Lost in Translation
Looking for meanings in words, images and sounds
Black & White Sunday: Lion Heart
I wasn’t planning on posting another photo of a lion this week, but as it turns out today is World Lion Day. In the last 50 years or so, we’ve seen the lion population in Africa decline nearly 95 percent which means that without immediate action, one day we could live in a world where images and statues of these creatures are all we have.
The photo that follows is a black and white rendition of the image that appeared in my last Thursday’s Special post. It is a local lion from the Zagreb Zoo, quite old and tired.
This summer I visited Slovenia, a beautiful mountainous country bordering with Croatia. There I was high up in the mountains at the Predel pass at the spot that once marked the border of Austro-Hungarian Empire. The fortress that can be seen there today was built in the 19th century to replace an earlier wooden fortress that was burned down in a fierce battle between Napoleon’s Armada and the Austrian defenders in 1809. In spite of the enemy’s superiority the border regiment of Austrian – Croatian soldiers bravely warded off all the attacks and did not answer the call to surrender.
In memory of the then killed soldiers Emperor Ferdinand I built a mighty monument consisting of a 6 m high rock wall with a pyramid leaning on it, and a cast-iron statue of a wounded lion at the bottom to stress the magnitude of the memorial.
You can grab my Black & White Sunday widget and join me. Show me your black and white photos regardless of the theme.
Related posts:
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Light: Black and White Sunday & Weekend in Black and White
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There’s something about Mary
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Black & White Sunday: Lion heart – Khimaira
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The lions return
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Brighton Harbour
Lost in Translation 
Pingback: Light: Black and White Sunday & Weekend in Black and white | scrapydo
My B&W Sunday : Mhttp://scrapydo.wordpress.com/2014/08/10/light-black-and-white-sunday-weekend-in-black-and-white/
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Thank you for the link, Scrapydo 🙂
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😀
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Both the slovenian and croatian lions look tired… 😀 😀 😀
Really gr8 work, Paula… 🙂
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Bless them 🙂 Thank you for the visit, Drake. Always enjoy reading your comments…
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Lovely tribute to the (tired) loins of this world, Paula. I like you monument! 🙂
Ha en fin søndag. 🙂
Klem, Hanne
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Fin sondag, Hanne 🙂 Klem og kyss 🙂
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😘❤️
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Wow there is such sorrow in these lions.
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True…. the most fascinating of animals. Thank you, Joseph, for finding time to visit.
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Sleeps like a baby 🙂
Stunning photograph. We killed many in India. The count was 45000 in 1947 now less than 2000, I guess. There’s some awareness recently and lions are finally making a comeback, slowly and steadily.
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Thank you for admitting to it. So sad….
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Nice photos Paula. An interesting monument and thanks for explaining the history of it, and the plight of the lions.
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Thank you, Draco for coming here on Sunday 🙂 I hope you used it well. Thinking about making myself go out with the camera later on despite the heat…
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How hot is it?
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Above 30 Celsius, but we have great humidity….
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Oh, what we (people) do to God’s creatures. A beautiful post, Paula, highlighting the plight of the lions.
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Thank you so much Linda. I am so behind viewing comments and posts. I wish I could do something about my workload other than getting fired.
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I know what you mean! Our livelihood very often gets in the way of living! 😉
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That first photo is glorious! And so perfect in black and white.
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Paula thank you for sharing this spot in Slovenia we did not see. Your photos are magnificent.
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🙂 I thought that you would find it interesting. I hope you’ll.get a chance for another visit to.Slovenia and Croatia. And thank you Sue for your compliment 🙂
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They are incredible animals. I was just working on a lion post myself, but not b&W. I have something else in the works for that, though I may change my mind.
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Very profound. Even the lion that you shot at the zoo now appears wounded to me. So much unecessary loss.
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Pingback: Black & White Sunday: Lion heart | MARGARET-ROSE STRINGER
Wow, this is a nice angle for Khimaira. I love your subject M-R. Btw, what is your sun sign?
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These are such wonderful and very moving images of these magnificent creatures, Paula. The lions might look tired, but the music is very lively indeed. 🙂
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Thank you, Sylvia 🙂 Have I missed your birthday, brave Leo?
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I ALWAYS forget to do this, which is very irritating of me. 😦
http://wp.me/p3ZISx-2Pw
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You excel yourself every post! I especially love your black and white shots – and I need to return to Slovenia to visit the Predel pass and that wonderful lion. (Warsaw has a quartet outside the presidential palace that I always enjoy. You can see them under snow at http://fivemonthsinwarsaw.wordpress.com/tag/marble-lions/)
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Such a beautiful and majestic animal! I’m very ashamed at the destruction to wildlife humans have caused. I love the B&W version, it really works for me. Slovenia is a country I’ve always wanted to visit, I hope to get there in the not so distant future.
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🙂 You would like it, though Canada must have more dramatic landscapes 😉 Thank you for the visit Mark. Always a joy to see you 🙂
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Canada is beautiful indeed but for me I love to immerse myself in the beauty and culture of another country. Have a great night Paula
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Thank you, Mark. Have a great week 🙂
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Great photos! Drake was right, they look pretty tired 😀
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Thanks for finding the time to comment, Amy.
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Your Zagreb lion looks really good in B&W! By looking at the photo I get a false impression that it’s a cuddly, cozy, old cat creature, but I guess I would have had second thoughts going into its cage…
The lion monument is also great, both the monument itself and the photo. I would have joined you in your B&W Sunday, but as you already know I was occupied this Sunday.
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Thank you, Max 🙂 There is plenty of time to join in the future. Hope you are taking it easy today at home….
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Yes, I am. I’m enjoying one of the few (the only?) benefit of having a sick child.
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Hola. Hello. Bonjour. J’espère que les vacances ont été bonnes! 🙂
Curieusement, pendant ces semaines à Paris, j’ai remarqué beaucoup de lions. Architecture, immeubles, décoration.
I will need to sort my pix out.
Bye!
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Oui, elles etaient bonnes :). Thank you, Brian. Como has estado?
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Bien. Aguantando un “été pourri à Paris” pero… Hey! Paris is Paris. Can’t complain. And the sun just came out! let me take out the apéritif et le saucisson et la baguette sur la table dans le jardin!!
Bz
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Tu as quoi comme aperitif? Y-a-t-il un petit verre pour moi?
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Comme apéritif, directement du Morgon. Bienvenue! 🙂
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Oh! So peaceful…
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Both real and as sculptures, your images definitely testify to that lions are truly mighty beautiful creatures. And thanks for history addition.
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That is a beautiful monument and far more eloquent and meaningful than most war tributes.
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Thank you. That’s nice to hear.
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The wounded lion monument is very moving. I am a great fan of Slovenia and set the novel I will be publishing in December in that country!
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That’s interesting Hilary 🙂 Have you been to Croatia too?
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Beautiful shots Paula. It would be sad indeed if there were no more lions left in the world.
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He’s beautiful- the fallen hero 🙂
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😀 that sums it up nicely. Thank you, Jo 🙂
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Brutal, o contraste entre o real e as estátuas! 😀
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🙂 dissiste bem 🙂
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