Vienna

This year we went to Vienna and Budapest; it was a package deal and we thought it would be fun.
Here's a statue in a convent in Myerling:



There were really neat cabinets in the convent with incredibly detailed carvings on them:


and this was on the ceiling in one room.











Here's where Leon Trostky hung out.









The movie The Third Man has a scene where Cotton and Welles go up on a ferris wheel and look down on humanity. Here's a shot of the ferris wheel that was used.







Vienna has some lovely buildings, like its National Library.

Introduction

I travel. I take pictures. I forget to bring copies of pictures to annoy or amuse people, so I figured it might be easier if I just put a lot of them here and send the url to people who might care.

Bali Bird Park

I like being a tourist. It gives me an opportunity to go see silly things that I don't do at home; like going to zoos. Bali has a Bali Bird Park, whose website modestly describes it as "heaven on earth." I think this might be a bit of an overstatement, but they certainly have some lovely birds there.



Peacocks show off for the other birds

Swans just hang out
It's a beautiful place to spend a day.

Bali Reptile Park

After the Bird Park we went to the Bali Reptile Park. I think Meghan's daughter Bella was not as happy with this park as she was with the Bird Park.

But my mother was rather happy there.

I enjoyed holding the lizard, too,

And Meghan is well known for being able to make friends with anyone.

Bali and the Ubud Monkey Forest

Mom and I went to Bali and I spent an awful lot of time at the Monkey Forest. We saw some of the mass cremation ceremony, and I also have some pictures of the procession before the royal cremation a few days earlier.

But first let's go for the monkeys.

I love the monkeys. Not sure why. The monkeys at the Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud are long-tailed macaques. The macaques are not exactly tame, but like urban wild animals, they are accustomed to people. They will expect to be fed:


They will perform tricks for food:


They seem generally used to people being around.

Connecticut Scenery

Kent Falls State Park has a lovely waterfall, of course.





but most of northwest Connecticut is very beautiful.

Clouds spend too much time looking at their own reflections.




Bunnies just run around,










while trees frame beautiful vistas.

Grandma's Birthday Party

We have a few June birthdays in my family, so we threw a party.

Here's my grandmother on her 90th birthday, with Grandpa and David (cousin Rachael's boyfriend).


Here's the birthday cake:

Here's (second cousins, I think) Rachel and Emily:

My mother and her sister Carla.Jenna and her friend MC.









And (almost) the whole gang.