This is the final week of my London summer vacation. I tried in the last three segments to talk about the major touristy spots in London. I hope I did well, as I know people’s choices vary.

The final segment is going to be about my hobby of walking and tracking. It’s a hobby that I acquired during my early childhood years when my father used to take us on long summer trips to Europe.

He insisted then, and still does, that the best way to see a country is to walk it as much as you can. He always hated buses and taxis for sightseeing, preferring his two athletic legs he acquired by playing football in his youth. (It was very difficult to keep up with his fast pace back then.)

I remember every small detail and each corner we passed while walking, whether it was Rome with its majestic ruins or Lebanon’s lush green hills. He used to talk on these walks with ease and passion to such a degree that he was never a bore to be around.

The vivid memories are still stamped in the back of my memory as if it was yesterday. And I passionately depicted his style of walk with my own children.

London is a walking city, and if you decide to skip some places a black London taxi is never too far away.

This summer, besides zigzagging through Hyde, Kensington and Regent, I traversed Lester Square with its daily summer shows, Trafalgar Square with its pigeons, Knightsbridge with its famous cafés around Harrods, Marble Arch and the bustling Oxford Street, London Zoo and Buckingham Palace. I didn’t forget to stroll through the museum district, Big Ben and the Parliament building. All in all I had fun and I highly recommend London as my favorite walking city.

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Dear Nadia,

I live in a compound with many Westerners. I am from the Czech Republic and would love to know what are the famous Ramadan dishes since my friends are not Saudis. — Carl, Jeddah

Dear Carl,

Maybe the most famous dish of the Gulf area in Ramadan is thareed, crispy thin bread shredded in stamp size portions. Over that is poured a light curry of meat and vegetables left to be absorbed in the bread and served hot.

The second most famous dish is harees, which is a very old recipe of soaked, and cooked oats with fresh lamb cutlets. All this is then is minced with a big wooden spoon and ornamented with melted butter. Enjoy!

Nadia