Snapdragons

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Portland ME- September 6-8

Portland, Maine is a favorite destination for many reasons. I use to live here so it feels cozy and familiar. It's easy to get around by foot, bicycle and car. There's a nice mixture of neighborhoods and within them is a cool co-existence of blue collar grit and casual hipness.

The following caught my eye on an early September visit.

Tandem Coffee Roasters, gotta love their logo

Some picture leave the story up to the viewer....

I've always wanted to do a sunset cruise...first half is awesome then it gets "wicked" cold. It was a beautiful evening for it.

Sunrise Cycle around the city, we do this every morning (sometimes twice)!

Art installation on the waterfront caught us off guard, they look so real!
Pack of Dogs by Andy Rosen
He built the dogs with PVC and fake fur, which he painted and distressed to look weathered. While the seven dogs are bolted in place on the pier, they move a little bit, especially their tails in the breeze. Rosen arranged them to look like a pack on the move.

street art along the bike trail

vintage

Another cool coffee shop logo

Old Port example of the gritty part of a neighborhood. I saw this banana tagger in a few other places around town.

Another morning, another sunrise.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

EDINBURGH Spring 2015

Spending the week-end in Edinburgh with Sam also echoed my Autumn jaunt and was just as enjoyable.
Edinburgh is a city that begs to be explored, it's filled with quirky nooks and crannies that tempt you to walk just a little bit further. You're never disappointed by the effort.

Edinburgh Castle-This most famous of Scottish castles has a complex building history. The oldest part, St Margaret's Chapel, dates from the 12th century; the Great Hall was erected by James IV around 1510; the Half Moon Battery by the Regent Morton in the late 16th century; and the Scottish National War Memorial after the First World War. The castle dominates the skyline of Edinburgh.

No One Attacks Me With Impunity

Sam

The Safari Lounge, this quirky place was our neighborhood bar.

From Calton Hill you have a panoramic view of the city. It's also famous for its collection of historic monuments, which form some of the most important landmarks of the city. The National Monument, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens was intended to commemorate the Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars, it was never completed leaving just the twelve columns you see today.