The Liebster Blog Award

What a glorious morning it has been! Many thanks to Jennifer Avventura, over at My Sardinian Life | La Mia Vita Sarda for bestowing The World Via Standby with the Liebster Blog Award! Earlier today I logged on and noticed the increased traffic on my blog and didn’t know what to make of it until I saw a comment by Jennifer informing me of the award.

4. The World Via Standby – Follow the adventures of a sassy and often defiant pilots wife as she travels the world standby. This blog blows my socks off as the photos are out of this world. And herlatest post just so happens to be about … ready … Italy! Snaperiffic.

I am unfamiliar with the background of the award, but to my understanding, its intent is to spotlight noteworthy blogs. Upon acceptance of receiving this prestigious award you must:

1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Blog Award and link them on your blog.

2. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

3. Mention 5 other blogs worthy of the Liebster Blog Award.

4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have received the Liebster Blog Award.

Here are my top 5 in no particular order:

This Man’s Journey - A beautifully written and inspiring blog about family and life.

Words With Purpose - Compassion, Thought And Reason Rolled Into One Sweet Blog. If you love animals you will love this blog!

Midnite Chef- A great food blog! I love to cook and go to this blog often searching for new recipes.

Khanum Says -Khanum is a talented photographer and has an excellent blog about life in Pakistan. Check out her blog!

Jenson Z. Yu’s Photography Blog- Whenever I go to this blog I get the travel bug and want a new camera at the the same time. His photographs are stunning!

An Afternoon in Rome: Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona in Rome is one of the most famous city squares in the world. Besides displaying the exquisite Baroque architectural and sculptural genius of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini, it was also built on the site of the Circus Agonalis or Domitian’s Stadium, an arena where the Romans watched athletic competitions.

While there are many things to see at Piazza Navona the main attractions are the vestiges of Domitian’s Stadium, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (fountain of the four rivers), Fontana di Nettuno (Neptune fountain), and the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone. My personal favorite is the Quattro Fiumi, which represents the Danube, the Nile, the Rio de la Plata, and the Ganges; one river for each corner of the globe. Each is ornamented differently, representing Bernini’s understanding of the world at his time. For example, the Nile is a hooded figure to emphasize the fact that no one knew the Nile’s source. Likewise, the Ganges has a long oar to illustrate the fact that it was, by and large, a navigable river. The piazza also contains many hints of its colorful past, such as Bernini’s often fierce rivalry with Borromini, so if you’re in Roma make sure to check it out!

Breaking the Code: Delta Airlines Standby Codes

You’re at the airport standing in front of the self service kiosk that just printed out your seat request card.  It’s your first time using travel benefits and are feeling a bit stressed and excited at the same time.  You look down and inquisitively study your seat request card and notice that on the top left corner below your name it reads “Priority S3″.

“What the heck does that mean?” you wonder and pull out your smart phone ready to call the person whose benefits you’re about to fly under.  No one answers, so you do the next best thing and Google “Delta Airlines standby priority s3″ and land on my blog.  You end up on this article that lists the codes by the order of importance rather than providing a concise explanation.  It helps a little or maybe not so you go on your way.

Photograph of Muscat Harbor in Oman

My husband took this HDR picture of Muscat Harbor while we were in Oman a few weeks ago. While he’s an experienced photographer he’s still fairly new to high dynamic range photography, but I have to admit he does a fantastic job! This is one of my favorites!

Photograph of The Burj Khalifa

Besides sharing a passion for travel my husband and I love photography. Here’s an HDR shot of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai by the Captain. Expect to see more of his work on this blog soon.

The Travails of Standby Travel

I once read that the word travel was derived from the French word travail which literally means “engage in laborious or painful effort”. Apparently, centuries ago travel was a synonym for torment. Fast forward to the present day and direct your attention to the commuting airline pilot who is trying desperately to catch a flight home or to his stubborn travel-loving wife who came along and is now silently wishing she hadn’t, for they are too familiar with the travails of traveling standby.

September 11, 2001

Ten years ago today our world changed forever. On that tragic day fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers lost their lives in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. Our veil of invulnerability was lifted in a cloud of smoke as the United States of America experienced the worst tragedy in its history. It was never the same again. On that horrendous day families were torn apart, lives were lost, dreams were shattered, and a terrible wound that would never heal was inflicted upon us.

Although we as a country experienced an unspeakable devastation, we remained strong and vehemently refused to let our enemies break our American spirit. On this day ten years ago we became united, and we will never forget September 11, 2001.

© Thomas E. Franklin