Ladee's Travels

Desert Botanical Gardens dbg.org  currently has several installations of light works by Bruce Munro.  Obviously, these are best seen at night.  We went in late December and the tickets were sold out, so order in advance if you plan to go.  There are also some other installations in the Scottsdale area. See the Scottsdale Desert Radiance for more information about other installations...or wait until I show them here. Bruce Munro's website:  http://www.brucemunro.co.uk I photographed his work and not a lot of the desert plants.  Enjoy the lights and colors! The first installation that we saw was " Beacon". It is a dome. The lights are inside plastic bottles.  These are " Eden Blooms" .  The area had about five or six of these. This series of photographs was taken of a single "bloom" as it changed color.  " Chindi" is a suspended piece.  This exhibit is " Fireflies ". Here are two examples of ...

The Belvederegarten  extends from the Upper Belvedere Palace, down a gentle slope, to the Lower Belvedere.  The gardens are done in a formal French style with graveled walks and jeux d'eau.  Jeux d'eau  is an umbrella term for the type of water features introduced in mid-16th century Mannerist Italian gardens and include water chains, water stairs, fountains, cascades, jets, pools and canals.  Pumps were invented and the fountains grew bigger and better.  Where can you find these in the US today?  Think of the resorts in Las Vegas with water shows dancing to music and laser lights!  The bedding had originally been patterned and then grassed over. The patterns are now being restored.  The center "stairs" are not for people. These are water stairs that come from the upper fountain.  A zoom view to see the fountain, the Upper Belvedere with the Christmas tree lights seen through the window.  Details on th...

My walk continued up a slight grade as Schwartenbergplatz changed to Prinz Eugen-Strasse. I entered the palace grounds and found my way to the ticket office.  I purchased a ticket for the Upper Belvedere gallery to see the Gustav Klimt works and the Lower Belvedere gallery to see "The Women of Klimt, Schiele, and Kokoschka" exhibit.  Circle to the other side of the larger building (past the not-yet-open Belvedere Christmas Market...did not come back to see it).  There are large gardens between the Upper and Lower Belvedere buildings.  The Upper Belvedere Palace was built in the Baroque style and was a summer palace for Prince Eugene of Savoy. Construction was completed in 1723.  Looking through the fog at the gardens between the Upper and Lower Belvedere.  And a snowman...This marble sculpture is by Manfred Erjahtz, is named Gefungen in der Gegenwart   (Trapped in the Present),  and explores a wintery subject: the snowman....