Got to focus on this one.

While in the Dolomite mountains in Italy we saw many people

jump off the mountain and parasail into a valley.

It looked like fun. Sort of like... well, give me the earth.

 

The Golden Baptistry Doors in Florence, Italy (The Gates of Paradice)

The Baptistry is a wonderful round building across from the main church.

It is the first stop (baptism) on the way to being a Christian.

You can actually go into the dome and see the art close-up.

There is a small door which once was the way up for women as they were not supposed to be on the floor with the fount.

Outside you approached through the Golden Doors

SECRETS: 1. you can get up close in the dome like I said.

2. The Golden Doors on the outside of the building are not the real Golden Doors.

3. The real Golden Doors are located in a small museum behind the Duomo. 

4. Go to the museum rather than fight the crowd at the reproductions.

(Museo dell Opera del Duomo)

To the left rear of the church.

 

Ceiling of the Baptistry 

As seen from the level of the women.

 

Trim Castle and Mel Gibson

Trim Castle is a Norman castle in the town of Trim Northwest of Dublin.

It was the backdrop for "Braveheart".

The film is about Robert the Bruce and is very violent.

But that is not the story.

We were on a road trip around the Irish Republic lasting around two weeks. It was an adventure as we did not have reservations anywhere. We rarely do that. We had planned on staying in Galway but it was too crowded so we stayed just outside. As it turn out this gave us an extra day and looking a the map, we chose Trim as our last night on the road. It is a pretty town and we stayed at Trim Hotel across from the castle. Hint: be careful what you say about "Braveheart" and Mel Gibson. Many folks tell of the big disruption of the film company and more the arrogance of the star. We heard a load of anger. We kept a low profile.

 

Busman's Holidays

 

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        I have been in the ministry for 57 years  not including my seven years at grad-school and internships. As preaching was part of my role, I am often visiting churches to check out their pulpits. The one above is in the church just off the main market square in Munich. I have stood in or admired pulpits just to name a few: Dexter Ave. King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama the parish of MK King. St. Giles, Edinburgh, is the home church of Presbyterianism. John Knox was their pastor and  rabble rouser. The pulpit in the Paris Hospital part of Napoleon's Tomb is one of the prettiest. The most rustic is at Leupp at the Navaho Nation. I was a counterfeit Catholic at St. Canice Cathedral in Kilkenny, Ireland which stands near the tomb of Barack  Obama's great uncle.  I can write a thesis. BUT, I bet if you are a lawyer you check the court houses, or a physician making a slower drive near a hospital. My wife likes schools.

October: A great time to travel to Europe

It is light-jacket weather, kids in school weather, less-crowded weather... The leaves are turning. We are just back from Norway and the leaves are turning quickly. The Danube is coming along. This picture is of Germany (Bavaria). The Trees along the Seine should be out full soon. October is a great month to go.

The Hofbrau House, Munich

        This is the famous Hofbrau House and beer garden in Munich. This photo was taken in the summer. We went there for a pretzel, beer and lunch. You will note that it appears almost empty. It was. Today, during Octoberfest, you can we sure there is little seating in the main room and the beer garden holds 4,460 seats plus standing places, 1,436 on the balcony and an outside garden with 3,022 additional seats. During Octoberfest they employ over a 125 people. When we were there in the claim of July, there were still barmaids taking huge handfuls of beer at one time. 
 

Florence Suggestion

The Academia, the Baptistry, the leather markets are around

the dome of the cathedral in the center of this photo. There are many things to see and do. The galleries are wonderful, the plazas busy.

Let me suggest taking a cab across the Arno River and up the hill to 

The Church of  San Miniato al Monte.

This is the place where some of us went to hear chanting and attend mass.

It is the one of the highest  places ("Montes") in Florence.

Great music and this is what to see from the doorway.

(Plan ahead and get bus passes at a liquor store for the ride down. There is no phone to call a cab there.)

 

The Arctic Circle

I sent this photo out just after we crossed the Arctic Circle.

It is the symbol of the geography. My daughter suggested that it did not look like she expected. No snow. Seems warm.  I would add that those are sheep and there is no dotted line across the water. It is August/September and mild with the sun up a good part of the day and evening. Grant that it likely gets super cold, but when we were in Norway and went north to the Russian border we did not need a jacket.

 

What is going on here?

 Went behind an old maintenance shed in the church cemetery of La Villa, Italy. We were staying there for a long visit to explore the Dolomites of the Italian Alps. 

I suppose I was snooping, but I found the pile of objects back  there.

Then I saw it. Fransico's headstone (the best I can read it).

It looked so sad. Was is discarded because of an error?

Did his family not pay their bill?

Was it broken by a wayward lamb and need repair?

Whatever it is a mystery 

- and a mystery why this photo came out in black and white.

 

Making new friends

On a recent trip we made friends with a couple from Denmark.

In Ireland we had a short but fun time with a couple from near Dingle.

In Scotland it was a couple with our same name relatives we never knew we had.

In London it was a brief encounter with a barmaid that capped the trip.

In Florence, the photo above is of my wife and a retired nurse from New Mexico. Her husband was a geophysicist - the two men were exploring a monastery.

There a many more. The point is that when we travel we want to meet new people and get to know them even if a short time.

 

Park Guell Barcelona

It is well worth a visit. You need tickets. Buy them on the internet.

As it is on top of a steep hill, you may wish to call a cab, but then you can walk down, or take a cab back. We called cab from the Hop On Hop Off Bus.

The views are wonderful and you walk through a piece of art.

A bit of warning: you need to be able to walk stairs.

 

Night arrives in Rome

As the sun went down, we went up to the rooftop bar at Diana's Hotel.

The view was wonderful showing two cities.

Rome is all around, but the dome you see on the horizon is 

St. Peter's in the Vatican. 

 

One of the most lovely places we have seen

I often say that it is the surprises or products of getting lost seem to be the best.

We spent several day in Seville Spain.

We went off on a walking tour with no objective.

Plaza de Espana!!

 

Africa: one of the favorite photos

These Zebras were getting ready for a great migration.

When I finally looked closely at the photo, I realized  these guys were all looking at the funny two legged creature with a camera.

 

The Danube - - by long ship

We began our trip on land visiting Prague and then from Passu to Budapest we took a long ship (a small one). I am sorry to hear from several people that they were not about to complete the trip without having to change boats.

The water level in the Danube is currently very low. 

We did not discover that.

This photo from the stern shows one of the bridges and how blue the Danube looks. It is, however, not that blue everywhere.

Our trip ended in Bavaria -Munich- and thus we saw five capitols of Europe.

 

On the road to Jasper, Alberta, Canada

Canada is our longtime friend and partner. My first trip there was when I was around eight years old. Coming from Illinois I was taken by the mountains. And, as the Mississippi River is anything but blue, I saw bright blue water.

On a road trip in 2013 we drove through a national park in the U.S. and two in Canada. Rangers explained about the color of Canadian water. It often  full of dust from the glaciers. Beautiful.

Newgrange, Ireland

Newgrange is a prehistoric(ca. 3000 b.c.e.) mound in County Meath, Ireland.

It is a short way from Dublin. If you don't want to drive there are bus tours from the city with stops at other interesting sites.

Look closely at the right side of the mound. Those are people waiting to go in.

The mound has a narrow (very) tunnel going inside.

It sets in such away that the sunlight strikes the back on December 21 - the Summer Solstice - or the longest day of the year. It was built to celebrate "the Birthday of the Sun" and a change from cold to the time for new crops.

 

Large Island off the coast of Norway

The ship was gliding along and the word went out that we would want to see something off the starboard bow.

A giant rock island sat before us and we noticed the hole in it and heard the myth of how it happened to be.

A natural wonder rather than being manmade. 

 

Sutter Buttes, California

One of the world's smallest mountain ranges, the Sutter Buttes rise out of the Sacramento Valley. You cannot hike them alone because they are on private land. They are volcanic in origin.  There is a company that leads tours.

This photo, taken from the window of an Alaska Airline jet, does not show how high and imposing the Buttes are.

 

Rome review

 

St. Peter's and the Vatican 

The conversation with a person just back from Rome concluded that they would never visit again. I tend to agree. There are some magical sights and great history. 

But, it is a long way between special things to see. From the Forum it is way across the city to the Vatican. Most of the places are good one or two time visits.

However, you must deal with crowds and noise and everyone in a hurry.

I suppose this is true with any big city, but I think more pronounced in Rome.

I remember a long cab ride in Vienna when I could actually see things as opposed to a cab ride in Rome that made it necessary to keep my eyes closed and pray.

Travel History: save it for your children

 

The Chain Bridge Budapest 

Let's explore why people, especially me, like to travel. I was born in the Midwest and raised to the age of 14 when we moved to California. From Illinois my family took many trips primarily to the East coast as a preteen. We went to New York several times, plus Boston and Washington D.C.. Each winter we would spend a week in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A vivid memory was a trip out to the National Parks in Colorado. I liked traveling except for the fact it was always me in the backseat feeling car sick. Lots of shorts trips in California is easy.

When we got married we both were in college working as apartment managers to pay the rent.  Travel was visiting our parents. Then came two girls to the family and we started taking road trips with them in the back seat feeling car sick. And, other trips to the East Coast. 

We made a list in those days. If we ever had the money we would go to____.  After forty years of work we had enough to travel and we packed up and went. First it was Scotland renting a car and covering much of the country.  We  have taken road trips through seven countries. Then we had a new style. Before going it alone we began booking tours. The tour helped us get a little of the language and the "vibe" and then we drove.

Then one day I had an idea -good or bad - we would take our four grandchildren anywhere they wanted to go  as a twelfth birthday gift. That was a dangerous gift. The first one took us to Paris and Normandy. The second brought us to five counties in Southern Africa on safari.  Number three chose Scotland and, as her sister had been to Paris, so was she.  Number four chose Tuscany and you guessed it - Paris. They gave us way more than they got.

Interspaced with their trips we took our own to Europe, just because. We traded our pensions for plane tickets. Given mobility problems we may be done, although we spent three weeks in Norway last month and I am in a wheelchair. Maybe not completely  done.

The Louvre: Winged Victory

So you have seen photos in textbooks or in National Geographic, but thought you would never see it. This may be Monet's "Water Lilies" (Orangerie, Paris) or "The Birth of Venus" (The Uffizi in Florence) or "Guernica" (The Prado in Madrid) (None of which are in  the Louvre.)

You stroll in and turn a corner that there it is! You would not have seen it if you had not gone to the museum.

Visit the museums.

 

Have you ever been in Denmark?

There was a discussion of what countries we have been in. I list them above with the exception of Norway which I need to add. Now, our flight to Norway included a for a long planned layover in Copenhagen. We never left the airport. Can we claim Denmark? We booked the flight on purpose and visited the lounge and toured the airport (beautiful). Hmmmm. While we almost always fly non-stop, I had a short layover in Detroit returning from Paris once but I don't claim Detroit for a number of reasons. We had a layover in Atlanta on or way to Spain. I have been to Atlanta several times on other trips. Can I count that one? 

Some say that I cannot count Denmark. I say the six hours is enough to count it. We had a good time even if it was only in the airport.