Esther's photos with the keyword: balcony

Lima, Peru AIMG 0649

Lima, Peru AIMG 0647

Cuenca, Ecuador AIMG 0353

The beautiful city of Cuenca, Ecaudor sits at an altitude of 8,400 ft (2,560 m). The central part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of the many historical buildings - some dating back to the Spanish settlement of the city in the 16th century. AIMG 0056

The beautiful city of Cuenca, Ecaudor sits at an altitude of 8,400 ft (2,560 m). The central part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of the many historical buildings - some dating back to the Spanish settlement of the city in the 16th century. AIMG 0008

The beautiful city of Cuenca, Ecaudor sits at an altitude of 8,400 ft (2,560 m). The central part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of the many historical buildings - some dating back to the Spanish settlement of the city in the 16th century. AIMG 0004

The entrance to a home along one of the canals in Venice Italy. IMG_4887

Houses in Venice, Italy are noted for their elegant facades facing the water. In this city without roads, guests usually entered by boat. The Byzantine style was popular in the 12th and 13th centuries. Houses of this period are noted for their ground floor arcades and arched open galleries that run the length of the "ground" floor. AIMG_4901

Venice, Italy AIMG_4564

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy "is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace. Originally it was the chapel of the Doge, and has only been the city's cathedral since 1807, when it became the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, formerly at San Pietro di Castello. For its opulent design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building has been known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold)" "The first St Mark's was a temporary building in the Doge's Palace, constructed in 828, when Venetian merchants stole the supposed relics of Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria. This was replaced by a new church on its present site in 832; from the same century dates the first St Mark's Campanile (bell tower). The new church was burned in a rebellion in 976, rebuilt in 978 and again to form the basis of the present basilica since 1063. The basilica was consecrated in 1094, the same year in which the body of Saint Mark was supposedly rediscovered in a pillar by Vitale Faliero, doge at the time. The building also incorporates a low tower (now housing St Mark’s Treasure), believed by some to have been part of the original Doge's Palace. Within the first half of the 13th century the narthex and the new façade were constructed, most of the mosaics were completed and the domes were covered with higher wooden, lead-covered domes in order to blend in with the Gothic architecture of the redesigned Doge's Palace." "While the basic structure of the building has been much altered, its decoration changed greatly over time. The succeeding centuries, especially the fourteenth, all contributed to its adornment, and seldom did a Venetian vessel return from the Orient without bringing a column, capitals, or friezes, taken from some ancient building, to add to the fabric of the basilica. Gradually, the exterior brickwork became covered with various marbles and carvings, some much older than the building itself (see Four Tetrarchs, below). The last interventions concerned Baptistery and St Isidor’s Chapel (1300s), the carvings on the upper profile of the facade and the Sacristy (1400s), the Zen Chapel (1500s). This cathedral is a prime example of Gothic architecture due to the fact of its appearance from a distance." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Basilica AIMG_4743

The Doge's Palace (Italian: Palazzo Ducale) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice, northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice, opening as a museum in 1923. Today it is one of the 11 museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doge%27s_Palace,_Venice AIMG_4780

Trogir, Croatia is a medieval town on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. AIMG_4258

Mykonos, Greece AIMG_3671

Laundry in Nice, France AIMG_2943

Nice is the fifth most populated city in France with almost 350,000 inhabitants. It became part of France in 1860, after having been ruled by Italy. It is located on the Côte d'Azur and boasts a Mediterranean climate. AIMG_2910

Nice is the fifth most populated city in France with almost 350,000 inhabitants. It became part of France in 1860, after having been ruled by Italy. It is located on the Côte d'Azur and boasts a Mediterranean climate. AIMG_2912

Saint Paul de Vence is a charming hilltop fortified village in Provence, France. It is one of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera. It is known for its architecture, art galleries, boutiques and sidewalk cafes. About 300 people live within the walls of the village, yet 2.5 million tourists visit each year. AIMG_2832

The Chomu Palace in Rajastan, India outside of Jaipur, is a 300 year old fortress/palace that has been converted to a luxury hotel. The surrounding town is delightfully chaotic and essential India and tourists are still curiousities to the locals. AIMG_4588