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My night as a Kurdish wedding guest: Neutral corners and dance, dance, dance

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There are few better insights into a local culture than a wedding. During my recent trip through southeastern Turkey, our Travelers’ Century Club scored an invite to a Kurdish wedding. It was fabulous. We were the honored guests among 2,000 people. It wasn’t like any wedding I’d ever been to. Where else can’t men and women dance together?

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Into the land of the Kurds: A former war zone makes a comeback

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The Kurds are among the most persecuted ethnic group in the world and I entered their culture with a trip to southeastern Turkey which was a war zone until 10 years ago. The Kurds still dream of a homeland but are enjoying life again and I enjoyed their hospitality in the cities of Van and Hakkari and a short hiking into the beautiful Ciro Mountains.

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Cape Town after dark: From the waterfront to the theater

Cape Town

Cape Town, South Africa, is a long ways away from many places but its landscapes make the trip worth it. However, it’s more than beautiful views and seascapes. It is also rich culturally and gastronomically. And it isn’t nearly as dangerous as Johannesburg.

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Istanbul’s Asian side: Only a ferry away but feels a continent away

People fishing off the pier in Moda on Istanbul

On our third trip to Istanbul two weeks ago, Marina and I decided to explore the city’s less-trodden Asian side. We were blown away by how calm, empty and leafy it was. It really felt like a continent away from the crowds and the chaos on the European side. We roamed three neighborhoods and had lunch by the Strait of Bosphorus while a hungry bird joined us from the nearby wall.

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AS Roma and Oregon Ducks: The highest anticipated seasons of my lifetime

Roma shirts

I’m 70 years old and never seen my hometown Oregon Ducks win a national college football title. Neither has anyone else. They never have. I’ve lived in Rome for 12 years and never seen my AS Roma win a Serie A title. Its last was in 2001. But this year, my Ducks are ranked second in the country and my Roma finished third last season and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in eight years. These two upcoming seasons are the most highly anticipated of my lifetime. I await the letdown.

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La Campana: Rome’s oldest restaurant still drawing crowds after 508 years

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La Campana opened its doors in Rome’s Centro Storico in 1518 and has been operating ever since as Rome’s oldest restaurant. It could lay claim as the world’s oldest restaurant but it has been too busy serving its loyal clientele to hassle the Guinness Book of World Records much. Marina and I went Saturday night for our second time. La Campana is not a tourist trap. The food is too good.

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Italy’s hot-weather dishes: What to eat when the heat eats you

Prosciutto e melone

So how do YOU cool off in these blazing hot summer days. Here in Rome, I don’t eat much. He wants to eat, let alone cook, in this heat? But I do get hungry and I found a collection of hot-weather Italian dishes that are not only delicious but healthy and cool. Here’s a list of 10 that you can probably make wherever you are.

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Air conditioning grows in Italy as global warming bakes Europe

AC The Local

Hot enough for ya’? Italy is steaming again. Temperatures here in Rome have been in the high 90s with 40-50 percent humidity. But Italians are changing. They are finally embracing air conditioning. The number of homes with AC has doubled since 2013 and appliance stores are experiencing brisk sales. I braved the heat to explore the trend and take the temperature of the asphalt. Then I scurried back to my AC flat.

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