“In Memory of Pico Sanchez”, Mel C. Waters, Clarion Alley, 2010
Pretty much every major metropolitan city has street art. San Francisco is no exception. Like many upscale cities San Francisco’s street art tends to be confined to particular areas. Exuberant art does not spill out in all sorts of unexpected places like it does in rougher cities like Valparaiso Chile. (more…)
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge appears from behind a hill.
There’s no more iconic sight in San Francisco than the Golden Gate Bridge. The Art Deco masterpiece sits at privileged location at the mouth of the San Francisco Bay. It’s a rare combination of an attractive structure built in a beautiful location. (more…)
Inside an Alcatraz cell block
Every tourist that spends more than a day in San Francisco heads to Alcatraz. That’s a fake fact that I just made that up. But it does seem that way. Alcatraz is without doubt one of the City’s premier tourist attractions. (more…)
A stork strolls through the grass in northeastern France.
For an American it is easy to think of storks as mythical beings that deliver babies. But storks are most definitely real and in Europe, they are not uncommon, at least not now. The mythology of the stork goes back to ancient time. Even today storks are thought by some to bring good luck; their presence is encouraged in many areas of Europe. (more…)
Pont d’Arc
In November of 2017, on the way back from Spain to our base in Burgundy, we stopped to see the Caverne du Pont d’Arc in Ardèche department of France. Opened in April of 2015 the concept behind the creation of the Caverne du Pont d’Arc is very similar to Lascaux IV, which we saw on the way to Spain. (more…)
The Roman Arena of Nîmes is still used for bullfights and other public events.
The Roman Colony of Nemausus was founded at the site of present day commune of Nîmes in southern France sometime before 28 BC. It became a regional capital in an important area of the Roman Empire. At its peak Nemausus was home to 50,000–60,000 people. (more…)
Le Tour de France dans les Pyrenees
France has an extensive network of toll roads. Driving the autoroutes is comfortable. Though the tolls are steep the autoroutes are fast and well maintained with frequent rest areas or “aires”.
The San Millán de Yuso monastery
Leaving San Lorenzo de El Escorial we headed to San Millán de la Cogolla. It was a journey from monastery to monasteries, from the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial to the Yuso and Suso Monasteries in San Millán. Though both destinations are know for their monasteries and are UNESCO World Heritage sites, they are very different. (more…)
The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is an expansive complex of religious buildings about 26 miles to the northwest of Madrid. El Escorial’s buildings have served many functions. They were used as a monastery, basilica, royal palace, pantheon, library, museum, university, school, hospital, and rotting room. Today the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a popular site for day trip for tourists visiting from Madrid. El Escorial receives over 500,000 visits each year. (more…)
Toledo Spain
A long time ago, twenty-five or thirty years earlier, I had the opportunity to visit Toledo Spain on a day trip. It was an interesting visit though too short. I realized then that there wasn’t enough time to take in this historic city in one day. I vowed I would return and spend at least a night. At the least I assumed it would be quieter and more atmospheric to see Toledo after the day-tripping tourist crowds have departed. (more…)
