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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 7h

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekOforOpulent

#Waldorf #WaldorfAstoriaRome #Rome #Italy 🇮🇹 #AndyWarhol #hotel #travel ✈️ #photography 📷 #Hilton #luxury #opulent #Warhol #Warholart

Andy Warhol loved money so much he painted it; and part of the Rome Cavalieri Art Collection includes four limited edition Dollar Signs on private view in the Penthouse Suite as shown here. (My friends were upgraded to this suite at the Waldorf Astoria for their wedding and so of course the wedding party (I was Man of Honour) staying at the hotel hung out there a lot). The suites (plural) are accessed by a private elevator, and reek of money. In addition to Warhols art, this photo shows a luxurious bed on plush carpeting in a spacious room with elaborate window dressings and a fancy gold gilded dresser and hints of other furnishings. My friends luggage is kind of spilling over to the right of the picture. Truly an opulent suite, which encompasses other suites, on the penthouse levels boasting private bar/nightclub area, rooftop jacuzzi overlooking Rome, and many other luxuries in spacious rooms with altogether elaborate furnishings. It was quite the once in a lifetime experience as many rich and famous, including royalty have stayed here.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 1d

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekOforOpulent

#RollsRoyce #rolls #vintage #vintagecars #antique #automobile

A black vintage Rolls Royce parked on a tree lined street. Google wants to say it's 1930's so who am I to argue?

A 1930s Rolls-Royce exterior is characterized by its imposing presence, elegant lines, and meticulous craftsmanship. The cars featured a long, imposing hood, often topped with the iconic "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament, and a distinctive Pantheon-style grille.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 2d

Costa Smeralda area provides lavish accommodations, private yacht marinas, Michelin-starred dining, high-end shopping, and a controlled environment that cultivates an aura of secrecy and privilege for the wealthy and famous. Here's a closer one of some yachts. 🤑

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekOforOpulent

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 2d

#alphabetchallenge #WeekOforOpulent

#yacht #Sardinia #Italy 🇮🇹 #travel ✈️ #photography 📷 #streetphotography #luxuryboats

About 9 luxury yachts moored around a tight dock area. Many people are milling around together with many cars parked, one in particular a lime green what looks to be a Lamborghini. The place is in Sardinia, and the sky is an unusual mix of grey/white and yellowish tones, with a hint of light from the sun setting behind it all.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 3d

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekNforNights

#Rome #Italy 🇮🇹 #Colosseum #travel ✈️ #photography 📷 #nightlife #night #streetphotography #Roma #Italia

A pavement patio of a bar named Tavola Calda - which is shown by a green and white sign sticking out sideways from a building - the word "Bar" above it, though, reads back to front. There are bikes and people milling around on the curved cobblestone road everywhere too. A red and white no entry sign leads up to a partial view of the Colosseum with its alcoves lit up by yellow gold. The sky is black, and the atmosphere overall is busy. A guy is standing with his back at the forefront of the photo dressed in black, with the word "Invictus" in white on the back of his T-shirt.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 4d

#BlueSkyArtShow theme: #Relax for Oct 4th 2025

#hammock #chill #SunshineCoast #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 #summer

A light coloured hammock strung between two thick tan bark tree trunks surrounded by bright green foliage. The sun is bright against the material suggesting a hot day in whatever paradise this is. (Spoiler alert, it was an air b&b cabin on the Sunshine Coast Nr Vancouver BC).

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 4d

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekNforNights

Science World

#scienceworld #Vancouver #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 #night #reflection #nightphotography #lights #architecture #streetphotography

A dome shaped building (Science World in Vancouver, BC) covered in red and white lights. It is located on False Creek, a short inlet in the heart of the city that separates downtown from the rest of the city. Along the water banks various yellow, red and purple lights of buildings are seen as well reflected in the black of the water, as is a hint here and there of the dome's lights. The sky and water create a black backdrop.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 5d

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekNforNights

#Vancouver #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 #Eastvan #trafficlights #neon #neonsigns #night #streetphotography #iconic #photography 📷

An illuminated neon cross at night. Iconic in Vancouver as it is seen from many vantage points over miles, as well a great deal of merch is inspired by it... beer... t-shirts... paintings.... It reads East downways and Van (for Vancouver) across, with the letter 'A' intersecting and used for both words. It is situated on the side of a road leading into the distance at nighttime with a ton of street lights, orange, green and yellow as well distant headlights from traffic and the hint of a street name hanging above the road in the middle between two green lights. The sky is black/blue.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 6d

#Aphabetchallenge #WeekNforNights

#Vancouver #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 #Fall #night #trees #streetphotography #trafficlights #lights #fog

Silhouettes of bare branch trees line a street in the fog at night. The haze diffuses the green traffic lights, yellow street lights and the red light of a car as well two blue squares on either side of the road that are illuminated bus stops.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 8d

Yes... yes... that was... completely... deliberate.... Thank you! 😉😂

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 8d

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekNforNights

#Vancouver #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 #utilitypole #telegraphpole #night #SkySunday #clouds #sky #photography 📷

A somewhat spooky scene showing a perfectly round white moon with a blue "aura" shining brightly, illuminating a cloudy night sky that has shades of black, brown clouds lit in the otherwise darkness by the moon. The moon has been photographed through the busyness of the top part of a silhouetted utility pole that has two horizontal cross bars with many wires as well three electrical conduits. On the left foreground there is a top of a fir tree with the shape of other trees sloping down across the bottom of the frame towards the right corner.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · 9d

#Alphabetchallenge #weekNforNights

#Rome #travel ✈️ #Italy 🇮🇹 #history #ruins #archaeology #nightphotography #Romanforum #night

Inside the ruins of an ancient Roman Forum at night. There are partial pillars, as well one tall one to the right, many steps, broken and ancient walls with uniform square holes and there are lights illuminating the scene, casting many shadows, and the sky appears indigo.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Sep 2

#Alphabetchallenge #weekJforjetblack #photography #Okanagan #Vineyard #winery #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 #BlackswiftVineyard #summer2024 #black

A vineyard sign with 7 panels, each depicting a black bird in various forms of flight. The first three panels have one word each: " Black Swift Vineyard". The sign appears behind a row of vines with some wooden posts visible between the leaves. The sky is blue with streaks of white.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Sep 1

#AlphabetChallenge
#weekJforJetBlack

Come hither.... if you dare... and explore the darkness that is the bowels of Mother Nature.

#Hawaii #travel ✈️ #BigIsland 🌴 #lava #volcanic #lavatube #nature #photography 📷

A lava tube cave at night. There are red walls with what looks like red guts hanging from the ceiling over the darkness of the path ahead, which is shown by the blackness of an arch.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Aug 7

Humph... I wonder how many "gores" he suffered before he died? Anyhoo....

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Aug 6

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekFforFire

#Tiki #TikiTorches #Oahu #Waikiki #Hawaii 🌴 #travel ✈️ #fire 🔥 #sunset 🌅 #sky #skysunday #horizon #palmtrees

A stunning sky split in two, dark blue on top, burnt orange with a red band on the horizon meets the dark of the sea. The silhouette of two palm tree trunks rise up from the bottom one just off the right, the other just off the left, and there is just a hint of a frond. To the far right, the silhouette of a tiki torch with a white flame blowing in the wind. The depth of the colours are real, and only just slightly enhanced by a filter.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Aug 4

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekFforFire

#Tiki #TikiTorches #Oahu #Waikiki #Hawaii 🌴 #travel ✈️ #fire 🔥

Three Tiki torches with orange ethereal flames amid palm three fronds shown from slightly below and against a sherbet blue dusk sky.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Aug 3

"Scaredy Cats"

At our friends' place last night, Quentin and Luca are too scared to pass the cat at the top of an interior stoop (and I don't blame them; I won't pass her either!)

#dogsofbluesky #Caturday #cats #dogs #animals #Mondog #puppies #kitties #catsofbluesky #blueskydogs #blueskycats

Two small dogs, one white, the other blonde, standing near the top of a small inside stoop, the top of which a black and white cat appears to be a Sentry, squatting on the top level. You can actually see the concern in their faces about how they are going to get by. (p.s ex-feral, rescue, the cat is nasty to everyone except her parents).

Two small dogs, one blonde, the other white, standing near the top of a small inside stoop, the top of which a black and white cat appears to be a Sentry, squatting on the top level. You can actually see the concern in their faces about how they are going to get by. (p.s ex-feral, rescue, the cat is nasty to everyone except her parents).

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Aug 2

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The sky was stunning last night in #Vancouver #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 It looked like this to the left, and completely pink to the right from my deck.

#scape #sunset #clouds #nature

Lots of different shaped orange and yellow clouds, mostly streaks, long, short and narrow and going off in different directions against a blue and yellow sunset with the silhouette of tress, mountains and a chimney in the lower foreground.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Aug 2

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The sky was stunning last night in #Vancouver #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 It looked like this to the right, and yellow and orange streaks to the left from my deck.

#scape #sunset #clouds #nature #redskyatnight

A gorgeous red sky with a peek of blue and hint of orange above a utility pole and mountains in the background.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Jul 30

Dunno why they go through the motion of confirmation hearings. #PedoPresident #PedoTrump gave the #Senate #GOP his instructions just as he did for everyone else under-qualified for his administration, & so like the bootlicker #PedoProtectors they are, as usual, fell into line. #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice

Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Jul 30

It's telling how he starts off pretending he doesn't know the answer to the questions & wants to lie; trying to sound all innocent like he's never thought about them before, but by the time he rambles towards the end he suddenly does remember... because even to him his lies are ridiculously obvious.

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Jul 28

When turbines attack!

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Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Jul 21

Looks very similar. I notice the leaves look less fernlike in yours, but if not the same, defo related! 👍

Sam Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇮🇪🇪🇺 @au-contraire.bsky.social · Jul 21

Persian Silk Tree

🌸 I love seeing this tree bloom down the road from me every year. It's so beautiful. 🌸

#photography 📷 #gardening #trees 🎋 #nature 🌿 #Vancouver #BC #Canada 🇨🇦 #flowers #summer #PersianSilkTree 🕸️ 😍

Close up of a Persian silk tree flowers known for their striking, fluffy, and fragrant appearance. They resemble pink, silky pom-poms and are composed of numerous thread-like stamens that extend outwards.

Here's a more detailed description:
Appearance:
The flowers are not typical petals and sepals, but rather, they are clusters of long, hair-like stamens that are pink in color. These stamens are what give the flowers their distinctive, fluffy, and feathery look.
Fragrance:
The flowers are pleasantly fragrant, adding another sensory dimension to their beauty.
Color:
The dominant color is pink, though some flowers may have a white base, with the pink tips creating a gradient effect.
Bloom Time:
They typically bloom in late spring and early summer, with the flowering period lasting for several weeks.
Pollinators:
The flowers are known to attract various pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, due to their abundant nectar.

A wider view of the top of the tree showing many pink and white flowers among fern like leaves.

Persian silk tree flowers known for their striking, fluffy, and fragrant appearance. They resemble pink, silky pom-poms and are composed of numerous thread-like stamens that extend outwards.

Here's a more detailed description:
Appearance:
The flowers are not typical petals and sepals, but rather, they are clusters of long, hair-like stamens that are pink in color. These stamens are what give the flowers their distinctive, fluffy, and feathery look.
Fragrance:
The flowers are pleasantly fragrant, adding another sensory dimension to their beauty.
Color:
The dominant color is pink, though some flowers may have a white base, with the pink tips creating a gradient effect.
Bloom Time:
They typically bloom in late spring and early summer, with the flowering period lasting for several weeks.
Pollinators:
The flowers are known to attract various pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, due to their abundant nectar.

Another close up of a Persian silk tree flowers known for their striking, fluffy, and fragrant appearance. They resemble pink, silky pom-poms and are composed of numerous thread-like stamens that extend outwards. The leaves are fernlike.

Here's a more detailed description:
Appearance:
The flowers are not typical petals and sepals, but rather, they are clusters of long, hair-like stamens that are pink in color. These stamens are what give the flowers their distinctive, fluffy, and feathery look.
Fragrance:
The flowers are pleasantly fragrant, adding another sensory dimension to their beauty.
Color:
The dominant color is pink, though some flowers may have a white base, with the pink tips creating a gradient effect.
Bloom Time:
They typically bloom in late spring and early summer, with the flowering period lasting for several weeks.
Pollinators:
The flowers are known to attract various pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, due to their abundant nectar.

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