bluffs as a backdrop

Nelson, Wisconsin, USA

Nestled between the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley, the area around Nelson offers an array of possibilities for any nature lover.

out fishing

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

There are many Amish people in the area living on farms, building furniture and making quilts.

Copper Falls

Mellen, Wisconsin, USA

Many different Indian tribes lived in this area over the centuries and mined copper to make hunting weapons and tools.  The most recent Indians in this region were the Sioux and Chippewa who were here when the French first arrived Lake Superior.  In 1929, this area has been named Copper Falls State Park, where the Bad River meets with the Tyler Forks tributary, creating a series of waterfalls.

sunset on Lake Eau Galle

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

bass fishing

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

"peeking" through

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

barns, barns and more barns

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

field after field

Arkansaw, Wisconsin, USA

a staple of life

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

kayaking

New Auburn, Wisconsin, USA

Days at the lake, just paddling around, sure are peaceful!

rivers of green

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

goofy reflections

Chicago, Illinois, USA

In the AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park, come see your reflection walking around the "Cloud Gate" sculpture, also known by many as "The Bean" due to its shape.

reflections

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Millennium Park, in the middle of the bigger Grant Park, is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon.  In this picture you can see the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by architect Frank Gehry, and the Cloud Gate sculpture, designed by Anish Kapoor, reflecting Chicago's wonderful skyline.

fountains and skylines

Chicago, Illinois, USA

The Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain stands tall in the heart of Grant Park.  It was modeled after a fountain at the Palace of Versailles.

Chicago from a distance

Evanston, Illinois, USA

Evanston, accessible by rail, is 19 kilometers (12 miles) north of Chicago and is home to the distinguished Northwestern University, founded in 1851.  Several hundred acres of farmland were bought along the shores of Lake Michigan in order for this university to get its start.  Later the town was named after John Evans, one of many responsible for this university to get under way.

Grant Park

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Grant Park, set between Lake Michigan and downtown Chicago, is home to the Chicago Art Institute and holds many public gatherings and events.
    

4th of July

Rock Falls, Wisconsin, USA

Along with barbecues, baseball games and fireworks, parades also make up part of the tradition to celebrate Independence Day.

Millennium Park

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Millennium Park, set on the shores of Lake Michigan, is a tribute to the city of Chicago's long history of architectural and artistic excellence and is meant to stand as an inspiration to future generations to carry this legacy forward.

Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Found in the heart of downtown Chicago in front of Lake Michigan, this museum contains an amazing collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings, among many other incredible works of art.  It's the second largest art museum in the United States, after the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  For me, it's a must see when visting Chicago.

tiger lilies

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

I remember these in our back yard growing up as a kid.

strolling down the Mississippi

Stockholm, Wisconsin, USA

Paddle-wheel steamboats were used extensively for passenger as well as freight transportation on many major U.S. rivers throughout most of the 19th and early 20th centuries.  Many used today are for tourism purposes, like the one seen in this picture; however, very few still run on steam power.

Lake Superior

Ashland, Wisconsin, USA

Something the Ojibwe Indians called Gichigami, meaning "big water", is today known as Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes of North America.

What you see on the right of the picture is an ore dock built in the early 1900s and used until 1965. A railroad track led trains to the very end of this 550 meter long structure to ease in the loading of iron ore to lake freighters, which would later transport their contents via the other Great Lakes to steel mills in cities such as Cleveland or Buffalo.

fields of Wisconsin

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

homemade pie and cookies

Downsville, Wisconsin, USA

Yum, yum!

 

lazy day on the lake

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

Take a moment to enjoy what there is around you.

a blast to the past...

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

State Street

Madison, Wisconsin, USA

State Street is a pedestrian street in downtown Madison which starts at the University of Wisconsin - Madison and makes its way to the State Capitol building.  It is a lively street full of shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, museums and various types of street performances.

blueberry pancakes

Barnes, Wisconsin, USA

-Care for blueberry pancakes, anyone?

-Me, me, me!

lily pads and water lilies

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

Lake Eau Galle with its giant lily pads and water lilies: our own version of a Monet painting!  :)

rolling hills and farmland

Elmwood, Wisconsin, USA

An idyllic setting...

The most common crops you'll see in Wisconsin are corn, soybeans, hay and oats.  It is also a leading producer of cranberries, potatoes and green beans.

sunset on the mighty Mississippi

Pepin, Wisconsin, USA

A magical time of day on the mighty Mississippi...

farming

Stockholm, Wisconsin, USA

Farms like this are dotted all over the countryside.  Wisconsin has been said to produce a quarter of the nation's cheese and butter.  I guess that justifies the nickname given to us: "cheeseheads"!

pine needles

Durand, Wisconsin, USA

Wisconsin has well over 60 state parks and 14 state forests totaling an area of around 532,000 acres (2153 square kilometers).  

Yep!  Wisconsin has a lot of trees!  :)

acorns

Durand, Wisconsin, USA

Oak trees flourish in Wisconsin providing acorns to feed squirrels, deer, bear and other animals.

pickups and Harleys

Stockholm, Wisconsin, USA

Wisconsin: the land of pickup trucks and Harley Davidson motorcycles!

William S. Harvey and his childhood friend, Arthur Davidson, along with the help of Arthur's two brothers, William A. and Walter Davidson, founded these motorbikes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903, performing a great deal of the preliminary work in a shed in their own backyard.

lakes, lakes and more lakes

Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Madison, Wisconsin's beautiful capital city, was built on an isthmus between two lakes: Lake Mendota and Lake Monona.  Located here is the prestigious University of Wisconsin-Madison, from which this picture is taken.  

Many people in Wisconsin spend the warmer months on the lake boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, sailing, tubing, wakeboarding, water-skiing and wind-surfing, to just name a few.  In the winter the lakes freeze over allowing the people to use the area and go cross country skiing, ice fishing, ice-skating, play ice hockey or do snowkiting.  There is always something to do in this wonderful city.

aerial view image taken from:  https://www.radiology.wisc.edu/education/conferences/iwpfi/about_madison.php

antiques

Odanah (Bad River Indian Reservation), Wisconsin, USA

Antique shops like this are in abundance in northern Wisconsin.  Once you walk in the door, it seems like you are taken back in time remembering things from your childhood; and then there are other things you have never seen before, because they are from past generations.

morning calmness

New Auburn, Wisconsin, USA

You can almost hear the silence in this picture!

Here is another of the thousands of lakes to be found in Wisconsin: Axehandle Lake.

Wisconsin countryside

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

This is a very common sight to be seen in Wisconsin: corn fields, barns, silos and forests.   The only thing really missing in this picture are the cows.  Wisconsin is known as "America's Dairyland" because it is one of the leading dairy producers in the country.

Misi-ziibi

Alma, Wisconsin, USA

The Ojibwe Native American Indians called this river Misi-ziibi, meaning "Great River" in their language.  Today we know it as the Mississippi River.  It originates in Minnesota and flows more than 2500 miles (4000 km) either bordering or passing through ten states until it reaches the Gulf of Mexico via Louisiana.

This shot is taken from Buena Vista Park, an appropriate name I must say!

Devil's Lake

Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA

Devil's Lake State Park is a fantastic place to go to enjoy nature.  This lake was created by a glacier during the last ice age, some 12,000 years ago.  If you think 12,000 years is old, take a look at the pink quartzite boulders in the picture; many of them have ripple marks on their surface, much like the ripples you see on sand dunes formed from the wind.  These perfectly preserved marks tell us that they once were sand on an ancient beach calculated to be around 1.6 billion years old, give or take a few years!

This area of Wisconsin is perfect for camping, hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, hunting, fishing, winter sports, golf and scenic drives.  If any of these activities interest you, this is a perfect place to visit.

the lake

Eau Galle, Wisconsin, USA

You can't beat this to get away from it all.

fishing

Getaria, (Gipuzkoa - Basque Country) Spain

Fishing nets are a common sight to be seen all along the port of Getaria and it is not uncommon to see women sitting for hours on end sewing damaged nets to be able to take them out on the water to be used over and over.

Fishing, along with tourism and txakolí (wine), is one of the the major sources of income for this town situated on the northern coast of Spain.

yum yum!

Getaria, (Gipuzkoa - Basque Country) Spain

Care for any fresh grilled fish?  Getaria is filled with restaurants that prepare it right in the street.  Yum yum!

txakolí

Getaria, (Gipuzkoa - Basque Country) Spain

Getaria is known for its txakolí, a slightly sparkling white wine which is considered quite dry and acidic.  It can be bottled for up to a year and is usually served as an aperitif.  The countryside of this region, an area which receives a lot of rain, is covered with these trellis-like structures which serve to support the vines and create a canopy.

Let's call it a day

Getaria, (Gipuzkoa - Basque Country) Spain

The town of Getaria is located on the northern coast of Spain and is known for its fine restaurants which serve fresh grilled fish and a local white wine called txakolí.

silhouettes on the horizon

Zumaia, (Gipuzkoa - Basque Country) Spain

view from my window

Zumaia, (Gipuzkoa - Basque Country) Spain

Views like this in the presence of dear friends make my heart grow.

Check out this family run inn, Santa Klara, to get a taste for yourself.  Fine, genuine people and breathtaking views.

hard work

Chefchaouen, Morocco

The next time I even think about complaining, I'll think twice and remember this picture.

hiding behind her hat

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Many of the people living in the rural areas of the Rif mountains avoid cameras at all costs, just as this woman does when she sees a foreigner with a camera.