Florence is situated right in the heart of Tuscany, Italy, surrounded by the hills of the Apennines. Over the centuries, its look was shaped by aristocratic families like the Medici, who not only nourished the arts and sciences in the city but also understood the power and beauty of architecture. At sunset, especially, the shades and forms of the city seem to come alive and paint a living picture.
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.
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.
Landscape photographs taken in Northern Portugal are displayed in a non-chronological order. No post-coloring is applied, the colors are natural. Shot with Canon 600D and a Sigma Objective (18-250mm).
From historical to contemporary times, the city of Istanbul has always been a meeting point of culture, marking the border between Europe and the Islamic world. In geographical terms, the border is clearly defined; it is the Bosporus Strait. But not just since the opening of the first Metro line beneath the Bosporus – the Marmaray in 2013 – the cultural borders are not so clear anymore. While some districts like Galata are defined by modern shops, nightclubs, and skating kids with headphones, others are way more traditional and religious. Despite the stark contrasts, there are no apparent tensions. Also, Istanbul welcomes travelers, receiving guests with open arms. Just beware of the merchants in the Grand Basar and do not believe every fairy story they tell, regardless of the oriental charm of the bargainer.
Michael Hoffman Photography 