Freiburg im Breisgau

I was in Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany for a relaxed weekend between Nice and Berlin. This has always been one of my favorite cities in all of Europe. It's a university town that is dominated by the 14th century Gothic cathedral in the center of the city. Evenings were warm and long, and best enjoyed at one of the many restaurants that surround the church courtyard.

Every day of the week (except Sunday) there is a large market that occurs in the area surrounding the cathedral. This is a great place to photograph and eat well all at the same time. Our favorite here is Hotel Oberkirch for both accommodations and for the outstanding restaurant.

Nice

I'm in Nice, France for a few days. It's hot here with the usual crowds of tourists from all over the world - I'm not sure how I manage to be in southern Europe during the hottest and most crowded season. The people are friendly and the food is good, especially the bouillabaisse and other Provençal specialties.

And then there’s the fundamental issue around photographing people: do I ask before I shoot them? I tend to think yes, but then the results seem posed. Otherwise, I might get a good shot, but I might upset my subject and miss the chance for a more extended interaction.

Northern New Mexico

We drove though the Chama valley of Northern New Mexico and then through Abiquiu on a brilliant June day. We followed the high road from Taos to Santa Fe, stopping along the way at a variety of small towns including Chimayo and Truchas. This area is always astonishing in the graphic difference in wealth between the Santa Fe area and the small mountain towns.

London

We visited London for a week in April. It was springtime here and the gardens were in full bloom. London, as always, is an expensive place to visit and the weakness of the dollar made the situation even worse. Nevertheless, London remians a great place to visit thanks to the ease of getting around this huge city and the many cultural and historical sights.

The food in London was outstanding. The most notable meal we had was at St. John near the Smithfield market. We decided to vist here after seeing Anthony Bourdain's show that visited this restaurant.