Travels abroad

In 1979, I left my job as a teacher in Eugene, Oregon, and traveled overseas. During that 13-month journey in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, I drew and painted almost everywhere I went.

I had the good fortune to be able to make many more trips overseas after my wife and I established our consultation and training business in San Francisco. We made 11 work trips to Europe between 1991 and 2015, staying overseas for 10 weeks each time. During breaks from work assignments with disability rights organizations throughout Europe, we had ample time to wander, and for me to draw and paint.

Almost all of these images are selections from many notebook and sketchbook drawings and watercolors created on-site while traveling. The first series of images are from my journey in 1979 and 1980.

Luxembourg, France, Spain, Morocco, and Israel – 1979 & 1980

When I first was planning this trip, I wanted to spend a winter away from the grayness and rain of western Oregon. I decided that my route should, as much as possible, be dictated by following the sun. Thus, my intention was to head south as the days got shorter and the temperatures got colder.

When I left the United States on the 11th of October 1979, I began my journey by flying to Luxembourg.

Luxembourg 1979 ink

After spending a few days in the lovely Luxembourg Old Town, I boarded a train bound for Bourgogne, France. Dijon and Beaune were the first stops. Other places I visited in Vaucluse and Provence included Orange, Carpentras, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, and Nimes.

Dijon 1979 ink

Avignon 1979 ink

Villeneuve les Avignon 1979. ink

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse 1979 ink

La Grande-Motte 1979. ink

Le Pont du Gard 1979 ink

By late November, it was getting too cold to be in France, so I knew it was time to go to Spain. When I boarded the train in Portbou, Catalonia, I had no idea that I would spend almost three months in Spain! Everything about España, and especially Andalusia, thrilled me: the culture, the warmth of the people and the climate, the delicious food, the architecture, the music, the Flamenco dancers. Sevilla and Córdoba were my favorite cities, but I was awed visiting the Alhambra in Granada, and many of the beautiful old hill towns.

Córdoba #2 1979 ink and watercolor

La Mezquita de Córdoba 1979 ink

Ronda #1 1979 ink and watercolor

Zahara de la Sierra #2 1980 ink

Sevilla #2 1980 ink

Sevilla #3 1980 ink

Torre del Oro, Sevilla 1980 ink and watercolor pencils

Sevilla 1979 ink

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Córdoba mandala 1979 ink

I left Spain to begin traveling in Morocco. I took the ferry from Algeciras to the city of Ceuta, which was, and still remains, a Spanish territory on the north coast of Morocco. For 5 1/2 weeks, I traveled by train and rural buses in Morocco, visiting cities and towns as far south as one could go at that time because the Polisario Front was fighting to claim independence from both Morocco and Mauritania. Exploring Morocco was especially fascinating. I had the impression that it was not that common for people to see a person with a visible disability traveling solo, carrying a backpack. Observing me drawing was even more surprising to many of the local residents. Sometimes, crowds of children would gather around me as I sat and drew in their community.

Taroudant, Morocco 1980 graphite

Mosque, Taroudant 1980 graphite

Koutubia Mosque, Marrakesh 1980 ink

Anti-Atlas Mountains 1980 colored pencils

Essauoira 1980 ink

After Morocco, I returned to Spain for another month in Sevilla, and to explore Andalusia. I was feeling sad when I got ready to leave Spain, but the itinerary I planned had many more places to visit. I boarded a ship that sailed from Málaga to Genoa, Italy, and took a train to Rome. For two weeks I walked everywhere, visiting countless museums, galleries, and, of course, churches. There was so much to do, see, taste, and experience, that there was little time to draw and paint in “The Eternal City.”

From Rome, I headed south to Brindisi. I boarded a ferry which took me to Igoumenitsa, a coastal city in northwestern Greece, and then a bus to Athens. It was hard to walk around Athens because of the horrific air pollution, and the Parthenon was closed because of a municipal strike! After attending midnight mass on Easter Saturday in a church in Athens, it was time to move on. But where? I considered going to one of the Cyclades Islands or Crete. I also remembered that I had the addresses of relatives in Israel, and a short plane ride from Athens would take me there.

Israel was a different place than it is today. I wasn’t a Zionist in 1980, and I abhor what is happening in Gaza now.

When I arrived in Israel in April, I thought I might spend a month there. But, as often happened throughout this time abroad, my life unfolded in unexpected ways. I ended up staying in Israel for 6 months. During the spring and summer of 1980, I was a street artist in Jerusalem, a volunteer picking almonds on a kibbutz, and an adventurer traveling from Haifa in the north to the Red Sea in the south.

While I lived there, I wanted to believe that some kind of lasting peace would be possible between Israelis and their Arab neighbors. The Camp David Accords had been signed, and they provided a plan for resolving the conflict between Israel and Egypt. Would the Palestinians, who were forced to flee when the State of Israel was established, be allowed to return to their homes someday? If not, would a truly equitable and meaningful two-state solution be agreed upon. I had conversations with Arab Israelis and Jewish Israelis, and hoped that some kind of reconciliation would be possible. I did not imagine the horrendous way things would go over the next 45 years!

Here are some of the many drawings and paintings that I created during my time in Israel.

Akko #1 1980 ink and watercolor

Akko at sunset 1980 watercolor

Akko #3 1980 ink and watercolor

Banana flower on kibbutz 1980 ink

Ein Gedi 1980 ink and watercolor

Qubbat aṣ-Ṣaḵra 1980 ink

View of Old City 1980 ink and watercolor

Street artist in Jerusalem 1980

Travels in Europe 1991 -2015

My wife, Victoria, and I had the amazing good fortune to be able to make multiple work trips to Europe between 1991 and 2015. The training and consultation we provided to people with disabilities, who were advocating for rights and services, was the most meaningful and gratifying work we ever did.

During those 25 years, we worked in nine countries. While there, we also took mini-holidays to new places. We traveled widely because of the fabulous train system in Europe, and explored cities and towns together. Whenever possible, I drew and painted.

All of the following works were created on-site. They highlight visits made to some of our favorite places, including: Orvieto, Vernazza, Trento, and Bassano del Grappa in Italy; Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Vienna in Austria; Basel in Switzerland; and, of course, Paris.