Not Halloween in Dublin

The young man above is a living statue and works the Temple Bar area of Dublin. When you travel, you may see mummies or other such "statues". It is very creative. However, when I saw this guy all I could think of was the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz. The first person chosen to play the character was set out in the silver color and got extremely sick and poisoned from the paint. I wondered if this young man knew about that. When I saw him the next day, he was still doing his job so I guess I worried for nothing. I do a good deal of worrying for nothing.

Windows

 Guinness Brewery, Dublin. Ireland

Hotel, Honfleur, France

I am fascinated by windows and have hundreds of photos of them. I like them as architectural features and as symbols of both seeing out and seeing in to the world of other people.

 I am not a "Peeping Tom", however. I never get close enough.

Candles in Notre Dame, Paris

Photo by Madison Boehringer

Our granddaughter, Maddie, gave me her photos and as I go through them I am struck by the fact that, as a twelve/thirteen year-old, she sees things that I miss. Granted this picture was a hard one to capture on a point-and-shoot camera, but I still like it as it brings back memories.

Passageway to the Ghetto in Venice, Italy

I loved visiting the Ghetto in Venice. It was the home for the Jewish community for many years and is a place of history. There are a couple of excellent places to eat there and some shops selling Judaica. For me, this long passageway which controlled their coming in and going out was of great interest. We walked this passage several times when we were in Venice. Anyone read "The Merchant of Venice?" Well, then you know a little about this.

Vision near the German border

Old and new by the roadside near Mittenwald Germany, just south of Munich. And old church and a modern crane doing some work. Peeking through the tree at an auto turnout. Pretty surprise.

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Veneto, Italy

The Dolomites were number one on my bucket list and by this photo you might tell why. These views are everywhere. This one was taken by Marietta McLellan from a pass just outside of the UNESCO heritage site of Cortina d'Ampezzo, the location of the Winter Olympics a number of years ago.

Shared Memories - Rouen, France

     One of the fun things about traveling is coming home with a pocket full of memories. The person that you went with, or met there, shares a remembered place or event. It is even more fun when you are talking with someone at home and they have been where you have gone, and you can remember together something that you both experienced separately. You suddenly have something wonderful in common. 

     "Rouen? Yes, we were there. I loved the old plaster of Paris homes in the central city." 

     "Me too. Did you happen to see the one with all the red flowers?"

Early French Nude

This is a detail in the exterior of the Louvre. Had to warn 13-year-old that there are lots of nudes.

Marble Canyon, Alberta, Canada

"I'll stay here while you walk to the top, and yes, 

I know you will take a picture looking down on  me."

(There are lots of those!)

I hate: Ten Places You Must See Before You...

     Almost everyday I get an ad or announcement on Facebook that tells me that I must see ___ places before I die. Or, they have a test to see how many of the restaurants in Brookline, Massachusetts I have eaten in. You see I subscribe to a good many travel sites all of which know what is best for me.

     Well, I know what is best for YOU. Make a list of all of your favorite places you have seen and great meals that you have had and celebrate them. Only you can what is best for you. Case in point: The Sistine Chapel. We were right outside it and passed. We visited some great religious stores just outside the Vatican instead. I have a 3D program of the chapel and it lets me see all of it. It is not full of tourists and guards telling me not to take pictures. If I could have gotten in on a private tour, preferably with the Pope, I'd have done it. Now, every list of Rome tells me I have to see the chapel before I die. I guess I have prolonged my life. Anyway, don't the writers know that the Sistine Chapel is in the Vatican? It is in a whole different country from where Rome is.

     You might not think the following is much, but I found it one of my favorite places:

Ballydavid North, Dingle, Ireland; Near Castlegregory

River Dancers in Dublin

     These are two of the river dancers at the Arlington in Dublin. They are thin because - it appeared to me - one minute of this dancing takes a day's calories. We, on the other hand, had a very good high-calorie Irish meal while watching them. Please note that the "Heineken" sign behind them is not for an imported beer from the Continent. Heineken and Carlsburg have breweries in Ireland/England and other places around the world. (You know that Budweiser is now a German Company.) Back to the subject at hand, the river dancers and dinner show was worth it.

Venice, Italy - Places even non-travelers recognize

     There are places in the world, such as the Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China, or Washington Monument that everyone recognizes immediately because we have seen so many photos of them. This picture above of the Rialto Bridge is very common because it is taken from the most common passage for gondolas in Venice. You get out into the center of the Grand Canal and there it is and you have to photograph it. It is almost an obligation (especially when all the gondoliers are out like this). I took this photo and do not apologize for it, although I must apologize for not wanting to go out in a gondola in the first place. It seemed too touristy and predictable. Alas, we were tourists and captivated by Venice like everyone else.

Maligne Lake, near Jasper, Alberta

     So, you are a photographer or at least a taker of photos. How do you remember where the photo was taken? On a usual 3 to 4 week trip I take around 1,200 photos and my wife takes about the same. When we get home we put them in the computer, sort them, and send off around 600 to be printed and then put into a photo album.  The ones taken on my phone come complete with location. My wife has the date printed on hers. The ones taken on my camera only have a number and I have to place in it the right order, although my computer program dates them digitally. Often, I take a photo like the one above to help me remember the location. There are always signs around. I usually do not print them, but use them for information. In this case, I think it adds to the photo.
     Maligne Lake is an easy drive from Jasper and well worth the trip. This was a rainy day.

Roman Theater, Verona, Italy

Once across the river from Centro Storico in Verona, there is a ancient/modern theater waiting for you. Still serving up concerts and plays, The Roman Theater is interesting even when they are just setting up from another show. The top photo is of the upper level where there is a museum and displays. The bottom photo is the lower theater looking up toward where the first photo was taken. You will note that there are some of the original stone benches to sit on higher up, but more modern seating down front. Verona is one of my favorite destination cities. It is much of Italy all in one place. I suggest a visit and giving it at least two nights - one for a play or the opera in the Arena, and one to find entertainment in a street-side cafe.

Houseboats along the Seine

All along the Seine, from Paris to the English Channel near Honfleur, there are many houseboats. I am not sure that this photo is of one of them, but I like the looks of it. Posted below are some more from near Rouen, Normandy.

The Grotto, Portland, Oregon

 Statue of Saint Francis in the upper garden

Looking north toward Washington State from the upper chapel

The Grotto is well worth a visit when you are in the Portland Area. It is just off Sandy Blvd. at 185th in the North-East area of the city. There are two levels joined by an elevator that rises some 100+ feet. Above the actual grotto is a garden with various places for meditation.  On the lower level is a large chapel and a gift shop. The Grotto comes alive in lights during the Christmas Season and over 70,000 people come to visit and see the decorations and hear the many great choirs in concert.

Parasailing in the Alps

            There are are many sports that are popular in the Alps. The skiing is probably the most obvious along with ice skating in the winter. In summer, there are many wonderful hiking trails. There are many things to do. One sport that is exciting to see (and probably to do) is parasailing off of the peaks which run 7 to 10 thousand feet. For me, I'll just watch. These photos were taken in the Dolomites (Sud Tyrol, Northern Italy).

Spanish Steps Closed for Repair, and...

Both the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain are "closed" for restoration and repair. Not to worry, much else is open and available in Rome. In almost every major city, some of the sites are closed for remodel or repair. There are many places that need to be preserved and it is a continual process. The traveler many find that something they expect to see is not open at the moment. This may disappoint you a little, but it will also allow you to be surprised by something you never expected.

National Chocolate Week

From a famous chocolatier near the Opera House, Paris, France.  International Chocolate week.

Chocolate Macaron 

Normandy is near and far from England

     This is a photo of a sailboat off the coast of Normandy in the English Channel. England and France are not far from one another and even closer now with the train from London to Paris under the channel. They worked together during World War II to fend off the Germans. But, one senses that all of the wars and acrimony over the many generations has kept them from being complete  friends.
      A good example of this is how they treat one another when it comes to language. Many - might we say most - Frenchmen speak English or at least enough to get by. Yet, they will not let on until you try to speak French. You need to at least give it a go before they take pity on you. But why should they speak English? When the French come to the United States they rarely find someone who speaks their language.
      When an American goes abroad, he needs to prepare himself for the native language. To expect everyone to accomodate us is rude. Being rude often means getting a rude response back. When we get a rude response to our ignorance some folks come home and indict a whole nation. It makes the channel and the oceans even wider.

Jeanne d'Arc or Joan of Arc as she is known today

 Statue of Joan of Arc in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Statue of Joan of Arc in front of the Lower Chapel at Mt. Saint Michele, France

     Joan of Arc is  major figure in French history and there are many statues of her in France. The Joan of Arc Museum Rouen is very well done. There is also a Cathedral a few feet from where Joan was burned at the stake in Rouen. Certainly there is much myth here, but Joan was obviously an important female in the country and after her death canonized as Saint Joan. 

Paying for parking in Liechtenstein

The church we were going to visit in Vaduz is in the background. Here I stand, all hunched over, peering at the machine. It asks for money to pay for parking. As a visitor I did not want to break the law. As well, I needed to figure out how much it cost to park. But, we just came from Austria and were on our way to Switzerland. Austria uses the Euro. Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc.. Liechtenstein uses the Swiss Franc, as well. The country speaks German. They are the largest producer of false teeth in the world ( thought I'd just throw that in). In the photo I may be biting my tongue trying to figure out the way the meter works and how much to put into it as it also accepts Euros.

Switzerland

I just had to post this photo which I took from a vista point in Switzerland. You can see that it was August of 2012. We had driven a long way to see the Swiss Alps.   The highway runs north to south through a pretty valley. I had done the research and it had grand views on all sides of the mountains.
     Research aside, when we got there it was raining heavily. We stopped a few times - just to rest from driving in the torrent. Went to a small grocery to buy Swiss chocolate. We stopped for lunch. It rained hard until we got to Italy. The above photo is essentially what we saw on that trip to Switzerland.
    We had a flight scheduled from Verona to Paris that goes right over Mount Blanc. I had researched that one too. We saw nothing but clouds. So, this means that there has to be a next time. Something more to look forward to.

St. Stephan's Green, Dublin, Ireland

Ireland's best known Victorian public park. 

Re-opened by Lord Ardilaun in 1880 for the citizens of Dublin.

A great place to walk in good weather. There are many special features to see.

We took this photo in the Spring.

Why wear comfortable shoes in Ireland?

Great towns and cities with lots of walking and the many of the streets are cobblestones. They are tough to walk in new high heels. (Photos by Mike McLellan)

European Pickpockets

I was walking down hill from Montmartre in Paris when I saw this lively window. I stopped to take a picture.  It was at that moment I felt something brush my right rear pocket. I turned around and there stood a young man looking at a map. I announced loudly to everyone "pickpocket!" and the man with the map plus two others near us took off in various directions.
     There are many pickpockets in major cities around the world. That is also true in the United States. It is especially true in European capitals. People from the Eastern Bloc and gypsies come in and the only work they find is often illegal. Certainly that is not true of all of them. But, many women and men along with specially trained children see an American from a mile away. Camera in hand, distracted by the view, wallet in back pocket or insecure purse - we are targets.
     Before going to another city or country I do research and even watch YouTube videos. In Italy and in Paris I am particularly aware of how pickpockets work.  I use a dummy wallet in my right rear pocket. Nothing there except business cards and maybe a map. The pocket has a button. real valuables are in one of my zippered front pockets or in a money belt. I do carry an across the body camera bag (doubles as a man-purse).
     I watch for men reading maps and women with clipboards or even babies. They come close and if you look down you see the map or clipboard or baby and do not see their other hand...
     Been a traveler a long time and I sure as heck scared those three fellows with my wallet on their minds. Still, even the most careful can fall victim. Do not carry much money. Have money and credit cards split between pockets or people. Use a money belt especially for your passport. Do not be paranoid, be aware of your surroundings.

Honfleur, Normandy, France

The harbor

I really enjoy Honfleur. People might suspect it is too touristy and they would be right. I still like it. I was a tourist.

Bullet Holes in Rouen Not Repaired

In a large number of buildings you can see the reminders of world War II. In Rouen, a town that saw intense fighting, the bullet holes have been left on some of the major buildings. These are scars that they do not wish to have healed. They are marks of a struggle that cost everyone so much. The French people remember.

Kites at Seaside Oregon beach

Some of the kites are huge and take several people to fly them. Some of the smaller one just fall apart in the strong winds that come off of the water. Still, a fun thing to do, or cheaper yet - just watch.

Ground Zero outside of Notre Dame, Paris

Outside of Notre Dame is a small round brass marker. It is the place from which all distances are measured in France. Paris is not in the exact center of France, but the French see it as if it is. It is like America's centering life on Washington, D.C. But, it is a pleasing thought that the center of a country is in the square of a church. The marker, however, pre-dates the church. In the bottom picture you will see that I wore my old shoes to hoof Paris. While one wishes to look nice in France (the French look good) you need well broken in shoes for all of the walking. Notre Dame was only a couple of blocks from our apartment, but there was lots more to see and miles to go each day.