Postcards

Back with my sister and my nieces, three years after my first visit. We’d done the sights last time; this time, Bali too.

Ubud and Seminyak with my family: the beaches, the rice paddies, and the swing.

Gyeongju is beautiful and underrated, a museum without walls. In Seoul I ate my way through Gwangjang Market every day, and Kkanbu’s fried chicken is the best I’ve ever had.

Umrah with my family. Madinah was the most peaceful city I’ve been to; we walked to Masjid an-Nabawi every night. In Makkah I did my first Umrah near the Kaaba, then more with my parents.

Barcelona, Seville, Córdoba and Madrid, on my own. The Sagrada Família’s stained glass in the afternoon light, and tapas enough to try everything. Seville and Córdoba won me over, especially the old bridge at sunset.

A layover on our Umrah trip, and a guide who drove us around Istanbul. We strolled the market at night, stopped for quick photos of the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, and had chicken skewers and beef kebabs.

Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, solo. Fresh omakase ruined all other sushi for me, and the convenience stores make every other convenience store seem inconvenient. Everything works, maybe a little too perfectly.

Melbourne, staying with my sister and my nieces. The Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island, kangaroos everywhere, and one of the best downtowns I’ve seen.

Auckland with my family: Waiheke Island, Māori tattoos, which were new to me, and honey that was amazing.

Fourteen hours between flights, so I went downtown: a hilly walk to the pier, seafood, and a boat past Alcatraz and the Golden Gate. I saw the cable cars but never rode one.

Three days in Paris: the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, museums and a lot of good food. One of the better transit systems I’ve used, and every street looks the part.

Five cities on my own, and I’d go back for three: Cinque Terre for the cliffs and the sea, Florence for the Renaissance, and Venice, which is like no other city.

A stroll over from my hostel in Rome, and only afterwards did I find out I’d been in another country. The smallest one there is, and it still has its own post office.