This was the first past square I decided on (I worked my way the alphabet up and posted the photos the alphabet down) and I don’t quite remember why I considered it an up square. There are two birds up on the roof? The scaffolding was up one day without warning (at least, I wasn’t told beforehand)? The ladder on the left leads upward? Anywho – it’s a square about preserving the past.
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Past Square #14
This tower has been standing in its place for over 700 hundred years. During this time repairs were occasionally needed, e.g. it got a new roof at one stage, the old, blue-black shimmering slate replaced by red brick tiles – but it nevertheless kept its name: Blauer Hut or Blue Hat. This summer the bodywork needed a repair. Now I am no expert and possibly the mortar between the sandstone bricks didn’t hold anymore and short of demolishing the whole tower and rebuilding it they slapped some material on the outside. It’s new alright and in years to come it might look weathered again, at the moment I just think the new lighter and smooter wall looks ugly.
While I am at it look at the castle ruin to the right in the photo. The summer photo was taken two years ago. The trees were growing close to the castle walls and only the tower and the top parts of the walls could be seen. The winter photo is from a couple of weeks ago. It’s not just the bare branches but the trees around the castle ruin have all but disappeared; this was apparently done for safety reasons, the trees in question being old and in danger of toppling over during the next strong winds. To me the Windeck (Windy Corner) still looks kind of naked but I am starting to appreciate that the new look shows the buildings structure and beauty much better than before
Hence the answer to the question in the title is – not always, but sometimes.
A Photo a Week: Something New.
When I researched the name of this tower I found it aptly described as “Aussichtsmonstrum” = look-out monstrosity. There is, even with towers, no accounting for taste. It adds 21m to the Stäffelsberg (480m) to afford a view over the Pfälzer Wald in the southern part of Rhineland-Palatium, close to the French border.
This much older tower (by about 700 years) is arguably more beautiful. It stands in Weinheim, on the other side of the Rhine. It has dominated my childhood as my parents’ (and now my sister’s) garden lies directly behind it. Which is why I include this less popular view of the Blauer Hut (the Blue Hat, as it is known):
For One Word Sunday: Tower.
For more towering photos, click here.
… this tower used to have. It was originally made of blueish slate and the name of this remnant of the town wall is still today Blauer Hut, “blue hat”.
More blue photos can be found on Debbie’s Travel with Intent site for the One Word Sunday photo challenge.
for The Daily Post Photo Challenge: Textures.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/textures/
Believe it or not – this was my playground when I grew up. No, I’m not of noble descent – our house was on the other side of the wall in the old part of town. One of the weirder influences this had on me is that I associate peacocks with a fuzzy, snug, and warm feeling. I remember that visitors staying overnight with my parents usually came to breakfast with a harrowed look on their faces and “What was THAT noise last night??!” on their lips. But to this day the shrill sound of a peacock’s call says “home” to me.
for Jennifer Nichole Wells’ One Word Photo Challenge: HOME
https://jennifernicholewells.com/2017/07/30/this-weeks-challenges-july-30-august-5-owpc-ww/
Taking part in Paula’s photo challenge “traces of the past” (in monochrome) I thought it was fitting to showcase a part of my past (no, I’m not THAT old).
This tower – dating back to the second half of the 13th century – has dominated my childhood as it cast its shadow over the garden behind our house. It owes its name “der blaue Hut” (the blue hat) from the former, long gone slate blue roof.
This view shows how it was once part of the town wall of Weinheim an der Bergstraße, Germany, but now stands at the border between the town and the palace grounds.
At night it looks eerie and forbidding – reminiscent of its past as jail.
And from the right angle it complements the ruin of the “Burg Windeck” which is another 150 years older.
https://bopaula.wordpress.com/2017/06/11/black-white-sunday-traces-of-the-past-y2-06-2/
This tower was one of four of our town’s fortification (three are still remaining). He was named after his dark blue slate covered roof. The roof has been neither slate nor blue for quite a few centuries but the name remains.
https://jennifernicholewells.com/2017/03/03/color-your-world-sky-blue-2/
pictures imperfect blog 