Happy Groundhog Day!

Groundhog / Woodchuck in Michigan

It’s Groundhog Day in the US today… a day that supposedly foretells the early (or late) coming of spring depending on if a certain groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania sees his shadow or not when pulled out of his burrow. So in honor of Groundhog Day 2013, here’s one up in a tree – … Read more…

Pool Statue (Cancun, Mexico)

Pool Statue - Cancun, Mexico

The statue shown here stands near the edge of one of the pools at the Hotel Riu Palace Las Americas in Cancun, Mexico.  The pool and waterfront areas were quiet when I shot this, so it made for a nice simple scene with the statue, infinity pool, Caribbean Sea, and finally the island of Isla … Read more…

Large Iguana on Rocks (Mexico)

Mexican Iguana on Rocks - Riviera Maya, Mexico

For one trip to Mexico we stayed at a resort in the Riviera Maya region that had a large and interesting landscaped jungle area between the hotel and the beach.  It was either a Riu or an Iberostar property, as I recall. There were a number of various sized iguanas wandering around this area, and … Read more…

Cat on Cancun Street (Mexico)

Cat on Residential Street - Cancun, Mexico

While exploring a bit of the downtown Cancun, Mexico area, we saw this cat sitting at the edge of a residential street near a wall, relaxing but keeping an eye on things.  He (or she) was pretty friendly, and sauntered over to greet us shortly after I knelt down to take this photo. He looked … Read more…

Vernazza at Dusk (Cinque Terre, Italy)

Vernazza at Dusk - Cinque Terre, Italy

This is a ‘high dynamic range’ (HDR) image of the Cinque Terre village of Vernazza, Italy. This view is from the trail that connects Vernazza with Monterosso al Mare, and takes about 10-15 minutes to reach from the little public square (piazza) down by the water. The piazza is a great place to hang out … Read more…

Focaccia al Pomodoro Fresco (Cinque Terre, Italy)

Focaccia Pizza with Tomatoes - Cinque Terre, Italy

This is a shot from a small Cinque Terre market featuring a variety of carry-out items like this thick focaccia pizza with fresh tomato slices and oregano.  This makes for a quick and tasty lunch on the go — especially good when you don’t want to spend much time or money on a sit-down meal.

Monterosso al Mare Beach Umbrellas (Cinque Terre, Italy)

Monterosso al Mare Beach Umbrellas - Cinque Terre, Italy

Of the five villages along Italy’s Cinque Terre coastline, only Monterosso al Mare has a really significant beach area.  It’s relatively flat and semi-sandy along the waterfront, making it a popular destination for travelers interested in sunbathing and swimming. This shot captures part of that scene.  I liked the long row of rental beach umbrellas … Read more…