In Munich I started to photograph doors. Fascinated by these ancient structures I continued for the rest of the Europe trip. It was Praha (Prague) that had the most interesting doorways. I will publish these as I extract them from my archive. These are doorways of Prague Part Two.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Doors of Praha Part 2
Doors of Praha Part 2
Doors of Praha Part 2
Doors of Praha
Watching the news this weekend and seeing the horror playing out in Texas due to Hurricane Harvey made me think back to my visit to the Kinderjik in The Netherlands. The great North Sea Flood of 1953 cause fantastic damage and loss of life in the Netherlands and United Kingdom.
Realizing that such infrequent events could recur, the Netherlands and The United Kingdom carried out major studies on strengthening of coastal defenses. The Netherlands developed the Delta Works, an extensive system of dams and storm surge barriers. The UK constructed storm surge barriers on the River Thames below London and on the River Hull where it meets the Humber estuary.
One would have hoped that the lessons from the Dutch and Hurricane Katrina would have helped us. But it appears that rampant overbuilding and careless water management in Houston and other Texas cities has set up another costly lesson for the USA.
I know that New Orleans has had teams from Holland come over to present their ideas. One can only hope they learn that in order to keep the water out and preventing damage, you actually have to let some of the water in and control its course.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Water Management Canal
From the Charles Bridge I looked up at Prague Castle thinking it might be large. I had no idea. We approached the castle and from the outside I just thought it was a huge building. Not until we were inside the fortifications did I begin to comprehend the size.
It is not just a castle. It is a city. There is a cathedral and two other churches. There are gardens and walks, restaurants and cafes and many shops. In ancient times many people lived inside the castle serving the Kings and Holy Roman Emperor. Now it is the seat of government and people work and live there serving the government and millions of visitors.
This is one of the many streets with small shops catering to tourists.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Castle Street
In Munich I started to photograph doors. Fascinated by these ancient structures I continued for the rest of the Europe trip. It was Praha (Prague) that had the most interesting doorways. I will publish these as I extract them from my archive. These are doorways from Prague.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Doors of Praha
Doors of Praha
Doors of Praha
The old Jewish Cemetery in Praha (Prague) is one of the important Jewish historical monuments in Prague. It served its purpose from the first half of 15th century till 1786. Renowned personalities of the local Jewish community were buried here. Today the cemetery is administered by the Jewish Museum in Prague.
During the more than three centuries in which it was in active use, the cemetery continually struggled with the lack of space. Piety and respect for the deceased ancestors does not allow the Jews to abolish old graves. Jews were forbidden from land purchases and from owning gold. Hatred of Jews was not invented by Nazis.
To gain space if necessary, a new layer of soil was heaped on top of an old grave. For this reason, there are places where as many as twelve layers now exist. Thanks to this solution the older graves themselves remained intact but the cemetery looks like none other with tombstones stacked on top of each other.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
The Jewish Cemetery in Praha
I can’t remember where I took this picture. I think it was in Heidelberg. Oddly it reminded me of the The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. In the center of the Galleria there is a mosaic of a bull. Legend has it if you grind your heels of the balls of the bull you will have good luck. The mosaic has a hole in it from a life time of people spinning on the balls as this young lady is doing.
I don’t think this statue has any such legend but a lot of people have been rubbing the penis!
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
The Brass Penis
The Charles Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks of Prague. We were in Prague for five days and The Charles Bridge was always crowded. I am sure early in the morning it is not as crowded and less crowded on week days. However it is like the Ponte Vecchio of Praha (Prague) and if you were there you wouldn’t miss it. It is a pedestrian bridge and connects the old city with the Prague Castle area.
This picture was taken from the gardens at Prague Castle looking down on the old bridge.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
The Charles Bridge
Last time we visited Holland we took a tour of the UNESCO site at Kinderjik. The Windmills of Kinderdijk are along the Rhine River in Holland south of Amsterdam. They are used to manage water and eliminate flooding and have been in existence since the 15th Century.
Inside the Windmill there is a living area for the Windmill Tender. This is a view of a small kitchen right next to the the main shaft of the windmill.I imagine the petroleum is used for the mill but maybe it is power for a kitchen stove. Behind the kitchen you can watch the gears turning while you cook.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Inside The Windmill
Inside The Windmill
The Cathedral in Cologne Germany is official known as Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus but in Germany is simply called Kölner Dom. It is one of the few buildings that was not destroyed by the Royal Air Force in World War Two. It was however damaged as the rest of Cologne was leveled. Today the cathedral is battling another enemy and quite honestly depressing to look at from the outside.
The stone has been severely damaged by acid rain.I thought this survivor needed a better look, So with a little creative editing I made it into the golden survivor of the great war, a more fitting look for Saint Peter.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Kölner Dom
The Rhine River cruise was too interesting to be boring. However, after a while the villages became predictable. There was a dock, a town hall, a small square and a Church. This town must have been special because there were two churches along the river.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Two Church Village
Imagery Photography 