Helsinki, at Dawn

 
In Finland this week, I wound up with a free Saturday,
so I planned to get up early (easy when you are so many
time-zones away from home) and get some photos. 

Any place you go looks unusual and even spectacular

as the sun is coming up.  Helsinki is already spectacular,

in my opinion, so the dawn just makes it exponentially so.

 

The result, I wound up with so many photos...

...that I will make it into two or three blog posts !

  

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The Greek Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral looms over both the Eastern and Southern Helsinki Harbor areas, as it sits on a hill separating the two.  (I'll have more daylight photos in subsequent posts)

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The Eastern Harbor area,

very quiet on a pre-dawn Saturday...and pretty chilly too. 

I feared for a time that if I didn't manage to keep warm,

I might have to take a break and get out of the wind.

 

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 Some cool restaurants in that area...but no activity this time of morning.
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 I walked on around, so I could look back to the West.
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 Looking back South, a bit more light on the cathedral.
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

As the sky brightened, it just proved once again...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

...that when presented with a grand sky...

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 ...and cool subject matter like this...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 ...it does not take a genius to make it look good ! 

(not sure if the one above is my favorite...)

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 More masts, silhouetted against a wonderful sky.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

I have a great shot of this ship, against a soft, blue-gray evening sky, taken on the way to dinner a couple of nights before.  It will post it with other Helsinki photos to come.

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 (...or this final look at that ship...my favorite I mean.)

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

And so, with the sun up, folks in the harbor area began to move about, running and walking dogs in the chilly air.  I continued on to what would be a 6.5 hour, 220-photo walking trip around one of my favorite cities. 

 

My wife asked if I had been walking all by myself.  I laughed, "Are you kidding ?!? ...Who else would get up in time, to leave the hotel more than an hour before sunrise, and hike with me for hours while I shoot photos !!!"

A fun day, with a great place to hang out,

and wonderful cooperation by the weather !!! 

 

Y'all take care,

- Mark W. Laughlin

 

 

 

 

Santiago de Chile

I had a quick trip to South America back in July.
A couple of days in Lima, Peru, and then down to Santiago, Chile.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

This was a quick shot out the hotel window,  There was a lot more color a few seconds before, but as the sun rose, the light on the underside of the clouds changed quickly.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

One unfortunate thing, the range of mountains that Santiago backs up to hems in the haze and pollution.  This photo took some extreme contrast to chase away the smog.  Off to the left is the tallest building in South America.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Took a cool climb to the top of a rock outcropping in central Santiago that was used as a fortress by the Spanish.  Like in Mexico City, a small number of invading foreigners needs an easily defended spot as it's headquarters.  Looking down from the upper part of the rocks you can see canon and walls surrounding what is now a nice park.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

It's a pretty steep climb.  There are several castle and fortress-like buildings.  Lots of folks climbing and walking on a Sunday afternoon.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Cool artwork in another central city park !

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Another item in the park, a cooler full of sushi...ready to eat !!
(2000 Chilean pesos is about four US Dollars...I passed.)

 

But seafood is a big thing in Chile (just look at a map, see how much coastline they have).  This is the Central Market, near the city center.  A large square building, with a row of fish markets around the perimeter...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

...with all sorts of fish, shellfish, octopus, eel, etc...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

A wide selection, just off the boats.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Then, in the center of this square building, are several restaurants...seafood of course, about as fresh as it gets.  Also souvenirs, but on the day we went there, a Sunday, the place was packed with people who looked to be locals.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 A great place to hang out on a Sunday afternoon, some great seafood, a little wine...

 
Later that evening, we hung out in a cool open-air area with restaurants, souvenirs, art shops, bars, etc.  It was great.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Tuesday we headed South well before dawn.  We had a meeting at a mine a couple hours away from Santiago, not any time for photos, but I snapped a couple through the fog and dim light, as the scenery rushed by...

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

I like this one, snapped out the back window of the truck as we left the mine sight.  Fortunately, it was only an elevation of around 6000 feet...not so bad.  Many others here and in Peru are at the 14000 foot levels, and the high altitude can be really tough to deal with.  I have a colleague who, on two different occasions, woke up in an ambulance, wearing an oxygen mask, because he was found passed out from lack of oxygen.  Gotta' have buddies who look out for you !

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Chile has a lot of graffiti.  Not a record amount let's say, I've been to cities that are much harder hit, but Chile has it's share.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

But this particular "graffiti " is different.  In 1973, Augusto Pinochet took power in Chile after a Coup d' Etas, ousting Leftist President, Salvador Allende.  Pinochet remained as dictator until handing over power in 1990.  During this time, thousands of Leftists dissidents and Pinochet opponents "disappeared"...as many as 30,000.  This painting, in a small village South of Santiago, honors the several residents of that village who were taken away by security forces, and never returned.  It remains a difficult, highly emotional subject for all Chileans.

Y'all take care.

- Mark W. Laughlin

 

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Great lunch !

 

11-Sept-2013

I had a great lunch experience on Wednesday !

We had a meeting over in central Texas, met until noon, and then asked our client where we should go for lunch.  “You like Italian?,” he asked.  “Sure, sounds good,” Andrew said.  It’s a small town, we didn’t know a better place, and generally, we like whatever our client likes.  (Sales guys…whatayagonnado ?)

So, we drive a short distance to a place that is definitely not a chain-type restaurant, it looked more “mom and pop”.  We walked in and met a man at the register, which we soon came to figure as the owner.  “I like your shirt!,” he said, “where did you get it?”  I was wearing a logo shirt we got at the office, primarily black, but a bold red on the sleeves and sides.  “Well, I’m not sure…,” I started…”Red and Black!...it’s the color of the flag of my country!,” he replied. 

Well, I’m no expert, but I could tell right away his accent was not Italian.  “So, where are you from?,” I asked.  “Look, I show you,” he replied.  “Look…you won’t know it…it’s the flag of my country,” he said, turning the monitor around, to show his desktop.  A bold red field, with a black silhouette of a two-headed eagle and crest.  “That’s Albania,” I said, hoping I was right.  “How you know Albania!,” throwing back his head with a laugh.

We sit down, and as he walks by, Andrew asks, “so, what’s good ?...what do you recommend?”.  “Well, first thing, close that!” the owner said, pointing at the menu.  He proceeded to describe some wonderful sautéed shrimp, chicken and spinach, on a bed of linguini or tortellini.  We ordered it, and as he had said, it was fantastic!  We stuffed ourselves, and then ordered, again by his recommendation, the tiramisu.  Again, fantastic !

So, if you have occasion to be in Seguin, Texas, turn off I-10 on Hwy 123, and go North just a block or so from the freeway, and look for Bella Sera.  Don’t look at the menu, just ask for Shaban, ask for his recommendation, and he will fix you up !

 

- Mark

 

Bella Sera

Italian Restaurant & Pizza

3003 N. Hwy 23 Bypass

Seguin, Texas  78155

Tel: 830-386-0599

www.BellaSeraSeguin.com

 

Alcatraz

Alcatraz Island, 2010:
 
We took a short vacation to California in 2010.  Made it to San Francisco and took the boat out to Alcatraz Island.

  

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

Alcatraz is actually a pretty small island, so the former U. S. Federal Penitentiary (1934 to 1963) and its predecessor, a U. S. Civil War Era (1860's) Military Prison, are sort of "stacked" on top of it, and on top of each other.

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

The boat brings you to the island just the way the prisoners arrived, at the main docks.  The bright white building is a visitor's center and restrooms.  The facility is now the responsibility of the National Parks Service, which has set up very nice displays of historical information.

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

In 1969, the island, already closed down as a prison, was occupied by a group of Native Americans, and occupied for 9 months to call attention to their causes.  When the Parks Service later took over care of the island, they preserved the graffiti left by the occupiers (red paint by the prison sign).

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

The buildings are old and the salt water environment isn't friendly.  The prison had housed some of the United States' most dangerous, most notorious criminals, but eventually was closed because it was too costly to operate. 

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

It's very nicely kept (as visitors of any U. S. National Parks Services facilities will find), well maintained landscaping, with great access to the more well known buildings.

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 
And fantastic views of San Francisco Bay !
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 
Luxury accommodations: 
Tiny 6 ft x 10 ft cells, stacked in three tiers. 
Bars, bars, bars...
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

One awful bit of irony is this view.  In several movies, you can see guys sitting on what looks like concrete "grand-stand style" seats, that are up against the cell block building.  Well, this is the view from the top row of seats, high enough to see out over the wall on the opposite side of the yard, on toward the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands to the North.  Must have been terrible to sit so helplessly in prison, only to look out at such a wonderful view of bridge and bay,  Time has rusted the fence away, ever heightening the temptation.
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 
LOTS of folks visit Alcatraz every year...
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

...but even on a nice sunny, summer day...take a jacket !

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 
 

Y'all take care.

 

- Mark W. Laughlin