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I walked in (having arrived for the first time the night before) under the impression that Indian art was somehow the work of committees and was struck immediately by the fact that this entire complex was the product of a single, insanely arrogant person's mind.
Re-edit.
More initial test shot, this time in black and white, with my lastest lens, the SMC Pentax FA 35mm f2.
Construction of this church "The Basilica of Saint-Sernin" began in 1080. Today, it remains the largest building in Europe built in the Romanesque-style (ie: semi-circular arches).
El castillo de la Coracera fue mandado levantar por Álvaro de Luna en el siglo XV, como residencia y pabellón de caza. Álvaro de Luna fue condestable de Castilla, maestre de la orden de Santiago y valido del monarca Juan II de Castilla, hasta que cayó en desgracia y fue condenado a muerte.
La fortaleza está construida en piedra berroqueña. Es de planta cuadrada y se articula alrededor de tres grandes volúmenes, de forma circular, sobre los que destacan la torre del homenaje y una torre que hace la función de albarrana. El conjunto está rodeado de una barbacana, de unos cuatro metros de altura, situada a unos cinco metros de distancia del núcleo principal.
La torre del homenaje, de sólido aspecto, tiene forma pentagonal y presenta tres garitones. A sus pies se sitúa la puerta de acceso, formada por dovelas de granito, de medio punto.
La capilla de estilo gótico final destaca por su portada, con dos leones rampantes flanqueando el escudo.
It's now become part of our travelling calendar - we go on a city break for Jayne’s birthday in January - no presents for birthday's and Christmas, we travel instead. This year it was Seville. We had to drive 180 miles south to Stansted to fly there though, Friday afternoon on the A1, such fun... It was a really good drive down in actual fact, the best day for months, glorious blue sky and a fantastic sunset- and I was in a car. We got stung for tea and drinks in the Radison Blu but we were overnighting and leaving the car so we didn't have much choice. Ryanair aagh! Again no choice. To be fair to the abrasive Irish man O Leary things are better than they used to be and it was an acceptable flight.
We were hoping for better weather than we got- don't you always? It was. cold, windy and after some initial beautiful sun on our first afternoon, it was mostly grey. The wind died but so did the sun. The other little problem was that it was my turn for the awful cold that Jayne had been trying to get over. I was under the weather in more ways than one all week, it was only a cold but it was the worst I've had for ages and it didn't help my mood, particularly when the sun was absent. We had a few hours of really nice light here and there and I made the most of it - I think!
Seville has miles and miles of narrow cobbled streets, they seem to go on for ever. They are almost random in layout and it is extremely difficult to find your way around, it's easier to just keep walking and see what you find. So we did! The architecture is stunning and the history is fascinating. Aside from the ancient history the two events that seem to have had a massive recent influence are the Expo's of 1929 and 1992. The incredible buildings or 'Pavilions' that were built for a one off event are now part of the reason that people visit the city. The 1929 pavilions are fantastic, each one is a story in itself and a destination in its own right but there are a lot of them in Parque Maria Luisa. Plaza Espana, built by the hosts of course, is the biggest and I would imagine that you could make a project out of photographing the individual ceramic tile displays around it on their own. These incredible buildings really need the light to be right to get images that people want to see, flat bright light from bright grey skies is good for certain things but dramatic architecture deserves better - or maybe I'm looking for the easy way option. The other discovery that we made, we found just down the road from the hotel, about an hour into the trip – The Metropol Parasol. A giant lattice work parasol, apparently called ‘The Mushrooms’ locally and apparently the world’s largest wooden structure. You have to look twice, having discovered that it is wood. Only later did we discover that we could get to the top and there is an extensive walkway around the top of it. It is built on top of ancient ruins, ( still intact and viewable) a food market and bars etc. and has a plaza around it and on it, that is buzzing on weekend evenings. Walking around the top, the first people up it one day and being back to watch the sunset later was one of the highlights of the trip for me.
The 1992 Expo also covered a massive area but left behind lots of modern - and some very strange - buildings and arenas. Some are of a temporary nature and get dismantled others find a new use. The land used was on an island between two branches of the River Guadalquivir – Isla de la Cartuja. The branch that goes through the city is now a canal, blocked at its northern end by a barrier with a motorway on it, and is used extensively for water sports, mainly rowing. Many of the buildings are now used by private companies as headquarters , others have a very derelict look. The whole area- even though it is home to the theme park- which was shut for the winter, has a neglected air about it. There are weeds growing everywhere but fountains are switched on, which seemed odd. Unlike the city a short distance away, there are no cafes or bars or other people around for that matter, just us meandering through. The car park that was created for the event is massive, it stretches for miles, and I really mean miles. Totally derelict, just the odd person or dog walker around. There is even a railway line terminating here, in the middle of nowhere a modern and apparently unmanned station, like a ghost station. At this point, across the river proper is open countryside, much flatter than I expected and very easy for local walkers and cyclists to get to - also very calm and quiet, a place to linger and enjoy the peace.
As usual I researched and discovered as we walked, we averaged around 13 miles a day and tried to get off the beaten track. We were out around 8.15, before sunrise, and had orange juice, coffee and Tostada with the locals for breakfast. The trouble is that there are many miles of walking in a relatively small area, some streets are only a few feet wide so there are a lot of them to explore. Incredible ancient churches and squares are around every corner- it's a very religious place - Catholicism rules in Spain. Unfortunately many are only a few feet away from the building next to it and it is difficult to get a decent shot of them. Seville is also famous, historically, as a producer of ceramic tiles. A building isn’t complete without a tile display of some sort and it would be very easy to make a project out of tiles alone. It may be a little boring for any companions though!
We walked the length of the embankment a couple of times, it has graffiti from end to end, several miles of massive concrete walls covered in everything imaginable, from marker pen scribbling to works of art. It was suggested to me that allowing people to paint here might prevent them from daubing property and monuments in the city- it hasn't! Most alleyways and shutters have been attacked to a greater or lesser degree. Spain has very high youth unemployment and maybe this plays a role. To be truthful though we haven't seen a city that's free of graffiti. The other problem is dogs- or what they produce, it's everywhere, absolutely everywhere, in a week we saw only one person remove his dogs mess. Fortunately the city streets are cleaned exceptionally well, some of the cleanest we have come across, men (and a lot of women) and machines are washing and sweeping endlessly.
Having had the wettest winter on record at home - almost three months of rain - we didn't want more rain but we got it. The upside was the water and the reflections that it created made photography on the cobbled streets more interesting, particularly at night. I usually find that it takes me a while to get into the groove on a trip and this one was no different, I didn't start shooting with total disregard - street shots- for a couple of days. Whilst the locals wore quilted jackets and scarves we got down to tee shirts at times, the warmer afternoons would be welcome in summer, never mind January, in Huddersfield. I envied the cyclists, being able to train in temperatures like this in winter - I wish! You need a lot less willpower to get out there and train hard in pleasant weather.
From a photography point of view I had a frustrating time, I never felt to get to grips with the place- other than on the streets at night. Writing this on my phone on the flight home, I haven't a clue what I've got to work with when I get back. I usually edit first and write later. Generally I have a first look, I'm disillusioned, I then revisit and see things differently- thankfully! Architectural shots with a grey sky could be destined for the monochrome treatment, we'll soon see. I'm still editing stuff from our London trip before Christmas, it's getting decent views in black and white and I quite enjoy looking at them myself.
We visited most of the notable tourist destinations, and went up anything that we could. Seville doesn't have a high point-it's flat! Nothing really stands head and shoulders above the city. The Cathedral tower is over 300 feet but the Cathedral itself fills a lot of the view on some aspects. Being square and having to look through bars in recesses you don't really get a completely open aspect. A new 600 foot tower is close to being finished, it's an office block and I couldn't find any mention of it being a viewing point in the future.
Oranges were the last thing on my mind when I suggested going to Seville. There are 25000 orange trees in Seville and now is the time that they are laden with big-and sour- Seville oranges, they are everywhere, apparently they are the property of the city authorities and will be harvested and sent to the UK to be made in to marmalade at some point in the near future. These trees will soon be covered in fragrant blossom, the city will smell beautiful for a couple of months. Studying the surrounding area it would be good to tour in March or April I would think, the scents, longer days and better weather would make for a fantastic trip. One for the future. The sunrise on our final morning was the best of the week, this was what we had looked forward to, we had to leave for the airport at 9.00...... Needless to say it was raining hard as we drove the last twenty miles home. Nothing new there then.
As usual I have aimed to present a pretty extensive collection of photographs of our chosen destination, some, at first glance will be pretty mundane shots of everyday life on the streets, often though, close inspection will reveal something humorous, something that needs a bit of thought. Others are definitely just people going about their holiday or work. Travelling with someone else it wouldn’t be fair to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to nail the perfect long exposure or HDR image of a cathedral or similar in perfect light – the one stunning shot to add to the portfolio- it’s not really my thing, I go for an overview of the place in the time available. Looking at the postcards locally it becomes obvious that stunning shots of some of these buildings are hard to come by. Heavily corrected converging verticals were quite obvious – and most likely will be in my own shots. As the owner of tilt and shift lenses I never travel with one – ever! My knees are already creaking from the weight of the bag.
Since the city straddles the Reuss River where it drains the lake, it has a number of bridges. The most famous is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204 m (669 ft) long wooden covered bridge originally built in 1333, the oldest covered bridge in Europe, although much of it had to be replaced after a fire on August 18, 1993, allegedly caused by a discarded cigarette. Part way across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Lucerne's history. The Bridge with its Tower is the city's most famous landmark.
Junior Suite - Lounge Area
Guest Room
Le Meridien Noumea
Pointe Magnin
BP1915
Nouméa, 98846
New Caledonia
www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/property/overview/index...
687-265000
May Day at Audley End
Roll up, roll up and see May Day fun as it used to be!
Enjoy our Victorian side shows and brass band, and marvel at our incredible displays of Victorian falconry. Then watch as your little ones learn circus skills or take part in a play. All of which, coupled with the spectacular house and grounds at Audley End, is sure to make this a day out to remember for all the family!
Enjoy a great day out at one of England’s grandest stately homes; Audley End House.
The doors of our restored historic stables recently opened, complete with resident horses and a Victorian groom. Our stables experience includes an exhibition where you can find out about the workers who lived on the estate in the 1880s, the tack house and the Audley End fire engine. Try our dressing up clothes in the stables and meet our horses, Duke and Jack, too.
Children can let loose in our fun themed play area next to our Cart Yard Café which is always very popular with visitors.
Audley End House itself is a magnificent house, built to entertain royalty, and includes a Victorian Service Wing complete with kitchen, laundries and a dairy.
With beautiful grounds to explore, including an impressive formal garden and the working Organic Kitchen Garden, there’s so much to see and do at Audley End House.
Originally adapted from a medieval Benedictine monastery, the house and gardens at Audley End were amongst the largest and most opulent in Jacobean England. Today Audley End is set in a tranquil landscape with stunning views across the unspoilt Essex countryside. Visitors can enjoy the painstakingly restored parterre with its eye-catching bedding scheme and a walled kitchen garden run entirely on organic principles. It's possible to see elements of English gardening on a grand scale at Audley End carried out by the most influential designers of the day such as Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
La ville de Ljubljana vue du château en direction du nord.
Site pour les visiteurs de la Slovénie
www.visitljubljana.com/fr/ljubljana-et-region/
Ce site très complet permet de disposer de l'ensemble des informations nécessaires à un visiteur, l'annuaire est efficace. Je souligne que dans les sites les plus visités et à l'extérieur une heure gratuite de WiFi est offerte, ce qui n'est pas si fréquent.
Tout le centre ancien étant réservé aux piétons et aux vélos, la vie y est très agréable.
Cette ville est une excellente destination touristique. Pour l'approcher, la parcourir (à vélo de préférence), découvrir les bâtiments baroques, art nouveau, ceux de l'architecte Plecnik, etc et visiter les principaux musées, 5 jours sont nécessaires.
Houses in Dorado Puerto Rico
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The fortress of Palamidi is a true architectural masterpiece. This fort was built during the Venetian occupation in the early 19th century and consists of eight bastions, each was self contained, ensuring that if one bastion was breached the others could still be separately defended. The bastions were built one on top of the other and they all connected with one wall. The Venetians named the bastions by ancient Greek names, such as Leonidas, Miltiades, Achilles, Themistocles, to give emphasis on the strenght of the castle. The beautiful chapel of Agios Andreas is built within the central bastion, which was the best equipped of all the bastions and hence was used as the main headquarters. During the Turkish occupation, Christians were forbidden to enter the fort. However, the struggle for liberation from the Turks began at Palamidi fort. Palamidi fort was seized by Greek rebels, lead by Staikos Staikopoulos on 29th of November in 1822. The first Greek among these rebels to set foot in the fort was Dimitrios Moschonisiotis, from the bastion of Achilles. The next day saw the abandoned chapel being cleared and prepared for a Service. The chapel has since then been consecrated to Apostle Andreas and 30th of November is celebrated as his feast day. Palamidi was also used as a prison for a period of time. In 1833, Theodoros Kolokotronis, one of the Revolution leaders was imprisoned here, charged with high treason. Prisoners were made to do physical labor and the 999 steps leading up to the fort were in fact built by the prisoners under the supervision of the Bavarian army.
An arched window in a center, front-facing gable lends style and beauty to the façade of this three-bedroom home.
An open common area that features a great room with cathedral ceiling, a formal dining room with tray ceiling, a functional kitchen and an informal breakfast area separates the master suite from the secondary bedrooms for optimal privacy.
The master suite is expanded by a dramatic cathedral ceiling and includes access to the back porch, abundant closet space and a bath with enclosed toilet, garden tub and separate shower. Access to a versatile bonus room is nearby.
Montalbano Elicona is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 150 km east of Palermo and about 50 km southwest of Messina. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,687 and an area of 67.4 km². It is mainly known for the castle built in 1233 by the Emperor Frederic II and the medieval architecture of its streets.The municipality of Montalbano Elicona contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Pellizzaro, Toscano, Santa Barbara,Casale, Villa Braidi, and Santa Maria, Santa Venera e Santo Stefano.Montalbano Elicona borders the following municipalities: Basicò, Falcone, Floresta, Francavilla di Sicilia, Librizzi, Malvagna, Oliveri, Patti, Raccuja, Roccella Valdemone, San Piero Patti, Santa Domenica Vittoria, Tripi.Crowned from a majestic Castle, encircled from secular forests that they perfume of thousands essences it is one of the antichi and evocative centers of the nebroidea area, rich of stroria, art and traditions. The students from ten years discuss on the origins of the country and of name. Montalbano Elicona derives from the Latin names mons albus with reference to mounts covered with snow or from the Arabic names al bana meaning of "excellent place". During the period of the Greek colonization (VII-VIII sec. B.C.), Dori, thinking to the mythical mount of the Muse, called Helikon the place that coinciding with the rise on which rises the medieval village and a torrent whose tortuous course justifies the name. First news about the existence of the village dates back to the XI century when it was a State possession. In 1232 it revolted against Federick II of Swabia, and supported the Pope together with other centres. Later it has belonged to different feudatories: Lancias in 1396, Romano Colonnas, Bonannos in 1587. It is prevalently an agricultural centre. Products mostly cultivated are grapes, cereals, chestnuts, walnuts, hazel-nuts. Very good are dairying products typical of the place. The tipical gastronomy are "maccheroni stirati a mano" and seasoned with sauce of pork, mutton and goat's meat. More important is the production of sweet whith almond, hazelnut and the typical biscuit of the Easter. The most interesting monuments are the Mother Church , today known as the Basilica Minore and the Church of S. Caterina. Built in Middle Ages, the Church Mother, was refounded and enlarged in 1654 by adding two side aisles and the splendid bell tower. The Church dedicated to San Nicola, the Saint Patron of the town, had a precious statue, built by Gagini in 1587. Neighbouring to castle there is the Church of Santa Caterina. It has a wonderful portal in romantic style. In the interior there is a statue of the Sant made in marble with a bas-relief base. Interesting to see are also some beautiful baroque portals: the Portale di casa Messina-Ballarino, built by Irardi da Napoli in the seventeenth century and the Portale di casa Mastropaolo, built in the eighteenth century by a stone-cutter born in Montalbano Elicona and named Bongiovanni and also the fountain of Gattuso.
Montalbano Elicona è un comune italiano di 2.485 abitanti della provincia di Messina in Sicilia.È caratterizzato dalla presenza, nella parte antica dell'abitato, di un antico Castello che fu residenza estiva di re Federico II di Aragona.La prima parte del nome è un composto di mons (monte) e albanus, da albus, bianco. In specifico, si riferisce all'antico nome del monte su cui fu realizzato un castello per volere di Federico II d'Aragona.Gli studiosi non sono concordi sulle origini del paese e del suo nome. Alcuni fanno risalire tale origine dai nomi latini mons albus con riferimento ai monti innevati, altri al nome arabo al bana, dal suggestivo significato di "luogo eccellente". L'appellativo Elicona risale senz'altro alla colonizzazione greca. Durante il periodo della colonizzazione (VII-VIII secolo a.C.), i Dori, pensando al mitico monte delle Muse, chiamarono Helikon un sito, coincidente con l'altura su cui sorge il borgo medievale ed un torrente vicino il cui andamento tortuoso giustifica l'appellativo.
Le prime testimonianze sull'esistenza del borgo risalgono all'XI secolo, quando risultava possesso demaniale. Nel 1232 si rivoltò contro Federico II di Svevia, parteggiando per il Papa insieme ad altri centri. Successivamente appartenne a diversi feudatari: ai Lancia nel 1396, ai Romano Colonna, ai Bonanno nel 1587.Montalbano Elicona è stato inserito nell'elenco dei 90 borghi medievali più belli d'Italia, cioè nel club de I borghi più belli d'Italia, un'esclusiva associazione di piccoli centri italiani che si distinguono per grande interesse artistico, culturale e storico, per l'armonia del tessuto urbano, vivibilità e servizi ai cittadini. Tra le chiese di interesse artistico certamente è da sottolineare la Basilica di Maria Assunta in cielo (Duomo) con le sue opere d'arte, in particolare quelle del Gagini.
Use Mouse click for a closer look . . . . Situated on a hilltop overlooking the village of Llanarthney on the B4300 between Carmarthen and Llandeilo, the tower was built by Sir William Paxton whilst he owned Middleton Hall - now the home of the National Botanic Garden of Wales. The Tower is a grade 11 listed building and is also known as The Nelson Monument - rumour has it that Paxton was inspired to build the Tower by Nelson's death at Trafalgar.
Akuzawa house, Maebashi-shi(city) Gunma-ken(Prefecture), Japan
群馬県前橋市(ぐんまけん まえばしし) 阿久沢家住宅(あくざわけ じゅうたく)