Catching Up

I'm just now getting around to posting pictures from all the trips I took at the end of last year. My friend Michelle was travelling all around Europe, so I hooked up with her several times - Dublin, Vienna, Munich, and Rome. It was nuts,  I tell you. Nuts.

Rome

Next stop: Rome. A weekend filled with shopping, eating at the vinoteca (which included vino), and sightseeing.

 

Michelle was certain that Zeus was stalking her through Europe. 

  

  

The line outside the Vatican.

  

Commerce outside the Vatican.

  

Inside the Vatican

 We toured around the ancient ruins that are literally everywhere in Rome.

  

  

 

  

The Spanish Steps 

  

Vienna

Michelle and Liz had decided to travel around Italy for a week or so. Before heading out, we met up in Vienna, just for kicks.

Everything in Vienna is built on a grand scale. One tour guide told us this was because the Monarchy wanted Vienna to look imposing to potential attackers. I think it must have worked.

Many of the historic sites in Vienna make note of (or are, frankly, obsessed with) Empress Elisabeth, or Sisi, as she was more commonly known. Sisi was the Princess Di of her day. She was adored by many for her beauty, her love of travel, her profound sadness, and her 20 inch waistline.

 

We spent the weekend touring around the magnificent city, intrigued by the many statues and museums.

  

  

  

 

Oktoberfest 2007

Oktoberfest, 2007
Munich

I met a few friends in Munich for the big beer festival. It was, perhaps predictably, a frenzy of steins and costumed revelers. We spent most of our time in the Hofbrau Haus with about 3000 other people.

Michelle and Jen were the belles of the ball - they wore traditional dirndls.

Final Africa Pix

I realize that I was in Africa A YEAR AGO. So, in the spirit of finishing what I've started, here are a sampling of the last few days of the Spafari.

Leaving Botswana
On our last night in Botswana, we went on a stargazing drive. Here's Annie trying to read a starmap.

Our final leopard sighting. He just missed catching a zebra.


The ladies at Sandibe sent us off with a song and dance.... (sala!)

The trend toward smaller and smaller aircraft continued. This one was about the size of a VW Rabbit.


A final farewell from BT and KB. (Click to see larger view).


NAMIBIA

The border between Botswana and Namibia

Our flight was long, but arriving at Little Kulala made it all seem worthwhile.

The private deck at our chalet.

Everything about Namibia was different. The landscape was vast and colorless. Full of sand and dead things, but still beautiful. The camp offered to set up camp for us on the roof of our chalet so we could sleep under the stars. We considered it, then realized that the temperature would be around freezing, so we decided against it.

The view from the roof of our chalet.

Sundowners.

Our guide, Richard, pouring the champagne.

The animals were different. This is an Oryx that was hanging around the local watering hole.

Ostriches are also really common in Namibia.
As are references to Brangelina.

Fabulous sunsets, of course.

The main attraction in this part of Namibia is Sossusvlei, in the Namib Desert. Here there are enormous red sand dunes that constantly shift in the winds.

The day we ventured there, it was windy and uncomfortable. We looked like Bedouins.

Uncomfortable, but amazing.

We ended up at the famous Deadvlei. Which is dead. And a Vlei.

Our last morning was a lazy one. I spent it reading and watching the ostriches.


One last parting shot at the airport in Namibia:
We spent one last night in Namibia, in the capital of Windhoek. The Hotel Heinitzburg is a historic site.

Our last sunset and last glass of bubbly: