I have absolutely no idea about this sculpture. I saw it in a private garden, viewed from the street. No explanation. No one around whom I could ask. No possibility to have a closer look.
Linked to Friday Fun: Quirky.
Long Louis
The central place in Darmstadt is the Luisenplatz with this 33 metre tall column supporting a bronze statue of Ludwig I, first Grand Duke of Hesse, erected in the middle of the 19th century. The people of Darmstadt call it Langer Lui, meaning Long Ludwig, on account of its size (or length).
Today it is surrounded by buildings erected after the second world war as the centre of Darmstadt was almost completely destroyed in one night in 1944. In the firestorm created by allied bombers approximately 11 ,000 to 12,500 of the inhabitants burned to death, and 66,000 to 70,000 were left homeless. The palace behind the column was erased and in its place is now a shopping mall.
Langer Ludwig
Langer Lui
Ludwig from the bottom and almost at eye level from a neighbouring multi-storey car park.
Linked to Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: things that are long.
Hallo, Nachbar!
Hi there, neighbour!
“Love your neighbor as yourself; but don’t take down the fence.”
Carl Sandburg
Even in garden gnome society this seems to be a followed adage.
And certainly, some neighbours may be cute but you do not want them on your side of the fence.
I don’t know that the fence will keep those neighbours on their side, though.
And there are some neighbours who will be welcomed even if they have to climb that fence to come over.
Linked to Travel with Intent. More photos inspired by the quotation of Carl Sandburg are linked here.
Acquiring taste
Babies are trying things – tasting chips and viennas and melons.
And how do babies taste like?
No question. They are yummy!
Linked to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Sense of Taste.
In the summertime when the weather is high
Dreams adapt, it seems. And become simpler.
Around the corner. A pool. A playground.
The right company.
Linked to The Cosmic Photo Challenge: My summer place.
The very busy caterpillar
Good things (?) come in threes: This was supposed to be my third post within a week to feature ermine moths. Except that I mixed up my calendar and the third one will only appear next Sunday. .
Linked to Sunshine’s Monday Macro.
I’m a fan of Bismarck
First of all, I’m a fan of serendipity. Let me explain …
This is the Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis, warming up for the match against Scotland in the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Newcastle, one of the two international rugby matches I watched in my life.
This is what he looked like in the match, a bit more dignified:
Bismarck is the guy on the right. He has been in the (rugby) news lately in South Africa as his merits were discussed in an all-time best Springbok team.
And then last week I was on a hike passing the Bismarck tower in Heidelberg:
One of many, many monuments that were built in Germany to honour the “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck. It is said that more monuments have been erected for him in Germany than for any emperor, king philosopher, or poet. And this in mainly 20 years, from 1890 to 1910. Somehow most of these monuments turned out to be towers but on the Feldberg, the highest mountain of the Black Forest, they build a kind of cairn with a relief of Bismarck:
In my hometown we only managed a bust – which has a curious history. It was supposed to be melted down during the second world war when metal for grenades and the like had come into short supply. It was only rediscovered in 1961 and now stands in a little, unassuming park.
And then, there was that recent pub quiz (zoom version) where I scored biggly because I knew the name of the capital of the US state of North Dakota.
Linked to I’m a fan of … #67 . More fanatical photos can be found here.
