London Street Art

 

There is quite a lot of street art to be found when wandering the streets of London and I've photographed quite a few of them.  This huge anchor and chain is located at Butler's Wharf right next to the river Thames.  It's a reminder of the industry and trade this area used to support.

These brightly colored numbers are located outside the Willis Building in the City of London.  This is the part of London full of many iconic skyscrapers.  

Nearby the numbers above is this sculpture called "Gilt of Cain" by Michael Visocchi and Lemn Sissay.  It commemorates the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

Some of Antony Gormley's standing men statues can be found in another City of London location.  This one is called "Parallel Field".  

Not far from the parallel men is this sculpture called "Optic Sphere" by Petroc Sesti.  The reflective nature of this one catches the eye along with the swirling water in the center.

Not far from the famous Gherkin building is this old church and that large, shiny sculpture to the left.  The sculpture is made up of bits of chrome plated pipes and joints.  It's amusingly called "Really Shiny Things That Don't Mean Anything".  It was created by Ryan Gander.

Husband and wife artists Rob and Nick Carter are the artists who created this colorful, neon target.  There are actually two of them located inside the lobby of a building that can be seen from the outside.  They are color changing light boxes and they certainly attracted my attention.

Back in the Southbank area again, I came across this beautiful horse at the center of a development called The Circle.  The horse is surrounded by apartment buildings clad in bright blue bricks.  The horse was sculpted by Shirley Pace and it is called "Jacob, the Dray Horse".  It's a tribute to the working horses that were stabled here in the early 19th century.  I read that "Jacob" was dropped into place by helicopter.  That must have been something to see.

These lovely ladies are sitting outside the The National Theatre of London and having a lengthy conversation.  They were sculpted by Frank Dobson.

The tree sculpture above can be found just outside of London City Hall next to the Thames on the Southbank.  It was created by David Batchelor and the bright green lights up at night.  

This is just a sample of the art that can be found along the streets of London.  I love a city that enjoys art in all shapes and sizes.  

The Look of Old Tucson

 

Whenever I make the trip south to Tucson, I always make a point of wandering through the historic parts of the city.  That's where I find the true looks of the southwest.  

I love this part of town. This area is full of very old houses that have been restored and yet still maintain the weathered look of age.

I could spend hours just walking through these streets and admiring all of these colorful buildings.

Now that the weather has cooled off a bit, I'm looking forward to making another trip to Tucson.  I'm sure a drive through the historic neighborhoods will be part of that trip.

Hotel Laguna

 

On one of the nights I was in California, I had dinner with my friends at the historic Hotel Laguna located right in the heart of Laguna Beach.  

This hotel was built over 125 years ago.  The original structure burned down just 60 days after it opened but it was rebuilt in 1888.  

In 1928, the hotel was demolished when its original construction was suspected to be a fire hazard.  Work started right away and in 1930, this new building was dedicated.

The restaurant called Fin is at the back of the hotel with a dining patio right on the ocean.  We couldn't ask for a better view.  

I shared a salad with my friend Julie and then had the mussels for my main course. I paused every now and then to snap a photo of the setting sun shining through my wine glass.

By the time we reached dessert time, the sun had set and there was a pinkish glow on the horizon.  It was a perfect spot for a relaxing meal by the sea.  

California Critters

 

Even though I was only in California for three days this last August, I did manage to spot a few "critters" living close to the ocean.  The first one I encountered was this cute little rabbit who emerged from the shrubbery to say hello.

Next was this hawk who quite literally, flew right over the top of my head and landed in this scraggly tree. He was a good sport and stayed put long enough for me to take several shots of him.  

I zoomed in to take a photo of this rock that sits out in the ocean and attracts lots of birds.  I nicknamed it Pelican Rock but it appears it is the cormorants who are in control here.  There is just one pelican in this whole flock.  

There is a restaurant in Laguna Beach that has this colorful, mosaic globe on its patio and on one occasion I passed by when this seagull was using it as a perch.  Since diners take their food out on this patio to eat, I'm pretty sure he was eyeing anything he might steal from and unsuspecting diner.  

This seagull found a great spot where he could hunker down in the warm sand while keeping an eye for any activity in the water below.  

This fellow is the resident tortoise who resides in the greenhouse at Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar.  I usually see two of them in this little indoor pond but on this occasion only one was in sight.  

This isn't a wild animal (as far as I know) but he was happy to smile for me as I approached.  He and his human were out for a walk along the beach when the two of them sat for a brief rest.  

It's always fun to run into "critters" when I'm out enjoying the views.  

New York, New York

My friends Julie and Dave are in New York right now and their messages from the Big Apple are reminding me how much I love that city's skyline, especially at night.

I love seeing that skyline as much as I enjoy just roaming those streets between the canyon of very tall buildings.

You can't beat New York for the sheer drama of architecture on a grand scale.

The trees in Central Park are dwarfed by the tall buildings around the park on every side.  

It's a city like no other!

Childhood Memories

 

I dug out some old photos for today's post.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic when I found some old photos from my home town.  This is the house I grew up in and that's my dad looking out the front window.

This is how the old house looks today or at least how it looked the last time I was there.

Just guessing from the food on the table, this must have been an Easter celebration.  Mom always baked a ham for Easter and a turkey for Christmas.

This would be one of the schools I attended.  

That tall building is where I worked my first job.  That's where the Illinois State Bank was located.  

I saw many movies at the Washington Theatre.  

And, I spent many hours in the Quincy Public Library.  The building has been turned into a museum now but it was a great library when I was young.  

Just a few fond memories from my childhood home in Quincy Illinois.

Archery Summit

 

At the end of July, I was in Oregon to attend a wine event called International Pinot Noir Celebration.  The Willamette Valley in Oregon is known all over the world for its pinot noir wines.  One of the events I attended was at a winery called Archery Summit.  

I had not been to this winery before but this visit helped me discover another picturesque spot in this area.

The name, Archery Summit was well deserved.  It sat at the summit of a hill which gave the winery spectacular views in every direction.

Our group was greeted with a taste of one of their wines.

The group attended a wine-making session inside the winery, learning how many Oregon wines are grown and harvested and developed into world-class wines.

We got to tour the winery with all of its tanks and barrels and pipes and hoses.  The size of the winery was very impressive.  

In addition to all those stainless steel tanks, there was a series of caves where oak barrels were stored for the aging process.

There was even a little tasting spot located in the caves.  In addition to the lectures and tours, our group also was treated to a chef-prepared lunch.  I'll post about that in a future post.