Photographing Florence
Palace of Rundale
The Palace of Rundāle is situated in southern Latvia. Far apart from any larger settlement, it is a beautiful baroque building surrounded by nature. Rundāle was erected in 1768 and planned by the renowned Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who mainly worked for the Russian Zars before and was also responsible for the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg and the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. In Soviet times, the palace was used as a school; today, it is refurbished and houses a museum. Part of the historic site is also a beautiful English garden on the rear of the building.
Architecture of Vienna
Shot in 2015.
Russia
One vast country, two very different metropoles. Last October, I had the chance to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow. The Russian capital is a sprawling metropolis, seemingly endless in size and grand scope (picture 2), with the medieval Kremlin (picture 7) being in the center, carrying the weight of the old Russian culture. Moscow is also very much a Russian city. Impressive still are the ancient Soviet monuments like the seven sisters (again, picture 7) and the subway system (picture 3). St. Petersburg is different. The city is much younger than Moscow and was erected by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great in 1703. It was conceived as a European city built on a former swamp (pictures 1, 8). Many channels divide the city, making it seem like a northern Venice or Amsterdam (picture 5). As the former capital of the Russian monarchy, it contains many beautiful palaces, such as the Eremitage (picture 4) and Katherine’s Palace (pictures 6, 9). The visit to St. Petersburg and Moscow makes an exciting mix and enables one to get different perspectives on a fascinating country with a multifaceted history and soul.
São Miguel
The island of São Miguel is part of the Azores archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast to other islands situated west of Europe, like Madeira or the Canary Islands, the Azores are not tropical but look much more like Ireland. Cows and green grass everywhere! I had a chance to visit this beautiful piece of land back in early April and already posted some pictures in June. But there are more of them on my drive; some of them show off the beauty of the island quite well – so I thought I would give all of us (well, all of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere) a break from grim winter and put these on the internet. I wish you all a good Sylvester party and a happy New Year! See you again in January.
Details & Observations II
Shot in Portugal and Latvia.
Michael Hoffman Photography 