tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:34:52 +0000MexicoGeorgiaMisc.USASlovakiaDjiboutiTaiwanOther AsiaOther EuropeAfghanistanColombiaGenealogyJapanNotre DameLet's discuss our experiences with travel and culture.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)Blogger1194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-1134080565585097219Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:16:00 +00002025-06-23T11:16:58.511-05:00Notre DameUSAA year after retiring, I decided to take a summer course at my alma mater, Notre Dame.  The university has a great program for alumni who wish to return to campus and relive their school days.  It's called "The Dome Sweet Dome" program and it allows you to take a class (or two), live on campus, and even eat in the dining facility.  It's a great way to experience the nostalgia of http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2025/06/a-return-to-notre-dame.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Holy Cross Dr, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA41.7051917 -86.235165513.394957863821155 -121.3914155 70.015425536178839 -51.078915499999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-5570137077139577198Fri, 20 Jun 2025 21:32:00 +00002025-06-20T16:32:42.121-05:00Misc.For those who've been reading this blog over the years, my apologies for not having made any entries for so long.  I had thought I'd have more time to do so after retiring three years ago, but that hasn't been the case.  I have traveled some, though, since my last entry (another trip to Colombia) and even taken a summer course at my alma mater, Notre Dame.  I intend to post more inhttp://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2025/06/i-have-some-catching-up-to-do.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Barboursville, WV 25504, USA38.3778505 -82.280054610.067616663821155 -117.4363046 66.688084336178846 -47.1238046tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-7438144006463231950Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:31:00 +00002024-03-19T12:31:43.289-05:00USAEver since I bought my WV property back in November '21, I've been wanting to explore the less accessible tracts of it.  Five acres of the property is where the house is located and with the majority being relatively flat.  The other five acres is more 'remote' and a challenge to walk through, especially during the summer months when all the foliage has grown out.  Well, today I http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2024/03/my-property-trek.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Barboursville, WV, USA38.4095298 -82.29459229999999110.099295963821156 -117.45084229999999 66.71976363617884 -47.138342299999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-8890416384853482359Sun, 03 Mar 2024 19:38:00 +00002024-03-03T13:38:27.905-06:00SlovakiaBack in '06, my employer sent me to Presov, Slovakia for five months to work with the Slovak Air Force.  During that time, I took many trips within the country and met many wonderful people.  Last year, I posted some pictures of Betliar Manor, a residence of past nobility in the southern part of the country.  I thought I'd posted all of those but recently discovered a CD containinghttp://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2024/03/lost-photos-from-slovakia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Lesná 9/17, 049 21 Betliar, Slovakia48.7062402 20.510426520.396006363821158 -14.645823499999999 77.016474036178849 55.6666765tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-7902167945345659377Mon, 12 Feb 2024 21:40:00 +00002024-02-12T15:40:06.329-06:00USAI visited the small town of Sutton, West Virginia back in December but was so traumatized by the visit that I'm just now posting the photos.  Sutton is the county seat of Braxton County and is at the exact geographical center of WV.  It has two museums, one being the Flatwoods Monster Museum (the reason for my trauma) and the other being the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum.  http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2024/02/sutton-west-virginia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Sutton, WV 26601, USA38.6645443 -80.7098190999999910.354310463821157 -115.86606909999999 66.974778136178855 -45.55356909999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-5717169097006200040Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:12:00 +00002023-12-15T12:12:05.159-06:00ColombiaThese are the absolute last pictures from my trip to Colombia.  Actually, these were taken from the plane on the flight out.  The first two are of the terrain north of Bogota.  The next two are of Costa Rica and the two after that are above Nicaragua.  The final picture was taken in a relatively quiet area in the Mexico City airport where I spent the night.I will definitely behttp://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/12/colombia27.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Colombia4.570868 -74.297333-23.739365836178845 -109.453583 32.881101836178843 -39.141082999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-7995627951824320267Sun, 10 Dec 2023 18:45:00 +00002023-12-10T12:45:42.979-06:00ColombiaLast shots of some of the streets, buildings, etc. in Bogota.  I had a great trip and plan to return next fall in order to explore more of the country outside of Bogota.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/12/colombia26.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.072092-23.599245236178845 -109.228342 33.021222436178846 -38.915842tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-1623786627456801128Tue, 05 Dec 2023 19:23:00 +00002023-12-05T13:23:09.881-06:00ColombiaSome more pictures from the downtown area, La Candelaria, in Bogota.  I love how they turn graffiti into legitimate art.  Oh!  You can see a llama in one of the pics but I couldn't communicate with him because he only spoke Spanish.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/12/colombia25.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia4.597014 -74.0728759-23.713219836178844 -109.2291259 32.907247836178847 -38.9166259tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-5406314914864637227Sat, 02 Dec 2023 18:07:00 +00002023-12-02T12:07:49.888-06:00ColombiaA food tasting tour in downtown Bogota including a local mercado.  Which food is your favorite?  I'd love to tell you the names of the dishes, but I don't remember such things well, especially when spoken in Spanish.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/12/colombia24.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia4.597014 -74.0728759-23.713219836178844 -109.2291259 32.907247836178847 -38.9166259tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-7760326701855605034Sun, 26 Nov 2023 20:24:00 +00002023-11-26T14:24:03.636-06:00ColombiaSome homes/buildings in some of the wealthier areas of Bogota.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/11/colombia23.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.072092-23.599245236178845 -109.228342 33.021222436178846 -38.915842tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-7287168179106721568Sat, 25 Nov 2023 13:41:00 +00002023-11-25T07:41:22.126-06:00ColombiaAnother series of photos of the La Candelaria (downtown) area and, more specifically, Bolivar Plaza.  I'm back in the US now but will continue posting my remaining Colombian photos until I've posted all of them.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/11/colombia22.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia4.597014 -74.0728759-23.713219836178844 -109.2291259 32.907247836178847 -38.9166259tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-8694165030960710128Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:30:00 +00002023-11-21T07:30:20.755-06:00ColombiaJust a few pictures from a more upscale neighborhood in Bogota.  Generally, the better neighborhoods are in the northern part of the city.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/11/colombia21.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.072092-23.599245236178845 -109.228342 33.021222436178846 -38.915842tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-1650308347870617398Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:49:00 +00002023-11-16T11:49:05.076-06:00ColombiaJust some photos of the Colombian countryside on my way back to Bogota.  Not very good ones, but I had to take them from a moving van.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/11/colombia20.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.072092-23.599245236178845 -109.228342 33.021222436178846 -38.915842tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-7285038926757801314Sun, 12 Nov 2023 14:26:00 +00002023-11-12T08:26:07.724-06:00ColombiaThe last from the Coffee Farm, my favorite tour of the bunch.  I'm not in Colombia anymore but I still have some more pictures to post.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/11/colombia19.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca, Colombia4.345152 -74.361823-23.965081836178847 -109.518073 32.655385836178844 -39.205573tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-4232091949988142781Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:53:00 +00002023-11-08T11:53:53.165-06:00ColombiaSome more photos from the coffee farm, primarily of the equipment used in the coffee-making process.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/11/colombia18.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca, Colombia4.345152 -74.361823-23.965081836178847 -109.518073 32.655385836178844 -39.205573tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-6797555150787101448Sat, 04 Nov 2023 22:30:00 +00002023-11-04T17:32:09.160-05:00ColombiaSome more pictures of the foliage at the coffee farm.  Take note of the beans I picked in the basket.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/11/colombia17.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca, Colombia4.345152 -74.361823-23.965081836178847 -109.518073 32.655385836178844 -39.205573tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-6007560680245115518Thu, 02 Nov 2023 18:06:00 +00002023-11-02T13:06:10.471-05:00ColombiaI visited a coffee farm last week in Fusa, Colombia, a town that's about a two-hour drive southwest of Bogota.  It's the best tour I've been on so far.  It began with a quick look at the chapel on sight.  We then picked our own coffee beans to be roasted and consumed later at the conclusion of the tour.  We also walked around the grounds and got to see some amazing plants.&http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/11/colombia16.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca, Colombia4.345152 -74.361823-23.965081836178847 -109.518073 32.655385836178844 -39.205573tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-8757445749346649126Mon, 30 Oct 2023 21:03:00 +00002023-10-30T16:03:53.875-05:00ColombiaSome more pictures from the walking tour last week.  We explored a church and tried some Colombian coffee at the end of the tour.  The last picture is the view from the cantina where I later had lunch. http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/10/colombia15.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia4.597014 -74.0728759-23.713219836178844 -109.2291259 32.907247836178847 -38.9166259tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-6047240879197377523Sun, 29 Oct 2023 23:05:00 +00002023-10-30T16:04:49.069-05:00ColombiaThese pictures are from my first 'guided tour' in Bogota.  It was a three-hour walking tour of the downtown area with fruit and coffee-tasting thrown in.  We also had an opportunity to buy Colombian chocolate in the store shown below.    http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/10/colombia-14.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia4.597014 -74.0728759-51.794184889883013 -144.38537589999999 60.988212889883016 -3.7603759000000139tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-2614164729474354918Fri, 27 Oct 2023 20:37:00 +00002023-10-27T15:37:10.957-05:00Colombia More gold from the Museo Deo Oro and nobody can resist that.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/10/colombia13.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Cra. 6 #15-88, Santa Fé, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia4.6019546 -74.0720619-23.708279236178846 -109.2283119 32.912188436178845 -38.915811899999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-6502969543014217023Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:44:00 +00002023-10-25T11:45:09.930-05:00ColombiaI visited another museum last week, the Museo Del Oro (The Gold Museum).  Gold is gold but what was so fascinating about these pieces was the attention to detail that went into every one including the non-gold ones.  The quality of the workmanship from 500+ years ago is truly amazing. http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/10/colombia12.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Cra. 6 #15-88, Santa Fé, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia4.6019546 -74.0720619-23.708279236178846 -109.2283119 32.912188436178845 -38.915811899999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-193528299265116204Sun, 22 Oct 2023 20:22:00 +00002023-10-22T15:22:30.823-05:00ColombiaThe next group of photos from my time atop Monserrate.  At the top there were several restaurants, a souvenir market and a church, not to mention the wonderful views.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/10/colombia11.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Monserrate, Santa Fe, Bogota, Colombia4.6056728 -74.0555255-23.704561036178845 -109.2117755 32.915906636178846 -38.8992755tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-3052531941458962063Sat, 21 Oct 2023 15:50:00 +00002023-10-22T15:22:47.190-05:00ColombiaEarlier in the week, I visited Monserrate, a mountain that overlooks Bogota. It's 10,341 feet above sea level at the summit and provides the most majestic views of the city. I wanted to climb up to the top so badly, but the trail was closed the day I was there. Therefore, I had to buy a ticket for the 'funicular' (a type of train) to transport me. After seeing how steep it was, I realized thehttp://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/10/colombia10.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Monserrate, Santa Fe, Bogota, Colombia4.6056728 -74.0555255-28.443185729789406 -109.2117755 37.654531329789407 -38.8992755tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-4034457372121300140Fri, 20 Oct 2023 17:42:00 +00002023-10-20T12:42:40.554-05:00ColombiaI'm falling behind on posting all my photos.  These were taken last Sunday on an early morning stroll.  Once again, they include beautiful churches and neighborhoods.  An interesting item, Bogota closes down some streets on Sunday for cyclists and runners to enjoy.  I like that!  Also, in one of the pictures, you can see some ugly clouds.  It's supposedly the rainy http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/10/colombia9.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia4.7109885999999994 -74.072092-23.599245236178845 -109.228342 33.021222436178846 -38.915842tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516076972678878120.post-6118631313598048273Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:02:00 +00002023-10-22T15:23:25.830-05:00Colombia Some more works of art from the Museo Botero.http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/2023/10/colombia8.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Russ McCoy)0Cl. 11 #4-41, Bogotá, Colombia4.5967012 -74.0733642-28.452157329789408 -109.2296142 37.645559729789404 -38.9171142