It’s been a stressful couple of weeks. It gets that way towards the end of a school year when you are a teacher. The fewer the days before the final report card is handed out, the more the stress, or so it seems. I guess the great thing is that in just three weeks I’ll be on vacation…for two months!

And then, you ask? Yes, I’ll be traveling. Younger daughter is coming for a couple of weeks, and with her we’ll head north to Norway. Then we’re off on a road trip through France, Spain, maybe Gibraltar, maybe more…we’ll see. That’s the great thing about road trips, you get to be even more spontaneous.

After that we’re off to the States to visit family; a week on the east coast and a week in Yosemite and Tahoe. Yay!

Before school starts back up in August, we’ll be doing some more of Eastern Europe, Czech Republic, Poland, maybe even Croatia or Slovakia, or who knows what we’ll decide. It’ll be fun to see.

I do know we will not be going back to Jerusalem for the summer, but I’m sure we’ll find some great places for cappucinos, great patios, great restaurants, and great sights. I can’t wait!

What are you doing this summer?

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I must have hundreds of cat photos. I take them all over the world. I have cat pictures from Turkey, from Bulgaria, from Thailand, from Japan. You name it, I got it.

This particular cutie was taken a couple of weekends ago in Kientzheim, France. Yep, in the Alsace!

You may wonder why I take so many cat photos. It’s simple. I love cats, dogs, all animals. I’d love to have pets, but I live to travel and travel to live. It’s pretty hard to explain to a pet that you’re going away for two months. I’m also not a fan of trying to figure out how to fly them. I’ve done it, once. That was enough. Never again.

I love my lifestyle and have no plans to settle down anytime soon, so I have to give up a few things. I don’t mind, for the most part. I just have to get my pet fix every once in awhile, so what do I do?

I just have to take photos of them. So, I guess I’m a “crazy cat photo lady.”

Do you give anything up to travel? Do you have pets? What do you tell them when you’re away?

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A beautiful spring day in Barcelona, one that ensures you that summer is soon on the way. These boats all look ready to take you out to that deserted beach or island. I want to go!

At the end of the famous shopping street of La Rambla, wandering down to the Barcelona Harbor and Port is a great way to relax. To let the breeze take your stresses and troubles and push them out to sea. Just standing on the dock and watching the gulls soar, you can feel weight being taken from your shoulders. I could live here.

I don’t say that about a lot of places. I’m not one to really settle down. But there’s something about Barcelona. It seems to have such a great mix of sights, food, things to do. I could. I could live here.

How about you? Have you ever come across some place during your travels that you could actually live there?

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Alsace is located on the eastern side of France, along the German border. It is a region rich with vineyards. In spring, you can see scenes such as this, as the bright, lime-green leaves of the first grapes begin to appear. Later, in the fall, the leaves are dark, and the grapes are full and heavy. They begin picking and wine fests pop up all over the region. At any time of year you can visit the many caves and try a “dégustation”– tasting of the wine. In the Alsace region, we are a fan of the crémants and dry whites.

“Quaint” is the word that always comes to mind when thinking of Alsace. The towns are all filled with narrow, windy streets and alleys. The houses are colorful half-timbers, looming straight up off of the road. Flower boxes are full of geraniums and other blooms. Many of the houses are decorated for whatever season, Christmas, Easter. Just walking down the streets, wandering into a café or artisan shop is a great way to while away a few hours.

A patisserie, boulangerie, charcuterie, and of course the café. What is better than sitting outside at a table such as this with a view and people and their dogs strolling past you on a lazy Sunday afternoon?  The food is scrumptious, from the macaroons to a full course menu. Alsace is famous for its Munster cheese, and it is cooked up in so many variations. Try the cheese, ham, potato, and onion dish that is so popular, or a tarte flambé with the munster. It’s all good.

There is so much to do in this region, not to even mention how relaxing it is, that I keep coming back.  Even for a few short days, I feel my stresses going away as I sip my café au lait and nibble on a warm fresh croissant.  I just love it.

Have you ever been to the Alsace region of France? Which village is your favorite? Which wine? I’d love to hear some of your experiences in the comment area.

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When you hear the word “China” all types of exotic images run through my mind. For me, words like “busy,” “crowded,” and “ancient” pop in mind as well.

I took this photo of one of the canals in the Forbidden City as soon as the ticket booth opened. There were people around, and they were beginning to enter by droves, but I was able to capture an almost empty and serene scene.

Beijing is a fascinating place, full of food, people, and customs so unlike those in the western world. I’ve been there a number of times, and each time enjoyed it tremendously.

It has become a very popular destination, though, so you need to be ready to enter when the gates open to have any hope of photographing the sights, especially without the tourists.

Have you been to Beijing? What did you enjoy about it?

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Valparaiso, Chile, is right on the coast. There are some beautiful beaches and plenty of fishing.

These boats were on the dock. I don’t know if they are waiting to be repaired or if they are just stored that way, but it makes for a nice still life.

We also got an interesting shot of a boat and the fisherman being hoisted onto the dock.

Have you been to Chile?

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The Pena National Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in Sintra, Portugal. Only a half hour drive from Lisbon, Sintra is one of my favorite cities on the Iberian Peninsula. There is way too much to see in one day, though, so you might want to stay overnight. Sintra is full of parks and palaces, it’s very near the ocean with cliff views and beaches, and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from as well.

We visited the Pena Palace in the later afternoon, after we had already run around all day long. Sometimes, that last castle or museum is just too much, but not in this case. Just arriving on the grounds and walking up to the palace was a treat. The gardens are lush and exotic, with plants and trees from all over the world.

The palace itself is something straight out of a fantasy novel with its pastel colors of lemon and melon, and its crenellated walls and sentry towers. The details and sculptures conjure images of magic and creatures from your imagination.  Alice from Wonderland would be right at home here.

On our way out of town we had to go to Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point in Europe. It’s one of those traveler must-dos, and we arrived right around sunset, so even though we could hardly stand up straight thanks to the wind, it was a gorgeous little walk.

A great website to visit is the Sintra Parks website for times, prices, etc.

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Switzerland – This mom has her hands full with her goats and her own “kids” to take care of.

Turkey – You can see the pride on this mom’s face.  She has brought her daughter to have her blessed at the mosque.

India – Clearly not part of a desirable cast in India, this woman still holds her child up for me to admire.  Love knows no monetary bounds.

China – Mom and daughter wave their patriotic flag right outside the gates of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Egypt and USA – This is a photo of  my two daughters and me as we travel through Egypt.

Happy Mother’s Day to All!

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I don’t know what it is about farms, fields, agriculture in general, but I love to photograph people working. It’s a constant no matter where we go. I will stop for tractors, hoeing animals, scythes, and in this case smoke from burning the old matter so that the field can be planted again.

It must be the teacher in me that loves to see and experience everything that a person reads about, such as the life cycle of rice. Fascinating, isn’t it?

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Who doesn’t love it when spring arrives, bringing all manner of new little babies in the world. And I didn’t know how cute falcons could be!

These little guys were hatched in a window cell of an attic way at the top of a huge hill not far from Mardin, Turkey. We weren’t out looking for falcons or their offspring, we were there for the architecture, markets, and Turkish hospitality, but hey, what a bonus!

They are probably at their fuzziest, cutest stage of development. We didn’t bother them for long, but boy, aren’t they cute?

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