brrr.

It. Is. Cold.

The day after New Year's, we went ice fishing (not me) and ice skating (yes me, et al) on the pond. One fish caught from under the ice. One campfire next to the ice. One belly flop on the ice (not me). One butt flop on the ice (yes me). Good times.

screen shots

Who knew window screens could be so much fun? Not me. (Click on the individual photos to see a larger version and get the full effect.)

small town views

10 luglio 2009: amalfi, italia

04 julio 2009: valencia, españa

good morning, vermont

st. olaf, iowa

Contrary to what one might deduce from the photos I've posted on here, not every building in Iowa is run-down and abandoned. The derelict buildings do tend to be the ones that fascinate me, however. 

This one sits on Main Street, in the tiny town of St. Olaf. Population 136.

rorschach test

I see palm trees.

304 first street

sevilla, spain

From Lisbon I hopped an overnight bus to Sevilla, Spain. My instructions from veteran Sevilla-travellers at my Lisbon hostel (easily the best hostel in the world) were to "get lost and then go find some flamenco." They told me to get lost specifically in the Barrio Santa Cruz—one of the oldest barrios of Sevilla, known for some of Sevilla's most winding, narrow (cars don't fit), picturesque streets. The little alleys are so maze-like that even if I hadn't been trying to get lost, I still would have succeeded.

lisbon, portgual

porto, portugal

Today finds me in Portugal, land of a thousand tile patterns. These tiles are my new favorite thing. And to top it all off, I'm in the city of Porto, home of port wine. Mmmm.