The conference ended last night, but I decided to spend an extra day in Houston. My friend Ann lives here, and I hadn’t seen her in a while. Getting to Houston from Galveston was interesting. Last night there were massive thunderstorms with high winds. Many areas of Houston lost power and this morning many streetlights […]
My penultimate day in Texas focused on the art of Kehinde Wiley at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. On my final day, I hunted down lesser-known artists showing their work in alternative spaces. Sawyer Yards was my first stop. I’d read that the area is filled with murals. That is definitely true, but that’s […]
I arrived at my hotel at midday. With only about 3 hours sleep in 36 hours, a nap was a necessity, then it was out to explore, even though I remained a bit groggy. As it turns out, my hotel is in the central shopping area and close to the tourist office. That was my […]
Bilbao, Spain – Day 2, Part 1 – The Guggenheim Museum Today needs to be split into a couple of entries, because there is just too much for a single entry. I spent many hours at the Guggenheim Museum, it was the major reason I wanted to visit the city. Both outside and in, Frank […]
Today is a big day for soccer in Bilbao — the 2024 UEFA Women’s Champions League final is being held at San Mamés Stadium. The tram into town was jammed with fans wearing team gear, singing chants and ready for a good time. When I walked back to the hotel from the Guggenheim, the streets […]
Well, not really Spain, I spent a large part of the day in France. Whenever I think of Basque culture, I’d only ever heard of it in conjunction with Spain. The tour I took today taught me otherwise—parts of France are considered Basque as well. The Basque region is mostly located in northern Spain, on […]
Some of you may have noticed that I didn’t post anything for a couple of days, which is unusual for me. The first omission was because the conference I was attending so occupied me, there simply wasn’t time. Yesterday I took an early morning flight to Amsterdam. When I arrived, I was coughing, sneezing, and […]
I seem to have shaken the worst of my cold, so today was a packed day. After an early breakfast, I went out for a walk, heading vaguely in the direction of the Central Station. Within minutes I found myself at the flower market, a long line of stalls alongside a canal. It calls itself […]
Yesterday was my final morning in Amsterdam before flying home. The friendly desk clerk at my hotel (the @NesHotel) helped me come up with a plan. He suggested that I walk over to the Oude Kerk. But, he cautioned, “go now. You have to walk through the Red-Light district to get there. It will be […]
While traveling in Spain and the Netherlands I couldn’t help but notice the two countries differing architectural styles. In both San Sebastian and Amsterdam older, traditional buildings showcased their approach to ornamentation and, in some cases, over-the-top ostentation. Today I’ve got photos of rooflines, tomorrow decorations. The thing is, I don’t have a preference. In […]
