Driving through La Mancha on the way from Toledo to Jaen, we passed a calvacade of windmills, all lined up and waiting for Don Quixote. I loved the way they looked up on the hill, under the lovely morning clouds. I especially like the doughnut shaped formation on the right!
A few more shots from the Kremlin in Moscow. A bunch of buildings are squooshed together within the confines of the Kremlin Wall, without much thought to architectural compatibility. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't--in the second picture, for example, you can clearly see modern offices blocking the view to what should be a national architectural treasure.
I've always been a great fan of mythology, so I was thrilled to visit the purported "Pillars of Hercules" in Tangiers. The view of the sea was beautiful, but I admit I had a hard time envisioning Hercules pulling this rock down. The top part of the opening is supposed to look like Africa (upside down). What do you think?
Brugges is undoubtedly the most beautiful city in Belgium. The whole town seems supsended in time, yet alive, almost like a living museum. I believe most people focus on the fabulous facades there, but I really loved these old houses we found when we moved to less crowded areas.
If I were a sailor returning home after months at sea, I believe I would find this lighthouse in Tangiers a most welcome sight. Even from the safety of the shore, I found this view pretty spectacular.
While I was visiting fellow bloggers today, I came across several wonderfully peaceful shots of benches. Not sure if this is a meme going around or a coincidence, but it made me want to post this photo I took of two locals on a bench in Berlin. It looks like they're enjoying the lovely view on a quiet Sunday but they're actually gazing across to what was at the time East Berlin.
Our last night in Venice, we were very tired (and freezing), and quite tempted to hightail it back to our hotel and a warm restaurant. But sanity prevailed and we took a vaporetto over to the tiny island of San Giorgio Maggiore and climbed to the top of tower at the charming church of the San Giorgio Maggiore. As we got out of the lift, the elevator man hurriedly pointed to San Marco's Plaza, smiling broadly and saying "bello, bello" like in a movie. And it was. There was no one up there but us, and for a few minutes we enjoyed a perfect combination of the best of man and nature. I hope this photo gives you a taste of what we experienced.
On a business trip to Munich, Germany, I managed to take a few hours to go to picture-perfect Andechs. Saw the old monks' brewery, of course, but also found my way to a beautiful park in time to take this lovely (if I say so myself) shot as the sun came down.
Don't have a relative buried here so this probably doesn't qualify as a Tombstone Tuesday, but the cemetery in Lavenham (Suffolk, England) made me feel truly at peace so I'm posting these photos today.
When I was in Kauai, it was called the Garden Isle. Now, apparently, locals prefer "Hawaii's Island of Discovery." Must say I was surprised how varied the beautiful island was, and how much there was to see, so perhaps the new nickname is the way to go. Not just gardens, after all!
I was taking so many photos when I was in Granada, Spain, I had to be dragged away... definitely a scenic spot.
Clouds gathering over the Kremlin in the former Soviet Union...We had no idea what was coming, of course.
Got some great people-watching in when I was in Tangiers--all men, of course, the women were home working.
When I was in Tangiers, I was taking pictures of the beautiful sea over a cliffside wall when my eye was caught by two boys struggling to make their way up. They eventually made it, but not fast enough--one of them had to stop, take his pants down, and have a pee. (No, I did not take pictures of that.)
Hallstatt, Austria, is one of the most magical places I've ever visited--you drive through a mountain, and you go find yourself in another world. We very nearly didn't stay, even though we had a reservation! When we arrived, there were so many tourist buses we weren't sure we wanted to stick around; plus, you had to leave your car outside of town (in the mountain!), which means lugging suitcases to your hotel. So we went to Baden, the closest city, but were not able to find a hotel. We were so lucky! When we got back, all the tourist buses were gone and we were in Brigadoon.
These photos are from a memorable trip to Williamsburg, Virginia. It was extremely hot, but the reenactors were as valiant as their real-life ancestors. As you can see from the Union Jack in the top photo, the year was 1775 and we hadn't quite told the Brits who was in charge yet. Soon would, though!
Took this photo at the Alcazaba in Seville, Spain; love the tiny little plane trail that intrudes in the perfect nature frame.
The climb up the Giralda Tower (top) in Seville was rather strenuous, but the view was worth it. The bottom photo shows the Plaza de Toros, where I actually witnessed some bullfighting. Don't think I'd want to do that again, but it certainly was an experience I haven't forgotten!
