Bran, Romania

It doesn't have to be Halloween to wear a mask. It doesn't have to be a costume ball or Carnavale, either. Nor a spaghetti western. Nor a bank robbery. It simply has to be coronavirus times. But, have you seen any masks that look like this? Or, do you think this is the horned coronavirus itself? See the horns on both? [2014]

Singapore, Republic of Singapore

It is just amazing how the suit has taken over the world of business, with an emphasis on "the world." Everybody, everywhere feels obligated to wear a coat and tie even when such garb is incompatible with the climate, as is the case on the equator. Yes, that is where Singapore is located. [2011]

Istanbul, Turkey

Maps on the Landscape ~ Continental Scale: Let your caravan remind you (and everyone else) where you're going and where you've been. It looks like the red line (see it?) maps the route, which either begins or ends in Istanbul. It's so very "ecostream" to see these folks use a map showing physical geography! [2010]

Bangkok, Thailand

Maps on the Landscape ~ National Scale: What you wear may betray your loyalties and your aspirations. Sure, it applies to Nike and your alma mater, but it may also apply to your country, your home. Here is a nation-building message that seems to defy party loyalty. [2016]

Seoul, South Korea

Maps on the Landscape ~ Local Scale: If you live in Seoul, maybe a map will inspire you to make the journey to Busan, Korea's second largest city, to run across the Gwang-an Bridge. You have heard the views are spectacular, and you know it is only rarely turned over to pedestrians. [2016]

Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

This is how el salón de uñas presents itself from the outside looking in. It may also give you a clue about the Mexican aesthetic. [2020]

Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, USA

Could it be a Ford Fairlane? Perhaps a little too humble to be a Cadillac. But, in the 1950s and 1960s dozens of models had fins. And, that baby blue was popular, too. Now, the era is nostalgically mimicked by a mailbox. [2008]

Parkville, Pennsylvania, USA

What a service! Your letter carrier delivers the mail to your box. Then, your driverless motor bike sallies it directly to your porch. Such is the future of autonomous vehicles. [2019]

Rockwood, Michigan, USA

Let your letters pass from mail truck to hook-and-ladder truck. See the ladder? See the hook? In this case the hook seems to be something the letter carrier pulls to open your mail box. [2008]

Spokane, Washington, USA

Sonora Smart Dodd, the "mother of fathers' day," was inspired by two things: (1) her own widowed father, and (2) the growing observance of Mothers' Day across the United States. The first Fathers' Day was celebrted in 1910 in Spokane, Washington, where both Sonora and her father now lie at rest in Greenwood Cemetery. [2019]

Hyde Park, New York, USA

It's the first day of summer. This bee seems to be socially distancing, and so should we. Enjoy outdoor activities but stay six feet away from anyone who does not reside with you. [2019]

Norfolk, Virginia, USA

Prepare for a season without parades. We got a glimpse of what was to come when Norfolk cancelled the NATO Festival for the first time since 1953 when it began. Maybe next year, high school bands from as far away as New Jersey will come once again to show off their talents. [2014]

Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA

The Boothbay area is where you can catch America holding hands with the Atlantic, where long fingers of land intertwine with long fingers of sea, where the geography is best described as "interdigitated." And, the cultural landscape just glows with love between the two. [1976]

Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, USA

Water and sand are so fluid. Houses are not. Flowing water and sand are so strong. Houses are not. Strong flows are eternal. Houses are ephemeral. They succumb to the moves of nature. You may buy some time by moving them or jacking them up, but ultimately nature wins. [2018]

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

How often do you find any culture at all on a shopping center parking lot in the suburbs? Never! Except here in Flagstaff, where you can enjoy a concert on the Japanese Drums. Enjoy the sound of Taiko, and, if you really fall in love, you can take lessons. Now, tell us what happens on your shopping center parking lot. [2019] 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Down with their statues: That would include the commanding figure of 1970s Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo, whose commitment to what was called law-and-order was legend. Today, that commitment is known as racism. In the wake of Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the statue was removed before it could become a target of further vandalism. [2017]

Columbia, South Carolina, USA

"God Bless America" and every other country, too. We are all children of God. But, it's Flag Day, so let's honor the red, white, and blue, knowing that the events taking place on America's public square today are making the stars and stripes ever brighter. It's good to see democracy in action. [2020]

Cuzco, Peru

Is it the rainbow flag? The one used by the LGBTQ community? No, it's the flag of Cuzco, and it reflects the palette of place perfectly. Both flags are late 20th century creations, and both gained quick popularity. Let's hope they can coexist peacefully. It would be sad to see Cuzco adopt a new flag just because . . .  [2001]

Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

Traditional societies around the world are waking up to the human rights of the LGBTQ population. So, maybe they are not so traditional after all. Maybe a new, more inclusive generation is taking over the world, as this crepe paper mural in Mexico suggests. It's amazing what you can do with a rainbow. [2020]

Damascus, Syria

Cities of the Middle East are known for their court yard houses. From the outside, houses are virtually indistinguishable. All you see from the street is the door. Inside, space unfolds to reveal an open-air patio, sometimes with a well of its own. It is a reminder that throughout the dry world, cities are built around access to water. [1993]

Gorno-Altaysk, Altai Republic, Russia

The Altai Mountains are the highest in Siberia, and Gorno-Altaysk lies in their foothills. If the picture of shishlik cooking over an open pit reminds you of Turkey, it should. The indigenous Altai peoples are Turkic in their origins and language. Today, however, even in their own republic, they are outnumbered by Russians. [1999]

Huépac, Sonora, Mexico

In Sonora, even as late as the 1980s, the ranching landscapes and their vaquero creators hadn't changed for a century. Then, Mexico's economic model changed, liberalization began, and NAFTA took over. Development and modernization followed. [1988]

London, England, UK

Before The Shard, there was The Gherkin. Skyscrapers never matched the cultural landscape of London very well, but in the early 21st century, London finally got the memo that signature high rises were de rigeur for real global cities. The first one of any note was The Gherkin, located in the City of London.  [2009]

Luxor, Egypt

Ramses, the greatest of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, still reigns from Karnak Temple in Upper Egypt. Here he is with his daughter, Meritamun. Ramses, himself, was the son of Ra, the sun god, ruler of the world. [2001]

Cairo, Egypt

The great cities of the Fertile Crescent had citadels from the most ancient of days, but Cairo had so citadel until the 12th century when Saladin arrived. Saladin, who was born in Mesopotamia and buried in Damascus, solidified the Islamic culture of Western Asia in Egypt. From the citadel of Saladin, Egypt was governed for 800 years. [2000]

Alexandria, Egypt

What would you expect? A sphinx, for sure. It's Egypt! But did you notice how Hellenized this one is? What about the pillar? That is for Greece and Rome. What would you expect in Egypt? An obelisk, of course. Here in Alexandria, though, the cultural landscape is definitely Greco-Roman. After all, the city was founded by Alexander the Great! [2000]

Milan, Italy

Italians like to brag that they have the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the world, but Syrians know their covered suqs (ike the one in Aleppo) are even older. Nevertheless, Milan's Galleria Victor Emmanuel is impressive in its size and architectural splendor, and it did set the standard foe the American mall, beginning with downtown arcades circa 1900. [2008]

San Diego, California, USA

Just downslope from the Point Loma Lighthouse (see it?) lies the backbone of a gray whale. It is a reminder of one of the planet's great migrations: the offshore journeys of blue whales from summer feeding grounds in the Arctic to winter mating grounds off the coast of Baja California. Actually, the spine is just a replica. [2020]

Ocean City, Maryland, USA

After 75 million years, the velociraptors have returned to say Happy Birthday to anyone born today. They will also want to make the acquaintance of the chickens in your backyard. Why? Because velociraptors are the ancestors of all the world's birds. Like chickens, velociraptors had feathers, but they couldn't fly to the top of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse. [2019]

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

We might need a little inspiration to pedal into summer this year. But, that's what murals are good for: to inspire. Even the three birds on their own panels seem to be promising that things will get better. They are, after all, blue birds of happiness. [2019]