The JimAnna Chronicles

One could say that this is the birthplace of democracy.  After Iceland was settled in the 9th century, the Norwegian Viking and Celtic populations needed a vehicle for resolving the needs of the population.  In 930, they decided to meet in a central location … namely, Þingvellir.  It was here (or near here) that parliament was held until 1798.   [...]

Well, after what seems like an interminable delay … my computer is working correctly and I’m able to find a few moments to write this post.  These are the images from our time in Iceland. This is an image of the iconic Blue Lagoon.   The Blue Lagoon is an ingenious idea.  Iceland has a [...]

Next stop was the Finnish capital, Helsinki.   This is the Sibelius Monument, or the “Love of Music.”  It’s an abstract work of 600 pipes (like a pipe organ) to commemorate Finland’s greatest composer, Jean Sibelius.  Apparently, the artist only wanted to include the pipes as a monument to the composer, but critics forced her [...]

After Olso, we headed to the furthest Northern point we’ve ever been … inside the Arctic Circle in Norway, and it was very beautiful and well worth the trip.  Although when we first arrived, it threatened to be overcast most of the time, the sun eventually come out.     We based ourselves out of [...]

Over the summer we took a little trip to Scandinavia…  We began our voyage in Olso.  The Norweigan capital was still reeling from the tragedy of the mass murder by a domestic terrorist.     The juxtaposition and symbolism struck me…   One of our first stops was the Norwegian Folk Museum.  This is very [...]

When you think of Provence, does lavender come to mind?  It’s mythic here.  Although it was only introduced to the region in the 1920s, it’s become synonymous with Provence.  When it’s in bloom, it is an impressive site.  Although there are fields near our house, the best we’ve found are in the hill towns of [...]

Back in June (where does the time GO???), we took a short trip to another great wine region … with lots of interesting history and architecture to boot.  It was of course to the iconic Tuscan region. In fact, the trip location was somewhat inspired by a book we read:  “Too Much Tuscan Sun” by [...]

This ticket has the cadet sea of blue in the background.  You can also see the 2011 USAFA Class Crest.  Each crest is loaded with symbolism.  How many items can you pick out?  Here’s what I see:  the graduation year (2011), an eagle, the US Flag, Polaris (the North Star), a sabre (worn by Firsties [...]

After our brief time in the mountains of Colorado, we got to business (=lots of meetings).  It was fun to be back at USAFA.  Some things have really changed (a lot more security) and others are identical (most of the buildings).  What surprised me the most was the flood of emotions I felt.  I hadn’t [...]

The French Air Force decided to send a group of us to Colorado to watch the graduation ceremony.  Since there is an annual semester exchange between our schools (in addition to a number of short term visits), we also used the visit as a chance to meet counterparts, set up and maintain relationships.  Overall, it [...]