Anatoli and I were on the truck taking volunteers to a combat zone. I remember hearing “Incoming” and Anatoli leaning over and shielding me. A white flash and a boom. I lost my hearing. All the men are dead in the truck and there are body parts everywhere. Anatoli is dead. Three teenagers at theContinue reading ““Andrij The Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog”: Chapter 2 “My Master is Dead: I Am an Orphaned Dog: I am Having Flashbacks””
Author Archives: Robert K Stephen (CSW)
“Travels to a Different Time” : 11August1973: Bled, Yugoslavia: Travelling on the Cheap; A Russian Sprat Man
Often I am asked how you can afford to stay in Europe for three months every year. The main reason may be that since my sister works for Overseas National Airways out of Kennedy Airport in New York I get to travel for free. Of course you never quite know where you may end upContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 11August1973: Bled, Yugoslavia: Travelling on the Cheap; A Russian Sprat Man”
“Travels to a Different Time” : 9/10 August1973: Ljubljana and Bled, Yugoslavia: My Crusty Left Eye and Big Feasts
9August1973: Up early at 7 am to a breakfast of stale rusks with Bulgarian jam, yesterday’s left-over pineapple juice and some grapes. After a glorious hot shower hit the main drag. This is a beautiful city. It is like a Nordic small-scale Venice with numerous canals. I ran into a wandering American with a backpackContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 9/10 August1973: Ljubljana and Bled, Yugoslavia: My Crusty Left Eye and Big Feasts”
“Travels to a Different Time”: 8August1973: Zadar and Ljubljana, Yugoslavia : Spectacular 8 Hour Bus Ride: A Kitchen to Myself
Up at six in the morning and there was some moisture in the tent. Dew? Had leftover grapes for breakfast and had an ice-cold shower (no choice). I went to the campground store and bought some stale rusks for breakfast. I went into town and bought a bus ticket to Ljubljana. Loaded up on foodContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time”: 8August1973: Zadar and Ljubljana, Yugoslavia : Spectacular 8 Hour Bus Ride: A Kitchen to Myself”
“Andrij The Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog”
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””
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?”
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