Hilltop Nirvana

Oia, Santorini, Greece

Last fall, we were lucky enough to embark on a Mediterranean cruise. When we were planning for the cruise, the only destination that was a requirement was Santorini, Greece. Being a photographer, I have seen hundreds of photographs of the blue domed churches built into the side of the cliffs and I really wanted to visit and photograph them. Photographs of these churches can usually be found on the covers of most Greek Island travel guides. When the cruise ship approached Santorini, I was a bit discouraged as it was raining and windy. We had to anchor on the other side of the island because of the rough seas and take very unsteady tenders to the dock. We were met there by buses which drove us to the town of Oia at the northern end of the island.

The streets of this hilltop town are extremely narrow and, although it was October, it was quite crowded (probably all cruise ship passengers). The rain had stopped and I snuck off of the main thoroughfare to walk along the houses. As you can see, there was no one in sight except one woman coming out of her house (see if you can find her). I was mesmerized by the cliff "dwellings" and wished that I was able to stay for a couple of days to catch sunrise and sunset. I guess I'll have to go back someday to experience that thrill.

Click to find out more about Santorini and the famous town of Oia

Waiting for the Ferry to Sausalito

Ferry Building, San Francisco,California

I am a very big fan of San Francisco. I first visited there in 1981 when my brother Bob went out west. One of my old friends had moved to San Francisco and we stayed with him and his wife for a few days. They took us on the ferry to Sausalito for a wonderful brunch on the water. As a result, every time I visit I try to make it there to relive the wonderful memory. This photo was taken last July while we were waiting for the ferry to depart. We were eating our "Salumi Cone" (believe it or not it is a meat cone) from Boccalone, I noticed the atrium ceiling and the nice light and shot off a quick hand-held HDR sequence. The Ferry Building has been renovated to it's former glory.

For those of you who are not familiar with Boccalone, it is owned by Chris Cosentino who is featured on a number of shows on the Food Channel. The "Salumi Cone" was also featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" television show.