Taking the waters in Mariánské Lázně (formerly Marienbad) used to be very fashionable in times gone by. In this case the waters of the Cross Spring, the most famous spring in the Czech town. A huge pavilion with a cupola bearing a patriarchal cross was built over the spring in the early 19th century. Today’s concrete building is a copy from hundred years later of the original wooden structure – detox.

Bad Homburg vor der Höhe near Frankfurt in Germany was also known for its mineral springs and has a tradition as a spa.  The White Tower is part of the castle, here showing up at dusk behind the modern day traffic – crepuscular.

More water (if not the mineral kind) but also close to sunset with the sea at the mouth of the Wear in Sunderland sparkling like diamonds – scintillating.

In Sunderland we visited a friend who we first met in Saudi and who taught us to decode these signs – coded.

And now for something completely different as I can’t find a connection here – lofty.

A Thursday’s Special – pick a word (in January).  You can find more photos illustrating lofty, coded, scintillating, crepuscular, and detox here.