who is buried in grant's tomb?

Grant's Tomb @ Riverside Park / New York, New York
To some critics and many local Upper West Side residents, the colorful mosaic tile benches that snake around Grant's Tomb in Riverside Park at 122nd Street are a pleasing example of folk art. But to some Civil War buffs and the National Park Service, which maintains the monument, they were viewed as a clash with the site and trivialized the Tomb's historical significance. Commissioned in the early 1970's by the Park Service, in part to discourage people from scribbling graffiti on the monument, the benches were made with the help of hundreds of local adults and children. The undulating benches surrounding the site, with references to the Civil War, have been compared to an unfolding comic book. In 1997, coinciding with the 100th anniversary celebration of the monument, the Park Service was intent on removing the benches as part of a $1.6 million renovation that began in 1995. A test was conducted by the Park Service workers, cutting one piece from a bench and then hoisting it in the air a few inches to see how difficult the seats would be to move. This widely publicized experiment galvanized local officials, preservationists, artists and others who began writing letters, passing out petitions and vowing to fight the benches' removal. They ultimately won - and the benches remain. And who is buried in Grant's tomb? According to Woody Woodpecker in an episode called Ballyhooey, when asked by a trivia game show host, he responded, "Napoleon!" Wrong answer.

sweeping into york

York Train Station / York, United Kingdom
Upon stepping out of the train from Edinburgh to York, I was immediately captivated by the sweeping lines of the train station's roof. I felt a clear sense of movement and direction - so unlike our own Penn Station in New York. The curved glass clerestory roof was somewhat typical of station design of that era, bringing natural light into an otherwise dark and sooty area caused by the locomotives passing through. The present train station serving York, the historic walled city in North Yorkshire, was put into service in 1877. On completion, it had 13 platforms and was the largest in the world. The building was subsequently damaged during the Second World War and extensively repaired in 1947.

pick a peck of purple peppers

Dane County Farmers Market / Madison, Wisconsin
The Dane County Farmers Market is held every Saturday, rain or shine, on the block surrounding the Capitol building with the magnificent landscape and stunning architecture offering up a spectacular backdrop to the popular marketplace. It was a beautiful crisp Fall day - perfect for wandering amongst the hundreds of vendors selling their produce. The market is reported to be the largest producer-only farmers market in the country. All items must be grown or made by the vendors behind the tables - no resale is allowed. And unique among the items for purchase were these Nu-Mex Twilight hot peppers. These are an ornamental pepper that start with a purple fruit that then ripens to yellow, orange, and finally red. This variety is one of the few that has fruit in all four color states at the same time. Very striking!

an evening in middle america

King Street / Madison, Wisconsin
We just returned from a lovely long weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. It is a very progressive (read: left of center) city that has been able to hold onto its small town charm. We had dinner at a fantastic sushi place - Restaurant Muramoto - on King Street from where this shot was taken looking up towards the State Capitol. Construction of the present capitol building, the third in Madison, began in late 1906 and was completed in 1917 at a cost of $7.25 million. The architect was George B. Post & Sons from New York. The Capitol is 284' 5" tall from the ground floor to the top of the statue on the dome, making the building 3 feet shorter than the nation's capitol in Washington D.C. The Capitol was constructed out of 43 kinds of stone from six countries and eight states. The exterior dome is the largest granite dome in the world.

the first of many

Central Park / New York, New York
A sign of the pending Fall season - leaves on the sidewalk. And for whatever reason, Ginkgoes are usually one of the first to start dropping their foliage. Fossils recognizably related to modern Ginkgoes date back some 270 million years ago. But advancing to more modern times, they have become very popular as an urban street tree. I suspect because of their hardy nature and upright form. You can spot them all over the city by their distinctive fan-like leaf shape.

geico?

On the Trail / Floreana Island, Galapagos
No, gecko. Geckos are small to average sized lizards found in warm climates throughout the world. They were abundant in the Galapagos, especially noticeable on Floreana Island. Geckos are said to be unique among lizards in their vocalizations by making a chirp-type sound in interacting with other geckos. There are estimated to be more 2,000 different species of geckos worldwide. Geckos have have no eyelids and instead have a transparent membrane which they lick to clean. Sort of of like sticking your contact lens in your mouth to clean it when nothing else is available - I guess.

quito colors

Plaza San Francisco / Quito, Ecuador
The Ecuadorian woman's traditional dress is the closest to the Incan costumes worn in the Andes. A white blouse, dark skirt and colorful shawl is usually worn. Jewelry is very important, with layers of necklaces consisting predominantly of gold beads and red coral bracelets. But perhaps most distinctive are the brown, black or dark grey fedoras worn. This was shot on a sunday morning - the women obviously dressed for the occasion - perhaps gathering before entering the church in the background.

left turn to jersey

Under the Riverside Viaduct on West 12th Avenue / New York, New York
Every weekday morning, I drive along West 12th under this viaduct to access the West Side Highway on my way to work. I continue to marvel at the engineering feat of this and other viaducts of similar design in the city - I never seem to tire looking at them. The Riverside viaduct was built in 1900 to connect the Upper West Side with Washington Heights, essentially extending the then-existing Riverside Drive along the Hudson River. An issue of the Scientific American magazine in 1900 remarked that the Riverside Drive Viaduct's completion afforded New Yorkers “a continuous drive of ten miles along the picturesque banks of the Hudson and Harlem Rivers.”

looking back

Bratislava hlavná stanica / Bratislava, Slovakia
Since the Middle Ages, Bratislava has served as one of the primary traffic crossroads between Budapest, Vienna, Prague and other cities to the north. The capital city sits on the banks of the Danube River and is the only national capital that borders two countries - Austria and Hungary. We made a brief morning stop in the capital city while traveling from Vienna to Budapest. It was a very wet, dreary sort of day - not particularly conducive to walking though we did our share. Most of our time was focused on Bratislava Castle and nearby Old Town which was very medieval in its architecture and street design. After several hours of wandering, we grabbed a cab to Bratislava hlavná stanica where we stood and waited for the 12:30 to Budapest. The train was nearly as empty as the train platform.

haro kiti

Storefront Greeter / Vienna, Austria
Say "hello" to Ms Kitty White, the best known of the characters produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. Hello Kitty was first introduced in 1974 and for inexplicable reasons became an instant phenomenon, appearing on everything everywhere! The first item produced to bear the familiar feline was a vinyl coin purse - with the fat cat now generating over $1 billion a year in sales. And just in case you weren't aware, Ms Kitty has an extended family including her father George White, mother Mary White, twin sister Mimmy, and her grandparents Anthony and Margret White. On the more productive but equally silly side, Thai police officers who have committed minor infractions such as showing up late for duty or parking in the wrong place are forced to wear Hello Kitty armbands for several days as penance. Bad kitty!

caution .. pink is for boys

West 3rd Street / New York, New York
For centuries, European children were dressed in blue because the color was associated with the Virgin Mary. I have read that the use of pink and blue emerged at the turn of the 20th century with the rule being pink for boys, blue for girls! Since pink was a stronger color it was best suited for boys; blue was more delicate and dainty and best for girls. And in 1921, the Women's Institute for Domestic Science in Pennsylvania endorsed pink for boys, blue for girls. I am told that my grandmother Harriet entered an essay contest on this subject matter (pink for boys - blue for girls) and won the contest with a cash prize of $1000 - alot of money back in the 30's. One could argue that contemporary color symbolism confirms these associations. Blue is considered a calm, passive color and more feminine. Pink (a derivative of red) is considered active and hence more masculine. Let the sexism debate continue.

the green hornet

Morningside Park / New York, New York
There has never been a decade quite like the 60's - and one of my memories is The Green Hornet. Originally created as a radio program in the 30's, it became a network television program in the 1960's. And as with most action-type heroes, the Hornet had a comic book stint from the 40's - 90's. My memories are of the tv show. We had just gotten our first color television and, of course, we were devouring everything we could that was being broadcast in color. I remember being told not to sit too close to the box in case it was emitting something bad for children. Anyways, for those not around at the time, The Green Hornet was Britt Reid, newspaper publisher by day who by night goes out in his masked "Green Hornet" identity to fight crime, accompanied by his similarly masked Asian manservant Kato. They drove a car outfitted with all sorts of advanced technical gadgetry, called "Black Beauty". I'm thinking Superman meets Batman. The Hornet typically used an electronic stun gun against his opponents called the "hornet's sting". One would suspect that the popularity of The Green Hornet precipitated the Batman tv series, which appeared on ABC on the heels of The Hornet in 1966.

little toy trucks

Schloss Schönbrunn / Vienna, Austria
It was a cool misty day in Vienna - typical of mid winter in central Europe. While strolling the grounds of the Schönbrunn Palace, we passed by this lonely, little backhoe which looked humorously out of scale in relation to the massive palace and grounds. The original palace, named Katterburg, was built on the grounds in the mid-1500's by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II to serve primarily as the court's hunting grounds. During the Turkish Siege of 1683, Katterburg was destroyed and not rebuilt at the time. By mid-18th century, a decision was made that the grounds should become the imperial summer residence and the existing palace was built on the site, together with the extensive gardens, in the new Rococo style. From the main palace, the garden axis points towards a higher hill, which is crowned by the Gloriette structure (seen in the photo). The Gloriette is an open pavilion and served primarily as a dining or festival hall, offering excellent views of Vienna - just not the day we were there.

not yet ready for primetime

Bodegas Salentein / Tunuyán, Argentina
Ahhhhhh, Argentinian wine. Sunny days and cool nights in the foothills of the Andes makes for near perfect growing conditions resulting in both excellent and affordable vino. It doesn't get much better than spending a few days touring the vineyards in and around Mendoza - even better when you have a friend who owns vineyards there and knows well the other vintners. Alfredo took us to several different bodegas (wineries) where we experienced first hand the art of winemaking. This shot was taken deep underground in the aging cellars of Bodegas Salentein. At Salentein, stainless-steel tanks hold the newly-pressed wine before bottling in four separate wings of the building, each of which operates autonomously. Eight meters below ground level, the four wings form the shape of a cross, meeting in a subterranean central amphitheater where the subdued light on circular rows of oak barrels creates a cathedral-like atmosphere. Beautiful with an old world feel to it.

princess fiona

The Gardens of Larnach Castle / Dunedin, New Zealand
Larnach Castle is New Zealand's only castle and sits on the ridge of Otago Peninsula, offering incredible views of the peninsula and Dunedin harbor. The castle was built in 1871, taking three years to complete the exterior and twelve to finish the interior. It was constructed by William Larnach, a prominent entrepreneur and politician in colonial New Zealand, as a gift to his wife. After a series of personal and financial disasters he committed suicide in New Zealand's Parliament Buildings in October 1898. Sadly, the castle suffered a similar demise and fell into disrepair until it was purchased by Barry and Margaret Barker in 1967. Together, the Barker family has beautifully restored both the castle and its acres of beautiful gardens. We stayed at the castle for two nights where I found the grounds particularly enticing for shooting photos. According to Fiona, the castle's Head Gardener, the berries shown here are the fruit of Solanum laciniatum, more commonly known on the islands as poroporo (North Island) or bullibulli (South Island) - both Maori names. The unripe berries are poisonous but the ripe berries were used by both Maori and early European settlers to make jam. Thanks Princess Fiona!

the core of the apple

Columbus Circle / New York, New York
Columbus Circle - located at the intersection of Central Park West, Central Park South, Broadway and Eighth Avenue - is the official point at which distances to and from New York City are measured. The centerpiece of the circle is a marble and granite statue installed in 1892 in honor of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage to America. But once the sun goes down, the real show begins - the dancing fountain jets around the perimeter of the circle designed by WET; better known for their infamous "Fountains of Bellagio". Truth be told - the fountains were far more engaging to photograph than David Blaine!

that old black magic

Wollman Rink @ Central Park / New York, New York
Magic - it ain't what it used to be. Last night we took a walk to see what David Blaine was up (errrr, upside down) to this time. He was approximately 33 hours in to his latest stunt of hanging upside down (sorta) suspended over Central Park for 60 hours - which will end around 10:30 this evening with his "Dive of Death". While I mean no discredit to the guy - his ability to endure the absurd is phenomenal - this one appears to be less than tantalizing. Whether originally planned on is hard to say, but over the hour we were there, he took several 5-10 minute breaks where he uprighted himself and stepped into the basket of a cherry picker. Apparently, he needs to do this because the kidneys (as well as other body organs) were not designed to function upside down. No surprise. While upright, his team of doctors also check his vitals, etc. Hey, everybody needs to make a buck - and that's no day job.

lourdes of the ring

Stonehenge / Salisbury Plain, England
Mystery solved .. or so they say. Apparently, two British archaeologists have now claimed that Stonehenge served as a primeval Lourdes, of sorts. It was a pilgrimage site where the sick came for the healing powers of the stone circle. Their theory is tied to the inner bluestone rings found at the center; a stone prized for its mystical healing powers. This is further reinforced in that many of the human remains discovered at the site showed evidence of illness and disease with recent testing suggesting that most were not indigenous to the local area - thus the pilgrimage factor. If you go, don't miss Woodhenge which is a similar arrangement of concentric rings except made from wooden columns. It is a mile or so from Stonehenge, far less crowded and equally interesting. Personally, I would have much rather been involved in building Woodhenge than dragging those huge stones over 300 miles from Wales. As Woodhenge appears to line up on the same east/west axis as Stonehenge, it is likely it was a precursor to the much more permanent stone version.

rastaman resting

On the Street / Soufrière, St. Lucia
Soufrière was our last stop while sailing around the eastern Caribbean. What was once the capital city of St. Lucia while under French rule, it is now a small fishing port situated on the southwest coast. Soufrière is reputed to be the birthplace of Napoleon's Empress Josephine de Beauharnais where her father maintained a plantation through much of her childhood. However, indicative of the subject matter, the town now has a very laid back atmosphere much more typical of the true Caribbean lifestyle than many of the more tourist-centric locales we visited.

you little rap.scallion

On the Kitchen Counter / New York, New York
These little scallion slices were the lucky ones - they were leftovers and didn't make it into the mexican lasagna that we made yesterday. It was very good in a perfect caliente sort of way. I had picked them up in the morning from the farmer's market that sets up around the corner from us every Saturday near Morningside Park. They were big, fresh - and powerful. A little went a long way and the taste of them in my mouth stayed with me for the rest of the day. They deserved being photographed before getting tossed in the trash. Take that, you little rapscallion.