Interior, Palais de Justice (Palace of Justice), Brussels, Belgium

My first stop in Brussels was at a candy store. I emptied the food out of my backpack and refilled it with chocolate. Then I went to the Palais de Justice. Like so many landmarks in Europe, it was surrounded by scaffolding for refurbishment. Acid rain is really doing a number on the monuments and magnificent buildings.

Something There Is That Kind of Likes a Wall

Snapped this on the K-State campus. It kind of reached out and grabbed me.

Dining Out, Madrid, Spain

After we landed in Madrid, we signed into our hostel and went looking for a place to eat. We found a restaurant that had tables outside. It was a lovely day, and we had tortillas, which in Spain is a kind of omelet. Yum!

Nonconformist

Waiting for the Mail

Storm Coming, Konza Prairie, Kansas

Train Station in Liege, Belgium

This was snapped from the train as we passed through the station. I was knocked out by the artistic architecture. I wish American planners would realize that just because it's functional doens't mean it has to be ugly.

Infantry Memorial, Brussels, Belgium

This memorial, honoring the members of the infangtry in WWI and WWII, stands outside the Palais de Justice in Brussels. I found it as I left the Palace, looking for a taxi.

Flowers in Either Frankfurt or Mainz, Germany

One thing that captivated me about Europe was the presence of greenery and flowers in every conceivable place. This appears to be a temporary construction shelter set up outside stores, and it has been topped with boxes of bright geraniums. But I'm not sure where it was. I think it was Frankfurt-am-Main, but it could well have been Mainz, since they and Wiesbaden all ran together so that I never knew for sure where I was.
Flowers in Frankfurt or Mainz, GermanyEllen's Photoraphs - Germany 2013

Family Outing at Hofgarten, Dusseldorf, Germany

Edgarina Visits

When this possum first started coming into the shed to eat and drink, I named it Edgar because it was A. Guest. But when she had babies, my daughter called her Edgarina, and it stuck. 

When the babies were a couple of months old, Edgarina would come in almost daily, curl up in the corner and take a nap for an hour or two. Sometimes a mom just needs to get away from the kids.

Edgarina and her two surviving babies, Scury and Flurry, still come to visit. The babies ofen spend part of the night on the otherwise-unused cat condo. The cats and possums ignore each other, but the possums are scared of me. I tried petting the babies, but it just gterrified them.

I Know I Filed it Here Somewhere

Angel figured out that he could open the file cabinet and endlessly practiced his new skill.

His Majesty Goldsmith

My oldest cat, Oliver Goldsmith. After I named him, I went back and read all I could find of Goldsmith's writings. He was an excellent writer, and the cat is well named.

Jerez, Spain

My daughter's friend took us on a walking tour of Jerez. I was fascinated by this structure, the only way to get from the lower street to the upper. The family all got up the stairs in spite of the heat. Wielding cane and camera, I brought up the rear.

Goethe Haus Museum

This is Goethe's restored house in Frankfurt-am-Main, the original having been burned down by the Nazis. The Goethe family contributed furnishings for the restoration. In spite of needing a cane, I was determined to see everything I could. Fortunately for me, the fifth floor (and maybe the fourth) was closed off.

At the Rhein (Rhine) in Mainz

Looking up the Rhein in Mainz (there's a confuence of the Rhein and the Main in Mainz). The empty dock shows that we missed the river cruise: the boat left at 9:45 a.m., and we were there at 4:30 p.m. Next time.

Duck House on a Canal, Middleburg, The Netherlands

The Dutch love their canals and the critters that live there. To protect the ducks in the winter, the people of Middleburg, Zeeland, have placed duck houses here and there along the canals.

The World's Best Hostel, Granada, Spain

We absolutely loved this place. Our room was off this indoor courtyard, through the door on the left, next to the plant. We had air conditioning, which was barely needed, our own bathroom and a French balcony overlooking the street. It was comfortable and convenient, without losing character. I wish I could remember the name. It started wth a  "Z."

Lizard at La Alhambra in Granada, Spain

I saw this little guy skittering around at the base of one of the buildings, and I couldn't resist snapping a picture.

Pigeon at Outdoor Cafe in Granada, Spain

There was a whole plaza with tables from various restaurants. This pigeon was evidently a frequent visitor. He lit on the chair next to me with no sign of fear. As we left, we saw him hop onto another table and begin pecking at crumbs, ignoring the people seated there. In Spain we had fresh-squeezed orange juice at nearly every meal. Heavenly!

Roman Bridge in Cordoba, Spain

We did not cross the bridge. We were on foot, and it was hot. We stood and looked at the Guadalquivir and longed to return to cool Granada.

View of Granada

Granada is in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain, so it was comfortably cool in June. Good thing because we walked and walked and walked. This is just one part of the city. I think I took this photo from the train station, but it may have been from the heights of  La Alhambra. I either cae, I zoomed it.

Gardens at La Alhambra in Granada, Spain

This is just the entrance to one of the many gardens. I spent a couple of hours exploring.

Fountains at La Alhambra, Granada, Spain

La Alhambra is more magnificent than I can say. We went twice, at night and again the next day, and we still saw only a fraction. Much of it is still closed off for repairs, but there is a great expanse open to the public. The family explored the various palaces, while I ambled throught he gardens.

Tio Pepe Winery in Jerez, Spain

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I don't drink at all, but I love flowers, and they were all over the grounds and in the buildings at the winery.

Entrance to Roman Bridge in Cordoba, Spain

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Cordoba is in the Valley of the Guadalquivir. It was hot in June.

Interior, La Familia Sagrada Cthedral in Barcelolna, Spain

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There were numrous magnificent views inside the cathedral. And it was cool in there.

Cathedral of La Familia Sagrada in Barcelona, Spain

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The line was long but moved fairly quickly. Again, consruction, reconstruction and repair is ongoing, thanks at least in part to acid rain

Cathedral, Frankfurt am Main

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A former co-worker and her husband  took me around Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Mainz for a whole wonderful day. We ate at a restaurant across the street from the cathedral. I can never thank them enough for their hospitality and generosity.

Family Outing

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I saw these Canada Geese on the artificial lake at the Hofgarten in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Koln (Cologne) Cathedral

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The Cathedral in Koln (Cologne), Germany. Scaffolding is for repair and reconstruction. Acid rain is wreaking havoc on the cathedrals and other magnificent buildings of Europe.
It is impossible to get lost in Koln because the cathedral can be seen from wherever you are, and the railroad station is next to the cathedral.

Castle on the Rhine

I took this picture from a train, between Dusseldorf and Wiesbaden. Those hills are steep. I don't know how they managed to plant those vineyards, let alone how they manage to care for them.

Copyright 2013 Ellen Weaver Bailey