Chapter 1 “About Myself” My name is Andrij. In Ukrainian that means “warrior”. I am sitting with a group of women and children seeking to leave our city of Kiev. I am cold and hungry. And I am so terrified I can’t stop shaking. Loud explosions are coming closer. Women are crying and some childrenContinue reading ““Andrij The Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog””
Author Archives: Robert K Stephen (CSW)
RKS Wine: Massive Overstock of Liano 2018 Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon
Considering this wine from Emilia-Romagna has been out in Vintages at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario for almost a year and there are still over 13,000 bottles of it in LCBO stores it might be fair to say it is not moving all that well. Could it be indicative of poor quality or overbuyingContinue reading “RKS Wine: Massive Overstock of Liano 2018 Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon”
RKS Film: The Hellenic Film Society USA Presents “Too Much Info Clouding Over My Head”
On my last trip to Greece pre pandemic, whenever that was, I was on the island of Samos near the Turkish Coast probably too close given the rantings of Erdogan, the Turkish Grand Vizier, seeking expansion of the mythological Ottoman Empire by conquering Greek islands in the Northern Aegean. I was there for close toContinue reading “RKS Film: The Hellenic Film Society USA Presents “Too Much Info Clouding Over My Head””
“Travels to a Different Time” : 7August73: Zadar, Yugoslavia: Hooked on Dalmatian Smoked Ham and Beans For Dinner With the Frenchmen
As it was another hitchhiking day and lifts are hard to get in Yugoslavia up at 6 a.m. for a swim at a spectacular beach. I suspect this will be my last ocean swim for 1973. The lineup at the store to buy breakfast supplies was long even for food challenged Yugoslavs. I got aContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 7August73: Zadar, Yugoslavia: Hooked on Dalmatian Smoked Ham and Beans For Dinner With the Frenchmen”
RKS Wine: This Evodia is a Bit of a Mystery
A bit strange that this is a Spanish wine that is “elaborated and bottled” for Altovinum in Perpignan, France. And the label has no classification of what category of wine this is. It strikes me as a French hypermarché wine. The Liquor Board of Ontario Vintages catalogue states it is made by a Spanish co-operativeContinue reading “RKS Wine: This Evodia is a Bit of a Mystery”
“Travels to a Different Time” : 5/6August1973: Dubrovnik and Drevnik Yugoslavia: My Thoughts about Germans: Is it Time for Forgiveness?
August 5th: Up early and avoided the barking of the beanshaved man and plaintive complaining of the maid. A breakfast of Fructal cherry nectar, orange jam and bread. Read until noon and off to the beach until three. Met a guy from Vancouver and since I had no food left ate at the hostel cafeteria.Continue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 5/6August1973: Dubrovnik and Drevnik Yugoslavia: My Thoughts about Germans: Is it Time for Forgiveness?”
RKS Poetry: Putin Feces
“Putin Feces” A sadly isolated Putinsits lonely and disconnected with dreamsof glory of an irrelevant Russia of the pastbombing to pulverize Ukrainians to piecesleaving Russian historians to analyze your feceshoping your turds will be in a mausoleum with your beloved Stalintoo bad the oligarchs and their greed did you inas you ride the horses bareContinue reading “RKS Poetry: Putin Feces”
RKS Wine: Bargain Basement Cistus from Portugal’s Douro
If you follow Portuguese wines price is not necessarily linked to quality. You can score some ageable and high-quality wines under $15. And they keep sneaking into Ontario at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. Yes one does like to support the local wine industry but given the low cost winners from Portugal do youContinue reading “RKS Wine: Bargain Basement Cistus from Portugal’s Douro”
“Travels to a Different Time” : 4August1973; Dubrovnik: Youth Hostels as Ghettos: Walletmania
Woken up from a deep sleep by a militaristic bean shaven man, quite like his counterpart in the youth hostel in Sofia, Bulgaria. They must be from the same gene pool. He was shouting for everyone to get up but no one paid attention to him and rolled over back to sleep. But he wasContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 4August1973; Dubrovnik: Youth Hostels as Ghettos: Walletmania”
“Travels to a Different Time”: 3August1973: Titograd, Kotor and Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia and a Trail of Blood: 34 Hours Without Sleep
What a nightmare bus trip some 7 hours from Skopje to Titograd. I had a hell of a seat at the back of the bus over a hot motor and I was banging to and fro like a ping pong ball. Finally sleep derived and famished I arrived in Titograd and stubbed my toe badlyContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time”: 3August1973: Titograd, Kotor and Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia and a Trail of Blood: 34 Hours Without Sleep”
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