From Paris - Apartments

Very typical of Parisian architecture...

From Paris - Ostrich Graffiti

This was just a couple of blocks from the hotel, on the corner of Boulevard Voltaire and Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, and to me was one of the most fascinating things to see: a graffiti mural. You can see the steps going up the side of the building that were used to increase the reach and scope of the canvas. Not only is it a decent drawing, it appears (so far as I know) to be there only to improve the view - as opposed to being gang-related or linked to crime, as it is in the U.S.

Not that the other doesn't exist; I did take some of the distracting, more "normal", graffiti from the bottom in Photoshop.

There were several of this type of drawings in Paris, but this was the best of the bunch that I saw...

From Paris - Antenna Bird

We were in Athens for a couple of days, long enough to slow down a little and allow adjustment to the time change, etc. My nephew wanted to explore the Greek Isles and perhaps do some kayaking, so we made plans to visit Mykonos. The girls that shared our room that first night gave us contact information for a great place to stay, so we made arrangements.

Then disaster struck.

It was on the way to the harbor in the subway when I realized that I forgot my camera! The camera bag is black, and the carpet in our room was very dark with black stripes, so it blended in and in our hurry I simply overlooked it. Panic set in; I was sure that not only were pictures of Mykonos out the window, but that I would come home without any pictures at all of Europe!

Very, very fortunately the head concierge on the ferry was kind enough to let me use the satellite phone on board to call the hostel and have them hold the camera for me until our return from Mykonos. They did find the bag and held it for me until our return to Athens.

That is why the pictures jump to Paris (I am posting them in the order they were taken). This is looking out of the window of our hotel...by now I'd put my foot down on the hostel thing, though our experience in Mykonos was very positive.

From Athens - Parthenon at Night

This is it...the classic nighttime photograph of the Acropolis, taken from the rock on which we were standing (Areopagos). A beautiful sight, which leaves one wondering exactly what it looked like 2500 years ago, or a mere 1500 years ago when the Parthenon that you see here was built.

I learned later in researching for this blog that the rock Areopagos, which we so serendipitously discovered that day, was where Saint Paul himself addressed the Athenians. Boy, sure wish I'd known that at the time...

From Athens - City View

I did not have a tripod with me at all during the trip, though my nephew loaned me one of those teeny ones that you can stick in your pocket. I considered hauling one around but ended up glad that I didn't. Having said that, a full-standing tripod would have been ideal up on top of this rock, because the wind was really whipping us around...in the previous posting you can see evidence of that if you look closely at the clothing. Additionally, the twilight hour kept the shutter open a little longer than I would have liked.

For those reasons only a few of the pictures came out sharp enough to be keepers, this posting being one of them.

From Athens - Sunset Silhouette

As we continued to wind our way around the Acropolis we noticed a path that broke away from the street. Unable to get into the Acropolis and having nowhere else to go, we took the path.

We ended up facing a rock outcropping that had steps chiseled into the back, leading up to the top. Though it was dry, the steps were very slippery, having been worn smooth over use through God only knows how long.

Upon reaching the top, we were startled by the view; the entire city of Athens lay beneath our feet! The Acropolis dominated our view to the far right, and sweeping around to the left, all the way around the rock on which we were standing, was pure city. In the foreground at about the 12 o'clock position was the Parthenon (I think) and a large swath of the ancient city which had been dug up and preserved.

This rock was a popular place; there were perhaps a hundred people, mostly young couples, sitting or milling about waiting for the sun to set. Naturally I went crazy taking pictures. The one posted here was taken using shutter priority so that a silhouette would result...my son is the one standing and his cousin is the one taking the picture. The largest panorama I've ever taken was here, with eleven pictures included. The results were pretty good...that one printed would be more than 9 feet long at 8" vertical size. There are others that were taken in Paris that turned out pretty well also; I'm debating about getting prints to put up in the cubicle.

From Athens - Palace Guards

As we made our way around to the back of the Acropolis, at its base, we looked up and saw these palace guards marching up into the structure - presumably as part of the show going on inside.

This is not the first time to see these guys. As soon as we arrived in Athens, getting off downtown from the airport shuttle bus, there were several standing at posts outside a fancy looking structure. We happened to get there just in time to see a routine they go through every hour or so. Their bright dress, rifles and red hats made for an interesting sight as they moved in choreographed unison...though not as snappy and synchronous as the palace guards at Buckingham. Seeing as how they were supposed to be guarding something, one imagined that they stood at the ready to move into action should someone decide to puncture their ranks in a nefarious plot.

And then it all went away when we looked down and saw the pompoms on their toes. Not little ones, mind you, but big fluffy ones that jiggled every time they moved their feet; the tops of them are visible in the photo posted above, on the men marching to the left. That, plus the pleated skirt that makes up part of the "bright dress" mentioned above, gives pause to the western observer.

From Athens - Seeking Alms

One day we were in the subway when seated near us was a man that was obviously out of it. Had a spacey look in his eyes, and appeared to be homeless. Nothing unusual on those points...those types can be found in every city in the world. What made this guy stand out was that his face was covered with white powder. My glance lingered because of that...why does this guy have white powder all over his face?

Here at the Acropolis we found out why. The man you see here is part of a religious sect that set up shop to ask for alms from the throng that was headed up to see the show. A little further down the way, behind the monument and away from the crowds, we saw a vanload of these individuals milling together (not dressed in the regalia, but still with traces of the white powder), perhaps waiting for their companion to finish a day's work.

I don't know whether this is because of the law or something else, but there is a vast difference between "beggers" in Europe and those in the United States. Over there we never, ever saw a bum standing on the street corner holding up a cardboard sign. Those that beg are usually doing something. The children that beg in the subway cars will sing or recite poetry. Some of the adults that beg in the subway leave leaflets of solicitation with each passenger, then come back to collect after allowing enough time to read the contents. Other adults will sing, or play an instrument, or "edify" passengers with a political harangue. One of my most vivid memories of the entire trip was seeing an old, old lady hobble unsteadily down the aisle of our car, singing so plaintifully and mournfully that it pierced the very soul.

In the subway tunnels there usually was an instrument, New York-style. I could have lingered all day listening to a seven-piece band that we saw playing French music...the quality was quite good.

On the surface streets and plazas the gypsies came out of the woodwork, always moving about, approaching unsuspecting tourists with the question, "Do you speak English?". And of course you never even noticed the pickpockets unless you became a victim. The other ones - the non-gypsies that stood still - had an act or gimmick, such as a costume, with basket nearby; several pictures of these will be posted later. I always gave money to them - an extra amount if I took their picture.

It was different, and refreshing in a way. Certainly more entertaining to the average passer-by.

From Athens - The Acropolis

One of our objectives in Greece was to go to the Acropolis. Well here it is, but we didn't get in because of a show going on inside for which we didn't have tickets. Turned out to be a positive, as the place where we ended up was a lot more interesting...

From Athens - Writing Tablet

To think that someone more than 2500 years ago sat down to write something, and here it is today. The intricate beauty of the lines and curves alone is remarkable, let alone the fact that it actually tells a story. Must've been immensely satisfying for those that arrived at an interpretation of what this means...

From Athens - Bronze Horse

The walls where this bronze statue was on display were red, which made for a good background.
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I found the people of Greece to be a laid back sort, with an edge of roughness that reminded me of Mexico. But the city itself reminded me most of Taipei; if it weren't for the Greek language seen everywhere I'd swear I was in Taipei.

Those two things - the people and the city - made me feel at home in Athens. And of all the places that we visited in Europe, the food in Greece was by far the best.

From Athens - Statuary

It was amazing to be standing in the midst of statues, carvings and writings that were chiseled into stone by hands that worked it so many years ago. Saint Paul spent time in Athens, and it's probable that his eyes fell upon many of these same works during his stay. The descriptions were in English as well as Greek, so there was a lot to learn about each one.

I've always been a "museum person", taking time to absorb the information, gleaning appreciation especially in works that contain a lot of detail. This museum (I forget what it was called) was a bonanza; it was fortuitous that I ended up there alone.

From Athens - Pigeons

The next day we took a flight to Greece, and our hostel stay in Athens was markedly improved over what we'd experienced in London. We were put in a six-bed room and had to share our first night with three American college girls, but at least we had our own bathroom. The next night they let us have the four-bed room that we originally reserved, which was even bigger than the six-bedder and had its own bathroom as well.

After moving our stuff into the new room, we went out to see what was around. The kids went off to their own agenda and I went to an antiquities museum close by, a couple of pictures from which will be posted.

We observed upon getting back to the hostel that someone had moved into the one remaining bunk because a suitcase was next to the bed. Came to discover later that it was a young girl named Dennis - yes, a girl named Dennis. She was nice but a little different, in that she read in the dark.

This picture was taken on my jaunt to the antiquities museum, in the plaza between the building and the street.

From London - Buckingham

We were dangerously exhausted by the time evening came on our first day in London. But we'd learned to get around a bit, scuttling in the tube around town from here to there, and saw the opportunity to visit Buckingham on our way back to the hostel. So off we go, heaving one last sight to see before tucking into bed.

As you can see, there weren't many people milling about, so we could get close in by the gate to see what was going on in front of the palace. Which wasn't much at first...the two guards stationed on either side of the right-hand doorway, standing erect at attention, were the only sign of life other than the pigeons that flitted in and out. Three guards with machine guns were standing at the driveway exit, which was open, but they were very much on the periphery.

Then the two guards started to do something. They did a little high-stepping and walking about in front of the little doorway, synching every movement perfectly in unison with one another. Then they stood still again.

I didn't think three was any significance to it - perhaps they had a routine to do that to keep from going crazy? - until the machine-gun guys got tense. They noticeably stirred into a vigilant demeanor, and even gave one of the few bystanders a black cigar for standing too close to the open doors of the driveway exit.

Then it happened. A convoy of vehicles suddenly appeared from within the palace compound, swiftly winding toward the exit. The excitement among the bystanders grew, and the crowd seemed to double in size in a matter of a moment, lining the portion of the exit that led from the gate to the street. Among the crowd (mostly Brits) there was animated speculation as to who was being driven in the convoy; though there were no stretch limousines, one of the vehicles had very darkly-tinted windows. In the few seconds that it took for the convoy to disappear into the London traffic the conclusion had been reached that it was Prince William, or Prince Harry, or some other important personage that I didn't have any feelings about one way or the other.

Regardless of my indifference, it was an exciting moment which provided a much-needed boost of adrenaline for three tired souls. I was glad that my son and his cousin could already put a memory feather in the ol' senior trip cap.

Before going further, I must say something about the hostel experience. For an American who had never done it before, the idea of spending the night and sharing a bathroom with a coed mix of strangers was a jolt. I later came to realize that our choice of hostel on that first night was lower than par, even by hostel standards, but the very concept was discomfitting for someone used to staying alone in nice hotel suites with full amenities taken for granted.

Upon my insistence we strategized so that the rooms we chose would minimize the risk of bombardment by the boisterous party crowd coming in at all hours. Thus, we booked rooms with only four beds hoping that just one person coming in couldn't cause too much trouble.

That first night in London it worked...in fact, no one came in to occupy the fourth bed, so it was just the three of us. But it was still a shock upon finding out that we had to pay extra for sheets, then more extra for towels, then more extra for access to the secure lockers situated under our bunks. After all of that, there was still the issue (for me) of having to deal with the common restroom facilities on each floor, into which both men and women and their children freely traipsed in and out, not giving a thought to the differences in gender. Another straw was the fact that there was only one shower facility for the entire building, on the first floor. The showers they did separate by gender, but I could not handle walking into a shower naked among strange men and boys, and decided to wait for better luck at the next hostel.

The absolute last straw, however, was the cleaning lady. Upon arriving we tried to get an hour or two of rest before hitting the town, so we all laid in our bunks for some shut-eye. Then it started...CLATTER CLATTER CLATTER...WHOOOSH WHOOOSH WHOOOSH. The Russian cleaning lady decided at that moment to start vacuuming with one of those canister-type cleaners that you pull around. Thing was, she was pulling it over a rather uneven hardwood floor, producing a loud clatter wherever she went, whooshing and bumping into walls with the nozzle end.

That was all in the hallway. We all looked at each other thinking, well, this will be over soon and maybe we can get some rest after a bit.

Not to be. In fact, this gem of a cleaning crew decided that she needed to go into all of the rooms and vacuum them as well...the doors set with a spring so that each one would bang loudly shut as she entered and exited each one. We thought, well, that'll take a little longer, so maybe we'll be able to get at least fifteen minutes of rest before hitting the town. There can't be that many empty rooms for her to go in and vacuum.

Turns out, it made no difference which ones were empty! In her exhuberance, our Russian friend unlocked and came RIGHT INTO OUR ROOM, noisily clattering and banging and whooshing. The bunks individually all had curtains, which we had closed to block the light to enhance our rest, so my thought was, well, I'll pull this thing aside and let her see that there is someone in here. Then she will say to herself, "Oops!", then slink quietly away, remorseful at her intrusion.

NOT SO! My nephew and I both pulled our curtains back simultaneously, I think for the same purpose, which earned us a cursory glance but that was all. She doggedly kept to her task until the job was done properly. In fact, my imagination led me to believe that she felt that our room must have needed a little extra, because it took FOREVER for her to leave!

Thus my baptism into the hostel experience was not the best, but it did get better starting with the next leg of the trip.

From London - Apartment Door

This sight is certainly unique to any American...a doorknob in the middle of a door. Don't know if this is the case, but seems to add a touch of class in this upper-end neighborhood.

From London - Apartment Fronts

Near Hyde Park there were some government buildings of some sort, close to which were these posh apartment homes. Each one had this grill work which really stood out nicely against the white building. The doors were interesting also, as you'll see in the next posting...

From London - Hyde Park

I just got back from a trip in which I took my son and his cousin on their senior trip to Europe. After bringing home 1600 pictures, then throwing away about 400, they were finally culled down to 70 or so favorites.

Once the favorites are done I usually lay them out in Word to print and tack to the walls of my cubicle. This time, however, I decided to save the printing cost and just use this posting as an avenue to share, even among my coworkers. My plan is to post one per day until they are all posted.

So here is the first one. We arrived in London and, after getting situated in our hostel, ventured out to explore a bit. My nephew had an idea how to use the tube, so we zipped around town from here to there, taking in some of the sights.

We ended up in Hyde Park, where this picture was taken. Hyde Park was interesting, but only because of the name for me; other than initially thinking, "Wow, I'm in the storied Hyde Park of so much lore that I grew up with", it was just another park, albeit a big one. Actually, I was too exhausted to think much of anything...we were all walking around like zombies. In fact, I sat on a bench and dozed off. Upon waking up, I'd lost the kids! (They are 18 and 23, so not to worry too much.) Without venturing too far from where I'd seen them last, I walked up and down the path we'd taken for a full hour and a half before discovering they they'd been sleeping not fifty feet from the bench I'd been sitting on! Just laid out there on the grass and snoozed fitfully while I put in three miles trying to catch a glimpse of where they might be.

From 2004 - Acrylic Cubes

We were in Chinatown one day around the New Year here in Houston, and came across this vending table in a big tent they had set up.

One of the best photographers I've met, if not the best photographer I've ever known personally, is a guy named Doug Fonville. We visited Mexico together one time where he took loads of pictures. One of the best captures from that visit was from an open-air market, where he asked the vendor to put her hand on a grapefruit that was in a big pile. For some reason it turned into a marvelous picture that has stuck in my memory ever since.

So, that's the reason I asked my daughter's friend to put her hand on the acrylic cube. It does add interest, and breaks the monotony of the pattern.

From 2004 - African Drummer

At Disney World I lingered for some time near these musicians for just the right moment, keeping an eye on this guy knowing that this shot was in the making. Sure enough, as I lifted the camera he gave me just what was expected, conveying the fire and passion of the rhythm beating fiercely from within.

From 2004 - Tower of Terror

This was taken at Disney World...believe it was called the "Tower of Terror", or something like that. Didn't ride it, but found this to be an interesting composition.

From 2004 - Moody Waterfall

We were at Moody Gardens in Galveston; it was dark enough in the pyramid to keep the shutter open for a good waterfall shot. This is actually cropped in from a larger picture.

From 2004 - Girl with Umbrella

We had just gone to a function in Chinatown in which we'd acquired the umbrella and dress. After getting home we were taking pictures of this get-up, when the girl thought it would be a good idea to have her picture taken through the umbrella, wistfully looking off to her right.

I was really, really impressed that this idea came from a child of her age, and that it worked so well. The pose alone was great, but she was in front of the fireplace with its distracting black opening; the only tile that was actually there was what you see on the top row and off to either side. To take care of that I cloned some of that tile in to fill the gap, and am pleased with the result.

From 2004 - Girl Scout Try-Its

This was taken at a meeting where several troops gathered to share what they call "try-its". With all that combined creativity all posted in one place, this bulletin board makes a pretty good snapshot of what the project was all about.

Sparkler

This picture was actually taken in 2003, but seeing as how this is July 4th here it is. Back to 2004 favorites with next posting.

From 2004 - The Scootcher

This speaks for itself...one of the better acts at Disney World.