Sunset from the Stony Man Mountain Overlook on the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park
I’ve been working with my website company to make some updates to my website and this blog. Most of the changes are “under the hood,” and the most visible is that both sites are finally now “https.”
Everything seems to be working normally, but let me know if you see anything weird.
UPDATE: I’ve had several reports of the blog not loading properly on some browsers and have the same problem myself in Edge and Chrome. If you could, please let me know in the comments if you are able to see the pages properly or not. Thanks!
View from the Terrace of Parc Guell in Barcelona, Spain
Parc Guell (gWELL) is a private park system composed of gardens and architectural features designed by Antoni Gaudi, known famously for La Sagrada Familia but also recognized for his many buildings throughout Europe.
View from the Terrace of Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainView from the Terrace of Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainView from the Terrace of Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, Spain
We didn’t get a lot of time to explore Parc Guell, so my photographs are exclusively of the upper gardens and terrace. We unfortunately did not have time to explore the lower gardens and the sculptures there. To be honest, we hadn’t researched the place enough to prioritize our visit. Next time! There are several buildings on the site that would have been interesting to explore. Some of them required separate entry tickets and all were very crowded, as the park is a heavily visited place.
Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, Spain“Where The Heck Am I?” Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainBasically “pick up your trash, don’t feed the rats.” Parc Guell in Barcelona, Spain
One of the places I really wanted to visit in Barcelona was the Mercado de la Boqueria or Boqueria Market. We visited on a busy Saturday afternoon and there was plenty to see and to photograph.
Mercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, Spain
The hardest part was being patient and waiting to get a clear shot. There was something for everyone there, including a bar where you could just sit and have a drink. Fresh fish, produce, chocolate, wine & liquor, you name it. A ‘target rich environment; I called it!
Mercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, Spain
I loved trying to capture all the colors and patterns, and occasionally get a good action shot.
Mercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, Spain
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazareth Church in Nazare, Portugal
We’re home and in the process of catching up on home stuff. I’m working on picking and processing my 6600+ photos, so while I do that I’ll just randomly post ones I find interesting. Eventually I will have them in a more cohesive order.
These are two very similar photos from two churches in two different places, but I thought they would make a nice pairing.
Colorful light through stained glass windows. The Mosque-Cathedral Monumental Site of Cordoba, Spain
When going through my Mackinac photos I realized that I had assembled a small collection of what I call “detaily” photos. Small bits of stuff that are often overlooked in a scene. This is just an example from one place. I do it all the time but don’t usually post it as subject matter. Hmmm…. 😉
Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganPhone booth at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganMackinac Island, Michigan
We hadn’t originally intended to have extra time in St. Ignace, but a small schedule change allowed us a chance to visit Mackinac Island before heading just an hour up the road to Sault Ste. Marie. We made the best of the opportunity by booking a ferry trip to the island, exploring Fort Mackinac and visiting the Grand Hotel.
Mackinac Island, MichiganMackinac Island, MichiganMackinac Island, MichiganMaking Fudge at Murdicks Original Fudge Company on Mackinac Island, MichiganMaking Fudge at Murdicks Original Fudge Company on Mackinac Island, Michigan
The town is extremely touristy, but it is quite picturesque and there are plenty of people watching opportunities. Getting to the fort requires a bit of a climb, but once there the views were worth it and it was quite interesting.
Mackinac Island, MichiganMackinac Island, MichiganMackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganRifle demonstration at Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganThe Little Stone Church on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, MichiganFort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, Michigan
We retreated to the Pink Pony restaurant for lunch and to cool off. We had been debating whether to walk over to the Grand Hotel and had almost decided not to. But our helpful waiter asked us if we had been, then proceeded to convince us that we should make the effort. Then he told us about the “Secret Garden” that offers beautiful flowers and a nice view of the house. It wasn’t completely secret, but there were way fewer people there than there were up at the house.
The ‘Secret Garden’ at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganThe ‘Secret Garden’ at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganThe ‘Secret Garden’ at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganThe ‘Secret Garden’ at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganThe ‘Secret Garden’ at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganThe ‘Secret Garden’ at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan
We didn’t take the time or spend the money to go inside the house, but we did enjoy the classic views from outside. And I found the official Picture Spot so I could be sure to properly document our visit!
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganThe Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganThe Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganMackinac Island, MichiganThe Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MichiganFerry from Mackinac Island to St. Ignace, Michigan
Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
One of the most popular spots in Yellowstone National Park is the Midway Geyser Basin. It is so popular that if you arrive after about 10:00 (earlier in the summer!) you could wait for hours just to get a place to park.
Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkGrand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkGrand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkGrand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkGrand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkGrand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
With that in mind, Kathy and I decided to make a non-peak visit to the basin, early (-ish) one morning (my first photo was taken just before 8:00. Unfortunately that meant that instead of dealing with bunches of crowds, we ended up dealing with bunches of steam. As it works, the bigger the difference between the air temperature and the springs, the more chance for steam and fog.
Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkGrand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkGrand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
We knew this going in and decided that seeing it, even in less than ideal conditions, was better than dealing with huge crowds. It was still quite dramatic, and even though I didn’t get the “classic” Grand Prismatic Spring” shot (in reality very few people do get the classic shot, and to get it you kinda have to be there in perfect conditions, preferably in an airplane!), we were happy to have gotten there on a nice day with plenty of sunshine to show off the rainbow of colors.
Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBoardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBoardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBoardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBoardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkOpal Pool at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
After our morning visit to Midway Geyser Basin we headed on down the road to Fountain Paint Pots, another popular spot. That lot was starting to fill up when we got there, and by the time we got back to Midway the traffic was already starting to line up for the parking lot. But that’s a story for another day. The lesson though is that timing is everything!
Excelsior Geyser Crater. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkExcelsior Geyser Crater. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkLeaning Tree. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkMidway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Sapphire Pool at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Imagine our surprise when we read that a “hydrothermal explosion” had occurred at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone on July 23. We had visited just two months prior, and the news photos of the devastation were incredible. All of our tour guides had joked about how Yellowstone sits on a huge underground volcano, and “you never know….” It’s well known that violent eruptions can happen at any time, and sometimes they actually do. Yikes! Fortunately no one was injured, and damage appears to be mostly limited to the boardwalk. And of course the size and shapes of several of the pools were dramatically altered.
Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Our visit was in an evening and the sky was overcast. As a result a lot of the colors are quite muted. But the various colors of the pools and the surrounding bacterial mats are quite evident.
Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National ParkJewel Geyser at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBacterial mats add interesting colors and textures to hot pools and geysers. Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBacterial mats add interesting colors and textures to hot pools and geysers. Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBacterial mats add interesting colors and textures to hot pools and geysers. Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park
And gnarly trees! 🙂
Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBiscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park
