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.

Scottsdale Waterfront Condos

I mentioned a few days ago that a 10 story office building was the tallest building in Scottsdale for decades. A few years ago the City allowed these tall condos in the heart of Scottsdale. People who live here love it, as there are lots of amenities and they can walk to probably 50 restaurants. My husband and I walk here for dinner in the evening sometimes from our house.

The condos are part of the Scottsdale Waterfront Project, which combines residential towers with shops, restaurants, and offices. The Waterfront connects Scottsdale Fashion Square, which is across the street to the north, and downtown Scottsdale, which is across the canal to the south, as I showed yesterday.

I think the City allowed the height as an incentive for the developer because of the benefit of developing and uniting the land between the mall and downtown. But of course now developers want to the zoning changed in the surrounding area to allow more tall buildings.

This week we are showing photos of a mussel ranch in Nova Scotia, Canada on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Scottsdale Waterfront and Soleri Bridge

This is the scene looking east from Goldwater Boulevard near the fish wall that I have showed during the last few days. This photo shows a pedestrian bridge that connects the Scottsdale Waterfront project on the left with the Southbridge project on the right.

Inn the background are the two towers of the Paolo Soleri suspension bridge, which is also a pedestrian bridge across the canal.

It is only during the past few years that Scottsdale has decided to take advantage of the canals that cross our city, bringing water from as far as the Colorado River, 200 miles (320 km) away. San Antonio learned how to use canals as an architectural feature 80 years ago. Of course, 80 years ago Scottsdale was desert.

This week we are showing photos of a mussel ranch in Nova Scotia, Canada on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Soleri Bridge and Soleri Bell

Here is the last photo in the series of the new Soleri Bridge in Scottsdale.

Paolo Soleri is known for making bells. We have several of his unique bells in our back yard.

Soleri bells look good and sound good. I can hear them in the house when the wind blows.

Jim Lowman took this great photo. Jim's website is Leafdog Art Gallery.

Today is Sunday so check out fabulous and intriguing photos of the statues of Easter Island at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Soleri Bridge Towers

Here is a photo of the towering bridges of the new Paolo Soleri bridge.

This bridge actually connects the new Scottsdale Waterfront and Old Town Scottsdale.

This photo was taken by Jim Lowman, our fellow artist and photographer. His website is Leafdog Art Gallery

Check out travel photos of a walk through the Melzi Gardens on Lake Como, Italy at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Soleri Bridge Over the Water

Here is a photo of the new Soleri Bridge over the water.

It is taken from the Scottsdale Waterfront looking towards Old Town Scottsdale.

This image shows the size and design.

This photo was taken by our friend Jim Lowman, who is an artist and photographer. His website is Leafdog Art Gallery.

Check out travel photos of a walk through the Melzi Gardens on Lake Como, Italy at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Tall Soleri Bridge

Here you can see a photo of the Paolo Soleri bridge connecting the Scottsdale Waterfront area to Old Town Scottsdale.

The modern designed bridge adds class and style to the area.

We hope you are enjoying this series of photos of the Soleri bridge.

This photo was taken by Jim Lowman, a fellow artist and photographer.

Check out travel photos of a walk through the Melzi Gardens on Lake Como, Italy at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Soleri Bridge to the Sky

Here is an awesome image of the new Paolo Soleri bridge looking upwards to the sky.

Soleri lives in the Paradise Valley/Scottsdale area.

We all commend Scottsdale for installing this unique addition to the Waterfront and Old Town Scottsdale area.

This series of photos of the Soleri bridge will last for a couple more days.

This photo was taken by Jim Lowman, an artist and photographer. His website is Leafdog Art Gallery.

Check out travel photos of a walk through the Melzi Gardens on Lake Como, Italy at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Series on Soleri Bridge

Here is your first photo of the Soleri bridge that just opened up on the Waterfront in Old Town Scottsdale.

Paolo Soleri has designed numerous bridges but this is one of the first ones built.

My friend who is an artist and photographer, Jim Lowman, took these photos so I thought I would share them. His website is Leafdog Art Gallery.

Check out travel photos of a walk through the Melzi Gardens on Lake Como, Italy at Viva la Voyage!

Theme Day: Reflections

Here is a reflection photo of the new condos along the canal at the Scottsdale waterfront.

I like the symmetry and colors of the buildings in the water.

I will continue with the photo tour of Sedona tomorrow.

Theme days among the city daily photo bloggers are always interesting as you get to see how everyone interprets the theme.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Townhouse along the canal

The Scottsdale Waterfront area is going through a transformation. The canals that lace through Scottsdale, bringing water for irrigation for use on lawns, traditionally have been ignored except by joggers, bicyclists and people who like to walk along the canal banks.

Within the last 5 years, however, the canals in central Scottsdale have become a focal point for development. Rather than ignoring the canals, developers have incorporated views of the canals into the design of condominiums and other development projects.

These new townhouses are just one example. They are located just a couple of blocks from Scottsdale Fashion Square and Old Town Scottsdale. People who live here can walk to dozens of restaurants and night clubs in the Scottsdale entertainment district.

For those of you in cold climates, I regret to tell you that this photo was taken on a recent warm, sunny day earlier this month.

This week we are showing photos of Costa Rica on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Scottsdale Waterfront and Canal

Here is a photo of the new Scottsdale Waterfront project and Salt River Project's Arizona Canal.

The reflections of the palm trees in the water look lovely.

We like to walk to this area from our house and enjoy the restaurants and ambiance of this new area. Those are condos in the buildings on the left.

The Arizona Canal is 38 miles in length. The canal starts at Granite Reef Dam at Salt River to 75th Avenue in Phoenix where the canal links to New River.

Please check out the fabulous photos from Xcaret on our travel site, Viva la Voyage!

Soleri Bell Tree

At Paolo Soleri's residence and art studio, he has this wonderful bell tree.

Soleri's architectural style and use of concrete is innovative. The creation of this concrete tree to serve as a large bell stand is visually interesting and functional.

Soleri is known for the ceramic and bronze bells he and his studio create and sell. Monies earned are used to continue research and construction of Arcosanti and other Soleri projects.

Scottsdale has planned a Soleri designed pedestrian bridge that will be built near the Scottsdale Waterfront. We can't wait to see how the new bridge looks.

Scottsdale Gallery Row

Yesterday's photo introduced you to the Scottsdale Artwalk, which operates as an open house every Thursday night from 7 pm to 9 pm at the art galleries in Old Town Scottsdale.

Today's photo shows a woman walking next to three art galleries.  This is a typical scene along the Scottsdale ArtWalk path on gallery row.  

People are walking around and enjoying the sunshine, the parklike setting, they are browsing in galleries, looking at art that is on sidewalks or the statues located in or around the street, and enjoying the many outdoor cafes.   There are over 100 art galleries in Scottsdale and the art ranges from Contemporary, International, Asian, European, Russian, Western, and more.

To learn more, click Scottsdale ArtWalk. 

Yellow Brick Art Road

In Old Town Scottsdale, we have an art walk every Thursday night from 7 to 9 pm along Main Street and Marshall Way.  You just follow the yellow brick road from gallery to gallery, well it may not be yellow, but you get the idea.  

The photo shows the logo stenciling on the sidewalks of Old Town Scottsdale so it is easy to participate in the Scottsdale ArtWalk.  Thursday night art walks are a tradition started by the Scottsdale Gallery Association (SGA)  over thirty years ago. 

Scottsdale has over 100 art galleries, and Scottsdale has been named one of the top 25 arts destinations in the country by American Style Arts Destinations.  The ArtWalk is an open house style event and the galleries are first rate in quality and diversity of the art that you will see.  The area is very enjoyable to walk around, with fountains, statues, cafes, and more.  It is Thursday so make a date tonight in Old Town Scottsdale and start walking down the yellow brick art road.  For more information, click Scottsdale ArtWalk.

Absinthe: The Green Hour at Digestif

Digestif has excellent Cal-Ital food with organic vegetables and farm to table meals. Digestif, as reflected by its name, is also known for its unique drinks. Digestif defines its offerings as "liqueur, frequently herb-based, meant for post-meal enjoyment to aid digestion including Fernet, Ramazzotti, Chartreuse, Lucid, Nardini, and Zwack."

And one of the special liquors offered is absinthe or The Green Fairy (la fee verte). Absinthe has a very high alcohol content (45% to 74%), is generally green in color, and has a licorice/anise flavor. It does not taste strong like Ouzo from Greece, but is very smooth if served correctly.

I was curious so I ordered the Pernod, which is a French absinthe. As you can see in the first photo, a pretty crystal glass container with ice and a spout was brought to the table, it is called an absinthe fountain. A glass of green absinthe is placed under the spout. As shown in the second photo, a silver slotted absinthe spoon is rested on top of the glass and a white sugar cube is placed on top of the spoon. Then, the spout is turned ever so slowly to drizzle onto the sugar cube and melt it into the absinthe along with adding water to evenly dilute the absinthe and allow the herbs in the liquor to come forth. Next, you sip slowly and enjoy. It was very smooth and enjoyable. The waiter had to remind me to drink it slowly as it had a very high alcohol content, which is not evident when you start drinking it. It was quite nice. I did not have a psychedelic experience though.

As you may recall, absinthe was a favorite of Parisian artists and writers in the late 19th and early 20th Century, from Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Ernest Hemingway to name just a few. It was considered a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug and was banned in about 1915. Production for absinthe resumed in Europe in the 1990s and in the United Stated in 2007. The active chemical in absinthe is thujone.

Absinthe is not listed on the menu, but you can go in and ask for the Green Fairy, which is subtly hidden on the sign on the wall visible in the third photograph. The fourth photograph is of the painting on the wall by the bathroom at Digestif and lets you see how bohemian you are supposed to feel and look after drinking absinthe. So do you want to become a devotee of the Green Fairy?

Digestif: Cal-Ital

Digestif is a hot new restaurant at the Waterfront in Old Town Scottsdale. It is located in the Waterfront District next to the canal and the bridge. It has an outdoor cafe seating area, as well as a hip red-brick interior decorated with vinyl records, and it has a fabulous wood-burning fireplace for cooking. On the weekends, there is often live music out on the patio. The General Manager, Pavle Milic, is always there and greets you and seats you.

Chef Payton Curry creates amazing meals relying on organic vegetables and a wide variety of dishes that he calls Cal-Ital. I regularly choose his farm to table choice, which can consist of mushrooms, asparagus, fried farm egg, brioche, pecorino, and gribiche sauce. Yummy! If I want something with protein and no fat, the Salmon rillete is surprisingly delicious and addictive. The pasta meals are superb with fresh made pasta daily. I like the garganelli alla nonna that has house sausage, cannellini beans, broccoli rabe, chile oil, and pecorino cheese.

I especially love the crostata with crescenza cheese, grilled asparagus, truffle oil fried egg, frisee, and pancetta. The crust of a crostata is similar to a pizza but with more pastry. Digestif also has delicious meals of chicken, duck, scallops served with fresh vegetables, succulent sauces, and an Italian flair. The Grimaud Farms duck with lentil and beet ragu, game jus with lingonberries and hibiscus is wonderful. The Charcuterie offerings are diverse and delicious. They are prepared on site and can be taken home by the pound. Nothing like tasty salmon rillete to add to a home brunch, or foie gras pate, candied fig pate, or some spicy chorizo for breakfast at home. I am a big chorizo fan!

Finally, can we talk desserts? The brownie and chocolate malted semifreddo is scrumptious. I also love the mint chocolate ice cream sandwiches that have white chocolate and peppermint ganache, chocolate macarons, mint/stracciatella gelato, chocolate sauce, and chocolate mint. Heavenly! The lemon marscapone cheesecake with limoncello gelato is also wonderful. Pastry Chef Tracy Dempsey has quite the talent to satisfy our sweet palettes.

Tomorrow I will share with you one distinction that Digestif alone shares with Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Ernest Hemingway. And, you will learn some very interesting information.

Chef Payton Curry will surprise you as he looks like a snow boarder. I came to the restaurant when it first opened up and when I saw the Chef, I told my friends he is the "Snowboarding Chef." Of course, I had no idea if he was a snowboarder, but he looked like he fit the role. I have since asked him and was glad he confirmed that he does in fact snowboard. He hails from San Francisco, California.

We are glad Digestif and Chef Curry are in Scottsdale and part of the Cowboy Ciao, Kazimierez, SeaSaw family of excellent locally-owned restaurants, each with their own unique and high quality style and they each make food creation and sensation the top priority. Foodies love these family of restaurants and always keep coming back for more.

Digestif is located at 7114 E. Stetson and can be reached at 480.425.WINE. For more information, click Digestif.

Hoop Dance Festival

The 19th Annual Heard Museum World Championship Hoop Dance Contest at the Heard Museum was overflowing with people, culture, and energy from the contestants who have worked so hard to be at this major event. Contestants must have poise, athleticism, agility, extreme coordination, rhythm, and be excellent dancers. 

In the first photo, I was able to capture a relaxed moment of this handsome dancer who has a captivating smile. He just has that look. His jewelry, native designs and symbols, long dark braids, overall contentment, and in-control demeanor really stood out.

The second photo shows hoops stacked against a tree. The dancers use many hoops in their dances, from 1 to 50 hoops. Contestants use the hoops to create images of being a butterfly, riding a horse, and they make boxes and images of the world out of these magical hoops-- all while dancing to the drums and chants.

Contestants also have vibrant costumes with native bling. These were not the outfits I used to see at Indian Festivals when I was growing up in rural Arizona.

The outfits today are captivating and really complement the hoop dances being performed at the festival. Hoop dancing has truly evolved and it is great to see so many young men and women competing.

If you want to see some excellent modern interpretations of native fashion, check out Virgil Ortiz, who is a truly creative native designer from Cochiti Pueblo. click here for a video of Virgil Ortiz's fusion of native and modern fashions at last year's Scottsdale Fashion Week
I was able to attend Scottsdale Fashion Week at the Waterfront last year and actually saw Virgil Ortiz's debut of native fashion and it was awesome. I especially liked the native violinist model who you can see in the video. Ortiz's use of feathers, blindfolds, and masks on his models is a very unique way to highlight his designs. The men's jean designs were very cool. Dancing and fashion ties right into the Hoop Dancers.

The third photo shows one of the dancers performing for the audience and judges. You can see one of the poses made during a hoop dance. Next year I will have to try to make a video and upload it onto my website so you can really feel and see a hoop dance.

Light as Art

We had the world debut of a "large-scale, high-voltage art spectacle light transmission" by artist D.A. Therrien last weekend.  It was quite avant garde and over 2,000 people turned out to see it.  

For two nights only, the "BEAUTIFUL LIGHT" illuminated Scottsdale's downtown canal waterfront at Southbridge.  It was a 500 kilowatt, 80 foot wide, "4 Letter word machine," which was the first installation in the BEAUTIFUL LIGHT series.   As you can see from the photos, there were four men dressed in white who controlled the panels 80 feet above them.  The bottom photo shows the crane and the reflection in the water of the lights from above. 

The series explores the purity of white light, the mystery of language, the precision of digital codes, and the magic of 4 letters - A, C, G, T - representing the DNA code, and consequently, all known life.  

For a link to a website that includes a youtube demonstration of the installation, operation and performance of the BEAUTIFUL LIGHT artwork, click here.

"Such a complex and large-scale artwork is unprecedented in the State of Arizona," said Margaret Bruning, Associate Director of Scottsdale Public Art.