Rouen France and it's famous astronomical clock

On the way to the place where Joan of Arc was executed there is a happier place.

This clock is from the 14th Century (!) and has long told the people of Normandy the time

and more. 

It's name in French is the Gros-Horloge and the clock movement was made in 1389.

It just keeps on ticking.

 

Plazza Navona, Rome: Photo Bombs

 

Fountain of Neptune, Rome, Giacomo Della Porta

Good enough that you can fill your water bottle.

LOOK CLOSELY: In the upper center of the photo is a man looking out his window at the tourists.

There seems to be another man to his left.

Contrails over the Sutter Buttes

 

Out the window of the jet returning from Portland. The area seen just above the engine is Sutter Buttes, the world's smallest mountain range. In the distance there  are at least five contrails of other jets.

Beautiful day in the neighborhood. 

The Tower Bridge, London England

    The photo above was taken from the rampart of the Tower of London. The bridge, cross the Thames,  is called the Tower Bridge because of its location. Often it is misidentified as the London Bridge. There are two London bridges. One is a relatively new one over the Thames down river from this. The old Tower Bridge (where criminals like William Wallace ended up) is at Lake Havasu City Arizona. The original bridge (reworked many times) was disassembled stone by stone and brought to the U.S. The current assembled one at Havasu is it late 1800's variety. 

    You can walk over the bridge, but we suggest just looking at it from the Tower. The Tower is an excellent visit. Tours by Beefeaters are fun. You can see the crowd jewels and the local ravens. The best thing to do  is to be in line when it opens and upon entering head back to the jewels and then return back to the river. Everyone else will be going the other way. At noon the cafe is a good stop.

 

The Dolomites of Northern Italy

A trip to my happy place demands you bring a camera.  It is hard to know what to photograph. 

This is a photo of another hiker taking my photo on the way to a warming shed.

No need for warming on this beautiful day.

The Dolomites, South Tyrolean Alps, Italy.

 

Creek on the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper

From the big lakes to the small waterfalls the Icefield Parkway is beautiful.

Following a stop at Lake Louise it is continuing up north.

For us the surprising thing was the color of the water.

It is an aqua/blue caused by the glacier dust left from the Ice Age.

 

Neuschwanstein from Munich

Tours headed to Neuschwanstein leave from the Munich train station because it is central and easy to find. Even at that, they are on buses. It is a pleasant trip through Bavaria. You will be let out at the visitor's center at the base and to get to the top you either hike, take a tram (bus) or a horse drawn wagon. It may in fact be the model for the castle at Disneyland, other things may feel like you are there.

At the castle you can take a tour, but be warned that there are many steps. The best views for photos are from the bridge which is well signed. Many people walk back down, but it is a real hike.