tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37529060671625202922024-03-15T18:09:40.499-07:00Unique PlacesRandom Places of Interest Throughout the WorldTerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-22743358356904521912011-10-30T23:01:00.000-07:002018-09-26T17:41:00.624-07:00Boston Athenæum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDq_8QI9Rz3o0CnoFEdRWpN4Pqj59AXcQ2go332sKZnrway8jXKjWWotfvsf7wRhTJ0eW5yNhy4z4PjOalbuSVNc4eFCuCFbRTXVrdI50f6qPvkg5qh9OPp97oeOKNuN6JRN1kdc7fkT6U/s1600/BostonAthenaeum2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDq_8QI9Rz3o0CnoFEdRWpN4Pqj59AXcQ2go332sKZnrway8jXKjWWotfvsf7wRhTJ0eW5yNhy4z4PjOalbuSVNc4eFCuCFbRTXVrdI50f6qPvkg5qh9OPp97oeOKNuN6JRN1kdc7fkT6U/s400/BostonAthenaeum2.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
The <b>Boston Athenæum</b>, one of the oldest and most distinguished independent libraries in the United States, was founded in 1807 by members of the Anthology Society, a group of fourteen gentlemen from Boston, Massachusetts, who had joined together in 1805 to edit The Monthly Anthology and Boston Review. Their purpose was to form "an establishment similar to that of the Athenæum and Lyceum of Liverpool, England, combining the advantages of a public library and containing the great works of learning and science in all languages." <br />
<br />
The subscription library and art gallery (1827) were soon flourishing and grew rapidly, both by the purchase of books and art and by frequent gifts. For nearly half a century the Athenæum was the unchallenged center of intellectual life in Boston and by 1851 had become one of the five largest libraries in the United States. Today its collections comprise over half a million volumes, with particular strengths in Boston history, New England state and local history, biography, English and American literature, and the fine and decorative arts (including original works by George Washington, as well as the bibles that King James sent to the colonists to try and turn them to religion instead of revolution). The Athenæum supports a dynamic art gallery, and sponsors a lively variety of events such as lectures and concerts. It also serves as a stimulating center for discussions among scholars, bibliophiles, and a variety of community interest groups.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt3SxuCOJs7H0XC5T3XYj3JVEBVgeKlN-mtjiqkgoOi2M_-OQYD2gieFc5cabxbC8vd3Ar5lOrRhkFBWlR-MsCiCj-2knfQd13aG3uIQa50LOc8XCVOAsGaLBegFEpY1WH_BJlI-cWgp4/s1600/BostonAthenaeum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt3SxuCOJs7H0XC5T3XYj3JVEBVgeKlN-mtjiqkgoOi2M_-OQYD2gieFc5cabxbC8vd3Ar5lOrRhkFBWlR-MsCiCj-2knfQd13aG3uIQa50LOc8XCVOAsGaLBegFEpY1WH_BJlI-cWgp4/s400/BostonAthenaeum.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The first three floors of the present Beacon Street building, designed by <b>Edward Clarke Cabot</b>, were constructed between 1847 and 1849. The first floor was originally a sculpture gallery, the second housed the library's growing collection of books, and the third, with skylights, served as a painting gallery. The building was completely renovated in 1913-1914, at which time the fourth and fifth floors were added and the entire structure fireproofed. Architect <b>Henry Forbes Bigelow</b> designed these improvements.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8A1RyEm2Yhl1TVwE-8Uo3XqSf0SMwHvkr9PMMgu1M4ir5jn8l88w5G0y9ZT8FbaQ_xi5T3ZEEYI3-jH9wqqiIeZtS7ziLFck_cvxTEYmjVL9nULzHcd3s4bx-6LOMVQDyM_k1V304PXo/s1600/BostonAthenaeum4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8A1RyEm2Yhl1TVwE-8Uo3XqSf0SMwHvkr9PMMgu1M4ir5jn8l88w5G0y9ZT8FbaQ_xi5T3ZEEYI3-jH9wqqiIeZtS7ziLFck_cvxTEYmjVL9nULzHcd3s4bx-6LOMVQDyM_k1V304PXo/s400/BostonAthenaeum4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
The Athenæum's five galleried floors overlook the peaceful Granary Burying Ground in the rear, and as Gamaliel Bradford wrote, "it is safe to say that no library anywhere has more an atmosphere of its own, that none is more conducive to intellectual aspiration and spiritual peace" (The Quick and the Dead, 1931).<br />
<br />
Boston Athenæum<br />
National Historic Register #66000132<br />
<br />
Boston Athenæum offers public tours on Tuesdays at 3:00pm.The docent-led tours are the only way to see the upper floors without being the guest of a member.<br />
617-227-0270, ext. 279<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisOnzI7WHmeERVgWWyQPa-NvYkhVRN5YFDnKMnV3kOyGTCk-91lio7mec1GjKlz-8iPRhoFr1i12LoXxvR2SMaJ7inYSj7rHkZgmHN2TlA4QblCJw6AKwL0gg2wjepX0nH5ObkJybCjxQ/s1600/BostonAthenaeum3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisOnzI7WHmeERVgWWyQPa-NvYkhVRN5YFDnKMnV3kOyGTCk-91lio7mec1GjKlz-8iPRhoFr1i12LoXxvR2SMaJ7inYSj7rHkZgmHN2TlA4QblCJw6AKwL0gg2wjepX0nH5ObkJybCjxQ/s400/BostonAthenaeum3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ5oRLb0ihji3SGeM511zQgH9vocyYOrH-tTLilWcNw7ub0wtqGL70qP7CUIvUHH0mYbK_3WNYuBXVAqo19TuqK8lE8Jv-VoedITHVWy9yxA2h5EC6f-WrTeyhL7xkIOEFFEuv5MKnXog/s1600/BostonAthenaeumEntry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ5oRLb0ihji3SGeM511zQgH9vocyYOrH-tTLilWcNw7ub0wtqGL70qP7CUIvUHH0mYbK_3WNYuBXVAqo19TuqK8lE8Jv-VoedITHVWy9yxA2h5EC6f-WrTeyhL7xkIOEFFEuv5MKnXog/s400/BostonAthenaeumEntry.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35NEVTlcZTtlYx0MUphbbz0yTlJNL7Zy1UREjV2JtfC6XNhWNJoPjrmelqeQ90SJ1FmDaBjLCYITfEOAKGtCwGTTT5__LA-rEyG6yFr074FkVlvqv747kjFBFRtkqm4xj7VD7WSrlTsjT/s1600/BostonAthenaeumPlaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35NEVTlcZTtlYx0MUphbbz0yTlJNL7Zy1UREjV2JtfC6XNhWNJoPjrmelqeQ90SJ1FmDaBjLCYITfEOAKGtCwGTTT5__LA-rEyG6yFr074FkVlvqv747kjFBFRtkqm4xj7VD7WSrlTsjT/s400/BostonAthenaeumPlaque.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXrq__omDdvc4X9Tbr7wuIIwbZFh8QLg0xY1V1NsUfj40-gpzf2nWSNxU438M5DcWuECVbR2ioIJyhHiMRUkW9n4gGMiHonmx96G57RB10K52AbwNkemk8EujwGDmRkKXHlUapgAGMq5L/s1600/Boston_Athenaeum_Night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXrq__omDdvc4X9Tbr7wuIIwbZFh8QLg0xY1V1NsUfj40-gpzf2nWSNxU438M5DcWuECVbR2ioIJyhHiMRUkW9n4gGMiHonmx96G57RB10K52AbwNkemk8EujwGDmRkKXHlUapgAGMq5L/s640/Boston_Athenaeum_Night.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-12588239612434761282011-07-28T08:56:00.000-07:002012-01-15T18:18:27.347-08:00Coral Gables & Coconut Grove, Florida<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXLgPn7mAszkSPRGbyWUZZknpiGNiMzfDxMJ67K4_r0YMevPo6iHmuSAekqk66Cls9iLdPRoKigPI7VuYP0KzYoQQDCGgJ4wivA0xy3tQYrpLIuMTao_mXebLBwEEK_vWJFbHXF4FwV7L/s1600/CoconutGroveVillaVizcaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXLgPn7mAszkSPRGbyWUZZknpiGNiMzfDxMJ67K4_r0YMevPo6iHmuSAekqk66Cls9iLdPRoKigPI7VuYP0KzYoQQDCGgJ4wivA0xy3tQYrpLIuMTao_mXebLBwEEK_vWJFbHXF4FwV7L/s400/CoconutGroveVillaVizcaya.jpg" width="400px" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Above: The tea house of <b>Villa Vizcaya</b> (1914), the winter home of James Deering in Coconut Grove.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Coconut Grove</b>, which dates from the late 19th century, is the oldest developed part of the greater Miami area, situated along the shores of Biscayne Bay just south of the city's financial district. <b>Coral Gables</b>, which dates back to 1921, is one of the nation's first planned communities. It lies just to the west of Coconut Grove, and most of the border between the two cities is S. Dixie Highway, Rt. 1. The two communities have disparate histories. The fate of <b>Coconut Grove</b>, which is today home to Miami's <b>City Hall</b>, was largely linked to the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and <b>Pan American World Airways</b>, while <b>Coral Gable</b>s was developed as an elite leisure community surrounding a landmark luxury hotel and the University of Miami. I'll describe both places in one blog post.<br />
<br />
The city of <b>Coral Gables</b> was developed in Mediterranean Revival architectural style by real estate developer <b>George Merrick</b>, who had inherited 3,000 acres of citrus and pine groves six miles southwest of Miami. He conceived a luxury business, residential and leisure community on this tract. After building roads to connect his property to the city of Miami and Biscayne Bay, he hired master craftsmen, landscape artists and city planners to bring Coral Gables to life in 1922, featuring wide, tree-lined boulevards, waterways, decorative bridges, fountain squares* and golf courses. Entrances to his planned city were marked by arched gateways, which still stand today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJgrTlriVWOn8UEz8r4MdJWB4lTcUiHV0kn4xS4TDXw2m5pQ98HRTbqiF8CWR4uk_RF4L1uxdIDEn3yvhdlD4WDoKqDXg_1l-crSk3e0h0gqNnRSOFokvVbSso5z8bQ5k2NAATcsknCE0/s1600/DeSoto_Fountain_Coral_Gables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJgrTlriVWOn8UEz8r4MdJWB4lTcUiHV0kn4xS4TDXw2m5pQ98HRTbqiF8CWR4uk_RF4L1uxdIDEn3yvhdlD4WDoKqDXg_1l-crSk3e0h0gqNnRSOFokvVbSso5z8bQ5k2NAATcsknCE0/s400/DeSoto_Fountain_Coral_Gables.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div>*The <b>Desoto Fountain</b> in Coral Gables<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-33z8IUcsxBw1XRA1QY0_6kjyUX54wZTbYGDVUJXcwVb6x-T9F7Bl9O1_G7LJ-eZV8UusI3P2zITyRULlU9y5ePFMYlgI0PA7FxTHJ7OgbFJgJYez3jqewL2G88-riGWNZeRwbwgNixAB/s1600/CoralGables-AlhambraEntryArch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-33z8IUcsxBw1XRA1QY0_6kjyUX54wZTbYGDVUJXcwVb6x-T9F7Bl9O1_G7LJ-eZV8UusI3P2zITyRULlU9y5ePFMYlgI0PA7FxTHJ7OgbFJgJYez3jqewL2G88-riGWNZeRwbwgNixAB/s400/CoralGables-AlhambraEntryArch.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div>Fanciful <b>Alhambra Entrance Arch</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmE1kMvPsBCrdolnk1GnRmya5IklSopYcTah5xMsCg_jl2xZ3jGTO1HiKPcRWrI_MN93DFmuwJF9EIMdMuzeS448DCKMf5nDpKroIiXhR_qhx8y2yGQecmNfXROS-heorEqldOy2y3RpA/s1600/CoralGablesAdvert1926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmE1kMvPsBCrdolnk1GnRmya5IklSopYcTah5xMsCg_jl2xZ3jGTO1HiKPcRWrI_MN93DFmuwJF9EIMdMuzeS448DCKMf5nDpKroIiXhR_qhx8y2yGQecmNfXROS-heorEqldOy2y3RpA/s320/CoralGablesAdvert1926.jpg" width="245px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline">Merrick's passionate devotion to aesthetics resulted in one of the most beautiful towns in the country, promoted as the “Miami Riviera” in advertisements during the mid 1920s. Merrick designed themed villages within the community; his original plan included 14 distinct villages, such as French Normandy, Chinese, Dutch South African, Italian and Florida Pioneer. Unfortunately, only seven villages were built, due to setbacks caused by a severe hurricane in 1926 and the ensuing depression.<br />
<br />
Merrick planned a series of elaborate entry gates to the city. The <b>Douglas Entrance</b> (1924), known as La Puerta del Sol, is a historic structure located at the junction of Douglas Road and SW 8th Street. The architect was Phineas Paist, and it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1972. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="story_dateline">The affluent city (pop. 42,000 in 2010) began efforts to protect its heritage with effective historic preservation and restoration programs dating back to 1973. The stucco structures with red tiled roofs, loggias, arched windows and other Mediterranean Revival architectural details continue to lend their distinct character to fortunate residents. Many streets boast mature banyan and oak trees that form a complete over-arching canopy of natural shade. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KNAVLgKuDhcQBRzvM0HCX02akTT4xZ6HmDeiFHLdLY7g64L-AYju_j6eZBwDvoNVHpyTFHBgARhuGC2YoT-v3NkJ1diaEeEUBL03QCjc9as15HHvYQCyVls4cKkbITHWXnXZzJfbA94k/s1600/Coral+Gables+Merrick+House+Front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KNAVLgKuDhcQBRzvM0HCX02akTT4xZ6HmDeiFHLdLY7g64L-AYju_j6eZBwDvoNVHpyTFHBgARhuGC2YoT-v3NkJ1diaEeEUBL03QCjc9as15HHvYQCyVls4cKkbITHWXnXZzJfbA94k/s320/Coral+Gables+Merrick+House+Front.JPG" width="320px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline">George Merrick's former home is maintained today as a museum known as <b>Coral Gables Merrick House</b> (907 Coral Way, photo at right). His father had bought the acreage in 1899 sight unseen, and his mother designed a house built from a type of native limestone known as coral stone. Completed in 1906, it was called "Coral Gables" for the coral stone construction and gabled roof. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="story_dateline">The Merricks operated the largest grapefruit export business in south Florida and were the first to ship carloads of grapefruit up north by train. Unfortunately, several devastating hurricanes and the economic woes of the 1930s took their toll on Merrick’s fortunes. He was still heavily in debt upon his death in 1942.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RWAtBhymX6L9X6tiqsQtPGP6oJNspop5UyfbBxsotwzDIR-xlnRKfOhyqG4smJukJZ05egtwCoahrTH7QVwN0jJOJaZZ_TIU1Oz2MJX7AWVAZnfrVKbTcPB_zx6t2yNv8sIK20Aot9Kz/s1600/coral-gables-biltmore-loggia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RWAtBhymX6L9X6tiqsQtPGP6oJNspop5UyfbBxsotwzDIR-xlnRKfOhyqG4smJukJZ05egtwCoahrTH7QVwN0jJOJaZZ_TIU1Oz2MJX7AWVAZnfrVKbTcPB_zx6t2yNv8sIK20Aot9Kz/s320/coral-gables-biltmore-loggia.jpg" width="213px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline">Perhaps the greatest monument to the Mediterranean Revival style is the landmark 1926 <b>Biltmore Hotel</b>. Its 300-ft. tall bell tower stands guard over the largest hotel swimming pool in the continental U.S. The hotel was erected in ten months at a cost of $10 million and has not changed even its exterior color to this day. As a world-class hotel, it brings visitors from the world over, while locals flock to the Biltmore to host weddings, enjoy its spa offerings and beautiful pool (Tarzan actor <b>Johnny Weissmuller</b> was once a swimming instructor). The lobby, with its coral stone columns, exotic birdcages and stenciled ceilings, remains truly impressive. <br />
<br />
The Biltmore was designated a <b>National Historic Landmark</b> in 1996, after a $55 million restoration was completed in 1987. The hotel is surrounded by an 18-hole championship golf course designed by <b>Donald Ross</b>. Unfortunately the hotel is on shaky financial footing these days, so visit sooner rather than later.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnEBeIgaLdp0W01G_w5xDSC-1S5CoWQ-iA1I9CZKFAEc0uQ4kvMXWSnsgV93ZcnHlOxNNLeyd_eQdEuJuqaZGVQD63Fq4hL1T6MqJGB4PlaWf80BLmr-IxJtWbbCxdlsRPpSrIgya9i5O/s1600/CoralGables-biltmore-hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnEBeIgaLdp0W01G_w5xDSC-1S5CoWQ-iA1I9CZKFAEc0uQ4kvMXWSnsgV93ZcnHlOxNNLeyd_eQdEuJuqaZGVQD63Fq4hL1T6MqJGB4PlaWf80BLmr-IxJtWbbCxdlsRPpSrIgya9i5O/s400/CoralGables-biltmore-hotel.jpg" width="400px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns9Zwarjbid9C_Ahcs-Un9mkj4I7vLMT1JpNGH4rZG_cKjCpu77Fyhuq13oT3MH_V98Nt5uUvpH-01Dn7PoJN5lOVWHA03mY_Q37TLJRcAjMu11ZoYkr45rusvBRhoAcZ1xNIiJPhB7nA/s1600/Coral+Gables+Biltmore+Stencil+Restoration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns9Zwarjbid9C_Ahcs-Un9mkj4I7vLMT1JpNGH4rZG_cKjCpu77Fyhuq13oT3MH_V98Nt5uUvpH-01Dn7PoJN5lOVWHA03mY_Q37TLJRcAjMu11ZoYkr45rusvBRhoAcZ1xNIiJPhB7nA/s400/Coral+Gables+Biltmore+Stencil+Restoration.jpg" width="400px" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLLh4QKrJl02F7HBWbOx5nIHRUMgaq4tn6P0mi03OJzuJECxl51_MIm3xKXeU2862VPVCEfI6Q4uHT514Ms5RfDCOSTzWO3L92h8nfItEqZHsPrzFgc21NRAwoEv3JHadkeZLTYFsXcY1/s1600/CoralGablesBiltmoreFountainRestaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLLh4QKrJl02F7HBWbOx5nIHRUMgaq4tn6P0mi03OJzuJECxl51_MIm3xKXeU2862VPVCEfI6Q4uHT514Ms5RfDCOSTzWO3L92h8nfItEqZHsPrzFgc21NRAwoEv3JHadkeZLTYFsXcY1/s400/CoralGablesBiltmoreFountainRestaurant.jpg" width="245px" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWqGYgsO1qnkMrUWy2s_0zNZvXTnldvTcMavoSXz8p1SvT9y__bqzdPckKAAw7OqvEZks4Z70fGJZzTfk18rr8wjunDqTU4iabE5muXrqOKzfUlMvDZ-XhhHbTECx3JI1DFL733EaPVSG/s1600/coral_gables_lbiltmore-lobby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWqGYgsO1qnkMrUWy2s_0zNZvXTnldvTcMavoSXz8p1SvT9y__bqzdPckKAAw7OqvEZks4Z70fGJZzTfk18rr8wjunDqTU4iabE5muXrqOKzfUlMvDZ-XhhHbTECx3JI1DFL733EaPVSG/s400/coral_gables_lbiltmore-lobby.jpg" width="274px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"></span></div><span class="story_dateline">Coral Gables’ <b>City Hall</b> (1927) was based on Philadelphia’s historic Exchange Building. It is built of coral stone and adorned by twelve columns and topped by a three-tiered clock and bell tower rising above a distinctive semi-circular portico. </span><span class="story_dateline">The bronze statue in front (click on photo to enlarge) is of developer <b>George Merrick</b>. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MvW3D-F7hLiPdcDEHmNnf1nuW44FSD-mUMejSUCI3vLrEfgH_CiHNIqBSMwGBA3f-ijQx4zxzLfYhtRMppr6kAo_3DKBStsgPDFJ7tIpoaN1n3bIE7NvgN5uNn7StYPfB11-40Z8x5hj/s1600/CoralGablesCityHall2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MvW3D-F7hLiPdcDEHmNnf1nuW44FSD-mUMejSUCI3vLrEfgH_CiHNIqBSMwGBA3f-ijQx4zxzLfYhtRMppr6kAo_3DKBStsgPDFJ7tIpoaN1n3bIE7NvgN5uNn7StYPfB11-40Z8x5hj/s400/CoralGablesCityHall2.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<span class="story_dateline">The interior boasts historic ceiling murals depicting the four seasons. They have recently been restored to their original appearance and brilliance (click on photo to enlarge).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvzsFZbyHotz6knPkSgXHyrNUIHOl3J3-AXgb_2HSBDiT9hX6sHog3y4hIXzC_M6k9OYP2GOC5ULYeQ7Qqrlrc52T8eC6q1n898Dpwjzv1mMYBkmH79MV7rgCA5J9HzEDFwvSTMtDS0L4/s1600/CoralGablesCityHallMural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvzsFZbyHotz6knPkSgXHyrNUIHOl3J3-AXgb_2HSBDiT9hX6sHog3y4hIXzC_M6k9OYP2GOC5ULYeQ7Qqrlrc52T8eC6q1n898Dpwjzv1mMYBkmH79MV7rgCA5J9HzEDFwvSTMtDS0L4/s400/CoralGablesCityHallMural.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><span class="story_dateline"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="story_dateline"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04J6OSnSawHKs2KB-xyL2mmYcHZQ61WsOW0Kah34STqmf7hxcuVHF2ffZtZtrGArudVVNuaNw6TXUXvRXfRlmewx6FKFXwCQML9YkOhUyEA86BeLn9JcVN6Vv6xiYMC0cnUCaeGScTWdi/s1600/coralGablesVenetianPool5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04J6OSnSawHKs2KB-xyL2mmYcHZQ61WsOW0Kah34STqmf7hxcuVHF2ffZtZtrGArudVVNuaNw6TXUXvRXfRlmewx6FKFXwCQML9YkOhUyEA86BeLn9JcVN6Vv6xiYMC0cnUCaeGScTWdi/s320/coralGablesVenetianPool5.jpg" width="240px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline">Fed by underground artesian wells, the magnificent 1920s-era <b>Venetian Pool</b> </span><span class="story_dateline">(2701 DeSoto Blvd). </span><span class="story_dateline">holds 820,000 gallons of water. The only swimming pool to be included in the National Register of Historic Places, it boasts vine-covered loggias, hand painted tiles, pergolas, bridges, porticos, a Spanish fountain, observation towers and cascading waterfalls that spill into a free-form lagoon embellished by coral rock caves and a palm-fringed island. Developer George Merrick had somehow converted a disused limestone pit into a stunning, lushly landscaped aquatic fantasy.<br />
<br />
During its heyday gondolas plied its waters. Esther Williams and Johnny Weismuller swam its length. Orchestras serenaded pool-side dancers gliding over outdoor terrazzo floors. Bathing beauties by the hundreds promenaded across specially constructed walkways, while visiting dignitaries passed through the circular aquarium room to tour the facilities. The Miami Grand Opera once performed there.<br />
<br />
More than one hundred thousand visitors a year come to the Venetian Pool, drained nightly in summer months and replenished each day from the subterranean aquifer that flows beneath it. A major $3.5 million historical restoration was completed in 1989, and today’s visitors can enjoy a poolside café.</span><br />
<span class="story_dateline"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGMZykZnLAgLv8NsF7LaO-suZb_kTyy84KzOQHw8onYYQ9w-AdoopZC4lnZ8Sp81oWA9HFCeo_MR_MGQrmD07VnMDaVGPXoq8-zGFfPt6u2lMDKnna5RgPctXdIQCzeHRl9YK-NqAQc0i/s1600/CoralGablesVenetianPool3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGMZykZnLAgLv8NsF7LaO-suZb_kTyy84KzOQHw8onYYQ9w-AdoopZC4lnZ8Sp81oWA9HFCeo_MR_MGQrmD07VnMDaVGPXoq8-zGFfPt6u2lMDKnna5RgPctXdIQCzeHRl9YK-NqAQc0i/s640/CoralGablesVenetianPool3.JPG" width="640px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6UWooi6AGpqKaH3IMEMghaHTjMY__1aT4MuzwwQ0XkvCGYiCn6YVOFfwiyxx0u6Q8ZQNehQgLxBWG_ukpg2Ev2aL-55Wf8YndIl15p81xalSXEp3qtcJuceOJl2ytkuumusRiqM3jhTF/s1600/CoralGablesVenetianPool4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6UWooi6AGpqKaH3IMEMghaHTjMY__1aT4MuzwwQ0XkvCGYiCn6YVOFfwiyxx0u6Q8ZQNehQgLxBWG_ukpg2Ev2aL-55Wf8YndIl15p81xalSXEp3qtcJuceOJl2ytkuumusRiqM3jhTF/s400/CoralGablesVenetianPool4.JPG" width="400px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiM2c2a6X8NMaoxhQ03rcQAlN13l3aJkh_i91AnzRcLcfpxjXQpae4_Z8n5Ig_-s2WP_Q1Br1_eHuWYa53Sld2sARrUmXMyZdqf0fckccKHEeLPpKpZsKb5jmmVH3zV4X-Oa1qYu-0mTX/s1600/CoralGablesCongregationalCh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiM2c2a6X8NMaoxhQ03rcQAlN13l3aJkh_i91AnzRcLcfpxjXQpae4_Z8n5Ig_-s2WP_Q1Br1_eHuWYa53Sld2sARrUmXMyZdqf0fckccKHEeLPpKpZsKb5jmmVH3zV4X-Oa1qYu-0mTX/s320/CoralGablesCongregationalCh.jpg" width="210px" /></a></div>The first church to be built in town, <b>Coral Gables Congregational Church</b> was designed by architect Richard Kiehnel in 1923. Located opposite the Biltmore Hotel at 3010 DeSoto Boulevard, it was added to the U.S. National Register of historic Places in 1978.<br />
<br />
This Mediterranean revival building, with its baroque belfry and elaborate sculpted molding over the main entrance, was designed as a replica of a church in Costa Rica. The exposed roof trusses and hemispherical chancel are noteworthy. In summer the church hosts a popular concert series that includes well-known names in jazz, classical and folk music – and even barbershop quartets. The liberal minded church encourages artistic and musical pursuits for youths. In particular, the Coral Gables Congregational Church Composition Prize carries prestige.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEYcDHu68qEmKgdAZLbn-9AKJXSutdSSdj3ScYXOYaaD83UqFcLk6LeMrzuMG-HbrCkWdMJTBO5iUn7msdrMXy_1wCcuhAkVCCzpl4hIYHGBu1vCIwzh9sxKYEpxOt3NzrT3bYzBunsgm/s1600/CoralGablesCongrCh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEYcDHu68qEmKgdAZLbn-9AKJXSutdSSdj3ScYXOYaaD83UqFcLk6LeMrzuMG-HbrCkWdMJTBO5iUn7msdrMXy_1wCcuhAkVCCzpl4hIYHGBu1vCIwzh9sxKYEpxOt3NzrT3bYzBunsgm/s400/CoralGablesCongrCh.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzfYM0jcoA0CGN3nknlrVcswR0OREhLing20arlxIEDlYCj9dYE2AVBVsN-RHNq1A9b7IbO9lgnW_zWIYPvi8mX8lF5-2KkMZRinOn5y1ZZW1QYOK2IiVaqP0MrObeh9rUQq80IIkzzux/s1600/coralgablesFairchild2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzfYM0jcoA0CGN3nknlrVcswR0OREhLing20arlxIEDlYCj9dYE2AVBVsN-RHNq1A9b7IbO9lgnW_zWIYPvi8mX8lF5-2KkMZRinOn5y1ZZW1QYOK2IiVaqP0MrObeh9rUQq80IIkzzux/s320/coralgablesFairchild2.JPG" width="240px" /></a></div><span class="story_dateline"><b>Fairchild Tropical Garden </b>(10901 Old Cutler Road) is spread over 83 acres on the southeast edge of Coral Gables on Biscayne Bay. The garden boasts a famed collection of tropical plants and flowers, palms (500 varieties), ferns and flowering vines. There are trails around lakes and through groves, as well as mangrove forests, and rainforest and orchid displays. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<span class="story_dateline">The garden was designed by landscape architect William Lyman Phillips, a member of the Frederick Law Olmsted partnership and a leading landscape designer in South Florida during the 1930s. The first 15 years saw the construction of its primary buildings and landscape features, including a palmetum*, pergolas, an amphitheatre, gate house, a library and museum, 14 lakes, stone terracing walls, sunken gardens and an auditorium. A visitor center was newly constructed in 2002, and a tour includes a narrated tram ride through the property. <br />
<br />
*Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a leading center of palm tree research, horticulture, and conservation.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ut-2dCUizogmGkdDgVKEu6qBKCroenbV4312p2_LpbcSEOmaJ9bYtnJKbvMUmBea-rFEm65ueLtu0QK5zxplVhQti02_BuTBluHvAuqT2B6cVwwcIhKpQ3pw6tNhgOeLRQk0Y8vRavGt/s1600/CoralGablesFairchild.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ut-2dCUizogmGkdDgVKEu6qBKCroenbV4312p2_LpbcSEOmaJ9bYtnJKbvMUmBea-rFEm65ueLtu0QK5zxplVhQti02_BuTBluHvAuqT2B6cVwwcIhKpQ3pw6tNhgOeLRQk0Y8vRavGt/s640/CoralGablesFairchild.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06g3IUHvrD2b1Llc8YEMxZBjyLZ8ELgwzGW1FCGmKZ2bjvJVxIUHEcwoMld2W-WqFJkZcliArcCbpMu1ifrm_XZ9vdguAWKDUssUenyy_IpNgPtahk7yTpXNj79S6WuGkqlcgopzgC0SA/s1600/RedFishGrill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06g3IUHvrD2b1Llc8YEMxZBjyLZ8ELgwzGW1FCGmKZ2bjvJVxIUHEcwoMld2W-WqFJkZcliArcCbpMu1ifrm_XZ9vdguAWKDUssUenyy_IpNgPtahk7yTpXNj79S6WuGkqlcgopzgC0SA/s320/RedFishGrill.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div><span class="story_dateline">Surrounding the gardens is <b>Matheson Hammock Park</b> and the popular <b>Red Fish Grill</b> restaurant (photo), where scenes from the movie “There’s Something About Mary” were filmed. The restaurant's patio affords views of Key Biscayne and an adjacent atoll pool that is flushed by the tidal action of Biscayne Bay.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="story_dateline">Encompassing 37 square miles, Coral Gables has set aside thirty percent of its land area as dedicated green space. There are two public golf courses, numerous pocket parks tucked into residential areas and several canals that can accommodate large yachts along the 40 miles of waterfront-lot frontage. When these canals were first built in the 1920s, residents were ferried across them in Venetian style gondolas. The <b>Coral Gables Waterway</b> leads to the ocean at Biscayne Bay and is a major manatee protection zone. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU15QiQTjBmzzWUz0uRcBXbN9svVDhpfMzu2UF9Gfpvp7cat3J7JOYqi-JHmyLKiSmeXa_jHQKSgv21PPgyaucVNhCDwNLGd8OV1TLku8t7GE_qjNJXZgvMZip9w6lzd3UEtVj1GUvRG-T/s1600/CoralGablesUnivMiami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU15QiQTjBmzzWUz0uRcBXbN9svVDhpfMzu2UF9Gfpvp7cat3J7JOYqi-JHmyLKiSmeXa_jHQKSgv21PPgyaucVNhCDwNLGd8OV1TLku8t7GE_qjNJXZgvMZip9w6lzd3UEtVj1GUvRG-T/s320/CoralGablesUnivMiami.jpg" width="264px" /></a><span class="story_dateline"></span></div><span class="story_dateline">Known today as the “<i>Fine Dining Capital of South Florida</i>,” Coral Gables as well has the highest concentration of live theater in Miami-Dade County and is home to dozens of fine art galleries. Also located in the heart of Coral Gables is the <b>University of Miami</b> (photo at left), a private research university that educates nearly 15,000 students a year. The university was founded and built on land donated by George Merrick, the developer of Coral Gables, who felt that every great city deserved a good university.<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span class="story_dateline"></span><br />
<span class="story_dateline"></span><br />
<span class="story_dateline"> <span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span class="story_dateline"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="story_dateline"><span style="font-size: large;">Police & Fire Station: Coral Gables Museum</span><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0QAtfYj_QhZIKNG9j2JrzJnQVLn87-5OZchxtrC7R3U4K_LcgM4CCtPNnKz7tIo-GTIZt3B4SbFSA9fWajdUFYapPveBIq5H1sEdkYwQFpgESg8RkqSG3lcmu2anodL4bmfcTBu1cfEM/s1600/CoralGables1939Police-FireSta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0QAtfYj_QhZIKNG9j2JrzJnQVLn87-5OZchxtrC7R3U4K_LcgM4CCtPNnKz7tIo-GTIZt3B4SbFSA9fWajdUFYapPveBIq5H1sEdkYwQFpgESg8RkqSG3lcmu2anodL4bmfcTBu1cfEM/s400/CoralGables1939Police-FireSta.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><br />
<span class="story_dateline">Designed by Phineas Paist in 1939, the old <b>Police and Fire Station</b> was built during the Depression by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to provide a public safety headquarters for the city and employment for local construction workers and artisans. Paist used the simple lines of Depression architecture combined with Mediterranean Revival details. The recently restored building is now home to the <b>Coral Gables Museum</b>, which celebrates the history of the community, as well as the civic arts of architecture, urban design, green planning and historic and environmental preservation. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="story_dateline"><span style="font-size: large;">Coconut Grove on Biscayne Bay</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwA7vvVqFDWMlk-8UQL97vEhy-euNx0P5GOZ9pwLB7dZ-cstWvM_9PYRv3dssOEhkFKhWCEyIBKuGOPqE7I14JW_MkfH_pr0fpl9LeZDgiquGI3_ekP-LhPJfDeFhw30P8obTj28NYI0s/s1600/CoralGablesMarina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwA7vvVqFDWMlk-8UQL97vEhy-euNx0P5GOZ9pwLB7dZ-cstWvM_9PYRv3dssOEhkFKhWCEyIBKuGOPqE7I14JW_MkfH_pr0fpl9LeZDgiquGI3_ekP-LhPJfDeFhw30P8obTj28NYI0s/s320/CoralGablesMarina.jpg" width="320px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline"><b>Coconut Grove</b>, due east of Coral Gables, is south Miami's bayfront nautical playground. It has undergone a transformation from the countercultural hippie conclave of the 1960s and 70s into a yuppie haven of bars, upscale restaurants and yachts. Perhaps the prime example of this cultural change is the hugely successful Ritz Carlton Hotel, which reflects the enormous uptick in property values.<br />
<br />
Among the first permanent settlers in South Florida were English grocers Charles and Isabella Peacock, who arrived as immigrants in Coconut Grove to establish a hotel. They built <b>Bay View House</b> in 1883, the first hotel to be constructed on mainland Florida south of Palm Beach. Later renamed the <b>Peacock Inn</b> (vintage photo below), the first community gatherings in Miami were held at Peacock’s property. The establishment of a Florida East Coast Railway station (near present-day Douglas Road Metrorail station) in the late 1890s made the once difficult-to-access lodge into a popular refuge. Today the site of the former hotel is maintained by the city of Miami as <b>Peacock Park</b>.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="story_dateline"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4kmP2JHFTD9U9fGrWqfpky_eHqPFQBXG2sIhSayf1hFP6Uuoh0FcZAMs93n7f07dgeLIf6AWADfSFyZPlNrPsP6gYzTKSIf2VDNRRlYh6l8mYNtsi9kI7Q8UBJgSyQLOyg3SWAEaL55H/s1600/CoconutGrovePeacockInn1896.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4kmP2JHFTD9U9fGrWqfpky_eHqPFQBXG2sIhSayf1hFP6Uuoh0FcZAMs93n7f07dgeLIf6AWADfSFyZPlNrPsP6gYzTKSIf2VDNRRlYh6l8mYNtsi9kI7Q8UBJgSyQLOyg3SWAEaL55H/s400/CoconutGrovePeacockInn1896.png" width="400px" /></a></span></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxZZqM-mUHOCCl45Bcl3pTKHDze-Biw1ykafOeSXpHAFbBCIEd2v-PvnVQiBK5zrG6UMZwJ9Xd3wICHENKKYIiv0xu1EgAz7MFRCoTPkurQgEku8F7I7kqBy1qwQNq6WXRT87OmbLMk0q/s1600/GoombayFestivalJunkanooParade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxZZqM-mUHOCCl45Bcl3pTKHDze-Biw1ykafOeSXpHAFbBCIEd2v-PvnVQiBK5zrG6UMZwJ9Xd3wICHENKKYIiv0xu1EgAz7MFRCoTPkurQgEku8F7I7kqBy1qwQNq6WXRT87OmbLMk0q/s320/GoombayFestivalJunkanooParade.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>The area began to attract U.S. citizens from northern states, as well as Brits and Bahamians. Coconut Grove's first black settlement was established in the 1880s by Bahamian laborers who worked at the Peacock Inn. This is celebrated each June, when the <b>Goombay Festival</b> (photo) transforms Grand Avenue into a Caribbean Carnival that honors Bahamian culture with Bahamian food and Caribbean Junkanoo music.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Coconut Grove was an independent city until it was annexed by the city of Miami in 1925. Previously a United States <b>Naval Air Station</b> was established in Coconut Grove along Biscayne Bay in 1917, during WW I. In 1931 <b>Pan American World Airways</b> took over the Naval air station property as a base for its sea plane “clipper” flights to Cuba, which cost $35 at the time.<br />
<span class="story_dateline"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifR3M3dxq25qJd9_k9fqHf9cIhFefYa4q45UiU_q60Y9eF1wkvh79SUtXvFkrfTMUBlpgVwcX45mdbZHgoHAYJ9j9xrLqwbDzYJqNR_TjUgcrrMzMuAwvClwkoNqw3pVBkHgTk2hAoZlcy/s1600/CoconutGrovePanAmTerminal1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifR3M3dxq25qJd9_k9fqHf9cIhFefYa4q45UiU_q60Y9eF1wkvh79SUtXvFkrfTMUBlpgVwcX45mdbZHgoHAYJ9j9xrLqwbDzYJqNR_TjUgcrrMzMuAwvClwkoNqw3pVBkHgTk2hAoZlcy/s400/CoconutGrovePanAmTerminal1940.jpg" width="400px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline"></span><span class="story_dateline"><br />
In the vintage photo of the terminal interior (above),</span><span class="story_dateline"> note the 10-ft. diameter globe and the winged clock. The globe now resides in the nearby <b>Miami Museum of Science</b>, but the former terminal room now serves as chambers for Miami's <b>City Hall</b> (notice the winged clock and other original decorative details in the photo below). </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnoGzIwaSxoYZIe-2n9zR3gGppDRkjN3s16wNc5uOxum4DFlH8jtn66tyV2w3GtFzDuTh83HJ1lqM8QBnUi0tA9-60HEwdC_Yt8U5nbwxSMmhNwAPqRa-EFBkcC1S1ZyWh84JnrwzFh7t/s1600/CoconutGrove+Miami+City+Hall+Chambers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnoGzIwaSxoYZIe-2n9zR3gGppDRkjN3s16wNc5uOxum4DFlH8jtn66tyV2w3GtFzDuTh83HJ1lqM8QBnUi0tA9-60HEwdC_Yt8U5nbwxSMmhNwAPqRa-EFBkcC1S1ZyWh84JnrwzFh7t/s400/CoconutGrove+Miami+City+Hall+Chambers.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<span class="story_dateline">The <b>Pan American Airways</b> facility was once the largest seaplane terminal in the world and </span><span class="story_dateline"> the main hub for air traffic between North and South America</span><span class="story_dateline">. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt departed from here on a flight to Casablanca, Morocco. Designed by Delano and Aldrich, the Streamline Moderne building has been the <b>Miami City Hall</b> since 1954 and retains many of its original features. Today the building houses the Mayor, Commissioners and the City Clerk in a spectacular bayfront setting. Pan Am had been founded in 1927 as a mail and passenger carrier for flights between Florida and Cuba. </span><span class="story_dateline">After WWII PanAm sold its hangers and terminal to the City of Miami in 1946. This 1930s vintage photo shows some of Pan Am's seaplanes in front of the airplane terminal.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RjHk4wljn1gwOAHrOWiPXIZ4-i66alO-PEDfwRz2U_3cHskBA4ptgjhJW0G6rgyb3_59aIbvr_-qS9kAam4OcKI0k_pTLaBuWFUgysBiQBD9s8w2u7H8BRJPYQt_mpBizTSpZUq6MDeA/s1600/CoconutGrovePanAmSeaplanes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RjHk4wljn1gwOAHrOWiPXIZ4-i66alO-PEDfwRz2U_3cHskBA4ptgjhJW0G6rgyb3_59aIbvr_-qS9kAam4OcKI0k_pTLaBuWFUgysBiQBD9s8w2u7H8BRJPYQt_mpBizTSpZUq6MDeA/s400/CoconutGrovePanAmSeaplanes.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline"><br />
<b>The Grove</b>, as it is known by locals, is known today for its ethnic restaurants and open air cafés. A vibrant youth culture becomes a center of nightlife patronized by young professionals and students from the nearby University of Miami and Florida International University. The western border of Coconut Grove is Coral Gables, home to the University of Miami.</span><br />
<span class="story_dateline"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="story_dateline"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilE0z6aTyKzzvD-MEGj03m06OpvVmJJRwnXIX_ufXFmo4HxJvR1c36eGeYDVbmQVX5peXJMpzDP0ZSVmkx3HO_kQT-sLTfrYtnB0tS7mZl2rtQRhdqkYZJhLCTZ3U_fdhtavTQYHh2jdsE/s1600/CoconutGrovePlymouthDoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilE0z6aTyKzzvD-MEGj03m06OpvVmJJRwnXIX_ufXFmo4HxJvR1c36eGeYDVbmQVX5peXJMpzDP0ZSVmkx3HO_kQT-sLTfrYtnB0tS7mZl2rtQRhdqkYZJhLCTZ3U_fdhtavTQYHh2jdsE/s320/CoconutGrovePlymouthDoor.jpg" width="209px" /></a></span></div><span class="story_dateline"><b>Plymouth Congregational Church</b> (1916) is a prized example of Spanish Mission style architecture. Organized in 1897, the church was founded by influential pioneer citizens of Coconut Grove. Solomon G. Merrick, father of Coral Gables developer George Merrick, became pastor in 1901. The church expanded rapidly and outgrew two chapels before the building of this structure in 1916; the architect was Clinton McKenzie of New York. The building’s twin bell towers, curvilinear gable roof, and elaborate front entrance are important architectural elements. The building’s oolitic limestone (coral rock) stonework was laid by a single stonemason, a Spaniard named Felix Rebom. The main entrance features an enriched classical door surround. The door itself is approximately 400 years old and came from a monastery in the Pyrenees Mountains. Made of hand carved walnut backed with oak, it still retains its original hand wrought iron fittings.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluAsVj4DbNif-Q6uzHJc28q82f4hLZj-2oKNfnz-fozPNdL0NbaUAzWg3kcljWVLS-4kXB7s5VXW_FhAesUJ9MUS1TC-mVqboQmdovLElFpVOOqm9jyVDravMEMO3rVZxdkpToMFrYXz2/s1600/PlymouthCongrCh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluAsVj4DbNif-Q6uzHJc28q82f4hLZj-2oKNfnz-fozPNdL0NbaUAzWg3kcljWVLS-4kXB7s5VXW_FhAesUJ9MUS1TC-mVqboQmdovLElFpVOOqm9jyVDravMEMO3rVZxdkpToMFrYXz2/s400/PlymouthCongrCh.jpg" width="400px" /></a><br />
<br />
The eastern border of Coconut Grove is Biscayne Bay, which caters to the boating community, featuring sailing and yacht clubs and a marina. The <b>Villa Vizcaya</b> and gardens (photo below), built in 1914 by International Harvester magnate James Deering, borders Biscayne Bay at the northeast edge of Coconut Grove. It is a popular area tourist attraction (closed Tuesdays).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhco89hot6-kCOP_ZTyEqPC6-UOOAMNmMRjyAezkfCl3A_OlPIN1rYMppV3IykGvlfoDK9CYhQdrdFrH4nVpw9YSwrqscTct9plOxpo_p4g8EVUWxNdeqv1vXPvf-I2xvS4kGJXpqK43VBU/s1600/Vizcaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhco89hot6-kCOP_ZTyEqPC6-UOOAMNmMRjyAezkfCl3A_OlPIN1rYMppV3IykGvlfoDK9CYhQdrdFrH4nVpw9YSwrqscTct9plOxpo_p4g8EVUWxNdeqv1vXPvf-I2xvS4kGJXpqK43VBU/s640/Vizcaya.jpg" width="640px" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpd5aSmB5QdQ7FnLXB-4z3mUZ8srZkeKFAAXlv5r3RsbcJ_Ad9mzOi7qztMVpCkCsvxUN56pIDIRMHqtfxkY8xiVAeQ76BVJTfiVYd9BC1I7bUwAYUXAo2Wkza4vIqkhkhYtLOnrFEd5-/s1600/VizcayaGardens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpd5aSmB5QdQ7FnLXB-4z3mUZ8srZkeKFAAXlv5r3RsbcJ_Ad9mzOi7qztMVpCkCsvxUN56pIDIRMHqtfxkY8xiVAeQ76BVJTfiVYd9BC1I7bUwAYUXAo2Wkza4vIqkhkhYtLOnrFEd5-/s400/VizcayaGardens.jpg" width="266px" /></a></span><br />
At the time of Vizcaya’s construction in 1914, Miami’s population was around 10,000. More than 1,000 workers were employed in building the Vizcaya house and elaborate gardens, including laborers and craftsmen from the Caribbean and Europe.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUaFwsncXAr_8dX_kIW0Kb-NskQ_VOZmgLZojjEKkjE0-HosJISswJakeafWhR4yKSBrr0CpK3LKUbHR4JAAMgA3pa7vJEh55nu7K59p7WkiglUpW-tyQcvk_pCsMDnlU-xuQ8T0EsPMo/s1600/VizcayaEntranceLoggia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUaFwsncXAr_8dX_kIW0Kb-NskQ_VOZmgLZojjEKkjE0-HosJISswJakeafWhR4yKSBrr0CpK3LKUbHR4JAAMgA3pa7vJEh55nu7K59p7WkiglUpW-tyQcvk_pCsMDnlU-xuQ8T0EsPMo/s400/VizcayaEntranceLoggia.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<b>Mr. Deering's elaborate bathroom with tented ceiling</b>:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrdzFjXixALH37yhMHEbTsc1X8zOEDJERis0c7Sa3DELNCpzl7SHito3OaXid6vFJUS_hSUdzcPdOJZAhXId1te8ETCKdRMfycffRwzmir10M1wMYt86K1NPYHqvBd6GxS6pdIn9jATH8/s1600/VizcayaDeeringBathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrdzFjXixALH37yhMHEbTsc1X8zOEDJERis0c7Sa3DELNCpzl7SHito3OaXid6vFJUS_hSUdzcPdOJZAhXId1te8ETCKdRMfycffRwzmir10M1wMYt86K1NPYHqvBd6GxS6pdIn9jATH8/s400/VizcayaDeeringBathroom.jpg" width="265px" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Vizcaya's grand reception room, walls upholstered in silk with tropical designs</b>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimMh435dvOu7ExHRbsax_BMQrVUTtmJTXlacUcpAJ0iMmXIJsUaMPzljLyMfpuTKhu-FGOJ0e1zkYHmNAv-VMwzHt9TlUg6IITHoIgIy63HDZrzrP126vlagBTud7U_4KLenwjuXGvBxs/s1600/VizcayaReceptionRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimMh435dvOu7ExHRbsax_BMQrVUTtmJTXlacUcpAJ0iMmXIJsUaMPzljLyMfpuTKhu-FGOJ0e1zkYHmNAv-VMwzHt9TlUg6IITHoIgIy63HDZrzrP126vlagBTud7U_4KLenwjuXGvBxs/s640/VizcayaReceptionRoom.jpg" width="425px" /></a></div>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-64383077151224972522010-08-02T21:47:00.000-07:002010-08-06T16:03:05.168-07:00Fallingwater<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoty6HCR4m46amzckBZmFipV8qcoAGF8jwHb99f3Es1C9WbCY5BEA66SJSd6r_Ay0HL8BkOL4y8SNWyQJTEnMBSI_3Ibr1Wr8t2OEkC9H9opJR9gISDA42o34FyOAT61dCyAaEsM5BRv9/s1600/falling-water-house.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491764289969294866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 330px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoty6HCR4m46amzckBZmFipV8qcoAGF8jwHb99f3Es1C9WbCY5BEA66SJSd6r_Ay0HL8BkOL4y8SNWyQJTEnMBSI_3Ibr1Wr8t2OEkC9H9opJR9gISDA42o34FyOAT61dCyAaEsM5BRv9/s400/falling-water-house.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Frank Lloyd Wright’s <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Fallingwater</span> is a western Pennsylvania mountain retreat home built 1936-38 for the Edgar J. Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh, owners of Kaufmann’s Department Store. The home was used by the Kaufmann household, Edgar, Liliane and their only child until 1963. It was then opened to the public in 1964 after being entrusted to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy by their son Edgar Kaufmann, jr. (1910-1989); <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">the lower case “jr” was his preference</span>. The home, which forms a strong and innovative organic bond to its setting, is considered by many to be the most famous house in America. It is undisputedly one of the architectural triumphs of the 20th century.<br /><br />The Kaufmanns were wealthy, well traveled, educated and sophisticated people who sought out artists and creative people all their lives as they moved about in international circles. As Jews they encountered obstacles to their position in Pittsburgh society, but they remained passionate about aesthetic beauty and loved outdoor activity, especially horseback riding and fishing. At the urging of their son, who was working for Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) at Taliesin (Wisconsin) at the time, they chose the storied architectural genius to design a home on their 2,000 acre woodland retreat in 1935, when Wright was well into his late 60s. At the same time, Wright was asked to design an executive office for Edgar in the Kaufmann department store. Wright designed the walls, furniture and all textiles (including the rugs). This room has since been removed from the store (now a Macy's) and displayed in several museums here and abroad. Edgar jr. subsequently donated it to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, where it is on permanent display (see photo at end of post).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl6LQQEDLssDorV_YUx81V0Gc7VzemReGTevN4HGMQxlunb-KRSaHJtI5J-hYL6Wv4mh_6G0DUBoeddj8W2fw1wSUFowhHxWhg81s71MgikcG_Pr9iktPXnUvgBYzMcbqXgucHtzGFufX/s1600/FallingwaterStairs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491768261191822930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 262px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl6LQQEDLssDorV_YUx81V0Gc7VzemReGTevN4HGMQxlunb-KRSaHJtI5J-hYL6Wv4mh_6G0DUBoeddj8W2fw1wSUFowhHxWhg81s71MgikcG_Pr9iktPXnUvgBYzMcbqXgucHtzGFufX/s400/FallingwaterStairs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Their son had been studying in Europe to become a painter, but made a career change in 1934 after reading Wright’s <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">An Autobiography</span> (publ. 1932), subsequently joining the Taliesin Fellowship of apprentices. In 1937 he began an 18-year association with the Museum of Modern Art (NYC), which eventually led him away from a career in retailing to his life’s work as a curator and scholar. Edgar jr. became a lecturer and authority on Frank Lloyd Wright as Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Art History at Columbia University (1963-1986). He remained a frequent visitor to Fallingwater after it opened to the public.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZl22JVz49VEMAD7e4VVGuD1irtyuvH1dlzJQM6lnGhVPWz-aXFTPaPUXGewGVhT9QI1nw7BLiTwJVyMcaolck2ZXiMe3lZGsnmHo_KX0TwCiLcuB4dojXofZkG7OMrMl2q_Afm_iU48FU/s1600/FallingwaterLR.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491767662483841730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZl22JVz49VEMAD7e4VVGuD1irtyuvH1dlzJQM6lnGhVPWz-aXFTPaPUXGewGVhT9QI1nw7BLiTwJVyMcaolck2ZXiMe3lZGsnmHo_KX0TwCiLcuB4dojXofZkG7OMrMl2q_Afm_iU48FU/s400/FallingwaterLR.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />His generous transfer of Fallingwater to a conservancy has made it possible for millions of architecture enthusiasts to experience Wright’s masterpiece, located 72 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, in its original setting with all furnishings, books and artwork intact. The quality of art on casual display is exceptional: original works by Diego Rivera, Pablo Picasso, pre-Columbian statues and highly valuable sculpture placed both inside and out.<br /><br />The woodland acreage was originally used as a summer camp and retreat for employees of Kaufmann’s Department Store, but the Depression years of the 1930s saw disuse of the property, since employees could no longer shoulder the expense of traveling to and staying at the camp. At that time the Kaufmann family decided to replace their log weekend house with a much larger home farther from the recently paved road. The rest is history. Today we can enjoy a visit to this landmark house just as it was constructed and furnished by the original owners. Fallingwater is surrounded by the conservancy’s 5,000 acre Bear Run Nature Reserve.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Click to enlarge: <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Guest house</span> addition from 1939</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ecKtBUGP8zrnwY9jrDE3lQs4pVNPOaHH4m3IY6dROHB0M1xWDPnOG6mwlDpNEZZeJ2XrZnZ2Ic9Aj09pquaSMn_bTuqegJJE444kOz8PG0hFl8TfyeUafW3Xek-pAWPREv1pRQ-L4LaP/s1600/fallingwaterGuestHouse.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491929784816200786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ecKtBUGP8zrnwY9jrDE3lQs4pVNPOaHH4m3IY6dROHB0M1xWDPnOG6mwlDpNEZZeJ2XrZnZ2Ic9Aj09pquaSMn_bTuqegJJE444kOz8PG0hFl8TfyeUafW3Xek-pAWPREv1pRQ-L4LaP/s400/fallingwaterGuestHouse.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The distinctive main house, which straddles a stream with waterfalls and boulders, was followed by construction of a complimentary 4-bedroom guest house in 1939. The two structures are separated by a winding pathway covered by concrete esplanades. The main house boasts 2,885 sq. ft. of interior space plus 2,445 sq. ft. of terraces (total 5,330 sq. ft.), while the guest house covers 1,700 sq. ft. The total cost for the house in the 1930s was $155,000, including $8,000 in architect’s fees and $4,500 for built-in walnut furnishings. Wright's original cost estimate had been $35,000. In today's dollars, $155,000 amounts to about $2.5 million, an extraordinary sum for a weekend house.<br /><br />Although he had many ideas "in his head," Wright feverishly sketched plans for the house in a matter of a few hours. Months behind on the project, he rushed to have something to show Kaufmann, who had phoned to say that he was already on his way to visit Wright's office.<br /><br />Wright exercised his typical control over interior furnishings and specifications, designing almost all the furniture and even the fireplace tools. He limited the palette to just two colors: a light ochre for the concrete and his signature Cherokee red for the metal surfaces (both may be purchased today from Pittsburgh Paints). There is liberal use of natural stone on walls, stairs and floors both inside and out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSxoL3u7KPGjSTWE7zW9BfLD97UDgGOl6Ie36S8uAIG_eiIHjzkor1AJnhe8mXS2dzSoZgHMUrXlSJ9rT65jNQjOuvsVtxuZ00nHkaCgvaZ4WlPU-JoJ0hVis9R3a9FLSEqN0jr455lnL/s1600/FallingwaterKitchen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491769160623216770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSxoL3u7KPGjSTWE7zW9BfLD97UDgGOl6Ie36S8uAIG_eiIHjzkor1AJnhe8mXS2dzSoZgHMUrXlSJ9rT65jNQjOuvsVtxuZ00nHkaCgvaZ4WlPU-JoJ0hVis9R3a9FLSEqN0jr455lnL/s400/FallingwaterKitchen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The main house is approached by a stone-paved bridge spanning the cascading Bear Run. The sound of rushing water greets the visitor, but no entry door is apparent (it is in the rear). An innovative feature is a set of stairs that lead from one of the many terraces directly down to the stream. A plunge pool, walled off from the stream by stone, is adjacent to this area. Except for the stone chimney stack, the entire main house emphasizes horizontal planes and exaggerated cantilevers. The guest house, which boasts a 6-ft. deep swimming pool and a multi-car garage, is located uphill from the main structure.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Click images to enlarge:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWk-jOhAFzXU5EH94EyjaQ4x4va_qmlIS4ixYY4NRD8kd20CnAmuvbn07-7jq5rJchqVfTFNVsDhq52ssAsWkoCBkE0aPJbGk09TlrAZAoL9SfhQJfVE45l-8AdmUbW-hAPtKzwJ3TfhCj/s1600/FallingwaterMainFloorPlan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491928362651007634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 276px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWk-jOhAFzXU5EH94EyjaQ4x4va_qmlIS4ixYY4NRD8kd20CnAmuvbn07-7jq5rJchqVfTFNVsDhq52ssAsWkoCBkE0aPJbGk09TlrAZAoL9SfhQJfVE45l-8AdmUbW-hAPtKzwJ3TfhCj/s400/FallingwaterMainFloorPlan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRZugjSOLiZ-8OMeWx44uFd-tcncRgftlqcYNJVpkyyoAsqOUr1ssqPQQGEyCP8tZNeKnWT66lUJCwGrh9hzhLT9qA5fjwy8nQ_w4DfDKG6R21w21RWOfFRZAGLVparUG3jAkLnh7SDtJ/s1600/Fallingwater2ndFloor.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491928357572667346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRZugjSOLiZ-8OMeWx44uFd-tcncRgftlqcYNJVpkyyoAsqOUr1ssqPQQGEyCP8tZNeKnWT66lUJCwGrh9hzhLT9qA5fjwy8nQ_w4DfDKG6R21w21RWOfFRZAGLVparUG3jAkLnh7SDtJ/s400/Fallingwater2ndFloor.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSFtrrPi_5l1HIAPAVHVVXbn2WPDn0KQ1zqDGxHz_jZblMKv1DdmLrMwJ0Clj0MGfeDor6BQmn_7FJhYxKhgQh1_Uh2SwfYzlIlVKA3qJCGpUfbsKLmPYLEe-oRfgMMs4-4EaOtcoZzVk/s1600/FallingWater3rdFloor.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491928351562840514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSFtrrPi_5l1HIAPAVHVVXbn2WPDn0KQ1zqDGxHz_jZblMKv1DdmLrMwJ0Clj0MGfeDor6BQmn_7FJhYxKhgQh1_Uh2SwfYzlIlVKA3qJCGpUfbsKLmPYLEe-oRfgMMs4-4EaOtcoZzVk/s400/FallingWater3rdFloor.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Many of the local farmers and skilled workers in the area became part of the construction team that built Fallingwater. During the Depression, they were thankful for extra jobs and income. Walter Hall, a self-taught local builder, oversaw the construction project, including the guest house, for the sum of $50 a week. The stone used in constructing the house was quarried on site, and Hall himself taught many of the unskilled laborers building techniques they were able to use long after the Fallingwater project was completed.<br /><br />Wright’s commission to design Fallingwater jump started a flagging career. This house became famous after being featured on the cover of TIME magazine in 1938. Many people expected Wright, who was 72 when Fallingwater was completed, to head into retirement. His renewed fame, however, brought him a flurry of commissions; more than half of the four hundred structures he designed were built after Fallingwater. Wright worked right up until his death at age 91.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMAhWcA0cro1TJ6IyzQG6eWIJ-MRtxvZn98wfFQaEbaRajiniXwJZVmihHw5I1wCMR3m5TFyy-U9nt3pqHIvb-EC357Ffj5oVgkcbcMNFfb2hRoOLcJ7gRK1USp0XFnmNYx3K-XaBQrVB/s1600/FallingwaterInteriorStairs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491770202367315250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMAhWcA0cro1TJ6IyzQG6eWIJ-MRtxvZn98wfFQaEbaRajiniXwJZVmihHw5I1wCMR3m5TFyy-U9nt3pqHIvb-EC357Ffj5oVgkcbcMNFfb2hRoOLcJ7gRK1USp0XFnmNYx3K-XaBQrVB/s400/FallingwaterInteriorStairs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />More than 5 million people have visited Fallingwater since it was opened to the public in 1964. On average, about 150,000 people visit the site annually. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy completed major structural repairs in 2002 to strengthen Fallingwater’s extreme cantilevers, guarding against a possible future collapse and deflection. Attention was paid to leaks and problems with mold, as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Note:</em> Kaufmann commissioned another architectural masterpiece for use as a vacation house. In 1946 he hired noted Viennese architect <strong>Richard Neutra</strong> to design a house to be built on the edge of Palm Springs, CA, as a retreat from harsh winters. Neutra had once been a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice and even named his son after Wright. Subsequent owners (including Barry Manilow) altered the Palm Springs house dramatically and insensitively, but a thorough and accurate restoration returned it to its original condition in the late 1990s. The house, a fabled example of the International Style against which Wright rebelled, was sold at auction in 2008 by Christie’s Auction House for $15 million.</span><br /><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo below: <strong>Fallingwater</strong> viewed from Bear Run.</span></em></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7AZUOJR-L7nnF2hWRlub6-E2aIxXYlO336HlER6mkK_Mo0mBB8CnS_XanYsZ2Aoc8Kjs6_1qMKw1gH7em1N0CnoWVwrQC2pSiWtid8CLq7ZYgTA0q5S4s9JWayzQ86NxmSmjXLmt6vjW/s1600/Fallingwater9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491770775998409458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 394px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7AZUOJR-L7nnF2hWRlub6-E2aIxXYlO336HlER6mkK_Mo0mBB8CnS_XanYsZ2Aoc8Kjs6_1qMKw1gH7em1N0CnoWVwrQC2pSiWtid8CLq7ZYgTA0q5S4s9JWayzQ86NxmSmjXLmt6vjW/s400/Fallingwater9.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Skeletons in the Closet</span>:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Most visitors to Fallingwater come on a pilgrimage to the Holy Grail of modern architecture, where they are allowed to worship at the feet of a genius. However, Fallingwater was the scene of events lived on a less lofty plane. The house was a possession of a rich and powerful family that played by its own rules. Liliane and Edgar traveled to NYC to get married, because it was not then legal for first cousins to marry in Pennsylvania. Soon after she became immersed in the business of the department store and introduced the people of Pittsburgh to the fashions of Paris. While at Kaufmann’s, she turned the then-unprofitable 11th floor women’s shop into a successful boutique, Vendôme, a reflection of the elegant Place Vendôme in Paris. She traveled through Europe to keep it stocked with antiques, artwork, and interesting objects d’art. Liliane ruled the Vendôme floor completely, returning from buying trips to Europe with the flair of royalty, her attendants and chauffeur in tow. To her secretary at the time, Mary Michaely, it was like the return of a queen to her palace.<br /><br />The Kaufmanns flaunted their money with an over-the-top lifestyle, regularly hosting extravagant themed parties that tipped toward debauchery. They shocked friends when they sunbathed in the nude. The Kaufmanns were given to avant-garde behavior and marketed themselves outrageously. Edgar was a notorious womanizer who favored women half his age, often showgirls; in 1929 Edgar fathered a child with a model from his store. Both Liliane and Edgar abused alcohol.<br /><br />Liliane did not like Fallingwater, mentioning that the terraces made the bedroom hot (she had a bedroom separate from that of her husband), and that the location directly over a stream created problems with mold. And the roof leaked. She often retired to the guest house up the hill and swam in its pool, enjoying solitude there. She doted on her son, who withdrew from the family retail business in Pittsburgh for a career in New York City, where his homosexuality was more accepted.<br /><br />Edgar Jonas Kaufmann Sr. (called “E.J.” by his close friends) frequently crossed swords with Wright (another notorious womanizer). E.J. commissioned another dozen projects from the architect, but never built any of them. Wright was offended when Edgar Sr. hired one of Wright’s own students, Richard Neutra, to design a winter home in Palm Springs. Liliane confided to Wright that she and Edgar seldom shared a house except for purposes of entertaining, and she approached Wright about designing a private retreat just for her in Palm Springs.<br /><br />In 1952, Liliane died from an overdose of sleeping pills while at Fallingwater, after she learned that her husband had fallen in love with his much younger nurse (Edgar had chronic and often severe back problems). The coroner declared the death accidental, but Edgar jr. insisted his mother’s death was a suicide. After marrying said nurse (he was in his late 60s; she was 34), Edgar Sr. died only seven months later (1955) of bone cancer while in residence at his Neutra-designed Palm Springs home. Upon learning that Kaufmann had left the bulk of his estate to his charitable foundation, his new wife sued for $5 million, declaring that she needed to maintain her lifestyle and status. She had signed a prenuptial agreement, however, and after years of legal challenges, eventually lost the suit. She died in a tragic accidental fire inside her apartment in Pittsburgh in the 1960s, just 15 minutes before her maid arrived.<br /><br />Edgar jr., deeply affected by his parents’ estrangement and his mother’s subsequent death, was eventually able to accomplish what he was unable to do while his parents were alive. He commissioned an extravagant mausoleum of earth-toned stucco and stone to be built on the grounds of Fallingwater; he transferred his mother’s body from Pittsburgh’s Homewood Cemetery and eventually interred his father there, as well. At last Edgar jr.'s parents were as he wanted them, joined together, side-by-side. Noted Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti created the crypt’s huge bronze doors, which depict two solitary bas-relief stick-like figures, a woman sitting against a tree on the right and a man standing far away on the left, facing each other across a barren valley. Kevin Gray, in a New York Times feature from 2001, described the doors as having “dark, stormy background branches evoking William Blake’s <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Marriage of Heaven and Hell</span>.”<br /><br />The tomb is several hundred yards upstream from the main house, reached by its own bridge, although tourists are not allowed to visit it. In fact, docents and guides will not reveal its exact location. Edgar jr's own body was cremated in 1989, and his ashes were scattered around the grounds of Fallingwater, as well as those of his long time companion, Paul </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Mayén</span><span style="font-size:85%;">.<br /><br />Edgar jr., as discrete as his parents were brash, had a substantial career as a learned and disciplined historian, an exact and graceful writer, a perceptive critic, educator and philanthropist – all without a traditional college education. One of his enduring legacies was co-founding, along with famed architects Eero Saarinen and Charles and Ray Eames, the GOOD DESIGN awards in 1950; GOOD DESIGN grants international recognition upon designers and manufacturers for advancing new, visionary, and innovative product concepts, invention and originality, and for stretching the envelope beyond what is considered ordinary product and consumer design. During the past 60 years winners have included Alessi, Porsche, Bang & Olufsen, Apple, Herman Miller, Bose and Knoll. The 2010 winners will be announced in September.<br /><br />Tip: <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">If salacious details fascinate you, buy the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">cookbook</span> available in the gift shop. Elsie Henderson was the personal cook for the Kaufmann household, and she reveals much more than favorite family recipes. </span><span style="font-size:+0;"><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Exerpt</span> (text accompanies a recipe for chicken/avocado salad):</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Elsie often featured avocado in salads when Edgar Jr. and his companion, Paul </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Mayén</span><span style="font-size:85%;">, were at Fallingwater. “Mr. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Mayén</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> loved avocados.”<br /><br />Elsie Henderson, an African-American, is today 96 years old. A portion of the cookbook’s profits help support her.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The </span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:85%;" >Mayén Connection</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />It is a curious fact that Paul Mayén, a Spanish-born industrial designer who for 36 years shared Edgar jr’s Manhattan apartment and retreat in Hydra, Greece, designed the gift shop, café and visitor center complex (built in 1978) set in the woods above Fallingwater. Everyone who tours Fallingwater passes through it. As well, one of Paul Mayén’s design creations, a red cubical sculpture, sits unheralded on the coffee table in Fallingwater’s living room.<br /><br />Frank Lloyd Wright, who in 1956 had designed a retreat house known as Kentuck Knob for I.N. and Bernadine Hagan (just four miles from Fallingwater), suggested that they hire Edgar jr. and Mayén (as a couple) to assist in selecting furniture. Paul and Edgar jr. directed the Hagans toward furnishings by George Jensen and Hans Wegner. They selected Jack Lenor Larsen fabrics for the built-in Wright-designed seating area and purchased Moroccan rugs from Kaufmann’s department store in Pittsburgh. Now owned by a British Lord, Kentuck Knob is open for tours. While it is a fine example of a modest Usonian house, and in pristine condition, every interior surface is marred by excessive clutter from the present occupants. Wright would have had apoplexy.<br /><br />In 1975, Mayén designed a country house for the Hagans in rural New York State. As well, Paul Mayén designed the jacket of a book about Wright, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Drawings for a Living Architecture</span> (1959), and provided photographs for a 1965 book about Fallingwater.<br /><br />Given his professional contributions to such an iconic architectural site and his personal ties to its heir, it is astonishing that so little is known about Mayén and his work.<br /><br />Below: Wright's <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">office for Edgar Sr.</span> at the Kaufmann Department Store, now on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctYxsb-Mw75iQeQfC1BSNkEAQ-4n389OA39yZavzktyN_fFjv7eh_EEuaFXUv3oaGAOU5gqcOlVpg68C6nnM1URdZdu4y_U3FdYfu7MjMcRhFArcGonIdEEwImeQAgGLR581onRO3k-in/s1600/KaufmannOffice.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492888234599459810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 335px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 261px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctYxsb-Mw75iQeQfC1BSNkEAQ-4n389OA39yZavzktyN_fFjv7eh_EEuaFXUv3oaGAOU5gqcOlVpg68C6nnM1URdZdu4y_U3FdYfu7MjMcRhFArcGonIdEEwImeQAgGLR581onRO3k-in/s400/KaufmannOffice.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><strong></strong>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-86825778290662815262010-07-18T03:35:00.000-07:002010-08-06T16:03:39.161-07:00Loretto, Pennsylvania: Catholic Pioneer Heritage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GZGm6yz2deZ-iSSPKbvY9wZGpsfRSzU2yV3vR4hCV9Jo9n1uZ2mqpVFskFOzCqcPA42ZsC04tVT8Zut5Y5ObHU6ist2tBKeXajv-ny5JCsJkkRtxa9_F3pA_PFKMd8mek8cAxl1PqUEo/s1600/LorettoGallitzinStatue.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499290769015546626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GZGm6yz2deZ-iSSPKbvY9wZGpsfRSzU2yV3vR4hCV9Jo9n1uZ2mqpVFskFOzCqcPA42ZsC04tVT8Zut5Y5ObHU6ist2tBKeXajv-ny5JCsJkkRtxa9_F3pA_PFKMd8mek8cAxl1PqUEo/s200/LorettoGallitzinStatue.jpg" border="0" /></a>Loretto was founded in 1799 by <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Father Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin</span> (statue at right) as the first English-speaking Roman Catholic colony west of the Alleghenies. Located 18 miles SW of Altoona and northeast of Johnstown, Loretto is home to <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">St. Francis University</span> (est. 1847), one of the nation's oldest Catholic institutions of higher learning. But it was two generous men - Father Gallitzin and Charles Schwab (a century later) - who transformed a backwoods Allegheny village into a place of remarkable importance to American Catholics. Two extant structures remind us of Loretto's extraordinary history.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGXu7_dRwiWGYFDTs0O0Hab4l4rR0SYgRzNdutaCynhhEJWYGbrvDzfB67X4TOThIOSKSjEE_GBtNrpU-nqEfwOWLX-Ncc4jbscA2PDeRrf_G8iV8yG0NWcWSjh7IqJ73SP2JmqDvqHQj/s1600/LorettoStMichaelsBasilica.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499276124447335682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGXu7_dRwiWGYFDTs0O0Hab4l4rR0SYgRzNdutaCynhhEJWYGbrvDzfB67X4TOThIOSKSjEE_GBtNrpU-nqEfwOWLX-Ncc4jbscA2PDeRrf_G8iV8yG0NWcWSjh7IqJ73SP2JmqDvqHQj/s400/LorettoStMichaelsBasilica.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The current stone Basilica, which stands adjacent to the site of Father Gallitzin's original log church, was built in 1901 with funds donated by <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Charles Schwab</span> (then president of U.S. Steel), who was raised in Loretto. The architect was Pittsburgh’s celebrated <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Frederick J. Osterling</span>, who designed the Romanesque church with a massive stone bell tower above the main entrance. There were notable Gothic details incorporated into the design. All the exterior sandstone was locally quarried, and the interior boasted barrel vaulted ceilings adorned with frescoes, all without visible post or column supports. The roof was surfaced with red paving tiles. Extravagance and fine craftsmanship abound. The elaborately carved pews were made from polished quartered red oak, and a 70-ft. long communion rail was fashioned from Mexican onyx. The four altars, all imported from Italy, were carved from Carrara marble, the same stone from which Michelangelo's <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Pieta</span> was carved. In today’s value the $150,000 original cost converts to more than 4 million dollars.<br /><br />An elaborate 3-manual organ (J. D. Didinger, Philadelphia) with stenciled façade pipes was placed in the rear gallery as a gift from <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Andrew Carnegie</span>; costing $8,000 at the time, the organ was the only major expense not covered by the Schwab family. Carnegie, who was passionate about organ music, fully or partially funded more than 7,800 pipe organs during his lifetime.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7s5FrNHBAE1Oo1jv68hVhECmJbHYRwrn8wctnNIEK5uyvG68U_4oLvJ0g884rOY_bIxAa8g_QcCq-Qbvp6rxKugO2ty-wEA82-JYPb0WdzSw1JBXKZh2wfC0BO4AVoK5PbohACZ_kjnO/s1600/LorettoStMichaelsBasilicaOrgan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499276627320481794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7s5FrNHBAE1Oo1jv68hVhECmJbHYRwrn8wctnNIEK5uyvG68U_4oLvJ0g884rOY_bIxAa8g_QcCq-Qbvp6rxKugO2ty-wEA82-JYPb0WdzSw1JBXKZh2wfC0BO4AVoK5PbohACZ_kjnO/s400/LorettoStMichaelsBasilicaOrgan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Schwab, whom Carnegie considered a protégé, had worked his way up from the lowliest ranks at Carnegie’s steel mills, where he began as a stake driver and blast furnace operator, and Carnegie’s generous contribution to St. Michael’s reflected his high regard for Schwab. Unfortunately, after a meteoric rise in fortune and prestige, Schwab eventually lost nearly everything in the stock market crash of 1929 and died bankrupt in 1939. Schwab was interred in a neoclassical mausoleum on the grounds of the Basilica's cemetery, and Gallitzin's grave is located between the present church and the adjacent site of the 1799 log church.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk2M9gvJ9CkXS2FkiG4_XVvSIVOcQJk-p_4d0X3lcg1tPFEFoXTJ3YdurE5KS4nC_1OQYgNZTuHhbAomFOH_ywcNBqI0n2WLPmuPnnCMyZABUVdUMUlELF_Nzl2px802-g4pfUBqoWIaM/s1600/LorettoStMichaelsBasilicaFacade.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499293005396092994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk2M9gvJ9CkXS2FkiG4_XVvSIVOcQJk-p_4d0X3lcg1tPFEFoXTJ3YdurE5KS4nC_1OQYgNZTuHhbAomFOH_ywcNBqI0n2WLPmuPnnCMyZABUVdUMUlELF_Nzl2px802-g4pfUBqoWIaM/s400/LorettoStMichaelsBasilicaFacade.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The basilica, which seats 1,000 worshipers, was renovated in 1959 and again in 1993-94. On Sept. 9, 1996, <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Pope John Paul II</span> raised this parish church of St. Michael to the status of a minor basilica. In 2007 a Mass was celebrated at the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel to recognize the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">nomination of Gallitzin for sainthood</span>, only the eight American Catholic so honored.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;" >Immergrün Estate Gardens</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDrLDmHIhewb9iAP2BjdxH0Me061nQmzZWc2m9FZlHdajh4lLISoWDfO_kwAyHX_3yxTRiHvfVcD65y3ced0SFMLBrZmvvajH0FDoyGbPpi0SvS-1g8TlXTZUl92jT_HG-llmeBEgvlrr/s1600/LorettoImmergrunGardens.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499278236623273122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 294px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDrLDmHIhewb9iAP2BjdxH0Me061nQmzZWc2m9FZlHdajh4lLISoWDfO_kwAyHX_3yxTRiHvfVcD65y3ced0SFMLBrZmvvajH0FDoyGbPpi0SvS-1g8TlXTZUl92jT_HG-llmeBEgvlrr/s400/LorettoImmergrunGardens.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Charles Schwab</span>, a steel industrialist, was raised a Catholic in Loretto from the age of five and always considered it his home town. Schwab even named his $100,000 private railroad car “Loretto,” which is today on display in Altoona’s <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Railroaders Memorial Museum</span>. Schwab was a graduate of <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">St. Frances University</span> in Loretto. His 44-room summer home, a 1919 mansion he called Immergrün (“ever green” in German), sited on a hilltop in Loretto, is now home to the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Mount Assisi Monastery</span> (Franciscans, Third Order Regular), which offers public daily access to its celebrated gardens from dawn to dusk. A stunning stair-step cascading fountain forms the centerpiece of the estate grounds. The sunken gardens also contain a shrine to Fatima, which is visited by throngs of the Catholic faithful on the 13th of every month. In the 1920s Schwab employed 70 full time servants to staff his summer estate, which he lost just after the stock market crash of 1929.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeMRa9_2_fQGRAfhHpm9j1oe4NM-027EO4qQWSKrUGriLsEKXPuG86L-LFaisiZsgDsyBBvs3YdGb-svWuSgBdrLP7AqIWgY70FiDlr076hJxAOKi6NXNMBzGOVOY6qJGzwMwWR9PJB62/s1600/LorettoImmergrunGardensStFrancis.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499279325113015810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeMRa9_2_fQGRAfhHpm9j1oe4NM-027EO4qQWSKrUGriLsEKXPuG86L-LFaisiZsgDsyBBvs3YdGb-svWuSgBdrLP7AqIWgY70FiDlr076hJxAOKi6NXNMBzGOVOY6qJGzwMwWR9PJB62/s400/LorettoImmergrunGardensStFrancis.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9BSnS6cluHiE4V7bSZft6W_RWNXLJx5r0uTg9J4bjYqDKgPc6OpZSzZmaAjYy3qeQsL5ceQSsP4xXdZzJd4Lch4ZR38iNu4Vk5XvO6FMiAQySe3-qqd2icRScHbNHDlNFiAjBNhpAPc9/s1600/LorettoImmergrunGardensPergola.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499279049855989730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9BSnS6cluHiE4V7bSZft6W_RWNXLJx5r0uTg9J4bjYqDKgPc6OpZSzZmaAjYy3qeQsL5ceQSsP4xXdZzJd4Lch4ZR38iNu4Vk5XvO6FMiAQySe3-qqd2icRScHbNHDlNFiAjBNhpAPc9/s400/LorettoImmergrunGardensPergola.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:85%;" >Directions:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> From Bedford, PA, travel north on Rte. 220 for 31 miles; at Hollidaysburg merge left at exit 28 onto west Rte. 22; after 9 miles take the Cresson/Summit exit, turning right onto Adm. Peary Hwy. After crossing the Cresson railroad tracks, bear slight right onto St. Joseph St.; after 4 miles St. Francis University will be seen on the left in downtown Loretto; turn left onto State Rd. 1001, Manor Dr., then a quick right onto St. Francis Street. The Monastery and gardens are on the right.<br /><br />Loretto is an easy hour's drive north of Bedford, and the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bedford Springs Resort and Spa</span> makes an excellent base for exploring this part of western Pennsylvania; Frank Lloyd Wright's <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Fallingwater</span> is one hour and forty minutes by car from Bedford Springs.<br /><a href="http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/BedfordSprings.aspx">www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/BedfordSprings.aspx</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WAbKzrEzR7KuVYvxCk3JdhdUV75YEI2YzXEDRfQPBXlSIDOV8Crr6nij5D_KuIPA3kZcKKdTwo5_rExJCyJW1eF7wu_D4TQuLxkj7rEAT39D5S8GKv5StVieKPh0zFvAjGuSGOP6cAIr/s1600/Gallitzin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499369415042496194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 140px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WAbKzrEzR7KuVYvxCk3JdhdUV75YEI2YzXEDRfQPBXlSIDOV8Crr6nij5D_KuIPA3kZcKKdTwo5_rExJCyJW1eF7wu_D4TQuLxkj7rEAT39D5S8GKv5StVieKPh0zFvAjGuSGOP6cAIr/s200/Gallitzin.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Father Demetrius Gallitzin</span> (1770-1840) pronounced “GAL-it-sin,” was born a prince in the Hague, where his father served as the ambassador of Catherine the Great to the court of the Netherlands. The Gallitzins were a princely family of Lithuanian descent who figured among the nobility of the Russian Empire. Gallitzin's mother, Amalia von Schmettau, was a Countess of German birth. Young Gallitzin left his home in Germany at the age of 21 to see the New World, since the more typical aristocratic Grand European Tour was not an option, because much of Europe was embroiled in wars at the time. His mother had arranged for Father Brosius to be her son’s personal chaplain and escort during his journeys through America.<br /><br />When they arrived in Baltimore in 1792, local Bishop John Carroll was less than pleased; he desperately needed German-speaking priests, and this one was tied up escorting a rich tourist. Carroll made the best of it by offering Gallitzin a place in his year old St. Mary’s Seminary (est. 1791 in Baltimore) as one of its first students; three years later, at age 25, Gallitzin found himself ordained as the first priest ever to receive all of his Orders (major and minor) for the Priesthood on U.S. soil. The Archdiocese of Baltimore was the first diocese established in the country (1789), and John Carroll its first bishop; the state of Maryland had been founded by a Catholic – Cecilius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore. At the time this Archdiocese included all of the territory of our nation’s original thirteen states.<br /><br />Soon thereafter Gallitzin found himself traveling 150 miles on horseback to the western frontier (now southwestern Pennsylvania), to attend the call from a non-Catholic woman who was deathly ill and requested a visit from a priest. He gave her last rites, and she died a Catholic. Father Gallitzin asked Bishop Carroll to be able to relocate to serve the people of McGuires’s Settlement, as Loretto was then known. Because the local citizenry was unable to support a priest, Father Gallitzin used his personal funds to build a church of white pine logs in 1799, thus founding the Catholic colony of Loretto, which he named (note variant spelling) after the famous Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, Italy.<br /><br />Gallitzin set about baptizing children and many adolescents, as well, because there had been no priest present when they were younger. Indeed, many of the Catholics in this pioneer area had never seen a priest. In the decades that followed, Gallitzin transformed Loretto into the cradle of Catholicism in western Pennsylvania. Again, using his own money, he purchased large portions of land, which he sold in small tracts at a low price or often at a loss. He financed the construction of saw-mills, grist-mills and tanneries, and established other industries for the benefit of his flock. In so doing, he attracted more than four thousand residents to his Catholic colony (Loretto’s present population is fewer than 1,500). Father Gallitzin served the people of this area for forty years until his death in 1840, when he was buried on the grounds of his beloved log chapel.<br /></span>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-30938863158955256232010-06-20T16:18:00.000-07:002010-08-06T16:02:17.961-07:00Bedford Springs, PABedford Springs Resort and Spa is an historic destination that has played host to two centuries of presidents, politicians, financiers, industrialists and the merely rich, most of whom were caught up in the social springs scene that reached its heyday in the nineteenth century.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bedford Springs Hotel</span>, 1840 (Augustus Koelner)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDBXqm-5ncRp6-g0o2jiwYLkSoDpBdkfLFDdZhwTmlyr6NPQMuk3b5gDoQMGIJcudfb6vOqRJgARHEOoYZdOsHYs44NVRcgWSo9PCVPwbh44yyhR4TivRgpTRvLt3NhvwQ4qiykj14bj2/s1600/BedfordSpringsHotel1840AugustusKollner.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499472666682493842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 306px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDBXqm-5ncRp6-g0o2jiwYLkSoDpBdkfLFDdZhwTmlyr6NPQMuk3b5gDoQMGIJcudfb6vOqRJgARHEOoYZdOsHYs44NVRcgWSo9PCVPwbh44yyhR4TivRgpTRvLt3NhvwQ4qiykj14bj2/s400/BedfordSpringsHotel1840AugustusKollner.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Bedford, nestled in the scenic Allegheny Mountains of western Pennsylvania, was known by native Americans, who were attracted by the area's natural springs. Later, in the late 18th century, settlers who drank the waters noticed that symptoms of rheumatism and ulcers troubled them less. Some who soaked their limbs in the water were cured within a few weeks. The healing qualities of the springs led local doctor John Anderson to purchase the land surrounding them in 1796. For 10 years he treated patients in makeshift tents erected on his property; those who sought his treatments included Aaron Burr and his ailing grandson.<br /><br />As his cures grew in popularity, he decided to build a spa hotel. <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The Stone Inn</span>, which opened in 1806, was built from locally quarried stone carried down the mountain by oxen; today this original stone building is still in use, housing the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Frontier Tavern</span>, a popular bar, restaurant and lounge venue at today's Bedford Springs Resort. Anderson’s spa hotel was an immediate success and soon attracted a wealthy clientele. Due to the lack of medications in those days, people flocked to Bedford Springs from great distances in search of a cure for their illnesses.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bedford Springs 1817</span> (click to enlarge)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2IAdvdSIhZd09FOCL6iMcfwwp_L2Ei1VRqqFZ7i-7AN-B-NpzHdM4EiwpuMj4gxaobn9694Iq4e9Fl58IoqlegooTnND2zGZd9IDHTbnzDcX_wTu_uB1LMacVB7H0V12gMq3WTp-UecR/s1600/Bedford1817.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499524248278557714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 242px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2IAdvdSIhZd09FOCL6iMcfwwp_L2Ei1VRqqFZ7i-7AN-B-NpzHdM4EiwpuMj4gxaobn9694Iq4e9Fl58IoqlegooTnND2zGZd9IDHTbnzDcX_wTu_uB1LMacVB7H0V12gMq3WTp-UecR/s400/Bedford1817.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Early guests traveled by train to Cumberland, MD, and then made a 21-mile coach trip through the Cumberland Valley up to the hotel. The facility expanded regularly as its popularity increased. Bedford Springs was soon home to one of the first golf courses in America, originally designed by Spencer Oldham in 1895, just ten years after the first game of golf had been played in the U.S. The course would later be redesigned by A.W. Tillinghast (1912), and then by the renowned <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Donald Ross</span> (1923). In 1905, the resort constructed one of the nation’s first indoor pools, complete with a musician's gallery, from which string quartets serenaded the bathers below; water was supplied by the spring waters. As well, the hotel was the first place in the country to boast an Olympic sized pool.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bedford Springs Resort & Spa, 2007</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaT0Sn33mmNA5TlaVXYlMeJ5xvlRPAArZV-Wi1Y3d_-_8sPIo5gthZYilVl4QyyvggnK_QVdwixH8mf3b56kOo943MpQhrS9RhYGnFzcSsDHRzaN8VhXknvK_3glV3ibBKVhijchOtMSGW/s1600/BedfordSpringsFront.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499473660632456562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 248px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaT0Sn33mmNA5TlaVXYlMeJ5xvlRPAArZV-Wi1Y3d_-_8sPIo5gthZYilVl4QyyvggnK_QVdwixH8mf3b56kOo943MpQhrS9RhYGnFzcSsDHRzaN8VhXknvK_3glV3ibBKVhijchOtMSGW/s400/BedfordSpringsFront.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">President James Buchanan</span> vacationed at the Bedford Springs Hotel over a period of 25 years. The only president from the Keystone State and the only bachelor president, Buchanan made the hotel his "Summer White House" from 1857-1861. He had his mail forwarded from Washington and conducted state business while in residence. In fact, it was from the steps of the hotel, and not Washington, that he announced he would not seek re-election.<br /><br />Other notable visitors to Bedford Springs included William Henry Harrison, James Polk, Zachary Taylor, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and Thaddeus Stevens, not to mention Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Henry Ford, John Wanamaker and Andrew Jackson. President Buchanan was in residence when he received the first ever trans-Atlantic cable message sent from England, by Queen Victoria on August 17, 1858. A few years earlier, in 1855, the hotel hosted the only Supreme Court hearing ever held outside the capital, for the purpose of discussing the Dred Scott case.<br /><br />In the 1890s the resort was hailed the "Carlsbad of America," because it was determined that its magnesia springs were identical in analysis to those of Europe's famous Carlsbad Spa (Karlovy Vary) in the Czech Republic. A major enlargement and refurbishment took place in 1905 to accommodate increasing business.<br /><br />The resort maintained a high social profile, as well; the hotel hosted hundreds of balls and weddings. Original glass in the windows of the library bear the inscriptions of brides who were married at the resort, most dating back to the mid-19th century. A real diamond would scratch glass!<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Late 19th-century additions, recently restored<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD8BZlKardGJvWZ4jV2wnVKCVz2GRw7yauJXNV9LkLnkMKCp3zzr88SriXFcadAlwF98Msbr98kADQCKL7jv86tcLeoqiiaRqiNo4bKM25kytZfricEoKM9Z6U8zL3ROKMIkZh2-Pa6Sz/s1600/BedfordPorches.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499484020964370050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD8BZlKardGJvWZ4jV2wnVKCVz2GRw7yauJXNV9LkLnkMKCp3zzr88SriXFcadAlwF98Msbr98kADQCKL7jv86tcLeoqiiaRqiNo4bKM25kytZfricEoKM9Z6U8zL3ROKMIkZh2-Pa6Sz/s400/BedfordPorches.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In the early 1940s, the U.S. Navy took over the hotel, which served as a communication training center during World War II. The soldiers, used to primitive mess halls, were taken aback at having waiters place linen napkins in their laps. The hotel and convention hall were remodeled to accommodate more than 6,000 Navy personnel. In 1943, the posh retreat also housed 200 Japanese diplomats and their families detained from Germany during wartime. "Guests" of the United States, they were later exchanged for captured American POWs in Asia.<br /><br />With the completion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike after the war, the resort became an even more popular destination, as an exit was just three miles from the hotel. The resort remained open year round for the first time in 1950. The 60s and 70s were prosperous years, and Bedford Springs Resort was deemed one of the best remaining examples of “springs resort architecture.” But trouble loomed; it did not help that the last major upgrade had taken place in 1905.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Photo from the early 1930s</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp3MS-x2gcZ6Q6v_d7DKjydxcsCQCKPAJwvR9iUVRuvrtovmmLQXf-5UJiskJyQ0YxE13_KkoFjrzlg9s33alVLd_pV5tUa7Dl03Isw4rPy09zRpv1LadKKCtsbsTMvsS0-8rh2WFCYGM/s1600/Bedford20thCentury.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499478497673185922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 248px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp3MS-x2gcZ6Q6v_d7DKjydxcsCQCKPAJwvR9iUVRuvrtovmmLQXf-5UJiskJyQ0YxE13_KkoFjrzlg9s33alVLd_pV5tUa7Dl03Isw4rPy09zRpv1LadKKCtsbsTMvsS0-8rh2WFCYGM/s400/Bedford20thCentury.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In 1984, a year after devastating flooding had decimated the hotel and years of negligence and declining occupancy had taken their toll, the resort was designated a <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">National Historic Landmark</span> and given endangered site status. It was too little, too late and, unfortunately, the resort entered into bankruptcy two years later and closed shortly thereafter. That's when things got really bad. An architect visiting the property in 2004 reported, "It was an uncontrolled mess. Parts of the building had no roof. The lobby had no floor, because a flood had washed it away. You couldn't walk into the lobby because it was a mud pit. There was water dripping down and plaster falling from the ceilings. Paint everywhere was peeling, and the smell of mold was overwhelming. It was like a movie set for a horror movie."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGO2m-z4XWjGctTNjitRiSxbiX5DFBAZncQYTuxwHmSsDJ1hYrMSYuHf0VeNJxj4jhDAvtsKvfToafan7eFX0wbZ00b01quK5TaqxTfEktoo56aC58Wj6uej-Ckb2O8KxseBBBoD5h14js/s1600/BedfordLowPoint.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499525486092084034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGO2m-z4XWjGctTNjitRiSxbiX5DFBAZncQYTuxwHmSsDJ1hYrMSYuHf0VeNJxj4jhDAvtsKvfToafan7eFX0wbZ00b01quK5TaqxTfEktoo56aC58Wj6uej-Ckb2O8KxseBBBoD5h14js/s400/BedfordLowPoint.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Although it subsequently defied eight attempts to get it up and running again, there proved to be still some life left in this historic, storied property. A plan was in place to demolish most of the original structures, replacing them with modern facilities, but the historical interests would not grant permission. Against enormous odds, a private group raised capital to perform an ambitious and extremely costly renovation, which began in 2005, culminating in the resort’s reopening in the summer of 2007 to great critical acclaim. To illustrate the pains taken to bring the property back to life, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation directed its workers to dynamite a path through a mountain to reroute Rte. 220 so it would pass behind the resort, instead of in front of it. That cost $11 million, just part of the total $40 million the state of Pennsylvania spent to revive this leisure attraction. An average of 750 trucks used to pass in front of the hotel daily. By rerouting the road, they were able to create a more relaxing environment.<br /><br />Today Bedford Springs Resort and Spa is managed by Omni hotels. A member of <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Historic Hotels of America</span>, this resort property boasts a restored golf course, new spa facilities and many of the original springs, all centered around a sprawling hotel. The recent refurbishment has returned the resort’s focus to its historic past as a celebrated spa resort, with 30,000 sq. ft. of a new wing dedicated to popular state-of-the-art spa facilities. The public areas and historic guest room wings have been returned to their 1905 ambiance, providing an uninterrupted, continuous façade more than 600 feet long. Wrap-around verandas are enhanced by Victorian fretwork trim and old fashioned rocking chairs.<br /><br />Bedford Springs once again ranks with the remaining historic social spring resorts in the U.S.: The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA and The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV (thankfully without the lurid, garish interiors of the latter). The original hotel buildings of the Homestead and Greenbrier resorts do not survive, but Bedford Springs, with the exception of the new spa wing, is a series of seven connected original buildings, the oldest of which dates back to 1806. Bedford Springs has a leg up on these other grande dames, because its refurbishment has occurred when modern guests’ expectations include flat-screen televisions and iPod docking stations, today housed discretely behind doors of secretary desks, so as not to spoil the aura of time and place. The most recent restoration has reduced the number of rooms to 220, in order to offer more spacious bathrooms and guest quarters; however, the exteriors of the historic buildings remain unchanged.<br /><br />During the course of recent construction, a new spring was discovered, lying directly beneath the modern spa facilities. After a 20-year slumber and a $120 million restoration, this landmark property combines the legacy of its storied past with all modern amenities.<br /><br />Below: <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The Old Course</span>, recently restored to its 1923 Donald Ross configuration.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpjvWERJuPs2H1bx_UyLkYDbjYsyyjG0jMvYlhZ8c16j-W3fgU9FsjY106obRgCue45AGtq09jUqBRi3xqJTfc0nRIKUv0crQz3y6an3w4vn6JkO3B8vOZ850pe3uLkgeeuHpswozFvNT/s1600/BedfordOldCourse.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499617455033366402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 269px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpjvWERJuPs2H1bx_UyLkYDbjYsyyjG0jMvYlhZ8c16j-W3fgU9FsjY106obRgCue45AGtq09jUqBRi3xqJTfc0nRIKUv0crQz3y6an3w4vn6JkO3B8vOZ850pe3uLkgeeuHpswozFvNT/s400/BedfordOldCourse.png" border="0" /></a><br />The hallways and public spaces are graced with hundreds of historic artifacts and photographs, and the main bar and lounge, located in the refurbished Stone House, contains the original cooking fireplace where food was prepared for the very first guests in 1806. In addition to tennis and golf, there are diversions from an earlier age, including a badminton court, horseshoes and lawn bowling. There is a year-round fire pit for roasting marshmallows, extensive trails for hiking and biking, fly fishing, volleyball and bird watching. Carriage rides are offered seasonally.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eM8JBi6rKnI3LKh4WW-tmrSaT54vepEPN19idbDnYcL99xCqalsgIfRMyvHksaFPcqe8T2_ygwketNM_HOkCSNv7oAVhUkphrJndoVNKixYfhnSK_1Ulg4Ty7g1rse8W8dm15dTkHIw4/s1600/BedfordSpringsPool.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499475619448001106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 280px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eM8JBi6rKnI3LKh4WW-tmrSaT54vepEPN19idbDnYcL99xCqalsgIfRMyvHksaFPcqe8T2_ygwketNM_HOkCSNv7oAVhUkphrJndoVNKixYfhnSK_1Ulg4Ty7g1rse8W8dm15dTkHIw4/s400/BedfordSpringsPool.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizs31COP-mrf9aoHjCqjFnfxBlrhmIKOs9iMi0DEVHOiyWo_ghkM1jQttVJq6fGz5vF88UzbpOcd_2SNOAUoeU2rmRGzbXE27DRMAE3CHIvAyCyqdXTXzK9A7P3jsrz_AINYjQf1d0z8o0/s1600/BedfordSpringsHallway.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499475614202681474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 363px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 384px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizs31COP-mrf9aoHjCqjFnfxBlrhmIKOs9iMi0DEVHOiyWo_ghkM1jQttVJq6fGz5vF88UzbpOcd_2SNOAUoeU2rmRGzbXE27DRMAE3CHIvAyCyqdXTXzK9A7P3jsrz_AINYjQf1d0z8o0/s400/BedfordSpringsHallway.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y-1sS6l4ahKi4mkl2BohYa-z6eloWJg-q5amZR3YOhp5quU2pI0Dw4Iv_3WtiQbXWef_m4PcpM7uLrLwB5Dayj_mEgjcpFZWU813OE_ZdFx81EwBBmChc2m204ug7tUVzgIlB19KzWhx/s1600/BedfordSpringsFirepit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499475610098387986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y-1sS6l4ahKi4mkl2BohYa-z6eloWJg-q5amZR3YOhp5quU2pI0Dw4Iv_3WtiQbXWef_m4PcpM7uLrLwB5Dayj_mEgjcpFZWU813OE_ZdFx81EwBBmChc2m204ug7tUVzgIlB19KzWhx/s400/BedfordSpringsFirepit.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwCPA_do_zPbEvNdU25bE-eFE_lJYQUmpQYHo4WoIAuha6tN_BwaWD1TKja3Gfru713Xo97tb0GXEZr9iJwtDSBAP4bucrcJCFeZ1105r1dR9yWkSHKVodN8BURQlXeUeuyyxeiBu9yU-/s1600/BedfordSpringsRm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499475605677551362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwCPA_do_zPbEvNdU25bE-eFE_lJYQUmpQYHo4WoIAuha6tN_BwaWD1TKja3Gfru713Xo97tb0GXEZr9iJwtDSBAP4bucrcJCFeZ1105r1dR9yWkSHKVodN8BURQlXeUeuyyxeiBu9yU-/s400/BedfordSpringsRm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Guests at Bedford Springs Resort & Spa may choose from first-class rooms and suites, six dining options, a 30,000 sq-ft spa that utilizes water from the healing springs, a 20,000 sq-ft conference center, restored historic golf course, gold medal trout stream, tennis, river rafting, carriage rides, mountain nature trails and Cannondale bikes to traverse them, a new outdoor wedding grotto, plus indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There are diversions from an earlier age, include a badminton court, horseshoes and lawn bowling. There is a year-round fire pit for roasting marshmallows, extensive trails for hiking, fly fishing, volleyball and bird watching.<br /><br />Those who feel compelled to leave the resort property may visit over a dozen covered bridges within a 20-mile radius, and downtown Bedford, a treasure trove of antique stores, is just a few miles away. As well, Old Bedford Village is a reconstructed cluster of buildings and historic sites that harkens back to pioneer days and colonial times; Old Bedford was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bedford Springs Resort & Spa</span><br />2138 Business Rte. 220<br />Bedford, Pennsylvania<br />814-623-8100Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-71786678858646031362010-05-02T05:39:00.001-07:002010-05-02T05:41:51.791-07:00Brazil's Snake Island<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIB4UHRnXVzRfuLMG-hmjPrdRnmduolfKDXYlhYttB4qIeiv2INb0pDIZFCnHJ5cENyjRicsyfHjIKh1ReB38DPbsdXVvc8nldBQR88f5ToaBGyYBQLJyupN5iUKA0Hq7EkzCmSkP9G3b5/s1600/!.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIB4UHRnXVzRfuLMG-hmjPrdRnmduolfKDXYlhYttB4qIeiv2INb0pDIZFCnHJ5cENyjRicsyfHjIKh1ReB38DPbsdXVvc8nldBQR88f5ToaBGyYBQLJyupN5iUKA0Hq7EkzCmSkP9G3b5/s400/!.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466651792300345282" border="0" /></a><br />Off the shoreline of Brazil, almost due south of São Paulo, is Ilha de Queimada Grande (Snake Island). The small 100-acre island is untouched by human development, for the good reason that the island is infested with deadly poisonous snakes, a pit viper known as golden lancehead. It is estimated that between 5,00-7,000 golden lanceheads occupy the tiny island. The snake, which has no natural predators, feeds mainly on migrating birds and small lizards. Like most vipers, golden lanceheads give live birth to their young; August-September is mating season.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j12XGbNanYt6v7Fz-gC1ExB6E5WhvVMd-3xzFBqH1Vp6mNewo4NmMYjZCyuVMGbYkjPUv4VwUNGt87kXJJlAv0q4PaqL3IWybAibVwKNbI2s2BOonEMuZzECp82xDBUdr6U5CoY_mBia/s1600/!!.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j12XGbNanYt6v7Fz-gC1ExB6E5WhvVMd-3xzFBqH1Vp6mNewo4NmMYjZCyuVMGbYkjPUv4VwUNGt87kXJJlAv0q4PaqL3IWybAibVwKNbI2s2BOonEMuZzECp82xDBUdr6U5CoY_mBia/s400/!!.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466651959528491682" /></a>The snakes on Queimada Grande are a unique species of pit viper, the golden lancehead (Bothrops insularis), a genus of snakes responsible for 90% of Brazilian snakebite-related fatalities. Golden lanceheads are found in no other place on earth and grow to an average of only 20 inches long, but they possess a powerful fast-acting poison that melts the flesh around their bites. Unlike other venomous snakes that tend to strike, release, and then track their prey, the golden lancehead keeps its prey in its mouth once it has been injected with venom.<br /><br />Each golden lancehead’s venom is five times more potent that of its closest relative, the fer-de-lance, responsible for most snakebite deaths in South America. This place is so dangerous that a special permit is required to visit.Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-27310862376000631912010-04-04T01:29:00.000-07:002010-04-04T01:35:21.942-07:00Hum, Croatia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrty0JHYGoihmk5O-YbuoAYB7OAk9WOtgpaeb_-0TR-o2p5ymrrtibYMYD1KT1h88fSAbhHQ19FDNoYM9ezriPQjs-NgPl73yGXgy0E_Rtsj_nmYjkLSlsST7rCM2dEQX944bMgcOgbwGo/s1600/HumSign.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrty0JHYGoihmk5O-YbuoAYB7OAk9WOtgpaeb_-0TR-o2p5ymrrtibYMYD1KT1h88fSAbhHQ19FDNoYM9ezriPQjs-NgPl73yGXgy0E_Rtsj_nmYjkLSlsST7rCM2dEQX944bMgcOgbwGo/s400/HumSign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456197192545827362" /></a><br />Hum, a hilltop medieval town on the Istrian peninsula of Croatia, holds the record as the smallest town in the world, population 17-23 (varies). Located in northwest Croatia near the Slovenian border, Hum is one of the rare preserved and untouched examples of urban development inside medieval walls. Since the 11th century up to the present moment, no completely new structure has been built except for the 19th century Italian school. Older structures have been altered, most notably a bell tower addition in 1552 and a new facade added to the church of St. Jerome in 1802. The entire town consists of just two streets and two churches. The sole restaurant Humska Konoba serves smoked meats with sauerkraut and signature doughnuts for dessert; there are frequent lines out the door formed by curious and hungry tourists who wish to enter the ancient and atmospheric stone and wood structure. They serve biska, a local grape brandy.<br /><br />It must be noted that Hum is not a village, but a genuine town with elected officials and a town government. As such Hum is the Guinness World Record holder for the smallest town in the world.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgb9thcAxcaZm6s0HZxFijfXrXObFxgKSC4RdVaQZEfHqqip_i_m_ijyNBlcGbQ1sRupDtzN-BZC_NBEGWmdAL8NuZnF4uDZFkL-ALOFdff8hU00bmVS8nsWViHtVtZ3QimLBDwA5QnCK/s1600/!!.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgb9thcAxcaZm6s0HZxFijfXrXObFxgKSC4RdVaQZEfHqqip_i_m_ijyNBlcGbQ1sRupDtzN-BZC_NBEGWmdAL8NuZnF4uDZFkL-ALOFdff8hU00bmVS8nsWViHtVtZ3QimLBDwA5QnCK/s400/!!.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456198033940097730" /></a><br />Each year on the Day of Hum all men from the parish elect their prefect in the municipal loggia according to the old tradition, by engraving votes on a wooden stick known as raboš. The town prefect is responsible for his parish, for settling disputes among residents and imposing penalties for disorderly conduct in Hum and the surrounding villages. The election is followed by a folk festival in which traditional dishes and homemade wine and brandy are featured. The local home-made brandy, biska (made from grape-brandy, mistletoe and four herbs), is based on a two-thousand-year-old recipe.<br /><br />Hum is also the mecca of Croatian Glagolitism where you can see the first monuments and trace the very beginnings of Croatian literacy, as well as get to know the old Croatian alphabet Glagoljica. The Aleja glagoljaša (Glagolithic Avenue) is a series of 11 monuments dedicated to the Glagolitic script, placed along the 4-mile route between Roč und Hum. This set of monuments was erected between 1977 and 1981 to celebrate and preserve Glagolitic script, a 9th century alphabet devised by Saints Cyril and Methodius. All 34 letters also have a word meaning and numerical value. The script for the letter K also means “how” and the number 40. The Glagolitic script became disused in general in the 15th century, but lasted in small coastal pockets of Croatia until the 19th century.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKACNTYNkg8MXOehnwysx__jF4k3BVDyEjelafvQJOhHtGQTDPOFQEuc39NNOwYwZBkhb0q8krgSHAZ1j237uNLZe1_3lfhaDtTMC2HB959cAq5GUbgKEvhHMTJUOZnPv1erWjTwCut0v/s1600/!.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKACNTYNkg8MXOehnwysx__jF4k3BVDyEjelafvQJOhHtGQTDPOFQEuc39NNOwYwZBkhb0q8krgSHAZ1j237uNLZe1_3lfhaDtTMC2HB959cAq5GUbgKEvhHMTJUOZnPv1erWjTwCut0v/s400/!.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456197537867517522" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-65378442088578028852010-03-15T16:43:00.000-07:002010-03-18T02:25:00.414-07:00Seborga – Italy’s Rogue Principality<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0hJWEpoh_WwvOwdBzDiXEUPOoRTx0mWhDtE5fmnDe_XTUA0SLCUHm4p1dreUCOJrs0xCo-R-7Yxyh-7acwxytI4FdkaIHUsai8dAGvLDJV9HlKsDdrtnoegOT2j4GixfJxzcER-S4D0l/s1600-h/seborgaHilltop.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0hJWEpoh_WwvOwdBzDiXEUPOoRTx0mWhDtE5fmnDe_XTUA0SLCUHm4p1dreUCOJrs0xCo-R-7Yxyh-7acwxytI4FdkaIHUsai8dAGvLDJV9HlKsDdrtnoegOT2j4GixfJxzcER-S4D0l/s400/seborgaHilltop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449013675701507026" border="0" /></a><br />Near San Remo, Italy, just a few miles northeast of Bordighera, the tiny, self-proclaimed principality of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seborga</span> sits on a hilltop six miles inland from the Italian Riviera. On clear days its neighboring principality, Monaco, seems just a sword's throw away.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5he4l57APAMVctlylxBaf4Uywh_DZmBPuJYGiTzNXWUEtNXMnSH1wnejCY261nqek21yemY0wot-GMczLKBDIg7uBgvzCFgS-mkmVK-HcJ8cUpKqPi0TTiYQK7WKcoB9KhGWdld3b0w1d/s1600-h/SeborgaPrinceGeorge.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5he4l57APAMVctlylxBaf4Uywh_DZmBPuJYGiTzNXWUEtNXMnSH1wnejCY261nqek21yemY0wot-GMczLKBDIg7uBgvzCFgS-mkmVK-HcJ8cUpKqPi0TTiYQK7WKcoB9KhGWdld3b0w1d/s320/SeborgaPrinceGeorge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449014033014493106" border="0" /></a>Until his death in November, 2009, Prince George I had ruled over the 362 citizens of Seborga ever since they reestablished their independence from Italy in 1963. A flower grower by trade, George (in photo above) was elected ruler by the villagers and then went on to appoint a parliament of twenty-four priors and eight cabinet ministers. He even drew up the principality’s blue and white crest. When the prince finally succumbed to a long illness, the obituary in the New York Times stated, “He took to the throne with panache, wearing sash, sword and large rosette medallions as he held court at the Bianca Azurra bar.” He accepted no salary, never invaded another country, and never taxed his subjects. He would leave his table at a restaurant and greet visitors to his principality with a heartfelt handshake. Prince George was referred to, then and now, as “His Tremendousness” (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sua Tremendita Giorgio I</span>).<br /><br />Seborga issues its own stamps, license plates, passports and currency. The Seborgan <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">“luigino”</span> is worth around US $6 and can be spent in local bars and shops. The approximately 100,000 tourists who descend upon Seborga each year gobble up these coins, stamps and passports while supporting local restaurants and four B&Bs (there are no hotels as yet).<br /><br />Seborga has a patron saint, St. Bernard, and even a Latin motto on its coat of arms – sub umbra sede (sit in the shade). The blue and white sentry box at the Italian border does just that – it sits in the shade.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29WTyD2J50Bn2skFqDfN3ICHNJYE44hYzqH5xopNtNCQTr3MmKqSVLME2l_k3idRI43nsJphCSwktIJxKziSIbNIHlu-uBW3z-wTYWmsyDRKws20Bdf1RUwuy8TdfjJXQAC-265p-gQ4S/s1600-h/SegorgaGuardHouse.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29WTyD2J50Bn2skFqDfN3ICHNJYE44hYzqH5xopNtNCQTr3MmKqSVLME2l_k3idRI43nsJphCSwktIJxKziSIbNIHlu-uBW3z-wTYWmsyDRKws20Bdf1RUwuy8TdfjJXQAC-265p-gQ4S/s400/SegorgaGuardHouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449014819829357890" border="0" /></a><br />The town center is Piazza San Martino, with its fine mosaic courtyard in front of the colorful parish church and the Palazzo des Monaci. A web of hilly alleyways, low colonnades, and cobbled streets leads from there to all corners of the village. <span style="font-size:85%;">Photos from top: the Palazzo, street scene and the Church of St. Martin.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvDRFJ2D38A6d350eTplNXXWoc_oPTuU2eBhlMOLAYy2-bhZ9WjuKOLaniK2ZP5t0VF2I91uzbhh_fsxxra8YmdNq7QlIiSqYarjvjBdKBdixg9XsDmNooAvcxCuPPtc-8pt_f09wqwFL/s1600-h/SeborgaPiazzaSanMartino.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvDRFJ2D38A6d350eTplNXXWoc_oPTuU2eBhlMOLAYy2-bhZ9WjuKOLaniK2ZP5t0VF2I91uzbhh_fsxxra8YmdNq7QlIiSqYarjvjBdKBdixg9XsDmNooAvcxCuPPtc-8pt_f09wqwFL/s400/SeborgaPiazzaSanMartino.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449015847151958178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_I9H2i6gskNjXp0qp6eLo-HkZE6qVgv7pXmbHoavKQvCwb-kGQ0kdduQpg5DxBKjhr4DhGUzWM2vFdyMVmyqfnXj4ZwOUSHBT0hPzYV4Vyg9DxSOXxP3g7y5QPAHc-FtIQcZGFXYgFOk/s1600-h/SeborgaAlleyway.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_I9H2i6gskNjXp0qp6eLo-HkZE6qVgv7pXmbHoavKQvCwb-kGQ0kdduQpg5DxBKjhr4DhGUzWM2vFdyMVmyqfnXj4ZwOUSHBT0hPzYV4Vyg9DxSOXxP3g7y5QPAHc-FtIQcZGFXYgFOk/s400/SeborgaAlleyway.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449015836399154306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92usrSzvUZ9Rs0f8mhyqu8xZ_F9BMM-TG8WejTmtumhMg2ot3550G8EFJn2EDX7-lQuycl2V0dyMxybBClyeWG1SLm4A3fxLUXgRlsvYt9nxIMGNKviBFRLv8R4XLM5TpfR0Ycbl9daSJ/s1600-h/SeborgaChapel2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92usrSzvUZ9Rs0f8mhyqu8xZ_F9BMM-TG8WejTmtumhMg2ot3550G8EFJn2EDX7-lQuycl2V0dyMxybBClyeWG1SLm4A3fxLUXgRlsvYt9nxIMGNKviBFRLv8R4XLM5TpfR0Ycbl9daSJ/s400/SeborgaChapel2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449015830287521618" border="0" /></a><br />Seborga enjoys an exceptionally mild Mediterranean climate, which facilitates the principal industry of cultivating and exporting flowers world-wide, as is the case with its surrounding Ligurian neighboring villages.<br /><br />Seborga's history is ancient and colorful. In 1079 Seborga became the first Cistercian state, as the abbots were also Princes of Seborga. Thus it was Prince-Abbot Edward who ordained the first nine Templars (Knights of St. Barnard) at Seborga in September, 1118. In 2006 Prince George I reestablished the order of the Knights of Seborga.<br /><br />In 1815, the Congress of Vienna excluded Seborga in its redistribution of European territories after the Napoleonic wars, and even later the tiny principality was not included in the listing of territories incorporated in the unification of Italy in the 1860s. Thus monarch Victor Emmanuel II never held sway over Seborga.<br /><br />In 2006, when the Prince announced his abdication, there was some tongue-in-cheek bantering between Prince George I and Princess Yasmine von Hohenstaufen Anjou Plantagenet (photo below), who came forward to claim to be the rightful heir to the throne of Seborga. She wrote to Italy’s president, offering to return the principality to the state.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrwxGg7u7yOWEXSf1xzz-rJM88OhqrjWG8j9Wa0w0NXfNyuHTL3oFN4m05pBxxhqWmtAHjZUJBr1JK_t2MVUABhaNpmSXWIeIHJmkXcQGQUZso5ZL8fWBCCqnONi-rZXhFtUrZPzOIOFN/s1600-h/SeborgaImposter.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrwxGg7u7yOWEXSf1xzz-rJM88OhqrjWG8j9Wa0w0NXfNyuHTL3oFN4m05pBxxhqWmtAHjZUJBr1JK_t2MVUABhaNpmSXWIeIHJmkXcQGQUZso5ZL8fWBCCqnONi-rZXhFtUrZPzOIOFN/s200/SeborgaImposter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449238602722947730" border="0" /></a>But Prince George I claimed the "princess" had no right to give away his realm. The only thing they did agree on is the belief that Seborga is the oldest principality in Europe.<br /><br />George I, formerly known as George Carbone, declared Seborga’s independence from the Italian state because, he claimed, when the principality was sold to the Kings of Savoy and Sardinia in 1729, the sale was never officially or properly recorded. Ever since then, Seborga has been missing from historical records that would challenge its independence, including the aforementioned effort to unify Italy in 1861 and the formation of a republic in 1946. Local historians note that Benito Mussolini himself said that Seborga “certainly does not form part of Italy.” The Vatican also supports the independence of Seborga.<br /><br />"Princess" Yasmine claimed to be a descendant of a much earlier ruler of the principality, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor in the 13th century. “This girl cannot give away something she does not own,” said Prince George, convinced that his challenger is “not even a princess,” because neither the Holy Roman Empire nor the House of Hohenstaufen still exists. And besides, it is Prince George who, upon discovering the town's charter in 1950, led the populace in re-establishing themselves as a Monaco-like independent city state, after the populace had elected him Prince Regent.<br /><br />Prince George I, at the age of 70, announced his abdication in January, 2006, after an uninterrupted reign of 43 years. While the declaration by the Prince stated the reason for his abdication as “a need for renewal, as the throne needs new energy,” it appears that the Prince and the Italian Mayor of the town were locked in a bitter dispute over modern paving materials that the Italian authorities wanted to install in the forecourt of the ancient (1258) Cistercian church of St. Bernard (shown below).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ozbO6qqESnqBXwjn1dFo0rF1GBG8J8Son3NNcshUCZAv61MCSDY-FYM_WD4XX5y8V-XgA6uRblSmjOfHIyKI0-B0JkkXDBQfPlVOzeptzE8FdSvLVKJaz5FsDkRvSxbcQsUJXTFdE0wk/s1600-h/SeborgaSanBernardoOratory.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ozbO6qqESnqBXwjn1dFo0rF1GBG8J8Son3NNcshUCZAv61MCSDY-FYM_WD4XX5y8V-XgA6uRblSmjOfHIyKI0-B0JkkXDBQfPlVOzeptzE8FdSvLVKJaz5FsDkRvSxbcQsUJXTFdE0wk/s400/SeborgaSanBernardoOratory.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449235364098895314" border="0" /></a><br />The Prince bristled that the Italian representatives were not respecting the history and importance of the church site to the citizens of Seborga. Adding to this crisis a pretender to the throne knocking at the door, in November, 2006, the Prince, in a shocking turn of events, rescinded his announcement of abdication. It was reported in the press as “His change of mind,” with a capital “H.” Ironically, it was in this same church of St. Bernard that a solemn funeral mass for Prince George was held on December 5, 2009; the Prince had died on November 29 at the age of 73.<br /><br />Italy itself doesn’t pay too much attention to Seborga’s claims to independence, so long as the citizens continue to pay taxes to Italy and vote in national elections. Seborga also has a mayor, who serves as the official representative of the town to jurisdictions of Italy. Skeptical Italians have accused Seborga's independence as being nothing more than a ruse to attract tourists. Well, it hasn’t hurt.<br /><br />August 20 is celebrated as Seborga’s National Day, with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Festival of St. Bernard</span> (St. Bernard, the Patron Saint of Seborga, died on August 20, 1153, during the Crusades). Your humble blogger was on Seborgan soil on August 20, 2001, when hundreds of blue and white flags were waving their welcome to any and all comers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgu-j4puq4dcR1F7TIs5aNgoSNkStLkeD2H1V01BuqNrJ4M9vFL6zAVvPSIlciPnHRVmKI-CAiRMzBbNWvbKT-L5R-tkKlVUZZpjWlL0Z3JYb1W1IBabhEb5_EIls-7NjqT5Jgfsn2I5P/s1600-h/SeborgaFlag2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgu-j4puq4dcR1F7TIs5aNgoSNkStLkeD2H1V01BuqNrJ4M9vFL6zAVvPSIlciPnHRVmKI-CAiRMzBbNWvbKT-L5R-tkKlVUZZpjWlL0Z3JYb1W1IBabhEb5_EIls-7NjqT5Jgfsn2I5P/s400/SeborgaFlag2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449235981643167330" border="0" /></a><br />Our party even shared a luncheon with H.R.H. Prince George I, by simply taking a table in the restaurant where the Prince was enjoying his midday meal. We were received warmly and were well nourished by a plate of local rabbit with a mustard sauce. Unfortunately, we had business in Monaco and could not stay in Seborga for the subsequent religious procession, chamber music concert and parade. Imagine our dismay to learn that we had missed the annual “Seborga Tutta Birra” (beer festival) held in late June; in addition to barbeques and live music, we had been denied personal witness to the annual “Miss Maglietta Bagnata” (Miss Wet T-shirt) competition organized by the Seborgan Tourist Office. Apparently Seborga celebrates traditions both ancient and modern. We also learned, by reading a pamphlet in the tourist office, that in the previous year Seborga had officially applied for membership in the United Nations.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.seborga.homeip.net/Seborga.html">www.seborga.homeip.net/Seborga.html</a><br /><a href="http://seborga.net/">seborga.net</a><br /><a href="http://seborgatimes.blogspot.com/">seborgatimes.blogspot.com</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSmSI2K0-kIpD-QZRtKdiXJD31ijh0UhgMZBG5PV5xA6HrzU6-VneIDw4gee07HE2T9R5wl4Y7IAq4ICRyrlFwDmvE6rrV_SwvVtcC9G6d7A_S7MAJoRj45WGd_v-WzCJlCXH7v2vwKK8/s1600-h/SeborgaSign.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSmSI2K0-kIpD-QZRtKdiXJD31ijh0UhgMZBG5PV5xA6HrzU6-VneIDw4gee07HE2T9R5wl4Y7IAq4ICRyrlFwDmvE6rrV_SwvVtcC9G6d7A_S7MAJoRj45WGd_v-WzCJlCXH7v2vwKK8/s400/SeborgaSign.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449016961507977298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3DST2LA2f1LD4bdQubl7yjy-Z3iQYBXg7HSz05FiOqptOsShjFPEG94DuR2IGqChs2TDdpTzHwn_abw8kw-7jLawv3GyBwtgk4XzN-22j2MU5UMdcoTN7nAWZOIzFfRKuB8ejt-nvmsq/s1600-h/SeborgaPostBox.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3DST2LA2f1LD4bdQubl7yjy-Z3iQYBXg7HSz05FiOqptOsShjFPEG94DuR2IGqChs2TDdpTzHwn_abw8kw-7jLawv3GyBwtgk4XzN-22j2MU5UMdcoTN7nAWZOIzFfRKuB8ejt-nvmsq/s400/SeborgaPostBox.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449016953971306402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUtvMuWFlE6dqwYYxiX1vm3gq3ltLeiLe9Y-vnUpJZh7VoOxCriCN5KqhdBwyKH4NpAvl1lOl7wICQ-DMfLXxGwdG_9Io_LVd15eEfhmzJuiXaXk_g9aLk1tOmIK7mQj3FFk84iOafHZo/s1600-h/SeborgaPrinceGeorgeAtBorder.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUtvMuWFlE6dqwYYxiX1vm3gq3ltLeiLe9Y-vnUpJZh7VoOxCriCN5KqhdBwyKH4NpAvl1lOl7wICQ-DMfLXxGwdG_9Io_LVd15eEfhmzJuiXaXk_g9aLk1tOmIK7mQj3FFk84iOafHZo/s400/SeborgaPrinceGeorgeAtBorder.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449241130998407058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VT3E0X-_77A4Fcj1HI4zaALIO0olxeM4oiG0AsDNBMkfI-_IvOqGA9CPOspl623VPqBrQd6o6zSw14hhHWtoBBTlFg1E4949pfiN9iIs0-4au5pSwMjp_1w65D-Mtp4k8CdyMv6-_nVZ/s1600-h/SeborgaConsulateSign.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VT3E0X-_77A4Fcj1HI4zaALIO0olxeM4oiG0AsDNBMkfI-_IvOqGA9CPOspl623VPqBrQd6o6zSw14hhHWtoBBTlFg1E4949pfiN9iIs0-4au5pSwMjp_1w65D-Mtp4k8CdyMv6-_nVZ/s400/SeborgaConsulateSign.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449241116313503922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdEBV3hJU_hg-P6QKUb6Du-XxtqA3y5niXwdZmkafuYlio86rpdC0iBJ70OJ1OSOE0Jfm5ryOPdq5U7a3uNnnetYdJf5ADyYReZFtaj2DOYsTgXn4ob3WgYOLfW1cI1RoIsIO6926cv3j/s1600-h/SeborgaFlag.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdEBV3hJU_hg-P6QKUb6Du-XxtqA3y5niXwdZmkafuYlio86rpdC0iBJ70OJ1OSOE0Jfm5ryOPdq5U7a3uNnnetYdJf5ADyYReZFtaj2DOYsTgXn4ob3WgYOLfW1cI1RoIsIO6926cv3j/s400/SeborgaFlag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449241112652880146" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-34937216829979043922010-02-18T04:10:00.001-08:002011-11-15T04:52:23.541-08:00Burj Khalifa - Dubai<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-eEL_gKXdoF2OqDxnvyl0nxoDJZBavU9GB3R8WnaqjIF2S4SIcmapC-zIWYF6cJNayZZTxS_Ox98wSk-P6ldW6YCSHywgze1MJ4kFWVgOtnu3_FPrHU5q5ZQnt4Hvoa4rs4eEHGRcqg3/s1600-h/0000000000000.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439587305563451634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-eEL_gKXdoF2OqDxnvyl0nxoDJZBavU9GB3R8WnaqjIF2S4SIcmapC-zIWYF6cJNayZZTxS_Ox98wSk-P6ldW6YCSHywgze1MJ4kFWVgOtnu3_FPrHU5q5ZQnt4Hvoa4rs4eEHGRcqg3/s400/0000000000000.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 281px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Burj Khalifa (Dubai) 2,717 feet, a few feet shy of being twice as tall as the Empire State Bldg (1,454 ft.).<br />
<br />
Architecturally, I think this building wins over ANY modern tall building. This $1.5 billion edifice opened on January 4. Unfortunately, it had to be shut down on February 7 after an elevator car full of tourists became trapped between floors for 45 minutes. No reopening date has been set. This is yet another humiliation for Dubai, to which many people had arranged special trips solely to be able to visit this building. On February 18, the web site for purchasing tickets to the world’s highest viewing platform (three quarters of the way up) says this:<br />
“Please be advised that online tickets to At the Top are temporarily on hold due to maintenance at the attraction.”<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVCoQF_BMt9hlow_XBEHhrgIM6_6ESpTzr_dHSnP-o2OASX0YLcJ607BXY1B_s0cwq8v6ZuEmF07Ac5qXYAN4mtIPhtiv6dg_oa98BBaVR7IxKTyLqyzu6PuOiBSXYaKhplMuLL3yoJXz/s1600-h/000000000000000.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439591280092631042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVCoQF_BMt9hlow_XBEHhrgIM6_6ESpTzr_dHSnP-o2OASX0YLcJ607BXY1B_s0cwq8v6ZuEmF07Ac5qXYAN4mtIPhtiv6dg_oa98BBaVR7IxKTyLqyzu6PuOiBSXYaKhplMuLL3yoJXz/s400/000000000000000.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 326px;" /></a>Opening night fireworks display.<br />
<br />
In a brief statement responding to questions, building owner Emaar Properties blamed the closure on "unexpected high traffic," but then suggested that electrical problems were also at fault. A spokeswoman for Emaar was unable to provide further details or rule out the possibility of foul play. It is known that some new and untested technologies are incorporated into the structure. A method of efficiency is achieved through high voltage supplies of electrical energy, in contrast to the common low voltage supply in most contemporary designs. High voltage allows for less lost energy when powering up the building.<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
<br />
However, a newspaper reported that visitors to the Burj Khalifa's observation deck had to be evacuated by a service lift after one of the public lifts broke down, stranding passengers for 45 minutes. "Visitors queueing to descend from the observation deck heard a crash and the sound of breaking glass from the lift shaft. Dust then billowed back into the room through the small gaps in the lift shaft doors. The 15 passengers inside the elevator were left stranded for 45 minutes before they were rescued by staff who dropped ladder into the shaft and helped them climb out of the observation deck."</span><br />
<br />
Early visitors say that the attraction just wasn’t ready, observing that the windows were caked with dust from sand storms, and that no other part of the building was open. The opening was originally set for last September, but the eventual opening date just after New Year's was meant to coincide with the anniversary of the Dubai ruler's ascent to power.<br />
<br />
The newly built skyscraper is 1,000 feet taller than its next tallest competitor (Toronto's CN Tower) and bears a striking resemblance to a 1956 theoretical design by Frank Lloyd Wright for a mile-high tower (unbuildable).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5X7DchEtYp0Uy0vn2uJOKhNEXo_bkeKmkQhg_iIaukkUzeXrcJAb2uoqbMeXRrYHlr8-JQ4iHO41fRKVPjvVjGwwquA-Zc1gv_GKi5VHltSb0QGg05gRn8MHLOz4FynilEJhJ4aCVTK6d/s1600-h/00000000000000.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439576499461502178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5X7DchEtYp0Uy0vn2uJOKhNEXo_bkeKmkQhg_iIaukkUzeXrcJAb2uoqbMeXRrYHlr8-JQ4iHO41fRKVPjvVjGwwquA-Zc1gv_GKi5VHltSb0QGg05gRn8MHLOz4FynilEJhJ4aCVTK6d/s400/00000000000000.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 185px;" /></a><br />
The structure contains 57 elevators and 3,000 underground parking spaces (it is impossible to get around Dubai without a car). More than 1,000 condominium residences are contained in the building that will also offer 160 hotel rooms in the coming months. During the peak of construction, as many as 12,000 workers were on site. From the building's "At the Top" visitor level, computerized telescopes allow visitors to zoom all the way to street level (see rendering below), and there’s an outdoor terrace to take in the air at 124 stories. On clear days the vista spreads out for 60 miles.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4UBHfXDNK3-u1mMxYx7xUSD9m2tTJb6SmmKcZMr0XnUUCkh9-cWDIj6rGQcFLRZv_K47RyPKqwHbfJ8JB9L8Ci-WBCnYLvB6QcALFUuz1rHJPowMkTB_RVnjDDQwQwT0NsmGdohk4AsR/s1600-h/0000000000000.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439580209973881810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4UBHfXDNK3-u1mMxYx7xUSD9m2tTJb6SmmKcZMr0XnUUCkh9-cWDIj6rGQcFLRZv_K47RyPKqwHbfJ8JB9L8Ci-WBCnYLvB6QcALFUuz1rHJPowMkTB_RVnjDDQwQwT0NsmGdohk4AsR/s400/0000000000000.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 262px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Frhqhdlw6HQ?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Dubai is one of seven sheikdoms that form the United Arab Emirates. Tourism accounts for 20% of its economy, and Dubai had hoped that Burj Khalifa would be a legitimate major draw, a much needed shot in the arm to help resuscitate its flagging economy, based heavily on the sale of condominiums to absentee owners seeking a haven for flight capital. 65% of Dubai's 2 million residents are foreign born. In light of the faltering world economy, and because Dubai imprisons debtors, many have simply fled the country, abandoning their homes and luxury cars, even Rolls Royces and Bentleys. Over three thousand vehicles were abandoned at the airport in 2009.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfthZ8lrSU3IB3YA2KKW2SB1oB9wEvm86qpmPYW2qF9LNlsGZ02__VEFzfJbgvw3aINk8jip9T7FOAA84DhlIenhxnW0nF9b59xC2SzQfzgDw0fWY_EPXz5yRPxsNuo1xtepnht40qXxC/s1600-h/0000000000000.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439577033681060802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfthZ8lrSU3IB3YA2KKW2SB1oB9wEvm86qpmPYW2qF9LNlsGZ02__VEFzfJbgvw3aINk8jip9T7FOAA84DhlIenhxnW0nF9b59xC2SzQfzgDw0fWY_EPXz5yRPxsNuo1xtepnht40qXxC/s400/0000000000000.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Most of the building’s three million square feet of interior space is given over to condos and hotel rooms; office space is a distant third. A one bedroom 850-sq-ft condo is marketed at $2,975,000. And boy, are they not selling. Over-built Dubai has led to reports that Burj Khalifa is “the latest in a string of monuments to architectural vacancy.”<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1o_ByDFfKP6Yh_IgHjV2nRK5O-2kq2M5nvIFN2B6GD2k4V5D7qbYyclHeY8UccZMWdKDByahFhDBltjd81aROlMTRgYHXAeOoLvvAuxgHLOUEkUc-brFzfcmnpmM175pG57UnDNqkVkDA/s1600-h/0000000000000.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439555592822752594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1o_ByDFfKP6Yh_IgHjV2nRK5O-2kq2M5nvIFN2B6GD2k4V5D7qbYyclHeY8UccZMWdKDByahFhDBltjd81aROlMTRgYHXAeOoLvvAuxgHLOUEkUc-brFzfcmnpmM175pG57UnDNqkVkDA/s400/0000000000000.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
The fountain show can be seen in this video:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DekvHzP1imA?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
By the way, the fountains and the lake adjacent were designed and built by WET, the same company that created the fountains at Bellagio, Las Vegas. Only the lake in Dubai is 25% larger, and the water cannons can shoot up to a few yards shy of 500 feet (Las Vegas is just shy of 300 feet). The price tag for the 900-ft-long attraction, including the lake, was $217 million. The fountain show is timed at 20-minute intervals.<br />
<br />
As if recent assassinations, a financial meltdown and exploding elevators in the world's tallest building were not enough, Dubai faced a new crisis on February 25 – the world's most dramatic water leak. The 2.5 million walk-through aquarium, which houses 33,000 fish, leaked so much water through a crack in the structure that the mall (directly opposite Burj Khalifa and adjacent to the dancing fountain feature) in which it is housed had to be evacuated. At first the official spokesmen for the mall denied that there was a leak, saying that the spilled water was the result of a valve malfunction, but cell phone photos revealed water spewing from a significant crack in the aquarium wall.<br />
<br />
Burj Khalifa, originally named Burj Dubai, mimics the Y shape of the 1989 Mirage Resort in Las Vegas (a mere 30 stories). Essentially, Dubai has replicated all the top Las Vegas attractions, including the walk-through aquarium at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, the over-the-top swimming pools at Caesar’s Palace, the fountains of Bellagio and the theme-park shopping malls found along the strip. And, just like Vegas, they’ve gone bust doing it.<br />
<br />
Because Dubai lacks the oil resources of its neighbors, many wonder how the emirate will produce the millions of gallons of fresh water its developments, including its famous palm tree-shaped artificial islands, require every day, where it will produce its future electricity needs, and where its garbage will go. As an escape from these ponderous thoughts, visit the building's web link below.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/">www.burjkhalifa.ae</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC5vhLBAhs7i43xfiXgpweNI2v46bg7Tlj1ttMgTY2epv5uJ_oPHCugdstNs7FcAK74Gc0SUOQ6IO8cVz4vKd3lzzm228NXK5s9M2YFkfBA6Nb9mbk2JusvF42E9VqkuZUq2PO_fk_7DR/s1600-h/00000000000000.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439590502871884002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC5vhLBAhs7i43xfiXgpweNI2v46bg7Tlj1ttMgTY2epv5uJ_oPHCugdstNs7FcAK74Gc0SUOQ6IO8cVz4vKd3lzzm228NXK5s9M2YFkfBA6Nb9mbk2JusvF42E9VqkuZUq2PO_fk_7DR/s400/00000000000000.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 262px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-5373269705753908872010-01-23T17:22:00.000-08:002010-08-06T16:05:40.913-07:00Frank Lloyd Wright's College Campus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFdIsSH5AslW38E4Op5HNBN7QA0_AZ26K6uGwHF0aty98O1Kh3Q9MCu8sZJtZ4ldtp5T2hCnhTNGwcOWvxjnaxv56s7WIxnz1NEx9fImC7u0yTdW0SFFwu8GDxBhW0pFbwhK2uhmMJdGg/s1600-h/FSC4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440213080394111874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 366px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFdIsSH5AslW38E4Op5HNBN7QA0_AZ26K6uGwHF0aty98O1Kh3Q9MCu8sZJtZ4ldtp5T2hCnhTNGwcOWvxjnaxv56s7WIxnz1NEx9fImC7u0yTdW0SFFwu8GDxBhW0pFbwhK2uhmMJdGg/s400/FSC4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Florida Southern College</span><br />Lakeland, Florida<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSHOhvt0wnhQZ71LSNQHhgp3oe9TclWnJUTq0-LrKTbMcl-ubA_dIzDbIeh7l-wh6HNiLygG0DRnNrwY96XjGSQosBf87w9qzYOrn09u9O4RAeLg0533YBiYfA2FNjaEU4taCAjmbN72E/s1600-h/FSC2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440213076779144946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSHOhvt0wnhQZ71LSNQHhgp3oe9TclWnJUTq0-LrKTbMcl-ubA_dIzDbIeh7l-wh6HNiLygG0DRnNrwY96XjGSQosBf87w9qzYOrn09u9O4RAeLg0533YBiYfA2FNjaEU4taCAjmbN72E/s400/FSC2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Florida Southern College</span> is home to the largest single-site collection of <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Frank Lloyd Wright </span>structures (twelve), yet they remain among the least known. At the urging of President Dr. Ludd Spivey, the college embarked upon an ambitious building program in the 1930s under the direction of the famed architect. His work transformed the campus and put the nearly bankrupt college on the map nationally. When Wright first visited the site in 1938, he was struck by the natural setting of groves of orange trees on a bluff above a large lake. At the time the college was housed in a clutch of 1920s era traditional red brick buildings that occupied only a small portion of the acreage available. Wright subsequently designed a grand 18-unit “Child of the Sun” campus, where buildings would emerge from the Florida sand into the light, an organic concept (click any image to enlarge).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOq3HBpX9f698OyzWq6LtbgfKyhBIkh3fiNLYs8zXpz3lOAuEDq075i5gUy4-gqUCwP3nLnsplPNs0CkxZmRsE2JiHrCWmvwIJfU3RIvPV_pCE2TbpYR70uGJwZf1XeEEqT8Ljg460blT/s1600-h/FSC6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440220704060802242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOq3HBpX9f698OyzWq6LtbgfKyhBIkh3fiNLYs8zXpz3lOAuEDq075i5gUy4-gqUCwP3nLnsplPNs0CkxZmRsE2JiHrCWmvwIJfU3RIvPV_pCE2TbpYR70uGJwZf1XeEEqT8Ljg460blT/s400/FSC6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Named for Lucius Pond Ordway, president of 3M Company, the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Ordway Arts Building</span> (photo above and below) was initially conceived as a cafeteria and dining hall, before its use evolved into an industrial arts center. Architecturally, the building is evocative of Wright’s Taliesin West (Arizona), which had been completed just a few years before. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwT7_FYSJ0t4W52mYn8Ng-86Hz50iPYPeo4wJKx08dChQxIHTe706Jo_omiUVhWI0AJIOlOPOTex-vIXjCVd9gvLIlG7p9yrKFNQIBBVHhwH8725JyEyYEBrCFFomlIYiGpUqjfWtge9tv/s1600-h/FSCOrdwayBldg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445582575819429874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 390px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwT7_FYSJ0t4W52mYn8Ng-86Hz50iPYPeo4wJKx08dChQxIHTe706Jo_omiUVhWI0AJIOlOPOTex-vIXjCVd9gvLIlG7p9yrKFNQIBBVHhwH8725JyEyYEBrCFFomlIYiGpUqjfWtge9tv/s400/FSCOrdwayBldg.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The buildings are especially suited to the landscape and are connected by a 1.5 mile long series of covered concrete walkways that Wright called “esplanades,” in which thin cantilevered flat roofs, trimmed with embossed copper, span thick concrete supports, providing much needed protection from the Florida sun. These esplanades, originally built without expansion joints, were difficult to maintain and had fallen into disrepair. The college has just completed a top to bottom restoration of these unique structures that link most of the campus buildings, correcting design and construction deficiencies along the way. They have been returned to their original sandy beige color.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwyXbqBDJox1Xmeq43zY_d4Y0taXKbGEzfYnQGGG7fR4d4YiKPILOYCTGbL-GYUICGCfoH9Kckv3YkY3rSxj1V0D7Mr_Uq8B8RES5wdJfLlkgTx3YEIkY5yLZms1d4LZdHc6YNRKrXXDE/s1600-h/0000000000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440161957994670418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwyXbqBDJox1Xmeq43zY_d4Y0taXKbGEzfYnQGGG7fR4d4YiKPILOYCTGbL-GYUICGCfoH9Kckv3YkY3rSxj1V0D7Mr_Uq8B8RES5wdJfLlkgTx3YEIkY5yLZms1d4LZdHc6YNRKrXXDE/s400/0000000000000.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Another architectural giant, </span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:85%;" >Gene Leedy</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> of Winter Haven, a leading member of the Sarasota School of Modernists, was working in Florida in the 1950s when Wright was still alive and presiding over his work at Florida Southern. He recalls Wright walking with a cane and broad hat under the controversial esplanades which critics attacked for insufficient head clearance. Says Leedy, “He raised his cane and tapped the roof and said, 'This is exactly the right height.'” Wright was a man of noticeably short stature.</span><br /><br />Wright worked on the Florida Southern project during the last twenty years of his life, the same period in which he was engaged with the Guggenheim museum project in New York City. He charged the college $13,000 in architectural fees, plus his usual ten percent of construction costs. Spivey's charisma and charm were such that Wright agreed to allow the college to pay in installments, sending along money as it became available. The school often had a tough time scraping together the architectural fees and sometimes had to resort to creative measures, such as robbing the faculty fund of $250 to satisfy an obligation. Wright received substandard commissions, however, because most of the labor for the first four buildings was provided by students. In exchange for full room, board and tuition, the student workers attended classes 3 days a week, worked construction 3 days a week and then had Sundays off. When WWII came along, and male students were scarce, women who were enrolled at the college stepped in and continued construction under the same terms.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsCQB1X0qrNxxfFC-rlGsr__6uCEh9prSZIY5JS36eM4Ia442L1LATW270Wh613yfdgdM2VPLUiXXZBut15BEliDEalwDgk2fbtlPJ-lPpm-1CJyxI0Zj__N3v3i6-u4ZlI4FxMkMJ9_a/s1600-h/0000000000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440522974224632898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 251px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsCQB1X0qrNxxfFC-rlGsr__6uCEh9prSZIY5JS36eM4Ia442L1LATW270Wh613yfdgdM2VPLUiXXZBut15BEliDEalwDgk2fbtlPJ-lPpm-1CJyxI0Zj__N3v3i6-u4ZlI4FxMkMJ9_a/s400/0000000000000.jpg" border="0" /></a>The landmark <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Pfeiffer Chapel</span> was the first building erected on campus (completed 1941) and was built exclusively with unpaid student labor (photos above and below). Spivey pushed this project through so that he could have something to show prospective donors and subscribers. Generous contributor <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Annie Pfeiffer</span>, widow of the founder of Pfeiffer Chemical Company, was a bit taken aback by the avant-garde architecture of the chapel which bears her name. During her speech delivered at the opening, she said, "They tell me it is complete," a reference to the unfinished look of the metal grid that sits atop the tower. In 1941 Pfeiffer was awarded an honorary doctorate for her generosity. She even donated the pipe organ, manufactured by the Reuter company in Kansas, that stood in the balcony from the 1940s until the late 1970s.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhkh5P2aMZQK7hH8Mpu62hgkBnx3un_qFLfEf_NToheMG1Woq29RMGG8NJsP7kDu1h7ZV4UFCA-avDe15oKye0SuwBQNgS3qFS1WjPY0ECjAmi0xFmyR2_fh7CbdaT5Qcy0Pm33gjlo4H/s1600-h/FSCPfeifferInterior.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440133195461348274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 390px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhkh5P2aMZQK7hH8Mpu62hgkBnx3un_qFLfEf_NToheMG1Woq29RMGG8NJsP7kDu1h7ZV4UFCA-avDe15oKye0SuwBQNgS3qFS1WjPY0ECjAmi0xFmyR2_fh7CbdaT5Qcy0Pm33gjlo4H/s400/FSCPfeifferInterior.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The photo above shows the angled seating (not original) and rear cantilevered balcony. Below is a photo of the embossed Aztec inspired concrete screen that shields the pipe organ and choir, which are placed in a balcony above the chapel's pulpit.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5gCftxLTgjlV_ixbs7RvTKuvXB0kcTNTEyigN2xWYapQU3XqF1gFx2Eqs1-iSlnjo6SnmdJ8-5XtezQ-8XU9gTIL5H2XYV76EyCGA-lLZ84f4n7HQDqY5pm17fJ2wUKfNZ4m3GlM_II0/s1600-h/FSCPfeifferChoirScreen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440164700304231490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5gCftxLTgjlV_ixbs7RvTKuvXB0kcTNTEyigN2xWYapQU3XqF1gFx2Eqs1-iSlnjo6SnmdJ8-5XtezQ-8XU9gTIL5H2XYV76EyCGA-lLZ84f4n7HQDqY5pm17fJ2wUKfNZ4m3GlM_II0/s400/FSCPfeifferChoirScreen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Archive photos show Wright speaking in this room from a pulpit of his own design (since removed), and indicate that the original furnishings included modular angled leather-upholstered bench seats with plank wood backs. The floors and steps were Wright's favorite red-painted concrete, and the exterior doors were of wood, since replaced by commercial metal ones. These changes, along with air conditioning and carpeting, were made when the chapel was less than 20 years old.<br /><br /></span>The Pfeiffer Chapel is the only Wright building on campus of any height; all the rest are uniformly low slung. In many ways the exterior of this structure echoes his landmark Pennsylvania private residence, Falling Water. Wright designed one-off sand colored molded concrete blocks for the lower exterior surfaces of the Pfeiffer chapel. Each one had to be crafted by hand, and many of them contained recessed square pieces of stained glass.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPr2fCJjheIrThWMR40g3QC03CSNbPbvuwD7ngU9JVUsuJJUlclHBOEn0Rr5tNuoom-7HXKZSmCkN-eDcpmp7CEx1dRBxezHThdJPddsmMc3IHuiRw9ktXD6EF5VhcLP58l-mEakrAPhni/s1600-h/000000000000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440167179140662946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPr2fCJjheIrThWMR40g3QC03CSNbPbvuwD7ngU9JVUsuJJUlclHBOEn0Rr5tNuoom-7HXKZSmCkN-eDcpmp7CEx1dRBxezHThdJPddsmMc3IHuiRw9ktXD6EF5VhcLP58l-mEakrAPhni/s400/000000000000000.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tQ7YROsHcVS84NSPoK88OPyLCmi1mf5ieTHHF58cmafjkprqhFdF5kRzZotea4hC69Us8Ae8iNt2z3GGnkzO2x62G1RBoEH4M4quV4-z5csy6O8zw1NzvGudAGsMeJZPxqM0vk4xi7eg/s1600-h/FSCBlocks2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440302459951193394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tQ7YROsHcVS84NSPoK88OPyLCmi1mf5ieTHHF58cmafjkprqhFdF5kRzZotea4hC69Us8Ae8iNt2z3GGnkzO2x62G1RBoEH4M4quV4-z5csy6O8zw1NzvGudAGsMeJZPxqM0vk4xi7eg/s400/FSCBlocks2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Note: Florida Southern still owns the original molds for these unique building blocks. The architects of the new McKay building that houses the Wright archives borrowed two of them to craft identical new ones for use in their 2009 project, which sits beside an original Wright campus building, thus affording a transition relating to the historic cluster of land-marked structures.</span><br /><br />A smaller chapel (below) displays a distinctly horizontal profile that suggests forward motion. It is named after <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">William Danforth</span>, the founder of Ralston-Purina. Happily the interior contains the original pews and chancel furnishings, all designed by Wright and constructed by students, and houses a floor to ceiling wall of Wright-designed leaded glass.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloY5S4UUN7FXCa-4TZq5MJ0An181Z9CcOKYuN3aYB-J2lA-lezOiyJYjasJ47UOHmZaNLVGWtD2-hs4-WPFA9NZLjJAJ-hAglFkJBLrHgLg_HQDN_lWY-xFEY4s24nFtk1PY_GbcuBh4q/s1600-h/FSCDanforthProfile.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440307905748424386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloY5S4UUN7FXCa-4TZq5MJ0An181Z9CcOKYuN3aYB-J2lA-lezOiyJYjasJ47UOHmZaNLVGWtD2-hs4-WPFA9NZLjJAJ-hAglFkJBLrHgLg_HQDN_lWY-xFEY4s24nFtk1PY_GbcuBh4q/s400/FSCDanforthProfile.JPG" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1AymJNmgHsvWwI-l6xPMgIBRY6P5nCYcvsQoLAMR-H-_FLhorBwBg_am8TsEZf_GPvmCOSqrgID6FILsaoJFsWHNaX7Snn_Ne087zFS6hE-3MWLPQOaotg-_prbbFTttnxZopGueO0zS/s1600-h/FSCDanforthSignage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440307903046990850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 295px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1AymJNmgHsvWwI-l6xPMgIBRY6P5nCYcvsQoLAMR-H-_FLhorBwBg_am8TsEZf_GPvmCOSqrgID6FILsaoJFsWHNaX7Snn_Ne087zFS6hE-3MWLPQOaotg-_prbbFTttnxZopGueO0zS/s400/FSCDanforthSignage.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JzPaeiLPCccpnmYB54gZpvtjyzsaXCs4Tj9DzgIEaNrzOtzrWayExkL5EoVe5yg05v3FVzYGxwrhWtoz5LLsLVRo5I_vDRSHcF4HUnOQV68hfQnQqQUGldWDUTIi-azUQlpB3ysm-W0s/s1600-h/FSCDanforthPews2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440307899160904898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JzPaeiLPCccpnmYB54gZpvtjyzsaXCs4Tj9DzgIEaNrzOtzrWayExkL5EoVe5yg05v3FVzYGxwrhWtoz5LLsLVRo5I_vDRSHcF4HUnOQV68hfQnQqQUGldWDUTIi-azUQlpB3ysm-W0s/s400/FSCDanforthPews2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Student laborers prepared a mixture of concrete, sand and ground up coquina shells to pour into wooden molds to form each of the blocks, which served as both interior and exterior finished surfaces of the structures for which they were specified. Inspired by Mayan graphic designs, they were stacked like children's building blocks, secured by thin iron rods. Because the buildings were not air conditioned, these porous blocks promoted mold growth and, lacking a vapor shield, absorbed rain water, which eventually caused rusting and swelling of the vertical iron rods that ran through the center of them. As these buildings are restored, such deficiencies are being corrected. While none of Wright's buildings is easy to maintain, these blocks (fine for use in projects in the arid southwest) became a maintenance headache in Florida's rainy, humid climate.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxf__KZnBP8OWJwC6hDch2RkMLzpcVXz4jkQ6Xjw78tduWgiDzdjtEmyyimSKHVZASNdY4AtB4sTkb4jzqmInK9dgO_VXCxpZM0UPLDoEXYFXtfOo0Gyh4WrKod9dPx_T_MCQKkjRRKU1/s1600-h/FSCPfeifferTextileBlocks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445584227229882386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxf__KZnBP8OWJwC6hDch2RkMLzpcVXz4jkQ6Xjw78tduWgiDzdjtEmyyimSKHVZASNdY4AtB4sTkb4jzqmInK9dgO_VXCxpZM0UPLDoEXYFXtfOo0Gyh4WrKod9dPx_T_MCQKkjRRKU1/s400/FSCPfeifferTextileBlocks.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmJi_l9sOm5pGBBLhd8hu7XuZmr6b21oqVlRCMzQv2APL1QzHPkn-o8B6P6vgDcPlVeJxtlxQAhbvfK1SYTEvwp1t9NgZatfTzJmzdJWqZ-lF8KxbLpN3dnPQy0kKbKTb9y55juvJvNYQ/s1600-h/FSCDanforthGlass.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440222036512053570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmJi_l9sOm5pGBBLhd8hu7XuZmr6b21oqVlRCMzQv2APL1QzHPkn-o8B6P6vgDcPlVeJxtlxQAhbvfK1SYTEvwp1t9NgZatfTzJmzdJWqZ-lF8KxbLpN3dnPQy0kKbKTb9y55juvJvNYQ/s400/FSCDanforthGlass.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The last structure to be built was completed in 1958, a year before Wright’s death. However, many of the campus buildings of Wright’s master plan were never realized. Drawings exist for six projects that were never undertaken; many were abandoned for lack of funds, and the retirement of Spivey (1957) and death of Wright in 1959 signaled the end of a symbiotic relationship between two men of genius. Those who have seen sketches of the unbuilt designs says that a planned music building is especially noteworthy.<br /><br />In another instance, plans for a building that would hold an art gallery, studio workspace and small recital auditoriums met with criticism from the donor. The plans, requested by the college in 1942, were submitted for approval in 1944. <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney</span>, who had studied music at Florida Southern in the 1920s, offered to fund the construction of a new arts building on campus. But she disapproved of Wright's design, and demanded that changes be made. Wright refused, and the project was abandoned.<br /><br />Below is Wright's master plan for Florida Southern College (click to enlarge). Note that he left the groves of orange trees largely intact. The ampitheater on the right of the drawing near the lake shore was never built.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqV0UkpI4H9pMtoi_ZqYnkAul8bNaWN98170ZY5Cr-NGYohQdUnvKvPrV3D7JBBbo3frAVEs-Vga2fPuQ_y5WUvanjcDyoz-D__-9HEN8gffDX-j7il8xKPH4UCnuurOfH_ohVNRnOI9V/s1600-h/FSCMasterPlan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440225447878589346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 244px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqV0UkpI4H9pMtoi_ZqYnkAul8bNaWN98170ZY5Cr-NGYohQdUnvKvPrV3D7JBBbo3frAVEs-Vga2fPuQ_y5WUvanjcDyoz-D__-9HEN8gffDX-j7il8xKPH4UCnuurOfH_ohVNRnOI9V/s400/FSCMasterPlan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A large circular <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">water dome</span> was an original Wright designed feature (lower left in master plan illustration). However, when it was constructed in the 1940s, sufficient water pressure and jets powerful enough to shoot a blast of water 45 feet into the air did not exist. Nearly 70 years after Wright first designed this architectural folly, the water dome was re-engineered (2007) so that 75 water jets are able to span the entire 160- foot diameter of the fountain. Today's visitors can view Wright's creation as it was originally meant to be enjoyed. Computers control the various combinations of underwater lights and the intensity of the streams of water.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFLMb54x5eGSCTwl2tv0A_S8l2WxG3z05Dgutr8ICW30cmlVSIJ58yesKfgwJ2x6J-7Xut5hMWrWRuM4jbbgkD6lACWUeIqJ-zXrAU2L6PVyEroZTnYxk6gy8j6D_DYEj5MlDMfDrvfyC/s1600-h/FSCWrightWaterdome.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440131625377302690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 390px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFLMb54x5eGSCTwl2tv0A_S8l2WxG3z05Dgutr8ICW30cmlVSIJ58yesKfgwJ2x6J-7Xut5hMWrWRuM4jbbgkD6lACWUeIqJ-zXrAU2L6PVyEroZTnYxk6gy8j6D_DYEj5MlDMfDrvfyC/s400/FSCWrightWaterdome.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l5ebb314JfUmHGLghUZ8Gb0P7ZR9mBIUGlkM9YZYVRBQaLLQ337WMt9J5Yjc1tmFYnuyQPzlFUnkgHeQZjOWawYdubmG0eN_8Ra3FMe_AsJZKU4jCZzSJtbBPO7i4YAB38xAdEYVqpi3/s1600-h/FSCWaterDome.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440229239693176962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l5ebb314JfUmHGLghUZ8Gb0P7ZR9mBIUGlkM9YZYVRBQaLLQ337WMt9J5Yjc1tmFYnuyQPzlFUnkgHeQZjOWawYdubmG0eN_8Ra3FMe_AsJZKU4jCZzSJtbBPO7i4YAB38xAdEYVqpi3/s400/FSCWaterDome.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Preservation and restoration projects are ongoing. Florida Southern College’s collection of Wright buildings was placed on the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">National Register of Historic Place</span>s in 1975, and the college has begun a $50 million restoration project targeting the original Wright structures. Current campus restoration work includes Wright's only planetarium (in the Polk Science building, below) and theatre-in-the-round (in the Ordway Arts building).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFnygmD0OZpL18REetzlOGuibRfLj6nfUmQxETfR8jp4aF5EGGupLVsI5Yv7qazsuVqPTQmdFQMBUzi7085XtIlcR_s80WG6fGONrzGR3XQwGbN7Wek9L33jQ1jAWfLqTTvBsVwVDCtB2/s1600-h/FSCPlanetarium2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440230127026960002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFnygmD0OZpL18REetzlOGuibRfLj6nfUmQxETfR8jp4aF5EGGupLVsI5Yv7qazsuVqPTQmdFQMBUzi7085XtIlcR_s80WG6fGONrzGR3XQwGbN7Wek9L33jQ1jAWfLqTTvBsVwVDCtB2/s400/FSCPlanetarium2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Many have compared the importance of Wright’s work at Florida Southern College to that of Thomas Jefferson’s designs for the University of Virginia. The archive photos below show Wright at work in his on-sight office in the 1940s and surveying construction progress with college president Spivey, who made the initial contact with the famed architect a decade earlier by sending him a telegraph.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQA09EeR7JXwi8nltyeeETxzjCa-e4IIS_KvDvOOtOCWo7iVVaU_BRmKEvHTiqO5YDQohGBs5vfZYyWARKHV9CfmrmVBzFbhB2O5jG4WV1ArE_p_2mGGd_CH7NvlVd-q6GgMutBAgau9J/s1600-h/0000000000000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440304102734160946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 328px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQA09EeR7JXwi8nltyeeETxzjCa-e4IIS_KvDvOOtOCWo7iVVaU_BRmKEvHTiqO5YDQohGBs5vfZYyWARKHV9CfmrmVBzFbhB2O5jG4WV1ArE_p_2mGGd_CH7NvlVd-q6GgMutBAgau9J/s400/0000000000000000.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBH6_HIPtbcfDMa2xGZEQuYLrbkiIGcycslScLwZ1uav6Z3jsvp6aYCTfAFYmvnB5_6Vs3R9ukK2UomqkZ2Mnl1crb7ULadT2ztags5GtPI6skq2UwGwZ7xCoy9yf7xyNKOHWiZcsTj-Y3/s1600-h/FSCWrightSpivey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440304095423420338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 316px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBH6_HIPtbcfDMa2xGZEQuYLrbkiIGcycslScLwZ1uav6Z3jsvp6aYCTfAFYmvnB5_6Vs3R9ukK2UomqkZ2Mnl1crb7ULadT2ztags5GtPI6skq2UwGwZ7xCoy9yf7xyNKOHWiZcsTj-Y3/s400/FSCWrightSpivey.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Interiors of the Wright campus buildings are distinguished by shallow steps (4.5" risers), painted concrete surfaces, high clerestory windows and thin vertical iron screens painted brick red (click photos to enlarge).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCXPv2IHCp4Q6P83CiRJxx99G-CpOtM-AR_nfPKU0hOZ8ikFY4Uv9K7wTJjrupU9P4eyVzdh2CNrd9-3_FHIIq2nCH6mSbfe5P38A6-5V6W2J0LXaE8yOPY-0vGlerlGq6_ZaYMhMYjq-/s1600-h/FSCInterior2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440335922606146210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCXPv2IHCp4Q6P83CiRJxx99G-CpOtM-AR_nfPKU0hOZ8ikFY4Uv9K7wTJjrupU9P4eyVzdh2CNrd9-3_FHIIq2nCH6mSbfe5P38A6-5V6W2J0LXaE8yOPY-0vGlerlGq6_ZaYMhMYjq-/s200/FSCInterior2.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvNyjMCNkxXEGIpLZNJVvToFZRM9CO2noHmLGhPEwa-IBNo60zVgpdn24AsukaF_0gGSBNhTRUSf9ikvryaZAdrpBM0iFsSNmU_lcnuQphh5mYuZgP8cnYTf8aGswZTZVhcDs_8bXPeRd/s1600-h/FSCInterior3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440337212330865010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvNyjMCNkxXEGIpLZNJVvToFZRM9CO2noHmLGhPEwa-IBNo60zVgpdn24AsukaF_0gGSBNhTRUSf9ikvryaZAdrpBM0iFsSNmU_lcnuQphh5mYuZgP8cnYTf8aGswZTZVhcDs_8bXPeRd/s320/FSCInterior3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Wright did not take into account the unique climate of central Florida’s citrus belt, which was hurricane prone, and the day-to-day heat and humidity took their toll on these buildings. Pfeiffer Chapel’s wrought-iron grid at the top of the tower was originally designed to house hanging plants, but no watering system was incorporated into the plans; consequently, everything planted soon perished. Tragically, just three years after completion, the Pfeiffer Chapel suffered serious hurricane damage. The immense skylights and iron grid atop the tower were heavily damaged, and water damaged both the interior and exterior. Under Wright’s supervision, the rebuilt portions were altered to withstand severe weather. Most of the “tapestry” or “textile” building blocks (each one painstakingly crafted by hand) placed near the base of the tower were covered with stucco to make them more water resistant (see photo from 1941, below).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYJ0LTKYluVCxU2lVm67s5lNIEr19MEe0yKSDygm8q7iYlcH-EZs7gSXCYmQwJMBk2isBRR7cBWwAt_UdxiDwrdAl2PC1D5GBqXY3VYXqXFOOiYu8iXNWtjyNWv-W28FnCOs-jAud-Lt-/s1600-h/FSCChapelPostcard.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445581691299655410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 224px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYJ0LTKYluVCxU2lVm67s5lNIEr19MEe0yKSDygm8q7iYlcH-EZs7gSXCYmQwJMBk2isBRR7cBWwAt_UdxiDwrdAl2PC1D5GBqXY3VYXqXFOOiYu8iXNWtjyNWv-W28FnCOs-jAud-Lt-/s400/FSCChapelPostcard.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Architectural distinction at Florida Southern continues to this day. Famed architect <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Robert A. M. Stern</span>, dean of the Yale School of Architecture, has designed several new structures, including two dormitories and a recently completed humanities building. Nicholas Hall, a lakefront dormitory facility, echoes the ship’s prow angles of Pfeiffer Chapel and incorporates Wright’s signature cantilevered eaves and brick red trim.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0SR7W2hnYwttjK6cR8mF3qguFIYYuV2ovE6S4seMiV7h-EbThvvbb6umcZ77t09tb0Q5n9TUbwkQYhME0AF3uSgGOOraTtcPqpcSfMGiXYsF058xC8tOkmBr0gdw4LQRG2fvwH2DMor3/s1600-h/FSCSternDormitory.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445586044588405058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0SR7W2hnYwttjK6cR8mF3qguFIYYuV2ovE6S4seMiV7h-EbThvvbb6umcZ77t09tb0Q5n9TUbwkQYhME0AF3uSgGOOraTtcPqpcSfMGiXYsF058xC8tOkmBr0gdw4LQRG2fvwH2DMor3/s400/FSCSternDormitory.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Straughn Trout Architects</span> (Lakeland, FL) designed the new <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">McKay Archives Center</span>, which houses Frank Lloyd Wright documents, drawings, photographs, and other memorabilia from the architect's association with the college. The building, which was dedicated on February 20, 2009, pays homage to Wright’s original designs for the campus. Note the molded blocks at the base of the structure (replicated from the college's extant original Wright-era forms) and cantilevers at the top in the photo below. The long sandstone blocks used at the base of the building were manufactured using the original molds, which are still in possession of the college. This building recently won an AIA award.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvBc6itP9LQOwct33X6_r6Z3VuBSBEIQQS4nz8LwltVL4OaK4sDzjyWYTXFmGwuMY5Zsx3ylOvRSFUOp5tZz3BfIDOPR2Zp8WVvG4uUv-rYwfapiOjy6pAE_0_DFH6pgGzesGPdiwesUR/s1600-h/FSCArchiveBldg2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440181543943789266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 303px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvBc6itP9LQOwct33X6_r6Z3VuBSBEIQQS4nz8LwltVL4OaK4sDzjyWYTXFmGwuMY5Zsx3ylOvRSFUOp5tZz3BfIDOPR2Zp8WVvG4uUv-rYwfapiOjy6pAE_0_DFH6pgGzesGPdiwesUR/s400/FSCArchiveBldg2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A sundial designed by Wright still stands in its original position. The photos that follow illustrate various architectural details of these landmark status buildings.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_a9FNhvRCG15_fHVBA4bmsi9aSamK7ERH8Gk3OW0u_Fdyq3vptune2wcKWABBOIYizJGakDUIFyqLmiSIzrc9cpetd80yH3LlNeENyxWHKe4MgB47JmoRlpjfR7Ox3AJPIziybBiaQahD/s1600-h/FSCSundial.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440407748775330834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_a9FNhvRCG15_fHVBA4bmsi9aSamK7ERH8Gk3OW0u_Fdyq3vptune2wcKWABBOIYizJGakDUIFyqLmiSIzrc9cpetd80yH3LlNeENyxWHKe4MgB47JmoRlpjfR7Ox3AJPIziybBiaQahD/s400/FSCSundial.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmua-ykE-rxw4OwNYFj2Tog5UiDO5Q88w7SnnN7Y2RWPsiyQd2YDXaSlsjInfcOqv9oUrGz8-JnTAp-StU3lfSErY4xFAoSoOg9ZJ6B1DfxLCgGc8gVCDe4mRgPZ52DoGrFwAHSHDB3Sw/s1600-h/FSC3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440405264985763570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 317px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmua-ykE-rxw4OwNYFj2Tog5UiDO5Q88w7SnnN7Y2RWPsiyQd2YDXaSlsjInfcOqv9oUrGz8-JnTAp-StU3lfSErY4xFAoSoOg9ZJ6B1DfxLCgGc8gVCDe4mRgPZ52DoGrFwAHSHDB3Sw/s400/FSC3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUyeIEPKT2e6L2TToWJnRmru88TXD5WjFzqmxViMrqjRUzki1T_8eiLMn-BPSDfDxa7Zbmz87Vs4laKx0IFDRqb96Vjj48as56d9JPH3JIA8-b2TBUuVd6LQeZAplCObzXO97K2l05vcW/s1600-h/FSCCantilever.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440405254813925890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUyeIEPKT2e6L2TToWJnRmru88TXD5WjFzqmxViMrqjRUzki1T_8eiLMn-BPSDfDxa7Zbmz87Vs4laKx0IFDRqb96Vjj48as56d9JPH3JIA8-b2TBUuVd6LQeZAplCObzXO97K2l05vcW/s400/FSCCantilever.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaH_tfPO_P7R0VLnvQ2lSvmhrgs1jBRbln6EqLvzVgxr7bmDjjfeQg-gzRzRO5fBDFaEv8Ugi1vOwmZlZld_yquIHthxHwjb6jfSEyP2hsShZdM7EwQgn172vT1eZr8EutV2NC3_RiHc_F/s1600-h/FSCDetail.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440408310630479666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaH_tfPO_P7R0VLnvQ2lSvmhrgs1jBRbln6EqLvzVgxr7bmDjjfeQg-gzRzRO5fBDFaEv8Ugi1vOwmZlZld_yquIHthxHwjb6jfSEyP2hsShZdM7EwQgn172vT1eZr8EutV2NC3_RiHc_F/s400/FSCDetail.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGh-Q2NZqbLUvQrwD1xcRPxG3RmZDeroxpO7KuA2zWMBEQEzj-u5cX-Qau0cyYrBJMRLkYz5cT7OEooeeXdzhP7G6RG9lida8ewaCsQsi44pWoML5RwO8zd1PTT2xUTQ7tSx0rshxGPti/s1600-h/FSCPanetarium.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445589443373306114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGh-Q2NZqbLUvQrwD1xcRPxG3RmZDeroxpO7KuA2zWMBEQEzj-u5cX-Qau0cyYrBJMRLkYz5cT7OEooeeXdzhP7G6RG9lida8ewaCsQsi44pWoML5RwO8zd1PTT2xUTQ7tSx0rshxGPti/s400/FSCPanetarium.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxIlZ9CSBEJygnjgyeFeL5yGqfTuzwc0cPC9fGN0qI3hq_lkn2y7IA2ciMFeu75FcTKkgwoz0gbCGYOpcmn2z-CyPCNyz94NcaLEg5Vcw6qyFxBhuTuhQL4uHfxnq6xln7XiZAykx7pNY/s1600-h/fsc12.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445589441245052386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 306px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxIlZ9CSBEJygnjgyeFeL5yGqfTuzwc0cPC9fGN0qI3hq_lkn2y7IA2ciMFeu75FcTKkgwoz0gbCGYOpcmn2z-CyPCNyz94NcaLEg5Vcw6qyFxBhuTuhQL4uHfxnq6xln7XiZAykx7pNY/s400/fsc12.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumUYw_zXougT8REp-dB45nBI-3sP69LyO9TtPzGtAQv9nq21grSEaiDsyx0AuYSXQ0L7CGMM6N00okpQ_zhnUwPXMg22duMaTLaL4W7tRrMxNJhEI7ITwuxWNzgMgR1UYmOgKsjXoJSHH/s1600-h/FSC11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445589434248908114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 317px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumUYw_zXougT8REp-dB45nBI-3sP69LyO9TtPzGtAQv9nq21grSEaiDsyx0AuYSXQ0L7CGMM6N00okpQ_zhnUwPXMg22duMaTLaL4W7tRrMxNJhEI7ITwuxWNzgMgR1UYmOgKsjXoJSHH/s400/FSC11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIy_ajecoHpRoq_9B_JjrhM2-fB4Vn9aN763IuzURmOJVnO4CmIr3iv-Di7vW_nftnN4mSOU8vkH53RHziOsfrmhBG9AoG7q5KQhcN3UxDNfDX1wI1Xc6GFlysM5RAG1aM4iVDTrxQ_XI/s1600-h/fsc12.jpg"><br /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-24680390156075505702009-12-22T13:07:00.000-08:002010-08-06T16:06:17.397-07:00Sedlec Ossuary - Bohemian Bone Chapel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp0Q2d5GOza26YtQVmQ0F9BPNSXRQn9lQhAypc4Zrc-aAVEkwK3dNWpkjwGttqhrvnGXVssBk0vdrUvgAmBKgGyVpSmIv-bXLTxm5qU11m1D__YrtD4UWM37JcgDtclw13rogaojrJpZu/s1600-h/BoneChapel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445631577716660306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp0Q2d5GOza26YtQVmQ0F9BPNSXRQn9lQhAypc4Zrc-aAVEkwK3dNWpkjwGttqhrvnGXVssBk0vdrUvgAmBKgGyVpSmIv-bXLTxm5qU11m1D__YrtD4UWM37JcgDtclw13rogaojrJpZu/s400/BoneChapel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sedlec Ossuary</span> is a small chapel located beneath the cemetery church of All Saints in the town of Sedlec, a suburb of the Bohemian town of Kutná Hora, Czech Republic. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of approximately 40,000 people; many of the skulls and bones were artistically arranged in the late 19th century to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel.<br /><br />The cemetery of a 12th century Cistercian Monastery was for centuries a popular burial ground for people from all over Eastern Europe, because a thirteenth century abbot who returned from the Holy Lands sprinkled some earth he had gathered at Golgotha over the cemetery grounds. When the church had to be enlarged, a lower chapel was constructed to hold the skeletal remains of the thousands of bodies unearthed in mass graves on the property; many of these skeletons dated from the time of the plagues of the 14th century (approximately 30,000 victims were buried here) and the Hussite Wars of the early15th century. In 1420 Kutná Hora fell to Jan Zizka, leader of the Taborites, a sect of Hussite extremists.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Q6mYoMnadI0LygoT22WfhZnrjDaJaZHQkRgV3do-dN9jEMCpYP-UbW7MRdwja0G1VJsQzZwwBBNFYswjY0nKehv2I_uCxyf2hY6O6pA6BltHAsd1MYjF74VdHdhrSOyyivaX1UoG7ti2/s1600-h/0000000000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445640283182795346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Q6mYoMnadI0LygoT22WfhZnrjDaJaZHQkRgV3do-dN9jEMCpYP-UbW7MRdwja0G1VJsQzZwwBBNFYswjY0nKehv2I_uCxyf2hY6O6pA6BltHAsd1MYjF74VdHdhrSOyyivaX1UoG7ti2/s400/0000000000000.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The upper chapel was rebuilt in the early 18th century in Baroque style, but it was not until 1870, when Bohemia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, that František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the stacks of human bones into some sort of order. The macabre result of his efforts speaks for itself. Four enormous bell-shaped mounds of bones occupy the corners of the chapel. A gigantic chandelier, which contains at least one of every bone in the human body, hangs from the center of the nave with garlands of skulls draping the vault. Other works include piers and monstrances flanking the altar, a large coat-of-arms of the noble German Schwarzenberg family, fashioned entirely from bones, and the signature of Rint, also executed in bone, on the wall near the entrance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcQFACxie_Hi6SDsnIqK0SNkPTijSCddjRJy82e2-OQLWWTq5jiXdaFKrgI6iIwMflRRO3Qz9WRXPsUHLCU-hgPiN3B7_bvKSv1TVFebQGA8x4uo4arG79ClspsIS0bnQN7oDwXZVRH0y/s1600-h/BoneChapelCoatOfArms.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445632328977697250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcQFACxie_Hi6SDsnIqK0SNkPTijSCddjRJy82e2-OQLWWTq5jiXdaFKrgI6iIwMflRRO3Qz9WRXPsUHLCU-hgPiN3B7_bvKSv1TVFebQGA8x4uo4arG79ClspsIS0bnQN7oDwXZVRH0y/s400/BoneChapelCoatOfArms.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Kutná Hora, a town made fabulously wealthy from silver mining in medieval times, is about 45 miles southeast of Prague. In Kutná Hora, the flamboyant gothic church of St. Barbara is not to be missed. Sedlec is about two miles from the center of town; the ossuary is open daily except December 24 and 25. A small admission fee is charged.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">In a close-up of the Schwarzenberg coat-of-arms, a "bird" plucks an eye from the head of a Turk; one of the Schwarzenberg counts conquered the Turkish occupied fortress of Raab (present day<span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Győr, Hungary) </span><span style="font-size:85%;">in Renaissance times</span><span style="font-size:85%;">. This family made its home for several months of the year in Český Krumlov, in southwest Bohemia. Český Krumlov has become the second most visited Czech city after Prague.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpeFLLzW0FN9A4IaXECfgu2lXNEE3t6xyB9tQ7YDCXpDaDpPOglRhQ_v795iTDAiMah5jLwPj3eHl4_oSMVGM5WByjuXVmWzx_c53HdAgZZbKEgp8M4W8RvTxVaqVSzY5qWqjVPlOxRks/s1600-h/BoneChapelBird.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445632881620962002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpeFLLzW0FN9A4IaXECfgu2lXNEE3t6xyB9tQ7YDCXpDaDpPOglRhQ_v795iTDAiMah5jLwPj3eHl4_oSMVGM5WByjuXVmWzx_c53HdAgZZbKEgp8M4W8RvTxVaqVSzY5qWqjVPlOxRks/s400/BoneChapelBird.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Kutná Hora and the neighboring town of Sedlec are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Among the most important Kutná Hora buildings are the flamboyant Gothic St. Barbara's Church (photo below), begun in 1388, and the Italian Court, formerly a royal residence and mint, which was built at the end of the 13th century. Sedlec is the site of the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady and the famous Ossuary.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1NuLhm9q9jOTBMt20_JhWE1Pv_v-0WcIAEvk01euoZNeeLYHLHD0zicFN7k-LJ_6mDkmaX7WBwI3Zh76U4YQCSlFaIGIqr7cCBUEZzwVteRdKSIjIs79iTdmFq-hTd0kW1r-paA8y25-/s1600-h/BoneChapelSBarbora.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445637939173191154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1NuLhm9q9jOTBMt20_JhWE1Pv_v-0WcIAEvk01euoZNeeLYHLHD0zicFN7k-LJ_6mDkmaX7WBwI3Zh76U4YQCSlFaIGIqr7cCBUEZzwVteRdKSIjIs79iTdmFq-hTd0kW1r-paA8y25-/s400/BoneChapelSBarbora.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></span>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-62330318129578815402009-11-21T19:11:00.000-08:002010-08-06T16:06:59.454-07:00Embassy of Texas in London<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTubz1jTSlEVGmIiZfnTCE8kTAvSDvs6KMit3Bdl5rEKKaKvAMXt75PYqJHnTyT3rkq9QotuJfnhiN_V9z8NyGl8O_bT6ZlwkTdi7laFLZcjq7byt9WUFtT3l2-xn2UXKA79olrN7R4jkq/s1600-h/LondonTexasLegationPlaque2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440902195737095746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTubz1jTSlEVGmIiZfnTCE8kTAvSDvs6KMit3Bdl5rEKKaKvAMXt75PYqJHnTyT3rkq9QotuJfnhiN_V9z8NyGl8O_bT6ZlwkTdi7laFLZcjq7byt9WUFtT3l2-xn2UXKA79olrN7R4jkq/s400/LondonTexasLegationPlaque2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />No. 4 St. James Street<br />City of Westminster<br /><br />In London, the original building that housed the embassy of the Republic of Texas still stands. Opposite the gates to St. James’s Palace, the Texas Legation’s Embassy of the Republic of Texas was located in an alley next to legendary wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd (at no. 3), which was also the creator and manufacturer of Cutty Sark Scotch. Just a happy coincidence, perhaps? Berry Bros. & Rudd were landlords to the Texas Legation in the 1840s, a fact not forgotten by modern day Texans. About 25 years ago, during the Texas sesquicentennial, 26 Texans dressed in buckskin showed up at the wine shop to settle the Republic’s outstanding debt of $160, repaid on the spot in Republic of Texas bills.<br /><br />During its time as a Republic, Texas maintained three Legations (a diplomatic entity similar to an embassy): in Paris, Washington DC and London. In London a plaque marks the location at No. 4 St. James Street, which was the diplomatic address of Dr. Ashbel Smith, appointed ambassador to London by Sam Houston. Smith was a medical doctor who served as the Texas Republic’s last Secretary of State. At the time No. 4 St. James Street was operating as a whorehouse and notorious gambling den, so Berry Bros. & Rudd suddenly found themselves with a more prestigious tenant.<br /><br />The location was certainly convenient, since ambassadors were then presented to the Court of St. James across the street at St. James Palace. When the plaque was installed in the alleyway in 1963 by the Anglo-Texan Society, former Texas governor Price Daniel and Tony Berry (a Berry Bros. & Rudd descendant), were in attendance. Novelist Graham Geene was also member of the Anglo-Texan Society, which was founded in the 1950s.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgLVwmzpMSAJDUqRhaCPj_27IiO7O2iVyqLErviRDIQK0LcCvECqbbsXrpslAZ3sprs46q2UNgicK3lnSqtgE8m0ddvXk_QQE_S1heoIm8qgHQ54HG_Q33Ky7j4JFdU-M5zJ3MftJ8Nrw/s1600-h/LondonStJames&PickeringPlace1698.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440903764232431570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgLVwmzpMSAJDUqRhaCPj_27IiO7O2iVyqLErviRDIQK0LcCvECqbbsXrpslAZ3sprs46q2UNgicK3lnSqtgE8m0ddvXk_QQE_S1heoIm8qgHQ54HG_Q33Ky7j4JFdU-M5zJ3MftJ8Nrw/s400/LondonStJames&PickeringPlace1698.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Through a narrow arched opening next to the wine shop, one enters the dark alley lined with black painted wood paneling and half timbering. Halfway down the alley on the right, under a sconce, is the door to the rooms once used by the Texas Legation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uMQdJiaX8MZ_SsNI8OBZkaneTMwvmKp5gNvG1FlMV4JRiScJ5fRg7xOQvHPWuykRYzQjwo8iSGFVjtWMFMB6vpdbpph_sEdUhpldK3fTRPiI6tES8iqJR_OCNCG2Sr7rAaUavIptWpqV/s1600-h/LondonTexasLegation3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440904684122871906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uMQdJiaX8MZ_SsNI8OBZkaneTMwvmKp5gNvG1FlMV4JRiScJ5fRg7xOQvHPWuykRYzQjwo8iSGFVjtWMFMB6vpdbpph_sEdUhpldK3fTRPiI6tES8iqJR_OCNCG2Sr7rAaUavIptWpqV/s400/LondonTexasLegation3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The plaque, mounted at the St. James Street entrance to the passageway, reads:<br /><br />“Texas Legation. In this building was the legation for the ministers from the Republic of Texas to the Court of St James 1842-1845. Erected by the Anglo-Texan Society.”<br /><br />Ambassadors to Britain are still officially ambassadors to the Court of St. James’s, which includes the monarch and a group of diplomats.<br /><br />At the far end of the alley lies Pickering Place, a paved square with a sundial in the center, London’s smallest public square and once a notorious venue for duels and bear-baiting*. Pickering Place, shown in the painting below, has two distinctions: being the last place in London where a duel was fought and the place where Napoleon III plotted his return to France (he was in exile in England between 1838 and 1848, during the time the Texas Legation was in residence, 1842-1845).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjs15tTQTk7AsP0W3tksy1drHcfgIAsyHHTIDEAyrJg5_6JmxjcbfD8h4jWe_DAz9ej9F4RJCWXgo2vnsmKd0QpGJy6GmNxarGf7el0Z89MQ5Zen27WN-ySb1q8cAOguykzdffeSZ9Q3b/s1600-h/LondonPaintingPickeringPlace.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440902867991817218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 334px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjs15tTQTk7AsP0W3tksy1drHcfgIAsyHHTIDEAyrJg5_6JmxjcbfD8h4jWe_DAz9ej9F4RJCWXgo2vnsmKd0QpGJy6GmNxarGf7el0Z89MQ5Zen27WN-ySb1q8cAOguykzdffeSZ9Q3b/s400/LondonPaintingPickeringPlace.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Texas did not become a state and join the union until 1845. A restaurant near Trafalgar Square called “Texas Embassy” pays homage to this bit of history. Interestingly, its location at 1 Cockspur Street was the former office of the White Star Line, owners of the ill-fated RMS Titanic.<br /><br />*Bear-bating was a spectator blood sport in which a bear was chained to a post and set upon by dogs. Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were avid fans.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmAaUmGZibXNpD9Xs3x19REM99rm6K7stnfOJ0H9xwJVLRRbySYWY57KoE4p0SCwZquK_JMtHLu-OtQYAMi29EPjXT5cl-haHrb0nzUs-NBB67aIojQzQbznokPIwukMxCl8W_-LU5WC7/s1600-h/00000000000000000.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441440277589176018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 269px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmAaUmGZibXNpD9Xs3x19REM99rm6K7stnfOJ0H9xwJVLRRbySYWY57KoE4p0SCwZquK_JMtHLu-OtQYAMi29EPjXT5cl-haHrb0nzUs-NBB67aIojQzQbznokPIwukMxCl8W_-LU5WC7/s400/00000000000000000.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">No. 1, Place Vendôme </span>(Paris), built in 1723 for Pierre Perrin, secretary to King Louis XIV, became the Embassy of the Republic of Texas in 1842. France was the first nation to recognize the independence of Texas from Mexico before it achieved statehood in 1845. However, the French ambassador to (Austin) Texas complained that he was nearly killed by an arrow during a Comanche Indian raid which whizzed by his head as he left his Texas residence one afternoon. In 1858, no. 1, Place Vendôme became a tourist hotel, which was recently purchased and renovated as the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Hôtel de Vendôme</span>. The engraved stone marker, still visible today, reads:<br /><br />EMBASSY OF TEXAS<br />IN 1842-1843 THIS BUILDING<br />WAS THE SEAT OF THE EMBASSY<br />OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS IN PARIS<br /><br />WITH THE FRANCO-TEXAN TREATY<br />OF SEPTEMBER 29TH, 1839<br />FRANCE BECAME THE FIRST NATION<br />TO RECOGNIZE THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS<br />AS AN INDEPENDENT STATE BETWEEN 1836 AND 1845.<a href="http://travelwithterry.blogspot.com/2008/07/place-vendme.html"><br /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752906067162520292.post-10253567499264988932009-10-09T05:58:00.000-07:002010-08-06T16:08:25.084-07:00Sweden's Ice Hotel - 20 Years of Cool<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQe3PhMjCFLD5TDlLglen83v2cBrUC0JCX6wW-eX3U0XX87l6V31lelhyphenhyphenGfOvhTvn71K1VyQwSu1xH3ic98HVtj9KMUZIMBzqSW0iuG15uHL9fRmTWtTLgg0RRF1BUkN2WyG8LV4LCtE0r/s1600-h/IceHotelSignage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446633930660274546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQe3PhMjCFLD5TDlLglen83v2cBrUC0JCX6wW-eX3U0XX87l6V31lelhyphenhyphenGfOvhTvn71K1VyQwSu1xH3ic98HVtj9KMUZIMBzqSW0iuG15uHL9fRmTWtTLgg0RRF1BUkN2WyG8LV4LCtE0r/s400/IceHotelSignage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Looking for a cool, hip place to stay? Do you mean “cool” literally? Do you fancy paying over $300 a night for a windowless hotel room with no doors, bed sheets or indoor plumbing? Glad you asked.<br /><br />This winter marks the 20th anniversary of Sweden’s Ice Hotel. Every year since 1990, from December through April, the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi (pop. 519; 140 miles north of the Arctic Circle), has hosted tourists in an ephemeral hotel made entirely of sculpted blocks of ice.<br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />The welcome mat is out at the Ice Hotel. Note the deer skin entry doors and antler door handles.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0o5BHUKsTQd9Xuv5TJF4tfpSLDqOyHTYHq1xcUVAZlAwmDpYHpyr-xFEKO6F6ZZP4y8jstgS7GzEKFLPkl1CPIKEPNq_Vs7Pq0mATLT8huu5CdAU7lM1XSa-PMfYSTEuKmBtpyxO6DzO/s1600-h/IceHotelWelcomeMat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446634578164433634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 292px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0o5BHUKsTQd9Xuv5TJF4tfpSLDqOyHTYHq1xcUVAZlAwmDpYHpyr-xFEKO6F6ZZP4y8jstgS7GzEKFLPkl1CPIKEPNq_Vs7Pq0mATLT8huu5CdAU7lM1XSa-PMfYSTEuKmBtpyxO6DzO/s400/IceHotelWelcomeMat.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ94D02orO34EYlEVVVUOBK1Je-8HrywaDm3Ty18bfkq2r533ESG0a5sd4GR-TeTSrRpzAFp-b1QVkeNJNfQWJnrAYfxl-YpYgq6npFGQe7AsquEO2RGCjqURzOeqOgMPyyrTc2a8igNaZ/s1600-h/IceHotelExterior.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446634566635076626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ94D02orO34EYlEVVVUOBK1Je-8HrywaDm3Ty18bfkq2r533ESG0a5sd4GR-TeTSrRpzAFp-b1QVkeNJNfQWJnrAYfxl-YpYgq6npFGQe7AsquEO2RGCjqURzOeqOgMPyyrTc2a8igNaZ/s400/IceHotelExterior.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The floors are covered with snow, and ice sculptures grace the public areas. The hotel features a bar, chapel (weddings are popular), main hall, reception area and rooms for over 100 guests, who sit and sleep on blocks of sculpted ice fashioned into chairs and beds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufETEz6_f7u7vjTiUjVunndDyiX_ZD8ql57REpOgj19PiMfruMr0wtkvyfg1t_6gm6ZFlGZX-E7qhWoClkLpO2gI-H1VNWDrqEGaiqNb0p80h93vymZLP87l1aECKvdenDANOM92XhILN/s1600-h/IceHotelBR.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446636763643294642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufETEz6_f7u7vjTiUjVunndDyiX_ZD8ql57REpOgj19PiMfruMr0wtkvyfg1t_6gm6ZFlGZX-E7qhWoClkLpO2gI-H1VNWDrqEGaiqNb0p80h93vymZLP87l1aECKvdenDANOM92XhILN/s400/IceHotelBR.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXExn2CCimD1gjmUs0Z1oVFHHxnFvNaZ0GmPPscHuhV6wcEJldlKMSs6ixwgchMeRPryMqUruFoG-j6SBmT5a4jys6NQ3_5OEZlrdAUr8Eu1QEA_dlyoscORWyUSX9dUwJv-rahcy0dgO/s1600-h/IceHotelBR2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446636760086345138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXExn2CCimD1gjmUs0Z1oVFHHxnFvNaZ0GmPPscHuhV6wcEJldlKMSs6ixwgchMeRPryMqUruFoG-j6SBmT5a4jys6NQ3_5OEZlrdAUr8Eu1QEA_dlyoscORWyUSX9dUwJv-rahcy0dgO/s400/IceHotelBR2.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIe42Y8R2rptosgmi8XVSKhpwCLn1YVQ2iWWt_G-rTRauQFGfGtPp5QaTu88Ue4mgcnK6DCrUZRZLLkoBE_j_VKUOP1YSuFsz70KR_MQDHhQfRw_VRQl_W_9_5mkc-dfeek9_H-LBgQSw/s1600-h/IceHotelBR3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446636753928928674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIe42Y8R2rptosgmi8XVSKhpwCLn1YVQ2iWWt_G-rTRauQFGfGtPp5QaTu88Ue4mgcnK6DCrUZRZLLkoBE_j_VKUOP1YSuFsz70KR_MQDHhQfRw_VRQl_W_9_5mkc-dfeek9_H-LBgQSw/s400/IceHotelBR3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Animal skins are placed atop the beds, although guests sleep in protective thermal sleeping bags.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4Ra4VUS9klY5WeKu6B5ejpVVhM-Op1YPA54RZyXYytdlRxsnZP_-IlnoqVS4uNqV86zWwhORub4NiYCL9tkNpjd9JTo7oaBXfTRTQL0ZJiwTBlZYonDVX8XtjVTVUNoZi8BMW9Xr0KTI/s1600-h/IceHotelGuest.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446635578319703090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 253px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4Ra4VUS9klY5WeKu6B5ejpVVhM-Op1YPA54RZyXYytdlRxsnZP_-IlnoqVS4uNqV86zWwhORub4NiYCL9tkNpjd9JTo7oaBXfTRTQL0ZJiwTBlZYonDVX8XtjVTVUNoZi8BMW9Xr0KTI/s400/IceHotelGuest.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The ice used in construction is harvested from the adjacent Torne River, a prominent river in Lapland. This same ice is used for the hotel's decorative elements, such as ice sculptures, tables, chairs and fixtures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAA9_7xP9J_Nrjwm_z3SwAzHQU6OQrmA9JBIAT2Mv051hoxkWpLqmslD6tSyy7ufGntEzLbFliGOZNo8Xyhl1ZPn6d6l04G6mW5hyw7zBtqepHgOTnAuGloLiOrdc38cLLkGgkAwcvM5qJ/s1600-h/IceHotelRiverHarvest.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446637851628499922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAA9_7xP9J_Nrjwm_z3SwAzHQU6OQrmA9JBIAT2Mv051hoxkWpLqmslD6tSyy7ufGntEzLbFliGOZNo8Xyhl1ZPn6d6l04G6mW5hyw7zBtqepHgOTnAuGloLiOrdc38cLLkGgkAwcvM5qJ/s400/IceHotelRiverHarvest.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Each suite is of a unique design, and the architecture of the hotel is changed each year, as it is rebuilt from scratch. Artists submit design ideas, and a jury selects about forty of them to create the chapel, Absolut Icebar, reception desk, fiber-optic chandeliers, sculptures, main hall and guest suites. At the Absolut Vodka sponsored Icebar, even the glasses are crafted from ice molds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHXz94BWpzSDQ8l-sHFk2PqGqz4hnafpm-04v92rrPZPRWzwCozWcbUMxFmha8zbLfYc8ijHMK_9RNmXkokF1RH3ABDY9xbCka2RJFGl5hiRcUmf0_mDc710QXVeiw0OA2af5YsRE9MVg/s1600-h/IceHotelIcebarSign.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446639286964803090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHXz94BWpzSDQ8l-sHFk2PqGqz4hnafpm-04v92rrPZPRWzwCozWcbUMxFmha8zbLfYc8ijHMK_9RNmXkokF1RH3ABDY9xbCka2RJFGl5hiRcUmf0_mDc710QXVeiw0OA2af5YsRE9MVg/s400/IceHotelIcebarSign.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc72OxEdm0UmjmAlGY91k21tcVUc20gqBuzQBSEGQClk_EdS8BsZDulKfOCTRXqTArEqRJXddcCKU3kkhpmeLr__ga5sYgnp1_Pp4I1eUu4wWQRyHukVJDKXYgTOe33cu-a-vFw5THtgg/s1600-h/IceHotelBar.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446639281899355618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc72OxEdm0UmjmAlGY91k21tcVUc20gqBuzQBSEGQClk_EdS8BsZDulKfOCTRXqTArEqRJXddcCKU3kkhpmeLr__ga5sYgnp1_Pp4I1eUu4wWQRyHukVJDKXYgTOe33cu-a-vFw5THtgg/s400/IceHotelBar.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXiVYsiuRZZTCyNx29El1otf60_vdGt9MJUv_2eMbHtCTg4Ky5gBJAr4zcTebKdwNCoV0XlLcVxLvFXHUQCUJdogi-Ggkf9l-qmQNFuKfTWnTG_lQ505pXbbBLUKqKQdgbXLQ1ZsmK-q-/s1600-h/IceHotelDrinks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446639278330879314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXiVYsiuRZZTCyNx29El1otf60_vdGt9MJUv_2eMbHtCTg4Ky5gBJAr4zcTebKdwNCoV0XlLcVxLvFXHUQCUJdogi-Ggkf9l-qmQNFuKfTWnTG_lQ505pXbbBLUKqKQdgbXLQ1ZsmK-q-/s400/IceHotelDrinks.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7_7f4LI_1fK40mXyDAERCzhyphenhyphenFJnfy2XqWwAlSVI6_0dv4Y6CFK7L6TtEtRsvmnmKBNQALPTAFBTzjyNsWkCjFDRXP8YQqW7OYa7IoyfpZoheQP8quwsU4iRrwJrwor2w_hKmCKWCaE4-/s1600-h/IceHotelBar2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446639273946854034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7_7f4LI_1fK40mXyDAERCzhyphenhyphenFJnfy2XqWwAlSVI6_0dv4Y6CFK7L6TtEtRsvmnmKBNQALPTAFBTzjyNsWkCjFDRXP8YQqW7OYa7IoyfpZoheQP8quwsU4iRrwJrwor2w_hKmCKWCaE4-/s400/IceHotelBar2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Overnight guests use bathrooms housed in an adjacent heated structure, where breakfast is served. The cost of such unique habitation is not cheap – rooms start at US $335 and top out at US $975 (per night, single or double occupancy). When planning a visit, bear in mind that the sun does not rise from early December through mid January, although there are a few hours of twilight during those weeks. Choose from 85 rooms scattered throughout the 43,000 square foot facility. Non guests may visit the hotel at a cost of 295 Swedish Kronor (US $41.50 per person).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.icehotel.com/">http://www.icehotel.com/</a><br /><br />The interior of the hotel is at a constant temperature of approximately 23 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 Celsius), so multiple night bookings are challenging. Travel costs are also considerable, given that reaching the remote site is an inconvenient, arduous and expensive undertaking. The Ice Hotel is nearly 600 miles north of Stockholm.<br /><br />In spring the whole thing simply melts back into the landscape, to be rebuilt the following December. This year's chapel, with deer skin covered pews, and lobby lounge area are captured in the photos below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnwCeGRYzA0Q0OVCxUDoANk1O2cjIohAxLxlr1Y64Y-HmGTOY1CF6mGIBAHiYatmn2M1jc3FE4HrS-e8898W80skS8qBVnbrp6DG-_Jaf-d1cGNpK6QHkGHJc4LmkatN12qzk4QmPVlg-/s1600-h/IceHotelChapel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446640222641492642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnwCeGRYzA0Q0OVCxUDoANk1O2cjIohAxLxlr1Y64Y-HmGTOY1CF6mGIBAHiYatmn2M1jc3FE4HrS-e8898W80skS8qBVnbrp6DG-_Jaf-d1cGNpK6QHkGHJc4LmkatN12qzk4QmPVlg-/s400/IceHotelChapel.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnN2uvR0eVhI4msFg55tbcbUlXdLLiYONdOxm0Lumilt1RFWqozvzrmh4wxgrLBVBATFtCj_sDDFyD26DBDMQcr8srA7wqxKAP1xKdhwq_mN2w-AZ569pvGT5iLyWjHtBkbaGs2b7RSD28/s1600-h/IceHotelSweden.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446640215764740418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnN2uvR0eVhI4msFg55tbcbUlXdLLiYONdOxm0Lumilt1RFWqozvzrmh4wxgrLBVBATFtCj_sDDFyD26DBDMQcr8srA7wqxKAP1xKdhwq_mN2w-AZ569pvGT5iLyWjHtBkbaGs2b7RSD28/s400/IceHotelSweden.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Ice Hotels have since been constructed in other locations, as well: USA (Alaska), Canada (Québec), Norway, Finland, Greenland and Romania (accessible only by cable car). Your dear blogger stayed in an Ice Hotel in Québec, Canada, some years ago, although I have made valiant efforts to erase the entire experience from my memory banks. It was an unpleasant, costly nightmare, and I lasted nearly seven hours before fleeing to the Chateau Frontenac, where I enjoyed the comforts of indoor heating and plumbing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViervSIUhNdKJptPXNCcOoT6DU0BCq6-JwHC_L6hDbeg3S7-zZBRYY_pU9PQGH3KraLt6Y-BrlqIzJBzqSC_4bONYGdwkNI1PGJO9AAJtJmiu9wsQWUjmTyOywH_wq4hnOuHub8pyqnLk/s1600-h/IceHotelInteriorHall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446640515888480834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViervSIUhNdKJptPXNCcOoT6DU0BCq6-JwHC_L6hDbeg3S7-zZBRYY_pU9PQGH3KraLt6Y-BrlqIzJBzqSC_4bONYGdwkNI1PGJO9AAJtJmiu9wsQWUjmTyOywH_wq4hnOuHub8pyqnLk/s400/IceHotelInteriorHall.jpg" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com4