A Very Special Place

Beautiful cliff and ocean view. The sight of the sea-lions and the harbor seals on the rocks, on the sand, and in the water was truly an amazing sight as we walked along the cove. 

This is a nature encounter not be missed, as dozens of these seals congregate on a protected beach. 

There are shops in the downtown La Jolla area a short uphill walk from the cove and a few restaurants nearby where you can dine and enjoy the gorgeous view.

Sharing Memories

I had so much fun painting this elephant drinking water at Lake Manyara, Tanzania.  It brought back  wonderful memories of my childhood in  East Africa.

Lake Manyara is a shallow lake in the Natron-Manyara-Balangida branch of the East African Rift in Manyara Region in Tanzania. Although small, it is one of the prettiest and most game rich parks in the country.

The Lake Manyara National Park has a wide variety of habitats and animals with a lush groundwater forests, acacia woodlands, small grassy plains and a swampy fan delta. The park is inhabited by Africa's largest concentration of elephants and large herds of flamingos.

The Kachere Tree

Here is the painting I finished, commissioned by a client from a recent trip that he took. This is a Kachere tree located at Protea Hotel Safari Lodge, Chisamba.
  
(http://www.proteahotels.com/protea-hotel-safari-lodge.html)

The Kachere (Fig "Ficus" tree) - This is a huge tree growing to 60 feet tall and 60 to 70 feet wide. The dense, rounded canopy and gracefully drooping branches of Weeping Fig.

Ficus sur is widely distributed throughout tropical Africa, from Cape Verde east to Somalia and south to Angola and South Africa. It also occurs in Yemen.

Ficus comprises about 750 species, with about 100 species in Africa, 500 species in tropical Asia and Australia, and 150 species in tropical America.

The Grand Canal, Venice

Venice is a magnificent walking city. Walking the streets of Venice is like stepping into a renaissance-era painting.

The Grand Canal in Venice is certainly not an attraction to miss. The gondola ride on the Grand Canal with all famous buildings lined up on the sides is an experience in itself.
 

Great Two Days in Capri

The Island of Capri is one of the most picturesque and visited locations in Campania.

We love this island, especially the Capri side. Anacapri is on the other side of the island, each is a small town on it’s own mountain, Anacapri being on the higher side. I Faraglioni is made up of 3 enormous rocks coming up out of the sea right off the coast of Capri, it’s truly an amazing scene.

The Gardens of Augustus is worth visiting for its gorgeous blossoms and excellent views.

The Blue Grotto  it is known as the blue light, which is primarily the reason for why it is so famous round the world. It shines through the salt water of the Mediterranean Sea and fills the cave by emitting blue reflections.

The Magnificent Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most dramatic and beautiful coastlines in Europe. Mountains rise steeply out of the Mediterranean far below and picturesque towns nestle neatly in isolated coves.

 

Besides history and beauty, the town is noted for its good beaches and bathing establishments, historic resorts and hotels, lemons, and handmade paper. 

A Wonderful Experience

Located in the majestic Maligne Valley, this exquisite lake is the second largest glacier-fed lake in the world, stretching 22 km. (14 mi.).

Jasper is stunning. Every trail brings a surprise, wild animals around every bend; with rugged mountains, and beautiful waterfalls, stunning glaciers. 

The magnificent shoreline with dense forests and glacial peaks rising abruptly from the water's edge and in the center of this wonderland is Spirit Island a green round little island with a few trees. It was a very enjoyable trip for us. The scenery was superb, especially when we approached Spirit Island. It was good to go ashore close to the island and take photographs.

The tranquility of the place is simply awesome.

Looking down to Amalfi

Ravello is a large village

is perched on a cliff

overlooking Amalfi and

the sea.

It is a very picturesque place with its wonderful

ancient villas like "Villa Cimbrone" and "Villa Rufolo".

Villa Rufolo is a smaller and has lovely terraces gardens looking onto the sea. It now hosts Wagner classical concerts in the summer.

Villa Cimbrone has larger gardens filled with exotic flowers and shrubs, temples and grottoes and statues, although each Villa has its own special character.

Mendenhall Glacier - What a beautiful place!

Mendenhall Glacier is one of 38 glaciers which are fed from the Juneau Icefield. 

The Juneau Icefield is North America’s fifth largest icefield, blankets over 1,500 square miles of land, and stretches nearly 85 miles north to south and 45 miles east to west.

Mendenhall glacier is one of many "rivers of ice" in southeast Alaska formed during the Little Ice Age which began about 3,000 years ago.  

Breathtaking vistas of Positano

Positano is a small town on the Amalfi coast in Campania, Italy. The main part of the city sits in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast.

Walking through the welcoming winding streets of Positano we enjoyed the breathtaking vistas of the town, its marina and beaches as well the ocean. .