TRAVEL THE WORLD - BIRMINGHAM, UK

The photo was taken in Sutton Park, initially a 2,400-acre game preserve established by King Henry VIII. For a time in the 1970's, while living a short distance from the park, I regularly walked there with my small five year-old son along with many other residents of Sutton Coldfield. Re-visiting the park in 1997 brought back many precious memories. One particularly vivid memory is of a walk in the park soon after our arrival in England. Being newcomers, we neglected to bring an umbrella. Soon it started to rain heavily. I grabbed his hand, and the two of us ran, laughing uproariously until we reached our car thoroughly drenched.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PARIS, FRANCE

While the interior of Notre Dame is not the most beautiful medieval cathedral we have seen, it is certainly one of the most important landmarks in Paris, and the exterior will stand up to comparison with any other cathedral. Notre Dame lends its character beautifully to the surrounding area making it a pleasant and enjoyable place for a stroll.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - LYNTON, DEVON, UK

We stayed a few days here at Lynton in Devon in 2002. The town overlooks the Bristol Channel several hundred feet above its sister town, Lynmouth, which sits below at the mouth of the river Lyn. We stayed at a very nice guest house run by a lovely couple who treated us almost as if we were family. The husband invited Paul for a golf game at his club while I spent an enjoyable afternoon chatting with his wife. During our stay we climbed to the summit of the surrounding hills where there are spectacular views.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - FLORENCE, ITALY

This building, the Cappella dei Pazzi, photographed in Florence in 1994, is considered to be a gem of the Italian renaissance. It is a small domed chapel designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and built between 1442 and 1461. The dome and portico were completed in conformity with his plans after his death in 1448.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - THE NILE, EGYPT

This photo captures perfectly the charm of many of the Muslim people we've seen and perhaps of youth anywhere in the world. Possibly they are students who are greeting a teacher or a friend. The scene is typical of the towns on the Nile that we saw from our train in 2004.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - BRIANCON, FRANCE

Briancon is an old fortified town in the Alps not far from the Italian border. As you can see from the photo taken in 2008, the mountains near Briancon are truly spectacular.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - POWELL RIVER, CANADA

In 2003, we rented a fully-equipped motor home and drove from Edmonton to Vancouver, then north on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia and across by ferry to Vancouver Island. The photo was taken at the Wilmingdon Beach camp ground in Powell River, BC. Our campsite overlooked the Pacific Ocean and was set among the very tall cedar trees common on the west coast. This camp ground, owned and operated by the municipality, is one of the very best ones we have ever seen.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PARIS

This photo of the Paris Opera, sometimes called the Palais Garnier after Charles Garnier the architect, was taken in 1994. One of the major landmarks of Paris, the Opera is a famous example of the Beaux Arts style, a type of neoclassical architecture which was taught in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and which influenced American architecture from about 1880 to 1920. Although the facade is quite ornate, I greatly admire the building. It was one of the major improvements undertaken for Paris by Emperor Louis Napoleon under the direction of Baron Haussmann. It opened its doors in 1875 and seats 2,200 people.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - QUIMPER, BRITTANY, FRANCE

Quimper is a lovely city located at the confluence of three rivers. The city centre is enhanced by the presence of one of these and by attractive modern buildings and landscaping. But the old city, Vieux Quimper, is what we enjoyed most when we visited in 2008. As you can see in the photo, the original street pattern with homes and shops hugging the cathedral still exists today. It was easy to imagine how people lived there in medieval times.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KARNAK, EGYPT

People are dwarfed by the huge pillars at Karnak, giving an impression that the individual may not have counted for much in ancient Egypt. The scale of the temples and palaces must be admired, and some of the treasures are truly beautiful. Nevertheless, the main impact for me, especially in comparison with the celebration of humanity that must have inspired the sculptures of ancient Greece, is one of brute power and control on the part of the Pharaohs.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - SANTORINI, GREECE

Santorini, which we visited in the fall of 1998, is one of our favourite Greek islands. Every afternoon, after a day of sightseeing, we went to this beach for fine swimming and sunbathing. But before we swam, we eagerly checked the newspapers to see the latest financial news, particularly concerning Russia and Asia. Our anxiety was caused by fairly steep declines in North American stock markets. Fortunately, predictions of Armageddon did not materialize.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

These attractive young people happily agreed to be photographed in the museum of Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur. They are an example of the many friendly, approachable people we encountered in India. And don't you admire how beautifully dressed and poised the women are? I love the shimmering brightly coloured silk and the jeweled sandals. Even the baby girl is all dressed up!

TRAVEL THE WORLD - LIEGE, BELGIUM

My cousins took us to Jehay castle near Liege in 2008. This exquisite clock was only one of many lovely things to look at in the castle which was was built in the 16th Century. After World War II Count Guy van den Steen, whose family has owned the castle since 1680, undertook major restoration work. This included beautiful new furnishings from the period when the castle was originally constructed. There are also attractively landscaped grounds.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ALBERTA, CANADA

We enjoyed warmer than normal weather on this vacation in the Rocky Mountains in May of 2003. Paul had a great game of golf at this wonderful mountain golf course, Mount Lorette, near Kananaskis, Alberta.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - VARANASI, INDIA

Here we are in a small boat on the river Ganges in 2007. This is the holy city of Benares, now called Varanasi. It is located in Uttar Pradesh, in the northeast part of the country. We traveled there by overnight train, a trip that took us more than 24 hours, but in spite of this was an enjoyable adventure. Indian trains are amazing: clean, safe, comfortable, reasonably on time and full of friendly, helpful people. In the photo are the ghats, or steps, leading down to the water. Here, devout Hindus bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges and say their daily prayers. The water is terribly polluted and has been tested as totally unsafe. However, those who bathe in the river apparently come through the experience unscathed.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - VALETTA, MALTA

The island of Malta has a long military history because of its strategic location in the Mediterranean. Valetta, the capital city, is heavily fortified, the walls having been upgraded by the Knights of Malta beginning in 1533. In 2000, while standing on the walls with a wonderful view of the city before us, we listened to a very interesting presentation by a local history teacher that brought the history of Malta to life. The military museum is also well worth a visit. It covers in detail the critical role the island played in Britain's war effort during the Second World War and the suffering caused by Nazi bombing. In 1942 the people of Malta received Britain's highest military award for civilians, the George Cross.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - BLOIS, FRANCE

During our vacation in the Loire valley of France in 1997, we spent several days in Blois. We admired the city very much. It is nicely landscaped and has many beautiful buildings, including the chateau. The history of the chateau is particularly interesting. Within it, in what were the private rooms of Catherine de Medici, the Duc de Guise was murdered in 1588 after he was thought to be planning a Catholic uprising against the French king, Henri III. It is thought that the murder was arranged by the king, himself.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KOM OMBO, EGYPT

The photo was taken in 2004 in the temple of Kom Ombo, located about 50 kilometers north of Aswan. Horus, shown on the left, is the Egyptian god of the sky and of war. He was one of the most significant of the gods. On the right is Hathor, protector of women and goddess of feminine love, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most popular gods. The temple dates from the 2nd Century BC. It is very interesting when visiting Egypt to hear of the ancient religion and the many stories about the various gods.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NORMANDY, FRANCE

This war cemetary at Beny-sur-Mer near Caen in Normandy is where Canada's World War Two war dead have been honoured. When we visited here in 1997, it made us sad to see how many graves there were and to think that each one represented the end of a young life.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - FEZ, MOROCCO

The souk, or covered market, in Fez is world famous. It is so large that tourists are advised not to enter it alone or they may never emerge, particularly if they don't speak Arabic. Here in 2002 is a stall selling dried fruit, as typically seen in markets all over the Islamic world. As we walked through the souk, we frequently encountered heavily laden donkeys and had to scramble to get out of their way in the narrow lanes. I wondered what happened if two donkeys ever met each other. During the French mandate between the two world wars, attractive modern cities were planned and built in Morocco. Fortunately, new construction took place adjacent to the old cities or medinas, leaving them intact and making it possible for tourists to see them much as they would have been ages ago.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - GIZA, EGYPT

It was difficult to get close enough to the Sphynx to take a good photo. Although I wasn't especially happy with this one taken in 2006, I'm including it because what would a trip to Egypt be without the Sphynx?

TRAVEL THE WORLD - TROODOS MOUNTAINS, CYPRUS

The Troodos mountains form a small but attractive part of Cyprus. In 2006 we drove through the area and stayed for a couple of days at a small village called Kakopetria. Because the main street of the village is very narrow and the buildings are set almost on top of each other in the hills, we had to haul our suitcases the length of the village from the parking lot to the hotel. The village is very scenic and the hotel was lovely. Our room was furnished in an old fashioned style with a large four poster bed. The place was noted for its good food and was one of the most expensive hotels of this vacation.

We looked forward to Kakopetria with eager anticipation after having spent four days at Paphos, a city filled with British pubs and fish and ship shops, and lacking in Mediterranean culture. Prior to that we had a night in Larnaca in a less than adequate hotel with an air conditioner that worked sporadically and made very loud gurgling noises, and with a toilet located in a small clothes closet with a sliding door. Unfortunately, however, because we had eaten something that didn't agree with us, we had begun to feel pretty awful by the time we arrived in Kakopetria. The food looked wonderful, but unfortunately all we could do was look at it!

TRAVEL THE WORLD - SIENA, ITALY

This large square, the Piazza del Campo, photographed in 1994, is the centre of social life in Siena. It is, for example, the place where the famous horse race, the Palio, is held twice a year. The race takes place around the edges of the piazza.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - RHODOS TOWN, GREECE

Here we are in 2006 having a coke in Rhodostown on the island of Rhodos (or, in English, more commonly called Rhodes). Have you ever seen two people who looked happier or more relaxed?

TRAVEL THE WORLD - LOWER SLAUGHTER, COTSWOLDS, ENGLAND

Lower Slaughter is one of many beautiful Cotswold villages. This old mill, photographed in 1997, takes us back many years in history to a time that was already disappearing when described by Thomas Hardy in his late 19th Century novels. The helter skelter of modern life causes us to yearn for the enduring peacefulness that we mistakenly believe was typical for people in villages such as this one many years ago. Realizing this, however, does not take away from the beauty of the scene.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KAS, TURKEY

Our greatest pleasure while visiting the Mediterranean coast of Turkey has been to take a day trip on a gulet, a boat that is common in that part of the world, and to swim in the sea as we did in this photo taken near Kas in 2001. All of the resort towns have several of these boats moored in the harbour. In the evening, you can walk along the port, speak to the captains of the boats, select the one you like most, and pay a modest amount to reserve yourself a spot. Early the next morning the boat will leave with anywhere from about 15 to 40 passengers depending on its size. The captain will describe the sights as you pass by and prepare a lunch usually of salad, grilled chicken and beer or Pepsi. Two or three times during the day you will stop for a wonderfully refreshing swim in the warm, intense blue waters of the sea. Often, the crew will provide entertainment on the return to port in the late afternoon. I guarantee that when you arrive you will feel as comfortably warm and relaxed as you have ever felt in your life.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ORCHHA, INDIA

At first, we were amused when we saw this road repair work in Orchha in 2007. Then, we realized that in India, with its surplus of unskilled labour and low wages, it would make no sense to buy expensive hi-tech equipment. The man on the right is carrying something in a large bowl on his head which he is about to pour into the mouth of the asphalt mixer. He is likely very happy to have found employment. There are millions like him in India, while at the same time there exists a great skills shortage. Hopefully, the rapid economic growth the country is experiencing will lead to an improvement in the school system and in the lives of the poor.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NORTON ST. PHILIP, UK

The village of Norton St. Philip in Somerset is famous for its association with the Monmouth Rebellion. The George Inn, photographed in 1997, is quite typical of many large inns we've seen in England. In the basement of the inn, we had a beer in the small pub which could easily at one time have been a dungeon. It had a very low, curved ceiling, and was dimly lit with walls of ancient brick. Just before this at dusk, we had viewed a re-enactment of a battle that took place here during the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685. The waiter in the pub told us that at that time the Duke of Monmouth had been a guest at the inn and while there had narrowly escaped being shot by a musket ball. For us, this inn will always be a place that is steeped in history.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PONT-AVEN, BRITTANY

In 2008, it was recommended by people we chatted with in a restaurant that we visit the small town of Pont-Aven. It turned out to be excellent advice. We walked through the town for some distance long the river Aven, and, before returning to our car, stopped for some refreshing beer at a pub with sidewalk tables. The most outstanding feature of the town, apart from the river and the mill, were the beautiful flowers that seemed to be everywhere. Paul Gauguin, the famous post-impressionist, painted Pont Aven while he lived here in 1888.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ARIMONT, BELGIUM

This field near Malmedy is where my cousin took us in 1997 to show us the location of the family castle. He had come here as a young man with his father who wanted him to see where the castle had been located. It was here that one of the foundation stones had been found. On the road near this field there is a road sign which says "ARIMONT." The family had lived in this area until the late middle ages when they moved to Jalhay.

All of this was a revelation to me, as my father had not mentioned anything about a castle or a coat of arms, likely because he disapproved of the class structure that he felt typified life in Europe.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ANNECY, FRANCE

When you are in Annecy you are in tall mountains by a most beautiful lake. This combination gives a wonderful feeling of peace and contentment. Because we had a long drive from our hotel in Villard-de-Lans, our time in Annecy in 2008 was limited. We left regretfully, making a promise to return some day.

TRAVEL THE WORLD, BRUGES, BELGIUM

Here in this 1997 photo are a few of the many beautiful medieval buildings of Bruges. If you visit the city, be sure to take a boat trip on the canals.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NAXOS, GREECE

In 1998 we stopped at this taverna while on a bus trip around the island of Naxos. In a small village perched on the side of a mountain, it is an example of how very charming a Greek taverna can be. The photo also shows the sparkling quality of the light common to all of the Greek islands.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ATHENS

The Erechtheion is almost as beautiful as the Parthenon, especially its lovely caryatids. Somehow seeing the wonders of the Akropolis on a cloudy and stormy day like this one in 1998 made their beauty stand out even more than it does in the sun.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - WARWICK CASTLE, UK

Since I first visited Warwick Castle in the 1970's, it has been for me the perfect example of a medieval castle. The dungeon made an especially gruesome impression on that first visit. If you know a little of the history of the Wars of the Roses, a visit to Warwick Castle will definitely enhance your appreciation of the events of that period.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - DIU, INDIA

Diu, which we visited in 2007, is an island on the southernmost tip of Gujarat, connected by a causeway to the mainland. A former Portuguese colony, it has many traditional houses and several churches which have survived from the colonial period. The island has scenic coastal landscapes and nice beaches, at this point almost untouched by tourism. These ladies are interesting. Don't you wish you could hear what they are gossiping about?

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ORCHHA, INDIA

The Betwa, photographed in 2007 in the town of Orchha, is a very beautiful river, clean and calm. As with many of India's rivers, ghats have been built along its banks. These are steps leading down to the water where a purification bath is taken and prayers are offered to one of the Hindu deities. Because Hindus regard river water as sacred, the river is of great importance in the life of Indian communities. Orchha, a north India community in Madhya Pradesh, is known for its beautiful cenotaphs which date from the 16th and 17th Centuries.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - LAKE LOUISE, CANADA

How majestic the mountains are! This trip in 2003 was my first to see the Alberta Rockies in the spring. Notice how much snow remains on the mountains. In most seasons of the year, the mountains to me are cold and intimidating. On this trip, however, the air was fresh and the sun brilliant. It was a joy to be there.

TRAVEL THE WORLD, LES BAUX, FRANCE

The citadel at Les Baux in Provence sits upon an outcropping of rock far above the valley below. The photo, from 1999, was taken from inside the citadel and shows the structures built into the rock. These can be seen more clearly if you right click on the image and open it in a new window at full screen size.

Because of its defensive attributes, the site was settled very early. There is evidence of human habitation as early as 6,000 BC.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - MERZOUGA, MOROCCO

Only twice, to Egypt in 2004 and to Morocco in 2002, did we take a guided tour rather than travel on our own. The Morocco trip was great. Everything was as near perfect as it could be. The tour company was British as were almost all of the people. Our tour guide, Mark, pictured here second from the right, was fabulous. He was very knowledgeable and competent and had a terrific sense of humour. The photo was taken just before we rode into the desert on jeeps for a camel ride and just after we had been instructed on the proper way to wear Berber headdress.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KNOSSOS, CRETE

This fresco, photographed in 2004, is so lovely! When you think about how old it is, it seems unbelievable that it has survived for such a long time or that people so long ago could have made something so beautiful. Minoan civilization was at its height from approximately 2700 BC to 1450 BC when it is thought to have been severely damaged by a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ABU SIMBEL, EGYPT

The great temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel was one of the many amazing and impressive things we saw in Egypt in 2004. Two huge temples were cut out of the sandstone cliff in the 13th Century BC during the reign of Ramsses II as a demonstration of his power and divine nature. The statues in the photo stand 20 meters in height. Equally impressive is what was achieved during the 1960's. UNESCO mounted an international effort in which the entire temple complex was moved to higher ground in order to escape the rising waters of the Nile following the construction of the Aswan high dam.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PARIS

The left bank of the Seine in Paris is noted for its vibrant street life and sidewalk cafes. This famous bistro, the Cafe de la Paix, opened its doors in 1862. When we stopped there in 1994, it was a reminder for us that the left bank - or La Rive Gauche as it is called in French - was once the home of many of the world's best painters and writers.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - VANCOUVER

Stanley Park is one of Vancouver's most attractive places. As this photo from 2003 shows, in the park you can take long, beautiful walks and bike rides along Burrard Inlet.

A reminder: If you right click on any of the photos and then click on "open in a new window", the photo will expand to full screen.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - FLORENCE, ITALY

Here is the Palazzo Vecchio which was built at the end of the 13th Century and became the home of the Medici family in the 17th Century. The statue to the left of the building is of Cosimo de'Medici. His grandson Lorenzo became famous as a patron of the arts during the Italian Renaissance.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - SHROPSHIRE, UK

While living in Birmingham in the 1970's I often walked in the Long Mynd. It was a great pleasure to return some 20 years later. These hills are beautiful and, although they give you a good feeling of being miles from civilization, the walking is easy and, at least in the 1970's, perfectly safe.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NEW YORK CITY

In 1999, Paul took me to New York City for our 10th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time, walking through various parts of the city and enjoying good restaurants. In many ways, New York seemed like a much larger version of our own city, Toronto. Crime had dropped significantly, so we had no worries about safety, and there were many interesting things to see and do. Central Park, planned in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted, an American landscape designer, and Calvert Vaux, a British architect, was my one of my favourite places in the city.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ISTANBUL

Today, on September 11, 2009, it would be appropriate to post a photo taken eight years ago on 9/11. The Blue Mosque, pictured above, was close to where we were walking on the way to our hotel in Sultanahmet when we were approached by a man waving his arms in an agitated manner. He could not speak much English, but we were able to make out that something terrible had happened in the USA that involved airports or airplanes. We hurried to our hotel and discovered what had happened.

Our vacation plans had involved two weeks in Syria, but when we heard what President Bush had to say about Syria in connection with the tragedy, we decided it would be wise to cancel and remain in Turkey instead. The staff at our hotel were horrified by what had been done and assured us that it was definitely not the way of Islam. We thoroughly enjoyed our five weeks in Turkey, but when we returned in 2006, there was a noticeable difference. People were polite but lacked the warmth we had seen on previous visits. The change, we were told later, was due to the widespread disapproval in the country of the war in Iraq.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - LONDON

For Canadians like us, the British parliament symbolizes the history of our democracy and system of government. No doubt, for some people there is ambivalence about their colonial past, but for us this historical association with Britain is a matter of pride and affection. The Houses of Parliament, pictured here in 1997, sit on the banks of the river Thames. They were built after a fire in 1834. The architects were Sir Charles Barry and Augustus W. Pugin.