Zooming the Louvre

Many people are so intent on checking off things that

they see the picture above and miss

looking at the ceilings,

which are just as important.

The suggestion is to make your list, but give yourself time to be surprised.

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Phoenix, Arizona as seen from a mountain lookout south of the city. This is looking north.

The Las Vegas Strip

This is a photo of the mixed up chaos that is Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It is where cheap knock-offs of Paris, Rome and Venice meet on a street where they are advertising girls that will come to your hotel room and "dance" for you. You should see it once as it helps you appreciate the real places around the world.

Telephoto of truck...

Roof Tops in Rouen, France

A great place to visit in Rouen, France is the Joan of Arc Museum. 

It is a multimedia show in an ancient building.

Just off one of the upper rooms is a stairway that leads to a window

from where you can see the cathedral.

We have top story reservations plus some more reservations...

      We are frequent flyers on Air France. We like the service, and have reserved a couple of seats on the top floor of the Airbus 380 on our way to Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar. Our only problem is going through TSA security to get on the flight. There is a good amount of news about the TSA lately.
     I do not blame TSA. The system is a double-bind. We need to be secure, but we need to board quickly. My experience is that I arrive early, but I am also hurried through the system. It rattles me and because I do not want to inconvenience people behind me, I sometimes make a mistake and it ends up slowing the process. Last flight (on Southwest through Phoenix) I irritated the TSA agent to words (not beyond words).  Really, I am sorry, but if they had more agents and I didn't feel pushed I might not let the pressure get to me.
     The time before that, in Detroit, they had one agent being supervised by another agent and a long line.The supervisor could not be bothered with checking people through.  It is difficult to be sympathetic. It is difficult.
     You cannot walk to Spain or take a train from San Francisco. Two Valium and maybe I can do it without feeling like a cow on the way to be graded and slaughtered.

Favorite Places: Balmoral near Ballater, Scotland

The "Castle" is really a manor house. This photo was taken from the side. The part on the right is a portico for arrivals and departures. On my "bucket list", it was checked off 10 years ago.

Listen up London, England! It is Red Nose Day.

Happy Red Nose Day - May 26, 2016

Back walkways of Venice

You will find wonderful views many places of the Grand Canal or of gondolas gliding along. Yet, there is nothing better than to wait until the sun begins to go down and the folks all go back to their cruise ships. Go out to the ghetto for dinner and across the small bridges until you find a gelato shop that is still open. Look up at wash hanging where people actually live and sleep and hope. Then when it is fully dark, remember you are in Venice - not a copy in Las Vegas - but the real deal

The Canadian Rockies

A photo of  mountain near Banff, Alberta, Canada - to prove why they call this the Rocky Mountains.

This was obviously taken in August three years ago.

Old River, California USA

"Old River" is part of the San Joaquin River Delta between Tracy California and Stockton California. It courses around hundreds of small islands. The water enters the San Francisco Bay due West.  It is known for boating and fishing, but it is also the end of a flow that comes down from the Gold Country of California which bring with it chemicals from farming and gold prospecting. For me, it has always been a place to stick with kayaking rather than catching any fish to eat. This is a view from a private dock at Oak Island looking west toward Mount Diablo.

Fete Nationale (Bastille Day) Honfleur, France 2015

Mittenwald, Germany

So, we did not spend much time in Germany and have to go back, 

but I did get this photo in Mittenwald south of Munich.

Paris: The City of "Looking Up"

Wonderful things to see, if you just look up in Paris.

Another day near Sedona, Arizona, USA

Hiking in the desert outside of Sedona, Arizona. USA

Italian Bulletin Train

We like to rent a car and drive from place to place. We have done it in many countries. I just rented a car in Spain. We are not starting out in a car, but in one of Europe's trains. We have taken trains in many countries, as well. Here, four years ago, is the train we took from Rome to Florence. We also took a train from Florence to Venice and then on to Verona. Going first class, you go fast and there are attendants serving wine and small bits. You cannot stop and make friends with folks at a fruit stand, but you get from point A to point B like ... a bullet.

Oak Creek near downtown Sedona

The creek outside our room at the bed and breakfast. Nice.

Airline satisfaction

I took this photo last week as we were boarding a Southwest Airlines plane to Phoenix at the Oakland, California Airport. The news has been saying that people are more satisfied with airline performance of late. I have only had a few bad experiences with an actual airline. I am not very happy with Delta. The last few flights have in in pretty shabby aircraft. Aer Lingus is low cost for a reason and Air Italia exists to sell duty-free things. Southwest, Jet Blue, and Alaska/Virgin America are good domestic values. Our airline of choice is Air France.

     What makes air travel less than satisfactory is what happens on the ground. Parking is a chore. Security is a long wait for a rush through the system - which to me is stressful. I hate to make others wait even though I waited. The boarding process is getting better as the overhead bins get bigger. The hard thing for me - if I do not fly business class - is legroom. I am a bigger guy. Premium is a bargain for me on long flights, especially on the larger Airbus that has two seats on each side - no middle seat. I suppose that my dissatisfaction is with my unwillingness to spend thousands of dollars for 12 hours of comfort.

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona as seen from the airport.

Ceiling in Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

As a glass artist, I am always looking for great examples

of glass work. This is a photo of the ceiling of Caesar's Palace 

(I believe the registration area - sorry
I  was too busy looking above my head!).

Sedona, Arizona USA - May 2016

The red rocks of Sedona

On the way home from Las Vegas

Looking down from 30,000 feet on the way home from Las Vegas: May 10, 2016.

Joan of Arc, Notre Dame, Paris, France

Everywhere you look in France: Paris (Notre Dame,  Rouen, Mont. Saint Michele) 

Saint Joan of Arc. is there.