Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 31, 2015: The Taj Mahal
Love, beauty, death and unparalleled elegance… All these ingredients contribute to making the TajMahal one of the wonders of the world, a place not to be missed.
Love, beauty, death and unparalleled elegance… All these ingredients contribute to making the TajMahal one of the wonders of the world, a place not to be missed.
I chose Ostia Antica for a day trip from Rome, rather than the much longer trek to Pompeii. Aside from a few school groups, I had this remarkable place almost to myself. I realized that there’s a different crowd on...
Because Puerto Rico was the first freshwater island for 16th-century travelers from Spain, and because it guards the entrance to the Caribbean, its Spanish masters went out of their way to defend it, not only with the huge fortifications at the...
I’d looked online for an apartment for my week in Rome, until I was sick of the thought of going. At some point I came across a recommendation for a women’s hostel in Trastevere (Tras TAY veree), on what I came to think of as...
Among the many wonderful palaces of Europe, Versailles is said to be the greatest and grandest of them all. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and is on almost every traveler’s list of “must see”...
Located at the northern end of Thimpu Valley in Bhutan, Tango Goemba has held religious significance since the 12th century when it was home of the Lama who brought the Drukpa Kagyupa school of Buddhism to Bhutan.
This image was taken from inside a restored/preserved slave cabin on the Magnolia Plantation, near Charleston SC. The contrast between the dark and hostile interior and the light flooding in from the green and beautiful scene outside struck me...
When we began planning a trip to Puerto Rico, and planning to include our 14-year-old granddaughter, we sent her some of the material we were gathering and asked her what her priorities were. She, and we, both had El Yunque right near the top of the...
El Morro, the giant fortification that's guarded San Juan Harbor for nearly 500 years, is the sight we saw before we saw it. Its image is everywhere when you do online research for a trip to Puerto Rico; its "garitas"—small domed...
The Pantheon is a memorable building, whatever the circumstances of finding oneself there, but this day was particularly notable. Right after I took these pictures I turned and came face-to-face with a Dutchman, a stranger until the day...
Gumbo was visiting the magnificent Cathedral in Cologne, Germany. The puzzle destination was recognized rather quickly by Roderick Simpson -- congratulations Roddy! I first saw Cologne’s Cathedral on a...
The Ramblers (formerly Ramblers' Association) has its 80th birthday this year, and is still going strong, with 114,000 long-distance walkers in chapters all over Britain. In its history, it has served as much more than a social connection for people...
Standing high above the Dorset coast, overlooking the town of Weymouth and the isle of Portland is "Hardy's Monument" built in 1845 on the highest point of Black Down. Sculpted in famous Portland stone from nearby quarries (as was St. Paul's Cathedral...
On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I bought a 2-day pass, called the Charleston Heritage Passport , at the North Charleston Visitor Center near the airport, and planned to include as many of the sites it offered of...
Standing high above the Dorset coast, overlooking the town of Weymouth and the isle of Portland is "Hardy's Monument" built in 1845 on the highest point of Black Down. Sculpted in famous Portland stone from nearby quarries (as was St. Paul's Cathedral...