Letters: Exactly where in Africa?

Regarding the May 11 “Your Scene” shot: Titling it “Peaceable Kingdom in Africa” is like running a photo of Descanso Gardens and identifying it as “Lovely Garden in North America.”

M. Ludmer

Westwood

Regarding “ATMs Can Be Your BFF When Abroad,” by Catharine Hamm, April 27: At current exchange rates, a 100 euro automated teller machine withdrawal will cost $139, plus a $4.17 foreign exchange fee (3%) and a $5 bank fee. At the airport, a hotel or elsewhere you will receive fewer euros because you do not get a market rate. With this option, fees can be 25% or higher. If you do not like a $5 bank fee, make larger withdrawals, which can be up to your ATM limit.

Robert Pisapia

Thousand Oaks

Reading Alison Shore’s article on Croatia [“Still the One,” May 4] brought back memories of our time in Croatia several years ago. In Dubrovnik, we witnessed the local Christmas custom whereby families celebrate the day walking in Old Town and stopping to greet other families. Everyone was wearing holiday clothes, and we appeared to be the only tourists. All the restaurants were closed that day except for one, “Godfather’s Pizza,” and it was outstanding.

Split was our favorite city in Croatia with its palm tree-adorned riva (ocean boardwalk). A highlight of our trip was a cultural evening at the Croatian National Theatre. We attended a children’s Christmas program, and for the concluding number the conductor encouraged audience participation as “White Christmas” was sung in Croatian and then in English. It was fantastic singing along with the children, as we were the only ones in the audience who knew the English words.

The amazing Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO site, was filled with holiday shoppers as we searched for the remnants of a 16th century synagogue that is maintained by a dwindling Jewish population. It proved to be quite an adventure as several locals were gracious in assisting us.

Anna, an employee at the city museum, was so fascinated with our search that she ended up joining us. Later that day we walked to the top of Marjan Hill for breathtaking views of the city and discovered a 16th century Jewish cemetery.

A short bus ride from the palace is the Ivan Mestrovic Gallery, the former home of Croatia’s most revered artist and one of the greatest sculptors of the 20th century. The beautiful mansion and grounds overlook the Adriatic and are filled with his artwork. Mestrovic fled to the U.S. during World War II and taught at Syracuse University and the University of Notre Dame.

The drive from Split to Dubrovnik was beautiful, with hairpin turns overlooking the Adriatic. The most interesting part of the ride was the 12-mile stretch of the coast that is Bosnia and Herzegovina, an otherwise landlocked country.

Arlene Karpel

Tarzana

Regarding “The Off Side of Berlin,” by Diane Haithman, April 13: It wasn’t Mauerpark, but my wife, our then-10-year-son and I went to a Sunday flea market in Berlin by the Spree in 2009. We bought an old silver torah pointer there for about 20 euros.

We always say we didn’t buy it, but rather redeemed it, as we can only imagine its journey out of a Jewish household to that place. Its journey ended in Encino, where our son used it to point to each letter in his bar mitzvah torah portion.

Michael Goldstein

Encino