The fortified church in Bazna

The village of Bazna (“Baaßen” in German and “Bázna” in Hungarian) is technically a commune comprised of three villages: Bazna, Boian and Velt. Settled by Saxons in the 13th century, the land was great not only for agriculture but also gave forth natural gas and springs of water containing salt and iodine.

The fortified church you’re about to see in my photographs was built in the 15th century. A hundred years or so later, it gained the surrounding fortified walls and defense tower. You’ll find an oddity in that tower: it’s also a bell tower and it has three bells made sometime between the 14-15th century. That’s not something often seen in Transilvania, where most of the bells were melted to make weapons during WWI.

The church has a caretaker and is well-maintained, which is more (much more) than can be said for most of the other fortified churches in Transilvania.

Enjoy the photographs! I took them in April of 2010.

An old Saxon fortified church dating back to 1504, in the village of Bazna, Transilvania, Romania

Places

A visit to Villa Vizcaya

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, previously known as Villa Vizcaya, is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune. It’s located on Biscayne Bay, in the present day Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Deering used Vizcaya as his winter residence from 1916 until his death in 1925.

The estate property originally consisted of 180 acres of shoreline mangrove swamps and dense inland native tropical forests. The villa was built primarily between 1914 and 1922, at a cost of $15,000,000, while the construction of the extensive elaborate Italian Renaissance gardens and the village continued into 1923.

The estate’s name refers to the northern Spanish province Vizcaya (In English Biscay), in the Basque region along the east Atlantic’s Bay of Biscay, as ‘Vizcaya’ is on the west Atlantic’s Biscayne Bay. Records indicate Deering wished the name also to commemorate an early Spaniard named Vizcaya who he thought explored the area, although later he was corrected that the explorer’s name was Sebastián Vizcaíno. Deering used the Caravel, a type of ship style used during the ‘Age of Exploration’, as the symbol and emblem of Vizcaya. A representation of the mythical explorer “Bel Vizcaya” welcomes visitors at the entrance to the property.

Vizcaya is noteworthy for adapting historical European aesthetic traditions to South Florida’s subtropical ecoregion. For example; it combined imported French and Italian garden layouts and elements implemented in Cuban limestone stonework with Floridian coral architectural trim and planted with sub-tropic compatible and native plants that thrived in the habitat and climate. Palms and Philodendrons had not been represented in the emulated gardens of Tuscany or Île-de-France.

James Deering died in September 1925 on board the steamship “SS City of Paris” en route back to the United States. After his death Vizcaya was inherited by his two nieces, Marion Chauncey Deering McCormick and Ely Deering McCormick Danielson, and that’s where the tale turns even sadder, at least for me. I do wish heirs could hold on to these grand estates after they inherit them. Surely they also got some money as inheritance. Couldn’t they have become proper stewards of the place? History answers that question with a no. Over the decades, after hurricanes and increasing maintenance costs, they began selling the estate’s surrounding land parcels and outer gardens. In 1945 they sold significant portions of the Vizcaya property to the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, to build Miami’s Mercy Hospital. 50 acres (200,000 m2) comprising the main house, the formal gardens, and the village were retained.

In 1952 Miami-Dade County acquired the villa and formal Italian gardens, needing significant restoration, for $1 million. Deering’s heirs donated the villa’s furnishings and antiquities to the County-Museum. Vizcaya began operation in 1953 as the Dade County Art Museum. The village and remaining property were acquired by the County during the mid-1950s. In 1994 the Vizcaya estate was designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 1998, in conjunction with Vizcaya’s reaccreditation process by the American Alliance of Museums, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust was formed to be the museum’s governing body.

Visitors can now see the villa, estate and surrounding gardens at 3251 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129, USA. You can get tickets and consult visiting hours at the official website.

I have prepared a gallery of 103 photographs we took there, and I hope you enjoy seeing them!

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Stone island with statues, Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Detail from a leaf. Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Ligia at Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

A ship carved into a stone emblem. Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Tiny little orange-red flowers, Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA.   © Raoul Pop. All rights reserved.  Available for licensing and purchase.   Website - Raoul Pop Photo Catalog - Raoul Pop Photography

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Ligia at Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Gulf water underneath mangrove trees, Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

An elegant bedroom, lamp glowing softly on the nighstand. Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA. Nothing says historic glamour like plexiglass screwed on top of the other windows and a rusty ballustrade. I know the place belongs to the NPS now but come on, spruce it up, keep it original!

Ligia at Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Places

More photos from the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

When I published my original post about our visit to these wonderful gardens in Delray Beach which are dedicated to the hard work of the Japanese farmers in the area, I only included 16 photographs and 1 video clip. I’m not sure why — perhaps because I focused on editing the clip and thought 16 photos was enough — at any rate, it’s time to rectify the situation, so here is a gallery of 67 photographs taken at the Morikami Gardens. Enjoy!

Rock texture, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

House on island in middle of lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Turtles sunning themselves on a rock, in a pond at the Morikami Museum, Delray Beach, Florida, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Knotted bonsai tree trunk, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Azalea blossom, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pine needles, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pond, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Wonderful wooden bench, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Gravesite, George Morikami, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Zen garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Zen garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Island in the middle of a pond, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Zen garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Wonderful path below an arch of tree branches, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Bridge over lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

House on island, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

On a rocky lake shore, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Underneath a bonsai tree branch, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Happy little stream, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Miniature tree, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

A large green lizard, Morikami Museum, Delray Beach, Florida, USA.

Bridge over lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Stone lantern, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Leaves, macro, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pine trunks and stone lantern, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Stream, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Heron, Morikami Museum, Delray Beach, Florida, USA.

Wooden benches below a large tree, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pond below a waterfall, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Zen garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Pathway and stairs, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Island in the middle of a pond, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Waterfall hidden among trees, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Stream and waterfall, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Bamboo tree stalks, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Moss on tree trunk, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Waterfall, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Water drips from a bamboo spout, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Cycas revoluta (“King Sago”), a gymnosperm, with Asian cycad scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui) — a pest — on its leaves. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Ferns, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA. (raoulpop.com)

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Wonderful path below an arch of tree branches, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Branches frame the view, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Bridge over lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Places

A visit to The Breakers in Palm Beach

Back when we visited the Flagler Museum, we also visited and stayed at The Breakers in Palm Beach, an historic hotel. I honestly thought I’d published these photos long ago but no, I forgot. I did publish a short video clip I filmed on the beach with a new camera I was reviewing at the time, the PEN E-P2.

So… eight years later, here are the photographs I’ve taken at The Breakers. In case you’re interested in the fleeting red light of the setting sun and how it can be used for portraits, there’s a wonderful spot right outside the hotel, on one of the walkways, where it filters through the palm trees and shines on a spot that’s right at face level. You’ll see it in the photos and yes, that is exactly the kind of red light it is, I did not make it redder in post-processing. If you want to catch it, you’ll have to be there watching, because it only lasts for about 10 minutes each evening. Good luck!

Enjoy the photographs!

The Breakers Hotel & Resort, Palm Beach, FL, USA

We found this spot where the red light of the setting sun filtered through the trees and concentrated right at face level. The Breakers Hotel & Resort, Palm Beach, FL, USA

The Breakers Hotel & Resort, Palm Beach, FL, USA

Places

Italian road trip – Day 6 – Rome

Day 5 ended with us exhausted, crashing onto our beds and having a sound night’s sleep after a paradoxical search for a hotel with available rooms in what is one of the largest cities in the world with plenty of hotels. But that’s how things were that night. We woke up to a beautiful day and we set out to explore Rome.

I had set a grand goal: to show my companions the Rome I knew from 1999, ten years earlier. The part I hadn’t worked out yet in my enthusiasm, was that I’d explored Rome in three weeks, by myself, and now I was going to drag four people in tow to see a lofty list of places in a single day. Make no mistake about it, there were repeated protestations as the day progressed, but it was hard to hear them as I walked ahead at a military pace…

When it was all said and done, after putting my incredibly patient companions through a full day of exploration with little food or drink (there was no time, we had to see everything on my list…), I set another goal: reach a seaside town called Ladispoli by nightfall and find a hotel. Yeah, I did that to them, too! I didn’t let them sleep, I packed them into the car and off we went. I still can’t believe they put up with me. I know I wouldn’t have. Now that I’m in my 40s (this was back in 2009 mind you), I know I wouldn’t do this to myself or to others. The pace was too hectic, we couldn’t take things in. By the end of the day, it was all a blur. Thank goodness we took photos, or else we wouldn’t remember much.

Enjoy our memories from that day!

Rome, Italy

Looking over Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Interior, Anglican Church, Via del Babuino, Rome, Italy

Anglican Church, Via del Babuino, Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

Vatican, Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy

A vertical panorama of Trajan’s Column, Rome, Italy. The original file is 55 megapixels in size.

Rome, Italy

Outside the Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Trajan celebrating his victory over the Daci, near the Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Interesting historical fact: Trajan was also a Dac, born near Turda in what is now Romania.