Old city gate, Innsbruck Austria

I really enjoy my visits to Austria. The people seem friendly and tolerate my lack of their language. They have had a tough history and still have risen above it. The cities are clean and the infrastructure well maintained. Their highways are easy to drive when you once figure out that you will be traveling fast but safely because the drivers are good. Innsbruck is one way we have entered Austria. We have also come in from the west.
 

The Dolomites of Northern Italy

While walking in the Dolomites we happened upon this scene near a very old, but well kept, cemetery. The barn was weathered from the snowy winters, with siding pointing to the blue sky and the mountains in the middle ground. The Dolomites are a happy place for me. I am overwhelmed by them as I am welcomed by them.
 

From the Ferris wheel, Paris France

From atop the Ferris wheel in Paris (their answer to the London Eye) one sees the pyramid of the Louvre with all of the people in the central court. Off in the distance is Notre Dame and the huge crane used to help restore what was lost in the fire. What appear to me as the spire of  Sainte-Chapelle stands between the Louvre and Notre Dame.  Sainte-Chapelle is a great work of art with its grand stained glass. It is breathtaking as is most of Paris.
 

Tuscany 2022

    People speak glowingly about Tuscany, Italy.  It is beautiful and full of history. I would not discount the trip or the benefits, but if the photo above was captioned "Napa, California, USA" most folks would not know. The Sonoma-Napa area is much like Tuscany.

 

Prague and Budapest

Two remarkable cities who welcome tourists: Prague and Budapest.

Easy to love.

 

Outside the bullring at Ronda Spain

 

Souvenirs to bring home

This is a view of Christmas decorations available in the street market of Munich Germany. I did not buy any of it. What have I brought home from trips? From Munich I brought home a shirt and sweater because I ran out of clean clothes. From Granada Spain I lugged a sport shirt for the same reason. From France I brought home a picnic knife because I always wanted one and found one cheap in Paris,  That's it from a dozen or more trips to Europe.

I must confess that I do bring home the free paper coasters under drinks. Got lots of interesting ones especially in Ireland. They don't break in my suitcase. I also bring home photos, but more importantly rather than shopping, I bring home memories. 
 

Sincerity in Rome and elsewhere

      The day we arrived in Rome, we took a short walk from our hotel to a small museum. There we saw these three busts created long ago. The busts might have had a Latin phrase written on them.  That phrase would be "sin cere" which means "without wax". Sculptors in a former time (and I imagine now) might make a wrong cut or crack the stone. In these repairs they would pour wax the color of the stone to hide the flaws. A perfect sculpture or one which was honest with its errors was labeled "sin cere".

    I understand this as a metaphor for life lived honestly. We all have made mistakes or been cracked here or there. Instead of hiding our imperfections, it is better to live transparently and real. 

Sincerely yours, Mike McLellan

Internal court, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England

     It goes without saying that we love the British Museum. We head to it right away when in London.  Our last bed and breakfast was nearly across the street.

     But a real favorite is the Victoria and Albert. It is easy to spend a day there. It is a wonderful collection of art, science and history. On a human scale, it has lovely places to sit, an excellent café and even remarkably decorated toilets. It is quirky, but welcoming. I also feel like the visitors have come not only to see the objects, but also to have a relaxing experience.
 

San Miniato, Florence Italy

San Miniato built in 1018 holds Gregorian Chants each afternoon.  It is across the Arno away from the city center on  a very high hill.  Great views of the city from here. It is above Piazzale Michelangelo. While some folks could walk it, it is better to use one of the low cost cabs. We took one and came back down by bus - although you must plan ahead and get your bus tickets before going as there are no places to by tickets up the hill, As a religion professional, I went early with an Italian acquaintance and attended mass (in Italian and Latin),  
 

Inside the Louvre, Paris France

The Louvre is an ornate palace converted to an art gallery and museum.

A number of years ago, they chose to make the entrance out of glass.

The main way in is a diamond shape with a modern interior.

While it is good to see, 

I recommend entry by the Carousel entry

from Rue Rivoli. You go passed a food court and shops underground,

but beat the crowds.

 

Sirmione and Lake Garda Italy

"Sirmione is a very popular tourist spot in Northern Italy. The first reason for its popularity is the location…it's an amazing location on Lake Garda (Lago di Garda). Secondly, it boasts a beautiful medieval village with old walls and narrow cobbled streets." Wikipedia 

We happen upon this place by accident as we were traveling from Lecco to Verona by car. It is worth the trip, but that is not what this post is about. The water level in Lake Garda is very right now. The photo above is while we were there a few years ago, Today the level is way down due to the drought all over Europe.
 

Doors and doorknockers: Segovia Spain

    Here are two examples of doors in the splendid town of Segovia Spain. This place deserves a stay with its Alcazar and palace. In my continuing quest for interesting doors and doorknockers from various countries, I came upon these two. These are portals to people's homes and are a prelude to what is inside.

 

Generalife just outside the walls of The Alhambra in Granada Spain

 

The gardens outside of the main area to the Alhambra are worth a visit.

While they are the place for the leaders to spend their summers, they are

a splendid place to view the city and the main structures.

"Generalife" looks like an English word, but it is not.

It is Arabic transliterated from " Jannat al-'Ārifa".

Dealing with the Danube

     The top photo shows a riverboat on the Danube. It is moored at Bratislava Slovakia. We took this  boat down and back along the Danube, This summer (2022) these ships cannot make it all of the way due to how low the water level is. The boats go until they run into shallow water and the passengers are bused around the these spots. The advantage of these boats is that you get on and unpack and don't have to pack for two weeks. Not so this year, The bottom photo shows a full river in October,

A Word (or two) About Air France

     We are frequent flyers on several airlines, but our primary carrier to Europe is Air France. Recently my family traveled through Paris from San Francisco to Florence Italy and back. There were many people complaining about lost luggage and long waits and other things. Those flying on Air France saw none of that. Good service, decent food, on time, no lost luggage - that is why we fly them.

 

White Water in Banff National Park, Canada

Traveling outside of Banff Alberta Canada there are many great places to stop and hike.  While we did see a few bears, we also saw many less frightening animals. The water is beautiful and photos of it are welcomed during this drought on the West of the United States.
 

Celtic Cross At The Rock Of Cashel, Ireland

     The UK and Irish Republic have many opportunities to view Celtic Crosses usually in burial places. This one is atop the Rock of Cashel. Worthy of a stop for the history and the view.
 

Beautiful Piazza In Florence Italy

    This was right near our hotel and about three blocks from the center of activity in Florence. It was here that we discovered nightly walks were a great way to see a European city. All over our trip(s) to Italy we found the streets charmingly uncrowded at night. The cities are full of light, but not full of people.
 

The Edinburgh Tattoo

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in the preparation in front of Edinburgh Castle. The Grandstands were up and people were gathering. We were a day early and missed it!

Relaxing Under The Tuscan Sun

Depth of field... taken with a iPhone camera on a warm sunny day in Tuscany, Italy.

 

My Health...

 

On July 24^th, our wedding anniversary, I experienced several gifts. The first was from Marietta who acted immediately upon me telling her to call 911. She trusted me and did not asked questions. The second was the operator for emergency who used her training to have me chew 4 baby aspirins and alert others. It was only a few minutes and AMR rolled up with the Tracy Fire Department (South County Fire). They acted quickly to get me loaded and by lights and siren to Saint Joseph’s Hospital. On the way the EMT’s worked to stabilize my racing heart. In a short time, I was in the Emergency department of the hospital with several sharp young doctors at my side. Once stabilized I was transferred to a telemetry bed. Finally, I received a defibrillator in my left chest. Four days later I was home again.

I had a heart attack which is called a “widow maker”, but my future widow and the first responders did not want that yet. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the quick response, the skill of the EMTs, the work of the doctors and nurses. And I need to thank the chaplain and pastor who came to visit along with uttered and silent prayers. As a hospital chaplain I know that everything worked together so that I may be typing this and planning for the next year.

Botswana, Africa

    Riding in a modified Toyota Land Cruiser, we headed out into the national park to see game. The most plentiful at the time were Zebra who were gathering along the river as a beginning of their migration. This one, standing alone by a lonely tree, is on his way to join the rest.

 

When does it get dark?

    If you want to take a photo of your granddaughter in front of the lighted Eiffel tower, you need to get there when it is lighted but the sun isn't down. (About 9 pm.) Those of us who live in the San Francisco Bay Area forget about this thing called "latitude". 

    I remember our first trip to Scotland and how we got sleepy before it was time for bed. The bed and breakfast had shutters, not to keep out the storm but to keep out the light. At that latitude is does not get dark in the summer until 10+ pm. Enjoy the extra hours of daylight.

    Check the times for dawn and dusk before you go, and get a globe and follow your latitude around to where you are going. In the dry season (our summer) South Africa gets dark earlier because it is in the Southern Hemisphere. 

In The Prado, Madrid Spain

We end up in museums all around.

The Prado has a great collection.

This is one I found particularly interesting

 

The Gorge in Ronda Spain

This is a view from the  bridge built in the 1700's to unite the two parts of Ronda Spain. Just a beautiful town worth going out of your way. Nice restaurant right next to the bridge and a short walk to the bullring.  
 

A Café In Edinburgh

     When we think of Scotland we think  of scotch. In Ireland it is likely that beer comes to mind. But, in all of the UK and Ireland there many excellent wines available. While England is becoming a major wine producer, the wines served are often from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.  These places produce some of the best wines. As well, Scotland and England are not far from the vineyards of France. Here in this café, we sample some fruit of a local vineyard. Also note that dinnertime for most in the UK and Europe is after 8. We have American stomachs that bring us out at 6, way before locals.

 

How friendly are the people in the UK and on the Continent?

Atop Montmartre

    I have heard from some people that the populations of various countries are rude or unfriendly. My experience is that, just like in the United States, you get back what you give. Any number of times I have apologized for a cultural blunder or miscommunication. I have always been forgiven. When someone comes from another country to the United States and tells us that they are better than we are, you know what you would do. As we travel both as ambassadors and as students of the history and culture of other places, we have had few problems. We have found a rare person now and then that is rude or unfriendly, but we see that at home and we don't condemn a whole nation. I have only a couple stories of unfriendliness and they were mainly with other travelers.  Telling - demanding - a waiter in England that you want Ranch Dressing on your cucumber salad will not get you Ranch Dressing even if you are from the United States.

 

Austria - a great place to visit

    This is a photo taken from a boat in the Danube. We have been to Austria a number of times and it is rated by me as: "Best Dinner" (Feldkirch) and loveliest central city (Innsbruck). The people are friendly -and I suppose they have to be surround as they are. They were taken over by the Germans in WWII and then quartered by the Allies after the war. They border a number of other countries and the population tends to be bi-lingual or tri-lingual. Many speak English which helps me.

    Vienna is beautiful and full of culture, music and art. One of the world's great cities. I also appreciated the cab driver on my last visit who showed me a  good ride down to the wharf. 
 

Adult Entertainment?

 

     This is a photo of a Marilyn Monroe look-alike on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, She is advertising across the street from the main market. In Prague we were surprised to see obviously nonlegitimate massage parlors on the wonderful old central square. Of course, there are several blocks on the Red Light District of Amsterdam. It is obviously a different take on "adult" entertainment in Europe. While it exists in the United States, it tends to be less "in your face". 

Beer : When In Rome

This is a beer in Prague. When in South Africa I had one of theirs. Same with Belgium, Spain, England, Scotland, Italy, Ireland, Germany and elsewhere. At a Thai Restaurant it is Thai beer, and same when eating in other places. I need the ethnic or local beer. I am not a big beer drinker. Just one beer in most countries. But, it is fun to try the local brew. Czech beer is good.
 

Barcelona is a beautiful city

Barcelona is a beautiful city.

Even the spires atop buildings are pretty