Monument - Tumblr Posts
September 2, 2024 - On the first day of fall classes the Alma Mater statue on the steps of the library at Columbia University was drenched in red paint, as protests continue against the school’s financial support for Israel and the repression of pro-Palestine voices while Israel's barbaric USA-supported genocide goes on unabated. [link]
“Let our fate is a warning for you” The Monument to Struggle and Martyrdom at the State Museum at Majdanek in Lublin, Poland On second photo is the Mausoleum which stands on the axis of the Road of Homage and Remembrance that runs from the Monument-Gate along the prisoner fields to the crematorium. It has the shape of an old Slavic urn in which remains of Majdanek prisoners have been placed. Along the frieze of the copula runs a text reading “Our fate is a warning to you,” from Franciszek Fenikowski’s poem “Requiem”.
One of my watercolor panels for ‘The Monument’.
https://existentialcomics.com/comic/238
More panels from the Monument comic.
https://existentialcomics.com/comic/238
(London, 08/13/11)
Matt and I stopped by King's Cross station to get our tickets and to check out platform 9 3/4 (which was actually outside the station... somebody should have read the books). It turns out that the more beautiful train station is actually St. Pancras next door. Harry Potter should have taken the Hogwarts Express from there!
(Paris, 08/15/11)
I love seeing the sights as much as anybody, but my favorite thing about traveling is what you find if you wander. On our last night in Paris, Matt and I ended up behind the Notre Dame Cathedral during sunset along the Seine--perfect unintentional timing.
(Florence, 8/23/11)
Florence turned out to have every bit of Italian Renaissance history that I had forgotten from my 10th grade European history class. I remembered Ghiberti's brass doors of the baptistry, Michelangelo's David, Brunelleschi's duomo, etc., but my favorite thing was the Ponte Vecchio. I was intrigued that it was the only bridge remaining from the bombings during World War II--probably because Hitler liked art.
The bridge itself is beautiful--the whole thing is lined with colorful stores. Nowadays, they're all jewelers, but they used to be butcher shops before the Medici family (probably) kicked them out due to the smell. Each store closes its wooden panelling when it closes, which is beautiful in itself.
The history major in me loved Florence.
(Segovia, 10/2/11)
The coolest site/monument/whatever that I've seen so far in Europe is the Segovian aqueduct. The romans built it over 2000 years ago, and it's still standing without anything to hold the stones together other than sheer architectural genius.
The cathedral was cool as well, I guess. If you like that sort of thing.
(Roma, 08/25/11)
The roman forum was really important, so they told us. It COULD have been the place where Rome was founded. Maybe. I just thought it was cool that the ruins were so old.
The colosseum was amazing--until I dropped my camera. This is the pre-camera sadness pic. Apparently thumbs up/thumbs down was not actually used in the colosseum. The emperor/nobles/slave owners all wanted their gladiators to live to fight another day and earn them more money (usually only against animals).
(Salamanca)
This is the Plaza Mayor, the central point of Salamanca. It's the favorite meeting spot of students and seniors alike, debajo del reloj (under the clock). I walk through the Plaza multiple times a day and never cease to be amazed by how cool it is.
(Madrid, 08/30/11)
For the first time during my trip, I was travelling by myself, meaning I did a lot of aimless wandering. I ended up in the biggest park in Madrid, Parque de Buen Retiro, where I sat for hours, enjoying the lively weekend crowd, the dubious street vendors, and the boats floating by on the manmade pond.
I was surprised to witness a warmup for what appeared to be a kayak-waterpolo game right there on the pond. The players scooped and threw the ball with their paddles, shooting it into hoops. I had a limited understanding of the rules after watching, but that doesn't mean I won't go home and try it out anyway!
(Madrid, 09/01/11)
Palacio Real, or Royal Palace if you'd prefer english. It's really beautiful and magnificent until you visit Versailles.
Even then, it's not too shabby to look at.
They specially designed the staircase for comfortable walking. I suppose that the queen wouldn't make a grand entrance unless the stairs were the proper distance apart for that floaty walk royals always do.