Latkes Frying, Atlanta, Georgia, USAFriday night marked the start of Chanukah. Like all Jewish holidays, special foods (or fasts) are integral to the celebration. The miracle of the sanctified Temple oil lasting for eight nights inspired Jews the world over to eat fried foods during Chanukah.
Here were see latkes (potato pancakes) frying to a deep golden brown! To make latkes, we grate potatoes and onions, mix in matzo meal, egg, and seasonings, and fry!
Fresh Falafel in a Pita, Tel Aviv, Israel
Wherever we travel, we love to eat local cuisine and skip the American stuff. In Israel, this is so easy as most of the everyday foods are fast foods. Israeli pita is strong and flexible, so you can pile in falafel balls (fried chickpeas) with pickles, olives, salads, hummus, and hot sauce. A full meal in your hand!
Rail Cars and Cargo Plane, Miami, Florida, USA
This shot of an Atlas Air 747 cargo plane landing at Miami International Aiport (MIA) was taken through two rail cars of a freight train. Air freight is the fastest way to send items around the globe, but trains are still very important for moving items over land.
Sailboat, Lake Union, Seattle, WashingtonIt was amazing to see these beautiful colors on Lake Union at sunset. Because of the northern latitude, during the summer months sunset comes much later and folks often enjoy outdoor activities like sailing well into the evening hours. As you can see, not every day and night in Seattle is overcast.
Banner, Atlanta Zoo, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
You won't catch us feeding this to any human babies!
Pier and Roundhouse, Manhattan Beach, California, USA
Opened in 1920, the Manhattan Beach Pier is Southern California's oldest remaining example of early reinforced concrete pier construction. The rounded tip has allowed the pier to withstand the heavy Pacific surf for nearly 90 years.
Alleyway, Paris, France
One of the joys of dining in Europe is that restaurants post their menus outside. We always seem to spend too much time deliberating when it comes to deciding on where to eat. At least in Europe we can see their offerings and prices at a glance!
Rugalach, Tampa, Florida
It's been harder and harder for us to find fresh-baked rugalach where we live. We happened to be at a diner in Tampa which had tons of fresh, delicious rugalach. Mind you, there are many bakeries where we live which sell rugalach, but most are poor imitations of the real deal.
Ceiling Decoration, Ziff Ballet Opera House, Miami, Florida, USA
This beautiful swirl evokes dancers in motion. To get this picture, the camera was placed on top of a seatback. We set a 10 second delay to ensure that the camera was perfectly still by the time the shutter opened. This was especially important as we suppressed the flash to capture the ceiling and lights in natural colors.
River Thames and Royal Palace and Fortress, London, England
The calm waters of the River Thames belie the dramatic history of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, better known as the Tower of London.
View from an Airplane near Paris, FranceWe took this photo during our descent and approach into Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG). This cold November morning was illuminated by the sun behind the clouds.
Cruise Ship Dinner, Caribbean SeaThis delicious dinner of roast duck and fruit, risotto, and broccoli bruschetta was served while we were en route from Nassau to Sint Maarten. The entree was delicious (although we didn't know it when we took the picture).
San Francisco, California, USA
We captured this photo from our friend's apartment in San Francisco's Castro District during the summer of 1996. One afternoon there was an extended black-out throughout this part of California, which was (and may still be) fairly common. We captured this photo of the fog rolling through the city during the black-out.The group Journey, which hailed from San Francisco, had a song named Lights with the lyrics "When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bay". In this case, once the fog rolled in, there were neither lights nor sunshine, but it definitely was still magical San Francisco!
St Bernard Puppy, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
This cute Saint Bernard Puppy was being carried around a local festival on his owner's back in a human baby carrier. This adorable little fellow seemed to be tired of the festival, all the attention, or both.
Miami, Florida, USAThis view of Miami captures a bit of Biscayne Bay and Biscayne Boulevard. Both are essential elements of Metropolitan Miami. Looking south from a nearby hotel, we captured this photo on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon.
Irises, Seattle, Washington, USAThese lovely irises were discovered in a Japanese Garden in Seattle. Because of the abundant rainfall, the Seattle area is awash in many beautiful flowers and trees.
Puppy Cakes, Atlanta, Georgia, USAThese cute little puppies were sitting in the baker's case!
Prague, Czech RepublicWe've seen plenty of one way streets in major cities and we've even been on narrow roads and alleys in historic areas. We were unprepared, however, to see pedestrians stop what they were doing and move out of the way of our taxi. As you can see, they didn't have much choice.
Portable Toilets, Atlanta, Georgia, USAPortable toilets have sure come a long way from when we were kids. Nowadays these outhouses, often found at construction sites and large public gatherings, have much less of a smell and are sometimes gender segregated. You might even find hand cleaner!
Underground Walkway, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaMontreal boasts the world's largest underground complex, La Ville Souterraine. Spanning over 12 square kilometers, with over 32 kilometers of tunnels, the underground city offers a respite from cold winters. Through these climate controlled passageways, citizens and visitors can reach about 80% of all offices and over 35% of all shops without going out into the elements. There are about 120 entry points, which makes it very easy to enter and exit the underground city from different points in Montreal.
Backpacks, Atlanta, Georgia, USAKids are going to our nearby schools today for the start of the 2009-10 school year. This is a day for kids to meet their new teachers, catch up with friends after the long summer, make new friends, and to show off new outfits, backpacks, lunchbags, etc. Some kids even have new teeth or have grown over the summer! After all the hubbub, perhaps they will even do school work.
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, FranceFor some odd reason, all the pipes and air-vents of the Centre Georges Pompidou are reminiscent of the Beatles' 1968 movie Yellow Submarine. The center houses an extensive library, a music research center, and a modern art museum.
Mountain Goat, Mount Evans, Colorado, USAThis mountain goat was found along the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, near Denver, Colorado. We were definitely above 12,000 feet when this picture was taken, so there were not too many food choices for this goat. Mountain goats are not native to Colorado and naturally do not roam south of northern Wyoming. Goats were released in the Mount Evans area in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Mount Evans stands at 14,264 feet and the Mount Evans Scenic Byway can take you within 134 feet of this summit (14,130 feet). This road is the highest paved road in North America.
Extreme caution should be exercised on this road not just because of the narrow roadway, winding turns, blind curves, and lack of guardrails, but because the lack of oxygen is so pronounced. Visitors from altitudes below Denver's 5,280 feet, should acclimate to higher altitudes in stages over a period of days. Going directly from sea level to the summit within a 48 hour period can cause severe reactions, including death.
Cable Car, San Francisco, California, USAHere's another photograph which instantly says "I was there". We've been to San Francisco many times, but have yet to enjoy Rice-A-Roni while there.
Wind chimes, Atlanta, Georga, USAWind chimes make pretty noises in the breeze and look pretty too!
Space Rocket, US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
40 years ago, a group of three brave astronauts from the United States of America were en-route to the Moon in a cramped space vehicle. 2 days later, they would make history and land on the the Moon.
Landing on the moon was an achievement not just for those three astronauts, but a grand accomplishment for countless thousands of scientists, technicians, factory workers, other astronauts, and bureaucrats who made it all possible.
Amicalola Falls, Georgia, USATaken from the top of Amicalola Falls, the sounds are relaxing even at the start of the big 729 foot (the highest in Georgia) tumble. The base of the falls can be reached by descending a great number of wooden steps or by walking up a steep trail from below.
Boathouse, Lincoln, Alabama, USAThis boathouse was in a bend of the Coosa River near Lincoln, Alabama. At the time of this photo, the water was so low that the boathouse may not have been too useful to the owner.
Staircase, Pilgrim Monument, Provincetown, Massachusetts, USAThis is a view looking up from the base (or near the base) of the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown. The monument commemorates the landing of the Pilgrims at Provincetown and their signing of the Mayflower Compact. At over 200 feet tall, there are plenty of steps to climb!
Independence Pass, Colorado, USASometimes we just have to take a picture showing that we've been somewhere. Sometimes the picture is of us with a sign or a well known icon which documents that we really went somewhere. If done well, there is nothing tacky about such a documentary picture.This picture was taken Memorial Day weekend more than decade ago. Walking just beyond this sign, the snow was over 10 feet deep!At 12,095 feet (3,686 meters) above sea level, the summit of Independence Pass straddles the Continental Divide and is the second-highest paved mountain pass in Colorado. The pass has a 6.5% grade on both sides of the summit.
Diet Coke, Norcross, Georgia, USAEvery day millions of people drink diet soft drinks. While drinking these is fairly routine, the ingredients are things you likely won't find in your house or in nature.
Independence Day Fireworks, Atlanta, Georgia, USAFireworks are not exactly structures, but are definitely designed to be big. Queue up the Sousa and enjoy.
Great Bend of the San Juan River, Utah, USA
When we fly, we like to look out the window. Sometimes we know generally where we are and what we've photographed thanks to a map display on the aircraft. Sometimes, with or without the roaming map, we need to conduct research to determine what is in an aerial photograph.
If we're not sure what we're looking at, we use a variety of methods to determine what is in the picture. We often plot a great circle route map (as a starting point), examine prior and succeeding photographs, calculate time from take off, and try to find the landscape on Google Maps. We also often use Google's Picasa desktop tool to heighten colors and details.
Ultimately, Google Maps is the key, as it shows actual landscapes, but even this can take time as many landscapes can look nearly identical. Once we find the location for our picture, we then need to see if there is an associated name.
In the case of this photo, we used all of the methods described above. There were many similar bends in the landscape, so we had to further refine the criteria and look at the landscape from a variety of angles in Google Maps.
Parade of Colors, Pensacola Beach, Florida, USAThis weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City. These riots ushered in the modern gay rights movement. The riots were the result of constant government persecution of gays and other sexual minorities.
On June 28, 1969, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back after the police raided the bar. The raids were done to intimidate and shame the patrons, especially those who were transgendered and transvestites.Today, gays, lesbians, and transgendered people live more openly in the United States. There is still much progress to be done for equal rights, but progress is being made, albeit slowly.
Cobblestone Street, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Every day many people around the world walk through cities and towns on modern concrete sidewalks. In olden days folks often walked with the horse and mule traffic on dirt and rock roads. The cobblestone road was invented to give horses a good grip during all weather. Eventually, pedestrians needed to get out of the way of horses, so sidewalks were invented. Sidewalks can be made of stone, wood, concrete, brick, and any number of smooth surfaces which make walking easier.
Eastern Airlines DC-9, Tallahassee, Florida, USAThis scene says so much about how things used to be. First, it features the storied Eastern Airlines, which has now gone into history. Second, it shows folks casually strolling across the tarmac to a jetliner with neither guided paths, security officers, nor roll-aboard carry-on luggage.
Calf, Perry, Florida, USAThis cute calf was waiting to be judged at the Florida Forest Festival back in 1992. Agricultural festivals are a big deal in many rural areas and this part of North Florida has (or had) plenty of fishing, foresting, and farming.
Chimney Caps, Barcelona, Catalonia, SpainThese odd looking faces are decorative chimney caps designed by famed Modernist architect Antoni GaudÃ. Found atop Casa Milà (also known as La Pedrera), these fellows functionally do nothing more than disperse smoke. However, as Barcelona and Gaudà are inextricably linked, these little fellows are now famous as a testimony to GaudÃ's unique visions for Barcelona and architecture.
Waffle House Breakfast, Valdosta, Georgia, USAWe enjoyed this breakfast last month while visiting family. In fact, unlike last week's Succulent Sunday picture, this was also taken on a Sunday! Waffle House's food and service are in categories all their own. Waffle House is so unpretentious, they didn't even take credit cards until a year or two ago. Open 24 hours a day, we highly recommend visiting one of their cute little houses for a fresh breakfast or after disco snack!
Bizarre Building, Tel Aviv, IsraelAn architect friend of ours called this building post-modern. We call it a jumble. The building is right along the beach promenade, so it is definitely in a good location, at least for those inside.
Boeing Factory, Everett, Washington, USAAcknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest building in the world by volume, Boeing's Everett factory is where the 747, 767, 777 and 787 (Dreamliner) aircraft are assembled and manufactured. The building is so large, in fact, that it requires its own fire department, medical center, electrical substations and water-treatment plant.
Beach Tents, Pompano Beach, Florida, USAWith Memorial Day long past, we think it's time for the beach!
Roadside Flowers, Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina, USAThese roadside flowers we found while meandering in North Carolina reminded us of a bouquet.
Space Needle and Jetliner, Seattle, Washington, USAAviation is intricately tied to the history of Seattle. So, it is fitting that in this photo the Space Needle, designed to evoke both a flying saucer and a tethered balloon, is joined by a soaring jetliner.
Original Chick-fil-A Restaurant, Hapeville, Georgia, USAChick-fil-A is a fixture in the Southern USA. The Dwarf House is the pre-cursor to all Chick-fil-A restaurants. Unlike regular Chick-fil-A's, the Dwarf House has a larger menu and also serves beef! The owner is a religious Christian, so all Chick-fil-A's are closed on Sunday. While we may not agree with all of the owner's views, it is nice to know that Chick-fil-A puts family and faith before profit.
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia, USAThe Georgia Dome is the home stadium of the Atlanta Falcons football team. As the second largest domed structure in the world, the Georgia Dome can hold over 75,000 fans.
Appetizers, Kfar Saba, IsraelThis cornucopia of monkey dishes shows how serious this restaurant is about pleasing guests. The fourteen condiments and appetizers shown do not even account for all of the complimentary food served before our main meal (kabobs of meat) arrived. We're not sure if the Achla restaurant is still in business, but we can report that every one of these dishes (and our main course) were delicious!
Mizrach Wine, Hutchinson Island, Florida, USAMarc found this bottle in the liquor cabinet while preparing for Pesach 5754 (Passover 1994). This bottle was being kept for a special occasion. As the label clearly shows that it was imported from Palestine, the wine had been bottled in 1948 or earlier.
Through the birth of children, Bar and Bat Mitzvot, weddings, and other celebrations, this bottle sat waiting to be found. Finally discovered again, it was thought that the family could celebrate the naming of Marc's niece with this wine. After uncorking the bottle, we all felt better admiring the wine instead of drinking it. So while we didn't drink from bottle, its discovery still brought the intended joy to the celebration.
Marc and Ned, Atlanta, Georgia, USASometimes we see something goofy which is too cool to pass up. This Delta sign was laying on the ground just outside Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL). If we weren't honest, we could have easily have stuck it in our friends' SUV and kept it as a special souvenir. Instead, we just grabbed it, got a picture with it, and put it back down where we found it. Even though we didn't get to keep the sign, we enjoyed getting this goofy picture with it!
