J.W. Vraets - Images

Sunlight In The Ravine Of 'The Forty', Grimsby - Hybrid HDR

2011-01-15T11:26:00.000-05:00

(Click on the image for a larger view)

One of my 'Go To' places for photography is right here in Grimsby - the ravine down which the creek named 'The Forty' cascades from the waterfalls at the top of the Niagara Escarpment, down through the downtown and North to the shore of Lake Ontario some 1.5 km (1 mile) downstream. It is on my 'Go To' list because it is a short walk from the house and is right in the core of Grimsby,

The ravine is fairly narrow and deep, winter sunlight only enters it at a suitable angle for a short time in the afternoon. Any earlier or later and the angle is too low to illuminate the creek-bed. In this image, the large slabs of dolostone that have fallen into the bed of the creek as it has eroded the ravine out of the face of the Niagara Escarpment. and a recent cold temperatures coupled with a nice snowfall, have frozen the creek and blanketed the area in white, creating this classic scene.

I have been here often and will continue to wander here. - JW

The image is a hybrid HDR (High Dynamic Range) image, i.e. made of a combination of an HDR image and elements of the conventional images used to create the HDR. This has been done to clean up any artifacts of the HDR (and associated tone-mapping) process.

The original three images used to make the HDR were taken using a Nikon D5000, tripod mounted, with an 55-200mm VR lense set to 102mm, f/6.3, ISO200.+/-2EV auto bracket with a EV+1/3 bias (to compensate for the brightness of the snow and keep it white). The three images were processed using Luminance/Qtpfsgui using the setup information embedded in the file name and as detailed below. Then, in GIMP, the base HDR image as well as the 3 source images were set up as layers. The base HDR was combined with the EV+0 image using 40% transparency to form the working image. After that elements of the other layers were selectively combined by using a soft edge eraser to integrate areas impacted by HDR/tone mapping artifacts and to improve detail in some locations. Some tonal adjustment was then performed using curves, saturation was increased to compensate for the relatively flat output from the Mantiuk operator in the tone-mapping stage, sharpening, add border and scale to 1024 wide for posting here.

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DSC_3336_forty01v01multlayadjx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.1_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_6
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Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.1
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 6
------
PreGamma: 1

For more photos in a new tab, visit my flicker phtotostream at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwvraets/ )

Or visit my Eyefetch posts at:

http://www.eyefetch.com/profile.aspx?user=jwvraets/ )

Red Leaf In The Snow

2011-01-14T18:13:00.000-05:00

From looking at this image you might be tempted to believe this is a black and while image rather than another sample of my colour work. Bear with me...

This photo was taken about halfway between the base of the Niagara Escarpment and Beamer's Falls along "The Forty" the lovely creek flowing down the Escarpment through the town of Grimsby, on its way to Lake Ontario about 1.5 km (1 mile) North of here. The bed of the creek lies in a steep-walled, heavily wooded ravine and, as a result of the thousands of years of erosion, is littered with huge slabs of dolostone that fell into the bed as the creek cut through the Escarpment face. With the recent heavy snowfall and cold temperatures, the waterway is largely frozen over and everything is pretty much snow covered. In places like this, a small amount of water has run over the top of the large rock slab and formed a border of icicles.

If you think this is a Black & White image, look again. Amidst all the white snow cover, a lone maple leaf, still in its full red glory, has somehow found its way onto the snow surface and sits there in lonely glory near the top centre of the image.

The image was taken using a tripod mounted Nikon D5000 fitted with an 18-55mm VR kit lense, at 55mm, f/6.3, 1/250 sec, ISO200. Minimal PP was done using GIMP: tonal range expansion to recover full range, slight saturation boost, sharpen, add border, scale to 1024 wide for posting. - JW

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For more photos in a new tab, visit my flicker phtotostream at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwvraets/ )

Or visit my Eyefetch posts at:

http://www.eyefetch.com/profile.aspx?user=jwvraets/ )

Sittin' On The Dock By The Bay - Molson Coors Beer Vat Move, January 2011

2011-01-11T16:41:00.001-05:00

This is a shot showing 3 (actually you can make out a bit of the fourth) of the 6 beer fermentation tanks as they sit on the Hamilton Ontario docks ready to begin what had been originally planned as a 4 -day convoy by tractor-trailer move to the Molson Coors facility in Toronto, Ontario, some 108 km (about 65 miles) away. This was taken from the publicly accessible border of the docks area on the Southwest of the facility. The whole area was illuminated by some serious lighting set up for the occasion and fortunately, made photography much easier. One result of the scale of the tanks and the convoy in conjunction with the dramatic lighting was to give the whole area the appearance of a number of rocket boosters being prepared for launch rather than the more mundane reality.

For a further description of the tanks and the event, see my other photos posted here.

The ship in the backgound is the Algolake, a Great Lakes cargo vessel not related to the move.

For more photos in a new tab, visit my flicker phtotostream at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwvraets/ )

Or visit my Eyefetch posts at:

http://www.eyefetch.com/profile.aspx?user=jwvraets/ )

Shooting Info: While posted across a street bordering the docks area, the image was taken with a tripod mounted Nikon D5000 (ISO400, f/5.6, 1/3 sec, aperture preferred mode with a EV-2/3 bias to compensate for general nighttime darkness), 55-200mm VR kit lense at 165mm, processed with GIMP (very minimal - sharpen, add border and scale to 1024 wide for posting).

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DSC_3163orig50pchdrv01bordx1024

Molson Coors Beer Fermentation Tank Move , Hamilton, Ontario Docks- January 7, 2011

2011-01-10T16:14:00.010-05:00

On Friday night, January 7, 2011, a convoy of some 50 vehicles began to transport six huge beer fermentation tanks from the Hamilton, Ontario docks area to the Molson Coors brewery at Carlingview drive in Toronto, Ontario, a distance of approximately 108 Km (65 miles). Each tank is a monster: 45 meters (110 feet) long, 7 meters (22 feet) in diameter and capable of holding the equivalent of approximately 1.4 million bottles of beer (feeling thirsty?). By the time you account for the height of the flatbeds, the total height of the load is about 8.7 meters (27 feet). The sheer size meant the convoy had to move at walking speed, and along with the need to temporarily take down power lines, traffic lights, street lights, etc., as they moved forward as well as restore them after passing by (about 1,200 power lines alone, I was told by a crew member), and the restriction that they move only between 21:00 and 06:00, meant a 4-day journey as initially planned, and, as of Monday January 10, 2011, expected to take double that time due to weather-related delays. Hamilton was chosen as the port of landing for the tanks since route from the Toronto docks to the brewery did not permit loads of that size to pass.

These show one of the Challenger Motor Freight tractors and some of the 6 tanks (one per tractor). What you do not see are the power line crew vehicles, the police vehicles, the various support crews, etc. This was taken in the dock area where the convoy was staged and shows the site shortly before departure. The tanks have the appearance of rocket boosters as opposed to their more mundane purpose. (For more photos in a new tab, visit my flicker phtotostream at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwvraets/ )

These images were each created from a 3 shot auto bracket (+/-2EV ISO400) using a tripod-mounted Nikon D5000. The Nikon was fitted with an 18-55mm VR lense set at 18mm for the tractor close-up and 26mm for the panoramic view of the tanks, f/5.6. The resulting images were processed with Luminance/Qtpfsgui to produce the base HDR image using the setup information embedded in the file name and as shown below. The base HDR image was then loaded into GIMP along with the 3 images used to make the base HDR, and by selective deletion using a soft brush, various parts of the base HDR image were replaced by corresponding elements of the original images. This was done to repair the artifacts arising from HDR processing and tone-mapping, as well as to get a more natural look in certain areas. Once done, the resulting multi-layer adjusted image was flattened, border added, and, scaled to 1024 high for posting.

============================
Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.1
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 3
------
PreGamma: 1

The Vasco Da Gama Soccer Club, James Street North – Hybrid HDR

2011-01-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

The James Street North area of Hamilton, Ontario has a rich Portuguese cultural history. This can be seen today in the Portuguese influenced restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores and, in the cultural clubs. The Vasco Da Gama Soccer Club is one of the most visibly prominent buildings in the area, in part due to its architecture but, at the Christmas period, the lighting. - JW

The image was created from a 3 shot auto bracket (+/-2EV ISO320) using a tripod-mounted Nikon D5000. The Nikon was fitted with an 18-55mm VR lense set at 24mm, f/5.6. The resulting images were processed with Luminance/Qtpfsgui to produce the base HDR image using the setup information embedded in the file name and as shown below. The base HDR image was then loaded into GIMP along with the 3 images used to make the base HDR, and by selective deletion using a soft brush, various parts of the base HDR image were replaced by corresponding elements of the original images. This was done to repair the artifacts arising from HDR processing and tone-mapping, as well as to get a more natural look in certain areas. Once done, the resulting multi-layer adjusted image was flattened, border added, and, scaled to 1024 high for posting.

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DSC_2997_jamesvascoclub01v02multlayadjcropbordx1024_pregamma_1_mantiuk_contrast_mapping_0.1_saturation_factor_1.2_detail_factor_2
================================
Qtpfsgui 1.9.3 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.1
Saturation Factor: 1.2
Detail Factor: 2
------
PreGamma: 1

Toronto Skyline - Looking South Down Bay Street

2011-01-02T14:41:00.004-05:00

Over the past couple of months, I have become more and more involved in night photography and HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, somewhat as a result of acquiring a new toy, a Nikon D5000 DSLR. Over the next while I am going to post some of these images, and hopefully others, and get a bit more active in this blog again. Hope you enjoy them.

This is the view looking South from one of the office and apartment towers in downtown Toronto. The street running up diagonally from roughly the lower left frame corner to the frame centre is Bay Street, North of the financial district (which is the complex of tall buildings in the background). The large tower-like structure in the foreground rising right through the frame is a smokestack for a large heating plant serving many of the towers in the downtown core. The CN tower is the blue spike-like tower in the upper right of the frame

The whole thing looks rather festive and if you have to live in TO, then this is a pretty fine view. Best wishes to all of you in the New Year. - JW

This is NOT an HDR image but is rather a manual blend of two conventional images with a little bit of shadow area supplemental detail also manually blended in from an 2-image HDR (Mantiuk operator using Luminance/Qtpfsgui). All PP done with GIMP. Taken using a Nikon D5000, 2 images, +0EV and -2EV, ISO 640, f/4.0 with an 18-55mm VR kit lense at 18mm. And, of course, a tall building.
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Warner Bay Sunrise #3

2010-03-11T18:25:00.001-05:00

This is yet another in the series from that one special morning. Colours in the sky changed rapidly and it was simply a matter of moving the tripod to recompose and shooting as fast as possible.

Warner Bay Sunrise #4

2010-03-05T12:49:00.001-05:00

On that same morning as the previous shot, I waited a few minutes and the sky changed yet again. Truly a very dynamic sunrise event.
Once again on a tripod and the subsequent postprocesing with GIMP was minimal

Warner Bay Sunrise #2

2010-03-03T17:59:00.001-05:00

This is another in a series of images taken last autumn while visiting friends at their home on Warner Bay. Everything was changing fast and the sky was simply spectacular during the sunrise.

Once again, on a tripod and long exposure with minimal post-processing in GIMP.

Sunrise Warner Bay #5

2010-03-03T17:47:00.004-05:00

This was taken after getting up early while visiting friends at their house on Warner Bay, about 10 km Southwest of Tobermorey, Ontario. Some days it really does pay to get up early.
Edited in GIMP. Minimal PP other than levelling the horizon, scaling and sharpening. A tripod was used (with an 8 sec exposure there really wasn't another option).

Custom Bike?

2009-05-27T16:09:00.003-04:00

During a walk along Gerard Street in Toronto this past Saturday, in a futile attempt to get into the Don Jail (part of Open Doors Toronto, nothing criminal here) Adrienne and I passed an "Antique" shop. As part of the effort to lure you in, this motorcycle was parked up front.

In its better days this was a fairly nice Kawasaki bike. Now it has passed into bike oblivion and has been tarted up to attract potential customers. Any trace of what passes for macho-chique is now long gone and it is chained to the wall to prevent its (unlikely) theft.

Visit to the Mystic Muffin

2009-05-24T16:49:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday, while on a fruitless attempt to visit a few of the choicest venues for the open Doors Toronto event, Adrienne passed through the Moss Park area and found ourselves Elias Makhoul's Mystic Muffin restaurant at Jarvis and Richmond of Toronto.

The first thing that caught my eye was the sign on the side of the building. Satisfied that we were both of age (by the Muffin's criteria anyway), we entered. Deliberating at the extensive and colourful menu, Elias (the owner) encouraged us to try the apple cake - $2.00 a piece (a generous one at that) for with our coffees. He looked at his watch, noted he was closing in half-an-hour, and proceeded to enter into a negotiation process. The offer was to sell us half of an apple cake for $8.00 instead of $8.95. We hummed and hawed. But it sure smelled great so I agreed providing he cut off some for us to have with our coffees. Elias then said we should leave the cake intact and he would give us a couple of regular pieces of apple cake instead as a snack (since he was going to close soon anyway). The deal was done and Adrienne and I settled on stools at the bar to enjoy.

A few moments later and slightly agitated man entered, clearly under the influence of some type of recreational pharmaceutical, and proceeded to loudly offer to pay Elias $10.00 tomorrow (i.e. Sunday) if he could have a piece of Rice Crispy Square now. Elias then suggested he may never see the money if he did that. Elias furthermore reminded him that he was still owed money from the last time. A debate ensued. Although the man was somewhat agitated, the verbal sparring was clearly good natured, although protracted. The offer to pay tomorrow was repeated. Elias reminded him that "tomorrow" was Sunday and the place was closed. I quietly signaled to Elias that I would buy the square for the man. Elias nodded and winked to us and carried on with the negotiations, but quickly gave the man the square, after which he left the restaurant and returned to the Moss Park grounds.

Elias then explained to us the man was a regular there. He had no money, lived in a men's shelter and was a long-time drug user. His history was typical for the area: recurring cycles of drug use, police arrests followed by cleaning up and getting clean, return to the only place he knows and could afford, reestablishing his "friendships", getting that first "free" welcome back hit from his dealer and the certain and rapid return to the druggie lifestyle. The area has an inordinately high concentration of shelters and halfway houses. The parks are home to many others in the same boat. Elias said that in the 16 years he had been in that location, nothing much has changed and he has a number of regulars who benefit from his end-of-the-day cleanup.

The Mystic Muffin is an intriguing place. If you visit, spend some time reading the menus and especially the notices on the blackboard. The apple cake fully lived up to Elias' claims. Visit for a great snack and enjoy the local colour.

Bev's Diving Platform: Variations on a Theme

2008-09-05T14:19:00.008-04:00

Last winter was pretty hard on the diving platform just offshore from my in-law's place on Long Lake in Northern Ontario. It finally succumbed to the ice and had to be rebuilt. With fewer young ones around, a smaller platform was in order and this is what replaced the old one.

These images of a favourite spot area variations on a theme. They were taken at different times: dawn (with mist off the lake), at night with a flash-light for illumination and during a particularly spectacular sunrise.

Variations On An Iris.

2008-06-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love Iris, the flower , not the girl (otherwise my wife would disapprove!!!) These are a collection of variations on images of a single stalk of Iris blooms taken in varying lighting conditions and at various angles. As you can see, most are close-ups of various strengths.

Iris are not only beautiful, but in my opinion are the most improbable looking flower anyone could design. Hence the fascination, I guess.

Enjoy.

Some Spring Flower Close-ups

2008-06-10T16:42:00.006-04:00

After a recent rainstorm, I went out to the garden and captured a few images.

The first one is a water droplet in the junction of some leaves.

The second is a pink Columbine (Aquelegia) covered in fine water droplets. This close-up image is of a section perhaps 2 cm (about 3/4 inch for our American friends) wide.

The third image is of water drops on a tulip petal (alas, one of the last tulips of the season here).

The fourth image shows a close-up of a section of an Iris, also with a single water droplet.

Springtime in Algonquin Park

2008-05-21T08:12:00.011-04:00

It is spring in Algonquin Park, a large provincial park in eastern Ontario. The snow still (rarely) appears in sheltered pockets but, for the most part is gone. Flowers are blooming. This includes the iconic Trillium, Ontario's provincial flower.

The first image is of a white Trillium along the Mizzy Lake trail in the south-eastern portion of Algonquin. Note the red markings. This is quite different from the more common type of pure white Trillium found in southern Ontario (this one is in Grimsby) as shown in the second image.

The third image is of a red Trillium, also along the Mizzy Lake trail.

The fourth image is of flowers on a shrub that grows quite extensively in the park (and also in the Bruce Peninsula). In the fall, I have seen bears eating the berries. Unfortunately I do not know the name nor did a search produce any results. If you can identify it, please leave a comment - would be much appreciated.

Also along the Mizzy Lake trail is a stream running out of (not surprisingly) Mizzy Lake. A few small falls appear there and two are shown in the fifth and sixth images.

One thing you can count on when driving through Algonquin is when you see cars parked along the roadside, look for a moose. The seventh image is of a young moos with small antler buds. Its winter fir is moulting and thus the bare-looking spot on the shoulders.

Finally, there is the Beaver. In this case it is not the animal but the aircraft widely used to access remote areas lacking roads but with lakes large enough to land and take off from. This model is, I beleive, an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources deHavilland DHC-2 Mk 3 Turbo Beavers on amphibian floats and is parked right besidethe road. It is perhaps the most widely photographed beaver in the world.

Dandelions, Marsh Marigolds and Cattails

2008-05-19T10:25:00.002-04:00

Spring time is here and the new plants are inevitably accompanied by dandelions.

These first image is at a peach orchard on Lake Street in St Catharines, Ontario, (yes that is how you spell St Catharines). These orchards are becoming less common, particularly since the closing this month of the last fruit packing plant in the province. Seems it is cheaper to import the fruit and then use loopholes in labeling laws to claim a deceptively high Canadian content. Go figure!

The second and third images are of dandelions among grape vines. This vinyard is on top of the Niagara Escarptment just south of the town of Grimsby. There is a significant wine industry in this area and that is also adding to the pressure to pull out tender fruit orchards as farmers caught between a rock and a hard place seek crops that can in fact pay the way.

While returning from a family function in the Shelburne area, we passed a marsh with a large patch of Marsh Marigolds. Thanks to that, the fourth and fifth images.

Finally, the last remnants of the 2007 crop of Cattails stood up just a little longer behind the dam in Rockwood.

Spring is here.

Continuing With the Theme - Flower Macros

2008-05-02T09:50:00.006-04:00

And here we go again....

The first and third images are Tulips.

The second is a Scilla.

The Fourth is a magnolia.

Yet Again - Flower Macros

2008-05-01T10:42:00.007-04:00

The first image is the inside of a Magnolia bloom. Note the small midge crawling about. Flowers are nice. Midges are irritating.

The second image is a blue-yellow bicolour Primula.

The third is a cluster of cherry blossoms about to open fully. This image is one of a very few I have used a diffused flash for.

The fourth image is of the centre of a "Paper-White" Narcissus.

More Spring Flower Abstracts

2008-04-30T11:58:00.005-04:00

Here are a few more maros shots of flowers with an abstract bent.

The first is of Magnolia petals.

The second is a white Magnolia.

The third is a flower that I have forgotten the name of. Help appreciated if anyone knows.

The fourth is a Scilla (also called a Wild Hyacinth by some).

All were sot using a Raynox DCR250 closeup lense on the FZ30.

More Flower Abstracts (Macros)

2008-04-29T07:43:00.005-04:00

These are more abstracts of flowers obtained by working at very close distances and thereby cropping away most of the more familiar aspects of common spring garden flowers. In all cases the are show is about 2 cm wide (3/4 inch for our American friends). All were taken using a special closeup lense - Raynox DCR250 (for those with a technical interest) in front of the camera lense.

The first is a closeup of what my mother called a "paper white", a type of narcissus.

The second is part of the crown of an unopened yellow-red bicolour tulip.

The third is a daffodil.

The fourth is a grape hyacinth.

Red Tulip Abstracts

2008-04-28T08:35:00.005-04:00

Now that spring has actually arrived, the tulips have begun. These are some macros of tulips with a bent toward abstract images.

Ottawa Core Area Architectural Details

2008-04-24T10:27:00.006-04:00

These are some details of the architecture in the core area of Ottawa, Ontario.

Going Green for Earth Day

2008-04-22T08:52:00.008-04:00

In honour of Earth Day, I present a few macros of insects in my garden here in Grimsby. These were taken last summer.

The bee is an obvious. The rest are of some type of beetle that invaded our garden for a few days, ate holes in many flowers and then promptly disappeared. I do not know the type (any help appreciated here as this is not my forte). As to the nature of their activity, I am undecided whether they are engaging in battle or if this is some more friendly activity oriented to ensuring future invasions of my garden.

Unintended Abstracts, Kensinton Market Area, Toronto

2008-04-21T08:01:00.005-04:00

Abstracts are generally intended to be just that. Interestingly, unplanned assemblies of concrete things can result in unintended abstract pieces that are often simply passed by but which can be visually interesting on reflection. Here are four as found in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.

The first is the Hot Box Cafe, with the much more interesting sign over the main window, "Roach-O-Rama". Read the rest for yourself.

The second and third are, respectively, a sign and an isolated detail of some graffiti on that sign. This is beside the entrance to a small back-street fast food place in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.

The fourth image is of the Perola Supermarket. Even the curbside garbage contributes to the patterns.

More Graffiti In Kensington Market

2008-04-19T09:03:00.005-04:00

Some more images of graffiti found in various lanes and alleys in the Kensington Market district of Toronto, Ontario.

Urban Art - Intentional or Otherwise

2008-04-17T08:42:00.007-04:00

The title says it all.

The first image is a wall in an alley off Yonge Street in Downtown Toronto.

The second image s a fountain in the the park along Dennison Square (Kensington Market area) in Toronto. You may want to be a bit careful with a camera in this park after dusk. People hanging out there get a tad nervous about records of their activities it seems.

The next three are graffiti on walls in alleys and lanes in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.

...and Some More...

2008-04-16T11:51:00.009-04:00

The first image is of an air conditioner on an outbuilding of the pump house in Grmsby, Ontario.

The second is some tarps over a pile of earth at a nearby cemetery in Grimsby, Ontario. Probably not good news for somebody.

The third, fifth and seventh images are tight crops of pieces of playground equipment in a nearby community park in Grimsby, Ontario.

The fourth image is of some electrical metering equipment on the side of a local marina's office building (recently demolished) in Grimsby, Ontario.

The sixth image is of a crane counterweight taken at a marina in St Catharines (yes, the spelling is correct) Ontario.

Obviously, I like colour.

More Patterns and Textures

2008-04-15T10:37:00.006-04:00

The first image is of the North Tonawanda (New York) Musical Instrument Works "Military Band" organ (a Wurlitzer) at the Balls Falls Thanksgiving Festival (Canadian Thanksgiving that is - much earlier than our American friends).

The second image is of a garage-style door on a plant, fruit and vegetable store in Kensington Market, Toronto.

The third image is of a painted cable reel outdoor table set on end for the season outside a coffee shop in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.

The fourth image is of a section of the neon signs above the Zanzibar Tavern on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto.

A Different Sign of Spring

2008-04-14T16:58:00.009-04:00

When I think of spring I generally follow the cliches related to flowers and birds, pretty birds, that is.

Grimsby, Ontario is in a a rather interesting geologic location. The Niagara Escarpment (all 120+ metres of it here) comes within 1.5 kilometers of Lake Ontario, the closest the escarpment approaches water south of the Bruce Peninsula. During the Spring and Fall, raptors migrate north and south and the narrow distance between the Niagara Escarpment and the Lake forces them to fly over Grimsby. Bird watchers spend a couple of months monitoring the migration in each season.

These Turkey Vultures were heading northward but needed to rest overnight. Usually they find trees in the area but instead a few decided the top of the elevator shaft/stair well of an apartment building in Grimsby was the ideal place. In the morning they were just warming up before heading onward.

For the record, the building is a senior citizens apartment building.

Patterns and Textures

2008-04-09T09:11:00.007-04:00

The first image is of the windows above the storefronts in downtown Dundas, Ontario.

The second is a section of a Burlington Street vegetable oil processing plant along the Bay in Hamilton, Ontario.

The third and fourth are details of walls in a back alley in Huntsville, Ontario.

The fifth is a somewhat contradictory product name of a now long-gone local brand of soft drink. Found on a wall in very small village named Sprucedale, Ontario, northwest of Huntsville.

The sixth is a detail of a door handle on a closed general store in Sprucedale, Ontario.

Exotic Paint Jobs

2008-04-07T09:27:00.004-04:00

Some car owners get very creative with paint patterns. Here are a couple of examples.

...and Black Cars Too (With Logos)

2008-04-04T09:02:00.009-04:00

Personally I find black cars a paint to keep clean. But, when they are clean, my they look fabulous. Like a sheet metal tuxedo - almost. Just keep the duster handy.

The first one is a early fifties Mercury. The second and third are of a late sixties Chevy Nova SS396. The fourth is of a forties Dodge. The fifth is a Jaguar. The sixth and seventh I simply can't recall (a senior moment?)

... and Green Cars (and Logos)

2008-04-03T09:16:00.009-04:00

Continuing the theme of car elements by colour, today the colour is green.

I am not sure of the make of the first two images.
The third and fourth are of a mid-fifties Mercury Monarch.

The last three are from an mid fifties Cadillac.

Yellow Cars (and Logos)

2008-04-02T07:36:00.009-04:00

Weather seems to be getting better but still not really spring. So today we have yellow cars.

White Cars (And Emblems)

2008-04-01T08:31:00.008-04:00

Today, white Detroit flowers. All are classics of the ere when gasoline was cheap and pollution was something in Los Angeles.

Red Cars

2008-03-31T08:14:00.007-04:00

Still waiting for flowers but in the meantime some red Detroit stuff from one of Grimsby's Cruise Nights.

While Waiting For Spring- Some Blue Detroit Flowers

2008-03-27T09:19:00.010-04:00

Spring is being postponed again here. There is more snow in the forecast but this will come down as slop - neither rain nor snow - just messy. So in the meantime, here are some Detroit flowers: old cars lovingly restored and/or customized from a cruise night last summer here in Grimsby.

The first five are of Fords. The last two are of a Durant.

And the theme within the theme today is "blue".

Still Waiting for Spring - Back to the Greenhouses

2008-03-26T10:16:00.008-04:00

Not surprisingly, we had rain and snow yesterday, so spring has been delayed again. Instead of going out and about, I looked back over our visit to the greenhouses of the Niagara Parks Commission and found some more plants I liked.

The first is one of the junction points where greenhouse sections link.

The second is an orchid but in a desert area. The branches seemed more like those of a rubber tree plant than what I expected of orchids.

The third is a Bird of Paradise flower.

The fourth was labeled as some type of "Pea" plant, albeit not unlike any I am familiar with.

The last one is simply a view into a cluster of large, tropical leaves.

Enjoy, while we wait for nice weather.

Spring Has Finally Arrived - Sort Of!- Eranthis In Bloom

2008-03-24T10:13:00.015-04:00

Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, the first sign of spring made its appearance in our garden. The first flower to pop out of the ground is Eranthis, sometimes called Winter Aconite (although it is not related to aconites and is not poisonous). This is actually a late arrival this year. Most winters we have a week-long thaw in the third week of February and it is then the Eranthis appears. This year the heavy, unbroken snowfall and cold weather has delayed the usual early blooming of these flowers.

The bright, buttercup yellow flowers are about 2 cm (3/4 inch for our American friends) across and will force themselves out through frozen soil and light snow (yes that is snow in the images) in sheltered areas. That is the case with the ones shown here. They are growing in a well sheltered southern exposure and are located in the first place they appear in the garden. Over the next two weeks the entire area will bloom and we will have a carpet of yellow in patches over the entire yard.

Eranthis are the first to bloom and also the first to disappear. By mid to late May there will be no sign of them as they will have gone to seed, dried up and disappeared again, until next year.

Our Eranthis were started from clumps in my parents yard in Niagara-on-the Lake. I remember these flowers well from my childhood there as they appeared in many of the older, established gardens there.

Why I am looking Forward to Spring - Part 2: Ice Formations

2008-03-22T12:26:00.003-04:00

At the mouth of The Forty, the winds off Lake Ontario blow spray onto shore. As it hits the shore and any trees, shrubs, or anything else, it deposits a coating that builds up over time in directions determined by the then prevailing winds, leaving a surreal environment.

In the first image, the gulls are sitting on about one meter (3 feet for our American friends) of ice on a pier located near the old pump house at the mouth of The Forty.

The next three show how ice forms on the branches of shrubs on the lake shore. The effect is like teeth at times and the weight can be great enough to break branches.

The next two show ice formed on the North side of a tree trunk facing Lake Ontario. My wife decided the formation resembled a white witch guarding the entrance to the creek mouth.

The next one is icicles hanging from a low hanging branch reaching out over the water.

The second-last image is a branch hanging out over the lake with the typical teeth-like icicle formations.

The last image is the remnants of the ice on The Forty.

As beautiful as the winter can be, it has been a long cold, snowy one and I, for one, am ready for Spring.

Why I am Looking Forward to Spring - Part 1: The Awd Goose

2008-03-20T09:42:00.008-04:00

Here in Grimsby, we live in an old town, at least by Canadian standards. Grimsby was settled about 250 years ago. Once the town was established, it's original name was “The Forty” which, for those of you unfamiliar with the history and geography of the area, may seem odd.

When Europeans moved into the area, travel was by boat on Lake Ontario. Landmarks used by the sailors were the mouths of streams feeding into Lake Ontario. The naming convention they adopted on the south shore was based on the distance in miles from the mouth of the Niagara River. If you look at a map of Ontario you can still find streams/rivers with these distance-based names. In Grimsby, the town name became that of a town in England but the stream that runs through Grimsby into Lake Ontario is still called “The Forty”.

My wife and I, encouraged by our dog, took one of our regular walks down to the mouth of The Forty to see how the snow and ice were melting. Much is gone but with the long, cold, snowy winter, there is still a large amount of snow and ice in that area. And of course there are seagulls, ducks and geese.

The First image is of a confused Canada Goose who seemed to think the block of ice with a stick frozen in it, was in actual fact a rival goose posing a challenge, This made for an amusing few minutes of entertainment for us.

The second image is of a group of seagulls trying to keep warm.

The last three images are interesting because of the goose with the white “cheeks” and orange legs. This appears to be a cross between a Canada Goose and some variety of domestic goose. This goose has been around for some time it seems. According to a gentleman we met there, he has seen it regularly for many years. In fact he has posted some information on the goose at his website http://marvejohn.ca/Nature/awdgoose/ so you may want to look at that if you are curious.

Orchids At The Niagara Parks Commission Greenhouses

2008-03-19T09:35:00.011-04:00

Today, a few more flower shots. All of these are various types of orchids growing, as the title says, at the Niagara Parks Commission greenhouses in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The one I found particularly intriguing is the fourth one. It is almost spider-like.

One thing I find difficult to understand is why so few people visit the greenhouses, or are even aware of them. The are only a pleasant walk up from the Falls and access is free with only a small parking fee if you bring your car. This weekend the Easter display starts a three week run and should be very good. After that, a series of themed exhibits runs there each running several weeks so repeat visits would be worthwhile. And the best time to visit, I find, is in a snow storm. The contrast between the cold outside and the heat and humidity inside is incredible.

Day 2 of Flowers at Niagara Falls

2008-03-18T08:47:00.006-04:00

Following on from yesterday's post, here are some more flowers from our Sunday visit to the Niagara Parks Commission greenhouses in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The first and third images appear to be of varieties of Azaleas.

The second appears to be a variety of Hibiscus.

The last two are orchids. These were a bit difficult to photograph since they were in a dark area and no flash was used. The image stabalization of the FZ30 can only do so much, unfortunately.

Jumping About 2,000 km Northeast – Red Flowers

2008-03-17T09:34:00.009-04:00

With a sunny Sunday at our disposal, and being tired of winter (only half the monster snowfall has melted) we decided to bask in as close to the tropics as we could. Therefore a visit to the Niagara Parks Commission greenhouses at Niagara Falls, Ontario was made. Warm, colourful, quiet (especially for a Sunday), what more could you what without involving airfares.

The displays are almost set up for the three-week Easter display and it gave us a real break from the snow and cold.

I pulled out some images of red/pink flowers from the bunch I took. The fourth and fifth ones are very small. Each of these flowers is less than 1 cm (about 3/8 inch for our American friends) across and has a tiny drop of water at the centre. These extreme closeups were done using a specialized closeup lense (Raynox DCR 250) on the FZ30.

Sorry about the lack of names. Enjoy.

More Dead Trees

2008-03-15T06:23:00.013-04:00

These dead trees are in various locations within Arches National Park, just North of Moab Utah. The locations are (roughly) as follows:
1, 2, and 3. Near Triple Arch.
4. Along the West wall of the Park Avenue "Trail".
5. North end trail to the devils Garden, just at the turnoff to go to Navajo Arch.
6. Taken from the Park Avenue Trail, looking at the iconic "Organ" formation.

Dead Trees (1)

2008-03-14T09:30:00.007-04:00

The desert can be unforgiving. Trees can grow but the casualty rate is high. That said, the casualties have a certain character that give the desert a kind of beauty.

These are in national Park at Arches or just outside the park along the Colorado River.

Arches in Arches (National Park)

2008-03-13T10:41:00.012-04:00

Arches National Park is named (naturally) for the large number of arches found within its boundaries. To get a sense of its layout, look at the park map at:
http://www.arches.national-park.com/map.htm
These are a small sample of the arches found there , in order:
1. Unnamed arch on the trail to Delicate Arch.
2. Delicate Arch - iconic symbol of the park.
3. The formation containing Delicate Arch from a couple of miles off and higher up. Note Delicate Arch is to the left of a cluster of approximately one half dozen "mounds", and one third in from the left of the image.
4. Landscape Arch - along a trail starting at the North end of the road inside the park.
5. A small unnamed arch along the trail at the North end of the road.
6. Partition Arch - also along the above -mentioned trail.
7. Navajo Arch - again along the north trail - but on a loop back to the Southwest.
8. Skyline Arch - along the road South of the campgrounds.
9. Triple Arch - For those of you who watched the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", you may remember this as one of the locations in the early part of the film. In fact, most of the early part of the film was shot on location in various parts of the park.

Fins/Buttes/Mesas Along the Colorado

2008-03-12T10:46:00.007-04:00

Along the Colorado River northeast of Moab are a number of these fins or buttes or mesas (depends on which local you listen to). They are formed by the erosion of the cap rock over the collapsed salt dome that shaped the local geology.

The Writing Is On The Wall

2008-02-28T05:19:00.010-05:00

The dark desert varnish provides a strong contrast to the underlying red rock. Native Americans used this contrast to make petroglyphs or rock art. Simply scraping through the desert varnish, native Americans left panels providing records of events, hunting information, instructions on how to follow them, etc.

These panels are part of the heritage of the Native American peoples and are protected by law. However, as can be seen in the second image, modern graffiti occasionally intrudes on the panels.

The first five are on the rock walls on Highway 279 just outside Moab (i.e. on the north bank of the Colorado River). Some are close to the level of the river bank. Others, as in the third and fourth images, are fairly high up the cliff wall and would have required some effort in reaching the panel during its creation.

Smaller, more crudely made pictures can also be found as seen in the fifth image.

The appearance of the panels along Highway 279 (the first five images) differs somewhat from the panel found in Arches National Park along the trail to Delicate Arch (sixth and seventh images). A park sign along that trail attributes this panel to members of the Ute nation. Note this panel was made after 1600 CE because hunters are shown riding horses. Horses were not introduced into the area until after 1600.

Red Cliffs Along the Colorado River

2008-02-27T15:29:00.012-05:00

As you proceed toward Moab along Highway 128, you reach the Colorado River, a name derived from the red colour of the water's load of iron mineral based silt.

Along each side of the river all the way to Moab, and beyond along Highway 279, you follow he river's edge and are contained by steep red cliff walls rising several hundred meters. The river has cut itself deeply into the surrounding rock formations.

Large sections of the older cliff walls are covered in a dark deposit. This thin blueish black material is a thin layer of manganese rich clay acted on by bacteria and is called “desert varnish”. It only covers areas which have been stable for a long time and have not had significant water erosion. The dark coating is a stark contrast to the underlying red rock, a characteristic used by Native Americans.

In some areas, the cliffs have been more eroded and form slightly dome shaped formations, whose vertical faces have been further eroded by wind, rain, and freeze-thaw cycles. In such cases, the hollowing out is a precursor to arch formation and can be seen in these images. The ones shown here are along Highway 279.

Fisher Towers, Utah

2008-02-23T15:11:00.004-05:00

Along Highway 128, about 20 miles northeast of intended destination, Moab, we found ourselves back into a storm system. As we rounded a bend in the road we came upon some dramatic views of Fisher Towers along the Colorado River.

This rock formation, like the entire area, is a deep red with shades of deep purple and occasionally greens due to various mineral in the rock with iron being responsible for the reds.

These formations are a favourite among local rock climbers.

Cisco, Utah A Ghost Town

2008-02-22T13:30:00.013-05:00

Entering Utah from Colorado and heading to Moab, we decided to take the scenic route. This involved exiting Interstate 70 and going along a very badly distorted “paved” road through Cisco to Highway 128. However, as we reached out turnoff, a storm was brewing over the desert and, as on entering Cisco it became very black, with sheets of rain falling in the distance.

Cisco is now a ghost town. Originally it serviced steam engines. Later cattle and sheep farming were introduced. However, with the construction of the Interstate and the loss of the train service function once diesel became dominant, little remained to support the town. Recently, however, oil wells have been drilled in the area.

All that remains of the town are some buildings in various stages of collapse. These include remnants of a few old timber buildings (log cabins) in advanced stages of collapse and a general store that is barely holding together but with the rather odd painted graffiti tag “KILLA” above the entrance. Perhaps this is a reference to the consequences of automobile accidents whose byproducts, auto wrecks, have take over the properties adjacent to the old buildings, deserted there with little likelihood of ever being recovered.

The wrecked cars are mostly of recent origin with paper tags seemingly related to accident investigations taped to the windows, although a vintage yellow convertible sits there as well. Other junk including old rusted oil tanks is strewn around the town,

One last intriguing building is the remains of what was likely once a garage/service station. On its front is a large mural of the Fisher Towers area closer to Moab along Highway 128. In front is a sign labeled “Cisco Landing”. Since there is no obvious water in the area it seems somewhat incongruous until you look at a map and realize that one of the dirt roads leading south from Cisco leads to the Colorado River. There, a rafting business exists. Hence the name.

Digression: Total Lunar Eclipse 2008 Feb 20

2008-02-21T05:51:00.004-05:00

As a digression from the general thread, I took a sequence of photos of the total lunar eclipse of 2008 Feb 20. This sequence was assembled from individual images shot from my front door step which, aside from being convenient, provided a wonderful opportunity to get warm regularly.

The last time I saw a total lunar eclipse was (IIRC) September 2003 while visiting Moab. Unfortunately I had no tripod available at that time and no photos were taken then. This time I was better prepared.

The images are crops from individual frames assembled using GIMP.

Enjoy.

Heading 10,000 km/ 6500 Miles West: Utah

2008-02-18T11:41:00.007-05:00

Aside from knowing people in the region, I love the Southwest USA's deserts, so it takes little enticing to get me to visit the area. The specific area covered in the next few posts' photos is the area around Moab, Utah, with emphasis on an iconic National Park just north of Moab: Arches.

If you have a bright sunny day, the first thing that strikes you (aside from the heat in the summer) is the sky. There seems to be so much of it. Then you notice the colours in the soils and rocks. The desert is anything but dull, Whether the colours are subtle as in the first photo (eastern Utah, north from Interstate 70) or more dramatic as the the next images has very much to do with weather and time of day.

The pink mesa lies on the road from the ghost town of Cisco to Moab (#128) near Fisher Towers. As we looked out towards the mesa, a storm suddenly moved in, darkening the skies and letting the setting sun cut below the clouds to illuminate another mesa remnant in the same area.

In Arches National Park, the varied terrain lends itself to the receding planes image during the day. As the sun sets, the pink glow lights up the desert.

Supplementing the Environment:

2008-02-15T12:56:00.009-05:00

The people who adopted the cave house strategy had an additional problem to solve: How do you grow crops in an area with limited soil nutrients? Cattle are not raised in the area since the cost of doing so remains prohibitive. Therefor cattle dung is not an option for enriching the soil. An alternate strategy was developed.

The geologic structures that provided housing for the inhabitants and their animals, also provided natural nesting areas for birds. Picking up on this, the people in the area made use of smaller “caves” and turned them into pigeon coops. The pigeons themselves were not their concern, but the bird droppings were. These droppings provided nutrients capable of enriching the local soils and thereby enabling agricultural development of the land.

These images show various pigeon coops in and around Goreme and Uchisar (notably the aptly named Pigeon Valley). Similar structures can be found in the Ilhara Valley and throughout the region. These coops are still used.

Adapting to the Environment: Goreme and Uchisar, Turkey

2008-02-12T10:06:00.000-05:00

In approximately central Turkey is an area formed from volcanic activity. Mountains showing their volcanic origins surround eroded plateaus. Because the plateaus were covered by a soft, volcanic material, the rock is relatively soft and easily eroded. This results in the odd formations named “Fairy Chimneys”.

People occupying the area took advantage of the relative softness of the rock to carve out caves in which to house themselves and their animals, as seen in tis photo of Uchisar. While these caves can be used as-is, many have been extended outward with a more conventional front section as the main part of the house.

Over time more and more such houses were formed and towns such as Goreme (third photo) developed amid the labyrinth of odd rock formations.

As these communities grew larger, and as caravan routes used these places as resting places, forts were built such as the one in Uchisar. This carvanserai wqs cut into a volcanic plug overlooking the valley and plain below. Maned by the sultan's army, caravans were offered three days of accommodation and protection at no cost then sent on their way. This was not an altruistic service on the sultan's part. Caravanserais communicated to each other using mirrors, fire and smoke to inform the sultan of what goods were in transit. This made taxation simpler and more effective.

The town of Uchisar retains a strong semblance to its historical appearance. You can even find an old shepherd and his dog herding a flock of sheep through the old buildings and cave dwellings on the lower slopes of the town.

Not only did the area's easily workable rock formations provide a place to house the populations, it also provided a place for early Christians to hide and build communities. Adopting the same building techniques as the locals, they carved out not only accommodations for themselves, they built churches in caves and painted them in an elaborate fashion, as in the church shown here. Many of these churches are preserved in the Goreme Open Air Museum.

Goreme (much like Uchisar some 5-6 km away) has not only houses but also hotels that make use of caves.

And then you occasionally find a a beacon to visitors – a dead tree festooned with clay jars.

Food for the Body

2008-02-07T12:06:00.000-05:00

Art and culture of Turkey may be food for the soul, but never let it be said that Turkey neglects food for the body. In most hotels/pensions, you can get a Turkish breakfast consisting of a boiled egg, yoghurt, cheeses, sausage, cucumber and tomato slices, olives, bread, jams, juice and either tea or coffee. One such breakfast is illustrated as served in our hotel in Goreme. This is a substantial meal and holds you nicely while you go out exploring.

As the day wears on, you can snack to your heart's content. Typical snacks include simits, bagel shaped rather dry, bread rings coated in seeds of various types. Depending on where you go they are sol doff trays or, occasionally off a pole carried around by a vendor.

We also came across a young lady enjoying a snack of a roasted corn cob in the park area between the Sultanahmet Camii/Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofya.

Around Istanbul you find the bright red carts sporting red and white striped canopies, selling hot roasted chestnuts, They also seem to be a gathering place for men who engaged in chat.

If you get more hungry, down by the commuter ferry docks near the train station in the Sultanahmet district, you can grab a Balik Salat with a Fanta for the price of a burger at home. The Balik is “fish”, in this case a mackerel fried on a slanted hot sheet to drain off the oils, which the vendor strips of the bones as both fillets are placed on a fresh bun and topped with shredded lettuce (salat) and a suace. We found these delicious.

Restaurants are everywhere. Meals can be a simple or elegant as you like. Prices vary accordingly.

Regardless of what you do and where you go, you will find the food, excellent, varied and affordable.

Arabic Script as a Design Element

2008-02-05T18:49:00.000-05:00

Although modern Turkey uses a variant of the Roman alphabet, prior to the reforms instituted by Mustafa Kemal Atturk in 1928, Arabic script was used. As you travel through historic sites, you cannot help but notice the script. It is more than simple labeling but was a significant decorative design element in mosques, public buildings, palaces, tile-work, etc.

Islamic decorative designs avoid representations of human figures. Instead, intricate geometric motifs, flowers, plants and patterns as well as beautiful ornamental script layouts were used. In the Aya Sofya in Istanbul, originally a Christian church, then a mosque and, since 1935, a museum, the walls bear not only Christian images in various stages of restoration, but also Islamic decorations including several very large, prominent, round medallions bearing Arabic script. One such medallion appears in the interior view of the Aya Sofya (as well as the closeup of the medallion. In the closeup you can see a distinctive script element, (shown as well in the accompanying illustration). This is the script for "Allah". It appears in many places in decorative scripts throughout Turkey. As you look at the various script samples, you may be able to find this particular pattern.

Script appears in stained glass, as in these two samples from the Aya Sofya.

Script is used above the entrance to the Sultanahmet Camii/Blue Mosque (green plaque with gilt script) and inside the courtyard (the round medallion on the blue green panel).

Similarly, decorative script is used in the Topkapi Palace, as shown in the closeup of one of the palaces' interior archways, as well as on a plain wall and two of the many tiled walls.

Turkish Carpets

2008-02-04T12:38:00.001-05:00

During prayers, followers of Islam typically make use of prayer rugs. As a result, the sheer numbers of people who follow Islam, as well as the use of prayer rug formatted carpeting in mosques, created an carpet production capability on a very large scale. Carpets can vary from simple designs to very elaborate pieces of art. Geometric patterns mixed with representations of flowers, leaves, etc., form common themes.
The first two images show prayer rugs in the Sultanahmet Camii/Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
Carpets are also widely used in hotels, homes, and even in the long distance buses in Turkey. In mosques you do NOT wear shoes. The carpets provide a warm cushion for your feet.
The third photo shows carpets at the exit door from the Sultanahmet Camii.Blue mosque. The style is similar to designs sold in North America, regardless of country of manufacture and are not laid out as prayer rugs. Note also that visitors are stepping outside before putting their shoes back on.
Although most of the carpet shops in Istanbul use fairly contemporary settings for selling their wares, occasionally you find a more rustic shop, such as one we found in an alley on the north perimeter of the Aya Sofya.

Stained Glass: Topkapi Palace Harem

2008-02-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

The stained glass windows in the Aya Sofya are intended to be viewed from a distance in the former church/mosque's cavernous interior. Consequently they are bold in both colour and design. In the Topkapi palace however, the windows are intended to be viewed close up in a setting on the scale of rooms ranging from a large living room to smaller, more intimate rooms used by individuals as bedrooms, for example. As a result, the stained glass windows in the Topkapi Palace is more intricate and exhibits more subtle design details and colour control to garner the desired effects. The themes are different here as well. flowers, birds and more delicate images are used than in the Aya Sofya.

Stained Glass: Aya Sofya

2008-02-03T16:03:00.001-05:00

Stained glass in Turkey is particularly beautiful. In the Aya Sofya a great number of such windows can be found (in addition to some very utilitarian, plain glass windows in the walkways and entrance areas). These four images are but a small sample of the variety found there.

Dealing With The Dead In Istanbul

2008-02-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

In a city as old and as large as Istanbul, people regularly die - no great surprise there. The trouble is the land North Americans have available for cemeteries simply does not exist in a city like Istanbul, and clearly thishas been an issue for a very long time. So what do you do with the dead?
In one solution familiar to Western culture, a cemetery located adjacent to a mosque has been used. The first few photos are of a cemetery adjacent to the Kucuk Aya Sofya (Lesser Aya Sofya), a small but very nice mosque located a few hundred metres southwest of the Sultanahmet Camii/Blue Mosque, against the old Byzantian city wall. Here you find burial plots, marked by the unusually capped headstones, packed as tightly as possible in all the open space not occupied by the mosque and its walkways. Furthermore, the topmost sections of older burial plots' headstones have been mounted on iron rods into the wall. The markers themselves are absent. It is not clear whether this was simply to preserve remnants of markers for older burial plots which have been found in the area and lack a clear link to a grave, or whether some more deliberate process exists to reuse burial plots.
The oddly shaped topmost ornaments are apparently representative of old headdresses, albeit in a somewhat stylized form

In addition to such mosque-based cemeteries, as you walk about the older sections of he city that have been redeveloped, you periodically find small cemeteries crowded into small plots surrounded by apartment buildings or commercial buildings. Two examples are shown from back streets off Hudayendigar Caddesi southeast of the train station.

In the old downtown section of Istanbul, the living and the dead reside side-by-side.

Other Tile Work

2008-01-28T21:27:00.001-05:00

Tiles are not only decorative. In one shop in Istanbul we found a map of the old Sultanahmet district. If you look carefully at the details and then refer to a "Google Maps" view of the corresponding section of the city, you will see the panel of tiles can serve as a reasonably useful map of that section of the city.

Unfortunately, not all tiles are high quality. Many tourist-oriented stores and stalls sell very low quality samples such as the round ones shown here. These were found abandoned on the street in the city of Uchisar, possibly awaiting the return of tourist season?

Tiled Walls

2008-01-28T21:16:00.001-05:00

The first three photos show tiled walls in the Topkapi Palace and represent among the highest level of tile work you can find.
Many of the finest tiles found in historic or culturally important buildings, were produced in the city of Izmir. Apparently, the techniques used to produce the very finest tiles in the past have been lost. However, high quality tiles are available throughout the country. Just be aware that quality costs.
In the fourth photo a tile wall decoration located on a back alley wall in Selchuk is shown.

Turkish Tiles

2008-01-28T20:57:00.001-05:00

In Istanbul you can find an incredible range of tile art. The interior of the Sultanahmet Camii/Blue Mosque has tens of thousands of tiles of great beauty. Similarly, throughout the Topkapi Palace in same area of Istanbul, tiles were also used extensively. The sections of tiled walls shown here are ones we found in the Topkapi Palace as well as Selchuk.

Inside the Blue Mosque

2008-01-26T16:47:00.000-05:00

You enter the Blue Mosque through a gateway into a courtyard. The inscription over the arched entrance is a work of art in itself.

The colours of the magnificent tiled interior surfaces of the Blue Mosque give rise to its name. We were told by a local that during renovations a few years ago, one of the tiles was sold off to help finance the work and brought approximately US$ 1 million. Each is piece of art.

The Blue Mosque - Exterior

2008-01-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

The mosque is normally seen from the park area separating it from the Aya Sofiya as in the first photo. However, to get a historical perspective, you can walk over to the road named the Kennedy Caddesi along the shore of the Sea of Marmara. From this vantage point you can see the mosque with the ancient Byzantine walls in the foreground. Note that more recent buildings have incorporated parts of the 2,000-3,000 year old wall sections into their own structures.
By the way, Sunday walks for large family groups along the shoreline paths is a tradition in Istanbul.

The Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) Istanbul

2008-01-26T16:27:00.000-05:00

One of the two great mosques in the old Imperial district of Istanbul, is the Sultanahmet Camii, commonly known as the Blue Mosque. This is an active place of worship and a magnificent building.
The mosque was built on the orders of Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616 AD and derives its common name from the tens of thousands of blue tiles lining the interior
This shows the mosque at night across the pool of the fountain separating the it from the Aya Sofya.

Turkish Delight - The Spice Market, Istanbul

2008-01-22T20:54:00.001-05:00

The Egyptian/Spice Market in Istanbul sells, not surprisingly, spices, but also a wide variety of day-to day supplies. Less touristy than the Grand Bazaar, and more oriented to the needs of residents, you can find foodstuffs at reasonable prices. You can also find shops that sell an incredible variety of candies, nuts and dried fruits.
This bazaar lies outside the "New Mosque" (only 400 years old) which rents out the bazaar space as a source of income for upkeep of the mosque.

Flowers In The Spice Market

2008-01-22T20:51:00.000-05:00

The Egyptian/Spice market near the ferries were gearing up for spring flower sales when we visited. This was a nice change from the winter we had escaped at home.

Old Woman - Sirince

2008-01-22T20:45:00.001-05:00

One of the reasons Ephesus was eventually abandoned was the risk of malaria. A small town called Sirince was built further inland and higher up in the hills. It was fairly isolated and had ethnically Greek population until a population exchange between Greece and Turkey took place in 1924 as part of resolving border issues.
We were advised by our host to avoid the lower section of the town which housed newcomers oriented to tourists. Instead we headed higher up and found a charming old village.
Here an elderly local is shown wearing the "pantaloons" characteristic of traditional women's dress.

Carriage Near Ephesus

2008-01-22T20:41:00.001-05:00

On the walk along a back road to our hotel in Selcuk from a day at the ruins of Ephesus (Efes), we came across a colourful carriage "parked" in a field. There was no indication of its purpose but possibly it was intended to ferry tourists back and forth to the ruins from town and was simply awaiting the start of the tourist season.

Selcuk Oranges Spoiling

2008-01-22T20:37:00.001-05:00

Selcuk, which lies on the Aegean Sea at the site of the former city of Ephesus (Efes) is built on tourism and agriculture. Although tourism has been doing well as visitors view the runes of Ephesus, agriculture has not fared as well recently with the collapse of the market of local oranges. These oranges lie rotting in a field on the edge of town.

Evil Eyes Over Uchisar

2008-01-22T20:30:00.001-05:00

The evil eyes shown here are sold to tourists to ward off the evil eye.
In the background is the fortress of Uchisar built into a volcanic formation. The older sections of the town of Uchisar is built into the same formation in the form of locally typical cave houses.
The fortress was a caravanserai on the trade routes to Istanbul. Traders were provided four days lodging under the Sultan's military protection after which they were required to carry on their journey. This was not an altruistic move by the sultan however. A system of mirrors and smoke signals linked the caravanserai to the capitol, Byzantium/Constantinople (now Istanbul) announcing the caravan and its contents. This made taxation simpler.

Selime - Caves In The Cliff

2008-01-22T20:24:00.001-05:00

At the downstream end of the Ilhara Valley lies the town of Selime. You can see caves carved into the cliff wall.
Some caves were made to house animals or to form part of a dwelling. Smaller caves were carved out to house pigeons which were widely raised as a source of guano to be used for fertilizer since the area is otherwise poor in soil nutrients needed for agriculture.

Painted Cave Chruch - Goreme

2008-01-22T20:20:00.001-05:00

Inside an old Christian church carved out of a fairy chimney in the Open Air Museum in Goreme. The paintings are fresh and extensive. There are literally hundreds of such churches in the area.
Note the eyes have been destroyed. This was done hundreds of years ago as a result of a desire to avoid depictions of Christ and other religious figures.

Goreme - Fairy Chimney Ruins

2008-01-22T20:18:00.001-05:00

These fairy chimney formations have been carved out to form stables (and possibly dwellings) but have partially collapsed.

Goreme Landscape

2008-01-22T20:04:00.001-05:00

In central Turkey lies a small village (approx 2,000 people) named Goreme. The town is built using formations called "fairy chimneys" and cliff walls to for caves which form parts of houses and hotels.
Early Christians built churches and homes in caves in this area. Churches still contain painted walls and ceilings. As a result the area has a large World Heritage site and museum which you can visit.
The rock is relatively soft volcanic material and to this day is still used as part of housing structures and animal barns.

A Typical Istanbul Carpet Street

2008-01-22T19:50:00.001-05:00

Istanbul streets are generally small and crowded. This one is lined with carpet shops selling carpets and kilim. If you want a carpet, you will find it in Turkey. If you don't you will still be approached by salesmen eager to convince you to buy one (or more). It is all part of the experience and should be taken in stride - you cannot avoid them.

Wooden Building Ruin - Istanbul

2008-01-22T19:44:00.001-05:00

In the back streets of Istanbul's Sultanahment district (the historic section near the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, etc.) are old wooden hoses originally built for nobles in the 17 and 18 hundreds. Some are converted into hotels. Some are in virtual ruins. Wooden buildings are a novelty in Istanbul.
This casualty lies awaiting either restoration or replacement is between the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Caii) and the Lesser Aya Sofya mosque (Kucuk Aya Sofya) - not to be confused with the Aya Sofya of tourist interest.

Balik Salata

2008-01-22T19:32:00.000-05:00

Istanbul is divided into three sections by the Golden Horn (Halic), the Bosphorus (Bogazizi) and the Sea of Marmara (Marmara Denizi). Given it is a city of between 12 and 17 million inhabitants (depends on who you ask) many commute using the ferries.
As in most places, fast food sellers locate small stands near the commuter entrances/exits serving the ferries. This stand is at the Resadiye Caddesi/Kennedy Kaddesi. Instead of burgers and fries common in North America, and generally unavailable in Turkey, you get a bun with a fried mackerel and shredded lettuce with a "special sauce". This is a "balik salata", just the thing for a quick bite for the ferry ride home. Also addictive, much like burgers!

Shard Mosaic

2008-01-22T19:28:00.001-05:00

Two things are unavoidable in Istanbul (and most other cities) - carpet and ceramics salesmen. On one ceramics store in Istanbul, an exterior wall was completely covered in pottery and ceramic shards yielding this colourful mosaic.

Colourful Hotels - Istanbul

2008-01-22T19:23:00.001-05:00

Wandering around Istanbul you find a wide variety of hotels. These colourful buildings are along the Yerebatan Caddesi (street) near the Aya Sofya.

A Cup of Chai

2008-01-22T19:17:00.001-05:00

As you walk around Istanbul (or anywhere in Turkey, for that matter) you can buy "chai" which is the local's tea. It is not to be confused with "tea" served to visitors on request. That is simply tea bags and hot water.
Chai is made in a two layer kettle system. The lower kettle is simply hot water kept hot on a (typically) wood or coke stove. The upper level is the tea, very strong tea, brewed for about 45 minutes before being ready to serve, at which time it is poured into one of the glasses shown and diluted about half-and-half with water from the lower section. The saucers shown are typical as are the sugar cubes. If you want some, ask for "chai sekker" - hot, sweet and cheap.

The Clothesline.

2008-01-22T19:01:00.000-05:00

Part of the fun in visiting a city like Istanbul is wandering off the beaten path. In one such digression we came across this clothesline in a lane. I loved the colours against the painted wall.

Istanbul - Chestnut Seller

2008-01-22T18:59:00.000-05:00

These colourful carts are common in Istanbul. As you near one, the aroma of roasted chestnuts makes your mouth water.

Turkey - February 2007

2008-01-22T18:27:00.001-05:00

In February 2007, Dayle and I traveled to Turkey, a country I have have wanted to see since childhood. Its connection to western cultural development is the reason I visited. The warmth and friendliness of the people we met and the remnants of the past, still readily accessible, are the things memories are made of. Go visit Turkey - it will exceed your expectations!

We visited Istanbul and loved it. It is also a very safe city and affordable country. If you like the "old" Paris, you will love Istanbul in the springtime. From there we traveled to central Turkey to the village of Goreme, notable for its cave houses and old Christian church/cave ruins. Then onward to Selcuk, on the Aegean and the site of the ruins of Ephesus. Finally, back to Istanbul and then home.

We traveled just like the locals (no tours - everything booked by the seat of our pants), saw an incredible range of sights, and had the most incredible adventure of our lives. Highly recommended.

Old Cars #3

2006-08-08T14:14:00.000-04:00

Old Cars #2

2006-08-08T14:13:00.000-04:00

Old Cars #1

2006-08-08T14:11:00.000-04:00

Pink and Green Plumes

2006-08-06T23:13:00.000-04:00

Singing the Blues

2006-08-06T23:12:00.000-04:00

Young Lady in White Plumes

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Mother and Son

2006-08-06T23:10:00.000-04:00

Dancers on a Flatbed

2006-08-06T23:09:00.000-04:00

The Peacock

2006-08-06T23:07:00.000-04:00

Orange and Yellow Plumes

2006-08-06T23:04:00.001-04:00

Two Red-Plumed Dancers

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Silver Man and Purple Plumes

2006-08-06T23:02:00.000-04:00