Hidden Hippo

     On a island in the Chobe River, Botswana Africa, this hippo thinks that the guy with the camera is taking pictures of the geese. He knows his coloring makes him invisible. 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

     A couple of street scenes in Amsterdam. It really is an interesting and pretty city. It has some surprises too what with the Red Light District and the coffee shops selling marijuana.  There are other shops selling candy etc. laced with the marijuana oil. Not shocking. Just different. 

     Amsterdam is fairly easy to get around on foot. We took a cab from the train station to our hotel -- a few blocks -- but with the canals and one way streets it took longer in the cab than walking. We took the taxi because of our luggage. We usually travel lighter than that, but this time we had to be prepared for summer in Europe and winter in Southern Africa.  

Door in Venice

Anyone who logs on here regularly will note that I take photos of windows and doors. This one was particularly impressive in Venice. I wanted to open it and see what was on the other side.

Honfleur, France

I personally love this photo of a courtyard entrance

in Honfleur France. This lovely town is at the

point where the Seine empties into the Atlantic.

Portobello Street Market, London

 In Notting Hill, London, on the weekends there is a great street market with antiques, odds and ends, food and vegetables. It is one of many in the city. It is a great place to see what the locals consider the "things" of their life. As usual, be aware of pickpockets, although it is not as bad as Rome or Paris. You also may wish to see the movie by the same name before going.

African Wild Dog

     This is an African Wild Dog as seen from the security of a safari vehicle. This photo was taken in South Africa. They must be harmless; they are dogs - right? In Botswana we saw what they do in packs and that is how they hunt. A group of four wild dogs can take down a much large animal like an impala or maybe a man. They are very skilled killers and quick about it. They do not get as much press as, say, a lion or a leopard, but they something to stay away from as best you can.

St. Anastasia, Verona, Italy

This is a photo taken by Marietta McLellan of the floor of the Church of St. Anastasia in Verona, Italy. When entering many of these wonderful churches in Europe we tend to look up at the ceiling or at the art and altar pieces, but the worshiper often looks downward in prayer and so the builders spend much time in designing the floors. I have often thought of publishing a book of photos of just floors we have seen around Europe.

Post 1500: Granada Spain from the Alhambra Gardens

The Generalife is the upper garden of the Alhambra in Granada Spain. It overlooks the city and the fortress - which includes the "newer" building of Charles the First. The Alhambra is layer upon layer of Moorish and Spain architecture.  We drove to Granada (an easy motorway drive) from Madrid and stayed several days. Then it was on to Rhonda, Gibraltar and Seville. 

Baboons

 Baboons are not particularly cute - especially the one who hit me and stole my friend's cookies while we were seated at a snack bar at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. 

Okay, this baby baboon is cute. I just wonder what he will be when he grows up.

Photos by Mike McLellan
Chobe National Park
Botswana

The London Eye

The London Eye as seen from a small boat on the Thames.

La Sagrada Família

Detail over the door of The Church of the Sacred Family in Barcelona

     Why is La Sagrada Familia such a big deal. First it is glorious. Second it is huge. But most importantly it was begun in 1882 when most buildings were small wooden structures. A few churches were Gothic wonders, but this church was modern, cutting edge and very different. It is amazing to think that it has been constructed over that many years and is planned to be completed in the next decade. The vision of one man, Gaudi.  Like it or hate it, it is marvelous. 

Gibraltar Apes

     This is a family of apes up on the Rock of Gibraltar.  Their population is controlled and they are not as bad as people say. They are interesting and add some humor to the terror of driving the road to the top of the rock. This picture not only shows the apes, but look at the upper left. That is the city of Gibraltar and it is nearly straight down from the guard rail. This road is not for the acrophobic.  

Botswana: Warthog

     You can be sure that this warthog's mother cared for him, but he is not what we might call "cute". One reason is that pair of tusks. They are razor sharp.  From a safari vehicle these guys are generally willing to head into the bush - although this one wasn't. I suspect that meeting one on the trail is a different story. Like the California wild boar that we have, they can have an attitude.

TOAST

      The picture above was taken from the veranda of our room at the Buena Vista Hotel on Lake Como, Italy. The city of Lecco is across the lake. I had the best toast there I have ever had. 

      So, the owners had a cook preparing the breakfast, but the male owner was given the chore of making toast. He used an older model toaster and manually watched it. At just the right moment, he removed the toast and brought it to our table still warm. He was very proud of his toast. Besides being very good, it also was done with a huge about of pride and love.

     Every morning when I make my breakfast and cook my toast, I think of that man. I cannot match his toast, but then I cannot match his passion for serving his visitors the very best.

      Another lesson learned on our way somewhere.

Drawbridges in Amsterdam

     While small trucks can make deliveries along the streets in Amsterdam, larger vessels are used to bring freight into areas of the city. These ships make it necessary for drawbridges. There are a variety of different types and again the Dutch engineers bring creativity to the projects. Amazing mechanical concepts allow the meeting of heavy trucks with big ships. In these pictures, a group of twelve  of us, ply the canals in a small boat. We did not need to have the bridges open for us. We liked the smaller boat with an English speaking guide rather than the large tourist boats and having to wear earphones.

Askari Lodge and Spa, South Africa

      Here is a big fellow we met at Askari Lodge and Spa to the Northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. There are very comfortable chalets around a pool and pond, as well as a large lodge for meetings. Askari means "mentor" or someone older and wiser who teaches you about life. Indeed, the animal reserve and facilities are designed to do just that. There are game drives and expert guides. If that is not for you, there is a spa. They also host weddings in a lovely chapel. But, don't confuse its four-star amenities with a lack of seeing the animals of southern Africa. This is a facility in the wild with animals walking around. There is a strong security force to protect you and the animals there. While we also went out in tents in the Kalahari, there was plenty to experience in a more civilized setting. 

Red Rock: Sedona, Arizona

In Sedona, there are red rock castles all around you.

Hurrah for Kilkenny, Ireland

I like close-ups. This one is odd. It is two girls putting out the Kilkenny, Ireland colors out of a pub's window in celebration of their team winning the national hurling championship. I suppose most of you do not know what hurling is, or where Kilkenny is, but believe me, it is a BIG deal.

What is important

Someone will go to France and bring back wine - I think it is hard to pack and more fun to drink it in a sidewalk cafe. Some people bring home perfume from Paris. Others will buy clothing from a high fashion store.  When I was younger I collected knives, but I sold them when I figured I had too many and needed the money. I always wanted a real French Opinel folding picnic knife. In Printemps Department Store I found just what I wanted. It made it home through airport security. I often look at it, although I have never cut anything on a picnic, but I am ready.

Baby Giraffe, Botswana

     These days, it is easy to capture a photo of a baby giraffe with a point-and-shoot camera. New cameras do much of the work for you and most come with an editing program to make the photo better. This little guy was about a day old. He was moving a little slow to catch his mother.  In fact, I do not know if it is a "he" or "she" as I cannot make out the color of the knobs on its head. One thing for sure, Mother Nature gave it great camouflage for the grasslands where I found it.  This picture was taken with a newer model Lumix with telephoto and cropped from a photo of several giraffes. 

Gibraltar, UK

     After taking a group tour of Barcelona and Madrid, we rented a car through Auto Europe and drove south to Granada and across Andalusia to Gibraltar. (Then to Seville, Portugal and back to Madrid.) The photo above (by Marietta McLellan)  was taken from our hotel balcony at The Rock Hotel. It is our first view of Africa. It is across the Mediterranean looking at Morocco.  It is not far to go, but Tangiers is not a great visit. We were waiting for another trip.  This area of the world is a mixture of  English, Spanish, and  Moorish influences. The buildings reflect it. I really enjoyed our guided tour and stay in Gibraltar.  If in the south of Spain, don't miss it.

Peyto Lake, Ice Fields Parkway. Canada

      We flew into Calgary and drove up through Alberta Canada. One thing struck me was that if a person did not want to fly and wanted to see the Alps, this was a good bet. Drive up from So.Cal you will be amazed.

Chobe River, Botswana

Photo by Mike McLellan

     We flew into Kasane Airport from Johannesburg and due to the early hour, we went east to a dock in the Chobe River. There we boarded a small covered boat and took a tour around several of the islands. Those islands team with a variety of animals and birds. There were hippo, Cape Buffalo, impala, crocodile and various other species. This photo is of a young elephant bathing. He was having a great time and seemed to be showing off for us. He was completely wild, but not afraid of us. Following a few encounters we were off to our tent camp for a three day series of game drives along the river in the Chobe National Park. Good choice.

Gondola Repair, Venice, Italy

This is a gondola repair shop in Venice. To stop by and get a lesson in gondola building you find out that the boats are built off center. They are not symmetrical.  That is because the gondolier stands on one side of the boat and, if it were symmetrical, it would not be flat in the water for the riders. Seems like everything - complex or simple - has something to teach us.

Dutch Windmill

     I have seen windmills in Spain that have been tilted and others in Ireland, Africa and near my home in California. Some make power, the Spanish ones grind grain, but the one in the picture seems to just stand there and look pretty (like the ones on Montmartre or the Moulin Rouge in Paris). It is in the middle of Amsterdam and I assume was once used to pump water back over the dike. Needless to say, seeing Holland without seeing a windmill would be disappointing.

Florence, Italy

     Far away or close up, Florence is a wonderful city and the favorite place of many people. There are countless reasons to make it popular from an active nightlife to a place of impressive art and history. There is lots to see and do - and some wonderful place to do nothing. The two photos above were taken with a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. I was standing on a famous and busy bridge, but the scene was all I was focused on. It is lovely.

     Remember to visit both sides of the river. They are very different, but equally interesting. 

Making America Great Again - one visit at a time

   

     America's greatness, until recently, has been in its leadership and respect around the world. It has not been in its winning over other countries, but in leading and showing an ethical and moral uprightness. If we alienate - and we have - country after country with which we share this planet, we will have lost the position that was uniquely ours.  Indeed, in the past, there have been a few of us considered "ugly Americans", but for the most part the world has embraced us. We helped save Europe twice. We have given much to protect Asia and Africa. When a famine hits we have been there. We have been seen as givers. Our new posture is self-serving and xenophobic and that is sad. On every trip I make, I try to embody an America who still cares and knows how fortunate we are. For all of our problems, we have a much easier life than so many else in the world.

Askari Game Preserve, South Africa

     Three zebras out for a walk at Askari Game Preserve to the Northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. On daily game drives we traveled in safari trucks to view the variety of animals there. There are a good variety of zebra, giraffes, impala, bucks, and wildebeests. The number of predators is not large and thus the herds grow stronger.  This is a different type of safari from those in Chobe National Park where less animal management is done.  It was fun to get close to some of these animals. Each one has a personality  as different as their stripes.

Cahir Castle - Hidden Gem

     Certainly The Rock of Cashel is a great stop in Tipperary, Ireland, but just south is Cahir. I attest to the fact that it is less crowded and much more accessible. I am not saying it is better, but I enjoyed our visit there just as much or more.  Cahir is a nice town and the castle is near the main highway which makes it easy to get to. I encourage you to go on the Internet and look at photos of both and not miss Cahir Castle if at all possible. The pictures above were taken by me and represent the ramparts and some of the central court.

Cheetah

  I did not actually get this close to the cheetah, more like ten feet, but my camera was set of telephotos and I like the texture that is pictured.