Ambassadeur Everlasting
The village school
Its Sunday and in Burma even there the children have Sunday free from school. Come Monday and this small school in one of the villages in the Delta region will be full of children between the ages of 6 and 12 reciting very loudly, parrot fashion, their lessons. 3 x 3 is 9, 4 x 3 is 12. The teachers although all local live in at the school, open the image and you can see how the classroom is transformed when not used into a sleeping room with mosquito net.
Seville's Alcázar III
The Royal Quarters of the Alcazar has not only stunningly beautiful ceilings but and wonderful tilework also. Influence by the Muslim artisans brought over to Seville to work with the local tradesmen in 1364.
Seville's Alcázar II
Everywhere in the Alcazar you see exquiste detail here in the heart of the palace is the wonderful Patio de las Doncellas (Patio of the Maidens), surrounded by beautiful arches, plasterwork and tiling. The sunken garden in the centre was uncovered by archaeologists in 2004 from beneath a 16th-century marble covering.
Seville's Alcázar
Seville's Alcázar. Built primarily in the 1300s during the so-called 'dark ages' in Europe, the fortress' intricate architecture is anything but dark.Unesco agreed, making it a World Heritage site in 1987.
Plaza de Espana
Here you see one of the most famous squares in Seville, the "Plaza de Espana" It was built in honor of the Ibero-American exhibition of 1929. The square was the largest and most expensive project of the exhibition where at one point called 1000 man at the same time were at work. Among the buildings are 48 niches decorated with typical Andalusian tiles, on which the Spanish provinces with their coat of arms and geographical location are shown. A nice place to rest and people watch.
The Locksmith's Cross
A detail of the Cruz de la Cerrajería ("Locksmith's Cross") an elaborate 17th century wrought iron cross in the Plaza de Santa Cruz, which marks the site of an old parish church and an even older synagogue. Santa Cruz, was the former Jewish quarter of the Seville. I was so intrigued by the details that I don't even have the entire cross to show you.
Seville's Cathedral S
Seville makes a great (long) weekend city trip, small enough to cover everything by foot, a few gems to see, good food and in the spring not too many tourists and reasonably priced hotels. I was impressed. Seville’s cathedral is one of the largest Christian churches in the world. It stands on the site of the great 12th-century Almohad mosque, with the mosque’s minaret (the Giralda) still towering beside it.
Hard or Soft
A hard or soft BREXIT who knows how it will end, but I still think that we made a terrible mistake last June. Banksy is one of my favourite street artists so you can imagine how pleased I was last week to find his newest work in Dover very close to our English home. His mural showing a star being chiselled from the EU flag appeared overnight in May this year, if you look carefully you can see the how the removal of the star causes cracks to the rest of the EU symbol. Further information of Banksy should you wish. Banksy is an anonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist and film director of unverified identity. Their satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. Banksy's works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world. Banksy's work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Banksy says that they were inspired by 3D, a graffiti artist who later became a founding member of the English musical group Massive Attack
Verenigde Staten • Philadelphia
Verenigde Staten • Philadelphia
A day in New York IV
The last in my short series A Day in New York. Coming back into Pier 3 on the tour boat we pass under the Brooklyn Bridge and look towards the New York and Manhattan bridges.
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Verenigde Staten • New York City
A day in New York III
Still on the tour boat heading for the obligatory photo of the Lady, do you know that I have been to New York maybe 20 times but this is the first photo that I have of the Statue of Liberty. Maybe the most well known icon of New York but actually sitting in the boat looking up she did look quite impressive.
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Verenigde Staten • New York City
A day in New York II
So after lunch we take the subway to through Manhattan to South Ferry and walk to Pier 3, boarding a tourist boat with 4 other westerners and a few hundred Asian tourists. Mainly Chinese, but I also see Korean, Japanese and a few Indian. My heart sinks a little as I want to get at the front of the boat and be able to lean my camera on the deck, (remember I cant hold the camera so have to rely on props for the day). I also don't want to push my way to the front, I am feeling too fragile for that. Once on board I felt as if I was back on the Hong Kong star ferry with so many Asian faces around me. While everyone was busy with selfie after selfie after selfie after selfie I was able to take my seat at the front of the boat just as i imagined. I was unable to count how many selfies were taken during our hour tour, incredible, what do they do with them all? Probably the most incredulous was taking a selfie posed against the customary photo which is taken as you board the ship ready for purchase as you disembark. Someone recently said the most photographed subject of this century is yourself, he is not wrong. However, if you point the camera in the other direction a picture postcard of Manhattan including Freedom Tower.
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Verenigde Staten • New York City
A day in New York
Continuing my one day (with one arm) in New York, we stop for lunch at the Times Warner Center at Columbus Circle. The circle is the point from which all official distances from New York City are measured. Trump Tower is next to us also overlooking the statue of Christopher Columbus, (if only he knew)
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Marilyn
Offering great views of both the Central Park Lake and woods is Bethesda Terrace. The terrace was one of the very first structures to have been built in Central Park; its construction began in 1859. . Under the terrace you will find the Arcade, an arched, interior walkway, its a great place for people-watching. Couples come to have their wedding photos shot here, models make the most of the deco for their photoshoot. This girl had all the poses of Marilyn.
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Bethesda Terrace...Ar
Offering great views of both the Central Park Lake and woods is Bethesda Terrace. The terrace was one of the very first structures to have been built in Central Park; its construction began in 1859, continued throughout the Civil War, and was completed in 1863. Under the terrace you will find the Arcade, an arched, interior walkway. Created in the 1860s, the Arcade features a stunning tiled ceiling and was designed by Jacob Wrey Mould. In the 1960's it was a place of social gathering and it even featured a restaurant. In the 1970's, the terrace was used primarily for drug-trafficking. Today, however its a great place for people-watching, and because of its good acoustics often frequented by talented street performers, such as this young gospel choir.
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Verenigde Staten • New York City
The Dakota
Overlooking Central Park and more specifically the area now known as Strawberry Fields, the Dakota is considered to be one of Manhattan's most prestigious and exclusive cooperative residential buildings. Once home to many of famous persons; Lauren Bacal, Judy Garland, Rudolf Nureyev to name but a few, but probably most well known as the last home of John Lennon and the site of his murder on December 8th 1980.
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Verenigde Staten • New York City
Just Imagine
Just imagine - you fell, broke your shoulder, spent two days in and around hospitals, are in a lot of pain but the sun is shining and you have a day free. That's exactly what happened to me. The thought of being on the teeming streets of New York sent shivers up my spine. So first head to Central Park, find some space, watch people, listen to a choir, eat a picnic (with one hand) and then head to the far end of Manhattan and take a tour boat passed Liberty Island. The whole day balancing the camera on whatever I could find. A short series of my one arm one day in New York. The immortal words of John Lennon, ,maybe truer today than ever before.
Too much of a hurry
While I stand for a while to take in the beauty of the main doorway to the temple, - the massive old elephant door, the exquisitely carved pillar, the tiled mural on the wall, it is also interesting for me to watch the people come and go. Some are like me taken by all they see, some are just in too much of a hurry.
Enjoying the late sun
Two gentlemen relaxing, exchanging news in the warmth of the late afternoon sun in one of the exquisitely carved halls of the Brihadishwara Temple.
Slow down, see more
Every morning the gates open at dawn and every day thousands of people worship at the Cholas' grand Brihadishwara Temple. Enter under the Nayak gate and spend lots of time here. We saw groups arrive and leave in less than 30 mins just taking in the main areas. The advantage of travelling independently if that you can come and go as you please and spend as much time as you like find for example the pretty much hidden exquisite lime-plaster Chola frescoes, for years buried under later Nayak-era murals.
Somethings never...ch
One of my memories of 40 plus years ago when I first visited Madurai ws the cloth market under one of the goporums in the Meenakshi temple. I remember I had some clothes made there before travelling on to Sri Lanka. Although we saw many changes in Madurai I was pleased to find the cloth market still in the same place, still a hive of industry, maybe even some of the same tailors working in the bad light. Somethings never change. I wonder if he could tailor a blouse for someone with three breasts :)
What a work!
A detail from one of the gopurams of the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. Each gopuram is a multi-storeyed structure, covered with thousands of stone figures of animals, gods and demons painted in bright hues and repainted many times especially after a few monsoons. What a work!
Blue hour in Madurai
The blue hour watched from the hotel roof garden drinking a well deserved cold beer. (Madurai despite being a holy town and in the dry state of Tamil Nadu, beer is available.) The towering gopurams that you see are the entrances of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, a historic and important Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River dedicated to Parvati, who is also known as Meenakshi (the wife of Shiva)
Hiking in Kodaikanal
You wouldn't immediately think of hiking in Tamil Nadu, but in the area surrounding Kodaikanal that's exactly what to do. Kodai town rambles up and down the hillsides with patches of shola forest, unique to South India's Western Ghats. Leave the town and the cool air and stunning viewpoints await. Avoid weekends and the summer months and the hiking trails are empty, except for a few sheep.
A fleeting meeting
She wanted to practise her English, I wanted her portrait, fair-trade off. She tried so hard to speak English, she tried so hard to supress a smile. Nice memories of a fleeting meeting.
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