TravelswithCharie

We couldn't get into the Dale Chihuly Gallery in Las Vegas as there was a private event the afternoon of our visit so we had to make do with admiring Chihuly's works through the glass window.  The images were a challenge to take because the reflection of outdoor lights and the Lumia fountain in the central courtyard compete with the works of Chihuly.  Despite that, this group of blue glass candles or reeds of blue ( I don't know the title of this work) is a showstopper.  We saw enough to make us want to come back for more. Hopefully we'll be lucky on our next visit and get a closer look at these beautiful chandeliers that are bursting with color. You can see through the delicate glass vases and coffee table art. Notice the varying hues of orange of these floral inspired bowls. The Dale Chihuly Gallery is at Aria at City Center on the Strip in Las Vegas. *  *  * Images by Charie

Mastro's Ocean Club at Crystals Retail District It's refreshing to see how the City Center Complex has transformed the Las Vegas skyline with its brash and dynamic architecture and its fine art collection thoughtfully displayed in public spaces. I love to walk around the complex and discover a Henry Moore in one of its courtyards or a Claes Oldenburg en plein air or stop and gape at the leaning Veer Towers and be mesmerized by the incredible and colorful works of Dale Chiluly in one of the galleries. Even at Crystals Retail District there are a number of  artworks like the Ocean Club Restaurant inside a treehouse that rises up three stories (picture above).  Here are more images to give you a bird's eye view of the new Complex. Looking up at Aria Hotel from the outdoor fountains Reclining Connected Forms by Henry Moore (1969-1974)  Typewriter Eraser, Scale X by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen Tony Cragg's stainless steel sculptures Veer Towers *  *  * Im

The Watchman Long before entering park grounds, we drove through a countryside of sandstone mesas and towering cliffs of incredible colors. I was thinking that we were inside Zion National Park until we passed through the south gate and parked our car at the Visitor Center. The soaring cliffs in the photo above was our welcome committee. View from the Temple of Sinawava It was late afternoon, the heat had dissipated and most of the tourists had left for the day. We took the shuttle that goes around the park and stops at several places along the way to drop off and pick up passengers. It takes about 80 minutes roundtrip from the Visitor Center to the Temple of Sinawava which is the last stop before it returns to point of origin. I got off at Sinawava to gape at towering monoliths and get a full view of the clifftops which is a stretch to see from the windows of the shuttle. It would be a great idea to have glass roofs for these shuttles to better see the corridor of sandstone cliffs

The Grand Canyon We had this unexpected treat to fly over the Grand Canyon from Atlanta to Las Vegas last week. And we were seated on the right side of the plane to boot! It was a challenge to take these images through double glass pane windows using a simple digital camera from 32,000 feet. I had to photoshop these photos for a sharper image. The results show the incredible topography of the Grand Canyon. Notice the Colorado River cutting its way along Canyon walls. The walls are about a mile deep and 18 miles wide. To get a different perspective of the Grand Canyon, try cruising down the river in a pumpboat. There is a helicopter tour from the Western Rim that goes into the Canyon (an exhilirating ride to say the least) and drops off passengers by the water's edge where the pumpboat is waiting.  For more info go to the National Park Service website: www.nps.gov/grca Lake Mead Lake Mead is the reservoir that was created by the damming of the Colorado Rive

Ukoy It's as much about the presentation as the taste of the dishes we selected at Bistro Luneta in San Mateo. For starters we ordered the shrimp ukoy which I thought was well prepared. It was served crisp and brown and not a minute longer in the pan.   Tortang Talong The tortang talong or grilled eggplant omelette was perhaps the most visually appealing dish and as delicious as it looks above. The eggplant (the restaurant served Japanese eggplants) is topped off with sautéed ground pork like an open face sandwich. It's important that the eggplant is grilled long enough else it's too chewy which is why it may take longer to prepare it. We also had fish escabeche with teriyaki sauce. This is more appetizing to the American palate. I prefer the Pilipino version with some vinegar and soy sauce. On the whole, we enjoyed our dinner at Bistro Luneta amidst a simple zen background and convenient parking at the back of the restaurant. Recipe for ukoy:  http://putopinoy.blogs

On Takeshita Street in Tokyo From Tokyo's trendy Takeshita Street to Amsterdam's Flower Market and across Europe and the Americas then back to Southeast Asia, shopping is a journey of discovery, retail therapy for some and bittersweet parting with hard earned "dinero" for most of us. Here are some irresistible finds and incredibly beautiful shopping meccas. Flower Market In the tulip capital of the world, you can find a variety of bulbs in Amsterdam's Flower Market on the Singel. Galeries Lafayette I like to stand in the center underneath the glass dome for the best view of these balconies at the Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. Then I go upstairs to get a birds eye view of the ground floor with its perfume and cosmetic counters. O la la. Ponte Vecchio At the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, fine jewelry glitter from shop windows lining the bridge. It's a feast for the eyes and a treat just to see the beautiful pieces on display and imagin

King John's Castle in Limerick City History plays amidst spectacular surroundings and small towns enchant. Fáilte (Welcome) to Western Ireland. The River Shannon runs along the side of this 13th century fortification, King John's Castle. There's a tremendous view from the top of the cylindrical towers following the river to the green hills beyond. During the Great Seige of 1642, Cromwell's army dug mines beneath the castle walls to undermine this once mighty fortress. Invincible? Hardly. Two Writers - Galway In this imaginary scenario, two famous writers, Oscar Wilde and Eduard Wilde (from Estonia) are deep in conversation. It's anybody's guess what their talk is about. They had never met in real life. May I dare say they're exploring their "roots" since they bear the same last name? Healing Hands by Shane Gilmore Pro Cathedral of St. Peters and Paul, Ennis There are various interpretations of these limestone hands modeled from the hands of

Sea bass on a bed of vegetables with curry sauce and steamed rice One late Sunday evening in Ennis, a small town about 30 minutes from Shannon Airport, I was looking for a place to eat and happened to read the menu on the window of a "take away" place. I was famished after an exploratory walk all over town and on my way back to the hotel. After much indecision, I settled for the prawns with sweet and sour sauce and steamed rice. All for 10 euros. While waiting I noticed a steady stream of people coming in to order their dinner. When my order was ready, I received it in a plastic box. No worries about spilling. I counted at least four Asian restaurants in the center of Ennis which I thought was surprising in such a small community. But further explorations in other cities revealed the proliferation of Asian fusion restaurants. This says a lot about the culinary preferences of the locals. Here are some restaurants and a pub where I had a pleasurable dining experience. Tama

Thatched-roof cottages Twenty minutes south of Limerick City on the River Maigue is Ireland's prettiest village, Adare. It's a small town, pleasantly quiet even in mid July, at the height of the tourist season. There was a celebrity classic golf tournament going on at the exclusive Adare Manor Golf Course during my visit. But thankfully, this did not bring in the crowds. Augustinian Priory It's an easy stroll from the Augustinian Priory to Bill Chawke's Lounge Bar on the opposite end of town.  Centuries old thatched roof cottages, medieval monasteries, vine covered townhouses, the Adare Town Park and the quintessential Irish pubs line Main Street. There's no need to rush. All these places invite visitors to linger and savor the moment. At Bill Chawke's the kegs are full and ready to be served. But before saying your first "sláinte!" (to your health), consider walking the extra mile or so to the ruins of Desmond Castle, north of Adare Manor. It date

Poulnabrone dolmen in The Burren Gadling reports that Ireland has recently proposed seven sites to be included in the Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage nomination. Among these are The Burren and Western Stone Forts which I just visited last week (an article appears below). The other five sites are the Historic Center of Dublin, the Céide Fields and North West Mayo Boglands, The Monastic City of Clonmacnoise and its Cultural Landscape, Early Medieval Monastic Sites, and the Royal Sites of Ireland including Cashel and Tara Complex. I'm happy to read this report as Ireland is one beautiful country with supernatural scenery and rich history.  The inclusion of its seven sites in the Tentative List would be well deserved. For more on this story follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/348cacb * * * Image by Charie

The Cliffs of Moher On my first trip to Ireland, I knew exactly what I wanted to see; the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren.  So on my first full day in County Clare, I set out to discover this region of contrasts - from green, pastoral countryside to the limestone terrain of The Burren to the blue waters of Galway Bay crashing against the coast on its journey to the Atlantic.  Over time the frigid waters of the ocean carved the stunning walls of the eight kilometer long Cliffs of Moher. Leamenagh Castle We passed by the ruins of Leamenagh Castle on our way to The Burren. This was once the home of Conor and Maire Rua O'Brien of the mighty O'Brien clan. Lord Conor died after he was mortally wounded by Cromwell's army in 1651. It is said that his wife Maire refused his dead body until she realized he was still breathing and she cared for him till the next day when he passed away.  Fiery Mary Rua (the redhead) feared the loss of her castle so she offered to marry a willing Cro