The World Through Our Lens
Who wouldn’t want to visit Florence to look upon some of the most famous sculptures in the world: Michelangelo’s sculpture David, Bartolomeo Ammannati’s Fountain of Neptune, and Donatello’s heraldic lions? The artistic and architectural heritage of Florence goes far beyond those sculptures and led to this city, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, being called the birthplace of The Renaissance. Read more
The day that Bob and I headed out to explore Florence, we were anxious to discover everyone’s fascination with the highly renowned Florence Cathedral, in Italian known as the Il Duomo di Firenze. After arriving in the city, we did not go directly to Piazza del Duomo but instead heightened our anticipation by viewing many other sights in the city.
Of particular interest to both Bob and me when we visited Florence, Italy, was the famed medieval stone bridge known as Ponte Vecchio. Read more
After leaving Muriwai and the Gannet colony, Bob and I planned to make a stop at Ark in the Park en route back to our lodgings. Ark in the Park is a conservation area of note in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park of Auckland. Situated in Cascade Kauri Park, it is where concerted efforts are being made to restore the ecology of the area to its natural state. Read more
When Bob and I set off from Quirpon, a picturesque village on the northern tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland in Canada, it was to Quirpon Island that we were headed for a stay at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn. Read more
Baker’s Brook Falls is situated in Gros Morne National Park in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is actually a series of three waterfalls that tumble over three successive limestone ridges underlying Baker’s Brook. The middle set of cascades, seen here, are the most impressive. Read more
The Irish National Heritage Park near Ferrycarig, County Wexford, Ireland, is an open-air museum that explores the world of Ireland’s cultural history in a beautiful natural setting. Read more
Our stay at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn on Quirpon Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, promised a unique and fascinating experience. The location is well written up as one of the five most remote and harshest places to visit and to stay anywhere in the world. Right there, we were hooked on the idea! Read more
Having left Cerro de San Juan Ecological Reserve behind us in Tepic, Bob determined that there were still sufficient daylight hours to make a stop and go hiking near La Bajada. The coffee and banana plantations in that area promised good birding habitat, and it wouldn’t be too far off our route back to San Blas. Read more
When staying at Hotel Garza Canela, a great birding base in San Blas, Mexico, we found the hotel staff and other birders quite willing to give helpful tips on where to go looking for birds. One recommended area was Cerro de San Juan Ecological Reserve near Tepic. A trip to this area required a 1 1/2 hour drive to get there. Read more
