Seeing Street Art When Traveling

On June 5, 2020June 5, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge6 Comments

We have seen some truly interesting and beautiful art on the sides of buildings during our travels. Obviously not all of it is good and there is still plenty of graffiti to be found, but the work done by true artists can be quite wonderful. Art is something that unites all of us and the feelings that the images generate are not limited to the culture in which they were created. With that said, the culture also comes through in the art in the representations of the people, the colors, and at times the political message represented. More and more, as we travel we actively seek out street art in order to capture images of them to be part of our record of our visit. We are sharing just a sampling of that art and we don’t have a particular favorite. Do you capture images of street art and, if you do, do you have one that speaks to you more than others?

Tigers Getting Colorful Stripes in Carlsbad, California

A Woman Looking Like She is Peeking Through the Trees in Budapest

Sandhill Cranes Painted on Wall in Southern Colorado

Surfing Mario at the Beach in California

Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy

On May 26, 2020May 26, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Italy6 Comments

To say that Florence is one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in Europe would not be an understatement. There are so many wonderful places to see in Florence and the Piazza della Signoria is certainly one of them for many reasons. The plaza is an outdoor museum with many different historic statues. It is also the location of the Palazzo Vecchio, which is Florence’s town hall. It is a great place to sit in an outdoor restaurant and people watch and soak in the ambiance.

The Rape of the Sabine Women in the Loggia dei Lanzi

Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Cellini

One of the most notable features of the square is the Loggia dei Lanzi, which is a covered area with columns and many statues that can be seen in the three openings. Of the many statues that can be found in the Loggia, one of the most famous is the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna. Another of the statues is Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Cellini. The famous Medici Lions can be seen standing guard just outside of the columns.

The Palazzo Vecchio looms overhead with its large bell tower and less ornate architecture than much of what is found throughout Florence. The Piazza della Signoria is actually an L-shaped plaza, giving you different perspectives from almost every direction. A replica of Michelangelo’s David is also on display, but the original is in the Galleria dell’Accademia. There is also a much larger replica of David located in Piazzale Michelangelo, which has wonderful views of the city.

The Piazza della Signoria should certainly be a part of your itinerary when visiting Florence. We enjoyed spending about an hour in the plaza between walking among the statues as well as sitting at a café for a glass of Italian wine. After leaving the square, we wandered down one of the narrow streets where we passed by Dante’s Church, which dates back to 1032 and is one of the oldest churches in Florence.

Wat Ho Phra Keo in Vientiane, Laos

On May 15, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Laos3 Comments

Of the many different temples that we visited in Vientiane, Wat Ho Phra Keo (also known as Haw Phra Kaew) was unique and different for a variety of reasons. Although several of the temples have gardens, the garden that leads to the entrance of the temple was very well groomed and colorful. It was also the one temple where we saw the most tourists during our visit to Vientiane. There is a nominal entrance fee in order get into the temple grounds, but it was included with our tour.

One of the Many Naga Statues that Guard the Temple

Ancient Artwork Depicting the Ascent Towards Heaven

Built in 1565, the temple is quite beautiful. Wat Ho Phra Keo is located just down the street from Wat Si Saket, which is a Buddhist museum as well as a temple, so it is worth visiting both. There is also a museum and gift shop on the temple grounds and one of the most interesting exhibits during our visit were some ancient carvings made on petrified tree trunks. There were also some ancient, stone pots on display in the garden.

As with many of the temples, the inside of the main temple in Wat Ho Phra Keo is adorned with colorful images depicting the life of Buddha. There are also plenty of ancient statues of Buddha as well as other historical artifacts. We spent about thirty minutes walking the grounds and enjoying the garden and seeing the beautiful artwork.