August in Mexico

Cool weather, delicious fresh food, stunning crafts, beautiful architecture, color everywhere.......Mexico couldn't be more different from Oman. I always expect to have a wonderful time there, and my expectations are always exceeded. Some highlights from Mexico City, Puebla, and Oaxaca, all chosen because their cool weather, delicious food and beautiful crafts.

in the cathedral on the zocalo in Oaxaca

making the famous barro negro (black pottery) in San Bartolo Coyotepec

the fanciful wooden animals of Oaxaca

the valley of Oaxaca from the Zapotec ruins at Monte Alban

the ball court at Monte Alban

the colorful streets of Coyoacan, the most beautiful part of Mexico City

the church of Santa Caterina

the garden at Casa Azul, Frida Kahlo's house in Coyoacan

Puebla, famous for its architecture, Talavera pottery and fabulous food (mole poblano, semitas, huitlacoche)

interior courtyard of our guest house in Puebla

July in Finland

It isn't easy to get to Helsinki from Salalah (Salalah-Muscat-Istanbul-Heathrow-Helsinki) but the long trip was worth every minute to be back in Helsinki, a beautiful, peaceful city with fabulous museums, great cafes and in summer, stunning markets.

After a few days of enjoying the markets and museums (especially a show of Oiva Toikka's works in glass at the Design Museum) we went to the summer house that Maria designed on a lake about 2 hours north of Helsinki. In the Finnish manner, everything in the house is beautiful and perfectly functional. After 10 months in Oman, nothing could have been more wonderful than trees, water, cool weather, Finnish design, and best of all, catching up on news with Maria and Tapani.


11 PM the day we arrived

Maria keeping fit by rowing us around the lake.



While we were on the lake, Tapani fired up the sauna.

2AM July 17th

Unlike the trip from Salalah to Helsinki, a daytrip from Helsinki to Tallinn takes 2 hours on a huge, comfortable cruise ship.

the medieval Town Hall

return to Helsinki at midnight