We loved visiting Paris in the Spring

Pantheon dome on the left in a sea of Paris domes

Paris downtown - hazy morning

There are few places on the planet that Bob and I have visited that can compare to Paris In The Spring.  And even as our picture illustrates, it does get cloudy in that City of Light.  Paris is a city where time seems to stand still, and as you walk its streets, hills and riverside, the past and present seem to meld into one. Read more

Our tour of Cusco the former capital of the Inca Empire

steep steps in Cusco

cusco, peru

After finishing our adventure into the Amazon, Bob and I  flew back to Cusco, the former Inca capital in Peru.  After getting checked into our hotel, we walked over to the Plaza de Armas, which is featured in the centre of this photo.  This square, seen here surrounded by various different church steeples, was once the hub of the Inca Empire.  It was here in this mountain valley, in the exact middle of Plaza de Armas, that the Inca people believed that the centre of the universe and all power on earth was focused.  Given the success of their Empire before the Spanish arrived, it’s not hard to understand why they believed that. Read more

Windmills At Zaanse Schans In The Netherlands

Jean and Bob at Zaanse Schans, the netherlands

After taking two days to tour the fields where tulips are cultivated, and to revel in the show of spring flowers at Keukenhof Gardens, it was time to make our way to the village of Zaanse Schans to view the large collection of windmills that still stand there in the Netherlands.  Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, Holland had over 10,000 windmills; today, that number has dwindled to near 1,000.  Most of the 10,000 original windmills were used to power industries,  but that ended with the industrial revolution.  Those that survived were either grinding grain or draining fields out in the country. Read more

Amsterdam a world of bikes, tulips, and windmills

bike parking lot in amsterdam, the netherlands

Central Station, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

After landing at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands, Bob and I boarded a train for a 25-minute ride into Amsterdam.  At the downtown railway station, we inquired about catching a cab to our hotel but were told that it was located nearby.  And so, with bags in hand, we set off through the streets on our short walk!  We needed to stretch our legs in any case. Read more

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