Giudecca, Venice, Italy. October, 2012

At long last, Dr. Blake encounters artichokes in the land where they’re called carciofi. He’d been hearing me go on and on about carciofi since I first had them in Rome in 1981. Worth the wait?

Venice, Italy. October, 2012

Vincent Price once told me, “Venice is not really in Italy. Venice is on a planet all its own.” He was right.

Lunenburg, MA. July, 2013

Brrrrr. It may be chilly November now. But my friend Chris seems right at home here on a sultry summer afternoon. What is it about water that beckons us to jump right in? And what is it about friends in the water that calls us to take a photo with lots of ripples and reflections? In this case, I like both the friend and the photo. And now that I think about it, have you ever seen a photo of someone in the water who wasn’t looking happy?

Pula, Croatia. October, 2012

An early morning market in October in Pula, our first stop in Croatia. So close to Italy (and with borders shifting so over the years, it retains much of its former Italian and Roman ties), most vendors mercifully spoke some Italian. Look, for example at the pomodor sign on the tomatoes. And while you’re at it, look at those mushrooms the kind lady is arranging.

Pula, Croatia. October, 2012

Europeans take their bread much more seriously than we Americans do. Look, for example, at this variety at a Croatian bakery on a Monday morning. And as it was late morning, much of the stock had already been snapped up. But not, mercifully, all.

Pula, Croatia. October, 2012

Early morning in Pula, our first stop on our first trip to Croatia. So close to Italy and the former Yugoslavia with shifting borders over the years...but one thing is certain. This town was Roman at one point. Temples, theaters and other ancient buildings still provide reminders. Like this scene in morning autumn sunlight.

Monaco. November, 2012

We sailed into Monaco on November 1, All Saints Day, a national holiday here (as well as in France, Italy and Spain.) At one end of the harbor, an amusement park had been set up. And it may be Monaco, it may be in French...but there’s no escaping Coca-Cola.