Dirndl

Salzburg, Austria, July 1971. It wasn't folksy then to wear a dirndl (or lederhosen).

Residenzplatz Reunion

Salzburg, Austria, July 1971. It's a Baroque spot.

Soviet Square

Lukiškės Square, Vilnius, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1975. See Photo 17 here.

February Weather ...

... in Venice:

Venice, Italy, February 1984. I'm on my way back to the Archivio.

"The statues were covered to spare Rouhani's blushes."

Rome authorities cover nude statues during Iranian president's visit.

"As well as censoring the private parts of Roman gods and goddesses wine was also banned from official receptions in order to not offend their guests."

The Grand Duke

Vilnius, Lithuania, August 2011. This is Grand Duke Gediminas. Lithuanians today celebrate Statehood Day. On July 6, 1253, Lithuania crowned its only king, King Mindaugas. At about the same time, Pope Innocent IV recognized the Lithuanian state.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

The Tchotchkes Shelves

Suburban Chicago, 1967. This photo shows the items on display in the Rec Room (see also here, here, and here). Did you have a troll doll?

The View from the Steps

Columbia, South Carolina, September 5, 1988. I walk up the steps of the South Carolina Capitol.

City Tour

Vienna, Austria, about 1949. My Dad's friend Casey visits Maria-Theresien-Platz.

"Black Ghost"

Klaipeda statue is one of "25 of the most creative sculptures and statues from around the world."

Related by Marriage: Sunday at the Seminary

Marian Hills Seminary, Willowbrook, Illinois, about 1938. Mr. Irene's Mom and her maternal Aunt Petra (dark hat) visit the site with a family friend. There's more on the history of Marian Hills Seminary here.

Shady Reunion

Door County, Wisconsin, July 2007. There's a quiet spot behind the shop.

He's weak in the ankles.

Michelangelo's "David" statue "risks collapsing under its own weight because of strain on the sculpture's 'weak ankles'."

The "David" has stood in Florence's Accademia Gallery since 1873. The statue in the Piazzia della Signoria is a replica:

Florence, Italy, May 1984. Some tourists assume the "David" guarding the Palazzo Vecchio's entry is the original statue.

I visit the Uffizi

Florence, Italy, May 1984. This morning's Uffizi post reminded me of my visit to Florence. I didn't find the city charming. There were more tourists than in Venice. The historical sites stood in a tight area that made the city center seem like an amusement park. The place was claustrophobic. I also had some trouble understanding the Florentine dialect, which softens the "c" sounds: "Casa" becomes "hasa," for example.

Florence is the city in which I encountered my first "ugly American." As I sat sipping a macchiato, a woman exclaimed to her husband, "Why can't these Italians make a decent cup of coffee?!"

"In a globalized world like ours, the fundamental rules for visiting a museum have been forgotten, that is, ‘Do not touch the works’."

An American tourist visiting Florence's Museo dell’Opera del Duomo allegedly broke a finger off a 600-year-old statute as he apparently measured his palm span against that of the statue. An Italian paper, Corriere Fiorentino, reports, however, that the tourist was setting up a "give me five" photo pose with the statute when he snapped off the statue's pinkie.

The head of the museum "confirmed that the broken finger was not original to the piece, and had been added at a later date."

Move over, yarnbombing ...

… There's a new fad on the town square.