Flying Finnair
We recently flew Finnair from Tokyo to Barcelona, via Helsinki, and loved it. We flew over the top of the world – the Arctic Circle! The food was great, and different to what we’re used to. A short stopover in the Helsinki Airport made me want to go back and see the city. One day perhaps!
Interesting flight path! Across the northern part of the world.
More instrument information for passengers.
The Arctic Circle.
There must be some polar bears down there!
I gave my camera to the Captain and asked him to take a photo for me from the cockpit, hoping that he would invite me up there, but no such luck!
Finnish fare on board.
Iittalia glass ware – always popular.
I liked the look of this Norwegian Air plane.
The grooviest ball shaped chairs in Helsinki Airport. Very comfortable too.
Abba lax paste.
Reindeer hides in Helsinki Airport.
Marimekko in the Helsinki Airport.
Faces In New York
Walking around with my camera in my hand all the time, I was always on the lookout for something different. I don’t know what you think but these fire hydrants and posts in New York look like faces, don’t you agree?
Smiley Coin Telescope on the top of the Rockefeller Centre.
A male post?
A female post?
Fuller Building In New York
New York is full of Art Deco buildings and one of my favourites is The Fuller Building. It was built in 1929 for the Fuller Construction Company after they moved from the Flatiron Building – another favourite. It is now an office skyscraper and is located on East 57th Street and the corner of Madison Avenue. Have a look at this wonderful opulent architecture.
The entrance is three floors high.
How about the door of the lift?!
Antique Market In Shanghai
One of the most interesting markets in Shanghai is Dong Tai Lu – a street market full of antiques – old and new!! You have to bargain like mad, and although I don’t like the principle, I usually get into the swing of it, and feel quite mean about the ridiculous price I offer. I usually get what I want and so does the vendor….!!! You can see how items are displayed and somehow the dust and mess makes them more appealing.
I really wanted one of these Miao tribal collars but had no room in my suitcase.
This teapot came home with me.
Jeff Koons in New York
Jeff Koons, reportedly the highest paid artist in the USA recently had not one but two exhibitions running at the same time in New York, at probably the city’s most powerful galleries. Gargosian and its rival David Zwirner both opened in the same week, to what one curator called an art world battle royale! The trifecta for Koons will be a full retrospective opening at the Whitney Museum in 2014. In these two concurrent shows Koons is trying to place himself in art history ,quite literally, by placing art history in his work – dragging classic statues onto canvas or casting them in plaster. The Gazing Ball show at Zwirner Gallery is his first solo exhibition of new work in a decade. It was very exciting to be in New York at this time and to see this controversial artist with so much work.
The cover of my favourite weekly, New York magazine.
A gigantic billboard.
Even Bloomingdales had Koons china on show but it wasn’t for sale!
Sculpture In Park Avenue New York
When walking down Park Avenue recently I came across these sculptures.I found out that they are the brainchild of artist Alexandre Arrechea and were made by Josh Young of Serett Metal in Brooklyn. Alexandre explored the destabilization of traditional concepts held about icons and their function in society. These sculptures are meant to create a dialogue with the public, that raises questions of control, power, surveillance and one’s roll within these categories. Fascinating. This is what I LOVE about New York!
Chrysler Sculpture.
Met Life Sculpture.
Empire State Sculpture.
US Courthouse Sculpture.
Sherry Netherland Sculpture.
Metropolitan Life Tower Sculpture.
Manhole Covers In New York
Wandering around New York I took photos of the manhole covers as I noticed they were all different. Round ones are better than square because they can be rolled easily, they can’t fall in the hole ( whereas square ones can),and they are easier to install.( Thanks Wikipedia!) It became an obsession with me and I was often caught in the middle of the road, camera in hand, with traffic descending on me!
This really old one is under the George Washington Bridge on the Upper West Side .
This was an exhibit at the Frieze Art Fair.
Rooftops In Barcelona
Just looking at these photos makes me want to jump on a plane and go straight back to this beautiful city! I spent a lot of time walking around looking up and was frequently rewarded . Gaudi’s influence is strong in this city, and always a delight. Because no building is very tall, all the rooftops are quite visible from the street.
Benches in Central Park
On the morning we went to Central Park in New York to look for birds, I noticed plaques on most of the benches. There are literally hundreds of them lining the walkways. When I looked closely I realised that they were mostly in memory of people who had passed away, but not always. It seems that anyone can buy a plaque and say whatever they like. I only took a few photos as we were leaving. The last one is my favourite.
Birds In Central Park
The month of May is a very exciting one in New York if you’re into birding…..we happened to see a documentary about this sport just before we went there and decided to check it out. We went to the Rambles early one morning where dozens of people were slinking around quietly, carrying cameras with enormous lens or very powerful binoculars. Hundreds of species of migratory birds spend time here in spring. We were thrilled to see some birds – they were difficult to photograph as they move so quickly, and they were mostly small.
We were very excited to see this tiny bird – red all over.
Mary Dickinson 