Amsterdam; city of bridges

     Amsterdam is a city of canals like Venice, but the inflow is controlled. The city also uses larger boats to get around and for delivery. This means that there are many bridges and many of the bridges are draw bridges. The photo here is of us in a small boat making our way around the city. Being small, the boat can go under even the lower bridges, but the ship ahead of us needed to have more room. There is some very creative engineering going on in this city.

My best picture of the Eiffel Tower

Took photos at all times of day and night, from all sorts of vantage points. I like this one best.

There are many better ones on the internet.

Rental Cars in Europe

 We do not mind tours that give us a good deal of free time, but even then we often rent a car and do or own exploring.
  So far (besides the United States) we have rented cars and driven in a number of countries:
(Canada)
Scotland
England
Ireland

Spain
Gribraltar
Portugal
Italy
Austria
Germany
Switzerland
Lichtenstein

  Bottom photo is of a tailgate picnic in a rented car in the Alps. A nice and relaxing time all alone. We often pack a lunch when driving and just find a nice place to sit and take in the scenery.

 We usually book our cars through Auto Europe - a broker - who finds us the best deal through a major carrier.

Segovia, Spain

A tower of the palace in Segovia showing the influence of the Moors. 

This is a wonderful building in a beautiful Spanish town.

Kalahari, Botswana

      This photo is of a track in the Northern Kalahari in Botswana. We were on a game drive looking for animals in the bush. This is the dry season (we would think of it as Winter) and the drive is taking us toward the Chobe River Delta.  You can see it in the upper left. The animals come to the limited water. It is the best place to find them. The huge herds of zebra gathering on the islands and in the process of migrating to the south do it along this delta.  The driver, Duncan, was a guide for a PBS special on this migration. He and his wife were are hosts in the Kalahari.

Multnomah Village, Portland, Oregon

     So, this is "our" neighborhood when we are in Portland. The top picture is of Multnomah Days - a weekend in August to celebrate the community spirit. It includes a great parade and then booths from local merchants and non-profits. The bottom photo shows a poster/placard that you will find around our streets. It is a general statement of who and what we are. We are so diverse that you don't have to agree with the sign to be included and loved.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Zambia

     Victoria Falls can be seen from Zimbabwe (best) and Zambia (good) or from the air (wow). It is nearly a mile long and from the land is only seen in pieces. It is more difficult to see it from the Zimbabwe side as there are visa issues, but it is worth it.  In the bottom photo you can see the bridge that must be crossed to get from one side to the other. This bridge was featured in "The Amazing Race" when contestants bungee jumped from it. You can do that too if you wish.  These photos are by Lucas Meurisse and Marietta McLellan.  If you look carefully, you can see me sitting in the shade at the helicopter pad near the David Livingstone Lodge and Spa in Zambia (or maybe not). 

Spain - wonderful world of tapas

     Spain has a wonderful tradition or custom called "Tapas".  It goes with their staying up late and having dinner at 8 or 9 at night. The top photo is from a favorite tapas bar in Barcelona. The bottom photo is what the streets look like at 2 pm.  People take a break and have a light meal and "beverage" mid-afternoon. Like English tea. I was in a store in Granada buying a shirt and suddenly the lights went off and the clerks started leaving - 2 pm. I bought the shirt. We caught on to tapas very quickly. America is so primitive. We need some of these traditions.

Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy

      Sometimes our plans and timing are wrong and that is good. We were headed south to Lecco in Italy from Switzerland. We imagined that if all went well we would arrive at dinner time. We got to a hotel (big surprise... turned into one of our favorites) right on Lake Como about 2 pm. After getting settled we realized that there was time to drive to Bellagio on the north end of the peninsula that juts out into the lake. A beautiful, but narrow, road leads out and just as you come into the town, a large parking lot sits on the shore. We parked and had a long walk and met some folks from Sweden. We looked at the town, the lake and watched the ferry going across. It is as pretty as people claim. If we had kept to schedule we would have missed it.

Giraffe - same number of vertebra as humans

     The first day in Botswana I got excited to see a giraffe and took a bunch of photos. The second day on a game drive I saw dozens and dozens and they seemed so common I stopped taking their pictures. Then I learned more about them and they became more and more impressive. When they are standing still they are called a "tower" and when they and moving they are called a "journey". This is a journey of giraffes. The zebra at lower left is wondering what I am doing.

Kilkenny Castle, Ireland

You hear that Ireland is green. For the most part, it is. In Kilkenny, the castle - which is a manor house - sits in a beautiful park-like setting. It is a great visit and a wonderful town. Kilkenny is one of my favorite places.

Cities in Spain

     For those of us who live in California, we will not be impressed by the rural areas of Spain - they look like California. But, each of the major cities are unique. Madrid is a big city, but they have left lots of open space with a truly wonderful park in the central city. Barcelona is about fun and beauty. Granada is smaller and easy to get around; worth a few days to feel the soul of Spain. But, if you can only visit one city, I'd suggest Seville (Sevilla.) It is easy to explore (although I got lost a couple of times) and beautiful. It has a great history. The central city is fun day or night. Just one man's opinion.

Las Ramblas, Barcelona

     The market off of Las Ramblas. This street and this market are teaming with people. The street is a gathering spot. It is a place to encounter others and to stop for a while and maybe have a snack or meal. It is a tourist stop and there are all nationalities there. There is candy and fruit and bread to buy - or just to see the colors. We grieve for Las Ramblas.

Caen Museum: The Nazis lost but we did not win

     The whole idea that one race or group is superior lost during the Second World War. But look at all the graves ... everyone lost. If racism expands again, we will all lose again.

Cheap Hotel Rooms

     I know that there are many sites on the Internet that let you find "deals". I also know that the hotels have to pay that website for booking them. I look up the hotels and ratings on the internet sites and then I call or email the hotel direct. Often I get it cheaper, but most often I get a better room. The rooms given over to folks who book through the sites are the lower quality rooms in the hotel. I have a number of examples from my former years of using the sites. Trust me.It is cheaper and better to deal with the hotel direct.

I booked this room at the Staunton in London for less than I would get a room on Expedia.

This room was about two times as big as most in London. And, it has a/c.

Mini Europe, Brussels, Belgium

     The models of famous places in Europe are watched over by the giant sliver sculpture/building on the word's fair site in Brussels.  We hired a driver and gave him a list of places we wanted to see. He added places that we should see and we had an all day tour including a Belgium Waffle lunch in the central city. Certainly Brussels is not a pretty tourist city, but it has plenty to see and do.

White Supremacy created this

White supremacy in Johannesburg, South Africa still lingers after years of condemnation and hard work. The poverty it caused in places like Soweto seems to have become hereditary.  While the governmental policies have changed, life for many in the black community has stayed the same. I walked this area and considered how little different this is from the Deep South of my youth.

Approaching Sedona, Arizona

When coming north from Phoenix, the red rock area around Sedona opens up in splendor. The canyon with its multiple monuments draws you in toward the Oak Creek Canyon and this land so sacred to the native Americans. Sacred because of how it looked and sacred because it was home. Sedona is beautiful and filled with artists. Like Paris it has many wonderful subjects to draw or paint.

Paris Street Life

     Paris has cafes and small shops and the Eiffel Tower - something for everyone. And, the children (and adults who think like children) are not left out. There are small carnivals and large ones too around the city. Here is a carousel.  Please note the far left side of the photo. There is a bride getting ready to get on to have her picture taken. Photo by Mike.

Bridges of Amsterdam

The water in Amsterdam is much cleaner than one might suspect.  It also is controlled so that the tides do not effect it as they do in Venice. One notices that the bridges do not have hundreds of "love locks" on them, although there are plenty of bikes chained to them. A visit to Amsterdam is not complete without a water tour. We suggest a small boat and not a large tour boat. We enjoyed going with "Those Dam Boat Guys". See TripAdvisor for details.

Victoria Falls from the Air

Flying above the Zambezi Gorge near Victoria Falls

     Flying in a helicopter over the Victoria Falls between Zambia and Zimbabwe is a rush, but even more exciting is having the pilot fly you near water level through the gorge above the falls. You see more than by hiking the trails - but it is not cheap. It is a tad scary. It is worth it.

Manneken Pis

So, Paris has the Eiffel Tower and Brussels has the Manneken Pis. Actually that is an oversimplification.  Brussels has a good deal more than that, but this is a big draw.  It is right around the corner from a great waffle house (but that is a different story). The fountain is small. The figure is about the same as an American Girl Doll. It was set in place in the 1600's. People dress it up from time to time and there is a collection of costumes near by.  One suspects it scandalized folks at one time. The only thing that bothered me was the obvious water tube in back. If I were going to do this, I would have hidden the pipe. Alas, it is very popular and few people come for miles to see my art.

All About Kidneys

     The modern safari does not take much stamina. You get into a specially built vehicle (many use Toyota 4 wheel drive pick-up bases with the top cut off and a set of seats installed) and head out to some lovely place to see animals in the wild. The tradition is to stop for tea/coffee around 10 am because the safaris started at 6 am. Then there is lunch with beer or wine. Then comes dinner with beer or wine or gin and tonic. Then there is the trip to high ground or to the riverside for beer and wine and watching the sunset.  If your kidneys have not been jarred loose on the game drive they are pickled. This is, however, a great way to spend several weeks in Africa.

Zambian Village

     Taking a trip to Africa does not mean just looking at wild animals and bartering for local crafts. At best it is meeting the people who live there. In Southern Africa, because much of it was once a British Colony, most people over the age of six or seven speak English as well as their tribal language.  That makes it easier for those of us who resist learning another language. On our trip last month to five African nations, we visited schools, villages and neighborhoods to meet locals. In Zambia we made a point to visit a village that has existed for many generations. They make a living working the fields and selling their handicrafts. They welcome visitors and everyone greeted us warmly. Indeed, we bought craft items and left behind some things for them, but most of all we came away with a great appreciation for their grit. 

Rainbows

This is a rainbow over the "Half-Penny Bridge" in Dublin. I have dozens of rainbow pictures from various places around the world, and I was just wondering why.  Other people do the same thing. We are fascinated by rainbows and actually they are most everywhere it rains. Dublin has more than its share. Victoria Falls has them everywhere. The Canadian coast is a good place to photograph them.  Is it because it is a symbol of the end of a storm?  Or, is it because it means the earth and air are clean? I don't know, but I like them.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

     I will guess that there are many people like me that see something that they wish to photograph and later realize that they do not know what it is. This picture was taken very near the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. I was taken by the beautiful church tower with its clock. In the foreground is a great place to sit and have pancakes (credit cards only - no cash). It as a beautiful day with attractive people with a canal just to the right. I know a good deal about the area, but have no idea about what the tower actually is.

Soweto, South Africa

     The photo above is of old Soweto the town outside of Johannesburg that is or was essentially the ghetto for workers in the city. Much of Soweto is being redeveloped and upgraded, but there are still scenes like this.
     If you ever think that you have it tough or that you are in need, call up this picture and you will see that these are not deserted homes. These are really where people live and raise their children.

Victoria Falls, Zamia/Zimbabwe

      This is a shot of Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side. It is prettier from that side, but immigration can be tough. This is a small slice of the falls which are very wide. It really does roar and smoke as the locals have said.

999 Places To Visit Before You Die

     People wonder why I spend my income traveling or why I do it at my age. I am in the End-of-life business at a hospital and came back to work after being retired for about 12 years. I appreciate that my life has an end. I do not remember the beginning and the middle has had some ups and downs, but I have made friends with the end. I do not want it too soon, but I do want to be running at the end of the race. No time to quit now.  I don't have enough money to have it make that big of an impact on my heirs, so we are spending it now.  It is sort of a witness to values that include a whole world. I do love my country (USA) but I love my world a little more. So I whittle at my list of places to see and people to meet and foods to try and joys to behold. Here is  place I like:

 The Alps just east of Bolzano, Italy.

Covered Streets: Brussels, Belgium

     Just as in Paris, some of the streets in the older areas of the city are covered over in glass in Brussels. They make a nice place to shop or dine in the heat or in the rain. Many of the shops are high class and very pretty. It is fun to window shop.  When I return from Europe I think of all of the nice souvenirs I did not buy - and thus do not have to store!