If you have to look twice at this statue of David, you are not alone. I took this photo at the opulent Barnum Mansion in Sarasota, Florida. He obviously was into ancient civilizations, and decided to recreate what he could among the palm trees. The Remus & Romulus suckling the she-wolf is from there too. I really enjoyed visiting, and got some great plant shots I'll post another day.
We don't usually take those little river cruises when we travel, but we did in the charming, old, Austrian city of Klagenfurt. I am delighted we did because, as you can see, it was a beautiful trip--definitely scenic in my book!
As you might know by now, I love people watching... I took these photos in Madrid; the top one, which is one of my favorites, is in Sabatini Gardens. I love the peaceful look on this man's face. If you look closely you'll see he might be worried as something is growing on his ankle. The other two photos are in Retiro Park, where my friend and I rented a rowboat and actually went out on the lake.
Here's another man-and-nature shot I hope you enjoy: Sunset over El Morro Fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
I've been lucky enough to go to Tallin, the charming capital of Estonia, a couple of times. The old part is quite small, and very walkable, and it has a surprisingly Germanic feel. One thing that surprised me was how many beautiful places of worship were built in such a tiny space, all happily contributing to the city's life and landscape. Here are two of my favorites.
No need to go far to capture a beautiful sky--this one in Maine was perfect, especially above the conveniently all-white church. And no visible parking lot either!
At the Dole Plantation in Kauai, I had a bit of fun with my double-macro lens. I'm glad I did, because I just found these photos and quite like them. What do you think? 
As you can see, Lake Sevan is actually very pretty, which is probably why we put up with the rough conditions ( Life at the top ) and had a wonderful outing.
The Jewish Quarter in Old Toledo is well worth a visit; the narrow streets are really glorified alleyways and the old buildings brim with charm. Of course, the Jews were kicked out of Spain in 1492 and, if you look closely (top and left), you'll see a cross at the top of the old synagogue. Unfortunately, the museum, which I understand has some beautiful, very old and valuable artifacts, was closed when I was there--must go back!
Well, the viewing "station" on the Georgian Military Road was a little bit odd (see Everybody off the bus), but the view itself was spectacular. Never quite seen this shade of green on such as scale, almost as though the mountains are covered in moss.
Traveling from Tbilisi, Georgia to Erevan, Armenia, we took a long bus ride down the Georgian Military Road, through the beautiful Caucasus mountains. At one point, right in the middle of total isolation and people-less nature, we stopped at the huge, surreal Soviet-artified semi-circular monument you see above. I guess it was some sort of bizarre view-watching spot, like the scenic stops on our American highways. We decided the men sitting around were photographers waiting for tourists, but they never got up and they certainly never offered to take any photos. 
A fabulous sky over The Admiralty, built in the early nineteenth century in the once and future St. Petersburg (Leningrad when I was there, of course).
The Jetson House ( Meet the Jetsons ) was quite unusual, but its surroundings were surreal. The house was on Lake Sevan, a resort in the former Soviet Republic of Armenia (now an independent country). I went there as part of a scheduled visit when I took a group of tourists to the Soviet Union. The interesting thing was that we were led to expect a quite ritzy resort and, indeed, the view was quite lovely (will post another day). The beach, however, was not, well, what I would call 'ritzy' -- and I don't just mean the big pebbles that covered it, or even the locals, though both were something to behold. The photo above shows the high-class changing booths and the photo on the left would, I think, easily qualify for another Worldless Wednesday post! Can you see the dandelion coming through? I love that.
Since everyone enjoyed seeing the fabulous converted fort I went to in Jaen, I thought I'd post a photo of the beautiful parador in Toledo. Didn't stay in this one, we were pre-booked at a converted nunnery, which was also lovely but considerably cheaper. We did pop up for a drink, and here was the view from up there.
don't take this taxi
follow the sailors down the river
watch a movie being filmed
do a bit a shopping
quick rest in the park
and end up at the Winter Palace (Hermitage).
The sun is trying really hard to come out in this shot of the Zagorsk monastery in Russia.
A couple more photos of the fabulous parador (fortress-turned-hotel) in Jaen, as well as the view from our room. Not bad, not bad at all.
