Good King Wenceslas, he of Christmas carol fame, is a popular figure in Czech history. Apparently the tale of his struggling through deep snow in the 10th century to give presents to peasants is true. He is a revered Bohemian martyr and...
Depending on where I've lived, my favorite season varies somewhat, but in the Pacific Northwest and now Alberta, I'm very fond of early fall. The weather (usually) is still pretty nice and generally it's dry. The shortening days and...
The caption is really a bit of a tease, because the beach barely appears in this picture, taken as we approached it through a shady grove that became our retreat when the beach was too hot. In fact, one of the things we enjoyed about Hawaiian beaches...
The best views of Rome are to be found atop the Victor Emmanuel monument, a massive white marble structure some Romans disparagingly call the "Wedding Cake" or the "Typewriter". Be that as it may, there's a great travel gem here....
Hanging, drying, in the old Greek island harbour of Nauossa in Paros are the latest catch of octopuses (or do we say "octopi"?) drying in the sun and being readied for the next family dinner. Blue skies, gently rocking boats at anchor. Idyllic.......
This bronze statue of Elvis, sculpted by Carl Romanelli and unveiled in 1978, now proudly stands in a prominent spot in the lobby of the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino , formerly known as the "Las Vegas Hotel and Casino" (2012-2014), The...
New Years, the 4th of July, a summer evening concert—almost anything is a good excuse for fireworks. But sometimes it seems as if no one is just watching; everyone wants to capture an image with a phone, a camera, an iPad. I'm no...
Here are few pictures that I took while I was sitting in the passenger seat during a recent road trip to Banff and Jasper National Parks. The drive through the southern Rocky Mountains is on the TransCanada highway, but the most scenic...
Most people orchids are tropical plants, and they are, but they're certainly not limited to places with warm climates. I was surprised to learn in recent years that there are large numbers of orchids growing in colder and harsher...
Driving through Transylvania, Romania we passed these unfinished palatial houses in the town of Huedin, I was fascinated why would anyone build these grandiose, gaudy looking houses and leave them unfinished. Some even looked deserted....
When you first see him at a distance, your impression is that he's real. Walking on the bank of Gore Creek is a white garbed figure carrying skis and... a rifle?!? You do a double take and realize it's an amazing life-sized,...
With a small church set atop the headland of Paros, the sun was setting that evening in the most richly golden sky that I have experienced in many many years - beautiful Greece!
Portmeirion is a popular tourist village in Gwynedd, North Wales. It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village, and is now owned by a charitable trust....
I took this photo while hiking around Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. It was a wet, cool day and the mist sat just above the lake. The rain wasn't falling hard, more like a heavy spray that dampened your clothes and hair until...
The capital city of Malta , Valletta was originally known as "the city built by gentleman for gentleman". That description may have changed somewhat over the years as it is now a World Heritage listed city. One of the first...