Friday 29 May 2015

Bratislava City Details

Once past the squares, monuments and museums of a city, what else is there to see? Endless little things. Bratislava has its own identity and contains its own details.

Road reconstruction.


Waiting for a passing tram. Tourism office window, showing the big attractions of the area. Roasted duck, plates and men with big sticks.

Old church and newer bus depot.


Communist building with inspiring friezes flanking the entrance. Primary colors construction.

Post no bills? Post all bills!

Thursday 28 May 2015

Seeing The Sights In Bratislava

That's the capital of Slovakia, for those globe trotters counting countries and cities at home. It's a quick cruise down the Danube from Vienna, why not check the city out for a day? We did.

The iconic skyline structure? How about a bridge nicknamed the UFO because of its tower topping circular restaurant? Hey, it's the longest bridge in the world that features one pylon and one set of cables for support. Got that?


The Old Town section, like many similar spaces in Europe, full of cobblestones, squares and small alleys.

The Blue Church, a 1911 big ol' Art Nouveau cupcake.


Across from the Blue Church, a related school, including in architectural style. Back in the Old Town, a central tower.
Bratislava castle. This imposing hilltop fortress has been around in one form or another since BC. Left to ruin after a fire in 1811, the castle finally underwent a restoration that was completed in 2010.


Looking back toward Old Town, Onion Domes peeking over graffiti. The Slovak National Theater. It was all dressed up for some movie featuring Woodrow Wilson making an appearance.

The most famous image of Bratislava, a whimsical sculpture, Man At Work, from 1997. Seriously. You can buy a reproduction on magnets, scarves, everything.

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Cruising Down The Danube From Vienna To Bratislava

How exotic! Old cities, famous river. About an hour taxi ride on the water.

We're off, a rainy day on the Danube.


Someone's excited, someone has dozed off. It all depends on how many times you've made the trip.


One highlight, going through a set of locks. Heading in and watching the lock fill.

A few more meters to go.


And...we're out, back cruising again with the river barge traffic. Passing little weekend cabins.

End of the line, Bratislava.

Tuesday 26 May 2015

Church Details In Vienna

Another city, another set of church details. Vienna has several beautiful places of worship with plenty of patina, ready for their close-ups.



Monday 25 May 2015

Random Signs In Vienna

Foreign land, foreign signs. What are they saying in Vienna?

Hope for Snowden asylum, attached to a phone booth. The next day, all presence of the stickers were gone.


Crossing signs. How come the women/girls have to be scaled smaller? Can't they be standing on the same plane or be older than the male graphic?

Anti-pooping campaign sign. We beg you!


Sly de-facing, a big thumbs up and an added face.

Definitely don't walk here, you may be struck down by a red laser.


You need a large training manual to figure out what you can and can't do at this construction site. Make sure to wear black gloves on your huge hands and have a non-face. Look who's selling in Vienna, Ms. Sandwich In The City.

Friday 22 May 2015

Garage Entrances In Vienna

Garage entrances in Vienna tip quickly into abstraction, a testament to how important design is to the overall fabric of the city.



Thursday 21 May 2015

Art Nouveau Buildings In Vienna

Vienna is famous for a fabulous art, architecture and design period, dating from about the turn of the 20th century. Art Nouveau or Jugendstil and a Secessionist movement all intertwined and left their mark on the city.

The Secessionist Building, an 1897 art exhibition place created to serve the artists who broke away from the established art salon of the time.


Secession details, front bowls, held by turtles. Ornamentation details, golden trees and laurel garlands.

A pair of Otto Wagner buildings, across from the main outdoor market, Naschmarkt.


Elegant details, reliefs on the corner building by Kolo Moser. 

The transition between the two buildings. Nice balconies and then a garden painted on terra cotta for the building on the left, Majolika-Haus.


Another Otto Wagner (with Joseph Maria Olbrich) creation, a Stadtbahn station.


There are two station entrances, now no longer used. The little Art Nouveau cupcakes are now a small museum and cafe.