A truck bomb was detonated at a busy intersection in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Oct. 14, killing 358 people and injuring many others. The bomb destroyed restaurants, hotels and government buildings.
No group took responsibility for the attack, but the bombing was blamed on the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, though a spokesperson from the group denied it was involved. It is the deadliest single attack in Somalia since al-Shabaab began its insurgency there in 2007.
In a hotel in Cienfuegos, Cuba, several years ago, our group was on our way down to the lobby. While waiting for the elevator, I commented that the rather dreary-looking hotel reminded me of the drab, box-like structures in Russian housing blocks.
For my 75th birthday, in September 2015, my sons Ken (age 54) and John (48) and I walked 110 kilometers (68 miles) on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. My 83-year-old husband, Ray, wanted to accompany us, so we rented a car and he became our “Sherpa.”
My husband, Robert Bierman, and I took an 11-day trip through Ireland, May 21-31, 2017, that was arranged for us by Journey Through Ireland (JTI). I booked the trip about six months in advance, and we paid $9,578, not including meals.
Kip Sturdevan of Encinitas, California, wrote, “Several of our friends have taken walking tours on which the organizing companies had arranged accommodations and made sure the luggage would be moved every day to the next night’s lodging, thus allowing the walkers to carry only day packs. Each day’s hike tended to vary from 7 to 14 miles.
At age 100, I returned to, saw and was conquered by Venice. My legs and eyes were not up to the tasks I had in mind, and if I go again, I will stay near an “all points” vaporetto (canal bus) stop. The small wheels on my walker were not suited to the rough pavement.
However, during my one-week, April 2017 visit, I saw the “Treasures of the Wreck of the Unbelievable” exhibit at the Punta della Dogana, went to the Museo Correr, had a look at the Piazza San Marco and had pleasant visits with authors Erla Zwingle and Cat Bauer.
Dear Globetrotter:
Welcome to the — holy cow! — 500th issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine.
During some of my recent adventurous travels, I was greatly disappointed to learn that I get severe reactions to all of the various antimalarial drugs. For this reason, I thought I would never be able to go on an African safari.
A number of readers had strong reactions — some positive and some negative — to the article “The Ugly Tourist (And How Not to Be One)” by ITN Contributing Editor Rick Steves (June ’17, pg. 53).
Kip Sturdevan of Encinitas, California, wrote, “Several of our friends have taken walking tours on which the organizing companies had arranged accommodations and made sure the luggage would be moved every day to the next night’s lodging, thus allowing the walkers to carry only day packs. Each day’s hike tended to vary from 7 to 14 miles.