Miami Daily Photo

On Extended Hiatus

2006-08-23T15:25:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to make it official, the Miami Daily Photo blog is going on an extended hiatus. I have way too many projects going on at the same time and I need to take a step back and regroup. I won't be deleting the blog because I would like to come back to it in the future.

To all the Daily Photo bloggers and other fans, thanks for the great comments you gave to my pics. I will continue to monitor the Daily Photo blogs so I can get my little dose of the world each day.

Later!

Vacation

2006-06-21T14:56:00.000-05:00

As you have noticed, for the last few days the Miami Daily Photo has not been very daily. I am leaving on vacation to Belgium and Holland for 2 weeks tomorrow, and I've been super busy getting things up to date both at work and at home. In the meantime I basically ran out of saved pics, and haven't really had time to take new ones for the past days, let alone for the 2 weeks I'll be out.

The Miami Daily Photo will be on hiatus during my vacation. I will post a couple of pics I took between last night and this morning to make up the missing dates, and then restart once I get back.

Thanks for your support thus far, enjoy the break, and see you when I get back. Later!

NBA Champions!

2006-06-21T01:05:00.000-05:00

The Miami Heat have just become the 2006 NBA Champions after beating the Dallas Mavericks and sweeping the series 4-2 after having been down 0-2. The team will return to Miami from Dallas today and on Friday there will be a celebratory championship parade (which I'll miss because I'll be in Belgium).

Photo from The Miami Herald.

GO HEAT!!!

Candid Shot

2006-06-16T12:42:00.000-05:00

This is a candid shot I took from the Metromover of students in class at a Downtown college. I'd lost it in my files and came across it just now. I like the utter mundane tone of daily life it conveys.

Who Hauls the Haulers?

2006-06-15T08:56:00.000-05:00

Because sometimes the workhorse breaks down and you need to call an even bigger workhorse to take the former back to the shop for repairs. I have always thought that, as far as automobiles go, seeing a bus (especially an extra long, accordion one like this one) being carried by a tow truck is a very sad sight. It's kinda like seeing a big burly man that can take lots of punishment brought down by a mere cold.

Go Heat!

2006-06-14T22:47:00.000-05:00

Shot of Downtown Miami on Tuesday night (6/13) when the Miami Heat were playing game 3 of the NBA Finals at home. They went on to win 98-96 vs. the Dallas Mavericks, putting the series 2-1 in favor of the Mavericks. Next game is tomorrow night, Thursday. Go Heat!

Picture taken by Gabriel Lopez-Bernal for the Transit Miami blog.

And We're Off!

2006-06-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

Alberto became the first name tropical system of the 2006 Hurricane Season. Though it only reached Tropical Storm strength, and quicly downgraded to Tropical Depression, it doesn't bode well for the tropics. Here in Miami we're still rebuilding from Katrina and Wilma and let's not forget New Orleans, barely getting back on its feet after Katrina pounded it to bits. We'll see how things go from here.

Sunflower and Cat

2006-06-12T14:33:00.000-05:00

I had been chronicling the birth of this sunflower, the first in my (and my neighbor's) small garden, and on this shot, my neighbor's cat decided he wanted to make a cameo appereance. Sadly, the sunflower has since died due to a lack of enough sunlight, though other smaller ones are still thriving.

Mi Familia

2006-06-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

Back from my forced hiatus, I bring you a local fad you are unlikely to see in many other places, the Mi Familia (My Family) stickers. I first saw these on my Mom's car on a visit to Puerto Rico. The idea is that you buy one sticker for each member of your family and put them on your car somewhere. At some point it became the accepted custom that these go on the rear windshield. It is mostly Hispanics who have these, and since we tend to have large families, immediate and extended, some of these collections can cover a lot of windshield real estate, as you can see in some of these. For the record, my Mom still has her's, and no, she has not added me to her car yet.

Forced Hiatus

2006-06-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

The Miami Daily Photo blog is going into a short, forced hiatus.

My cat bit into my laptop's power cord this morning, severing the insides, and rendering it useless, a fact I discovered when my laptop ran out of power while it was plugged. I have already ordered a replacement cord, but until it arrives (hopefully by Friday) I am cut off from everything in my computer, including my pictures.

It'll be just a couple of days (Dell is very good about delivering promptly). Please accept my apologies.

(Maybe it has something to do with today's date: 6/6/06?!?!) ;-)

Metromover

2006-06-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

Though in my opinion the Miami public transit system is just incredibly sub-par for a city this size, it does have a small crowning gem, the Miami Metromover, an automated, elevated train system that services the entire Downtown area. I hadn't been Downtown in about a year, and was very surprised to find out that the Metromover is now a free service, which makes a great service even better. I went for a ride to get to some of the spots I have shown you in the past week, and even recorded a short movie of the trip between two of the stations (from College North to College/Bayside stations, on the inner orange loop if you look at the map).

Past Quitting Time

2006-06-04T18:06:00.000-05:00

This is just a simple shot of NW 1st street in Downtown Miami, taken from the Metromover, at about 6:00 PM, an hour past quitting time for the mainly-business oriented core of the city. To the left is the Downtown campus of the Miami-Dade College, and in the distance is the Brickell Financial District. Most of all I just liked the perspective and sense of depth the higher ground afforded me.

House of Law

2006-06-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

The Miami-Dade County Courthouse is one of the coolest buildings in Miami, mainly because it has a slightly gothic thing going on (though it is actually classified as a neo-classical structure with elements of Art Deco). It served as Miami City Hall for a short while and it is actually listed in the registry of historic places since 1989. Personally, I like it because it has a somewhat medieval air to it.

(In observance of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, I am posting this on 6/1/06 and postdating it to the correct date).

Double Helix

2006-06-02T11:07:00.000-05:00

Tucked in one corner of Bayfront Park is this metal pipe sculpture which I had always thought was some strange monument to DNA. Turns out I wasn't that far off. The sculpture is called the Challenger Memorial, in remembrance of the ill-fated NASA shuttle. The sculpture is indeed meant to recall the double helix of the DNA molecule as well as the similar smoke trails left by the Challenger's booster rockets after the explosion.

(In observance of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, I am posting this on 6/1/06 and postdating it to the correct date).

The Herald

2006-06-01T10:37:00.000-05:00

First established in 1903, the Miami Herald (name acquired in 1910) is South Florida's oldest newspaper. It has won 18 Pulitzer Prizes during it's run and is considered to be one of the best newspapers of the nation, especially on its coverage of Latin America. The paper publishes also a Spanish edition called El Nuevo Herald. The big blocky building sits on a prime spot of real estate right on the bay, and just down from the American Airlines Arena.

The PAC

2006-05-31T19:16:00.000-05:00

The brand-spanking new Miami Performance Arts Center (PAC for short) is set to open this fall, giving Miami a world-class, state-of-the-art fine arts venue for everything from plays to concerts to opera and everything else in between. Part of the Miami Downtown renovation plan, the PAC (it is hoped) will bring high culture (back? finally?) into the city. I for one cannot wait for this to open; it is high time Miami gains some respect as an international destination for the arts in addition to the ill-repute it has as a vapid party spot.

Lounge by the Bay

2006-05-30T16:21:00.000-05:00

A very tranquil shot of Bayfront Park, in Downtown Miami, just down from Bayside Marketplace. In the middle of the very busy city, this spot just whisks you away to peace and calm of the bay. (If you click on the link above, this spot is in the grove of trees immediately to the left of the round bayside fountain).

Downtown

2006-05-29T12:15:00.000-05:00

This is a shot of the southernmost part of Downtown Miami, looking towards the Brickell financial district. The track is for the Miami Metromover, a series of three Downtown-area automated minitrains, which I'll show you in the coming days (including a short ride). As you can see there's a lot of construction going on (both Downtown and in Miami in general) as city planners try to make Downtown a thriving area beyond the 9-to-5 crowd. What I like about this particular shot is that it makes Miami look like a proper modern city, even if only for a few blocks.

Bayside

2006-05-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

I've been taking you on a small tour of Downtown Miami the past two days, and today we continue with Bayside Marketplace, a very pretty, very touristy pedestrian mall situated right on the Miami bay. Here you can shop for a number of items, especially souvenir-type trinkets, at inflated prices, or take a boat out into the bay or to see the mansions of Miami celebrities, such as Gloria & Emilio Estefan, and Shaquille O'Neal.

The Triple A

2006-05-27T22:05:00.000-05:00

Completed in 1999 to replace the venerable Miami Arena, the American Airlines Arena (AAA) has taken over as Miami's main venue for pretty much any show in town, as well as the home for our local NBA team, the Miami Heat. Right now it is hosting the Heat's playoff games, thus the gigantic banner on the front.

Freedom Tower

2006-05-26T12:27:00.000-05:00

Completed in 1925 as the headquarters of the Miami News & Metropolis Newspaper, the Freedom Tower became in the 1950's the Ellis Island of the Cuban exile community as they arrived in Miami fleeing from Castro's revolution. Located in Downtown Miami, the building was sold in the 70s and left abandoned until it became a center dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Cuban American community. The tower was slated for demolition to give way to new condos, but it was eventually donated to the Miami-Dade College and will soon reopen as a full-fledged museum. The Freedom Tower is another example of a Giralda tower (I've already shown you the Biltmore tower).

Freedom of the Seas

2006-05-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

Royal Caribbean's new Freedom of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world and ever made, pulled into port here in Miami early this morning. The ship was christened last week in New York and has now sailed into its home port, from where it will carry 4375 passengers every time it sails out. Let me tell you, the thing is absolutely massive.

Confession: I did not take this pic, I took it from our local NBC affiliate. I did, however, see the ship this morning as I drove to work, but it was raining so I didn't chance taking one of my trademarked pics while driving.

Steping Onto the City

2006-05-24T22:34:00.000-05:00

One of the things they had at Cuba Nostalgia was a large map of the city of Havana as it looked in 1953. It was actually one of the highlights of the show, as pretty much everyone went by it so they could find their street from before they left Cuba. My Mother-in-law was able to show us where it was she lived, almost down to the lot.

Icon

2006-05-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

Took this pic at the Cuba Nostalgia show, where as you can probably imagine, Ernesto "Che" Guevara is not exactly the most loved of people. The word is a play on the Spanish for assassin, replacing a syllable with the Che's name, and it speaks loud and clear to how the Cuban exile community feels about this man, who for some reason, many other people in the world revere. This is as quintessentially Miami as our beaches or the Everglades.

Cuba Nostalgia

2006-05-22T20:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the Cuba Nostalgia fair, a yearly event where the Cuba of yesterday is both remembered and celebrated. There was music, food, vendors, memorabilia, food, guests, food, artists and food. It was a really cool event, especially for me as a Puerto Rican married to a Cuban American girl, thus married into a Cuban family, as I got to see and experience a little bit of the Cuba that existed before Fidel screwed it up, the Cuba that my parents-in-law had to escape and can never regain.

Lazy Sunday

2006-05-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

Just a lazy Sunday afternoon (for a change) in Miami Beach.

94th Aero Squadron

2006-05-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

Located across Miami Internationa Airport, the 94th Aero Squadron restaurant is housed inside a large wooden building decorated in World War I and II memorabilia, such as authentic (and decommissioned) trucks, abulances, machine gun emplacements and this plane (don't know what kind). The coolest thing about the restaurant is the restaurant-long glass wall that allows you to see airplanes landing and taking off at the airport, right across the street.

Have It Your Way

2006-05-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

For a very mundane shot today, here is the world corporate headquarters of Burger King, located right across from Miami International Airport. Back when I used to eat fast food, BK was certainly at the top for me. Today, they're just the company with the creepy King.

Sidewalk Graffiti

2006-05-18T22:09:00.000-05:00

I had been looking around Miami for graffiti to photograph without much success when I arrived at my apartment and saw this drawn in chalk on the sidewalk by my 7 or 8-year-old neighbor. Hey, it counts!

Nightime Pickup

2006-05-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

I had to go pick up my wife at the airport earlier this evening, and I took this pic from the roof of the multilevel parking garage. It was the contrast of the various levels that called my attention (not to mention the big traffic jam I had avoided simply by paying to park).

Broken Pier

2006-05-16T18:44:00.000-05:00

This is at the Pelican Harbor Marina, same place where The Fin Project is installed. Originally you could walk out to the pier, but the walkway was destroyed during last year's hurricanes.

Lag B'Omer

2006-05-15T22:25:00.000-05:00

Tonight starts the Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer (literally, the 33rd day of the Omer), when Jews celebrate, among other things, the yartzeit (anniversary of death) of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a Second Temple-era scholar, and traditionally known as the author of the Zohar, the most sacred book of Jewish Mysticism or Kabbalah. We celebrate by lighting bonfires and by general merrymaking, precisely what we did at my synagogue earlier tonight, where I took this pic. I just love the color of those flames.

Happy Mothers' Day

2006-05-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Mothers' Day to all the mothers of the world, including this busy one, above. Pic taken at Fuch's Park in south Miami.

The Fin Project

2006-05-13T22:49:00.000-05:00

Just next to my house there is this lot by the public marina where about two dozen giant fins protude from the ground. I had always thought they were plane wings and that it was yet another weird public art piece from some Miami artist. The piece, however, is called The Fin Project: From Swords Into Plowshares, and it was done by artist John T. Young. The project seeks to recycle military material--diving fins from decommissioned nuclear submarines from the 60's--into pieces of art. This one was installed in 2002, with a previous one installed in Seattle, Washington in 1998 (now we need a Seattle Daily Photo to photograph that one as well). Future installations of the project are scheduled for other parts of the world, including one in Russia.

Ray of Light

2006-05-12T17:31:00.000-05:00

One of the things I like is to look at clouds, especially when there is a storm approaching. I took this pic on Monday afternoon when I stopped to take some other pics (which you'll see tomorrow). The way the clouds rolled in, quite suddenly, so dark against a previously bright blue sky, was nothing short of amazing. I love how they seem to be encroaching on the ray of sunlight that still shines forth, seeking to subdue it, though failing to do so.

You Lookin' At Me?

2006-05-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

On our trip on Sunday, my wife and I stopped at this little road-side park in southern Miami called Fuch's Park. There we saw some kids feeding a large number of ducks, and checked out the small man-made lake, which was very low, since we haven't really had any significant rain down here for almost 3 months. As we were getting ready to leave I spotted this little dude here looking at me. ~~I have no idea what kind of bird it is~~ (see below); not one I recall ever seeing before.* But I liked its bright blue head feathers and the inquisitive look it kept giving me.

*Thanks to Anonymous who identified the bird as a green heron, a native to South Florida.

Plymouth Congregational Church

2006-05-10T14:58:00.000-05:00

Plymouth Congregational Church was built in 1916-17 in the middle of Coconut Grove to serve the growing population of the small city. It is an excellent example of Spanish Mission architectural style, and its stonework, made of oolitic limestone (that could fool anyone into thinking it was coral), was laid out by a single stonemason, Spaniard Felix Rebom. The door, handcarved walnut backed with oak, is some 375 years old, originally from a monastery in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain. The church is still very much in use, and now includes a garden, and a school. In fact, on the grounds of the church is the first public school in Miami-Dade County, originally built as a Sunday school back in 1887. The church is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

And the Daylilies* Look Lovely Today

2006-05-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

I took this pic as I stepped out of the Barnacle onto its wide porch overlooking Biscayne Bay, and was mesmerized by these beautiful ~~daffodils~~ daylilies*, the only two in bloom. Their color was deep, rich and bright, as if they had drunk the sunlight pure and filled their petals with it.

*I was originally told these were daffodils and I believed it since I know next to nothing about flowers. In a comment, Darrel corrected me, pointing that these are daylilies, a fact corroborated by a quick Google Image and Wikipedia search. This, however, ruined my original reference to the song by The Cranberries (Daffodil Lament), but it's a small price to pay for increased knowledge. Thanks, Darrel!

Welcome to Coconut Grove

2006-05-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

One of the oldest areas of Miami, Coconut Grove was established as a small city in 1873, back when all there was down here was rich northerners, the Miami Hammock and lots of mosquitoes. The Grove, as it's normally called, has always been a unique place. In the beginning it attracted visionary people, like The Barnacle's Commodore Munroe (see last post), who wanted to share in this idyllic paradise, and throughout the years it has become a haven for artists and restaurants. Though it sometimes gets incredibly crowded, and it attracts an inordinate amount of posers, the Grove is a very charming place, and one of my favorites in Miami since the day I moved here.

The Barnacle

2006-05-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

Today my wife and I jumped in the car and went to visit one of Miami's least known treasures. The Barnacle Historic State Park in Coconut Grove is home to the Barnacle, Miami-Dade county's oldest house still in original site. Built in 1891, the house sits in the middle of 5 acres of what's left of the original Miami Hammock, right in front of Biscayne Bay, where it has witnessed the city grow and withstood 115 years of hurricanes, including the deadly 1926 storm and 1992's Andrew. This was a most marvelous discovery, a place we had known about for years but never visited before, and I invite both locals and tourists to come visit this site and enjoy a rare slice of Old Miami.

You can read more about our visit to the Barnacle, and see lots more photos, at my blog:
[Highmoon's Ponderings]: A Visit To The Barnacle.

Glass Deco

2006-05-06T21:07:00.000-05:00

The pseudo-Art Deco Lincoln Road Mall Regal Cinemas 18, bringing the megaplex to pedestrian Miami Beach. When it opened in 1999, I remember thinking it was a glass monstruosity that had come to destroy the charm of Miami Beach. In a way it did, but years later, the cinema has actually become part of the Beach landscape and an integral, if humongous, part of Lincoln Road and South Beach.

Miami Jai-Alai

2006-05-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

That's the Miami Jai-Alai arena down there, located in one of the oldest (and hence, one of the poorest and most industrialized) areas of Miami. Jai-alai is a fast-paced game where grown men throw a really hard ball at each other at insanely high speeds and try to catch it with only a wicker basket-thing attached to their arm. The name means "Merry Festival" in Basque, the region in Spain from where it came from, via Cuba.

Since I really have no business going down to that area (unless I get lost, which has happened), I snapped this pic while driving as I left the airport yesterday afternoon. The pole just decided it wanted to be in the picture.

Fly Away

2006-05-04T22:07:00.000-05:00

I had to go drop my father-in-law at Miami International Airport this afternoon. I love going to the airport; it's the idea of all those gates being like magical doors to other places. I can't wait for June, when I will be actually going through one of those gates to emerge in Belgium.

The Colony Theater

2006-05-03T10:46:00.000-05:00

The Colony Theater is a gem of Art Deco architecture in a city full of Art Deco. Opened in 1934 for Paramount Studios, the Colony has had a long and illustrious career, receiving a number of renovations over the decades, including the most recent on which will bring the interior to the 21st centure and the exterior back to its 1930's glory. It just finished hosting the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

If you look closely, all the way to the left, you will see the window where the chairs from yesterday are sleeping.

(My apologies for skipping yesterday's pic. I left it prepared and ready to go, but forgot to put it from draft to post. )

Sleeping Chairs

2006-05-02T10:35:00.000-05:00

Normally, these chairs would be out on the promenade so patrons of this restaurant on Lincoln Road Mall can enjoy their food in the nice Miami sun. Alas, it was barely 9 AM, so they were all still inside, sleeping. I took this pic because I was immediately reminded of a similar shot coming out of Paris.

Morning Coffee on Lincoln Road

2006-05-01T19:26:00.000-05:00

I had a moment this morning so I stopped very quickly by Lincoln Road Mall so I could snap some pics in order to fulfill a request. There was a photo shoot going on by Pottery Barn, but they were on a break, and I spotted one of the women doing the shoot off to one side, sitting on one of the outdoor tables scattered around, having her morning cup of coffee while everyone else just stood around.

Guardian Dragonthing

2006-04-30T22:54:00.000-05:00

A house near my apt. has this gargoyle/dragon hybrid statue as its front lawn welcoming committee. It's so tacky it's cool, but to fully know how cool it is you have to see it at night, when the big glass eyes are revealed to be motion sensored lamps that light up whenever something moves around. If I had lots of money to waste, and knew my wife would let me get away with it, I would so put one of these guardians up as well!

Also, welcome to any and all new readers of Miami DP coming in from www.MiamisNews.com and www.CriticalMiami.com.

Miami!

2006-04-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

I took this photo as I was driving (see a pattern here?) down the big bridge that connects Miami Beach to the mainland. That's downtown Miami over there, with the port just off to the left.

Say Hello To My Little Friend

2006-04-28T13:28:00.000-05:00

As I was leaving the bank yesterday I noticed there was a large number of dragonflies just flying around (they appear in droves in this time of year). I then noticed that there were various just resting atop blades of grass, so I got my camera and approached them very carefully. I was rewarded with various shots (though this is the best one, see if you can count them all), but this one dragonfly above was great, going above and beyond, allowing my camera to get within inches for a nice pic. I think I'll call him Stanley.

They're After Me!

2006-04-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

I took this photo of the traffic behind me on the expressway this afternoon as I drove home. I took it by shooting at the side rearview mirror while driving (not very intelligent, I know).

Why I Was Late This Morning

2006-04-26T22:09:00.000-05:00

As I've said, I live in an island connected to the mainland by various causeways. I took the southernmost one this morning as I had to go by Office Depot, only to be stuck in very slow traffic for a short while. Eventually we saw there had been a really bad accident on the lanes leading into the beach. I've no idea what happened but the other car involved (behind the yellow cab) was in extremely bad shape.

FYI, that's downtown Miami in the background.

Morning Training

2006-04-25T22:03:00.000-05:00

I work near an area in the subirbs called Horse Country full of huge mansions and flat fenced grazing areas with, you guessed it, lots of horses. As I was turning onto my street, I saw this man training his horse to walk in a particular kind of way. In Puerto Rico (and Colombia, too, and this area has a lot of Colombians living near it) we call it Paso Fino (fine walk), and it's both a name for the type of trot and for the horse breed (though I don't know if this horse is a Paso Fino breed). It was very neat, and made me very much aware of the very different things we may mean when we say we are off to work in the morning.

Little Garden Revolution

2006-04-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

I was really wondering what photo I would post today when, as I was walking to my apt., I saw my neighbor's little garden. She planted it first last year, but the hurricanes destroyed it, so she replanted about a month ago and it is thriving once more. I mean, look at that basil in the center! Funny thing is, she has started a small garden revolution, with everyone else in the building now going out to plant some flowers as well. We'll see if the seeds I planted actually grow this time.

Yikes!

2006-04-23T19:33:00.000-05:00

The price of gas here in the states is getting out of hand. I took this last night at the pump right next to my house (Regular Unleaded would be roughly $0.75., or .60 Euro, a litre), and already today it's a cent higher. You can still get a gallon for less than $3 (I paid $2.95) but I fear it may not be for long. I fully realize Europeans will see this and laugh long and loud, but over here it's not funny. Maybe I should join Eric over in Paris once and for all.

Welcome to Miami Beach

2006-04-22T22:23:00.000-05:00

Contrary to popular belief, the entity known as "Miami" is actually made up of a couple dozen smaller cities spread throughout the county. You have already met Coral Gables, and now you get to meet my homecity of Miami Beach. There's a couple of these welcome signs around the island (one for each of the causeways that connect us to the mainland), each with its own charm. This one is in the style of the Miami Beach of the 30's and 40's (much like my own home) when all this area was full of apartment buildings for vacationing northerners escaping colder climates.

Art Flamingo

2006-04-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

I believe it started in Switzerland with benches, but then it was New York with cows, and then everyone and their mother was doing custom-made art sculptures for charity. In Miami we had at one point giant roosters (I'll try to get a pick, there's still a few around town) and then flamingoes. This one was at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, just next door to the Holocaust Memorial. The flowers there were in full bloom and amazing, and I'll show you some down the line.

Hope

2006-04-20T06:57:00.000-05:00

The Holocaust Monument can seem like a very somber and depressing place, especially if you consider the last statue of the monument (see The End), but I don't believe it is. The main sculpture is brutally honest and realistic, but also one of hope and faith. That hand is not defeated; see the sinews, see the veins, see the strength with which it reaches to Heaven; see how the skeletal figures climb it, possibly with their very last ounce of life, for at the top lies salvation. Just as we were liberated from Egypt, we were liberated from this last enslavement, and so it shall be in the future.

I am off in celebration of Passover. A world of thanks to Nicola, from RheingauDP & WiesbadenDP, for having helped out with the daily pics during these days. Danke schön!

Water

2006-04-19T06:33:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of Passover (though outside of Israel we celebrate one more day, tomorrow), the day in which G-d parted the Sea for the Israelites to escape Egypt, so I thought it appropiate to feature an image of water. This fountain surrounds the center walled area of the monument like a crescent moon and creates a wonderful contrast with the pink Jerusalem stone from which the whole monument is made of. As an extra, our oral tradition relates that when the Sea parted for Moses and the Children of Israel, ALL the water in the world parted as well, from oceans and lakes, to rivers and wells, even water held in buckets or drinking vessels, thus proclaiming the miracle to all of humanity.

I am off in celebration of Passover. Nicola, from RheingauDP & WiesbadenDP, is helping out with the pics. Thanks!

Peace

2006-04-18T14:53:00.000-05:00

No matter the bustle around, no matter how many cars are passing by, there is always a heavy sense of peace and serenity at the monument. Now that the buganbilias are all in bloom, the place offers a very sharp contrast of natural beauty sheltering a record of human attrocity.

The Cry

2006-04-17T19:29:00.000-05:00

This is the scene that greets you as you enter the inner walled chamber of the monument (via The Passageway, below). It is interesting that this figure is turned away from the Hand reaching to the skies. I interpret it as a powerful act of inclusion; though G-d will surely bring salvation, signified by the larger sculpture, this little girl makes you, the viewer, the visitor, part of that process. Will you pick her up and carry her to safety (if not physically, then at least in memory)?

The End

2006-04-16T10:24:00.000-05:00

Sadly, the story of our family ends like so many others did, 6 million others to be precise. And yet, there is a glimmer of good: mother and children remain together, a small miracle given the big picture.

I am posting this in honor of my Rabbi's mother, Miriam Bracha bat Hinda Freida, who passed away last Sunday, April 9. May her soul find peace and may she be reunited with the whole family that she lost in the Holocaust.

The Passage

2006-04-15T08:18:00.000-05:00

As you approach the center, you must descend down a tunnel-like passageway offering only strips of sunlight that only serve to illuminate the names of some of the most (in)famous death camps: Treblinka, Ravensbruck, Dachau and Auschwitz, among others. At the entrace to the walled plaza housing the monument, this young girl cries and reaches out to you for help, for succor, for understanding. The rest of her family are nowhere to be found.

I am off in celebration of Passover. Nicola, from RheingauDP & WiesbadenDP, is helping out with the pics. Thanks!

The Sad Beginning

2006-04-14T07:50:00.000-05:00

The Jews in Europe, much like the Jews in Egypt in the days of Pharaoh, thought they had a great situation, enjoying comfort and wealth, and much like in the days of Moses, they all learned that these things are ephemeral, and fortunes change at the drop of a pin.

The Holocaust Memorial starts with this statue of a mother and her two children, pondering the sad reality of the dark days that are to come. We will journey through the story of the Holocaust with this family and learn their fate later on.

I am off in celebration of Passover. Nicola, from RheingauDP & WiesbadenDP, is helping out with the pics. Thanks!

Hand to G-d

2006-04-13T06:32:00.000-05:00

This is the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, a massive 42-feet high bronze sculpture crawling with human figures that depict the anguish, pain, horror, defeat and ultimate hope of the victims of the Holocaust. The hand, tatooed with a serial number, reaches out to G-d in Heaven, from where salvation has, and always will, come.

I am off in celebration of Passover. Nicola, from RheingauDP & WiesbadenDP, is helping out with the pics. Thanks!

I Wanna Be A Cat!

2006-04-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

Seriously, this is what my cat, Paris, does all day long. What a life, no?

I will be offline for the next three days in observance of Passover. Nicola, from RheingauDP & WeisbadenDP, is going to be very kind in helping out with the daily photos for these days.

Morning Cat

2006-04-11T13:19:00.000-05:00

Though my cat sleeps 90% of the time, he always wakes up to spend some time with us in the morning (at least until he can sneak into the bedroom. I took this a couple of mornings ago, while I was getting ready to do my morning prayers, and he went to his spot by the window.

As a tie-in to the Daily Photo family, my cat's name is Paris. :-)

Cats' Eyes

2006-04-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

Both my neighbors and I have cats, and the other night, as I was walking into the house, they both happened to be looking at the at each one's window (mine is the one to the right), so I returned the favor and snapped this pic.

Coral Gables: Backyard Statuary

2006-04-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

You know Coral Gables is a very unique place when this is the kind of things you can find tossed out on some people's backyards.

(Sorry for the delay. All's well now)

Technical Difficulties

2006-04-09T18:16:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately I am having some technical difficulties with my computer today (I'm at my wife's). I will try my best to get the daily photo out, but if not, I will post it tomorrow, along with the regular one for the day. My apologies.

Coral Gables: The Tower

2006-04-08T20:21:00.000-05:00

This is the tower of the Biltmore, one of two Moorish Giralda towers in the Miami area, an achitectural style brought from Spain to crown the majestic pseudo-Italianate palazzo. The first balcony from the bottom is the 13th floor, officially known as the Everglades Suite, but much better known as the Al Capone Suite, the gangster's very own personal room whenever he came to Miami. It is also supposed to be haunted, though for the price you pay per night, your own personal ghost is almost part of the package!

Coral Gables: Tropical Royal Guard

2006-04-07T16:11:00.000-05:00

This small church stands right opposite the Biltmore Hotel, and the path is set up so that, literally, couples get married in the church and march down the road, flanked by their tropical royal guard, all the way to the entrance of the Biltmore to their reception.

So to answer Nicola's comment to the last photo, yes there are a lot of weddings here indeed!

Coral Gables: The Queen

2006-04-06T15:10:00.000-05:00

This is the Queen of Coral Gables, the Biltmore Hotel, crown jewel of Miami for the last three-quarters of a century. Built in the 1920's, the Biltmore has had a fascinating history, going from gathering place for the international elite in the 20's and 30's, to Army barracks and hospital during WWII (origing of many of the haunts in the hotel), to dilapidated and abandoned has-been, to renewed luxury hotel.

I LOVE this building, and seeing it always makes me smile.

Coral Gables: Morning Swim

2006-04-05T15:27:00.000-05:00

Morning swim at the Venetial Pool.

Coral Gables: Venetian Pool

2006-04-04T13:08:00.000-05:00

This particular shot is of the small cave behind the 25-foot cascade of glorious mid-70 degrees (mid-20 degrees C) water at Venetian Pool; I was almost about to leave when I turned to take a last look and saw this little gem.

Coral Gables: Granada Gate

2006-04-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

Coral Gables was built on a Mediterranean model, and it included coral walls around parts of the city, with gates that allowed entry. This is one of the few remaining gates, located on Granada Ave. All the streets in Coral Gables are named for Mediterranean locations and after famous people hailing from the area.

Coral Gables

2006-04-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Coral Gables, founded in 1925, was Miami's first fully-planned community, the brainchild of George Merrick. Merrick wanted a city with a Mediterranean flair that would also incorporate small enclaves in defining architectural styles from around the world. The city was built using coral as its defining building material, thus the name, and remains the place with the largest concentration of natural coral edifices in South Florida, making it an attraction unto itself, since coral is now banned as a building material.

The pictures this week will showcase a short jaunt into The City Beautiful, starting with the Venetian Pool, where I took this picture.

Flushing Meadows

2006-04-01T23:35:00.000-05:00

Continuing around the Miami Design District, we find this place I call Flushing Meadows, directly across the building with the car from yesterday. This is part of the district's public art displays, and all I can guess is that the artist has some family who are plumbers. Not sure what the message is, but they are certainly quite original.

Click below for a close-up of each of the flusing trees:

This is the last of the Miami Design District pics for now. Coming this week, a jaunt into Coral Gables.

We'll drive you up the wall!

2006-03-31T14:52:00.000-05:00

Continuing our trip around the Miami Design District, we find this interesting solution to the parking problem. This used to be the Miami Police Museum, if I recall correctly, and the car used to be painted in the official colors of a Miami-Dade Police patrol car. I'm not sure when this stopped being associated with the police, though. They did leave the car, stripped of its official colors, and the building is now empty, waiting for new tenants. It's a shame it went away, I never got to visit it (and they had a cop car from Blade Runner!).

By the way, traffic in Miami can sometimes make you want to drive exactly like that.

PS: I have just found out that the Police Museum moved to Titusville, Florida. Why, however, no one knows.

Welcome to the Miami Design District

2006-03-30T15:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got out early, so I had a chance to go home via the Miami Design District, just north of Downtown Miami. This area, abandoned and dilapidated until just a few years ago, is fast becoming a trendy spot, attracting lots of local artists. Art is scattered around the district and I'll be showing you some of the pieces in the following days.

First up is this large mural, which I can see every day as I drive to work from Miami Beach. If you look closely on the left side, you'll see some scaffolding. Up until early this week, there was another long mural on that side of the building, facing the expressway, that read "Miami Design District" and featured the eye logo you see above. This week, however, they started to tear down that face of the building, and that mural does not exist anymore. I hope that this one does not suffer the same fate; I'd hate to think that instead of sharing a great shot of the city with you, I was actually chronicling something to show what once stood there.

The area is quite busy lately, as new developments are going up like anthills, so it now remains to see how long can the artistic spirit of the district can survive before being engulfed by commercialism and banality. Miami is not the most artist-friendly city there is, though that is changing for the better, and areas like the Design District present an anomalous snapshot of an underground river of culture that thrives despite the superficiality that most people conjure to mind when they think of Miami.

Setting Sun

2006-03-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

I managed to go home early yesterday so I took an alternate route home that would allow me to shoot some interesting stuff for the photoblog. After that, I headed over to the supermarket to do my shopping for the week. I normally park at this store's rooftop parking lot, and when I got out of my car, I was greeted by this most beautiful setting sun. I just love the contrast between the dark clouds and the burning orange of the star. I rarely have time to see the sun set, but yesterday, after seeing this and taking the photo, I just stood there for the few minutes it took for the sun to fully set.

Joe's Stone Crabs

2006-03-28T13:55:00.000-05:00

Scourge of crustaceans worldwide, Joe's Stone Crabs has been an institution in Miami Beach, in one shape or another, for 93 years! This is THE place to have stone crabs while they're in season (the Winter months) and I hear the rest of the food is excellent as well. Pretty much all the rich and famous that either live or visit Miami pass by Joe's, and the lines to enter can be the stuff of legends. I have never eaten there (not kosher), but I have yet to hear a bad review or experience, and for those visiting Miami, going to Joe's can be a memorable experience.

And just in case you're interested, they also ship all over the continental United States (sorry, world).

Spring!

2006-03-27T13:05:00.000-05:00

Though you'd hardly know it, since "seasons" in Miami consits pretty much of various degrees of hot, Spring is indeed here, as indicated by these young mangoes. In about a month and a half they should be eatable, though it takes about two months for them to get big and plump. Oh, and just to share, today's "cool" temperature is 72 (F).

The first tefillin

2006-03-26T11:03:00.000-05:00

After a little over a year of hard work and much study, my friend Pinchas completed his conversion to Judaism this past friday, so today was the first day he got to put on his tefillin. Mazal tov!

Autoportrait

2006-03-25T22:45:00.000-05:00

I work at my father-in-law's house (he has a home office) and he has a pool in the backyard. It was really sunny in the morning, so I went out to catch some sun and ended up taking this shot of my shadow reflected in the pool.

As a epilogue, in the afternoon we had a cold front pass through bringing in a mini-storm and a drop in temperatures to the low 60's/upper 50's. Yes, world, this is what passes as Winter in Miami. Funny thing is most people are going to be out there wearing their jackets. I know I am.

Gothic, Miami style

2006-03-24T13:09:00.000-05:00

To provide a this-side-of-the-Atlantic companion to today's photo from Montchauvet, France, (just check out those store-bought gargoyles!) I give you arguably the weirdest, most awesome house I have seen in Miami in almost 11 years. This bay-side mansion is the work of someone who probably enjoys Renaissance Faires and Dungeons & Dragons a little bit too much (in short, someone like me) and had money to bring their vision to life. I just love the incongruity of the faux medieval architecture with the tropical palms as sentinels on front. I've never been inside, but I would pay for a private tour. I can only imagine what they have cooked up inside!

Here are two more pics, showing the whole house: pic 1, pic 2.

Cops, South Beach style

2006-03-23T06:56:00.000-05:00

As I said, things in South Beach are rarely done the normal way, and that applies even to the cops. While bicycle cops may be normal for other parts of the country or the world, I'm willing to bet that they are not quite the same as these guys: all muscled and buff, tanned to a perfect bronze (if they were friend foods, they'd be done), and chatting on a cellphone as they patrol the "beat" that is Ocean Drive. It must be so hard watching out for so many beautiful people!

Funky apartment building

2006-03-22T10:49:00.000-05:00

Things in South Beach are rarely done on a subdued scale, and this apartment building located at 248 Washington Ave., South Beach (Google map, zoom in and click Satellite so you can see the distinctive shape - for some reason, for the marker to be in front of this building, the address has to be typed as 274) . I cam across this building when I parked my car to go take a different picture altogether. You would think such a structure would not be something you can overlook, but not in Miami, and especially not in South Beach.

If you are interested, the second floor apartment (with the long vertical window) is for sale, though I wouldn't even dream of asking what the price is.

Wilma, 4 1/2 months later

2006-03-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Wilma swept through Miami with a force that was completely unexpected. Most people down here still measure hurricanes using Andrew as a yardstick, so Wilma was not necessarily given much clout. How wrong were we! In North Bay Village, a small city adjacent to Miami Beach (where I live), the hurricane destroyed a very unique feature of the area, the small houseboat community by the bay. These houses that had stood to all the previous hurricanes just could not hold their own against Wilma, and ended up as debris along the bay. Still today, about 4 1/2 months later, the corner of the bay where these houseboats floated is still littered with debris, and more than a handful have yet to be cleared up. Perhaps Miami will actually learn from this one?

Hello

2006-03-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Miami Daily Photo blog.
I came across the Paris Daily Photo blog a couple days ago, then proceeded to lose a lot of time checking out that and all the other Daily Photo blogs it linked to. It surprised me that Miami had not popped up on that list yet, so in an act of uncharacteristic rashness, I decided to start the Miami edition of the Daily Photo blog.

When most people hear "Miami" arguably the first thing that comes to mind is South Beach (or that Will Smith song); I hope to show you a different side of Miami (and all associated areas). Miami actually has a lot to offer, even if sometimes you really need to dig deep down to find it.

So welcome to this blog, and hope you like these shots of my city.

Oh, and if you'd like to make a request, just leave a comment or email me.