Morning View: Motovun, Croatia

May 7, 2009

Last August, I spent a day in the Croatian hill town of Motovun (Ital., Montona) with Chris C. and our friend Boris.

I seem to remember it being about a zillion degrees that day.

Motovun is the birthplace of race car driver Mario Andretti. His house in on the tiny piazetta next to the chapel in the final photo above. (According to the Wikipedia article, Italian is still the first language of most people in the town.)

Nice town.

Photos taken on Aug. 30, 2008 with a Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (3)

Morning View: Granary Burying Ground, Boston

May 6, 2009

I took a tour around the Granary Burying Ground in Boston in the summer of last year. The Burying Ground is the final resting place of Sam Adams, Paul Revere and the victims of the 1770 Boston Massacre.

Photos taken on Jun. 14, 2008 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (2)

Morning View: Pont d'Arcole, Paris

May 5, 2009

Guy playing the bass on the Pont d'Arcole in Paris.

Took this photograph on a short but fun trip to Paris in February of 2007. Just rented an apartment that year and strolled around, eating and taking pictures. I think back then I had a beard and it was a huge hit at Open Bar and Le Cox.

Photo taken on Feb. 11, 2008 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (6)

Morning View: New York Botanical Garden

May 3, 2009

The New York Botanical Garden sprawls over 250 acres in the Bronx and includes such landmarks as the Haupt Conservatory, a Victorian-era glass confection that provides a home for tropical, desert and temperate indoor gardens.

Photo below from the Haupt Conservatory.

I love the earthy smell and humidity of these big greenhouses full of tropical plants. I imagine that the tropics don't smell like this at all, but it reminds me of going to plant nurseries as a child and picking out starts for our family garden in the spring. Though, of course, we were merely planting tomatoes and peppers, not thirty-foot tall palm trees.

Although it's probably best known these days for its annual Orchid Show, the Botanical Garden is a great place to wander during any of the warmer months. Beyond the Haupt Conservatory and the main building, which is possibly home to a library and other study areas -- always seems to be off-bounds to visitors when I am there -- there are any number of planted and semi-wild garden areas, including what the curators call an "ancient forest" -- 50 acres of native trees and other plant species, some of the trees being nearly 200 years old.

Photo taken in Feb. 16, 2008 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (0)

Morning View: Coffee in Verona, Italy

May 2, 2009

Okay ... Just one more of these and then the new photo stream starts tomorrow!

I spent a great day in Verona, Italy last year, just sort of wandering around. Beautiful town and it was a stunningly beautiful day.

Photo taken in Aug., 2008 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (4)

Morning View: Coffee in Munich

May 1, 2009

Captured this image last summer in Munich when I was waiting for Chris C. to arrive from New York.

This is going to be my last morning coffee shot. Putting these together over the last couple of days has given me reason to start looking at some of the travel photographs that I have taken over the years. Obviously, not all of these are pictures of cups of coffee. Expect to see a little bit wider subject matter going forward.

Photo taken on Aug. 23, 2008 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (7)

Morning View: Coffee in Schöneberg, Berlin

Apr 30, 2009

Yikes! Not exactly morning anymore, but I was otherwise engaged today.

Took this photo my first time in Berlin. I was wandering around one morning and ended up in a coffee shop on Maaßenstrasse named Cafe Impala. Nice little place.

I miss traveling.

Photo taken on Oct. 11, 2007 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (6)

Morning View: Coffee in the North End, Boston

Apr 29, 2009

Took this photo last summer at an Italian coffee place in the North End of Boston. Horrible coffee! Slimy cannoli!

Oh, well ... I'd been walking around all day and it was nice to get the chance to sit down for a minute.

Photo taken on June 14, 2008 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (4)

Morning View: Coffee at Maček, Ljubljana

Apr 28, 2009

Maček is a little cafe and bar on the bank of the river in Ljubljana, Slovenia. (Click link to see exaggerated telephoto view of Ljubljana with the Alps in the background.) Maček is known as one of the best places in town for people-watching.

I lived in Ljubljana in 1998 and 1999 ... It really is a great city. A couple of Slovenian friends-of-friends are visiting New York this week. Looks like Chris C. and I will have dinner with them tomorrow.

Photo taken on May 20, 2007 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (0)

Morning View: Coffee at Train Station, Venice

Apr 27, 2009

I snapped this shot two years ago in Venice, when I was grabbing a coffee at the main train station. That was a pretty good trip, marred only by the unfortunate loss of one of my favorite camera lenses. (I left it on the train on my way out of town.)

I could actually do with another coffee right now.

Photo taken on May 23, 2007 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (4)

Morning View: Coffee at Klatch, New York

Apr 26, 2009

Snapped this photo a couple of years ago at the now apparently-defunct Klatch cafe in the Financial District of Manhattan. They say it was shut down a few weeks back by their landlord. Too bad. It was a neat little spot with its own personality -- something very rare in that part of the city these days.

I suppose I should be grateful that there are at least a thousand Starbucks within a three-block radius of the now-empty storefront.

Photo taken on Sept. 21, 2007 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (4)

Morning View: Coffee at 71 Irving, New York

Apr 25, 2009

I like 71 Irving, the little coffee place in Manhattan near Gramercy Park. It's owned by a Hudson Valley roaster, Irving Farm Coffee Company, and cute girls work there. The interior of the shop is decorated a bit like a Gaslight-era salon, which is perfectly appropriate for the neighborhood.

Photo taken on Apr. 3, 2009 with my Canon EOS 30D digital camera and Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens.

-- Aaron | Link | Comments (2)