Follow us on Facebook! Janis and I had the pleasure of spending a week in Paris in 2011 to mark our thirtieth anniversary and we loved it. One of the truly fabulous cities in the world. I’ve written about a number of our experiences there but never got around to writing about Notre Dame. We visited…
Read MoreCategory: Europe
Photo Gallery: Notre Dame Cathedral
Follow us on Facebook! Here are some additional photos of Notre Dame. The imposing front facade of Notre Dame with its twin bell towers. One wall of Notre Dame. Note the gargoyle drain spouts. A strix on the west facade. The massive stained glass window at the rear of the cathedral. From the back of the…
Read More
Photo Gallery: Les Jardins de Versailles
Follow us on Facebook! Here are some additional photos of the magnificent gardens at Versailles. Looking past the west wing of the Château towards the Grand Canal in the distance. The North Parterre seen from the Apollo Salon in the Château The Pyramid Fountain sits about a third of the way down the path towards the…
Read More
Les Jardins de Versailles
Follow us on Facebook! My last post covered our visit to le Château de Versailles. That grand old palace, built by Louis XIV, and now a museum is certainly amazing. But equally extraordinary are the surrounding grounds and gardens. The entire estate covers over 800 hectares or almost 2000 acres. That’s about twice the size of…
Read More
Le Chateau de Versailles
Follow us on Facebook! Most of central Paris is within walking distance. And on the afternoon we arrived, we did just that, walked around the old city – from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs Elysées to the Louvre, and back along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower again. Many other…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Le Chateau de Versailles
Follow us on Facebook! Here are some additional photos of our visit to the Palace at Versailles. These were taken with an older camera and if we should be fortunate enough to visit Paris again, I’ll replace them with better pictures taken with my newer camera. Statue of Louis XIV at the entrance to the courtyard…
Read More
Rome’s Colosseum
The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre ever built and a must-see highlight of any visit to Rome. We spent a day there before taking a Mediterranean cruise in 2011. After the cruise we spent another day in the city. That first day had us take a hop on/hop off bus around the city and one…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: The Colosseum
Follow us on Facebook! Here are some additional photos of our visit to the Colosseum. The exterior wall of the Colosseum. Only part of it remains. Cracks in the facade. Actors pose with tourists for pictures Interior walls supported by flying buttresses which also supported the seating. More of the interior of the Colosseum The long…
Read More
Sicily and Mount Etna
Follow us on Facebook! To celebrate our thirtieth wedding anniversary we spent a week in Paris followed by a Mediterranean cruise. The first port of call was Sicily. The ship passed through the narrow strait between the island and the toe of Italy’s boot and then into the harbor of Messina, the island’s third largest city….
Read More
Photo Gallery: Sicily
Follow us on Facebook! The city of Messina, Sicily Janis and I near Gardini Naxos The Gival Jewels Factory is in a beautiful Italian heritage home. Even the front yard sports some marble statuary. The chandelier in the lobby. An artisan at work. Stark landscape near the Sylvestri Crater on Mount Etna. Janis with a giant…
Read More