Running Around in Riga

Troy had a trip up to riga, Latvia this week, and was able to walk around the Old Town and capture a few of the amazing sights in this Baltic center.

Going Dutch

Two days in Amsterdam left a little room for going out and exploring the city.  Here are some of the scenes around the city. As I go back to Amsterdam now, I realize just how amazing this city is – with its endless canals, boutique shops, and international cuisine.

Discovering Cyprus

Troy traveled to Cyprus for business and had an afternoon to explore the capital city of Nicosia. It was a strange trip from the start, missing his flight from Athens. And this odd experience didn't stop during his stay, having never seen water on the island - arriving at night and departing at 3 am. Nicosia is said to be the only country capital in the world that is still divided. You remember the struggle between the Greeks and the Turks...well it lives on in Cyprus today. The capital is literally split through the middle, with the UN buffer zone (in some cases less than 100M) between the two sides. I'm told I can pass easily from side to side with a US passport, but I wasn't going to try it before my flight. I walked the entire perimeter of the buffer zone, and you have an amazingly beautiful city that is absolutely war torn. I'm not talking just about bullet holes in the walls. I'm talking about the sand bag bunkers still through the main streets of town, the UN officers asking me not to take photos, and much of the area within two blocks relegated to warehouses as the local government gives away the space to fund the restoration of downtown Nicosia. I believe there is a reluctance to rebuild, only to see it torn down again. The primary conflict that led to the divided city ended 35 years ago, yet it still lives on in the day to day lives of those in Cyprus. I tried to show you some of the beauty, as well of some of the conflict that goes on today in Nicosia.

Sunday in Moscow

The statue of Pavel Tretyakov, in front of the gallery with the largest collection of Russian art in the world - painting, sculpgure, and rooms & rooms filled with Russian icons.

Looking at the Kremlin from across the Moskva river. A scene from inside the GUM Mall (who says capitalism has not reached Russia).

Scenes from the Moscow Metro, with each station looking like a mini gallery - with sculptures, art deco lighting, and remnants of the Soviet Union. First and foremost, the metro is a defensive tool against nuculear attack. Each station contains large steel doors and the network has the capacity to support 1 million people for a month. Trains can take Moscovites up to 100 KM outside of the city.

Moscow - The Highlight St. Basil's

Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1552, St. Basil is one of the best known icons of Moscow. Legend has it, Ivan was so amazed the beauty, that he had the architect blinded so that he could never design anything as exquisite again. It was closed for renovation, but the outside is stunning enough.

Moscow - AMAZING Red Square

Red Square and the lights of Christmas. In the center is a tree and a large ice skating complex. In the distance, you see the Russian Historical Museum, and one of Moscow's largest and poshest malls - GUM all lit up. There are also pictures of the reconstructed Kazan Cathedral, and the Resurrection Gate.

Around Red Square and central Moscow

A surprising winter sunset over Moscow, and a look at some of the 27 towers that surround and protect the Kremlin. Red Square was first and foremost a market square, and the Kremlin was where the village went when invaders came. Also above is the "Yellow House" - Moscow's version of the White House - where Putin works, and I believe resides.

Moscow - Inside the Kremlin

I am told that Moscow often has no more than 10 days of blue sky during the long Winter months, so I consider myself very luck that on my first visit I find a sunny yet bitter cold day. -3 below is -30 in other places. My face was so numb at times I couldn't talk. But the Kremlin provided some shelter in the form of amazing churches and the famous armory, where there was an endless display of royal outfits, weapons, and one of the largest collections of carriages in the world.

In the center of the Kremlin there are at least 6 churches, all form different centuries, showing off the amazingly different architectures and design. Included in the photos are the Cathederal of the Annunciation, and The Great Bell Tower of Ivan the Terrible

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Troy's new favorite little European city. Ljubljana is in the heart of the alps, just east of the Italian city of Venice. The small country is covered with 70% forest, and its capital is alive and exciting, yet safe and picturesque. During a business trip, we covered most of the country in one day - driving 90 min to the coast, and then 60 min to the south - near the Croatian border.