Happy Halloween

The entry to Tulloch Castle in Scotland, that they say is haunted.

Not true, but fun.

Mike McLellan at Speaker's Corner, Hyde Park, London

Here, at Speaker's Corner, the gathering crowd listens as Mike McLellan gives an address. He gave his email address. Just one in a long list of important addresses given in this spot over the centuries.

Banff, Alberta Canada - two views

 Banff from the hill road. No need to take the tram.

Along the river park at a bend in the river. Lovely.

     Banff is a beautiful, although expensive, place to visit. For us, it was a plane ride to Seattle and a change of planes to Calgary. There we rented a car and drove to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. Simple and easy this is a lovely trip. Even in summer you will need warm clothing especially at the ice fields. 

     For us, this was the beginning of a loop that took us back to Waterton National Park, Canada then south to Glacier and then west to Flathead Lake before going north and back to Banff and Calgary. 

     Not everyone has three weeks to spare, but it was a great trip. We love Canada and Canadians.  One reminder, in he old days the border as wide open. Any identification would do. Now you need a passport. 

     Does anyone else think the name Banff needs one more vowel?

      

Loch Ness

     We have spent a good deal of time driving the roads of Scotland and enjoying the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, and plenty more. Yet, it was not until this summer that we took the time to go boating on Loch Ness. We were on a chartered research vessel that explores the typography and lore on the loch. It is an excellent way to see such a beautiful lake and the castles and houses surrounding it. I could easily move to Fort Augustus. This is a place where taking your time is worth it. In the bottom photo you can see my granddaughter peeking around the starboard side of the boat. Later on she was invited to drive it. 

South African Safari

Only the zebra at left cared enough to look at our Land Rover.

Barcelona, Spain

     This photo was taken with a long lens from the castle/fortification on top of one of the city's hills. Central is the Cathedral in its final stages of construction.
     Barcelona is a wonderful visit. It is a city with vibrancy and color. It has beautiful buildings and a great beach scene. The food is excellent and the whole idea of Tapas is lived well.
     Some people complain that there are a great many tourists and my usual comment is, "If you do not want to be surrounded by tourists, go to the Sahara or maybe the Congo." There are reasons why tourists go to pretty, safe and interesting places. There are reasons why they stay away from others.
     The trick for us is to learn to experience the city like a native and watch the tourists like we are not one of them.

Union Square, San Francisco

Getting ready for the annual winter ice rink.

One of my favorite landmarks.

Sailing on the Firth of Forth

Beautiful day on the Firth of Forth off Edinburgh Scotland

The Tower Bridge, London

Yes, that is me squinting in the light as our boat went under the Tower Bridge in London. It is my Horatio Nelson look.

Sedona, Arizona

Red rocks as seen from the Sedona Airport.

View from a 12th Century Church, Florence, Italy

We went up to hear chanting at a 12th Century church above Florence.  A high point in more ways than one. The whole experience was thrilling including the cab ride up and the bus ride down. Standing on the steps of the church, this is the view you have (with a telephoto lens) of the old town.

Cawdor Castle, Scottish Highlands

Built over a number of years, this manor house is a good visit.

Especially manage to send time in the extensive gardens.

On the Royal Mile, Edinburgh where much of "Harry Potter" was written.

A surprise on the Royal Mile

The Dolomites

     One of my all time favorite photos taken in 2012. We rented a car in Verona and drove north through Trento and Bolzano turning east toward La Villa, a small village in the heart of the Dolomites where we stayed about a week. On one curve, a turnout afford this view. If you enlarge the photo you can see a number of small villages on the slopes. This is a magic place.

Jamestown, California USA

     The Jamestown Hotel. A great place to visit on a trip to see the colors change in Northern California

Sunday's Flight

     The flight from Portland to Sacramento on Sunday was smooth with great visibility and little or no smoke from forest fires. When coming south you see a long line of mountain peaks: Hood, Jefferson, Washington, Bachelor, The Sisters, (Three fingered Jack, Theilson, Shasta). If you do not like to look out the window at 30,000 feet you can miss a good deal. 

On Safari in Botswana

     On safari in Botswana in August means cool nights as it is winter there. Winter means the dry season and not the cold felt around our home in North America. Still, the fire feels good along with an adult beverage. The fire seems to draw in some animals and the night sounds are interesting to some and frightening to others. However, on these safaris you are predictably safe.

     There is something liberating about no running water or electricity. 

Rodin

As seen in the Victoria and Albert in London. There is also another copy in the

Museum d' Orsay in Paris which I also photographed.

Rodin

In Rodin's Garden - Paris, France

On our way from Seville to Madrid...

     Driving from Seville to Madrid, my navigator mentioned that she had found an interesting site listed in the guide book. Could it be that we were in the area once roamed by Don Quixote? We turned off the highway and went west to a lovely - although seemingly deserted  - town. Through the town and passed a castle and up to the top of the hill. Wonderful windmills with information about them and what they did and how long they have stood there. Glad we found it. 

Winter twilight on the Chobe, Botswana

Photo by Marietta McLellan

House on the Seine

This photo was taken from a boat on the Seine in France.

Would be a lovely place to live.

Airbus A380

     Not sure now many times we have flown the A380.  Likely it has been a dozen or so times. One thing I like about it is that it has cameras on the tail, nose and belly so you can see things that you can only imagine on other planes. The photo above is of the screen on the seat back with the tail camera selected. It should be  about 40,000 feet over either Greenland or the North Atlantic. Not much ground to see, but over Africa there are some great views.

Cemetery On The Banks of The River Shannon, Ireland

     I like cemeteries. Some of my favorite ones are in Ireland and Scotland. It may be the Celtic crosses which I like so much. I am not afraid of cemeteries which is likely because of my work over the years. They are places of remembering and of history. They are the logical places of memorial. They tell stories. And, they are almost always a well-kept green area even in the concrete of a city.

     This photo is not touched up. It is how the cemetery looked in the overcast light of the day I was there. Nearly black and white, it is more just values of gray.

Gibraltar (the rock) from Gibraltar

The Rock as seen from the point on Atlantic side.

Mother and child... seems cute, but stay away.

Looking down from the Rock toward the bay,

Favorite Photos: Northern Spain

Segovia = Church on the plaza

The Baptistery, Florence, Italy

     Notice in the top photo the doorway on the left rear. It goes to a stairway that goes to the second and third levels and puts you nearer the mosaics in the dome. Great visit for those not afraid of high places. Photos by Marietta McLellan.

Looking toward the bay in San Francisco

...from Columbus Park

Windows

     Those who regularly follow this blog will note that out of the hundreds of photos many feature a door  or window. Somehow I am attacked to both features.  The photos here were taken in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. There are great views from the windows, although the windows themselves are beautiful too.

Travel Hints for Health

     This is a partial screen shot of my Goggle Earth Pro. It shows some of our flights to Europe.

     You may or may not like to fly, but if you want to go places you often have to just do it. You likely know to take a empty water bottle - not a full one - through security and refill it before flying out as dehydration on planes is a problem. You can skip this if you are flying out of San Francisco International as the water in their fountains is awful - buy a commercial bottle of water before take off. Here are some extra hints:

     -Use triple antibiotic ointment or Neosporin in your nostrils before taking off. It keeps you nose moist and, I believe, helps keep germs at bay.

    - Bring Wet Ones and wipe down the armrests and fold-down tray - and other surfaces - before flight.  And use some on your hands before eating.

     - If the plane has overhead air outlets, turn yours on and point it gently on you face. It blows possible contaminants away.  

     - Keep hydrated during the flight by drinking water or juice. Alcohol does not count.

     - Be nice to everyone around you, especially flight personnel. Just because it is a good idea.