Category Archives: Old Buildings

Abandoned

Old Homestead
South of Odessa, Eastern Washington

Roaming around back roads in eastern Washington, I discovered this old abandoned homestead house. At one time it was a quaint setting surrounded by trees. A curving path led up to the front door. What was once a front yard is now covered by tumbleweeds. I wonder how many families over the years resided here. How long has it been abandoned? Many such little pieces of history sprinkle the eastern Washington farm lands.

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Exploring

Old Farm
Eastern Washington State

When I get a chance, I like to get off the main roads and explore from time to time with no set purpose. This day I was on my way back home from South Dakota and was tired of driving along I-90 in Eastern Washington. I decided to turn off toward the town of Odessa. Driving along a dirt road, I came across this lonesome old homestead. The old farm was still inhabited. It had a small farm house nestled in the trees behind the barn. The buildings were old and unpainted, but well kept up. The grounds were clean and neat. There were no signs of active farming. A white pickup was parked just out of sight behind the barn.

Before getting out to photograph, I sat in my Jeep and wondered what the people living here were doing. It looked like they occasionally had some animals in the fenced areas and barn. But I could not see any other evidence of active farming. All around the area were large active farms of wheat, hay, and other grains. Here was just sage brush and one or two old abandoned farm implements. I imagine the owners are people who love the rural life and have day jobs in other areas.

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Makes My Knees Shake

“The Duomo Main Entrance”
Florence, Italy

My mind is back in Florence, reminiscing on our recent trip to Italy. Standing near the main stairs leading inside the Duomo, my knees and whole body felt weak under the grandeur of the awe inspiring cathedral facade. It was difficult for me to stand still enough to create a steady image.

Being a small town country boy, I stand back and wonder. It is hard for me to comprehend what it took to create such a wonderful piece of architecture and art: the patrons, the designers, the political battles, the financial resources, the workers, the time it took to build, the people for whom it was built. I imagine and dream, then pause and enjoy the wonderful gift of what was created centuries ago.

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The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower

“Duomo di Firenze”
Florence, Italy

The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower, commonly known as the Cathedral of Florence (Duomo di Firenze), was constructed during the height of the Renaissance. The first time I saw the Duomo was on a Mediterranean cruise with a group of college and Doyletown, PA friends. I had never seen anything like it! We only had a few hours in Florence before we headed to Pisa and then back to the cruise ship. I wish we had the whole day just to explore around Florence. This time we had two and a half days to see the sights. It still wasn’t enough.
I am already looking forward to our next trip to Tuscany.

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Centuries Past

“Venice Canal Reflection”
Venice, Italy

Venice pulls my mind back in time. These buildings were built many centuries ago, some 15 centuries ago. The rising level of the canals and the disintegrating brick tell a historic tale. The ground (now sea-level) floors were originally warehouses and shops. Most are now vacated basements flooded by water. Byzantium influence in the tenth and eleventh century is seen in the “Moorish-style” windows in the orange building on the right. Clothes are still dried hanging out in the warm Venetian air. There is a hint of modern times if you look close at the top of the image and see a small satellite dish.

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If You Want to See Color

“A Rainbow Excursion”
Burano, Italy

Burano is a small fishing Villiage located about 4 miles north of Venice in the Venetian Lagoon. It is called the Rainbow Island. If you want to see color, visit Burano! The homes, businesses, and public buildings are painted in bright colors. Even in side streets like the one in the image above, homes are bright. Each adjacent building is a different color. We only had a couple of hours to explore on our tour. I could have spent the whole day there!

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In Search Of …

“Lonesome Alley”
Venice, Italy

In our free time, we were on constant alert for unpopulated alleys. They were few and far between, even in the back street areas away from the main tourist sites. Tourists seemed to be everywhere. We make it difficult for the hometown Venetians to live a private life. During our next trip (there will be one), I hope to spend our time searching for little out of the way places to courteously explore, eat, and enjoy the wonderful city the way a Venetian does.

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Fascination With Windows

“Courtyard Window”
Venice, Italy

Windows are like a magnet to my camera’s lens. How many different people have lived behind this shuttered window over the passing of centuries? What did it look like when it was first constructed? This particular window architecture was influenced by a Moorish/Byzantine style during the 13th century.

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Before the Tourists Wake Up

“The Grand Canal, Early Morning”
Venice, Italy

It is much more enjoyable to stroll the iconic places in Venice at 6:00 AM, before the tourists wake up. Compare this view of the Grand Canal with the image in my last post that was taken mid-afternoon. Large crowds dominate Venice from about 8:30A to 10:00P. During these time periods I tried to focus my walks to the back streets.

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Compare

“The Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge”
Venice, Italy

Compare the heavy traffic on Venice’s Grand Canal with the quiet peacefulness of the small back canal in my previous post. I much prefer the intimacy of the “off the beaten track” places over the grandeur of the iconic scenes. To get this image, I had to wiggle my way through a crowd to a spot on the Rialto Bridge. On my previous post, I just had to wait a minute or two for a gondola to pass.

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