Inside the Barcelona Cathedral

Although the 13th century cathedral was undergoing repairs while we were there,
you can see that this did not take away from its magnificence.
Barcelona, Spain. June 10, 2011.

Night and Day in Copenhagen

quintessential tourist!
must take photo with the little mermaid. and, MERMAID!

the canals

leaving Copenhagen

deep blue seascape

a dusking sky

full moon on the Baltic

Copenhagen, Denmark.  May 19, 2008.

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes

view from our hotel window

silhouette of the Rosary Basilica

a mosaic of the blessed Mary

view from one side of the basilica

the grotto of massabielle (meaning the old rock) 

the spring St. Bernadette Soubirous dug up with her hands  

procession of pilgrims from all over the world

the crowned statue in Rosary square

"to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears"

pilgrimage to Lourdes, France.  May 29, 2008.

A Quick Stop at the Ben Thanh Market

assortment of spices at the Ben Thanh.
You can find anything here. And by anything, I mean even things you did not know existed!

vietnamese coffee is heavenly.

a colorful Ho Chi Minh side street 

Vietnam is street food heaven! This is Bun bo Hue
(literally Hue style beef rice vermicelli according to wikipedia) 

Fried pig's intestines

Enjoying our roadside snack 

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam.  September 3, 2010.

Inside the St. Nicholas Cathedral

Mosaic image of St. Nicholas (at least, I think that's him)

Mosaics are just fascinating

the painstaking attention to details!

St. Therese of Lisieux

the breathtaking altar

close-up of the altar dome. all in mosaic!

Grace Kelly's grave

Mama lighting a candle and saying a prayer.

The cathedral's facade

St. Nicholas Cathedral has many names.  
It is also known as the Monaco Cathedral and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.  
Monaco-Ville, Monaco.  June 8, 2011.

Red Roofs of Lisbon

Red tiled roofs in the early evening.

The colors are actually much more vibrant!
My digicam is just picking up the tint of the
window behind which these photos were shot.

I asked our tour guide why all of Lisbon had red roofs,
he just said that all Lisboans get their tiles from the same store.

 Red tiles as far as your eyes can see!

View from my window.  View from the plane.  Lisbon, Portugal.  June 12, 2011.

Paella in Espanya

Arros Negro (squid ink paella)

Paella de Marisco (seafood)

Chicken paella

Lamb and potatoes 

Merienda in a restaurant along Las Ramblas. Barcelona, Spain.  June 9, 2011.

Fireworks on the Baltic

display upon leaving Warnemunde, Germany.  May 20, 2008.