Colosseum in ?

The Colosseum in Rome is an interesting visit.

You can almost hear the crowds.

But, it is not the only colosseum in Italy. 

This one is in Verona and still hosts concerts annd plays.

 

Colors changing along the Danube

Fall comes early along the Danube, but will not it its peak until late October.

 

Zebra Migration: Botswana

Not sure what the dark area is. Could be my fellow traveler's shoulder.

Annually the Zebra gather on the savana and travel together.

This photo is of the begining of their trip.

 

Prague: City of a hundred spires

Lookiing down from Prague Castle you will quickly realize that there are

not a hundred spires in Prague. A better guess might be a thousand.

No matter how many, they define a wonderful city.

 

What you might find when lost...

We had a fairly long stay in Seville, Spain. We used it as center to going over to Portugal for the day and for seeing the city itself.

As usual we left the tourist center to explore the sidestreets.

And, we almost always get lost.

I would list all of the places, but  one of the best was Seville.

Around a corner we came to this transportation center. Wow.

 

Unwilling to spend a Euro

Notice all these people not looking at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. This is due to the need to toss a coin over your shoulder in order to return to Rome. The fountain is lovely and  full of coints for the poor. Toss a coint if you must, or add a bunch to it for the airfare to fly back to Roma some day.

 

The Danube in the Fall

In the Fall, the Danube is aflame with color. 

It is no longer high season and with fewer people it is just right for a trip.

Small towns along the river provide atmosphere and plenty of interesting views.

It is not far to Munich if you would like to deal with the crowds of Octoberfest.

In fact, in the small towns most have a bit of the festivel.

 

Getting around Amsterdam

Thousands of bikes going this way and that. It is the number one form of transportation in Amsterdam. The person who owns the above vehicle will have problems finding a place to park in the center of the city.

Now, we traveled around by small boat a bit but found taxis to be good way to go. They know the best way to get places, and they are generally careful. We had one driver (Mercedes Class C) who missed a turn and took a longer way around, but he deducted that from our fare!

 

Notes on Airbnbs

When we travel in Europe we very often use an Airbnb for a stay because we usually will be in a place for several days to a week.

In general, you get what you pay for. Our experiences in Paris lead us to make sure to read the reviews. You may choose not to pay much as you will not be in the apartment much each day. You may only be looking for a low-priced bed. Still…

You will likely be eating in the kitchen provided. What does it include?

Remember that in Europe the First Floor is the second floor. The bottom floor is the ground floor. If you have a big suitcase you may get a place with a "lift".

Having a lift can mean many things, however. Some only have room for you and a suitcase -- if small. In places like Paris there are shops all around for food, bakery, and other items. We usually choose a place with a washer (you must luck-out for a dryer rather than a drying rack) and in Paris we discovered Persil which was then just a European brand.  Warning: you will likely get free range eggs they are hard to crack. In the summer check on air conditioning. More to come...

 

Sacre-Coeur, Paris (atop Montmartre)

 

Sacre-Coeur Basilica dominates the skyline as it sits atop Montmartre. It is a Catholic Church dedicated to The Sacred Heart of Jesus. From the steps of the church you have a great view of the city. You will note in the bottom photo the high-rise  buildings in the background. While when we think of Paris we think of smaller building clustered along the Seine, there are large offices of major companies. In fact you can go up in some of the buildings and see Paris in a different way.

Monet's Garden

 

St. Catherine's Church: France's largest wooden church, Honfleur

The Seafarer's Church is the laagest wooden church in France.

The building dates back to 1490.

Most old churches are are built like this. It is created to look like an upside down boat. Many churches around the world capture that shape with the pulpit being seen as the helm. Honfleur is a lovely community on the banks of the ocean and has a long history of being a fishing town. In fact, it is built around a harbor.

You will note that, while the exterior is all wood, the inside has been plastered over many years ago to provide strength. A bell tower stands beside the church and was/is used to comunicate with everyone.

 

The view from Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain

On Carmel Hill stands a public park.

The buildings an gardens designed by the famous Antoni Gaudi.

Not only is the park beautiful, but so is the view.

 

Shopping in Brussels

This is a shopping "mall" in Brussels. 

There are several of these and in other European citiesas well.

Out of the weather, each shop is unique. 

Even if you are only looking, they are fun.

Brussels is a great city to visit.

 

Walk or Swim: Zambizi

Victoria Falls:

You can walk or swim to see it close up.

Just kidding about swimming. Not smart

 

"Hotel" in Botswana

Except for the singing Hippos singing at night, it was a great stay.

You might imagine all sorts of dangers, but this tent had a shower and a toilet.

It also came with a butler of sorts.

 

Amsterdam by small motorboat

Amsterdam is an interesting and entertaining city.

A visitor can rent a bike which is the main form of travel.

Another option is a guided boat tour - but we suggest a small boat.

One good group is "The Dam Boat Guys". They are personal and fun.

Photo above is of larger boats most of which are homes.

 

Soweto, South Africa

Soweto is a black enclave on the outskirts of  Johannesburg. 

It is an example of apartheid still real today.

We traveled there while in Johannesburg on our way to Botswana.

It is the home of Benjamin Tutu and Nelson Mandella. 

in their work.

The photo is of a street vendor near where we had lunch.

 

The Palace of the Spanish King, Madrid Spain

We visited the palace as well as the cathedral acrossed the courtyard. 

I recommend the Cathedral with wonderful art. I was not impressed with what you can see in the palace.

Mount Hood Oregon

 The Cascades are a large group of mountains providing a spine to

Northen California and Oregon and Washington. We once had a home on

a cliff in Central Oregon from which we could see ten peaks of

 ten thousand feet or more.

In Northern Oregon Mount Hood is looked to from almost every place.

It was once worshipped and today is appreciated,

The Rodin Museum, Paris

Rodin has created some minumentalworks.

A visit to his house in Paris is certaily worth it.

 

Vienna, Austria

A rainy day in Vienna sets a special tone.

Not sure if it is just romantic or the color tones.

We had dinner and then went to an orchestra concert 

especially charming on a rainy evening.

Sutter Buttes, California

The Sutter Buttes are a set of eroded volcanic domes that are located in the midst of the flat Sacramento Valley. It is a California State Park to keep in from becoming overrun by hikers. It is sometimes available for reservation. It is named for John Sutter who received a land grant from the government of Mexico. The air force at one time used part for a missile base. A U-2 airplane crashed there.

(after Wikipedia)

When we take our many flights from Sacramento to Portland we often fly over the buttes. The photo is from one flight.

 

McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana USA

Photo taken at Apgar Village

    This is a quick rundown on a trip to Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. We flew into Calgary, Alberta. Nice airport and the city is home of the Stampede. After a night there we drove to Banff and visited this charming community. Next we drove the Icefield Parkway to Jasper staying midway in Lake Louise.  Returning we drove down to Waterton Lakes national Park (Canada) and stayed at the historic lodge (noisy...would not again). From there we came into the United States and into Glacier. We spent several nights there including a visit to Kalispell and driving around Flathead Lake. Back toward Canada we stayed at Radium Hot Springs and enjoyed the bathes. From Radium it was back to Calgary and a flight home.

        Experiences: Besides the Springs, we were on a road through open range cows when we reentered Canada. The Mountie likely had not seen a car in a while, and we had a fun conversation. Going-to-the-Sun road is scary but worth it. It comes from the West entrance. You can take a red-car up if you do not drive, In Jasper over dinner the waiter, college student working summers, explained my allergy to tomatoes. 

 

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California USA

Gold Gate Park is a large urban park which has such places as this remarkable building filled with exotic plants. It has a large lake where you can go rowing. It has areas to picnic, a Japanese Tea Garden and two major museums.

When in San Francisco a visit here is worth the time.

 

Plazza Navarro, Rome - Favorite photo

I took this photo while in Via Peitro Navarro in Rome.

A beautiful fountain.

Wait.

Look up at the tan building and follow it to two windows.

We were being spied on!

 

Florence, Italy - enough art to last

This photo is taken from the monastery on the hill across the Arno.

        If I were asked for advice regarding Florence I would say: "Stay as long as you can". Florence is a hot spot for tourists. I like to point out that hot spot means they are great visits. If you don't like crowds try the Sahara. 

        Florence is best seen slowly. There are many hidden treasures. If you are looking for good and even famous art, there is the Uffizi and a hour looking at the "Birth of Venus". The small cafes on the side streets also are a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours reading the guidebook. Don't rush it.