September 19, 2021 Natalia and I have been in Paris since last Sunday. We rented a small, very small, apartment close to Place de la République. It has a square hallway, a mini kitchen with everything you need to cook and an expresso machine, a living room, a dining room, and a bedroom with a … Continue reading Paris: graves, Iphigénie, art and decadence
September 5, 2021 It wasn’t planned this way but here I am, back in Beirut. The situation has continued to deteriorate, there have been talks about evacuation, and Natalia would have had to deal with it alone. So, on Saturday August 28 Marina, her friend, and I traveled to Washington DC. I stayed over the … Continue reading Beirut: not for long
August 9, Last was an eventful week. On August 05 we celebrated Marina’s 16th birthday. Friends came over at night for a BBQ and stayed until the early morning. Despite the dancing, we probably consumed too many calories and too much ethanol (in the form of wine). Still, the next day Natalia was able to … Continue reading Same – Casa-Blanca: Another BD, another departure, ethanol, back to ANTARES
July 1st I'm drinking coffee outside while I write this. There are a couple of cows across the river eating grass for breakfast under the sun. The sun hasn’t reached this place yet and it’s cold, so I had to wear a jacket. This is not Casa Blanca, I am no longer by the beach … Continue reading Tumbaco – Ecuador: Anthropocene; a BD; a departure; Drunk
July 25, 2021 It must have been raining continuously over the past few days. The path down to the river on the north side of the finca was all mud and we walked with difficulty. Ramon Cotera, the manager of the finca and guide, lead the way using his machete as he went to get … Continue reading Casa Blanca – Ecuador: hike at the finca, Le Carré’s first and last, less is more.
July 12, 2021 I was supposed to be writing this post in Grenada. Alas, the sailing trip had to be postponed for family reasons. As planned, Natalia and I left Beirut on June 28 bound to Washington DC and the girls joined from France a couple of days later. But on July 2nd, instead of … Continue reading Casa Blanca – Ecuador: Sailing aborted, anniversary, Return to the Sea, sinking
June 13, 2021 As part of one of her school projects and thanks to our friend Solfrid, Marina was able to go to a Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa valley. She reports that living conditions are marginal; they are in tents, with limited access to water, electricity, and sanitation. More dramatic is the situation … Continue reading Beirut: helping Syrian children, boat gear, cruising plans in Grenada.
June 7, 2021 Not much to report about last week, except for an excessive consumption of food and wine. Wednesday was the opening night of Anise, my friend Hisham’s bar in Mar Mikhael which had been closed since March last year as a result of COVID19 and the explosion in the port. Natalia, Marina and … Continue reading Beirut: Anise reopens; Middle Eastern, Italian, and Armenian cuisines; sail blogs, and the Singular Story of Paul Ceglia
May 29, 2021 We drove in heavy traffic for more than 45 minutes, slaloming between cars, before we could turn East and follow the road up the mountains. The heat and the fumes of the claustrophobic highway were gradually replaced by fresh, clean, air; the temperature dropped a few degrees and the views of the … Continue reading Beirut: lake Chouwan, rides, hikes, nightcaps, privilege and inequality.
May 22, 2021 It is very windy outside, 20-25Kts, and the sea is rough. Swimming might not be an option today. But we are still planning to spend the day at O Chalet lounging, reading, siping wine and eating seafood. Marina arrived on Thursday night, or I should say Friday because it was after midnight. … Continue reading Anfhe: reunited
Sailing to the Pacific in a Bristol 40 