Weekly Photo Challenge: Above The Alps

This week’s challenge is all about inspiration from stories and lyrics, and I thought of “Learn To Fly” by the Foo Fighters, one of my all-time favorite songs. Particularly this:

Make my way back home when I learn to fly high
Make my way back home when I learn to…
…fly along with me, I can’t quite make it alone
Try to make this life my own

I took this shot during near the end of my flight from Barcelona to Munich, and I’m so glad I was able to get this amazing view. You can just see the curvature of the Earth’s horizon, all the snow-encrusted imperfections in its surface, and the moon looming in the distance. A larger version is viewable here.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Pompeii Forum

This week’s photo challenge is all about time, and there’s nothing that captures it quite like the city of Pompeii. It was famously destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (seen looming in the background) in 79 AD. It was completely wiped off the map, and it wasn’t until 1599 that traces of it were unearthed. It wasn’t properly rediscovered until 1748, and it’s been a major archaeological site ever since. Its preserved remnants – victims and their culture, forever frozen in time – are both beautiful and tragic. A larger version is viewable here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: The Pantheon

This week’s photo challenge is alphabet themed, and I was reminded of my time spent at the Pantheon in Rome. The Latin inscription reads:

M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT

According to Wikipedia, the full message is, “”M[arcus] Agrippa L[ucii] f[ilius] co[n]s[ul] tertium fecit,” which translates to “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, made [this building] when consul for the third time.” Unlike a lot of messages these days, this one is literally set in stone! A larger version is viewable here.

View From Saint Elme Passage, Villefranche-sur-Mer

Now that I’ve written a few days’ worth of entries about my latest trip, I think it’s time that actually showed some of it. The first major stop on cruise was Villefranche-sur-Mer, which is part of the French Riviera. After taking a smaller boat to reach land, it’s possible to climb the nearby hill and ride a local bus over to Nice. Along the way up, I came across this view seen from the Saint Elme Passage. A larger version is viewable here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Sutro Baths, San Francisco

Originally built in 1896, the Sutro Baths were a large swimming pool complex. It was open until 1966, when it was shut down due to limited finances, and a fire destroyed much of the structure while it was being demolished. The ruins are now part of the surrounding National Park. It’s a neat landmark near the western terminus of San Francisco, just downslope from the historic Cliff House. Larger version is viewable here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Under The Wharf

I got to Capitola bright and early, and spent a few minutes walking under the wharf. I like how the morning sun cast shadows across the sand; while the structure itself doesn’t move, the patterns it makes change as the day goes on. Larger version is viewable here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: In The Flooded Forest

Within the depths of the Academy of Sciences, there’s a tunnel called the Flooded Forest. People can sit there for hours and see all kinds of fish drifting overhead. It’s inspiring to see; no matter where you’re from or what language you speak, nature is fascinating for everyone. Larger version is viewable here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Red Moon Jelly

At the Academy of Sciences, there’s a cool exhibit that features a dozen or so Moon Jellies in a cylinder. There’s a light shining into the water that changes color every few seconds…and so do the moon jellies. Here’s a close shot of some in red. Larger version can be viewed here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Jellyfish Spiral

Here’s a little something from the aquarium at California Academy of Sciences. The tank is pretty dark, save for the shaft of light going down the center. I caught this jellyfish swimming close through the light at just the right moment…Larger version viewable here.

Lap Pool

Most of the pools at Paradise Village are noisy and crowded in the afternoon. But if you want some peace, quiet, and relief from the searing summer heat, this little lap pool hidden near the hotel’s center is worth checking out.