Photo of the day (11.19.10)

by Alex Robertson Textor on

The most compelling travel images are so often those that provide a glimpse into a half-hidden world previously unknown to the viewer. This image of a Cinque Terre cafe, taken by Flickr user snowjumpr, certainly feels like just this sort of world-revealing stolen glance, in large part due to the framing of the photograph by an external window. The proprietor is looking directly into the camera, aware that he is being watched, and the dance of light across the cafe beckons gently.

But what is most appealing about this cafe is what we don’t know about it. (Would the man at the counter offer a smile or a frown to guests? It’s difficult to tell from his impassive gaze. And what sorts of edible things are sold here? The blackboard is impossible to make out.)

Got an image of a half-hidden world among your archived travel images? Upload it to Gadling’s image pool on Flickr and we just might feature it as a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (11.15.10)

by Mike Barish on


People love to brag about their ambitious itineraries when traveling. They’re going to see umpteen temples, take so many overnight trains and eat at every street vendor. That’s all well and good, but I enjoy not feeling rushed when I’m traveling. I also enjoy benches. Benches are your environment’s way of saying, “Hey, now would be a good time to chill out for a bit.”

This photo by Flickr user snowjumpr taken in Varenna, Italy shows what, to me, looks like a pretty sweet way to spend a day. A newspaper, a calm body of water and a bench. Heck, I even like the socks.

Have a picture of a comfortable bench? Or maybe just some great travel photos? Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group and we might use one for a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the day (11.12.10)

by Alex Robertson Textor on

As a kid, I listened to my grandparents talk about the desolate beauty of the Badlands. The place with the simple, slightly confusing name had to be beautiful and special, I reasoned with myself, or its name wouldn’t provoke such wistful reverence on the part of the Robertsons of Boulder Creek. Flash forward a bunch of years, and despite having visited many countries and 48 states, I still haven’t made it to the Badlands. When I look at images like this one, by JasonBechtel, I wonder what the holdup is.

Got a photo of an American treasure popular with your grandparents? Submit it to the Gadling Flickr pool and we might just choose it as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (11.9.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on

If you live in New York City, it would have been hard not to notice a certain spectacle taking place over the weekend.

On Sunday, November 7th, a record 45,344 runners turned out to compete in New York’s 41st annual marathon; the largest and most widely spectated marathon in the world. An average of two million people line the streets every year to cheer on runners from around the world in the 26.2 mile journey through all five boroughs of the city. Even Chilean miner Edison Peña accepted a special invitation to compete in the race, finishing in 5 hours and 40 minutes; a course time that’s perfectly acceptable after spending 69 days underground.

Today’s Photo of the Day is a frame from the 2006 NYC Marathon, taken by Flickr user (and PotD regular) Clay Williams on the streets of Brooklyn. I think this image is a great illustration of the intersection of culture that inevitably occurs when thousands of people from around the world run through the streets of one of most diverse cities in the world.

Have you run or cheered someone on at a major marathon? Did you make it to New York’s this year? Share your stories and photos to prove it! Leave a comment below or submit to our Flickr Pool and it could be our next Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (11.08.10)

by Mike Barish on
My earliest travel memories are of my first trip to Disney World. I remember waking up before sunrise to go to the airport. I remember sharing a hotel room with my sister and thinking that we were very cool for doing so. And I remember the breakfast buffet at the hotel. Breakfast at my house as a kid consisted of cereal, bagels, eggs and, on special occasions, pancakes with bacon. I’ve loved bacon from an early age. My mother, being a caring parent, made sure to limit how much bacon her children ate to avoid us developing poor eating habits. However, on that first trip to Disney World, upon seeing the tray of bacon at the breakfast buffet, all of my mother’s attempts at making me a responsible eater were undermined by one plate that I filled entirely with bacon.

I was reminded of that story when I saw this photo by Flickr user JasonBechtel. You see, I still tend to graze when I travel. Sure, I eat proper meals, But, I also eat unorthodox meals such as pre-breakfast, second breakfast, linner, dunch, second dinner, late night snack, etc. Travel allows us to convince ourselves that eating is about far more than just fuel. It’s about culture. Passing up a chance to eat something is not an option. We don’t want to be closed-minded. So, we indulge. We gorge. We fill up those plates with bacon.

Sorry, mom. At least I’m cultured.

Have a picture of yourself grazing a buffet? Or maybe just some great travel photos? Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group and we might use one for a future Photo of the Day.