Timkat 2025

Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany, is one of the most vibrant and significant religious festivals in Ethiopia, commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. It is celebrated on January 19th and lasts for three days, involving elaborate rituals, processions, and ceremonies.

I'm not considered a horseman although I've spent many hours riding mountain trails. In the 1990s, Sylvia and I spent five weeks over ten years riding in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming.

Edvard Grieg, famous for Norwegian musical compositions,  lived here in idyllic isolation. Troldhaugen means "troll hill".

Grieg incorporated Norwegian folk music into his compositions which helped develop a cultural identity for Norway.

During the siege of Sarajevo in 1993, critical supplies arrived through this tunnel under the Sarajevo airport.

The US Naval Cemetery is located in Port Mahon on the island of Minorca, Spain. It dates back to the early 19th century and was established during a period when the United States Navy used Minorca as a base for operations in the Mediterranean. 

Port Mahon served as a base for the U.S. Navy's Mediterranean Squadron, and it included facilities like a naval hospital and storage for supplies. Additionally, there was a floating naval school associated with the squadron, which some consider a precursor to the U.S. Naval Academy established later in Annapolis

The cemetery primarily served as a burial ground for American sailors who died from illness or accidents while stationed there. It contains the graves of 20 known U.S. Navy sailors, one Navy wife, and others of various nationalities. The cemetery also holds historical significance due to its connection with Admiral David Farragut, the first admiral of the U.S. Navy, whose father was born in Minorca.

Over time, the cemetery fell into neglect but was later restored with the help of the Spanish government and the Navy League of the United States. Today, it is maintained as a historical site and is visited annually for ceremonies honoring those interred there.

The pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome, the Via Francigena, passes through Tuscany. These trail markers show the way; some are painted on the sides of buildings in towns.

Villa Romana del Casale is a stunningly well preserved Roman home with elaborate mosaics. A mudslide covered the villa, keeping much of its contents intact.

Vizcaya Bridge, 2023

The Vizcaya Bridge is a transporter bridge that transports people and vehicles by means of a gondola suspended from cables. The Vizcaya Bridge is the oldest transporter bridge in the world, and it was designed by Alberto de Palacio in 1893.

Clean water is a precious resource in rural Tanzania. Tap water has bacteria and rural drinking water is contaminated by many sources.