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Category: ARCHITECTURE Thru My Eyes

Predjama Castle

PredjamaCastlePredjama, Slovenia – 2016 – iPhone

What an amazing castle that we were able to visit! Inside you can go into the cave, which is impressive and the views are awesome! This castle was built in about the 13th century into a large cave, it has been added to over the years. In the 16th century, it was obtained by the Knights of Adelsberg and has remained pretty much unchanged since then. The only access to it was by those within putting a ladder out a window and down it’s face, allowing their guests to climb in. It was a very safe place from enemies and invaders!

Ponte Delle Catene

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Bagni di Lucca, Italy

We went to the city that Paola is from, Bagni di Lucca, a very quaint, pretty village nestled in the mountains.  I walked across the Bridge of Chains (Ponte Delle Catene) and there was a chair waiting there for me to RELAX on.  I sat down and waited, soon enough a bike came along, there is nothing like a bike, a bridge and relaxing all together!  😊

April 2016

Taken with an iPhone 5s

Ponte Della Maddalena

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Borgo a Mozzano, Italy

Craig’s cousin, Francesco, took us to see his wife, Paola’s, home town. On the way we passed this bridge (Ponte Della Maddalena or Ponte Del Diavolo – “Bridge of Mary Magdalena” or “Devil’s Bridge”), which was on my list to take photos of, so it was perfect! And, the weather and lighting were so good, giving a perfect reflection in the Serchio River!  This bridge was built between 1046-1115 AD.

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On The Road Zagreb-Lucca

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Vipava, Slovenia – 2016 – iPhone

We had a beautiful drive from Zagreb, Croatia to Lucca, Italy. The snow eased up as we got closer to Italy. We didn’t have time to stop and take all the photos I wanted 😉 (it would have taken hours) so I did what I could and snapped photos from the car! Slovenia’s countryside is beautiful!

St. Mark’s Church

StMarksChurchZagreb, Croatia – 2016 – iPhone

Doors are intriguing, some are as plain as plain can be, but others are gorgeous! Such is this door on St. Mark’s Church in Zagreb, built in the 13th century. This portal has original Gothic structures.

Cruising on the Vltava River

CruisingVltavaRiverPrague, Czech Republic
2016 – iPhone

We went on a walking tour of Prague, so by the time we arrived at our cruise I was ready to put my feet up and RELAX, as we went along the Vltava River! In the distance you can see Charles Bridge, named for King Charles IV who started it’s construction in 1357, it was completed in the 15th Century.

Old Town Square

OldTownSquare

Prague, Czech Republic
2016 – Canon 50D

Old Town Square is a fun & energetic place with a lot going on, from eating places, jugglers, bubble makers and more! Our guide told us that Walt Disney patterned his Cinderella Castle (the main one as you enter Disneyland) after this church.

Lutheran Frauenkirche

LutheranFrauenkircheDresden, Germany, (CHURCH OF OUR LADY) – 2016 – iPhone

On April 3, 2016, in General Conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf talked about this church which was originally built in the 1700’s. During World War II it was reduced to a pile of rubble and it remained that way from 1945 until the 1990’s when reconstruction began and then it was completed in 2005. President Uchtdorf said; “Stones from the destroyed church had been stored and cataloged and, when possible, were used in the reconstruction. Today you can see these fire-blackened stones pockmarking the outer walls. These “scars” are not only a reminder of the war history of this building but also a monument to hope—a magnificent symbol of man’s ability to create new life from ashes.”

Marble Bridge

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Frederiksholms Kanal, Copenhagen, Denmark – 2016 – Canon 50D

We had a wonderful tour on the canals.  There are a lot of bridges that we went under, but this one stood out because it is so ornate and beautiful.  It was designed by the 18th Century architect Nicolai Eigtved and was built at the same time as the first palace. What a great way to see Copenhagen!

So Cool!

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Gothenburg, Sweden

As we walked around Gothenburg we came across these cool doors.

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George Washington Bridge – 1931

bs1b-1006-img_2579-washingtonbridge-60New York City, New York

We were in New York City in 2006 visiting family and while we were there we went on a cruise around New York City, on the Hudson River.  It was a beautiful day as we passed under the George Washington Bridge and looked at the city.

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Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

ch1ab-505-sopra-minerva-rome-italy-80Rome, Italy

When we arrived in Rome I soon found out that there are a lot of churches there.  My attitude at first was that all churches are the same, so I would walk past them.  After about a year of living in Rome, one day I didn’t walk past a particular church, but rather, I walked inside and I was amazed at the beauty I saw.  I soon found that every church is different inside and from then on I always went inside a church to enjoy the wonder and beauty of it!  This church I visited many times over the years and I took this photo of a column and the ceiling in 2005.  Santa Maria sopra Minerva was built on top of the foundations of a temple dedicated to the Greco-Roman goddess Minerva, thus sopra Minerva (above Minerva).  I still remember the first time I walked inside this church, I was in awe at the beauty of the ceiling!

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Pantheon Ceiling

itr27c-030180Rome, Italy

In this photo, of the ceiling of the Pantheon, you can see the circular hole which is 30 feet across.  Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome.

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Alnwick Castle

ena1c-0804-alnwick-castle-80Alnwick, England

Alnwick Castle was transformed into Hogwarts in ‘Harry Potter’. On our bus tour of the British Isles in 2004 we went to Alnwick Castle. It was so fun to be there and feel the Hogwarts spirit.

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Brig O’Doon

scaw2d-0803-60Alloway, Scotland

We took a bus tour of the British Isles from July-August of 2003.  It was wonderful!  We drove thru Scotland and saw some beautiful places, including this bridge where the movie Brigadoon got it’s idea for the bridge scene.  Brigadoon was going to be filmed in Scotland, but because the weather is so unpredictable they shot it in the US in a film studio.

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Golden Gate Bridge

UCASF3c-0702 Golden Gate Bridge60a (B-17)San Francisco, California

The Bay Area has always been a fun area for us to visit.  Now that Craig’s parents have passed away, we don’t go there as often as we use to.  On this trip to California in 2002 we drove across the Golden Gate (a strait connecting the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean) via the Golden Gate Bridge.

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The Spanish Steps

itr5b-0403-a-104-1-spanish-stepsRome, Italy

When visiting Rome the Spanish Steps are a must, particularly in Springtime when the steps are covered with beautiful flowers!

St. Peter’s Basilica

itr11b-0202aVatican City

The Apostle Peter was crucified upside down, because he considered himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus, in 64 AD.  Tradition says that it took place near an ancient Egyptian Obelisk in the Circus of Nero.  The obelisk now stands in St. Peter’s Square.  Catholic tradition holds that the Basilica was built on the burial site of Peter, now a Saint and for Catholics, their first Pope.  There have been many churches on this site, this newer one was completed in 1626.