Home Leave 2019

For foreign service employees, there is a congressional mandate to return to the United States between foreign assignments as a way to reconnect with American culture and values.  It's also a great time to visit family and friends and take care of the things that may have been put off for the past couple of years, like the dermatologist and dentist - or that pesky colonoscopy.

Our home leave itinerary was:

• Washington, DC for consultations and training
• Provincetown, Massachusetts
• Maine
• Southern Vermont and NW Massachusetts
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Los Angeles, California
• Bangkok for consultations
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia

We left Bamako right as scheduled on July 25.  Cosmo did great on the flight to Paris as well as the flight to Washington, DC.  He pretty much slept the whole way (this would become a theme for all of his flights).

In DC I had a week of consultations with various areas of the State Department.  For my fellow foreign service colleagues, don't skimp on your consultations.  This is a great opportunity to meet people - even if they don't have anything directly related to your next assignment.  It's also a good excuse to meet up with colleagues and friends from past posts.  In this career, you never know who you may end up serving with in a future assignment, or who knows whom who can help you get that coveted Rome posting later on.  Networking is not something that comes naturally to me, so I've had to work at it.  But it pays off in the long run.

A Bamako reunion with Sena and Keith 

The Washington Monument 

Cosmo and Haechi had a reunion, too. 

We found another Bamako alumni - Andrew.

After DC the real home leave began.  We were off to Provincetown, MA for three weeks, coinciding with Carnival.  This year's theme was "Enchanted Forest".

 Anchors aweigh, Cosmo!

 Leaving Boston for Provincetown on the fast ferry.

 First show - Bob the Drag Queen

 Bob the Drag Queen's show.

 Cosmo on the beach.

 Flags flying at The Harbor Lounge.

 "Shady Pines, Ma!"  We ran into Dorothy and Sophia at tea dance.

 Markle and the Bobs at tea dance.

 It's golden, rainbow hour.

 with David at Ciro and Sal's.

 Sharks sighting are on the increase around Cape Cod.

Cosmo seems less than thrilled at our Carnival costumes.

 Provincetown Carnival 2019

  Provincetown Carnival 2019

  Provincetown Carnival 2019

 Provincetown Carnival 2019 

  Provincetown Carnival 2019

  Provincetown Carnival 2019

  Provincetown Carnival 2019

 Trixie Mattel in Provincetown.

 Mark's sister, Susan, with Mark in Provincetown.

 Mark and Cosmo.

 With Miss Richfield 1981 at Carnival 2019

 Highland Light in Truro, MA.

 Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown, MA.

 Mark and Michael at Cafe Heaven.

 Entering the Seashore.

 Along the Provincelands Dune Trail in Provincetown, MA.

The Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, MA.

After PTown we drove up to stay with friends in Sebago, Maine for a couple of days, then over to southern Vermont and NW Massachusetts for a few more days.

 Mountain view from Greyrocks in Sebago, Maine.

 Hancock Pond near Sebago, ME.

 LOBSTAH!

At the Clark Museum in Williamstown, MA. 

Veterans' War Memorial Tower on Mount Greylock, Adams, MA 

Mark and his twin brother, Michael, on Mount Greylock.

From there is was on to Oklahoma City for more family and finally Los Angeles before leaving the USA.

With giraffes at the Oklahoma City Zoo. 

Good to see that my alma matter is still looking out for the bald eagles at the OKC Zoo. 

At Drag Gospel Brunch in OKC. 

Mark and our new grand niece, Brinley.

I had two days of consultations at the regional financial center in Bangkok before arriving in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan in Bangkok, Thailand.

Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand.

 Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand.

 Golden Buddha at Wat Kanlayanamit in Bangkok.

 On a bicycle tour in Bangkok.

Who wants some durian?

Our home for the next three years - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

 Our closest neighbor.

 Our apartment in Phnom Penh.

 This couch is Cosmo approved.

 Rooftop pool at our apartment building.

Along the Phnom Penh riverfront one morning.

The view from our rooftop - yes there is a tapas bar on our roof.

La Dolce Vita

As the countdown on our Bamako tour continues we decided to take one last long weekend out of town for Memorial Day.  Destination:  Rome!

It was spur-of-the-moment, which for me means only about a month of planning.  We stayed near the Colosseum in an apartment booked through Booking.com.  

Again, we took Turkish Airlines via Istanbul.  However, now we transited through the new Istanbul Airport.  It's new and it's huge.  It just opened and they are still working out some kinks, like better signage for transiting passengers and coffee machines that work at the airport concessions.

First stop in Rome was a haircut and beard trim at Machete Barber Shop.

After the freshen-up we had an evening tour of old Rome

The Altar of the Fatherland or The Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument or The Wedding Cake

Michael and Mark in Rome

Trajan's Forum 

The Roman Forum

Piazza Campodoglio

On the Piazza Campodoglio  

The Palatine Hill (I think)

The Colosseum 

The Colosseum 

Inside the Colosseum 

The Colosseum at sunset 

The Colosseum at sunset 

The next day was a bike ride around Rome.

At the Colosseum, again.

One of the quaint streets we rode down

Trevi Fountain

Yes, we tossed a coin - hopefully we'll come back!

Another Roman back street

The Spanish Steps

The Fontana della Barcaccia in the Piazza di Spagna

That would be a fun ride, too.

Our bike group on the Piazza di Spagna

Inside the Pantheon

Michael and Mark inside the Pantheon, bathing in the light from the oculus.

"No don't let that ugly church (St. Agnes in Agony) fall on me" in Piazza Navona

Having some bubbles on Piazza Navona.

Gelato stop in Trastevere.

Not only are artichokes delicious, they're pretty, too.

Dinner that night was at Restaurant Giulia along the Tiber.  It was soooo good.  Expensive, but worth it.  We had the tasting menu and it was a great contemporary take on traditional Italian/Roman food.  

My drink at Restaurant Giulia - the side is candied ginger.

Saturday was the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica.

Inside the Vatican with St. Peter's in the background

Michael and Mark in the Vatican

Statue of Diana of Ephesus in the Vatican Museum

The School of Athens fresco by Raphael in the Vatican Apartments

Stepping inside St. Peter's Basilica

The dome of St. Peter's, taken with my iPhone camera

and taken with our Nikon

Michaelangelo's Pieta

A Swiss Guard at the Vatican

Saturday evening we headed over to the Testaccio area for drinks and dinner.  Drinks at Tram Depot and dinner at La Fraschetta di Mastro Giorgio.  Tram Depot is adorable and a perfect spot for an aperitif.  La Fraschetta was recommended and it didn't disappoint.  Not quite the same level as Giulia, but not nearly as expensive, either.

There's a pyramid in Rome - who knew?

At Tram Depot for a cocktail

The artichoke was so delicious!

Sunday was another bike ride day - this time along the ancient Appian Way.  It rained for some of the ride, but it turned out to be quite refreshing.

Along the ancient Appian Way.  All roads led to Rome.

Out in the Aqueducts Park.

Out in the Aqueducts Park.

One of the tombstones that line the Appian Way.

Michael and Mark out in the Aqueducts Park.

Part of the ancient aqueducts of Rome.

Rome was the perfect short getaway to end up our time in Bamako.  Since we'll be in SE Asia for the next three years with lots of good regional travel opportunities, it was nice to have one last European jaunt.  I'll keep my eye on Rome as a posting further along in my foreign service career.  Who knows.

Piazza Campodoglio by night.