Canals and Streets in the Dark- Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Something really interesting happens in the evening in Amsterdam. The canals transform into living impressionist canvases. A gentle wind creates brush strokes on the water's surface and mirrors the way Van Gogh created movement with his strokes. It's more than coincidence that the Netherlands was his birthplace and the Van Gogh Museum is found in Amsterdam.

Like the water in its canals, Amsterdam is always moving day or night. The static tram tracks create lines that imply movement. They remind me of metal canals in the cobbled streets.

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Onofrio Fountain- Dubrovnik, Croatia

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The Onofrio Fountain is said to have better tasting water than store bought bottled water.  I wouldn't know but you'll  see people sipping and filling containers from one of the fountains sixteen spouts.   Each is uniquely decorated with faces or maskerons so there's no mixing them up. The fountain was built in the 15th century by Onofrio della Cava after he designed and built the aqueduct for the city.  The Onofrio Fountain was severely damaged by a 16th century earthquake that toppled the dragon statue that was on the cupola, it was never repaired.  Despite losing its dragon, the fountain was well built. For six centuries it has provided relief for the thirsty and as a meeting point for people.  Can you imagine all the things it has been witness to and the secrets it has to tell?  

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I missed one of the maskerons from the Onofrio Fountain!
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Blue Mosque- Istanbul, Turkey

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The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii; Tourist: Blue Mosque) is considered to be one of the last great classical mosques. It took seven years to build and was finished in 1619. It is built in the style of the Süleymaniye Mosque which was built a century earlier. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the few mosques with six minarets which are difficult to capture all together on the grounds of the mosque itself. I have a photo with five but it's full of trees. I've scoured Google Maps and I have a couple spots picked out to get them all on our next check-in to Istanbul!

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It is called the Blue Mosque by tourists because of the blue tiles on the interior ceiling. I thought it would be more blue.

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Like most mosques in Istanbul it is open to visitors outside of specific hours when it is in use.

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