Favorite "Resting Places" - Happy Halloween

Cashel, IE

Near Galway, IE

Tower of London - Where Anne Boleyn lost her head

Rome, Italy

La Villa, Dolomites, Sud Tyrol, Italy at Austrian Border

The storeroom at The Victoria and Alberta, London

 

We went to Rome and Florence to see the originals of these. The storeroom is full of copies of great works from around the world. The British went out and either made models or copies so they could be displayed in either the British Museum or one of the others. Note Michelangelo's David at the center rear. It actually stands alone in the Academia in Florence, Italy. This is only a small part of the storeroom.

 

Here are some of the famous tombs copied and catalogued.

 

Men's Room Victoria and Albert Museum, London UK

So, I was visiting the loo and was taken by the great tiles used in the men's room. They have the heraldry of Victoria. Classy place. First time I ever took a photo in a toilet.

Details of Dublin Ireland

Two above: ceiling in Anthropology Museum, Dublin

Street cobblestones, Temple Bar, Dublin

Wall detail, Temple Bar, Dublin

Sorry to be slow with posting. I got a new computer and had to download
the pictures from the Cloud. that were stored for safekeeping. 

8

Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada 60 days ago

 

Fall was already coming to the area around Lake Louise. The aspens were changing to yellow. Lake Moraine - in our opinion prettier than Lake Louise - was moody under an overcast sky. Only one of the canoes had been taken out and while two people looked toward shore, large numbers of folks looked at them from the shelter of the lodge. Two people had adventure, the others had photographs.

 

Italy is full of famous dead people

Rossini

Napoleon's Sister

Dante

Foggy Fall Day on Sauvie Island, Oregon

 

More water colours

These glacier flour produced blues are amazing and almost unbelievable.

These are in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Driving a rental car

      So far, I have driven rental cars in ten countries. Each car is different, but more importantly driving in each country is different.
     Ireland is the most expensive place to buy additional insurance for a rental. It could be the very narrow roads and the fact that driving is on the left. You do not drive fast on the roads in Ireland, other than the motorways, but brush a hedge row and you may find that the hedge is hiding a rock wall.
      The most expensive country that we have found is Italy. Two other factors are important. First, many cities only allow locals in certain areas, they are patrolled by cameras, and the fines are high. You cannot reenter a European Union without clearing a ticket.
      Second, in Italy you are able to take a car into another European country, but it is very expensive to leave off a car in another country. Many people exchange cars at a border if they are not returning.
      Germany, Austria. Liechtenstein and Switzerland  are pretty straight forward.
Scotland and England are similar to Ireland, but the roads are faster, but one still will find them narrow. Going fast is something we do not enjoy as we like to stop often and see things. We usually take the back roads.
     There is no such thing as a wrong turn. We have always been surprised and delighted by what we find in an unplanned turn.

Parasailing in the Alps

If you look closely, you will see me - I am the one taking the pictures with a telephoto lens.

Roman Arches

AIr France Terminal, CDG, Paris

Living Wall

New and sparkling

View of Multnomah Falls, Bottom, Middle, Top

Details from the Roman Forum

World health care

Just been thinking - due to these last few days of governmental boxing  - that of the countries I have been in over the last four years, the United States is the only one without a single-payer or national health care. That is, of course, until October 1, 2013 when the Affordable Health Care Act took effect in the United States. My country is really the last First World nation to embrace this. The argument cannot be made that our system has been better because our infant morality rates and other negative health rates are greater than other countries with single payer plans.

When in Europe, and recently in Canada, I knew if I got ill I would get good quality care.

Nice Picture Don't 'Ya Think

The Post Office in Dublin where the revolution came to a head.

TOWERS

Florence

Venice

 Feldkirsh, Austria

 

London

Rock of Cashel, Ireland

 

      For eons people have been fascinated by towers and high places.

     Around the world, towers point to the stars or the creator of the universe.
     Towers have been used for defense and for refuge.
     The Tower of Babel was one such place as were the temples of the mystics on mountain tops.  People built them as places to be close to the divine or away from the marauding heathens.
      While attending a conference in Boston I was so engrossed that I had not gone out to see much of the city. My wife demanded that I go with her to the top of the Hancock Tower and see the view.
     Your ears pop in the high speed elevator going up the Hancock Tower. Even more, you are overwhelmed by the view from this marvelous perch.
     In Chicago we went up the Sears Tower on a clear day and could see for miles.  It was much the same in Atlanta in the Peachtree Tower.  Many cities have their high holy places.  Seattle has its Space Needle, San Francisco has Coit Tower. 
     It is not surprising that terrorists chose the twin towers of the World Trade Center as targets for hijacked commercial airplanes.  Visiting the site is difficult today as you see a grey concrete box lining a city block hole in the ground.
     We dare not retreat to our ivory towers which insulate us from nothing.