zrim's VirtualTourist Home Page

All photos on all of my VT pages were taken by me (except my wedding photo which is buried deep in the boondox of my VT world). I don't use postcards or copyrighted material. Everything is in my own words unless specifically marked with " ". I don't mean to be a curmudgeon, but VT is only fun if we share our own experiences and insights.

I love to shoot photos of wildlife. I can't always get out to the woods. But I always have the camera ready at home in case an interesting bird (or woodchuck) ventures into the backyard.

But I am also interested in trying to capture culture on film. This is very difficult because I am generally shy about approaching people. Therefore, I am armed with telephoto lenses when I venture out to find my human subjects.

One of my travel passions is to find wildlife in its natural setting. Birds, bears, alligators, coyotes, turtles....it doesn't matter, they are all fantastic to observe.

Unfortunately, animals are losing out as people continue to encroach and cut down their habitats. A world without wildlife would indeed be a lonely place.

I'm always amazed by the craftmanship in older structures. It used to be that cathedrals, castles, bridges, temples, capitals and palaces were built to last. Now it seems as if we are content to build something and tear it down a few decades later.

I never tire of exploring old castles and cathedrals or wandering about the "old towns" of European cities. The best is when the castle or abbey has a beer garden and the weary travelor can sit down with a pint and reflect on the wonderments just seen.

Some of the best times I have while traveling are the meals I share with my wife Becky at the end of a long day. We try to find a nice cozy restaraunt. Not a place that overwhelms, but a place where the food is good and the atmosphere is intimate. Eating well and drinking the local wines (or beer if in the tropics) is the perfect way to wind up a day of travel.

Quoting Joseph Campbell:

"But if we do go somewhere, we should learn as much as we can about the place, including the language, the arts, the myths. That's how we learn to see past the artificial divisions of nations and cultures. When we discover what we have in common with others we learn how to demystify the stranger--and may even stop turning our neighbors into enemies. Eventually, we learn compassion, which is the real teaching in all of the ancient traditions."

I spend a lot of time plotting new travel adventures and I thoroughly enjoy all my travels. However, for me, the best part of any trip is the return to my home. I am most content when I am at home puttering around with Becky and the dogs close at hand.

When I am not updating my VT pages, I am reading. I manage to work through about three books a week. That is peanuts compared to Becky, also known as the book monster, who averages about a book a day. I enjoy American regional writing. I am going to build a book album on this page to honor my favorites.

This is where 98% of my VT pages get written (every once in a great while, I'll add a tip or two at work). This room has developed into one of my favorite hangouts.

Immediately over the desk is an ink drawing of Venice. On the left is an Escher print mounted on wood. To the right (and out of sight) is the sunporch which definitely is my favorite springtime hangout.