Travel Photo -La Sagrada Familia

With my wife and I planning a European Cruise, in which we start in Barcelona, my thoughts go back to when we were in Barcelona in 2000. The picture above, as everyone I'm sure recognizes, is the La Sagrada Familia designed by Antoni Gaudi.

Gaudi began construction on La Sagrada Familia (Blessed Family) in 1882; died in 1928 with only a quarter of the church completed. The construction passed a mid-point in 2010 and was consecrated in November 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI . The anticipated completion date is about 2026.

We are anxious to see the changes that have been made to the church in the pass ten years.

Travel Photo - Munich, Germany

Here is a couple of pictures I took of the Konigsplaza in Munich, Germany in 1959 while my buddy and I were driving a 1947 Mercedes (not mine of course) from Rhein Main Air Force Base in Frankfurt to beautiful Lake Thun in Switzerland. We were very fortunate to have arrived just after a rain shower; I love the reflection in the payment.

Here is a current shot of the Konigsplaza; compliments of Wikipedia!

Travel Photo - Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal has been on my mind recently since we have booked a European cruise that goes from Barcelona to Copenhagen this summer. We are really looking forward to this trip; it is on Oceania's newest vessel Marina.

This is a slide I took of a street in Lisbon c1958; I scanned the slide to convert it to digital and I cannot get over the colors after all these years!

Travel Photo -Hong Kong

Followers of this blog will remember I had a "Photo Of the Week" category, but since I haven't been able to post weekly, I have replaced it with some of my travel photos taken over the past, well, fifty plus years.

I start with on of my favorites: Junk in Hong Kong Harbor, taken in 1982. While I was living in living Hong Kong, I always thought that the Hong Tourist Association would pay someone from China to cruise the harbor periodically so all of the tourist could take this shot and go home and show it to family and friends; the results would be, "Boy, I want to go there and see that"!

Photo of the Week #27 - Stilted Houses - Malaysia

Stiled Houses in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. A trip I took about 1981 when I was located in Hong Kong. An interesting and educational trip for sure

Photo of the Week #26 - Covered Bridge

Many of you know that I love bridges and one of these days I would like to publish my pictures of "Bridges from Around the World". On our recent trip to the Green Mountains of Vermont, we past no less than eight covered bridges. Here is just one of them: Silk Road Bridge in Bennington, Vt. I like this one because of the name, which in this case, it is the name of the road and has nothing, of course, to do with the fame Silk Road of China. The bridge spans the Wallomsac River, is eighty-eight feet long and built in 1840.

Photo of the Week #25 - Frankfurt, Germany

A transparency taken in 1958 with an old Cita camera; I think that was the name of the camera. Without a light meter and range finder, I'm surprised any of those pictures I took in the 50's were any good at all!

Photo of the Week #22 - Hong Kong Street Scene

Maybe I should re-name this series of pictures as "Picture of the Month"!

The picture was taken in 1981 in Causeway Bay with my film-base 35mm Canon. You can easily tell I took the picture and not Jenny because since she grew in Hong Kong, this scene would never catch her eye. Growing up in North Carolina, one would never see such a beautiful scene!

Photo of the Week #20 - Copenhagen

I just love the beautiful side streets in Europe. This shot is in Copenhagen, Denmark. Picture was taken in 2004 as part of our Northern European trip.

Photo of the Week #19 - Adirondack Loj

We leave for the Appalachian Mountain Club Highland Center in Bretton Woods, NH tomorrow so I thought maybe it is about time to post our trip to the Adirondack Mountain Loj last September.

The Adirondack Loj situated on Heart Lake just outside of Lake Placid. In 1890, Henry Van Hoevenberg opened the original Adirondack Lodge near Lake Placid, NY. The current building was built in 1927. Great place to stay, hike and enjoy the mountains.

Picture taken on top of Mount Jo; the summit is about 2900'. Photo taken by Jenny.

Photo of the Week #17 - Bridge to Ashford Castle

I'm a nut about taking pictures of bridges; in fact one day I would like to put all of my pictures of bridges in one book: "Bridges from Around the World". But anyway for now just enjoy the "Bridge to Ashford Castle".

The castle was built in the 13th century and has passed into and through many hands over the years. It was converted into what is now a beautiful 5 Star hotel in the mid 1930's. It is located on the shores of Lough Corrib just north of Galway . A great place to stay and explore the northwestern part of Ireland.

Photo of the Week #16 - Hotel Frankfurter Hof

The above picture of Hotel Frankfurter Hof in Frankfurt, Germany was taken in 1958. The hotel still exist at the same location but is called Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof Hotel.

Photo of the Week #15 - Ladder Street - Hong Kong

Ladder Street; I just Love it! I like this picture so much that when a saw a painting of the same scene, same street in Hong Kong in the 1980's, I brought it. It still hangs in our living room.

Picture was taken ca 1981 with Canon film-based camera.

Photo of the Week #14 - Macao Gate to China

This picture was taken about 1982 on an old Canon, film-based camera and not really very clear, but I like it. This is/was the gateway to China from Macao. Then Macao, as you know, was a colony of Portugal. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see the date on the gate is 1849.

Photo of the Week #13 - Nan Liam Gardens

One of my favorite places in Hong Kong, a place most visitors never see. It is Nan Liam Garden located in the heart of the Diamond Hill on Kowloon side of Hong Kong. Incidentally, when I was working in Hong Kong in the '80's our business was located not far from this site. Then the Garden was not there but a "Squatter Village" was in that location and I walked through it every day.

Photo of the Week #12 - Scotland

About three years ago we were touring northern Scotland when we stopped in a little village called Aberfoyle for lunch. We walked into this restaurant and ran into a wedding reception. Jenny had to have a picture with these good looking men in "skirts".

Photo of the Week #10 - China

This is a picture I took when Robby & I made our first trip into Southern China about 1981. Today if you were to take the same picture there would be few bicycles and mostly cars.

Photo of the Week #9 -Pyramids & Sphinx

This is a picture everyone will recognize in an instant. It was taken in 2000 with my old film-based 35mm and scanned.

Photo of the Week #8 - Hong Kong Peak Terminal

Last week I posted the Old Hong Kong Peak Tram Station; this week it is the "New" one. Well the current one shall we say. Opened in 1997 but closed for complete refurbishment in 2004 and then reopened in 2006.

Photo of the Week #7 -Old Hong Kong Peak Terminal

I love old buildings, especially ones that have been torn down and replaced with a new structure. The above photo was taken about 1982 of the old Honk Kong Peak Terminal. It was built around 1972 and was replaced with a new building in 1997, about the time Hong Kong was returned to China.