The while-we-wait-for-river-cruises photo quiz

[notamermaid]

L' Oceanie, interesting. So French Polynesia was sort of the right realm. The kangaroo looks a little thin, reminds me a bit of the drawings of dinosaurs you see in books.

 

@ljandgb thank you for all the info. Hopefully I can get to the Musée d'Orsay in the not so distant future.

 

acwmom, I have seen that tower with the gargoyles. One of them is, ehh, a bottom and therefore a bit famous with architecturally interested folks. This is an excursion from the Rhine and the red stone means it is somewhere between Mainz and Basel. But my memory fails me with further details at the moment.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[jpalbny]

Great picture!

 

Reddish stone like in Alsace or South-west Germany. It looks like the same color as the Freiberg Munster. Some of the stone in this picture appears reconstructed, or very recently cleaned.

 

The two protrusions near the top appear to be human figures - are they getting pulled in to the tower? The one on the left appears to be resisting mightily.

 

The decorative tips at the top of the spire look like fleurs-de-lys so that could go with France. And the blue sky looks more southern France than Northern. The thing that doesn't fit, in my mind, is the decorative geometric shapes at the bottom of the picture. That looks Islamic to me. But that doesn't fit in France at all.

 

Is this an excursion from the southern part of the Rhine?

[ljandgb]

Yes, those "backward" gargoyles would catch my eye, too.  I was going to guess Rhine, but no idea beyond that.

[notamermaid]

@jpalbny I searched for "Wasserspeier Hintern" and there it was in my google images in "all its glory"

 

Great guess!

 

notamermaid

 

[acwmom]

22 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

Great picture!

 

Reddish stone like in Alsace or South-west Germany. It looks like the same color as the Freiberg Munster. Some of the stone in this picture appears reconstructed, or very recently cleaned.

 

The two protrusions near the top appear to be human figures - are they getting pulled in to the tower? The one on the left appears to be resisting mightily.

 

The decorative tips at the top of the spire look like fleurs-de-lys so that could go with France. And the blue sky looks more southern France than Northern. The thing that doesn't fit, in my mind, is the decorative geometric shapes at the bottom of the picture. That looks Islamic to me. But that doesn't fit in France at all.

 

Is this an excursion from the southern part of the Rhine?

You are correct. It is Freiberg. Our guide didn't call attention to this gargoyle, and I had to do a double take when I saw it.

https://visit.freiburg.de/en/attractions/muensterbauhuette-cathedral-workshop

Over to you, JP! 

[Host Jazzbeau]

This link gives the picture and story of this mischievous gargoyle:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mooning-gargoyle-of-freiburg-minster

 

[jpalbny]

OK, that was a really lucky guess. I will have to look at my Freiberg pics to see if I have that one. And I love the German description of this particular gargoyle...

 

OK here is an easy one but I like this picture. I did leave a small clue for those in the know!

 

 

 

[notamermaid]

Splendid European Baroque or a bit later I would say, but I look East to locate this one. The blue and the windows, hmm, East of Poland? There is a flag I cannot make out properly and are those Cyrillic letters in the crescent of the portal?

 

notamermaid

 

[jpalbny]

The flag is indeed a clue. It's hard to make out properly unless you know what it is.

[dogs4fun]

Presidential standard? Looks like a Rastrelli.

Edited January 8, 2021 by dogs4fun

[jpalbny]

Just now, dogs4fun said:

Presidential standard?

 

I know exactly why you asked that, but no. It's a national symbol from way back. Once someone guesses I'll try to remember to post a good picture of what's on the flag.

[dogs4fun]

1 minute ago, jpalbny said:

 

I know exactly why you asked that, but no. It's a national symbol from way back. Once someone guesses I'll try to remember to post a good picture of what's on the flag.

Interesting - it really looks like a Rastrelli. I love his architecture.

[jpalbny]

3 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

Interesting - it really looks like a Rastrelli.

 

There's a good reason for that! 😉

 

[dogs4fun]

11 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

It's a national symbol from way back.

Is that a trident on the flag?

[jpalbny]

It is a Tryzub! Easy to see, if you know what one is. 

[notamermaid]

I think it is called double-flight stairs. They lead to the bel etage or piano nobile, the principal entrance to a building of note, often a palace. Quite typical for Baroque and a bit later. The horse carriages drive up and the VIP's walk up the stairs. Very nice building, If I had some spare cash...

 

It is the Trysub on the flag, I believe (I fully admit I found it by accident). Which makes it Ukraine, right?

 

Edit: crossed paths with jpalbny's post.

 

Thought this might be something that Catherine the Great may have commissioned, she had a liking for such palaces. But that would be Russia really.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by notamermaid
see edit

[dogs4fun]

1 minute ago, jpalbny said:

It is a Tryzub! Easy to see, if you know what one is. 

I know now - Google told me. 😁 

[dogs4fun]

Ah, of course, I should have known. 

[Coral]

Mariyinsky Palace, Kiev/Kyiv, Dnieper river

Edited January 9, 2021 by Coral

[jpalbny]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

Mariyinsky Palace, Kiev/Kyiv, Dnieper river

 

Yes, that's it. It's now the presidential residence, which is why I thought that dogs4fun asked the above question about a presidential standard. It was a brilliant hint!

 

We were in Kyiv on inauguration day in 2019. The square here was crowded. The next day we returned and got this more empty picture.

 

The tryzub is a national symbol of Ukraine dating back many years, perhaps all the way to Kievan Rus. It's a  stylized trident (tryzub literally means "three teeth" from what Chris tells me). An example.

 

[Coral]

OK - I am cropping this picture to make it a tad more difficult. Hopefully the 3 clues in the pic will help:

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Well, the red color is wrong – but otherwise it's making me hungry to onioney greasy hamburgers!

[Coral]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Well, the red color is wrong – but otherwise it's making me hungry to onioney greasy hamburgers!

It took me awhile to figure out you were referring to White Castle. 🙂 

[notamermaid]

Whoever owns the building or looks after it, certainly wants it to shine like a beacon at night, with all those spotlights! Important then, and I wonder if the dogs are really there for fun or security.

 

The red brick is quite striking and looks more modern than old. If that is true and not my smartphone image feel, it clashes with the ornaments along the top. The crenellations are typical of Northern Italy, called Schwalbenschwanzzinnen, it appears it is the same in English "swallow tail". I first saw those many years ago on the castles in South Tyrol and love them.

 

Which makes me think Italianate or really Italy? Can't decide...

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Whoever owns the building or looks after it, certainly wants it to shine like a beacon at night, with all those spotlights! Important then, and I wonder if the dogs are really there for fun or security.

 

The dogs were friendly 🙂