EuroStar Trains

At dawn's first light, two sleek EuroStar trains await their passengers in Rome's Termini Station. One of the real joys of travel in Europe is the train system. Most are convenient, fast and affordable - especially for tourists. Use trains on your next trip, we always do.

Are You Looking At Me?

This video was created by photographing a large billboard in Amsterdam. This mesmerizing billboard stands near the central train station and when one walks by it you have the feeling that all of the participants are staring - just at you. It's very hard to ignore, much less forget.

Anne Frank

Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl who wrote a diary while in hiding with her family and four friends in Amsterdam during the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. She later died in a German concentration camp, and her poignant diary really comes to life when one visits her childhood home in Amsterdam. I read the "Diary of Anne Frank" while in high school, but I need to read it again, in fact we all should, as that tragic slice of human history must never be repeated. This bronze statue of Anne stands in a public square.

Michelangelo's Tomb

The Basilica di Santa Croce is one of the most visited spots in Florence, Italy, as it's the burial place of many Italian geniuses, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Gentile and Rossini. The photo shown is Michelangelo's own tomb, and standing next to it is a somewhat haunting experience. Directly across from Michelangelo rests Galileo Galilei. He was born in Pisa in 1564, and is widely considered one of the most accomplished scientific minds in the history of man.

The Beggar and the Beer

The picture shown is the opening slide of a video I recently shot in Rome. It features female street beggars, or better said, clever actors that work the streets securing money from unsuspecting tourists. One woman in particular puts on quite an act, and interestingly, she drinks beer while she works, thus the title.
Watch That Video here!

The Death Chair

In my travels I've sat in many a chair, but this one was by far the most interesting, and at the same time, the most ghasty. Located deep within the Aragonese Castle on the Italian island of Ischia is a Nun's Cemetery. It was once part of a local convent, now long abandoned. When one of its cloistered nuns would die, her lifeless body was placed on this chair, and then, well, the rest of this macabre story is here!

the T-shirt

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Paris, in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, a large group of people (all ages) were doing some sort of crazy dance and humming some sort of crazy tune. I watched for a few minutes, trying to figure out what the commotion was all about. Was it a political rally? Was it a war protest? Was it Greenpeace in action? Then all of sudden a man danced by and his t-shirt seemed to provide the answer to my questions.

The Scribe

Since viewing the King Tutankhamin (King Tut) exhibition in Chicago many years back I've been fascinated by the art and history of early Egyptians. In the Louvre in Paris sits this stunning statue of an Egyptian scibe. At over 4,500 years old its reddish color remain remarkably bright, and the face and eyes so haunting (and lifelike), that I stood in front of it, astonished and literally transfixed for the longest time.

Paris Opera

In an opulent building in central Paris designed by Charles Garnier in 1862, some of the most memorable moments in opera have taken place behind the curtain shown above. Today the "Opera de Paris Garnier" is used mainly for ballet performances, as operas in Paris are staged in the newer "Opera de Paris Bastille" building. However, any visit to Paris should include a tour of this truely remarkable place.

Venus De Milo

The Louvre Museum in Paris contains three of the planet's most photographed pieces of art; the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory (or Goddess Victory), and of course the Venus De Milo. Taking a picture of any of them is quite difficult in the Louvre due to lighting conditions, but mostly due to the very aggressive photographic competition, all pushing and shoving at the same time for the best view. On a recent Sunday afternoon I spent my time there taking photos of people taking photos on their cell phones. As for Venus (shown above) I counted over 90 people taking photos of her at the same time, and it was rather amusing watching all of them at work.

Joe DiMaggio

While walking through the small fishing village of Isola Delle Femmine, just west of Palermo, on the island of Sicily, I literally stopped dead in my tracks, as there above an old wooden door was the plaque shown above. It honors a gifted Italian, Joe DiMaggio, one of the greatest players ever in the American game of baseball. His father, Giuseppe Paolo Di Maggio, lived right here before emigrating to America in 1915, and today this place (this small museum) is an honored spot. What made the moment even more special was I watched the "Yankee Clipper" play the game in Chicago, and I think it was 1948. I was quite young, but I still remember my Dad saying that DiMaggio was his favorite player. During that game - while watching the Yankee's play - my life-long love of baseball was born.

Easter Rising, Dublin, Ireland, 1916

After the events of Easter Sunday, 1916, the nationalist leaders that supported an independent Irish Republic were all quickly court-martialed, then brutally shot (executed) at Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol (prison) by the British.

Within that prison (marked by a cross) stood the Irish heros, Eamonn Ceannt, Tom Clarke, Cornelius Colbert, James Connolly, Edward Daly, Sean Mac Diarmada, Sean J. Heuston, Michael Mallin, Major John McBride, Thomas McDonough, Michael O'Hanrahan, Patrick Pearse, William Pearse and Joseph Plunkett. All were marched (blindfolded) into this prison courtyard, then executed at point-blank range by British solders. James Connolly was so badly injured in previous fighting that he could not stand, so he was placed in a chair, and then shot. Thomas Kent was later shot in Cork, Ireland, and Roger Casemen was hanged in London, England.

Despite its military failure - mainly because of the overpowering force of British troops in Dublin - this event, this 'Easter Rising" is rightfully judged as the most significant inspiration in the eventual creation of the Irish Republic. If you ever travel to Dublin, Ireland, don't miss touring Kilmainham Gaol. And when you stand in the central courtyard and see this cross (there are two) you can't help but feel proud of the men that died here, and it's a moment that will stay in your mind for a very long time.