Prague Castle (Prazky Hrad) October 19, 2009
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You can read all about Prague Castle, but here’s what struck my fancy. Note that these pictures were taken between waves of torrential downpours. The Eyewitness Travel Guide to Prague was not kidding when it described the winter weather as “changeable.”
Gothic Spires of St. Vitus' Cathedral
rainspouts on St. Vitus' Cathedral
faceless knight of the wall
Golden Lane. Guards and gunners lived in these tiny houses along the inside of the castle wall.
Prague houses October 16, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Architecture, art, Prague, Vacation.2 comments
From a quick glance at a map of Prague, you might be be able to guess that the city grew without the benefit of city planning. While the maze of streets is confusing to the first time visitor, one of the more charming results of unplanned growth is that houses relied on various decorations to identify themselves instead of using a numbering system. A few of my favorites:
The Seldec Ossuary October 14, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Architecture, Prague, Vacation.Tags: Prague
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On the way to Kutna Hora, our tour stopped at the Sedlec Ossuary, a bizarre church filled and decorated with the bones of 40,000 people. The remains are from the 12th through15th centuries, mostly from natural deaths like the Black Pague, but also from the Hussite Wars.
The intent of the display was to remind the faithful of their limited time on earth and inspire them to live a peaceful life.
I’m currently switching between a morbid curiosity and being creeped out to see human remains treated like so much tinsel.
CitizenM October 5, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Amsterdam, Architecture, Vacation.3 comments
This is my hotel room in Amsterdam and I am loving it! Coming home to a bed more comfortable than my own, an amazing shower, fun adjustable lighting, and free wireless instead of a dreary cookie cutter hotel room has made such a difference on this trip. More about Amsterdam later, but for now, check out the photo gallery for the rest of the hotel.
David and Kurt July 31, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Architecture, home decor, Visual stuff.add a comment
Apartment Therapy shows a lot of really beautiful spaces, but this one really caught my eye. I’m in awe of all the beautiful things they have in their house, and how well everything works together. And I’m not even usually a fan of midcentury modern!
Strange Buildings December 5, 2008
Posted by Sarah in Architecture.Tags: Architecture
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The Fuji television building in Tokyo.
Nautilus House in Mexico City.
Free Spirit Spheres in British Columbia.
The Kansas City Public Library, my favorite hands down.I really enjoyed this post about the strangest buildings in the world, and now I’m intrigued with the idea of staying in a sphere. Hm.
Facades November 8, 2008
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A little bit of playfulness goes a long way on an ugly facade! From Apartment Therapy and attributed to Banksy.
And this, how awesome would it be to turn a corner and stumble upon this Escher inspired gem? It’s a house in Toronto found by this blogger.
And now I’m bringing it home with this Mondrian inspired house in the Outer Sunset. It always makes me smile a bit when I cycle past it.
Boise September 16, 2008
Posted by Sarah in Architecture, Bicycling, Vacation.add a comment
A cycling friend of mine lives up in Boise and put us up for the weekend. On Monday, he lent us a couple of bikes while he and his girlfriend were at work so we could toodle around the city. The mellow, relaxed, and super outdoorsy feel of the city really impressed me. Should I ever forget my love of urban living, it’ll be a western town like this that captures my heart.
The state capitol under construction.
A cool installation on the side of the Grove Hotel.
A shot of the Boise River from the Greenbelt – a really nice multiuse pathway that runs along the river by Boise State and through several parks.
If you live in SF, it’s hard to pass up a picture of an orange bridge.This one’s part of the Greenbelt.
Defenestration January 28, 2008
Posted by Sarah in Architecture, San Francisco.add a comment
My favorite building in San Francisco is this run down old hotel on 6th street. The Defenestration Building. I still remember my surprise the first time I drove past – Wait…what!? :) I love the way furniture creeps out of windows and along the sides of the building. Every abandoned eyesore should look as good as this.
