Turquoise

It was windy, mostly cloudy but warm the day I took this photo on a spot along the Mayan Riviera south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Family Ties

Green Abstraction

I was walking along a trail that ran parallel to an unoccupied stretch of beach south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, when I saw some kind of tropical shrub that was loaded with green pods. Like many things that strike me in nature, I like the symmetry in these seed pods. I wish I knew what kind of plant this is . . . .

01-01-11 Sunrise

This photo is a result of being in the right place at the right time - with the right lens, which was a 17-40 mm wide angle lens. The beach is along the so-called Maya Riviera south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Seing the sunrise along this stretch of beach is a bit rare since there always seem to be clouds along the horizon. But on this day, the sun showed its face for about 5 minutes and so I get the great play of light along the sand.

Where Is the Submachine Gun?

This is one of the famous Vatican Swiss Guardsmen. His clothes may seem silly but his mission isn't. He will give his life for the Pope if he needs to. I've read that while they sometimes wield traditional Renaissance pikes as weapons, they always have an Uzi mini machine gun nearby. The uzi is capable of shooting 600 rounds a minute, which is faster than my camera.

Michelangelo's Other Pieta

Tucked in behind the Duomo in Florence is a easy-to-miss art museum. In it you will see the originals of Ghiberti's Baptistry doors. You will also see this great work, which, so I've read, has the artist's face as the face of Christ. Was Michelangelo trying to make a statement about how he felt he had been treated? Maybe. Michelangelo's face also appears as the face of the flayed St. Bartholomew in The Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. St. Bartholomew had also been treated badly by his detractors.

Pont du Garde

This is a Roman aqueduct and bridge in the south of France. What are we building that will still be standing 2000 years from now?

A Real Venetian

I think the lady strolling past the opening to this courtyard is a real Venetian. But she is not a Venusian. (I don't think so, anyway.)

French Pizza

We enjoyed this in Arles, where Vincent Van Gogh lived and worked for a while. I wonder what his impression of French Pizza was?

Elvis Lives!

I captured this rare sighting along the River Seine in Paris.

Copyright Violation?

Did you know that publishing photos of the Eiffel Tower taken during the day are OK but publishing a night time shot violates the copyright held on the Eiffel Tower? It does, though this shot was taken at dusk.