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Masaccio, who lived from 1401 to 1428, was the first great painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. Because few of his works survive, I was eager to see his famous frescoes here in the Brancacci chapel in Florence in 1994. Masaccio is famous for being the first painter, with the possible exception of Giotto, to paint the human figure as three dimensional, using perspective and placing his figures in proper proportion to their surroundings. His innovative work had a strong influence on other painters despite his brief career. Seeing these frescoes was a high point of our Italian vacation.
One of our favourite things to do in Paris is to walk in the Latin Quarter, as we did this day in 1997. There are small sidewalk cafes, old churches, brasseries, and a great variety of different shops. Because so many interesting things catch the eye, we are always intrigued by what may be just around the next corner.
We traveled to Sicily in 2000. The theatre at Segesta dates from about 409 BC. It was originally Greek and later used by the Romans. Greek plays are staged here in the summer. The theatre dominates the hillside, and from the top, the views are spectacular.
At Annecy in the French Alps 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.
This is another photo from Diu taken in 2007, this time of a group of university boys. Typical of people in India, they were very friendly and delighted to be photographed. If you look carefully, you will see Paul in the back row.
Diu, which we visited in 2007, is a small island of 40 square kilometers, located just south of Gujarat, and connected to the mainland by a causeway. In the 16th Century it became a Portuguese colony and has been part of India since 1961. The market in the photo is located in Diu City, the capital. We stayed at the Radhika Beach Resort, a lovely modern hotel located near Nagoa Beach. The beach, while beautiful, has no facilities and the water was VERY cold. We thoroughly enjoyed Diu, however. It is quiet and peaceful, and has beautiful coastal scenery. The island is small enough to be made a circuit of in two or three hours by auto-rickshaw. For us, Diu was the perfect escape from a tendency to become over-stimulated, a condition difficult to avoid in India with all its wonders.
Staithes, formerly a busy fishing port, lies within the North York Moors National Park. A very attractive town, it is now a major tourist destination. Because the geology of the area is of the Jurassic period, it is commonly called the Dinosaur Coast and attracts both professional and amateur geologists as visitors. We had good weather on the day we spent there om 1994. A chat with a few of the locals over a beer in the main pub near the port was very enjoyable.
