by David McGuffin | Aug 31, 2012 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources, Photography
Dave Davis is a friend who has traveled on several tours with me. He is an avid photographer and always seems to come up with some good photos. Recently, he provided some handy hints on photography and archiving the digital images. In the next few day, Dave is going to share some of his hints.
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One fall we traveled with another couple up the Blue Ridge Parkway. George had just bought a new camera as a gift for his wife. He quickly commandeered the camera for his own use and proceeded to take 5-10 shots of the view from EVERY pull off along the way! We would drive to the next overlook and George would jump out and start taking pictures – left or right, close-up or far away. Whatever caught his eye. This was back in the day of film cameras and he paid a pile of money to get the rolls developed. He was so excited to get the prints back but after looking at 10 or 15 pictures he realized he had made some major mistakes. What he had hoped would be a fine documentation of the great fall scenery along all the pull-offs on the Blue Ridge ended up being a collection of over 400 random pictures that all started to look alike. They, as a collection, became meaningless.
Digital cameras make the process of organizing your pictures quite easy and would have solved some of George’s mistakes. When one cuts away all the bells and whistles of digital cameras, their most basic functions are to take the picture, save the pictures and assign a number in the order in which it was taken.
Additionally, digital cameras are generally very easy and quick to download, only requiring hitting of a couple buttons or plugging them into your laptop, or another device. I try to download my pictures each evening and keep the digital copies in a separate file from that stored in the camera. At the same time, I usually do a quick editing job and delete unwanted pictures from the copy collection. Some cameras have the ability to organize on their memory chip. That is fine, but if your camera dies or goes missing during a trip, all the pictures you have taken might be lost.
When downloading my photos (or files) most systems allow you to “tag” or label the images/files. I simply use an “a” for the pictures taken the first day, “b” for the pictures taken on the second day, and so on. My individual photos will be then identified as “a001, a002, a003 . . .” Downloading usually only takes a minute or so to complete, and with it being done, I feel much better about having a remotely stored back up copy of my photos.
Usually, I wait until I return home to do the final organizing of my photo collection. Often it becomes a better collection if I re-arrange the order in which they appear. For instance, you might not take the introduction/identification picture of a visited place at the very beginning of the visit. Renaming the photo file is a very simple task on the computer. Just type in a new number/name and you are done! The renamed picture will automatically move into alphabetical/numerical order in the set.
-Dave Davis
Jump to Dave’s next article with more photo tips and tricks.
by David McGuffin | Aug 26, 2012 | Destinations, Experiencing Europe
In the summer months, VENICE can be gruling. Hot, steamy, crowded with tourists, and very little air conditioning often makes me want to get through the tourist sights and then seek refuge. Located on the Adriatic Sea, in a lagoon loaded with marshy islands, it is no wonder Venice is either hot, humid, or wet and soggy. However, even with all that, I love the place. Belgium has its “Venice of the North” and France has its “little Venices” in Colmar and Strasbourg, yet nothing can compare the real deal. Napolean once call the Piazza San Marco the “drawing room of Europe,” and it is no wonder thousands flock to it each day to see (and maybe experience) it’s charm.
In the next few weeks, I’d like to introduce you to “my” Venice. I’ll include all the “biggies” such as the Basicila San Marco, the Doges Palace, the Rialto Bridge, Accademia, and others. But, what I really want to do is show you Venice, not as a tourist sight, but as a destination to be savored and experienced.
A Little History…
Venice is a tourist attraction in itself. Even if there were no museums, no churches, and no entertainment the lagoon-locked city would attract tourists just for its character. Founded more than thirteen hundred years ago, the collection of boggy islands became a refuge for local tribes fleeing the invading Franks. Protected by marshlands and several kilometers of water, it provided safety and peace of mind to those who inhabited the area.
Settlers eventually began driving piling into the bog to provide support for buildings. The marshland was transformed from a swamp to an island built of pilings and wood, canals served as the streets, and boats served as carriages. In A.D. 811 a Doge (from the Latin dux meaning leader) was elected and Venice was on its way to becoming a world power. In 828 the relics of Saint Mark were brought from Alexandria and he became the town’s patron saint.
Several councils designed to limit the Doges’ power supervised the role of the Doge. The Grand Council developed the laws; the Senate was responsible for foreign affairs, the economy, and the military; and the Council of Ten was responsible for security. The Council of Ten maintained a network of secret police and informants, which, created an air of mistrust but ensured control of the city.
The Middle Ages saw Venice rise to become a world power. Being strategically located on an important trade route between the Middle East and Europe, Venice seized the opportunity to regulate trade and shipping routes. In effect, the Venetians became the “middlemen” between the economies of the East and West. Cargo of precious spices, silk, and jewels all passed through Venice and merchants became very rich.
By 1450 Venice was at its zenith, being both a political and religious power in Italy. Venice maintained its independence from the Pope, the Holy Roman Empire, and kingdoms to the north by maintaining a powerful army and navy, as well as forming alliances with neighboring kingdoms. The late 15th century saw the discovery of the Americas and new trade routes. Consequentially, a decrease in trade through Venice led to a slow decline of the Republic. Finally, in 1797, Napoleon Bonaparte entered and abolished Venice’s constitution and dissolved the Republic. Later Napoleon ceded the city to Austria. It was not until 1866 that Venice and the Venato were united with Italy.
Since the early 1800’s Venice’s population has dwindled. Once commanding the attention of worldwide trade, now Venice delights in being an enchanting destination and on the must-see list of tourists worldwide. Today it’s the home to about 65,000 people living in the old city center. Recent decades have seen the young people leave for a bigger and more active life in the cities of Italy. Many have forsaken their traditional family ties, leaving an older generation to live out their lives in Venice. Just a few blocks off the San Marco and Rialto tourist route, visitors can find local neighborhoods filled with laundry flapping in the breeze, women chatting from their windows high above the alleys, and gentlemen visiting at the local square. Most visitors to Venice miss this intimate look into the city’s culture. Don’t let it pass you by, get out and explore!
(A couple of my favorite dining spots are coming up in the next post).
by David McGuffin | Aug 11, 2012 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources, Photography
Dave Davis is a friend who has traveled on several tours with me. He is an avid photographer and always seems to come up with some good photos. Recently, he provided some handy hints on photography and archiving the digital images. In the next few day, Dave is going to share some of his hints.
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Aren’t photographs a terrific way to refresh your memory of people, places, events and things? And now with greater technology, it has never been so easy to produce a great photographic collection to memorialize a touring vacation. I am going to share a few approaches that I have developed over the years that might just help make your photo collection more valuable to you. It is really easy. Just let your photo collection tell the story.
I often start a collection with the photos showing the trip location/destination and primary people. Sometimes I use the tour brochure that led me to select the trip. Sometimes I use a map or a picture of the destination airport or famous landmark that identifies the place.
On a recent tour, I started my collection with a picture of David McGuffin, wearing his official tour shirt with bold letters displaying “IRELAND SCOTLAND” and with the backdrop being the Hogwarts Express viaduct memorialized in the Harry Potter stories. I followed that with a picture of myself, my wife and our niece in front of the rock formation at Giants Causeway, and that was followed by a map of Scotland. With just three pictures I have opened the story and set the stage.
From there my collections are pretty much day by day. I often take a picture of a map of where the day would be spent, and sometimes one of his handouts that told more of the location. It is so helpful to my aging brain cells to have the city names (or sites) pop out from the map and be further detailed in the handouts. Then the pictures follow through the day.
When we arrive at a city, cathedral, castle, or another site, I take pictures that identify the subject. It could just be the entrance sign or anything else that tells where we are at. Display boards at the site are often good to use for identification and more detailed information on what is being visited. Then it’s the fun shots of whatever there is to see, but the long-term important thing is that the picture collection itself will present where that pictures are taken.
I find that it adds to the collection to not limit myself to taking pictures of the special places visited but also the more seemingly mundane things. Take a picture of the bus, inside (with passengers) and outside with the driver. Take a picture of the motel front, lobby, and grounds. Take a picture of your room. Take a picture of the restaurant name, its inside, the food/drink as it is being presented, fellow diners from the tour and even the waiter. And you must take pictures of some the “unique” European bathrooms! I don’t know if it is legal to do so, but I have also taken pictures of the money used in different countries.
Following these tips will make your collection more meaningful to you and to anyone you share it with.
-Dave Davis
Jump to Dave’s second article: “Organizing Your Tour Photos”
by David McGuffin | Aug 6, 2012 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources
I’ve dedicated the last seven days (about 70 hours) to improve the appearance and appeal of my web presence. I am a self-taught web builder, but over the years, I’ve picked up a lot relating to website design and content. So, now that I am at the end of my allocated time, I’ve decided to roll out the new web appearance a few pages at a time. So, if you get a chance, take a look at https://davidmcguffin.com and let me know what you think!
P.S. you may need to refresh your browser with CTL-F5.
-David
by David McGuffin | Jun 21, 2012 | Culture & Customs
Recently, while traveling in the UK, I decided to take an informal survey on tipping/gratuity customs in the 21st century. My research is based on interviews with restaurant and pub patrons as well as the wait staff, bartenders, and pub owners. To get a perspective on the entire UK, I surveyed folks in London, Bristol, Bath (England) and Edinburgh, Oban, and St. Andrews (Scotland). The results were quite a surprise and have prompted me to modify the information I give to my tour members. Here is how it all stacks up:
A tip is not really expected at pubs or restaurants. If you feel the service has been exceptional, then a small tip will certainly be appreciated.
Personally, I tip about 10% in restaurants. Nothing when having a drink in the pubs.
I’ve not done the research in Northern Ireland, but will have an opportunity in a few weeks.
One fall we traveled with another couple up the Blue Ridge Parkway. George had just bought a new camera as a gift for his wife. He quickly commandeered the camera for his own use and proceeded to take 5-10 shots of the view from EVERY pull off along the way! We would drive to the next overlook and George would jump out and start taking pictures – left or right, close-up or far away. Whatever caught his eye. This was back in the day of film cameras and he paid a pile of money to get the rolls developed. He was so excited to get the prints back but after looking at 10 or 15 pictures he realized he had made some major mistakes. What he had hoped would be a fine documentation of the great fall scenery along all the pull-offs on the Blue Ridge ended up being a collection of over 400 random pictures that all started to look alike. They, as a collection, became meaningless. 
