TravelswithCharie

Jazmin Gaite and Al Manahan in Viña de Mar, Chile Where and when was your first trip outside of your home country? My first trip was  with my  ex-husband   to the US in 1985 to plan our relocation from the Phili ppines to the United States. It  was a trip around the US to scout for a place to relocate. Our trip took us to California, Illinois, New York, Washington DC, Missouri, and Florida. By this time, all our 3 children have been born, but they were 3, 5 and 7 years old. We decided to settle in California and in the City of Los Angeles as it is a bigger city with lots of business opportunities. After settling in California, I spent most of my time raising my  3 kids and taking care of my  retirement home business  s o there was no time nor money to spend on leisure or  travel. I made sure all the 3 kids were finished with college before starting to travel. My first trip for pleasure was with my mother after my father died. As soon as we buried my father in the Philippines, I took m

The Thinker, Joseph Klibansky Artzuid Sculpture Biennale formally opens on July 1st in Amsterdam. This outdoor sculpture exhibition features 50 works by international artists and local Dutch talents. There are works by Jaume Plensa, Joseph Klibansky and KAWS, among others, installed along a 5-kilometer stretch in Amsterdam Zuid. Artzuid 2021 runs through October 17, 2021.  Here are some of the pieces that I was lucky to see prior to the July 1st opening. Dragers van Verre. Nelson Carrilho. 1989 Pickle. Sarah Lucas  The Big Traveler, The Big Watcher. Jean Marie Appriou KAWS with the Rijksmuseum in the background. La Forêt Noire. Jaume Plensa. 2019 La Forêt Noire. Jaume Plensa. 2019 La Forêt Noire. Jaume Plensa. 2019 Sisters. Marieke Bolhuis. 2021 Utopia. Atelier van Lieshout. 2020 Roaming Russia II. Ursula von Rydingsvard. 2019 Darwin. Atelier van Lieshout. 2008 Liberty for all. Fernando Sanchez Castillo. 2020 Appropriation Apropos. David Bade. 2021 Studio Leiko Ikemura 10 Heads from 10

At the Hilmar Cheese Company, learn all about cheese making and then some.  From the cow To the processing plant To your table It’s the story you’ll want to hear about and savor. And take home with you. Cheese is actually good for you. It’s rich in calcium and protein. Hilmar also has a café. My favorite is their Bacon me crazy grilled cheese sandwich. It’s so good! Check out their menu here:  https://www.hilmarcheese.com/cafe/ Hilmar  Cheese Company 9001 North Lander Avenue, Hilmar, California (off State Highway 99) hilmarcheese.com ***** Images by TravelswithCharie

Love lavender. It makes my clothes smell heavenly. It has a soothing effect. It also has culinary uses. Have you ever tried lavender flavored muffins or cakes? Yum! Mid-June is a good time to visit a lavender field. The color of the lavender flowers are just turning a deep purple. The varying hues of the lavender field also depends on sunlight. If you’re taking photographs, it’s best to take them from different directions and perspectives to catch the best light. Pageo Farms is on 11573 Golf Link Road in Turlock, California. It’s off of Highway 99 between Modesto and Merced in the Central Valley. They have a shop full of everything lavender including scented soaps, essential oil, lotion, body gel, sachets, spices and knick knacks. Check their website for more information: pageolavenderfarm.com ***** Images by TravelswithCharie 

  During its wars against Russia in the 1700s, the Swedish Parliament believed it necessary to build a fortress to reinforce its defenses and establish a naval base in Helsinki. Construction of the fortification started in 1748 on the Susiloudot Islands (now Soumenlinna) off Helsinki. They named the fortress, Sveaborg (Castle of the Swedes). Suomenlinna is a group of rocky islands connected by bridges. It has seen a succession of foreign occupation from the Swedes to the Russians before finally becoming a part of an independent Finland. Soumenlinna Church was built in 1854 as a Russian Orthodox garrison church. It was converted to the Evangelical Lutheran Church when Finland gained independence in 1917 and took ownership of Soumenlinna in 1918. The steeple is also a lighthouse for air and sea traffic. The Great Courtyard was designed by Augustin Ehrensvärd and it was the main square and administrative center of Soumenlinna since the 1760s. Ehrensvärd is laid to rest in the center of th

Winslow Homer, Saco Bay, 1896, Oil on canvas.  The Clark Art Institute, 1955.5 The Clark Art Institute The Berkshires is one of the most beautiful places in the United States. Sleepy little towns snooze amidst lush vegetation and green hills. At Williamstown, you are immediately drawn by the calm and restful appeal of this town. This is why it is so surprising to find a museum of the caliber of the Clark Art Institute in this pastoral setting. Sterling Singer Clark, heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune and his wife, Francine Clary, founded the museum in 1950. Their collection of  French Impressionist and Academic paintings including works by Renoir, Degas, Gauguin and Van Gogh form the core collection of the museum together with their silver, porcelain, drawings and print acquisitions. The museum opened to the public in 1955. Sterling Clark also had an interest in American artists and collected the works of Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent. The museum is at 225 South Street,

   Painted Ladies, Steiner Street and Hayes Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon Street   Balcutha on Hyde Street Pier Crooked Street (Lombard Street) Bay Bridge St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1111 Gough Street Yes, it’s easy to leave your heart in San Francisco. With the fog rolling in over the hills, the call of the foghorn, the chill in the air that makes you want to cuddle and the views over the bay, it’s not easy to let go. I left my heart in San Francisco High on a hill, it calls to me To be where little cable cars Climb halfway to the stars The morning fog may chill the air I don’t care My love waits there in San Francisco Above the blue and windy sea When I come home to you San Francisco Your golden sun will shine on me. I left my heart in San Francisco, Tony Bennett, Columbia Records For more information about San Francisco, visit  https://www.visitcalifornia.com/places-to-visit/san-francisco/ Or  https://sfgov.org/visitors ***** Images by TravelswithCharie