Category: Architecture

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Friday/ it’s almost time ⚽

Happy Friday.
It is almost time for the World Cup.
The June 11 opener game will be Mexico 🇲🇽 vs. South Africa 🇿🇦 in Mexico City.

Seattle will host 6 games in total, and the first two are—
June 15: Belgium 🇧🇪 vs. Egypt 🇪🇬 (12:00 p.m. PT)
June 19: USA 🇺🇸 vs. Australia 🇦🇺 (12:00 p.m. PT)

The dome of the Space Needle has been painted in the white and black hexagons of a soccer ball. Fun fact:  A standard, classic soccer ball has 20 hexagons.

Pictures from the Seattle Times, courtesy of the Space Needle.

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Sunday/ on the way to Lake Union ⛵

I took the No 8 bus to Westlake Avenue and walked up along Lake Union, hoping to still catch Mark Zuckerberg’s megayacht there.
Alas, she was gone.
Someone there told me she was out in the open waters of Elliott Bay.

Checking out the Boeing 747 fuselage ‘public art’ installed between the apartment towers of 1200 Stewart Street. (I’m still on the No 8 bus).
A new eight-story banner installation designed by Seattle artist Ernesto Ybarra on the east façade of the 9th & Thomas building in South Lake Union. It is called ‘The Hostess’, and celebrates Seattle’s role as a host city for the World Cup soccer matches this summer.
Once upon a time many years ago, I brought my 1996 Toyota Camry to this building at 400 Westlake Ave for new tires.
The Firestone Auto Supply & Service Store building was constructed in 1929 with concrete and terra cotta details in the art deco style.
The façade was kept when a new 15-story commercial tower was built on the property.
Nearby is the 2021 artwork by Patti Warashina called ‘Dreamer’.
It was sculpted with aluminum and painted in geometric patterns.
This corner of South Lake Union’s waters is for rowers and kayakers. That’s the MOHAI building in the background (Museum of History and Industry).
The Marina Mart building is still there. Constructed in the early 1940s, it has deep ties to Seattle’s maritime heritage. It has transitioned from an industrial maritime site into a major dining and recreation hub.
With Memorial Day behind us, sailing season is now officially open.
There was a light breeze around and lots of sunshine🌞.
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Tuesday/ east west home best 🏡

I had a blast at the stamp show but it’s great to have made it home.

Ar Boston Logan airport, my checked bag weighed in at 48.5 lbs, 1.5 lbs shy of the weight limit. The medium size suitcase was stuffed with packs of stamp album pages and a giant binder to put them in, along with brochures and other papers.

These pictures are from yesterday, taken in and around Boston Common— the oldest city park in all of the United States.
The building with the iconic gold dome overlooking the Boston Common is the Massachusetts State House.

The next world stamp exhibition is in Prague, in the Czech Republic in March 2028.

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Sunday/ the Boston Tea Party

The site of the Boston Tea Party incident is a short walk from the Convention Center.

The Boston Tea Party was a political protest on December 16, 1773, where American colonists, frustrated by British “taxation without representation,” destroyed 342 chests of tea. Led by the Sons of Liberty and disguised as Mohawk warriors, the group dumped $1.7 million worth of British East India Company tea into Boston Harbor.

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum had already closed for the day when I got there last night.

I took a few pictures and then walked to South Station at 700 Atlantic Avenue.  It is a large train station that serves the MBTA Subway, bus lines and an Amtrak line.

The site of the Boston Tea Party in Boston harbor.
The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.
A block of four 1973 stamps to commemorate the Boston Tea Party.
A modern walkway and arches leading to South Station. The tall skyscraper above South Station is the South Station Tower. Standing at 690 feet tall with 51 stories, it is the sixth-tallest building in Boston.
The main entrance into South Station, at the corner of Summer St and Atlantic Avenue.
The main lobby inside South Station.
I took the Red Line with three stops to Charles/ MGH* station. *Massachusetts General Hospital.
The Puffers Building, located at 214-218 Cambridge Street in Boston’s Beacon Hill, is a historic Queen Anne-style brick building built in 1899. Financed by carbonated beverage magnate Alvin D. Puffer, the building originally functioned as sweatshops employing newly arrived immigrants in the West End’s cigar-making industry. – Google AI Overview/ Boston Women’s Heritage Trail
And here is what must be one of the orginal Massachusetts General Hospital buildings.
Founded in 1811, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is the third-oldest general hospital in the United States and the original, largest teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School. Conceived to treat Boston’s sick and impoverished, MGH has grown into a world-renowned biomedical research and clinical care center.
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Monday/ books galore 📚

Barnes & Noble is back in downtown Seattle with a new two-level, 18,000-square-foot store at 520 Pike Street. (The store in Pacific Place closed down during the pandemic in Jan. 2020).
I like their selection of books.

From there, I walked to the Seattle Public Library, taking a few pictures on the way. I usually don’t have to wait too long for a Tesla to appear in view, and then I take the picture 😁.

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Wednesday/ a ride on the 2 Line 🚉

I walked down to the Capitol Hill light rail station this morning, and took the new 2 Line extension to Judkins Park station (it opened on Saturday March 28).

At Judkins Park station, my two amigos joined me, and we went on to Bellevue Downtown station to go to a movie theater there. (I will report about the movie later).

The map and the drone picture below it are from the Seattle Times.
The rest of the images are my snapshots from the roundtrip on the 2 Line from Capitol Hill Station to Bellevue Downtown, and back.

The Judkins Park station and Mercer Island station were the ‘missing link’ between the 1 Line and 2 Line.
These were the two that opened on Mar. 28, and now commuters can go from Lynnwood City Center all the way up north to Downtown Redmond, or to Federal Way.
A light rail train crosses the I-90 floating bridge during testing this month.
[Photo by Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times]
Here’s a new view of downtown from the light rail, from the 2 Line after it left the International District station. That’s Lumen Field stadium on the left, home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), and Seattle Reign FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Going under Interstate 5 along South Dearborn Street and the steel truss bridge called the Jose Rizal Bridge (constructed in 1911).
The platform at the new Judkins Park Station, looking where I came from, from Seattle downtown. Trains on this side go through Seattle downtown and up north to Lynnwood City Center.
Artwork at Judkins Park station.
My amigos arrived on foot at Judkins Park station, and here comes our train that will take us to Bellevue Downtown station.
We arrived at Bellevue Downtown station, and walked up to the little plaza above it. Here comes a train that started out at Downtown Redmond station.
The City Hall plaza by the Bellevue Downtown station has a new reflection pool. That’s the City Center Plaza building on the left.
The building with the orange accents is brand new and called Bellevue 600: a 43-story high-rise office building developed by Amazon.
We’re making our way on foot to Bellevue Square.
I am stopping to turn around and admire the vanishing edge of the Symetra Center: a 25-story office building built in 1986.
We went to the movie theatre to see Project Hail Mary, and went for a beer and a bite, and made our way back to Bellevue Downtown station.
Here comes our Lynnwood-bound 2 Line train that will take us back to Judkins Park station and Capitol Hill Station.
It’s nice to see people already lining up to take the train, even though it is still early (4 pm).
Inside the train.
A view of the intersection of Interstate 90 and Interstate 405, from the train.
The marina with its boat slips on the shore of Lake Washington that is called the Newport Yacht Basin.
Going through a tunnel on the way to Mercer Island station.
Arriving at Mercer Island station.
Going over the floating bridge on Interstate 90 that take us over Lake Washington. The Mountain was out today.
Almost across Lake Washington, and Judkins Park station.
I am spotting a Cybertruck on Interstate 90 (in the middle of the picture).
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Wednesday/ a postcard from Palestine 🌴

I spend a lot of time scrolling through the listings of stamps and postcards online.
Here is a postcard with a photo from Tel Aviv, Israel (circa 1942) that I find very interesting.

King George Street (named after King George V) is an iconic road in central Tel Aviv.
In 1942, Tel Aviv was part of Mandatory Palestine, a territory administered by the British under a League of Nations mandate from 1920 to 1948. During this period, Tel Aviv was a rapidly growing Jewish city adjacent to Jaffa. The entire region was known as Palestine, not as the state of Israel, until 1948.
King George Steet—a July 2022 image from Google Streetview.
There are still Palestinians living in Tel Aviv, specifically in the municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo, with most residing in Jaffa (Yaffo). Palestinians make up 4 to 5% of the city’s population. These are largely Palestinian citizens of Israel (or Arab-Israelis) who remained after 1948, rather than residents from the occupied West Bank or Gaza.
Palestinian citizens of Israel possess legal rights such as voting and holding office, but do not have the same, equal rights as Jewish citizens in practice or law. While holding citizenship, they face systemic inequalities, discrimination in housing, land access, and education, and are governed by laws privileging Jewish citizens, such as the controversial 2018 Nation-State Law. Palestinian citizens of Israel (Arab citizens of Israel) hold Israeli passports, which allow them to travel internationally and access the same rights as other Israeli citizens. Their rights are distinct from Palestinians in East Jerusalem, who are generally permanent residents without Israeli citizenship or passports.
The stamp on the postcard was first issued in 1927, and still in use in 1942. It depicts Rachel’s Tomb— a site revered as the burial place of the Biblical matriarch Rachel. The site is also referred to as the Bilal bin Rabah mosque. The tomb is held in esteem by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It is located at the northern entrance to the West Bank city of Bethlehem, next to the Rachel’s Tomb checkpoint.
This stamp’s denomination is 10 mil, 10/1000ths of a Palestine pound (£P) which was pegged 1:1 to the British pound at the time. So one penny’s worth of postage was good for sending the postcard down to South Africa.
The number 39 is a unique identifier for the individual censor from the Royal Air Force or the specific censorship unit that examined and approved the message.

The sender was a Harold McMaster, on active duty in the British Army.
(The British Army controlled Palestine in 1942 as part of the British Mandate, which lasted from 1920 to 1948.)
It certainly seems that Mrs. McMaster that resided in Vereeniging, South Africa, was his mom, or at least a close family member.
At the time there were lots of South Africans of British descent, and of Jewish descent, residing in South Africa (and there still are, to this day).

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Tuesday/ a joint issue of stamps 📮

I bought this set of stamps in Singapore.
It is a 2024 joint issue of stamps from ten ASEAN* countries. (Different stamps for each country but issued on the same day).

*Not, not Asian— ASEAN: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
It is a regional intergovernmental organization established on August 8, 1967, to promote economic growth, social progress, cultural development, and regional peace. It comprises 11 member countries—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste.

The theme for the joint issue is not super-exciting: general post office buildings.
Some of the stamps have cool security features, though.
And I was reminded where in the world the Brunei is.

Here’s tiny Brunei (pop. 462,000), on the island of Borneo. It is a fabulously rich country,  wealthy from oil and gas.
From Google: Brunei is a tiny nation on the island of Borneo, in 2 distinct sections surrounded by Malaysia and the South China Sea. It’s known for its beaches and biodiverse rainforest, much of it protected within reserves. The capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, is home to the opulent Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque and its 29 golden domes. The capital’s massive Istana Nurul Iman palace is the residence of Brunei’s ruling sultan.
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Shining a UV light on the stamp from Brunei reveals the logo from Brunei Postal Services on the stamp.
The paper used for the stamp from Indonesia has fibers in that lights up under UV light.
The image of the Grand Postal Building in Bangkok is embossed on the stamp ..
.. and the paper also has fibers in that lights up under UV light.
The stamp from Malaysia has a watermark that shows up only under UV light.
The SPM lettering is an abbreviation for Security Printer of Malaysia. The SPM watermark has been applied a long time on stamps from Malaysia, and is found on stamps as early as 1986.
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Wednesday/ at the Gran Acuario Mazatlán 🐠

The Gran Acuario Mazatlán hosts over 250 species of fish. It is the is the largest aquarium in Latin America.

It contains a marine museum, the Gulf of Mexico Oceanic Fish Tank, a walk-through aviary, a boardwalk along the lagoon outside, crocodile exhibits, and a capybara petting area. The penguin area and flamingo area are currently closed. 

The new Gran Acuario Mazatlán opened to the public in May 2023.  This large new set of concrete structures and spaces were designed by architecture firm Tatiana Bilbao Estudio from Mexico City, and replaced the old municipal aquarium.
[Image from tatianabilbao.com/projects]
Here is the main courtyard inside the new Gran Acuario Mazatlán complex.
A shallow round tank with cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus), a species of eagle ray commonly found in aquariums.
A beautiful pyramid sea star (Pharia pyramidata).
About 1,900 species of starfish form the taxonomic class Asteroidea. These creatures live on the seabed and are found in all the world’s oceans, from warm, tropical zones to frigid, polar regions. They can occur from the intertidal zone down to abyssal depths, at 6,000 m (20,000 ft) below the surface.
[Source: Wikipedia]
Two long-spine porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus) alongside a sea urchin.
This is a large cylindrical tank. 
A yellowtail surgeonfish (Prionurus laticlavius or Prionurus punctatus).
A blackspotted puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus), also known as the dog-faced puffer.
The Gulf of Mexico Oceanic Fish Tank, with a little group of elementary school students.
The blue blubber jellyfish (Catostylus mosaicus) swimming in a tank.
A young slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus), a critically endangered species native to Africa.
A finescale triggerfish (Balistes polylepis).
The Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum) or beaded lizard is a species of venomous lizard in the family Helodermatidae, one of the two species of venomous beaded lizards found principally in Mexico and southern Guatemala.
(The other is the similar-looking Gila monster, Heloderma suspectum, which is found in the southweatern United States as well).
A great egret (Ardea alba) perched on the boardwalk fence by the lagoon.
A green iguana (Iguana iguana) catching the sun on the water’s edge. This monster in the bushes does not prey on smaller animals. Iguanas are strict herbivores that eat a diet consisting almost exclusively of leafy greens, vegetables, and fruit.
The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) or greater capybara is the largest living rodent, native to all countries in South America except Chile. Together with the lesser capybara, it constitutes the genus Hydrochoerus.
[Source: Wikipedia]
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Sunday/ Centro de Mazatlán architecture 🏫

Here is a sample of beautiful architecture that had caught my eye the last few days as I walked around Centro de Mazatlán (the old center of Mazatlán). 

Casa Paredes Herrasti was designed by a young French architect and built in 1907 as a family home for Doña Francisca Rojas de Paredes, a direct descendant of Don Bonifacio Rojas who discovered the prosperous gold and silver mine of El Tajo in 1655.
[Source: oceanblueworld.com]
It need a a lot of restoration work.
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Founded in 1845 by the company Heymann Sucesores, in this building was the commercial house known as La Merceria Alemana. It operated as a store for luxury furnishments (pianos, porcelain from Dresden and Meissen, Baccarat and Bohemian crystal), until the beginning of World War II.
The orange building opened as a commercial house in 1900 and is called La Casa Elorza. It exported products to Guatemala and Chile. The property functioned as a renowned high school at the end of the 20th century.
A colorful mural. The deer is the primary symbol of Mazatlán, rooted in the Nahuatl* word mazatl (“deer”) and tlan (“place of”), translating to “Place of Deer”.
*Nahuatl is a vibrant Indigenous language family with approximately 1.5 to 1.7 million speakers, primarily in central Mexico. As the historic language of the Aztec Empire, it remains the most spoken indigenous language in Mexico, known for its agglutinative structure, unique “tl” sound, and influence on English words like chocolate and coyote.
The apartment building at 1402 Blvd Niños Héroes. 
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The Hotel Freeman, built between 1945 and 1950 overlooking Olas Altas beach, was the first skyscraper in Mazatlán and northwestern Mexico.
With 13 floors, it became an icon of modernity for its time. Its presence marked a turning point in the port’s urban landscape, playing a key role in the transformation of the historic center during the 20th century. Despite its innovative design, locals viewed its height with skepticism and often joked about its collapse.
[Source: Alfredo Velazquez on Facebook]
The flags of the U.S.A., Mexico and Canada are on the flagpoles on the top.
Elementary school Benito Juárez on 20 Campana Street, serves children in grades 1-6.
Benito Juárez was the 26th president of Mexico, from 1858 until his death in 1872. 

 

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Friday/ the whale museum & more 🐋

There was a marine layer out on the ocean this morning as we made our way to  Cerro del Vigía (‘Lookout Hill’).

We took the short cable car trip up to the observatory: the touristic park named Observatorio 1873, after the year of its construction.

By the observatory there is a small agaviario (a dedicated agave garden) and steps down to a bird sanctuary called El Nido.  A few steps further down the hill there is an enclosure with iguanas and tortoises.

The last stop is the new whale museum called Museo Nacional de la Ballena (National Whale Museum) that opened in August 2025. 

(Thanks to Bryan for the picture of the toucan and of the green parrot).

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Thursday/ the Basilica Cathedral of Mazatlán ⛪

Here is a closer look at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of Mazatlán (La Catedral Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción en Mazatlán). 

It is a Roman Catholic Church that was built in the Baroque-Revival style from 1856 to 1899. Approximately 78% of Mexico’s population identifies as Catholic, according to the 2020 Mexican government census.

Based on available history for the city’s central public spaces, the notable iron gazebo located in the plaza directly in front of the Cathedral (Plaza República) was built around 1870.

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Wednesday/ out and about 🌞

It was another sunny and cloudless day here in Mazatlán (76°F /24°C ).

This morning, we went for a walk up the main lookout hill here on the shoreline (Cerro del Vigía).

This afternoon, we ran out to the local Sam’s Club (warehouse grocery store) for grocery shopping. We went there by bus and came back with a little Uber car with its trunk and back seat full of groceries.  

Rocky outcroppings on the coastline, seen from the street above as we walk towards Cerro del Vigía.
This is Isla El Crestón (Crestón Island) that is right by Cerro del Vigía. There is a lighthouse at the top of the Crestón Island hill.
Almost at the top of the steps that lead up to the outlook at the top of Cerro del Vigía.
The photo spot at the top of Cerro del Vigía.
The cruise ship at the Mazatlán cruise port is the Royal Princess. She set sail late afternoon for Long Beach, California.
A vista of Centro de Mazatlán from the top of Cerro del Vigía. Look for the yellow Catedral Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción, a beautiful 19th-century Baroque-Revival church.
The towering condo buildings at the top left are on Avenida del Mar, the road that runs along the promenade called Malecón Mazatlán. We would drive right by them later in the day.
Bougainvillea flowers
Our bus looked like this one.
There is the church: the Catedral Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción. I will take close-up pictures of it later this week.
Looking towards Centro de Mazatlán (Mazatlán’s old center) and Isla El Crestón from the Uber car on Avenue del Mar the way back from Sam’s Club.
(Optical illusion: it looks as if there is no sand and as if the surf is breaking onto the pavement, but there is a drop to the beach and the sand from the edge of the promenade’s paving. )
Here are the condo buildings on Avenue del Mar that could be seen from the Cerro del Vigía lookout this morning.
Looking back at the Golden Zone, while still on Avenue del Mar.
It looks like someone is getting ready for some parasailing at the beach that runs along Malecón Mazatlán (the Mazatlán promenade).
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Tuesday/ National Flag Day 🇲🇽

It just happened to be Día de la Bandera— National Flag Day— today here in Mexico.

While catching the sunset at the Olas Altas beach by Centro de Mazatlán, we spotted the giant Mexican flag on the flagpole way down along the promenade (the far left in the second picture)—a rare treat since it’s only up a few days each year.

We reached it in the nick of time, just as the flag was being lowered and taken away.

P.S. Built in the early 1920s (often cited as 1919–1920) by Californian Louis Bradbury, Hotel Belmar is Mazatlán’s original oceanfront hotel, representing the city’s golden age. Located on the Olas Altas boardwalk, it was a 1940s/50s hot spot for Hollywood stars like John Wayne and Lucille Ball, known for its elegant, historic, and slightly bohemian atmosphere.

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Sunday/ at the waterfront 🏙️

I made my way to the south end of the waterfront late this afternoon and walked up to Pike Place market.
The day was brilliant and bright out— but with the air temperature still sharp at 48°F/ 9°C.
I took the sunset picture from Elliot Avenue and Lenora Street.

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Thursday/ sunny and mild 🌤️

Today was another very mild winter’s day here in the city (57 °F/ 14°C) with clouds and sun.
I walked down to the Melrose Avenue overlook to see if the 12’s flag is up on the Space Needle yet.
(It is not. I believe it will go up tomorrow, Friday).

Look for the sunlight reflecting off the glass panels of the observation deck at the top of the Needle. That’s Harrison Street between the buildings to the right of the Space Needle, running all the way out to Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Kraken (ice hockey team).
At the very bottom right of the picture the spires of Saint Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral church are visible.
Those are the Olympic mountains in the distance, with the twin peaks called The Brothers.
There should be more snow on the mountains at this point – a lot more snow! 😟 Snowpack levels in Western Washington are very low, with most areas reporting only 37% to 45% of normal, a concern for water supply and increased summer fire risk.
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Monday/ Kabukicho Tower and Ginza 🌇

On Monday I went up to the 17th-floor observation deck of the Kabukicho Tower. It offers a nice view of the trains running into and out of Shinjuku station.

The other photos are from Ginza shopping district around sunset.
Everything in Ginza is art— the buildings, the lamp posts, the manhole covers in the pavement, all the way down to the metro stations below ground.
The clocks are from inside the Wako Building, owned by Seiko watch corporation.

I took the Marounochi Line back to Shinjuku just before the onset of rush hour (rush hour starts at around 5.30 pm).

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Sunday 🌞

Sunday was bright and mild (57 °F/ 14 °C) here in Shinjuku.
The streets around Shinjuku station were closed for traffic all day.

A little parade of sorts came by, featuring bands and groups for firefighter and disaster support, and little league baseball teams. Elsewhere there was a protest for the war in Ukraine (offering support for Ukraine).

There are a Teslas on the streets, but not many. In the picture with the black Tesla, the hotel is on the left.
The beautiful building with the wavy top is Tokyu Kabukicho Towerー 48-story skyscraper completed in 2023. It was designed by Yuko Nagayama & Associates and developed by Shimizu Corporation. [Wikipedia]

At Shinjuku Station’s East Exit, the giant 3D cat is still there, entertaining crowds near the crosswalk for Studio Alta.