Author: Joseph
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Cartagena, Day 3
Rain last night and early this morning made for a very humid day….so humid, in fact, that immediately after breakfast we went to the hotel pool. In the afternoon, when the humidity dropped a bit, we made an excursion to Cerro de la Popa, an early17th century Augustinian monastery/fortress on the highest hill in the…
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Cartagena, Day 2
My first good look at the city came at night and it impressed me. I was even more impressed this morning when we set out for a walk around the old city. The bright colors of the buildings, bougainvillea and flowers were magnificent. The city was every bit as lively as last night. We walked…
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Cartagena, Day 1
Getting here was a long day, but flights were on time and comfortable. At immigration an official sent me through the diplomatic line which was a lovely welcome. The hotel is a former Carmelite convent that has been beautifully adapted. My first exploration of the city was at night, a city throbbing with energy, music…
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Penwood State Park
Three or four times a week (sometimes more often) I hike at Penwood, a state park about 15 minutes drive away. It is a beautiful park with many trails, a lake and wetlands and spectacular views over the valley looking toward Simsbury. The park is rich in wildlife, especially birds, deer and bear. This year…
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Cape Cod
I had a late October weekend on Cape Cod with friends. The weather alternated from unseasonably warm to chilly with a strong wind, but the scenery was perfect. We stayed in South Yarmouth, took in a Halloween party at Provincetown and had a lovely walk in the marshes at Sandwich.
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New York City, October 2024
New York City in the fall is always great fun. I spent several days in the City at The Met (Painting in Siena 1300-1350), lots of familiar painters. And a visit to The Morgan Library and then the annual investiture of the Order of St John.
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Penwood State Forest
This has been a good year for fungi in the forest, from the common mushroom to more exotic varieties such as the eerie Indian pipes. Penwood, a few miles from Hartford, became one of my refuges during the pandemic. I continue to hike there three or four times a week, always amazed by the ever-changing…
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Malta, the temples
Tiny, rocky Malta, a place where life has always been a struggle, is generally believed to be home of the oldest structures built by humans. On Gozo we visited temples at Ġgantija and on the main island the Ħaġar Qim temples. Both temple complexes date from approximately 3600 BCE. The stone structures are typically in…
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Gozo and Malta
Gozo is the second of Malta’s three primary islands. All three islands are windswept, largely barren, but have their own peculiar beauty. The sea, of course, provides a great deal of the beauty of the islands. At the heart of Gozo in the main city of Vittoria is a fortress that might have been lifted…
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Malta: Valletta
The city of Valletta was built by the Knights of Saint John after the routing of the Ottoman navy in 1565. The new city provided better protection for the important Grand Harbour and was the home of the Knights until the arrival of Napoleon at the beginning of the 19th century. Valletta is a lovely…