One of the many great things about Edinburgh is the close. Just off the Royal Mile are many ancient, engaging side streets (as we’d call them in the USA) called closes. This is White Horse Close—quiet, centuries old, and steps away from the tourist traffic of the Royal Mile. There is disagreement about the age […]
Dunbar’s Close, Edinburgh
One of the many great things about Edinburgh is the close. Just off the Royal Mile are many ancient, engaging side streets (as we’d call them in the USA) called closes. Behold Dunbar’s Close. Dunbar’s Close is actually a modern (1970s) take on the close. It’s beautiful. It’s quiet. It’s not full of tourists. My […]
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh
A few days after Queen Elizabeth II lay in state here, we got to explore the beautiful gothic statement that is St Giles. What a treat! There is so much color here. I was not expecting such interior brightness and lightness from a medieval cathedral. This space was first consecrated as a church in 1243. […]
Edinburgh Law School
We took a detour to a grocery store and found this on the walk. I’m a sucker for an open door to a courtyard. What’s in there? Can we go in? Edinburgh Law School is gorgeous. The school was founded in 1707, which was a really long time ago. It’s one of the things I […]
Calton Hill, Edinburgh
What I remember the most about this day is how I survived a hell of a lot of walking and climbing a few weeks after I’d had Covid. The journey to the top of Calton Hill was difficult and a bit embarrassing, but was worth it! The view, with all its monuments, includes a look […]
Royal Observatory, Greenwich
We took a boat up the Thames to the Royal Observatory. The day started out a bit raw, but it cleared up nicely after we got off the water. Naturally, an observatory is going to be on a hill, so up we went, past the Cutty Sark, past the Old Naval College, past the National […]
Primrose Hill
Queen Elizabeth II has just died, and everything is closed. Throngs of mourners are descending on London, and the Queue is forming. We opt for outdoors, away from the crowds, and head for Primrose Hill. What a perfect day to enjoy the sunshine and a great view of London. We were not expecting 80° F […]
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was installed in 2011 along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. The memorial was designed by Lei Yixin. Two days after I was here, the country began shutting down in earnest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In hindsight, it wasn’t a smart move to go to the National Mall […]
C&O Canal Towpath
We decided to take a walk on a warm pre-spring day. Even though there are dozens of great walks close by, we hopped in the car and drove to the C&O Canal in Williamsport, Maryland. The C&O Canal runs 185 miles from Georgetown in the District of Columbia to Cumberland, Maryland. There are lots of […]
Great Falls Overlook
The Great Falls overlook is part of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. It’s an easy walk from the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center to the overlook. The path is paved, and has some thrilling footbridges over side channels of the river before you get […]
Arlington National Cemetery
We visited Arlington National Cemetery on a balmy November afternoon. It’s a powerful experience to walk the grounds and take in all the monuments. The Tomb of the Unknowns is quite touching. It’s a moving experience we should all have at least once. Likewise, there’s an eternal flame that commemorates the death of a murdered […]
Indian Council Caves
Indian Council Caves is a large rock formation a few miles north of Barkhamsted, Connecticut. There’s no evidence of Native American use of the site, for councils or anything else, and it’s not really a cave formation. It’s more a pile of fallen rocks that create some interesting shadowy spots that a couple people might […]