The Weekend in Black and White

Downtown buildings are reflected in
the outer walls of the "oculus"—part PATH
station and part high-end shopping mall.

[To see more b/w images,
visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Antarctic skies . . .

are SO dramatic—like pretty much
every part of this incredible
corner of the world.

[Linking back to Skywatch Friday and
The Weekend in Black and White.]

The Weekend in Black and White

I spent this past week in the 'burbs of
northern Virginia, helping to take
care of a couple of toddlers.  I took this
picture one morning when they
woke me up with hugs at 6:30. Toddler hugs 
are so worth getting up early for.

[To see more b/w images, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

This king penguin was actually one of many
I saw on a stretch of beach in
South Georgia, the Antarctic Islands due east
of the Antarctic Peninsula.  There were
also fur seals—but those we avoided (pretty
nasty and faster than you'd think).

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

This enormous rubber tree—20m (65 feet)
high and  50m (164 feet) wide;
impossible to photograph the whole thing and
many branches are supported—was planted near
what is now the Recoleta Cemetery, in
Buenos Aires, in 1800.

[To see more b/w images, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

At my favorite Paris restaurant: Circonstances.
We were saying goodnight to Franck and Karin, the
very talented owners of this place—and I
noticed that they were ready to pour the wine
for the next day's lucky customers.

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

Saint-Sulpice

I showed you a detail of this church
last Sunday, but there's something to see
everywhere you look, inside and out.

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

This tattoo parlor is in Amsterdam.  So,
knowing that, is there anything
about it that strikes you as unusual?

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

Through this elegant courtyard, on
the other side of this even
more elegant gate, is the Blvd. de Clichy,
not the most elegant street in Paris.
Pigalle (this neighborhood) is not nearly as
sketchy as it was once though.

[To see more b/w pics, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Santa Maria della Salute

This 17th-century Venice basilica, which
was built in thanks for deliverance
from an outbreak of plague, is not big on
bling but filled with lovely
shapes and shadows.

[Linking back to The Weekend in Black and White
and to inSPIREd Sunday.]

(Relatively) New

The 17th-century church of 
Santi Luca & Martina fits right in
among the ruins of the
Roman forum.

[Linking back to The Weekend in Black
and White,  inSPIREd Sunday, and
Skywatch Friday.]

The Weekend in Black and White

For many years I've been admiring this
melancholy lady in the cemetery of
San Miniato al Monte, in Florence.  I'm
sorry to see her face becoming
more and more discolored as time passes.
Would love to see her restored.

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

Coming home to Brooklyn—over the

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

For 17 years, this was the longest suspension

bridge in the world (and it's still the

longest in the Americas).

[To see more b/w images, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

I followed this trio of nuns as they
strolled (almost) in unison
through always bustling Piazza Navona, in Rome. 

[To see more b/w images,
visit Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

Do you know what place this is?
Two hints:  It's in Rome and it's very
old.  Hey, that really narrows it
down, doesn't it?

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

Everybody out of the water!
I've been spending some time in Cape May,
where the beach is beautiful
no matter what the weather.  We did get some 
rain, but it was followed by a 
beautiful rainbow!

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

Il barbiere di . . . no, not Seville—Roma.
Do you recognize this spot
from a certain Julia Roberts movie?

[To see more b/w images,
visit Dragonstar's meme.]

dirty birds!

Yes, I did disturb these pigeons so I could
get this shot.  But they went right
back to their feast—and who goes out of
their way to feed them, I wonder?
One well-known New Yorker famously
called them "rats with wings" and
that does seem to be the general consensus.

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

The Weekend in Black and White

I was taught by nuns when I was in
elementary school.  Looking back, I realize
that some of them were up to the
task of dealing with 50 kids with that special
blend of tough and patient—and some,
frankly, probably shouldn't have been allowed
near small children.  Either way, I'm
left with a soft spot for nuns (especially elderly
ones).  These two were climbing  the
steps up to Santa Maria della Salute, in Venice.

[To see more b/w photos, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

letting in the light

The church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva
opened its doors very early one 
morning last month for part of a 
series of special musical performances 
(check it out if you understand Italian)—this 
one started at 5:30 a.m.!

[Linking back to The Weekend in Black and White,
Shadow Shot Sunday, and inSPIREd Sunday.]