The Loire Valley and especially Blois
This sculpture is one of many in the little town of Weikersheim on the Romantic Road in Germany. The second photo shows the environment. Can you see the sculpture? Cette sculpture est une parmi d’autres dans la petite ville de Weikersheim sur la Route Romantique en Allemagne. La deuxième photo montre l’environnement. Est-ce que vous voyez …
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The Rottenbuch Abbey in Bavaria (above) is one of the best examples of German baroque while Wies is one of its finest examples of rococo.. Rococo or “Late Baroque”, developed in the early 18th century in Paris as a reaction against the grandeur, symmetry, and strict rules of the Baroque, especially of the Palace of Versailles. The style of rococo …
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TSanta Maria della Croce is a basilica on the outskirts of Crema in Lombardy built in the Lombard Renaissance style where an apparition of the Virgin Mary is said to have helped Caterina degli Uberti, a woman from Crema fatally wounded by her husband on 3 April 1490 (he cut off her hand and part of her arm …
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As soon as I saw the title of this month’s theme day, I knew which photo I wanted to take even though I’ve already published it on these pages. However, I did go into Blois in the evening especially to take a “recent” shot. Called a cygne transpercé, this emblem was used by both Louise of Savoy and …
After publishing the photos of Ussé, I received an email from Margaret Smith Springwood, an Australian reader, with these two photos: “I was in the little chapel [Chapel of the Immaculate Conception], turned to face the doorway and was startled to see this quite eerie face looking down at me from on high. I’ve not …
On the other end of the spectrum from Chartres Cathedral, just near the cemetary, is a most amazing place called Maison Picassiette. It is the work of Raymond Isidore, born in Chartres on 8th September 1900. When he was 29, Isidore, a cemetary sweeper, built a little house for himself, his wife and her two sons. When it …
This month’s City Daily Photo theme is the beauty of simplicity. I love the simple lines of this little lead light window in my kitchen. The stone in the middle is a cabochon from Chartres Cathedral. When the previous owners heard that the cathedral was selling off cabochons left over during renovation of the cathedral’s …
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Both the Taj Mahal (above) and the Red Fort in Agra (below) are made of white marble inlaid with precious stones, such as rubies (red), malachite and jade (green), tourmaline (red and orange), lapis lazuli (blue), onyx (black) and, mother-of-pearl which have stood up to the elements for more than 400 years. The same techniques …
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The Baywalk at Geelong provides a lovely walk along the shoreline but the best bit are the bollards which are the work of artist Jan Mitchell. Jan was commissioned by the City of Greater Geelong to transform old timbers and piles from a city pier, demolished in the 1980s, into over one hundred endearing figures reflecting the history …
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Nambucca Heads’ fascinating street mosaic comprises some thirty metres of tiled artwork beside the footpath which passes in front of the Nambucca Heads Police Station. Artist Guy Crosley and a team of local volunteers scoured the district for cast off tiles, pottery, china and other knick-knacks which were then cleverly “embroidered” into the spectacular streetscape you can …
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