Maritimes 2022 – Inactive

    New Brunswick
    September 25th-October 3rd, 2022
    Transportation: Car, Boat, Ferry
    Accommodations: Cormier’s Bed & Breakfast, Hotels
    Destinations: Moncton, St. Andrew-on-the-Sea, Saint John, Fundy National Park, Hopewell Rocks

    Maine
    September 26th & September 28th, 2022
    Transportation: Car
    Destinations: Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Lubec

    Prince Edward Island
    October 1st-2nd, 2022
    Transportation: Car
    Destinations: Chelton Beach Provincial Park, Charlottetown

    The Old Town Clock, Halifax, Nova Scotia 2007
    Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica, Halifax, Nova Scotia 2007
    Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia 2007
    Milbert's Tortoiseshell - Newfoundland 2010
    Mouth of St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland 2010
    Edge of St. John's, Newfoundland 2010
    Petty Harbour, Newfoundland 2010
    Newfoundland 2010
    Atlantic Puffin with Capelin - Newfoundland 2010
    Atlantic Puffins - Newfoundland 2010
    Newfoundland 2010
    St John's Harbour, Newfoundland 2010
    Mission Hill - Newfoundland 2010
    Looking out to sea - Newfoundland 2013
    Sea Urchin close-up - Newfoundland 2013
    World's Largest Lobster - Shediac, New Brunswick 2022
    A golden-fronted woodpecker greeted me to Belize on our first morning
    Right next to our resort was a small Mayan ruins called Cahal Pech.  While the family slept off a long travel day, I got up early to explore.
    Cahal Pech means the place of ticks in the Mayan language.  Ticks are among my very least favourite animals so had I known that before my visit I may have been more uncomfortable visiting, but thankfully I never encountered any!
    A mabel orchard orbweaver
    A ghost anole next to our hotel pool in San Ignacio
    My girls enjoying the pool in San Ignacio.  It was sometimes a little grey and overcast during our trip - but being Canadians in February, we were in the pool whenever we could be!
    A giant butterfly (a pale owl-butterfly) with wings as big as my fist
    Imogen has developed a great love for lizards in the last year so getting to hold an iguana at the Green Iguana Conservation Project in San Ignacio was a huge highlight of the trip for her.
    Not to be outdone, Leighton also showed off her iguana handling skills.  Only I had challenges with this - with Imogen having to show me how the lizards like to be held.
    In San Ignacio, there is a rescue project designed to protect and bolster green iguana populations in Belize.  While their adult iguanas are all captive, this wild male came to check out the area, hoping for a chance with the females within.
    We crossed the border in to Guatemala on a day trip to Tikal.  Stopping outside the archaeological site, we found this rufous-tailed hummingbird on its nest
    Russet-naped Wood Rail
    TIKAL!  This massive ancient Mayan city spans 16 square kilometres with an estimated 3000 structures therein.  Despite a rainy, overcast day, the site is spectacular and worth the visit.
    Olive-backed Euphonia
    Tikal was a major centre for the Mayans and pre-Mayan peoples as far back as 300 BC and lasting until around the 9th Century AD before droughts brought on from climate change caused the site to decline and fall in to disuse.
    Keel-billed Toucan
    Tikal's main plaza
    Temple of the Great Jaguar and the great plaza
    Family photo at Tikal
    A black vulture drying himself out above Tikal
    Gartered Trogon
    Yucatan Black Howler Monkey
    These Howler Monkeys live high in the trees so the chance to see them at eye level is rare.  But we were climbing one of the highest of Tikal's pyramids and they were in trees growing out the side of it - so we got to see them straight from eye level.
    If you're a fan of Star Wars - you may recognize this view as Yavin IV, the location of the secret Rebel base in the first movie.
    I love the raindrops on the face of this howler monkey.  Probably my favourite photo from this whole trip.
    A gray fox lurking in the jungle
    Exploring the jungle paths of Tikal
    The girls and I scrambled up one of the smaller pyramids for a photo opp.
    Pale-billed Woodpecker
    Another pyramid looms up on us through the jungle.  You can self-explore Tikal if you wish, but it seems like it would be a challenging task.  With our guide he'd cut through a jungle path and then we'd just emerge at the next site, but with paths everywhere and the jungle quite thick it would be easy to get lost on your own
    A troop of white-nosed coatis descended upon us.  Not nearly as aggressive as their cousins that I saw in Brazil a couple years ago, they were still very curious about us with little fear.
    The coatis weren't the only curious ones in the forest that day...
    Temple Stairs
    A heavily pregnant Central American Spider Monkey swings above us
    It's called a roadside hawk, but this one was just perched along a hiking path.
    Occelated Turkey - I love the iridescent colours
    Spider monkey in the classic spider monkey pose.
    Dusk beginning to set in over Tikal.
    The keel-billed toucan is the national bird of Belize...although most of the ones we saw were in Guatemala.
    One last shot from Tikal  - a spider monkey scrambling atop the canopy
    Green Hills Butterfly Ranch was our next stop - here they breed several species of butterflies.
    The ranch sends butterflies to butterfly houses all over the world.
    Imogen was a butterfly magnet
    The butterfly farm also has feeders out and they're visited by around a dozen species of hummingbirds.  The most numerous are these white-necked jacobins
    Imogen showing no fear - even with a giant caterpillar crawling on her.
    Leighton showing off a new friend
    A rufous-tailed hummingbird
    A white-necked jacobin perches near the feeders
    Sloane wasn't a fan of having butterflies land all over her, but taking photos of hummingbirds?  That she could get behind.
    One final hummingbird from our visit to the butterfly farm (it was a hard task to get this section down to just 4 photos!)  This one a White-bellied emerald.
    Focusing in.
    These rose-bellied lizards remind me of the Joker from the Dark Knight.
    Butterfly whisperers
    A kinkajou came to join us for dinner one night in San Ignacio
    We arose early for a long drive to Orange Walk in the Northern part of Belize, and from there caught a boat to take us to the Mayan ruins of Lamanai.  Along the river we saw this black spiny-tailed iguana
    Proboscis bats clinging to the bottom of a bridge over the New River
    A green heron hunting for breakfast
    A baby Morelet's Crocodile in the New River
    Boat-billed herons are nocturnal, so we were lucky to catch a glimpse of this one.
    Northern Jacana
    As we arrived at the Mayan site of Lamanai, we found this baby howler monkey dangling upside down from a tree
    The Mask Temple at the Mayan ruins of Lamanai.  The original masks have been removed for safe-keeping against the elements - this building now has a replica installed
    Lamanai means "submerged crocodile", a creature that would have been seen regularly along the banks of the river.
    On this trip, I took each girl for a one-on-one excursion.  Sloane's was the trip to Lamanai.  It meant an early start, following a night where she slept very poorly and felt ill during the day.  Her perseverance though was incredible.  She wanted to make the trip and even though she was far from 100% she managed to really enjoy the day.
    The High Temple at Lamanai.  Unlike most Ancient Mayan sites, Lamanai wasn't abandoned and still was inhabited in to the 20th century.
    The Jaguar Masks Temple.  The front has been recovered from the jungle, while the back remains obscured from sight.  If fully excavated, it's expected that this would be the tallest structure in Lamanai.
    Boat ride back from Lamanai
    You know you've seen something rare when the boat captain who sails this river every day is excited at the sight.  Our captain said this was only the second Baird's Tapir he's ever seen in over 10 years.  Secretive and mostly nocturnal, these are the largest land mammal in Central America, growing to 250 kgs.
    The stunning Collared Aracari
    Leighton & my solo adventure was a morning trip back in to the ruins at Cahal Pech.  She helped me look for wildlife as we climbed around the ancient buildings.
    A lone ray of sun bursts through the jungle at Cahal Pech.
    A central american agouti posing for his portrait
    Masked tityra - this is a male, identifiable by the black mask.  The females masks are grey and a little less-defined.
    Pale-bellied woodpecker
    A white-bellied emerald hummingbird zips around a spiderweb above me
    More Mayan ruins at Cahal Pech
    Sunlight on the ruins
    Running in place in Cahal Pech
    A brown basilisk lizard - these are also known as the jesus lizards as they can run over water when at top speed.  He was right near the pool, which I had to assure my daughters he was unlikely to sprint across.
    A spiny-backed orbweaver weaving its web.
    Our next stop was AJAW Chocolate & Crafts where we saw how chocolate has been made for centuries in Belize.
    We got to make and try our own chocolate in this shop.  While not all the favours were hits, it was fascinating to understand how it was made and the history behind chocolate in Mayan times.
    We left San Ignacio for the coastal resort town of Hopkins.  En route, we stopped at the wonderful Belize Zoo...and we fed a tapir!
    The zoo has all the cat species of Belize - cougars, jaguarundi, margays, jaguars and this ocelot.
    A harpy eagle in the zoo
    How big is a jabiru stork?
    Megan in her happy place
    Imogen & Leighton exploring the beach at Hopkins
    A spider monkey posing for us at the Belize Zoo
    We left the interior jungles for some time on the coast - where we found this snowy egret with its breakfast
    The girls discovered daiquiris and margaritas on this trip...
    Slushy drinks!
    A large flock of scarlet macaws takes off in a burst of colour.  We were quite distant from these birds but you could hear their cacophony from a distance.
    Scarlet macaws on the wing
    While hunting for scarlet macaws, we came across this jaguar print in the mud.  Here is Imogen sizing up the paw.
    Leaf-cutter ants hard at work.  There was a huge line of these ants dicing up and harvesting the leaves off the forest floor.
    Acorn woodpeckers
    Heading out to sea!
    We hopped a boat to explore the Belize Barrier Reef - the second largest reef system in the world - and to get this close-up of a magnificent frigatebird.
    Frigatebirds are the pirates of the sky.  Unable to get their feathers wet, they can't fish themselves, so they let other birds catch a meal and then harry them until they drop it.
    Double-crested cormorant
    A baby frigatebird, probably just days old.
    Imogen ready for snorkelling!  She took to it like a fish, and is already asking us when we can do another trip where she can snorkel again.
    Geared up and ready to swim!  Leighton didn't love snorkelling this time and didn't last long - although it may partly be because she had a very loose tooth which would fall out on this very boat trip.
    Into the water to snorkel along the Belize Barrier Reef - and with this manatee!
    Snorkelling with my girls (not pictured is Sloane, who decided to watch and take photos from the boat)
    Common remora or suckerfish taking advantage of the shelter provided by the manatee's tail
    A southern stingray takes off, shaking the sand off him as he climbs off the ocean floor
    First ocean snorkel done - manatee, nurse shark, stingray, many fish and one happy girl.
    We saw brown anoles constantly during the day, replaced at night by house geckos.
    A snowy egret with the landing gear down
    A speckled racer near the pool at our hotel.  Non-venomous, these snakes are so named because of their speed and agility.
    Megan and Leighton playing in the pool - featuring the brand new gap in Leighton's mouth.
    The Mallon girls!
    Off the pier and out to sea
    Morning fishermen
    Little Blue Heron in flight
    Leighton and I got up early to walk the beach while the others slept in and she accomplished her bucket list item for the trip - relaxing in a hammock!
    Sunrise over the Caribbean
    Sloane repping the dance studio in another far away place!
    Relaxing on the beach
    A mudflat fiddler crab outside our hotel.
    Sloane wanted to adopt this coconut, but failed to convince us.
    Imogen striding across a beach in Hopkins
    Imogen & I headed out on a night hike in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.  This was the only jaguar we found on the trail - but there was interesting wildlife to come...
    We went for a night walk in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.  These wolf spiders were everywhere.  We also saw a couple of species of tarantula so the hike was not for the arachnophobic!
    A mayan coralsnake - one of North America's most venomous  snakes.  They are also very docile though and this one just quickly moved across the path and in to the jungle.
    This red coffee snake is completely non-venomous, but uses its similar colour scheme to the coral snake to dissuade predators.
    Despite its purple hue, this is a slender brown scorpion.
    A final Belizean sunset before we headed home
    Summit of Mt Kinabalu
    Sacsayhuamán was an important Inca site near Cusco and the first place we visited upon arriving in Peru
    Sacsayhuamán ruins above Cusco
    La Plaza de Armas in Cusco from afar
    Cusco cityscape
    La Plaza de Armas in Cusco
    Fountain in Cusco
    Local artisans
    The other (easier) option for reaching Machu Picchu.  We chose the 42 km hike through the mountains over the train.
    Fog descending on the Trail as we reach the afternoon of the first day.
    My hike essentials!
    A window into the past
    An Andean White-tailed Deer trekking the Inca Trail
    Ruins along the Trail
    Sunset on the Inca Trail
    Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate
    What it really looks like when you arrive at Machu Picchu!
    Fog on Machu Picchu
    Spiny whiptail iguana in Machu Picchu
    Mountain Viscacha
    The lesser seen backside view
    The obligatory llama photo
    Machu Picchu Stairs
    One last look at Machu Picchu
    Back in Cusco after the big hike
    Last look at Cusco
    Santiago, Chile
    Exploring Santiago
    Vines at the Concha y Toro winery
    Santiago from San Cristobal Hill
    The statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception looks out above Santiago
    Santiago Sunset
    An artist sketching above Santiago
    Quito
    Cathedral in Quito
    Fountain in Quito
    Quito by night
    Sea lions suntanning on the beach.
    Sally Lightfoot Crab
    Galapagos Brown Pelican landing in the water
    Galapagos Shark circling below us.
    Marine Iguana feeding underwater
    Going up for a breath!  Snorkelling on the Galapagos was ridiculous.  We found sea turtles on every dive among a huge amount of other wildlife.
    Kicker Rock
    My favourite sea turtle of the trip, this fella swam peacefully beside me for a short time.
    A pod of dolphins racing alongside our boat.
    Marine Iguana
    Green Sea Turtle from above
    Short-eared owl
    Sunset over Floreana
    Galapagos Giant Tortoises.  The tortoises from Floreana are a hybrid of a few of the species, having just been placed in a sanctuary before people fully understood that there were differences.
    These sally lightfoot crabs must be one of the most striking crustaceans in the world.
    A cactus finch with a cactus
    Sally Lightfoot Crab
    This is one of the finches that Darwin made famous - this one is a Medium Ground Finch.
    A large group of marine iguanas.  If you were ever wondering, a group of iguanas is called a mess!
    Galapagos Penguin!  The only penguin species in the world that ventures above the equator.
    A school of pelican barracudas
    Best Friends
    Santa Cruz Lava Lizard
    A sally lightfoot crab sallying forth
    Nap time!
    Galapagos Brown Pelican
    Marine Iguanas grabbing some shade
    A Santa Cruz Galapagos Tortoise emerging slowly from behind a tree.

    Back in mainland Ecuador, Ciudad Mitad del Mundo or the Middle of the World is located ALMOST on the equator.  Built in the early 1980s, it demarked the line where they believed the equator passed through, but since then it's been shown to be off by about 240 meters.
    The Basilica of the National Vow is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas
    Inside the Basilica of the National Vow
    Brown Violetear in Mindo, Ecuador
    Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
    Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
    Crimson-rumped Toucanet
    Green-crowned Brilliant
    Quito by night
    Boulders Beach - home to African Penguins!
    African penguins - also known as jackass penguins due to the braying sound they make
    Cape Point in South Africa
    Gariep River on the border of South Africa and Namibia
    Quiver tree
    Fish River Canyon - the second largest canyon in the world
    Friends and Fish River Canyon
    Namibian sunset
    A giant weaverbird nest
    Morning hike up a sand dune for sunrise
    Sunrise over Sossusvlei
    Sand blowing off the dunes in Sossusvlei
    Looking out over Sossusvlei
    Wedge-snouted Desert Lizard
    Leave only footprints!
    Dead Vlei
    Dead Vlei is so dry that these trees, dead for 900 years, have been preserved.
    Dead Vlei
    Ostriches
    Hungry Pelicans & Gulls pacing our boat out of Swakopmund
    Cape Cormorant
    Dolphins off Swakopmund
    Cape Cross is home to between 50,000 and 100,000 Cape Fur Seals.  The smell is incredible.
    Jackal in the seal colony...basically the Namibian equivalent of the fox in the henhouse
    Next stop was Twyfelfontein - a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its ancient rock art
    Twyfelfontein rock art
    This is the former homestead of the family that rediscovered Twyfelfontein's rock art
    Sharp-lipped Mabuya
    Sunset over Twyfelfontein
    Desert Elephant
    Desert elephant wandering out of our campground at sunset
    Zebras & Springbok welcome us to Etosha National Park
    Yellow Mongoose
    Springboks in Etosha National Park
    A cape fox - even our guides were excited for this find.  These nocturnal critters are rarely seen!
    Giraffe in monochrome
    A line of springboks
    Gemsbok at sunset
    The campsites in Etosha National Park are all built on waterholes, which are a source of constant drama.  Here, some elephants coming in decided they wanted the waterhole just to themselves - and so chased off the herd of zebra who'd just been drinking there.
    Giraffes at the waterhole.  They were very wary as they came in to drink.
    Gemsbok - with a bush!
    Martial Eagle with a snack
    A male greater kudu - probably my favourite antelope with their spiral horns
    Yellow-billed Hornbill
    A chaotic waterhole - in this one spot we saw elephants, zebra, springbok, kudu, gemsbok, wildebeest, warthogs...
    Lilac-breasted Roller
    White rhinos at a watering hole
    Banded Mongoose
    Kalahari bushmen
    Kalahari Bush Squirrel
    An elephant browsing along the Okavango Delta
    Okavango sunset
    Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
    Giraffes on parade
    Seeing a hippo from a mokoro is a somewhat hair-raising experience.
    Sunrise over Okavango Delta
    We took a morning hike and got one of my favourite photos of the trip.  I love the purple light and the baobab in the background.
    A tiny benguella reed frog sitting on the side of our mokoro
    Poling along the Okavango Delta
    Vervet monkey
    A female Greater Kudu
    Big smile on this one.
    Sunset over the Chobe River
    A kudu eyes us as we go by
    A lion cub gnawing on a stick
    Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya - "the river that thunders".
    Victoria Falls again - this time from Zimbabwe.
    Mosi-oa-Tunya in all her glory
    My first full day in Africa, visiting the Elephant Sanctuary along the edge of Nairobi National Park - and my first giraffe sighting!  Giraffes have always been my favourite animal so this was an incredible way to start my adventure.
    A warthog on a mission.
    The first of my Big Five (lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo & leopard) came just shortly into our first game drive of the trip in Samburu Reserve.  Most people don't start with the leopard though!
    A female ostrich strolling past
    Mama & babies - It was an emotional experience seeing wild elephants for the first time.  I've seen them many times since and they never fail to awe me.
    Giraffes in silhouette
    African buffalo - you don't want to be on the receiving end of those horns!
    A beisa oryx on the move
    Stretching for a drink
    Sleepy lioness
    Mom & baby baboon.  The baboons were in our campsite and quite troublesome.  They don't fear tourists, and were always on the lookout for food or just the chance to cause mischief.
    Our guide hushed the group as these white rhinos looked towards us.  While there was a fence in between, they could have gone through it like paper had we upset them.
    A waterfall, the name of which sadly I no longer know!
    We next headed to Lake Nakuru where we ran in to this hungry and mischievous baboon.  He stole a loaf of bread from right off our table - coming right in between us as we made sandwiches!
    Marabou stork - the undertaker of the savannah.
    The main attraction of Lake Nakuru - thousands of lesser flamingos!
    Flamingo in flight
    PINK!
    A waterbuck - our guide believed he might be injured or ill, as he didn't move when our vehicle drove past him.
    The sentinel - a baboon watches Lake Nakuru from high above.  The pink is all flamingos.
    The unsuccessful hunter - this hyena tried repeatedly for a flamingo for dinner...despite the huge numbers, they always saw him coming and took off before he got there.
    Young male lion
    Floating over a hippo pond
    Wildebeest migration from the air.  It was incredible to see the huge herds.
    Coming in to land!
    A baby cheetah!
    Mother & Child
    A Ruppell's griffon vulture coming down for a meal.
    The great migration from ground level.
    We left Kenya and headed in to Tanzania and Lake Manyara National Park.  This is a dik-dik.  East Africa's smallest antelopes, dik-diks mate for life.
    A grey-headed kingfisher amongst the thorns
    A well-coiffed baboon
    A male ostrich
    A cheetah welcomes us to the Serengeti.
    Two hyenas fighting over their next meal
    A hard-won dinner!
    The Lonely Acacia
    Serengeti!
    Big yawn!
    A crocodile goes in for a bite of a hippo carcass.  The smell at this waterhole was incredible.
    Marabous settling in at sunset
    Lions on a kill - we just missed the takedown of this large buffalo.  The lions fed on it for the next two days.
    Intense stare
    The huntress
    A pair of female ostriches.
    Why did the giraffe cross the road?
    A flat-headed rock agama
    A secretary bird showing the quill pens and pantaloons that gave him his name
    A young gazelle
    The Three Amigos!
    Follow the leader!
    Ngorongoro Crater from above
    Our trip started with one of Copenhagen's most iconic sites - the Little Mermaid.  Not pictured, the large crowd gathered to see and take selfies with the statue!
    The courtyard of the Amalienborg Palace - still the official residence of the Danish Royal Family
    Rosenborg Castle - home to the crown jewels of Denmark
    Colourful Nyhavn - the other must-visit spot in any Copenhagen itinerary.
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    A mama and baby vervet monkey at Elsamere, near Lake Naivasha
    A narrow gorge in Hell's Gate National Park
    Mama and baby locust - how cute!
    A group of Grant's Zebra
    Common Impala
    Grant's gazelle
    We stopped for a break near a waterhole with a huge variety of birds including these yellow-billed storks, white storks and Egyptian geese.
    The fascinating landscape of Hell's Gate National Park
    A marabou stork perches above our campsite
    A local artisan carving a souvenir near the Kenya/Tanzania border
    A small town in Kenya near the Tanzanian border
    A kopje just after we crossed in to Tanzania
    A yellow-billed kite in flight
    Mwanza Flat-headed Rock Agama
    A little egret struts along the side of Lake Victoria
    Fisherman on Lake Victoria
    Two pied kingfishers clashing over a fish
    Mama & Baby Baboon
    Impalas in Serengeti
    Two giraffes stroll across the open plains
    A Nile Crocodile, lurking at the surface
    The sentinel of the savannah
    Defassa Waterbuck in the tall grass
    Giraffe close-up
    Giraffe & Elephant
    How better to start a Tanzanian morning than an hot air balloon over the Serengeti.  Here the balloons are just beginning to be inflated.
    Savannah Sunrise
    Sunrise over the Serengeti from the hot air balloon
    Sunbathing
    We stayed in a campground with no walls or fences - just this sign to keep us safe.
    Male weavers, like this Speke's Weaver, painstakingly stitch together nests in hopes of attracting a mate with their handiwork.
    An olive baboon saunters across the road under an acacia tree.
    We surprised this hippo by driving between it and its waterhole, and it responded with an incredible charge, bellowing and chomping its mouth as it ran towards us, spit flying all over.
    While in a giant vehicle, I never was worried about the hippo going through with this attack, if you were on foot, this would be a terrifying way to die.  The hippo was very quick, and very menacing.
    This was always my vision of Africa even before I had set foot on the continent - endless plains, acacia trees, and a giraffe strolling across.
    Hyena in a hurry
    A leopard high in a tree
    I've seen quite a few amazing African sunsets, but this one has to rank up there among the very best.
    Serengeti sunset
    Buffalo at dusk
    Sunset through other's eyes
    Sunset over Serengeti
    A final sunset photo, one of my all-time favourites.
    A big bull buffalo grazing, while several wattled starlings hitch a ride
    Elephant in the golden grass of the Serengeti
    This young elephant took a short mock charge - showing off his bravery.
    Elephants under acacia
    A leopard - the third we saw on this trip.
    A southern ground hornbill.  The photo doesn't do it justice - this bird is huge.  For perspective, this is the same tree, at almost the same distance that the leopard in the previous photo was on.
    Grant's gazelle - the larger of the Seregeti's two gazelle species
    Kopjes like this dot the Serengeti.  were formed when the soft volcanic rock covering the savannah was eroded away to expose granite below.
    There have been only a few wildlife encounters where I've felt quite nervous.  This was one, as this big elephant came up on us while we were on foot and seemed curious.
    Thompson's Gazelles - or Tommies as they're called by the guides.
    Wildebeest staring back at us as we go by
    Olduvai Gorge
    Thompson's Gazelles, a Kori Bustard and rolling hills at the edge of the Serengeti
    A baby giraffe  running along
    Elands on the move
    Driving in the Ngorongoro Crater
    Baby Zebra close-up
    A kori bustard in breeding plumage
    Puffed up in breeding plumage, and looking for a mate!
    A dazzle of zebras
    Stripes!
    Male & female ostrich
    Sleepy Lioness
    Two male Grant's Gazelles square off to impress the ladies
    An East African Wolf gnaws on the remains of his breakfast
    Ostrich on the plains
    A power struggle between two wildebeest
    Cape buffalo
    Punk rock pig
    It's hard to convey the sheer abundance of wildlife in Ngorongoro through most photos - there are animals in every direction, often in great numbers.
    A staredown between a hyena and a wildebeest.  Nothing came of this interaction, but there was definitely healthy respect on both sides.
    Old Bull Buffalo
    With the sheer volume of wildlife in the Ngorongoro, it's hard to avoid predators entirely.  These zebras were pretty wary of this lion and his pride as they walked past.
    A Speke's Weaver perched on our safari vehicle
    Egyptian Geese
    African Sacred Ibis
    The old bull approaches
    Up close and personal with one of the biggest bull elephants I've ever seen.
    A last look back at Ngorongoro
    A Tanzanian montane dwarf chameleon lounging on a branch above the Ngorongoro Crater
    Green Iguana
    A group of Jacare Caimans sunning themselves
    Araras Pantanal Eco Lodge at sunset
    Chestnut-eared Aracari
    Morning fog
    Hyacinth Macaw on the wing
    Snail Kite in front of blooming pink ipê trees
    At a meter long, Hyacinth Macaws are the largest flying bird in the parrot family
    Vermillion flycatcher in a pink ipê tree
    "Smile for the camera!"
    Golden-collared Macaws
    Argentinian Black-and-white Tegu - the largest member of the tegu family, these grow to 3 feet long.
    A ferruginous pygmy owl with dinner
    Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
    Proboscis Bat
    Roseate Spoonbills flying overhead
    When the caiman lays down with the capybara...
    My first wild jaguar!  She jumped up on the log and gave us this look back, before disappearing in to the long grasses.
    My second jaguar - only a short time after we found the first.
    Swimming across the river - the man is in a boat in front of mine.
    Up in her perch
    The Pantanal traffic jam - boats cluster to see the jaguar in the tree.
    Black-crowned Night Heron struggling to get down his dinner
    Lounging
    Yellow Anaconda
    Mama & Cub  
    A giant otter carrying a baby across the river to keep it safe from the strong currents
    Baby giant otter
    Jabiru Storks at sunset
    Breakfast with a giant otter
    A family of Gold-and-black Howler Monkeys.  The males are black, while the females and juveniles are gold.
    A striated heron gone fishing
    The twins - this brother & sister are only a few months removed from leaving their mother and still finding strength in numbers.  That will likely end when the sister goes in to estrus and other large males come sniffing around.
    Polka-dot Tree Frog
    Capybaras cuddling closely
    Looking alert
    Caiman lurking
    Big yawn!
    Porto Joffre Sunset
    Veined Tree Frog - I love those eyes.
    Great Horned Owl - this bird kept me up much of one night in Porto Joffre but at least posed for photos in the morning.
    Savanna Hawk taking off
    Toco Toucans
    View from the lodge in Caiman.
    Nacunda Nighthawk in flight
    Greater Rhea - at about 5 feet tall, these are the largest birds in the Americas.
    Pampas Deer at Sunset
    Giant anteaters!  One of the oddest animals I've ever seen, on first sight, they kind of look like a massive walking bush.
    Catching a ride - baby anteaters line up their stripes with their mothers in order to camouflage and look like a single large animal.
    South Pantanal Sunset
    Jaguar by night
    This jaguar had a kill nearby that it was trying to circle back towards.
    Peach-fronted Parakeets
    Hyacinth Macaws in silhouette
    The mighty Iguazu Falls
    Great Dusky Swifts cling to the cliffs behind Iguazu Falls, emerging in great flocks to hunt insects.
    Swifts in flight
    Black Capuchin on the Argentinian side of the Falls
    Iguazu Falls from Argentina
    South American Coati - a member of the raccoon family, these animals are too smart for their own good.
    From the top of the Falls
    Back in Brazil, these Burrowing Owls were just across the border.
    Flowers and sunflare at my hotel
    Iguazu Falls is hard to capture in any photograph - but this panorama is my best effort at it.
    Azara's Agouti - a member of the rodent family, agouti means "he who sits while eating"
    Rainbow over Iguazu Falls
    Spot-billed Toucanet
    Hartland Covered Bridge - New Brunswick 2022
    Sunset near St. Andrew's, New Brunswick 2022
    White-tailed Deer - New Brunswick 2022
    Double-crested Cormorant - New Brunswick 2022
    New Brunswick 2022
    Head Harbour Light Station - New Brunswick 2022
    Harbour Seals & Gray Seals - New Brunswick 2022
    Head Harbour Light Station, New Brunswick 2022
    Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site - Saint John, New Brunswick 2022
    Saint John, New Brunswick 2022
    New Brunswick 2022
    Hopewell Rocks at High Tide - New Brunswick 2022
    Hopewell Rocks at Low Tide - New Brunswick 2022

    We started our Spanish vacation with a visit to Casa Batlló in Barcelona

    Casa Batlló is one of a number of buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi that make up a UNESCO World Heritage site...we visited several in our time in Barcelona!

    Casa Batlló from the inside
    Gaudi's works seem never to neglect any detail.  Even this interior roof and lamp have character.
    The  roof is remiscent of a dragons scales.
    The Columbus Column at the end of La Ramblas in Barcelona.  60 M high, it depicts Columbus pointing West
    Barcelona windows
    Constructed in 1929, the Palau Nacional of Montjuïc is now home to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.
    Looking out at Barcelona from Montjuic
    Gaudi's most famous work - the not-yet-completed Sagrada Familia
    The Sagrada Familia was Gaudi's masterpiece.  He begun it in 1883 and continued work on it until his death in 1926.
    When asked about the long construction schedule, Gaudi is said to have said simply "My client is not in a hurry."
    The view of the city from the climb up the spires of Sagrada Familia
    While this might look like a gargoyle, it was really just the shadow of a dove sculpture along the side of the cathedral
    Spiral staircase inside Sagrada Familia
    The cathedral was only about 20% completed when Gaudi died in 1926.  Obsessed with finishing as much as he could, he had taken to living at the construction site.  His clothes worn to rags, and his appearance disheveled, he was struck by a cart in the street and it was hours before anyone came to his aid, believing he was a hobo.  He died soon after.
    With multiple architects taking over the project in the decades since Gaudi's death, each has left their own mark, and the figures on different parts of the cathedral bear very distinctive characters.
    Sculpture of a choir of angel children above a set of doors to the cathedral.
    The doors to the Nativity Facade were installed in 2014, designed by Japanese sculptor Etsuro Sotoo.
    Fish-eye of the Sagrada Familia
    Construction continues to this day on the cathedral, with a targeted completion date of 2026, the centennial of Gaudi's death.  With delays from Covid, it may longer yet.
    Another of Barcelona's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Hospital de Sant Pau was designed by Catalan art nouveau architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner and is considered one of the earliest and best examples of Modernista architecture

    Sagrada Familia from the windows of the Hospital de Sant Pau

    On more look at the Hospital de Sant Pau
    Back to more Gaudi with the wonderful Park Guell.
    I really enjoyed Park Guell and the feel that it's a gingerbread world come to life.  Even before we left for Spain, this was a photo I wanted to take.
    The weird and wonderful Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera
    Another Gaudi creation, the roof of Casa Mila is covered with these odd head sculptures.
    The creatures of Casa Mila
    From Casa Mila towards Sagrada Familia
    One more vantage point of Casa Mila
    Looking down a street towards the Cathedral of Barcelona
    Buskers in a Barcelona plaza
    The Palau de la Música Catalana - a wonderful concert hall in Barcelona, again designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site
    Concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana
    The next stop on our trip was Seville - this is the interior of the alcazar, once home to Spanish royalty following the Reconquista on the site of a Moorish fortress and still is a residence for the Royal Family when they are in Seville.
    Paintings in the Alcazar of Seville
    Stained glass in the Iglesia de San Luis de los Franceses (Church of Saint Louis of France) in Seville
    Inside the gigantic Cathedral of Seville
    When completed in the 16th Century, the Seville Cathedral was the largest in the world, eclipsing the Hagia Sofia
    A tomb effigy in the cathedral
    Today, the Seville Cathedral is the second largest in the world, having been surpassed by the Milan Cathedral completed in 1936
    A view from atop the Cathedral
    Seville
    One more view from the top
    The Plaza de España in Seville - now famous as the setting for a scene from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
    And now for something completely different - a Beceite Ibex in El Torcal de Antequera
    El Torcal de Antequera - another Spanish UNESCO site
    An Iberian Black Redstart perching on a branch to pose
    A young ibex looks curiously at me.  I was hoping to find ibex when I came to this park and they didn't disappoint as I found several females and youngsters.  No big males however.
    The unique rock features of El Torcal de Antequera
    A female ibex leaps across the path in front of me
    One last look at the rock formations, then back to civilization...
    The streets of Malaga - our home base for this part of our adventure
    Malaga at night
    Out of Spain and off to the United Kingdom!  We travelled for the day in to Gibraltar.  The white building is the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque - the southernmost mosque in Europe, and one of the largest found in a non-Muslim majority country.
    The lighthouse at the end of Europe...and in the distance the cliffs of Morocco.
    A short-beaked common dolphin in the waters off of Gibraltar
    The Rock of Gibraltar - towering high above all the surrounding area, this limestone monolith and the area surrounding it has been been a British outpost since 1704, despite several attempts by the Spanish to repatriate the area.
    Barbary macaques - the only primates found in Europe, and only here in Gibraltar.
    It is believed that the Moors brought these monkeys over during their domination of Spain, but no one knows for sure how or when they arrived.
    Early morning in Cordoba, Spain.
    The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba
    The famous candy cane coloured arches of the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba
    Pews and an altar in the Mosque–Cathedral
    More arches.  This mosque was another of the visuals I was most looking forward to seeing when we were planning the trip.
    A burial site within the mosque-cathedral
    Fisheye of the arches. The site of the mosque-cathedral has been an important religious site for centuries, with the Visigoths originally having a cathedral on this spot, which was replaced by a Moorish mosque, and then converted to a Cathedral after the Reconquista
    The ruins of Medina Azahara - once a bustling Moorish city near Cordoba.  Berbers sacked the city in the 12th century and it was never rebuilt, and only rediscovered by archaelogists in 1910.
    The yawning chasm that separates the two halves of Ronda.
    This town is the site of a fictional massacre in For Whom the Bell Tolls, although the atrocity is loosely based on others that are believed to have taken place.
    The gorge beneath Ronda is over 300 metres deep
    One last look at Ronda
    The Port of Malaga from the Malaga Alcazar
    I first learned of the Alhambra watching a travel show when I was in my teens and ever since I'd wanted to visit the site.  It did not disappoint.
    Windows in Alhambra This sprawling palace complex was built between the 13th and 16th Centuries, first by the Moorish kings of Al-Andalus, and then by the Christian monarchs, beginning with Ferdinand & Isabella who took the site as their royal home following the completion of the Conquista
    Alhambra in bloom
    Isabella's crown and Ferdinand's sword in the Royal Chapel of Granada - their final resting place.
    The postcard photo of the Alhambra
    The Alhambra at Sunset
    Sunset on Granada
    Beach day in Southern Spain!
    The Renaissance era town of Baeza - yet another UNESCO site.  In the couple weeks we were in Spain, we saw 11 Spanish UNESCO sites, plus one more UK site in Gibraltar.
    The windmills of Consuegra - thought to be the ones that Don Quixote fought valiantly, believing them to be giants in Cervates classic novel.
    With very few other visitors, Consuegra turned out to be one of my favourite off-the-beaten paths stops in all my travels.
    My favourite photo from Spain - Consuegra's Windmills by starlight
    Aranjuez Palace - another Royal residence and another UNESCO World Heritage Site
    A lizard on the walls near Toledo.  This is a Guaddarrama Wall Lizard, and apparently a rare sighting for this area - or at least, so say the good people on iNaturalist!
    The natural fortress of Toledo.  Surrounded on three sides by river and cliffs, Toledo is nigh impregnable and as such, this has been a key defensive point since Roman times.
    The Cathedral of Toledo.
    I really like this little lion outside Toledo's cathedral
    Light through a stained glass window
    The altar in the Toledo Cathedral
    Dragon crest in the Toledo Cathedral
    A fisheye image of a gallery within Toledo's cathedral
    Toledo by night
    The Aqueduct of Segovia - this is thought to have been constructed in the 2nd century AD during the reigns of Roman emperors Trajan or Hadrian
    The aqueduct was originally built to bring water from 15 kms away
    A last look at the old Roman aqueduct
    Segovia is famous for three things - its Roman-era aqueduct, its medieval castle, and this gothic cathedral built in the 16th century.
    My postcard photo of the Alcazar of Segovia!  A castle has stood in this spot since the 1100s, and it is one of the castles that Walt Disney used for inspiration on his fairy tale castles.
    Suits of armor inside the Alcazar (or castle) of Segovia.  This castle may be pretty, but it saw action in several battles over the centuries.
    A turret atop the Alcazar
    Looking out from the top of Segovia's Alcazar on the surrounding landscape.
    Built between the 11th and 13th Centuries, Avila's walls enclose 31 hectares, and its 88 turrets would have been imposing to any foes.
    Close up with some of the turrets of Avila
    The Walls of Avila - the final UNESCO site on our tour of Spain.
    Our last evening in Spain ended with a final look at the Walls of Avila.
    CE01 - Statues along the walls of the Reichstag, Berlin
    CE05 - Berlin from atop the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)
    CE06 - Angels atop the Berliner Dom with Berliner Fernsehturm in the background
    CE03 - The dome of the Berliner Dom from inside
    CE04 - an orchestra playing classical music in the Berliner Dom.
    CE02 - An ancient mural, re-built within the walls of the Pergamonmuseum
    CE07 - Berliner Dom at dusk
    CE08 - Statues across from the Berliner Dom
    CE09 - These nudes are known simply as "Three Girls and a Boy"
    CE10 - The American side of Checkpoint Charlie
    CE11 - Checkpoint Charlie
    CE12 - The Soviet side of Checkpoint Charlie
    CE13 - Approaching the Brandenburg Gate from the side
    CE14 - Brandenburg Tor (Gate)
    CE15 - The Brandenburg Gate
    CE16 - Graffiti along the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery
    CE17 - The longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall, it has been turned in to an open air museum as the East Side Gallery.
    CE18 - "The Trabant breaking through the wall" symbolizes East Germany finally breaking through the Berlin Wall.  The Trabant was apparently the most commonly seen car in East Berlin.
    CE19 - East Side Gallery
    CE20 - The Berlyn Mural represents East Germany's return to connectivity to the rest of the world in 1989.
    CE21 - One of the most famous murals on the Berlin Wall, this is called "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love" and depicts Leonid Brezhnev kissing former East German leader Erich Honecker.
    CE22 - Inside the Oberbaum Bridge
    CE23 - The River Spree
    CE24 - Oberbaum Bridge over the River Spree - this was a border checkpoint during the Cold War between East and West Berlin.
    CE25 - Pergamonmuseum on Museum Island
    CE26 - Berliner Dom by night
    CE27 - Konzerthaus Berlin & Deutscher Dom
    CE28 - Konzerthaus Berlin
    CE29 - Charlottenburg Palace
    CE30 - Inside Charlottenburg Palace
    CE31 - The gardens at Charlottenburg Palace
    CE32 - St. Nicholas' Church is the oldest church in Berlin.  It was damaged badly in World War II and wasn't repaired until the 1980s.
    CE33 -  A last look at Berlin by night
    CE34 - Sanssouci Palace - the palace of no cares
    CE35 - Sanssouci Palace
    CE36 - A statue at the Sanssouci Palace
    CE40 - Inside the Sanssouci Palace
    CE41 - Inside the Sanssouci Palace
    CE38 - Sanssouci Palace
    CE37 - Sanssouci Palace
    CE39 - Sanssouci Palace
    CE42 - Sunset over the Tierpark Hagenbeck
    CE43 - A tiny model of Pompeii at Miniatur Wunderland
    CE44 - The Speicherstadt, the canal-based warehouse area in Hamburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    CE45 - Boats in the Speicherstadt
    CE46 - The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg - controversial for its cost, this opera house certainly stands out.
    CE47 - Sunset over the canals of the Speicherstadt
    CE48 - Hamburg at dusk
    CE49 - Hamburg by night
    CE50 - St. Catherine's Church
    CE51 - The Speicherstadt in Hamburg
    CE52 -The Speicherstadt in Hamburg
    CE53 - Hamburg Town Hall by night
    CE54 - The Hamburg Rathaus (or town hall)
    CE55 - I never figured out why there were fireworks this night...
    CE56 - Hamburgerdom - named after a long disappeared church, this is a festival that shows up for a few days each year in Hamburg.  We took advantage of our timing and later rode that ferris wheel!
    CE57 - Dawn over the Hamburg docks
    CE59 - Hamburg's Altona Fischmarket - a great way to spend a Sunday morning!
    CE58 - Showing up early on a Sunday morning for a market, we were not expecting to see a live musical performance!
    CE60 - Last looks over Hamburg
    CE61 - Munich's New Town Hall - with the famous glockenspiel.
    CE62 - Old Town Hall, Munich
    CE63 - The Munich Glockenspiel in action
    CE64 - Statue in downtown Munich
    CE65 - Statue in downtown Munich
    CE112 -Englischer Garten in Munich
    CE66 - Views of Munich from atop St. Peter's Church
    CE67 - St. Peter's Church, Munich
    CE68 - Inside St. Peter's Church, Munich
    CE69 - We arrived at Neuschwanstein during the first snow of the year
    CE70 - Snow and trees as we walk to Hohenschwangau
    CE71 - The gates of Hohenschwangau Castle
    CE72 - Neuschwanstein from Hohenschwangau Castle
    CE73 - Neuschwanstein from Hohenschwangau Castle
    CE74 - Neuschwanstein through the morning fog
    CE75 - Neuschwanstein Castle
    CE76 - Inside the walls of Neuschwanstein
    CE77 - The view from the castle out
    CE78 - Neuschwanstein Castle - the postcard photo
    CE79 - Hohenswangau Castle from Neuschwanstein
    CE80 - Peeking through the trees
    CE81 - Footbridge above the falls
    CE82 - First snow on the Bavarian Alps
    CE83 - Neuschwanstein Castle
    CE84 - The castle above the trees
    CE85 - Neuschwanstein in the snow
    CE86 - Neuschwanstein Castle
    CE87 - Last look at Neuschwanstein
    CE91 - Vaduz, Liechtenstein
    CE89 - Vaduz Castle
    CE88 - Display inside the Kunstmuseum - Vaduz, Liechtenstein
    CE92 - Vaduz Castle
    CE90 - Sculptures in Vaduz
    CE93 - Vaduz Castle - the home of the Princes of Liechtenstein, the castle overlooks the capital city of Vaduz.
    CE94 -Alte Rheinbrücke (Old Rhine Bridge) to Switzerland - Built in the mid 1800s, this is the  oldest surviving bridge over the Rhine River.
    CE95 - Vaduz Castle Sunset
    CE96 - The winery of the Prince of Liechtenstein
    CE97 - Salzburg, Austria
    CE98 - Out a window from Hohensalzburg Fortress
    CE99 - Salzburg from Hohensalzburg Fortress
    CE100 - Inside the Salzburg Cathedral
    CE101 - Inside of the dome, Salzburg Cathedral
    CE102 - Salzburg Cathedral ceiling
    CE103 - Cherub in Salzburg Cathedral
    CE104 - Inside Salzburg Cathedral
    CE105 - Salzburg
    CE106 - Salzburg
    CE108 - Bike along the Salzach
    CE109 - Nighttime in Salzburg
    CE110 - Salzach River by night
    CE111 - Chasing shadows at Mirabell Palace in Salzburg
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    GBR158 Mama & Baby Grizzly
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    GBR172 The last breaching whale of the trip - this whale leapt again and again and again for us.
    Confederation Bridge - Prince Edward Island 2022
    Halifax 2025

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