Bridges on the Arno

Photo by Stephen Bohn

A view of the famous Ponte Vecchio and several other Florentine bridges spanning the Arno, as seen from the Vasari Corridor of the Uffizi. This 1 kilometer long "secret passage" was commissioned by the Medici family to connect the Uffizi with the Pitti Palace.

The Riddler

Photo by Stephen Bohn

One of two Sphinx statues guarding the Elbe River entrance to the Pillnitz Castle and Park. In Greek mythology, the Sphinx was part woman, and guarded the entrance to the temple of Thebes by asking a riddle. Those who failed to answer correctly were strangled and devoured by the Sphinx. In late Greek history, the riddle became: Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed? Oedipus solved the riddle when he answered: Man, because he crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two feet as a adult and uses a cane in old age.

Cannon Balls

Photo by Stephen Bohn

Piles of cannon balls are stacked for effect below St. Mary's Tower at the Prince's Palace in Monaco. Charles III rebuilt the tower in the late 1800s to resemble a medieval fortress.

Barcelona Theater

This building at the corner of Passeig de Gracia is home to the Cinema Comedia. I believe the building functioned as a palace at one time. Although this statue was in front of the cinema when we were there, I've since seen many photos which don't show the statue any longer, so perhaps it was only temporary.

Cecilienhof Palace

The palace was begun in 1914 by Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany and was built to look like an English Tudor country home. Following the exile of the Emperor and his son in 1945, it served as the location of the historic Potsdam Conference.

The Guardian

An Egyptian sphinx sits atop a wall in the peristyle leading to Diocletian's Palace in Split, Croatia. Built for the Roman Emperior Diocletian, the palace dates to 305 AD. Originally there were 16 such sphinxes.

Monaco by Moonlight

The basis of this image was a photo of the Prince's Palace in Monaco. I added a texture from Emma Cox and an image of birds and branches before finishing off with a full moon.