We took a tour just outside of Paris following the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet. Both Van Gogh and Monet lived and spent time in Paris in the 1800s. Although they never met in person, Van Gogh was influenced by the impressionist style that Monet pioneered, which resulted in Van Gogh abandoning […]
France 2 – Montmartre Village
For us, Paris has always been a great stopover for a few days, enroute to somewhere else. This time, we’re enroute to Morocco and Southern France. In Paris, there are 20 arrondissements, or districts, where one can stay, each with a distinctive personality. For this trip, we chose to stay in the Bohemian village of […]
France 1 – Paris Notre-Dame
On 15 April 2019, disaster struck Notre-Dame. The 850 year-old medieval Catholic cathedral in Paris had a catastrophic structural fire, collapsing the spire and roof. It was closed 5 years for restoration. When we heard the cathedral was reopened to the public in December 2024. we jumped at the opportunity to see it. We planned […]
Utah Badlands Drone Workshop
In October 2024, I joined a 3-day drone workshop in the Utah Badlands. In many photo tours I take, I am mostly just wanting to be taken to photogenic sites where I can apply my skills to come back with interesting photos. In this workshop, I had hoped to learn more about how to get […]
Nepal 2 – Cremations, Temples and Art
Similar to India, the Ganges River in Nepal is a sacred place where Hindus want their bodies cremated and their ashes spread, so they can ascend to heaven for rebirthing. Above is the Pashupatinath Cremation Complex in Katmandu, where a typical cremation ceremony is performed in public daily. Travelers are invited to watch from across […]
Nepal 1 – Katmandu and Chitwan National Park
After touring India, we looked at options to explore other countries in this region. We decided to explore Nepal, which was less than 2 hours away by air, direct from New Dehli to Katmandu, and the gateway to Bhutan. Our good friend Judy had spent a month in Katmandu decades ago and raved about her […]
India 14 – Kawant Fair, Gujarat
Three days following the end of the Holi Festival is the Kwant Gair Fair held in the village of Kawant. The Rahtwa tribal fair is a wild and exhuberant celebration. Bhil and Koli tribes come together from the region to celebrate the harvest, and where matchmaking is sometimes formalized. The Rathwa Bhils are considered the […]
India 13 – Sasan-Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat
The wildlife sanctuary, San Gir, in Gir National Park in Gujarat is home to the last Asiatic Lions in the wild, with approximate 674 remaining as of March 2074. Less than 20% of the sanctuary is accessible to tourists, so many of the leopards and lions were still hidden deep in the jungle. There are […]
India 12 – Bhuj, Gujarat
There are approximately 162 tribal villages surrounding Bhuj in the state of Gujarat. There are various tribal people in the Bhuj area, including the nomadic Rabaris, who are constantly in search of better grazing ground. Bhuj is known as the textile hub of India and is famous for their embroidery and handicrafts. We visited tribal villages […]
India 11 – Poshina, Gujarat
Poshina is a quaint remote village in the state of Gujarat near the border of Rajasthan, and is not on many of India’s tourists maps. It is described as a place where time stands still. Surrounded by several colorful tribes, including the Bhil, Garasias and the nomadic Rabaris, the scenes in these tribal areas are […]
