Sepia Saturday 320: 5 March 2016

Alan Burnett from Sepia Saturday says:

A public fountain in Queretaro, Mexico. Wheelbarrows that look like a left-over prop from the Flintstones carrying pottery jars that would not be out of place on an archaeological dig. And let us not forget the hats that look a little like traffic cones. There are a number of potential themes you might want to highlight in this week's Sepia Saturday theme image (which comes from the Flickr stream of Cornell University). All you need to do is to post an old image and some new thoughts on or around Saturday 5th March 2016 and then add a link to the list below.

Well, I wonder how many of us are going to use the Trevi fountain today?

I haven't been to Mexico, but I have been to Rome - does that count?  And yes, I am wearing socks with sandals.  I was dressed by my mother - that's my excuse.  And yes, I will never be wearing a dress that short again!

This is an extract from my mother's letter to her father shortly after our sojourn in Italy in June 1971.

"Rome was an entirely successful week.  We walked everywhere - miles & miles.  Great way to see the place, much better than the car. We ended up exhausted each day of course and slept most afternoons.  Very hot but not unpleasant if you don't try and do too much after lunch.  We stayed in a bed & breakfast place in a cheap quarter and bought bread, cheese & wine for one meal & had one other main meal.  Finally saw the Sistine Chapel - wasn't at all what I expected.  It's not treated like a chapel at all & they are usually so particular about those things."

I remember having to wear a scarf when we went into churches in Europe.  Do they do that now still I wonder?  And we were trying to live on $10 a day.  Do you remember those books?  Europe on $10 a day.  That was our bible.  

Here's another not so public fountain which I don't think exists anymore...I have blogged about this place before here.  We think it is at the De Havilland engine factory at Birnie Avenue Lidcombe during World War II.

I think having looked at other books/websites about De Havilland I have noticed that water features were an important part of the landscaping at Hatfield in the UK too.  

You can read more about Lidcombe and the Commonwealth Aircraft Factory at the Dictionary of Sydney here.  And this site has some good information too.


Anyway, that's my two bob's worth this week....my fountains are more for decoration than usefulness as such.  

I hope to return to the Trevi fountain one day...I certainly made sure I left coins in there the last time.  I don't think we will ever be able to return to the fountains in Lidcombe though.  I'm pretty sure they don't exist anymore.  The site sold for $5.12million in 1996 according to this article.

Which fountain do you hope to see again in your lifetime?