The Orb of Power

"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" hit the theaters in 1975. The sophomores in my world history class were born 20 years later. And yet, when I show a photo of this symbol of power of the Holy Roman Emperor in my history class, someone inevitably says, "That's the Holy Hand Grenade," which is what it was called in the Monty Python movie.This "Holy Hand Grenade" isn't unique - many royals had one in their possession. But this golden treasure can be seen with other spectucular crown jewels of a long-dead empire in Vienna, Austria.

Neither Holy, Nor Roman, Nor An Empire

The title of this post is from a statement made by Voltaire about the Holy Roman Empire, which was founded by Charlemagne in 800 AD. Even though the HRE may have had dubious value, the Emperors had great clothes and nice crowns. This is one of several in Vienna, Austria.Tomorrow, I'll show you the "Holy Hand Grenade."

01-29-11 Efficiency

Sometimes this blog attempts to be an artist enterprise but I'll have to admit that after over 700 posts, I'm running low on art. So today I am using this blog to document evidence of a lifestyle very different from our big-pickup-4-wheel-drive-our family-of-4-has-5-cars mentality.What you are looking at is a cute, yellow car parked neatly along a backstreet in Rome, Italy. If you saw the price of fuel and the size of back streets in Rome, you'd know what this car would be a smart choice.Notice that it has three wheels and that it's plugged in. How's that for efficiency?

The Lakeside Path

If you get to the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia early in the day, you can have a wonderful wooden path all to yourself. But is an hour or two, people are sometimes three wide, which makes the paths a little less wonderful. Crowded paths are complicated by Asian tourists who walk on the left side and westerners like me (except for the British) who walk on the right side.Regardless of all of this, the Plitvice Lakes are amazing, as photos I've posted in the blog might prove.

Pondering the Imponderable

This is a candid shot taken by an American photographer of a Japanese man studying a diorama of the destruction done by the atomic bomb to Hiroshima during WWII.Did I ever feel out of place while visiting Hiroshima? No. Did I feel any enmity from the Japanese I sometimes stood next to when I was at the Hiroshima Museum that day? No.I can't say how the Japanese man pictured here felt about United States' role in the destruction portrayed. But I do know that the Hiroshima Museum stands in part as a warning and as a lesson. The Museum and the Peace Center seem to say, "Here's what one relatively small bomb did. How can we prevent it from happening again?"I was uncertain about visiting Hiroshima. But I'm glad we did. . .

Four Amigos

Here's my stream of consciousness: foot prints in frost (yesterday's post) makes me think of foot prints in the sand. Foot prints in the sand make me think of Mexico. Mexico makes me think of family trips. Family trips reminds me of photo I took of the Four Cousins in Mexico a few years ago: Matt, Brian, Jon and Derek. So where do I go from here in the stream? Check back tomorrow.

Brian & Katie In Mexico

Here are two of my favorite people in one of my favorite places. I'm a lucky guy to have the opportunities I have!

Deux Amis

We were free men in Paris, unfettered and alive, posing somewhat awkwardly in front of a structure that is anything but awkward - the Nortre Dame de Paris. I handed my camera to a passing tourist. So I guess that this isn't really my photo is it?When I give my camera to a stranger so I can pose, I try to pick someone who appears to be slower than I am so that if they decide to run with my valuable equipment, I can catch them. I wouldn't tackle them, though, since that might harm my camera. . . .

Variations On A Beach

As long a things like blizzards and Alberta clippers keep whipping through South Dakota, I keep posting tropical scenes. This photo was taken a little after the "Sunrise" photo I posted a few days ago. I'd like to be sitting on this huge driftwood log watching the waves roll in.

Pool Bar - Rui Riviera Maya Palace

Of course I spent very little time at the pool bar at our resort, but many others did. This photo was taken shortly before they opened at 10:00.

Reflections

You may have noticed that there is little night photography posted to this blog. That's largely due to the fact that I am a "morning person." But every once and a while, I'm out and about after the sun goes down and this photo proves that.It was taken in Mexico at a resort called the Riu Palace Riviera Maya. Here's my contribution to the "light dappled water" genre of photography. . .

Wind Swept

On a recent trip to Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, I sitting in a beach chair near this tree and noticed that the strong breeze was blowing the palm fronds back as if the tree were a tall, thin human with a full head of hair.But this human has green coconuts!!?? Is there any way of knowing when one might fall? A South Dakotan has very little natural experience with things like this.