Georgia, ReligiousLeave a comment

Mtskheta and Jvari Church, Georgia, 2013.

Rich McClear

Jvari (Holy Cross) Church is near Tbilisi, about a three hour walk or half hour drive.  It looms over Mtskheta.  Before Georgia became reasonably prosperous it used to be a full day excursion, now it a common picnic spot for people wanting to get out of town for an hour or two.  It is the spot where the King Mirian, who was converted to Christianity by St. Nino and, in turn made Georgian a Christian nation (Georgia was a “Christian” country before Rome) erected a cross to mark his, and his nation’s conversion.  The church itself was built to shelter … Continue reading Mtskheta and Jvari Church, Georgia, 2013.

GeorgiaLeave a comment

Georgian Road Trip, May, 2013

Rich McClear

Georgia has beautiful countryside.  In spring rolling green fields lead to the still snowcapped Caucasian Mountains.  Flowers and flowering trees are in bloom.  Between towns there are citadels and castles in varying degrees of decay and on hilltops monasteries and churches.  In contract to the countryside Georgian towns can be less than picturesque, with abandoned Soviet factories, an industrial wasteland, on town outskirts oddly punctuated with massive works of Socialist Realism art, including a huge mural of Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.  Georgian towns, like many former Soviet towns, have utilities above ground, including the pipes … Continue reading Georgian Road Trip, May, 2013

Gibraltar, Pillars of Hercules1 Comment

Gibraltar, 2013

Rich McClear

Dear Friends, In Greek and Roman mythology the Mediterranean was a closed sea.  In a battle with another God Hercules struck the mountains closing off the Med from the Atlantic with his mace, opening a passage to the Atlantic creating the Straits of Gibraltar (although it did not get that name until much later, during the Arab conquest, when “the Rock” was named Tarik’s Mountain, “Jebel Tarik,” shortened to Gibraltar.) The straits are framed on each side by the “Pillars of Hercules.”  Both pillars are geopolitical anomalies, The European pillar, Gibraltar, is physically attached to Spain but is ruled by … Continue reading Gibraltar, 2013

SerbiaLeave a comment

Belgrade, Krajla Petra (King Peter) St, March 2013

Rich McClear

My office was on this street for three years, but who carries a camera to work?  When I realized I was leaving I took my camera but the light was never right.  On March 30 I had a camera and good light so I took these pictures.   The buildings on the street are a mix of empire style, Austrian Secession, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and modern.  I love the street. Continue reading Belgrade, Krajla Petra (King Peter) St, March 2013

PolandLeave a comment

Warsaw, Poland, March, 2013

Rich McClear

A week ago we woke up on a Saturday morning in Warsaw.  It was 2 degrees Fahrenheit (-16 Celsius) with a minus 15 F wind chill.  It was time to get ready for our Warsaw tour, which included a walking tour of the old town.  It was cold but we went. We arrived on Friday on the Berlin-Warsaw express.  Warsaw Central station does not have well marked exits, so instead of getting out onto the street we ended up exiting into a large and modern shopping mall with an undulating glass roof.  I finally found my way out of the … Continue reading Warsaw, Poland, March, 2013

GermanyLeave a comment

Reichstag, Berlin, 2013

Rich McClear

To visit the German Bundestag housed in the Reichstag building you need an invitation.  We applied, sending our passport information and addresses, on line.  I got our PDF invitation letter just before we left for Warsaw.  Our appointment was 9:30 Monday evening.  We got off our train grabbed a cab, dropped our stuff at the hotel and went on to the Reichstag.  The building was burned as Hitler came to power.  Hitler blamed it on the Communists.  Others blame it on Hitler as an excuse to grab more power.  The building was largely unused just on the western side of … Continue reading Reichstag, Berlin, 2013