photography – Page 179

U for Ursuline Monastery

frizztext hosts a weekly A – Z Challenge

Event Type: General Blogging

Start Date: Tuesdays, recurring weekly

Description: Every Tuesday I offer the “A to Z challenge”, walking step by step through the alphabet.

If you would like to join in then please click here

The Ursuline Monastery in Solvenia’s young capital, Ljubljana and the Holy Trinity Parish Church was commissioned by Jakob Schell von Schellenburg, a wealthy local merchant and financier, and his wife Ana Katarina. During the construction of the Trg republike square, the Monastery underwent a thorough reconstruction and its garden was completely destroyed.

Its undulating façade enhanced by semi-columns and a characteristic gable inspired by the famous Roman architect Francesco Borromini make it one of Ljubljana’s most beautiful and extraordinary example of Baroque architecture.

In front is the Holy Trinity Column erected in 1693 as a thanks offering for the city having been spared from the plague.

and given the number of windows in this beautiful building I am linking this to Dawn’s Lingering Windows Challenge.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Twist

Several things immediately entered my head when I read the subject of this week’s photo challenge:

Dancing away in a holiday club to Chubby Checker’s “Let’s Twist Again” in the summer of 1961
The ‘twist‘ of blue paper containing salt in a packet of crisps
Barley Twist – that amber stick of twisted sugar which was probably the cause of many a tooth needing to be filled.

All very nostalgic but the twist is that I don’t have a photo of any of these things, so I am going with this delightful Springbok in Namibia who had to twist her neck to be able to scratch the itch. or what about these twisty horns of a male Kudu? so what has got you into a twist?

T for Týn Church / Týnský chrám

frizztext hosts a weekly A – Z Challenge

Event Type: General Blogging

Start Date: Tuesdays, recurring weekly

Description: Every Tuesday I offer the “A to Z challenge”, walking step by step through the alphabet.

If you would like to join in then please click here

Back in Prague (the city of 101 spires apparently) this week for one of the most recognisable buildings in the Old Town, a Gothic church called ‘The Church of Our Lady in front of Týn‘

The current church is a late Gothic style and construction began in the 14th century. The roof, the 80m high church towers and the smaller spires were completed in the 15th century. It dominates one side of the Old Town Square. (Wikipedia)

The front is decorated with a golden image of the Virgin Mary, made in the 1620s from the melted down Hussite chalice that previously adorned the church. This was during the tumultuous period when Roman Catholics were slaughtering the Hussites who had controlled the church for two centuries.

And take a close look at the two spires on the church. They are not symmetrical. They represent the masculine and feminine sides of the world. This is characteristic of Gothic architecture of the period.

The church is difficult to picture in its entirety as it is hidden behind the four-storey Týn School, and although impressively Gothic on the outside it is heavily Baroque on the inside. It is open to the public, though closed on Mondays, and often used for mass, so check before you visit.

Entrance to the church can be difficult to find as you have to negotiate through the narrow lanes behind the square. This amazing portal dates from 1390 and depicts scenes of Christ’s Passion.

Legend has it that Walt Disney based his Sleeping Beauty Castle on this church. What do you think?

A Lingering Look at Windows: In the Garden

This weekly challenge is hosted by Dawn from ‘The Day After’ who invites participants to post pictures of any windows that they find curious, inviting, photogenic, or in some way tell a story. Visit her blog to see more windows and/or to join in with the challenge.

Whilst visiting Stockton Bury Gardens in Herefordshire recently I also couldn’t help noticing some windows. The Tithe Barn obviously didn’t have windows, but does have huge doors. Now that it is used as a café new bi-fold windows have been added so that they can be open during good weather.

There is a window in the stable block, occupied by a pair of white doves it seems.

But difficult to spot them from the outside in May.

Budding wisteria in April

turns to dripping wisteria in May, and yes there is a window there if you look hard enough.

and a cute little window in the ladies loo.

Weekly Photo Challenge: A Work of Art

This week, share a photo of something that’s art to you.

This particular photo has been given a watercolour ‘art’ effect. Enlarge for more detail and clarity.

Pulsatilla vulgaris

The flowers bloom in early spring, which leads to the common name Pasque flower, since Pasque refers to Easter and Passover. Pasque flowers are the early harbingers of Spring, appearing before the leaves have fully emerged and it is a low-growing, clump-forming, perennial.

To me there is nothing more that represents a work of art than nature. A flower, from seed to decay, is truly magical.