Marsha Fouks: Blog https://www.marshafouks.com/blog en-us (C) Marsha Fouks [email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Tue, 16 Apr 2024 22:40:00 GMT Tue, 16 Apr 2024 22:40:00 GMT https://www.marshafouks.com/img/s/v-12/u1032532214-o565241165-50.jpg Marsha Fouks: Blog https://www.marshafouks.com/blog 94 120 Foxes and Whales in Newfoundland https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/11/foxes-and-whales-in-newfoundland I read that Newfoundland has three types of foxes; red, silver and the cross Fox.    One night as we were driving to the coast to look for whales, we stopped to photograph some foxes.

The difference between a cross fox and a red fox lies mainly in their colors.  The cross fox has a black cross on its back that gives it its name.  The fox may also have a black or silvery mask, and its tail is a little bushier than that of a regular red fox.

One evening we went on a sunset cruise to look for whales  

To see more photos of foxes please click on the link below to the gallery:

https://.../Foxes

I also have a gallery that includes all of my Newfoundland photos. 

https://zenfolio.page.link/xhWhw
 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) foxes whales https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/11/foxes-and-whales-in-newfoundland Sat, 11 Nov 2023 21:28:52 GMT
Trinity, Newfoundland https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/10/trinity-newfoundland Trinity is a small town located on Trinity Bay in Newfoundland.  We walked around the colorful and charming  town and ended up hiking up a hill overlooking the church and  buildings.  

The harbour at Trinity was first used by fishing ships around the 16th century.  Before the decline of Trinity in the mid 19th century, the town and area became the major centre of trade on the northeast coast of Newfoundland.  Today it is a major tourism destination in Newfoundland.

 A sunrise walk in Trinity.  Trinity was the site that Sir Richard Whitbourne held the first court of Admiralty in 1615, establishing  the first court of justice in North America. 

Early morning in the fog.

On our way back to St. Johns we stopped to visit the  "Random Passage Site".  This site was built in 2000 for filming of the international TV mini-series "Random Passage".  The site provides the opportunity to learn about the obstacles and opportunities of living in the 19th-century small fishing village in Newfoundland.  

To see more photos of Trinity and the Random Passage Site, please click on link below:

https://.../Trinity
 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Newfoundland Passage Random Site Trinity https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/10/trinity-newfoundland Mon, 30 Oct 2023 13:52:58 GMT
Landscape and fishing villages near Trinity, Newfoundland https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/10/landscape-and-fishing-villages-near-trinity-newfoundland

After leaving St. John's we stayed in the town of Trinity for a few nights.  You can see from the map that we were close to the Puffins.   In case you missed my blog on puffin photos you can click on the following link:   https://www.marshafouks.com/puffins
 

 We took some day trips to  a few different villages.

Sunset in the district of Cavandish

To view more of some of the landscape shots please click on the link below:

https://.../landscape
 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Fishing Villages Newfoundland Trinity https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/10/landscape-and-fishing-villages-near-trinity-newfoundland Sat, 21 Oct 2023 16:30:14 GMT
Puffins of Newfoundland https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/9/puffins-of-newfoundland  Our group headed to Bonavista Peninsula to photograph the Puffins.   It was my first time seeing these birds.  

Puffins breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands.  These Atlantic Puffins have predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build and large beak that is brightly colored during the breeding season.

In the air, the Puffins beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times a minute) in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface.

Puffins may only weigh in around 1 lb, but these carnivorous seabirds need to eat about 40 small fish per day to stay healthy.

Puffins don't mate for life like their penguin lookalikes, however they are often monogamous with the same partner over their lifetime, sometimes 20 years.  Every year, puffins return to the same nesting area and will recouple with their mate.  The  female lays a single egg and both parents take turns incubating it and raising the puffling over the summer.

Puffins have specialized beaks to help them fish.  They have denticles ( a type of serrated tooth) on their beaks, a locking tongue and a large jaw that helps them grab and hold lots of small fish crosswise.   They use their spiny tongues to pierce the fish against their denticles, making it possible to bring back an average of 10 fish per trip.  

To see more of my puffin photos please copy and paste the following link in your browser.

https://www.marshafouks.com/puffins
 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Bonavista Newfoundland Peninsula Puffins https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/9/puffins-of-newfoundland Sat, 16 Sep 2023 18:13:43 GMT
Northern gannets https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/9/norther-gannets Our group visited Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve- the most accessible seabird colony in North America.  We spent a few hours watching the birds- the site was was overflowing with perching, diving, and scrambling birds from edge to edge.  

Bird Rock is the third-largest nesting site and southernmost colony of northern gannets in North America.

The northern gannet is a seabird, the largest species of the gannet family, Sulidae and the largest seabird in the northern Atlantic.  You can see a few juveniles in the photo above- they are mostly grey-brown becoming increasingly white as they mature within five years.

The northern gannet catches fish by making high-speed dives into the sea.

Gannets have excellent binocular vision which allows them to spot fish while hovering over the water.  Once they have spotted their prey, they will fold their wings and dive from a height of up to 40m, reaching speeds of up to 100 kmph.

We also spotted some razorbills, which are similar to thick-billed murres but have a deeper and blunter bill.

To see more photos of the northern gannets and razorbills please click on the link below to the gallery:

https://.../Gannets
 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Newfoundland northern gannets razorbills https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/9/norther-gannets Sat, 02 Sep 2023 17:10:34 GMT
St. John's Newfoundland https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/8/newfoundland-tour

In July of 2022, I joined Muench Workshops for a one week tour of Newfoundland.    We spent the first three nights in St. John's going on day trips from the city.  St. John's is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.  It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.  In the map located above, you can find St. John's beside  the drawing of the colorful tall houses.  At the end of the trip I spent a day in St. John's  sightseeing on my own.

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site is found on Canada's most easterly point of land and is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador.   The lighthouse was constructed in 1836 and is a 20-minute drive from downtown St. John's.  In 1955 a new lighthouse tower was built nearby using the original light.  With my back facing the sea, the entire population of North America was in front of me with only Ireland behind me.  

 

  On my last day in St. John's, I visited the Quidi Vidi Village in the east end of downtown St. John's.  This town is known for being one of the oldest fishing villages in North America.

After leaving Quidi Vidi, I managed to find my way to a hiking trail which connected to Signal Hill where I would see views of the city of St. Johns.

A view on the hiking trail.

A view of St. John's from Signal Hill.

I then walked down to Jellybean Row in St. John's  which describes the entire downtown hillside.  The area is named for its brightly colored facades.  The jellybean houses were built in 1860.  The great fire of 1877 destroyed over two hundred acres of downtown Saint John's but the buildings were spared.

To see more of my photos of St. John's please click on the following link which will take you to the gallery. 

https://.../p195991852
 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Jellybean Row Newfoundland Quidi Vidi Village St.John's https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/8/newfoundland-tour Wed, 23 Aug 2023 17:23:58 GMT
Kangaroos https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/7/kangaroos Wendy and I took an all day tour from Melbourne to a local sanctuary.  This was our first spotting of the Kangaroos in the distance.  I was actually pretty far away so I had to zoom in with my long lens and they still appeared far off in the distance.  Still it was pretty exciting to see the animals.

    The animals in the sanctuary were wild and free too roam.

 I was still zooming in with my camera so I wasn't as close to this guy  as it appears.  Kangaroos are indigenous to Australia.  In 2019, about 50 million kangaroos lived in Australia.  However, due to the forest fires in 2019, this number could be significantly lower although some of the Kangaroos could escape the forest fires by running away if they were able to find other sources of food. 

 

This guy looked at me and then started to hop away as I took a series of shots of him leaving the scene.  The comfortable hopping speed for a red kangaroo is about 20-25 km/h(12-16 mph) but speeds of us to 70 km/h (25 mph) can be attained over short distances.  

    

Kangaroos have different diets, depending on the species.  The eastern grey kangaroo is predominantly a grazer and eats a wide variety of grasses, while the red kangaroo include significant amounts of shrubs in their diets.   With out guide, we drove around to different areas in the preserve and then walked around looking for animals.  

Kangaroos are shy by nature and tend to run away from people in normal circumstances.  There are very few records of kangaroos attacking humans without provocation.   Finally, the two kangaroos ran off with the baby one taking one last look at us.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Kangaroo https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/7/kangaroos Sun, 09 Jul 2023 13:20:35 GMT
Port Arthur and Hobart https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/6/port-arthur-and-hobart

Today we headed to Hobart for the conclusion of the tour.  On the way we stopped at Port Arthur.

Taken from Wikipedia:

Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in TasmaniaAustralia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and an open-air museum.

The site forms part of the Australian Convict Sites, a World Heritage property consisting of 11 remnant penal sites originally built within the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries on fertile Australian coastal strips. Collectively, these sites, including Port Arthur, now represent, "...the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts."[3]From 1833 until 1853, it was the destination for the hardest of convicted British criminals, those who were secondary offenders having reoffended after their arrival in Australia. Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent there. In addition, Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.

As punishment, the prisoners would receive the bare minimum of bread and water.[7] Under this system of punishment, the "Silent System" was implemented in the building. Here, prisoners were hooded and made to stay silent; this was supposed to allow time for the prisoner to reflect upon the actions which had brought him there. Many of the prisoners in the Separate Prison developed mental illness from the lack of light and sound. This was an unintended outcome, although the asylum was built right next to the Separate Prison. In many ways, Port Arthur was the model for many of the penal reform movement, despite shipping, housing, and slave-labour use of convicts being as harsh, or worse, than others stations around the nation.
 

We took both  a land and boat tour of the area.  Our guide on the land tour assumed  the role of one of the convicts and told us some pretty chilling stories about the horrific treatment of the inmates.  There was also a boys' prison with inmates as young as nine years old.  I went into one of the rooms(unlike the one in the photo)  where some inmates were punished by serving time in isolation.  The prisoners had to live in pitch black rooms in isolation.  After a few seconds in this room, I couldn't wait to get out.  I can only imagine how living in these conditions would affect a person for hours, days or weeks.

Not much space in the rooms.  I'm not sure where the bed was.

I had forgotten that on April 28, 1996, this site was the location of a massacre.  Thirty-five people were murdered and 23 wounded before the perpetrator was captured by the Special Operations Group.  Subsequent to this, a national restriction was placed on high capacity semiautomatic shot guns and rifles.  The 28 year old is now serving 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole in the psychiatric wing of Risdon Prison in Hobart.  

After the prison was closed in 1877, the buildings started to fall into disrepair and decay.  The property was put up for auction but not sold until 1889.  The decay was seen as something positive, as the Tasmanian population wished to distance themselves from the dark images of Port Arthur.  Those who bought Port Arthur property began tearing down the buidings.  This distraction was continued with the the fires of 1895 and 1897 which destroyed the old prison house.  Also earthquake tremors led to more damage.  In 1979, funding was received to preserve the site as a tourist destination, due to its historical significance.  Today  Port Arthur receives over 250,000 visitors a year.  The government continues to put a lot of money into the upkeep and repairs.

In the evening we drove up to the top of Mount Wellington which overlooks Hobart.  The drive was along a 22 km narrow road- fortunately, we didn't see very many animals when we left to go back to the city.

One of the buildings on top of Mount Wellington which overlooks the city.    The mountain rises to 1,271 metres above see level.  

Alan and I did some off trail hiking to find our spot for the sunset.  We had to walk quite a way in order to get a good view of the various layers of mountains.  

 

On our last morning, we drove to Mount Field National Park to check out a couple of waterfalls.  Mount Field National Park was founded in 1916, making it, along with Freycinet,  Tasmania's oldest national park.  It was very scenic with various waterfalls.

On my last night in Hobart before leaving for Melbourne and back to Toronto, I walked down to the water.   Hobart is the capital of Tasmania and the most  populated city of the Australian island state (pop approximate 243,000).  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Arthur" Australia Hobart Mount Field National Park Mount Wellington Port Tasmania" https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/6/port-arthur-and-hobart Sat, 24 Jun 2023 22:55:04 GMT
Freycinet Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/6/freycinet-park

  Freycinet is a national park on the east coast of Tasmania(half way down on the above map), 125 km northeast of Hobart.  It occupies a large part of the Freycinet Peninsula and was founded in 1916.  Along with Mount Field National park, it is Tasmania's oldest park.   We were up early for sunrise driving back into Freycinet National Park to a beautiful area called Sleepy Bay.  It was very rocky and given that it was very dark before we arrived, I did not do a lot of walking before finding a spot for my composition.  I pretty much stayed in one spot and waiting for the light.  Sleepy Bay is a beautiful rocky bay with turquoise waters and orange lichen-encrusted rocks.  
 

 

 We stayed in  the fishing and touristy town of Bicheno.   In the afternoon, I walked around the town and Alan and I went to  check out the blowhole.

In the evening, we drove to Honeymoon Bay, inside of Freycinet National Park.  There really was not much  light on this little bay but it was a pretty scene.    Honeymoon Bay is actually a bay within the larger Coles Bay.  

The turquoise waters were pretty spectacular.  

Looking towards the sunset turned out to be a better option.   I pretty much stayed in the same spot, just watching the sun go down.  I experimented with some long exposures (keeping the camera's shutter open for longer) which smoothes out both the water and the clouds.

  Blue Hour.  Over the years, I've noticed that a lot of people leave after sunset but sometimes there can be beautiful  light after the sun has set.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Australia Bicheno Freycinet National Park Honeymoon Bay Sleepy Bay Tasmania https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/6/freycinet-park Sun, 11 Jun 2023 15:48:04 GMT
Bay of Fires https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/5/bay-of-fires

After we left Cradle Mountain, we drove to St. Helens on the coast in order to photograph the Bay of Fires.

Famous for its crystal-clear waters, white sandy beaches and orange lichen-covered granite boulders, the Bay of Fires is one of Tasmania's most popular conservation reserves. The Bay of Fires conservation area extends along the coast from Binalong Bay in the south to Eddystone Point in the north.  This shot was taken from Binalong Bay.  Its name refers to the Aboriginal fires spotted by Captain Tobias Furneaux when he sailed past in 1773, but it could also apply to the brilliant orange lichen that grows on the granite boulders lining the bay. 

Sunrise at Binalong Bay. We had some pretty nice colours this morning.  I should also add that the weather had improved and it was much warmer than Cradle Mountain.  However, I was still wearing lots of layers at 5 AM in the morning.


One morning we checked out Mt. Paris Dam located along the banks of the Cascade River in North East Tasmania.  The dam is surrounded by ferns and a reclaiming forest.  Construction of the dam began in 1935, and was completed less than a year later in 1936. It was previously referred to as the Morning Star Dam. The dam is the only one of a buttress and slab construction in Tasmania, and one of just a  handful of that construction in the country.

The late 1800s and early 1900s witnessed a major mining boom across the whole North East, with the towns of Derby, Branxholm and Weldborough thriving. â €The dam, built for the Mt Paris Tin Mining Company,  played a valuable part in the regions history. It was built entirely by hand and was one of the biggest in the area.  Over 70 men worked construction, with single men accommodated on site, and those married offered camping at a nearby picnic site with their families. Today the Dam is no longer used.  I enjoyed climbing on the rocks and composing different shots.

A wide angle view of the area.

Picnic Rocks, Mt William National Park, Tasmania.
 

 I settled on this compostion, waited for some nice light and did a long exposure.   We had to drive for about an hour to get to Picnic Rocks.  It was a fairly windy night but we found a great spot to shoot behind some boulders which offered us protection.    The drive back to the hotel  was a nightmare and one which I never want to do again.  The problem was that we were going through a forested area in the dark with kangaroos and wallabies and various other animals constantly jumping either at the sides of the road or on the road in front of us.  Fortunately, Alan was a very good driver and is  used to these conditions but it sure scared me.  I told Alan that I did not want to repeat this drive:).  

The next morning we shot sunrise at Binalong Bay at the eastern side of the headland. 

Mathinna Falls.  Mathinna Falls,  is located in the Mathinna Falls Forest Reserve, approximately 10 kms north of Mathinna, Tasmania.  We stopped here on our way to Bicheno.   Bicheno is on the east coast,  185 km north-east of Hobart  on the Tasman Highway, with a population of around 950.  We would be spending a couple of nights here.

For sunset, we drove to Coles Bay and photographed the Hazards.  Taken from Wikipedia: The Hazards are a mountain range located in the Freycinet National Park on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia. The range is positioned between Coles Bay and Wineglass Bay and are said to be named after local whaler, African-American Captain Richard Hazard. The range consists of 5 mountains; Mayson, Amos, Dove, Baudin and Parson.[2]Famous features of the park include its red and pink granite formations and a series of jagged granite peaks in a line, called "The Hazards".

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Australia Bay of Fires Binalong Bay Freycinet National Park Mathinna Falls Mt Paris Dam Picnic Rock Tasmania The Hazards https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/5/bay-of-fires Sun, 28 May 2023 16:48:40 GMT
Cradle Mountain, Tasmania https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/5/cradle-mountain-tasmania

Alan and I flew to Launseston, Tasmania and drove to Cradle Mountain/Lake St. Clair.  The following information was taken from Wikipedia.  Tasmania (/tæzˈmeɪniÉ™/;[11] abbreviated as TAS, nicknamed Tassie) is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 km (150 mi) to the south of the Australian mainland, separated by Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands.[12] The state has a population of around 533,308[1] as of March 2019. Just over forty percent of the population resides in the Greater Hobart precinct, which forms the metropolitan area of the state capital and largest city, Hobart.[13]

  Overlooking Cradle Mountain from Dove Lake.  The whole area became a national park in 1947.  The structure  is an old boat house.

We were at the park for three nights and two days and we had all kinds of weather- lots of rain, some snow, wind, clouds and a little bit of sunshine.  We were not able to photograph two sunrises because the road was closed.  There is one m main road going through the park.  Between the hours of 8 AM and 6 PM, no cars are allowed so people take park buses from the ranger station.

One night  we decided  drive up  the road even though it was cold, windy and snowy.  

 I was standing on a platform in a very cold, wicked wind but for a little while we could see the peaks.   The scenery was definitely worth putting up with the harsh weather. 

The next day we decided to do some hiking since the weather was pretty good- it was almost warm with no rain.  The area had plenty of day walks with some great scenery.  You could hike the Overland Track which ends 80 km south of the park and winds through a variety of landscapes.  This wallaby was pretty far away and unfortunately, I did not have my long lens with me.  The most obvious difference between a kangaroo and wallaby is size with the kangaroo normally being much larger.  

Overlooking a  a river on the hike.  The hike we did was from Ronney Creek back to the ranger station.

 

There was a little bit of mist but it didn't last long.

I liked the way this tree limb looked - I thought it had some character.

There were some nice scenic views that we came across.

The clouds had cleared enough so that we could get a good view of Cradle Mountain.

The first sunrise that we were actually able to shoot was on the last morning.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Australia Cradle Mountain Tasmania https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/5/cradle-mountain-tasmania Sun, 21 May 2023 13:36:26 GMT
The Great Ocean Road https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/5/the-great-ocean-road

Wendy and I toured the Great Ocean Road with Alan Barker, an Australian photographer who was recommended to us by Philip Bartlett.   He picked us up in Melbourne and we spend a couple of days driving along the Great Ocean Road.  The road is often referred to as the one of the world's most scenic coastal drives, along the south- eastern  coast of Australia.  

We stopped at Lorne to have lunch and saw these interesting, tame birds outside of the cafe.

We hiked to Lower Kalimna  Falls, Great Otway National Park, which was about 3 km from the parking lot.  The waterfall was very picturesque and quite serene.  There were no other people anywhere around or on the trails.  We did see some Kangaroos at one point.  The younger one was quite timid and kept retreating.  We stopped so it wouldn't feel  threatened.  Shortly, it ran up the sides of the forest in order to follow its mother and stay away from us.  Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough to get a photo since my camera was in my backpack.

I  liked the same shot in black and white.

   There was a large alcove behind the waterfalls so we could go right behind it for a different prospective.  It wasn't a huge waterfall but it was a nice one surrounded by tall trees and ferns.

After dinner, we went to photograph the 12 Apostles which are part of the Port Campbell National Park.  As the evening progressed,  we did get some very nice colours.

The craggy limestone stacks rise from the southern ocean and were wonderful to photograph.  These pillars were once connected to the mainland cliffs.  Waves and wind carved them into caves, then arches and eventually battered them down into 45 metre tall columns.   

There are actually only eight of the original  twelve Apostles left.  With continual erosion affecting the limestone stacks and cliffs, the number of rock stacks are likely to keep changing.  

We stayed at this location for the entire time watching as the light changed.


The next morning at sunrise we drove to see Tom and Eva.  These are two limestone stacks named after the two teenage survivors of the wreck of the Loch Ard  in 1878.

We also photographed the 2nd Apostle, Razorback.

 

In 1878, a large clipper ship engraved with the name Loch Ard beached on nearby Muttonbird Island after a tumultuous journey from England.  It was said that the ship enters the waters  on June 1st, at Port Campbell.  The day was particularly dark and misty.   Before the captain realised it, the ship was in shallow waters, collided with a rock reef.   Unfortunately, only two of the fifty-four passengers survived, one of whom was a nineteen-year-old sailor apprentice named Tom Pearce, and the other a nineteen-year-old Irish girl called Eva Carmichael, who was travelling with her family.

London Bridge.   Originally a natural archway and tunnel in an impressive offshore rock formation, London Bridge collapsed in 1990 and became a bridge without a middle. Before the collapse, visitors to the site were able to walk across 'the eastern bridge' that stretched across to the mainland.

In the evening, we went back to shoot sunset at the 12 Apostles (only 8 remaining now).

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) London Bridge 12 Apostles Australia Great Ocean Road Loch Ard Lower Kalimin Falls Tom and Eva https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/5/the-great-ocean-road Sun, 14 May 2023 13:31:54 GMT
Looking for a Koala https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/5/the-koala

Wendy and I went on a tour  so we could see some Australian wildlife.   I believe the bird above is called a Cape Barren goose which is a large bird resident in Southern Australia.  We were fortunate in that we were the only two people on the tour and we had a wonderful guide.

Emus are covered in soft fluffy feathers and can grow up to 2m.  They have two sets of eyelids, one for blinking and the other for keeping the dust off. 

Finally we came across this little guy.  The Kaolas are very high up in the trees and hard to see.  Without the guides' help we would probably not have seen any.  These animals feed on eucalyptus trees which have a very high water content so the koala does not need to drink often.   With all of the forest fires, there have been cases when these animals are so thirsty that they have gone up to humans to get a drink of water.  

This Koala started to eat while we watched.  While feeding, a koala holds onto a branch with hind paws and one forepaw while the other forepaw grasps the foliage.  

 Because of the koala's supposed resemblance to a bear, it was often miscalled the koala bear.  The koala's geographic range extends throughout eastern and southeastern  Australia and covers roughly 390,000 sure miles.  The koala was introduced  near Adelaide and on several islands including Kangaroo Island and French Island.

We were lucky to actually see the koala being active.  Because they get so little energy from their  diet, they  limit their energy use and sleep or rest 20 hours a day.  They are predominantly active at night and spend most of their waking hours feeding.  They typically eat and sleep in the same tree, possibly for as long as a day.  The koala hugs the tree to lose heat without panting.

Eventually we left this first koala and went to look for another one.  This guy was sound asleep.  These animals are asocial and spend just 15 minutes a day on social behaviours.  

Koalas may live from 13 to 18 years in the wild.  Our guide told us that some of the provinces have now disallowed the animals in captivity  to be held as it is very stressful for them and can take up to five years off their life.  Koalas usually survive falls from trees and immediately climb back up.  Males may not live as long as females due to their more hazardous lives-i.e. fighting the males.  The  bush fires in Australia have been disastrous for the declining population due to the Koalas  slow movements and the flammability of the eucalyptus trees.  Climate change has also played a factor in their rapidly dwindling numbers.

 

This last photo was an attempt to show just how high up these guys were.

While we were walking through the bush, our guide pointed out this echidna to us.  He said it was a very rare find.  The  echidna had its head buried to protect itself against us.   You can see it has spines like a porcupine.  It also has a beak like a bird and a pouch like a Kangaroo.   They are small, solitary mammals native to Australia.  

A close up look at the pattern of the spines which are actually modified hairs.   The fur between their spines provides insulation.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Barren Cape Echidna goose" splendid fairywren The koala https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2023/5/the-koala Sat, 06 May 2023 14:22:07 GMT
Melbourne https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2022/11/melbourne Wendy and I left Christchurch , New Zealand and flew to Melbourne, Australia which was a short flight.  We  had to fly to Aukland first and then change planes to fly to Melbourne.  Unfortunately, our flight from Aukland to Melbourne was cancelled so we had to catch a later flight which meant getting to the hotel very late at night.  What I mostly remember is carrying a very heavy backpack and messenger bag (plus my coat since I was so warm) from one terminal to the next in Aukland (ten minute  outdoor walk) and then walking a long way to our gate once we were inside the terminal.   I was wearing a lot of layers because my suitcase was too full to pack the clothes.   Then when the flight was cancelled we had to backtrack and walk a long way to a different gate.

 We spent a few days in Melbourne.  The only city tour we did was an excellent free walking tour.  I didn't take too many photos ( I just had my iPhone on me) because I was actually listening to the guide.  I did take a couple of  happy snaps with with my iPhone when we walked by this bakery.

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city (5 million) of the Australian state of Victoria.  Our hotel overlooked the Yarra River which flows through the city.  Most of the city's attractions are in close vicinity to the river.  We found Melbourne to be a beautiful, friendly city where we felt very comfortable.  

These  next two photos  were made from our hotel balcony as we waiting for blue hour. 

Wendy and I also walked in the city on our own, checking out the various areas.  Street art is very predominant in Melbourne and one of the best places for it is the cobblestoned Hosier Lane.  

We also checked out the free art gallery.  I wasn't that impressed with the art, but I enjoyed photographing some of the architecture.  

Inside the gallery.

We also walked through some botanical gardens.

One of the evenings, we walked down the street of our hotel to shoot Melbourne during the sunset.



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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Australia Melbourne https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2022/11/melbourne Tue, 22 Nov 2022 22:21:45 GMT
Last blog of New Zealand https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2022/9/last-photos-of-new-zealand

It was hard to surpass the adventure of the open door helicopter ride  to  Fox Glacier.  However, we still had a couple of days left to photograph.  

We met the morning after the helicopter ride at 4.45 AM.  We had a short drive from town to get to the parking lot.  We then had a thirty minute hike  to get to Lake Matheson through a dark forest ( it was a long  time before the sun came up).   The lake is famous for  its mirror views of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.  Apparently, its excellent reflecting properties are due to the dark brown colour of the water.  It certainly was worth getting up early for.  

A different viewpoint.

On our hike out we could actually see some of the scenery.

In the afternoon, a few of us went for a walk in the town of Fox Glacie.  We found  a forest trail that we took.  We ended up walking in a loupe although the original plan had been to see if we could get closer to the Fox Glacier face.  Somewhere we took a wrong turn!

It was fun walking in the rain forest.

We went out for an evening shoot but the weather didn't co-operate so we ended up not getting out of the van.

The next morning, our sunrise shoot was cancelled due to the rain which had started at 2 AM ,  so we all got to sleep in.  I don't think anyone was too unhappy.  Around 9.30 AM we left for Greymouth where we would be spending our last two nights.  Along the way we stopped to photograph the Hokitika Gorge. The blue-green waters of the Hokitika River were stunning.  To the left you can see Nathaniel up on the cliffs photographing.  The only issue was all of the  biting sandflies in the area

In the evening we drove out to Punakaiki to photograph the last light on the Pancake rocks.  Punakaiki is a small community on the west coast of  South Island, between Westport and Greymouth.  The community lies on the edge of the Paparoa National Park.  The Pancake Rocks are a popular tourist destination at Dolomie Point, south of the main village.  The rocks are a heavily eroded limestone area where the sea bursts through several vertical blowholes during high tides.  Although we waited,  we never got to see the large bursts of water.  Even if we had stayed a little longer for high tide, I don't think the water was rough enough to see the bursts of water.   Still the pancake-layering of the limestone  rocks themselves were very interesting.  The layering is created by immense pressure on alternating hard and soft layers of marine creatures and plant sediments.  

There were some nice colours off in  the distance. 

This was the shot of the evening.   We set up our tripods and waited for the light which co-operated.

On our final full day, we met at 5.15 AM to drive to photograph the rugged coastline north of Greymouth, in Paparoa National Park.

After two weeks of spending time in New Zealand, seeing some terrific scenery, making memorable photographs and meeting a great group of people, it was time to drive back to Christchurch to catch a flight to Melbourne.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Fox Glacier Greymouth Hokitika Gorge Lake Matheson New Zealand Pancake Rocks Paparoa National Park South Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2022/9/last-photos-of-new-zealand Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:39:11 GMT
Fox Glacier https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2022/3/fox-glacier

This blog is a continuation of the previous one.    Our group went on  helicopters (open door) flying over Fox Glacier.  This Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world.  You can walk from Fox Glacier Village to its face.  Given its easy access, it is a major tourist attraction and gets about 1,000 tourists a day during peak season.  

Philip had the pilot fly over different areas each time getting fairly close to the ground  before going up again. So there were lots of dips!  

We started to get some colours as the sun was setting.

Though people are told not to, some go beyond the barriers and climb  onto the glacier  (without guides) whose rapid advance helps to create dangers of sudden ice and rockfalls.  I did not see anyone climbing or on the glacier during our thirty minute flight.   Two Australian tourists were killed on January 8th, 2009 when more than 100 tonnes of ice fell on them.  They were not part of a guided group and had crossed safety barriers and walked approximately 500 metres to the terminal face to take photos.  

On November 21, 2015, seven people were killed when a helicopter on a scenic flight crashed on the glacier.  The helicopter was operated by Alpine Adventures. We went with Mountain Helicopters -Philip did say that it was the only company that he would use.  I'm just as happy to have not had this information before I went up but I still would have gone.

We were lucky because the weather was good on our trip- the next day, we could not have gone on our particular excursion given the bad weather (wind and fog).  We actually stayed in the town of Fox Glacier two days just in case the weather did act up.  We ended up going on our flights the first afternoon we were in town.  Philip was in touch with the operator to see when the best time to fly was.  Shortly after we left New Zealand, this area was flooded and there would have been no flights.  

As we made our way back, we flew fairly close over the Fox River which made for some interesting patterns.  

After we landed, we watched the next pair of photographers take off.  This was our helicopter.  The landing pad was in the middle of a field of sheep.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Fox Glacier New Zealand South Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2022/3/fox-glacier Mon, 28 Mar 2022 18:49:40 GMT
Haast https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/10/haast

After leaving Wanaka, we drove to Haast.  Haast is a small town on the west coast of South Island.  After dinner,  we went to Ship Creek to photograph sunset.  Ship Creek, Tauparikaka is 20km north of Haast.

Ship Creek consisted of swamp forests and windswept sand dunes.  Most of the group  decided to walk through the swamp forest with its well marked trail.   This photograph gives you a really good glimpse of the what the swamp and the trail  looked like.

I was looking for some plants with a little bit of light on them 

For the first time in New Zealand, I learnt how annoying sand flies could be so I decided that I had enough of the swampy area  and headed towards the beach and sand dunes.  

I was happy to get out of the buggy area and enjoy the setting light on the beach.  

The group was photographing this interesting piece of wood in the water so I joined them.

The next morning we met at 5.30 AM to go back to the same spot as the night before.  Today we walked around the lagoon area.  We didn't get very good light but there was a little bit of mist in the background that helped the photo. 

A few of us walked along the beach before leaving.  

Barbara, a member of our group, from Australia, was enjoying photographing this scenic area.  After leaving, we headed back to the hotel, packed up and started our drive to Fox Glacier.  

One of the highlights of our New Zealand tour was an open door helicopter ride over Fox Glacier.  The group met at 4 PM for safely instructions before everyone went out at different times.  Wendy and I were the second pair to go out.  I sat in front and took a photo of the dashboard as we were about to take off.  There were two seats in the back of the helicopter- Wendy sat behind me and Philip sat beside her giving the pilot instructions of where to fly.  It was very exciting.  

This was one of the first views as we took off.  We flew over the river and up into the mountains.  

It was pretty breathtaking!  I was a bit concerned that it would be cold but other than my hands getting a bit cold, I was fine.  This was definitely the highlight of the trip.  

Fox Glacier, was named after Sir William Fox, New Zealand's prime minister from 1869 to 1872.  Like its twin, Franz Josef, the glacier descends from the Southern Alps down into temperate rainforests just 300 metres above sea level.  The best way to see the glacier is to take a scenic flight.

Fox Glacier is a 13-kilometre-long (8.1 mi) temperate maritime glacier.  It is actually located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park.  The glacier is fed by four alpine glaciers and descends 2,600 M (8,500 ft) on its 13 km journey from the Southern Alps to the coast.

I did have to remind myself to actually slow down on making photos and look around to see the gorgeous scenery.  

To be continued.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Fox Glacier New Zealand Ship's Creek South Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/10/haast Sun, 31 Oct 2021 15:34:50 GMT
Wanaka https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/8/wanaka  

Our next stop was Lake Wanaka.

After leaving Queenstown, we drove to Lake Wanaka.  On the way we got out of the car for a short hike.

After an early dinner, we went just outside of town for our sunset shoot.  You can see just  how high the water was.  Because of all of the recent rain, we had to take a few different paths to find a spot to photograph from.

For most of the night, I just stayed in the same spot and photographed the scene under different lighting conditions.   There were some very interesting clouds later on in the evening.

Last shot of the evening.  It was time to head back to the hotel as we were meeting at 5.10 AM for sunrise.  

This morning's shoot was all about the famous lone tree of Wanaka.  This lonely tree framed by the Southern Alps is said to be one of the most photographed trees in all of New Zealand.  We actually had to walk off the beaten path to find this tree as there are no signs with directions.  This first shot was taken at 5.35 AM.

We spend a couple of hours photographing under the different lighting conditions.  The lone tree is right at the foothills of Mount Aspiring National Park, a World heritage Site.  

The colours actually changed quite a bit as different areas of the scene were lit up.  The tree lives in a challenging environment since its roots are often totally submerged by cold water.    

We had gotten to the area very early just in case other photographers showed up but we were the only ones until around 8 am when it was time to go.  I learned that although the tree is in Lake Wanaka, the water levels are often low enough for the tourists to walk through the water and climb the tree which causes a lot of strain to the tree.  The Wanaka tree is a crack willow named for brittle wood that easily breaks.  However, when we were there given the high water levels, the tree appeared safe from climbers.  

 Our group had the rest of the day and evening off which was a well deserved break from all of the early mornings and late nights.  Wendy and I walked around the quaint town of Wanaka and along the lake where people were enjoying the beautiful sunny day.  Soon  after we had left New Zealand, there was a lot of flooding in the area.  Streets in the tourist towns of Queenstown and Wanaka were slowly going under water by Friday, December 6th after Lake Wanaka and Lake Wakatipu had burst their banks earlier in the week, causing major flooding in the towns.  Water and large debris closed the Main Street of Wanaka.  Also, the streets were largely empty and the popular cafes and restaurants were closed.  Also, because of roads being closed, thousands of tourists were stranded in this area. 

Wendy and I walked back to the lone tree in the afternoon. Today  we met at  5 AM  to go and photograph ruins of an old  historic goldfield.  

Another area that reminded me of Tuscany, Italy because of all of the rolling hills.

Soon it was time to head back to the hotel, pack and make our way towards Haast.

On the way we stopped to photograph a beautiful water fall.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) historic goldfields Lake Wanaka New Zealand South Island Wanaka Lone Tree https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/8/wanaka Sat, 14 Aug 2021 15:11:47 GMT
Queenstown and Glenorchy https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/6/glenorchy Today we headed to Queenstown, checked into our hotel and explored the town.    In the evening we photographed Glenorchy, a forty five minute drive northwest of Queenstown at the northern end of lake Wakatipu.    We were surrounded by snow-capped mountains and beautiful clean lakes.  Both the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were partially filmed in this area.

To get the best photos, Nathaniel photographed from the water.  

One of the last shots of the evening before heading back.  

We met at 5:25 AM in order to photograph Queenstown.  You can see this resort town in the background of the photo.  The town is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long, thin, Z-shaped lake.

We drove up to a spot where we had great 360 degree views.  It was a wonderful (cool) morning with lots of mist and fresh snow on the mountains.

The clouds/fog rolled in and out.    We spent a couple of hours here before heading back to the hotel to get ready to leave for our next destination.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Glenorchy New Zealand Queenstown South Island Wakatipu https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/6/glenorchy Thu, 17 Jun 2021 16:12:32 GMT
Moeraki Boulders and Milford Sound https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/5/moeraki-boulders

This morning we met at 5.00 AM to go and shoot the Moeraki Boulders.  These boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koehohe Beach on the Otago coast of New Zealand between Moeraki and Hampden.  Some of the boulders were in a cluster and some were isolated.

At one point, I was not quick enough to get out of the way and my shoes got soaked.  

After this shoot we went back to the hotel to clean our gear, pack up and make our way to Te Anau where we would arrive  later  in the afternoon.  One way to clean the tripods and get rid of the salt on them was to take them into the showers and rinse them really well with hot water.  

Since we hadn't been getting up early enough,  today we met at 3.30 AM for a sunrise shoot at Milford Sound.  I think a lot of us dozed off in the van.  It was raining when we left the hotel - we did have a two hour drive ahead of us which was the reason for such an early start.  So we were all hoping that the rain would stop but that didn't happen right away.  When we arrived, I went outside briefly and came right back in the van.    Most of the group did go outside and shoot.  I did not want to take a chance on damaging my gear in the pouring rain or getting sick.    Eventually everyone got back in the van (and were pretty wet) and we went to eat breakfast.  Milford Sound is a fiord in the south west of the island within Fiordland National Park.  This above shot was taken once we were on the boat when it was still very windy with rough waters but the rain had pretty much stopped.

We took a boat tour of Milford Sound (which had indoor as well as outdoor seating).  Fortunately, the rain had pretty much stopped so we could go outside and photograph.  Because of all of the rain, we saw lots of fast moving waterfalls.  Milford Sound was described by Rudyard Kipling as the "eighth wonder of the world".  The area was carved by glaciers during the ice ages.

Milford Sound has a mean annual rainfall of 6,412 mm (252 inches) each year and is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world.    Our whole group loved the boat ride which was just breathtaking with the fiord's cliffs rising vertically from the dark waters.  The waterfalls cascaded downwards from as high as 1,000 metres.  The rainfall creates dozens of temporary waterfalls, as well as a number of major, more permanent ones.  I believe we were told it rains here around 300 days a year.

 

Milford Sound has been acclaimed as new Zealand's most famous tourist destination.  

At one point we were all outside in the bow of the boat where we were very close to the waterfalls.  The captain announced that we might want to go inside in order to avoid getting wet.  Most of our group did but one or two people got absolutely soaked (and ended up with colds). 

 

After lunch we headed back to Te Anau to dry out.  It started to rain again after lunch.  

In the evening we went on a nearby shoot.  Because of all of the clouds the photographs were all about layers of the mountains.

Last shot of the day before returning to the hotel.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Milford Sound Moeraki Boulders New Zealand South Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/5/moeraki-boulders Sat, 29 May 2021 17:47:43 GMT
Penguins, Seals and Sheep https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/5/north-otago

After our sunrise shoot and breakfast, we left the hotel around 9.30 to continue on to Oamaru for lunch and a walk around the town.  Oamaru is the largest town in north Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand.  Around 4.15 PM, we left the hotel in pouring rain to look for little blue penguins and fur seals.  We sat in the van for at least 15 minutes, hoping the rain would stop and we were fortunate that it did and the sun started to come out.

We did see these fur seals from the cliffs where we were standing.  

I took a quick series of shots.

The Maori name for the fur seal is "kekeno" which means "looks-arounds".  By the close of the 19th century, hunters and sealers had almost driven these animals to extinction.  Fortunately, these fur seals are quite common now and their numbers are growing.  These New Zealand fur seals are excellent swimmers and the pups, once weaned will sometimes travel great distances as far away as Australia.  

We spent quite a while on the cliffs looking for yellow-eyed penguins. Fortunately, we were able to see one.  This species is endemic to New Zealand. Perhaps we only saw one, due to their significant decline over the past 20 years.

The yellow-eyed penguin is considered one of the rarest penguin species in the world and is listed as an endangered species.  

This penguin spent some time just sleeping and enjoying the sun that finally came out.  He totally ignored our group and the other tourists.  I was actually photographing him from a long distance but some of the people were much closer.  We were on a pretty slippery and muddy path so I was happy to stay in one place.  One eye and flipper  opened up.

Back to sleep.  Some individual penguins can live up to the age of 20.

The yellow-eyed penguin cannot be found in zoos because they will not reproduce in captivity.

Our sunset shoot was photographing the hillsides and sheep.

 Philip promised us one chance to photograph sheep.  The sheep are actually everywhere in New Zealand.

The whole area reminded me a bit of Tuscany.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) New Zealand penguin" Seals" sheep South Island yellow-eyed https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/5/north-otago Sat, 15 May 2021 17:51:43 GMT
Southern Alps, New Zealand https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/5/twizel-new-zealand

Wendy and I left Sydney on November 11th and flew to Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand to meet up with Nathaniel Smalley for a photography tour.  Christchurch is the largest city of South Island located on the east coast.  The city suffered a series of earthquakes between September 2010 and January 2012 with the worst one occurring on February 22, 2011 where 185 people were killed and thousands of buildings cross the city collapsed or suffered severe damage.  We actually didn't spend any time in the city since we arrived just before dinner time and left the following morning.

After leaving Christchurch on the way to Twizel, we stopped for some happy snaps (i.e. iPhone shots) at the Church of the Good Sheppard.  The church is situated on the shores of Lake Tekapo, surrounded by mountains.  The church was opened in 1935.  The builders were instructed to leave the site undisturbed, in other words the matagouri bushes surrounding the building and the rocks were to be left alone.

It was a beautiful area, well worth a stop.  After exploring the area and taking a few shots, we continued on our route to Twizel, checked into the hotel and left at 4.30 in order to have an early dinner and shoot the last light at Mount Cook.

We ate dinner in a restaurant overlooking the mountains.  Then I went outside and took this shot and the next one with my iPhone.  

This shot with Mount Cook in the background was a panoramic shot.  So I took maybe 5 or 6 shots (verical) and merged the photos together in Lightroom to come up with this really wide angle view. 

Mount Cook is the highest mountain in the continent of Australasia.  Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a rugged land of ice and rock with 19 peaks over 3,000 meters including new Zealand's highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724 metres or 12,218 feet).  The park was established in 1953 and forms one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.  

Just as we were leaving  and walking to the van, we saw the moon rise so we all hurriedly unpacked our tripods to see if we could get the shot.  

We met the next morning at 4.30 AM for our sunrise shoot.  This time we photographed the Southern Alps (Mount Cook National Park) from a different location.   This photo showcases the Tasman River.   The Southern Alps were named by Captain Cook on March 23,  1770.

We stayed in this area for a couple of hours as the light kept changing and there were a lot of different compositions.  I do remember that it was very windy and cold.  After a while, I gave up on using my tripod.  I also went into the van a couple of times to warm up. 

Some of our group went down to the beach to photograph.    I took this shot from above.    The photographer who is closest in the image is Nathaniel Smalley, one of the two photography leaders of the trip.  The other leader was Philip , a local New Zealand photographer.  We also had a driver and there were eight other photographers making up our group of 11 people.  

This was the  view from the other direction (behind the river).  

We were lucky enough to see this rainbow.

There was also some nice pink skies for a little while.

The following morning we met at 5.10 AM for one last sunrise shoot of the alps.

After our last shots, we went back to the hotel for breakfast before leaving for our next destination.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Church of the Good Sheppard Mount Cook National Park New Zealand South Island Southern Alps https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2021/5/twizel-new-zealand Sun, 02 May 2021 16:27:04 GMT
Last evening in Chania https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/11/last-evening-in-chania For our last evening in Chania (and Greece), we went back to the Old Town and Marina to enjoy our farewell dinner and one last sunset shoot.

Starbucks is everywhere.

The Cathedral of saint Mary of the Assumption, another beautiful church.

We walked by many sidewalk cafes.

It wasn't too busy in the restaurants since  it was still pretty early.  

I

More old buildings in the city that have either survived the earthquakes or been rebuilt.

Some beautiful light on the city.   Once again we did not get the dramatic skies we were hoping for.

Just before sunset.

We got some beautiful orange colours.

I had taken a photo of this boat earlier on in the day but it looked much better with the evening light.

One more shot of the lighthouse before we left the area.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Chania Crete https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/11/last-evening-in-chania Sun, 08 Nov 2020 16:42:15 GMT
Chania and Selton Litania Beach https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/10/chania-and-selton-litania-beach After leaving the market, we walked to the harbour.

For a busy harbour, the water was so clear.

There were lots of vendors selling all kinds of goods.

Its always hard to resist taking laundry shots.  This is probably the first time I saw laundry hanging out to dry on a boat.

The building on the left of the lighthouse is the Forks Fortress, built by the Venetians in order to protect the harbour.  

You can see the mountains in the background -it looks like they have snow on them.  

What a great place to go sailing.

A great place to fish.

In the afternoon, we drove to Seitan Limania Beach in Akrotiri which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece.

The beach was nestled in a canyon leading out to the sea.   Between the two cliffs was a beautiful white sandy beach leading out into turquoise waters that turned into deep blue as the waters join the sea.   We had driven only 22 km away from Chania to find this gorgeous beach.  

We didn't actually hike down to the beach- the trail down looked very rocky and steep.  We left this beach and went to Stavos Beach where Jane and Laurie went swimming before we returned to Chania.  Stavos Beach was easily accessible from the parking lot.  While they were swimming I relaxed on a lawn chair and watched the people. 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Chania Crete Seltan Limania Beach https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/10/chania-and-selton-litania-beach Wed, 07 Oct 2020 13:51:30 GMT
Chania and Balos Beach https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/9/chania-and-balos-beach This morning we left Rethymno for Chania, the second largest city of Crete and our last city on the tour.The  city lies along the north coast of the island, about 70 km west of Rethymno so it was not a long drive for us.

After checking into the hotel, Laurie rented a four wheel vehicle and we left to visit Balos Beach.  The scenery was spectacular.  We soon understood why Laurie had rented the 4-wheel drive.  We ended up driving along a narrow and gravel roadway overlooking the water.

We saw goats everywhere.  I took this shot from the car.

No, the goat didn't eat Laurie's shirt.  He actually was photographing on this hill, lost his balance on the rocks and did a forward somersault, slid on his back and landed just short of this cliff.  Jane and I watched in horror.  Fortunately, the end result was just some minor damage.  If he was in pain, he certainly was a good sport about it.  Any thoughts that I had of climbing to get a better shot quickly disappeared.

Laurie stopped the car a few times for us to photograph.  We had to check out this rocky cliff with the vegetation and gorgeous water below. 

We finally got to the parking lot and made our way along the rocky, dirt path to get a view of the beach.    We came accross people returning from the beach, some riding burros.  

Balos Beach.  We didn't actually climb down which would have taken far too long, and is fairly strenuous on the way up because of the steepness.   The famous lagoon is probably the most photographed beach in Crete.  Prince Charles nd Princess Diana visited Balos with their private yacht. The easier way to get to the beach is by ferry.

in spite of Laurie's fall, he and I did do some climbing but we were very careful.

I don't think I have ever seen such a beautiful beach with the white sand, turquoise waters. and the surrounding beauty.  Although it was fairly crowded on this day, I can only image how busy it would be in the summer.

After climbing safely to the top of this cliff, we stopped to photograph and admire the scenery.  

On the way back we saw a lot more goats in the hills.

We came across this cute little chapel.  

Goats were resting in the shade.

These goats  started to form a  line and follow their leader.  

We ended up eating dinner back in Chania and then finding a location for our sunset shots.

We strolled along the water waiting for the sun to set.  

I liked this simple shot with lots of negative space.

 

We came across these women who allowed us to take their photographs.  Jane had spotted one of them actually climbing down the rocks and back up again.

Jane and this woman seemed to have no problems communicating in spite of neither speaking each other's language.

By now it was getting pretty close to sunset.

Chania's lighthouse.   The original Venetian lighthouse was built around the late 16th century to protect the harbour.  During the Turkish occupation, the lighthouse fell into disrepair and was eventually rebuilt between 1824 and 1832 during the Egyptian occupation.  The lighthouse was leaning badly due to bombings during WWII and earthquakes but it was extensively renovated in 2005 and now looks as good as new.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Balos Beach Chania Crete https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/9/chania-and-balos-beach Thu, 10 Sep 2020 14:56:21 GMT
Sunrise in Chania and a morning visit to the market https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/8/sunrise-in-chania-and-a-morning-visit-to-the-market Once again, Laurie and I were up early to photograph sunsrise  in the harbour.


We never got the dramatic clouds but it was still a very photogenic scene worth getting up for.

After watching the sun come up, we made our way back to the hotel.

We visited the local market.

This market had all kinds of wonderful food and other items to purchase.  Markets are always great places to people watch and photograph.

Olives are very popular in Greece.

It was pretty busy with the locals doing their shopping.

This vendor was happy for us to take her photograph.  The people in Greece were very friendly and very likely to pose for us when we asked if it was ok to take their photographs.

 

 

Markets are definitely one of the most interesting places to visit.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Chania Crete https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/8/sunrise-in-chania-and-a-morning-visit-to-the-market Thu, 27 Aug 2020 20:12:51 GMT
Rethymno's market and a visit to Anogia Village https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/7/rethymnos-market-and-a-visit-to-anogia-village After our tour of the Fortezza Fortress, Jane and I explored the local market in the old town.  Laurie hadn't been able to find a parking spot so the plan was to meet him a little later on.

Linens for sale.

The market had pretty much everything for sale, clothes, shoes and all kinds of food.

In the late afternoon, we drove to one of the most famous  tourist villages in Crete called Anogia village.   Laurie had been there many years before and wanted to see if it had changed.  Jane and I were happy to leave the city once again and check out another Greek village.  The village  is perched on the slopes of Psiloritis at an altitude of 700m.  On our way to the village, we stopped to check out this church.

The village is known for its famous Cretan weavings.  In 1944 in Anogia, the "liberation Action Committee" was founded.  The village was the core of the resistance in Crete.  The German general, Karl Kreipe,  was abducted in Anogia, interrogated  and then sent to a POW camp in Canada.  In retaliation for the kidnapping and other resistance moves, the commander of Fortress Crete ordered the demolition of Anogia and annihilation of every male from Anogia in a radius of 1 kilometre.  German troops surrounded the village, arrested 80 elders and sent them to Heraklion and executed nine disabled  persons.  All others were evacuated to the surrounding mountains.  They blew up every single house with dynamite.  About 800 houses became rubble and they burned to death 6 elderly disabled women.  The remaining men fled to Mount Psiloritis to safety.  We were told that the widows began to created linens in order to survive.  This weaving and handicrafts continues to live on in the village.

A look into one of the kitchens through the window.

The small town square was very colourful.

Dinner.

 

This very nice lady showed us her work.

The villagers had no issues with us taking their photos.

A monument recognizing the contributions of the heroes who died for their country.

Many of the locals were sitting outside in the outdoor cafes.  Notice the telephone booth in the background which appeared to be working.

This women's work was exquisite.  

We finally made it back to our hotel and I took this shot from my balcony.  I had to hand hold  the camera  because my tripod was in the car.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Anogia Village Crete Rethymno https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/7/rethymnos-market-and-a-visit-to-anogia-village Thu, 30 Jul 2020 13:30:36 GMT
Early morning in the harbour of Rethymno and a visit to the Fortezza Fortress https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/7/crete-day-4 For sunrise, we went back to the harbour.  This lighthouse was built by the Egyptians around 1830, when the Turks handed Crete to the Egyptians.  In 1864, the lighthouse came under the supervision of the French Lighthouse Company.  The lighthouse is no longer working.  

Laurie and I noticed  that people were still in the bars at this early hour. 

A beautiful scene before the city woke up and the night crowd went home.

We walked around the old town and watched the sun come up.

Around 6.30 we walked  back to the hotel to get breakfast before heading out again.  

After breakfast we went to see the Fortezza Fortress.  This was a view of the city that we came across from the fortress.

The fortress was built by the Venetians in the 16th century in order to defend against Ottoman invasions.    By the early 20th century, many houses were built within the citadel.  They were later demolished during World War 2 leaving only a few historic buildings within the Fortezza.  The structure above is the Sultan Ibrahim Khan Mosque.  

Restoration was started in the 1990's.  

Inside one of the buildings.

Jane photographing inside the building.

From the fortress, there was a great view of the chrystal clear waters.  

One last look at this interesting mosque  and tree before heading out.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Crete Fortezza Fortress Rethymno https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/7/crete-day-4 Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:10:16 GMT
Crete, day 3 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/6/crete-day-3   After an early morning  visit to the Archelogical Museum in Heraklion, we drove to Rethymno.  

Along the way I saw this goat  looking at us when we stopped to look at a view.

A view of the city of Rethymno.  The city has a population of roughly 40,000 people.  Rethymno, was originally built during the Minoan civilization and was prominent enough to mint its own coins and maintain urban growth.  

The old town was almost entirely built by the Republic of Venice and is one of the best preserved ancient  towns in Crete. The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets.

 

Later in the afternoon  we walked around the old port and watched the fishermen mend and check their nets.  

It is always hard for me to resist taking photos of dogs.  Often people prefer not to have their photo taken but most people that I have met love having their dogs photographed.    This dog  definitely reminded me of Maggie and Katie.  

A view of the boats and cafes in  the marina.

This was a colourful display enticing people to come into the market and shop.

Another bell tower in golden light.

A beautiful Greek orthodox church.

For sunset we wandered back to the marina area, beside the lighthouse.   The Captain Hook ship sailed into the harbour so it was included in the shot.  The lighthouse is the second largest remaining Egyptian lighthouse in Crete after the lighthouse of Chania harbour.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Crete Heraklion Rethymno https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/6/crete-day-3 Fri, 19 Jun 2020 17:46:30 GMT
Crete, day 2 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/5/crete-day-2 Sunrise at the fortress.  Sunrise is definitely the best time to photograph.  The light is great and you don't get the crowds of people.

Beautiful light on the fishing boats and old town.

Later on we left the busy city to drive to Agios Deka passing olive trees and vineyards along the way.

This small village church was built in the 12th century and is well maintained.

As usual when visiting these small villages, we wandered through the streets.

We met some young kids who were happy to be photographed.

We walked by this goat and stopped to take a photograph.

Then we saw a lot of goats all coming to the fence hoping that we would feed them.

This was an interesting garden complete with an old vehicle.

Our next stop was Agios Nikolaos, a coastal town situated east of Heraklion with a population of around 12,000 residents not including tourists.  This tourist town became internationally well known during the 60's when it was discovered by famous cinema directors (Jules Dassin, Walt Disney etc.),  BBC producers and many others.  Some of the productions filmed here were: He Who Must Die, The Moon Spinners, and the TV series The Lotus Eaters.  Daphne du Maurier's short story Not After Midnight was set in and around the town.

We couldn't resist photographing this man mostly sleeping until he saw us and used his hand to gesture- probably telling us to go away and let him sleep.

We walked down to the marina  to look at some of the boats where we admired this wooden schooner.  

A photograph of the cliffs leading to the sculpture in the background.  

It was a beautiful day for sunbathing on the beach.  Like most of the beaches we saw in Greece, you could rent umbrellas and chairs.

After leaving the town, we saw more fields of olive trees and mountains in the distance. 

Tonight's sunset shoot was at the harbour at Sissi.  We found it to be a picturesque humble village where we sat outside and enjoyed a delicious dinner.  The little village was located 45 km east of Heraklion.

During the years of the Cretan Revolution (1866 - 1869), Sissi was an important strategic location for uploading guns and munitions against the rebels.  

I stayed in the same location and photographed as the light changed.

The last shot of the evening before driving back to the hotel.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Agios Agios Nikoaos Crete Deka" Heraklion" Sissi https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/5/crete-day-2 Sun, 31 May 2020 15:11:28 GMT
Crete https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/5/crete We arrived at Heraklion in the evening of June 3rd.  Unfortunately, there is no direct flight from Milos to Crete so we had to fly to Athens first and then wait for a flight to Heraklion.  After visiting Santorini and Milos, we were back to big city life. Heraklion is the largest city in Crete and was Europe's fastest growing tourism destination in 2017 with an 11.2% increase in international arrivals.  In 2018, the city had 3.4 million visitors.   The island of Crete is the largest and most popular of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Our hotel was located on the main square so we were able to walk to the old town and the Venetian harbour.  We came across fisherman cleaning and checking their nets after returning from their fishing expedition.  

This structure is called the Koules or Castello a Mare (Fort on the sea in Italian).  It is a fortress located at the entrance of the old port of Heraklion, Crete.  It was built by the Republic of Venice in the early 16th century and is still in good condition.    The walls are up to 8.7m thick in certain places and it has three entrances.  The fort has 2 stories with a total of 26 rooms which were originally used as barracks, a prison, storage rooms, a water reservoir, a church, a mill and a bakery.  The fortress has been restored and is now open to the public for art exhibitions and cultural activities.  

It was a beautiful, warm day for fishing.  

 We walked along the walkway for quite a distance to get different views and enjoy the weather.

You can see just how far this walkway goes.  

We ended up walking in the downtown area and the Lakkos district and having lunch along the way.  This building was the church of St. Titus.  The great earthquake of 1856 totally destroyed the church.  It was rebuilt as an Ottoman mosque.  The minaret of St Titus was demolished in the 1920's when the last Muslins left Heraklion with the exchange of population between Greece and Turkey. Today the church is an Orthodox Church dedicated to St Titus the Apostle.

 

The old city hall.  The Loggia was an essential public building in every Venetian city.  The newly independent Cretan state proposed to use the building as an Archaeological Museum.  An earthquake made the building unsafe so that idea was abandoned.  In 1904, the first floor was demolished.  Following the end of the second world war, the restoration started again.  In 1987, this building was awarded the prize for the most successful restoration of a historical building. 

Lions square, a great place to people watch and eat lunch.

Inside the Agios Minas  Cathedral.  The church was full of very beautiful and ornate chandeliers.

Agios Minas is a Greek Orthodox cathedral located in the centre of Heraklion and it is the patron saint of the city.

The area of Lakkos in Heraklion is one of the most up and coming districts in the city.  After a long period of neglect and public unawareness, it is once again full of life, art and interesting cultural events.

Different volunteer groups and the Municipality of Heraklion work together to renovate the area and preserve the history.  They paint old walls, decorate walls with street art and organize exhibitions and performances around the area.

Originally, the neighbourhood had narrow streets full or hashish smoke, music, immigrants, red lights and shady people.  Before the project began in 2015, approximately 50% of the area was abandoned. Although the project started by painting old houses with specifically chosen historical accurate colours, this turned out to be  an impossible task since the paints were received as donations.  So the project became more about doing murals and street art.

In the late afternoon, we visited the Knossos Palace.   Knossos is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city.  The palace of Knossos eventually became the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture.  

In its peak the palace and surrounding city boasted a population of 100,000 people shortly after 1,700 BC.  The excavation occurred in three separate periods beginning  in 1900 and ending in 1970.

 We  chose to photograph the fortress after dinner.  We never got the dramatic skies but we had a great subject.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Crete Heraklion Koules Lakkos https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/5/crete Sun, 17 May 2020 14:25:06 GMT
Last day on Milos https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/5/last-day-on-milos This morning we went to see the beach town of Paliohori, located in the southeast island of Milos, ten kilometres from Adamas.   On the way,  we stopped to check out a few different areas that we had seen before but not had the time to stop.  We saw many colorful gardens.

I guess this local was wondering what I was photographing.  He kind of just popped out of nowhere.

On the drive we came across a field of what Jane thought were Queen Anne's Lace. 

We stopped the car to check out this view of the landscape.

Eventually we made it to the beach.  There are actually three beaches at Paliohori.  The one in the middle is the bigger one and the most popular.  These beaches have deep crystal clear water.   Hot  water arises from the earth in several spots in the water which makes these beaches very unique.  You can see the sign "caution".  What I liked were the colourful volcanic rocks- you can see red, yellow, brown and white colours.  There was no one else around as it was only 8.30 in the morning.

An old cave in the area which we did not go in.

After leaving the beach, we drove to Plaka which is a well-preserved village and the capital of Milos.    As with many Greek villages, it was built like a maze of alleys to confuse pirates.

We wandered around the windy streets exploring the town.

We finally found a great place for brunch with a beautiful view of this church on the hill.  Even though it was a Sunday, painters were working on the structure.  

Another view from the restaurant.

After Brunch we continued walking through the village.

At some point, Laurie got a phone call from the hotel manager wondering where we were.  We were supposed to check out by noon but we thought it was 2 PM.  Apparently a young family was waiting for the rooms so the hotel was very unhappy with us.  So at that point we left the town to check out.  After checking out we made one more stop at Sarakiniko (see prior blog) before heading out to see a few more towns before catching our late afternoon  flight to Crete.

Our first stop was the beach at Plathiena.  This is the view of the beach from the road above.   The water was chrystal clear and the beach was not too crowded.

There were a few people in the water.

After leaving Plathiena, we headed to the traditional fishing  village of Fourkovouni on the northern side of Milos.   We  had sailed by this village the day before.  We wandered around the houses and did not see one person.  

Its hard to believe just how clear the water was.  

The architecture was very similar to the other villages we had visited.  The only difference is that this community seemed to be a ghost town.  There were no tourist facilities anywhere around unlike the other villages we had seen.

Laurie and Jane enjoying looking for subjects to photograph.  Soon it was time to make our way to the airport.  The airport in Milos was small, had no air conditioning and looked like it had never been updated since it was built-maybe in the 50's?  When we went through fairly lax security, there was only one person on duty.  After we had gone through, there was a small waiting room however we were not allowed to stay in it for long as they wanted the room for passengers on another flight.  So we had to stand outside waiting.  Of course the flight was late coming in so we waited a long time standing outside before walking a long way to get on the small plane which would take us to Athens where we waited a couple of hours for our flight to Crete.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Fourkovouni Milos Paliohori Plaka Plathiena https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/5/last-day-on-milos Fri, 08 May 2020 15:20:37 GMT
Sailing around Milos https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/4/sailing-around-milos

We spent a day sailing around the island on the Odysseus A, a 23.8m long schooner.  The ship easily fit 40 people or so but we only had about 25 people including the crew.  

 

This gentleman was a real character.  He told us he was the captain of the boat and we believed him!  He sure looked like he could have been.  

We never actually figured out what he did but painting and construction work was a good guess.

The cruise took off late because of some damage from the night before.  I seemed to remember something about another boat getting too close to the yacht  and the resulting  wake did some minor damage to the gangplank.   So while waiting we walked around the port of Adamas, which is the main port on the island of Milos.  We ended up being in Adamas a few times- this is where our ferry arrived and where we ate a few meals.  As the largest village on the island, there were a lot of restaurants and hotels.

The scenery was pretty spectacular and the day started off warm and sunny.

We spent the next several hours cruising around the island.  Unfortunately, it was not windy enough to sail so boats' engines were used.  On the boat, we took photographs, relaxed, visited with people from all over and had a delicious buffet lunch.

At times we sailed pretty close to the cliffs so we could get a great view of the geology of the area.  One of the crewman gave a commentary about what we were seeing which was very interesting.  There were some other boats in the area that we came across.  

During the cruise, there were at least four stops where people could go swimming and snorkelling.  Apparently the water was cool but quite refreshing.  

Here we sailed by a small, hidden beach used by locals.   I'm not sure I would have wanted to be climbing up and down the ladder.

We came across some really neat rocks.  The one in the middle reminded me of a sail boat.  There were sea caves all over the island.  Many of the rocks were used by pirates for shelter.  The colours of the rocks comes from the rich mineral deposits.  

I took this close up photo of these basalt formations which I found very interesting.  More than 90% of all volcanic rock on earth is basalt.  Basalt lava has a low viscosity (because of its low silica content) so this results in rapid lava flows that spread over vast areas before cooling and solidifying.  So the result are the formations above.  

We sailed past the fishing village of Fourkovouni where we would end up seeing the next day.   

We passed by an old mining operation.  Milos has often been overlooked in the past as  as an industrial island and not a tourist attraction.    The natural resources have been profitable since the ancient Greeks dug for obsidian which is a black mineral.  Obsidian is hard, brittle and amorphous.    In the past it was used to manufacture tools and has been used experimentally as surgical scalpel blades.   Today Milos has silver, bauxite and kaolin mines and the world's second largest mine for bentonite which is used in cement.  The tourist have also come but compared to Santorini, the island was very quiet.

Towards the end of the day, the clouds started to roll in and it cooled down quite a bit.  Many people ended up inside trying to warm up.   In the meantime we sailed by The Arkoudes.  These are a group of rocky islets.  The rock above appears to show an opening mouth, a nose, eyes, ears and a body that looks like a bear.  Therefore, it is called bear rock.  The rock is about 20 feet high and the only way to see them is by boat.  

These natural sculptures are near Plathenia Beach and the entrance of the bay of Milos.  This formation looks like a rabbit.  

Could this be a pirate ship?

After a wonderful day cruising around the island, we headed back to the hotel.  As we saw these wonderful colours,  Laurie stopped the car so I could take a quick photo.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Adamas Arkoudes Basalt Fourkovouni Milos Sailing https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/4/sailing-around-milos Sat, 25 Apr 2020 22:52:20 GMT
Sarakiniko, Milos https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/4/sarakiniko-milos My favourite place on the island to photograph was Sarakiniko Beach.  It is located in the north shore of the island, close to Plaka.  We ended up going for three different visits-  at  sunset, sunrise and noon.  

 Waves driven by north winds shape the greyish-white volcanic rock  into amazing shapes, and the area is often compared to a moonscape.

 The local people often refer to the scenic landscape of Sarakiniko as Lunar.   The bone-white beach derives its unusual characteristics from the erosion of the volcanic rock by wind and wave.   Sarakiniko is one of the most photographed landscapes in the Aegean and I could see why.

It sure looked moonlike to me apart from the people!

The white sandstone looks like a lunar landscape. 

I came across this great swimming hole but I didn't wait around to see if the swimmer actually went in.

What a great place to sit and enjoy the scenery.   We got some great  orange and yellow colours at sunset.  It wasn't so easy to find a composition that I liked though.

 I preferred this photo to the one above.

I'm sure this is similar to scenery in  Utah or the southwest.    The water was behind me in this and the next shot.


We came back the following morning at sunrise.  The yellow beam of light to the left was Laurie running down the path with a speed light.   

There were actually a few people around in spite of the early hour.

The morning light on the rocks that I  photographed the night before.  We didn't get the dramatic skies but it was still a nice scene.  

Once the sun came up, there was some nice golden light on the rocks.

The last morning shot before we left the area.  Sarakiniko was named for Saracen pirates who would hide their boats under the white cliffs that remind people of whipped cream. 
On our last day on the island we came back to do some mid-day shooting.

Now we could really tell what a popular swimming and beach spot this was.  I should add that although it was warm outside, the water was not that warm since it was the beginning of the season.  

I really enjoyed looking at the beautiful shades of water.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Milos Sarakiniko https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/4/sarakiniko-milos Thu, 16 Apr 2020 13:14:44 GMT
Milos https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/4/milos Milos is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, just north of the Sea of Crete.   This island is a popular tourist destination in the summer but we found the island very quiet.  I think the local population is around 5,000 people.  The island was one of the first islands to join the Greek War of Independence of 1821.  During the 19th century, Milos was a major meeting point for American  and British ships fighting Muslim pirates in the Mediterranean.  Most of the island is rugged and hilly and is of volcanic origin.  

We stayed in the town of Pollonia- at the northeastern tip of the island (see map above).    The town is a quiet fishing village.   We ate dinner in a traditional tavern on the waterfront which was pretty typical for the majority of our meals.  I really don't remember eating indoors much at all, apart from breakfast.

We were up early to shoot sunrise- however, the spot where we went  was in walking distance of our hotel which meant we didn't have to get up quite as early. 

The golden light was nice on the rocks.  You can see that this was not a beach for swimming- it was quite the rugged coastline.

I thought this was a very interesting rock formation.

A local fisherman

The photo was taken just down the road from the hotel.

This was the hotel we stayed in.  We did have some challenges such as hot water (non existent at times) and a slow internet.  However, I had a large suite wth a beautiful view of the water.

In the afternoon we drove to the  tiny fishing port  of Areti.    This was one of the viewpoints on the drive.

Areti  turned out to be a small fishing port with a few buildings with boat garages.  You can see just how chrystal clear the water was.

There were a few painters that we observed for a few minutes.

 

Our late afternoon visit was to Klima, a well known colourful seaside village.  A long strip of multi-colored traditional fishermen houses, known as “syrmatas” lie along Milos Bay.  The houses were initially painted different colors so they're easily recognizable by their owners. The two-story design is very practical – the bottom serves as the boat garage and kitchen, while the second floor makes for a great living space.

It was a very colourful village.

The village is a a very popular spot for tourists so we did see the locals working on various construction projects as well as painting.   The colourful houses and their reflections  were nice to photograph.

Laurie and Jane both finding different subjects to photograph.  Jane was enjoying photographing the ducks but I'm not sure what Laurie was looking at.

The light got more interesting later on in the afternoon so I concentrated more on photographing the water and sky.

Next stop was sunset at Sarakiniko.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Areti Greece Klima Milos Pollonia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/4/milos Sat, 04 Apr 2020 18:20:16 GMT
Santorini, May 29th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/3/santorini-may-29th For our last full day on the island including the last sunrise, we agreed to return to Oia which was our favourite sunrise spot.

Every direction that we looked at had great views.  This direction was the focus of my shots for the actual sun rising.

The castle of Agios Nikolaos is carved in a rock.  The castle dates back to the 15th century during pirate raids.  The castle had an excellent viewpoint and was well fortified.  There were also beautiful  residences inside owned by the Venetian rulers at the time.  At the present time, because of the destruction of the 1956 earthquake when great parts of the settlement collapsed into the sea, there is only part of the watchtower left.  Apparently this is a very popular spot for sunsets.  We tended to avoid the area at that time due to the crowds.  This photo was made just as the sun was hitting the castle.

We stayed in this area for most of the early morning light.

The photographer allowed us to photograph his model.

We kept walking in the village of Oia exploring different parts while the light was still good.  This shot was taken around 7.30 am.  We had been out shooting since 5.30 am.  This is the best time to wander in the streets before too many tourists are out.

One more beautiful church to photograph in the nice light.

In the late morning we went to the coastal town of Kamari.  The beach was covered with black pebbles.  Once an agricultural and fishing village, today the town has a thriving tourist industry with lots of shops, restaurants, bars and hotels.

People could rent the lounge chairs along the beach.   One of the many restaurants beside the beach.  

This gentleman was working on the beach and allowed us to take his photograph. 

After eating at the beach area, we walked in the town where we saw a priest riding the bells.  We thought it might be a Greek wedding because of a trail of petals on the street but we never saw any evidence of the ceremony so it must have been some other celebration.  

As usual, we explored the area and wandered around the streets.  Like in some of the other villages, we came across buildings that had been damaged by the 1956 earthquake and had not been repaired.  

 

For out last sunset on the island, we travelled to the Akrotiri lighthouse, a 19th century lighthouse built by a French company in 1892. This is one of the oldest lighthouses in Greece and stopped operations during World War II. The lighthouse is famous for its sunset views!

It was an incredible sunset- this shot was taken looking behind me.

The lighthouse gets its name from the nearby ruins of a Minoan town that was lived in as early as 4,000 BC.  Originally using light that was created from oil, it became powered by electricity in 1983.  You can see the rectangular house attached to the lighthouse where the lighthouse keeper lived.

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Not a bad way to end our time in Santorini.  The next day we took the ferry to the island of Milos.  Instead of meeting at 5 AM to shoot sunrise,  we slept in, packed and checked out.  We arrived at the ferry terminal in plenty of time.  We had assigned seats on the ferry -there was some mixup as other people seemed to have the same assigned seats.  Eventually, we got it sorted out.  The ferry was absolutely packed and we didn't move from our seats until we disembarked.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Akrotiri lighthouse Kamari Oia Santorini https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/3/santorini-may-29th Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:08:44 GMT
Santorini, May 28th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/3/santorini-may-28th  

We were back at Oia for our morning sunrise shots.  

We got some beautiful pastel colours in the sky.

We had seen this dog wandering around the town the previous day.  He found a comfortable spot.

You know it was pretty early in the morning when you didn't have the tourists in your shots. This shot was taken just before 7 am.

The views from Oia were just spectacular.  It is easy to see why this town is so crowded.

It was a pleasure walking around early in the morning before the tourists were up and about.  

Taking a peak into this person's terrace we saw an interesting sculpture.  The nice light made the scene picture worthy.

I really liked this view a lot.  I was thinking it would make a terrific place to come for sunrise which we did the next day.  

  One last shot before we headed back to the hotel for breakfast and a rest before heading out to our next location.

We ended up in the  Vlichada port and beach community located on the south coast of Santorini.  Some of the fishing boats were pretty colourful.

 

We walked around the port watching some of the fishermen checking their nets  and cleaning their fish.

Later in the afternoon, we drove to the south shore of the island to visit both the Red and Black beach.  The red beach is one of the most famous and beautiful beaches in Santorini.  

The beach's sand is composed of black and red pulverized volcanic rock from the nearby Santorini caldera.  The area is prone to landslides.  The beach was not easy to access, however there were people who did make the trek to the beach.  We were not one of them!

You can see all of the fallen rocks in the area.

We ended up at Black Beach to shoot the sunset.  Unfortunately, we didn't get the colours we were hoping for.  Still it was a nice scene.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Black Beach Oia Red Beach Santorini Vlichada https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/3/santorini-may-28th Thu, 12 Mar 2020 22:24:15 GMT
Santorini, May 27th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/3/santorini-may-27th This shot was taken first thing in the morning just outside my hotel room.  Many mornings we could come back to the hotel for breakfast and before going out again just before lunch, I would spend time sitting outside.  

This morning we went to see the town of Emporio.  We arrived in time to watch this fisherman unloading his catch.  The cats were hoping for breakfast!

 

Emporio is the largest village of Santorini, situated at the centre of the south part of the island, about 12 kilometres from Fira (see map above).  Emporio means trade which was appropriate for this town which used to be the centre of the commercial business in the past.   As we wandered in and out of the narrow streets, we came across beautiful houses and yards.   

We were wondering why there were so may doors so close together.

We were all wondering why there were so many doors in close proximity  for the house on the right.

One of the many streets we walked in.

Some nice early morning light.

 
 

 The residences were all very close together.  We rarely saw people so they must have all been at work.

 

What I really enjoy doing when I'm in these  villages and the small towns  is just wandering in the streets. 

 

This is exactly how I would picture a scene from a small Greek village.

We finally came across a Grreek woman returning from the market. 

The local beach scene.  

After having a morning break at our hotel, we headed out to visit Messaria-located almost at the centre of Santorini.  Part of the village is built on the caldera offering a great view of the volcano and the Aegean Sea. The definition of a caldera is: a large volcanic crater, especially one formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano.   As you can see the village had some windmills that were no longer active.

Of course we came across another beautiful church with its blue dome.

The village dates back to the 17th century.  In the 19th century, it was the industrial centre of the island.  

We just wandered in the streets looking at the houses and gardens. It was quite a picturesque village.  I'm always on the lookout for these types of laundry scenes.  The bougainvillea was a bonus.

 

We came across these holes or small caves  in the volcanic rock where we saw all of these birds taking advantage of the offered protection.

For our evening shots, we drove to the southern mountains in the centre of the island to see Exo Gonia and Pyrgos. Exo Gonia is a small, peaceful and traditional village  built in the rear of Pyrgos.  The old monastery was founded around 1705 and played a substantial role in ensuring the continuity of Greek education on the island. The church also contributed to the 1821 war of Independence.  The monastery was dissolved in 1833, demolished 1893 and the present parish church pictured above was built on the site in 1941.  With one exception, it is the only church with a tiled roof in contrast to the other churches on the island.  

Locals and tourists enjoying the beautiful day.    These villages have been spared the terraces, balconies, infinity pools and hotels that are pictured in the glossy magazines featuring Santorini.  Over the years, some of the beautiful mansions have been restored to operate as luxury accommodations.    The scenery is definitely more subdued, less picture perfect and not as advertised.  I very much doubt that the tourist ships bring people here.  It was very quiet walking in the streets.

 

Of course there were still some touristy shops and I saw this cat hiding under one of the tables

 

Another residence that was typical of the houses that we saw in the smaller villages.

Pyrgos is the best preserved medieval settlement on the island.

The old church that we hiked up to to get our sunset view.  Pyrgos is at the highest point of Santorini with beautiful panoramic views which made the hike worthwhile.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Emporio Exo Gonia Mesaría Pyrgos Santorini https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/3/santorini-may-27th Tue, 03 Mar 2020 16:35:36 GMT
Santorini - May 26th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/2/santorini---may-26th

In the morning we went to Oia for sunrise.  Laurie pointed out to us that because this iconic spot was so busy at sunset, he much preferred the spot at sunrise.  We did notice how quiet the village was- we saw hardly any people out which was not too surprising since it was 5.45 AM.  As you can see the lights of the city were still on.   The town is noted for its white and blue domed houses.  The houses are painted in white lime water so that the rainwater which falls over it runs down and can be collected.  Another reason for painting the houses white is for the aesthetic purposes.  One other explanation is that during the Ottoman rule of Greece which lasted for four hundred years, Greeks were not allowed to fly their white flag.  So in defiance, the houses in Oil were painted in white with domes.  

The sky was on fire this morning.  

A close up example of the white buildings with the blue dome.  The rising sun gave the white buildings  a pink colour cast.  

These cliff homes built into the niches carved into the caldera slopes helps to provide insulation benefits to the buildings by keeping them warm in winter and cool in the summer months.

This photo was made just as the sun lit up the bell towers and the tops of the buildings in the distance.  

In the late morning we visited the town of Megalochori.  The town is located in the southern part of the island- see the map.  This village is a very quiet traditional village sitting on a hill facing to the east of Santorini.  We ended up walking all around the small town.

Once again, there were many white buildings and churches in the village.  

Another white church with blue dome which were so abundant and colourful in Santorini.

There were many old traditional houses in the village and we wandered around the maze of winding cobbled streets.  

The Megalochori bell tower.  

In the  afternoon, we headed to Ammoudi Bay which is located in the most northern part of the island (see map).  

The bay is well known for the 200 plus  steps leading up to the town of Oil on the cliffs above.  You could either walk up the stairs, take donkeys or in our case  just admire the view.  

As you can see the bay is surrounded by striking red cliffs and white-washed buildings so typical to Santorini.  The waters were crystal clear.  The bay was the main port of Oil during the 19th and 20th century where all of the trade and commerce took place.

We walked along the trail to get a different viewpoint.

For sunset we drove back to Firosterfani.    Although this village is considered a separate settlement, it really is an extension of Fira.  

 We were not the only ones watching the sunset.

We stayed around until blue hour.  As you can tell the days were very long with getting up in time for an early sunrise and staying until past sunset.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Ammoudi Bay Firostefani Greece Megalochori Oia Santorini https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/2/santorini---may-26th Thu, 20 Feb 2020 00:56:03 GMT
Santorini, Greece https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/2/santorini-greece  

On May 23rd 2019,  I left Milan, Italy and flew to the island of Santorini in Greece, via Athens.  I stayed at the Lilium Hotel in Fira before transferring to a different hotel where the group was staying.  I was joining a photography tour: Photography Workshop Adventures (PWA) led by Laurie Cohen. 

I arrived in time for sunset and saw this view from the hotels' terrace.  The cruise ship was one of many that we would see during out stay.  We were told that Santorini actually started to limit the number of cruise ships allowed to the island to restrict the number of people in the streets. 

As I usually do, I arrived a day early for the tour.  The hotel provided a shuttle service into Fira (see halfway down the map) so after breakfast, I went into the town to explore on my own.  Fira is a city of white-washed houses built on the edge of a cliff. There was a young couple who also came into town from the hotel.  I ended up walking with them on the Fira-Oia hike which is one of the highlights of visiting Santorini.  The hike took us along the caldera cliff and through the villages of Fira, Firosterfani, Imerovigli, and Oia.  I almost made it to Oia before I turned back after a few hours.


There were so many hotels with beautiful terraces overlooking the water.  The many hotels are a necessity because of all of the tourists arriving in the summer months.  Fortunately, we were just ahead of tourist season but it was still crowded.

Walking along the trail were magnificent views. 

On the right side of the photo is the main  road  beside the towns.  In the far distance you can see the small town of Oia.  Both  the  blue sky and ocean were incredibly blue.   

When walking you could see into people's "back yards".  There would not be a lot of privacy if you lived along the path but the gorgeous views might be worth it.

Skaros Rock is a large rock promontory on the Agean sea.   The formation was created through the volcanic activity of the nearby Santorini caldera.  Given the elevated position of the rock, it made a great defensive fort initially used in the early 13th century by the Byzantine Empire.  I didn't actually hike down to the rock which would have taken an additional hour or so.

It was like my camera had a mind of its own- it would not stop taking photos of this beautiful island. 

Even though the tour had not officially started, Laurie picked me up at my hotel and we went to dinner at the Santos winery where we had magnificent views at sunset.

We started the official tour the next day and walked in the town of Fira.  This was the main road -part of the hiking trail.  So although it was midday, you can see that it was busy but not overly crowded to the point where you could not walk without bumping into someone.  In high season, this would not be the case.  The cruise ships bring in thousands of tourists which is great for business but not good for walking.

A church reflected in a hotel window.

Normally, you would see cruise ships way below the town.   The ships use tenders to get the people to land.  Since the initial tender boats coming into Fira are reserved for the passengers taking the excursions, it could take a while to get into town if you had not booked an excursion.   Once you get to land you can take the cable car up to town or you can take burros.   Of course there is also the option of walking up substantial flights of stairs.   

One of the more colourful churches in town.  I'm not sure where I have seen more churches than on the Greek  islands we visited.

In the late afternoon, we walked in Imerovigli for a welcome dinner and terrific views.  All of the villages had lots of hills so perhaps it was more of a trek than a walk. 

As we were walking, the fog rolled in and it became difficult to see much of anything.

The sun  came out suddenly and lit up the village and cliffs.  This view was from our restaurant- fortunately we were pretty close to the railing and there was a space for us to get the shot.

Sunset from the same area.  We were so lucky that the fog lifted and we had great colours afterall.

We waited for the lights to come on before leaving for the evening.  We actually had quite a walk back to the car.  Parking was not always so easy in the town.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Fira Greece Santorini Skaros Rock https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2020/2/santorini-greece Mon, 10 Feb 2020 23:24:12 GMT
Sydney, Australia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/12/sydney-australia

On November 4th, 2019 I flew to Sydney Australia for a 5 week adventure.   My sister, Wendy who lives in Vancouver would be joining me for most of the time.   I started in Toronto, flew to Montreal (yes, wrong direction but that is what happens when you use points to fly), caught a flight to Vancouver and just before midnight (same day) flew to Sydney.  I left for the Toronto Pearson Airport around noon  and arrived in Sydney, Australia on November 6th (two days later) at 10.30 am Australian time.  The approximate flying time was 22 hours.  Fortunately, I was able to get some sleep on the flight to Sydney and it didn't seem  difficult to adapt to the new time zone.  However, arriving back in Toronto was a different story!

After checking into our hotel and getting organized, Wendy and I went for a tour of the famous Opera House.  The Sydney Opera house cost $102 million (estimate was $7m) to build.   The majority of the project was funded by a state lottery.   Construction was expected to take four years but ended up taking fourteen years.  233 designs were submitted in the Opera House international design competition and the winner was announced in 1956- Jorn Utzon from Denmark who received 5,000 pounds for his design.  

We walked through the botanical gardens in the late afternoon.    It was interesting to note that the photographer was using his phone to photograph instead of the camera.  However, perhaps it was one of the ladies cellphones.

I liked the idea of photographing the women from the back to show off  their  hats.  Wendy and I both had the same idea at the same time.

The day after we arrived in Sydney we took a day tour to the Blue Mountains, a mountainous region about 50 km (31 mi) from Sydney.  The area was listed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO on November 29, 2000.  We just saw a very small part since the area totals approximately 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 square mi).  We did some hiking and of one of the hikes was to see the waterfall pictured above.  

A vist to the Blue Mountains is not complete without seeing the Three Sisters, formed by land erosion.   We chose to take the tour which would arrive in the area in the early evening so we would have some nice light.   The sandstone of the Blue Mountains was eroded over time by wind, rain and rivers, causing the cliff's surrounding the Jamison Valley to be slowly broken up.   The legend is that the three sisters lived in the valley, fell in love with three men from the neighboring Nepean tribe but marriage was forbidden by law.  The brothers decided to capture the sisters which caused a major tribal battle.  In order to protect the sisters, an elder turned them to stone but naturally he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back.  

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A photograph of the hills taken just before sunset.

Wendy and I visited  the well known Bondi Beach.   We walked along the 3.7 mile ocean walk taking in the beaches, cliffs and various viewpoints.  It was a beautiful, warm day so there were a lot of people taking advantage of the weather.  

Later in the afternoon, we ended up taking a bus to Watson's Bay where we could see Sydney Skyline in the distance.  We enjoyed fish and chips on the pier before catching a ferry back to Sydney.

A photo from the ferry as we approached the city.

One night we decided to photograph the city from the  open rooftop of the hotel we were staying in.  The Danish designer of the Opera House, Utzon, found himself in conflict with the new Minister of Public Works (Hughes) who had no interest in art, architecture or aesthetics.  Attempting to  rein in the escalating cost of the project, Hughes began questioning  Utzon's capability, designs and cost estimates, refusing to pay running costs.  In 1966 after a final request from Utzon that plywood manufacturer Ralph Symonds should be one of the suppliers for the roof structure was refused, Utzon resigned from the job and left Australia.  When Utzon left, the shells were almost complete and costs amounted to only 22.9 million.  Following major changes to the original plans for the interiors, costs finally rose to $103 million.  Sadly, Utzon never saw the completed Opera House.  When the Opera House was finally completed in 1973 and opened by Elizabeth II, not only was the architect not invited to the ceremony, his name was not even mentioned.   However, later on he was recognized when he was asked to design updates to the interior of the opera house.  

The view of the bridge, the harbour and the nearby Sydney Opera house is regarded as an iconic image of Sydney.

A view of North Sydney.  One evening we would photograph sunset from North Sydney looking towards our hotel.

We stayed on the rooftop  and photographed until the  blue hour- the sun was below the horizon and the residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominately blue shade.  What happens is that " the sun is far enough below the horizon so that the sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone".   It sounds complicated- basically, blue hour occurs after the sun has set or before the sun has risen.

One day, we took a 30 minute ferry boat ride from Circular Quay to Manley Beach where there were lots of shops, restaurants, night clubs and bars.  

We  spent the morning at Manley Beach, walking in the town and along the ocean way passing Fairy Bower and Shelley Beach.  

This photo overlooking Sydney was taken from Macquarie's Road. The road was built between 1813 and 1818 and ran from the original Government House to Mrs. Macquarie's Point.  Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821 had the road built for the benefit of his wife as she was known to visit the area to enjoy  the panoramic views of the harbor.  

The next set of photos were taken from the other side of the bridge-in North Sydney. There  was enough of a break in the clouds to get some beautiful colors in the sky and water.  

Blue hour from the same position.  The Sydney Harbour bridge was designed and built by a British firm and opened in 1932.  The bridge is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world.

We waited until the lights from the city came on.

The last shot of the evening.   

The next  morning we walked across the Sydney Harbour bridge to the north side (where we had photographed the evening before).  Adjacent to the road traffic, there is a path for pedestrian use which runs along the eastern side of the bridge. As you can see, Sydney is a popular spot for cruise ships.  

Another photograph taken from the bridge.

While walking along the beach in North Sydney, we came across wedding photos being taken.  

On our last night in Sydney, we went back to photograph the harbour from a different area.   Wendy loved the purple flowers on the Jacaranda trees.  The tree is actually a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America.  Australia has had problems with this tree as it prevents growth of native species.  We saw them everywhere in Sydney.

Blue Hour.

Time to say goodbye to Sydney as the following morning we were flying to New Zealand to begin a two week photography tour.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Australia Blue Mountains Bondi Beach Manley Beach Sidney Harbour Bridge Sydney Sydney Opera House https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/12/sydney-australia Sun, 29 Dec 2019 15:16:01 GMT
Food In Morocco https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/9/food-in-morocco The food in Morocco was delicious.  Sometime Rosa would order for us as a group and other times we had buffets in the restaurants  or  we ordered individually. I don't remember all of the different foods we ate but I do remember that there were black and green olives and  bread at every meal.       When I remembered, and/or people reminded me, I would take some photos of the  meals with my phone so I am including some of the photos directly from the phone.  I cannot remember what all of the different foods were but I found that the food was diverse and very vibrant in color and flavor.  I didn't take a photo but mint tea is very popular and was served to us all the time.  It is a green tea base with lots of mint leaves and sugar ( a lot of sugar).  

The  fruit was delicious.  I hadn't had pomegranates in years.

I should have taken notes at the meals because I cannot remember what some of the dishes and desserts were.

Morocco's national dish is tangine  and it became one of my favorite Moroccan dishes.  Tagine is a clay cooking pot with a conical top as shown above.  Tagine is the dish that is cooked in the pot- the ingredients can be beef, lamb, chicken, veggies etc. and I think we tried them all.  This is a slow cooking method which makes resulting dish very tender and flavorful.

Shish kebab, also known as brochettes are also very popular.  The chicken, lamb or beef kebabs are rubbed in salt and spices, then grilled over a charcoal fire.  They were delicious.  

We had lots of vegetables at all of the meals.

Salads in Morocco were made up of vegetables, either raw or cooked, hot or cold, flavored with different herbs and spices and served with a main course such as tagine or couscous.  Sometimes hard boiled eggs and potatoes were added.

The oranges were so sweet. The apples with cinnamon on top were also excellent.

Moroccan pizza.  We stopped in a village for lunch and had a delicious pizza which is very different than your normal pizza.  I can't remember what ingredients were inside but I'm thinking cheese and eggs.  By the way I also had regular, thin crust pizza a few other times and I have to say the pizza was the best I've ever tasted (better than Italian pizza). 

We celebrated Pauls' birthday one night when we were staying in a desert camp.  We didn't have a traditional birthday cake but this was just as good!

A vegetable tagine.  

These were the best french fries ever!  We ended up coming back to this restaurant two days in a row and ordered the same thing since the food was so good.  I could have just eaten the  french fries for lunch- actually that is probably what I did do along with bread and olives.   

 

I'm thinking that on top of this dish were date truffles- a delicious blend of dates, nuts and cocoa powder but I'm not 100% sure.  

That gives you an idea of some of the food we ate.  I am hoping to return to Morocco one day and join Rosa on another one of her trips to see some different areas and perhaps some of the same places.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/9/food-in-morocco Sun, 29 Sep 2019 14:45:39 GMT
Last day in Essaouira https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/9/essaourira

Today was our last day in Essaouira  before we headed back to Marakesh.  You can see from above that the road from Essaouira to Marrakech is a straight line.

After leaving the harbour we made our way to the Medina.

Colourful bowls for sale in the Medina. 

We stopped off at restaurant for lunch in the old town.   The owner's dog was very hopeful.

There were lots of cats in this town as well.

Kids playing in the old fortress. 

A photographer friend of Rosa's met us to guide us through the Medina after lunch.  It would have been so easy to get lost in the narrow alleyways which was true for all of the medinas we went to in Morocco.  

We spent the next couple of hours wandering the streets and alleyways.

A colorful old door.

Rosa's friend took us into a Riad where we could go to the rooftop  to take photos.  

It was very nice when people didn't mind having their photos taken.  

I went inside an old synagogue.  Mohammed III encouraged Moroccan Jews to settle in the town and handle the trade with Europe.  Jews once occupied 40% of the population and the Jewish quarter (or mellah) contains many old synagogues.  The town also has a large Jewish cemetery.  The city flourished until the caravan trade died (superseded by  direct European trade with sub-Saharan Africa).  So changes in trade, the founding of Israel and the resulting wars with Arab states plus the independence of Morocco all resulted in Sephardic Jews leaving the country.  As of 2017, Essaouira  had only three Jewish residents.  

The next morning we headed to Marrakech.  On the way we stopped at factory where we watched women make Argan oil from the nuts of the Argan trees.  

A photo of the tree goats of Morocco.  Grown almost exclusively in Sous Valley in Southwestern Morocco, the Argania is a rare and protected species after years of over-farming and clear-cutting.  The tree produces an annual fruit crop and it is this delicious fruit that attracts the local goats who hop onto the branches to pick the fruit.  After the goats finish eating the fruit and nuts off the tree,  they pass valuable clumps of seeds which are then pressed to create the sought after Argan oil.  Unfortunately, because the tree goats are very profitable to their owners, more and more of the goats have been brought into the area causing a general decline in the health of the remaining trees.  

The farmers condone and cultivate this feeding, keeping the goats away from the trees until the fruit matures.   At that point, the goats are allowed to hop up into the branches to eat  the fruit.   However, we were there in November not the time when the fruit matures.  You actually had to pay to photograph the goats so I think that the goats were actually tied to the trees (wasn't obvious) which is illegal.  After a quick stop to see the goats, we headed back to Marrakech where our tour ended that evening.  All in all, Morocco was a wonderful country and I enjoyed all of it.  We got to see large cities, small towns, the mountains, the desert, the sand dunes and the ocean.    Of course what made the trip even better was the great group of new friends I made and our wonderful  tour guide and drivers.  I have to say that out of all of the places I have been to, my favorite trips  have been in Africa- Kenya and Morocco.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Argan oil Essaouira Morocco tree goats https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/9/essaourira Wed, 18 Sep 2019 19:23:54 GMT
Essaourira https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/9/essaourir Essaouira is located on the North Atlantic Ocean.  On the map you can see the coastal town just north of Agadir, about 2/3rds down the map.  During the Middle Ages, a Muslim named Sidi Mogdoul was buried in Essaourira, probably giving the city the original name of Mogador. In 1506, the king of Portugal ordered a fortress to be built here.  The fortress fell to the local resistance of the Regraga fraternity in 1510, just four years later.  During the 16th century, powers including Spain, England the Netherlands and France tried without success to conquer the city as it was a haven for the export of sugar and molasses.  Pirates were also known to take refuge in this city.  

The present city of Essaourira was built during the mid-eighteenth century by the Moroccan King.  The King wanted to increase trade with Europe choosing Mogador as his key location.  One objective was to establish a harbour at the closest possible point to Marrakesh.  The other was to cut off trade from Agadir (see map above) in the south which had been favoring a political rival of the Moroccan King.  The people of Agadir were forced to relocate to Essaourira.  I was very happy to see this coastal town and walk along the beach.  We stayed at a beautiful hotel just across the street from the beach.

We spent a couple of hours walking on the beach waiting for sunset.  There was a lot of action here- surfers and camel and horse rides.  It was definitely a place for people watching.  However, if you wanted to photography any of the riders, you were expected to pay.

I had fun photographing the horses and tried out some panning shots.  Rosa hired a rider to ride back and forth while we made all kinds of fun photos and watched the gorgeous sunset.

The colors actually looked like this- that is how colorful the sky was.

Bonus for us as other riders and their dog joined in the fun.

The four riders and their horses.

The last shot of the evening before we went to dinner.  

The next morning we explored the town.  We walked over to watch the fishermen bring in the fish from the sea and this was our view on the way over.  Through out the years France had an important administrative, military and economic presence in Essaourira.  Many Moroccans in the town speak French fluently today.

The harbor was one busy place.  I like how all of the fishing boats were the same color.

The seagulls were everywhere looking for food.

All kinds of fresh fish for sale.

The colorful nets used.

Some of the larger fishing boats used.

From the time the city was rebuilt  by Muhammad III until the end of the 19th century, the city served as Morocco's principal port, offering the goods of the caravan trade to the world.  The route brought goods from sub-Saharan Africa to Timbuktu, then through the desert and over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakesh.  The road from Marrakesh to Essaourira is a straight line which is the reason the king favored this city as the main port.

Next blog-  a trip to the Medina.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) boats" camels" Essaouira fishing horses sunset https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/9/essaourir Mon, 02 Sep 2019 15:48:38 GMT
Chefchaouen to El Jadida https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/8/chefchaouen-to-el-jadida

Today we drove from Chefchaouen  (located on top quarter of the map) to El Jadida which is on the coast, just south of Casablanca.  

We stopped in Casablanca for lunch before heading to the Mosque Hassan II.  This photo was taken on the street near where we parked.    I should add that the driving in Casablanca was crazy (also in Fes).  Drivers were going all over the place in these traffic circles and the roads were very busy with cars constantly honking.  We did drive by Rick's Cafe which was designed to recreate the bar made famous by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Berman in the classic movie Casablanca.  However, I didn't actually see it.  The bar scenes in the movie were filmed on Warners' Burbank lot in Hollywood recycling sets from previous productions.  However, Rick's cafe in Casablanca closely replicates the one in the movie.  We didn't spend any time in Casablanca except for a stop at the famous Mosque.  

This was our fist look at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.  It is the largest mosque in Africa and the fifth largest in the world.  At 210 meters (690 feet) in height, the minaret is the tallest religious structure in the world.   Completed in 1883, the minaret is 60 stories high topped by a laser, the light from which is directed towards Mecca.  The walls are of hand crafted marble and the roof is retractable.  A maximum of 105,000 worshippers can gather together for prayer.  

We went on a tour of the mosque.  It was stunning inside.  I have to admit that I heard little of what the tour guide was saying as I was busy photographing and didn't even try to keep up to the guide.

The work on the mosque started on July 12, 1986 and took seven years to complete at a cost of approximately 585 million euro.  Much of the financing was by public subscription since  twelve million people donated to the cause.  In addition to  public donations and those from  businesses and  Arab countries( such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia), western countries provided construction loans.  

The shot was taken looking up at the ceiling.

After our tour of the mosque, we spent some time walking around the buildings.

The mosque stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic Ocean. 

After leaving Casablanca, we drove to El Jadida where we spent the night.  Early next morning, I went to the roof of our hotel to photograph the sunrise.  

El Jadida is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 106 km south of the city of Casablanca.  It has a population of about 195,000.  The city was seized by the Portuguese in 1502.  The Portuguese build a citadel in 1514 and a larger fortification in 1541.  The city was controlled by the Portuguese until 1769 when they abandoned their last territory in Morocco.

Our first stop in El Jadida was the Portuguese cistern.  Cisterns were meant to store drinking water in case of a siege.  This one was built by the Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries.  Expanded since 1514, this former warehouse (possibly an armory) was converted into a cistern in the 16th century.    This place was like a large dungeon but very colorful.  You can see the thin layer of water on the floor which creates a natural mirror reflecting the ceiling.  This cistern was used by Orson Wells to film the riot scene in his "Othello".  

The underground chamber, measures 34 meters by 34 meters and was constructed with five rows of five stone pillars.

After leaving the cistern we continued on to the water.

The Fortress of Mazagan was built by the Portuguese in 1502.  

After spending the morning here, our  group left the town for our destination of the coastal town of Essaouira- see map on top of the page. 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Casablanca"Mosque cistern"fortress Hassan II""El Jadida""Portuguese Morocco https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/8/chefchaouen-to-el-jadida Sat, 24 Aug 2019 14:53:43 GMT
Another day in Chefchaouen https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/8/another-day-in-chefchaouen

Stepping out from our hotel to the street in the morning.

Again, we spent the day wandering the streets.  Everywhere we went  we saw gorgeous blue alleyways and blue-washed buildings.

This man was on his way to the central meeting square hoping to earn money from the tourists.

I thought that Chefchaouen was a perfect place to roam around  and take photos.  Most of the locals did not want to have their photos taken for both cultural and privacy reasons.  I'm sure they were tired of all of the tourists and their cameras.  

I always like looking at different doors in the various places I visit.  Of course the doors were also blue here.

Weatherwise we had a few more light showers but also some sunshine.  I have to say that it wasn't particularly warm here.

The Kasbah museum is a restored walled fortress in the heart of the Chefchaeon Medina.  We walked up the stairs of the old tower for some great views of the city.  Above shows a view of some of the rooftops.

A view of the city surrounded by mountains.

 

Just another beautiful street.

We paid this gentleman to take his photo.

I came across this cute  little boy.  I asked his mother if I could take his photo.  She is actually hiding behind the door while I took his picture.

Much to my surprise she also agreed to have her photo taken.  

Some colorful materials.

At least the cats had no issues with posing for us.

As I mentioned there were cats everywhere.

We came across a photographer taking engagement photos.  

Later on in the afternoon it started to rain again so we headed back to the hotel.   This was one of my last shots of the afternoon.    The next day we headed to El Jadida, stopping in Casablanca on the way.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Chefchaouen Morocco https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/8/another-day-in-chefchaouen Mon, 12 Aug 2019 21:48:32 GMT
Fez to Chefchaouen https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/8/fes-to-chefchaouen

We left Fez and headed towards Chefchaouen (see top of the map of Morocco, about 2/3rds to the right).  We headed eastwards driving through green mountains covered with trees until we reached  the blue city of Chefchaouen.  

On our way we stopped at a roadside market.  

A view overlooking the lake.

We stopped at a fruit stand where Rosa picked up some fruit for our group.

We stopped just outside the city for lunch.  It was actually a fairly cool, cloudy day.  The chef  was keeping his hands warm (or perhaps waiting until the grill was hot enough for his cooking).  Given the weather, I'll go with the former. 

Just before entering the Blue City, we stopped at an outlook for a view of the city.  You can see why they call it the "blue city".

We had to leave the vehicles behind and walk to our hotel (fortunately without worrying about taking our luggage) as the streets were too narrow for cars.  I grabbed a shot of these cats.  I didn't realize at the time that I would see  so many cats everywhere we went.

We wasted no time in exploring the city known for its buildings in shades of blue.  The city was originally founded to fight the Portuguese invasions of Morocco.  Along with the Ghomara tribes of the region, many Moriscos and Jews settled here after the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times.   In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen to form part of Spanish Morocco.  Spain returned the city after the independence of Morocco in 1956.  

There are several theories as to why the walls were painted blue in the old city.  One popular theory that I heard was that Jews introduced the blue when they took refuge from Hitler in the 1930's.  The blue is said to symbolize the sky and heaven and serves as a reminder to lead a spiritual life and to be closer to God.   However, according to some locals, the walls were mandated to be painted blue to attract tourists at some point in the 1970's.  Whatever the reason, the blue color made the town seem even more picturesque.  

It was such an interesting place to wander around.  The countryside around the town has a reputation for being a prolific source of Kief  and the region is one of the main producers of cannabis in Morocco.  Apparently tourism in this city  is driven by its reputation as the center of the marijuana plantations region in North Morocco as well as its proximity to Tangier.    I would have thought it was a huge tourism center because of its brightly painted Medina (old town) and its native handicrafts which you cannot find in other places.      During the summer approximately 200 hotels cater to the influx of European tourists.  

As I was photographing the street, this man turned around.  I don't think he was too happy to have his photograph taken.  I'm pretty sure that the locals get very tired of having their photographs taken.  Morocco is not a photography-friendly county at all.  

Did I mention that there were cats everywhere?

Beautiful colored steps.

Oh-oh, more rain.  Rosa stopped to buy an umbrella while the rest of us tried to find some shelter until the rain stopped. 

Fortunately the rain didn't last for long.  This little girl was helping to sweep the steps.

I saw these girls wandering around in the old city quite a bit- they were always holding hands.

Coca-Cola, the universal language.

November is a great time to visit Morocco as the streets are not crowded with tourists and the weather is not hot, even in the Sahara.  

Again, more cats.

Here is one trying to get into the house.  Next blog will feature another day in this beautiful city.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Chefchaouen Morocco https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/8/fes-to-chefchaouen Mon, 05 Aug 2019 13:39:18 GMT
Fez https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/7/fez

We stopped at an overlook of the city of Fez  before the rain started.

The Medina of Fez was founded in the 9th century at the same time that Islam arrived in Morocco and the imperial rule that would create the country began.  By the 12th and 13th century the old town grew to its current day size.  Many of the buildings over the small streets have been renovated but retain the original character of the 12th and 13th centuries.  The first thing we saw was the Blue Gate which is officially called Bad Bou Jeloud and it is a popular meeting place.  A few people have asked me if I felt safe in Morocco.  The answer is yes, I always felt very safe no matter where I was in the country.  

The rain started up again-just on and off showers.

We walked through the small alleyways and saw the souks(old markets).  The different souks throughout the Medina specialize in different products.  Here we see cats waiting  for treats (which they got).

'There were all kinds of  narrow alleyways.  This one led us to our lunch spot.  It would be so easy to get lost in the Medina.  

You could find pretty much anything you were looking for.

Unfortunately, the rain got worse  so we decided to head back to the hotel.

The view from our hotel the next morning.

Overlooking the hazy city of Fez, first thing in the morning.

We saw this man taking his goats through the cemetery.  

I thought the lights on top of the bus station were very interesting.

Before leaving Fez for our next destination , we once again stopped at the lookout above the city for one last look.

Next stop- Chefchaouen, the blue city. 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Fes graveyard Medina of Fez https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/7/fez Wed, 24 Jul 2019 12:27:14 GMT
Evening at Merzouga Erg Chebbi sand dunes and from Merzouga to Fez https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/7/evening-at-merzouga-erg-chebbi-sand-dunes

Later in the afternoon we photographed more of the dunes in Erg Chebbi.  The next morning we reluctantly said goodbye to the sand dunes and drove to Erfoud which is famous for its dates and fossils.  We then continued on via the Ziz Valley to Midelt with a view of the Middle Atlas Mountains, heading east via Ifrane to Fez.  If you look at the top of the above map, about 2/3rds to the right you can see where Fez is located.  As you can see it was a long driving day.

We had planned to go hiking in the dunes again but a sandstorm came up so we decided to take a drive to a different section of the dunes.  You can tell it was a bit hazy from the sand blowing.

You can just how windy it was by observing the blowing turban.  It was actually worse than it looks.  We were all a little concerned about the sand getting into the cameras.

Because of all of the wind we were happy to just observe as opposed to walk in the dunes.  However, our fearless driver was happy to walk for us.  We watched the caravan of camels, so happy that we had our ride the day before without the wind.

We drove back to the hotel and I wandered over to the dunes behind the hotel for one last look since we were leaving the area in the morning.

I came across a game of some kind in the sand.   I have no idea what they were playing but they had no problem with me taking a photo.

The next morning we continued on our journey to Fez. This was going to be our last view of palm trees for a while as we were about to drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains.  I'm not sure what all of the smoke was about.

I noticed on our travels that many houses seemed to be missing a top floor.  I was told that people continued to add to their houses when they had enough money.

The weather actually turned pretty nasty with lots of rain (and  some snow) as we continued on our way.  There is a forest area that we drove through  where you can find Berber monkeys.  It was still raining so we were kind of thinking of just driving on but one of our members decided that we should stop to at least look.  It was a good decision  as it was fun to watch the monkeys for a while (until the rain started to get pretty heavy).  There were a lot of monkeys (and  dogs) just hanging around and pretty much just ignoring the people.    Apparently these monkeys thrive in the groves of cedar trees.

We arrived in Fez in the late afternoon (still raining).  This was the view from our gorgeous hotel. Fez was the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco until 1927.  Fez has the best preserved old city in the Arab world, the sprawling labyrinthine Medina of Few-el-Bali, which is also the world's largest car free urban zone.  Within the Medina transports of goods is provided by donkeys, mules and handcarts.

The next day, our first stop  was a  well known pottery shop where we watched the artists.  In this photo, I was standing under shelter from the rain.

 

Next we visited the leather tannery in Fez.  I took a photo of the nearby apartments.


Moroccan leather is colorful, soft and naturally dyed.  The actual process of softening/dyeing/drying is labor intensive and a real eyeopener.  We visited the Chourara Tannery in the Fez Medina who produce highly prized leather goods sold around the world.  We were able to watch the operation from an outside balcony. 

The white pits are used for cleaning and softening.  The skins are brought by donkey to the tannery and they are dipped into a mixture that includes cow urine, pigeon poop, salt and quicklime.  

These circular pits looked like a paint set.  The colourful dye pits use poppy seed, saffron, henna and indigo as colour agents for the leather  which is soaked then lifted out for drying.

We were told that workers are mostly  born into the job, and the work is organized as old guilds would have done with men mastering and maintaining specific goals.  I believe that standing in and working with chemicals all day long leads to frequent health problems so not only is the work difficult, it is also unhealthy.  

The drying process.

I had heard that there were awful odors but I don't remember smelling anything.  I wonder if people living in these  apartments next to the tannery get used to the smell..

Next stop the Medina.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Berber monkeys Chouara Tannery Erg Chebbi Fez Morocco https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/7/evening-at-merzouga-erg-chebbi-sand-dunes Sun, 14 Jul 2019 14:53:43 GMT
Erg Lihoudi to Chagaga Dunes https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/7/erg-lihoudi-to-chagaga-dunes

This morning we left Erg Lihoudi and made our way to Erg Chegaga (see bottom of the map).  After we got to the town of M'hamid (on the map the town is almost covered with Erg Chegaga), the paved roads ended and we found ourselves off-road for about 60 km.  Erg Chegaga is the largest and still untouched Saharan ergs (dunes)  in Morocco.  

We stopped in the village of  M'hamid to explore.  The girls' father gave me permission to take their photo.  

One of the shops in the village where I went iin to buy a coke.

These boys had a great time looking at Katharine's photos.

While traveling in the desert, we came across a well used by the locals.

This lady was using the water to wash her clothes.

With a length of approximately 40 km to 15km width,  Erg Chegaga is the largest and wildest set of dunes in Morocco. Some dunes are actually around 300mm high.  These dunes are relatively difficult to access as you need either a camel or a 4*4 vehicle or mountain bike (I guess walking is another option).  Because of this, these dunes are much less visited than the other large set of dunes in Morocco (Erg Chebbi).  Naturally we preferred the quieter dunes without all of the tourists.  I would have been happy to stay here longer.

We did a lot of hiking in the dunes which is not easy but was so much fun.  

The camels having a break before heading back to camp.

Roger and Katharine looking for great compositions.  

This photograph  of our "campsite" was taken from our hike up the dunes.  It was rustic (like the previous night's accommodation) but we all had a fatalistic time at this camp.  Who cares about hot water when you are surrounded by this scenery and peace and quiet.      After dinner the guides and resort staff entertained us with singing and dancing under the stars.  

 

The expanse of these sand dunes was pretty incredible.  We were so far away from civilization.  

At the top of one of the dunes we sat down and watched the "dune boarders" ski down the dunes and then hike up (no easy feat).

We started to head back down again before it got too dark.

Our next major stop was the  Erg Chebbi sand dunes, located near Merzouga.  The dunes looked beautiful in the soft light.  These dunes were much more touristy that the other dunes we saw.  Merzouga, is the local tourist center and is located on the western lee of the dunes.  There are around 70 hotels running north-south along the dunes.  Back to civilization!

We stayed at the Hotel Tombouchtou which was located right on the dunes.  Compared to our previous accommodations in the dessert this hotel was very luxurious and  a very different experience.   

Our late afternoon adventure consisted of taking a camel right up into the dunes and then exploring the sand dunes in the golden hour.  This gentleman was our tour guide and these were our camels.

This was definitely one of my more difficult photography experiences-taking photos on the camel and holding on at the same time as the camel went up and down the dunes.  It was challenging but fun.  Here I was taking a photo of the camels' shadows who were in front of me.

One of our "camel" guides who was happy to pose.

Interesting sand patterns.

A caravan of camels.

The last photo of the night as we headed back for dinner.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) camels Chegaga Dune Erg Chebbi Morocco sand dunes https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/7/erg-lihoudi-to-chagaga-dunes Tue, 02 Jul 2019 13:21:01 GMT
The town of Rissani and Merzouga Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/6/rissani-and-merzouga-erg-chebbi-sand-dunes

After photographing the sunrise in the dunes we drove to the town of Rissani to see the Sunday market.  You can see Rissani in the middle of the map about two thirds to the right.  

Rosa and I climbed the dunes early in the morning to check out the sunrise.  

Rosa climbing a dune in the early morning as the skies brightened up.  

Rosa pointed out this design in the sand- some kind of insect/critter at work?

Heading back to the hotel we saw the camels getting ready to start their day giving rides.  

 

After breakfast we drove to Rissani to visit the Sunday market which is a very colorful and authentic rural market.  We saw traders, nomads, Berbers and Arabic desert dwellers who come in to sell all kinds of clothing, wares, plants, spices, vegetables and animals.

A friendly merchant.  

The fruits and vegetables looked great.

You could find just about everything in this market.  It was fun to watch the people and see all of the different items for sale.

This gentleman was a real character.  Some of the members in our group bought some spices from him so he was happy to let us photograph.

Many of the shopkeepers were fine with us photographing them.   The bread in Morocco is fabulous and was served at every meal.

The friendly merchant  with his donkey.  Most of the sellers brought their donkeys to the market.

Rissani has a famous "donkey parking place".  

 

For lunch we stopped off and had a delicious pizza.  I can't remember exactly what was in this Moroccan pizza (cheese, eggs, veggies?)  but it was very different.  I had pizza several times in Morocco and it was some of the best pizza I've ever had.

Pizza followed by desert.  The food in Morocco was excellent.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes Morocco Rissani Sunday Market https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/6/rissani-and-merzouga-erg-chebbi-sand-dunes Thu, 20 Jun 2019 21:16:08 GMT
Quarzazate to Erg Lihoudi https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/6/quarzazate-to-erg-lihoudi

On our third day of the tour, we made our way from Quarzazate to the dunes  Erg Lihoudi which you can see at the bottom left of the map (in yellow).  

We drove through the mountains and stopped to photograph the Draa river which is Morocco's longest river, at 1,100 kilometers (680 mi).  The water from the Draa is used to irrigate palm groves and small horticulture along the river.  About 225,000 people live in the valley of the Draa which measures 23,000 square kilos (8,900 sq. miles).    The Draa Valley one served as a link between the Sahara and the North of Morocco for the trading caravan routes that passed by the river for centuries.

Just before we stopped in Zagora for lunch, we toured another village.

After Zagora we noticed that the landscape changed to desert conditions.  At this point we drove off-road to reach  Erg Lihoudi dunes where we would be spending the night.

We came across camels which was pretty exciting for me.  

Rosa took us to the smaller dune area which was much less populated and so beautiful.   She prefers the smaller dunes to the larger more popular dunes because it is much easier to get clean shots( i.e. no footprints) plus you really get the feeling that you are away from civilization as there are so few tourists here.  

We spent time hiking up and down the dunes admiring all of the different sand patterns.  Of course the light was changing which made it more interesting.

 

One of our drivers.

Our other driver.

 

This photo was taken the next morning at sunrise.

These are the cabins where we spent the night.  

After breakfast we stopped in a small village to check out the local market.

As with other markets that we had seen, you could find pretty much anything you needed.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Erg Lihoudi Sand Dunes https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/6/quarzazate-to-erg-lihoudi Tue, 11 Jun 2019 16:48:39 GMT
Marrakech to Ouarzazate https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/5/marrakech-to-ouarzazate

The above map shows our drive for the day.  Starting in Marrakesh we drove to the Sahara Desert driving across the High Atlas Mountains ending in Ouarzazate.   Along the way we saw some magnificent scenery.

As always, I wanted to keep stopping to photograph some of the scenery however, we did have somewhat of a time limit as we had a lot of distance to cover.  These houses just blended right into the geography.  

Driving through the High Atlas Mountains we came across some pretty severe weather.  This range of mountains stretches around 2,500 km (1,600 mi) through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.  

We drove along the former route of the caravans from the Sahara over the Atlas Mountains.  The Atlas Mountains are primarily inhabited by Berber populations.   

We stopped at Telouet Kasbah for lunch.  In Morocco,  a Kasbah frequently refers to multiple buildings in a citadel or several structures behind a defensive wall.
This Kasbah was the seat of the El Glaoui family's power and was built in the 18th and 19th century.  As you can see the palace is collapsing but in 2010, work was underway to restore the property.  This palace is located on the outskirts of the small Berber village of Telouet. We were at an elevation of about 5,900 feet so it was quite a bit cooler than Marrakech.  

A view from inside of the Kasbah.

After a delicious  lunch we continued our drive through the mountains.

We stopped a few times to check out the surrounding areas.  I was happy that we weren't driving on this road- our roads were very good.  

Here was a small town/settlement built right into the mountain which was prevalent through this area.   

Later in the afternoon we arrived at one of the most impressive and well-preserved kasbahs, the Ksar of Alt Ben which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.      A Ksar is the North African term for "Berber  castle" normally refers to a Berber fortified town.   We stopped to photograph the overlook before heading into the fortified village.  This Ksar as been used as a   film location in many famous films such as Gladiator, Alexander, The Man Who Would Be King, Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, Kundun, The Jewel of the Nile and parts of the TV series,  The Game of Thrones.

I took this photo looking away from the village.  

When we got to the river, we had to cross over to the Ksar.  Our guide made it look so easy.   However the water was not all that calm.

Fortunately there were kids willing to help us cross.  Rosa gave them some money to help us cross.

My first close up look at the camels in Morocco.  

This was the view from the top of the Ksar, overlooking the village.  Inside the walls of the Ksar  are  half a dozen Kasbahs (or merchant houses) and other individual dwellings.  Most citizens live in more modern dwellings in a village on the other side of the river although there are still four families living in the ancient village.  

Another view from the Ksar.

Eventually it was time to cross the river again- fortunately, the kids were still around to help us.

 

Our last stop of the day was in the town of Ouarzazate.  This was a view from the top floor of our riad (hotel).    A riad is a type of traditional Morocan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard.  Ouarzazate is nicknamed "The door of the desert "because to the south of the town is the desert.  This town is an important holiday destination in Morocco since it is a base for excursions across the Draa Valley and into the dessert.  The riad that we stayed in was beautiful although you wouldn't know it from looking at it from the street.    There was an open courtyard in the center with the rooms overlooking it.  Dinner was really good as well.  In my last blog, I'll show some photos of the food taken with my I-phone.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Atlas Mountains Ksar of Alt Ben Morocco Ouarzazate Telouet Kasbah https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/5/marrakech-to-ouarzazate Mon, 06 May 2019 00:42:13 GMT
Marrakech, Morocco https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/4/marrakech-morocco

In November, 2018 I was fortunate enough to travel to Morocco and join a photo expedition with Rosa Frei. Rosa is Swiss but has lived in Morocco for many years and did a fantastic job of showing us the country.   Morocco overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.  The country covers an area of about 710,850 km (274,460 square miles) and its capital is Rabat with the largest city being Casablanca.  The predominant religion is Islam and its official languages are Arabic and Berber.  French is also widely spoken.     In our group there was a couple from Australia and other couple from  Edmonton, Canada and myself.  We had two drivers/guides and spent 16 days touring the country.  Morocco is in Northern Africa and very different from Kenya.   I arrived in Marrakech which according to Rosa is probably  the most interesting city in Morocco.  I had a day to recover before meeting the group for dinner on November 11th.  

The first morning of the tour we stopped off at the Bahia Palace.  The palace was built in the late 19th century and was intended to be the greatest palace of its time.  The name means brilliance.  The architecture was intended to capture the essence of the Islamic and Moroccan style.  So this was our first glimpse of  what the Moroccan style was all about.   Moroccan culture is a blend of Berber, Arab, Sephardi Jews, West African and European influences.

We walked by the Koutoubia Mosque which is the largest in Marrakesh.  The mosque was built between 1184 and 1199.  The minaret  is 77 meters in height (253 ft).  As you can see the building is made of red stone and has six rooms in succession, one above the other.  It was designed to prevent anyone gazing in from the minaret to the harems of the king.

After leaving the Mosque we spent the rest of the day in the lively Medina (old town) which to me was the most interesting part  of the city.  The Medina was full of colorful shops and souks (markets).  This is one of the many shops we saw filled with all kinds of  colorful spices and food products.

Pictured above is Katharine from our group (Edmonton) talking to one of the "water sellers" in the main square  in the Medina(Jemaa al Fnaa).  It was hard to miss the brightly dressed men moving through the crowds often ringing bells and carrying goat skin bags of water and brass cups.  Originally their function was to sell drinking water to the locals.  Today they make their living charging a few dirhams for posing for tourist photos.  

I was told by friends who had visited Morocco that the locals do not like to have their photos taken (especially the women).   Many of the shopkeepers and other people we met were ok with us taking a couple of photos if we paid.  Others were fine with no payment.  So we  pretty much asked all the time if it was ok to take someone's photo.  Other times especially if we were taking a photo of an overall scene we quickly took one  or two photos and walked away quickly  (per Rosa's guidelines) so people did not think we were professional photographers.  This man was fine with me taking his photo -Rosa actually asked him for me.

Everywhere you looked there were beautiful and colorful displays.

I gave this man some dirham so I could photograph him and his monkey.  The monkey had no interest in looking at me at all. 

Pretty much anything you needed could be found in the market.

I photographed this young man after asking him if it was ok.  Then his dad? came running out of the shop across the street so I figured  I was  be in trouble for taking the photo however, his father just asked me if he could see the photo.  

At the end of the day we enjoyed this view from a rooftop restaurant.  

This photo and the next few  were actually taken when the group returned to Marrakesh on the last day of the tour.  We headed back to the Medina for one last look.  It was fun to watch and photograph this snake charmer.  Yes I did have to pay to take the photos.

A close up of one of the snakes.  

This gentleman owned a store and was a friend of Rosa's so we went to see his shop which was full of very interesting products.

His  brother was also happy to pose.

A view of the shops walking down the street.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Bahia Palace Koutoubia Mosque Marrakech Medina Morocco https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/4/marrakech-morocco Sat, 27 Apr 2019 15:32:18 GMT
Galapagos Islands, Part 9 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/4/galapagos-part-9 Route3Route3

Genovesa Island, Day 7

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In the afternoon, we headed ashore to Darwin Bay.  

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A pair of Swallow tailed gulls.

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A Swallow tailed gull nesting.

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We saw more male great frigate birds trying to get attention of females by making loud calls and flapping their wings.  

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Here is a male great frigate bird  blowing up a huge red balloon-like pouch from his chest.

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Several red-footed boobies were spotted.

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This bird is a yellow-crowned night heron.

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This is a  female juvenile  magnificent frigatebird.  Immature birds have a white head and underparts.  

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As we were walking through the water we saw some stingrays.  Stingrays are common residents of shallow beach areas and deeper sandy bottoms throughout the Galapagos.  Animals from this group have a brain weight relative to body size that comes close to that of mammals and is about ten times that of bony fish so they are quite intelligent.  

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Boarding the zodiacs to head back to the ship.  This is what is called a wet landing, as you need to walk in the water to board the zodiac.

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Crossing the equator.  Some of us went up to the bridge on the last night  to watch us cross the equator.

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The last morning I was up to watch the sunrise.  We were all sorry to end this wonderful adventure in the Galapagos.  I would highly recommend Lindblad Expeditions.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) darwin bay galapagos" genovesa" great frigate bird red-footed booby swallow tailed gulls https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/4/galapagos-part-9 Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:48:11 GMT
Galapagos Islands, Part 8 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/3/galapagos-part-8 Route3Route3

Day 7, Genovesa

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The last island that we visited was Genovesa Island.    This island is located in the northeastern part of the Galapagos  and is the home of large colonies of seabirds such as nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, great frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls and lava gulls. Our first stop of the day was at Prince Phillip steps.   Above is a nazca booby with her egg.

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The Nazca booby preys on small fish by flying over the ocean and then diving at high speeds.  The birds nests near cliffs on bare ground with little to no vegetation.  

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The red-footed booby.  Adults have red feet(see later photo), but the color of their plumage varies.  They are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings.  

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This bird is a  juvenile red footed booby.  Juveniles are brownish with darker wings and pale pinkish legs.  

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Nazca booby chicks are snow white and fluffy.

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There were birds flying everywhere.

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Frigatebirds are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans.    Able to soar for weeks on wind currents, frigate birds spend most of the day in flight hunting for food. Their  main prey are fish and squid. Occasionally they are known to snatch seabird chicks from the nest.

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Male Frigatebirds have a distinctive red gulag pouch which they inflate during the breeding season to attract females.

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Here you can see where the red footed booby gets its name from.  

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Our ship in the distance.

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The Galapagos mockingbird.   Mockingbirds are best known for their habit of mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians in rapid succession.  

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A swallow tailed gull.  These birds spend most of their lives flying and hunting over the open ocean.  Their main breeding location is the Galapagos Islands.  This bird is the only nocturnal gull and seabird in the world, preying on squid and small fish which rise to the surface at night to feed on plankton.  

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The Galapagos Sally Lightfoot crab is also known as the red rock crab and sally lightfoot.   The body of this crab is very colorful and most adult crabs can be pink, red, brown or yellow in color.  

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These crabs are very fast-moving and agile which make it hard to catch.  They are not used as a food source for humans, since it is a small crab and not very tasty.  However, they are used as bait by fishermen.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) galapagos genovesa island great frigate birds nazca boobies red-footed booby swallow tailed gull https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/3/galapagos-part-8 Wed, 27 Mar 2019 16:01:27 GMT
Galapagos Islands, Part 7 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/3/galapagos-part-7  

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Some islands along the way to our next stop.

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While most of the people were off on different excursions, I had a personal tour of the small islet of Chinese Hat.

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 My tour guide was Christina Ahassi, a local of the Galapagos.  Notice her bare feet.  She had no trouble hiking around on the lava rocks.

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Chinese hat is a very tiny island and is less than a quarter of 1 square km in size.  The island has the shape of a down-facing Chinese hat.  I found the volcanic scenery very picturesque.

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There was a lot of colorful fauna everywhere.

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Eventually, another guide picked us up and we went back to the ship on the zodiac.

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Once we got back to the ship, there was a late afternoon zodiac excursion which I was happy to go on.  Notice how well this Brown Pelican blends into the background.  I read that while this bird is straining the water from its bill after a dive, gulls often try to steal the fish right out of its pouch- sometimes while perching on the pelican's head.   Now that would have been interesting to see.

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We came across some more penguins before heading back to the ship.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) china hat islet galapagos https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/3/galapagos-part-7 Tue, 12 Mar 2019 16:41:52 GMT
Galapagos Islands, Part 6 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/3/galapagos-islands-part-6 Route3Route3

 

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Early in the morning,  we  anchored in  Sullivan's Bay at the easternmost tip of James Island.  Once again, the scenery was very different.  This area has been subject to violent eruptions.  

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We stopped to hike on Bartolome Island, a volcanic islet in the Galapagos, just off the east coast of Santiago Island.   This island has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the archipelago.  

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The island consists of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green and glistening black volcanic formations.  There is very little vegetation on this island but the gray mat plant, evolved to survive long droughts and intense heat.  The tiny white flower it produces are the primary food source for the local lava lizards.

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We walked to the top of Bartholomew before breakfast.  

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Volcanic features are preserved for a relatively long time in the Galapagos since the climate is fairly stable.  The only true damage to these rocks is a result of the constant exposure to intensive sunlight and occasional heavy rainstorms.  Sunlight and heavy rains do cause erosion, but not as impacting as big storms and heavy seas.

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After climbing up several hundred wooden steps, we had a great view of Pinnacle Rock, which is the distinctive characteristic of this island and the most representative landmark of the Galapagos.

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You can just make out the lighthouse at the top.

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One of the groups making its way down the wooden steps.

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Eventually we checked out Volcano beach before heading back to the ship.

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A close up view of Pinnacle Rock.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) bartholomew islet galapagos james island pinnacle rock sullivan's bay https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/3/galapagos-islands-part-6 Sun, 03 Mar 2019 00:38:45 GMT
Galapagos Islands, Part 5 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/2/galapagos-islands-part-5  

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Santa Cruz Island.  

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Today we visited and explored the central area of the Galapagos archipelago stopping at the leeward side of  Santa Cruz island.   You can see one of the groups coming ashore from the zodiac boats. Toronto to Vancouver (60 of 114)Toronto to Vancouver (60 of 114)

 Our first stop was on Dragon Hill, a low lying hill which is home to a healthy population of the Galapagos land iguana.  It was great watching these dragons roam freely around the trail we were on.  Considering that Santa Cruz has been affected by several introduced species  such as dogs, cats and goats, the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Station has made great efforts to restore the population of these reptiles since the 1970s.

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A visitor along the trail.  I never saw any of the animals or birds being fearful of the humans wherever we went.

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Our group hiking on the trail.  As usual, I was busy photographing from the behind.

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I found the island to be very beautiful.  All of the islands were quite different and unique from one and other.  

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During out outings, we would always have guides to show us points of interest on the trail.  Of course, since I was busy photographing I wouldn't always hear what they were saying. It was interesting to see the desert-like vegetation around Dragon Hill.

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A great blue heron.

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Like other Anis, the Smooth-billed Ani lives in small groups of one to five breeding pairs, and up to seventeen individuals.  They defend a single territory and lay their eggs in one communal nest.  All group members incubate the eggs and care for the young.  It looks like this guy is sitting by himself, watching for danger or action.  

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Heading back to the ship.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) dragon hill great blue heron iguanas santa cruz island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/2/galapagos-islands-part-5 Mon, 18 Feb 2019 17:51:51 GMT
Galapagos Islands, Part 4 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/1/galapagos-islands-part-4 Route3Route3

Day 4, Sata Cruz Island.

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On May 24th, we visited Santa Cruz Island.   Galapagos giant tortoises are amazing animals.  Today, we visited their territory to learn more about their history.  Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Giant tortoises were an important source of food for sea people navigating around the islands and also for the human population.  During his journey, Charles Darwin visited the islands and mentioned them" At the time of our visit, the females had within their bodies numerous, large, elongated eggs, which they lay in the burrows:the inhabitants seek them for food".

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We also saw more iguanas at the Charles Darwin Research Station.  The research station also has a breeding program for endangered giant tortoises.  
 

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The town of Puerto Ayora is the archipelago's tourism hub.  We had a chance to walk around the town.  It was fun to watch the animals and birds mingle with the locals, eating whatever scraps they were given.  

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We had a chance to visit a local school on the island.  This is the school's library.

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One of the classrooms.

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The boy in the green shirt was nice enough to give our group a tour of the school.  We also listened to the kids play some music and visit a couple of their classrooms.  All of the children were well behaved and happy to talk to us.

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In the afternoon, we got on a bus to go see where the giant tortoises live. The bus driver stopped so a few of us could get out and photograph the turtle crossing sign.  During the 20th and 21st century, the Galapagos giant tortoises were no longe being  used as a food source.  The living animal has become a symbol of life.  

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The Galapagos tortoise are the largest living species of tortoise who can weigh up to 417 kg(919 lb).  Today, these tortoises exist only on two remote archipelagos: the Galapagos Islands and Aldabra in the Indian Ocean, 700 km east of Tanzania.  These tortoises have lifespans in the wild, of over 100 years which makes it one of the longest living vertebrates.  A captive individual lived at least 170 years.   Shell size and shape vary between populations.  On  islands with humid highlands, the  tortoises are larger, with domed sells and short necks; on islands with dry lowlands, the animals are smaller, with "saddleback" shells and long necks.  Charles Darwin's observations of these differences on the second voyage of the Beagle in 1835, contributed to the development of his theory of evolution.  

 

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Tortoise numbers declined from over 250,000 in the 16th century to a low of around 3,000 in the 1970's.  The decline was caused by overexploitation of the species for meat and oil, habitat clearance for agrictulture, and introduction of non-native animals to the islands, such as rats, goats and pigs.  Fortunately, conservation efforts beginning in the 20th century, have resulted in thousands of captive-bred juveniles being released into their ancestral home islands and the total number of the species is estimated to have exceeded 19,000 at the start of the 21st century.

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After learning and seeing the giant tortoises, we headed back to the town and wandered around before it was time to return to the ship.

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Once back on the ship, we watched the sun set.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) galapagos santa cruz island tortoise https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/1/galapagos-islands-part-4 Fri, 18 Jan 2019 18:58:11 GMT
Galapagos Islands, Part 3 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/1/galapagos-islands-part-3  

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Day 3, Floreana Island.

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On May 23, we visited Floreana Island, also known as Santa Maria or Charles Island,  This island sits in the southern region of the archipelago.  In the early morning we visited Cormorant Point before breakfast where the temperature was perfect as we walked along the sandy beach.

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  This is the first time I saw a Blue-Footed Booby.

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The Blue-Footed Booby is a marine bird native  to subtropical regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean.  It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet.  Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female.  Approximately one half of all breeding pairs nest on the Galapagos Islands.  

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The diet of the Blue-Footed Booby consists mainly of fish, which it obtains by diving and sometimes swimming underwater in search of its prey.  The female is slightly larger than the male and can measure up to 90 cm(35in)with a wingspan of up to 1.5m (5ft).

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I watched the bird take off.  The blue color of the Blue-Footed Booby's webbed feet comes from carotenoid pigments obtained from its diet of fresh fish.

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After breakfast, we sailed to Champion Island where we went out on the Zodiacs to explore the area.

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There is a large colony of California sea lions in the area.

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Sea lions feed on a number of species of fish and squid and are preyed on by orcas and white sharks.  Sea lions are very intelligent, can be trained to perform various tasks and display only limited fear of humans.  On these Islands, you could walk up to them (although best to keep some distance) and they didn't even seem to blink.

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A Sally Lightfoot crab is also called a Red Rock crab.
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The Swallow Tailed Gull is  endemic to the Galapagos Islands.  This bird has over fifty colonies spread over the entire Galapagos archipelago.  This bird is unique among the gulls for feeding exclusively at night and it is  the only nocturnal gull in the world.  Its night- adapted eyes allow it to feed miles from shore on fish and squid captured from the surface of the ocean.

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While out in the zodiacs we came across some Galapagos penguins which we were told were fairly uncommon.  

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The Galapagos penguin is a penguin endemic to the Galapagos Islands.  It is the only penguin that lives north of the equator in the wild.  This penguin is the second smallest species of penguin.    The Little Penguin is the smallest species and is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand.  
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Later in the day we went to Post Office Bay on Floreana Island.  Many people left postcards to be delivered for free by visitors.  This tradition has been going on since the eighteen century without interruption.  The whalers would leave letters in a certain place on Floreana, and when passing ships stopped there on their way back to England, the USA or wherever their home port was, they would pick up all of the letters destined for that place and deliver them.  This place became known as Post Office Bay.  The system is actually still working!.  Traditionally, if you pick up a letter addressed to someone who lives near your home, you're supposed to hand-deliver it.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) blue-footed booby california sea lion crab" floreana island galapagos galapagos penguin Lightfoot post office bay Sally swallow tailed gull https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/1/galapagos-islands-part-3 Sat, 12 Jan 2019 14:14:17 GMT
Galapagos Islands, part 2 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/1/galapagos-islands--part-2 Route3Route3

Day 2, late afternoon in Punta Suarez

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We spent some time hiking  on the trails in Punta Suarez, watching the birds on the cliffs.  It is thought that the steep bluff facing the southeast trade winds is the reason why the albatross chose this island.    Both adults and juveniles are able to fly with effortless ease by jumping off the cliffs.

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One of our groups heading back to the ship at the end of the day.  In 1986, a law was passed to control fishing and over-exploitation of Galapagos marine animals. One of the threats to the Galapagos is increased tourism  so in  1998, a visitor management system including permits and quotas was implemented.    Therefore, the amount of people allowed on the islands as well as the amount of time spent is controlled.  When we went ashore,  we always divided up into smallish  groups with at least one geologist lecturing about the land and the animals.     However, while I was on the islands, I never actually felt rushed.   

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There  were Sally Lightfoot crabs everywhere on the rocks.  These crabs are brightly-coloured coastal scavengers found in the Galapagos Islands and across  the western coast of South and Central America.  They are rumored to be named after a Caribbean dancer, due to their agility in jumping from rock to rock, their ability to run in four directions and their capacity to climb up vertical slopes. These characteristics make it very difficult to catch them.

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Our ship was the MS National Geographic Endeavour, build in 1966.  The ship had room for 96 passengers and 68 staff and crew.  The bedrooms were small but very comfortable.  The food was excellent and everything ran very smoothy.   The ship had a small gym (I never went).  There was a very large lounge where we had some lectures and people spent time socializing.   Often it was fun to just sit outside and watch the various islands and birds in the sky.  There was also a small swimming pool.   After dinner there were some activities including local entertainment, lectures  or movies.    However, during the day we were  kept busy with various outdoor  activities.  There were scuba/snorkeling expeditions, hikes and/or walks on land, normally  twice a day,  glass bottom boat rides, kayaking or Zodiac boat rides.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) galapagos marine iguanas punta suarez sally lightfoot crabs sea lions https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2019/1/galapagos-islands--part-2 Sat, 05 Jan 2019 14:10:26 GMT
Galapagos Islands, Part 1 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/12/galapagos-islands-part-1  

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In May 2016, Ralph and I joined the Linblad Expeditions for an excursion to the Galapagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavor.  The plan was to fly from Toronto to Miami, Florida and then on to Guayaquil, Ecuador.  Unfortunately, the plane from Toronto had mechanical issues.  Hours later, American postponed the flight  and we ended up barely making the trip since it was next to impossible to get to Guayaquil on time.  Part of the problem was that American Airlines didn't actually cancel the flight, they just postponed it until the next day.  So we were forced to wait in the waiting room with the luggage still on board the plane.    There was so much confusion and mis-information at the gate that the security guards were called to calm everyone down.  However, we managed to get on a flight to New York City and take an overnight flight to Guayaquil.  I have to say that Lindblad were extremely efficient and had someone meet us early in the morning and bring us to the hotel.   The map above shows our voyage.   Galapogos (1 of 1)Galapogos (1 of 1)

It turned out that our flight to the Galapagos Islands with Linblad  was delayed until early afternoon, so we were given a city bus tour of Guayaquil.   Guayaquil is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador with around 2.7 million people in the metropolitan area.  The city is also the nations' main port.  

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One of the stops on the tour was Iguanas Park which had dozens of iguanas living on its trees and in the grass.  They were everywhere.

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A close up look of one of the Green Iguanas that we came across.  The green iguana is also known as the American iguana.  It is one large lizard.

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These lizards werefriendly and safe to pet.

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These lizards are primarily herbivores, feeding on leaves, flowers and fruit.  They seemed especially fond of lettuce.

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The tour also took us down some local streets where this dog was enjoying his day.  After the tour we flew to the island of San Cristobal  to board our ship. 

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Our first outing into the east Pacific Ocean occurred mid-morning on May 22nd.  Our landing was on Gardner beach on Espanola Island.  Here was my first close-up look at the Galapagos sea lions. This is the southeastern-most island and of one of the oldest and most isolated.  Due to the direction of the winds and ocean currents, species that successfully arrived (by floating, swimming or flying) found themselves isolated for the next few millennia.    

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A Galapagos oystercatcher.  These birds have massive long orange or red bills used for smashing or prying open mollusks.  

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The Galapagos sea lion is a species of sea lion that exclusively breeds on the Galapagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador).  Being fairly social, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rocks.   These are small sea lions who have loud barks and a playful nature.

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The afternoon was spent on the far western-most point of land, known as Punta Suarez.  We walked along a long, very rocky trail established by the Galapagos National Park Service.  The giant loop allowed us to see lots of albatross as shown in the photo above.  This is the only island in the Galapagos where the waved albatross can be seen.  We watched them in couples, preening, sleeping, courting, incubating eggs and flying overhead.  

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We watched waves crash into a lava fissure, creating a blowhole that sprays water nearly 30 m into the air at high tide.

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The primary food sources of the albatross are fish, squid and crustaceans, as well as smaller birds.  Their nests are built on areas of lava with boulders and sparse vegetation.

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The courtship of the birds includes rapid bill circling and bowing, beak clacking and an upraised bill to make a whoo hoo sound.

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A Nazca booby.  These birds nests near cliffs on bare ground with little to no vegetation.  The Nazca booby is the largest of the Galapagos boobies-with a length of 3 feet and a 5-6 foot wingspan.  The bird is found on most of the islands.  

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The marine iguana also known as the Galapagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galapagos Islands.  This iguana feeds almost exclusively on algae.  Large males dive to find this food source.  The females and smaller males feed during low tide in the intertidal zone.  These iguanas mainly live in colonies on rocky shores where they warm up after being in the relatively cold water.  I liked how colorful they were and how absolutely unafraid of people they seemed to be.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Albatross Española Island Galápagos Guayaquil Iguana Nazca Booby Oystercatcher Sea Lions https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/12/galapagos-islands-part-1 Mon, 10 Dec 2018 17:24:55 GMT
Tucson https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/11/tucson Toronto to Arizona  (23 of 45)Toronto to Arizona (23 of 45)

1. 

I actually lived for a year in Tucson, when I went to the University of Arizona.  Since that time I have rarely spent any time here so it was nice to spend a few days at a dude ranch in the winter of 2017.    This photo was taken on the property of the Tanque Verde Ranch.

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2.

The first morning,  I was was up early to photograph the area.   Tanque Verde Ranch is one of America's cattle and guest ranches.  It is located on 60,000 acres of Tucson's beautiful desert landscapes.

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3.

The ranch is in the Rincon Mountains and next to the Saguaro National Park and Coronado National Forest.  

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4.

I went on a few early morning hikes in the area.

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5.

There was a river running through the property that you could walk along for quite a distance.

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6.

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7.

Sunset in the mountains.  

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8.

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9.

One morning I went to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  The Museum is a 98-acre zoo, aquarium, botanical garden and natural history museum.  

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10.

A cactus in bloom.

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11.

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12.

A horse heading for dinner at the end of the day on the ranch.

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13.

A jail located in an old movie shoot area outside of Tucson.
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14.

A general store used in the past for films.

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15.

16.

 

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17.

A garden at the ranch, close to my room.

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18.

Another late afternoon hike on the property.

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19.

The last photo taken on the hike, just after sunset.

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20.

One day we went to check out the Barrio Historic district in Tucson.   Most of the area has now been taken over by law offices, art studios  etc. but it it was a very interesting area to walk around.

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21.

The southwestern pueblo architecture was very colorful.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Arizona Tanque Verde Ranch Tucson https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/11/tucson Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:34:11 GMT
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/11/white-sands-national-monument-new-mexico Toronto to Arizona  (12 of 45)Toronto to Arizona (12 of 45)

One of my favorite places is the White Sands National Monument which we drive through as often as possible on our road trips to Arizona.  Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand take up  over  275 square miles creating the world's largest gypsum dune field.   White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this area, along with the plants and animals that live there.

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I never get tired of exploring this area.  There are several trails you can take but it is so easy to get lost as we found out the hard way one year.   We ended up walking around in pitch dark with very few cars on the road.  We were getting cold and well aware that this was the time that animals come out (we also had Maggie and Katie with us). We were finally helped out by a park ranger so now we are much more careful!  

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On January 18, 1933 President Herbert Hoover created the White Sands National Monument.  Fortunately, this won out over a proposed game hunting preserve.  

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We always try to arrive later in the afternoon for the better light.  White Sands has been featured in many western films, including Four Faces West, Hang 'Em Hight, The Hired Hand, My Name is Nobody, Bite the Bullett and Young Guns II.

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 It is a very peaceful area.   Because of its vastness, it is fairly easy to get away from the crowds.  However, the Monument is completely surrounded by military installations (White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base have  always had an uneasy relationship with the military).  Missiles have often fell on the WSNM property, in some cases destroying some of the visitor areas.  The Monument is closed on days where there is missile testing.  Fortunately, we have never run into that problem but we have been there at times when it is too windy to photograph and even walk around with all of the sand blowing all over the place.

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WSNM was placed on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites on January 22, 2008.  However, the application was eventually withdrawn due to a fear that if the designation was received, there would be international pressures that could stop military operations in the area.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) New Mexico White Sands National Monument https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/11/white-sands-national-monument-new-mexico Thu, 01 Nov 2018 20:35:46 GMT
Toronto to Arizona, winter of 2017 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/10/toronto-to-arizona-winter-of-2017 Toronto to Arizona  (1 of 45)Toronto to Arizona (1 of 45)

On the way to Arizona in February of 2017, we stopped for a  short visit to Beaufort, South Carolina.  This is a photo of the Woods Memorial Bridge.  This swing bridge is one of just a few moveable bridges left in  South Carolina.  It was named for Richard V. Woods, a South Carolina Highway Patrol Officer killed in the line of duty on August 15, 1969.    The bridge opens hourly for boats and barges traveling the Intracoastal Waterway.    This bridge was briefly featured in the film, Forrest Gump as a bridge crossing the Mississippi River.

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During our walk, we came across this beautiful house surrounded by moss draped oak trees.    Beaufort is a city on Port Royal Island, one of South Carolina's coastal Sea Islands.  It is known for its antebellum mansions. 

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We drove the long way to Arizona, by going through Jacksonville Florida.    Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida (metropolitan area estimated at 1,626,611 in 2017), centered on the banks of the St. John River.  Harbour improvements since the late 19th century have made this city a major military and civilian deep-water port.   Apart from banking, insurance, healthcare and logistics, tourism is also very important to the area, especially tourism relating to golf.

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We walked along the waterfront to watch the sunset.

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The next morning before leaving, we went for a walk where I took a photograph of downtown Jacksonville.

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A close up view of one of the buildings.

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We were walking along the Lakeshore drive in Mandeville, Louisiana where I saw hundreds of birds flying.  I took this  photo and the rest of the photos in this blog with my I-phone.

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If anyone is wondering why we went so far out of our way to arrive in Arizona, one of the reasons was  because we wanted to see Corpus Christie, Texas and the surrounding beach areas.  This is the art museum of South Texas, in Corpus Christie, located on N Shoreline Blvd.  

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Walking along the seawall in Corpus Christie.   The city is a coast city in the South Texas region, 130 miles southeast of San Antonio.  The 1919 storm devastated the city, killing hundreds on September 14.  Only three structures survived the storm on North Beach.  In order to protect the city, the seawall was built.

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Fishing is very popular.

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We spent a few days at a beach resort on South Padre Island where you could walk for miles along the beaches.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Beaufort Corpus Christie Jacksonville Florida South Padre Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/10/toronto-to-arizona-winter-of-2017 Mon, 01 Oct 2018 16:21:40 GMT
South Dakota https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/8/south-dakota Toronto to Vancouver (45 of 68)Toronto to Vancouver (45 of 68)

The southeastern face of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest is the site of four gigantic carved sculptures depicting the faces of U.S presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.  Work on the project began in 1927 and was finally completed in 1941.  Over that time period, some 400 workers built the sculpture under dangerous conditions.  They removed a total of 450,000 tons of rock in order to carve out the heads.  Each head reaches a height of 60 feet (18 meters).  The four presidents were meant to be represented from the waist up but their was insufficient funding so the carvings came to a halt.  There was opposition to the project by local Native Americans and environmentalists objecting due to it causing a desecration of the natural landscape.  

Toronto to Vancouver (46 of 68)Toronto to Vancouver (46 of 68)

Mount Rushmore attracts more than 2 million visitors eery year and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States.   Mount Rushmore was named for the New York lawyer Charles E. Rushmore, who traveled to the Black Hills in 1884 to inspect mining claims.  When he asked a local man the name of a nearby mountain, the reply was that it had never been named before but from now on would be known as Rushmore Peak (later Rushmore Mountain or Mount Rushmore).   A bill introduced in Congress in 1937 proposed that a carving of Susan B. Anthony's head be included, but fell through because of a rider on the existing bill mandating that federal funds be spent only on those carvings already begun.  

Toronto to Vancouver (47 of 68)Toronto to Vancouver (47 of 68)

We had several choices for our route from Vancouver to Toronto.  While we were at Glacier National Park, we met some Canadians who told us that Badlands National Park in South Dakota was beautiful so we decided to go through South Dakota on our way back.  The hazy conditions from all of the forest fires were still around, however we did enjoy our drive through the park.  

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There were several pullouts on the road and places to get out and walk or hike.  

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The geologic deposits in the park contain one of the world's richest fossil beds.  Ancient animals such as the rhino, horse and saber-toothed tiger once roamed here.  

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These badlands were somewhat similar to the Badlands in Alberta.  The Badlands Wilderness protects 64,144 acres of the park as a designated wilderness area.  Initially, the the park was authorized as Badlands National Monument on March 4th, 1929.  It was not established until January 25, 1939.  It was designated  a National Park on November 10, 1978.  

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The park also administers the nearby Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.  Movies such as Dances with Wolves and Thunderheart were filmed in the park.  

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For 11,000 years, Native Americans have used this area for their hunting grounds.  Toward the end of the 19th century homesteaders moved  into South Dakota.  The U.S. government stripped Native Americans of much of their territory and forced them to live on reservations.  

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We stopped to photograph this big-horned sheep.  

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The park was full of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires.

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We only drove through the park for part of one day.  Our plan had been to return the next day but we woke up to pouring rain and foggy conditions so we continued on our way.

Toronto to Vancouver (66 of 68)Toronto to Vancouver (66 of 68)

One of our last stops in South Dakota was to visit the Corn Palace which is  advertised as the World's only corn palace.  The Moorish Revival building is decorated with crop art; the murals and designs covering the building are made from corn and other grains and a new design is constructed every year.  Each year it is visited by anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 people.  The Palace serves the community as a venue for concerts, sport events, exhibits and other popular community events.  After leaving South Dakota, we were on a mission to get back to Toronto as soon as possible so we really didn't make too many other stops. The reason for the rush to get back to Canada was because of the restriction of days allowed in the US and we would be spending five months in Arizona.
 

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This photo was taken as we walked through the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.   Mayo Clinic is regarded as one of the United States' greatest hospitals.  After leaving Rochester it took us another 2 days to arrive in Toronto.  So our total drive home took us about 12 days.  Two days in B.C. and another 10 days before arriving in Brampton.  We stayed in Brampton for about two weeks before heading to the east coast of Canada.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) badlands mount rushmore south dakota https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/8/south-dakota Wed, 22 Aug 2018 20:04:35 GMT
Continuing the drive on the Beartooth Highway https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/7/contining-the-drive-through-montana Toronto to Vancouver (30 of 68)Toronto to Vancouver (30 of 68)

Fortunately for us, we did not get the rain as we made our way down the mountain pass.

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The weather actually cleared up and we saw some blue skies.

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A close up of the colorful rock formation.

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This is the area of Bear Paw Mountain.  On October 5, 1877, Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph, formally surrendered his forces to the US Army at Bear Paw Mountain.  This effectively ended the Nez Perce War of 1877.  The Nez Perce were promised by General Miles a safe return to the Wallowa Valley, however the general was overruled by Washington.  The survivors were not allowed to return to their homelands until the mid 1880's.  

 

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Eventually, we left the Shoshorne National Forest in Montana and entered the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming.  

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The fall colours were beautiful.  

 

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Ralph spotted this deer on the side of the road so we stopped to photograph it at the end of the day.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Beartooth Highway Montana Wyoming https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/7/contining-the-drive-through-montana Tue, 31 Jul 2018 13:06:03 GMT
Beartooth Highway, Montana and Wyoming https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/7/beartooth-highway-montana  

Today's blog is all about our drive on the Beartooth All-American Road.  

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Early morning view of the prairies in Montana, taken from the car while we were driving (of course I was the passenger).  

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The Beartooth Highway officially opened on June 14, 1936.  Charles Kuralt who was a On the Road television correspondent,  referred to this "Beartooth- All American Road" as tdhe most beautiful drive in America.  I would certainly agree that the drive was spectacular.  Through an agreement with the federal government, the State of Montana maintains the Montana portion of the drive, with the federal government picking up the cost.   The state of Wyoming isn't responsible for the maintenance of the road in Wyoming.  The National Park Service maintains it.

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The drive is a 68-mile travel corridor, beginning (at its Eastern most place) just south of Red Lodge, Montana at an elevation of 6,400 feet and ending (at its most western place) near the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone National Park at an elevation of 7,500 feet.  We drove most of the highway, though we did not quite make it the park entrance.  In between those two elevations, the road rises to 10,947 feet at Beartooth Pass.  

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Looking down at the road from above.

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As we winded through Custer, Shoshone and Gallatin National Forests we saw vast mountain landscapes, massive glaciers and lots of alpine meadows.  

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 The Beartooth Scenic Byway roughly follows the old Sheridan Trail, laid out in 1882 by Yellowstone protectionist General Phil Sheridan.  

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The water had the most beautiful color.

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Higher elevations of the Beartooth Highway.

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We pulled the car over (there were places everywhere) to get out and go for a walk.

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We could see some storm clouds ahead.   We hoped we wouldn't get caught, especially when we were at a high elevation on the windy road.  This is a photo of Gardner Lake.  

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The highway was a road that almost never happened.  It was designed as a "make work" project during the height of the Great Depression.  Due to the high construction costs, the poor economy and the fact that the road essentially went no-where,  there was significant opposition in Washington D.C.   The only purpose of this highway was to be a scenic drive.

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The skies weren't getting any friendlier.

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Part 2 to follow.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Beartooth All-American Road Montana Wyoming https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/7/beartooth-highway-montana Fri, 13 Jul 2018 19:01:03 GMT
Vancouver to Glacier National Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/7/vancouver-to-glacier-national-park Toronto to VancouvrerToronto to Vancouvrer

Ralph, Katie and I spent two months in Vancouver (summer of 2017).  We had a wonderful time visiting friends and relatives.  Eventually, it was time to head back to Toronto.  We wanted to see Glacier National Park in Montana on our way home but at the same time limit our days spent in the US due to immigration rules.  So on the way back to Ontario,   we  drove through British Columbia  to stay in Canada as long as possible.  The shot above was taken  in B.C.  on a day trip before we actually left for Toronto.

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This was definitely the summer of forest fires.  We were surrounded by them on our way to Glacier National Park.  While we were in Vancouver, there were many smoky days.  

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The helicopters pick up water from the lakes and then dump in on the fires.  It was pretty interesting to watch.

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The scenery was still pretty nice in spite of the smoky conditions.

Toronto to Vancouver (5 of 68)Toronto to Vancouver (5 of 68)

Just before crossing into Montana, we stopped in Fernie B.C.  for a walk. This is a photo of downtown Fernie, looking south.    The town is fully encircled by the Rocky Mountains.   Fernie, like many single-industry towns,  went through many boom and bust cycles throughout the 20th century, mainly tied to the price of coal.  Today Teck Resources operates five open-pit mines.  Fernie Alpine Resort is close to the town and is known for its high annual snowfall and for its powder skiing.  

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A view from inside Glacier National Park, Montana.   This photo is of Two Medicine Lake.  Glacier National Park is a national park located in Montana, on the Canada-United States border with the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.   This park is made of up over 1 million acres and includes parts of two mountain ranges, over 130 named lakes, more than 1,000 species of plants and hundreds of different types of animals.  

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The region that became Glacier National Park was fist inhabited by Native Americans.  The park was established on May 11, 1910.  I had heard some great things about the park but I was a bit disappointed.  It turned out a lot of the park was closed due to the firest fires.

Toronto to Vancouver (8 of 68)Toronto to Vancouver (8 of 68)

We drove on "Going-to-the-sun Road" in the park.  This scenic road is the only road that traverses the park, crossing the Continental Divide through Logan Pass at an elevation of 6,646 feet (2,026 m) which is the highest point of the road.  Construction began in 1921 and was completed in 1932.    The road spans the width of the park between the east and west entrance stations and is approximately 50 miles (80km) long.   Unfortunately, due to all of the forest fires some of the road was closed as was quite a bit of the park.  So we were quite limited in what we could actually see on this trip.  The entrance which was closest to where we were staying was closed which meant every time we wanted to go to the park, it was about a 1 1/2 hour drive.  Of course the drive was beautiful but it ended up limiting our time in the park since we wanted to be back before dark.  We ended up just staying for a couple of days and visiting the park twice.  

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This was one of the few locations that was somewhat clear of the smokey conditions.

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Many Glacier Hotel is located in the northeastern area of Glacier National Park, situated on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake.  The hotel was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914-1915.   

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"Going on the Sun Road" had lots of beautiful places to stop and photograph.  We really only saw a very small portion of the park due to the closures and our schedule.  It is definitely worth another visit.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) british columbia glacier national park montana https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/7/vancouver-to-glacier-national-park Mon, 02 Jul 2018 14:57:27 GMT
Golden B.C. to Vancouver https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/6/golden-b-c-to-vancouver Toronto to Vancouver (94 of 102)Toronto to Vancouver (94 of 102)

Golden B.C. is a town in southeastern British Columbia, located 262 kilometers west of Calgary, Alberta and 713 kilometers east of Vancouver.  This is a photo of the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge in Golden.  It is an old-fashioned, covered timber-framed bridge, spanning the Kicking Horse river.   The bridge is the longest freestanding timber frame bridge in Canada.  

Toronto to Vancouver (95 of 102)Toronto to Vancouver (95 of 102)

On July 1st, 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain and a federation of four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick Ontario and Quebec.  Since 1983, July 1st has been officially known as Canada Day.  On July 1st, we spent the 150th birthday of Canada in Revelstoke, B.C.  Revelstoke is a very picturesque city located 641 kilometers (398 mi) east of Vancouver.  The city is located on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam.   Just east of Revelstoke are the Selkirk Mountains and Glacier National Park.

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 On Canada Day, there was a parade which was fun to watch.  The town was named after Lord Revelstoke, head of Baring Brothers & Co., the UK investment bank that in partnership with Glyn, Mills & Co., saved the Canadian Pacific Railway from bankruptcy in the summer of 1885.   The partnership bought the company's unsold bonds which enabled the railway to be completed.

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In 2016, the town had a population of 6,719 and many of these people showed up for the parade.  The town was founded in the 1880's when the Canadian Pacific Railway was built through the area.  Mining was an important early industry.  Since the construction of the Trans Canada Highway in 1962, tourism has been an important part of the local economy.  Skiing has emerged as the most prominent tourist attraction.

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We spent the afternoon driving through the area.  It was very hot- about 34 degrees C (93 F).  

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The town of Kamloops B.C.

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Parts of the drive reminded me a bit of Arizona.

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On our second night in Revelstoke, we walked to the park across the street from out hotel to enjoy the mountain scene.

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After leaving Revelstoke we drove to Vancouver where we spent just over two months.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) golden b.c kamloops b.c revelstoke b.c https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/6/golden-b-c-to-vancouver Sun, 03 Jun 2018 13:43:31 GMT
Lake Louise to Golden B.C. https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/5/lake-louise Toronto to Vancouver (79 of 102)Toronto to Vancouver (79 of 102)

The next morning we left  Camden for   Golden B.C.   We stopped at Lake Louise on the way.  Lake Louise was named Lake of the Little Fishes by the Stony Nakota First Nations people.  It is a glacier lake within Banff National Park.  

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The emerald color of the water comes from rock flour carried  into the lake by melting water from the glaciers that overlook the lake.

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 We spent a good part of the morning hiking along the trail beside the lake.  The lake was named after the Priness Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, who was the governor general of Canada from 1878 to 1883.

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Fairmont's Chateau Lake Louise, is one of Canada's grand railway hotels.  The luxury resort hotel was built in the early 20th century by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

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The trail beside the lake goes a long way.  You can also pick up other hikes from this trail.

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All of these photos were taken from the trail.

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After leaving Lake Louise, we drove through the Yoho National Park towards Golden B.C. where we were spending the night.   We checked out Takakkaw Falls located in Yoho National Park, near Field, British Columbia.  Its highest point is 302 meters (991ft) from its base making it the 45th tallest waterfall in eastern British Columbia.  

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"Takakkaw", loosely translated from Cree, means something like "it is magnificent".  These falls were featured in the 1995 film, Last of the Dogmen.

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Later on in the afternoon we stopped at Kicking Horse River located in Southeastern British Columbia.  The river was named in 1858, when James Hector, a member of the Palliser Expedition, reported being kicked by his packhorse while exploring the river.  

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The Natural Bridge is an impressive natural rock formation that spans the flow of the Kicking Horse River west of Field.

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One more beautiful lake that we came across before getting to Golden.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) alberta banff kicking horse river lake louise takakkaw falls yoho national park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/5/lake-louise Mon, 21 May 2018 15:28:15 GMT
Jasper to Canmore https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/5/jasper-to-canmore Toronto to Vancouver (64 of 102)Toronto to Vancouver (64 of 102)

After walking around Jasper and having lunch we made our way back to Canmore.  On the way back we stopped off to see some waterfalls.

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Another interesting  stop along  the highway.

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Living in Toronto, I really miss the mountains that I grew up with in British Columbia.  

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This was one of the stops where we just pulled off on the side of the road as it wasn't an actual viewing point.  

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We were lucky enough to see a group of Bighorn sheep.  They were just walking across the highway.  Obviously, these  sheep are named for their large horns.

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Their horns can weigh up to 14 kg(30 lb), while the sheep themselves weigh up to 140 kg (300 pounds).

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The sheep originally crossed  to North America over the Bering land bridge from Siberia.  The population in  North America peaked in the millions, and the bighorn sheep became part of he mythology of Native Americans.  By 1900, the population had decreased to several thousand, due to diseases introduced through European livestock and overhunting.

 

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After this last stop we headed back to Banff for dinner and then to Canmore. 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) alberta big horn sheep icefields parkway mountains https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/5/jasper-to-canmore Sun, 06 May 2018 14:04:17 GMT
Canmore to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/4/canmore-to-jasper Toronto to Vancouver (52 of 102)Toronto to Vancouver (52 of 102)

After leaving 3 Hills, we stayed for a few nights in Canmore, Alberta.   We took a day trip to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway.  The total driving distance from Canmore to Jasper is about 311 km (one way) which takes about four hours.  Well that might be the average but for this photographer it took us closer to thirteen hours.  It was definitely worth the drive but we should have spent the night in Jasper.  We got off the highway to check out this lake.

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The Columbia Icefields Parkway is supposed to be one of the worlds most scenic  mountain drives.   I have to agree that the scenery was spectacular.  There are views of some of the highest mountains in the Canadian Rockies with over a hundred visible glaciers.  

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Many of the scenic views are conveniently located next to pullouts or reachable by short walks from the road.  Even if you don't stop, the scenery is stunning. 

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The Turquoise colored lakes were so beautiful.  

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We were pretty far away from this waterfall and  there was no way to get closer that we could see (not that we would have had the time).

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We hiked up to see the Athabasca Glacier.  The glacier currently recedes at a rate of 5 meters (16 ft)per year.  Over the last 125 years, the glacier has receded more than 1.5 km (.93mi) and has lost over half of its volume.

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The glacier is easily accessible so it is the most visited glacier in North America.  You can actually take a bus to the glacier edge, where the coaches transport tourists over the steep grades, snow and ice part way up the glacier.  

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Looking away from the Athabasca Glacier.  The glacier is approximately 6km (3.7mi) long, covers an area of 2.3 square miles and is measured to be between 90-300 meters (300-980 ft) thick.

 

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The Columbia Icefield was formed during the Great Claiation (238,000 to 126,000 BC).  The Icefield is located in the Canadian Rockies beside  the Continental Divide along the border of British Columbia and Alberta.  The ice field lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff National Park and partly in the southern end of Jasper National Park.  It is about 325 square km (125 sq mi) in area, 100 meters (330 ft) to 365 meters (1,198ft) in depth and receives up to 7 meters (280in) of snowfall per year.

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We stopped to watch and photograph some Elk beside the highway before heading into Jasper.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) alberta" elk icefields parkway" https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/4/canmore-to-jasper Sun, 29 Apr 2018 15:28:02 GMT
Driving around the town of Three Hills, Alberta https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/4/driving-around-3-hills-alberta Toronto to Vancouver (41 of 102)Toronto to Vancouver (41 of 102)  

   After leaving Dinosaur Provincial Park, we took the slow route back to 3 Hills, Alberta where we were spending the night.  

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The best part of a road trip is getting off the main highways to see what the countryside is all about.  To me this image is what I always thought the Canadian parries would look like.

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The next morning we drove around the area looking for interesting stops.  Our first stop was Dorothy, a hamlet in Southern Alberta which is now almost a ghost town.  The community was named for Dorothy Wilson, a young girl that lived in the area at the time the post office opened.  Dorothy is home to two former churches.  

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The view behind the church.

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The Alberta Pacific  Grain Company began in 1900 as the Alberta Grain Company.  In 1911, the company merged with the Alberta Grain Company Limited to form the Alberta Pacific Grain Company Limited.  In 1967, the company was taken over by Federal Grain.   This  historic  grain elevator was built in 1928 and is protected. 

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We came across a colorful bridge crossing the river just outside of Dorothy.

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We walked across a suspension bridge to cross the Red Deer River to see  the remnants of the Star Coal Mining camp and mines.

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 Early mine camps around the area (Drumheller) were called "hell's hole" because miners lived in tents or shacks with little sanitation and little comfort.  Drinking, gambling and watching fistfights was the entertainment of the times.  

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In the afternoon, we drove to Horse Thief Canyon which was located in the Red Deer River valley.  The area earned its name during the early settler years when ranching was the main industry.   The legend was that the horses would disappear into the canyons and re-appear with a different branding, hence the name Horse Thief Canyon.  

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Prairie dogs were all over the place- you could see their holes everywhere. When a predator approaches, the first alert that a prairie dog gives is a sharp warning call.  Then it bobs up and down in excitement, calls again and then plunges below.  

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An old abandoned building on the side of the road. 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) alberta badlands canadian prairies dorothy https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/4/driving-around-3-hills-alberta Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:14:38 GMT
Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/3/dinosaur-provincial-park-alberta Toronto to Vancouver (25 of 102)Toronto to Vancouver (25 of 102)

We spent a couple of nights in 3 Hills, Alberta so we could drive to Dinosaur Provincial Park.  The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the valley of the Red Deer River.  The  whole  area is known for its beautiful badlands topography.  The park is also well known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locations in the world.  

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Fifty-eight dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums around the world.

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We were fortunate in that it was a beautiful day perfect for doing some of the hikes in the park.

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There was a visitor center which had lots of exhibits about dinosaurs, fossils and the geology and natural history of the park.

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The park was established on June 27, 1955 as part of Alberta's Jubilee Year with the goal of protecting the fossil beds.  Until 1985, discoveries made in the park had to be shipped to museums throughout the world for scientific analysis and display including the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.  This changed with the opening of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology located near Drumheller, Alberta.

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This photo was taken on one of our hikes.  

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The park protects a very complex ecosystem including prairie grasslands, badlands and riverside cottonwoods.  

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Hoodoos are commonly found in the badlands.  The sediments comprising these hoodoos formed between 70 and 75 million years ago during the cetaceous Period as clay and sand sediments were deposited.  These hoodoos are able to maintain a unique mushroom-like appearance as the underlying base erodes at a faster rate compared to the capstones.

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Hoodoos typically form in areas where a thick layer of a relatively soft rock, such as mudstone, poorly cemented sandstone or tuff (consolidated volcanic ash) is covered by a thin layer of hard rock, such as well-cemented sandstone, limestone or basalt.  

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It was an amazing park which I highly recommend taking the time to check out.  

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The ecosystem is surrounded by prairies but is so unique.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) alberta badlands dinosaur provincial park hoodoos https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/3/dinosaur-provincial-park-alberta Thu, 29 Mar 2018 18:16:44 GMT
Saskatchewan and Southeast Alberta https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/3/saskatchewan-and-southeast-alberta  

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We stopped to watch a parade in a small town which was fun to watch- the floats pretty much consisted of police cars, ambulances, firetrucks and farm equipment.  It was very cold  and windy out which didn't stop the kids from having fun.    I believe that this town was in Saskatchewan.

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Fortunately, the weather improved and we had much better weather.   I really enjoyed driving through this prairie province- I found it very scenic. There are some beautiful provincial parks which unfortunately, we did not get a chance to visit on this trip.    Saskatchwan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota.  The population is only around 1.1 million people and these residents mostly  live in the southern prairie half of the province.

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We spent the night in Regina, which is the capital city of Saskatchewan.   Her is a photograph of the legislative building taken from the park surrounding the building. 

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The legislative building and its grounds were designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2005.  

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Ralph and Katie posing in front of Capone's Hideaway motel in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.  Moose Jaw is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, 77 km(48m) west of Regina.   Moose Jaw is home to the Snowbirds, Canada's military aerobatic air show flight demonstration team.  There are rumors that mobster Al Capone used the  Saskatchewan city's tunnels to bootleg booze into the US in the late 1920's.   One of Al Capone's relatives admits that the businesses run by her grandfather and his younger brother Al,  included bootlegging, gambling and prostitution.  The only actual crime that Al Capone was charged with was income tax evasion.   He spent seven years in jail, some of which was spent in Alcatraz.   Deirdre Capone, also said that her family's operation came up "near Moose Jaw"-nicknamed Little Chicago by some.  

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Driving on the Trans Canada Highway was very scenic if you like this type of landscape.  Unfortunately, some of the photos had to be taken in the moving car as there was no place to pull off.

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I believe this is an example of Potash mining.  We didn't stop to check it out so I just photographed through the window.  

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We saw lots of trains along the highway- another shot taken while driving.  

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We drove by lots of grain storage facilities.  

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Established in 1913, Richardson Pioneer was the first company to handle western-grown grain and the first to build elevators in many prairie communities, long before railroads were in the area.  
Today, the company has one of Western Canada's largest networks of grain-handling and  production facilities.

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We did take a few roads off the highway so I could photograph the beautiful canola fields.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) canola fields grain elevators saskatchewan https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/3/saskatchewan-and-southeast-alberta Fri, 16 Mar 2018 02:05:31 GMT
Toronto to Vancouver by car, part 1 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/3/toronto-to-vancouver-by-car

On June 17th, Ralph, Katie and I left Brampton and drove 4000 km to Vancouver British Columbia, driving on the Trans Canada Highway.   The driving distance was approximately 2,841 miles and took us a total of 16 days.   We drove through Ontario staying in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Wawa, Thunder Bay and Kenora.  Leaving Ontario we drove through Manitoba staying in Brandon with a short stop in Winnipeg.  Then we drove though Sasksatchewan staying in Regina.  We spent quite a few days in Alberta, staying in Medicine Hat, 3 Hills and Canmore.  Finally we arrived in BC staying in Golden and Revelstoke before arriving in Vancouver where we spent just over two months.

Toronto to Vancouver (1 of 102)Toronto to Vancouver (1 of 102)

Our first stop on the route was Perry Sound,  a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario.    Perry Sound, Ontario is located on the eastern shore of Parry Sound.  The area also has the world's deepest natural freshwater port.    I actually went to a summer camp near Parry Sound but of course I didn't recognize the town at all.    We drove up to Tower Hill where I climbed up 117 steps to get this view overlooking the downtown area.  It was a very grey and coolish day but it was still a nice view.  

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Katie and Ralph posing in front of the Big Nickel (a replica of a 1951 Canadian nickel) in Sudbury, Ontario.   The Ojibwe people of the Algonquin group inhabited the area for thousands of years prior to the founding of Sudbury following the discover of nickel ore in 1883 during the construction of the transcontinental  railway.   I had been to Sudbury in the 1980's  for a bridge tournament and had not been back since.   At one time, Sudbury was a major lumber centre and a world leader in nickel mining.  

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We stayed in Sault Ste. Marie for a night and enjoyed meeting friends whom we had not seen in years.   We had lots of great memories of the Sault as we had come to a few bridge tournaments in this city.  Algoma Steel is  fully integrated steel producer based in Sault Ste. Marie and is the largest employer in the city.  

Toronto to Vancouver (1 of 1)Toronto to Vancouver (1 of 1)

In nicer weather we have sailed on the St. Marys River.  The city is well known for the Soo locks where freighters, barges, tugboats and other ships use to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes.  The air pollution here can be extremely bad at times when the plants are working at full force.  You can see the industrial plants spewing out the mass of smoke from the the large stacks.  

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We stopped off for a quick hike at Aguasabon Falls which was just off the highway near Terrace Bay, Ontario.  This 100 foot waterfall cascades into the Aguasabon Gorge, flowing along a 2.6 billion year old rock face (granodiorite).   The falls were created in the late 1940's when the north end of Long Lake was dammed up for the Auuasabon hydro development.  The development diverted the water away from  Hudson Bay where the water had traditionally flowed.  This was done to make sure there was an ample supply of water for the Aguasabon generating station.   This had the result of raising the water levels  in Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes.  

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A view of Lake Superior just before we approached Thunder Bay, Ontario.  Driving around the lake was a bit disappointing to me.  First of all we had  cloudy and cool weather during the drive and there were very few places to stop or even see the scenic views even though we were driving along the lake.    I've included this photo just to show what Lake Superior looked like.  Fortunately, on this day the weather was a little better.

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Terry Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian and cancer research activist.  In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he took on an east to west cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research.   Because of his cancer spreading, he was forced to quit after 143 days and 5,373 km (3,339 mi).    The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research.  Over C$750 million has been raised in his name as of January 2018.   The Terry Fox Monument is located in the outskirts of Thunder Bay, Ontario.  This statute marks the place where Fox was forced to halt his run on August 31, 1980.  The actual place where Fox ended the run is approximately 4 kilometers further west.   

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Kakabeka Falls is known as "the Niagara of the North".  It is on the Kaministiquia River, 30 km (19mi)west of the city of Thunder Bay.  These waterfalls have a drop of 130' cascading into a gorge carved to of the Preamvrian Shield.  The Kakebbeka Falls Provincial Park is right off the Trans Canada Highway so it was an easy place to stop and and walk around in.  

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The rock face of the falls and the escarpments along the gorge are made up of unstable shale and are eroding.  As you can see from above, the rocks host sensitive flora and contain some of the oldest fossils in existence, some 1.6 billion years of age.  Due to the fragile rock, going into the gorge below the falls is prohibited.  

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This photo is the top of the Whitecap Pavilion in Kenora, Ontario.  Kenora was actually my favorite Ontario town to stop in during our trip.  The weather was cool but sunny and the town and surrounding area was quite picturesque.  Kenora is very close to the Manitoba border and just 200km east of Winnipeg.  It took us five days just  to drive through Ontario.

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Leaving Kenora, we made our way to Brandon Manitoba.  This photo on the Canola fields was taken  somewhere in Manitoba, from the road beside the farm.  Canola oil or canola for short is a vegetable oil derived from rapeseed.  This oil has a relatively low amount of saturated fat so is considered safe for people to eat.  Canola is Manitoba's most important oilseed crop.  Its production in Manitoba has grown steadily over the years and it now accounts for the greatest amount of seeded area, followed by wheat.  17.5% of canola farms in Canada are in Manitoba.  

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  Brandon, Manitoba is the second-largest city in the province of Manitoba.  It is located in the southwestern corner of the province on the banks of the Assiniboine River.

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Brandon has a population of about 49,000 people.  It is a major hub or trade and commerce from the Westman region as wells parts of the southeastern Saskatchewan and northern North Dakota, an area with a combined population of around 180,000 people. The city was incorporated in 1882 having a history rooted in the Assiniboine River fur trade as well as its role as a major junction on the Canadian Pacific Railway.  Brandon is known as the wheat city.  To me, this photo looked like it could have been taken in the 1950's.

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The next morning we finished our drive through Manitoba.  The weather was still cloudy and cold.  

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A 4,560-tonne wooden grain elevator in Shoal lake was formerly operated by Manitoba Pool.  It replaced an earlier elevator built in 1973 that was destroyed by a fired in 1980.  Closed by Agricore in mid-2001, the building is now used for private grain storage.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) brandon canola fields kakabeka falls kenora manitoba ontario parry sound sault ste. marie terry fox https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/3/toronto-to-vancouver-by-car Sat, 10 Mar 2018 21:54:11 GMT
Captive Wildlife https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/3/captive-wildlife I have been spending the winter in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Its hard to believe but I will only be here for another month before returning to Ontario.  I haven't spent a lot of time photographing -actually I've been spending more time editing older photos but I have had a few opportunities to get out with the camera.   Liberty Wildlife is a conservation and rehabilitation organization in Phoenix.    I was at one of their presentations at the McDowell Preserve so  to start out,  I am including a few of the photos I took at that outing.    I also spent one day at the Phoenix Zoo where the majority of the photos were taken.

Captive Wildlife (1 of 1)Captive Wildlife (1 of 1)

The great horned owl is also known as the tiger owl or the hoot owl.  it is a large owl native to the Americas.  This owl is an extremely adaptable bird and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.  The Great Horned Owl was adopted as Alberta's provincial bird on May 3, 1977 by a proven wide children's vote.  This bird lives in Alberta year round.

Captive Wildlife (5 of 20)Captive Wildlife (5 of 20)

The burrowing owl is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America.    These owls get their names since they nest in an underground burrow.  

Captive Wildlife (2 of 20)Captive Wildlife (2 of 20)

The barn owl is one of the most widely distributed species of owl and the most widespread of all birds.  One interesting fact about this bird is that its ability to located prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested.  

Captive Wildlife (3 of 20)Captive Wildlife (3 of 20)

The Harris's Hawk used to be known  as the bay-winged hawk or dusky hawk.  This bird is a medium-large bird of prey that breeds from the southwestern United States to Chile, central Argentina, and Brazil.  While most raptors are solitary, only coming together for breeding and migration, Harris's hawks actually hunt in cooperative groups of two to six.

Captive Wildlife (1 of 1)Captive Wildlife (1 of 1)

Captive Wildlife (6 of 20)Captive Wildlife (6 of 20)

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This Bengal tiger shot was taken through the glass at the Phoenix Zoo.   The Phoenix Zoo opened in 1962 and is the largest privately owned, non-profit zoo in the United States.

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The black swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia.  When on the ground, a large group of black swans is known as a "bank",  but in flight it is known as a "wedge".  

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White pelicans are large water birds that makes up the family Pelecanidae.   These birds are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped up contents before swallowing.  While swimming, these birds plunge their heads beneath the surface to check for prey.  

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The Scarlet Macaws  are always fun to photography because of  their vivid colours.  The scarlet macaw is a large red, yellow and blue South American parrot.  

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As well as standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food  from the bottom.

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The squirrel monkeys were so much fun to watch.  

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These monkeys have a widely varied diet thats primarily comprised of fruits and insects.  They also are known to eat flowers, buds, eggs, nuts and lizards.  

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These monkeys are covered in fur that is mostly olive or grey in color.  Their faces, ears and throat are white.

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Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys.  There are five different species of baboons.  

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Watching the lions is always fun and this male lion was a bit of a performer.   Lions sleep an average of 15-20 hours a day but fortunately, this guy was awake.  

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There were a lot of other animals at the zoo but I didn't have time to photograph them all.  I hope to get back there one more time before we head for home.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) captive wildlife owls phoenix zoo https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/3/captive-wildlife Sat, 03 Mar 2018 22:17:05 GMT
The Palouse, part 3 of 3 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/2/the-palouse-part-3 Palouse (48 of 69)Palouse (48 of 69)

On our last full day in the Palouse, we went up in the hills to photograph the farmers at work.  We were all going to have rides in the machines but unfortunately the tractor broke down before I had a chance to ride in it.

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Wendy and our friend Mark taking a ride on the tractor before it broke down.  The women in the middle was the farm owner's daughter.

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We stopped to look in this old circular barn.

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This shot was taken  inside the barn, looking up at the roof.  

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Driving through the area.

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Another abandoned barn that we drove to later on in the afternoon.  

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A close up view of the old barn.

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Another abandoned barn in a different area.  There  was still  lots of haze and smoke in the skies.

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On our last night, we were invited to Jack's (photo leader) house for dinner.  Before eating we hiked up in the hills on his property to see what the sunset was like.  This shot was taken while we waited for the sun to set.

 

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A different view from up top.  

This photo was taken facing a different direction.  It was too bad that it was another hazy night.  We really had a difficult time photographing the sunsets on this trip.  There were either no clouds or lots of hazy conditions.

 

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The next morning we had a few more hours to take some photos before leaving the area and starting our six hour drive  back to Vancouver.

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Two other members of our group visiting with the horses.

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We came across another old abandoned building.

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A grain of wheat that the Palouse is so famous for.

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Another popular barn in the Palouse where photographers like to visit.  

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The last photograph of the trip.  It was a wonderful area to visit and I'm looking forward to returning some year during the spring.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) palouse washington https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/2/the-palouse-part-3 Fri, 09 Feb 2018 20:08:51 GMT
The Palouse, Part 2 of 3 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/1/the-palouse-part-ii Palouse (31 of 69)Palouse (31 of 69)

One of my favorite places to photograph  was this farmhouse in the hills.  We finally had some nice blue skies (although almost cloudless).  As you will see, I included quite a few photos of the farmhouse all from different angles and perspectives.     

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We stopped along the side of the road to photograph these horses.  I couldn't seem to get the horses to look at me.

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Of course there were a lot of grain storage silos in the Palouse so I had to include a couple of photos.   I liked the shot both in color and in black and white.

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Another abandoned structure falling apart which I found interesting to photograph.

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I liked the photo in black and white as well. 

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Our  photo leader took us to some other beautiful hills where we hiked up to get the views.  This turned  out to be one of my favorite places to photograph.  As you can see I had a tough time limiting the number of photos that I included from this area.  There were so many beautiful patterns in the fields.

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Just before sunset.

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I had to hurry down the hill where I was shooting the sunset photos from so I could make a photo of this tractor with the setting sun in the background.

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I believe the next few shots were taken from the hills in Steptoe Butte.  Steptoe Butte State Park is a publicly owned 150 acre recreation area located 12 miles east of Colfax.  

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Most mornings we were up  bright and early to photograph from different areas.    There were so many different patterns to photograph.

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Even though there was so much colour in the hills, I liked the black and white effect as well.

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The same shot in color.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) eastern washington harvest season palouse https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/1/the-palouse-part-ii Thu, 25 Jan 2018 21:49:03 GMT
The Palouse, Part 1 of 3 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/1/the-palouse The Palouse is a region in southeastern Washington and north central Idaho.  It is a major agriculture area which mainly produces wheat and legumes.  At one point the Palouse was Washington's most populated region, even surpassing the Puget Sound (Seattle) area.  Many people have never even heard of the Palouse and I was one of them up until about 3 or 4 years ago.  I saw some photos that a friend had made and they reminded me so much of Tuscany that I really wanted to go.  I was finally able to  arrange  to go on a photo tour of the Palouse last summer.  The tour was led by Jack Lien, a native of the area who was an excellent tour guide.  

Map of the Palouse areaMap of the Palouse area

The above map shows the area of the Palouse where we went.   We stayed in Colfax, Washington. The forest fires in Alberta, BC and Washington made for very hazy conditons which made it challenging for making photos.  As you will be able to see in some of the photos, there is a definite haze in the skies.  Apart from rolling hills in the Palouse, there were also many abandoned barns and other interesting structures  we stopped to photograph.  Since I was there in August, harvest season was in full swing.  In the spring, the hills are alive with greens but during harvest season, there are fields of gold.  I will definitely try to go back in the spring as well since it would be so different.

Palouse (1 of 69)Palouse (1 of 69)

On the first evening we were hoping for a sunset but the air was much too smoky.   You can barely make out the hills in the background.  Still I thought this barn was interesting enough to include it.  Since there was no color, I chose to process  the photograph  in a sepia tone.  

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During the same night we came across this beautiful lone tree.  Again because of the lack of colours, I liked the black and white version of the photo better than the color one. 

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The next morning we went out to photograph some sunflower fields.  

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There is a well known spot in Whitman Country where you can find a number of old and  colorful farm trucks.  

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Of course being farm country, there were barns everywhere.  I couldn't decide if I liked the photograph in color or black and white better so I included both.

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The rolling hills of the Palouse.  Because I was there in August during harvest season,  there were golden hills  everywhere.  

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I really enjoyed  making photos with the patterns of the fields. 

We went back to  photograph the same tree from the first night.  This time there was a bit more of a sunset but you can still see how hazy the skies were.

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The next morning we were up early to photograph the sunrise.

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This shot and the next few shots show off the patterns of the wheat fields.

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One of the many barns we drove by.

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A very well known wagon wheel fence at Dahmen Barn.  This barn was used as a commercial dairy operation until 1953.  The surrounding wheel fence was built over a 30 year period with contributions from the family and friends.  There are actually wheels from almost  every type  of machine.  Today there are over 1,000 wheels.

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Another abandoned? farm.  We were always careful to not trespass on any of the farms so all shots were taken from the road.  The Palouse is a very popular spot among photographers but unfortunately, there are many who trespass on private/abandoned land  and give a bad name to  the rest of us.  

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I really enjoyed the landscape in this part of the world. 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) eastern washington palouse rolling hills https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2018/1/the-palouse Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:34:18 GMT
Banff National Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2017/1/banff-national-park On our last full day of the tour, we drove into Banff National Park.  We were headed towards Lake Moraine.  We made several stops along the way to photograph the pretty scenery.

 

 

 

 

 

We finally arrived at our destination, Lake Moraine.   Moraine Lake is a glacially fed lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometers (8.7m) outside of the Village of Lake Louise, where we had driven the previous day.  Its elevation is approximately 6,183 feet.  

 

 

We spent a couple of hours at the lake before heading back to Canmore.  

The next morning before heading to the airport, we went out to take a few photos in Canmore.

 

 

All in all, it was a wonderful trip.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Alberta Banff Canmore National Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2017/1/banff-national-park Thu, 26 Jan 2017 02:14:46 GMT
Snow at Mount Assiniboine National Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2017/1/last-day-at-mount-assiniboine  The day before we were leaving Mount Assiniboine we were fortunate enough to wake up to a winter wonderland.

This photo was taken just hiking around the lodge.

 


 

Eventually I made my way down to the lake below the lodge.

 

It started to warm up in the afternoon and the snow started to disappear off the trees.
On our last day in the park, a few of us went on a different hike.  Much of the snow had melted by now. I still thought this pond was very pretty.

 

A photo of our group  in front of the lodge waiting for our helicopter to arrive. 

The morning started out pretty foggy so we were a bit concerned about the ride down but the fog disappeared and all was well.  The lodge was actually closing for the season on the day we left.  I watched the helicopter flying in.

One last look at the lodge before walking over to the helicopter pad.

On the way down, I was fortunate enough to sit in the front seat of the helicopter with the pilot.  Here are a few shots taken from the helicopter.

 

 

Once back on the ground, we waited for the rest of our group coming down on the next helicopter.

After checking into our hotel in Cranbrooke, we headed out to Lake Louise.  We didn't have a lot of time but it was worth seeing the lake.  We then had a fabulous dinner at the Chateau Lake Louise.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Alberta Assiniboine British Columbia Lake Louise Mount Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2017/1/last-day-at-mount-assiniboine Wed, 18 Jan 2017 01:22:36 GMT
Another Day in Mount Assiniboine National Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/12/another-day-in-mount-assiniboine-national-park  

The next morning we were up again very early.  This time instead of hiking down to the lake, we photographed a different pond.

Our group went on a different hike after breakfast.  

One of the cabins in the park.

 


David Muench was one of the leaders of our group.  David is a famous  American landscape and nature photographer and one of the nicest people I have ever met.  

 

Every where I went I saw some spectacular scenery.  

After lunch a few of us went on a different hike.  

In the late afternoon  we did the difficult hike from the previous day again.  This time we left later in the afternoon and for some reason I found it easier.  Maybe I was getting used to the altitude.  

The photographs were similar from the previous day but of course the light was different.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Assiniboine British Columbia Mount National Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/12/another-day-in-mount-assiniboine-national-park Tue, 20 Dec 2016 19:50:29 GMT
Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/12/mount-assiniboine-provincial-park In September of 2015, I joined a group of photographers to  hike in the Canadian Rockies.  Although I grew up in B.C., this was my first time visiting the Rockies.  

I flew into Calgary to meet the group.  .  You can see from the map above where Mount Assiniboine is (#157).  We left the next morning for the Canmore Alpine Heliport which was about 1 1/5 hours from our hotel.  It was my first ride in a helicopter and it was fantastic.  I had been a bit apprehensive about the flight but once we took off I found it to be an exhilarating experience and enjoyed every minute of the flight.  The flight only lasted about fifteen minutes and was over much too quickly.  

As our group was  waiting  for our flight we photographed the arriving group.  

This photograph was taken from the helicopter.  The scenery was absolutely spectacular.  Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is located in British Columbia.  It is a high alpine backcountry park with no road access.  You can only reach the park by hiking up, cross country skiing or helicopter.  There were some hikers that we met-we were told it takes approximately 9 hours to hike to the lodge from the bottom of the mountain.  

This was my first view of the Mount Assiniboine Lodge.  The main area of the Park is at about 2,180 meters (7,200 feet).  The lodge itself had some rooms upstairs (maybe six or so?) and also many cabins as well as a campground.  Although rustic it had a lot of character and excellent food.  

This was the view of the lake that can be seen from the lodge.  The hike to the lake was only about twenty minutes or so.  However, since there are Grizzly bears in the area it was recommended to never hike by yourself and take certain precautions.  We did hear that the campground had been visited by bears during our stay but I never saw one.

Our group made our way down to the lake once we had settled into the lodge.  Unfortunately, we didn't have the clouds for the sunset.

I was very impressed by the scenery as we made our way back up to the lodge.

We were up early the next morning to photograph the lake.  

We spent about two hours photographing before returning to the lodge for breakfast.  It was quite cold out waiting for the light but it warmed up nicely during the day.  

After breakfast we started off on a hike which proved quite challenging to me.  Along the way we stopped off at a pond to take a few quick photos.

 

One last photo before we continued our hike.  You can see the peak of Mount Assiniboine in the background (the snow covered peak).  

We arrived at our destination after about an hour of hiking.  It was definitely worth the effort.   

I wandered around the area admiring the fall colors.

We took some more photos before heading back down to the lodge.

Much later on  in the afternoon we headed back to one of the ponds to photograph the sunset.  It was very cloudy out but finally some light broke through.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Alberta Assiniboine British Canadian Columbia Mount National Park Rockies https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/12/mount-assiniboine-provincial-park Thu, 08 Dec 2016 20:34:23 GMT
Wrapping up my visit to Gros Morne, Newfoundland https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/9/wrapping-up-my-visit-to-gros-morne-newfoundland In the last couple of days in Gros Morne, we spent some time exploring Rocky Harbour and re-visited a few places that we had been to.

20150801_Portfolio Photos_000120150801_Portfolio Photos_0001 There was a popular fish and chips stand in Rocky Harbor.  I didn't try the fish and chips here but I did eat them in a pub one night and they were delicious.

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20150801_Portfolio Photos_000320150801_Portfolio Photos_0003 One afternoon we went back to the Noris Point area, outside of  town.  Here we met lots of very nice people living or summering in the area.  

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20150802_Portfolio Photos_001020150802_Portfolio Photos_0010 Our last sunset photos were taken the night before we left Newfoundland.  We went back to the beach south of Green Point (or as we like to call it, No Name Beach).

20150802_Portfolio Photos_001120150802_Portfolio Photos_0011 A long exposure shot towards the end of the evening.

20150802_Portfolio Photos_000620150802_Portfolio Photos_0006 This next few shots were  taken walking around Rocky Harbour.  

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A view of our cabins in Rocky Harbour.

20150803_Portfolio Photos_000120150803_Portfolio Photos_0001 Sunrise on our last morning.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Gros Morne National Park Newfoundland Rocky Harbour https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/9/wrapping-up-my-visit-to-gros-morne-newfoundland Thu, 01 Sep 2016 23:19:57 GMT
Gros Morne, July 31st https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/8/the-tablelands-august-30th We actually got to sleep in this morning and met at 6 AM instead of 5.30!  We were headed to Woody Point and the Tablelands for the day.

20150731_Newfoundland_000220150731_Newfoundland_0002 On the way we stopped to take a few photos.

20150731_Newfoundland_000720150731_Newfoundland_0007 Woody Point is a town located in the heart of Gros Morne National Park.  The town is a registered Heritage District with a population of approximately 280 people

20150731_Newfoundland_000820150731_Newfoundland_0008 Europeans were slow to settle the west coast of Newfoundland.  The British were concentrated on the east coast and the French were on the Grand Banks.  In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht gave the French some land on the west coast which was extended in 1783 to the entire coast. British settlement also spread and by 1800 the first British settlement in the Bonne Bay area occurred in Woody Point.  When fisherman began to stay during the winter rather than return to England,  a basis for permanent establishment was laid.  By 1904, the French had left the area to pursue fisheries farther up the coast.  By this time Woody Point was bustling.  It was pretty much considered the capital of the area with banking and customs offices, merchants and a harbour full of domestic and foreign vessels.  In 1922, when the town was at its height of commercial success, a devastating fire broke out and 58 buildings were destroyed.  The town never recovered to its  prior bustling state.

20150731_Newfoundland_001020150731_Newfoundland_0010 Our group wandered around the town after breakfast.

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20150731_Newfoundland_001220150731_Newfoundland_0012 The Woody Point lighthouse was built in 1919.

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20150731_Newfoundland_002020150731_Newfoundland_0020 After exploring Woody Point and eating breakfast our group drove to the Tablelands.   If you remember, I took a photo of the Tablelands my first morning in Gros Morne.  Today we actually spent quite a few hours exploring the area.  After driving on the highway, we suddenly came across a desert-like landscape with little vegetation.

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20150731_Newfoundland_002220150731_Newfoundland_0022 The ultramafic rock (peridotite) makes this place look pretty barren.  As mentioned in an earlier blog, the Tablelands is one of the few places in the world where you can see the exposed earth's mantel.  The rock was forced up to the surface millions of years ago during a plate collision and peridotite lacks the nutrients which allow plants to grow.  Apparently because of this, there is virtually no wildlife in this area of the park.

20150731_Newfoundland_002320150731_Newfoundland_0023 There were great clouds today.

20150731_Newfoundland_002420150731_Newfoundland_0024 Jenny walking along the trail.

20150731_Newfoundland_002520150731_Newfoundland_0025 Georgia was another member of our group.

20150731_Newfoundland_003420150731_Newfoundland_0034 A closeup view of one of the waterfalls.

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20150731_Newfoundland_003820150731_Newfoundland_0038 Bruce, another member of the group.

20150731_Newfoundland_004020150731_Newfoundland_0040 A couple of hikers who I met on the "trail".  Half  of our group went back to Woody Point while I stayed  with the other half to do some hiking.  

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20150731_Newfoundland_000120150731_Newfoundland_0001 Georgia and Ivan

20150731_Newfoundland_004720150731_Newfoundland_0047 Heading back to the parking lot.

20150731_Newfoundland_004920150731_Newfoundland_0049 After hiking in the Tablelands we returned to Woody Point.  This photo is of one of the colorful buildings in town.

20150731_Newfoundland_005020150731_Newfoundland_0050 While walking around later in ​the town I came across this "moving play" where actors were reading scripts while walking through the town, something I had never come across before.

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20150731_Newfoundland_005620150731_Newfoundland_0056 On the way back to Rocky Harbour, we stopped at a beach south of Green Point to watch and photograph the sunset.

20150731_Newfoundland_005720150731_Newfoundland_0057 It is all about the rocks in Gros Morne.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Grow Morne Newfoundland Tablelands Woody Point https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/8/the-tablelands-august-30th Wed, 17 Aug 2016 16:08:35 GMT
Gros Morne, July 29th and 30th. https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/8/gros-morne-july-29th On the morning of July 29th, the sunrise shoot was actually cancelled this morning (the one and only time).  It was raining so whoever had gotten up went back to sleep.  We met later on and went into town and took some photos in the gardens of a restaurant (JavaJack's)

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Panning shot of flowers in the garden.

20150729_Newfoundland_000320150729_Newfoundland_0003 It was cloudy for the day (but no rain) so we were able to head out to the beach for some afternoon shooting.  We went to Hogsweed Beach in the afternoon.  

20150729_Newfoundland_000120150729_Newfoundland_0001 Ivar and Georgia (Bruce in background) taking a break.

20150729_Newfoundland_000120150729_Newfoundland_0001 Alice admiring the rocks.

20150729_Newfoundland_000120150729_Newfoundland_0001 Dorothy hard at work.

20150729_Newfoundland_000120150729_Newfoundland_0001 Natalie reviewing her photographs

20150729_Newfoundland_000120150729_Newfoundland_0001 Rick

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20150729_Newfoundland_001020150729_Newfoundland_0010 An abstract view of canoes at Noris Point.  

20150730_Newfoundland_000120150730_Newfoundland_0001 The next morning we went back to Norris Point and the surrounding area.  

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20150730_Newfoundland_001320150730_Newfoundland_0013 This photo was taken at a beach south of Green Point.

20150730_Newfoundland_001420150730_Newfoundland_0014 Our destination for the afternoon was Western Brook Pond.  Western Brook Pond is a fjord in the Longe Range Mountains, the most northern section of the Appalachian Mountains.  We had tickets for the boat ride through the fjords which meant a 30 minute hike to get to the dock.

20150730_Newfoundland_001520150730_Newfoundland_0015 Some of the scenery along the way.

20150730_Newfoundland_000120150730_Newfoundland_0001 This was the boat we were supposed to take.  Unfortunately, the ride was cancelled due to the foggy conditions.  Oh well an excuse for me to go back someday.

20150730_Newfoundland_001820150730_Newfoundland_0018 We walked back to the vans on the same trail but since there was no rush, I had more time to check out the scenery.

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20150730_Newfoundland_002020150730_Newfoundland_0020 Later on in the day we found ourselves back at No Name Beach.

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20150730_Newfoundland_002220150730_Newfoundland_0022 Our last stop of the day was Green Point Beach.   I think this was my favorite place in the park.

20150730_Newfoundland_002320150730_Newfoundland_0023 When we first arrived it was so foggy that you couldn't see much at all but it got better.  This time,  I spent my time on top of the cliffs looking down at the water.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Greenpoint Beach Gros Morne National Park Norris Point Western Brook Pond https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/8/gros-morne-july-29th Sun, 07 Aug 2016 00:53:47 GMT
Grow Morne, July 28th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/7/gros-morne-august-28th 20150728_Newfoundland_000220150728_Newfoundland_0002 Early morning photograph of  the colourful buildings in Rocky Harbour.   â€‹The harbour was previously known as Small Bay or Little Harbour.  The town is near the entrance of Bonne Bay.  Arrowheads have been found in the area which proved that Micman Indians once lived here.  During the 18th and 19th centuries, the harbour was frequented by  French fishermen.  The first year the town of Rocky Harbour appeared in the census figures was in 1874, when it had a population of 35.  Following the opening of Gros Morne National Park in 1973, the population further increased and services such as an RCMP detachment was added.  In 2011, the population was 979.  

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A shot of the rapids.

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We spent the early morning photographing around the beach in Rocky Harbor.  

20150728_Newfoundland_000820150728_Newfoundland_0008 The Norris Point area.

20150728_Newfoundland_001020150728_Newfoundland_0010 We came across a great little Inn in Norris Point which would have been another great spot to stay in.

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People were very friendly in Newfoundland.  No-one ever had a problem with us trespassing on property to take some photographs.  Sometimes people would even invite us onto their deck.  

20150728_Newfoundland_001220150728_Newfoundland_0012 Richard photographing on the beach.

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20150728_Newfoundland_001420150728_Newfoundland_0014 A pretty classic view of the area.  There were some kids playing in the fields.

20150728_Newfoundland_001520150728_Newfoundland_0015 On the way back to Rocky Harbour, a storm came up.  We stopped the car to photograph just before the rain came.  An observation about Gros Morne was that it could be raining in one spot and a few miles away, the sun could be out.

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20150728_Newfoundland_001720150728_Newfoundland_0017 We had dinner at a local  pub with great fish and chips.  After dinner, I took a couple of photos of the docks of Rocky Harbour.  Lots of storm clouds tonight.

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20150728_Newfoundland_001920150728_Newfoundland_0019 After dinner we drove to the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse.  The lighthouse was built in 1897, a great place to watch sunsets or crashing waves on stormy days.  The automated light is still run by the Canadian Coast Guard.

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A view from the lighthouse looking out to the ocean.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Harbor Newfoundland Norris Point Rocky https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/7/gros-morne-august-28th Wed, 27 Jul 2016 12:07:58 GMT
Gros Morne Park, July 27th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/6/gros-morne-park-july-27th

20150727_Portfolio Photos_000120150727_Portfolio Photos_0001 Another early morning.  Today we went back to Green point, where we had been the previous evening.  

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20150727_Newfoundland_000320150727_Newfoundland_0003 Natalie lent me her fish-eye lens (ultra wide angle lens) which was fun to try out.

 

20150727_Portfolio Photos_000320150727_Portfolio Photos_0003 Georgia photographing beside the cliffs.  You get an idea of just how large these cliffs are.

20150727_Portfolio Photos_000420150727_Portfolio Photos_0004 A very close up of the actual rocks.  Great texture and colours in these rocks. 20150727_Portfolio Photos_000520150727_Portfolio Photos_0005

20150727_Portfolio Photos_000120150727_Portfolio Photos_0001 Rick photographing the beach.  

20150727_Portfolio Photos_000120150727_Portfolio Photos_0001 This photo was  taken just before walking down to the SS Ethie Beach   where we spent the afternoon.

 

 

20150727_Newfoundland_001520150727_Newfoundland_0015 Patterns of rocks on the beach. 20150727_Portfolio Photos_000920150727_Portfolio Photos_0009

 

20150727_Portfolio Photos_001020150727_Portfolio Photos_0010 It was a great beach to explore.  It was a bit tricky getting close to the water as the rocks were very slippery.  One of the members of the group did fall in the water but fortunately there was no harm done except for some wet clothes.   This beach was all about the rocks!

 

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A close up view of the textures and colors of the rocks.

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There were huge boulders on this beach.

20150727_Portfolio Photos_000220150727_Portfolio Photos_0002 This photo shows the rusty remains of the SS Ethie at Martin's Point between Cow's Head and Bonne Bay.  Its amazing that some of the boat still remains.  The story is that the boat was tossed by hurricane-ravaged waters until it ran aground  in 1919 and threatened to burst into flames.  There were a few heroic fishermen and a dog onshore desperately trying to save passengers and crew.  There was also a tale of a daring rescue of a baby stashed in an old mailbag dangling from a rope high above the raging sea.  Folk songs have been written about the tale, including "The Wreck of the Ethie".  

20150727_Newfoundland_003120150727_Newfoundland_0031 If you came on this trip, you had better enjoy taking photographs of rocks- fortunately I enjoyed it.

20150727_Portfolio Photos_000120150727_Portfolio Photos_0001 For something different, a closeup photograph of a tree on the beach.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Gros Morne Newfoundland Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/6/gros-morne-park-july-27th Sat, 25 Jun 2016 01:41:34 GMT
Gros Morne Park, July 26th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/6/gros-morne-park-august-26h This morning the group met at 5.30 AM which was our normal starting time in order to see the sunrise.  We had a short drive to "The Pond" as we called it.  This morning we had great fog.

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20150726_Newfoundland_000420150726_Newfoundland_0004 We walked along the shoreline taking photos from different vantage points.  This turned out to be the only misty morning.

 

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20150726_Newfoundland_001020150726_Newfoundland_0010 Eventually we left the pond and headed to Norris Point where we had been the previous morning.  A portion of The Anglican Church in Norris Point.

20150726_Newfoundland_001120150726_Newfoundland_0011 You can see it turned out to be a beautiful day in Norris Point.  People getting ready to go out boating.

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20150726_Newfoundland_001320150726_Newfoundland_0013 We actually saw quite a few Minke whales in Norris Point.  However, I was unable to actually get a good photo of one.  It was too difficult for me to time them coming out of the water as you never knew where they were going to appear.

20150726_Croatia_000120150726_Croatia_0001 Later on we went to Green Point for our night photography.   Green Point is located 12 km north of Rocky Harbour and turned out to be a fabulous place to photograph.  We went here several times during the week and kept discovering new photo opportunities.  

 

20150726_Newfoundland_001520150726_Newfoundland_0015 There was a pretty nice sunset tonight.

 

20150726_Newfoundland_001720150726_Newfoundland_0017 In 2000, the cliffs at Green Point were approved as the Global Stratotype Section and Point for the base of the Ordovician system by the International Union of Geological Sciences.  I really don't know what this means but the cliffs were very impressive.  I did read that the shales represent a 30 million year record of deep-ocean sediments laid in a base-of-slope environment in the lappets Ocean.  The limestone layers indicate periodic avalanches from the shallower waters.  

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There was some nice color on the rocks.

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The light was constantly changing.  

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After the sunset we got some great colors in the sky.  

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It was finally time to call it a night.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Gros Morne Newfoundland Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/6/gros-morne-park-august-26h Fri, 10 Jun 2016 18:16:33 GMT
Gros Morne National Park, July 25th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/5/gross-morne-national-park On July 24th,  2015 I  flew to Deer Lake, Newfoundland to start my photography tour.  Richard Martin (richardmartinphoto.com) was the trip leader.  I had travelled to Cuba with him before and was really looking forward to meeting up with him again.  I was hopeful that I would be inspired by  his creativity and vision.    There were nine photographers (eight from Ontario and one from New York) plus Richard.     We spent eight days in Gros Morne National Park staying in log cabins in the town of Rocky Harbour.  Initially, I was thinking that it might be too long to spend in one place, however I found that with the constant changing light and weather conditions it was just right.     Even going back to the same place several times, it was always different.  Of course it would have been nice to see more of Newfoundland so I'm hoping that Richard will offer a reunion tour of a different area.

PrintPrint I have included a map of Newfoundland.  Newfoundland and Labrador is the most easterly province in Canada.  The Island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador has a combined area of 405,212 square kilometres (156,500 sq mi) and a population of approximately 526,000 as of 2013.  Given Newfoundland's size there is no way that you can see the Island in one week.  A former colony and dominion of England, Newfoundland and Labrador became the tenth province on March 31st, 1949.  In 2001, an amendment was made to the Constitution of Canada to change the province's official name to Newfoundland and Labrador.  St. John's is the capital of the province.

I have included a small map showing where the group spent their time.  I flew into Deer Lake which is a non-stop  three hour flight from Toronto.  After arriving at the small and efficient airport, Richard and Jenny each rented SUV's and five of us who had travelled together from Toronto drove to Rocky Harbour.  The drive was only about 45 minutes. You can see that Rocky Harbour is almost in the middle of the park.  We stayed at Gros Morne Cabins, right on the ocean.  Each of the modern cottages contained a fully equipped kitchen, TV's (not that I turned it on) and wireless internet (which worked well).  

 

20150725_Croatia_000120150725_Croatia_0001 The actual tour did not start until dinner time on July 25th but that didn't stop Richard from leading a sunrise shoot at 5.30 AM for anyone who was interested.    This is a photograph of Gros Morne Tablelands taken at the overlook.  The Tablelands is actually one of the few places in the world where you can see the exposed earth's mantle.  I know very little about geography but this is what I was able to find out  from Wikipedia " The interior of the Earth, similar to tother terrestrial planets, is chemically divided into layers.  The mantle is a layer between the crust and the outer core.  The earth's mantle is a silicate rocky shell with an average thickness of 2,886 kilometres.  The mantel makes up about 84% of Earth's volume.  In some places under the ocean the mantle is actually exposed on the surface of the earth.  There are also a few places inland where mantel rock has been pushed to the surface by tectonic activity, most notably the Tablelands region of Gros Morne National Park"  

20150725_Newfoundland_000320150725_Newfoundland_0003 We arrived at Norris Point and spent a couple of hours photographing from the town and the beach.  

20150725_Newfoundland_000420150725_Newfoundland_0004 Norris Point  is located on the northern side of Bonne Bay and is named after one of its first settlers, Neddy Norris, who came to the area with his wife and children between 1789 an 1790.  It was a small town with a few businesses and a very modern marine biology centre.  

20150725_Newfoundland_000520150725_Newfoundland_0005 What I mostly remember about this place was its gorgeous scenery first thing in the morning.

20150725_Croatia_000120150725_Croatia_0001 I hiked up a hill for a different view.  You can see some houses of the town.

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In 1987, the park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both its geological history and its exceptional scenery.    Eventually the light got too bright so we headed back to Rocky Harbour for breakfast and then a nap.  

20150725_Newfoundland_001120150725_Newfoundland_0011 We met up again in the afternoon.  Richard was making a couple of trips to the airport to pick up other members arriving at different times.  Before heading out to a beach for an afternoon shoot, we noticed laundry  blowing in the wind outside of the laundromat where we stayed.  It was a fun spot to photograph.  

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The cabins were situated on the main road of the town.  I wonder what the people thought as they drove and walked by  of a bunch of people in all different positions taking photographs of laundry.

20150725_Newfoundland_001320150725_Newfoundland_0013 After  leaving the laundry, we headed over to "no-name" Beach.  The light was terrible- very harsh so it was really more of a scouting trip.  The weather was a little cool but sunny.  I ended up taking a few photographs but then I found some really nice comfortable, warm rocks to sit on and just enjoy the ocean.  The photo above is a close up one of one of the rocks on the beach.  Photographing in Gros Morne Park was often all about the rocks.

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20150725_Newfoundland_001520150725_Newfoundland_0015 After dinner the group went on its own.  Richard left for the airport to pick up the last two people in the group while Bruce and I went for a hike in town.  We were hoping to get a great sunset which was going to be a real challenge since there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  There was hike that went past a cemetery and had a great view of the ocean and a lighthouse in the distance.

20150725_Newfoundland_001620150725_Newfoundland_0016 You can see the cemetery in the distance.

20150725_Newfoundland_001720150725_Newfoundland_0017 The next few shots were taken just outside of our cabins.  The Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse is in the distance.

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The last shot of the night.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Gros Harbour Morne National Newfoundland Norris Park Point https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/5/gross-morne-national-park Tue, 31 May 2016 15:55:12 GMT
Montenegro https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/5/kotar-monenegro On my last day in Dubrovnik, Anna Lisa and I decided to take a bus tour to Montenegro since our flights were not leaving until the next morning.  Technically, my photography tour did not end until mid-morning but I decided that rather than have most of the day free, I would go on a bus tour.  The tour was actually very enjoyable (23 people), however it was more rigid in terms of time than what I was used to.  When you are travelling with a  very small group, there is a lot more flexibility.  Still it was a great day and I got a taste of Montenegro.  I think I will have to go back to really see the country though as there just wasn't enough time in the places we went.

20150529_Croatia_000120150529_Croatia_0001 The bus first stopped at a lookout of the Bay of Kotor.  The Bay of Kotor, is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro.  The bay was once called Europes' southernmost fjord but it is actually a ria, a submerged river valley.   The bay is about 28km long from the open sea to the harbour of the city of Kotor and has a shoreline of 107.3 km.  The religious heritage of the land around the bay (numerous Orthodox and Catholic charges and monasteries) makes it one of the major pilgrimage sites of the region.  

20150529_Croatia_000220150529_Croatia_0002 After getting off the bus we all walked to the clock tower in the main square in Kotor to meet our guide.  The guide  took us for a thirty minute tour of the old city.  The Clock Tower, shown above is a three-story building with two clock faces.  On its facade is the crest from the ruling prince of the time.  In front of the tower is a "pillar of shame" where local criminals were once tied up as punishment.

20150529_Croatia_000120150529_Croatia_0001 The main square in Kotor.   Kotor is  one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic.    It was fairly busy in off season,  so I can imagine what the crowds would be like in the summer.  The city has a population around 13,000 but in the summer with all of the cruise ships coming in, this could easily double.  

20150529_Croatia_000420150529_Croatia_0004 The narrowest street in the town was shown to us by our guide.  

20150529_Croatia_000520150529_Croatia_0005 Kotor has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the fortifications surrounding the medieval town and its natural beauty.

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The laundry sure added some additional colour to the garden.  Anna Lisa and I were wandering around trying to find the trail that led up the mountain.  The ancient walls stretch for 4.5 km (3mi) directly above the city.  The start of the trail was just on the other side of this house.   We really wanted to do the hike  but we didn't have enough time.   

20150529_Croatia_000720150529_Croatia_0007 We  spent our free  hour   wandering around the streets.

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20150529_Croatia_000120150529_Croatia_0001 In this photograph, you can see the climb up the hill that we wanted to do.  One of the best views of Kotor is from the city's medieval fort walls build during the 9th century.  I read that there are 1,350 stairs and it is 4,000 feet above sea level.  Ideally, you should be starting the hike first thing in the morning as soon as it is open.  The fort walls became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.  The walls  were built by the Byzantines to protect the city from invaders.  However, the walls didn't actually keep out invaders since Kotor  became under siege by Venetian, Ottoman and even British rule over the centuries.  

20150529_Croatia_000120150529_Croatia_0001 Sveti Stefan (Saint Stephen) is a small islet and hotel resort in Montenegro, approximately 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) southeast of Budva.  The resort includes the islet of Sveti Stefan and the part of the mainland, where the Villa Milocer (hotel) is located.  This islet was an Adriatic playground for the rich and famous from the 1960's to the 1980's.  The hotel is now a 5 star franchise hotel of the international group of Aman Resorts.  It was completed in 2009 and is operating under a 30 year lease.  Just for fun I looked up the cost of the hotel for mid June.  The daily rates ran from 881.5 Euros ($1,203 CND) to 3,356.50 Euros ($4,900 CND)  per night.  I hope  that includes breakfast!  Formerly an Island, all of the buildings were acquired by the Yugoslav government and turned into an upscale hotel during the Tito Regime.  The resort was also a venue for political conferences and an occasional chess venue, attracting top-class players such as Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer.  In the 1990's the break-up of Yugoslavia led to the decline of the resort.  The government of Montenegro proposed to recreate the old charm of the island by inviting international bids for the revitalization project.  The contract was awarded to the Aman Resorts in 2007.  The refurbished resort, completed in 2009 retains the old world charm of its exterior view, with a totally modern, contemporary look for the interior.  The hotel won the Hotel of the Year award from Gallivanter's Guide in 2010.  In July 2014, tennis champion Novak Djokovic married Jelena Ristic at the resort.  

20150529_Ecuador_002720150529_Ecuador_0027 A water taxi in Budva, our next stop on the tour.

20150529_Croatia_000120150529_Croatia_0001  The Venetians ruled the town of Budva  for  almost 400 years, from 1420 to 1797.  The Venetian walls were built to protect the town against Ottoman conquests.  With the fall of the Republic of Venice, Budva came under the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy.  During the Napoleonic Wars, Montenegro forces allied with Russia and took control of the city in 1806 until 1807 when France took over.  In 1813, Budva was ceded to the Austrian Empire which remained in control for the next 100 years.  In 1918, the city remained under Austria-Hungary until after the war when it came under Yugoslavia.  We wandered around the streets of the old town.

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 Montenegro became an independent country in 2006, with Budva as its primary tourist destination.  We wandered through the streets of the old town. In 1941, Budva was annexed by Italy and was liberated from the Axis rule on November 22, 1944 to become part of Yugoslavia.  A catastrophic earthquake struck Budva win 1979.  Much of the old town was devastated, but today there is little evidence of the earthquake as almost all of the buildings have been restored to their original form.

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20150529_Ecuador_003620150529_Ecuador_0036 The beach was not crowded at all in May.

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20150529_Croatia_001720150529_Croatia_0017 I included this photo to show the incredible colors of the crystal clear  water.   The dot in the sky in far right side of the photo is a kite surfer.

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20150529_Croatia_001820150529_Croatia_0018 We left the town around 3.30 to head back to Dubrovnik.  We took a ferry ride in the Bay of Kotor and this was a view from the ferry.  

20150529_Ecuador_004320150529_Ecuador_0043 After getting back to the hotel shortly before 7 PM, I decided to head into Dubrovnik one last time as I hadn't had a chance to take the cable car ride up which overlooks the city.  There was a bus across the street from the hotel and after a twenty minute ride into the city I found my way to where the cable car ride started.  This photo was taken while I was heading towards the start of the ride.

20150529_Ecuador_004420150529_Ecuador_0044 I actually enjoyed the views from the top much more than the photographic experience.  I only had a short amount of time before the last ride down and I really didn't have enough time to explore (about an hour or so).  There is an actual hike that one can take up to the top of Mount Srd with incredible views.   The Dubrovnik cable car began transporting passengers in 1969 but was completely destroyed during the Croatian War of Independence, in one of the fiercest battles (Siege of Dubrovnik)  of the 1991-1995 war.   In the summer of 2010, the cable car rides were restored and took passengers to the top of the mountain.  You can see how the cable car wires got in the way of the photo!  

20150529_Croatia_002120150529_Croatia_0021 Looking down at the rooftops from above.

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A beautiful view of the Adriatic Sea.  

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Mount Srd was once forested with oak trees which locals called dubrava, after which the city of Dubrovnik was named.  The southern slope was once rich with pine forests, but in the second half of the 20th century and during the war, the forest was lost completely gutted from various fires.  

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20150529_Ecuador_004620150529_Ecuador_0046 One of the last shots before heading back to town.  

20150529_Ecuador_005320150529_Ecuador_0053  I wandered into the old town and took a couple of last shots before taking the bus back to the hotel.   

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One last walk through the main street.
20150530_Croatia_000120150530_Croatia_0001 My flight to Toronto (via Zagreb and Frankfurt) was leaving at 7 AM in the morning so I arranged for a cab to pick me up around 5 AM.  The cab driver was happy to stop the cab for me so I could take one last photo of Dubrovnik and enjoy looking at the city for a final view.  The flight leaving Zagreb for Frankfurt was about an hour late which left me practically no time for my connecting flight to Toronto.  If any of you are familiar with the Frankfurt airport you will know that it is always busy and it seems like you always have to walk a long way to get through passport control (with lineups) and to your gate.  Fortunately,  once we landed in Frankfurt, Air Canada arranged for about 5 of us to take a bus from the plane  to near the gate where the flight was boarding.  So we were able to skip passport control and make our connection.  Without the special treatment, there is no way we could have made the flight.   One of the other travelers said that the last time she took this route home, she was not so lucky and had to stay in Frankfurt overnight and fly to Toronto the next day.  So a hectic and very long  last day of travel but of course it is always worth it.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Budva Croatia Dubrovnik Kotar Montenegro https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/5/kotar-monenegro Tue, 17 May 2016 00:27:36 GMT
Evening in Dubrovnik https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/5/evening-in-dubrovnik 20150527_Ecuador_008420150527_Ecuador_0084 Before our group headed into Drubronik for the evening, I went for a short walk outside of the hotels' grounds.  This photograph overlooking the water was taken from a nearby road.  It didn't matter where I went in Croatia, the water was always pristine. 

 

20150527_Ecuador_008620150527_Ecuador_0086 Anna Lisa and I were practising taking photos with shadows (with Roman's guidance).   Of course watching him take the shot didn't help us that much because we just couldn't master his technique.    Roman is a true street photographer.  He holds his camera in one hand, around  waist  level to take many of his shots.  Then he angles the camera to the correct position, takes the shot and keeps walking.  This way people do not know that their photo is being taken.  I did actually try this in Split and found that I was getting shots that had no people in them and this was not the intention.  So this technique requires a lot of practise and a light camera/lens combination that can be held with one hand.  My shots were taken in the old fashion way- I got down low to the ground.

 

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I loved the colorful clothes this woman was wearing.  

20150527_Ecuador_009220150527_Ecuador_0092 Roman deep in thought while we were eating pizza  in an outside cafe.

20150527_Ecuador_009320150527_Ecuador_0093  After dinner Anna Lisa and I wandered around the town before meeting the rest of the group.

20150527_Ecuador_009420150527_Ecuador_0094 There was some great light on some of the buildings by now.

 

20150527_Ecuador_009620150527_Ecuador_0096 We were taking advantage of the last of the light.

20150527_Ecuador_009720150527_Ecuador_0097 Allan had taken a similar shot in the afternoon so we copied him.

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20150527_Ecuador_010020150527_Ecuador_0100 Hardly any light was left now and we weren't using our tripods but we couldn't resist photographing this cat.  

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20150527_Ecuador_010220150527_Ecuador_0102 Anna Lisa and I had brought our tripods with us so we thought we should actually use them.

20150527_Ecuador_010320150527_Ecuador_0103 This is one of the best times to photograph- the blue hour, after the sun has set and before the sky goes black.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Dubrovnik https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/5/evening-in-dubrovnik Fri, 13 May 2016 13:21:05 GMT
Boating on the Neretva River https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/5/boating-on-the-neretva-river After leaving Mostar, we headed to the Neretva Valley, where Roman has friends who own a restaurant in a small village.  I had already explored the area as we passed through the town on our way to Dubrovnik but this time we enjoyed a ride on one of the 100 year old wooden boats.  We didn't really have a destination -we just spent an enjoyable afternoon on the Neretva River.  I have to say it was one of the highlights of our trip ( there were many).  In terms of photography it was difficult due to the harsh mid-day light but the scenery was still great.    

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Some lily pads in the river.

20150528_Croatia_000220150528_Croatia_0002 Roman's friend and captain of our vessel.

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Miles enjoying himself as always.  

20150528_Croatia_000420150528_Croatia_0004 Miles and Allen.  The strawberries in the basket  were huge and delicious, however I did not care for the drinks.  I was told that I wouldn't be able to taste the alcohol.  Miles and Allen should have had their cameras ready to catch my expression as I had a drink.

 

20150528_Croatia_000720150528_Croatia_0007 It was a very peaceful couple of hours on the river, absolutely perfect weather.   Again, the water was pristine.

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20150528_Croatia_000120150528_Croatia_0001 An old boat on the side of the river.

20150528_Croatia_001420150528_Croatia_0014 The ducks all lined up nicely for us.

20150528_Croatia_000120150528_Croatia_0001 Another boat on the side of the river.

20150528_Croatia_001620150528_Croatia_0016 One of the many fishing nets we saw.

20150528_Croatia_001720150528_Croatia_0017 Some houses on the side of the river.

20150528_Croatia_001920150528_Croatia_0019 We were  happy to see this fisherman which added a lot of interest.  It was fun to watch him.

20150528_Croatia_002020150528_Croatia_0020 A close up view as his boat came nearby.

 

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20150528_Ecuador_003020150528_Ecuador_0030  A close up photograph of Anna Lisa.

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20150528_Croatia_003720150528_Croatia_0037 Kula Norinska is a monumental fortress from the 16th century.  The tower was built to guard the Ottoman Empire from the Venetian ships on the Neretva River.   Now the tower is neglected as you can see from the overgrown ivy.

20150528_Croatia_000120150528_Croatia_0001 I was wishing that I had brought a long lens with me as there were a lot of birds in the area.  

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20150528_Croatia_004220150528_Croatia_0042 Getting back to the village.

20150528_Ecuador_000120150528_Ecuador_0001 At the end of the day we drove back to Dubrovnik for our final group dinner.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/5/boating-on-the-neretva-river Fri, 06 May 2016 00:42:14 GMT
Bosnia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/4/bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, informally known as Bosnia is a country in Southeastern Europe located on the Balkan Peninsula.  It is bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south; Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast and the Adriatic Seat to the south with a coastline of about 20 kilometres long surrounding the city of Neum.  When we drove from Split to Dubrovnik, we actually had to go through Bosnia.   Roman took our group to visit the fifth biggest city in Bosnia, Mostar.  

20150528_Ecuador_000120150528_Ecuador_0001 This was my first view of Bosnia after we got out of the car.  We saw many buildings that had been bombed during the war and have not yet been repaired.  Between 1992 and 1993, after Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia, the town was subject to an 18-month siege.  

20150528_Ecuador_000220150528_Ecuador_0002 Fortunately, the views got a lot better.  Mostar is situated on the Neretva River.

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20150528_Ecuador_000520150528_Ecuador_0005 The old section of town where we walked was very busy.  For some reason I thought the place reminded me of Turkish markets although I've never been to Turkey.The whole area was very busy with tourists.

20150528_Ecuador_000620150528_Ecuador_0006 Our first view of the famous Stari Most (Old Bridge).  This bridge was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century and is one of the country's most noticeable landmarks.  The bridge is also considered one of the most exemplary pieces of Islamic architecture in the Balkans.

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20150528_Ecuador_000820150528_Ecuador_0008 Another view of the river and town.

20150528_Ecuador_000920150528_Ecuador_0009 This is the view from the other side of the bridge.

20150528_Ecuador_001020150528_Ecuador_0010 Walking over the bridge led to more shops and restaurants.

20150528_Ecuador_001220150528_Ecuador_0012 The Koski Mehmed Pasa Mosque, was built in 1617.   I'm not sure what the  current demographics are but in 1991, Muslims made up about 35%, Croats 35% and Serbs 19%, however as in many other Bosnia cities, its demographic profile was significantly altered after the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.  

20150528_Ecuador_001320150528_Ecuador_0013 A closer look at the buildings.

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There were many artist and antique shops.

 

20150528_Ecuador_002020150528_Ecuador_0020 A restaurant in the hills.   There were many cafes where you could sit and people-watch for hours without being asked to leave.  Roman took us to a Turkish cafe where I had a taste of the Turkish coffee.  Talk about strong and bitter!  

20150528_Ecuador_002220150528_Ecuador_0022 The town was fortified between the 1520 and 1566 and the wooden bridge was rebuilt in stone in 1566 under the Ottoman rule.  The bridge is 28 meters long and 20 meters high (90' by 64').  The Austro-Hungarian Empire absorbed Mostar in 1878 and ruled there until after WW I in 1918.  During this period, Mostar was recognized as the unofficial capital of all of Herzegovina.  

20150528_Ecuador_002620150528_Ecuador_0026 A photo taken from the ground on the other side of the bridge.  Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who in th medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva.

20150528_Ecuador_002720150528_Ecuador_0027 A similar photo in black and white.

20150528_Ecuador_002820150528_Ecuador_0028 The same area but looking away from the Old Bridge.  

20150528_Ecuador_003020150528_Ecuador_0030 Walking back to the car I noticed this graffiti.  I sensed that there is still some unrest in the city not to mention that when we first got out of the car we were approached by a local guide who was not impressed that a Croatian guide was giving us a tour.  There was a series of riots and demonstrations in Bosnia as recently as 2014.  The demonstrations and riots were the most violent scenes the country had seen since the end of the Bosnian War in 1995.  People were fed up with the high unemployment.  I also seem to remember that Roman came close to not bringing us to Bosnia since there were rumors of a demonstration against the United States around the same time that we were in the area.

 

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During the Bosniak-Croat war, the city was divided into a western part, which was dominated by the Croat forces, and an eastern part, where the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina dominated.  Since the end of the wider war in 1995, great progress has been made in the reconstruction of the city of Mostar.  Some of the funding was provided by the World Bank.    Spain, The United States, Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands and Croatia  also donated funds for reconstruction.  The Old Bridge was also destroyed during the  Bosnian war and was rebuilt to its original design.  There are still many abandoned buildings which have not been restored.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/4/bosnia Thu, 28 Apr 2016 23:44:53 GMT
Durbrovnik, part 2 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/4/durbrovnik-part-2 As always, it was more interesting to get away from the main areas and see the streets and housing where the people lived in the walled city. 20150524_Ecuador_003320150524_Ecuador_0033

One of the many apartments we came across.

20150524_Ecuador_003420150524_Ecuador_0034 One of the old streets.

20150524_Ecuador_003520150524_Ecuador_0035 Doors and alleyways that we came across on our walk. 20150524_Ecuador_003620150524_Ecuador_0036

 

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There were outdoor cafes everywhere.

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This puppy reminded me of the girls so I had to take its photo.

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Ladies enjoying ice-cream at the end of the day.

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A view of the main street looking at the Bell Tower of the Franciscan Monastery.

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Even in the side streets there were restaurants everywhere.

 

20150524_Ecuador_004920150524_Ecuador_0049 At the restaurant where we ate dinner, we could look directly into these windows.  20150524_Ecuador_005020150524_Ecuador_0050

 

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After dinner, we had a little daylight left so we went for another walk.

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Food in Dubrovnik is fairly reasonable and not nearly as expensive as Paris.  One dollar is worth about 5.5 Kn. 

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Now it was starting to get dark so we headed towards the gate to leave the walled city.  You can see birds everywhere in the sky.  Roman said that was because it was going to rain the next day(and he was correct).

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We saw a display of parrots on our way out.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/4/durbrovnik-part-2 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 00:13:53 GMT
Walking the walls of Dubrovnik, part II https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/2/walking-the-walls-of-dubrovnik-part-ii 20150527_Ecuador_004820150527_Ecuador_0048 A view looking through one of the spaces in the wall.

20150527_Ecuador_004920150527_Ecuador_0049 A soccer  field /basketball court we saw as we were walking on the wall.  This is a great addition for people living in surrounding houses who want to play sports.  

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20150527_Ecuador_005320150527_Ecuador_0053 There were even gardens in the old city.

20150527_Ecuador_005520150527_Ecuador_0055 A view of Stradun Street from above.

20150527_Ecuador_005720150527_Ecuador_0057 Another view of St. Lawrence Fortress.

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At this point we were making our way to the end of the walk.

20150527_Ecuador_006420150527_Ecuador_0064 The rules of a travel photographer written on Roman's shirt  work for me.

 

20150527_Ecuador_006720150527_Ecuador_0067 I'm not sure I would want thousands of tourists walking by my house and laundry every day.

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20150527_Ecuador_007220150527_Ecuador_0072 The "pirate" ship again.

20150527_Ecuador_007320150527_Ecuador_0073 Details of three bells on a church roof.

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20150527_Ecuador_008020150527_Ecuador_0080 Back to Stradun (Placa) Street, the main open urban area of Dubrovnik and the most favoured promenade and gathering place.  Of course this is the busiest area as well in the old city.  This street is the widest and most beautiful street and divides the City into the northern and southern halves.  At the same time it is the shortest route  between the western and  the eastern City gates.  The Placa street was paved in 1468.  The limestone pavement remains polished from use.  As you can see it fairly shiny and bright.  

20150527_Ecuador_008120150527_Ecuador_0081 One of the characters on Placa Street.

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Finally it was time to head back to the hotel.  In the photo, on the left, Miles was posing for me.  Anna Lisa, behind is already on her way up.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/2/walking-the-walls-of-dubrovnik-part-ii Mon, 29 Feb 2016 00:41:44 GMT
Walking the wall in Dubrovnik https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/2/walking-the-wall-in-dubrovnik One of the highlights of visiting Dubrovnik was walking along the city's ancient walls.  Dubrovnik is one of the best-reserved medieval walled cities in the world.  The walk along the old walls was approximately one mile with lots of ups and downs.  The walls were built in the 14th century and served as a defensive structure to protect the city.  We admired breathtaking views of the port and Old Town as well as the beautiful blue colours of the Adriatic Sea.  The city walls have been restored several times in history to resemble their original appearance.  

20150527_Ecuador_000120150527_Ecuador_0001 This photograph was taken in the morning as we made our way towards the old town of Dubrovnik.  Roman found a parking lot that we used for going into the old town.  From there we walked down the hill to the entrance and then back up again each day.  The shot above was an early morning shot overlooking the walled city.  

20150527_Ecuador_000320150527_Ecuador_0003 The city-state of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) was founded prior to the 7th century as a Byzantium carts (plots of land or buildings constructed for use as a military defensive position) on a rocky island named Laus.  

20150527_Ecuador_000220150527_Ecuador_0002 With numerous additions and modifications through their history, they have been considered to be amongst the great fortification systems of the Middle Ages as they were never breached by a hostile army during that time period.  In 1979, the old city of Dubrovnik, which includes a substantial portion of the old walls of Dubrovnik, joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.  

20150527_Ecuador_000720150527_Ecuador_0007 Before going to the start of the walk of the walls, we headed down to the beach area to get a different view of Dubrovnik.  Even though this is a busy port area with lots of boating, the water was crystal clear.  

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20150527_Ecuador_001020150527_Ecuador_0010 It would have been great to have sailed around the old town if we had  time.

20150527_Ecuador_001120150527_Ecuador_0011 This looked like a fun way to see the sights.

20150527_Ecuador_001320150527_Ecuador_0013 Now were were on our way to find the start of the walk along the walls.

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Starting the climb up.

 

20150527_Ecuador_002020150527_Ecuador_0020 One of our first views overlooking the city from the wall.  

20150527_Ecuador_002120150527_Ecuador_0021 The views just got better and better.

20150527_Ecuador_002320150527_Ecuador_0023 The red roofs of the old town.

 

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Looking down at one of the streets.

20150527_Ecuador_002920150527_Ecuador_0029 I did get carried away with taking photos but the views were so beautiful.  You can see all of the people walking on the wall along the water.  It cost around $20 to do the walk which probably discouraged some tourists.  So although it was busy, it wasn't overly crowded.  Yes the water really did look this blue. 

 

20150527_Ecuador_003320150527_Ecuador_0033 St. Lawrence Fortress.  The walls of St. Lawrence Fortress exposed to enemy fire are almost 12 metres (39 ft) thick.

 

20150527_Ecuador_003420150527_Ecuador_0034 A close up view of one of the roofs and windows.

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20150527_Ecuador_004720150527_Ecuador_0047 A view of one of the local islands next to Dubrovnik.  Next up more views from the walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/2/walking-the-wall-in-dubrovnik Sat, 20 Feb 2016 16:09:51 GMT
The countryside near Dubrovnik https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/2/the-countryside-near-dubrovnik  

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After getting back  from Korcula Island, it was time for a late lunch but first Roman took us for a drive up in the hills so we could get a great view overlooking the Sea.  I'm not sure if Roman unintentionally  or intentionally missed the cutoff to where the restaurant was but I'm sure glad we got see the views.

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20150526_Ecuador_000420150526_Ecuador_0004 One last shot.  Alan was another member of our group.  

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20150526_Ecuador_001420150526_Ecuador_0014 We stopped at a restaurant for lunch where we could sit beside the water.  I'm not sure if this man was one of the owners but he was telling us that he was a musician so perhaps he just worked for the restaurant.  The food was delicious which I found to be the case just about everywhere we went.  That could be because Roman knew where to take us or perhaps all of the restaurants in Croatia are very good.

20150526_Ecuador_001520150526_Ecuador_0015 Roman's friend joined us for our lunch/early dinner and this was their little girl.

 

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After lunch I took a walk along the main street in the town.

20150526_Ecuador_001620150526_Ecuador_0016 On the way back to Dubrovnik we stopped off in the village of Ston.  Solana in Ston, is one of the three salt flats in Croatia.   It is the oldest in Europe and possibly the world.   Salt flats are flat expanses of ground covered with salt and other minerals.  Solana originates from the 14th century and is still functioning today.  It was created after the Dubrovnik  Republic in 1333 bought Ston and was enclosed by a defensive wall in 1360.  

 

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Walking in the streets of Ston.

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20150526_Ecuador_002120150526_Ecuador_0021 An old door in one of the streets.

20150526_Ecuador_002220150526_Ecuador_0022 A reflection outside of the town's entrance way.

20150526_Ecuador_002320150526_Ecuador_0023 Ston was a major fort of the Ragusan Republic whose defensive walls were regarded as a notable feat of medieval architecture.  The town's inner wall measures 890 metres in length, while the Great Wall outside the town has a circumference of 5 km.    This photo was taken outside of the city's walls.  We wanted to walk along the  inner wall but it was closed by the time we arrived.  The Walls of Ston are a series of defensive stone walls that surrounded and protected the city of Ston.  The walls were known as the "European wall of China".  Demolition work began on the walls following the fall of the Republic.   Later the Austrian authorities took materials away from the wall to build schools and communities buildings.  The demolition was halted after WW I.  The wall was completed in the 15th century, along with its 40 towers (20 of which survived) and five fortresses.  

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20150526_Ecuador_002820150526_Ecuador_0028 Some farmers working in the fields.

20150526_Ecuador_002920150526_Ecuador_0029 A couple more reflections.

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20150526_Ecuador_003220150526_Ecuador_0032 On the way back from Ston, we stopped at another small town to photograph this church.  

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20150526_Ecuador_003620150526_Ecuador_0036 We stopped to photograph the Franjo Tudman Bridge in Dubrovnik.  The bridge is 518-metres (1,699 feet) long.  The original bridge design was developed in 1989, however construction was stopped at the beginning of the Croatian War of Independence.  The bridge was named after Franjo Tudman, a Croatian politician and historian.  Following the country's independence from Yugoslavia, he became the first President of Croatia.  

20150526_Ecuador_003720150526_Ecuador_0037 Initially, Hrvatske Ceste who financed the construction of the bridge named the bridge Dubrovnik Bridge.  In 2004, the name of the bridge was officially changed to Franjo Tudman Bridge.

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20150526_Ecuador_003920150526_Ecuador_0039 The last shot of the evening.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Dubrovnik Franjo Tudman Bridge Salt flats Solana Ston https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/2/the-countryside-near-dubrovnik Mon, 08 Feb 2016 01:09:13 GMT
Korcula Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/1/korcula-island Today we took a ferry to Korcula Island.  With an area of 279 square kilometres, it is the sixth largest Adriatic island.  The main settlements on the island are the towns of Korcula, Vela Luka and Blato.  

Approaching the town by ferry.  Korcula Town is the main town on the island, with a population of about 3,000.  

20150526_Ecuador_000620150526_Ecuador_0006 The economy besides tourism, is based on agriculture of grape vines, olives and fruit.  There is also fishing and fish processing.  Shipbuilding still exists although its importance to the total economy has diminished.  

A dog waiting patiently for its family to come out of the museum.

20150526_Ecuador_002520150526_Ecuador_0025 The Kanalevic Tower is also named Bokar or Barbarigo as it was built between 1485 and 1488 under the rule of Augustino Barbarigo, who was the Doge of Venice.  The tower is now called Kula Kanalevic, named after the 16th century poet, Korcula who lived in the house next to the tower.  

20150526_Ecuador_001120150526_Ecuador_0011 An old Catholic Church.

 

Looking up at some old buildings.

I always like photographing old, interesting doors.

 

20150526_Ecuador_001620150526_Ecuador_0016 Canons protecting the city.

20150526_Ecuador_001720150526_Ecuador_0017 The old city is surrounded by walls and the streets are arranged in a herringbone pattern, allowing the free circulation of air but protecting against strong winds.  Building outside the walls was forbidden until the 18th century.

 

Another old door in the town.

20150526_Ecuador_002220150526_Ecuador_0022 Many of the narrow streets had steps.   20150526_Ecuador_002320150526_Ecuador_0023

 

 

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20150526_Ecuador_002820150526_Ecuador_0028 The kids came to claim their scooters and were happy to pose for me.

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20150526_Ecuador_003220150526_Ecuador_0032 Miles, down by the water.  Once again, I noticed how clean the water was.

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Marco Polo (1254 - 1324) was a medieval Venetian merchant but better known for being one of the first Europeans to travel the famous Silk Road trade route, stretching from the Middle East to China.  It is said that Marco Polo was born in Korcula but there is little evidence to support this.  This hasn't stopped the town from using his name.   However, it is certain that he was taken prisoner by the Genoese in the naval battle of Korcula between the Venetian and Genoese states.   

 

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20150526_Ecuador_004020150526_Ecuador_0040 By mid afternoon it was time to head back to the mainland so we walked around the waterfront  while waiting for the ferry.

20150526_Ecuador_004120150526_Ecuador_0041 The Princess Diana motor yacht is 131 feet long, was built in 2011 and had 16 guest cabins.  The boat takes guests island hoping.  It would have been a great way to see the Islands of Croatia.

Some of the local apartments next to the harbour.

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20150526_Ecuador_004620150526_Ecuador_0046 Once we were back on the ferry we had some wonderful scenery heading back to the mainland.  

 

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20150526_Ecuador_005220150526_Ecuador_0052 Back to the mainland again.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Korcula Island Marco Polo https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/1/korcula-island Sat, 30 Jan 2016 15:58:54 GMT
Cavtat https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/1/cavtat The town of Cavtat is on the Adriatic coast, 15 kilometres south of Dubrovnik.  The original city was founded by the Greeks in the 6th century but like most of the towns and cities in the area, was ruled by various empires/rulers over the centuries and also had several different names.  The modern Croatian name for the city reveals its ancient origins and its link with Dubrovnik.  Caveat is derived from Civets Vetus, that means old city in the Latin language.  

20150525_Ecuador_000320150525_Ecuador_0003 When we first arrived in town, it was raining heavily.    We actually waited in the car until the rain let up.  The best plan seemed to be to stop for a coffee while waiting(hoping) for the rain to stop.  We discovered that many people in town had the same idea-  today Caveat is a popular tourist destination with many hotels and private homes that rent rooms and apartments.  The seafront is filled with shops and restaurants.  You can even take a ferry to Dubrovnik which would not have been too much fun in the rain.

20150525_Ecuador_000120150525_Ecuador_0001 It did stop raining so we were able to go and explore the town.

20150525_Ecuador_000420150525_Ecuador_0004 A view of the town and inner harbor.  It sure was dreary out.  

20150525_Ecuador_000520150525_Ecuador_0005 A cat we came across on our travels-there were many.

  20150525_Ecuador_000720150525_Ecuador_0007 Some fishing nets.

20150525_Ecuador_000820150525_Ecuador_0008 Anna Lisa, another member of our group and I found a loupe trail that took us along the shore and back  into town.  There were lots of interesting trees along the path.

20150525_Ecuador_001120150525_Ecuador_0011 You can see that the weather was still looking pretty grim but the scenery along the shore trail was beautiful.  

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20150525_Ecuador_001220150525_Ecuador_0012 We were almost back to the town again when it started to rain.

20150525_Ecuador_001420150525_Ecuador_0014  After lunch, the weather cleared up and this time all five of us went for another walk on the loupe trail, starting from the opposite end.

20150525_Ecuador_001520150525_Ecuador_0015  Here is a photo of an old boat we came across.

20150525_Ecuador_001620150525_Ecuador_0016 Another old boat beside the water.

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Finally some nicer weather.  

20150525_Ecuador_002120150525_Ecuador_0021 You can see how clear the water was.  

20150525_Ecuador_002620150525_Ecuador_0026 This is a photo of the  trail we followed.

20150525_Ecuador_002520150525_Ecuador_0025 From the trail, there were a  lot  of cut offs to the beach.

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People were finally able to get out and enjoy the day.  

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20150525_Ecuador_003320150525_Ecuador_0033 Another view of the town with the nicer weather.  

20150525_Ecuador_003620150525_Ecuador_0036 An old boat in the harbour.

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20150525_Ecuador_003420150525_Ecuador_0034 Some kids playing in the park.

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20150525_Ecuador_004120150525_Ecuador_0041 Heading back to the car after a great day in Caveat.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Adriatic Caveat Coast Croatia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/1/cavtat Thu, 21 Jan 2016 16:02:06 GMT
Dubrovnik https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/1/dubrovnik The second half of my Croatia trip centered around the city of Dubrovnik.  For this tour we had three other photographers join us which turned out to be lots of fun.  It was a really good group - still very small which was great.

20150525_Ecuador_005820150525_Ecuador_0058 This was the view that we enjoyed while eating breakfast at the hotel.  The breakfast buffet was fabulous.

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Our group met for the first time mid-morning and from there we went into the old town of Dubrovnik.  It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean which meant it was fairly busy.  Roman told us that it was not nearly as bad as during the summer months though.  This is one of the gates leading into the old city.

20150524_Ecuador_000120150524_Ecuador_0001 Lots of people entering the old town at one of the main gates.  Located on the very southern coast of Croatia, just above Montenegro, Dubrovnik has been inhabited for nearly 2,000 years.  Most of the current buildings and city walls date back to the 14th to 16th centuries, when Dubrovnik was one of the riches places in the Mediterranean due to its strategic location.

20150524_Ecuador_000220150524_Ecuador_0002 According to some sources, Dubrovnik is among the 10 best preserved medieval walled cities in the world.  The city was demilitarized in the 1970's to protect it from war, however in 1991, after the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was besieged by the Serb and Montenegro' soldiers for several months and suffered significant damage.  During this time, the old city received over 650 direct artillery hits, damaging many of the buildings within the city walls.  The global community, led by the United Nations, funded the massive repair job to ensure all buildings were repaired as per their original style in order to maintain the architectural integrity.  

20150524_Ecuador_000420150524_Ecuador_0004 Stradun is Dubrovnik's main street and was always busy.  The limestone-paved pedestrian street runs about 300 metres through the Old Town, the historic part of the city surrounded by the Walls of Dubrovnik.  The site of the present-day street used to be a marshy channel with separated Ragusa (Dubrovnik)from the forest settlement.

20150524_Ecuador_000320150524_Ecuador_0003 The Large Onofrio's Fountain.  

20150524_Ecuador_000620150524_Ecuador_0006 The Clock Tower (St. Nicholas Church).  Originally, this clock tower was built by the locals in the 15th century.  It was not damaged in the earthquakes, however when it was threatening to topple over, it was removed in 1906 and rebuilt in 1929.  It was built in a renaissance style with some gothic elements.  To the left of the clock tower, is the beautiful Sponza Palace.   The Sponza Palace, also called Divona, is a 16th century palace in the Renaissance and Gothic architectural style.  

20150524_Ecuador_001020150524_Ecuador_0010 There were lots of kids playing in the square

 

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20150524_Ecuador_001120150524_Ecuador_0011 Tourists taking a break.

20150524_Ecuador_001220150524_Ecuador_0012  â€‹I really enjoyed looking at all of the buildings with the beautiful architecture.  

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There were beautiful old buildings everywhere we walked.

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20150524_Ecuador_001720150524_Ecuador_0017 A group of talented musicians that we came across.

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20150524_Ecuador_002220150524_Ecuador_0022 Meet Miles,  a student from England who was part of our group.  It was really nice having such a young photographer join us.

20150524_Ecuador_002420150524_Ecuador_0024 An old doorway.

20150524_Ecuador_002520150524_Ecuador_0025 I found this map interesting.  It shows all of the damage in the  city of Dubrovnik that was done during the 1991-1992 war.  As you can see it was very extensive.  Now you  couldn't tell that there was ever any bombing in this old section of town.

20150524_Ecuador_002620150524_Ecuador_0026 We noticed that there  were many cats everywhere.

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20150524_Ecuador_002720150524_Ecuador_0027 An old house in the city.

20150524_Ecuador_002920150524_Ecuador_0029 One of the many cafes we passed by.

20150524_Ecuador_003020150524_Ecuador_0030 We walked up and down the streets- it wasn't nearly as busy once we got away from the centre of town. 20150524_Ecuador_003120150524_Ecuador_0031

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Dubrovnik https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2016/1/dubrovnik Mon, 11 Jan 2016 02:46:42 GMT
Neretva Valley https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/12/neretva-valley After we left Split, we drove to Dubrovnik taking a detour to visit some friends of Romans who own a restaurant in a small vilage in the Neretva Valley.  The Neretva River is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin.  The river flows through Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and is the largest karst river in the Dynamic Alps in the eastern part of the Adriatic basin.  Its total length is 230 kilometres (143 miles).  

20150523_Ecuador_000120150523_Ecuador_0001 On the way, Roman pulled off the road so I could photograph this town on the sea.

20150523_Ecuador_000220150523_Ecuador_0002 There were some pretty dramatic clouds in the sky today.

 

20150523_Ecuador_000520150523_Ecuador_0005 The Norin River is a tributary of the Neretva River.  This photo was taken in the tiny village where Roman's friends lived.  I decided to go and explore the area while Roman was visiting. 

20150523_Ecuador_000620150523_Ecuador_0006 The town cemetery.  

 

20150523_Ecuador_000820150523_Ecuador_0008 Overlooking the houses in the town.

20150523_Ecuador_000920150523_Ecuador_0009 A boat on the river.  Romans' friends give  tours on the river.  Roman asked me if I thought I would like to come back here for a boat ride later on in the week.  I agreed that would be a lot of fun so stay tuned for some photos taken later in the week.  

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On the coastal road to Durbrovnik we stopped to take a few photos and admire the scenery.

20150523_Portfolio Photos_011020150523_Portfolio Photos_0110 We got to the hotel around six and I explored the area after settling into the hotel and having dinner.  The gorgeous hotel was on the water about fifteen minutes from Dubrovnik.  There was some beautiful light at this time of the day.  I spent a couple of hours outside waiting for the sun to set.  

20150523_Ecuador_001520150523_Ecuador_0015 There were a few people around.  These guys were on a tour of the area and I had a nice chat with them.

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Roman got a better photo of this boat passing through from the balcony in his room.  Each room in the hotel  had a view of the ocean.

20150523_Ecuador_001720150523_Ecuador_0017 During the evening, I also tried some longer exposures which is always fun.

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20150523_Ecuador_002020150523_Ecuador_0020 There were some amazing clouds out.

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20150523_Ecuador_002220150523_Ecuador_0022 Here is a photograph of the hotel we stayed at, viewed from the back.   The hotel itself was beautiful and the breakfast buffet was outstanding.  I was happy to be staying here for the next six nights. 

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20150523_Ecuador_002420150523_Ecuador_0024 One last shot of the evening.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Dubrovnik Neretva-valley https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/12/neretva-valley Sun, 13 Dec 2015 17:32:59 GMT
Omis, Croatia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/12/omis-croatia On our last day in the area we visited the town of Omis.  First of all we drove past the town to stop for coffee in a place called Radmanove Mlinice.  Unfortunately, the weather was still raining on and off.    

20150522_Ecuador_000820150522_Ecuador_0008 The scenery on the drive from Split  was pretty spectacular- the Cetina River over the course of time cut a magnificent canyon in the surrounding mountains.  The Cetina's power moved the wheels of mills for centuries before flowing into the sea.  Pictured above is an old mill.  The mills were first mentioned in the early 17th century and began to flourish in the 19th century when they were renovated by the Radman family.  

The Radman mills have been converted into a restaurant and picnic area.  Although it looks like the building pictured above could be a hotel, I didn't see this mentioned anywhere.  

It would have been fun to go on a river trip but the weather really wasn't conducive for boating.

The weather really was this dreary and moody but at least the rain had stopped.

20150522_Ecuador_000520150522_Ecuador_0005 Home made bread was being made here. The Radmanove Mlinice is actually famous for its bread baked under an iron lid (peka) and for fresh trout that is caught in their river.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try their bread but it sure looked good.  

I liked the moody feel of the place, but I'm sure on a sunny day the scene would have been totally different.

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Our next stop was Omis, a small central Dalmatian town and harbour located between Split and Makarska situated in the mouth of the Cetina River, surrounded by massive gorges.  

20150522_Ecuador_001020150522_Ecuador_0010 Omis was well known in the past by the Corsairs of Almissa, whose Sagittas (ships) brought fame to them because they were built for attack and fast retrieval into the mouth of the River, protecting the town from foreign invaders.  At a very early date, neighbours of the Corsairs, the highlanders of Poljica Principality, became their friends and allies.  This allowed the Corsairs  (or pirates of Omis) to harass the seaborne trade, without fear of a sudden attack from the inland.   

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20150522_Ecuador_001320150522_Ecuador_0013 We walked along the shore in town.  The Omis Riviera stretches for twenty kilometres (12 miles) along a beautiful coast with many perfect pebble, sandy beaches, bays, steep cliffs and a crystal clear sea.  

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Walking in the marina with the town in the background.

20150522_Ecuador_001620150522_Ecuador_0016 This photo was taken from the Omis Cetina Bridge in town.

20150522_Ecuador_001720150522_Ecuador_0017 One of the old streets in the town.

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20150522_Ecuador_002120150522_Ecuador_0021 Looking through the tunnel on the way into town coming from Radmanove Mlinice.

20150522_Ecuador_002220150522_Ecuador_0022 Close up view of the buildings in town.

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20150522_Ecuador_002420150522_Ecuador_0024 The bread looked great in this bakery.  

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20150522_Ecuador_002620150522_Ecuador_0026 The rain had held off for most of the morning, apart for a few minutes where we stopped in a cafe.  However, the clouds were certainly threatening. 

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20150522_Ecuador_002820150522_Ecuador_0028 I liked the patterns  and colours that I saw while walking on the beach.  

20150522_Ecuador_002920150522_Ecuador_0029 By this point Roman was trying to hurry me on a bit because we could see the rain coming and we still had to check out some old boats.   

20150522_Ecuador_003120150522_Ecuador_0031 This was one of the old rusty boats that we wanted to photograph.

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20150522_Ecuador_003420150522_Ecuador_0034 It was a race between getting the photos I wanted and the approaching storm.  

20150522_Ecuador_003520150522_Ecuador_0035 I still had time for a photo of this boat before we headed back to the car.  Fortunately, we made it back to the car just before the heavy rain started up again.

20150522_Ecuador_003620150522_Ecuador_0036 The weather did clear up at the end of the day so I took a few sunset shots after dinner.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Omis https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/12/omis-croatia Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:31:06 GMT
Split in the rain, part II https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/11/split-in-the-rain-part-ii 20150521_Ecuador_002020150521_Ecuador_0020 We continued on walking in the rain.  Fortunately my camera and lens are waterproof.  The umbrellas   added some nice colours and interest to the scene.

20150521_Ecuador_002120150521_Ecuador_0021 The Republic Square west of Diocletian's Palace.  Its official name is Prokurative.  

We walked over to the covered market and saw this worker on a break.

20150521_Ecuador_002320150521_Ecuador_0023 20150521_Ecuador_002420150521_Ecuador_0024 We talked to this nice couple - I think they were from Germany.

20150521_Ecuador_002520150521_Ecuador_0025 If anyone wanted to find out their weight, this was the opportunity.  

20150521_Ecuador_002620150521_Ecuador_0026 More rain.  The showers were intermittent.  

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This lady's camera was not waterproof so she was fortunate to have an assistant.

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Lots of colour in the streets.  

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20150521_Ecuador_003620150521_Ecuador_0036 We decided to head back to the hotel for a break from the rain.

Later in the afternoon Roman and I visited the town of Solin, just north east  of Split.  As you can see the weather was still dreary but the rain had stopped.  Colin was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and the birthplace of Emperor Diocletian.  After the arrival of the Avars and Slavs, the 7th century town was destroyed and its refugees moved to settlements in and around Diocletian's palace.  Today the town is a suburb of Split.   The Jadro River, approximately 4 kilometres in length,  flows through the town and provides water to cities of Split, Kastela and Trojir.  

St. Mary's Church built in 1880.  

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20150521_Ecuador_000620150521_Ecuador_0006 This male Mandarin duck is a very striking looking bird.

One of the many old houses in the town.

A local fisherman that we met.  

20150521_Ecuador_000820150521_Ecuador_0008 We drove back to Split for another walk.  By now it had stopped raining.  Roman parked the car at the marina so we could get a different view of the town.

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20150521_Ecuador_001120150521_Ecuador_0011 Another view of the Republic Square.  The square is a large, open square surrounded on three sides by a collection of elaborate neb-renaissance buildings.  Construction started during the latter half of the 19th century with the design of the buildings inspired by the architecture of the same period in Venice.  It was pretty quiet when we were there but during the summer months, the square becomes alive with concerts and cultural events.  The most popular event is the Musical Festival of Split.

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20150521_Ecuador_000120150521_Ecuador_0001 One last shot before heading back to the hotel. 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Solin Split https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/11/split-in-the-rain-part-ii Fri, 27 Nov 2015 16:43:01 GMT
Split, Croatia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/11/split-croatia  

20150520_Croatia20150520_Croatia We arrived at Le Meridien Lav, our hotel in Potstrana late in the afternoon.  Potstana is just outside of Split, about 8 km away.  Before going out to dinner, I walked around the grounds.  

20150520_Ecuador_000220150520_Ecuador_0002 The hotel had both an indoor and outdoor pool and a spa area, not that I had a chance to use any of the facilities.

20150520_Ecuador_000320150520_Ecuador_0003 The beach at the hotel.  

20150520_Ecuador_000420150520_Ecuador_0004 We drove into Split for an early dinner at Matoni, an excellent restaurant in Split with amazing food.  Roman had a friend who recommended the restaurant and we ended up eating their twice since it was so good.  We also had excellent service- the first night I didn't even see a menu.  Roman told the owner/chef that I liked pasta and it was like  I was in Italy- the pasta and sauce were homemade.  After  eating an early dinner , we went to the old section of Split and walked around.

 

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The Diocletian's Palace is an ancient palace built by the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD.  Today the palace forms the centre of the city.  The structure is massive and kind of resembles a large fortress.  About half of the palace was for Diocletian's personal use and the rest was used for the military garrison.  After the Romans abandoned the site, the palace remained empty for several centuries.  In the 7th century, nearby residents fled to the walled palace to escape invading Slavs.  Since then (even now) the palace has been occupied, with residents making their homes and businesses within the palace basement and directly in its walls.  

 

20150520_Ecuador_000720150520_Ecuador_0007 The Palace, in the centre of Split is one of the most famous and complete architectural and cultural features in the Croatian Adriatic coast.  It is considered the world's most complete remains of a Roman palace.  In November 1979 UNESCO adopted a proposal that the historic city of Split built around the Palace should be included in the register of World Cultural Heritage.   In spite of the area being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Monument, the city council in 2006 decided to permit over twenty new buildings within the palace (including a shopping and garage complex).  The decision was most likely politically motivated and largely due to lobbying by local property developers.  Once the public became aware of the decision in 2007, they petitioned against the decision and won.  No new buildings were ever built.  

20150520_Ecuador_000820150520_Ecuador_0008 One of the streets in the old part of town.

20150520_Ecuador_000920150520_Ecuador_0009 As it was getting later we made our way down to the water to take a couple of night photos.

 

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20150520_Ecuador_001020150520_Ecuador_0010 The walk beside the water was very beautiful.  

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The last shot of the evening before we drove back to the hotel.

20150521_Ecuador_001620150521_Ecuador_0016 The next morning we headed back into Split in the rain. We sat outside in the cafe and people watched.  Then I wandered around in the square for a little while.   I never could quite figure out what everyone was looking at so seriously- I guess the architecture.  

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20150521_Ecuador_001720150521_Ecuador_0017 There were lots of interesting shops.

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Its actually fun photographing in the rain as long as its not raining too hard.  Fortunately, my camera and lenses are water proof and I haven't had any issues so far.  

20150521_Ecuador_001220150521_Ecuador_0012 Some old houses that I liked the look of.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Diocletian's Palace Split https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/11/split-croatia Sat, 21 Nov 2015 00:35:53 GMT
Touring around the area near Primosten, Croatia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/11/touring-around-primosten We spent some time exploring the area surrounding Primosten.

20150520_Ecuador_001220150520_Ecuador_0012 While touring the area, there were many little coves- I wanted to stop and photograph all of them!

 

20150520_Ecuador_001420150520_Ecuador_0014 This was one of the streets in the town of Sibenik.  Sibenik is a historic town located where the river KrKa flows into the Adriatic Sea.  

20150520_Ecuador_000120150520_Ecuador_0001 Unlike other cities along the Adriatic coast which were established by Greeks, Illyrians and Romans, Sibenik was founded by Croats.  Excavations of the castle of Saint Michael, have since proven that the place was actually inhabited long before the actual arrival of the Croats.  Between the 11th and 12th century, the town was tossed back and forth between Venice, Byzantium, Hungary and the Kingdom of Bosnia.  

20150520_Ecuador_001720150520_Ecuador_0017 After World War 1, Sibenik was occupied by Italy until 1921 when the Treaty of Rapallo was signed.  The Italians gave up their claim on the city and it became part of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.  During World War II, it was occupied by Fascist italy and Nazi Germany.  After WWII, it became part of the SFR Yugoslavia until Croatia declared independence in 1991.  During the Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995), Sibenik was heavily attacked by the Yugoslav National Army and Serbian paramilitary troops.  Although under- armed, the Croatian Army defeated the Serb forces and freed the occupied areas.  

20150520_Ecuador_000120150520_Ecuador_0001 The Cathedral of Saint James.  According to some sources, this church is the most important architectural monument of the Renaissance in Croatia.  Since 2000, the Cathedral has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list.  The bombings during the Croatian War of Independence, damaged many buildings and monuments including the dome of the Cathedral.  The damaged areas of the city have been completed reconstructed.  The building of the church was initiated in 1402.  The church is built entirely of limestone from a nearby stone quarry and marble from the island of Brac.

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Next stop was Trogir, another historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast.  The historic city is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Ciovo.  Trogir has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1997.  

As usual, we walked all around the old section of town, exploring the streets.

20150520_Ecuador_002320150520_Ecuador_0023 An old fishing boat.   Trogir was ruled by various empires  until 1420 when the period of a long-term Venetian rule began.  On the fall of Venice in 1797, the town became part of the Habsburg Empire which ruled the city until 1918 with the exception of French occupation from 1806 until 1814.  After WW I, Trogir together with Croatia, became part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and subsequently, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.  During this period Italian citizens who until 1918 were the ruling class and almost half of the population, were forced to leave for Italy.  During WW II, the city was occupied by Italy and since then it belonged to the second Yugoslavia, and from 1991 to Croatia.  

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Trogir's culture was created under the influence of the ancient Greeks, and then the Romans and Venetians.  Tourism is the most important economic factor in the region.  The area has more than 20,000 beds in hotels and private apartments.  The population in the area also thrives on agriculture and fishing.  The most important industry is shipbuilding and between 1990 and 2004, 93 ships were built in the Trogir shipyard. 

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There were lots of narrow cobblestone streets in the old section of the town.

 

20150520_Ecuador_002920150520_Ecuador_0029 Roman, admiring his next purchase!

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Primosten Sibenik Trogir https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/11/touring-around-primosten Sat, 14 Nov 2015 00:51:28 GMT
Primosten, Croatia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/11/primosten-croatia Roman and I spent a couple of days in the area of Primosten, a former fishing village on the Adriatic Sea.  Today, Primosten is one of the most attractive destinations on the Adriatic.   We also visited a few other towns in the area.

The map shows Primosten and its surrounding area.  The map shows  Vodice Island and the KrKa National Park where we had been the day before.  We would visit Sibenik and Trogir  before driving  to Split.  

20150519_Ecuador_000120150519_Ecuador_0001 The town of Primosten.  Primosten is one of the most famous tourist resorts in Dalmatia.  During the Turkish invasions in 1542 the small island was protected by the walls and towers and a draw bridge connected it to the mainland.  When the Turks retreated, the draw bridge was replaced by a causeway.  In 1564, the settlement was named Primosten after the Croatian verb primostiti (to span).  

20150519_Ecuador_000520150519_Ecuador_0005 Overlooking one of the houses.

20150519_Ecuador_000220150519_Ecuador_0002 The old town of Primosten is situated on a hilly peninsula surrounded by seven small islands.  As we walked in the old town we came across narrow streets and stone houses with very old roofs.

20150519_Ecuador_000120150519_Ecuador_0001 A typical street in the old town.

 

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St. George Church with a cemetery behind it  was built in 1485.  The church sitting on top of the hill was restored in the 18th century.  

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20150519_Ecuador_000920150519_Ecuador_0009 Roman and I stayed in one of these apartments.  The one in this photo is just like the one we stayed in but our unit was higher up and close to the road.   It was a beautiful, modern apartment with a terrific view overlooking the sea.  

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The stairs down to the beach.

20150519_Ecuador_000820150519_Ecuador_0008 The beach down below the apartments.  

20150519_Ecuador_001020150519_Ecuador_0010 After dinner Roman and I photographed Primosten at sunset.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/11/primosten-croatia Thu, 05 Nov 2015 15:11:31 GMT
Krka National Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/10/krka-national-park The Krka National Park, makes up an area of 109 square kilometres along the Krka River.  This park was proclaimed a national park in 1985.  It was formed to protect the Krka River and is intended primarily for scientific, cultural, educational, recreational and tourism activities.  

20150519_Ecuador_001620150519_Ecuador_0016 In the morning, we picked up a friend of Roman's who was going to show us some great hiking in the park.  As we drove towards our  destination, Roman told me  that the area that we were in used to be a camp for the Serbian troups during the recent war.   As of July 2014, minefields in Croatia cover 587 square kilometres.  The minefields are located in 11 counties and 82 cities and municipalities.  These areas are thought to contain approximately 64,000 land mines, in addition to unexploded ordinance left over from the Croatian War of Independence.  Land mines were used extensively during the war by all of the sides in the conflict; about 1.5 million were deployed.  As of 2013 demining  programs were coordinated by the government who was hiring private demining companies employing 632 deminers.    The Croatian government hopes to clear all minefields by 2019.  In the meantime the areas are marked with more than 16,000 warning signs like the one in the photo above.  As of April 2013, 509 people have been killed and 1,468 injured by land mines since the war.  This total includes 60 deminers  and seven Croatian Army engineers killed during  demining operations.  I asked Roman to stop the car so I could take a picture of the sign.  

20150519_Ecuador_001820150519_Ecuador_0018 We actually parked on a road beside a farmer's house in order to start the hike.  The hike was not marked so it definitely was not a tourist destination.  The sheep were just arriving for feeding time.

20150519_Ecuador_001920150519_Ecuador_0019 The farmer also had goats.

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20150519_Ecuador_002120150519_Ecuador_0021 Agriculture is an important part of the Croatian economy.  In Croatia's northern part the fields are dominated by wheat, corn and sunflower crops while fruit-growing, viticulture  (cultivation of grapes)  and olive farming are popular in the coastal region with pasture land common in the mountainous areas.  

20150519_Ecuador_002220150519_Ecuador_0022 The start of our hike through the park.  Roman and his friend led the way.

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20150519_Ecuador_002520150519_Ecuador_0025 The views kept getting better and better, the higher we went.  

20150519_Ecuador_002620150519_Ecuador_0026 Roman's friend pointing out something in the distance- I believe it was caves.

 

 

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20150519_Ecuador_003220150519_Ecuador_0032 After a great hike, we made our way back to the farm where the car was parked.

20150519_Ecuador_003320150519_Ecuador_0033 An old farmhouse.

 

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I could not get that cow to look at me.

20150519_Ecuador_003720150519_Ecuador_0037 It was a pretty interesting area to walk around in.

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20150519_Ecuador_003920150519_Ecuador_0039 After dropping Roman's friend off in a nearby town, we headed to the touristy section of the KrKa National Park.  In this area there were lots of footpaths, sightseeing tours, presentations, boat trips, souvenir shops, a museum and restaurants.  

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Walking on one of the trails in the park.

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One of the larger falls from a distance.  

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The watermills in the park belong to the system of pre-industrial water-powered plants on the Krka River.  As a symbol of economic power, they were often a source of conflict.  The preserved mills date back to the 19th century.  One of the buildings  had demonstrations but not when we were there.  There were also talks on the old fashioned ways of ploughing and food preparation in the old kitchens.  

20150519_Ecuador_000420150519_Ecuador_0004 The last place we visited in the park was  Visovac Island which was founded during the reign of Louis I of Hungary.  This is the home to the Roman Catholic Visovac Monastery founded by the Franciscans in 1445.  It was a very short boat ride to get to the Island.  This Island is also called Mother of God Island.

20150519_Ecuador_000120150519_Ecuador_0001 We spent about half an hour or so wandering around the tiny island.  During its stormy history, Visovac was and has remained an island of peace and prayer.  


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20150519_Ecuador_000120150519_Ecuador_0001 Gardens behind the monastery.  

20150519_Ecuador_000320150519_Ecuador_0003 The front of the Monastery.

20150519_Ecuador_000120150519_Ecuador_0001 One last view of the island taken from the highway.  You can see the landscape of Visovac Lake.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Krka-national-park Visovac Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/10/krka-national-park Fri, 30 Oct 2015 19:38:19 GMT
Plitvice Lakes National Park https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/10/plitvice-lakes-national-park After leaving Zagreb, we made our  way to Plitvice Lakes National Park.   The park is in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina.  With a surface area of 294.82 km, this National Park is the largest of Croatia's eight national parks.  Plitvice was proclaimed a National park in 1949 which also makes it the country's oldest National Park.  The park was included in the UNESCO list of World Natural Heritage sites in 1979.  Plitvice Lakes  represents a phenomenon of Karst hydrography and is famous for its lakes arranged in cascades.  Currently 16 lakes can be seen from the surface and I'm pretty sure we saw all of them during our hike as we spent all day walking on the trails.  

20150518_Ecuador_000120150518_Ecuador_0001 Starting on the trail, this was the first view we came to.  The lakes are all interconnected and follow the water trail.

20150518_Ecuador_000320150518_Ecuador_0003 The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue.  The colours are constantly changing depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

20150518_Ecuador_000420150518_Ecuador_0004 Given that it was a beautiful day, the park was very busy although I suspect nothing compared to the summer months.  This photograph shows the Lower Plitvice Lakes.  

20150518_Ecuador_000120150518_Ecuador_0001 The phenomenon of Karst hydrography creates the feeling that the Plitvice Lakes are never the same from one day to the next.  For those of you who want a further explanation, I will give the explanation from the brochure:  Travertine is a porous carbonate rock formed by the sedimentation of calcium carbonate from the water.  It builds barriers,sills and other forms in karst rivers and streams.  The travertine formation process is especially prominent in the Pitvice Lakes waterfalls and is constant, happening even while visitors are walking through the park.   With this travertine development, numerous waterfalls are created.  Over time, the water changes its course, leaving some barriers dry but stimulating the travertine (or tufa) growth in other places.

20150518_Ecuador_000720150518_Ecuador_0007 One of the many hiking trails that we walked on.  

20150518_Ecuador_000220150518_Ecuador_0002 Roman taking a photo of one of the many waterfalls we came across.  There were  a lot of  students in the park learning all about the geography of the area.

20150518_Ecuador_000220150518_Ecuador_0002 The lake area is heavily forested, mainly with Beech, Spruce and Fir trees.  Because of poor industrial development of the area and early introduced protection policies, a nearly untouched landscape has been preserved.  

20150518_Ecuador_000120150518_Ecuador_0001 The Plitvice lakes do not represent separated, stationary waters.  The lakes  have always been seen as one composed system of lakes.  Notice the beautiful turquoise color of the water.  

20150518_Ecuador_000820150518_Ecuador_0008 You can see just how clear and clean the water was in this park-this is what I found throughout Croatia.   

20150518_Ecuador_000320150518_Ecuador_0003 Eventually we took a boat across the lake to another part of the park.

 

20150518_Ecuador_000920150518_Ecuador_0009 The waterfalls and mist are showing through in the background.  The further we walked, the less tourists we came across on these wooden paths.  

20150518_Ecuador_000120150518_Ecuador_0001 Waterfall at the upper lakes.

 

20150518_Ecuador_001120150518_Ecuador_0011 In this park, alll species of flora and fauna continue to exist as if man had not arrived.  

20150518_Ecuador_001020150518_Ecuador_0010 A closer up shot of  one of the falls we walked by.

 

20150518_Ecuador_000220150518_Ecuador_0002 I decided to bring my tripod on the hike so I was determined to use it.  I finally found a spot out of the way where I could photograph the falls using the tripod without being in anyone's way.  Somehow while I was removing the camera from the tripod, the tripod fell in the water but fortunately, Roman was able to retrieve it for me.

20150518_Ecuador_001320150518_Ecuador_0013 After leaving the park we headed towards Primosten where we would be spending a couple of nights.  It was a beautiful drive along the coast.

20150518_Ecuador_001420150518_Ecuador_0014 We ate dinner at a local restaurant with a view of the water.  Meet the boss of the restaurant!  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Plitvice Lakes National Park Zagreg https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/10/plitvice-lakes-national-park Sun, 18 Oct 2015 15:22:54 GMT
Zagreb, last day https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/10/zagreb-last-day 20150517_Ecuador_004920150517_Ecuador_0049 The tall, modern building  (Zagreb skyscraper) in the background has an observation deck on top.  This building was next to my hotel so all I had to do was look for the skyscraper to find my way back.

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A colourful street in the city.

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The Lotrscak Tower is the only preserved medieval tower from the 13th century, slightly modified in the 19th century, with a small look-out post at the top.  The bells on top of the tower used to summon the townspeople to return to the town at sunset when the gates were locked for the night.  The tower is now famous for its cannon which is fired every day at noon.  We were in the area at the time and the noise from the firing was very loud. 

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20150517_Ecuador_005420150517_Ecuador_0054 Back to the Ban Jelacic Square.  The square was originally named "Harmica", Hungarian for one thirtieth after the tax levied on the goods that were sold here in the days when the square was the city's main marketplace.  In 1848 the square was officially renamed in honour of Ban (Governor) Josip Jelacic.  After World War II, the name of the square was changed to "Republic Square" until it returned to its previous name in 1990.

20150517_Ecuador_005520150517_Ecuador_0055 A merchant selling cactus plants in the square.  

20150517_Ecuador_005620150517_Ecuador_0056 We walked through beautiful gardens in the city.

20150517_Ecuador_005720150517_Ecuador_0057 Later in the afternoon, Sonja drove Roman and I to the Mirogoj Cemetery located just outside the city centre.  Roman explained to me that the cemetery is very unique because it inters members of all religious groups: Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish, Protestant, Latter Day Saints etc.  The cemetery was created in 1876 on a plot of land owned by the linguist Ljudevit Gaj.  

 

20150517_Ecuador_006120150517_Ecuador_0061 The construction of the arcades, the cupolas and the church in the entryway was begun in 1879 and the work was finished in 1929. This cemetery is the resting place of many eminent Croatians. 

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This was my favourite cemetery photograph.  

20150517_Ecuador_006520150517_Ecuador_0065 Sonja picked us up from the cemetery and we headed over to the Observation Deck to take some photos overlooking the city.  The Greb Eye is an observation deck located at Ban Jelacic Square (across the street from my hotel) on the 16th floor- at the very top of the Zagreb Skyscraper.  It  was a beautiful day, although somewhat hazy however,  we had great views of the city including the Upper and Lower Towns.  The Zagreb Skyscraper was built between 1957 and 1959.  When it opened it was the tallest and most modern building in the former Yugoslavia.  The observation deck has a covered terrance and a 360-degree view.  You can sit upstairs, order a drink and admire the scenery.  

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Rooftops in the city.  

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20150517_Ecuador_007020150517_Ecuador_0070 Overlooking the Ban Jelacic Square.

20150517_Ecuador_000120150517_Ecuador_0001 On the left, lower side of the photo, you can see the 66-metre-long funicular that connects the Upper and Lower Town.  It is the shortest passenger cable railway in the world.  The funicular takes  only 55 seconds to get from one end to the other.   This funicular was opened in 1890 when it was powdered by steam and was the first ever means of public transportation to be opened in Zagreb, pre-dating horse drawn trams by one year.  

20150517_Ecuador_000120150517_Ecuador_0001 One of the last shots before leaving the tower.  

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We walked to Upper Town in time for sunset and some nice light. â€‹

20150517_Portfolio Photos_010520150517_Portfolio Photos_0105 Both the Upper Town and Kaptol have kept the gas streetlights that date back to the beginning of the 19th century.   Everyday at sunset, two lamp lighters light more than 200 gas lanterns in the streets.  We waited for it to get dark so I could photograph the streetlights. 

20150517_Ecuador_007520150517_Ecuador_0075 The last shot of the night.  A tripod was not used because the security guards in this square (government buildings) do not approve of tripods to be used in this area.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Ban Jelacic Square Croatia Lotrscak Tower Mirogoj Cemetery Zagreb Zagreb Skyscraper https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/10/zagreb-last-day Thu, 08 Oct 2015 14:25:00 GMT
Zagreb, Croatia, Part II https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/9/zagreb-croatia-part-2 20150516_Ecuador_002920150516_Ecuador_0029 After a delicious dinner with Roman, I   wandered around the hotel for a little while to do some night shooting.  I noticed that there were a lot of blue trams in the city.  The Zagreb tram network consists of 15 day and 4 night lines and they operate on 116.3 kilometres of track.  The first horsecar tram line was opened in 1891 and the first electric tram ran in 1910.  In 2008, Zagreb's tram system transported 204 million passengers.  

20150516_Ecuador_002420150516_Ecuador_0024 Earlier I had  just grabbed my camera for the walk and came across another photographer setting up his tripod.   We talked for a little while and he suggested that I go and get my tripod.    So I set up the tripod and took a few photos of the trams in front of the hotel.  In 2006, super-sleek futuristic-looking vehicles were introduced.  After World War 1, blue became the standard colour scheme for the city's trams.  

 

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As you can see it had been raining.  

20150516_Ecuador_002520150516_Ecuador_0025 Another shot taken in Ban Jelacic Square, just beside my hotel.   This square has served as the city's commercial heart ever since 1641 when it was designed as a place where fairs could be held.  Most of the buildings around the square date from the 19th century. 

 

20150516_Ecuador_003220150516_Ecuador_0032 Finally it was time to head up to the room and try to get a good nights sleep since I had another full day of exploring Zagreb.

20150517_Ecuador_000120150517_Ecuador_0001 The Dolac is a farmer's market located in Gornji Grad (Upper Town).  This market  is the most visited and best known farmer's market in the city and is well known for its combination of traditional open market with stalls and a sheltered market below.  Above, Roman is posing beside a bronze statue of a market woman at Dolac Market.  I read that open-air food markets make up one of Zagreb's most attractive features and that almost every district in Zagreb has one.

20150517_Ecuador_000220150517_Ecuador_0002 A photo of a few of the many colourful stalls at the market.  The daily market has been the city's major trading place since 1926.  Farmers  from surrounding villages come to sell their home-made foodstuffs and some of the freshest fruit and vegetables anywhere.  As I was wondering around, I couldn't help thinking how much friendlier these farmers were than the ones in the Paris market.  For that matter, people everywhere in Croatia were very friendly.  

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The market dates from the early 20th century, when the city authorities decided to tear down old houses on Dolac to make room for a modern marketplace.  

20150517_Ecuador_003320150517_Ecuador_0033 We went in the sheltered market where many types of fish were being sold.

20150517_Ecuador_003420150517_Ecuador_0034 Roman's wife Sonja gives daily tours in Zagreb.  Roman asked me if I would be interested in joining her afternoon tour and I jumped at the chance to learn more of the history of the city.  Of course I should have been taking notes as it was a very interesting and educational tour.  We spent  a couple of hours walking around the old part of the city before having a late lunch.

20150517_Ecuador_000120150517_Ecuador_0001 The Zagreb Cathedral is a Roman Catholic institution and is supposed to be the most monumental sacral building in the Gothic style southeast of the Alps.  The cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and to kings Saint Stephen and Saint Ladislaus.  I read that this is the tallest building in Croatia and because of its height, its spires can be seen from many locations in the city.  The cathedral was severely damaged in the 1880 earthquake.  The restoration of the cathedral in the Neo-Gothic style was led by Hermann Bolle, bringing the cathedral to its present form.  As you can see, the spires are now in the process of being restored as part of an extensive general restoration of the cathedral.  

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20150517_Ecuador_003820150517_Ecuador_0038 A reflection showing the cathedral.

 

20150517_Ecuador_004020150517_Ecuador_0040 As you can see there are also modern buildings in the city.

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One of the street performers.

20150517_Ecuador_004220150517_Ecuador_0042 As we wondered around, I just photographed certain scenes that I found interesting.  I really don't remember where some of the shots were taken since we covered so much territory.  

20150517_Ecuador_004320150517_Ecuador_0043 This is a photo taken in St. Mark's Square, located in the old part of Zagreb called Gornji grad (Upper Town).  In the centre of the square is St. Mark's church.   The roof tiles decorated with the coats of arms of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia, and the city of Zagreb.   The square also contains important government buildings such as the Banski dvori  (the seat of the Government of Croatia), Croatian Parliament and the Constitutional Court of Croatia.  St. Marks' Square constitutes the heart of the Upper Town.  

20150517_Ecuador_004620150517_Ecuador_0046 Banski dvori is the name of this historical building on the west side of St. Marks' Square.  It is the historical official residence of the Croatian Bans (governors) and currently is occupied by the Croatian government.   It is now the seat of the Croatian government and also houses the office of the Prime Minister.   Ban Josip Jelacic lived here and has a famous square named after him (where my hotel was situated). During World War II (1941-1945) it served as the office of Poglavnik and during 1945-1991 it was the official residence of the Presidency of Socialist Republic of Croatia.  

20150517_Ecuador_004520150517_Ecuador_0045 The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia pictured above  is the interpreter and guardian of the Croatian Constitution  and is considered the highest judicial authority in Croatia because it can overturn Supreme court decisions.  

20150517_Ecuador_004420150517_Ecuador_0044 A street in Upper Town.

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The pastel coloured buildings made the city look very picturesque.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Zagreb https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/9/zagreb-croatia-part-2 Fri, 25 Sep 2015 17:40:19 GMT
Zagreb, Croatia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/9/zagreb-croatia In May, I travelled to Croatia for a two week tour.  A year ago,  I never even thought about going to Croatia.  If someone had mentioned the country to me, I would have been reminded  of the somewhat  recent war in that area.   I am embarrassed to admit that I knew very little about the country and wouldn't have even been able to name the capital city.   I have a few friends who have been to a couple of ports on a cruise and really enjoyed it but it still didn't occur  to me to actually go there.   So, knowing so little about Croatia, why would I choose to travel to that country?    The reason was simple, I met Roman Martin, a professional photographer from Croatia  last year leading the Provence tour that I went on (Photoworkshopadventures.com).  After talking to Roman and looking at some pictures of Croatia, I knew that I wanted to go  and who better to show me the country than Roman.   So,  I spent two weeks in Croatia, flying into Zagreb and from there taking a driving tour to Dubrovnik.  For the first week of the tour there was only Roman and myself and then three other photographers joined us in Dubrovnik for the second half.  So after touring around for two weeks, would I recommend Croatia?  Definitely. The country is beautiful, clean, friendly and safe.  It didn't hurt  that the food was really good, the roads in great shape with little traffic and that most people spoke English.    I plan on going back some day to see the areas that I didn't get to, hopefully with Roman as my guide.    

From the map above you can see how well situated Croatia is.  It borders with Hungary, Bosnia and Montenegro and is separated from Italy by the Adriatic Sea.  The area was formally part of Yugoslavia.  The Yugoslavia which emerged from WWII was a six republic federation.  From north-west to south-east, the political entities were Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Servia, Montenegro and Macedonia.  The area was made up of three different faiths: Islam, Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism.  From 1945 to 1980, Joseph Tito unified the six republics into a communist dictatorship, independent of Russia.   He was able to suppress religious and cultural rivalries during his lifetime but unfortunately no concerted attempt was made by the political or religious leaders to settle century- old religious hatreds.  In the 1990's  the unravelling of Yugoslavia accelerated.   Pre-World War II, the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the collapse of the Ottoman empire and the conclusion of WW1, Yugoslavia became a kingdom under King Alexander.  The Nazis over-ran Yugoslavia in WWII.  The fascist Ustashe (Croatians; primarily Roman Catholics) established a puppet Nazi state.  

20150515_Ecuador_000320150515_Ecuador_0003 I arrived in Zagreb around 10 am in the morning after flying all night.  After arriving at the hotel I did something that I normally don't do- I took a nap.  I woke up around 3 PM and felt ready to go out and explore.  Unfortunately, it was raining out but that did not stop me from exploring the area near my hotel.    The hotel was situated off of Ban Jelacic Square which is the central square of the city.  You can see the statue of Ban Josip Jelacic on a horse.  This statue was removed in 1947 as the new Communist government of Yugoslavia denounced Jelacic as a "servant of foreign interests".  On October 11, 1990 during the breakup of Yugoslavia and after the 1990 elections in Croatia, the statue was returned to the square.  The square is the most common meeting place for people in Zagreb-it is part of a pedestrian zone so no cars , however  it is a main hub for the trams.

20150516_Ecuador_003020150516_Ecuador_0030 I was staying at the Hotel Dubrovnik which was very centrally located- an excellent choice picked by the tour and a hotel I would highly recommend.  The hotel was surrounded by shops and restaurants.

20150515_Ecuador_000220150515_Ecuador_0002 I walked by this modern building.  I liked the reflections.

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20150516_Ecuador_000420150516_Ecuador_0004 I met Roman the next morning and we spent the day walking around the old part of the city .   The area was small enough that you could walk everywhere.  We met up with this bride who was been photographed.

 

20150516_Ecuador_000520150516_Ecuador_0005 Above is one of the many streets we walked down.  For a Saturday, I was pleasantly surprised how few people there were in the streets. Roman mentioned that many of them would be in the squares and coffee shops which I noticed later.   Zagreb has a population of approximately 1,200,000 including its metropolitan area.  The city has a charming medieval old city with architecture and cobbled streets similar to Vienna, Budapest, Prague and other Central-European Capitals.  Roman told me that Zagreb is often thought of as a smaller version of Vienna.  

20150516_Ecuador_000620150516_Ecuador_0006 Zagreb is city dating from the Roman times.  The name Zagreb is mentioned for the first time in 1094 at the founding of the Zagreb diocese of Kaptol.  Zagreb became a free royal town in 1242.  The origin of the name remains a mystery.  In 1851, Zagreb had its first mayor and in 1945 it was made the capital of Croatia.  Goring grad (Upper Town) and Donji grad (Lower Town) are the cultural, religious and commercial hubs of Zagreb.  These are where most of the restaurants, bars and tourism sites  are located and we walked back and forth between them.  

20150516_Ecuador_000720150516_Ecuador_0007 As Roman mentioned, many people were out having coffee.  What I found very interesting were all of the outdoor cafes in Croatia that only served drinks (including coffee/tea/sodas) and no food.  You were allowed to smoke in these outdoor cafes.  If the restaurants served food, then they had to have a kitchen and no smoking was allowed.  You could sit outside and people watch and socialize without feeling any pressure to leave.

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Zagreb had so many beautiful buildings that it was hard to choose which ones to photograph so I just photographed as many as I could.

20150516_Ecuador_001020150516_Ecuador_0010 This building is the Art Pavilion in Zagreb.  The art gallery is located in the Lower Town area of the city.  The gallery was established in 1898 and is the oldest gallery in Southeast Europe.  The building was designed specifically to accommodate large scale exhibitions.  The statue in front of the building is of the famous Croatian Renaissance artist Andrija Medulic.   

 

20150516_Ecuador_001120150516_Ecuador_0011 A park leading up to the main railway station in Zagreb, Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor. The station opened July 1, 1892.  An 1890 act of the Royal Hungarian Government authorized the building of the main station and maintenance shop.  

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20150516_Ecuador_001320150516_Ecuador_0013 An old door I came across on the walk.

20150516_Ecuador_001420150516_Ecuador_0014 The newer district on the other side the railroad tracks.

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A beautiful typical 19th century building on Ilica Street in lower town.  This street is one of the locals' favourite streets according to the tour books.  It is six kilometres in length and for a long time it was the longest street in the city.  The street is lined with shops and government buildings lining the eastern end and theatres and markets emerging as it moves west.  This street has actually kept the same name since its origins in the 15th centurey.  

20150516_Ecuador_001620150516_Ecuador_0016 This building is currently the home of the Croatian State Archives.  It was designed by architect Rudolf Lubynski in 1913 and is supposed to be the most beautiful example of Croatian Art Nouveau.  The building was formerly the National and University Library and is located in Marulic Square.  

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20150516_Ecuador_002220150516_Ecuador_0022 The Croatian National Theatre is located on Trg marshal Tita (Marshal Tito Square) which is named after Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980), former president of the Yugoslav Federation.  Well known Viennese architects (Ferdinand Fellner and Herman Helmer), who designed forty other European theatres were responsible for the plans for the building.  A Neo-Baroque style was used which was thought to be most suitable for theatres at that time. The building officially opened in 1895 and brings opera, ballet and drama companies together under one roof.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Croatia Zagreb https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/9/zagreb-croatia Thu, 17 Sep 2015 01:17:42 GMT
National Palace of Queluz and a visit to Cascais https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/9/national-palace-of-queluz-and-a-visit-to-cascais On our last full day in Portugal we visited the National Palace of Queluz which was across the square from our hotel.  I went to the gardens and inside the palace.    In the afternoon a group of us took cabs to the seaside town on Cascais.   20141001_Ecuador_000120141001_Ecuador_0001 At six AM, you could hear the drums during the changing of the guards ceremony which was located just outside out hotel.  No problem for me as I was already up and outside.  

20141001_Ecuador_000220141001_Ecuador_0002 It was fun to watch the show.

20141001_Ecuador_000320141001_Ecuador_0003 This shot was taken from the gardens of the Queluz National Palace.  This is a photo of the Queluz Palace facade and the Triton fountain.  The palace was conceived as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza (future husband and then king consort to his own niece Queen Maria 1).  When Dom Pedro died in 1786, the Queen was hidden away in the palace due to "her descent into madness".  

20141001_Ecuador_000420141001_Ecuador_0004 A close up view.  Following the destruction of the Ajuda Palace in 1794, Queluz Palace became the official residence of the Portuguese prince regent, John VI, and his family.  The palace remained their residence until the Royal Family fled to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in 1807 following the French invasion of Portugal.  

20141001_Ecuador_000520141001_Ecuador_0005 Starting in 1826, the palace slowly became out of favour with the Portuguese sovereigns.  In 1908, it became the property of the state.  There was a serious fire in 1934 which gutted the interior and therefore needed extensive restoration before it opened to the public as a major tourist attraction.  

20141001_Ecuador_000620141001_Ecuador_0006 The gardens were pretty impressive.  

20141001_Ecuador_000720141001_Ecuador_0007 I believe this room was the ballroom.

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20141001_Ecuador_001220141001_Ecuador_0012 The Portuguese School of Equestrian Art is based in the Gardens of the National Palace of Queluz.  We were fortunate to be able to watch the performance.  

20141001_Ecuador_001320141001_Ecuador_0013  Taken directly from the brochure " The Portuguese School of Equestrian Art was founded to uphold the teaching, practice and promotion of traditional  Portuguese equestrian art.  

20141001_Ecuador_001420141001_Ecuador_0014 The school has also reintroduced exercises from the baroque riding style, such as the "airs above the ground".  It was both beautiful and exciting to watch the show.  

20141001_Ecuador_000120141001_Ecuador_0001 The school uses Lusitano horses from the Alter Real Stud Farm, established in 1748 by King Joao V to supply the royal household and its riding school with horses.  

20141001_Ecuador_001520141001_Ecuador_0015 After spending the morning exploring the palace, some of us took a cab to visit the town of Cascais.  Cascais is a coastal town and a municipality in Portugal, about 30 kilometres west of Lisbon.  It is actually one of the richest municipalities in Portugal.  

20141001_Ecuador_002120141001_Ecuador_0021 Cascais is a former fishing village which gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal family n the late 19th and early 20th century.  

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20141001_Ecuador_001920141001_Ecuador_0019 I had watched the Lab swimming and now it was time to dry off and have a snooze.

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There were a lot of old rowboats around with some interesting textures and colours.

20141001_Ecuador_002020141001_Ecuador_0020 After hanging around the beach we headed back to the town to check it out.  

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20141001_Ecuador_002320141001_Ecuador_0023 The​re was this very interesting colourful building.

20141001_Ecuador_002420141001_Ecuador_0024 We came across this beautiful bed and breakfast spot.  We wished that we had stayed here for a night or two.  

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20141001_Ecuador_002620141001_Ecuador_0026 Like many seaside towns there was a merry-go-around.

20141001_Ecuador_002720141001_Ecuador_0027 For our farewell dinner we ate in a restaurant overlooking the water.  

20141001_Ecuador_002820141001_Ecuador_0028 It was a fabulous dinner to end a great trip to Portugal.  Even though I spent two weeks there, I feel that there is so much more to see. 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cascals National Palace Portugal Queluz https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/9/national-palace-of-queluz-and-a-visit-to-cascais Thu, 10 Sep 2015 22:52:44 GMT
Sintra https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/9/sintra Our group did a day trip to Sintra.  Sintra is known for its many 19th-century architectural monuments, which has resulted in its classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The town has become a major tourist centre especially since it is so close to Lisbon.  In addition to the Sintra Mountains and Sintra-Cascais Nature Park,  we saw many royal retreats, estates, and castles.  

Our first stop of the day was the Convent of the Frairs Minor Capuchin, otherwise known as the Convent of the Capuchos, located in the municipality of Sintra.  The convent was founded in 1560, consisting of eight monks.  In the first half of the 20th century, the site was acquired by the State but very little was done until the middle of the century.  In the 1950's a series of public projects were started to preserve the site.  The convent became part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra World Heritage Site, classified by UNESCO in 1995.  In June 2001, the convent was re-opened to the public.

20140930_Ecuador_000120140930_Ecuador_0001 The minimalist convent was erected in perfect harmony with its surroundings, implanted in the rocks and boulders that formed this part of the Sintra mountains.  

20140930_Ecuador_000120140930_Ecuador_0001 Inside of the convent.  The whole building was very small and the windows and doors were coated with cork.  The decorations were scarce and very minimum.   

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There was a lot of natural colour in the convent. 20140930_Ecuador_000420140930_Ecuador_0004 The cooking utensils.  In 1889, the convent was described as "situated in the centre of a sad solitude, encircled by a dryness and whipped by gales... this small monastery, open to the rocks and containing a dozen cells, in which can barely move the disgraceful inhabitants". 

20140930_Ecuador_000320140930_Ecuador_0003 It was very dark inside but there were great colours.  I did some post-processing to bring up the shadows.  There was some light that was coming in through the small windows.

20140930_Ecuador_000520140930_Ecuador_0005 I seemed to have photographed a lot of doors. 20140930_Ecuador_000620140930_Ecuador_0006

20140930_Ecuador_000720140930_Ecuador_0007 Colourful shelves.

20140930_Ecuador_000120140930_Ecuador_0001 Inside one of the cells.  The Convent became a pious community of reclusive clergy  who occupied  cramped  and dismal  spaces in the complex, until the religious orders were abolished in Portugal, in 1834.

20140930_Ecuador_000120140930_Ecuador_0001 On the way out I took a photo of a window from outside of the building.  

20140930_Ecuador_000220140930_Ecuador_0002 A group of students arriving for a tour.  Fortunately we arrived at the convent early before it got crowded.  It was difficult enough walking in the small spaces with just the people in my group.  

20140930_Ecuador_000820140930_Ecuador_0008 The Pina National Palace stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra.  It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of the 19th century Romanticism in the world.  The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven wonders of Portugal.  The colours were beautiful.  Over time the colours of the red and yellow facade faded, and for many years the palace was visually identified as being entirely grey.  By the end of the 20th century the palace was reappointed and the original colours restored.  

20140930_Ecuador_001020140930_Ecuador_0010 When I first saw the Palace  I was reminded of the Magic Kingdom in Disney World .   The palace was the summer residence of the monarchs of Portugal during the 18th and 19th centuries.

20140930_Ecuador_000120140930_Ecuador_0001 Looking at the view of the town of Sintra and another castle. â€‹

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Forests surrounded the castle area.

20140930_Ecuador_001920140930_Ecuador_0019 Eventually we made our walk to the town of Sintra and just wandered around the streets. 

20140930_Ecuador_000120140930_Ecuador_0001 This was one crowded, touristy spot.  Sintra has become a major tourist centre, visited by many-day-trippers who travel from the centre and suburbs of the Lisbon.  I left the main square area as soon as we finished lunch.  

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20140930_Ecuador_001720140930_Ecuador_0017 I wandered away from the main tourist areas.  As usual, once you walk far enough away from the centre there are far less people.  It was more interesting when I got away from the tourist shops and walked in the streets where the people were living.

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The gardens in one of the town's parks.

20140930_Ecuador_001320140930_Ecuador_0013 One of the views of the town.

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20140930_Ecuador_001820140930_Ecuador_0018 An old stair case I came across.

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20140930_Ecuador_002020140930_Ecuador_0020 On the way back to our hotel in Queluz, we stopped off at the Coast for a short walk.  The Estoril Coast has beautiful big sandy beaches. The Prala do Guincho (Guincho Beach) is popular for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.  The area is known for its strong winds in the summer months and the day we were there was no exception.  This beach was featured in the pre-titles sequence of the James Bond film (On Her Majesty's Service) and the beach still looks the same as it did in 1969.  

20140930_Ecuador_002120140930_Ecuador_0021 A closer view of the fisherman.    Next up, our last day in Portugal.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Capuchos Convent National Palace Pina Portugal Sintra of the https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/9/sintra Thu, 03 Sep 2015 15:00:47 GMT
Obidos and Queluz https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/8/on-to-sintra

I had a few hours to wander around the hotel before we packed up and left for Queluz (just outside of Lisbon).  On the way we stopped for a visit to Obidos.  
20140929_Ecuador_000120140929_Ecuador_0001 On our last morning in Porto, I debated going back to town for sunrise but I decided to walk around our pasada instead.  It turned out that it was a very cloudy and foggy morning.

20140929_Ecuador_000220140929_Ecuador_0002 An early morning view of the courtyard of our hotel.

I walked beside the river, on the road behind the hotel for a couple of hours before breakfast.  There were quite a few old, abandoned buildings.

 

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20140929_Ecuador_000120140929_Ecuador_0001 You can see the hotel on the right side of the photo.  It was still pretty foggy out.

This photo was taken heading back to the hotel along the same road.  You can see a modern building behind.  Now it was time to return to the hotel, pack up  and leave for  Obidos.

20140929_Ecuador_000620140929_Ecuador_0006 The name "Obidos" is thought to have been  derived from the Latin term oppidum, meaning "citadel" or "fortified city".  This is the city gate of Obidos with its gorgeous "Azulejo" tiles so common in Portugal.

 

20140929_Ecuador_000920140929_Ecuador_0009 The castle of Obidos.   After the Christian conquest of the Arab Moors in the 12th century the necessity for a secure power base in the region required the increased fortification of the town and castle.  The walls were further strengthened in the 14th century and we ended up climbing on them (after being warned to be careful).

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Obidos remains a well-preserved example of medieval architecture; its streets, squares, walls and castle is a popular tourist destination.

20140929_Ecuador_000820140929_Ecuador_0008 Gretchen posing.

A view of the railroad tracks and farmland taken from the castle.

Another view from the other side of the castle.  

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I wandered around the town finding colour everywhere.  

 

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20140929_Ecuador_000120140929_Ecuador_0001 The historic district was full of narrow, cobblestone streets.

 

20140929_Ecuador_001520140929_Ecuador_0015 The colourful town reminded me a bit of Cuba.

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Some Portuguese men relaxing at the end of the day.

20140929_Ecuador_002020140929_Ecuador_0020 We arrived in Queluz late in the afternoon.  The photo above is the hotel where we stayed, the Pousada of D. Maria.    The hotel was formerly the servants quarters/annex of the Queluz National Palace.  

20140929_Ecuador_001720140929_Ecuador_0017 Since there was still some great light, I ended up wandering around the hotel.

20140929_Ecuador_001820140929_Ecuador_0018 I asked these people if I could take their photo by just pointing to my camera and they were happy to pose.

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A guard on duty at the palace which was located beside our hotel.  I also asked him if it was ok for me to take his photo.  

20140929_Ecuador_002320140929_Ecuador_0023 One of the streets near the hotel.

 

20140929_Ecuador_002220140929_Ecuador_0022 Next up, Sintra.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/8/on-to-sintra Thu, 27 Aug 2015 19:42:25 GMT
Afternoon and Evening in Porto https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/8/afternoon-and-evening-in-porto The rain had pretty much finished by late morning.  Eventually the sun even came out.  Nancy and I spent the rest of the day wandering around and exploring Porto.


20140928_Ecuador_000120140928_Ecuador_0001 Some  colourful buildings on the street.

20140928_Ecuador_000220140928_Ecuador_0002 The shipbuilding sector was a strategic one in the 1960's and 1970's.   While walking along the river we went into this man's shop where he builds model ships.

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One of the model ships for sale. 

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20140928_Ecuador_000420140928_Ecuador_0004 We found a very interesting street to walk down where the local kids were hanging out.  

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The rain was gone and it turned out to be a warm, sunny day.

20140928_Ecuador_000120140928_Ecuador_0001 Porto City Hall is one of Porto's landmarks, situated at the top of Aliados Avenue, in the heart of downtown.  This building dates back to the beginning of the 20th century.  

20140928_Ecuador_000120140928_Ecuador_0001 There is a solid 70m high tower with a carillon clock.  A carillon is a music instrument, the tones of which are produced by bells. 20140928_Ecuador_000720140928_Ecuador_0007 In retrospect, maybe it would have been a good idea to go on the bus to cover more territory.  Instead, we walked all day in the historic area and did manage to cover a lot of ground.   We weren't worried about getting lost because we could always just walk down the hills to the river.  

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 I don't remember her story but she was very happy to model for us.  I seemed to remember her being involved in some kind of advertising shoot.

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Another building that reminded me of Cuba.

 

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Equal billing for dogs and cats.  Since I included a cat photo, here is the dog photo.   

20140928_Ecuador_001620140928_Ecuador_0016 One last shot before heading back to the hotel to meet the rest of the group.

20140928_Ecuador_001720140928_Ecuador_0017 This shot was taken from the hotel grounds.

20140928_Ecuador_001420140928_Ecuador_0014 In the late afternoon, our group went to W & J Graham's for a tour of their wine making facilities.  Graham's was one of the first Port companies to invest in its own vineyards in Portugal's Douro Valley in 1890.  The company is renowned for producing the finest Port wines.  After our tour we had an outstanding dinner in their dining room.

20140928_Ecuador_001820140928_Ecuador_0018 I took some photos from the garden at Graham's between the tour and dinner.  As much as I would have preferred to be shooting the sunset (from a better location) rather than eating dinner, I have to admit the the food was pretty amazing.  I don't remember everything we ate, but there was a lot of platters of food, one being  beef tenderloin  and because we were in Portugal I'm thinking lots fish dishes.  

20140928_Ecuador_001920140928_Ecuador_0019 Our dining room.

20140928_Ecuador_002020140928_Ecuador_0020 After dinner we stopped at the bridge (where I had been at 6 A.M.) to do some night photography.

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20140929_Ecuador_002320140929_Ecuador_0023 Next up, a few more shots of Porto and on to Sintra.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/8/afternoon-and-evening-in-porto Wed, 19 Aug 2015 13:47:00 GMT
Porto in the rain https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/8/porto-in-the-rain 20140928_Ecuador_000120140928_Ecuador_0001 I took a few photos as I walked across the bridge.   Rain was definitely on the way.

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20140928_Ecuador_000320140928_Ecuador_0003 I was prepared to move quickly if a train came out.

20140928_Ecuador_000520140928_Ecuador_0005 It started to rain heavily so Nancy and I  went into the train station, Sao Bento Railway Station.  Inaugurated in 1916, the historical station is known for its beautiful tile (azulejo) panels that depict scenes of the history of Portugal.  

20140928_Ecuador_000620140928_Ecuador_0006 There are approximately 20,000 tiles and date from 1905-1916.  They were painted by the  most important azulejo painter of the time, Jorge Colaco.  

20140928_Ecuador_000720140928_Ecuador_0007 It was still raining when we left the station but we decided to head out and find a cafe for breakfast.  We picked one with great food and took a few pictures of the patrons while waiting for our food.   

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20140928_Ecuador_000920140928_Ecuador_0009 Just outside of the cafe.

20140928_Ecuador_001020140928_Ecuador_0010 This shot was taken through the window of one of the cafes.

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20140928_Ecuador_001420140928_Ecuador_0014 Here is a photo of Nancy.

20140928_Ecuador_001520140928_Ecuador_0015 The beautiful tiles were everywhere.

20140928_Ecuador_001620140928_Ecuador_0016 There was lots of colour in the streets with all of the umbrellas.   We actually had a lot of fun photographing in the rain.

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Still raining.

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20140928_Ecuador_002020140928_Ecuador_0020 This nice couple were happy to pose for me.  People in Portugal were very friendly.

20140928_Ecuador_002120140928_Ecuador_0021 An umbrella to protect the camera was a good idea.

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20140928_Ecuador_002420140928_Ecuador_0024 The rain was pretty much finished by this time which is what I think this lady was thinking about.  Next, the afternoon in Porto in nice weather.  Nancy and I were actually very happy that it rained in the morning as it made for some  interesting photo opportunities.  We were almost sorry to see it end.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/8/porto-in-the-rain Tue, 11 Aug 2015 12:29:40 GMT
From Guimaraes to Porto https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/8/from-guimaraes-to-porto We spent the morning of September 27th in the gardens of our hotel in Guimaraes and then headed to Porto (my favourite city in Portugal) with a stop in Foz do Douro.

20140927_Ecuador_000120140927_Ecuador_0001 A picture of the back of our hotel (Pousada Santa Marinha).  There were beautiful gardens to explore.

20140927_Ecuador_000220140927_Ecuador_0002 The pond on the property.

20140927_Ecuador_000320140927_Ecuador_0003 The stairs leading up to the pond.  

20140927_Ecuador_000420140927_Ecuador_0004 We stopped at the seaside town of Foz do Douro on our way to Porto.  The town is a former civil parish in the municipality of Porto, Portugal.  Today the waves were huge and it was a great place to hang out.

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A long exposure shot.  

20140927_Ecuador_000620140927_Ecuador_0006 This is a photograph of the  Feigueiras Lighthouse situated at the edge of the Douro's river mouth and the Atlantic coastline.

20140927_Ecuador_000820140927_Ecuador_0008 This was our hotel in Porto, the Freizo Palace Hotel which opened in 2009.  The original palace, constructed in the eighteenth century,  has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.  The hotel was located on the banks of the Douro River, named after the famous Wine Region in Portugal.   

20140927_Ecuador_000920140927_Ecuador_0009 A sunset shot  from the grounds of the hotel.

20140927_Ecuador_001120140927_Ecuador_0011 Our group hung around the outside bar and photographed for most of the evening. 

20140928_Ecuador_001320140928_Ecuador_0013 In the early morning, Nancy and I  took a cab into the centre of Porto (about 3 km from our hotel) so we could photograph the sunrise.  This shot was taken shortly after 6 A.M just as the town was waking up.

20140928_Ecuador_001420140928_Ecuador_0014 Porto is the second largest city in Portugal (after Lisbon) and one of the major urban areas in Southwestern Europe.  It was my favourite place on the trip although I enjoyed all of the towns we visited.    Lisbon was a very close second.

20140928_Ecuador_001620140928_Ecuador_0016 Nancy and I stood on a bridge taking photos of the city as the light changed. 

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This  shot is a panorama where I stitched together five or six photos.  

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In 2014, Porto was elected the best European destination by the Best European Destinations Agency.    The Cais da Riberia  is in the heart of Porto which forms the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Riberia literally means waterfront.

20140928_Ecuador_002120140928_Ecuador_0021 You can see I had lots of fun taking different compositions in the same area.  This is a view of the Iconic Dom Luis I bridge that crosses the Douro River.

20140928_Ecuador_002220140928_Ecuador_0022 Located on the Douro river estuary in Northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres.  Its historical core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.  The western part of the urban area extends to the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean.  Its settlement dates  back many centuries, when it was an outpost of the Roman Empire.  

 

20140928_Ecuador_002420140928_Ecuador_0024 Overlooking the city.  By now the weather was starting to cloud over quickly  and it was looking pretty dreary.  You can see the pastel-hued buildings in various states of renovation and repair.  Nancy and I had fun wandering throughout the narrow streets and alleyways.

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20140928_Ecuador_002620140928_Ecuador_0026 Coming up next, rain in Porto

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/8/from-guimaraes-to-porto Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:48:46 GMT
Coimbra and Guimaraes https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/coimbra-and-guimaraes We left Orem and headed to Guimaraes where we would be spending one night.  On the way we stopped In Coimbra to look at the University of Coimbra and walk around the town.  

20140926_Ecuador_000120140926_Ecuador_0001 The University of Coimbra is a Portuguese public university.  It was established in 1290 in Lisbon and went through a number of relocating until it was moved permanently to Coimbra in 1537.  It is one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world, the oldest university in Portugal and one of the its largest higher education and research institutions.  There were a lot of tourists and tour groups wandering around but we saw hardly any students.  

20140926_Ecuador_000220140926_Ecuador_0002 I peeked inside a few of the classrooms.  The seating did not look very comfortable.  The university's historical buildings were classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2013.  

20140926_Ecuador_000120140926_Ecuador_0001 A photograph overlooking the city, taken from the university.

20140926_Ecuador_000320140926_Ecuador_0003 We did spend some time walking around the town and having lunch.  The old buildings were quite colourful.

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20140926_Ecuador_000420140926_Ecuador_0004 I wandered into the Monastery of Santa Cruz.  Notice the beautiful blue tiles on the wall, so typical of Portugal.   Because the first two kings of of Portugal are buried in the church, it was granted the status of National Pantheon.  Founded in 1131 outside the protecting walls of Coimbra, the Monastery was the  most important monastic house during the early days of the Portuguese monarchy.  

20140926_Ecuador_000520140926_Ecuador_0005 We ate outside of a local cafe.  Inside these two students? were painting.  

20140926_Ecuador_000720140926_Ecuador_0007 These meringues looked really good with beautiful packaging.    The pastry shop located in downtown Coimbra opened in 1955 and  is one of the oldest and most prestigious bakeries  in the city.  It looks like the meringues won an award in 2014.

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20140926_Ecuador_000120140926_Ecuador_0001 Our hotel in Guimaraes, Pousada Santa Marinha, was on a hill overlooking the historical city of Guimaraes.  The Agostinhos Convent  was built in the 12th century and was initially a school of higher studies for the monks of the Ordre of Saint Agostinho.  The building was in derelict condition in the 20th century following a fire.  Fortunately it was restored into this beautiful Pousada and in 1985 won the National Architecture award.  Luxurious pieces of furniture from the convent's estate were used and beautiful rooms were created out of the monks' cells.  We really enjoyed our stay in this hotel.

20140926_Ecuador_001020140926_Ecuador_0010 Guimaraes in a northern Portuguese city with a population of about 52,000.  It is a historical city (seemed like all Portugal cities were) that had an important role in the formation of Portugal.  The city was settled in the 9th century, at which time it was called Vimaranes.  Because the city is one of the country's most important historical cities, its historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it one of the largest tourist centers in the region. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the historical centre and photographing the people.

20140926_Ecuador_001120140926_Ecuador_0011 I mostly photographed the people in the streets.  There was a Renaissance festival taking place.  You could almost picture yourself in medieval times given the historic buildings and people wearing the historic costumers.  

 

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20140926_Ecuador_001220140926_Ecuador_0012 Not everyone was dressed up
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20140926_Ecuador_001820140926_Ecuador_0018 We spoke to this lady for quite a while as she explained the process of her art.  Apparently there is still quite a demand for these products.

20140926_Ecuador_001920140926_Ecuador_0019 Some of the children enjoyed dressing up for the festival.

20140926_Ecuador_002020140926_Ecuador_0020 Most of the people were happy to pose.

20140926_Ecuador_002120140926_Ecuador_0021 Gretchen started talking to these young women and with the great light, I took a shot.

20140926_Ecuador_002220140926_Ecuador_0022 Scary.

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20140926_Ecuador_002320140926_Ecuador_0023 Our last stop before heading back to the hotel.

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Looking outside from the hallway in the hotel.

20140926_Ecuador_002520140926_Ecuador_0025 The last shot of the day taken inside the courtyard (cloisters) of the hotel.  It was such an interesting place to stay.

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/coimbra-and-guimaraes Fri, 24 Jul 2015 02:11:45 GMT
The seaside town of Nazare https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/the-seaside-town-of-nazare We stopped in the seaside town of Nazare for a couple of hours in the late afternoon.  This town is one of the most popular seaside resorts on the Silver Coast in Portugal.  The town consists of three neighbourhoods, Praia (along the beach), Sitio (an old village on top of a cliff) and Pederneira (another old village on a hilltop).   Praia and Sitio are linked by the Nazare Funicular.  

20140924_Ecuador_000120140924_Ecuador_0001 After arriving in town we had a great views overlooking Nazare and the beach.

 

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20140924_Ecuador_000520140924_Ecuador_0005 The ocean was a gorgeous turquoise colour.  I took all  of the beach/ocean shots from the cliffs.  

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20140924_Ecuador_000720140924_Ecuador_0007 In the town's main square people were watching the musicians perform.

Instead of going to the beach, I ended up walking in the old villages .  

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20140924_Ecuador_001120140924_Ecuador_0011 There was a large stadium in the old town.

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From the hillside, I took more photos overlooking the town.

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If I had more time, I would have walked down to the beach.  

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20140924_Ecuador_002020140924_Ecuador_0020 There were a lot of merchants near the main square selling all kinds of food and souvenirs.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/the-seaside-town-of-nazare Sun, 19 Jul 2015 02:30:35 GMT
Batalha and Alcobaca Monasteries https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/batalha-and-alcobaca-monasteries We stayed for a few nights  in Ourem and took some day trips exploring Central Portugal.  Today's blog is all about two monasteries that we visited.  

20140924_Ecuador_001020140924_Ecuador_0010 The Monastery of Batalha is translated as the Monastery of the Battle.  It is a Dominican convent and was erected in commemoration of the 1385 Battle of Alijubarrota.  The Monastery is one of the best and original examples of late gothic architecture.

20140924_Ecuador_000520140924_Ecuador_0005 This convent took over a century to build, starting in 1386 and ending in 1517, spanning the reign of seven kings.  After the Dominicans were expelled from the complex in 1834, the church and convent were abandoned and left to fall into ruins.  Fortunately, in 1840, King Ferdinand II of Portugal started a restoration program which lasted until the early years of the 20th century.  

20140924_Ecuador_000420140924_Ecuador_0004 The complex was declared a national monument in 1907 and in 1980 the monastery was turned into a museum which is very popular with the tourists.   The Batalha convent was added in 1983 to its list of World Heritage sites.

 

20140924_Ecuador_000120140924_Ecuador_0001 Guard duty.

20140924_Ecuador_000220140924_Ecuador_0002 The Royal Cloister was not part of the original project.  It was built between 1448 and 1477.

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20140924_Ecuador_000820140924_Ecuador_0008 We spent quite a lot of time wandering through the gardens and interior of the convent.

20140924_Ecuador_001220140924_Ecuador_0012 There were so many different views of the buildings.  The details of the buildings were amazing.

20140924_Ecuador_001120140924_Ecuador_0011 With the sunlight coming through the stained glass windows, there were some wonderful colours inside the church.

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20140924_Ecuador_001620140924_Ecuador_0016 Street photography in the town of Alcobaca.

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20140924_Ecuador_000220140924_Ecuador_0002 The Alcobaca Monastery in a Mediaeval Roman Catholic monastery located in the town of Alcobaca.  The church and monastery were the first gothic buildings in Portugal and was one of the most important monasteries in Portugal.  

20140924_Ecuador_000120140924_Ecuador_0001 The monastery was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1989.  The monastery was founded in 1153 (construction started in 1178) as a gift to Bernard of Clairvaux, shortly before his death, from the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques.  The gift was given to commemorate Barnard's victory over the Moors at Santarem in March 1147.  Initially the monks lived in  wooden houses before moving to the new stone buildings in 1223.  

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There were really interesting shapes and colours inside.

20140924_Ecuador_001920140924_Ecuador_0019 With the person in the background you can get an idea of the height of the walls.

20140924_Ecuador_002020140924_Ecuador_0020 A stairway inside.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/batalha-and-alcobaca-monasteries Sat, 11 Jul 2015 23:01:33 GMT
Ourem and nearby towns https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/ourem-and-countryside  

20140924_Ecuador_000120140924_Ecuador_0001   I was hoping for a great sunset but unfortunately there were no clouds.   Chris was admiring the scenery.  

20140925_Ecuador_000320140925_Ecuador_0003  I got up very early the next morning and once again climbed up to the top of the hill for a wonderful view.   This was the second morning where i got up early.  The morning before was cloudy and had too much fog to see much of anything.  

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I watched the light change and kept taking photos of the changing conditions.  I also tried many different compositions but I liked these ones the best.

20140926_Ecuador_000120140926_Ecuador_0001 Chris and Gretchen also joined me at sunrise.

20140925_Ecuador_000420140925_Ecuador_0004 The photo above shows the  road we climbed up to get to the Castle of Ourem.  The castle sometimes called the Fatima Castle, is located on top of an isolated mountain that rises out of a vineyard-filled valley.  It is believed that the Phoenicians built a settlement on this site hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.  The castle was built in the 13th century  to defend the Christian land from the invading Moors.  

20140925_Ecuador_000520140925_Ecuador_0005 This shot was taken close to the hotel where we were staying.

20140925_Ecuador_000120140925_Ecuador_0001 Eventually the fog began to clear out and you could actually see the town below.

20140925_Ecuador_000620140925_Ecuador_0006 There was a close-by cemetery which was interesting to walk through in the early morning light.

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Fatima is a civil parish in the municipality of Ourem.  The parish was founded in 1568, when it was annexed by the Collegiate of Ourem.  The history of Fatima is associated with three local children who saw (May 13, 1917) an apparition of a lady dressed in white.  The lady, later referred to as Our Lady of the Rosary, indicated that she was sent by God with a message of prayer, repentance and consecrations.  She visited the children on the 13th day of each month from May to October13, 1917.  

20140925_Ecuador_001020140925_Ecuador_0010 During most of the year, the shrine of Fatima is a quiet and peaceful place, visited by locals and the few hundred pilgrims arriving each day.  However, on May 13th (day of first apparition) and October13, (day of the final apparition), half a million pilgrims will crowd into the square  from of the basilica.  During these times, there is an atmosphere of extremely passionate religious devotion, with hundreds of pilgrims crawling toward the shrine on their knees, thousands making vows and much praying and weeping.  On May 12, 1982 Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Fatima and expressed thanks to Mary for saving his life during an assassination attempt the previous year.

20140925_Ecuador_001120140925_Ecuador_0011 People come from all over  Portugal and even the rest of the world  to pray for their sins.  They do this by walking across the square on their knees. It is very common in Portugal for people to  make promises  when facing traumatic situations and these promises generally include walking to Fatima on foot (sometimes hundreds of kilometres) or crossing the sanctuary kneeling.  

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20140925_Ecuador_000220140925_Ecuador_0002 After leaving Fatima, we headed to Tomar for a visit.  The town of Tomar was built inside the walls of the Convento do Cristo (pictured above), constructed under the orders of Gualdim de Pais, the fourth grand master of the Knights Templar in the 12th century.  The Convent of Christ has been in the World Heritage list of UNESCO since 1983.  

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Tomar is one of Portugal's historical jewels and more significantly was the last Templar town to be commissioned for construction.  Templar was especially important in the 15th century when it was a centre of Portuguese overseas expansion under Henry the Navigator.  In 2013, the Guardian elected The Vonvento de Vristo in Tomar as the most spectacular place to visit in Portugal, " Founded by the Knights Templar, it's a beautiful, mysterious and magical place, wonderful to discover and enjoy".  

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A staircase inside.

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Lots of colourful windows. 20140925_Ecuador_001920140925_Ecuador_0019

 

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A  long hallway in the convent.  

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20140925_Ecuador_000220140925_Ecuador_0002 The convent has a total of eight cloisters, built in the 15th and 16th centuries.  

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We ended up going into the town of Tomar and wandering around the historic centre of town.  The Synagogue of Tomar is one of the best preserved of the medieval synagogues of Portugal and houses a small Jewish museum.  The synagogue was built in the mid 15th century by the thriving Jewish community of the town.  When the the Poruguese Jews were expelled and forced to convert in 1496, the synagogue served as a jail, church and after as a storage house.  Since 1939 it functions as a small Jewish Museum.

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20140925_Ecuador_002420140925_Ecuador_0024 Later in the afternoon we arrived back in Ourem and I spent some more time wandering around our hotel and the climbed up to the castle. 

20140925_Ecuador_002620140925_Ecuador_0026 I wandered around and I also went inside of  the Castle ruins.  The castle has been listed as a National monument since 1910.  

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20140925_Ecuador_002720140925_Ecuador_0027 The last shot of the night.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/ourem-and-countryside Wed, 08 Jul 2015 16:34:28 GMT
From Lisbon to Ourem https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/from-lisbon-to-ourem Finally it was time to leave Lisbon to see some other areas of Portugal.  On the way to Orem, we stopped at a horse training facilities to watch the Lusitano horses.  

 

20140923_Ecuador_000120140923_Ecuador_0001 The horses were magnificent and very well trained.  

 

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20140923_Ecuador_000320140923_Ecuador_0003 All shots were taken inside the arena.  

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20140923_Ecuador_000420140923_Ecuador_0004 We had a delicious lunch and also walked in the grounds.  Cork Trees are everywhere in Portugal.  Cork is actually the outer bark of the cork oak tree.  The cork is easily stripped off the tree in late spring and summer when the cells are swollen and fragile and tear without being damaged. The tree quickly forms new layers of cork and restores its protective layers.  Therefore, no tree is cut down.  Cork processing is highly developed in Portugal.  I discovered that even hats are made using cork so I had to buy one.

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We took a few more photos after lunch.

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We arrived at our hotel in Ourem in the late afternoon.   Two near-by medieval houses and a historic hospital were renovated to create the Pousada.   The Pousada Castelo de Ourem was located  on top of a hill with great views in every direction.  

20140923_Ecuador_001220140923_Ecuador_0012 In the evening, we went for dinner at the  Casa Alta Lodge, a former royal lodge located within walking distance of our hotel.   Case Alta, as the locals refer to it had many uses over the year apart from a royal lodge.  It was also a finishing school, a tailor's house, the home of John Haffert, founder of the Blue Army and "Carmelot Hall", the seat of the Count Nuno Society.  

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The lodge has only three rooms but all have stunning views, private bathrooms and wood-burning fireplaces.  

20140923_Ecuador_001020140923_Ecuador_0010 Casa Alta is now the guesthouse of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, where Fr. Guilbert Mariani in 2000 leased the premises from the present Minnesota owners, Solare Lusitania Partnership.  Fr. Mariani renovated the property as a retreat house.    Casa Alta welcomes persons of any faith and prices quoted to stay here are the suggested donations to the "Castelos de Portugal-Casa Alta" a non-profit Association.   

20140923_Ecuador_001120140923_Ecuador_0011 We spent quite a bit of time before dinner walking in the gardens behind the the lodge.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/7/from-lisbon-to-ourem Wed, 01 Jul 2015 20:18:43 GMT
Last twenty four hours in Lisbon https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/6/last-afternoon-and-evening-in-lisbon Our last afternoon in Lisbon was spent exploring more of the city and getting caught in a rainstorm.

20140922_Ecuador_010420140922_Ecuador_0104 We made our way back to the downtown section after spending the morning in the Alfama neighbourhood.  We walked around  looking for a cafe to stop and have lunch.

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20140922_Ecuador_010720140922_Ecuador_0107 There were no shortage of cafes in the area.

20140922_Ecuador_010820140922_Ecuador_0108 I was just taking a photo of the door when it opened.  

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20140922_Ecuador_011320140922_Ecuador_0113 We had barely finished lunch when the rain started and just didn't stop.  People were going for cover in the shops and hotels.  The city drains could not handle the amount of rain that was falling.  Some of the manholes actually were blown off and there were huge gushers of water.

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We found some cover during part of the storm and ended up going into a shop and getting bags to cover our cameras. 

20140922_Ecuador_011220140922_Ecuador_0112 Our plan had been to walk back to the hotel but the rain kept on getting worse so four of us grabbed a cab to go back to the hotel.

20140922_Ecuador_011420140922_Ecuador_0114 This shot was taken from inside the cab through the window. 

20140922_Ecuador_011520140922_Ecuador_0115 Another shot of the water on the cab window.  The driver did an excellent job of maneuvering the cab through the water and traffic to get us back to the hotel safely.  It was no easy task.  

20140922_Ecuador_011620140922_Ecuador_0116 Well the rain finally let up and I  went for a walk around the streets near the hotel.

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20140922_Ecuador_011820140922_Ecuador_0118 I ended up taking a few reflection and panning  shots.

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20140922_Ecuador_012320140922_Ecuador_0123 We went for a night walk and I got a shot of the city at night.  We took a tram to a spot overlooking the city and then walked back to the hotel.

20140923_Ecuador_012420140923_Ecuador_0124 I went back to the same spot for sunrise but it was a very foggy morning. 

20140923_Ecuador_012520140923_Ecuador_0125 The Santa Casa da Miserlcordia is a Portuguese charity founded in Lisbon in 1498 by the Queen Leonar of Portugal.  

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20140923_Ecuador_012720140923_Ecuador_0127 This is a photograph of one of Lisbon's major cinema/theatre buildings.  It opened in 1931 and was designed by architects Casino Branco and Carlo Florencio Dias.  Across the top of the huge facade is a stone frieze depicting stylized actors performing before a film crew and cameras.  The cinema closed in 1989 and was unused for many years until it was converted into a 134 room apartment hotel known as the Orion Eden Hotel.  The facade was modified by removing the two huge film advertising posters and providing an atrium.  Apparently the rooms are pie-shaped to fit inside the former auditorium space.

20140923_Ecuador_000120140923_Ecuador_0001 The pavement in Rossio square is composed of the unique Portuguese tiles and the design is very unusual.  The impression given is of an uneven, wavy area.  Of course when you are walking the pavement is perfectly even so the effect is very impressive.   
 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/6/last-afternoon-and-evening-in-lisbon Fri, 26 Jun 2015 02:04:57 GMT
The Alfama neighbourhood, Libson's birthplace https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/6/bairro-alto-neighbourhood During the times of Moorish domination, Alfama made up the whole of Lisbon until  the city  spread west to the Baixa neighbourhood.  The mediaeval Castle of Sao Jorge was the royal residence until the early 16th century and overlooks the Alfama.  The castle is where we started our walk.   20140922_Ecuador_008320140922_Ecuador_0083 I came across this scene during my walk.

20140922_Ecuador_008420140922_Ecuador_0084 A close up of one of the dogs.

20140922_Ecuador_008520140922_Ecuador_0085 A close up view of the man and his other dog.

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We walked through the narrow, cobblestoned streets. 

 

20140922_Ecuador_008620140922_Ecuador_0086 It was a very interesting neighbourhood to walk around in.   Alfama became inhabited by the fisherman and the poor and its condition as the neighbourhood of the poor continues today.  Lately the neighbourhood has been invigorated with the renovation of the old houses.  

20140922_Ecuador_008920140922_Ecuador_0089 A poor and colourful district.  Actually many of the buildings both abandoned and lived in reminded me of Cuba.

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This is another scene that reminded me of Cuba.  

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Some of the scenes reminded me of San Francisco.  Both cities are situated on a southwestern coast at the same latitude.  They are both built on seven hills and each city is known for its distinctive boroughs, colourful architecture, beautiful panoramas and progressive attitudes.   Another similarity is that both cities were devastated by earthquakes. They  each have a  golden coloured bridge crossing their oceanic entrances and are also known for their art, coffee and wine cultures.  Of course if you add some vintage cable cars you are pretty much left with twin cities.  

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20140922_Ecuador_009520140922_Ecuador_0095 The Alfama district is spread on the slope between the Sao Jorge Castle and the Tejo river.  We had started at the Castle and worked our way down.

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20140922_Ecuador_009620140922_Ecuador_0096 A reflection I saw on the walk.

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20140922_Ecuador_009920140922_Ecuador_0099 In the slopes of Alfama there are terraces that gave us a pretty good view of the city.

 

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20140922_Ecuador_010220140922_Ecuador_0102 As you can tell I really enjoyed the views.

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/6/bairro-alto-neighbourhood Thu, 18 Jun 2015 13:07:16 GMT
Belem District https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/6/belem-district 20140921_Ecuador_000120140921_Ecuador_0001 We spent some time wandering around the Belem District.  Wherever you go in Portugal you find the beautiful Azulejos tiles.

20140921_Ecuador_005420140921_Ecuador_0054 When visiting the district,  the Pasteis do Belem is a "must"stop.  The cafe was built in 1837 and is visited by both locals and tourists.  The place had about 75 tables and was packed.  We were lucky to find a place to sit and try these wonderful and famous Portuguese tarts.  Most of our hotels always had them at breakfast but they were not nearly as good as the ones in this cafe.  

20140921_Ecuador_005520140921_Ecuador_0055 Leaving the cafe we found ourselves in the middle of a parade which was lots of fun to watch.  It also made it difficult to leave the area not that we were in a rush to.

The parade lasted for a long time.  

20140921_Ecuador_005720140921_Ecuador_0057 Even horses got into the act.  

20140921_Ecuador_005820140921_Ecuador_0058 Pups were enjoying the show as well.

20140921_Ecuador_006020140921_Ecuador_0060 We finally got through the parade and made our way to the National Coach Museum in Belem.  The museum has one of the finest collections of historical carriages in the world and is one of the most visited museums.  The museum is housed in the old Horse Riding Arena of the Belem Palace, formerly a Royal Palace which is now the official residence of the President of Portugal.  

20140921_Ecuador_005920140921_Ecuador_0059 This is the Landau of the Regicide which belonged to King Carlos 1 of Portugal.  On February 1st, 1908, the royal family were riding in the open landau  pictured above when an assassin stepped out and shot at the king.  Carlos was hit in the neck and killed immediately.   A second assassin climbed onto the carriage step and continued to shoot at the king while the queen attempted to push the gunman back by hitting him with a bouquet of flowers.   Prince Luis Filipe (Carlos's son and heir)  stood up and shot at the second assassin with a concealed revolver.  The prince was then shot  through the skull.    Both assassins and a third innocent passer-by, mistaken for an assassin, were shot and killed by the police.    The second son, Manuel who was shot in the arm was declared Manuel 11 and reigned for less than two years before the October 1910 revolution which permanently ousted  the monarchy after 250 years.   You can see two bullet holes above the royal crest.  

20140921_Ecuador_006120140921_Ecuador_0061 One of the windows in the museum.  

20140921_Ecuador_006220140921_Ecuador_0062 A statue of Afonso de Albuquerque located  in the Afonso de Albuquerque Square.  This square is located in front of Belem Palace, an early 18th century palace that now serves as  the residence for the President of Portugal.  The square is named after the second governor of Portuguese India, Afonso de Albuquerque and offers the best views of the palace.  

20140921_Ecuador_006320140921_Ecuador_0063 We found ourselves walking back to our hotel along the water.  

20140921_Ecuador_006420140921_Ecuador_0064 Colourful apartments beside the river.  

20140921_Ecuador_006520140921_Ecuador_0065 I came across this little boy who was fishing with his family.  He was very happy to have his photo taken and quite excited about the fish he had caught.

20140921_Ecuador_006620140921_Ecuador_0066 Taking advantage of the beautiful day.  

20140921_Ecuador_006820140921_Ecuador_0068 Sam and Chris keeping their distance.  While they rested, Gretchen and I walked and took photos.

20140921_Ecuador_006920140921_Ecuador_0069 The 25 de Abril Bridge is a suspension bridge connecting the city of Lisbon to the municipality of Almada on the left bank of the Tejo river.  It was inaugurated  on August 6th, 1966 and a train platform was added in 1999.  This bridge is often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.  

20140921_Ecuador_007020140921_Ecuador_0070 With a total length of 2,277 m, it is the 27th largest suspension bridge in the world.  The upper deck carries six care lanes, while the lower deck carries two train tracks.  The bridge was built by the American Bridge Company which constructed the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, but not the Golden Gate.  

20140921_Ecuador_007420140921_Ecuador_0074 We ended up  walking to  a local marina  before taking a cab back to the hotel.

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20140921_Ecuador_007620140921_Ecuador_0076 Some locals posing for me at the marina.

20140921_Ecuador_000120140921_Ecuador_0001 In the evening we headed out to the Bairro Alto.  This is a picturesque working class quarter dating from the 16th century that has traditionally been the city's bohemian district of artists and writers.

 

20140921_Ecuador_000120140921_Ecuador_0001 We were waiting for the  dinner and Fado concert  to start so I took a few photos in the area.  

20140921_Ecuador_008120140921_Ecuador_0081 The Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820's in Portugal but probably had much earlier origins.  The songs can be about anything but they must follow a traditional  structure.  Usually the songs are characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or life of the poor.  I didn't understand a word but it was an interesting evening.  The musicians certainly showed a great deal of passion during the songs.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Belem District Lisbon Portugal https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/6/belem-district Thu, 11 Jun 2015 02:31:28 GMT
More of Lisbon https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/6/more-of-lisbon We spent the first few days of our trip exploring the neighbourhoods (barros) of Lisbon.  These communities have no clearly defined boundaries but they do represent distinctive quarters of the city that have similar cultures, living standards and identifiable architectural landmarks.  

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Commerce Square is situated next to the Tagus river and is still commonly known as Terrier do Paco (Palace Square) because it was the location of the Pacos da Ribeira (Royal Ribeira Palace) until it was destroyed by the great 1755  Lisbon Earthquake.  After the earthquake, the square was completely remodelled as part of the rebuilding of the downtown area.  In combination with  subsequent fires and a tsunami, the earthquake almost destroyed Lisbon.  It is estimated that the earthquake had a magnitude in the range of 8.5 to 9.0 and the death toll was somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 people.

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Expecting  rain?  A young man sitting  in Commerce Square.  The square got its name to indicate its new function in the economy of Lisbon.  The buildings of the square were filled with government bureaus that regulated customs and port activities.   On February 1, 1908 the square was the scene of the assassination of Carlos I, the penultimate King of Portugal.  

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After leaving Commerce Square we ended up back at Rossio Square with the interesting pavement.  

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Starbucks is everywhere.

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Our group went to the restaurant "Casa do Alentejo" , a former Moorish palace.  The palace was built in the last quarter of the 17th century but had gone through considerable changes over the years, mostly in 1918.  Currently many activities such as dances , singing and socializing take place here.  There were different dining rooms- I particularly found this one to be very picturesque, beautifully decorated with the azulejos tiles.  The azulejo is a form of Portuguese painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tile work.    The food in Portugal was excellent.  

20140920_Ecuador_003120140920_Ecuador_0031 Gretchen and Arthur photographing at Casa do Alentego.  There were lots of interesting places to photograph.   20140920_Ecuador_003220140920_Ecuador_0032

 

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20140920_Ecuador_003320140920_Ecuador_0033 A view of the neighbouring buildings taken from a balcony.

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Another view of the neighbourhood.

 

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The following morning the group went to the Belem neighbourhood in Lisbon.   Belem Tower, pictured above is a fortified tower.  It is a UNESCO World heritage site because of the significant role it played in the Portuguese maritime discoveries of the era of the Age of Discoveries.  

20140921_Ecuador_000120140921_Ecuador_0001 The tower was commissioned by King John II to be part of a defence system at the mouth of the Tagus river and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.  

20140921_Ecuador_004020140921_Ecuador_0040 Leaving the tower we walked the short distance  towards the Jeronimos Monastery.  I saw this little boy concentrating on his next move.

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Reflections through a window.

20140921_Ecuador_004320140921_Ecuador_0043 There were quite a few fisherman out as we made out way over to the monastery.    The sky was very interesting.

20140921_Ecuador_004520140921_Ecuador_0045 The Age of Discoveries started in 1415 with the capture of the North African city of Ceuta by the Portuguese and reached a peak at the turn of the sixteenth century when Vasco da Gama discovered a shorter route to India and Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil.  The Monument to the Discoveries was originally built for the 1940 World Exhibition to celebrate the achievements of explorers during the Age of Discoveries and the creation of the Portugal empire.  The monument above was built in 1960 and is an exact replica of the original one.  This fifty meter (171 feet) is shaped like a ship's prow is now located at the marina in Belem since this was the starting point for many of Portugals' explorers.  The monument shows more than thirty statues of people who played an important role in the discoveries.   Henry the Navigator is out front.

20140921_Ecuador_004620140921_Ecuador_0046 Just before we arrived at the Monastery, Arthur is stopped by a monk.

20140921_Ecuador_004720140921_Ecuador_0047 The Jeronimos monastery is of the Order of Saint Jerome and is one of the most prominent examples of the Portuguese late Gothic Manueline style of Architecture.  This building was also classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

20140921_Ecuador_004820140921_Ecuador_0048 Even though it was early in the morning, the crowds were already gathering.  

20140921_Ecuador_004920140921_Ecuador_0049 Inside the church.

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Next, more of the Belem Neighbourhood.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Belem Lisbon Portugal https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/6/more-of-lisbon Thu, 04 Jun 2015 18:06:43 GMT
Lisbon, Portugal https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/5/lisbon-portugal Last September I was fortunate enough to go to Portugal.   Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula and it is the westernmost country of mainland Europe.  As you can see in the map below, it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and Spain to the north and east.  Apart from continental Portugal, two other autonomous regions are the Azores and Madeira neither of which I visited.   The country is named after the second largest city, Porto (my favourite).  This land has been continually fought over since prehistoric times.  The Celts and Romans were followed by the Visigothic and the Suebi Germanic peoples who were themselves later invaded by the Moors.  These Muslims were eventually expelled and by 1139, Portugal established itself as a Kingdom.  In the 15th and 16th century, Portugal expanded western influence and established the first global empire becoming the world's major economic, political and military power.  The Portuguese Empire was the longest-lived of the modern European colonial empires, spanning almost 600 years.  The empire started in 1415 with the capture of Ceuta until 1999, when it handed over Macau to China  and the granting of sovereignty to East Timor in 2002.   The empire actually spread throughout a vast number of territories that are now part of 53 different sovereign states.  Because of this huge spread-out empire, Portugal left a profound cultural and architectural influence throughout the world.  In addition there are over 250 million people speaking Portuguese today, making Portuguese the sixth most spoken first language.  Portugal's international status was greatly reduced during the 19th century following the independence of Brazil.   The revolution in 1910 ended the monarchy and the democratic Portuguese First Republic was established.  However, this government was unstable and was superseded by the "Estado Novo" right-wing authoritarian regime.  Democracy  was restored after the Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in 1974.   Currently, Portugal is one of the world's most globalized, peaceful and responsive nations.   A few more interesting facts:  Portugal was one of the first countries  to abolish Capital Punishment in 1867.   In 2010 Portugal became the sixth country in Europe and the eighth country in the world to legally recognize same-sex marriage on the national level; and lastly Portugal was the first countries  in the world to fully decriminalize the use of all drugs in 2001.  If someone is found in the possession of a minimal amount of drugs, he or she is sent to a commission made up of a lawyer, social worker and doctor.  The commission recommends treatment or a minor fine, otherwise in the majority of the cases, there is no penalty.  Fourteen years later, it has been found that there have been many benefits from the new policy.

A map of Portugal.  I flew into Lisbon  where our tour spent a few days checking out the various neighbourhoods.

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Chris, Gretchen and Sam posing in front of Rogerio Timoteo's statue "Rosto/The Face" made of resin and steel.  

20140920_Ecuador_000220140920_Ecuador_0002 After the earthquake of 1755, the Marquis of Pombal instructed architect Reinaldo Manuel to design a new garden promenade with flora, statues and fountains.  This promenade was known as the Passeio Publico (Public Way).  This promenade was far from public as only aristocrats were allowed access and a large wall prevented common people from entering.  The wall was torn down in 1821, after the fall of the monarchy.   In 1879, the promenade was renamed Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue) and was redesigned as a prestigious boulevard modelled on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.   The above statute is the Monument to the Fallen of the Great War.

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A closeup of the Monumento aos Mortos da Grande Guerra Statue.  This large monument inaugurated in 1931, honors the Portuguese soldiers who fought in the First World War.

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Our hotel was very close to Liberty Avenue.  I asked this policeman if it was ok if I took his photograph since in some countries, photographing policemen is disallowed.

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There was a beautiful place to walk in the centre of the Avenue.  Liberty Avenue was surrounded by hotels, offices and upscale boutiques.

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Some of the "boutiques" were not so upscale!

20140920_Ecuador_000820140920_Ecuador_0008    Lisbon, Portugal's hilly capitol is a coastal city known for its cafe culture, pastel-colored buildings  and soulful Fado music.    About 2.8  million people live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.   

20140923_Ecuador_012920140923_Ecuador_0129 Rossio  Square is the popular name of the Pedro IV Square( King of Portugal Square).  This has been one of the main squares since the Middle Ages.  Popular revolts and celebrations, bullfights and executions have all taken place here.  

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Now it is a popular meeting stop for locals and tourists or for just hanging around.

20140920_Ecuador_001020140920_Ecuador_0010 A flower shop in the square.

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We took a ride on the Santa Justa Lift (elevator) located in the historical section of Lisbon.  Since its construction, the lift has become a tourist attraction.  The lift has a height of 45 metres, covering seven stories.  After getting off the lift, there was a great lookout with panoramic views of the city.

Another view of Rossio square from above.

20140920_Ecuador_001320140920_Ecuador_0013 I noticed lots of construction going on everywhere.    Lisbon is recognized as a global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education and tourism.  it is one of the major economic centres on the continent with a growing financial centre.  

20140920_Ecuador_001420140920_Ecuador_0014 The city is also one of the oldest cities in the world and the oldest in Western Europe, predating other modern European capitals such as London, Paris and Rome by centuries.  

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20140920_Ecuador_001620140920_Ecuador_0016 The Lisbon tramway network has been in operation since 1873 and now has five urban lines.  In 1873, the tramway started off as a horsecar line and in 1901, Lisbon's first electric tramway started operations.  Within a year, all of the city's tramways had been converted to electric cars.  While walking the streets and hills of Lisbon, the colourful red or yellow tram cars added to the colour of the city.  These trolleys are a very popular mode of transportation for locals and tourists.  

20140920_Ecuador_001720140920_Ecuador_0017 We ended up walking down to the water where people were just hanging out in the beautiful weather.  Lisbon enjoys a Mediterranean climate.  Among the major cities in Europe, it has the warmest winters with average temperatures of 15 C (59 F) during the day from December to February. The typical summer season lasts about six months from May to October.

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20140920_Ecuador_002120140920_Ecuador_0021 Next up:  More of Lisbon

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/5/lisbon-portugal Sun, 31 May 2015 18:59:03 GMT
Sani Lodge https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/5/sani-lodge Sani Lodge is  referred to as a hidden natural paradise and I have to agree.  Deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon lies the Sani Lodge located on thousands of acres of untouched rainforest.  There are 1,500 species of trees, hundreds of climbing vines, exotic flowers, 550 species of tropical birds, 13 species of monkeys and 1,000 species of beautiful butterflies.  The staff at the lodge who were  all locals had extensive knowledge of the Amazon wildlife and biodiversity.  I was also able to watch monkeys swing through the trees but they are too far away and fast for me to photograph.  

20150115_Ecuador_000120150115_Ecuador_0001 The first night we were at the lodge there was a beautiful sunset.  This shot was taken from the dock of the lodge where the canoes were stored.

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20150116_Ecuador_000720150116_Ecuador_0007 Meet Mr. Grey-winged Trumpeter, the lodge's pet bird.  Normally this bird lives deep in the jungle so we were lucky that we were able to see him.   He would follow us everywhere (even up to my room) and was very friendly  but didn't really want to stop to have his photo taken. 

20150116_Ecuador_000820150116_Ecuador_0008 Here is a shot of the lodge (dining room area) and one of the cabins.  Behind the dining room was a large bar area with comfortable chairs and a great view of the rriver.  

20150118_Ecuador_001820150118_Ecuador_0018 The bar area.  Thea taking a selfie with her new best friend.  

20150118_Ecuador_001920150118_Ecuador_0019 Jess and Mr. Trumpeter.   A captive grey-winged trumpeter named Trumpy was kept at Jersey Zoo by the author Gerald Durrell and was noted for interacting with the people and animals of the zoo.  Trumpy is mentioned in Durrell's book "Menagerie Manor".   Our Mr. Trumpeter had the same temperament. 

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A great sunset.

20150117_Ecuador_001420150117_Ecuador_0014 One night after dinner we walked around the lodge and did some macro photography of frogs. 

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This frog was well camouflaged as well.  It was very dark out but the guys managed to find him.

 

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20150118_Ecuador_002020150118_Ecuador_0020 During our canoe rides we would pass by this post with bats.

20150118_Ecuador_002120150118_Ecuador_0021 I actually preferred the large turtles.

20150118_Ecuador_002220150118_Ecuador_0022 Coming back to the lodge after our late afternoon canoe ride.  

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I spent one more evening taking some sunset shots.  

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Last canoe coming in for the night.  Unfortunately, it was also time for us to head back to civilization.  On the last morning we were up early and made our way back to Quito.  

20150119_Ecuador_000120150119_Ecuador_0001 We started our journey back the same way we came.  We took a short canoe ride where we then walked back across the raised boardwalk through the jungle.  Then it was a three hour boat ride (took longer on the way back because of the water levels) to Coca. We had an 11.30 flight to catch to Quito which looked like it might be a close call when the police once again stopped our boat a short distance away from where we would be docking.  They were actually stopping all of the traffic on the river to check the paperwork etc.   However, we were soon on our way again.   A quick bus ride took us to the very busy, small airport in Coca where we took a flight to Quito and then an hour bus ride back to the lodge through the city.  I have to say  that after being away from city life for a couple of weeks it was a bit of a shock to be back.  We were at  the hotel by about two and then spent  a few hours walking to the market and doing some souvenir shopping before having our farewell dinner.  It was a wonderful adventure  with a great group of people.

20150120_Ecuador_000220150120_Ecuador_0002 Since I started the Ecuador blogs with a view from the plane, I thought I would end off the same way.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Amazon Ecuador Lodge Sani https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/5/sani-lodge Wed, 13 May 2015 23:48:38 GMT
Photographing from the Kapok Tower https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/5/photographing-from-the-canopy-tower The Sani Lodge built a canopy Tower  (Kapok Tower) in the jungle in order for their guests to get a different perspective of the Amazon biodiversity.    Looking across the rainforest canopy was incredible.  In order to get to the tower, we canoed along the river before landing and hiking through the forest.    The platform is 37m (100 ft)  high and in order to get to the platform, you had to climb up 202 steps.   Fortunately for me, the guides were very wiling to carry all of my camera equipment.  I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have made it up the tower without their help(at least not in time to actually photograph).  We went on this excursion twice which was a lot of fun.  The second time I was more prepared for some landscape shots having brought my wide-angle lens. We arrived at the platform before sunrise, however I am starting with some shots taken on the way back to the canoes to give you an idea of what the canopy looked like from the bottom.

20150118_Ecuador_002120150118_Ecuador_0021 This first shot shows the steps on the left and the enormous Kapok tree with the platform  built on top.  

20150118_Ecuador_002220150118_Ecuador_0022 A clearer view of the steps that we actually had to climb.  I wasn't kidding when I said there were about 202 steps.  

20150118_Portfolio Photos_010020150118_Portfolio Photos_0100 Kind of a neat view looking up into the massive trees, tower and platform.

20150118_Ecuador_002420150118_Ecuador_0024 The people  are distorted because of the  wide angle lens but the  photo gives you an idea of just how high up the canopy tower was.  

20150116_Ecuador_000220150116_Ecuador_0002 On the first trip to the tower, I used my iPhone to take a few shots.  This shot was taken just as the sun was coming up.  

20150118_Ecuador_001220150118_Ecuador_0012 I was clearly out of my league in this type of  bird photography.  These were the trees that we were looking for birds in.  Out of all of the places in Ecuador,  I found that this area was particularly challenging.  Without a really long lens, I pretty much just took shots of the birds that were close and even then they were heavily cropped.  At times I just had to enjoy seeing what the birds looked like (with the help of binoculars) and watching them fly off in the distance.   We saw a lot of parrots flying over the area.

20150118_Ecuador_001120150118_Ecuador_0011 I also spent some time doing some landscape shots as the scenery was very interesting from this height.  This was still pretty early so there was lots of fog.  A few of the birds would come to the near-by trees so these were the ones I got photographs of.  

20150116_Ecuador_000120150116_Ecuador_0001 This was the first bird that I saw on the tower.  The Common Potoo was actually roosting in trees just beside the platform- how lucky was that.  The bird was totally undisturbed by all of us.  At this point he was awake.  The bird is actually camouflaged to look like a log as you can see.  The bird wasn't actually that easy to spot until I was told exactly where it was. 

20150116_Ecuador_000320150116_Ecuador_0003 A Yellow-browed Tody-flycatcher.

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20150116_Ecuador_000120150116_Ecuador_0001 This shot of the Potoo was actually taken a couple of hours later as the lighting was slightly better and now the bird had its eyes shut.  Amazing that with all of us constantly moving tripods and gear around the platform that it had not moved.    When we came back a couple of days later, the bird looked like it hadn't moved at all.  During the day the bird perches upright on the tree stump and is almost invisible looking like part of the stump because it stays so completely still as it perches.  

20150116_Ecuador_000220150116_Ecuador_0002 A Cinnamon Attila.

20150116_Ecuador_000120150116_Ecuador_0001 This bird is a species of bird in the Tyrannize family, the tyrant flycatchers.  The birds are found in the range centered on the Amazon Basin.  I really liked its colour.  

20150116_Ecuador_000820150116_Ecuador_0008 A far away photo of a Tourquoise Tanager.  I wasn't able to ever get a close  shot of him with the trees in the background instead of the sky. This tanager is restricted to areas with a humid forest with its primary residence being the Amazon.  The adults are 14cm long and weigh around 20 grams.  These are fairly social birds found in groups.

20150116_Ecuador_000920150116_Ecuador_0009 This Scale-breasted Woodpecker actually stayed in the one area for quite some time- he was in the trees far below the platform so this is a heavily cropped image.  This bird prefers tropical, moist lowland forests. 

20150118_Ecuador_001620150118_Ecuador_0016 One of the more colourful birds that approached the Canopy.  

20150118_Ecuador_001520150118_Ecuador_0015 The Many-banded Aracari.  It was about this time when I could not get the camera to focus properly.  Both Glenn and Ross tried to figure it out but I ended up having to manually focus for a while, until the issue seemed to resolve itself.   

20150118_Ecuador_001820150118_Ecuador_0018 This Black-headed Parrot was spotted way below feeding on some kind of fruit.  

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This is pretty much a 100% crop which gives you an idea just how small the bird was in the frame.  

20150116_Ecuador_001020150116_Ecuador_0010 A far away photo of a Paradise Tanager.  

20150118_Ecuador_001920150118_Ecuador_0019 A Green Honeycreeper all fluffed up.

20150118_Ecuador_002020150118_Ecuador_0020 The Green Honeycreeper is a small bird in the tanager family.   

20150118_Ecuador_000120150118_Ecuador_0001 Walking back through the forest to the canoes.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/5/photographing-from-the-canopy-tower Fri, 08 May 2015 23:25:21 GMT
Birding on the Napo River https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/5/birding-on-the-napo-river One morning we headed out for a birding expedition on the Napo River.   The goal  was to look for birds on the shores of the Napo River, especially the Parrots.

20150117_Ecuador_000220150117_Ecuador_0002 It was around 6.30 AM when this shot was taken from the motor boat as we approached the shoreline.  

It was getting a little lighter by now and we finally saw what we had come to find, Yellow-fronted and Mealy Amazon parrots on the banks of the river.  

20150117_Ecuador_000520150117_Ecuador_0005 The Mealy Amazon parrots are amongst the largest of the Amazon parrots.  These parrots are mainly green with the back and nape having a whitish tinge-almost as if the bird had been covered in a thin layer of flour ("meal"), hence its name.  These birds are found in pairs or large flocks.  We would often see then flying overhead during our Amazon visit.   The parrots  actually eat the soil at these clay licks.  The clay lick is a naturally forming wall of clay on a riverbank caused by erosion from the river.  Every morning around dawn (which is why we had to be here early) these parrots flock to this area to eat clay, sometimes hundreds at a time which was incredible  to watch.  

20150117_Ecuador_000620150117_Ecuador_0006 The parrots have beautiful colours when their wings are spread.  It is thought that the parrots consume clay to provide them with a sodium supplement or to neutralize various dietary toxins (maybe from some of the berries they eat).  

20150117_Ecuador_000720150117_Ecuador_0007 After a while we left the clay lick to give some other boats a chance to watch the action.  We stopped at a sand bank to stretch our legs.  

20150117_Ecuador_000920150117_Ecuador_0009 Once back in the boat, we headed down the river to look for some shore birds.  We saw  a Snowy Egret putting on a great show for us.

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20150117_Ecuador_001120150117_Ecuador_0011 At the same place we saw a Roseate Spoonbill.  Just like flamingo's, their pink colour is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin. 

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20150117_Ecuador_001220150117_Ecuador_0012 Eventually we made our way back to the clay licks and found that the parrots had been replaced by Dusky-headed Parakeets.  These parrots also digest the mineral-rich soils from the clay lick as a supplement.  

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20150117_Ecuador_001420150117_Ecuador_0014 A chestnut-capped puffbird is a small, roundish dark brown bird with a short narrow tail and a whitish breast.  

20150117_Ecuador_001620150117_Ecuador_0016 This well camouflaged bird is a Ladder-tailed Nightjar that has colours of "ground cover".  Even after the bird's location was pointed out to me I wasn't positive  that I was actually looking at and photographing the bird (don't forget it was very far away and quite high up).  Fortunately, I did actually take its photo.

20150117_Ecuador_001720150117_Ecuador_0017 During our  boating on the river, we stopped  for a walk in the jungle to look for some owls.  I believe Glenn said it would be a short walk but it ended up being quite the hike thorough the muddy  trails and humid, hot weather as the guides were relentless in trying to find us some interesting specimens.  .  I should  mention we were not suppose to grab trees because you never knew what might be on the branches.  This was the only time where I really got hot.  While on the hike, I kept thinking of the poor soldiers carrying heavy gear  in what I imagined the geology was like in Vietnam.  I don't know why those images kept occurring to me but they did.  I was not carrying heavy equipment myself as I had only taken my lighter lens and no tripod on the boat.   However, you can see from the images that the guys were carrying there large and heavy lenses.  

20150117_Ecuador_000120150117_Ecuador_0001 This photo was taken by Jess- he set up his tripod and we all handed him our memory cards from our cameras so we could have the photo.  The photo was taken with a 600mm lens on a cropped camera.  The lighting was awful and Jess still was able to get a terrific, sharp shot using manual focus which explains why he is an instructor.  The bird is a Crested Owl. 

20150117_Ecuador_001920150117_Ecuador_0019 Manfred is also trying to get a photo using one of the guides' shoulder as a tripod.  

20150117_Ecuador_000120150117_Ecuador_0001  Domingo and Thea walking through the forest with one of our fabulous guides. 

20150117_Ecuador_000120150117_Ecuador_0001 Finally a bird that was close and didn't fly away.  During our hike we walked through the local Sani community who provided the staff and guides at the lodge.  Being on a birding trip, I decided to photograph their birds as well.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Birds Ecuador Napo Parrots River forest rain https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/5/birding-on-the-napo-river Mon, 04 May 2015 13:49:40 GMT
Bird photography on the local river https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/4/bird-photography-on-the-river While in the Amazon, we pretty much kept  to the same schedule every day.  Breakfast was at  5 AM so we could leave the lodge by canoe at 5.30.  Two mornings we went to a canopy in the jungle to photograph the birds.  One morning we headed back to the Napo River area to photograph some birds in that region.   We would have a break after lunch until the late  afternoon.  Around 4 PM we would head out on a canoe ride on the local river to see what birds we could find in the trees.  It was so relaxing being on the canoes in the quiet waters with just the sounds of the birds and water.  Ok- sometimes it wasn't all that relaxing because trying to find and photograph the birds was quite challenging for me.  Still it was always fun!   Here are my favourite photos of the birds taken from the canoes.

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The Yellow-billed Tern is a fairly common bird along the river and in the lakes  east of the Andes.  This was my first challenge of the trip.  If I could not  get a shot of this bird I was really in trouble because unlike pretty much every other bird, this one just sat on the post.   It was a great bird to practice on.  I found bird photography very different and even more challenging in this part of the world.    For one thing, the birds were usually high up so it could be difficult to see them, they were often far away  and the canoe was pretty much always moving even when it was stopped.  Jess, Glen and the guides were extremely helpful in pointing out where the birds were and giving suggestions for exposure settings.  

20150117_Ecuador_001520150117_Ecuador_0015 One more picture of  the  Yellow-billed Tern.  This bird  is  fairly common along the major river systems and in lakes east of the Andes.  We saw it pretty much every time leaving and coming back to the lodge. 

20150116_Ecuador_000720150116_Ecuador_0007 This interesting looking bird is a Hoatzin.  These guys are fairly noisy which probably made it easier for our guides to locate them.

20150116_Ecuador_000620150116_Ecuador_0006 Sometimes we saw two together before one flew off.

20150115_Ecuador_000320150115_Ecuador_0003 The Rufescent Tiger-Heron.  Their longish, pointed bills are used for catching fish.  They hunt by standing still and waiting for prey fish to come close enough to be grabbed by their large bills.  Like many birds they are most active at dawn and dusk.

20150116_Ecuador_000820150116_Ecuador_0008 20150118_Ecuador_002420150118_Ecuador_0024 Kingfishers are often seen perched  on a branch or rock close to water before plunging in head first after their fish prey.  Sometimes they would just take off and we would watch them to see where they landed and follow them.  These are  both Amazon female Kingfishers.  

 

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20150116_Ecuador_000920150116_Ecuador_0009 A pair of Black-capped Donacobius.  These birds mate for life.  Adult offspring will remain with their parents and help raise siblings.

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20150116_Portfolio Photos_009820150116_Portfolio Photos_0098 A pair of Greater Ani.  These birds belong to the cuckoo family and are sometimes referred to as the black cuckoo.  They are a very gregarious species found in noisy groups.

20150116_Ecuador_001420150116_Ecuador_0014 A Masked Crimson Tanager.  

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20150117_Ecuador_002020150117_Ecuador_0020 A Social Flycatcher.  

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An elusive American Pygmy Kingfisher.  This tiny Kingfisher was very well hidden in the dense forest but either the guides and or Glenn heard/spotted him.  It was difficult for me to get a good shot as the bird was far away, the light was terrible  and the canoe was moving.  Ok- enough excuses for a not very detailed shot.   I decided to post the shot anyhow just because the bird is so pretty.  We were very lucky to see him so no complaints.  

20150118_Ecuador_000120150118_Ecuador_0001 I just wanted to include this photo to show what the conditions were like for the last shot.  This is the river that we were on when the bird was spotted in the trees.  The bird was much higher up though but the lighting was similar.  Like most of the bird shots taken in the Amazon, the photos were heavily cropped since most of the time the bird was very small in the photo.  

20150116_Ecuador_000120150116_Ecuador_0001 A right-winged swallow.  

20150117_Ecuador_000120150117_Ecuador_0001 Often we would have to photograph the birds against the sky so exposure could be challenging.  This shot is highly cropped (like most of the shots) since the bird was so far away.

20150116_Ecuador_000920150116_Ecuador_0009 I included a photo of photographing from the canoe on the river.  There were normally 5 or 6 people in the canoe, including three photographers, Jess or Glenn and one or two guides.  The lens were all on tripods.  Next up more birds!  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/4/bird-photography-on-the-river Thu, 30 Apr 2015 14:20:01 GMT
Heading to the Amazon https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/4/heading-to-the-amazon It was time to leave the upper elevations  behind and head to the Amazon.  Our group would be slightly smaller as two of the original members would not be going on with us.  We knew it was going to be a long travelling day starting with luggage outside by 6.15, breakfast at 6.30 (which we were totally used to by now) and leaving on the bus by 7 AM. There was going to be a 3 hour or so bus ride to the town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana, also known as Coca.  The city of approximately 45,000 people is  located in the Amazon Rainforest at the confluence of the Coca River and the Napo River.  The city is very popular with tourists going into the Amazonian forest.  

20150115_Ecuador_000120150115_Ecuador_0001 We had a tight schedule so there were no "photo" stops along the way.   I just used my iPhone to take a few pictures from the moving bus.  The above shot was pretty typical of the roadside scenery.  

20150115_Ecuador_000120150115_Ecuador_0001 More houses along the way.  

20150115_Ecuador_000320150115_Ecuador_0003 We arrived in Coca after one brief stop, only to be pulled over by a policeman.  This had happened to the bus once before to check out the paperwork.  However, this time the policeman wanted a ride back to Quito. 

20150115_Ecuador_000420150115_Ecuador_0004 I just took a few pictures of the town while in the bus-notice the puddles and potholes in the road.  The weather was definitely warmer in this part of the country though.  The city wasn't particularly scenic.  In the 1990's,  the town was transformed by the oil industry from a tiny river settlement with dirt roads to a town of concrete and potholes.  Coca was the last real civilization we saw before we headed   deep into the rainforest.

20150115_Portfolio Photos_009520150115_Portfolio Photos_0095 After getting off the bus, we had  to wait for our transportation to our lodge in the Amazon.    While we were waiting I took a few photos of the locals after asking permission from their parents.  Our group had extra food left from lunch including chocolate and fruit which we gave to  the kids.

20150115_Ecuador_000520150115_Ecuador_0005 No one spoke English but the group  seemed happy to have their photos taken.

20150115_Ecuador_000720150115_Ecuador_0007 The light wasn't very good but it was fun to walk around and take photos of subjects that were close and didn't fly away.

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20150115_Ecuador_000920150115_Ecuador_0009 Here is a picture of most of our group getting into the motor boat (the two ladies at the back were not with us).   It was actually pretty exciting for me to be on the Napo River which is a tributary of the Amazon River.  

20150115_Ecuador_001020150115_Ecuador_0010 The above photo shows where we hung out waiting for our ride.  It was a hotel/resort complex complete with a swimming pool, restaurant and outdoor seating areas.   

20150115_Ecuador_001120150115_Ecuador_0011 Coca is actually trying to make itself 'prettier".  A stunning new suspension bridge pictured above is  very picturesque.  

20150115_Ecuador_001320150115_Ecuador_0013 It took us about 2 1/2 hours on the river, traveling at a fairly high speed  to get to our landing spot.  It was a great boat ride-the guides knew the river very well and kept zig-zagging to avoid hitting the sandbanks and various debris.  It was probably a good thing that I was wearing my ski jacket given the speed of the boat and the coolish temperatures.   

20150115_Ecuador_000120150115_Ecuador_0001 During the boat ride I really enjoyed the scenery and kept myself busy taking photos.  

20150115_Ecuador_001920150115_Ecuador_0019 This photo of another similar boat to ours gives you an idea of the speed we were travelling.  

 

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There were many houses along the river.

20150115_Ecuador_001520150115_Ecuador_0015 Many locals  were also  travelling on the river.

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20150115_Ecuador_002020150115_Ecuador_0020 Something that I hadn't realized is all of the oil and gas drilling sites on the Napo River.  

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20150115_Ecuador_002420150115_Ecuador_0024 We finally got to our landing spot.  Once we landed we had to walk about fifteen minutes on a raised platform through the jungle.  Fortunately, the guides had carts to take the luggage.  By this time the sun was out and the heat felt great!

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At the end of the platform, we got in the  canoes to  head towards the actual lodge which was another 20 or 30 minutes.  The guides from the hotel actually did all of the work- we just got to enjoy the ride.  

20150118_Ecuador_000120150118_Ecuador_0001 Finally we came to the lodge - you can see some of the palm thatched buildings and cabins on stilts. The lodge itself was really special not just because of the nice  rooms and good food but because of the fabulous staff.  We spent a lot of time with the  guides who were incredibly helpful, friendly and knowledgable.  It really  was a wonderful experience.  Next up- more birds.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Amazon Coca Napo River https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/4/heading-to-the-amazon Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:23:40 GMT
San Isidro Lodge- Part II https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/4/san-isidro-lodge--part-ii 20150114_Ecuador_000120150114_Ecuador_0001 This is a photo of the  Inca Jay which is endemic to the Andes of South America.   Not a terrific shot but it was the best that I got and the bird is really stunning.    

A White-bellied Antpitta.

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Another shot of the Cinnamon Flycatcher.  Jess and I were walking on the trails and decided to spend some more time photographing this cute little guy.  

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The Sylphs were very prominent at the bird feeders at this lodge.  

20150114_Ecuador_002620150114_Ecuador_0026 A Sparkling Violetear.  

20150114_Ecuador_002720150114_Ecuador_0027 Again, more rain.  

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20150114_Ecuador_002820150114_Ecuador_0028 More clouds and fog rolling in.  

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These Slyph's have stunning  tails.

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20150114_Ecuador_003120150114_Ecuador_0031 By the end of the day, the skies would clear up  and it there were some great sunsets.

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20150114_Ecuador_000220150114_Ecuador_0002 Next- on to the Amazon.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/4/san-isidro-lodge--part-ii Sun, 19 Apr 2015 14:42:29 GMT
San Isidro Lodge https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/4/san-isidro-lodge It was finally time to leave Guango Lodge and head to San Isidro Lodge.    This lodge is  located in the Quijos Valley in the Napo Province.  The elevation was only 2,050 m (6,800 ft) so we looked forward to some warmer temperatures.  The lodge was  very comfortable- we stayed in nice, roomy cabins surrounded by gorgeous forests, extensive trails and some pretty nice scenic views of the cloud forest.   The dining room had a comfortable seating area and a beautiful  covered deck outside overlooking some great views.  Just like the other lodges we visited we were able to  leave our camera equipment or computers pretty much anywhere and know that they  would be totally safe.     For the rainy times, there was a covered pavilion where we could hang out at the bird feeders.  A bonus was intermittent internet service  in the dining room area.  

20150112_Ecuador_000220150112_Ecuador_0002 As you can see from the water drops and the streaks of rain we still got some rainy weather.  However, we actually got some pretty nice weather as well and the rain never lasted for too long.  The  Sylph is a hummingbird with extremely long beautiful  tail feathers.  

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A landscape shot taken from the observation deck.  

20150113_Ecuador_000520150113_Ecuador_0005 A White-bellied Antpitta.  Typically this bird is very difficult to see, however the birds are fed worms by the hotel staff at 7.30 AM so we were able to hike into the forest to watch.  

20150113_Ecuador_000620150113_Ecuador_0006 An Agouti would come and feed on corn kept near one of the bird feeders.  These guys are related to guinea pigs but are larger and have longer legs.  

20150113_Ecuador_000720150113_Ecuador_0007 The Sylph is one of the most beautiful hummingbirds.

20150113_Ecuador_000920150113_Ecuador_0009 Chestnut-breasted Coronets were also found at this lodge.

20150113_Ecuador_001020150113_Ecuador_0010 The food at this lodge was very, very good and served beautifully.  At all of the lodges we had very good food and lots of it but San Isidro was the best.  

20150113_Ecuador_001120150113_Ecuador_0011 A view just outside my cabin.  

20150113_Ecuador_001220150113_Ecuador_0012 There were birds everywhere during their active times- early in the morning and late in the afternoon.  It was a bit tricky to see them in the trees though and they never seemed to stay long.

20150113_Ecuador_001320150113_Ecuador_0013 After lunch when the bird activity was low (except for at the hummingbird feeders) I went for a walk and took a few landscape shots.  The clouds were constantly moving in and out.

20150113_Portfolio Photos_009220150113_Portfolio Photos_0092 Meet one of my  favourite birds, the  Cinnamon Flycatcher.    I'm not sure if this  is because the bird is so cute or because it had a nest close to the cabins so it was easy to photograph and you could get quite close to it.  I'll just say the bird had a lot going for it!

20150113_Ecuador_001520150113_Ecuador_0015 There was actually some nice clouds for sunset.

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20150113_Ecuador_000120150113_Ecuador_0001 On the first evening  we went out to look for the Black-banded Owl.  Some of the group got some photos before it started raining.  However, the second night was clear and Glen and Jess were successful in locating them.  You can hear them but it isn't always that easy to see them as they are very high up in the trees.  We would see them and then they would fly off to a different tree and have to be located all over again. Thanks Jess and Glen, for making these  shots possible.

20150113_Portfolio Photos_009320150113_Portfolio Photos_0093   These owls are nocturnal birds, roosting in a well-concealed spot in a tree during the day and becoming active at dusk.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/4/san-isidro-lodge Wed, 15 Apr 2015 17:46:33 GMT
Quango Lodge, Part II https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/3/quango-lodge-part-ii  It was wet and damp for the whole time  we stayed at the Guango Lodge which wasn't a huge surprise  since the lodge is in the rain forest.  We didn't have the best light for showing off the spectacular hummingbirds, however we still had a great time.

20150111_Ecuador_002720150111_Ecuador_0027 A Torrent duck.  This duck was very far away so this is a heavily cropped photo.  We spent quite a bit of time one morning, looking for the duck. The duck lives along and in the white-water Papallacta River behind the lodge so off we  went to find it(more than once).    It was raining out from time to time and the trails were very muddy  but we really wanted to find this duck.

20150111_Ecuador_002820150111_Ecuador_0028 A few of us wanted to take some landscape shots of the river so we stayed behind while the others went on to follow the ducks.  Jess lent me his tripod so I could take a few long exposure shots.  

20150111_Ecuador_002920150111_Ecuador_0029 I tried some  different compositions.  

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20150111_Ecuador_003120150111_Ecuador_0031 It really was pretty misty and dreary out but the rain did eventually stop.  

20150111_Ecuador_003220150111_Ecuador_0032 Here is a shot of Jess on the trail looking for birds.  He had probably heard one calling and was looking to see where it was.  This was actually one of the drier spots on the trail.  As you can see with all of the foliage, it wasn't that easy to spot the birds. 

20150111_Ecuador_003320150111_Ecuador_0033 Another shot taken on the way back to the lodge.  

20150111_Ecuador_003420150111_Ecuador_0034 A wet looking Sword-billed hummingbird in flight.

20150111_Ecuador_003520150111_Ecuador_0035 Collared Inca in flight.

20150111_Ecuador_003620150111_Ecuador_0036 A cute little Woodstar hummingbird in flight.

20150111_Ecuador_003720150111_Ecuador_0037 This guy looks a little drier than the one above.

20150111_Ecuador_003920150111_Ecuador_0039 Jess had seen the Torrent Duck again so I went with him and Glen to see if I could get a closer-up photo but I didn't have much luck.

20150111_Ecuador_004020150111_Ecuador_0040 Back to the lodge for a few more hummingbird shots.

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20150112_Ecuador_004220150112_Ecuador_0042 This shot was taken behind the lodge one morning as I was looking for the Turquoise Jays that hung around. Following the path will take you to the river.  

20150112_Ecuador_004320150112_Ecuador_0043 The Turquoise Jay is a vibrant blue jay with a black face mask and collar.  It is found exclusively in South America.  

20150112_Ecuador_004420150112_Ecuador_0044 We took a field trip one morning up to the higher elevations.  The weather really didn't improve much but I was able to take a few photos of this Spectacled Whitestart.

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20150112_Ecuador_004720150112_Ecuador_0047 A Rufous-collared sparrow.  We left Guango and headed to the San Isidro Lodge where we were hoping to see some different birds and a little less rain.  The San Isidro Lodge was one of my favourites.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/3/quango-lodge-part-ii Wed, 04 Mar 2015 16:13:10 GMT
Guango Lodge https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/3/guango-lodge Our next stop was Guango Lodge where we spent three nights photographing  hummingbirds.  The lodge was located about 2,700 meters above sea level on the eastern slope of the Andes, surrounded by a 300 -hectare reserve in an area classified as a humid temperate forest.  I would have classified it as a really rainy and cold  cloud forest.  The lodge had a very  large room  which included a dining room and a lounge area.   Even better was the wood fireplace and stove that kept us nice and warm.  In order to get to our rooms, we had to climb some outdoor stairs which opened to a seating area with a wood stove and a great place to leave the cameras and tripods.   There was no heat in the bedrooms but we were given hot-water bottles at night and they sure worked ( I took two).  I have to say that I had the best sleeps at this lodge- the beds were amazing.  The food was also pretty good- I loved the  hot soups they served at all of the meals.  It rained pretty much on and off during the time we spent here but there was a covered pavilion with bird feeders so we always had a dry place to photograph the birds.  In the evening it  was great to spend some time by the fireplace and play cribbage, edit photos or just relax by the fireplace.

20150109_Ecuador_000120150109_Ecuador_0001 One of the birds that Guango is well known for is the Sword-billed Hummingbird.  Not a big surprise but this bird is the only species to have a bill longer than the rest of its body(excluding its tail).  The bird has adapted that way so that it can feed on flowers with long corollas such as the Passiflora mix.  The tongue is therefore also unusually long.  Another interesting note,  the bird's bill is so long, it grooms itself with its feet.  This hummingbird is one of the largest of the species averaging 14 cm  (5.5 in) in length, not counting the 10 cm (4 in) + bill.  The bird weighs around 10-15 grams (.35-.52 oz).  By the way you can see the streaks of rain in the background.

20150109_Ecuador_000220150109_Ecuador_0002 More streaks of rain!  The Chestnut-breasted Coronet getting wet.

20150109_Ecuador_000320150109_Ecuador_0003 20150110_Ecuador_000520150110_Ecuador_0005 Tourmaline Sunangels ( hummingbirds).

 

20150110_Ecuador_000620150110_Ecuador_0006 A Buff-tailed Coronet.

20150110_Ecuador_000120150110_Ecuador_0001 A female Collared Inca.  The female is slightly lighter green overall than the male and has a slightly smaller-chest patch.

20150110_Portfolio Photos_009020150110_Portfolio Photos_0090 Manfred pointed out this Hooded Mountain Tanager  to us while some of us were photographing hummingbirds in the pavilion area.  I was lucky to get in one quick shot before it flew off.  The bird measures around 23 cm (9.1 in) and weighs around 85 grams (3 oz) so they are much larger than hummingbirds.  Actually, this is one of the largest tanagers. I love how its  bright red eyes stand out.

20150110_Ecuador_001020150110_Ecuador_0010 Another  Buff-tailed Coronet.

20150110_Ecuador_001120150110_Ecuador_0011 Another Chested Breasted Coronet

20150110_Ecuador_000120150110_Ecuador_0001 A Tourmaline Sunangel (female).  These hummingbirds are territorial and fairly aggressive.

20150110_Ecuador_001320150110_Ecuador_0013 Glowing Puffleg. This stunning hummingbird was very elusive and didn't stay in site for very long.  We were hoping it would fly to a nicer perch but no such luck.  

20150110_Ecuador_001720150110_Ecuador_0017 In the afternoons we photographed hummingbirds in flight using flash.   A  White-bellied Woodstar in flight.

20150110_Ecuador_001820150110_Ecuador_0018 Collared Inca in flight.

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20150110_Ecuador_002020150110_Ecuador_0020 Buff-tailed Coronets in flight. 20150110_Ecuador_002220150110_Ecuador_0022

 

20150110_Ecuador_002320150110_Ecuador_0023 This photo shows just how tiny these hummingbirds (Glowing Puffleg) are.  They seemed to be totally unafraid of humans, often landing on fingers, heads, cameras etc.  

20150110_Ecuador_002520150110_Ecuador_0025 More birds and some landscape at Guango Lodge to follow.

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/3/guango-lodge Mon, 02 Mar 2015 03:09:26 GMT
Antisana Reserve https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/antisana-reserve 20150109_Ecuador_002620150109_Ecuador_0026 We stopped at the gates going into the Antisana Preserve.  It was pretty cold and windy in this area- I think we were over 12,000 feet.  The reserve is situated in the Napo and Pichincha  provinces in the Ecuador region along the snow capped Artisan volcano peaks in the Andes.  Unfortunately, given the weather conditions we didn't get a good view of the volcano.  The preserve, built in 1993 was built to protect local flora and fauna of the region.  The Napo and Coca rivers flow through the north and southeast areas.  

20150109_Ecuador_000120150109_Ecuador_0001 I found the fauna and vegetation very beautiful.

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A close up of the vegetation.

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It was quite a windy day.

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Elliot (our expert bus driver/guide) stopped the bus so we could take some photos of the lake from a distance.

 

20150109_Portfolio Photos_008920150109_Portfolio Photos_0089 It was very beautiful so I took lots of photographs.  We are actually above the Papallacta Pass at this spot.  This pass is located between Pichincha and Napo provinces right on the Continental divide.  

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We drove right to the lake hoping to see some different birds.    I seem to remember seeing some ducks in the lake but I didn't get any photos.  It was  cold (so I thought at the time) and  it started to rain.  I noticed that the area had a lot of hiking trails  which under different circumstances would have been fun to do although I expect quite difficult given the high altitude.  

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20150109_Ecuador_003620150109_Ecuador_0036 Most of our group posed for me beside the bus.  From left to right we have Domingo, Glenn, Manfred, Jess,Don, Ross and Elliot.   Missing was Thea and Provash-maybe trying to stay warm and dry on the bus?

20150109_Ecuador_003720150109_Ecuador_0037 Ok- back to some bird photography although it was great getting some landscape shots.  The Andean gull is found in the mountainous regions of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 

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The Black-faced Ibis is found in grasslands and fields in southern and western South America.  

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20150109_Ecuador_004320150109_Ecuador_0043 We started to descend the high plateau of the Artisan reserve where  the guides noticed a protected area full of the flowering bushes that  the Ecuadorian Hillstars are attracted to.    So the bus was stopped and everyone got out to see if that bird could be sited.  While they were looking, I walked around the area a bit and took some landscape shots.  It was  warmer outside now with the sun coming out.  The weather conditions were constantly changing in this area.  

20150109_Ecuador_004420150109_Ecuador_0044 The group looking to see if these  birds could be spotted or heard.  

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20150109_Ecuador_000120150109_Ecuador_0001 Finally the bird was spotted so I joined the rest of the group.  Again, these birds were very far away so this picture is heavily cropped.  At the time I was on the ground hand holding my heavy camera/lens setup (according to my standards).  This hummingbird lives in cool temperatures of elevations ranging from 3,500 to 5,200 meters (11,500 to 17,100 ft).  These birds have adapted to do  no unnecessary hovering for a bird that has to conserve all of its energy to stay warm.  

20150109_Ecuador_000120150109_Ecuador_0001 These  gorgeous birds' typical feeding source is the orange-flowered Chuquiragua shrub.  

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One last shot of this bird before we left the area.

20150109_Ecuador_005020150109_Ecuador_0050 We (probably me)  asked Elliot to stop the bus later on so we could take some more landscape shots.

20150109_Ecuador_000120150109_Ecuador_0001 David joining me in photographing the landscape.  

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20150109_Ecuador_005620150109_Ecuador_0056 After we left the Papallacta Pass ( on the Continental divide),  we headed down to where we would be spending the next three nights at the Guango Lodge.  The weather started to deteriorate and the wet, cold weather lasted pretty much for the next few days.

20150109_Ecuador_005520150109_Ecuador_0055  Jess and Glenn, our very hard working leaders as you can see!  I think we finally managed to tire them out.  I couldn't resist asking the guide in the front row to take the photo using my I-phone.  Next stop, Guango Lodge.

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/antisana-reserve Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:46:06 GMT
El Jardin de Colibri Lodge and Antisana Volcano area https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/el-jardin-de-colibri-lodge It was time to leave Tandayapa and head back towards Quito where we would be spending the night at El Jardin de Calibre Lodge.  Along the way we stopped at the equator because it was the equator (yes, no birds but touristy).  The following morning  after leaving the lodge, we took a trip up to the spectacular Antisana Volcano area to see some highland birds and fantastic landscape on our way to the Guango Lodge. The  Antisana  is a stratovolcano (built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava, tephra, pumice and volcanic ash).  Unfortunately the weather didn't co-operate so we didn't actually see the fourth highest volcano in Ecuador.  

20150108_Ecuador_000120150108_Ecuador_0001 On the way to the equator we stopped at Senders Reserve.  Glen and Jess had never stopped here before so they weren't sure what we would find.  I didn't see too many birds (and none that were close enough to photograph)  but there were some lovely orchids.  Don, one of our group members , from B.C.  had grown orchards for years so he was able to tell us all about them.  We hiked around and followed some trails and came to a very nice waterfall.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my tripod or a wide angle lens so I just took a snapshot to remember the area by.  

20150108_Ecuador_000220150108_Ecuador_0002 Ok, an iPhone works well here.   20150108_Ecuador_000320150108_Ecuador_0003 Meet Thea from Brisbane Australia.  Thea was a wiz with her  I-phone and showed me a few tricks as I rarely use mine  for photography.  She and her husband Ross are  very accomplished bird photographers.  

20150108_Ecuador_000420150108_Ecuador_0004 David, originally from South Africa now lives in the United States.  David was able to take amazing photographs  without ever using a tripod.  Not an easy feat with using a telephoto lens.

20150108_Ecuador_000620150108_Ecuador_0006 We arrived at the equator (just outside of Quito), before lunch and I took the pre-requisite snapshot.    It was a beautiful, sunny warm day and after taking a few photographs we wandered around the site.  There were a lot of tourist shops and restaurants.  This is where I discovered that in Ecuador, the bathrooms do not come equipped with toilet paper- not to worry as there are machines(sometimes) that sell it in the bathroom areas.  

20150108_Ecuador_000520150108_Ecuador_0005 Glenn took a photo of me with my iPhone.  I was overdressed (no kidding) as it was about 80 degrees outside.  Little did I know that the next few days would be cold and wet with very little sunshine.  

20150108_Ecuador_000720150108_Ecuador_0007 We stopped off for a delicious  lunch in Quito where there was free internet.  Having been without for a few days  the plan was to catch up on the news and send out emails.   I had no problem receiving email but I could not send them out for some reason.  After the break we headed to our lodge for the night which was close to Quito.  The lodge itself was really nice and had lots of grounds for wandering around and searching for birds.  We had a couple of hours  to photograph before it got dark around six.    At this lodge we photographed the birds in the trees (not feeders) so they were quite far away from me which meant heavily cropped photos after the fact.   This is where those big, heavy duty lenses come in handy (and better vision).  

20150108_Ecuador_001020150108_Ecuador_0010 The sparkling violetear is appropriately named (also see above picture).  These hummingbirds have a distinctive purple-blue chest-spot and chin.  These birds are solitary and aggressive and declare their territory by singing for most of the day.  After mating, like most hummingbirds the male is believed to leave all nesting responsibilities to the female.  However, there have been reports where the male Violetear were seen caring for their young.  

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I only got a couple of shots of this bird.    So although not a great  shot I wanted to include a photograph of the Vermillion Flycatcher as he is such a spectacular bird.  The female has grayish brown upper parts and her underparts are white near the throat, becoming pale salmon or orange  under the tail.  

20150108_Ecuador_000920150108_Ecuador_0009 These violetears are not afraid of humans and will come to artificial nectar feeders.  Because of their being so territorial, they spend a lot of time chasing  away other hummingbirds at the feeders rather than just eating.  

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This Black-tailed train bearer can be the same or even greater overall length as the largest hummingbird (giant hummingbird) but most of its length is made up by their very long tail steamers.  Males are 18-25 cm(7.1-9.8 in) and females are 13-15 (5.1-5.9 in).  

20150108_Ecuador_000120150108_Ecuador_0001 The  Eared Dove is a tropical dove breeding throughout South America from Colombia to southern Argentina and Chile and on the offshore islands from the Grenadines southwards.  It appears to be partially migratory, its movements driven by food supplies.  It is about 24cm (9.4 in) long and weighs about 112 g(4.0 oz).  These birds are very comfortable with human habitation, being seen on wires and telephone poles near towns.  

20150109_Ecuador_000120150109_Ecuador_0001 This photo was taken after leaving our lodge and heading to the Antisana region.  

20150109_Ecuador_001420150109_Ecuador_0014 With binoculars we could see the Andean Condors roosting in a far away cliff.  Some of the group got photos of them flying.  Given how far they were away I decided to explore the area for a few minutes  rather than trying to photograph the birds. 

20150109_Ecuador_001520150109_Ecuador_0015 I wondered down the road and found an opening so I could capture a photo showing some farmland with the lake and mountains in the background.      Ok- so  I kind of walked on someone's property to take the shot.  I could hear voices and given that I didn't speak any Spanish I thought it was best to get back to the road.  

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I saw this man just as I got back on the road- I had seen him before on the road while we were on the bus and I thought  he would make a great subject.  So when I saw him, I pointed to my camera and asked him I could take his photo which he had no problem with.  

20150109_Ecuador_000220150109_Ecuador_0002  I took one shot of him with his horse before heading back to see how the rest of the group was doing.

20150109_Ecuador_001820150109_Ecuador_0018 People were just finishing taking shots of the Condors so I walked a little further past the bus to check out the area.

20150109_Ecuador_001920150109_Ecuador_0019 Soon we were on our way and you can see the clouds rolling in.

20150109_Ecuador_002020150109_Ecuador_0020 I think this shot was taken out of the window of the bus as we saw the rainbow.

20150109_Ecuador_002120150109_Ecuador_0021 Some really nice scenery on the way.

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20150109_Portfolio Photos_008820150109_Portfolio Photos_0088 Now it was time  to  take some bird photos as we saw  some in the fields.   The plan was to stay in the bus to shoot as we didn't want to scare away  the birds.  So we shot through the windows taking turns.  This Carunculated caracara is a species bird of prey in the Falconidae family.  This bird is found only in the high Andean paramo (high treeless plateau)  of Ecuador and southern Columbia.  These birds travel in family groups roaming the Paramo searching for almost anything edible, including worms, maggots, rodents, birds, lizards and even vegetable matter.  

20150109_Ecuador_002420150109_Ecuador_0024 Another bird we came across in the same region.  The Black-winged ground dove reproduce just one or two offspring to replace themselves.  It is totally abnormal for wild doves to breed large numbers of offspring.  

20150109_Ecuador_002520150109_Ecuador_0025 There was an old abandoned building in the area.   Coming up- more photography from the same area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/el-jardin-de-colibri-lodge Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:40:47 GMT
Bella Vista Cloud Forest Reserve and the Milpe Sanctuary https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/bella-vista-lodge-and-milpe-sanctuary During our stay at Tandayapa we took side trips to the Bella Vista Cloud Forest Reserve and the Milpe Sanctuary.  At the higher elevations we were able  to see some different species of birds.  

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I thought this bird was an Empress Brilliant hummingbird, but I was told it might actually be a Green- crowned brilliant.  

20150107_Ecuador_000220150107_Ecuador_0002 This large attractive hummingbird is a male White-necked Jacobin.  The approximately 12 cm long male-white-necked Jacobin is easy to identify with its white bell and tail, a white band on its nape and a dark blue hood.   

20150107_Ecuador_000320150107_Ecuador_0003 Although this stunning  hummingbird is one of the larger hummers, it only weighs about 7.4 grams.  

20150107_Ecuador_000420150107_Ecuador_0004 Another Empress Brilliant (or Green Crowned Brilliant).  

20150107_Ecuador_000120150107_Ecuador_0001 This Pale-mandibled Aracari showed up at the bird feeder.  I wasn't very close to that area so I tried to photograph it through the trees not doing a very good job.  By the time I made my way to the feeder, the bird had flown away.  

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I decided to stay at the feeder hoping the Toucan would return.  In the meantime this Silver-throated Tanager showed up.  

20150107_Ecuador_000120150107_Ecuador_0001 No Toucan yet, but an  Orange-bellied Euphonia arrived on the scene.  

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 Birding and bird photograph requires a lot of patience at times.  Finally, one hour later,  a Pale-mandibled Aracari( sometimes classified  as a subspecies of the Collared Aracari) flew into the distant trees.  Like other Toucans, the collared aracari is brightly marked and has a large bill.  This species are unusual for Toucans in that they roost socially throughout the year, up to six adults and young sleep in the same hole with tails folded over their backs.  Since the  bird was very far away up in the trees  the photo is very heavily cropped. 

20150107_Ecuador_000120150107_Ecuador_0001 g A female White-lined tanager.  Females are entirely rufous in plumage, unlike the males who are glossy black.  These birds appear to be territorial, as only one nesting pair  is usually seen in an area.  

20150107_Ecuador_000920150107_Ecuador_0009 A Palm tanager.   Adult palm tanagers are about 19 (7.5 in) long and weigh 36 g(1.3 oz) and are considered a medium size passerine bird.

20150107_Ecuador_001020150107_Ecuador_0010 A Green Crown Brilliant (female) hummingbird.  This is a rather large, robust hummingbird and is also known as the green-fronted brilliant.  The female differs from the male in that she has green-spotted white underparts, a white spot behind the eye and a white stripe below the eye.  She also has a white-cornered  shallowly-forkedblack tail.   Unlike many hummingbirds, this one almost always perches to feed.  

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After going on field trips in the morning, we returned to the lodge for lunch and spent the afternoons back at the bird feeders photographing hummingbirds.  The Booted Racket-tail is considered an Andean hummingbird.  The male in the above photo has a short blackish bill, a metallic green body, black wings and an elaborate long and green tail.  The "rackets" at the end of the tail are a beautiful blue colour.  

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An Andean Emerald hummingbird.

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Buff-tailed Coronets.  

 

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20150107_Ecuador_000120150107_Ecuador_0001 A Fawn-breasted brilliant in flight.

20150108_Ecuador_001820150108_Ecuador_0018  A view from the observation deck at the lodge.

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Another view converted to black and white.

20150108_Ecuador_002020150108_Ecuador_0020 This Brown-billed Scythebill is a type of a woodcreeper.  It has a long curved slender bill which allows it probe into hard to reach places such as cracks in the bark in order to find insects and spiders.  This bird also has a very strong tail like that of a woodpecker that supports it on the trunks of trees as it searches for food.  The woodcreeper was spotted from the deck at the lodge (not by me).  Our group was really great- whenever, someone saw a bird they were happy to point it out.  

20150108_Ecuador_002120150108_Ecuador_0021 This bird  is a Slate-throated whitestart.  The bird  is a long tailed warbler measuring about 12 cm (4.7in) long and has a deep rufous head (which is hidden in this photo). It is dark black and has a contrasting bright yellow breast, belly and white vent and tail tips.  

20150108_Ecuador_000120150108_Ecuador_0001 One last shot from the observation deck before we left the lodge.   The clouds just kept rolling in.   It was time to leave this spot and head to the our next lodge where we were going to spend one night.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Bella Cloud Ecuador Forest Milpe Reserve Sanctuary Vista and hummingbirds the https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/bella-vista-lodge-and-milpe-sanctuary Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:39:03 GMT
Tandayapa Bird Lodge https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/tandayapa-bird-lodge Our first stop on the trip was an Andean cloud forest lodge where we spent three nights photographing hummingbirds.  The lodge had observation decks with bird feeders and setups for hummingbird photography.  One  great thing about all of the lodges we stayed at is that you could pretty well leave the camera(set up on tripods)  and/or computer equipment anywhere  and not worry about it.  The lodge had a main building with about twelve bedrooms, a spacious observation deck, and a dining room located next to an area for relaxing.  What I discovered while staying in these lodges is that  there were often no keys for the room and even when there was I tended to just leave the doors unlocked.  That way I never had to worry about where my room key was since I had so much other gear to remember to bring with me.   The bus that brought us to this lodge had to park on the road below which meant we all had to hike up quite a distance to the lodge, no easy task at the high altitude with all of the equipment and luggage.  Luckily for us, the hotel(and Jess and Glenn) took care of bringing the majority of the luggage up to the rooms.  After settling in and having lunch we were all anxious to take photos.  I have done my best to identify  the birds but it is likely that there could be some errors so feel free to let me know so I can correct the information.  

20150105_Ecuador_000120150105_Ecuador_0001 A Buff-tailed Coronet.  These hummingbirds  are very aggressive hummers often defending a feeder against other birds.    The Coronet has green underparts and a short straight bill. 

20150105_Ecuador_000120150105_Ecuador_0001 A Fawn-breasted Brilliant Hummingbird.  This is a fairly large and common hummer.  This bird often gets confused with the Buff-tailed Coronet since they are both green above with a white fleck behind the eye and similar in size.  However, the Brilliant is beige, not green, below and has a longer, slightly decurved bill and no buff in the tail.  This bird above is a male since it has a rose gorget.  

20150106_Ecuador_001120150106_Ecuador_0011 Another Fawn-breasted Brilliant. The diet of this hummingbird is mostly nectar but will eat small insects and spiders for extra protein.  When feeding it hovers before the flower or hangs from it and inserts its tongue up to 13 times per second.  

20150105_Ecuador_002020150105_Ecuador_0020 An Andean Emerald which is easily recognized since it is all white below.  The crown is shining turquoise when seen head-on.  Hummingbirds are the smallest of birds with most species measuring in the 7.5 -13 cm (3-5 in) range.  The birds are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating winds which flap at high frequencies. 

20150105_Ecuador_002520150105_Ecuador_0025 This Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is a medium size hummer, similar in shape to the Andean Emerald.  The bird is easy to identify due to its bronze tail and pink bill.   Rufous-tailed hummingbirds are very aggressive and defend flowers and shrubs in their feeding territories.  They are dominant over most other hummingbirds.

20150105_Ecuador_000120150105_Ecuador_0001 A female Green Crown Brilliant showing her speckled green below and white tips to the outer tail.  

20150105_Ecuador_000120150105_Ecuador_0001 Purple-bibbed White-tip. These hummingbirds birds are not always easy to see since they don't often come out in the open.  They take nectar from small flowers and they hover while looking for insects.  Both males and females have a large white spot behind the eye.   20150105_Ecuador_000120150105_Ecuador_0001

 

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Buffed-tailed Coronet.  With the exception of insects, hummingbirds while in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings during hovering and fast forward flight.    To conserve energy when food is scarce, they have the ability to go into a hibernation-like state where their metabolic rate is slowed to 115th of its normal rate.

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Hummingbirds consume more than their own weight in nectar each day and to do so they must visit hundreds of flowers daily.  Hummingbirds are continuously hours away from starving to death and are able to store just enough energy to survive overnight.  

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A Booted racket-tail hummingbird in flight.  Hummingbirds hover in mid-air at rapid wing-flapping rates, typically around 50 times per second but possibly as high as 200 times per second allowing them also to fly at speeds exceeding 15m/s (54km/h;34 mph) backwards or upside down.  In order to photograph these birds while they are hovering in the air, flash setups were used to stop their motion. 

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20150106_Ecuador_000320150106_Ecuador_0003 A purple-throated Woodstar.  These Woodstars are quite different from other hummers.  They have a very insect-like flight in that they hold themselves horizontally, fly much more deliberately and less jerkily and do not often perch on feeders.  

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20150106_Ecuador_000120150106_Ecuador_0001 Brown Inca Hummingbirds measures about 4.3" or 10.9cm in length including their bill and tail.    Hummingbirds are solitary in all aspects of life other than breeding.  The birds neither live nor  migrate in flocks and there is no pair bond for this species.  Males do not participate in choosing the nest location, building the nest or raising the chicks.  The female alone protects and feeds the chicks with regurgitated food (mostly partially digested insects since nectar is an insufficient source of protein for the growing chicks.  The female pushes the food down the chicks/ throats with her long bill directly into their stomachs.  The chicks leave the nest when they are about 20 days old.  

20150106_Ecuador_000120150106_Ecuador_0001 A Rufous tailed hummingbird in flight.

20150106_Ecuador_000120150106_Ecuador_0001 The male Booted Racket-tail was a great favourite- we really liked watching him.

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20150106_Ecuador_000120150106_Ecuador_0001 A view  from the observation deck.    Next up field trips to a higher elevation to find some different species of birds.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/tandayapa-bird-lodge Wed, 18 Feb 2015 14:55:24 GMT
Yanacocha Preserve https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/tandayapa Two years ago,  I had photographed birds  in Costa Rica and had very much enjoyed the experience which is why I chose to go on this birding  workshop in  Ecuador.   In a way it was a bit like going on a safari  in that you never know what animals/birds are going to show up.   I found Glen's trip on the internet and signed up for it at least a year ago and was very excited about going on this adventure to South America.    The group consisted of the two leaders, Glen and his assistant Jess (both excellent photographers and instructors)  from B.C and eight other photographers.   On the trip,  there was another Canadian who now lives in Hamilton, Ontario but was born and raised in Burma and India and another Canadian living in B.C.  There was a couple from Australia (Brisbane), an American, born in South Africa, a Spaniard living and working in the United Emirates and an American /German now living in California.  So we had a very interesting  international group.  I was pretty much the novice in the group when it came to bird photography, however everyone was extremely helpful. On the first day,  we  met for dinner and started to get to know each other before meeting early the next morning to start our journey.  

20150105_Ecuador_000120150105_Ecuador_0001 This trip was definitely focussed on photographing birds, however Glen made it clear that anytime we wanted the bus to stop  to shoot some landscape shots (providing it was safe), to let him know.  I had to restrain myself from asking Glen to  stop every few minutes as the scenery was spectacular.  Fortunately there were a couple of other people in the group who also wanted  to photograph the area.  This shot was taken on the way to the Yanacocha Reserve which was to be our first birding stop.  We drove up to the rain cloud forest situated at 10,500 feet on the Pichincha Volcano about forty five minutes northwest of Quito.  

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I didn't have my wide angle lens handy so it was a bit of a struggle to get the entire composition that I wanted.  I should have moved slightly over which I did in the next photo.  

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The reserve encompasses 964 hectares of the Polylepis Forest that is home to many species  of birds but is primarily noted for its hummingbirds.  A primary purpose of the reserve is to protect the highly endangered Black-breasted Puffleg.  The bird became almost extinct when the land was owned and degraded by the Quito Water Authority.  I didn't see this bird since it was during breeding season and the bird spends this  time in the inaccessible higher elevations.  The group took a fairly long hike on the road pictured above.  Some birds could be seen from the road but I have to admit that I spent most of the walk admiring and photographing the scenery instead of  trying to capture the distant birds.  It was a beautiful, pleasant morning in the area  although not hot given the high altitude.

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The Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world.  It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America.  The range is about 7,000 km (4,300 mi) long, about 200 km (120 mi) to 700 (430 mi) wide and at an average height of about 4,000m (13,000 feet). Fortunately no one  in the group seemed to have trouble hiking at this altitude but we were all warned to drink plenty of water.  

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The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentia.  I had always heard about the Andes but I never actually thought I would get there so it was very exciting for me.  Living in Ontario, I really miss the mountains that I grew up with in British Columbia.  

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We finally made it to the end of the trail (probably a mile or so) where there were a couple of hummingbird bird feeders and small tracts of forest.  So now it was time to actually try to photograph some of the birds.   Well after a few minutes,  I started to remember just how difficult bird photography is.  First I had to see the bird (which the guides or other members of the group were happy to point out) and  then locate that bird in the camera's viewfinder.   This was not as easy as it might seem unless the birds were at the feeders.   Then it was  time to adjust my settings to match the light, location of the bird etc.  Often I would  discover (when I actually had time to look at the LCD screen)   that I needed to make further camera adjustments.   So I had to quickly make the corrections   and oops- the bird had just flown away.    This all happens in a matter of seconds or perhaps less.   Sometimes you have plenty of time but mostly these birds do not settle down for long.  Hummingbirds do not  keep still even when perching.   As for composition- I rarely had time to worry about that.  Because I did not really  have a long enough lens my photos are very heavily cropped otherwise the bird would be very small in the photo as it was in the camera's viewfinder.     However, the good news is that Ecuador is gorgeous so I could always fall back on landscape shots, even  using my iPhone at times.  Plus it was nice just to enjoy seeing the beautiful birds.    I have to admit that as time went on I did get more comfortable with bird photography-only because of Glen and Jesse's invaluable help.  

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This Masked flowerpiercer got their name due to their sharp hook on the tip of their upper mandible which they use to slice open the base of flowers to get at the nectar.  

The Glossy flowerpiercer.  This bird is a small tanager found in the South American Andes.  The males and females are similar, being all glossy black with a blue-bray wing patch and a short, upswept bill with a hooked tip.  

20150105_Ecuador_000920150105_Ecuador_0009 20150105_Ecuador_001020150105_Ecuador_0010 These cute little guys are called Rufous Antpitta.  These birds were on the ground in  a very small, dark part of the forest floor.  There was no room for tripods (not that I had brought mine on the hike) and  barely enough room for the photographers.   This was the only place in the trip that I saw these birds.

20150105_Ecuador_000120150105_Ecuador_0001 A Buff-winged Starfrontlet is a type of hummingbird.  Their name comes from the buff-coloured patch on their wings.  These hummingbirds are quite territorial and often chase other hummingbirds away or guard flowers from other birds from a nearby perch.  They primarily feed on nectar.  

20150105_Ecuador_001420150105_Ecuador_0014 Finally we headed back to the car.  You can see that the weather had now changed and it was actually pretty cold and foggy out-fortunately no rain.  Our next stop was the  Tandayapa Bird Lodge.

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/tandayapa Sat, 14 Feb 2015 18:11:08 GMT
Quito, Ecuador https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/quito-ecuador On January 3rd, I travelled to Quito, Ecuador to join a bird photography  workshop led by Glenn Barley and his assistant,  Jess Findlay, both Canadians from B.C.  We would be travelling in the higher elevations of the Andes searching for various species of birds before heading down to the Amazon.  

The Republic of Ecuador literally translates to  the "Republic of Equator".  One would expect it to be quite warm all year round being so close to the equator.  However, I found that because we were at high elevations for the majority of the trip, the weather was actually quite cool and wet with the exception of the Amazon and Quito (except for the last day in Quito which was only about 13 degrees C).   Of course this is all relative after being back in the frigid temperatures of Toronto-now even the coldest day in Ecuador would seem like a heat wave!   The country is a democratic republic in northwestern South America, bordered by Columbia on the north, Peru on the east and south and the Pacific Ocean to the west as shown by the above map.   Ecuador also includes the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometres(620 mi) west of the mainland.  I didn't have a chance to get to the Galapagos this time so that will be a good excuse to get back to Ecuador.   Ecuador was colonized by Spain during the sixteenth century and achieved independence in 1820 as part of Gran Columbia before emerging as its own country in 1830.  Spanish is the official language and spoken by the majority of the people.

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The first photo of the trip was taken from the plane after leaving Miami.  I flew  on American Airlines from Toronto to Miami where I had a two and a half hour layover before flying to Quito.  I arrived in Quito around 9.45 PM (same time zone as Toronto), waited ages for my luggage and then carried on through security and immigration.  Glenn had arranged  for me to be met at the airport and taken to the hotel and all went smoothly.   The new airport built by Canadians opened in 2013.  This airport is the busiest airpot in Ecuador and one of the busiest airports in South America.  The airport was built about 11 miles east of Quito so that the airport's capacity could be expanded.  I was told that the airport is already too small!   The drive took close to 45 minutes or so and I really couldn't see too much of anything.  There were performers on the streets once we got to the city.  One of the guys was an expert juggler  and our driver gave him some coins.   

20150104_Ecuador_000220150104_Ecuador_0002 Our group did not meet until dinner time on January 4th  so I had the day to explore Quito.  I had arranged to have a tour of the city  starting at  8.00 AM.    Victor worked at the hotel and also is a part-time tour guide and was happy to drive me around the city to show me the sites.    Quito, formally known as San Franciso de Quito is the capital city of Ecuador and is at an elevation of 9,350 feet above sea level which makes it the  highest official capital city in the world.  The city is located on  the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains.  

20150104_Ecuador_000320150104_Ecuador_0003 Victor and I drove high up in hills to get a view of the city and you can see the mountains n the background.   I wasn't really sure what to expect of Quito but I hadn't realized that it would be so densely populated.  As you can see from the photos, there are buildings everywhere in order to accommodate the close to 2.7 million people.  However, Guayaquil, another city in Ecuador is even  more populous.  The  official currency is the  US dollar  as of March 2000 which replaced the sucre.  

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There were some great views overlooking the city.  Quito is actually one of the five cities that Toronto has a friendship relationship with.  Quito, along with Krakow, were the first World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978.  The central square of Quito is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi)south of the equator.  Due to its geographical location and elevation, Quito receives a great amount of solar radiation reaching 24 in the UV index at certain times.  Only highland places in Bolivia receive higher solar radiation.  

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An interesting sculpture that we came across.

20150104_Ecuador_000420150104_Ecuador_0004 There were buildings for miles and miles.  Quito derives its name form the Quitus, who lived in the region a long time before the Spanish conquest.  In 2008, the city was designated as the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations.  

20150104_Ecuador_001120150104_Ecuador_0011 A closeup view of a few houses. 

20150104_Ecuador_001220150104_Ecuador_0012 While it was still fairly early, Victor took me to the historic centre where we spent a couple of hours walking around and going into some of the beautiful churches (no pictures allowed inside).  Since it was early, the streets were very quiet.  Quito's Calle de la Ronda, pictured above is a beautifully renovated historical street.  In the early 1900's La Ronda was known as the bohemian centre of Quito.  It had a thriving night scene where the city's poets, painters, writers and musicians hung out.  By the end of the 20th century, the street had fallen into disrepair and had developed a reputation as one of the most dangerous spots in the city.  A restoration and revitalization project took place in 2006 and now a group of traditional craftspeople have returned to the neighbourhood.  

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The Church of Santo Domingo.  Construction began in 1540.

20150104_Ecuador_001420150104_Ecuador_0014 A lady bringing strawberries to sell at one of the stalls.

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There were lots of people on the streets selling their wares.

20150104_Ecuador_001720150104_Ecuador_0017 As we were walking in the streets, we came across a very colourful parade.  

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20150104_Ecuador_001820150104_Ecuador_0018 It was fun to watch and listen to the bands playing.  Unlike being in one of the European cities, there were mostly locals on the streets and very few tourists.  

20150104_Ecuador_001920150104_Ecuador_0019 20150104_Ecuador_002120150104_Ecuador_0021 Lots of cute kids were taking part in the parade.

 

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20150104_Ecuador_002220150104_Ecuador_0022 20150104_Ecuador_002020150104_Ecuador_0020 Plenty of dancing in the streets.

 

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It certainly got  warm enough for ice-cream.  

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20150104_Ecuador_002720150104_Ecuador_0027 There were many beautiful buildings and churches in the old section of town.  Quito was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city.  In spite of the 1917 earthquake, the city supposedly has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America.  I went into three or four churches and they were very  beautiful and elaborate inside.  

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20150104_Ecuador_003220150104_Ecuador_0032 I noticed people sitting outside of some of the churches eating.  I believe that Victor told me the churches provided the free food.  

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The streets started to get busy and I saw a lot of vendors walking around selling various types of food.  It looks like the lady to the right was selling some kind of ice-cream but it didn't seem to be melting in spite of the warm temperatures so maybe it was whipped cream or something else?

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20150104_Ecuador_003620150104_Ecuador_0036 There were stores and stalls everywhere in the historic district.  

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20150104_Ecuador_000120150104_Ecuador_0001 After we left the historic district, we continued driving in the city. Victor drove me to the southern section of town which is mainly industrial and residential.  We also drove to the northern, more modern area with its high-rise buildings, shopping centres, financial district and upper-class residential areas.   After getting back to the hotel in the afternoon, I went for a short walk around the area.  It was very safe but I was also told it would be best to not take my camera.  Next up- meeting the group for dinner and starting our journey.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) America Ecuador Quito South https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2015/2/quito-ecuador Thu, 12 Feb 2015 03:27:28 GMT
The Fundy Trail and last morning in Saint Martin https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/12/the-fundy-trail-and-last-morning-in-saint-martin On the Saturday afternoon, the last day of the workshop we had a free afternoon from about 1.30 to 4. So five us of headed out of town to see the Fundy Trail.  The 16 km (10 mile) trail begins just outside of St. Martins and is one of the last remaining coastal wilderness areas between Florida and Labrador.  Since we only had a few hours, the idea was to drive to the end and then stop on the way back to take some photographs.  Well that plan fell apart as soon as got started.  We lasted about two minutes before stopping the car to photograph.  We really didn't have much time at all so the idea was really just to experience the area and then come back some day.  No tripods allowed!  

20140823_France_008020140823_France_0080 1.  It was a very cloudy day and we did have a few showers from time to time but nothing that stopped us from getting out of the car and walking for as much time as we had.  We were very rushed so we just took quick shots so we could make it  to the end of the trail.

20140823_France_008120140823_France_0081 2.  It was a very beautiful area.

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3.  

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4.

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5. 

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6.

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7.

20140823_France_000120140823_France_0001 8.  Another "dreamscape".  The pedestrian and bicycle trails connect to paths and stairways, across a suspension footbridge past waterfalls towering 250m above the beaches.  We hiked out to this area but unfortunately didn't have time to find the waterfalls.

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9.  The Fundy trail overlooks the world's highest tides.  Visitors can hike, bike, bicycle, cross-country ski or drive along the trail.  

20140823_France_009320140823_France_0093 10.  The next two  shots were  taken just before the road ended.

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11.

 

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12. Another shot of St. Martin just after sunset.  In the background you can see the lighthouse and covered bridge.

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13.  By now it was pretty dark so time to find our way back to the Inn.

 

20140824_France_009820140824_France_0098 14. This shot was taken on the last morning before I headed out to the airport.  You can see the grounds of the Inn and the ocean in the background.  Since I had lots of time before heading to the airport, I wandered around the gardens.

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15.

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16.

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17.

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18. We all enjoyed our stay in Saint Martins, so a big thank you to Freeman, Andre, Kim (who helps with all of the arrangements) and the staff at the Inn who were all terrific and made our stay so enjoyable.  

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/12/the-fundy-trail-and-last-morning-in-saint-martin Fri, 12 Dec 2014 02:51:55 GMT
Morning at Shamper's Bluff https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/12/morning-at-shampers-bluff We were up early this morning  so we could photograph  the sunrise.  The rest of the group was due to arrive around 7 AM.

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1.  

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2.  

20140821_France_005620140821_France_0056 3.  There was some fog in the distance- we had been hoping for even more.

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4.

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5.

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6.

20140821_France_000220140821_France_0002 7. Don admiring the scenery.  One of the few times he was not actually photographing:).  

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8. An early morning shot of the barn.

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9.

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10.

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11.

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12. This photograph did not score well in the camera club competition, but I like it.

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13. I liked the reflections in the barn window.  

20140821_France_007520140821_France_0075 14. This was my attempt at multiple exposures.  Basically you take different exposures with a very slight camera movement before each exposure.  Actually just hand holding works, because you are naturally going to move the camera a little without even trying.   The camera combines the exposures into one shot.  I need more practise at this technique!  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Bluff Brunswick Freeman's New Shamper's property https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/12/morning-at-shampers-bluff Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:17:42 GMT
A visit to Freeman's house https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/11/a-visit-to-freemans-house Two  and a half years ago I went on a photo workshop in the Bruce Peninsula (approximately 300 km northwest of Toronto).  Don Martel was the photographer leading the workshop.  It turns out that Don is a friend of Freeman's and was staying at a cottage on Freeman's property at the same time I was there.   We arranged that I would go with Freeman on Wednesday after the critique session  to his house and I would stay with Don and Evelyn overnight.  The rest of the group was coming up on Thursday morning to photograph.  

20140820_France_003120140820_France_0031 1.  Freeman's home is at Shamper's Bluff about an hours drive from Saint Martin.  HIs property was absolutely breathtaking with all of its gardens and hiking trails.

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2.  Shampers Bluff is a high, forested, rocky peninsula that juts into Belleisle Bay in the lower St. John River Valley.  It covers 500 acres and about half of the Bluff is now a private ecological reserve belonging to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.  The reserve is Freeman's home as he donated most of the land to the Conservancy in return for tenancy.  Can you imagine waking up to this view every day?

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3.  Don suggested going for a hike before dinner on one of the nearby trails.

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4.

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5.

20140820_France_000120140820_France_0001 6. Back to Freeman's gardens.

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7.

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8.  As you can tell I loved taking photos of the barn and gardens.  The light was constantly changing which made it more interesting.

20140820_France_004520140820_France_0045 9.  After  dinner we headed over to join Freeman on his porch to watch and photograph the  sunset.  

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10.

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11.  It was a such a beautiful night.  

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12.  

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13.  Don had showed me some light painting photos he had taken of the barn and of course I wanted to try as well.  Light painting is a technique where you set up the camera on a tripod, use the timer on the camera  and then you move a flashlight to create a light source.  It was totally dark by now and there were clouds.  We wanted to try it with the stars so we went inside and came out later on when the clouds had passed by.

20140820_France_005220140820_France_0052 14.  It was lots of fun but by now it was getting pretty late and the alarm clock was going off around 5.30 AM or so.  Time to call it a night!  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/11/a-visit-to-freemans-house Fri, 28 Nov 2014 01:35:56 GMT
More photography in and around the Village of Saint Martin https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/11/more-photography-in-the-village-of-saint-martin On a few of the  days I did some early morning photography before breakfast.  Our day always started with a lecture and then we had our nearby morning outings.  After lunch we had to pick a few photos to be critiqued before the group met again later in the afternoon.

20140819_France_001420140819_France_0014 1.  A few of us walked to the beach before sunrise  and found this great spot for photographing the village.  We stayed in the same place for awhile  watching the light change.  

20140819_France_001620140819_France_0016 2.  After breakfast on the second day,  I was in the group that went exploring the village and beach with Andre.  This was a panning shot of the water converted to black and white.  

20140819_France_001720140819_France_0017 3.  Andre was showing us how to do the "Nike swirl" with the camera.   This was a difficult technique to master but it was fun to practice.    Basically you move the camera just a little bit  while you are taking the photo.  It sounds easier than it was to come up with interesting shots.   

20140819_France_002020140819_France_0020 4.  I had taken a similar shot the first day I walked here but now the tide  and lighting was different.

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5.  Another view from a slightly different spot.

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6.  Another fun shot using the Nike swirl. 

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7.   You can see the lighthouse in the village  in the distance.  

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8.  Rocks on the beach.

20140820_France_000120140820_France_0001 9.  On the third morning, the whole group went to explore a different beach about ten or fifteen minutes from the Inn.  

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10.  A rainbow. 

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11.

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12.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/11/more-photography-in-the-village-of-saint-martin Mon, 24 Nov 2014 01:36:43 GMT
Saint Martins, New Brunswick https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/11/saint-martin-new-brunswick In August, I was fortunate enough to go to Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant's workshop in Saint Martins, New Brunswick.  Unlike the photography tours that I go on, the workshop was much more structured with lectures, photo critiques and even an assignment.  Yes, it was like being in school again but way more fun.

20140817_France_000320140817_France_0003 The night before I left, I went to check in Air Canada's website and found out that my 2.20 flight had been cancelled and that I had been put on a later flight.    Fortunately I was able to get on an earlier flight and arrive at Saint Martins' Country Inn around 2 PM.   So I was able to check in and wander about the small village.   The photograph above is Saint Martin's Country Inn  where the group stayed for the week.

20140817_France_000820140817_France_0008 My room was on the second floor so I was up and down these stairs many times every day.  The Inn was lovely and the food was fabulous.

20140824_France_010220140824_France_0102 A close up view of the Inn.

20140817_France_000320140817_France_0003 I decided to walk to the tiny village and check out the harbour.  I was thinking that I might meet some of the photographers attending the seminar but instead I met a few villagers and locals who were all very friendly.  Saint Martins is 40 km east of Saint John and is situated on the Bay of Fundy.  I had driven through New Brunswick at least 20 years ago but I had never been to this area.  Throughout the 19th century, St. Martins was  known for  shipbuilding.  Led by shipbuilders including James Moran, St. Martins became one of the first shipbuilding centres in the Bay of Fundy.  Over 500 ships were built here.  After the 1870's, shipbuilding declined and lumbering, fishing and later tourism  took over.   Now tourism is the major attraction.  The population of the town was around 400 people in 2006.

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20140817_France_000220140817_France_0002 You can see the sea caves in the distance.  The town was very quiet on this Sunday afternoon. with just a few people on this rocky beach.  

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The first morning of the seminar, we divided into two groups.  My group stayed at the inn with Freeman.  First assignment was to stay in one spot with the camera and tripod for one hour to see what compositions we could come up with.  The above photo was one of my shots.

20140818_France_000120140818_France_0001 Another photo taken from the same spot.  There were endless possibilities which was really what this assignment was all about- the art of seeing.  According to Freeman there are great shots available no matter where you are.  

20140818_France_001120140818_France_0011 Later on in the afternoon, a few of us walked across the street  to the beach to check it out.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/11/saint-martin-new-brunswick Sat, 15 Nov 2014 16:02:08 GMT
Final day in Nice https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/10/final-day-in-nice On June 27th we headed back to Nice as it was the last day of our workshop.  The workshop ended at noon so a few of us were on our own for the last afternoon and evening.  I woke up on the 27th with a bad case of laryngitis which was unfortunate but did not slow me down.    It must have been  the crazy French life I was leading for the past couple of weeks!  

20140627_France_000120140627_France_0001 It was nice to see the Mediterranean again on such a beautiful day.  Although it was warm in the south of France, I didn't find it too hot (no surprise there)  and there were  also nice breezes from the ocean.  

20140627_France_000120140627_France_0001 I was starting to think that people cannot not sit or be by themselves without using their phones.

20140627_France_000320140627_France_0003 We went to look for the flower market in Old Nice.  There were a lot of pretty flowers but I was told it was no where near as nice as the flower market in London.

20140627_France_000420140627_France_0004 Kind of a cute  design on the Coca-Cola light can.  

20140627_France_000120140627_France_0001 I didn't get a chance to photograph too much laundry in France so I was happy to come across this colourful site.

20140627_France_000520140627_France_0005 It was shopping time.   20140627_France_000620140627_France_0006

20140627_France_000120140627_France_0001 Gretchen noticed the lady with the interesting hair colour.

20140627_France_000720140627_France_0007 20140627_France_000820140627_France_0008 After lunch it was time for ice-cream.  

 

20140627_France_001020140627_France_0010 We headed over to the fountain area again and hung out for a little while.

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20140627_France_001120140627_France_0011 I walked back to the hotel along the water; by now the beaches were packed.

20140627_France_001320140627_France_0013 I'm still not sure I could get used to lying on the rocks.

20140627_France_001420140627_France_0014 This looked like a lot of fun.

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  I met with Sam, Gretchen and Chris on the rooftop for our own  farewell dinner.

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20140627_France_001820140627_France_0018 Our waiter was super cute and very nice.  

20140627_France_002020140627_France_0020 After dinner,  I took a few shots of Nice.  

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20140628_France_002220140628_France_0022 The next morning (I think around 5.30 or 6) I headed to the airport to catch my flight to Toronto via Munich.   By the way the air traffic controllers were finished  their strike so fortunately we could all get home.  This shot was taken at the airport in Nice as I was waiting to board.  I love a dog with attitude.  

20140628_France_002320140628_France_0023 This shot of the fields was taken from the plane as we were flying out of Germany.      I really will have to travel in Germany one day;  so far I have just seen German airports.   I  hope you enjoyed visiting France with me.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/10/final-day-in-nice Tue, 28 Oct 2014 18:01:49 GMT
A vist to Avignon and Marseilles https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/10/a-vist-to-avignon-and-marseilles Avignon is a French town in south-eastern France.  About 12,000 people out of the total population of 90,000 live in the ancient town centre enclosed by its medieval walls.   Avignon is situated on the  left bank of the Rhone river, about 580 km from Paris (360 mi).  There is also a beautiful bridge - the Pont d'Avignon.  We spent an evening doing some night photography of the town and river but unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced those photos.  Oh well- an excuse to go back there someday.  

20140626_France_000320140626_France_0003 Between 1309 and 1377 during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes resided in Avignon.  In 1348, Pope Clement VI bought  the town from Joanna I of Naples.  Papal control lasted until 1791 when the town became part of France during the French Revolution.  The town is now one of the few French cities to have preserved its old ramparts (medieval walls).

20140626_France_000420140626_France_0004 The historic centre, which includes the Palais des Papes, the cathedral and the Pont D'Avignon, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.  

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I spent the morning walking around the old town.

20140626_France_000520140626_France_0005 There were many narrow and winding streets in this old section of town. 20140626_France_000720140626_France_0007

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Speaking of narrow streets, I would not want to be driving here.

20140626_France_001120140626_France_0011 Maybe this is the better way to go.

20140626_France_001220140626_France_0012 However, this mode of transportation would probably work best for me!  Avignon has 110 km (68 mi) of bike paths.

20140626_France_000220140626_France_0002 This was definitely a tourist town with many shops catering to visitors.  Four million visitors visit the city every year.  In this shop we were in all of the displays were beautifully laid out.

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If I had any room in my luggage I would have brought some bottles home.

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20140626_France_001720140626_France_0017 Everywhere I looked I saw such cute dogs that reminded me of Maggie and Katie.

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20140626_France_002120140626_France_0021 In the evening we drove to Marseilles for our farewell dinner as the tour was over the following day.  We ate at a fabulous outdoor  restaurant in Pharo Park, overlooking the old harbour.   I was actually able to set up my tripod beside where I was sitting at the table and take as many pictures as I liked as the light changed.  I should add that the food was fabulous so thank you to Michael, Sabrina and Roman for choosing such an excellent spot.  Marseilles is the second largest city in France with a population of approximately 850,000 as of 2011.  Historically, this city was the most important trade centre in the region and functioned as the main trade port of the French Empire.  

20140626_France_002220140626_France_0022 We really did not spend much time in Marseilles which is considered to be a rather dangerous city in some parts with many pick pocketers(although Paris also has its share).    However, the drive into the city did give us a chance to see some of the sites.  During the Second World War, Marseille was bombed by German and Italian forces in 1940.  Then the city was occupied by the Germans from November 1942 until August 1944.  On January 22, over 4,000 Jews were seized in Marseille as part of "Action Tiger".  They were held in concentration camps before being deported to Poland.  The Old Port was bombed in 1944 by the Allies to prepare for the liberation of France which occurred on August 29th, 1944.  After the war, much of the city was rebuilt during the 1950s.  The governments of East Germany, West Germany and Italy paid massive reparations plus compound interest to compensate civilians killed, injured or left homeless as a result of the war.  

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20140626_France_002320140626_France_0023 The Phare de Sainte Marie lighthouse.  The lighthouse was  built of natural-finished local limestone  and  was completed in 1855 at a height of 70 feet.  The lighthouse in now inactive.  This lighthouse was featured as a destination  for teams to find on the fourth season of the reality TV show, The Amazing Race.  

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By now we were just finishing up dinner and it was getting late.  We were told that the park closed around 11 PM but I managed to take a few more photos before we left. 

20140626_France_000120140626_France_0001 On the way out of the park I took a photograph of this dazzling building.  I found out that it is Marseille's new museum called the Museum of  the Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (MuCEM). The cost of this project was 191 million euros.

20140626_France_002720140626_France_0027 Napoleion III ordered the construction of The Palais du Pharo  in the second half of the nineteenth century.  It now belongs to the city of Marseille and is used for conferences and events.  The building has also been used as a hospital.

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As we were leaving there was a light show in the area so we stayed for a few minutes to watch- it was well worth it.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/10/a-vist-to-avignon-and-marseilles Thu, 09 Oct 2014 14:08:28 GMT
The countryside of Provence https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/10/countryside-of-provence Today we explored the countryside of Provence.  

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 This is the town of Gordes which is located in southeastern France, near the city of Avignon.  The town was once occupied by the Roman Empire.  By 1481, the territory of Provence was incorporated into the kingdom of France as a "province royale franchise".   During World War II, Gordes was an active resistance village and was later awarded a medal,  the Croix de guerre 1939-1945.  On August 21, 1944, a German patrol was attacked by the resistance.  The following day, the village was subject to violent reprisals.  The Germans ended up shooting un-cooperative locals and  a dozen homes were destroyed by German canons on one side of the village.   On  the other side of the village more than twenty homes were destroyed.  After a period of reconstruction, the village started to attract artists like Marc Chagall and Jean Deyrolle who discovered the village in 1947 and brought many of their artists friends to the town.  

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We drove by vineyards and olive trees in the area.  Historically, almond trees were planted in the region and although they are still present, olive trees have largely replaced them.  Olive Oil is very important to the local economies in the area.  

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We stopped at the  Senanque Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Senanque in French ).  This Cistercian abbey (a Catholic order of monks and nuns) is near the village of Gordes.  The abbey was founded in 1148 under the patronage of Alfant, bishop of Cavaillon and Ramon Berenguer II, the Count of Barcelona.  The impoverished Cistercian monks came from the Mazan Abbey and set up temporary huts. The young community found patrons in the signers of Simiane whose support enabled them to build the abbey church in 1178.  Among the existing structures, examples of the Romanesque architecture are the abbey church, cloister, dormitory, chapter house and the small calefactory, the one heated space in the austere surroundings so that the monks could write.  A refectory was added in the 17th century, when some minimal rebuilding of existing walls was undertaken but the abbey is a remarkably unchanged from its origins.  I found the whole area very beautiful with the lavender fields in front.  We may have been just a bit too early this year as there was still quite a bit of green in the fields.   Lavender fields bloom from mid June to mid August depending on the area and the seasonal weather.  

20140625_France_000120140625_France_0001 In the 13th and 14th centuries, Senanque reached its peak, operating four mills and seven manors.  The abbey also  owned large estates in Provence.  During the Wars of Religion, the quarters for the lay brothers were destroyed and the abbey was ransacked by Huguenots.  During  the  French Revolution, the abbey's lands were nationalized, the one remaining monk was expelled and Senanque itself was sold to a private individual.   

20140625_France_000120140625_France_0001 A view from the gardens.  The site was repurchases in 1854 for a new community of Cistercian monks who were expelled in 1903.  The monks who live at Senanque now, grow lavender and tend honey bees for their livelihood.   It is possible for individuals to arrange to stay at the abbey for a spiritual retreat.  

20140625_France_000220140625_France_0002  Lavender is said to heal insect bites as well as repel insects.  It can also sooth headaches when applied to the temple.  It also helps you sleep if you have the flowers by your pillow (never tried this).  Dried lavender is used to repel moths in clothes closets.  The essential oil also has antiseptic properties and was used in hospitals in the first world war to disinfect wards.  Of course common uses are for aromatherapy (i.e. used in baths)   and it can be found in household products like room fresheners and soaps.  Although not used traditionally in cooking in France some chefs are experimenting with it.  

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 Wheat fields and lavender fields are found in the same areas and often side by side.  The wheat ripens just before the lavender season, so lavender fields are often bordered by golden bands of grain.  

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It appears that this castle is now abandoned given the state of the road going to it.  I couldn't find out any information on it.

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20140625_France_002620140625_France_0026 These photos  were  taken on stops we made in the countryside of Provence.  

20140625_France_002320140625_France_0023 Some poppies on the side of the road.

20140625_France_002420140625_France_0024 This reminded me of an English garden.  I did enhance the colours and reduce the clarity  to make the photo more like a painting.

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We stopped in the town of Sault for lunch.  Sault is an old fortified village perched along the top of a high ridge overlooking a wide valley with large lavender fields spread out below to the south and to the west as you can see in this photo.

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We had lunch at this restaurant.  The village had numerous squares, cafes and shops.

20140625_France_002820140625_France_0028 In the 18th and 19th centuries, Sault was the centre of an important  glass industry but today the glass works are gone.

20140625_France_000120140625_France_0001 We found the village to be very open and relaxed with some friendly people.  There was also a nicely restored central church.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) France Provence https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/10/countryside-of-provence Fri, 03 Oct 2014 23:40:23 GMT
Saint -Tropez https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/saint--tropez Saint Tropez is another Provencal town, 104 kilometres (65 miles) to the east of Marseille in southeastern France.  Until the beginning of the 20th century, the town was a military stronghold and an unassuming fishing village.  It was also the first village on this coast to be liberated after World War II (as part of Operation Dragoon).  After the war it became an internationally known seaside resort due to the influx of artists and musicians.  Later on it became a resort for the American and European jet set.  

20140624_France_001120140624_France_0011 I found the town to be very colourful and full of beautiful yachts.  The English rock bank Pink Floyd wrote a song called "San Tropez" after the town.  The town is also cited  in David Gates' 1978 hit, "Took the Last Train" and Aerosmith's "Permanent Vacation".  Rappers including Diddy, Jaz Z and 50 Cent refer to the city in some of their songs as a favourite vacation destination, usually by yacht (of course).  

20140624_France_000620140624_France_0006  There were so many beautiful yachts in the harbour.  DJ Antoine wrote a song called "Welcome to St. Tropez" which is about people going to the town and spending all the money they have.  Of course you could just spend your money getting to St. Tropez.  The yacht Archilles, pictured above, is 55m (180.4 feet) and was built by CRN shipyard in Ancona, Italy.  This yacht can accommodate 12 people with its six staterooms.  If you wanted to charter this "boat" you would get an experienced British Captain, an excellent French Chef with a total of 13 crew members all for the price of approximately $160,000 US per week.  

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This yacht is only 46.7 m and has room for 10 guests so perhaps would be a little less to rent for a week.   Unfortunately, she appears to be  no longer available for charter.  In 2008,  The Harle (pictured to the right of the Yalla)  was honoured with the best power 40m to 65m yacht by the International Superyacht Society (who knew).  This yacht is 44.65 meters (146'6" feet).  Before being privately owned, the yacht was available for charter.  

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I fount it to be a very interesting and colourful place.

20140624_France_000520140624_France_0005 I spent a couple of hours just wandering around the town.  There were quite a few artists showing their work.  St-Tropez was fertile ground for artists at the turn of the 20th century.  Paul Signac fell in love with the colour and light and invited his other painter friends to visit including Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard and Henri-Edmond Cross.  

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20140624_France_006220140624_France_0062 The church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Saint-Tropez was built in the baroque style of the sixteenth century.  The church is built with a facade of white limestone  with a steeple and bell tower in the colours ocher and sienna.  

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20140624_France_006520140624_France_0065 Saint Tropez started life as a sleepy fishing village.  The houses are all painted in pale pastels.  Many of the fishermen's houses are now boutiques and harbour-side restaurants.

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During the 1920's Saint-Topez attracted famous figures from the world of fashion such as  Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. 

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20140624_France_007520140624_France_0075 We walked away from the the area with all of the crowds and explored the back alleys and narrow streets.

20140624_France_000820140624_France_0008 I watched this woman make crepes for a few people in our group.  I had to lean over the counter for the shots.  I was told that the crepes were delicious. 20140624_France_000920140624_France_0009

 

20140916_France_000120140916_France_0001 Besides creating fabulous crepes, St. Tropez is famous for making "La Tarte Tropezienne".  Our guide Sabrina had told us where the best pastries in town were  made.  Gretchen, Sam and Chris found the bakery and Gretchen supplied me with the photograph of the shop.  

20140916_France_000220140916_France_0002 Gretchen also took this photo of the pastry.  La Tarte Tropezienne is a pastry made of brioche, cream, and sugar that was originally a Polish dish but is now famous throughout this region.  

20140624_France_007820140624_France_0078 Eventually I met up with Chris and Gretchen.  They were raving about the Tarte Tropezienne and insisted that I try it.  It was fantastic-very rich but so delicious.  

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I never had a chance to make it to the beach.  In St. Tropez, Tahiti beach was made popular in the film "And God Created Woman" featuring Brigitte Bardot.  St. Tropez was already popular with artists and writers by the time Bardot chose it as her home.  Bardot arrived with her husband, director Roger Vadim to make the movie.  Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Errol Flynn and Greta Garbo had all visited the town but none had the raw power and impact of the young Bardot.  In 1956, the small, sleepy town was awakened.  Bardot had fallen in love with the area and the St. Tropez became an international stage.  

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One last look at the town before our group headed out.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/saint--tropez Tue, 16 Sep 2014 23:48:29 GMT
Chateau de la Napoule https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/chateau-de-la-napoule After leaving Cannes, we visited the Chateau de la Napoule and enjoyed lunch on their terrace overlooking the sea.  Before doing any exploring  we watched a video on this restored French castle.  The castle has been classified as an historical landmark since 1993 and the gardens are listed by the French Ministry of Culture as among the Notable gardens of France.  It was also featured as one of the main locations in the 1999 movie Simon Sez.  

20140624_France_002120140624_France_0021 The castle was constructed in the 14th century by the Countess of Villeneuve.  Over the centuries it has been rebuilt several times.  In the 19th century it was turned into a glass factory.  In 1918, it was purchased by Americans, Henry Clews Jr. and Marie Clews, who restored the castle and moved in.  The couple added additional sections in their own personal style with sculptures by Henry Clews Jr.  Currently the castle is owned by the La Napoule Art Foundations which was founded in 1951 by Marie Clews.  

20140624_France_002020140624_France_0020 Chris posing in front of an elephant made from recycled tires by artist Serge Van de Put, a Belgian artist born in 1958 in Antwerp.  During his travels, Serve discovered the ingenuity of Africans who give a second life to tires, an indestructible material they use to make buckets, shoes etc.   He started working on a portrait of an African using the tires but then moved on to more substantial works.

20140624_France_002220140624_France_0022 Nothing too informative about this photo, I just liked the red ladder against the building.  A man passing by the Chateau one day found Henry at work, sculpting his elaborate creatures onto the recently rebuilt gatehouse.  After stopping to watch this work the man finally approached the artist and asked "Can you please tell me what this place is and who are you?".  Henry, the eccentric prankster, answered, "It is a lunatic asylum Sir, and I am one of the lunatics".  

20140624_France_002320140624_France_0023 When the Clews acquired the castle, the cedar and eucalyptus trees had been abandoned for years.  Marie began the restoration of the gardens. The park today has elements of a garden a la franchise and of an English landscape garden with a grand alley, basins and views of the seas.  Roman and I walked all around checking out the gardens.

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20140624_France_002520140624_France_0025 Roman in front of one of the beautiful trees.

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20140624_France_002920140624_France_0029 The secret garden with a Venetian well in the centre.

20140624_France_003120140624_France_0031 Henry Clews with his wife re-built the medieval chateau in the 1920's as it had mostly been destroyed during the French Revolution (except for an exterior wall and a portion of one of the wings).  Henry was a painter and sculptor although he had tried to follow his father's footsteps by being a banker on Wall Street.  He eventually left to become an artist following his passion.  He had ties with Rodin in Paris who helped him connect with the Parisian art world. 20140624_France_004420140624_France_0044

 

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Many of Henry Clews works decorate the cloister.  For example, the cloister is  decorated with big-bellied and grimacing spirits that were inspired by pre-Columbian art.  

20140624_France_003520140624_France_0035 One of the sculptures. 20140624_France_003620140624_France_0036

Looking through one of the windows in the courtyard.  

 

 

20140624_France_000120140624_France_0001 For Henry and Marie, it was love at first site when they discovered the Chateau de L Napoule just outside of Cannes, France in 1918,   This is what the courtyard looks like now but when the Clews saw it, the building had monstrous chimneys,  a lone palm tree trapped in the courtyard and a bedroom totally decorated in pink with pink wallpaper, pink carpet and even pink furniture.  However, the stunning views of the Mediterranean and the mysterious atmosphere of the place made up for its shortcomings.

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After Henry's death, Marie stayed at the chateau through the years of German occupation.  She hid and buried much of Henry's art work before the castle was captured by German soldiers.  She ended up staying at the castle and acting as a maid so she could stay close to her home and try to protect it.

20140624_France_003920140624_France_0039 A view from the Terrace where we enjoyed lunch.  This is the view of the sea behind the chateau.  The local villagers were not forgotten by the Clews who built a fisherman's beach with harbour and arranged for religious services and other events on the chateau grounds for the people in the town.  When Henry died in 1937 the funeral procession included virtually the entire village.

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Sam, Chris, Gretchen and Richard.

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Walking back to the gardens after lunch.

20140624_France_000220140624_France_0002 Ogs, wogs, imps and gliks.  Henry created a fantastical land at the Chateau, filled with creatures of his own imagination.  The above creature is called the Glik of La Napoule sculptured in 1928.   This guy is a friendly spirit who presides over the courtyard of La Napoule.

20140624_France_004520140624_France_0045 Walling back to the gatehouse where the entrance to the Chateau is located.

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20140624_France_004720140624_France_0047 The gatehouse was another addition by the Clews.  During their two decades together at the Chateau in addition to the reconstruction and the creation of art, they also hosted elaborate parties for European society and American expatriates.   20140624_France_004820140624_France_0048

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Chateau France Napoule de la https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/chateau-de-la-napoule Sun, 14 Sep 2014 04:03:26 GMT
A visit to Cannes https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/a-visit-to-cannes-and-saint-tropez Cannes  is a city located on the French Riviera.    It is  a very busy tourist attraction and is the host of the famous annual Cannes Film Festival and Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.  The city is famous for its luxury shops, restaurants, and hotels.  On November 3, 2011 the city played host to the G20 conference for industrialized nations.

20140624_France_000120140624_France_0001 A beach scene before the tourists arrive.  I remember trying to get close for a photograph  and I was told to not step on the sand.  I guess they wanted it pristine for the beach crowd.

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I guess this section of the beach was not as private  as you can see lots of footprints in the sand.

20140624_France_000320140624_France_0003 There were a lot of ships in port today.  It was early enough that the beach was still not very crowded.  I think it would have been fun to have spent the day on the beach.  

20140624_France_000120140624_France_0001 The famous Ritz Carleton is  designed in a classic French style.  The hotel overlooks the Bay of Cannes and has its own  exclusive beach restaurant and pier.  Just for fun I looked up the rates to stay here.  During the summer a standard rate is 810 Euros ($1,215 CND).  Of course one could opt for the  king bed superior sea view suite for 4,100 Euros ($6,150) or go all out for a 2 bedroom executive prestige sea view suite for 6,565 Euros (9,848 CND).   I hope those rates include breakfast!  

20140624_France_001820140624_France_0018 A close-up look at the details.

20140624_France_000520140624_France_0005 We didn't spend a lot of time in the town- so I only had time to walk up and down the main street which is the Boulevard de La Croisette.  Still I saw some interesting people and enjoyed being in the town.  

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20140624_France_000620140624_France_0006 Like Nice, there was a beautiful Merry-go Round.  

20140624_France_000720140624_France_0007 Just like the other towns there were lots of people hanging out with their dogs.  

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In 1983, a new, much bigger Palais des Festivals et des Congres was built to host the famous annual  Cannes International Film Festival.  It has been nicknamed "The Bunker".   The festival had its origins in the late 1930's when the french minister of national education set up an international cinematographic festival.  In 1947, the film festival was held  as the "Festival du film de Cannes" where films from sixteen countries were presented. The festival was not held in 1948 and 1950 due to budget issues and in 1968 was halted in solidarity with students and labour on strike throughout France.  During the 1970s two committees were set up.  One was to choose which French films would be represented and the other committee would choose the foreign films.  Up until that date, the different countries picked  which films would represent them in the festival.   Given the massive media exposure the non-public (invitation only) festival is attended by many movie stars and is a popular venue for producers to launch their new films and sell them  to the movie distributors who come from all over the world.  

20140624_France_000920140624_France_0009 A close up view of one of the windows of the Palais des Festivals et des Congres.   

20140624_France_001120140624_France_0011 One of the local artists.

20140624_France_001220140624_France_0012 The water ski school.  You can see a couple of yachts in the water.  

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20140624_France_001420140624_France_0014 Checking each other out.

20140624_France_001520140624_France_0015 France is a very dog (if not people) friendly place.  Actually I did find the people in the south of France much friendlier than in Paris.  In a recent Conde Nest Traveler survey,  Paris, France  was voted the 4th unfriendliest city in the world, Marseille, France the 5th unfriendliest and Cannes, France the second unfriendliest city.  Cannes was called a "European Vegas" with unfriendly locals.  I know that the beach staff weren't very friendly but I really wasn't in Cannes long enough to notice whether locals seemed unfriendly.   As an aside, one person responding to the survey said that everyone was downright rude and unhelpful in Paris which I did not find to be the case at all.  

20140624_France_001620140624_France_0016 These locals were very friendly.   20140624_France_001720140624_France_0017

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/a-visit-to-cannes-and-saint-tropez Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:46:10 GMT
Saint-Paul-de-Vence https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/saint-paul-de_vence In the late afternoon we went to visit Saint-Paul-de-Vence which is one of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera.  In the middle ages, the Counts of Provence ruled the the region and granted several privileges to Saint-Paul making the town rich.  In the 16th century, repeated attacks on Provence motivate Francois 1 to reinforce Saint-Paul's defences.   The town is well known for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries.  Many famous actors and artists such as Marc Chagall have lived there.  Other artists such as Matisse, Signac, Renoir, Duffy, Valloton, Derain, Soutine and Barque have associated themselves with St. Paul and painted in the soft light of the village.

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It was a warm day!

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Inside the village walls, the village is full of fine restaurants, boutiques and sidewalk cafes, obviously a very  touristy town.  

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We saw many buildings covered in vines.  I liked the decorative telephone.  

20140623_France_000120140623_France_0001 20140623_France_005920140623_France_0059 I found a few very interesting, colourful  old doors to photograph.  

 

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20140623_France_006220140623_France_0062 We came across the town's cemetery.  Unfortunately we only had time to spend a few minutes there since it closed shortly after we arrived.

20140623_France_006320140623_France_0063 Marc Chagall was buried in this cemetery but we didn't have time to find his grave.

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Peaking into someone's house.  

20140623_France_005220140623_France_0052 The town was full of cute shops and restaurants.   20140623_France_005320140623_France_0053

 

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20140623_France_000120140623_France_0001 Hanging out with Sam, Chris and Gretchen.  

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Gretchen and I came across these friendly locals (notice the dog) who were happy to have their picture taken. 

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This town was full of winding streets with cobblestones.  

20140623_France_006920140623_France_0069 We saw a lot of cats in the streets.

 

 

 

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20140623_France_000220140623_France_0002 Many of the buildings date to the thirteenth century, though the village's history goes back before recorded history.  No one can be sure who built the first walls around St. Paul or who founded the city.  It was ruled by Lords before becoming a Royal Village in 1418.  In 1481,  Saint- Paul became part of France.   20140623_France_007120140623_France_0071

 

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The bell tower collapsed in 1739 and was rebuilt.

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This photo was taken from the top of the town.  The village is protected by its location as it is 180 meters, a little less than 600 feet above sea level. The village sits on a narrow hill between 2 valleys, 18 kilometres, or roughly 11 miles, from Nice.  The rocky climb made it hard for  enemies to approach and somewhat easy to defend.  

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20140623_France_000220140623_France_0002 Sabrina resting after a long day.

20140623_France_007620140623_France_0076 A photo of the town taken as we made our way back to the vans.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) France Saint-Paul-de-Vence https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/saint-paul-de_vence Sun, 07 Sep 2014 13:56:32 GMT
The town of Eze https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/the-town-of-eze On June 23rd our group started out the day by visiting the town of Eze, a medieval village overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.    The village is located beside the busy road, Moyenne Corniche between Nice and Monaco-Menton.  Fortunately we arrived early in the morning before the crowds.  

20140623_France_000120140623_France_0001 The town of Eze has been described as an "eagle's nest" because of its location overlooking a high cliff,  427 metres (1,401 ft) above sea level on the French Mediterranean.  

20140623_France_000220140623_France_0002 The small medieval village is famous for its beauty and charm.  Eze was the site of an ancient Ligurian oppidum (administrative centre), thought to have been established by the Phoenicians,  and the town was later occupied by the Romans.    20140623_France_000320140623_France_0003  The history of this city  was very turbulent over the centuries.  In 1706 Louis XIV destroyed the walls surrounding the city in the war of the Spanish succession.   In April 1860, the people of Eze unanimously decided to become part of France.  

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I always like photographing interesting windows and doors.  I found quite a lot of them in this town.

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20140623_France_000720140623_France_0007 The old buildings and narrow streets were very well restored with high stone walls and narrow roadways of red-brick centered stone as in the photo on the right.   20140623_France_000220140623_France_0002 The towns' many shops, art galleries, hotels and restaurants attract a large number of tourists.  The town is thought of as a  "museum village" as few residents of local origin live here.  

20140623_France_000620140623_France_0006 We spent the morning wandering around the town.

20140623_France_001320140623_France_0013 There may not have been too many locals living in this village but the houses that I saw were beautiful.  Apparently Walt Disney spent a large amount of time in Eze and I can understand why.  

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There certainly were a lot of shops for such a small town.  

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20140623_France_000620140623_France_0006 Meet Michael  Chinnici who is closely inspecting this model.  Michael is the CEO and founder of the Photo Workshop Adventures tour I was on.   20140623_France_000820140623_France_0008 Here is Michael posing with Sabrina  David (tour guide) and Roman Martin, the other tour photographer. 

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20140623_France_002620140623_France_0026 A large area along the ridge of the town is laid  out as a botanical garden with Mediterranean plants.  It was a lovely walk through the gardens but the best part was the view from the top.   Apparently you can also see Bono's (of the band U2) beachfront villa Eze les Roses from the garden.  His beachfront property is on four floors and its grounds back on to the railway station Eze bord du Mer.  The living area rises five metres up from the beach itself and the patio is set back so it is hidden from the view of the people on the beach. 

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20140623_France_000120140623_France_0001 I was surprised to see the cactus everywhere in the garden.  The Jardin botanique d'Eze, also called the Jardin exotique d'Eze was created after World War II .  The garden sits on top of the ruins of a 12th century fortified castle which was torn down in 1706.    It was built on steep terrain, 400 meters above the sea.  

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20140623_France_002820140623_France_0028 Meet Jane Jamison from Jonesboro, AR and Carol Omaggio from Alexandria VA.

20140623_France_000120140623_France_0001 Here is a photo of the square bell-tower rebuilt in the 18th century.

20140623_France_003520140623_France_0035 This Church (Notre Dame de l'Assomption) was quite pretty inside.  The Church of Our Lady of Assumption was built by an Italian architect between 1764 and 1778 to replace an old one which fell into ruins.  The building materials-in particular the limestone was cut in the quarry of Saint Laurent of Eze and were carried to the village by the men. 

20140623_France_003620140623_France_0036 Here is a photo of the cemetery wall and gate located just outside of the church.  

20140623_France_001020140623_France_0010 This was the view going through the gate.  

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20140623_France_001320140623_France_0013 20140623_France_001220140623_France_0012 It was a very picturesque spot.  

 

20140623_France_000420140623_France_0004 Just time for a few more shots before the group met up to return to Nice.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/9/the-town-of-eze Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:41:59 GMT
A full day exploring Nice https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/a-full-day-exploring-nice Today was the official start of our Photo Workshop Adventure Tour in Provence.  This morning at 11 AM, we were to meet the rest of our group in the hotel lobby.  First thing in the morning I went with Chris, Sam and Gretchen for our  walk and to find some breakfast.  Nice is located on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea.  It is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur region after Marseille.  The city is called Nice la Belle which means Nice the Beautiful.  The natural beauty of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate attracted the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century.  Nice has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it is one of the most visited cities, receiving 4 million tourists every year.  After spending time in this city, I could easily understand why it is so popular.  

20140622_France_000120140622_France_0001 Early morning on the beach.  The beaches in Nice are very rocky.

20140622_France_000320140622_France_0003 More friendly dog people.

20140622_France_000420140622_France_0004 The baguette (and French bread in general) is a staple food and the baguette is a genuine symbol of France.  French bread is taken very seriously in France.  

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20140622_France_000620140622_France_0006 Ok- French pastries are also taken seriously.  

20140622_France_000820140622_France_0008 Even though it was early on a Sunday morning, people were already sunbathing on the beach.  The rocky beach never looked very comfortable to me but obviously people didn't mind it.  This photo was taken from the Promenade des Anglais.  Nice has been a popular tourist destination for royalty and the wealthy since the second half of the 18th century.  During this time the English built a walkway along the sea front which stretches for 8km along the pebbled beach seafront.  

20140622_France_000720140622_France_0007 This cutie reminded me so much of a whiter version of Maggie and Katie.  

20140622_France_000920140622_France_0009 We found out that Paris  is the capital of pre-wedding photography.  Paris is the number one destination for Asian couples from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan to come and have wedding shots taken.  We saw this in several instances in Paris.   Obviously the South of France is also popular.  

20140622_France_001020140622_France_0010 After meeting the group, we got into the two vans and drove to the old section of Nice.  When we got out of the car we stopped to watch the kids on the Merry  go Round.   20140622_France_001120140622_France_0011

 

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The Promenade de Paillon, covering 12 hectares and 1.2 kilometres through the heart of Nice was  completed in October, 2013.  The opening marked the end of around ten years of building work undertaken by successive mayors to improve the quality of life and infrastructure in Nice.  This area is a great place for locals to go out for a stroll and for the kids to play.  I thought it was a stunning setting and I enjoyed watching the kids play in the fountains and the mist.  The "water mirror" attraction which you can walk through ( I didn't) is full of fountains that launch in random patterns soaking everyone in the process.  There are also lots of smaller "soaking fountains" for kids elsewhere on the promenade.  

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Pictured above is the bell tower in the old section of Nice.  

20140622_France_002120140622_France_0021 There were lots of colourful buildings in the old section of Nice.  

Walking in the streets of the historical section of Nice.  This old town seemed to have a very Italian atmosphere.  This is because Nice was once part of Italy.  

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20140622_France_002520140622_France_0025 Stephanie and Lisa posing.  These women were  are from Southern USA and we had a great time together on the tour.

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After being in Paris, I really enjoyed finding so much colour in the streets. 20140622_France_003520140622_France_0035

 

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20140622_France_003120140622_France_0031 20140622_France_003320140622_France_0033 I have to say that I found the people much friendlier  in the south of France than in Paris.

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20140622_France_003820140622_France_0038 Walking back to the hotel, we passed  through the park again.

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20140622_France_004020140622_France_0040 We drove to a suburb of Nice for our welcome dinner.  Before dinner I stopped to take a few photos of the water while there was still light.

20140622_France_004220140622_France_0042 Fish anyone?  I opted for some delicious pasta.  It was so good that I could have been in Italy.

20140622_France_004420140622_France_0044 An after dinner shot ended a perfect day and evening.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/a-full-day-exploring-nice Sun, 31 Aug 2014 14:24:49 GMT
Nice https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/nice On Saturday, June 21st,  four of us  took  France's TGV (France's high speed rail service ) to Nice  where we would be joining a Provence Photo Workshop Adventure led by Michael Chinnici  and Roman Martin.   It was very  nice to relax all day on the train after our hectic pace in Paris.  The double decker train we took (not fun carrying the luggage up the stairs to the top deck) allowed for wonderful views at very high speeds.  In mid 2011, scheduled TGV trains operated at the highest speeds in conventional train services in the world, regularly reaching 320 km/h (200 mph).  We were very lucky because as early as two days prior to our departure date, protests reduced the number of TVG  trains operating between cities to one in three trains.  The nationwide rail strike caused the worse disruption to the city in several years.  

20140621_France_000120140621_France_0001 While we were waiting for our train at Gare du Nord (Paris Nord) we were entertained by piano players.  Paris Nord is one of the six large terminus stations of the SNCF mainline network for Paris, France.  Accommodating  190 million travellers  per year, it is the busiest railway station in Europe and the busiest in the world outside of Japan.  

20140621_France_000220140621_France_0002 The pianist's helper.  

20140621_France_000320140621_France_0003 The only security at the station were soldiers (police) patrolling the area. 

20140621_France_000520140621_France_0005 After arriving in Nice and checking into the hotel we went for a walk along the boardwalk before taking  a bus to the centre of town.  We were looking for a restaurant since the ones we came across on the beach were no longer open.  

20140621_France_000720140621_France_0007 Everyone was pretty hungry by the time we got to Nice.  We hadn't eaten since breakfast except for bread from my bread making course.  The group decided to stop at pretty much the first restaurant we saw which turned out to be a Hard Rock Cafe.   I have eaten at quite a few of these before but the food was fabulous- perhaps it was because we sat outside on a beautiful night looking at the Mediterranean Sea.  We decided to split this fabulous desert and it was worth every penny (which would have been a lot of pennies).   

20140621_France_000620140621_France_0006 Our cute waiter had a terrific personality.  

20140621_France_000820140621_France_0008 After dinner Chris, Gretchen and Sam decided to take the bus back  but I opted for the forty five minute walk to the hotel  which was located across the road from the beach.  On the way back I watched some guys playing chess for a few minutes.

20140621_France_000920140621_France_0009 It was a great night for ice-cream and watching the scenery.

20140621_France_001020140621_France_0010 People were out fishing along the beach.  

20140621_France_001120140621_France_0011 Just like Paris, everyone seemed to be on their cell phones, even when fishing.  

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20140621_France_001520140621_France_0015 This shot was taken across the street from the hotel looking towards the airport in the distance.

20140621_France_001420140621_France_0014 This photo was taken looking towards the city of Nice. 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) France Nice https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/nice Thu, 28 Aug 2014 00:03:33 GMT
Walking in the Marais District https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/walking-in-the-marais-district On our last morning in Paris the group went for a walk in the Marais district.   The Marais is one of Paris's oldest and most visually stunning neighbourhoods.   At one point in time the  area was an aristocratic  historic district of Paris.  The neighbourhood has many outstanding buildings of historic and architectural importance.  In 1240 the Order of the Temple built its fortified church just outside of Paris' walls in the northern part of the Marais.  The temple turned the district into an attractive area and many religious institutions were built nearby.  In 1361 the King Charles V built a mansion known as the Hotel Saint-Pol in which the Royal Court settled during his reign as well as his son's.  From that time to the 17th century and especially after the Royal Square (Place Royale, current place des Vosges) was designed under King Henri IV in 1605, the Marais was the French nobility's favourite place of residence.  

20140620_France_000220140620_France_0002 As we were walking in the area we met up with the "Pigeon Man" and were trying to figure out if he was living in his van.

20140620_France_000720140620_France_0007 By the 1950's, the district had become a working-class area and most of its architectural masterpieces were in bad shape.  In 1964, General de Gaulle's Culture Minister made the Marais the first sector sauvegarde (literally safeguarded sector).  This was meant to protect and conserve places of special cultural significance.  In the following decades the government and the Parisian municipality have led an active restoration and rehabilitation policy.  

20140620_France_000520140620_France_0005 The main Hotels particulars have been restored and turned into museums.  The gardens above are part of the grounds of the Hotel Carnavalet which is now the Paris Historical Museum.  

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20140620_France_001120140620_France_0011 Le Marais almost felt like medieval Paris.  Walking in the streets looking at beautiful buildings and houses was an indication of the wealthy status of the former residents.  After the revolution, much of the area was abandoned by the rich and the poor bohemian types moved  in.  The area was considered so squalid at this point that it was nearly destroyed by city officials who wanted to modernize Paris.  Before Napoleon showed up the Marais is what most of Paris looked like- a maze of cobblestone alleys.  The rest of Paris was razed by Napoleon and Haussman who wanted to build avenues and gigantic squares such  the Place Concorde.   The purpose of the broad avenues was to make the citizen feel small and powerless when faced with the giant civic machine of government.  

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The Marais was a place to wander around in the streets and circles and never find your way.  In the morning with Seymour as our guide we had no problems since Seymour knew the area very well.    However, when our group decided to go back to the area for dinner it took us a couple of hours to find our way to the park we were looking for (probably should have taken us a half an hour).  This shot above  was actually taken on our evening walk.  The Church of Saint-Paul-Saint Louis was built in the XVII century on the orders of Louis XIII.   The first mass was celebrated by Cardinal Richelieu on May 9, 1641.   The church is adjacent to the Lycée Charlemagne, the former house of the Jesuits in Paris.  

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The Marais has now become a fashionable district, home to many trendy restaurants, fashion houses and galleries.  After the nobility started to move to the Faubourg-Saint Germain, the district became a popular and active commercial area, hosting one of Paris's main Jewish communities.  The rue des Rosiers is still a major centre of the Paris Jewish community which has made a renewal since the 1990's.  The neighbourhood has also experienced a growing gay presence and also is known as a Chinese community.  

 

 

20140620_France_000420140620_France_0004 Since its revival in the 1960s, the area has evolved from a mostly working class and immigrant area to one of the most affluent and prestigious areas in the city.   20140620_France_003720140620_France_0037 There was a lot of  street art in the district.

 

20140620_France_001220140620_France_0012 The most famous garden in the Marais is Place des Vosges which is also the oldest planned square in Paris.  Apparently it is a very typical French garden in that everything is tidy and the buildings all around are harmonious which you can see from the photo. Originally known as the Place Royale, the Place des Vosges was built by Henri IV from 1605 to 1612.  

20140620_France_001320140620_France_0013 Cardinal Richelieu had an equestrian bronze statue of Louis XIII erected in the centre.  The original was melted down in the Revolution; the present version above replaced it in 1825.   20140620_France_001020140620_France_0010 The arcade of the Place des Vosges. 

 

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20140620_France_001620140620_France_0016 Meet Pinot who was my instructor at a bread class that I took the day before I left Paris.  

20140620_France_001720140620_France_0017 We made baguettes which didn't look as good as the ones in the bakeries but they tasted pretty good.  We also made up a mixture of shallots, butter and sugar which was absolutely delicious and made the baguettes taste even better.

20140620_France_001820140620_France_0018 At the end of the class we enjoyed the bread with some wine and cheese.  We also made Brioche which was delicious.  

20140620_France_001920140620_France_0019 The shallot/butter mixture was made for the fougasse (focaccia).  I ended up taking lots of bread back with me which we all enjoyed on the train ride to Nice the next day.

20140620_France_002020140620_France_0020 As I mentioned we were so impressed with the Marais district that we decided to go and get lost there in the evening.  We were trying to find out way back to the gardens.  Still there were several photo opportunities on the way.  

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20140620_France_002220140620_France_0022 The bars and cafes were filling up quickly as there was another world cup soccer game on in the evening.

20140620_France_002420140620_France_0024 Sam and Chris decided to eat in this outdoor cafe which was just across the street from the Place Des Vosges.  Gretchen wasn't hungry and I was still full from the bread and cheese that I ate in class not to mention the best French Toast I had for brunch.  Looking back at the week I probably had never eaten as much bread as I did this week(except perhaps when I was in San Francisco learning how to bake bread).  Croissants or French toast for breakfast and always bread for lunch and dinner.  

20140620_France_002820140620_France_0028 So while Chris and Sam were eating dinner we walked back to the square where there were lots of Parisians enjoying the fabulous evening.

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20140620_France_002620140620_France_0026 I had to take this photo just to show  how close the cars park  to each other in the streets.  

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Eventually Gretchen and I wandered outside of the park to check out some other streets.

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20140620_France_003420140620_France_0034 Gretchen and I found ourselves on this picturesque Rue Saint-Antoine which is a very historical street in the heart of the Marais district. 

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 This ends my story of Paris.  I hope you enjoyed the photographs.  Of course a week in Paris is not nearly long enough to see everything that the city has to offer.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/walking-in-the-marais-district Mon, 25 Aug 2014 13:24:41 GMT
A visit to Versailles https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/a-visit-to-versailles We visited the Palace of Versailles, a royal chateau in Versailles.  When the chateau was built, Versailles was a country village.   Today it is a wealthy suburb of Paris, about 20 km southwest of Paris.  The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France in  1682, when Louis XIV moved there from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution.  

20140619_France_000220140619_France_0002 Our group walking to the Palace.

20140619_France_000120140619_France_0001 This equestrian statue of Louis XIV is an equestrian statue in bronze located on the Place d'Arms in front of the Palace of Versailles.  Louis XIV  known as Louis the Great, was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France from 1643 until his death.  His region of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monarch of a major country in European history. Louis continued his predecessors' work of creating a centralized state governed form the capita.  He sought to eliminate the remnants of feudalism persisting in parts of France.  By compelling many members of the nobility to inhabit his lavish Palace of Versailles, he succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, many members of which had participated in the Fronde rebellion during Louis's minority.  He became one of the most powerful French monarchs and consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule in France that lasted until the French Revolution.

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In 1575, the seigneury of Versailles was bought by Albert de Gondi, a naturalized Florentine, who invited Louis XIII on serval hunting trips in the forests surrounding Versailles.  Louis liked the location and ordered the construction of a hunting lodge in 1624.  Eight years later, Louis obtained the property from the Gondi family and began to make enlargements to the chateau.  This structure would become the core of the new palace.  Louis XIII's successor, Louis XIV had it expanded into one of the largest palaces in the world.  Following the Treaties of Nijmegen in 1678, he began to gradually move the court to Versailles.  The court was officially established there on May 6, 1682.

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20140619_France_000520140619_France_0005 After photographing the outside of the palace I walked around the gardens.  Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land.  The gardens are now one of the most visited public sites in France, receiving more than six million visitors  a year.  In addition to the meticulous manicured lawns, flowers and sculptures are the fountains which are located through the gardens.  

20140619_France_000120140619_France_0001 Le Bassin d'Apollo (The fountain of Apollo) depicts the Greek god Apollo rising from the sea in a four-horse chariot.  A pond was dug on the site of the fountain in 1639 called "The Pond of the Swans".   King Louis XIV  had the pond enlarged in 1671.  Now the pond is used for boating.  

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20140619_France_000420140619_France_0004 A cottage (tea room) on the property.  In 1979, the gardens along with the chateau were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, one of thirty-one such designations in France.  

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Later on in the afternoon, I ended up walking back to the Seine River and Notre Dame. It was my last chance to see the area on this trip.  I actually took my tripod and did a few long exposure shots.  

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20140619_France_001320140619_France_0013 For our final group dinner Michael took us to dinner at Le Chalet des Iles.  In order to get to the Island where the restaurant is located we took a short ferry ride.   The restaurant is situated on the lake of du Bois de Boulogne which gives you the impression of being far away from the frenzy of Paris.  We walked around before dinner admiring the gardens and the nice views of the lake.  

20140619_France_001420140619_France_0014 The food was delicious and very nicely presented.  We sat outside on the patio and had a great time. 20140619_France_001520140619_France_0015

 

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20140619_France_001720140619_France_0017 A view of the restaurant from the ferry.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) France Paris Versailles https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/a-visit-to-versailles Fri, 15 Aug 2014 20:29:45 GMT
A visit to the Montmartre District https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/a-visit-to-the-montmartre-district  I found Paris was an easy city to find scenes to photograph but a frustrating city to shoot in.  I thought that many of the traditional sites like the Eiffel Tower and  the Louvre were  stunning and the city's gardens were interesting and colourful.  The Latin Quarter and many other districts we walked in were also  very photogenic.  However, I also found that some of the places did not allow photography inside such as Sacre Coeur.  Many storefront businesses do not allow photography  and most people on the street waved me off when they saw me trying to take pictures.  I really didn't see very many people smiling in Paris especially if they saw a camera.  Paris certainly has a lot going for it- including fabulous food and architecture.  The streets are picturesque and there are so many interesting places to see; however, from a photography point of view it is tough.  The people are not friendly to photographers; the traffic, people and poles make it very challenging to find clean backgrounds and foregrounds; the pollution is terrible and there is a lot of noise including sirens going off constantly.  However, in spite of everything, Paris is worth the challenge and I loved the city.  In a recent survey by Conde Nest Traveler, Paris was voted the fourth unfriendliest city in the world.

As Seymour pointed out to me, the  lesson to be learnt when doing street photography in Paris is to take one picture and move on quickly to avoid confrontation.  You might miss the shot but you are gone before anyone gets a chance to say anything.   I probably did not learn this lesson soon enough.  Another method is to spend time in one area so that people tend to get used to you and stop paying any attention to what you are doing.  I think for some photographers like myself,  there is also an advantage to using  a small camera and lens.    Not only is the camera  lighter when carrying it around all day, it is also less noticeable.    I did travel with a smaller camera and found that I used it most of the time unless I was doing night photography or using a tripod which was rare.  

Now for today's blog which is all about a  wonderful visit to the Montmartre District.  Montmartre is a hill in the north of Paris.  It is 130 metres high and is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacre Coeur on its summit and as a nightclub district.  Since Montmartre was outside the city limits, free of Paris taxes and the fact that the local nuns made wine, the hill quickly became a popular drinking area.  The area developed into a centre of free-wheeling and decadent entertainment at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. 

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The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is commonly known as Sacre-Coeur Basilica.  This popular landmark is located on the highest point of the city.  Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914.  Sacre-Coeur is  beautiful inside, unfortunately no photography was allowed although I saw many people taking pictures with their phones.

 
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Here is the view from the hill overlooking the city. 

20140618_France_002420140618_France_0024 Some very lucky people living in this complex have fantastic views of the city.  

20140618_France_002820140618_France_0028 A woman sleeping outside of the church.

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20140618_France_003220140618_France_0032 In the mid 19th century, artists including Johan Jongkind and Camille Pissaro came to live in Montmartre.  But it wasn't until the end of that century that the district became the principal artistic centre of Paris.   20140618_France_003420140618_France_0034

 

20140618_France_003720140618_France_0037 This district was very colourful.

20140618_France_003120140618_France_0031 There were cafes everywhere on the streets.   20140618_France_003820140618_France_0038

 

20140618_France_003920140618_France_0039 A typical street in Montmartre.  Many famous movies including Moulin Rouge and Amelie took place in this quaint district.  

20140618_France_004120140618_France_0041 There were lots of beautiful gardens in the area.

20140618_France_004220140618_France_0042 People hanging out at the park situation below the Sacre Coeur. Sometimes it seemed as though  everyone was on their phone but I'm thinking that is pretty well everywhere now (except Cuba).  

20140618_France_004520140618_France_0045 The earliest recorded macaroon recipes were made from egg whites and almond paste.  Culinary historians claim that macaroons can be traced to an Italian monastery of the 9th century.  The monks came to France in 1533, joined by the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici who was the  wife of King Henry II.  Later two Benedictine nuns came to Nancy in France, seeking asylum during the French Revolution.  The two women paid for their housing by baking and selling macaroon cookies and they became known as the "Macaroon Sisters".   My sister Wendy makes fabulous macaroons ( Wendy actually took  a class in Paris on the art of making macaroons) so perhaps I should learn how and we could also be known as the "Macaroon Sisters"!  

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After walking all day through the market and Montmartre we decided that we hadn't had enough exercise so Chris, Gretchen, Sam and myself set out  to find a dinner spot.  We ended up walking back to the area near Notre Dame and the River Seine which was a fair distance from our hotel.  On the way we saw the "Pigeon Man".  

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Once again my theory proved accurate.  The friendliest people in France were those who had dogs.  This little puppy was so cute- we ended up having so much fun spending a few minutes with the boss.  Gretchen and I didn't want to leave!

 
 
20140618_France_005420140618_France_0054 Well Sam and Chris were also lots of fun to hang out with.
 
20140618_France_005520140618_France_0055 20140618_France_005620140618_France_0056 It was a great night for dog shots.  I was reminded of the time when Maggie and Katie loved to play with a coke bottles and cans.  

 

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We walked by the Saint-Jacques Tower  so many times that I thought I would include its photo.   The 52-metre(171 ft) Gothic tower is all that remains of the former 16th-century Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie which was levelled shortly after the French Revolution.  In 1793, the preservation of the tower was a condition of the contract by which the church was bought for the value of its building materials. It was repurchased by the city of Paris in 1836 and declared a Monument Historique in 1862.  
 
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A few more shots at the river.
 
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It was a beautiful  night for a boat ride.  
 
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One of the last shots of the evening. 
 
 
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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) District France Montmartre Paris Sacre-Coeur https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/a-visit-to-the-montmartre-district Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:08:49 GMT
A visit to the Saint Martin District https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/a-visit-to-the-saint-martin-district-and-sacre-coeur This morning  we spent some time walking in the Canal Saint-Martin district.  

20140618_France_000320140618_France_0003 This Canal Saint-Martin  is a 4.5 km long canal in Paris.  It connects the Canal de I'Ourcq to the river Seine and runs underground between Bastille (Paris Metro) and Republique (Paris Metro). Construction of the canal was ordered by Napoleon Bonaparte  in 1802.  The canal was built for supplying Paris with fresh water to support a growing population and help avoid diseases such as dysentery and cholera.  

20140618_France_000520140618_France_0005 The canal was also used to supply Paris with food (grain), building supplies and other goods carried on canal boats.  By the 1960's, traffic had dwindled to a trickle and the canal narrowly escaped being filled in and paved over for a highway.  Today the canal is a popular destination for Parisians and tourists who watch the barges navigate the series of locks and road bridges.  

20140618_France_000420140618_France_0004 The canal area inspired many painters.  We saw lots of street art in the area.  

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20140618_France_000120140618_France_0001 We saw lots of people enjoying their lunches and reading beside the canal.  

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Another example of colourful street art.  

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 In the 19th century, the area was mostly occupied by working-class labourers.  Only recently has it started to attract professionals who are looking for apartments with views of the canal.

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There were several popular restaurants and bars along the canal.  The area is also very popular with students. 

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Another patisserie that we wandered into.   

20140618_France_001220140618_France_0012 It really was a very nice  quiet neighbourhood (apart from the construction) full of new shops and wonderful cafes and bistros.  We also saw lots of boutiques and wine bars.  

20140618_Portfolio Photos_008120140618_Portfolio Photos_0081 There were lots of interesting opportunities for street photography.   20140618_France_001820140618_France_0018

20140618_France_000920140618_France_0009 A modern street bathroom.  In France like other European countries that I have been to it is common to pay to use the facilities.

20140618_France_000120140618_France_0001 There were lots of interesting streets to explore.

20140618_France_001920140618_France_0019 I can certainly understand why living in this area is so popular.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Canal Martin Paris Saint district https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/a-visit-to-the-saint-martin-district-and-sacre-coeur Sun, 10 Aug 2014 03:08:14 GMT
Willow Lake https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/willow-lake I went to Willow Lake to test out my replacement camera.  Here are a few shots.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/willow-lake Sat, 09 Aug 2014 15:56:37 GMT
The Eiffel Tower at night https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/the-eiffel-tower-at-night One of the highlights of the day was visiting the Eiffel Tower at night.  Before setting out for the night trip, we walked back to the hotel from the Champs-Elysees.   We found ourselves walking around twelve miles a day in Paris.  

20140617_France_000120140617_France_0001 We walked by the Grand Palais, a large historic site, exhibition hall and museum located at the Champs-Elysees in the 8th arrondissement. Construction began in 1897 following the demolition of the Palais de L'Industrie  as part of the preparation work for the Universal Exposition of 1900.  During World War 1, the Palais served a a military hospital and in World War II, the Nazis used the building as a truck depot and then it housed two Nazi propaganda exhibitions.  The Parisian resistance used the Palais as a headquarters during the Liberation of Paris.  Today, the Grand Palais has a major police station in the basement which helps protect the exhibits.  

20140617_France_003120140617_France_0031 The eighteen foot bronze statue of Charles de Gaulle was unveiled  in November 2000.  The statue was based on the photograph of the general striding down the Champs-Elysees among ecstatic scenes after the liberation of Paris on August 26, 1944. 20140617_France_003020140617_France_0030 Charles de Gaulee was a French general and statesman who led the Free French forces during World War II and later served as France's president from 1959 to 1969.  De Gaulle led the government in exile against France's pro-German Vichy government while he was in London and Africa.  His promotion of French national interests led to confrontations with Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt  due to their initial unwillingness to inform him of the D-Day landings in June 1944.

 

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The gardens of the Champs-Elysees.  The area was originally a marsh and began to be converted during the seventeenth century.  The gardens were bought by the City of Paris in 1828.  The current gardens  inaugurated in 1840 were designed by Jean-Charles Alphand  based on the model of the English Gardens.  The gardens were reduced in size by the building of the Grand and Petit Palais for the World Fair of 1900.

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A beautiful afternoon in the park.  

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The five star Hotel du Louvre is an old Parisian building located between the Pont Neuf and the rue de Rivoli.  

20140617_France_004020140617_France_0040 20140617_France_003720140617_France_0037 A quiet neighbourhood street.
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20140617_France_004420140617_France_0044 After dinner we headed over to the Eiffel Tower.  Michael took us to the river to scout out areas for some night photography.  

20140617_France_004520140617_France_0045 Some black and white shots of the Eiffel Tower.  The above sepia shot was taken when we were scouting out the best place to set up the tripods.   The tower is 324 metres (1,063 feet) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building.   20140617_France_005320140617_France_0053 This shot was taken at the end of the evening just before the bridge lights came on.  During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to assume the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world.  This title was held for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building in New York City  was build in 1930.  Because of the addition of the antenna on top of the tower, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 metres (17 feet).

 

20140617_France_005220140617_France_0052 This photo was taken beside the river in the same area as the above photo.

20140617_France_000120140617_France_0001 This photo was taken from the bridge as we walked towards the Eiffel Tower.  

20140617_France_000220140617_France_0002 Another shot of the river and buildings.

20140617_France_004620140617_France_0046 Everyone was taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower.   The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most visited paid monument in the world. The tower received its 250 millionth visitor in 2010.  Eiffel had a permit  for the tower to stand for 20 years-it was to be dismantled in 1909 when its ownership would revert to the City of Paris.  The city had planned to tear it down (part of the original contest rules for designing the tower was that it should be easy to demolish) but as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes it was allowed to remain after the expiry of the permit.

20140617_France_004920140617_France_0049 Walking underneath the Eiffel Tower.  The main structural work was completed at the end of March 1889.  The tower was erected as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's fair.  It was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design but has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

20140617_France_005020140617_France_0050 The two girls look like they might have come back from Disneyland Paris.

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The first structure built on the top of the Chaillot  Hill was build for the 1878 World's Fair.  Known as the Palais du Trocadero, it was a large concert hall with two wings and two towers.  When it was announced that Paris would once gain host the World's Fair in 1937, plans for a new Palais de Chaillot were proposed.  It was to be designed in the modern style.  Not unlike its predecessor, this building features two wings that form a wide arc, built on the foundations of the old palace.  

20140617_France_005420140617_France_0054 We stayed in the area for quite a while waiting for the bridge lights to come on. 20140617_France_005520140617_France_0055 Our patience paid off as the lights eventually  came on.  In this photo you see the lights of a boat sailing by the Eiffel Tower.

20140617_France_005620140617_France_0056  I took another photograph of the Palais de Chaillot just before we left the area.  Today the palace houses a number of different museums.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Chaillot Champs de Eiffel Elysees Palais Paris Tower https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/the-eiffel-tower-at-night Thu, 07 Aug 2014 02:55:43 GMT
A visit to a local market and the Champs-Elysees. https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/another-day-in-paris Today we spent most of the day walking through various neighbourhoods and ended up on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, one of the world's most famous streets.   

20140617_France_000220140617_France_0002 In the morning we went to a local farmers market located near the Ledru-Rollin metro station.  

20140617_France_000320140617_France_0003 A few of the vendors were happy to have their photos taken but many were not.

20140617_France_000420140617_France_0004 They had many different colourful displays of food and clothing.

20140617_France_000520140617_France_0005 Another friendly Parisian.

20140617_France_000820140617_France_0008 We met this guy who turned out to be very friendly (what did I say about dog owners).  We spent quite a while talking to him and petting his friendly dogs.  As you can see Gretchen made another friend.  20140617_France_000720140617_France_0007

20140617_France_001020140617_France_0010 A local cafe in the area.

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 I went into this fabulous bakery.

20140617_France_000920140617_France_0009 Paris has such delicious pastries and bread.  

20140617_France_000120140617_France_0001 A little girl enjoying her snack.

20140617_France_000120140617_France_0001 The metro station at Ledru- Rollin.  We mostly walked all over Paris, however we did take the metro a few times.  The metro in Paris is mostly underground and 214 kilometres (133 mi) long and has 303 stations of which 62 have transfers to another line.  There are 16 lines.  It is the second busiest metro in Europe after Moscow.  In 2012 it carried 1.541 billion passengers averaging  4.210 million passengers a day.   It is one of the densest metro systems in the world with 245 stations within the 86.9 (34 sq mi) of the city of Paris (the remaining 58 stations are on the outskirts of Paris).  The very first line opened on July 19, 1900 during the World's Fair.  Just as a comparison, Toronto's metro (TTC) opened in 1954 with 12 stations and has expanded to 69 stations on four lines totalling   68.3kilometres (42.4 mi) in length.  Toronto averages 1,084,000 passengers a day.  

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Just like Toronto, dogs are allowed on the subway systems.  Not surprising since dogs are also allowed in restaurants. 

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There were lots of interesting people at the cafes and on the streets.

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One of the most famous monuments in Paris is the Arc de Triomphe de L'Etoile.  It is located in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle (originally named Place de l"Etoile), at the western end of the Champs-Elysees.  This Arc honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars.  Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the unknown soldier from World War 1.

20140617_France_001920140617_France_0019 The monument stands 50 metres (164 feet) tall, 45m (72 ft) wide and 22m (72 ft) deep.  The Arc is built on such a large scale that three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919( to mark the end of the hostilities in World War 1),  Charles Godefroy flew his Nieuport biplane through it.

20140617_France_002020140617_France_0020 People walking and taking bus rides on the famous Champs-Elysees.  With its cinemas, cafes, luxury specially shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Champs-Elysees is one of the world's most famous streets.  It also happens to be one of the most expensive strips of real estate in the world.  The street is often referred to as the most beautiful avenue in the world.  Because of the streets close proximity to several Parisian landmarks, it has been the site of several notable military parades.  The most infamous being the march of German troops celebrating the fall of France on July 14, 1940.  The two most famous were the subsequent marches of Free French and American forces afar the liberation of the city on August 26th, 1944 and August 29, 1944.

20140617_France_002120140617_France_0021 The modern  and the old.  The Champs-Elysees was originally fields and market gardens until 1616 when Marie de' Medici decided to extend the axis of the Tuileries Garden with an avenue of trees.   The arrival of the global chain stores in recent years has really changed the streets character.   Too many of the large chains now occupy the real estate.  Traditionally the avenue was home to popular and luxurious brands such as Louis, Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Lancel, Guerlain, Lacoste, Hotel de la Paiva, Fouquets and the Elysee Palace.  Now large chains such as Adidas, Disney, Nike,Toyota, The Gap, H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch have opened stores.  I couldn't help feeling that the street has lost some  its charm and uniqueness  over the years but given the high rents this was inevitable. 

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20140617_France_002420140617_France_0024 Fouquet's Paris was established in 1899 and was renovated in 1999.  This famous restaurant is listed in the inventory of historical monuments.  The restaurant is famous in the world of French cinema and also was in the spotlight after Nicolas Sarkozy and his family celebrated his victory in the 2007 presidential election.  In the photography, Seymour is studying the menu.    Because of the high rents, few people live on the Champs-Elysees;  upper stories tend to be occupied by offices.  

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Here is a portion of the menu at Fouquet's which is a little difficult to read.  To convert to CND$ you have to multiply the Euros by about 1.5.  If you wanted sole Meuniere with mashed peas you would be paying approximately $108 CND.   If you would prefer a grilled beef filet with potatoes and onions covered with a béarnaise sauce it would cost $78 CND.   Did I mention that Paris is an expensive city?  

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A very common site in Paris. This woman was harmless, however there has been a huge increase in the number of aggressive beggars and pickpockets flooding into the French capital from Romania and Bulgaria.  The French authorities have responded to the huge increase in the number of criminal gangs of pickpockets and other thieves operating in the city by placing more police officers at tourist sties.   One of our members was pick- pocketed in the market.  In 2013, France's socialist government announced new policies to help the Roma community by expanding their access to legal employment.  This would effect approximately 20,000 Roma living in France.  Even though Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the European Union in 2007, transitional arrangements meant that their citizens would not have complete freedom of employment in France until December 31, 2013 which created huge problems.  

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People were constantly on their cell phones everywhere (not unlike Toronto).  

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Another look at the Champs-Ellysees with the Arc at the end of the street.  Every year on Bastille Day on July 14, the largest military parade in Europe passes down the Champs-Elysees.  Also, since 1975, the last stage of the Tour de France has finished on the Champs-Ellysees, with the riders typically making six to eight circuits back and forth on the avenue.  

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Champs-Ellysees Paris https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/8/another-day-in-paris Sat, 02 Aug 2014 18:21:19 GMT
A visit to the Latin Quarter in Paris https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/7/a-visit-to-the-latin-quarter-in-paris Today we explored the Latin Quarter and enjoyed a visit to the Pantheon.  It was fun watching the people and seeing all of the impressive architecture and scenery everywhere.  We ended up doing some night photography at the Louvre.  

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Walking to the Latin Quarter we walked through a treed area.  

20140616_France_000120140616_France_0001 Then we walked by the river.  The river was so  peaceful  compared to the busy streets of Paris.

20140616_France_000320140616_France_0003 A beautiful red door somewhere in the Latin Quarter.  The Latin Quarter is a district dominated by universities, colleges and prestigious high schools. 

20140616_France_000320140616_France_0003 In this photo, Seymour is busy taking a picture of all of the "love locks" on the famous Pont de Arts bridge.  A nine-arch metallic bridge for pedestrians was constructed between 1802 and 1804 at the location of the present day Pont des Arts.  In 1976, the inspector of Bridges and Causeways reported several deficiencies on the bridge.  The damage had been caused by two aerial bombardments during the world wars and also from multiple collisions caused by boats.  The bridge was closed in 1977 and in 1979 suffered a 60 metre collapse after a barge rammed into it.  The present bridge was built between 1981  and 1984.  The number of arches were reduced to seven allowing the look of the old bridge to be preserved while realigning the new structure with the Pont Neuf.  The domed-like building in the background is the Institute of France which manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and chateaux open to the public.  

20140616_France_000120140616_France_0001 Thousands of tourists show their affection by attaching padlocks to this iconic  bridge.  After they attach the love locks to the railing or the grate on the side of the bridge, they throw the key into the Seine River as a romantic gesture to represent a couple's committed love.    After a section of the bridge broke off apparently under the weight of the padlocks, authorities floated the idea of a ban with fines handed out to those caught ignoring the rule.  For now  the mayor is urging visitors to show their affection by tying ribbons to the railings as an alternative.    Locals have complained about the "eyesore" locks. 

20140616_France_000120140616_France_0001  The University of Paris is a famous university in Paris and one of the earliest to be established in Europe.  It was founded in the middle of the 12th century and was officially recognized as a university from between 1160 and 1250.  After many changes, including a century of suspension (from 1793 to 1896) it was divided into thirteen autonomous universities in 1970.  The university is often referred to as the Sorbonne after the collegiate institution founded around 1257 by Robert de Sorbon.  
 
20140616_France_000520140616_France_0005 The ancient university disappeared during the French Revolution.  All of the facilities were replaced by a single centre, the University of France.  After a century, people recognized that the new system was less favourable to study so the old system of separate facilities was restored in 1896 but without the Faculty of Theology.  

20140616_France_000120140616_France_0001 I just liked the look of this building.   To be honest I loved the look of most of the Paris buildings and architecture so it was hard to not stop and take photos of everything I saw.  

20140616_France_000120140616_France_0001 Our group headed to the Pantheon which was under construction but still open to the public.  The building, located in the Latin Quarter was originally built as a church but now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens.

20140616_France_000820140616_France_0008 I loved the design of the ornate Corinthian columns.  The Corinthian describes a single column style developed in ancient Greece.

20140616_France_000920140616_France_0009 The overall design of the building was that of a Greek cross with massive portico of Corinthian columns.  Its ambitious lines called for a vast building 110 metres long by 84 metres wide and 83 metres high.  The cross of the dome which was retained  as a compromise is no longer visible due to the current major restoration project. 20140616_France_000120140616_France_0001 Upon the death of the popular French orator and statesman, Honore Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau on April 2, 1791 the building was changed from a church to a mausoleum for the internment of Mirabeau. Twice since then it has reverted to being a church but eventually was once again a meeting house dedicated to the great intellectuals of France. 

20140616_France_001120140616_France_0011 This is the current floor of the Pantheon during the renovation project.  

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20140616_France_001920140616_France_0019 A hallway of The Crypt.

20140616_France_000220140616_France_0002 A photograph  of part of the ceiling.

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Gretchen looking up at me as I was photographing the stairs.

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A typical Paris street scene.

20140616_France_002220140616_France_0022 I walked into this fabulous chocolate shop "Meilleur Ouvrier de France Chocolatier".   A Chocolatier is a person who makes confectionery from chocolate.  The chocolatiers generally start out as pastry or confectionery chefs.  Being a master chocolatier involves perfecting the art of working with chocolate to create not only delicious desserts but also skilfully crafted pieces of art with the chocolate.  Who ever made the above creation was certainly a master.  

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Where are all  the cars?  So unusual for Paris.  

20140616_France_002720140616_France_0027 The Jardin du Luxenbourg was created in 1612 by Marie de' Medici, the widow of King Henry 1V of France and the mother of Louis XIII of France.   After the death of Henri 1V in 1610, Marie became the regent to her son and decided to build a new palace for herself given her more powerful position.   After the revolution, it became  a legislative building.  Since 1958 it has been the seat of the French Senate.    Shown above is the pool in front of the Palais du Luxembourg.   

20140616_France_002820140616_France_0028 On the south side of the palace, the formal Luxembourg Garden is a 25 hectare park.  The park is known for its lawns, tree-lined promenades, flowerbeds, model sailboats on its circular basin and for the picturesque Medici Fountain built in 1620.  It was a perfect day for ice-cream.  

20140616_France_002920140616_France_0029 After all of the walking it was time for a snack!

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There were also lots of modern buildings in Paris.

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20140616_France_000120140616_France_0001 A lot of the time I felt that Paris was a city to be photographed in black and white, however there were times where I came across some very nice colours. 20140616_France_003720140616_France_0037

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20140616_France_003820140616_France_0038 After dinner we headed over to the Louvre for some night shots.  

20140616_France_003920140616_France_0039 We had some beautiful light tonight as the sun was setting.  This shot  of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel was taken from the Louvre plaza.   This Arc is located in the Place du Carrousel on the site of the former Tuileries Palace.  The Arc was built between 1806 and 1808 to commemorate Napoleon's military victories of the previous year.   This monument has eight corinthian columns of marble topped by eight soldiers of the empire.  The more famous Arc to Triomphe de l'Etoile nearby was designed in the same year but it is about twice the size and was not completed until 1836. 

20140616_France_004020140616_France_0040 This photo shows a small portion of the Louvre.  The Louvre is one of the world's largest museums and  is a historic monument.  The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II.  

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  The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace.  The museum opened on August 10, 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings.  Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801.  The collection was increased under Napoleon but after his defeat at Waterloo, many works seized by his armies were returned to their original owners. 

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Facing towards the Arc.

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By 1874, the Louvre Palace had achieved its present form of an almost rectangular structure.   The glass pyramid and its underground lobby were inaugurated on October 15, 1988 and were completed in 1989.  We stayed around until it got dark and all of the lights came on.  

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20140616_France_005020140616_France_0050 Last shot of the evening. 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/7/a-visit-to-the-latin-quarter-in-paris Wed, 30 Jul 2014 01:58:41 GMT
Paris https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/7/walking-in-paris Paris, situated on the Seine River  is the capital and most populous city in France.  The city's municipality is over 2.2 million people.  Year after  year Paris is the most visited city in the world.  I read that each year 44 million tourists visit the city and in June, 2014 I was one of the lucky tourists.  The photography opportunities were endless if not the easiest in some cases.  We found ourselves walking miles everyday  exploring different neighbourhoods.

2014_France2014_France Meet Seymour who was the trip leader.  Seymour had lived in Paris and I think he tried to show us every street in the city!  He was  a great tour guide and gave our group many helpful  tips when doing street photography.   It was great meeting and spending time with him.    

2014_France2014_France The first couple of days we walked in the streets near our hotel heading towards the River Seine and Notre Dame.  

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There were street artists everywhere.  

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20140614_France20140614_France I met Sam last year in Italy and he  joined our photo tour in Paris.  

2014_France2014_France 2014_France2014_France In Paris, love is in the air everywhere you look.  After Venice, Paris is considered the second most romantic city in the world.  I met Chris and Gretchen, part of our tour (pictured directly above) in my trip to Italy last year and we (including Sam) had a great reunion.   2014_France2014_France

2014_France2014_France Gretchen and Chris in front of Notre Dame.  This cathedral is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world.  Notre-Dame is the parish that contains the cathedra or official chair of the archbishop of Paris.  

2014_France2014_France Notre-Dame was completed in 1345 and suffered desecration during the French Revolution in 1790's.  An extensive restoration began in 1845 and further restoration and maintenance began in 1991.  

20140615_Portfolio Photos_007120140615_Portfolio Photos_0071 A photo taken just  outside of Notre-Dame.  The woman was sitting on the curb with some friends. 

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Notre-Dame has a narrow climb of 387 steps at the top of several spiral staircases.  It was well worth the climb as the views of Paris at the top were spectacular.  In the distance you can see the Eiffel Tower.  

 

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Another view overlooking the Seine River and beautiful city of Paris.  I think Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  I thought this when I visited and lived with a French family in high school and after returning I still feel the same way.  Many small individually crafted statues were placed around the outside to serve as column supports and water spurs including the famous gargoyles.  And  I thought the Gargoyle's job was to watch over and protect the city!  

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We ended up strolling down to the Seine to see the scenery and watch the people.  I never got a chance to take the river boat ride on this trip but I remember cruising on my previous two trips to Paris.  The first trip I was 11 years old and the family went on a sunset dinner ride.  I still remember the family photo.  The second time I was 17 years old and it was a rainy miserable day on the water but our tour still went on in spite of the weather.  

2014_France2014_France The Seine is a 776 km long river which rises at Source-Seine, 30 kilometres northwest of Dijon in northeastern France.  The river  flows through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre.  Over 60% of the river is negotiable by commercial riverboats and nearly its whole length is available for recreational boating. 

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20140615_Portfolio Photos_007020140615_Portfolio Photos_0070 I don't know what the tourist was looking at -perhaps it was some beautiful architecture details as in the photo above.  

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There were so many photo opportunities as we walked along the river. 

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There were dogs everywhere in Paris- my kind of city.  For the most part I found that the Parisians did not like having their photos taken.  However, if there was a dog involved it was a whole different story.  The people that I met out walking with their dogs were all so friendly but isn't that always the case! 


2014_France2014_France Europeans still rank as the world's heaviest smokers.  About 28 percent of adults smoked in 2011 in Europe as more French picked up the habit.  Cigarettes in France cost 7 Euros a pack which is roughly equal $10 CND.  
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2014_France2014_France There were some beautiful looking apartment/condo buildings in Paris. 2014_France2014_France

 

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This little boy clearly liked sun glasses. 

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As in a lot of cities there seemed to be construction everywhere.  There were also lots of bicyclists everywhere not to mention cars.  Driving in Paris turned out to be a challenge especially on World Cup soccer nights.  

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I wouldn't mind living in this building at all.

2014_France2014_France After walking miles (no exaggeration), it was finally time for our welcome to Paris dinner.  The restaurant that was chosen was excellent.  After dinner I peeked into this empty dining room.  I should mention that food in France  was the most expensive of any of the places I have ever been.   My morning croissant and tea were approximately $15 CND.  A cup of tea was $8.25.  

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The restaurant was very beautiful with delicious food.  I thought that the food in France was just as good as Italy and that is saying a lot.  The bread was fantastic-probably the best in the world.  

 

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2014_France2014_France The outside patio at the restaurant.  It was after nine when we finished dinner and you can see how light it still was outside.  

2014_France2014_France After dinner we walked back to the hotel going by the Seine River again.  

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Sunset on the river.

2014_France2014_France The streets were full of people all looking forward to the World Cup Soccer match that France was playing in.

2014_France2014_France Everyone kept their eyes glued to the television set in the bar.  

2014_France2014_France Well almost everyone!

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World cup soccer fever was everywhere in the city.  

2014_France2014_France Not too many people at the fruit stand- they were all watching the game.

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Notre-dame Paris https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/7/walking-in-paris Sat, 26 Jul 2014 18:53:47 GMT
Back to Havana for one last photo opportunity https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/6/back-to-havana-for-one-last-photo-opportunity It took us most of the day to get back to Havana.  By late afternoon I was checked into the hotel and had a couple of hours to go out in Havana for one last walk.   Our group was getting together for our farewell dinner later on in the evening.  The dinner turned out to be really good- once again I was surprised about just how much I enjoyed the food in Cuba.  

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I started off just watching the old cars go by the street in front of the hotel.  The weather was beautiful and I knew that once I got home I would be in frigid temperatures again (little did I know just how cold and snowy February would be).   

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20140202_cuba_040520140202_cuba_0405 After a while I wandered down the street to get some more colourful backgrounds.  

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You can see how crowded the streets were.  It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

20140202_cuba_046420140202_cuba_0464 Ok- last panning shot for this trip!

20140202_cuba_0420-Edit-Edit20140202_cuba_0420-Edit-Edit Not a cloud in the sky today (not a good thing for photography).  

20140202_cuba_047320140202_cuba_0473 I took this photo just to show what the inside of one of these old cars looked like.

20140202_cuba_0474-Edit-2-220140202_cuba_0474-Edit-2-2 Close up of the mirror with the colours of the car brought out.  20140202_cuba_0474-Edit-Edit20140202_cuba_0474-Edit-Edit

 

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20140202_cuba_053420140202_cuba_0534 Then I decided to walk down in the direction of the water where people were sitting on benches, kids were playing on their skateboards and artists were selling their work.

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I was enjoying one last look at some of the buildings.

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20140202_cuba_0647-Edit-Edit20140202_cuba_0647-Edit-Edit I got back to the hotel around six and headed up to the rooftop to take a few pictures before dinner.   A view of the buildings in front of the hotel

20140202_cuba_0720-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit20140202_cuba_0720-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit A view of the distant water from the rooftop.

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One last shot before getting ready for dinner.  After spending ten days in Cuba I found out why people fall in love with the country and its people.  I certainly hope to get back one day- perhaps even get to the beach  for a swim next time!

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/6/back-to-havana-for-one-last-photo-opportunity Mon, 30 Jun 2014 15:07:12 GMT
Last Afternoon in Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/6/last-afternoon-in-trinidad On our last afternoon in Trinidad, some of the group went to the beach but I ended up going out to do some more photography.  Perhaps had I known how bitterly cold and snowy Toronto was going to be for the rest of the winter I might have reconsidered.   I really wanted to be in two places at the same time!   Apparently the beach was very nice and the everyone who went had a great time. I never did get to the beach except for one night for a few night shots.

20140131_Portfolio Photos_006420140131_Portfolio Photos_0064 This little girl was not too sure about having her picture taken but her mother really wanted the photo taken.  I think the girl was just very shy but so photogenic.  The photo below was taken in her mother's store while the other two pictures were taken outside.   20140131_cuba_0125-2-220140131_cuba_0125-2-2

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I took a look in the interior of  this old car- it  didn't look too comfortable to me.

20140201_cuba_047620140201_cuba_0476 However, it looked really neat on the outside.

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The kids were just too cute and many were nicely dressed!  Check out the sandals.  

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I found that there was so much to photograph in Cuba.  Between photographing people, cars, street scenes and the buildings it was almost too many choices.  I think that Cuba is a photographer's dream come true.

 

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20140201_cuba_0233-220140201_cuba_0233-2 There were also lots of dogs to photograph.  Unfortunately some of them were street dogs.  I'm hoping this guy wasn't one of them.  It is actually hard to tell because I'm thinking (hoping) that some of the stray dogs actually had homes to go to at night.  

20140201_cuba_0592-Edit-Edit-220140201_cuba_0592-Edit-Edit-2 Even the horses wore dressed with colour!

20140201_cuba_069520140201_cuba_0695 We came across this woman enjoying a cigar outside of her house.  She was happy to pose for us.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cuba Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/6/last-afternoon-in-trinidad Thu, 12 Jun 2014 13:48:15 GMT
Last morning in Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/6/last-morning-in-trinidad Today was pretty much a travel day as we had a six hour drive or so back to Havana.  However, we still had an opportunity to photograph before breakfast and heading back.  It was time to have more fun with some panning techniques, only this time I was panning people instead of cars for the most part.  We headed out to a colourful corner and waited for action.  

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20140201_cuba_0158-Edit-Edit20140201_cuba_0158-Edit-Edit This photo was taken walking through one of the squares in Trinidad.  The buildings surrounding the main square in Trinidad date from the 18th and 19th centuries when trade in sugar and the slave trade brought great riches to the area.  Many of the buildings surrounding the plazas belonged to the wealthy landowners of the city.  Once the sugar trade diminished and the slave trade ended in the mid 19th century little building work occurred until the 1950s.  As a result of this restoration, many of the historic buildings and streets were preserved, especially the grand colonial structures.  Most of these buildings are now museums.  

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20140201_cuba_0265-Edit20140201_cuba_0265-Edit I entered this image title "Almost Dancing" in my camera clubs' creative competition.  It scored 24.5 out of 30.  The judges liked it and thought it had an interesting art quality.  They felt that the painterly quality is exciting- honestly their words.  The negative comments were that they weren't sure about the pole being in the photograph and they would have liked more space for the feet in the picture.  For sure I agree that it would have been better had there been more space for the feet.  Next time!

20140201_cuba_0255-Edit-320140201_cuba_0255-Edit-3 This is a second image I entered in the competition (out of four).  I called in People in Motion.  it scored a total of 22 with the judges giving it 6.5, 8.5 and 7.  It was interesting how the judges had very different feelings about it but I find this to be true  in many cases.   There really wasn't a comment on how to improve the photo except perhaps remove the rectangle in the upper left corner which  could be considered distracting.  I didn't actually mind it.  

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This photo only received a score of 19.5 so clearly not well received.  The judges didn't like the bright area on the right which they found was a distraction and taking away from the more important area on the left and middle.  

20140201_cuba_0251-Edit-320140201_cuba_0251-Edit-3 I think the judges might have been correct- that by removing the white area to the right makes this image stronger.  Also, the pole is no longer in the middle.

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By now it was time to head back to the hotel for breakfast and to pack up for our return trip to Havana.  I was sure sorry that it was time to leave.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/6/last-morning-in-trinidad Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:34:54 GMT
An excursion to Las Casa del Alfarero https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/6/an-excursion-to-las-casa-del-alfarero On our last full day in Trinidad we wandered the streets before breakfast and then the group explored a pottery studio.  There was another  large factory across the street that we did not go into.  That  factory used to belong to the Santander family but was taken over by the government.  Once this happened the standard  of pottery declined.  I read that the elderly Sr Santander still lives opposite the factory but now devotes his time to breeding birds and has 400 or so birds in his house and yard which are exported around the world by the government.  The family has  been allowed to set up their own factory again and each family member has  his own workshop.

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Before breakfast we wandered around the streets.  We still saw some old cars  in Trinidad  although not as many as we had seen in  Havana.

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We met  a shop keeper inside his store and Richard asked him if we could move a chair  outside of his shop just slightly in order to photograph it against a better background.  This guy did not quite understand- he thought we wanted him to come outside and pose for us which he did.  He was such a nice man  and made a great model.

 

20140131_cuba_0243-220140131_cuba_0243-2 Here is the chair that we finally did move and photograph.

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20140131_cuba_0307-Edit20140131_cuba_0307-Edit These little girls seemed to be really good friends.  One of them came from across the street to play so I asked them  if I could get a photo of both of them together. 20140131_cuba_031520140131_cuba_0315

 

20140131_cuba_032720140131_cuba_0327 We just wandered in the streets enjoying the bustle and the early morning activity.  Most of the time we would ask if it was ok to take someone's picture and most people seemed ok with it.  

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20140131_cuba_047920140131_cuba_0479 Trinidad has an important tradition of pottery.  The Santander family has continued  the family tradition of pottery for years and years in this town. In 1892 a Spanish immigrant taught a young man,  Modesto Santander the art of pottery.  Modesto Santander created his own workshop, a small facility named The Potter which supplied bricks, lime and other building materials.  Modesto's son Rogelio was the one that made a great workshop and prosperous family business.  Eventually Rogelio made a more varied production including vases, jars, water filters, pots and jugs which were all in demand in Trinidad.  From one generation to the next the secrets of working with clay on the wheel  was passed down.   In 1963 the family was forced to surrender "The Potter" to the Cuban state however, the family business did not stop. Today there are about eighty artisans distributed in five new workshops located in Trinidad.

 

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We wandered all around the shop admiring the potters at work and their beautiful works of art.  The visit had been planned so that the potters knew we were there to photograph as well as observe and shop.  

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20140131_cuba_061020140131_cuba_0610 Everyone had a great visit and enjoyed watching the masters at work.

20140131_cuba_0634-Edit-Edit20140131_cuba_0634-Edit-Edit An interesting old sink in the shop.

20140131_cuba_0017-Edit-Edit20140131_cuba_0017-Edit-Edit At the end of the visit I photographed some of the patio furniture.  Liban and I had fun moving around the furniture and creating some different designs.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Alfarero Casa Cuba Las Santander Trinidad del family https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/6/an-excursion-to-las-casa-del-alfarero Thu, 05 Jun 2014 15:13:46 GMT
Morning in Trinidad and a trip to the Valle de los Ingenious https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/morning-in-trinidad-and-a-trip-to-the-valle-de-los-ingenious Just like every morning today was spent walking in the streets (before breakfast).  Then our group went on a tour to the Valley of the Sugar Mills.  The Valle do los Ingenious is a series of three interconnected valleys about 12 kilos (7.5) miles from Trinidad.  This area was a centre for sugar production from the late 18th century until the late 19th century.  At the peak of the industry in Cuba there were over fifty cane sugar mills in operation with over 30,000 slaves working in the mills and the sugar cane plantations that surrounded them.  The Island became the world's foremost producer of sugar during the late 18th and 19th centuries.  To prevent the sugar from spoiling rapid transport was necessary therefore a special railway line was laid down in the valley in the late 1880's.  The railroad  connected  the Valle do los Ingenious with Trinidad and the port at Casilda on the coast.  

20140130_cuba_0037-Edit-Edit20140130_cuba_0037-Edit-Edit Before we left for the valley, some of us wandered around Trinidad  before breakfast.   This gentleman was busy working - I liked the old cash register.

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These guys were sitting around before starting work for the day.

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There was colour everywhere in the city.

 

This was a  colourful corner and a great spot for watching the early morning activity.  

20140130_cuba_0125-Edit20140130_cuba_0125-Edit A peak inside a store.  I'm thinking this was a bodega (convenience store specializing in distributing rations).  The system establishes the rations each person is allowed to buy through that system and the frequency of supplies.  A coupon book (libreta) taken to a ration shop provides the family with minimum amounts of rice, sugar, matches and oil.   The booklets that families get indicates the exact number and ages  of the people  in that family.   Products included in the booklets vary according to age and gender of the people.   A person also must go to the bodega that is in their area of official residence.  A government office specially created for the program distributes the libretto to all citizens each year. Products distributed through these stores are sold at subsidized prices.  The booklets contains a page for every month where the clerk marks what products were withdrawn and in which quantities.  The products are not always available so when they do arrive there are often long lineups.  

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These people were arriving at the Valle do los Ingenious at the same time we were. Our guide told us that the Cuban government facilitates hitchhiking by using a system of points along main routes where certain vehicles are required to stop and pick up hitchhikers.  Amarillo points along major highways are often full service rest stops for hitchhikers with water, peso-priced food and a 24 hour indoor waiting area.  This system is necessary in Cuba as most people do not own cars and cannot afford buses.  

At the Valley do los Ingenious there were a lot of sellers of all kinds of food, clothing etc.  

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When we arrived at Manaca Iznaga we ended up going on the historic steam train.  We were fortunate to be able to take the train ride because there are many days when the train has equipment problems and is closed down.  Here is a photo taken from the train showing the countryside.  It was fun riding on the steam train and seeing more of the countryside.  

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A  photo taken of a local house from the train. 

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In 1988 this area was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  Due to the virtual extinction of the native Cubans through contact with diseases  brought by the European settlers and attrition due to their poor treatment of slaves, the Spanish plantation owners imported slaves from Africa to work in the sugar cane fields and in the mills.  The abolition of slavery by the Spanish in 1820 made this practise more difficult but it was not until the Wars of Independence in the 19th century that the dominance of the area came to an end as many of the sugar mills were abandoned or became run down.  Most of the sugar mills are now in ruins however there are some intact structures including this tower.  The147 foot tower was constructed sometime in 1816 by the owner of the planation of Manaca Iznaga.   I was very happy to reach the top of the tower after climbing the 136 steps.   The bell that used to hang on the top of the tower was used to announce the beginning and end of the work day as well as times for prayers.  It was also used to sound an alarm in case of fire or slave escape.  

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A view from the top of the tower overlooking the plantation.  The owner's house, Hacienda Ingenios is one of only 13 remaining estate houses in the Valley of the Sugar Mills.    Some of the old  slave quarters are used for housing and are in poor repair but the house and tower are well-maintained.  The restored house is now a restaurant and gift shop.

20140130_cuba_0324-2-Edit20140130_cuba_0324-2-Edit A view of the valley from the tower.   The USA received 33% of Cuba's sugar until the 1960's when the communist government took over and nationalized the farmlands.    At this point in time  the Soviet Union supported the Cuban agriculture by paying premium prices for sugar and by delivering fertilizers.  Sugar was bought by the Soviets at more than five times the market price.  The Soviets provided Cuba with 63% of its food imports and 90% of its petrol.  After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cuban agricultural sector went through a very difficult period.   The answer of the Cuban government to the falling  production  was to strengthen the base of agricultural diversity by making a greater range of varieties of seed available to farmers.   Already by 1994, the government allowed farmers to sell their surplus production directly to the population.  Because of shortages of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, the farmers turned to organic methods.   

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We just spent time wandering around the area as there was a lot to see. 

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A view of inside one of the locals' houses.  Our guide knew the owner so we were invited to take a look and walk around the property.

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20140130_cuba_0296-2-Edit20140130_cuba_0296-2-Edit I walked down the road and met a very nice family who were happy to have their pictures  taken. 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/morning-in-trinidad-and-a-trip-to-the-valle-de-los-ingenious Sat, 31 May 2014 18:59:16 GMT
Afternoon in and around Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/afternoon-in-and-around-trinidad 20140130_cuba_0374-2-Edit-Edit20140130_cuba_0374-2-Edit-Edit

The group walked over to a farm in the Valley de los Ingenious.  It was about a fifteen minute walk through the countryside and this is  one of the typical looking houses we came across on our way.

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We arrived at the farm and the farmers showed us how they made sugar cane juice.  I didn't  try it but apparently it was quite good.

20140130_cuba_0452-2-220140130_cuba_0452-2-2  Cows cannot be killed in Cuba without a license.  If one is caught the murderer would likely get 25 years in prison.  Liban told us that cows are highly valued because their milk is considered a necessary dietary component for children, pregnant women and elders.

The woman was sitting in front of her house when we arrived.   

20140130_cuba_056720140130_cuba_0567 We were invited into the family's  home.  This was one of the two bedrooms. 

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A photo of the kitchen (outside, behind the house).    The photo on  the right is  their sitting area.  The scene could have come from an old western movie.  

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20140130_cuba_0580-Edit20140130_cuba_0580-Edit The view from the back of the farmhouse.

20140130_cuba_0601-Edit20140130_cuba_0601-Edit This photo was taken on the way back to the bus after leaving the farmhouse.

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On the way back to Trinidad we stopped for a cold drink and a view of the valley.  

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After lunch and a break we headed out to meet some friends of Liban's.  They did some salsa dancing for us at their house.  

t was fun watching the salsa dancers -some of our group even joined in.  However, the lighting and background  were not very good t for photography so I tried some creative techniques just for fun.
 
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What a cutie.

20140130_cuba_0417-Edit20140130_cuba_0417-Edit We all walked to the  square near our hotel and watched and photographed the dancers.

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While we were watching the dancers I saw some kids having a great time  playing frisbee so I wondered over to watch them for a few minutes.  

 

 

 

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I wandered back over to the dancers to take a few close-up shots and discovered that my camera had stopped working -totally.  I just kept getting error messages.  So Richard was nice enough to lend me his camera (same model as mine)  to take a few pictures.  Fortunately I had a back up camera at the hotel  and we were just about finished taking pictures for the day as it was getting pretty dark by now.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Trinidad Cuba Valley do los Ingenious https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/afternoon-in-and-around-trinidad Thu, 29 May 2014 02:07:39 GMT
An afternoon in Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/an-afternoon-in-trinidad Today's blog is a continuation of my story of Trinidad.  While I was talking to some locals during my stay I found out that Cubans are now allowed to travel freely which is big news for a country that has seen tens of thousands flee illicitly over the years.  Now the state no longer requires citizens to obtain a target blanca- a process that was always costly and bureaucratic and often fruitless.  The government  is also  making it easier for Cubans to return.  The reform extended the time citizens can spend off the  island to a renewable period of two years effectively eliminating the stamp that required anyone leaving for the long term to surrender their property.  Even doctors - Cuban's most prized professionals would be able to come and go as they pleased.  This new policy which took place in 2013 was very surprising-no one expected such a wide open policy that the government took.  If things go as planned the state's jackpot will come in the form of remittances.  A recent study done by the Havana Consulting Group concluded that in 2012, remittances reached $2.605 billion.   The hope is also that by allowing citizens to obtain education and business experience abroad will put them in a better position to contribute to the islands' prosperity  once they return.  Of course the state also placed the onus on other countries to issue visas to allow Cuban's to travel.  

20140129_cuba_0533-2-220140129_cuba_0533-2-2 The Chicken Man as he is called by Charlene.  We all gave him pesos so we could take his photo.  

20140129_cuba_0366-2-Edit20140129_cuba_0366-2-Edit Dressing up for some pesos.

 

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20140129_cuba_0518-Edit20140129_cuba_0518-Edit I never got a chance to take a horse and cart ride but I'm sure it would have been a lot of fun.

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20140129_cuba_053620140129_cuba_0536 I took a look inside  this" factory" to watch the women sew for a few  minutes.  I know nothing about sewing machines but I'm guessing my sewing/quilter friends have not seen this kind of a machine for years.  

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I just loved the colourful windows that I saw.

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In the afternoon we visited the home (and bed and breakfast establishment) of Julio Munoz.  Julio is a well known Cuban photographer as well as a "horse whisperer".   He has a knowledge of communicating with horses that is perhaps unique in Cuba.  Here he is posing with his horse who is stabled in his garden in the courtyard.  A few of us spent some quality time in his lovely home  listening to his stories and learning about life in Cuba.  
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After we left Julio's home we wandered around in the streets looking at typical life in Trinidad.  

 

 

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20140129_cuba_0218-Edit-220140129_cuba_0218-Edit-2 20140129_cuba_024320140129_cuba_0243 I watched this little girl playing ball for a while.  She was having a great time performing for me.  Then she introduced me to some other members of her family that were sitting in the car.  

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Looking Inside an old car that I saw sitting on the street.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/an-afternoon-in-trinidad Sat, 24 May 2014 14:42:00 GMT
First morning in Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/a-day-in-trinidad Trinidad  reminded me  a little bit of  a tropical Tuscany.  The city is very picturesque with cobbled streets and terracotta tiled roofs just like many of the towns I visited last summer.  However, being in Cuba there is definitely a Caribbean flavour with the blue sea in the distance, the palm trees lining the streets and the one storey houses in bright and pastel shades.  I have heard Trinidad described  as an outdoor museum.  The city is a Unesco World Heritage Site and there are many restored Spanish colonial architecture.  The city centre is somewhat touristy but walking around for a few minutes I discovered the vibrant  scenes of Cuban life which I had a great time photographing.  Many of the pictures today are photographs of people.

20140129_cuba_0054-320140129_cuba_0054-3 I saw a lot more bicycles, cycle rickshaws and horse carts in Trinidad that the 1950s cars that were so common in Havana.

20140129_cuba_0076-320140129_cuba_0076-3 Even though the streets were very busy in the morning, it was much quieter than Havana.  I never seemed to worry as much about crossing the roads and  I don't remember worrying about traffic lights.  In Trinidad you had to be more worried about being run over by a cart, donkey or horse than a car.  

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20140129_cuba_0211-320140129_cuba_0211-3 Trinidad comes to life early in the morning.  Lots of clip-clopping of horses and donkeys on the streets.  

20140129_cuba_0324-3-Edit20140129_cuba_0324-3-Edit There were lots of vendors on the streets with their baskets of bread, vegetables in wheelbarrows or boxes on the back of bicycles.  I came across a woman putting fish out in front of her place.  I was told that it is still illegal for Cubans to sell fish in this way so it is done unobtrusively as possible and the people did not like their picture taken for obvious reasons.  So I just took a picture of the fish.  

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20140129_cuba_0433-2-Edit20140129_cuba_0433-2-Edit  I looked into the hallways of many houses.  I noticed that although the people might  have  much, everything appeared clean, neat and colourful.  Below is a typical living room.   Again, modest furniture but very nice.

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20140129_cuba_0343-2-Edit-Edit20140129_cuba_0343-2-Edit-Edit Businesses are starting up all over Cuba now.  Cuba has seen a continual loosening of rules since Raul Castro took over from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006.  In 2011, the Communist Party approved a five-year plan to redefine Cuban socialism by increasing food production, creating a robust (yet controlled) private sector, complete with a tax system and shrinking government through layoffs exceeding one million workers or 20% of the workforce.  This is so the state can  afford to continue its delivery of  free health care, education, housing and other basic services.  The government has invigorated the small-business sector by issuing licenses- quickly and prolifically to entrepreneurs in many newly legalized trades.   20140129_cuba_0198-220140129_cuba_0198-2

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For me the hardest part of being in Cuba was seeing all of the homeless dogs and cats.  However, there were all many dogs that were well cared for by their owners. Had I known in advance I would have brought some supplies for the vets to use as they are always in short supply. The best I could do was make a donation to a local vet.   I actually spoke to our vet about it when I got home.  Their office has a program that donates supplies to many third world countries.  

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There were always so many interesting people to photograph and most of them were happy to have their photos taken and especially enjoyed seeing their pictures in the camera's LCD screens.  Charlene who comes every year brings prints of the people that she has taken photos of in the hopes of seeing them again.  What a great idea- both about the visit to Cuba every year and bringing the prints for people.  

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20140129_cuba_0164-220140129_cuba_0164-2 Good friends.    I asked if these two little girls  would pose for me together and they were very happy to do so.  

 

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20140129_cuba_0232-2-Edit20140129_cuba_0232-2-Edit 20140129_cuba_0232-220140129_cuba_0232-2 The woman on the left dressed all in white most likely practises Santeria. Initiates in Santeria are required to wear white clothing for a year.  It is also  standard attire for attending Santeria religious services.  After the communist revolution of 1959, the government of Cuba restricted religious practice.  Following the traditional anti-religious doctrine of Marxist-Leninist ideology, the state adopted a policy of promoting atheism.   As of 2013 the government recognizes the right of citizens to profess and practice any religious belief within the framework of respect for the law.  In the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the state adopted a more conciliatory position towards religion.  Currently Cuba's prevailing religious is Roman Catholicism.  Santeria combines the Yoruban religion of the African slaves with Catholicism and some Native American strands.  

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 Between photographing the people and the colourful buildings and sites of Trinidad I was kept very busy.   20140129_Portfolio Photos_005920140129_Portfolio Photos_0059

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cuba Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/a-day-in-trinidad Wed, 21 May 2014 14:03:41 GMT
Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/trinidad On January 28th some of our group got together to do some early morning  photography in Havana before breakfast.  Shortly after breakfast we left for our six hour drive to Trinidad.   Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514 and is located in the province of Sancti Spirtus in central Cuba. It has been one of Unesco's World Heritage sites since 1988.  Trinidad's main industry is tobacco processing.  We found that the older parts of the city  are well preserved because of all of the tour groups coming to town.  Some parts of town outside the non-touristy  areas are very run down and in disrepair.  

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An early morning shot of an old colourful building down the street from our hotel in Havana.  

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Another beautiful old car being used as a taxi. 

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I liked the way the light was coming through the trees and gave the scene a little bit of a misty look.    This shot was taken near the hotel.  

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Some early morning shots of people/kids going to work and school in the buses.

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By the time we got to Trinidad and settled into the hotel it was later afternoon- a perfect time for some great light as we walked in the nearby streets.

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20140128_cuba_0289-Edit20140128_cuba_0289-Edit I enjoyed walking around Trinidad.  With a population of of under 100,000 and a total area of 446 square miles it was a lot smaller than Havana and easier to get around in.  In the area where we were there was far less traffic although you still had to be careful to not get run over by a donkey or horse.  The city was also very colourful and full of friendly people.

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20140128_cuba_0315-220140128_cuba_0315-2 There were some great colours, lines and shapes  in this town.  

 

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20140128_cuba_0507-Edit-Edit20140128_cuba_0507-Edit-Edit Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928-1967) was an Argentine Marxis revolutionary, physician author, guerrilla leader, diploma and military theorist.  He was also a major figure of the Cuban revolutionary.  His desire was to overturn what he saw as the capitalist exploitation of Latin America by the United States.  He joined Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement and sailed to Cuba with the intention of overthrowing the US-backed Cuban dictator Batista.  He played a pivotal role in the victorious two-year guerrilla campaign that deposed the Batista regime.  Guevara or "Che" remains a national hero in Cuba and you can find his picture on many items including t-shirts, hats, posters, tattoos and bikinis which is a bit ironic since it contributes to the consumer culture that Guevara despised.  Eventually Che started up a guerrilla force in order to liberate Bolivia.  He was wounded and taken prisoner in Bolivia and was ordered to be executed on October 9, 1967 by the Bolivian President Rene Barrientos.  

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20140128_cuba_049820140128_cuba_0498 I came across some guys playing dominoes.  The game of dominoes is the national game of Cuba.  For many, the game is a daily social event.  We would see people playing in the parks and streets.  I read that in Miami many older Cuban gentlemen keep several tables in play.  In Cuba, Double Nine (55-price dominoes)is the most widely played version of dominoes. Also,  two teams of two players acting as partners play Cuban dominoes (like bridge) although there were only two guys playing above.  In Toronto we play double twelves,  do not play as partners and we play very slowly in comparison to the Cubans who were so fast.  

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This is a photo of the Church and Monastery of Saint Francis.  The church was built in 1813 by Franciscan monks.  It became a parish church in 1848 and in 1895 was converted into a garrison for Spanish troops.  The church fell into disrepair and in 1920 most of it was demolished leaving only the bell tower and a few nearby buildings.  

20140128_Poconos_0001-220140128_Poconos_0001-2 We wandered around in and out of buildings admiring the scenery.  20140128_cuba_0544-Edit-Edit20140128_cuba_0544-Edit-Edit

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20140128_Portfolio Photos_005720140128_Portfolio Photos_0057 20140128_cuba_0655-Edit-Edit20140128_cuba_0655-Edit-Edit By now we were losing light so it was time to call it a day and head back to the hotel.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cuba Havana Trinidad https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/trinidad Sat, 17 May 2014 15:09:22 GMT
Photography in the Poconos Mountains https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/photography-in-the-poconos-mountains On Sunday April 27th I joined a Road Scholar photography workshop in the Poconos.  We stayed at the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort located near  the border of New York State and Pennsylvania.  The instructor Len Rue Jr. is an excellent photographer and lecturer.  We had a terrific group of 18 people and I'm pretty sure everyone  had a lot of fun. We were all very enthusiastic and  enjoyed the facilities and beautiful resort.   The food at the Inn was very good and the beds were so comfortable  The only  minor issue was  that  the hotel basement where we had our meetings and meals  was very  cold.   It turns out that the hotel turned the heat off the week before.  I have no idea why they would do that when the temperatures had not yet warmed up.  Still we all managed to survive - we just had to wear lots of layers for the meetings.  

This was a view of the river behind out hotel.  It was a very misty morning.  We actually had a day and half where the rain did not stop.  Still we had fun- we ended up having extra lectures with Len and hanging out together and looking at people's photos.

Another  picture taken on the hotel grounds on a misty morning.

The  weather on our first day of our workshop was actually very nice.   This was my favourite waterfall shot of the day.  I actually didn't take too many shots given the lighting conditions.  I think this area would be stunning in the fall.

After shooting waterfalls in the morning we moved on to photograph the Grey Towers National Historic Site, also known as the Gifford Pinchot House.   This mansion is the ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, first director of the United States Forest Service and twice elected governor of Pennsylvania.  The house was built in the style of a French chateau since Pinchot's family had French origins.  

I got interested in taking some shots of the windows.  Originally built the house contained 43 rooms.  Unfortunately there were no tours when we were there.  

I liked the window shots in black and white and sepia tones.

 

I saw this beautiful old tree with really interesting roots.

One last shot before we left the area.  In 1963 the family donated the estate and the surrounding 102 acres to the Forest Service.  It is the only U.S. National Historic Site managed by that agency.  Three years later the Department of the Interior designated it as a  National Historic Landmark.  

On Tuesday morning we went to vista Childs State Forest Park located in Pennsylvania.  There were three different waterfalls that you could hike to and we hiked to all  of them.  The National Park Service had recently upgraded the trails so it was a pleasure to use the trails.  I decided to hike all of the way down first and then start the uphill climb.  This photo was taken of the lower water falls.  

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The land was formerly owned by George W. Childs, a noted philanthropist and the land was deeded to the state in 1912 by his widow and originally opened as a state park.

 

This shot was taken on the hike back up to the top.

 

Here are some abstract waterfall shots.  These are the actual colours of the waterfall, just brought out in my software program.  

 

Another  waterfall shot taken on the way up.  

We ended up stopping at another location on the way back to the hotel.  The area is full of waterfalls.  

On Wednesday it rained all day (actually started to rain on the Tuesday just as we got back to the Inn) so I didn't even get outside.  However, in the evening we had a lecture from a local naturalist who brought some of his friends with him to talk about.  People volunteered to hold some of the non-poisonous snakes including a boa but I decided that I would prefer to photograph them.  

This little guy looks like he is smiling.  Rick was an excellent lecturer who taught us a lot about different amphibians, turtles and snakes.  

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 Some of us were lying on the floor taking pictures of a Rattlesnake and a Copperhead snake.   I wouldn't want to get any closer than I was.  

On Thursday the weather cleared up for us and reached the 70's (25 C).  However, the morning was cloudy and misty which made for better waterfall shots.

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We stopped off at a roadside scene to take a few shots of the mountains in the mist.

 Unfortunately for me this was the last location I was able to photograph on the Thursday.  When we got to the next stop I could not get my camera to work so this was the end of my shooting on the trip.  I did have a spare camera with me but of course it was at the hotel which was nowhere close to where we were.  Still I had fun doing some hiking  and socializing for the rest of the day.  The weather turned sunny and warm by mid-morning so we were able to enjoy an outdoor picnic lunch.    I didn't get as much photography in as I would have liked however now I have an excuse to come back to this beautiful area- perhaps during the fall.  On a good note I took my camera into  Nikon to be fixed and because this is the third issue with it in the first year, they are going to replace the camera with a new one.  I think they just got tired of seeing me- even the receptionist recognized me.  

20140502_Poconos_000120140502_Poconos_0001 This shot of the Shawnee Inn was taken early  in the morning on the day I left.  On the last morning  we had a critique of everyone's photos which was lots of fun as there were many great shots.  Getting to this area and getting home was not the easiest trip.  I left the hotel around 10.45 for the nearby bus station.  I caught the 11.10 bus to New York City (the Port Authority) which took about 1 1/2 hours.  I then had a short wait for the express  bus to the Newark Airport.  I was regretting that I didn't have time to spend in NYC- at least I got to see a little of it coming in on the bus.   I had about two hours to relax in the Porter airlines lounge (free wi-fi, soft drinks, coffee, tea and cookies) before catching my 1 1/2 hour flight to Toronto.  From the Island airport in Toronto  it was a quick ferry ride to the mainland where I caught a bus to Union Station.  The only hard part was carrying all of my luggage up and down various sets of stairs (but I did get some help) to get to the subway trains.  I arrived at the house around 7 PM in time for our weekly Friday night bridge game. I should mention that I then had a full two days of photography seminars on the weekend plus a bridge game on Saturday night.    Life was much less hectic  but not nearly as much fun as when I was still working!  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Golf Grey Historic Inn Mountains National Pocono Resort Shawnee Site Towers and waterfalls https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/photography-in-the-poconos-mountains Sun, 11 May 2014 20:00:31 GMT
Havana and a visit to Cojimar https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/havana-and-a-visit-to-cojimar Once again we went on an early morning photo shoot.  We started off by going to a nearby hotel and taking some photos from their rooftop.

20140127_cuba_0017-Edit-Edit20140127_cuba_0017-Edit-Edit  I noticed in Havana  there was a lot of  construction which apparently had not been seen in other years.  

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20140127_cuba_008320140127_cuba_0083 Another old,  colourful  hallway and stairs.

20140127_cuba_0148-Edit-Edit-Edit20140127_cuba_0148-Edit-Edit-Edit Ten miles east of Havana is Hemingways' Cuba house- Finca Vigia, meaning "lookout house".  We spent some time walking around the grounds and looking into the various rooms through the windows.   Almost all of his books, trophies and furniture remain.  No one is allowed in the museum but the windows and doors are opened so you can look in most of the rooms.   I noticed bookshelves full of books in every room.   This was the office with Hemingways' old typewriter on the desk.  Finca Vigia is located in a small, working-class town of San Francisco de Paula.  The Cuban people respected that Hemingway chose to live in a modest town among the people he fished with.  Hemingway lived in this villa from 1939 to 1960. 

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Hemingway's living room (above left).  Outside on the patio (above right).  The house was built in 1886 by a Spanish Architect Miguel Pascual y Baguer and was purchased by Hemingway in 1940 for a cost of $12,500 (he had previously been renting the house).   It was in this house that Hemingway wrote two of his most famous novels: For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea.    After years of neglect, restoration and preservation work has begun to fix up the property.

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After visiting Hemingway's house we visited Cojimar, a small fishing village.   The Torreon de Dojimar  is a military fortress presently occupied by the Cuban Coast Guard.  The old spanish fort was build in 1649.  It was the first fortification taken by the British when they attacked Havana from the rear in 1762.    This town of Cojimar was an inspiration for Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.  It is also the location where during the 1940s an enormous Great White Shark was caught which is one of the contenders of the largest specimen of all times.  However, there is some controversy about the accuracy of Great White Shark measurements taken before modern times.  

20140127_Poconos_000220140127_Poconos_0002 A memorial to Ernest Hemingway  was erected next to the fort  by the residents  of Cojimar in 1962.     Hemingway was delighted with Castro's overthrow of the Batista regime in spite of the fact that Finca Vigia was later expropriated by the state after the Bay of Pigs.  By then Hemingway  was on his way out of Cuba- his health and mental state were in serious decline and he was fed up with the houseguests and tourists to his estate.   He ended up moving back to the  state of Idaho where he committed suicide in the summer of 1961.  

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A pier in the fishing village.

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This car was parked near where we ate lunch.

20140127_cuba_0365-Edit20140127_cuba_0365-Edit After lunch I came across some kids practising for a Cuban celebration.  

20140127_cuba_038520140127_cuba_0385 Back in Havana in the late afternoon I went for a walk near the hotel.  

20140124_untitled_0665-Edit20140124_untitled_0665-Edit Meet Garlic man as Charlene liked to call him.  

20140127_cuba_0404-Edit20140127_cuba_0404-Edit A cute little girl all dressed up in a beautiful sun dress.

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20140127_cuba_0483-Edit20140127_cuba_0483-Edit At the end of the day Liban (our Cuban guide) and the bus driver took Keith and I for a drive- by this time everyone else wanted to do their own thing.   We stopped to look at the Christ of Havana (in Spanish- Cristo de La Havana).  The statue is located on a hilltop overlooking the bay in Havana.  It is the work of the Cuban sculptor Jima Madera who won the commission for it in 1953.  The statute is carved out of white  Carrara marble, the same material for many of the monuments of the Colon Cemetery.  The statute is about 66 feet high including a 10 foot base and weighs approximately 320 tons.  The statute was built from 67 blocks of marble that had been brought from Italy after having personally been blessed by Pope Pius XII.  The statute was inaugurated on December 24, 1958.  Just fifteen days after this Fidel Castro entered Havana during the Cuban Revolution and the same day the image was hit by lightning and the head was destroyed.  It was subsequently repaired.  

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20140127_Portfolio Photos_005520140127_Portfolio Photos_0055 After we left the statute we made our way to the Morro Castle (Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro).  This fortress guards the entrance to Havana.  When the fort was built in 1589, Cuba was under the control of Spain.  The lighthouse was added in 1846.   The Castro Regime imprisoned the Cuban poet and novelist Reinald Arenas at the castle for criticism of the government. The photo on the left side shows Liban posing in the underground tunnel.  

Liban, our guide for the tripLiban, our guide for the trip This is a photo where you can actually see Liban, our guide.  

20140127_Poconos_000320140127_Poconos_0003 Goodnight Havana.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/havana-and-a-visit-to-cojimar Sat, 10 May 2014 19:13:58 GMT
Exploring Havana https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/another-day-in-havana On January 26th we met in the lobby at our usual time for our early morning shoot before breakfast.  After breakfast the agenda was to take cabs for  a city tour with a few planned stops.  The final outing was going to the beach on the Malacon to check out the action and take some sunset photos.

20140126_cuba_0235-Edit20140126_cuba_0235-Edit I really enjoyed the early morning photography.  We chose different areas each morning to walk and never knew what we might find.

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For the most part Cubans had smiles on the their faces, especially the younger people.  

20140126_cuba_0272-Edit-Edit20140126_cuba_0272-Edit-Edit I found the old doors and walls very interesting and colourful.  Our guide told us that the reason that the walls have so many different paint colours is that the Cubans would use whatever paint they had so over the years when the paint was peeling you would see layers of different colours.  

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20140126_cuba_0278-Edit-Edit-Edit20140126_cuba_0278-Edit-Edit-Edit Walking through the old streets was very interesting.  Today was a Sunday so everything was much quieter.

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There are lots of colourful and old doors in the city.

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There are numerous outdoor public telephones in Havana.  I saw very few people walking around with cell phones.   However, the number of mobile phone users are increasing.    It has only been since 2008 that Cubans were allowed to buy cell phones.   One interesting fact is that mobile phones are available only in a local dollar-pegged currency and sending even a twitter message from a mobile phone can cost more than the average daily earnings of many Cubans.    The internet in Cuba is among the most tightly controlled in the world.  It is characterized by a low number of connections, limited bandwidth, censorship and high cost.   At the hotel I paid around 4 pesos (under $5 CND)  for an hour's worth of  slow internet access. The cost  had actually decreased from previous years as the rate used to be 8 pesos for an hour.  The internet in Cuba stagnated since its introduction in the 1990s because of lack of funding, tight government restrictions, the U.S. embargo and high costs however, starting in 2007 the situation began to slowly improve.  Apparently about 26% of the population had access to the internet in 2012 through government-run computer clubs, schools and offices.    I was told that most people use the internet at their government offices and there are severe restrictions of use.  In June 2013 Cuba's state-run telecom company ETECSA announced that it plans to begin offering in-home internet connections by late 2014.  One wonders how many people will be able to afford this service.  

20140126_cuba_0288-Edit20140126_cuba_0288-Edit A peek in an old doorway.

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I would often notice that Cubans kept many items that would perhaps be found in junk yards in developed countries.  This makes total sense given how expensive everything is in Cuba.  So very little would be thrown out if there was a chance that it could be useful one day.

20140126_Portfolio Photos_005020140126_Portfolio Photos_0050 We saw so many old and beautiful cars.

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Not everyone in Cuba had smiles on their faces. Cubans definitely have very hard lives. 

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Our group took a cab ride using old cars and here was one of the drivers (unfortunately not mine).  

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One of our stops was the Hotel Nacional De Cuba.  Together with Old Town Havana  this was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 because of all of its history.  The constant attacks by privateers and pirates, followed by the capture of Havana by the English prompted the construction of various fortifications, towers and batteries.  The decision to build a luxury hotel was taken in the late 1920's by American firms  and it was completed within 14 months.   In 1933 the hotel was bombarded following the stationing there of officers of the army elite of the deposed president Gerardo Machado.  This was  a revolt by lower-ranking officers- Batista among them- in protest at the privileges of high office.  Many famous people have stayed at this hotel including Winston Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ernest Hemingway, Fred  Astaire, Frank Sinatra and yes even former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.  The Mafia also frequented this hotel and there were plans to create  a "Las Vegas" here before the revolution.  The hotel was  the setting for the formation of the "26th July Movement" revolutionary cell led by Fidel Castro.  On the triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959 the representatives of the American company that operated the hotel departed and the revolutionary government took over.  

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 A photo of Fidel Castro with  Jean Chretien at at 1998 meeting at the hotel.

20140126_cuba_047420140126_cuba_0474 The hotel has been renovated over the years and is very beautiful and well-kept.  It was architecturally and historically restored and reopened as a hotel in 1992.  From 2003 to 2012 (except for 2010), the hotel received the World Travel Awards "oscars of the travel industry".  This open area looked like a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the ocean views.  

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In the bar an old fashioned  phone is still in use.   Also, located in the bar was an old Juke box.  This hotel is the regular venue for events- an average of 65 a year that takes place in the hotel's reception rooms. 

20140126_cuba_048620140126_cuba_0486 This room was located on the other side of the bar.  There were lots of interesting pictures on the wall.  You can see the picture of Nicolas Maduro Moros who has been the Venezuelan president since 2013.  Venezuela is Cuba's biggest ally and benefactor.  Venezuelan oil and money help keep Cuba's economy afloat and the governments have about 30 joint ventures with most of them in Venezuela.  Cuba receives an estimate 110,000 barrels a day of Venezuelan oil in exchange for both money and the services of some 44,000 Cubans (mostly made up of medical personal) in Venezuela.  

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20140125_cuba_0184-2-Edit-Edit20140125_cuba_0184-2-Edit-Edit 20140125_cuba_0164-220140125_cuba_0164-2 We spent some time looking at the Necropolis Cristobal Colon, a well known cemetery in Havana named after Christopher Columbus.   This cemetery is notable for its ostentatious graves with acres of angels, saints, urns and crosses.  Every day hearses line up at the chapel at the centre of the cemetery for a quick five-minute service before departing for burial.  Those who are interred at the cemetery can buy a crypt for two years.  Since space is limited, after the allotted time, the bones are removed, put in a box and places on a shelf in an open-air, multi story cement-block building.  
 

20140126_cuba_0682-Edit20140126_cuba_0682-Edit After spending some time at the cemetery we were dropped off at the Malecon(officially Avenida de Maceo) which is a broad roadway and seawall which stretches  for 8 km (5 miles) along the coast in Havana.  New businesses are appearing on the esplanade due to economic reforms in Cuba that now allow Cubans to own private businesses.   By now the light was perfect. It was a great place to people watch.

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Some of us stayed around waiting for the sunset.  We were able to walk back to the hotel as we were staying fairly close by.

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cuba De Havana Hotel Nacional sunset https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/another-day-in-havana Wed, 07 May 2014 13:55:40 GMT
Boxing in Cuba and lunch at the Paladar Vistmar https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/boxing-in-cuba After breakfast on our second full  day in Havana we visited the Rafael Trejo Boxing Gym in Old Havana.  This gym was named in memory of a revolutionary figure.   Rafael Trejo  was a Cuban law student killed in 1930 during protests against  the dictatorship of  Gerardo Machado. This club is perhaps the oldest boxing club in Havana.  It was an open air arena in the centre of a courtyard with seating on two sides.  Despite its well worn and neglected appearance it is one of the more famous boxing arenas with a number of Olympic champions having trained here.  

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I have to say that I have a new respect for sport photographers.  Trying to capture sharp images during the fighting was not easy.  It didn't help that I had to look up between the ropes in order to take the pictures of the boxers.   

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Cubans take their boxing very seriously.  Boxing is perhaps Cuba's second most favourite sport behind baseball and people of all ages come here to train.  Today we were most fortunate in that we were able to watch actual matches as opposed to just people training.  I don't think that foreigners are supposed to be allowed in the gyms.  

20140125_cuba_0577-Edit20140125_cuba_0577-Edit I should mention that today there were young kids also competing in the arena.  Children are encouraged by the time they enter grammar school to practice a specific sport apart from taking physical education.  In Cuba there is a preference for sports that come from the culture and traditions of the country.  Traditionally the Cubans have excelled at baseball and boxing.  The local gyms are used to scout future athletes  who   are coached by specialized trainers who hold bachelor degrees in exercise and sport sciences.  The kids who prove to have a special talent for a specific sport will go on to sports schools at the elementary and middle levels.  

20140125_cuba_0678-220140125_cuba_0678-2 Some last minute advice  was given to this young boxer before the match.

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It was also fun to watch and photograph the action going on outside of the rink.

20140125_cuba_069920140125_cuba_0699 The gym was surrounded by  three level apartment buildings with windows opening to the training area.  

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The coach showing the kids some moves.  

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Just as we were leaving the kids lined up to pose for us.   All in all it was a very interesting experience watching and photographing the boxing.  Perhaps we are looking at a future Cuban champion!  

20140125_cuba_0079-2-Edit20140125_cuba_0079-2-Edit For lunch we took a ride to the Paladar Vistamar.  The restaurant had a real 50's feel and we  sat outside overlooking the sea.  The restaurant was located in the 2nd-floor family-room turned restaurant of a private residence.   It was too bad that the swimming pools were in such bad shape.   This area was once  very beautiful and glamorous.  

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The resorts of the past.  

20140125_cuba_0096-220140125_cuba_0096-2 Jose Rodriguez Fuster is a  Cuban artist specializing in ceramics, painting, drawing, engraving   and graphic design.  Fuster has made a major contribution of rebuilding and decorating the fishing town of Jaimanitas in the outskirts of Havana.  Over 80 houses have been decorated with ornate murals and domes.  According to Havana Cultura he puts his own money made from selling his paintings and sculptures back into the community.  We had an interesting visit to Fusterlandia.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/5/boxing-in-cuba Sun, 04 May 2014 00:01:25 GMT
Transportation in Cuba https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/4/transportation-in-cuba  Before breakfast some of us headed over to a busy nearby street around the old Capital buildings (pre-revolution)  to practise our panning techniques.  Because of all of the colour in Cuba it is such a great place to photograph the old cars and motorcycles since you get great backgrounds.

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 El Capitolio or National Capital Building in Havana was the seat of the government of Cuba until after the Cuban Revolution in 1959.  Now the building is the home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences.  The Cuban Revolution (1953-1959) was an armed revolt conducted by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement and its allies against the government of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista.  The revolution finally ousted Batista on January 1, 1959 replacing his government with a revolutionary socialist state.  The organization later reformed along communist lines becoming the Communist Party in October 1965.  The party is now headed  by Castro's brother Raul and continues to govern Cuba.  The Cuban revolution had huge domestic and international repercussions, in particular it reshaped Cuba's relations with the United States which continues an embargo against Cuba.  Castro's government began a program of nationalization and political consolidation that transformed Cuba's economy and civil society.  It should be added that Batista antagonized the population by forming lucrative links to organized crime and allowing American companies to dominate the Cuban economy.  Basically the Cuban government was a complete police state under Batista.  

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It was a lot of fun watching all of the colourful, old cars in the streets.  What made it especially fun to photograph was the colour of the old cars and the background buildings.   This was one of my favourite shots.  

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You can see what a nice selection of old cars there were on the streets.

20140125_cuba_022820140125_cuba_0228 These guys were happy to have their picture taken.

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I also had fun capturing motorcycles in action.  

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20140125_cuba_018820140125_cuba_0188 Bicycle taxis in Havana are also very popular.

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Finally it was time for breakfast but I really didn't want to go.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cuba Havana Old cars panning technique https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/4/transportation-in-cuba Fri, 25 Apr 2014 15:10:39 GMT
Late afternoon in Havana https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/4/late-afternoon-in-havana After our first full day in Havana it was time to head  back to the hotel.  

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We walked through the Plaza de la Catedral (Cathedral Square) which is one of the five main squares in Old Havana.  This area was originally a swamp which was later drained and used as a naval dockyard.  The Cathedral was built in 1727 and the square became the site of some of the city's grandest mansions.  

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This guy was so proud of being on the cover of the National Geographic Traveler magazine that he carried the magazine around.  Of course he was hoping to capitalize on it.  When I first saw him I immediately thought "Cuba". He did want a peso for posing. 

 

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This was a very popular mode of transportation in Havana.  

 

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I found the old buildings very colourful.  There were plants everywhere.  

 

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I finally got back to our hotel, the Hotel Parque Central  and headed up to the pool area and rooftop where I could get a view of the city.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/4/late-afternoon-in-havana Tue, 22 Apr 2014 20:05:39 GMT
Afternoon in Havana https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/4/afternoon-in-havana In the afternoon on our first full day in Havana  we continued to walk the streets.    I think we must have walked miles by the time we got back to the hotel around 5.30 or so.  We did take a break for lunch and ate at a very nice restaurant with a view overlooking the city.  I had been told that the food in Cuba was fairly bland but I actually enjoyed it very much.  We ended up eating at some really good restaurants thanks to our guide and members of the group who had been to Cuba many times.   I was careful not to eat any food that was not cooked or fruit that was not peeled just to be on the safe side.  I also only drank bottled water.    We had two major group excursions in the afternoon.  The first was going to the Plaza Vieja and the second was to visit a local school.  

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A lady looking coming out of her home. 

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A photograph of Plaza Vieja (The old Square) located in Old Havana.  Plaza Vieja was the site of executions, processions, bullfights and fiestas- all witnessed by Havan'as wealthiest citizens who looked on from their balconies.  The plaza was originally called Plaza Nueva ( The New Square) and emerged as an open space in 1959.  In the eighteenth century the square was turned into a popular market and was called Plaza del Mercado (Market Square).  Once Old Havana was declared a  World Heritage Site by Unesco in the early 1980s, architects and restorers began a restoration project.  

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Meet the official tour dog of Havana.  

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This photograph of Havana rooftops  was taken from the top floor of the  Gomez Vila Building located in the Plaza Vieja (as was the photo overlooking the square).  Our group had just seen how the "Camera Obscura" worked.  This camera  captures images through the intelligent use of light and sensitivity.  This camera was a gift from Spain  and is the only one of its kind on Latin America and the Caribbean and is one of 74 worldwide today.  I had never heard of it before and found it fascinating to see how it worked.  Its operation is based on the principles of light reflection through the use of two lenses and a mirror located on a periscope.  The image that is captured by the periscope is projected on a concave platform 1.8m in diameter located in a dark room.  In its rotation, this  lens is able to capture beautiful and unusual city scenes such as the rooftops, domes, towers, balconies, plazas, people walking up and down busy streets, kids playing, the sea, the sky etc.   

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We came across some very colourfully dressed  women.  I took a picture of them before they saw me and then they wanted a peso.  So I gave one of the woman a coin and she was happy for me to take a photo but the other woman got out of the way.  I hadn't thought to give them each a peso.  

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Our guide had arranged for us to visit a local elementary school in Old Havana.  The kids were very cute and for the most part loved having their pictures taken.  Or perhaps they just enjoyed the break from lessons.  

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The younger kids napping in one of the classrooms.  Education in Cuba has been a highly ranked system for many years.  The University of Havana was founded in 1727 and there are a number of other well-established colleges and universities.  Following the 1959 revolution, the Castro government nationalized all education institutions and created a system entirely operated by the state.  Irrespective of income education at every level is free as are the school meals and uniforms.  As of 2010 secondary schools are striving towards only 15 students per class.  Many schools open at 6.30 am and close 12 hours later providing free morning and after-school care for working parents.  Mobile teachers are deployed to homes if children are unable to come to school.   School attendance is compulsory from ages 6 to 15/16.  At the end of basic secondary education, students can choose between pre-university education and technical and professional education.  In order to enter university students must pass an entry examination to show they possess the basic knowledge required.  Cuba places a very high value on education and since the revolution a literacy campaign was created to focus on the huge literacy problem.  

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We walked around a couple of the classrooms.   The kids really enjoyed having their photos taken loved looking at the pictures of themselves and friends on the back of the camera screens.  They seemed happy and well cared for.  Perhaps they don't have all of the technical advantages that the kids in wealthier countries have but perhaps there are also some advantages of having less computers and cell phones.  

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 A class photo taken before we left the  last classroom.  

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I thought I was finished taking pictures of the kids but on the way out of the classroom I saw this little boy giving his sister a hug.  They were just so cute together.  I was really wishing that I had brought some crayons and toys  for the kids as I did when I went to Africa but I just didn't think of it.  So each night I  collected all of the soaps and shampoos from the hotels that I stayed at and at the end of the stay I gave them to our guide who was going to give them to the school.  

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So many beautiful colours of blue everywhere in Havana.  These photos were taken as we left the school.  

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There were lots of talented artists working in the area.  

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It was a lot of fun walking through the streets and taking pictures of people.  Something I can't imagine doing in Toronto.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cuba Havana students https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/4/afternoon-in-havana Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:18:50 GMT
My first morning in Havana https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/4/morning-in-havana The first morning we spent wandering around the streets of Havana getting a feel for the city.   Given that Havana has a population of about 2.1 million and spans an area of approximately 281.18 square miles we barely covered any distance although we spent the entire day walking starting at about six thirty in the morning.  Havana is the capital city, a major port and the leading commercial centre of Cuba.  The city was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century and given its strategic location it served as  springboard for the Spanish conquest of the continent.  Walls as well as forts were built to protect the old city.   The sinking of the U.S. battleship Maine in Havana's harbour in 1898 was the immediate cause of the Spanish-American War.  Havana attracts over a million tourists a year which I'm sure will  increase substantially if and when the United States lifts its embargo on Cuba.  At present, the embargo which limits American businesses from conducting business with Cuban interests is still in effect.  However, despite the embargo  the United States is the fifth largest exporter to Cuba (6.6% of Cuba's imports are from the US).  However, Cuba must pay cash for all of its imports, as credit is not allowed.    The historic centre in Havana  was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.  Havana is noted for its history, culture, architecture and monuments.  The United States does not allow their citizens to enter Cuba (the specific restriction is against spending money in Cuba) without a license.  Some Americans got around this law by travelling to Cuba from Canada or Mexico  since Cuba does not stamp passports and has no problem with Americans coming into their country.    However, now the U.S. government will allow its citizens to travel to Cuba with a license issued by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.  An American citizen cannot travel to Cuba for purposes of tourism, however an American can get authorization to travel under the auspices of a program whose activities are sufficiently religious, educational or cultural.  

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Wandering around the streets I tried to get a sense of the city.  I noticed the buildings needed repair and paint jobs  and there were electrical wires sticking out of walls.  However, the buildings were old and still beautiful and there was colour everywhere.  The streets were very busy with the children going to school and people going to work.    There were not many traffic lights and you had to be really careful crossing the busy streets.    Unlike many other cities I did not see any  beautiful/glamorous shops or department stores.   Of course there were restaurants and coffee/juice/food places and a few people selling souvenirs from tiny shops or stands.   As in most countries where electricity is very expensive there  was laundry hanging out to dry.  

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Looking at these old buildings I  could only imagine how gorgeous they would have been when they were built.  

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Children walking to school.  I just loved the colourful buildings.   

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There were old cars and trucks everywhere which added  to the charm of the city.  There is a new law in Cuba  that eliminates a special permit requirement that in the past greatly restricted vehicle ownership in the country.  However, the people found that as they went to the car dealerships that the prices had been sharply hiked which only a few people would be able to afford.   People are not allowed to import automobiles directly so the government retains its monopoly.  Many of the used cars also had huge asking prices.  A new Kia Rio hatchback that starts at $13,600 in the United States sells for $42,000 in Cuba.  Or a fresh-off-the-lot Peugeot 508 family car, the most luxurious of which lists for about $53,000 in the U.K. will set a Cuban back $262,000.   Cuban's Communist-run government traditionally has placed huge markups on retail goods and services paid for with hard currency, a policy that amounts to a tax on people who can afford such goods.  The practise applies to everything from dried pasta to household appliances to Internet access.

20140124_untitled_0315-Edit20140124_untitled_0315-Edit Some of the building door were open so I took photos of some of the more colourful entryways.   20140124_untitled_0390-Edit20140124_untitled_0390-Edit There were colourful doors and windows everywhere.

 

20140124_untitled_0370-Edit20140124_untitled_0370-Edit Like all cities there was graffiti.  

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A working couple posing.  We came across Cubans selling trinkets  and/or all dressed up and happy to pose for tourists.  These workers expected to be paid with a peso (CUC).  Cuba has two currencies.  The Cuban Convertible Peso or CUC(introduced in the early 90's) and the Cuban National Peso which is the currency of the average Cuban.  Tourists deal only in CUC's which are based on the USD.  A few times Cubans would ask you to take their picture and then demand payment.  However, after being paid the people were happy to pose as long as you wanted.  I never minded giving the people a peso but our Cuban guide, Liban  was opposed to this practise.  Perhaps his view was that this was contributing to the hassling of tourists and makes the Cuban people look bad.   I did notice that even some children  were asking for money although this was quite rare.  I think Liban felt that this practise does nothing good for Cuba and the tourists in the long run. 

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I noticed a lot of people sitting or standing outside of their homes. 

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 Cubans are definitely poor by North American and Western European standards however compared to many if not most of their Caribbean neighbours they are better off.   Cuba is a communist  country that does not conform to the international conception of a democracy, however it does have its own version of elections.  There is also a basic rationing system that provides every single citizen with enough food to survive on.  Our guide took us to one of the "shops" where rations are available.   The Cubans also receive heavily subsidized basic living expenses such as cheap to almost free housing, electricity and water.  We were told that Cuban citizens always have a house to live in  and cannot be evicted  during their lifetime which explains why there are very few homeless people in Cuba.  Cubans also receive free education and healthcare.  

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Here is a picture of the book that recorded rations that people received.  

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Most people were happy to pose and have their picture taken for no compensation.  I found the people in Cuba to be very friendly and for the most part they certainly seemed happy and proud of their country.  

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On our walk we came across kids hanging out and playing basketball at their school.  

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I took a look in a car shop.  Cubans are experts in keeping old cars running.  Because replacing a car is so difficult in Cuba,  those lucky enough to own a Detroit classic or boxy Russian import go to great lengths to keep them on the road as long as possible, swapping in makeshift parts and resorting to creative soldering.    As a result of necessity, Cubans are  experts in repairing almost everything instead of just going out and replacing the item. 

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One of the shops I mentioned.  There are many small shops that are now owned by the Cubans so  people are now being allowed to own their own businesses.  

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Another place of business that I went into to photograph.  Here the people were making shoes.  We always asked permission to photograph these places and no-one seemed to mind us looking around.  

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An old interesting stairway.  

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This woman was very happy to have her picture taken and did not want anything in return.  I read that according to an OECD ranking of countries based on per capital Cuba is ranked as being somewhere between the 109th and 152nd poorest  out of 196 countries.  Apart from the extremely low living costs many Cubans have other "business interests" outside of their regular jobs in order to make additional money.  Some of this work allows them to earn more money than their government wages.  Most Cubans still earn government salaries that average around $20 a month, though some make significantly more as musicians, artists, employees of foreign companies and diplomats and doctors sent on foreign missions.  Many others get financial support from relatives overseas.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cuba Havana https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/4/morning-in-havana Sat, 12 Apr 2014 20:44:49 GMT
Camera competition at the photography club https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/camera-competition-at-the-photography-club I thought that some of you might be interested in how competitions work at one of the camera clubs I belong to.  There are several different competitions during the year with different themes.  The subject of this competition from 2013 was the projected image competition which means the subject matter is wide open with the one provision  that the photo must look more or less realistic.  Each member –can add up to 3 images.  There are three judges scoring each image out of a total of ten points.  Average is six, perfect is ten.  We have three divisions beginner, advanced and masters.  Basically new members start as a beginner and once you have have enough points you move up to the next division.  I am now in the beginner group although I expect next year that I will move to the advanced group.   To be honest I don't see a lot of  difference between the beginner and advanced photographers.  However, most of the master photographers at the club are fantastic photographers.    Beginner members are allowed to get comments on one photo and if any of the scores have a two point difference the low and high judge also comments.    

 

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This is the first photo I entered.   The shot was taken in Tuscany.   It was the photo that  I had requested a comment on.   The judges scored it 7 9 7 for a total of 23.  The middle judge loved the photo.  Since there was a two point difference I received two comments on this photo.  The low judge said that he liked the composition, shadows and colours but that the road and foreground  was a bit bright  and should be toned down in order to earn a better score.  So coming home I made the change to the image.  I think the judges was  correct.  What do you think?

 

 

The next image of flamingos in Kenya received a score of  9 7 7 for a total of 23.  Because there was a two point difference I received a comment from the high and low judge.   One of the low judges said they would like to see less water but then thought that the maker probably kept the water in to show the reflections (he was correct with that thought).  The high judge disagreed and said if anything perhaps some of the top could be cropped.  I thought it was great that the photo created so much discussion.  The photograph received an honourable mention.

 

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This last photo that I entered (Misty morning in Tuscany)  received a score of 9 10 7 for a total of 26.  Once again with the two point difference the low and high judge gave their comments.  The high judge thought it was perfect.  The judge that gave it a 7 liked the photograph but thought there could have been more details in the trees.   The photo was the runner up in the beginners category.  There was another photo with the same score  as mine but ended up being picked as the top photo in my division.  That photograph  actually won the top photograph of the show beating out every other photo in all divisions.   I couldn't too unhappy over losing to the top photo:).  

 One thing that  becomes very obvious in the judging is that it is very subjective-even the judges do not agree at times.  Photos that are technically ok  or that meet the basic criteria usually score around 18- if there are major issues, a lower score will be given.    A score of 22 respectable and indicates that the photo had some impact on the judges.  It is also quite important that the photo tell some kind of story- especially in nature judging.  

​I really enjoy entering entering  the competitions because I feel it is one of the best ways to improve my photography.   It is also a great way of meeting people at the clubs especially when I go to the judging where there are just a small group of people.   During the actual presentation of the competitions' results (usually one or two weeks later)  people see your images on the screen and hear your name called out  so they get to know who you are.    I have also volunteered at the judging  with marking the scores, reading out titles etc.    I don't always get a chance to enter the competitions but I find it much more fun going to the judging and presentations if I have entered.  

 I like getting the comments to see what I should have done differently.  I may not always agree but overall the judging at the clubs is quite good.  I always score the images as the judges are scoring them and then  compare.   More often than not I am very close to the judges.  

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/camera-competition-at-the-photography-club Wed, 22 Jan 2014 23:53:07 GMT
Last day in Kenya https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/last-day-in-kenya Today was September 20th -my last day in Kenya.   We had to head back  to Nairobi to catch our evening flights.  It was a long drive back from the Mara- at least six or seven hours.  Joanna had arranged for us to have a day room at the same hotel we had stayed in the first night as our planes left late in the evening.  The plan was  to get to the city as soon as possible so we weren't able to stop anywhere for too long. As it was it took a full day of travelling (some rough roads in the beginning) to get to Nairobi.  

 

20130920_Kenya_000120130920_Kenya_0001 Well I had to ask Peter to stop so I could take a last look at the zebras in the nice morning light.

 

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20130920_Kenya_000320130920_Kenya_0003 As we were leaving the park, Peter stopped to put the roof down and I got out of the car to take this photo.  

 

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​We now drove through a different village and I was back to photographing  "drive- by pictures"  to document what I was seeing as Peter could not stop the van.  

 

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This was a typical scene with a business and the housing next to each other.  

 

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This was basically our first stop on the way back to Nairobi.  The public washrooms in/near all of the stores where we stopped were pretty basic.  

 

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Jeff was showing some pictures from the back of his camera  to the guys in the  souvenir shop where we stopped. 

 

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A colourful display outside the shop.

 

20130920_Kenya_000920130920_Kenya_0009 Soon we were on the road again.

 

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I was already missing the animals when we drove by these cows.

 

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More houses beside the road.

 

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We drove through a lot of villages on the way to Nairobi and they pretty much all looked the same.

 

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20130920_Kenya_000120130920_Kenya_0001 Peter did stop for a few minutes so I could take this picture of a church.   Just stopping the van and finding a place to park was difficult on this extremely busy road.   This tiny church was built by Italian prisoners of war working on constructing the Limuru-Mai Mahiu - Naivasha road in 1942.  Thirty-seven thousand Italian  POW's captured after defeat in Ethiopia were interned in East Africa.  Many of these prisoners  were interned in the Rift Valley where this photo was taken.  They built the Mai Mahui road which was quite a feat of engineering since the road ascended some 450m up the steep eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley as  it climbs up from the dry, hot and dusty Mai Mahui on the valley floor to cool, wet and green Limuru on the high plateau.  Today was one of those cool and damp days.  Many of these POW's died of malaria and TB in the war camps.  The captors were compassionate enough to allow the Italians to build this tiny catholic church.  

 

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Our final stop before reaching the city was to see the view overlooking the Great Rift Valley.  Unfortunately it was very foggy  so I couldn't get a good shot.  Still it gives you an idea just what the POW's had to face in order to build this road.  We finally made it to the hotel around five thirty in the pouring rain which did not stop for the rest of evening.  We had about two hours to rest before heading to the airport.  

 

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This was the "lounge" where we waited for our flight to depart for London at midnight.    There were no washrooms, no food (they had also run out of  free bottled water) and the chairs were not comfortable.   If you wanted to use the facilities it meant leaving the tent an going through security again to come back.   I took this photo with my I-phone just to show the tent we were in.  You can see the doors at the end of the tent where you exited to the plane (and had to walk up  all of the stairs to get into  the plane in the pouring rain).   A few weeks before we left for Kenya, there was a fire in the arrivals lounge at the Nairobi airport- perhaps it affected the departure lounge as well.    By the way the young British  man in the photo was an engineer working on various projects in Africa so he spent a lot of time in Kenya.    The security at this airport was extremely tight.   For starters you could not even get into the airport without first going through metal detectors with all of the luggage.    After that there were another three or four security checks (before the immigration check)  with either X-rays or people inspecting the luggage.  They suggest arriving at the airport  at least three hours before your flight leaves which is very good advice.  The airport was crowded but actually the lineups  were not too bad and went fairly quickly.  Jeff and Joanna were both travelling on my flight  so Jeff helped us with all of the luggage because you pretty much kept it with you through most of the security before being able to check it.  The final check was getting into this tent with just our hand luggage.  As I lifted up my camera roll on bag (which was very heavy) the attendant said that he didn't think I could get it in the overhead compartment by myself.   The airline rule is that you must be able to lift your luggage to the upper compartment by yourself or it has to be checked.   My response was of course I could and he didn't say anything else!  Of course I couldn't  lift the camera bag myself but there was always someone willing to help me.   We left Kenya just in time as the following morning more than 60 civilians and six soldiers died at the upscale Westgate mall shooting in Nairobi.   After a two-day siege and a series of explosions, Kenyan authorities said they had cleared the mall and killed four attackers.  An NYPD report  just came out as I was writing this blog.  Police commissioner Ray Kelly said investigators didn't know with certainty how many people were involved but they believed there were only four shooters.  The report also said that the attackers carried only light weapons, and that there is no evidence any of them tried to take hostages or remaining   in the mall after 12.15 on Sept. 22.  It also said that the female British jihadi known as the "white Widow" was probably never in the mall, despite  tabloid rumours.   In conclusion The NYPD report stated  that the Kenyan military may not have killed any of the attackers and there was "significant' physical and video evidence" that the Kenyan military  had looted the mall.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/last-day-in-kenya Mon, 20 Jan 2014 00:55:01 GMT
Last afternoon safari https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/last-afternoon-safari  

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We had a pretty exciting morning watching the hunt so we headed back to the same area late in the afternoon to see if we could find the lions again.   Fortunately they were  still in the area.  The guides were pretty sure that they had found something to eat as they didn't look like they were starving and looked pretty relaxed (for lions).  

 

20130919_Kenya_004720130919_Kenya_0047  Lucky for us the cubs were now visible.  Peter assured me that they were well fed and healthy.

 

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As I watched this one play with its stick, I thought of Katie who also loves her sticks.

 

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Mama was watching very carefully.

 

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We were still watching the lions when a family of elephants went by.

 

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We weren't the only ones watching the elephants.  Aside from humans, lions are the only predators powerful enough to kill an elephant.  The males being 50% heavier than the females are especially suited to this task.  It typically takes seven lionesses to kill an elephant, but just two males could do the job.  When lions hunt elephants, they usually target youngsters or females.  Today, the  lions had no interest in the elephants but they kept a close watch on them as the elephants went by.

 

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We did finally leave the lions and set out to look for a black rhino that had been spotted not too far away.  

 

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​On the way back to the lodge we stopped again to watch the lions.  I could have watched for hours (well we probably did).  

 

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It was finally time to say goodbye to the lions and head back to the lodge.    We were all sorry to leave but what a wonderful last safari day it turned out to be.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/last-afternoon-safari Thu, 16 Jan 2014 23:35:40 GMT
Last Morning Game Drive, September 19th https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/last-morning-game-drive-september-19th Before we knew it September 19th had arrived and we departed on our last game drive early in the morning.  As usual we had no idea what we might find.   We were hoping to see another  Leopard but it was not to be.  

 

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Before 7 AM we came across a baby elephant on the road looking very strange in its pose.

 

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A very pretty Rufous-naped Lark.

 

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Jeff is very serious about his photography as you can see.  It is worth all the trouble he goes to as he gets excellent results.  He has been to Africa eight or nine times with Joanna.  In this photo he  is setting up for a shot of the guides with and without Joanna.

 

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A photo of our guides/drivers.   On the left using my I-phone is James (my guide), middle is Paul and to the right is Peter.  I think Paul and Peter were quite impressed on how heavy the cameras were with those large lenses.  

 

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Joanna with the guides.  

 

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After  our picnic breakfast we came across zebras at the watering hole.

 

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Thomson Gazelles are a major food source for predators and they rely on their speed to escape.  Although they do have large horns, a gazelle prefers to run and leap away when it is  being chased.  They can reach speeds up to 60 MPH in short bursts and sustain speeds of 30 to 40 MPH.

 

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As we were still near the Mara River we had been hoping for another opportunity to see the Wildebeest crossing the river but it didn't happen so we had to be content to see them grazing.

 

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The Hammerhead Stork is best known for their compulsive nest building behaviour.  This relatively small bird is known of rebuilding huge nests that are roughly 100 times the size of their weight.  

 

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​Later in the morning we found another lion.

 

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We were actually surprised that it didn't lie down and go to sleep as the lions usually do at this time of day.  Instead it got up and started to walk away.

 

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We watched it as it made its way closer to the wildebeest in the distance.  We were actually very surprised that she was going to go after her prey on her own but we didn't see another lioness in the area.  Normally they hunt together.

 

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You can see that she is getting closer.  We were actually quite far away but we could still see what was going on in the distance.

 

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You can barely see the lioness in the distance as she approached her prey.  

 

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Now she was really starting to make her move.   We had been watching for about an hour.

 

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Getting closer and closer.  Did I really want to see this?

 

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​In fact I was pretty  far away and couldn't see nearly as much as the camera saw.  

 

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You can barely see but the wildebeest is pulling away at the last minute.    With relatively small hearts and lungs lions are not fast runners.  They have a maximum speed of 60 kph and they do not have the stamina to keep this speed up for more than  100-200 m.   So lions rely on stalking their prey and seldom charge until they are within 30m, unless the prey is facing away and cannot see the charge.  I was actually pretty relieved that this one had missed its target  but then felt bad when Peter starting talking about how the cubs would go hungry.  

 

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 Most successful hunts are on dark nights in dense cover against a single prey animal.    Generally if a lion missed its target on the first run it usually abandons the chase.  

 

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​With one last look, the lion started coming back towards the van again.  Females do the majority of the hunting and males who tag along with the hunt usually stay back until a kill is made.  Lions hunting in pairs and groups have a success rate of 30%.  Lions hunting singly by daylight have a success rate of 17-19% .  Of the 1,300 hunts observed in the Serengeti, 48% involved  one lion,  20% involved two and the remainder involved a group of three or more.  

 

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Ok- now I was beginning to feel really badly  for her but at the same time relieved that the wildebeest had been spared.  One reason for lions' relatively low hunting success rate is that lions do not take into account wind direction when hunting; they often approach prey from an upwind direction thereby alerting the prey and ending the hunt.  Secondly,  the lion's charge is generally launched directly at its quarry and it rarely alters the path of attach, as do other cats.

 

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She stopped to have a rest before going to find her cubs.

 

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Another rest.

 

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Finally she got up and we watched her slink away in the grasses to find her cubs.

 

20130919_Kenya_001920130919_Kenya_0019  A grey backed Fiscal. 

 

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Just as we were arriving back at the lodge Peter stopped the van so I could get a shot at this hyrax sitting on the rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/last-morning-game-drive-september-19th Mon, 13 Jan 2014 01:09:22 GMT
Wildebeest Migration https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/wildebeest-migration For the last two nights  of our adventure in Kenya we stayed at the Mara Serena Safari Lodge.  The lodge is located at the centre of the famous "Mara Triangle" of the world-renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve.  The hotel was set high up a hill overlooking the savannah and  the hippo-filled Mara River.  This lodging  has a ringside seat for the "greatest wildlife show on earth", the legendary migration of the wildebeest.  No where in the world is there a movement of animals as immense as the wildebeest migration.  Over two million animals migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the greener pastures of the Maasai Mara National Reserve during July through October.   Zebras and Wildebeest are often seen together.  Although the principle players of the crossing are the wildebeest (around 1.5 million),  Thomson's gazelle (350,000), zebra (200,000) and eland (12,000) also join in the show.The plan was to drive to the new  lodge in the morning  and head toward the river on our afternoon safari and hopefully watch the crossing.  There is never a guarantee of seeing the show and it was approaching the end of the migration season.  

 

20130918_Kenya_000120130918_Kenya_0001   So we started out early in the morning to travel from the  Sarova Mara Game Camp lodge where we had been staying  to our new lodging.  One of the first sights of the day was a lion.  

 

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We came across more hyenas in the morning.

 

20130918_Kenya_000520130918_Kenya_0005 There is no other antelope like the wildebeest.  It looks like it was assembled from spare parts- the forequarters could have come from an ox, the hindquarters from an antelope and the mane and tail from a horse.   

 

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The horns and shaggy mane led to the Afrikaans name 'wild beast' or 'wildebeest'.  These animals weigh anywhere from 330 to 550 pounds (150 to 250 kg).  They live around 20 years and they can run up to 80km/hour.  

 


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A yellow-billed stork looking for food.  These birds have a fishing technique of using one foot to stir up the water to flush out prey.  A quick muscular reflex in their neck enables these birds to catch almost  all of their food in the water.  

 

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Frogs are part of their diet along with small fish, insects and worms.  

 

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The head of the wildebeest is large and box-like.  Both males and females have curving horns that are close together at the base but curve outward, inward and slightly backward.  The body looks disproportionate as the front end is heavily built, the hindquarters slender and the legs spindly.

 

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We came across another family of hyenas.

 

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After driving down the road we spotted this hyena trying to  take a nap. 

 

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20130918_Kenya_001720130918_Kenya_0017 By this time in the day we were driving  to the Mara River hoping to see the Wildebeest in action.  On the way we came across this young beautiful giraffe.   A couple of interesting facts that I read about giraffes is that their heart is 2 feet long and weights about 20 pounds.  Also, their tongue is almost 2 feet long.  Baby giraffes are about 6 feet tall and can reach an adult height of about 14 feet.

 

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We finally made it to the Mara River and waited for the crossing.  We waited and waited….  We spent at least an hour waiting for some action but unfortunately it was not to be.  The animals did move back and forth and a  couple of times we thought that they would cross but then at the last minute they would stop for no apparent reason and wander away from the water's edge.  Probably they sensed a crocodile.  Since the migration has to cross the Mara River, crocodiles will prey on the animals crossing.     If you look closely in the picture you can see a zebra in front (on the right hand side).   Often a zebra crosses first.  The picture was taken quite far away where the vans were parked on a hill overlooking the river.  When we first arrived we drove right to the river but the guides thought it would be better to be further away so not to scare or distract  the animals.  

 

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We saw hippopotamuses lying beside the river.  The name hippopotamus means 'river horse' and is often shortened to hippo.  Although hippos appear to be a bit chubby they can easily outrun humans.  Their lifespan is about 45 years.   

 

 

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​A closer up view of  the wildebeest thinking about crossing.

 

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​The vans heading away from the river since it didn't look like the crossing was going to happen any time soon.  I was very sorry to have not seen the animals cross.  The only positive thing is that I have an excuse to go back again  to see what I missed.   A friend  told me that when you see the crossing in Tanzania you can actually get out of the car to watch.   By now we were heading back to the lodging.    No sunset tonight because it was pretty cloudy out.  

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2014/1/wildebeest-migration Tue, 07 Jan 2014 20:49:18 GMT
Another great day in the Maasai Mara Reserve https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/another-great-day-in-the-maasai-mara-reserve The trip was coming to the end so we were fortunate to have another fantastic day.  We saw some zebras by the watering hole  first thing in the morning  and at the end of the day we saw lions lying on the rocks basking in the sunshine.  

 

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We stopped off  to watch the zebras drink in the beautiful morning light.  

 

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I read that the ears of a zebra show its mood.  Like horses, zebras can turn their ears in almost any direction.  Zebras have excellent eyesight and it is believed that they can see in colour.    These animals  also have night vision although not as advanced as that of most of their predators.  They also have excellent hearing and an acute sense of smell and taste.  

 

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Like horses, zebras walk, trot, canter and gallop.  They are generally slower than horses but their great stamina helps them outpace predators.  When cornered, the zebra will rear up and kick or bite its attacker.  

 

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A zebra foal is brown and white instead of black and white at birth.   

 

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After watching the zebras for an hour it was time to move on.

 

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This beautiful bird is a bee-eater.  As the name suggests, bee eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps.  Before eating its meal, a bee-eater removes the insect's stinger by repeatedly hitting and rubbing the insect on a hard surface.  

 

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We came across more hyenas.

 

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Spotted hyenas live in territorial clans of related individuals, sometimes up to 80 members.

 

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Like most animals in Kenya,  topis are most active in the morning and evening, resting in shade through the hot hours.  Topis eat only grass, avoiding both mature leaves and very young shoots.   The drier the grass, the longer the rest time is needed for digestion.  

 

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The topis actually spend much of their life with other antelope such as wildebeest and with zebras and ostriches.  They can live in herds of 15 to 20, although in some places it is possible to see herds of hundreds.  

 

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The treat of the morning was coming across a family of warthogs.  Unfortunately they were quite far away so the photos are heavily cropped.  Still if was fun watching them.  Although these animals are neither graceful nor beautiful they are  very interesting.  They are the only pigs able to live in areas without water for several months of the year.  By tolerating a higher-than-normal body temperature the warthog is perhaps able to conserve moisture inside its body that might otherwise be used for cooling.  

 

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Before giving birth to a new litter, the female chases away the litter she has been raising and secludes herself.  The juveniles may join up with another solitary female for a short time before they go on their own.   Lions and leopards are the warthog's chief enemies.  They protect themselves from predators by fleeing or sliding backwards into a hole and using their formidable tusks in an attack. 

 

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Warthogs live in family groups of a female and her young.  Sometimes another female will join the group.  Males normally live by themselves only joining the groups to mate.  These animals sleep and rest in holes normally dug by another animals such as the aardvarks.  

 

20130917_Kenya_002420130917_Kenya_0024 The warthog is mainly a grazer and has adapted an interesting practice of kneeling on its calloused, hairy, padded knees to eat short grass.  Using its snout and tusks, it also digs for bulbs and roots during the dry season.  

 

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This tree hyrax lived on the grounds of the hotel we were staying at - the Sarova Mara Game Camp.  During the afternoon break I went and took the photograph after other members of the group showed me where the animal was.    

 

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Towards the end of the day we came across this lion lying on the rocks.  Unlike so many other lions I saw, this one didn't have flies on its face.

 

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20130917_Kenya_007420130917_Kenya_0074 In a different area  we came across more  lions resting on the rocks.  In the wild lions rest around 20 hours a day.

 

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As usual it was a race to get back  towards  the lodge where we would stop to take some photographs of the sunset.

 

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The end to another perfect day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/another-great-day-in-the-maasai-mara-reserve Tue, 31 Dec 2013 16:50:06 GMT
On the Maasai Mara https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/late-morning-on-the-mara We had been up since 4.30 in the morning  to make it to  the balloon ride on time  and it was now around 11 AM but no-one was tired.  We just wanted to keep out as long as we could.

 

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Once again we were able to find the lions- and spent quite a while watching the babies nurse and play.

 

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Finally the lions all settled down and we headed back to the lodge.  I was wondering if the  vans disturbed the mother at all- apparently the lions are not bothered by the vans.  Going off the road to get closer views of the animals  is strictly forbidden and mostly obeyed.  If you are caught off the road by the rangers there could be heavy fines.  

 

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Buffalo's senses are quite poor.  Their sight and hearing are both rather poor but scent is well-developed in buffalo.   Outside of the national parks in East Kenya, they are known to break fences, raid cultivated crops and they may even spread bovine diseases to livestock.  

 

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I found this buffalo very photogenic.

 

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We stopped to watch and photograph more giraffes.

 

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 These are my favourite Giraffe pictures.

 

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As always, I was happy to find more elephants.  I could never get tired of watching them.

 

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 For a few minutes in the late afternoon  the sun gave some wonderful lighting.  After seeing the elephants we returned to the lodge to take some sunset photos.

 

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20130916_Kenya_005720130916_Kenya_0057 An end to another perfect day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/late-morning-on-the-mara Tue, 24 Dec 2013 14:55:37 GMT
Lions of the Maasai Mara https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/lions-of-the-maasai-mara After arriving in the Masai Mara we made our way to the Fig Tree Camp, our first hotel in the famous Masai Mara.  The Fig Tree Camp is located on the banks of the Talek River.  I will probably always remember hearing the hippopotumus during the night- they sure are loud.  The first night I had no idea what the noise was but it sounded like the animal was just outside my tent.   By the way Hippos leave the water at dusk and travel inland to graze on short grasses.  I honestly don't remember if there was a barrier between the river and the lodge but I'm pretty sure there would have been.   It goes without saying that I did not go to investigate any night noises.    Today's blog is actually about the lions in the Maasai Mara that we came across on our afternoon safari.  

 

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The lion is the tallest (at the shoulder) of all living cats, averaging approximately 5cm (2.0 in) taller than the tiger.  The lion is the second largest  living cat  in length and weight after the tiger.  

 

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We watched the lions for most of the afternoon at times following them in the vans.  We had a great view of the group of them.

 

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Lions spend much of their time resting and are inactive for about 20 hours per day.  Although lions can be active at any time, their activity generally peaks after dusk with a period of socializing and grooming.  Intermittent bursts of activity follow through the night hours until dawn, when hunting most often takes place.  These lions had recently eaten so were quite content.

 

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Lions spend an average of two hours a day walking and 50 minutes eating. They are the most socially inclined of all wild felines, most of which remain quite solitary in nature.  

 

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​Some lions are residents, living in groups centring around the related lionesses, called prides.  

 

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The pride usually consists of five or six females, their cubs of both sexes, and one or two males who mate with the adult females.  Male cubs are excluded  from their maternal pride when they reach maturity.  

 

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There is also a second organizational behaviour called nomads, who range widely and move about sporadically either singularly or in pairs.  Pairs are more frequent among related males who have been excluded form their birth pride.

 

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The guides and rangers are on some kind of radio system so when the cats are found everyone hears about it and comes to investigate.  Often we were fortunate in that we were the ones that found the animals so we had great views.   Also, at times we were in very distant locations and no other vans were around us.   Other times we had to take our turns with everyone else and wait for a spot to open up.  Most of the time I was able to see very well.  This is one reason why it is best not to go to Kenya in the summers were there are so many tourists (many from Europe).  September was perfect although at times as  you can see from above that there were many vans jockeying for positions.    

 

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The younger lions started to play which was great to watch.

 

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The area a pride occupies is called a pride area and the nomads occupy a range.  The males associated with a pride tend to stay on the fringes patrolling their territory.  Lionesses do most of the hunting for their pride.  

 

20130913_Kenya_0015-420130913_Kenya_0015-4 Lionesses are more effective hunters than males as they are smaller, swifter and more agile than the males and unencumbered by the heavy and conspicuous mane which causes overheating during exertion.  However, there are times when the males have the advantage due to their weight when bringing down certain types of prey.  

 

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These young lions were a lot of fun to watch.  

 

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The best part was when they began to play.

 

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We were also lucky to see more Cheetahs in the same afternoon.

 

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Finally it was time to call it a night so we headed back to the camp.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/lions-of-the-maasai-mara Thu, 19 Dec 2013 16:03:47 GMT
A trip to a local Maasai Village https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/a-trip-to-a-local-maasai-village One day Peter took me to a local Maasai (sometimes spelled "Masai" or "Masaai") Village to learn about their customs, traditions and lifestyles.  The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania.  The Maasai are among the best known of African ethnic groups due to their residence near the many game parks of East Africa and their distinctive customs and dress.    The people speak Maa and are also educated in the official languages of Kenya: Swahili and English.  The Maasai territory reached its largest size in the mid-19th century and covered almost all of the Great Rift Valley and adjacent lands from Mount Marsabit in the north to Dodoma in the south.  Starting with a 1904 treaty and followed by another in 1911, Maasai lands in Kenya were reduced by 60 percent when the British evicted them to make room for settler ranches.  The Maasai have demanded grazing rights to many of the national parks in Tanzania and Kenya.  Maasai land now contains  East African's finest game areas.  

 

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Simon, a well spoken and educated young Maasai was my tour guide.  He is studying social sciences at college.  His father is the medicine man in the village and his brother is studying  medicine under his father .  

 

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A group of young children came to say hello. The children were all very friendly.  

 

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The Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, but the people have continued in their age-old customs.  Over the years, many projects have begun  to help Maasai tribal leaders find ways to preserve their traditions while also balancing the education needs of their children for the modern world.   The emerging forms of employment among the Maasai include farming, business(selling of traditional medicine, running of restaurants/shops, buying and selling of minerals, selling milk and milk products and wage employment (as security guards/watchmen, waiters, tourist guides) and others who are engaged in the public and private sectors. Many Maasai were working at the lodges in Kenya-these jobs are difficult to get.  

 

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Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature, with elder men sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group.  I did not see any elders during my visit as they were most likely out with the cattle.  However, there were many young men in the village wearing their traditional costumes and performing dances for the tourists as well as selling jewelry and crafts.

 

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These young men performed some dances for me.  I was the only visitor in the village.

 

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​Girls are responsible for chores such as cooking and milling, skills which they learn from their mothers at an early age.  The traditional diet of these people consists of raw milk, raw  blood and raw meat so I'm not not sure how much cooking is actually done.  Simon told me that this is what the people in his village still eat.  I have also read that more recently the Maasai have grown dependent on food produced in other areas such as maize meal, rice, potatoes, cabbage etc.  

 

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The piercing and stretching of earlobes is common among the Maasai.  Various materials have been used to both pierce and stretch the lobes, including thorns for piercing, twigs, bundles of twigs, stones, the cross section of elephant tusks and empty film canisters.  Fewer and fewer Maasai, particularly boys follow this custom.  Women wear various forms of beaded ornaments in both the ear lobe and smaller piercings at the top of the ear.  

 

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Young boys are sent out with the calves and lambs as soon as they can walk but childhood for boys is mostly playtime.  

 

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The women spend a good part of their day making jewelry to sell.

 

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I had to include at least one animal picture.  The puppy was so cute.  

 

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Villages are enclosed in a circular fence built by the men, usually of throned acacia. At night cows, goats and sheep are placed in an enclosure in the centre safe from wild animals.  

 

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Most of the laundry is hung on the twigs to dry.  Everything is washed in the river where the people also bathe.

 

20130917_Kenya_004820130917_Kenya_0048 A woman going into her house.  The traditional Maasai house was designed for people on the move and was very impermanent in nature.  The houses are constructed by able-bodied women.  The structural framework is formed of timber poles fixed directly into the ground and interwoven with a lattice of smaller branches which is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and ash.  The cow dung ensures that the roof is water-proof.  

 

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The houses are very small measuring about 3x5 m and standing only 1.5m high.  Within this space, the family cooks, eats, sleeps, socializes and stores food, fuel and other household possessions.  I went into Simon's house and it was very small, dark and fairly damp.  Small livestock are also often kept in the house at night.

 

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​A typical scene in the village.

 

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The men demonstrated how to start a fire without the traditional tools.

 

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Success.  I am not sure where the nescafe packaging came from.

 

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The Maasai sell beautiful jewelry and crafts.

 

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The Maasai are traditionally polygynous.  This is thought to be a long standing and practical adaptation to high infant and warrior morality rates.  Simon's father had three wives and Simon had many half brothers and sisters.  He told me that everyone got along very well and took care of each other.  

 

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When I was ready to leave I met some young students coming back from school.  

 

20130917_Kenya_005920130917_Kenya_0059 The kids were happy to have their photos taken and look at the pictures on the LCD screen  on the back of the camera to see pictures of themselves.  

 

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One last picture before heading back to the lodge.  It was a very interesting and educational tour.   I found the people very friendly and Simon was an excellent guide.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/a-trip-to-a-local-maasai-village Sun, 15 Dec 2013 22:22:45 GMT
Hot Air balloon riding in the Mara https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/hot-ai ​Our small group thought it would be fun to go on a hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara.  Only Joanna had been on a ride before and said it was a fantastic experience.  As we signed the contract one of our group members  pointed out that there was a small clause saying the company was not responsible for any issues even if due to their negligence.  I'm pretty sure that most people wouldn't have even noticed the fine print -who can actually read it?  I figured that it must be pretty safe because the rides were so popular and I hadn't heard of any disasters.  In the back of my mind I did recall something about friends of mine going on a similar ride in Ontario and having a horrible experience.   Still this was a chance to have a new adventure  and see the country from a different perspective.  

 

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We had to leave our hotel around 5 AM to reach the area where  the balloons were taking off.  There were a number of balloons heading out ahead of ours -this was a photo of one of them.  The pilots  had a lot of difficulty in getting the balloons up as there was practically no wind today.  It was fun to watch everyone getting ready to take off.  

 

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Lots of dust from the cows.  

 

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It was nice to see the sun rise-  made it worth while getting up around 4.30 AM!  

 

20130916_Kenya_000320130916_Kenya_0003 A Masai with his cows.  

 

20130916_Kenya_000220130916_Kenya_0002 Our pilot was a French  Canadian with a great sense of humour.  I was very happy to have a Canadian piloting the balloon.

 

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One great thing about balloon rides in the Mara was there were no electrical wires to get in the way.

 

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It was wonderful seeing the beautiful scenery from the air.  I also enjoyed photographing the other colourful balloons in the air.

 

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​I couldn't take a picture of our balloon with all of us in it so I just took a photo of part of the balloon to show off its  beautiful colours.

 

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The flight was so smooth.  It was a great feeling to be floating in the air.  

 

 

 

20130916_Kenya_001320130916_Kenya_0013 We could also see animals from above.  

 

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​We were in the air for over an hour before we landed to enjoy a Champagne breakfast.  I have to admit it the landing was a bit bumpy.

 

20130916_Kenya_001520130916_Kenya_0015  I don't think Joanna minded  help getting out of the balloon.

 

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Enjoying breakfast on the Mara.  Our guides drove out to where the balloons landed to pick us up and go on a morning safari.  So after eating a delicious breakfast we headed out to see some animals.

 

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We were lucky to come across a family of lions.  The mother was trying to keep all of her cubs  together.

 

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I'm guessing that the cubs were only a few weeks old.

 

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The family crossed the road and wandered off into the grasses.  You can see the cubs partly hidden by the grasses.

 

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A Saddle-billed Stork.  This is a large wading bird in the stork family.  These birds have a massive red bill.  Like most of its relatives it feeds mainly on fish, frogs and crabs but also on small birds and reptiles.  

 

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Wildebeest in the distance.

 

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We caught up with the  lions again.

 

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More lion pictures to follow in the next blog.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/hot-ai Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:12:03 GMT
Another Day in the Masai Mara https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/another-day-in-the-masai-mara ​Today was another great  day in the Mara.   We spent some time watching elephants and a family of hyenas.  It was another beautiful day with a really nice sunset.

  

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We saw more of  my favourite animals.

 

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20130915_Kenya_000120130915_Kenya_0001 Although the baby elephants look large on their own when   compared to the full  grown elephants they are very small.

 

20130915_Kenya_0001-720130915_Kenya_0001-7 Here you can see how little the baby elephants look compared to the elders.  You can  also see  the dried mud on the elephants.

 

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​Wildebeest in the distance. We were in the end of the migration season and in this part of the Mara,  there were wildebeest everywhere.  

 

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In the afternoon, we came across some hyenas resting in the grasses.

 

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A very young hyena.

 

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​On the way back to the lodge (I should say race back to the lodge) we saw elephants and some really nice colour in the skies.  It was getting very close to sunset so I could take only a couple of  pictures as we had to get back to the lodge which was still 20 minutes away.   I  found out later that they are fairly lenient about the 6.30 deadline as long as you are close to the lodge.  At that point  it is ok to stop and take some sunset pictures which is what we did.  

 

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By now we were very close to the lodge so Peter was able to stop for a few more pictures at sunset.

 

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An end to another perfect day in Kenya.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/another-day-in-the-masai-mara Sun, 08 Dec 2013 23:01:54 GMT
Mara Fig Tree https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/mara-fig-tree 20131127_Kenya_000120131127_Kenya_0001

We spent the day driving in the Massai Mara starting and ending at Fig Tree Camp.  The Mara is enormous so only a small area can be covered in any one day.  The roads though not terrible had to be maneuvered slowly and carefully.   Of course we made numerous stops depending on what we found.   The park is 1,510 km or 580 square miles.   

 

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We were up and out early in the morning.  This shot was taken at 6.30 AM.  

 

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A Waterbuck in nice morning light.  The white target ring on the animal's rump help the herd keep together as it flees through dense bush.  These African animals lack both speed and endurance so they depend a lot on cover as a refuge from  predators.  

 

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The warthog is a wild member of the pig family found in grassland, savanna and woodlands in sub-Saharan Africa.  Although capable of fighting,  the warthog's primary defense  is to flee by sprinting very quickly.  

 

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A male  impala.  Only the male referred to as the ram  has lyre-shaped horns which can reach up to 45-92 cm (18-36 in) in length.  The female, referred to as the ewe lacks horns. 

 

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A Wire-tailed Swallow gets its name from the very long filamentous outermost tail feathers which trail behind like two wires.

 

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A group of giraffes we passed.  Giraffes spend most of their lives standing up; they even sleep and give birth standing up.

 

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The African Hawk-Eagle is a large bird of prey.  This eagle is a small to medium-sized eagle at about 55-65 cm in length.  This eagle hunts small mammals, reptiles and birds.

 

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A Ruppell's Griffon Vulture is a large vulture named in honour of Edward Ruppell,  a 19th century German explorer, collector and zoologist.  This bird is considered to be the highest-flying bird with confirmed evidence of a flight at an altitude of 11,000 metres (36,100 ft) above sea level.  

 

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​These vultures are highly social and gather  to feed in large flocks.  They can travel fast when required, cruising at up to 35 kilometres per hour (22 MPH) and will fly as far as 150 kilometres (93 mi) from a nest site to find food.  

 

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The Bateleur eagle is a medium-sized eagle and is endemic to Africa and small parts of Arabia.  This colourful species has a very short tail.

 

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The Bateleur hunts over  a territory of approximately 650 square km (250 square miles) a day.  These birds are hunters and scavengers.  

 

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​In 2009, the Bateleur was placed  in the Near-Threatened IUCN Red Lit Category due to loss of habitat, pesticides, capture for international  trade and nest disturbance.  

 

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A Long-tailed Starling.  

 

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Trouble on the road.  Of course there are no service stations close by so when something happens to a truck you had better know how to fix it.   Fortunately there were no dangerous animals around at the time.   

 

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A Grey Heron.

 

20130914_Kenya_0023-220130914_Kenya_0023-2 We stopped for a while to photograph some zebras.  

 

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Zebras have excellent eyesight and hearing.   Just like the giraffes, they  stand up while sleeping.

 

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Apparently zebras  run side to side when being chased by predators.   I never actually saw this.  

 

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Hyenas kill as much as 95% of the food they eat and have been known to drive off leopards or lionesses from their kills.  They are primarily nocturnal animals but may venture from their lairs in the early-morning hours.   This shot was taken at 10.45 AM. 

 

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In one feeding frenzy, a spotted hyena can eat up to one third of its body weight.

 

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Vultures waiting for any remains.  

 

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Not much left of this zebra.  

 

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The hyenas wandered away after finishing eating.  Hyenas are not related to dogs, although they do have some similar greeting ceremonies.  

 

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​One more stop to take a couple of pictures of the ostrich before heading back to the lodge for lunch.  Ostriches are so powerful that a single kick at a predator such as a lion could be fatal.  When fully grown an ostrich has one of the most advanced immune systems known to man.  

 

20130914_Kenya_0030-220130914_Kenya_0030-2 Ostriches stretch out their neck and lay their head on the ground to keep from being seen hence the myth  that ostriches hide in the sand.   However, ostriches do not bury their head in the sand.   

 

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​We headed out again around 3.30 and came across lions mating.  As I mentioned before you never knew what you might see on the safari.  This was the first full grown male lion I saw.  The mane of the adult lion, unique among cats  is one of the most distinctive characteristics of the species.  It makes the lion appear larger providing an excellent intimidation display.  This aids the lion during confrontations with other lions and the with the species' chief competitor  in Africa,  the spotted hyena.   

 

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The lions started to wander away but we still had a good view.  At one point they walked right in front of our van  totally oblivious to the vans and the people.  

 

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Males with darker manes are more likely to attract females.

 

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Fortunately they stopped where we could still see them.  

 

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​The roar of a lion can be heard from 8 kilometres (5 miles) away.  

 

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Wildebeest are also called Gnu and are part of the antelope family.  Wildebeest is Dutch for "wild beast" or "wild cattle" in Afrikanns.   Each year, wildebeest have a long-distance migration timed to coincide with he annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth.   We saw thousands of these animals.

 

We saw more warthogs as we started making our way back to the lodge.

 

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By now it was after six and we were getting some nice lighting.

 

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20130914_Kenya_0045-220130914_Kenya_0045-2 The last colours of the day as we headed back to Fig Tree Camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/mara-fig-tree Wed, 04 Dec 2013 21:43:08 GMT
Maasai Mara Reserve https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/masai-mara-reserve

On September 13th we left for the famous Maasai Mara Reserve where we would spend our remaining time in Kenya.  This reserve is also known as the Masai Mara.  The locals call it  the Mara.  This reserve is named in honour of the Maasai people (ancestral inhabitants of the area).  Mara which is Maa(Maasai language) for "spotted" a description for the circles of trees, scrub, savanna and cloud shadows that mark the area.  This reserve is globally famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards and cheetahs and the annual migration of zebra, Thomson's gazelle and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October.  The area covers about 580 square miles.  

 

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Before we got to the reserve we had to spent the morning driving on the highways which are for the most part in very good shape.    These next snapshots were all taken through the window while we driving on the highway  so I could record the landscape and some of the people that we passed.     The area above  looked very pretty with the cattle around the lake .  

 

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Some locals that we passed on the road.  This would be a typical scene of shops along the road in the small villages and towns.

 

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I loved the beautiful colours of the clothes that the native woman wear.   Needless to say Coca Cola was very popular.  I took this picture because I liked the contrast of the different outfits the women were wearing.  

 

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Houses next to the shops.

 

20130913_Kenya_000620130913_Kenya_0006 We passed a lot of women with their donkeys. 

 

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While driving on the highways and passing through the towns we would often see many young men standing around with their motorcycles so I asked Peter about that.  It turns out that motorcycles are used as cabs in Kenya.

 

20130913_Kenya_000920130913_Kenya_0009 I saw a lot of potato stands along the sides of the road.

 

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I often saw men sitting beside the shops or just along the side of the roads.   Unemployment in Kenya is at 40% and 70% of those unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 35.  The high level of unemployment has been blamed for the escalating incidents of crime and insecurity in the country.   Forbes Africa recently released a list of Africa's 30 best entrepreneurs under 30.  Interestingly enough 7 out of the 30 are Kenyan.   Anthony Mwange, a 25-year-old Kenyan,  discovered technology that can enable human beings to charge phones through their shoes.  Evans Wadongo has invented solar-powered lantern lamps that can be used in rural and poor urban homes  which cannot access electricity.  Obviously the Kenyans have many talented and creative people.  Hopefully the government will be able to promote and encourage this kind of innovative thinking.  

 

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20130913_Kenya_001320130913_Kenya_0013 There were often animals mixing in with the people in the villages.

 

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Some school girls that we passed by on the road.  The children all wear school uniforms.  We saw kids walking to school all the time and I always wished that we could stop and talk to them.  

 

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We finally arrived at the reserve where there were many  Masai women selling their hand made  jewelry.  

 

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The landscape of the Mara featuring  Acacia trees, also known as thorn trees.  

 

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Joanna Williams led the photography tour.  Joanna picked excellent places to visit and stay in.  She has hired the same guides on all of her trips so they were very experienced and knowledgable.    

 

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The Topi is a highly social and fast antelope.

 

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Topis are either numerous or absent in an area.  Scattered populations do not last long so they either increase or die off.  The health of topis  in a population depends on access to green vegetation.   Herds of topi migrate between pastures.  The largest migration is in the Serengeti where they join the wildebeests, zebras and gazelles.  We did see many of them during out safaris.  The Serengeti (much larger than the Mara)  and the Mara are part of the same eco-system.  They are both diverse with wide open plains, forest areas and boulders.  These reserves are beside each other.   The Mara is located in Kenya and the Serengeti is located in Tanzania.  At one point during our trip the van briefly  entered into the Serengeti.

 

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It was always easy to spot the giraffes.

 

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Zebras were also plentiful in the Mara.

 

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​Vultures were everywhere.  

 

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This was the last photo taken in the early afternoon before heading to check into the hotel.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/12/masai-mara-reserve Sun, 01 Dec 2013 15:31:31 GMT
Lake Naivasha https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/lake-naivasha

In the morning of September 12th, we left Lake Bogoria for Lake Naivasha Country Club Resort.   On the map above you can see where we were staying(half way down the page on the right hand side).   Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in Kenya, outside the town of Naivasha in Nakuru County.  It is part of the Great Rift Valley. The name comes from the local Maasai name Nai'posha meaning "rough water" because of the sudden storms which could arise. The lake is home to over 400 species of different birds and a sizeable population of hippos which we were hoping to see.  

 

20130912_Kenya_000920130912_Kenya_0009 Before leaving in the morning, I took a walk around the grounds of the hotel  where there were lots of monkeys.  

 

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We stopped at where the equator crosses Kenya near Nanyuki.    The Equator is an imaginary line on the earth's surface equidistance from  the North Pole and the South Pole, dividing the Earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.   In Africa the equator runs along for almost 2,500 miles, passing through 6 countries.

 

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This woman demonstrated the flushing toilet effect called the Coriolis effect.  It is a common belief that toilets flushed in the northern hemisphere spin counterclockwise, in the southern hemisphere the water spins clockwise and  the water drains straight down at the equator.  The woman moved the pail to demonstrate this theory which appeared to be true.  However, after reading about it this demonstration it seemed to more about the way the water is actually poured into the basin than the  Coriolis effect.   After further reading the Coriolis effect is very small and that is why it is apparent in large phenomena like tornados and hurricanes but does not show up in small things like dust devils and sinks.  The amount of Coriolis effect a couple of steps away from the equator is so close to zero that this can only be a trick.  Still it was fun to watch and believe at the time.  In reality the direction that the water takes in toilet bowls  is much more determined by the direction that the bowl's rim jets are pointed and it can be made to flush in either direction in either hemisphere by simply redirecting the rim jets during manufacture.  

 

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We listened to this man tell us a few facts about  the equator which of course I have forgotten.  However, one thing he mentioned that I hadn't heard was that hair curled one way on one side of the equator and a different direction on the other side.  Now after reading about the Coriolis effect I'm guessing that is not correct either.

 

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After being on the road for a while it was nice to get out and walk and enjoy the scenery.  Goats were very common  in Kenya.

 

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Guides enjoying their break when we stopped for our picnic lunch.

 

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​After arriving at our hotel and settling in we went on a two hour boat ride.  We were actually hoping that this boat was sea worthy especially if a major storm came up.  We were supposed to go out around 4 but ended up going out sooner as there was talk of a change in weather.  Fortunately the weather remained good and the boat stayed afloat.   

 

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So we ended up  having  a great boat ride in beautiful weather and so many species of birds.  The first birds I saw were   Cormorants in the trees.  These birds are medium to large seabirds.  They eat small eels, fish and even water snakes.

 

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A close up shot of a Cormorant.  Check out their beautiful coloured eyes.  

 

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As promised our guide found lots of hippopotamus for us to photograph.  After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest type of land mammal.  Their closest living relatives are whales and porpoises from which they diverged about 55 million years ago.  Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it can easily outrun a human.   The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive  creatures in the world and ranks among the most dangerous animals in Africa.     

 

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We came across a few families and our guide got a little too close to them for my liking.  At one point we were in a small area surrounded by reeds.  The driver did manage to get  caught in the reeds while trying to leave  and I can tell you that this was the only time I was a little anxious on the trip.  I think the guide was trying to do us a favour by getting so close.  Fortunately, the families  did not seem to take any notice of us.  

 

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Hard to believe that these animals are so aggressive as they look so peaceful and happy when they are sleeping.   

 

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This Yellow-billed Stork is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.  

 

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These birds fish by standing in shallow water.  

 

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A pair of African Collared-Doves.  

 

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A Yellow-billed Duck.  These birds are Mallard-sized mainly grey ducks with a darker head and bright yellow bill.  

 

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A Yellow-billed egret is a medium-sized heron.  This bird stalks its pretty methodically in shallow coastal or fresh water.  It eats fish, frogs and insects.  

 

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​This African Sacred Ibis is usually silent but occasionally makes some croaking noises.  It feeds on various fish, frogs, small mammals, reptiles as well as insects.  

 

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A grey Heron.  

 

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Another Cormorant.

 

 

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A Pied Kingfisher  is a water kingfisher and is found across Africa and Asia.   Not surprisingly this bird feeds mainly on fish.

 

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The Spur-winged Goose is  the largest African waterfowl and are on average the world's largest wild "goose".  

 

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A pair of Grey Crowned Cranes.  This species and  the closely related Black Crowned Cranes are the only cranes that can roost in trees, because of a long hind toe that can grasp branches.  

 

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Scenery from the boat ride.  

 

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An African  Fish Eagle is the national bird of Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Sudan.  This eagle resembles the Bald Eagle in appearance.  

 

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African fish eagle in flight.  I took very few shots of birds flying since it takes a lot of practice to get them in focus.   However, Cathy talked me into trying a few shots which came out ok.

 

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We saw some young men having fun fishing. 

 

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The movie "Out of Africa" was filmed on Crescent Island which we passed by on the boat.  We had an opportunity to go on the island but it was an unanimous decision to spend our time on the water.

 

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​This Hammerkop is a medium-sized wading bird.  The shape of its head with a curved bill is reminiscent of a hammer which it is named after.  

 

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Another Cormorant that we passed by on the way back.

 

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A Giant Kingfisher.

 

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Our guide who gave us a great show and a little bit of excitement!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/lake-naivasha Thu, 28 Nov 2013 16:39:12 GMT
Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/lake-nakuru-and-lake-bogoria

 

After leaving the Samburu Reserve we  drove  to Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria.   Lake Nakuru lies to the south of Nakuru and is protected by Lake Nakuru National Park.  The lakes'  abundance of algae attracts the vast quantity of flamingos that line the shore.  Also, there are many other birds that flourish in the area as do warthogs, baboons and other large mammals.  Black and White Rhinos have also been introduced.  Because of the high water levels this year, the flamingoes have mostly left the area as they were unable to feed.   So we ended up reducing our time spent at this reserve and moving on to Lake Bogoria where the flamingos were located.  

 

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A photograph of the lake taken in the morning.  

 

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​A Waterbuck watching us.  Some of the roads were  not passable  due to  the flooding so at times we had to backtrack  in order to  find roads leading around the lake.

 

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I will always remember Lake Nakuru for the family of baboons we drove by.  Peter and I spent a long time observing them as I found their family interaction fascinating.    In this photo you can see one of the adults checking the youngster for fleas/ticks.  

 

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​A youngster munching on food.

 

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One of the babies in the group.

 

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I hated to leave but we had spent close to an hour watching the family and we had still had a lot to see before leaving the area.  

 

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​The African buffalo is highly dangerous to humans because of its unpredictable nature.  The African buffalo has never been domesticated unlike its Asian counterpart.

 

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The Masai Giraffe is the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal.  This Giraffe  is found in Kenya and Tanzania.  The Masai Giraffe  has jagged  spots on its body and has a short tassel of hair on its tail.  

 

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A closer view of the lake as we were driving along the road.  There were some flamingos here but not the thousands that one would normally see at this lake.

 

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The waterbuck is generally a quiet, sedentary animal although males do compete for and hold territories.     The long-haired, often shaggy brown-gray coat  emits a smelly, ready secretion that is thought to be for waterproofing.  

 

 

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The yellow-billed egret is a medium -sized heron.  This egret stalks its prey methodically in shallow coastal or fresh water.  The egret  eats fish,  frogs,  crustaceans and insects.

 

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​Interestingly enough there is no colour difference between a white or black rhino given they are both grey.   Both are rare in the reserves where we were  so  we saw very few of them on the safaris.  I read that the Dutch people named the grass-eating white rhino the "Weid mind rhino" meaning Wide-mouth rhino.  The English thought they were say "white" so it was all just a misinterpretation of the name. The black rhino has a hooked shaped mouth for feeding on trees.  The black rhino is short tempered and extremely aggressive.  They are very solitary and seldom join up with other individuals.  

 

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A close up view of the trees in Lake Nakuru.  Nakuru means "dust or dusty place" in the Maasai language.  Lake Nakuru National Park, close to Nakuru town was established in 1961.  It started off small, only encompassing the famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity but has since been extended to include a large part of the savannahs.   A savanna is a grassland ecosystem characterized  by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close.  

 

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The rock hyrax is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal superficially resembling a guinea pig with short ears and tail.  According to Wikipedia the closest living relatives to hyraxes are the modern day elephants and sirenians.  The hyrax lives in rock crevices in which to escape from predators.  

 

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Another Gazelle that we came across.

 

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An Egyptian Goose.  

 

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Late afternoon we arrived at Lake Bogoria, a saline, alkaline lake that lies in a volcanic region a little north of the equator.  Lake Bogoria National Reserve has been a protected National Reserve since November 29th, 1973.  This year, there were flocks of  flamingos that had left Lake Nakuru to come to this Reserve.

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Flamingos often stand on one leg, the other leg tucked beneath the body.  The reason for this behaviour is not fully understood.  Standing on one leg may allow the birds to conserve more body heat even though the behaviour also takes place in warm waters.  As well as standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food from the bottom.

 

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​We spent a couple of hours here walking on the shoreline and watching the birds.  In this national park, you could get out and walk as there were no dangerous animals.  This Malibu Stork  is a massive bird and a frequent scavenger.  The bird will eat almost any animal matter it can swallow.  

 

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​Flamingos' beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they eat and are uniquely used upside-down.  The pink or reddish colour of flamingos comes from carotenoid proteins in their diet of animal and plant plankton.    Flamingos are also very social birds and live in colonies whose population can number in the thousands.  There were certainly thousands of birds here.

 

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This Spur-winged Plover got its name because of a spur (a small claw) hidden in each of its wings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/lake-nakuru-and-lake-bogoria Sun, 24 Nov 2013 17:00:04 GMT
Samburu National Reserve https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/buffalo-spring-games-reserve--second-day

In this blog  I have included more pictures from our days  in the Samburu National  Reserve.   You can see the area on the map above- a little higher than midway towards the right.    We normally left the hotel each day around six fifteen in the morning as the animals are most active in the early mornings and late afternoons.  Often we  ended up eating breakfast in the field- the one time when we did  get out of the vans in the game reserve.   Then around 11.30 as it got hot and the light became poorer for photography we headed back to the resort for lunch and a break before heading out again on safari around 3.30.  We all loved going out on the game drives- there was always something different to see.    I  was never ready for the  game drives to finish at the end of the day.    Our  van was almost always the last one back in the evening.  My attitude was "just one more shot" which is probably why I ended up with over sixteen thousand photos.    We never made it back by the deadline of 6.30 PM  but somehow managed to avoid any fines.   I should add that the safaris  weren't  just about photographing- it was also about watching the animals interact with each other and their environment and seeing the beautiful African landscape.    

 

20130909_Kenya_000220130909_Kenya_0002 ​A very early morning shot.  Most mornings we were out in the reserves by 6.30.  

 

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Early on this particular  morning we spotted a waterbuck which is a large antelope.  In spite of their name, waterbucks do not spend much time in the water but will take refuge there to escape predators.  They are normally found in scrub and savanna areas near water where they eat grasses.

 

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The Lilac-breasted roller perches high up in the tops of trees where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level.  This species is the national bird of Kenya and Botswana.  

 

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This bird is an African Fork-tailed Drongo.  These fairly common birds in Africa are aggressive and fearless given their small size.  They  will attack much larger species including birds of prey if their nest or young are threatened.  

 

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These Yellow-necked Spurfowl are quite widespread in bushed grasslands and scrubland.  This common, distinctive noisy bird is most active at dawn and dusk.  They are generally found in pairs or small groups.

 

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A White-browed Sparrow Weaver.   

 

20130909_Kenya_0007-220130909_Kenya_0007-2 A spur-winged Plover.  

 

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​We came across a group of baboons which was very exciting for me.   I was warned to make sure the zippers on our tents were always zipped up from both the inside and outside as baboons are fairly common in the resorts and can be destructive.   I would also put a chair in front of the tent.   I actually never saw baboons in the places we stayed so I was happy to observe them in the wild.  Later on in the trip, we were  entering one of the parks and stretching our legs  when we witnessed  two baboons fighting over some garbage.  They can be very aggressive so we quickly got out of the way although they had no interest in us.  

 

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​This guy looked like he was staring right at me.  The picture was taken at 500 mm away and heavily cropped so I was not as close to him as I looked.  

 

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​I spent quite a bit of time watching the family- because I had my own van to myself I could spend as much or as little time as I wanted in the locations.  Peter was my driver/guide for the whole trip and  was  a wealth of information.   Our group consisted of three vans whose drivers all had walkie-talkies so they knew where each other was at all times.  We tended to stay close together and often we would be able to talk to each other while photographing out of the roof.  

 

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20130909_Kenya_0008-220130909_Kenya_0008-2 We drove by some Zebras grazing.  Their distinctive black and white stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual.  

 

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Zebras are generally social animals that live in small groups to large herds.  

 

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The stripes are typically vertical on the head, neck, forequarters and main body with horizontal stripes at the rear and on the legs of the animals.  It was previously thought that zebras were white animals with black stripes since their underbellies are white.  However, embryological evidence shows that the animals's background colour is actually black and the white stripes and bellies are additions.  

 

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This Cheetah was really far away and the photo is very heavily cropped in the software so the picture is terrible.   However it is the best one I have of a Cheetah in a tree.  These large cats are very difficult to find and are becoming exceedingly rare in Kenya.  It was very exciting for us to actually see a few of them.  We spent a long time watching a couple of them hoping that they would come closer to us.  The Cheetah can run faster than any other land animal- as fast as 112 to 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 500m (1,600 ft).  They are able to  accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (63 mph) in three seconds.  Unfortunately we never saw them running.  We watched for quite a while  and saw one of them walking in the forest but they were still very far away from us.

 

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We followed the Cheetahs hoping that they would get closer to us and fortunately they ended up getting very close and actually walked right in front of the vans.

 

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  We watched a group of them walk around the vans, cross the road and finally disappear.  

 

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A Thompson Gazelle.

 

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Next we came across a sleeping lion.  Finally she opened her eyes but we waited a long time for some action. 

 

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The lion is one of the four big cats and is the second-largest living cat after the tiger.  Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia while other types of lions have disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Africa in historic times.  About ten thousand years ago the lion was the most widespread large land mammal after humans.  The were found in most of Africa, across Eurasia from western Europe to India and in the Americas from the Yukon to Peru.   

 

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The lion is a vulnerable species having seen a major population decline in its African range of 30-50% per two decades during the second half of the 20th century.  Some of the reasons for the decline are habitat loss and conflicts with humans. 

 

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Lions live for about 10-14 years in the wild.  In the wild males seldom live longer than 10 years as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their longevity.  Sleeping mainly during the day, lions are primarily nocturnal which explained why we often saw them sleeping in the shade  when we were able to find them.

 

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We were able to get very close to the lion-she was looking right at me.  

 

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We did not want her to go back to sleep!

 

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The lions that I saw were often covered with bugs.  This one was relatively clean.

 

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​A goodbye look as we finally left the area.

 

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​Looking for more animals we came across this pair of  Impalas.    

 

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We headed down to the river we found a family of elephants eating.

 

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I really enjoyed watching them.

 

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This baby elephant was nursing.  Although it looked so small against its mother, baby elephants are still huge.

 

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You can see one of our groups' vans in the background.  We were very close to the herd and I remember Peter telling me that he wanted to move further away as it could be dangerous if one of the elephants felt that she or her family was being threatened.  She could easily flip the van over.  

 

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​It was fun watching the elephants in the water.  They like to spray themselves to keep cool.  The mud also acts  like sunscreen.

 

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20130909_Kenya_002420130909_Kenya_0024 We  came across some Vervet monkeys who are mostly vegetarian.  These monkeys have been noted for having human-like characteristics such as hypertension, anxiety and social and dependent alcohol use.  

 

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​Vervets live in social groups raining from 10-50 individuals. 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/buffalo-spring-games-reserve--second-day Thu, 21 Nov 2013 03:56:05 GMT
Buffalo Spring Games Reserve https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/buffalo-spring-games-reserve

The next few days we spent in the Buffalo Spring Games Reserve and the Samburu National Reserve.     My room at the Samburu Simba Lodge (Buffalo Springs Simba Lodge)  had a fantastic view of the stunning plains where I could watch the elephants grazing.  The area was 300 km north of Nairobi within the Isiolo District.  There were a couple of afternoons where we would return from the mornings game drive and have some free time.  One afternoon I went for a swim in the infiniti pool and watched the elephants grazing in front of me.   

 

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​I was told that there are something like 1132 species of birds in Kenya.   We certainly saw quite a few but I was not always able to photograph them because they were fast to move and I was slow.    This White-browed Sparrow-Weaver  was walking on the ground beside the van and I managed to get the picture.  

 

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Early in the morning we drove by this crocodile snoozing in the sun.  Too bad he was sleeping.

 

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The Secretary bird is a very large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey endemic to Africa.  It is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah in Africa.  The bird appears on the coats of arms of Sudan and South Africa. One hypothesis is that its name is  derived from the crest of long quill-like feathers, lending the bird the appearance of a secretary with quill pens tucked behind his or her ear as was once a common practise.   

 

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The Red-billed Hornbill eats  insects, fruit, seeds and small animals.   Hornbills are named because the shape of their bill reminded  people of cattle horns.    Zazu, a character in the animated film "The Lion King" is an African  red-billed hornbill.  I found so often that branches would be in the way of seeing the animals and birds- but very typical in the reserves.  

 

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Their first two neck vertebrae are fused to support this birds'  large bill.  These birds mostly live on the ground and roost in trees near the trunk, or on a large branch.  They can fly despite having relatively short wings.

 

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Females usually lay three to six eggs in a tree cavity.  She seals herself  and the nest off with a cement like substance made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp.  A narrow opening allows the male to transfer food to her and later to her and the chicks as they remained sealed inside.  Her she is is gathering dirt for the nest which you can see if you look closely in the beak.

 

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An  African Collared Dove.  

 

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As we were driving in the park we came across a family of elephants.  

 

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Gazelles (members of the antelope species) are known to be very fast-some are able to run at bursts as high as 60 MPH or run at a sustained speed of 30 MPH.     They tend to live in herds and will eat less coarse, easily digestible plants an leaves.  We saw lots of these animals.

 

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We watched these elephants on the move-animals in Kenya are often on the move searching for new food sources.  

 

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Another pretty bird was spotted- the White-headed Buffalo Weaver.   The buffalo part of its name derives from its habit of following the African buffalo, feeding on insects.   This is a gregarious bird which searches on the ground for insects, fruits and seeds.  

 

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Another Gazelle.

 

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​The Impala is medium sized antelope that lives in the bushland and savannah.    We came across many of them on the game rides.  

 

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The reticulated giraffe  is native to northern Kenya.  This type of giraffe is among the most well-known of the nine giraffe subspecies and together with the Rothschild giraffe is by far the most commonly seen in zoos.   Its coat consists of large, polygonal liver- coloured spots outlined by a network of bright white lines. The extraordinary height of giraffes is attributed to a ritual known as "necking" where two males fight for reproduction rights by slamming their necks into one another.  The giraffes with the tallest and strongest necks are victorious and allowed to reproduce, thus passing these genes on to future generations.

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Reticulated giraffes are herbivorous and have been recorded to feed on more than 100 species of plants with a staple of Acacia, Commiphora and Terminalia leaves.   They have also been seen eating the carcass of an antelope and chewing on dried bones for their calcium content.  Giraffes feed by browsing, which typically means they eat continuously throughout the day.  They use their sense of smell to locate the leaves they want.   Giraffes ingest everything on the branch when eating, including insects, bark and thorns.  

 

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​Giraffes are very good at conserving water in the hot African climate.  They are able to conserve and maintain their body temperature in part because of their shape-their long thick legs allow heat to release quickly.  Also, the leaves they eat are actually a good source of water and can allow them to go days without a drink.

 

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The Jackal is a medium-sized carnivore with doglike features. Tthe jackal has been the subject of superstition about death and evil spirits.  The ancient Egyptians believed a jackal-headed god, Anubis guided the dead to those who judged their souls.   This belief was due to the jackal's cleverness, nocturnal habits, eerie howling and scavenging.  I only saw them a couple of times.

 

20130908_Kenya_001720130908_Kenya_0017 20130908_Kenya_001820130908_Kenya_0018 Superb Starlings from a distance

 

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The Crowned Plover or Lapwing habitats from the Red Sea coast of Somalia to southern and southwester Africa.  It is an adaptable and numerous species with bold and noisy habits.  

 

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Their diet consists of a variety of insects but termites form an important part.

 

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All safari guides are supposed to have the trucks back in the lodges or out of the parks by 6.30 PM.  There could be serious repercussions in terms of fines and suspensions  for the guides breaking the rules of the park.   This law is to protect both the nocturnal animals and the people.  Once it is dark in the parks it is very difficult if not impossible to see which makes it extremely easy to get lost even for the experiences guides/drivers.    In this photo you can see the vans/trucks making their way back to the lodge as the sun was setting.  Our van was just like the one in the front where the roof opened up.  My van was almost always the last one in.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/buffalo-spring-games-reserve Sun, 17 Nov 2013 16:01:53 GMT
Magical Kenya https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/magical-kenya  

I was very fortunate to go to Kenya and spend sixteen days there this past  September.  I landed in Nairobi on September 5th and travelled to various areas including  the famous Masai Mara Nature Reserve.  "Magical Kenya" is the slogan used to market the country by Kenya's Tourism Board and I have to agree with their choice.    Before I left I met a photographer who told me that once I went to Africa I would get the "bug" (not the bad kind ) and would want to go keep going back.  He certainly was 100% correct- I am so looking forward to getting back some day.  I travelled with Joanne Williams, the tour leader and three other participants.   This first blog covers the first two days of being in Africa.  

 

20130906_Kenya_000120130906_Kenya_0001 This shot was taken from the van I travelled in.   In many places in Kenya people do not like having their pictures taken, therefore I found that I had to just photograph from a van and in most cases the van was moving.  So I have included snapshots just to show what life is like in the small villages that we passed on the road.  This was a road-side market that we drove by on the way from Narobi to our first destination- Sweetwaters Tented  Camp.

 

20130907_Kenya_0001-320130907_Kenya_0001-3 A typical  colourful market scene.  Kenyans who live in small villages and rural areas do their shopping from outdoor markets as opposed to "grocery or department stores".   

 

20130907_Kenya_000420130907_Kenya_0004 Another photo taken from the van as we passed through a city.   From memory  it was the city of Nanyuki.  Nanyuki is a market town in Laikpia County of Kenya lying northwest of Mount Kenya and is situated just north of the Equator.    Currently this city is the main airbase of the Kenya Air Force.  The British army also keeps a base at the Nanyuki Show Ground from where it conducts yearly desert and jungle training exercises on the mountain and in the arid areas to the north.

 

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During the drive we made a stop every once in a while.  This was a typical store selling souvenirs etc.  This Kenyan was happy to have his photo taken.

 

20130907_Kenya_000720130907_Kenya_0007 ​This is a photograph of my "tent" at the Tented Sweetwater  Camp.  The camp was located on the plains of Mount Kenya.  All of tents has their own private verandas, washrooms etc.  Sweetwaters Serena Camp (game reserve) is actually located in the private 110,000-acre Ol Pejeta Conservancy.  The camp is located 17 kilometres from Nanyuki and 217 kilometres from Nairobi.  By the way the food wherever we stayed was fabulous- lots of choices put together by chefs from all over the world.  There were always East Indian dishes, pasta and lots of North American food.   In some places in Kenya  it was quite cool at night.  When I came back from dinner I often found that the netting had been placed around the bed (not that I saw a mosquito) and that I had heated hot water bottles left in the bed.  When I was able to get email I would read how hot it was at night in Toronto and here I was in Africa using hot water bottles!   Overall the  weather was very pleasant- a few places became quite hot (not humid) for a few hours in the afternoon but I found that I needed my ski jacket and or a sweatshirt until mid morning and then again would need the sweatshirt late in the afternoon.  

 

20130907_Kenya_000820130907_Kenya_0008 We visited the only chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya which shelters large numbers of rare and endangered species.  This sanctuary opened in 1993 in a negotiated settlement between the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Jane Goodall Institute.

 

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​The facility was initially established to receive and provide lifelong refuge to orphaned and abused chimpanzees from West and Central Africa.  The chimpanzees had lots of space to roam around unlike most zoos.  

 

20130907_Kenya_001120130907_Kenya_0011 Curious, intelligent and social, chimpanzees are the closest living relates of humans, sharing approximately  98% of our genetic blueprint.  These mammals have the ability to stand and walk uprights while also being able to move effectively on all fours.   Chimpanzees make use of tools such as rocks to crack nuts in half or sticks inserted not mounts to fish for termites.  They are the only primates to have developed tool use to such an advanced level.  

 

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​We all took turns feeding and petting Baraka-the sign did not stop anyone.  Baraka was very gentle and happy to be fed.  The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 90,000 not-for-profit wildlife conservancy.   The conservancy boasts the largest sanctuary for black rhinos in East Africa.

 

20130907_Kenya_001320130907_Kenya_0013 The impala is a medium-sized African antelope.  Its height ranges between 75 to 95 cm (30 and 37 in) and it weighs between 40 and 60 kg (88 and 165 pounds).  As you can see its coat is short and glossy, normally reddish-brown in colour and has lighter flanks with a white underbelly.  This male has lyre-shaped horns which can reach up to 45-92 cm (18-36 in) in length.  The female lacks horns.  

 

20130907_Kenya_001420130907_Kenya_0014 During wet seasons when grasses are fresh, the impala grazes.  During the dry season which runs from January to March and July through October the animal feeds on  foliage, shoots and seeds.   Leopards cheetahs, lions and wild dogs prey on the impala.  We saw lots of impalas  on the game drives. 

 

20130907_Kenya_001520130907_Kenya_0015  The ostrich is a large flightless bird native to Africa.  This male ostrich has a long neck and legs and can run at up to about 70 km/h (43 mph).  This is the fastest land speed of any bird.  Also, the ostrich is the largest living species of bird.  Their diet consists mainly of plant matter, though it also eats invertebrates.  Ostriches usually weigh between 63 to 145 kilograms (139-320 lb).  

 

20130907_Kenya_001720130907_Kenya_0017 The African bush elephant is the largest living terrestrial animal.  Males stand 3.2 to 4.0m (10-13 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh 4,700-6,048 kg(10,360-13,330 lb) while females stand 2.2-2.6 m(7-9 ft) and weigh 2,160-3,232 (4,762-7125 lb).  The elephant is considered one of the big five game animals in the parks and were plentiful in all of the reserves we visited.      The term big five game was coined by big-game hunters and refers to the five most difficult and dangerous  animals in Africa to hunt on foot.  Over the two weeks on safari  we saw lots of elephants an I never got tired of watching and photographing them.  

 

20130907_Kenya_001920130907_Kenya_0019 The elephants are difficult (to hunt) because despite their large size, they are able to hide in tall grass and are more likely to charge than the other species.  This elephant has a thick, almost hairless skin, a long and flexible trunk (considered a fifth limb),  upper incisors forming long curved tusks of ivory an large fan-shaped ears.

 

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This Superb Starling is a member of the starling family of birds.  It was very common in Kenya and we would see it walking on the ground looking for food.  These birds are quite gregarious and generally rather tame and unafraid of people.

 

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In the early  afternoon we arrived at the Samburu Simba Lodge overlooking the Buffalo springs and the Uaso Nyiro River.   After settling in the hotel we left for our afternoon safari drive.  The guides headed towards the river where  we came across a family of elephants.  African elephant societies are arranged around family units.  Each family unit is made up of around ten closely related females and their calves.  The family is led by an old female known as he matriarch.  After puberty (around 13 years) male elephants tend to form alliances with other males.  

 

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African elephants are highly intelligent-they have a very large and highly convoluted neocortex, a trait also shared by humans, apes and certain dolphin species.  With a mass of just over 5 kg(11 lb), elephant brains are larger than those of any other land animal.  

 

 

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A scene along the river.      During the safaris we were almost always in the vans for safety reasons.  The roof of the van was opened up so we could stand up to get our photos.  

 

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Elephants exhibit a wide variety of behaviours including those associated with grief, learning, play, sense of humour, altruism, self-awareness, use of tools, compassion, cooperation, memory and possibly language.  

 

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A young elephant heading for food.

 

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African elephants can eat up to 450 kilograms (992 lb) of vegetation per day, although their digestive system is not very efficient given that only 40% of this food is digested.  They use their trunk to pluck at leaves and their tusks to tear at branches which can cause enormous damage.

 

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Watching an elephant  in the Kenyan landscape.  

 

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The Helmeted Guineafowl is the best known of the guineafowl family.  It breeds in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara and has been widely introduced  in the West Indies, Brazil, Australia and southern France.  These birds are particularly well-suited to consuming massive quantities of ticks, which might otherwise spread lyme disease.   These birds are terrestrial and prone to run rather than fly when alarmed.  They are actually great runners and can walk 10km and more in a day.

 

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The Gerenuk also known as the Waller's gazelle is a long-necked species of antelope.  These animals are sometimes called the giraffe-necked antelope for obvious reasons.  Gerenuks have a relatively small head for their body but their eyes and ears are proportionately large.  Only the males have horns and they also have a more muscular neck than females.

 

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The Egyptian Goose is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae.  These Egyptian Goose were considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians and appeared in much of their artwork.  This goose  swims well and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck, thus the English name.

 

Sandpipers eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil.  These birds have long bodies and legs and narrow wings.         Their  bills are sensitive allowing the birds to feel the mud and sand as they probe for food.

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/11/magical-kenya Fri, 15 Nov 2013 16:45:07 GMT
Goodbye Cinque Terre https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/time-to-say-goodbye We woke up to a beautiful morning -our last morning in Cinque Terre.  We were taking the train back to Florence and most of us were flying home the next day.  So I just have a few morning shots to share.

 

This group shot was taken by Gretchen which explains why she was missing from the photo and I was in it.   Thanks Gretchen for this great shot!   Notice all of the luggage.  It was not an easy travel day.  It turned out to be a very warm day so the coats did not stay on for long.  We were waiting for the taxi to come and take out luggage to the train station while we walked.  

 

One more photo thanks to Gretchen.  It was not taken on this last morning but I thought I would include it just to prove that I actually was in Italy taking photographs.

 

20130601_2013_may_italy_0004 What a great team Chris and Sam make.  You have no idea how helpful these two guys were helping me with all of the luggage during the trip.  Thanks again guys.  

 

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It was much too beautiful of a day to be leaving Cinque Terre but at least we had an afternoon in Florence to look forward to.  

 

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20130601_2013_may_italy_0006 Walking over to the train station  we had a little bit of time for some last minute photos.

 

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20130601_2013_may_italy_0008 One last beach shot.  We had an uneventful travel day back to Florence.  However, it was a bit tricky getting on the trains quickly with all of the luggage.   Again we had to change trains in Pisa and we arrived back at the hotel in Florence around 3.30 or so.  

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/time-to-say-goodbye Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:17:49 GMT
Manarola https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/manarola On our last full day in Cinque Terre,  we caught a late afternoon train to Manarola and photographed while we still had light.  Then we ate dinner there before heading back to Monterosso.  

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0035 This only  happens when people are on holidays in beautiful vacation spots.  They are jammed into trains with standing room only and still have a smile on their face.  We were at the station in Monterosso waiting for our train to Manarola.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0001 Manarola is the second smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns.  It may also be the oldest town.  The cornerstone of its church, San Lorenzo dates from 1938.  Its primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making.  I found that most of its houses are bright and colourful just like the other towns in Cinque Terre.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0002 We headed down to the waterfront where I spent about half an hour  taking pictures and talking to some of the tourists.

 

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The water was still pretty choppy as it had been all week.

 

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There were quite a few fisherman out- more in this town than I saw in any of the others.

 

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All of these shots were taken in the same area, just facing different  directions.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0004 Manarola is built on a high rock 70 metres above sea level.  The tiny harbour features a boat ramp, picturesque multicoloured houses facing the sea and a tiny piazza with seafood restaurants.  Although the specialty was seafood I was able to find some fabulous pasta for dinner.

 

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Lots of water pictures but after all I spent a long time in this area.  I was very happy to be this close to the sea.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0006 There was a trail leading away from the village so I walked up it to get some shots of the town from a wider perspective.  

 

 

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I met this really nice couple.    

 

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I walked back up the hill to the town square where some locals were hanging out and watching the kids play.  This little boy was a tourist but after a while he joined the other Italian kids in the soccer game.  

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0024 I found this very cute little boy playing soccer so I took a series of shots of him playing.  

 

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20130531_2013_may_italy_0031 It was fun watching the kids play ball. 20130531_2013_may_italy_0032

 

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My dog picture of the afternoon.  

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0034 I did walk in the streets for a little while before meeting everyone at seven down at the wharf.  Above is the Bell Tower which every town seemed to have. 20130531_2013_may_italy_0035

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0037 Once we all met at seven, the group hiked up to an old cemetery.  This is one of the views of the cliffs  we saw.

 

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The cemetery at the top of the hill with the village in the background.   

 

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We had to stop and take a couple more pictures of the village before heading to dinner.  It was getting pretty cloudy out so we were waiting for a little sunlight to hit the town.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0041 A shot of the water  while we were waiting for the train to take us back to Monterosso.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0042 Brenda waiting patiently  for the train to come so she could do some panning shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/manarola Tue, 27 Aug 2013 15:16:02 GMT
Morning and early afternoon in Monterossa al Mare https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/morning-and-early-afternoon-in-monterossa-al-mare Today, May 31st  was my last chance to photograph early morning in Monterosso.   The plan was to go out for a walk before breakfast and then do a little bit of shopping with everyone.  The day was pretty much free until later in the afternoon.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0001 One of my first long exposure shots ( 15 seconds at f16, ISO 100).  

 

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20130531_2013_may_italy_0005 Finally I had a chance to photograph the tunnel without people.  The town is divided into two distinct parts: the old town and the new town.  The two areas are divided by a single tunnel that is used by the pedestrians and the very few cars in town.  We walked through the tunnel many times each day as this was the way to the train station.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0001 I saw this cat a few times near the hotel and today stopped to get a picture.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0007 This is a photo of where the trail starts to hike over to the town of Vernazza (the hike we had done the previous day).   I found out that the village was briefly excluded form the Cinque Terre trail in 1948, but was re-introduced in mid-1949.  This is because Italian officials considered the village too large to be considered part of the historic trail.  Originally the village was only accessible by sea or by mule paths that connected the villages of the Cinque Terre and to Via Roma, the main road that connected all of Italy to Rome.  These mule paths have been maintained and used over the centuries and now provide hikers with fabulous views of the Cinque Terre.  These hiking trails have been taken over by the national park system.  Normally there is a fee for the hike but officially the trail system was not open due to the spring rains  when we were there.  However, after talking to locals, we discovered that some of the trails were actually in good condition which is why we were able to hike to Vernazza.  

 

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20130531_2013_may_italy_0008 Chris and I hiked up a different trail to a cemetery that some of the others had been to the day before.  This was one of the views on the way.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0009 Overlooking the highway.  When we first arrived in town we were met by a car and driver at the train station.  The driver and Jed took the luggage  to a meeting place near our hotel.  They had to go way out of the way via this highway.  When we finally met them at the square near our hotel we still had to walk with the suitcases about five minutes to the hotel(and up quite a few steps).  We had been wondering what took them so long to arrive not realizing how far out of the way they had to go.   The road was built in the 1960's so the villages remained isolated but even now cars are not allowed in most areas of the villages.  Now you can drive between all of the villages but these roads are often narrow and winding and go along a steep hillside.  The best way to visit the villages is by foot, train or boat.  

20130531_2013_may_italy_0010 The trail leading to the cemetery. 20130531_2013_may_italy_0011

 

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20130531_2013_may_italy_0012 Chris and I walked all around as we found it quite interesting.  The town cemetery is  located on the hilltop where the early settlement of Monterosso was located.  The cemetery is built into the old fortress.

 

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20130531_2013_may_italy_0019 A view from the top of the cemetery.    For the original Monterossini who were farmers and not fishermen it was way more convenient to settle in the hills and also less dangerous than living near the perils of the sea.  At one time  this spot and ones like it were important vantage points in protecting the village.  The complete view of the coastline was critical for alerting the townspeople of potential danger.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0017 One of the best views of the town from the cemetery.  

 

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A close up of the colourful houses  in the town.

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0002 20130531_2013_may_italy_0001 To the left you see part of the fortress where the old cemetery is built into.  This isolated fortress on top of the hill was able to be completely secured against sint any kind of intruder.  Above is a photo of the olive groves.  

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A poppy field on the way back to town.

 

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After lunch I spent a couple of hours enjoying the sunshine on the beach.  When the girl came down she and her friend asked me to take their picture so they handed me the camera and went back up on the rock.  I guess they trusted me not to run off with their camera equipment (it was a nice one).  

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0026 As you can see the water is still very rough.  

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0027 It was a lovely afternoon with lots  of people on the beaches but not overcrowded at all.  This beach runs along most of the coast line and is very well used by tourists in the summer- a time I would definitely not want to be here.   I can imagine how busy the beaches, trains, paths and restaurants would be.    This beach is the only extensive sand beach in Cinque Terre.  

 

20130531_2013_may_italy_0028 I was actually very far away from the people in these beach shots so the pictures are heavily cropped.  I was just walking around with a 24mm wide angle lens.  

 

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20130531_2013_may_italy_0033 After these beach shots I headed back along the boardwalk to the hotel to meet the gang for our train trip to Manarola, the only town of the five villages of Cinque Terre that we had not yet visited.  However,  perhaps this guy had a better  idea. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/morning-and-early-afternoon-in-monterossa-al-mare Sun, 25 Aug 2013 15:08:39 GMT
Early evening in Monterosso al Mare https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/early-evening-in-monterosso-al-mare After getting back from Corniglia I decided to go out for a short walk before the group met for dinner.  After hiking all day you would think that it would be a great time to relax but I didn't want to miss anything.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 I didn't do a lot of walking- I just stayed in the square and streets near the hotel.  The idea was to do a little people watching.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 I came across some colourful fisherman's netting.

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0005 Next I found a game of bocce going on.  I watched for a little while not understanding how  it worked.

 

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Bocce is a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family which gets its origins from ancient games played in the Roman Empire.  It is very popular in Italy and other European countries.  

 

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Before too long it started to rain really hard.  

 

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And no I was not standing out in the rain.  I found cover and stayed perfectly dry.  

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0011 I was hanging out under a covered area when these two men waved me over.  It turned out they wanted their picture take.  I was happy to take a few shots of them.

 

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The downpour only lasted about ten minutes.  This shot was hand held at a very slow speed so there was motion blur.    I kind of liked how it turned out though.  

 

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By now the rain had pretty much stopped so I was able to walk around again.

 

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My reflections shot. 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/early-evening-in-monterosso-al-mare Fri, 23 Aug 2013 13:54:43 GMT
Corniglia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/corniglia After leaving Vernaza, we took the train to Corniglia which was the fourth town  in Cinque Terre that we visited.  Unlike the other towns in Cinque Terre,  Corniglia is not directly adjacent to the sea.  Instead it is on the top of a promontory about 100 metres high, surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces.  The fourth side descends steeply to the sea.  

 

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0019 To reach Corniglia it is necessary to climb the Lardarina, a long brick flight of steps composed of 32 flights with 382 steps.  There was a vehicular road that we could have taken from the station if we had wanted to wait for the bus.  Of course there was no way we were going to wimp out and take a bus!   I should add that  we had no idea that we had such a long hike ahead of us to get to town.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 A view of the train station as we got further away.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 Along the walking trail as we were walking through vineyards, there were many stops with picturesque views.  This was a view of Manarola, the next town to the south.  

 

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This was the view from the other side as we approached town.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 We walked around this small town for a while.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 The  Church of San Pietro was built in 1334 on a pre-existing XI  century building.  It has a Baroque stele, with some Gothic and Ligurian elements.  The XIV century facade is adorned by a 1351 Carrara white marble rose window. 

 

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I liked this colourful building I saw.

 

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One of the many, colourful narrow streets in town.

 

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A view of the vineyards surrounding the  town.

 

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My laundry shot of the afternoon.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0004 Some old doors I came across in my travels. 20130530_2013_may_italy_0016

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 colourful restaurant in the main square.

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0005  The origin of the village dates back to the Roman Age and is named after the Roman family who owned the land.  In the Middle Ages it was possessed by the counts of Lavagna, the lords of Carpena and of Luni.  In 1254 Pope Innocent IV gave it to Nicolo Fieschi who held it until 1276 when the village was acquired by the Republic of Genoa.  

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0007 A view of part of the town from one of higher vantage points in the village.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 It turned out to be a pretty cloudy afternoon with not a lot of sunlight on the sea.  Great clouds though.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0008  While waiting for our train to get back to Monterosso  I took a few pictures.  This was a train that speeding by.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0021 No seats while waiting for the trains.

 

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Cell phones helped pass the time while waiting for the trains.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/corniglia Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:34:23 GMT
Afternoon in Vernazza https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/afternoon-in-vernazza I finished the hike from Monterosso al Mare around 12.30 as I made my descent into town.  The next few pictures are scenes I saw heading into town.  

 

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The trail leading to the town. 

 

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I recognized the area from the night before but it was nice to see the town from above.   Hard to believe but on October 25th, 2011, Vernazza was struck by torrential rains, massive flooding and mudslides that left the town buried in over 4 metres of mud and debris.  The flooding caused over 100 million euro worth of damage and caused the town to be evacuated.  We could still see signs of the damage in certain areas of Cinque Terre.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0030 The train tunnel and tracks were easily visible from this vantage point.  

 

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A narrow street heading into the main square area.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0034 I came across these two construction workers and asked them if I could take their photo.  They were happy to pose for me.

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0037 I found this cafe that had great  panini sandwiches just like the day before.  I had the same sandwich- cheese and tomatoes on fabulous focaccia. 

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0036 I wandered back to the beach area to check it out.   I sat down on the rocks and watched the people and the waves.  The water was much too rough for swimming or boating.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 I included this picture to show the rocky beach.  Not nearly as nice for swimming as the beach at Monterosso.

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0038 On the way back to the central square I found some nice reflections in the puddles underneath a tunnel leading back to the square from the beach.    I heard a little boy say "look mommy, that lady is taking pictures of the mud".   So I stopped  to explain that I was photographing the reflections in the water.

 

Some colourful laundry hanging out to dry.

 

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Back to the main square where we had taken pictures the night before.  

 


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A picture of the town with  the Santa Margherita d"Antiochia church in the background.  According to the legend the church was built in order to give a home to the finger bones of St. Margaret of Antioch which were contained in a chest washed up on the rocks in Vernazza's harbour.  However, a storm blew in from the sea and once again washed away the remains where they appeared on the same rock where they were originally found.  What luck!  So now the townspeople built a new church on  the  very spot where she had been beached and this is where the present church lies.  This latest church was built in 1318 on the foundations of an 11th century structure.  

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0041 After these last couple of shots it was time to catch the train  to our next stop of Corniglia.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/afternoon-in-vernazza Sat, 17 Aug 2013 16:11:29 GMT
Hike from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/hike-from-monterosso-al-mare-to-vernazza Today, May 30th  turned out to be a hiking day.  We left the hotel around ten and hiked over to the next town of Vernazza where we had been the previous evening for some night shots.  The footpath leaves from the eastern part of the town of Monterosso.  The path is about 3.5 kilometres and is considered to be of medium difficulty.  There were lots of steep  narrow sections and stairs crossing vineyards and citrus orchards but the views were magnificent.  It would take an average hiker about 1 1/2 to 2 hours but it took me 2 1/2   hours.  Not only did I stop for photographing and admiring the views,  I also stopped to talk to a lot of the other hikers.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0001 This was pretty much the start of the footpath.  You can see that it had been raining earlier but by ten it was getting to be a very nice day.

 

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You can see the footpath  that we started on which overlooks the town of Monterosso al Mare.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0002 A view overlooking the  Mediterranean in the other direction. 

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0005 A view from the hike.

 

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A hiker starting the climb up.

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0008 One last view overlooking Monterosso.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0009 Now I was getting fairly high up with a view looking towards Vernazza.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0010  You can see why I had to keep stopping to take photos and just absorb the scenery.  

 

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A view of the trail.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0012 The area reminded me a bit  of the Amalfi Coast but the towns in this area were smaller and less populated.  Both areas are terrific.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0013 Some people hiking on the trail.  I started out hiking with Megan, Jed,  Chris and Brenda but before too long I was on my own.  Brenda and Chris waited for me from time to time to make sure I was ok.  There were enough people on the trail though so it really wasn't a problem.

 

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Beautiful flowers and trees lined the trail.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0015 I loved the shape of the trees and how they bent over the trail.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0016 I was constantly coming to more beautiful views which just kept slowing me down.

 

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Although the trail wasn' t super busy there were enough people that you felt secure enough to hike on  your own.  A few people stopped me and asked me to take pictures of themselves and also see what I was taking pictures of.  Everyone was friendly and most people spoke English.  I met some people from the US but mostly Europeans.

 

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20130530_2013_may_italy_0019 The town of Vernazza in the distance was getting closer.

 

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Finally getting to Vernazza.  

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0023 The first records recognizing Vernazza as a fortified town date back to 1080.  Referred to as an active maritime base of the Overtenghi, an Italian noble family, it was likely a point of departure for naval forces defending against pirates.

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0024 Vernazza was vital in Genova's conquest of Liguria providing port, fleet and soldiers.  In 1209 approximately 90 of the most powerful families of Vernazza pledged their allegiance to the republic of Genova.  In the 1800's after a long period of stagnation, Vernazza returned to wine production enlarging and creating new terraced hillsides. 

 

20130530_2013_may_italy_0025 In 1997, the Cinque Terre was recognized as a World Heritage Site by Unesco and in 1999 the National Park of the Cinque Terre was born.  Today the main source of revenue for Vernazza is tourism, although fishing, wine and olive oil production still continue to help the economy.  This shot was taken just before descending into town.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cinque Terre pictures hiking in Cinque Terre Monterosso al Mare Vernazza https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/hike-from-monterosso-al-mare-to-vernazza Thu, 15 Aug 2013 13:40:15 GMT
Evening in Vernazza https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/evening-in-vernazza On May 29th, we got back to Monterosso late in the afternoon with just enough time to get our tripods for evening shots in Vernazza.  Somehow we managed to get on a train that didn't stop in Vernazza but took us again to Riomaggiore.  So we had to get off the train and wait for another one to get us to where we wanted to go.  The train schedules were a bit tricky.  The plan was to take some evening shots, have dinner in town and then head back to Monterosso.  Unfortunately the trains do not run as often in the evenings so we had to either take a 9.30 train back or wait until 11.30. 

 

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We headed to the main square where we took our shots.  

 

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 Vernazza is the fourth town heading north, has no car traffic and remains one of the truest "fishing villages" on the Italian Riviera.  

 

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I had a great time photographing the rough waters.  It was one of the few times where I used the tripod  in Cinque Terre.  

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0004 thought someone was quite brave to leave their boat out.  Jed and Brenda who had been here many times before had never seen such rough conditions.  

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0009 One of the last water shots as it was getting pretty dark and just about time for dinner.

 

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One last shot of the square before going for dinner.  

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0014 We were really happy that we managed to eat dinner and still be able to catch the 9.30 train home.   While waiting for the train to arrive I took one last shot.  

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0001 While walking from the train station  to the hotel in Monterosso Brenda, Jed and I couldn't resist setting up the tripods for this shot.  It was a long exposure taken at f16 for 30 seconds at ISO 800 (for any one interested in the technical aspects).  

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0002    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/evening-in-vernazza Tue, 13 Aug 2013 13:11:34 GMT
Riomaggiore https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/riomaggiore The afternoon of May 29th was spent in Riomaggiore.  We all met to take the train to this village dating back to the early thirteenth century.  The town is known for its wine produced by the town's vienyards.  Riomaggiore is the most southern village of the five Cinque Terre, all connected by train or hiking trails.   The town is caught between two steep terraced hills descending in steep cliffs to the sea.  

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0001 Heading to Riomaggiore by train.   I included this shot just to show what the inside of the Cinque Terre trains looked like.  The trains were sometimes quite crowded during the afternoons .  I think this train ride lasted about twenty minutes since we started in Monterosso and travelled to the southern most village of Riomaggiore .  

 

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Arriving at the train station in Riomaggiore.  We had to walk through a tunnel to get to the main section of town.

 

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A close up of the artwork on the wall on the way to the tunnel.

 

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Just outside the tunnel.

 

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The cat picture of the day.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0010 I loved the pastel colours of the houses in the villages of Cinque Terre.  I read that the colours are regulated by the community government.  I also read that all houses have two entrances: one on the facade at the lane side and the other at the back of the upper road.  In 1500 it was an escape route in case of a possible enemy attack.

 

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0008 The main street of Riomaggiore is called Via Colombo which was full of shops and cafes.  By now we were all getting hungry and the food was all looking pretty good. However, not being a seafood person, I opted for a fabulous cheese and tomato panini on Focaccia.  

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0012 Walking along the main street.  

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0014 We started hiking up the steep hills to get some views of the town and water.

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0017 The first mention of the territory of Riomaggiore dates back to 1239 when the people of the District of Capena swore loyalty to the "Compagnia" from Genoa and when in 1251, the residents  of small villages halfway to Casen, Cacinagora, Sarico and Lemen decided to join together at the mouth of the river and founded Riomaggiore.  

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0018 Different views of the Mediterranean's Gulf of Genoa. 20130529_2013_may_italy_0019

20130529_2013_may_italy_0020 By this time we were very high up and had great views of the water.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0021 The sea was very rough during the most if not all of our stay in Cinque Terre.  I believe this was due to the way the winds were coming in.   

 

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The waves were fabulous.

 

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We now hiked back down towards the town's wharf area.

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0033 Riomaggiore had a very rugged coastline with not much of a beach area at all.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0035 Sam enjoying a rest from all of the hiking.

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0037 The wharf area of town.

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0042 Looking up at the houses built vertically up the cliffs.

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0043 It would have been great to have taken a boat trip and seen all of the towns from the water.  However, for the few days we were in the area, the seas were really rough.  Oh well- I need an excuse to go back.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0044 Gretchen and Chris make such a great couple.  

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0001 The daily door picture.

 

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No boat rentals today.

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0053 We left the wharf area and headed back to the main street to check out the shops and Gelato. 20130529_2013_may_italy_0054

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0057 These guys were waiting for their daily treat.

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0060 The last picture taken in Riomaggiore before heading back to Monterosso.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cinque Terre pictures Riomaggiore photos of Riomaggiore https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/riomaggiore Sat, 10 Aug 2013 13:21:40 GMT
Morning in Monterosso al Mare https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/morning-in-monterosso-al-mare May 29th was another busy day.  We all met for a fabulous buffet breakfast in the hotel at eight and except for coming back to the room a couple of times to change the camera lenses etc.  we didn't get home until around 10.30 at night.  We spent the morning walking around Monterosso al Mare to see some different sites of the town (and some of the same ones as the day before).

 

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I started out by finding a nice colourful window to photograph.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0001 We started hiking up a street behind our hotel and had some nice views overlooking the town.

 

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Somewhere along the way I came across some colourful houses.

 

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The first laundry shot of the morning.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0005 I was happy to find a cute dog to pet and photograph.

 

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I couldn't resist a close up view.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0001-2 I hiked up one of the main streets in town and found an interesting looking trail that went further up.  However, I had to  get by this guard dog on the way.  

 

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This was the start of the trail.  Gretchen and Megan were with me for a little while but they decided that they would go back to shoot more street photography.  I wanted to see where the trail went and I was enjoying the scenery so I kept going.  

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0009 20130529_2013_may_italy_0010 I loved all of the old  stone work and how green everything was.

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I came across a field of poppies.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0012 The trail wasn't too long.  I spent about thirty minutes hiking until I got back to the houses at the start of the trail. I couldn't go any further because part of the trail was closed due to the flood damage from 2011- at least that was my guess. 

 

 

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Back to the town to see  some more colourful buildings.

 

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Lots of interesting people on the streets.  No wonder why Gretchen and Megan wanted to get back.

 

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I headed back to the waterfront where I met up with some of the group again.

 

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This gentleman had a  permanent spot near the pedestrian tunnel going through town.  

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0020 The water was very rough which made for great waves.  I took lots of shots of this rock at different times of the day.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0021 20130529_2013_may_italy_0022 A little too early for beach activity.

 

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20130529_2013_may_italy_0024 Even this fellow was enjoying some people watching.   20130529_2013_may_italy_0025

 

 

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I know the water would not have been warm enough for me!   

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0026 This restaurant was in the main square near our hotel.  I walked by it so many times that I decided it was worthy of a photo.

 

20130529_2013_may_italy_0028 We all met up again before lunch  to take the train from Monterosso to Riomaggiore.  I took this shot while waiting for the train to arrive just to show what a typical train station in Cinque Terre looked like.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/morning-in-monterosso-al-mare Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:45:07 GMT
Monterosso Al Mare https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/monterosso-al-mare On May 28th,  we left Pienza at 8.30 A.M.  for the train station in Florence where we would be catching the train to Cinque Terre.  Unfortunately two members of our family would not be joining us  on this  extension part of the trip.  (Beth and Fred).  We sure missed them- we had became quite a close group in the past ten days and it just didn't feel quite right without them but we had no choice but to say goodbye.     Anyone who says travelling by trains in Italy is fun  obviously did not travel with a lot of luggage and camera equipment!   Thankfully I had help from our group (and some gypsies but that is another story) because I would never have been able to manage on my own.  We had to change trains in Pisa and finally made it to our final destination of Monterosso al Mare around 3PM after travelling on the trains  for about three hours.  

 

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of the coast on the Italian Riviera.  It is in the Liguara region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia.   The five lands are composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.   The coastline, the five villages and the surrounding hillsides are al part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Paths, trains and boats connect the villages.  The actual road to Cinque Terre is very narrow and has lots of bends therefore only a few tourists visit the area by car.  

 

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We got off the train at Monterosso al Mare where we stayed for four nights.  After arriving at our hotel, we had a welcome reception,  got organized and then went out for an early dinner  of pizza zand some photography.   This is a shot overlooking the beach and boardwalk area. 

 

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One of the colourful buildings in town.

 

20130528_2013_may_italy_0002 For street photographers there was lots to see and photograph.  

 

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20130528_2013_may_italy_0004 There was lots of colour everywhere.

 

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  People have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea.  

 

20130528_2013_may_italy_0005 Like the hill towns of Tuscany, there were many narrow streets. 20130528_2013_may_italy_0006

 

20130528_2013_may_italy_0009 We walked down to the water and found lots of action.

 

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20130528_2013_may_italy_0010 Well I guess the frisbee game was over for the day.  

 

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This pedestrian trail leads to the town of Vernazza.    

 

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The gorgeous Ligurian Sea.    The Ligurian Sea is the portion of the Mediterranean that lies between the Italian Riviera and the islands of Elba and Corsica.  The water is very clean and warm (warm might be open to interpretation) .

 

20130528_2013_may_italy_0016 Monterosso was devastated by heavy flooding and mudslides on October 25, 2011.  You can still see signs of damage and the repair work going on throughout Cinque Terre.    There has been a remarkable recovery process.  Throughout the winter and spring of 2012, the Italian government, local residents and relief workers teamed up to remove literally acres of mud from the towns of Monterosso and Vernazza.  Since then the streets and sewer systems have been re-engineered and the ground floors of most of the affected businesses have been renovated.  Still outside of the town centres, a lot of work still needs to be done to repair  structures, rebuild terracing and prevent future flash- flooding.   20130528_2013_may_italy_0013 I just liked the look of this tree that I saw walking along the boardwalk.  

 

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A great spot to stop for a drink.  

 

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Even though it was around seven there were lots of people still on the beaches fishing and relaxing.

 

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20130528_2013_may_italy_0022 Walking along the boardwalk.  

 

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Like most places in Italy, there were cafes and restaurants everywhere.  

 

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Also, lots of colourful buildings in the town.

 

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There were fishermen everywhere.  I never actually saw any fish being caught though.

 

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I also noticed colourful garbage containers everywhere.

 

By now there were very few people on the beach.  

 

20130528_2013_may_italy_0034 It was after eight and the lights were just starting to come on. 

 

20130528_2013_may_italy_0036  People eat late in Italy so the restaurants started to fill up with tourists about this time.  Unlike Tuscany and very similar to the Amalfi Coast it was difficult to find restaurants open for dinner until 7.30 or 8.00.

 

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Waiting for some business.

 

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I liked this colourful display in one of the shops.  

 

20130528_2013_may_italy_0041 By now it was getting dark and it was time to call it a night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Cinque Terre Monterosso al Mare pictures of Monterosso al Mare https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/monterosso-al-mare Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:15:23 GMT
Castiglione d'Orcio and Village of Rocca d'orcia https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/village-of-rocca-dorcia After leaving the Montalcino  and the Abbey we made a stop in Rocca d"Orcia (also called a Tentennano Rocca or fortress of Tinkle)  a village in the municipality of Castiglione d"Orcia  in the Province of Siena.     I found a definition of Rocca and it is an Italian term meaning a high, fortifiable stronghold, usually located in a smaller town beneath which the village or town clustered.  The idea is that the villagers could take sanctuary in the castle(or could be something lesser such as a farmhouse) in times of trouble or under the owner's patronage enjoy prosperity.   In this town, the rocca was a castle.

 

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I was looking up at the old fortress from down below.  For about two centuries, the fortress of Tentennano was the small "capital" of the Val d'Orcia.  The fortress controlled the Via Francigena, the famous medieval road that connected Rome with northern Italy and France.  Anyone who went to Rome armed or unarmed went to the Val d"orcia under the watchful eyes of the lords of the fortress, high and impregnable.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0004 The defensive system of Rocca D'Orcia consists of a series of walled enclosures.  The Republic of Siena did all it could to secure possession of the fortress and after various events and clashes with the various noble families who possessed it at the end of the fourteenth centre,  the fortress permanently settled its officers, armies and tax collectors.  Eventually the tower of the fortress  was abandoned and the village was reduced to a simple quiet one. 

 

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Here was the view from the village.  Events such as the storm Napoleon, the Risorgimento, the unification of Italy and he world wars brought relatively few changes.  There was the boom of the 50's and 60's, agrarian reform, the great exodus from the countryside which changed the life of the Val d'Orcia and the Rocca.  The farms were gradually abandoned as young people left to work in major cities.  

 

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La Rocca is very close to Castiglione d"orca so its population declined from about 500 to 100 with the school closing in the 60's and at the end of the 70's the last of the artisan workshops also closed.   

 

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0010 Different views from the village.

 

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We spent about  thirty minutes walking in the streets of the village.    The decline of the population over time has had the impact of preserving the old houses and restoring them to respect the environment.  The town seemed deserted, we just saw a few houses.

 
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20130527_2013_may_italy_0001 Ok -maybe there were a few other tourists wandering around.  The fortress just like the whole of Val d'Orcia relies on tourism.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0019 I liked the car, the house and the driveway but I'm sure happy that I don't have to back the car into this tight spot although I have  seen worse  in Italy.  

 

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Just before we got the village square we came to this very picturesque house.  

 

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What a great old door.

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0020 Here is the town square where everyone seemed to be hanging out.  Its official name is piazza Cisterna.     I got to take one picture when I was told that we weren't allowed to take any photos.  Unfortunately, they were making a movie here so photography was off limits.   This square is dedicated to Lorenzo di Pietro (1412-1480), called "II Vecchieta", who was a painter, sculptor and architect.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0016 One of the pretty churches we walked by.

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0021 We walked through the village square through some other streets.   It sure was a scenic medieval town.

 

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20130527_2013_may_italy_0022 Various old houses of the community.  

 

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We came to an area that looked like a park where a father and son were riding their bicycles. 

 

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20130527_2013_may_italy_0027 It was a nice spot to stay for a few minutes and watch the action.

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0028 As I walked a little further I saw laundry hanging so I wasn't actually sure that it was a public spot after all.  

 

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Making our way to where the vans were picking us up, I took a few more photos.  

 

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I found it interesting how the flowers were growing out of the rocks.

 

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20130527_2013_may_italy_0032 After leaving Rocca d'Orcia we made a short stop near Castiglione d"orcia.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0033 The cat picture of the day.

 

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The final picture of  my series of Tuscany photos.    The next day we were off to Cinque Terre.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Rocca d'Orcio images Tuscany https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/8/village-of-rocca-dorcia Sat, 03 Aug 2013 13:53:26 GMT
Montalcino https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/montalcino On the afternoon of  May 27th, our last full day in Tuscany we headed to see Montalcino, another hill town which is famous for its Brunello di Montalcino wine. 

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0017 One of our stops on the way.

 

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Jed hard at work.

 

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We found another poppy field to photograph and Gretchen was happy to model.  

 

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20130527_2013_may_italy_0023 Always nice to have great models. 

 

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This photo was taken just outside of Montalchino where we stopped for a view of the town.  

 

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The town of Montalcino gets its name from a variety of oak tree that once covered the terrain.  The population  of the town is approximately 5,300.   During medieval times the city was known for its tanneries and for the shoes and other leather goods that were made from the high quality leathers that were produced there.   As time when on,  Montalcino like many other medieval hill towns went into serious economic decline.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0028 The lower slopes of he Montalcino hills  are dominated by vines and olive orchards.  Gradual economic decline has recently been reversed by economic growth due to the famous Brunello di Montalcino wine produced from the Sangiovese Grosso grapes grown here.  The number of producers have grown from 11 in the 1960's to over 200 today, producing 330,000 cases of wine annually.  Brunello was the first wine to be awarded Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantila (DOCG) status.  In order to achieve this status, the product has to be produced within the specified region using defined methods and satisfying a defined quality standard.    Other Super Tuscan wines are also produced here as well as the Moscadello sweet white wines.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0030 The little kids were enjoying their treats. 20130527_2013_may_italy_0031

20130527_2013_may_italy_0032 And the big kids were enjoying their treats.  We found the best pizza shop where we all got delicious slices of pizza to go.     Front row was Gretchen, Sam and Chris.  Back row was Fred (standing), Megan, Beth and Brenda.  Jed must have been off somewhere taking pictures (or maybe going for a  second slice of pizza).  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0037 The gelatos were just too good to pass up.  20130527_2013_may_italy_0038

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0033 The oldest part of the town is located along the main street, the via Matteotti which widens to form the Piazza del Popolo, the medieval centre of the town.  At the point where Via Matteotti enters the piazza is the "Palazzo dei Priori" now the town hall built in the 13th and 14th century and above it soars a tall clock tower.  I read somewhere that the town has scarcely changed its appearance since the 16th century which seems to be true of many of these hill towns.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0034 The main streets were full of shops and cafes.  

 

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We spent a couple of hours wandering the streets to get a feel for the town.

 

 

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20130527_2013_may_italy_0044 Climbing up to a high point in town I saw a stunning view of the Asso, Ombrone and Arbia valleys of Tuscany.  The countryside is dotted with olive orchards, vineyards, fields and villages.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0047 Walking along this street it was easy to imagine that not much had changed  over the centuries.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0039  Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of both of the dogs faces.

20130527_2013_may_italy_0046 Fred, Megan and I walked all around the town although I'm sure there were a few streets we missed!     20130527_2013_may_italy_0048

 20130527_2013_may_italy_0001 Eventually the group met up and we had fun taking  a group shot.   

 

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Chris enjoying his ice-cream.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0050 Chris enjoying his nap.   Caught once again!   20130527_2013_may_italy_0051 Not much of a nap though-can't get away with anything with a group of photographers around.

20130527_2013_may_italy_0053 This little dog was watching me very closely.

 

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20130527_2013_may_italy_0054 We  left the town and headed to the Abbey of Sant'Antimo.  This is a former Benedictine monastery  about ten kilometres outside of Montalcino.  The earliest document relating to the abbey is a land grant of Louis the Pious dated December 813.  The construction of the present church was begun before 1118.  This was the period of the greatest power of the abbey which had authority over 38 churches and control of about 1000 farm estates throughout Tuscany.   An agreement of 1212 stated that the abbey had to hand over a quarter of its territories to Siena, including Montalcino.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0055 A view from the grounds.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0056 In 1291, Pope Nicholas VI ordered the union of the abbey with the Guglielmites, a reformed branch of the Benictines in order to give back some power to the abbey.    After another period of decay in the 15th century, Pope Pius II annexed St. Anthimus to the new diocese of Montalcino-Pienza (1462) whose bishop was Pius' nephew.  However the abbey continued to decay to the point that in the 19th century is was used as a stable.  In the 1870's the Italian state restored it.  In 1992 the abbey became again an active monastery with the arrival of a new religious community of Canons Regular of the Order of Premontre.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0058 Once last view from the area.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/montalcino Thu, 01 Aug 2013 03:05:58 GMT
Afternoon in Montepulciano https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/afternoon-in-montepulciano We spent the afternoon in Montepulciano.  After having a delicious lunch we explored the town to see what it was all about.   Montepulciano is a hillside town (aren't they all) so there were lots of steps to climb as always but gorgeous views from the top of  the town.

 

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Megan checking out one of the views.  

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0002 20130526_2013_may_italy_0003 Time to relax before climbing up and down all of the streets.

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0005 Chris checking out a different type of scenery.  I think he liked this car!

 

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He really wanted  to take it for a spin.  

 

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Not being a car person I had to get pretty close to figure out that this was a Jaguar.  I had to admit that it was a very cool looking car- I loved the colour.

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0010 All dressed up on a Sunday afternoon.

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0008 I was wondering if the  umbrella was a fashion statement as it didn't look like rain.   20130526_2013_may_italy_0001

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0012 The clock tower is in the Piazza Grande where the New Moon movie was filmed.  The tower was built in the 15th century. You can see the whimsical bell ringer above the clock.  

 

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Always fun to see how people take their pictures.  

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0014 This business  started in  1848 when the family's great-great-grandfather left the mines to open a stationery and bookbinding business.  Today all kinds of leather products are made here.    

 

 

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Interesting outdoor display.

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Gretchen finding something of interest to photograph.  Like the other towns this one is full of narrow  streets.  

 
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There were lots  of steep streets in this town but they led to beautiful old houses with views overlooking the hills.

 

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A view from the top of the town.  

 

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I had to include a laundry scene.  

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0018 There was a lot of colour in the town like most of the hillside towns.

 

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Lots of  colourful displays on the main shopping street.  There was excellent shopping here- especially for leather items.  

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0033 A family enjoying their afternnoon.  Well perhaps the dog would have been a bit happier had he been actually walking.  

 

 

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0026 Lots of people deep in thought.  I saw the girl on the right, took her picture and when I came back to the same spot after at least 20 minutes she hadn't moved her position.   
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20130526_2013_may_italy_0031 ​Finally someone smiling.  20130526_2013_may_italy_0032

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0035 Last shot in the town before getting on the mini-buses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Montepulciano Tuscany https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/afternoon-in-montepulciano Mon, 29 Jul 2013 13:52:31 GMT
Early morning pictures outside of Pienza https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/morning-near-san-quirico-dorcia On May 27th we arose very early (4.30 AM) to go out and take some sunrise  shots.  We stopped on a country road somewhere near the town of San Quirico d'Orcia which borders Pienza.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0002 First shot of the morning.  It was pretty cold out but wearing two sweatshirts, a jacket and rain jacket kept me nice and warm.  

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0001 We got some really nice colour as the sun started to come up.

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0003 There was a lot of ground fog overlooking the valleys and the small town of  San Quirico d'Orcia.  

 

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The fog looks almost like a lake.   Brenda and Jed knew all of the best spots to stop and photograph.  

 

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These photos were all taken in the same area.  

 

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Throughout the region of Val d'Orcia are beautiful glades of cypress trees.   They were planted in rows on either side of of roads leading up to isolated farmhouses.  Sometimes we would see small clusters of cypresses standing alone among crops of bare hillsides.   The clusters were actually planted as bird traps.  Some of the twigs and branches were coated with birdlime, a sticky substance that prevents small birds flying away once they have landed.   At one time, the blackbirds and thrushes were harvested during the season and provided the protein diet of the poor farmers in the area.  The trapping of birds using birdlime has long been prohibited in Italy but the trees remain.  

 

 

20130527_2013_may_italy_0009 The cypress tree has become a symbol of the Val d'Orcia.  These trees have been highly respected since ancient times.  These trees were worshipped by the Phoenicians who believed it represented the eternal flame, used by the Etruscans to adorn tombs and in the Book of Genesis it is the wood used to build Noah's Arc.  Ancient Rome considered it a sacred tree and used he wood to sculpt religious figures such as the statue of Jupiter in the Campidolglio in Rome.  

 

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We came across a poppy field on our travels.  By now the sun was out and it was a beautiful morning.  

 

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20130527_2013_may_italy_0013 We were just outside of Pienza now.

 

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20130527_2013_may_italy_0016 Last shot of the morning.  Time to head back to the hotel for breakfast.

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/morning-near-san-quirico-dorcia Sat, 27 Jul 2013 13:36:49 GMT
Late afternoon near Pienza https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/late-afternoon-near-pienza After we had a nice afternoon in Montepulciano we headed back to Pienza with one stop to photograph some poppies.  In the early evening we  went outside of town to photograph the last light of the day.

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0001 This shot was taken outside of the gate of someone's house.    We were heading  back to Pienza and saw the scene from the road.  We rang the bell outside of the gate to see if we could go inside the grounds to photograph but no-one was home.  So we had to put the camera's through the gate to get some shots.  We loved the poppy field-one of the best ones I saw in Italy.

 

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A few scenic shots taken from near the hotel in Pienza.

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0006 We loaded up the mini-vans and drove to an area just outside of town where we were dropped off.  We ended up hiking down a country road to get various scenic shots.   

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0008 The town of Pienza in the distance.  

 

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I would wait for the light to hit different areas of the fields.  

 

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The town had a nice glow on it from the sunset.

 

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There was some nice colour in the clouds.  It was just about time to go back to town and have dinner.  Fortunately for us we didn't have to hike back up the hill as the mini-vans were waiting for us at the end of the road.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/late-afternoon-near-pienza Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:46:19 GMT
Under the Tuscan Sun https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/under-the-tuscan-sun I had to  borrow the the title for this blog- it is perfect for how we spent the morning.  It was  May 26th and we had so much fun exploring the hills of Tuscany under the sun.  Thankfully the rain of yesterday was a distant memory and although we had some interesting and menacing clouds it was a beautiful morning.

 

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My morning views from the terrace at the hotel. 

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0003 Just before we left for the day, I met this group of bikers outside of the hotel and they were happy to pose for me.  Tuscany is an incredible place for bikers and we did see quite a few on the country roads.

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0004 I happened to look up from the road where we were shooting from and saw these two cyclists riding by in the distance.

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0012 This is a view of Castiglione d'Orcia, a municipality in the Province of Siena.  The settlement was first mentioned in 714 when it was possessed by the Aldobrandeschi family.  In 1252 it became a free community but lost its independence in the following century to the Republic of Siena which entrusted it to powerful families like hte Piccolomini and Salimbeni.  Eventually, Castiglione was part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and from 1861 of unified Italy.

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0008 We drove around in the countryside stopping whenever there was an interesting place to photograph.  

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0013 Fred looking for his shot. 20130526_2013_may_italy_0014 Got it.

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0011 Everywhere we looked we would find different compositions. 

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0001-2 Megan enjoying some close up photography. 20130526_2013_may_italy_0017

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0019 20130526_2013_may_italy_0041 There were lots of different colours, designs and textures in the hills.
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We drove up to this abandoned farmhouse and walked around the area.  Yes those are chickens in front of the building.  

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0040 A close up view of a chicken.  Obviously they were being fed. 

 

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I tried to find out what the name meant on the house but I  couldn't find any history on it.  

 

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20130526_2013_may_italy_0034 I loved this view of the old farmhouse surrounded by acres of beautiful farmland so I included a series of photos with the old farmhouse to end this blog.

 

20130526_2013_may_italy_0044 A close up view of the old farmhouse.

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/under-the-tuscan-sun Tue, 23 Jul 2013 13:32:44 GMT
Avignonesi and surrounding countryside https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/avignonesi-and-surrounding-countryside We woke up on May 25th to the sound of pouring rain.  We had known it was coming which meant no early photo session.  Disappointing but it was nice to have the luxury of sleeping in before having a wonderful buffet breakfast at the hotel.  The buffet  included pastries, croissants, cakes, cookies, cheeses, meats, eggs, cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt, juices and of course coffee.   The pastries and croissants were especially good.   We stayed at our hotel in Pienza for four nights and enjoyed every one of them. This  morning I got a chance to look at the rest of the groups'  work which was excellent.  I was definitely in a group of very talented photographers.   After lunch we got into the mini-vans for a drive to wine tasting country and had a tour of of the 130 year old Avignonesi winery, which was about forty-five minutes away.      We visited the Capezzine Estate (winery) which is situated just a few kilometres from Montepulciano near the village of Valiano.

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0001 Since the mid 1970's, Avignonesi has played a leading role in research and experimentation in order to come up with specific qualities which distinguish its wines from the other well-known Tuscan wines.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0001 Meet Sam Johnson from Palm Springs (on the left with Chris on the right).  Sam is another one of the groups' talented photographers. I have seen some of his stunning photos on Facebook and he is very good at all types of photography.  Yes I know it is a terrible picture ( I have a much better one of him later on) but I wanted to introduce Sam.   When it rains here it can really rain which explains why the hills are so green.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0009 Meet our very  enthusiastic tour guide.  The tour was very interesting- we were told everything we wanted to know about wine making (and more).  It was nice to know that the company uses no chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers.  Instead they work the soil and grow secondary crops between the vine rows.  The company is currently converting all 200 hectares of the Avignonesi vineyards to sustainable farming methods.  By 2015, the company will have their organic certification.  

 

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20130525_2013_may_italy_0008 Each lot is fermented and aged separately.  Three ageing cellars are used.  The traditional cellar has the large oak barrels used for the signature Montepulciano wines.  During the tour I was thinking that I would not want to be working in these damp, moldy  and cold cellars.  Of course it didn't help that it was so wet and cold outside.   20130525_2013_may_italy_0004

 

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It  was a very interesting tour and the operation was quite impressive.  We had to walk outside  in order to get to the next building.  It was so nice to be outside again even if it was cold and damp.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0011 A different aging wine cellar.  Different wines are aged for different times and in different types and sizes of barrels.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0012 It did actually stop raining for a while so I was able to take this shot on the way to another building during the tour.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0013 At the end of the tour we were in this building and I saw the view from inside.  I thought it looked pretty nice.  If the weather had been better I'm sure we would have had a tour of the vineyards.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0014 When the tour was over the rain had stopped so I walked around the estate and found the same view that I had taken from inside.  

 

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20130525_2013_may_italy_0016 I thought the way these trees were bending over made for an interesting photograph.  

 

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A close up of the vines.  

 

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20130525_2013_may_italy_0024 I spent about half an hour walking all over the estate.  I loved the shapes of the trees. 

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0026 After this last shot it was time to go inside to the wine tasting.  The clouds were looking a bit threatening again and it wasn't getting any warmer so I was happy to go inside and warm up.  Unfortunately no fireplace!

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0027 Fred, Megan and Beth were waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.  Once everyone had showed up we tried five different kinds of wine.  To be honest, I couldn't really tell the differences between the wines but they did help to warm me up.  However the food was delicious.  I especially liked the breadsticks (maybe the best I've ever had) and the bread.  Up to this point the bread in Tuscany (Tuscan bread) was not great- mostly because they do not add salt to it.  But  by the time you dip the Tuscan  bread into the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, it tasted much better.  However, the bread that we tried here  had lots of flavour on its own.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0001 On the way back to Pienza we stopped at a scenic site hoping the sun would come out over the hills.    You can see the town of Montepulciano which is situated on top of a steep hill, overlooking the Orcia valley on one side and the Chiana valley on the other.    The church in the foreground is San Biaglo, an example of Renaissance Greek architecture.  

 

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   A closer view of the church.

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0001 The weather did actually clear up a little bit.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0033 And then the clouds moved in again so we waited and hoped  for the weather to improve.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0039 Our patience paid off as the sun finally came out to light up the hills.  

 

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20130525_2013_may_italy_0044 20130525_2013_may_italy_0041 Various shots taken from the same location but from different vantage points.     It was starting to get pretty cold so some of the smarter members of the group went to the van to stay warm but not this Canadian!  

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A few of us wandered down the road and came upon a sheep farm in the  distance.  I had to scramble through trees and bushes to find an opening for the shot.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0046 By now It was after seven and it started to hail.  Ok- enough is enough, even for me. Time to go back to the hotel and take a really, really hot shower.  We were still about twenty minutes away from town and I was still pretty cold by the time we got back.  

 

20130525_2013_may_italy_0047 I was pretty sure I was through taking pictures for the day but  just around 8 PM when we were meeting for dinner, the sun came out so I went back to the room to get my camera.  These next few pictures were  taken from the terrace behind  the hotel.  

 

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20130525_2013_may_italy_0052 Finally the last shot of the evening as it was  time to go to dinner.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Avignonesi Tuscany https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/avignonesi-and-surrounding-countryside Sat, 20 Jul 2013 18:12:12 GMT
The landscape of Monticchiello https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/the-landscape-of-monticchiello In the later part of the afternoon on May 24th  we got in the mini-vans and toured the countryside with a stop in Monticchiello.  This is a very small medieval village- we only saw a few people while walking around the town.  The best part of the town was the stunning views across the valley to Pienza.  

 

20130524_tuscany_0471-Edit-Edit-Edit A view over looking the Val d'Orcia toward Pienza.    The Val  d'Orcia (or Valdorcia)  is a region of Tuscany which extends from the hills south of Siena to Monte Amiata.  It is characterized by gentle, carefully cultivated hills  intertwined with  picturesque towns and villages.

 

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The hills are  beautiful different shades of green and yellow depending on the light - must be all that spring rain which has be the best  time to see these vibrant  colours.

 

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A close up of the gold and green hills looking in another direction.

 

20130524_tuscany_0065-Edit-Edit We all walked around the small town.  This was one of the more colourful front entrances that I saw.  While researching the town I came across an interesting story from 1944 which demonstrated the character and tenacity of the townspeople.  On April 6th, 1944 the Prefect of Siena, acting on information received  during the Fascist Republic dispatched all of his 450 available men to Monticchiello to confront a strong group of Partisans camped around the town.  After a long battle the Fascists were forced into a chaotic retreat. The next morning at dawn a German division reached Monticchiello with precise orders to scour the territory and shoot the inhabitants.  The soldiers broke into the houses, rounded up the people and lined them up against the wall outside of town gate for execution.  The terrible slaughter was avoided thanks to the intervention of Irma Angheben, the German wife of one of the town's landowners, and the priest, Don Marino Torriti.  

 

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Here is the doggy picture of the day.

 

20130524_tuscany_0073-Edit The cats were also outside  enjoying the day.   20130524_tuscany_0003

 

20130524_tuscany_0090-Edit-Edit We came across bread left outside.  I'm guessing it is for the homeless (animals )?

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As you can tell it was pretty quiet in the streets but there were one or two people walking around town.  It seemed like the town had held onto its medieval characteristics over the centuries.   It was easy to picture Tuscan medieval life while walking through these alleyways.  

 

20130524_tuscany_0149-Edit-Edit We left the town to go check out some other views in the countryside.

 

A view that all photographers stop to photograph.    

 

 

20130524_tuscany_0166-Edit-Edit A close up view of the trees.

 

20130524_tuscany_0177-Edit-Edit Megan added the perfect colour to this scene.  You can see a few poppies in the grasses.

 

20130524_tuscany_0287-Edit We continued on in the vans looking for more opportunities before we lost the light.  This was our last stop of the evening-fortunately there were very few cars on the road where we set our tripods up.

 

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20130524_tuscany_0327-Edit Various views from the same area.

 

 

 

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For part of the time it was really windy as you can see from these blowing grasses.  By now it was getting later and colder so  it was time to go as we were losing the light.  The best part was we got to go back to Pienza and have a fabulous Italian dinner.  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Monticchiello Tuscany https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/the-landscape-of-monticchiello Thu, 18 Jul 2013 13:37:00 GMT
Pienza https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/pienza After our early morning shooting we came back to the hotel, packed up and loaded up into two small vans for our destination of the Piccolo Hotel in Pienza.  We found the hotel to be charming with a beautiful view overlooking the hills and valleys  of Tuscany.  Pienza is located in the province of Siena,  in the Val d'Orcia in Tuscany between the towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino.  In 1996, UNECO declared the town a World Heritage Site and in 2004 the entire valley, the Val d"orcia was included in the list of UNESCO's World Cultural Landscapes.  After having been there I can totally understand why.

 

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The views don't get much better than this.  Of course the camera cannot totally capture what the eye can see.

 

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It was pizza for lunch.  Out of all the pasta I ate my favourite was homemade pasta with tomato and a garlic sauce although the spicy tomato sauce was really really close.   Actually come to think of it all of the food in Italy was delicious.  

 

20130524_tuscany_0345 Everyone knows that pizza goes better with a glass of wine.  Italy with its approximately 1,200 types of grapes produces one quarter of the world's wine.  The VAL  D'OCA brand is one of the famous Italian labels.  

 

20130524_tuscany_0269-Edit-Edit Whatever town I was in I liked to walk around and take pictures of the typical streets.  This town was quieter than most.  The estimated population is about 2,000 residents.  

 

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20130524_tuscany_0258-Edit-Edit 20130524_tuscany_0395-Edit-Edit A few photos of all of the colour in the town.  Of all of the towns we visited in Tuscany  this one was my favourite.  

 

20130524_tuscany_0273-Edit-Edit Meet Brenda Tharp, one of the two leaders of the photo tour.  It was fun to watch Brenda and try to figure out what interesting things she was finding to photograph.  There was always something different that she found.

 

20130524_tuscany_0279-Edit-Edit-Edit The next few images were taken from the town which overlooks the hills and valleys of Tuscany.  It was great being able to photograph the countryside without having to leave the town.

 

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I could easily spend the spring  in Tuscany (or longer).   I'm thinking the summers would be just way too busy.

 

20130524_tuscany_0318 This photo was taken in honour of  my friend Pam.  Pretty much every time I saw a cat, I would think of her and all of the cats we photographed in the Amalfi Coast.  

 

20130524_tuscany_0307 20130524_tuscany_0313 One advantage to walking around with Gretchen was she always saw everything.  So when she stopped to shoot something you paid attention. In this case it was this delightful cat.  

 

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Pienza was rebuilt from a village called Corsignano which was the birthplaces (1405) of Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini who later became Pope Pius II.  Once he became pope, he had the entire village rebuilt as an ideal Renaissance town.  The urban planning concepts that went into this town were adopted in other Italian towns and cities and eventually other European centers.  The Duomo (Cathedral) dominates the centre of the piazza.  

 

 

20130524_tuscany_0418 I walked around the piazza and watched the people.  You can see from some of the  people wearing jackets that it was not quite summer weather yet but perfect for walking around.  I seem to remember that  the temperatures were around  15-18 degrees celsius.  

 

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Gretchen and I went into this leather shop and watched the man work for a while.  He had no problems with us taking a few pictures of him.

 

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The interesting thing about these medieval towns is that they don't change.  Sure you might see people with cell phones but the towns  stays pretty much the same.   

 

 

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This little girl was enjoying her ice-cream.   

 

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Of course I had to include a doggy picture especially after the cat ones.  Maggie and Katie would not be pleased at all. 

 

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Resting in the  sunshine was just too tempting for Chris.  Unfortunately it was time to move on again to meet the rest of the group for the later afternoon shooting.  Did I mention that there is no such thing as time-out?   On these photo tours so you have to grab a short nap when the opportunity arises.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Pienza Tuscany https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/pienza Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:43:39 GMT
A day in San Gimignano https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/a-day-in-san-gimignano We spent May  23rd in San Gimignano, a small town in the province of Siena, Tuscany.  It was pretty much a free day in town apart from a presentation later in the morning.    I ended up spending most of the morning just walking around town.  San Gimignano has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  It was easy to see why- walking through the walled town gave me an idea of what it must have been like in the MIddle Ages. The Old City is enclosed with 13th century walls is famous for its medieval architecture.  The Towers and House-Towers belonged to the old merchant and finance aristocracy who competed with one another through their massive buildings rising above all others.   I read that a total of 72 tower-houses with some being as high as 165 feet were built here. .   This led to the town being known as the "Town of Fine Towers".   About fourteen  of those tower houses have been preserved.  

 

20130523_tuscany_0032-Edit-Edit I just started wandering in the streets.  As with most of these small towns, once you get away from the main plazzas it is fairly quiet.  

 

20130523_tuscany_0045-Edit-Edit Of course I needed my doggie fix for the day and  this fellow was a real cutie.

 

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La Torre Grossa (The big Tower) is the tallest tower of San Gimignano and is located in Piazza del Duomo.   Its construction started in August, 1300 and was finished in 1311.  It is 54 meters high and public access is allowed.  I climbed to the top to enjoy and photograph the views of the town and the surrounding countryside.

 

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20130523_tuscany_0116 The Piazza della Cisterna is the main square of the town.  It is triangular in shape and is surrounded by medieval houses of different dates.  At the centre of the plazza is a well (dating from 1346) which was the town's main source of water for the town residents.   Parts of the paving date from the 13th century.   Our hotel was located in this square.

 

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20130523_tuscany_0124 20130523_tuscany_0121 The "Gelateria di Piazza" located in the Piazza della Cisterna is known all over the world.  Sergio is the master ice cream maker and his ice-cream parlour is mentioned in the most important world guides.  It must be true because the line ups were unbelievable and everyone in town seem to be eating ice-cream.  I have to  admit I was just like everyone else and  stood in the long  line up to get the ice-cream.   It was worth it as the banana and cherry combination was delicious.     

 

20130523_tuscany_0111-Edit-Edit After my ice-cream I continued walking around the town exploring and admiring the architecture.  

 

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The group met for dinner and then went out for some after-dinner and night shooting.  Jed and Brenda took us to a great spot over looking the countryside. 

 

 

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20130523_tuscany_0086-Edit-Edit We were getting some really nice light on the hills.

 

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We headed back  to the Plazza della Cisterna for some night shots.  

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20130523_tuscany_0132-Edit-Edit One of the last shots of the evening.  It was time to get some sleep as we were meeting at 4.50 AM to some sun rise shooting.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) San Gimignano Tuscany https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/a-day-in-san-gimignano Sat, 13 Jul 2013 13:17:00 GMT
Early morning outside of San Gimignano https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/early-morning-outside-of-san-gimignano 20130524_tuscany_0600-Edit-Edit-Edit

 

This morning I got up at 4.30 AM-almost a record for me.  Who does that on vacation?  Just a bunch of crazy photographers I guess.   At dinner time we were laughing because I hadn't remembered that we had gotten up so early, I had actually thought I had slept in.    However, I have the photos to prove I was up and out early.    The group met in the hotel lobby and walked to outside of the town's walls to meet the bus.   These photos were taken outside of the San Gimignano from about 5.30 AM to 7.30 AM.  In some of them you can see the town and its large towers in the background.  

 

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We came across this old farmhouse which I thought merited a close-up view.  

 

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The towers of San Gimignano in the distance.

 

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If you would like to see a few more images from this series, please click on link below.

http://marshafouks.com/p156600575

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/early-morning-outside-of-san-gimignano Thu, 11 Jul 2013 22:14:30 GMT
From Volterra to San Gimignano https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/from-volterra-to-san-gimignano 20130522_tuscany_0267-Edit-Edit I wandered around the narrow streets of the Volterra.  As usual there was laundry hanging out to dry everywhere.  On the photo on the right you can see Beth and Megan in the distance. 20130522_tuscany_0280-Edit-Edit-Edit

 

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We did a lot of walking up and down the hills in town.

 

20130522_tuscany_0273-Edit-Edit A view of the Medici Fortress in the back, left hand side of the photo.   The fortress was built on the highest point of the hill overlooking the town.  The origins of the fortress actually predate the Medici rule and the southern part was constructed by the Duke of Athens who had been appointed governor of Florence in 1342.  The fortress was upgraded by another Florentine ruler, Lorenzo the magnificent who was responsible for building the adjacent newer fortress in 1475.  Currently the fortress is used as a maximum security prison.   You can still tour parts of the fortress or eat in the restaurant which is operated by supervised prisoners.  We were too late for lunch!

 

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A few more street scenes.  It has been a long time since I've seen a cigarette machine.  

 

20130522_tuscany_0329-Edit This man was happy to pose for Brenda and me.  I even got a close up of his arm.  He was so proud of his tattoos.   20130522_tuscany_0327-Edit-Edit-Edit

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20130522_tuscany_0357-Edit 20130522_tuscany_0370-Edit-Edit I was wondering around looking for interesting people to photograph but I think these pooches checking each other out were just as interesting as the people.  
20130522_tuscany_0373-Edit This little girl wanted some money.   20130522_tuscany_0385-Edit-Edit Gretchen and I met this nice German family who were happy to pose for us.  We sent them the pictures after we got home.  

 

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After eating dinner in Volterra we left for our final destination of San Gimignano.  But of course this being a photography tour, we stopped to take pictures as the sun was setting.  Below are several pictures of the photographs taken.  

 

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20130522_tuscany_0415-Edit-Edit-Edit I think by now you all have an idea just how beautiful the landscape in Tuscany is so is the last shot included for this blog(although I have many more)!    Shortly afterwards we headed to town.  By the time we arrived in the town of San Gimignano it was getting dark.  Earlier in the day we had stopped outside of the town to drop off all of the luggage which was to be transported to the hotel Leon Bianco.   There was a van there waiting to get our luggage to take it where we were staying.  Now when we arrived in the evening the bus dropped us off at the gates of the medieval looking town and we had a shortish climb up the hill to our hotel.  I think everyone was very happy that when we arrived in our hotel rooms the luggage was waiting for us.  

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/from-volterra-to-san-gimignano Wed, 10 Jul 2013 14:03:16 GMT
From Florence to Volterra https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/hill-country-in-tuscany On Wednesday May 22nd we left Florence to travel to our new destination for the next two nights in San Gimignano.  Although I was sorry  to leave Florence I was excited about seeing the hill country of Tuscany.    We drove in a very, spacious comfortable bus in the back roads so we could stop to photograph the beautiful countryside.   This blog features the drive from Florence to Volterra, a stop on our way to San Gimignano.

 

20130522_tuscany_0004-Edit-Edit The subsoil in Tuscany is relatively rich in mineral resources.  Although its share is falling all of the time, agriculture still contributes to the region's economy.  Olives and grapes, for the world famous Chianti wines are grown here.   The above and below photos shows the vineyards in the region.    

 

20130522_tuscany_0019-Edit-Edit A close up view.  

 

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20130522_tuscany_0030-Edit-Edit We stopped to take photos of the Badia di  Passignano Abbey located in the Chianti Classico region.  This ancient monastery dates back to 395 when it was established by the archbishop of Florence. Today it is still inhabited by monks of the Vallombrosian Order.   This order, a reformed branch of the Beneditines specialize in grape growing and foresty.   The order is also known for their attention to classical and musical texts and promotion of scientific research- Galileo Galilei taught here in 1587.    The abbey dominates the village which is just a cluster of houses.  The town  with its towering cypress trees was a great place to photograph.  

 

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A close up  view of the village.

 

20130522_tuscany_0061-Edit-Edit The first poppies that we were able to stop and photograph.   

 

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Shortly afterwards we were on our way to Volterra but we first stopped  to photograph some fields.  You can see that it was pretty windy from the way the grasses are blowing.  Everything is so green that this area must get lots of rain.  Friends of mine are in Ireland now (where it pretty much rains every day) and some of their pictures are a bit similar to these hills(well at least all of the green parts).

 

 

20130522_tuscany_0096-Edit-Edit From the road we had seen this metal circle which we thought would be a great place to photograph.  Taking pictures from the other side  of the  circle framed the landscape but I preferred this view.  This structure was created by Mauro Staccioli and there are others like it in the area although this was the only one we came across.   

 

20130522_tuscany_0099-Edit-Edit-Edit One final view from the same area. 

 

20130522_tuscany_0125-Edit-Edit It took us most of the day but we finally arrived in Volterra.  Voterra became a town in the Roman age.  It was a bishop's residence in the 4th century.  At some point The Florentines conquered the city until the Florentine Republic fell in 1530.  At that time Volterra came under the control of the Medici family.  Eventually, the town came under the control of the Grand Dutchy of Tuscany.   Volterra was given the honorary title of "city" in 2013- not because of its population of  approximately 11,000 but because of its rich historical heritage.  

 

20130522_tuscany_0142-Edit-Edit 20130522_tuscany_0164-Edit-Edit We visited the Rossi Alabaster workshop which was founded in 1912.  The company offers a huge selection of alabaster products such as statutes, bowls and vases .  Alabaster is quarried in the surrounding areas of Volterra.  The town has been famous for its artisan shops since the times of the Etruscans.  

 

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20130522_tuscany_0179-Edit-Edit We spent a little while watching this artisan in action before wandering around the showrooms admiring the pieces of art.  

 

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20130522_tuscany_0240-Edit-Edit A couple of  displays from the three rooms of galleries that I walked through.  

 

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The Roman ruins in Volterra (1st century BC).  The Roman baths which were built in the 4th century AD are behind the Roman theatre.  The ruins were buried under trash in the middle ages and discovered in 1951.  

 

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20130522_tuscany_0220-Edit-Edit-Edit 20130522_tuscany_0210-Edit-Edit Someone asked me if the musicians expected money when you photographed them.  I didn't find this to be the case but this time I contributed.  

 

20130522_tuscany_0154-Edit I liked the look of this outdoor cafe.  

 

20130522_tuscany_0207-Edit-Edit This view was taken from the town overlooking the hills.  Voterra is famous as one of the  locations in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.  During its time of glory as the northernmost city of the twelve that made up the Etuscan League, the city was  much bigger.   As an aside, the Etruscan civilization was at its height around 500 BC and was an important influence on the Romans who subdued the Etruscans by the end of the 3rd century BC.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/hill-country-in-tuscany Mon, 08 Jul 2013 13:49:18 GMT
Evening in Florence, Day 2 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/evening-in-florence-day-2 Well it is now the second evening of our photography tour (May 21st) and the end of our stay in Florence.  So to make the most of our time we headed out to the river to take some evening shots and watch the sun set. 

 

The photographs  were taken from the  Ponta Santa Trinita Bridge  (Holy Trinity Bridge).  The bridge was constructed from 1567 to 1569 but destroyed several times mostly by floods.  The last time the bridge was destroyed was on August 8th, 1944 by retreating German troops.  It was reconstructed in 1958 with original stones raised from the Arno or taken from the same quarry.  The view in front (to the east) is the  Ponte Vecchio Bridge.  We were getting the golden light on the bridge as the sun was setting behind us.  

 

Totally off topic but I couldn't resist including this photo of one one of  the dogs I met in Florence.    The top photo was taken late in the afternoon .  I included it just to show how narrow the streets of Florence are with the parked cars and motorcycles.  On the left is a building basking in the reflections of the sun.  

 

Since it was a beautiful night there were lots of people on the streets.  This area is always popular with the tourists.  One thing about Florence is that you always felt safe walking and so much of the historical area was in walking distance of the river.  

 

This shot was taken from the bridge while I was facing west.  The buildings were getting the beautiful light from the setting sun.  

 

This shot was also taken facing west- the bridge in the background is the Ponte alla Carraia.  This is a five-arched bridge originally built sometime around 1218 (at that time built in wood).  The bridge was destroyed more than once by floods and blown up by the retreating German army during World War 11 (1944).  The current structure is a design by Ettore Fagiuoli, completed in 1948.  

 

Another view of the Ponte alla Carraia bridge  showing all five arches.  

 

There were beautiful views from both the west side of the bridge (of the sun setting) and the east side of the bridge (golden glow on the buildings) that I kept moving from one side to the next.  The shots below are all looking at the last light of the evening on the Ponte alla Carraia bridge.

 

 

Eventually  I turned my attention back to taking pictures of the Ponte Vecchio.  

 

By now it was getting nice and dark and the lights lit up the city.  

 

I loved the reflection of the lights under the bridge.  

 

My moody shot of the evening.  

 

 

For the last few shots of the evening I once again crossed the bridge to shoot towards the Ponte alla Carraia bridge.  It was now getting close to 9.30 and there were still nice colours facing west.  

 

 

 

 

My last shot of the evening.  Now it was time to get some sleep before heading out of the city tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/evening-in-florence-day-2 Sat, 06 Jul 2013 15:41:32 GMT
The Vettori Family Violin Makers https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/the-vettori-family-violin-makers During the afternoon of the second in Florence we had the honour of  visiting the workshop of Paolo Vettori and his sons.   This business is the only one of its kind in Italy, where three generations of violin makers have practiced their craft  for 78 years without a break in the tradition.  

 

Here is a view of the outside of the workshop where we waited for the family to arrive.

 

Meet Dario II in his workshop, who carries on the tradition of his family business. 

 

Dario II  is very proud of his work which he should be.  Dario 1 was his grandfather and became known as "The Violin-Maker of the Mountain".  His grandfather made 156 violins 37, violas, 2 violoncellos and 2 quartets before he died in 1973.  Dario 1's sons, Paolo and Carlo continued the art.  Dario II told us he makes around 6 violins a year.   He  works with his father, Paola,  sister Sofia and his brother Lapo. 

Meet baby Dante, the next generation of violin makers.

Meet Paola Vettori, the fifth-eldest son of Dario who started working in his father's workshop at a very early age.    Here he is holding his grandson.  Dante is clearly showing his fascination with the family business at a very young age.  

 

 

Eventually we moved downstairs to where different tasks were performed.  It was fascinating  watching Dario working at his craft.  It  was easy to see that he was a perfectionist and loved his work.  For the construction of the instruments, the family uses molds and models that have been used in the  family's business for years, some inherited from other famous violin makers.   Dario mainly uses local and Bosnian maple (some of which were left by his grandfather), Italian poplar, willow, cherry and pear wood as well as the traditional violin-making spruce from northern Italy.   

 

The final result is clearly a masterpiece.  

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) vettori violin makers https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/the-vettori-family-violin-makers Thu, 04 Jul 2013 21:20:15 GMT
Florence, day 2 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/florence-day-2 Today was our second full day in Florence (May 21st).  Again we were up and out early to explore a different area of the city.  The two highlights of my day were climbing up the Duomo  for a panoramic view of Florence and a visit to a Violin makers' shop.   

 

This shot was taken early in the morning before a lot of street traffic.  

 

Walking towards the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or the Duomo.  Giotto's  Campanile (the tall/straight building) is a free-standing campanile that is part of the complex of the Florence Cathedral on the  Piazaa del Duomo.   The tower is one of the showpieces of the Florentine Gothic architecture with its design by Giotto, its rich sculptural decorations and the marble coating. The height of the tower is 277.9 feet. 

 

On the last afternoon  of the trip, I revisited the Duomo and took a few more pictures. It was very warm and sunny compared to my first visit .  I included a few of the photos which show a little more detail of the buildings.   I don't think I could ever get tired at looking at this architecture.  

 

Now back to my story of our second day in Florence where we climbed the 463 steps of the Duomo.  This shot was taken on the way up.  This painting is The Last Judgement (1572-79).  Giorgio Vasari was responsible for executing the painting but he died in 1574.  Federico Zuccaro completed the frescoes in 1575-79.   I had no idea was frescoes meant so I looked it up- it is a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling so that the colours penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries.  This method was used in Roman times by the great masters of the Italian Renaissance including Giotto, Masaccio and Michelangelo.  

 

So I managed to make it up all of the 463 steps(and no I did not count)  which was no easy task.  The steps  seemed to wind  and curve forever, always going up.  Actually towards the end it was almost like we were climbing up ladders.  There was no space for more than one person at a time so if you met someone coming the opposite way it was tricky- at least at certain areas, there were some spaces where you could squeeze in and let the other person pass you by.  The climb certainly is not recommended for anyone who gets at all claustrophobic.  Was it worth it- you bet as we were all rewarded with a 360 degree view of Florence.  

 

Various views overlooking Florence taken from the observation area on top.

 It is hard to see but there are actually people on top of the Bell Tower.  I didn't have a chance to climb the 414 steps but I was told you get the same awesome view only  including the Duomo.   

 

A view of the hills of Florence.  There wispy type clouds/fog  made the photo somewhat mystical.  

 

Meet Megan Hammond who joined our group all the way from Adelaide, Australia.  Megan is  a part-time professional wedding photographer.  I was hoping that some of her talent  would rub off on me.

 

 

After leaving the Duomo, we headed out to find some more interesting scenes.  I was trying to figure out why these women were posing in front of the statue and then I saw the collection box and realized that the statute was actually a person, very cleverly made up.  

 

Shortly afterwards I came across another "statute".  It still took a minute for me to figure out that this was a real person.  

 

We walked in the area of the Piazzale degli Uffizi.  The square was full of artists.  

 

This artist was not too pleased when a few of us took his picture.  Then Jed went up to speak to him and the next thing we new we were all best friends.  His work was excellent and a few people in our group bought  some.  He ended up leaving all of his art work where it was and taking us to one of his favourite restaurants for lunch (off the beaten path).  It probably only took us about five minutes to get there but we were amazed that he just left everything without anyone watching it.  

 

Meet Gretchen Taylor (Seattle) another member of our group who almost  always had a smile on her face.  Gretchen  calls herself a street photographer and she is an expert in this area.  Before I even realized there was a shot to be taken, Gretchen had already got it.  When I saw some of her pictures I was wondering where I was at the time even though I knew I was with her.  Did I mention that you have to be very fast and observant when it comes to street photography?  

 

Meet-... I have no idea but he was outside taking a break from his work.    

 

Back to a different kindy of scenery.

 

I never got tired of the colourful buildings of Florence.  It was a pretty cloudy day today which brought the colours out.  

I could tell that everyone in the group were starting to miss their pets as we were taking pictures of pretty much all of the dogs and cats we passed in the streets.    

 

Everyone was stopping to photograph the flower truck so I stopped to take pictures  the photographers at work.  Meet Beth Lehman, the front and centre photographer(Hopefully, I will have a picture of her face in another blog).  Beth is a "fine art" photographer and her work is stunning.   I wasn't at all surprised when I found out she  has showed her work in several  exhibitions..   I certainly had high standards to follow with this group of photographers! 

 

I took a quick peak in this church as a wedding was in progress.

 

One last picture taken beside the river.    I'm jumping a head a bit because this photo and the last one were actually taken on the last day of our trip when we were back in Florence and had a free afternoon there.   My next blog will cover on of the famous violin makers of Florence.

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/florence-day-2 Wed, 03 Jul 2013 19:19:29 GMT
Florence at night https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/florence-at-night We had covered a lot of territory in Florence on our first full day in the city.  So even though we had been out shooting at six in the morning we were all raring to go and try some night photography.  Little did we know just how many steps and how far we had to walk carrying all of the camera gear to get to our destination and then all the way back to the hotel  again.  

 

We finished eating dinner before 7 PM and started walking along the river.  The plan was to cross over one of the bridges to new territory and climb up to a vantage point where we would be over looking the city.  However  we stopped first to take some photos of the river.  One can never have enough pictures of the river!

 

The skies were looking a little threatening but fortunately it ended up being a very nice night.    

 

Miles later (ok I'm exaggerating just a bit) we climbed up a series of stairs(and from memory there were a lot of steps) to the Plazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square).  This is a famous square with a terrific panoramic view of Florence.   The square was built in 1869 on a hill just south of the historic centre.  At that time, Florence was the capital of Italy and the whole city was involved in an urban renewal or "rebirth" of the city's middle class.   On the photo above  you can  see in the distance  the  Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, the Bargello and the octagonal bell tower.   I will have a close up picture later on.  

 

My panoramic view of Florence..  

 

This shot was taken looking away from the river.   You can see all of the haze in the background.

 

You can see the bridges crossing the Arno, including the Ponte Vecchio.  The lights of the city had not yet come on.  

 

 

 

 

 

A closer view of the Ponte Vecchio.

 

A view of the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, the Bargello and the octagonal bell tower.

 

This was one of the last shots of the night.  I was working on long exposure pictures.  All this means is that you keep the camera's aperture open for a long time in order to let the light in.  In this case I used about 30 seconds.  So now I have completed the story of  my first full day in Florence. The good news is that I  still had 12 full days to go.  

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Florence https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/florence-at-night Tue, 02 Jul 2013 13:59:04 GMT
Florence Scenes https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/florence-scenes Since I am not a "street photographer " it was challenging for me to always be on the look out for interesting  people and or scenes to photograph.  Normally I look for scenes without people in them.    So my assignment for the rest of this first full day in Florence was to get faster and more comfortable with this type of photography.  Not sure how successful I was at it but it was kind of fun.  

 

Motorbikes/cycles are a very popular form of transportation in Italy given both  the narrow streets and cost of fuel.  

 

This guy was so engrossed in his reading that it was easy to photograph him as he didn't move. 

 

Another easy subject to shoot.  There were bicycles everywhere we went.  

 

As you can see I was sticking to pretty easy subjects for my first day on  the job.  Everyone hangs their laundry outside to dry in Italy. 

 

 

 

The Santa Maria Novella is the first great basilica in Florence and is the city's principal Dominican church.  Construction on the church started  in the mid 13th century and was finished about 1360.  Today several elegant hotels and restaurants overlook this recently cleaned and renovated square.  You can see part of the Grand hotel Minerva on the left side of the photo.  This residence  is one of the oldest in Florence and dates back to the middle ages.  

 

These shots were taken in San Lorenzo Mercata Centrale, the central food market in Florence.  This used to be where most Florentines bought their food until modern supermarkets took over.  It was very  interesting to look at the displays of food, flowers, scarves, leather items etc.  Everything was all so colourful.  The market resulted from the time when Florence was the capital of Italy in the late nineteenth century.

 

This merchant was being filmed so I thought I would join in and take the guys' photo as well.

 

I liked the colour of the wall in this photo.

 

I watched this guy for quite a while before taking his picture.  I think this was one of my favourite photographs from the market.  It is hard to believe that the health regulations in the market are so lax.  Of course it is possible that this guy was just ignoring any non-smoking laws.   Their was no smoking on the trains and I don't remember any smoking in the restaurants (indoors) or the hotels.  Of course there might have been separate rooms available for smokers.  

 

We all went our separate ways in the market meeting after about an hour.  I kind of got into the spirit of just wandering around, observing and looking for interesting people to photograph.  

 

After leaving the market I was getting warmed up taking people's pictures.  Well ok- it wasn't too difficult when one of these guys (on the right in case you can't guess) belonged to our group.   Meet Chris Grady.  Chris is an excellent photographer who like his wife excels in street photography.  He claims to not be as much of a landscape photographer but I've seen his work and it is really good.    Chris was the one on the trip who kept looking out for me to make sure I didn't get lost.  I might have let it slip that my navigational skills are not my  strongest  trait.  

 

The Piazza Santissima Annunziata was the perfect place to people watch.   This section of the square looks on The Spedale degli Innocenti(hospital of the innocents), an early renaissance  historical building commissioned in 1419 as Europes' oldest  orphanage.   The facade is decorated with ceramic glazed medallions depicting swaddled babies.  Children were sometimes abandoned in a basin which was located at he front portico.  In 1660, the basin was removed and replaced by a wheel for secret refuge.    After the person leaving the child rang a bell the stone was rotated 180 degrees, taking the baby inside the orphanage.  Today the building is mainly a museum.

 

Our group hung around this Piazza Santissima Annunziata watching the people and relaxing.

  

I spent some time  photographing  people riding by the Piazza, learning  some  panning skills.  Brenda Tharpe, the other photographer tour leader was giving me lots of helpful advice.  I still have lots of room for improvement but this one and the photo below were two  of my better attempts.  It was actually a lot of fun trying to get the shot I wanted.  

 

 

After leaving the Piazza we walked on Via dei Servi(left photo).  The  street is lined with many Renaissance palaces.   Above is a pretty garden I saw on the walk.  

 

 

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Flore (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) in the main church of Florence.  The Duomo, as it is ordinarily called was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style.   The cathedral complex includes 3 buildings: the Basilica, the Baptistry and the Campanile.  The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence.   I loved the ornate white, green and red marble facade of the cathedral.  

 

There were lots of interesting characters walking in the Piazza del Duomo .  By now you might recognize Chris!  I was actually trying to photograph the young man with the colourful  hair style without making it look too obvious.  

 

This nun looked a little flustered looking after all of kids.  Everywhere we went in Florence (and other towns) there were cafes, snack bars, restaurants and lots of Gelato places.  No tourist  is ever going to go hungry in Italy.  I haven't mentioned this but the food was terrific and reasonably priced everywhere we went.  Brenda and Jed took us to their favourite restaurants whenever possible.  I did take some pictures with my Iphone- perhaps I will do another blog on the food.  Even though Toronto has some of the best Italian restaurants in the world, I don't believe that their food can compare to Italy's.  

 

By now it was getting later in the afternoon so after a few more photos in the plaza area we headed back to the hotel for a quick break and early dinner before heading out for some night shots.  The next blog will feature Florence at night.  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/7/florence-scenes Mon, 01 Jul 2013 13:55:45 GMT
The Magic of Florence https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/6/the-magic-of-florence

This is my first of many blogs from my latest Italian trip.    On May 18th, I travelled to Florence (Firenze) which has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities of the world.  This is easy  to believe given the city's  artistic and architectural heritage.   In 1982, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.   On May 19th,  I met up with a group of photographers for a two week  tour of the region which included a couple of days in this remarkable  city.  I had been to Italy before but never to this region.   My  blogs are all dedicated to the great group of  eight photographers that I travelled with for the two weeks.  The vacation  would not have been so terrific had it not been for everyone of them.  The only downside of the holiday was that  I came home  with over 10,000 photos which kind of overwhelmed me.    So I have been home for about a month now and its taken me this long to post my first blog. 

 

I had checked into the  hotel by early afternoon on May 18th after a very nice flights from Toronto to Frankfurt and then on  to Florence.  I decided to wander around by myself until meeting the rest of the group for  a welcome reception and dinner.  The hotel was near the River Arno which cuts through the old part of the city.   The 240 (150 mi) river promoted the commerce in the city but at the same time destroyed  it with numerous floods.   This was one of my first views of Florence.  

 

  I found people sleeping or just relaxing on the wall that runs along the river.     The bridge in the background is the  Ponte Vecchio (old bridge).  

 

I did get caught for a little while in a downpour so with everyone else I waited under a doorway until the rain stopped.  Then I walked down some of Florence's narrow streets.

 

As I explored  the streets I saw musicians everywhere.  

 

As I wandered back to the hotel later on, the weather cleared up and I saw another nice view of the river.  

 

The next morning our group  started our photographic journey of Florence around 6 AM .    This building with the mafia investigation office  reminded me that I was in Italy just in case I forgot (not likely)! 

 

This shot was taken at 6.23 AM just as the city and all of us  were waking up.   

 

I took a lot of shots in this area with each one slightly different in terms of angle of view.  It was difficult to pick my favourite shot so I included a few.  

 

As the light changed we took more pictures walking around in the same area enjoying seeing and photographing the scenery.  The Arno River is principally used for irrigation with only 32 (2o mi) used for navigation.  The 1966 flood of this river in Florence killed many people and damaged or destroyed millions of masterpieces of art and rare books. 5,000 families were left homeless by the storm and 6000 stores were forced out of business.  Approximately 600,000 tons of mud, rubble and sewage severely damaged or destroyed numerous collections of the written work and fine art for which Florence is famous.   Fortunately with technological progress many of these works of arts have been restored. 

 

 I couldn't resist taking a picture of this cute little car.  These cars are perfect for the narrow streets of Florence.   Also, meet a member from our group, Fred Langer from Colorado.  Fred is a very accomplished photographer and it was a pleasure photographing and travelling with him.  

 

 

The  Ponte Vecchio  is a Medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge noted for having shops built along it as was once common.   Butchers initially occupied the space but now walking along the bridge I saw mostly jewellers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers.  The bridge  is a very popular spot for tourists.

 

Meet Jed Manwaring, one of the  two photographer leaders on the tour.   Jed excelled at finding interesting and unique subjects  to photograph.   

 

This was  the  area that Jed was focussing on.  We waited to take the photograph  until the light hit the boat.   It certainly was a picturesque spot and the boat made it perfect.   In the 1950's these buildings all had to be reconstructed due to  the flood damage. 

 

Everywhere we went in the morning there were these wonderful colours of buildings and flowers. Walking along the river was a photographer's dream in the early morning light.  

 

 Reflections of the buildings.  

 

Walking near the Ponte Vecchio.  

 

 

Florence is an important city in Italian fashion being ranked within the top fifty fashion capitals of the world.   It was always interesting to look in the shop windows to see what "fashions" are in.  For anyone wondering, I did not buy a pair of shoes like this. 

 

However, wandering around in the city, I did find lots of examples of the latest fashions.  This gentleman was looking very dapper and the women were all dressed up  on their way to a wedding.   Some of the fashion even rubbed off on me as I came home with two Italian scarves thanks to Sam, Gretchen and Megan (photographers in our group).    

 

 This couple were having wedding pictures taken in one of the squares so of course our group got right in there to help!    The next blog will feature some Florence street scenes and a visit to the Florence San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale, or in English, the Central Market.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) Florence https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/6/the-magic-of-florence Sun, 30 Jun 2013 13:00:33 GMT
Texas https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/texas We left Tucson on April 4th driving approximately 2800 miles to Toronto..    We drove through New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky and Ohio to arrive in Toronto a week later.  Along the way we did stop for a few days in Texas but after that it was homeward bound at what seemed like warp speed.  

 

This shot was taken at our first rest stop outside of Tucson.  The boulders were huge and it was a very scenic drive.

 

The Gage hotel in Marathon, Texas was originally a two story hotel built in 1927.   Alfred Gage came from Vermont in 1878 to make his fortune as a rancher, banker and businessman.  The hotel was built as his ranch headquarters for his 500,000 acre ranch.  Unfortunately, he died one year after the construction was completed.  In 1978, JP Bryan bought  the building and returned the Gage Hotel to its turn-of-the-century glory.  Marathon is located very close to Big Bend National Park.  I thought this photo was best in a sepia tone.

 

This is the Pecos River Bridge on US 90 was completed in 1959 to replace a previous bridge  (built in 1923, one mile down river, 50 feet above water) destroyed by floodwaters in 1954.    High canyon walls dominate the last sixty miles of the Pecos River before it enters into the Rio Grande.  This bridge is 1,310 feet long and is 273 feet above the river  and is also the highest highway bridge in Texas.   

 

Although we had been to Texas many times we never spent any time in the Hill Country until this trip.  This photo was taken in Hunt, Texas which is in the heart of the hill country(technically the rugged limestone hills that separate the coastal plain from the Edwards Plateau).  The town was named after Haroldson Lafayette  Hunt, Jr.   He passed away in November 29, 1974 after amassing a fortune as a Texas oil tycoon.  At the time of his death, he was reputed to have the highest net worth of any individual in the world.  His personal life was very interesting -he ended up having many children by three wives (not necessary at different times) and was among the chief inspiration for the television series Dallas whose character JR Ewing was largely based on the popular perceptions of Hunt.    We came upon this beautiful stone house in Hunt.  I have no idea who it belonged to.  

 

We noticed quite a few of these fences in the hill country.

 

My favourite city in Texas is San Antonio.  San Antonio grew to become the largest Spanish settlement in Texas, and for most of its history, the capital of the Spanish, later Mexican province of Tejas.    The Battle of the Alamo took place from February 23 to March 6, 1836.  The outnumbered Texan force was ultimately defeated with all of the Alamo defenders killed.  These men were seen as martyrs for the cause of Texas freedom and "Remember the Alamo" became a rallying cry in the Texan army's eventual success at defeating Santa Anna's army.  In 1845, the United States finally decided to annex Texas and include it as a state in the Union.  This led to the Mexican-American War. The second most visited attraction in San Antonio after the Alamo is the famous River Walk.  The River Walk meanders through the downtown area and was one of the first restorations of an urban river. 

 

The River Walk is lined with numerous shops, bars, hotels and restaurants.   

 

The San Antonio River Walk (also known as Paseo del Rio) is a network of walkways along teh banks fo the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of downtown San Antonio.  The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two paralleled sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops, connecting the major tourist draws from the Alamo to the Rivercenter Mall, to the Arneson River Theatre, to Marriage Island, to La Villita to HemisFair Park, to the Tower Life Building, to the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Pearl Brewery.  

 

I had not seen river boats set up for dinner before  but that could be because this was the first time we had been in the city in April so perhaps it is only during the warmer months which makes sense.  A lot of the restaurants in the area have outdoor patios with heat lamps.  Expansion plans for the River Walk are underway for areas of the river north and south of downtown.  Currently the River Walk flows through approximately 5 miles of the downtown and outlying areas.  

 

While walking along the river we came across this duck enjoying the view.  I liked how he/she is  resting in the pretty flowers.  

 

We spent a day driving in the Texas hill country.  This is the time of the year (April) that the Texas Bluebonnets are blooming. 

 

A field of Texas Bluebonnet in the wild in the hill country of Texas.  Actually, it was a very disappointing year  to see fields of these flowers blooming.  

 

A local told me that the year was about a 4 out of a 10 in terms of the Texas Bluebonnets in bloom.   Normally there would be more and they would be taller.  Still they were very pretty to see.  

 

A closeup of Texas Paintbrush in the wild.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/texas Tue, 14 May 2013 16:31:56 GMT
Sunset Shots https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/sunset-shots-in-the-south-west On this trip I was not very fortunate when it came to sunset shots.  There just didn't seem to be the best opportunities this year.  Still I did go out a few nights to at least try to get some shots with colour.  

 

 In spite of being in Scottsdale for close to three weeks we did not get to go out and photograph a great sunset.   We drove  up to South Mountain in Phoenix one night at the end of our stay  to see what we could come up with.  It took us an hour to get there and when we did there were way too many clouds.  

 

Since the colours were poor, I changed this photo to black and white.  This is overlooking the city of Phoenix from the top of South Mountain.  You can see just how spread out the city of Phoenix is. 

 

We stayed until it got pretty dark and the lights of Phoenix came on.

 

I had a little more luck in San Diego although as you can see there were also a lot of clouds. However, for just a couple of minutes there was a beautiful golden glow on the cliffs as the sun was setting.  If you look really closely towards the middle of the shot you can see a glider above the cliff.  

 

 

As I was waiting for more colour I took some pictures under the pier.

 

This is about the best it got.  

 

 

20130401_arizona_roadtrip_0196-Edit

 

20130401_arizona_roadtrip_0196-Edit-Edit Since the colour wasn't spectacular I turned the  photo into a black and white which I kind of liked.

 

After leaving San Diego we headed home driving through  Tucson.  We barely made it on time to Gates Pass  which is a beautiful spot for the sunset.  I got the best sunset colours of the trip here.  

 

 

 

The only other place where I took some sunset shots was in Nashville,  Tennessee.  This shot was taken from the Pedestrian bridge in the downtown area as I was waiting for the sun to set.  

 

Downtown Nashville.  This shot was taken from the pedestrian bridge.  

 

Cumberland River, Nashville 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/sunset-shots-in-the-south-west Mon, 13 May 2013 16:22:00 GMT
San Diego https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/san-diego Because we had not  done enough driving on this trip (not), we left Scottsdale on April 1st and took a major detour to San Diego, California instead of going the normal route back to Toronto.   We  went because I happen to love the ocean.  California  also happens to  my favourite state- it has the ocean, mountains and desert.   People seem to be outside  doing things all the time and there was definitely a sense of energy everywhere we went.  The end result was that  Ralph was nice enough to take us on a detour of an additional 1,200 km or 800  miles.    The scenery both ways was beautiful and well worth the trip.  

 

20130401_arizona_roadtrip_0004-Edit This is a photo of a Dragon Tree found on the grounds of the Hotel del Coronado near San Diego.  We asked one of the staff if it would be ok for us to walk around the property with the girls which was permitted.   The doorman turned out to be not only friendly but a wealth of information.   This tree is native to the Canary Island and was planted at the Del, prior to the turn of the century where it has thrived ever since.   The hotel was the location for the movie "Some like it Hot" staring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe and this tree was a backdrop for some of the filming.     During filming in 1958, one of the camera men cut part of the branch from this tree that happened to be in the way.  What he hadn't realized is that when the  bark or branch are cut, they secrete a reddish resin which is actually used to stain wood.  Well in this case the resin stained some of the film which became unusable.  Not only that, but the hotel management were furious and threw the film crew off the site.  So production was delayed while there was "renegotiation " and some scenes had to be reshot when the crew was finally allowed back on site.  

 

20130401_arizona_roadtrip_0003-Edit The Victorian style Hotel del Coronado was built in 1888.  This resort had to be one of the most beautiful beach resorts I have ever seen.  In 1977 the hotel was designated as a National Historic landmark.  The property is huge- not only are their regular rooms but the hotel also has beach cottages and villas that we were able to see from the beach side of the hotel.  

 

20130401_arizona_roadtrip_0016-Edit-Edit We were told that there was a dog friendly beach down the road from the hotel so we walked behind the hotel on the boardwalk and street  for a couple of miles admiring the views.  The doggy beach on the Island was to the right of where this photo was taken.  

 

20130401_arizona_roadtrip_0028-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit There were lots of pretty flowers everywhere.  I decided that I could easily live on this Island which is just across the bridge from San Diego.  

 

We drove along the coast visiting various towns and ended up at La Jolla, one of my favourite spots.  We went to La Jolla Cove which is unique for seals, a walkway along the beach and beach that lets you get pretty close to the seals.  

 

We were there at a time of day when they are not particularly active-most of them just laid around and had their afternoon snoozes.  

 

Here is a photo taken of the children's pool in La Jolla.  It was supposed to be a children's pool, but the harbour seals took over and now it's a main tourist and local attraction.  It was a great place to stand and watch the seals laying on the beach and sunning themselves.  The beach has been the centre of a long legal fight over human access versus seal protection.  I hope the seals win.  

 

  Another shot taken in the same area.  You could walk all along the beaches and admire the gorgeous scenery.  After being in Arizona for a few weeks, I have to admit I loved the "fresher" cleaner  sea air.  

 

Another scene from the area.  

 

 One morning we drove to a different  doggie beach where the dogs can run around off leash.  It was a huge area and the girls had fun running around and meeting some  new California friends.     The beach area was large and went on a long ways so there was plenty of  isolated areas.  

 

The same doggie beach.   

 

Here is a view from the beach at  one of the towns on the coast- I'm thinking it was San Clemente (forgot to attach my GPS unit to the camera).  We were just driving along the coast and stopped in a few towns including Oceanside and San Clemente.  San Clemente.  Following  his resignation, Richard Nixon retired to this community to write his memoirs.

In the morning as we left the San Diego outskirts we were looking for the ocean highway leading towards Oceanside.  We ended up driving into Camp Pendleton, a marine corp base.  This base spans over 125,000 acres which is why it is so ideal for year-round training for Marines in addition to all other branches of the U.S. military.  The base has 17 miles of coastline.  The marine at the gate kindly gave us directions to the highway along the ocean but not before scanning Ralph's drivers license.  We were all surprised when the license was actually scannable.   

 

At the end of our second full day in California we went back to La Jolla to check out the seals again.  

 

I liked the expression on this guys' face.  It was difficult to get any of them to look at you during their nap time.  

 

Today we saw artists painting- what a great view to paint.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/san-diego Sun, 12 May 2013 14:15:09 GMT
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and flowers of the desert https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/arizona-sonora-desert-museum  We spent a day at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson.  This Tucson landmark is well known for its Natural History museums, zoos, gardens, nature/wildlife areas and various specialty museums.   There were  shows on birds and snakes which were very enjoyable.    The museum is located in the natural setting of the Sonoran Desert which made the visit especially interesting.  Most of the exhibits are living exhibits which show the natural habitats of plants, animals and geology.  There were a few exceptions but the plants, animals, minerals and fossils were all native to the Sonoran Desert region.  At the end of the blog I have included various flower photos from the desert.

 

One of the first buildings we went into had a display of various animals.  This photo was taken through the glass.

 

Mexican Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents.  Prairie dogs are named for their habitat and warning call, which sounds similar to a dog's bark.  These animals feed primarily on grasses as shown above and small seeds.  

 

The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl and one of the most widespread of all birds.  Although they are not native to some areas  they have been introduced in order to control rodents, the Island of Kauai being one example.  We were told that Barn Owls only live to about age two.  After further research this is due to accidents and predators.  The actual longevity of the species is much higher, captive individuals may reach 20 years of age or more.  Occasionally a wild bird reaches age 12- the record for an American Barn Owl is 11 1/2 years and a Dutch bird was noted to have reached age 17.  This picture is heavily cropped as the bird was far away and  I did not have a telephoto lens with me but at least you can see what the bird looks like.  

 

The Barn Owl in its natural setting. These birds hunt by flying low and slowly over an area of open ground, hovering over spots that might hide potential prey.  They may also use fence posts or other lookouts to ambush prey which normally consists of small rodents.  Studies have shown that an individual Barn Owl may eat one or more rodents each night.  

 

​The Harris's Hawk formerly known as the  Bay-winged Hawk or Dusky Hawk is a medium-large bird of prey which breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile and central Argentia.  John James Audubon gave this bird its English name in honour of his ornithological companion, financial supporter and friend Edwards Harris.   The Harris Hawk is known for its behaviour of hunting in packs, consisting of family groups while most other hawks hunt alone.  Their diet consists of small creatures including birds, lizards, mammals and large insects.  

 

Since about 1980, Harris's Hawks have been increasingly used in falconry and are now the most popular hawks in the West (outside of Asia) for that purpose.   Falconry is the hunting of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey.   Apparently Harris's Hawks  are one of the easiest  type of hawk to train and the most social.  

 

The Raptor free flight show was pretty amazing as the birds soared and swooped in their native desert habitat while the narrator described their attributes, habitats and behaviours.  We were told that Arizona is one of the only states where Harris's Hawks can be found in the wild and their lifespan is about eight to ten years.  Next time I get a chance to visit I will take a different  lens so I can get  some close up shots of the birds both stationary and in flight.  

 

A nesting bird from a distance.  

 

This  Berylline Hummingbird is medium-sized bird 8-10 cm long and weighs 4-5 grams.  Their breeding habitat is in forests and thickets of western Mexico to central Honduras in Central America.  It regularly strays to southeastern most Arizona.  

 

These birds feed on nectar from flowers and flowering trees using a long extendable tongue or catch insects on the wing.  The adults are coloured metallic olive green with a rusty grey lower belly.    

 

The Berylline Hummingbird in flight.

 

The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or tree.  Females lay two white eggs.  Note to self-next time bring a long telephoto lens.

 

White-winged Doves are large, chunky pigeons of about 29 cm.   Adults have a patch of blue, featherless skin around each eye and a long, dark mark on the lower face.  Their eyes are bright crimson.  The bird is most common in Arizona but its native range extends from the south-western USA through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.  These birds have also expanded throughout Texas and into Louisiana and has been introduced to Florida.  The rock singer Stevie Nicks, a native of Arizona mentions the White-winged Dove and its call prominently in her 1981 hit "Edge of Seventeen".  

 

20130326_arizona_roadtrip_1810-Edit-Edit-Edit The Black-bellied Whistling Duck is a whistling duck that breeds from the southernmost United States and tropical Central to south-central South America.  This mid-sized waterfowl species  length ranges from 47 to 56 cm(19 to 21 inches).  It has a long red bill, long head and longish legs, pale grey head and mostly grey-brown plumage.  These are noisy birds with a clear whistling waa-chooo call.  

 

The bird in the foreground is a female Williamson's Sapsucker.  The species took its name from Lieutenant Robert Stockton Williamson, who was the leader of a surveying expedition which collected the first male.  They were trying to identify the best route west for a railway to the Pacific Ocean.   The bird in the background is believed to be a Rufous-winged Sparrow.

 

The Mexican Wolf is a subspecies of the gray wolf.  It is native to North America where it is the rarest and most genetically distinct subspecies.  By the turn of the 20th century, reduction of natural prey like deer and elk caused many wolves to being attacking domestic livestock which led to governments and individuals to eradicate this animal.  Trappers and hunters  have also helped eliminate them.  By the 1950's the Mexican wolf had been eliminated from the wild.   In 1998 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service began reintroducing Mexican wolves into the Blue Range area of Arizona.   As of February 2012, it is estimated that there is a population count of 58 both in Arizona and New Mexico.   There are also about 340 Mexican wolves survive in 49 facilities in the United States and Mexico.  

 

Mountain Lions do not like to share their territory and are constantly on  the outlook for invaders.  This powerful predator roams North America where it is also known as the cougar.   These animals like to  prey on deer, though they will also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines (I guess they have a way to avoid the needles) and raccoons. These cats usually hunt at night or dawn/dusk stalking their prey and then going for the back of the neck with a fatal bite.  They will hide large carcasses and feed on them for several days.  

 

Mountain lions once roamed nearly all of the United States.  They were prized by hunters and despised by farmers and ranchers, subsequently by the turn of the 20th century, mountain lions were eliminated from nearly all of their range in the Midwest and eastern U.S.  Today whitetail deer populations have rebounded over much of the mountain lion's former range and a few animals have appeared in more eastern states such as Missouri and Arkansas.   In most western U.S. states and Canadian provinces, populations are considered sustainable enough to allow managed sport hunting.   These animals are shy and solitary,  seldom seen by humans.  They do occasionally attack people- there are only four attacks and one human fatality each year in all of the US and Canada.

 

This shot of wild flowers was actually taken at Bartlett Lake,  45 minutes from Phoenix.  The wild flowers in the Arizona dessert were very pretty this year.

 

A closer look at the field of poppies and Lupine at Bartlett Lake.

 

20130323_arizona_roadtrip_0840-Edit-Edit I wish that the  Mexican gold poppy behind the Albino Mexican Gold Poppy had not been in the way.  

 

This flower shot  was taken at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park as were the photographs below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/arizona-sonora-desert-museum Sat, 11 May 2013 14:02:58 GMT
Landscapes of Arizona featuring the Apache Trail and Thumb Butte https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/landscapes-of-arizona--prescott-and-roosevelt-damn While staying in Scottsdale we did a few different day trips.  In March, the weather can be quite hot which makes it difficult to do anything outdoors in the city during the afternoon heat  -except swimming.   However, by driving a couple of hours out of town into the higher elevation the weather becomes much nicer for hiking and sightseeing.  

 

On one of our day trips we drove to the Thumb Butte Area in the Prescott National Forest, in the picturesque town  of Prescott.    Prescott is north of Scottsdale and took us about two hours to get there.  The city is at an altitude of 5,400 feet so it is much cooler than Phoenix.   As you can see the landscape is very different from Scottsdale or Sedona.  

 

20130316_arizona_roadtrip_0287-Edit Our group hiking up to the top.  We hiked the two mile Thumb Butte Trail  which was a loupe.  

 

20130316_arizona_roadtrip_0296-Edit  This photo shows the typical geography  of the area.  

 

It was a bit of a hike  to make it to the top but there was a nice view of the city.  The city has a population of roughly 40,000.  From 1864-1867, Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory and again from 1877 until 1889 when Phoenix was designated as the capital.   It is predicted that Prescott will eventually become part of the Arizona Sun Corridor mega- region with a total estimated megapolitan population of 7.4 million people in 2025. 

 

One last picture from the hike. 

 

We did another day trip driving  the Apache Trail to Roosevelt Dam.  The Apache Trail was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains.  The current Apache Trail links Apache Junction at the edge of the Greater Phoenix area with Theodore Roosevelt Lake, through the Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Forest.    Today much of the trail is actually paved.   The trail winds steeply through 40 miles of rugged desert mountains, past deep reservoir lakes like Canyon Lake and Apache Lake.  

 

The narrow, winding road is unpaved from just east of the town of Tortilla Flat to Roosevel Dam.  There are steep cliff drops and we noticed practically no safety barriers.  You can see our unpaved road below.  Yes it was a bit nerve wracking at times but so worth the drive to see the canyons, lakes and beautiful scenery.  

 

Typical scenery along the Apache Trail.

 

After driving for a while we came to some slightly different geology.  Standing on a bridge I watched these people from  above.  It looked like they were just wading in the water to cool off  from the heat.  

 

After leaving the bridge we drove a little further and I came on this interesting scene so I had Ralph stop the car once again (for the hundredth time I'm sure).   I hiked down a little ways to the river to take the shot-  the mist  moved through the area quickly.  

 

 This shot was taken at the same place  as the previous shot, just in a different direction where there was no mist.  

 

 

20130319_arizona_roadtrip_0423-Edit

Now we had a few stops to take pictures of the Saguaro cactus.  Saguaros have a  relatively long life span-they take up to 75 years to develop a side arm.  Saguaros in drier western Arizona grow only half as fast as those in and around Tucson, Arizona.  Some of these plants may live for more than 150 years.  

 

Now for a scene from a western movie shot.  

 

20130319_arizona_roadtrip_0442-Edit-2 This shot was taken on the Apache Trail, overlooking Apache Lake.

 

Eventually we made it to our destination of Roosevelt Dam.  It was completed in 1911 at a cost of ten million dollars,  after being started in1905.  It took longer than anticipated to complete because of all of the devastating floods  interrupting construction.  For a while, it was the largest masonry dam in the world with a height of 280 feet and a length of 723 feet.  Originally the dam was known as "Salt River Dam #1" and was renamed after Theodore Roosevelt in 1959.   A huge reconstruction project was begun in 1989 and completed in 1996.  The dam was resurfaced with concrete and its height was raised by 77 feet at a cost of $430 million.   As a result of the completely altered appearance its National Historic Landmark  designation was withdrawn on March 10, 1999.  

 

In front of the dam is Lake Roosevelt.  Lake Roosevelt is the largest lake  or reservoir located entirely within the state of Arizona.  Lake Mead and Powell are larger but both are located partially within the neighbouring states of Nevada and Utah.  

 

Lake Roosevelt Bridge  in black and white.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/landscapes-of-arizona--prescott-and-roosevelt-damn Fri, 10 May 2013 13:22:41 GMT
Landscapes of Arizona- Sedona https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/landscapes-of-arizona We arrived in Arizona on March 10th which is pretty much record speed for us since we only left Toronto on March 1st.  Partly because of the colder weather in the beginning of the trip and partly because we chose a shorter route we arrived sooner than we expected to.   We ended up staying in Arizona for three weeks and although we did not  travel far from Scottsdale there was still some varied landscapes.   This instalment covers Sedona, however the first picture is a desert in Scottsdale.  As you can see the desert is not necessarily a dry, barren area of land without vegetation which one might think of when picturing a desert.  There was lots of green and a variety of plants everywhere this year.  

 

Our  group went hiking on a local trail just north of where we were staying in Scottsdale.  You can see the cholla cactus in the front.   To me this is a typical desert scene in Arizona.  The jumping cholla is a tree-like plant with one low-branching trunk.  The "jumping" cholla" name comes from the ease with which the stems become detached when brushed giving the impression that the stems actually jumped.   You do not want to touch this plant!  

 

20130311_arizona_roadtrip_0024-Edit-Edit A partial group photo.  It was a bit warm in the morning but the girls managed the two hour hike as well as we did.  

 

This shot is taken from a road in Sedona  overlooking Cathedral Rocks.  The main attraction in Sedona is its red sandstone formations, the Red Rocks of Sedona.  There are only about ten thousand people living in the area but the town is full of tourists.  It is unfortunate that the area was not included in the National Park system to keep its natural beauty and limit man-made structures.  However, even so it is a beautiful area.  This really is a hikers' paradise.

 

I loved this  interesting looking tree with the wonderful red rocks in the distance.  Sedona with an elevation of 4,326 feet   is about ten degrees cooler  than Phoenix which makes it a great place to escape form the heat(and pollution) of the big city.  

 

The tree deserved a picture without the models .  More than 60 Hollywood productions were filmed in this area from the first years of film through the 1970's.    You can understand the attraction of filming in this area.  

 

20130312_arizona_roadtrip_0173-Edit-2-Edit

This is a close up view of Cathedral Rocks, taken at sunset in Red Rock State Park.  Unfortunately there were no clouds in the sky but at least there was beautiful golden colour to the rocks.   The colours actually look like this at the Golden hour.    Cathedral Rocks is a famous landmark on the Sedona skyline and one of the most photographed sights in Arizona.  

 

20130312_arizona_roadtrip_0205-Edit-Edit-Edit After sunset, we stopped to take a few more shots from the road.   This light really brought out the red tones of the rocks.  

 

The image in black and white reminded me of the many western movies (minus the buildings) I used to watch.  When driving in Sedona at night, it is very dark with few street lights .  I was told that Sedona follows Flagstaff's "dark sky" laws.  The dark sky laws are in place to keep light pollution to a minimum to  promote star gazing.  This also benefits  the Lowell Observatory located in Flagstaff, a half an hour north of Sedona.   

 

We did some hiking in Sedona- there are numerous trails to be found everywhere.  

 

We spent a few days in Sedona and rarely saw a cloud which meant for poor sunsets but gorgeous days.  

 

I would guess that this is the most popular photographed spot in Sedona.  We are on the airport road overlooking the city.  Yes it is a very beautiful overlook of the city but I keep thinking how much nicer it would have been without the roads and buildings and just the beautiful natural landscape of the area.   President  Theodore Roosevelt preserved the Grand Canyon area so it was unfortunate that he did not do the same thing for Sedona.  

 

One afternoon we hiked near the Enchantment resort.  

 

As you can see  Arizona landscape is not just what one thinks of when thinking of typical desert scenery.  I found the colour contrasts between the red rocks and vegetation particularly stunning on our hike.  

 

This is a view of Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona.  The church of the rocks is built on two pinnacled spur rocks approximately 250 feet high.  It juts out of a thousand foot red rock wall representing the solid rock of Peter in the bible.  The idea to build the chapel was Marguerite Brunswig's.  She thought of it while traveling through Sedona in 1934- the chapel was not completed until 1956.  

 

A close up view of the chapel.  Marguerite Brunswig Staude was a sculptress, philanthropist and devout Catholic who believed the arts should be in service of the spirit.   Marguerite Brunswig was said to have been inspired by the Empire State Building and she developed plans with the son of Frank Lloyd Wright, Lloyd Wright.  

 

20130314_arizona_roadtrip_0241-Edit-2-Edit The surrounding landscape of the chapel was so picturesque with so many photographic opportunities.  

 

The inside of the chapel was small but look at the view!

 

Ralph and the girls posing outside the chapel.  Maggie sure likes to stick her tongue out when being photographed. 

 

Before leaving for Scottsdale, we drove up Snebly Hill Road.  This is the road that the jeeps go up to do off road touring.  We only made it up so far when we decided to turn back because of poor road conditions.  Still the scenery we saw on the road was awesome.  

 

 For thirteen miles, the road zigzags eastward out of Sedona to intersect Interstate 17, the highway which connects Phoenix to Flagstaff.  En route it ascends through a series of switchbacks up a mountainside.   The first white settlers arrived in the Sedona region in 1876 and in those days the journey from Flagstaff to Sedona took four days.  So the early settlers set out to build a shorter route- Schnebly Hill Road and succeeded in creating the rugged wagon road out of the steep canyon to join a dirt road leading from Phoenix to Flagstaff.    Carl Schnebly arrived in the area in 1900 and first used the road to transport lumber from Flagstaff to build a two-story 11 room home.  Before long people associated the road with the Schnebly family and the route assumed its present name.   Today, only the first mile is paved and after that turns into a rutted, very rough dirt road.   It was at this point that we decided that the road was a bit too rough for us and it was time to head back to Scottsdale.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/5/landscapes-of-arizona Thu, 09 May 2013 14:39:51 GMT
Birds of Providencia Costa Rica https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/4/birds-of-providencia-costa-rica The last part of the trip was spent just outside of  Providencia.  Providencia is a small town on the border of the Central Valley and South Costa Roca.   The village is in between two valleys and tourists are not common in this region-probably  because you have to leave the Panamerican Highway and go on a rough dirt road which took us around an hour or so to get to the farmhouse we were staying at.  However, the area is very popular for bouldering (rock climbing) so there are a few tourists that go.   There was a young group at the farm doing some rock climbing on the boulders on  site.  I ended up talking to them and the leader asked me if I wanted to try  rock climbing.  However, I thought it would be safer to concentrate on  photography!   It certainly  was a unique experience living with the Costa Rican family for a few days.  The house was rustic (no heat for starters) but the people were very friendly and the food was excellent.  Anna who runs the B&B spoke no english but her daughter- in- law did speak a very minimal amount.   The mornings were quite cold until the sun was out so I used to stand near the wood burning stove to warm up.  Fortunately I had a lot of blankets at night and appreciated all of them.  We spent a lot of time at the farm taking pictures of birds that we hadn't seen at our other stops. 

Here is a view of the landscape of the area.  

 

This Silver-throated Tanager is a small passerine bird.  The bird is brightly coloured is a resident of Costa Rica through Panama and western Colombia to western Ecuador.  

 

The adult Silver-throated is a 13 cm (5.1 inches) long and weighs 21 grams (.74 oz).  The male is mainly yellow, with black streaks down its back and a whitish throat bordered above with a black malar stripe.  

 

 

 

The Blue-grey Tanager ( South American songbird).   

 

 

A Blue-grey and Silver-throated Tanagers sharing a perch.

 

The Flame-coloured Tanager is a medium-sized American songbird.  Apparently these birds are now classified in the cardinal family.  A tropical passerine bird, the Flame-coloured Tanager is found in the mountains of Mexico and throughout Central America to Northern Panama.  

 

 

This Flame-coloured Tanager is occasionally seen in the United States in the mountains in the southeast corner of Arizona, the southwest of New Mexico and also in the southwest corner of Texas.  

 

 

 

The Tennessee Warbler breeds from the Adirondack Mountains in New York through Northern Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine north and west throughout much of Canada.  This bird was named from a specimen collected in Tennessee where it may appear during migration.

 

The Tennessee Warbler is 11.5 cm (4.75 inches) long and weighs roughly 10 grams.  These warblers migrate, wintering in southern Central America and northern Colombia and Venezuela with a few stragglers going as far as Ecuador.  

 

 

The Baltimore Oriole is a small blackbird that commonly occurs in eastern North America.  They migrate predominantly in Central America and northern South America.  They are medium sized and measure 17-22 cm (6.7-8.7 inches) in length and have an average weight of 33.8 grams (1.19 oz).   

 

The Baltimore Orioles, a major league baseball team in Baltimore, Maryland were named after this bird.  The bird  is also the state bird of Maryland.

 

The Red-legged Honeycreeper is a small songbird species in the tanager family.  It is found in the tropical New World from southern Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and central Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago.   On average this bird is 12.2 cm long and weighs 14 grams.  Its bill is slightly decurved.  

 

This Red-legged Honeycreeper is a male.  The males are violet-blue with black wings, tail and back and bright red legs.  

 

The Rufous-collared Sparrow is an American sparrow.  These birds are 13.5-15 cm long and weigh from 20-25 grams.  These birds feed on seeds, fallen grain and insects.  

 

One  late afternoon, I  took a break from photographing birds and took a walk in the area.  I found a nice river close by.

 

I hiked down to a different area hoping to find some interesting landscapers and took a few shots.

 

 

On the last full morning of the trip, I tried again at photographing birds in flight.  I concentrated on trying to get a decent shot of this Violet Sabrewing hummingbird.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/4/birds-of-providencia-costa-rica Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:53:14 GMT
Quetzal's Paradise https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/4/quetzals-paradise On February 8th we left the region of San Jose to travel to Quetzal's Paradise which is located in the Masizo de La Muerte Talamanca Mountain Range.  This is a conservation area of Costa Rica surrounded by Los Quetzales National Park, Los Santos Forest Reserve, Tapanti National Park and Masizo de La Muerte.  The Quetzal is considered one of the most beautiful birds of the world and we hoped to find them in the forest and also photograph some hummingbirds.  

 

When I arrived at Quetzal's Paradise I took a few landscape photos.  This shot shows the beautiful countryside of Costa Rica.  I haven't talked much about the weather in these blogs but it sunny every day and warm but not humid as we were in mountains.  In the early morning it was actually quite cold so I needed to wear a ski jacket.  

 

You can see the houses and farms in the distance.

 

When I arrived I joined a guided hike of the area.  The plan was to look for the Quetzal(s).  I am ashamed to admit that the guide was nice enough to carry my camera with the 300mm heavy lens attached.   One thing I found on this trip and my other trip to Costa Rica is that the people are so friendly and helpful.   I would have been too slow had I carried the heavy equipment  as we hiked up and down hills  looking for the bird.  These birds sing with distincly smooth, deep, melodious calls that echo throughout the forest.  Our  guide imitated  the calls hoping that wherever the birds were they would answer back (he sounded just like the bird).  Well we hiked all over and finally came to a nest.    The photo is heavily cropped as we were quite far away from the birds.  The guides were very good at spotting these birds with their binoculars.  Had I been on my own I would not have seen them. 

 

The Resplendent Quetzal is found from southern Mexico to western Panama.  It is well known for its colourful plumage.  The Quetzal is named for its beauty.  The Aztec word, quetzalli was used to describe these birds'  tail feathers and means precious or beautiful.  This bird is classified as near threatened because the rain forest it depends on has been extensively destroyed.    We watched and photographed the birds until they finally flew off.  

 

After lunch  at the lodge  we stayed and took pictures of the  hummingbirds in the area.  The Magnificent Hummingbird is a large hummingbird that breeds in the mountains from the southwestern United Stated to western Panama.  This species can range from 11-14 cm (4.3-5.5 inches) in length and can weigh from 6 to 10 grams (.21 to .35 oz).  

 

A Fiery-throated Hummingbird.

 

 

 

We actually came back to this place the next morning to see if  the Quetzals had been spotted again but the guides had not been successful so we ended up photographing the hummingbirds.  The above bird is a  Fiery-throated Hummingbird in flight.

 

 

 

 

 

The Green Violetear is a medium-sized, metallic green hummingbird species.  These birds average around 9.7 to 12 cm (3.8 to 4.7 in).  This species have small feet and their legs are short and relatively weak. 

 

 The Green Violetear belongs to the order Apodiformes.   These birds  cannot walk and thus rarely if ever land on the ground since quick escape from predators is almost impossible.  For this reason members of this order spend most of their time in the air.  

 

These Fiery- throated Hummingbirds are so colourful.  

 

Magnificent Hummingbird in flight.

 

 

 

A perched Green Violet-ear Hummingbird.

 

A perched Magnificent Hummingbird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/4/quetzals-paradise Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:41:16 GMT
At the La Paz Nature Park in Costa Rica https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/4/birding-in-costa-rica--part-2  On February 7th we went  to La Paz Wildlife Refuge about an hour or so from San Jose.  Today was going to be my attempt to capture hummingbirds in flight.  This private wildlife refuge included an aviary, butterfly observatory, monkeys, frogs  and a hummingbird garden.  We spent most of our time photographing the hummingbirds but I did check out some of the other exhibits as well.

 

 This was one of my first attempts at shooting hummingbirds in flight on this trip.  It is pretty much impossible to get the entire bird sharp without using flash.  I felt that I was fortunate just to get the bird in the picture (no kidding that is how fast some of them can move ).    Because these birds are so speedy you need a very high shutter speed to try to slow down the action so the bird is not blurry.    In camera terms  this  means you need to use a wide  "aperture opening " or small f-stop   in order to get enough light so you can use the high shutter speeds.   However, using the wide aperture  reduces the depth of field (sharpness) so that less of the picture is in focus.    Also, by using a "telephoto" lens which has the reach allowing you to photograph the bird from far away also negatively affects the total amount of sharpness due to the optics of the lens.  Another way  to increase the light is to increase the "ISO" in the camera setting  but this does degrade the quality of the image.  For those of you used to the film days, ISO is pretty much the same thing as ASA or speed of the film.    So when you are in the field photographing you are constantly changing camera settings to try to find the best balance.    I tried to get as much of the bird in focus as possible but always attempted to  focus on the eyes and head.   In the above photo you can see that the eye and area that is in the same "focal plane" as the eye  is pretty much in focus with the rest of the bird being blurry.  

 

 

The Brown Violetear is  11.5 cm long and weighs 6.5-7 grams.  The bird is mainly dull brown, with a rufous rump and greyer underparts.  There is also a violet patch running back and down from the eye.  The bill is relatively short and almost straight.

 

This is a Green-crowned Brilliant which is a large robust hummingbird.  The bird is a resident breeder in the highlands from Costa Rica to western Ecuador.  The male birds are about 13cm long and weigh 9.5 grams while the female is 12 cm long and weighs 8 grams.  

 

After lunch I checked out the frogs deciding that they would be much easier to photograph.  This is a red-eyed tree frog.   As the name states, these frogs have red eyes with vertically narrowed pupils.  Its body is a vibrant green with some yellow and blue colouring.  Its webbed feet and toes are orange or yellow.

 

Scientists believe their scarlet peepers are meant to shock predators who hesitate allowing the frog to leap to safety.  These guys are great jumpers which I saw repeatedly.  Just as I would get ready to take a shot, the frog was gone!  

 

 

These guys are not poisonous and rely on camouflage to protect themselves. 

 

The Blue-jeans or Strawberry Poison-dart Frog is one of the most prominent frogs in Costa Rica.  This frog has a brilliant red head and black and blue-to-purple legs.  This frog is not known to be be lethal to humans but its skin secretions may have some unpredictable effects.  Adults of this small species are generally 19 to 24 mm(3/4 to one inch) long.

 

The frog's bright colours warn off predators since they signal the toxicity that the frog is named after.  However, these frogs have few predators and once they reach adulthood they can live 5 to 6 years.  However, their eggs are preyed on by fungi, worms, snakes and even other Blue-jeans.  The Poison-dart eats small invertebrates such as ants and mites.  

 

After checking out the frogs I went to the butterfly observatory but I didn't stay long as there is  a very good  observatory near Niagara Falls.  This is a blue Morpho butterfly.  When the butterfly spreads its wings,  the inside of the wings are a beautiful blue color.  

 

The Violet Sabrewing is a very large hummingbird native to Costa Rica.  The food that these birds like to eat is nectar.  

 

The Violet Sabrewing is 15 cm long; the male weighs 11.5 g and the female 9.5 g.  

 

Mountain-gems is a medium to large sized hummingbird (10 to 13 cm).  This is a female Mountain-gem which are distinguished from the male by  having a dull coloured throat and being  different  in some  plumage details.   These birds like to eat nectar taken from a variety of small flowers.

 

A perched Mountain-gem female.  

 

This  Purple-throated Mountain-gem is a male  hummingbird which breeds in the mountains of southern Nicaragua, northern Costa Rica and western Panama.  This bird is 10.5 cm long and weighs 4.8 to 6.0 grams.  Their shortish black bill is slightly curved.   As the previous picture showed the female Mountain-gem has a dull coloured throat.  

 

 

The Coppery-headed Emerald is a small hummingbird endemic to Costa Rica.  It measures only 7.6 cm (3 inches) in length and weighs only 3 grams (.11 oz).  Like all hummingbirds, the Coppery-headed Emerald feeds on nectar and small invertebrates.  

 

The male above has a distinctive coppery crown and rump with a whole green belly and white vent.    The female's belly is white.  

 

A perched Coppery-headed Emerald. 

 

The Green-crowned Brilliant is a large robust hummingbird.  This hummingbird inhabits wet mountain forests.  The male Green-crowned Brilliant is 13 cm long and weighs 9.5 grams.  It is mainly bronze-green with a glittering green crown, forehead, throat and breast.  It has a white spot behind the eye and a blue-black tail.  

 

The Fiery-throated Hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird which breeds only in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama.   The bird is 11 cm long and weighs 5.7 grams.

 

The food of this species is nectar taken from a variety of small flowers.  Like other hummingbirds they also eat small insects for a source of protein.  The males defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories and are dominant over most other hummingbirds.  They will however, allow females to share their food resources.  

 

The Green Thorntail is a small hummingbird that  is a resident breeder from Costa Rica to western Ecuador.  The Green Thorntail has mainly green upper parts, a white rump band and a blackish rump and tail.  It weighs just 3 grams.   The 10 cm long male has the long wire-like tail that gives this species its name and green underparts.  

 

I was able to take a few landscape photos in the area.  

 

The last shot of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/4/birding-in-costa-rica--part-2 Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:01:29 GMT
Birding in Costa Rica https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/4/birding-in-costa-rica I travelled  to Costa Rica on February 5th for a week of birding photography.   Since I had enjoyed Costa Rica so much the year before I jumped at an opportunity to go again.  The workshop was led by a local nature photographer, Raymond Barlow.  We  focussed on photographing birds in natural light (no flash).   I figured that it couldn't be any harder than taking pictures of birds from a moving and/or bobbing boat that I had to deal with in Florida.  However,  I discovered that trying to take pictures of Hummingbirds in flight was extremely challenging for me.  Even when the birds are supposedly stationery on the branch they seem to be twitching.  

 

Looking at the map of Costa Rica, I flew into San Jose which is in central Costa Rica and stayed in Alajuela, which is a suburb about 15 minutes from the airport.   During the week we travelled to a few places outside of San Jose such as La Paz and then moved on to an area called Providencia within Los Quetzales National Park.    On this map, you can find La Paz Waterfall directly above San Jose and Los Quetzales  National Park, directly below San Jose.

 

I flew into San Hose's international airport where Raymond met me.  We were staying at Buena Vista Hotel, Alajuela, Costa Rica which was about fifteen minutes away from the airport.  This photo was taken outside in the gardens overlooking the mountains.  You can see how hazy it was.  

 

The above image shows my equipment set up used on this trip  for taking photos of the birds.  This lens is a 300 2.8mm Nikon lens which I rented for the trip.  It weighs around 2900 grams so it is not a light lens and it was  too heavy for me to hand hold. I also added a 1.4 or 2.0 teleconverter to the lens so I was able to increase the focal length of the lens to take pictures of distant birds.  For a birding lens, this is actually about as short of a length as you would want. 

 

I took this photo in some gardens while I was practising using the  new equipment  in the above image (rented and borrowed).   I really liked the colours of the butterfly and flowers.

 

We stopped off the highway (generous description) to take pictures of a waterfall near La Paz.   

 

A view from the road.

 

A close up view of the waterfalls.

 

The first afternoon we spent a few hours at an observatory east of San Jose.   This Crimson-collared Tanager averages 19-20 cm (7.5 to 8 inches) in length.  As you can see the bill is a striking pale blue and the legs are blue-grey.  

 

This Green honeycreeper is a small bird 13-14cm  (5-5.5 inches) and weighs 14-23  grams.  These birds are  in the tanager family.  

 

The male  Green honeycreeper is mainly blue-tinged with a black head and a mostly bright yellow long decurved bill.

 

This is  a female Green honeycreeper.   The female is grass-green, paler on the throat, and lacks the male's black head.  

 

The Clay-colored Thrush is the national bird of Costa Rica where it is well known as the yiguirro.  This bird was known as the Clay-colored Robin until 2010.  

 

The Thrush resembles the American Robin as it is about the same length, 23-27 cm (9 to 10.5 inches) and weighs around 74-76 grams(2.6 oz) on average.  

 

The plumage of the Thrush is brownish, somewhat lighter below than above.  

 

 

 

The Palm Tanager is about 19 cm  ( 7.5 inches) long and weighs around 36 grams.  They are a grey to dull olive-green in colouring.  These birds are social and restless and eat a wide variety of fruit as well as nectar and insects.   

 

This female Passerini Tanager is a medium-sized passerine (perching bird).  This bird was named for Carlo Passerini, a professor at the Museum of Zoology at the University of Florence.   The adult is 16 cm long and weighs 31 grams.  The female has a grey head, olive upper parts becoming brighter and paler on the rump.  Her wings  and tail are brownish.  The species feed on small fruits, usually swallowed whole, insects and spiders.  

 

The Passerini Tanager was formerly known as the Scarlet-rumped Tanager.  

 

This is a male Passerini Tanager.    Unlike the female, the adult male is mainly black except for a scarlet rump, silvery bill and dark red iris.  

 

A Black-cheeked  Woodpecker.   The adult is 18.5 cm long and weighs 63 grams.  The bird has a black patch through the eyes and on the cheeks, a yellow forehead and a red nape. 

 

This is a male Black-cheeked Woodpecker since its crown is red.   The female has a black crown.  These  birds feed on insects but will also eat substantial amounts of fruit and nectar.  

 

This Golden-hooded Tanager is a medium-sized passerine bird.  Adult birds are 13 cm long and weigh 19 grams.  

 

The Blue-grey Tanager is 16-18cm(6.3-7.1inches) and weights 30-40 grams (2.2-1.4 oz.).  Adults hae a light bluish head and underparts, with darker blue upper parts and a shoulder patch coloured a different hue of blue.  The bill is short and quite thick.  The female and males are similar but the young birds have duller colours.  Actually 13-15 subspecies are commonly recognized differing by the exact hue of the blue of he shoulder patch versus the rest of the plumage.   

 

The Blue-grey Tanager lives mainly on fruit but will also eat some nectar and insects.  This is a common, restless and noisy species usually found in pairs but sometimes in small groups.  

 

The Blue-grey Tanager frontal view.

 

This Collared Aracari is a Toucan.  Like other Toucans, the Collared Aracari is a brightly marked and has a large bill.  The adult is typically 39-41 cm (15-16 inches) long and weighs 190-275 grams (6.7-9.7 oz).  

 

The females and males are alike in appearance, with a black head and chest and dark olive green upper parts apart from a red rump and upper tail.  

 

The Toucan has a reddish collar on the neck.  The underparts are bright yellow, with a round black spot in the centre of the breast and a red-tinted black band across the belly.  The bare facial skin is black, becoming ruddy behind the yellow eye.  The upper mandible of the bill is dull yellow, marked with a black saw-tooth pattern on the cutting edge and a black tip  Small flocks usually consisting of 6-15 birds move through the forest with a rapid direct flight.  This species is primarily a fruit-eater but will also eat insects, lizards, eggs and other small prey.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/4/birding-in-costa-rica Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:47:06 GMT
Birding on the St. John's River https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/2/birding-on-the-st-johns-river I spent the second half of my week in Florida going on a "Pontoon Putt" on the St. John's River.   I joined the tour guide  Joanna Williams and two other photographers enjoying the wildlife and surrounding nature.  Our lodge was in the town of Deland (about an hour outside of Orlando) at a marina where Joanna keeps her beautiful pontoon.  The idea was to go out in the mornings and evenings looking for birds to photograph and enjoying the nature at the same time.  I found that it was very difficult to photograph the birds given that the boat was constantly bobbing up and down.  So even when the birds were still the boat was not.  However, for me the best part was just being on the boat enjoying the scenery and watching the birds in action.   The St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida (500 km).  This river was named one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in 1998 but was included on a list of America's ten most endangered rivers in 2008 due to the population increases in the river's vicinity.  

 

Anhinga species are found all over the world in warm shallow waters.  These water birds are sometimes called Snakebirds, Darter, American Darter or Water Turkeys.  

 

Anhingas often migrate with other birds and have been described as "black paper gliders".    The birds that do not live in the extreme north and south of their ranges   migrate based on temperature and available sunlight so in the winter some will migrate towards the equator.  Birds definitely had the right instincts!

 

Although not in their normal range, anhingas have been found as far north as the states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

 

These birds have such beautiful wings.

 

There were a lot of turtles lying by the sides of the river banks.  They are very skittish and jump into the water as soon as you get too close.  

 

While turtles are not being hunted as much than it was in historical times, the practise is still common in many communities whether done legally or illegally.  Turtles have been used for food, medicine and decoration for centuries.

 

A Great White Egret in the reeds.  This species is generally very successful with a large and expanding range.   In North America large number of these birds were killed at the end of the 19th century so their plumes could be used for decorating hats.  

 

Thanks to conservation measures, Great White Egrets  have since recovered except for in some parts of the southern US due to habitat loss.

 

A Great White Egret in flight.

 

A Great White Egret surveying its surroundings.

 

A river scene.  The St. John's River is very scenic  and for the most part very quiet.  This river was not straight up and down- there were so many offshoots that we were amazed that Joanne knew her way around so well.  

 

Alligators are only native to the United States and China.    The majority of American alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana with over a million in each state.  Florida is the only state where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side.

 

Alligators and crocodiles are top-notch hunters and will eat just about anything they can get their teeth on.  Their teeth is specialized just for spearing so they don't bother to chew their food- they just swallow large chunks or the entire animal whole.    Good to keep your distance for sure!  

 

One late afternoon a few of us went for a walk after pontooning.  We came across this Sandhill Crane.  These birds fly south for the winter and in their wintering areas they form flocks of over 10,000 birds.  One place to see this is at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.  Wouldn't that be a great site to see!    Because of these birds large wingspan (up to 7 feet) they are very skilled soaring birds similar to eagles and hawks.  While we were photographing the bird a man came up to us and  mentioned that there were quite a few bears in the area that had been seen lately.  Joanne thought that this was nonsense but told us the next day that it was in fact true.  Well that was the last time we went out walking in the neighbourhood!  

 

These Ibises look like really classy birds.    They are a group of long- legged wading birds and all have long down-curved bills and usually feed as a group.  Apparently the White American Ibis is the mascot of the University of Miami selected for its legendary bravery during hurricanes.   According to legend these birds are the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane hits and the first to re-appear once the storm is over.  

 

A closer  view of the Ibises.

 

Eagles are large powerfully built birds of prey.  They  have extremely powerful eyes,  beaks and talons.     I read the the female species is larger than the male-who knew?   I was told that the many species lay two eggs but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched.  The parents take no action to stop this killing.    Unfortunately I do  not have a super telephoto lens so this Eagle was too far away for me to get a good photograph.

 

 The Wood Stork is the only stork that presently breeds in North America.   In the United States, unlike Brazil,  there is a small and endangered breeding population.  

 

You can see that the Wood Stork is  a broad-winged soaring bird.  It catches fish by by holding its bill open in the water until a fish is detected.  

 

Little Blue Herons are smallish herons of the southeastern United States.  It is the only heron species in which first-year birds and adults show dramatically different colours.  First-year birds are pure white while adults are blue.

 

The Osprey, sometimes known as the sea hawk is a  fish eating bird of prey.  The Osprey is unusual in that it is a single living species that is found nearly worldwide.  

 

One fact about these birds that I found interesting is that they are known to exhibit great joint flexibility.  Their limbs (wings and legs) have adapted to have even greater flexibility over time.  This comes in handy when flying towards bright lights such as the sun.  They are able to bend the joint in their wing to shield their eyes from the light to keep safe while flying.  Mother nature is so great!

 

I hadn't realized that Florida has some great fall colours.   This scene was taken from the pontoon boat.

 

The Great Blue  Heron is a large wading bird very common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America as well as the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands.  

 

 Heron in Flight.

 

We were fortunate to spot this deer on the side of the river just before sunset.

 

This Kingfisher was so far away from us so this is a very heavily cropped photo.  It was the kind of a shot that I took hoping to get the bird in the frame as I could barely see it.   You really need a longer lens to get a good photo of these small guys.   

 

The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is also called the American Night Heron or squawk.  

 

 

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium sized hawk.  This bird stayed perched for us for a long time just surveying his surroundings.  Apparently these birds typically wait on a perch and then swoop down on prey.   They have very sharp vision and good hearing.  Their talons are capable of killing animals at least equal to their own size.  

 

The prey they like best are small mammals including voles, gophers, mice, moles and chipmunks.  Occasionally they will also go after rabbits and tree squirrels, small birds and large insects.  

 

One last shot of an old logging canal.  I had heard that part of the  movie- The African Queen was filmed on this river.  I couldn't find any facts to substantiate this but I thought that this scene certainly could have been in that movie. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/2/birding-on-the-st-johns-river Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:51:34 GMT
Florida- Animals at Animal Kingdom https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/2/florida--disney-world On November 12th, 2012 I flew to  Orlando Florida to spend a week in the sun (well it didn't quite turn out to be as warm or as sunny as I would have liked).  I spent a few days in Disney World visiting Magic Kingdom, Epcot Centre,  Hollywood Studios  and Animal Kingdom.   I hadn't been to Disney World in a very long time and was happy to discover that I still enjoyed it.  My favourite places were Epcot Centre and the Animal Kingdom.    Magic Kingdom was just too busy for me  and the attractions were too short given the long lineups.   To be fair I had been here a few times before and nothing seemed to have changed. I'm guessing that for first timers and children it probably is magical.    Epcot Centre had terrific attractions and much shorter lineups.    My favourite attraction was called Soarin' Over California which is a simulator.  The ride uses a mechanical lift system, a film presentation on a large concave projection screen and at certain points artificial scents to simulate flight via a hand glider ride over several California landmarks ending at Disneyland of course.  I have no idea how it all works but it sure felt like I was in a hand glider looking below at people rafting, skiing, golfing, horseback riding and hot air ballooning.  It was a bonus that I got to "soar" over my favourite state in the United States.   Animal Kingdom was like a large zoo with some great animal/bird shows and some musicals (The Lion King and Finding Nemo) that were excellent.  My favourite attraction though was going on a mini-safari ride.   It was a bit difficult taking the photos given that the jeeps couldn't really stop for more than a few seconds.  I went on this ride about six times in two days to prepare for my "Safari" in Africa in the distant future.  

 

I took very few pictures of scenery in the parks but I liked this scene in the Animal Kingdom, showing "Expedition Everest" in the background.  There is a railway adventure to the top of the Himalayan mountain where riders encounter a fictional mountain beast and no I was not brave enough to go on the ride.  

 

The Tree of Life, is a  sculptured 14-story (145 -foot tall), 50-foot wide tree and is considered the centre-piece and icon in Disney's Animal Kingdom Park.  

 

You can see some of the sculptures if you look closely.  From a distance, the structure appeared to be the real thing but as you get closer the details come to life.  An international team of artisans were brought together to design and implement the carving of nearly 400 animals.

 

And a close up view of the sculptures.  

 

I wonder what this guy was thinking about?  This Colobus monkey eats leaves, buds,seeds and fruit and are found in trees in the wild in Kenya.  They are hunted for their fur but today their existence is more threatened by the destruction of forests.

 

Unlike other monkeys, Colobus monkeys have no thumbs.

 

 Meerkats are found in southern Africa and the Kalahari Desert.  They are just 12 inches tall.  These guys are very territorial and can often be found standing erect guarding their territory.  Besides eating various types of bugs, birds, eggs  and small mammals and reptiles, they can eat scorpions since Meerkats  are immune to scorpions' venom. 

 

 Animal Kingdom has a Gorilla Research Camp.  There were trails leading through an open air viewing where you could see the gorillas although they were at times quite far away.  I was using a fairly long zoom lens at the time.

 

Although the animals were still fenced in they had huge areas to wander around in unlike the typical zoos.  They were actually quite far away from me so these photos are cropped.

 

The Gorilla exhibit is a quiet zone.  Excessive noises and waving arms are seen as threats which will agitate the gorillas who will leave.

 

 

The baby gorilla finally showed up not looking too happy.  

 

I boarded a rugged open-sided safari vehicle  to go on Disney's Kilimanjaro Safari which transported me  to a 100 acre African Savannah.   The ride is a 25 minute safari where the tour guide points out animals and occasionally stopped the jeeps very briefly for viewing and photographing opportunities.  The giraffe is the tallest living terrestrial animal standing between 16 and 20 feet tall.

 

We came across a group of Zebras which have recently been added to the Reserve.  Zebras stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual.  

 

A hungry Giraffe

 

The white rhinoceros is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exist.  It spends about half a day eating and a third of the day resting.  Not a bad life!

 

We came across some hippopotamuses resting near each other in the pond.  After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest type of land mammal by weight(between 1 1/2 and 3 tonnes).  These friendly looking guys are amongst the most aggressive creatures in the world and are regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.  Despite their stocky shape and short legs, they can easily outrun a human and have been clocked at 30 km per hour.  

 

Termite mounds have a very complicated structure.  Inside the mounds above is an extensive system of tunnels that serve as a ventilation system for the underground nest.  

 

The giraffes resemble the trunks of the surrounding palm trees.  

 

Although warthogs appear ferocious, they are basically grazers of grasses and plants.  They are members of the domestic pig family but sure look different.  Their large, flat heads are covered with "warts" which are actually protective bumps.    When startled or threatened these animals can fun at speeds of up to 30 miles an hour.  These animals, like elephants wallow in mud to gain relief from insects.  This guy sure blends in with his surroundings.  

 

This guy was enjoying resting on the rocks.

 

Lions are very inactive during the day being primarily nocturnal. One interesting fact about lions  is that they are unusually social compared to other cats.  

 

 

The White Ibis is one of many birds inside of Disney's Animal Kingdom.  

 

 

We passed by many elephants on our travels.  The guide told us that  the social lives of male and female elephants are quite different.  The females spend their entire lives in tight-knit matrilineal family groups which is led by the oldest female who remains leader until her death or until she no longer has the energy for the role.  When her role is over, the eldest daughter takes her place.  During the dry season, elephant families may cluster together as in the case of elephants in Amboseli National Park Kenya.  The life of the adult male elephant is very different.  Once he reaches 14 or 15, he spends about 80% of his time away from his family.   Eventually the adult females of his clan show aggression towards him at which point he permanently moves away.  Once he leaves, he lives on his own or with other males.  A dominance hierarch exists among males, whether they range socially or solitarily.  Older bulls appear to control the aggression of younger ones and prevent them from forming "gangs".   

 

After going on the safari, I wandered around to where the tigers were.  I couldn't seem to get a shot of the tiger's face  without something being in the way.

 

Pangani Forest Gorilla Falls.  This man-made waterfall was in the Gorilla exhibit at Animal Kingdom.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/2/florida--disney-world Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:49:23 GMT
Fall in North Carolina, end of workshop https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-north-carolina-conclusion We spent the last day and half of the workshop driving in the backroads and visiting more scenic areas in North Carolina.  

Andy had been thinking of taking us to Roan Mountain to see the sunrise which would have meant a very early morning since Roan is located on the Tennesse/North Carolina border.  However, it was decided that since the early morning colours and layers of fog were not great this year we would sleep in a little and go local.  This was a view of one of the mountains close by-it was very foggy and looked more interesting than how the photo actually turned out.  

 

This photo was taken from Chimney View which I thought  gave the best views of the lower falls. Linville Falls is probably the most photographed waterfall in North Carolina.  It is located on the Parkway about 66 miles north of Asheville.  We had to do some hiking to get to the falls.   Linville Falls drops about 90 feet into the 12-mile long Linville Gorge.  Erwins View Trail is a moderate hike of 1.6 miles round trip with four different overlooks.  I hiked most of the trail twice with my heavy equipment and tripod.   

 

This photo of the upper falls was taken from Chimney View which I thought  gave the best views.  You can see Andy and the group in the foreground- just look for the tripod.  

 

A close up view of the water with an artistic touch (well as much as I can be artistic).

 

This was the view looking at the river,  opposite to  the waterfalls.

 

Erwins View Trail ends at Erwins View Overlook.   The elevation was 3330 feet, the highest point of the hike.  There was a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and ridges from here.  You could also see the falls from here but the view of the mountains was better.  While I was admiring the views, I met a woman from Asheville, Tn who loved to hike while her husband loved to photograph (not so much hike).   He was still at the upper falls photographing so she hiked on her own.  

 

After leaving the falls we stopped to take pictures of this very friendly horse grazing.  He came right up to the fence hoping for a treat. 

 

Although it was getting to be the worse time of day for photographing we couldn't resist stopping to take photos of the beautiful landscape.

 

Later on in the afternoon we went looking for photo opportunities.   We came across this pretty area with a beautiful working barn.  Andy spent some time talking to an elderly  woman who had owned a lot of the surrounding farm land for generations.  Apparently a wicked wind storm had come through the area earlier and swept a lot of the leave away.  The woman talked about growing up and living in the area with her family.  

 

Next stop was an abandoned barn  on a backroad.  I wonder if Andy could ever find it again?  I know I wouldn't have a clue where it was but I loved how the shot turned out.  

 

A close up view.  There were such beautiful colours all around.

 

We found this old  church on the road.

 

On a different backroad we came across another abandoned barn with some great surrounding colours.

 

A close up of the barn with some artistic touches.  

 

On our final day of the workshop we started the day early.  We were headed back to Charlotte for our flights out in the afternoon or next day.    You can see some fog between the ridges.  

 

Not great colour this morning.

 

On the way back to Charlotte we stopped off at another scenic spot.

 

 

One last scenic shot of the trip.

 

There were some old rusted cars on the side of the highway on the way back to Charlotte so we stopped for some final shots before heading to the airport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-north-carolina-conclusion Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:29:16 GMT
Fall in the North Carolina - day 3 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-the-blue-ridge-mountains--conclusion The map below is showing a Virginia section of the Parkway. 

We spent the third day of the workshop driving on the Parkway  and on some back roads all the way to Mabry Mills, Virginia.   You can see how far we got in Virginia by looking at the above map, two-thirds down the page.    The weather on this and subsequent days  was very good- cold in the morning before sunrise but gradually warming up to very pleasant temperatures by the afternoon.   The Parkway while not a National Park, is the most visited unit of the National Park System.  The project was originally called he Appalachian Scenic Highway and most construction was carried out by private contractors under federal contracts.  Work began on September 11,  1935 in North Carolina and construction began in Virginia in the following February.  On June 30, 1936 Congress formally authorized the project as the Blue Rige Parkway and placed it under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.  Construction of the Parkway took over 52 years to complete. 

 

Early morning sunrise, day three.  It was very, very cold at this elevation.  I kept going back into the van to warm up before coming out to take more pictures.  

 

I was happy when it was time to move on and warm up  in spite of the nice views.  You can see some layers of fog in the background but the sunrise colours were not very good.

 

We noticed Christmas Tree farms everywhere we went in North Carolina.  

 

We had a little time in the car to warm up before our next stop which was an old abandoned building on the parkway.  There was also a old church and another building a little further off but the colours were not the best.

 

This was our daily "forest" fix.  We stopped to photograph the trees and beautiful yellow leaves.   We had already made several stops and it was only 10 AM in the morning.  

 

This photo was taken near Lewis Fork Overlook on the Parkway  at an elevation of 3295 feet.   Finally lots of reds in the leaves.  

 

While driving around the countryside we overlooked this beautiful view of a farm in the mountains.

 

 

One of the stops we made was at a church and cemetery.  More nice colours in this area.  We had been driving on back roads when we found this scene.  

 

 

We were driving around more backroads and on  the Blue Ridge Parkway  looking for scenic places to stop and photograph.  We often saw some really nice colour but couldn't actually find a place to stop.  

 

Taking in the view on the Parkway.

 

Another scenic view spot on the parkway  that we came across later on in the afternoon.

 

We were on our way to Mabry Mill the slow way.  We kept coming to these great scenic spots where we had to stop.

 

 

 

After driving all day we finally made it to our destination, Mabry Mill around 5.30, just in time for perfect light.    Mabry Mill is a watermill located at milepost 176.2 of Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.   It is a tourist attraction for the picturesque views of the mill.   Construction was started in 1903.  It was first a blacksmith and wheelwright shop and then became a sawmill and by 1905 it was in operation as a gristmill.  By 1910 the front part of the mill was completed.  The buildings didn't look like they had changed in the last hundred years.  It was easy to understand why people come from all over to check out this spot.  One advantage of coming later in the day was that there were fewer people around.  It was a little difficult to get shots without people in them but the longer we stayed the easier it got.

 

I loved the curve of the road with the beautiful fall colours and the interesting fence.  

 

 

It was such a great spot for photographing that we stayed for a good hour.  

 

Another viewpoint

 

There was a short trail around the mill which connected the historical exhibits about life in rural Virginia.  The trail allows visitors to view the gristmill, sawmill and blacksmith shop.

 

One of the last shots of  day.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-the-blue-ridge-mountains--conclusion Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:33:14 GMT
Fall in North Carolina- beginning of photo workshop https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/blue-ridge-mountains-in-the-fall I was fortunate in that I was able to go on a photography workshop in the Blue Ridge Mountains from October 18th to the 22nd.  Andy Long, a  well known nature and landscape photographer  was leading our expedition.    I flew into Charlotte, North Carolina where I  met  the group and we drove to Boone, North Carolina where our headquarters were to be for the next few days.   Boone is a small town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and has a population of around 20,000 people.  Of course the town is named for the famous American pioneer and explorer, Daniel Boone.  In 2012 Boone was listed among the ten best places to retire in the U.S. by U.S news.  For such a small town we found that there was a lot of traffic especially on the weekend.  This wasn't surprising because of the tourists coming to see the fall colours and do some hiking at the same time.

 

This shows a map of  the section of the Blue Ridge Parkway where we spent most of our time.   Boone, North Carolina  is located about 2/3rds of the way down the map, in the centre.  We were very close to one of the entrances to  the Blue Ridge Parkway which made it convenient for the early morning sunrise shots.

 

The first day we arrived at the  hotel in the middle of the  afternoon and by four we left for our first photo shoot.  Since we were so close to the Blue Ridge Parkway  it was a short drive.  Andy, was very familiar with the area so he knew the best  places to go.  As you can see it was quite foggy which made for some interesting shots.  

 

This was one of the photographers hard at work.  There were just four of us in total. 

 

There were lots of colors in the trees.

 

 I think the mist really adds interest to the photographs.  As long as there was no rain we were happy to remain at this site.    We did drive to a few other places later on but did not have too much day light left.  One of the ponds we stopped at had very little colour so we moved on.  

 

I included this photo to show all of the colour in the mountains.  During the next few days we found that some places had great colours and in others not so much. 

 

The next morning we were up and out by about 6.15.  This shot was taken at 7 AM from one of the observation points along the parkway.  You can see some fog in the background.   Sometimes you can see mountain ridge after mountain ridge with fog in the valley's between the ridges.  Unfortunately we didn't have these conditions on this trip.    It was also very very cold first thing in the morning.  We spent some time in warm van in between taking shots while waiting for colours.

 

Another early morning shot.

 

Still early morning but finally warming up as the sun came out.

 

We stopped to take pictures of the Linn Cove Viaduct.  There was no place to legally park where we wanted to photograph from so Andy dropped us off so we could get some shots.    This viaduct is a 1,243 foot concrete segmental bridge which snakes around Grandfather Mountain, NC.  Construction started in 1979 and  was completed in 1987 at a cost of ten million dollars.  I can only imagine what the cost would be if the bridge was built now.  This was  the last section of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be finished.  An interesting note is that there was no access road other than the Blue Ridge Parkway itself which added to the complexity of the construction.  

 

On more shot taken of the viaduct.  There were a lot of beautiful fall colours- much nicer than New England this year.

 

On our drive we saw some great colours and trees  in the forest 

                    

Andy took us to  a few different ponds and lakes to check out  areas.  Sims Pond  was the best one for colour.   It was really gorgeous with the reflections. This pond is stocked with trout by the North Carolina Hatcheries. 

 

This shot was focussed  on the ripples from the pond.

 

Another "arsty" photograph.

 

It was such a pretty area  with endless photograph opportunities that we spent quite a long time here.

 

Just before getting in the van, I took this shot of the shadows and pretty coloured background.  

 

We stopped to do a short hike  at  some water falls.  Unfortunately it was very slippery on the rocks and Andy fell in the water.  Luckily he (and the camera equipment) was not hurt but the water was freezing.  We wanted to go back to the hotel so he could change but he wouldn't hear of it.  At least it was sunny and warm once we got out of the forest.

 

A black and white close up shot of the rocks.

 

This was one of the last shots of the day.  At this time we were off the parkway and driving along country roads.  The forest was dark with a very bright sky behind so there was a lot of contrast.  Although digital cameras are pretty smart they aren't perfect.   If you were to take the above picture the camera could expose correctly for the darker forest or could expose correctly for the brighter sky but not both at the same time.  Cameras cannot record the extreme range of brightness and contrast that human eyes are capable of seeing.   The solution for taking the above type of shot is called High Dynamic Range or HDR for short.  So what I did was combine multiple images of different exposures.  So this final image is actually five different images combined into one using special software.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/blue-ridge-mountains-in-the-fall Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:24:37 GMT
Fall in New England, part 3 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-new-england-part-3 We spent a couple of days in Maine before heading to Vermont.    For me the highlight of Maine is always the ocean.   We really enjoy walking on the beaches and the scenery of the majestic Atlantic Ocean.   Along the famous rockbound coast of Maine are lighthouses, beaches, fishing villages and thousands of offshore islands.   Maine is the least densely populated U.S. state east of the Mississippi and is called the Pine Tree State as nearly 90% of its land is forested.  

 

Our early morning walk on the beach.  It was a very stormy looking morning,  however the rain held off.

 

Katie in her play position.  As soon as Maggie gets close enough, Katie pounces.   

 

Some interesting rock formations on the Old Orchard Beach in Saco, Maine.

 

Portland Head Lighthouse,  Cape Elizabeth Maine established in 1791.  Portland Head Light  is the oldest lighthouse in the state of Maine.  The light station is now automated and the tower, beacon and foghorn are maintained by the United States Coast Guard.  The former lighthouse keepers' house is now a maritime museum within Fort Williams Park.  

 

There is a beautiful walking trail  along  the coast overlooking Casco Bay.   

 

While driving along the scenic highway 100 near Stowe,  Vermont  we took a detour to  Moss Glen Falls.  As you can see many of the leaves were already off the trees.

 

A close up of some of some of the rocks.

 

The next day we spent more time near Stowe.  We found some smaller falls on route 108 in between  Smuggler's Notch and  Stowe.  There was another photography workshop going on so I figured it must be a good place to stop.  I spent some time chatting to a couple of the photographers and just as they were leaving someone came running up to me to say hello.  It turns out we were both on  the Monument Valley workshop in the fall of 2011 and she had spotted me from the car.  It really is a small world!  

 

A close up view of the water and leaves.

 

The colours were quite pretty even without the reds.

 

Stowe has this beautiful new hotel called the Stowe Mountain Lodge.  We stopped to take a look and I took this shot from the parking lot which looks up at Mount Mansfield.  You can see the ski trails in the distance even though it was foggy on top.  

 

"The Road not Taken".  We went for a walk in the Robert Frost Farm in Ripton, Vermont.  This is where Robert Frost lived and wrote in the summer and fall months from 1939 until he died in 1963.  

 

Stowe, Vermont.

 

Photographed in Vermont on the way back to Toronto.  

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-new-england-part-3 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:26:30 GMT
Fall in New England, Part 2 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-new-england-part-2 We spent the weekend in Rhode Island exploring Newport and some surrounding areas.   Newport is known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions.  It was a major 18th century port city and now contains among the highest number of surviving colonial buildings of any city in the United States.  Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, wealthy southern planters began building summer "cottages" on Bellevue Avenue,  in order to escape the southern heat.  By the turn of the 20th century, many of the nations wealthiest families were summering in Newport including the Vanderbilts,  Astors and Widener families who built the largest cottages such as the Breakers and Miramar.  These "cottages" were grand gilded mansions with elaborate receiving , dining, music and ballrooms.  Interestingly enough, the mansions were not built with many guest bedrooms since the guests were expected to have cottages of their own.  Most  of these mansions have been converted to museums and academic buildings when the owners could not afford the taxes.  Some of the cottages have been purchased and converted into condominiums.

 

We spent the morning in Newport walking the "cliff" walk which is a 3 1/2 mile walkway open to the public.  The walk starts at First Beach and ends at Bellevue Avenue where the many of the city mansions are located. The first two thirds of the walk is easy and accessible to wheelchairs and strollers however, the southern section is very rough and rocky.  We have walked the entire trail in the past but today we stopped at the rocky section and walked back on the streets  so  we could see the front of the mansions.  Fortunately there are four major access points so you can start the walk at various points.  Under Rhode Island local law, landowners who actually own this land are not liable for any injuries if people injure themselves on this walk.  In 1975 the walk was designated as a National Recreation Trail.   It is a great walk with the ocean views on one side and the backyard of the mansions on the other.  The walk was built by the landowners themselves  with the help of public efforts in later years after the storms kept destroying the walkway.  The above photo is a view from the walkway.

 

Another view from our walk with one of the mansions in the distance.

 

One of the typical  "cottages" that we walked behind.  Many of the mansions are open for tours.

 

Another view from the Cliffwalk.

 

The Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William  K. Vanderbilt.  The cost of the house was reported to be $11 million dollars of which $7 million was spent on 500,000 cubic feet of marble.  Upon its completion Mr. Vanderbilt gave the house to his wife as a 39th birthday present.  I wonder what she got for her 40th?  In 1985, the Vanderbilts divorced, Alva married Oliver H.P. Belmont( an old family friend)  and moved down the street to Belcourt.  Divorce was rare among the elites at this time- Alva received a large financial settlement reported to be excess of $10 million (plus the house in her name).  The grounds for divorce were allegations of Vanderbilt's adultery.  In 2006, Marble House was designated a National Historic Landmark.  

 

In the afternoon we drove along  the  "Ocean drive".  This scenic road  is  ten miles of spectacular wide-open views of the Atlantic Ocean and miles of magnificent multi million dollar estates.  The road starts in the historic part of Newport where we had walked and then winds closer to Newports'  oceanfront and to the most elite private properties.  

 

We stopped the car several times to admire the views. 

 

One of  our stops at the end of the day was Jamestown which is located on Conanicut Island which connects mainland Rhode Island to Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay.   This is a photograph of the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge.    The bridge connects eh City of Newport and the town of Jamestown.  Jamestown is 25 miles south of Providence and was an interesting  place to drive around.

 

We went for a walk along the beach at the end of the day before heading back to Providence.  

 

The next day we headed to Portland,  Maine stopping at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts.  This is where Mayflower Pilgrims landed in 1620.  We stopped at the Pilgrim Memorial State Park which is one of the most heavily visited parks(and the smallest)  in the state parks system.  Nearly one million people from all over the world come to visit "The Rock".  The structure above  was built in 1920 to house part of the rock.

 

During the rock's many journeys throughout the town of Plymouth, numerous  pieces were taken, bought and sold.  It is estimated that the original Rock weighed around 20,000 pounds.  Today there are pieces in Pilgrim Hall Museum as well as in the Patent building in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.   The  Superstructure to house the rock was built in 1920 so that when the rock was returned to its original site it would be at water level.  In 1774 the rock split in two when a team of oxen attempted to raise it.  The upper portion of the rock was removed and it was not until 1980 that the upper and lower chunks were reunited by cement and the date of 1620 was permanently carved into the rock.  You can see where the cementing of the rock took place.   The Rock was moved for the last time in 1921 to the Superstructure and it once again broke apart.   Plymouth Rock though battered by time, still remains a symbol of the courage of the 102 Mayflower passengers who founded New England.  

 

We arrived in York, Maine in late afternoon and wandered around the rocky beaches. 
 

 

This beautiful house in York Harbor  is now a reception hall.

 

We drove over to Cape Neddick in York, Maine  to watch the sunset.  When we got there we found a photography workshop led by the well known photographer Moose Peterson.  I enjoyed talking to some of the group.

 

Sunset at Cape Neddick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-new-england-part-2 Sun, 13 Jan 2013 15:08:28 GMT
Fall in New England, Part 1 of 3 https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-new-england We left for our annual New England trip in early October.  The fall colours were not as good as we were hoping for although there were still some very pretty spots.  I seemed to remember that overall the colours were actually better once we arrived back in Canada.  We left Toronto  October 4th for  Rochester New York in order to check out the "Grand Canyon of the East".  Then we drove through Massachusetts on our way to Providence, Rhode Island where we had arranged to  pick up my sister at the local airport.   Wendy had flown in from Vancouver to spend the week travelling with us.  After leaving Rhode Island we drove up the coast to Portland, Maine.  Leaving Portland we drove to Burlington, Vermont with a stopover in  Manchester, New Hampshire.  We arrived back in Toronto on October 13th.

 

I have included a map so you can see where we were.

 

We arrived in Rochester  late afternoon and found a park close by to the hotel.  It was a beautiful warm fall afternoon.  We didn't actually drive into the downtown area since there was a lot of  construction in the area.  Rochester is now known for its medical and technological development.   The last time I was in Rochester was for a bridge tournament in the 80's.  We drove down on a Saturday night to play in a swiss team match on the Sunday morning.   Before we got to Rochester, the car's transmission died.   I don't remember where exactly but it was a very dark road with very few cars maybe 40 or 50 miles from Rochester.  Fortunately a state trooper came to our rescue and called a towing company who towed us to the nearest town.  On the way the  back of the car was hit by another car so once again we had to wait for the state trooper.  When he arrived he said "I was afraid it was going to be you two".   The story had a successful ending- we still got to play bridge on the Sunday and somehow the car made it back to Canada.  

 

Letchworth State Park is known as the "Grand Canyon of the East".   The park is in western New York, 40 miles south of Rochester.   The Genesee River runs through the gorge over three major waterfalls between the cliffs.  In some places these cliffs are as high as 600 feet.    We thought it was pretty spectacular although it really couldn't compete with the Grand Canyon. 

 

There were some pretty nice colours in the trees but not as much red as in other years.

 

 

 

We spent the morning driving through the park and doing a little walking.  We finally found the middle water falls.  

 

We hiked down and over to the higher falls.

 

This was one of the roads leading through the park.  

 

On the way to Rhode Island we drove through Massachusetts stopping at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley.  Mount Holyoke College is a very well known liberal arts college for women.  We have stopped here many times in past years  to walk in the beautiful grounds.   In 2011 Princeton Review  ranked the school first in the category of "best classroom experience",  ranked #3 for most politically active students  and ranked #7 as most beautiful campus.  You can attend this school for $53,596 a year  which includes room and board.  

 

We walked around the lower lake.  More than 300 acres of Mount Holyoke's 800 acre campus are a rural, undeveloped landscape of lakes, streams, forests, marsh and wetlands.   In the 1987 film Dirty Dancing (great movie), Frances ("Baby") plans to attend Mount Holyoke in the fall.  

 

Although very pretty colors, there was a lack of   red leaves this year everywhere we went.

 

After leaving Mount Holyoke, we continued our drive to Rhode Island taking some small highways and roads through Massachusetts.  We came across this pretty New England style house.

 

I liked this country road with the fallen leaves everywhere so we stopped to take pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2013/1/fall-in-new-england Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:26:25 GMT
The Isle of Capri https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/the-isle-of-capri September 20 was my last full day in Italy.    It turned out to be a very special day as we signed up for a Capri excursion.   We were picked up a van and taken to  a small town just outside of town to board the boat to sail over to and around the Isle of  Capri.  The very comfortable and gorgeous  Sorrento- built boat was only a year old..  The twelve passengers fit on her very nicely.   The best part of the day was actually  sailing  over to Capri and around the Island which took most of the morning.   The boat was stopped for lunch (crew had made fabulous sandwiches for everyone) and a few brave people went swimming.   I was not one of them as the water was much too cold for me.  I spent a lot of time sitting  on the cushions in the front of the boat and  at times trying to get photos without actually falling off the boat.   I especially loved it when the boat flew over the waves.  On the way back to the mainland there was one time when  all of us sitting in front of the boat got soaked but it was worth it (camera was protected).   Capri is an Island on the south side of the Gulf of Naples and has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic.  It has been confirmed by geological surveys that Capri was once part of the mainland.  In the latter half of the 19th century Capri became a popular resort for European artists, writers and other celebrities.  After sailing around the Island, the boat let us off in the town of Capri for a few hours.  We all found it extremely busy with tourists and shops.  However, the views were spectacular- we ended up taking the funicular to the top of the town and exploring that area.  

 

Our first stop was to pick up two passengers  at the docks in Sorrento.

 

As we sailed away from Sorrento I took  this shot  to show the  trees on the cliffs with the dramatic skies.

 

There were cliffs everywhere as we sailed around Capri.  

 

This is the White Grotto.  The cavern is filled with stalactites and stalagmites where the limestone rock seems to reflect  only white rays of light.  

 

The Green Grotto looks like an enormous liquid emerald.   The Blue Grotto is actually the famous one of the three Grottos.  To go inside the Blue Grotto you have to transfer to small boats.  There was a long line up of the boats to get into the cave and no-one from our party wanted to go so we sailed by getting a fairly close look.  No pictures because the sun was shining right into the Grotto.

 

There were a lot of boats cruising around the Island.  

 

This shot and the next one are photos of limestone crags called sea stacks that project above the sea.  The collective name for these three stacks is called Faraglioni.    One of them is still attached to the Island.  

 

The tour boats all sail  through the small hole.  

 

This was my shot going through the opening.

 

We sailed by the Punta Carena Lighthouse located on the Island.  

 

Some shots just look so dramatic in black and white.  

 

This shot was taken from the top of the town overlooking the lower part of town. 

 

Pam, Doug and I went walking up into the hills to get away from all of the tourists in town-not that we were totally successful.  We came to the Certosa di San Giacomo which was a Carhusian monastery founded in 1363 by Giacomo Arcucci.  There was often conflict between the islanders and the monks who owned land and the hunting and grazing rights.  During the 1656 plague in Capri, the monks sealed themselves off and the islanders threw their corpses over the wall of the monastery in retribution.  Since 1974 the buildings are used for a museum and a high school.  

 

We kept exploring the area and eventually came to  the Gardens of Augustus.  This was the place to take the classic shot of the sea and the Faraglioni.   I took several shots in the area.   

 

 

 

The gardens are actually comprised of a series of panoramic flower decked terraces overlooking the Faraglioni on one side and the Bay of Marina Piccola and Via Krupp on this side.  The gardens are on the ancient property that the German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp Steel bought in the early twentieth century to build his house.  In 1918, the gardens of Krupp were renamed the gardens of Augustus.  

 

 

This shot shows a better view of the terraces.  

 

Here is a close up view of the terraces.  

 

Pam and Doug with a view.

 

This shot was taken as we made our way back to town to meet up with Barry and Irene.  

 

Once back in Sorrento,   I went for a walk to get a few last pictures of the town.  

 

I made my way down to the road leading  down to the beach area.

 

There were still a lot of people out enjoying the last light of day and waiting for the sun to set.

 

Great color in the skies tonight.  

 

My last shot of the trip was of this cruise ship with Mount Vesuvius in the background.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/the-isle-of-capri Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:31:05 GMT
On the Road to Sorrento https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/sorrento-here-we-come On Wednesday September 19th our small group (Barry, Doug, Irene, Pam and myself) said goodbye to our new friends and headed for  Sorrento.  Some of the group had already  left in the middle of the night to catch flights home.  Others were going on to new adventures in other parts of Europe.  By nine a.m.  we were loaded in our van to take us to Sorrento.  We  had hired the van and driver for four hours so we could have one last leisurely look at the coast.    Our first stop was Ravello to check out the scenery on a nicer day, although it was still a bit cloudy out first thing.  After that we got some different  views of Posatano and stopped at a few other places along the way into Sorrento.  

 

As you can see it was still cloudy  for our overlook of Ravello.  Still, there were very interesting cloud formations.

 

A similar shot zoomed in a little bit in black and white.  

 

A cafe in Ravello. It was too early for most people to up and out so it was nice to walk around the town with fewer people. 

 

Pam and I asked if we could the picture of the little dog who was happy to pose for us.  

 

A view of the town of Amalfi.  The Hotel Santa Caterina on the left side of the photo is a very well known five star hotel.  From the hotel an elevator transports guests directly down  to the Beach Club.  

 

A view from the road near the town of Amalfi.   We stopped to look at the  white mansion (see middle of photo)  that once belonged to Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti.   

 

Another view of the area.

 

A close up view of the stairs leading down to the water.  We couldn't quite figure out how one would get to the water from the last step.  

 

Our  driver and his friend wanted a coffee stop on the way to Positano so we all got out, admired the views and stretched our legs.  

 

We had to stop here to stop here to take a picture of where we had been stuck in the rain storm earlier in the week.

 

On the side of the road someone had built a little miniature town.  We had seen it from the bus windows when we had been forced to stop.  

 

A photo  taken from across  the road.

 

 

We stopped at a ceramic store on the side of the road and I wandered around outside.

 

A view of Positano which was our last stop before arriving in Sorrento.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/sorrento-here-we-come Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:36:49 GMT
Last day In Maiori https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/last-day-in-maiori It was hard to believe but it was September 18th and our last day of the photography workshop.  Most of the day was spent looking at everyone's photographs and having them expertly critiqued by Alfio.  Everyone had some great shots and it was a lot of fun looking at all of the pictures.  Later on in the afternoon, Pam, Doug and I went for a walk in the hills of the town.  As we were strolling up one of the main streets, a woman told us in Italian that we should go up this side street.   We figured she was telling us that there was some nice scenery up this street so up we went.    The road climbed up past a church and kept going.   I'm guessing  the woman really wanted us to see the church.   We walked as far as we had time for  and came to some beautiful vistas overlooking the town.

 

 A view from the road.  There were motorcycles parked everywhere we went in the streets.  

 

As were were climbing up this road we came across this little boy going  down the steps of this narrow alleyway.    

 

We came across this church that we thought was a synagogue at one time.  

 

 The alleyway  had many twists and turns in it and we kept going up hoping it would lead to a view of the town.

 

We weren't disappointed as we finally reached this scenic viewpoint.  

 

We came to this viewpoint overlooking one of the hotels.  We could have hiked down to the water at this point but it was getting late and we didn't know how long that route would take us.  

 

Another beautiful view.  

 

An overlook of the mountains.  We weren't sure what the smoke was all about.  

 

One final view of Maiori before we started the descent back to the hotel.  

 

The next morning just before leaving for Sorrento I went outside to take a few last photos of Maiori.   The fishermen were hard at work.  

 

One last beach shot.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/last-day-in-maiori Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:12:24 GMT
A day in Pompeii https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/pompeii On September 17th,  we woke up to another beautiful sunny day and loaded the buses for Pompeii.  Instead of taking our usual coastal route, we went up over the mountains so we had very different views.    The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near Naples.   Pompeii now lies about ten kilometres from the Bay of Naples although in AD 79, Pompeii was actually a port city.    Pompeii was partially destroyed and buried under 13-20 feet of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.   The town was actually lost for nearly 1,700 years before its rediscovery in 1748.  The excavation over time has provided a detailed insight into the life of a city during the long period of peace and minimal expansion during the Roman Empire.    It was interesting that some of the buildings such as the forum, houses and bath houses remain well preserved.   Once our group arrived we spent the morning on a group tour which was very informative.  After lunch we split up and wandered around the town on our own.

 

Entering the old town of Pompeii.    The entrance to the ruins of the city is the Porta Marina.   The old town was actually huge and about two thirds of the original town has been excavated.    It is estimated that about twenty thousand people lived here, including merchants, manufacturers and farmers.   Half of the population were slaves.    

 

Details of an excavated column.   The objects buried beneath Pompeii were well-preserved for almost two thousand years.  Teh lack of air and moisture allowed for the objects to remain underground with little to no deterioration.  Now of  course  weathering, erosion, light exposure, water damage, poor methods of excavation and reconstruction, tourism, vandalism and theft have damaged the site.   

 

I liked the colours and textures of these walls.  

 

There were lots of displays of  artifacts in storage.

 

More pottery on display.

 

When photographing  through the glass It was difficult to get pictures of the bodies without glare.  As a side note,   the archeologists discovered voids in the ash,  containing human bones/decomposed bodies.    A technique was devised to inject plaster (and now resin) into the void and let it harden.  Then the ash would be carefully chipped away in order to recreate the forms of Vesuvius's victims.  We were told that most of the casts are in the Archaeological Museum of Naples.  

 

A typical street in Pompeii  with Mount Vesuvius behind.  I had to wait a while before I got get a picture with no people.  

 

At one time, a  wealthy person's house.

 

 Today Pompeii is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy getting approximately 2.5 million visitors very year.   You can see just how many people were in the ancient streets.  The old town was very spread out but there were still people everywhere.  

 

An old oven in one of the gardens.  

 

 

Ancient versus Modern. 

 

This is the large Greek theatre with supposedly  perfect acoustics.    Here was the place where performances of comedies and tragedies were held.  

 

 A view from the forum.  

 

The forum of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius in the background.

 

A different view of the forum.  

A group of tourists  enjoying the afternoon.  

 

Just before we started walking back to where the bus was to pick us up, Alfio took a group shot.

 

 

It was finally time to meet everyone and walk back to where the bus was meeting us.  This was a view on the way out.

 

Once back in Minori, I went for a walk and took a few sunset photos.

 

It was starting to get  dark.  Some of the buildings were restaurants and hotels.  On our last night in town we actually ate in one and had a great view of the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/pompeii Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:03:32 GMT
MIni Cruise along the Amalfi Coast https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/mini-cruise-along-the-amalfi-coast The activity for September 16th was mini-cruise in the morning.  Fortunately there was no rain in site on this beautiful sunny morning.  We all walked to the main pier in town where we found our local boat.   This was our second boat ride on the coast and like the first one very enjoyable.  The idea was to photograph scenes so people could identify where the picture was located- in other words put local icons into the shots.  I found the scenery so nice that I didn't necessarily follow the advice.   We sailed by Ravelo, Amalfi and then stopped briefly in Positano before heading back to the hotel for lunch.  After lunch a small group of us hiked up the hills to the next town of Minori.   After exploring Minori we walked back to Maiori along the "famous" Amalfi Coast  road.

 

A view of the Amalfi Coast from the boat.

 

A view of Positano from the boat.  You can see the coastal road  quite high up in the photo.

 

The beach at Positano which was crowded even before noon.  

 

Sailing by the town of Amalfi but not on the ship you see.

 

Another view of Positano.

 

We could see gardens everywhere in the hills.

 

 

No one sunbathing today.

 

 

After lunch some of us hiked over to the next town of Minori.   On the way we walked by the Collegiata di Santa Maria a Mare.   I admired the beautiful Dome tiled in majolica of green and yellow which is typical of the coast.  

 

A view of the city taken on the hike.  

 

Another view of the town.

 

A view of the harbour and castle.  

 

I liked where this flower was growing.

 

We stopped to take pictures of these cats enjoying the warm summer day.  Pam was trying to take at least one picture of a cat each day.

 

One of these houses on the hill was for sale.  It might have been this one but I'm not positive.  You would think some one would buy it just for the view.

 

  As I mentioned previously, I took lots of pictures of laundry drying outside, probably because of the colors and the fact that I rarely see laundry been hung out to dry in Toronto.

 

If you didn't like one view, there was always another one right around the corner.  

 

 

I liked this architecture in the town of Minori.

 

While in Minori our group  stopped for a snack at this cafe.

 

I walked down to the beach before we started for home and saw this little boy checking out the boat. 

 

This is the Amalfi Coast Road that we walked on to get back to Minori.  As you can see the road is very narrow so not much room for pedestrians.  In the distance you can see one of  the few stop lights along the whole coastal road.

 

I glanced at the road beside me and just happened to see the little dog riding on the motorcycle.  I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get the whole bike in. 

 

We got back to Minori just as it was getting dark  to find an almost  deserted beach.

 

There were still fisherman out getting the last catch of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/mini-cruise-along-the-amalfi-coast Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:13:04 GMT
An afternoon and evening in Sorrento https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/an-afternoon-and-evening-in-sorrento We arrived in Sorrento in time for lunch and then spent the afternoon in the old town of Sorrento and at the beach.  Once the photography workshop was over I was coming back to this town so it was nice that I didn't have to see everything in one afternoon.  Pam, Doug and I spent most of the afternoon walking down to the "beach" and then back up again.  Then our group met later on in the afternoon to take the bus to a scenic viewpoint for sunset pictures.  It was a terrific evening for the sunset.  We then had dinner and headed back to Maiori.  So by the time we reached the hotel after ten I think everyone agreed it had been a long (especially for those of us -that would be me-  who had been out by six to watch the sunrise)  but terrific day.  

 


When we got off the bus to walk to lunch, the first thing I saw were pizza machines.  Only in Italy!

 

There were outside cafes everywhere.  

 

Walking through Old Town on a popular side street.

 

We finally made it to the road overlooking the beach.  This isn't really what I expected to see- large wooden piers with beach chairs everywhere.  Still it was easy to get to the water for a swim  and there were a lot of changing rooms available.

 

Another view of the beach area.

 

On the road leading to the beach, I stopped to take a picture of Pam and Doug.

 

In this coastline shot  you can see all of the change houses that people could rent.  We ended up walking down the hill to get better views.  There was an elevator going down to the water which people had the option of using.  

 

On our way back  to the old market area, we came across a wedding party.  It looked like they were from Scotland as the party included a bagpiper.  I liked the contrast of the white and red dresses and I thought the bouquets were beautiful.

There were lots of lemon and pasta products for sale in the Old Town. 

 

We met up with some members of the group again while watching  some Italian men playing  a card game in an old section of town.    Had the game been bridge I would have been tempted to join in.   I didn't see any woman playing the game.  

 

We all met up again and got on the bus to take us to this scenic spot in Sorrento.   We actually got a few rain showers and dark clouds which just made the photographs more interesting.  In this photo you can see Mount Vesuvius in the background.  Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.   It has erupted many times since and is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last one hundred years.  Today it is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the three million people living nearby and its tendency towards explosive eruptions.  

 

We were fortunate to have rainbows in our photos.  I would have liked to have stayed in this hotel with its fantastic views.  

 

Two members of our group trying to keep dry while taking photos  during a brief rain shower.  This photo was taken on the other side from of the previous two shots.

 

We finally got some sunset shots.  

 

We were lucky to get some great sky colours tonight.

 

One of my last shots of the evening.

 

Just before the bus picked us up I took a few long exposure shots to soften the water.  By now it was getting pretty dark.

 

By the end of the day we all felt as tired as this little fellow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/an-afternoon-and-evening-in-sorrento Sun, 09 Dec 2012 15:17:45 GMT
Morning in Positano https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/positano-and-sorrento  I woke up pretty early on September 15th and as I didn't hear any rain I decided to get up really early and take some morning photos before breakfast.   It turned out to be quite a nice morning and I pretty much had the beach to myself- all of my group were still sleeping along with all of the other tourists.     We were scheduled to spend the day in Sorrento but the bus made a stop in Positano first since we hadn't had a chance to see it yet.   The drive along the coast was gorgeous-it was hard to believe that this was the same road we had driven on the day before but of course there is only one costal road.  The bus driver left us off at the top of the city as no buses can actually get into the town given the narrow, windy roads.  I was happy to have  an excellent view from the top.    Positano is known for its tourists and we weren't disappointed.  The town was a relatively poor fishing village during the first half of the 20th century.  It began to attract  large numbers of tourists after John Steinbeck published his essay about Positano in Harper's Bazaar in 1953.   "Positano bites deep"  Steinbeck wrote.  "It is a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone".    I first heard about the town when I saw the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" and like everyone else wanted to go and see the area for myself.  

Positano is also well known for its  dome  made of majolica tiles as well as a 13th century Byzantine icon of a black Madonna.  According to local legend, the icon had been stolen from Byzantium and was being transported by pirates across the Mediterranean.  A terrible storm had blown up in the waters opposite Posatano ( why do I find this part so easy to believe) and the frightened sailors heard a voice on board saying "Posa, posa" ("Put down! Put down!").  The precious icon was unloaded and carried to the fishing village and the storm abated.  After leaving Positano, we headed to Sorrento making a few stops on the way.  

 

First shot of the morning in Maiori when it was barely light.    

 

I liked the shot in black and white as well so I included both shots.   I can easily image a pirate ship in the seas as opposed to the fishing boat you see.  The arsenal/ tower like structure is now a restaurant.

 

Just the rocks and water with a longer exposure.  

 

Just me and the empty boats.

 

Early morning photograph of Maiori.

 

When the bus let us off in Positano I walked down to the beach area.    You can see how hilly the town  is.

 

This shot was taken from road overlooking Positano.  There were beautiful gardens everywhere.  

 

Another view from the road.

 

Here is the view with the famous ceramic  tiled  dome which speaks  "Positano".  The picture was taken as we walked along the high road leading to the town.  

 

I took this shot from a little further away so I could get the dome and more of the city.

 

The boats in the harbour.

 

Looking down on the beach.   You get a better view of the beach in this shot.  It wasn't as crowed on the beach  as it would get later on in the day.  From my experience walking in town I think most people were in the streets and stores. 

 

The beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea which looked so calm today.  It was really hard to believe these were the same waters that we saw the day before.  When I took this photo we were heading back to the bus around noontime .  It is a difficult time to get good pictures  at this time of day  because of the bright sky and the direct overhead sun which creates harsh lighting conditions.     However, it is a great  time for getting the beautiful blue colours of the ocean. 

 

Coffee with a view.  

 

On the way to Sorrento the bus driver stopped so we could capture this view.  

 

Rudolf Nureyev once lived on the Island that the boat is racing towards.    This Island was purchased, restored and developed over the last fifteen years by its current owner and for the first time is being offered to the world for exclusive vacation rentals.  Maybe next visit!  

 

We stopped on the road to take pictures of this fruit stand.  

 

A close up view.  Fruit stands were everywhere in the towns with lemons being prevalent.   

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/positano-and-sorrento Sat, 08 Dec 2012 15:26:53 GMT
Rainy Day in Maiori https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/rainy-day-in-maiori We woke up to more rain which postponed our scheduled sunrise shoot and mini cruise along the Amalfi Coast.  Instead we had a tour of Maiori  with our tour guide Corrado.  Our tour guide appeared from time to time to give us short lectures about the area.  For example he would say things like "what means mini cruise Corrado?  There are three ways to see Amalfi Coast, by foot, by road and by mini-cruise".    Today we ended up following him in the morning as he gave a lecture on the town and its history which was actually quite interesting for those of us who could hear him.  We all met up again around 3 to take the bus to Positano.   Doug, our local weatherman said it was very difficult  to get weather reports in this area as radar reports were not available so we didn't actually know if the rain would stop or not.  It really didn't  look like it was clearing but perhaps it would be nicer where we were heading.   As we drove along the coast, the skies grew pretty dark and the rain started and got worse and worse.  We passed the town of Amalfi as the water began to form rivers on the road.   Finally with about five kilometres until our destination,  the bus driver  pulled the bus over to the side of the  narrow road to wait out the rain.   He said it was just too dangerous to go on- no kidding!   We noticed other cars and motorcycles  doing the same thing.  The rain did not let up- I had visions of us having to hike to Positano in order to avoid drowning.   Believe me you would not want to even attempt to walk in the downpour.    All I could remember was Corrado telling us in the morning  about the big flood in Maiori where hundreds of people died.  I picked a great time  to actually remember what was said in a lecture but I could understand how the town had got flooded out!   One woman on the bus got shall we say got a little anxious.     However, the rain finally died down enough for the bus driver to get the bus turned around on this narrow little road and head back to the hotel.   We were all amazed at his driving skills.  Three hours after we left the hotel  we arrived safely and I'm sure we will all remember our adventure.    After a terrific dinner- one of the best pizzas I have ever had- we headed back to the hotel.  As we were about to leave the restaurant,   it  started to rain heavily again and we could hear the lightening and thunder.  The staff at the restaurant actually advised us to  stay put until the rain subsided (did I mention how great the Italians were).  Will it ever stop raining in the Amalfi Coast?

 

We started the walking our on the main street in town.  As you can see the roads were wet but the skies were clearing up.  Coraddo told us that Maiori was founded at the mouth of the Reginna Maior River.  The river overflowed in 1954 killing many people, so most  of the town had to be rebuilt.  This gives the town a modern, unique  look compared to  the other villages along the coast.  We also learnt that because the area is so popular in the summer months that many locals leave and rent out their apartments to tourists.  

 

Here is a picture of Coraddo (on the left).  He was very passionate about his work.

 

We hiked up past the church and had quite a nice view of the hills.  

 

Eventually the group dispersed and a few of us wandered over to the local market which is held every Friday.  

 

It was really interesting checking out all of the food.  

Irene posing with one of the sellers.  Everyone was so friendly and seemed to enjoy having their photo taken.

 

A merchant  showing the grapes to a prospective buyer.  

 

After lunch, I walked over to the beach to get some stormy beach scenes.  

 

You can see how rough the waters were.  Good thing we didn't attempt the mini-cruise today.  

 

It was starting to get really dark over the mountains.  Of course the beach was almost deserted.

 

This shot was taken across the street from the hotel.  It was just starting to rain again.

 

We were now on our way to Positano.  The further we got the more it rained.  Alfio has the bus driver stop at this spot where we could look down at all the rain gathering which is a bit difficult to see in this photo.   Trust me, there was a lot of water everywhere.  The bus made it just a little bit further before  the driver was forced to pull over.  

 

This shot was taken from the bus with the raining pouring against the windows.  You can see just how narrow the road is and how close it is to the cliffs.  

 

Finally the bus driver was able to turn around and we made a stop at a local ceramics shop for a short break(mostly for the bus driver).  I walked across the road to get this shot.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/rainy-day-in-maiori Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:31:43 GMT
Ravello and Scala https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/ravello-and-scala We woke up to rain on September 13th so our bus trip to Ravello was slightly delayed.  We ended up going to Scala first since we were scheduled to have lunch there.  Scala is located on a rocky hill 400 metres above the sea.   At one time this town was the home of the local bishop.   The tiny  town had the requisite  main square, a very beautiful church,  an excellent restaurant called Ristorante dei Cavalieri and best of all fabulous views.      After lunch we continued on to Ravello,  a popular tourist destination due to its beautiful scenery.   We were fortunate that the rain held off for most of the afternoon.  Although we didn't see Ravello on a beautiful sunny day there is something special about cloudy , misty days which has its own scenic beauty.  

 

This shot  of Ravello was taken from the town of  Scala.   Not a beautiful sunny day but a really nice soft lighting effect.

 

After leaving the church, Pam and I were busy photographing this scene before the fog moved.  Not to mention we were afraid it was going to start raining any minute.

 

This gorgeous tree  was in the way but I still liked the shot.  

 

An old building in town.  

 

After lunch we left for Ravello.  This shot was taken when the bus driver left us off.  You can see what a beautiful area this is.  

 

Our main stop in Ravello was the Villa Rufolo.  The palatial Moorish-style estate was originally built in 1270 for the Rufolo family.   At the height of its importance in the 13th century it could boast more rooms than there were days in the year.  The entrance tower known as the Torre Maggiore is 30 metres high and was once used to spot pirate ships arriving to the Amalfi Coast.  The estate overlooks the Bay of Salerno and the upper terrace gardens contain cypress trees, cycads, yuccas and palms.     A lot of the heritage has been eroded by time and neglect but quite a bit has been rescued over the years and  new features have been added.  I liked walking around the grounds the best.  

 

In 1880, a trip to Villa Rufolo's garden inspired German composer Robert Wagner to write the second act of his final opera, Parsifal.  Every summer since 1952, Villa Rufolo hosts the Ravelo Music Festival, an open-air concert held in Wagner's honour.   I loved the colours of the chairs in the outdoor theatre.  

 

This is the classic shot that everyone takes from the gardens- the Umbrella Pine tree over the two church spires.    If I could just moved over to the left slightly I could have gotten space between the tower and the  tree.  I don't remember if this was physically possible or not so I might just have to go back one day to see.  

 

I waited a long time to get a shot where there were no people in the picture.  

 

Alfio, our photography  instructor preferred pictures with people in them which was so easy to do being surrounded by people everywhere.   Barry had taken a similar shot  which I really liked so I "borrowed" his idea of changing the picture to black and white.  

 

I found that this photo portrayed the mood of the day quite well.  I was quite happy with the gloomy weather.  

 

Another garden view with the gorgeous colours.

 

After leaving the gardens, we went to a church but Doug and I left shortly afterwards to explore the town which meant an uphill climb.  We hiked up and found this nice hotel so we wandered through the gardens.

 

We walked  through the narrow streets.

 

Eventually we met up with Pam and a few others from our group and found some nice scenery on our walk back to our meeting spot.  The above shot is  the Villa Cimbrone which is suppose to be the most spectacular hotel and public garden on the Amalfi Coast.    Before being a hotel,  at one point in belonged to a nearby monastery around the 17th century before falling into despair.  In 1904,  it was purchased by a British baron named Ernest  William Beckett.  Many famous people including E.M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, Greta Garbo and Winston Churchill stayed here.

 

One last photograph of the area before it was time to leave.  It was just as well we were leaving because as we were on our way to meet the bus the rain started.  We ended up waiting for the bus in a tunnel so we and more importantly our cameras  wouldn't get totally soaked.  We were so lucky that it hadn't rained all afternoon.  Little did we know at this point the adventure that the next day would bring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/ravello-and-scala Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:03:08 GMT
My story of the town of Amalfi https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/amalfi We arrived in the town of  Maiori on September 11th just in time to meet the rest of the photography group.  There were fourteen of us plus our photography instructor, Alfio.   We had  a brief introduction and then enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner.  The food throughout the trip was wonderful- we had pizza, pasta and bread at almost every lunch and dinner and those were just the starters.  On our first full day of the workshop we all loaded up on our bus and took off for the town of Amalfi.

 

I thought I would include a picture of the hotel we stayed at during out workshop.  The hotel was located right across the street from the water.  We ended up eating several meals at the hotel which was a good thing as the food was consistently very good.  The dining room itself was very nice and a pleasure to eat in.   The rooms were also very clean.  People did complain because the air conditioning in the hotel seemed to shut off at midnight which I did not notice-probably because it was barely on in my room.  My only complaint was the mattress.  It was literally as hard as a rock which I never got used to.

 

This shot was taken across the street from the hotel just before we left for the day. People were just starting to arrive at the beach.   

 

This is a picture of the beach in the town of Amalfi.  It was before 11 am yet the beach is already very crowded.

 

When our group first arrived in Amalfi, we all walked to the end of the pier to take photos.  This shot gives a good view of the town with the famous Cathedral rising over the town.  We all made our way to the cathedral where we watched a wedding take place.  

 

It was actually difficult to take a picture without someone in the way-in this case an arm with a camera.   However, Alfio preferred us to take pictures with people in them as he thought they made for a better story.  Most of the group kept trying to take pictures without people in them which was almost hopeless in the touristy spots.  

 

 

People were everywhere in the town although we found as we got away from the center, many of the streets were actually deserted.   

 

People were enjoying sitting in the outside cafes everywhere I walked.

 

 

After visiting the church, I wandered around the center of town watching the people and looking for interesting things to photograph.  The Amalfi Coast is known for lemon "everything".  

 

Somehow this lucky fellow managed to find his own cafe.

 

I think I could publish a book of pictures on all of the laundry shots I took. 

 

After lunch, the group dispersed once again.  Actually we were pretty much independent for most of the workshop.  Because of the narrow alleyways,  different interests  and size of the group  it was easier to go off on our own or in small groups to photograph.  I met up with Pam and Doug climbing up the hills in town and we decided to keep climbing to see what we could find.  We walked by the back of a house and saw a neat outdoor oven.  

 

The three of us kept climbing, finding the trail leading out of the town up into  the hills.  This was a view we saw on the way up.   Needless to say there were no tourists in this area!  The highlight of the day was definitely hiking in  the mountains.  If I were ever to come back to this area, I would do a hiking trip trip from town to town.  

 

As we kept climbing we came to a great view overlooking the town of Amalfi.  You can see the famous Duomo or Cathedral in the distance.  Fortunately the day was fairly cloudy which kept us a little cooler in spite of the heat and humidity which I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Although the hills were quite steep we found a stone path that made a great trail up the mountain.  We had no idea where we were going but were thoroughly enjoying the hike.   Pam did remind us that we had to get back to town by 4.30 but we hated to turn around so we kept on going.

 

Here is a close up shot of the trail we were following.  You can see that someone left a water bottle on the side of the trail.  

 

Another view of a town.

 

We ended up hiking up to the next town before heading back to meet up with the group.  The hike back was much faster so we had enough time to stop for a drink once we returned to Amalfi.

 

This shot was taken of Amalfi on the way back.  By now the clouds had dispersed and it was a beautiful sunny day.  

 

We finally made it back to the beach where we were meeting everyone.  You can see the crowd on the pier.  They were watching a German film crew using a remote control helicopter to film a boat.  

 

A shot of the crowded beach.  We really liked all of the colourful umbrellas.   

 

One last picture of the town of Amalfi.  

 

This shot was taken from the bus on the way back to the hotel in Maiori.  I was sitting in the bus watching this beautiful scenery, wishing we could stop  and someone suggested that I take the pictures from the bus.  

 

One last shot of the beautiful Amalfi coast taken from the bus.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/amalfi Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:42:42 GMT
Salerno on the Amalfi Coast https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/salerno-on-the-amalfi-coast On September 8th, I was fortunate enough to vacation on the Amalfi Coast for two weeks.   Ever since I saw the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, I have wanted to come to this area.   The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline on the southern coast in Southern Italy.  The only land route to the Amalfi Coast is the 40 kilometres road which runs along the coastline from the town of Vietri suf Mare in the east to Positano in the west.  Thirteen municpalities are located on the Amalfi Coast, many of them centered around tourism which I can attest too since it was busy everywhere.  

I flew Air Canada  from Toronto to Frankfurt, Germany.    There I  met friends, Pam and Doug  and we continued on to Naples, Italy flying on Lufthansa .  We were very lucky since Lufthansa had a 24 hour strike the day before I left.  The airport in Frankfurt was very busy.  I found I had to leave the secured area, then re-enter and go through passport control and then through security again.  There were long lineups  everywhere and it wasn't that easy to find my way through the airport to get where I needed to go.      We arrived in safely in Naples and then found out there was no bus to Salerno from the airport  because it was Sunday.  So we took a very crowded airport bus to the train station in town.    Fortunately Pam knew some Italian so once we got to the station she went to the  Kiosk to purchase the train tickets so we were able to avoid  a rather long line-up.   We were lucky in that the hotel in Salerno was across the street from the train station so at least that part was easy.  By the time we arrived at the hotel it was around 4 PM local time.  Irene and Barry (Pam's sister and brother-in-law) were waiting for us in the lobby and wondered what had taken us so long.     It sure was good to  finally arrive and be able to  unload all of the luggage.   We ended up going for a walk before finally finding a place to eat dinner.  We were all hungry by 5.30 or so but the restaurants don't really open until 7.30 or 8.00 PM.  Luckily Barry found us a place where we could get some delicious panini sandwiches.  I think we managed to stay awake until 9 PM or so.

 

Here is a map of the Amalfi Coast- we ended up visiting a lot of these towns during out two week stay.  You can see the train route we took from Napoli (Naples) to Salerno.  

 

Here is a photo of the Hotel Plaza where we stayed in Salerno.  The hotel was very comfortable and clean with a great lobby area downstairs.

 

I included this picture to show you a view of Salerno as  we walked down to the water on the first day.  It was great that Barry and Irene had been here for a few days so they were able to act as tour guides.  Even better was that Barry could understand and speak Italian which came in very handy over the next two weeks.  

 

There were these large boulders protecting the shore  in many places along the coast.  I liked this photo in black and white for its moody look.  

 

While we were walking down to the docks we checked out the "beach" area where people were swimming, fishing and just enjoying the beautiful day.  This is where we got a ferry the next day for our Amalfi  Coast cruise.  

 

After dinner we walked back to the hotel along the waterfront.  We stopped to watch a children's  puppet show for a little while which was fun although I didn't understand a word of it.   The sun was just setting and I liked this view of the water.  

 

 

On our first full day in Italy, we walked  all over the town, including the Duomo which was the old town area.  There were so many narrow roads and alleyways with apartments everywhere.  It was very different experience  being in a country where there is so much history and beautiful old buildings.   As expected apart from the staff in the restaurants and hotels there were few English speaking Italians.   

 

This photo shows typical apartments.  There was laundry hanging out to dry everywhere we went.  

 

A typical street scene in Salerno.    

 

 We explored many alleyways and narrow streets in the town trying to get away from the touristy spots and get a sense of how the Italians lived.    I found Salerno to be a little more commercial and less touristy than some of the other towns we visited.  

 

We walked to the II Giardino della Minerva hoping to take a tour since Barry and Irene had told us how nice it was.  The garden is enclosed behind the ancient city walls.   This is as close as we got to it  because the garden is closed to the public on Mondays.   

 

Another street scene.  You can see that there are a number of people on the streets during the day but nothing like the evenings where it seemed everyone was out enjoying the restaurants and cafes.  In Italy, the shops close from about 1 to 4 in the afternoon but then open again until 8 or 9.  

 

The streets were very clean in Salerno.   

 

 

 

In the afternoon, we decided to take a ferry boat ride along the Amalfi Coast.  The ferry took us to Positano with a short stop in the town of Amalfi.   The boat ride was terrific- a great way to get an introduction to the area and keep cool.  Pam and I actually sat next to  an English couple who were staying at the hotel where the photography workshop was being held.  They gave the hotel, town  and food a glowing review.  We actually ran into them several times over the next few days.  

 

After dinner we all walked over to the pier to take some night shots.  You can barely see the fisherman to the right  in the photo.

 

Here is my panoramic night view shot of the town.  In the background you can see the lights of the  Castello di Arechi.   The 7th century castle is located on the Bonadies Mountain, 300 metres above sea level.  

 

The next morning Pam, Doug and I took a taxi to the Castle.  We hiked up to it and were rewarded with this view of Salerno.

 

A view looking the other way.

 

We went for a hike up to the castle itself.  

 

And then we climbed even higher so we could see the castle from a better viewpoint.

 

One more view from the top.  After spending an hour or so hiking and walking around the castle we had planned to walk back to the city.  We found out that this wasn't possible as the walking route was now closed and the regular road was too dangerous to walk along.  So our backup plan was to take a bus from the castle.   After speaking to staff at the castle we were told that we could get a ten o'clock bus back to town.  Well that bus never showed up.  Some one else said it would come around 10.30 or so ( you have to remember we are in Italy).  We ended up waiting until 11 before finding someone in the parking lot who called a cab for us which seemed to take a long time to come.  Unfortunately  because of our location outside of town you have to pay a round trip car fare.   We think there might have been some kind of work to rule action in the town which prevented city transportation  but we never saw any other sign of it.  This was the only time in Italy where I had any kind of delay including all of the ferries, trains, buses and planes that I took over the two week period. 

 

We had arranged for a van to get us in the late afternoon and take us to Maiori  where the photography workshop was starting that evening.   So I had time to for a walk  after our late  lunch.  I really liked this building in particular.

 

I walked down to the water and watched some fisherman before heading back to the hotel to wait for our van.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/12/salerno-on-the-amalfi-coast Wed, 05 Dec 2012 02:09:32 GMT
Weekend in Vancouver https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/weekend-in-vancouver We arrived back in Vancouver on Friday night and spent the next three days in the city visiting family and friends.  I also got a bridge game in with my cousin Leslie which was lots of fun.  We didn't do a lot of touring but I did take a few pictures of the city.

 

We had lunch at Granville Island and I took this shot from outside.

 

We went for a drive one afternoon and ended up in Burnaby  at a scenic overlook of Vancouver- it was a pretty hazy/cloudy day.   

 

This shot was taken from Marine Drive in Vancouver which overlooks the Fraser River.

 

 This shot was taken from Queen Elizabeth Park.  You can see downtown and the lights of " The Cut"  on  Grouse Mountain.   While growing up in this city I spent most of my winter skiing at Grouse.  

 

This shot was taken from Jericho Beach just before sunset on our final night in Vancouver.   Downtown is in the background.

 

A view of downtown as it got darker.  I noticed that people are enjoying standing on a flat surfboard  and paddling as you can see on the left side of the picture.  

 

I walked on the other side towards the pier to take a few shots.  There was some nice color in the skies.

 

One of the last shots of the night- you can see the people on these surfboards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/weekend-in-vancouver Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:53:05 GMT
From Seattle to Vancouver https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/from-seattle-to-vancouver Friday came much too soon and it was time to leave for Vancouver.  We took the scenic  way back to Vancouver and avoided  the major freeway.  The plan was to eat dinner at a Mexican Restaurant in Bellingham and arrive in Vancouver around 9 PM.  Going to Vancouver via the freeway would have taken us between 2 1/2 and 3 hours depending on border traffic.  

 

On our way to the University  we stopped in the Freemont District.  John showed us the famous "Freemont Troll" hiding under the Aurora bridge, a 5.5 m high statue of a troll.

 

We walked around Freemont and came across this 1979 cast aluminium sculpture collection called "waiting for the Interurban".  The people and a dog  are waiting for public transportation.  

 

Ralph and John joined the wait.  People are encouraged to dress up the statutes to celebrate special events and submit their picures to the History House of Greater Seattle.  Hence the orange shirts.  

 

We had a quick drive to the University area, stopped for lunch at a beautful mall and then made our way towards Bellingham.  We stopped at a lake for a short walk.  I liked the purple feather on this duck.

 

We saw this old bridge in the distance so I asked John to stop so I could take a photo.  Now  you know why it always takes us so long to get anywhere!

 

As we were taking the photos, we were standing on  a very narrow bridge with very little space between us and the cars.  It probably was not the safest place to take the photo from but definitely the best place.

 

A view or rural  North Washington.

 

We arrived in Bellingham late in the day and drove to the beach to walk and take some photos.

 

 

 

 

This shot was taken from the other direction.  Not exactly a nice sandy beach.

 

Just as we were leaving we started to get some nice light.   After our walk we ended up going to a terrific Mexican restaurant for dinner.  Then homeward bound to Vancouver where I saw the most glorious sunset  of the trip.  Unfortunately there was no where to stop since we were in on the freeway heading towards the border.  The good news was there was no wait at the border and we were back in Vancouver soon after.

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/from-seattle-to-vancouver Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:08:04 GMT
Sunset in Seattle https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/sunset-in-seattle After walking all day in Seattle we went to a great pizza restaurant in the Queen Anne Hill district of Seattle.  After dinner we went to see the sunset at Kerry Park which is on the south slope of Queen Anne Hill.  Kerry Park was given to the city in 1927 by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Sperry Kerry Sr. so that all who stopped at the site could enjoy the view.  We certainly did!  The view encompasses downtown Seattle, Elliot Bay, the West Seattle peninsula, Bainbridge Island and Mount Ranier.  

 

We arrived quite a while before sunset so the Wendy and I enjoyed the views while the guys went for coffee.

 

 

A close up view of downtown Seattle.

 

You can just see Mount Rainier in the right  hand corner.

 

When the guys came back we drove just down the road so we could actually see where the sun was setting over the water. There were some great colors in the sky.

 

Again, no clouds to add interest  and color (so much for all of the rain in the north east) but I still liked this sunset.

 

One last shot of the sunset in this area.

 

We returned to our first spot to photograph downtown  now that it was getting darker.

 

A close up view of the Space Needle and surrounding downtown buildings.

 

Mount Rainier stands out in this photo.

 

A view of downtown and Eliot Bay.

 

One of the last shots of the evening.

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/sunset-in-seattle Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:24:07 GMT
Seattle By Day https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/seattle-by-day The next morning we were up early and off to explore the city of Seattle.  I hadn't actually been here in years so it was fun to walk around.  We spent the entire day walking up and down the hills of Seattle.

 

I took a few shots of the buildings.  I liked the reflections in this photo.

 

I liked this photo in black and white.  Again, I thought the reflections and lines were interesting.

 

Our first stop of the day was the Smith Tower, a skyscraper in Pioneer Square.    We went up to the observation deck where I took this photo.  Fortunately it was much easier to take pictures than the Space Needles' deck.  Completed in 1914, the 38 storey, 489 foot tower is the oldest skyscraper in Seattle.  It remained the tallest building in the West Coast until the  Space Needle overtook it in 1962.    On March 23, 2012 Smith Tower was sold to the CBRE Group at a public foreclosure auction.   We went up the wrap around observation deck on the 35th floor where I took this picture.  

 

Another view.

 

You can see the stadium in the background.  

 

The Chinese Room is on the 35th floor where the observation deck was also located.  The furniture and the hand-carved ceiling above were gifts from teh Empress of China, Cixi.    After the restoration in the early 1990's, workers removed the 10,000 US-gallon water tank in the top of the tower.  The resulting space along with a former maintenance man's apartment becasme a three- storey penthouse, the only residence in the building.  It is currently occupied by artist/investor Petra Franklin, husband David Lahaie, and their two daughters. 

 

The building is one of the last on the West Coast to employ elevator operators.  The doors are latticed, so the riders can see into each hallway and through the glass walls in the front of each office.

 

 

This is a close up of the Smith Tower looking up from outside.  

 

We ended up going into the Klondike Gold Rush exhibit located in the historic Cadillac Hotel.  The ground and first floors of the building contains exhibits commemorating and preserving the story of the rush to the Yukon gold fields in 1887-98.  This photo  showcased various types of cans/food products that the prospectors took with them.  Of the estimated 100,000 people travelling to the Klondike region of the Yukon in northwester Canada, only around 4000 struck in rich.   The journey to the Klondike was arduous and involved travelling long distances and crossing difficult mountain  passes.

 

Pioneer Square

 

An alleyway near Pioneer Square.  I liked the colour of the background building.

 

 

 

 

The State Rooms Hotel Sign is a local landmark in the pioneer square section of downtown.  The hotel opened in 1911 as a bachelor hotel but has been abandoned for many years.

 

A flower stand at Pike Place  Market.  Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle.  The Market opened in 1907 and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States.  I liked all of the colourful flowers.

 

The original Starbucks coffee shop located in Pike Place Market.  This store opened in 1971 and the company was a single store.  

 

These street performers  sing in front of the store and sell their CD's.  They were actually very good and it was fun listending to them.

 

We wandered around the market and I took a picture of this outside fruit stand.

 

 I had to include a picture of the entrance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/seattle-by-day Tue, 04 Sep 2012 11:03:58 GMT
Seattle at NIght https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/seattle Seattle is a wonderful city very similar to Vancouver.   Seattle  is a major coastal seaport situated  on a narrow isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington and about 114 miles south of the Canada-United States border.   The city serves as a major gateway for trade with Asia.   I spent three years going to University there and always enjoy return visits.  The Seattle metropolitan area is about 3.4 million residents.

 

In the evening, Wendy and I took the monorail to the Seattle Space Needle.  We arrived later than we had wanted to because our monorail ran out of power on the way and we had to wait for another car.  I had visions of us climbing down ropes and being on the evening news but luckily we just had to cross the ramp to another  other car and were on our way again.   The views from the top  of the Space Needle were spectacular but it was very difficult to take photos.  There was an opening above the glass but naturally it was taller than us.  I didn't want to shoot through the glass so  I ended up lifting the camera as high as I could, using the ledge to steady it and practically  shooting blindly  hoping that the focus and composition were ok.  As you can tell it was getting quite dark by now.

 

Downtown Seattle.

 

A wider view of the downtown area.

 

The observation deck had a 360 degree view so I just kept walking around taking pictures and admiring the gorgeous views.  Here is a shot of the city and Puget Sound.

 

 

 

 

One last picture from the observation deck.  No clouds tonight but there was some very nice colour. 

 

A close up view of the Space Needle taken from below.  The Space Needle is a symbol of Seattle.  Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair.   The Space Needle is 605 feet  high.

 

There was a glass show at the Space Needle Center but it was too late to go in it.  

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/seattle Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:19:31 GMT
Orcas Island to Seattle https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/orcas-island-to-seattle We had to get up at 5.00 AM to catch the 7.30 AM ferry to Anacortes.  We were told that we should be at the ferry an hour early to make sure we got on and we had to drive across part of the Island to get to the ferry landing at Orcas Village.   The good news was that we had lots of time to  explore, take pictures and have coffee. 

 

I liked this view from the harbour and how the light was falling on the distant Island.

 

We saw these arbutus trees all over the Islands.  I really liked the colour of the trunks.

 

There were bunnies everywhere.

 

After exploring the marina and ferry docks, I climbed back up the hill to get a picture of the harbour from above.

 

A view from the ferry.

 

A close up view of an island with a grove of arbutus trees.

 

I was trying to get a good shot of Mount Baker from the ferry but it was difficult because I was shooting into the sun and the mountains were misty so I turned the shot into a black and white type effect.

 

 

Then I decided that the color version showed off Mount Baker a little better.  

 

After we left the ferry terminal at Anacortes (Fidalgo Island) we drove through Deception Pass State Park which is just before Whidbey Island.  The park has 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes.  I liked the bridge that crossed over.

 

The park has lots of rugged cliffs with beautiful views.

 

John pointed out the bird to me so I took a quick shot.  I liked the red colour on its wings.  I was told this was a Cedar Waxwing Bird.

 

Another view of the rugged cliffs and shoreline.

 

Wendy and I walked back across the bridge to take some photographs.

 

Another beautiful view of the area.
 

I included this photo to show the nice sandy beaches in the area.
 
We spent the afternoon driving and exploring some cute little towns.   One of the towns we stopped to explore was Langley on  South  Whidbey Island.   I took  this picture of  Puget Sound with Mount Baker  in the background.
 
We stopped to explore Langley for about an hour.  
 
I liked this close up shot of the building.
 
A nice place for lunch. 
 
I had to stop to take this photo.
 
 
At the end of the day we caught a ferry back to the mainland and drove on the old highway 99 to Seattle.
This last shot is a picture of Keeler's Corner  historic gas stop i on HIghway 99/Pacific Highway.  It was built in 1927.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/orcas-island-to-seattle Sun, 02 Sep 2012 20:50:59 GMT
Afternoon/evening on Orcas Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/afternoon/evening-on-orcas-island In the afternoon on our second day of the road trip  we took a 3 hour whale watching cruise which left from the marina at the Rosario Resort.  Originally we had been scheduled to go in the morning but due to a mix up the company put us on the afternoon tour.  We were happy to change our plans  since it was cloudy in the morning.  It turned out to be a good thing since  by early afternoon  the sun came out and most of the clouds and fog disappeared.  Not only that but we were able to see quite a bit of wildlife including whales and the morning group were not fortunate enough to see the whales!

 

Here is a view  of the Rosario Resort (the original mansion) as we left the harbour.

 

Here you can see Wendy and Ralph enjoying themselves on the boat.  The woman on the right was the guide- she was excellent.  It turned out that she was a high school teacher and this job was a enjoyable summer job  for her.    It wasn't a particularly large boat which was nice- it was also a very fast boat so they gave us blankets.  I also was wearing my sweatshirt, jacket and windbreaker and needed all of them.  I couldn't figure out how the guide could keep warm with her small amount of clothing.  Fortunately once we got out to sea the boat slowed down and stopped at times so we could see all of the nature and enjoy the warmth of the sun.

 

A larger view of the resort as we got further from the coast.  

 

This shot was taken of the waves behind the boat and the islands in the background.  We were told that the geography in this area (fjords) was very similar to Finland. 

 

We passed by this Island which was full of birds.   I didn't have a telephoto lens so this photo is heavily cropped as we did not get as close to the Island as I would have liked.

 

I believe this was the Admiralty Head Lighthouse on Whidbey Island.

 

We did actually see some  Minke Whales on the trip.  I didn't get a great picture of the whole whale- I just wasn't fast enough.  The Minke Whale is the second smallest baleen whale.  The maximum length for a full grown male is approximately 23 feet and he would weigh a maximum of 14 tons.  This whale typically live for 30-50 years- too bad dogs don't live this long!

 

We came across an Island where these seals were sunbathing.  

 

As we got back on shore I walked around the gardens and ponds of the resort.  I liked the color of these flowers.  I intentionally used a small aperture and did some processing  to get more of a blur effect.

 

This shot was taken walking back from the marina to our room.

 

There was a nice lily pond on the property.

 

I met up with our friend the deer again.  Actually there were two of them wandering around.  John had bought an apple to feed the deer.

 

We ended up eating dinner at the Deer Harbour Inn which had been recommended to us (by one of the owners but it was delicious).   After dinner we went to Deer Harbour  to take some photos.  It was already getting dark by the time we arrived.

 

There were a lot of boats in this marina.

 

On the other side of the marina there were a lot of homes built on the hills.

 

I was starting to get some nice colours but unfortunately no clouds.

 

One of the last shots of the night.

 

When we got back to the hotel I took a few long exposure shots. Wendy and I were busy reading the manual so I could figure out how to do what I wanted to.      This one was a five minute shot so you can see the trailing stars.  We didn't spend a lot of time taking pictures because each shot took a lot time to take and process.  Not to mention that we had to get up at 5 am the next morning to catch a ferry.
 
 

Just for fun I changed the white balance of the above picture to see what the result would look like.  I kind of like this effect.  I got this idea from a friend who sent me a somewhat similar photo in blue.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/9/afternoon/evening-on-orcas-island Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:59:47 GMT
Orcas Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/orcas-island After we left the top of Mount Constitution we headed for a hike in the park to check out the waterfalls.  I should mention that the park had over 20 historical buildings that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps  in the 30's and 40's.  The stone tower at the top of the mountain was particularly interesting- that is where I took a few of the  scenic shots from the first blog of the area. 

 

It wasn't a huge waterfall but it was a very nice day for the hike and cool in the forest.

 

As we headed back to where we were staying, there was a tame deer on the property.  To give you a little history of the property (just skip this section if it is too much information for you).     Over a hundred years ago Seattle shipbuilder Robert Moran built Rosario.  The stress of his shipbuilding business  had taken a toll of  Moran's health and he was given only a few years to live so he purchased 7,000 acres on Orcas Island and began to build his retirement home.    He recovered and lived until 1943 (now you know why retirement is good for you).  The original Moran Mansion offers no accommodations but houses the spa,  the fitness area, the restaurant and the pool area.  Upstairs is a very interesting museum which we explored.  The museum (original mansion built between 1906-1909) features original photographs from the late 1800's and early 1900's, original furnishings and fixtures and an extensive display of the ships built by the Moran Brothers Company.  Moran was actually a photographer  too so it was really interesting looking at his equipment and darkroom area.  The centrepiece of the mansion is the Music Room, featuring a two story 1913 Aeolian pipe organ, a 1900 Steinway grand piano, a Belgian  stain-glass window and two mezzanine libraries overlooking a Tiffany chandelier.  In 1911, Moran offered Washington State thousands of acres which led to Moran State Park becoming one of  Washington's first state parks.  In 1938, Moran sold Rosario to Donal Rheem (the water heater and heat pump people) for $50,000.  Texan Ralph Curtain purchased Rosario from Rheem in 1958 in order to make it into a resort but this failed when his oil wells dried up so he sold the property for $225,000 (half of what he bought it for) to Gil Geiser of Seattle.   Geiser sold a bowling alley and hardware store to open Rosario Resort on April 1, 1960.  Today, Rosario & Spa is listed on the National Register of HIstoric Places.   My mother had stayed in this resort at one time and spoken of it to Wendy which his why we stayed here.  

 

I got up early the next morning and took some pictures from our balcony which overlooked Cascade  Bay.  Fortunately there was some mist which added interest to the photograph.

 

I liked how this shot turned out- a very moody look.

 

I just stood outside the  balcony and watched the boats go by.  

 

 

The clouds were moving which made the shots more interesting.  You can see all of the houses on the hills on the left side of the picture.  Imagine how wonderful it would be to wake up to these views every morning.  No wonder Moran recovered from his health issues.

 

 

I went a little overboard with all of the photos but since I was up anyhow. . . . . 

 

Eventually I decided to go exploring.  There were stairs leading from the balcony to this path that I ended up taking to the original  part of the hotel. The sun was up by now and it was turning out to be a beautiful morning.

 

I came across the pool and tested the water.  It was SO warm- just the way I like it.  I was thinking that this would be a great place to spend the afternoon.  A warm pool with a view is perfect.

 

Another picture from the grounds of the resort overlooking the bay.

 

After breakfast we toured the Island.  By now the clouds and mist had rolled in again.

 

While Wendy and I were  busy taking photos, John and Ralph were doing their favourite thing- drinking coffee.  They even wear  the same colours!  

 

 

We came across this one-room school house but unfortunately it wasn't open.

 

I stopped to take a picture of some farmland on the Island.  

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/orcas-island Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:50:12 GMT
Vancouver and Orcas Island https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/vancouver-and-orcas-island Ralph and I were fortunate enough to travel to Vancouver on August 11th.   The plan was to spend the weekends in Vancouver and take a road trip with Wendy and John to an unknown destination (although being told to bring passports was a bit of a clue).  We had a great time and got lots of visiting in with friends and family on the weekends  and saw the beautiful San Juan Islands and Seattle during the week.

 

This photo  of the Fraser River was taken from a picturesque spot in Richmond.  I liked how the plant  appeared to be growing out of the water.

 

John had seen this boat wreck and thought I might like to photograph it.  

 

 

We left Vancouver at 6.30 AM on August 13th.  We had to catch the  Washington State ferry from Anacortes at 10.30 AM and we weren't sure how long it would take to cross the border or how busy the ferry would be.  As you can see there was a very long lineup.  I walked way back to near the end of the line-up  to take this photo.  The two empty lanes were for a different ferry.

 

While we were waiting for the ferry I walked  down  to the shore to take some photos.  

 

Here is a map showing the route from Anacortes to Orcas Island with a stop at Shaw Island.   You can see just how close we were to Canada.

 

This shot was taken from  the ferry showing the landscape of the area.  The Islands seemed to go on forever-there  are actually 172 Islands, some being little more than rocks and over 300 miles of shorelines.  

 

A closer view of one of the  houses on an Island.  

 

This is the ferry landing on Shaw Island.  

 

This was the view  of Orcas Island as we got close to shore. 

 

After lunch we wandered around the town of Eastsound Village.  This was the view looking down on the beach.

 

I liked this cottage on the water- what a great view these people had.  

 

Here is another view overlooking the beach area.  

 

Wendy and I stopped quite a lot  to take  photos of flowers.  

 

A group photo (minus me of course).  Still strange to see Ralph in the photo without the girls.

 

The clouds started to dissipate which made for a nice view of the harbour.

 

Another view of  the Bay.  Notice how calm the water was.

 

I liked this old building in Eastsound and the garden in front of it.

 

After exploring East Sound, we stopped at Rosario,  the resort where we were staying and then headed up to check out Moran State Park.  The park is made up of lots of lakes and over 30 miles of hiking trails.   We drove up to Mount Constitution to see some panoramic views of the San Juans, Vancouver Island and the Cascade and Olympic Mountain Ranges.  Unfortunately the weather did not co-operate as the clouds rolled in so it was difficult to get clear views.

 

Here is a view looking down into the park.

 

I liked this moody looking view with the interesting clouds.

 

One of the better views but still not not clear enough to see the other Islands and Mountains Ranges very well.

 

 

We soon discovered that there  were deer everywhere on the Island since they had no natural predators.  We pulled over so I could try to get a picture.  Unfortunately there a were a lot of branches in the way.  I also  didn't have a telephoto lens so this image is heavily cropped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/vancouver-and-orcas-island Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:07:29 GMT
Niagara Falls and Area https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/niagara-falls-and-area After Sharon and I left the butterfly conservatory, we headed over to Niagara Falls for the afternoon.   It was another very hot day but the mist of the falls helped cool us down.   I looked for the spot that Nik Wallenda walked across the falls  on a tightrope but there was no marking that I could see showing us where he crossed.   We also went up the the Skylon Tower Observation deck.  This allowed us to see Niagara Falls from 775 feet up.  I have also included a few pictures from our visit to Edwards Gardens in Toronto that I took just before Sharon left Toronto.

 

I took so many shots of the falls that it was difficult to decide which ones to include so I probably included too many.  After a while they do tend to look a bit alike!

 

We eventually made our way to the tower to take photos.  I hadn't been up there before and it was well worth it for the view.

 

 

The clouds co-operated nicely.  Taking photos from 775 feet up allowed me to get the two falls in the picture.

 

 

Eventually we walked beside the falls again and took some more photos as we headed towards the Canadian Falls.

We were lucky to see a beautiful rainbow.

 

We didn't take the Maid of the Mist boat ride this time but it sure would have been a great way to cool off.

 

 

 

 

I included a black and white shot of the falls for some contrast.

 

After leaving the Falls, we drove over to Niagara on the Lake.  The building that you see is the historic  Prince of Wales Hotel.  

 

I liked the look of the flower garden surrounding the statute.

 

We stopped off at the water to take a walk and take some photos.  

 

There was a nice walkway along the water.

 

 

The day Sharon left we went to Edwards Gardens.  I think it was a little late in the season but we did find some pretty flowers.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/niagara-falls-and-area Sat, 25 Aug 2012 14:02:06 GMT
The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/niagara-falls-and-butterfly-conservatory During Sharon's stay we went to the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory.  The conservatory has over 2,000 colourful tropical butterflies flying around in lush, exotic gardens.   The conservatory is basically a rainforest setting containing 45 different species.  


I discovered that It is was not  easy taking pictures of butterflies.  The majority of them like to keep on the move.   I was handholding the camera inside the conservatory  so I had to use a fairly wide open aperture to let a lot of light in. This results in  a narrow depth of field so not that much of the photograph ends up being in focus.   The above  butterfly is called a Plain Tiger and its range is Malaysia, Africa and Australia.

 

This butterfly is called a Small Postman and lives in Mexico through Central America.  This butterfly is actually poisonous-who knew?   The caterpillars ingest and store toxins from its host plant and  are passed onto the adult.   

 

 

Another Small Postman.
 
 

This butterfly is called Rice Paper/Large Tree Nymph and is from South East Asia.   These butterflies are also distasteful to predators as they assimilate the toxins from their hostplants,  Dogbane and Milkweed.  I really thought this was an interesting looking butterfly.

 

I thought this butterfly was really colourful but I'm not sure of its name.

 

 

A Blue Morpho.  The underside of the wings are a dull brown colour with numerous eye spots.  The eyespots serve as a defence mechanism against all sorts of predators like insects and birds.   You might be asking where the blue is?

 

Here you can see the blue metallic wings.  Apparently the brilliant blue is due to how the microscopic scales on he backs of their wings reflect light.

 

Sharon and I finally figured out that this beautiful blue butterfly was the same butterfly with the dull brown colour on the underside of its wings.

 

This butterfly is called an Owl and originates  in Mexico and South America.  What a perfect name!

 

The Julia  is from Southern United States and Neotropics.  

 

This butterfly is striped like a Zebra so it is no surprise that it is called a Zebra Longwing.  It is from Southern USA through Central America and South America.

 

This Tiger Longwing lives in the area of Mexico to the Peruvian Amazon.  It is very similar to a Plain Tiger butterfly.

 

This is a Clipper from  South East Asia.  This butterflies  come in a range of colour forms including green, blue, brown and yellow.  However, the abdomen is always striped and these butterflies have distinct white patches on the forewing.

 

The butterflies often landed on people.   This one is a Doris Longwing ranging from  Mexico to the Amazon Basin.   Now that you know everything that you want to  (and more)  about butterflies it is time to call it a day!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[email protected] (Marsha Fouks) https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/niagara-falls-and-butterfly-conservatory Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:28:10 GMT
Toronto https://www.marshafouks.com/blog/2012/8/toronto I was all set to join a three and half  day workshop in Toronto starting on the evening of July 12th.  The workshop was to be given by a well known photographer and teacher who was coming in from Chicago.   My friend Sharon whom I had met in Costa Rica flew up from New Jersey to join me.  At the very  last moment the workshop was cancelled due to a family emergency -unfortunately for Sharon she was already in Toronto.  So she ended up staying at the house and seeing Toronto with us and on her own.  I might add that this was one of the hottest weeks of the summer and not conducive to being outside with the camera.   It was  fun having Sharon at the house and we definitely did more sightseeing because of our house guest. 

 

The first evening of Sharon's visit all seven of us went to a beach in Scarborough.  Unfortunately, Maggie was moving in this photo so she came out a bit blurry but you can see Sharon and Pam with their cameras and tripods.  So you could say we had our own workshop.  I just noticed that Doug and Ralph were wearing similar colour t-shirts as were Pam and Sharon.  

 

  I really liked the pink clouds in this photograph.