Kessi World

Reunite with the land.

Europe

Grindelwald, Switzerland: That time I tried to outsmart the Swiss

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To view the photo essay associated with this winter getaway, check out Winter hiking in Grindelwald, Switzerland: a photo gallery. Spending the month of January in Seattle is good medicine for me to restart some routines that got lost along the way in 2019.  I had a club membership but traveled so often I forgot the combination to my gym lock.  Food and … [Read more...] about Grindelwald, Switzerland: That time I tried to outsmart the Swiss

Winter hiking in Grindelwald, Switzerland: a photo gallery

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To read a fun story about my ambition to reach the Top of Europe attraction while snow hiking around Grindelwald, go HERE. I was in Switzerland about 20 years ago and our aging relatives Rosie and Renee toured us all around the country. We stopped through Grindelwald briefly and I vowed I'd always return to the Alps when I could spend more time wandering in the … [Read more...] about Winter hiking in Grindelwald, Switzerland: a photo gallery

Newgrange Ireland winter solstice. What it’s like to experience the shortest day of the year in a Stone Age neolith.

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My Irish ancestors might've wandered the same hills throughout the Boyne Valley thousands of years ago, and I feel their energy as hundreds of kindred spirits join hands in a circle to honor the shortest day of the year with a minute of strikes on a ceremonial gong held by a woman dressed in white. The Newgrange Ireland winter solstice experience brings to life mystical vibes … [Read more...] about Newgrange Ireland winter solstice. What it’s like to experience the shortest day of the year in a Stone Age neolith.

Ukraine Week

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All this talk about Kyiv (Kiev) these days reminds me of my own experience in Ukraine last July, 2019.  I wasn’t sitting in a restaurant next to the American diplomats discussing official relations and military aid, but Kyiv is bustling with a feeling that you’re in the middle of a spy novel, waiting for Jason Bourne to come running out of a back alley to jump … [Read more...] about Ukraine Week

Experience Kiev in one day – 10 ways

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Kiev is a welcoming, energetic, intriguing city in a country struggling to maintain a unique identity in the world. The stately capitol city is bursting with tasty food, friendly people, interesting sites and Cyrillic signs. Unfortunately because of a time crunch I was left with only about 48 hours in Ukraine. Since one full day was devoted to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone I … [Read more...] about Experience Kiev in one day – 10 ways