Godiva Chocolate Aboard Turkish Airlines

Godiva's signature package is the Gold Ballotin (French for "small, cardboard box of chocolates")

I had the privilege and pleasure of flying business class recently, from Chicago to Istanbul, on Turkish Airlines, and being served a Godiva chocolate upon boarding.  I just learned that Campbell Soup owned Godiva since 1967, then sold to Yildiz in 2008.  It is evidently no accident that I and other passengers have this deliciously sinful chocolate, as Yildiz is an Istanbul-based company.    

Luxurious Sunset Beach in Saudi Arabia

This is the Sunset Beach in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and is just off the Persian (Arabian) Gulf.  Imagine looking starboard (right side), we see the forecastle at the far end of the top photo and the quarter deck and promenade deck in the bottom photo.  Coupled with an afternoon sun and a cool breeze, it all makes for a luxurious experience.
 

Lovely Hibiscus across the Middle East

In the western world the hibiscus is considered the symbol of delicate beauty. In Korea it is the symbol of immortality. Hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii and Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea.  Hibiscus is used as an offering to Lord Ganesha and the Goddess Kali in the Hindu religion.

Reference: The Hibiscus Flower.

I see this lovely flower often across the Middle East, such as Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and here in Saudi Arabia.  In fact, this bush right in front of my villa has been flowering the last couple of weeks, as temperatures rose from chilly and nippy, to warm and pleasant.
 

Aggravated at the Istanbul Atatürk Airport

I was tired from a long journey from the US to the Middle East, and I was aggravated with my long layover at the Istanbul Atatürk Airport, because my new AT&T phone line wasn't roaming on my Galaxy Note and the internet connection everywhere I walked was poor.

A Curiosity of Mundane Travels

Sometimes the photos we take are accidental, and even mundane travels are a curiosity, aren't they.

A Winter-Grizzled Tree

I despise winters in Chicago.  It was just November when we had a sudden frigid spell, and even though it warmed up, relatively speaking, snow fell periodically from then through December.  That said, there is a certain curiosity and beauty to our whether, which I try to capture now and then.