The Russian icebreaker "Peter the Great" in 1905

This is the brand new icebreaker "Peter the Great", delivered in 1905 to the then Russian city of Riga. The ship was built by Götaverken in Gothenburg. 

Tugboats Ibaizabal Diez and Weser towing in Øresund

Ibaizabal Diez was in front and Weser in the back, actually backing. 

This afternoon the tugboats Ibaizabal Diez (37 x 14m, Spanish) and Weser (34 x 13m, German) were towing a large construction - probably a leg of an oil drilling rig - northwards in Øresund. The transport is on its way from Wismar to Esbjerg in Denmark. 

The Seeponton 3 barge with the load.

Weser backing northwards.

Easter tulips

Have a nice Easter!

Istanbul in the 1880s

The Hagia Sofia, built as a church in the 6th century. Drawing by Boudier.

Istanbul, or Constantinople, as it was previously called, served as the capital of four empires: the Roman  Empire (330-395), the Byzantine Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261) and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922). 

The city was modernized from 1870 onwards. Bridges across the Golden Horn were constructed, a proper water system was created, electric lights were installed, and trams were introduced. In the 1880s Istanbul was connected to the European railways network. 

However, in the 1880s Istanbul retained many of its traditional features, as can be seen from the drawings and woodcuts shown on this page.

A fountain in Istanbul. Woodcut by Rousseau, based on a painting by Pasini.

A barber in Istanbul. Woodcut by Barbant, based on a painting by Bonnat.

The Bosporus, seen from the European side. Drawing by Boudier.

Turkish women. Drawing by Vogel.

A Harem on its way. Woodcut by Ruffe, based on painting by Benjamin Constant.

Dogs in Stambul. Drawing by Gelibert.

The Galata bridge. Drawing by Boudier.

Istanbul scenery. Woodcut by Ruffe, based on painting by Weber.

Stambul, seen from Kasim Pasha. Woodcut by Ruffe, based on painting by Weber.

A kaik on the Bosporus. Woodcut by Rousseau, based on painting by Bridgman.

The Little Mermaid's little brother in Elsinore

Last June Copenhagen's famous Little Mermaid got a little brother called "He", located in the immediate vicinity of Hamlet's Kronborg castle in Elsinore (Helsingør). The stainless steel sculpture created by the Danish London based artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, is part of the town's ambitious Culture Harbor project, which includes the Culture Yard building, housing a library, an auditorium and a museum. Later this year the adjoining Maritime Museum will reopen in a brand new building.

"He" by Danish artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset.

The unique coal fired tugboat S.S. Bjørn in the Culture Harbor, in front of the  Culture  Yard building. 

Views from my balcony (9): The view towards the Sound at 1:00 A.M.

The almost full moon lighted the view towards the Sound and Denmark quite nicely at 1:00 A.M.tonight:

Here is another image, where the moonglade is perhaps even more clearly visible:

More pictures of the Kulla Gunnarstorp windmill

Yesterday I shot some additional pictures of the neighboring Kulla Gunnarstorp windmill, the oldest Dutch type windmill in southern Sweden, built in 1792 - 1798: