Iceland. A truly great place.
Friday, March 1, 2019
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Adriatic Coast 2018
Brindisi was our first stop, then it was off to Katakolon..
Booked a tour of a local winery for 12 euros and rode a small
"train" up the mountain only to find that the winery was closing. There was also only one train back and no guarantee of a seat.
We had a very nice lunch however, seaside.
Santorini was next. We toured a volcano on one of the small outer islands and did not make it up top of Santorini proper. Not enough time to ride the donkeys up there.
Athens, Greece. The Parthenon. City is a bit gritty. Clearly have been through some hard times. Our guides were more interested in showing all the food in the markets than the historical ruins lying around all over the place. They said that the Germans had come in during WWII and basically tore down most of the historical buildings in the downtown and replaced them with drab bauhaus stuff. Only a few 17 and 18th century buildings were left standing.
On the way up the hill to the Parthenon. Several theaters.
Under constant renovation. They are splicing in marble quarried from the original quarries.
One of the markets we spent an inordinate amount of time in.
Street vender. We were told to hang on to our wallets. Lots of pick pockets and well dressed women looking for directions that will steal you blind.
This young fellow was apparently the son of a gypsy family who kept him out of school to beg on the streets. Our guides were very upset that I had given the kid 20 cents.
This the pollution damage they were telling us about. The marble turns black and then starts to crumble.
Corfu.
Our Ship in the background.
And it was on to Kotor, Montenegro. You are looking down into a medieval city.
Apparently the narrowest street in Europe is here and I don't think this was it. They said only one person can pass at a time. I believe it's called "Let Him Pass."
This was taken from the island of Dada, off the coast of Perast.
Among the many gifts left at this small church for the virgin Mary and child in hopes of sailers returning home from years at sea.
Seal of Venice, from when they controlled the area.
Perast. Very old.
The small church on Dada island which was man made over the course of 250 years, to honor sailers and the virgin Mary, all because a painting of her-hanging in the church by the way- was found on the rocks hundreds of years ago, and which started healing sick folks in Perast. The altar was built on the original rock and there is a hole behind the altar where you can put your hand in and touch it. When I did, my hand started to buzz like pins and needles, and it ran right down my leg. When I told the tour guide, she asked if I had been bitten by a spider. Onward!
Brindisi was our first stop, then it was off to Katakolon..
Booked a tour of a local winery for 12 euros and rode a small
"train" up the mountain only to find that the winery was closing. There was also only one train back and no guarantee of a seat.
We had a very nice lunch however, seaside.
On the way up the hill to the Parthenon. Several theaters.
Under constant renovation. They are splicing in marble quarried from the original quarries.
One of the markets we spent an inordinate amount of time in.
Street vender. We were told to hang on to our wallets. Lots of pick pockets and well dressed women looking for directions that will steal you blind.
This young fellow was apparently the son of a gypsy family who kept him out of school to beg on the streets. Our guides were very upset that I had given the kid 20 cents.
This the pollution damage they were telling us about. The marble turns black and then starts to crumble.
Corfu.
Our Ship in the background.
And it was on to Kotor, Montenegro. You are looking down into a medieval city.
Apparently the narrowest street in Europe is here and I don't think this was it. They said only one person can pass at a time. I believe it's called "Let Him Pass."
This was taken from the island of Dada, off the coast of Perast.
Among the many gifts left at this small church for the virgin Mary and child in hopes of sailers returning home from years at sea.
Seal of Venice, from when they controlled the area.
Perast. Very old.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Venice
VENICE, ITALY 2018
What a thrill to make it to Venice, Italy, even if only for a short time. Spent much of it in a boat as you can imagine. Not the gondolas, and there are many, but these beautiful water taxis that look like something out of the 1950s, lot's of wood, well kept, fast. Quite the scene.
Venice is a very great walking city with bridges everywhere to get you across the water. I cannot imagine what it would be like during high season with the crowds and I'm sure more than a few fall into the canals from over crowded paths.
This is the shot I took of San Marco Square just before I almost fell from the balcony of San Marco Cathedral. I was fortunately grabbed by someone who was standing there at just the right moment. The Cathedral, for the most part, has every step in the place clearly marked with black tape, but the balcony was not marked and all that marble up there looked like a continuos sheet. Oops...
Lots of gondola action.
This guy was checking his cell phone....
Masks were everywhere..for sale..being worn..it was a carnival scene, maybe associated with Easter? Large palm fronds were everywhere too as it was Palm Sunday.
One of Saint Mark's horses..not the original, they are kept inside the Cathedral in a very complete museum of the church. This was also taken from the balcony.
Some graffiti, not as bad as Athens was for sure.
Here's one of those water taxi's I was mentioning...vintage.
We are off to points south! Brindisi first stop.
What a thrill to make it to Venice, Italy, even if only for a short time. Spent much of it in a boat as you can imagine. Not the gondolas, and there are many, but these beautiful water taxis that look like something out of the 1950s, lot's of wood, well kept, fast. Quite the scene.
Venice is a very great walking city with bridges everywhere to get you across the water. I cannot imagine what it would be like during high season with the crowds and I'm sure more than a few fall into the canals from over crowded paths.
This is the shot I took of San Marco Square just before I almost fell from the balcony of San Marco Cathedral. I was fortunately grabbed by someone who was standing there at just the right moment. The Cathedral, for the most part, has every step in the place clearly marked with black tape, but the balcony was not marked and all that marble up there looked like a continuos sheet. Oops...
Lots of gondola action.
This guy was checking his cell phone....
Masks were everywhere..for sale..being worn..it was a carnival scene, maybe associated with Easter? Large palm fronds were everywhere too as it was Palm Sunday.
One of Saint Mark's horses..not the original, they are kept inside the Cathedral in a very complete museum of the church. This was also taken from the balcony.
We are off to points south! Brindisi first stop.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
The New Album is done.
Here's a link to the download site: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelveitch18#.
Here's a link to the download site: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelveitch18#.
Here's a link to the new video-shot in Munich: https://youtu.be/nXKFSHxyb68
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