Wordless Wednesday: The Spring Garden 2015
Bloom Time! Enjoy!
Spring Garden 2015
Spring Garden 2015
Posts tagged ‘Gardens’
The Begijnhof of Brugge, Belgium
The Meadow Woods of the Begijnhof
Before 1240 a community of pious women settled in an area of south Brugge in a low- lying meadow or vineyard. These lay women called Beguines, spent their lives in piety and service without taking the vows that a nun would. Due to war and military fatalities there were more women than men in the medieval low lying countries. The order of Beguines offered women (often single or widowed) a dignified place to live and work. When the order died out many towns took over the begijnhofs for subsidized housing. Believe me when I say you could be so lucky to live in one of the small subsidized cottages of the Begijnhof of Brugge. Today we are strolling from the town square through the curved portals of buildings delving further and further into the neighborhoods of Brugge.
Walk Past the Little Market on the Way to the Begijnhof
I Loved These Trees Along our Walk!
Beautiful Pots of Hostas at the Pink House!
Tiny Statuaries Everywhere Along Our Path
Headless Statuaries in Tiny Courtyards Along the Way
We get further from the town center! I feel like I’m in the country!
Walking Along Canal to Begijnhof in Brugge, Belgium
A Neigborhood Stroll to Reach the Begijnhof, Brugge, Belgium
We pass over the three-arched stone bridge, the Wijngaard Bridge, to the main gated entrance. Here is a large beautiful meadow and a complex of thirty white stoned gothic buildings dating from the 16th through the 18th centuries, built around a central yard.
An Image of the Holy Elizabeth of Hungary, Patron Saint of the Beguinages
The Gardens in Begijnhof
Garden Courtyards of the Begijnhof
Beautiful Artwork for Meditation and Prayer in the Begijnhof
The Retirement Homes in Begijnhof
Aren’t these just the cutest places to live?
The Houses of Begijnhof
Just follow the garden paths!
Beautiful Gardens to See, Begijnhof
A Woman Calls to Us From Her Rooftop Sanctuary, Begijnhof, Brugge
Notice the sweet little heart above her head? Another memorable day in Brugge! I hope you enjoyed our walk through the Begijnhof!
Our Final Church Along Our Walk Home in Brugge
Floral Friday Foto Challenge
My entry for Floral Friday Foto Challenge. My spiky, holly leaved, Mahonia’s are blooming! Beautiful Christmas Joy!
Mahonia Winter Blooms
Mahonia, Winter Blooms Two
Photography 101: Day 19, Double
Two old friends in conversation and relaxing with wine in Charleston, South Carolina! The Double Duo! Today’s assignment twosie’s! Notice the bottle tree? It is believed that the spirits are dazzled by the colors of the bottles in the sun. Once they enter the bottle, they can’t find their way out, much like flies. Legend had it that empty glass bottles placed outside the home could “capture” roving (usually evil) spirits at night, and the spirit would be destroyed the next day in the sunshine. Enjoy!
Two Old Friends, Charleston, SC
Photography 101: Day 8, The Natural World
Natural Beauty at it’s finest! I love the colors, texture, shapes and design of God’s handiwork! Enjoy!
The Natural World, Flora in Bruges, Belgium
One Word Photo Challenge: Scarlet
On a recent visit to Baie St Paul, Quebec, Canada, I came upon these vibrant scarlet berried trees. Can anyone tell what the name of the tree is? Enjoy!
Scarlet Berries, Baie St Paul, Quebec, Canada
Quebec City Town Hall, All Dressed Up for Fall
The Ship is Moored and Awaiting the Harvest! Quebec City, Canada
The new underground parking lot at Town Hall has been completed. There is now a lively garden area on top of the underground parking complex and it is the perfect spot to spend a fall afternoon! This year the focus of the park surrounds a sunken pool area, where a replica old sailing ship is moored among the fields of the harvest. Every year I can’t wait to see the adventure that awaits at Town Hall! Using the same props from year to year the displays created are always a new design. Hats off to all the workers and designers who make these displays possible! It is what sets Quebec City as the premier city in North America! Let’s load up the Harvest! Quebec City goes all out to decorate their city for Fall. What fun! Enjoy!
The Welcome Sign at the Public Market during Fall Days in Quebec City, Canada
Can Mums be More Beautiful? Quebec City, Canada
Gotta Have the Spooky Tree! Quebec City, Canada
Gotta Have the Spooky Tree in a Field of Pumpkins! Quebec City, Canada
Stacks of Pumpkins from a Vintage Truck, Quebec City, Canada
A Maiden in the Garden! Quebec City, Canada
A Vintage Tractor in the Fields of Pumpkins, Quebec City, Canada
The Mums of Quebec City, Canada!
Carefully Planned Fields of Pumpkins, Wheat, and Mums, Quebec City, Canada
A Farmer in the Field, Quebec City, Canada
Rows and Rows of Pumpkins! Quebec City, Canada
The Sunflower Fields Surrounding the Harvest Ship, Quebec City, Canada
The Harvest Ship, Quebec City, Canada
The Harvest Ship, Quebec City, Canada
The Harvest Ship Is Ready to Load!, Quebec City, Canada
The Back Side of the Harvest Ship, Quebec City, Canada
Giant, Giant Red Pots of Blooms in the Park! Quebec City, Canada
Giant Red Pots of Blooms in the Park! Quebec City, Canada
Quebec City On Fall Weekend
Le Parc au Petit-Champlain, Quebec City, Canada
It’s that time of year for the annual trip to Quebec City. Without a doubt, it is my favorite city in North America! The shops and parks are decorated for Fall and the weather is sunny and cool! Here are just a few of my favorite sights on a quick walk through Petit-Champlain! Lots to look at here! There is COLOR everywhere! Enjoy!
Stick Trees! Fall Decorations at My Favorite Hotel, Hotel Saint Germaine
My Favorite Basket Planters, Quebec City, Canada
More Fall Planters! Quebec City, Canada
New Planters! Quebec City, Canada
Simple and Chic!
New this year were the four different displays of Plastic in Bas-Ville. Entertaining to say the least and as I studied them there were some baskets I could have used!
Plastic Baubles Anyone?
More Plastic! Quebec City, Canada
And Yet Another! Quebec City, Canada
And Yet Another! Plastic Everywhere! Quebec City, Canada
Perhaps the Plastic Baubles remind us of the fun of Summer and the Sea?
Fall Decorating in the Park! Quebec City, Canada
Apple Anyone? Quebec City, Canada
Street Sign, Quebec City, Canada
Outdoor Seating at Park Next to Le Lapin Restaurant, Quebec City, Canada
Pumpkins, Corn and Rakes! Where Is That Rabbit?
Another View of Le Lapin Restaurant, Quebec City, Canada
I Loved the tiny purple pots!
Decorations at Le Lapin Restaurant, Quebec City, Canada
Le Lapin Restaurant, Quebec City, Canada
The Blue Mosque and Neighborhood, Istanbul, Turkey
The Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Just like Rome, Istanbul’s Old Town is built on seven hills. The district called Sultanahmet, on top of the first hill, is the historic city center. This site gave the Greeks control of three surrounding bodies of water; the Bosphorus Strait, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. Leaving Hagia Sophia at one end of Sultanahmet Park, we walk past the beautiful fountain where the arcs of water mimic the domes of Hagia Sophia.
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Sultanahmet Park, Istanbul, Turkey
Sultanahmet Park, Istanbul, Turkey
Sultanahmet Park, Istanbul, Turkey
Sultanahmet Park, Istanbul, Turkey
Sultanahmet Park, Istanbul, Turkey
Here the gardeners are busy planting new flowers in swirls of decorative display.
Sultanahmet Park, Istanbul, Turkey
Sultanahmet Park, Istanbul, Turkey
The Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
At the opposite end of the park is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, noted for the interior of blue paint and 20,000 rich, blue, handmade, ceramic tiles in fifty different tulip designs. The tiles at the lower level are traditional in design while the tiles at gallery level are flamboyant with exquisite flowers, fruit and cypresses. The upper floors are dominated by blue paint and more than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs. In addition to the natural light there are massive chandeliers. Ostrich eggs were placed on the chandeliers to repel spiders and prevent cobwebs inside the mosque.
The Courtyard of the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Inside the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Inside the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Inside the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Inside the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
A Chandelier Inside the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
The Sultan’s Tale goes like this.
The Blue Mosque was built in six years from 1609-1616 by the architect, Mehmet Aga, who also built the giant black cube at the center of the mosque in Mecca, the holiest shrine of Islam. Sultan Ahmet I (1590-1617) ascended the thrown at the age of 14 and his greatest achievement was the construction of the Blue Mosque. To prevent future conflicts it was customary for a new sultan to kill his closest brother. Ahmet went against tradition and spared his brother Mustafa’s life. After Ahmet’s death from typhoid at the age of 28, in 1617, his 11 year old son Murat IV, became sultan and had his younger brother, Prince Beyazit strangled, which ended the new tradition and reverted to the old. Murat’s mother, Kösem, was one of the most influential women of her time. Following Ahmet’s death, for nearly a decade Kösem ruled the empire without intrusion because Murat IV, now the the sultan, ruled at such a young age. When Murat died, Kösem placed her grandson, Mehmet, as the next sultan. Mehmet’s mother, tired of Kösem’s domination, had Kösem strangled in her sleep by the eunuchs. And so the story goes.
Outside the Blue Mosque are six minarets. Only one is needed. The imam (prayer leader) or muezzin (a man noted for his talent in voicing the call to prayer) would climb to the top of the minaret five times a day to announce the call. Sultan Ahmet requested six minarets, to flaunt his wealth, but since there were six in Mecca, he had a seventh built in Mecca, as not to upstage the holy shrine.
A Minaret of the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Right outside the Blue Mosque is the Hippodrome, the spot for chariot races and a place where people gathered for social and religious disputes, political clashes and violent uprisings. Today there are market stalls here and at night families gather to eat and party.
The Hippodrome, Istanbul, Turkey
The Hippodrome, Istanbul, Turkey
The Hippodrome Market Stalls, Istanbul, Turkey
Eating at Sutanahmet Park, Istanbul, Turkey
The Egyptian Obelisk was carved 1500 years before the birth of Christ to honor the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III, and to commemorate his military achievements. The obelisk was brought here from the Upper Nile and is only the upper one third of the original massive stone block. The base of the block was cut of local marble and the four sides tell the story of Theodosius the Great, and his family, as they sat here watching the chariot races at the Hippodrome.
The Egyptian Obelisk, Istanbul, Turkey
The Column of Constantine was constructed in Istanbul. It was originally sheeted with bronze panels, but in the Fourth Crusade, (early 13th century) the city was looted and the panels stripped to make weaponry.
The Column of Constantine, Istanbul, Turkey
The Column of the Serpent was a victory monument dedicated to the 31 Greek city-states to commemorate their victory over the Persians at Plataea. (479 BC) Originally, this column showed three serpents twisted together, their heads supporting a golden trophy. The golden trophy is long gone and only the jaw of one snake still exists and it is in the Istanbul Archeological Museum. The Hippodrome also was the place of the famous four cast-bronze horses from ancient Greece. During the 4th Crusade they were plundered and taken to Venice, where they now reside at St Mark’s Basilica. (See a photo of them in my Venice posts)
The Column of the Serpent, Istanbul, Turkey
The German Fountain was a gift from the German government to commemorate Kaiser Wilhelm II’s visit to Istanbul in 1898. It was constructed in Germany and transfered in pieces to Istanbul in 1901 and re-assembled on this location.
The German Fountain, Istanbul, Turkey
The Divan Yolu was the main thoroughfare in Byzantine times. The road started right here where the Golden Milestone still stands in a pit. 1500 years ago this was considered the point of the center of the world and it showed the distances to key locations within the empire.
The Tram Station at Divan Yolu, Istanbul, Turkey
The Golden Milestone, Istanbul, Turkey
Below ground, the Underground Cistern, was a vast reservoir that held water reserves for ever growing Istanbul. The cistern covers an area of two football fields and could hold 27 million gallons of fresh water. 336 columns support the brick ceiling, most of them coming from earlier Roman ruins. Clay pipes and aqueducts carried the water twelve miles to this cistern. Today the cistern is open to the public. The cistern is a shallow pond with a walkway around it. At the exit of the cistern a stage is in the water and serves as an exhibition hall for art festivals and concerts!
Underground Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey
Underground Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey
The Ancient Columns in the Underground Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey
Underground Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey
I hope you enjoyed the day at the Blue Mosque!
Last Stroll and a Concert; In Venice
One Last Look at the Canals of Venice
Oh, How I Will Remember This!
This morning’s stroll is through the Clock Tower entry from St Marco’s Square to back streets we haven’t been on yet. Enjoy our last walk in Venice! These are all the finds I loved today!
The Unusual Rounds!
The Round Fountain!
The Courtyard of Another Shopping Area!
The Courtyard
Just Hanging Out with Puppy!
The Tiny Lanes!
The Unusual Eatery!
Layer Upon Layer of Casa!
What a Lovely Garden Area and Retreat!
Garden on Top and a Smooth Ride!
Get Off the Gondola at Your Garden!
Now for the evening stroll over to Chiesa San Vidal for the concert, “Le Quattro Stagioni,” by the Interpreti Veneziani! The concert was fabulous and the Church was packed! Follow our walk!
Walking Through Another Square of Venice, Italy. All Pinks, Cream and Terra Cotta!
Here they were presenting some kind of interpretation dance! Perhaps, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”? Only no tulips!
Tiptoe Through the Tulips?
Fairies in the Garden? Squash That!
A Place to Rest!
Love the Strawberry Colored Building!
Strawberry and Gold!
I waited and watched for over a half hour to get this picture of the Virgin and the Bird!
The Bird and the Virgin!
Outside Chiesa San Vidal, Venice, Italy
Chiesa San Vidal, Venice, Italy
Chiesa San Vidal, Venice, Italy
Interpreti Veneziani
One Last Look! I Love Venice!
The Travel Lady In Her Shoes 