Rangiroa, French Polynesia

Terceira Island, Azores -- lava formations.

A little south of party_music50's Azores, (and a lot south of casey_nfld's iceberg), waves hitting a walkway along the east end of the island of Madeira. In the first picture you can see people to get some idea of the scale of the waves. The second picture shows one of the biggest waves while I was there.

Our tour guide brought us to both ends of the walkway, but didn't want any of us to walk along it ... I guess he didn't want miserable, dripping wet tourists getting his van seats wet.

locally...2 weeks ago...

All exhilarating!

Dogwood, just north of Nashville.

Won't be seeing blossoms here in MN for a while!

Here's my pink dogwood today, in central NJ. It's chilly, rainy and nasty out and with the miserable winter we've had and the nasty weather we're expecting this week , the dogwood probably won't be fully open until next week.

Helene

Surfing at the end on Ipanema Beach in Rio

A small beach between Copacabana Beach and Ipanema Beach

On the rocks, named Arpoador, between the last two pictures.

Brazilian schoolgirls sitting on the rocks watching the waves.

Pismo Beach pier......

Bob...I lived in Rio during the mid '70s and your photos always make me homesick. Although I know Rio has changed immeasurably since I was there...and I know I wouldn't enjoy it as much these days...I swear I can still "smell" the distinct aroma of the city and the ocean. These beach photos brought some fond memories. Thank you.

Anne

Obrigado anne_ct,

I've been there three times accompanying my wife who was there for conferences or other meetings associated with a US/Brazil exchange program she was running between two universities in Brazil and two here (Ohio State and University of Virginia)

Since she was often in meetings or conferences I often spent that time traveling around the city alone. Its such a city of contrasts: the beaches, the mountains, the urban buildings, the tijuca forest, the skyscrapers and the favelas.

This is looking down from somewhere within the Santa Marta favela out over the skyscrapers below.

and looking down the length of Copacabana Beach toward Sugar Loaf.

The bridge for the trolley from Rio Centro to Santa Teresa

Tudo Bem

Ahhhh yes! The favelas! Remind you of the film Black Orpheus?

I did some volunteer work with some residential friends when I was there to help supply clothing to the leper colonies. Most people who visit Rio don't realize how prevalent the colonies are [or were then]...nor that their population usually originated from these favelas. The very saddest truth I ever took home from there was that children born in the favelas were given up for adoption immediately if they were born clean. I wept every time I thought of a young mother who so unselfishly gave up her child so it would have a "normal" life.

Obrigado, Bob.

Anne