Reflections and inspirations

A reflection in the Central Museum in Utrecht at the exhibition of fashiondesigner Jan Taminiau.

This shows some scenes where he gets his inspiration from as here the reflection in the pool.

With this as a result.

Linking to "Weekend Reflections"

Monday Mural

A mural in Utrecht  in a small alley is so real, that I had the feeling I could step into it.

Here a look in the alley.

The  name of the artist is in the corner, "Babette Daalderop", made in 2002, commissioned by the city center office. Linking to "Sami's colourfulworld" Monday Mural

Reflection

A reflection in the new Central Station of Utrecht.

Linking to "Weekend Reflections"

Skywatch

A skywatch through the new entrance of Utrecht Central Station.

Linking to "Skywatch Friday"

Reflection

A reflection in the shopping mall Hoog Catharijne in Utrecht

Linking to "Weekend Reflections"

Signs

A claer sign to send you to the right house.

Linking to "signs, signs2"

Mystery

A heavy stone attached to a chain, a mystery.  Who would lift it up and take it away? Seen  in Utrecht. 

The story behind is that the stone is there already since 1520 and was meant to protect the house against damage caused by towing goods or riding carts with big wheels.

There was also a legend that when you put a needle in it at 12 at night, some blood came out.

Also at night the stone was visited by all kinds of evil spirits, giants, witches and wizards.

They marbled with the stone over the boulders of the Old canal. They bounced it as a ball back and forth from one bridge to another. The inhabitants couldn't sleep anymore and they held a noctural procession and managed to banish all the evil spirits. To be on the safe side the stone was attached to a chain.

Linking to "Our World Tuesday"

Reflection

How big can you make an advertisement. At least it gives me a reflection.

Linking to "Weekend Reflections"

Trees

I was impressed by the huge chestnut trees along the canals in Utrecht.

With red flowers, I had never seen before.

The Dom tower peeking above the trees, helas in restoration. The tower is more than 600 years old and needs an urgent renovation which will last 5 years and costs 37 million euros.

Text

This text imade by C.C.S Crone (1914-1951), a dutch writer of sad stories, mostly situated in Utrecht, is on a wall in Utrecht. The text says: 

In the distance

A fanfare blared

There was an other party

in the Geertestreet

Linking to "signs, signs2"

Utrecht canals

Utrecht has like Amsterdam canals in the innercity but they look different. The houses are mostly built on high quays and below along the waterfront are little workshops or restaurants. You have to go down with stairs as you can see one in the back.

Here are no quays at all.

But when the weather is good, you can use every piece to have a picnic. Utrecht has a university and I think these are students living together here.

Linking to "Our World Tuesday"

Reflections

The new shoppingmall "Hoog Catharijne" in Utrecht.

With reflections everywhere. Linking to ""Weekend Reflections"

New building

I hadn't been for some time in Utrecht and everything around the trainstation had changed in the meantime. Had to look up what this colourful tower is, well it is called the "Poortgebouw" a multifunctional building with three floors with horeca and shopping stores, apartments and on top a hotel. Linking to "Skywatch Friday"

Here a photo from internet, hadn't seen the side of the building!

Fashion

I went to a great exhibition of  Dutch fashion designer Jan Taminiau (1975).

He is known for his use of traditional handicraft and production techniques, the application of unique and original materials and for his outspoken sens of aesthetics. Our Queen Maxima wears often his magical evening dresses as these two.

At the end of the exhibition you could have a closer look at the handicraft works with these examples.

Well,  a post for the ladies today I think.

Welcome?

Someone has put this grunting lion in front of his house in the city of Utrecht.

Linking to "Signs, signs2"

Paushuize

A picture of a picture.I saw this delegation of Chinese? men posing in front of the "Paushuize" (Pope home) in Utrecht. The building has been named after Adrian VI, the only Dutch pope who built the house from 1517 on. Adrian wasn't at that time a Pope. He worked at the Court of Emperor Charles V in Spain and hoped ever return to Utrecht. Adrian however was elected Pope in 1522 and died a year later in Rome. He has his home in Utrecht never inhabited.

The house is well preserved, the special architecture, the alternation of red brick with lighter "bacon layers"of natural stone and a stricking stepped gable, makes this a Renaissance house with Gothic influences. In 1830 it was renovated and the pointed arch windows were replaced by straight ones.

Nowadays Paushuize is used as a representative space for the Commisioner of the King and the provincial government. A part of it has since 1996 used at the University of Utrecht. In 1985 Pope John Paul II visited Paushuize.

Courtyard

The Dom-Church in Utrecht I mentioned in yesterdays post, has a beautiful courtyard.

It is a quiet place to sit for a moment and enjoy the garden.

Or to read a book as this sculpture on the fountain.

I always love to walk through those corridors with arches.

Strange effect

At the Dom-Church in Utrecht a huge image of the inside hangs at the outside of the building to welcome you in this area. It looks like you watch straight into an open church.

But this is the real  inside. The Dom-Church was the cathedral of the bishopric of Utrecht during the Middle Ages. It has been a Protestant church since 1580. The building is the one church in the Netherlands that closely resembles the classic Ghotic style as developed in France.

As often happens during history the buildings are many times destroyed by men or nature. What remains of this church today are the choir, the transept and the Dom Tower.The central nave of the cathedral which collapsed in the storm of 1674 is now a square with large trees, the Dom square, seen in the first picture.

Reflection

It looks almost like a bubble in the water, the reflection of this green covered bridge in Utrecht.

Linking to Weekend Reflections

Pretty Vacant

In the Central Museum in Utrecht I saw yesterday this amazing fence made of styrofoam!

Here you see a detail. The installiation "Pretty Vacant" made by design office "Rietveld Landscape", shows the visiter a different way of looking at the empty spaces of the museum. The blue window or fence literally throws a new light on it and conforms to the architecture of the medieval chapel.

Linking to Good Fences