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The northern end of the Garden Bridge with the Russian Consulate and the Seagull Hotel at the mouth of Suzhou Creek and some modern buildings on the Pudong side of Huangpu River in the background.
The Russian Consulate is unique within all the other consulates in Shanghai, as it is still in the original building of the former Tsarist Russian Consulate. It has never ever moved to another location despite regime changes in Russia and China and the wars against the Japanese aggression with the bitter fighting along the Suzhou Creek front line.
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which is still very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
France. Vosges. Alsace. Haut-Rhin. Vallée de Guebwiller ou Vallée de la Lauch, ou Vallée du Florival, ou encore Florival tout court. Photo prise lors d'une très longue et inoubliable randonnée, à 2 jours du début de l'hiver (et donc du jour le plus court de l'année), qui m'a fait monter au Petit Ballon (1272m) en boucle depuis la commune de Linthal, située au bout de son arête SUD. Le matin, je suis monté en versant EST et l'après-midi, je suis redescendu en versant OUEST, afin de profiter du soleil au maximum.
Cette photo a été prise légèrement en contrebas du Petit Ballon, sur sa face SUD.
J'aurais beaucoup à dire sur cette folle, magnifique et mémorable journée mais je vais essayer d'abréger autant que possible. 😉 J'ai été pris d'un gros grain de folie ce jour-là mais c'est aussi ce qui fait le sel de la vie. 😊 À 2 jours du jour le plus court de l'année, j'ai prévu de faire une rando de 15km et 850m de dénivelé pour monter au Petit Ballon depuis Linthal. Lever du soleil vers 8h20 et coucher vers 16h30. Avec la neige, les endroits verglacés, les raquettes au pied ou à porter et les pauses photos incessantes, je savais déjà au fond de moi que la durée du jour ne suffirait pas mais je n'ai pas voulu manquer une occasion aussi belle d'admirer la mer de nuages depuis le magnifique sommet panoramique du Petit Ballon. Je suis parti avant le lever du soleil et j'ai roulé dans la plaine sous la mer de nuages. Je suis passé au-dessus de la mer de nuages peu avant d'arriver à Linthal. 😊 Je me suis garé à 9h35, mais plus loin que prévu. 😥 Dans la longue montée initiale en forêt, je n'avançais pas très vite car la lumière en contre-jour qui filtrait était magnifique, notamment sur la végétation givrée, alors l'appareil photo s'en donnait à cœur joie. 😊 Au sommet, comme beaucoup d'autres gens, j'ai longuement profité du magnifique panorama au soleil, avec en vedette, la mer de nuages sur la plaine d'Alsace, le massif du Hohneck au nord-ouest, le massif du Grand Ballon au sud et les Alpes Suisses au loin au sud-est. 😊 Et je n'ai entamé la descente qu'à 14h45, à moins de 2h du coucher, et par un chemin en forêt que je n'avais encore jamais emprunté. Folie ! 😂😂😂 Et en plus, j'ai fait le début de la descente au ralenti pour continuer à profiter de la vue dégagée sur la mer de nuages, les Alpes Suisses et le Grand Ballon avant de replonger en forêt. Au final, il était plus de 16h quand j'ai replongé en forêt, avec plus de la moitié de la descente à terminer. 😂 Après le coucher de soleil, du brouillard s'est rapidement formé et à 17h20, il faisait nuit noire, en forêt, dans le brouillard. J'ai mis la lampe frontale en priant pour que la pile tienne jusqu'à la voiture. Mais avec le brouillard, je voyais à peine devant moi. Du coup, je n'ai pas vu une bifurcation que je devais prendre. 😥 Heureusement, j'ai fini par m'y retrouver en traversant un ruisseau puis j'ai rejoint la route qui monte de la vallée au Col de Boenlesgrab, qui m'a ramené sur la route de la vallée et m'a permis d'être de retour à ma voiture à Linthal à 18h35. 😊 Mais au prix d'un détour de 3 kilomètres supplémentaires et un peu de dénivelé en plus. J'avais super mal aux pieds, aux jambes et au dos et j'avais encore 1h15 de conduite à faire pour rentrer à la maison. Mais tout s'est bien passé et je suis rentré avec plein de souvenirs dans la tête, d'étoiles dans les yeux et de photos magiques. 🙏🙏🙏😊😊😊
C'est une grande joie de me replonger dans ces souvenirs pour partager cette 1ère photo, et d'autres devraient suivre à l'occasion.
Voici les sommets Suisses de plus de 4000m de gauche à droite :
- Lauteraarhorn (4042m, à 173km),
- Schreckhorn (4078m, à 172km),
- Finteraarhorn (4274m, à 177km),
- Grosses Fiescherhorn (4049m, à 174km),
- Mönch (4107m, à 171km),
- JungFrau (4158m, à 172km),
- Aletschhorn (4193m, à 181km).
Schon seit einigen Jahren versuche ich den Sonnenuntergang hinter dieser Baumgruppe einzufangen: richtiger Zeitpunkt (das gelingt nur zweimal im Jahr, ein paar Tage lang), richtiger Ort (nur 50 m "daneben" und schon ist die Sonne untergegangen, bis man zur richtigen Position kommt) und dann natürlich das Wetter... Sonne überhaupt zu sehen, sie ist zwar zu sehen, aber leider zu hell, die Bäumen sind nicht zu erkennen, Sonne geht am Horizont hinter einer Wolkenwand unter, etc. pp. ...
ja, und nun ist es gelungen (22.04.2022, 20:11)... die Bildqualität könnte zwar besser sein (das Licht flimmerte in Bodennähe), aber dafür sind sogar noch einige Sonnenfleckengruppen erkennbar: AR2993, 2994, 2995 - das war nur möglich, weil sich der Wolkenschleier über die Sonne gelegt hatte.
Diese gigantischen Sonnenfleckengruppen könnten in den nächsten Tagen zu Sonneneruptionen, Sonnenstürmen und weiters zu Polarlichter führen. Durch Sonnenstürme können z.B. Satelliten- und Funkausfälle ausgelöst werden.
www.vulkane.net/blogmobil/sonnensturm-loeste-radioausfael...
www.news.de/panorama/856237725/sonnensturm-warnung-aktuel...
Hier noch eine Vergrößerung der Sonnenfleckengruppen in meinem Stream:
www.flickr.com/photos/c-s-n/52022690141
Nikon Coolpix P950: Brennweite 800 mm, Blende 5,6, Belichtung 1/400 Sek., ISO 100 - kein FIlter
Forgive me for enhancing just this one, but it was damaged and needed some attention.
I lived with my mother back then and was still quite shy. I do remember buying that velvet straight skirt in M&S and loved it so much.
That's the East River, the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, and I'm sure you recognize the United Nations Headquarters.
Growing up, I used to know all the famous skyscrapers of New York - there weren't that many.
Now, there are so many new buildings! I am so outdated, like I don't even know what that building with a long antenna is.
Eͤxͯрⷬloͦrͬeͤdͩ ⍟ Jun 16, 2022 ⍟ 22
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Valencia is the third largest city in Spain. Valencia is located on the Costa del Azahar on the Mediterranean Sea and is considered the birthplace of paella, one of the most famous dishes in Spanish cuisine. Valencia is also known as the orange city. Valencia is Spain's third economic engine, after Madrid and Barcelona. Valencia was founded in 138 BC. under the name Valentia Edetanorum, by a Roman leader. Valencia has a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and very mild winters. Valencia, like the entire region of Valencia, is officially bilingual; they speak both Spanish and Valencian. Valencian is very closely related to Catalan. Spanish Valencia is more than beach and paella. The highlight that you do not want to miss are the modern buildings of Calatrava. The 'Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències' or 'the City of Arts and Sciences' is a cultural and scientific complex of seven special buildings designed by Calatrava and is located in the drained Turia River of Valencia. It includes Spain's finest aquarium L'Oceanographic, a planetarium, an IMAX theatre, a science museum and a striking event hall. This science park is definitely the number one attraction of Valencia!
The 'City of Arts and Sciences' is a cultural and scientific complex in the Spanish city of Valencia. On the right the L'Hemisfèric - a planetarium and IMAX theater 3D. In addition, on the left the Science Museum where you can experiment with technology by touching and feeling things. Learn all about the environment, science and technology. This is the great 21st century science museum to learn all about life, science and technology in a didactic, interactive and entertaining way. Full interactivity is one of its special features, with the motto: "Forbidden not to touch, not to feel, not to think". In order to generate a pleasant learning process in which the visitor always actively participates.
Valencia is twee na grootste stad van Spanje. Valencia ligt aan de Costa del Azahar aan de Middellandse Zee en geldt als geboorteplaats van de paella, een van de bekendste gerechten uit de Spaanse keuken. Valencia wordt ook wel de sinaasappelstad genoemd. Valencia is de derde economische motor van Spanje, na Madrid en Barcelona. Valencia werd gesticht in 138 v.Chr. onder de naam Valentia Edetanorum, door een Romeinse leider. Valencia heeft een mediterraan klimaat met warme zomers en zeer milde winters. Valencia is, net als de gehele regio Valencia, officieel tweetalig; men spreekt er zowel Spaans als Valenciaans. Het Valenciaans is zeer sterk verwant aan het Catalaans. Het Spaanse Valencia is meer dan strand en paella. Het hoogtepunt die je niet wilt missen zijn de moderne bouwwerken van Calatrava. De 'Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències' oftewel 'de Stad van Kunst en Wetenschap' is een cultureel en wetenschappelijk complex van zeven bijzonder gebouwen ontworpen door Calatrava en is gelegen in de droog gelegde Turia rivier van Valencia. Het bevat o.a. het mooiste aquarium (L'Oceanographic) van Spanje, een planetarium, een IMAX-theater, een wetenschapsmuseum en een opvallende evenementenhal. Dit wetenschapspark is absoluut de nummer één bezienswaardigheid van Valencia!
PRESS L
View over the upper Engadin valley with Lake Sils, Switzerland
Hope you like it!
Thanks for all visits and comments (:
PRESS L
View from the mountain Hochalp at sunset, 1529m, Switzerland
Hope you like it!
Thanks for all visits and comments (:
I wish you all HAPPY YEAR END celebrations, with PEACE, LOVE and GOOD HEALTH ! 🙏😊
I'm sorry for my delay which is greater than ever but I was hiking all last weekend, to enjoy the sun, the sea of clouds and the rest of snow in the Vosges. And despite this delay, I wanted to publish a last shot in 2021, just before Christmas Day.
Je vous souhaite à toutes et tous de JOYEUSES FÊTES de fin d'année, dans la paix, l'amour et la bonne santé ! 🙏😊
Je suis désolé pour mon retard qui est plus grand que jamais mais j'étais en randonnée pendant tout le week-end dernier, pour profiter du soleil, de la mer de nuages et du reste de neige dans les Vosges. Et malgré ce retard, je tenais à publier un ultime cliché en 2021, juste avant le jour de Noël.
France. Alpes. Département des Hautes Alpes (05). Massif des Ecrins. Photo prise lors d'une randonnée en famille, en aller-retour, sur le Sentier des Crevasses, au départ d'un parking situé tout près du Col du Lautaret. Nos filles avaient moins de 2 et 4 ans. Je portais la plus petite dans mon dos et on essayait de faire marcher la plus grande au maximum, comme sur cette photo. Juin 2009, c'était nos premières vacances dans les Alpes avec un appareil photo numérique. Nos vacances précédentes dans les Alpes remontaient à 2001, quand nous avions encore des appareils argentiques.
Le Sentier des Crevasses nous a offert de magnifiques vues dans 3 directions :
- Au début sur le Massif de Combeynot et la Pyramide de Laurichard (en direction du Sud), comme sur ce cliché
- Sur la Reine Meije et ses voisins (direction Ouest-Sud-Ouest)
- Sur le Galibier et ses voisins (direction Nord-Nord-Est)
Mais quand le sentier est humide (et c'était le cas), la traversée des nombreuses ravines est compliquée si on veut éviter de mettre les pieds dans l'eau ou dans la boue. 😂
NB : La photo étant de qualité médiocre en zoomant, je l'ai publiée avec une résolution plus faible que d'habitude, pour limiter le zoom.
A1A - #266 in Explore 12/21/21
Saint Augustine, Florida U.S.A.
The Night After Halloween - 11/1/21
*[left-double-click for a closer-look - local-architecture}
*[Saint Augustine is the oldest city in the United States - 1513]
Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, kentmere 400-800
"And if you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror." - Shane L. Koyczan.
The guest really shows a lot of interest in Betty's heels. No wonder. Wanna see how the story continues? Stay tuned for updates here: www.flickr.com/photos/feetinnylon/albums/72157720183097619
2 Live Composite exposures - see first comment below - comprising a total of 43 1sec exposures, combined in Photoshop (see tags for more processing hints). Portland, Oregon OM1314,16LC - Happy Sliders Sunday!
With its elevation of 5,023 metres (16,480 ft), Tungurahua just over tops the snow line (about 4,900 metres (16,100 ft)).
Tungurahua's top is snow-covered and did feature a small summit glacier which melted away after the increase of volcanic activity in 1999.
This is the way:
***
The Garganta de Fogo Volcano, its crater ...
It has a 183 meters/600 feet wide crater.
Most of the volcano is covered by snow.
***
Love this country!
PORTOVENERE or PORTO VENERE, an ancient (UNESCO) seaside village, from left to right: Doria Castle (begun in 1161), Palmaria Island in the background and the Romanesque-Gothic Church of San Pietro (1198). UNESCO, Portovenere Natural Regional Park, Liguria, ITALY.
An eastbound Union Pacific ethanol train ascends a grade during evening golden hour at Mile Post 44.50 in Elburn, Illinois.
Mile Post 44.50, Geneva Subdivision, Union Pacific Railroad
Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 200, f/7.1, 220mm, 1/800s
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which has become very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
France. Alpes. Département des Hautes Alpes (05). Massif des Cerces. Photo prise lors d'une randonnée en boucle effectuée en famille au fond de la Vallée de la Clarée. Nous sommes partis du parking de Fontcouverte. Nous avons rejoint successivement le Lac Laramon (sur la photo), le Lac de la Cula, le Pont du Moutet et le Refuge de Laval. Puis nous sommes revenus en longeant la Clarée. C'était mon 5ème jour de rando sur les 17 jours où j'ai pu randonner lors de notre séjour alpin de 3 semaines pendant l'été 2021.
La photo a été prise depuis le Lac Laramon, situé sur la rive gauche de la Clarée (au-dessus du Refuge de Ricou). Les sommets qui se reflètent dans le lac sont situés sur la rive opposée de la Clarée (donc sur la rive droite). Sur la moitié gauche de la photo, on peut voir la Crête du Queyrellin (2935m). Pour les sommets que l'on peut voir sur la moitié droite de la photo, je vous laisse survoler la photo pour voir les légendes que j'ai apposées.
De tous les lacs où je me suis rendu jusqu'à présent, je crois que ce lac est celui qui m'a offert les plus beaux reflets. Et d'ailleurs, cette vue est vraiment la vue classique que les gens prennent en photo quand ils passent au Lac Laramon.
Sinon, comme vous pouvez le constater sur la photo, nous avons été très gâtés par les conditions météo, avec un grand ciel bleu ! Et cerise sur le gâteau, nous avons eu la chance que la lune s'invite dans le décor. 🙏😊
Monkey Morgan was flying high over a shiny new hospital but where was/is it? Don't be fooled by the neighbours because they can easily mislead you and lead you up blind alleys!!!!
Photographer: Alexander Campbell “Monkey” Morgan
Collection: Morgan Aerial Photographic Collection
Date: ca. 1954 -1957
NLI Ref: NPA MOR954
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
#FlickrFriday
#Water
Huge waves rage at the shoreline near Bermagui on the NSW Far South Coast, Australia.
HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm f4.5-6.3 PLM
Woohoo! Thank you very much everyone for your visits, faves and comments.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Montenegro is a country in Eastern Europe bordering Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and the Adriatic Sea. It used to be a part of Yugoslavia. The capital is Podgorica. The name Montenegro is Italian and means Black mountain. Montenegro was an independent princedom between 1878 and 1910 and an independent kingdom until 1918. That year Montenegro became part of Yugoslavia. In 2003 Yugoslavia was transformed into the new country of Serbia and Montenegro, but this fell apart in 2006 when both countries went their separate ways. Montenegro is therefore the youngest country in Europe. Montenegro is not a member of the European Union, but it is a member of NATO. Despite the fact that Montenegro is not yet an EU Member State, people do pay with the euro. Montenegro may be small, but this beautiful nation has a huge array of natural and man-made wonders. Once overlooked in favor of more famous Mediterranean countries, Montenegro is quickly gaining a reputation as a great place to travel. It's easy to see why. The mountainous hinterland is home to deep gorges, flowing rivers, glacial lakes and old-growth forests, popular for adventure activities. The winding coast runs along pretty blonde bays overlooking the royal blue Adriatic Sea, ancient Venetian villages and UNESCO-walled towns. You get a beautiful view of the Kotor bay from the P1 road to the top of mountain Lovćen, a somewhat steep and very narrow route. From here futher to Jezerski peak to the Njegos Mausoleum at an altitude of 1660 meters, and it officially represents the tallest mausoleum in the world.
The Njegos Mausoleum is a most impressive and very mystic destination. Petar II Petrovic Njegos was the bishop and the ruler of Montenegro. He was the most popular spiritual and military leader in 1800. The mausoleum is situated in the Jezerski peak, at a height of 1660 meters, and it officially represents the highest mausoleum in the world. The road from the beginning plateau for climbing on to the Njegos mausoleum is made of numerous stony stairway (from the foot up to the entrance into the mausoleum there are 461 staircases), and one part of the path leads through a well done and lighted marble tunnel. The area is surrounded by the beauty of beech, oak and linden forests. The fresh mountain air will welcome you compared to the muggy and summer heat, which is characteristic of the Coast. Photo taken from Jezerski peak on mount Lovćen at 1,749 m.
Montenegro is een land in Oost-Europa en grenst aan Bosnië en Herzegovina, Servië, Kosovo, Albanië en de Adriatische Zee. Vroeger was het een deel van Joegoslavië. De hoofdstad is Podgorica. De naam Montenegro is Italiaans en betekent Zwarte berg. Montenegro was tussen 1878 en 1910 een zelfstandig prinsdom en tot 1918 een zelfstandig koninkrijk. Dat jaar werd Montenegro onderdeel van Joegoslavië. In 2003 werd Joegoslavië omgevormd in het nieuwe land Servië en Montenegro, maar dit viel in 2006 uit elkaar toen beide landen een eigen weg gingen. Montenegro is misschien klein, maar deze prachtige natie heeft een enorm scala aan natuurlijke en door de mens gemaakte wonderen. Ooit over het hoofd gezien ten gunste van meer bekende mediterrane landen, krijgt Montenegro snel een reputatie als een geweldige plek om te reizen. Het is gemakkelijk te zien waarom. Het bergachtige achterland herbergt diepe kloven, stromende rivieren, gletsjermeren en oerbossen, populair voor avontuurlijke activiteiten. De kronkelige kust loopt langs mooie blonde baaien met uitzicht op de koningsblauwe Adriatische Zee. Het Njegos Mausoleum is een zeer indrukwekkende en zeer mystieke bestemming. Petar II Petrovic Njegos was de bisschop en de heerser van Montenegro. Hij was de meest populaire spirituele en militaire leider in 1800. Het mausoleum ligt op de Jezerski-piek, op een hoogte van 1660 meter, en het vertegenwoordigt officieel het hoogste mausoleum ter wereld. De weg vanaf het beginplateau om naar het Njegos-mausoleum te klimmen, bestaat uit talrijke stenen trappen vanaf de voet tot aan de ingang van het mausoleum zijn er 461 trappen, en een deel van het pad leidt door een goed uitgevoerde en verlichte marmeren tunnel. Het gebied is omgeven door de schoonheid van beuken-, eiken- en lindebossen. De frisse berglucht zal u verwelkomen in vergelijking met de zwoele en zomerse hitte die kenmerkend is voor de kust. Foto genomen vanaf Jezerski peak van berg Lovćen met een hoogte van 1749m.
Shortly after 6 a.m. on the Hintersee - I took a day off and got up with a friend in the middle of the night to photograph the sunrise on the Hintersee - as always a very nice and lonely experience this morning. We were already there at 5 a.m. and around 6 a.m. only one other photographer appeared ... very rarely at this location ...
I have put together 5 high-resolution 18mm portrait format photos to create this panorama photo.
Wunderschöner Sonnenaufgang am Hintersee, Ramsau - Bayern
Kurz nach 6 Uhr am Hintersee - ich hate mir einen Tag freigenommen und war zusammen mit einem Freund mitten in der Nacht aufgestanden, um den Sonnenaufgang am Hintersee zu fotografieren - wie immer ein sehr schönes und an diesem Morgen auch einsames Erlebnis. Wir waren schon um 5 Uhr dort und so gegen 6 Uhr erschien nur noch ein weiterer Fotograf...sehr selten an dieser Lokation...
Ich habe 5 hochauflösende 18mm Portraitformatfotos zu diesem Panoramafoto zusammengesetzt.
Friends gathered around a park table after walking around the lake together.
GROUP: LOOKING CLOSE ... ON FRIDAY
THEME: SHOE SOLE
SUBJECT: WALKERS
Happy Friday, Everyone!
Valensole’s Plateau is a real lavender jewel. It is 800km² wide, at 500m of altitude, nearby the Mediterranean sea and the Alps. It benefits from a Mediterranean climate with mountain climate influences which gave birth to a rich and colorful vegetation : oak trees, pines, wheat and oat fields, and of course lavender. Or should we say : lavandin.
« Lavande » only groes above 800m of altitude and has a good resistance to the cold. Its flower is thiner and grows at the end of the stem. When harvested, you need 100kg to extract 1 litre of essential oil. Wherease with « lavandin », 40kg will be enough.
« Lavande Aspic » (an other kind of lavender) grows above 600m of altitude. Its leaves are wider and flowers spread along the stem.
« Lavandin » is a natural hybride betwen those 2 kind of lavender.
Taken earlier tonight.. I was able to go out to celebrate a friend's birthday (we are both fully vaccinated). It has been a long time since I went out in the city at night..
This is my little piece of Venice.. it is actually a mall with built-in canal inside with matching gondolas traversing it and Italian music playing in the background.. posting the daytime shot in the comment section..
...when a treasure that we've forgotten is right under our noses?
Indiana Dunes National Park
Watching Indiana's city lights of Gary and Illinois' high rises of Chicago in the distance, a couple strolls at dusk on a sandy beach at Indiana Dunes National Park. A cool evening breeze flows from Lake Michigan after a hot late spring day.
Kinda envious of these guys who usually gather at the seaside to chat. Life seems calm and relaxing for them. I bet their life is not as simple as I imagine it to be but at least they have sunrises and moments like this to share..and somehow that makes all the difference.
Philip Harding Klimanek (1883-1965) was born in the Czech Republic, at the time his place of birth was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. In ca. 1905 he started to work for Holland-China Trading Company, in Hong Kong.
In 1939, when Charles Gesner van der Voort arrived in Shanghai to work for the company, he was Charles' senior manager. In a letter home he wrote: "Played chess with Klimanek in the French Club" [translation Pieter Lommerse, the French Club was Le Cercle Sportif Français, a fashionable place to be in the 1930s and it still exists today].
Philip Harding Klimanek was also a juror for the Hong Kong judicial system, which can be found in gwulo.com, for the last time in 1941.
His grandson wrote to me: "Though he had been based in Shanghai before the war we know he was captured in Hongkong on 24th Dec 1941 during the “Battle of Hongkong”. He had been a volunteer with the “isolated Tytan [this should probably be Tai Tam, or Tytam at the time] Godows of the Food Control from November to the end of December 1941” We assume he was involved with food conservation as the Japanese were approaching."
"He was beaten up on capture and needed medical treatment. He was in and out of Stanley camp until the Japanese surrender in 1945. As he was of Austro-Hungarian descent after the war his nationality was hard to determine as his papers and all his possessions had been lost, his health was very poor as a result of how he had been treated during the war. Eventually he managed to get a temporary Czechoslovakian passport in 1948 issued in Nanking China. After a short period in the UK looking for work he returned to the HCTC and was traveling between Shanghai and Hongkong. He retired in Hongkong and returned to England 31st Dec 1950."
Gwulo.com administrator David added a comment about the Tai Tam godown shelters: "I guess he spent that time at Godowns (warehouses) that stored food for emergency use. You can see other examples of this type of godown listed at gwulo.com/hong-kong-shelter-area;
Philip Harding Klimanek was a close friend of Willem Kien, another early HCHC-employee, later to become director of the company. Willem Kien's daughter in law recalls seeing him during visits in The Netherlands, together with his wife Zoia and daughter Sylvia. Also Anneke Knüppe-de Jongh, daughter of former HCHC-employee and director Frans de Jongh, has warm memories of the family, which her family stayed closely in touch with.
This photo shows (from left to right) Reginald, Zoia's sister, Zoia, Sylvia and Philip Harding Klimanek at the family home at Lane 1355 House No 20 Yue Yuen Road, "West Park Mansions", dressed for winter or early spring. Reginald ('Reggie') wears a cap similar to J.G. Ballard on the cover photo of his autobiography "Miracles of Life: Shanghai to Shepperton : an Autobiography". J.G. Ballard was about the same age as Sylvia, and author of "Empire of the Sun".
Courtesy Harding-Klimanek family archives
The Matterhorn , the Dent d'Hérens the Z'mutt glacier.and "La Tête Blanche", (alt. 3.710 m ). . Zermatt . Canton Valais, Switzerland. No. 2548.
Hinten am Ahornboden... mit lautem Donnern kommt die Lawine runter von den Eiskarln und nein, das ist kein Wasserfall!
Taken at a crossing of Zhongqxiao W. Road and Zhongshan N Road near Taipei Main Station in Taipei, Taiwan.
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which has become very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
France. Alpes. Savoie. Haute Tarentaise. Massif des Alpes Grées. Photo prise lors d'un aller-retour au Lac de la Bailletta, au départ du parking du Saut. Nous avons effectué cette rando en famille, merveilleusement guidés par notre ami de Haute Tarentaise.
Cette photo a été prise depuis le parking du Saut.
Je me suis dépêché d'immortaliser la scène peu après que l'on se soit garé sur le parking car le brouillard s'est dissipé très vite !!!... Notre ami de Haute Tarentaise nous avait donné rendez-vous vers 9H car le parking du Saut est rapidement complet en été. C'est clairement grâce à cet horaire matinal par rapport à nos habitudes qu'on a pu admirer ce magnifique spectacle éphémère. Le paysage est déjà superbe en temps normal. Mais avec ce brouillard en plus, c'était juste un pur régal. ❤️😊
Charles Gesner van der Voort (1916-1991) was part of a group of Dutch bachelors in pre-war Shanghai. Another member of this group was David van Gelderen (1908-1990), originally from Rotterdam. He arrived in Shanghai in 1933, working for Unilever, a merger of the operations of Dutch Margarine Unie and British soap maker Lever Brothers.
The photo albums of his China years contain many photos of the bachelor life in those days: travel, work, parties, trips within China and to Japan. They also include photos of the bombing of the Unilever factory during the 1937 Japanese attack of Shanghai, membership of the French Special Police and other unique photos.
Like Charles, David was interned in Chapei Civil Assembly Centre by the Japanese from 1943 to 1945.
Being Jewish, internment in Shanghai probably saved David’s life; since all of his family members in the Netherlands were killed by the Nazis.
David married, had two children and continued to work for Unilever. He became member of Nederlandse Reünisten Vereniging China (NRVC, Dutch Reunists Association China).
This photo shows a birthday party held at the Paramount Ballroom at Yue Yuen Road in Shanghai. The party was for the occasion of Frans' and Henk's birthdays, no last names are mentioned. The Paramount Ballroom was a famous venue in Shanghai at the time. Paul French wrote a book about the owner, with a criminal background, Joe Farren, "City of Devils".
Courtesy Van Gelderen family archives
Vista al norte del cráter de 1960 con vista a la colada de lava de la erupción de 2011.
Parque Nacional Puyehue, Región de los Ríos, Chile central.
A very belated tribute to my long-lost father
I chose his ship as a header because it was his last resting place.
After the worst of the Blitz¹ came the Dreaded Telegram. Although
I can't remember my father, I do vividly remember being terrified
at seeing my mother break down in tears before even opening the message; "... missing presumed killed". It was everybody's worst nightmare. My father's ship, HMS Dunedin, had gone down² with most of her crew on the 24th November 1941.
Exactly 80 years ago today
★ If you are wondering why I waited so long, please read on.
My mother had been devastated but had never given up hope that my father was still alive as a prisoner of war and that one day he would come back to us. My uncle, for his part, had never been satisfied with just a telegram and a simple citation (see below). He had never ceased to pester the Admiralty for more information till long after the war was over. But nothing was ever forthcoming. Both my mother and my uncle died long before the truth was out and I remained in the dark³, until...
In 2019 (only 2 years ago) I read a book called: BLOOD IN THE SEA - HMS DUNEDIN AND THE ENIGMA CODE: A must-read, written by Stuart Gill son of one of the very few survivors of the ill-fated ship.
As I read it, I discovered - to my horror - the tragic events that took place all those years ago. In my mind’s eye, I witnessed the tragedy as it unfolded. I came to know the various characters, their hopes and finally their despairs. I also discovered the extent to which the Enigma code was involved which no doubt explains why the Admiralty had remained silent for so long.
There was even a passage in the book about my father who was described as being brave and even jovial right up till the end despite the excruciating pain he must have been suffering from his wounds. He had been carried to a raft and died a few hours later. The passage ended with the touching words: "Poor Horace".
My father must also have known that he was about to die without ever seeing his loved ones again and knowing that they too were in the thick of it⁴. I suddenly realised that I was one of his loved ones.
I had known my father but I'd been a toddler at the time too young to be able to remember him later; something I deeply regret. All I want to do now is wipe away the tears and keep his memory alive.
The cracking of the Enigma code at Bletchley Park in July 1941 was one of the closest guarded secrets of the Second World War. Indeed, the very fact was not made public till the 1970s and the full story till the 1990s but even then, I was unaware of any connection between the code and my father’s ship - until I read the book!
On the 15th June 1941, Dunedin captured the German tanker Lothringen along with vital Enigma material for Bletchley Park. A month later the Enigma code was cracked.
Four months later, Dunedin was directed to her doom by orders emanating from a decoded Enigma message. She had been sent to intercept another tanker before rendezvousing with four U-boats.
It was like throwing a cat into a lion’s den: A light cruiser was no match for a U-boat let alone four.
But Dunedin was the only ship within range and, of course, we were at war. It had been thought that Dunedin could intercept the tanker well before the rendezvous would take place; a high-risk gamble. But with the benefit of hindsight, it would seem that the U-boats were already deployed around the tanker to protect it and its precious cargo. This measure would probably have been standard procedure and therefore never mentioned in any message.
Tankers played a major role in the Battle of the Atlantic keeping the Wolfpack U-boats fully replenished at sea where they were required to remain for very long periods!
Although it all happened a long time ago, for me, reading the book and following up on the web has been like hearing the news of what happened yesterday. I was able to share some of the grief that my poor mother must have been overcome with at the time. She had spared me the pain that she had been suffering alone and in silence.
We had never talked about my father or the war after it was over; everybody had wanted to put it all behind them. It hadn’t been easy; loved ones lost forever, widows in black everywhere, the blind and the crippled walking the streets as best they could, with rubble all over the place, and rationing for years to come. The post war years in Britain had been difficult but at least the killing and destruction had ceased, and we had survived - while so many others hadn't.
__________________
★ Read more about the book and buy it if you so wish (new tab)
★ HMS Dunedin - Wikipedia (new tab)
★ How Alan Turing cracked the Enigma code (new tab)
¹ The Blitz – The air raids on Britain in 1940-41; Portsmouth being
one of the closest and main targets. Along with the fall of France,
they were, for us, the darkest hours of the war. We were all alone
and on our knees preparing for invasion.
² to go down = sombrer / couler
³ to remain in the dark = rester dans l'ignorance
⁴ to be in the thick of it = être en plein dedans
They gave their lives so that we might live in peace and freedom.
Lest we forget!
Fate : That supposed force that predetermines major events that come our way. It can be kind or cruel. It can bring people together or tear them apart. It strikes without warning and there's nothing we can do about it!
Take great care, my friends, and many, many thanks for calling,
Colin …
P.S. The picture has notes. If you can't see them, going to lightbox and back again should do the trick. It's simply a Flickr quirk.
More photos and details below, including colourization
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which has become very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
Je m'étais plaint d'avoir passé 2 semaines de travail épuisantes en mars. Eh bien la semaine dernière était encore pire ... 😥 La bonne nouvelle c'est que cette fois ça n'a duré qu'une semaine ... Et me revoilà enfin avec une nouvelle publication (il était temps) ! 😊
France. Alpes. Massif du Dévoluy. Photo prise lors d'une rando en A/R au cours de laquelle nous sommes allés avec ma femme au Col de Charnier en passant par le Vallon de Charnier et en partant du hameau de Lachaup. Je me réjouissais de faire cette rando et je n'ai pas été déçu car elle figure parmi nos randos préférées de tous les temps ! ❤️
Cette photo a été prise au début du retour, légèrement sous le Col de Charnier (2103m). On y voit de gauche à droite :
o Le Vallon de Charnier qui descend au pied de la face nord du sommet de Roche Courbe. Au fond derrière, on voit une partie de la Montagne de Faraut, avec la Brèche de Faraut tout à gauche.
o Le sommet de Roche Courbe (2259m). ❤️
o La Tête de Plate Longue (2383m).
o Le Rocher Rond (2453m), point culminant de la Drôme (26).
Sous cet angle de vue, ces 3 sommets et les arêtes qui les relient donnent l'impression de voir une forteresse naturelle avec 3 tours et 2 remparts. J'aime beaucoup cette apparence. ❤️😊
© all rights reserved by B℮n
It will be k-k-cold this weekend. The temperature can drop to -8 degrees and that means of course only one thing: skating! After a few nights of good frost we could skate on February 13, 2021 at the Loosdrechtse Plassen. Every effort was made to ensure that we could skate. Plassenschap Loosdrecht has issued a sailing ban for the Loosdrechtse Plassen. After an extra night of frost, the ice is perfect. Beautiful black smooth ice without weak spots. Finally perfect ice to tie up the irons for skating enthusiasts. There can be wonderful kilometers of skating between the peat area and vast frozen lakes. You experience nature in places where you normally can not come. The northwestern part of the Loenderveense Plas is also referred to as Terra Nova. In this part of the Loenderveense Plas, experiments have been carried out in recent years to improve water quality by removing the bream fish. This fish accumulates the sludge layer that is formed at the bottom of the ponds by over-fertilization. Only a few plants and animals can live in this muddy water. Although already impressive results can be seen from the bream removal - the whole lake has turned from muddy to clear water, which also means that the water is freezing faster than other puddles. The peatland is a paradise for skaters from the west of the Netherlands, because it is usually the first large-scale area where you can skate on natural ice. Dutch also love Kite ice skating. This is the sport of sailing is popular in the Netherlands.
Today 13th of February 2021 we got the opportunity to go ice skating on real ice instead of going to an ice rink. A good freeze only comes from a win in the climatic lottery. Thus the chance for our Dutch to be wild adventurers on their own land comes only every few years. We glide across solidified, frosted lakes with fish frozen into the ice. Besides skating on the Loosdrechtse Plassen there is also Ice surfing, ice sailing and kite skating. The Loosdrechtseplassen in the winter are a real skater’s paradise. Kite ice skating is very popular in the Netherlands. Photo of Casper taken a photo of Samantha and other skaters on the Loenderveensche plassen.
Het wordt k-k-koud dit weekend. De temperatuur kan dalen tot wel -8 graden en dat betekent natuurlijk maar één ding: schaatsennn! Na een paar nachten goede vorst konden we op 13 februari 2021 schaatsen op de Loosdrechtseplassen. Er werd alles aan gedaan om te zorgen dat we konden schaatsen. Plassenschap Loosdrecht heeft een vaarverbod afgegeven voor de Loosdrechtse Plassen. Na een extra nacht van vorst ligt het ijs er perfect bij. Prachtig zwart glad ijs en nergens wakken. Eindelijk weer heerlijk ijs om voor schaatsliefhebbers de ijzers onder te binden. Er kan heerlijk kilometers geschaats worden tussen het veengebied. Je beleeft de natuur op plekken waar je normaal niet kan komen.
De Loosdrechtseplassen zijn afgegraven veengebieden, gelegen in het Gooi. Het noordwestelijke deel van de Loenderveense Plas wordt ook wel aangeduid als Terra Nova. Terra Nova is een aan de Vecht gelegen landgoed en natuurgebied met veenplassen. In dit deel van de Loenderveense Plas is de afgelopen jaren geëxperimenteerd met het verbeteren van de waterkwaliteit door het wegvangen van brasem. Deze vis woelt de sliblaag op die op de bodem van de plassen is ontstaan door overbemesting. In dit troebele water kunnen slechts weinig planten en dieren leven waardoor de soortenrijkdom van de plassen sterk is teruggelopen. Hoewel nu al aansprekende resultaten te zien zijn van het wegvangen van de brasem – het hele meer is omgeklapt van troebel naar helder water wat ook weer betekend dat het water eerder bevriest dan andere plassen. Het veengebied is een paradijs voor schaatsers uit het westen van Nederland, omdat het meestal het eerste grootschalige gebied is waar men goed kan schaatsen op natuurijs. Naast het schaatsen op de Loosdrechtse Plassen is er ook Kite schaatsen, ijssurfen, ijszeilen en kite schaatsen. Ook zijn er weer ijszeilers te zien.
From the heights of Galway with Monkey Morgan to the rocks of south Galway/north Clare with the Aran Islands in the background, in a typical Robert French image. Dongore which French assigns to Galway, or Doonagore which the cataloguer assigns to Clare, looks like a grand place for a walk. But would you want to live there?
+++ UPDATE +++
The Lawrence glass plate negative may well say Galway, but Doonagore Castle is absolutely, without a doubt, indubitably in Co. Clare. The castle looks a little down-at-heel in this photo, but was fully restored in the 1970s, and is a private home. Thanks to Niall McAuley’s work on another Clare photo, we can narrow the date of this one from around 1865-1914, right down to around 1905-1910.
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Circa 1865-1914 1905-1910
NLI Ref: L_ROY_04127
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
photo rights reserved by B℮n
In winter, Amsterdammers watch the falling thermometer readings with the same focus as people in Aspen and Chamonix. When the temperature drops low enough for long enough, the lakes and the canals in Amsterdam become sparkling highways for the skaters. Little kiosks are set up on the ice to dispense heart-warming liqueurs. I really love this part of our culture. Almost everyone, young or old, likes to skate and is smiling and friendly. The last days the cold was enough for the canals to freeze over a rare occasion. Amsterdammers sharpen their blades and hit the ice. On the 14th of Februari 2021, the first people started skating on the canals of Amsterdam. A lovely view of people skating on the Prinsengracht canal. Who knows times of Hendrick Avercamp are coming back this year. Avercamp was the first Dutch artist to specialize in paintings of winter landscapes featuring people enjoying the ice. Some 400 years on, our image of life in the harsh winters of the Golden Age is still dominated by Avercamp’s ice scenes with their splendid narrative details of couples skating, children pelting each other with snowballs and unwary individuals falling through the ice.
Portrait of my daughter Samantha and her friend Casper skating on the Keizersgracht canal in Amsterdam near the Wester church. As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. There, many are hoping for further frigid conditions. This weekend we could ice skate even on some canals of Amsterdam. We had three fantastic days of skating.
Na 3 jaar konden de Jordanezen eindelijk weer de ijzers onderbinden. Op 14 februari 2021 nog geen ideale condities want je kon nog niet onder alle bruggen schaatsen. Op de Prinsengracht is het ijs net dik genoeg, er kan best aardig geschaatst worden, maar ook op de Keizersgracht. De grachten eindelijk bevroren en de adem komt in kleine grijze pufjes uit mijn mond. Handen op de rug. Rustig ademen. Ik geniet van het geluid van de ijzers over het ijs, sneeuw en een prachtige gezicht op de Amsterdamse grachtenpanden. Wie had dat nu gedacht, schaatsen in februari in Amsterdam. Wie even wegdenkt kan zich vandaag in Hendrick Avercamps wereld wanen. Als eerste Amsterdamse kunstenaar uit de 17de eeuw specialiseerde hij zich in het schilderen van winterlandschappen met ijspret. Ons beeld van het leven in de strenge winters in de Gouden Eeuw wordt na 400 jaar nog altijd bepaald door Avercamps ijsgezichten met prachtige verhalende details van schaatsende paartjes, kinderen die elkaar bekogelen met sneeuwballen of een man die door het ijs zakt. In de middag is er inderdaad Anno 2021 iemand door het ijs gezakt. Morgen gaat het helaas weer dooien. Het waren drie fantastische schaatsdagen in 2021. Portret van Samantha en vriend Casper al schaatsend op de Keizersgracht in hartje Amsterdam.