Travel - Lili on the Loose

20 03, 2017

Museum Monday: Star Wars at the Denver Art Museum

By Lili|March 20th, 2017|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: Colorado, costume, DAM, Denver, Denver Art Museum, North America, Star Wars, Star Wars and the Power of Costume, USA|0 Comments

At first it might seem strange, an art museum hosting a Star Wars exhibit. But Denver Art Museum curated the exhibit to focus on the creative process, art, and detail of more than 70 costumes and other props from this iconic franchise. DAM wants to embrace pop culture and show that it too can be fine art. Here are just a handful of my favorites! Duel of Fates! They did a good job of showing the costume evolution and details of various Jedi/Sith characters, including details of their lightsabers (and the ability to turn them on and off!) Luke lurks

18 03, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Starlight

By Lili|March 18th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, Cairo, Call to Prayer, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, Egypt Explorer, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Islamic Cairo, Khan el Khalili, Lamp, market, Middle East, Muslim, prayer, Souq, Star Lamp, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site|0 Comments

I've told the story of trying to buy a lamp right as the call to prayer started, this is that lamp. I really wanted a star shaped lamp, and I loved that this one had stars and moons imprinted on it to spread the light. Although the purchasing of it was comically awkward... Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

17 03, 2017

Sphere

By Lili|March 17th, 2017|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Travel|Tags: 2009, Arnaldo Pomodoro, at the heart of it Ireland 2009, Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Photo Friday, Sphere, statue, Trinity College|0 Comments

Sphere Within Sphere is a statue by Arnaldo Pomodoro. There are actually multiple versions of this statue of various sizes around the world. This one is outside the Trinity College Dublin. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.

13 03, 2017

Travel Missteps: On the Wrong Foot

By Lili|March 13th, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2009, Abbey Tavern, at the heart of it Ireland 2009, dancing, Dublin, Europe, Ireland, jig, music|0 Comments

On our last night in Ireland we went to a tavern for "traditional" Irish music and dance. It was a long banquet hall, with tables facing the stage area. While we ate we listened to ballads and music. Then it came time to watch the dancing. They whirled and jigged about. After a few songs they then went out into the crowd and grabbed volunteers. Of course my family pushed me up. Me: klutzy and injury prone and not graceful. Everyone laughed as I struggled to keep up with the dancers. Although I felt like a fool, I played along.

10 03, 2017

Celtic Cross of Cashel

By Lili|March 10th, 2017|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Travel|Tags: 2009, at the heart of it Ireland 2009, Cashel, Celtic Cross, cemetary, CIE, County Tipperary, Europe, Ireland, Moor, Photo Friday, Rock of Cashel|0 Comments

This Celtic Cross stands on the cemetery hill near the Rock of Cashel, and commands views of the green countryside. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.

9 03, 2017

Sweet Molly Malone

By Lili|March 9th, 2017|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Travel|Tags: 2009, at the heart of it Ireland 2009, CIE, Dublin, Europe, ghost, Ireland, Irish Ballad, Molly Malone, Photo Friday, statue, The Tart with a Cart, The Trollop with the Scallops, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

The story of Molly Malone is a bit sad. 300 years ago, she may have actually been called Mary or Margaret and was a fishmonger's daughter who not only sold her catch on the streets of Dublin, but as she was such a beauty (and poor) also sold herself. She died young after contracting cholera or fever from one of her clients in 1699. (Although there is some debate on if all the facts are true or have become shrouded in legend.) It is said she still haunts the city to this day. Her story is commemorated in a famous

6 03, 2017

Museum Monday: Colossus of Ramses II

By Lili|March 6th, 2017|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, British Museum, Colossus of Ramses II, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, Great Temple of Ptah, Hieroglyphics, Horace Smith, Memphis, Middle East, mit rahina museum, Ozymandias, Percy Shelly, poem, Rameses II|0 Comments

I had the opportunity to see the Colossus of Ramses II at the Memphis museum a few years ago. Tourism was way down in Egypt, and I was the only person in the viewing room (and one of 3 people in the entire open air museum). Memphis is not on most people's tourist track since its out of the way. But I really enjoyed looking at the details of this statue, thinking how it was carved out of a single block of red granite. If you really like statues or ancient Egyptian history, than I really recommend a visit. Seeing the

4 03, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Waterfall Wood Art

By Lili|March 4th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2012, art, Central America, Costa Rica, Costa Rica Adventure 2012, Montezuma, painting, rope swing, waterfall, zip line|0 Comments

The day after I injured myself while zip lining, I decided to hang around Montezuma while the rest of the group went on a road trip trying to find great beaches to hang out at. As I still had a minor concussion, I mostly just walked the small main street and shopped a bit. One store I went into was sort of a depressing tourist market, that sold stuff like sun glasses, swimsuits, and sunscreen. I was about to discount it when I saw this on the wall. I had to laugh, this depicted the rope swing at the waterfalls

3 03, 2017

To the Skelligs – Monument to St. Brendan the Navigator

By Lili|March 3rd, 2017|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2009, at the heart of it Ireland 2009, Caherciveen, CIE, County Kerry, Europe, Ireland, Monks, Photo Friday, Skellig Michael, St. Brendan, statue|0 Comments

This statue by Eamon Doherty (1995) features 4 monks, including St. Brendan, on a boat elevated by 8 oars navigating their way to the monastery at Skellig Michael, an island off the coast of Ireland. You can view this statue, which overlooks the water in a park near Caherciveen, County Kerry, Ireland. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.

27 02, 2017

Travel Missteps: Personal Time with TSA

By Lili|February 27th, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2016, airport, boarding pass, check in, chemical swab, Chemical Swab Test, Colorado, Denver, Disney, Disney World, EDS, ETD, Explosive Detection System, Explosive Trace Detection, false positive, Florida, full body scan, Global Entry, glycerin, Glycerine, Homeland Security, Magical Weekend, Nitrates, North America, Orlando, pat down, redress number, Secondary Security Screening Selectee, Secondary Security Screening Selection, security, SSSS, Trusted Traveler, TSA, TSA Pre-Check, Walt Disney World|0 Comments

I've talked about triggering the ETD system before, as well as getting the SSSS on almost every trip I fly. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. In May 2016, after reading all those articles of massive lines at TSA checkpoints (which disappeared later on in the year) paid $100 to apply for Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check. I didn't quite know what to expect. After being on the SSSS list, I decided against going through the lengthy "Redress" process. So I worried that I might be auto-denied for Global Entry. I waited a few weeks and