Dan Brown: "Secret of Secrets" - Prague

"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

"The de Vinci Code"

"The City of Falling Angels"

 Read before you go and again when you get back. "The de Vinci Code" was about Paris and the Louvre. "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was about Savannah". There is a whole series of detective stories about Southern Africa. Well worth your time. The books come alive when you are there. The photo is just a street scene of Prague, but it all makes more sense after reading Dan Brown's book. When he talks about the Palace or a lonely street it will be in front of you.

 

A walk in the Black Forest that isn't black.

    Fall is a great time to visit Central and Eastern Europe. Most of the tourists are gone home and school has started. Those of us in California don't see Fall for long
but Hungary's and Germany's last a good while longer.

Golden Gate Park: Closer to Home

You will note that we enjoy traveling in Europe. That is true.

Yet, we live in one of the finest areas of the world. We live in Central California which is the world's most productive valley. From our home we can be at the beach in an hour and to the East is the Sierras, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite in about two hours by car. The photo above is taken in Golden Gate Park in the heart of San Francisco. We think the City is one of the great ones as it is urbane and sometimes silly.

Some years ago we ran in the Bay to Breakers which is a colorful and fun race where almost anything goes. You won't see this in Kansas.

 

Brussels and The Europe Union

 

When we took the train from Paris to Brussels we were surprized in the closeness of the two cities.  We are used to the vast distances in the United States.

Brussels is a pretty city with lots to do, but we were taken by its worldview. Brussels is the home of the European Union and it is obvious that they see and feel their close relationship to other countries.

This is the central square - indeed it was a rainy day.

On a walk in Barcelona a South American Bird

    Since my childhood disease I have not found walking fun. I hurt. But, that does not keep me from trying. Often I will need to stop while my wife walks on ahead. But there are many reasons to walk. We were in Barcelona returning from a visit to Park Guell. (Worthwhile visit. Get tickets online and be on time or else...)

    As I ambled around a bend (I always amble) I saw a parrot on a road closed gate. I like the windows. That was brought my eye there in the first place.  I find that parrots are only present in Spain when have escaped their cages. They are from South America. Enough have found freedom to have some small families in town.

 

Sidetracking

We were zooming along the road from Innsbruck to Liechtenstein when I proposed we take a quick trip into Germany so we could say we were there. We headed over the border not far to Mittenwald.  I need not have done that because since then we have spent a good portion of time in Germany. Coming back to Austria, I saw this village between the trees and stopped to take this photo. I just liked the scene.

Photos you must take

Here I am in the guardhouse of the Spain's National Palace in Madrid.

You just must do it.

Like people posing pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower.

Timing a photo at the One O'clock gun at Edinburgh Castle.

My favorite is getting into famous pulpits,

Think of more?