Postcard from Barcelona: Morning Coffee

This was my first cup of coffee in Barcelona yesterday morning after arriving on the red eye flight from NYC. I checked my luggage behind the counter at the hotel -- the room was not ready yet -- and headed to the La Boqueria, a gigantic meat, vegetables and fruits market located right off of La Rambla, the main tourist street of Barcelona. The market also have numerous cafes and restaurants that serve breakfast and lunch.

I discovered later during the day that my US bank card does not allow me withdraw money from the ATM machines here in Barcelona. This is strange because I was able to withdraw Euros from Rome less than two months ago, and RMB in Beijing, China in 2007. I have contacted my bank in NYC and hopefully, this situation gets resolved soon or else I will be tap dancing at La Rambla for pocket change.

Update: After a 2nd desperate call to the bank, the ATM problem is resolved. I will not have to scrub the toilet as Sally said.

Pizza Pizza

I took this photo through the windows of a pizzeria in midtown Manhattan. The colors and variety look so intriguing but I don't know if it's really good or not. The dough/crust looks a little heavy to me. I prefer a thin crust pizza.

What kind of pizza do you like? What kind of toppings do you prefer?

Conveyer Belt Sweets

This conveyor belt sends out sweet treats and chocolates at the Charbonnel et Walker cafe inside Saks Fifth Avenue, the departmental store. I have seen sushi platters served on conveyor belts at restaurants before but this is my first encounter with conveyor belt sweets.

So have you seen anything like this before?

Snow Day @ Central Park

This is the Literary Walk, one of the most photographed paths in Central Park because of the straight line and surrounding trees on both sides. At the north end of the path is the Bethesda Fountain, another popular site.

So what is the most popular or well known site in your town?

My Fire Escape

This is the view I woke up to yesterday morning outside my bedroom window. What are you seeing is the fire escape from my apartment to the street down below. You can also see the fire escape for the building across the street (43rd Avenue) from me.

After a late lunch, I went to Central Park and took over 100 photos there but this initial shot taken first thing in the morning is the one I like best. I will post the Central Park photos (maybe) later this week.

So what did you have for lunch yesterday?

St. Patrick's Day Parade - Queens

We had our St. Patrick's Day Parade in Sunnyside, Queens yesterday afternoon. In this photo, you can see Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City (the older gentleman with the blue tie) and Christine Quinn, Speaker of the City Council (the lady next to him). A few steps behind them is Mr. Bloomberg's main challenger in the mayoral election later this year, Anthony Weiner.

So are you politically involved? Do you go out and campaign for your candidate?

Theme Day: Glass

This photo was taken over two years ago when I first started taking photos for the blog. It was at one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants that has since closed due to tough economic times. I was playing with the camera while waiting for my dinner to arrive.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Is Spring Here Yet?

I took this photo yesterday at the promenade by the Rockefeller Center on 50th Street off of 5th Avenue. The weather was almost 60°F (15°C), which was probably the warmest day of the year so far. The greenery planted around the fountains gave a hint of Spring coming but we are expecting another cold front and snowy weather this weekend.

So are you ready for Spring? I am having Spring Fever!!

Unisphere Revisited

Here another photo of the Unisphere from a different angle in Flushing Meadows, Queens. This photo was taken last summer and I have to admit, my old simple camera did a great job on it.

So when was the last time you went out to take a photo?

Pugilicious

I saw this little fellow outside Murray Bagels on 23rd Street and 8th Avenue in Chelsea while his owner ran inside to get himself a bagel for breakfast. I had just finished my lox & cream cheese bagel before going to see my account to file my 2008 income tax.

So have you filed your taxes yet? It is due on April 15 but I did mine early.

Musical Quintet

Oh golly gee! I'm running out of photos to post (again). The freezing weather and busy schedule have left me little time to go out and take new photos so here is an old one from the archive. This musical quintet provided the 'Indian theme' music to the Ports 1961 fashion show last week.

So what kind of music do you listen to?

How Cold Was It Yesterday?

So how cold was it yesterday? It felt as cold as this photo. No, we didn't have snow yesterday but we had pretty strong gusty wind that bites. This photo was taken last month after we had a snow storm.

So do you prefer to be cold or hot?

Empire State Building

Here is another view of the Empire State Building as seen from 34th Street and 7th Avenue, outside the Macy's departmental store.

So have you been to the top of the Empire State Building or any really tall buildings?

Don't Let A Broken Foot Cramp Your Style

This guy didn't let a broken foot cramp his style while waiting for someone on the steps in front of Bryant Park. I loved the way he propped his crutches together to make a temporary rest for his foot.

So do you let anything or anyone cramp your style?

SoHo Graffiti

This interesting graffiti caught my eye as I walked down Mercer Street in SoHo last weekend. It rare to see Asian inspired theme in graffiti art but this one looks like it has an Asian face. There is a little bubble above his head with a heart in it. I wonder what that means.

So what are your plans for the weekend?

New York Fashion Week: The Editors

This photo was taken yesterday afternoon at the Ports 1961 show at Bryant Park. The woman with sunglasses on is none other than Anna Wintour, the most feared woman in all of NYC. She is the person who inspired the character in "The Devil Wears Prada".

So who were you most afraid of when you were younger?

New York Fashion Week: The Models

These two photos were taken minutes apart at the Anna Sui fashion show at Bryant Park yesterday evening. Both photos focused on different aspects of the show based on the camera's shutter speed. The top photo was taken at 1/50 second (higher shutter speed), which was perfect for the model who had a spotlight on her but not so great for the front row audience (low light). The bottom photo was taken at 1/30 second (lower shutter speed), which caused the model to look blurry and overexposed but perfect for the front row audience.

So which photo do you prefer? The focus on the model or the audience?

N.B.: I did another double-photo post a couple months ago using different ISO's.

New York Fashion Week: The Tent

This is the front door to the New York Fashion Week tents at Bryant Park. Inside the tents are four large showrooms with lots of spot lights, catwalks and pretty models. This is the final year the shows are being held here. Next season, it will move uptown to Lincoln Center.

So do you consider yourself a fashionable person?

Surgeon General's Warning

I saw this sign posted on the wall of one of the buildings in SoHo. It is a surgeon general's warning against cigarette smoking. However, there is no clinic or government building near the area. Most of the stores on the street are mostly art galleries and clothing boutiques. Also, it looked like an expensive copper plate so it is quite puzzling to see it there.

So have you seen anything odd lately?

Central Park Walk

This is the foot path leading to the Literary Walk from 5th Avenue. The naked trees will be sprouting leaves in the next month or so when Spring arrives. It will turn the landscape into a different color.

So where do you like to go for a walk?