Author Archives: Pedro & Dana Evelyn Simko

Thai, also known as Siamese, is a tonal language, which means that the meaning of a word can change based on the tone used to pronounce it. There are five tones in Thai: mid, low, falling, high, and rising. For example: “naa” (หน่า) pronounced in a low tone means “face”, in a falling tone itContinue reading “Mr. Fart”

On the southern tip of South America, Argentina is a dream for travellers. This vast nation (five times the size of France) has a hugely diverse climate and topography, covering a vast array of landscapes, from the very arid to, at the other extreme, tropical forests. Argentina features amazing, untouched beaches and some of theContinue reading “Argentina”

On the northwestern tip of Africa, Morocco is a large and multi-faceted country, about twice the size of the UK, which we had the great pleasure of visiting for several weeks in September 2021. Our itinerary took us from Casablanca to Tangier via Rabat. From there we headed south to Fès with stops in ChefchauenContinue reading “Morocco”

For the longest time, we watched with envy how people in the autumn wandered out of the forest behind our chalet in Chamonix, with bags filled with mushrooms. The very best are the delicate, beautiful chanterelles, which the locals call “girolles”. We tried several times to find a guide to help us identify the areasContinue reading “Mushrooms in Chamonix”

Braila, a city in eastern Romania, offers a stark reminder of how towns rise and fall, at the mercy of politics and politicians. My family lived in Braila in the middle of the XIXth century and I was curious to find out more about this town, which is only a short distance away from Craiova,Continue reading “The lessons of Braila, Romania”

With a population of just over 100 million, Egypt is one of Africa’s largest countries. It’s also one of the most fascinating places you can visit, the birthplace of one of the world’s oldest civilisations. But this country has a lot more to offer than (amazingly well) preserved vestiges of a glorious past. Modern-day EgyptContinue reading “Egypt”

Situated on Africa’s Eastern coast, just below the equator, and with a surface of about 1 million km2, Tanzania is twice the size of France, but by no means one of Africa’s largest countries (Africa itself is three times the size of the US). About 56 million people live in Tanzania, a country in whichContinue reading “Tanzania”