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Desert Botanical Garden

In January, 2011, we visited the Desert Botanical Garden located in eastern Phoenix, Arizona. It is a visit well worth taking if one is in the area. Sculptures were distributed throughout the walkways, among them by Chihuly The cactus varieties are beyond belief. Our one regret is that we had only two hours to hike the area.

Jan 13, 2011

Photos: 39

Ukraine Kiev

We spent our final day in Kiev, where we visited Saint Sophia Cathedral, the Monastery of Caves (a complex of churches and related buildings), and the Babi Yar holocaust memorial.

Aug 14, 2010

Photos: 51

Ukraine Kremenchug

From August 3 to August 15, 2010, Pam and I took a Viking Cruise in the Ukraine: several days on the Black Sea and then the remainder cruising on the Dneiper River. We began at Odessa and completed the trip in Kiev. This stop, on August 13, was in Kremunchug, founded 1571, an important industrial city in Ukraine. More than 90% of the city's buildings were leveled over the course of WW II, and most of Kremenchug's once substantial Jewish population was killed.

Aug 13, 2010

Photos: 41

Ukraine Dneiper Shoreline

As we traveled from Kremenchug to Kiev we saw a lot more activity along the shoreline. Notable was the number of relatively new, large homes.

Aug 13, 2010

Photos: 28

Ukraine Dnepropetrovsk

From August 3 to August 15, 2010, Pam and I took a Viking Cruise in the Ukraine: several days on the Black Sea and then the remainder cruising on the Dneiper River. We began at Odessa and completed the trip in Kiev. This stop, on August 12, was in Dnepropetrovsk, one of the key centers of the nuclear, arms, and space industries of the former Soviet Union. Because of its military industry, it was a closed city until the 1990s. It is Ukraine's third largest city with a population around 1.1 million. We traveled through the city and visited the Dnepropetrovsk History Museum, the Sviato-Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral, and Shevchenko Park.

Aug 12, 2010

Photos: 65

Ukraine Zaporozhye

From August 3 to August 15, 2010, Pam and I took a Viking Cruise in the Ukraine: several days on the Black Sea and then the remainder cruising on the Dneiper River. We began at Odessa and completed the trip in Kiev. This stop, on August 11, was at Zaporozhye, an industrial city with heavy metallurgy and chemical industries. It has a population of upwards of 800,000 people. It is home to Europe's second-largest nuclear power plant and has a large hydroelectric station.

Aug 11, 2010

Photos: 43

Ukraine Kherson

From August 3 to August 15, 2010, Pam and I took a Viking Cruise in the Ukraine: several days on the Black Sea and then the remainder cruising on the Dneiper River. We began at Odessa and completed the trip in Kiev. This stop was at Kherson, founded in 1778 by Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin, on the orders of Catherine the Great. It is the home of a major ship-building industry and has a current population of 330,000-350,000 people.

Aug 10, 2010

Photos: 40

Ukraine Yalta

From August 3 to August 15, 2010, Pam and I took a Viking Cruise in the Ukraine: several days on the Black Sea and then the remainder cruising on the Dneiper River. We began at Odessa and completed the trip in Kiev. This is a series of photographs from the Yalta area, where we visited the White Palace, the Anton Chekhov home, and the Alupka Palace

Aug 8, 2010

Photos: 71

Ukraine Sevastopol

From August 3 to August 15, 2010, Pam and I took a Viking Cruise in the Ukraine: several days on the Black Sea and then the remainder cruising on the Dneiper River. We began at Odessa and completed the trip in Kiev. This set of photos was taken during our time in the Sevastopol area on August 6 and 7. While there we traveled to Bachtschisarai and to Balaklava. The latter was a separate city until the 1950's when it was incorporated into Sevastopol.

Aug 6, 2010

Photos: 78

Ukraine Odessa

From August 3 to August 15, 2010, Pam and I took a Viking Cruise in the Ukraine: several days on the Black Sea and then the remainder cruising on the Dneiper River. We began at Odessa and completed the trip in Kiev. This set of pictures is from our time in Odessa on August 4 and 5. Odessa, a major seaport, is the 4th largest city in Ukraine, with a population of somewhat over 1,000,000 people.

Aug 4, 2010

Photos: 38

Ukraine Viking Lomonosov

From August 3 to August 15, 2010, Pam and I took a Viking Cruise in the Ukraine: several days on the Black Sea and then the remainder cruising on the Dneiper River. This album includes pictures on the Viking Lomonosov, a ship that can handle just over 200 passengers.

Aug 3, 2010

Photos: 31

Leptis Magna

In a trip to Libya in 1977 I had the good fortune to be able to visit the Roman ruins of Leptis Magna. Leptis Magna was created by the Phoenicians about 1100 BC, later was part of the Carthaginian empire, the kingdom of Massinissa, and then part of the Roman empire. It faded over time and by about 650 AD was abandoned. It is located about 80 miles east of Tripoli on the Mediterranean Coast.

Jul 9, 2010

Photos: 20

Italy: Siena

One of the stops we made while on our April/May 2010 trip to Italy was in Siena. We were there for only a half-day, so couldn't see as many of the sights as we would have preferred. Given the history of Siena, a town initially created during the reign of Augustus, and with a major role in the history, arts, and culture of Italy, it is well worth a visit.

Apr 29, 2010

Photos: 42

Italy: Castello di Verrazzano

On April 29, 2010 on our trip from Siena to Florence, we visited the Castello di Verrazzano winery [http://www.verrazzano.it/] in Chianti, Tuscany. Wine has been produced there since before 1150. The land became the property of the Verrazano family in the 12th century and was in that family until 1819. It changed hands several times, but in 1958 became the property of the Cappelini family. The vineyards have had the same boundaries for over 1000 years. The estate of 220 acres owns 42 hectares of vineyards at altitudes between 260 and 380 meters above sea level, in a stony soil rich in limestone. The explorer, Giovanni da Verrazzano, who discovered the bay of New York (and after whom the Verrazzano Bridge is named), was born there in 1485.

Apr 29, 2010

Photos: 22

Italy: Florence

Following our stop at Castello di Verrazzano we went to Florence, arriving there in the early evening of April 29, 2010. We stayed at the Plaza Hotel Lucchesi, which fronts on the Arno River. We were there for two nights, admittedly not enough to enjoy all of the high spots of this remarkable city before leaving for Venice on May 1.

Apr 29, 2010

Photos: 39

Athens Feb 12-13

To say the least, snow is unusual in Athens Georgia. On Feb 12, 2010, we had at least two inches of snow. The photos were taken around our home in Wood Lake, the first two late night on Feb. 12, and the rest on the morning of Feb. 13.

Feb 12, 2010

Photos: 14

2010 New Year

A group of friends reserved the Beechwood Inn, of Clayton, GA, for the nights of December 30 and 31. The Beechwood Inn is a rustic inn located just off of Rte 441 in Clayton. It has northeast Georgia's only restaurant with the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Based on our experience there, the Award was well earned. The owners/innkeepers are David and Gayle Darugh, who also served as excellent hosts. The photos are respectively, outside and then interior shots of the Inn; from a day trip to visit Persimmon Winery; a "dress-up dinner" on New Year's Eve; a performance by folk musicians Lisa and Steve McAdams; and relaxing at the Inn after dinner.

Dec 30, 2009

Photos: 43

China June 11

In the morning we had a drive along the Bund and then visited the Shanghai Museum, a museum of ancient Chinese art. We then toured Old Shanghai and visited the Yuyuan Garden which dates back to the Ming Dynasty. That evening, after dinner, we saw a performance of the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, a group originally formed in 1951, and frequently tours internationally. The next morning we packed and returned to the US.

Jun 11, 2009

Photos: 134

China June 10

This morning our ship docked at the Wuhan Passenger Port in the Jiang'an District in Wuhan. We disembarked to visit the Hubei Provincial Museum located in the Wuchang District of Wuhan. The museum has collected over 200,000 cultural relics, including pottery, porcelains, jade, bronze vessels, ancient weapons, and ancient musical instruments. While there we had the opportunity to see a performance using the ancient instruments. That afternoon we had an air flight from Wuhan to Shanghai and checked into the Portman Ritz Carlton Hote. That evening had a tour of Shanghai, including a stop at Pudong Park.

Jun 10, 2009

Photos: 53

China June 9

This morning we docked at the Jingzhou port, located on the north side of the Yangtze, about 300 miles west of Wuhan. It is a city of about 240,000 people. After disembarking we took a bus out to Guanyindang Town, a suburb of Jingzhou, where we visited a primary school called "Viking River Cruises Primary School" because of the support provided by Viking River Cruises since August 2003. As in many primary schools in China, English was being taught. The students put on a show for us and quite energetically interacted with us when we visited a classroom. That afternoon we set sail for Wuhan.

Jun 9, 2009

Photos: 39

China June 8

We disembarked from the ship at the base of Yellow Ox Mountain, where we saw the Huangling Temple and then were driven to a museum exhibiting the Three Gorges Dam project. That day was very misty, so photographs are not clear. Pictures were taken of the project layout in the museum to give a better idea of the size of the project. When completed in 2011 it is will produce hydroelectric power roughly equivalent to the electricity of 18 nuclear power plants. It will be the world's largest hydroelectric power plant.

Jun 8, 2009

Photos: 24

China June 7

This morning we were cruising on the Yangtze toward the mis;ty Three Gorges. The first is the Qutang Gorge, the narrowest of the Three Gorges, with mountain peaks as high as 4,000 feet. About 9:30am we arrived at Wushan, the seat of Wushan County, a county of approximately 600,000 people. We disembarked and then boarded aa sightseeing vessel for a cruise on the Daning River into the Lesser Three Gorges. Following a return to the Viking Century Sun we then cruised through 25-mile-long Wu Gorge to the Three Gorges Dam ship locks. Going through these locks takes 3.5 or 4 hours.

Jun 7, 2009

Photos: 49

China--June 6

We sailed from Chongqing at midnight June 5. On June 6, while cruising, we had a lecture on the Yangtze River held in the Observation Deck. After lunch we had a shore excursion to visit the Shibaozhai Pagoda, an 12-story structure built on the side of a massive rock formation. Following this we went back to the ship for a cruise to Wushan, about 111 miles away.

Jun 6, 2009

Photos: 38

China--Xian

On the evening of June 4 we registered in the Sofitel on Renmin Square in Xian. Xian, located in central China, is one of the four Great Ancient Capitals of China with a history of about 3,100 years with 13 dynasties. We spent the evening at the Tang Dynasty and dinner show and the following day we visited the site of the Terra Cotta Soldiers and Horses, an archaeological site near the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China (221-210 BC). These thousands of artifacts were buried with Qin Shi Huang and were discovered about 1974 by several local farmers while they were digging a well. We were fortunate that the last surviving of those farmers autographed our book on the Terra Cotta Soldiers. From Xian we flew to Chongqing where we boarded the Viking Century Sun. Chongqing is a municipality of over 31,000,000 people, the largest and most populated in China. The central urban area has a population of over 5,000,000 people.

Jun 4, 2009

Photos: 64

Great Wall

On June 3, 2009, we went to the Badalong Hills section of the Great Wall, probably the best preserved sections of the Wall. The Wall was built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. stretches over approximately 4,000 miles from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 4,160 miles in total.

Jun 3, 2009

Photos: 19

China: June 3 2009 afternoon

After our trip to the Great Wall, we stopped for lunch, in the same structure, visited store with a large range of artistic works. Later we walked on a segment of The Sacred Way, a tree-lined walkway with massive sculptures on both sides that leads to the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) Tombs. Following that on our return to Beijing we stopped at Olympic Green, the major site of the 2008 Olympics located in northern Beijing.

Jun 3, 2009

Photos: 22

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is the large plaza near the centre of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. The Tiananmen Gate was first built in the 1420s in the Ming Dynasty. The Tiananmen square was originally designed and built in Beijing in 1651. It was enlarged to its present size (four times its original size) and cemented over in 1958.

Jun 2, 2009

Photos: 16

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). Located in the middle of Beijing, it now houses the Palace Museum. Built from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 7,800,000 square feet.

Jun 2, 2009

Photos: 46

Summer Palace, Beijing

The Summer Palace is a palace in Beijing, China. It is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (60 meters high) and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The central Kunming Lake covering 2.2 square kilometers was entirely man made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill. Kunming Lake was created by extending an existing body of water to imitate the West Lake in Hangzhou.

Jun 2, 2009

Photos: 18

Beijing Evening

Our group was taken to a restaurant and theater where we had a peking duck dinner followed by a performance by the Beijing opera company. We had an opportunity to see the performers before the show while they were putting on their makeup.

Jun 2, 2009

Photos: 16

Beijing Scenes

These are photos taken from various places around Beijing June 1-June 4, 2009, including several from a home we visited as well as from a carpet factory. As you can see, there is a high volume of traffic. What was also apparent is that a large amount of construction is going on, replacing poorer neighborhoods with high rise apartments as well as business and governmental buildings. We also had the opportunity to ride in rickshaws in Old Beijing where we saw some of the more traditional Chinese life.

Jun 1, 2009

Photos: 40

Lake Toxaway

From May 16 to 19 a we went with nine friends for a visit to Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, where we stayed at the Greystone Inn. Lake Toxaway is a large man-made lake in the Blue Ridge mountains area and served for years as a vacation spot for people such as the Fords, Vanderbilts, Edisons, Dukes, and Reynolds. Elegant vacation homes are located on the mountainsides as well as along the edge of the lake. Our stay at the Greystone Inn included daily pre-dinner champagne cruises, access to a country club, daily teas and cocktail hours, a spa, a golf course, croquet games, hiking areas, and small boats that we could use ourselves. It was an indulgence, to say the least!

May 16, 2009

Photos: 92

Australia Outback 2009

Our trip to the Outback began in Alice Springs, a city of just under 30,000 people, located in the center of Australia in the Northern Territory. It's beginning was occasioned by the creation, in the early 1870's, of an Overland Telegraph Line that linked Adelaide with Darwin and Great Britain. Alice Springs has an online educational system that provides instruction to children in the low population areas of the Northern Territory. It is also home to the Royal Flying Doctor Service which air transports medical personnel to service people with inadequate access to medical facilities. We visited Uluru and Kata Tjuga, sacred sites to the Anangu, the indigenous people of Australia. It was an area initially settled by humans over 10,000 years ago and was first settled by Europeans in the 1870s. The Anangu are the traditional owners of what is now the Uluru-Kata Tjuga National Park. You can read more about these sites at: http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/index.html

Jan 31, 2009

Photos: 64

Smithgall Woods

In 1994, Smithgall donated 5,555 acres of land in north central Georgia to the state of Georgia to protect, preserve, and restore what is now the Smithgall Woods Preservation Area. Inside Smithgall Woods are five mountain homes that the park uses in a bed and breakfast style arrangement (totaling 14 guest rooms). There are five miles of trails and 18 miles of roads that allow hikers and bicyclists to explore hardwoods, streams and wildlife. The photos were taken in the fall of 2007.

Nov 7, 2008

Photos: 40

France 2006

A group of 11 friends visited France from June 1, 2006 to June 11, 2006. The first three nights were spent in Paris where we visited, among other places, the Musee d'Orsay, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Rodin Museum, and the Moulin Rouge. We then traveled to Clamecy where we boarded La Belle Epoch and, over the next six nights, sailed up the Yonne River to Auxerre. When the cruise was docked during the day, we took side trips to wineries in the area. The food and wine served on board La Bell Epoch was excellent. At the end of the cruise we traveled back to the Paris area and stayed one night at the Chateau de Montvillargene, and then returned to Athens, Georgia, the next day.

Jun 1, 2006

Photos: 228

Wood Lake Flowers

These photos, some macro, of (principally) flowers were taken around our home at the Wood Lake development in Athens, GA, over the past two years.

Aug 20, 2004

Photos: 31

Southern Utah

Southern Utah is the home of six national parks: Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands and Grand Canyon. For anyone who enjoys rugged outdoor scenery the entire southern part of Utah is a virtual paradise. Some idea of this can be gained from these photos.

Aug 10, 2003

Photos: 44

Persepolis 1975

Photos were taken at Persepolis, Iran, in 1975. Cyrus the Great selected Persepolis as the home of the Persian Empire about 550BCE. It was conquered during the rein of Darius III by Alexander the Great (who later married Darius's daughter) in 330 BCE. The remains in the pictures are from structures built during the reign of Darius I, the Great, dating from about 315 BCE. See more at: http://www.livius.org/a/iran/persepolis/persepolis.html

Jun 10, 1975

Photos: 19

Bill Prokasy
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