Albania Flag Day, Letter from 1995
November 28 is Albania’s Flag Day, marking its declaration of independence in 1912. The Albanian Community in the US is celebrating Flag Day on November 27 so it does not conflict with Thanksgiving. This is from a letter I wrote … Continue reading Albania Flag Day, Letter from 1995
Barcelona Nouveau and Gaudi
I became interested in Art Nouveau living in Bratislava and within an hour of Vienna where Nouveau and Secession buildings captured my fancy. Having seen them I needed to see some of the buildings of Antoni Gaudí . The first 8 pics here are Gaudi buildings, including the Holy Family Cathedral, Sagrada Família, a must see in Barcelona and Casa Batilo and Casa Mila. I took these pictures in 1999 on a very early digital camera that had limited storage capacity. I find it hard to imagine that I can shoot thousands of pictures now on one card. Early digital cameras … Continue reading Barcelona Nouveau and Gaudi
Riga Nouveau
We arrived in Riga Monday night and walked through a snowy city. By Tuesday it had warmed up, morning fog hid the steeple tops and we walked through slush. The embassy district of Riga has one of the best collections of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe, built for the German merchants who ran the economic life of Riga around 1900. Michael Eisenstein, father of the Soviet filmmaker, was the architect of many of them. In Riga it’s easy to see Art Nouveau as the bridge between the empire style and art deco. The district centers around Alberta St. The district … Continue reading Riga Nouveau
St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Metz
Modernist Marc Chagall, cubist Jacques Villon, and tachist Roger Bissière are all there, mixed with art from the Gothic, Renaissance and Romantic periods. It’s the play of light on the works that I find so fascinating. They are the stained glass windows in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Metz. Gothic does away with the need for structural walls, allowing artists to work in walls of glass. The cathedral soars with light coming through colored glass, creating shadows and shafts. Outside the light plays against the exposed structural members, the flying buttresses. At night the outside is floodlit to stunning effect. Pictures from … Continue reading St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Metz
Manitou and Pike’s Peak Cog Railway
This train is the highest altitude railroad in North America, by far. It runs from Manitou Springs, Colorado to the top of Pike’s Peak. We rode it in October 2012. Continue reading Manitou and Pike’s Peak Cog Railway
Jersey City, My original home town.
I was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. On my 67th birthday I want to pay tribute to my first home town. I came into the world in the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital, part of the Jersey City Medical Center. … Continue reading Jersey City, My original home town.
Petra, Take Two
The waiters at the MovenPik Hotel in Petra dragged chairs and tables together for the men to be able to sit as a group. They gave no help for the women, no offers of chairs for those standing. When Suzi … Continue reading Petra, Take Two
Petra, Jordan
I didn’t have enough time to take a bus to Petra on my weekend break from working at Jordan’s community radio station, plus I was on crutches with a sprained ankle, so I hired a cab. One of my goals, … Continue reading Petra, Jordan
King Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco
The only way to get into the King Hassan II Mosque, if you are not a Moslem, is on a guided tour. It’s worth it. The mosque is more than two football fields long and one wide. I think St. Peters in Rome could easily fit inside if the roof were retracted for the dome. It has a carved wooden roof of cyprus that is retractable so in good weather you can pray outside. There is a glass floor under part of the mosque, which is built on and, in parts, over the Atlantic. The floor gives us a glimpse … Continue reading King Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco
Malta
At first I thought it was a mistake to rent a car in Malta. It was almost midnight; I was tired and had to drive on the left with a stick shift. I usually drive a stick but I am … Continue reading Malta
Sitka Sea Walk
On Thursday we had 1.7 inches of rain, it was dark and wet. I had the feeling that the season had changed. We were finally going to get payback for our beautiful summer and fall. On Friday I woke up to blue skies and sunrise alpenglow on Mt. Edgecumbe. This morning (Saturday) I woke up to — snow. Friday was a good day for walking. I took my usual turn through the National Park and then walked Sitka’s new Sea Walk. The Sea Walk opened on Alaska Day. I have never driven by without seeing people enjoying the walk and … Continue reading Sitka Sea Walk
The Alaska Marine Highway System is 50
These are pictures I have taken over the years of our Ferry System. I am amazed that several of the ships have been serving for 50 years and still run well, having been modified over the years. Three were stretched, … Continue reading The Alaska Marine Highway System is 50
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, The Great Library at Alexandria redux
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, or “New Library of Alexandria,” is an attempt to recreate the tradition of the first “Great Library of Alexandria” built by Ptolemy in the third century BC. It is either a stunning triumph of modern architecture or “The Rotten Oyster” depending on your point of view. It is a stunning building, designed by a Norwegian firm incorporating types of natural wood never seen in Egypt. Some Egyptians wonder “why a Norwegian, why Norwegian wood?” I like it. The outer wall has carvings of letters from most of the world’s alphabets reflected in a blue moat that surrounds … Continue reading Bibliotheca Alexandrina, The Great Library at Alexandria redux
Mt. Nebo, Jordan
When Moses got to Mt. Nebo he could see the Promised Land, but he could not enter. The mountain has a commanding view down into the Jordan Valley and across. It is more than 2.600 feet above sea level and the Dead Sea at the foot of the Jordan Valley is more than 1,400 feet below sea level. That’s quite a drop and quite a view. You can just see the gold glint of dome from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. You can also see Jericho, the Dead Sea and practically all of modern Palestine and Israel. I … Continue reading Mt. Nebo, Jordan
Salt Pope, Krakow, Poland
I’m not sure of the theological meaning, but Pope John Paul II has been turned into a pillar of salt. In Genesis it was Lot’s wife who became a saline pillar. Her sin was looking back at Sodom, the home from which she was being evacuated by angels before its destruction. The Wieliczka mines in Krakow Poland are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We took a bus to the salt mines and went on the tour. We went down about 438 feet, although the mines go down much further than that, and walked for about three kilometers underground. The wondrous … Continue reading Salt Pope, Krakow, Poland
Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
We visited the Garden of the Gods, in Colorado Springs, about a year ago. It’s a great place to wander, with views of Pike’s Peak in the background. Continue reading Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
St. Catherine’s Monastery, Mt. Sinai and the Original Burning Bush.
The text to accompany these pictures is in the previous post. “Sinai Desert.” I like the last picture, the imprint of the Burning Bush on the rock. Continue reading St. Catherine’s Monastery, Mt. Sinai and the Original Burning Bush.
Sinai Desert
Suzi and I decided not to take a bus tour from Sharm to St. Catherine’s Monastery (featured in the next post) the home of the burning bush at the foot of Mt. Saini, but to hire a car and guide, … Continue reading Sinai Desert
Yankee Stadium
If my parents could see me they would die a second time. Last night Suzi and I went to Yankee Stadium and I rooted for the Yankees. I was thrilled when the Yanks popped 4 homers and scored 9 runs in the second inning. I cheered when the scoreboard showed Baltimore losing to Tampa Bay giving the Yanks sole possession of first place with two games left in the season. At the end of the game I sang along with Frank Sinatra, long gone but still beloved , in a chorus of “New York, New York.” We had planned to … Continue reading Yankee Stadium
Festa in Malta
Each town in Malta has its Festa, dedicated to the town’s patron and church. Festa season runs from April to September. Festa starts on Saturday with booths, food stands, fireworks and brass band concerts (a tradition carried over from the … Continue reading Festa in Malta
Madaba, Jordan
In the last post I mentioned the Madaba mosaic map of the Holy Land on the church floor. here are some pictures of the Madaba map. Madaba has a mosaic school that is worth a visit. Continue reading Madaba, Jordan
Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
This is the first of my posts on Holy Land sites. Over the months there will be more. We cannot be sure where most things in the Bible actually happened because, at the time, people didn’t put down GPS markers. For instance, there are two competing sites of the crucifixion in Jerusalem. The Via Dolorosa has changed routes several times. The upper room touted as the site of the Last Supper is in a building erected in the 11th Century – AD. This is one of three sites claiming to be the place Jesus was baptized. If you’re looking for … Continue reading Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
Khor Virap Monastery, Armenia
Khor Virap is the Armenian monastery closest to the sacred Mt. Ararat. Because of a combination of fog and cloud we were only graced with fleeting glimpses of the mountain and never got its picture. But when we got to the Monastery a man pushed pigeons into our hands (he said they were doves) and told us to release them with our fondest dreams so they could fly off to the holy mountain (which is in Turkey, behind barbed wire and watchtowers that the clouds did not obscure from the monastery). Apparently, by releasing doves we were following the example … Continue reading Khor Virap Monastery, Armenia
Sacré Coeur in Casablanca.
The French Cathedral Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Cathedral) is at the heart of French Colonial Art Deco Casablanca. It was built in 1930, abandoned for Catholic worship in 1956 on Morocco’s independence. It sat derelict for years and reopened as an art gallery just before I got there in 2005. It is built in a mix of Gothic and Art Deco styles with Islamic touches. The stained glass is set in cutwork geometric patterns much like the decoration in a mosque. Paul Tournon was the architect for this church turned art gallery. It serves its new purpose well. For more … Continue reading Sacré Coeur in Casablanca.