SPQR short for Latin “Senatus Populusque Romanus”: A leading principle of the politics of ancient Rome, meaning the rule of the senate and the people, became something like a slogan for the empire. The four letters remain present in the modern metropole and can be seen, for example, on manholes. A vivid reminder of the vast history of this city spanning many thousands of years and its role in the development of modern stateship and democracy.
Photographed in 2019.
The city of Thessaloniki was founded over 2300 years ago by Cassander of Macedon. It has a long and changing history with conquering empires and different peoples living here. Today, Thessaloniki is a thriving metropolis in the north of Greece with a modern face, but traces of history can be found everywhere. An example is the white tower (picture 3) from the 15th century.
Norway is a country of immense wealth. Of course, this concerns national income and, more importantly, national resources. The most important one is simply .. water. The Norse people lived for eons from the water; they were fishermen and used water to sail to foreign countries (sure also rob and make war here and there) and return safely to the fjords. Today, water energy is the primary power source in Norway, and there is capacity for many more renewable power plants. The reason for this wealth in water lies in the country’s geography. During the last ice age, the government was covered by kilometers of ice. 10.000 years ago, the ice melted down in the ancient valleys beneath. The water began to fill these valleys and stream into the sea, creating the fjords. Due to the extreme tides in these fjords, there has been immense energy in these bodies of water up until today.
Beyond a mighty wall built by the Roman emperor, Hadrian used to be a country called Caledonia with brave inhabitants who liked to color their faces and didn’t fancy their southern neighbors very much. In the end, nothing changed in a dramatic way, and the country is called Scotland today. The blue face paint became the color of the flag, and you still don’t want to argue with a Scotsman.
Krumlov is a little town in the south of Bohemia. Although being small it is rich in interesting architectural details from many different historical periods.
Shot in September of 2019.
Michael Hoffman Photography 