On my trip to Boston, I visited my old buddy Brad Patton. We worked together at OTI in Phoenix in the 90s. He and Lili live near Boston and have figured out the recipe for kids!
Anya, their oldest, schooled me in Uno.
She also schooled me in trash talk!
My next trip took me to Utrech, Netherlands.
I had a morning to wander around the old city center.
I had a chance to visit my "cousin" Franke in Leeuwarden. From his living room window, you can see the oldest church in Leeuwarden.
Franke says the new part of his house was built in 1850. The old part was built in 1650.
The old church.
Franke and his son Jelle took me to pay a visit to Franke's mother.
Franke's stepson Edwin came along too.
Tjitske
I also visited Helsinki, Finland, a seaside city with many tiny islands.
The Russian Orthodox Uspensky Cathedral
It's built right on the rocks that lie beneath Helsinki.
The church is adorned with 13 golden cupolas and is the largest Orthodox church in western Europe.
The Helsinki Cathedral sits high atop the city center.
Helsinki has a thorough network of streetcars.
I wandered thru the parks downtown.
The cathedral was lit up beautifully at night.
The views from my hotel room.
I had another evening to bicycle around Helsinki. I wandered thru a nearby open-air museum.
Lots of interesting little inlets and islands.
Some interesting sculptures in a city park.
