Author Archives: jayandtanya

Chernobyl: A day in the exclusion zone

Posted on December 30, 2017 by jayandtanya

Early in the morning of April 25, 1986, nuclear engineer Alexander Akinhov was busy preparing his night-shift team for a special test they were about to conduct at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant #4 in northern Ukraine. The team was … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Ukraine | 9 Comments

Night Train to Lviv

Posted on December 20, 2017 by jayandtanya

“You want to take a train to…where?” asked the German travel agent in Wiesbaden. “Lviv, Ukraine.” Jay answered. “Lviv?” “Yes, Lviv.” The travel agent looked perplexed as she searched her screen. “Oh, you mean, Lemberg.” Thinking that the agent was … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Ukraine | Leave a comment

Ukraine: Chernivtsi

Posted on December 13, 2017 by jayandtanya

The intrepid twosome rode quietly in the back of a Kiev taxi as it made its way through the gathering dusk and cold wintry haze for the 40-minute ride to Kiev’s Boryspil International Airport. After entering the airport departure area … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Ukraine | 5 Comments

Ukraine: Kiev

Posted on December 4, 2017 by jayandtanya

Two weeks in Ukraine in November left lasting impressions on our traveling duo. This is a country with an incredibly complex and sad past, an uneasy present and an uncertain future (as if the future is ever certain). To say … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Ukraine | 4 Comments

Six Weeks in the Homeland

Posted on October 30, 2017 by jayandtanya

September and the early part of October found us back in the Homeland, immersing ourselves in visits with friends, family and jazz. Other than a week in Monterey, California for our annual visit to the Monterey Jazz Festival, all our … Continue reading →

Posted in USA | 1 Comment

Ålesund—Picture Perfect

Posted on September 23, 2017 by jayandtanya

Ålesund, Norway is one of those places on earth where the description “picture perfect” easily applies. Established in early 19th century, the town of 50,000 is the most important fishing harbor in Norway. Since the North Sea oil boom began … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Norway | Leave a comment

Oregon State Fair

Posted on September 13, 2017 by jayandtanya

On our trip back to the homeland, Tanya and Jay simply could not resist visiting the Oregon State Fair. For our readers outside the US, who may not be familiar with state fairs, they are a bit of a throwback … Continue reading →

Posted in USA | 2 Comments

Oslo—The Nature of Being Norwegian

Posted on September 6, 2017 by jayandtanya

On a recent sunny day in Oslo, Jay and Tanya went searching for what defines the Norwegian character. What is it that makes Norwegians, and their descendants, think and act the way they do? Essentially, what is “Norwegianness”? Tanya has … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Norway | 4 Comments

Helsingør: Famous for Hamlet and Tax Collection

Posted on August 30, 2017 by jayandtanya

Perched on the very eastern tip of Denmark is the historic port city of Helsingør, or Elsinore as it’s called in English. This windswept town of 62,000 is most famous for Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The castle … Continue reading →

Posted in Denmark, Europe | Leave a comment

Sevnica, Slovenia: The Town Melania Left Behind

Posted on August 23, 2017 by jayandtanya

A few weeks ago we took a roughly 2-hour drive from Ljubljana, Slovenia to the small 5,000-person town of Sevnica, where Melania Trump grew up. We had read that the town was trying to capitalize on its famous former resident … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Slovenia | 4 Comments