Thursday, March 31, 2011
Mesa Verde National Park
My photo was taken at mid-day through a doorway in the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado, a World Heritage site.
The culture here flourished for over 700 years, until the late 1200s. The people built elaborate stone villages in the alcoves of the canyon walls, of which, Cliff Palace is the largest. Twenty-four Native American tribes in the southwest have an ancestral affiliation with the sites at Mesa Verde.
The dwellings were constructed using sandstone, mortar and wooden beams and were decorated with plasters of pink, red, yellow, or white; only a trace of these colors remain today.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
France
One thing I love about France is the eccentricity, just the little odd items that you find. This old cast iron fire hydrant - still in use as a hydrant on the street - is fitted with a modern household tap or faucet. For watering the flowers perhaps?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tacloban City, the Philippines
The Romualdez museum, formerly known as the Santo Niño shrine and heritage museum, in Tacloban City, the Philippines. Originally a mansion built by and for first lady Imelda Marcos, but by the time her husband, late president Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted she had never even visited her mansion, let alone used it. It is now a museum and open to the public. Recently, Imelda Marcos (who returned from exile in 1991) was able to visit the museum for the first time.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Chicago, Illinois USA
This is a photo I took of the Chicago skyline at night. I was walking across a bridge, and noticed how pretty the buildings looked when reflected in the water. It was fairly cloudy this night, and it made the whole scene look really dramatic. The Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) looked especially neat this night with some foggy clouds covering its top.
Aspire Tower, Qatar
Aspire Tower in a beautiful spring like day in December in Doha , Qatar .It was built as a focal point for 2006 Asian games .It has 51 floors and it is 300 metres tall . For the time being the tallest building in Qatar .It was designed by Hadi Simaan .Original photo by Alma Wad . Nice for anyone who loves Qatar , modern architecture , games
Sunday, March 27, 2011
San Francisco Mission
San Francisco Mission Dolores Postcard from Zazzle.com
Misión San Francisco de Asís, located in the Mission district of San Francisco, California was founded June 29, 1776, under the direction of Father Junipero Serra and is both the oldest original intact Mission in California and the oldest building in San Francisco.
I took this photo while shopping nearby in one of my favorite Mexican shops where I go to buy hand made corn tortillas. The real thing; not those cardboard ones in most groceries. The mission is on Dolores Street near 16th, two blocks from Mission Street where (naturally) I'll stop for a taco or tamale before heading back home.
Misión San Francisco de Asís, located in the Mission district of San Francisco, California was founded June 29, 1776, under the direction of Father Junipero Serra and is both the oldest original intact Mission in California and the oldest building in San Francisco.
I took this photo while shopping nearby in one of my favorite Mexican shops where I go to buy hand made corn tortillas. The real thing; not those cardboard ones in most groceries. The mission is on Dolores Street near 16th, two blocks from Mission Street where (naturally) I'll stop for a taco or tamale before heading back home.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Factory Falls, PA
Beautiful Autumn scene of Factory Falls. Factory Falls is located in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania in George W Childs State Park, Dingman's Ferry. A mere 20 minutes from my house, it's one of my favorite places on Earth!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Frankenmuth , Michigan
This is a famous covered wooden bridge located in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Frankenmuth is a small town in Michigan settled by Germans.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Venice , Italy
A slightly different view of Venice, Italy. A close-up of the gold-coloured horse ornament on a gondola, with blue and yellow 'barber' striped poles standing out of the water in the background.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Croatia, Umag
This is a view of a little town called Umag, situated in the most northwestern point of Croatia on the Adriatic coast. In the picture you can see the city center. Today it is a peninsula with medieval architecture, but in the Roman period it was an inhabited island. I took the picture one spring evening in 2008.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Mt. Rainier , Washington
I live in one of the prettiest places in the world, I think. As I drive to work each morning, Mt. Rainier rears her snow-covered head (if she feels like it) above the southern Puget Sound. This view of the mountain is taken with a zoom lens from Federal Way, WA on a cold February evening. Mt. Rainier is 54 miles southeast of Seattle, and is 14,411 feet at her summit, and she's beautiful at any season.
Monday, March 21, 2011
KeyWest , Florida
At certain times of the year, the side streets of Key West are shaded by a canopy of bright red Royal Poinciana trees. This photo is a glimpse over a high wall, of one of the many tin-roofed houses there and the scarlet blossoms above.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Bali , India
This stone statue of a seated person is in the Serenity Garden section of the Ubud Botanical Gardens in Bali, Indonesia. When I visited, it was a brand new attraction to one of the prettiest places on Bali. If you've been experiencing hectic traveling, this is the place to relax and wander through a beautiful jungle scene. I think the red hibiscus flower that someone placed in the statue's hands is a fine touch!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Estaing, France
The medieval town of Estaing, Aveyron, in the Midi-Pyrenées region of France was another important stop on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route. The castle dates from the 15thC, An ornate 20th century cross stands on a 16th century gothic bridge over the river Lot in the foreground. This village is classed as one of the most beautiful in France and is a world heritage site. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, it is definitely a place worth visiting.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Dead Sea
This picture was taken in December 2010. I went to Palestine for work and had a trip to the Dead Sea one day. I didn't bring the swimsuit, so while the members of my group were having fun in the water, I was taking pictures of the landscape. The water is very oily, warm and salty, of course.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Borth, Wales
this postcard shows a crab fishermans boat hauled up onto the beach at Borth, mid Wales in the UK. In the evenings the fisherman could be seen delivering his catch to the hotels and other hostelries in the village. Borth is little more than the main street which is behind the boat in this image, but it is surrounded by important wildlife areas which make up the Dyfi National Nature Reserve.
from a colour transparency taken in 2001.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Royal Street , New Orleans, Louisiana
Royal Street empties into a deep mist, the buildings imbued with the souls and emotions of all who've come before. As you gaze down the street, you can almost feel time slipping away as that black magic takes you back.. The corner of Royal Street and St. Peter is as good a place as any to see the melding of old and new in one of the most amazing cities in the United States. New Orleans is a phoenix that continually rises from the ashes to the sound of a jazz saxophone with the ringing echoes of Mardi Gras past. Ecelectic shops and eclectic people gather in the French Quarter ensuring that you will have a one of a kind experience. Whether you tour a cemetary at night or enjoy a beverage along Burbon Street or stroll through the Garden district the city will take a piece of your soul and leave a little something in your heart.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Boca do Inferno, Portugal
La boca do inferno,or hell's mouth, is a curiosity on the Portuguese coast, next to the city of Cascais. The site consists of a natural grotto created by the constant crashing of the waves against the cliff side. The ocean is particularly powerful on this coast. The sight and sound of the crashing and bubbling up of water inside this natural cavern is an awesome experience. The crashing sound of the waves resonates from within. It's the devil's cauldron!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Venice, Italy
When you're in Venice, Italy, be sure to visit the nearby islands. Murano is the glass island, and it's perhaps the most well-known, but don't leave out Burano, the Lace Island. Wander through its streets of pastel-colored homes and stores to find the lace shops. Then take a walk across a bridge like this one and along the canal and find boats tied up along it colored to match the houses. Don't miss your ferry back to Venice!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Derbyshire, UK
Late summer on the Trent & Mersey canal at Shardlow in Derbyshire, UK, with one of the typical canalside pubs that make cruising the waterways such a pleasure! The berries in the foreground are rowan or mountain ash. Commercial traffic is almost non-existent on Britain's canals, and the many boat hire companies and hotel boats make this an easy to organize vacation and a wonderful way to see Britain from the slow lane.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Coiba Island, Panama
After a rainy night of rough sailing, we awoke to this serene view off the Pacific Coast of Panama, in the midst of the Coiba National Park. Coiba Island, the largest uninhabited tropical forested island in the Americas. The park itself encompasses over 2,700 square kilometers of islands, forests, beaches, mangroves and coral reefs.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Drome, France
The River Rhône near Monetlimar in France in the early morning sunshine. A commercial barge or péniche is waiting for a lock to be ready, and by the jetties there are two fisherman on the bank. The river runs from it's source in Valais, Switzerland, to the Mediterranean Sea, running through lake Geneva on the way. It's a fast flowing river with modernised locks for commercial traffic, and power generating barrages supplying a good percentage of electricity. In the background is the 12th century hilltop cathedral at Viviers.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Pau, France
Boulevard of the Pyrenees, Pau, France.
From this palm tree lined lane you have a great view over the Pyrenees mountain range. On one side of the lane you have an unobstructed view of the mountains, on the other side are a few restaurants and cafes. A great place for jogging, walking, eating or drinking!
The photo was taken when the sun broke through just after a thundery shower.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
HorseTail Falls , Oregon
You can almost hear the powerful roar of the mighty Horsetail Falls, its dynamic force evident in the rushing waters. Frozen in this photo, yet still retaining that feeling of raw nature and exhilaration. Caught on a gorgeous, and sunny, summer day, the waterfall contrasts beautifully with the greenery that surrounds it. Located along the Columbia River Historic Hwy parallel to I-84 between Portland and Hood River in Oregon, it is the last in a well-known chain of waterfalls dotting the Hwy and one of the most accessible. More waterfalls and other natural sites can be found further east on the Columbia River Hwy so named for the Columbia River that it follows.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
New Orleans, Louisana
Tall and silent, St. Louis Cathedral stands as it has for many years, its cultivated lawn and wandering walking paths a favorite for tourists and locals alike. Stately it rises up, its tall spires offering a symbol of strength and resolution; of age and beauty. Here it provides the perfect backdrop for the large statue and lovely park setting of Jackson Square before it. The cathedral was consecrated in 1794 and has been said to tbe the oldest continuously active cathedral in the country. Here you can see the cathedral looming behind the statue of Andrew Jackson, on horseback, as depicted by Clark Mills. It is one of the city's most well known statues in a city with many intriguing landmarks.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Zion Baptist church Nassau
The Zion Baptist church is one of the lesser-known gems of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. The church was built by British baptist missionaries in the 19th century, destroyed by a hurricane in 1929, rebuilt, and still in use today.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Quepos, Costa Rica
This photo was taken at a roadside market in Quepos, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. There were dozens of stalls selling hand-made souvenirs, but I was drawn to the bright colors of these sarong wraps, hung like a psychedelic laundry line.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Painted Hills, Oregon
In a word? Stunning. That is one easy way to describe the Painted Hills of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Eastern Oregon. The summer days are hot and the hiking can be tiring but one look at the gorgeous bands of color running through the hills around you and all your discomfort is forgotten. Part of the John Day Fossil Beds, this outpost shows off the wonders that nature can paint given time, the elements and layer upon layer of different environments becoming buried and then exposed after millenia. The colors in the hills are the result of oxidation of various metals, the different colors show that the surrounding environment went through many changes from plains, to swamp, to rainforest like conditions and each of those introduced a new layer of metals. It is also said that the hills take on a pastel, softer sheen of pinks and golds after a rain - regardless of the weather, the experience is awe-inspiring.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Harbor Islands , Antigua
This photo was taken early morning from the deck of a ship sailing into St. John's harbor on the island of Antigua. It had been a very stormy night and the sun was just rising and beginning to break through the clouds. The lights were still on in the colorful houses ahead and the lone one up on the hill. It was still pouring rain, but wonderfully warm.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Columbia River, Oregon
The Columbia River Gorge has many faces, and this one is bathed in rich gold. In the distance a boat is floating beneath the fading rays of the sun as another hot summer day comes to a close on the Columbia River which creates a natural border between Oregon and Washington state. The Columbia River Gorge is well known both for its beauty, for its windsurfing, its highly accessible waterfalls and of course its role in the Lewis & Clark expedition. Just one of many fantastic places to visit in Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge has many small state parks that allow access to the river or views of it from above.
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