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Showing posts with label art nouveau. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art nouveau. Show all posts

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Beautiful and Controversial Stations in tourist cities, London's Paddington, France, Spain and Finland


Paddington station passenger - this passenger waiting for a train is a statue of engineer Brunel who built the railway, bridges and even the ship to take passengers on from the end of the line to the USA and back. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

On another platform is a cute little statue of Paddington Bear.

Upstairs is the statue of the lovers saying goodbye. Or is it hello?

Baker Street's Sherlock Holmes theme

The statue of Sherlock Holmes is outside the Euston Road entrance. On the platforms are murals of tales from the short stories.

1 Charing Cross Station has several murals. You can see the portrait of Shakespeare. And several more historical characters.

2 Baker Street - for Sherlock Holmes in murals on the platforms. Also see his huge statue outside on the pavement. (Americans say sidewalk.)

Sherlock Holmes statue. Red London bus in the distance. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Euston Station
This historic arch was due for demolition during renovations which caused an outcry. The members of the public who loved history were slightly mollified by having a modern mural which depicted the old arch.

On the platform of the Victoria Line at Euston station. Photo by Angela Lansbury.


London, England

London is famous for art on the underground.

The Elizabeth line is most modern.

Charing Cross Station By Trafalgar Square

Historical murals

Bank Station

Hyde Park Corner has sloping walk-in and walk out entrances which are lined with many the historic panels along the walkways.


Hyde Park Corner underground railway station, descending approach walkway. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

 Once inside, you meet another internal corridor, going left and right, with more murals. The story of the battle of Trafalgar, and Waterloo. Learn about, and the queen who established the park. Queen C. 

Above Hyde Park Corner station is Number one, London, Apsley House, home of the Duke of Wellington, who won the battle of Waterloo. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Other stations which have won praise from passengers include Battersea, Canary Wharf, London Bridge, and Nine Elms.



On one of the panels you read reveals that Wellington admitted that Waterloo was a close-run victory. 

4 Leytonstone Station - Alfred Hitchcock memorials


A depiction of an Alfred Hitchcock film, in the station. The site of the place where he was born also has a mural.

Out in the suburbs:

5 Northwick Park - for the artwork on both sides of the stairs. As the trains enter and leave towards the centre of London, you see the floodlit Arch of Wembley stadium. Wembley Stadium, where the band Queen performed, as you can see on the biopic.

6 Rayners Lane, art deco exterior to admire as you walk or drive past. Opposite is another fine art deco building which has changed hands several times, becoming a religious centre, then a gym. 

Finland

Helsinki station. Art Nouveau. See the picture in Wikipedia.


France

The latest controversial station is the ultra modern one in a paris suburb, the Villejuif-Gustave Roussy. It descends from ground level down nine stories. The see through roof sheds light on the escalators and a Sundial below.

TGV station at Lyon, named after author and hero Antoine de St Exupery

Singapore

Sculpture of plane overhead in Terminal Two Heathrow, departures for Singapore. Photo by Trevor Sharot. 

Most of Singapore's stations are wonderfully modern. Glass walls encase the platforms. The trains pull alongside the doors which open after the train stops. Nobody can delay the train by dropping anything or anybody on the line. 

Regarding timing: Trains on most lines run every five minutes or less. A notable exception, oddly, is the diversion the the airport which delays for about ten minutes between trains those who are rushing to catch planes and standing around dragging luggage.

Singapore's Statues

Botero's horse.

 Spain

Madrid


Bilbao city railway station mural


Useful websites on railway stations

French Stations

https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/worlds-most-beautiful-metro-station-paris-bhmwwm332

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Denis%E2%80%93Pleyel_station

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villejuif%E2%80%93Gustave_Roussy_station

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Surprising Secret Art Nouveau City in Serbia

 I had reached the letter S for Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia, languages sharing the Slavic languages written in Cyrrilic, like Russian. I, was delighted with my discovery of the Nicholas Tesla Museum in Serbia's capital, Belgrade. My search for landmakrs for my slides led me to the Western and Eastern gates , next on to Serbian tourism and architecture. Then I hit gold - art nouveau buildings in the less well known city of Subotica.





Art mouveau synagogue in the Serbian city of Subotica. 
The city is full of art nouveau. 

From Wiki exterior with sunny day colours. Author in Serbian Cyrrillic below. 
Ванилица

Subotica is north of Serbia's caital city, Belgrade, towards the border with Hungary.. 

Menwhile,  back on the web

check out





Thursday, July 13, 2023

Black Friar Pub, London - old building and quirky style

 

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

A wedge style building

The building is wedge shaped. You can sit outdoors and enjoy the weather on sunny days. Or if you cannot get seating for a large group inside.  Our medieval London and wine walking tour ended with a glass of wine at this pub.

Useful Websites


Please share links to your favourite posts.

See my books on Amazon. Look inside Improve your English with alliteration by Angela Lansbury.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Strindberg Museums in Sweden and Austria

Map of Europe showing Sweden.

Probably your first thought would be to see the Strindberg museum in Stockholm. On the other hand, on a trip through Europe you are more likely to visit Austria where the Strindberg museum is less likely to grab your attention. Both are worth visiting if you get the chance. If not, read about them online.

Strindberg's lady love was Austrian. they lived in a castle and then a nearby building. You can see the piano he bought. Then around the area you can see many features of the locality which appear in his books.

If you get the chance to visit Sweden, in the capital, Stockholm, is the Strindberg Museum in the distinctive Blue Tower, as he named it, after the rooftop. He spent the last four years of his life here and you can admire the art nouveau lounge and learn about his writings, the novels and the plays.

The question with authors is so often, how much influence on their writings came from the geography of their area, the history of the area and their own family characters and conflicts.


Stockholm in Sweden: The Blue Tower, where Strindberg had a home, lounge, bedroom and balcony.
Photo from Wikipedia article.

Useful Websites
https://www.strindbergsmuseet.se/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strindberg_Museum
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sweden
https://www.duolingo.com/course/sv/en/Learn-Swedish

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Rennie Mackintosh exhibition in London 2015


What did Rennie Mackintosh do? All those necklace pendants with the art nouveau flowers. Interior design including high back chairs with patterns in the middle. The building as well as exhibits at the Glasgow Museum of Art which suffered a fire in the last year. So many items, which you instantly  recognise as soon as you see them.


The man himself.


Interior of furniture from Wikipedia.

Exhibition now coming to London at the RIBA, Royal Institute of British Architects.

http://www.architecture.com/WhatsOn/WhatsOn.aspx
http://www.archdaily.com/591262/charles-rennie-mackintosh-exhibition-to-open-next-month-in-london/

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/pictures-rennie-mackintosh-exhibition-showcases-5161652

Angela Lansbury BA Hons is a photojournalist, writer, author, speaker, speech trainer and blogger.