Travel With Teenagers

     Traveling with teenagers can be tough as they get bored fast and are not as open to change as older folks. We have found that it is easier for all if: 1) They are involved in choosing the destination. This may even mean giving them a list of several to choose from. 2) They get to do research and choose a number of places that they what to visit on a trip. 3) They get some down time on their own each day.

    For example. we spent one  week of a trip to France with our Granddaughter in Paris. We wanted to see much of the art, but we did not lay that out for her. We had her study Paris and come up with a list of places she wanted to go. Well, she choose a few places which were, for us, pleasant surprises, but for the most part she took us to every gallery we wanted to go to. It was a win-win. 

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

      It was not possible to see what was directly under this canopy in La Safrada Familia (The Sacred Family Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain).  But, as a frequent church visitor I can guess it is over the altar or possibly the pulpit. It is more likely above the altar.  To the left are organ pipes. In the lower right you can see why I cannot tell what is going on. It is a wall protecting a construction area. The remarkable thing to me is that this building was designed by Gaudi over 100 years ago. It is not done. The architecture is beyond what we might call "modern" at the end of the 20th Century let alone the 19th. As magical as it is, I see a light bulb out. That is the pastor in me.

South Africa Adventure

     A trip through the countryside by car or train is a nice way to see the geography, but there are lessons to be learned from encounters with the people. The photo above is of my grandson with a bush scout. He is learning survival skills. Certainly he is unlikely to need to know how to make a fire in the Kalahari, however the major experience here was one to one learning from a local person in a remote area of South Africa. If we were just driving through we would have missed that man's wonderful accent, sense of humor, and desire to share the skills he had learned since being a boy.

Sacramento River from the Air

As the plane out of Sacramento Airport banks to gain altitude

you can sometimes see the river below.

Sedona, Arizona

People come from all around to see the rock formations and the art of Sedona.

Dante

Statue of Dante in a lovely courtyard in Florence, Italy

Stone Circle and Prayer Tree

     This is part of a stone circle in Kenmare,  Ireland.  The town is one of my favorites in my travels. It is just a nice, welcoming place. This circle includes a tree with prayers tied to the branches. It is an ancient religious site. It is very peaceful and a short walk from the center of town. 

     Ireland, like Scotland and England, has many such places. I suppose the most famous is Stonehenge. But, it is near a busy roadway with loads of tourists. Circles like this one retain their original character.