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Saturday 5 March 2016

Sepia Saturday 05/03/2016; fountains and such...

 Many possibilities for Sepia sleuths.





Town Stein am Rhein SWL; Marktbrunnen/ Merchants fountain; Photo/ Ts

 The center of the old town with buildings from the late middle ages early 16th century;

Switzerland has one of the largest "Wasserschloss" (water reservoir) in Europe,  has maintained an old tradition to this day. The former village, cattle, and washing wells have been converted to a wide variety of ornamental and drinking fountains. Nowhere else in the world there are so many public fountains like in Switzerland. Chur a city in the canton of Graubuenden has 126 different fountains to drink from.

 I am travelling a bit further South to Spain
  When in Seville you can not miss the magnificent La plaza Espana.




In 1929, Seville hosted the Ibero-American Exposition World's Fair. The  southern end of the city was redeveloped into  gardens and grand boulevards. The centre of it is Parque de María Luisa, a 'Moorish paradisaical style' with a half mile of tiled fountains, pavilions, walls, ponds, benches, and lush plantings.

The Plaza de España, the principal was the building located on the Maria Luisa Park's edge to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits. The Plaza de España complex is a huge half-circle with buildings continually running around the edge accessible over the moat by numerous bridges representing the four ancient kingdoms of Spain. 




In the center is the magnificent Vicente Traver fountain. Original Photo Ts







 Photos  TS 

10 comments:

  1. There must be something about the endless play of water in fountains that people seem to find universally attractive.That park in Seville sounds like a lovely place to visit.

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    1. fountains were so important for humans and animals at all times, the attraction is still there.

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  2. There's something about the fountain in your first photo that seems so inviting. Could be the flowers, maybe - not sure? In view of other fountains, it's rather simple, but there's just something about it that draws you in.

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    1. In the Swiss towns all fountains are decorated with flowers in summer. Some very elaborately.When hiking in the alps, there are pretty water troughs with fresh spring water to drink, delicious.

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  3. Yep - I'd like to go to Seville one day. The fountain looks beautiful.

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    1. You might stay there for a month or longer. Seville is music and beautiful tapas!

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  4. With the horse and carriage, and the connection to a 1929 fair, you fooled me! I think in past times when fresh water was difficult to find for horses, and people too, these public fountains were made first for practical reasons and second for decorative qualities.

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    1. Absolutely, they were not for beauty but for practical use, unless in great parks like Versailles etc.

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  5. Beautiful though the large and showy fountains are, I prefer the smaller, slightly quirky one in the first picture.

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    1. Switzerland has many of those; I love the small wooden ones in the alps, sometimes with a single geranium on top.

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