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Small Wonders.146
City Views.146
That said, I was able to photograph this very impressive African Resistance Monument from a distance, as seen from the offices where I was in meetings most of each day. I’m reasonably certain that I’ll get back to Dakar again, hopefully with slightly better timing to give myself a weekend day to get out & experience this more up close.
Urban Garden.116
Urban Garden.115
Urban Canals.105
Coasting.35
An earlier post noted that I was briefly in Dakar (Senegal) recently. I took these during my flight from Madrid to Dakar, as the plane soared over the coastline of northern Morocco after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. Since the plane didn’t have in-seat screens, it wasn’t possible for me to pinpoint which city we’re seeing down there but it seems possible it’s Ceuta, one of those little Spanish post-colonial enclaves carved out of the Mediterranean coast of Morocco.
City Views.145
Nearly all the remaining photos from my 24 hours in Maastricht a couple weeks ago. I’ve shown some of the city from above and afar in an earlier post, where I also shared a bit of history. These are all from walks with my friend Steve around the city, plus some photos of the paintings people have made over the past century or so on the walls of the extensive underground tunnel network beneath Maastricht and extending as well to the Belgian side of the border. (Yes, the tunnel system has been used over the centuries both for commercial smuggling and for resistance or escape during WWII.) These were formerly underground limestone mines or quarries, but are now a tourist attraction. In that earlier post I showed you a lot of Ft Sint Pieter, which sits above some portions of the tunnel system. During one French invasion, they tried to destroy the fort by setting an explosion under it, but they got the wrong location and only collapsed the cave on themselves, according to our tour guide.
Also tucked into the gallery above is an image from inside that lovely hotel which we also showed you in another earlier Maastricht post, showing the stairs up to the restaurant from the lobby, all of which are within the soaring hall of the old cloister’s church. Remarkable place to have breakfast or a drink (the bar is at the back on the ground floor as you look at it) – thanks for the treat, Steve :-). Below: photo exhibit on my walk back to the train station about people on the move in the world, and I decided to photograph the one that shows one of MSF’s search and rescue boats at work. Below that, those city walks I keep mentioning :-), as seen from the foot and bike bridge over the Maas.
Small Wonders.144
City Views.144
Last shots from Nijmegen, including international flags along the riverfront which I assume were there for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Eurogames, an LGBTQI+ – oriented (but naturally welcoming to all) sports festival and competition at which yours truly took home a “bronze medal” in the (very, very small) draw of men’s singles that I had joined. Those games and playing a ton of tennis while watching many friends play tennis (and many others whom I don’t know play soccer, volleyball and squash) took up most of my time during those days in Arnhem and Nijmegen back in July. You’ll see a few more shots pertaining to the games — including the list of sports planned for next year’s event; see if you can spot the sport which demonstrates life imitating art… Immediately below, a few more highlights from Nijmegen’s excellent and well situated museum (yes, same bridge – it’s on the bluff above the river).
Urban Entrances.44
(so much world, so little time....) 