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Showing posts with label Works of Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Works of Art. Show all posts

Monday, 30 June 2025

Fire Hydrants

A Hydrant In The Flowers
 
Location: Elm Creek, Manitoba, Canada
Address: Gladys Street Fire Department
Date: Oct 2014
Website: https://www.rmofgrey.ca

    You can't park in front of them. Dogs like to pee on them. In case of a fire you hope that one is nearby. We are talking about fire hydrants. Here are some of the most interesting hydrants that we have encountered.
 
Hook & Ladder 8 Fire Truck New York City.

    Now we could do a whole blog just on fire trucks (and maybe we will). When the fire department shows up to fight a fire, it is a hydrant they need to attach their hoses. Only then can they get the water they need to put out the flames.

USA HYDRANTS
 
American Flag Painted Fire Hydrant Queens New York

    On Ditmars Blvd. in Queens, New York we found this hydrant next to Astoria Park. It was all painted like the American flag. It stood out amongst the other plain hydrants. We are uncertain if it was special for any other reasons.
 
A Gold Fire Hydrant At Irvine Spectrum Centre
 
  At the Irvine Spectrum Center in California we spotted this shiny, gold fire hydrant. This must be a special hydrant, but sadly it was not real gold.
 
Hydrants From The World Trade Center.

   The New York State Museum is located in the state capital of Albany, New York. It includes an entire Fire Engine Hall. It also includes items collected from where the World Trade Center towers fell. These are two different types of hydrants (shown above) that survived the disaster.

GREECE HYDRANTS
 
Tortoise And Hydrant In Athens Greece.

 This hydrant was located near the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It was pretty insignificant except for the tortoise right beside it. We know dogs like to pee on things to mark their territory. We don't know if this tortoise just finished marking the hydrant as his.

CANADA HYDRANTS
 
Hydrant Painted Like A Minion Near Dildo Newfoundland.
 
 On the highway towards Dildo, Newfoundland we spotted this Minion painted hydrant. In the movie Minions there is one scene where Stuart, the one eyed minion, actually hits on a fire hydrant.
 
World's Largest Fire Hydrant Elm Creek Manitoba.

   The world's largest fire hydrant sits next to the Elm Creek Fire Department in Manitoba. There used to be a bigger fire hydrant in South Carolina but it has since been taken down so we redeclare this the world's largest. It is about 29 feet tall and took six months to build. It was unveiled on Canada Day in 2001.

World's Largest Fire Hydrant Elm Creek Manitoba.

 A regular fire hydrant sits next to the giant one. You definitely would not want your fire department or your large fire hydrant to burn down.

Dalmation Fire Hydrant Fire Station 314 Toronto.

 Dalmation dogs were used back when firefighters travelled in horse drawn fire wagons. Since then they have become beloved companions even to modern day fire fighters. At Fire Station 314 in Toronto, this hydrant dalmation keeps an eye on the street out front.
 
Sailor Hydrant Lawson Road Scarborough.
 
 In Scarborough, Ontario there is a sailor hydrant near the Highland Creek Royal Canadian Legion.

A Hydrant In A Field In Milliken Park.

   In Scarborough, Ontario there is another hydrant located in Milliken Park. The only issue here is that the hydrant is all alone in the middle of a field. We are not sure when this hydrant may be called into service. Perhaps a picnic fire?

Exposed Fire Hydrant Berczy Park Toronto

  Near Berczy Park in Toronto we saw this hydrant exposed while some construction work was taking place. You can see by this photo how big the pipes are. This helps keep a water pressure between 50 and 100 psi.

Broken Hydrant Magic Noodle Yonge Street.

    The hydrant in the photo above was sheared off when a car drove over it and into a restaurant on Yonge Street in Toronto. A hydrant could send out as much as 5,500 litres a minute. Umbrellas are a good idea until the fire department can get the water shut off.

No Dog Peeing Sign In Toronto.

  Most places do not want your dog to relieve themselves against their walls etc. We have not noticed any signs near hydrants. It seems the fire fighters are fine sharing the hydrants with their four legged friends.

Dogs March With Hydrants In Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

  In the Toronto Santa Claus Parade every dog carried its own hydrant with them. It seems marking your territory just wasn't enough.

Mr T Sits On This Fire Hydrant in T And T Filmed In Toronto.

  Our final hydrant on this list has a celebrity connection. Mr. T filmed his television show T And T in Toronto. In Season 3 Episode 12 he sits on the hydrant pictured above waiting for a limo to pull up to a hot dog stand. It is at the corner of Queen Street West and James Street. This episode was probably filmed in 1989 or 1990. Is it possible that this is still the same hydrant from 35 years ago? While hydrants can remain in service for up to 50 years, we have to report that the hydrant currently in that spot is a newer design.

Map of Our World
World's Largest Fire Hydrant

Post # 348

Wednesday, 30 April 2025

La Boule d'Or Centenaire

Zurich Hauptbahnhof Fountain

 
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Address: Bahnhofplatz 15, CH-8001
Date: April 2025
Website: https://www.dietermeier.com

    Zurich Hauptbahnhof is one of the busiest train stations in Europe. The main hall of the station was rebuilt in 1871 and has a grand entrance. Today you will find some interesting art inside, if you know where to look.
 
L‘Ange Protecteur Hangs In The Zurich HB Main Hall

    If you look up you will be able to spot L‘Ange Protecteur. This giant purple guardian angel hangs from the roof of the main hall. It was painted by Niki de Saint Phalle. Niki painted the bright colours using watercolour so the whole thing needs to be cleaned using compressed air to prevent fading.
 
La Boule d'Or Centenaire in Zurich HB.

    If you look down you may see La Boule d'Or Centenaire (The Gold-Plated Centenary Ball). This ball will stay in the floor for 100 years and only be taken out 8 times. This project is presented by the Association Des Maitres De Rien or the Association Of The Masters Of Nothing.
 
Dieter Meier's Gold Plated Ball Zurich HB.

  The ball is stored in the floor of the main hall protected behind bulletproof glass. The president of the Association Des Maitres De Rein is Dieter Meier. Dieter is the vocalist in electronic band Yello. Yello is best known for the hit song "Oh Yeah", but as huge fans of the band we enjoy their entire catalogue.  
 
Rote Fabrik In Zurich.

   Back in 1977, Dieter had an art studio at Rote Fabrik. This former factory on the west side of Lake Zurich had become a creative hub for many artists. It was here that Boris Blank spent many late nights creating the sounds that would become the music of Yello. The first Yello album, Solid Pleasure, was released in 1980.

Bois du Voyage d'Or.

 Besides working with his partner Boris Blank, Dieter enjoys performance and conceptual art. In 1972 he installed a plaque at a German train station that stated "On 23 March 1994, from 3 to 4 pm, Dieter Meier will stand on this plaque".  True to his word he was there for the whole hour. The gold plated ball at Zurich HB also has specific dates where it will be rolled along a wooden gangway and then placed back into its glass case. This is known as the Bois du Voyage d'Or and can be seen in the photo above.
 
The Gold Plated Ball At Zurich HB.

 The ball has been rolled three times already along the 12 metre wooden gangway.  All of the rolling dates are carved into the ball. The very first was May 9th 2008 and the last will be May 9th 2108. The next time will be August 28th 2033 and Dieter Meier will be 88 years old. What is the point of it all?  The point is that there is no point. It is all insignificant nonsense.
 
Location of La Boule d'Or Centenaire in Zurich HB.

   The ball is located in the floor of the main hall.  In this photo (above) it is located on the far left hand side just visible behind a tent that was set up by Flora plant based butter. We feared that the ball may have been covered by the tent when we arrived.

Flora Plant Based Butter Cow.

 In a presentation that Dieter might have enjoyed, we were allowed to ride on the back of a cow while holding a cake in order to promote plant based butter. We had to climb a little step ladder to get up onto the cow which was also quite wide and on wheels. Most people took one look and just stood beside the cow.

Ojo Du Agua in Zurich.

 Speaking of cows, Dieter Meier owns a steakhouse in Zurich called Ojo Du Agua. Dieter owns a ranch in Argentina and also makes his own wine and chocolate. On the roof of Ojo Du Agua was a cow from Zurich's Cow Parade. During the Cow Parade back in 1998, different artists painted cow sculptures and they were placed around the city.
 
La Boule d'Or Centenaire
  
 Dieter Meier is involved in many different ventures. Is he truly the master of nothing? Is he the Father of Excess? Take a train into Zurich and decide for yourself. And for me, it's Claro que si.

Sunday, 30 March 2025

Craven Road

Craven Road Toronto Wall Of Art

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  Craven Road
Date:  March 2025

  Toronto is home to the Art Gallery of Ontario, as well as many small independant galleries. Only a few people know that they can also take a walk along Craven Road and see a variety of art.

Craven Road Fence Of Art.
 
   One side of Craven Road is full of houses and the other is a wooden fence. There is a wide variety of framed art and strange objects stuck to the fence. The part of the fence above has a mirror, a guitar, some hockey gloves and a painting of a blue person.
 
Craven Road Artwork of Fish and phone on Wall.
Craven Road Artwork Fence.
 
The nice thing about Craven Road is that it is always open. Day or night. Rain or shine.

Craven Road Artwork.

     We don't know who the artists are behind this artwork. Are they paintings from residents of Craven Road? Are they artwork from a local school?  Is everything found art with artists unknown?

Craven Road Fence Of Art.

         There were many paintings of nature and scenery. Perhaps the artists will one day be held in as high regard as the Group of Seven.

Craven Road Artwork Toronto.
 
        As we admired the random collection of art stuck on the fence we also wondered who started it all?  Did someone from the street want to look at something more than an empty fence across from their home.

Craven Road Owl And Art.

    This section of the wall had the front and back of an owl, an upside down Q, a little red man and more.

Craven Road Musical Instruments.

    Another section was filled with instruments and shoes between the works of art.We assumed that the instruments no longer worked and were repurposed as decorations. If they were stuck on the fence in working order, Toronto's weather would have made quick work of them.

Craven Road Guitars On The Pier.

     Another section featured two guitars and a photo of a pier.

Craven Road Dog Painting
Craven Road Cat.

      A few other sections featured animal artwork. These were most likely to remember favourite pets.

Craven Road Art Gallery.

    How did it come to be and who may be the mystery curator of this fence full of art? We may never know. What we do know is that when all the other galleries are closed, you can always take a walk or a drive up Craven Road.


Map of Our World
Craven Road

Post # 345

Thursday, 20 February 2025

Beer De Staalman

Bear Steel Man Or Beer De Staalman Amsterdam
 
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Address: Ottho Heldringstraat 200R
Date: May 2024
Website: www.summum.engineering

    Beer De Staalman, also known as Bear The Steel Man is a sculpture located in the south-west end of Amsterdam. The bear is 10 metres tall and is made of steel rebar. He was completed in 2011.
 
Bear Steel Man Looks For A Place To Nap.

    The bear appears to be lumbering along carrying a pillow. He just wants a place to lie down and take a nap. The steel rebar inside the bear was sprayed with concrete and then styled and painted to give him the look of brown fur.
 
Beer De Staalman Stands In Amsterdam Park.

    We travelled a little out of our way from our hotel near Centraal Station just to say hello to Bear The Steel Man. The bear was designed with the help of young children from the local neighbourhood. Good work all around as this bear statue brightened our day.

Map of Our World
Beer De Staalman

Post # 344

Monday, 30 December 2024

Royal York At Christmas

Royal York Hotel Toronto
 

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  100 Front Street West
Date:  December 2023
Website:  www.fairmont.com

  Since 1929, the Royal York Hotel has stood tall as the premier hotel in Toronto. As its name implies, it has seen Queens and Kings amongst its guests. The hotel is a special place all year round, but great to visit at Christmas.

Royal York Hotel Christmas Tree

    There is always a big Christmas tree in the lobby.
 
Royal York Hotel Christmas Tree With Soldiers.

    Sometimes the tree is guarded by soldiers.

Royal York Hotel Christmas Past.

     The hotel has gone through some changes through the years. The photo above still includes the clock and spiral staircase that came up into the lobby. These have been replaced with the Clockwork bar which includes a different clock.

Royal York Hotel Colourful Christmas Trees.

       Just like the changes in the hotel, there is always something different in the decorations at Christmas. One year there were many trees both pink and green

Royal York Gingerbread Houses.

        We once went to the hotel for a holiday brunch and a table was set up with a gingerbread village.  It was not meant for eating.  

Royal York Gingerbread Lane.

    Gingerbread is also a big part of the Royal York's holiday display. As you enter the hotel from the east side, you can smell what is coming.

Royal York Gingerbread Lane.

    It's Gingerbread Lane. This part of the Royal York concourse is covered with gingerbread and icing.  It is a feast for the senses.

Royal York Gingerbread Lane.

     All of the stores are covered from top to bottom. The smell of gingerbread is everywhere. As lovers of gingerbread cookies this made us quite hungry for a snack.

Royal York Gingerbread Lane.

    One wall even has the Royal York logo giving it the stamp of approval.

Royal York Staff Prepares The Gingerbread Wall.

    Is it really real gingerbread you ask? Yes it is. One time when we visited we witnessed the staff applying some more icing touches. A lot of work goes into making and maintaining this gingerbread hallway.

Royal York Reindeer.

   In 2024 the hotel did not create a gingerbread lane. Let's hope it returns in future years. The Royal York is still always a magical place, especially around Christmas.


Map of Our World
Royal York Hotel

Post # 342