Steve's European Vacation!

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I've returned from Europe, and I'm still flying high from the experience.  I count my decision to go on this trip amongst my Top 10 Best Moves Ever, right alongside being born and finishing potty-training, and buying a digital camera.  It was a tremendous learning experience, not to mention a hell of a lot of fun, and I highly recommend solo travel for anyone who wants to expand their horizons a little bit, and to get to know the world outside those comfy U.S. borders a little better.  I also kept a pretty detailed travelogue of my trip... I typically get even more of a flashback from reading my journals than looking at pictures.  If anyone is curious... click here for a copy of the travelogue in MS-Word format.  If this doesn't work for you, then   email me and I'll gladly send you a copy.  Hopefully  my travel journal might have captured some of what my camera couldn't.  Okay, without further adieu then....

  Obligatory picture of Big Ben...

  A few chaps in London who were protesting the Kosovo situation.   There was a wierd thrill taking a picture of people who were holding signs up that said, "Stop the bloodthirsty U.S. killers!"

  The grand Houses of Parliment overlooking the muddy Thames.

  Houses of Parliment from another angle.

  I took this snapshot from the 'loo during intermission at Les Miserables.  An Anti-Nazi protest had just marched by, in response to the previous day's bombing of a gay club in London's SOHO district.

  Westminster Abbey...  the only part of this remarkably structured building that wasn't obscured by scaffolding.

  The delightful medieval town of Blois, France.

  That's me, standing in front of Chateau de Chaumond.

  Another view of the stately Chateau de Chaumand.

  Though this picture can hardly convey it, the view from the Chateau was breathtaking...  the surrounding countryside was idyllic and the commanding view of the Loire River valley is not to be missed.

  Artwork on the ceiling of the Louvre.

  My own little artsy photo of a girl relaxing in front of the Louvre fountains.

  Another French girl, conveniently posing in front of the Louvre...   vive la France!

  An enormous painting in the Louvre (sorry, can't remember the particular artist...) *edit*  A kind visitor to this site named Shannon provided the following information for this picture:  (thanks Shannon!!!)
The incredible painting is by French artist Jacques-Louis David ( 1748-1825), and it is a large historical scene titled, Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon, oil on canvas, done in 1806.   The scene David has captured, was when Napoleon (already wearing the laurel leaf diadem, which was his way of linking the glorious Roman Empire to his own power) takes the other crown and he himself is placing it on his wife's head, making her Empress Josephine.   From my book on the Louvre it says:  "David here depicted Napoleon at the apogee of his glory.  Surrounded by his new court and weighed down by official regalia, the victorious general, first consul, and master of the coup d'etat has just been consecrated emperor.  Now he himself crowns Josephine, under the pope's resigned gaze" (pg 23), written by Nicholas d'Archimbaud.    

  A touching sculpture by Canova...  Love and Psyche.

  The Louvre under a full moon....

  ....yet another view of the Louvre.  Paris reigns supreme in the mood-lighting category.

  The Lady and the Unicorn, a famous tapestry housed in the Musee de Moyenne Age.

  Inside Notre Dame.

  Notre Dame's famed "flying butresses"... inspired architecture.

  Something about Notre Dame never failed to draw your eyes towards the heavens...

  ...both inside and outside, the sense of height and majesty was overpowering.

  Some very cool folk I met in Paris... hanging out at a "pub" in the Latin Quarter.  From left to right, Joe (Canadian fellow with great travel stories), me (as if you didn't know), Grisella (an Mexican heiress, I'm sure of it), Corey (crazy Canadian chap who dyed his hair a funky blonde at the outset of his trip), Ryan (fellow from Boston who I travelled with for a while), and Rob (the other crazy Canadian chap who did likewise with his hair).  Hey guys, if any of you are reading this and I got your name wrong... a thousand pardons - I was a bit drunk....   write me here and let me know eh?   =)

  A sidewalk cafe in Paris.

  Cupid and Psyche... another famous Canova work.  Let me know if you want to see more pictures of this beautiful piece of sculpture.

  Exquisitely carved sculpture by Rodin.

  One of Rodin's many expressive hand-sculptures.  Real hand provided by me.   =)

  The Kiss... you guys should recognize this moving Rodin scultpture.

  Another Rodin sculpture.  (Eternal Idol I believe it is called) Rather racy isn't it?  My kind of sculptor....

  Just outside the Sainte Chapelle cathedral.  The amount of work that went into the stained glass windows was astonishing... the hundreds of little sections each represented a scene out of the Bible.

  Underneath the main hall of Sainte Chapelle.

  Great murals drawn on the walls of a terrific little hostel in Florence.

  A dish on display at the Bargello in Florence.

  Ouch....  a sculpture from the Bargello.

  Verrochio's David.

  The Duomo in Florence.

  The front gate of the Duomo.

  Sculture overlooking a main piazza in Florence.

  Neptune's fountain.

  A large sculpture in Florence.   Rape of the Sabines, Giambologna....  one of my absolute favorites - this sculpture had no single "best" viewing angle... close up it seemed to spiral upward and you had to walk around several times to really get a good feel of the entire work.  Both the gestures and the expressions of the people were amazing.

  Florence at night.

  Incredibly yummy Italian dinner.

  Rebecca, myself, Tracy, and Paul...  during our nightime stroll in Florence.

  Excavation work near Palatine hill in Rome.

  Another excavation site in Rome.

  Valerie, Andy, and his wife...  a wild bunch I partied with in Rome.

  Partying at Fawlty Towers.

  Inside the Roman Colliseum.

  Lovely girls from the Fawlty Towers youth hostel....  this was taken during a picnic on my last day in Rome.

  Ah.... the Italians look so cool even when they aren't trying.... I took this shot of a girl in Sienna while she wasn't looking.

  Some of the fantastic carvings to be found in the doorways of Old Sienna.

  Here's Paul staring up at some drying undies in a quaint old alleyway - Sienna.

  A very well-made fruit-arrangement don't you think?

  Sienna, Italy...  beautifully preserved medieval town in Italy.

  Here's Sophie (very cool Australian girl I met in Rome) thumping away at her bongos.

  Another shot from inside....  these enormous pillars were quite impressive.

  The massive and opulent interior of St. Peter's Basillica in the Vatican.

  View of the western arm of Rothenburg, Germany.  Rothenburg is an amazingly well-preserved medieval town, complete with walls, moats, towers, and fortifications, along with droves of modern-day tourists.  Definately worth a visit... this photo was taken from within a section of Rothenburg's defensive walls.

  Rothenburg is surrounded by spectacularly beautiful countryside... this is the view from the old gardens facing the west side of town.

.   Toby and Nicole, very cool Yakima-ites I met in Germany.  (Yakima was my old hometown in Washington State).  They're posing here in front of the beautiful Burg Eltz - one of the few castles in the Moselle-Rhine region to escaped any damage during Germany's numerous wars.

  The ridiculously idyllic Eltz "river".  This trout-filled stream wound it's way through the gorgeous wooded area around Burg Eltz.

  The ruins of Burg Rheinfels, Germany.

  Goofy-ass picture of me bonking my head in the windy catacombs underneath the Burg Rheinfels ruins.  Tight squeeze and pitch-black....  this was quite an experience for me

  Burg Rheinfels.

Welp, that's all folks...  hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them (doubtful, but one can hope).  Hopefully the load-time wasn't too horrendous, but I actually have many more pictures that I didn't even put up.  Please do write me with any questions, comments etc!