1996 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles California USA

      We were spectators at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. We have attended several around the country, but my most vivid memory is of the Long Walking race on a hot and humid day. The gun went off and the walkers began around the track several times and then exited out on city streets. There were other events and they had to stop as the walkers began to come back in. The winner received a hearty welcome and things went back to normal. Other events occurred. After a very long time there was an announcement. The events stopped. A walker - well behind the pack and obviously last came into the stadium. The crowd went wild.  We all stood and cheered as the walker limped toward the finish line where he collapsed in pain and dehydration. We has carried out on a cart to the roar of the folks. He was last, but he finished. A great celebration.

The Columbia River - Washington State, USA

Photo take from the "Washington Stonehenge" along

The Columbia River between Oregon and Washington USA.

Drive out along the northside in Washington from Vancouver and

back to Portland from the Dalles or Hood River.

Great Day Trip  

 

Union Square, San Francisco California USA

            I have lived most of my life within an hour or an hour and a half by car from San Francisco. Around here it is known as "The City".  We don't call it "San Fran" and certainly not "Frisco".  We speak of it with reverence.  It is unique and generally a pretty place. I volunteered there, worked there, was educated there, and serve as a driver there. It has many of the same issues of every big city, but you can forgive them because of the special "aura" of the place. It is warmer in the winter and you may need a sweatshirt in the summer. You can eat well and get around on the buses. Parking is always a problem. It is fun. It is adventure. It is interesting.
 

Political Awareness in Europe

            In the United States our news rarely runs political commentary on happenings or opinions in Europe. In Europe, the people see information from around the world.  Their TV networks are inclusive. Their newspapers, like the Scotsman published in Edinburgh, run news from around the world along side the news of their locale. The photo I took of this editorial is just one example.
 

Train in Tuscany

The trains are comfortable and timely in Tuscany.

However, you need a back-up plan in case of a strike or walk-out.

 

The Louvre - more than three things to see

            When we have been in the Louvre - usually most of a day - we see folks who have set aside an hour or two go running (fast walking) by us on the way between the three more popular things to see. One is the Mona Lisa and the others are Winged Victory and Venus De Milo. These folks miss so much. Besides, these three pull in huge crowds and make them hard to see. I am not suggesting people stay out of the Louvre if they only have a few hours, but those hours are better spent on one floor and in one section that has been planned in advance. As for the big three - look them up on the internet and see more of them.

 

FaceTime

            Call your cell phone carrier a month ahead of time and arrange for international calling. They may send you a SIM card that is usually activated the day before you leave.  Or, you sometimes can get a SIM card in an airport upon landing. We have iPhones and while we do use our network, we also use FaceTime on WIFI. It doesn't cost anything and most hotels and Airbnb's have WIFI. It is nice to see a friendly face.  On my wife's last trip to Italy, she used FaceTime. Set your phone time to include your destination as well as where you are calling.  In this last case, my wife was in Tuscany and I was near San Francisco - a nine hour difference. Sometimes it is another day. 
 

Barcelona Security Guard

Just outside Park Guell.

 

Castle at Durnstein along the Danube

The ruins of the castle overlooking Durstein and the Danube looks to be an interesting visit. 

Probably true, but it is a long way straight up.

 

Normandy Battle Site

            While touring the cemeteries and battle sites of Normandy, we were taken from place to place in this vintage personnel carrier. It gave a small insight into what some things were like. Certainly there was calm and beaches were clean, but the visit is a solemn experience.  We laid wreaths at the America Cemetery and again at Omaha Beach. We got to Normandy by cruise ship from Paris. The change of mood was obvious in our group.  
 

Great views

There are some places for wonderful views. Montmartre and the Eifel Tower are  to great ones in Paris. There is the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Hancock  in Boston and the Peachtree in Atlanta.

My favorite vistas are in the Dolomites of the Italian Alps.

 

Postal Delivery In Liechtenstein

        I have contended that getting lost is a great way to meet people and to see unexpected things in your travels.  In Liechtenstein we had to ask for directs from a postal carrier. Who knew there are more than one city there? In Carlisle England a man walking his dog helped us to find the rail station which we somehow missed.  In Bergamo Italy a crossing guard came to our rescue. We found a kind English speaker in Seville who helped us get unstuck on a walk around the city. None of the streets were straight.  We got lost in Prague and discovered some beautiful buildings in the old town. I could go on, but the point is that sometimes we felt lost and it was a blessing.

 

Along the Danube

Lots of great places to take photos - Austria

 

A London Bridge

        For some reason folks think this is the London Bridge. I suspect that is because it is much more interesting than the real London Bridge (the original is in Arizona brought over piece by piece). 

        This is the Tower Bridge, not because it has two towers but because it is at the Tower of London. In fact, I took this photo from the rampart of the Tower of London which runs along the Thames.

        The Tower Bridge opens for ships to pass. The walkway is at the top, it is the lower roadbed that raises and lowers.
 

The beach at Monte Gordo, Portugal

A local friend says that, as a young man, he worked on the beach at Monte Gordo, Portugal. It is a great place and I do not wonder that a young man would like to work there. What a glorious day it was when we were there. It is also not a long drive to Seville or the farthest point west on continental Europe. 
 

Biggest Surprise While Traveling

    We doing a good deal of planning for a trip, but we also like the surprises. We were driving from Seville to Madrid on the last stage of a big circle around Spain. Off in the distance we saw what looked like a scene from a Broadway play. The co-pilot grabbed the tour book and we turned off the main road. We stopped for lunch where no-one --I mean no-one -- spoke English. We ordered by pointing at the food of other diners. Then it was up the hill to a castle and then to these wonderful windmills. You can go up in them. The view from there was amazing. A worthwhile detour. 
 

Favorite Religious Buildings - suggestions

            As a member  of the clergy I find myself stopping at every church I can. Even if not religious, tourists in many places will want to stop and visit the "holy" places as they are the center of much fine art. This photo above is of a church atop one of the hills in Florence. It is known for the chanting service held in the evening. I have already talked about St. Martins In The Fields in London. Westminster Abbey is a must see as well. Rome is has many churches filled with great art. One interesting one is St. Peter In Chains. Look at the tombs for amazing stone carving. There is also a delightful one near the Termini that hosts a experimental work by Galileo. It was a delight to enter the pulpit at St. Giles in Edinburgh. We have worshiped several times at Notre Dame in Paris (now being redone after the fire).The cathedral across from the palace in Madrid is a mix of new and older art. Certainly in Barcelona you will wish to see Gaudi's La Familia masterpiece. One of my favorite places is the chapel at Sirmione at Lake Largo Italy. Check out the baptistry. Florence, by the way, has one of the most striking baptistries anywhere. Of course there is St. Patrick's in New York. Finally, the most moving for me was to stand in the pulpit at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama.

 
 

Favorites and suggestions

            I like to hear stories from travelers. I enjoy them telling me the things they love and the places that stick in their memories. Hearing these things helps us to choose what and where is next.

            Here are a few of my suggestions: Paris - rent an old car with a driver and tour the city. The first thing we do is to take a Hop On Hop Off bus in most large cities to get our bearings, Hiring a car and driver in a European City is helpful in a personal tour the important sites.  Ireland: Ever hear of Kenmare? It is one of my favorite cities to visit. Lots of good things to see around it. London: Go to church. We have worshipped at St. Martin In The Fields when we are there. The pipe organ and talent of the organist are amazing. They have an orchestra that records as well. Spain: Sure, Madrid and Barcelona are wonderful. Granada is my choice with Seville as my second. Austria: any place is good. Besides Vienna I would suggest a long stop at Fieldkirch. Germany: Bavaria cannot be beat. A visit to Dachau will change your life. The Netherlands: take a train and see the fields and waterways. In Amsterdam make the Rijksmuseum. Scotland: rent a car and drive from Inverness to Edinburgh. Stirling is the best castle. Italy: Verona has a little bit of everything Italy is known for. Western Canada: Take high tea anywhere. Drive the highway from Banff to Jasper. Eastern Canada: visit a small fishing town on the Atlantic Coast. Brussels Belgium: home to the European Union, make it out to Mini Europe at the old Olympic site.  By the way, we have visited many Olympic sites and they are worth a visit. Try Cortina, Italy and Innsbruck, Austria or Munich, Germany or Heavenly Valley, California USA. 

            In the United States: lots of places. I enjoy Williamsburg, New Orleans, San Francisco, Crater Lake, Flagstaff Arizona. For debate: skip anything with a Las or Los in front of it. More to come.

 

Locals at the Firth of Forth, Scotland UK

        Out at the channel marker in the Firth of Forth, we encountered a group of sea lions taking a break. They did not seem bothered by our boat.

 

Conner Pass, Ireland

                Yesterday's post reminded me of asking people at various places to take our photos. without exception they always seemed to French but understood me despite my lack of French. The only American I happened upon was in Italy at a pass through the Alps. He was from Tennessee and spoke a little English.
 

Lake Como, Italy

            Bellagio is in the background in this photo of us at Lake Como in Italy. We were looking out over the lake and watching a ferry make its way across when two Swedish travelers came walking up and stopped near.  We negotiated in English on the matter of them taking our photo and we taking theirs. They were delightfully funny. It is interesting to me how I feel fine handing an expensive camera over to a complete stranger - we do it often. 

 

Pedestrian Mall, Innsbruck Austria Center City

               Innsbruck is a beautiful city that is easy to get to from Italy as well as points in Austria. It was home to the Winter Olympics. We dropped in for lunch on a beautiful day and walked the mall in the center of the city. The photo is of a prominent feature. There are also a number of good places to eat around the mall. You can see it is busy. 

 

My Happy Place

                   People talk about their "Happy Place". I have several. One is not Disneyland although I am not against it. My happy places are where I felt something such as a kinship to the land. Certainly my home in Central California is one. Another place I could easily live is in Prague. My favorite is in the South Tyrolean Alps in Italy. It is centered in the Dolomite Mountains. It is just awe inspiring. A great place to visit with friendly folks and magic scenery. 

 

Statue in the Gothic Area of Bacelona.

         There is more to Barcelona than amazing buildings. Barcelona (for Americans) is notably where Columbus left for the West Indies. Although we credit him for discovering America the indigenous people were already there. Columbus is buried in Seville.  This photo is of what is a good many pieces of art around Barcelona.
 

Air Travel: Jetlag

        Much the the literature on jetlag explores the tiredness and disorientation of flying through multiple time zones. It also can occur when flying within a time zone. 

            Most of our flights are international ones. We have found a few helpful hints. First, drink water. The air in a plane is dehydrating. Second, we always add at least one day to our trips so that we can recover from jetlag without spoiling the first days of our visits. Third, when we get to a destination, we change to their time zone and usually  have a light meal and go to bed early- especially when flying to Europe.  I do not sleep well on a plane, but as most of our flights leave San Francisco in the afternoon, I make sure I try to get some sleep  on the plane. Arrival is usually early afternoon European time. so these three things work together to cut jetlag's effect on us.

 

Air Travel Notes: Turbulence

        There have been a variety of news items talking about turbulence during a flight. In a recent event a Hawaiian Airlines flight hit a major unexpected updraft and 25 people were injured. Some seriously.

        Pilots are ordinarily careful to fly around major turbulence, but some amount of it is common and not dangerous. Pilot to pilot communication helps avoid issues. Planes are built to take it. In the Hawaiian Airlines flight (in the Airbus) it was unseen and unexpected.

        Flight attendants are at greatest risk at these unexpected times as they are in the aisles going about their duties. Why would 25 people then get injured? Well, passengers were not using their seatbelts or not using them correctly. 

        Planes have seatbelts for this very reason. Without the seat belt a passenger becomes a missile. bouncing around the plane. As well, we are always warned to secure items under the seat ahead of us. Things that was not secured act as missiles as well.

        Turbulence happens and we need to heed the instructions of the staff  when they say to make sure that seat belt is in place and snug. I can get hurt if you don't and come flying into my seat. 

 

Seatmate Crapshoot

A variety of people have shared my flights here and there.

There was a rather large man who coughed on me on a flight to London.

I caught his cold.

On a Premium class flight to Frankfurt and on to Prague, due to a seat change,

my wife and I were separated. I was seated next to a young women who was

an executive for a major corporation. I told her that if she needed to get out

of her window seat at any time that I was happy to get out of her way.

I thought she never left her seat on that long flight and then found 

that she had leapt over my

sleeping body several times as she was also an amateur gymnast.

I did not notice.(Photo: Municipal Building in Prague CZ).

 

Statues on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Scotland

Top is a statue near Saint Giles Cathedral and the lower one is a man dressed as a statue a block away.
 

Dry Lake in Botswana From The Air

In southern Africa they don't talk about seasons like summer, fall, winter, and spring. They talk about the wet season and the dry season. When flying from South Africa to Zambia, we passed over a dry lake(shown in white above). During the wet season it would be full of water. Dry season is the best time to visit and that is their "winter" or our summer of June and July.
 

Belgium Is Under Rated

Belgium often seems to be overlooked when people think of visiting Europe.

It is a wonderful place,

Brussels is more than a statue (see above) and the home of the

European Union.

The countryside is similar to France but with fewer tourists.

 

Stones: Jewish Cemetery, Prague CZ

        In my line of work I see a good many cemeteries. I rather like them. They are places of peace and often places of history. You can learn a good deal about a location by looking at headstones. In Prague there is a Jewish Cemetery that also includes a memorial to lives lost during World War II. 

    One of the things that interested me is the lack of flowers. Our U.S. cemeteries are often full of flowers, real or plastic. We also a getting to have many solar lights and things. In the Jewish Cemetery people come and place stones on the headstones (see photo). Stones do not wilt or fade. Stones speak of permanence. It is a nice tradition. 
 

Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness Scotland

        Urquhart Castle sits beside Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland.  We have seen the castle from two viewpoints. One was when we were traveling the Highlands by rental car and stopped there on our way North. Pretty much a ruin, but interesting. The second sighting was by small research boat which comes out of the Loch Ness harbor near the museum. On that trip we searched for the monster and passed by the castle going and coming.

Loch Ness is long and narrow and well worth a stop. 
 

Lighthouse at land's end Gibraltar

There is more to Gibraltar than the Rock.

 

Bantry Ireland

A mature dog watching over the street market in Bantry Ireland.

 

Heard Museum, Phoenix Arizona USA

        A photo above is of a statue at the Heard Museum in Phoenix Arizona. The museum is a good visit and I recommend it along with a drive out to the lookout at the mountains south of town.

        This particular trip was to Phoenix and then up through Sedona and the red rock country eventually flying home from Las Vegas. 
 

The "wild" Oregon USA Coast

There are surprises around every corner on the Pacific Coast Highway

in Oregon. Vista points galore. 

 

Famous statue

A famous sculpture in Normandy. France.

After a photograph taken of  a sailor returning home

after World War Two. 

 

Walking up to the Palace in Prague

     High atop a hill overlooking the river and the city, the palace is a great visit. A collection of historic buildings, there are churches and chapels and a variety of public buildings. At the palace we had lunch and then attended a musical concert. This was a wonderful day in a wonderful place