Inspired by the photos of a blogger friend, I would like to share some of the old snapshots of my last visit to Huang Shan, China, 12 years ago. I “worked” very hard to make it to the top of the mountain, but not as hard as some of the locals who made their living by carrying people and goods up and down the mountain.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Satisfaction – Good Food
Good friends, good company, good food! Very satisfied dining with family and friends and, trying out different international cuisines: Cantonese, Mediterranean, Indian, French, Malaysian…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Unusual — the King’s Day in Amsterdam
Weekly Photo Challenge: Unusual This is a special day for the people of the Netherlands: the King’s Day, which is the King’s birthday on April 27. It happened that we were in Amsterdam that day. Besides lots of concerts, parties and events, there were lots of “free markets” everywhere in the street. You can see from the…
Weekly Photo challenge: Collage–The beautiful Palais Garnier and Marc Chagall’s ceiling
This is a copy of my post on my other Blog: Falling in Love with Arts https://wordpress.com/post/speakingabouttravel.wordpress.com/1221 This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge. The Collage I want to highlight here is the Palais Garnier, the opera house in Paris. The architect was Charles Garnier whose bold and decorative style had made…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Bridge
What is a Bridge? What does it mean to you? What are the significant facts, histories, cultural heritage, and representation of the people in those places? To me, a bridge creates connection and communication.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Heritage — Dutch Clogs (Klompen)
This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Heritage. During our recent trip to Amsterdam, we visited a clogs workshop. Take a look at these beautiful clogs. Don’t you want to bring a pair home? To wear or not to wear? That’s the question! Although clogs are worn in many cultures around the world: the Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, Swedes…
Visit to the Keukenhof Gardens, Netherlands: a unique and beautiful experience.
It was a unique and beautiful experience visiting Keukenhof, the most beautiful spring garden in the world. It is located near to Amsterdam, Holland. Very often in spring time, there are day trips available from Amsterdam. Public transportation is also very easy and convenient.
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco — Tomb Treasures, New Discoveries from the Han Dynasty
A new exhibition at Asian Art Museum in San Francisco: Tomb treasures newly discovered from the Han Dynasty of Ancient China, is a very interesting exhibition. If you travel to San Francisco between February and May 2017 do not miss this exhibition.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Rare (2)-Architecture Without Architects: Santorini, a Greek Island
This post is my second response to Weekly Photo Challenge: Rare. Please also see my first response: Weekly Photo Challenge: Rare –Architecture Without Architects: Telč, a City in Czech Republic, and my very old posts in another earlier Blog Exploring Turkey and Greece – Santorini. The four colorful pictures posted here were taken by my friend Link…
Weekly Photo Challenjnm mm ge: Rare –Architecture Without Architects: Telč, a City in Czech Republic cvs
This post is in response to Weekly Photo Challenge: Rare I just bought a book named ” Architecture Without Architects.” By Bernard Rudofsky, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1965. It is a very good book, providing a backdrop in understanding about Vernacular Architecture. It is easy-to-read with lots of B&W pictures. This youtube.com/@deniselau…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Pure
This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Pure The SFMOMA has just reopened after three years of renovation. As a member of SFMOMA for many years, I am very excited of its new look and expansion. Due to work, I was only able to visit the museum twice on Thursday nights. Both visits were…
Weekly Photo Challenge : “Spare”
“Spare” in Mother Nature, can be experienced during my travels in South America.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Now
This post is in responses to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Now Now is the time to approach the end of the year. Now is the time to reflect what I did this year. Now is the time to think of new year resolution. Now is the time to look out for opportunities. Now is the time…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Gathering
Weekly Photo Challenge: Gathering. This is the theme of this week. I found two travel photos to share. One of them shows a gathering of the actors after a show in Yunnan, China. The other one shows group of ladies all dressed up to celebrate a festival in Valencia, Spain. Both are pictures of fun…
Apsaras in the Art and Architecture of Cambodia
This post is inspired by a blogger friend Michael Lai. I had been hibernating and tonight I suddenly wanted to post something. Having seen Michael’s recent post on apsaras in Cambodia, I went back to my earlier post on this topic and found these. Angkor Wat is still one of my most favorite travel destinations….
Weekly Photo Challenge ” Vivid”: My trip to England, Wales and Scotland #1 The Rows!aqa
We are now traveling in Europe. Today I learned something new. In the Chester City of England, we saw a number of buildings with a unique architectural design: ” the Rows”. These are half-timbered buildings with rows of shops in the ground and upper floor built around the 13th century. The patterns are vivid and sharp…
Diego Velazquez’s Las Meninas , a Masterpiece of Beauty and Puzzle–My Spain Trip #6
Originally posted on falling in love….with arts:
My dream to see this painting had finally come true! This is one of my few “most desired to see” paintings. My trip to Spain last year was one of my most satisfying one. I did have the opportunity to visit three of the most famous…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Converge — My Spain Trip #5 Montserrat
This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Converge. “Photos are visual spaces where shapes and lines, objects, and people come together.” ~ Ben Huberman~ I really like this topic. To me, it is not only a photo challenge but a philosophical one. Let us look at these pictures I took at Montserrat, a multi-peaked…
Weekly Photo Challenge – Angular _My Spain Trip #4 -Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge- Angular. The picture I posted here is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which I visited last month. The museum was designed by the American-Canadian architect Frank Gehry. From the Museum’s website: “Hailed as the most important structure of its time when it opened in 1997, Frank Gehry’s…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Cover Art (1): Santorini, to dream, to relax and explore.
This is in response to this Week’s Photo Challenge: http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/cover-art/. There are so many choices in my mind! This is one of the pictures that came to my mind immediately: The cute island Santorini, in Greece. I did visit this beautiful island with family and friends, and published a book named Turkey and Greece Delights,…
My Spain Trip #3: Travel Theme Part IV – Market – Segovia. My picture framed for sale??
I was inspired by my blogger friend Michael Lai’s recent post on Dor Dor’s picture in the art gallery. How can I do something similar with just my iPad since I am still traveling? Well, here ‘s the result! My picture of the big flower sculpture “Puppy” by Jeff Koons, taken at the Guggenheim Museum…
Travel Theme: Market ( PART III) : Seafood Market in Bilbao, Spain. My Spain Trip # 2
We are now in Bilbao, a very interesting city to me primarily due to the Guggenheim Museum. But I found something very special this morning: the seafood market which was a bonus , making this morning’s city tour even more interesting. Take a look at all the fresh fish, shrimps, olives, herbs….and chicken feet! What?…
Travel Theme: Market (part II) : Jamon (Spanish ham)
Traveling in Spain right now. Hello from Barcelona ! Can’t help adding these to my MARKET collections! Yum!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Endurance
This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Endurance It is not hard to find examples of “endurance” from my travel experience. But I think this is the one that I really endured to the greatest extent up to my maximum limit. It was during my last trip to South America in December…
Travel Theme: Market
I was talking with another fellow blogger friend retireediary the other day about his self-created travel theme. I then remember in my pre-blogging days, I did start a travel website which has different travel themes instead of categorizing my travel pictures by countries or destinations. i wonder if anyone will respond to a travel theme I…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Humanity
This is in response to Thirdeyemom’s Photo Challenge: Humanity. I have followed Thirdeyemom’s blog for a while, primarily of her “humanity” approach. I did not travel as much, but like Thirdeyemom, I love to study different cultures and connections with people. For the purpose of this Challenge, I reviewed my travel websites and my blogs….
Weekly Photo Challenge- Dialogue
In response to Frederic Biver’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Dialogue, this is my entry. Delightful desserts round in shape.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Extra, Extra
In response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Extra, Extra, here are the two pictures I chose for the entries, The first picture was taken in front of the de young Museum in San Francisco. A young lady was walking towards the entrance of the museum. The poster is big, but she is small. The…
My fourth book has just been published: Turkey and Greece Delights
Turkey and Gre… Istanbul, Cappadoc… By Denise Lau, Link Lee Book Preview I co-authored this one with my friend Link who may be the next Ansel Adams! This book also has an ebook version. Download it for free now. We will charge when we post it on iBookstore in future. Most of the contents of…
The biggest prayer wheel is in Shangrila, Yunnan.
Prayer Wheel in Shangrila, Yunnan, it is the biggest in the world, “turned” by groups of dedicated Buddhists. This is a short post in response to fellow blogger: Retireediary’s recent post. http://retireediary.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/weekly-photo-challenge-on-top-of-temple-roof-inner-mongolia/#comments
Buddha Faces at Angor Wat, Cambodia
Please read this post and my previous posts on Angkor Wat, if you are interested in this subject.
Weekly Photo Challenge: “Inside” – Inside the Marcipan Museum in Szentendre, Hungary
This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside. These photos were taken inside the Marcipan Museum in Szentendre, Hungary. We were on our way to Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, and stopped by this little town which was quite attractive to tourists. Szentendre is a riverside town in Pest county,Hungary, near the capital city Budapest. It…
My Three Books are now on iBookstore
I would like to introduce to my fellow bloggers and friends my three published books which are all on iBookstore. Two are free to download to your iPad , iPhone, iPod touch or Mac Please click this link to check out my newest addition on my Eastern Europe trip. There is a link to see…
Inner Mongolia – How does it look like living in a yurt?
This post is in response to the readers of Retireediary’s recent post Inner Mongolia and Shanxi . His pictures of the Yurts have attracted many readers who are curious how the inside looks like. I had visited Inner Mongolia few years ago. My friend Link’s pictures are nice and include the inside look of the yurts where we…
My Eastern Europe trip #3 – Black Madonna of Czestochowa, Poland
The above picture is from the Wikimedia Commons When we left Warsaw on the way to Krakow, we went to Czestochowa, a place of worship visited by millions of tourists and worshipers every year. The reason why it attracted so many visitors is because of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa (Polish: Czarna Madonna or Matka Boska Częstochowska, also known as Our Lady of…
How David Hockney sees the world, with the use of technology
David Hockney, Bigger Trees Nearer Warter, Winter 2008. Oil on nine canvases (36 x 48 in. each) 108 x 144 in. http://hockney.famsf.org/exhibition-preview-and-ecards © 2013 David Hockney. Photo: Richard Schmidt San Franciscans are indeed blessed with many opportunities of appreciating interesting art shows. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (de Young Museum) ‘s “David Hockney, a Bigger Exhibition”…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Window – “Along the Fifth Avenue, NYC”
This post is in responses to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Window This is my favorite subject! I do have many choices in my collection of “windows”. Remember I had some discussions with some of you about the windows of Belvedere Palace in Vienna? Then everywhere I go, I always take pictures of windows which may be…
Highlights of my recent trip to Eastern Europe
Dear family and friends: Happy New Year! To wish you all a happy new year, I created this video with highlights of some of my photos taken in Eastern Europe. I did not have much time to write about this trip on my blogs, but hope that you would like the video and the music…
I just published my second book: Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia by Denise | Make Your Own Book Dear friends: Please join me to appreciate the architectural wonder of Angkor Wat, and the beautiful art and culture of the Cambodian people. Sincerely, Denise
I just published my first cookbook! a real book!
Dear fellow bloggers and friends, As many of you know, I am a very curious person, and cannot stop learning. I just found out a book making site : www.Blurb.com, when I was reading another blogger friend ‘s post and her publications. I cannot wait but to embark on a new project immediately. As…
Eastern Europe 2013 #2 – St. Mary’s Altar, Krakow, Poland
If you ask me what impressed me most during this trip, without hesitation, I would say ” St. Mary’s Altar.” It is called Altarpiece of Veit Stoss, at St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow, Poland. The altarpiece was carved between 1477 and 1489 by the Bavarian sculptor Veit Stoss. If you google this title, all you can see…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Infinite – Budapest by Night, My Eastern Europe Trip 2013 #1
This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Infinite. This is also #1 post of my Eastern Europe Trip of 2013. This trip was my second Eastern Europe Trip. My first one in 2009 was a more adventurous one with my best friend. We traveled by train and walked a lot. This time I…
Picasso’s Three Paintings of Women in MOMA
Originally posted on falling in love….with arts:
This was my fourth visit to MOMA, on October 7, 2013. I went with my family to Eastern Europe for two weeks and then ended in New York City where we stayed for a few days. We shopped, ate (a lot) and visited the museums. We only…
Shilin or “Stone Forest”: My Yunnan Trip #20
The final destination of our Yunnan Trip is Shilin, or Stone Forest. It is one of the “must see” sites, if you go to Yunnan. See the video and the pictures I took, and you will agree with me. Here’s a short description of Shilin, from the Wikipedia: The Stone Forest or Shilin (Chinese: 石林;…
A different interpretation of sound, noise and music in the making of videos
The first video includes two short clips of the Mendelsohn Falls. Do you like the way that I piled these two video clips together using an app called “video frame”? I found that app on my iPad and tried to see how it performed. These two videos that I took during my Alaska trip…
The Ganges River – a Place of Life and Death
Thanks to my friend Rebecca’s recent post on The River Goddess, I remember I did some exploration on the Ganges River a year ago. I was helping my sister in organizing her pictures in Shutterfly, and could not resist from going into an exploratory mood…to find out the importance of the Ganges River to the…
Sharing with you my recent Learning Experience in Publishing an e-book
A blogger friend Michael Lai in response to my last post My third e-book: An Unforgettable Trip: Angkor Wat, Cambodia on this Blog, asked if I could share my learning experience in writing an e-book. I am thrilled with this request, as Michael’s traveled everywhere around the world and his blog is always filled with high quality professional…
My third e-book: An Unforgettable Trip: Angkor Wat, Cambodia
I am happy to present to you a complete e-book this time, instead of one chapter only as in my two previous post. The pictures and contents of this e-book have been published on this blog . You may say, that is easy then. Unfortunately this is not the case. As this includes 5…
My second e-book: My South America Trip: Torres del Paine – Pantagonian Chile
Thanks to my blogger friend Janet Williams‘ creation and posting of an e-book format, and her suggestions, and thanks to another blogger friend Clanmother‘s encouragement, I have my second e-book ready for your view. It is actually only a chapter. I am not sure if I have time to work on the rest. I hope you…
Istanbul Attractions – Chapter 1 of my new e-book (coming soon) Exploring Turkey and Greece
After reading a fellow blogger Janet Williams’ post and her subsequent explanation to me how she published her e-book When Janet Met Tilly, I would like to give it a try. I have been successful up to this stage: converted a word document to a PDF format, and uploaded to Speaker Deck. Here it is:…
Asian Art Museum new exhibition Tomb Treasures #2 : Dancer Figurine and Comment by Yuan Yuan Tan, #TombPleasures
Dancer Figurine This is my second post on the Asian Art Museum new exhibition. This exhibition includes a creative approach which I personally appreciate very much. It is the “Tomb Pleasure… Source: Asian Art Museum new exhibition Tomb Treasures #2 : Dancer Figurine and Comment by Yuan Yuan Tan, #TombPleasures
2014 Blogging Review
Originally posted on Healthy and Happy:
Dear Readers: Happy New Year! Each year WordPress did a very impressive job of giving each active blog an annual report for the performance last year. As I only posted on 4 of my 6 Blogs in 2014, I got 4 reports this time. As the reports are quite…
My Notebook 