On not looking like a tourist

     So, you don't want to look like a tourist? Do you dress like a Mountie when you go to Calgary, Canada? You might not look like a tourist, but you will look silly.
     When we first decided to go to Ireland (IE) I went out and bought a wool tweed jacket. I figured that I would look Irish that way. Dumb. I did not see many tweed jackets on people. I was sweaty all the time in the heat and other things gave me away.
     People's shoes are a give away as is the way we walk. In Rome I did not have to even get to my first hello and they started speaking English to me. I look American  and I walk like an American.
     It is okay to be a tourist. You are one. You likely will not blend in even if you want to. Just be a nice ambassador from the United States.
     Some people from the United States even try to pass themselves off as Canadians as Canadians are well liked around the world. But, I say leave your red Mountie jacket at home and just be yourself at your best.

The Dolomites

Picture taken with a very long lens of a "village" in the Dolomite area of

Northern Italy. In the winter it is likely that everyone skis to their

friends' homes for visits.

Mulnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

 

Everyone who drives the gorge from Portland east has to stop and take a picture of Multnomah Falls. I am no different, although because we have a home near there we have photos from various seasons. This one is from June. A must stop is the lodge at the bottom of the falls. Sit in the glassed-in area and have a drink (drivers need to stick with coffee) and maybe lunch. Good food.

You can sit inside or outside.

If you want, you can hike to this bridge (easy) or to the top (less easy).

The Dolomites

This is why The Dolomites (Dolomiti, Sud Tyrol) Italy were on my bucket list.

A week here can change your life. To understand scale, note houses just under date.

They get to see that out of their window every day.

Dingle, Ireland

The man in the blue shirt is the former police chief of Dingle, Ireland. He took us out for a tour of the ancient sites. When we turned a corner and discovered that the fog and overcast had lifted, he pulled over on the pretext that we could get a good view. The truth is, I think, that he wanted to take in a rare experience of seeing the islands, especially the "Lying Man".  Marietta is to his left.

See the man lying there?

Chinatown, London. England

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle (Manor), Ireland

As seen from the green...

A favorite place in Ireland.