The Shoulder Seasons

            If you don't have children in school and would like to have a special experience choose travel in a shoulder season. These are March through May and September through November. The summer tourist season has not started or is over. Often the airline and hotels are less expensive. The places you wish to see are not as crowded and the lines are shorter. Often these months are the ones seniors choose. There are some things you  can't do like play in the surf  many places. Oh well. The time to go to Southern Africa is the early summer as it is the dry season, but if you don't mind a little rain go in September.   The weather app on your phone is a real help as are many travel sites. For us, the best is the end of September in Europe with the Fall colors.

The Temple Bar: Dublin

The "Temple Bar" is the name of a bar and also the name of the

area where you will find it. Across the river from central Dublin

you will find a rip-roar'n place that you will not wish to miss.

I good walk from the center city on O'Conner Street along the River Liffey and over the Ha'penny Bridge. It is fun even if yo don't like beer.

 

Bikes in Amsterdam

I was in a conversation with a friend and he was telling me how he got his medical degree in Amsterdam. We talked about why a car is a liability there. When I was there I was taken by the number of bicycles. The figure is two-for-every-person. They have crews that go in the canals and pull out those bikes that have fallen in.

Busy Town Center in Vaduz

On a rainy Sunday we visited Liechtenstein.

I got lost. 

 

In a small African village: Botswana

            It was not clear how many people lived in the village. It was mid-day and many  of the people were working outside. It was interesting and I made a friend, Peter who was interested in much the same things I am.

            People will say that they visited Africa. It is a silly statement. Africa is a continent. It is huge. It has many different countries and pollical systems. It like visiting Italy and believing  you know all about Europe. There are dozens of languages spoken in Africa. The southern most countries were British colonies at one time and there are many English speakers.

            We visited four countries taking planes as the distances are vast. We had a good learning experience which wiped away a good portion of any belief that those folks are different. When in Zimbabwe we were considered --I guess --different although we never felt it.  

A dinner in Florence Italy

Well, it doesn't look like Olive Garden or In and Out Burger.

It is opulent and grand. Dining as it ought to be.

After dinner I got to be part of the entertainment along with a nuclear scientist from New Mexico. 

 

No need to go to the Alps to see pretty views

This is a photo of a waterfall in Alberta Canada.

While we love Europe we realize that the Canada Rockies and

the whole of the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. has just bout  everything

places in Europe have  with the exception of very  old buildings.