Marrakech, Morocco

Storks muster on roof lines all over North Africa and Europe. Their large nests perch atop chimneys and ventilator shafts, so it is easy to see why they became associated with bringing babies. It also helps that they are (a) big enough to carry a neonate, (2) mute enough to deliver their gift quietly, and (3) monogamous enough to be a lesson in family values. [2005]

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Canadians all: they have turned out for the mid-summer Caribbean Festival. National flags identify their cultural origins. Building a multicultural nation has become Canada's ambition since the 1960s, and celebrations such as this bring people to the street with the best of the their heritage. In sight, however, are few maple leaves. [2009]

New York, New York, USA

It came to symbolize the triumph of good over evil for many of those working on the clean-up of the World Trade Center site. The Ground Zero Cross was found in the ashes a few days after the towers' collapse and quickly became one of the defining symbols of promise and hope for many pilgrims trying to reconcile themselves to the events of 9-11. [2005]

New York, New York, USA

"I got off the Broadway Local at 14th Street and walked south. It was a sparkling day. I was in the heart of the city, but the air was fresh and the sunshine inviting. Red, white, and blue declarations of unity wove the crowded storefronts and passing vehicles together. The flags, posters, and souvenir T-shirts, stretching like garlands along 7th Avenue, seemed strong and proud. The approaching devastation was heralded first by the smell, like the harsh odor of an electrical fire. As I got closer to what was the World Trade Center, the smell became more acrid, but then I could get no closer, nor could anyone other than those with a reason. At the Chambers Street intersection, the street was blockaded by portable barricades and serious-looking police officers. I wasn't the only one to linger there. I suppose we all needed to see for ourselves, but it was what we couldn't see that mattered. There were no Twin Towers." D.J.Z., October 20, 2001. [2001]

New York, New York, USA

What did the skyline of New York look like the day before "nine-eleven." What did the world look like on the eve of evil? Regardez. These were the "twin towers" of the World Trade Center before the terrorist attack that took the lives of almost 2800 innocent human beings. [2001]

Angangueo, Michoacán, Mexico

Bread and rolls: they probably just came out of the oven. In the fresh air and morning sunshine, they color coordinate so nicely with the baskets and the wall. Everything looks so natural. In fact, l was ready to give the people of Angangueo a thumbs-up for living the green life . . . until I saw the plastic bag! [2008]

Andorra La Vella, Andorra

The Andorran landscape is like a poem with dual cadences: the physical and the human / the stone and the steel / the old and the new / the male and the female / the matching peaks and the matching princes. Today, while thanking Charlemagne, Andorrans celebrate nationhood by honoring their patron saint, the Virgin of Meritxell. [2005]