Winter arrived way too early in Minnesota this year and we are still in the midst of a pandemic. I guess I’ll just have to rely on one of the many lessons learned while hiking… embrace the suck.
Take a Hike
Category Archives: travel photography
Laundry Day
A woman deep in thought while doing laundry in Porto, Portugal. I stare at this image while my own load of laundry finishes whirring in the machine, ready to hang up and dry.
Laundry day… same but different.
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The Return…
I grew up watching the Vietnam Conflict on the nightly news complete with American and VC body counts. Depressing, to say the least. Covid-19, canceled travel plans and the current status of politics has taken its toll on this blog these past few months. I think its about time to get out of this funk… Bring back the music, bring back the excitement of things we love and let’s just get along. For me, faith, music and travel help heal the soul.
You may also feel a little better if you click on the image below for a YouTube video of the song “Get Together” including images from times gone by. May we learn from history rather than forget.
“Get Together,”also known as “Let’s Get Together,” is a song written in the mid-1960s by American singer-songwriter Chet Powers (stage name Dino Valenti). The song is an appeal for peace and brotherhood, presenting the polarity of love versus fear, and the choice to be made between them.
A throwback image with our Italian friends. We treasure time spent with them and others around the world that we have met along the way. Peace out…
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Por Favor…?
Best salesman ever. Who can resist those sad eyes and timid voice pleading, Compraras, por favor? He nailed it.
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Gate City to the West
People in small towns, much more than in cities, share a destiny. ~Richard Russo
Gary, SD is a small community (population 224) nicknamed “Gate City to the West” located along the SD/MN border.
Kudos to graphic designer, Diane Swenson, Canby Print Shop, Canby, MN, for her stellar design work on the 2019 Gary Rodeo poster (which features my image as the background). Canby, MN is a small, southwestern Minnesota town of just 1700 people located 14 miles east of Gary, South Dakota. Our communities may be lacking in size, but we know how to get things done.
You’ll find the Gary Rodeo grounds located on the northwest edge of Gary, SD, in a natural setting with the quaint prairie community of Gary, SD, as its backdrop.
Maybe it’s time for you to take a little trip and experience the life in Gary, South Dakota!
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Oh, Paris… What a loss.
My daughter calls with urgency in her voice,“Notre Dame Cathedral is on fire!” I quickly turn the TV on to see the tragic flames as the spire goes down. Immediately, I feel grateful that our trip to hike the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain involved a flight to and from Paris, France. Having a couple of days extra before flying home we decided to hit some of the sights of Paris which included one of the most famous buildings in the world, Notre Dame Cathedral.
The building of the cathedral was completed over the course of 200 years; it was started in 1163 during the reign of King Louis VII and was completed in 1345.
In its history, Notre Dame has endured destruction and subsequent restoration in many periods. However, much of the facade and interior still are true to the original designs. In the 16th century, both the Huguenots and the French king vandalized and changed a lot of the cathedral’s contents. A lot of the features on the cathedral’s exterior were removed because they were considered to be idolatrous, and tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed in the name of modernization. The cathedral was converted into a storage warehouse for food, during the French Revolution, and the heads of many of Notre Dame’s statues were removed.
The Cathedral was at one time in a stage of total disrepair and close to the point of being demolished, but was later saved by Napoleon who himself was crowned Emperor in 1804 inside the Cathedral.
Between 1845 and 1870, a first attempt at restoration took place. A good portion of the previous century’s damage done to the cathedral was repaired, and new additions were built. Most recently, a new restoration program was started in 1991 and has gone on for 20 years with a focus on cleaning up facade’s and sculptures. ~notredamecathedralparis.com
Today’s event has caused quite a step backwards, I’d say…
Below are some of the images I was able to capture during our visit in 2014:
This Notre Dame beggar (Gypsy?) working the line will need to find a new location. Maybe, she’ll try her luck at Sacre Coeur.
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One last look…
- Hike Caminho Portuguese ~ check
- Stay at Casa Fernanda ~ check
- Douro Valley ~ check
- Porto, Portugal ~ check
- Port wine tasting ~ check
- Eat sardines and bacalao ~ check
- Experience albergue life ~ check
- Meet wonderful people ~ check
- Eat a Francesinha sandwich ~ check
- Not get fined on the metro line ~ check
- Arrive home safely ~ check
Another notch in our belts.
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Portugal: Bonus Round #4
Artists and poets still find life’s meaning in a glass of wine. ~Joy Sterling
It is known that grapes were already cultivated in the Douro region around four thousand years B.C. and with the arrival of the Romans in the first century A.D., agriculture became a major activity of the region. While the politics of the region may change throughout history, grapes and wine production remain to be a pretty big deal. I’ll drink to that!
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Got a Minute?
“Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time” Stephen Wright
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Caminho Portuguese: Bonus Round #3
Any Portuguese town looks like a bride’s finery – something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. – Mary McCarthy
August 23-24, 2019
Using old school maps we walk along the metro line in Matosinhos until we need to go away from it to find our hostel for the next two nights. (Actually, Randy and Joan read maps and I just follow.) We manage to wind around neighborhoods, a large hospital, and cross crazy traffic until Randy spies a tiny sign in front of the building – Oportocean Hostel.
A metro line stop is practically in our back yard, so off we go to the old section of Porto, to take advantage of a free Porto Walking Tour advertised. Look for the orange umbrella for a tour in English. The tour guide is fabulous, taking us all around the old city centre, along the Douro River, while pointing out interesting landmarks and sharing a tremendous amount of history for two full hours. This young lady will do very well in life and we make sure to tip her accordingly.
Shame on people that ditch a tour when it is almost over to avoid tipping. Rant over.
