Cosy Autumnal Still

My usual yearly autumnal still life post.

Danube River, Bratislava

Here are some shots of River Danube I took on my visit to my home town of Bratislava.

This is the Bridge of Slovak National Uprising, also known as the UFO Bridge.

The bridge featured on Some Photoblog before, where I talked about the controversy surrounding its construction. (Some parts of the Old Town, including a synagogue, were demolished so that the bridge could be built. It Was The Communists.)

UFO Bridge photographed from the Castle.

Also from the Castle; the opposite bank is Austria. Bratislava lies right on the border of not one but two countries (the second one is Hungary). They all used to be a part of one Habsburg empire once.

Sunset, the best thing anywhere in the world. This bridge is called the Old Bridge.

Danube is the second longest river in Europe and flows through nine countries. Aside from Bratislava, three other capitals are located on it: Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade.

Blue Church, Bratislava

The Church of St Elizabeth, commonly known as Blue Church–and you can see why it’s got that nickname:

It’s an art nouveau Catholic church located in the city centre of the Slovak capital.

Bronze November

What the title says.

A Work Of Art (With Thoughts On Pirates Of The Caribbean)

Note: A post titled A Work Of Art was originally published on Some Photoblog in June 2021. I have come to a decision to delete and republish it with some changes to the text and expanded title (the pictures remain the same as in the original post). I explain why below.

This painting hangs in Manchester Art Gallery (quite high up, hence the awkward angle).

It’s Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse. Waterhouse was an English painter of the Pre-Raphaelite movement and Hylas and the Nymphs is one of his best known works.

The Gallery’s label:

(Look, I don’t know. Maybe the nymphs were just like: dude, you’re trespassing. It doesn’t have to be that deep. Waterhouse can hardly be blamed for some femme fatale shit, when it’s a story from the Greek mythology. Also, I like Pre-Raphaelites. I like nice things. I’m a visual person.)

The image below is a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the series, released in 2011, directed by Rob Marshall:

Okay, so you have to squint a bit. But you can see it.

The two stunningly beautiful people are Philip and Syrena, played by Sam Claflin and Astrid Berges-Frisbey. Syrena is a mermaid, not a nymph (and there are no water lilies, obviously), but she does look like something Waterhouse would have painted. He seemed to have had a thing for women of mythology and legends, and bodies of water. (Waterhouse, get it?) Philip is no Argonaut, he’s a missionary, which is why he wears that cross, but he was on a ship. Which is, I suppose, a logical occurrence in a movie centred on pirates. On Stranger Tides is probably the weakest in the series, but it’s still worth watching for these two, if nothing else. Their romance would surely inspire artists and poets alike. There was something so pure about it, stupid as the word is. I love Philip and Syrena, they own my heart.

*spoilers* Interestingly, much like Hylas, Philip was never seen again either. His fate is a bit ambiguous, as he’s injured, likely quite critically, and the above scene is the moment just before he and Syrena kiss and she pulls him into the water. It was established earlier in the movie that a mermaid’s kiss can heal, and she does tell him: “I can save you, just ask,” though he doesn’t ask, he says he wants only forgiveness, as he blames himself for her capture. She kisses him anyway (get in there, girl!), and the last we see of them is when they float underwater. But I’m positive Philip didn’t die, the reason why neither him nor Syrena appear again is that The Powers That Be decided not to use them any more. *end spoilers*

So, now for the controversial part. My original June 2021 post was a silly entry about how film snobs need to get over themselves and step on a Lego, because the similarity between the Philip and Syrena scene and the Waterhouse painting proved that Pirates of the Caribbean films were a work of art. Not that I no longer believe this to be true (because the similarity cannot be denied), but it is a frivolous matter compared to… well, everything surrounding the lead actor of the franchise.

However, I maintain that the Pirates movies don’t necessarily have to revolve around the character of Jack Sparrow because they still have a lot going for them that is not Jack Sparrow. (In fact I think the later instalments should have reduced his role). Adventure, humour, horror, romance, and a lot of swashbuckling action. There are plenty of other great characters; the first trilogy truly belongs to Will and Elizabeth. I mean, it’s Elizabeth who becomes the Pirate King. Not Jack. There’s Tia Dalma and Davy Jones. Weatherby Swann (Elizabeth’s father), James Norrington, even Cutler Beckett. And the films always nail their romances. Will and Elizabeth, Philip and Syrena, and Henry and Carina in the fifth film. And I think Geoffrey Rush’s performance as Hector Barbossa is just as iconic as Johnny Depp’s Jack. The scene in The Curse of the Black Pearl “you’d better start believing in ghost stories, you’re in one” where he’s revealed to be a skeleton in the moonlight, is so bone chilling and so, well, iconic! I also love Elizabeth and Will’s wedding in the third film, At World’s End. On a ship, in the middle of a battle, Elizabeth shouts to Barbossa: “Barbossa, marry us!” To which he responds: “I’m a little bit busy at the moment!” But he nevertheless marries them, while all three of them are fighting their enemy.

Plus Ragetti and Pintel are a hilarious duo.

All that and the theme tune (composed by Hans Zimmer, no less) is the best.

On Stranger Tides was Sam Claflin’s first film. You know how I feel about the guy.

In conclusion, Pirates of the Caribbean films are a lot of fun. But if you feel you can’t watch them any more, that’s okay too. And if you’ve never liked them anyway, then it doesn’t matter.

I wonder if Waterhouse would have been a fan?

Around Bratislava Castle

Following my castle post, here are some photos taken in the surrounding area.

Spot St Martin’s Cathedral behind the trees.

View over the Danube river. The hills you see on the right side, with the wind farms, that’s Austria.

Bratislava Castle

It has made an appearance on the blog before–the photos in the linked post were taken in 2015 with my old compact camera. This last visit, I took a ton of pictures, it was, as it often is, difficult deciding which ones to pick for the blog. In the end I opted for the less obvious, less travel-guide-style shots.

The back of the castle.

The statue is of Svatopluk, ruler of Great Moravia in the 9th century.

Above and below, the baroque gardens.

I Am Still Me – Bratislava Edition

Hello world, I’m still here in Slovakia, and as I have gathered a few cool smartphone pics, I’ve decided to make a blog post. So here it is.

The photos are very much me, in a different city.

The pure randomness: the coat of arms of Bratislava on the street waste bin.

The autumn leaves, of course – this is outside the block of flats where my mum lives; you can see the red bus shelter.

The view from the window – it’s, well, the view from the window of my mum’s 7th floor flat. She lives sort of at the edge of the city, hence the fields.

The coffee drinker – there is no version of me that doesn’t drink coffee. Although that eternal beverage has not really made a proper appearance on Some Photoblog. Yet.

The signs – this one is in the gardens of Bratislava Castle.

The shots from moving public transport – Bratislava Castle from the bus. (There’ll be loads of that, worry not!)

And the beauty too – sunset over the Danube river. With trees.

All pics taken with my smartphone, downloaded onto my tablet and shrank using PicResize. Thanks, Weekly Prompts for the tip. (Normally I save my photos to my laptop’s hard drive and use plain, basic MS Paint to resize the images I choose for the blog.)

My camera is getting a good workout – results to be seen soon!

The Prodigal Daughter Returns

Hello there, world, guess who is back in her homeland like the proverbial prodigal daughter?

Yes, after seven years, I am finally visiting my home country! I’m writing this while staying at my mum’s place (updating the blog from a place other than my flat for the first time since I started it), although it’s unlikely I will post any more during my stay here. I haven’t scheduled any posts for while I’m away, so blog will be dry until I return to Manchester–hopefully with many a great pics!