The Tucson Botanical Garden is known for their Butterfly Garden but has much more to offer. Although it is not large, its has an excellent collection of cactus and succulents and many interesting presentations.
I found this cactus pyramid to be an excellent way to present these desert beauties.
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Cactus Pyramid
Europe has many magnificent old buildings. The result is that it also has many magnificent doors and doorways. Here are a few I have collected over the years.
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Doors and Doorways
Doors and Doorways
München Doorway
A Doorway in Bruges
Doors and Doorways
Some friends of mine are visiting Cancún and I was excited to recommend a restaurant to them. I then realized that I have never written about this experience and it is truly one of the best places I have ever dined. Cancún has many great restaurants. Restaurante La Habichuela has wonderful and authentic Mexican cuisine. Trattoria Limoncello is a wonderful Italian restaurant overlooking the bay with great sunset views.
I asked our hotel concierge where to get the best authentic regional cuisine and he said you have to go downtown where the locals dine. He arranged for a free ride to and from the restaurant which is great because it is easy to get lost in downtown Cancún and hard to find parking. I believe we were the only Americans in the place but it didn’t matter. Everyone spoke flawless English. The facility was beautiful and elegant. Our waiter suggested we try either the meat or seafood sampling menu which featured seven signature dishes from the restaurant. This was the way to go because the menu was large and each dish sounded better than the next.
From the special cocktail made from mescal and papaya. Next they presented an edible version of the menu and then one amazing dish after another. The service was friendly and evenly paced from the first dish to the table side cherries jubilee at the end. The total cost was about $65 per person plus tip and after two hours of dining we were happy and enjoyed our chauffeured ride back to our beach hotel.
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We were already spoiled by the time we got to the Hotel Bristol in Wien (Vienna). We had spent a week on a luxury river cruise ship, The Viking Hiln. In Munich we stayed in a luxury hotel and had been upgraded to an executive room. We had told all the hotels that it was our 45th wedding anniversary and in each location we received some sort of reward.
The Hotel Bristol in Vienna (Wien) was by far the best.
They upgraded us to a suite and gave us free drinks. On my wife’s birthday we found a bottle of champagne chilling in our parlor with a happy birthday card. Every one in the hotel and dinning room greeted us by name. The doorman in the top hat would give you an umbrellas when you left and always had a smile. The old hotel on the Karlsplat was uniquely decorated with antiques but still had modern amenities. A special hotel for a special trip.
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The Hotel Bristol Wien
The Hotel Elevator
The Hotel Bristol Wien
View From Our Room
Ancient American history is all about our indigenous people. Historians say we are a young country but we really are not. There were just no European descendants here util the 1600’s and so in our arrogance and ignorance we say oh we are so young compared to Great Britain or European countries.
European history though is so rich that you see ancient artifacts everywhere. This is a wall outside The Munich City musuem There is no explanation or sign, just some ancient artifacts on a brick wall. I guess an American equivalents would be petroglyphs in the Southwest.
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München Artifacts
I became fascinated with the old and unique doorways in the city of München (Munich) Bavaria. Many of the doorways of churches and public buildings seemed to be unique and very artistic. Of course some, like this one are quite ancient and maybe that was one of the sources of my fascination. This is a door exiting the courtyard of München Town Hall.
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München Doorway
The Rhine Gorge is a stretch along the Rhine River that is a UNESCO Site. Every few miles there is something to see from the deck of a river boat. The river is lined with with ports, castles churches, orchards and vineyards. This is Bornhofen and its beautiful church along the river.
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Along the Rhine River–Bornhofen
We were in Prague for five days and The Charles Bridge was always crowded. I am sure early in the morning it is not as crowded and less crowded on week days but it is the Ponte Vecchio of Praha (Prague). The day we walked across the bridge we saw at least seven different street musicians or bands. This guy was singing the Peter Tosh song Get Up Stand Up which is kind of ironic since he never did stand up.
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Music on The Charles Bridge
Prague Castle is the largest and oldest castle in the world. It is actually not a castle but a complex of buildings including two cathedrals, the most famous being the St. Vitus Cathedral.The castle dates back to the early ninth century and is currently the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was previously a seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia.
Since it is the home of the Prime Minister; there is a strong police presence and the castle is still guarded by ceremonial guards as it has been since the 10th century.
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Guard at Prague Castle
This house sits on private property next to this small lake inside the Los Angeles Arboretum in Glendale. Imagine waking each morning and enjoying this view. Of course you have to deal with the sounds of tourists during the day and the loud honking noise of the peacocks. Still, I think I could handle it.
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Palm Reflections
Imagery Photography 