Vacation Picture - show us where have you been

[Big Dog RJ]

The hussle and bustle of Colombo, looks nearly similar to Spore, though plenty of hussle and not so much bustle...
Obviously the highend gear is way up there!
Cheers, RJ

[admin]

Very nice! Glad you are enjoying family and best wishes to "pops".

[AnotherJohnson]

Yes, Cheers to our pops and mums!
At 90 it is best for the young folks to come and visit.

My parents both passed away at relatively young ages. Like you, we did not live nearby. So visits were cherished.

We have made the decision to live near our children who are well into middle age at this point. All three houses are within 3/4 mile. It makes for very easy interaction. Most of the time that’s a good thing.

[Joe Appierto]

How very nice you got to spend some time with him. Those times together are indeed to be cherished.

[Wildcat]

That is the only (slight) regret I would have about moving--both of the kiddos live in this area. My youngest would probably move out to live nearby (as she's also fond of the places we're thinking of relocating to). One of them being the Colorado Springs area, where I was at just two days ago. To live near something like the Garden of the Gods (below), a city park operated by Colorado Springs, would be much better than the parks we have here where I live.

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[admin]

Lovely, look at the sky in the last picture!

[Wildcat]

Lovely, look at the sky in the last picture!

The Colorado Springs area has had some interesting weather as of late--one of the guys at the front desk of the cozy motel we stay at in Manitou Springs mentioned that it has been unusually rainy this year. Not so much in duration but for its frequency, even if it's cloud cover with sprinkles. During the five days we were there, the clouds would start rolling through around 3pm, and we'd get sprinkles or a shower around 5-6pm. By 7-8pm the sun would come back out and we'd have partly cloudy skies as shown. So it was an ideal situation for taking a few photos.

I went out with the DSLR Sunday morning but haven't worked on those photos yet. These were from the phone.

Here is part of another Colorado Springs city park--Helen Hunt Falls:

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[admin]

Was able to take a vacation in Germany this past month. Had a wonderful time. We were lucky to have great weather and I just loved the history, architecture, and natural beauty of the country.

[Joe Appierto]

Not to denigrate our efforts here, and maybe because they've had centuries longer to get it just right, but the Europeans seem to have a special knack when it comes to combining the elements of plants, geometry and the lay of the land. Another culture with an entirely different aesthetic but equally outstanding results are the Japanese.

[admin]

Not to denigrate our efforts here, and maybe because they've had centuries longer to get it just right, but the Europeans seem to have a special knack when it comes to combining the elements of plants, geometry and the lay of the land. Another culture with an entirely different aesthetic but equally outstanding results are the Japanese.

I think you make a good point. I think what is really behind this is that Europe/Japan went through a period of history where it had an extreme aristocracy/ruling class that consolidated an immense amount of power and money. This allowed the construction of vast castles, estates, and gardens that we simply don't see in modern society. Sure we have our billionaires, but even they are building their houses on relatively small plots of land in uninspiring designs and don't build dwellings with a generational dynasty outlook. Many of the castles/estates in Europe and Asia were designed to house the ruling family for generations. It was not uncommon to start construction in one generation, only to finish in the next, and then further expansions in the following. Bill Gates may have built himself a spectacular house in Seattle, but his children and grandchildren will not be living there.

[Joe Appierto]

It's true. We had our Gilded Age during the final quarter of the 19th Century when the ultra-rich of the time built the American equivalent of castles and mansions along the Hudson Valley, Providence/Newport RI and in California but at this point they're primarily museums. No one lives there anymore and what is being constructed nowadays by and large just doesn't have the class of the older offerings.

[Big Dog RJ]

Here was a remarkable opportunity to have bumped into these fellas, whiles on my usual rounds. I happened to take a left at the roundabout, when I just glanced to the right in case of an oncoming drunk driver.. and low & behold black swans! There were four or six of them parading around... real beauties.

Cheers, RJ

[roberto]

Hol Chicos,
This is my son's mountain place. The view is breathtaking. It is located at one of our mountains called "Cerro de la Muerte". Here are two pics were shows part of his view:

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[Wildcat]

It's true. We had our Gilded Age during the final quarter of the 19th Century when the ultra-rich of the time built the American equivalent of castles and mansions along the Hudson Valley, Providence/Newport RI and in California but at this point they're primarily museums. No one lives there anymore and what is being constructed nowadays by and large just doesn't have the class of the older offerings.

There are a couple of 20th Century examples. Perhaps not on such a grand scale as those from earlier centuries, though. Where I live, the pioneers in the automotive manufacturing world often had residences that were unique mansions. The closest to me, just a few miles away, is the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House. And of course, it is now a museum.

https://www.fordhouse.org/the-estate/

In contrast, a local furniture store magnate had built a newer mansion in 1991 that had some of the vibe of these older styles, but it certainly isn't (and never will be) historic to that extent. It captures some of the style but also comes across as maybe a little too modernized and perhaps garish (more so on the interior). The irony is that the owner, Van Elslander, was in my mother's graduating class in high school--she apparently didn't marry into the right family. This is about a half mile south of the Edsel Ford house.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/ ... 329893002/

[Joe Appierto]

I see what you mean about the Van Elslander home in terms of modern style in places and a little overboard but still it's a good deal above the typical McMansions.

[admin]

I was lucky enough to spend an entire month in Lisbon Portugal early this year. It was a wonderful experience with great sites, history, people, and food. The only down side is that I was away from the stereo!