We are going to Israel and Jordan. We’re leaving in a few days, and the area is erupting in violence, but we’re going.

Several years ago workers were on strike in Paris when we planned to go. We knew that Paris must have been deadlocked–It was on every channel showing protests and riots. Our friends urged us to cancel. We flew to Paris from Houston on a half empty plane. Americans were missing from the city when we got there, but that was okay because the lines at the restaurants were shorter.

We saw only one sign of the strike while in Paris, a motorcycle honking group in the middle of an intersection. It was very French. We watched it from our favorite sidewalk cafe with a couple from London we met while there. Great entertainment.

We went to Istanbul during Ramadan. Same thing. People warned us not to go, but we saw no problems and had a great time–the lines were short in the cafes then, too.

I think we’ll be safe. Israel wants its American tourists happy. Besides, I expect the restaurant lines to be pretty short.