Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal  Part 3
Following my guided tour to Bangladesh and Bhutan in February 2025, I took a short flight along the Himalaya Range, over Sikkim State of India, to Kathmandu, Nepal.  I spent only four days there, as I've trekked in the Himalayas of Nepal on two earlier trips, in 1999 and 2007.

   Nepal is almost entirely mountainous, having eight of the ten highest peaks in the world, including Mt. Everest, which I've now seen three times.  It's only about half the size of Wisconsin, extending 500 miles from east to west and 90-150 miles from north to south.  It has only 30,000 people, but it is growing at 3.7% per year, which will lead to it doubling in population in only 18 years.
​
   Nepal had a monarchy until 2008, after which it became a republic.  It is multi-ethnic, with Hinduism being the main religion, even though Buddha was born there.
​

Flying along the Himalayas, just west of Mt. Everest

The tallest mountain is Mt. Everest, at 29,002 feet high.

Rice terraces on the outskirts of Kathmandu

Farm houses outside Kathmandu

Just a bit of pollution in Kathmandu

Five young ladies in The Garden of Dreams in Kathmandu (where I dreamed that American ladies would dress like them rather than wearing "rags")

Unesco site of Bhaktapur, the royal palace of the Malla kings of Nepal, started in 1427 A.D.

The architecture is simply stunning.

Ditto in this photo

Still more, wondering if it will never end

Nope, only with this photo

Except for this beautiful woman

And this elegant couple

A happy little girl

"OK, WHERE is the short?"

Swayambu Temple, also known as the Monkey Temple because of the ubiquitous monkeys living there

The "eyes" of this stupa represents the "all-seeing" nature of Buddha.

Prayer wheels These monkeys seem to like each other.

The guy who owns this bus just might have something there Patar Durbar Square, with 21 gold pinnacles, was started in 1637 A.D.

Patar Durbar Square

The approaching man is not impressive sartorially...but the two women, WOW!

This is a Hindu crematorium site, where up to 11 bodies are burned, after which the ashes are tossed into the river...very much unlike Evergreen or Calvary Cemetery in Manitowoc

It. was surreal to be so close to the burning bodies.

Many Hindu men hang around the crematorium, usually attired a bit unusually.

​Epilogue 

  I was born too late.  Given that I never want to leave Wisconsin and that I love mountains so much, I should have lived here 1.8 billion years ago when the Baraboo Range and the Penokee Range near Hurley were about as tall as the Himalayas.  It would have saved me lots of money traveling there five times, including twice to the Karakoram Range of  Pakistan, my favorite mountains, sometimes considered part of the Himalayas. 
​ 
   One of the greatest regrets of my life is not climbing mountains earlier.  My first "big" summit was Mt. Rainier in Washington, at 14,410' in 1973.  Next was Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, at 19,840' in1993.  My most grueling climb was Ampato in the Peruvian Andes, where I reached 20,100' of that 20,600' peak with no supplemental oxygen and eight pounds of hiking boots on each foot and only 43% of sea-level oxygen content at age 57 in 2000.  My guide told me, pointing out the summit, "Dale, there is the summit. You can probably make it but you will likely die before getting back down."  He sensed that I had serious mountain sickness coming on, so I immediately told him, "That's it, let's head back down, as I achieved my main goal, climbing higher than 20,000 feet." Going down to our camp I couldn't walk a straight line and fell over 20 times from sheer exhaustion.  The next day I spent in bed from weakness.  But, it was one of my favorite experiences of my life.

   The Rockies are great, as are the Cascades and the Sierra Nevadas, and the Andes, but the Himalayas are, at least for me, the pinnacle (no pun intended).  Go there...if you can, even at 83.

Next up: England and Scotland

DALE SIEVERT

​Part 2--Bhutan

   Bhutan packs a punch for such a small country, only a quarter of the size of Wisconsin with about 800,000 people.  It is all tucked into the Himalaya Mountains, so it has tons of beauty, natural as well as architectural.  It is a kingdom, with 75% of the people practicing the state religion of Buddhism, and 23% being Hindu.  It is the only country in the world that is carbon negative, partly because their constitution requires at least 60% of the land area be forested. Manufacturing facilities are practically non-existent, as agriculture and forestry dominate the economy.  Ostensibly, the country is not wealth-seeking, as the government seeks to measure not GDP (Gross Domestic Product), but GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness).   However, as polygamy is legal, I was often trying to figure out how the latter would not work against the former.
​

In the distance is the statue of the Great Buddha Dordenma.

The statue is 169 feet high and was built in 2006.

Simtokha Dzong Fort, built in 1628, but is now a monastery.

Druk Wangyal Llhakhang Temple at the 10,171 foot-high Dochula Pass

109 chortens were built in honor of the military that thwarted a coup in 2003.

Paro Dzong (or fortress), built in 1645, but is now a monastery

The interior of Paro Dzong

Punakha Dzong, built in 1638

The cylinder is a prayer wheel, which is rotated by hand while praying

Interior of the monastery complex

Three monks who live in the monastery

Three locals wearing traditional Bhutanese menswear

In Paro, where strict building codes are in effect that prohibit "the unusual"

Buddhist prayer flags, commonly seen in Bhutan

One of several unusual road signs I saw to encourage safe driving

Man in traditional dress

Tiger's Nest Monastery, 10,240 high, built in 1692

A bit of a road hazard

Sort of an unusual shop

I've seen sex shops before...but this one takes the cake

A man in traditional dress doing his shopping

Three young girls, destined to be the three wives of some man?

Yes, even "traditional" men can become phone addicts.

Two young monks

Two more young monks, one probably an addict

​
Epilogue
   Happy people, contributing to a high Gross National Happiness?  Extremely friendly and hospitable, as I read several comments say?  I can't say that I saw either.  Actually, very poor Bangladesh seems to be the "winner" in the GNH "sweepstakes," though, of course, I experienced a tiny sample size in both countries, and my "evidence" was highly anecdotal, so possibly a bit overstated.  Still, it was fun and interesting to observe the thousands of people in both countries going about their daily routines.
   And I surely loved the architecture of Bhutan and the sartorial excellence of its people, without a single torn garment, so lamentful back home.

Next up is Nepal.

DALE SIEVERT (GULLIVER)

Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal         
February 2025

   In February 2025 I took a tour with Lupine Travel to the first two of these three countries.  Then I flew to Kathmandu, Nepal where I spent four days on my own.

Part 1  Bangladesh
   Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan following independence from India in 1949.  That independence also led to the establishment of West Pakistan, 800 miles to the west of East Pakistan.  A 1971 war between India and East Pakistan finally led to the new state of Bangladesh.
   Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.  It has 171 million people (29 times as many as Wisconsin's 5.96 million) living on 148,450 square miles (2.3 times that of Wisconsin's 65,400 square miles).
​
   It is a parliamentary republic, with 91% of the population being Islam and eight percent Hindu.  Its main industry is textiles, and it is the second largest exporter of ready-made garments in the world.
   Very few Americans visit Bangladesh, as well as other Western residents.  Therefore, I experienced a unique situation where so many people were surprised to see me (and my fellow travelers).  So many of them wanted to have photos taken with us, and they were very hospitable and friendly.  

National Assembly in Dhaka

Dhakeswari Temple, built in the 12th Century by King Ballal

Living in a poor country doesn't mean the ladies have to look like "poor Westerners" with ragged pants (to make them look, what?, cool? Not. Editorial comment by DS).

Ahsan Manzil Museum in Dhaka, built in the early 20th Century

Cleaning fish using a knife attached to concrete in the Kawranbayar Market in Dhaka

Mosque in Dhaka

Two boys who were visiting the mosque

Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka, built in the 17th Century. It was closed so we couldn't get close..

EVERY bus I saw in Bangladesh had been in a crash...or two or three.

A college in Dhaka

A beautiful contemplative woman

A beautiful non-contemplative woman

This family asked for a group photo with me.

Panam Nagar in Sonargaon, the thousand-year-old first capital of what is now Bangladesh, with a hundred old buildings still standing

Boro Sardar Bari palace in Sanorgaonn

We took one of these old decrepit ferries on an overnight cruise on the Barisal River, sleeping in a tiny room while mass numbers of "ordinary folks" slept in hallways and decks. Those of you who take "real cruises," eat your hearts out!

Taken from the upper deck on our boat at sunset...in heavily polluted air, explaining why so many people were coughing, I suppose. An experience NOT to be missed!

The melding of "basic transportation" and elegance in attire, often seen in developing countries...but never in Wisconsin.

A small personal craft (houseboat?) on the Barisal River

There are many brickyards along the Barisal River.

Many woodworking shops line the Barisal River in the city of Barisal.

Floating vegetable market in Barisal

I did NOT take a shower in this makeshift public "shower stall."

This man makes knives and various other tools in his small shop.

So, yes, I DID survive Bangladesh and left for Bhutan on this plane.

 EPILOGUE
Since I was a "yout," I often looked at Bangladesh (then, East Pakistan) on my globe and wished I could visit it.  Well, that's another "itch" that I've scratched...and it felt so good.  As I find on so many trips to developing countries, we have it "pretty good" here, so stop complaining so much.

Next up, Bhutan

Mexico and Costa Rica--January 2025
   Part 2  Costa Rica

   I last visited Costa Rica in 1989, so I was overdue to see some new sights and to revisit some old favorites.  It was a relatively short trip, given that I flew there after visiting Mexico City.
​
   Costa Rica is considered to be the prime country of Central America, given its great physical beauty based on its mountainous rainforests (about 25% of the country) and contact with the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  It has five million inhabitants (to Wisconsin's six million) living on about 20,000 square miles (to Wisconsin's 65,000), so it is more densely populated.  It is relatively peaceful, with a stable democracy and no army, contrary to its neighbors.  Thus, we don't hear of "illegal immigrants" flocking here from Costa Rica.

Cathedral of Costa Rica in San Jose

National Theater of Costa Rica

Just a pretty building

Irazu Volcano, 11,260 feet high

A building designed by Gustave Eiffel, who also built the Eiffel Tower

Basilica of Los Angeles in Cartago

One of countless beautiful valleys in Costa Rica

Ruins of The Immaculate Conception of Vjarras, built from 1561-1693

Unidentified pretty flower in Lankester Botanical Garden

Iglesia (Church) de Rafael Archangel in Zarcero

Interior of the church

Windows in the church

A nice view

Topiary outside the church

Epilogue

   Costa Rica is beautiful, safe, interesting, and inexpensive.  So, when are you going?

DALE SIEVERT

Mexico and Costa Rica--January 2025
Part 1--Mexico City and Puebla

​In January 2025 I took a sort of "cleanup trip" to see places in Mexico and Costa Rica that I missed on several earlier trips.  First I visited Mexico City for four days, then took a day trip to the colonial city of Puebla, two hours southeast of Mexico City.  Finally, I flew to Costa Rica for a week's visit there.
   
What is now Mexico City began in 1325 A.D. when the Mexica people, also known as the Aztecs, settled on an island in Lake Texcoco.  It grew to a very large city by April 1519 when the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez conquered the Aztec capital.  The Aztecs would be stunned to learn that the modern Mexico City, at an altitude of 7350 feet above sea level, has 20 million people, living in sort of a bowl surrounded by mountains
      

Palacio de Belles Artes, an Art Deco and Neo-classical cultural center built in 1904

Casa de los Azualejos, the 18th Century Baroque palace of Court of the Valle de Orizabe

Metropolitan Cathedral in the center of Mexico City, begun in 1573

National Palace, begun in1522, which resides next to the Cathedral.

Model of Templo Mayor, the center of the Aztec capital

Ruins of Templo Mayor, done by the Spanish, who then built on top of the rubble, including the Cathedral seen in the background

Interior of a colonial Catholic church in the trendy Coyocan neighborhood

One of countless beautiful doors in Mexico City

The Gardens of Xochimilco, now a tourist site, comprise 100 square miles of that were built by the Aztecs on mats woven from reeds for purposes of growing various crops.

Popocateptl, an 17,808-feet high volcano between Mexico City and Puebla

The Cathedral of the city of Puebla was built in the 1600s.

   So many Americans told me they would never, ever, consider visiting Mexico because of the crime, poverty, filth, etc.  I found Mexico City and Puebla (and I went through many parts of both cities) to be clean, with traffic no worse than in the US, and with countless beautiful old colonial buildings as well as modern buildings.  Those fearful folks are missing a lot.  I'm sure glad I didn't.

DALE SIEVERT

Hi!
​My name is BAMBI!

I just wanted to thank  you Dale, for making this really neat bed for me.  I know you probably spent jillions of dollars to make it just perfect. Sorry I had to leave so soon but Mom called me and I had to go.  I told her all about it!  She was just happy to know I was safe.  I'm telling all my friends so maybe you will have another visitor soon.  

Remember there are a lot of rocks and stuff you can trip on here, so
​BE CAREFUL!
​Love Bambi 

_____________________________________

This is a scenario that many people encounter in their gardens each spring. The reality of a fawn nestled amongst flowers and shrubs is a common and fascinating occurrence in nature.

While "Bambi" in this story is quite the articulate visitor, the real reasons for a fawn's solitary stay are just as compelling.

A mother deer, or doe, will intentionally leave her fawn in a location she deems safe, such as a garden, while she forages for food. This seemingly risky strategy is actually a clever survival tactic. Fawns are born with a dappled coat that provides excellent camouflage, blending them in with the surrounding vegetation. They also have very little scent, making it difficult for predators to detect them.

By staying away, the mother avoids leading predators to her vulnerable offspring with her own stronger scent. She is usually not far off and will return periodically to nurse her young. The fawn's instinct is to lie very still, even when approached, which can sometimes be misinterpreted as a sign of injury or abandonment. However, in most cases, the fawn is healthy and simply waiting for its mother's return.

It is crucial for anyone who discovers a fawn to remember the advice "Bambi" gives: "BE CAREFUL!" and, most importantly, to observe from a distance. Interfering with a healthy fawn by getting too close, touching it, or attempting to "rescue" it can do more harm than good. It can cause the fawn significant stress and may even deter the mother from returning.

If a fawn is in immediate danger, such as being on a busy road, or appears visibly injured, the best course of action is to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center or the state's wildlife agency for guidance.

So, while Dale's "really neat bed" may not have cost jillions, his quiet stewardship of the garden provided a perfect, temporary sanctuary for a young deer—a true act of kindness to his wild neighbors.

This charming story serves as a wonderful reminder of the surprising and delightful moments that nature can bring to our own backyards.

DALE SIEVERT

Tour Dale Sievert's Garden

The Japanese Garden

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

A Japanese garden was Dale Sievert's initial inspiration, and the one that he's built for himself is a marvel. In the shade of a striking katsura tree and surrounding maples and lindens, Dale created a Japanese garden with classic elements, including a raked gravel garden, an azumaya (viewing house), a stream with an arched bridge, small ponds fed with bamboo waterspouts and a lower reflecting pool.

Staircase Up the Slope

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

A gently inclined stone staircase with a rustic wooden railing climbs past terraced pocket gardens—a bog; a stumpery; and perennial beds of ferns, horsetail, and meadow rue.

Winding Paths to Follow

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

​Dale collected more than 11,000 fieldstones to line his garden paths— including thousands from his gracious neighbor’s hedgerows. Some came covered in moss, and others he covered himself, attaching moss temporarily with silicone caulk until the rooting attachments, or rhizoids, clung on their own.

The Built-In Garden Shed

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

In the bank of a hill, Dale built a garden shed you could easily mistake for a hobbit house. He lined a cobblestone path with dozens of moss-filled bowls and concrete troughs. Up the slope, two containers perch on natural pedestals—rather than discard stumps when he takes down trees, Dale embraces them as part of the landscape.

Water Features

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

​Mosses don’t grow in standing water or soggy soil, but they do thrive in humid microclimates—whether created by the mist of a water feature like these cascading falls or just in the damp cracks between pavers. When it rains, mosses function like sponges, taking in and holding water with their specially adapted leaves that weave together into hydro-wicking colonies. In fact, Dale likes to show off a "magic trick" for visitors, spritzing dormant moss with water, and drawing cheers as it turns lush green in seconds.

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

This small pond, fed by a bamboo spout, is in the Japanese garden. The textural, shade-loving plants here include Japanese forest grass, hostas, golden Japanese spikenard and conifers.

Moss, Moss (and Stumps) Everywhere

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Using found materials, Dale built two benches from large stones and wood slabs, then encouraged moss to grow on them for a fairy-tale, lost-in-time look.

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Here, a hanging bark planter provides an eye-level view of mosses. When visiting a moss garden or natural moss habitat, Dale advises to take it slow. “As I often watch many on the path, few hardly give mosses a glance,” he says. “If they could, the mosses would cry, their dazzling show falling on blind eyes."

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Dale has also succeeded in cultivating moss on boulders and concrete forms like this sphere. One of the remarkable things about Dale's garden is how it brings about a feeling of calm and stillness. One intimate space or sculpture leads to another, and you start to notice how each moss is different; some form small puffy cushions while others create velvet green carpets.

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Dale has even fashioned a table from a lingering, twisty tree trunk. It's the perfect surface for more small containers and pretty stones. "Many people come through my garden and see a mass of plants," he says, "but I have lots of different species of mosses.”​

Moss in Miniature—and Growing Your Own

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

A moss bowl (or tiny pot, below) is a great way to test your hand at growing moss because the scale is modest, and you can easily move the container to seek more or less light. (Here's a full how-to guide.) Start small, be patient and match the growing conditions where the moss was gathered. Most mosses prefer some shade and moist, well-draining soil. If collecting moss, for best results, gather locally and always request permission from property owners. Conservatively collect small, 4- to 6-inch patches so the original patch will regenerate easily. If possible, leave a half inch of soil under the moss for successful transplanting.

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Other tips? Get inspired by reading Gathering Moss. Acclaimed nature writer Robin Wall Kimmerer weaves history, culture and science into a fascinating snapshot of these unique plants. Then pick up The Magical World of Moss Gardening, Annie Martin’s popular primer on growing the stuff. You can also draw visual inspiration at public gardens, like Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois, or the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, Wisconsin.

​ This story was adapted from Garden to the Max, a new book by Midwest Living contributing editor Teresa Woodard that features tours of 20 incredible private gardens. Check it out, along with other staff picks for garden gear and reading.

Dale Sievert (AKA) Gulliver

Cameroon    Part 2    November-December 2024

   In November and December of 2025 three of us toured Cameroon, a country in central Africa just north of the Equator.  On January 6th I published the first part of this Gulliver's Travels episode, so check it out for more information.  We visited several Indigenous tribes, and to me the most interesting was the Pygmy tribe, also known as the Ba'Aka.  They are about a foot shorter than Caucasians, and at times members of the taller Bantu tribe associate with them.  The Pygmies are a forest dwelling people, so they took us on several excursions into the forest to show us some basic aspects of their life.

Between tour stops we encountered a funeral.  After the burial, at least 300 people sang and danced to celebrate the life of the deceased.   

The Nynong River is one of the largest in Cameroon.  We took a leisurely trip on its placid waters in a hand-carved craft called a pirogue.

The Pygmies were showing us how they build their huts made of sticks and palm leaves.  First they clear a flat area in the forest with machetes.

This video shows the construction of the hut.

Here the tribe is celebrating the completion of the hut.

The branch of this tree holds a lot of water and can be used for hydration, obviating carrying containers of water.

​The Pygmies are animists, believing there are many "gods" or spirits associated with parts of nature.  A special one is the Spirit of the Forest, which appears about twice a year.  Here the tribe is making a costume out of palm leaves for the spirit to wear.

The Pygmies catch fish by damming a stream in two spots, then bail out the water between the dams to expose the fish.

Such effort is arduous, especially in the tropical heat and humidity.

After dark the Spirit of the Forest appears to the tribe wearing its costume.

EPILOGUE  
​
​Pictures are good for showing how cultures differ, but videos really drive home the enormous differences between them.   Americans, generally, have little clue how well off they are.  Especially to me, an economist, I find it so ludicrous how so many think they either live in poverty...or at least are not "doing well." After spending time in Cameroon I find it extremely difficult to find such people, with the obvious exception of those "living" on the street.  

​Cameroon  Part 1  November-December 2024

Dale Sievert / AKA Gulliver

  Cameroon is in "deepest, darkest Africa," just above the equator on the Atlantic coast.  It is three times the size of Wisconsin with six times the population.  As it was once a colony of France, French is spoken by 56 percent of the population, along with 68 other languages.  

   Paul Biya is the president, but he has been that since 1982 and refuses to leave, so he is actually a dictator.  Corruption is a serious matter, and I noticed that at the many police checkpoints our tour group of three encountered, perhaps 30 of them.  At eleven of them, our driver had to pay off the police.  I never did that in Wisconsin.

   My primary reason for visiting Cameroon was to visit two reserves where lowland gorillas and chimpanzees live.  Very unfortunately, both were closed to us because of either breakouts that occured or of many newborn animals that the managers did not want to be affected by tourists.  I also wanted to visit three different kingdoms of indigenous people, plus the Ba'Aka, the ethnic group also known as Pygmies.  All were highly interesting.
​
   The weather near the Atlantic was sultry, but inland it was very pleasant.   A big plus of the trip was that I saw tons of young people, something I could not have said if I visited Florida or Arizona.  Thus, I did not "catch" old age, always a fear of mine.  I also fear dying of boredom, and I certainly avoided that in Cameroon.

What I called "walking stores" are ubiquitous in Cameroon.

Fruit sellers are the most common.

I love free markets, and here it is seen in action with lots of competitive sellers.

This person has a really heavy load to bear.

I couldn't figure out what these five guys were staring at.

Get the pot ready!

I really liked the "head advertisement" of the shoe salesmen.

Ekom Falls, 262 feet high

Fisherman in his pirogue

Watch your step or you'll have ants in your pants.

Palace of the king of the Bamileke

The palace of the sultan of the Bamoun people

In a village of the Bororo people

The chief's palace in Batoffam

Making adobe-type building blocks

A heavy load of plantains, a relative of bananas

Nests of swifts under a bridge

A placid river

A waterfall that empties directly into the Atlantic Ocean

A new planting of cassava or manioc trees, the source of tapioca, obtained by grinding the roots into a mash

This woman had a long walk to haul her plantains

In a small remote fishing village, this woman was digging out the meat of shellfish.

Driving cattle to the slaughterhouse

Hand-made pirogues are very commonly used by many on the rivers of Cameroon.

Two-man teams haul sand by diving to the river bottom with 5-gallon buckets.

With a taller Bantu tribe man and two Pygmies

A typical Pygmy family hut

Pygmies make these drums and adjust them with pegs to alter the pitch

The Pygmies "fish" by building two dams, then empty the water between them to expose the fish.

This is the "Spirit of the Forest," a man in a costume made of palm leaves.

Epilogue

   Cameroon is perhaps the poorest country I ever visited, especially the area of the Pygmy tribe where I spent two days.  As I've done before when visiting poor areas, I try to determine how happy the people are.  Of course, there is no way to actually measure that, so I use "proxy variables" that might mirror happiness: how often people smile, laugh, enjoy daily activities, etc. 

The living standards of Americans, that is, the level of goods and services available to us, on average, is vastly higher than that of the Cameroon people.  If people anywhere buy "stuff" to somehow better their lives, and to make them happier, then one could logically expect Americans to smile more, laugh more, and enjoy life more than those in Cameroon...or more than Americans did when we were kids.  A LOT more, as we have a LOT more stuff. 

But, I did NOT see a vast difference in how the Pygmy people acted compared with Americans.  So, being an economist, I can't help thinking that all this enormous advance in living standards since the Industrial Revolution of the 1700s hasn't really done us much good, that is, made us much happier...or at least vastly less than one would expect.  It's like some car buff that replaces his engine with a much more powerful one to go much faster...but only allows him to go from 120 to 125 MPH.  
   

Dale Sievert AKA Gulliver

Gulliver's  Travels
Spain  and  Gibraltar  - October  2024

My cousin and I visited some phenomenal places in Iberia, including Barcelona and Granada in Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar.  The residents of the province of Catalonia, including Barcelona, speak Catalan, similar to Spanish but quite distinct.  Granada, home of the famous fort and palace of the Alhambra, was one of the last enclaves of the Moors, a mix of African Berbers, Arabs, and Spanish who established an Islamic state from 711-1492 A.D.  

The stadium and Calatrava spire for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona

National Museum of the Art of Catalonia

The unfinished La Sagrada Familia Basilica, designed by Antoni Guadi, constructed from 1882 to the present

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia

Interior of La Sagrada Familia

Ceiling of La Sagrada Familia

Park Guell, designed by Gaudi and built in 1914

In Park Guell

In Park Guell

In Park Guell

In Park Guell

Casa Mila, or "La Pedrera," by Gaudi, 1906-1912

Roof supports in the attic of Casa Mila

Roof of Casa Mila

Casa Vicens, the first major work of Gaudi, 1883-1885

Casa Batlio, on the right, a Gaudi design begun in 1904

Casa Batlio roof, with decorated ventpipes

A town on Costa Brava on the Mediterranean Sea near Barcelona

On famous La Rambla street in Barcelona

Rock of Gibraltar, east side

Rock of Gibraltar, looking east

Rock of Gibraltar, looking west to the highest point at 1398 feet

A cave inside the Rock of Gibraltar

The Alhambra, a Moorish palace and fort in Granada, Spain

The Alhambra

The Alhambra

The Alhambra

The Alhambra

Epilogue

   The Alhambra and the Rock of Gibraltar are two more "must-see" places I had to visit to avoid regrets on my deathbed that I've checked off.  Both intrigued me since being a kid eons ago, so I'm glad they are under my belt.
   
​Next up, my trip to Cameroon in central west Africa in late November and December.