RKS 2023 Travel: My Name is Wolfgang Volk! Living in a Different Portuguese Dimension

Our group of 10 meandered into our hotel Senhora da Rosa Tradition & Nature Hotel in Ponta Delgado. It has been a long day, the day of the aborted landing at Ponta Delgado Airport. It is past midnight and we have an early morning pick up for our flight to PICO Island. We have aContinue reading “RKS 2023 Travel: My Name is Wolfgang Volk! Living in a Different Portuguese Dimension”

RKS Travel 2023: Portuguese Groundhog Day: A Bit of Terror in the Sky and Plenty of Boredom Down Below: SATA Air Azores

Part of being invited to attend Wine and Travel Week in Porto this February included a three day side trip to the Azores, Portuguese Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a bit over two hours as the crow flies but it was not a crow I was flying on but an Air Azores A321Continue reading “RKS Travel 2023: Portuguese Groundhog Day: A Bit of Terror in the Sky and Plenty of Boredom Down Below: SATA Air Azores”

RKS 2023 Food: Sardine Rehab

On my trips to Porto you might say I mainline on the tasty grilled sardines served up at Alexandre Osorio’s Postigo do Carvão right by the river in the historic Ribeira District of Porto. I have been sardining there for years. I mean the starters are great, like the octopus salad and the cod fritters.Continue reading “RKS 2023 Food: Sardine Rehab”

RKS 2023 Wine: Elvis Presley and a Certain Chilean Carménère : Kidia 2018 Reserve Carménère

From the Maule Valley this D.O. Valle Pencahue Carménère is new to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. Follow the lead of Elvis and return to sender! Aromatics: Strawberry, stewed rhubarb, blackberry, charcoal and some raspberry jam. Palate: Moderate tannins initially but augment quickly into a firm grip. Bereft of any real fruit. Almost astringent.Continue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Elvis Presley and a Certain Chilean Carménère : Kidia 2018 Reserve Carménère”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 14 & 15 September 2022 Athens: Hanging on

We must move from Inn Athens to Home Sweet Home Athens as the room was only available for two nights. The ankle is now a shiny red and gleaming and yes more pain. It is very frustrating and tiring. Spent the day in bed reading. The hotel room is very 1970’s except the bathroom hasContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 14 & 15 September 2022 Athens: Hanging on”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 13September2022: Mr. Handicapped in Nightmare Alley: Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece

The ankle has worsened. Fotini went down for breakfast. I have not eaten in two days. Packed up and limped to the waiting car to Thessaloniki Airport. Again on the wheelchair all the way into the plane. Me and a 90-year-old grandmother hoisted on the plane. Very dispiriting. A smooth 45-minute flight to Athens onContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 13September2022: Mr. Handicapped in Nightmare Alley: Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 12September2022: Knee Fine but Ankle No! 9,000 German Deaths: Thessaloniki Greece

The pain in the knee has disappeared but overnight a pain in the ankle. What a pain in the ass! I am a Hop Along Cassidy and in excruciating pain. Nothing works not even the Dicoflex cream from the compounding pharmacy which I had to cease taking due to an adverse reaction being a rashContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 12September2022: Knee Fine but Ankle No! 9,000 German Deaths: Thessaloniki Greece”

“The Penniless Pensioner; Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous” : Chapter 16 Eastern European Espionage

My work for the Central Intelligence Agency caused me no moral dilemma. My assignment was simply to be somewhat of an academic traveller. I was a student of Eastern European politics so I had every reason to be visiting Eastern Europe. I was to hang out in various universities in Eastern Europe and gauge theContinue reading ““The Penniless Pensioner; Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous” : Chapter 16 Eastern European Espionage”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 11September2022: Thessaloniki Greece: Party Time at VIP Club!

After a hearty breakfast at our hotel in Thessaloniki Daios Luxury Living we were picked up by Fotini’s niece for a day at Chaladiki a series of beaches of renown about an hour from the city. We avoided the main highway for a faster and scenic route through rolling countryside mostly farms but with severalContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 11September2022: Thessaloniki Greece: Party Time at VIP Club!”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 10September2022: Thessaloniki Greece: Arthritis Attack

For whatever reason one knee started flaring up in the middle of the night with intense pain and throbbing. I applied some anti-inflammatory cream I had prescribed at a special compounding pharmacy in Toronto. It supposedly takes two days to kick in. Had a delicious breakfast of smoked salmon, watermelon, fresh country bead, poached eggsContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 10September2022: Thessaloniki Greece: Arthritis Attack”