As I write these words, we’re on our way from Bergen to the top of Norway and then beyond to Longyearbyen in Svalbard archipelago, the last inhabited piece of land before the geographic North Pole.
It is one of the strangest environments on earth, and one of my favorites. I wrote about Svalbard at length in one of my books, “Henry Hudson: Dreams and Obsession.”
I’m looking forward to returning, and sharing a new series of photos soon.
After Svalbard we’ll sail back down to Iceland, Greenland, Nova Scotia, and finally into the great harbor of New York on the Hudson River.
My camera is never far from my hands, at home or anywhere else in the world.
A day without a new photo is a day lost.
I’ll upload new photos and observations in my next blog post.
Meanwhile, I’m looking for signs.
You Talking to Me?
A mannequin in a shop window in Buenos Aires demanded my attention. Se dice de mí? is a reference to a song made famous in the 1950s by the Argentine actress and singer Tita Merello in which she turned the tables (just a bit) on Latin American machismo. The phrase means, “They say about me.” English-speaking filmgoers might find more resonance as a reference to the 1976 film “Taxi Driver” in which Robert De Niro asks, “You talkin’ to me?” Photo by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.
Bearly Equipped
On the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard signs remind residents and visitors to carry a rifle because polar bears are armed with claws and teeth. The sign translates as “Applies to all of Svalbard.” By Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.
River Boating
The Amazon River in Brazil is a thoroughfare of old wooden boats that transport people from towns and villages on the main river and up the hundreds of lesser waterways that lead into the interior. Here in Parintins, a travel agency sells tickets for passagem fluvial, river passage. Photo by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.
Steamships from Down Under
In Cairns, Australia a sign at the former offices of The Adelaide Steamship Company reminds of times gone. The company operated from 1875 until 2006 carrying freight and passengers between the remote ports of Australia. Photo by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.
Show Business
The cultural heart of Fortaleza, Brazil is the Theatro Jose de Alencar, which opened in 1910 in a flamboyant Art Nouveau style. Cast iron elements of the building were made at the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow, Scotland and brought across the Atlantic. Photo by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.I climbed up rickety stairs to the very hot and dusty attic to photograph the theater’s glass sign from the inside. Photo by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.
Parents Be Warned
On the Greek island of Patmos, a barkeeper makes clear his preference for kiddies to be brought elsewhere. Photo by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.
Photos and text copyright 2024 by Corey Sandler. To obtain copies or otherwise use images, please contact methrough my website at www.coreysandler.com
Now available, the revised Second Edition of “Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession” by Corey Sandler, for the Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on a Kindle device, or in a Kindle App on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:
