Karenllevibooks
Trip to Istanbul and Uzbekistan. Istanbul was fascinating, a city divided by the Bosporos Strait. There is a European side and an Asian side. History is evident in the ruins and standing structures--Roman, Byzantine, Persian, Ottoman. Attaturk was the modern hero and founder of the republic.Uzbekistan is in Central Asia, bordered by Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The country is on the Silk Road and has been influenced by Asian, European, and Russian practices, religion, and language. Russia colonized Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. The communists ruled the area until 1989. Uzbekistan is known for its monuments, both ancient and refurbished,
Trip to Belgium
In June 2026, my sister, her family, and I traveled to Belgium to attend the setting of the Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) for the Kappel family. See section, Published Works). After extensive research by myself and the Antwerp Stolpersteine committee, a date was set. The Stolpersteine Project was established by German artist, Günter Demnig, to mark the last voluntary residence of Jews who were either deported to concentration camps or were allowed to escape to safer places. The actual stones are blocks of concrete, topped with brass. The design and placement of the stones is an established procedure to provide uniformity and maintain the sanctity of the sites which become public memorials.
