"Venice is crowded," people warned them, as if they didn't know.
"True," they replied."But crowds are funny things -- they stay clustered in the same spots, go to where they're told to go, don't take time to seek alternatives.
"We plan to walk off and away to a quieter spot, get away from the crowds, experience the city in our own way."
We got to see these mysterious creatures up close and personal. Watching them move seemed to calm my vagus nerve. Peaceful....They are mostly in the rivers, but sometimes they show up at the beach!
🇫🇷 J’ai demandé au responsable du #Chateau s’il existait un endroit pour bivouaquer plus loin sur mon itinéraire. Il m’a proposé de dormir dans le parc après la fermeture, à condition que je parte avant l’ouverture à 9h (Tour du Val d’Allier, en #Auvergne #France ). 🇬🇧 I asked the manager of the #Castle if there was a place to #bivouac further along my route. He offered to let me sleep in the park after closing, on the condition that I leave before it opens at 9 a.m. (Tour du Val d’Allier, in Auvergne, France). 🇪🇸 Le pregunté al responsable del #Castillo si existía algún lugar para vivaquear más adelante en mi itinerario. M
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🇫🇷 J’ai demandé au responsable du #Chateau s’il existait un endroit pour bivouaquer plus loin sur mon itinéraire. Il m’a proposé de dormir dans le parc après la fermeture, à condition que je parte avant l’ouverture à 9h (Tour du Val d’Allier, en #Auvergne #France ). 🇬🇧 I asked the manager of the #Castle if there was a place to #bivouac further along my route. He offered to let me sleep in the park after closing, on the condition that I leave before it opens at 9 a.m. (Tour du Val d’Allier, in Auvergne, France). 🇪🇸 Le pregunté al responsable del #Castillo si existía algún lugar para vivaquear más adelante en mi itinerario. Me ofreció dormir en el parque después del cierre, con la condición de que me fuera antes de la apertura a las 9 h (Tour du Val d’Allier, en #Auvernia, #Francia ).
Rando – GR de Pays du Val d’Allier – Boucle n°4 Aux marches du Cézallier. Intro Il s’agit d’une boucle donnée pour quatre jours de randonnées. Il s’agissait d’un test (voir si mon
Mulling over international border crossings... I've done lots by train, mostly in Europe but also through Thailand/Malaysia/Singapore. By bus a few times, including Denmark/Sweden, Poland/Lithuania, Croatia/Montenegro, and Syria/Jordan.
Caught a ferry once from Sweden to Poland, another ferry from Jordan to Egypt; and a very memorable ferry from South Korea to Japan.
And walked across the border once from Poland to Slovakia. Also by foot Switzerland/Liechtenstein and Italy/Vatican, but they barely seem to count. 😀
Ok will curtail posting a bit, now that I'm at my conference and work (and 😭 so many emails from work from all day in the US that I woke up to). Beautiful sunny day here in Toyama (but cool, same as Pittsburgh 45 ⁰F/ 7 ⁰C). The conference center is right across the street from Toyama castle!
Snow blankets the ground in this winter wonderland scenery. As winter settles in, it's the perfect time to cozy up by the fireplace with a hot cup of coco.
The Pioneering Spirit > chrystyne-novack.pixels.com/featured/the...
A stunning view of a coastal cliff on the island of Zakynthos in Peloponnese peninsula of Greece under a dramatic sky. The sun is rising behind the cliff, illuminating the clouds with a warm glow.
Bit of a walk to my hotel - 1.3 km 17 mins or so (a bit longer because I was wheeling my suitcase along and stopped to take pics) Lovely cool weather and nice walk
There are people who never escape to a place of silence. It doesn't have to be rugged canyons or distant mountains, but just someplace, anyplace, where there is no noise -- no "news," no texts, no distractions to keep one from deeply, intensely thinking.
And that is as simple as turning off the technology and closing one's eyes.
Along the quiet coast of Vietnam, this pearl farm feels timeless — calm water, bare trees, and a few fishing boats resting in the distance. The soft morning light and purple blooms at the shore bring a gentle contrast to the stillness, a reminder of the beauty that exists in simple, working landscapes.
After a large fire, this 19th-century residence is soot stained and collapsing. Somewhere in Belgium 🏰🇧🇪
Inside, a black piano stands against a soot-stained red wall, with a chandelier and scorched plaster mouldings above. In the kitchen, singed onions hang by the oven. There is also a dark living room where smoke stains cover the walls and mirrors.
This series is the last part of my #albanian trilogy
Less pessimistic than "The Last Paradise before the end of the world", (a post-apocalyptic portrait of Vlorë), more nostalgic than "Nothing to see", she speaks with another voice to tell Durrès, like a bittersweet comedy. The voice continues its story to Tirana, for a more frantic street photography
Gone Fishing Living the salt life is an everyday occurrence in South Florida. Here is a photo of a typical Sunday from a pier where you go fishing, or any other place you visit.
Coastal Village with Fishing Boat acrylic print by Leonidas Bratini. Bring your artwork to life with the stylish lines and added depth of an acrylic print. Your image gets printed directly onto the back of a 1/4" thick sheet of clear acrylic. The high gloss of the acrylic sheet complements the rich colors of any image to produce stunning results. Two different mounting options are available, see below.
"Marginal Way Splendor" By Scott Loring Davis, Fine Art Photography pixels.com/profiles/scottlorin… This beautiful print offers a calming, serene and relaxing feel to any room or public location where a calming effect is beneficial. FULL DESCRPTION - pixels.com/featured/marginal-w…
This morning marks a travel day. We’re headed up to Grambling, Louisiana to watch our granddaughter play in her first basketball game of the season. She plays for Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. It’s an exhibition match—Grambling is a Division I team, Ouachita a Division II. Go Tigers! Well, both teams are named Tigers, so there may be a bit of confusion in the cheering department.
Technically, I should be doing something to get ready, but I’ve got a lazy streak about a mile wide. Once I sit down and get comfortable, it’s hard to convince myself to get up and start moving. The game’s actually tomorrow, but we’re heading up early to spend a day or so in the area.
There’s a quilting shop in nearby Ruston, Louisiana that my wife enjoys visiting. Quilting shops are a thrilling outing for us—yay. It’s a team effort: she browses, and I find a quiet corner to sit and read. It’s a bit like tag team wrestling—she goe
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Good morning. 🪿🪿🪿
8 November 2025
This morning marks a travel day. We’re headed up to Grambling, Louisiana to watch our granddaughter play in her first basketball game of the season. She plays for Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. It’s an exhibition match—Grambling is a Division I team, Ouachita a Division II. Go Tigers! Well, both teams are named Tigers, so there may be a bit of confusion in the cheering department.
Technically, I should be doing something to get ready, but I’ve got a lazy streak about a mile wide. Once I sit down and get comfortable, it’s hard to convince myself to get up and start moving. The game’s actually tomorrow, but we’re heading up early to spend a day or so in the area.
There’s a quilting shop in nearby Ruston, Louisiana that my wife enjoys visiting. Quilting shops are a thrilling outing for us—yay. It’s a team effort: she browses, and I find a quiet corner to sit and read. It’s a bit like tag team wrestling—she goes in first, and when she’s tired, she tags me so we can retreat to the car.
The biggest logistical challenge of any trip is figuring out what to do with Charlie. We can’t very well leave him to fend for himself. I say that because some folks nearby do exactly that with their free-roaming dogs. But Charlie’s not a free-roamer, and we don’t treat him like livestock. We go out of our way to make sure he’s safe and cared for. When we’re away, he stays with a nearby veterinarian. There’s always a twinge of guilt when I drop him off—but when I pick him up, it’s happy days all over again.
“Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion.” — Leigh Hunt
“How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward.” — Spanish proverb
“How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward.” — Spanish proverb
