There are so many wonderful statues and pieces of art in cities throughout the world. Most of them are usually very stoic and austere, but occasionally you run across something that just makes you smile. Who knows whether they were appreciated at the time that they were first unveiled and they often seem strangely out of place, but they are still interesting none the less. One of the statues that truly stood out to us was the pink bunny at the entrance to the train station outside of the opera house in Vienna. It really was an odd juxtaposition. Have you seen whimsical statues during your travels?
On the Streets of ReykjavikAt One Time it Hung on a Building in AmsterdamOn the River in PragueOkay, It is Expected in Disney WorldFountain in Coroico, BoliviaDowntown DenverShip of Fools in Nuremburg
Many of us point and click our cameras and cell phones as we are traveling and when we get a chance to look back at our photos, sometimes the photos capture something different than what our eyes actually saw. Often these are happy accidents where the images turn out to be quite special and other times we are disappointed because it seemed so special at the time. We usually use auto-focus when traveling since we don’t always have time to stop and manually focus, which means that the camera might choose to focus on something different than intended. Also, the lighting might change how the image appears once we get a chance to look back at the photo. For this week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, which is Horizontal Lines, we have decided to share some of our unintended results. Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a photograph after you go back and look at the pictures that you have taken that day?
Ice Skating on Sidewalks in ViennaStanding in the 9/11 Museum Entrance in New YorkCeiling in CairoSun Setting on a Ship in Puerto VallartaFrozen Air on Stairs in RomaniaChristmas Tree on a Restaurant Wall in StrasbourgLonging for the Beach in India
Thousands of years ago, stone columns were created to replace wooden ones that were susceptible to fire and rotting. Despite their original purpose, simply to bear the load of the roof overhead, they have since become works of art. They are also a symbol of wealth and prestige and are a standard feature of many capitals, palaces, and homes of the wealthy.
Temple of Hercules in AthensColumns in Karnak Temple in Luxor, EgyptThe Roman Forum in Rome
If you mention columns to most people, images of ancient Rome and Greece probably come to mind, but Egypt is also one of the first places to use columns as well. In fact, during our time in Egypt, we found the columns there to be some of the most interesting features of the temples that we visited. Obviously, there is nothing like walking in the Acropolis in Athens and seeing the columns on those ancient temples as well. Walking through the Roman Forum in Rome is literally a path that takes you through a series of ancient columns, some standing and some fallen.
Large Columns at the Acropolis in Athens, GreeceUnique Columns in Luxor, EgyptRoman Columns Reaching Towards the Sky
Regardless of where you find them, columns are an interesting piece to any architecture. Whether you consider them to be structural or artistic in nature, they are often the only thing to survive the ravages of time.
Beautiful LinesSingle Column in Karnak TempleIs it Art?
