This Place is a . . . What?

Somewhere between Rome and Naples ~ April 17, 2004

If you guessed it was a resort hotel in Cairo, you would be thinking along the same lines as I was, and we would both be wrong. It's a bank - at least the downstairs is. I loved seeing the occasional "came-out-of-nowhere" building, which usually also seemed to be sitting in the middle of nowhere, as well.

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Lillywhites' Pink Window

London ~ February 19, 2010

Lillywhites, Piccadilly Circus

I had two photos, one with this big lens in the way, and one missing the context.

My Web Page: tapirback.com

Dilapidated Beauty

Syracuse (Siracusa), Sicily, Italy ~ April 27, 2004

Island of Ortygia

After 2,500 years surrounded on three sides by seas and salt breezes, historic Ortygia is falling apart. Neither my old camera nor my skills with it were up to capturing some of the details I always love. In trying to lighten the shadows in Photoshop, I burned the sky into something less than its original pure blue. Such will be some of my pix from Syracuse, a magical city while it lasts.

My Web Page: tapirback.com

1885 Windows, Austin

Austin, Texas ~ February 5, 2011

I like the contrast between old and newer. This is another drive-by. There were a number of buildings on the street that I liked even better, but they are clearly taken on the move, so I will save them for a series. 

This building is dated 1885, one year before my ancestors and their associates founded Corona, California, where I grew up. It's interesting for me to have a touchstone for the world in which they lived at that time. They did not come from Texas, but from St. Louis and Sioux City, with ties and business connections in Boston and New York. I'm writing a book about their bringing their skills, money, and cultural preferences to the untamed wilds of Southern California.

My Web Page: tapirback.com

Arches and Old Stones

Ravello, Italy ~ April 20, 2004

My Web Page: tapirback.com

Interesting Old Digs

Banbury, England ~ February 15, 2010

Whately Hall

We stayed in this former coaching inn from the 17th Century for a couple of nights. I loved the old building (and cheaper than most Holiday Inn Express Hotels). We got to chat about history with some of the staff, but I vowed to carry my own blankets next time. Under a featherbed comforter, you roast. Throw it off and you freeze. I'm used to layering covers, and I never got the hang of how to sleep Old England Style. Any hints?

By the way, I'm re-thinking my blogs, and I intend to make "Tapirgal's Daily" a daily blog again. Or close enough. It will help when I get my used photos re-named with the date first so I can tell quickly if I've already used a photo or not. Apologies for any you've seen before.

My Web Page: tapirback.com

A Street in Ravello

Ravello, Italy ~ April 22, 2004

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Inside the Bodleian Quadrangle

Oxford, England ~ February 18, 2010

Bodleian Library

Check out today's post on my On the Pavement blog to see what was at my feet.

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Shining Gold

Monreale, Sicily ~ April 29, 2004

The cloister of the abbey

Amazing architecture and design of the Normans in Sicily.

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Info

Rome Zoo ~ April 14, 2004

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Built to last

Chicago ~ April 24, 2005

Built to last and built to please. I love the architectural wonders of The Windy City. The entire feel of being in Chicago came back to me tonight when I looked at this image. Beautiful and intriguing buildings filled block after block.

My thanks to Stan Hollenbeck for supplying the following info: "The building is Romanesque Revival built in 1897 but not a Sullivan. Louis Sullivan, one of Chicago's most influential architects, developed a unique form of decoration that he used for many of his buildings, beginning in the 1890s. This Sullivanesque style was imitated by other architects. The records do not indicate who was the architect of that particular building."

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