Photo: ARTrageous at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts

Last night was the annual ARTrageous fundraiser for the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.  The even featured a reception with a silent auction in a tent outside the Scottsdale Center, then a dinner in the lobby, followed by a concert by Pink Martini.

This is a photo of the dinner in the theater lobby.  It was a delightful event.  By coincidence, we were seated at a table where the woman sitting beside me went to the same high school in suburban St. Louis as my husband, both in the 1960's.  They had some of the same teachers and knew some of the same people.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary.

Photo: The social scene at the Scottsdale Polo Championships

The Scottsdale Polo Championships, held this past weekend, are as much a social event as they are a polo match. When the event was first held 4 years ago, it attracted only a few thousand spectators.  The newspaper projected that this year 15,000 or so people will attend.

We have attended the Palermo Open Polo Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, several times while visiting my step son.  In what is the Super Bowl of polo, they fill a large stadium with matches in a tournament that lasts about a month.  It will be a long time, if ever, before polo develops in the USA to the level of Argentina, but it is fun activity at whatever level it is played and watched.

I do not dress up like the women in this photo when attending polo matches, but they look like they are having fun.  The guy in the back of the photo looks like he is having fun, too.

This week we have photos of the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Scottsdale Polo Chamionships

This weekend is the Scottsdale Polo Championships.  We won't be able to go, but I am posting a photo from when we attended the event in the past.

Now in its 4th year, this event is growing, with additional festivities planned besides the polo matches.  The program for this year advertises that they will have what they are calling "The World's Longest Fashion Show" as well as a "Canine Couture" fashion show.

There will also be a car show sponsored by the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction.

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibit at the Super Bowl

At the NFL Fan Experience that accompanies the Super Bowl, there is an exhibition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  I will show a sample of this in my post tomorrow.

Museums commonly have touring exhibits, and I have been to many art museums.  I have never been to a sports hall of fame, and I doubt that I ever will, as I am not much of a sports fan.  My husband tells me whatever he thinks I need to know about sports to be culturally literate.

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: NFL Fan Experience at Super Bowl

Here is another photo of the NFL Fan Experience from the last time the Super Bowl was in Phoenix.  Next year the NFL Fan Experience will be in downtown Phoenix, so I assume that they will use the large Phoenix Convention Center, rather than having ti set up several large tents.

The downtown location will also make it possible for some people to reach the event by light rail, as the drive to the stadium in Glendale is quite a distance for most people.  Bringing people downtown is always good for the restaurants and other businesses downtown.

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Theme Day -- "People on the Streets"

Today's worldwide City Daily Photo Theme is "People on the Streets."  I therefore chose this photo of runners during the P.F. Chang's Rock & Roll Marathon.

Crowds of pedestrians are a rare sight in the Valley of the Sun.  We do have people in the streets in the downtown Scottsdale gallery and shopping district.  But we do not have the crowded pedestrian scenes that other large cities may have.

That is because the Phoenix metro area has the lowest population density of any major city in the country.  Most people drive to nearly everyplace they go in their daily routine.  I therefore chose this photo of marathon runners to show a crowd of people in the streets for today's theme.

This week we are showing photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

To see how other Daily Photo bloggers have interpreted today's theme, click on this link.

Luminarias on a trail at the Desert Botanical Garden

The Desert Botanical Garden luminaria evenings allow people to walk along the garden trails illuminated by luminarias, with musicians, food and drink located at different places in the garden.

They do not allow tripods, however, as it is dark, there are a lot of people walking around, and it would be a tripping hazard.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Luminarias at Sunset

It is now the holiday season, and luminarias are a holiday tradition in the Southwest.

This is a photo of the luminarias at sunset in the Desert Botanical Garden.  This is a phoot from last year, but we will be going again to the DBG's luminaria displays a little later in the holiday season this year.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Scottsdale Polo Championships

I showed a few photos of spectators at the Scottsdale Polo Championships during the past few days, so I guess I should show a photo of the polo.

Our good friends buy tailgate tickets each year, which allows us to picnic right next to the polo field as the horses thunder past us.

The Scottsdale Polo Championships are coming up again this year on November 1 and 2.  Here is a link to the website for the event.

This week we have photos of the wildlife and people of Tanzania posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. 

Photo: Pink Hat at Scottsdale Polo Championships

Here is another photo that I considered posting for yesterday's Theme Day of "pink."  It is also from last fall's Scottsdale Polo Championships.  The people watching at this even included lots of women in fancy hats.  I was not one of them.

The Scottsdale Polo Championships are coming up again this year on November 1 and 2.  Here is a link to the website for the event.

This week we have photos of Tanzania posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  We are showing photos of some of its wildlife and people.

Theme Day: Pink, Pink, and Pink

Today's theme for City Daily Photo bloggers around the world is "pink."  For this theme I chose some of the outfits worn by attendees at the Scottsdale Polo Championships last fall.

I don't know what was more fun, watching the polo horses or watching the people.  They had lots of custom cars on display as well.  The event is coming up again this year on November 1 and 2.  Here is a link to the website for the event.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Tanzania, including some of its wildlife and people.

Here is a link to see how other City Daily Photo bloggers have interpreted the theme of "Pink."

Photo: Sunday crafts fair on the canal bridge

This is a photo of part of the Sunday crafts fair that is located on the pedestrian bridge that connects the Scottsdale Waterfront/Scottsdale Fashion Square shopping areas with the Southbridge/downtown Scottsdale shopping and entertainment district.

The crafts fair is also set up on the plazas on both sides of the pedestrian bridge.  My husband and I walk over this bridge many times on our way to dinner at one of the many restaurants in downtown Scottsdale.

It is nice to live close enough to walk to dinner at dozens of restaurants, which is a rarity in Phoenix/Scottsdale, as most people have to drive everywhere.

This week we are showing photos of the colorful architecture and street scenes of Grenada, Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Crafts fair on the pedestrian bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront

This is a pedestrian bridge over the canal that separates the Scottsdale Waterfront from the Southbridge projects in downtown Scottsdale.

There is a crafts fair on the bridge and the surrounding plaza on Sundays and Thursday evenings, as you can see in this photo.

In addition to the umbrellas providing shade for the crafts booths, there are umbrellas hanging upside down from the top of the bridge.  That is part of an art installation.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the colorful architecture and street scenes of Grenada, Nicaragua.

Photo: Inside one of the Dual Apparitions

The Dual Apparitions art installation that I have been showing has a slot on one side that allows people to walk inside.  This is a view up towards the sky from the inside.

Tomorrow I will show the view out to the side, through the skin of the art.  Although the Spring Equinox celebration is over, this art will be on display through the summer.

This week we have photos of Jerash, Jordan posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  Jerash is the largest excavated Roman city outside of Italy.

Photo: Solar Ceremony at Soleri Bridge

Because this was a solar ceremony at the Soleri Bridge, it seems fitting to conclude this little series with a photo that shows the ceremony, the bridge abutments, and the sun.

An unusual feature of the Soleri Bridge is that it is a suspension bridge, but it is suspended from ony one side of the the bridge.  There are no abutments on the other side.

This is the only bridge designed by world famous architect Paolo Soleri, who lives nearby.  He designed Arcosanti, a new city in the desert.  It was a pioneering concept of living in harmony with nature that he championed more than 50 years ago.

This week we have photos of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, believed to be the site of the Crucifixion, photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Solar Ceremony Street Performers

Yesterday I showed the flaming stripe on the sidewalk, and today's photo shows some of the performers leaning backwards amidst the smoke from the flame.

The performers were able to use their poles to balance themselves as they leaned way over on the stilts under their costumes.

This week we have photos of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, believed to be the site of the Crucifixion, photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Flaming stripe

The solar ceremony for the first day of Spring included dancers with torches, and one of the torches lit the little stripe on the sidewalk, which sent a flame burning down the sidewalk to the bridge abutment of the Soleri Bridge.

The fire steaming down the sidewalk was certainly a surprise to the people gathered around.

This week we have photos of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, believed to be the site of the Crucifixion, photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Torch ablaze

The Flam Chen performance artists carried poles that were set ablaze during the solar ceremony to mark the beginning of Spring last weekend.  This photo caught the burning pole as it pointed right at us as the performance artists marched in circles around the Paolo Soleri plaza.

This week we have photos of Jerusalem posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  We are featuring photos that show both the Muslim and Jewish holy sites, including the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall.

Photo: Performance Artists on Stilts

The Flam Chen performance artists used their stilts and poles that seemed at times to be like jousting poles to form various formations as part of the solar ceremony in the plaza on the Paolo Soleri-designed pedestrian suspension bridge over the canal at the Scottsdale Waterfront.

Since this was a solar ceremony, I tried to get a low camera angle to include the sun, the bridge and the artists in the photo, which was tough to do.  I wish I had brought a wider angle lens.

This week we have photos of Jerusalem posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. We are featuring photos that show both the Muslim and Jewish holy sites, including the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall.

Photo: Performance artists

Here is a closer view of two of the Flam Chen performance artists participating in the solar ceremony for the beginning of Spring last weekend.

The abutments of the Soleri Suspension bridge are in the background.   It is a pedestrian bridge over the canal at the Scottsdale Waterfront.  It is the only bridge by reknown architect Paolo Soleri.

This week we have photos of Jerusalem posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  We are featuring photos that show both the Muslim and Jewish holy sites, including the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall.