tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23120031636997555392024-03-14T02:15:12.953-04:00Until the next time . . . Until the next time... is a blog usually focused on writing, music, and travel to places near and far. It concerns some of the things I've learned and some of the things I've messed up through the years. The blog also appears at www.michaelembry.com/blog.html.Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.comBlogger642125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-40887557793314070222023-12-07T11:10:00.001-05:002023-12-07T11:12:55.420-05:00Back to the Keyboard <p> It's been quite a while since I've posted something here. My apology. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OylAMqSfJpTIVS99MmPmXXakpve9eNjGIMBxQiEnDNzdi6ix4rGjnyJxgt3u3FqwiBCpEqud8ZPhO4u9lvb7VQshkDrQINRZkgvQ9TzDcwbJSDhw-8QYDe0X6KM1wkRxhlMMCq_1oJoUJyuJjg3RWjXWuM0o377D55P6IlY9-CGib41-jurVTJGoJXA/s1000/Cradle%20of%20Conflict.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OylAMqSfJpTIVS99MmPmXXakpve9eNjGIMBxQiEnDNzdi6ix4rGjnyJxgt3u3FqwiBCpEqud8ZPhO4u9lvb7VQshkDrQINRZkgvQ9TzDcwbJSDhw-8QYDe0X6KM1wkRxhlMMCq_1oJoUJyuJjg3RWjXWuM0o377D55P6IlY9-CGib41-jurVTJGoJXA/w132-h200/Cradle%20of%20Conflict.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>I could use the excuse that sometimes life gets in the way, but that would be a cop-out. A writer should write, regardless. I have been writing, but not on this platform since last May.<p></p><p></p>First, I had the sixth book in my John Ross Boomer Lit series, <i><a href="https://wingsepress.com/products/cradle-of-conflict" target="_blank">Cradle of Conflict</a></i>, published on Dec. 1. Anyone who has written a book knows that there's a lot of writing that goes into the final product, from drafts (I had seven), to edits, to rewrites. So that took up a lot of my time until I wrapped it up in early November with my editor and graphic artist. It's also available, in ebook and print, from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Conflict-John-Ross-Boomer-ebook/dp/B0CMPJ3YYF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UN72O1KZC392&keywords=cradle+of+conflict+michael+embry&qid=1701965039&sprefix=cradle+of+confloic%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.<div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6P3tSiskgIcXy4ozAORtAPH8XT8OIFPT8U73-BY1y07mwHa-lvojo-YAtxVULaRNjAyFU6qK8olA-SznM1TZOAq2NcGBVGB7SJWsTq5NtOc7EJyUxIhohtPzYx_MFN61H_u2CkTp8N3MfXJXZR81jzt439scIpVuSq46zmKp6OyZYF_hWeUmJGmI1xg/s4000/Cervantes.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image by Michael Embry" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6P3tSiskgIcXy4ozAORtAPH8XT8OIFPT8U73-BY1y07mwHa-lvojo-YAtxVULaRNjAyFU6qK8olA-SznM1TZOAq2NcGBVGB7SJWsTq5NtOc7EJyUxIhohtPzYx_MFN61H_u2CkTp8N3MfXJXZR81jzt439scIpVuSq46zmKp6OyZYF_hWeUmJGmI1xg/w150-h200/Cervantes.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Madrid </td></tr></tbody></table>I also traveled to Spain, spending two marvelous weeks in September and October, starting in Madrid and ending in Barcelona. In between, there were stops in Seville, Granada. Valencia, and Ronda. My wife, Mary, and I even made a day trip to Gibraltar. More about marvelous Spain in a future post.<p></p><p>My wife and I also drove to Greenville, S.C., in August. It's always nice to discover wonderful places near home. I can see why Greenville is a hot destination in the American South. It's a walkable city (we're urban hikers) with lots to see and do, from baseball to museums. And more about Greenville in a future post.</p><p></p><p>Since November of last year, I've taken on the position of marketing director for <a href="https://wingsepress.com/" target="_blank">Wings ePress</a>. I put together a monthly newsletter and manage social media, trying to attract attention to a talented group of authors. Check out the newsletter <a href="https://conta.cc/46EN6wQ" target="_blank">here</a> and subscribe.</p><p>I'll be getting back to regular posts, revisiting my trips, revealing future travel plans, and pontificating about music, photography, and writing. </p><p>Until the next time... </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-55428307931910974462023-05-27T09:49:00.001-04:002023-05-27T09:49:13.842-04:00Alive and Well, and Writing <p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I haven't posted a blog in about three months. That's a long time in cyberspace. It was my plan at the start to have a minimum of one post per week and usually exceeded that number.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> But sometimes life gets in the way of intentions. It's not like I've been in a vegetative state, even though I'm a vegetarian. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEtJlB5t5es1Sz3fw2EPDiqAPBYdtDACsDH2eJRlQ5aoGNuNreKp9WvV6A_x7nbyIf0tTu2ormfxRIZVAHb7ebln-TAmSYCASXHs1jCVNkyTSONylKmu9dS6C1t64pRJMZZgaWjvkgnLgbKMDakYPiLZNytljLtEMRZsxYl7tUS2Ja5DUWJRHYfIy/s792/May%20Newsletter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="547" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEtJlB5t5es1Sz3fw2EPDiqAPBYdtDACsDH2eJRlQ5aoGNuNreKp9WvV6A_x7nbyIf0tTu2ormfxRIZVAHb7ebln-TAmSYCASXHs1jCVNkyTSONylKmu9dS6C1t64pRJMZZgaWjvkgnLgbKMDakYPiLZNytljLtEMRZsxYl7tUS2Ja5DUWJRHYfIy/w221-h320/May%20Newsletter.JPG" width="221" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm still working on the third rewrite of the sixth book in my "John Ross Boomer Lit Series." It hasn't come along as smoothly as the previous entries, but still, there's progress. I'd like to finish it in a few weeks to submit to my publisher for publication later this year. It might be wishful thinking on my part. I hope not, but we'll see. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I've also taken on some responsibilities with my publisher, <a href="http://www.wingsepress.com" target="_blank">Wings ePress</a>. The primary job is marketing coordinator. I promote the authors, books, and the publisher through Facebook, Twitter, website, and other venues.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I also handle the monthly newsletter that made its debut in April. Check it out <a href="https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Newsletter-and-New-Fiction--.html?soid=1140007498896&aid=N2mVs7VTHck" target="_blank">here</a>, and if interested, subscribe. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Also, query the executive editor at Wings at executive-editor@wingsepress.com if you have a complete or near-complete manuscript. You should visit the <a href="https://wingsepress.com/pages/submissions-guidelines" target="_blank">website</a> to see various genres and submission guidelines. Tell them I sent you! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That's it for now. I do hope to get back to posting on a semi-regular basis. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until the next time . . .</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-90351907693784022962023-02-08T18:24:00.004-05:002023-02-08T18:24:55.871-05:00The Writing Life: Difficult Restart <p><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">A week ago I returned to a manuscript that had been in a file folder for nearly a year. I had put it aside for various and sundry reasons. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">For those who don't follow my blog, I'm working on the sixth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">I confess that it's been a rocky return to the manuscript. I work on a chapter each day with edits and rewrites. The problem is that I'm still not sure I like where the story is headed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">I originally thought I could build on the 40k words and finish the first draft in a couple months. Perhaps that'll happen once I get into a groove. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">My big concern is that I may be developing a case of writer's block with the manuscript. I've wondered if:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Maybe I was away from the story for too long to get back into it? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">I should simply put it away and come back when I can devote more time to it?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">I'm putting too much pressure on myself to complete the manuscript with my self-imposed deadline? </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">The one solution I see right now is to quit fretting about rewriting, editing, and word count and simply read!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">So that is what I plan to do. I'm going to re-read the manuscript, take a few notes along the way, and then get back into it with renewed energy and focus.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Don't you like reading thought processes of a writer? Kinda crazy, huh?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">I'll let you know in a few days how things worked out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Until the next time . . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><p></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-81772849924391992732023-02-01T14:27:00.001-05:002023-02-01T14:27:16.759-05:00The Writing Life: Back to the Keyboard<p> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">It's been nearly a year since I saved the manuscript for my next novel on the hard-drive. I put it aside for reasons that I'll keep to myself. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">But on Feb. 1, I reopened it to begin work on the sixth book in my John Ross Boomer Lit series. It's my hope to have a complete draft finished in two months. <br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0knztg9_3CQcH3mjuipPwQho5fuzOQfXufJEe9lJGqgOR0qiOCF_QwUz0vezJIVhG_1W3n0vfQ-VGjrdIZkjmkMjdhrJLYcSvFHoAiMzhfmxz4YpStkN2rQ-4XZTkm1Gw6pBJHXFARm55tZsWN1D84N-1Yya3kFzcQ1idtsdwitE9hhIovKvSIjdH/s881/Computerized%20thinker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="881" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0knztg9_3CQcH3mjuipPwQho5fuzOQfXufJEe9lJGqgOR0qiOCF_QwUz0vezJIVhG_1W3n0vfQ-VGjrdIZkjmkMjdhrJLYcSvFHoAiMzhfmxz4YpStkN2rQ-4XZTkm1Gw6pBJHXFARm55tZsWN1D84N-1Yya3kFzcQ1idtsdwitE9hhIovKvSIjdH/w200-h197/Computerized%20thinker.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I've written more than 41k words so my first task is to read what I've already written and go from there. So far it's been almost like going over another writer's words. That's good because I'm giving a reader's eye to the story.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I'll be making edits and rewrites along the way as the story comes back to life. Of course, I know the story in my head; just not the details from what a wrote a long time ago. I've put drafts aside in the past, but they were completed. I've never returned to a partial draft after almost a year. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I've made mental notes and a few physical ones about the novel. I'm sure there will be more notations in the coming weeks. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">My editor at <a href="https://wingsepress.com/" target="_blank">Wings ePress</a> has reserved a spot to publish the book later in the year so I'm on somewhat of a deadline to get it to her in plenty of time for the edits, copy edits, proofreads and everything else entailed in transforming a manuscript into a novel.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Until the next time . . .</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-58811400786835012422023-01-30T15:34:00.000-05:002023-01-30T15:34:20.868-05:00No More Thinking About the End <p><span style="background-color: black; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">It may seem odd to many boomers and other old folks, but I don’t fear death.</span></span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd pe jj b pf pg fz ph pi pj gd pk pl pm pn po pp pq pr ps pt pu pv pw px ih bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="cdc8" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #292929; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXPGUo4c9lsOByGdKEnWDB2ZHnRSBimauEmpXUQvscCXqGGxhONxDb996Ba0uxRDPawbgXwg4xGGoba38AzsWdBmb3MeobbA3ZHHXq2l4NjMwNOVEWAIwlVD_eTSS7EF4SuvESguUm9NzF3APdLoIp229Va7-Xxadd_RHiHjWEsQFyW_dX_IH4Ydr/s628/gravestones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXPGUo4c9lsOByGdKEnWDB2ZHnRSBimauEmpXUQvscCXqGGxhONxDb996Ba0uxRDPawbgXwg4xGGoba38AzsWdBmb3MeobbA3ZHHXq2l4NjMwNOVEWAIwlVD_eTSS7EF4SuvESguUm9NzF3APdLoIp229Va7-Xxadd_RHiHjWEsQFyW_dX_IH4Ydr/s320/gravestones.jpg" width="310" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Now in my mid-70s, I’ve reached many of the goals set many years ago. I never expected life to go on forever — and wouldn’t want it to. After so many trips around the Sun, it can get kinda boring.</span></span><br /></span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd pe jj b pf pg fz ph pi pj gd pk pl pm pn po pp pq pr ps pt pu pv pw px ih bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="f87a" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">But have you ever considered a few of the positives about kicking the proverbial bucket?</span></p><ul class="" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; list-style: none none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf pg pi pj pl ui pp uj pt uk px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="bd99" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 2.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more filing state and federal income taxes. That means no longer have to keep track of everything you do during the previous years before filing.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ce91" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more having to replace vehicles, appliances, and other devices.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8173" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more grieving over the passing of relatives, friends, and pets.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8c14" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more visits to various doctors for whatever procedures to keep you from dying.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="7427" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more telephone calls from spammers trying to sell you a car warranty, medicare supplement, or life insurance.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="5a51" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more worries about political polarization, climate change, and pollution.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="7458" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more concerns about the price of gasoline, groceries, and prescriptions.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="2547" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more reading about mass murders and senseless gun violence.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="07a1" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more worrying about getting rid of the clutter collected over the years.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="971c" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more upgrading smartphones, computers, laptops, and tablets.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="bf61" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more having to deal with toxic people.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="a122" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more seeing and reading about the atrocities of war.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8fdc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more having to take your vehicles in to be serviced or repaired.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="de28" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more thinking about home security.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="c0cc" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more contending with those who have road rage.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8933" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more having to face rude, disrespectful, and pretentious people.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="5088" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more answering the front door and seeing religious missionaries, political aspirants, or strangers collecting money for various fundraisers.</span></li><li class="ug uh pe jj b pf up pi uq pl ur pp us pt ut px ul um un uo bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="7ded" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 28px; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: -0.46em; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 1.14em; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">No more deadlines because you’re finally dead.</span></li></ul><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd pe jj b pf pg fz ph pi pj gd pk pl pm pn po pp pq pr ps pt pu pv pw px ih bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="76d7" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">There’s more I could add to the list, but you get the idea. I bet there are a lot of things you would include.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd pe jj b pf pg fz ph pi pj gd pk pl pm pn po pp pq pr ps pt pu pv pw px ih bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="bf33" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">In the meantime, I’ll wake up each morning and do those things I find challenging, worthwhile, and fulfilling. And then go to bed each night, hoping I accomplished something. But I won’t lose sleep over it — unless it’s getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd pe jj b pf pg fz ph pi pj gd pk pl pm pn po pp pq pr ps pt pu pv pw px ih bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="e434" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">Maybe death is a final blessing from the pain, the mundane, and the insane we’ve encountered throughout our lives.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd pe jj b pf pg fz ph pi pj gd pk pl pm pn po pp pq pr ps pt pu pv pw px ih bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="e434" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">Until the next time . . .</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd pe jj b pf pg fz ph pi pj gd pk pl pm pn po pp pq pr ps pt pu pv pw px ih bi" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="e434" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">(This post originally appeared at Medium.com)</span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-69761492429737295202023-01-01T15:26:00.004-05:002023-01-01T15:26:52.334-05:00Looking Ahead <p> Embarking on another year, it's my intention to make it better than the previous one. </p><p>It's not always the case because most things are beyond my control. So, in that case, I simply try to go with the flow and encounter things as smoothly as possible, although bumps along the way can snap one out of a stupor. </p><p>So here are some of my goals, not resolutions, for 2023:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CjjVKxADy3t4Mr0VcC-9_yeAjSft0exlzIutQP99R_s1av72xgYgYhVJmsfdHBzx35QwLxAM9XHdv9ssm-fX2uQT3FTr8H3WIkS_Qj0Hc_CKNxBGz2CFGjZRO09Jk3uelUqc7_MEMm19tQ80cAXNq3jIXI3_V7OvBjFrVCBk8d_qrOAO7iN-7Eo1/s717/list.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="431" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CjjVKxADy3t4Mr0VcC-9_yeAjSft0exlzIutQP99R_s1av72xgYgYhVJmsfdHBzx35QwLxAM9XHdv9ssm-fX2uQT3FTr8H3WIkS_Qj0Hc_CKNxBGz2CFGjZRO09Jk3uelUqc7_MEMm19tQ80cAXNq3jIXI3_V7OvBjFrVCBk8d_qrOAO7iN-7Eo1/w240-h400/list.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><li>Get back to my novel, the sixth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. It's been sitting dormant for about eight months. I've written more than 40k words so I need to read and rewrite from the get-go.</li><li>For many years, I've planned to work on short stories. For those who know or follow me, I've intended to do a follow-up volume to <i>Laments</i>, a collection of short stories published in 2012. I may not do a follow-up on the same theme, but plan to write a few stories that have been lingering in my head for the past several years. </li><li>As noted in my previous post, I want to delve into poetry. I'll let everyone know how that goes.</li><li>I want to get back on the road to places I've never seen. Travel invigorates me with the sights, sounds, and tastes that one encounters at destinations. I'm considering Spain. Maybe Machu Picchu. Of course, there are places within driving distance that I'd like to experience. Perhaps Key West? Philadelphia? Boston? Washington, D.C.? Oregon, Idaho, and Washington are the only states in the lower 48 I haven't visited, so they are a possibility if gasoline prices stay somewhat reasonable. I hope to see a few friends along the way.</li><li>While not necessarily my goals, my wife has some things on her list she'd like to see for the house, such as a bathroom remodel. Depending on how much that will cost, it could have an adverse effect on other things, such as travel. And you never know what appliance is going to need to be replaced in the house. We also have some outdoor projects to complete this year. These are on the "honey-do" list.</li></ul><div>At my age, time is of the essence. I may not have three or four years to do these things—give or take a year or two if I'm fortunate. It's not like when I was in my 30s and 40s and had 30 or 40 years ahead of me, which seemed almost like an eternity, to reach goals. However, a few things I made plans for back in the 1980s and '90s, I accomplished as I got older. It just takes time and determination and savings and luck. </div><div><br /></div><div>I hope you realize your goals this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until the next time . . . </div><div><br /></div><p></p><p> </p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-3589238146431384082022-12-31T13:06:00.004-05:002023-01-01T15:44:52.262-05:00Looking Back <p> This year wasn't the most productive for me. </p><p>I reached a few of my personal goals. I don't know if it's age or what. Perhaps I don't have the stamina and motivation. I don't know if that's attributable to growing older or simply limited interest in doing things. Only time will tell.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2Lpsnkug73vt9PIkJJ6gbF53NN__Qycoz7DeZi1Itf71PKkwCOI-o07PvtJNJfJOq9Ljbp9OamN2MLWTM44rE0MudYa1zqpgoJHqI_Wa9WQN7pWGVeRj9ZzfkyHrROryFnnagbuOr1-7u9VAT_Xu8OPFffn19-MyI250p14KrzaAqd1E7-qyIZ0B/s706/time.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2Lpsnkug73vt9PIkJJ6gbF53NN__Qycoz7DeZi1Itf71PKkwCOI-o07PvtJNJfJOq9Ljbp9OamN2MLWTM44rE0MudYa1zqpgoJHqI_Wa9WQN7pWGVeRj9ZzfkyHrROryFnnagbuOr1-7u9VAT_Xu8OPFffn19-MyI250p14KrzaAqd1E7-qyIZ0B/s320/time.bmp" width="165" /></a></div><p></p><p>On the writing front, I didn't have many posts here, probably the fewest ever. As mentioned before, I don't want to post something for the sake of posting something. It's a waste of my time and of readers as well. I do plan to write more about music and travel. There's such a glut of posts out there about writing that it's very repetitive. </p><p>I'm still working on book six in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. I wrote more than 40k words but stopped last spring. I admit it was partly due to the declining health of my beloved dog, Bailey, who eventually passed on June 16. Seven months later, I still think about him. Yes, dogs are certainly family. I'm thankful I have Belle.</p><p>Another obstacle I faced is seeking to have the entire series on Ingram Lightning Source so that they'll all be available to bookstores and various online stores in addition to Amazon. It would help so much with my marketing. I hope the problem is resolved soon.</p><p>On the positive side, my wife resumed our travels in 2022, spending a week in Portugal and 12 days in Banff, Canada, and Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. We also traveled to Asheville, N.C. We're still deciding on where to journey in the coming year. Maybe Spain.</p><p>I'm doing marketing for Wings ePress, hoping to bring more exposure and sales to its talented authors. It's an appreciable change of pace for me at this point in my life. I've always needed to have a purpose in my daily life.</p><p>Photography is still a keen interest that I will continue to do. I'll add a point-and-shoot travel camera to my equipment. Some of my DSLRs are getting too heavy to lug around and too much to pack for long trips involving flights. I'm too old to move to the lightweight mirrorless cameras. </p><p>Wishing you all the best in the coming new year!</p><p>Until the next time . . .</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-35362078165897618142022-12-22T12:08:00.000-05:002022-12-22T12:08:05.946-05:00The Books I Read in 2022I'm a member of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> and always participate in its Reading Challenge every year. This year's personal challenge was to read 30 books; so far I've exceeded that at 32 and still have a couple more on my bookshelf.<div><br /></div><div>As a writer, I'm a voracious reader. I believe reading makes me a better writer. I think all writers feel that sentiment about their writing. While I love books, I also read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and various Internet sites. Even cereal boxes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the books that claimed some of my precious time this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent an inordinate amount of time reading about our disgraced former president. It wasn't so much that I wanted to read about him, but to gain a deeper understanding of the workings of the government and why people are motivated to do certain things for the sake of power. It was a disheartening look at U.S. democracy in the 21st century. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span> </span> Among the books:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCd8IpB6bu7xYBEfyaRBMe406bbFqhETYCjry7izTBfxUo1-s9uEmF98Cj9Aq63vb7L_EHaxN6TsbscvnTgF0unl5lKU0pQaGnAy-5GNlymRclI9uCfB0sVYJ6aXbIKf2B1Ti_PAo-CAmpSjojO225z7IRPWruaJ8uu4U1OdXmrZro1dotdaIxeKs/s400/Betrayal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCd8IpB6bu7xYBEfyaRBMe406bbFqhETYCjry7izTBfxUo1-s9uEmF98Cj9Aq63vb7L_EHaxN6TsbscvnTgF0unl5lKU0pQaGnAy-5GNlymRclI9uCfB0sVYJ6aXbIKf2B1Ti_PAo-CAmpSjojO225z7IRPWruaJ8uu4U1OdXmrZro1dotdaIxeKs/w87-h130/Betrayal.jpg" width="87" /></a></div><span> </span> "Peril" by Bob Woodward and Bob Costa (up close and personal)</div><div> "Trumpocalypse" and "Trumpocracy" by David Frum (a conservative's viewpoint)</div><div><span> "The Plot to Destroy Democracy" by Malcolm Nance (a cyber expert)</span><br /></div><div><span><span> "The Big Lie" by Jonathan Lemire (details longtime game plan)</span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><span> "How Civil Wars Start" by Barbara F. Walter (scary outlook about the nation's future) </span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span> "Betrayal" by Jonathan Karl (my favorite of the books)<br /></span></span></span></div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzqSZIs-j0CDsbO98TFJAeILZ9EwomFjpHILN0v7eZtzANBFFvct9IL5K0ItYAIDedfBuRx9VUeWwrXh-ce9poVARdNv-1XmCwFC6xkk1_RICDuSNwa_b_60xZ6ZAh0CthZw1QFOzrDam93hcR54SwbBE_rXKBRw2IIi87rHs08qixkxeWSem_nhM/s500/last%20train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzqSZIs-j0CDsbO98TFJAeILZ9EwomFjpHILN0v7eZtzANBFFvct9IL5K0ItYAIDedfBuRx9VUeWwrXh-ce9poVARdNv-1XmCwFC6xkk1_RICDuSNwa_b_60xZ6ZAh0CthZw1QFOzrDam93hcR54SwbBE_rXKBRw2IIi87rHs08qixkxeWSem_nhM/w86-h129/last%20train.jpg" width="86" /></a></div>I've been a fan of mysteries for a long time. I try to read those that have a distinctive voice, believable characters, and gritty dialogue.</div><div><span> "Sins of the Father" by Judith White (a pleasant discovery for me)</span><br /></div><div><span><span> "Looking at Kansas" and "Last Train to Miami" by Chris Helvey (one of my favorite murder-mystery writers)</span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><span> "Harmon Creek" by Thomas Fenske (based on a heinous crime in Texas)<br /></span><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqugxUHiQTyMIjD0oebQsSK1a_Qf5a9TDEnjF3SU2j_Z8gFw5Nl4omV2oZX9SKB3PswORDwyaPNGBBbJoqAEolAk7jUbD9DXBU4xM5h0B44UHnlA-IXRbE6aEvwuElsswj0-lVhPwZTsb5aSNu3_jl9u3nJlqV6uWL-_1VxTrLsjzYd54CWjcy-9Iy/s499/ahmad%20toys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqugxUHiQTyMIjD0oebQsSK1a_Qf5a9TDEnjF3SU2j_Z8gFw5Nl4omV2oZX9SKB3PswORDwyaPNGBBbJoqAEolAk7jUbD9DXBU4xM5h0B44UHnlA-IXRbE6aEvwuElsswj0-lVhPwZTsb5aSNu3_jl9u3nJlqV6uWL-_1VxTrLsjzYd54CWjcy-9Iy/w90-h138/ahmad%20toys.jpg" width="90" /></a></div>The next few books probably fall under the General Fiction category. Each has elements of suspense, mystery, sadness, and humor.</div><div> "Uncle Ahmad's Toys" by E. William Fruge (focusing on immigration and racism)</div><div> <span> "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens (who hasn't read this book?)<span> </span></span></div><div><span><span><span> "The Necessities of Life" by Ed Ford (Eastern Kentucky mining town during the Great Depression)</span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> "Zorrie" by Laird Hunt (Woman seeks purpose and understanding in life)<br /></span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNmBSJC-METGa7UFhcZBRYu8yEtqcfn8eshlwxX1pA0FaqEjVHaGP_1C3dQycug_nEnjOEqDPVgz6w9M0tqzixb83cGtWHXo4-EMOeZpEgud45qUHj64l4L4OQKdgdb3NBkRkF_7ovxEtkiXKJ2UURiiHjoCHb-nuZUT8D2UWu4CWTqY1fQOI4BRP/s475/Being%20Mortal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNmBSJC-METGa7UFhcZBRYu8yEtqcfn8eshlwxX1pA0FaqEjVHaGP_1C3dQycug_nEnjOEqDPVgz6w9M0tqzixb83cGtWHXo4-EMOeZpEgud45qUHj64l4L4OQKdgdb3NBkRkF_7ovxEtkiXKJ2UURiiHjoCHb-nuZUT8D2UWu4CWTqY1fQOI4BRP/w94-h141/Being%20Mortal.jpg" width="94" /></a></div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>And some nonfiction and poetry:</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> "Small Acreages" by Georgia Green Stamper (reflections on a interesting life) </span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span> "Promise" by Patricia Rose (dealing with a broken heart)</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span> "Gangsters vs. Nazis" by Michael Benson (something new about "good" bad guys against evil bad guys)</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> "Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande (end-of-life options to consider)<br /></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKXI2f-VsL5cRFL-BRZAeSG2bN1PId5Q_cs-lrnbDfdEq904FJp90al6oXmDTch5rAc6fGHle8tNBBWMxaKKnS7AUTlKBUzZG3VrFnPhM2D8317buWnlovDF4MlBlmquygDux4t5UhfdN1F_Xdxf-KsyeXppZbY3Z7hJQvsKUhvE3DpoHI3OjbuY9/s475/Death%20Canal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKXI2f-VsL5cRFL-BRZAeSG2bN1PId5Q_cs-lrnbDfdEq904FJp90al6oXmDTch5rAc6fGHle8tNBBWMxaKKnS7AUTlKBUzZG3VrFnPhM2D8317buWnlovDF4MlBlmquygDux4t5UhfdN1F_Xdxf-KsyeXppZbY3Z7hJQvsKUhvE3DpoHI3OjbuY9/w95-h143/Death%20Canal.jpg" width="95" /></a></div>Other books I read and enjoyed.</div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span>Nonfiction: "Enemy of the People" (Terrence Petty), "Factfulness" (Hans Rosling), "USA National Parks" (DK Eyewitness Travel), and "Balance Exercise for Seniors" (Baz Thompson).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> </span>Fiction: "She's Missing" (Mike Paull), "The Island" (H. Wakefield), "If She Knew" (Blake Pierce), "Antique Mourning" (Eileen Harris), "Alaska Shelter" (Debbie LaFleiche), "Death Canel" (Michael Hartnett), "After the Ark" (Dick Shead), "Journey to Mackinac Island" (Kileen Prather), and "Adultery 101" (Margaret Kona). <br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>I've reviewed the books on Goodreads if you're interested in reading them. As an author, I ask readers to leave ratings and/or reviews of my books. So as a reader, I do the same. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span>I'll be signing up for the 2023 challenge soon. This time, I'll probably increase the number to 36 books. I hope you join in the challenge as well. It's rewarding, entertaining, and fulfilling. And while you're at it, connect with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2770917.Michael_Embry">me</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span>Until the next time . . .<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-21868089204340637222022-12-19T07:09:00.000-05:002022-12-19T07:09:14.711-05:00A Post about Nothing<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">It's been six weeks since I posted anything on this blog site. For those who are subscribers, I apologize. For others, I will return at some point in time. Bear with me. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP0otQu4UrvC719ii6gbxmeKZIdpkuy_ZtX2eQOq5kT05nJ-kdeCtRoNnR9qCNagJqPRKvV19XzalBPxZNEfINw7v2A22uJhvKvxYd1oZmSMLb8fMX5ifNisq8rmWtYC5sgjOlVi-nk1pDzEF0p5D6ABah7aWpFRrEIAK6RyIgneGAVSdFcyjxYVU/s567/thinking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP0otQu4UrvC719ii6gbxmeKZIdpkuy_ZtX2eQOq5kT05nJ-kdeCtRoNnR9qCNagJqPRKvV19XzalBPxZNEfINw7v2A22uJhvKvxYd1oZmSMLb8fMX5ifNisq8rmWtYC5sgjOlVi-nk1pDzEF0p5D6ABah7aWpFRrEIAK6RyIgneGAVSdFcyjxYVU/s320/thinking.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">The point I want to make today is that I'm not going to post something for the sake of posting something. If I don't have anything to say, I'm not going to fabricate some line that is a waste of my time, and more importantly, of yours! <br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I do intend to get back to regular posts, after the holidays and when I have the time to write something worthy of your time. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As many of you probably know, I try to avoid politics. It's not that I'm not political, but I want my blog to be an escape from the polarization and turmoil on the political front. Furthermore, there are more than enough political blogs out there to more than satisfy political junkies.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'll continue to focus on travel, music, books, and occasionally items that capture my fancy. I also have another novel that I need to finish in the next few months.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I wish everyone a holiday season of peace and happiness — and hope you spread joy to others in this uncertain world we live in.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Until the next time . . </span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-32268636761901570822022-11-01T18:33:00.000-04:002022-11-01T18:33:18.469-04:00On the Road: A short trip to Asheville, N.C. <p>Asheville is a jewel in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a small city with big appeal</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhQkQXGjhk7awy1OJVbV9_dZl0vkUR3fb8baySbVDv08SDdOYwBWw7Kg6wCiAgjyt671VsHxDUddAn5GG8gO82RwCUw1fneTyOrYgwJun3VRSGN19zieE0ixvdCMbqW0K8WyK50umsunCMYy_5mExeFSSIgfjjPfE-FJ_v7YbZIkgeg9KWa72iSbd/s6048/_DSC2962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4799" data-original-width="6048" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhQkQXGjhk7awy1OJVbV9_dZl0vkUR3fb8baySbVDv08SDdOYwBWw7Kg6wCiAgjyt671VsHxDUddAn5GG8gO82RwCUw1fneTyOrYgwJun3VRSGN19zieE0ixvdCMbqW0K8WyK50umsunCMYy_5mExeFSSIgfjjPfE-FJ_v7YbZIkgeg9KWa72iSbd/w200-h159/_DSC2962.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Asheville</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My three-day visit to North Carolina in October exceeded expectations. I knew some things about the city, such as the famous <a href="https://www.biltmore.com/" target="_blank">Biltmore Estate</a>, and did some research on other places to experience.</p><p></p>For many years, while traveling to places in the southeast, I would drive past the Asheville exits on the interstate. Looking back, that was my loss. But I'm glad I was able to overcome the foolish decision of my younger years. Yep, live and learn.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZw0qTqxvRLpFkAnHQpZ9XHZxn3goH8SMHVjhbFtmGCjdFxB6xUiqWChhdh4F5T_IA66RZ2UlUF7sLhEbLI7GsMfPV-D7nEZ53diHzLmOaS1ez-0ykCvmz_Sa1Q_MUc2y0NTkRxZm9ncFz5O7klCEX3wZXe9ZBeXGMQQl_JLfyl1-Jz_EbHPuAabke/s8256/_DSC2978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZw0qTqxvRLpFkAnHQpZ9XHZxn3goH8SMHVjhbFtmGCjdFxB6xUiqWChhdh4F5T_IA66RZ2UlUF7sLhEbLI7GsMfPV-D7nEZ53diHzLmOaS1ez-0ykCvmz_Sa1Q_MUc2y0NTkRxZm9ncFz5O7klCEX3wZXe9ZBeXGMQQl_JLfyl1-Jz_EbHPuAabke/w320-h213/_DSC2978.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Ridge Mountains </td></tr></tbody></table>It's hard to beat driving to that area of the country in October, taking in the palette of autumn colors splashed across the trees in the rolling peaks and valleys. Once you enter the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm" target="_blank">Great Smoky Mountains National Park</a>, near Knoxville, Tenn., and straight through to the <a href="https://blueridgemountainstravelguide.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains</a>, the reds, yellows, oranges, and browns rival nature's display in other parts of our beautiful nation known for colorful fall foliage.<br /></p><p></p>Asheville was named after Samuel Ashe, the ninth governor of North Carolina. The city of nearly 100,000 residents has a thriving arts scene, great restaurants, brew pubs, a noted bookstore (<a href="https://www.malaprops.com/" target="_blank">Malaprop's</a>), interesting Art déco architecture, and a state university and several private colleges. There's a lot to this small city. <div><br /></div><div>The Biltmore is the primary tourist destination for many people coming to the area, but we skipped it. My wife had been there before with friends and took lots of photos. And I have seen many images, watched a documentary and read articles about the historic place to where I felt I had already been there. Maybe next time. <div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_rtGwgrcEXlMPe5j1sGuyT9tI0hgFjAhvZ3qn2Hz3qaO3g4jh4VxbQc2boMFVcgHYwVeueAOiIhGYjIHmlQQtTjH_zWPSACdJtyGV2NFnspGMphdxml-EvBXDsyQyorrpN8N_nNXceyuyq9AorIYvI-ITH7ZjgGO_0ZY8w1czCxorE7LA5OAfmzM/s7417/_DSC2955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4940" data-original-width="7417" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_rtGwgrcEXlMPe5j1sGuyT9tI0hgFjAhvZ3qn2Hz3qaO3g4jh4VxbQc2boMFVcgHYwVeueAOiIhGYjIHmlQQtTjH_zWPSACdJtyGV2NFnspGMphdxml-EvBXDsyQyorrpN8N_nNXceyuyq9AorIYvI-ITH7ZjgGO_0ZY8w1czCxorE7LA5OAfmzM/w200-h133/_DSC2955.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas Wolfe Memorial</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Downtown Asheville is very walkable and among the places we saw while strolling the streets were boyhood home of writer<a href="http://wolfememorial.com/" target="_blank"> Thomas Wolfe</a> ("Look Homeward, Angel" and more), the <a href="https://saintlawrencebasilica.org/" target="_blank">Basilica of St. Lawrence</a>, the <a href="https://www.ashevilleart.org/" target="_blank">Asheville Art Museum</a>, and various artworks along the way.</div><p></p><p>A highlight of the trip was visiting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/carl/index.htm" target="_blank">Carl Sandburg National Historic Site</a> in Flat Rock, about 30 miles south of Asheville, where the "Poet of the People" lived from 1945 until his death in 1967. His 264-acre Connemara estate includes his stately white residence, a goat farm where his wife, Lilian, raised champion dairy goats, and five miles of hiking trails. Sandburg was the recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes, twice for poetry and once for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh4t4b9KkbP8T-g_h2Vrrlm6YwYQslgmp7mjQY80hn2DmcTu166SNsWK674sRdjjpNNk0tToLwukRrGzF2saW0g2Dz_xhCbpACWF7vJz5KtTcwGbvv4TDwwhOQTpz4VAGocHq08y6SOxY50Mkud1D_DSBF3mbgsmeAyL70IxxLFyesQLEdxcUIL_i/s8256/_DSC2915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh4t4b9KkbP8T-g_h2Vrrlm6YwYQslgmp7mjQY80hn2DmcTu166SNsWK674sRdjjpNNk0tToLwukRrGzF2saW0g2Dz_xhCbpACWF7vJz5KtTcwGbvv4TDwwhOQTpz4VAGocHq08y6SOxY50Mkud1D_DSBF3mbgsmeAyL70IxxLFyesQLEdxcUIL_i/w200-h133/_DSC2915.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl Sandburg home</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>Sixteen miles east of Asheville is the art-and-crafts town of Black Mountain, named after the train depot. It's a quaint town that is welcoming to tourists with shops and restaurants. It is also the birthplace of Grammy Award-winning singer <a href="http://www.robertaflack.com/" target="_blank">Roberta Flack</a>.<br /></p><p>I plan to return to Asheville and take in more of the sights and sounds—and definitely spend more than three days in the area. There are plenty of outdoor <a href="https://www.exploreasheville.com/outdoor-adventures/" target="_blank">things to do</a>, and for all age groups, in and around this sparkling city.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQv6_LhWs2FTmwNSAMrCnRUFPRPv5v0ln2qVhTah_F-w_oBsTjFG6w9Spb0RfpMzAr0PZTsYUC4YJjBQmm6AWBhqB2LqiFsojYW9yOBTROaaqVALBsDqxob2Ovi56ZLAbiUfKnkIu_J61FNBv4nK2R6l1bFQAn2bmxlJ9WVg_J9mIQSy2xIvYXd5Xs/s4446/DSCN3148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2953" data-original-width="4446" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQv6_LhWs2FTmwNSAMrCnRUFPRPv5v0ln2qVhTah_F-w_oBsTjFG6w9Spb0RfpMzAr0PZTsYUC4YJjBQmm6AWBhqB2LqiFsojYW9yOBTROaaqVALBsDqxob2Ovi56ZLAbiUfKnkIu_J61FNBv4nK2R6l1bFQAn2bmxlJ9WVg_J9mIQSy2xIvYXd5Xs/w200-h133/DSCN3148.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table>While driving back to our old Kentucky home, my wife and I discussed that had we known more about Asheville a few years ago, it might have been a place we would have considered to retire. It's too late for us, but if you're nearing that point in your life, you might want to give it some thought because it's a small city with a lot of appeal.<br /></p><p>Until the next time . . . </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-50550476849349228142022-10-27T17:56:00.000-04:002022-10-27T17:56:21.143-04:00Forty-first annual Kentucky Book Festival<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">It will be a star-studded gathering of authors at the 41st annual <a href="https://kybookfestival.org/" target="_blank">Kentucky Book Festival</a> on Saturday.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3viIcZ5-pJn3CgFIPloOClJ_VFvsBP2tV0DfRM-oJH6w0XCRwtXyulBHwughc9926chn2CSi9kWVLBpN5WmAl7d_LzvBCXR3SYGwbZx_fUvu9pagbONHe6rN6HUFNJ8-VIQxJz-PulfIWffdNcsEMFJTeL7ZAjXb7LeA9O9xZ7MW-FMhbz4V2y3He/s600/kentucky%20book%20festival%20logo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3viIcZ5-pJn3CgFIPloOClJ_VFvsBP2tV0DfRM-oJH6w0XCRwtXyulBHwughc9926chn2CSi9kWVLBpN5WmAl7d_LzvBCXR3SYGwbZx_fUvu9pagbONHe6rN6HUFNJ8-VIQxJz-PulfIWffdNcsEMFJTeL7ZAjXb7LeA9O9xZ7MW-FMhbz4V2y3He/w311-h228/kentucky%20book%20festival%20logo.jpeg" width="311" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Around 150 authors, including yours truly, will take part in the day-long event at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington. It runs from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. <br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This will be my 11th appearance as an author, beginning in 1985 when it was called the Kentucky Book Fair and held in Frankfort. Newspaper journalist <b>Carl West</b> founded the fair in 1981. I also served on the executive board for six years, until it moved to Lexington in 2017 under the auspices of the Kentucky Humanities Council. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This year's literary list of luminaries includes:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vP3Abyncp6aRcILeLzcy9M7kiCFgRfnMWwd3Z8OFhRsKoqD42C4dS7jleSSNfUUVQkUr-rzy1hiBNDkJy0eXFBnEFVtYElk_881NeE08UNj256nCthsvU1GF6-0Gm81-yJ8EhHorzb2dVeT4pZPC8Uc2UmUUv0GvXBU92xxm3WS3qB7FyLOnSHQ6/s1200/Meacham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vP3Abyncp6aRcILeLzcy9M7kiCFgRfnMWwd3Z8OFhRsKoqD42C4dS7jleSSNfUUVQkUr-rzy1hiBNDkJy0eXFBnEFVtYElk_881NeE08UNj256nCthsvU1GF6-0Gm81-yJ8EhHorzb2dVeT4pZPC8Uc2UmUUv0GvXBU92xxm3WS3qB7FyLOnSHQ6/w200-h200/Meacham.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon Meacham</td></tr></tbody></table>Pulitzer-Prize-winning biographer<b> Jon Meacham</b>, author of "And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle."<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Best-selling author <b>Barbara Kingsolver</b>, a Kentucky native, will sign her latest novel, "Demon Copperhead."</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist <b>Geraldine Brooks</b>, with her latest release, "Horse." </span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Wendell Berry</b>, a Kentucky literary legend and recipient of the National Humanities Medal, will have "The Need to be Whole: Patriotism and the History of Prejudice."</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Western Kentucky University English professor and award-winning novelist <b>David Bell</b> will have his latest, "The Finalists," to sign. <br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbgDdBtuNe-hPE6Cq1oGW5YqaIbRqcV-ypm_TmpBF4hBqsFyABC-pj3pS8RfBRnq2DzEYf1ELi3gYaJnURB7FqhDLi-N0DfAD4DHVs1X38W2LENLvaGhIv6YvdqQHmbN0RQVKvUMueNqUogTakFVgxgnnbusPChbUwGAl0kgshzClXxNArimYMkZJ/s700/kingsolver.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbgDdBtuNe-hPE6Cq1oGW5YqaIbRqcV-ypm_TmpBF4hBqsFyABC-pj3pS8RfBRnq2DzEYf1ELi3gYaJnURB7FqhDLi-N0DfAD4DHVs1X38W2LENLvaGhIv6YvdqQHmbN0RQVKvUMueNqUogTakFVgxgnnbusPChbUwGAl0kgshzClXxNArimYMkZJ/w200-h200/kingsolver.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara Kingsolver </td></tr></tbody></table></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Kentucky Poet Laureate <b>Crystal Wilkinson</b> will have her prose and poetry collection, "Perfect Black."</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Among other notables are <b>Silas House</b> ("Lark Ascending"), former Kentucky poet laureate <b>Frank X Walker</b> ("Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York"), <b>Bobbie Ann Mason</b> ("Dear Ann"), <b>Emily Bingham</b> ("My Old Kentucky Home: The Astonishing Life and Reckoning of an Iconic American Song"), former Kentucky poet laureate <b>Richard Taylor</b> ("Elkhorn: Evolution of a Kentucky Landscape"), and <b>Ann Gabhart</b> ("When the Meadow Blooms"). <br /></span></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhVB72jEqa3AZY-yuOl0gmp7pHlNIn8K7NmhO3KB4aXplaIRjqLAix3D3ib96lBqMw0UDNlQhswuU_CtfeCtPuzoxbiSYN6qYaRCWbsl55Kh0yi36IYvzEu3_nNUKk77s2KtaZpwMecRMW7KAi6WvsIBqI9D9rqzj_zI4lqzlwyRrS2lWaIZTTXKf/s1360/geraldine%20brooks.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="1107" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhVB72jEqa3AZY-yuOl0gmp7pHlNIn8K7NmhO3KB4aXplaIRjqLAix3D3ib96lBqMw0UDNlQhswuU_CtfeCtPuzoxbiSYN6qYaRCWbsl55Kh0yi36IYvzEu3_nNUKk77s2KtaZpwMecRMW7KAi6WvsIBqI9D9rqzj_zI4lqzlwyRrS2lWaIZTTXKf/w202-h248/geraldine%20brooks.jpeg" width="202" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geraldine Brooks</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I belong to the <a href="https://www.bluegrasswriterscoalition.com/" target="_blank">Kentucky Writers Coalition</a>, which will have six authors at the fair: <b>Chris Helvey</b> ("Into the Wilderness"), <b>John Schaff</b> and Robert Schrage ("Hidden Histories of Kentucky Political Scandals"), <b>Georgia Green Stamper</b> ("Small Acreages: New and Collected Essays"), <b>Doris Dearen Settles</b> ("Leira Clara's Flowers"), Richard Taylor (previous paragraph), and me ("Reunion of Familiar Strangers"). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Click <a href="https://kybookfestival.org/lineup/" target="_blank">here</a> for the complete author lineup, including books and bios.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Besides an opportunity to meet talented authors and have them sign their books, the festival will have panel discussions, interviews, and presentations throughout the day on many interesting subjects—for all ages. Click <a href="https://kybookfestival.org/2022-events/#october29" target="_blank">here</a> for more information. Children's activities are listed <a href="https://kybookfestival.org/2022-events/#kidsactivities" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfE6yMPGVOqiQYoEQ1DOtZGD4M4W4k1DJLT53WNmPWPgoF-pcYvan9koQq3DJHClyHNNqZDYcmhvt_78WLh6q0230Z8qzujQmSkxTw34JbTpGjUgnNPGEPXR5NiARmYE0pKWP6km79pTxOotNdCm6KI2LMZavIbVfz2PjBP9gSbs01kWGw_aqmZvO/s768/crystal%20wilkinson.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfE6yMPGVOqiQYoEQ1DOtZGD4M4W4k1DJLT53WNmPWPgoF-pcYvan9koQq3DJHClyHNNqZDYcmhvt_78WLh6q0230Z8qzujQmSkxTw34JbTpGjUgnNPGEPXR5NiARmYE0pKWP6km79pTxOotNdCm6KI2LMZavIbVfz2PjBP9gSbs01kWGw_aqmZvO/w200-h200/crystal%20wilkinson.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crystal Wilkinson</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I almost forgot—the book festival is free (except for the books) and open to the public. It's a great time for book lovers and authors, and a wonderful opportunity to introduce youngsters to the joy of reading. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Drop by Table 23 and say "hi." I'll have a bookmark for you that works on all books!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Until the next time . . .</span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-40274269779173391472022-09-11T10:44:00.001-04:002022-09-11T10:44:35.342-04:00Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Notes Along the Way<p> I always take a notebook or notepad with me when I travel. I usually write about a day's events after I return to the hotel, but sometimes I'll put down thoughts on the bus or when there's a break along the way. I don't trust my mind to remember everything I've seen or heard over a busy day.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbToUI_HWCtfTHB_qpD0z_8o3DLpetBJs2__4naPOru_dYvzPGKmIBehYW2ftk_n0cg_eSxGQGmQt0vZSfpiQaP_SZ06R9zU6ALTx5lnXrCjkxGRBl1ZBozuy3lDBGw_ll_OS-nVoQml_PZb3e1C783U__ZyPkfPcKvQw5VN8cYyGPuAGX7Q4nH6pZ/s3264/notebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbToUI_HWCtfTHB_qpD0z_8o3DLpetBJs2__4naPOru_dYvzPGKmIBehYW2ftk_n0cg_eSxGQGmQt0vZSfpiQaP_SZ06R9zU6ALTx5lnXrCjkxGRBl1ZBozuy3lDBGw_ll_OS-nVoQml_PZb3e1C783U__ZyPkfPcKvQw5VN8cYyGPuAGX7Q4nH6pZ/w200-h127/notebook.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My notebook</td></tr></tbody></table>I also keep a small spiral notepad in my camera bag so I can jot down information about where I took a photo. I find it valuable, especially when I return home and begin sorting through the hundreds of images I've taken at various stops along the way. So, here are some of my scribbles from my recent trip to the Canadian Rockies, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and other places before and after:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>An American Airlines cancellation delayed the flight to Calgary one day. My wife and I were concerned because we had to take a COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to our departure. We took ours on a Tuesday afternoon, so we were ready with our negative results. While our good neighbor to the north didn't require testing, our tour company did because it apparently didn't want travelers spreading the disease to other passengers. It was an inconvenience, but it made sense. But we were looking forward to the tour of Calgary. </li><li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-q1K1uTkEzLadNd-81H9VOZCoEz_q39pK1BdfIjAN4slWAX5ZxRpZGday_1CDhnQe7L6IjwP-3lsssDAvH3drTgow7693SzBXeWhBHczGiUGf3mD_IVJ8UZVSj8hPU8fuwQx_QAtFSjWvcQwEpgbgosz4Tz1QLmP-_6UJ_M_lKXwa2LP0xuM7osQ/s3264/sulphur%20mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-q1K1uTkEzLadNd-81H9VOZCoEz_q39pK1BdfIjAN4slWAX5ZxRpZGday_1CDhnQe7L6IjwP-3lsssDAvH3drTgow7693SzBXeWhBHczGiUGf3mD_IVJ8UZVSj8hPU8fuwQx_QAtFSjWvcQwEpgbgosz4Tz1QLmP-_6UJ_M_lKXwa2LP0xuM7osQ/w150-h200/sulphur%20mountain.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tourists</td></tr></tbody></table>We made it to Calgary International Airport after a 3.5-hour layover at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Everything was going smoothly through customs until we encountered a 20-something security guard near the exit. Before arriving in Canada, we had to complete an online <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan.html" target="_blank">ArriveCAN</a> questionnaire on our reason for visiting, where we were staying, and how long we would be in their country. The security guard asked us what we were doing in Canada ("tourists"), where we were going ("Banff"), what we were going to do there (we gave him a perplexed look and said we were with a tour group), and then he asked where we were staying (I probably rolled my eyes, began pulling out travel papers and wondering if he was aware of ArriveCAN before he waved us on). I wasn't about to let him spoil this trip by getting us off on the wrong foot. <br /></li><li>During our time in Banff, which is Canada's first national park, I didn't see any graffiti on buildings, bridges, or walls. Anywhere. I don't recall seeing any in Calgary or during the drive to Banff. Nice and clean. Disheartening images I've seen on trips to other places in the world have been the defacing of structures in Rome, London, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Athens, and cities across the U.S. It's ugly. </li><li>We saw quite a few bicyclists along the highways, heading to scenic spots and wilderness areas. Our tour guide said that bears refer to them as "meals on wheels."</li><li><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxni7pCPDK2of63N38CRHMeN8QnaFksbGl80n7qVb8fva8oZH6EEVbjuU_ZKM3irFpljeuEY1N5wmvpv8SMDcB1_NV0MWfvOksVrk_0r5GC5aaYk_PSEc98dBxdioQ_TZti7mYHrfe8erbBZYt62hFLtSH8i0TQvMjFIj8KEKHovYlXTkBuZuWd_3_/s800/800px-Wildlife_overpass_Trans-Canada_Hwy_between_Banff_and_LakeLouise_Alberta.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo by WikiPedant at Wikimedia Commons" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxni7pCPDK2of63N38CRHMeN8QnaFksbGl80n7qVb8fva8oZH6EEVbjuU_ZKM3irFpljeuEY1N5wmvpv8SMDcB1_NV0MWfvOksVrk_0r5GC5aaYk_PSEc98dBxdioQ_TZti7mYHrfe8erbBZYt62hFLtSH8i0TQvMjFIj8KEKHovYlXTkBuZuWd_3_/w320-h180/800px-Wildlife_overpass_Trans-Canada_Hwy_between_Banff_and_LakeLouise_Alberta.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildlife overpass on Trans-Canada highway</td></tr></tbody></table>On the Trans-Canada highway, we saw animal overpasses and underpasses that provide elk, bears, deer, and other wildlife safe passage through areas and reduce the chances of encounters with motorists. There were also game fences from the highway to deter wildlife from reaching the highway. A<a href="https://wildlife.org/fences-best-at-reducing-roadkill/#:~:text=Fences%20were%20the%20most%20successful%20mitigation%20measure%2C%20resulting,including%20mammals%2C%20amphibians%2C%20reptiles%20and%20birds%2C%20Jaeger%20said." target="_blank"> study</a> reported by The Wildlife Society found that fences offer the best way to reduce roadkill.<br /></li><li>I learned that the <a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/topics/endangered-caribou-canada/" target="_blank">caribou</a>, Canada's majestic deer, is on the <a href="https://www.un-habitat.org/endangered-animals-arctic-region/" target="_blank">endangered species list</a>. </li><li>A highway sign in Montana: "Hate speeding tickets? Raise your right foot."</li><li>Two of our 31 travelers feel sick and tested positive for COVID-19 during the trip. They were quarantined for five days in the hotel, one in Missoula and the other in West Yellowstone. It made me wonder how many folks may have come down with the virus after they arrived home?</li><li>The only complaint I heard on the tour was the bus going too fast, especially around photographic spots. I wish we could have stopped at entrances to the parks so we could take photos of welcome signs (I like to use them in photo books I make after trips). </li><li>Our return flights from Jackson Hole to Chicago to Lexington, Ky., were uneventful, thank goodness.</li></ul><div><span> Until the next time . . . </span><br /></div><p></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-58421542092061221832022-09-09T09:29:00.000-04:002022-09-09T09:29:39.912-04:00Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Side trips <p>One of my joys when traveling is to go off the beaten path and explore places that expand one's experiences in life. While Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone national parks are certainly highlights of my recent guided tour, it was several side trips that added richness to the journey.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj0H23iG5aOPzUkd0GP6F6jx5V3jYR4AQSoVsfdDwU4V37DccyMiyPlBgq4WSOo27jTvijXeRWiffb_GiO24uDEoqiD8PDlDudvpFWx9TKkQqgOvBeqv3bQrmDc0FMHJPcT6aLb6uYPcsM_3lwmIYuOKkeX999D5dx621v4lC9x6WJji6XnZaNa6D/s8256/_DSC2475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj0H23iG5aOPzUkd0GP6F6jx5V3jYR4AQSoVsfdDwU4V37DccyMiyPlBgq4WSOo27jTvijXeRWiffb_GiO24uDEoqiD8PDlDudvpFWx9TKkQqgOvBeqv3bQrmDc0FMHJPcT6aLb6uYPcsM_3lwmIYuOKkeX999D5dx621v4lC9x6WJji6XnZaNa6D/w200-h133/_DSC2475.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump</td></tr></tbody></table>After three days in Banff, the bus headed south in Alberta, Canada, to <a href="https://headsmashedin.ca/" target="_blank">Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump</a>, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. The name of the place puzzled me, but learned that it was about the three Blackfoot tribes and their relationship with the buffalo for over 6,000 years. There is an impressive museum and interpretative center that explains how the tribes lured and sent a herd of buffalo over the towering cliffs and how they used the kill to provide food, clothing, and other necessities for life on the plains—in physical and spiritual meanings.<br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqSCYPyCZ_20dyjYQ9xEEMIpAntEk9aKnA7iNGtSIIYqnuHenEUHRX0g1ooTjfuo2WNRsiDZy8mWXcvWVDKTQ7kexLg6H7TO-3P9POA3nFEUqbsATOmMMQ6VKPsNWXANRBoAWvJFY6_hxU_8jVOIVXfL5Y2DAVWHfnm2TMa8mOR8FKk3ffM3VgNGn/s8256/_DSC2494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqSCYPyCZ_20dyjYQ9xEEMIpAntEk9aKnA7iNGtSIIYqnuHenEUHRX0g1ooTjfuo2WNRsiDZy8mWXcvWVDKTQ7kexLg6H7TO-3P9POA3nFEUqbsATOmMMQ6VKPsNWXANRBoAWvJFY6_hxU_8jVOIVXfL5Y2DAVWHfnm2TMa8mOR8FKk3ffM3VgNGn/w200-h133/_DSC2494.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">International Peace Park </td></tr></tbody></table>Our next stop, also in Alberta near the U.S. border at Montana, was <a href="https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/index" target="_blank">Waterton Lakes National Park</a>. The picturesque park was established in 1895 and named after conservationist Charles Waterton. The pristine surroundings include the historic Prince of Wales Hotel, which opened in 1927, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterton-Glacier_International_Peace_Park" target="_blank">International Peace Park</a>. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMdwbkbWtbcyGN9xc_WCC9Ukla60oq2GniEcZJN7d1N6TiNyny8iXbGxB7Wqq42Wpcp2g37QNjB5UaI9C7oqL4CX0WDNp9waqVSC_H8zrh_rOudPjAPatG_a1JSSBEae_wgZBdbZltWFgAKlfN-Yu3vYOLX1CvUUa0mzC0J_0U6qNGRxJn5jkaLDF/s8243/_DSC2498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="8243" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMdwbkbWtbcyGN9xc_WCC9Ukla60oq2GniEcZJN7d1N6TiNyny8iXbGxB7Wqq42Wpcp2g37QNjB5UaI9C7oqL4CX0WDNp9waqVSC_H8zrh_rOudPjAPatG_a1JSSBEae_wgZBdbZltWFgAKlfN-Yu3vYOLX1CvUUa0mzC0J_0U6qNGRxJn5jkaLDF/w200-h84/_DSC2498.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum of Plains Indian </td></tr></tbody></table>After crossing into the United States, we spent the night in <a href="http://www.browningmontana.com/attractions.html" target="_blank">Browning, Montana</a>, the headquarters of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. A point of interest is the <a href="https://www.doi.gov/iacb/museum-plains-indian" target="_blank">Museum of the Plains Indian</a>, which, unfortunately, was closed when we arrived. I wish the museum had been part of the tour rather than Browning being an overnight stop on the way to Glacier National Park. There was a busy casino, but I don't gamble when it comes to money.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm99lj1n4Ify166dVJ-2EfJ50fvzg2L5nxcFDnawYWGxqLzW5THScREtwRs_H3h5FNMCpLZ7zsc-x4a68iFSMDxN8VG1Pze3RSLYVR0ETpqhvBS9u0ke1RoIzTqeNYiLt6HTRGPvFe04rfotCLvSEWi_wOPndJtkX0ro07dDT893WWoZCevaABgiZ/s4608/DSCN3036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm99lj1n4Ify166dVJ-2EfJ50fvzg2L5nxcFDnawYWGxqLzW5THScREtwRs_H3h5FNMCpLZ7zsc-x4a68iFSMDxN8VG1Pze3RSLYVR0ETpqhvBS9u0ke1RoIzTqeNYiLt6HTRGPvFe04rfotCLvSEWi_wOPndJtkX0ro07dDT893WWoZCevaABgiZ/w150-h200/DSCN3036.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaverhead Courthouse<br />in Dillon </td></tr></tbody></table>On the way to Yellowstone National Park, we stopped for a delicious lunch at <a href="https://restaurantjump.com/papa-ts/" target="_blank">Papa T's</a> in <a href="http://www.dillonmt.org/" target="_blank">Dillon</a>, a town of 3,880 residents established in 1857 and named after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Dillon" target="_blank">Sidney Dillon</a>, president of Union Pacific Railroad. I had a few minutes to explore parts of downtown before boarding the bus to resume the trip. It's an interesting city undergoing some renovation that will surely draw visitors.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Our next destination was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_City,_Montana" target="_blank">Virginia City, Montana</a>, not to be confused with Virginia City, Nevada, where Adam Cartwright and his sons spent time in the TV show "Bonanza." But I bet this preserved western ghost town, a National Historic Landmark District, is just as interesting. A sign proudly proclaims that the town has "been resisting change since 1863."<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv2t3oH_yeq-LZmldFm1ntkRs2kK5rTz8XCEcPQQHfnpmUz_5dO9wFE-hGKx1-V7Pr4rwe7cEnME0Mw0ZYDFEmxWPMieAMc00Y5Z-wljFbLDk-dDpqWoaRYgeGwL-ZEdqTu3c65o6Wb0cdy_vrRMt-1Ep5rPsjrGyxzThv-PuZBrQ5isO8WYy32yk/s6520/_DSC2596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5495" data-original-width="6520" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv2t3oH_yeq-LZmldFm1ntkRs2kK5rTz8XCEcPQQHfnpmUz_5dO9wFE-hGKx1-V7Pr4rwe7cEnME0Mw0ZYDFEmxWPMieAMc00Y5Z-wljFbLDk-dDpqWoaRYgeGwL-ZEdqTu3c65o6Wb0cdy_vrRMt-1Ep5rPsjrGyxzThv-PuZBrQ5isO8WYy32yk/w200-h169/_DSC2596.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old building in Virginia City</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://discoveringmontana.com/ghost-town/virginia-city/" target="_blank">Virginia City</a> was once a booming place with a population of around 10,000 during the gold rush in the mid-19th century, even serving as the capital for 10 years. The population in 2020 was 219, most of whom probably maintain the buildings and operate the businesses in this historic town for tourists. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hQePiJLm7TEqeG5spHPloQM_A_nh2wEf_uoCFal6y37S1uKtikZlvSdrQXq6PbZ2NpU-U6Sv4dmj3qI5Zrf8XYT_iMaJUcU5Db3KUoSvJR8pk6SWFncdzq65qqtoezubf2xJUXrak9Ljg3WaX0z30jh_BWv33SAyq_RgXhVFyd1BcHTlVmmCifLD/s4600/DSCN3112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="2950" data-original-width="4600" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hQePiJLm7TEqeG5spHPloQM_A_nh2wEf_uoCFal6y37S1uKtikZlvSdrQXq6PbZ2NpU-U6Sv4dmj3qI5Zrf8XYT_iMaJUcU5Db3KUoSvJR8pk6SWFncdzq65qqtoezubf2xJUXrak9Ljg3WaX0z30jh_BWv33SAyq_RgXhVFyd1BcHTlVmmCifLD/w200-h128/DSCN3112.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snake River and Grand Tetons </td></tr></tbody></table>After Yellowstone National Park, we spent two days at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The highlight was a raft ride on the Snake River, with the majestic Grand Tetons as a backdrop. We also had time to walk in the town, which is like many tourist towns in the U.S. with expensive restaurants and souvenir shops. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I hope you've enjoyed the side trips. Follow me (right column) for more of my travels. </p><p>Until the next time . . .</p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-77474973266718504262022-09-04T10:24:00.000-04:002022-09-04T10:24:14.519-04:00Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Yellowstone National Park<p> Yellowstone National Park had been on my travel bucket list for many years and it certainly lived up to expectations in August as a fascinating and unforgettable place to visit with its geysers, canyons, colorful springs, waterfalls, and assorted wildlife. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVepGQ2luS-kIJ7aL9sGnsGbaV51E18-yUstpsv_sqOjTxRemhd-2JZfO18qcz9lh1dWqnvddL-63fHNWV51hsJQJ39MhHs8nNkYvm8HqWmdkSC6orA7R9o8ShXd2c0V0C4vokMIyfQRW38ovYKUCJI3e3BsWOnnTIT0LhhHwmqqlh2URKRPI6yLo2/s8256/steamy%20geysers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVepGQ2luS-kIJ7aL9sGnsGbaV51E18-yUstpsv_sqOjTxRemhd-2JZfO18qcz9lh1dWqnvddL-63fHNWV51hsJQJ39MhHs8nNkYvm8HqWmdkSC6orA7R9o8ShXd2c0V0C4vokMIyfQRW38ovYKUCJI3e3BsWOnnTIT0LhhHwmqqlh2URKRPI6yLo2/w200-h133/steamy%20geysers.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steamy geysers</td></tr></tbody></table>I was concerned when <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/flood-recovery.htm" target="_blank">flooding</a> ravaged parts of the park on June 12, washing out roads and damaging infrastructure about seven weeks before my tour was scheduled for a two-day visit. But give credit to the National Park Service staff for making the needed repairs that opened most of the park for tourists. <br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm" target="_blank">Yellowstone</a> is the oldest national park in the world, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022. Nearly <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/22003.htm" target="_blank">5 million people</a> visited the park in 2021, the most on record and a 28 percent increase from the Covid-19-affected travel season in 2020. The park ranked third among national parks for visitors in 2021, behind the Great Smoky Mountains and Zion. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs33ND1aoMCnLTG6evRRCdY3lPl-ChWtAYoLuvDExf68QCntXRn_DvhuCY5fpaeeNrpM9NHchC4Um5ytvBgSMhKR2oistRW2pp6Y89IvZk9Hal-MQtjaSS8TnHd3SJjMetds_eRfbBcbeamxp1juw3XfUye_qhErZ6TJQCLbTjrmwayp-rVVPi7XCg/s5408/Mammoth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="5408" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs33ND1aoMCnLTG6evRRCdY3lPl-ChWtAYoLuvDExf68QCntXRn_DvhuCY5fpaeeNrpM9NHchC4Um5ytvBgSMhKR2oistRW2pp6Y89IvZk9Hal-MQtjaSS8TnHd3SJjMetds_eRfbBcbeamxp1juw3XfUye_qhErZ6TJQCLbTjrmwayp-rVVPi7XCg/w200-h133/Mammoth.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mammoth Hot Springs</td></tr></tbody></table>While it attracts many visitors, the park didn't seem crowded except in the Old Faithful area. Even there, people were on the hiking trails, visiting the lodge, information center, and restaurants, or congregating at the many observation points. </p><p>Yellowstone is a vast park, covering<a href="https://www.yellowstonepark.com/park/faqs/where-is-yellowstone-national-park/" target="_blank"> 2.2 million acres</a>, mostly in the northwest corner of Wyoming (96 percent) with tiny sections in Montana (3 percent) and Idaho (1 percent). That's probably another reason the park wasn't congested, as it offers innumerable activities for visitors. My tour entered from the north, near the tourist town of West Yellowstone, Montana.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV3AvAHJaZ_rj1B5BYNRuAeDhpNpuSuih_2zmKrjOD8T8LsnuHpZ5NhYU5W8vGh9v70D7JMMQMWaPBcLu-2Y2aS0sgXVJaWabVb1Z9mDzUUMlPZfXIp_I6DXsJXffrCuSlcnLsiDhVyD7V1A0QN66vboGEn_Ucep8EXAf8abcET2ZL50tPCZmAgSI/s7670/old%20faithful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="7670" data-original-width="4453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV3AvAHJaZ_rj1B5BYNRuAeDhpNpuSuih_2zmKrjOD8T8LsnuHpZ5NhYU5W8vGh9v70D7JMMQMWaPBcLu-2Y2aS0sgXVJaWabVb1Z9mDzUUMlPZfXIp_I6DXsJXffrCuSlcnLsiDhVyD7V1A0QN66vboGEn_Ucep8EXAf8abcET2ZL50tPCZmAgSI/w186-h320/old%20faithful.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Faithful</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Faithful" target="_blank">Old Faithful</a> is the famous geyser most associated with Yellowstone, but there's much more to see and experience at the park. There are about 500 geysers, about half the number in the world, along with other <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/hydrothermal-features.htm" target="_blank">hydrothermal</a> wonders that seem otherworldly. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzutaIuJLcWj0Y9mSSOVqH4QxD_Y8c67S3NsBryOkuPQ3OTt9F2ZctlToJgFjCscQaYQ2qK2ZlJTGdYtUR9KeB7m32uCoTpBojSMo7ubl1Hx29BsEnq6L2DkoVpa-T7H1snG9Ipo3znO79B3pF1FXm8dCW3vVuePQPtIUp6aZtFxiOv6qozijppJp/s5408/path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="5408" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzutaIuJLcWj0Y9mSSOVqH4QxD_Y8c67S3NsBryOkuPQ3OTt9F2ZctlToJgFjCscQaYQ2qK2ZlJTGdYtUR9KeB7m32uCoTpBojSMo7ubl1Hx29BsEnq6L2DkoVpa-T7H1snG9Ipo3znO79B3pF1FXm8dCW3vVuePQPtIUp6aZtFxiOv6qozijppJp/w320-h213/path.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A boarded path at the hydrothermal pool</td></tr></tbody></table>For the non-backpacking visitor, Yellowstone provides paved and boardwalk paths to view the many sights. It's also pet-friendly, although certain areas are off limits to our furry friends, especially near geysers and geothermal pools. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8BgxvPKg8E-K6fGjj4nYuccVB1nY1AfQoSMhZNE1UT6Ir1F01IlnJH2e5irlvuDPjxH0iiQR_6u3BF2LyRcR20ELl9xyR0M5Py5phFwAU7d9tFoSfQBebyNWpM_pGMz6zO3ZM63JDjpZMvTyJ14g7A7BjD89DHgV8qANQEQYEdBtwS5x3CVwA3PE/s4310/bison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3228" data-original-width="4310" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8BgxvPKg8E-K6fGjj4nYuccVB1nY1AfQoSMhZNE1UT6Ir1F01IlnJH2e5irlvuDPjxH0iiQR_6u3BF2LyRcR20ELl9xyR0M5Py5phFwAU7d9tFoSfQBebyNWpM_pGMz6zO3ZM63JDjpZMvTyJ14g7A7BjD89DHgV8qANQEQYEdBtwS5x3CVwA3PE/w200-h150/bison.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bison grazing</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>And there's <a href="https://yellowstonenationalpark.com/wildlife.htm#:~:text=%20The%20following%20are%20the%20National%20Park%20Service,of%20the%20rarest%20mammals%20to%20spot.%20More%20" target="_blank">wildlife</a>, although I didn't see many animals during my visit other than several bison herds. It amazed me that some tourists, despite the warning signs to keep their distance from bison (and other animals), would approach the beasts as if they were at a petting zoo. Bison <a href="https://www.livescience.com/bison-attacks-yellowstone-2022" target="_blank">gored</a> three people in July. I guess some folks never learn to heed warnings.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Yellowstone was worth the visit and more. I recommend you experience it for yourself. You will not be disappointed.</p><p>Until the next time . . .</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-10246603391155495892022-09-01T07:38:00.004-04:002022-09-01T16:14:54.943-04:00Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Glacier National Park<p> Glacier National Park is a wonder to behold.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2Hxazt_xVQwaPWfqgbeFPiWBXzsW8SpaQBIKgIkfZ4lemIANg0HEnvk5nzacfsGV1Ys8zQdNevhsKnTFXBob1hztMo8okl2PCPZfGlmSh6TyJotwZpJlvr6OcIU3sTwwhi7Ew0P3xG6V6H_H_kQ38f3RQd9WSui7Y4eBXg5NyFk2dYw7TImdH88q/s3282/DSCN3023.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="2665" data-original-width="3282" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2Hxazt_xVQwaPWfqgbeFPiWBXzsW8SpaQBIKgIkfZ4lemIANg0HEnvk5nzacfsGV1Ys8zQdNevhsKnTFXBob1hztMo8okl2PCPZfGlmSh6TyJotwZpJlvr6OcIU3sTwwhi7Ew0P3xG6V6H_H_kQ38f3RQd9WSui7Y4eBXg5NyFk2dYw7TImdH88q/w200-h163/DSCN3023.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Jammer</td></tr></tbody></table> Unfortunately, my visit to this majestic park was for only a few hours, boarding a 1936 vintage Red Jammer at St. Mary with 11 other passengers and traveling the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. But along the way, you can't help but marvel at the mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and wildlife that passes before you along the way. Encompassing about 1 million acres, it was designated a<a href="https://www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks/glacier-national-park" target="_blank"> national park in 1910</a>.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeW2USlz-20iiyirKcolQDIp9IKc9J_dmVELrTwnXpNIIv3gYjzw_80L-wy59tqn2EV6FYBQJXDKW3MjmgeBHYy9VcrbUitzgETJbfKTSaA5kFh4SAhNEOVRYGfEmLNxhRjNDFsxkPkCRPqRKddk3ED3HTc7aW-nEFyP-0WhkccZOgklpzVyMYrdQl/s8256/_DSC2528.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeW2USlz-20iiyirKcolQDIp9IKc9J_dmVELrTwnXpNIIv3gYjzw_80L-wy59tqn2EV6FYBQJXDKW3MjmgeBHYy9VcrbUitzgETJbfKTSaA5kFh4SAhNEOVRYGfEmLNxhRjNDFsxkPkCRPqRKddk3ED3HTc7aW-nEFyP-0WhkccZOgklpzVyMYrdQl/w200-h133/_DSC2528.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glacier National Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>You also see scores of hikers who get off the beaten path to explore the beautiful region of North America, sometimes referred to as "The Crown of the Continent," from an article by renowned conservationist <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=george+bird+grinnell&cvid=24c8dc1576d143dea5446ccf589bb1f6&aqs=edge.1.69i57j46j0l7.5255j0j1&pglt=299&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=W046" target="_blank">George Bird Grinnell</a> in 1901 that sought to preserve the pristine area at includes the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada. I wish I could have jumped off the bus and joined the trekkers, at least for a few miles.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6npLK4ae3em876YGQKoPk3Tm0th2tx4ChwEhVt1RMiJHvuhKe3A9Kc_NJxRz-7j7W0XugYTgYBNPjjyaRvD67Beag1aCw6WnEs63_j9xXGGotax-5q95sFDDyOy3_tek1SzDUSdBjiMhSJE8o0WHPFw5u93XLkJeZJ6GbcLavqEv9VazBBjTHHJks/s4140/DSCN3031.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3234" data-original-width="4140" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6npLK4ae3em876YGQKoPk3Tm0th2tx4ChwEhVt1RMiJHvuhKe3A9Kc_NJxRz-7j7W0XugYTgYBNPjjyaRvD67Beag1aCw6WnEs63_j9xXGGotax-5q95sFDDyOy3_tek1SzDUSdBjiMhSJE8o0WHPFw5u93XLkJeZJ6GbcLavqEv9VazBBjTHHJks/w200-h156/DSCN3031.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wife and I </td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Pass" target="_blank">Logan Pass</a> is named after Major William Logan, the first superintendent of the park. It sits at an elevation of 6,646 feet along the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Divide_of_the_Americas" target="_blank"> Continental Divide</a>. A visitors' center with limited parking (the NPS recommends taking a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/glac/getinvolved/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint.htm" target="_blank">shuttle</a> to Logan Pass) and hiking paths to gorgeous views of the park await the adventurous traveler.<br /><p></p><p>Because of <a href="https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/nature/glaciersoverview.htm" target="_blank">climatic changes</a>, every named glacier in the park has shrunk between 1966 and 2015, some as much as 80 percent, according to the National Park Service. There were around 80 named glaciers around 1850; now there are 26. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9orndPf5_GQACGiWeo0kqCeqmCUZmpK_Im1aDIm5u11iPbEl019yAOsqOTrS6INfyehQMkIpaf8YzslWhztWR6rhTdcZYr_XivNjywLdyW2cmnCDyHUjckIlZXpI_PJlHwCplsaJ9ewRD0RH0lJJuW2V5dJIiOpDqex7s1S3EPXF60ixl2Q6XzihG/s5486/_DSC2548.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5218" data-original-width="5486" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9orndPf5_GQACGiWeo0kqCeqmCUZmpK_Im1aDIm5u11iPbEl019yAOsqOTrS6INfyehQMkIpaf8YzslWhztWR6rhTdcZYr_XivNjywLdyW2cmnCDyHUjckIlZXpI_PJlHwCplsaJ9ewRD0RH0lJJuW2V5dJIiOpDqex7s1S3EPXF60ixl2Q6XzihG/w200-h190/_DSC2548.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrinking glaciers</td></tr></tbody></table>To get an idea of how the environment has changed in the past century at Glacier National Park, view these then-and-now <a href="https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/nature/glacier-repeat-photos.htm" target="_blank">photos</a> from the NPS. A guide said that even if the glaciers melt away, the park will remain relevant as an important <a href="https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/nature/climate-change.htm" target="_blank">geologic destination</a>. <br /><p></p><p>I would have enjoyed spending more time at Glacier National Park but when on a guided tour, you can be held captive by the planned itinerary. Perhaps I will return one day—on my own time—and see more of the natural riches this national park offers to travelers.</p><p>Until the next time . . . </p><p> </p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-80665139321327384432022-08-29T13:54:00.000-04:002022-08-29T13:54:38.424-04:00Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Banff National Park<span style="font-size: medium;"> In the weeks before arriving in Banff, I read several travel guides, travel blogs, and watch informative and entertaining videos on YouTube. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Before I travel anywhere, I do a lot of homework to familiarize myself with the destination. I believe it enhances a trip because it provides a roadmap, so to speak, of places I want to see on my adventure. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> For those who might be unfamiliar with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_National_Park" target="_blank">Banff National Park</a>, it is Canada's oldest national park, created in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. It is in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta" target="_blank">Alberta</a>, a western province, and about 80 miles from Calgary.</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8BR20ZhZHgGxgp4s7Bu2H6ESQdcDZ_0qKrivDRSuc8JikbQCPOQ2tKQrgGzA5ZFMPaCsZmM3p5mTZWYczbxvUVAn-EhTYsAHrhVGkqMJqv1b6FS6_kVQy5QUk5tKN1mSi2B5X7Pfcy2V6KH8L3UUhDCXnwEG0cu5KVaPKPgj1tdEI03k21A0VBA1/s8256/Gondola.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8BR20ZhZHgGxgp4s7Bu2H6ESQdcDZ_0qKrivDRSuc8JikbQCPOQ2tKQrgGzA5ZFMPaCsZmM3p5mTZWYczbxvUVAn-EhTYsAHrhVGkqMJqv1b6FS6_kVQy5QUk5tKN1mSi2B5X7Pfcy2V6KH8L3UUhDCXnwEG0cu5KVaPKPgj1tdEI03k21A0VBA1/w200-h133/Gondola.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gondola on Sulphur Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">After dinner with travel companions and getting a good night's sleep, our first stop was the gondola ride to the top of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulphur_Mountain_(Alberta)" target="_blank">Sulphur Mountain</a>. It takes eight minutes to travel the 2,300-foot to the summit, a smooth lift that is a peaceful hum as you take in a panorama of the Canadian Rockies. For those who have the time and energy, it takes two to three hours to hike to the top. I had neither the time nor the stamina to undertake that physical challenge.</span></div><div><br /> </div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjw1TmdE7v2u4TJpBZhfL8AYRsiq9hIVGVDx9jOBkHlc-A9vJvaPbPplElb39RN8E1bnu0RIvH0Uz6Ivo2BbFXMzZCw1MNJq86w4LQEHadrAqSvUgK93a-JzCvJa8qP1Yazr2b8c7BdQO7sUKUV2Gf88ZvHQicjNihvTV2l5xYpF_S46FlgNWl1aaT/s5408/weather%20station.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="5408" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjw1TmdE7v2u4TJpBZhfL8AYRsiq9hIVGVDx9jOBkHlc-A9vJvaPbPplElb39RN8E1bnu0RIvH0Uz6Ivo2BbFXMzZCw1MNJq86w4LQEHadrAqSvUgK93a-JzCvJa8qP1Yazr2b8c7BdQO7sUKUV2Gf88ZvHQicjNihvTV2l5xYpF_S46FlgNWl1aaT/w200-h133/weather%20station.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boardwalk leading to weather station</td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-size: medium;">Once atop Sulphur Mountain, at 8,041 feet (give or take a few hundred feet) it rewards you with magnificent views of Bow Valley. There are boardwalks that take you to different vantage points, including Sanson's Peak, a historic site where Norman Sanson (1862-1949) traveled by foot once a week for nearly 30 years to record weather data. There is also a visitors' center with two restaurants, gift shops, restrooms and viewing balconies. </span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoQT80RiuhZOWfXGH1DX5wPNsDM5SzXIqwLDplMfSm5_hJ8Ttw62pjnylMuQjyegHlr9rVOcGEBmwrwoRij1nOsIgSVV49izqDWXvtE-CkjlROyhpB6TQ5nZJYRLUpbXdOeRtxPa8emXP1Qirs9l2588f02m3tSyGeiOPrsEJGzAf8d78H3j7dgLw/s8256/_DSC2391.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoQT80RiuhZOWfXGH1DX5wPNsDM5SzXIqwLDplMfSm5_hJ8Ttw62pjnylMuQjyegHlr9rVOcGEBmwrwoRij1nOsIgSVV49izqDWXvtE-CkjlROyhpB6TQ5nZJYRLUpbXdOeRtxPa8emXP1Qirs9l2588f02m3tSyGeiOPrsEJGzAf8d78H3j7dgLw/w200-h133/_DSC2391.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Louise</td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-size: medium;"> The next stop was Lake Louise, one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world, with its glimmering turquoise at an elevation of 5,200 feet carved out of the surrounding mountains. It's not a large lake. I hiked from one end to the other, about 1.5 miles. On the chilly lake were canoers, paddle boaters. and surfboarders. I even stopped and took a photo of a young couple braving the frigid waters (less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit in August, so not suitable for swimming). </span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sss27z9wnryJ5pk6ZyFJ2Jo_ko-EEpDE2Vs2oxuilH3hxIrW3TlVNzpR5a60Y5oiOMM5lWGzTskVg9U4diXBnRGFGc-RHtD7N3x3qG7x4m2V3dbm0SbDX50VktVN5qoi2h7iYnr3z76cf4qijsuR9lDZB7__narujoATgl0QcfMUSRDouRxmyE-P/s3264/Glacier%20.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sss27z9wnryJ5pk6ZyFJ2Jo_ko-EEpDE2Vs2oxuilH3hxIrW3TlVNzpR5a60Y5oiOMM5lWGzTskVg9U4diXBnRGFGc-RHtD7N3x3qG7x4m2V3dbm0SbDX50VktVN5qoi2h7iYnr3z76cf4qijsuR9lDZB7__narujoATgl0QcfMUSRDouRxmyE-P/w150-h200/Glacier%20.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Athabasca Glacier</td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-size: medium;">The last full day in Banff included a drive on the scenic Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park, where we went to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athabasca_Glacier" target="_blank">Athabasca Glacier</a>, the most visited glacier in North America. It has been receding about 16 feet a year, so it's gradually melting away (but not in my lifetime). We also stopped at the emerald-colored Peyto and Bow lakes for those Kodak moments and to soak in the scenery. The Canadians impressed me with their apparent concern for the environment and providing a protective and natural habitat for wildlife. </span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIX4gKBVWwFbpV9HJputU_LNl2DtyJgO77tszoc18iLFzNuon_VKz6_lS2YLalWtAX0ipWpARq1PJhOs_7NVS9Lxfvwep9PKQ2tMPhspWw3yw8H8aeYiHQAe1tlK_T1J2__-LJo-71hp0ghbUsPV9_9U7xqH03Y4Q-irpO4gS9xeLsMCP7BGpx-LuQ/s4608/DSCN3008.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIX4gKBVWwFbpV9HJputU_LNl2DtyJgO77tszoc18iLFzNuon_VKz6_lS2YLalWtAX0ipWpARq1PJhOs_7NVS9Lxfvwep9PKQ2tMPhspWw3yw8H8aeYiHQAe1tlK_T1J2__-LJo-71hp0ghbUsPV9_9U7xqH03Y4Q-irpO4gS9xeLsMCP7BGpx-LuQ/w200-h150/DSCN3008.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street view of Banff</td></tr></tbody></table> As for the town of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff,_Alberta" target="_blank"> Banff</a>, it is touristy, as expected, with lots of souvenir shops, restaurants, and motels. But it was clean and inviting. I don't recall seeing any graffiti on walls or buildings.</span> <br /></div><div> <span style="font-size: medium;">Banff National Park is a place I'd like to visit again. It's a paradise for those who love the outdoors, from hiking to skiing to bicycling. I was told they really dressed the area up for Christmas. It's certainly a destination for all seasons.</span></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-size: medium;">Until the next time . . .</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span><br /></div>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-71185695457772429192022-08-27T08:25:00.000-04:002022-08-27T08:25:58.016-04:00Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: The Beginning <p> Early in August my wife and I went on an 11-day tour of Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks. Being nature lovers, it ranks as one of the most scenic trips we've had in our travels in the past few years. </p><p>With Covid-19 still raising its ugly head around the world, we were relieved to know that Canada only required the recommended vaccines, with the understanding they could still test us upon arrival in Calgary. But our tour company required us to have a negative Covid test within 72 hours of departure. We passed that test. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNULjFdpi4tJNCrwYadAU9Xo07TWj0BvOWJJ_-sK5wJm0PDypOZktqOgkTL_GIKUCpW8nBheVFHFSp3Esq43bV00oQRmSRwZB1-HgbZQ_wQqt7DldD_uAzt65RPTVrpJhOvx1YyKQIRXZvjW-AvkWAODrLI4PB2Tv-CGbY3qmka0J-WiL-rqC3YeNr/s2740/calgary%20airport%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="1879" data-original-width="2740" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNULjFdpi4tJNCrwYadAU9Xo07TWj0BvOWJJ_-sK5wJm0PDypOZktqOgkTL_GIKUCpW8nBheVFHFSp3Esq43bV00oQRmSRwZB1-HgbZQ_wQqt7DldD_uAzt65RPTVrpJhOvx1YyKQIRXZvjW-AvkWAODrLI4PB2Tv-CGbY3qmka0J-WiL-rqC3YeNr/w320-h219/calgary%20airport%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calgary International Airport</td></tr></tbody></table>But our tour still got off to a shaky start as American Airlines canceled our flight to Calgary about 12 hours before our departure time at Blue Grass Airport. We tried to make other arrangements but to no avail, so we left at the same time the following day. Better late than never. <br /></p><p>That trimmed our 12-day tour to 11 days. We were supposed to tour Calgary on the first day. Instead, the tour company provided a limousine when we arrived at the airport. The driver whisked us to our lodging in Banff, arriving about 30 minutes before the tour bus carrying our 31 fellow travelers. </p><p>The rest of the tour was simply wonderful. The only rain came the night before our return home. It stopped soon enough for us to take a quick walking tour of Jackson Hole.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamzTIsWt3b8Sjkp5zQ7Nc1ulhFvVkPlLI8UfcrFdAytnvqAREZI5g6OuGrF5Xn_SzCdeTXOtosLBWR_RqtjXl4C-PK8k_OqkYJVozU1dh_FJJVmzzsVQfAL3951FEIe51fXtoIdmSgek2rR8_lLzG4eIUvX7-PpdMC7dh-va9zVH2rQxJfspt7fn5/s4600/DSCN3012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry" border="0" data-original-height="4600" data-original-width="3175" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamzTIsWt3b8Sjkp5zQ7Nc1ulhFvVkPlLI8UfcrFdAytnvqAREZI5g6OuGrF5Xn_SzCdeTXOtosLBWR_RqtjXl4C-PK8k_OqkYJVozU1dh_FJJVmzzsVQfAL3951FEIe51fXtoIdmSgek2rR8_lLzG4eIUvX7-PpdMC7dh-va9zVH2rQxJfspt7fn5/w138-h200/DSCN3012.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>Banff exceeded expectations with its towering mountains, gleaming glaciers, lustrous lakes, and breathtaking beauty. Glacier was scenic as well as we traveled the Going-to-the-Sun road to Logan Pass, viewing the lakes, waterfalls, and occasional wildlife. And Yellowstone was like an out-of-this-world experience with its geysers, prismatic pools, canyon, and wildlife. We finished with a raft ride on the Snake River with the Grand Tetons providing a dramatic backdrop to our adventure.<br /><p></p><p>Over the next few days, I'll have separate posts about our tour stops. There were a few interesting places along the way that I'll be sharing with you. I hope you come along for the ride.</p><p><br /></p><p>Until the next time . . . </p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-1727025566335096072022-06-29T08:39:00.000-04:002022-06-29T08:39:33.311-04:00Destination Portugal: Lisbon <p> <a href="https://lisbonlisboaportugal.com/" target="_blank">Lisbon</a> is the vibrant capital of Portugal, a gorgeous city steeped in history, impressive architecture, cultural diversity, and friendly residents. </p><p>The only things that could spoil a visit would be the weather, sitting in an enclosed tour bus, and not having enough time to take in a lot of the activities and sights to satisfy the curious tourist. Unlucky me and my fellow travelers. </p><p>We encountered off-and-on rain during our two days in Lisbon, a city spread over seven hills and facing the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Of course, the weather is something you have no control over when on a guided tour. You take what you get from Mother Nature and deal with it. And you take along an umbrella or rain jacket just in case.</p><p>Along the way to our hotel, we drove past many places that I'd seen on YouTube travelogues, Rick Steves's videos about Lisbon, and the three books about Portugal that I had perused in the months before departing from my old Kentucky.</p><p>I learned about an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake#:~:text=The%201755%20Lisbon%20earthquake%2C%20also%20known%20as%20the,All%20Saints%27%20Day%2C%20at%20around%2009%3A40%20local%20time." target="_blank">earthquake</a> in 1755 that devastated the city and much of Portugal, as well as parts of Morocco and Spain. Up to 50,000 people died and 85 percent of Lisbon's buildings crumbled to the ground in one of the worst earthquakes in history. It's often referred to as the Great Lisbon earthquake.</p><p>But you're not here for a history lesson. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DcIE7oaZoTdxON7MkcRfj4vfRYQJnNTvMhvE-YpPPnLknu9x-Xr47HQ8-8Y2TlppJ5oS-9zSHKJE_subowRjlP4klMhhSudBMD4IgMKMY__ohh6078pcaezvo6jQv14Z4zMmYAlpRCQyt-5heIKNgwuJCORX3oRR2Tj8fXxnKivzZEoBBuumo0xw/s5895/Lisbon12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3855" data-original-width="5895" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DcIE7oaZoTdxON7MkcRfj4vfRYQJnNTvMhvE-YpPPnLknu9x-Xr47HQ8-8Y2TlppJ5oS-9zSHKJE_subowRjlP4klMhhSudBMD4IgMKMY__ohh6078pcaezvo6jQv14Z4zMmYAlpRCQyt-5heIKNgwuJCORX3oRR2Tj8fXxnKivzZEoBBuumo0xw/w200-h131/Lisbon12.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cristo Rei monument</td></tr></tbody></table>First, a few sights I saw from the bus: the historic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Justa_Lift" target="_blank">Santa Justa Lift</a>, <a href="https://www.lisbon.net/rossio-square" target="_blank">Rossio Square</a>, and <a href="https://lisbontravelideas.com/2022/04/visit-cristo-rei-portugals-christ-statue" target="_blank">Cristo Rei</a> statue. We also passed by some garden areas and parks that looked interesting. I had hoped to find some free time to do some urban hiking. But I didn't. <br /></p><p> By the way, I seldom take photos from a bus because I don't like to see the reflection of the interior from the windows. </p><p>What we saw was part of my bucket list, so all was not lost. I just wished I could have seen more of what the city offered to visitors. </p><p>We visited the impressive <span style="background-color: black; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jer%C3%B3nimos_Monastery" target="_blank">Jerónimos Monastery</a></span></span>, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which contains the tomb of Portuguese explorer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_da_Gama" target="_blank">Vasco da Gama</a> and a few other notable citizens. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfdjAjU5Ia3e9j36inyyVKuhvfHx-Lwnp6m-wmWCbFVQuvFLA_VVv8a2MDtJuAeUkHpKw5pQ7gbc7hDcTTtAxW_irCI0tjLU-A-zxAVgi7Woh3rKq_tQ1T_KhXvAH2rgqWgOOOyW27c58mKgH6w2OYN-394uJa84OCVrGnqGmyqpSajyg7l-cyNrP/s4608/Lisbon26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfdjAjU5Ia3e9j36inyyVKuhvfHx-Lwnp6m-wmWCbFVQuvFLA_VVv8a2MDtJuAeUkHpKw5pQ7gbc7hDcTTtAxW_irCI0tjLU-A-zxAVgi7Woh3rKq_tQ1T_KhXvAH2rgqWgOOOyW27c58mKgH6w2OYN-394uJa84OCVrGnqGmyqpSajyg7l-cyNrP/w320-h240/Lisbon26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vasco da Gama sarcophagus </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>From there we went to the massive <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padr%C3%A3o_dos_Descobrimentos" target="_blank">Monument of the Discoveries</a>, remembering seafaring explorers such as Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral, and other luminaries from the 15th and 16th centuries. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjMDREuVZqjAlREouUHpqsx4-Qt3RwSCcE5BK94ObIC5JgUsBHIHfBA8mgixMzzpeg28rOtFKGlWvTVshlhfj8o2ZSMYbDelrBdzVFurYKs8_dFVZkwubXkVtLhvdsTzGcTwykMpDMnoNwDzip2aEGDCFC0GvrrnYLJCXgv4yGCeV1dmkgb7XJ8TQ/s8256/Lisbon10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="8256" data-original-width="4638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjMDREuVZqjAlREouUHpqsx4-Qt3RwSCcE5BK94ObIC5JgUsBHIHfBA8mgixMzzpeg28rOtFKGlWvTVshlhfj8o2ZSMYbDelrBdzVFurYKs8_dFVZkwubXkVtLhvdsTzGcTwykMpDMnoNwDzip2aEGDCFC0GvrrnYLJCXgv4yGCeV1dmkgb7XJ8TQ/w180-h320/Lisbon10.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument of the<br />Discoveries </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>We made a brief stop at the<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="color: #111111; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bel%C3%A9m_Tower" target="_blank">Belém</a></span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bel%C3%A9m_Tower" target="_blank"> Tower</a></span>, a 16th-century fortification on the northern bank of the Tagus River. It also served as a departure-and-arrival place for the fearless explorers of the world.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4mKQQDZOOGrt-Myc5lMHbgkIweW5mATvWw4_1GWV3dQbeLY6wEr6V_QQeBag9E3YST0rVoYD42tfvcZsIq-cxRKfqsddRxH3guvEN_FC8I0X4mDrwr9YjNugTCPZcAPJZjTr2wLVjjJiy1rLN2YAwsrIzpKASrd1qvFamt21tEgt0kFEewNC9vQD/s8256/Lisbon11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4mKQQDZOOGrt-Myc5lMHbgkIweW5mATvWw4_1GWV3dQbeLY6wEr6V_QQeBag9E3YST0rVoYD42tfvcZsIq-cxRKfqsddRxH3guvEN_FC8I0X4mDrwr9YjNugTCPZcAPJZjTr2wLVjjJiy1rLN2YAwsrIzpKASrd1qvFamt21tEgt0kFEewNC9vQD/w320-h213/Lisbon11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #111111; font-size: 16px;">Belém</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"> Tower</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The principal attraction of the Lisbon stop was the colorful <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pena_Palace" target="_blank">Pena Palace</a>, another UNESCO World Heritage Site located atop a hill in the Sintra Mountains. It began in the Middle Ages as a small monastery, but like many places in 1755, the Lisbon Earthquake destroyed it. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FkaewqCTWiZGqO6FwmifAQpOVJDvdnkKByTmVGaUK8Ys9QQKgvc1gozxm7DneTuRbsCOiAlnLu1hlHNrmgK0NKlopqmmGP7vcVSg75LVIeRmQuTZ-FvQBzIEvXTPywGsu2C6OH0TmHSL4lQmo9-uQiS1i4Ygvy3noaomkrlADYrWwQiiqJ1Og0Ev/s6799/Pena%20Palace%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3814" data-original-width="6799" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FkaewqCTWiZGqO6FwmifAQpOVJDvdnkKByTmVGaUK8Ys9QQKgvc1gozxm7DneTuRbsCOiAlnLu1hlHNrmgK0NKlopqmmGP7vcVSg75LVIeRmQuTZ-FvQBzIEvXTPywGsu2C6OH0TmHSL4lQmo9-uQiS1i4Ygvy3noaomkrlADYrWwQiiqJ1Og0Ev/w320-h180/Pena%20Palace%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pena Palace </td></tr></tbody></table><p>King Ferdinand II built a summer residence for the royal family at the site, with construction between 1842-54. The castle has an eclectic feel with its colors and styles—because the king wanted it that way. I should mention that it rained during our visit. After touring the palace, we spent part of the afternoon in charming Sintra. I also learned that the pop singer Madonna once lived near the palace. </p><p>I'd like to return to Portugal, but only after I check off other places on my to-do travels. As the old saying notes, "you only go around once and then you ___" (you fill in the blank).</p><p>There are an estimated half-million <a href="https://www.sandoff.com/portugal-new-home-for-american-expats/#:~:text=That%E2%80%99s%20about%20more%20than%20twice%20the%20number%20of,which%20at%20least%2010%20percent%20are%20US%20citizens." target="_blank">expats</a> living in Portugal, including about 50,000 Americans. That speaks well of the desirability and quality of life in the nation that it would attract others. I know I found it appealing.</p><p>I hope you've enjoyed my posts about Portugal. Feel free to "Follow" me on my journeys by clicking the button in the right column.</p><p>Until the next time . . . </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-22252255547506919412022-06-23T14:26:00.000-04:002022-06-23T14:26:54.807-04:00Destination Portugal: The Algarve <p><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"> Portugal's gorgeous<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algarve" target="_blank"> Algarve</a> region offers a variety of things to do and see with charming towns, beautiful beaches, rocky coastline, and historic sites. It is the southernmost region of Portugal with about a half-million inhabitants, but it triples during the vacation season with seasonal residents.</span> </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYj3qpreqJDyOwZfw5TEff4B9Ywi97SJeDBj3Zkp2n4ZeSqjLGhdGtAFY30eokP2hy8tPpPDaAI-JNw_45b2_m-VuPhpAYekNe0hPFXJdIrC5wEriVUTrwgSbD5ZkFPXMaw5efCk5jGseegumfKqiPyDiM8lbrHRm-e1PSkNHPqa7Kqp10SU8YNkQR/s4326/Algarve19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="4326" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYj3qpreqJDyOwZfw5TEff4B9Ywi97SJeDBj3Zkp2n4ZeSqjLGhdGtAFY30eokP2hy8tPpPDaAI-JNw_45b2_m-VuPhpAYekNe0hPFXJdIrC5wEriVUTrwgSbD5ZkFPXMaw5efCk5jGseegumfKqiPyDiM8lbrHRm-e1PSkNHPqa7Kqp10SU8YNkQR/w320-h135/Algarve19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A marina in Portimão</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Our two-day visit in early March was somewhat marred by rain, but when the sun was out, the weather was delightful and places were inviting. We stayed two nights in </span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Portimão, a modern and picturesque ocean-side town that has become a hub for tourism in the area because of its proximity to many places. Our guide informed us that British music legend <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Richard" target="_blank">Cliff Richard</a> once lived in the Algarve while looking after his wine production business. She reminded a few in the group about him by playing "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzjX18psf9A">We Don't Talk Anymore</a>" more than a few times the remainder of the trip! </span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">It was raining off and on and a blustery wind pushed you along the way when we ventured to the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse_of_Cabo_de_S%C3%A3o_Vicente" target="_blank">Cabo San Vicente Light House</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> and </span><a href="https://www.algarve-tourist.com/Sagres-portugal/Fortaleza-Sagres-fort.html" target="_blank">Sagres Fort</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">. Certainly</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> not an ideal time to take photographs. Aside from that, it was another place to soak in the scenery, if you know what I mean. And when you're making what will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime visit, you make the most of the situation, regardless of circumstances. </span></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVSVh9Ij97n9EjL8PrUMysv1bWbUJImAqLTCoBqYtRswcjbs_fZWZzO7MsnTHQpCzRBYxFZUS78wd6NUoy-CLB7HY_xdwHC_HmM4PmndzijUqmbKY6GMGWqX0TMWZLppS2FneOBaJdVqFQIsiA6svtDaDp_Wsvxmw8aaKe4przBD_JlMipLZRCjja/s7178/Algarave7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="7178" data-original-width="5504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVSVh9Ij97n9EjL8PrUMysv1bWbUJImAqLTCoBqYtRswcjbs_fZWZzO7MsnTHQpCzRBYxFZUS78wd6NUoy-CLB7HY_xdwHC_HmM4PmndzijUqmbKY6GMGWqX0TMWZLppS2FneOBaJdVqFQIsiA6svtDaDp_Wsvxmw8aaKe4przBD_JlMipLZRCjja/w245-h320/Algarave7.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The San Vicente Light House </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="color: #202122;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #202122;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe-qpa7hgl38Iq6RCODelnu-xvM7rO5CAW7PapfioizsVH21ZGq6Brq4DzF9AU0x88ctJzuvNepU9PV45pUQkqySM0gfceWX6k6oS6iCzRAdz31QnaqjjTWoN_FUH1WJCFMlqsKKTVqvTDcknLxdEVNc4AhnYpY-MgFxZMJhgpC0eSVy2acDi2nGb/s7050/Algarve4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="7050" data-original-width="5504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe-qpa7hgl38Iq6RCODelnu-xvM7rO5CAW7PapfioizsVH21ZGq6Brq4DzF9AU0x88ctJzuvNepU9PV45pUQkqySM0gfceWX6k6oS6iCzRAdz31QnaqjjTWoN_FUH1WJCFMlqsKKTVqvTDcknLxdEVNc4AhnYpY-MgFxZMJhgpC0eSVy2acDi2nGb/w250-h320/Algarve4.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A statue in honor of St. Vincent</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pOUktVjRXVnNx0hUbhR4wJTW93EBFqIqjTC-m9fav3PMz470X1Gn_Zaq_sVM6XAU22Sv8xonmTIS31lSp8ZTPaEYDp_f7A0RZ00a12duMBbcnkHM4wrPMNMsc_sYEijp0gAUGTZ6HE8iuzxav7T0tdElKt3VDcUCI4K-7zEXMVgXtq2BMqKzaoPB/s7798/Algarve13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4167" data-original-width="7798" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pOUktVjRXVnNx0hUbhR4wJTW93EBFqIqjTC-m9fav3PMz470X1Gn_Zaq_sVM6XAU22Sv8xonmTIS31lSp8ZTPaEYDp_f7A0RZ00a12duMBbcnkHM4wrPMNMsc_sYEijp0gAUGTZ6HE8iuzxav7T0tdElKt3VDcUCI4K-7zEXMVgXtq2BMqKzaoPB/w320-h171/Algarve13.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Merriweather;">Something I found fascinating was a circular pattern inside Sagres Fort, believed to be a wind compass. It was discovered in the 18th century and excavated in 1919. That's the Atlantic Ocean past the walls.</span></p><p><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202122;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JVOSuhVoGFhY4iKuT9gx60dFnv1QQjTKDjRQA8NPITWvJWA0taxUmjq8FLm2aMBDtbnSpZD9_L-xy-IAyunMljGQtJ-Y0MFNrLoECjlHiKviQ3UnHUqvjl5e-sPWecAJcgithEa5S-2zJmdOrQqQhlQSWMIeb_BAQ05ZaXBE8GTpnieH0DRx4Obl/s4608/Algarve17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JVOSuhVoGFhY4iKuT9gx60dFnv1QQjTKDjRQA8NPITWvJWA0taxUmjq8FLm2aMBDtbnSpZD9_L-xy-IAyunMljGQtJ-Y0MFNrLoECjlHiKviQ3UnHUqvjl5e-sPWecAJcgithEa5S-2zJmdOrQqQhlQSWMIeb_BAQ05ZaXBE8GTpnieH0DRx4Obl/w320-h240/Algarve17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portuguese constructed the fort in the 16th century</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Because of the inclement weather, we had to postpone a boat ride from quaint <a href="https://www.lagosportugalguide.com/index.html" target="_blank">Lagos</a> along the rocky coast until the second day of the trip. There were no complaints from my fellow travelers.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Merriweather;">A bumpy and splashy boat ride along the rugged coast ranked as one of the highlights of the tour, perhaps because it has an amusement element for the adventurous side in a few of the travelers. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDk_5xGy0vgnBnh7npZJy17rBnpsdAxwBDwVhYEEMbkU19qCPiODehb1nzqk1vyr0Tl7F29WRjRvFONYWbGq9KOxxQ57XzOMCMRTfDnxt7aSUdxEg2g_bWsIY1Rn8N1udmR_2vj67kujZpellX9m7xi-GPy_wzBIfFSi6mvvTmStzFjSHEYdPqXDV/s8243/Lagos3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4527" data-original-width="8243" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDk_5xGy0vgnBnh7npZJy17rBnpsdAxwBDwVhYEEMbkU19qCPiODehb1nzqk1vyr0Tl7F29WRjRvFONYWbGq9KOxxQ57XzOMCMRTfDnxt7aSUdxEg2g_bWsIY1Rn8N1udmR_2vj67kujZpellX9m7xi-GPy_wzBIfFSi6mvvTmStzFjSHEYdPqXDV/w320-h176/Lagos3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Merriweather;">The last stop during our stay in the Algarve was the historic town of Lagos. It's a friendly, interesting place where a person can take in maritime history, sit back and relax on a street bench, enjoy a delicious meal in one of the many restaurants, or simply take a lazy stroll along the quiet streets. </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoP5_jDWsGhlbfC9exeB4LXCBZhQlMDvMpJAS2ZikY6PubwjqpqxbWre_TGl6btUUuVhRNVEkozLQIYZlKH9zwtzckZPP42VRyQUID6lMa4-Oj1FUFelYRlZtNVqV2DtkuGtex363fQtFabCu_Oysi-D_4IxDK6z8nMB8ycTB2iMfT3DXbuob5t9d/s8256/Lagos13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoP5_jDWsGhlbfC9exeB4LXCBZhQlMDvMpJAS2ZikY6PubwjqpqxbWre_TGl6btUUuVhRNVEkozLQIYZlKH9zwtzckZPP42VRyQUID6lMa4-Oj1FUFelYRlZtNVqV2DtkuGtex363fQtFabCu_Oysi-D_4IxDK6z8nMB8ycTB2iMfT3DXbuob5t9d/w320-h213/Lagos13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful and laid-back Lagos </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"> The next stop will be Lisbon. Come along for the ride (Hint: hit the Follow button in the right column)!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Merriweather;">Until the next time . . .</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-40119996452639091282022-06-09T17:20:00.000-04:002022-06-09T17:20:02.714-04:00Destination Portugal: Évora<p> Évora is a charming and historic city in central Portugal with relics from Roman and Moorish influence before and during the Medieval period, including protective walls, a temple, several cathedrals, and remains of a royal palace.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShlXFD6CMv9E5bXAFeN7ch71f3f84VcdSSk6pLWTfyOHWUdl3YSQMcjNp4vhN7uLDFgZrXwmiViVIV4JLNwpi22m9CPw973BrC07gvt20lM66DoujabXMmllTsC2fDDh30PKSMxlSerS-KGTDJQOtnkbN5s2KAd0sK-nuq6YNEfV5aCDaA2K_qeas/s4109/Evora5.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="2607" data-original-width="4109" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShlXFD6CMv9E5bXAFeN7ch71f3f84VcdSSk6pLWTfyOHWUdl3YSQMcjNp4vhN7uLDFgZrXwmiViVIV4JLNwpi22m9CPw973BrC07gvt20lM66DoujabXMmllTsC2fDDh30PKSMxlSerS-KGTDJQOtnkbN5s2KAd0sK-nuq6YNEfV5aCDaA2K_qeas/w200-h127/Evora5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group following the guide</td></tr></tbody></table>Our tour of the <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/361" target="_blank">UNESCO Heritage Site</a> began with a walk through a quiet park bordering an ancient wall as a local guide provided information about the city's rich history when it was one of Portugal's cultural and educational centers. <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx-oP-jsuXms47vzdimHj7VqTcQWQZXxkeXR3OJKoPVD5jLTx2R9DMCYS7ja0qaU7hbvgHaXUyZbjvsSDRgE-90OAGdaySlY7uaNehcBrNUIbQZ3YOaOIrQoOS3hHc9yYPqevPhvGbCbyIBJY9U76zIBn3kG8ZtNY7huTuxFsWRZ4oRKp40_eU8qh/s3130/Evora23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="2936" data-original-width="3130" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx-oP-jsuXms47vzdimHj7VqTcQWQZXxkeXR3OJKoPVD5jLTx2R9DMCYS7ja0qaU7hbvgHaXUyZbjvsSDRgE-90OAGdaySlY7uaNehcBrNUIbQZ3YOaOIrQoOS3hHc9yYPqevPhvGbCbyIBJY9U76zIBn3kG8ZtNY7huTuxFsWRZ4oRKp40_eU8qh/w200-h188/Evora23.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church of St. Francis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p></p><div><br /></div>And then on toward the Old Town center, stopping first at the eerie <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capela_dos_Ossos" target="_blank">Chapel of Bones</a> at the Gothic-style <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igreja_de_S%C3%A3o_Francisco_(%C3%89vora)" target="_blank">Church of St. Francis</a>, its walls "decorated" by Franciscan monks with the remains of 5,000 corpses. <p></p><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMYWXfTjmoYMiIrE8KeE753XRjhMnZQ0SbVEHZWST9aOj7yt1NrrPR-eLjd6sbnMNAvV7kzbX0NNaVXOyIYlH4m-kbr-h_saXB1lYgSzgQNIefoYBNpa43bbt901wjiKR0WQqjnP5K-V5xybWyEN-ymKCu_c0Uhx4syT6EDli5YSOaTV7jgYH6HgU/s3872/Evora24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="2853" data-original-width="3872" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMYWXfTjmoYMiIrE8KeE753XRjhMnZQ0SbVEHZWST9aOj7yt1NrrPR-eLjd6sbnMNAvV7kzbX0NNaVXOyIYlH4m-kbr-h_saXB1lYgSzgQNIefoYBNpa43bbt901wjiKR0WQqjnP5K-V5xybWyEN-ymKCu_c0Uhx4syT6EDli5YSOaTV7jgYH6HgU/w200-h148/Evora24.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bones in the Chapel of Bones</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Walking on the cobblestone street, we headed to the Old Town square of Évora, where there are shops and restaurants. People congregated to eat at tables next to a fountain, while others sat on benches along the perimeter to chat or take in the sunshine. For me, this was one of the most relaxing places on the tour. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Md8NgihKptwS3E68QHVG7insDFdoPQflKSw9VERkUbD8Bse24bkVa0LITiV0v7U4WUvJXex0Z-IU23pTGzRmU_n4TIEnwpevRSzu-TFf6hLDn3cWrApGn--oMhkTj5vr_YssinQV7HVvsFMsO1a684tauFneGBLOPAnjfICFtuHjsLh2NOhk-l6U/s6642/Evora11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5014" data-original-width="6642" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Md8NgihKptwS3E68QHVG7insDFdoPQflKSw9VERkUbD8Bse24bkVa0LITiV0v7U4WUvJXex0Z-IU23pTGzRmU_n4TIEnwpevRSzu-TFf6hLDn3cWrApGn--oMhkTj5vr_YssinQV7HVvsFMsO1a684tauFneGBLOPAnjfICFtuHjsLh2NOhk-l6U/w320-h242/Evora11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church of Santo Antao in Old Town square</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Now on to some other sites in this enchanting place.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfLqQDkH8sjt6OtGa0GctL2nrce1BGx3sR1SgzQcpBuSvtEpF4nGH0Vtbr8F0rC5BAqJh3PPNMorN6E8iuyrelqHSLs-IInlRtSZ7249e9NVHFHvYDiufBt1w5IssHtfVERAONMcAym3T9PQMxyaMT6P_KUinBl-oXz8EwAMN9uW-7I9LzU2a5a0c/s7986/Evora1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="7986" data-original-width="4683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfLqQDkH8sjt6OtGa0GctL2nrce1BGx3sR1SgzQcpBuSvtEpF4nGH0Vtbr8F0rC5BAqJh3PPNMorN6E8iuyrelqHSLs-IInlRtSZ7249e9NVHFHvYDiufBt1w5IssHtfVERAONMcAym3T9PQMxyaMT6P_KUinBl-oXz8EwAMN9uW-7I9LzU2a5a0c/w188-h320/Evora1.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sentry post along wall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJQjKZ7RucM4PtNtgSxCB3EgTmYIAbJUBgnIt2yUyJp87QCyU_ACQDBW5srVfaswxCFpFCf30mKRpCMC-S8EV6VelJYfPwvU2RLQquricHOhKj93V-ynZPyn_W2xZiZukS9qYVNQkQHkC9bLIW-0yZEr4q4Fexv8v3BYoLQ_IgnzDUcYgXMeJAH4x/s7813/Evora14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="7813" data-original-width="4022" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJQjKZ7RucM4PtNtgSxCB3EgTmYIAbJUBgnIt2yUyJp87QCyU_ACQDBW5srVfaswxCFpFCf30mKRpCMC-S8EV6VelJYfPwvU2RLQquricHOhKj93V-ynZPyn_W2xZiZukS9qYVNQkQHkC9bLIW-0yZEr4q4Fexv8v3BYoLQ_IgnzDUcYgXMeJAH4x/w165-h320/Evora14.jpg" width="165" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side street </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj_3_MPdpf2GPBwUGvOWxqUfWEQ8--BmDTw4Q4Oj4QMWsyrn-2unb1oiCGxOwyhuQM_ukbw9RK1ZuGoRKmidhzupJoRK-SfVqpXX9y3sZOU-saC1DOSrgeyEWFZaJ40y-ILVW99aKdLLElBAEA3Yk6-uOyUYYs0h-IxAPXVtkxkSWI__5XE4GOq9u/s5851/Evora17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5186" data-original-width="5851" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj_3_MPdpf2GPBwUGvOWxqUfWEQ8--BmDTw4Q4Oj4QMWsyrn-2unb1oiCGxOwyhuQM_ukbw9RK1ZuGoRKmidhzupJoRK-SfVqpXX9y3sZOU-saC1DOSrgeyEWFZaJ40y-ILVW99aKdLLElBAEA3Yk6-uOyUYYs0h-IxAPXVtkxkSWI__5XE4GOq9u/w320-h284/Evora17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of Diana, built in the first century</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmOBtbUJo3PXERCpRpwx78ksgiOMXWnv2W0mD3n9gAD6nPq83k_XdGTPXpN8_Qt2SPbD9ytyYsBqxJ-MClTbQVz7oOTUC8lCwj8O59ofFXo3cvgq7gfz_pfKxt4CQ97Z4c35a49MjGGR7PXtW2Y8hKVZUSc2UukCmAvj22WhJnUE50i_rgwiZBpW7/s3462/Evora29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3462" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmOBtbUJo3PXERCpRpwx78ksgiOMXWnv2W0mD3n9gAD6nPq83k_XdGTPXpN8_Qt2SPbD9ytyYsBqxJ-MClTbQVz7oOTUC8lCwj8O59ofFXo3cvgq7gfz_pfKxt4CQ97Z4c35a49MjGGR7PXtW2Y8hKVZUSc2UukCmAvj22WhJnUE50i_rgwiZBpW7/w319-h320/Evora29.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church of Grace </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQN7SMN5JKt7NoJx_Y-bXxzLoC49IUjoM51QjjOak8VLADBZqZisT3NTt2ypMjx6klpNfliKLXvwjh6RZCrM-n-_pCTScw3OGnJ8mX2Tv0H_Ju0i2skhkxkFXSFRbYG1TRlFcmL-XHb5XXA88qu_efJkNhWj2Mxt_yAct9pV82jQEVqBWdDWU53Rl/s8256/_DSC1798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQN7SMN5JKt7NoJx_Y-bXxzLoC49IUjoM51QjjOak8VLADBZqZisT3NTt2ypMjx6klpNfliKLXvwjh6RZCrM-n-_pCTScw3OGnJ8mX2Tv0H_Ju0i2skhkxkFXSFRbYG1TRlFcmL-XHb5XXA88qu_efJkNhWj2Mxt_yAct9pV82jQEVqBWdDWU53Rl/w320-h213/_DSC1798.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remains of the Royal Palace</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_q2xdprd9h_irxg3Ublwn-VZVbhIi2PYXRYXRLgEjKY_E8-WdlGh_w8CFspC5DadUBsVEhWqcy_VVABmKhqPBQhlp40rBOyFNQp8lrkfjdF4LuHwoOjQYEB71ll0cX7qmyXytw7ZOQtAmmEKfVjct-SKZgt3naHo9RFwR432-pqshjf8sce_kic_z/s8256/_DSC1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="8256" data-original-width="5504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_q2xdprd9h_irxg3Ublwn-VZVbhIi2PYXRYXRLgEjKY_E8-WdlGh_w8CFspC5DadUBsVEhWqcy_VVABmKhqPBQhlp40rBOyFNQp8lrkfjdF4LuHwoOjQYEB71ll0cX7qmyXytw7ZOQtAmmEKfVjct-SKZgt3naHo9RFwR432-pqshjf8sce_kic_z/w213-h320/_DSC1826.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bust of Dr. Francisco Eduardo de Barahona,<br /> a benefactor of the city, in the Garden of Diana </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALGdt2zrdnT-AxwP7fJKZbK8mZIXsWjSzoKo00qmGAs_LugByq4GGbvZMlDnLIMKj9J-yZn5Acr6ZHA68Ls8B7FrF6QAe-yO0b8D8BWnYARY1AOf5Lz-p2r7XBfd8HBDwo8Cq-PvRQZL-Qj5a2TsT-9AccRKf9GuAVEmW9hqNPBYoRFDC9r0IeXfq/s4170/DSCN2875%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4170" data-original-width="3128" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALGdt2zrdnT-AxwP7fJKZbK8mZIXsWjSzoKo00qmGAs_LugByq4GGbvZMlDnLIMKj9J-yZn5Acr6ZHA68Ls8B7FrF6QAe-yO0b8D8BWnYARY1AOf5Lz-p2r7XBfd8HBDwo8Cq-PvRQZL-Qj5a2TsT-9AccRKf9GuAVEmW9hqNPBYoRFDC9r0IeXfq/w240-h320/DSCN2875%20(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Évora Cathedral </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>After our visit to Évora, we made a stop at a cork-making factory. Wine is an important Portuguese product, so it makes sense that cork would be prominent as well. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpu2aiTAZQQzOim8bn0lne5aGNYPQzPf5z-vkb7zRAGFx6ivsECVRwy9WJfOwo8X-1CcxagGp_dVhIzXnKIGlBjDDUBC95Asi7qwTZv0rJ2n_vCvuv6-ynxDsOQLO0V6LUG46cgOMY3S2RsjIPD0A__x6DRUqBh6YrReCgiSglW5Kwn-b-05JxFdzI/s4608/DSCN2886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpu2aiTAZQQzOim8bn0lne5aGNYPQzPf5z-vkb7zRAGFx6ivsECVRwy9WJfOwo8X-1CcxagGp_dVhIzXnKIGlBjDDUBC95Asi7qwTZv0rJ2n_vCvuv6-ynxDsOQLO0V6LUG46cgOMY3S2RsjIPD0A__x6DRUqBh6YrReCgiSglW5Kwn-b-05JxFdzI/w320-h240/DSCN2886.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bark stripped from cork oak trees </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Now on to the Algarve region in the southern part of Portugal. I hope you stay along for the ride.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until the next time . . .</div>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-51887928623984944102022-06-04T09:29:00.000-04:002022-06-04T09:29:04.293-04:00Destination Portugal: Coimbra <span style="font-size: medium;">After spending a couple of days in Porto, we traveled south to historic Coimbra, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coimbra" target="_blank">fourth-largest city</a> in Portugal. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYvhOSxPVvC8EbDHc28Kf3HDuxuP3JlvJM9ahnUdc6qC_shpsMwTj70Tlyt2kMJ82O8cqX7claJdjBO_EMbTydelhE31dGpE6egJwh8SwESwBycnzvk0ygpI3Fros1BfNnCFHUD05hI4PzSROR9Ua6iueAyicH4QS50ZoX0lZRqn6xAZT-aamc84e/s5088/Coimbra3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry" border="0" data-original-height="5088" data-original-width="3305" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYvhOSxPVvC8EbDHc28Kf3HDuxuP3JlvJM9ahnUdc6qC_shpsMwTj70Tlyt2kMJ82O8cqX7claJdjBO_EMbTydelhE31dGpE6egJwh8SwESwBycnzvk0ygpI3Fros1BfNnCFHUD05hI4PzSROR9Ua6iueAyicH4QS50ZoX0lZRqn6xAZT-aamc84e/w130-h200/Coimbra3.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belltower at the university</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Our half-day visit focused on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Coimbra" target="_blank">University of Coimbra</a> and the shopping area near the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondego_River" target="_blank">Mondego River</a>. There's a limit on what you can see before moving to the next destination on the itinerary.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The Romans found the city, naming it <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeminium" target="_blank">Aeminium</a> in the first century. In the succeeding centuries, the Suebi, Alans, Visigoths, and Muslims ruled for periods of time before <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I_of_Le%C3%B3n" target="_blank">King Ferdinand I</a> of Leon reconquered the territory in 1064. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">You might say that <a href="https://www.travel-in-portugal.com/coimbra" target="_blank">Coimbra is a college town</a>, as most activity appears to revolve around the campus that sits atop the hill overlooking the venerable city. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEOCxLPyT6RcewGuaID1W3tjsd7Fd8gng0ReOx0s2QK374JjW4HaYzMWgMx5gbLgnx0ntooFTuauXgmCpBdhF1_UcN5hir780avJRWqUOVV0dU3_5nByklorhHT-9mFqVpcdrwqR24bJZyfAZUwBOV7TchS_Wg-IVzXa8k-A8Pj7rgiQkAhinfC2H/s3950/Coimbra2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3423" data-original-width="3950" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEOCxLPyT6RcewGuaID1W3tjsd7Fd8gng0ReOx0s2QK374JjW4HaYzMWgMx5gbLgnx0ntooFTuauXgmCpBdhF1_UcN5hir780avJRWqUOVV0dU3_5nByklorhHT-9mFqVpcdrwqR24bJZyfAZUwBOV7TchS_Wg-IVzXa8k-A8Pj7rgiQkAhinfC2H/w200-h173/Coimbra2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Joao III statue</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The public university, which has 23,000 students, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its architectural and cultural heritage. Although created in Lisbon in 1290, officials permanently established it in Coimbra in 1537 during the reign of King Joao (John) III, and it's the oldest continuous higher education operation in Portugal. A statue of the king stands in the university's courtyard, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the former Alcacova Palace. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1LwZlL-PbchJbSxwXxTDDrdiCm8bepTJ7_JcB_5Y6GXpOCgoA0iH0pPYil3sinA-YWpzLRuaqeasGask7TDNIt9UpwD-apoV8MXwZKkkGVyO3bdsk9y2dbJS716fMcjgHw228sPaZpClHR9SRvxRs6p5LWYN32JLNNfH46pnC0LDsjv9G1ubpDAT/s5334/Coimbra5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry" border="0" data-original-height="2907" data-original-width="5334" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1LwZlL-PbchJbSxwXxTDDrdiCm8bepTJ7_JcB_5Y6GXpOCgoA0iH0pPYil3sinA-YWpzLRuaqeasGask7TDNIt9UpwD-apoV8MXwZKkkGVyO3bdsk9y2dbJS716fMcjgHw228sPaZpClHR9SRvxRs6p5LWYN32JLNNfH46pnC0LDsjv9G1ubpDAT/w200-h109/Coimbra5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joanine Library </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Among the places to see at the university is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioteca_Joanina" target="_blank">Joanine Library</a>, which contains many valuable documents and books dating back to the 16th century. Construction started in 1717 and completed in 1728. It's named in honor of King Joao (John) V. The building is registered as a National Monument. <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few other images from Coimbra:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MZkk2GKdIWz9ri9Zn0uEzwe4l6LPVsZDUJfFh8tjccDk6CUyZk4IxnY2dBDhAcOQE3UPOHU3m89Cs4XxisX62-DXczIqGS7gnNWkmGullh8w0_0hx7RETT63cyONi4u24yYA9itemrPjyD-7TYAkT_5Pv7mAYDPgR7J8wtCrZNe-z3MGwx1VKlsZ/s5399/Coimbra6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="5399" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MZkk2GKdIWz9ri9Zn0uEzwe4l6LPVsZDUJfFh8tjccDk6CUyZk4IxnY2dBDhAcOQE3UPOHU3m89Cs4XxisX62-DXczIqGS7gnNWkmGullh8w0_0hx7RETT63cyONi4u24yYA9itemrPjyD-7TYAkT_5Pv7mAYDPgR7J8wtCrZNe-z3MGwx1VKlsZ/w400-h184/Coimbra6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rainha Santa Isabel bridge crossing the Mondego River </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8ttmw0GBPfAYhSogQPHgvvBAJH7eL_9aAVzvnM9zc4SZrF-t8Rs13_ZbGqJMzBYU9P5VFNm-y4KNglc6OEGSR8IxKvqV2nLQ-t5ZcGqpmAPZZ8kvaPVPehZqW19Lj3PAigOItpKkZSHBSizLyvBu0y-Ck-RKf3q5x0GV1bohy-_LZrW2UfttaYJs/s4744/Coimbra11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4744" data-original-width="2892" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8ttmw0GBPfAYhSogQPHgvvBAJH7eL_9aAVzvnM9zc4SZrF-t8Rs13_ZbGqJMzBYU9P5VFNm-y4KNglc6OEGSR8IxKvqV2nLQ-t5ZcGqpmAPZZ8kvaPVPehZqW19Lj3PAigOItpKkZSHBSizLyvBu0y-Ck-RKf3q5x0GV1bohy-_LZrW2UfttaYJs/w244-h400/Coimbra11.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tricana of Coimbra sculpture, honoring a woman of the city </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxuWdSf5r6b8sh0YnAEbM2zI2L9F_UZlrRNPndCWdvkiY9Wk6oXLlc6aaiANFv9rOmpEGeGieB_UsfCVFTUzlZ46nHFYqd-MCoA4et1bpFjQtz9SUIRwYJSWxoK6el1_JmDpSIoSDFbBerDS_lAiOuBjPMLZ_qvNKyZpdtUo01iGjgO59PySlBzF8/s4652/Coimbra13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry" border="0" data-original-height="4652" data-original-width="3101" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxuWdSf5r6b8sh0YnAEbM2zI2L9F_UZlrRNPndCWdvkiY9Wk6oXLlc6aaiANFv9rOmpEGeGieB_UsfCVFTUzlZ46nHFYqd-MCoA4et1bpFjQtz9SUIRwYJSWxoK6el1_JmDpSIoSDFbBerDS_lAiOuBjPMLZ_qvNKyZpdtUo01iGjgO59PySlBzF8/w266-h400/Coimbra13.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpture celebrating Fado guitar </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lRS5FS_iFtd32T1ru_CH66YO5ih9QO6ADHipwqtPy8VguL9xUXsjzaEkrv-vFBYs9JpzzpD6fV7JotE0uKou6fNjHI1aHly7M6f1JrLNEuIX_LVxCUpYvAkqs31Zbvv_97g_6wgC9mNucGsiFhIO2-gUDgcWClo50_kIgaQNcFApp94Raz_8m7z1/s4888/Coimbra20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4888" data-original-width="3591" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lRS5FS_iFtd32T1ru_CH66YO5ih9QO6ADHipwqtPy8VguL9xUXsjzaEkrv-vFBYs9JpzzpD6fV7JotE0uKou6fNjHI1aHly7M6f1JrLNEuIX_LVxCUpYvAkqs31Zbvv_97g_6wgC9mNucGsiFhIO2-gUDgcWClo50_kIgaQNcFApp94Raz_8m7z1/w294-h400/Coimbra20.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument to 19th century Prime Minister Joaquin Antonio de Auigar </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUbk8BL6Hn0K_7_N-Bm6VClD-CiWYAvEl1qXYE72rEcmRZ1xBvLh9z3iEcHRVrkOh8b9pG9H9VVJrHz5klxt-kFeBcEtTEoiT6z4UWqf10iuRfedD4TJQoF58XilGmYbYuwN36ZaAQZfOxlBE2xe86wwjO5F32UfuXcElARBaJtiPe6wqayVCnU4q/s5408/Coimbra23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="5408" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUbk8BL6Hn0K_7_N-Bm6VClD-CiWYAvEl1qXYE72rEcmRZ1xBvLh9z3iEcHRVrkOh8b9pG9H9VVJrHz5klxt-kFeBcEtTEoiT6z4UWqf10iuRfedD4TJQoF58XilGmYbYuwN36ZaAQZfOxlBE2xe86wwjO5F32UfuXcElARBaJtiPe6wqayVCnU4q/w400-h266/Coimbra23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coimbra street scene </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqiAufVFC4Jmq67H6r1rklSG4U8ioC1TlYzM8AXZkmNpRds-j_LOF4GS13GHUF1WRihIDDvZB1cMhgJhq4dw31OgF4ScKXPFFeR94Y690TTs9pwkHUeCVRB0OFETaqeGOdLPgq9wAK4ijgVrrSY-dEtPj0348WKncFTKE5Xup8211p9cy_6RLmcc5/s4298/Coimbra16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4298" data-original-width="3284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqiAufVFC4Jmq67H6r1rklSG4U8ioC1TlYzM8AXZkmNpRds-j_LOF4GS13GHUF1WRihIDDvZB1cMhgJhq4dw31OgF4ScKXPFFeR94Y690TTs9pwkHUeCVRB0OFETaqeGOdLPgq9wAK4ijgVrrSY-dEtPj0348WKncFTKE5Xup8211p9cy_6RLmcc5/w245-h320/Coimbra16.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopping district</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1h4hObCIehdND3KlX8cSeTdWgEjlerQEBR4MuR79ay1FkMZsteZq7cuIWeW9jt-7g7Ytl9yDTlKlQBYkf5EHnbZZbCNhrBCYJXJ_5vuaXxoIQD4FXYC2MtUEpDUz4XxhhGTfMpifk92HOBHx7Lp4PlMVAMnDzgkKM2xwepB9x0a8knOxhMQ4mF5F6/s4366/Coimbra18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4366" data-original-width="3480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1h4hObCIehdND3KlX8cSeTdWgEjlerQEBR4MuR79ay1FkMZsteZq7cuIWeW9jt-7g7Ytl9yDTlKlQBYkf5EHnbZZbCNhrBCYJXJ_5vuaXxoIQD4FXYC2MtUEpDUz4XxhhGTfMpifk92HOBHx7Lp4PlMVAMnDzgkKM2xwepB9x0a8knOxhMQ4mF5F6/w255-h320/Coimbra18.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Cruz Church and Monastery </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;">I've only touched on a few things to see and do in Coimbra, but it's definitely a place to spend several days and take in the history and culture of this beautiful city.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">My next stop will be in Evora.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Until the next time . . . </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-7010712322705085762022-05-29T15:30:00.001-04:002022-05-29T15:30:14.522-04:00Destination Portugal: Porto <p> <span style="font-size: medium;">I suppose one adventure of travel is making connecting flights at various airports. The ideal is to board a plane at your home airport and fly nonstop to your destination. That's highly unlikely if you're flying overseas in economy class. I like to think it adds to the adventure of seeing fresh places, even if it is an airport.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For my wife and I on our journey to Portugal, we flew out of Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., to O'Hare International in Chicago, then a long flight to Zurich Airport in Switzerland (we can now say we've been to Switzerland), and then on to Porto Airport in Portugal. Enough about airports. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As I've probably mentioned in previous posts, we take guided tours on our trips to Europe because we like someone holding our hands and leading us to various sundry places. Well, it's not quite that bad because we do like the free time to explore on our own, but a director gives us ideas and can point us in the right direction. And she is someone we can contact if we get totally lost! </span></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEP1raLeQkCSbTpJhNCGqEroZvUzlrR1OnhjeQUohIJUGn3TYR5hHhtwUA4WRAsmpwvlWiyNjMooN6RyLlByfltmqM_q6tlJDEm7GxAZrDiJmyhOrhUsokU-tWvBpakVEzi0ZkXm4v-wmTLW9qa5-vunr8iHTeqkU-nLgalOcRTGtpXodiuDS6b-l/s8256/Porto_night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEP1raLeQkCSbTpJhNCGqEroZvUzlrR1OnhjeQUohIJUGn3TYR5hHhtwUA4WRAsmpwvlWiyNjMooN6RyLlByfltmqM_q6tlJDEm7GxAZrDiJmyhOrhUsokU-tWvBpakVEzi0ZkXm4v-wmTLW9qa5-vunr8iHTeqkU-nLgalOcRTGtpXodiuDS6b-l/w200-h133/Porto_night.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Douro River at twilight</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="Porto" target="_blank">Porto</a>, or Oporto to the Portuguese and probably a few others, is a picturesque city on the northwest coast. It's the second-largest city in Portugal, with a metro population of 1.7 million people. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Porto is a historic city, much like most European places visited by Americans. We began with a walking tour of the Ribeira District, which borders the Douro riverfront. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRN85bq0Il5laeH6GGOJJ8dMLGl_X3sZg6y7kgXRzXLGEDchxhzfeLhXlj3AirIR1Ft0FZmBO4BE3OKzepTCOFPBVLAQfx6GlVJeFEJ_e6NIaO-kCMqnIzSm-1W8Xe4ocBrJ917TzTo6lk22CrYjnWkaCmqXxhp_1-dKNwpqvnXNtI8WxljFC5reT/s6510/Porto_Old%20Church%20front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4496" data-original-width="6510" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRN85bq0Il5laeH6GGOJJ8dMLGl_X3sZg6y7kgXRzXLGEDchxhzfeLhXlj3AirIR1Ft0FZmBO4BE3OKzepTCOFPBVLAQfx6GlVJeFEJ_e6NIaO-kCMqnIzSm-1W8Xe4ocBrJ917TzTo6lk22CrYjnWkaCmqXxhp_1-dKNwpqvnXNtI8WxljFC5reT/w200-h138/Porto_Old%20Church%20front.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porto Cathedral </td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Our first stop was the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porto_Cathedral" target="_blank"> Porto Cathedral</a>, overlooking the Douro River. Construction on the Romanesque structure began in 1110 and was completed in 1737, a mere 627 years. An impressive pillory stands on the grounds. A statue of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%ADmara_Peres" target="_blank">Vimara Peres</a>, a ninth-century nobleman, stands near the entrance. </span></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVAIkcK065lZWWQdBYGupZGD5EHOZtfgiF8H343S1jsQVRwzR5jJ80maEsb9iPMI60RT6DA_2tXr4VfR3rsJsqoZpdyEPJq4s12ZRvpE7jAaobwR-E6rQgHfNCSVrLPVZM4jL6eHgKG1ocv1_af-NXg11TTzUAUE0gW30DqbXThT8BRpTEal8WcBH/s5628/Porto_Vimara%20Peres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5628" data-original-width="3951" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVAIkcK065lZWWQdBYGupZGD5EHOZtfgiF8H343S1jsQVRwzR5jJ80maEsb9iPMI60RT6DA_2tXr4VfR3rsJsqoZpdyEPJq4s12ZRvpE7jAaobwR-E6rQgHfNCSVrLPVZM4jL6eHgKG1ocv1_af-NXg11TTzUAUE0gW30DqbXThT8BRpTEal8WcBH/w141-h200/Porto_Vimara%20Peres.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vimara Peres</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">We took a short walk from the cathedral to the </span><a href="https://www.introducingporto.com/sao-bento-railway-station" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Sao Bento Railway Station</a><span style="font-size: large;">, which is noted for its tiled mosaics depicting the history of Portugal in the main hall. The predominately blue-and-white tiles are an important part of the nation's history and culture that you'll see in other parts of the country. The display on the station's walls is captivating by the artistry and detail.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Without going on and on, here are a few other highlights from our tour of Porto that including bus stops along the Atlantic coastline and a leisurely boat ride on the Douro River.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgcmjYRYK1Ve4Zl-RRhfVmilD44gPS9nihUc9KZrhCNqRMOTsC4E1bJABTv-MsmpwcZ9jAgCXqRHEhgdy6t3H9SZc2YvKdwiL77VQp6rtmuWIj4VYNvrqx3ACTa9VN09Poy04k5ySpL0iDT6AXoZ-8qTJl-aF3aMFqVKfLs-UrLVEHV_7UZ-7LpZ2/s8256/Porto_Henry%20monument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgcmjYRYK1Ve4Zl-RRhfVmilD44gPS9nihUc9KZrhCNqRMOTsC4E1bJABTv-MsmpwcZ9jAgCXqRHEhgdy6t3H9SZc2YvKdwiL77VQp6rtmuWIj4VYNvrqx3ACTa9VN09Poy04k5ySpL0iDT6AXoZ-8qTJl-aF3aMFqVKfLs-UrLVEHV_7UZ-7LpZ2/w320-h213/Porto_Henry%20monument.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0up8dPALLJr3nukMfEhcaeMgtkIefyKvse6RYOQS2UVUxidRoqLFC1ID9PG-6ZG4IIx97484VERTh-H1K9FMRYDho2mG8Wq4kqhzxZnIVOxqpufkc-TwGkMmlKoQreFWoKtbqqI2ZF26qdwu31CG9TH__ttxr7llihMil2XBw8NBHB1_n-P1rsDC/s8121/Porto_historic%20district.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4308" data-original-width="8121" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0up8dPALLJr3nukMfEhcaeMgtkIefyKvse6RYOQS2UVUxidRoqLFC1ID9PG-6ZG4IIx97484VERTh-H1K9FMRYDho2mG8Wq4kqhzxZnIVOxqpufkc-TwGkMmlKoQreFWoKtbqqI2ZF26qdwu31CG9TH__ttxr7llihMil2XBw8NBHB1_n-P1rsDC/w320-h170/Porto_historic%20district.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A church with a blue-and-white tile facade</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCgaoFPQ36NN668NQCK65JTfaPAfk1Z-Pf4ymUPLTI6zm1lutVxpUvyTsaxOLgfcy9iexqF7J6QU38yIK4R_LNwSweDpWNvrKF5ZvLQBkr5MYYicV6xBGGkrVblVqRbpo9F_nTJKpdDzqRfpK80aPUO3FZo3ZrXeROpu3iNTlwVTWwHbiSE0Rt75D/s7507/Porto_old%20district.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4831" data-original-width="7507" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCgaoFPQ36NN668NQCK65JTfaPAfk1Z-Pf4ymUPLTI6zm1lutVxpUvyTsaxOLgfcy9iexqF7J6QU38yIK4R_LNwSweDpWNvrKF5ZvLQBkr5MYYicV6xBGGkrVblVqRbpo9F_nTJKpdDzqRfpK80aPUO3FZo3ZrXeROpu3iNTlwVTWwHbiSE0Rt75D/w320-h206/Porto_old%20district.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restaurants in the historic Ribeira District </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpytIy8Vd8afoz_JtcMdjgRLKg4CVjLbrLvKVLmzS3z7tH2yQLUJQiwX8KbrqJ-oT6CwN5SdxkSYufin7mLtKTP_gLLhtGM5IYyzh39jy1KUz_up9AZCt5SYjLRzqd6KIAIB4bTU_-NAP-e8X_ejKbyFx1pY0tgZuyt9CmpAm8DfQfGI9VccfB0Ocs/s7339/Porto_river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4744" data-original-width="7339" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpytIy8Vd8afoz_JtcMdjgRLKg4CVjLbrLvKVLmzS3z7tH2yQLUJQiwX8KbrqJ-oT6CwN5SdxkSYufin7mLtKTP_gLLhtGM5IYyzh39jy1KUz_up9AZCt5SYjLRzqd6KIAIB4bTU_-NAP-e8X_ejKbyFx1pY0tgZuyt9CmpAm8DfQfGI9VccfB0Ocs/w320-h207/Porto_river.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boats on the Douro River </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45WdnuafqKXvYhkcwO3eeqNl3Cq9QB7vMfptTOWvaG_Ba_KunfBU65lhu_5sFg44FQhKBvf1H27NFxOmzcAF51tk15P-kdFaEv7OsQChec90vakNwfaJvUQCzVdiL_SSXBs_YS5nfxT7KifTNqVxWl7_Q65V5yeQqkZUn2918bXIJkuqtzc0MjMRW/s8256/Porto_wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo © Michael Embry 2022" border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45WdnuafqKXvYhkcwO3eeqNl3Cq9QB7vMfptTOWvaG_Ba_KunfBU65lhu_5sFg44FQhKBvf1H27NFxOmzcAF51tk15P-kdFaEv7OsQChec90vakNwfaJvUQCzVdiL_SSXBs_YS5nfxT7KifTNqVxWl7_Q65V5yeQqkZUn2918bXIJkuqtzc0MjMRW/w320-h213/Porto_wine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barrel in a warehouse containing Porto wine </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">We also visited the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pal%C3%A1cio_da_Bolsa" target="_blank">Stock Exchange or Bolsa Palace</a>, viewed marvelous wood carvings in the <a href="https://ordemsaofranciscoporto.pt/museu/#igreja" target="_blank">Church of the Convent of St. Francis</a>, and toured <a href="https://www.introducingporto.com/ferreira-cellars" target="_blank">Ferreira wine cellars</a> and took part in a tasting of its delightful product. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There was so much to see and do in Porto but so little time as we had to move on to our next stops in Coimbra and Evora. If ever I return to Portugal, Porto is a city where I want to spend a lot of time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Until the next time . . .</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-9806936874756575052022-05-02T09:40:00.003-04:002022-05-02T10:21:01.339-04:00Destination Portugal: The Beginning <p> <span style="font-size: medium;">It had been nearly three long years since my wife Mary and I traveled to Greece. In the next two years, we had planned trips to Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Life, as most travelers knew it, had come to a standstill. We were able to take several day trips to nearby state parks to take in the fall foliage or visit the Louisville, Cincinnati, and Columbus zoos. An overnight trip was to Gatlinburg, Tenn., for some Smoky Mountain scenery. Our big journey was a long and memorable weekend at Mackinac Island, Mich., to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdY0Bj4klN43RJMF1B8U9pCd90slZlr0WwGHDw11tk15ZpArOGD7HNtVBnAh0ibMI9eLb6Sa5a8M1c43JZFucctNhYTFxDT4wImnY7ABpreUJGil2H793gRrK9VxfUdIeRYg14_RB3owdMsMguxns5VSueiXbJyxwK21450D-e1hQWOcdhMwI9Ghjq/s900/portugal%20flag.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="900" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdY0Bj4klN43RJMF1B8U9pCd90slZlr0WwGHDw11tk15ZpArOGD7HNtVBnAh0ibMI9eLb6Sa5a8M1c43JZFucctNhYTFxDT4wImnY7ABpreUJGil2H793gRrK9VxfUdIeRYg14_RB3owdMsMguxns5VSueiXbJyxwK21450D-e1hQWOcdhMwI9Ghjq/w200-h128/portugal%20flag.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portugal flag</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">But we still longed to return to Europe. When it appeared that travel to Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia wasn't going to happen, we changed our destination plans to Portugal. But we still weren't sure it would happen as strict protocols for international travel were in place because of the pandemic.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We counted down the days to departure in February, knowing that the tour could be canceled at any time. Then we were notified the trip was on, but with conditions. We had to have a negative Covid-19 test within three days of departure and we had to complete locator forms for Portugal.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVE--I8YVauzQxvqRH7VK9TdxaUFjRTabRdQkphhyID73sTWxVcmpMAUSMtTTsB4grfeSLE2sMEDJdHusafa_idKuQUB17_om_23y06BdI-FUo-WxV2dOiz1KLvbqhfeK-Fc-JXu9fcG8Aj54w9vZL3dddisFeKmXfG_6wSLRMf9Ncxd7ISJ3_4rB/s3264/IMG_20220227_110513136_BURST001.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVE--I8YVauzQxvqRH7VK9TdxaUFjRTabRdQkphhyID73sTWxVcmpMAUSMtTTsB4grfeSLE2sMEDJdHusafa_idKuQUB17_om_23y06BdI-FUo-WxV2dOiz1KLvbqhfeK-Fc-JXu9fcG8Aj54w9vZL3dddisFeKmXfG_6wSLRMf9Ncxd7ISJ3_4rB/w150-h200/IMG_20220227_110513136_BURST001.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving in Porto</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Our tests were negative, but we had difficulty submitting the required information to the host country. Because of that, our airline wouldn't let us board until it was completed. Without getting into the complicated details, we were fortunate to have a tech-savvy young man at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., help complete the needed form. We were on our way -- to Chicago, Zurich, and Porto.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We were told the forms would be required at our final stop, but that wasn't the case as we retrieved our luggage and met o</span><span style="font-size: large;">ur attentive guide inside the terminal. Then we were whisked to the hotel to officially begin our Portuguese adventure with fellow travelers and soon-to-be friends.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the coming days, I'll share something about our various stops in Portugal. I hope you come along for the trip.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Until the next time . . . </span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-73150112441564690162022-04-26T06:30:00.001-04:002022-04-26T06:30:18.255-04:00Back to the Keyboard<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> It's been a while since I've written anything here; on Feb. 11 to be exact when I posted about a few love songs for Valentine's Day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">For those who are concerned or curious, I have been writing. Just not here. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELABEoGZ5VuCSAKvXMPMVRFYs1_7trXIqSLXne1LReZztWYNXMa1KLOKS6c9Za8Och_SlAK8mW-S4_Xf-AhkjnkWA3RXheQ_ZKrFpo776J1Z2aB5RGG9kENo-FrEKo3hc5RXR6-JzWazvj7_CjhNAikGsKZsFyKAli_RPEfexbmuZMrPToCB6QS2h/s717/feather%20pen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="717" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELABEoGZ5VuCSAKvXMPMVRFYs1_7trXIqSLXne1LReZztWYNXMa1KLOKS6c9Za8Och_SlAK8mW-S4_Xf-AhkjnkWA3RXheQ_ZKrFpo776J1Z2aB5RGG9kENo-FrEKo3hc5RXR6-JzWazvj7_CjhNAikGsKZsFyKAli_RPEfexbmuZMrPToCB6QS2h/w303-h202/feather%20pen.jpg" width="303" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm a contributor on <a href="https://medium.com/@michael.embry" target="_blank">Medium</a>, where I've had about five posts in recent weeks. I call them "Random thoughts" if you'd like to read them. I plan to eventually have them here.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I've written book reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and other places. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, almost forgot. I'm also working on the sixth book in the "John Ross Boomer Lit series." It's a slow process but I'll eventually have it finished. I'm not as fast at writing novels as I used to be. It's an age thing like so many other tasks that take time to finish.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">On a personal note, my wife and I traveled to Portugal in late February and I intend to have something about that fabulous country in the coming days, much like I've had about our other travels. Photos will be posted as well. Needless to say, it was great to be traveling again (even if the pandemic has only slightly subsided), and we've got more adventures lined up in the coming months.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I hope you haven't abandoned me. I simply took some time off to get recharged and refocused on my writing. We all need that once in a while, regardless of our interests and endeavors. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Until the next time . . . </span></p>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312003163699755539.post-30000312418634483472022-02-11T10:18:00.001-05:002022-02-12T20:45:43.659-05:00Story Songs: Love is in the Air <p>With Valentine's Day around the corner, here are a few love songs that I have enjoyed through the years. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjLnB25Io4Nt6BXxbAx4oIQG1q1CMreT84SEhg98dmzuj3ik-44of7otMTcLOKS8dMP_hVMoZHddImLY8CYLac-fyBEKoKGIJwixrOorjtwTRmyv4MOPo0hRQRQ50xGlcLwYVgSQoGxVK7Y-Kvl9fMFEwe6hIUMZyAksrQr5yBqaD1di4X2c0lGK2N=s517" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjLnB25Io4Nt6BXxbAx4oIQG1q1CMreT84SEhg98dmzuj3ik-44of7otMTcLOKS8dMP_hVMoZHddImLY8CYLac-fyBEKoKGIJwixrOorjtwTRmyv4MOPo0hRQRQ50xGlcLwYVgSQoGxVK7Y-Kvl9fMFEwe6hIUMZyAksrQr5yBqaD1di4X2c0lGK2N=s320" width="233" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The Bee Gees's last Top 10 hit in the U.S. was "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_(Bee_Gees_song)" target="_blank">One</a>" in 1989, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard chart. The song was written by the Gibbs brothers, one of the greatest songwriting teams in history.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KRUeMgzOCCo" width="320" youtube-src-id="KRUeMgzOCCo"></iframe></div><br /><p>James Taylor's "Only One" didn't crack the Billboard Top 100 in 1985 but it was No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The JT-penned song was on his "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That%27s_Why_I%27m_Here" target="_blank">That's Why I'm Here</a>" album.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pR4xmSj14nw" width="320" youtube-src-id="pR4xmSj14nw"></iframe></div><br /><p>The late, great Jim Croce's "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ll_Have_to_Say_I_Love_You_in_a_Song" target="_blank">I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song</a>" was No. 9 (No. 1 in AC) in 1974, a year after his death in an airplane accident. I've often wondered why he's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bCteGIv9nSQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="bCteGIv9nSQ"></iframe></div><br /><p>Elton John's "Your Song," written by John and Bernie Taupin, was his first big hit at No. 8 in 1971. I first heard the tune in the movie "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_(film_soundtrack)" target="_blank">Friends</a>" and became a big fan of his music. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GlPlfCy1urI" width="320" youtube-src-id="GlPlfCy1urI"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>One of the greatest Beach Boys' songs is "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Only_Knows" target="_blank">God Only Knows</a>," written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. It is on the masterpiece "Pet Sounds" album, released in 1966 with Carl Wilson doing the lead vocals. Although charting at only No. 39 (with "Wouldn't It Be Nice"), <i>Rolling Stone</i> magazine rated it No. 11 on its<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone%27s_500_Greatest_Songs_of_All_Time" target="_blank"> greatest rock songs of all time</a>. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AOMyS78o5YI" width="320" youtube-src-id="AOMyS78o5YI"></iframe></div><br /><p>From the doo-wop era comes "I Only Have Eyes for You," a No. 11 cover by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flamingos" target="_blank">The Flamingos</a> in 1959. The<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Only_Have_Eyes_for_You" target="_blank"> song</a> was written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin for the movie <i>Dames</i> in 1934. It was a No. 18 song for Art Garfunkel in 1975.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nrzusdilnKQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="nrzusdilnKQ"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Daryl Hall and John Oates, we know them as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_%26_Oates" target="_blank">Hall & Oates</a>, had an upbeat love song with "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Make_My_Dreams" target="_blank">You Make My Dreams</a>," a No. 5 tune in 1981 written by Hall, Oates, and Sara Allen. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EErSKhC0CZs" width="320" youtube-src-id="EErSKhC0CZs"></iframe></div><br /><div>There are countless other love songs I've admired and appreciated through the years but I wanted to keep this list manageable (I've blogged about other love songs so check my past posts under Story Songs). </div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Valentine's Day to all!</div><div><br /></div><div>Until the next time . . . <br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Michael Embryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00880224588512715157noreply@blogger.com1