With the monster storm upon us today, let’s think about clean water…..

Portland has a number of beautiful and pragmatic water features. I count all those drinking fountains among them, but also the fountain across the Keller auditorium, the fountains along the promenade that bring so much fun to kids of all ages, the new water works at Director Park smack in the middle of downtown and Jamison Square in the Pearl. Then there are the water features at both the Japanese and the Chinese Gardens, wildlife included.

European cities boast tremendous fountains as well, either in parks, or as part of architectural design – many of them hundreds of years old. I want to direct attention, though, to the less famous and less visible sources of water in European cities: wells and water pumps.

 

Not only are they beautiful, and often lovingly decorated, they are also still in use. Many of them are equipped with angels – clearly having clean water was a heavenly gift and appreciated as such.

And sometimes you find real art: 

Other times, real functionality:

And sometimes whimsey: