Place de la République, Paris, FranceBeneath this roundabout, close to our hotel, is République Metro, our primary Metro station during our visit. Many times during each day and night we were greeted by this tribute to French democracy, public beauty, and fine architecture.
Water Tower, Chicopee, Georgia, USASometimes we enjoy just driving through the countryside with no particular destination in mind. Because the water tower, the highway, and the beautiful trees looked like something from a bygone era, we decided to take the photo using the camera's sepia tone setting.
El Al 767, Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami, Florida, USAThis El Al Israel Airlines Boeing 767 is likely eager for some rain, a rare occurrence in its homeland. On many afternoons in Miami, clouds form from a blue sky, torrential rain comes down, and the sunshine returns; often within an hour or two. While we were taxiing by, these clouds were way in the distance and allowed sunlight to shine on this beautiful jet.
The flight from Miami to Israel is a long trip of over 10,000 kilometers. In fact, this aircraft may have been readying for one of the many (now discontinued) non-stop flights from Miami.
Marc with butterfly wings, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Llamas, Northeast Georgia, USAThese cute fellows were hanging out at a farm with sheep and some other friendly animals. Naturally, we had to get out of the car and visit with them.
Boating on the River Vtlava, Prague, Czech RepublicThese folks are enjoying gentle peddleboats with Prague as their backdrop. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon! We spent about 20 hours in Prague on a stop-over and we definitely want to return.
Fishing Pier, Dania Beach, Florida, USAEvery day, millions of people fish for their next meal, to relax, and for sport. We didn't poll the folks here at this pier to know why they were fishing, but we were pretty certain that the pelican flying above was looking for a meal. Of course we didn't ask the Pelican, so we don't know whether he was planning on fishing or just enjoying the people's leftovers.
Hot Dog Shop, Tel Aviv, IsraelThis giant hot dog is quite an unusual fellow. First, he is applying his own ketchup and mustard. Second, he is wearing an American flag. Our guess is that he came from the USA, that the hot dogs are New York style, or both. In Israel, schwarma and falafel are much more popular than hot dogs, and ketchup and mustard are not the first things that comes to mind for Israeli condiments.
Cookie the Octopus, Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida, USACute Cookie and his marine friends took up residence at the famed Fontainebleau Hotel in 1978. Built in 1954, the Fontainebleau was designed by famous architect Morris Lapidus.
Originally insulted by fellow architects as the creator of gaudy kitsch, the prolific Lapidus is now recognized as a genius of Neo-baroque and Populuxe architecture.
DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter Cockpit, Seattle, Washington, USAOne late afternoon right before summer, we had a Seattle sightseeing flight in a Kenmore Air DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter floatplane. It is really something to take off an land on a body of water filled with active watercraft. Marc even got to sit in what would normally be the co-pilot's seat (there were no flight controls).Kenmore Air operates not only sightseeing flights, but is also a lifeline to many remote communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. We highly recommend Kenmore Air's flightseeing tours.
Mirror Ball, New York City, New York, USA
Not all artists are human. This mirror ball cast off beautiful specks of light, set the mood for dancing, and gave us a pixelated portrait of ourselves.
Kangaroo Conservation Center, Dawsonville, Georgia, USAHard to believe, but this friendly troop of kangaroos is in the USA, not Australia. The Kangaroo Conservation Center is located in the mountains of North Georgia. If you're in the area, hop over to meet a troop of kangaroos and other exotic animals.
Night View from Peabody Hotel Roof, Memphis, Tennessee, USAWe used a long exposure to capture a bitterly cold evening in Memphis from atop the famed Peabody Hotel. Memphis is along the Mississippi River and it is featured prominently in this scene.We wonder if the unlit letters on the Memphis Business Journal building are a portend of things to come in print media.
Strozier Library, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USAEvery day, students around the world visit college libraries to read and do research. This dreamy look at Strozier Library on FSU's campus is much more charming than the reality we faced of drudging through card catalogs trying to find one more book to help finish a paper.
Smiling Plate, Atlanta, Georgia, USAOur friend's son Max made this artistic plate of food at a party. We just couldn't resist taking a picture of his creation. Thank you Max!
Marina City Tower, Chicago, Illinois, USABuilt in 1964, Marina City was a mixed use live, work, and play complex on the Chicago River.
Although considered part of the Modernism architectural movement, the towers were designed with an organic feel, firmly rooted in nature.
This picture was taken while we were on an Architecture River Cruise, a fabulous way to see Chicago.
Airplanes and cotton field, Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR), USAA section of the Goodyear Airport is dedicated to airliner storage. Some of these planes may fly again and some may just be scrapped. This is a view of the cotton field adjacent to the airport.
Geese crossing a frozen lake, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USAThe flock crossing this frozen lake is definitely reflective, but its members are probably not particularly introspective.
Cumulus Clouds, Western Missouri, USAThese cute clouds were photographed at sunset while approaching Kansas City Mid-Continent International Aiport (MCI). The shape and color remind us of cotton candy.
Mediterranean Sea Rocks, Barcelona, Catalonia, SpainThese beautiful rocks were discovered on our first visit to the Mediterranean. It was a cold and windy December day in Barcelona, so we were neither dressed for nor planning to swim. Although swimming was out of the question, these beautiful sea rocks gave us plenty to enjoy at the beach.We remember studying this collection of stones, sea glass, pebbles, and pottery fragments and wondering where each came from and how long each had been at sea. Such pondering about new places, people, and experiences are what travel is all about!
Elephant Super Car Wash, Seattle, Washington, USAGet your trunk washed by a trunk!
Pickles, Peppers, and more, Tony Packo's, Toledo, Ohio, USATony Packo's has been keeping folks in Toledo supplied with Hungarian-style comfort food since 1932. His hot dogs, fried pickles, peppers, and chili are world famous, in no small part thanks to the television show M*A*S*H. We've eaten there and can assure you the food is really good, especially their fried pickles!
Atrium, Marriott Marquis Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia, USAAtlanta's Marriott Marquis at one time boasted the world's largest atrium. At 470 feet high, the hotel held the record for nearly 15 years (1985-1999). This is a view of the atrium looking down from the top floor. A recent renovation added brightly colored carpet and some extra oomph to this view.
Islands of Mykonos and Dragonisi, GreeceMany times while flying we pass by interesting places. In this case, we flew by the Greek isles of Mykonos and Dragonisi. We've heard much about the island Mykonos, but this is as close as we got. We do want to visit Greece one day, but thus far have only flown over it.
Torreya State Park, Bristol, Florida, USAWhen we were in college, we used to drive around exploring. One day we stumbled upon the exceptionally beautiful Torreya State Park. Located on the high bluffs and banks of the Apalachicola River, the bluffs, ravines, streams, and forests are both beautiful and fun to explore. The park is named for the torreya tree, a very rare and ancient tree. For a variety of compelling reasons, some consider Torreya State Park as the site of the Garden of Eden.
While hiking down a stream in the park one day, we found this "waterfall". We each took turns sitting in this waterfall. It was an amazing feeling! On future trips, we searched for the waterfall, but could never find it again.
Night Sky, Highlands, North Carolina, USAThe colors of the sky are a marvel of nature. The sky, the full moon, the windswept trees, and the fading mountains made this a beautiful dusk.
A Room in Chelsea, New York City, New York, USABefore we found TripAdvisor (and sometimes even after), the quality of our lodging accommodations would be a great mystery to us until we arrived. Most of the time, we would get something close to what we expected; sometimes not. Even with TripAdvisor we sometimes receive the unexpected (good and bad), but generally their are few surprises.
This tiny room at an inn in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood was tolerable, but hardly as described. The room was so small that either of us could touch two walls while sitting on the bed. This might have been okay if the bed did not have the head on one wall and the foot on the other! This room was smaller than any room we've had in Europe. In fact, to this day, this inn describes their rooms as "generously large". We didn't mind the room size as much as the misrepresented amenities and condition of the inn. Luckily, it was not the worst place we've ever stayed and it was in a reasonably convenient location.
Tugboats, Portland, Maine, USA
Tugboats help ships around the world every day! These little dynamos can push or pull ships and barges of all sizes. Tugs rescue ships in times of trouble and guide them safely into or out of port.
Pizza Slice, Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA
According to Marc, this delicious pizza slice was made more complete by the addition of anchovies!In today's world of chains, where so much looks and tastes like everything else (think of your local mall where the supposed Cajun, Chinese, and Japanese restaurants all the serve the same items with different names), it is refreshing to find a fresh slice of pizza that tastes and feels and smells like it should!
