On the Way to the Bell Tower

Monreale Cloisters, Sicily ~ April 29, 2004

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Hotel Steps, South Kensington

London ~ February 19, 2010

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Ancient-looking Beasts in Modern Pompeii

Pompeii, Italy ~ April 18, 2004

This was the floor in a hotel lobby where we stayed. The black thing is nothing more than a rubber mat to keep people from slipping in the rainy weather. Of course, now I wish I'd gone down and removed it before taking the photo, but you know how it is - you've been walking all day, you're exhausted, and one more step seems like one step too many. *Snap!*

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Like a Flower

Photo by Kate Joshi
Santa Barbara, California ~ July 7, 2005

My friend Kate sent this one from a trip to Santa Barbara.

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An Ancient Design on the Floor?

New York ~ May 7, 2009

Metropolitan Museum of Art

I believe this was in the Roman section. Since it's on the floor for everyone to walk on, I think it must be a reproduction or a design meant to recall the period.

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Wading Bird Mosaic

Dallas, Texas ~ April 13, 2007

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

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Bird Mosaic, Panama

Guadalupe, Panama ~ January 11, 2010
Los Quetzales Ecolodge

See today's post on my On the Pavement blog for another bird mosaic at Los Quetzales.

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Woodpecker Mosaic

Guadalupe, Panama ~ January 11, 2010

Los Quetzales Ecolodge

See today's post on my Animal Art Along the Way blog for another bird mosaic at Los Quetzales.

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Snake Terrace Extraordinaire

Playground, Tours Aillaud

Nanterre, Paris, July 2010

This wonderful photo is thanks to my blogging friend VP of Livorno, Italy. Check out his Daily Photo Stream and Livorno Daily Photo blogs. If you want some additional fun, see VP's A Bunch of Benches blog. You will be amazed :) That blog started out as a joke and was later discovered. I have no idea what the inside joke was about, but it now has a following of folks who like seeing a daily morph of the bench theme. Back to the photo above: I have not seen this gargantuan snake myself, but I can imagine how excited I'd be to find it while walking through the city. I also love the treatment of the buildings in the background. Thanks, VP!

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Monreale Star

Monreale, Sicily ~ April 29, 2004
On the floor of the cathedral

Here is a photo of the adjoining cloister on Tapirgal's Daily Image.

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Compass Rose: Belém, western Lisbon, Portugal

Oeiras, Portugal ~ July 24, 2009

Photo by JM

Many thanks to JM of Oeiras and environs daily photo for the use of this magnificent piece of pavement! You MUST enlarge it. Those are actually people down there! For the full story and comments check out JM's original post of the rose.

I also learned from JM that this type of pavement pattern (the black and white wavy lines) originated in Portugal. Having not been to Portugal (yet), I first encountered similar patterns in Brazil. In fact, I posted one of the sidewalks from Sao Paulo during the first week of Tapirgal's Daily Image.

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Slither

Los Angeles ~ 2003

From the series "Los Angeles Urban Art 2003"

by Francisca

Francisca wrote, "These were all taken on the Metro Train route from LA Airport to downtown . . . each stop has wonderful urban art."

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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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Two Critters, Toe to Toe

Texas ~ April 13, 2007

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

In an earlier post, I showed another bird from the same mosaic.

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Fish and Shell Mosaic in the Women's Bathroom

Portland, Oregon ~ c. 2003

I found this mosaic in a restroom at one of the Portland convention centers. I think it was the Rose Garden, but I'm no longer sure about that. We had attended a gift show before I had any clue about finding my way around Portland. I only remember I was happy to see that someone had thought of decorating the restroom with animals.

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Man-eating Monster, Ravello

Ravello, Italy ~ April 22, 2004

Here is a remarkable piece of Byzantine mosaic on a pulpit inside the church on the Piazza Vescovado, the main square of Ravello. The church was built in the 11th Century and renovated in 1786. Follow this link to see previous posts featuring this church.

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A Seahorse on the Pavement

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ~ February 6, 2007

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Dragon and Birds: Turquoise and Gold

Ravello, Italy ~ April 22, 2004

This surprising and beautiful pulpit is inside this church on the main piazza of Ravello. You can see other images from inside the church here.

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Mall

Rome ~ April 15, 2004

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Swordfish Made of Stones

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ~ February 6, 2007

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.