The Pantheon (Rome, Italy) was built almost 1,900 years ago in times of the great Roman Empire. For about 500 years the Pantheon served as a temple to all the Gods. The temple was converted into the Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs in 609. The Pantheon now contains the tombs of the famous artist Raphael and several Italian …
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Rome, Italy is photographer’s paradise. The city owns millions of artsy objects- beautiful buildings, bridges, fountains, statues… While looking at my “Angels and Demons” Italian and Vatican trip photos, I found a captured memory of a little girl sitting by an open window across the street from the Pantheon. The capture has inspired me to post this photo essay. Click …
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She arrived on November 7th 2012, a beautiful petite girl with a red “dot-birthmark” on her face, my new compact camera Leica DLUX 6. It was the Day when my travel photography had taken a new course. Mentally, switching travel photo equipment from Nikon pro gear to a compact camera wasn’t easy for me. However, today I don’t regret. Leica’s …
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Zoo Hellbrunn (Zoo Salzburg) welcomed us with a heavy rain… very heavy, but very short. The Zoo is based on the menagerie of the Prince Archbishops of Salzburg, who kept exotic animals. That fact makes Salzburg Zoo the oldest Zoo in the World- about 300 years old. The location of Zoo is ideal for its inhabitants and visitors. It resides …
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Yesterday I found myself at the point of life where a photographer feels tired of carrying DSLR gear with him “wherever he goes”. I have decided to buy a decent compact camera which I can use for traveling and street photography. Mentally, it is not an easy step down for me. Physically, it should be a step up in terms …
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Laos (officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic) has one of the lowest population densities in Asia (20 persons per square km). It’s estimated population is about 6 million people. Compare to Vietnamese 88 million! Nevertheless, Lao culture is very rich and many people live according to its old traditions. Today I would like to share some captured memories of strangers …
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It was so much fun to watch joyful faces of the visitors of Salzburg’s (Austria) 400 years old Hellbrunn Palace (Schloss Hellbrunn). One of the attractions here is a water garden where for an admission fee of 9.50 Euros (Children- 4.50) you can get soaked by trick fountains hidden everywhere- in the benches, statues, pathways… If you like to get …
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How great the robe of liberation A formless field of merit. Wrapping ourselves in Buddha’s teaching, We save all beings. [Dogen. Kesa Kudoku] I have been thinking that Buddhist monks wear orange or maroon robes and shave their heads as a symbol of simplicity. But, it is not that simple! Working on this post, I have found an article which …
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During my trip to Hollywood I stayed at Roosevelt Hotel. It is a bit pricey place, but, life is too short! I wanted my “Hollywood Time” trip to be in the Theme, so I had to go with the best. The history of Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is amazing! The hotel hosted the presentation of the very 1st Academy Awards in …
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Luang Prabang is a city located in north central Laos, at the confluence of the Nam Khan river and Mekong River. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. This small city has almost eighty temples and monasteries and house more than 1,000 monks. Much of the monk …
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85 years ago the numbered highway system was born in the United States. One of the first numbered highways was Route 66 – a highway from Chicago to Los Angeles, the US Mother Road. Today my Friday Flashback is from the place where “End of the Trail” sign is installed – Santa Monica pier, the ending point of Route 66. …
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The name Ha Long is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese, meaning “Descending Dragon”. According to local legend, when Vietnamese had just started to develop into a country, they had to fight against invaders. To assist Vietnamese in defending their country, the gods sent a family of dragons as protectors. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels …
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