LAPC #216 – Urban Environments

You know, I don’t really understand a suburban environment. I want to be out in the woods, I want to be where it’s wild, I want to wake up and hear birds, I want to walk outside and see a gaggle of turkeys bouncing across my lawn – I want to be someplace like that – or I want to be right in the middle of an urban environment. – Karen Allen

This week Sofia asks us about urban environments – I used to love visiting big cities now and then, for a week or two. But, due to covid, the last three years we have stayed at home. I must admit I miss those adventures…

I will tell you something of why I liked visiting the cities chosen.

Edinburgh is an absolutely lovely city with castle and all, but Greyfriars Kirkyard offers both silence and contemplation when needed. One day I saw this young man sitting alone, quietly reading his book. I had to have his portrait. And I love the way they speak, the Scots.
Rome is a city to return to again and again… Mezmerising. But on my first visit I was only16, and the young ladies laughed at my ”childish” sandals – they all wore high heels…

But you can find anything in Rome…

I have always loved London – the ”gentlemen”, the musik and the theaters. And of course the language…a visit to Foyles was always a great pleasure. I used to buy loads of books, for my students too.
Warsaw was a very positive experience. I loved the newer architecture, and the people was good-humoured and generous. And the food! Delicious!
I never dreamed of going to Madrid…but I went with my classes a couple of times. For its history, literature and architecture, fantastic museums (Museo del Prado and Museo Reina Sofia), good food and animated people – and Madrid did not disappoint!
Århus, Denmark – the new, spectacular area was a dream walking through. Innovative and beautiful in Nordic light colours. Expensive living…but very nice people all we met. Mostly young people in fact – who had made their fortune in IT or business.

A gallery of the kind of urban environments that I love the most. Narrow alleyways and old buildings. But as Sofia says, new architecture can also be interesting. Like Bilbao in the header and Århus in Denmark.

Finally, my nearest big city, Malmoe – the photo taken from a plane flying in from somewhere in the world. Santiago Calatrava’s Turning Torso shining in the evening sun.

”This week’s challenge is about how you view any urban environments you came across, either by visiting as a tourist or the place you live in or commute to every day. What makes that city or town special and how do you capture it.” Please link to Sofia’s marvelous original post and tag with Lens-Artists so we can easily find you.

Last week John emphasized the way of transport to your destination. An inspirational challenge where the different interpretations were varied and interesting.

Next week is Tina’s turn to host, please have a look at her wonderful site and join us if you can.

For more information on how Lens-Artists Challenge work, please click here.

58 reaktioner på ”LAPC #216 – Urban Environments

  1. A real feast for the eyes, Ann-Christine! You have been to so many cities in Europe and I wish to have this experience one day. I love all the photos, whether modern or traditional. Still, the colors of your Warsaw photo were a great surprise.

  2. Pingback: Lens-ArtistPC-216-Urban-Environments – WoollyMuses

  3. A class of your own, Ann-Christine. There’s always something about your posts that inspire me. Things did change with Covid but I hope you get to travel again soon and I have to say, Porto is probably perfect for you. You’ll love it, I’m sure. On another note, I smiled when you said you love the way Scottish people speak. A few stories about that: when caught behind enemy lines during the Second World War, they would speak scots to confuse the German army and after years of living here, sometimes I still cannae (can’t) understand a word they say…

  4. Tho’ I have lived semi-rurally for a long time now am a born-and-bred city girl ! Love your gallery. Have wanted to see Arhus for a long time now tho’ quite a few Northern friends do not seem as thrilled 🙂 ! Actually the two most on my wishlist are Barcelona and Bordeaux . . . . hoping !!! Malmo is the closest city to quite a few I know . . . .does not look very romantic from the air . . . 🙂 !

  5. What a lovely post. So many great photos. I’m not a city person and I think I prefer those with an old part the most. But now and then it is nice to visit one for the buzz and the museums and art galleries.

  6. That is the most beautiful photo of Rome! Yet again I ask myself why I haven’t been there? Nor Madrid, but that is on the list. Expensive it may well be, but Arhus looks striking too. I hope you love Porto, Ann-Christine. Waiting for a reply from a friend who was there earlier this year.

  7. Terrific as always Ann-Christine. Loved all of the images and especially your header. While I love Bilbao I hadn’t heard of and will admit I’m not a great fan of the Turning Torso. seems rather out of place to me, altho it’s gotten lots of awards. The views must be phenomenal. I also really liked Arhus ahtough I’d not heard of it before – it looks really interesting in a funky kind of way. I guess I’m a bit of a classicist when it comes to big cities although I do love the modern architecture in NYC – just because it seems to belong there and doesn’t stand alone as the Torso does. But the image I loved the most was the painting with the woman at the window. Wouldn’t you just love to have taken an image like that?!

    • Thank you, Tina. Swedish people in general don’t like the Torso at all, and everyone tried not to have it…but since it is here, we have to get used to it.
      What I really like is the portrait of the woman, painted by – Salvador Dalí!

  8. You always have beautiful photos but this time I also enjoyed your explanations of why you loved visiting the various cities. I enjoyed the gallery the most, I think, but the quote didn’t resonate with me. We live in the suburbs and although I often long to be in nature, I only care to visit urban/big cities sometimes. At least in the suburbs I have a chance of getting to nature more quickly and easily and I don’t have to deal with as much traffic, as many people, etc.

    • Thank you, Janet, and I agree in a way with you about suburbs. I live in a amll village, almost a suburb to the nearest town. I love living here, for all the reasons you write, but in my heart I would love to live IN nature, and I really used to love visiting big cities for some days now and then. But I could never live there…

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