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73 Search Results for "picturesque"

  • Our Budget Travel Trip to Irel

    • From: CliffK
    • Description:

       

      Dingle Peninsula Coast near Slea Head

      Tuesday it was time to say farewell to Kinsale and head west, to the fabled Ring of Kerry. Again, we had plans for spending the next two nights in one place: Kilarney. With an early-enough start, we were able Irish Countrysideto drive much of the Ring on Tuesday, traveling clockwise so as to avoid following the tour buses. Here it is time to point out that driving in IrelandNarrow Roads is not for the faint of heart. The roads are very narrow, one lane in each direction hemmed in on either side by a stone fence or a hedge, yet marked as 100 km/h (about 60 mph). Often you have buses or trucks coming at you from the other direction that are wider than their lanes. I realized that this is why all the buses go the same direction around the Ring of Kerry (clockwise): otherwise, they would never be able to pass one another. Then there are driveways, and people come A Classic Irish Traffic Jamto a complete stop to turn left into a driveway and there is no way to go around them. I'm sure it does not help that so many of the other drivers are Americans, just as inexperienced as I am in driving on the left side of the road. There is no theme park ride as terrifying as taking one of those blind curves quickly and having a vehicle suddenly materialize, coming at you from the other direction, seemingly on the wrong side of the road. "EEEEP!" was a frequent exclamation on this trip. Anyway, the beautiful views of the fields and cliffs and sea were just incomparable, Dingle Peninsula Coastwith yet another beautiful scene just around the next bend. Stopping for ocean vistas and to explore ring forts and castle ruins quickly filled the day, and it was after dark when we Cahergal ring fortrolled into Killarney and checked into our hotel. A short walk brought us to the Danny Mann pub, just in time to get a great table for dinner and a live music performance by The Irish Weavers, a traditional Irish folk music group that puts on a very entertaining show.

       

      Ballycarberry Castle RuinRing Fort Growth



      Tim CollinsWednesday we woke to beautiful blue skies and sunshine. This was our day to explore the Dingle Peninsula. We were scheduled to meet Tim Collins, who runs Sciuird Archaeological Tours, at 10:30 in Dingle. Thankfully we got an early start, as we were hardly out of Killarney when we ran into a road construction detour. Or at least a roadblock indicating that our chosen route was closed. We ended up driving here, there and everywhere on backroads trying to find Gallarus Oratoryour way back to the main highway, but eventually we made it with all of about three minutes to spare. Tim drives a sixteen-passenger van, so the group is small and flexible, and he gives a very informative and enjoyable tour, with time to get out and explore the Inch Strandsights and even stop for tea along the way. The sights on the Dingle Peninsula are every bit as beautiful as on the ring of Kerry, and it was great to be able to enjoy them with local commentary. We joined one of the other couples on the tour for lunch afterwards in Dingle and swapped travel stories. On the way back to Killarney, we had to stop at the Inch Strand, a beautiful and inviting stretch of beach that seemingly goes forever. It was the middle of October, but I rolled up my pants and waded into the surf and shared the scene with a sparse group of people playing on the beach and surfing the waves. The water was warm enough that I would have gone all the way in had it not been for the fact that I would still have an hour to drive in wet pants.Inch Strand

      Thursday was to be our last full day in Ireland. I woke up early enough to go for a run in Killarney National Park, part of which was just across the steet from our hotel. After breakfast we headed first on the road towards Muckross HouseKenmare, so we could stop and take the tour at Muckross House. Muckross is surrounded by beautiful gardens, and the tour and history of the house are very intersting. Muckross House GardensStops at Torc Waterfall and Ross Castle allowed for more photo opportunities, and then it was time to head back towards Shannon.

       

       

       

      Torc WaterfallRoss Castle

      Along the way, we stopped in Adare to do a little exploring and enjoy another pub dinner. Adare is a quaint town with several picturesque thatched-roof buildings. We enjoyed a dAdareelicious Shepherd's Pie and a pint of Guinness, and then it was time to head towards the airport. Our final night was basic lodging at the Park Inn across from the Shannon airport terminal, which made our final departure much less hectic than other trips I've experienced.

      We are left with many wonderful memories of this trip, and are already wondering how quickly we can go again. Delicious food, beautiful sights, fun music, informative tours, friendly people, and learning about the history of this unique place. But one of the best experiences was also one of the simplest, as we got to listen in on two locals in a country store as they introduced themselves to each other. I just wish I had had a tape recorder with me, as these two women, formerly strangers, discussed the quality of products in the shop in language that was polite, respectful, and so musical in its quality that it could have been a song.

       

       

    • Blog post
    • 1 week ago
    • Views: 25
  • Aruban Desert???

    • From: Buqo
    • Description:

      Our crusie ship docked in Aruba and we took an inland cruise to see the island instead of the diamond shops in Oranjestad.  For the entire way our tour guide kept stressing to us that Aruba is a desert island.  I ask, does this look like a desert to you?  The tour was definitely worth it as much of the island is very picturesque and the unique architecture and colors of the houses are fun to see.

    • 2 weeks ago
    • Views: 47
  • Tobermory Harbor

    • From: kyvoyageur
    • Description:

      Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull in western Scotland, has to be one of the most picturesque towns in the world.

    • 2 weeks ago
    • Views: 35
  • St. Simon's Island Bike Ride

    • From: matthew
    • Description:

      Spring of 2008 was the perfect time to enjoy a bike ride on the beach. Matthew, age 6, worked those pedals as he chased sea gulls along the St. Simon's shoreline in Georgia. He didn't realize, however, what a beautiful picture he was making. The setting sun and the playful child coupled together to make picturesque scene.

    • 4 weeks ago
    • Views: 44
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  • Picturesque Ruins

    • From: Margate
    • Description:
    • 4 weeks ago
    • Views: 20
  • Medieval Freiburg

    • From: andypro
    • Description:

      Freiburg (Fribourg) in Switzerland is one of picturesque medieval towns where French and German languages mix together. It's common to hear one person speaking to another in French and the other would reply in German. Freiburg is also known for it's brewery that produces famous Cardinal brand.

    • 4 weeks ago
    • Views: 101
  • Sneaking a Peak in Charleston

    • From: mctravel
    • Description:

      Charleston was an amazing and picturesque city! I only spent a few hours there, but I will return as soon as possible. There are great shots around every corner.

    • 1 month ago
    • Views: 29
    • Not yet rated
  • County Cork, Ireland

    • From: jeffok714
    • Description:

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      My wife and I were trying to navigate around County Cork, trying to avoid becoming forever lost in the maze of dirt roads, cattle paths and Gaelic road signs, when we saw a sign directing us to a marina. As we turned down the side road to investigate, we were presented with this wonderfully, picturesque image. Since there was no other traffic for miles, we stopped in the middle of the road and fired off a number of images before heading down to check out the marina. It’s amazing what you find if you just get off the highway.

    • 1 month ago
    • Views: 133
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  • Mykonos June 2007

    • From: AdamCzekajewski
    • Description:

      Late evening and the traces of sunset over picturesque Island of Myconos, Greece in June 2007.

    • 1 month ago
    • Views: 40
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  • Pastel Waterfront - Paradise I

    • From: diane66
    • Description:

      After returning from overseas with the US Army, my husband and I took our daughter, grand-daughter and son-in-law on a week's trip to the Bahamas at the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island.  Across the small harbor channel in front of the Atlantis are these picturesque row houses. 

    • 1 month ago
    • Views: 44
  • Picturesque Sunset

    • From: britnilea
    • Description:

      Beautiful sunset through the trees in Maine.

    • 1 month ago
    • Views: 14
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  • Nevada Challenges You

    • From: Buqo
    • Description:

       

      Nevada Challenges You

       

      Tom Buqo

      Blue Diamond, Nevada

       

      I typed Nevada into the Budgettravel.com search engine for photographs and found only 19 hits, of which one was my own (and it was taken in California, not Nevada).  This is not acceptable.  To address this deficiency, ten new pictures of my beautiful and zany state have been posted.  (Just click on any of the pictures if you want to see a larger version).  Nevada is not all about casinos and showgirls; hopefully these pictures will help you understand that.  On behalf of the state of Nevada, I challenge all of you in the other 49 to respond in kind.  Thanks!

       1 Six Miles to Devils Gate.JPG

       

      The picture at the top is of a pass called Devil’s Gates along U.S. Highway 50, the loneliest road in America, about 30 miles west of the tiny city of Eureka, Nevada, population 1,600.  From this point on the planet, it is 260 miles to Salt Lake City and 240 miles to Reno, places I’m sure you’ve heard of.  If you planned carefully, you will have a reservation at the Eureka Inn, the best place in town.  It’s only another thirty miles or so down the road.  In Eureka, you can have a really decent steak dinner at the Owl Club and plunk a few dollars into one of their slot machines, if you feel so inclined.  Make sure to stop in the market a few doors down on the same side of the street (before 7:00 pm).  In the words of Garrison Keillor, if they don’t have it, you don’t need it.  The aisles are narrow and tall and stacked with every thing you need or might need. Hanging above all these wares is a taxidermy collection that would put more than a few natural history museums to shame.  Want to see a stuffed caribou?  Go to the general market in Eureka and fulfill your dreams!  Score one for the steak, one for the store, and one for the caribou. 

       

      2 Toiyabe Peak March 2006.jpgThe word Nevada means snow-capped in Spanish and the picture at left demonstrates why it got its name.  The peaks of the Toiyabe Range rise to elevations of more than 10,000 ft above mean sea level on the northwest side of Big Smoky (not smokey) Valley.  Big Smoky Valley is 100 miles long and about 40 miles wide and is one of the larger valleys in the Great Basin.  Nevada Highway 376 provides the access from Highway 50 to Tonopah through this impressive valley.  Halfway through the valley, the traveler will see the massive mine tailings piles at Round Mountain, one of the largest gold mines in the United States.

       

      I don’t know if every state has a boot tree or not, but Nevada does and ours is really cool.  Our boot tree is just down/up the road from a place called Middlegate, not a town, just a location along Highway 50, and a good place to stop for a stretch.  3 Boot Tree.jpg

       

      Somehow, sometime, right there along the road, somebody decided that it would be a good idea to throw their shoes into a cottonwood tree.  Somebody else saw what they had done and decided it was a good idea, so they threw another pair up on the tree, and then another, and another, and another .  The result is shown in the picture above.  Hundreds, and maybe thousands of shoes have been left on the big cottonwood tree along U.S. Highway 50.  Why?  By whom?  What is the point?  Does your state have a boot tree?  If not, why not?  Start one now.  Score one for Nevada and every other state with a boot tree.  Shoe piles do not count, sorry Maryland.

       

      Herds of free ranging wild horses and 4 MH Mustangs 2.jpgburros are one of the trademarks of Nevada.  The 1961 movie The Misfits (starring Clark Gable) led Congress to enact a law protecting these feral animals, a legacy of Spanish exploration and the later prospectors that scoured the state in search of mineral bonanzas.  These mustangs were spotted at a spring in Kobeh Valley, just twenty miles up a dirt road off of Highway 50.  It is a romantic image unless you happen to live where a herd of burros is located.  Trust me, there is nothing romantic about a donkey braying and rooting through your trash at two o’clock in the morning.  Interesting aside…a few years ago a federal agency decided it would be a good idea to reduce the burro population near our village by rounding up all the male burros.  The next spring, we were blessed with one of the largest mule populations west of Missouri.  The federal biologists forgot all about the wild horses!  Score one for Nevada and one for Missouri 1, everybody else, forgetaboutit.

       

      When you come to or through Nevada, you drive up and down one mountain range and intervening valley over and over again without 5 MH view from Pglyph place.jpgknowing what is on the other side of each mountain pass.  Such is the nature of the Great Basin.  It can be more than a hundred miles between gas stations, let alone WIFI, so please be prepared, but don’t worry about it.   There are a lot of places where your cell phone won’t work…enjoy the solitude.  Score one for Nevada.  Bring your came­­­ra, and a willingness to look, and you will see what Nevada is all about.  The picture on the left was made at Hickinson Summit near the divide along Highway 50 in the southern Simpson Park Mountains.  Be sure to stop at the Hickison Petroglyph site to see the rock carvings made by Nevada’s first people, if you have the time.  Score one for Nevada and one more for their Native Americans who were the first to dare live in this stark terrain.

       

      6 ET Highway Sign.jpgArea 51 is not just on your television or in your imagination, it is in my Nevada.  Some of the best rock and mineral collecting you will ever find is within twenty miles of the small settlement of Rachel, home of the Little Ale Inn (the small cluster of buildings on the lower left of this picture).  I’ve got the rocks in my yard to prove it. 

      Rachel is on Nevada Highway 325 and you can’t get there from anywhere you happen to be going, unless it is Rachel.  The X-Files got it all wrong in their portrayal of Rachel, there are NO lawns, NO brick houses, and NO Muldar.  But they do have the black mail boxes, and if you happen to cross a certain line in the desert, the good old boys that guard Area 51 will detain you, blindfold you, and take you in the back of a van down forty miles of washboard dirt roads just to emphasize that it is your responsibility to know where that line is and to pay attention to the warning sides.  Nevada asks….does your state have any extraterrestrial highway?   An Area 51?  Oh no?  Score two for Nevada!

       

      Water in the desert is precious and 7 Walker Lake.jpgnatural lakes are few and far between.  Walker Lake, shown here, is just north of Hawthorne on U.S. Highway 95, the lonely 400 mile long link between Reno and Las Vegas.  The barren landscape sharply contrasts with the placid lake surface.  You can get a good meal in Hawthorne, site of one of the largest armories in the world, and visit the Ordnance Museum to see a large collection of weapons and munitions from the past.  South of town you will see hundreds and hundreds of bunkers where the materials are stored.  Slow down when you drive this stretch of 95 along the lake.  Not only is it one of the most picturesque drives in my state, our local state troopers would love to have you donate money to our state if you choose to exceed the posted speed limit along this stretch of highway.  Score one for Nevada unless you got a ticket, then score two.

       

      In other areas, the dry climate has evaporated8 Salt Wells Flats.jpg

      lakes leaving behind a flat, salt encrusted surface.  This picture of Salt Wells Flat, taken east of Fallon Naval Air Station, shows the surreal landscape that forms today’s dry lake beds.  For decades, people have collected brown and black rocks and pebbles to pay homage to themselves or their loved ones by spelling their names on the salt surface on both sides of the highway.  Hundreds have done so.  Nowhere but Nevada…give us one more point.

       

      9 Cliffs Ahead.jpg

       

       

      You don’t have to go far to leave the city behind in Nevada.  Don’t be afraid to turn off the paved highway onto that gravel road just to see where it takes you.  This picture was taken only about 15 miles southwest of the Las Vegas strip.  No neon, no glitz, but far more beautiful in its own way.   You may have your casino or two, but we have hundreds of them and the mountains too.  Score one for Nevada.

       

       

       

      As evening nears, try to rip yourself out of the casino and head west of town to enjoy one of our wonderful sunsets.  Each one is unique and best of all free….one last point for Nevada.

       

      Red Sunset over Red Rock.JPG

       

      Well my friends, the gauntlet has been thrown and I look forward to seeing the best ten pictures of your states.

       

    • Blog post
    • 3 months ago
    • Views: 246
  • Pakshipathalam, Wayanad, Keral

    • From: kenneyjacob
    • Description:

      Pakshipathalam at Wayanad is a picturesque sleepy little place in Kerala.

    • 3 months ago
    • Views: 44
    • Not yet rated
  • Radiance in Freiburg

    • From: jacobjcoon
    • Description:

      Right behind the Black Forest hostel in Freiburg Germany was a trail that led up to what we were told was an easy hike that led to a picturesque view of the town.  We decided to take the trail and found out it was a tiny intense trail that took us 30 minutes to get to the top.  We got to the top and found out that there was a paved path all of the way.  We were a little tired, but decided to continue up the path.  We then reach the stairs from someplace down below.  400 steps later we get to the top or so we thought.  At the top of that there was a tower that afforded us the view seen in the picture.  We drank some wine and enjoyed the magnificance that was Freiburg.

    • 3 months ago
    • Views: 150
  • Castle on the Rhine river, Ger

    • From: BethanieKay
    • Description:

      The Rhine and Mosel river valleys of Germany are dotted with historic and picturesque castles.

    • 4 months ago
    • Views: 488
    • Not yet rated
  • Asheville, A great, fun, pictu

    • From: ywate
    • Description:

      Took advantage of the "Real Deal" package in the Budget Travel magazine and we LOVED it.  The Crown Plaza Resort Hotel was very good and super comfortable.  Location was terrific very close to everything.  We loved the downtown area and all the trendy/hip restaurants and people.  Thanks to the Real Deal, we had entrance to many of the blue ridge attractions including the Biltmore ($55.00 per person) as well as a city tour ($20 per person) all included in the price of the deal.  these were only two of the many attractions available through this package.  we would highly recommend the Bistro restaurant on Pack Square as well as the Tupelo Honey Cafe located around the corner.  Do not miss the local artisan venue in the old woolworth building (which also has a renovated woolworth lunch counter).

    • Blog post
    • 4 months ago
    • Views: 215
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  • The Little Church

    • From: GlassSpider
    • Description:

      We frequently vacation in Boone, NC since it is only a few hours away from where we live. Each time we go we like to try to explore someplace new. While driving around one day I saw this little church by the side of the road. It looked so picturesque I just had to stop to take some photos. I love the contrast between the badly-needing-a-new-paint-job white boards and the almost-new looking red door. I also loved all the Queen Anne's Lace in the overgrown yard surrounding the church. For something that is considered a lowly weed, it really is a lovely plant.

    • 4 months ago
    • Views: 77
  • A street in Cuzco

    • From: girlscout
    • Description:

      Narrow, picturesque streets in Cuzco provide many photo opportunities!

    • 4 months ago
    • Views: 52
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  • Oops Wrong Way...Let's Go To K

    • From: Buqo
    • Description:

      We left the Neboder Hotel in Rijeka about 9:00 am in our rented Skoda for a day trip to the Istrian peninsula.  Navigating the city in our first full day in Croatia was not as straight forward as we had thought, and we found ourselves heading east out of the city instead of west.  By the time we realized our mistake, we were already about 15 kilometers east of Rijeka.  Rather than turn around and retrace our route, I suggested that we see if we could get to the island of Krk, off the southwest coast of Hrvatska, as the Croatians call their nation.  I had read a little about the island during our trip planning, and since we weren’t on a rigid schedule, away we went!

       

      Kraljevicia Kastel Zrinski 4.JPGOur first stop was at Kraljevica, on the mainland of the Adriatic coast, for coffee and a stretch of the legs.  Like many Croatian port cities, Kraljevica is a blend of the old and the new, modern ships unloading their freight, a centrum complete with a castle, shopping, cafes, and everything you would expect in any city, but small enough to get around quickly, and with few tourists. 

       

      Between my limited Russian, a little pidgin Croatian I learned for the trip, and my wife’s passable Italian, no English was spoken at all during our visit because no one we met spoke any.  It was obvious that few Americans have ever taken the road down to the center of the city to the coffee shop at the end of the main street.  We hung at the central park for a while and visited the Kastel Zrinski before getting on the road.

       

      From Kraljevica we headed east to the Krk turnoff.  We weren’t sure if there was a ferry or not.  Turning south, we found a modern bridge as impressive as anything you will see on the interstate highway system in the United States.  After paying a modest toll, we drove through the rolling hills of the northern part of the island.  The two-lane highway was comparable or better than the rural highways in our home state of Nevada.  In about an hour, we were on the outskirts of Grad Krk. 

       Suncani sat Sundial in Krk Croatia

      Krk (pronounced just like the renowned starship captain) is a mecca for Italian tourists, but visited by few Americans.  Small kiosks sell grappa and souvenirs outside the walled city, sharing space with the Sunčani sat (a stone vertical sundial), and outdoor restaurants.  The large marina serves a fleet of small craft and yachts and is very picturesque.

       

      There are four entrances into the city.  We chose entry through the southwestern entrance, a small portal marked by a Roman plaque that is barely noticeable between the vendor stalls.  Inside, the city is a maze of narrow polished cobble-stone streets and adjoining buildings and homes all built with native rock and completed with painted plaster in most cases.


      Frankopan Castle Krk Croatia

      Our first stop inside the city walls was the Kamplin, a large public square adjacent to the Frankopan Castle.  The oldest tower of the castle dates to the late 12th century and construction was completed in the mid 13th century.  Today the area is used for festivals, concerts, and outdoor theater.  A single art vendor, his cat, and a few strolling couples were the only inhabitants on this sunny autumn day.  A small gate on the north walls of the castle opens to a rock stairway down to the sea.  A great view of the harbor, the modern residential sections of the city, and the rocky coast were well worth a few minutes braving the brisk Adriatic winds.


      Most visitors enter Krk through the main entrance on the west which opens into the Vela placa, a public square where modern banks, restaurants, and shops give little indication of the rich history of the city.  The strange mix of old and new is perhaps most reflected by the ornate cistern which was built in 1557 but moved to its new location during restoration work in 1997. We had a memorable lunch of fresh anchovies at the Terasa café and tasted our first Karlovec beer (one of the Croatia’s leading brands).  We were not disappointed in either the fish or the brew.  Cats, which seem to be ubiquitous in the old town sections of Croatian cities, waited none too patiently for treats from the tourists whose language was strangely unfamiliar to them.


      24 hour clock.jpg One of the prominent features of the Vela placa is the Old City Hall Tower, a two-story structure completed in 1493.  The old arched entrance into the city now serves as the location of a modern coffee shop. 

      The tower includes a unique clock with a 24-hour face.  Originally, the clock only had one hand, probably because of the limits on the mechanical clockworks  A minute hand was added to the clock in the 1990s, when the old mechanical works were replaced with an electrical system.

       

      The skyline of Grad Krk is dominated by the domed bell tower of Krk Cathedral, built in the 11th and 12th centuries on the site of a 5th century basilica.  The cathedral is part of a complex that includes the Romanesque Saint Quirinis and Saint Margaret churches. We also stopped at the Roman frescoe Krk Croatiawhich was located in a small room next to an equally small bar.  We did not have to time to visit the many other city attractions such as the Benedictine Convent of St. Mary, the Stanic Gallery, and the Freedom Gate.  The weather was a little to cool and windy to take advantage of any of the city beaches.  After enjoying Grad Krk, we studied the road map and decided to take a circuitous route back to the mainland.  We had no idea where we are going or what we might find, but the map showed that we would eventually end up where we wanted to be and, figuring that we might never again be on the island of Krk, set off on our way.

       Mudflats near Solini Croatia

      Ĉižići lies on the east of the island, across a small bay from its sister city of Solini.  The two towns are separated by a picturesque tidal flat where the locals come to bike, wade, sun, and relax.  A narrow man-made spit extends northward into the sea with a dramatic view of the mainland coast in the background.  We enjoyed a picnic snack and then headed for Rodine on the east side of Island Krk. Unfortunately, we arrived at Rodine too late to visit the Biserujka caverns (maybe next time).


      Rodine Croatian Sheep Slaughter.JPG

      Along the way, we saw a shepherd slaughtering a sheep.  We stopped, and when he quizzically looked at me, I showed him my camera and asked “photograph?”  In perfect Italian, he simply shrugged his shoulders and went about his work.   I made a picture of his efforts as his sheepdog patiently waited for scraps.

       

      The northeast part or the island is harsh terrain with stunted vegetation and a landscape of boulders and rocks.  Unsuitable for cattle, sheep are the major agricultural commodity.  According to the Croats we spoke with, this part of the island was once forested but had been denuded of its timber to supply Venice with pilings to keep that Italian city above water.  Once the trees had been cleared out, erosion removed the native soils, leaving behind a stark landscape of rocks and boulders. 


      Stone sheep corral near Rodine, Croatia

      Not to be stopped, the Croatians of Krk lined the roads with rock walls more than a meter tall, constructed circular sheep corrals that are visible on Google Earth, and built every house and building, including new construction, with the native rocks loosely bound together with mortar and a few precious wooden lintels and roof beams.  Rocks and boulders everywhere, a dreamland for geologists.

       As dusk fell, we headed back west to the main highway and a journey to the mainland and Rijeka, reaching our hotel about ten hours since our departure.  While we did not have the opportunity to see the entire island, we were able to turn our wrong turn in the morning into a wonderful day trip that allowed us to experience and enjoy a special part of Croatia. 

    • Blog post
    • 4 months ago
    • Views: 407
  • Greek summer

    • From: jbettge
    • Description:

      My fiancee and I decided to visit Greece this summer; he was born in Athens and came to the States in the mid-80's and his entire family still lives in Athens.

      After the grueling 13 hours of flight (my longest time so far!) we arrived to a rare rainy day in Athens. Our jet lag lasted the first day, but by the next morning we felt great and were ready to explore the city.

      On our first full day in Greece we visited an area of Athens called the Plaka, which is at the base of the Acropolis. It was a Saturday, so the place was crowded with locals, tourists and sellers. We walked past numerous cafe's and tavernas and resisted (for the time being) buying any of the tacky "Greek" souvenirs being sold by aggressive vendors.

      My first Greek ruin was the old Agora (market); this is in the middle of gardens dotted with pieces of old Greek and Roman statues. On our walk over we passed a very picturesque church and observatory.

      Inside the Agora were cool marble floors full of important looking statues; there was a hushed atmosphere even though the place was crowded with visitors. I did my best to get decent photos, but every time I thought I might get a good picture a person would walk right into the shot-oh well that is what Photoshop is for, right?!

      After refueling at a little Taverna at the foot of the Acropolis we ventured up the Hill; after one wrong turn and many stops for photo ops we arrived at the top. When I first caught sight of the Parthenon it felt unreal-almost like I was looking at a postcard. There was such a sacred feeling about the entire area; the wind blew past and the trees rustled but there was an almost eerie silence. This place had seen so much history and had stood centuries overlooking and guarding Athens. The experience was unbelievable. The Parthenon is at one side of the Acropolis with the temple of Athena and Poseiden on the other side. I was able to get some fairly good shots of this temple as most people were crowded around the big draw.

       To Be Continued.....

    • Blog post
    • 4 months ago
    • Views: 179
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