Greece on my birthday. Thessaloniki, Meteora, Halkidiki

Meteora

Mermaid carved on the rocks. Kavourotripes, Halkidiki

Kavourotripes, Halkidiki, second leg

I have always hated my birthdays!

IS ARUBA FOR BACKPACKERS?

JERUSALEM AND RAMALLAH. Arabs and Jews. Opposing but similar. Together but divided

It may be called the City of Peace, but no other city has been more bitterly fought over than Jerusalem.

The Wailing Wall: Like everything else in Israel it is divided in two: men on the left, women on the right

Jerusalem is a divided city in a divided land. And at its heart, is the Old City, itself divided into Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian quarters.

It is home to Judaism's holiest site, Islam's third holiest (after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia) and the spot where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified. Control of the area is one of the toughest issues facing anyone trying to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

I have seen young men, one Jewish, other Muslim talking in the friendliest possible way and saying a goodbye with a hug but .. relations are not often so cordial.