Most popular pictures - top five of last 12 months

As promised here, these are my top five most viewed pictures over the last twelve months in Flickr. Three of the top five are from my wonderful time in Eritrea in 2010, two of which feature modernist/ bauhaus style structures as does the one photo from Israel that has made the top five. 

The most recent of the top five pictures is the view of New York skyscrapers from Central Park, taken earlier this year. It is interesting how some pictures garner many views very quickly (as with the New York shot), whilst others build slowly over time. The Eritrean pictures were picked up by other websites and on-line magazines with links back to my Flickr pages, which no doubt has contributed to their popularity, but they continue to receive regular views.

Bubbling under the top ten are photographs from more recent destinations including Bucharest, Istanbul and the London Olympics, whilst older shots from Armenia, Moscow (in 2008) and Israel still attract regular views. It will be interesting to see what makes next year's top ten! And so, my top five pictures...

Below, the fifth most popular picture in my Flickr photo stream shows an apartment building in Asmara, Eritrea. I like the central windowed tower that houses the staircase, as well as the attempts to "brighten it up" with red and green paint. The luminous advertisement is part of a government sponsored programme to promote contraception! This picture has been viewed 105 times during my first year on Flickr.



Below, the fourth most popular of my Flickr pictures. This beautiful Bauhaus building is located on Lilienblum in Tel Aviv. Probably my most favourite Bauhaus structure in my favourite city, it was once the home of iconic Israeli photographer Avraham Soskin. The architect was Zev Richter and the house was completed in 1933. 106 Flickr views to date.



Below at number three for my first year is a nice shot of some of New York's skyscrapers taken from Central Park. I love the Manhattan skyline and couldn't resist taking this picture through the gap in the trees whilst walking back to my hotel after visiting the Guggenheim Museum. This picture was picked up by a website that caters for skyscraper fanatics, which probably generated the majority of the 108 views it has received to date.



Below, at number two with a magnificent 124 views, is an Eritrean petrol station! No prizes for guessing why I liked this structure with its modernist curves, deco referenced portholes and overall streamlined architectural approach. For a long time, this picture garnered more views than any of my other Flickr shots, probably because it was one of a number of my pictures used by a branch of the UN as part of a recruitment scheme. Thanks so much UN for not bothering to ask my permission! I don't mind at all, but its nice to be asked.



And finally the most viewed of my Flickr photostream pictures is the one below - the Medaber recycling market in Eritrea with a stunning (to me) 155 views - way ahead of anything else in my photosream. This building has a very long history beginning life as a caravanserai but nowadays is a place where Eritrean genius and entrepreneurship is exhibited. Almost anything is recycled here to make a variety of useful items including cutlery, luggage, water pots and carriers and just about anything else you can think of.  The main language of Eritrea is Tirgrinya which is a semitic language. It shares a number of words (or very similar words) with Hebrew, including Medaber. In Hebrew it means "speak", but I am told it is used in Tigrinya as the word for recycle - I can see a link of course!



To see more of my Flickr pictures including from Eritrea, Israel, New York, Russia, Fiji, Australia, Georgia and many other places, look here. Click on any of the above pictures to see a full sized page.

Most popular photos - first 12 months on Flickr!

I discovered Flickr in October last year and and was amazed by the huge range of subjects, groups and information as well as pictures that immediately became available to me. Best of all its absolutely free! Partly due to my obsession with lists and statistics, I added a flag counter fairly early on which allowed me to keep track of where viewers were coming from in addition to the standard information about numbers of views that each picture receives. Nerdy I know. One year on, I would like to share my ten most viewed pictures with blog readers, with just a little information about each one. I will spread the pictures over two posts, this first one showing the 6th-10th most popular, in reverse order of course!

Below - tenth most popular picture with 87 views. This is Asmara in Eritrea. My Eritrean pictures have  proved especially popular with some having been picked up for use in online newspapers and others being used on a website to show more positive sides of Africa. I liked this curved, corner building in downtown Asmara.

Below -  also in Asmara, this beautiful modernist villa is the home of a friend of mine who looks after the synagogue in the city. This picture has received 93 views in the last twelve months and is my ninth most popular photograph on Flickr. I love the receding lines of the upper floor and those of the small windows. The windows to the side of the villa have been covered to provide protection from the extreme heat of an Eritrean summer  and believe me, it gets very hot there!

Below - taken more recently, this Marcel Janco designed modernist house in Bucharest is my eighth

most popular picture having received 95 views. I took this picture during a very memorable morning spent looking at several of Janco's remaining buildings in this much under-rated city. I especially like those lines and the porthole windows. This house located at Boulevard Hristo Botev, 34 was built in 1934. I have written about Janco's work in more detail here.

 

 

Below -  my seventh most viewed picture having received 100 visits. I love this picture taken at Shuk Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem, Israel. I find the shuk extremely inspirational for pictures and also for provoking the imagination due to the diversity of the people, the colours, smells and sounds and not least those fabulous looking pastries that this little lad and his mum are admiring! You can read more about the shuk at a recent post here.

Below - number six in the popularity stakes, this photograph of the cafe in the Cinema Roma in Asmara has received 104 views and is probably my favourite of the pictures I took in the city. The cinema is one of a number of surviving art deco buildings in Asmara and the cafe is a real social hub, serving fantastic Eritrean coffee, alcoholic drinks and some pretty good pastries too! I managed to get a sneaky look in the auditorium too, but no pictures allowed unfortunately. Eritrea has many problems but my lasting memory of my visit is the warm hearted generosity of the people I met there.

These pictures bring back some great travel memories for me - I hope you like them. Look out for numbers 1-5 coming soon. Click on any of the pictures above to view the original.

Eritrean Omelettes - Eritrea 2

Gate of Asmara's synagogue

Asmara was once home to a community of around 500 Jews. Now there is only one - Sami Cohen. Sami continues to look after the 1905 built synagogue in 176-21 Street. The former vibrant community included Jews fleeing persecution in Aden at the beginning of the 20th century, Italian Jews during the colonial period and a smattering of Jews from other backgrounds.

All have now died or left for Italy, Israel and other places, but there are still signs of a Jewish presence in the city. There are at least two stores that may still be in Jewish ownership - Kanzen (pictured below) and Banin, whilst Magen Davids can clearly be seen in the windows of a building that formerly belonged to the community. Most poignant is the large Jewish cemetery a little way out of town that tells a story of several generations of Jewish families having lived out their time in Eritrea.

Kanzen store, Asmara

My guide - Thomas - took me to meet Sami and to view the beautiful interior of the small synagogue. As soon as I saw him, I recognised him from the flight I had made from Cairo to Asmara just a few days earlier. I had noticed someone reading Hebrew and had almost asked him if he was Sami Cohen.

I asked him if it was lonely to be the last member of a once vibrant community. His reply was that it is a "mitzvah" to look after the synagogue. He spends his time between Eritrea, Italy and sometimes Israel and had been a key player in getting the Asmara exhibition staged at Tel Aviv's Bauhaus Centre in 2007. It turned out we have friends in common in Israel.

Sami was extremely welcoming, happy to allow photographs and to show me the small exhibition on Eritrean Jewry that he keeps in a room off the main part of the synagogue. He kindly drove my guide and I to the Jewish cemetery (pictured below) and told us some of the stories of those who had passed away, as well as hosting us to dinner at his modernist style villa in the city centre.

Entrance to Asmara's Jewish cemetery

Food and drink figured largely on my visit to Eritrea. A couple of days in to my trip, I came down with a terrible stomach problem - for the first time ever when travelling. I am pretty sure it was the side effects of the anti-malaria medication I was taking and it put me out of action for a whole day. I spent most of the morning and afternoon running from the bed to the bathroom.

In the late afternoon my telephone rang and the receptionist asked me if I wanted coffee. I misunderstood and thought it would be brought to my room so said yes. This resulted in her asking me to come downstairs where I found several of the hard working hotel staff preparing the Eritrean coffee ceremony just for me! This is quite an experience and follows a set pattern.

The coffee is always made by a woman who washes the green beans and then roasts them in a pan over a little burner called a "fumello". Some of these are very ornate whilst other, simpler ones, can be purchased at the Medaber recycle market. When the beans darken they are ground and placed on a small rush mat which is used to pour the coffee into its pot or "jebena". Water is then added and the coffee brought to the boil, before sugar is put into tiny cups and the coffee strained into it. The coffee is often served with popcorn and incense is burned to keep away mosquitos and to add to the pleasant aroma of the coffee. It is considered poor form not to drink at least three rounds of the coffee. It is good to allow plenty of time if invited for coffee as its both an honour and treat and shouldn't be rushed. 

I spent a very interesting hour with these wonderful women (pictured below), all of whom managed to exchange a few words of English with me and who smiled at my terrible attempts at Tigrinya. They were very interested in where I lived and what I did. I asked to take their photograph and they spent several minutes primping and attending to hair and scarves before assenting and only then after extracting a promise that I would send them a copy. I hope they liked it.

Staff of the wonderful Albergo Hotel in Asmara

Another culinary episode involved the preparation of an omelette in a tiny cafe in a small town called Ghinda on the way back to Asmara from the Red Sea. Stopping for breakfast, my guide asked the elderly Orthodox Christian woman owner to prepare me an omelette.  Like many Orthodox women in Eritrea she had a cross tattooed onto her forehead and wore long flowing white garments.

She disappeared into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with an extremely runny, very lightly fried egg that was to say the least unappetising. She smiled at me and asked if it was "tsebuk", meaning "good". Not having the heart to say no, I said it was and picked up my cutlery - at which point my guide picked up the plate and rushed into the kitchen where there were raised voices and several minutes later he emerged smiling saying "all will be OK".

Another ten minutes passed and a beautiful omelette appeared, surrounded by neatly sliced tomatoes and onions arranged in a perfect circle around the plate, with small pieces of soft bread. The owner appeared again and proudly accepted my thanks and "tsebuk". I don't know if omelettes are popular in Ghinda, but I know where I can get one if I ever return.

I also had the honour of being invited to have dinner in the home of relatives of John, who drove me from Asmara to Keren, on to Massawa and back to Asmara. I was treated to a reprise of the coffee ceremony as well as a tasty stew accompanied by the ubiquitous injera, a slightly sour tasting flat bread used to mop up the food. Yet more evidence of the kind hospitality of Eritrea's people.

Remains of Haile Selassie's palace at Massawa

Massawa is a very different city to Asmara. Sitting by the Red Sea and with a strong Arabic feel, the city was in poor shape when I visited with the extensive damage of the long battle for independence still being visible. It is possible to see the remains of the former palace of Haile Selassie with its striking blue and white colours. The highlight of my time was being taken to the old city in the heat of the afternoon when the streets are completely empty. I am sure that John thought I was slightly bonkers when I said I wanted to get down from the car and walk through the streets. I remember soaking up the complete silence, but feeling many eyes on me as the Massawans peeping from behind their blinds must have wondered who the mad man with the camera was, walking in 45 degrees of heat! Returning in the evening, Massawa was very different. As the sun goes down the city comes alive with cafes and shops opening and people pouring water on the ground to soak up the dust as they bring seats and beds into the open air to enjoy the cool of the evening. What a difference in just a few hours.

Massawa - all shuttered up from the heat in the middle of the day.

Massawa mosque

Adventures in Asmara - Eritrea 1

Back in August 2007, I attended an exhibition entitled "Asmara, Africa's Secret Modernist City" at the wonderful Bauhaus Centre in Tel Aviv. Being a fan of both modernist and art deco architecture, this was a real treat. The fantastic images in the exhibition and the accompanying publication made me want to get on the next plane to Asmara to see it for myself. Unfortunately, the cost of flights was prohibitive at that time and I had to wait until late 2010 when I was able to see not only Asmara but also Keren and Massawa, the other major cities in Eritrea.

Modernist villa in Asmara

Asmara has a wonderful collection of about 400 modernist and art deco buildings dating from the 1920s and 1930s, part of the legacy of the colonial period when Eritrea, then part of Ethiopia was under Italian rule. The Italians believed they would be there for hundreds of years and so their architects, and of course, African labour, filled Asmara with beautiful modernist villas, shops, cafes and cinemas, many of which and many which still survive, although some have fallen into disrepair. This is hardly surprising given that the Eritreans fought for thirty years to gain their independence from Ethiopia, finally achieving this in 1993.

Like many capital cities around the world, Asmara boasts some impressive government buildings. Two that particularly stand out are the Municipality and the Ministry of Education both on Harnett Avenue. The Municipality is one of my favourite buildings in Asmara. Built from 1951-1971 in a simplified art deco style it stands out due to a central green tower with its clock and crowning disc displaying the symbol of Eritrea - the camel. The central tower also has a balcony for addressing the public and elongated windows on each wing. The green facade is made from mosaic tiles whilst the window frames are marble. Amazingly the architect is unknown, but what is known is that the state assembly hall in the rear of the building was inaugurated by our own Queen Elizabeth in 1965 during the Ethiopian period.

Further along Harnett Avenue, the Ministry of Education building dates from 1928 with an extension from 1940. Only the architects for the extension is known - Bruno Sclafani - more of whom later. Somewhat austere externally, this pink painted building was once home to a stunning set of paintings in the local style including depictions of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, the serpent of Eritrean and Ethiopian legend that is said to have shaped the land, other local fauna, St. George and the Dragon and several allegorical figures. Sadly this has all been destroyed in the period following independence. I was able to  have a quick look inside this building - although not to take photographs. The main staircase retains echoes of a former grandeur with a decorative metal bannister which carries fascist symbols. The interior is painted in green and yellows.

Municipality, Harnett Avenue

Ministry of Education, Harnett Avenue

A stroll through Asmara in the late afternoon and early evening is perhaps the time to see it at its most interesting. The main thoroughfare - Harnett Avenue is the venue for the evening passagiata of hundreds of young Eritreans, dressed in their best clothes, promenading or talking in small groups. Many people will smile and say hello, buona sera or good evening to European visitors they pass in the street.

The Italian penchant for cafe culture - strong coffee and sweet pastries and patisserie - lives on amongst the Eritreans, as does a taste for good pasta and pizza. The many cafes fill up in the late afternoon and stay full until almost 10pm, when most people go home - this is not a party town. Royal Bar was my favourite serving great ice cream as well as the ubiquitous coffee and cakes. The customers are mainly groups of local young people, who come to drink, talk and look.

Many of the most ornate of the cafes are located within cinemas, including the wonderful Cinema Roma on Semtat Avenue. The cinema was originally to be called Cinema Dux but was refused planning permission because the name was judged to be too close to the title Il Duce  (Mussolini). Building work started in 1937, originally under the direction of Italian architect Roberto Capellano and then Bruno Sclafani and it began life as the Excelsior. The interior was restored in the 1990's and features a selection of reds, ochres and oranges inside and out with marble on the exterior. For a few nakfa (the local currency), you can have a peak inside the auditorium outside of  screening times. An enormous old projector is displayed in the lobby, surrounded by old Hollywood posters and many ardent smokers and serious coffee drinkers.

Cafe in Cinema Roma, Semtat Avenue

Another real landmark and further down Semtat Avenue is the stunning Fiat Tagliero Service Station. It's hard to believe that this beautiful building was a petrol station. It resembles an aircraft with massive, unsupported wings. Legend has it that the municipal authorities demanded that there be pillars to support the wings before granting permission to build and that the architect Guiseppe Pettazzi complied by using wooden pillars. At the building's unveiling he held a pistol to the head of the building contractor and ordered him to remove the supports. True or not, the original plans for the building, rediscovered in 2001 showed 30 poles propping up the wings. They are not there now! Restored in 2003, the building now belongs to the Royal Dutch Oil Company. It benefits from the highest level of protection in terms of listed building status meaning no changes can be made to the original.

Another wonderful deco style industrial building is the former silicon factory originally known as Agencia Lancia on Tegadelti Street designed by Carlo Marchi and Carlo Montalbetti and built in 1938. Built for wealthy Italian Santo Falletta it housed a service station, workshops, showroom and car exchange for the Lancia car company. Beautifully symmetrical with trademark deco portholes it has retained its wonderful projecting glazed central tower that once housed a water tank and was illuminated at night. In good condition at the time of my visit, the building is now all but hidden from the street by a wall and is easy to miss. Its definitely worth searching out and taking a peek.

The Fiat Tagliero service station, Semtat Avenue

Agencia Lancia, tower of former silicon factory, Tegadelti Street

Apartment building in Asmara - the caption on the front promotes family planning.

Eritreans have learned to be extremely resourceful, through many years of war and a number of economic difficulties. Nowhere is this better illustrated than at the recycling market called "Medaber" - not to be confused with the Hebrew word medaber מדבר, meaning speak. Here you can see all kinds of materials - plastic, old oil drums, pieces of cloth - being used to create new and useful things. I especially liked the set of suitcases constructed from cardboard and cloth and the recycling of old tyres for water carriers.  During the struggle for independence the Eritreans had a saying that "everything has its use and then another use". This is very clearly demonstrated at Medaber which provides employment to many local people.

The recycle market was just one example of the hard work on constant view in Eritrea as people strive to improve their lives and the position of their families and despite the difficulties faced by many people, the Eritreans I met were unfailingly helpful, friendly and generous. This included extending invitations to dinner in their home and even learning how to cook an omelette for me. You can read more about that here.

Young worker at the Medaber recycle market

"Everything has its use and then another use"

For more pictures from Eritrea including Asmara, Keren and Massawa, look here.