Amsterdam; city of bridges

     Amsterdam is a city of canals like Venice, but the inflow is controlled. The city also uses larger boats to get around and for delivery. This means that there are many bridges and many of the bridges are draw bridges. The photo here is of us in a small boat making our way around the city. Being small, the boat can go under even the lower bridges, but the ship ahead of us needed to have more room. There is some very creative engineering going on in this city.

My best picture of the Eiffel Tower

Took photos at all times of day and night, from all sorts of vantage points. I like this one best.

There are many better ones on the internet.

Rental Cars in Europe

 We do not mind tours that give us a good deal of free time, but even then we often rent a car and do or own exploring.
  So far (besides the United States) we have rented cars and driven in a number of countries:
(Canada)
Scotland
England
Ireland

Spain
Gribraltar
Portugal
Italy
Austria
Germany
Switzerland
Lichtenstein

  Bottom photo is of a tailgate picnic in a rented car in the Alps. A nice and relaxing time all alone. We often pack a lunch when driving and just find a nice place to sit and take in the scenery.

 We usually book our cars through Auto Europe - a broker - who finds us the best deal through a major carrier.

Segovia, Spain

A tower of the palace in Segovia showing the influence of the Moors. 

This is a wonderful building in a beautiful Spanish town.

Kalahari, Botswana

      This photo is of a track in the Northern Kalahari in Botswana. We were on a game drive looking for animals in the bush. This is the dry season (we would think of it as Winter) and the drive is taking us toward the Chobe River Delta.  You can see it in the upper left. The animals come to the limited water. It is the best place to find them. The huge herds of zebra gathering on the islands and in the process of migrating to the south do it along this delta.  The driver, Duncan, was a guide for a PBS special on this migration. He and his wife were are hosts in the Kalahari.

Multnomah Village, Portland, Oregon

     So, this is "our" neighborhood when we are in Portland. The top picture is of Multnomah Days - a weekend in August to celebrate the community spirit. It includes a great parade and then booths from local merchants and non-profits. The bottom photo shows a poster/placard that you will find around our streets. It is a general statement of who and what we are. We are so diverse that you don't have to agree with the sign to be included and loved.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Zambia

     Victoria Falls can be seen from Zimbabwe (best) and Zambia (good) or from the air (wow). It is nearly a mile long and from the land is only seen in pieces. It is more difficult to see it from the Zimbabwe side as there are visa issues, but it is worth it.  In the bottom photo you can see the bridge that must be crossed to get from one side to the other. This bridge was featured in "The Amazing Race" when contestants bungee jumped from it. You can do that too if you wish.  These photos are by Lucas Meurisse and Marietta McLellan.  If you look carefully, you can see me sitting in the shade at the helicopter pad near the David Livingstone Lodge and Spa in Zambia (or maybe not).