Grand Illumination

Yesterday's comment from Linda made me think about how much I take where I live for granted. I should therefore mention that these holiday wreaths are part of a larger Colonial Williamsburg celebration we call Grand Illumination. It used to be that the holiday festivities here kicked off around the time of Thanksgiving Day and more or less culminated in one night called the Grand Illumination, when there would be a huge fireworks display along with numerous other events. Now, though, because of its huge popularity, Grand Illumination is spread out over the three consecutive weekends in December before Christmas. Tonight, then, is the final night of Grand Illumination when there will be yet a third magnificent fireworks display. The wreaths, though, stay up and are replenished as needed throughout Christmastide.

You should come! :-) We have people visit from all parts of the world and on any given day, as I walk the old colonial capital's streets, I can hear people speaking in seemingly countless different languages and dialects. It's fun!

Profiles

 

I finally took leave of the Schooner Virginia after these last two profile shots. Quite appropriately, I just finished reading David Grann's excellent new book entitled The Wager last night--fuels the imagination while also offering a stark reminder of what life aboard these ships was really like during the age of sail.

BOS to PHL

 

Logan International Airport (BOS)

Boston Harbor

Approaching Philadelphia (PHL)

Back to the Future

 

Well, that was it for my Massachusetts hiking adventures. Now it was time to head back to Virginia by way of Philadelphia. Fortunately, most flights were on time on this particular Friday, including mine. Woohoo!

BOS

 

Again, I was very surprised at how few travelers there were July 3. When I've arrived at these counters before, the "mouse mazes" have been chock full with people dragging their carryon and checkin bags behind them. Not this time

Final Approach

My direct flight from Richmond to Boston on this day before the Fourth of July was smooth and on time. There were no delays at all, which, again, was surprising considering all the warnings that had begun to appear about this being the most heavily travelled week of the year.

In the photo above, I was, as I recall, cruising at somewhere near 34,000 feet at a leisurely 550 mph! 

In these next two photos, I was making my final approach into Logan International Airport with Boston Harbor down below and central Boston off in the distance.

Holiday Travel

 

My trip to Massachusetts began as usual in Richmond where I hopped aboard this Embraer 190 (shown below) bound for Boston. Having braced myself for holiday delays, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were almost no queues. Where was everybody? Had they already left? Did they never leave? I'm not sure. In any case, it was an enjoyable trip. I look forward to sharing more of it with you.

Travel

I'm traveling again, so I will not be posting for several days. Hope to be able to catch a few photos along the way. So stay safe, stay cool, and avoid the smoke from our neighbors up north, if you can. :-) See you soon.

Berlin

 

 

 

You may have noticed that I've recently been gradually uploading photographs from my 2014 visit to Berlin. This was my second visit. The first came in 1973, before the fall of the Berlin Wall. So when I spotted this book by Sinclair McKay at my local library, I simply had to bring it home and start reading. 

It's been excellent and a great companion as I sort through my photos. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

Keen Targhee

Ready for my next 500 +/- miles.

Arcimoto

 

Farewell

 

As I bid farewell to Massachusetts, my plane passed over Fort Independence there in the foreground and the islands of Boston Harbor beyond. 

Hadley Depot

 

Walked this day on the rail trail from the west side of the Connectictut River east as far as Hadley Depot before turning around and heading back across the river. According to Wikipedia, Hadley was first settled in 1659 and was officially incorporated in 1661. The former Norwottuck was renamed Hadleigh, an ancient market town in Suffolk, England.

BOS

A view of the coast just prior to landing at Boston Logan International Airport.

I was here over the Fourth of July, among other things, to do some hiking.

Flight 1182

Despite what we read and hear about flight cancellations and delays, some flights are happening without incident, like my recent flight from Richmond to Boston. Not only was it on time, but we actually were able to board and leave slightly ahead of schedule.

Flamingo Gardens II

 

Flamingo Gardens is partly a rehab center for injured wildlife. While many of the animals may never recover enough to return to the wild, their offspring will. These photos were taken at the bobcat exhibit.

Key West?!

 

Headed to Fort Lauderdale this past weekend, but our pilot had to take us on a more "scenic route" to skirt some severe thunderstorms in the area. So I'm guessing these are the Keys down below? :-)

Still ran into some rough turbulence upon approach, though. 

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Valladolid

 

Lang

Wittenberg

Leonardo

 

Stayed at the Leonardo Royal in Berlin Alexanderplatz.

 

 

You know you're in Germany when you flush your toilet with a wall panel rather than a handle . . .

and when you've got to pull out your adapters to plug in. :-)