Author Archives: carolinebotwin

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About carolinebotwin

Caroline Botwin and her husband Mike are retired educators who have always had a yen for travelling: he with a PH.D and teaching Architectural Engineering plus California wine education, and she having taught high school English, speech and drama. Both wanted to learn first hand about other cultures. While Mike predominately studied buildings and structures and met with winemakers, Caroline hunted for ancient sites and peoples. And kept journals of all their travels.

2 Families, intertwined, who saw the world differently

Posted on September 8, 2018 by carolinebotwin

My first real memory of my grandparent’s home in Saint Louis Missouri, was traipsing down the basement stairs, slipping and sliding in my new patent leather shoes, at age 4. I was looking for, “Tommy the turtle” being the youngest … Continue reading →

Posted in America | 1 Comment

Bournemouth: Staging for WW II

Posted on August 25, 2018 by carolinebotwin

  This picture shows London as we left it.  We crossed the 2nd  bridge (straight ahead) and it gives an overview of how far you had to drive to leave this marvelous city. Now for the relaxing influence of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Wales | 3 Comments

EARLIER: THE BEGINNING

Posted on August 18, 2018 by carolinebotwin

Stone Porch Inn, Evanston Illinois. This was our planned Murray clan meeting place. Mike and I flew in from LA while brother Frank and wife Sally drove in from Gross Point Woods. And timely that we met in the garage—Frank … Continue reading →

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China: Beijing

Posted on August 15, 2018 by carolinebotwin

I took this picture when plastered against the window, about 30 minutes before we landed.  (Probably over Manchuria) The fog and smog was about the same as flying into San Francisco. Happy to see our guide “Charlie” with a big sign … Continue reading →

Posted in China | 2 Comments

The Serendipity of Senior Malfunctions when traveling Independently

Posted on August 10, 2018 by carolinebotwin

This first segment has to do with “closed” mountain passes, “bus” people,  (derogatory, yes…due to being independent-travelers), hotel and motorcycles. Driving to Lake Bled, Slovenia  was nerve wracking with narrow roads and hairpin turns, additionally  complicated with falling snow. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Slovenia | Leave a comment

The Serendipity of Independent Travelers Malfunctions…..when seeing new places

Posted on August 7, 2018 by carolinebotwin

Raised in Ohio in a rectangular house with rooms the same, filled with French and Italian Provincial furniture, Casa Batllo, in Barcelona, was a new awakening for me. Antoni Gaudi, born in 1852 and died under the wheels of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Spain | 1 Comment

Bits of Ireland

Posted on July 27, 2018 by carolinebotwin

This 5000 year old Newgrange Stone age neolithic Passage tomb near Dublin, Ireland, continues to be a mystery. It predates both Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids. We do know that one of their purposes was for the spiritual  passage of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ireland | 3 Comments

The Templar Knights of La Couvertoirade

Posted on July 20, 2018 by carolinebotwin

We left Montpellier, France on the A-75 highway to Paris. It was heavily packed with Sunday traffic and impacted with roadwork repairs. We exited for the first stop in tracking the Footsteps of the Knights Templar at the 11th century … Continue reading →

Posted in France | 1 Comment

Caroline the Catalyst

Posted on May 31, 2018 by carolinebotwin

I once spoke to a clairvoyant woman when I was 22 years old. She told me many eerie things; she spoke of past lives, told me I rarely ever live beyond the age of 28 because I prefer to live … Continue reading →

Posted in California | Leave a comment

Final Journey through Turkey: Part 3 redo

Posted on May 9, 2018 by carolinebotwin

Friday 6-21-12 The ride down the hills to Assos was long and hazardous but we made it and checked into our third floor room-with-balcony. Only eight rooms had a view-with-balcony, which had a heavy overhang to keep out the weather … Continue reading →

Posted in Turkey | Leave a comment