was the oldest in the ancient world. Wonders of the Ancient World. The iconic feature of present-day Ephesus is the awe-inspiring facade of the Library of Celsus. It was completed in 117 A.D and, holding 12,000 scrolls, was the third largest library in the ancient world. You'll also find the 25,000-seat theater, what many believe to the largest in the ancient world.  Ephesus should be on your must-see list if you ever find yourself in Turkey.  Mosaics on the floors are 2,000 years old.  The goddess Nike The Temple of Hadrian