Prague Views

Vltava River, Dawn

A collection of images of the people and sites of Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is built around the River Vltava. On the east side of the river is the old town, with town squares and narrow streets typical of medieval towns in Europe. On the west side, lies the castle precinct, with its protective and forbidding construction and centrepiece, the St Vitus Cathedral. Continue reading “Prague Views”

Salzburg Views

The castle hills are adorned with woods, and in fall with the autumn, late-afternoon, light, the colours are magnificent.
The castle hills are adorned with woods, and in fall with the autumn, late-afternoon, light, the colours are magnificent.

Salzburg is a city in Austria, and perhaps most known as the birthplace and home of Mozart. The city is built around the Salzach River, with a large castle dominating the hills on the south side of the River. It is a charming, small, city, with the alps a short distance away. Continue reading “Salzburg Views”

Schönbrunn Palace

Gloriette, The Garden Pavilion , sits on top of the hill with a view back towards the main palace and the city.
Gloriette, The Garden Pavilion , sits on top of the hill with a view back towards the main palace and the city.

Schönbrunn Palace is the summer palace for the Hapsburg dynasty. Today it lies on the outskirts of Vienna, but at its height it would have been outside of the main city. The palace is noted for its extraordinary gardens and pavilions, a small zoo and parklands. Continue reading “Schönbrunn Palace”

Art in Vienna

In the grand halls of the Hofburg Palace is a museum of musical instruments; a few rooms, tucked away amidst halls of marble and vast colonnades. The appearance of the piano is striking.
In the grand halls of the Hofburg Palace is a museum of musical instruments; a few rooms, tucked away amidst halls of marble and vast colonnades. The appearance of the piano is striking.

Vienna is a city steeped in culture and as one comes to it for the first time, it is actually overwhelming in the diversity and richness of what it has to offer. There is much to say about it, far more than can possibly be covered here, I thought I would present a collection of images from some of the museum visits that I made during my short sojourn here. Continue reading “Art in Vienna”

Ravenna’s Contemporary Mosaics

Detail of a commissioned work at Koko Mosaico.
Detail of a commissioned work at Koko Mosaico.

The early Christian mosaics of Ravenna, among the best preserved pieces of their era, present a tantalising view of the art from the late Roman and Byzantine empires. Ravenna was to surprise an unwary traveller, with a vibrant and exciting contemporary Mosaic’s scene. The Mosaics are on display throughout the city; museums, galleries, as you would expect, but also workshops that are producing grand works, and the display of contemporary work in 6th Century Baptisteries. As the following images contend, it can still lay claim to a vibrant centre of Mosaic Art, one that has survived for over a millennia and still going strong. Continue reading “Ravenna’s Contemporary Mosaics”