Colorado

Sometimes travel can be limited to only a few miles, but the results can still be satisfying. Studying the familiar from a new view point or in some new light, can provide the same experience as seeing something completely new for the first time. The thrill of discovery in the common - even mundane - that surrounds us is elusive, but worth the effort. Some describe a fierce discipline of paying attention to the world around us, not only for the better photograph or the better poem, but for the better life. That, after all, is the wellspring of all our creative endeavors.

Freiburg im Breisgau

I was in Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany for a relaxed weekend between Nice and Berlin. This has always been one of my favorite cities in all of Europe. It's a university town that is dominated by the 14th century Gothic cathedral in the center of the city. Evenings were warm and long, and best enjoyed at one of the many restaurants that surround the church courtyard.

Every day of the week (except Sunday) there is a large market that occurs in the area surrounding the cathedral. This is a great place to photograph and eat well all at the same time. Our favorite here is Hotel Oberkirch for both accommodations and for the outstanding restaurant.

Nice

I'm in Nice, France for a few days. It's hot here with the usual crowds of tourists from all over the world - I'm not sure how I manage to be in southern Europe during the hottest and most crowded season. The people are friendly and the food is good, especially the bouillabaisse and other Provençal specialties.

And then there’s the fundamental issue around photographing people: do I ask before I shoot them? I tend to think yes, but then the results seem posed. Otherwise, I might get a good shot, but I might upset my subject and miss the chance for a more extended interaction.

Northern New Mexico

We drove though the Chama valley of Northern New Mexico and then through Abiquiu on a brilliant June day. We followed the high road from Taos to Santa Fe, stopping along the way at a variety of small towns including Chimayo and Truchas. This area is always astonishing in the graphic difference in wealth between the Santa Fe area and the small mountain towns.

London

We visited London for a week in April. It was springtime here and the gardens were in full bloom. London, as always, is an expensive place to visit and the weakness of the dollar made the situation even worse. Nevertheless, London remians a great place to visit thanks to the ease of getting around this huge city and the many cultural and historical sights.

The food in London was outstanding. The most notable meal we had was at St. John near the Smithfield market. We decided to vist here after seeing Anthony Bourdain's show that visited this restaurant.

Belgium

The cool weather rain of the western part of Belgium came as a real relief from the heat and humidity of Rome. The beaches were cool and breezy and the city centers had a relaxed and orderly intensity.

Rome (Again)

Once you get away from the big tourist attractions and get into the small side streets, Rome becomes an entirely different experience. The back streets have a life and vibrancy that reveals the true heart of the place.

Rome

I am in Rome all of this week for some security related work. It's hot here, the humidity is high, and everything is crowded. The good news is that the heat seems to slow everything down - including the huge tour groups - so it's not too bad to get around.

These are some of the most photographed monuments known to man. Virtually every one of the thousands of people here has a camera of some sort, even if it's a cell phone. As a computer storage designer, it's a wonderful sight. As a photographer, it's a bit confusing. There were a lot of flashes going off that had no chance of illuminating these large spaces (at least one flash went off every second), but no one checked the result on the displays. For many, it seems that it's really more about the act of photographing rather than the result.

This also leaves me questioning the wisdom of lugging a Nikon D2x and assorted F2.8 lenses around. As a traveling photographer, it is getting more difficult to justify the weight of this system. At the same time, it provides the resolution that most publications want to see. I'm anxiously awaiting the replacement for the Olympus E-1.

Memphis

It's about time!

San Antonio Missions

The San Antonio Mission Trail is spread out over town for nine miles. The trail includes the Alamo which is right in the centeer of town and a wildly popular tourist stop. More interesting are the five Spanish missions that make up the San Antonio Missions Historical Park.

These are all working churches and great examples of early Spanish architecture. There were few people at most of these missions on a sunny Monday, with the exception of the visitor's center at Mission San Jose. This is the only mission that has a parking lot big enough for the big tour busses.

Padre Island National Seashore

We visited San Padre Island National Seashore in south Texas over the weekend. There were just a few people on the natural beach area, but an abundance of wildlife and sunshine.

Oil drilling platforms are visible off in the distance and there is oil and gas exploration at the park. The visitor's center warns about the tar that washes up onto the beach from all of the oil production in the area and about the dangers of medical and chemical debris that ends up on shore as a result of the prevailing currents. While there's a mile or two of natural beach, the vast majority of the shoreline is open to four wheel drive vehicles. In fact, the beaches are designated Texas public highways.

Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs won a "Best Large City" award in a recent CNN/Money Magazine article. Fort Collins, Colorado, also won the "Best Place to Live" award. Based on my experiences in both of these communites, these are great places to live if you're white, upper middle-class, and Christian. Others may find these cities not so appealling.

San Jose

I was in San Jose, California for the past week. The weather was spectacular - cool and breezy with lots of sunshine. San Jose seems like a town in decline, or a place just beyond its peak. There where many empty store fronts, and the restaurants were simply unremarkable. At all of the establishments I visited, there were problems with service, and the food was adequate, but not much more. I tried to stick with upper-mid range places, and avoid the really high-end and expensive venues, but overall, I left feeling just a bit disappointed.

Washington DC

We were in Washington DC at the height of the the cherry blossom bloom this past week. While the fragrant blossoms were spectacular, so were the number of people that squeezed into the walkway surrounding the tidal basin. This is peak season in the capital district; the roads were grid locked most of the weekend and the monuments were overwhelmed by school groups swarming from endless lines of tour busses. We found the best time to visit the monuments was very, very early in the morning.

This was our first visit to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. It's a meandering collection of granite and water features with some of Roosevelt's most memorable statements engraved into the stone. We were both surprised at what a moving experience this turned out to be for us. Among the many school children and tourists, there were a few other couples who obviously found the monument equally moving. FDR was a great leader who knew well the cost of war and was horrified by the prospect, but was nevertheless burdened with the task at hand. At once we recognized that greatness is possible, yet how rare it is in our current leaders and lawmakers.

DC may have just eclipsed Sante Fe as our premier food destination. We had three outstanding meals: CityZen (Chef Eric Ziebold of the French Laundry), Cafe Atlantico (The tasting bar is clearly the way to go here), and Zaytinya (great food, although sometimes the service suffered a bit). All set new standards for creative preparation and presentation of the very best ingredients prepared perfectly.

Hilton Head Island

I spent a few days on Hilton Head Island, in South Carolina. Nice weather, nice ocean, and some great restaurants ( Michael Anthony's Cucina Italiana and The Sage Room). It's always a treat to find some really outstanding culinary work in a new (to me) location.

La Jolla

We spent a weekend in La Jolla, California, on the Pacific coast just north of San Diego. Great weather and a great many people.

What's unique is the way the people who live here take advantage of the ocean. There were surfers, swimmers, kayakers (including fishing kayaks equippped with electronic fish-finders), runners, and folks just enjoying a day at the beach. Even the seals at seal beach seemed to enjoy the day.

San Diego Supercomputer Center

A few images from the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UCSD.

Santa Fe Reviews

This entry is less about photography and more about travel. I had hoped to get some photos of Santa Fe with a light dusting of snow, but the snow came only as we were headed out of town. We did manage some good new finds, as well as visiting some old favorites.

Inn of the Four Kachinas. This was our first stay here and already it has become over favorite accomodation in Santa Fe. This is a mid-range bed and breakfast just a few blocks away from the plaza. The rooms are spacious, attractively decorated, and spotlessly clean. Just off the Paseo de Peralta, our room was extremely quiet in the evening. Breakfasts are first rate, usually with a warm course and a variety of fresh fruits, cereals, and yogurt. Walt was our host for the weekend and is one of the owners. We had several great conversations with him, and really enjoyed the laid back ambiance.

Santacafé: This is one of the high-end restaurants we have been visiting for many years. As always, the service was impeccable and the food was superb, but we were just a bit disappointed with our visit. Our expectations have been set high by this class of restaurants in Santa Fe. When we don't get something astonishing in at least one way, we're left feeling that we missed something.

Santacafé is a fusion of asian and southwestern motifs. Nothing exemplifies this better than our appetizer: Shiitake Mushroom & Cactus Spring Rolls with Southwestern Ponzu ($10), Vietnamese style spring rolls with a fiery soy sauce. Our entrees included Citrus and Black Peppercorn Crusted New Zealand King Salmon with Roasted Beets, Swiss Chard and Grapefruit Butter ($28) and Pan Roasted Free Range Chicken Breast with Sweet Potato-Ricotta Gnocchi, Black Truffle & Portabello Mushrooms ($25). Both were very good but not inspired; I could sense no trace of truffle in the chicken. On the other hand, the Winter Citrus and Shaved Fennel Salad with Pomegranate & Avocado Salad ($10) and the Coffee Bean Ice Cream with Piñon Crisp and Cajeta dessert ($7) were amazingly good.

Inn of the Anasazi: While mid-January is a great time to visit Santa Fe (there's nobody there), it makes it rough to find a snack and a decent margarita at 3:00 in the afternoon. Fortunately, it's possible to get one of the best Silver Coin margaritas in New Mexico at the bar, which makes a great accompaniment for the fried squid with pepper sauce. The bartenders are top notch and very accommodating.

The Compound: The Compound became our favorite in Santa Fe when it was reinvented by Mark Kiffen back in 2000. Rather than being surprised by new and unexpected combinations of ingredients, we were reminded of the fundamentals of cuisine: the best ingredients prepared properly. For salads, we had the Treviso and Endive Salad with Spanish Onion, Cabrales Cheese and Walnut Oil ($13) and the Organic Butter Lettuce and Tomato Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette ($13). Both were salads where the simple presentation focused our attention on the quality and freshness of the ingredients. Our main course was the "Forever Braised" Veal Osso Bucco with a wild mushroom risotto ($30). While again using the best ingredients, this dish demonstrated how careful braising can make all of the difference - the meat was tender and juicy, but not overcooked, and the risotto fragrant with just a hint of crunch. The sommelier was very knowledgeable and made an excellent recommendation - a South American Syrah which accompanied the meal perfectly. The Compound continues to be our favorite in Santa Fe.

Capillitas

There are many capillitas, or small shrines, alongside the secondary roads of Arizona. These are becoming a world-wide phenomena, but at least in the United States, it seems they become more numerous and elaborate moving toward the border. There is a real problem in Arizona with hit-and-run accidents; many of these shrines are memorials to those accidents.

Sonoran Desert

I spent a few days in the Sonoran Desert at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona on the border with Mexico. This is a wonderland of plant and animal life, but it's also a place where everything has a bite. Survival of the fittest rules this environment.

Even the human inhabitants have a bite. Every other car on Arizona highway 85 to the port of entry in Lukeville is a US Border Patrol vehicle. Roadblocks are routine and helicopters frequently shatter the pristine silence of the desert. Illegal immigrants willingly face this hostile environment every day, hoping to evade the natural and human roadblocks in their way. Is this bravery driven by the depths of desperation, or is it those ""who would use this openness to harm our citizens through trafficking in drugs, or trafficking in human beings, or by committing acts of terrorism"?