Tag Archives: art
A Day of Reflection in Nagasaki, Japan
Our day of reflection takes us through cherry blossom-strewn, peaceful Nagasaki.Join us as we stroll through The Peace Garden with its towering Prayer Monument, wonder at the surviving statues of a church at ground zero of the atomic bomb, visit the epicenter and the Atomic Bomb Museum.
We’ll take you back to the day when the clocks forever stopped at 11:02… CONTINUE READING >>
Dragon Dance in Nagasaki
Quite a show with traditional music, dancing and dragons. Oh, and… CONTINUE READING >>
Mermaids Are Real (we have proof)!
In the crystal clear waters of Weeki Wachee Springs there reside mermaids, seriously. We wouldn’t make up something like this.As a matter of FACT, the Florida State Park Service is a leader in the preservation of these exotic rare creatures.
We were lucky enough to have the chance to observe their graceful antics in a natural habitat and… CONTINUE READING >>
It’s Cherry Blossom Time in Japan!
In another of what seem to be unbelievable bits of good timing we have encountered in our travels, we hit Japan right at the peak of the cherry blossoms blooming.At our first stop, Nagasaki, we were enthralled by the flowering trees all around The Atomic Bomb Museum. They helped add a quiet touch to the somber site advocating peace near the epicenter of… CONTINUE READING >>
A Rose Water Ice Bloom
In Nagasaki, Japan, we encountered an unexpected edible flower when a lady selling rose water ice formed a perfect bloom atop… CONTINUE READING >>
We Had Our Heads in the Clouds in Lima, Peru
We had a BLAST in Lima!A whirlwind tour of downtown, an amazing cooking class, a visit to the most unusual gardens, a romantic stroll along the parks of the sea cliffs.
Oh, and we sailed high above the city in a paraglider… CONTINUE READING >>
The Weight of Six Million Paper Clips
In a small town in Tennessee there is a monument so moving, so touching and so unlikely that the story behind it is almost unbelievable.Here is a tale of a group of school children who found out that even the smallest idea can spark a world wide movement. And how compassion can change the world… CONTINUE READING >>
Little Rock / Big Gem
Join us on a rip-roarin’ tour of Little Rock, Arkansas!We visited the Clinton Presidential Library, hit the Big Dam Bridge, witnessed history at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site and ate avocado popcycles at the River Market!
Then, we mounted Segways and … CONTINUE READING >>
Dynamic Districts of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, like most large urban areas, is actually a collection of varied communities, and as we explored many of them we found each offered unique backgrounds and qualities.Perhaps no two barrios of the city capture quintessential Buenos Aires better than… CONTINUE READING >>
Cowboyin’ Up in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is a city fueled by meat, and Mataderos is the barrio, or neighborhood, that traditionally supplied that fuel.To celebrate that tradition and preserve many of the customs of the gauchos, who we would call cowboys, a huge event known as the Feria de Mataderos is held.
Thousands of people come from miles around to enjoy the food, music, crafts, and particularly the feats of skill demonstrated by the gauchos… CONTINUE READING >>
Swept off Our Feet at the Broom Corn Festival
Driving through the middle of America in early autumn meant we were bound to stumble upon some sort of fair or festival.But we never expected to find one dedicated to something that we had never heard of… CONTINUE READING >>
I See Dead People in Buenos Aires
I love cemeteries. I know that sounds strange, but I do. Cemeteries spark my imagination — the lives lived, the history interred.That said, it is not often that we seek out a graveyard. Usually we stumble upon them hidden away.
Not the case with La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, it should be considered a must-see by any visitor to the… CONTINUE READING >>
30 Crazy Travel Photos from Around the World!
As GypsyNesters, our quest is to see the world and relate it to you in our own quirky way.
But why should we have all the fun?
To share the wealth, we asked the web’s best independent travel bloggers to send us their best WHAT THE ?! moments as a part of Travel Photo Roulette.
We hit a goldmine of the craziest, funniest and just plain weird travel photos in the world! SEE ALL 30 CRAZY TRAVEL PHOTOS >>
Northern (Ontario) Lights
Late summer in Northern Ontario has weather that humans were meant to live in.Warm, but not hot, during the days and cool, crisp nights. A perfect escape from the heat and humidity south of the border. Yes, that’s how Canadian’s refer to The United States.
Our mission north had a two-fold agenda, enjoy the climate, and finally find a… CONTINUE READING >>
Seen Any Good Movies Lately?
This is not one of our usual topics, but we’re a little discouraged.We’re huge movie buffs and we’re finding it harder and harder to find movies that appeal to us (perhaps another get-off-my-lawn, curmudgeonly sign of aging?).
Our hope with this post is that we can all share… CONTINUE READING >>
Navel Gazing in Cusco, Peru
Dubbed the Navel of the World, Cusco is an amazing blend of the very-old and the not-as-old.Join your GypsyNesters as we see the sights (and sights) – see ancient ruins, a street festival with an ornery llama, crossing guards that threaten you with whips and the weirdest rendition of The Last Supper you’ll ever experience.
At over 11,000 feet above sea level, flying in takes steely reserve and handling the altitude takes native remedies… CONTINUE READING >>
Dreaming in a Tango Hotel in Buenos Aires
Late at night, when I’m in a particularly active R.E.M. cycle you can almost guarantee that you will find me dancing the tango in my soul, behind my eyelids. I must have a connection to the sultry dance from a past life. In these dreams I am as fluid as hot coffee and as alluring as the sweetest chocolate. Tango speaks to me.I’d also never attempted it in real life. David, who calls himself a “circus bear attempting to balance on a ball” when it comes to dancing, was surely not going to indulge me in my fantasy of learning to tango during our stay in Buenos Aires. At least not as my partner.
But my circus bear can be full of surprises. He not only… CONTINUE READING >>
A Visit to a Weaving Cooperative in Peru
In the small town of Chincheros, Peru we got a first hand look at every step in the weaving process of the people of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.Join us as we learn about what goes into the dyes that create the brilliant colors (absolutely amazing and a wee bit off-putting!), the ingenious way the yarn is spun, and how the… CONTINUE READING >>
How Peruvian Rugs Are Made
We were invited to a weaving cooperative in the highlands of Peru in the village of Chincheros. You’ll never believe what is used… CONTINUE READING >>
Following the Freedom March in Alabama
It was a difficult few days for us as we were forced to confront thoughts and feelings that we would have much rather avoided. We addressed issues that many of us Americans would like to think have been completely resolved. But it seems to us that turning a blind eye is not the solution.The lesson we learned is that the light of day is best, because as much as this is fairly recent history, we were taken aback by how little we knew about the details. In Birmingham, the details are on display – front and center – and in Montgomery… CONTINUE READING >>
Gaudí or Gaudy? You Decide.
Picasso had very harsh words about his style. George Orwell wrote that Gaudí’s work was “hideous” and that he wished that revolutionaries would have bombed one of his buildings.But Barcelona, quite frankly, would not be the city that it is today had it not been for Antoni Gaudí and his… CONTINUE READING >>
Going Goth in Barcelona
Join your GypsyNesters as we explore the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona!From the Human Statues of La Rambla to the deep dark interior of the Quarter to the sea, we find everything the Barri Gòtic has to offer. Music, ruins, street performers and protesters…this place has it all! CONTINUE READING >>
Exploring the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona
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Take a little walk through the beautiful Barri Gòtic! The music, art, architecture, romance and… CONTINUE READING >>
Amazing Human Statues of La Rambla in Barcelona
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We LOVE street performers, and these guys (and gals) go over the top! Check out a balancing act you won’t believe (we never did figure out how he did it!), a beautiful blue woman with… CONTINUE READING >>
A Church Like No Other, Sagrada Familia
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Our first impression was definitely dominated by the enormous scale of the building, but on closer inspection, it’s the details that make this structure even more… CONTINUE READING >>
Barcelona’s Breathtaking (and Seuss-like) Basilica
Barcelona has many treasures, but one stood out to us above all the others, literally and figuratively, Sagrada Família.
The massive church is without a doubt the pinnacle of architect and designer Antoni Gaudí’s incredible career. And we do mean pinnacle. Huge spires rise into the sky over fifty stories high – and it’s not even finished yet… CONTINUE READING >>
