March 2015

In Tripoli, Libya, on Jan. 27, gunmen stormed the popular Corinthia Hotel, killing nine people, including one American. The Islamic State (ISIL), a self-designated caliphate, claimed responsibility for the attack, though their direct involvement was unconfirmed.  

The dual governments of Libya, the “popularly” elected House of Representatives, currently housed in the city of Tobruk in the east, and the militia-backed General National Congress in Tripoli, announced a cease-fire agreement on Jan. 18.

On Jan. 21, 12 people were stabbed by a Palestinian man aboard a public bus in Tel Aviv, Israel. At least five of those stabbed were in serious to critical condition. The attacker was shot in the leg and arrested when attempting to flee the scene. 

Israeli authorities are calling the incident a terrorist attack, though the attacker has not been connected with any terrorist organization.

A suspected Israeli air strike on Jan. 18 in Syria at the Golan Heights killed at least seven people, including one Iranian general and six Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon. An Iranian spokesperson said that the fighters were there to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the region, which has been in rebel hands since 2013. 

Ukrainian forces withdrew from the main terminal at the Donetsk Airport in eastern Ukraine on Jan. 22 after a prolonged engagement with rebel forces that left six Ukrainian soldiers dead and 16 wounded. A rebel spokesperson put rebel casualties at 24 dead and 30 wounded.

Shelling in the rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk on Jan. 22 may have killed as many as 16 civilians, including at least eight at a bus stop in Donetsk. Ukraine and the rebels blame each other for that shelling.

A suicide bomber blew herself up in a Turkish police station on Jan. 6, killing herself and one officer and wounding another officer. The attack happened near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in the Sultanahmet district.

Days earlier, on Jan. 1, no one was injured when a man threw grenades at police officers stationed at the prime minister’s office.

The Marxist and anti-Western militant organization Revolutionary People’s Liberation Front, known in Turkey as DKHP-C, claimed responsibility for both attacks. A DKHP-C suicide bomber hit the US Embassy in Ankara in 2013.

In spite of the Jan. 7 terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris, the staff decided to release the next issue with a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad crying and holding a sign reading “Je Suis Charlie” (“I am Charlie”), a slogan that quickly spread after the attack.

In response to the Jan. 14 magazine cover, protests against the depiction of Muhammad occurred across the Muslim world, occasionally escalating into violence.

On Jan. 7 in Paris, France, two men, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi — armed with assault rifles — entered the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical French magazine, and opened fire on the staff. They killed 11 people and injured another 11, then killed a police officer as they made their escape. Witnesses reported the men yelled “God is great” and “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad” during their attack.

I travel overseas about three times a year. I don’t usually write reviews, but when I do, it’s because it’s an exceptional hotel or place.

I stayed for one night in Casa El Edén (Calle Esmeraldas Oe 3-30 y Guayaquil, Quito 170401, Ecuador; phone +593 2 228 1810, www.casaeleden.com) on Dec. 30, 2014. 

Situated in the heart of Quito, this excellent hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Central Market and the spot where people meet for the city’s free walking tours. 

A few years ago, my husband, Bernard, and I spent time in Germany along the Mosel River when the grapes were ripening. We had great memories of that trip so decided to visit there again. We flew into Amsterdam in September 2014, rented a car at the airport and headed off.

On the Internet, I had found the Mosel-Landhaus Hotel Oster (Moselweinstrasse 61-63, 56814 Ediger-Eller, Germany; phone +49 0 26 75 232, www.hotel-oster.de). We stayed two nights and paid €72 (near $81) per night for both of us. The staff was very friendly.

In the letter “Used BA Miles for Hotels” (Jan. ’15, pg. 15), a subscriber mentioned the high fees charged for an international flight on British Airways (800/247-9297, www.britishairways.com). I had the same experience on a round-trip flight from Chicago to Oslo, Norway. The cost was 100,000 Avios (BA’s frequent-flyer miles) plus $1,800. I promptly canceled the booking.