HELSINKI

Here are just a few photos from my recent jaunt to Helsinki Finland. A beautiful city that I would like to spend more time in. I wasn't able to see enough of the city so I would love to go and spend more time exploring and to see some of the surrounding areas. I was able to get in the top sights in the downtown area though, and I highly reccomend that if you have the chance to stop here on your way to somewhere else that you extend your connection to stay overnight, or if you want to see the best of the Baltics, Helsinki is great city to start in.

ICELAND, Post #2 Gullfoss, Thingvellir, Geysir, and the Blue Lagoon.

Gullfoss, Thingvellir, Geysir, and the Blue lagoon were the next and final stops for me in Iceland. The first three, are part of what in the Icelandic tourist market, is called the Golden Cirlce. Generally it is just several of the top attractions in Iceland that happen to be all within an easy day tour of the capital city. I jumped on a bus with a chatty Norwegian couple (with an even chattier young son), an elderly American couple, and a German man and set out to see what lay beyond Reykjavik. 

ICELAND, Post #1 Reykjavik

I have always wanted to go to Iceland, and now I have. Back in High School my friend Paulette told me that her mother had stopped there on her way to Germany, and I couldn't believe that I knew someone, who was related to someone, that had been to Iceland. It mattered little to me that her mother most likely didn't get off the plane during her stopover.  So I started my trip in Reykjavik, the capital city with a population of 120,000. To me it was perfect, a compact and cosmopolitan place that was as much a small fishing village, as it was a hip nordic city with bars and restaraunts for every kind of traveler.  All the photos in this post are from Reykjavik, I hope you can get a little taste of what it has to offer. From the capital I set out on the popular 'Golden Circle' tour that includes three of the major attractions within an easy drive from the city. First stop was Thingvellir National Park, the home of Icelands first Parliment. Next up was Gullfoss, the beautiful waterfall. Then finally on to Geysir, the mother of all geysers.  I also went to the Blue Lagoon, which of course you cannot miss. I will have photos from each place in future posts. My visit was way too short and there are so many things that I still want to do and see, so I am already planning a trip back. Anyone want to come?

The Storm King 15

For those of you who are unaware of its existence (I was too, until the day I went) The Storm King Art Center lies in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York State. Essentially a large sculpture garden, Storm King has works by major artists like Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Alice Aycock, Roy Lichtenstein and Maya Lin, among many others. I went on an amazing Autumn day, perhaps the most amazing of the season so far. The grounds have been carved from the landscape to collaborate with the pieces themselves, and the result is a stunning combination of art and nature. If you get the chance to visit this extraordinary place, I hope that you will take it. Until then, here are my photos.