Hochosterwitz

Approaching Burg Hochosterwitz : Launsdorf, AT

Friend Daniella was able to take a day off and went with us to Burg Hochosterwitz -- a medieval fortress in the rolling hills and countryside of Kärnten. First mention of the castle was made in 860 CE/AD. The castle remains the property of the Khevenhüller family and descendents of this family continue to live in part of the castle. (Members of the Khevenhüller family are part of a long, deep line of European royalty and are in the line of succession to the British throne, but are so far down the list, they'll never wear the Crown Jewels.) The rest of the castle is open to the public for viewing and for events. The grounds include a museum and tours, as well as walking paths, some chapels, and really spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. (As an aside, I had forgotten how breathtakingly beautiful Austria is. It is, in my opinion, even prettier than Switzerland. If you don't believe me, the next time you come to Europe, make Austria part of your itinerary.) More photos here.

Views of the surrounding Austrian countryside from Hochosterwitz : Launsdorf, AT

Charlie leads the way at Hochosterwitz : Launsdorf, AT

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/2012

Tourists with a Dog

Janet, Charlie, and Maya at Plitvička Lakes : Plitvička, HZ

Just a few photos of us at Plitvička Lakes. We met a lovely American couple and chatted with them on the hike back up to the shuttle bus departure point. They were kind enough to take our photo.

Charlie with Maya at the Falls : Plitvička, HZ 

We arrived early and managed to be just ahead of these crowds on the other side of the lake : Plitvička, HZ

End of the hike. Ice cream break. Look at Charlie. His eyes and face say, 
"That sucked.  You people suck! Where's my ice cream? Can we go home now?" : Plitvička, HZ

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/2012

London: Quicky Tourism

The Embassy of the United States of America : London, UK

Today, I made my first ever trip to London, England! Given our reception at passport control, though, it may well be my last. Those agents are harsh, let me tell ya! They aren't impressed when, in response to the question, "why are you here?", you say, "To see your lovely city." If you're our friend Scott, you took it one step further and incurred their ire. "Why are you here?" he was asked. "To see London," he said. "What will you be seeing?" Says Scott, "I don't know. What would you recommend?" LOL!

Anyway--the next few days will feature pictures from storied London. We spent three of our four days there shopping (and love, love, loving it!) and only one day touristing. These are really basic tourist shots. We'll be going back, though, I'm sure, because there's just so much to see and do!

Franklin Delano Roosevelt : Grosvenor Square : London, UK

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 6/11

Madrid!

Madrid's heraldic symbols, a bear and a madrona tree :
Puerta del Sol : Madrid, ES

I have photos from Bern, Switzerland, to post yet, but I'm going to break from that to post photos of my recent vacation to Madrid and the Canary Islands. Madrid is Spain's capital and the Canaries belong to Spain. Maya and I went to the island of Fuertaventura for about five days and visited her uncle, Jan-Peter, and his wife, Christa. But first: Madrid! These shots were taken in the evening and night. See more here. Unfortunately, it was overcast and rainy most of the time, so these aren't the best photos.

Carlos III, Rey de Espana : Puerta del Sol : Madrid, ES

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/10

The Bells! The Bells!

Gargoyle on Notre Dame with the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur in the background : Paris, FR

The last time I was in Paris, I was shooting with my little point-and-shoot Canon. I didn't have my tripod with me, so my photos of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris) turned out less than optimal. In fact, they were downright crap. This time around, I had my new Nikon and my tripod, so my photos of Notre Dame turned out considerably better and my faith in my ability to shoot the interiors of cavernous cathedrals was restored. This time around, I also took the stairs to the top of the cathedral and enjoyed some fantastic views of Paris. Go to my Picasa Web Albums to see more gargoyles and flying buttresses. Come back tomorrow and see my interior shots.

Gargoyle on Notre Dame with the Eiffel Tower in the background : Paris, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10