Panama Canal, Views from a Cruise Ship

The Liberian oil tanker Socrates enters the Panama Canal, empty of cargo.

The Panama Canal was completed by the United States in 1914.  The French worked on the canal for 13 years, but gave up after they incurred 22,000 deaths and the construction firm went bankrupt.  Completed by the USA in 10 years, it is considered one of the seven engineering marvels of the world.
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Plaza de España in Seville, Spain

Plaza Espana Blue Hour

Plaza de Espana at Blue Hour

Although this large open square, Plaza de España, may look several hundred years old, it was built relatively recently, 1929, when Seville, Spain hosted the World’s Fair.  Access to this plaza and the huge adjacent gardens is free and it is so large it is never very crowded.  Great local music was being played and echoing around the tiled hallways as I explored this plaza.
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