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Affinity - Affinity For Travel

World traveler-all around do-gooder :D

I spend a phenomenal amount of time sending photos, mails, etc to friends & family so often because I love to share . I think it's time for a travel site.
This will not be a play by play droning commentary of my every move.... as thrilling a read as that would be ! LOL! No, this will be photo albums, some adventures & some thoughts.
As I use a Nikon reflex camera, a Nikon digital (numeric) camera & my GSM (cell) phone I will be unable to guarantee the quality of the images posted. I have a wonderful HP scanner/fax/copier.....that can even sing & dance but- the glass needs a proper clean from the underside & I don't know how to get @ it .
There will be images I will appropriately title "Looking Out My Window". This will be a relatively live update of what REALLY is outside either my car or building window. My phone goes online @ every hot spot & @ least one of my pc's is on virtually all the time. My best guess @ this time-there won't be more than a 15 min delay with these pictures to real time. I think that will be rather amusing.

As I'm on the road, I won't be able to give complete or fully informed descriptions of every photo. My time will be well spent "Living The Moment" :) When I get home & winter arrives, I will decipher my post-it notes, journals, photos, café serviettes & update here :)

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Joined on: July 17th 2008
Last Login: October 12th 2008

Blog Entries: 21
Photos: 589

TB Code: [blogger=82307]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by Affinity, order by Date newest first.

By Affinity
October 12th 2008

Spa !

Europe » Belgium » Liège Province

Visited by European royalty, aristocracy & statesmen

Café of Europe! Spa.... Ville d'Eaux, has given rise to the word we all know today. Where Pouhons (source, water wells) run abundant. A French speaking village where the world's first beauty contest was held in the 1800's, once home to English/Catholic dissidents & now Circuit National de Francorchamps- Formula One Grand Prix. It is considered to be one of the most challenging race tracks in the world & a favorite to many race car drivers. Michael Schumacher made his debut here in "91" & began his winning streak the following year from this track. In the early 1900's the German [View Full Entry]

By Affinity
October 9th 2008

Straßburg

Europe » France » Alsace » Strasbourg

Maison Kammerzell- Léo Schnug 1427
1589 (upper floors) Renaissance architecture

Straßburg: Grande île, originally known as Argentorate with it's history spanning 700,000 years. This celtic civilization of Rhénanie was ideally located in the middle of the Rhine trench. The waterways aided in north-south access from Italy to Holland from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance (12-13th centuries) & is a fine example of Catholic/Protestant co-existence with Franco-German culture. Gorgeous city! An island on the Ill (ILL) river surrounded by the Vosges Mt's & the Black Forest, one would never know, without being told, it's one of the most atmospherically polluted cities in F [View Full Entry]

By Affinity
October 7th 2008

Luzern

Europe » Switzerland » North-West » Lucerne

Welcome to downtown Luzern!

Luzern, gateway to the Alps! Little is known about this amazing town before 1178, other than the Alemannic movement after the fall of the Roman Empire. Which I find incredible but considering the inhabitants were Benedictine Monks, maybe not so hard to believe. GORGEOUS, very Swiss (probably a good reason for that :), relaxing, bustling, a delight for the eyes & soul. The style of EVERYTHING is more than impressive & wheels of cheese SO HUGE in shop windows, it's laughable :D I'm talking a good 3' in diameter :O!!! Yes, the cheese is also Swiss ;D & it has the [View Full Entry]

Kapellbrücke-Chapel Bridge, 14th century

By Affinity
October 6th 2008

Breakfast in Pisa :)

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Pisa

La Torre di Pisa
1173-2008

What can I say about the leaning tower...other than it leans :D Fascinating & simply splendid to see even if just for a few minutes while enjoying breakfast & en route to more adventures. Why it leans is a bit of a mystery, to some. Hmmm, my best guess; Well in the language of Old Prussia, Pisa means "swamp". While there are the mountains on one side & the Tyrrhenian Sea on the other, there is little doubt this massive feat of engineering, weighing in @ +/- 14,500 metric tons, had one HUGE disadvantage. Newton had yet to discover the Law [View Full Entry]

By Affinity
September 25th 2008

Firenze II

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Florence

Palazzo Vecchio Courtyard painted by Vasari-1565
Represents Austrian Habsburg estates & gorgeous columns

:O!!! Have fallen behind....again :D [View Full Entry]

Salone dei Cinquecento- 39 panels by Vasari are the ceiling

By Affinity
September 13th 2008

Firenze

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Florence

The Copula
1420- 30's Brunelleschi. Interior by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) and Federico Zuccari (c. 1540-1609) With Campanile Di Giotto on left.

Florence, oh the JOY of it all !!!!! :D A veritable treasure trove of humanity! Birthplace of Renaissance, comparable to Athens & so much to see it would take months to experience it all. Established in 59 BC by Caesar, this city has seen more than its fair share of war & strife. It is with ease one can appreciate what remains & has been inspired here. If not for the cars, it would be a very quiet city indeed. One cannot help but "think" here. Every corner, side road, piazza, holds a surprise no matter how prepared you believe yourself [View Full Entry]

By Affinity
August 28th 2008

Montepulciano !

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Montepulciano

The arch to enter town

Val d'Orcia: The inspiration of Renaissance painters. Remote(ish), incredibly fertile, medieval, gothic & relatively undiscovered by the masses. Here Montepulciano is, in dozens of ways, equal to Sienna. It's volcanic horizon, famous worldwide for it's wines Nobile & Rosso, it's Etruscan heritage.... all pave the way to an amazing village. Both for the modern traveler & those who enjoy history. Built on Monte Poliziano predating 500 BC, this town has seen surprising fame. Marcellus II, Poliziano, Cervini, pilgrims... & SOMETHING has to be said about their music! The academy of music was d [View Full Entry]

By Affinity
August 25th 2008

Siena

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Siena

I LOVE this city
Almost positive that's The Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi in background

Sienna, day or night, rain or shine- a city to spend days in! Friendly, relaxing & so many American tourists, one might just think English is the native language here :) Much to our delight, we missed the Palio dell'Assunta horse race where many thousands gather from all over the world to watch. The sparse Piazza seen here looks considerably different when packed to capacity I'm sure! The small lanes of Sienna are darker than most cities we've had the pleasure to experience. It's so dark as a matter of fact that it is physically & emotionally shocking to step out [View Full Entry]

By Affinity
August 20th 2008

Arezzo

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Arezzo

Arezzo

Arezzo, without a doubt one of the leading Etruscan cities in it's day. Much of it from 5th & 4 century BC. Home to Guido d'Arezzo, Petrarc, Vasari, Francesca.... even Michelangelo was born nearby. Of particular interest are the stained glass windows in the Catherdral of Arezzo by Guillaume de Marcillat (latter 1400's). This Cathedral just screams Gothic! Dark, I mean REALLY dark, dark reliefs, dark paintings, only natural lighting @ a million candles. It's lovely really just a complete shock when coming in from outside. One thing I've noticed is; no one (official) in the church's. No conci [View Full Entry]

High altar of Badia delle Sante Flora e Lucilla

By Affinity
August 19th 2008

Tuscan Residence

Europe » Italy » Tuscany

The indispensable pool!
Since taking this photo a moment ago, I have turned over a chair :)

As every parent knows, children have a variety of screams; The gleeful shriek, the theatrical screech, the angry "I want Mommy's attention" holler,...then there's the cringing scream of fear that sends a parent flying in the child's direction to find.... a SCORPION in the bathing suit :D LoL, the children all standing on chairs like you'd imagine a grandmother hiding from a mouse. They're all making noise but saying nothing :D It was an adorably small looking creature, just under an inch long, but intimidatingly black in color with extremely mobile "claws". The Euscorpius concinnus are common [View Full Entry]

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