In the summer, the Boardwalk at Atlantic City is full of people, sunbathers and tourists. The Boardwalk and Atlantic Ocean are still there in the Winter but most people are inside gambling or getting spa treatments. It is beautiful at sunrise any time of year. You can buy a print of this image and see others at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Atlantic City in Winter
The pool and Spa area at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City New Jersey are world class. This is the outdoor pool in the Winter but it is heated so you can swim out into the cold air and then back inside to steamy warmth. The Spa has coed whirlpools and salt rooms and great steam,sauna and jacuzzis in the club house. The spa treatments we had were first class in everyday. Buy a print of Sunrise at the pool on my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Revel Resort in Atlantic City is of course on the Boardwalk at the Atlantic Ocean. A great place to watch the sunrise. Buy a print of this one or see others at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Sunrise at the Revel Resort
Most people think you are nuts if you tell them you are going to Atlantic City for Christmas. Not too crazy for a non-Christian though. The Revel Resort offered a fantastic Ocean Front room, great restaurants, a world class spa and what better place to see a Sunrise than Atlantic City? You can buy a print of this one at my commercial site by clicking here.
Atlantic City
It can be tough being a Jew around Christmas time unless you have a Christmas Family. I was fortunate growing up and we always had a family that we hung out with at Christmas. We would get a couple of gifts, and give some, share in the meal and have a while with a brightly lit Christmas tree. However, it is well known that if you don’t have a Christmas family then you can do two things on Christmas if you are Jewish.
1) Attend the massive Jewish meeting to discuss how we will control the media for yet another year.
2) Go to a movie and eat Chinese food.
It used to be when I was a kid everything was closed on Christmas, even gas stations. Not any more. We decided this year to up the ante and instill a new tradition by going gambling and eating in a signature restaurant so we are off to Atlantic City to revel in the new Revel Resort. So I won’t be posting for a while and if I win BIG, maybe a long while. Whatever you do, have a great Christmas. That’s right I am Jewish but can still wish everybody a Merry Christmas.
Bask Spa at the Revel Resort
I still have no idea what this was all about. One Gendarme looks totally bored while the other listens patiently while the man’s girlfriend who is out of this frame looks fervently through her purse. The Gendarmes changed direction and walked, albeit slowly in the direction the man pointed. The man and his girlfriend followed them. A robbery? Directions? No clue. This was shot in the gardens of Luxembourg Palace in Paris France. You can see other more traditional images at my European gallery by clicking here.
He went that away!
I am not religious, not Catholic or Christian. Culturally I am Jewish but I don’t have particularly popular views when it comes to religion. Knowing this, my wife asked why do we always visit Cathedrals when traveling in Europe. Thinking about that, it is because I DO believe in God and being inside these magnificent architectural structures surrounded by all that great art makes me somehow feel closer to God. It has nothing to do with dogma. In any case, after the terrible massacre at Newtown Connecticut, I thought some might have comfort in seeing this image today from Mass at the Basilica Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, Paris France. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Basilica at Sacré-Cœur
The first enclosed shopping mall in the world is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan Italy. It was designed and constructed by Giuseppe Mengoni and construction was finished in 1877. It is named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy.It is adjacent to the Cathedral Santa Maria Nascente or as it is commonly called Duomo di Milano and many visitors may miss the Galleria while scurrying to the Cathedral. The galleria is a work of art and in its center there is a mosaic tile of a bull. The tradition is that if you spin on the balls of the bull, it will bring you luck. People line up to spin on the bull’s balls which no longer exist and have been replaced by a permanent hole in the mosaic. They try to fix it periodically, but the poor bull cannot survive this testicular abuse. You can purchase a print of this image and see others at my European gallery by clicking here.
I first noticed people doing this years ago in New York city. People all over the world try to get a unique perspective on a monument or palace by pinching it. If the angle is right,one can create a unique perspective or comical picture. One of the most famous is people pushing or leaning against the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I don’t think these people got it right, they are too close to the Eiffel Tower, but they sure look like they had fun trying. This was shot across the river from the tower atTrocadero Plaza. You can see other images of Europe and France at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Pinching the Eiffel Tower
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. What makes it so spectacular is that all of the new construction and skyscrapers are excluded from the centre of the city. As I stood on Montmartre and took this picture I couldn’t help but think that this view has remained unchanged for hundreds of years. Because of this practice, scenic views remain unblocked by new construction. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Rooftops of Paris