In a city like Rome, art, history, and the Spiritual World are all intertwined. or most visitors to Rome, Ground Zero is St. Peter’s. This is a Church that soars and surprises. While the dome is legendary, in a quiet alcove, you’ll see Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture, carved from a block of Carrara marble, The Pieta.

This sculpture radiates an incredible sense of peace, even from behind the protective glass. After a horrible incident in 1977 where an individual damaged the Pieta with a hammer, it was encased in bulletproof glass. 

It wasn’t always protected like that, and when I first visited to see it, I could stand right next to it, feeling the smooth marble and touching the small marble band where Michelangelo had chiseled his own signature for all to see.  This is the only sculpture he signed. I took this photo during my last visit to Rome. While I couldn’t touch it again, I could certainly feel its power.

 

 

In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, we heard the incredible sound of chimes in the middle of a lovely pasture. The chimes are inside the Tower of Voices, a visual and audible reminder of Flight 93’s crash in 2018. The structure is unlike any other; air flows through the tower walls to reach the inner chimes.

On the day we visited, we were the only two people for miles around. Just as we walked toward the tower’s base, the wind picked up, and we heard the faint sounds of the 40 individual wind chimes. Suddenly, they all began to chime; we were surrounded by the most peaceful melody I had ever heard. It is incredible.

It’s something you will never forget.

Over time, I’ve taken thousands of photos in places around the world. When I travel, I walk, experience, and enjoy everything around me. I’m always looking for an unusual scene to capture, and this image is one of my favorites.

Early one morning I was walking in one of the main sections of Florence, Italy. In a small square, vendors were setting up their wares for the day; Florence is known for high-quality leather items, and this is a photo of a stack of lovely, brightly colored leather eyeglass cases.

I love the color of the cases, and maybe more than anything, I admire the creativity of the person who made them. Art and craftsmanship are around every corner of the city, and I’m so glad I found this fantastic shopping stall.

Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco isn’t a restaurant; it’s a world-class seafood emporium crammed into a tiny space. Here, the Sancimino family and their trusted associates and relatives serve up the best crab, oysters, salmon, and fish you’ll find anywhere in The City.

There’s plenty to drink and some of the best sourdough bread ever within easy reach. Once you arrive at the counter (no tables) and find a seat, it’s best to leave everything to your competent server. You will not be disappointed in anything.

My family and I have been going to Swan since I was a little boy. Over time, I’ve visited many, many times, and each time I walk away thinking of my next visit. I live on the East Coast now; however, as soon as possible after arrival in San Francisco, I head for my first meal there, and even if there’s a front line (which there nearly always is), it’s worth it.

When you do visit, ask to speak to Steve Sancimino. I’ve known him and his family since they were kids. They will take better care of you than any other restaurant servers on earth, and best of all, they will recommend things they love to eat themselves!

Thanks, Steve, for the memories and meals.

As children from a certain age, we didn’t know how well off we were then. Long before the advent of Apple computers and 27-inch screens, we had our own portable devices. They were called pencils.

Incredibly, I still have one from my childhood school. It’s light blue with the words “San Francisco School System” proudly printed on the side in white letters. One might wonder how (or why) I have a pencil that is nearly 75 years old. However, anyone who knows me well will understand.

Spring Valley Elementary School, located on Jackson Street in San Francisco, handed out these pencils (free, I might add) to any student. I probably asked for one every day, as I love the smell of new pencils that have just been freshly sharpened. No one seemed concerned that I went through them at the speed of light.

Many years after I left Spring Valley, I drove down Jackson Street and passed the school. I pulled over, parked, and went inside for the first time in decades. I first noticed that the school smelled exactly the same as it did when I was there. You had to spend years at the school to know what I meant.

I wandered into what was my kindergarten class. It looked the same, with small tables and tiny chairs. In a few moments, a young teacher walked in and, thinking I was someone’s grandparent, cheerfully asked if she could help me in any way. I replied that I’d been a student in that classroom as a child. She was thrilled. It was like I’d opened a door for her to peer into and to imagine what it must have been like “then.”

She was so excited, she asked me if I’d like to meet her at the principal’s office. I declined the opportunity to meet the principal. However, I did walk upstairs, and as I rounded the corner, I saw the exact same white bench outside her office that was there when I was a student. I remembered it all too well.

Often, I think of the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”. So instead of writing about something today, I’m including a few images that I’ve taken along my journeys near and far. These are some of my favorites; you may like them as well.

Every so often, I watch the movie Casablanca. For a movie made in 1942 and filmed in Burbank, California, it’s incredible how popular it is. Even more impressive is the pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Whenever I watch it, I find a scene or two I might have missed earlier.

Ingrid Bergman is luminescent; Bogart is the bad guy gone good. No matter how often I watch them together, I can’t imagine another couple capable of making this movie. So yes, here’s looking at you, kid, for many more years.

The US Air Force is developing a pilotless aircraft called the XQ-58A Valkyrie. It is powered into flight by a rocket engine; it has a stealthy design and can carry missiles.

Even more incredible is that they can fly alongside Air Force pilots as “capable wingmen.” The plan is to build 1,000 to 2,000 aircraft for an estimated cost of $3 million each… This is, by the way, about $78 million less than the cost of one F-35 fighter jet.

One of the most remarkable facts about this aircraft is that it is entirely operated by artificial intelligence. The article I read stated: “The aircraft will serve as a ‘loyal wingman’ to the human pilot, knocking out targets considered too dangerous for a human-piloted plane.”

Imagine this: if “Maverick” could get his hands on one of these babies, he would be a one-man Navy squadron. Now, that is what the military calls a “force multiplier.”

Dolly, you are fantastic; you have described the perfect way to live your life. Long before her superstardom, a local Knoxville grocer named Cas Walker sponsored a radio show; at the age of 10, in 1956, Dolly began her remarkable career in singing and songwriting.

People everywhere suffer from economic, social, and medical issues, yet they, like you, find ways to help others. I’d like to be more like you, for sure. I live about 25 miles from where Dolly was born and raised; she is our local heroine. She’s a part of the fabric of Eastern Tennessee, having started her career on a local radio show and gone on to achieve global fame and recognition for doing the right thing.

She’ll surely never, ever rust out.