Category Archives: Vacation spots

Just call for Superman

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Liz Barron

We’d been eyeing a table piled with box lunches, fresh fruit, and bunches of orchids and hoped this abundance was for us. A mini-bus pulled up at the turning circle and disgorged a bundle of Buddhist monks who immediately began … Continue reading →

Posted in bad knees, Beauty, Cross-cultural understanding, Embarrassment, gratitude, Koh Chang, personal failings, snorkeling, Superheroes, Thailand, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, Vacation spots | 1 Comment

Even the monks have iphones now: a return visit to Bangkok

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Liz Barron

Soi 18. Sukhumvit 36. An unremarkable Bangkok alley that we came to believe was the magical creation of Thailand’s Lewis Carroll or CS Lewis. We’d booked a couple of nights in the Rembrandt Hotel to give our spines the chance to … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Bangkok, cocktails, Cooking, Cross-cultural understanding, drinking, eating out, family, fashion, Food, Local delicacies, Mother/daughter dynamic, New Year, packing, shopping, Thailand, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel, Vacation spots, young women | Leave a comment

Capsicums and the Spirit of competition in the Caucasus

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Liz Barron

Picture credit:Peter Barron The Dezerter market in Tbilisi is so-called because soldiers in a Russian-Georgian war (1920s) went there to dump their guns when they tired of fighting. Deserting trends there still. The market stall holders were asked to vacate … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Cooking, Cross-cultural understanding, drinking, eating out, Food, food safety, Georgia, Lake Sevan, Tbilisi, Things that gladden the heart, travel, Vacation spots, Village life, wine | Leave a comment

What to do in Tbilisi.

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Liz Barron

Aghmashenebeli Avenue. Make three attempts to save this name in your phone, and go there when you visit Tbilisi. This paved street in the new town has loads of alluring outdoor cafes serving Georgian wines and flaky khachapuri — pastry … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Cooking, craft activities, Craft beer, Cross-cultural understanding, drinking, eating out, Food, Georgia, Great weekends, Local delicacies, social media, Tbilisi, Things that gladden the heart, travel, Vacation spots, wine | 1 Comment

The Ting About Dubai (or “Jamaica?” “No, she drank of her own accord.”)

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Liz Barron

We found what must surely be the only Jamaican bar in the Middle East. Ting Irie is in a Souk attached to the Manzil Hotel in downtown Dubai. Although the restaurant is the real ting, the Souk is not. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Beauty, Capitalism, clothes, Cross-cultural understanding, drinking, eating out, fashion, Food, Jamaica, Marketing, Middle East, Mother/daughter dynamic, personal failings, shopping, Social niceties, travel, UAE, Vacation spots | 1 Comment

Teachable moments in Dubai

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Liz Barron

I once had a boyfriend who said I could suck the fun out of anything. Fair warning: I am about to give this treatment to Dubai, a place I, perhaps unexpectedly, now adore. Everything you have ever heard about Dubai … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Beauty, Capitalism, Cross-cultural understanding, Design, drinking, Dubai, eating out, fashion, Food, Islam, joy, Learning, life lessons, Marketing, Middle East, National pride, shopping, Things that gladden the heart, travel, UAE, Vacation spots, Women | 3 Comments

Taxi Talk

Posted on July 9, 2017 by Liz Barron

Ara taught himself English from an old phrase book. He was 10 years old and Armenia was at war with Nagorno-Karabakh. His world was an uncertain and dangerous place and Armenia’s economy was in tatters. In 1994 there was nowhere … Continue reading →

Posted in apricots, Armenia, Beauty, Cross-cultural understanding, Driving, Drugs, Environment, family, friendship, Great weekends, Household tips, Jermuk, Language learning, Nagorno-Karabakh, Syunik Marz, Things that gladden the heart, travel, Vacation spots | 1 Comment

Armenia the Beautiful

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Liz Barron

Video credit: Peace Corps Volunteer Olivia Route. Olivia’s short film about her springtime in Armenia is less than five minutes long and worth watching. Everyday for the last couple of months she has recorded a few seconds of footage on her … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Beauty, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, family, Food, joy, Mount Ararat, Peace Corps, Social niceties, Syunik Marz, travel, Vacation spots, Village life, Women | Leave a comment