Pictures

Some of the pictures of my travels that I have posted on my blog. I hope these help to inspire you to travel to places you have never been before!

Sunrise view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate

After walking through a garden area, where the local fauna was finally starting to show their spring colors, we glimpse Buckingham Palace in the distance. At last we need we were on the right path to our destination!
Our first glimpse of Buckingham Palace.

On a partly sunny day, I peer across the River Thames, to see Big Ben and the British Parliament building.
My first recognizable sight, outside of the US, I got to see in person…Big Ben and the British Parliament building.

A view of Buckingham Palace across a grove of red and yellow tulips.
Finally arrived at our destination…Buckingham Palace.

A few of London's attractions: Big Ben, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey
A few of London’s attractions

Towering in the distance across the River Thames, the gigantic Ferris wheel, the London Eye, rotates its passengers around high up in the air to provide amazing views of London.
The London Eye is a popular attraction (so popular I have yet to brave the long lines) that provides amazing views of London.

Maya Beach was absolutely beautiful! Although it was filled with tourists, I was able to sneak between two docked boats for a picture!

The Eiffel Tower is such a massive structure that I had to walk a far distance to get a picture of the entire tower. This picture shows the tower standing high in the distance. The trees were just starting to show the signs of their spring blossoms. Visitors took advantage of the beautiful scenery while sitting on the park benches.
A shot of the Eiffel Tower in the distance that shows some of the surrounding area and the crowds that visit the site.

Unaware of how impressive the Eiffel Tower looked at night, we took the advice of a local couple to go and see it again. We arrived to see the tower brightly lit, standing out in the cool evening sky. A rotating spot light shone out of the top of the tower bringing more attention to this massive structure.
I was quite impressed when I first saw the Eiffel Tower upon arrival in Paris. However, nothing compared to seeing it lit up at night. I’d say in three weeks in Europe, seeing the tower at night was my favorite single attraction. We were glad we took the local couples advice to go back to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit!

Visitors soak in the sun on this beautiful day as they sit around the fountain which edges up against the large glass and metal pyramid. This pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum.
The large glass and metal pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. This provides abundant light as you make your way down into the museum.

A gargoyle statue sits atop the roof of Notre Dame looking over the city of Paris with the Eiffel Tower rising high above the city far off in the distance.
Finally the towers opened for visitors, and we climbed the stairs to the top. We were treated to beautiful views of the city and intricate sculptures of gargoyles designed to showcase that their is safety to be found inside the cathedral. In reality, they serve as rain gutters for the roof!

Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is arguably the most popular piece of art at the Louvre Museum. Huge crowds surround the painting and you need to pack your patience if you want to get a close up picture of it.
The Louvre Museum is filled with priceless works of art, but perhaps its most famous is da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” I patiently waded through the crowd of onlookers to snap a close up picture.

With a pale blue sky as a backdrop, Notre Dame rises in front of me. With blooming flowers and trees that are just starting to get their spring buds, the rear view of the cathedral shows an intricate building design.
We arrived very early to Notre Dame to beat the crowds. After exploring the inside, we decided to walk around the cathedral grounds while we were waiting for the towers to open up.

A beautiful stained glass window rises high above me showcasing its magnificent multi-colored design. The inside of Notre Dame is filled with beautiful murals on the walls and detailed sculptures.
Notre Dame is filled with beautiful stained glass windows. This picture gives a small sample of the murals that line the walls and a sculpture of a clergyman praying. Seeing the inside the cathedral was an absolutely breath-taking experience!

One of the first sites we visited in Paris was the Arc de Triomphe. I had to negotiate around rush hour traffic in the busy traffic circle to get the picture I wanted. Unfortunately, renovations were being made to the structure to get it ready for the upcoming tourist season.
The Arc de Triomphe stands high above the rush hour traffic in Paris. Renovations are being made to prepare for the upcoming tourist season.

Framed perfectly by the thick stone walls, an opening provides the perfect view of the "Old Bridge" that crosses the Neckar River. The multi colored trees prove that Spring has arrived in Heidelberg.
An opening in the castle wall provides a perfect view of the “Old Bridge” as the early morning sun shines down brightly.

Four friends toast each other with the well known German liter beer mugs. Prost!
Four friends enjoying one of Germany’s favorite past times…drinking beer!

As the sun rose over the mountains, the town of Heidelberg is illuminated by the early morning sun. From our vantage point at the castle, high above the town, we could see the signs of Spring in a variety of colors scattered across the mountainside.
From our vantage point on the stone walls of Schloss Heidelberg, we watched as the sun rose over the mountains, illuminating the town below.

A shallow stream runs below two bridges in Baden Baden. The signs of Spring can easily be seen in a variety of shades of green, pink, and white among the trees. In the distance, the heavily wooded mountains can be seen rising above our viewpoint.
Shortly after leaving our hotel in Baden Baden, we happened upon these series of bridges. With the stream cutting through the trees, it’s easy to see the signs of Spring in town.

Coming upon a clearing in the woods we gazed upon this magnificent property. Two large houses sat amongst the trees in the foothills, with the heavily wooded mountains rising behind them.
Even though we were slightly nervous about being lost, we were still treated to amazing views on our walk. Happening upon a clearing in the woods, we viewed this amazing property!

A single wooden bench sits next to a small pond. This provided us a perfect spot to rest along the trail among the trees and plan our next move.
We came across this tranquil resting place (Rastplatz), during our walk in Baden Baden. It provided us a perfect place to get our bearings and plan our next move.

The trees, fresh from their Spring bloom, displayed their bright green leaves. The trail snaked through the woods where we hoped a local winery would lie at its end.
We followed the trail through the woods in Baden Baden. We hoped that it would lead to a local winery for some wine tasting. The reality was, it only led us further from town.

I stood before the massive Berlin Wall on a sunny day. The section of wall that remains is covered with graffiti and is fenced off to prevent people from breaking pieces of it off.
Standing next to the Berlin Wall, gives you an appreciation for what those that tried to cross it, had to contend with. Its a massive structure and was also heavily guarded.

A closeup picture of the Berlin Wall shows it dividing the city into two halves. This image shows how in East Berlin they painted their buildings in bright colors to maintain an air of happiness.
I wanted to capture an image that showed how the Berlin Wall split the city into two halves. This image shows both East Berlin and West Berlin with the wall dividing the two.

The brightly painted buildings of East Berlin helped create an image of happiness of their people. However, this could not be further from the truth.
The buildings of East Berlin were often painted in bright colors to help counteract the dismal life its inhabitants led.

A map of the city of Berlin during the time of the Cold War. A red line snakes through the city showing the sheer scale of the Berlin Wall.
This map provides an idea of the scale of the Berlin Wall. The red line shows how far the wall stretched throughout the city.

One of the main crossing points between East and West Berlin, a recreation of Checkpoint Charlie still stands today. Although not the original, the booth and MP's (actors) stand ready for a photo app.
Checkpoint Charlie was one of the main areas to cross between East and West Berlin. Although not the original booth, this is one of the most visited sites in Berlin.

A view overlooking Machu Picchu's vast layout.
Overlooking Machu Picchu, it’s easy to see how vast the layout is.
Carved from a massive piece of granite, the Intihuatana Stone is believed to contain spiritual properties.
Made of a massive piece of granite, the Intihuatana Stone sits high above Machu Picchu!
The Inca created the Temple of the Condor to replicate this important animal in their culture.
my favorite structure of Machu Picchu was the Temple of the Condor. It is amazing that the Inca could represent the shape of this magnificent bird in the rock!
My reward for several days of hiking in the Andes, a beautiful day at Machu Picchu.
Several days of hiking were rewarded with a beautiful day in Machu Picchu!
Only the Inca foundation of the Coricancha remains. The Spaniards tore it down to erect the Santo Domingo Church.
Chinchero is believed to be the birthplace of the rainbow. It also provided a beautiful view of the setting sun!
One of my favorite Inca ruins from my visit to Peru, Wiñay Wayna does require a bit of hiking to get to.
The Inca ruins of Pisac provided amazing views of the valley below. The layout encompassed 3 distinct zones for farmers, troops, and nobility.
Ollantaytambo was the site of one of the few victories the Inca had against the Spanish!
Machu Picchu did not disappoint my expectations of this amazing Inca city. My memories of this day will last a lifetime!
Far below on the valley floor, the Urubamba River can be seen snaking through the Sacred Valley.
I never miss the opportunity to take a picture in a cardboard cut-out!
Overlooking the Plaza de Armas with Santo Domingo Church in the background.
Cusco’s layout was designed after a puma, an important animal in Inca society.
The storehouses and image of Viracocha can be seen own the mountain opposite of Temple Hill.
The huge slabs of granite weighing 50-80 tons each, make up the Wall of Six Monoliths in Ollantaytambo’s Temple of the Sun.