On a whim, I drove to Rockport today for a little photography. From start to finish, the outing was a disaster. On the way there, I encountered traffic due to a serious collision on the highway, adding 30 minutes to the 1-hour drive. My photo above of the famous Motif #1 is crap. It needs a foreground element, which I was unable to conjure. I used Lightroom to remove some distracting buildings in the background, hoping it would enhance the image, but I feel it only got worse. I did enjoy lunch at a bar with the England – Democratic Republic of Congo World Cup game on a big screen TV, so that was not so bad. I then drove another half hour to Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, hoping to do a little drone photography, only to discover that I had left my controller at home. A major traffic detour on my return drive added insult to injury. Fortunately, it appears that Jeanine will be returning from Pennsylvania this evening in time to watch some of the USA-Bosnia and Herzegovina match with me.

Designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935, Fallingwater is a masterpiece of organic architecture located in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. The home was built as a private mountain retreat for the Kaufmann family, owners of a prominent Pittsburgh department store. Its defining feature is a series of bold, cantilevered concrete terraces positioned directly over a cascading waterfall on the Bear Run stream. Today, the iconic site operates as a public museum under the care of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, showcasing Wright’s genius for blending human structures with nature. Jeanine shared these photos from her visit today.

Kyle and I were watching the German-Paraguay World Cup match when he spotted this doe meandering down the shoreline. I managed to get outside for the shot without scaring it off but did not really have the right lens for the job.

Jeanine is on the road with her friend Carolyn. They are on their way to Pennsylvania to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. I hope to post some of her photos tomorrow.

This morning, my soccer team played for all the marbles in our league’s championship final of our over-62 division.

For a bunch of old men, we looked nearly spry as we took care of business with a decisive 3-0 win over Raynham. I am pictured above with some of my teammates wearing our champions’ jersey and with the whole team below immediately after the match.

It was arguably my best match of the season as I scored the opening goal with a high-flying header. The match was videotaped, so I hope to post a clip of the goal when it becomes available. Until then, I am sharing an excerpt of the match report prepared by one of our players.

“The game started, and Concord soon showed its superiority, having much of the ball in the Raynham half. A good 30 minutes into the game, and Dave Wilson on the left wing crosses into the box for the right winger Carl to leap ( and this is not hyperbole ), like a salmon over the defender and send a bullet header past the goalie. 1-0. Carl bookends the season with the first goal in the first game and an even more welcome first in the last game. Raynham had a few wild shots from outside the box, which was the sum total of their efforts for the first half.”

Kubb (pronounced “koob”) is an ancient Swedish lawn game often referred to as “Viking Chess”. The goal is to use wooden batons to knock over the opposing team’s wooden blocks, and finally the “King,” before your opponent does. It requires a mix of skill, strategy, and precision. The family was joined by Maya’s boyfriend, Brennan, and childhood best friend Sarinnagh to celebrate her 27th birthday and a belated Father’s Day. Playing on the infield of the baseball diamond at Lincoln Park, we enjoyed a very competitive game followed by several rounds of Bocce. Later, we dined at Olé, a great Mexican restaurant a few blocks away.

Shifting my body clock back by 6 hours has not grown easier with age. The USA versus Turkiye World Cup match last night helped me stay up until midnight, and I slept like a rock afterwards. Today, however, I paid the price. Several times, I had to fight off the urge to take a nap, knowing that sleeping during the day would only prolong my return to Eastern Standard Time. Rain early in the day gave way to sunshine in the afternoon, allowing me to do a little backyard photography.

Nicolai shared this teaser reel for the Amputee World Cup to be held in Mexico this November. It features amputee footballers from around the world, including Nico, and is meant to build awareness for the sport and the upcoming World Cup.

My last view of Warsaw before boarding a bus for the airport. As is my habit when traveling solo, I packed in a lot on this 8-day journey. Three countries, 4 major cities, 2 minor ones, and a weekend-long soccer tournament with Nico. I return with a new understanding of the halocust, a couple of pounds lighter from a two-meal-a-day routine, and 5-10 miles a day of walking, blisters on the bottom of both feet, and a treasure trove of photos.

Maya shared the photo below, taken at a team-building event she organized. I crack up every time I look at it. I am a huge proponent of team-building events that involve competition. They offer a window into personalities and social styles, creating opportunities to figure out how to improve communication and cooperation. Also, a ton of fun and a good way to blow off steam.

Located just outside Kraków, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is an awe-inspiring subterranean labyrinth. Operating from the 13th century until 1996, it is one of the world’s oldest salt mines and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors descend hundreds of feet to explore winding tunnels, deep underground lakes, and multiple chapels meticulously carved directly out of rock salt. The crown jewel is the magnificent Chapel of St. Kinga, a massive underground church featuring stunning salt-crystal chandeliers and bas-reliefs.

The two-hour-plus tour has you gradually descend 800 steps to a depth of 440 feet below the surface, covering a total walking distance of 3 miles, including the return. Unfortunately, I have developed blisters on the balls of both feet after walking several miles in my rain-soaked sneakers during the Auschwitz-Birkenau tour yesterday, making the tour somewhat less enjoyable.

Krakow and Warsaw represent two distinct sides of Poland; Krakow is the former royal capital, famous for its preserved medieval charm, while Warsaw is the vibrant, bustling, and modern metropolis that serves as the contemporary capital. Krakow largely survived World War II, retaining its centuries-old architecture, such as Wawel Castle and the Main Market Square. In contrast, Warsaw was almost entirely destroyed in the war and rebuilt with a mix of restored historical sections and towering, cosmopolitan skyscrapers. Ultimately, Krakow feels like a traditional, walkable historical hub, while Warsaw offers a fast-paced, business-like, and culturally dynamic urban experience.

Curious about the woman on the wire? Let me know if you are going to Krakow, and I will reveal where she can be found.

Auschwitz was a massive complex of concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland. Established in 1940, it initially housed political prisoners. It later served as the primary site for the Nazis’ “Final Solution,” where over one million people, predominantly Jewish, were systematically murdered in gas chambers. Thousands of other prisoners were subjected to forced labor, starvation, and deadly medical experiments. The camp was liberated by the Soviet army on January 27, 1945, and today stands as a universal symbol of the Holocaust.

I visited the camp today and was left numb after learning about the level of depravity and cruelty inflicted on humans by humans. The displays helped to convey the sheer magnitude of the atrocity.

Located less than 2 miles away was Birkenau, the largest of the concentration and extermination camps, enclosing a vast area of over 350 acres. It functioned primarily as a mass extermination center where victims were gassed daily, 2000 at a time, and their bodies incinerated. While the majority of victims were Jewish, the camp also held tens of thousands of Poles, Roma, and Soviet prisoners of war in conditions characterized by deliberate starvation and rampant disease.

It was seemingly appropriate that we experienced torrential downpours throughout the tour, creating a dark and chilling atmosphere.

Having done his red card penance, Nico was back on the pitch today for the remaining games against Poland and Ukraine. The US played well, but not well enough to win either match. Playing on a 6-hour body clock differential did not help our cause, but to be fair, both our opponents deserved their victories. Even in defeat, I see enormous improvement in the US team, and we were without two of our most talented strikers.

Nico had several promising shots on goal but none that found the back of the net. In typical fashion, he also had some dramatic overhead footwork that is unique to amputee soccer. He will return to the States early tomorrow morning, while I depart for Krakow by train this evening.

It was a real Father’s Day treat spending the day with Nico and I can’t wait to do the same with Kyle and Maya upon my return.

My reason for visiting Europe this week was to watch Nico and Team USA compete at the Amp Futbol Cup 2026, a tune-up tournament between Poland, Ukraine, and the United States in preparation for the Amputee World Cup to be held in Mexico in November. In a highly questionable call, Nico was issued a red card early in the second half of the first match with Poland. There was no on-field call by the referee at the time of the incident, but for the first time in amputee soccer, VAR (Video Assistant Referee) was in use, and after the play was reviewed, the red card was issued. Nico was ruled to have made contact with a player in the act of shooting on goal. A review of the video after the match shows only minor contact, nothing that would warrant a red card. I think this was a case of an overly enthusiastic first-time VAR official wanting to be relevant. The consequence, however, was a death knell for Team USA. Playing a man down in amputee soccer is not like regular soccer, where losing 1 of 10 field players can be managed. Losing 1 of 6 is just too much of a deficit to overcome, and Poland ran away with the match. Adding insult to injury, Nico was forced to miss the next game with Ukraine, where the US lost 0-1. Nico will be back in action tomorrow.

I photographed both matches, and the images can be found here. Brutally harsh sunlight in the first match made for poor photographs. Conditions improved later in the day for the second match.

Warsaw’s Old Town is not original; it was meticulously rebuilt after World War II. Following the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, Nazi forces destroyed over 85% of the historic district. However, this unprecedented post-war restoration was so accurate that it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For what it lacks in the old world charm of Tallinn, it makes up for it in sheer magnitude. I spent the morning touring the area, and these are but a tiny fraction of the photos I took. Several views were so expansive, I had to make a panoramic photo to show the full scene. Click on them to see the full detail.