Discussion thread on the May 2026 theme: Staircases (page 5 of 5)

In the series: streets, paths, and stairways

Liguria:



Jerusalem (damn it!):



Greece, specifically Nisyros.



Catherine

Hello

Photo No. 1

Maybe paradise is this way 😊

These people are returning from the paradise promised by Mao



Staircase of the Jiuhuashan Temple (Anhui, China)

Stairway to Heaven ;) https://vimeo.com/112322548

Staircase at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Athens. The complex is the work of Renzo Piano, just like the Centre Pompidou.

Finally, a theme that really took us to new heights! 😊 The contest is over, but I can't resist sharing a few leftovers:



On Santo Antão, Cape Verde, the paths are sometimes so steep that staircases are mandatory, carved right into the mountain. 😊



In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the staircase can be golden.



Or made of stone a little further away, in Angkor.



Speaking of steps, here are those of the Republic—the Grand Staircase of the Senate—which my senator kindly let me visit (and yes, I confirm the cafeteria is good!)

Good evening,

Thanks a TON for these two points.😉 Irony of the story: I read the debate between Raga and Sinforosa a bit late and started having doubts about that photo*. I reached out to Raga, but no reply. So I turned to VF and asked for it to be deleted. But nothing happened... In the end, I didn’t care anymore...

So, these are two points I technically shouldn’t have gotten. Oh well, all’s well that ends well...😏

hgb

*At first, I thought it was a staircase because it was meant for permanent use (I swear; I walked past it all the time). A ladder, on the other hand, is for temporary use. What made me doubt: a staircase usually has flat steps with a gentler incline...

Hello, It’s not easy to precisely define the boundaries between a staircase and a ladder because there are always exceptions to... prove the rule. I’d mentioned that you need to use your hands to climb a ladder, but then I was given the names of several staircases that also require it. Similarly, while you might think a ladder has to be movable or not for permanent use, the ladder on a crane is fixed to it and used every day. Besides, there’s nothing saying the winner’s staircase has to be fixed to the ground—even on wheels, it’d still be a staircase! More likely, a ladder must have rungs between two rails, and in that case, your ladder is definitely a staircase! 😊

Hi Jérôme,

Thanks so much for your reply. It’s really odd: we use staircases and ladders every day, but when it comes to naming their differences, we struggle a lot.

Similarly, while you might think a ladder has to be movable or not for permanent use, the ladder on a crane is fixed to it and used daily.

... or a fire truck ladder.

I also tried to come up with a definition, but there were always exceptions. I felt like I was trying to nail jelly to the wall... Impossible! Now I’m even happier about those two points I earned... Thanks!

Hery



My "usual bar" back then, near Sévaré, Mali: *A la RN 15* toward Dogon Country (Sévaré–Bandiagara).

Esprit de l'escalier



Saw this earlier today near a construction site—a flatbed truck delivering a prefabricated staircase.

Staircase at the Rijksmuseum library yesterday.

Staircase in Bremen Town Hall today 😂