Signs. As Cheri says, they “… can direct us where to go, but they … also … reveal much about the time period and culture in which they were made. A sign can also be … something welcome.”

We’ve all encountered many signs in life, both in the local living environment and in travels. In looking through my photos, I found a few images of signs that speak to me as a reminder of my home country, as a traveler exploring a new country, contain information about something I’m looking at, and as a preserved part of history.

On an extended family trip during the summer of 2011 from Iowa to Tennessee in the U.S., I saw the familiar “Welcome” sign that is along the U.S. Interstates as we cross from one State into another …

… as well as a tall billboard along the Interstate, this one advertising an ironic combination of “Amish” and “Electric” …

To those in the U.S., these are normal and routine. But for me living out of the country, seeing them on my U.S. visits is a little bit of “home”!

 

When traveling you can find many historical signs to help visitors, tourists, and locals find their way. Here’s one from The Bergen School Museum/Holberg Museum.

… and a minimalistic sign for a candle boutique that helps accentuate a typical Bergen view: narrow and steep walkways and alleys.

 

Signs can help to identify statues and sculptures.

 

And, ancient signs can be part of a wall preserved in a modern-day building … like this, seen in a cozy wine bar located in a side street of Bergen.

How about you? When you look at the signs around you, are they familiar like a road sign, surprising when you catch a glimpse of history in a modern structure, or something else?