Stone pathway with brick steps leads to a dark arched doorway, framed by brick walls and lush green trees and shrubs.
Man with blue uniform carrying two large trash bags walks through a stone courtyard framed by archways, with greenery and a lemon tree nearby.
Old stone archway and brick walls lining a cobblestone path leading into a dark tunnel.
Small circular pool of rippled water at center, set in dark textured pavement, flanked by narrow metal channel leading to a green reflective pool.
Sunlit brick arches and tiled floor seen through a dark arched opening, with stacked brick columns casting shadows on the pavement.
Rectangular courtyard pool with pale green water, bordered by a checkerboard tile edge and trimmed hedges beside a white wall.
Curved brick and stone stairwell with a circular stone pattern, surrounded by red brick walls and small palm leaves in the foreground.
Stone courtyard with a weathered circular fountain in the foreground, brick terraces with potted plants, and trimmed hedges in the background.
Cobblestone and brick paving with a curved stone step, irregularly arranged stones, and wet, glossy surfaces in earthy tones.

The Alacazaba, Malaga

Posted Dec 10, 2024

The Alcaz­a­ba in Mala­ga is a mil­i­tary palace dat­ing back to the 11th cen­tu­ry when the south­ern part of Spain was under Moor­ish rule. 

The Alcazar in Seville and the Alham­bra in Grana­da are larg­er and more spec­tac­u­lar, but impos­si­ble to expe­ri­ence in soli­tude due to ever-present throngs of tourists (of which I am admit­ted­ly one). 

I got up a bit ear­ly on a Tues­day morn­ing and had the place large­ly to myself, oth­er than a few main­te­nance staff start­ing their day. It felt pret­ty magical.

The Gherkin

Posted Nov 15, 2024

Spherical glass-clad skyscraper with a diamond-patterned metal grid reflects blue sky and clouds.
The Gherkin, London
Nov. 13, 2024
Golden koto-like pavilion sits on a pond, its reflection shimmering with surrounding trees and hills in the background.
Golden, multi-tiered temple by a calm pond, with surrounding trees and rocky shoreline.
A traditional two-tiered wooden pagoda with a dark curved roof, gold finial statue atop, surrounded by trees and hills at sunset.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Posted Nov 02, 2023

The Kinkaku-ji, a Zen Bud­dhist tem­ple com­mon­ly called the Gold­en Pavil­ion, stands serene­ly against Kyoto’s lush land­scape. The top two floors are cov­ered in bril­liant gold leaf that glowed warm­ly in the after­noon sun on my vis­it. In spite of the crowds, it’s a place of tran­scen­dent beau­ty, and it’s easy to see why it’s one of Japan’s most icon­ic and his­toric sites.

Kyoto bell tower

Posted Oct 31, 2023

Traditional wooden Japanese temple with ornate tiled roof, surrounded by green shrubs and trees, under a blue sky.
Small tower at the entrance to Otani Sobyo
October 31, 2023

Photo: Royal Palace of Madrid

Posted Jan 17, 2023

Dome-topped grand cathedral with ornate spires rises above a neoclassical facade, framed by silhouettes of people in the foreground at sunset.
Royal Palace of Madrid
January, 2023

This view of the Palace of Madrid at sun­set was a beau­ti­ful moment in a quick, three-day stopover in Madrid before head­ing on to Seville, Mala­ga and Grana­da. Seen from about a mile to the north at the tem­ple of Debod, an ancient Egypt­ian tem­ple gift­ed to Spain in the 1960s. The weath­er was win­try and the spot was crowd­ed – although Madrid has a lot to offer, we were glad to be on our way some­where warmer.

Mist-shrouded mountainside with evergreen trees and sunlit rocky slope revealing patches of green grass and shrubs.
Rugged rock peak in the foreground with clouds and distant blue mountains rising behind.
Aerial view of a forested mountain slope with misty clouds drifting over treetops and sunlit grassy patches.
A narrow rocky trail along a steep cliff, with blue sky and clouds on the left, rugged gray rock face on the right, and green shrubs and small red flowers along the path.
Jagged gray rocks and scattered alpine vegetation on a mountainside, with misty clouds over green valleys and distant forested slopes.
Rugged jagged rocks form a broken mountain ridge with a cloudy sky and distant peaks visible above the treeline.

Sauk Mountain

Posted Oct 08, 2022

Pho­tos from a sum­mer hike on the Sauk Moun­tain trail, in the Wash­ing­ton state Cascades.

Aerial view of a city skyline emerging above low clouds, with tall buildings silhouette against a hazy horizon and a sprawling urban landscape below.
Cellist wearing a red hat and white mask, seated and playing a cello inside a stone colonnade with tall fluted columns.
Interwoven steel scaffolding forms a large rectangular frame against a cloudy sky.
Colorful paintings lined along a stone wall with Notre-Dame cathedral and a river in the background, a crane visible in the sky.
Graffiti of a person in a red shirt and blue jeans painted on a weathered brick wall, with scattered fallen leaves on a cobblestone ground.
A person in front of a wall-to-wall mirrored room with circular stained-glass-like ceiling reflections and a reflective floor creating repeating patterns.
Cobblestone alley lined with graffiti-covered buildings, a single person walking away in the distance between two narrow sidewalks.
Eiffel Tower lit in warm orange at night beside the river, with blurred boat lights and a docked waterboat in foreground.
A dense Parisian cityscape viewed through a diagonal chain-link fence, with streets, Haussmann-style buildings, and the Arc de Triomphe in the distance.
Crowded museum gallery with visitors lined up behind ropes, viewing large classical paintings on dark walls and a polished wooden floor.
Interior view of a domed ceiling with a large circular skylight and a statue with wings at the lower center.
Ornate classical building facade with sculpted figures along a decorative cornice, arched window, and a dome against a sunset sky.
Two people walk out of a stone archway toward the glass pyramid at the Louvre, accompanied by a dog and shopping bags.
Glass and metal pyramid lattice against a partly cloudy sky, triangular peak at center with geometric grid patterns.
Eiffel Tower silhouette against a sunset sky with dark clouds and a glowing orange horizon, city lights at the base.
Dimly lit underground tunnel with arched brick ceiling, concrete floor, and a long wall lined with numerous wine bottles in circular rims.
A dimly lit wine cellar with stacked bottles in a curved, rocky arched wall; a small sign showing number 36 is attached to the wall.
Several plates of stuffed deviled eggs with green garnish, a basket of bread, and a bottle of water on a dining table set with utensils.
Mont Saint-Michel rises atop a rocky island with surrounding ancient stone walls and village buildings at its base, set against a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Fortified stone castle by the shore with round towers, attached rectangular buildings, and a rocky beach in the foreground under a blue sky.
Mont Saint-Michel perched on a rocky island with surrounding sea, against a blue sky with scattered clouds, and a grassy foreground.

Paris in November

Posted Mar 14, 2022

iPhone pho­tos from a trip to Paris, France in Novem­ber 2021, with side trips to the Cham­pagne region and Mont-Saint-Michel.

Infinity-edge swimming pool with blue tiles overlooks a calm ocean, hillside town, and mountains under a clear blue sky; poolside seating and leafy plants on the right.
White two-story building with decorative gold awnings, arched doors, wrought-iron balconies, potted plants, and tree-shaped planters flanking the entrance.
Sunset sky with pink, orange, and blue hues viewed through a decorative cutout window shape in a dark frame; silhouettes of trees and distant coastline visible.
Horizon over calm ocean at sunset with pink, purple, and orange sky, silhouetted palm fronds and distant rocky islands along the shore.
Small white fortune slip with black text reading "Horoscope Planetario" and inspirational message; held between fingers over a tiled floor.
Rain pummels a street view with a person in a blue poncho walking past a covered storefront as a car drives through puddles.
Thin glass shot glass held upright containing a small cluster of dark brown seaweed or plant fragments inside.
Colorful street scene with a yellow building, blue shop, and outdoor cafe seating under a white umbrella, vines and mural on a shuttered door.
A metallic gold cocktail glass adorned with pastel confetti and white flowers sits in a tray of crushed ice and rose petals on a wooden table.

Puerto Vallarta

Posted Sep 02, 2021

iPhone pho­tos from a trip to Puer­to Val­lar­ta, Mexico.

Neon red "PUBLIC MARKET" sign on a dark night with a smaller pink fish-shaped neon sign reading "CITY FISH MARKET" below.
Neon red "PUBLIC MARKET" sign on a dark background with a smaller neon fish market sign lit in pink and green at the bottom left.
Blurred red-orange reflections on dark water with abstract neon shapes.
Nighttime city scene with neon signs for restaurants and seafood, along a lit storefront corridor with striped awnings and a person walking away.
Night scene of Pike Place Market with large red neon "PUBLIC MARKET CENTER" sign and a bright "FARMERS MARKET" sign, wet pavement, and parked cars.

Pike Place Market at night

Posted Jun 10, 2021

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pan­dem­ic was just tak­ing hold and Seat­tle was shut­ting down. I wan­dered out on a rainy night to snap a few pho­tos of the large­ly aban­doned Pike Place Mar­ket and try out a new lens fil­ter (Tiff­en 52mm Black Pro-Mist 1⁄4). It gives the pho­tos a moody glow, although I dis­cov­ered in some cas­es incom­ing light bounced off the lens, back to the inside sur­face of the fil­ter and then back again toward the lens, result­ing in an invert­ed dou­ble image (some­what vis­i­ble in the first pho­to). Worth the trou­ble though; I love the effect.

Cherry blossoms

Posted Apr 14, 2021

cluster of pale pink cherry blossoms in full bloom on a sunlit branch.
East Prospect Street and 21st Avenue East, Seattle
RAW on iPhone 12 Pro Max, 7:01 p.m., April 14, 2021

Jack Block Park

Posted Mar 27, 2021

Sturdy red framework and railing extend over blue water, with a skyline of tall buildings across the harbor under a partly cloudy sky.
Seattle skyline seen across Elliott Bay from Jack Block Park in West Seattle
March 27, 2021

Cherry Creek Falls

Posted Jul 15, 2020

Waterfalls cascade over mossy rocks into a calm pool, with a large fallen tree spanning diagonally across the scene and lush green forest surroundings.
Cherry Creek Falls
July 12, 2020

For Seat­tle-area folks, Cher­ry Creek Falls is rel­a­tive­ly close by, just a few miles out­side the near­by town of Duvall. 

A five mile round-trip hike through mossy rain­for­est takes you to the falls and back. At first, you’ll take what feels like a trip back in time, trav­el­ing the remains of a long-aban­doned road, pass­ing an ancient crashed car or two along the way. Even­tu­al­ly, though, you’ll leave the old road behind and delve deep­er into the for­est, fol­low­ing a net­work of paths past sev­er­al lit­tle water­ways and pos­si­bly encoun­ter­ing a few com­mu­ni­ties of bees and mos­qui­toes if you don’t keep mov­ing, before reach­ing the falls — a nice spot for a pic­nic or a lit­tle wading. 

The trip through the for­est is pic­turesque and some­times mys­te­ri­ous, though a lit­tle bush­whack­ing can occa­sion­al­ly be required. The falls are a pleas­ant reward, and this hike is an easy way to get out­side and get a lit­tle exercise.

Washington coast in winter

Posted Feb 22, 2020

Dark, jagged rocks along a stormy shoreline with a large sea stack and misty rain in the distance; rough water pools reflect the overcast sky.
Rain, Washington Coast
Feb. 16, 2020

A pass­ing cloud dumps rain and hail at Rial­to Beach, on Wash­ing­ton state’s Pacif­ic coast, on a dark, mid-Feb­ru­ary afternoon.