Friday, November 29, 2013

Thanksgiving day, 2013








Here are a few pictures taken in Chelsea on Thanksgiving day, November 28, 2013.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Belmar, Jersey Shore











 

I finally got around to posting these pictures from our weekend in Belmar at Tanya and Pedro's house in October. The weather was amazing. The pictures of the beach and the Ocean were taken from the boardwalk in Bradley Beach. Vlada's portrait was taken in Asbury Park. The picture of my bike (freshly repainted the day before the picture was taken) was taken in front of Matt's. The last picture was taken from the construction site at the intersection of Main street and 5th avenue.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Snug Harbor, Staten Island









By some strange coincidence, we recently learned that the cultural complex at Snug Harbor, on Staten Island, has an authentic traditional Chinese Scholar's Garden similar to the amazing Lan Su Chinese garden in Portland. This garden in Snug Harbor was built by chinese artisans and opened in 1999. It is modeled after a garden in Suzhou, China, built during the Qing dynasty. One goes from one room to the next through openings in the walls of different shapes. It has beautiful vistas, koi ponds, a persimon tree, a waterfall and is a lovely place to spend an afternoon.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Lan Su Chinese Garden, Portland, Oregon










Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland Oregon is a special place. Built in 2000 by large crew of Chinese artisans from Suzhou in China, this garden is considered the most authentic Chinese garden outside of China. It consists of several "rooms" separated by walls with elaborate doorways. The floors are made with smooth river rocks organized in elaborate geometric patterns. During our visit in July, we saw waterlillies, lotuses, bamboo, and a persimmon tree. Best of all, fragrances of jasmine and gardenia were everywhere.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Crater Lake (Oregon 5)








All the pictures in this post were taken at Crater Lake National Park in July 2013.

Saturday, July 27, 2013