Piazza Archimede

Syracuse (Siracusa), Sicily, Italy ~ April 27, 2004

Island of Ortygia

Taken by an animal motif as usual, I may not have known we had stumbled upon a piazza and fountain dedicated to the great scientist and mathematician Archimedes, who lived and died in Syracuse (287-212 or 211 BC).

My Web Page: tapirback.com

The Flavor of Ancient Egypt

Syracuse (Siracusa), Sicily, Italy ~ April 27, 2004

Island of Ortygia

Fontaine d'Aréthuse, Papyrus

One of the coolest things about hot Syracuse was its flavor of ancient Egypt. Syracuse is the only place in Europe where papyrus grows "in a natural setting," as I read on this site. Scroll past the gigantic hotel ads and you can read more about papyrus in this Mediterranean city that seems to be part Europe and part Africa. We missed the papyrus museum, which may be on the mainland, and it appears that there is an opportunity for a career move if anyone should take a photo of it. I couldn't find one. There was a thriving papyrus industry in Syracuse at one time. 

Papyrus grows in the refreshing Fontaine d'Aréthuse with its resident white ducks and long, dark fish.

My Web Page: tapirback.com

Friendly Fish

Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii ~ September 25, 2007

At Captain Cook's Monument

I was mesmerized by the fish at Captain Cook's Monument. We paddled over in kayaks; the water was clear, the setting idyllic, and the fish not as skittish as in some other places. Here's another fish from that day.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Yellowtail Coris, Hawaii

Hawaii ~ September 25, 2007

Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook's Monument)

Usually it's nice when the fish cooperates and gives you a fish-like profile, but in this photo I was happy get some of the brilliant blue spots and the flowerlike tail.

By the way, for any of you who enjoyed my "On the Pavement" blog, I merged it with "Tapirgal's Daily Image" last night. All of the photos and comments are here. I'll be including "pavement" photos among the other posts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

"Dump No Waste, Drains to Stream"

Bend, Oregon ~ May 31, 2010

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Fish Mola from Panama

Panama City, Panama ~ January 17, 2006

I'm sorry about the lousy photo quality, but I couldn't resist taking pictures of several of the framed molas hanging in the restaurant area of a hotel we stayed in. Molas are a very particular kind of reverse applique stitchery made by the Indians in the Kuna Islands of Panama. Every little detail is stitched by hand, the edges of the cloth are turned under, and you end up with layer upon layer of beautifully intricate stitching as well as fascinating, artistic designs. As you can tell, I love molas. They were originally made to be worn as blouses by the women. When the sleeves and the seams wore out, they would take the design off and make it into a new blouse. Now they are sold to tourists as artwork in its own right with ragged fabric edges rather than turning into something to wear. The ragged edges are usually hidden under a frame.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Sailfish from Mexico

Mexico ~ Sailfish on a Postage Stamp

Stamp collectors may note that someone (yours truly) has carelessly slashed the stamp between the picture and the perforations. It wasn't out of meanness, but many of the stamps I've saved over the years are for use in the collages I've enjoyed making since 1968, when I discovered that I liked this art form. I've saved bits, images, and whole magazines to play around with when the mood strikes. This stamp was left out of some collage I was making at the time, but saved in the "collage box," and when it came up again, I was thinking "Animal Art" blog.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Scales and Snails

Oxford, England ~ February 18, 2010

The scales may be easier to find than the carved wooden snail in this intriguing shop window on The High Street.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Pelican, Salmon, Seagull

Warrenton, Oregon ~ March 28, 2010

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Amazing Face

Newport, Oregon ~ March 11, 2006

Oregon Coast Aquarium

I think this may be a frogfish cast in bronze and integrated with the rock in the gardens of the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Keeping the Water Clean

Astoria, Oregon ~ April 28, 2010

"No Dumping, Drains to River"

I've been seeing a lot of similar signs on the streets in places such as Astoria, Portland, and Bend. Of course, I was first attracted by the image of a fish on the street, then I read the message.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A Salmon in Tacoma - Imagine That!

Tacoma, Washington ~ May 22, 2004

If I remember correctly, this was right outside a very good sushi place, although I don't think there was any connection.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Thematic Trout at Tapiola

Astoria, Oregon ~ May 20, 2010

Tapiola Park

In a town where so much of the history and economy is about fish, the playground has done a beautiful job of incorprating local elements, including this approachable trout in the toddlers' section.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Crocodiles of Paris

Paris ~ October 14, 2008

Cuvier Fountain, Rue Linne and Rue Cuvier

For more about the fountain and its location, check out this post on my personal blog. For more crododiles in Paris, take a look at Jacob's Paris post from the Musee d'Orsay.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Shedd Doors

Chicago ~ April 22, 2005

John G. Shedd Aquarium

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Chowder, Anyone?

San Francisco, California ~ February 2, 2007

San Francisco International Airport

Don't do this to me. Has someone figured out that you sell more seafood if the fish have happy smiles on their faces?

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Fish and Shell Mosaic in the Women's Bathroom

Portland, Oregon ~ c. 2003

I found this mosaic in a restroom at one of the Portland convention centers. I think it was the Rose Garden, but I'm no longer sure about that. We had attended a gift show before I had any clue about finding my way around Portland. I only remember I was happy to see that someone had thought of decorating the restroom with animals.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Parrotfish and Wrasse, Maui

Star-eyed Parrotfish (Calotomus carolinus) (above)
Saddle Wrasse (Thalassoma duperrey) (below)

Honolua Bay, Maui ~ May 8, 2010

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Please visit our page of fish toys and replicas

The Amazing Salmon Bench

Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington ~

February 2008

Photo by MB, Small City Scenes

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Chasing Fish

Star-eyed Parrotfish (Calotomus carolinus)

Honolua Bay, Maui ~ May 8, 2010

I mentioned to someone that I would soon be chasing fish with a camera in Hawaii, and she asked, "Do you really chase fish?" Yes, I do. I'm still a rank beginner at photographing fish under water, and this trip was my fourth attempt. I've learned that sometimes if I wait, they'll come to me, but I've only just discovered that. More often, I become excited, see a fish I like (which is practically any fish) and I try to follow it, ending up with a photo of the fish from this angle. This is not too bad, actually. I have the whole fish in the frame.

Due to overcast conditions this past weekend, I have fewer usable pictures from this trip than from earlier trips. The water was very clear in Hololua Bay, but the overcast skies dulled the colors, and neither did we find schools of fish right up close and easy to capture with the camera. This is the first tropical-fish-not-in-an-aquarium photo on this blog. As I'm trying to post something almost every day, I'll be posting the good pix from this trip as well as digging into the archives from earlier adventures. I have some nice turtle pictures, too, although we didn't see any turtles this time.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store

Please visit our page of fish toys and replicas