HAND-PULLED NOODLES
Preparing Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodles in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City.
Grossmünster Church, Zürich.
The Grossmünster church is a Romanesque-style Protestant church dating back to the 12th century. The twin towers of the Grossmünster are considered two of Zürich’s most recognized landmarks. Construction began around 1100 and the church was inaugurated around 1220. According to legend, the Grossmünster was founded by Charlemagne, whose horse fell to its knees over the tombs of Felix and Regula, Zürich’s two patron saints. Charlemagne thus had a church built as a monastery on the spot.
This long exposure shot (~2 min) of the church looks across the Münsterbrücke, a pedestrian and road bridge dating back to 1836 which spans the Limmat river.
Water Breathing Dragons in Zürich
Details of the Swiss sculptor Richard Kissling statue created in 1889 in honor of Alfred Escher, a renowned Zurich politician and entrepreneur.
City Architecture 2 – New York
New York City – 2015
If you look closely, I believe that you can see Batman descending the fire escape.
Empire State Through Manhattan Bridge
New York – 2015
View of the Empire State Building through the Manhattan bridge as seen from the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Baby Flinging – New York
Brooklyn, New York 2015
Shoe flinging is the practice of throwing shoes whose laces have been tied together so that they hang from overhead power lines or telephone cables. Shoe flinging is thought to have many purposes, some examples are to define street gang territories, to pinpoint a drug dealing zone, or to commemorate a life or death event. Baby flinging, on the other hand, is a newer practice, which many believe is being used to mark the boundaries of rogue evil clown gangs in the rougher sections of Brooklyn.
Mind The Gap – London
London Underground
London Underground
“The Tube”
Wide angle shot of the London Underground (aka the Tube), which was the world’s first underground railway, opened in 1863. The nickname “The Tube” comes from the small, roughly circular tunnels which were dug to lay the tracks.
The Zuiderkerk, Amsterdam (Looking up the Groenburgwal)
Built 1603-1611, the Zuiderkerk (Southern Church) is a 17th-century Dutch Renaissance design Protestant church in the Nieuwmarkt area of Amsterdam. The church bells date back to 1658, and are still rung once a week.
It was rumored that Rembrandt painted his famous Night Watch in the church because his nearby studio and home was too small (likely untrue), however three of his children are buried here.
The French Impressionist painter Claude Monet painted his famous “The Zuiderkerk, Amsterdam (Looking up the Groenburgwal)” from this very location in 1874.
We Love Berlin
Autumn in Berlin
Berlin, Germany is a city that has three distinct personalities. The first is tied to its role in Nazi Germany/Third Reich (1933-45), in which Germany was a fascist totalitarian state under Adolf Hitler that controlled all aspects of life and whose central feature was the Holocaust (11 million murdered, 6 m Jews, 5 m non-jews). Second, there is Cold War East Berlin (1949-90) and the Berlin Wall (1961-89), the Soviet communist sector of Berlin established after WWII, and finally the “New” Berlin, a city that has and continues to develop into a vibrant, gritty, eclectic city which has become a must see destination for foodies, partiers, and music/art/culture lovers the world over.
What follows is a selection of pics I took in Oct 2013 during a (much too) short family visit to Berlin. Hopefully we will get back there soon.
Rings of Fire in Old Town, Prague
Motherland Tour II/ Czech Republic
(click here to redirect to stop #1)
Rings of Fire in Old Town, Prague
This is the final photograph from my Motherland Tour of the Czech Republic. It is also my favorite photo I captured in this most photogenic of cities. Many thanks to my patient travel partners/family members who put up with my constant stopping and starting for photos as we toured the city and countryside. Special thanks also to my father, who not only brought me to this region when I was a small child, but also flew his (not so young anymore) bones over to Europe to again accompany me to this region, this time with MY small children. His love of travel and adventure is insatiable, and thanks to him it has passed through me to my children. This was an exceptional trip, and we absolutely could not have pulled it off without you, Dad! I love you and hope to travel with you again soon!
Sunrise Over the Charles Bridge, Prague
Motherland Tour II/ Czech Republic
(click here to redirect to stop #1)
Sunrise Over the Charles Bridge, Prague.
Time to wrap up the Motherland Tour with my favorite 2 shots from the journey. Sunrise over The Charles Bridge is my second favorite. This was an interesting shoot..super early, and I was one of about 8 other photographers lined up at this very spot waiting for the perfect capture. It was also a pleasant surprise to see the bridge totally void of all tourists and venders…very peaceful, as was the stroll back to the flat through the empty early morning streets.
Evening Action in Old Town Square – Prague
Motherland Tour II/ Czech Republic
Entering the Old Town Square in Prague is like being sent back in time 800 years! The Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí), which began life as the central marketplace for Prague, is one of Prague’s two main squares. With its magnificent Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic styles buildings and churches, the Square is considered one of the most beautiful historical sights in Europe. Not much beats sipping a nice cold Czech pilsner beer here as dusk settles in on a warm summer evening.
Charles Bridge (Stone Bridge, Karlův most) – Prague
Motherland Tour II/ Czech Republic
Charles Bridge is a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Lesser Town (Malá Strana). It was actually called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) during its first several centuries. Its construction was commissioned by Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and began in 1357. 30 Baroque statues of religious figures line the bridge, however these are replicas and the originals may be seen on the National Museum.
Astronomical Clock – Prague
Motherland Tour II/ Czech Republic
The Prague astronomical clock, or Prague orloj is a medieval astronomical clock located in The Old Town Square in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working.
The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square. The clock mechanism itself is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; “The Walk of the Apostles”, a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures—notably a figure of Death (represented by a skeleton) striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. According to local legend, the city will suffer if the clock is neglected and its good operation is placed in jeopardy and a skeleton, mounted on the clock, was supposed nod his head in confirmation. Based on the legend, the only hope was represented by a boy born in the New Year´s night. (from wiki)
Lovers on Bridge – Prague
Motherland Tour II/ Czech Republic
Early morning romance on the Charles Bridge.
Early Morning Stroll
Motherland Tour II/ Czech Republic
Very early morning stroller through the empty cobbled streets of Prague. This was a little bonus shot for me that I captured after taking sunrise pictures on the Charles Bridge (check back for them). I think that the leading lines of the white window grates directed straight at the stroller work well to make this simple shot very visually engaging.
Don Cannoli
Taormina, From Ancient Greece to Modern Day Tourist Magnet (Motherland Tour Stop 6)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
I like to refer to this gentleman as “Don Cannoli”. He is the patriarch of the Laboratorio Pasticceria Roberto , a cute little pastry shop which we found tucked away on a side street in Taormina. We had a quite a few of his cannoli while we were in Taormina, and they left us speechless. By far the best cannoli I have ever had!! The combination of the freshness of the cheese, the crispness of the shell, and ideal degree of sweetness…not to mention that fact that each cannolo is filled to order, guaranteeing ideal crispness. This is the cannolo that I have tried to imitate in my few attempts to make them myself. If you are in Taormina, I highly recommend you hunt this little bakery shop down and sample his delicious sweets!
Rainy Night Shadows in Piazza Armerina, Sicily
Piazza Amerina (Motherland Tour Stop 4)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
Happy New Year!
Modernista Flavor in Barcelona
ISO100 f/10 1/100 Nikkor 10-24 mm @15mm
Modernista Lamp Post designed by architect Pere Falqués for the city of Barcelona in 1906. Gaudí’s Casa Milá can be seen in the background. Image converted to B&W with Silver Efex Pro, touched up with Aperture, decreased noise with DFine 2.
Hot Nuts in Zurich
f/4 ISO 200 1/100 -0.33ev 50@50mm
The advent of cold weather in Switzerland brings with it the numerous Hesse Marroni vendors. These delicious fire-roasted chestnuts are a favorite of my families, and it is always a sad day when Spring rolls around and the vendors close up shop for the season. But don’t get me wrong, I am ready for Spring!
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