Then and Now . . . Places

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The Taj Mahal 

Then: 

The Taj Mahal (meaning "Crown of the Palace") is a marble mausoleum in India that used to be an ivory white colour. 

Now: 

Pollution and bird poo have turned the Taj yellow, browen and green, with attempts to fix it only having made the problem worse. 

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The Azure Window, Malta 

Then: 

The Azure Window was a 28-metre-tall (92 ft) natural arch on the island of Gozo in Malta. The limestone feature was one of the island's major tourist attractions. 

Now: 

The arch collapsed in stormy weather on 8 March 2017. The final collapse followed a century of successive erosion, in which large sections of the limestone arch had broken off and fallen into the sea. 

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Legzira Beach, Morocco: 

Then: 

Legzira beach on Morocco’s Atlantic coast had two rock archways, pictured above, and was a popular tourist attraction. 

Now: 

In 2016 one of the arches collapsed, leaving only a pile of red rubble. It is likely that the same fate awaits Arch #2. 

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Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 

Then: 

As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti, sang Toto in a very awkwardly phrased song line. But that’s not all that’s wrong: Kilimanjaro doesn’t rise from the Serengeti and Olympus is half the height of Kilimanjaro. 

Now: 

That’s not the only thing amiss. Kilimanjaro is losing its glaciers, possibly because of the increased temperature of the Indian Ocean. It is tipped that all the ice will be gone by 2033. Then you can sing that Kilimanjaro rises without ice not above the Serengeti. 

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Juliet statue, Verona, Italy 

Then:

There is a belief held by some of the locals that if you stroke the breast of the Juliet statue in Verona you’ll be forever lucky in love. No one is sure where the superstition started, but thousands of visitors have given it a shot. 

Now: 

So many people have grabbed the least bit of her east tit and the best bit of her west tit that the statue has had to be replaced by a replica. 

Btw, the above line are from a limerick: 

To his bride, said the sharp eyed detective, 

"Can it be that my eyesight's defective? 

Has your east tit the least bit 

The best of your west tit, 

Or is it a trick of perspective?" 

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Greyfriars Bobby, Edinburgh, Scotland 

Then: 

Greyfriars Bobby is a life-size statue of the terrier who guarded his owner's grave for 14 years. 

Now: 

So many Edinburgh tourists have rubbed Bobby’s nose that serious damage has been caused to the patina. Repair is expensive so people are asked now to give a light touch on the nose. 

We have our own example here in Sydney, the statue of Il Porcellino outside Sydney Hospital in Macquarie Street. The porker has featured in Bytes previously in that people rub his snout and, well . . . for good luck.