.All Trips / Central USA / Missouri / North America

Patriot Park at the College of the Ozarks, Missouri

00 College of the Ozarks War Memorial, Branson

College of the Ozarks is an interesting private college in Missouri that we’ve visited before. It being Memorial Day in the USA today, I thought it would be appropriate to feature the college’s war memorials.
Situated in a cluster at the periphery of the campus are several patriotic memorials that honor those who served and sacrificed to preserve American liberties.

The Missouri Gold Star Families Memorial honors Gold Star Families — those who have lost a loved one in war.  A reminder that freedom is not free.
The gentleman above is on his way to serve his country but stops to honor …

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.All Trips / Alberta / Car Culture / Central Canada / North America

“Pic of the Week”, April 21, 2023: Vintage Fire Trucks, Alberta

00 Fire Trucks, Bomber Command Museum

The Bomber Command Museum of Canada, housed in the small Alberta town of Nanton, includes in its varied collection two old fire trucks.  Both of these served on air force bases in Alberta in WW II, intended to protect the bases in case of emergencies.  Both are in excellent condition.
The larger is a 1942 Ford and the smaller is a 1943 Ford.  Rather lovely, aren’t they?
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos)

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.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Ontario

“Pic of the Week”, April 14, 2023: Trowbridge Falls, Thunder Bay

01 Towbridge Falls, Thunder Bay

A pretty spot for a picnic in northwestern Ontario is Trowbridge Falls.  The falls are in a conservation area on the Current River, and are nicely terraced.  In the summer people like to wade into the falls to sit down and cool off, and kids love playing in the water.  The flow is not too rapid and it’s a pretty safe  environment.  The water is surprisingly warm in the summertime.
There are hiking trails in the adjoining forest.  In the winter the trails around here are popular with cross-country skiers.
There is a campground adjoining the park and legend has it that the spot is haunted.  There are a lot of stories of unexplained mischief that have been ascribed to ghosts.  Not …

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.All Trips / Europe / Food / Italy

More Almond Art

01a Marzipan, Cafe Etoile D’or Catania

I’ve previously published a post on “The Art of the Almond, featuring some of the beautiful marzipan creations we came across in Venice.  While sorting through my photos from Sicily, I found a few more nice examples.
Marzipan is made of ground almonds (almond meal) mixed with a sweetener like sugar or honey.  Marzipan is molded into the shape of fruit and vegetables and colored accordingly, producing these beautiful creations.
As with many things in life, the illusion is better than reality.  In my opinion, these creations look better than they taste — too nice to eat.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos)

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.All Trips / Europe / Italy

A Religious Procession in Palermo

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Sometimes you encounter unexpected sights while rambling around the streets of a city.  While wandering Palermo in Sicily early one February afternoon, we came across this religious procession.  I don’t speak the language, so it was unclear to me what was being celebrated.  But the icons appear to be old and of an Orthodox nature.
After I took a few still photos, I switched to video mode and captured this amateur footage, to give you a feeling for what the experience was like.

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos)

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.All Trips / Europe / Spain

Doors of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

00 Doors, La Sagrada Familia

One of my favorite buildings in the world is La Sagrada Familia.  In today’s post I thought I’d share photos of some of the doors and entrances to this beautiful (still unfinished) cathedral.
The photo above features what will be the cathedral’s main entry when the building is completed, and is known as the Doorway of Majesty.
The first completed entrance to the cathedral was themed after the Nativity, and the doors at this entrance show some imaginative details:



Even this more traditional cathedral entrance has an interesting skylight feature….

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.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America

The Mormon Temple, Cardston, Alberta

00 Cardston Mormon Temple

Besides being home to a world-class carriage museum, the small Alberta town of Cardston also has an impressive Mormon temple—the first built in Canada, as well as the first built outside the USA.  Mormon settlers came to the region in late 19th century and settled here, some 15 miles north of the USA-Canada Border.
The temple site was dedicated on 27 July 1913 by Joseph F. Smith, with groundbreaking later that year.  Construction was delayed because of World War I and the building was not completed until 1923, when the temple was dedicated.   Cardston’s is just one of eight Mormon temples that do not have an angel Moroni statue.
The temple sits atop a small hill — the high …

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.All Trips / Idaho / North America / Pacific Northwest

Idaho’s Roaring Lochsa River

00 Lochsa River

Idaho has some outstanding whitewater experiences for rafters and kayakers, but few compare with the Lochsa (pronounced lock-saw) River, especially for those looking for a string of seemingly endless rapids.   Apparently the fishing is also great, but most people come to run the river, especially in late spring when the water is at its best.  At times of peak flow, many of the rapids are class VI (at the limits of navigation), with at least 60 being graded as class III – IV (medium to difficult).   The water passing through the river at peak flow is twice that going through the Grand Canyon.
The name Lochsa is a Nez Perce word meaning “rough water”, and rafting it is not for the …

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