Posts Tagged ‘Photos’

Postcard from Koh Lanta

January 20th, 2011

Does this really need a caption?

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Postcards from Vienna

November 4th, 2010

Vienna was a beautiful city, with some fantastic architecture. I didn’t have any single building or site that I felt stood out, but the beauty pervaded every place I went.

One thing I particularly enjoyed – watching students carrying violin and cello cases instead of backpacks with books. I really should have gone to a concert of some sort, but I needed a break from activities any more complicated than sipping coffee on the Kartnerstrasse.

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I loved the colored tiles on the rooftop of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

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Michaelerplatz – under refurbishment, unfortunately (as were many places in the city).

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The very beautiful Charles Church.

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Postcards from Hong Kong at Night

October 28th, 2010

A few night shots of Hong Kong.

One of the best views of the city is from Victoria Peak. The tram is the best way to travel up and down. Unlike a funicular, this doesn’t keep your seat horizontal throughout the ride because the grade changes several times on the way up. It gets very, very steep in spots and you’ll be holding yourself up if you’re standing.P1020843[5]

Once you’re at the peak, you’ll arrive at a fairly large and fairly new mall. There are great vantage points located on the terrace, including an observation deck. For a few dollars, you can also go to the top of the mall for the highest view. I didn’t bother with paying to go to the top – the views from the free deck were just fine.

Just before sunset, as the building lights begin to come up.

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This one is during the nightly light show from Victoria Peak. From this perspective, you can see the lights flickering on and off, but you won’t see the laser show or get the impact of the music (more on that below).IMGP2715

A view of Hong Kong from the Kowloon shore, during the light show which happens at 8pm nightly. 33 of the office buildings participate in the show, which features music, flashing multi-colored lights and lasers. As a light show, it’s primarily impressive because of its expanse. The best vantage point for the show is the observation deck between Avenue of the Stars and the Star Ferry terminal.IMGP2473

Postcards From Madrid

August 25th, 2010

A few photos from Madrid, for your viewing pleasure. Click on any photo to see the full Flickr gallery.

IMGP1257Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. I’ve never actually read the book (or seen the musical), but I’ve always felt a kinship with Quixote. There’s something about his combination of a little crazy and a little starved for attention that speaks to me.

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Architecture in Madrid is wonderful. While it lacks the consistency of Paris, the varying styles mesh together nicely.

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The Palace Hotel – the place where Mata Hari often stayed, along with other notables like Hemingway, Dali and Picasso. And Lamar Odom.

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The Atocha train station. Another beautiful station. Inside this one is a complete garden and restaurant, as the newer section of the station is behind the old station pictured here.P1020041

Parque de Madrid. The park is huge – even on a bike, it took me nearly an hour to cover it all. Beautiful fountains, gates, flowers and activity areas throughout acres of park built in the 1800s.IMGP1255-1

Place de Espana.

Antwerp: Quick Pics

July 21st, 2010

A few pictures from Antwerp to go along with ones from yesterday’s post.

The central clock tower in Antwerp

The top of the central clock tower

Sailors from the Tall Boat Races hanging from the mast.

Antwerp has the most beautiful train station I've ever seen.

Interior of the train station

Confessions of a Cultural Idiot Part 2: Learn

March 14th, 2010

This is part 2 of a four part series, in which I chastise myself for past experiences and give advice on fixing myself for future travels. Yes, I can give myself advice without being crazy. If you’d like to catch up, you can read Part 1: Eat Stuff.

Lesson #2 for cultural idiots: Don’t just take photos, take inspiration.

I’m setting up a contest on the site called “Identify This Photo.” Because I need serious help with about 7,000 photos that are a total mystery to me. Seriously, I don’t even think I took most of them. My working theory is that they just came with the camera like that generic family in a new picture frame. You may not know them, but damn, they sure look pretty.

Do you know where this is? Me neither.

» Read more: Confessions of a Cultural Idiot Part 2: Learn

Pyrennees Pressure

March 5th, 2010

Photos from riding through the Pyrennees near Pau, France. Click on any pic for the full gallery.

» Read more: Pyrennees Pressure

You Say Dubai and I Say Hello…

February 26th, 2010

Eventually, I’ll write a little post with memories of Dubai and what’s I think is next for them. I had the good fortune to get a helicopter tour over the city in 2008. Now, they’re stuck in transition and trying to just keep up on maintaining what’s finished.

Click on any photo to see the rest of the gallery!

(all photos by me)

A model home in the "World" island cluster

The Burj al Arab

The Atlantis Hotel under construction

Welcome to WTF Wednesday!!

February 10th, 2010

The first in an irregular series of photos, stories or links that make me say WTF? For the pics, it’s also a caption contest. The best contributions get the captions edited into the main post for all to see.

Perhaps not the most glamorous location, but let’s get started with a little pic I took in central Wisconsin.

I’ll start:
“Is that a chainsaw or are you just happy to see that bear?”
“Only YOU can prevent the five knuckle shuffle.”

More?