Kilkenny Castle (Manor House)

Kilkenny is an interesting and friendly town south and west of Dublin.

This photo is of the "castle" and park-like grounds.

I am glad that I do not have to mow the lawn.

 

Madrid Parks and Green Space

Madrid has some lovely parks and green spaces.

On a weekend afternoon, they are filled with people talking, eating, sleeping

and enjoying the warmth. The lake above is near the City Hall 

and a short walk from the center of the city and the Botanical Gardens..

 

In Rembrandt's Home in Amsterdam

They allow photography of the works hanging in Rembrandt's House in Amsterdam.

It is a nice visit along with Anne Frank's House.

Both are straight up and narrow. You need reservations for Anne Frank's House.

but Rembrandt's is not that busy in the early morning.

 

Speaking of Money Business

These primates came near our safari vehicles. The bottom one is a baby.

Botswana, Africa

 

This baboon hit me and pushed me aside to steal some cookies

 

We were at a table next to a refreshment stand at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. One of my companions had a bag of cookies. This guy, I will guess about 65 pound of him, ran full speed into my side pushing me nearly off my seat. In a flash he grabbed the cookies and was gone. The young man working at the stand came out with a broom and told us that this baboon often steals things and we should be warned. Too late for me. The shadow at the lower right is the young man with the broom.

Ape Watchman on Gibraltar

Stay clear of these guys on the Rock of Gibraltar. They own the place.

 

In Africa: The Giraffe

 In Africa one can see many giraffes, but often they are somewhat bent at the shoulder attempting to eat. This guy(?) is on alert because we made a noise. As for guy or girl, there is a way to tell from looking at the bumps on their heads, but I forget.

Venice, Italy

      We loved Venice, but with special conditions. We love it early in the morning before the cruise ships let out their passengers. We love it at night when the passengers all go back to their ships. We love the back streets and the small islands and the places where you can sit with a glass of wine and be among locals. We do not dislike tourists - we are tourists - yet we go places to meet local folks in their own environment.  Fortunately for Venice, the cruise ships are now to dock on the mainland.

The photo above shows the skyline of Venice from over the entrance to the Grand Canal. The Doge's Palace is the large gray building and to the left is St. Mark's Square.

The Palace, Prague

Wall of armor in the Palace

View of Prague from Palace.

Prague is a great city, especially the old central city and the walk across Charles Bridge 

to the Palace high on its hill. This is a whole day and you can work in lunch and

a concert too. Great views from the Palace

 

Close and courtyard: Kilkenny Ireland

Kilkenny is a great small city in Ireland. It is a short drive from Dublin.

Excellent downtown area and the "castle' (manor house) and lawn is a good visit.

 

TSA DISBILITY CARD

I wear two metal leg braces.

I had polio and have bad knees. I also have a plastic graft in my chest.

While I do not always wear the braces, I need them when walking 

long ways in the airport or moving my luggage about. 

I give them this card at security and still get patted down and swabbed.

I am used to it.

PDF on the internet site.

Between Innsbruck Austria and Mittenwald Germany

Lots of interesting places along the roads in Europe. Some are just there, not marked, maybe because they are average. Or, maybe everyone knows what they are. Here is an example. I thought it worth a photo, but could not put a name to it.

 

Warming hut at top of tram in the Italian Dolomites

This is taken with a very long lens as it was up a substantial mountain.

 

Windmills south of Toledo, Spain

Not sure we would have visited these windmills in La Manchaca.  They were off

the road a fair piece and the navigator (Marietta) saw them  in the guidebook.

We turned off the main highway to Madrid and had lunch in a little village before

climbing the hill (in our rental car) to these grain grinding windmills.

Fun and Interesting. Going  inside you can climb to the grinding stones (at window)

and  see how they work.  There is an old fortified castle nearby, as well.

 

Dry Lake in Botswana as seen from South Africa Airlines flight from Johanneburg

 

Looking out the window I saw what looked like a vast area of water.

We were over Botswana on a flight to Kasane airport.

I pilot came on the overhead to explain that it is a dry lake during their dry season

which is our Winter in the U.S.A.

View from tail camera of Air France A380 aircraft

 

Detail of Cathedral in Brussels Belgium

The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula

Canopy over the pulpit 

We hired a driver who spent the day with us showing us the sites and sights.

I was able to enjoy it without the usual worry of driving in an unfamiliar city.

 

Along the Oregon USA Coast

 

One of the sights - turn away from the beach a moment - is this tree at a state beach in Oregon.

(Near Tillamook)

The Bay between Gibraltar and Spain

Looking west from Gibraltar, Spain also juts out into the Mediterranean.

If you are visiting some place like Seville, you need to visit The Rock.

 

 

The Abbey on Iona, Scotland

    We had long wished to visit the Abbey at Iona. It is the symbolic home of Christianity in Scotland. Ultimately it is the genesis of Presbyterianism along with St. Giles in Edinburgh. 

    We made the train trip to Oban and caught the ferry to the Isle of Mull. At the harbor we caught a bus for the ride the length of Mull arriving at the jetty which was crossed by another ferry to arrive at Iona.     We lodged at the Argyle Hotel and after dinner attended vesper services at the Abbey. 

We also toured the abbey and visited the famous graveyard. Eventually we had to retrace our steps back to  Oban and then to Glasgow. 

    Our stay at Iona was all that we could have hoped for. We were welcomed as the pilgrims we were and made to feel at home. 

Church down the hill from Mittenwald Germany

A beautiful day in southern Germany.