A very Merry Christmas . . .

from the heart of Times Square!

[Linking back to Blue Monday
at Magical Mystery Teacher.]

Home for the Holidays

The mood is festive at Penn Station in New York, 
as the decorations welcome visitors 
(and those of us returning home) to the 
city during the holiday season.

[Linking back to Blue Monday 
 at Magical Mystery Teacher.]

West Point

This West Point is the northernmost island of
the Falklands, home to some cattle,
a rookery filled with nesting albatross and
rockhopper penguins, and one
adventurous family who love living there.

[Linking back to Blue Monday.]

pin one on

Not sure what you need to accomplish to earn one
of these, or whether you can actually just
buy one (seems wrong if you can).  They're on display 
at Bacqueville, one of my all-time fave shops 
in the arcade of the Palais Royal, in Paris.

[Linking back to Macro Monday and 
Blue Monday at Magical Mystery Teacher.]

blue lantern

I was very struck by how clean Amsterdam
is and by how little graffiti there is.
The stoops are lined with flowering plants
 and there are lots of pretty decorative
elements—such as this blue lantern—everywhere.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher.]

counting crows

Here and there you can find some pretty
decorative tiles in the subway
—if you keep your eyes peeled for them.

[Linking back to Macro Monday and to
Blue Monday at Magical Mystery Teacher.]

knock knock

Somewhere in Florence . . .
Check out the detail on this thing—
it even has creepy little teeth!

[Linking back to Blue Monday
at Magical Mystery Teacher
and to Macro Monday.]

remembering

Don't know if this mural is still here on
Staten Island; I took the picture
in 2009. But we New Yorkers never really
forget the sacrifice our firefighters
made 16 years ago.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at Magical Mystery Teacher
and to Monday Mural at Oakland Daily Photo.]

the blue hour

My favorite time of day—and the party
was just getting started on a
Friday night in Wildwood, on the
Jersey shore.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher.]

Cimetière de Passy

Judging by the vines growing over the door
of this crypt in the Passy Cemetery,
 in Paris, I'm going to say that it hasn't
been opened in a very long time.

[Linking back to Blue Monday
and Macro Monday.]

teen idol

Here's a blast from my preteen past:
Bobby Rydell, larger than life on a
wall at the Wildwoods boardwalk.  The
song I remember him best for is "Wild One."

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Tour.]

something blue

Finally got back to the garden after a few 
weeks—I've missed it!  My fave
flower this visit was this pretty and
delicate little thing—which I 
believe is a columbine. [No, it's borage.]

[Linking back to Macro Monday and
Blue Monday at Magical Mystery Teacher.]

Blue Monday

Better late than never, I suppose. Found myself
someplace yesterday where I didn't
expect to be—and unable to post to this blog
with just my iPad.  Now I'm at work
with a limited supply of photos, but here's
an image from last year's trip to
the Arctic, where the blues look blue but
also the whites do too.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher.]

And the winner—by a nose

. . . is the birdlike medico delle peste mask,
modeled after those worn by doctors
dealing with plague victims.
They filled it with strong-smelling herbs
and/or camphor in the belief that
it would purify the air.  They also wore a
long overcoat, and that was actually
what kept them safe—from the fleas that
were carrying the plague. (Though,
of course, who knew at the time?)

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher.]

Buon compleanno

This one's for my daughter Lila, because
today is her birthday—and she's
celebrating in Florence, where I took
this photo in May.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher.]

blue flower

This was taken with my new (okay, used)
macro lens.  Nice glass—and I'm
looking forward to the shots I can take when
I actually learn how to use it!

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher
and to Macro Monday.]

art in Venice

I love to visit Venice when the Biennale
is taking place.  Even if you don't attend the 
exhibition itself, you'll find random art
installations all around the city
—a good reminder to always look up.

[Linking back to Blue Monday
at Magical Mystery Teacher.]

Burano blues

Murano glass vases have been set in
a niche on Burano.  I love the
very fresh flowers and the way the
water of the canal is reflected
on the wall.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher.]

bluebells

Last weekend in the garden, the bluebell wood
was in bloom—and also wisteria,
azaleas, and tree peonies.  I hardly knew where 
to look (and point my camera) first.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher.]

la libreria

This charming bookstore with
the pretty blue doorway
is in the neighborhood of
Trastevere, in Rome.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at
Magical Mystery Teacher.]