San Miguel Color
The most characteristic thing about San Miguel de Allende is its color. It’s everywhere. The walls, the cars, the clothes. It’s one of the happiest looking places in the world.
Tom Bartel
The Grand Tetons from the Idaho Side
We visited the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone in the early fall of 2008. We day hiked every day, splitting our time between the National Park on the Wyoming side, and … Read more
Unesco World Heritage Sites, So Far
Below is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage sites we’ve been to as of February 2013. We’ll probably get to a dozen more, at least, this year. At that … Read more
Fresco, Cave Church, Cappadocia, Turkey
The cave churches of Cappadocia, Turkey were built and decorated over several centuries. This 13th Century fresco is indicative of the latest and highest state of the art.
Sydney Harbor Bridge at Night
Pretty during the day, Sydney Harbor Bridge is even more striking at night.
(Un)welcome to the United States
Since 9/11 I’ve reentered the United States from travel abroad more than a dozen times. Each time, it is more unpleasant. Many people I’ve met in other countries who have … Read more
Niagara Falls From Both Sides
The Horseshoe Falls of Niagara Falls. The view from the Canadian side is pretty impressive. Especially when you see those boats sneaking up on the cascade. The Canadian version of … Read more
Tree of Jesse, São Francisco, Porto
The gilded carved wood Tree of Jesse from the Church of São Francisco, Porto, Portugal.
What to do in Sintra, Portugal, Other than Eat Pastries
I went to Sintra, too, but I’m not going to be able to improve on Byron’s ode to it’s beauty. Poor, paltry slaves! yet born ‘midst noblest scenes— Why, Nature, … Read more
The Bulls: Our Guide to Bullfighting in Spain
I’ve seen perhaps six or seven corridas (bullfights) in my life. Most of those were in the late 70s in Madrid and Barcelona…back when Barcelona had corridas. We saw some good ones, and some bad ones. We saw some brave bulls and toreros, and we saw other days when the bulls and toreros seemed to be running away from, rather than toward, each other.
