The Violinist

Central Park is full of nice surprises and some rather decent talent! (Best in large view)

Slideshow of Portugal Photos

Bacalhau Market

Salted and dried cod, aka: Bacalhau, is a mainstay of the Portuguese diet. Locals like to boast that there are 365 recipes for the re-constituted fish. Unfortunately, I think they are correct.

American Kestril

Up close and personal...Like some other raptors Kestrils have adapted well to living side by side with their human neighbors. This guy was not the least timid as he posed for my shot!

Sunday In The Park

A perfect October Sunday in Central park. Seventy degrees, clear skies, beautiful color and everyone is in a good mood! Life is good. :-)

Here's Looking At you

Wow...now that's some kind of eye contact!

Head Shot

Whose Who??..... From NWPLI's annual "Raptor Shoot".

Streets Of Evora

Narrow streets, expensive fuel and lack of parking space make walking the preferred mode of transportation in most small Portuguese towns. One sees few obese locals as walking the hilly terrain seems to be a very effective calorie burning activity!

Impressive View

The Algarve with it's seaside towns and sweeping vistas is hard to resist. (best in larger format, click on the image!)

Morning Walk

"Tourists don't know where they have been, Travelers don't know where they are going". Theroux

Fortress Cities

Pre-Home Land Security technology was primitive yet effective! Obidous, Portugal...

Birds-eye View

Above the town of Nazare...

Castle With A View

Holding the "high ground" has always had it's advantages. Sintra's Moorish castle remains impressive since it's construction in the 8th century A.D.

Sagres Splash

Serious surf at Sagres' 600 foot cliffs. In the large view the scale is more evident as people can be seen above the crashing wave. Impressive sight for sure....

Capela dos Ossos

In the town of Evora one can find the Chapel Of Bones. The Franciscans of the 16th Century solved a land use problem by consolidating some 42 cemeteries and using human remains in their chapel construction process. The creative and morbid chapel is located in the Church of St. Francis. (see larger view)

Obidous, Portugal

Rooftops within the walled city....

Light In The Palace

"Next door to the nursery just down the hall

A strange new sound you never heard before

A strange new sound that makes boys explore"..... The Greatest Discovery....Elton John

Happy In Lisbon

...and happy to be home! Life is Good.

Sagres, Portugal

For many centuries this was the end of the "known" western world. Sagres is Portugal's southwestern most point of land.

Diet Challenge

Ever try to diet AND vacation at the same time? Good Luck. :-)

Moorings

Tavira along the Algarve coast.....

Vistas

At every turn, Portuguese eye candy!!

Modern Lisbon

While preservation is a top priority and cultural links to the past are important, Lisbon has also been moving ahead. The Oriente section of the city is most certainly on the cutting edge of the future.

Gilded Cafes

Long Before Starbucks serving a cup of coffee was an art. Cafe' A Brasilera is one of Lisbon's iconic destinations for coffee and a sweet pastry.

Fatima

The site of pilgrimage, meditation and prayer, Fatima is a very special slice of Portugal. The Basilica holds the tombs of Francisc Marto and Jacinto Marto, two of the three shepard children who witnessed the Apparations of Our Lady of Fatima.

National Flag Unfurled

October 5th will mark Portugal's Centennial. Preparations for the big event are citywide, a formal ceremony to unfurl the flag was held at Rua Augusta. Lisbon is in a rather festive mood!

City Of Hills

Built on a series of hills, Lisbon provides the visitor with surprise vistas at several turns!

Plazas and More Plazas

Full of surprises in it's many nooks and crannies, Lisbon has more than it's share of glorious plazas as well. This plaza, "Praca Do Comercia" sits along the riverbank to welcome travelers to the city.

Trams

Lisbon's timeless mode of transportation is Very popular with the tourists! The trams certainly beats walking the steep hills of Lisbon's varied neighborhoods!

Lisbon

Always time for new discoveries in old cities! :-)

The Journey Continues..

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page" ( St. Augustine)

Where's The State Line?

"They don't have these in Indiana either"....Brother Bill explores the coast!

Time to Travel

I think I can almost see my seat... :-)

Water's Edge

An empty beach, an endless view and a delicious breeze.....my kind of September day.

Stiff Breeze

September is sailing by....

September Bayside

Ahh....September and the crowds are gone!

Bill The Sailor

"They don't have these in Indiana"... from the "Sibling visit gallery".

Feeling Conflicted

...and we're confused. (From the"Department of Signs" gallery)

Marine Patrol

Suffolk County's finest maintaining security and order on the Great South Bay.

Windy

Certainly one way to check the direction of the wind....

Empty Ferry

A sure sign that the summer of 2010 is on the wane, the ferry still runs but the beach is empty!

Always Remember

A time to remember, ...a Time to weep, a time to mourn...a time to rebuild.

September Breeze

Plenty of wind this first part of September combined with comfortable temperatures make for ideal sailing!

Marsh Creek

Pennsylvania's weekend sailors always in search of a body of water. :-)

Pots

Time to think about the September garden, time to switch from petunias to mums. :-)

Seeds

Wait till next year??

Tranquil Sailing

Ah!..nothing like the solitude of a peaceful Labor Day sail on the lake! Someone here has the "right of way" but no one seems to care. :-)

(better appreciated in large format)

Heads Up

Keeping one's head above water has become a goal, not merely a strategy!

Labor Day Weekend

In spite of Long Island's brush with Hurricane Earl, summer's unofficial finale looks like a banner weekend! :-)

Rag Top Day

The quiet before the storm. Earl, with all the rain, wind and mayhem should arrive early tomorrow!

August's Last light

As August slowly sinks in the West I realize that September has become my favorite time of the year. After an excessively hot summer, September promises cooler temperatures, less crowded beaches and fewer boats on the bay. Oh yea, and all those kids go back to school! :-)