Blue and gold reflections of a downtown Boston building.
Riding around on a typical Hop-On-Hop-Off tourist bus, I did my best to photograph the unique downtown Boston building reflections from the open second level. I’m no stranger to big cities, having lived in downtown Chicago for many years during my working career. However, I do not recall seeing so many varied styles of buildings and unique design and reflections as I saw in Boston.
Norwegian Jade Cruise Boat, we boarded in Houston, Texas
Tenth day at sea, another week until we arrive at our final destination of Barcelona… My advice to anyone else looking to follow in our footsteps or those beginning world travelers is don’t fall for a bargain price on a l-o-n-g cruise.
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When traveling much of the experience for me is not only eating the food unique to that particular region, but also participating in those activities found nowhere else. On the Big Island of Hawaii, for most people that means a trip to Volcanoes National Park. For me it meant going one step further, seeking out the red-hot flowing lava. This lava hike and visiting Madame Pele, is thus far my most exciting adventure in four years of retirement…
This was my fourth or fifth trip into Death Valley. It is understandable how someone might quickly drive through the main roads of this national park and not see the beauty hidden in this barren land. The sights worth seeing in Death Valley often require one to get up for sunrise or wait until sunset. On the plus side, you also are not going to get the Yosemite type traffic jams. At midday much of this land looks like a xero landscaped yard in an upscale part of Arizona, with not a single green sprig to be seen and the hard ground covered with smooth tumbled rocks. Yet within this arid desert one can always find some water and, hopefully, some beautiful sunsets and memorable reflections.
When you click on “Continue Reading” a slide show of eleven photos will play at the top of the article.
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Sedona was our first extended stay since returning from six months in Europe. Driving across the country from the ship’s port in Fort Lauderdale to Northern California can wear a person down. Clearly it is better than sitting in a cubical struggling with a company budget on a cold, windy Chicago day, but the travel can get a bit old. We do our best to find fun places to visit along the way such as Graceland, but three weeks in Sedona, not having to move suitcases or learn new appliances and shower workings, was a welcome relief. Continue reading
“In Graceland, in Graceland
I’m going to Graceland
For reasons I cannot explain
There’s some part of me wants to see
Graceland…..
But I’ve reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland…” Paul Simon (1986)
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Having returned the rental car in Cambridge, England we took a train to London and taxi to our VRBO rental. Initial impression and safety appearance of our street seemed somewhat borderline. However, the unit was comfortable and stylish and we soon learned there were many restaurants and much activity nearby. We had Indian food for the fifteenth time in Europe. It is now quite apparent there are not huge variation in Indian food and we certainly have our favorites, but lamb vindaloo and chicken tikka masala is quite consistent across the US and Europe.
When you click on “Continue Reading” a slide show of ten photos will play at the TOP of this article.
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When traveling we try to alternate between visiting a rural location and a big city, so Glasgow followed our stay in Ballintoy, Northern Ireland. Our condo was right downtown near then main shopping and business areas. Not much in the way of great photography, but of course Doug, the visiting photographer, got me out to make the most of it. The photo above shows a typical color of the buildings in Glasgow, contrasted with some very bright red flowers.
When you click on “Continue Reading” a slide show of six photos will play at the TOP of this article.
There is not a single new looking building in this quaint old town that has managed to retain loads of charm and avoid all forms of commercialism. Closer inspection will reveal that many of the homes are recently built, but are of a similar quarried yellow stone so they all fit into this old town feel. They may be adjacent to an authentic thatched roof home dating back hundreds of years.
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The Dolomites are called the Italian Alps, for good reason. The mountains themselves are not extremely tall, but they rise so abruptly from a low valley floor their tall jagged peaks are very impressive. The area is a mecca for skiers, hikers , mountain bike enthusiasts and para-sailing. Many inhabitants do not like that this region became part of Italy after World War I, so there continues to be a strong Austrian influence in the buildings, language and menus. We hiked most days here and learned about Italian rifugios.