LANDMARK BUILDINGS OF NEW YORK

Flatiron Building
New York City has many historical buildings. One famous landmark is the Flatiron Building, one of the first building s in the world to use a steel skeleton. The Flatiron building was completed in 1902

Municipal Building
Another historical building of New York City is the Municipal Building. This forty floors tall building incorporates elements from Roman Imperial, Italian Renaissance and French Renaissance architecture. Built in 1913, the Municipal Building stands 170 Mtrs. The building also

 

 

The Building is capped with the 25ft tall Statue of Civic Fame . The figure stands barefoot on a sphere wearing flowing robes and  a crown of laurels . The statue is made of copper sheets.

New York City, USA

May  2011.

US CAPITOL

This year decided to head for the United States for our annual vacation and our first stop was Washington DC - the capital of the country. A beautiful city, Washington has some of the most majestic and grand buildings anywhere and the grandest of these all is The US Capitol, the seat of the US Government. 

The building  is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It stands today as a monunent to the country and the American people. The U.S. Capitol houses the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives where meetings have been conducted for the last 2 centuries.

The most prominant and famous landmark , probably in the entire United States is the Dome on top of the United States Capitol. The dome was constructed with 8,909,200 pounds of ironwork and finished at a total cost of $ 1,047,291. 

Atop the Capitol Dome proudly stands the 'The statue of Freedom'. This was put in place in the year 1863. Freedom is a massive bronze statue standing over 19 ft and weighs 6800 Kg. Her crest peaks at 288 ft above the East Plaza.

 Another view of the U.S Capitol

As a visitor , you must go inside the building and see the magnificiant interiors. You can enter the building through the Capitol Visitor Centre located underground on the East side. You could also take a tour of the building - however this has to be booked in advance online through the official site of Capitol - http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/visit/.

The original plaster cast of the Statue of Freedom at the Capitol Visitor Centre

The visitor centre is mainly designed as a holding zone for visitors waiting to take tours of the Capitol. Visitors are free to roam around in the CVC which houses an exhibition hall, 2 gift shops and a 530 seat food court. 

The Visitors Centre also has a number of statues on display . These are 24 in number.
Be sure to take an official tour of the US Capitol. It is free but you need to register online for the specific time slot available.
 More on the US Capitol in my next post.
Do visit    Caught on Camera     for many more images and photographs of Washington DC and other interesting places.

KARLSKIRCHE (ST.CHARLES CHURCH) IN VIENNA

Situated at one of the most popular and central node in Vienna,  the 'Karlsplatz' is one of Vienna's  important tourist destinations -  the Karlskirche. Dating back to 1715, the Karlskirche or St Charles Church in Vienna is unique and one of the most visually stunning churches in Vienna. The Karlskirche combines different architectural styles ranging from Roman, Greek and Oriental. The church was built by Emperor Charles VI to ward of plagues and is dedicated to St Charles Borromeo. The great columns of the building which are an imitation of Roman architecture with the baroque dome on the top make this a most interesting church that has not been replicated anywhere.

The church has a park like setting facing a pool of water which is also a favourite place for people to relax.

This grand church is close to the Karlsplatz Metro station and is surrounded by gardens. Visitors can take a tour of the interiors of the church for a fee .  Be sure to take the escalator to go up to the roof.
Vienna
August 2010

GALLERY OF STATUES AT CHARLES BRIDGE

Certainly, the view of the Charles Bridge from one end with an array of statues lining both sides of the bridge leaves an indelible image in the minds of any visitor. There are 30 baroque statues on this historic Gothic bridge dating back to period between 1683 and 1714.

View of the old town bridge tower with it's numerous sculptures.

Statue of Saints Norbert of Xanten, Wenceslas and Sigismund 

 

St. Cyril and St. Methodius

Statuary of the Holy Crucifix and Calvary

 

The statue of John of Nepomuk.

 Amongst the most notable of all sculptures is the statue of St John of Nepomuk. Legend has it that if you make a wish and touch the statue, your wish will come true.

Make your wish come true !

It is believed that St John was murdered and his body thrown into the river.7 Stars appeared over the spot where his body was thrown . These are depicted as a halo on his statues.

CHARLES BRIDGE IN PRAGUE

One of the most popular tourist spots in Prague is the Charles Bridge over the river Vtlava river. This 14th century Gothic stone bridge was started in 1357 and was finished in 1402.

A must-see on all tourist's iternery, a visit to Prague would be incomplete without a visit to this all pedestrian bridge. Both sides of the bridge are lined with vendors selling soveniours, musicians and painters with thier paintings of Prague. You could also get your portrait sketched by one of the many painters present.

There is a tower standing on both ends of the bridge giving it a very interesting look.

A great time to visit the Charles bridge is at Dusk when the Prague Castle gets lit up and a breathtaking view of the castle awaits you. Another great time to visit the bridge is early morning when you can have the bridge all to yourself and enjoy the fresh air blowing in  from the river.

The bridge is 516 metres long and nearly 10 metres wide and rests on 16 arches and is protected by three bridge towers. It is believed that egg yolk was used to strengthen  the mortar during construction to bind the stones blocks together.

Walk down to the Charles Bridge from the Prague Castle when you visit the castle. It is a short interesting walk.

Prague. August 2010

SCHONBRUNN PALACE IN VIENNA

Holidaying in Vienna means a definite visit to the Schonbrunn Palace, one of the finest and most beautiful baroque palace in Europe.The 1441 room palace was built between 1692 and 1712 and has today become the most important cultural and tourist attraction in Vienna.

The Main Entrance of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. 
The palace in 1996 was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Golden Eagle atop each Main Gate of the Palace

The Fountain with the sculptures in the front Yard

Front View of the Schonbrunn Palace

 The Palace overlooks and is surrounded by beautiful parks and gardens. Towards the end of this sculptured garden is the Neptune Fountain. This space between the Palace and the Neptune Fountain is known as the  Great Parterre. The garden points to a 60 mt high hill which has a building called the Gloriette.


The Palace timings are from 8.30 AM to 5.00PM. Be sure to take a tour of the rooms of the palace. If you don't want to stand in long queues , book online  and keep a full day for the tour of the palace and the gardens and parks.

PARAKEETS IN BHARATPUR

A visitor to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary cannot miss  the large number of parakeets that are visible . The most common of these is the Ring-Necked Parakeet ( also called the rose-ringed parakeet) which is a noisy and highly visible bird in India.Extremely popular for their ability to mimic human speech, these birds are often  seen as pets - which is really sad . It is always a joy to see animals and birds in the wild  rather than in captivity.

Resting amongst the leaves

This one was very curious of me and my camera !

Should I ?

Am I Thirsty !

Who goes there ?

Bharatpur, Dec 2010

BACK TO THE BHARATPUR BIRD SANCTUARY

This year, after a gap of 2 years made another visit to 'Keoladeo Ghana National Park' popularly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. This park has thousands of migratory birds arriving for breeding  every year from October to March. I was particularly keen to visit the park this year as there had been a very good monsoon and I expected the marshes and lakes of the park to have plenty of water for migratory water birds to land. Was therefore unpleasantly surprised to see that most of the park was dry with just some pockets of water in the many  ponds, lakes and marshes. Apparently whereas most of North India had excess rainfall, the region of Bharatpur ( which is just 150 Kms from Delhi) recd very little rain. However did manage to see a number of local as well as migratory birds. The most prominent bird at the park is the Painted Stork. This year two there were more than 2 colonies of painted storks nesting and breeding.

 A painted stork with it's catch

As usual there were a number of migratory ducks. Spotted some comb ducks, mallards, greylag goose, ruddy sheldock amongst others. Ibises, egrets, cormorants and herons are other water birds that are abundantly present.

Was fortunate to come across a pair of Sarus Cranes that were feeding in the marshy waters. Sarus cranes are always found in pairs. It is believed that in case one of partner dies, the other starves itself to death.

A pair of Sarus Cranes

Was also fortunate to spot some birds of prey at close distances - the Shikra and  Crested Serpent Eagle.

This shikra had a just hunted down a rat and was busy eating it's catch. Though not visible in this photograph, the rat is firmly held by the bird in it's claws.

Crested Serpent Eagle on the lookout.

The Keoladeo National Park is situated in Bharatpur in Rajasthan which is short 4 hours drive from Delhi. Bharatpur is also well connected by train and buses.

Bharatpur has a number of hotels to stay which cater to both the Indian and foreign tourists. I would recommend The Bagh -  an excellent property with well furnished rooms, excellent service and good food.  It also has a library which has a very good selection of books on birds of India. The hotel has a nice garden with numerous trees and many species of birds can be spotted in the trees. You would also be able to spot turkeys roaming the grounds during the day. If you are planning a visit, be sure to carry your binoculars and if you are a photo enthusiast, carry your telephoto lens.

NEPTUNE FOUNTAIN AT THE SCHONBRUNN PALACE

As we move from the main Palace to the hill, is a pool at the end of which is the Neptune Fountain. A retaining wall curving back forms the back wall of the vast basin. At the centre is a semi oval plinth from which rises the statue of the sea-god Neptune surrounded by his entourage.

Above the rocky grotto stands Neptune in a shell-shaped chariot, his trident in his hand. To his left is a nymph, while on his right kneels the sea-goddess Thetis.  Frolicking at the foot of the grotto are the Tritons, creatures who are half-man and half-fish, and belong to Neptune's entourage.

ROMAN RUINS AT SCHONBRUNN

The Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna is a huge and majestic palace. As you move from the main palace to the grand gardens and up the Schonbrunn Hill and when you descend the hill,  at the foot  stands a structure which supposedly is in ruins, These are  the Roman Ruins , orignally called the ruin of Carthage. Designed by Hohenberg who created the Roman Ruin at Schönbrunn as an entirely new structure on the model of the Ancient Roman temple of Vespasian and Titus, the remains of which had been recorded in an engraving by Giovanni Battista Piranesi dating to around 1756.The Roman Ruins consist of a rectangular pool in the front with a massive semi circular arch overlooking it and walls flanking it giving an impression of a building slowly degenerating  and crumbling into the ground,

The main Structure

 

The Gods of the rivers Danube and Enns

Built in 1978, it is completely integrated into the surrounding landscape making it a very integral part of the vast gardens.

Shots from my Camera: COOT

Shots from my Camera: COOT: "Coots are common water birds found throughout the Americas and Europe. This was photographed in Switzerland swimming in the Lucerne Lake"

Was in Shanghai last week and decided to go out for an Indian Meal. Shanghai has a number of Indian restaurants but most of them are not worth a visit. During my last visit in July , I had discovered an interesting Indian restaurant - 'DERA' located in North Xiangyang Road . The restaurant is on the first floor of the building and not visible to a passerby. It has a nice quite ambiance and the food is authentic Indian. The bar is well stocked with the regular whiskies and beer but has a very limited wine selection - also don't expect any exotic whiskies etc. The tandoori dishes are well cooked and food tasty. The service though needs improvement. The address :

Dera Restaurant

2nd Floor, 1 North Xiangyang Road (near Julu Road)

Shanghai

It was however on this visit that I discovered this nice restaurant serving Indian food - ' MASALA ART ' located on Yandang Road . This street has rows of restaurants on both sides of cuisines from around the world and you would probably find all the popular cuisines here. I noticed an Italian, Mexican and Thai food joint here. However back to Masala Art - Nice cosy place, good ambiance, well stocked bar (by Chinese standards) and authentic and tasty Indian food.

For starters, try the all time favourite - Chicken Tikkas washed down with beer - my favourite is Carona which goes well with Indian food. For the main course, don't forget the  tandoori dishes - you could try the most popular Indian dish - Tandoori Chicken - or you could try the tandoori pomfret if you are fond of fish. Like always, Dal Makhani and some fresh vegetables with paneer round up the meal very well. If you want a lighter meal, you could exchange the Dal Makhani for the lighter Dal Masala. The restaurant also has a wide variety of spicy masala dishes, both in vegetarian and non vegetarian. For the breads , order a bread basket which would have a mixture of naans, lachha parathas etc. Try all of them.

Waiting for the food 

The Location : 

PHONE:		6327 3571
ADDRESS:		397 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu
		大沽路397号， 近石门一路
AREA:		Jing'an
METRO:		20 mins. walk from Nanjing Rd (W)
HOURS:		Daily 11:30am-2pm, 5:30-10:30pm
CARDS:		Local and international cards accepted

PHONE:		6327 3571
ADDRESS:		397 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu
		大沽路397号， 近石门一路
AREA:		Jing'an
METRO:		20 mins. walk from Nanjing Rd (W)
HOURS:		Daily 11:30am-2pm, 5:30-10:30pm
CARDS:		Local and international cards accepted

If you are the health conscious type and love walking, the place is a close 20 minutes walk from Nanjing Street ( West). I would however recommend a cab which does not take more than 15 minutes from Nanjing Street.