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WEST-AFRICA. -- COSTA D' AVORIO. -- AREA GRAND. LAHOU

 

In questo scatto stavamo cercando di fotografare coccodrilli della foresta

 

E domani torno in clinica per due giorni a finire i controlli e speriamo che la malaria sia andata !

  

In this shot we were trying to photograph forest crocodiles

 

And tomorrow I go back to the clinic for two days to finish the checks and we hope that the malaria is gone!

 

Vedere meglio in FORMATO LARGO

See better with ENLARGEMENT

Another fireworks shot from the 4th of July at the breakwater lighthouse in Grand Marais, Minnesota along the big Lake Superior.

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.

 

© www.myplanetexperience.com

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My website www.davidgutierrez.co.uk

  

Millwall Inner Dock is a dock at Millwall, London, England. It is located south of Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs.

  

and there is no shadow without light

***********************************************

Single shot in 16:9 crop.

**********************************************

Please read below if you are curious about how this shot was taken:

These are silhouette within light bubbles (light bokeh). To create this effect, the prerequisite is that you have a (macro-) zoom lens allowing you to create bokeh effect.

 

The condition of light source is very important. One light bubble is formed by one light source, and the light source has to be strong and condensed so that you can form a clear light bubble together with a clear silhouette. In this image, these multiple bubbles are formed by dazzling lights on the surface of a lotus pond around noon time when the sky was clear and the sun was high.

 

The choice of object as the motif is also very important. Imagine about the size of dazzling light laying on the lens toward the sensor of the camera, the object should be something thin, small and delicate, so that you can get a nice silhouette within the bubble.

 

For making this photograph, you need to put the object in the focal range and aim the camera toward the direction of the light source (so that you are literally shooting a macro silhouette within a bokeh), and then manually adjust the focus, moving the camera as needed, until you get the composition you like in the frame. The angle toward the light source is important. If your light source is the reflective sunlight (such as the dazzling lights in my example), you really need to direct the camera to the point where you have those light coming toward your frame, in order to create the silhouette.

...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.

The Matterhorn , the Dent d'Hérens the Z'mutt glacier.and "La Tête Blanche", (alt. 3.710 m ). . Zermatt . Canton Valais, Switzerland. No. 2548.

I was lucky during my visit to Santorini

Right on the first night the full moon shone

lit my way. I wish you the same...

 

Vollmond

 

Ich hatte Glück bei meinem Besuch auf Santorin

Direkt in der ersten Nacht leuchtete der Vollmond

mir den Weg. Das gleiche wünsche ich euch auch...

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My website www.davidgutierrez.co.uk

  

No.1 London Bridge is part of the London Bridge City estate, a

Bankside development located on the South side of London Bridge.

  

No.1 London Bridge - London, UK

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. ❤️😊

Hope you enjoy how the leaves fill the eyes :-)

16:9 crop

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

 

 

..... is like the dawn of a new world

Another picture of my sunrise series from the Rhine valley above Bonn, thank you for looking.

 

Musik.....

..... ist wie die Morgenröte einer neuen Welt

Ein weiteres Bild meiner Sonnenaufgangsreihe vom Rheintal oberhalb von Bonn, danke euch fürs schauen

   

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 viens de passer 2 semaines de travail épuisantes. La 1ère semaine, je suis déjà resté 4 jours sans aller sur Flickr et la 2ème semaine, je suis monté à 5 jours sans aller sur flickr ... Maintenant, j'espère pouvoir souffler un peu pendant quelques semaines. Mais pour recharger un peu les batteries, je viens déjà de m'octroyer un week-end de 3 jours avec ce lundi. Ces 3 jours n'auront clairement pas suffi à effacer toute ma fatigue comme par magie. Mais c'est déjà bien et je sens que c'était indispensable que je fasse ce break, tout petit soit-il. 😊

 

France. Vosges. Alsace. Haut-Rhin. Photo prise autour de l'Église fortifiée de Hunawihr.

 

Lorsque j'avais rendu ma première visite à cette magnifique église fortifiée le 15 septembre 2019, j'avais été totalement conquis. Mais les feuilles de vigne étaient encore toutes vertes et j'espérais bien pouvoir y retourner un jour lorsque les feuilles de vigne seraient majoritairement jaunes, ce qui se produit généralement lors de la deuxième partie du mois d'octobre. C'est ce que j'ai eu la chance de pouvoir faire en ce 25 octobre 2020. Je n'y suis pas resté très longtemps mais juste assez pour pouvoir profiter d'une belle éclaircie et réaliser le souhait que j'avais fait un an plus tôt. 🙏😊

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

  

Natural Bridges National Monument. San Juan County. Utah. United States. USA

Formerly: The "Strand Theatre" - 5:51 AM

Duval Street - Key West, Florida U.S.A.

 

*[left-double-click for a closer-look - now it is a Walgreens]

 

*[at one time; Strand Theatre was the only Key West movie theatre]

 

The Strand Theater in Key West opened in the mid-1920s as a

single screen movie house that sat around 800 people. The

theater closed sometime in the early 1980s and reopened as

a nightclub. It remained open as a few other nightclubs until it

became a Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum in 1993.

 

The theater was sold in December 2001 and closed in April 2002.

It has since become another location of Walgreens drug store. Based on research, over the past 20 years the marquee had become damaged with parts even missing. Walgreens restored the marquee to its original status, with the exception of adding their own advertising. All of the interior has been removed and/or covered over with the exception of the balcony.

 

This famed street is a beautiful confluence of art and culture,

history and heritage, exuberant celebrations, and a dash of

debauchery. Hey, their bars jam until 4 a.m. and there are

more than 100 bars in 15 blocks! There are more 'bars' per-

capita on Key West than in any other city in the United States!

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_West,_Florida

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_keys

 

My Key West 2020 Slideshow : flic.kr/s/aHsmTvNLb4

 

Third Place Competition Winner - Sin City Group

Theme: Storefronts - 1/8/22

Magdeburg on the Elbe river

 

Magdalenenkapelle , Sankt-Petri-Kirche , Wallonerkirche

(Sankt-Augustini-Kirche)

 

Magdalenen chapel, Sankt Petri church, Walloon church

(Saint Augustini Church)

Olympus Camedia Digital 2001

 

My wife and I were reminiscing this afternoon. We don't do that often, but today it started with a discussion, "Which year, which western national park?"

 

Well, memory does fade - save for the images taken, and we ended up going over 20 years of photos from various trips. In the 20th Century, with and without kids, we managed seven national parks and, in those days, the parrs were in 35mm. I'm still digging.

 

Our first trip after moving to northern California was to Yosemite on Nov. 11, 1973. The other seven or eight visits are a bit of a blur until we come to 2001. We went to the back country, over Tioga Pass to Devil's Postpile, and back. We hiked to the edge of Sentinel Peak and then did the other three leading to Glacier Point. And we went to five waterfalls. All and all, I think we hiked more than 25 miles. We saw some wildlife, some deer, a couple of chipmunks or maybe they were ground squirrels, some wildflowers...and we had a blast. The park wasn't at all crowded. We even became tourists for a couple of hours and bought two walking sticks from Ansel Adams Gallery in the valley.

 

We determined to return, and we did. Four times where we spent at least four days, and three times on one-day round trips. I cannot describe the place to you. I can show you images, but I can't describe it. Is it our favorite park? I'm not sure ... which of the NPs is our favorite. Banff, Jasper, Denali, Lassen, Bryce, Zion, Death Valley, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Mt. Rainier, Olympic, Crater Lake (nine times) ... and another seven or eight I don't remember or that weren't national parks like Redwoods in 1964 when it was a national monument. We spent two nights there one the way back from our "honeymoon" (in quotes because we had to find an apartment in Eugene, register for classes, get my teaching assignment, and marvel are what a quaint little town it was then).

 

No decision. But you all know what the top three are. Whichever one comes out on top depends on the year(s), the wildlife, the weather (108 at Rainier was not pleasant, but my first Black Bear), the clouds, air and sky quality... They were so memorable that, other than the year(s) we made the visit(s), I can tell you what we did, what we saw, the circumstances on getting certain shots... Ah, there's the key: Nature photography! It made the years go by, and any negative happenings, blur behind such positive memories.

 

Note to Alfred, Jen, Jen, Jenn, Jan, Jeffer, James, and Bernie: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. Don't put off a visit too long. You may want to return. Ask Tom.

 

No, this has not been sharpened. And yes, that is the color of the Valley and its trees on a clear day. On a clear day, you CAN see forever.

Hasselblad 503cx

Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm, f4, 1/2sec.

Kodak T-Max 400, Rodinal 1:50, 10min.

Theatre, Mirabellgarden / Salzburg / Austria

 

Please view on flickriver:

www.flickriver.com/photos/105795038@N03/

11-image panorama from RAF in LR.

 

View into the East Blackstone River Valley from Northfork Pass. The Tombstone Valley is one valley to the left.

There is a lot to see here and I try to mark some landmarks in the photo. If any labels are wrong let me know or add your own if you can identify more.

 

2018 Road Trip to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT via Dempster Highway and the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway or ITH (Tuk Highway).

....I'm all for anything that helps you get through the night - be it prayers, tranquillisers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Frank Sinatra

 

The Frankfurt skyline at night with a canopy of stars

 

Im Grunde...

.....bin ich für alles, was einem hilft, die Nacht zu überstehen - seien es Gebete, Beruhigungsmittel oder eine Flasche Jack Daniels.

Frank Sinatra

 

Die Skyline von Frankfurt Nachts mit Sternenzelt

Merry Christmas and the best wishes to all my Flickr friends

 

Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north.

 

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My website www.davidgutierrez.co.uk

 

Cartier - New Bond Street, London, UK

Blick von der Raschötz auf das Sella Joch in Südtirol

To find extraordinary things, go to the ordinary streets!

― Mehmet Murat ildan

 

I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I just love doing ICM's and multiple exposures and having the surprise of how they end up looking when I upload them. Here I was walking down by the Lonsdale Quay - there are still people there, but it's so much quieter since Covid.

 

This was done in camera - an ICM taken with my Lensbaby Velvet 56.

 

It's fun to zoom in and see all the details.

There is nothing more beautiful than untouched freshly fallen snow - only comparable to untouched sand dunes in the desert ...

 

Unberührter sinnlicher Schnee

Es gibt nichts Schöneres als unberührten frisch gefallenen Schnee - nur vergleichbar mit unberührten Sanddünen in der Wüste...

Trying to catch up my delay ... (which becomes bigger and bigger) ... 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 later. And I might post other photos in the meantime.

Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. J'y répondrai peut-être plusieurs SEMAINES après. Et je posterai peut-être d'autres photos entre temps.

 

France. Alpes. Isère. Massif de la Chartreuse. Photo prise lors d'une rando en aller-retour depuis le Col de Marcieu jusqu'au Col de Bellefont, en passant par le Passage de l'Aulp du Seuil et le Vallon de Marcieu. C'est une des randos qui m'a procuré le plus d'émotions et de joie. Je suis profondément reconnaissant d'avoir pu vivre une aventure aussi belle et mémorable ! 🙏❤️😊

 

Sans faire offense au Vallon de Marcieu et au Col de Bellefont que j'ai trouvés très beaux, le clou du spectacle était sans conteste la montée en lacets au cœur des falaises de l'amphithéâtre de l'Aulp du Seuil. Et je conseille vivement à tous ceux qui ont une bonne condition physique et qui sont de passage vers Chambéry ou Grenoble, d'effectuer cette montée au Passage de l'Aulp du Seuil à partir du Col de Marcieu. La montée en forêt est raide (sur 550m de dénivelé, avec un passage à 40%) mais les efforts consentis valent la peine. Dès qu'on atteint le pied du cirque, la magie des lieux opère et elle dure tout au long des lacets, jusqu'à atteindre le dernier gradin et sa vire, qui nous fait quitter le cirque et longer les falaises sommitales jusqu'au Passage de l'Aulp du Seuil. L'alchimie entre les sculptures calcaires et la végétation est magnifique et les 2 composantes (minérale et végétale) de cet univers son fascinantes et impressionnantes. Qui plus est, on a de fortes chances d'y apercevoir des chamois (j'ai eu cette chance à la montée et à la descente).

 

La photo a été prise pendant la montée en lacets dans le cirque de l'Aulp du Seuil et on peut y voir :

- En haut à gauche, les piquets qui bordent la vire finale ;

- En bas à droite, le Grésivaudan (environ 1500m plus bas !...).

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.

 

Perast is an old town on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. It is situated a few kilometres northwest of Kotor and is noted for its proximity to the islets of St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks. the Lady was built upon a rock after two Venetian sailors from Perast found a picture of the Virgin Mary on it in 1452. The first memories of Perast refer to 1336—at that time there was a small fishing village, which had a shipyard, and there were always several commercial and fishing boats in the harbor. But since the strategically important island of St. George, which belonged to Kotor, is in the immediate vicinity, the development of Perast was going very slowly. Perast also had free trade with the Republic of Venice and was granted the forgiveness of the Venetian authorities in the ruthless fight against pirates on the Adriatic. Photo of a yacht passing Perast and the two islets.

 

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, antieke Venetiaanse dorpjes en door UNESCO ommuurde steden. Perast, is een oude stad aan de baai van Kotor in Montenegro. Het ligt een paar kilometer ten noordwesten van Kotor en staat bekend om de nabijheid van de eilandjes St. George en Our Lady of the Rocks. De Lady werd op een rots gebouwd nadat twee Venetiaanse zeelieden uit Perast er in 1452 een afbeelding van de Maagd Maria vonden. De eerste herinneringen aan Perast verwijzen naar 1336 - in die tijd was er een klein vissersdorp met een scheepswerf, en er waren altijd meerdere commerciële en vissersboten in de haven. Maar aangezien het strategisch belangrijke eiland St. George, dat tot Kotor behoorde, in de directe omgeving ligt, ging de ontwikkeling van Perast erg traag. Perast had ook vrijhandel met de Republiek Venetië en kreeg de vergiffenis van de Venetiaanse autoriteiten in de meedogenloze strijd tegen piraten aan de Adriatische Zee. Foto van een jacht dat Perast en de twee eilandjes passeert.

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.

 

Secluded in the first bend of the inner bay of Kotor is the fishing village of Donji Morinj divided into the upper part Gornji and the lower part Donji, like many coastal villages here. The lovely dome of St. Petka Church shines above, but the main attraction here is the lovely beach. It is a secluded corner where the water is calm and clear and the view over the bay is great. We stayed in the Sunshine of Montenegro Apartment. The place is complete serenity. The pool with mountains backdrop looks like a beautiful postcard. Kanitha enjoying the view from the pool on the Bay of Kotor.

 

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, antieke Venetiaanse dorpjes en door UNESCO ommuurde steden. Afgezonderd in de eerste bocht van de binnenbaai van Kotor ligt het vissersdorp Donji Morinj verdeeld in het bovenste deel Gornji en het onderste deel Donji, zoals vele kustdorpen hier. De mooie koepel van de St. Petka-kerk schittert boven, maar de belangrijkste attractie hier is het mooie strand. Het is een beschut hoekje waar het water rustig en helder is en het uitzicht over de baai is geweldig. We verbleven in de Sunshine of Montenegro Apartment. De plaats is een droomplek. Het zwembad met bergen op de achtergrond ziet eruit als een prachtige ansichtkaart. Vanuit het zwembad geniet Kanitha van het uitzicht over de baai van Kotor.

 

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For no less than 35 years, Marshal Tito was the face of Yugoslavia. He moved on the stage of world politics with bravado: he opposed the almighty Soviet Union, his Tito-ism formed the ideal buffer against Stalinsm for the West. In short, Tito put Yugoslavia on the world map. More importantly, Tito has managed to maintain stability in Yugoslavia all these years. How did he manage to keep those very strong nationalistic feelings in check all these years? Tito just said: Don't whine, shut up. Most importantly, Tito, with a sophisticated strategy, made sure that no people felt like a minority. No one is better or more valuable than another. As the leader of his partisan army, which consisted of different population groups, he was the only one who really stood above the parties. Especially in the early years of his reign unsavory things happened. Indeed. People who opposed him during the war or shortly afterwards have been disabled. Thousands of people have been murdered and beaten to death. The problem with dictators, and Tito was of course a dictator, is that they don't have suitable successors. No one can and should stand in their shadow, so when such a ruler dies, power falls into the hands of all kinds of incapable figures. After Tito's death in 1980, Yugoslavia is rapidly declining. The increasingly poor relations between the different population groups eventually culminate in a civil war. You can still find slogans of Tito, also here at the abandoned Prevlaka Fortress: Tito - leads our way - to je naš put -

 

Prevlaka is a peninsula at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor - Montenegro. It is the southernmost point in Croatia. There is a neglected fortress from 1870. It was bombed in 1943 and this is still clearly visible. There are plans for restoration. The reserve is totally overgrown, but nature is breathtaking. There is a beautiful view from the terrace. Prevlaka's strategic location and proximity to a naval base have led Prevlaka to several quarrels between Croatia and Yugoslavia. In the early 1990s, during the Croatian War of Independence, Yugoslavia occupied the peninsula. In 1996, the two countries agreed to demilitarize it, and UN observers came to monitor it. Recognized as a territory of Croatia in 2006. Worth a visit if you like abandoned ancient ruins.

 

Maar liefst 35 jaar lang was maarschalk Tito hét gezicht van Joegoslavië. Met bravoure bewoog hij zich op het toneel van de wereldpolitiek: hij joeg de almachtige Sovjet-Unie tegen zich in het harnas, zijn titoïsme vormde voor het Westen de ideale buffer tegen het stalinisme. Hoe slaagde hij erin die zeer heftige nationalistische gevoelens al die jaren in toom te houden? ‘Tito zei gewoon: “Niet zeuren, bek houden.”‘ Het belangrijkste was dat Tito er met een uitgekiende strategie voor zorgde dat geen enkel volk zich een minderheid voelde. Niemand is beter of meer waard dan een ander. Als leider van zijn ,b>partizanenleger, dat uit verschillende bevolkingsgroepen bestond, was hij de enige die werkelijk boven de partijen stond. Vooral in de eerste jaren van zijn bewind zijn er onverkwikkelijke zaken gebeurd. Inderdaad. Mensen die hem tijdens de oorlog of vlak daarna tegenwerkten zijn uitgeschakeld. Duizenden mensen zijn vermoord en doodgeslagen. Na Tito’s dood in 1980 gaat het snel bergafwaarts met Joegoslavië. De steeds slechtere verhoudingen tussen de verschillende bevolkingsgroepen culmineren uiteindelijk in een burgeroorlog. Er zijn vandaag de dag nog steeds slogan's te vinden van Tito, zo ook bij het verlaten Prevlaka Fortress -Tito lijdt ons de weg - Tito - to je naš put.. Prevlaka is een schiereiland bij de ingang van de baai van Kotor - Montenegro. Het is het meest zuidelijke punt van Kroatië. Er is een verwaarloosd fort uit 1870. Er zijn plannen voor restauratie. Het reservaat is totaal overwoekerd, maar de natuur is adembenemend. Vanaf het terras is er een prachtig uitzicht. In het begin van de jaren negentig, tijdens de Kroatische Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog, bezette Joegoslavië het schiereiland. In 1996 kwamen de twee landen overeen om het te demilitariseren, en VN-waarnemers kwamen het volgen. Erkend als een grondgebied van Kroatië in 2006. Een bezoek waard als je van verlaten oude ruïnes houdt.

It was such a beautiful morning...

Iceland.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfaI1k2J_9g

 

I wish you a wonderful weekend, my friends!

  

The Eureka Dunes lie in the remote Eureka Valley, an enclosed basin at 3000 foot elevation located northwest of Death Valley. The dunes cover an area only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, yet they are the tallest sand dunes in California, possibly the tallest in all of North America. They rise more than 680 feet above the dry lakebed at their western base. As tall as these dunes are, they are dwarfed by the impressive limestone wall of the Last Chance Mountains which rises another 4000 feet above the valley floor.

 

It was my first time in this remote part of Death Valley National Park and the drive to these dunes was a little adventure in itself ... sometimes you can only drive at walking pace ... and the grooves in the "road" are a real shock absorber and tire test and after around 2.5 hours you are happy to have reached your destination. You can see the Eureka Dunes from afar and you are quite impressed when you stand in front of it ... the way up to the dunes with a heavy photo backpack and tripod was a bit of a challenge - it took us almost 1.5 hours to get there on top ofthe highest dunes ... always under the motto two steps up and one step back - sometimes really steep, but it was worth it - the view was fantastic ... just the sun disappeared behind increasingly thick clouds before setting ... .

  

Die Eureka-Dünen liegen im abgelegenen Eureka-Tal, einem geschlossenen Becken auf 900 Meter Höhe nordwestlich des Death Valley. Die Dünen erstrecken sich über ein Gebiet von nur 3 Meilen Länge und 1 Meile Breite, sind jedoch die höchsten Sanddünen in Kalifornien, möglicherweise die höchsten in ganz Nordamerika. Sie erheben sich mehr als 200 Meter über dem trockenen Seeufer an ihrer westlichen Basis. So hoch diese Dünen auch sind, sie werden von der beeindruckenden Kalksteinmauer der Last Chance Mountains in den Schatten gestellt, die sich weitere 1200 Meter über den Talboden erhebt.

 

Ich war zum ersten Mal in diesem abgelegenen Teil des Death Valley National Parks und die Fahrt zu diesen Dünen war schon ein kleines Abenteuer für sich...teilweise kann man nur mit Schrittgeschwindigkeit fahren...und die Rillen in der "Straße" sind ein richtiger Stoßdämpfer- und Reifentest und nach rund 2,5 Stunden ist man froh, das Ziel erreicht zu haben. Man sieht die Eureka Dunes schon von Weitem und man ist schon ziemlich beeindruckt, wenn man dann davor steht...der Weg hoch auf die Dünen mit schwerem Fotorucksack und Stativ war dann auch eine kleine Herausforderung - wir brauchten fast 1,5 Stunden bis wir auf den höchsten Dünen standen...immer unter dem Motto zwei Schritte hoch und einen zurück - zum Teil richtig steil, aber es hat sich gelohnt - die Aussicht war fantastisch...alleine die Sonne verschwand vor dem Untergang hinter zunehmend dichteren Wolken...

Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several days later. And I might post other photos in the meantime.

Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. J'y répondrai peut-être plusieurs jours après. Et je posterai peut-être d'autres photos entre temps.

 

Je suis content d'avoir réussi à poster 2 photos ce WE car je n'avais pas réussi à en poster depuis septembre (ça faisait plus de 2 semaines ...). 😊

 

France. Vosges. Alsace. Haut-Rhin. Photo prise lors d'une rando en boucle, effectuée seul, au départ de Katzenthal, en passant par le Neuberg, le Sommerberg, le Galtz et la croix de Meywihr. Comme le lendemain vers l'Ungersberg, j'ai pu y voir une ribambelle de parcelles de vignes teintées de magnifiques couleurs (jaune, vert et rouge).

 

Merci à tous les viticulteurs alsaciens de régaler nos yeux à chaque automne par leur travail acharné de toute l'année !!! 🙏😉

 

En 2019, je n'ai pas fait de rando dans les vignes alsaciennes pendant le magnifique mois d'octobre. Mais à la place j'ai découvert avec bonheur les environs du Hohneck à cette même période. En 2020, je n'ai pas encore pu profiter d'une belle journée ensoleillée depuis le début du mois. Certes, le mois n'est pas terminé mais c'est mal parti ...

 

Cette photo a été prise depuis la Croix de Meywihr. On y voit au 2ème plan le village de Kientzheim (qui se situe entre ceux de Kaysersberg et de Sigolsheim, juste avant l'entrée de la Vallée de Kaysersberg), devant les Monts de Sigolsheim. Et tout au fond on peut voir les 3 Châteaux de Ribeauvillé ainsi que le Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg. J'ai également mis 2 petits bonus en légende sur la photo. 😉

The BMW ensemble at the Petuelring:

 

BMW Welt

BMW Museum

BMW Headquarters

 

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A view from the trig point. A long muddy slog if you take the hard route like I did through moor and forest.

 

Escape · Simon Servida

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkM64XwCw6I&list=PLcMomUwJ6Ew...

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Woodland background: my photo taken in Fundy National Park, Alma, NB.

Rabbit: Moonglowlilly/Deviant Art www.deviantart.com/moonglowlilly

Rat: Moonglowlilly/Deviant Art www.deviantart.com/moonglowlilly

Owl: LG Design/Deviant Art www.deviantart.com/lg-design/art/Owl-PNG-297739615

Post Processing in Topaz Labs Gigapixels filter topazlabs.com/

youtu.be/3lI1v5q5AGI

  

Digging into my archives,

Venice, with Saint Mary of Health (Santa Maria Della Salute) taken from San Giorgio Maggiore.

 

photo rights reserved by B℮n

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina often known informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe, located within the Balkans. Sarajevo is the capital and largest city. Bosnia is not entirely a landlocked country as it may appear on a map – to the south it has a narrow coast on the Adriatic Sea long and surrounds the town of Neum. Many people still associate the country with the break-up of Yugoslavia in the heartbreaking civil war of the 1990's. The scars from that time are all still visible. But today's tourist are likely to remember the country for its friendly, modest and warm people. The country has turned into an exciting and versatile travel destination, with beautiful mountains, numerous medieval castle ruins, seven major rivers, impressive waterfalls. Overall, nearly 50% of Bosnia is forested. A country where Eastern and Western civilizations have met over the centuries. Today integration into the European Union is one of the main political objectives of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The local currency is the Bosnian mark. The euro is also accepted. Islam is the majority faith in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also Orthodox Christianity, and Roman Catholicism are all present. The wild and unspoilt nature makes it an ideal place for both adventurers and nature lovers. Mostar is the largest city in Hercegovina, with a small but thoroughly enchanting old town centre. Mostar has been most famous for this beautiful historic Ottoman-style Stari Most bridge, which spanned the Neretva river in what is considered the historic center of the city.

 

Mostar is situated on the Neretva River. Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva. The Old Bridge, built by the Ottomans (Turkish tribes) in the 16th century, is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's most visited landmarks. The bridge was destroyed during the Bosnian War. The European Union has spent more than $ 15 million on restoration. The restoration was finished in 2004. In 2005, UNESCO inscribed the Old Bridge and its closest vicinity onto the World Heritage List. For the last 450 years, Mostar has been home to the Old Bridge Jump, where people jump off the city’s Stari Most bridge, hurling through the air for a few seconds before hitting the freezing water below. The traditional jump is seen as a right of passage for Bosnian men in particular: “Locals say a man will be a complete life failure if he doesn’t take the plunge — he can forget about a job and a girlfriend.”

 

Bosnië en Herzegovina informeel bekend als Bosnië, is een land in Zuidoost-Europa, gelegen op de Balkan. Sarajevo is de hoofdstad en de grootste stad. Veel mensen associëren het land nog steeds met het uiteenvallen van Joegoslavië in de hartverscheurende burgeroorlog van de jaren negentig. De littekens uit die tijd zijn allemaal nog zichtbaar. Maar de toerist van vandaag de dag zal het land waarschijnlijk herinneren vanwege zijn vriendelijke, bescheiden en warme mensen. Het land is een opwindende en veelzijdige reisbestemming geworden, met prachtige bergen, talloze middeleeuwse kasteelruïnes, zeven grote rivieren, indrukwekkende watervallen. In totaal is bijna 50% van Bosnië bebost. Een land waar oosterse en westerse beschavingen elkaar door de eeuwen heen hebben ontmoet. Tegenwoordig is integratie in de Europese Unie een van de belangrijkste politieke doelstellingen van Bosnië en Herzegovina. Mostar ligt aan de rivier de Neretva. Mostar is vernoemd naar de brugwachters mostari die in de middeleeuwen de Stari Most oude brug over de Neretva bewaakten. De oude-brug, gebouwd door de Ottomanen Turkse stammen in de 16e eeuw, is één van de meest bezochte bezienswaardigheden van Bosnië en Herzegovina. De brug is tijdens de Bosnische oorlog verwoest. De Europese Unie heeft meer dan 15 miljoen dollar uitgegeven aan restauratie. De restauratie is in 2004 voltooid. In 2005 heeft de UNESCO de Oude Brug en de dichtstbijzijnde omgeving op de Werelderfgoedlijst gezet. De afgelopen 450 jaar was Mostar de thuisbasis van de Old Bridge Jump, waar mensen van de Stari Most-brug van de stad springen en een paar seconden door de lucht slingeren voordat ze het ijskoude water raken. De traditionele sprong wordt gezien als een doorgangsrecht voor met name Bosnische mannen: "De lokale bevolking zegt dat een man een complete mislukking in zijn leven zal zijn als hij de sprong niet waagt - hij kan een baan en een vriendin vergeten."

 

Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several days later. And I might post other photos in the meantime.

Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. J'y répondrai peut-être plusieurs jours après. Et je posterai peut-être d'autres 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 en remontant au Col de la Bailletta.

 

Sur la photo précédente, le lac était d'un vert intense car on était face à la pente herbeuse. Comme annoncé, sur cette photo, il est d'un bleu intense (en son centre), mâtiné de blanc, car cette fois on était sur la pente et en hauteur donc il reflétait le ciel.

 

Indépendamment du lac, les environs du Col de la Bailletta offrent un très beau panorama vers le sud avec entre autres :

o Le Signal de l'Iseran (3237m) à gauche, particulièrement à son avantage sous ce profil,

o La Pointe de Charbonnel (3752m) au fond au centre, qui est tout simplement le point culminant des Alpes Grées,

o Le Vallon de l'Iseran et la route (D902) qui monte au Col de l'Iseran (plus haut col routier des Alpes), le long de la Crête des Lessières.

Sur la gauche et au centre de la photo, les sommets appartiennent au Massif des Alpes Grées.

Sur la droite de la photo, les sommets appartiennent au Massif de la Vanoise.

Oggi mi sono fatta un grande regalo: ammirare una distesa immensa di girasoli!

è stato bello scattare tante foto: voglio che queste immagini rimangano sempre impresse nella mia mente come l'emozione che ho provato, succede tutte le volte che sto in mezzo alla Natura e la ringrazio per i suoi doni...

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My website www.davidgutierrez.co.uk

  

One Rainy Night, Piccadilly Circus, London, UK

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My website www.davidgutierrez.co.uk

  

3 Broadgate revamps an important pedestrian link between Broadgate Circle and Finsbury Avenue Square.

The "Cais das Pedras" is one of the old quays on the Douro River which is located in the region of Massarelos, Porto, and has a set of old houses, many of which have been transformed into bars, restaurants and hotels.

 

(of the series: trip to Portugal - december 2019)

 

* I'm grateful for visit, favs and comments of my photo.

Starlight

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xv-yQK4_A4

 

Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

 

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New location from the rear garden where I have repainted the garden shed. (Despite being fairly new all the heavy rain in the spring was too much for the factory sprayed Sadolin treatment.)

 

Jaws the fox my main model is getting later in arriving as daylight keeping him away. He still likes the meat rather than the badger & fox nuts which get left until the small hours.

 

Lighting set-up has now needed an additional Nikon SB900 to give some light onto the background.

 

Camera info:-

Nikon D750 at 1.7 metres from subject {on manual}

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 @ f/6.3,

ISO 1600,

Shutter 1/200,

Focal length 38 mm.

Camera shutter triggered by very long cable release.

Nikon SB900 flash lights, Yongnuo 602's to fire Nikon strobes.

 

A. Nikon SB900 flash light "A" bare head, 4 metres at 45 degrees to the right of shed, on 1/64 power about 2 metres high on light stand to light shed.

B. Nikon SB 900 "B" key light, on the right at 0.8 metre high, 2.3 metres from subject and at 45 degrees on 1/32 power with a fine grid on front.

C. Nikon SB900 "C" fill light on the left at 45 degrees to fill in light - low setting of 1/64 power, fine grid on frontmanual.

 

Please see previous image “Behind the scene fox photo 19th May 2020” for more details of the lighting set-up.

The Villa d'Este is a 16th-century villa in Tivoli, near Rome, famous for its terraced hillside Italian Renaissance garden and especially for its profusion of fountains. It is now an Italian state museum, and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

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