2012.8.27~28The second day morning, we did some souvenir shopping and had a walk in the Waterfront Park before setting off to the Exit Glacier.
Waterfront Park, Seward, Alaska
4th Ave., Seward, Alaska
Exit Glacier is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park that can be accessed by road. It is one of tens of glaciers descending from the Harding Icefield, which covers most of the Kenai Peninsula. From the parking lot, the 3-mile round trip trail can take visitors to the edge of the glacier and the vista point that offers panoramic view of the glacier by the outwash plain. The trail is well maintained and easy to walk. My parents had no problem walking to the wall of ice.
Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Cottonwood forest at Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
We left Exit Glacier at 2pm and on our way to Anchorage. We made several stops, such as Bear Creek, on AK-9 and tried to watch Alaska Salmon migration, but eventually we had to go west onto the Sterling Highway until Russian River. There is a large campground by the river. . We walked down to the river level. The water is clear and the condition is excellent for sport fishing. Thousands of salmons swam up the stream to the Russian Lakes where they spawn. The part we went to might be towards the end of the salmon runs. The fish had transformed into deep red color and a lot of them were already dead.
Russian River sport fishing, Alaska
Returning to the Seward Highway, we had no plan for the rest of the day. We drove leisurely and enjoyed the sunset on this beautiful scenic drive.
Near the junction of Seward Highway and the Sterling Highway, Alaska
By the Seward Highway near Girdwood, Alaska
The next day morning, I got up early to try my luck of viewing Mt. McKinley from Anchorage. I drove west along the Northern Light Blvd. After passing the Earthquake Park, there was a parking lot by the Cook Inlet. It is 150 miles south to Mt. McKinley. They day was clear with a little haze. I could easily see Mt. Foraker on the left and Mt. McKinley on the right. At the height of 20,320 ft., it’s the highest peak of Northern America.
Overlook Mt. McKinley from Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage Skyline, Alaska
Anchorage is a not a big town. The downtown district is taken by souvenir stores, restaurants and a shopping mall. You can pretty much cover them in a half day on foot.
Anchorage Downtown, Alaska
Historic City Hall, Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Resolution Park, Anchorage
We had a lunch at VIP Korean restaurant. The food was excellent, especially to my parents who do not enjoy western dishes. After lunch, we resupplied at Walmart and leave for the second biggest city of Alaska, Fairbanks.
2012.8.25~26We went to Alaska with my parents last September. Until I started booked the flights, I realized that, although at the same side of the country, Alaska is quite far from California. Direct flights were very few. We landed at Anchorage airport at 4:40pm. After 40 minutes, we finally got our car and on our way to Seward.
The Seward Highway (AK-1) is the only road leaving Anchorage to the south. Passed Chugach State Park, the first leg of the Seward Highway run along Turnagain Arm.
Chugach State Park, Alaska
By the Seward Highway near Beluga Point, Alaska
After making a big U turn at the tip of Turnagain Arm, the highway wound into the mountains. This was the most scenic part of the Seward Highway. Lakes by the road were absolutely tranquil. The last ray of sunshine diminished gradually from the top of the mountain as we drove into the Sterling Highway split.
By the Seward Highway near Girdwood, Alaska
Lower Summit Lake, Alaska
After the split, which is commonly called as the “Y”, the Seward highway became AK-9. Because we spent a lot of time getting off the car and taking pictures, it’s getting darker as we drove on the last leg of the highway. Finally, at about 9pm, we climbed out of the mountains and were back to the sea level. We had a dinner at Chinook’s near the harbor and we would stay at the Best Western for two nights.
We planned to take Kenai Fjords National Park cruise tour through Major Marine Tours the next day. Tours offered by different companies share the similar routes. They also share information when they saw whales or other marine animals. We booked the 6-hour tour, which took us around Aialik Cape into Aialik Bay. Along the way, we saw Killer Whales, Sea Lions, Sea Otters, Mountain Goats and Alaska Puffins.
Seward Harbor, Alaska
Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Killer Whales, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Sea Otters, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Aialik Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Sea Lions, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Alaska Puffins, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
A park ranger on board explained the nature history and ecology along our cruise route. We met several young people from China who were travelling America by themselves. They certainly did their research and had better information than us regarding programs, coupons and even where to see bears and salmons. My parents had great time talking with them.
2012.6.1~2In the afternoon, we first went to Galleria dell’Accademia (Academy of Fine Arts, official site). Established in 1563, It was the first school in Europe specifically teaching the techniques of drawing. The line at the entrance quite long. The most famous work housed by the Academy is the original David by Michelangelo, but what is more unforgettable is a colorful copy of blonde David standing at the courtyard. Humorous? Ridiculous? Bold to say the least.
David, Galleria dell\'Accademia, Florence
After left Galleria dell’Accademia, we walked around Piazza San Marco.
Florence
Gelato, Florence
It’s already late afternoon at the time we returned to Piazza del Duomo. The sunshine drifted up gradually along the cathedral and the bell tower, with the color was getting warmer from very bright to golden.
Cathedral and Giotto\'s Campanile, Florence
West façade and the dome of the cathedral, Florence
My wife went to Ponte Vecchio to listen to Claudio Spadi’s music again. I walked along River Arno between Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Santa Trinita and tried to capture the beautiful sunset that painted the city and sky with orange and purple color.
Ponte Santa Trinita, Florence
Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Santa Trinita, Florence
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
Lungarno Acciaiuoli, Florence
We started walking back to the hotel after the sun sunk below the horizon. Mercato Vecchio (The Old Market) was filled with souvenirs and antiques stands during daytime but now it’s all empty but one playing accordion. It was the first time I heard someone play classic music, such as Pachelbel’s Canon and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, by accordion.
Playing accordion at Mercato Vecchio (The Old Market), Florence
In the next day morning, we went to see the museum you don’t want to miss, Uffizi. It is one of the most prestigious museums in the world because of its vast amount of collections and their quality. Some of famous works include, Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo. Most of the displays were Medici family’s collections. No wonder in the earlier day, when I was at Piazza Santa Maria Novella, I saw a banner read something like, “too bad today’s arts collectors’ tastes are not as good as Medici’s”. We reserved the tickets through our hotel on the day of our arrival, otherwise the waiting queue would be much longer. Photography was not allowed in Uffizi, but I couldn’t help to taking a shot at this one. Is he a time traveler?
Portrait of a Young Man, by Georg Pencz, Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The narrow courtyard between the Uffizi\'s two wings, Florence
We had some time walking around the city before going back to the hotel.
A restaurant, Florence
Palazzo dell\'Arte della Lana, Florence
The afternoon time was reserved for shopping. Florence is one of top fashion capitals of the world. One major upscale shopping street, Via de’ Tornabuoni, where many high fashion boutiques are located, is only steps away from the hotel.
After walking in and out these fashion stores for two hours, I finally convinced my wife to go to Piazzale Michelangelo as our city tour’s last destination. The taxi dropped us near San Miniato al Monte so we had chance to first see this beautiful Romanesque church on the very top of the hill.
San Miniato al Monte, Florence
Overlook Florence from San Miniato al Monte
Piazzale Michelangelo offers a spectacular panorama view of the city. Locals come here for picnic, couples take wedding photos and tourists gather at west steps listening to music and waiting for the sunset. Although our days at Florence all started cloudy, they always cleared up in the afternoon. We had three gorgeous sunsets in a row. Looking down from the square, all the historical landmarks we have visited stood one after another in front of our eyes. The entire city were bathed in the beautiful red glow. Our trip ended on the most romantic note.
Florence panorama from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence
2012.5.31~6.1We booked Strozzi Palace Hotel for 3 nights at Florence. One nice thing about Florence is that its historic district is a very compact area, and the hotel is wonderfully located at the center of it. We got a spacious suite at the top of the building, room Michelangelo. Our neighbor was room Raphael.
It’s about 6pm. Walked one block from the hotel, through the triumphal arch, we arrived in Piazza della Repubblica. It’s a lively square filled with street artists and tourists. The piazza is surrounded by bars and cafès. Many of them have long history being the popular meeting place for artists and scholars.
Triumphal Arch at Piazza della Repubblica, Florence
Street paint near Piazza della Repubblica, Florence
We continued walking toward the River Arno. The streets were crowded by the tourists. We didn’t go to Ponte Vecchio right away, but walked along the river to have a better view of the Old Bridge. This is one of the most famous landmarks of Florence. We crossed the river by Ponte Santa Trinita and went back to Ponte Vecchio from the other side of the river. There are shops built on both side of the bridge. Once taken by butchers before Renaissance, now these are jewellery stores and galleries.
View Ponte Vecchio from Ponte Santa Trinita, Florence
Shops at Ponte Vecchio were closed in late afternoon, Florence
At the middle of the bridge, the area around the statue of Benvenuto Cellini is open to the river. Many people sit around listening to Claudio Spadi (with Luca Sciortino) playing his music. He performs regularly here often till dark and has become a quite famous scene of Ponte Vecchio. The warm light of the sunset was reflected by the water and windows by the river and illuminated people with beautiful backlit. We stood by the bridge and watched him play for at least 7 or 8 songs till the sun set below the horizon.
The second day morning, as usual, I got up at 6am and had a walk around the city. I first went to the piazza where the city’s principal Dominican church, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, is located.
Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Florence
Then, I walked to the Duomo of Florence, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. The construction of the original cathedral begun in 1296 and took more than 100 years to complete. The original façade was never finished. In 16th century, it’s even torn down because it’s considered outdated in Renaissance times. The church was left without a façade until 19th century, when the richly-decorated new façade was rebuilt in green and red marbles.
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo), Florence
The gallery of the Virgin with Child, Duomo, Florence
Piazza del Duomo, Florence
The bronze door of the Baptistry, Florence
We started our city tour after the breakfast. The first stop is the Piazza della Signoria. It is one of the most famous attractions in Florence thanks for the statues (some are copies) still standing around the piazza and the Loggia dei Lanzi, including David and The Rape of the Sabine Women. The piazza is not only the political hub of the city, but also a symbol of the city as the center of Renaissance. It is so famous that at any given time there were at least 3 or 4 tour groups visiting the piazza. It is the most crowded place of all our trips.
Piazza della Signoria, Florence
Sea horses of Fontana di Nettuno, Piazza della Signoria, Florence
The Rape of the Sabine Women, Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence
Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence
The massive building with an imposing bell tower overlooking the Piazza della Signoria is Florence’s city hall, Palazzo Vecchio (gallery). Enter the building, we were impressed by the huge chamber that can accommodate almost 1000 people. It was holding a school meeting at the time we visited. Large frescoes that depict battles with Pisa and Siena cover the west and east wall. The second floor contains several apartments and rooms that are used for arts exhibition. Many of them are the works of Giorgio Vasari.
Entrance of Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Putto with Dolphin by Andrea del Verrocchio, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Primavera by Giorgio Vasari and aids, Hall of Opi (Sala di Opi), Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Judith and Holofernes by Donatello, Hall of Lilies (Sala dei Gigli), Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Leaving the city hall, we walked through the loggia of Uffizi by Arno. This is also the innovative work designed by Giorgio Vasari who opened up the courtyard and made it a public piazza and street. Crossed the river, we went to Palazzo Pitti (official site), but we didn’t enter the museum. We went back to the hotel to have a noon rest.
2012.5.30~31Famous for its art and religious works, Siena was once a rival to Florence for the dominance of Tuscany from medieval time to the Renaissance. Today, the city is an UNESCO heritage site. It may be the best preserved medieval city in Italy, thanks to its conquest by Florence – as Florence became bigger and busier, Siena turned its focus on building the city to retain its traditions and blend into its surrounding landscape.
Tourists’ vehicles are not allowed to enter the inner city. From our hotel, alone Via Roma, it takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk to the city center. At the first day morning, I got up at 6am and had a walk in the city. In the early morning, tourists had not taken the streets yet.
Siena
Siena
The view of the shell-shaped brick-paved public square, Piazza del Campo, is a signature image of Tuscany. At one end, there sit the tower of the town, Torre del Mangia, and the city hall, Palazzo Pubblico; at the other end, it’s the Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy). Every year, two horse races, Palio, are run in the piazza, to promote pride and rivalry of among 17 contrade of Siena.
Piazza del Campo, Siena
Torre del Mangia, Siena
When I walked to the Piazza del Duomo, where Siena’s main cathedral is located, the morning sun just started lighting up the piazza. The churches were immersed in the warm golden sunlight.
Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Siena
Siena’s main cathedral is a Romanesque-Gothic style church. Its west façade is a masterpiece of medieval architecture. The façade was built in two stages, the lower part was designed in Tuscan Romanesque style, the statues and pinnacles of the upper part was heavily influenced by French Gothic architecture.
Central gable and right tower of the Duomo, Siena
Facade statues of the Duomo, Siena
Facade statues of the Duomo, Siena
After spent the rest of the day in the country side, we returned to the city center the next day morning.
Torre del Mangia and Palazzo Pubblico, Siena
The marble loggia of the Torre del Mangia, Siena
Siena
We paid a small entrance fee to get into the Duomo.
Interior of the Duomo, Siena
Pulpit of the Duomo, Siena
Stained-glass window in the Duomo, Siena
The inlaid marble mosaic floor in the Duomo, Siena
Piccolomini Library in the Duomo, Siena
Dome of the duomo, Siena
The Duomo was supposed to be enlarged to double its current size, but the Black Plague in 1348 stopped the effort. We climbed to the top of the unfinished façade. From there, we had a panorama view of Siena.
The dome and the bell tower of the Duomo, Siena
Piazza del Campo, Siena
Walking out of the Duomo, we had a lunch at Trattoria Papei at Piazza del Mercato, right behind Piazza del Campo.
The church of Santa Maria dei Servi, Siena
We left Siena at afternoon and drove to Florence, which is only 50 miles away. We returned our car at the airport, which is the best decision I made of the trip, and took taxi into the city.
2012.5.30We only planned two days around Siena area, so we didn’t choose the countryside villa but booked our stay at Hotel Santa Caterina. The hotel was remodeled from a patrician house. It’s small and cozy. The dinner room opens to a lovely garden and countryside of southern Tuscany.
Morning frog, Siena
Southern Tuscany is famous for the hilltowns and villages of great art history. We spent our first day driving around countryside. Our route largely followed the suggestion from Slow Travel Italy website. We knew we would be at most a little more than an hour drive from Siena, so we started late in order to be at Pienze area around the sunset time.
1. Montalcino
Montalcino is the hilltown surrounded by vineyard, olive orchard and oak trees. We went to see the cathedral but soon got lost on our way out. We struggled hard to make a turn in a narrow dead-end on the slope.
Montalcino, Southern Tuscany
2. Sant’Antimo Abbey
Sant’Antimo Abbey was built in 8th century. We got there in the noon. It was too sunny otherwise it would be a good place for a picnic.
Sant'Antimo Abbey, Southern Tuscany
Near Sant'Antimo Abbey, Southern Tuscany
3. Castiglione D’orcia
The winding road over Val d’Orcia took us to Castiglione D’orcia. A small church just off the road provided us some necessary shade to have a rest.
Castiglione D'orcia, Southern Tuscany
Castiglione d' Orcia, Southern Tuscany
4. San Quirico d’Orcia
San Quirico d’Orcia is strategically located in the center of Southern Tuscany. We drove around the town and enjoyed beautiful music and tasty pasta at restaurant La Locanda di Fonte Alla Vena.
Near San Quirico D'orcia, Southern Tuscany
Restaurant La Locanda di Fonte Alla Vena, San Quirico D'orcia, Southern Tuscany
5. Torrenieri
When we stepped out of the restaurant, a dry and hot day has become cloudy and it started drizzling. We drove north on SR2 and got off the road at Torrenieri. From there, we would go east on the country road SP137. As we climbed up to a small hill, the drizzling rain had developed into a thunderstorm. We had to stop on top of the hill. For a while, we were worried about being struck by lightning.
On SP137, near Torrenieri, Southern Tuscany
On SP137, near Torrenieri, Southern Tuscany
5. Country road SP137 and SP71
The rain stopped after half an hour, we continued driving east on the dirt road SP137. This area features beautiful rolling hills, a signature landscape of southern Tuscany.
On SP71, Southern Tuscany
On SP71, Near Pienza, Southern Tuscany
6. Monticchiello
It’s 6pm already. We passed Pienza, drove south on SP del Monte Amiata and east on SP88 to reach Monticchiello. Again, we had some difficult time to park and turn in this hilltown.
Intersection of SP del Monte Amiata and SP88, Southern Tuscany
Overlook from Monticchiello, Southern Tuscany
7. Pienza and SS146
We came back to Pienza at 7pm. Tuscany was immersed in twilight. If you have an extra day, stay in Pienza for one night is a good option.
Pienza, Southern Tuscany
On SP146, Southern Tuscany
Unfortunately, we saw a lot of poppies and several other types of flowers, but we didn’t see any sunflower, although some reported that they saw “fields of fields” sunflowers in various months from May to September. Before we left for the trip, we asked the hotel clerk about where we could see them. He said that it really depended on the farmers, if they grew them and when/where they grew them. He certainly didn’t forget to leave a hint that we could see sunflowers in the region at the time. 🙂
2012.5.29Before checking out from the hotel at Lucca, we had a short visit to Viareggio. It is a beach town only 20 miles west of Lucca. The local road, Via Sarzanese, runs through mountains and villages. It’s much more interesting than the highway but it took us almost an hour to get there.
Viareggio beach
A seaside café at Viareggio
Taking SS12, Pisa is only 10 miles south to Lucca. After passing a small hill and tree-lined country road, we could see the Duomo and the Leaning Tower from miles away. Circle half around the out wall to the west, there is a big parking lot only two blocks to the entrance of the piazza. A couple of people were selling faked leather craft and watches outside of the parking lot.
The Leaning Tower is just one of 4 major edifices in Piazza dei Miracoli. The other three are, the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Camposanto. It’s a such famed place that attracts a lot of tourists. Although it might be overly popular, the piazza is beautify, refreshing and definitely worth visiting.
Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa
Duomo, Viewed from Baptistry of St. John, Pisa
Inside the cathedral, Pisa
Pulpit, Duomo of Pisa
The Leaning Tower, Pisa
Piazza dei Miracoli, from the top of the Leaning Tower
Pisa city view from the top of the Leaning Tower
We left Pisa at 4pm. There are several ways can get us from Pisa to Siena. The fastest is to take A11 to go back to Florence and then go south by Florence-Siena Highway, but it would be boring to drive on the same road; so we decided to take the shortest path. We went south on SS206, turned east on FI-PI-LI (Firenze-Pisa-Livorno) Highway, got off the highway at ss429 and continued driving south, eventually merged into Florence-Siena Highway. My GPS stopped working and only things I had were a printed Google direction and Touring Editore’s Toscana map. We passed countless villages and roundabouts, made many wrong turns. Finally, we arrived at Siena and checked into Hotel Santa Caterina at 8pm.
2012.5.27~28Italian consulate’s office in San Francisco was very small and the officers sometimes were quite arrogant, luckily we got our visa without any issue.
Consulate General of Italy, San Francisco
We arrived in Florence at 4pm local time. At the airport car rental counter, we got a free car upgrade. It turned out not as ideal as it sounds, the bigger car caused us some headache while driving and parking in those hill towns at Tuscany. Our first destination is a small town 50 miles west of Florence, Lucca, After a little more than an hour, we checked into our hotel, Hotel Ilaria & Residenza dell’Alba.
Lucca, Italy
Lucca, Italy
Lucca, Italy
Lucca, Italy
Lucca, Italy
Lucca, Italy
Lucca, Italy
The hotel is located in the old town enclosed by Lucca’s historical walls. I had a walk around the city right after we settled down. Via Santa Croce run right through the middle of the inner city from east to the west. It was late afternoon. I only got time to cover the southern part of the old town.
Piazza del Giglio, Lucca
Piazza XX Settembre, Lucca
We had dinner at Ristorante Giglio at Piazza del Giglio. Grilled fish and Octopus are some of the local favorites.
The next day morning, as usual, I had a morning walk by myself before the breakfast. Lucca is famous for its narrow lanes winding among the medieval buildings and suddenly opening to small piazzas at one side of the streets. Morning sunshine provided some intriguing lighting condition for photography.
Via del Fosso, Lucca
Via del Gallo, Lucca
Piazza San Martino, Lucca
Via Antonio Vallisneri / Via del Battistero / Via delle Trombe, Lucca
The hotel serves the breakfast at an open patio that overlooks the garden of a villa at back of the hotel. After the breakfast, our city tour officially started.
Via del Fosso, Lucca
People watching, Lucca
Anfiteatro Romano
Piazza San Frediano, Lucca
San Michele in Foro, Lucca
Lucca as seen from the top of the Guinigi tower
Lucca’s inner city is quite small, but our legs got really heavy after walking back and forth in those narrow alleys. As usual, after lunch we went back to hotel to take a nap and resumed our tour again at 4pm.
Walls of Lucca
Piazza Napoleone, Lucca
Duomo di San Martino, Lucca
Sculpture on Duomo di San Martino, Lucca
Via Fillungo, Lucca
Piazza San Michele, Lucca
Much more compact, quiet and slow-paced than Florence and Pisa, featuring beautiful medieval architecture and maze-like lanes, Lucca is a jewel of a Tuscan town, a surprising treat of our Tuscany trip.
2012.1.8The next day morning, we went to see the Obelisco de Buenos Aires. It’s located in the intersection of avenues Corrientes and 9 de Julio. Spanning seven lanes on each direction and 2-lane byway on each side, Avenue 9 de Julio is the widest avenue in the world. Only two blocks away from the Obelisco, Teatro Colón is considered to be one of the best opera houses in the world. Unfortunately, the theater was in renovation, we didn’t even have a good look of it from the outside.
Obelisco de Buenos Aires
Still traumatized by the incident the earlier day, my wife asked me to explore the city by myself in the afternoon. The taxi first took me to the Plaza Dorrego at San Telmo. A short walk lead me to the small plaza that is surrounded by beautiful two-storied buildings. It’s Sunday. The plaza was taken over by stands selling all kinds of antiques. This is Buenos Aires’ most famous flea market, Feria de San Pedro Telmo. Everything selling here must date before the 1970s.
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
I spent about an hour at Plaza Dorrego then took taxi to another legendary place of Buenos Aires – El Caminito at La Boca. This is a short pedestrian street overcrowed with restaurants and shops, but what draws visitors and photographers here are the houses painted in vivid colors. They are predominately in blue and yellow, which are the colors of the Boca Juniors football team. Although the street is crowed by visitors having their good times, there was no single visitor could be seen immediately out of the area – La Boca’s crime rate is among the highest of the city. Even within the tourist area, there were many police on patrol to keep the street safe at least in the daytime.
Caminito, La Boca
Caminito, La Boca
Caminito, La Boca
Caminito, La Boca
Caminito, La Boca
Caminito, La Boca
Caminito, La Boca
Caminito, La Boca
Buenos Aires is a such elaborate and culture-rich city, two days was not enough to cover it all even in the most superficial way. We didn’t got chance to visit Palermo and Belgrano, the upper-class side of the city. We left Buenos Aires in the evening and concluded our 16-day trip.
It’s already nine months and two more trips later as I finished the last installment of the travelog. The legacy of this unparalleled journey is that wherever we go, we always think, “we have been to Antarctica, nothing will surprise us”. However, the fact is, the world’s beauty and diversity have never stopped amazing us in every unexpected way. With an open mind and keen eyes, we will never feel bored of travelling.
