Official website This fortress like abbey dates to the late 5th century. History has it that the then bishop of Aix, Lazarus, brought a monk, John Cassian, to France. Jean Cassien is said to be the founder of this monastery, built to honor matyr and local soldier, Saint Victor, executed in 290 AD. Picture […]
Marseille: Notre-Dame de la Garde
This basilica is situated at the highest natural point in Marseille, south of the Old Port. It is refered to as la bonne mère (the good mother) by locals as it overlooks the city. Foundation began in 1853 on a hill that was already important as a look-out point and a place of worship. The […]
Egg throwing vandalism at the Memorial Des Camps de la Mort, Marseille
After our visits to Notre Dame de la Garde and Abbaye St.Victor we decided to visit a museum with the City Pass. The closest to us, the Musée de la Mode (Fashion), supposedly was closed and relocated so we decided to visit the Memorial des camps de la Mort (Holocaust memorial/museum) instead especially since we […]
Annoying Sounds
You know how scratching your fingernails on a blackboard drives some people crazy? That doesn’t bother me too much. What gets me are oro-nasal sounds. Gurgling, hacking, sniffling, junky coughing, snoring, etc. In medicine, I get to add on the experience of (oral) suctioning someone or being around when they are being suctioned – you […]
Marseille: Sea, Sun & a few Sights
My sisters have fond memories of Marseille, France from our last visit there in 1989. It was therefore natural that on this sibling trip to Europe we will spend a few days there. It is even more anticipated as it had been cold and rainy all week in Berlin and Antwerp. The plan was to […]
Pergamon Museum (Berlin) Highlights
We found ourselves at the end of our Berlin vacation not having yet gone to a single museum. So after meeting up with old childhood friends, and having some downtime before our “next meeting”, for this is what the vacation had become, we went to the Pergamon Museum. It was originally built between 1910 and […]
Gustatory memories of Berlin
Part of the experience of travel is the food. It doesn’t even have to be gourmet. I love local street food. Ironic, as as an infectious disease physician I frequently counsel against eating and drinking purchases from street vendors when travelling internationally so as to not acquire a food borne illness. Even better is the […]
Side trip to Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp, the diamond center of the world, is a city also known for Flemish artists such as van Dyck and Rubens as well as for fashion. The largest city in Flanders and the second largest harbour in Europe is splendiferous. It boasts many historical buildings reminiscent of the 16th century, the city’s golden era. This […]
Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche
The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was built in the 1890s under direction of Kaiser Wilhelm II to honour his grandfather Kaiser Wilhelm I. It is one of Berlin’s famous landmarks, now more so for its ruins as it was largely destroyed by bombs in 1943 (World War II). A newer church was built on the […]
Charlottenburg First School & Havel School Berlin
On Wednesday, we decided to go visit my former schools in the former West Berlin. They were part of the school system for the children of the British Allies (military) stationed in Germany. I attended class 3 and 4 at Charlottenburg First School. I remember Mrs. Davies and Mrs. Folkes (?sp) as my teachers but […]
A lover of mangoes. A woman - smart, without pretense, lefthanded, Afropolitan - navigating this thing called life. An unapologetic believer in social justice and karma. Choosing to radiate positive energy and be true to myself. Here, my musings.