Our first vaca outside of the Sates, several years back now, was to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. While it was only a small, curated window into another culture (the excursions opened it further), it was enough to spark the travel bug. It’s been a few years since we have been back to MX but we remedied that this May.

Welcome to Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres!

The short version is that this place was beautiful. The people were genuinely kind. The amenities were on point for what we were looking for. There were just enough people to make it feel alive without being crowded. Five stars, highly recommended.

The balcony.
The room was pretty amazing and the view was great. The balcony faced east, meaning all we had to do was wake up a little early and the sunrise was knocking.

The company.
No matter how great a place is, the being there with the right person makes all the difference.

Bit of an overcast day, cooler than I would like. Spending some time under the patio heater with some wine and a book. Not a bad Sunday afternoon.

Lured me onto the floor to play with her only to steel my seat, promptly taking a nap. Punk.

Despite her best efforts, this little monster managed to make it alive to her 4th birthday. Happy birthday, ya little dipshit.

Icebergs break from the Vatnajokull Glacier, drifting through the lagoon before making their way to the Atlantic. The weather in Iceland is fickle, giving us fog for the morning while we were there. Originally annoyed by the lack of visibility, I’m kind of digging the softness that the fog created in the photos.

With the view of the icebergs obscured, we took to walking about the lagoon. Really like these shots, not sure they would have stood out if not for the fog.

Skaftafell. Svinafellsjokull. Freysnes / Svinafell. Think that says it all.

Signpost on the path to / from Skaftafell in Iceland.

From a recent work trip to Arizona. The hotel had a “cactus garden” out back with this statue.

It’s comin' back around again
This is for the people of the sun.

There is something about Leica cameras that just make you want to pick them up and use them … even if it’s just to snap random shots around the house. Straight from the camera, only some straightening and cropping.

Back to Iceland, still have more than a few photos to post.

On this morning, we started with a short walk / hike to a glacier in Skaftafell. It was our first glacier and we were well separated from it by some exceptionally muddy water … may need to get a little closer on our next visit.

While the blue of the ice was exceptional, the muddy water felt like it detracted from the images when we got a little closer so I went with a monochrome treatment.

Found this on the camera, though it was from my last visit … turns out it was from late March of ‘25. Oops.

Going with the latter.

Woke up this morning to some flurries that quickly escalated into proper snow. Been a long time since I photographed snow so figured it was time. Taken from the back porch, nothing special, just snow. Cropped with a wee exp boost, otherwise untouched.

Post breakfast at Madman Espresso, we were uptown bound. The cool and overcast weather lent itself to a more somber and reflective mood … it felt right.

Star crossed lovers.

Made it to the Delacorte Theater and was able to spend some time with Romeo and Juliet. I love how their forms meld into and out of each other, how clothing seems to vanish and reappear. Had the weather been brighter and bit warmer, I would have lingered longer. Next time.

Towards the reservoir.

Moving further into Central Park, the less flattering weather seemed to keep folks elsewhere, opening up the Great Lawn for some people-free photos. While freeing up the lawn, the mood of the day lent itself to a trip around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. It was quiet, calm, lending itself to reflection.

Heading downtown.

Grabbed a train downtown, back to the hotel for a bit of warmth and comfort. This particular station was … less polished than others but the grit had a good look to it.

Last weekend, I hopped the train to NYC for a few days. It was a solo trip to unplug and feel at home again in the sites, sounds and smells of the city. If you know, you know. Things were a bit out of sorts early on as I forgot that the NYC Marathon was that day, something I was reminded of the closer I got to Central Park up the west side. By the end of the evening, things were falling into a place again.

Heading uptown.

While I saw the Reeves / Winter performance of Waiting for Godot a few weeks back, I couldn’t help but snap a few shots along the way, can’t pass up a chance to photo the Great Ones. Was able to cut between streets at the Minskoff Theatre before chilling at the Worldwide Plaza for a few minutes to enjoy the sun.

Heading downtown

Not long after, I discovered the marathon. Hats off to all that participated, hell of an accomplishment. While it did prevent me from hitting my destination, it was hard to be too upset at it. Took a train back to 34th to settle into the hotel before heading further downtown to visit the Leica store in Meatpacking, always a good (and potentially hella expensive) time. Meatpacking is always a dope place to hang and a street or two always seems to be blocked from motor traffic. It was then that I stumbled into the Little Island, a thing I knew nothing about, at the perfect time of day.

To dinner

Took the train uptown to grab some of my favorite pizza from Don Antonios on 50th. Had my margherita and a glass of Chianti before heading back to the hotel and calling it a night. Turned out to be a solid day.

Back in May, I needed to take a day to clear my head so I took the camera and went for a walk, snapping pics to help clear the head. Posted some pics in the Grey isolation. post. Was doing some Lightroom cleanup and found this one that I forgot to post. Better now than never.

Taken a few weeks back while leaving the local winery. Looks way more dramatic than what it actually turned out to be.

Continuing our mission to visit some other local wineries, we stumbled into the Violet Vintage Wine Company. Bigger than the previous two with a unique vibe and plenty of outdoor seating (weather was perfect for it). Food and wine were pretty damn good. Totally worth a revisit.

Meanwhile, Rachel is getting more comfortable with the Q3 in prep for visiting AZ at the end of the month.

Took a break from our go-to winery the other week, hit up a couple of smaller locals to see what we are missing in our backyard. Stumbled onto Deerfoot Vineyards and Winery, a small winery with a Chardonnay that I actually liked … didn’t see that coming.

There is something about Leica cameras that just make you want to use them. I felt it in the first few minutes when I rented a Q2 a couple of years back. So strong was the connection that I bought into the Leica family shortly after returning the Q. You just can’t help but pop the lens cap off and snap some shots whenever it’s in your hands … even if it’s just when shuttling the camera upstairs while also feeding Juno the cat.

Black and white preset straight from the M11 P.

Leaving Skogur, we headed further east to our next stop, Reynisfjara. Never been to a black-sand beach before and, truth be told, the waves were a little too dangerous (damn sneaker waves) to venture into the sand so it was more of a black-stone experience.

You can see a hint of the Hálsanefshellir Cave and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks on the edges of the last pic. Sadly, the conditions at the time made for a brief visit. Guess we’ll have to go back. What a shame ;)

Powered up the Q3 this morning to check the charge, been neglecting it a bit since the M11-P showed up. Flipped on the back screen and the focus was on two of the power cables under the desk. It was simple, minimal, with the velcro stranding out as the only real contrast … so, I snapped a shot cuz why not.

After spending some time at Skogafoss, we ventured next door to the Skogur Museum and had a fun little history lesson before wandering around the village right out back. While the homes were small with a very distinct earthy smell, the view was, like all views in Iceland, amazing.

Heading back uptown, waiting for the train.

Been going to NYC for quite a long while yet managed to never visit the Brooklyn Bridge, until now. All the people, the heat of the day and the cloudless conditions made the trek feel pretty long so we asked the AI nonsense on the phone how long the bridge actually was. Confidently did it proclaim “1,595 ft (.3 miles). Turns out that’s not entirely true. It’s actually 6,016 ft (1.1 miles). The smaller number is just the length of the largest span so yeah, context is important. Feels like there is an AI lesson there, too.

Found a lot of locks clipped onto things, had to look that one up, too. Apparently they are “love locks” and, in mass, add a significant amount of weight to the structure. So much so that they are illegal in NYC and come along with a $100 fine. Illegal or not, it was sort of a cool photo with the city in the background.

Ever since I started visiting NYC in the 90’s, Bryant Park has always been a momentary rest, a place to relax for a moment and observe the city as it moves around you. Now nostalgic, it’s become a staple to my visits, even just for a few moments.