A Clever Door

This door is pretty, but not drop-dead gorgeous...it's loved, but not spoiled...it has a beautiful handle (see the last photo below) and lovely woodwork (see below). But what about all this makes it clever?

Look at the triangle over the door...see that line down the center of it? That is where the big doors separate so that a truck can pass through what looks to be a small door. Clever, huh?!

Colourful Door Monday

Again, a door that has seen happier days, but I still find it a happy door...just look at the decorative elements...flowers!! Flowers always make me happy! And this is a nice green colour, too. So, consider this a happy door to start off a happy week!

Sunday Door

This church to which this door belongs is located on a small but very busy street where the trolley-bus' go by almost constantly. Actually, getting this picture meant standing in the middle of traffic (literally!) and waiting for an opening! This big, incredible door deserves better, but what can I do? A passing glimpse of it from the trolley-bus is perhaps better than nothing at all...but still. The door has a lovely, generous door handle, but I just can't imagine anyone actually using it given the fact that it is so hard to access which leads me to believe that it is a side entrance...I'll just have to go back and find the front entrance! Here, I've given you the chance to see what you would only see in passing were you to take, for example, tram 22 from Malostranske Namesti.

For more information about the church and a virtual tour from its tower, see here.

Sad Door Saturday

This poor door has surely seen better days. Despite the graphitti and the ugly door handle, I think the situation is reversible, don't you? If this door was given a few days of some serious TLC, I believe it could once again be a beautiful and even spectacular-looking door!!

Unique - and worthy of more than a glance

Several months ago I think I mentioned in one of my blogs something about not wanting to 'spoil' you with only fabulous doors. Sure, you would like this, but I think it is necessary to appreciate even doors that at first glance appear less fabulous than others. My 'job' is to help you appreciate those doors. Today's door needs appreciation (in more ways than one!)...you might not give it a second glance if you walked by it, but I think you should and here is why. It has wonderful round windows both on the doors and above the doors and it has interesting, unique-shaped windows around the round window above the door. It also has a great face (albeit a little scarey!) over the door and some nice wrought-iron work in the circle windows on the doors.

Sure, there are bits of paper stuck to the door here and there, but those are not the fault of the door, but of heartless people. Forgive the door for those bits and admire it for the parts that it can own up to!! Now, aren't you glad you stopped to appreciate this door with me?

Oh yeah, forgive the door for its cheap, ugly handle...that was once again the work of a heartless (and uncreative) person.

Theatre Tuesday

For a door to a theatre (divadlo), this is not terribly exciting, but you do have to admit that this door is not only of a nice, rich-coloured wood, but it is well-loved. Behind this door is a small theatre that is loved by many, especially those who are fans of Jara Cimrman.

It also has a nice handle...which, ironically, in Czech if you say that you 'have a handle' (mate klicku), it means 'you are lucky'! I'll let you think about that and come to your own conclusions!

Church Door Sunday

When one has the good luck of finding a church's doors open, they have the opposite luck of getting a good picture of those doors. This is the Church of Our Lady Under the Chain (click on this link for a fabulous virtual tour from the top of the church)/ Eglise Notre Dame sous la Chaine / Kostel Panny Marie pod retezem in the Mala Strana quarter of Prague. When I arrived at the doors of this church, I was happy to find them open as it offered me a glimpse of the inside and, even better, a chance to take a couple of pictures through the old warped glass of the inner doors.

What I found especially enjoyable - given my love of door handles and accessories - were these beautiful and very unique handles!

The door to the church might seem surprisingly fragile (large multi-paned glass window and wood), but you must understand that this church is located within a locked and gated courtyard so it was not necessary to have a strong metal door like you have seen on some of the other churches I have shown you (e.g. see here).

Refractive Friday

Though this poor door deserves far better than it has gotten, I must say that it does look good despite certain short-comings that are not its fault. What it does have is a nice handle, a beautiful collection of beveled windows that are like jewels and even an interestingly shaped window above the door. I have to say though that if this were my door, I would paint it a colour that would bring out its subtle yet valuable attributes. As it is, it is just looks dull and boring and has very little, other than the windows, to attract the regard of passersby. It goes pretty much without saying that once again (as we have seen many times here before), the graphitti on the door merits that severe action be taken by the SPCD* against the perpetrator! If only it were possible!!

*SPCD - the non-existent Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Doors

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The below, a close-up of the above door's windows, is my contribution to 'Weekend Reflections', a meme by James of Newtown Area Photo. For more information please see here. Note how the beveled glass refracts the light while also giving a different reflection.

The People's(?) Door

This door, or rather, this set of doors is at once cold and unforgiving and tactile and warm. How could this be? Well, of course this is my opinion so take it for what it is worth, but the metal is cold and not easily penetrated, but the brass that it is made of is, underneath the patina is a warm golden orange. In the area around the door's handle and other areas that are touched regularly, we can see how the door has remained (or become?) its original warm color due to the repetative act of hands reaching for the handle...even some of the screws have been rubbed to a glowing gold.

The scarfed head of a woman over the door and the two small children that flank her clearly make reference to work, or the work of the people.Think of those famous Russian propaganda posters of the scarfed woman working in the fields or in a factory. The symbolism of the child with the beehive refers the the way bees are diligent workers that work as part of a group or community. The other child holding a bundle of wood (?) again underlines the work theme showing the fruits of labour. To complete the working theme are the two sculptures of men on the terrace who are wearing working clothes and are holding materials of their trade which both seem to have to do with industry.

I find it interesting how the side view of the woman's head seems much friendlier and softer than the front view. From the front she seems very serious, but from the side, I don't get the same impression. What do you think?

Baaaaahhh!

It is impossible for me to say what this door has been through in its lifetime, but I would venture a guess that it has seen and lived some very interesting and also painful times (look at how many places the wood has been repaired). One thing I can say is that at present it is very loved. How do I know this? Well, look at it...it has been lovingly repaired, cleaned, sanded, varnished and kept looking beautiful...only a truly loved door knows that kind of care and attention. I have the impression that the lamb on the door is even smiling! Oh! Did I hear baaahhh!?

Warm and Friendly

This is one of those little doors that you walk by and you can't not see it...well, you could, but if you did, you might 'hear' it calling you back. It seems to be waiting there ready to say 'hello' to all who pass by and because it is so friendly, you can't help but feel the need to stop and look at it, admire it and smile back a 'hello'. Thank you little door for your smile and for making me smile.

Colourful Door Monday

It's Monday and for most people, it's not the most favourite day of the week so I thought I would bring a little bit of cheer to you with this light, bright door. I've shown you doors that are cobalt blue, forest green and beet red, but until now, I haven't shown you a light blue door. Doesn't this cheerful colour make you want to smile? And what could be better than to have shutters painted the same colour! And to top it all off, this door leads to a sympathetic* cafe!! I even went in and had a coffee just so I could confirm that it really is 'simpaticka' ... it was!! The entire cafe was about as big as a bedroom...just room for 3 tiny tables for 2, a counter and a work area where a nice woman managed to make all sorts of miraculous things in the space of a walk-in closet!! But back to the door...who can't love a door this colour that also has a lot of windows AND is arched at top. Granted, this is certainly not an old door, but it is a nice door and since this blog is about doors that I like, I feel it deserves to be presented to you. Have a nice Monday!!

*the word 'sympathetic' is used here to mean friendly and inviting.

Sunday Door

On a quiet little street in a peaceful little courtyard stands this church. The gate into the courtyard was open, but the church wasn't. I walked into the garden and up to the door where I (as I almost always do) ran my hand over the surface of the door and scrutinised its details. I especially like to touch these big metal doors...it is as if they were also made for people who can't see or hear, the texture was put there for the blind to see what and angel looks like and for the deaf to hear the angels singing. Yes, surely there must be angels singing around a beautiful, quiet door like this...listen...maybe you hear them, too!

Is that a little cherub there on the door's handle?

Quiet Reflections

I have ALWAYS loved photographing reflections...reflections in mirrors, windows, puddles and just about any surface that gives back some semblance of what is in front of it. Today, I'm posting a door and some reflections that I found on its windows. This door, which is in the courtyard of a church, but is not the entrance door to the church, was kind enough to give me an abondent selection of reflections. I hope you like the door and what it sees!

The below are my contribution to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS hosted by James from Newtown Area...please follow the link for more great reflections from all over. Sorry, I suppose I should have only posted one picture, but I just couldn't decide WHICH one.

Water and Time

This huge door (yes, it is huge...that handle you see is higher than my head!) looks out over the Vltava River and each day boats pass only a few meters from it on their way up and/or down the river. Even a quick look at this door tells us that it has seen many days...better days...but if only it could tell us what it has seen...floods, riots, tanks, celebrations... For all that it has seen, I am surprised at the fact that it has not yet seen graphitti and other such vandalism. Perhaps the two angels that live on the bottom of the two pillars that frame the door have been protecting it from all that life has shown it. May this big, wonderful (albeit sad) door continue to be a part of life by the river and in the very heart of this beautiful, ever-changing city.

The keyhole cover...painted over and no longer used.

Wood details...reminders of the water that moves so close to it.

A beautiful, but tired handle...strangely located high up on the lower right side of the door's frame...I don't know what this is for...maybe it was once for tying up one's horse? ...or to hold onto while cleaning mudd from one's shoes? A mystery to me.

A Goldilocks Door

Today was a big door hunting day for me and I found lots of wonderful doors to share with you. For me, the hardest part of this blog is choosing WHICH door to show you and WHEN! I've decided to save the really good doors for special occasions so today I will share one that is neither the simplest nor the richest...it is 'just right' for today...so much so that we could call it a Goldilocks door!!

This big, old, warm door has character, but not so much that it oozes it. It has nice, unique handles, a simple yet lovely wood carving that ornates the separation of the two parts of the door and nice iron work on the terrace over the door.

This door is, in my opinion, just right for this middle day of the week! What do you think?