Happy Saint Andrews Day: The Cathedral of St. Giles, Edinburgh

If this place looks solemn that is because it is.

St. Giles is the birthplace of the Presbyterian denomination.

The pulpit was held by John Knox who brought the Reformation to Scotland.

As I read history, he brought the worst of it and left the best behind. 

Happy Saint Andrew's Day - Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.

 

Horse Guards, Vienna

Some of you have seen and visited the Horse Guards in London.

They are an attraction.

When we were walking along a passageway in Vienna we saw their horse guards

getting ready to patrol. Great looking animals.

 

Autumn in Austria -- Vienna

Vienna is a place of art, music and history.

I will cover some building photos.

But this wall caught my eye first.

 

Christmas Markets - Munich Germany

Not waiting until Thanksgiving (they don't celebrate it anyway) the street markets in Munich were getting ready for Christmas. It was October. There were non-Christmas items too. We have been to street markets in many cities (Paris, Prague, Livingstone South Africa, London, etc.). The most fun were in Munich and in a small town in Northern Italy. Local crafts beat other souvenirs. 

 

The attack of the baboon -Victoria Falls Zambia

The newscast today says that visitors in southern Africa have been having issues with baboons.

I had a violent encounter with a baboon in Zambia. He was violent and I was encountered.

I was at a small shop with two others taking a break. I had a Coke and they had cookies.

Seemed peaceful sitting by Victoria Falls.

Wham! I got hit blindsided by a baboon and he grabbed the cookies and was gone.

He was about 90 pounds but I was not hurt.

Only startled.

The shopkeeper came out with a broom and chased the baboon.

He returned to tell us that it happens often.

Not to me.

 

A street in Brussels

On the way to South Africa with my grandson, I told him that instead of a 

25 hour flight we would fly to Paris and he could choose another place to go for

a few days.  His family name is Flemish so he choose Belgium and more specifically Brussels.

Good choice. The home of the European Union. 

 

Elephants - Southern Africa

It is one thing to see elephants in the zoo  and another to see them without a fence.

On safari our guides had radios and heard from other drivers where the animals could be found.

These two, which seemed friendly, where not far from camp.

 

The view from Montmartre in Paris

From Montmartre one can see a different side of Paris.

Usually we see Montmartre looking up at the cathedral but looking the other way

we see a more modern skyline. Tall modern buildings in the distance may surprise us.

 

The Royal Mile, Edinburgh Scotland

 

The building with the clock is the tollhouse. 

It is almost to the Palace of Holyrood House which is one end of the Royal Mile.

At the other end is Edinburgh Castle and between them is St. Giles Cathedral.

Many people stop their visit at the castle. We suggest a walk down the mile for a special experience.

However, this is touristy. That is not bad, but there is much to see on side streets and to the Mound. 

Plaza de Espana, Seville

The benefits of getting lost.

Seville is a wonderful city with its Alcazar and its great sites. It is friendly and welcoming.

We set off on a walk through the park and botanical gardens not far from the central city.

We had gotten lost the day before and found special things and special people.

This day we  we were lost and happened upon the Plaza de Espana a place of art, water and relaxation.

The wide sheltered walkways are covered in colorful tiles.

And there, to the right, is one of my favorite things to photograph. A light pole.

 

Scotland

Two photos of the Firth of Forth railway bridge from the Edinburgh side.

I was standing at the quay ready to board a small boat to tour the area.

There is lots to see from fortified islands to sailboats to seals.

Fun experience if you are ever there.

 

Surprises good and bad

Wherever we have gone in Europe we have been surprised by art.

From a statue of Ronald Reagan in Slovakia to the great masters in Italy.

This statue, however had me wondering. It is just on the steps of the state museum in Munich.

I thought it odd and was surprised to be told to look closely.

Aha! It is Bacchus the god of wine and fertility.

I am not sure how attractive to women he is. 

 

 

A380 forward mounted camera

I take photos out of the windows of airplanes. The ones of Greenland look like a white circus tent.

When we fly overseas we usually leave at around 4pm. Thus we can see the Sierra and much of the upper Midwest. Out of San Francisco it is green, white, beige, green and would be blue over Hudson's Bay if it were not dark. Time to get some sleep, but photos of cities from 35,000 feet are cool.

The photo above was not taken out of the window.

The A380 has a down camera and a front focused one on the tail.

All you need to do is take a photo of the video screen on the seat in front of you.

An aside, unhappily Air France is stopping the use of the A380. 

 

Out our Paris window

Why a garbage truck?

My grandson loved garbage trucks at the time so I took photos of them in at least four countries.

This one also includes a small grocery store (behind the hood of the truck.. see fruit.).

We needed to go to the store regularly because we were cooking breakfast in our rented flat.

We have done this a number of times and because the flats have not had pepper for eggs

we brought home pepper shakers. Always white pepper.

The eggs were from free range chickens and the shells took a major whack to break them.

We did not bring any eggs back. 

 

Sex Workers

This may seem like a strange topic, but it is a collection of glimpses of the center of some cities.

Travelers know of the reputations of places like Bangkok and Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is in the final stages of moving their red light district out of the central city.

Amsterdam's district was a major tourist attraction.

But, there are also obvious other places where this sort of thing is seen.

My wife and I were having lunch it a plaza in Madrid. Two "lovely" young women dressed

for work made an office at the top of the local metro stairs. A man protectively watched the action from the shadows. Over a lunch hour, the woman took several walks with men who seemed to be strangers.

Prague has a large massage parlor very near the Municipal House (see above).

It is right in the famous plaza heralding the Astronomical Clock.  

Lots more sightings.

While seen in U.S. cities, it is more open in these European countries.

You don't have to look for  it, It finds you.

 

African safari

On safari you may not see all of the Big Five as leopards are hard to spot.

You can, however see the migration of Zebras or a tower (yes, that is what a group is called) of giraffes.

Later at the Chobe we watched the migration of hundreds of zebras going south.

VENICE on foot

 Excuse the lack of photo here. I seem to have misplaced my chip of Venice. However that does not change what I would like to say.

Venice is a wonderful visit and will be made more wonderful with the absence of the large passenger liners. The size of these ships changes the skyline and their movement erodes the piles which hold the city up. We suggest that without a cruise you will see more and do less damage. Plus you will see Venice without boat loads of people with cameras and wearing shorts. 

If the larger ships are in port you need to get up early and walk the streets and bridges before the cruise people come shore after their breakfast.  Take the vaporetto out to Murano or Burano during the day. In the evening after the people go back to the cruise ship come back to the city for dinner and wonderful long walks. The restaurants are busy at lunch. You will discover a small cafe with good food and wine in the evening. You will, however need to wait until after 8 pm when the Italians usually dine.

On our visit we discovered a good restaurant in The Ghetto (not what Americans think. It is Jewish). We waited until evening and walked back there from our hotel. The place attracted Italians. We then went for an evening stroll to the Opera House. Warning: the souvenir shops will be closed. Buy your glass on Murano.  

Central Pedestrian Square: Innsbruck Austria

Innsbruck is a lovely city and very walkable in the central old town.

On a Sunday in the summertime, the people are out and enjoying the sun.

Innsbruck is another city in our visits of Olympic sites.

 

Victoria and Albert Museum in London

The V & A in London is a favorite.

The British Museum is large and beautiful with its new rotunda but

The Victoria and Albert focusses on art more than artifacts.

The photo above is of a blow glass sculpture hanging in the entry.

 

Veteran's Day 2024

When our granddaughter as 12 we took her on her choice of trip. We have done this with all four of of our grandkids.  They have taught us a great deal. Madison chose Paris and then a longboat down the Seine to Normandy. At the beach we had opportunity to place a wreath at the memorial and to try and imagine what it all could have been like. It is a solemn place, but one where we celebrate those who have served. I did not serve in the military because of my legs, but my three brothers-in-law did. 

I appreciate what they did.  

 

The Altar in the cathedral in Cortina d' Ampezzo

 

Cortina is a city  in the Dolomites.

It was host to the Winter Olympics and will be again in 2026.

They are sharing the event with Milan.

This a a lovely church that welcomes people to worship.

Tower of St. Martin's In The Field

This is a large church at Trafalgar Square in London.

We have worshipped there twice on separate trips.

Their orchestra and choir are known worldwide.

In most churches when the postlude starts people leave.

Not here. People stay and listen to the grand organ and applaud at the end. 

 

Ferris Wheel at Honfleur France on Bastille Day

My granddaughter and my wife decided that this would be a fun thing to do.

It was, but the gondolas had no seatbelts and their doors did not lock.

It was more of an adventure than first thought.

The sky cleared for the traditional fireworks.

 

The Cloister of Saint Wandrille Abbey, France

I am always drawn to the cloisters of monasteries and abbeys.

This is the part that allows walking outside even in bad weather.

It is an area around a garden for walking and prayer.

My favorite is The Iona Abbey on the isle. But this one in France is interesting in that it was more closed and leads to the chapel where we experienced a program of Georgian chants. 

This abbey is one of the oldest ecclesiastical structures in France.  

Scotland the Brave

A castle/ manor house open for visitors:

Cawdor Castle near Nairn, The Highlands.

When people think of Scotland they may remember William Wallace or Robert the Bruce.

They think of bagpipes which were implements of war.

There were many battles and wars, but today the battle is for tourist dollars.

It is an easy and excellent visit.

(We have done  it by bus, train, and driving (on the left) in an automobile. 

 

Flower Market in Munich

Those of us who live near San Francisco or Seattle have seen flower vendors on the streets.

All around Europe there are these places to buy flowers.

Paris has a whole section near Norte Dame devoted to them.

In other countries there are nearly always places to buy flowers.

I suspect that it is because in the central city of any nation, there is little room for gardens.

It is a way of bringing the outdoor in.

 

Inside the Rock of Gibraltar

This is a cave and those are seats.

It looks solid but it has large chambers for a variety of uses from music to war.

The first tunnels were for gun placements during America's Revolution in 1776.

 

One Horse-Power Carriage in Seville

We have seen them in Germany, Italy, and Spain. These carriages are tourist ready vehicles

to take folks to view the central city. This one is in Seville. The ones in Florence can be found

near the Baptistry. It think it is more fun to watch than ride.

 

The Air Above The Alps

In the Italian Alps and the Austrian Alps we saw many people hang gilding or

using small motors with parachutes. The updrafts make it a good sport.

  

 

When we are traveling we like to go to worship on Sundays.

It is not that we are so religious as we wish to see what other churches are like.

These two photos were taken in Norte Dame We worshipped there twice.

We also have worshipped at St. Martin's In The Fields, London, twice - great music.

Of other note for us was St. Giles in Edinburgh.

Lots more and we learned a great deal about how we are very much alike.