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Cool Vacations Cheap images

Check out these vacations cheap images:



Hotel Moscow
vacations cheap
Image by gmark1
Historic and ornate. We splurged on two nights before relocating to cheaper accommodation.

Cool Vacation And Travel images

Check out these vacation and travel images:


P7054514
vacation and travel
Image by jon|k


P7054488
vacation and travel
Image by jon|k


julie and beej
vacation and travel
Image by Joits

Nice Vegas Deals photos

A few nice vegas deals images I found:


Daphne Willis at The Kessler Theater
vegas deals
Image by @giovanni
Kessler Theater - Dallas, Texas - 11/25/2011

Chicago native Daphne Willis sauntered onto the stage on November 25, second on the bill with a trio of female singer/songwriter at the Kessler. Taking her time after ascending upon the stage to tune her guitar, the audience waited patiently.

The Kessler is one of the most challenging venues to shoot music in Dallas. When artists go on stage and the lights go down, the venue takes on the guise of a cavern lit by a single candle brighter than the sun. In a controlled environment, this might be an interesting situation to shoot. However, when moving around a stage, trying to be respectful of the audience, and working without a tripod, this becomes quite a challenge. Not to say that you can't gain control of the environment. Just suffice it to say that this is one of the more difficult ones to shoot in because of the stark contrast between light and darkness in the venue.

Daphne has finished tuning up her guitar. She addresses the crowd, "How you Guys Doing?"

The crowd responds with warm applause. "Can we give Tracy a round of applause?" She's referring to Tracy She'd, singer-songwriter from New Mexico who performed just before her. The crowd obliges. Daphne continues, "I’m Daphne. I’m from Chicago - live in Nash-Vegas now. I’m gonna play some songs for you." And with that, Daphne starts a medium-paced pop tune entitled "Bluff." Josh Fox, her percussionist helps out with the chugging beat. Assuming a mood of jazz and pop the same time, Daphne Starts off her set setting a tone of frustrated love:

"When you figure it out you let me know,
This indecisive nature of yours is really beginning to show,
You got your time to find your voice,
You got your space to make your choice,
A way to go, And you gave me time to sit,
And a place to get to, Where know I know,

You don’t know what you want,
But you think that what you’ve got is not enough,
And I keep telling’ you that getting things right can be so tough,
Guess what, your not so tough,
So I came back here to call your bluff."


Listening to Willis’ music, one would assume that she's a happy-go-lucky singer-songwriter. But play close attention to the lyrics in "Bluff" and you hear of her dealing with a relationship stifled in immaturity, impatience, and unrequited love: on stuff for singer songwriters.

Daphne continues with the irony of happy-pop acoustic tunes married to lyrics of frustrated love with "Weathermen." …all the while smiling and swaying to the music. In this case however, she simply is lamenting her inability to keep her special one by her side for the moment.

"Cuz I know I know
That you're waiting for me
So you can adore me no
You can't ignore me
Now I know I know
That you're dieting to hold me close
Awww so baby baby don't go"


The audience appreciates her performance and she garners a few hoots and hollers from the Texas crowd. She has grit. She exudes passion and spreads her positive vibe throughout the theater.

More tuning and moments of awkward silence. Daphne knows it: "Some artists can talk while they tune. I’m not one of them. That’s okay, at least I tune." Awkwardness averted.

After "Love and Hate" she runs through my favorite tune of the evening "Do What You Want." At this point I’m realizing a couple things about Ms. Wills. She reminds me of the love child of Norah Jones and Ricki Lee Jones. She’s a great live act for a medium-sized club but she needs a full drum kit and a monster bass player behind her. And she’s the kind of artist that the music industry doesn’t have the foggiest idea what to do with. Is she pop? Is she jazz? Is she AOR? Is she singer/songwriter? She’s all that and none of that and because of that she’s going to either struggle or have to make some changes which will make her sound more easily identified with a category that a music executive can chunk her into. …and that sucks.

I don’t bring this up because I have any issues with her songwriting, performance, musicianship, singing, etc. I was quite taken with her as was the crowd. She’s in-between several genres and the music industry can’t deal with that. When she tries her hand at straight rock, as is the case with "I Want To" on her "Because I Can" release, her siren-esque vocal tone just doesn’t mix well with the harder edge of a rock anthem-like tune.

After "Every Word" an anonymous member of the audience shouts "I dig you Daphne." Without skipping a beat, she responds, "I dig you too. I can’t see you but it’s all good!" She’s got game. She’s got great stage presence. She’s all good.

Daphne continues her set with a new tune, "That was a new song. I’ve never played it in front of anybody live before." She passed on telling us the name. She closed with other quality songs like "Stay", and "I Will Be Waiting." Watching a talent like Daphne Willis frustrates me. She should do well. She deserves to do well. However, there is so much out of her control with getting to "success" that the odds are against here. She’s a natural. I wish the best for her and will certainly be cheering her on from the sidelines. Here’s to beating the odds Daphne, please prove I’m wrong.

Daphne Willis' Social Media Fame Scores:
Total Audience: 21,080 (1,224,093)
Total Content Consumption: 424,099 (142,288,821)
Audience Engagement: 359,957 (10,533,169)
Social Media Fan Rating: 0.015 (7.143)
Fan Consumption Rating: 20.1 (27.17)
Audience Engagement Rating: 17.08 (5.10)
Search & Social Crossover Rating: 0.00 (1.99)
(Numbers in parentheses represent the average for each rating on 12/03/2011)

Connect with Daphne Willis online here: website | facebook | ilike | www.last.fm/music/Daphne+Willis | myspace | ping | pure volume | reverb nation | storm cloud | twitter | vevo | youtube | zune

© 2011 giovanni gallucci, dallas photographer


Daphne Willis at The Kessler Theater
vegas deals
Image by @giovanni
Kessler Theater - Dallas, Texas - 11/25/2011

Chicago native Daphne Willis sauntered onto the stage on November 25, second on the bill with a trio of female singer/songwriter at the Kessler. Taking her time after ascending upon the stage to tune her guitar, the audience waited patiently.

The Kessler is one of the most challenging venues to shoot music in Dallas. When artists go on stage and the lights go down, the venue takes on the guise of a cavern lit by a single candle brighter than the sun. In a controlled environment, this might be an interesting situation to shoot. However, when moving around a stage, trying to be respectful of the audience, and working without a tripod, this becomes quite a challenge. Not to say that you can't gain control of the environment. Just suffice it to say that this is one of the more difficult ones to shoot in because of the stark contrast between light and darkness in the venue.

Daphne has finished tuning up her guitar. She addresses the crowd, "How you Guys Doing?"

The crowd responds with warm applause. "Can we give Tracy a round of applause?" She's referring to Tracy She'd, singer-songwriter from New Mexico who performed just before her. The crowd obliges. Daphne continues, "I’m Daphne. I’m from Chicago - live in Nash-Vegas now. I’m gonna play some songs for you." And with that, Daphne starts a medium-paced pop tune entitled "Bluff." Josh Fox, her percussionist helps out with the chugging beat. Assuming a mood of jazz and pop the same time, Daphne Starts off her set setting a tone of frustrated love:

"When you figure it out you let me know,
This indecisive nature of yours is really beginning to show,
You got your time to find your voice,
You got your space to make your choice,
A way to go, And you gave me time to sit,
And a place to get to, Where know I know,

You don’t know what you want,
But you think that what you’ve got is not enough,
And I keep telling’ you that getting things right can be so tough,
Guess what, your not so tough,
So I came back here to call your bluff."


Listening to Willis’ music, one would assume that she's a happy-go-lucky singer-songwriter. But play close attention to the lyrics in "Bluff" and you hear of her dealing with a relationship stifled in immaturity, impatience, and unrequited love: on stuff for singer songwriters.

Daphne continues with the irony of happy-pop acoustic tunes married to lyrics of frustrated love with "Weathermen." …all the while smiling and swaying to the music. In this case however, she simply is lamenting her inability to keep her special one by her side for the moment.

"Cuz I know I know
That you're waiting for me
So you can adore me no
You can't ignore me
Now I know I know
That you're dieting to hold me close
Awww so baby baby don't go"


The audience appreciates her performance and she garners a few hoots and hollers from the Texas crowd. She has grit. She exudes passion and spreads her positive vibe throughout the theater.

More tuning and moments of awkward silence. Daphne knows it: "Some artists can talk while they tune. I’m not one of them. That’s okay, at least I tune." Awkwardness averted.

After "Love and Hate" she runs through my favorite tune of the evening "Do What You Want." At this point I’m realizing a couple things about Ms. Wills. She reminds me of the love child of Norah Jones and Ricki Lee Jones. She’s a great live act for a medium-sized club but she needs a full drum kit and a monster bass player behind her. And she’s the kind of artist that the music industry doesn’t have the foggiest idea what to do with. Is she pop? Is she jazz? Is she AOR? Is she singer/songwriter? She’s all that and none of that and because of that she’s going to either struggle or have to make some changes which will make her sound more easily identified with a category that a music executive can chunk her into. …and that sucks.

I don’t bring this up because I have any issues with her songwriting, performance, musicianship, singing, etc. I was quite taken with her as was the crowd. She’s in-between several genres and the music industry can’t deal with that. When she tries her hand at straight rock, as is the case with "I Want To" on her "Because I Can" release, her siren-esque vocal tone just doesn’t mix well with the harder edge of a rock anthem-like tune.

After "Every Word" an anonymous member of the audience shouts "I dig you Daphne." Without skipping a beat, she responds, "I dig you too. I can’t see you but it’s all good!" She’s got game. She’s got great stage presence. She’s all good.

Daphne continues her set with a new tune, "That was a new song. I’ve never played it in front of anybody live before." She passed on telling us the name. She closed with other quality songs like "Stay", and "I Will Be Waiting." Watching a talent like Daphne Willis frustrates me. She should do well. She deserves to do well. However, there is so much out of her control with getting to "success" that the odds are against here. She’s a natural. I wish the best for her and will certainly be cheering her on from the sidelines. Here’s to beating the odds Daphne, please prove I’m wrong.

Daphne Willis' Social Media Fame Scores:
Total Audience: 21,080 (1,224,093)
Total Content Consumption: 424,099 (142,288,821)
Audience Engagement: 359,957 (10,533,169)
Social Media Fan Rating: 0.015 (7.143)
Fan Consumption Rating: 20.1 (27.17)
Audience Engagement Rating: 17.08 (5.10)
Search & Social Crossover Rating: 0.00 (1.99)
(Numbers in parentheses represent the average for each rating on 12/03/2011)

Connect with Daphne Willis online here: website | facebook | ilike | www.last.fm/music/Daphne+Willis | myspace | ping | pure volume | reverb nation | storm cloud | twitter | vevo | youtube | zune

© 2011 giovanni gallucci, dallas photographer


Daphne Willis at The Kessler Theater
vegas deals
Image by @giovanni
Kessler Theater - Dallas, Texas - 11/25/2011

Chicago native Daphne Willis sauntered onto the stage on November 25, second on the bill with a trio of female singer/songwriter at the Kessler. Taking her time after ascending upon the stage to tune her guitar, the audience waited patiently.

The Kessler is one of the most challenging venues to shoot music in Dallas. When artists go on stage and the lights go down, the venue takes on the guise of a cavern lit by a single candle brighter than the sun. In a controlled environment, this might be an interesting situation to shoot. However, when moving around a stage, trying to be respectful of the audience, and working without a tripod, this becomes quite a challenge. Not to say that you can't gain control of the environment. Just suffice it to say that this is one of the more difficult ones to shoot in because of the stark contrast between light and darkness in the venue.

Daphne has finished tuning up her guitar. She addresses the crowd, "How you Guys Doing?"

The crowd responds with warm applause. "Can we give Tracy a round of applause?" She's referring to Tracy She'd, singer-songwriter from New Mexico who performed just before her. The crowd obliges. Daphne continues, "I’m Daphne. I’m from Chicago - live in Nash-Vegas now. I’m gonna play some songs for you." And with that, Daphne starts a medium-paced pop tune entitled "Bluff." Josh Fox, her percussionist helps out with the chugging beat. Assuming a mood of jazz and pop the same time, Daphne Starts off her set setting a tone of frustrated love:

"When you figure it out you let me know,
This indecisive nature of yours is really beginning to show,
You got your time to find your voice,
You got your space to make your choice,
A way to go, And you gave me time to sit,
And a place to get to, Where know I know,

You don’t know what you want,
But you think that what you’ve got is not enough,
And I keep telling’ you that getting things right can be so tough,
Guess what, your not so tough,
So I came back here to call your bluff."


Listening to Willis’ music, one would assume that she's a happy-go-lucky singer-songwriter. But play close attention to the lyrics in "Bluff" and you hear of her dealing with a relationship stifled in immaturity, impatience, and unrequited love: on stuff for singer songwriters.

Daphne continues with the irony of happy-pop acoustic tunes married to lyrics of frustrated love with "Weathermen." …all the while smiling and swaying to the music. In this case however, she simply is lamenting her inability to keep her special one by her side for the moment.

"Cuz I know I know
That you're waiting for me
So you can adore me no
You can't ignore me
Now I know I know
That you're dieting to hold me close
Awww so baby baby don't go"


The audience appreciates her performance and she garners a few hoots and hollers from the Texas crowd. She has grit. She exudes passion and spreads her positive vibe throughout the theater.

More tuning and moments of awkward silence. Daphne knows it: "Some artists can talk while they tune. I’m not one of them. That’s okay, at least I tune." Awkwardness averted.

After "Love and Hate" she runs through my favorite tune of the evening "Do What You Want." At this point I’m realizing a couple things about Ms. Wills. She reminds me of the love child of Norah Jones and Ricki Lee Jones. She’s a great live act for a medium-sized club but she needs a full drum kit and a monster bass player behind her. And she’s the kind of artist that the music industry doesn’t have the foggiest idea what to do with. Is she pop? Is she jazz? Is she AOR? Is she singer/songwriter? She’s all that and none of that and because of that she’s going to either struggle or have to make some changes which will make her sound more easily identified with a category that a music executive can chunk her into. …and that sucks.

I don’t bring this up because I have any issues with her songwriting, performance, musicianship, singing, etc. I was quite taken with her as was the crowd. She’s in-between several genres and the music industry can’t deal with that. When she tries her hand at straight rock, as is the case with "I Want To" on her "Because I Can" release, her siren-esque vocal tone just doesn’t mix well with the harder edge of a rock anthem-like tune.

After "Every Word" an anonymous member of the audience shouts "I dig you Daphne." Without skipping a beat, she responds, "I dig you too. I can’t see you but it’s all good!" She’s got game. She’s got great stage presence. She’s all good.

Daphne continues her set with a new tune, "That was a new song. I’ve never played it in front of anybody live before." She passed on telling us the name. She closed with other quality songs like "Stay", and "I Will Be Waiting." Watching a talent like Daphne Willis frustrates me. She should do well. She deserves to do well. However, there is so much out of her control with getting to "success" that the odds are against here. She’s a natural. I wish the best for her and will certainly be cheering her on from the sidelines. Here’s to beating the odds Daphne, please prove I’m wrong.

Daphne Willis' Social Media Fame Scores:
Total Audience: 21,080 (1,224,093)
Total Content Consumption: 424,099 (142,288,821)
Audience Engagement: 359,957 (10,533,169)
Social Media Fan Rating: 0.015 (7.143)
Fan Consumption Rating: 20.1 (27.17)
Audience Engagement Rating: 17.08 (5.10)
Search & Social Crossover Rating: 0.00 (1.99)
(Numbers in parentheses represent the average for each rating on 12/03/2011)

Connect with Daphne Willis online here: website | facebook | ilike | www.last.fm/music/Daphne+Willis | myspace | ping | pure volume | reverb nation | storm cloud | twitter | vevo | youtube | zune

© 2011 giovanni gallucci, dallas photographer

RayonHotel02

Check out these vacation to jamaica images:


RayonHotel02
vacation to jamaica
Image by J.W. Hamner
A view of the empty restaurant with the bar to the right. For whatever reason we never tried the food.


Villas to the Sea
vacation to jamaica
Image by Gewel Maker


Glad to be here
vacation to jamaica
Image by Gewel Maker

Nice Resort Spa Vacation photos

Check out these resort spa vacation images:



Real InterContinental Hotel & Club Tower Costa Rica-Spa Resort
resort spa vacation
Image by InterContinentalCostaRica
Book today the Real InterContinental Hotel & Club Tower Costa Rica website. Visit us at www.intercontinentalcostarica.com

Daily Disney

Check out these walt disney world vacations images:


Daily Disney
walt disney world vacations
Image by Express Monorail
Polynesian Resort, Walt Disney World

Just got back from Anna's 6th birthday trip at Walt Disney World. I don't usually splurge but I figured what the heck and booked 3 nights at the Polynesian. What an awesome resort. I loved it, and it's probably the closest I'll get to Hawaii anytime soon. And being right on the monorail loop and so close to the Magic Kingdom is such a bonus, especially with a little one... Sorry Contemporary fans, but after staying at both back-to-back the Contemporary doesn't hold a candle to the Polynesian in my opinion. I was hoping to meet the Flickr group but never got a chance to, which is unfortunate. Hopefully I'll get to meet you all soon. And don't expect to see anything stellar photography wise. A combination of having a 5 almost 6 year old in tow and being a tour guide for family friends that have never been just didn't leave me with much time behind the viewfinder. But that's alright, this trip was not about photography. I got a few shots to get me by until the next trip. And for the Polynesian? This shot and maybe one more, is it. Yeah, I'm serious. Although I saw many photo opportunities, the time and circumstances just didn't allow. That's alright though. I think I just found a new home in the Polynesian! :=0)

View On Black | See where this picture was taken. [?]

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you're having a great day!


Military Macaw
walt disney world vacations
Image by AmandaB3
Walt Disney World Family Vacation
Animal Kingdom - WDW
November 5, 2009

Cool Travel Vacation images

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Imaginiaria Street Scene
travel vacation
Image by Mikael Colville-Andersen
A charming tram on an Imaginarian street.

More photos from a recent visit to the fine and proud land of Imaginaria. Travels in Imaginaria Set

Cool Vacation To Go images

A few nice vacation to go images I found:


Going to Göteborg
vacation to go
Image by MrTopf
here some photos of Saltholmen from last year


Ready to go before most people are awake
vacation to go
Image by jntolva


We're going to Dino-Rama!
vacation to go
Image by honus

Cool Resort Vacation Rentals images

Check out these resort vacation rentals images:


Jim Looks Off Balcony
resort vacation rentals
Image by Old Shoe Woman
of a vacation rental resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Lots of people enjoy visiting these beautiful mountains and all of the fun activities in and around The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

See Barbara's photo of me taking this shot: flickr.com/photos/pandarine/199567521/

Blas Family Vacation 2009

Some cool vacations beach images:


Blas Family Vacation 2009
vacations beach
Image by D.B. Blas
Images from our family vacation, August 1-8, 2009, in Myrtle Beach, SC


Blas Family Vacation 2009
vacations beach
Image by D.B. Blas
Images from our family vacation, August 1-8, 2009, in Myrtle Beach, SC

Old Lahaina Luau

Some cool vacation to hawaii images:


Old Lahaina Luau
vacation to hawaii
Image by sotheavy

Puzey Family on vacation

A few nice vacations images I found:


Puzey Family on vacation
vacations
Image by whistlepunch
It is likely that this was taken on a family vacation to California in 1918 after the farm did well that summer. This is Frederick and Emily Puzey with their son, Frederick Elmer. from Alberta. Checking similar pictures online - it appears to be taken at the Los Angeles Ostrich Farm, which was located near the entrance to Lincoln (Eastlake) Park, 3609 Mission Road, Los Angeles, California. Visitors could pose for a photo here that would be printed up as a postcard as a souvenir.

The website shares the promotion:

"Competent guides conduct all visitors and opportunity is given to see the entire industry from the eggs up to mature birds, 39 years old.

Take Yellow car marked "Lincoln Park" and get off at the farm. Fare 5 cents. Opposite entrance to Lincoln (Eastlake) Park.

TAKE A STROLL THROUGH THE FARM WHERE YOU MAY SEE
Over One Hundred of these Giant Birds on Exhibition
Five of them being the Largest in the United States, and one of them the Tallest in the World."

The site is now a residential treatment center for those battling chemical dependency.

www.lincolnheightsla.com/ostrich/


Cool Resort Family Vacation images

Check out these resort family vacation images:


The Bellevue Resort
resort family vacation
Image by Daniel Y. Go
The Bellevue Resort
Family vacation to Bohol (Bellevue Resort, Panglao). God is good :)


Waikiki Marina Resort In Hawaii
resort family vacation
Image by ShellVacationsHospitality
www.shellhospitality.com/index.html


Tyler Place Pool
resort family vacation
Image by Scott Ableman
Photo featured on SheKnows.com LINK

Club Liquid (3 of 7)

Some cool vacation village resort images:


Club Liquid (3 of 7)
vacation village resort
Image by Vox Efx
Club Liquid! A night club for teens (early eve) and adults (late eve), we crashed the Teen hour (had the place to ourselves)
Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter


Kimonos Oriental Cuisine Restaurant (5 of 6)
vacation village resort
Image by Vox Efx


Stylin
vacation village resort
Image by Vox Efx
Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter

Cool Vacations Cheap images

A few nice vacations cheap images I found:


Inside the Tube
vacations cheap
Image by Wootang01
9.4.09
The flight arrived on time; and the twelve hours while on board passed quickly and without incident. To be sure, the quality of the Cathay Pacific service was exemplary once again.

Heathrow reminds me of Newark International. The décor comes straight out of the sterile 80's and is less an eyesore than an insipid background to the rhythm of human activity, such hustle and bustle, at the fore. There certainly are faces from all races present, creating a rich mosaic of humanity which is refreshing if not completely revitalizing after swimming for so long in a sea of Chinese faces in Hong Kong.

Internet access is sealed in England, it seems. Nothing is free; everything is egregiously monetized from the wireless hotspots down to the desktop terminals. I guess Hong Kong has spoiled me with its abundant, free access to the information superhighway.


11.4.09
Despite staying in a room with five other backpackers, I have been sleeping well. The mattress and pillow are firm; my earplugs keep the noise out; and the sleeping quarters are as dark as a cave when the lights are out, and only as bright as, perhaps, a dreary rainy day when on. All in all, St. Paul's is a excellent place to stay for the gregarious, adventurous, and penurious city explorer - couchsurfing may be a tenable alternative; I'll test for next time.

Yesterday Connie and I gorged ourselves at the borough market where there were all sorts of delectable, savory victuals. There was definitely a European flavor to the food fair: simmering sausages were to be found everywhere; and much as the meat was plentiful, and genuine, so were the dairy delicacies, in the form of myriad rounds of cheese, stacked high behind checkered tabletops. Of course, we washed these tasty morsels down with copious amounts of alcohol that flowed from cups as though amber waterfalls. For the first time I tried mulled wine, which tasted like warm, rancid fruit punch - the ideal tonic for a drizzling London day, I suppose. We later killed the afternoon at the pub, shooting the breeze while imbibing several diminutive half-pints in the process. Getting smashed at four in the afternoon doesn't seem like such a bad thing anymore, especially when you are having fun in the company of friends; I can more appreciate why the English do it so much!

Earlier in the day, we visited the Tate Modern. Its turbine room lived up to its prominent billing what with a giant spider, complete with bulbous egg sac, anchoring the retrospective exhibit. The permanent galleries, too, were a delight upon which to feast one's eyes. Picasso, Warhol and Pollock ruled the chambers of the upper floors with the products of their lithe wrists; and I ended up becoming a huge fan of cubism, while developing a disdain for abstract art and its vacuous images, which, I feel, are devoid of both motivation and emotion.

My first trip yesterday morning was to Emirates Stadium, home of the Arsenal Gunners. It towers imperiously over the surrounding neighborhood; yet for all its majesty, the place sure was quiet! Business did pick up later, however, once the armory shop opened, and dozens of fans descended on it like bees to a hive. I, too, swooped in on a gift-buying mission, and wound up purchasing a book for Godfrey, a scarf for a student, and a jersey - on sale, of course - for good measure.

I'm sitting in the Westminster Abbey Museum now, resting my weary legs and burdened back. So far, I've been verily impressed with what I've seen, such a confluence of splendor and history before me that it would require days to absorb it all, when regretfully I can spare only a few hours. My favorite part of the abbey is the poets corner where no less a literary luminary than Samuel Johnson rests in peace - his bust confirms his homely presence, which was so vividly captured in his biography.

For lunch I had a steak and ale pie, served with mash, taken alongside a Guinness, extra cold - 2 degrees centigrade colder, the bartender explained. It went down well, like all the other delicious meals I've had in England; and no doubt by now I have grown accustomed to inebriation at half past two. Besides, Liverpool were playing inspired football against Blackburn; and my lunch was complete.

Having had my fill of football, I decided to skip my ticket scalping endeavor at Stamford Bridge and instead wandered over to the British Museum to inspect their extensive collections. Along the way, my eye caught a theater, its doors wide open and admitting customers. With much rapidity, I subsequently checked the show times, saw that a performance was set to begin, and at last rushed to the box office to purchase a discounted ticket - if you call a 40 pound ticket a deal, that is. That's how I grabbed a seat to watch Hairspray in the West End.

The show was worth forty pounds. The music was addictive; and the stage design and effects were not so much kitschy as delightfully stimulating - the pulsating background lights were at once scintillating and penetrating. The actors as well were vivacious, oozing charisma while they danced and delivered lines dripping in humor. Hairspray is a quality production and most definitely recommended.


12.4.09
At breakfast I sat across from a man who asked me to which country Hong Kong had been returned - China or Japan. That was pretty funny. Then he started spitting on my food as he spoke, completely oblivious to my breakfast becoming the receptacle in which the fruit of his inner churl was being placed. I guess I understand the convention nowadays of covering one's mouth whilst speaking and masticating at the same time!

We actually conversed on London life in general, and I praised London for its racial integration, the act of which is a prodigious leap of faith for any society, trying to be inclusive, accepting all sorts of people. It wasn't as though the Brits were trying in vain to be all things to all men, using Spanish with the visitors from Spain, German with the Germans and, even, Hindi with the Indians, regardless of whether or not Hindi was their native language; not even considering the absurd idea of encouraging the international adoption of their language; thereby completely keeping English in English hands and allowing its proud polyglots to "practice" their languages. Indeed, the attempt of the Londoners to avail themselves of the rich mosaic of ethnic knowledge, and to seek a common understanding with a ubiquitous English accent is an exemplar, and the bedrock for any world city.

I celebrated Jesus' resurrection at the St. Andrew's Street Church in Cambridge. The parishioners of this Baptist church were warm and affable, and I met several of them, including one visiting (Halliday) linguistics scholar from Zhongshan university in Guangzhou, who in fact had visited my tiny City University of Hong Kong in 2003. The service itself was more traditional and the believers fewer in number than the "progressive" services at any of the charismatic, evangelical churches in HK; yet that's what makes this part of the body of Christ unique; besides, the message was as brief as a powerpoint slide, and informative no less; the power word which spoke into my life being a question from John 21:22 - what is that to you?

Big trees; exquisite lawns; and old, pointy colleges; that's Cambridge in a nutshell. Sitting here, sipping on a half-pint of Woodforde's Wherry, I've had a leisurely, if not languorous, day so far; my sole duty consisting of walking around while absorbing the verdant environment as though a sponge, camera in tow.

I am back at the sublime beer, savoring a pint of Sharp's DoomBar before my fish and chips arrive; the drinking age is 18, but anyone whose visage even hints of youthful brilliance is likely to get carded these days, the bartender told me. The youth drinking culture here is almost as twisted as the university drinking culture in America.

My stay in Cambridge, relaxing and desultory as it may be, is about to end after this late lunch. I an not sure if there is anything left to see, save for the American graveyard which rests an impossible two miles away. I have had a wonderful time in this town; and am thankful for the access into its living history - the residents here must demonstrate remarkable patience and tolerance what with so many tourists ambling on the streets, peering - and photographing - into every nook and cranny.

13.4.09
There are no rubbish bins, yet I've seen on the streets many mixed race couples in which the men tend to be white - the women also belonging to a light colored ethnicity, usually some sort of Asian; as well saw some black dudes and Indian dudes with white chicks.

People here hold doors, even at the entrance to the toilet. Sometimes it appears as though they are going out on a limb, just waiting for the one who will take the responsibility for the door from them, at which point I rush out to relieve them of such a fortuitous burden.

I visited the British Museum this morning. The two hours I spent there did neither myself nor the exhibits any justice because there really is too much to survey, enough captivating stuff to last an entire day, I think. The bottomless well of artifacts from antiquity, drawing from sources as diverse as Korea, and Mesopotamia, is a credit to the British empire, without whose looting most of this amazing booty would be unavailable for our purview; better, I think, for these priceless treasures to be open to all in the grandest supermarket of history than away from human eyes, and worst yet, in the hands of unscrupulous collectors or in the rubbish bin, possibly.

Irene and I took in the ballet Giselle at The Royal Opera House in the afternoon. The building is a plush marvel, and a testament to this city's love for the arts. The ballet itself was satisfying, the first half being superior to the second, in which the nimble dancers demonstrated their phenomenal dexterity in, of all places, a graveyard covered in a cloak of smoke and darkness. I admit, their dance of the dead, in such a gloomy necropolis, did strike me as, strange.

Two amicable ladies from Kent convinced me to visit their hometown tomorrow, where, they told me, the authentic, "working" Leeds Castle and the mighty interesting home of Charles Darwin await.

I'm nursing a pint of Green King Ruddles and wondering about the profusion of British ales and lagers; the British have done a great deed for the world by creating an interminable line of low-alcohol session beers that can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner; and their disservice is this: besides this inexhaustible supply of cheap beer ensnaring my inner alcoholic, I feel myself putting on my freshman fifteen, almost ten years after the fact; I am going to have to run a bit harder back in Hong Kong if I want to burn all this malty fuel off.

Irene suggested I stop by the National Art Gallery since we were in the area; and it was an hour well spent. The gallery currently presents a special exhibit on Picasso, the non-ticketed section of which features several seductive renderings, including David spying on Bathsheba - repeated in clever variants - and parodies of other masters' works. Furthermore, the main gallery houses two fabulous portraits by Joshua Reynolds, who happens to be favorite of mine, he in life being a close friend of Samuel Johnson - I passed by Boswells, where its namesake first met Johnson, on my way to the opera house.

14.4.09
I prayed last night, and went through my list, lifting everyone on it up to the Lord. That felt good; that God is alive now, and ever present in my life and in the lives of my brothers and sisters.

Doubtless, then, I have felt quite wistful, as though a specter in the land of the living, being in a place where religious fervor, it seems, is a thing of the past, a trifling for many, to be hidden away in the opaque corners of centuries-old cathedrals that are more expensive tourist destinations than liberating homes of worship these days. Indeed, I have yet to see anyone pray, outside of the Easter service which I attended in Cambridge - for such an ecstatic moment in verily a grand church, would you believe that it was only attended by at most three dozen spirited ones. The people of England, and Europe in general, have, it is my hope, only locked away the Word, relegating it to the quiet vault of their hearts. May it be taken out in the sudden pause before mealtimes and in the still crisp mornings and cool, silent nights. There is still hope for a revival in this place, for faith to rise like that splendid sun every morning. God would love to rescue them, to deliver them in this day, it is certain.

I wonder what Londoners think, if anything at all, about their police state which, like a vine in the shadows, has taken root in all corners of daily life, from the terrorist notifications in the underground, which implore Londoners to report all things suspicious, to the pair of dogs which eagerly stroll through Euston. What makes this all the more incredible is the fact that even the United States, the indomitable nemesis of the fledgling, rebel order, doesn't dare bombard its citizens with such fear mongering these days, especially with Obama in office; maybe we've grown wise in these past few years to the dubious returns of surrendering civil liberties to the state, of having our bags checked everywhere - London Eye; Hairspray; and The Royal Opera House check bags in London while the museums do not; somehow, that doesn't add up for me.

I'm in a majestic bookshop on New Street in Birmingham, and certainly to confirm my suspicions, there are just as many books on the death of Christianity in Britain as there are books which attempt to murder Christianity everywhere. I did find, however, a nice biography on John Wesley by Roy Hattersley and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I may pick up the former.

Lunch with Sally was pleasant and mirthful. We dined at a French restaurant nearby New Street - yes, Birmingham is a cultural capitol! Sally and I both tried their omelette, while her boyfriend had the fish, without chips. Conversation was light, the levity was there and so was our reminiscing about those fleeting moments during our first year in Hong Kong; it is amazing how friendships can resume so suddenly with a smile. On their recommendation, I am on my way to Warwick Castle - they also suggested that I visit Cadbury World, but they cannot take on additional visitors at the moment, the tourist office staff informed me, much to my disappointment!

Visiting Warwick Castle really made for a great day out. The castle, parts of which were established by William the Conquerer in 1068, is as much a kitschy tourist trap as a meticulous preservation of history, at times a sillier version of Ocean Park while at others a dignified dedication to a most glorious, inexorably English past. The castle caters to all visitors; and not surprisingly, that which delighted all audiences was a giant trebuchet siege engine, which for the five p.m. performance hurled a fireball high and far into the air - fantastic! Taliban beware!

15.4.09
I'm leaving on a jet plane this evening; don't know when I'll be back in England again. I'll miss this quirky, yet endearing place; and that I shall miss Irene and Tom who so generously welcomed me into their home, fed me, and suffered my use of their toilet and shower goes without saying. I'm grateful for God's many blessings on this trip.

On the itinerary today is a trip to John Wesley's home, followed by a visit to the Imperial War Museum. Already this morning I picked up a tube of Oilatum, a week late perhaps, which Teri recommended I use to treat this obstinate, dermal weakness of mine - I'm happy to report that my skin has stopped crying.

John Wesley's home is alive and well. Services are still held in the chapel everyday; and its crypt, so far from being a cellar for the dead, is a bright, spacious museum in which all things Wesley are on display - I never realized how much of an iconic figure he became in England; at the height of this idol frenzy, ironic in itself, he must have been as popular as the Beatles were at their apex. The house itself is a multi-story edifice with narrow, precipitous staircases and spacious rooms decorated in an 18th century fashion.

I found Samuel Johnson's house within a maze of red brick hidden alongside Fleet Street. To be in the home of the man who wrote the English dictionary, and whose indefatigable love for obscure words became the inspiration for my own lexical obsession, this, by far, is the climax of my visit to England! The best certainly has been saved for last.

There are a multitude of portraits hanging around the house like ornaments on a tree. Every likeness has its own story, meticulously retold on the crib sheets in each room. Celebrities abound, including David Garrick and Sir Joshua Reynolds, who painted several of the finer images in the house. I have developed a particular affinity for Oliver Goldsmith, of whom Boswell writes, "His person was short, his countenance coarse and vulgar, his deportment that of a scholar awkwardly affecting the easy gentleman. It appears as though I, too, could use a more flattering description of myself!

I regretfully couldn't stop to try the curry in England; I guess the CityU canteen's take on the dish will have to do. I did, however, have the opportune task of flirting with the cute Cathay Pacific counter staff who checked me in. She was gorgeous in red, light powder on her cheeks, with real diamond earrings, she said; and her small, delicate face, commanded by a posh British accent rendered her positively irresistible, electrifying. Not only did she grant me an aisle seat but she had the gumption to return my fawning with zest; she must be a pro at this by now.

I saw her again as she was pulling double-duty, collecting tickets prior to boarding. She remembered my quest for curry; and in the fog of infatuation, where nary a man has been made, I fumbled my words like the sloppy kid who has had too much punch. I am just an amateur, alas, an "Oliver Goldsmith" with the ladies - I got no game - booyah!

Some final, consequential bits: because of the chavs, Burberry no longer sells those fashionable baseball caps; because of the IRA, rubbish bins are no longer a commodity on the streets of London, and as a result, the streets and the Underground of the city are a soiled mess; and because of other terrorists from distant, more arid lands, going through a Western airport has taken on the tedium of perfunctory procedure that doesn't make me feel any safer from my invisible enemies.

At last, I saw so many Indians working at Heathrow that I could have easily mistaken the place for Mumbai. Their presence surprised me because their portion of the general population surely must be less than their portion of Heathrow staff, indicating some mysterious hiring bias. Regardless, they do a superb job with cursory airport checks, and in general are absurdly funny and witty when not tactless.

That's all for England!

Cool Vacation Resort In Florida images

Some cool vacation resort in florida images:


Paradise Bar Pensacola Beach Florida
vacation resort in florida
Image by Innisfree Hotels
10 best places to take pictures and create memories in Pensacola Beach Florida. Walking distance from Hampton Inn Hotel, Hilton Gulf Front Hotel and Holiday Inn Resort Hotel - all beachfront hotels on Pensacola Beach.


Spaceship House Pensacola Beach Florida
vacation resort in florida
Image by Innisfree Hotels
10 best places to take pictures and create memories in Pensacola Beach Florida. Walking distance from Hampton Inn Hotel, Hilton Gulf Front Hotel and Holiday Inn Resort Hotel - all beachfront hotels on Pensacola Beach.


Spaceship House Pensacola Beach Florida
vacation resort in florida
Image by Innisfree Hotels
10 best places to take pictures and create memories in Pensacola Beach Florida. Walking distance from Hampton Inn Hotel, Hilton Gulf Front Hotel and Holiday Inn Resort Hotel - all beachfront hotels on Pensacola Beach.

Taal Batangas | Walkthrough - 12

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Taal Batangas | Walkthrough - 12
vacation spots
Image by Dexter Panganiban
Welcome to Taal Batangas

Photo Taken by Dexter Panganiban

Nice Resort Vacation photos

Some cool resort vacation images:



Pointe South Mountain Resort - Front Entrance
resort vacation
Image by playhockeyeh
This is quite a large resort that boasts 600 rooms (all suites) and a staff of over 900 employees (covering the golf course, water park, restaurants, hotel staff, etc.). The average high during our stay was 100 degrees while the average low was around 75 degrees.

Cool Resort Family Vacation images

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Sunrise on Wisp Mountain (McHenry, Maryland)
resort family vacation
Image by cseeman
On our trip to Deep Creek Lake, we rented a house on top of Wisp Mountain, the ski resort. Here are some shots of sunrise from the back porch of the house.

Hotel San Domenico-Taormina-Sicilia-Italy - Creative Commons by gnuckx

Some cool vacation and travel images:


Hotel San Domenico-Taormina-Sicilia-Italy - Creative Commons by gnuckx
vacation and travel
Image by gnuckx
taormina rainbow messina bougainvillea basil basilico hotel san domenico giardini naxos etna volcano vulcano island isola sicilia sicily italia italy sea sun landscape free europe wallpaper michael micky castielli resolution vacation holiday travel flight creativecommons creative commons zero CC0 cc0 CC cc panoramio flickr googleearth maps geotagged gnu gimp wikimedia



Hotel San Domenico-Taormina-Sicilia-Italy - Creative Commons by gnuckx
vacation and travel
Image by gnuckx
taormina rainbow messina bougainvillea basil basilico hotel san domenico giardini naxos etna volcano vulcano island isola sicilia sicily italia italy sea sun landscape free europe wallpaper michael micky castielli resolution vacation holiday travel flight creativecommons creative commons zero CC0 cc0 CC cc panoramio flickr googleearth maps geotagged gnu gimp wikimedia

Cool Vacation To Jamaica images

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Bob Marley Shot
vacation to jamaica
Image by SBPR
A drink that could only be from Jamaica, the Bob Marley Shot is a strong and sweet homage to the Tuff Gong himself. Pictured here at the lobby bar at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Montego Bay, the Bob Marley Shot takes a steady hand and some Jamaican overproof rum to make. For the recipe, click on the link below:

www.uncommoncaribbean.com/2010/05/28/friday-happy-hour-ra...


Welcome Mr. Bond
vacation to jamaica
Image by PJMixer
This private residence close to the Beaches Boscobel resort reminded me of an extoic Bond location.

Road Trip Tradition

A few nice vacation packages images I found:


Road Trip Tradition
vacation packages
Image by Dave_Murr
It is tradition that on every road trip, I eat a package of Orange Hostess Cupcakes.


Nazi permit to use public transportation
vacation packages
Image by freddy
This is a picture from the Otto Weidt Museum in Berlin (brief English description). The museum is in the small three-room broom- and brush-making workshop run by Berliner Otto Weidt during the Nazi era. Because brooms and brushes were "necessary war supplies," Weidt was able to keep his Jewish (mainly blind and deaf) workers from deportation. He created the workshop just to save as many Jewish workers as he could, and put all profits into bribing officials, sending packages to interned Jews, and hiding people.

This picture shows an official license allowing Hans Israelowicz (a worker at Weidt's factory) to use public transportation even though he was a Jew and thus not allowed on any buses, trams, etc. I found it bitterly funny that the Nazi regime, while so debased and entirely evil, was also so bureaucratic that they actually had special forms like this.

La Luz Beach Resort

A few nice vacation beach resort images I found:


La Luz Beach Resort
vacation beach resort
Image by Batangas Beach Resorts
Here are pictures that I took during our vacation in La Luz. Check laiyabeachresorts.org/laiya-beach-resorts/a-comprehensive... for my comprehensive review of the resort.


La Luz Beach Resort
vacation beach resort
Image by Batangas Beach Resorts
Here are pictures that I took during our vacation in La Luz. Check laiyabeachresorts.org/laiya-beach-resorts/a-comprehensive... for my comprehensive review of the resort.


La Luz Beach Resort
vacation beach resort
Image by Batangas Beach Resorts
Here are pictures that I took during our vacation in La Luz. Check laiyabeachresorts.org/laiya-beach-resorts/a-comprehensive... for my comprehensive review of the resort.

Cool Walt Disney World Vacations images

Some cool walt disney world vacations images:


Walt Disney World October 2007
walt disney world vacations
Image by Erik Eckel
Family trip to Orlando's Walt Disney World, which included a stay at the Pop Century Resort and trips to Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and more.

Florida - Coral Gables: The Biltmore Hotel Pool

Some cool vacation resort in florida images:


Florida - Coral Gables: The Biltmore Hotel Pool
vacation resort in florida
Image by wallyg
The Coral Gables Biltmore, located at 1200 Anastasia Avenue, was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by Schultze and Weaver and built in 1926 by John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick as part of the Biltmore hotel chain. At its completion, the Giralda-inspired Tower was the tallest building in Florida, surpassing the Miami Daily News Tower in Downtown Miami.

In its heyday, The Biltmore played host to royalty, both Europe's and Hollywood's. The hotel counted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Al Capone and assorted Roosevelts and Vanderbilts as frequent guests. Franklin D. Roosevelt had a temporary White House office set up at the Hotel for when he vacationed on his fishing trips from Miami. Its pool, at one point the largest in the world, drew crowds of 3,000 people every Sunday through the depression to see Alexander Ott's Water Follies, featuring Jackie Ott the Aqua Tot and other headliners such as Olympic skater Sonja Henie, the Flying Wallendas and magician Harry Houdini. Johnny Weissmuller, an Olympic swimming medalist who later went on to play Tarzan, was a swimming instructor at the Biltmore pool.

During World War II, the Biltmore was converted to an Army Air Forces Regional Hospital and a campus for the University of Miami's School of Medicine. It remained a VA hospital until 1968. In 1973, ownership was transferred to the City of Coral Gables and it remained unoccupied until 1983, when the City oversaw a full -million restoration. The Biltmore reopened as a hotel and resort on December 31, 1987 and in 1992, Seaway Hotels Corporation assumed operations.

The hotel has been used as a setting for the movie Bad Boys and television programs like CSI: Miami and Miami Vice. The hotel was also a major setting for Ken Wiederhorn's 1977 cult horror film Shock Waves, starring John Carradine and Peter Cushing. There are some reports that claim this hotel to be "haunted" in the paranormal sense. Grey foxes, descended from the original ones hunted on these grounds, still roam the neighborhood.

National Register #72000306 (1972)


Florida - Coral Gables: The Biltmore Hotel Pool
vacation resort in florida
Image by wallyg
The Coral Gables Biltmore, located at 1200 Anastasia Avenue, was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by Schultze and Weaver and built in 1926 by John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick as part of the Biltmore hotel chain. At its completion, the Giralda-inspired Tower was the tallest building in Florida, surpassing the Miami Daily News Tower in Downtown Miami.

In its heyday, The Biltmore played host to royalty, both Europe's and Hollywood's. The hotel counted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Al Capone and assorted Roosevelts and Vanderbilts as frequent guests. Franklin D. Roosevelt had a temporary White House office set up at the Hotel for when he vacationed on his fishing trips from Miami. Its pool, at one point the largest in the world, drew crowds of 3,000 people every Sunday through the depression to see Alexander Ott's Water Follies, featuring Jackie Ott the Aqua Tot and other headliners such as Olympic skater Sonja Henie, the Flying Wallendas and magician Harry Houdini. Johnny Weissmuller, an Olympic swimming medalist who later went on to play Tarzan, was a swimming instructor at the Biltmore pool.

During World War II, the Biltmore was converted to an Army Air Forces Regional Hospital and a campus for the University of Miami's School of Medicine. It remained a VA hospital until 1968. In 1973, ownership was transferred to the City of Coral Gables and it remained unoccupied until 1983, when the City oversaw a full -million restoration. The Biltmore reopened as a hotel and resort on December 31, 1987 and in 1992, Seaway Hotels Corporation assumed operations.

The hotel has been used as a setting for the movie Bad Boys and television programs like CSI: Miami and Miami Vice. The hotel was also a major setting for Ken Wiederhorn's 1977 cult horror film Shock Waves, starring John Carradine and Peter Cushing. There are some reports that claim this hotel to be "haunted" in the paranormal sense. Grey foxes, descended from the original ones hunted on these grounds, still roam the neighborhood.

National Register #72000306 (1972)

Vacation

Some cool vacations to images:


Vacation
vacations to
Image by L.A. Filming Location Expert
The entrance to Santa Anita Park in the city of Arcadia was dressed up a bit with the help of some movie magic, I assume matte paintings (?), which changed this parking lot into the entrance to Wally World for the 1983 comedy Vacation (top).

Nice Where To Vacation photos

Check out these where to vacation images:


Trip to India - where's butcher baa?
where to vacation
Image by I dream of Nici


What I Did On My Summer Vacation
where to vacation
Image by Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
Zan's husband and son stopped by!

Times are tough, money is tight, family vacations might be put on hold. So where would you like to go if you had all time time and money in the world, and what would you do?

We asked the kids to design a postcard for themselves depicting their imaginary vacation, we took names and addresses, and we're mailing them back at the end of the summer.

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