Robert K Stephen (CSW)

“Travels to a Different Time” : June 11, 1971 (New York and Athens): Up Up and Away! Three Chicken Dinners and Two Lunches Down the Hatch!

Up at 8:30, had a shower and fully packed at 9:30. At ten we were out the door in a cab to pick up a stew Brigitte who would be working our flight to Athens from JFK. To our surprise at the ONA terminal office we ran into Barb and her friend Marx who hadContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : June 11, 1971 (New York and Athens): Up Up and Away! Three Chicken Dinners and Two Lunches Down the Hatch!”

“Travels to a Different Time” : June 9/10, 1971: Piddling Around in New York; Where in the World Are We Going? We are Going to Athens!

June 9, 1971: I woke up at 9 a.m. and refused a ham sandwich for breakfast. I went to Sloan’s Supermarket and bought some groceries. But then Mom told me to go out again and get some more groceries. For lunch mom made some hamburgers and not having eaten breakfast I had three of them.Continue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : June 9/10, 1971: Piddling Around in New York; Where in the World Are We Going? We are Going to Athens!”

RKS Wines: Portuguese Wines from Lisboa

My heart in Portugal for wine rests in the Douro Valley. I have been there numerous times and met many winemakers but it is getting tugs toward the Dão, Alentejano and Lisboa because of some very exciting wines that keep their Portuguese identity using Portuguese grapes but add Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Alicante Bouschet toContinue reading “RKS Wines: Portuguese Wines from Lisboa”

Passage of the Day: Retirement as Stressful

“For instance you may have been looking forward to retirement for years and be happy when it first comes and you can finally stop getting up early and going to work. But after a while you may not know what to do with all the time that you have. You may come to miss theContinue reading “Passage of the Day: Retirement as Stressful”

“Travels to a Different Time” : Prelude to a 1971 Adventure: Midnight Express to New York

June 2, 1971: Today Mom was up at 4:30 in the morning too excited about our upcoming trip. I am studying and have no time to get excited. June 7, 1971: No idea where we are going. Sister Barb will not be in New York when we arrive. June 9, 1971: Wrote my last dumbContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : Prelude to a 1971 Adventure: Midnight Express to New York”

“Travels to a Different Time”: Reflections on My 1970 Trip

Montreal September 4, 1970: Back in Montreal and well rested and very toasty brown. Oh my how white and pale I looked on my first day on the Greek beach. How quickly I burnt in the sun. Now I can spend hours and just keep turning a darker shade of brown. Good to be sleepingContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time”: Reflections on My 1970 Trip”

“Travels to a Different Time” August 15, 1970: Istanbul; Welcome to Hippieville! Police Profit from Hashish Stings

Letter from Margaret Mary Stephen to Barbara Stephen (daughter): Hi Barb: So help me if it was hard to make oneself understood in Greece it’s almost impossible here in Istanbul. I think we are in Hippieville. I have never seen so many. You can see the Turks laughing at them. Most we have talked toContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” August 15, 1970: Istanbul; Welcome to Hippieville! Police Profit from Hashish Stings”

“Travels to a Different Time ” : August 18-21, 1970 : Last Days in Istanbul: War, Chickens at the Airport and Cholera: Beware of Hashish: Off to a Turkish Bath

August 18, 1970: Up early. Mom heard a vendor below selling fruit so she rushed down and bought monster peaches and some grapes. You must grab the fruit quick before the vendor replaced it with second quality fruit. Man, you must be sharp in Istanbul. It is becoming more of an enjoyable game in IstanbulContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time ” : August 18-21, 1970 : Last Days in Istanbul: War, Chickens at the Airport and Cholera: Beware of Hashish: Off to a Turkish Bath”

“Travels to a Different Time” : August 1970: On the Midnight Express to Istanbul: Custom’s Officers Get Fresh with Mom: Mom’s Rump Pinched by the Turks! The Bill on the Ground Scam

After seeing Oliver Stone’s film “Midnight Express” is heading to Istanbul wise? We had first class tickets but did not exactly know where to get to first class so I think we ended up in second class beside some barfy old lady. We were told by a conductor first class was ahead so off weContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : August 1970: On the Midnight Express to Istanbul: Custom’s Officers Get Fresh with Mom: Mom’s Rump Pinched by the Turks! The Bill on the Ground Scam”

RKS Film: “I May be Dead by Tomorrow”: The Never-Ending Battle of Street People

If you live in a major urban centre and are working in or commuting in the downtown core you have seen it time and time again. Homeless people. Homeless people begging. Homeless people drinking. Homeless people fighting. Erratic homeless people shouting to themselves. Homeless people living in encampments. It could be like stoplights they areContinue reading “RKS Film: “I May be Dead by Tomorrow”: The Never-Ending Battle of Street People”