Autumn Sights

A couple of years ago I was in Colonial Williamsburg to see the autumn foliage. I didn’t expect to see so much greenery in November, but it was a delightful day and many people were out walking wearing t-shirts, shorts and sandals. I didn’t think it was that warm but I ended up carrying my jacket after walking for a couple of hours. Here are some of the sights.

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With everything still so green I wondered if I’d see any fall foliage. I did find this tree on one of the streets and the colors were lovely.

Cherry Blossom Time

This is the first time that I’ve gone to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. and it was beautiful!  The cherry blossoms were simply spectacular, and walking around the Tidal Basin was quite an adventure.  There were enchanting views of tree after tree in full bloom.  Lots of other people were walking on the paths but there were plenty of opportunities to see the blossoms and take as many pictures as you wanted.  It was a cloudy day and chilly as well, but since snow had been predicted it was a relief to just have cloudy skies with no precipitation.  I bought a wool hat at Union Station to wear for the day and it helped me stay warm.  Too bad I didn’t buy some gloves as well!  I couldn’t help but take hundreds of pictures and my hands were cold, but it was worth it.

I’m not sure how far I walked but this was one of the views from the path:

Some of the trees were quite old and had interesting trunks.

It was a day I’ll always remember.  I’d like to go back next year, preferably on a warm, sunny day!

Viewing the monument

Fluffy blossoms

Blossom drama

 

Canyon Views and Wildflowers

 

This time I’m talking about Red Canyon in Utah.  I passed it on the road to Bryce Canyon and it looked so interesting I stopped there for a look around on the way back from Bryce.  Red Canyon has some moderately easy walks and hikes, so I walked on one of the shorter trails.  I liked this because I wanted to enjoy the views and take pictures without having to think about steep drop-offs!  I even saw some wildflowers along the way, which I always enjoy wherever I am.  Red Canyon had free admission and parking so I’d like to spend more time there the next time I’m in that area.

Some of the views:

Along the trail

Where does this go?

Walk up to this…

Trail sign

Drive through this!

And of course the flowers.

A Rainy (and a Sunny) Day in Rochester

When I was in England this past March I spent most of my time in Kent.  During the week I went to Rochester for a visit and it was a rainy day.  I enjoyed visiting the Guildhall and the Cathedral but it was difficult to take many photos because of the weather.  I had to find an entryway or another sheltered spot where I could put down my umbrella and take pictures.  I didn’t end up venturing too far from where there were buildings and sidewalks.  Still, I thought it would be nice to return on a sunny day because it was a charming place.

Friendly sign

Look up to see this!

Castle in the rain

Gloomy yet dramatic

Along the sidewalk

Later in the week I had that opportunity so I took a train back to Rochester to see it in the sunshine.  It was so different to see everything on a bright (and breezy) day!  I took pictures of some of the same places I had just been to show the contrast.  And even though it was March there were flowers so I’ve included a picture of them too.  It was really interesting to see what a difference sunshine and blue sky made!

A different look

Contrast with the blue sky

Bright and sunny

Simply flowers

A different view in the sun

Lunch Choices

When I was in Genoa I walked in an area with lots of fruit and vegetable shops.  It was just about time for lunch and I thought it might be fun to buy an orange or some strawberries that I saw displayed to have as a snack.  There were also places where you could walk in and buy something more substantial that could be warmed up.  Since I didn’t see anywhere to sit I also considered other options such as buying a gelato and continuing to walk.  After a while I realized I wasn’t even hungry so I decided to wait and simply enjoy the day!

Colorful fruit

More choices…

Fruit display

This looks good too

Shop here

This faithful friend waited patiently outside.

A Lake Maggiore Walk

During my visit to Italy last May I took an afternoon walk one day in Baveno along Lake Maggiore.  When I look at these pictures now I can see that it wasn’t a sunny day, but I didn’t notice it at the time.  This is probably because the views of the lake and mountains were so compelling the cloudy skies didn’t matter.  There weren’t too many people around that day so I could focus on the scenery.  I also remember seeing the flowers beginning to bloom on the hydrangeas.  Just as I thought it would be nice to have a treat I found a gelato shop.  This was an important part of the walk too.

What I saw along the way.

Sit and enjoy the lake

Just beginning to bloom

Serene view

I always find gelato :)

Seen from a distance

It was a charming walk.

A Walk in the Cinque Terre

When I got off the local train that stopped at the villages of the Cinque Terre I carried a copy of the train schedule.  That way I’d know when to be back at the station to go to the next stop.  Once I knew how much time I had for my walk I decided to take in all the charming sights I could.  It had rained earlier so I had a slightly soggy umbrellas in my bag.  Although there were lots of visitors that day I managed to get away from the crowd and enjoy my walk.  These are some of my impressions.

It’s a good idea is to have boats available…

Shopping for souvenirs

Steep steps

A door to…?

Flowers and shopping

Nice place for a walk

And wherever you are, there is the sight of water:

 

Check out Jo’s Monday walk here.

Travel Details

It is always exciting to see famous landmarks when I’m traveling.  But I also like to notice other things in addition to the places I either read about or saw pictures of in books and magazines.  The more I travel the more I remember details of a place such as doors, signs, some flowers or even a simple bench.  As I walked around Milan I saw so many details and they have become part of the experience of being there.  When I look at these pictures I know that although they are less recognizable they are just as meaningful as I look back at my time in Milan.  Here are some examples of what I mean.

Along a path

Classic name

Door from a castle

Souvenir display

Reflections in a sign

A simple bench

This looked like a fun way to get around in Milan, and there was even a bicycle traffic light.

 

A Day in Portofino

I’m back from Italy and after unpacking and adjusting (again) to the change in time zones I’ve uploaded my pictures to the computer.  I haven’t reviewed all of them yet but I took over 1700!  For now I thought some pictures of Portofino might be a good place to start.

During the morning it was both windy and rainy and the ferry service to Portofino was called off.  However, there was a shuttle bus from Santa Margherita Ligure and I decided to take that instead.  Later that morning the weather improved dramatically and it ended up being a beautiful day.  By the way, the bus was full of people with backpacks and it was a challenge staying upright as the bus went around all the curves in the road.  I was happy when we arrived and these were my first impressions of Portofino.

Blue sky

Shuttle bus

Where does this go?

A perfect day…

Look up for this view

It was a perfect time to take a walk, buy a gelato, and then find a bench to simply admire the scenery.  Sometimes I wish days like this didn’t have to end.

At the Park

This past weekend I visited a park on a perfect spring day.  I followed some tree-lined paths where I saw flowering dogwoods as well as fresh new leaves on the trees.  There were lots of other people out walking as well as families enjoying picnics in shady areas.  I even discovered a waterfall along the way.  It was delightful to simply follow a trail and admire the sights.

Spring greenery

Wildflowers

Along the path…

Fresh green leaves

A tree in bloom

It’s really spring!