This is a detail shot of a statue called "Lion of St. Mark."  It's Venetian and dates to the 17th or 18th century.  It's a gilded, winged lion carved in wood and plaster.  Historically it's a symbol of the evangelist St. Mark.  I looked up St. Mark and read that he was once a servant who (unverifiably) poured out the water that Jesus turned to wine (John 2:1-11). Mark is also said to have been the servant who carried water to the house where the Last Supper took place (Mark 14:13).

I am not a religious person myself, but I thought that this shot turned out pretty cool.  I dig the Chinese-dragon nature of the lion's mouth, the detail on the wings and the way the gilding glows.  That's why it's my "Pic Of The Week."

 

I took this photo inside Kew Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens of London.  This shot is the interior of Kew's Waterlily House.  It's the hottest and most humid of their glasshouses and it's truly a step into another world.  When I was there last week the waterlilies, including the Nymphaea and the "giant Victoria cruziana" were in full bloom.  Just for reference, one of these giant lilypads is big enough for a full-grown adult to sit or lay down on.  They're enormous.  I felt like Alice in Wonderland after she drank the "make-me-smaller" drink.  I was lucky enough to be there so early in the day that no other people were crowding the space, allowing this pristine photo.  That is why this is my "Pic Of The Week."

 

I've been playing Scrabble today, and while it tends to give me a headache, I find it pretty satisfying.  I don't win often -- in fact I don't think I've won once yet -- but I dig it.  This game lasted 'til one player used up all his tiles and the other player (me) had only two left.  That's relatively hard to achieve, so I documented the board and made it my "Pic Of The Week." 

I promise something more scenic NEXT week.

 

I took this photo while waiting for the tube in Waterloo Station.  It's just an advertisement for The Economist, but I like what it said.  I think the world should be everyone's oyster.  That's why it's my "Pic Of The Week."

 

I took this photo last week inside The White Tower (the centerpiece structure inside The Tower of London).  The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror in the year 1100.  In case you don't know, The Tower of London site wasn't just a fortress, it was the home of King Henry III and King Henry VII, the site where Anne Boleyn was executed and the place where Queen Elizabeth I was imprisoned.  It's also the current home of flightless ravens and The Crown Jewels, which are spectacular.  This photo is of a set of wooden statues called "Gin and Beer" that I found while walking through The White Tower -- they are Jacobean and date back to the 17th century.  Gin and beer were apparently the most popular alcoholic beverages of the time in which the statues were carved...  Basically, I just thought they looked cool, so this is my "Pic Of The Week."