Glenda Cook

Glenda Cook

traveled in 69 countries Read more🇺🇸Asheboro

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Iceland Adventure
Hot Water from the Earth--Geysir
February 12, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °F
We drove west to Geysir without incident and checked into the hotel. After putting our luggage in our bungalow, we walked up to the Stroker geyser and took photos. Then we had dinner at the restaurant. There were only one or two other people dining there. Glenda had a steak sandwich and I had fried cod with Icelandic lobster with a white wine from Chile. We returned to the bungalow for an early bedtime after a wonderful, yet challenging day. This place gave its name to all of the geothermal fountains in the world "geysers." However, Icelanders give the first syllable a long "a" sound, not the long "i" sound it has attained in America. This morning we awoke in Geyser at 8:00 am after twelve hours of sleep to a mystically beautiful sunrise that I photographed. Our room had been a bit cool overnight, and Glenda discovered that we had slept through a -10 degree C night with a window partially opened! After breakfast she checked out while I got one more video of the Strokker geyser without a bunch of giggling Japanese teen agers in the shot. In Iceland many homes and building are heated geothermally. I was quite surprised that the interiors of all of the buildings are heated to the mid-70's F. Their rooms are warmer than those in the United States. Another factor to consider is that native Icelanders rarely go outside their homes in the winter unless it is an absolute necessity.Read more
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Iceland Adventure
Gullfoss
February 12, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °F
The waterfalls were magnificent, though partly frozen. Gullfoss was the coldest place we had seen. The temperature was -10 degrees F with a 20 mph wind. There were crowds of people trekking down the long, steep stairway to photograph the falls. I took my photos as quickly as I could because in the five minutes I had removed my gloves, my hands and fingers became numb. I was as cold as I have ever been. My eyes watered and the tears froze on my face. Glenda said I had a small icicle on my nose. She did not go all the way down to the observation area, but returned to the cafe because of the cold. When I returned to meet her there we shared a cup of hot chocolate.Read more
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Iceland Adventure
Forty-dollar Hamburger in Hvolsvellur
February 12, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 27 °F
This morning we left Kirkjubaejarklauster on moderately slick roads that got worse as we left town. We did go into the town to find a basalt formation, a large, flat area called “the church floor.” However, since the town was covered with snow we could not find it. We took a photo of the lovely Lutheran church then left town. I held a speed of about 70 kph all the way to Hvolsvollur, where we stopped to eat lunch at an N1 gas station. Our only stop before that was to photograph the black beach and rock formations at Reynisfjara. According to legend, a three-masted ship ventured too close to some trolls on the beach. The trolls turned the ships and their sails into rock. As we left highway 1 we turned north on highway 30 just east of Selfoss. The roads became dangerously slick. An added problem was outside the one well traveled track in the middle of he road, there were piles of snow deep enough to impede the forward progress of the car. There were no other cars around. I could not decide whether the absence of other drivers was a blessing or a curse. On one hand, if I had an accident, I would injure no one else. On the other hand, if I had a mishap or a breakdown, there would be no one to come to our aid. This situation continued until we reached highway 35 west of Gullfoss.Read more
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Iceland Adventure
Vik and Reynisfjara
February 12, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 36 °F
Vik has a small clothing store featuring "ice wear." Glenda went inside and found some beautiful and functional clothing, all of which was very expensive. I filled up the tank, but found that because of the requirement to buy a pre-paid gas card, I will not used nearly all of the gasoline I have purchased. We saw white snow on a black basalt beach where I photographed the rocks at Reynisfjara, a three-masted ship turned into stone by trolls, according to legend.Read more
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Iceland Adventure
Jokullsarlon Ice Caves
February 11, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 34 °F
The staff at Hotel Laki woke us about midnight because the aurora borealis was active, We bundled up, went outside, and found a small group with cameras. It seems that the aurora was not visible, but it could be photographed with an exposure of 30 seconds, f4, ISO 400 or better. I took a few shots that at least show the aurora, though without much detail, then returned to bed. We rose at 6:45 am. The hotel staff graciously prepared breakfast half an hour early for us because they knew we needed an early start. We were on the road to Jokullsarlon by 8:30 am. Ice covered the roads, but they improved as we traveled farther east. We arrived at Jokullsarlon at 10:45 am, one hour before we were to meet our guide for the photographic excursion into the ice caves. There were a dozen members of our group from all over the world, all under forty except Glenda and me. We chatted in the store with new friends from China, Greece, Germany and England before Oskar our guide loaded us all into a huge Toyota swamp buggy. We went maybe 3 km east then turned off the road and went another 4 km off road. Donning helmets, we walked another half hour over volcanic terrain that looked like the surface of the moon. Glenda held her camera in her hand and took many shots documenting our excursion. I chose to set up my tripod, take great care with my camera settings, and try for fewer shots of especially appealing ice formations. After an hour and a quarter we reversed course, walked back to the van, and returned to Jokullsarlon. Glenda and I lunched on bread, cheese and nuts we had brought with us, as we removed layers of clothing for the return trip to Hotel Laki. Throughout our visit to the ice caves the temperature remained at about 27 degrees F with light winds and bright sunlight. The weather was perfect. On the trip back to the hotel, in spite of a few quick stops to photograph villages, we returned in less than two hours. The trip out this morning took over three hours. Obviously, road conditions had improved greatly. We straightened up our room, and put away our ice cave gear before enjoying another delicious supper. Glenda had arctic char, and I had lamb with another glass of the same Italian wine as last night. We felt a great sense of accomplishment in that we had completed successfully the excursion that was our main objective in visiting Iceland.Read more
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Iceland Adventure
Kirkjubaejarklaustur and Hotel Laki
February 10, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 32 °F
We were the only car on the road, and it was getting dark and cold, so I decided to go straight to the Hotel Laki rather than going to see a portion of Skaftafell National Park. Primitive on the outside, the Hotel Laki's interior is all modern Scandinavian decor. We had a lovely dinner of vegetable lasagna, and Italian wine, finished with strawberry ice cream and coffee. We chatted with an Icelandic family on vacation seated at the next table then photographed each other. Finally we returned to our room to prepare for tomorrow’s adventure in the ice caves at Jokullsarlon.Read more
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Iceland Adventure
Refuge in Selfoss
February 10, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 28 °F
We stopped for lunch at the Kaktus Restaurant. The cook greeted us by saying, “I’m the best cook in Selfoss; she is the cutest waitress; and you ought to eat here.” All three of these statements were true. Glenda said her hamburger was the best she had ever eaten; it was seasoned with coriander. My fish and chips were also delicious. The scenery was beautiful, stark and dreadful as we went through the lava field, black deserts and black beaches. We often stopped to take photos. We filled up with Diesel fuel at Vik, where I had to be instructed in how to use an Icelandic self-serve gas pump. There was a clothing store there featuring “ice wear.” The shop had beautiful clothing, but Glenda decided she didn’t need any more clothing at this point. Shortly after 5:00 pm the snow started again, but not nearly as hard as before. The temperature dropped below freezing, the roads iced up again, and we were losing daylight. We were the only car on the road, so I decided to go straight to the Hotel LakiRead more
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Iceland Adventure
White-Out to Selfoss
February 10, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 27 °F
We received a text message at about 8:00 am saying that our luggage had been located. There was not actually a restaurant at the hotel. It was more like a mess hall with a breakfast buffet in the basement. Iceland is above all practical and utilitarian. That is one of the things we love about it. After breakfast in the basement of the Center Plaza Hotel in Reykjavik, we called the airport around 10 am and were told that our luggage was being sent to the Hotel Laki in Kirkjubaejarklauster. We told them that we were still in Reykjavik awaiting our luggage. The airline representative said that the van sent out to deliver luggage was still in Reykjavik, and that they might be able to contact him before he left for Kirkjubaejarklauster. They were able to reach the driver, and he brought both suitcases around 10:45 am. We immediately hit the road. Even though we had checked weather and road reports, just southeast of Reykjavik we hit a blinding snowstorm with 40 mph gusts. We were totally in white-out conditions on two occasions, lasting about ten minutes each. Otherwise we could barely see and had to keep on the road either by looking at the truck ahead of us or at the “priests,” marker posts on the side of the road. Visibility improved considerably as we approached Selfoss.Read more
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Iceland Adventure
Getting Settled in Reykjavik
February 9, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 34 °F
We got clothing at Haikaupt, we got chocolate cake and hot coffee at the Pearl. We convinced ourselves that we would not freeze to death. Not today, anyway. The manager there told us that the Saga Museum had moved from the airport to a spot near the boat dock. The new location was near our hotel, so we went to see a dramatic representation of the story of young Skallagrim, a boy who distinguished himself by killing his playmates, then becoming a feared Viking leader around the year 1100 A.D. We learned that some of the oldest and purest versions of the Norse sagas were Icelandic. They were less subject to change than those of Norway, whose people settled in Iceland. Across the street from the museum was the Bonus Food Store. We would be setting out on our own in a rented car, so we stocked up on emergency food. The car rental company also gave us a satellite phone to use in case of emergency. The wind in Iceland is constant. The rental car folk said that the most common damage they see is the wind ripping the doors off automobiles that are not headed upwind when the passenger opens the door. Coming back to the hotel, she checked in, and I parked our Toyota RAV 4 Diesel in a parking lot about a ten-minute walk from the Center Plaza Hotel. We unloaded our luggage, then as we were going to the car to bring in more water, Glenda saw a clothing store with Icelandic sweaters. We each bought one to cover us until our luggage was located. In the late afternoon we walked in the snow about half an hour to find the Red Cross Consignment Store, where she shopped for waterproof pants. Finding none, we went to get supper at the Fish House. I photographed it and the building next to it, just a few doors down from our hotel. It is the oldest building still standing in Reykjavik, built in the late eighteenth century. The Fish House was a bit more expensive than we had expected, so we then went to have a meal of traditional Icelandic hot dogs from the hot dog stand in the plaza. They were delicious. We came back to the room to organize our packs for tomorrow. I do hope our luggage arrives soon.Read more
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Iceland Adventure
Arriving in Iceland
February 9, 2015 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 37 °F
Glenda arrived in Reykjavik and was greeted by temperatures in the twenties, high winds, and lost luggage. Glenda was doing the best she could with a sweater until we could get to the mall to buy clothing to tide us over until the airline located our luggage, and Glenda had packed her coat, gloves, and hats in checked baggage. Air Canada lost our luggage in Toronto. Arriving in Reykjavik we went shopping at Kringle Shopping Center. We ate 3 slices of pizza for an early lunch at Sbarro while waiting for the shops to open. A store called 66 Degrees North was too expensive, so I got a knit cap and gloves at a cheaper store called Haikaup. To kill time we visited Hallsgrimskirkje, then went to the Pearl, a visitors' center and restaurant, where we warmed up with coffee and delicious chocolate cake.

Air Canada lost our luggage in Toronto. The cafeteria manager told me that the Saga Museum had moved, so we went to its new location near the old harbor. That site also happened to be near our hotel. Glenda saw a Bonus Store across the street. We loaded up on water and emergency food supplies. Coming back to the hotel, she checked in, and I parked our Toyota RAV 4 Diesel in a parking lot about a ten-minute walk from the Center Plaza Hotel. We unloaded our luggage, then as we were going to the car to bring in more water, Glenda saw a clothing store with Icelandic sweaters. We each bought one to cover us until our luggage was located. In the late afternoon we walked in the snow about half an hour to find the Red Cross Consignment Store, where she shopped for waterproof pants. Finding none, we went to get supper at the Fish House. I photographed it and the building next to it, just a few doors down from our hotel. It is the oldest building still standing in Reykjavik, built in the late eighteenth century. The Fish House was a bit more expensive than we had expected, so we then went to have a meal of traditional Icelandic hot dogs from the hot dog stand in the plaza. They were delicious. We came back to the room to organize our packs for tomorrow. I do hope our luggage arrives soon.Read more
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Northern Italy
Leaving Italy
November 14, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
The bus took us early to the airport and our plane left without any problems. We have fallen in love with Italy and we can hardly wait until we come again.
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Northern Italy
Dinner at Antica Trattorio Polese
November 13, 2014 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 57 °F
There was a lovely cocktail party in the lobby of the Hotel Indigo to finish our wonderful tour of Northern Italy. Tony Campaiello, who had been there from the beginning, was there, Tony was our cruise director. Emmanuelo was a private driver for the Monahan family, who traveled with us. Lauro, our bus driver, had formerly been the personal chauffeur for Enzo Ferrari.Saying good-bye was hard but somehow we managed. After the cocktail party we found a little restaurant right around the block from our hotel called the Antica Trattorio Polese. It was not crowded, and the night was comfortable for us to enjoy at table outside. The Italian food was magnificent. This was our final good-bye to our friends Chuck and Debbie, who had shared so many experiences with us since Venice.Read more
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Northern Italy
Catacombs of St. Callistus
November 13, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
We wanted to see the catacombs and they were not part of our official schedule. So Chuck and Debbie decided to join us in splitting cab fare to the San Callisto Catacombs and back. They are southeast of the city in a beautiful, uncluttered park. We passed the Baths of Caracalla before getting on the old Appian Way to reach the catacombs. It gave me a remarkable feeling of the closeness of history to see road signs reading "Via Appia," just as they have since Roman times. The park around the catacombs are lovely, and we saw many tourists who had just about reached their limits. One woman was sleeping on a bench. Unfortunately, photographs are not allowed inside the catacombs. Obviously they are very dark. There are small chapels for worship as well as the graves of early Christians. The guides were careful to tell us that the catacombs were not used to escape persecution. The Romans and other Christians were well aware of their existence. Rather, they became centers for worship when early saints were buried there. This rendition of the story differs slightly from that which I received in my first visit to Rome in 1971. There is a sense of history here. It is good to be where early Christians worshipped. When we finished at the catacombs we went back to where our cab driver told us there would be taxicabs to take us back to town. We walked for over forty-five minutes looking for a cab. We found several other sets of catacombs, then decided to reverse course. We started to get worried that we would have to walk back through the whole city of Rome on foot. We knew we could do that if necessary, but it certainly was not our first choice. When we were almost back in town, close to the Baths of Caracalla, we hailed a cab that took us back to the hotel.Read more
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Northern Italy
Lunch at the Four Columns
November 13, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
After visiting Vatican City, our Cruise Director Tony Campaiello took us all to a restaurant, 4 Colonne, just off the plaza at the Piazza Navona. We had an excellent meal, but I couldn't help notice the artwork on the wall. All of the pictures were paintings of very well endowed, unclothed women. To be gracious, I'll say it was sensual. This trip to the Piazza Navona, we took the bus back to the hotel so that we would have time to visit the catacombs on our own.Read more
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Northern Italy
St. Peter's Basilica
November 13, 2014 in Vatican City ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
There is no way to describe the opulent glory of the artwork and the architecture inside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, so I won't even try. We spent much of the morning in the Vatican Museum, seeing maps, statues, relics and articles from all over the world--ancient and modern. It all found its way to Rome when this city was the spiritual capital of the world. As Glenda was looking up at Bernini's baldachin, she was bumped hard by a woman. Glenda had already taken about all the rudeness she could, so she bumped her back, glared at the woman and said, "Right here! Right now! Let's settle this." The woman ran away.Read more
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Northern Italy
Piazza Navona, Hotel, and Dinner
November 12, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
We had already walked back as far as the Piazza Navona, and I knew I could walk the rest of the way back to our hotel on the Via Giulia. The Piazza Navona was beautiful, as it always is, with its wonderful spouting statues in its fountains. We ducked into several upscale apartment lobbies just to see what they are like. We happened to pass a little store and I was ready for a Coke and some batteries. The store had two motorcycles and a vespa inside. I thought that was a wonder! The owner, a motorsports fan, warmed up to my enthusiasm, and in my broken Italian I let him know that I thought his store was definitely excellent. He beamed. We made it back to the hotel in time to dress for dinner at a very nice restaurant, the Cabiria. It started raining again, and it took the bus almost an hour to reach the restaurant. However, once we arrived, we were warm and happy. The meal was a wonderful ending to a perfect day.Read more
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Northern Italy
Walking to Trevi
November 12, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
We were given time on our own. Glenda and I wanted to see the Trevi Fountain again, but more than that, we wanted to see a little pizzeria we had noticed on a previous trip here. We didn't know the name of the store. So we walked and saw all sorts of interesting things. First we came upon a demonstration by socialist workers, complete with a man in a sandwich board touting the injustices of the labor system. There was a bookstore that specialized in ancient, printed volumes. We came across our share of street actors, buskers, who impersonated everything from gangsters to popular celebrities. Finally we got to the Trevi Fountain to discover that it was covered with scaffolding for repairs. We went just past it and found the pizzeria named Yum-Yum Style Pizza. We had already enjoyed lunch, but another slice of pizza was tempting. Then we retraced our steps back to the Pantheon. Glenda went into a store that sold nothing but olive oil and spices. We got to sample some one-hundred-year-old balsamic vinegar. It was delicious.Read more
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Northern Italy
Pantheon: Architectural Perfection
November 12, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
Our bus took us through some very narrow streets in the rain to the Pantheon, the Roman building that seeks to give tribute to all the gods. Whether the gods were pleased or not is a question that only they can answer. However, architecturally all of the knowledge of the classical period reaches its zenith in these two buildings: the Parthenon in Athens, and the Pantheon in Rome. It is covered by the largest dome ever made up to the time of its construction. None other as large could be made until the nineteenth century. The building techniques the architect used to lighten the load on the walls is a story in itself. It proportions and its construction leave one agape. It is a wondrous building. Incidentally, it is used now as a church, blessed by the Pope, and it contains the tombs of King Umberto, of Victor Emmanuel II, and of the artist Raphael. I stopped at a coffee shop just around the corner and had a lovely cup of strong espresso. Then after our visit to the Pantheon we met Debbie and Chuck for lunch at a sidewalk cafe. There was an accordion player there who seemed offended when we did not offer him a tip. I would have been much happier, though, if he had not made all his noise so near our table.Read more
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Northern Italy
Arrival in Rome
November 12, 2014 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 59 °F
Our departure from the Hotel Indigo was delayed by a couple who had arranged for a private car that arrived late. Nevertheless, we hit the streets with an extended bus tour of Rome on the way to the Colosseum. I was especially interested in the old Circus Maximus, whose course is still visible in the streets of Rome. We drove by the Baths of Caracalla, and the ruins of the Imperial Palace built by Augustus. Arriving at the Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Ampitheater, I noticed above us on a hill the site of the Farnese Gardens. These lovely plantings are located on one of the earliest parts of the city to be settled. Our guide Deborah was extremely pleasant and remarkably well informed. She gave us details about the Colosseum and seemed particularly pleased when I asked to see some places where the stucco covered the brick. She had to get a special key to unlock a gate to show me parts of it, but she seemed as interested in it as I was. Glenda noted that the Colosseum makes her sad. She said that she still feels the tormented spirits of the gladiators, prisoners and slaves who died there for the amusement of their captors. Nevertheless, it is a remarkable structure and shows the genius of the Romans for construction and public works.Read more
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Northern Italy
In the Heart of Chianti
November 11, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
The Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano discovered the east coast of North America in the sixteenth century. Three centuries before, his family had acquired the ruins of an old Roman fortress and called it home. They built a vineyard there that it still producing. One of the high points of our trip was our visit to Il Castello di Verrazano, to meet the owners, to learn about their wine, and to have a lovely meal there.Read more
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Northern Italy
Final Shot of the Cathedral
November 11, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
Before our group left the hotel I walked back to the cathedral to get some detailed shots of the elegant green, rose, and white marble. Every inch of the exterior is sculpted into a work of art.
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Northern Italy
The Baptistry Doors
November 11, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
I went by myself early in the morning just to photograph the doors of the Baptistry of the Duomo. The originals have been removed and placed indoors to avoid further damage. These copies are replicas of the originals. Even so, they are magnificent. They depict scenes of the Bible.Read more
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Northern Italy
Inside Il Castello Vecchio
November 10, 2014 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 59 °F
Il Castello Vecchio was the seat of the government of the Republic of Florence, one of the wealthiest and most powerful of the fifteenth century. The art inside the building is magnificent, and reflects the power and prestige of its most famous occupant, Lorenzo di Medici (Lorenzo the Magnificent). Of special interest to me was the map room, a chamber that is literally wallpapered with maps from the age of discovery. I took special care to find the map that shows the area of the southeastern coast of North America.Read more
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Northern Italy
Church of Santa Croce
November 10, 2014 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 57 °F
Far more beautiful than the Duomo on the inside, the Church of Santa Croce is the site of the tombs of some of the most famous sons of Italy. It holds the remains of artists and inventors as diverse as Michaelangelo, Enrico Fermi, and even Nicolo Machiavelli. Its exterior reflects a motif similar to that of the Duomo, dominated by green, white and rose marble.Read more
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Northern Italy
The Piazza of Il Castello Vecchio
November 10, 2014 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 59 °F
Il Castello Vecchio, the "Old Castle," was the home of Lorenzo di Medici, and thus it became the de facto capital of the Florentine Republic. It was used as the center of government long after Lorenzo the Magnificent built for himself a more modest dwelling (at least from the outside) a few blocks away. The plaza in front of the building holds many statues made by renaissance artists. Some are copies of classical models, such as "The Dying Gaul," and the "Rape of the Sabine Women." It was raining hard the day we arrived, so we took shelter under the roof of the gallery.Read more
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Northern Italy
Duomo of Florence
November 10, 2014 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
We had been to the Florence Duomo (cathedral) on a previous trip, but I had failed to get an adequate picture of Ghiberti's self-portrait in the doors of the Baptistry. This time I made sure that I got a good one. In 1334 the Florentine Signory approved the design by Giotto of the campanile tower. It is distinguished not by its square shape (which Giotto had hoped to top with a spire), but by its lovely Gothic tracery windows, the reliefs, and in the colored, carved lower panels in marble, carved by Giotto. After his death, the work was carried on by Pisano, Donatello, and Francesco Talenti, to whom the tower owes its crowning glory--the highest arcade with its single Gothic window. There is a story about Brunelleschi's selection to design and construct the dome of the church. He was one of many candidates who interviewed for the job. He told them he would top the tower with a dome, the largest to be built since the Romans built the Pantheon. They asked him how he would do it. He refused to tell them on the grounds that once he explained it, every other architect would copy the idea and claim it as his own. They persisted. Finally he said, "If you can tell me how to stand an egg on its end, then I will tell you how I plan to build the dome." After three weeks of trying to stand an egg on its end, they relented and asked Brunelleschi back for another interview. "We cannot figure out how to stand an egg on end. How would you do it?" "Simple," he said. He took a hard-boiled egg, tapped the end slightly, then set it up on end." "Oh, that's easy," they responeded. "You didn't figure it out," he told them. "We could have done so," they said. He answered, "Similarly, once I build the dome, everyone else will say that they could have done it." They gave him the job, and he built the dome.Read more
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