The late Rick Nelson once sang about being a traveling man:

I’m a travelin’ man who made a lot of stops
All over the world.
And in every port I owned a heart
Of at least one lovely girl.

Well, except for the lovely girl in every port, I can certainly relate.  I grew up in a traveling family, and the bug to move around has remained with me.

Realizing I haven’t updated this site in months, and that I’ve been doing a lot of traveling of late, I figured a short post ought to keep the site from growing too many cobwebs.

In fact, I think I’ll add another post after this one, to describe what I’ve been doing in the world of photography.  But, that’s for later.

It’s only February, and already this year I’ve traveled to San Francisco, Boston, and Denver.

View of Denver Train Station Terminal

This weekend I’ll be headed to Florida.  And, because I’ve found that I almost have to take a vacation, I’ve booked a trip to Hawaii in April.  Will I find myself somewhere new in March?  Time will tell.

Sadly, I haven’t been able to photograph as much as I’d like. I thought the trip to Boston might yield some good shots, but I wound up arriving just before the first (of many) blizzards hit New England, and forced me to remain largely indoors.  I caught a cold just as I was leaving for Denver, and by the second day there, just didn’t feel up to exploring.  The Rockies will have to wait for me another day.

It looks wet, but it’s not. I call it “Spilled Milk.”

I almost expect that I won’t get many shots in Florida, although my camera will be with most. At least most of the time.

Stay tuned.

Well, since this is my blog, and I write for no one but myself (if you happened upon this by accident, then welcome), I guess it’s okay to blow my own horn and pat myself on the back when I feel the occasion deserves it.

This is one such occasion.

Last Saturday, I was “invested” into the Order of Salvador, a chivalric order created by the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida to recognize and honor those who have been supporters and contributors.  I have been one such for nearly three decades.

Newly Knighted

When I received the “command” (invitation) to attend and be knighted, I was both surprised and honored.  I never expected the museum to bestow any sort of honor on me.  No, it has been my pleasure over the years to attend the annual dinner, and donate here and there to support the conservation of some of the artist’s masterpieces.

So, I flew to St. Petersburg, tuxedo in hand (in a manner of speaking), and was knighted by Brad Morse, son of the late Reynolds and Eleanor Morse, the museum’s founders.  I was presented with a medal to wear at museum events, “chivalrous events” and “affairs of state.”

Knight of the Order of Salvador

The entire ceremony took about two and a half hours. There was first a cocktail social for about 45 minutes, and then I and several others were invested or “elevated” (promoted).  We then enjoyed coffee and sweets, and the deed was done.

I then returned to my hotel, changed into my street clothes, and went out to enjoy dinner.

In the grand scheme of things, this won’t change the orbit of the earth or bring on world peace, but it’s a meaningful honor to me, and I’m delighted to have been awarded it.

As a postscript, this was a great opportunity for me to renew my “authentication” of a lithograph I’ve owned since 1980.  If it proves to be a real Dalí, I plan to donate it to the museum!

Numbered (42 of 150) and signed lithograph

I just returned from my second trip to Iceland.

Why Iceland, you ask? Good question.

Up until a few years ago, I wouldn’t have thought of traveling to a land whose name suggests an inhospitable, desolate, barren waste.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Here is the “slug” from the official website of Iceland: “Iceland is a unique destination that offers pristine nature, breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture.” It is all that, and more.

Often referred to as the “land of fire and ice,” Iceland is a small, north Atlantic island formed by volcanic activity.  It sits on the “Mid-Atlantic Ridge,” which is a fancy way of saying that it straddles the American and Eurasian tectonic plates.  As a result, there is a lot of tectonic activity that generates earthquakes, volcanoes and the superheated water below the surface of the crust that provides much of the country’s hot water and electricity. That’s the fire.  The ice comes from its location on the globe (Reykjavik, the capital, is the world’s northernmost).  Besides volcanoes, Iceland is a land of glaciers, which produce some of the purest water in the world.

Descended from the vikings, Icelanders are a hardy, tenacious people. They are inventive — they have to be, to deal with sometimes harsh conditions.  They have a very down-to-earth view which imbues them with a wry sense of humor.

Iceland is becoming a haven for filmmakers! If you have seen Tom Cruise’s “Oblivion,” Ben Stiller’s “Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” or the Ridley Scoot Alien-prequel, “Prometheus,” you have seen scenes of Iceland.  The upcoming (when this was written) Russell Crowe feature “Noah” also had filming done in Iceland.

American astronauts training for their first moon landing trained in Iceland, as NASA felt the lava-rich environment best approximated the moon’s surface.

And the food!  I was not a fancier of lamb until I went to Iceland.  Icelandic lamb sets the bar against which all others are measured!

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as there are more lambs in Iceland then there are people (estimated population is 320,000 – in a land approximately the size of Virginia or Ohio). Sheep are loosed into the mountains in the spring and left to graze on grasses, herbs, flowers, etc.  They are herded in the fall — no GMO here!

Seafood is, of course, the prime food, but they national snack is the hot dog!  Their hot dogs have a crackling casing, a moist texture and flavor, and they serve them in a bun with onions, bacon bits, ketchup, mustard and mayo (all are optional. But why not?).

To access some of the more foreboding places, like the Dettifoss waterfall depicted above, one takes a ride in a “Superjeep.” The Icelanders know how to build rough-terrain vehicles, and arctic and antarctic explorers come to Iceland to learn how to make their own.

Truth be told, I don’t know how to answer the question, “why Iceland?”  All I can say is that it’s a remarkable place, full of amazing sights, amazing people, and amazing food.  This was my second trip.  I hope it’s not my last.