Palm Springs' Plaza Theatre

Last week I drove out to the Desert to hide out and focus more deeply on my work away from phones and such. For five whole days I was pretty much  unplugged. I stayed out in Rancho Mirage but 0ne evening wandered around downtontown Palm Springs itself.  It’s not very big and doesn’t take long to see from one end to the other, but there are more than enough bars and restaurants to keep busy for an evening.  And while architecturally indistinct, it is beautifully set  close by the San Jacinto Mountain Range, and in lovely contrast to the stark and snowy peaks, has lots of 1950′s style neon signage.  The fading afternoon sun  is my favorite time to shoot on the rare occasions I plan it correctly. Even the mundane can end up looking beautiful. This is the old Plaza Theater built in 1936. Older city residents have been performing in the The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies there since 1991.

Palm Canyon Drive

Here’s another one I shot the same evening.  It’s a bit more random hanging out on the corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Taquiz Canyon Way.  Shot after shot of cars going by, something had to happen.  It did, but only after I moved my tripod  four times, to every corner.

Omaha Intersection in Winter (Could 'ya tell?)

Weather aside, I enjoyed the place more than I had expected, whiling away an afternoon at the charming 13th Street Coffee Company.  On my way there I passed this booster sign promoting Omaha as the coolest place between New York City and Shanghai. Even though it was about 12 degrees Fahrenheit, I took off my gloves and snapped a bunch of these with my Droid, waiting for the perfect billboard to come back my way.  It never did. It’s amazing how many images they had, but then again, it isn’t. Pixels are cheap.

Omaha has a strong self-image

On my way back from the coffee-house, I walked across the Heartland of America Park on the shore of the river separating Nebraska from Iowa. It looked really pretty at night. Very twinkly as you can see.

The Heartland of America

Big Ben, and Parliament Towers, London

There’s a reason they call London the “City of Towers.”  Wait. They don’t call it that, but they should, as this photo shows. This view is from the top floor restaurant in the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square. It’s called “The Portrait,” and was a nice place for a late lunch with a very old friend. (She’s not very old, we just met a long time ago.)  The three towers are all part of the Houses of Parliament, including one you’ll recognize, Big Ben.

Ski Dubai

I hope I’m not insulting anyone when I say that Dubai is not among the most photogenic of places.  But still, at least a token of my lovely visit should be included and I have just the image for a post.  Where else do they have the world’s largest indoor ski slope?  Ski Dubai, of course, located in and perhaps the star attraction of the magnificent Mall of the Emirates. You have to admit, it’s pretty weird, especially considering the outdoor temperature is a balmy 105 Fahrenheit. Now consider this: who comes to Dubai with Ski Clothes?

Dubai International

Of course, no photo tour of Dubai would be complete without a snap of the amazing airport.  No other airport I’ve been to has palm trees or so much luxury. It’s very much like Las Vegas without all the sin.

Subway at Kings Highway, Brooklyn

This IS Brooklyn the way it used be. Gentrification hasn’t reached this far south, and the Kings Highway subway stop is much as I remember it. Just a bit more rundown.

I grew up around here and the Kings Highway stop was one end of my personal wormhole to Manhattan. How did I end up here? Ken Whelan picked me up at JFK and insisted on breakfast at a local diner instead of some chichi place in Soho.

Glad we did. This was my first visit to Flatbush since 1993 when my mother decamped for Connecticut.

Explanatory note: You might be wondering, as Kate did, how could a “subway stop” be outdoors.  There must be some mistake.  No, the explanation is simple: this is the “elevated” part of the subway.  So New York…

Art Gallery, Vienna

Vienna, like any great metropolis, is full of surprises. Walking in the art district after dinner this evening we stumbled upon “Site Specific.” Inside an opening was in full swing.  The art was what I’d have to call conceptual, in the “naked-man” style.  A little Vito Aconcci-esque, if that still applies.  The artist WAS in residence and he WAS naked. I didn’t look too closely.

Mozart and Jesus

Back in September I had the pleasure of spending a few days in Vienna with my friend and client Igor Draškovic. Wandering aimlessly searching for good cafes in which to hold our meetings, we saw lots of statues. You’ve got to love a city that venerates Mozart along with the more traditional saints.

I’m not that opinionated about the specifics of the traffic, just that there’s a parade of people and this particular one is at the crossroads of a hot, hip, happening neighborhood. And that means a continuous stream of folks to watch. If San Diego had cafes like this one, I’d never leave.

Piazzenza was so good we ate there two nights in a row. Another perfect outdoor cafe slash people-watching spot. Nearly perfect. Excellent pizza, a wonderful house white wine for 6 Euros a bottle, and, although you can’t see it in the photo, a nighttime lit-up view of the incredible Sagrada Familia. The salads here, as in most of Spain, take some getting used to, and you need to exercise caution if you like fresh greens. I’m not sure what defines a salad here, but my Salad Roquefort was actually a few pieces of sliced iceberg lettuce, bits of ham, and a generous bath of blue-cheese dressing. My wife’s Salad Mixed was more like fresh greens, but still not too many of them. Stick with the Pizzas and the Calzones and you’ll do fine.

Took trains, automobiles, trams, and a 100-year-old funicular to get here and it was worth it. More tomorrow…

Got to take a moment and give Kate credit for copy-editing these blog entries. As you may know, a dyslexic childhood has left me devoid of any spelling or editing skills, and she has saved me from some pretty embarrassing mistakes. I’ve never given much to this theory, but there are those who wonder what else you do poorly or sloppily, if you misspell.

There’s another Tibidabo post here.