We have endured nearly 6 weeks of over overcast, gloomy skies with snow and a good bit of rain here in Mockva. The sun peaked out twice for less than an hour each time. Sunrise is now just before 10AM.
For the past 3 days temperatures have hovered in the low teens C. This morning it was -19 degrees C (-2.2 degrees F). And just like last year, but earlier than last year, as the temperature plunged blue skies have emerged nearly without a cloud to be seen. Last night we saw the moon for the first time in a very long time. The stars were out too.
We’re headed back to the US for a while. On January 9th stopping in Vienna for a few days before heading back north to Mockva. A week in Thailand is scheduled for February. Keep on traveling…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Monday, December 17, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
On Soviet Era World War II Posters
5 декабря 2012
Recently we went to Ismailovo Market along with two of our good friends here in Moscow. Ismailovo is a flea market where you can find old and new souvenirs and just about anything else. The market has indoor (meaning a roof overhead – no heat) and outdoor space where people sell old and new things. The adage that your treasures are someone else’s junk is in full swing here. Some tables are loaded with interesting items sometimes including fine antiques while others look like the seller just cleaned out their attic or barn and decided to sell whatever they could scrounge together to make a few extra rubles. Bartering is common and you can often get the seller to come down in price – often way down if you’re good at bargaining.
In one of the indoor areas was a series of posters that hung in the rafters depicting Soviet era themes to rally support for the troops during the Second World War. Other posters seemed like advertisements for an idealized life stressing the family and work ethic in the USSR. The posters look like reproductions of the originals but nonetheless are great pieces of art (some might say propaganda).
I was particularly impressed with the posters concerning WW2 and so I shot a series of pictures. If you’re interested I’ve put a brief slideshow of these images. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/54918369
I’ve also posted the show on my site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com
Click on the RUSSA link and scroll down to the last entry. The filename is: soviet_posters.exe
The music is: “March of the Soviet Militia, op. 39 by Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Stockholm Concert Band.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
In one of the indoor areas was a series of posters that hung in the rafters depicting Soviet era themes to rally support for the troops during the Second World War. Other posters seemed like advertisements for an idealized life stressing the family and work ethic in the USSR. The posters look like reproductions of the originals but nonetheless are great pieces of art (some might say propaganda).
I was particularly impressed with the posters concerning WW2 and so I shot a series of pictures. If you’re interested I’ve put a brief slideshow of these images. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/54918369
I’ve also posted the show on my site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com
Click on the RUSSA link and scroll down to the last entry. The filename is: soviet_posters.exe
The music is: “March of the Soviet Militia, op. 39 by Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Stockholm Concert Band.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Friday, November 9, 2012
On Doors and Windows in the South of France
9 ноября 2012
Nancy’s school had a week off in late October-early November so we spent the time in the South of France. We started in Marseille and then moved north to Avignon and Saint Remy exploring many small towns along the way including Aix-en Provence, Rousillon and Gordes among others.
One of my photographic interests is texture with color. Doors and windows in old and ancient buildings provide a vast array of textures and colors. I’ve put together a slide show of Doors and Windows of the South of France.
The easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/53138188
I’ve also posted the show on my site:
andrewmcdonoughphotography.com and click on the RUSSIA link
More to follow from the South of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
One of my photographic interests is texture with color. Doors and windows in old and ancient buildings provide a vast array of textures and colors. I’ve put together a slide show of Doors and Windows of the South of France.
The easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/53138188
I’ve also posted the show on my site:
andrewmcdonoughphotography.com and click on the RUSSIA link
More to follow from the South of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
On the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
24 октября 2012
The Cathedral is located near the Kremlin just off the Moscow River. It is a major church in Moscow of the Russian Orthodox religion. Alexander I commissioned the construction of the Cathedral which was completed after many years in 1860. Alexander III consecrated the Cathedral in 1883.
The Cathedral was demolished by the Bolsheviks under Joef Stalin as part of an anti-religious campaign after the Russian Revolution. Demolition was completed in 1926. It was intended to serve as a site of a huge statue of Vladimir Lenin who Stalin succeeded him after his death in 1824. A lack of funds in the 1930s prevented the statue from being built. Nikita Khruschev who succeeded Stalin turned the site into an enormous swimming pool.
After the fall of the Soviet Union the Cathedral was reconstructed starting in 1994 and took several years to rebuild. The Cathedral was consecrated in 2000.
Both the exterior and interior are stunning works of architecture and art. Unfortunately picture taking is prohibited inside.
The Cathedral has recently been the site of a number of protests by opposition groups to Vladimir Putin’s administration. Under Putin’s regime church and state have been again closely allied. The church is lead by Archbishop Krill who has emerged as a controversial figure both in religious as well as political affairs. As such, the Orthodox church has regained a significant place in the culture of Moscow and Russia after the fall of the USSR.
I’ve put together a brief slideshow of images I took during a recent visit this fall. Most of the slides are of the cathedral itself as well as shots of the Kremlin taking from the patios surrounding the cathedral.
The easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/52064127
The show is also located on my Website: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia
До следующего раза ...
Борис
The Cathedral was demolished by the Bolsheviks under Joef Stalin as part of an anti-religious campaign after the Russian Revolution. Demolition was completed in 1926. It was intended to serve as a site of a huge statue of Vladimir Lenin who Stalin succeeded him after his death in 1824. A lack of funds in the 1930s prevented the statue from being built. Nikita Khruschev who succeeded Stalin turned the site into an enormous swimming pool.
After the fall of the Soviet Union the Cathedral was reconstructed starting in 1994 and took several years to rebuild. The Cathedral was consecrated in 2000.
Both the exterior and interior are stunning works of architecture and art. Unfortunately picture taking is prohibited inside.
The Cathedral has recently been the site of a number of protests by opposition groups to Vladimir Putin’s administration. Under Putin’s regime church and state have been again closely allied. The church is lead by Archbishop Krill who has emerged as a controversial figure both in religious as well as political affairs. As such, the Orthodox church has regained a significant place in the culture of Moscow and Russia after the fall of the USSR.
I’ve put together a brief slideshow of images I took during a recent visit this fall. Most of the slides are of the cathedral itself as well as shots of the Kremlin taking from the patios surrounding the cathedral.
The easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/52064127
The show is also located on my Website: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
All of a sudden it’s cold here is Mockba. Yesterday we’re were in the teens (Celsius). This morning we awoke to about +50 C. As I’m writing this it’s 23:14 and the temperature is 00 C going down to -1 or -20 C tonight with a chance of frost.
Days are again getting shorter with sunrise about 7:30 and sunset around 17:30.
Looks like winter weather is starting to arrive. Last year it held off until mid-November.
Nancy’s school is off next week so we’re off to the south of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Days are again getting shorter with sunrise about 7:30 and sunset around 17:30.
Looks like winter weather is starting to arrive. Last year it held off until mid-November.
Nancy’s school is off next week so we’re off to the south of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
All of a sudden it’s cold here is Mockba. Yesterday we’re were in the teens (Celsius). This morning we awoke to about +50 C. As I’m writing this it’s 23:14 and the temperature is 00 C going down to -1 or -20 C tonight with a chance of frost.
Days are again getting shorter with sunrise about 7:30 and sunset around 17:30.
Looks like winter weather is starting to arrive. Last year it held off until mid-November.
Nancy’s school is off next week so we’re off to the south of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Days are again getting shorter with sunrise about 7:30 and sunset around 17:30.
Looks like winter weather is starting to arrive. Last year it held off until mid-November.
Nancy’s school is off next week so we’re off to the south of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Never Before
13 октября 2012
Something happened to me while driving home yesterday from Nancy’s school that has never happened to me before.
While driving into a treacherous intersection in our neighborhood where 3 lanes of a service road to the right merge into 3 lanes of a major highway it was the usual chaos. The service lane cars thrust themselves onto the highway without even looking. In order to navigate through this deadly logjam you have to be aggressive or you won’t be able to get in the lane you need to be in to make a right turn ahead or more importantly you’re trying to avoid being side-swiped or worse by a car.
Navigating through this intersection requires a combination of aggressive and defensive driving. Sometimes you just have to let the guy whose just jutted out in front of you in to avoid a crash.
This was the case yesterday and as I let the guy in a white BMW go ahead of me he waved a wave of thanks! No one ever even acknowledges you from a car window or walking down the street. The guy actually waved to say thanks for letting me in…amazing…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
While driving into a treacherous intersection in our neighborhood where 3 lanes of a service road to the right merge into 3 lanes of a major highway it was the usual chaos. The service lane cars thrust themselves onto the highway without even looking. In order to navigate through this deadly logjam you have to be aggressive or you won’t be able to get in the lane you need to be in to make a right turn ahead or more importantly you’re trying to avoid being side-swiped or worse by a car.
Navigating through this intersection requires a combination of aggressive and defensive driving. Sometimes you just have to let the guy whose just jutted out in front of you in to avoid a crash.
This was the case yesterday and as I let the guy in a white BMW go ahead of me he waved a wave of thanks! No one ever even acknowledges you from a car window or walking down the street. The guy actually waved to say thanks for letting me in…amazing…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Lenin’s “Dacha”
3 октября 2012
Recently we were on a day-long tour of Vladimir Lenin’s Dacha which served as a strategic headquarters for Lenin and his key supporters during the Russian Revolution of 1917.
In the usual sense a dacha is a second summer home, often hand-built by the owners, and serves as a getaway for weekend relaxation. There is no standard definition of dacha. The buildings run the gamut from what at first glance might be described as shacks or cottages put together from odd pieces of lumber and metal all the way to complete beautifully appointed summer resort houses you might expect to see in the US or Europe. Some have running water, electricity, septic systems and heat while many are not as comfortably appointed.
To call "Lenin’s Dacha" a dacha is understated by conventional standards by several orders of magnitude. The word estate comes to mind and more aptly describes Lenin’s Dacha.
Originally known as the “Estate of Gorki” this large plot of land has three well appointed buildings and was owned over the centuries by noblemen. Over the years the buildings were renovated and expanded a number of times. The estate is located about a 30 minute drive south of Mockba. During the Revolution of 1905 the estate was owned by General Anatoly Reynbot who served as Mockba’s governor.
After the start of the Russian Revolution in 1917 Vladimir Lenin, a key architect of the revolution, moved into the estate after the property was nationalized in 1918. Lenin’s Dacha served as the strategic headquarters as Lenin oversaw the revolution and the transition of the Russian Empire autocratically ruled by Tsar Nicholas II to Communist Russia.
Today the property serves as a museum displaying many of Lenin’s tactical and everyday living items including his car fitted with tractor treads and skies attached to the front wheels to travel in the heavy snows of Russian winters.
I’ve put together a brief slideshow of images I took during our visit. The easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/50685725
The show is also located on my Website: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia
До следующего раза ...
Борис
In the usual sense a dacha is a second summer home, often hand-built by the owners, and serves as a getaway for weekend relaxation. There is no standard definition of dacha. The buildings run the gamut from what at first glance might be described as shacks or cottages put together from odd pieces of lumber and metal all the way to complete beautifully appointed summer resort houses you might expect to see in the US or Europe. Some have running water, electricity, septic systems and heat while many are not as comfortably appointed.
To call "Lenin’s Dacha" a dacha is understated by conventional standards by several orders of magnitude. The word estate comes to mind and more aptly describes Lenin’s Dacha.
Originally known as the “Estate of Gorki” this large plot of land has three well appointed buildings and was owned over the centuries by noblemen. Over the years the buildings were renovated and expanded a number of times. The estate is located about a 30 minute drive south of Mockba. During the Revolution of 1905 the estate was owned by General Anatoly Reynbot who served as Mockba’s governor.
After the start of the Russian Revolution in 1917 Vladimir Lenin, a key architect of the revolution, moved into the estate after the property was nationalized in 1918. Lenin’s Dacha served as the strategic headquarters as Lenin oversaw the revolution and the transition of the Russian Empire autocratically ruled by Tsar Nicholas II to Communist Russia.
Today the property serves as a museum displaying many of Lenin’s tactical and everyday living items including his car fitted with tractor treads and skies attached to the front wheels to travel in the heavy snows of Russian winters.
I’ve put together a brief slideshow of images I took during our visit. The easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/50685725
The show is also located on my Website: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Friday, September 14, 2012
On Hitch Hiking in Mockba – They’re Not
14 сентября 2012
Last November I posted a blog note about people hitch hiking here in Mockba. Turns out I was wrong. As I explained then it looked to me like when someone wanted a ride they’d stand along the curb and stick their arm out extended downward. When a car stopped the person would talk to the driver presumably to ask if he/she was going in the right direction.
While I was right that people were looking for a ride, what they were actually doing is haling a gypsy (unmarked) cab. Just like it Manhattan there are licensed medallion cabs, usually yellow with a lighted sign on the roof telling you if the cab was occupied or not. Then there are unmarked gypsy cabs that don’t have a meter – you have to negotiate the fare before moving on. The conventional wisdom is you’re likely to get ripped off if you flag down a gypsy cab.
It turns out that there are a lot of gypsy cabs, also un-metered, cruising around the streets of Mockba looking for fares. While not always the case, many are Russia Ladas, a small “basic” car produced in Russia about the size of a Nissan Almera. When the car stopped the “hitch hiker” was not asking where the driver was going but rather negotiating a fare.
Gypsy cabs in Mockba have the same reputation as they do in Manhattan – watch your wallet! On the other hand licensed cabs in Mockba have about the same reputation for being rip offs.
Bottom line: don’t take any type of cab in Mockba unless you’re really desperate.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
While I was right that people were looking for a ride, what they were actually doing is haling a gypsy (unmarked) cab. Just like it Manhattan there are licensed medallion cabs, usually yellow with a lighted sign on the roof telling you if the cab was occupied or not. Then there are unmarked gypsy cabs that don’t have a meter – you have to negotiate the fare before moving on. The conventional wisdom is you’re likely to get ripped off if you flag down a gypsy cab.
It turns out that there are a lot of gypsy cabs, also un-metered, cruising around the streets of Mockba looking for fares. While not always the case, many are Russia Ladas, a small “basic” car produced in Russia about the size of a Nissan Almera. When the car stopped the “hitch hiker” was not asking where the driver was going but rather negotiating a fare.
Gypsy cabs in Mockba have the same reputation as they do in Manhattan – watch your wallet! On the other hand licensed cabs in Mockba have about the same reputation for being rip offs.
Bottom line: don’t take any type of cab in Mockba unless you’re really desperate.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Sunday, September 9, 2012
On Estonia
9 сентября 2012
Estonia has an especially interesting history and was an important “holding” of the Soviet Union. As the Cold War heated up Russia invaded Estonia shipping off entire families to Siberia on very short notice (it is said: “15 minutes”) to set an example that Soviet satellite countries were to fall in line with the USSR or suffer severe consequences.
Estonia, and Tallinn in particular represented the most western frontier of the Soviet Union and thus became an important tactical holding of the USSR. While we were in Tallinn we took a day-long tour of the western coast of Tallinn and visited old, now rotting, military installations including a horizontal ICCM missile silo which would be the first line of attack had the US launched an attack on the USSR. The silo we visited was basically an enormous cylindrical culvert sunk into the ground so from above it would not be detected by planes flying overhead or by spy satellites. At one time it held 4 missiles that would be rolled out of the silo, aimed and fired – presumably at the US. There were holes in the back of the silo that allowed fuel lines to connect to the missiles.
Today the silo is empty and overgrown and hidden by trees and bushes. If you weren’t aware of the history you’d walk by thinking it was an abandoned drainage pipe.
We also visited an enormous block of concrete that served as an artillery battery that supported a huge canon aimed at London and England. All around the area were abandoned military control buildings and barracks that housed troops stationed in Estonia. All were overgrown and in various states of decay and collapse.
One of our other stops was to a large non-descript building surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by security people not keen on curious photographers getting close to the building. We were told that buried deep beneath the building was a sarcophagus that contained the decommissioned uranium from warheads originally hidden in the silos I described above. When the cold war ended and the Soviet Union collapsed the warheads were buried here. The hot uranium has a half-life of 10,000 years so it’s going to be around for a while hence the barbed wire and cranky looking security guards.
If you’re interested I’ve posted a slideshow of images I shot when we were in Estonia. Some images show the things I’ve described above as well as the Old Town section of Tallinn. The easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/49012736 . I’ve also posted the show on my site at: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia Click on the last entry.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Estonia, and Tallinn in particular represented the most western frontier of the Soviet Union and thus became an important tactical holding of the USSR. While we were in Tallinn we took a day-long tour of the western coast of Tallinn and visited old, now rotting, military installations including a horizontal ICCM missile silo which would be the first line of attack had the US launched an attack on the USSR. The silo we visited was basically an enormous cylindrical culvert sunk into the ground so from above it would not be detected by planes flying overhead or by spy satellites. At one time it held 4 missiles that would be rolled out of the silo, aimed and fired – presumably at the US. There were holes in the back of the silo that allowed fuel lines to connect to the missiles.
Today the silo is empty and overgrown and hidden by trees and bushes. If you weren’t aware of the history you’d walk by thinking it was an abandoned drainage pipe.
We also visited an enormous block of concrete that served as an artillery battery that supported a huge canon aimed at London and England. All around the area were abandoned military control buildings and barracks that housed troops stationed in Estonia. All were overgrown and in various states of decay and collapse.
One of our other stops was to a large non-descript building surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by security people not keen on curious photographers getting close to the building. We were told that buried deep beneath the building was a sarcophagus that contained the decommissioned uranium from warheads originally hidden in the silos I described above. When the cold war ended and the Soviet Union collapsed the warheads were buried here. The hot uranium has a half-life of 10,000 years so it’s going to be around for a while hence the barbed wire and cranky looking security guards.
If you’re interested I’ve posted a slideshow of images I shot when we were in Estonia. Some images show the things I’ve described above as well as the Old Town section of Tallinn. The easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/49012736 . I’ve also posted the show on my site at: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia Click on the last entry.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, August 30, 2012
On Russian Acculturation
31 августа 2012
I’m starting to feel more Russian every day:
First: Almost every day lately, as I walk down the street someone stops me and asks for directions. I reply “Извините, что я не говорю на русском” which means “Sorry but I don’t speak Russian”. At least not a lot.
Second: I went to visit a friend today at a local hospital. I drove and naturally had to park near the hospital. Seeing someone pull out I bumped up all 4 wheels of my car and parked on the sidewalk – it’s the way things are done here. See a previous post.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
First: Almost every day lately, as I walk down the street someone stops me and asks for directions. I reply “Извините, что я не говорю на русском” which means “Sorry but I don’t speak Russian”. At least not a lot.
Second: I went to visit a friend today at a local hospital. I drove and naturally had to park near the hospital. Seeing someone pull out I bumped up all 4 wheels of my car and parked on the sidewalk – it’s the way things are done here. See a previous post.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Back in the USSR – Oops Russia
23 августа 2012
For anyone who has been reading my blog entries – I hope there are at least a few – you might have noticed things have been quiet since last June.
After Nancy’s school was done for the year we headed back to the US via Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki Finland. We flew into Tallinn from Mockba, spent several days there and then took a 2 hour ferry ride to Helsinki for another few days. After that we headed back to the US for a few weeks.
In early August we headed back to Mockba via Portugal. We rented an apartment in Cascais, 30 minutes west of Lisbon. Cascais is a beautiful beach resort area. Our daughter and my sister-in-law joined us for a week. When they headed back to the US we stayed in Lisbon for 4 days before heading back to Mockba.
Arriving in Mockba was orders of magnitude easier this compared with last year. Just grocery shopping and we were done. No painting, organizing or settling into a new place.
I’m currently working on photos from all of our stops and I’ll be sending them out shortly to anyone who’s interested.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
After Nancy’s school was done for the year we headed back to the US via Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki Finland. We flew into Tallinn from Mockba, spent several days there and then took a 2 hour ferry ride to Helsinki for another few days. After that we headed back to the US for a few weeks.
In early August we headed back to Mockba via Portugal. We rented an apartment in Cascais, 30 minutes west of Lisbon. Cascais is a beautiful beach resort area. Our daughter and my sister-in-law joined us for a week. When they headed back to the US we stayed in Lisbon for 4 days before heading back to Mockba.
Arriving in Mockba was orders of magnitude easier this compared with last year. Just grocery shopping and we were done. No painting, organizing or settling into a new place.
I’m currently working on photos from all of our stops and I’ll be sending them out shortly to anyone who’s interested.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Monday, June 4, 2012
On Kathryn’s Park
5 июня 2012
Kathryn’s (also spelled with a “C”) Park is a very popular park in Moscow and is gorgeous any time of year but specially in the springtime. If you know Central Park in New York City you would feel right at home in Kathryn’s Park.
The park is a favorite backdrop of wedding photography. The day we visited there were brides, grooms and their entourages all over the place.
The park is the site of Kathryn the Great’s Palace which was started in the 1700s. She died before its completion and it lay dormant and fell into disrepair for several centuries. The palace and park were completed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The Palace is now a museum and the grounds made into a beautiful park with gardens, manicured lawns, forests, a church, gorgeous water fountains and a lake.
I put together a slidehow of shots I took when we visited the park last weekend. If you’re interested the easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/43417422
I also posted the show in downloadable form on my site.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
The park is a favorite backdrop of wedding photography. The day we visited there were brides, grooms and their entourages all over the place.
The park is the site of Kathryn the Great’s Palace which was started in the 1700s. She died before its completion and it lay dormant and fell into disrepair for several centuries. The palace and park were completed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The Palace is now a museum and the grounds made into a beautiful park with gardens, manicured lawns, forests, a church, gorgeous water fountains and a lake.
I put together a slidehow of shots I took when we visited the park last weekend. If you’re interested the easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/43417422
I also posted the show in downloadable form on my site.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Saturday, June 2, 2012
On Snow in June!
2 июня 2012
It’s snowing…not really. Today’s temperature is 17 degree C (about 63 F)
For the past 5-6 days the air has been full of puffy white winged seeds coming from the trees. They look something like dandelion puffs but smaller and are about the size of very large snowflakes. There are so many of them that you find yourself swatting them away from your face as if they were flies or bees buzzing around your head. The intensity has decreased but as I’m looking out the window writing this they’re still there.
If you're interested I've posted a quick slideshow of some clusters of these puffs. The images are 3d shots built-up of layers of images. The link is: http://vimeo.com/43446147
The show is also posted on my site.
Nancy’s school has 2 more weeks to go and she finishes June 16th. We head back to the US on the 17th. On the way we’re stopping in Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki, Finland for a few days each. The cities are a 2 hour ferry ride apart. We’ll fly out of Helsinki and head back to the US for about 6 weeks. I suspect these pages will be quiet for the summer and pick up again as we head back to Mockba for a second year.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
For the past 5-6 days the air has been full of puffy white winged seeds coming from the trees. They look something like dandelion puffs but smaller and are about the size of very large snowflakes. There are so many of them that you find yourself swatting them away from your face as if they were flies or bees buzzing around your head. The intensity has decreased but as I’m looking out the window writing this they’re still there.
If you're interested I've posted a quick slideshow of some clusters of these puffs. The images are 3d shots built-up of layers of images. The link is: http://vimeo.com/43446147
The show is also posted on my site.
Nancy’s school has 2 more weeks to go and she finishes June 16th. We head back to the US on the 17th. On the way we’re stopping in Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki, Finland for a few days each. The cities are a 2 hour ferry ride apart. We’ll fly out of Helsinki and head back to the US for about 6 weeks. I suspect these pages will be quiet for the summer and pick up again as we head back to Mockba for a second year.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
On Victory Day in Mockva - 9 мая
24 мая 2012
So it’s Victory Day (May 9th) in Russia and we’re standing on the corner of Tverskaya and Bolshoi Gruzinsky next to the neighborhood Starbucks waiting for the parade to come by. The parade kicks off with a ceremony at Red Square and then heads down Tverskaya. At about 11:00AM the parade of military hardware (tank, heavy artillery, rocket launchers, mobile ICBMs) starts passing by. In occurs to you as you’re watching that 25 years ago a lot of this stuff, especially the ICBMs, were pointed toward the US. Things sure have changed over the last 50 years…
If you’re interested I’ve put together a brief slideshow of some of the hardware that passed by during the parade. If you like military hardware you’re going to love this one!
The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42720731
I’ve also posted the show on my Web site: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com Click on the “RUSSIA” link. The filename is: victory_day_2012.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
If you’re interested I’ve put together a brief slideshow of some of the hardware that passed by during the parade. If you like military hardware you’re going to love this one!
The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42720731
I’ve also posted the show on my Web site: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com Click on the “RUSSIA” link. The filename is: victory_day_2012.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Monday, May 21, 2012
On Light and Dark in Mockva
21 мая 2012
Back in the fall I posted a piece about how the days were getting shorter and shorter here. At that point the sun wasn’t up until a bit before 11:00AM and sunset was about 4:00PM. Well, were on the other side now.
It starts getting light now between 4:30 and 5:00AM and it’s not getting dark until about 10:30PM.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
It starts getting light now between 4:30 and 5:00AM and it’s not getting dark until about 10:30PM.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Sunday, May 20, 2012
On Dubai
18 мая 2012
Nancy had a professional meeting and I was able to accompany her as her entourage. We were there for 5 days leaving at 1:00AM(!) Thursday morning the 9th and returning Monday the 14th.
Dubai is one of the 7 states that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the west side of the Persian Gulf next to Saudi Arabia. The emirates were originally independent kingdoms that merged together in the 70s to form the UAE.
As most of the emirates, Dubai is well endowed with oil residing on a strip of coastline along the Gulf. Twenty kilometers in off the coast the terrain is all hot dry desert. The city is very linear with the main roads running north and south. Along this strip the city has mushroomed into a long parade of amazing buildings, parks, malls and tourist sites. The old city of Dubai is near the coast and along the Dubai Creek. Dubai was originally a trading port and is dotted with souks. Souks are market areas that tend to sell the same goods. There are souks for gold, jewellery, carpets, spices and our goods. They are open-air markets were haggling for a price is common between shoppers and merchants. We spent our first afternoon in the souks in the +100 degree sun.
Cars (big, expensive cars) are one of the major ways people get around in Dubai due to its long, spread-out nature. There is a brand new elevated Metro system that has just opened during the past year or two and is still unfinished. Like almost everything is Dubai it is new, shiny, comfortable and efficient to move around town. In spite of this cars still dominate the landscape and they along with electric plants are causing a significant problem with smog and haze. Add to that 100+ degree weather and you find it’s hard to see even moderately spaced buildings in the distance due to thick smog. Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world (orders of magnitude higher than the Empire State Building in the US and the smog can be so thick that it’s sometimes hard to see the top.
Note to photographers: If you take a look at my outdoor shots you’re not going to see as much smog as I’ve described above. I used polarizing filters on my lenses which eliminates a good bit of the haze and glare off of the smog. If you’ve never been here and are planning to come a polarizer is a must.
Dubai also boasts some of the most interesting modern architecture in the world. High rise buildings of steel, stone, chrome and glass, of every imaginable shape, are everywhere. Most have been built in the last 10-15 years and many within the last 5 years. It’s as if a crop of mushrooms sprouted instantly along the landscape. And, the building has not stopped even during the economic recession the rest of the world has endured lately. There are huge sky-scraping cranes everywhere and land being be staked out for future development.
Another thing that Dubai boasts are incredibly large multi-level shopping malls built of the most exotic materials. The three most well-known malls are the Dubai Mall, the Emirates Mall and the Iban Battutu Mall among many others. The Dubai Mall was one of the original malls built about 15 years ago and sports an indoor ski slope including a chair lift. Shoppers can move from the 100+ degree heat outside to below freezing ski slope within a matter of minutes. Just outside the mall is the world’s largest choreographed fountain that puts on incredible shows of water spouts synched to music in the evening every half hour. One night we sat by the fountain and enjoyed the show while eating dinner outside at a Tai restaurant.
While neither Nancy nor I are big fans of malls (you find the same shops and stores in any mall in the US) the shear size and architecture make it worth the trip even if you don’t buy anything.
One day I went on a desert safari for a morning about an hour outside of town. It wasn’t so much a safari as a NASCAR race up and over some very large sand dunes going as fast as our driver could push our 4 wheel drive Rover. It sported an interior roll bar which once I thought we’d have to use when the car almost went over on its side. It did provide a good firm handhold as we rocked and rolled. We were told to wear our seat belts even in the back seats. If we hadn’t our heads would have banged on the roof more than once. We ended up on the tallest dune in the area and coming down you felt more like you were in a F-16 banking and turning along the dunes rather than a Land Rover. The lady next to me got (sea-) sick as we descended.
The other thing I got to do was dune bashing on a four wheel all-terrain vehicle – basically a 4 wheeled, all drive motorcycle. I have to admit it was a lot of fun. I quickly learned about a technique for navigating the dunes from our driver. As you ascend particularly steep dunes you can’t see over their crests and so you don’t know if the other side slopes down gently or drops off as a shear cliff. To avoid a catastrophe, at the instant you’re ready to go over the crest you swing your bike so that it’s running parallel with the crest. If the other side slopes down you turn 90 degrees down the hill. If the other side drops off to nothing you turn 90 degree in the other direction and motor down the slope you just came up. As I mentioned this was the way our driver attacked the dunes in our F-16.
In the US this kind of dirt biking in the western deserts tears up the terrain and vegetation and there’s an on-going argument between recreation enthusiasts and conservationists. I have to admit this was on my mind when I was asked if as I wanted to go dune bashing until I realized once you get out to this desert there isn’t any vegetation to speak of and the sand dunes are constantly being formed and reshaped by high winds. I figured out I wasn’t doing any more harm to the ecology that nature wasn’t already doing on a daily basis. So, I rationalized (and had a lot of fun) my dune experience was justified – it was.
You come away from Dubai with some words or phrases like: over-the-top, high-end, opulence, opulent opulence, ostentatious, ostentatious opulence and it dawns on you that money is no issue here. And, while I enjoyed my stay for a few days since I’m not a mall shopper, an oil tycoon or high-end businessman I probably won’t be returning any time soon although once was very interesting.
If you’re interested, I’ve put together several slideshows of images from Dubai. One features the spectacular architecture throughout the city. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42485294.
A second is a show from shots of the Dubai Mall Fountain at night. The easiest way to see this show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42256112.
Since the malls are like nothing I’ve ever seen before there is a show made up of images from the Dubai and Iban Battutu Malls. The easiest way to see this show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42387903.
Finally, I put together a short dune bashing show. The easiest way to see this show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42404474
I’ve also posted the shows on my Web site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ then click on the “RUSSIA” link. The filenames are: buildings_dubai.exe, dubai_mall_fountain.exe, dubai_malls.exe and dune_bashing.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Dubai is one of the 7 states that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the west side of the Persian Gulf next to Saudi Arabia. The emirates were originally independent kingdoms that merged together in the 70s to form the UAE.
As most of the emirates, Dubai is well endowed with oil residing on a strip of coastline along the Gulf. Twenty kilometers in off the coast the terrain is all hot dry desert. The city is very linear with the main roads running north and south. Along this strip the city has mushroomed into a long parade of amazing buildings, parks, malls and tourist sites. The old city of Dubai is near the coast and along the Dubai Creek. Dubai was originally a trading port and is dotted with souks. Souks are market areas that tend to sell the same goods. There are souks for gold, jewellery, carpets, spices and our goods. They are open-air markets were haggling for a price is common between shoppers and merchants. We spent our first afternoon in the souks in the +100 degree sun.
Cars (big, expensive cars) are one of the major ways people get around in Dubai due to its long, spread-out nature. There is a brand new elevated Metro system that has just opened during the past year or two and is still unfinished. Like almost everything is Dubai it is new, shiny, comfortable and efficient to move around town. In spite of this cars still dominate the landscape and they along with electric plants are causing a significant problem with smog and haze. Add to that 100+ degree weather and you find it’s hard to see even moderately spaced buildings in the distance due to thick smog. Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world (orders of magnitude higher than the Empire State Building in the US and the smog can be so thick that it’s sometimes hard to see the top.
Note to photographers: If you take a look at my outdoor shots you’re not going to see as much smog as I’ve described above. I used polarizing filters on my lenses which eliminates a good bit of the haze and glare off of the smog. If you’ve never been here and are planning to come a polarizer is a must.
Dubai also boasts some of the most interesting modern architecture in the world. High rise buildings of steel, stone, chrome and glass, of every imaginable shape, are everywhere. Most have been built in the last 10-15 years and many within the last 5 years. It’s as if a crop of mushrooms sprouted instantly along the landscape. And, the building has not stopped even during the economic recession the rest of the world has endured lately. There are huge sky-scraping cranes everywhere and land being be staked out for future development.
Another thing that Dubai boasts are incredibly large multi-level shopping malls built of the most exotic materials. The three most well-known malls are the Dubai Mall, the Emirates Mall and the Iban Battutu Mall among many others. The Dubai Mall was one of the original malls built about 15 years ago and sports an indoor ski slope including a chair lift. Shoppers can move from the 100+ degree heat outside to below freezing ski slope within a matter of minutes. Just outside the mall is the world’s largest choreographed fountain that puts on incredible shows of water spouts synched to music in the evening every half hour. One night we sat by the fountain and enjoyed the show while eating dinner outside at a Tai restaurant.
While neither Nancy nor I are big fans of malls (you find the same shops and stores in any mall in the US) the shear size and architecture make it worth the trip even if you don’t buy anything.
One day I went on a desert safari for a morning about an hour outside of town. It wasn’t so much a safari as a NASCAR race up and over some very large sand dunes going as fast as our driver could push our 4 wheel drive Rover. It sported an interior roll bar which once I thought we’d have to use when the car almost went over on its side. It did provide a good firm handhold as we rocked and rolled. We were told to wear our seat belts even in the back seats. If we hadn’t our heads would have banged on the roof more than once. We ended up on the tallest dune in the area and coming down you felt more like you were in a F-16 banking and turning along the dunes rather than a Land Rover. The lady next to me got (sea-) sick as we descended.
The other thing I got to do was dune bashing on a four wheel all-terrain vehicle – basically a 4 wheeled, all drive motorcycle. I have to admit it was a lot of fun. I quickly learned about a technique for navigating the dunes from our driver. As you ascend particularly steep dunes you can’t see over their crests and so you don’t know if the other side slopes down gently or drops off as a shear cliff. To avoid a catastrophe, at the instant you’re ready to go over the crest you swing your bike so that it’s running parallel with the crest. If the other side slopes down you turn 90 degrees down the hill. If the other side drops off to nothing you turn 90 degree in the other direction and motor down the slope you just came up. As I mentioned this was the way our driver attacked the dunes in our F-16.
In the US this kind of dirt biking in the western deserts tears up the terrain and vegetation and there’s an on-going argument between recreation enthusiasts and conservationists. I have to admit this was on my mind when I was asked if as I wanted to go dune bashing until I realized once you get out to this desert there isn’t any vegetation to speak of and the sand dunes are constantly being formed and reshaped by high winds. I figured out I wasn’t doing any more harm to the ecology that nature wasn’t already doing on a daily basis. So, I rationalized (and had a lot of fun) my dune experience was justified – it was.
You come away from Dubai with some words or phrases like: over-the-top, high-end, opulence, opulent opulence, ostentatious, ostentatious opulence and it dawns on you that money is no issue here. And, while I enjoyed my stay for a few days since I’m not a mall shopper, an oil tycoon or high-end businessman I probably won’t be returning any time soon although once was very interesting.
If you’re interested, I’ve put together several slideshows of images from Dubai. One features the spectacular architecture throughout the city. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42485294.
A second is a show from shots of the Dubai Mall Fountain at night. The easiest way to see this show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42256112.
Since the malls are like nothing I’ve ever seen before there is a show made up of images from the Dubai and Iban Battutu Malls. The easiest way to see this show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42387903.
Finally, I put together a short dune bashing show. The easiest way to see this show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/42404474
I’ve also posted the shows on my Web site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ then click on the “RUSSIA” link. The filenames are: buildings_dubai.exe, dubai_mall_fountain.exe, dubai_malls.exe and dune_bashing.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
On the Current State of Affairs in Russia and Mockva
9мая 2012
One of my friends and colleagues is originally from the Czech Republic and grew up while the Soviet Union was in place. He’s interested in the current political and economic climate in Russia today and especially since Vladimir Putin is returning as president. I wrote him a message and thought this might be of some interest as a posting on my blog. Below is the text of the message to my friend.
Lee-
Putin was very popular during his first term as president but there’s a significant opposition to him this time around – he was sworn in as president Monday the 7th. Russia’s economy and federal budget is heavily based on oil, natural gas and minerals and during the 90s that seemed to satisfy the country. Now the consensus is that oil prices will eventually drop and reserves of oil still in the ground will start decreasing. The consensus of many economists is that Russia has to diversify its economy and encourage foreign investment which Russia and Putin never encouraged in the past. Russia has not been a particularly “foreign industry friendly” environment until recently. It is said there is a stifling bureaucracy, a lot of corruption and resistance to foreign investment from other countries. Also, the Russian people seemed to be alright with a more authoritarian government during Putin’s first terms as President – probably a more comfortable position to take as the country emerged from the Soviet Union. This times there is a large middle-class that is growing (we’ve even noticed a difference since we arrived here last August) and doesn’t want an authoritarian strong-man like Putin. The middle class has also transitioned into Russia’s brand of capitalism and there doesn’t seem to be much interest to going back to the socialist mode except maybe for people in their 70s and 80s who only knew the communist ways. Older people apparently are having a harder time adjusting to the new economy and wouldn’t mind going back to the old ways – this doesn’t seem at all likely – younger people like the new ways and the freedom it brings too much.
Also, the political systems is corrupt and many were unhappy with last year’s parliamentary elections who thought the system was rigged in favor of Putin and his party. There are still many demonstrations by people who were unhappy with the last elections. One major issue is the choice of governors throughout Russia. During his first terms Putin abolished election of governors and started appointing them himself. There is currently legislation before the Duma that would restore elections by the people. Many are waiting to see if Putin will agree.
So it remains to be seen how Putin will do. If he reverts back to us authoritarian style of his first two terms it looks like he will get a lot of resistance. A lot of economists and political scientists feels that that might happen. If so, many are questioning whether Putin would be successful running for another term as president after the end of this term. There are opposition parties and groups popping up in the days leading up to this inauguration last Monday. I was surprised how many people came back to demonstrate since last December when the demonstrations were very large. I was thinking that things would calm down after elections last November but it looks like the opposition is here to stay and Putin may not find things as easy compared with his first two terms.
We’ll have to see. Putin’s inauguration was Monday. Today (Wednesday) is Victory Day so Putin and the Parliament will be getting back to work shortly and we’ll see what happens – I’ll keep you posted.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Lee-
Putin was very popular during his first term as president but there’s a significant opposition to him this time around – he was sworn in as president Monday the 7th. Russia’s economy and federal budget is heavily based on oil, natural gas and minerals and during the 90s that seemed to satisfy the country. Now the consensus is that oil prices will eventually drop and reserves of oil still in the ground will start decreasing. The consensus of many economists is that Russia has to diversify its economy and encourage foreign investment which Russia and Putin never encouraged in the past. Russia has not been a particularly “foreign industry friendly” environment until recently. It is said there is a stifling bureaucracy, a lot of corruption and resistance to foreign investment from other countries. Also, the Russian people seemed to be alright with a more authoritarian government during Putin’s first terms as President – probably a more comfortable position to take as the country emerged from the Soviet Union. This times there is a large middle-class that is growing (we’ve even noticed a difference since we arrived here last August) and doesn’t want an authoritarian strong-man like Putin. The middle class has also transitioned into Russia’s brand of capitalism and there doesn’t seem to be much interest to going back to the socialist mode except maybe for people in their 70s and 80s who only knew the communist ways. Older people apparently are having a harder time adjusting to the new economy and wouldn’t mind going back to the old ways – this doesn’t seem at all likely – younger people like the new ways and the freedom it brings too much.
Also, the political systems is corrupt and many were unhappy with last year’s parliamentary elections who thought the system was rigged in favor of Putin and his party. There are still many demonstrations by people who were unhappy with the last elections. One major issue is the choice of governors throughout Russia. During his first terms Putin abolished election of governors and started appointing them himself. There is currently legislation before the Duma that would restore elections by the people. Many are waiting to see if Putin will agree.
So it remains to be seen how Putin will do. If he reverts back to us authoritarian style of his first two terms it looks like he will get a lot of resistance. A lot of economists and political scientists feels that that might happen. If so, many are questioning whether Putin would be successful running for another term as president after the end of this term. There are opposition parties and groups popping up in the days leading up to this inauguration last Monday. I was surprised how many people came back to demonstrate since last December when the demonstrations were very large. I was thinking that things would calm down after elections last November but it looks like the opposition is here to stay and Putin may not find things as easy compared with his first two terms.
We’ll have to see. Putin’s inauguration was Monday. Today (Wednesday) is Victory Day so Putin and the Parliament will be getting back to work shortly and we’ll see what happens – I’ll keep you posted.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Sunday, May 6, 2012
On Victory Day in Mockva
6 мая 2012
Victory Day is a major event in Russia commemorating the defeat of the Nazis during World War II. It’s a national holiday on May 9th and has been weeks in the making as preparations are made. An estimated 28 million people were killed in the Nazi’s attempt to overtake the Soviet Union.
Among the festivities is a huge military parade displaying tanks, missiles, marching troops, bands and the like. The parade moves through Red Square past a viewing stand overlooking Lenin’s tomb. If are a baby boomer you may remember news programs showing Presidents Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, among other Soviet and Russian dignitaries, reviewing the parade above the tomb. The parade travels up a major street (Tverskaya Street - Тверская улица) leading from the Kremlin past our neighborhood (a 25 minute walk to the Kremlin) and beyond.
The day before yesterday I went down to the Theatre District adjacent to the Kremlin and Red Square to explore and look at preparations being made for the big Day. The area was abuzz with people everywhere touring, painting, cleaning and practicing for the parade and Victory Day in general.
If you’re interested, I’ve put together a slideshow of images from the area. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/41613312
I’ve also posted the show on my Web site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ then click on the “RUSSIA” link. The filename is: before.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Among the festivities is a huge military parade displaying tanks, missiles, marching troops, bands and the like. The parade moves through Red Square past a viewing stand overlooking Lenin’s tomb. If are a baby boomer you may remember news programs showing Presidents Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, among other Soviet and Russian dignitaries, reviewing the parade above the tomb. The parade travels up a major street (Tverskaya Street - Тверская улица) leading from the Kremlin past our neighborhood (a 25 minute walk to the Kremlin) and beyond.
The day before yesterday I went down to the Theatre District adjacent to the Kremlin and Red Square to explore and look at preparations being made for the big Day. The area was abuzz with people everywhere touring, painting, cleaning and practicing for the parade and Victory Day in general.
If you’re interested, I’ve put together a slideshow of images from the area. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/41613312
I’ve also posted the show on my Web site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ then click on the “RUSSIA” link. The filename is: before.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, May 3, 2012
On Amsterdam
3 мая 2012
We spent a 4 day weekend in Amsterdam last week. Amsterdam is a fabulous city which is easy to navigate and highly walkable. Our hotel was right on one of the many canals and we were several blocks from the town square. Some of the shots I’ve posted in a slideshow are from the hotel.
While we didn’t plan it we were there on the weekend that preceded Queen Beatrice’s birthday which is always celebrated on the following Monday which is a national holiday in the Netherlands. I found out that from someone at the hotel that her birthday is actually in January but it’s always celebrated in the spring to take advantage of the nice weather. We were told that during this particular weekend the population swells to nearly double as people from all over the Netherlands close up their shops and businesses and head for the city. There is a substantial amount of beer consumed and the streets and canals (on boats) are crowded to near gridlock conditions, especially around the town square which offers a carnival with rides, games and other attractions. The color of the day is bright orange – more about that later.
We were also able to travel outside of town to Edam which is a 35 minute bus ride from Amsterdam. It’s a small picturesque town out in the mist of 1000s of acres of green grassy farmland.
A few comments that will help you understand some of the shots in the show and about Amsterdam in general.
Bikes: While there are cars on the road the principle way to get around is either walking or on bicycles. There seem to be more bikes than people which are parked all over the city. Down near the train station there is a 3 story bike parking lot with 2500 bikes with 100s more spilling out all around. We took a cruise along the canals and our captain told us that each year the city dredges the canals for bikes pulling out several thousand each year. Apparently, when the bikes are used up many people toss them into the canals as an easy way to dispose of them. I noticed that most of the bikes were not the typical 10-speed bikes you commonly see other places. That seemed odd until it dawned on me that gears aren’t needed – Amsterdam and the Netherlands in general are flat. There are no hills as the land was originally reclaimed marshland and below sea level.
Coffee Shops vs. Cafes: Usually these terms are synonymous in most cities but not in Amsterdam. If you stop in a café you’ll order coffee and other drinks and bake goods. If you drop into your local coffee shop in addition to coffee you’ll order and smoke pot. As you may know Amsterdam is a very liberal and tolerant town and a number of things you usually think of as illegal in other places are legal or at least tolerated in Amsterdam. Among some of those activities are smoking marijuana and prostitution, both regulated by the government. In fact there are many coffee shops in the red light district – kind of a twofer.
Orange: As I mentioned during the prelude to the Queen’s birthday you will see a lot of bright orange: orange hair, orange skin, orange hats, orange clothes, orange sunglasses, orange blow-up dolls and a lot of orange beer. Orange is all over and is the official color of the city during the celebration. If you’re not fond of the color orange don’t come to Amsterdam during the Queen’s birthday.
Things Leaning: As a photographer one of the things you try to do in setting up your shots is to make sure the horizons are level and your verticals plumb (90 degrees to the horizontal). Since my head is a bit cocked to one side on my neck this is a perpetual problem when I’m taking pictures. Luckily I can easily make these corrections in Photo Shop back at my computer. You’ll notice that many of the buildings in Amsterdam “lean on one another propping themselves up like drunken sailors.” In this case the leaning is for real – it’s not me! All of the original buildings in Amsterdam were built on reclaimed swamp land and the foundations were made of 1000s of wooden pilings pounded into the muck and mire of the swampy land below. Over the centuries some of the pilings were pushed further into the mud causing the building to lean: forward, to the side and backward. In fact, in some neighborhoods it’s hard to find even one building that's standing straight. Of course, after you’ve consumed several liters of orange beer leaning building may seem of no consequence…
Final Thoughts: If you’ve never been to Amsterdam put it on your bucket list. It’s a place you get almost instantly comfortable with. The people are friendly and many languages are spoken including English. You’ll hear very little Russian in Amsterdam – which for us, living in Moscow and taking a break, was a good thing. It’s a place we could see living for a while after our Russian experience is over. Barcelona is another place we’re thinking about (see a previous post)
If you’re interested, I’ve put together a slideshow of images from Amsterdam and Elam. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/41489870
I’ve also posted the show on my Web site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ then click on the “RUSSIA” link. The filename is: amsterdam.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
While we didn’t plan it we were there on the weekend that preceded Queen Beatrice’s birthday which is always celebrated on the following Monday which is a national holiday in the Netherlands. I found out that from someone at the hotel that her birthday is actually in January but it’s always celebrated in the spring to take advantage of the nice weather. We were told that during this particular weekend the population swells to nearly double as people from all over the Netherlands close up their shops and businesses and head for the city. There is a substantial amount of beer consumed and the streets and canals (on boats) are crowded to near gridlock conditions, especially around the town square which offers a carnival with rides, games and other attractions. The color of the day is bright orange – more about that later.
We were also able to travel outside of town to Edam which is a 35 minute bus ride from Amsterdam. It’s a small picturesque town out in the mist of 1000s of acres of green grassy farmland.
A few comments that will help you understand some of the shots in the show and about Amsterdam in general.
Bikes: While there are cars on the road the principle way to get around is either walking or on bicycles. There seem to be more bikes than people which are parked all over the city. Down near the train station there is a 3 story bike parking lot with 2500 bikes with 100s more spilling out all around. We took a cruise along the canals and our captain told us that each year the city dredges the canals for bikes pulling out several thousand each year. Apparently, when the bikes are used up many people toss them into the canals as an easy way to dispose of them. I noticed that most of the bikes were not the typical 10-speed bikes you commonly see other places. That seemed odd until it dawned on me that gears aren’t needed – Amsterdam and the Netherlands in general are flat. There are no hills as the land was originally reclaimed marshland and below sea level.
Coffee Shops vs. Cafes: Usually these terms are synonymous in most cities but not in Amsterdam. If you stop in a café you’ll order coffee and other drinks and bake goods. If you drop into your local coffee shop in addition to coffee you’ll order and smoke pot. As you may know Amsterdam is a very liberal and tolerant town and a number of things you usually think of as illegal in other places are legal or at least tolerated in Amsterdam. Among some of those activities are smoking marijuana and prostitution, both regulated by the government. In fact there are many coffee shops in the red light district – kind of a twofer.
Orange: As I mentioned during the prelude to the Queen’s birthday you will see a lot of bright orange: orange hair, orange skin, orange hats, orange clothes, orange sunglasses, orange blow-up dolls and a lot of orange beer. Orange is all over and is the official color of the city during the celebration. If you’re not fond of the color orange don’t come to Amsterdam during the Queen’s birthday.
Things Leaning: As a photographer one of the things you try to do in setting up your shots is to make sure the horizons are level and your verticals plumb (90 degrees to the horizontal). Since my head is a bit cocked to one side on my neck this is a perpetual problem when I’m taking pictures. Luckily I can easily make these corrections in Photo Shop back at my computer. You’ll notice that many of the buildings in Amsterdam “lean on one another propping themselves up like drunken sailors.” In this case the leaning is for real – it’s not me! All of the original buildings in Amsterdam were built on reclaimed swamp land and the foundations were made of 1000s of wooden pilings pounded into the muck and mire of the swampy land below. Over the centuries some of the pilings were pushed further into the mud causing the building to lean: forward, to the side and backward. In fact, in some neighborhoods it’s hard to find even one building that's standing straight. Of course, after you’ve consumed several liters of orange beer leaning building may seem of no consequence…
Final Thoughts: If you’ve never been to Amsterdam put it on your bucket list. It’s a place you get almost instantly comfortable with. The people are friendly and many languages are spoken including English. You’ll hear very little Russian in Amsterdam – which for us, living in Moscow and taking a break, was a good thing. It’s a place we could see living for a while after our Russian experience is over. Barcelona is another place we’re thinking about (see a previous post)
If you’re interested, I’ve put together a slideshow of images from Amsterdam and Elam. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/41489870
I’ve also posted the show on my Web site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ then click on the “RUSSIA” link. The filename is: amsterdam.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, April 5, 2012
On Churches in Mockba
5 апреля 2012
There are 100s if not 1000s of churches and cathedrals in Moscow including famous ones like Saint Basil’s and Kazan Cathedral on Red Square next to the Kremlin. Russians in eastern Europe are devout believers in the orthodox faith and churches are revered throughout the country. Smaller but significant numbers of Russian Jews remain today although their numbers have dwindled as they have been allowed to leave the country for Israel, Europe, Canada and the United States, especially since the 1980s and 1990s
Over the centuries many churches were destroyed by fire, war and earthquakes. After the Russian Revolution in 1917 the Bolsheviks lead by Lenin and communists lead by Stalin had many churches destroyed as religion was officially banned in communist doctrine (religion has been described as the opiate of the masses). Banning of religion was believed to divide and conquer faithful Russians and prevent them from rallying around religious doctrine keeping the communists in control until the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Those churches that were allowed to remain were converted into storage warehouses and other practical uses of the Communist Party. Interestingly, Saint Basil’s Cathedral was personally saved by Stalin after plans to renovate Red Square for military parades and other displays of power called for the Cathedral to be either moved or torn down.
Historical reviews reveal that in spite of Communist leaders attempts to ban religion, many Russians continued to practice their faith meeting secretly in other locations. After the fall of the Soviet empire religion has re-emerged and destroyed or warehoused religious buildings were rebuilt or renovated. Since coming to Moscow last August I’ve had an opportunity to photograph many churches although many are still on my list for future photo sessions. In fact there are times when I feel churched out and take a break from visiting them. There are so many! A number of slide shows I’ve posted previously have many images of churches and cathedrals.
In spite of occasional bouts of church fatigue I recently visited, twice, the Monastery of Saint Peter which is a few blocks from Pushkin Square, a well-known venue for past and present political demonstrations. Alexander Pushkin, for whom the park is named, was a renowned Russian poet and author who lived in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. During the recently completed election season for members of the Duma (Parliament) and president, pro- and anti-Putin rallies were held at Pushkin Square as well as near the Kremlin.
Saint Peter’s is an enclosed enclave consisting of six churches and cathedrals dating back to the 1300s:
http://russian-church.ru/english/viewpage.php?cat=moscow&page=201
Over 100s of years the monastery has been added to, renovated, fallen into disrepair and restored again and again. Many of the churches (maybe all) on the site have wooden roofs which have rotted away and been replaced many times. Many are still present and appear to be deteriorating as you walk around the site. According to the historical review I’ve cited above, the last major efforts to repair and renovate occurred in the 80s and 90s (Perestroika era). Looking around you can see it has been a never-ending battle to keep up with time and weather and the current buildings show their age. No doubt lack of funding, as well as time and weather, have been constant enemies of the Monastery which is still in use today. Parishioners and clergy are present apparently on a daily basis. I saw quite a few on the days I visited.
Notwithstanding assaults by time, weather and tyrants the Monastery is a fascinating view of history, architecture, religion and for me, as a photographer, texture. I’ve been to Saint Peters two times photographing inside and outside the compound and, I plan to go back again later in the spring. I’ve put together a slide show of photos from both of these visits. The images are not necessarily in any particular order and I’ve included a map at the beginning of the show which provides a plan of where each building is located. If you’re interested the easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link:
https://vimeo.com/39832211
It will take you to vimeo.com where you can play the slide show regardless of computer type or operating system (e.g., PCs or Macs). I’ve also posted the show on my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ The filename is: saint_peter.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Over the centuries many churches were destroyed by fire, war and earthquakes. After the Russian Revolution in 1917 the Bolsheviks lead by Lenin and communists lead by Stalin had many churches destroyed as religion was officially banned in communist doctrine (religion has been described as the opiate of the masses). Banning of religion was believed to divide and conquer faithful Russians and prevent them from rallying around religious doctrine keeping the communists in control until the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Those churches that were allowed to remain were converted into storage warehouses and other practical uses of the Communist Party. Interestingly, Saint Basil’s Cathedral was personally saved by Stalin after plans to renovate Red Square for military parades and other displays of power called for the Cathedral to be either moved or torn down.
Historical reviews reveal that in spite of Communist leaders attempts to ban religion, many Russians continued to practice their faith meeting secretly in other locations. After the fall of the Soviet empire religion has re-emerged and destroyed or warehoused religious buildings were rebuilt or renovated. Since coming to Moscow last August I’ve had an opportunity to photograph many churches although many are still on my list for future photo sessions. In fact there are times when I feel churched out and take a break from visiting them. There are so many! A number of slide shows I’ve posted previously have many images of churches and cathedrals.
In spite of occasional bouts of church fatigue I recently visited, twice, the Monastery of Saint Peter which is a few blocks from Pushkin Square, a well-known venue for past and present political demonstrations. Alexander Pushkin, for whom the park is named, was a renowned Russian poet and author who lived in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. During the recently completed election season for members of the Duma (Parliament) and president, pro- and anti-Putin rallies were held at Pushkin Square as well as near the Kremlin.
Saint Peter’s is an enclosed enclave consisting of six churches and cathedrals dating back to the 1300s:
- The Church of the Protection of the Holy Mary
- The Church of the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God.
- The Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
- The Cathedral of St. Peter the Metropolitan of Moscow.
- The Church of Pachomius the Great.
- The Cathedral of the Bogolyubsk Icon of the Mother of God
http://russian-church.ru/english/viewpage.php?cat=moscow&page=201
Over 100s of years the monastery has been added to, renovated, fallen into disrepair and restored again and again. Many of the churches (maybe all) on the site have wooden roofs which have rotted away and been replaced many times. Many are still present and appear to be deteriorating as you walk around the site. According to the historical review I’ve cited above, the last major efforts to repair and renovate occurred in the 80s and 90s (Perestroika era). Looking around you can see it has been a never-ending battle to keep up with time and weather and the current buildings show their age. No doubt lack of funding, as well as time and weather, have been constant enemies of the Monastery which is still in use today. Parishioners and clergy are present apparently on a daily basis. I saw quite a few on the days I visited.
Notwithstanding assaults by time, weather and tyrants the Monastery is a fascinating view of history, architecture, religion and for me, as a photographer, texture. I’ve been to Saint Peters two times photographing inside and outside the compound and, I plan to go back again later in the spring. I’ve put together a slide show of photos from both of these visits. The images are not necessarily in any particular order and I’ve included a map at the beginning of the show which provides a plan of where each building is located. If you’re interested the easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link:
https://vimeo.com/39832211
It will take you to vimeo.com where you can play the slide show regardless of computer type or operating system (e.g., PCs or Macs). I’ve also posted the show on my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ The filename is: saint_peter.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Sunday, March 25, 2012
On Plumbing in Mockva
25 март 2011
I think I’ve mentioned we live in a Soviet-era building which on the outside is not an impressive structure. In fact, it’s pretty ugly and the words that comes to mind are: “drab, utilitarian, soviet housing, etc.” I’ve also described our man-eating elevator in a previous post that is no doubt the original machine installed whenever the building was constructed – I’m guessing sometime in the 50’s or 60’s. On the inside, however, the apartments that the Anglo-American School have are modern and spacious and very comfortable, especially if you are lucky enough, as we are, to have a two-bedroom place. “Amanda’s room” when she is not here (most of the time although she insists we call it her room in her absence) doubles as an office and photo processing studio.
In order to refurbish these apartments there must have been a complete “gutting” of the old apartments down to the basic structure of the building. I suspect however, because it is very expensive to remove and install pipes and drains embedded in walls, the original plumbing was left intact and the new fixtures in our modern kitchen and bathroom were tied into the old lines.
Very often when someone in the apartments above us (we’re on the 5th floor of 9) flushes a toilet, takes a shower or uses the washing machine (we’re fortunate that each apartment has its own washer and dryer) I frequently hear a gurgling sound especially in our bathtub drain. Having built two additions to our house in New Jersey, including doing most of the plumbing myself, I know that gurgling drains are usually caused by partially stopped up drain pipes.
While this doesn’t happen every day, often in the afternoon somewhere between 1 and 4PM the drain in our bathtub and sink belches and as you walk by the bathroom door you pass through a wretched, sometimes putrid odor that grabs your attention. Nancy says she doesn’t ever notice the smell but for me it causes fond memories of when I had to install a new drainage field on our septic tank. The smell is foul and kind of knocks you off your stride for a minute. After we come home from a week-long holiday the windows need to be opened for about 20 minutes.
I’ve discovered a quick fix for this which involves pouring a few milliliters of bleach into the bathtub and sink drains. Within 10 minutes you feel (and smell) like you’re sitting next to a chlorinated swimming pool which is considerably more pleasant than rancid sewer gas.
My theory about why this tends to happen most often in the afternoon is that when people start coming home from work and school the plumbing starts getting used more often than in the morning hours and hence the belches. I’ve also noticed an interesting correlation between the frequency of the belches and a large, obviously used plumber’s snake that sometimes sits outside the front door of our building – not right in front but within site..
When we first moved into the apartment last August, I noticed the snake was there and at the time didn’t think too much of it. At the time no belches were emitted – the pipes must have just been snaked pending our arrival. Eventually the snake disappeared. In late fall and right now in March the snake has reappeared and I’ve noticed that the belching has been much more infrequent. I’m guessing that when the blockages in the pipes reach (literally) a critical mass the snake is hauled out to remedy the problem. The times between uses are roughly every 3-4 months so the maintenance guys must store the snake away until enough residents complain and then it’s brought out again.
The snake is right there by the door now, the belches are much less frequent at the moment which seems to confirm my original hypothesis. The bottom line: Tying new, modern, sparkling plumbing fixtures into old worn out Soviet-era pipes and sewer lines is not a old idea…less expensive, but still not a good idea…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
In order to refurbish these apartments there must have been a complete “gutting” of the old apartments down to the basic structure of the building. I suspect however, because it is very expensive to remove and install pipes and drains embedded in walls, the original plumbing was left intact and the new fixtures in our modern kitchen and bathroom were tied into the old lines.
Very often when someone in the apartments above us (we’re on the 5th floor of 9) flushes a toilet, takes a shower or uses the washing machine (we’re fortunate that each apartment has its own washer and dryer) I frequently hear a gurgling sound especially in our bathtub drain. Having built two additions to our house in New Jersey, including doing most of the plumbing myself, I know that gurgling drains are usually caused by partially stopped up drain pipes.
While this doesn’t happen every day, often in the afternoon somewhere between 1 and 4PM the drain in our bathtub and sink belches and as you walk by the bathroom door you pass through a wretched, sometimes putrid odor that grabs your attention. Nancy says she doesn’t ever notice the smell but for me it causes fond memories of when I had to install a new drainage field on our septic tank. The smell is foul and kind of knocks you off your stride for a minute. After we come home from a week-long holiday the windows need to be opened for about 20 minutes.
I’ve discovered a quick fix for this which involves pouring a few milliliters of bleach into the bathtub and sink drains. Within 10 minutes you feel (and smell) like you’re sitting next to a chlorinated swimming pool which is considerably more pleasant than rancid sewer gas.
My theory about why this tends to happen most often in the afternoon is that when people start coming home from work and school the plumbing starts getting used more often than in the morning hours and hence the belches. I’ve also noticed an interesting correlation between the frequency of the belches and a large, obviously used plumber’s snake that sometimes sits outside the front door of our building – not right in front but within site..
When we first moved into the apartment last August, I noticed the snake was there and at the time didn’t think too much of it. At the time no belches were emitted – the pipes must have just been snaked pending our arrival. Eventually the snake disappeared. In late fall and right now in March the snake has reappeared and I’ve noticed that the belching has been much more infrequent. I’m guessing that when the blockages in the pipes reach (literally) a critical mass the snake is hauled out to remedy the problem. The times between uses are roughly every 3-4 months so the maintenance guys must store the snake away until enough residents complain and then it’s brought out again.
The snake is right there by the door now, the belches are much less frequent at the moment which seems to confirm my original hypothesis. The bottom line: Tying new, modern, sparkling plumbing fixtures into old worn out Soviet-era pipes and sewer lines is not a old idea…less expensive, but still not a good idea…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, March 22, 2012
On Saint Petersburg
22 март 2011
Two weeks ago we took a 4 day trip to Saint Petersburg on a faculty exchange trip at Nancy’s school. The Anglo-American School of Moscow has a sister school: The Anglo-American School of Saint Petersburg. We took a speedy bullet train from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. The trip took a comfortable 3 ½ hours and it’s the only way to “fly”. I wish we could get everywhere by train; it was comfortable, easy to get on and off with none of the other hassles you experience when flying.
Saint Petersburg was founded and literally designed by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 along the Neva River on what was then marshy swamp land. The land where the current city stands was dredged up and fortified all under the direction of Peter the Great.
Saint Petersburg (Петербург) was formerly called Lennigrad (Ленинград) and was Russia’s former capital because Peter hated Mockva. After the collapse of the Soviet Empire the city reverted back to Saint Petersburg in 1991.
Today Saint Petersburg sits beside the Neva River with canals leading from and to it and has been referred to by some as the “Venice of Russia”. The architecture is decidedly European, also a detail the Peter the Great insisted upon. It’s a very walkable city and has the deepest (90 meters) Metro (subway) system in the world.
Walking along the streets of Saint Petersburg “feels European". English speakers are quite comfortable there making it doubly easy to navigate the city.
Peter’s enormous Winter Palace along the river is now home to The Hermitage, a world renowned museum with opulent collections of art by the great masters and other art forms of all types. The interior itself is a work of art and adds a powerful impact as soon as you enter one of six buildings. You could easily spend a week touring all of the buildings and still not see everything.
In the center of the city along a canal is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The building is similar in design and style to Saint Basil’s Church on Red Square next to the Kremlin in Moscow (see a previous post). Every inch of the church is covered from top to bottom with intricate mosaic scenes depicting Jesus, his disciples and stories from the Bible. Each stone was hand-cut and assembled creating beautiful mosaics, in themselves fabulous works of art.
If you’re interested, I’ve posted 3 slideshows: one includes images from the city; another from the Hermitage; and the third includes interior and exterior images of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. All can be seen on my site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ – click on the “RUSSIA” link and scroll down to the last 3 postings. Or, the easiest way to now view these and future shows is to click on these links: http://vimeo.com/38940121; http://vimeo.com/38972067 and http://vimeo.com/38972693. The shows will pop-up in real time and can be viewed with any machine (i.e., PCs or Macs) working on any operating systems.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Saint Petersburg was founded and literally designed by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 along the Neva River on what was then marshy swamp land. The land where the current city stands was dredged up and fortified all under the direction of Peter the Great.
Saint Petersburg (Петербург) was formerly called Lennigrad (Ленинград) and was Russia’s former capital because Peter hated Mockva. After the collapse of the Soviet Empire the city reverted back to Saint Petersburg in 1991.
Today Saint Petersburg sits beside the Neva River with canals leading from and to it and has been referred to by some as the “Venice of Russia”. The architecture is decidedly European, also a detail the Peter the Great insisted upon. It’s a very walkable city and has the deepest (90 meters) Metro (subway) system in the world.
Walking along the streets of Saint Petersburg “feels European". English speakers are quite comfortable there making it doubly easy to navigate the city.
Peter’s enormous Winter Palace along the river is now home to The Hermitage, a world renowned museum with opulent collections of art by the great masters and other art forms of all types. The interior itself is a work of art and adds a powerful impact as soon as you enter one of six buildings. You could easily spend a week touring all of the buildings and still not see everything.
In the center of the city along a canal is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The building is similar in design and style to Saint Basil’s Church on Red Square next to the Kremlin in Moscow (see a previous post). Every inch of the church is covered from top to bottom with intricate mosaic scenes depicting Jesus, his disciples and stories from the Bible. Each stone was hand-cut and assembled creating beautiful mosaics, in themselves fabulous works of art.
If you’re interested, I’ve posted 3 slideshows: one includes images from the city; another from the Hermitage; and the third includes interior and exterior images of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. All can be seen on my site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ – click on the “RUSSIA” link and scroll down to the last 3 postings. Or, the easiest way to now view these and future shows is to click on these links: http://vimeo.com/38940121; http://vimeo.com/38972067 and http://vimeo.com/38972693. The shows will pop-up in real time and can be viewed with any machine (i.e., PCs or Macs) working on any operating systems.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, March 15, 2012
On Wadi Rum Jordan
15 марта 2012
Wadi Rum is a desert area in Southern Jordan. If you’ve ever been to Death Valley in the US you will feel similarities. The sand is dotted with colorful rock formations, canyons and water holes which have been known to man for at least 4000 years.
Wadi Rum is also known as the Valley of the Moon for obvious reasons. Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and T E Lawrence maintained a headquarters in Wadi Rum during World War I during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans and is the site of the filming of the classic movie Lawrence of Arabia.
We toured the desert in a 4-wheel drive jeep (the only way to get around) driven by a local guide. Along the way we took on a backpacking hiker who has been hop-scotching around the world for the last several years. He had decided the deep sand was too tiring to hike across and so we offered him a ride.
If you’re interested check out a short slide show of images from Wadi Rum on my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ , click on the “RUSSIA” link and download and view the file called wadi_rum.exe
As I mentioned in a previous post I have a new way to view slide shows regardless of type of computer or operating system (i.e., the show will play on PCs, Macs, with Windows, Apple and Linux operating systems, etc.). The slide show appears at the bottom of the RUSSIA download page or may be viewed simply by clicking on this link: http://vimeo.com/38567011 This will bring directly to http://vimeo.com/ Mouse-over the video player and click the run arrow to start the show. The music is from the original sound track of Lawrence of Arabia.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wadi Rum is also known as the Valley of the Moon for obvious reasons. Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and T E Lawrence maintained a headquarters in Wadi Rum during World War I during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans and is the site of the filming of the classic movie Lawrence of Arabia.
We toured the desert in a 4-wheel drive jeep (the only way to get around) driven by a local guide. Along the way we took on a backpacking hiker who has been hop-scotching around the world for the last several years. He had decided the deep sand was too tiring to hike across and so we offered him a ride.
If you’re interested check out a short slide show of images from Wadi Rum on my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ , click on the “RUSSIA” link and download and view the file called wadi_rum.exe
As I mentioned in a previous post I have a new way to view slide shows regardless of type of computer or operating system (i.e., the show will play on PCs, Macs, with Windows, Apple and Linux operating systems, etc.). The slide show appears at the bottom of the RUSSIA download page or may be viewed simply by clicking on this link: http://vimeo.com/38567011 This will bring directly to http://vimeo.com/ Mouse-over the video player and click the run arrow to start the show. The music is from the original sound track of Lawrence of Arabia.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
On Jerash Jordan
13 марта 2012
A few kilometers south of Amman Jordan is the present day city of Jerash. Within Jerash are the ruins of the ancient city of Jerash which may date back more than 6500 years. Ancient Jerash was under Roman rule during its golden age. The city may have the most extensive examples of Greco-Roman architecture in the entire world.
Over hundreds of years the ancient ruins were nearly completely covered by sand and lost to history. During the last 70 years the ruins, which included impressive stone gates such as Hadrian’s Arch, paved streets, colonnaded buildings, baths, theatres, a cathedral and the like, have been excavated revealing this large and impressive city. While hundreds of structures have been unearthed, additional ruins remain buried either partially or completely. Extending beyond the sandy surface are the tops of corinthian Roman columns of undiscovered buildings surrounding what has been uncovered to date.
If you’re interested check out a short slide show of images from Jerashon on my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com, click on the “RUSSIA” link and download and view the file called jerash_jordan.exe
As I mentioned in a previous post I have a new way to view slide shows regardless of type of computer or operating system (i.e., the show will play on PCs, Macs, with Windows, Apple and Linux operating systems, etc.). The slide show appears at the bottom of the RUSSIA download page or may be viewed simply by clicking on this link: vimeo.com/38415492 This will bring you directly to vimeo.com Mouse-over the video player and click the run arrow to start the show.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Over hundreds of years the ancient ruins were nearly completely covered by sand and lost to history. During the last 70 years the ruins, which included impressive stone gates such as Hadrian’s Arch, paved streets, colonnaded buildings, baths, theatres, a cathedral and the like, have been excavated revealing this large and impressive city. While hundreds of structures have been unearthed, additional ruins remain buried either partially or completely. Extending beyond the sandy surface are the tops of corinthian Roman columns of undiscovered buildings surrounding what has been uncovered to date.
If you’re interested check out a short slide show of images from Jerashon on my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com, click on the “RUSSIA” link and download and view the file called jerash_jordan.exe
As I mentioned in a previous post I have a new way to view slide shows regardless of type of computer or operating system (i.e., the show will play on PCs, Macs, with Windows, Apple and Linux operating systems, etc.). The slide show appears at the bottom of the RUSSIA download page or may be viewed simply by clicking on this link: vimeo.com/38415492 This will bring you directly to vimeo.com Mouse-over the video player and click the run arrow to start the show.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Petra Southern Jordan
4 марта 2012
Two weeks ago we headed for Jordan in the Middle East during Nancy’s school’s winter break. One of our stops was Petra in southern Jordan where we spent an entire day hiking and exploring Petra.
Petra (near the current city of Wadi Musa) is an ancient city that was carved into the walls of sandstone canyons 2000 years ago by the Nabataeans. Many of the facades and building interiors have survived to this day. The Roman Emperor Trajan eventually claimed Petra as a part of the Roman Empire. The Roman influence can be seen in many of the sandstone carved structures.
Petra was said to be “lost to the west” in the 14th century until 1812 when a Swiss traveler named Johann Ludwig Burckhardt “rediscovered” Petra revealing the ancient city again to the west.
Today Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by Jordanians and visitors from all over the world.
If you’re interested I’ve posted a slideshow of some images from Petra. Go to www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com then click on the “Russia” link. The filename is petra.exe. I’ve also posted the show on Facebook.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Petra (near the current city of Wadi Musa) is an ancient city that was carved into the walls of sandstone canyons 2000 years ago by the Nabataeans. Many of the facades and building interiors have survived to this day. The Roman Emperor Trajan eventually claimed Petra as a part of the Roman Empire. The Roman influence can be seen in many of the sandstone carved structures.
Petra was said to be “lost to the west” in the 14th century until 1812 when a Swiss traveler named Johann Ludwig Burckhardt “rediscovered” Petra revealing the ancient city again to the west.
Today Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by Jordanians and visitors from all over the world.
If you’re interested I’ve posted a slideshow of some images from Petra. Go to www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com then click on the “Russia” link. The filename is petra.exe. I’ve also posted the show on Facebook.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
On Glaciers
15 февраля 2012
It’s appropriate that as I’m writing about glaciers and snow and looking out the window of our apartment - it’s snowing right now. The forecast is calling for snow until the weekend.
Intellectually I understand how glaciers are formed. I’ve even hiked up glaciers in Alaska, Montana and Canada. Now that I’ve been living through my first winter here in Mockva I’m experiencing glacier formation first hand, albeit until Spring arrives.
The concept is pretty simple: Snow falls and starts to pile up. Since the temperatures where glaciers are formed never rises about freezing the pressure from the snow eventually creates an ever-larger, growing snow pack. Over 100’s and 1000’s of years glaciers are formed.
Before we moved here I envisioned Mockva would be snow-covered all Winter, and it is, but it’s not quite the way I was expecting things to happen. I was imagining enormous show storms on a daily basis, the kind you’d see in the movie Dr. Zhivago. Now, it does snow here almost every day but usually in small amounts of 1-3 inches. Where I’m from in the US (northern New Jersey) you’d think “No big deal – in a few days the temperature will get above freezing and there would be a substantial melting and whatever had accumulated would be essentially gone.” Obviously the key concept is temperatures rising above freezing.
We haven’t experienced temperatures above freezing since late December. For the past week we’ve been in constant minus territory. The average temperature has been in the minus teens Celsius. To date the lowest the temperature as been is around -260 C – that’s about -130 F. A warm day has been 00
So, even when it snow just a few inches, like it’s doing right now, it never melts. Snow gets shoveled and plowed into ever-growing piles that at this point are huge. We have piles pushed to the side of our apartment compound’s parking lot that are taller than I am. There are similar piles all over Mockva – Who would have thought given an average snow-fall of 1 to 2 inches each time it snows?
To see how much snow we’re experiencing check out the slide show entitled: “kolomenskya_park_jan_2012_v2.exe” on my site: Andrew McDonough Photography
So I’m experiencing glacier formation up front and personal right outside our apartment door. Temperatures are not expected to seriously moderate until early March so I’m thinking the piles, our emerging mini-glaciers, should be getting twice their current size - at least!
Of course temperatures will eventually rise consistently above the freezing point and our glaciers will melt and finally disappear unlike those of the Arctic and Antarctic. It’s hard to imagine it but in August when we arrived everyone was complaining about how hot and humid it was. I guess everyone naturally complains about the weather…too high…too low…never satisfied…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Intellectually I understand how glaciers are formed. I’ve even hiked up glaciers in Alaska, Montana and Canada. Now that I’ve been living through my first winter here in Mockva I’m experiencing glacier formation first hand, albeit until Spring arrives.
The concept is pretty simple: Snow falls and starts to pile up. Since the temperatures where glaciers are formed never rises about freezing the pressure from the snow eventually creates an ever-larger, growing snow pack. Over 100’s and 1000’s of years glaciers are formed.
Before we moved here I envisioned Mockva would be snow-covered all Winter, and it is, but it’s not quite the way I was expecting things to happen. I was imagining enormous show storms on a daily basis, the kind you’d see in the movie Dr. Zhivago. Now, it does snow here almost every day but usually in small amounts of 1-3 inches. Where I’m from in the US (northern New Jersey) you’d think “No big deal – in a few days the temperature will get above freezing and there would be a substantial melting and whatever had accumulated would be essentially gone.” Obviously the key concept is temperatures rising above freezing.
We haven’t experienced temperatures above freezing since late December. For the past week we’ve been in constant minus territory. The average temperature has been in the minus teens Celsius. To date the lowest the temperature as been is around -260 C – that’s about -130 F. A warm day has been 00
So, even when it snow just a few inches, like it’s doing right now, it never melts. Snow gets shoveled and plowed into ever-growing piles that at this point are huge. We have piles pushed to the side of our apartment compound’s parking lot that are taller than I am. There are similar piles all over Mockva – Who would have thought given an average snow-fall of 1 to 2 inches each time it snows?
To see how much snow we’re experiencing check out the slide show entitled: “kolomenskya_park_jan_2012_v2.exe” on my site: Andrew McDonough Photography
So I’m experiencing glacier formation up front and personal right outside our apartment door. Temperatures are not expected to seriously moderate until early March so I’m thinking the piles, our emerging mini-glaciers, should be getting twice their current size - at least!
Of course temperatures will eventually rise consistently above the freezing point and our glaciers will melt and finally disappear unlike those of the Arctic and Antarctic. It’s hard to imagine it but in August when we arrived everyone was complaining about how hot and humid it was. I guess everyone naturally complains about the weather…too high…too low…never satisfied…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Monday, February 13, 2012
On The Palace Theatre
14 февраля 2012
We had an opportunity to see Cirque du Soleil at the Palace Theatre which sits inside the Kremlin walls. The top floor of this very impressive hall provides scenes of the Kremlin and Moscow from three of its four sides. The day happened to me cloudy and cold, about -240 C (-110 F) with a light slow falling. For photography the sky was a dismal linoleum grey which usually argues that you put your camera away. However, when you’re up there on the top floor and have floor-to-ceiling glass windows all around, it’s hard to resist.
On the other hand, shots with a blah grey sky lend themselves to experimenting with black and white and even line drawings including using some technique that give the images an old, antique or sepia finish. I’ve put together a slide shows with a mix of color, black and white images and line drawings.
If you’re interested check out the slide show on my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotoraphy.com/ , click on the “RUSSIA” link and download and view the file called palace_theatre.exe
For Mac users I’ve posted a .zip and .pdf file of the images used to make up the show.
Lastly, I’ve finally started figuring out how Facebook can work for me – posting slide shows formatted as videos. Starting with this post the show will also be available on my Facebook page.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
On the other hand, shots with a blah grey sky lend themselves to experimenting with black and white and even line drawings including using some technique that give the images an old, antique or sepia finish. I’ve put together a slide shows with a mix of color, black and white images and line drawings.
If you’re interested check out the slide show on my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotoraphy.com/ , click on the “RUSSIA” link and download and view the file called palace_theatre.exe
For Mac users I’ve posted a .zip and .pdf file of the images used to make up the show.
Lastly, I’ve finally started figuring out how Facebook can work for me – posting slide shows formatted as videos. Starting with this post the show will also be available on my Facebook page.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Weather Update in Mockva for Sunday
12 февраля 2012
High: -18 degrees C (-1 degree F)
Low: -26 degrees C (-13 degrees F)
It’s starting to get seriously cold here.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Low: -26 degrees C (-13 degrees F)
It’s starting to get seriously cold here.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
On a Previous Post About Snow and Temperature Here in Mockva
1 февраля 2012
I was wrong about the snow - There's lots of it piled up everywhere.
Weather update as of 19:10:
It's snowing lightly now.
Snow forecast for tomorrow.
Temperture now: -230C = -90 with a slight breeze.
Any way you slice it, it's COLD!.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Weather update as of 19:10:
It's snowing lightly now.
Snow forecast for tomorrow.
Temperture now: -230C = -90 with a slight breeze.
Any way you slice it, it's COLD!.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
On Kolomenskoe Park in Mockva
1 февраля 2012
Kolomenskyoe Park (Kolomenskya – Коломенское парк) was originally a village along the Moscow River founded in the early 1200’s and later became the estate of the Tsars’ and was home to a young Peter the Great, Alexander I and Cathryn the Great.
In 1985 the village became a museum and park. Among the churches in the park are: Church of the Ascension of the Lord; Church of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan; and the strikingly named Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist.
The park is a year-round destination for Muscovites. During the winter you’ll find people walking and hiking the slopes, skaters on the Moscow River, cross-country skiing and sleigh riding of all kinds (sleds, tubes, saucers, etc. Calling the park a winter wonderland is no exaggeration.
If you’re interested check out the slide show on my Web site at: www.andrewmcdonoughphotoraphy.com , click on the “RUSSIA” link and download and view the file called kolomenskya_park_jan_2012.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
In 1985 the village became a museum and park. Among the churches in the park are: Church of the Ascension of the Lord; Church of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan; and the strikingly named Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist.
The park is a year-round destination for Muscovites. During the winter you’ll find people walking and hiking the slopes, skaters on the Moscow River, cross-country skiing and sleigh riding of all kinds (sleds, tubes, saucers, etc. Calling the park a winter wonderland is no exaggeration.
If you’re interested check out the slide show on my Web site at: www.andrewmcdonoughphotoraphy.com , click on the “RUSSIA” link and download and view the file called kolomenskya_park_jan_2012.exe
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Monday, January 23, 2012
Winter has Arrived in Mockba
23 января 2012
Winter is finally upon us here in Mockba. It generally snows just about every day and temperature are in the low minus teens now.
If you'd like to get a sense of what Mockba winter is looking like: Last Saturday a group of us from Nancy's school drove about an hour and a half outside of Mockva to an outdoor party in the snow We first stopped into a B&B and had a traditional breakfast after which we drove a short distance and then loaded ourselves onto 2 horse-drawn sleighs which took us into the forest and arrived a a camp site with 2 pits fires, hot dogs for roasting and a lot of vodka, beer and wine.
Those that were interested took sleigh rides into adjacent farm fields. Some went sleigh riding on a nearby hill. After about 3 hours out in the cold and snow we returned to the B&B and went into a баня (sauna). After getting very sweaty and wacking ourselves with wet birch branches to get your circulation going you had a choice of jumping into a cold pool or outside in a snow bank. I hit the pool twice while Nancy headed for the snow bank.
After the баня experience set sat down to a traditional dinner of borsht, bread, vegetables with meats and cheeses followed by an interesting casserole of beef, potatoes and ionion. After dinner we piled back into our buss and headed back to the City.
If you’re interested go to my site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ and then click on the bottom file called: “banya_jan_22_2011.pdf” Save it to a convenient folder and then click on it to activate the .pfd file. There will only be 2 faces you recognize but you’ll note that everyone else seemed to be having a great time and you can now get a sense of how much snow has piled up and how cold it was that day.
Доследующегораза,
Борис
If you'd like to get a sense of what Mockba winter is looking like: Last Saturday a group of us from Nancy's school drove about an hour and a half outside of Mockva to an outdoor party in the snow We first stopped into a B&B and had a traditional breakfast after which we drove a short distance and then loaded ourselves onto 2 horse-drawn sleighs which took us into the forest and arrived a a camp site with 2 pits fires, hot dogs for roasting and a lot of vodka, beer and wine.
Those that were interested took sleigh rides into adjacent farm fields. Some went sleigh riding on a nearby hill. After about 3 hours out in the cold and snow we returned to the B&B and went into a баня (sauna). After getting very sweaty and wacking ourselves with wet birch branches to get your circulation going you had a choice of jumping into a cold pool or outside in a snow bank. I hit the pool twice while Nancy headed for the snow bank.
After the баня experience set sat down to a traditional dinner of borsht, bread, vegetables with meats and cheeses followed by an interesting casserole of beef, potatoes and ionion. After dinner we piled back into our buss and headed back to the City.
If you’re interested go to my site: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/ and then click on the bottom file called: “banya_jan_22_2011.pdf” Save it to a convenient folder and then click on it to activate the .pfd file. There will only be 2 faces you recognize but you’ll note that everyone else seemed to be having a great time and you can now get a sense of how much snow has piled up and how cold it was that day.
Доследующегораза,
Борис
Sunday, January 15, 2012
On Snow in Mockva
16 января 2012
Well…it’s finally here – snow – but not like I expected. I had visions of mountains of snow and ice everywhere, kind of like in Dr. Zhivago. These days it snows a little every day as it is right now as I’m looking out the window writing this. At the moment there is about 6 inches of accumulation from the last several days and based on what local people say that’s pretty much the norm; a little snow each day but not in huge amounts.
It is getting steadily colder which is what I expected. The forecast for the next few days calls for temperatures at or a bit below 0 degrees C.
Without the snow Mockva can be a pretty grey looking place. Things lighten up with the snow and the trees look pretty, which is a big improvement on your average linoleum-grey sky.
Snow removal here is different than in the US. The main roads are plowed and swept with large industrial size sweepers mounted on the back of the plow truck. An unknown liquid is sprayed. I’ve heard it called jet fuel and it does have the faint scent of kerosene. Salt is also spread in some places. Local streets don’t get as much attention and it seems like the DPW relies on cars traveling on the snow-covered roads to break it down. Everyone here uses studded tires so it does seem to get the job done although at night when the slush freezes it will get pretty slippery.
What is really amazing is the way snow is plowed in the parking lot of our compound. Everything is done by - hand! Our parking lot is about the size of a (US) football field or maybe even a little bigger. Guys with very wide shovel blades and 2 widely spaced handles push the snow to the side. With the snow now coming almost every day this amounts to a full-time job for these guys. Kind of makes you want to take up a collection and get these guys a snow blower or a John Deere with a plow. I know these exist at our local OBI (Home Depot) but they seem to be an unnecessary luxury by management.
It took the guys about 3 days to clear the snow from the last week and now it’s started again. Glad it’s not me out there…
Доследующегораза,
Борис
It is getting steadily colder which is what I expected. The forecast for the next few days calls for temperatures at or a bit below 0 degrees C.
Without the snow Mockva can be a pretty grey looking place. Things lighten up with the snow and the trees look pretty, which is a big improvement on your average linoleum-grey sky.
Snow removal here is different than in the US. The main roads are plowed and swept with large industrial size sweepers mounted on the back of the plow truck. An unknown liquid is sprayed. I’ve heard it called jet fuel and it does have the faint scent of kerosene. Salt is also spread in some places. Local streets don’t get as much attention and it seems like the DPW relies on cars traveling on the snow-covered roads to break it down. Everyone here uses studded tires so it does seem to get the job done although at night when the slush freezes it will get pretty slippery.
What is really amazing is the way snow is plowed in the parking lot of our compound. Everything is done by - hand! Our parking lot is about the size of a (US) football field or maybe even a little bigger. Guys with very wide shovel blades and 2 widely spaced handles push the snow to the side. With the snow now coming almost every day this amounts to a full-time job for these guys. Kind of makes you want to take up a collection and get these guys a snow blower or a John Deere with a plow. I know these exist at our local OBI (Home Depot) but they seem to be an unnecessary luxury by management.
It took the guys about 3 days to clear the snow from the last week and now it’s started again. Glad it’s not me out there…
Доследующегораза,
Борис
Saturday, January 14, 2012
On Barcelona and Antoni Gaudí
14 января 2012
We are back in Mockva having spent two weeks in the US during the holidays. On our way back to Mockva we stopped in Barcelona for five days and enjoyed this visitor-friendly cosmopolitan city with perfect weather under sunny warm skies. Visitor-friendly is not a phrase that comes to mind in Mockva but it fits well with Barcelona. We stayed in the center of town and thus had easy access to all of Barcelona.
Antoni Gaudí was a well-known architect in Barcelona and is famous for his experimental designs employing curved surfaces vs. straight lines. In one of his designs known as La Pedrera (Casa Milá), just two blocks from where we stayed at the Hotel Majestic, there are no straight lines, only curved and undulating surfaces including a rooftop with artistically inspired vents and chimneys, some reminiscent of ancient warrior figures. Just one and a half blocks in the other direction along the Paseo Gracia is the similarly designed Casa Batlló.
Gaudí also designed the Parc Guell, one of relatively few parks in the City a 25 minute bus-ride from our hotel. The park is sculpted in into a steep hill and offers great sky-line views of Barcelona.
Perhaps Gaudí’s best known and controversial project is the Sagrada Familla, a towering cathedral that still remains unfinished, originally started in 1882. Gaudí spent 40 years on the project often sleeping on the construction site until his death in 1927 due to a traffic accident. Since this death multiple architects and designers have built on or diverted from Gaudí’s original vision. To this day there are two large cranes being used to complete the exterior of the building. The Sagrada Familla, has come to be loved or hated: some consider it a masterpiece of experimental design, while others consider it a mis-mash of styles and an eyesore. It’s spires climb into the sky and can be seen from all corners of the City.
Since Gaudí is one of Barcelona’s great historical and cultural icons I’ve put together a slideshow of shots from all the sites I’ve mentioned above. This all-Gaudí show is one my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/
Доследующегораза,
Борис
Antoni Gaudí was a well-known architect in Barcelona and is famous for his experimental designs employing curved surfaces vs. straight lines. In one of his designs known as La Pedrera (Casa Milá), just two blocks from where we stayed at the Hotel Majestic, there are no straight lines, only curved and undulating surfaces including a rooftop with artistically inspired vents and chimneys, some reminiscent of ancient warrior figures. Just one and a half blocks in the other direction along the Paseo Gracia is the similarly designed Casa Batlló.
Gaudí also designed the Parc Guell, one of relatively few parks in the City a 25 minute bus-ride from our hotel. The park is sculpted in into a steep hill and offers great sky-line views of Barcelona.
Perhaps Gaudí’s best known and controversial project is the Sagrada Familla, a towering cathedral that still remains unfinished, originally started in 1882. Gaudí spent 40 years on the project often sleeping on the construction site until his death in 1927 due to a traffic accident. Since this death multiple architects and designers have built on or diverted from Gaudí’s original vision. To this day there are two large cranes being used to complete the exterior of the building. The Sagrada Familla, has come to be loved or hated: some consider it a masterpiece of experimental design, while others consider it a mis-mash of styles and an eyesore. It’s spires climb into the sky and can be seen from all corners of the City.
Since Gaudí is one of Barcelona’s great historical and cultural icons I’ve put together a slideshow of shots from all the sites I’ve mentioned above. This all-Gaudí show is one my Web site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/
Доследующегораза,
Борис
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