Chicago Landmark

 I'm jumping from the Singing Tower featured last Sunday to the Chicago Water Tower today.

The Chicago Water Tower is a well known landmark in the city.  It was built in 1869 and it along with the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station across the street served to bring water in from Lake Michigan.

The tower became a famous landmark after it and the pumping station survived the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.  It was the only public building in the burned zone to survive.  

Today the water tower holds the Chicago Office of Tourism and a gallery that contains historic photos along with works from local artists.  It is still possible to tour the pumping station and view those huge pipes that served the city so well over 100 years ago.

I always enjoy seeing that historic tower surrounded by all those modern high-rise buildings.  It's a nice juxtaposition of old versus new.   

Singing Tower

 

These photos today are from the big stash of slides I found last summer and scanned.  This place is called Bok Tower Gardens located north of Lake Wales in Florida.  I visited there on the same trip that took me to Epcot many years ago.

In the center of the garden is a tall tower containing carillon bells that play soothing music while you stroll the garden.

The garden was lush with tropical plants including many magnolia trees that were in full bloom.  I have one distinct memory from visiting this place.  I was seated on a bench listening to the music when a small ground squirrel tried to climb up my bare leg.  Needless to say, I screeched from the pain caused by his sharp little claws and off he went.  

The photo to the right was from one of the slides that faded a bit but you can see the tower clearer. For the photo at the top I was using a special soft focus filter.  The colors are better but you can't see the top of the tower.

EPCOT!

 

Many years ago I had the privilege of being among the first tourists to visit EPCOT, the theme park adjacent to Walt Disney World in Florida.  It was October of 1982 and it was an amazing experience.  There were many ceremonies and a lots of fireworks.  Space Ship Earth (above) dominates the entrance to the park.  There was a ride inside that round globe that takes riders on a time machine trip around our globe.

The Imagination Pavilion had films and slide shows.  I recall a presentation about the history of photography but after a little research, I discovered that the shows at this pavilion are always evolving with the latest technology.  

My favorite area of EPCOT was where the 'country' pavilions were located.  I loved visiting all 10 that were there at the time.  (There are now 11 pavilions.  One for Norway opened 4 years later.)

Above is a quiet corner in the Morocco Pavilion and to the left is the China Pavilion.  

To the right is a scene from the Japan pavilion.  

I located these photos recently but, it seems like there must be more somewhere because I recall taking photos at every single pavilion.  I have Morocco, China and Japan represented here but I'm missing the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Italy and the U.S. Maybe there is some irony in those missing photos.  I've been able to visit everyone of those missing countries since this time but I've never been to the three represented here.

I'll never forget being there for the grand opening with all the ceremonies opening the different pavilions and a wonderful welcoming speech from Walt Disney himself.  

On the Coast of Maine

 

Many years ago, I took a short road trip along the coast of Maine.  I followed the southern coast and roamed around in the Kennebunk region.  I remember passing through several towns and many of them had lighthouses to admire.  I felt like I was stopping every few minutes to take in another view.

Harbors full of boats of all shapes and sizes were especially appealing.

Living most of my life in the western half of the United States, getting a chance to see The Atlantic Ocean was a special treat.  The fact that there were so many harbors and lighthouses was just a bonus.  

One of my goals on that trip was to watch a sunrise over The Atlantic.  I had seen so many sunsets over the Pacific Ocean, I was craving what I thought of as the opposite view.  It wasn't the most spectacular sunrise but, it was well worth getting up early and walking the beach trail in the dark to see it.

These photos have all been scanned from prints.

The American Bellagio

 

A little over a year ago, I posted photos from Bellagio, the wonderful city in Italy that sits right on beautiful Lake Como.  Today I have photos from its American namesake, the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  They couldn't be more different.

The hotel is heavily adorned with Chihuly glass creations from this amazing lobby ceiling to the gorgeous center piece in one of the casinos.  

The property features its own botanical garden filled with gorgeous blooms, singing birds and artistic water features.

There were even carefully crafted works of art made completely of flowers like this beautifully framed masterpiece.  Standing in front of it, you can smell the perfume of all those flowers.

Flowers loomed large inside the hotel too.  There were elaborate floral displays in every corner of the various lobby areas.  

Besides slot machines and poker tables, there were other things to tempt people.  The Jean-Phillipe Patisserie had the most incredible display of tempting pastries and desserts.  I can't remember if I purchased one but I'm guessing that I did.

In Bellagio Italy, the view is of a vast blue lake and the mountains surrounding it.  At the American version in Las Vegas, the view includes a much small span of water and a look at the Eiffel Tower.  Still, for a weekend getaway, it isn't half bad!

Special Attention

 

When I was in Italy a year and a half ago, I stayed for a week on Lake Como where I used the reliable ferry system to get back and forth across the lake to visit the different towns and villas.  The ferries carry both cars and passengers and when they arrive at a dock, the cars leave first followed by the passengers.

Depending on which side of the ferry I sat, I would sometimes have to exit through the area where the cars were loaded.  It was kind of like walking through a floating tunnel.

On one of my trips across the lake, I was waiting for the cars to exit when I noticed this snazzy red Ferrari in line to exit.  I wasn't the only one to notice it.  Many people admired its sleek lines.

What I didn't expect was the special attention this car and driver got from the ferry crew.  When the Ferrari  approached the exit ramp, the ferry crew brought out a set of ropes that they laid down over the dip between the ferry ramp and the dock.

Here you see him standing on the ropes to hold them in place.

Here he is is checking the clearance under the car as it crosses the ramp.

And, here he makes sure it crosses the bump with no problems.  It looks like if you drive a sleek, new Ferrari, you can get very special attention when using the Lake Como ferry network.  

The ferry system worked beautifully with ferries coming and going all day long.  And, while I was visiting Lake Como, crowds of people were using them all the time.  But, watching the Ferrari was a highlight.  It was fun to see that if you own a fancy and expensive Italian made car, you get special treatment when you use the ferry.

The Town With the Macabre Name

 

In northern Arizona, about 17 miles west of Prescott is a town called Skull Valley Arizona.  

You might just call it a blip on the road because if you blink you might miss it.  Skull Valley  is a very small, rural ranching community with around 750 residents by one count.  

If you happen to pass through this small place, you will see a general store on one side of the road and a gas station on the other side.  The School house sits behind the tall grass in my first photo.

But the land in this part of the state is quite beautiful with huge, old cottonwood trees dominating the scene.

This gate that appears to go nowhere adds to the mystery of the place.

My favorite view in the small town, is across the railroad tracks and over to the entrance to a local ranch.  I love the way the those trees line the driveway.

There is just something so appealing about traveling through a tunnel made of beautiful trees.  

I've stopped at that general store in the photo above and found the owner to be very friendly and informative.  So in spite of its grim name, I'd say that this little town is a pleasant stop along the road.  It's a friendly, informal place with some stunning scenery.  

A Closer Look

 

On past visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, I've always concentrated on the paintings. When I visited two years ago, I spent some time in the sculpture room and I found lots to make me curious.  The detail in this statue fascinated me. 

The draping of her dress was impressive but I thought the toes in her sandal were amazing.  Her foot in that sandal is incredibly natural looking.  This sculpture is called "Sappho" and it was created by Count Prosper D'Epinay (1836-1914), a French sculptor.  Apparently many of his clients were nobility and royalty.  When I looked him up, I learned he has a sculpture of Joan of Arc in the Reims Cathedral.  I wished I had seen it when I was there all those years ago.

The expression of fear and anguish on this fellow's face is what drew me to this sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875).  It's called "Ugolino and His Sons".  There is a story here.  Count Ugolino was a victim of political intrigue and was locked in a tower along with his sons and grandsons without food or water.  

Carpeaux was known for his ability to create amazing expression in his sculptures.

The title of this sculpture is "Winter" and it was created by Jean Antoine Houdon (1741-1828).  What makes this one so unique is the use of a beautiful woman to depict winter rather than an old man as most artist do.  

You can almost feel her shivering in the cold.

Her flimsy shawl is certainly not enough to protect her from the frosty air.

It was the title of this one that caught my eye.  It's called "A Hypocrite and a Slanderer".  The Artist is Frans Xaver Messershmidt (1736-1783).  This Austrian artist produced nearly 70 headpieces exploring the shapes and expressions on faces.  

However, the artist's story is a little deeper than that.  Apparently he suffered from mental illness and one observer said he sculpted heads to ward off evil spirits.  This one made me wonder how "mental illness" was defined in the 18th century.  What was intended by the name of this sculpture remains a mystery.  

Diving into the history of these pieces proved to be truly fascinating to me.  I'm glad I took a closer look.

High Rise Living

 

If you follow my Phoenix Daily Photo blog, you might remember that I've mentioned before that I did some contract work for about 10 years.  During that time, I worked in several different cities.  One of the longest contracts was in Chicago.  Growing up in Quincy Illinois, a little over 300 miles to the south, I always thought of Chicago as the ultimate big city.  So having to live right in the heart of the city was almost like a dream come true.  I had a wonderful apartment on the 14th floor of a 40 story building and I had some fabulous views.  The photo above is looking to the south.  Just behind that tall building was the then developing Millennium Park and past that, Grant Park.

Looking out the windows to the east, I could see the Chicago River and out past that to Lake Michigan.  It was a wonderful view.  I loved seeing the lights in all the high-rise buildings around me and I loved watching the fog roll in from the lake.  I even learned a phrase I had never heard before, "lake effect snow".  Sometimes in the winter, I'd see dark clouds building up over the lake and they would slowing start to move in toward the city and then suddenly it would be snowing like crazy.  

The bedroom had that same eastern view with a little better view of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.  I loved watching what went on in that office building that you see out the window in the photo directly above.  One time, I saw a movie being filmed in that building.  I saw all the studio trucks parked in the street below and the name of the movie being shot was taped to side of one of the trucks.  I made note of it so I could watch for its release.  It never made it to the theaters.  It went directly to video.  The movie was called "Unconditional Love" starring Jonathan Pryce,  Kathy Bates, Rupert Everett and Dan Aykroyd.  I own a digital copy of the movie and after writing this post, I think I might have to watch it again sometime soon.

The dining area was next to the living room and the kitchen.  I had the refrigerator covered with photos of some of the many escapades from times spent working away from home.  We had a great team of people and not only did we work together during the week, but often went on trips together over the weekends.  

I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to do this kind of work.  All those years of envying the term "jet-setter," and I finally became one and I loved every minute of it.

I recently found these photos and scanned them. It was certainly the best apartment I had in all the cities I worked in.  You can see a photo of the outside of this building in this post.  It's the last photo.