Archive for 2023

A Short Trip to Japan

Posted in Architecture, Tourism, Urban on December 31st, 2023 by judy

In March of 1991 I took a business trip to the KEK High Energy Research Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan, close to Tokyo. We, the participants, were taken on an excursion to the Asakusa district in Tokyo to enjoy the temples there, which is where these photos were taken. Click on any photo for a larger view.

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Windjammer Fantome

Posted in Caribbean, Water on December 28th, 2023 by judy

In June of 1994 Gil and I cruised in the Caribbean on the Windjammer Fantome with Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. This particular cruise was to what they called the “Lost Caribbean”, islands off Venezuela. The Fantome was a 282-foot four-masted staysail schooner that carried 128 passengers. On 27 October 1998, the Fantome was destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. All passengers and non-essential crew had been let off at Belize City, but 31 crew members perished. I find this post very sad, but also in a way an honor to them and everyone who has died at sea.

This photo is from the Wikipedia article. I did not get a photo of the ship under sail.
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A Trip in the LeSharo

Posted in Backroads, Landscapes, Nature, Tourism, Western on December 25th, 2023 by judy

We took this trip probably some time in 1986 in our LeSharo motorhome (see below). At the time we lived near Chicago, Illinois and this trip traveled to Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming), Devil’s Tower National Monument (Wyoming), Badlands National Park (South Dakota), Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota), Custer State Park (South Dakota), and Pipestone National Monument (Minnesota).

The Rialta and a buffalo, at Yellowstone National park
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Atchfalaya Swamp in Infrared

Posted in Backroads, Tourism, Water on December 20th, 2023 by judy

Gil and I took a boat tour on the Atchafalaya Swamp in May 2017 on a trip to New Orleans. Here are some of the photos I took with my infrared camera. I liked them quite a bit better than the color photographs because they had more contrast because living leaves in sunlight show up white in an infrared photograph. I photographed the alligator in color…

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Boston 2013

Posted in Architecture, History, Tourism, Urban on December 19th, 2023 by judy

Time out from Ukraine for some photos taken in Boston in July 2013. We were in Massachusetts and Maine to visit family and took a quick trip into Boston. Some of these were taken from a car – e.g., the bridge photos and skylines. The rest were in the Haymarket area (between the North End and Government Center).

Above is “Fractured”, reflections of buildings in the windows of other buildings. At right is a construction project.
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Yalta 2013

Posted in Architecture, Tourism, Ukraine on December 6th, 2023 by judy

We cruised from Sevastopol to Yalta. Yalta, like all of Crimea, although internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, has been under Russian control since 2014. The two special things we saw were Lividia Palace and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

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Khan’s Palace 2013

Posted in Architecture, History, Tourism, Ukraine on December 2nd, 2023 by judy

Kahn’s Palace (or Bakhchysarai Palace) was built in the 16th century and was home to a series of Crimean Khans. Bakhchysarai means Palace of Gardens and is an example of Tatar-Muslim architecture. We visited the palace by bus from Sevastopol.

Khan’s Palace is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered the gem of Moorish architecture comparable to the palaces of the Alhambra in Spain and the Topkapi in Turkey.

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Sevastopol

Posted in Uncategorized on December 2nd, 2023 by judy

When we visited Sevastopol in October of 2013 it was in Ukraine. It has been occupied by Russia since February 27, 2014, before Russia annexed Crimea on 18 March 18, 2014. Sevastopol is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Before Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, Russia leased the port from Ukraine. Russia considers the port important even though they have other Black Sea ports, including Novorossiysk which is open for navigation year round. This post will (mostly) be about what we saw in October 2013.

Our first bus trip from the port of Sevastopol was to the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos and St. Vladimir Cathedral.

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Santa Fe, New Mexico

Posted in Architecture, History, New Mexico, Urban on November 25th, 2023 by judy

In this post I want to show some of the photos I took in Santa Fe in 2009 and 2014. It is a beautiful and historic city to visit, with a downtown small enough to be very walkable. My photographs of three Santa Fe churches are in three other posts: Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Loretto Chapel, and San Miguel Chapel. As always, click on a photo for a larger view.

New Mexico Museum of Art and Spitz Clock
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San Miguel Chapel, Santa Fe, NM

Posted in New Mexico, Tourism on November 25th, 2023 by judy

San Miguel Chapel is a Spanish colonial mission church in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is said to be the oldest church in the United States, originally built around 1610. It has been rebuilt twice and it is not clear how much of the earlier churches remain. The wooden reredos, which includes a wooden statue of Saint Michael dating back to at least 1709, was added in 1798. The church is part of the Barrio De Analco Historic District, which is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. This district also includes the De Vargas Street House, which is called the “oldest house”.

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