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December 15, 2005

Building restoration.

Taking a water-bus down the Grand Canal, I found this curious sight. There's nothing particularily special about it at first glance. Even clicking through to the higher resolution image, theres nothing much out of the ordinary. However, the second building on the right is not quite normal. Like a lot of buildings in Venice, its facade is undergoing repairs. The entire front of it is covered in scaffolding. What I found unusual was that the scaffolding was covered with tarpaulins, which were painted to look like the front of the building they conceal. A aesthetic way to disguise something that would otherwise appear completely out of place.

Scrawled illegibly by Meathe at 12:56 PM

December 08, 2005

Another photo post

I am not good at taking photographs. However, every now and then, I take one I actually like. I know its not technically excellent, but I think its rather nice regardless. Clicking on it will get you a big version (300kb or so).

Pictured is the Ducal Palace (right). Always much more than a residence, it was White House, Senate, torture chamber, and prison rolled into one. Later, new prisons (right) and the Bridge of Sighs (the name is a confection of the romantics who imagined the sighs of the prisoners crossing it) were added.

Scrawled illegibly by Meathe at 12:01 PM

November 29, 2005

Messing about in boats

I've always loved the idea of Venice. Its origins are not auspicious. Fishing villagers from the mainland escaping marauding barbarians by moving to a foetid, mosquito ridden lagoon far off shore. It seems to have worked for them. When they ran out of land, they created it by driving hundreds of thousands of logs deep into the mire, capping them with flagstones and buildings.

And they wound up with views like this. (click for a bigger version)
It is, in my eyes, the most wonderous city in the world for many reasons.

Scrawled illegibly by Meathe at 12:06 PM