Street Sweeper

A few days back I took some friends visiting from Texas to see the Pantheon in central Rome. It is the best-preserved of all Roman buildings, and been in continuous use throughout its 2,000 year history. Regardless, standing in front of this incredible building was a female street sweeper in her "Uniform of the Day." From local police to street sweepers, all public employees have designer duds, and for the most part, all public employees spend much of their day checking their cellphone messages, and this one was no exception.

Positano, Amalfi Coast

Unless you've traveled on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, it's hard to describe the rugged beauty of the place. The city in view is called Positano, and the picture speaks for itself. Have you ever seen water so blue? Those houses are built into the cliffs, and let me tell you...the price of real estate here is off the charts.

Old Jewish Cemetery

In the city of Prague, Czech Republic, stands the old "Jewish Cemetery" in Josefov, the former Jewish ghetto. This cemetery was used from the mid-15th century till the end of the 18th century. Historical records indicate that about 100,000 Jews are buried in this small plot of land, with their graves layered 12 deep in some places. Reportedly, even though the Nazis made it a policy to destroy Jewish cemeteries during World War II, Hitler (himself) ordered that this cemetery be left intact, since he was planning to build a Jewish museum in Prague after all the Jews in Europe had been exterminated. Standing here is quite disturbing when one considers the madness of Hitler, and the terrible sufferings he instigated.

Nuns in Rome

In Rome, birds of a feather seem to flock together!

Mr. Etna, Sicily

Standing on one of Mt. Etna's recent lava domes is quite an experience, as the mountain is still quite active, and in fact it erupts on a regular basis. The day our mapping team was there we experienced two minor explosions. To me, any explosion is one too many, but I must say that the bus trip to the top is quite a thrill.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

This is a view of a small harbor in Dubrovnik, Croatia. This ancient town was bombed into submission by Serbia in the early 90's, but it's now almost completely restored. Many idyllic homes dot the hillsides along it's lengthy waterfront, and this is a wonderful destination to add to any European travel plans.

Sagrada Famila Church

This amazing carving is on display in the Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona, Spain. Designed by Antoni Gaudi, this sculpture really shows the architectural genius this man possessed. The church is still under construction, but if you visit the very clean city of Barcelona, this church is a must see.

Harborside in Cannes

The French Riviera port city of Cannes, France, is famed for many things including small boats, large boats, luxury yachts of all description, sailboat regattas, and of course the Cannes Film Festival. On most days there are over 500 sailboats of all sizes in the harbor.

Ruins in Rome

Rome is in reality a large outdoor museum, and no matter where you journey in this ancient city, you will turn a corner, and right there in front of you are the stunning ruins of history - and I do mean stunning!

Greek Islands

If you travel to Athens, Greece, and you want to visit an offshore island, it's easily done. From the port city of Piraeus, the Argo-Saronic islands are popular weekend getaways for Athenians, and they also provide tourists with a convenient close-by island destination, be it for a quick visit or a longer stay. For tourists the most popular islands include Aigina, Poros and Ydra. Aigina is the site of the Temple of Aphaia, considered the most well-preserved temple in all of Greece (see photo). Both Poras and Ydra are famed for their quaint villages and casual atmosphere, and on Ydra, no motorized vehicles are allowed so bikes and donkeys provide the local transportation. All of the islands are accessible by a reliable ferry service from the mainland, and one-day, three-island cruises are recommended for those with limited time; they're affordable, they're fun and they're very Greek!

Prague

I am reminded almost daily of one of my favorite European cities by a picture on the wall of my office, one taken from the historic Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic. It was a brisk fall day, and in all directions Prague had that fairy tale-look going on, and it would be almost impossible to take a bad picture even for an amateur photographer like me.


Prague is a very striking city, as it's so perfect it's almost like a fantasy. The Charles Bridge spans the Vltava River and as I crossed the Charles Bridge on my way to Old Town Square, a canal (yes, a canal caught my eye) as it reminded me so much of Venice. Turns out that near the shoreline a few canals wind their way from the river through the old buildings and then, under the bridge.


In all of Europe Prague is one of the favorite cities of international travelers, and in addition to its beauty, prices here are very inexpensive now and it is truly one of the best bargains on the entire European continent.

High Water

For those of us fortunate enough to have traveled to Venice, Italy, like me, they've no doubt stood in Saint Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) and marveled at the many historical buildings and monuments, as well as the boat traffic on the Grand Canal that fronts this beautiful place. (photo by webmaster)


A few visits back, while researching streets for a series of travel guide maps, I stood in the Piazza with water almost to my knees. This is a somewhat common occurrence in Venice supposedly caused by rising tides, high winds and very low atmospheric pressure. Well, yesterday the water rose again by almost four feet, flowing over the banks of the Grand Canal and on into the Piazza. Regardless, tourists were seen having lunch with their feet covered by water.


That water receded rather quickly, but nevertheless, when you travel to Venice (and you should), you might consider packing a pair of waterproof shoes.