Tag Archives: Photos

Scenes Of Barcelona: Parc Guell

January 20, 2025 Tom Dills 2 Comments

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.

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.

“Where The Heck Am I?” Parc Guell in Barcelona, Spain

Basically “pick up your trash, don’t feed the rats.” Parc Guell in Barcelona, Spain

Travel

Scenes Of Barcelona: The Mercado de la Boqueria

January 16, 2025 Tom Dills 8 Comments

Mercado de la Boqueria. 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.

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!

I loved trying to capture all the colors and patterns, and occasionally get a good action shot.

Travel

Scenes Of Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia

January 14, 2025 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Towers of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

We spent 5 days in Barcelona and saw a lot of interesting things. I’m going to feature individual places over the next several posts to show some of the places we visited and things that we saw. My Adobe Portfolio page now has galleries through Barcelona, with one or two more to go. Head there to see many more photos from the entire trip.

Facade of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

I’ve heard many words to describe La Sagrada Familia, but one I don’t hear is ‘boring.’ It is literally a feast for the eyes, both inside and out.

Beautiful stained glass windows of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

Soaring architectural columns and arches at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

It’s hard to make a bad photograph there, but it is equally hard to make a photograph that captures the scale and expanse of the space. It is amazingly huge and amazingly beautiful. Everywhere you look there are striking details and intricate designs. Symbolism is everywhere.

The biggest challenge is dealing with the crush of people. Even with timed entry, the place is crowded. I like to find spots where I can take symmetrical photographs, and I’m often not the only one! So patience and quick work is essential. This was one of the very few places on the entire trip that I wished I had brought a wider lens than 16mm. My 10-24 would have been appropriate.

Light through stained glass windows. La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

Workshop at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

Travel

Viva Valencia!

January 6, 2025 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia, Spain

We. Loved. Valencia

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Valencia, Spain

Queen Sofia Palace of Arts. Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences). Valencia, Spain

Porto was great and we would go back there in a heartbeat. But Valencia? It was probably one of the loveliest visits to a large city we’ve ever had. The people were friendly, the food was wonderful, the city is very walkable and the architecture is fascinating. It probably helped that we stayed in a beautiful hotel in the heart of the historic area that was staffed with friendly people, but the overall experience was just great.

CaixaForum València event center. Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Valencia, Spain

Prior to our arrival in Portugal, we were of course concerned about the condition of Valencia, given the horrible flooding they had experienced just a few weeks prior. Conversations with our hotel and our car service assured us that the damage was limited to areas south of the city center, and that the city itself was fine and up and running. We saw signs of the flood damage on our way into the city, but other than some cleanup happening at the City of Arts and Sciences (which might have just been routine cleaning) we saw no evidence of damage.

Oceanografic. The Aquarium complex at Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Valencia, Spain

Dolphin Show at Oceanografic. The Aquarium complex at Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Valencia, Spain

Submarino Restaurant at Oceanografic. The Aquarium complex at Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Valencia, Spain

Jellyfish! Oceanografic. The Aquarium complex at Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Valencia, Spain

The longest underwater tunnel in Europe. Oceanografic. The Aquarium complex at Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Valencia, Spain

Speaking of the City of Arts & Sciences, wow. It is an amazing collection of beautiful architecture, set along the Jardín del Turia, a park built in a former riverbed. We spent the large part of one day just wandering around the exterior, returning the following day to explore Oceanografic, the aquarium attraction that is part of the complex. To explore the entire museum complex would have been very interesting, but would have taken days! I’ve included just a few of the many photos I took at the City of Arts & Sciences, but there is a larger gallery on my Adobe Portfolio page if you just want to see more of Valencia!

Church of Saint Joan of the Cross. Valencia, Spain

San Nicolas de Bari San Pedro Martir (Saint Peter The Martyr). Valencia, Spain

Casa Baldo restaurant in Valencia, Spain

Photography

My 24 For 2024

January 1, 2025 Tom Dills 10 Comments

Tour and tasting at Foursquare Distillery on Barbados

“Man… you guys do keep on the move. Even your “light” travel schedule would knock a lot of other folks to their knees.” –

Jeff C in an email exchange discussing 2025 travel plans

2024 was a good year. In fact, 2024 was a very good year for Tom & Kathy. Everyone stayed (mostly) healthy, there were no major catastrophes, we spent time with friends and family, and we traveled. Boy did we travel!

We started off the year with a 4700 mile road trip that took us to Texas and across the gulf coast to Florida that included three cruises and lots of sightseeing along the way.
We headed to Ohio in April for the Total Eclipse.
In May and June we made the 5600 mile round trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
In July we made a 3800 mile loop of PA, OH, MI, WI, KY.
In October we left the car at home for a 6+ week trip to Portugal & Spain.
And we managed to make a few other short jaunts to the NC mountains and beyond.
Miles: 20,441
Photos: 18,975 (How many keepers…I don’t know yet! 😉 )
Kathy considers a good travel year to be 100 nights away from home. This year: 153

I haven’t finished processing our Spain photos, although it doesn’t matter much. It’s nearly impossible to filter just 24 favorites out of 18,000!

How do you choose just one Yellowstone/Grand Teton photo? You don’t. You choose 6. That was tough enough!

Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Dead Lodgepole Pine Trees, nicknamed Bobby Sox Trees for the white bases that result from the trees absorbing the mineral rich water. Near Tangled Creek along Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone National Park

Mary Bay, on Lake Yellowstone near Lake Yellowstone Hotel.

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from Artist Point. Yellowstone National Park

Historic barn at the Thomas Alma and Lucille Moulton Homestead. Part of the Mormon Row Historic District of Grand Teton National Park

Sometimes a photo is a favorite because of where we were:

Night time departure from New Orleans aboard Celebrity Constellation

Wawatam Lighthouse in St. Ignace, Michigan

The ‘Secret Garden’ at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan

The Christopher C. Kraft Mission Control Center, from which NASA led Gemini and Apollo missions, including the momentous first lunar landing mission as well as early space shuttle missions. Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas

The Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas

Portugal and Spain were quite nice – 9 more:

Tourist boats on the Douro River in Porto, Portugal

Scene from our walking tour of Porto, Portugal

One of many fountains at The Alhambra in Grenada, Spain

Taylor Fladgate Port Winery in Porto, Portugal

Ponte Infante Dom Henrique Bridge over the Douro River in Porto, Portugal

Portuguese Centre of Photography in Porto, Portugal

Sometimes a photo is a favorite because of who we were with:

Monte photographing the interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado

It’s usually a good idea to take a photo when Kathy points it out. Sunset from the rooftop bar of Hotel Hesperia, our hotel in Cordoba, Spain

I didn’t count this in the 24 but it is still a favorite! Aboard Adventure of the Seas

Travel

Highlights From Cordoba

December 29, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Night time at the Roman Bridge. Cordoba, Spain

I’m gradually working my way through photos and am now up to our time in Cordoba, which was the third of the five stops in Portugal & Spain. After our day trip to Granada and The Alhambra, we spent two days exploring this beautiful city.

Sunset from the rooftop bar of Hotel Hesperia, our hotel in Cordoba, Spain

Our first stop was the The Mosque-Cathedral, which like the Alhambra has a complex history, dating back to the 6th century as a Visigoth Basilica. The building became a Muslim mosque in the 8th century, and after a number of additions and enlargements eventually became a Catholic cathedral in the 13th century. Restoration work began in the 19th century and is ongoing. The building became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

The Mosque-Cathedral Monumental Site of Cordoba, Spain

One of the things that distinguishes the Mosque-Cathedral is the red and white arches that span the columns in the building.

Colorful light through stained glass windows. The Mosque-Cathedral Monumental Site of Cordoba, Spain

Shadows from light through the windows. The Mosque-Cathedral Monumental Site of Cordoba, Spain

We spent much of the rest of our time in Cordoba exploring the streets, alleyways and neighborhoods of the town, both on our feet and using the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus to get from place to place. We also attended a Flamenco show, which was so interesting it warrants its own post, which I will do soon!

Restaurante Sociedad Plateros María Auxiliadora Andalusian restaurant in Cordoba, Spain

I continue to add photos to my Adobe Portfolio gallery, so check back often to see what’s new! The one that changes the most is the one titled “Stops Along The Way” as it contains photos from places we stopped as we transferred from one city to the next. The most recent addition is photos from Alarcon and Requena.

Moonrise from the rooftop bar of Hotel Hesperia, our hotel in Cordoba, Spain

Photography

Highlights From The Alhambra

December 28, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

It was interesting to note how many people asked “where?” when we said we were going to or had gone to The Alhambra. It is one of the top destinations in Spain, and it sure was busy when we were there. Even one of our drivers in Spain said that he had never been there.

City view from The Alhambra in Grenada, Spain

In many ways, the history of The Alhambra reflects the history of Spain.

The complex was begun in 1238 by Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, the first Nasrid emir and founder of the Emirate of Granada, the last Muslim state of Al-Andalus. The most significant construction campaigns, which gave the royal palaces much of their defining character, took place in the 14th century during the reigns of Yusuf I and Muhammad V. After the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella (where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition), and the palaces were partially altered. In 1526, Charles V commissioned a new Renaissance-style palace in direct juxtaposition with the Nasrid palaces, but it was left uncompleted in the early 17th century.

The site fell into disrepair over the following centuries, with its buildings occupied by squatters. The troops of Napoleon destroyed parts of it in 1812. After this, the Alhambra became an attraction for British, American, and other European Romantic travelers. The most influential of them was Washington Irving, whose Tales of the Alhambra (1832) brought international attention to the site. The Alhambra was one of the first Islamic monuments to become the object of modern scientific study and has been the subject of numerous restorations since the 19th century. It is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stairway at The Alhambra in Grenada, Spain

We booked a private tour from our hotel in Cordoba to Granada through Spain Day Tours. The package included a driver to the complex then a private guide who took us all through the various gardens and buildings. He was extremely knowledgeable and steered us to many of the “secret” places that others might or might not have seen. It was a great way to visit without having to also navigate trains and buses.

(Special thanks to James The (Retired) Wine Guy for his excellent recommendation!)

Gardens at The Alhambra in Grenada, Spain

Travel

The Portuguese Center of Photography

December 22, 2024 Tom Dills 6 Comments

While we were in Porto, Kathy & I couldn’t pass up a chance to visit the Portuguese Center of Photography. The Center is located in a former prison and court complex that dates to the late 1700s. After 200 years of use, the building fell into disrepair but was ultimately restored in a project begun in 2000, repurposing the structure as an exhibition hall. So not only are the contents interesting, but the building itself is photographically appealing.

At the time of our visit, the exhibitions included a display of student work from School of Media Arts and Design of the Polytechnic of Porto, a collection of photographic equipment from Antonio Pedro Vicente (link to the inventory) and an exhibit of work by British filmmaker Humphry Trevelyan from the 1975 Carnation Revolution.

Also around the museum were exhibits documenting the building’s role as a prison and court, including the early use of photography in documenting prisoners. Early “mug shots” of sorts, stripping the prisoners of identifiable signs, forcing them to stare at the camera with a frightened or defying look in order to suggest guilt.

It was a fascinating place to visit and to photograph, and a highlight of our time in Porto.

Photography

In Color

December 9, 2024 Tom Dills 4 Comments

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.

Travel

Another Distillery? Why Not?

October 30, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky

Why not, indeed.

On our way back from Michigan we stopped by Georgetown, Kentucky to visit our friends (and travel agents) Brent & Jo Anne. Brent arranged for us to visit and tour the Woodford Reserve Distillery in nearby Versailles (verSALES).

We’d been before, but love visiting there because the facility is beautiful and the bourbon is very good. Visiting with friends always makes it more fun, and we had a good time with Brent & Jo Anne before heading back toward home.

By the time you read this, Kathy & I will be sailing across the Atlantic on our latest adventure. Replied to comments may be a little more delayed than usual, but stay tuned for Postcards!

Tom Dills Photography Blog

Tag Archives: Photos

Scenes Of Barcelona: Parc Guell

Scenes Of Barcelona: The Mercado de la Boqueria

Scenes Of Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia

Viva Valencia!

My 24 For 2024

Highlights From Cordoba

Highlights From The Alhambra

The Portuguese Center of Photography

In Color

Another Distillery? Why Not?

Photographs and stuff!