Jim DeLillo - Travel PhotoJournalist

Spend a Day in St. Augustine

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 18:32:00 +0000

Arrival at The St. Francis Inn

Arriving the night before, I choose to stay at The St. Francis Inn, a rustic and historical Inn dating back to 1791. The owners, Joe and Margaret Finnegan, are celebrating an anniversary of running the Inn for 30 years. They make my stay as comfortable as if I was at home. They insist their staff follow suit, and I am never at loss for a glass of cool tea or comfortable seating. I can do that outdoors in the meticulously maintained quaint garden, or in the parlor, where I can always find someone to chat up.

The stay comes with breakfast, and afternoon tea. At night I listen to the ghost stories perfectly embellished by the long-time employees. The ghosts include Lily, a beautiful black slave girl who had an affair with a young military man. She reportedly haunts the third floor bedroom known as Lily’s room. Some guest come in hopes of having a spiritual encounter, others have been known to leave suddenly after hearing things go bump in the night.

Plug in your Tesla

The Inn even boasts a Tesla charging station for those progressive and wealthy enough to indulge in high-tech automotive technology.

Sunrise

Last night’s arrival was planned with getting an early start. As a photographer, ‘blue hour is an important time of day…about a half-hour before sunrise, which is then followed by golden hour. Interrupting my REM sleep did not disappoint as I took some gorgeous photos flooded by intense color overlooking the St. Augustine Marina and the Lions Bridge. This is a good time to walk around before the heat and humidity dampens my brow.

Eco Boat Tour

About 9am, I board St. Augustine Eco Tours' dolphin, birding and nature tour for a personalized interpretive tours for small groups of 2 to 14 guests. Capt Zack Mckenna, starting at age 15 has been at this vocation for 30 years. These are not just pretty scenic romps around the bay, his operation with its mission to be an educational resource for the local and extended community. The goal of their programs is on-water interpretive experiences that focus on environmental education, conservation, and wildlife and habitat protection. The conservation efforts are entirely self-funded by the profits from the tours.

Trolley tour

One of the best ways to get a lay of the land is to use the trolley. Taking the full tour allows me to see all of the key features of the city, where they are, and to which ones I would like to return. It’s easy on the feet with the added benefit of having an historical narrative presented by the driver.

Breakfast at Hot Shots – Wall of Flame

With the morning waxing on, I feel it is time for breakfast. The place for one of the best breakfasts in town is Hotshots Bakery. I wind my way the few short blocks to Granada Street, I arrive early enough to miss the line that forms outside. Sherry Stoppelbein serves up the best waffles, but it is hard to resist some of the other offerings, some overflowing with fresh, seasonal, local fruit. After coffee, I dare to be added to the Wall of Flame. In order to achieve such notability, I gingerly take the chocolate covered Datil pepper (Grown only in St. Augustine) and take a bite. The first wave of heat hits my tongue, and then lights up my face a bright red, and finally makes the top of my head sweat. I finish off the pepper in two more bites before the pain has a chance to diminish. My reward for my bravery (or stupidity) is a quick point-and-shoot photo which will find a place of distinction on [http://tinyurl.com/pjd8y3s] Facebook page.

Colonial Quarter

A picturesque part of the city is known as the Colonial Quarter. It is peppered with historical recreations such as a blacksmith and shipbuilding exhibits. I take the tour and I am entranced by the character ‘Grimm’, who re-counts the tales of the 17th and 18th centuries in vivid detail and settler’s accent. My favorite part, as well as the kids watching, is the live musket firing. Have your camera ready!

Lunch at Taberna Del Caballo

My growling stomach, tired feet, and heat of the day remind me…it is time for lunch. No need to leave the cozy confines of the timber battlement. I elect to stay in the Colonial Quarter and eat at Taberna Del Caballo, serving “Innovative Cuisine with a Spanish Flair”. Read: Tapas, cocktails and wine. The Sangria is so refreshing! The cheese, meats, and flat-breads selected for the tapas hit the spot.

I was treated to meeting Christopher Froehlich, General Manager / Food & Beverage Director, who served my table with bold attention, never a water glass or tapas plate empty. I received a surprise visit from Jeff Sorg, CEO of Pat Croce and Company, who spent time relating his vision for this restaurant and his other properties.

Dinner at Johnny’s Oyster Bar

To end the day I amble up Menendez Blvd to Meehan's Irish Pub, where upstairs is the newly opened Johnny’s Oyster Bar, I am greeted by Chef Paul Bonanno who had a dream last night. A new creation of tuna tartare with a strawberry and crème fraiche sauce. That was just the appetizer as he plied our plates with bouillabaisse, oysters, and blackened drum. He topped off the night with a freshly made Irish Cream (with real cream…sorry Bailey’s).

Parlor stories back at St. Francis Inn

Back at the Inn I mingle with the other guests. Everyone had a full and fulfilling day. We all agreed that one day in St. Augustine is not enough. I guess I’ll stay another day or two or three or…

Professional Photo Tips for Travelers

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:49:00 +0000

Shared by my friends from International Expeditions

Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips (See all Books on Travel Reference)

We’re sharing veteran wildlife and nature photographer George Ritchey’s tips for getting the most out of your equipment and experience. With over 35 years of wildlife photography experience and credits including Robb Report, Atlanta Journal Constitution andBirmingham Magazine, Ritchey offers travelers tips on how to capture, preserve and enhance their memories while traveling.

· Equipment
I don’t recommend that you bring a tripod unless it is a very light and mobile. Many of us will have cameras as well as binoculars. More equipment will become cumbersome and difficult to use. I am bringing a combination of walking stick and monopod. Often if your subject is an animal you will not have a lot of time to capture the image before the animal flees thus a tripod is of little use in these situations.

· Wildlife
When approaching animals in the wild begin taking images during the approach process since you never know at what distance the animal will flee. Take lots of images. It is easy to delete unwanted ones. It is always better to capture a shot approaching the animal rather than the animal fleeing. Zoom in as close as possible. Have your camera ready and accessible at all times. Most animals will not wait for you –Sloth excluded.

· Composition
Include reflections in your composition. Often the reflection itself will make a good photo. If your composition is in the sun or bright light a neutral density filter or circular polarizing filter should be considered but in darker situations such as the rain forest you will not need to use a filter.

· How to pack
If your equipment includes many individual parts bring a small day bag or small backpack to house all the pieces that are not in use. Remember travel as light as possible. You will have a much more enjoyable trip. I would rather have the basic equipment than too much equipment.

· Before leaving home review and study your camera manual. You should know how to operate it and that all functions are working. This is very important if you have a new camera or it’s been awhile since you used your camera. Remember we will have very limited access to any stores after we arrive in Lima. Once a participant in my seminar brought a five year old camera that she did not check, and after driving four hours she was disappointed to find that the camera did not work.

· Make sure that you pack your camera manual. Many of the new cameras do not come with the manual and if you want one you need to download the manual from the manufacturer. Many strange and unusual malfunctions have occurred in the field and the manual often will supply instruction that can correct the problem. It may mean the difference of lots of images or going home with a disappointing number. Remember most of us will not travel the Amazon again!

· Bring some type of rain protection for your camera equipment. There are specialty waterproof systems such as Aqua Tech or Kata, Inc. camera covers or you can use something as inexpensive as Ziplock bags. These bags come in sizes from 1 to 3 gallons. I once failed to use an adequate water protector in Alaska, and I spent many hours trying to dry my equipment and praying that it would work. I was successful but many photographers have not been so lucky.

· Bring some type of security to attach your camera to you. I know that we all want to go home with all the equipment that we started out with. A neck strap or chest harness is acceptable. Gear Keeper offers a retractable device for smaller cameras. Cotton Carrier offer several chest strap carrying systems. I do not think a wrist strap is adequate. One inexpensive solution is to tie a string or small cord to your camera and to the button hole of your shirt. Don’t think it can’t happen to you! My last trip to the Galapagos claimed one unsecured camera.

Surely You Joust...

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 01:58:00 +0000

I timed my arrival in Tuscany with the joustng festival, The Saracen Joust of Arrezo. Held the first Sunday in September every year. This is a colorful display of rivaly. Participants representing four quadrants of the town dress in respective colors of green/red, yellow/crimson, white/green, yellow/blue. Each team parades throught he town with much regalia and fanfare culminating in the Knight's Tournament in the Piazza Grande.

I rambled through the city tasting the local food, including Boar's Head. Other vendors selling arts, crafts and tourist merchandise gathered in the park.

The beautiful walled city contained churches and quaint restaurants . The streets swirled with crowds of people. We got prime seats for the joust after waiting in an interminable line. Just like "Medieval Times' we got to cheer for our home team- Porta del Foro known as Porta S.Lorentino (yellow and crimson colors).

As much as I enjoyed the festival atmosphere, I would return to Arrezo at another time to take a more leisurely stroll through its alleyways. If I do I would stay at http://www.bbtarussio.it/

Enter A Real Time Machine - The Newseum in Washington D.C.

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 23:49:00 +0000

I stepped out of my hotel and into a time machine.

Transported back, not in the typical resurrected town like Williamsburg, Va. or quaint seaport village like Mystic, Ct., but truly back where I remembered with emotions raw enough to bring tears to my eyes. I cried tears of grief, and tears of joy. The images I saw were contemporary and vivid. I lived them, and here I relived them. I was standing in the Newseum, Washington DC's newest museum of the news media, hence it portmanteau of a name.

Now before you doubt my opening, let me assure you that I am sincere in what I felt. Boyhood wonder came flooding back in watching the broadcasts of the space race, fear trickled through my fingertips in reading news about Hiroshima, and being a photographer I stood in sheer awe, mouth agape at the Pulitzer Prize winning photos.

Here I didn't just see the images, but each one was captioned with the full story behind its creation and the man or woman that captured that moment. They became so real for me. It was as if I was looking through the viewfinder in complete empathy with the imager, drawn into the intimacy of the scene.

My most poignant moment came when I reached the display for 9-11. I sat through the heart-wrenching movie and relived that day. Just outside the theatre was a display dedicated to Photographer William Biggart who lost his life when the second tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.

The Newseum’s collection includes radio, print, and television. Over 500 years of journalism is chronicled here. The history of history, if you will. Among its six floors you’ll find actual full size pieces of the Berlin Wall, and a forty-foot guard tower from near Checkpoint Charlie (not replicas), sports, comics, and the current day’s front pages from all fifty states.

The Newseum is a must-see stop when visiting Washington DC

The Newseum is located at:
Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., Washington, DC.

Hours of Operation
The Newseum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
General Admission
Good for admission on two consecutive days. Tickets may also be purchased at the Newseum's ticketing kiosks and admissions desk.
Adults (19 to 64)
$19.95 plus tax
Seniors (65+), military and students with valid ID
$17.95 plus tax
Youth (7 to 18)
$12.95 plus tax
Children (6 and younger)
Free
Website
www.newseum.org

Written and contributed by Jim DeLillo
jimdelillo.viewbook.com
http://jim-delillo.artistwebsites.com/

Popular Vermont Tourist Spot Devastated By Hurricane Irene

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Before Irene (click on story text to see 'After')

Quechee Vermont, is an idlyllic tourist destination punctuated with an historic covered bridge, a glass blowing shop, and a sky dotted with hot air ballons.

Hurricane Irene left the sleepy town in shambles after flooding overflowed the Ottauquechee River and washed out the underpinnings of their quaint covered bridge.

The Quechee Gorge funneled the immense quantities of water (7 inches of rain) down its sluice and washed out Main Street taking the bridge with it.

Resources:

Color Print Available

Old Mill Stream - A History of Quechee, Vermont, By the

The Quechee Inn Dessert Cookbook

A River Runs Through It...

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:44:00 +0000

Oakland, NJ - 28-AUG-2011, Houses on River Road along the Ramapo River in Oakland, New Jersey are flooded in the aftermath of of Hurricane Irene. The river roils along its banks past houses located on River Road.
After the storm passed and amidst hours of sirens and air horns sounding in the distance. I deemed it safe enough to venture forth and explore the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in my home town of Okkalnd, New Jersey. The focus fo my trek was the bridge that crossed the Ramapo River which runs through the center of town. A site of previous floodings, I captured the residents and curious onlookers as the water rose inudating homes and threatening the Sgt. Peter Cressman Bridge.

OEM, Police and fire departments were watching and assessing the rising water and its impact on the bridge.

Photos may be purchased at:
Demotix

National Park app that is Truly Inspirational | Fotopedia

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:26:00 +0000

From Twitter...
unlimitedipadIpad

by Fotopedia

A National Park app that is Truly Inspirational | Fotopedia http://t.co/FR1yAbc

Hiking Mohonk….

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:40:00 +0000

By Jim DeLillo

Start by driving up the NY thruway to Exit 18 – New Paltz, stop for breakfast in this quaint college town, pack a picnic lunch and head up to the Mohonk Preserve.

You can’t miss it…aim for the tower set atop the alabaster cliffs of limestone.

The preserve is a world-renowned Mecca for rock climbers. As you make your way up the winding Route 55, keep your eyes on the road. It is hard to resist the temptation to watch the colorful climbers on their precarious routes. Park at the West Trapps Trailhead Lot, our stepping off point for the Undercliff Carriage Road where our hike begins. You’ll be up-close and personal with the rock rats – Men, women, and children weighted down heavily with a variety of packs, clinking climbing gear strapped to every part of their body, looking more like walking hardware stores than outdoorsmen. Coils of rope swung bandolier style across both shoulders complete the uniform.

However, we are here to hike. As you march further along Undercliff, you will soon lose sight and be out of earshot of the shouting … “On belay!”, “Climbing!”, “I can’t go any higher” (fearfully), “Bring your left foot up”.

Two miles from your start, you will come to a junction –

Left takes you to the heavily travelled Overcliff Road

The right leads you off to…

Stay straight which leads you through the cool valley of Laurel Ledge a canyon that immerses you in a blanket of greenery…mountain laurel and rhododendron. The cool damp air embraces and refreshes you.

After some smaller cliffs on your left you will come to the road less travelled – the Old Minnewaska Trail. A gradual climb brings you to a middle level of the ridge. Invisibly above, The Overcliff Road parallels your trek.

The air is decidedly warmer as heat radiates off the rock slabs and the scent of pines float on the wind, like dragon’s breath. Two miles later, you reach Split Rock, a cleaved limestone that channels the ----creek----. It was once used a sluice for a sawmill.

Turn left onto the Red Trail for a short, but steeper uphill hike back to your starting point at the parking lot.

This 5-mile hike is just one of the 70 miles of carriage roads and trails available at the preserve.

About the Mohonk Preserve

Hours of Operation:

Open 365 days a year, sunrise to sunset

Fees:

Members:FREE

Non-members:
$10 for hikers and bikers
$15 for climbers
Children 12 and under free with adult

You can download a Mohonk Preserve membership form now, or you can buy a day pass or membership at a trailhead or at the Visitor Center.

Getting There:

Take the New Paltz exit 18 off of the NYS Thruway. Go 7 miles west (through New Paltz) on Route 299 to the end: make right on Route 44-55

Coronado National Forest and Chiricahua National Monument

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:34:00 +0000

Coronado National Forest
Chiricahua National Monument, Willcox, AZ

Red dust kicked up behind my wheels as I hugged the inner curve of the dirt road. Through the passenger-side window on my right, I could just make out the 1500-foot drop to the gorge below.
I was glad I had taken the advice of the old cowboy. Last night, I stayed at the Portal Peak Inn, a rustic hotel that was clean enough, though I was glad I’m not squeamish about lizards and spiders. At dinner, I struck up a conversation with Doug, a skinny, toothless guy with four empty brown bottles on the table in front of him. A pick-up drivin’, hat-wearing, boot-clad, honest-to-goodness cowboy, he was a construction worker when not out on the range and a self-proclaimed drywall artist.

I asked him what was good on the menu. “Beer,” he said, as his gap-toothed smile broadened. Wanting something a little more substantial than brewed barley, I pointed to the faded picture of a steak on the yellowed menu when the waitress came by. I included a bottle of cheap beer and winked over at Doug. He grinned and held his bottle up. Greasy french-fries rounded things out.
The fluorescent lighting turned everything gray. It didn’t matter much, since the grizzled beef, which I struggled to hack through with a butter knife, would have been gray in any lighting. Across the six feet of worn linoleum that separated us, a friendly banter with Doug drifted to more serious talk about my travels. I told him I’d be going through the Coronado National Forest on my way back to Tucson.

Portal, Arizona lies at the entrance to the wilderness area, and only one road carves its way thorough the red rock. I filled my tank the day before in New Mexico since Portal does not boast a gas station. The park beckoned with a wide funnel formed by the encroaching ridges, but this welcoming embrace soon narrowed, and Cave Creek Canyon swallowed me whole. Brilliant birches contrasted with the ginger walls, and a giant coyote carved by the elements in a rock formation howled to a cerulean sky.

My route took me over the mountain, and Doug had advised me to leave by sunrise to avoid any vehicles coming in the other direction. Now, as I maneuvered over the oddly-slippery dust and scree at unguarded elevations, I thanked him silently. The baked red clay was only wide enough for one vehicle, maybe one and a half if they were small.
I had left Portal just as the onyx sky brightened to the shade of faded denim. I met only two vehicles the entire time and, thankfully, our meeting was on broader ground. My trip was only eight miles as the crow flies, but it took me more than two hours to navigate the winding switchbacks.
After I crested the mountain, the road widened. Here the expansive vistas and steep drop-offs were replaced by the embrace of Ponderosa Pines whose tops were level with the roadbed. I stopped for a quick lunch in a deserted picnic grove. I recharged in the solitude and cool air and resumed my journey.

The rugged mountains soon gave way to open highway and flat expanses of tall, flaxen grass. I had a side trip planned to Chiricahua National Monument, and the route snaked through terra-cotta canyons and Pinyon Pine. For a while the drive to 7,000-foot Massai Point looked no different that the previous forty miles of cliffs but, as I crested the summit, the difference became obvious. Standing like the Moai of Easter Island, the weatherworn rock formed sentinels in this remote canyon of Arizona.

Rhyolite tuffs—vertical deposits of volcanic ash—had eroded away and left columns of rock known as hoodoos. Hundreds of these spires were formed in this valley, and it was that vista that I admired now.

Chiricahua National Monument comprises 12,000 acres in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. These volcanic mountains rise above the surrounding grasslands to elevations ranging between 5,100 and 7,800 feet.

Two More Free Days at US National Parks

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:42:00 +0000

State of Washington - 18-APRIL-2010 (original announcement)

Mount Rainier National Park (U.S. National Park Service) was one of 392 national parks in the United States that waived their entrance fee during National Park Week 17-April through 25-April. The fees waived included entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees.

The U.S. National Parks Service has announced upcoming dates where the park fees will be free:
June 5-6, 2010
August 14-15, 2010

September 25, 2010 (Public Lands Day)

November 11, 2010 (Veterans Day)

The Night of Fire

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 03:08:00 +0000

This is a repost of a previous trip. Just to get my blog going.

The event does happen annualy on March 15th. So read on and see how you can attend the
______________________________________________________________________________________
Hottest Party in Spain.

The Night of Fire
Las Fallas
Valencia Spain

Fires are burning all over the city. I cannot glimpse an intersection that is not ablaze.

Bombaderos , firemen dressed in black turnout, stand by just waiting with tanker trucks full of water, and portable pumps. I inhale the acrid smoke with gusto, awakening the latent pyromaniac within. My heart races as I turn left and head down Calle De Trafalgar. An elaborate archway of carnival lights, designed like the onion tops of a Russian Orthodox Church, frames the narrow entrance to Falla Parotet. The ninot at the end is smaller than most, but it has not been set afire. I push my way assertively through the crowd.

I want a front row seat. I want to feel the burn.

I am in La Nit del Foc - the night of fire.

An unseen hand tosses a burning carton at the base of the twenty-foot high purple-clad mermaid. The pack cheers and jostles forward. It is only minutes before the whole statue is in flames. The inferno makes my face feel sun burnt as I stare into the fluorescent orange serpent. It engulfs her blonde hair, revealing a timber skeleton. She bends forward, and then summarily crashes to the ground. The nearest spectators flinch from the sparking embers. With a whoosh, the collapse sends its dragon breath, a foehn wind,rushing past me down the alleyways. The crowd stays late, watching as the fire withers into embers, the dark of the night sneaks in and covers what once was a roaring inferno.

I arrived in Valencia, Spain the day before hoping to get to Plaza del Ayuntamiento by 2:00 p.m. when the daily mascletas are lit. At the bullring, Plaza de Toros de Valencia, I join the mob. It carries me along shoulder-to-shoulder like a molecule in the ocean. Seemingly without my feet touching the ground, I am swept along by this human wave moving towards the plaza. I hear the pops, then the echo and rumble of large firecrackers, mascletas. I am still six blocks away. Hundreds detonate at once, and then silence. I am too late.

The press of flesh is already dispersing. I escape the last of the horde on the next side street past the Estació del Nord. In front of the Farmacia, a rotund bride carrying off a drunken, skinny husband faces me. Cupid makes sure there is no mistake. It is a silly sight. They are here for Las Fallas, a five day festival in honor of St. Joseph. Celebrated each March 15th , paper-mache ninots like the bride and groom are sacrificed at the end of the week in a blaze called cremà.

As I dive further off the main plaza, I discover the Casals faller, the individual neighborhoods. Each one creates their own paper-mache effigies; some traditional, some irreverent, and some politically satirical. All compete for best-in-show and notoriety.

In one, a mutt mounts a coiffed poodle from behind in a strict interpretation of screw-the-pooch. The mixed-breed has its eyes crossed and tongue hanging out in an obvious grimace of pleasure.

Another tableau depicts a gay couple holding hands, getting confirmed in matrimony- a slight bearded fellow with parsnip pointed nose and goatee is paired to a chubby older fellow with rouged cheeks.

Grids of twine crisscross the streets, and I realize that each casal has there own mascleta celebration. The secret to Las Fallas is spurning the main plaza and probing these little enclaves.

I return to the casal early the next day. The Caballeros FX (pyrotechnicians) deftly handle little explosive sausages, scissors in their hands and brown paper fuses in their mouth. They secure the colorfully wrapped mascletas to the grid. These “clotheslines” drape across the streets with barely enough room for cars and pedestrians to glide comfortably beneath.

Little boys, not more than eight years old kneel purposefully next to a car’s bumper arranging their own fireworks in an intricate pattern. Nervous hands holding a piece of smoldering rope spark the fuse. They take a few steps back and cover their ears.

On another corner, a lit cone erupts in a shower of sparks. A teenage girl sends a text message nonchalantly nearby. A little three year old girl in an all pink outfit, including stockinged legs, stands not six feet away from the incendiary display.

The steeple bell marks two o’clock and in seconds the ritual begins. At first, just a couple of mortars spew skyward, and then the strings of mascletas join in. As loud as cannons, these are no ordinary firecrackers. A smattering at first and then in a flash, hundreds were exploding at a time. I feel the percussion in my chest. The throng backs away- I move closer. The pungent smoke fills the constricted streets and alleyways. The pyrotechnicians but silhouettes against their ignition flares as they walk from fuse to fuse. I can no longer see the next intersection. The fuses sparkle, the paper and twine are ablaze. A deafening roar echoes between the buildings. I sit inside an erupting volcano.

The day yields to dusk as I walk along Paseo de la Alameda. The fireworks will be ignited in the main plaza, but the best viewing is from the bridges that span the dry river bed. I select a spot on Pont de Monteolivet. This bridge is near Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, an incongruous campus of ultra-modern architecture set in this medieval city. The City of Arts and Sciences houses a museum, an aquarium and a domed cinema.

What the nightly pyrotechnics lack in variety is made up for in quantity. It is an inexhaustible grand finale right from the start. The skyline lights up in crimson bursts for over an hour. The smoke eventually muddles everything to a pastel nacarat glow. The city parties long after the echo of the last titanium report fades away.

The next day I amble to the beach. The smoke has cleared, but in the air there lingers the distinct sulphurous scent of gunpowder.

Andrew Zimmern at TBEXNYC Kickoff Party

noreply@blogger.com (.......................................Jim DeLillo) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Travel Bloggers unite! Well that's just what we did Wednesday night at Hotel Giraffe in NYC.

There, The Travel Blog Exchange - New York City Chapter held their kickoff party. Those with weak stomachs should beware, the guest speaker was Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel's "Bizzare Foods".

While we were not forced to eat weird, squirmy things, but were instead treated to a live demonstration of Andrew's new trivia game. The ill-informed contestants, me included, were hard-pressed to answer the questions on international delicacies including Mare Milk and Baby Beer (no not made out of babies, made for them in Russia).

The game was fun and we were rewarded with a copy of his new book