The sidewalks of New York

With gas prices skyrocketing, I'm just as happy to be somewhere where I'm not dependent on a car to get around. Unfortunately, many cities in the midwest don't seem to have a grasp on what mass transit is or can be.
One of the great things about walking in New York is that you walk for blocks, seeing so many interesting things, that you have no idea who much exercise you've really gotten!
This includes taking the Metro system, also. Those many, many steps a person has to take to get to and from the subways . . . there's a whole different set of muscles!
Max [who does not get to experience the Metro] loves to walk the streets. Most of the time he is super. However, once in a while, he gets a little bit crazy - when bicycles go by.
We were walking the other morning, on our way to the 'bark-park', when a bicyclist went by. I'm sure Max was trying to protect me from that strange creature, but in the process,wrapped the leash around me and in slow motion I found myself headed to the gutter!
I'm fine - a few scrapes, bruises and a dislocated finger . . . and the really good news, I'm finding that Max can now ignore the bikes. What a smart dog!

"It's a wonderful day in the neighborhood . . . "

I've had the fortune to visit NY several times in the past four years. When I've been here, the stay has been anywhere from 3-5 days at a time. The agendas have been: see and do as much as possible in the amount of time given . . . which loosely translates to - since you're not paying for 'room' you've got money to spend on other stuff!
This visit is very different. I'm still not paying for where I sleep, but I'm not really visiting, I'm living here - for the next month or so.
Walking the blocks with Max on the way to the different 'bark-parks' gives me the chance to see stores and shops I've not really paid much attention to before - laundromats, grocery stores, etcs, those day-to-day necessities you make mental note of for future reference.
I'll be here for a total of seven weeks . . . which in the past six months is the longest I've been settled into in any one location!
Does this mean by the time I leave, I can call myself a New-Yorker? Probably not, but fun to consider!

"On the road again . . . "

As many of you may know, I'm back in New York for awhile! I'm here to take care of Max, [that beautiful, lively dog that rules the household] while the others are gone. This is one of the 'perks' of being 'the Alpha Mom' and being semi-retired!
As usual, I have enough plans for my time in NY to keep me busy until Christmas . . .

I don't like the word 'retirement'. It sounds as though a person has come to the end of their 'work' life and that person is now lounging around, waiting to watch the sunset every evening. [It makes a person sound really old!] This doesn't describe the lives of too many people I know, and I certainly hope it doesn't describe me!
Perhaps it's more a state of mind. I'm viewing the completion of my former work placement as a 'graduation'. And like any self-respecting graduate, it's time to get out there and get busy!

I'll keep you posted!

Final photos . . .

Yes, these are the final photos I'll be posting from my recent journey. If you're interested, be sure to scroll down, because there are several posts with pix!

Milan was having a "Cow Parade" even though it didn't seem to be along the lines of what I have seen in the US. They used the cows as canvas for a painting, but not necessarily a play on words. It was more an opportunity for public statement, advertising, or just fun.

Back to New York! We went to check on Ground Zero construction and found it to be a busy place. This is part of the mural that is a tribute to NYFD and others.

Yes, it's the Brooklyn Bridge. If you haven't had a chance to eat at Grimaldi's Pizza, close by the bridge, it's worth the trip!

Pictures from across Italy

This picture reminds me of the brightly colored homes of Ireland, but actually it was taken on the island of Burrano, Italy - the home of the world's finest Italian lace.


I'm sure for many people, this photo of Tuscany is not representative of the area. However, I really liked this tree!





I also took a liking to photos of street lamps. This one was taken in the medival town of Greve, Italy.


Needle and thread sculpture outside one of the train stations in Milan, Italy. I love a city with a sense of humor!

The Island City of Venice

Okay . . . one picture of me on my travels. Behind me is a typical canal in Venice. Travel is either by foot over the many, many bridges, or by water taxi through the maze of canals.
The original "ghetto" was in Venice, where the Jewish population was confined to a very small section of the city. In the middle of this photo on the top floor, you can see a small wooden building that was the synagogue.

A person doesn't have to go to Pisa to see leaning towers . . . this is one of several in Venice. Did I mention the government is at work trying to keep the city from sinking?

Ahh . . . Paris!

Sacre Couer is located in Montmartre, where I lived in a small studio apartment for two weeks. Sacre Couer sits on the only hill in Paris and can be seen from just about everywhere. And, a person can see the landscape of Paris from the top of the hill!

One of my favorite views of the Eiffel Tower. We opted not to stand in line to head to the top, but I hear there is a spectacular view from up there. Personally, I thought the view was great at the bottom.

Just a touch of wimsy! Like the Traveling Gnome, this guy seems to get around. Currently, I see him standing outside a storefront in a mall in Overland Park, Kansas!

The Irish Countryside . . .

These are the Cliffs of Moher, located in County Clare, Ireland, just outside the village of Doolin. This site is truly a destination spot. I wish there were a way to add 'sense' and sound to the photo. The air is cool and crisp and you can hear the water slapping against the rocks.

This is a photo taken in County Donegal, in the northwest part of Ireland. I managed to get the photo inbetween rain showers. [It rains about every day . . . !]

Sometimes the river in Cork was peaceful and calm, as seen in this photo. Other times it could be raging. A musician we met tells the story that he had to drive home, after a long night of drinking, because he was concerned about falling in the river!

For love of the Irish

These steps can be found in Kinsale, Ireland, one of the most beautiful seaports in all of Ireland . . . in my opinion!



I continue to be amazed that I was able to capture this photo! How very accommodating of the cat.






A country that has as many pubs as Ireland, probably needs to have traffic signs to remind folks to becareful . . .

More pix from Italy!

The following are some of my favorite sights and sites from Italy.

This is very typical of what our 'table' looked like for meals. Even in January, we were heading to the garden to pick veggies for lunch and dinner. I can't remember when I have ever eaten as healthy as I did while I was there!

This is Nervi on the Italian Riviera. As you can probably see, it was a cold, windy day!












I saw this on one of our many walks. Probably this was a cellar from a farmstead long gone.

Words and photos

I was at lunch the other day and happened to notice a great quote written on the wall in the ladies restroom: "The world is a story and those who do not travel read only one page." St. Augustine.
I guess maybe a person needs to pay attention and read 'the writing on the wall' wherever he/she may be!
Anyway, after many hours of trying to get travel photos uploaded, I have discovered that I can only upload to the internet, a maximum of 250 at a time . . . I have just over 600 and many of them may not be 'worthy' of being posted.
So . . . in lieu of that, I've decided to post my favorite picks. I'll do this in separate posts, because I have also seen that only a few pictures should be uploaded at any one time.
Several of these photos make more sense if you remember the stories they go with . . .

This is the home where Julio the Hermit lived. There are 8-9 orphaned cats and several goats that continue to live here and are fed by folks in the village of Acquafredda.

Here are a few of the cats we fed. They were still a bit wild, but becoming use to the idea that people were around.