55 Broadway, London Underground’s Headquarters, London

This a a photo of 55 Broadway, London, a notable building designed by Charles Holden. Finished in 1929, it was the new headquarters building for the London Electric Railway Company (LER), the main forerunner of London Underground. The building continues to be occupied as the organisation’s headquarters.

Peyrepertuse Cathar Castle, French Pyrénées

This is a photo of the Peyrepertuse castle (Cathar castle), located in the French Pyrenees. Settled in the high reliefs of the Hautes Corbières, Peyrepertuse peaks at 800 metres altitude, surrounded by the garrigue and overhanging the little village of Duillac. From the high head-land, the lanscape shows the next castle, Quéribus, at 5 kilometrres from there. It was built on a strategic location along the French/Spanish border of that time, until the castle lost importance as a strategic castle when the border of the two countries was moved to its present place in 1659 (Treaty of the Pyrenees).

Paris

This photo was taken from the top of the Centre George Pompidou, by looking at the details, you will recognise :

• the Bourse du Commerce at the foreground : this is the round building; it was built in the 18th century, and later modified in the 19th. The site however has been occupied for the last 800 years. Called the Hôtel de Nesle, during the 13th century, then it became the Hôtel de Bohème, then Hôtel de Orléans. The mother of St. Louis, Blanche de Castille, died in the Hôtel de Nesle in 1252. Later, Louis XII lost the building to his chamberlain in a cribbage game. He in turn converted it to a convent for wayward women. In 1572, Catherine de Medici moved the convent out, and had Delorme and Bullant construct the Hôtel de la Reine, later called the Hôtel de Savoy. The present rotunda built in 1889 replaced a wheat market build during Louis XVI’s reign.
• the Colonne Médicis at the foreground next to the bourse du Commerce, is a vestige (from 1574) of the Hôtel de la Reine, and thought to have been used by the astrologer Ruggieri as an observatory.
• the Colonne Vendôme on the right hand side, located at the centre of the Place Vendôme and erected by Napoleon to commemorate Battle of Austerlitz.
• the Saint-Augustin church’s dome / coupole, just in the alignment of the Grande Arche
• the Arc de Triomphe on the left hand side
• La Défense at the background

Flying buttress, Notre Dame, Paris

A classic photo of Notre Dame (Paris) showing the flying buttress (arc-boutant).

Santorini, Cyclades, Greece

This is a photo taken from one of the roof of the many Santorini houses built on the edge of the caldera. You can know more about Santorini and the Cyclades looking at following links Cyclades and Santorini.

Sydney Opera House

This is a photo of the Sydney Opera House, New South Wales, Australia. Designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the project was built in three stages : 1959–1963 consisted of building the upper podium; 1963–1967 saw the construction of the outer shells; 1967-1973 consisted of the interior design and construction. It was formally opened in 1973 by Elisabeth II, and in 2007 was made a UNESCO World Heritage. To know more about it, please refer to following Wikipedia web page Sydney Opera House.

Amsterdam

Les Toits de Paris

This photo was taken from Montmartre Hill (la butte Montmartre), and shows typical rooftops and red chimneys from France capital city.

Sydney Opera House

This is a photo of the Sydney Opear House, New South Wales, Australia. Designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the project was built in three stages : 1959–1963 consisted of building the upper podium; 1963–1967 saw the construction of the outer shells; 1967-1973 consisted of the interior design and construction. It was formally opened in 1973 by Elisabeth II, and in 2007 was made a UNESCO World Heritage.

Arlington Row, Cotswolds, Heart of England

This photo shows medieval almshouses of Arlington Row, Bibury, Gloucestershire, Cotswolds. See also Cotswolds AONB Official Website.