When you are travelling.....
You never know who.....
You may meet on the road....
I found a friendly face repeatedly......
Everywhere and anywhere you go.....
You will meet a ......LION.....
Here are just some of those I met on the road.....

Here is a great old guard lion.....
He guards The Alabaster Mosque......
At the Citadel in Cairo, Egypt......
He is from the 1830's......
I took this photo in 2009.....

Here is a 2008 photo......
This lion is part of a huge Fountain....
The Victoria Memorial Fountain....
Directly in front of Buckingham Palace.....
All of these I found in London , England......

This is probably my favorite lion......
He is very, very old .... and weighs 6 tons.......
He was found atop a Tomb Monument.....
In the ancient Greek city of Knidos.....
Made from a single block of Pentelic Marble.....
He is from around 300 - 400 B.C.

This is a photo I took in Egypt in 2009.....
There is a set of four old Alabaster Lions......
This fountain is part of the Old Palace.....
At the Citadel... in Cairo, Egypt....

From my 2008 trip photos.....
Here is one of another set of four lions.....
They are huge bronze lions from 1868......
They watch Trafalgar square.....
London , England......

A very old Egyptian lion.....
I found this in 2009 in Cairo......
I can't read the tag unfortunetly......

Here is a awesome lion......
One of my favorites....
I took this photo in 2008.....
I found him in Bavaria, Germany.....

Here is a Louvre Museum Lion.....
Very nice old marble sculpture...
Located in Paris, France.....

I found this lion (griffin) in 2008.....
Near St. Stephens Cathedral.....
The Stephensplatz of Vienna, Austria......

Yes.... I know.....
This is called a Sphinx......
It is also very old......
It begins with the body of a lion.....
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.....

I found these two lions just standing around.....
In Florence, Italy.....

One of the oldest I've found.....
From the Meroitic Period ....
Sometime around 800 B.C.....
At the Nubian Museum......
In Aswan, Egypt....

A photo from my 2009 trip.....
These large bronze Bridge Lions......
Guard the East side of Qasr Al Nile bridge......
On the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt.....

These two lions are on the West side.....
Qasr Al Nile bridge.....
Cairo, Egypt......

Not easy to see in my photo....
This Griffin is atop the Medieval Cathedral.....
Of the Piazza de Miracoli........
Next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy.....
From about 1090 A.D.

I found this very old lion in Cairo, Egypt......
On display outside the Egyptian Museum......

I found these lions in 2008.....
They guard a public square.....
In Rothenburg, Germany.....
Been there a very long time....

I took this photo in Geneva, Switzerland.....
Very late at night..... 2008
This lion guards St. Peters Cathedral......
From the 12th century.....

I took this photo in 2008......
The lion is named  "Patience"......
Standing just to the South of the entrance....
The New York City Public Library.....

This is of course.......
"Fortitude"......
Just North of the entrance.....
N.Y.C. Public Library.....

The Lion of St. Mark.....
I found this one in Venice, Italy....
High atop a pillar......
In St. Marks Square......
Outside St. Marks Basillica.....
From around  900 A.D....
A Griffin.... (winged lion).....

This old lion is at the Egyptian Museum....
I took this photo in Cairo in 2009....

I think this was called .....
"The Lion and Serpent".....
I found it at the Louvre.....
By Barye in 1835....
A large bronze.....

Here are some lions I found in Italy....
This is a Pair of Marzocco Lions.....
Designed by Donatello in the 1400's.....
They guard the Loggia de Lanzi......
Just left of Michelangelo's David.....
In the Piazza Signoria of  Florence Italy.....

I found this large lion in Paris......
In the middle of a busy intersection......

Well....
I'm sure it has the heart of a lion.....

A better question might be.....
Hmm...
Is it better to be eaten by a lion.....
During some great far away adventure......
Or to slowly be eaten away by age.....
Although be it safely at home......

Here is another great desktop background.......
Unedited, exactly as my Canon took it.....
I took this photo late at night ......
After seeing the Cathedral up on a hill.....
And after a long walk finding it....
At  St. Peters (Pierre) Cathedral in Geneva....
From the late 11th century.....

P.S.  I found alot of such ghoulish ancient fountains in the Great Cathedrals of Europe...

Many ancient Cathedrals have such outside fountains.....


   (I got thousands of em)
    (great photos that is)
    (awesome desktop backgrounds)
    (and they are 100% free)
    (just help yourself)
    (anyone you want)
          (go for it)
    (this is a awesome one)
    (just a little spooky)
    ( is it too spooky ?)
    (maybe...something from France ?)
    (I got thousands of em)

AND  NOW.....
......For some.....
IF I CAN DO IT....
YOU CAN DO IT ....
Bolstering and Such....
While I check my photos...
                

O.K.....
Sure ....
I'll give you that.....
It did take a whole year......
Of determined struggling.....
To save up some money.....
And buying that $800 plane ticket....
To get dropped in downtown London.....
Was not easy ... no way.......not at all....
But, ...... since I was in the Neighborhood.....

Of course those are my feet.....
And just who said....
I was not very likely....
To take a 5 star cruise on the Nile....
.....I'm just a working stiff....
Never going to climb Mount Sinai....
.......Those are just dreams....
Not likely to ride a camel to the Pyramids.....
Or ever even see North Africa....
Well......
Come on....
Speak up.....
?
Ya.....
I thought so.....

YES......
I took this photo myself.....
Believe it or not......
Atop the French/Swiss Alps.....
Near Mount Blanc......
Chamonix, France.....
Just a little dream of seeing Europe......
That I made come true....
Because I listened to ME......!
So take that......!!
To anything else.....
Or anyone else....
Never, Ever, Ever...
Give Up ......
Or they WILL.....
Move the football.....
Charlie Brown.....

A personal favorite desktop background.....

Yes.....
I took this photo too....
I took a few chances....
On my own.....
Way far from home.....
Yet.... the fun and adventure....
Like living a dream.....
I walked straight into this picture.....
Exploring the scenes of Europe....
Wandering around Venice, Italy.....
BIG BIG FUN

CAIRO - N.Y.C. - SEATTLE