Gdansk Town Hall

Good News

This is one of my favorite sculptures anywhere. It is perched on the top of St. Isaac's just one long block from the Neva River in St. Petersburg, which makes it a little difficult to photograph. I climbed to the top of the tower and sat in the below-freezing wind to shoot this, but the view across the city is plenty of reward for the effort. Down from the rooftop and sitting with a cappucino in the hotel restaurant across the street, my numb fingers and nose quickly warmed up.

I'm in Gdansk, Poland, now, and I'll soon have pictures to post, but for now I'm enjoying the memories of last week.

Evening in St. Petersburg

The view from the back window of the Harbor.

Perfect Weather

You realize, don't you, that I am helpless to resist taking pictures of these long, tree-lined avenues. I haven't seen leaves this color in about 15 years...

Stillpoint

Welcome To St. Petersburg

I should have packed my snow shovel.

Looking After Amboise

Stevie II

Playing Stevie Wonder On The Loire

Yes, that's me in the back there with the bass guitar, playing "Superstition" for a packed house. I had never played the song before, and couldn't speak more than a couple words of the language, but it didn't really seemed to matter. Good music gets past all that somehow...

No Wireless

Haven't been able to get to a wireless internet location for the past few days, thus the lack of updates. Heading into Paris tomorrow and should be able to find something. Have had a couple of good days, except for some rain. I've never been to Tours, France, but I would recommend it to anyone who would be interested in a smaller Paris without the crowds. And without the Tour Eiffel as well, I guess, but do you really need one of those around all the time, always, you know, towering around and stuff? In any case, more pictures tomorrow...

Geneva Leaves

Ferney-Voltaire

In the downtown square of the town that he built.

UNHCR Geneva

This picture is for Jonathan.

From the Train Window

Close to the Swiss border at Geneva yesterday afternoon. Now in Cessy, France, just across from Geneva. Unfortunately things have clouded over. Mont Blanc is out of sight for now. Hope it shows before I leave.

Boulevard St. Germain

Andrew Peterson on Seeing The Big Picture

There is more
More than all this pain
More than all the falling down
And the getting up again
There is more
More than we can see
From our tiny vantage point
In this vast eternity
There is more.

-- Andrew Peterson, "More" from The Far Country

I've been doing my share of falling down and getting up. Thank God for grace. I'm headed for the airport early tomorrow. One of the reasons for this trip, I've decided, is to watch for little bits and pieces of the stuff that makes up the "more than we can see". Even the invisible shows up sometimes, I think, if you're watching for it and have fast enough reflexes.

Airplane

Just getting warmed up...

Norm's

There's no real reason to post this picture, other than the fact that I like it. I took it with a Russian made camera that I only half understand, which helps to keep things interesting. Of course, there's the fact that I'll be in Russia in a week or two, so I guess that makes this a little relevant. Except that this picture was taken in Pasadena.

Eckhart on Home

"God is at home. We are in the far country."

- Meister Eckhart

A Difficult Year

I'll be glad when 2005 is in the books and behind us. This has not been an easy year, for many reasons.

As for today, pray for Pakistan.

Out, Again.

I'll be heading out again this weekend, this time across the Atlantic. I hope this time to have better internet access than in Asia a couple months ago. That should mean that I'll be better able to post here while I'm on the road. Stay tuned. Interesting times ahead...

Mission District 2: Lucky Pork

In The Mission

Spending a little time with friends in a fun place...

She's All Bark...