Spain and Luxembourg

I was in Sevilla, Spain from July 31, 2009 until August 3 after which I flew to Luxembourg, and there spent 7 days until flying back to New York on August 10.

In Spain I met with a number of people privately, spent a bit of time in public meetings, and attended the final match of the Peace Cup, hosted this year by Real Madrid. (Aston Villa (Birmingham) defeated Juventus Turin in penalty kicks after two overtime periods.)

I only took a couple of pictures there in Sevilla
(By the way, you can click on any slide show to go to the pictures yourselves, download them or whatever.)




On the 3rd of August I flew and bussed to Luxembourg where I spent a week, visiting families, and holding a number of private meetings for projects of various description.

Here are the pictures from my Luxembourg visit, but after that I isolate a couple of pictures so as to provide explanation:

A Week for Teaching in Wyoming

On July 27 I flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming courtesy of the Westchester-based International Leadership Training Program (ILTP). My original itinerary (via Denver) was re routed when the first outbound leg collapsed. I flew via O' Hare. The travel was simple and easy enough.

My ignorance of the geography aided the cause of my jaw drop thrill upon arriving to land in Jackson Hole. The Grant Tetons lining the flight path and rising up above our descent was breath-taking. This taken breath was never returned, even for a moment throughout the time of my stay.

The photo show below begins with the landing runway. Beside it rises up snow capped peaks. The training locale was in Idaho, over an hour away in the Targhee National Forest Preserve.

This is an area of unspeakable beauty. To me it said in every moment "vertical."

As delightful was my discovery of the group I came to teach. As with the terrain, my ignorance aided my delight and sense of wonder. I found myself addressing approximately 30 young people in a mix I'd never seen before that day. Students were young people in their 20's, pausing in the middle of a 2 - 3 year leadership training program for their Summer education summit. Their distinction lay not only in their humble and noble commitment to self-creation, and social improvement, but in their makeup.

These program members were from Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Nepal, Mainland China, Moldova, Japan, United States, Ivory Coast and more. I can only imagine, I learned more than I sought to teach.

Here are a few images from this most blessed week for me.

Pablo and Nancy Marry

We have lived next door to our immediate neighbors for 17 years, Betty Martinez, her mom, and every now and again Betty's brother Pablo. Wonderful family, wonderful neighbors.

On Wednesday, July 8, 2009, Pablo married his new bride Nancy.

Betty hosted a small celebration in her home, and all my family spent the evening together with the new couple.

Here are some pictures

27th Anniversary

On July 1, Hiroko and I celebrated our 27th Anniversary.

We ate on the Hudson River and then strolled back east toward Madison Square Garden. There we said a prayer at the door we entered on our wedding day.

Here are a couple of pictures from our evening out, and our stroll eastward.

A visit to Northport, Long Island

Most of our gang trained out on a drizzly Saturday for a delightful visit with Father Francis, the Catholic chaplain at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

We visited the harbor, the Church of St. Phillip of Neri, the Medical facility, and the rectory. We ate at Intermezzo Trattoria (which I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend).

Here is a little of our visit:

Pillar to Post

As I beseech the heavens traversing the course of my own little Grapes of Wrath

Friends indeed are helping in always to be remembered ways.

Karen and Kerestel Smith, and Steve Kearney drove down one night to move my office furniture yet another time.





This truck load below was dragged up four flights of stairs.

Tahoe Boy

Pat Hickey wrote an autobiography called Tahoe Boy.

He came to New York to help his publisher promote the book at Book Expo America 2009, in the Javits Center.

I spent a morning with Pat there.

Remarkable to see the industry at work. Here are some of what a visitor would see besides books (in efforts to get your attention).