Pictures From The Road

**redwing** · September 6th, 2005, 03:03 PM

My last job required that I spend most of my time travelling from one customer site to another. While it was sometimes very stressful, it also allowed me to see a lot of the USA, and a little of Europe.

Wherever my travels took me, I took a camera. Here are a few of the places I have been, just wanted to share.

These are from Wawel Castle in Cracow, Poland. Cracow was the capitol city of Poland for several centuries before being moved to Warsaw. Wawel was the seat of the Polish Kings.

I was only in the city for a few hours. Someday I would like to get back and spend a few days there. The city and the surrounding country are beautiful.

A couple more shots from the center of the city...

**redwing** · September 6th, 2005, 03:26 PM

These pictures are from a salt mine in Wieliczka, Poland, near Cracow.

The tour starts with a descent of about 400 feet to the heart of the mine. The passageways are all carved from salt, with some places having wooden reinforcement. At each level, there is a small altar carved in the wall, and the miners would pray here before exploring a new cavity.

The last set of pics are of the grand ballroom. It is a huge room carved out of the salt. The walls, floor and stairways are salt. Again there is some wooden structure to prevent a collapse. There are large altars, statues and murals carved into the walls. The London Philharmonic Orchestra has played here, and you can celebrate New Year's Eve here as well.

**redwing** · September 6th, 2005, 04:12 PM

Next batch is from Firenze, Italy (or Florence, for those of us who must change other peoples' words becasue we don't like them).

It was the Monday after Easter, so the whole country was on holiday. Even though the weather was lousy, the city was packed. I just wish the light had been a little better. Maybe next time.

**axel01** · September 7th, 2005, 03:03 AM

excellent pictures and motives, RW

Florence / Firenze is the top place of the world - by so many means
You make me wish I'd be in Tuscany / Toscana really bad at the moment.

thanks for sharing!

**bacpac** · September 7th, 2005, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redwing

Next batch is from Firenze, Italy (or Florence, for those of us who must change other peoples' words becasue we don't like them).

It was the Monday after Easter, so the whole country was on holiday. Even though the weather was lousy, the city was packed. I just wish the light had been a little better. Maybe next time.

These are desktop images for me now.
Thanks Redwing.
Some guys have all the luck.

**cashnr13** · September 7th, 2005, 12:04 PM

Think its a good idea. I was also in holidays. So I can alos upload some pics!

Greetings Cashnr13

**PLover007** · September 7th, 2005, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bacpac

These are desktop images for me now.
Thanks Redwing.
Some guys have all the luck.

Yes, redwing post them with links that give you the images with the original resolution. Thanks

**redwing** · September 7th, 2005, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PLover007

Yes, redwing post them with links that give you the images with the original resolution. Thanks

PLover, the shots from Poland were taken with a different camera, and when you open them in imagevenue, that is full size. The set from Firenze, as well as the next couple of posts, were taken with a higher-res camera and will link to the full sized pics at imagevenue. If you save the pics, then open with your choice of image software, they should open to full screen images.

If that doesn't work, I will be posting the full series in the next week or so, and will put a link here.

Now to the next set of pics. This post and the next are from in and around the city of Bologna, Italy. I spent ten days there on a "business trip" and had a wonderful time. Incredible food, fantastic wine and beautiful women. What else does a man need?

**redwing** · September 7th, 2005, 06:56 PM

In the center of Bologna are two towers (Due Torri) that date back to the early 1100's. At 48 and 97 meters in height, they can be seen from afar, and provide spectacular views of the city. While the tall tower is open to the public, the shorter tower has been closed for some time, as it has a "slight" lean to it. Yeah, just a little. The guide book said it was 477 steps to the top. I wasn't counting on the way up, as there was a lot of stopping and starting. The stairs are only wide enough for one person, and as they wind towards the top, there is a small platform in each corner where two people can pass by each other on a small platform. During the descent, though, I counted 478. It IS possible that I miscounted, but I want them to change the book. Just for me.

Anyway, enjoy the pics.

**bacpac** · September 7th, 2005, 09:37 PM

Just F#@king awesome.
These are the best yet. You've obviously struck a chord given the interest.
Truely breath taking pictures of humbling structures (back to 1100's).

Thanks

**redwing** · September 8th, 2005, 12:49 AM

This set was shot on Easter Sunday in San Marino, an independant republic within Italy, near Rimini on the Adriatic Sea. The area was settled in the year 301, and it was believed that Mount Titano was a site where the Ancients ascended to the heavens. You do not need a passport to visit, but I highly recommend that you take your most comfortable pair of shoes, as there is much to see on the Mount, and only accessible by foot.

The last pic is of La Cava dei Balestrieri, The Crossbowmen Quarry. It was here that public execution by crossbow was held, and is still re-enacted during the Midieval Festival every summer. The prisoners were placed against the black wall in the background, and the Balestrieri would take aim from the location of the benches in the foreground.

**bacpac** · September 8th, 2005, 05:07 AM

Thanks again for the reps.

What attracts me most to the pics is not only the unique views but rather the subject matter themselves. Perhaps not in the obvious way. I notice you are drawn to these greatly historic and aged structures (hard not to do in Europe your saying i bet

) . They are testiment to phrases like "careful deiberation" and "considered approach". I think that there is knowledge that is lost and rediscovered (see Damascus Steel as an example) however the fact that these buildings were built when they were built and are still standing is testiment to something that we are still yet to rediscover. Kinda like a percept of the heart rather than an analytical investigation is the way I see the ancients ability to build these structures. Then again, maybe Im just ranting as there are a shitload of other building which stood next to them which fell down.

I like to think that these still standing structures are not a statistical anomlay.

Thanks for sharing.

**cashnr13** · September 8th, 2005, 12:04 PM

o.k. here are a few from my holiday.
It was in the "Harz" here in Germany.

Greetings Cashnr13

**BuffforCU** · September 8th, 2005, 01:29 PM

Nice pictures!

**Unkl** · September 9th, 2005, 01:05 AM

Great work RW, nice to see you get off the beaten path.

**axel01** · September 9th, 2005, 01:47 AM

Great thread, based on a simple, fresh and effective idea, colleagues!

thanks for sharing ... and keep on going, please!

**redwing** · September 9th, 2005, 08:55 AM

Thanks for all of the comments guys, and thanks for the additions cashnr13. I have always enjoyed visiting castles, fortresses, cathedrals and such. Germany is on my list of places to visit, hopefully soon.

I'm travelling the next couple of days, then I should have some time to add pictures from France, as well as start putting up pics form the US of A.

**redwing** · September 11th, 2005, 10:20 PM

Okay, time to start adding some pics again.

First up is the Eiffel Tower, which is probably the first thing that comes to most people when you mention Paris.

**redwing** · September 11th, 2005, 10:30 PM

And these are views from the top of the Eiffel Tower. The tower is 1051 feet tall, can be seen from most everywhere in the city, and affords spectacular views of the city and it's surroundings.

These pictures were taken on a hazy Sunday morning. We thought to go up on Saturday, but the lines at each of the four feet of the tower were about three hours deep, so we waited, and the next morning were the first people in line.

**PLover007** · September 11th, 2005, 10:54 PM

Since the links to the server(s) don't seem to work.... the pics are super-extremely-tiny. Please check out #18 and #19 if you can redwing.