Canal art 2016 in Delft

We had to do some shopping.... and stumbled into the Canal Art of Delft.

The reflection adding an extra dimension.

Colourful arrows pointing at themselves.

Are they painted or is it just the color of the water?

An ondulating mirror...

Today the weather must have been optimal for taking pictures of "reflections in canals". It was bright and the water was moving, but not to much. I love this picture.

       

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Sometimes there is to much wind, or the water is to warm and becomes restless. Until now I thought winter was the best time. When it gets cold, almost freezing, the water becomes a bit "slow"; that's ideal.

A mirror with some ripples.

This grebe is probably not aware that he (or she) is floating in this amazing reflection. And that by floating there he makes it even more complex.














When the sky is blue and there is almost no wind a water surface is an ever-changing mirror.
Especially when there are just a few ripples in the water; hopefully in a nice pattern.
Just flip over the pictures (vertically) and a colorful under water world reveals itself.
These pictures were taken in the small Dutch town of Delft (famous for it's blue and white
pottery named Delft Blue).








































Terraces seem to float among the leaves of waterlilies.

Cars are parked underneath blue draperies .....



.......or in front of sketchy houses.




















































Reflections in winter are made even more interesting by snow and ice in the canals.

Ohhh, this "hanging tin" sure is a give away...

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This is where the fox lives....

The fox knows we are watching, but he doesn't care because he is safe. This is the National Park Los Alerces (south of Bariloche in the province of Chubut - Patagonia). Endlessly beautiful. All you can wish for from nature is here. Nature like an enormous piece of art. Structures, surfaces and (reflecting) light are without equal. What more to say......

I would have liked to stay much longer. The fox just wants to play, while the summer lasts; snapping at flies. Performing for us in the sunlight until he sees something else more interesting.... 

The rising waters……….

 

The day was bright and beautiful…. So how nice to have a picnic on the beach.  White sands, only touched by the wind, blue sky, a quiet dark blue sea. Yes this is how it should be forever, but the waters are rising……

The first thing you notice when you start crossing the last of the dunes are large metal strips across the entrance to the beach. “What is this? Another amazing new real estate investment?”

And then you get a bit further, over the dunes. “Oh help they are digging… there are pipes… oil???” As we look over the fence my friend tells me this is a project to protect the coast against the rising of the sea level.

Of course I cannot pass without taking some pictures. A workman comes to the fence (are we trespassing?) and hands us a folder. This really is a strange project! But I am beginning to like it.

In short: The Dutch fought the sea for so long, that now they want to trick it into helping them. Loads of sand are brought to the coast. They are creating a kind of sandbank that reminds me of the sands in Sicily near Tindari looking more or less like a Madonna. 

And then it starts to get interesting…. The sea will spread the sand along the coast in stead of taking it from the beaches. The name of the project “Sand Engine” says it all.

This was an educational picnic! We enjoyed the bright yellow rubbish bins.

A little plant, looking a bit like a succulent, was struggling for life.

The fence that vanishes in the distance.

Just another perfect day……

See larger pictures on Flickr: the Sand Engine

A yuppie theme park: Puerto Madero

Thinking it would be nice to go to a part of Buenos Aires that was completely unknown to us, we decided to go to Puerto Madero. Our hotel was not far. We only needed to cross some busy avenues. We were not prepared for the surprise. There was Puerto Madero, but it was as if we were arriving in the Docklands in London.

It was “cool”. New and trendy old mixed together to a yuppie paradise. 

The old cranes and old ships are like artefacts on a set. Walking along the docks you have no idea even of being in Latin America. The cafes and restaurants play rock, beat and other western music. 

The one thing that comes near to tango is the bridge of the women - the puente de la Mujer. Companies have European / North American names. Prices are adjusted to the level of European cities.  

Sure, the weather is much better than in London. The pieces of meat on the menu are huge. You get them with a lot of potatoes… the green is separate. The wine is excellent and the glasses are much larger then in Europe.

Everything is smooth. I found just one derelict building. I suppose in a few years it will also be transformed into something beautiful and expensive.

I loved to be there; just watching the scenery. The blue sky, the colors, the feeling of being safe. At the same time it feels artificial, like being in some theme park. It is nice for a change to be “back” for a while, but after some time I miss the noisy, busy and lively atmosphere of Latin America.