Looking northwest from Osterlämmchen.

"Ediger-Eller is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Cochem, whose seat is in the like-named town.

Ediger-Eller lies on the river Moselle. The constituent community of Eller is found at the foot of the Calmont.

The two constituent communities have a history that, according to a documentary mention, stretches at least as far back as the year 639. Potsherds that have been found, which came from a Roman factory near Trier suggest that the municipality may have existed as early as the 2nd or 3rd century AD.

Even older traces of settlement – remnants of a stone wall of a flight castle from Celtic times – can be found on the Hochkessel, the mountain on the other side of the Moselle. On the side of the Moselle facing towards the Hunsrück is a Roman-Gaulish burying ground near Saint Peter's Chapel (Peters-Kapelle) in Neef.

The sparse remnants of a Roman legion's garrison outpost can be found in the heights of the Calmont.

The constituent community of Eller was as early as the 5th century, in Merovingian times, the seat of a monastery consecrated to Saint Fridolin. Built onto the Late Romanesque tower is a Baroque nave with fine furnishings, among them a Stumm organ. In Saint Arnulf's Chapel across the street hangs the picture Verspottung Christi (“Mocking of Christ”) from the 15th century, after a drawing by Martin Schongauer. The Pyrmont and Electoral-Trier manor houses from the 16th century, today the ancestral seat of the Barons of Landenberg-Trimborn, underscore Eller's former importance.

Behind the railway bridge, with a slope of 65%, rises the Calmont, whose south side is the world's steepest vineyard, reaching a height of 378 m. A hike up the via ferrata to the mountain ridge is among the most impressive experiences on the Moselle. On the other side, on the former Insula Sankt Nicolai, stands the ruin of a convent church that once belonged to the Stuben Augustinian convent, founded in 1137. From 1208 to 1788, it housed the famous Limburger Staurothek, a reliquary that is important to art history, allegedly containing bits of the Cross on which Jesus was crucified. Today, it is part of the Limburg cathedral treasury.

Beginning in 1794, Ediger and Eller lay under French rule and were merged to form a single municipality. In 1815 they were assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna, and once again became two separate municipalities. Since 1877, Eller has lain near the end of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Tunnel, which begins in Cochem and is named after Emperor Wilhelm I (not his more infamous grandson, Wilhelm II). From the time of its completion until 1987, it was Germany's longest railway tunnel at 4 205 m. The tunnel is part of the Moselstrecke (Moselle line). Not far from the tunnel portal, and before the Moselle bridge, stands Ediger-Eller railway station.

Beginning in 1946, the two municipalities were part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate. On 7 June 1969, in the course of administrative restructuring in Rhineland-Palatinate, Ediger and Eller were once again merged to form a single municipality.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

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The Berkeley Pit is a former open pit copper mine located in Butte, Montana, United States. It is one mile long by half a mile wide with an approximate depth of 1,780 feet (540 m). It is filled to a depth of about 900 feet (270 m) with water that is heavily acidic (2.5 pH level), about the acidity of cola or lemon juice. As a result, the pit is laden with heavy metals and dangerous chemicals that leach from the rock, including arsenic, cadmium, zinc, and sulfuric acid.

The mine was opened in 1955 and operated by Anaconda Copper and later by the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), until its closure in 1982. When the pit was closed, the water pumps in the nearby Kelly shaft, at a depth of 3,800 feet, were turned off, and groundwater from the surrounding aquifers began to slowly fill the pit, rising at about the rate of one foot a month. Since the pit closure on Earth Day 1982, the level has risen to within 150 feet of the natural groundwater level.

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Chianti is a red Italian wine produced in Tuscany. The first definition of a wine-area called Chianti was made in 1716. The earliest documentation of a Chianti wine dates back to the thirteenth century when viticulture was known to flourish in the Chianti Mountains around Florence. Discover the most celebrated region of Tuscany. The vineyards of this area produce one of the best wines in the world: Chianti Classico. This Wine represents a major source of wealth for the Chianti area, no wonder then that this product has been particularly looked after and protected, in order to distinguish its quality from other wine productions. This is why a rigid legislation has been introduced to regulate the production of Classic Chianti. The first limit obviously regards the geographical area where the grape must grow. But not only the vineyards must be cultivated in the prescribed area: the whole process of wine-making, storage and bottling must take place inside the protected zone. The grape variety from which Chianti is produced is Sangiovese. The alcoholic strength must not exceed 12 %. In addition to this, there are other requirements that must be followed, regarding the average amount of dry product (24 g/l); the acidity rate (4,5 g/l), the colour (intense ruby red), the smell (fruity, with nuances of wildflowers, berries, cherries or plums) and taste (harmonious, dry, strong and with respectable tannin).

We drive on the glorious wine roads of Tuscany. Grapes and olives require similar climatic and soil conditions and share coinciding harvest times, making them a natural pair in the fields.

Long-term agricultural biodiversity appeals to vineyard owners, who realize that economic and seasonal variables, as well as consumer taste, make production of more than one quality product a proactive approach. Additionally, olive groves protect vineyards against strong winds, acting as windbreaks. We visit the farms and cellars and ofcourse taste the great Chianti wine.

Denk je aan Toscana, dan zie je stadjes op heuveltoppen, wijngaarden omzoomd door cipressen zover het oog reikt. Liefhebbers weten dat je overal tussen die landerijen. wijnhuizen kunt vinden waar je ook nog eens kunt proeven... het idee alleen al doet je toch bijna het water in de mond lopen. Ook als je weer thuis bent en je neemt een slok van je meegebrachte wijn, ben je er in je gedachten weer helemaal: op dat zonovergoten terras in Castellina in Chianti of bij dat fantastische restaurant met die truffelgerechten in Monteriggioni. Zeg je wijn in Toscana, dan zeg je Chianti, een wijn die zich in de laatste 30 jaar tot Classico heeft ontwikkeld. Chianti is de bekendste en populairste van alle Italiaanse wijnen. De wijn wordt gemaakt van de alom aanwezige Sangiovese-druif, die graag veel zon heeft en goed bestand is tegen grote temperatuurschommelingen. De belangrijkste Chianti-zones worden gevormd door de streek Chianti Classico gelegen rond Castellina. Zoals met zoveel in Italia, is ook de wijnbouw begonnen in het zuiden, maar hebben de noorderlingen het later overgenomen. Na de Romeinse tijd kwam de zuidelijke wijnbouw in de versukkeling. De oudste ononderbroken wijntraditie. In de Renaissance kwam de productie weer helemaal terug en wel in...Toscana. Rijke handelaars en bankiers zoals de families Frescobaldi en Antinori namen druivenrassen mee uit Frankrijk en legden daarmee de basis voor het feit dat Toscana tegenwoordig de oudste onononderbroken wijntradities van Italië kent.

Hydrangea Colors Are Determined By The Acidity Of The Soil

Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.

In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]

Hydrangeas are A a genus of flowering plants.

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Hydrangea (disambiguation) and Hortensia (disambiguation).

Hydrangea (/haɪˈdreɪndʒə/[3][4] or /haɪˈdreɪndʒiə/[5]) is a genus of more than 70 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. Hydrangea is also used as the common name for the genus; some (particularly H. macrophylla) are also often called hortensia.[6] The genus was first described from Virginia in North America,[7] but by far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are shrubs 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall, but some are small trees, and others lianas reaching up to 30 m (100 ft) by climbing up trees. They can be either deciduous or evergreen, though the widely cultivated temperate species are all deciduous.[8]

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

The flowers of many hydrangeas act as natural pH indicators, producing blue flowers when the soil is acidic and pink ones when the soil is alkaline.[9]

Etymology

Hydrangea is derived from Greek and means 'water vessel' (from ὕδωρ húdōr "water" + ἄγγος ángos or ἀγγεῖον angeîon "vessel"),[10][11][12] in reference to the shape of its seed capsules.[13] The earlier name, Hortensia, is a Latinised version of the French given name Hortense, honoring the French astronomer and mathematician Nicole-Reine Hortense Lepaute.[14] Philibert Commerson attempted to name the flower Lepautia or Peautia after Lepaute. However, the flower's accepted name later became Hortensia. This led to people believing Lepaute's name was Hortense, but the Larousse remarks that this is erroneous, and that the name probably came from hortus, garden.[15]

Life cycle

Hydrangea flowers are produced from early spring to late autumn; they grow in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) most often at the ends of the stems. Typically the flowerheads contain two types of flowers: small non-showy fertile flowers in the center or interior of the flowerhead, and large, sterile showy flowers with large colorful sepals (tepals). These showy flowers are often extended in a ring, or to the exterior of the small flowers. Plants in wild populations typically have few to none of the showy flowers, while cultivated hydrangeas have been bred and selected to have more of the larger type flowers.

There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with corymb style inflorescences, which includes the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"—Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead flowers are large round flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name implies, the head of a mop. In contrast, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small flowers surrounded by outer rings of larger flowers having showy sepals or tepals. The flowers of some rhododendrons and viburnums can appear, at first glance, similar to those of some hydrangeas.

Colors and soil acidity

Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.

In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]

Species

Hydrangea paniculata

97 species are accepted.[20]

Hydrangea acuminata Siebold & Zucc.

Hydrangea albostellata Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea alternifolia Siebold

Hydrangea × amagiana Makino

Hydrangea amamiohsimensis (Koidz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea ampla (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea anomala D.Don – (climbing hydrangea) Himalaya, southwest China

Hydrangea arborescens L. – (smooth hydrangea) eastern North America

Hydrangea arguta (Gaudich.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea aspera Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don – China, Himalaya

Hydrangea asterolasia Diels

Hydrangea barbara (L.) Bernd Schulz

Hydrangea bifida (Maxim.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea breedlovei Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea bretschneideri Dippel – China

Hydrangea caerulea (Stapf) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea carroniae Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea chungii Rehder – China

Hydrangea cinerea Small – (ashy hydrangea) eastern United States

Hydrangea coenobialis Chun – China

Hydrangea corylifolia (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea crassa (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea daimingshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea davidii Franch. – China

Hydrangea densifolia (C.F.Wei) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea diplostemona (Donn.Sm.) Standl.

Hydrangea fauriei (Hayata) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea febrifuga (Lour.) Y.De Smet & Granados (syn. Dichroa febrifuga) – central & southern China to Malesia and New Guinea

Hydrangea glaucescens (Rehder) Y.De Smet & Granados – China, Myanmar and Vietnam

Hydrangea gracilis W.T.Wang & M.X.Nie – China

Hydrangea heteromalla D.Don – Himalaya, west and north China

Hydrangea hirsuta (Gagnep.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea hirta (Thunb.) Siebold – Japan

Hydrangea hwangii J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea hydrangeoides (Siebold & Zucc.) Bernd Schulz – Ulleungdo, Japan, Kurils

Hydrangea hypoglauca Rehder – China

Hydrangea integrifolia Hayata – China

Hydrangea involucrata Siebold – Japan, Taiwan

Hydrangea jelskii Szyszył. – Andes

Hydrangea kawagoeana Koidz.

Hydrangea kwangsiensis Hu – China

Hydrangea kwangtungensis Merr. – China

Hydrangea lalashanensis S.S.Ying

Hydrangea lingii G.Hoo – China

Hydrangea linkweiensis Chun – China

Hydrangea liukiuensis Nakai

Hydrangea lobbii Maxim.

Hydrangea longifolia Hayata – China

Hydrangea longipes Franch. – western China

Hydrangea luteovenosa Koidz.

Hydrangea macrocarpa Hand.-Mazz. – China

Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. – (bigleaf hydrangea) southeast Japan, southern China

Hydrangea mangshanensis C.F.Wei – China

Hydrangea marunoi Tagane & S.Fujii

Hydrangea mathewsii Briq.

Hydrangea megalocarpa (Chun) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea minamitanii (H.Ohba) Yahara

Hydrangea × mizushimarum H.Ohba

Hydrangea moellendorffii Hance

Hydrangea mollissima (Merr.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea nahaensis Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea nebulicola Nevling & Gómez Pompa

Hydrangea obtusifolia (Hu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea ofeliae Sodusta & Lumawag

Hydrangea otontepecensis Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea paniculata Siebold – (panicled hydrangea) eastern China, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin

Hydrangea peruviana Moric. ex Ser. – Costa Rica and Panama, Andes

Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold & Zucc. – (climbing hydrangea) Japan, Korea, Sakhalin

Hydrangea pingtungensis S.S.Ying

Hydrangea platyarguta Y.De Smet & Samain

Hydrangea pottingeri Prain (synonym Hydrangea chinensis Maxim.) – Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, southeastern China, and Taiwan

Hydrangea preslii Briq.

Hydrangea quercifolia W.Bartram – (oakleaf hydrangea) southeast United States

Hydrangea radiata Walter – (silverleaf hydrangea) southeast United States

Hydrangea robusta Hook.f. & Thomson – China, Himalaya

Hydrangea sargentiana Rehder – western China

Hydrangea scandens (L.f.) Ser. – southern Japan south to the Philippines

Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. – Japan, Korea

Hydrangea serratifolia (Thunb.) Ser. – Chile, western Argentina

Hydrangea sikokiana Maxim.

Hydrangea sousae Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea steyermarkii Standl.

Hydrangea strigosa Rehder – China

Hydrangea stylosa Hook.f. & Thomson – China

Hydrangea taiwaniana Y.C.Liu & F.Y.Lu

Hydrangea tapalapensis Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea tarapotensis Briq. – Andes

Hydrangea tomentella (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea × versicolor (Fortune) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea viburnoides (Hook.f. & Thomson) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea wallichii J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea xanthoneura Diels – China

Hydrangea xinfeniae W.B.Ju & J.Ru

Hydrangea yaoshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea yayeyamensis Koidz.

Hydrangea × ytiensis (J.M.H.Shaw) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea yunnanensis Rehder

Hydrangea zhewanensis P.S.Hsu & X.P.Zhang – China

Fossil record

Hydrangea knowltoni

†Hydrangea alaskana is a fossil species recovered from Paleogene strata at Jaw Mountain Alaska.[21] †Hydrangea knowltoni has been described from leaves and flowers recovered from the Miocene Langhian Latah Formation of the inland Pacific Northwest United states. The related Miocene species †Hydrangea bendirei is known to from the Mascall Formation in Oregon, and †Hydrangea reticulata is documented from the Weaverville Formation in California.[22][23]

Four fossil seeds of †Hydrangea polonica have been extracted from borehole samples of the Middle Miocene fresh water deposits in Nowy Sacz Basin, West Carpathians, Poland.[24]

Cultivation and uses

Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flowerheads, with Hydrangea macrophylla being by far the most widely grown. It has over 600 named cultivars, many selected to have only large sterile flowers in the flowerheads. Hydrangea macrophylla, also known as bigleaf hydrangea, can be broken up into two main categories; mophead hydrangea and lacecap hydrangea. Some are best pruned on an annual basis when the new leaf buds begin to appear. If not pruned regularly, the bush will become very "leggy", growing upwards until the weight of the stems is greater than their strength, at which point the stems will sag down to the ground and possibly break. Other species only flower on "old wood". Thus, new wood resulting from pruning will not produce flowers until the following season.

The following cultivars and species have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit under the synonym Schizophragma:[25]

S. hydrangeoides var. concolor 'Moonlight'[26]

S. hydrangeoides var. hydrangeoides 'Roseum'[27]

S. integrifolium[28]

Hydrangea root and rhizome are indicated for the treatment of conditions of the urinary tract in the Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine and may have diuretic properties.[29] Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides.[30] Hydrangea paniculata is reportedly sometimes smoked as an intoxicant, despite the danger of illness and/or death due to the cyanide.[31][32]

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

A popular pink hydrangea called Vanilla Strawberry has been named "Top Plant" by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.

A hybrid "Runaway Bride Snow White", from Japan, won Plant of the Year at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.[35]

In culture

In Japan, ama-cha (甘茶), meaning sweet tea, is another herbal tea made from Hydrangea serrata, whose leaves contain a substance that develops a sweet taste (phyllodulcin). For the fullest taste, fresh leaves are crumpled, steamed, and dried, yielding dark brown tea leaves. Ama-cha is mainly used for kan-butsu-e (the Buddha bathing ceremony) on April 8 every year—the day thought to be Buddha's birthday in Japan. During the ceremony, ama-cha is poured over a statue of Buddha and served to people in attendance. A legend has it that on the day Buddha was born, nine dragons poured Amrita over him; ama-cha is substituted for Amrita in Japan.

In Korean tea, Hydrangea serrata is used for an herbal tea called sugukcha (수국차) or isulcha (이슬차).

The pink hydrangea has risen in popularity all over the world, especially in Asia. The given meaning of pink hydrangeas is popularly tied to the phrase "you are the beat of my heart," as described by the celebrated Korean florist Tan Jun Yong, who was quoted saying, "The light delicate blush of the petals reminds me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender!"[36]

Hydrangea quercifolia was declared the official state wildflower of the U.S. state of Alabama in 1999.[37]

Hydrangeas were used by the Cherokee people of what is now the Southern U.S. as a mild diuretic and cathartic; it was considered a valuable remedy for stone and gravel in the bladder.[38]

Extrafloral nectaries were reported on hydrangea species by Zimmerman 1932, but Elias 1983 regards this as "doubtful".[39]

I was enjoying this lovely one in the Stanley Park lower display gardens when a visitor from Argentina told me they call it Hortensia, and it turned out that Hydrangea is the Latin name for Hortensia (Hortensia means “of the garden”)

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil. Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds, citrus peel or eggshells will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue, as described in an article on Gardenista. A popular pink hydrangea called Vanilla Strawberry has been named "Top Plant" by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.

The hybrid "Runaway Bride Snow White", bred by Ushio Sakazaki from Japan, was named Plant of the Year at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The Hydrangeas in front of the Maxol in #Maynooth are putting on a gorgeous show, even on a grey Saturday morning.

If I’m remembering my childhood right these flowers are either pink or powder blue depending on th acidity of the soil, and my grandmother used to add peat around some and not others to get hers to alternate in colour.

I dedicate this series of images to my friend, Hamim, for your rehabilitation with great grace of God and prayers of friends! -/- (Series with 05 images released to the public or only to see a great favorite!) - BEST SEEN ON BLACK - Thank you for your visit, comments, favorites and have a great Sunday, my friends!

Pineapple crop:

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The region of TriânguloMineiro, Brazil, is a major producer of Smooth Cayenne pineapple species, the most planted in the world, accounting for 70% of the world, also known as Hawaiian pineapples. It is a hardy plant bearing leaves semi-erect and almost thornless. The fruit is cylindrical, weighing between 1.5 and 2 pounds, the crown has relatively small, bark yellow-orange and yellow flesh, firm, rich in sugars and high acidity. It is suitable for processing and fresh consumption. Shows are likely to wilt associated with Fusarium and cochineal. It produces small amount of seedling type rebentões puppy and frequent. In each hectare is planted about 33,000 seedlings, is consumed in most countries and produced mainly in tropical and subtropical

The pineapple although tolerant to lack of water present in times of shortage of water marked reduction of its vegetative growth. A water deficit during the fruit affects the weight of fruit. The amount of water needed for the crop is 60 to 150 mm / month. When such a situation is not achieved recommended irrigation. The irrigation methods are commonly used for aspersion (pictures here), and self-propelled center pivot.

Lately, the cultivation of pineapple is representing great economic prospects on the national scene, and so it is necessary to adopt practices that

promote higher yields of this crop. Due to market competition,

producers are providing the use of new technologies such as irrigation,

towards better productivity and higher profits.

Although considered a relatively culture adapted to drought, irrigation is essential for a more uniform production. In tropical Brazilian irrigation has been used in a complementary way, meeting the water requirements of plants with the lowest rates in the months of rain, comprising the period from May to September.

Due to the demand of regular fruit in the market, whether for consumption

"Natural", or industries for the production of juice or sweet jam, one of the advantages of irrigation is to provide continuous production throughout the year and get fruits according to the requirements of standard size, which is fundamental to maintenance and conquer new markets. The pineapple is sold per kg and its price varies according to the law of supply and demand!

Lavoura de abacaxi: -

A região do TriânguloMineiro, Brasil, é uma grande produtora do abacaxi da espécie Smooth Cayenne, a mais plantada no mundo, correspondendo a 70% da produção mundial, conhecida também por abacaxi havaiano. É uma planta robusta, de porte semi-ereto e folhas praticamente sem espinhos. O fruto tem formato cilíndrico, com peso entre 1,5 e 2 quilos, apresenta coroa relativamente, pequena, casca de cor amarelo-alaranjada e polpa amarela, firme, rica em açucares, e de acidez elevada. É adequada para industrialização e consumo in natura. Mostra-se susceptível à murcha, associada à cochonilha e à fusariose. Produz pequena quantidade de mudas do tipo filhote e rebentões freqüentes. Em cada hectare é plantada cerca de 33.000 mudas, é consumido na maioria dos países e produzido fundamentalmente nos de clima tropical e subtropical

O abacaxizeiro embora tolerante à falta de água apresente em períodos de escassez de água acentuada redução de seu desenvolvimento vegetativo. Um déficit hídrico durante a frutificação compromete o peso dos frutos. A quantidade de água necessária para a cultura é de 60 a 150 mm/mês. Quando tal situação não é alcançada recomenda-se a irrigação. Os métodos de irrigação mais usados são os de aspersão (imagens aqui), pivô central e autopropelido.

Ultimamente, a cultura do abacaxizeiro vem representando ótimas perspectivas econômicas no cenário nacional, e assim, é necessário adotar práticas culturais que

promovam maiores rendimentos dessa cultura. Devido à competitividade nos mercados,

os produtores vêm providenciando o emprego de novas tecnologias, como a irrigação,

em prol de melhor produtividade e maiores lucros.

Mesmo sendo considerada uma cultura relativamente adaptada ao déficit hídrico, a irrigação é fundamental para uma produção mais uniforme. Nas regiões tropicais brasileiras a irrigação tem sido usada de forma complementar, atendendo a demanda hídrica das plantas nos meses com menores índices de chuva, compreendendo o período de maio a setembro.

Em função da demanda periódica de frutos no mercado, seja para consumo

“in natura”, ou para indústrias, como para a produção de suco ou para doces em compotas, uma das vantagens da irrigação é proporcionar produção contínua ao longo do ano e obter frutos conforme as exigências de padronização de tamanho, o que é fundamental para a manutenção e conquista de novos mercados. O abacaxi é vendido por Kg e seu preço varia de acordo com a lei da oferta e procura!

"Schwéidsbeng is a town in the municipality of Schengen. Until the end of 2011, it belonged to the former municipality of Welleschten, which merged with the municipalities of Biermereng and Schenge.

The town of Schwidesbeng is located in the Mosel Valley. South of Schweidsbeng lies Wyntreng, north of it Bech-Maacher and Welleschten. The main road that goes through the town is the CR152, which is called the wine route (route du Vin). The N10 runs parallel to the CR152 in the Moselle. The CR152F connects the CR152 to the N10.

As a wine district Psuesingen, the village is already mentioned in the year 893 in documents of the Prüm Abbey, which had large vineyards here.

Until the 19th century, Schwidesbeng was a well-known pilgrimage town. Mainly believers from the Honsrück and the Eifel made a pilgrimage on foot to Schweidsbeng to call on Peter and Fiakrius against headaches and epilepsy.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe.

Luxembourg (/ˈlʌksəmbɜːrɡ/ LUK-səm-burg; Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg [ˈlətsəbuəɕ]; French: Luxembourg [lyksɑ̃buʁ]; German: Luxemburg [ˈlʊksm̩bʊʁk] ), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a small landlocked country in Western Europe. It borders Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Luxembourg is the only surviving grand duchy in the world. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembourg, is one of the four institutional seats of the European Union (together with Brussels, Frankfurt, and Strasbourg) and the seat of several EU institutions, notably the Court of Justice of the European Union, the highest judicial authority. Luxembourg's culture, people, and languages are highly intertwined with its French and German neighbors; while Luxembourgish is the only national language of the Luxembourgish people and of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, French is the only language for legislation, and all three – Luxembourgish, French and German – are used for administrative matters in the country.

With an area of 2,586 square kilometers (998 sq mi), Luxembourg is Europe's seventh-smallest country. In 2023, it had a population of 660,809, which makes it one of the least-populated countries in Europe, albeit with the highest population growth rate; foreigners account for nearly half the population. Luxembourg is a representative democracy headed by a constitutional monarch, Grand Duke Henri, making it the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy.

Luxembourg is a developed country with an advanced economy and one of the world's highest GDP (PPP) per capita as per IMF and World Bank estimates. The nation's levels of human development and LGBT equality are ranked among the highest in Europe. The city of Luxembourg was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 due to the exceptional preservation of its vast fortifications and historic quarters. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, OECD, the United Nations, NATO, and the Benelux. It served on the United Nations Security Council for the first time in 2013 and 2014." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

© all rights reserved by B℮n

Please take your time... to View it large on black

Chianti is a red Italian wine produced in Tuscany. The first definition of a wine-area called Chianti was made in 1716. The earliest documentation of a Chianti wine dates back to the thirteenth century when viticulture was known to flourish in the Chianti Mountains around Florence. Discover the most celebrated region of Tuscany. The vineyards of this area produce one of the best wines in the world: Chianti Classico. This Wine represents a major source of wealth for the Chianti area, no wonder then that this product has been particularly looked after and protected, in order to distinguish its quality from other wine productions. This is why a rigid legislation has been introduced to regulate the production of Classic Chianti. The first limit obviously regards the geographical area where the grape must grow. But not only the vineyards must be cultivated in the prescribed area: the whole process of wine-making, storage and bottling must take place inside the protected zone. The grape variety from which Chianti is produced is Sangiovese. The alcoholic strength must not exceed 12 %. In addition to this, there are other requirements that must be followed, regarding the average amount of dry product (24 g/l); the acidity rate (4,5 g/l), the colour (intense ruby red), the smell (fruity, with nuances of wildflowers, berries, cherries or plums) and taste (harmonious, dry, strong and with respectable tannin).

We drive on the glorious wine roads of Tuscany. We visit the farms and cellars and ofcourse taste the great Chianti wine..

Denk je aan Toscana, dan zie je stadjes op heuveltoppen, wijngaarden omzoomd door cipressen zover het oog reikt. Liefhebbers weten dat je overal tussen die landerijen. wijnhuizen kunt vinden waar je ook nog eens kunt proeven... het idee alleen al doet je toch bijna het water in de mond lopen. Ook als je weer thuis bent en je neemt een slok van je meegebrachte wijn, ben je er in je gedachten weer helemaal: op dat zonovergoten terras in Castellina in Chianti of bij dat fantastische restaurant met die truffelgerechten in Monteriggioni. Zeg je wijn in Toscana, dan zeg je Chianti, een wijn die zich in de laatste 30 jaar tot Classico heeft ontwikkeld. Chianti is de bekendste en populairste van alle Italiaanse wijnen. De wijn wordt gemaakt van de alom aanwezige Sangiovese-druif, die graag veel zon heeft en goed bestand is tegen grote temperatuurschommelingen. De belangrijkste Chianti-zones worden gevormd door de streek Chianti Classico gelegen rond Castellina. Zoals met zoveel in Italia, is ook de wijnbouw begonnen in het zuiden, maar hebben de noorderlingen het later overgenomen. Na de Romeinse tijd kwam de zuidelijke wijnbouw in de versukkeling. De oudste ononderbroken wijntraditie. In de Renaissance kwam de productie weer helemaal terug en wel in...Toscana. Rijke handelaars en bankiers zoals de families Frescobaldi en Antinori namen druivenrassen mee uit Frankrijk en legden daarmee de basis voor het feit dat Toscana tegenwoordig de oudste onononderbroken wijntradities van Italië kent.

The white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is an Old World vulture native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000, as the population severely declined. White-rumped vultures die of renal failure caused by diclofenac poisoning. In the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals, and it was thought to be "the most abundant large bird of prey in the world".As of 2016, the global population was estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals.

White-rumped vultures usually become active when the morning sun is warming up the air so that thermals are sufficient to support their soaring. They were once visible above Calcutta in large numbers.

When they find a carcass, they quickly descend and feed voraciously. They perch on trees nearby and are known to sometimes descend also after dark to feed. At kill sites, they are dominated by red-headed vultures Sarcogyps calvus. In forests, their soaring often indicated a tiger kill.They swallow pieces of old, dry bones such as ribs and of skull pieces from small mammals. Where water is available they bathe regularly and also drink water. A pack of vultures was observed to have cleaned up a whole bullock in about 20 minutes. Trees on which they regularly roost are often white from their excreta, and this acidity often kills the trees. This made them less welcome in orchards and plantations.

Loquat trees bear flowers in the winter, and fruit in the spring. I planted this tree in my front yard in Tucson, Arizona, USA, about 16 years ago. I bought the potted tree at Mesquite Valley Growers. The branches die back somewhat during hard freezes in Tucson.

I knew about it because I had a large specimen in my garden in Rehovot, Israel. In Hebrew, it is called a Sheseq tree. The fruit is very tasty and good to eat fresh from the tree, and also in preserves.

I just learned in Wikipedia that the rather large seeds are slightly poisonous. This is not a problem because the seeds are very easy to remove or spit out as you eat the fruit...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loquat

The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) （Chinese:枇杷; pinyin: pi pa) is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, a native to the cooler hill regions of China to south-central China.[2][3] It is also quite common in Japan and Korea.

It is a large evergreen shrub or tree, grown commercially for its yellow fruit, and also cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Eriobotrya japonica was formerly thought to be closely related to the genus Mespilus, and is still sometimes known as the Japanese medlar. It is also known as Japanese plum[4] and Chinese plum,[5] also known as pipa in China.

Contents [hide]

1Description

1.1Fruit

2History

3Cultivation

4Culinary use

5Alcoholic beverages

6Nutrition

7Medicinal

8Cultural references

9Etymology

10See also

11References

11.1Works cited

12External links

Description[edit]

Eriobotrya japonica is a large evergreen shrub or small tree, with a rounded crown, short trunk and woolly new twigs. The tree can grow to 5–10 metres (16–33 ft) tall, but is often smaller, about 3–4 metres (10–13 ft). The leaves are alternate, simple, 10–25 centimetres (4–10 in) long, dark green, tough and leathery in texture, with a serrated margin, and densely velvety-hairy below with thick yellow-brown pubescence; the young leaves are also densely pubescent above, but this soon rubs off.[6][7][8][9]

Fruit[edit]

Fruit structure

Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the flowers appear in the autumn or early winter, and the fruits are ripe at any time from early spring to early summer.[citation needed] The flowers are 2 cm (1 in) in diameter, white, with five petals, and produced in stiff panicles of three to ten flowers. The flowers have a sweet, heady aroma that can be smelled from a distance.

Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3–5 centimetres (1–2 in) long, with a smooth or downy, yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. The succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange and sweet to subacid or acid, depending on the cultivar.

Each fruit contains from one to ten ovules, with three to five being most common.[10] A variable number of the ovules mature into large brown seeds. The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe. In Egypt varieties with sweeter fruits and fewer seeds are often grafted on inferior quality specimens.[citation needed]

The fruits are the sweetest when soft and orange. The flavour is a mixture of peach, citrus and mild mango.

History[edit]

Loquats and a Mountain Bird, by an anonymous Chinese artist of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279).

The loquat is originally from China (the Chinese name is pipa, cognate with the pipa instrument) where related species can be found growing in the wild.[11][12][13][14] It was introduced into Japan and became naturalised there in very early times;[15] it has been cultivated there for over 1,000 years. It has also become naturalised in Armenia, Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bermuda, Chile, Kenya, India, Iran, Iraq, South Africa, the whole Mediterranean Basin, Pakistan, New Zealand, Réunion, Tonga, Central America, Mexico, South America and in warmer parts of the United States (Hawaii, California, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina). Chinese immigrants are presumed to have carried the loquat to Hawaii.[16][17] It has been cultivated in Japan for about 1,000 years and presumably the fruits and seeds were brought back from China to Japan by the many Japanese scholars visiting and studying in China during the Tang Dynasty.

The loquat was often mentioned in ancient Chinese literature, such as the poems of Li Bai. In Portuguese literature, it is mentioned since before the Age of Discovery.[18]

Cultivation[edit]

Over 800 loquat cultivars exist in Asia. Self-fertile variants include the 'Gold Nugget' and 'Mogi' cultivars.[19] The loquat is easy to grow in subtropical to mild temperate climates where it is often primarily grown as an ornamental plant, especially for its sweet-scented flowers, and secondarily for its delicious fruit. The boldly textured foliage adds a tropical look to gardens, contrasting well with many other plants. It is popular in the American South as an ornamental plant for its blossoms, though winter frosts rarely allow the flowers to survive and bear fruit the following spring.

Loquat in flower. This is a cultivar intended for home-growing, where the flowers open gradually resulting in fruit also ripening gradually.

Fruit

There are many named cultivars, with orange or white flesh.[20] Some cultivars are intended for home-growing, where the flowers open gradually, and thus the fruit also ripens gradually, compared to the commercially grown species where the flowers open almost simultaneously, and the whole tree's fruit also ripens together.

Japan is the leading producer of loquats followed by Israel and then Brazil.[20] In Europe, Spain is the main producer of loquat.[21]

In temperate climates it is grown as an ornamental with winter protection, as the fruits seldom ripen to an edible state. In the United Kingdom, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[22]

In the highland parts of Central America, the loquat has become naturalized, and is often found growing wild in areas that have been disturbed but abandoned, its seeds having been dispersed by birds. Below 1000 meters, the fruit remains inedible for its high acidity, but above it, the wild fruit is appreciated and much harvested for its sweet, fruity flavor. It is occasionally planted for living fenceposts, as the tree is long-lived, not much subject to disease, and the wood is hard and durable. Good quality logs are much sought-after by furniture makers in Central America, who prize its hardness and durability[citation needed].

In the US, the loquat tree is hardy only in USDA zones 8 and above, and will flower only where winter temperatures do not fall below 30 °F (−1 °C). In such areas, the tree flowers in autumn and the fruit ripens in late winter.[19]

Culinary use[edit]

Loquat in plate

The loquat has a high sugar, acid, and pectin content.[23] It is eaten as a fresh fruit and mixes well with other fruits in fresh fruit salads or fruit cups. The fruits are also commonly used to make jam, jelly, and chutney, and are often served poached in light syrup. Firm, slightly immature fruits are best for making pies or tarts.

The fruit is sometimes canned. The waste ratio, however, is 30 percent or more, due to the seed size.

The fruit is also processed into confections.

Alcoholic beverages[edit]

Loquats can also be used to make light wine. It is fermented into a fruit wine, sometimes using just the crystal sugar and white liquor.

In Italy nespolino[24] liqueur is made from the seeds, reminiscent of nocino and amaretto, both prepared from nuts and apricot kernels. Both the loquat seeds and the apricot kernels contain cyanogenic glycosides, but the drinks are prepared from varieties that contain only small quantities (such as Mogi and Tanaka[25]), so there is no risk of cyanide poisoning.

Nutrition[edit]

Loquats, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy197 kJ (47 kcal)

Carbohydrates

12.14 g

Dietary fiber1.7 g

Fat

0.2 g

Protein

0.43 g

Vitamins

Vitamin A equiv.(10%) 76 μg

Thiamine (B1)(2%) 0.019 mg

Riboflavin (B2)(2%) 0.024 mg

Niacin (B3)(1%) 0.18 mg

Vitamin B6(8%) 0.1 mg

Folate (B9)(4%) 14 μg

Vitamin C(1%) 1 mg

Minerals

Calcium(2%) 16 mg

Iron(2%) 0.28 mg

Magnesium(4%) 13 mg

Manganese(7%) 0.148 mg

Phosphorus(4%) 27 mg

Potassium(6%) 266 mg

Sodium(0%) 1 mg

Zinc(1%) 0.05 mg

Link to USDA Database entry

Units

μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams

IU = International units

Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

Source: USDA Nutrient Database

The loquat is low in saturated fat and sodium, and is high in vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.[26]

Like most related plants, the seeds (pips) and young leaves of the plant are slightly poisonous, containing small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides (including amygdalin) which release cyanide when digested, though the low concentration and bitter flavour normally prevent enough being eaten to cause harm.

Medicinal[edit]

Loquat syrup is used in Chinese medicine for soothing the throat and is a popular ingredient for cough drops. The leaves, combined with other ingredients and known as pipa gao (枇杷膏; pinyin: pípágāo; literally "loquat paste"), it acts as a demulcent and an expectorant, as well as to soothe the digestive and respiratory systems.

In Japan, loquat leaves are dried to make a mild beverage known as biwa cha by brewing them using the traditional Japanese method. Biwa cha is held to beautify skin and heal inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema and to heal chronic respiratory conditions such as bronchitis. Eaten in quantity, loquats have a gentle but noticeable sedative effect, lasting up to 24 hours.[27]

Cultural references[edit]

In Spanish the fruits are referred to as nísperos (or, in southern areas of Mexico, mísperos) and are associated with the Day of the Dead in Mexico, when they are commonly placed on altars as offerings to the spirits of the deceased. The Arabs call it "Eski Dunya" (Old World) which maybe a reference to its origin. In Turkey it is call "Yeni Dunya" (New World).

Etymology[edit]

A loquat leaf, shown at a high magnification, illustrating the general appearance of the leaf and the structure of the venation

The name loquat derives from lou4 gwat1, the Cantonese pronunciation of its old classical Chinese name (Chinese: 蘆橘; pinyin: lújú, literally "black orange" in ancient Chinese. Such black orange originally referred to the unripened Kumquat, which is dark green in colour. But the name was mistaken as the loquat we know today by the ancient famous Chinese poet Su Shi when he was residing in southern China, and the mistake was widely taken by the Cantonese region thereafter).

Hydrangea Colors Are Determined By The Acidity Of The Soil

Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.

In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]

Hydrangeas are A a genus of flowering plants.

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Hydrangea (disambiguation) and Hortensia (disambiguation).

Hydrangea (/haɪˈdreɪndʒə/[3][4] or /haɪˈdreɪndʒiə/[5]) is a genus of more than 70 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. Hydrangea is also used as the common name for the genus; some (particularly H. macrophylla) are also often called hortensia.[6] The genus was first described from Virginia in North America,[7] but by far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are shrubs 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall, but some are small trees, and others lianas reaching up to 30 m (100 ft) by climbing up trees. They can be either deciduous or evergreen, though the widely cultivated temperate species are all deciduous.[8]

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

The flowers of many hydrangeas act as natural pH indicators, producing blue flowers when the soil is acidic and pink ones when the soil is alkaline.[9]

Etymology

Hydrangea is derived from Greek and means 'water vessel' (from ὕδωρ húdōr "water" + ἄγγος ángos or ἀγγεῖον angeîon "vessel"),[10][11][12] in reference to the shape of its seed capsules.[13] The earlier name, Hortensia, is a Latinised version of the French given name Hortense, honoring the French astronomer and mathematician Nicole-Reine Hortense Lepaute.[14] Philibert Commerson attempted to name the flower Lepautia or Peautia after Lepaute. However, the flower's accepted name later became Hortensia. This led to people believing Lepaute's name was Hortense, but the Larousse remarks that this is erroneous, and that the name probably came from hortus, garden.[15]

Life cycle

Hydrangea flowers are produced from early spring to late autumn; they grow in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) most often at the ends of the stems. Typically the flowerheads contain two types of flowers: small non-showy fertile flowers in the center or interior of the flowerhead, and large, sterile showy flowers with large colorful sepals (tepals). These showy flowers are often extended in a ring, or to the exterior of the small flowers. Plants in wild populations typically have few to none of the showy flowers, while cultivated hydrangeas have been bred and selected to have more of the larger type flowers.

There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with corymb style inflorescences, which includes the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"—Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead flowers are large round flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name implies, the head of a mop. In contrast, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small flowers surrounded by outer rings of larger flowers having showy sepals or tepals. The flowers of some rhododendrons and viburnums can appear, at first glance, similar to those of some hydrangeas.

Colors and soil acidity

Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.

In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]

Species

Hydrangea paniculata

97 species are accepted.[20]

Hydrangea acuminata Siebold & Zucc.

Hydrangea albostellata Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea alternifolia Siebold

Hydrangea × amagiana Makino

Hydrangea amamiohsimensis (Koidz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea ampla (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea anomala D.Don – (climbing hydrangea) Himalaya, southwest China

Hydrangea arborescens L. – (smooth hydrangea) eastern North America

Hydrangea arguta (Gaudich.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea aspera Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don – China, Himalaya

Hydrangea asterolasia Diels

Hydrangea barbara (L.) Bernd Schulz

Hydrangea bifida (Maxim.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea breedlovei Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea bretschneideri Dippel – China

Hydrangea caerulea (Stapf) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea carroniae Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea chungii Rehder – China

Hydrangea cinerea Small – (ashy hydrangea) eastern United States

Hydrangea coenobialis Chun – China

Hydrangea corylifolia (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea crassa (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea daimingshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea davidii Franch. – China

Hydrangea densifolia (C.F.Wei) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea diplostemona (Donn.Sm.) Standl.

Hydrangea fauriei (Hayata) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea febrifuga (Lour.) Y.De Smet & Granados (syn. Dichroa febrifuga) – central & southern China to Malesia and New Guinea

Hydrangea glaucescens (Rehder) Y.De Smet & Granados – China, Myanmar and Vietnam

Hydrangea gracilis W.T.Wang & M.X.Nie – China

Hydrangea heteromalla D.Don – Himalaya, west and north China

Hydrangea hirsuta (Gagnep.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea hirta (Thunb.) Siebold – Japan

Hydrangea hwangii J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea hydrangeoides (Siebold & Zucc.) Bernd Schulz – Ulleungdo, Japan, Kurils

Hydrangea hypoglauca Rehder – China

Hydrangea integrifolia Hayata – China

Hydrangea involucrata Siebold – Japan, Taiwan

Hydrangea jelskii Szyszył. – Andes

Hydrangea kawagoeana Koidz.

Hydrangea kwangsiensis Hu – China

Hydrangea kwangtungensis Merr. – China

Hydrangea lalashanensis S.S.Ying

Hydrangea lingii G.Hoo – China

Hydrangea linkweiensis Chun – China

Hydrangea liukiuensis Nakai

Hydrangea lobbii Maxim.

Hydrangea longifolia Hayata – China

Hydrangea longipes Franch. – western China

Hydrangea luteovenosa Koidz.

Hydrangea macrocarpa Hand.-Mazz. – China

Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. – (bigleaf hydrangea) southeast Japan, southern China

Hydrangea mangshanensis C.F.Wei – China

Hydrangea marunoi Tagane & S.Fujii

Hydrangea mathewsii Briq.

Hydrangea megalocarpa (Chun) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea minamitanii (H.Ohba) Yahara

Hydrangea × mizushimarum H.Ohba

Hydrangea moellendorffii Hance

Hydrangea mollissima (Merr.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea nahaensis Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea nebulicola Nevling & Gómez Pompa

Hydrangea obtusifolia (Hu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea ofeliae Sodusta & Lumawag

Hydrangea otontepecensis Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea paniculata Siebold – (panicled hydrangea) eastern China, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin

Hydrangea peruviana Moric. ex Ser. – Costa Rica and Panama, Andes

Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold & Zucc. – (climbing hydrangea) Japan, Korea, Sakhalin

Hydrangea pingtungensis S.S.Ying

Hydrangea platyarguta Y.De Smet & Samain

Hydrangea pottingeri Prain (synonym Hydrangea chinensis Maxim.) – Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, southeastern China, and Taiwan

Hydrangea preslii Briq.

Hydrangea quercifolia W.Bartram – (oakleaf hydrangea) southeast United States

Hydrangea radiata Walter – (silverleaf hydrangea) southeast United States

Hydrangea robusta Hook.f. & Thomson – China, Himalaya

Hydrangea sargentiana Rehder – western China

Hydrangea scandens (L.f.) Ser. – southern Japan south to the Philippines

Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. – Japan, Korea

Hydrangea serratifolia (Thunb.) Ser. – Chile, western Argentina

Hydrangea sikokiana Maxim.

Hydrangea sousae Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea steyermarkii Standl.

Hydrangea strigosa Rehder – China

Hydrangea stylosa Hook.f. & Thomson – China

Hydrangea taiwaniana Y.C.Liu & F.Y.Lu

Hydrangea tapalapensis Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea tarapotensis Briq. – Andes

Hydrangea tomentella (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea × versicolor (Fortune) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea viburnoides (Hook.f. & Thomson) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea wallichii J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea xanthoneura Diels – China

Hydrangea xinfeniae W.B.Ju & J.Ru

Hydrangea yaoshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea yayeyamensis Koidz.

Hydrangea × ytiensis (J.M.H.Shaw) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea yunnanensis Rehder

Hydrangea zhewanensis P.S.Hsu & X.P.Zhang – China

Fossil record

Hydrangea knowltoni

†Hydrangea alaskana is a fossil species recovered from Paleogene strata at Jaw Mountain Alaska.[21] †Hydrangea knowltoni has been described from leaves and flowers recovered from the Miocene Langhian Latah Formation of the inland Pacific Northwest United states. The related Miocene species †Hydrangea bendirei is known to from the Mascall Formation in Oregon, and †Hydrangea reticulata is documented from the Weaverville Formation in California.[22][23]

Four fossil seeds of †Hydrangea polonica have been extracted from borehole samples of the Middle Miocene fresh water deposits in Nowy Sacz Basin, West Carpathians, Poland.[24]

Cultivation and uses

Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flowerheads, with Hydrangea macrophylla being by far the most widely grown. It has over 600 named cultivars, many selected to have only large sterile flowers in the flowerheads. Hydrangea macrophylla, also known as bigleaf hydrangea, can be broken up into two main categories; mophead hydrangea and lacecap hydrangea. Some are best pruned on an annual basis when the new leaf buds begin to appear. If not pruned regularly, the bush will become very "leggy", growing upwards until the weight of the stems is greater than their strength, at which point the stems will sag down to the ground and possibly break. Other species only flower on "old wood". Thus, new wood resulting from pruning will not produce flowers until the following season.

The following cultivars and species have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit under the synonym Schizophragma:[25]

S. hydrangeoides var. concolor 'Moonlight'[26]

S. hydrangeoides var. hydrangeoides 'Roseum'[27]

S. integrifolium[28]

Hydrangea root and rhizome are indicated for the treatment of conditions of the urinary tract in the Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine and may have diuretic properties.[29] Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides.[30] Hydrangea paniculata is reportedly sometimes smoked as an intoxicant, despite the danger of illness and/or death due to the cyanide.[31][32]

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

A popular pink hydrangea called Vanilla Strawberry has been named "Top Plant" by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.

A hybrid "Runaway Bride Snow White", from Japan, won Plant of the Year at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.[35]

In culture

In Japan, ama-cha (甘茶), meaning sweet tea, is another herbal tea made from Hydrangea serrata, whose leaves contain a substance that develops a sweet taste (phyllodulcin). For the fullest taste, fresh leaves are crumpled, steamed, and dried, yielding dark brown tea leaves. Ama-cha is mainly used for kan-butsu-e (the Buddha bathing ceremony) on April 8 every year—the day thought to be Buddha's birthday in Japan. During the ceremony, ama-cha is poured over a statue of Buddha and served to people in attendance. A legend has it that on the day Buddha was born, nine dragons poured Amrita over him; ama-cha is substituted for Amrita in Japan.

In Korean tea, Hydrangea serrata is used for an herbal tea called sugukcha (수국차) or isulcha (이슬차).

The pink hydrangea has risen in popularity all over the world, especially in Asia. The given meaning of pink hydrangeas is popularly tied to the phrase "you are the beat of my heart," as described by the celebrated Korean florist Tan Jun Yong, who was quoted saying, "The light delicate blush of the petals reminds me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender!"[36]

Hydrangea quercifolia was declared the official state wildflower of the U.S. state of Alabama in 1999.[37]

Hydrangeas were used by the Cherokee people of what is now the Southern U.S. as a mild diuretic and cathartic; it was considered a valuable remedy for stone and gravel in the bladder.[38]

Extrafloral nectaries were reported on hydrangea species by Zimmerman 1932, but Elias 1983 regards this as "doubtful".[39]

The white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is an Old World vulture native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000, as the population severely declined. White-rumped vultures die of renal failure caused by diclofenac poisoning. In the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals, and it was thought to be "the most abundant large bird of prey in the world".As of 2016, the global population was estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals.

White-rumped vultures usually become active when the morning sun is warming up the air so that thermals are sufficient to support their soaring. They were once visible above Calcutta in large numbers.

When they find a carcass, they quickly descend and feed voraciously. They perch on trees nearby and are known to sometimes descend also after dark to feed. At kill sites, they are dominated by red-headed vultures Sarcogyps calvus. In forests, their soaring often indicated a tiger kill.They swallow pieces of old, dry bones such as ribs and of skull pieces from small mammals. Where water is available they bathe regularly and also drink water. A pack of vultures was observed to have cleaned up a whole bullock in about 20 minutes. Trees on which they regularly roost are often white from their excreta, and this acidity often kills the trees. This made them less welcome in orchards and plantations.

"First discovered in Japan, the name hydrangea comes from the Greek "hydor," meaning water, and "angos," meaning jar or vessel. This roughly translates to "water barrel," referring to the hydrangea's need for plenty of water and its cup-shaped flower. With its wooden stems and lacy, star-shaped flowers packed closely together in a pompom, the hydrangea's color ranges from white to blue to pink and purple, determined by the acidity level of the soil."

www.teleflora.com/meaning-of-flowers/hydrangea

Looking west from Alte Römerstraße.

"Bernkastel-Kues (German pronunciation: [ˌbɛɐ̯nkastəlˈkuːs]) is a town on the Middle Moselle in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a well-known winegrowing centre. The town is a state-recognized health resort (Erholungsort), seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues and birthplace of one of the most famous German polymaths, the mediaeval churchman and philosopher Nikolaus von Kues (Cusanus).

Bernkastel-Kues is located in the Moselle valley, about 50 kilometers from Trier. The highest elevation is Mount Olympus (415 m above sea level), the lowest point (107 m above sea level) is on the banks of the Moselle. The urban area covers a total area of ​​23.71 km², of which 5.93 km² is used for agriculture. This makes Bernkastel-Kues one of the largest cities in the Middle Moselle in terms of area. Immediately neighboring local communities are (clockwise, starting from the north) Zeltingen-Rachtig, Graach an der Mosel, Longkamp, ​​Monzelfeld, Mülheim an der Mosel, Lieser, Maring-Noviand and Platten.

Left tributaries of the Moselle are Heldengraben, Thelengraben, Waldgraben, Krausbach and the stream from the Wehlener Forest. The right tributaries of the Moselle are Goldbach, Heidesheimgraben, Tiefenbach and Schadbach.

Archaeologists discovered the first evidence of human settlement (3000 BC) in Cusa. Around 370, Decimus Magnus Ausonius, Roman poet and teacher at the imperial court, wrote his poem Mosella. Adalbero of Luxembourg, provost of the Trier Monastery of St. Paulin, became Lord of Bernkastel. The first documented mention of Bernkastel dates back to the first half of the 11th century. At the turn of the 7th and 8th centuries a geographer named a place Princastellum. This is considered evidence of a Roman fort in the 4th century near today's Landshut castle ruins; This is indicated, among other things, by fittings, ceramics and iron finds below the castle. The form of the name in the 12th century Beronis castellum was a learned relatinization that referred to the Trier provost Adalbero of Luxembourg (11th century). The third castle construction began in 1277 under the rule of Trier Archbishop Heinrich II von Finstingen . On May 29, 1291, King Rudolf I of Habsburg granted Berrincastel city rights. The Landshut Castle, which was built at that time, only received this name in the 16th century. In 1332 the city rights were reconfirmed by Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria's collecting privilege. Archbishop Boemund II became elector through the Golden Bull. According to legend, he was cured of a serious illness by a glass of wine - the legend of the Berncastler Doctor began. In 1401, Nicolaus Cusanus was born in the house of the Moselle boatman Henne Cryfftz (Krebs), which can be visited. In 1451, the St. Nicholas Hospital (Cusanusstift), a hospital for the poor, was built. In 1505, the name Landshut appeared for the first time for the archbishop's castle in a sovereign decree from James II. In 1512, Emperor Maximilian stayed in Bernkastel on his way to the Reichstag in Trier. The plague raged in Bernkastel in 1627 and in Kues in 1641. In 1692, Landshut Castle fell victim to a fire and has been in ruins ever since. In 1787 the Electorate of Berncastel had 4,743 inhabitants. From 1794 to 1814 Bernkastel was a cantonal town under French rule; at the Congress of Vienna (1815) Bernkastel and Kues were added to the Kingdom of Prussia. Bernkastel became the seat of the Bernkastel mayor's office and in 1821 the seat of the Bernkastel district . In 1848 the revolution also came to Bernkastel: the black, red and gold flag was hoisted at the town hall and a vigilante group was formed. The first road bridge between Bernkastel and Kues was built in 1872/74, and the first rail connection in 1882/83.

The town in its current form was created on April 1, 1905 through the merger of the town of Bernkastel with the wine-growing village of Kues opposite. In 1926 there were major wine unrests on the Moselle, the tax office in Bernkastel and the customs office in Kues were stormed. During the Reichspogromnacht on November 9, 1938, there were serious riots against Jewish fellow citizens; the synagogue was destroyed. Towards the end of the Second World War, the city was bombed several times. On February 19, 1945, numerous houses around the market square in Bernkastel were destroyed and 41 people were killed. In an attack on March 2nd, large parts of the old town hall and other buildings were destroyed and 29 people were killed. On March 11th the Moselle bridge was blown up and the bombardment by American artillery began the following day. On March 15th the Americans moved into Kues and on the 16th into Bernkastel.

The first democratic elections after the war took place in 1946; Hans Weber became city mayor. On November 7, 1970, Andel and Wehlen were incorporated. As a result of the Rhineland-Palatinate administrative reform, the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues was formed through the merger of the offices of Bernkastel-Land, Lieser, Mülheim, Zeltingen and the city of Bernkastel-Kues. The Burgberg Tunnel was officially opened in 1997. In 2000 the partnership between Bernkastel-Kues and Karlovy Vary (Karlovy Vary) began. In 2005 the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of the merger of Bernkastel and Kues; The community became a climatic health resort.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

The Berkeley Pit is a former open pit copper mine located in Butte, Montana, United States. It is one mile long by half a mile wide with an approximate depth of 1,780 feet (540 m). It is filled to a depth of about 900 feet (270 m) with water that is heavily acidic (2.5 pH level), about the acidity of cola or lemon juice. As a result, the pit is laden with heavy metals and dangerous chemicals that leach from the rock, including arsenic, cadmium, zinc, and sulfuric acid.

The mine was opened in 1955 and operated by Anaconda Copper and later by the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), until its closure in 1982. When the pit was closed, the water pumps in the nearby Kelly shaft, at a depth of 3,800 feet, were turned off, and groundwater from the surrounding aquifers began to slowly fill the pit, rising at about the rate of one foot a month. Since the pit closure on Earth Day 1982, the level has risen to within 150 feet of the natural groundwater level.

The recreation center is located in the district of Para 50 kilometers from Paramaribo

Colakreek has its name from the dark brown creek water that looks like Cola . Hence the name 'Colakreek. Although the water is dark, has nothing to do with its quality. The deep brown color is caused by falling leaves and this process keeps the acidity of the water constantly, so it is safe to swim.

... fresh Physalis in their husks. Both to eat and to photograph!

Physalis is characterised by the small orange fruit similar in size, shape and structure to a small tomato, but partly or fully enclosed in a large papery husk derived from the calyx.

The berry also goes by the names Golden Strawberry,Chinese Lantern and Cape gooseberry.

Not all Physalis species bear edible fruit. Select species are cultivated for their edible fruit, however; the typical Physalis fruit is similar to a firm tomato in texture, and like strawberries or pineapple in flavour, with a mild acidity.

Physalis fruit is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron, calcium and trace amounts of B vitamins.

These fruits contain 18 kinds of amino acids.

These berries are also abundant in polysaccharides, compounds that may help fortify the immune system.

Yes, Nature creates its own jewellery.

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

PHYSALIS alkekengi or Chinese Lantern Plant, they are native from southern Europe east across southern Asia to Japan.

Popular for the papery bright-orange lantern pods that develop around the ripening fruit, these are often cut and used for Thanksgiving and Halloween arrangements.

Plants are aggressive spreaders, and best kept out of the perennial border so they don't take over.

Also can be grown in tubs.

Small white flowers appear in midsummer, over a bushy mound of coarse green leaves.

Pods are green at first, but should be harvested as soon as the orange colour develops, the leaves stripped then stems hung upside down to dry in a warm dark room.

Thank you for your time and comments, greatly appreciated, M, (*_*)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

PHYSALIS, orange, fruit, "Magda Indigo", "black background", STUDIO, square, husk, skeleton, "Golden Strawberry", "Chinese Lantern", "Cape gooseberry", design, colour, "conceptual art", NikonD7000, "Magda indigo"

This is an anti-acidity pill. Used macro filter on my prime and two flash lights.

Looking northwest from Mittelstraße to Grabenstraße with St. Nikolaus' Church in the background.

"Traben-Trarbach is a town on the Middle Moselle in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district, Rhineland-Palatinate and the administrative seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of the same name. The city is a state-recognized spa and designated as a medium-sized center according to state planning.

Traben-Trarbach is located about 40 km northeast of Trier and about 60 km southwest of Koblenz in the Middle Moselle valley; North of the city is the Moselschleifenberg Mont Royal. Hahn im Hunsrück Airport is about 10 km (as the crow flies ) away to the east. The urban area covers a total area of ​​3,135 hectares with a large proportion of forest. This makes Traben-Trarbach the largest city on the Middle Moselle in terms of area.

The Traben district lies to the left of the Moselle at the foot of the former Mont Royal fortress and Trarbach to the right of the river on the Hunsrück side. The two districts are connected by the Traben-Trarbach Moselle bridge. The Enkirch barrage lies between Traben and Enkirch.

While Traben lies on a large stretch of land on the banks of the Moselle, Trarbach stretches long between the quite steep mountains, especially into the Kautenbach valley. There is a spring in the Bad Wildstein district whose water emerges from the depths of the slate rock at a temperature of 33° and is used by a thermal bath.

At the end of the 19th century, Traben and Trarbach were, along with Bad Reichenhall, the first places in Germany to have electric street lighting built instead of gas lamps by the Edison company, today's AEG, after individual streets in Berlin had previously been equipped with it.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

#AbFav_START_of_AUTUMN_🍄

a lifespan…

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

Edible Physalis: in the green husk here: it is characterised by the small orange fruit similar in size, shape and structure to a small tomato, but partly or fully enclosed in a large papery husk derived from the calyx.

The berry also goes by the names Golden Strawberry,Chinese Lantern and Cape gooseberry, and tastes like strawberries or pineapple in flavour, with a mild acidity.

The decorative species are grown as ornamental plants. For example, the hardy Physalis alkekengi has edible small fruits but is most popular for its large, bright orange to red husks.

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

Thank you for ALL your faves and comments, M, (* _ *)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

Physalis, "Golden Strawberry", "Chinese Lantern", "Cape gooseberry", fruit, orange, skeleton, filigree, stages, four, husk, edible, food, studio, black-background, colour, design, square, "Nikon D7000", "Magda indigo"

My little ritual: a cup of lightly to medium roasted coffee, without sugar or milk, rich and spicy, with enjoyable acidity... love it.

Terraced iron-sulphate-stromatolites formed by acid leachates from pyrite-bearing mine wastes, Tintillo river (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain)

Terraced iron formations of millimetric to metric scale are usually developed during the oxidation and hydrolysis/precipitation of dissolved iron in the acidic solutions after they emerge from waste piles, tailings, or mine portals, and they display a morphological pattern similar to that observed in travertines formed in Ca2+-HCO3 ––rich spring waters. TIFs differ from calcareous travertines, however, in their mineralogical composition, which is characterized by hydrous iron (oxy)hydroxides and/or hydroxysulfates, in agreement with the typical Fe(II)/Fe(III)-SO4 2– chemical composition of most acid mine drainage solutions. These spectacular formations are the result of the interaction between (1) highly acidic and Fe(II)-enriched waters, (2) atmospheric oxygen, and (3) acidophilic microbes that have found perfect habitats for their Fe-oxidizing metabolisms in these extreme environments. The abiotic processes could be more important than the biotic factors in winter (higher flow, lower temperature), and conversely, the bacterial activity could play a major role in summer (lower flow, higher temperature).

The water from the Tintillo river (and other rivers and creeks from Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain) has a nearly unique red and orange colour derived from its extremely acidic chemical makeup, with very high levels of iron and heavy metals. There are a number of subsurface sulfide (mainly pyrite) bodies responsible for this acidity. These mineral bodies belong to the Iberian Pyrite Belt, formed 350 My ago in the Devonian Period, connected to active and hydrothermal volcanism that led to the formation of a volcanic-sedimentary complex. Volcanic activity in the region led to eight giant volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits associated with polymetallic massive flanks of volcanic cones in the form of pyrite, but also chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and cassiterite.

References:

Iron terraces in acid mine drainage systems: A discussion about the organic and inorganic factors involved in their formation through observations from the Tintillo acidic river (Riotinto mine, Huelva, Spain)

pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article-pdf/3/3/13...

The Tintillo acidic river (Rio Tinto mines, Huelva, Spain): an example of extreme environmental impact of pyritic mine wastes on the environment or an exceptional site to study acid-sulphate mine drainage systems?

www.researchgate.net/publication/235355068_The_Tintillo_a...

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Old Street Railway Station (Northern City Line), London, England

This is part of Old Street Railway Station, part of the Northern City Line that runs from Finsbury Park to Moorgate. I have always been fascinated by this tunnel, its a little bit of a time warp as I imagine that most London Underground walkways were like this before modernisation.

The Northern City Line used to be run by the London Underground until the tragic Moorgate Tube Disaster, not long after that it was handed over to British Rail and run today by First Capital Connect.

Surprisingly I found this tunnel quite difficult to take images of, I think its because of the kink in the tunnel or maybe its because it wasn't symmetrical ;-).

Photo Details

Sony Alpha SLT-A77 / ISO400 / f/8 / 1/4s / Sigma 10-20mm 1:4-5.6 EX DC HSM @ 10mm

Software Used

Lightroom 5

Information

The station was originally opened in November 1901 by the first deep-level tube railway, the City & South London Railway, as part of an extension of its line from Moorgate to Angel. The Northern City Line platforms were opened in February 1904 by the Great Northern & City Railway which built its tunnels to a larger diameter capable of accommodating main line trains in the hope of carrying trains from its northern terminus at the Great Northern Railway's Finsbury Park station to Moorgate. This eventually happened in the 1970s, with the line becoming a BR route, with through services to Hertford and Welwyn Garden City. During the 1920s the station was rebuilt when escalators (1 & 2) replaced the lift shaft in accessing the platform tunnels. Between 1967 and 1969 the station was once again modified, the surface building was replaced with the current sub-surface structure situated in the centre of the roundabout and an additional escalator shaft (3) was added. During the 1990s the effects of corrosion caused by excessive soil acidity required a section of the cast iron running tunnel lining in the Northern Line, south of Old Street, to be re-lined with stainless steel tunnel segments.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Street_station

Garden's at Pegasus Bay Winery in the Waipara Valley Canterbury, New Zealand. October 6, 2013.

The food is great here as well as the wines!

The Waipara Valley is in the South Island of New Zealand, 30 minutes drive north of Christchurch.

To the east Waipara Valley is separated from the ocean (Pegasus Bay) by a range of hills which protect it from the cooling winds of the Pacific.

To the west lie the Southern Alps (Main Divide), from whence the region's hot nor'west winds derive. Its sheltered position and proximity to the sea give it warm days, cool nights and a dry autumn, resulting in a very prolonged ripening period. This promotes intense flavour development and optimal ripeness, while retaining good natural acidity.

Within the Waipara Valley Pegasus Bay vineyard gets maximum protection from the Pacific's easterly breezes by being tucked up under the lee of the Teviotdale Range.

Heat summation during the day is promoted by smooth stones and gravels left behind by an ice age glacier. The soil is free draining and of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique setting.

An unusually large vineyard staff allows operations such as shoot thinning, crop thinning, bunch exposure and fruit selection, to be carried out meticulously.

Pegasus Bay is an accredited member of the NZWG sustainable viticulture program and are firm believers of using natural methods to combat pests and diseases rather than the application of unnecessary pesticides and herbicides.

For More Info: www.pegasusbay.com/about-wine-making-styles

Not all from my garden, most from my travels.

Hydrangea, the name, comes from the Greek words "hydro" or water, and "angeion," or vase = water vase, they prefer a lot of water.

A very ancient plant, found in fossils going back thousands of years.

In most species the flowers are white, but in some species (notably H. macrophylla), they are blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple.

In these species the colour is affected by the presence of aluminium ions which are available or tied up depending upon the soil’s pH content.

For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower colour can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers.

I wish you all the very best and thank you for all your kind words, time, comments, likes and faves.

Very much appreciated. M, (*_*)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

Hydrangea, blooms, pink, leaves, flowers, blue, garden, Nature, outdoors, colour, "conceptual art", "Magda indigo", NikonD7000

Another image from my day shooting at The Cheesemakers of Canterbury. A terrific bunch of people and superb cheese :-)

Once the milk warmed to around 35 degrees the culture is added to start the cheesemaking process. These friendly bacteria help increase the acidity levels. Once that is achieved the Rennet is added to start the formation of the Curd and Whey.

The Poás Volcano, is an active stratovolcano (conical volcano) in central Costa Rica. It has erupted 39 times since 1828 (last eruption 2011). On January 25, 1910, the volcano spewed out 640,000 tons of ash, and in the period of 1952-1954, it bombarded nearby areas with ash and rocks. Since then, the Poás has maintained a low profile, but as recently as 1989, the park was closed because of dangerous sulphurous gas emissions. Its geyser-like eruptions of muddy water and steam, have given it the reputation as the world’s largest geyser.

There are two crater lakes near the summit. The northern lake is known as the Laguna Caliente ("hot lagoon") and is located at a height of 2,300 m (7,545 ft) in a crater approximately 1.7 km wide and 290–300 m deep. It is one of the world's most acidic lakes. The acidity varies after rain and changes in volcanic activity, sometimes reaching a pH of almost 0; consequently, it supports little or no aquatic life. The bottom of this lake is covered with a layer of liquid sulphur. Acid gases create acid rain and acid fog, causing damage to surrounding ecosystems and often irritation of eyes and lungs.

© Istvan Kadar Photography

"Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

Terraced iron-sulphate-stromatolites formed by acid leachates from pyrite-bearing mine wastes, Santa Rosa mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain)

Terraced iron formations of millimetric to metric scale are usually developed during the oxidation and hydrolysis/precipitation of dissolved iron in the acidic solutions after they emerge from waste piles, tailings, or mine portals, and they display a morphological pattern similar to that observed in travertines formed in Ca2+-HCO3 ––rich spring waters. TIFs differ from calcareous travertines, however, in their mineralogical composition, which is characterized by hydrous iron (oxy)hydroxides and/or hydroxysulfates, in agreement with the typical Fe(II)/Fe(III)-SO4 2– chemical composition of most acid mine drainage solutions. These spectacular formations are the result of the interaction between (1) highly acidic and Fe(II)-enriched waters, (2) atmospheric oxygen, and (3) acidophilic microbes that have found perfect habitats for their Fe-oxidizing metabolisms in these extreme environments. The abiotic processes could be more important than the biotic factors in winter (higher flow, lower temperature), and conversely, the bacterial activity could play a major role in summer (lower flow, higher temperature).

The water from the Tintillo river (and other rivers and creeks from Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain) has a nearly unique red and orange colour derived from its extremely acidic chemical makeup, with very high levels of iron and heavy metals. There are a number of subsurface sulfide (mainly pyrite) bodies responsible for this acidity. These mineral bodies belong to the Iberian Pyrite Belt, formed 350 My ago in the Devonian Period, connected to active and hydrothermal volcanism that led to the formation of a volcanic-sedimentary complex. Volcanic activity in the region led to eight giant volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits associated with polymetallic massive flanks of volcanic cones in the form of pyrite, but also chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and cassiterite.

References:

Iron terraces in acid mine drainage systems: A discussion about the organic and inorganic factors involved in their formation through observations from the Tintillo acidic river (Riotinto mine, Huelva, Spain)

pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article-pdf/3/3/13...

The Tintillo acidic river (Rio Tinto mines, Huelva, Spain): an example of extreme environmental impact of pyritic mine wastes on the environment or an exceptional site to study acid-sulphate mine drainage systems?

www.researchgate.net/publication/235355068_The_Tintillo_a...

Organised every year by IAG mining company.

The recreation center is located in the district of Para 50 kilometers from Paramaribo

Colakreek has its name from the dark brown creek water that looks like Cola . Hence the name 'Colakreek. Although the water is dark, has nothing to do with its quality. The deep brown color is caused by falling leaves and this process keeps the acidity of the water constantly, so it is safe to swim.

El Paisaje Protegido Río Tinto, que abarca los tramos alto y medio del río, es único en el mundo, tanto por su belleza cromática como por sus excepcionales condiciones ambientales e históricas. Alrededor del curso alto se sitúa el mayor yacimiento minero a cielo abierto de Europa, que ya fuera explotado por tartesios y romanos.

Toda esta larga actividad ha originado un peculiar paisaje, propio de otro mundo. El nombre del río proviene de su color rojizo, que pasa a ocre en las orillas. Estas tonalidades, desde los albores de la historia, se deben al alto contenido en sales ferruginosas y sulfato férrico que, junto a la escasez de oxígeno, otorgan un pH muy ácido. En las orillas se presentan estructuras características, resultado del enfriamiento de la escoria y los residuos mineros.

En la escasa vegetación de ribera de las márgenes del cauce, dada la acusada acidez del medio, destaca el llamado brezo de las minas. Es una especie amenazada en peligro de extinción, endémica de Huelva, que acoge y da sustento a una necesaria comunidad animal.

Aunque pueda parecer que en tales condiciones no sea posible la vida, estas aguas acogen una gran diversidad de microorganismos, adaptados a hábitats extremos -muchos de ellos aún sin catalogar- que se alimentan solo de minerales. Tanto es así, que el lugar es estudiado por la agencia espacial norteamericana NASA para conocer estas formas de vida, debido a la probable similitud entre sus condiciones ambientales y las que podrían darse en el planeta Marte. También, en las cavidades y canales de los enclaves mineros, anidan distintas variedades de murciélagos.

Pero lo que más sorprenderá al visitante, son la cantidad de infraestructuras y elementos dispersos asociados a la minería y que cuentan una historia dura pero muy importante del desarrollo histórico, económico y social de la comarca. La corta Peña del Hierro, perteneciente al espacio protegido, destaca por su profundidad y por el lago multicolor que se crea en su fondo. En este sentido, es muy interesante la visita al Museo Minero y al resto de equipamientos vinculados a esta oferta turística cultural: Casa 21, Ferrocarril Minero, etc.

This area takes in the upper and middle sections of the Tinto River. It is unique in the world, both on account of its beautiful colours, and for its exceptional environmental and historical conditions. Europe's largest open-cast mining area can be found around its upper section. It was exploited as far back as Tartessian times, and especially by the Romans.

This long history of mining activity has given rise to a weird and wonderful landscape. The name of the river comes from its red colour, with shades of ochre on the banks. These hues come from the high content of iron salts and sulphates in the water. These, combined with low oxygen content give the water a low (acidic) pH.

Vegetation on the banks of this river is scarce on account of the acidity of the environment, but special mention should be made of the plant known as "brezo de las minas" (heather of the mines). This is an endangered species, endemic to the province of Huelva, and provides food for a vital animal community.

Although you could imagine that life would be impossible in these conditions, the water here is home to a wide diversity of microorganisms adapted to extreme habitats - many are still not scientifically catalogued - that feed on minerals alone. So much so, that area is being studied by the NASA Space Agency to understand these life forms, given the probable similarities between the environmental conditions here and those that could exist on Mars. In the caves and canals of the mining areas different species of bats also nest.

The most surprising thing, however, is the amount of mining infrastructure and elements in the area, that tell the story of a hard but highly important historical stage in the development of Spain. The Peña del Hierro Mine here is specially noteworthy for its depth and for the multicolour lake that has formed at its base.

www.andalucia.org/en/natural-spaces/protected-landscape/r...

Key lime

From Wikipedia

The Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia) is a citrus species with a globose fruit, 2.5-5 cm in diameter (1-2 in), that is yellow when ripe but usually picked green commercially. It is smaller, seedier, has a higher acidity, a stronger aroma, and a thinner rind than that of the Persian lime (Citrus x latifolia). It is valued for its unique flavor compared to other limes, with the key lime usually having a more tart and bitter flavor. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as the flavoring ingredient in Key lime pie. It is also known as West Indian lime, Bartender's lime, Omani lime, Tahitian lime or Mexican lime, the latter classified as a distinct race with a thicker skin and darker green color.

### ........must view as slide show.......##

Lake Tazawa in Semboku, Akita Prefecture is at 423 meters the deepest lake in Japan and the 17th deepest in the world. In the past, owing to its depth and almost circular shape, the lake was considered to be either the result of volcanic activity (caldera lake) or a crater lake caused by a meteorite. A detailed survey in the 1940s revealed two small volcanic cones and sedimentation deposits at the lake’s bottom, confirming that Tazawa-ko is a caldera lake, from an explosive eruption 1.4 million years ago.

The transparency of the lake has reduced from 31 meters in 1931 to less than 4 meters a few years later, due to the construction of a hydroelectric power plant and agricultural runoff, as Tazawa-ko has no natural inflow or outflow. Together with the influx of highly acidic water from the extremely acidic (pH 1.2) Tamagawa hot spring, the lake by the end of the 1940s had a pH of 4.3, and attempts from the Japanese government to reduce its acidity (through neutralization with crushed limestone) have not yet led to a full recovery.

In the late 1700s, a large percentage of Europeans feared the tomato.

A nickname for the fruit was the “poison apple” because it was thought that aristocrats got sick and died after eating them, but the truth of the matter was that wealthy Europeans used pewter plates, which were high in lead content. Because tomatoes are so high in acidity, when placed on this particular tableware, the fruit would leach lead from the plate, resulting in many deaths from lead poisoning. No one made this connection between plate and poison at the time; the tomato was picked as the culprit.

Around 1880, with the invention of the pizza in Naples, the tomato grew widespread in popularity in Europe. But there’s a little more to the story behind the misunderstood fruit’s stint of unpopularity in England and America, as Andrew F. Smith details in his The Tomato in America: Early History, Culture, and Cookery. The tomato didn’t get blamed just for what was really lead poisoning. Before the fruit made its way to the table in North America, it was classified as a deadly nightshade, a poisonous family of Solanaceae plants that contain toxins called tropane alkaloids.

GUIDE TO WINE TASTING IN LUMBARDA, KORCULA ISLAND, CROATIA

22 MAY, 2022

Korcula Island in Croatia is home to a unique and indigenous wine, Grk. Grown in Lumbarda, discover this idyllic pocket of Korcula, where micro vineyards are just minutes from white sand beaches and crystalline sea. This guide will give you everything you need to know to get the most out of wine tasting in Lumbarda.

While you’ll find excellent wines throughout the country, there’s something special about viniculture on Korčula Island. Korčula is home to one of Croatia’s rarest wines. One of the rarest wines in the world in fact – Grk. Beyond the wine bars and restaurants of Korčula’s walled Old Town, explore this history of Grk wine production between the sandy white shores and the verdant grapevines of Lumbarda, Korčula.

WHAT IS GRK WINE?

Grk is a white wine produced in Lumbarda, Korčula Island in Croatia. The word ‘grk’ translates to bitter, but the wine is better described as dry, acidic, and aromatic. Grk is the main wine variety produced in Lumbarda, however, the vineyards also produce some red and rose wines.

The sandy, dry soil in the Lumbarda region paired with high sunshine concentration makes for the ideal climate to produce Grk. The growing conditions result in high sugar and exceptional acidity levels that give Grk its unique finish.

What makes Grk wine so intriguing, is it is one of only a few grapevine varieties in the world that only has female flowers. This means to pollinate, and ultimately grow fruit for wine production, it requires other vine species with male flowers to be planted in close proximity to enable pollination. The variety that is most commonly chosen for this process is the Plavac Mali, a red grape variety also indigenous to Croatia.

The vineyards in Lumbarda are small, which means the yield each year is also much less than other regions in Croatia. If you want to try Grk wine, your best chance is either at a vineyard during a wine tasting in Lumbarda, or at one of the wine bars or restaurants on the island, as it’s not typically produced for export.

Credit: www.bronwyntownsend.com/blog/wine-tasting-in-lumbarda-kor...

"The former Catholic parish church of St. Martin is a listed church building in Pfalzel.

The previous church was also a St. Martin's Church from Franconian times. The Archbishop of Trier, Johann II, had a new church built in 1498. This collapsed in 1771 due to disrepair. According to the plans of L. Leblanc, a classicist, simple hall building with a tower in front was built between 1773 and 1778.

In 1962 it was converted into a parish hall. There is a late baroque wayside shrine in front of the bricked-up middle entrance.

Pfalzel is one of the 19 districts of the city of Trier in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Pfalzel lies in the northeast of the city, west of the Moselle. It has around 3,450 inhabitants.

The Steigenberg in the Pfalzel district is 350 m high. The Wallenbach (Kyll) rises at its northeast foot.

Similar to the Ruwer district opposite, Pfalzel is located in the flood area of ​​the Moselle. For several years now, a partially mobile flood protection system that can be installed quickly has protected houses on the Moselle up to a water level of over eleven meters. The massive protective gates on the Moselle cycle path cannot be overlooked.

Hardly any of Trier's previously independent districts can look back on a history as diverse as Pfalzel. The name goes back to the Latin word “palatiolum” (= little Palatinate) and was originally the name for a palatial castle complex from the 4th century, which was most likely closely related to the imperial court in Trier. Some of the walls of the complex that have been preserved to this day extend up to the second floor.

In the 7th century, a nunnery was founded in the building, which was de facto dissolved in 1016/17 by Archbishop Poppo von Babenberg and converted into a canon monastery. The monastery ring was supplemented with a gatehouse, cloister, chapels and farm buildings. Until the 16th century, the castle and monastery were surrounded by an impressive rampart wall that has been preserved to this day and was supplemented by a tithe barn, an Electoral Trier office building, a mint and a mill.

Under Archbishop Albero of Montreuil (1131–1152) work began on building a castle complex in the western part of the Palatiolum. A previous castle construction cannot be determined from the written sources. The Palatinate Castle repeatedly served as an alternative and “counter-residence” for the Archbishops of Trier when there were disputes with the municipality of Trier.

A civil farming settlement developed in the area around the castle, which, secured with its own defensive wall, gained town status in 1346.

During Electoral Trier times, the Pfalzel district comprised 54 towns around Trier. In French times, the canton of Pfalzel existed with several mairie.

In the Prussian period from 1815 onwards, Biewer and Ehrang, among others, belonged to the Pfalzel mayor's office. Biewer was separated in 1930 and incorporated into Trier, but Pfalzel initially remained independent.

On March 1, 1968, the two independent communities of Ehrang and Pfalzel were united to form one large community. Just a year later, however, on June 7, 1969, the municipality of Ehrang-Pfalzel was incorporated into the city of Trier. Since then, Pfalzel and Ehrang/Quint have been districts of the city of Trier.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

The Mud Volcano Area in Yellowstone is one of the park’s most acidic and geologically active hydrothermal zones, famous for its bubbling mudpots, roaring steam vents, and sulfur-rich springs. It offers a visceral experience of Yellowstone’s volcanic power and microbial chemistry.

Thank you for your visit and any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!

~Sonja

Kawah Ijen

East Java Indonesia

Kawah Ijen is the world's largest highly acidic lake. In 2008, explorer George Kourounis took a small rubber boat out onto the acid lake to measure its acidity. The pH of the water in the crater was measured to be 0.5 due to sulfuric acid.

"Lieser (German pronunciation: [ˈliːzɐ]) is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Lieser belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues, whose seat is in the like-named town. It lies on the Middle Moselle and is named after the river Lieserbach, which empties into the Moselle west of Lieser. The village is shaped like an upside-down T (when viewed from the south) as many houses have been built below the vineyards, along the Moselle's bank. The older part of the lower village exhibits tight terraced housing development with vineyards lying behind, owing to the intensive winegrowing. Rising up over the village is the Late Baroque Saint Peter's Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Peter).

Archaeological finds reveal that settlement history reaches back to Roman times. Witnessing this are the remnants of a Roman aqueduct on the Paulsberg (mountain) above Lieser, surface finds of Roman tiles and a Roman winepressing facility unearthed in 2005 during roadworks at the riverbank. This lay below the vineyards, some 500 m east of the village, but after an emergency excavation, it was filled in again.

In 817, the village had its first documentary mention as Lisura. According to documents from 1085 and 1165, a great part of the land in Lieser belonged “together with the church and its tithes, vineyards and cropfields…” to the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, which was subordinate to the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (nowadays in Belgium). Alongside this, the Prince-Archbishop-Elector of Trier also had landholdings in Lieser about 1200. In 1575, the Abbey of Saint-Hubert sold its holdings to Prince-Archbishop-Elector of Trier Jakob III of Eltz. Further landholders were, among others, the Collegiate Foundations of St. Paulin and St. Simeon in Trier, as well as Himmerod Abbey. The villagers earned their livelihood mainly from winegrowing, and as tenants they had to pay tithes and other levies. Only at Secularization under Napoleon did the winemakers become the vineyard owners.

Houses at the Postal Estate

Lieser lay on the Imperial road from Trier to Mainz and had at its disposal a ferry across the Moselle. Given this favourable location, a postal station was established in this unfortified village in the early 16th century on the Dutch Postal Route (Niederländischer Postkurs) from Brussels by way of Augsburg to Innsbruck and Italy. This exposed location on the Imperial road, however, also led to frequent plunderings in times of war. In 1693 and 1698, during Louis XIV's wars of conquest, pontoon bridges were set up across the Moselle to quicken troop transport across the river.

Until French Revolutionary troops in 1794 marched in, Lieser belonged to the Electorate of Trier and the High Court of Bernkastel, to which it even sent Schöffen (roughly “lay jurists”). In 1798, while still under the Directoire, Bernkastel became the cantonal chef-lieu. In 1800, under Napoleon, the Mairie de Lieser came into being, to which also Kesten, Maring-Noviand, Filzen and Wintrich belonged. After the Battle of Leipzig, Filzen and Wintrich were assigned to the Bürgermeisterei of Mülheim while Wehlen and Kues (until 1905) were assigned to the newly formed Bürgermeisterei of Lieser. At the Congress of Vienna, the Rhineland together with the former Electorate of Trier and Lieser became Prussian.[8] Beginning in 1816, Lieser belonged to the district of Bernkastel in the Regierungsbezirk of Trier.

In the latter half of the 19th century, Lieser flourished as the Puricelli family of industrialists built a villa in the west of the village between 1884 and 1887 after Baron Clemens von Schorlemer married into the family. Towards the end of the 19th century, the villa was expanded into a Schloss (château or residential castle). The Kaiser, Wilhelm II, who was the Baron's friend, visited Lieser in 1906, 1911 and 1913. Beginning in 1883, Lieser was connected to the railway network by the Maare-Mosel-Bahn, which was a branchline off the Koblenz-Trier line leading from Wittlich-Wengerohr through Lieser to Bernkastel-Kues, and which existed until 1988.

Bridge from Lieser to Mülheim

The building of the Moselle Bridge put a permanent end to ferry service on 9 April 1968. Since the turn of the 21st century, Lieser has had at its disposal a flood control dyke on the site of the former railway embankment.

Since administrative reform in the 1970s, the municipality of Lieser has belonged to the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

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SN/NC: Citrus Reticulata ‘Shiranui’, Rutaceae Family

Dekopon (デコポン) is a seedless and sweet variety of mandarin orange. It is very delicious by the way.

It is a hybrid between Kiyomi and ponkan (Nakano no.3), developed in Japan in 1972. Originally a brand name, 'Dekopon' has become a genericized trademark and it is used to refer to all brands of the fruit; the generic name is shiranuhi or shiranui (不知火). Dekopon is distinctive due to its sweet taste, large size and the large protruding bump on the top of the fruit. The name is most likely a portmanteau between the word deko (凸, デコ; meaning convex) as a reference to its bump, and the pon in ponkan (ポンカン; one of the fruits that it is derived from) to create 'dekopon' (デコポン). There were many market names for 'dekopon' during the time 'dekopon' was a trademark of the product from Kumamoto. For instance, himepon was the market name for the fruits originating from Ehime prefecture. The ones grown in Hiroshima prefecture were marketed as hiropon. However, after an agreement whereby anyone can use the name 'dekopon' if they pay a fee and meet certain quality standards, the name "dekopon" is used for products from anywhere in Japan. 'Dekopon' does not have an agricultural variety registration number (Nōrin Bangō) because of its bump, which at the time of its development was considered to be unsightly, and failure to reduce acidity in the fruit.

Decopom (デコポン) é uma fruta cítrica sem sementes e de sabor adocicado, híbrida do cruzamento de kiyomi e pokan, desenvolvida no Japão em 1972. Originalmente uma marca registrada, Decopom acabou se tornando uma marca genérica e o nome tem sido usado para se referir a outras cítricas semelhantes; seu nome genérico é (不知火 shiranuhi ou shiranui) e seu fruto caracterizado pelo sabor adocicado, tamanho grande e pelo umbigo saliente em sua parte superior. A decopom tem se popularizado no Brasil onde seu cultivo foi implantado pelos imigrantes e descendentes japoneses. A fruta conseguiu se adaptar com facilidade ao clima tropical, principalmente nas regiões montanhosas de Minas Gerais, onde na cidade de Turvolândia foi introduzida uma das primeiras plantações do fruto no país. É muito deliciosa...

Le dekopon -- Pour découvrir les fruits du Brésil, rien de mieux qu’une promenade au Mercado Municipal : on reste les yeux écarquillés devant des formes, couleurs, odeurs que l’on n’identifie pas. Lorsque le vendeur, très commerçant, propose de goûter ces fruits étranges, on ne résiste pas et, à coup sûr, on tombe amoureux d’au moins l’un d’entre eux. C’est ce qui m’est arrivé avec le dekopon. Pourtant, il ne m’attirait en aucune façon : je n’aurais jamais acheté ce gros agrume, à l’écorce torturée et ressemblant, soyons francs, à une énorme mamelle ! Il me faisait penser au combava de mon enfance, qui ne se mange quasiment pas tant il est acide, mais dont le zeste apporte aux plats une saveur et un arôme inouïs. Je laissais donc systématiquement les dekopons (mais quel drôle de nom aussi !) au milieu des citrons et oranges et choisissais plutôt les tangerinas ponkan (bon, le nom est tout aussi étrange), mandarines si faciles à éplucher et à consommer ! Jusqu’au jour où, en arrêt devant une pyramide de fruits du Mercado Municipal, j’acceptai, un peu sceptique, de le goûter. On ne goûte pas aussi simplement un dekopon : on regarde, ahuri, le processus d’épluchage de cet immense fruit ; on découvre les énormes gousses qui font aussitôt penser au pamplemousse ; on s’étonne de leur fermeté et on se prépare à croquer dans une pulpe juteuse et amère, la main sous le menton pour limiter les dégâts. Le vendeur n’attend que ce moment, celui où vos yeux s’ouvrent encore plus, sous la magie du dekopon : une pulpe ferme sous la dent, sans pépins, à la saveur sucrée et fine, peu juteuse mais définitivement délicieuse, unique. Bref, j’étais et suis depuis restée sous le charme de ce fruit. Le dekopon (Reticulata dekopon) vient du Japon, où il est obtenu, depuis 1972, par croisement entre une variété d’orange, le targor Kiyomi, et la mandarine ponkan. Autres noms au Brésil : dekopon, tangerina dekopon, tangor dekopan, Kinsei … et ailleurs : Shiranui, Sumo mandarin, Hallabong.

Dekopon es una variedad de mandarina sin semillas y muy dulce. Es un híbrido entre Kiyomi y ponkan, desarrollado en Japón en 1972. Originalmente una marca, 'Dekopon' se ha convertido en una marca genérica y se usa para referirse a todas las marcas de la fruta; el nombre genérico es shiranuhi o shiranui. Wikipedia

"The Citroën DS (French pronunciation: [si.tʁɔ.ɛn de.ɛs]) is a front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations, across three series of one generation.

Marketed with a less expensive variant, the Citroën ID, the DS was known for its aerodynamic, futuristic body design; unorthodox, quirky, and innovative technology, and it set new standards in ride quality, handling, and braking, thanks to both being the first mass production car equipped with hydropneumatic suspension, as well as disc brakes. The 1967 series 3 also introduced directional headlights to a mass-produced car.

Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre styled and engineered the car, and Paul Magès developed the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension. Robert Opron designed the 1967 Series 3 facelift. Citroën built 1,455,746 examples in six countries, of which 1,330,755 were manufactured at Citroën's main Paris Quai de Javel (now Quai André-Citroën) production plant.

In combination with Citroën's proven front-wheel drive, the DS was used competitively in rally racing during almost its entire 20‑year production run, and achieved multiple major victories, as early as 1959, and as late as 1974. It placed third in the 1999 Car of the Century poll recognizing the world's most influential auto designs and was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine.

The name DS and ID are puns in the French language. "DS" is pronounced exactly like déesse, lit. 'goddess', whereas "ID" is pronounced as idée ('idea').

Pfalzel is one of the 19 districts of the city of Trier in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Pfalzel lies in the northeast of the city, west of the Moselle. It has around 3,450 inhabitants.

The Steigenberg in the Pfalzel district is 350 m high. The Wallenbach (Kyll) rises at its northeast foot.

Similar to the Ruwer district opposite, Pfalzel is located in the flood area of ​​the Moselle. For several years now, a partially mobile flood protection system that can be installed quickly has protected houses on the Moselle up to a water level of over eleven meters. The massive protective gates on the Moselle cycle path cannot be overlooked.

Hardly any of Trier's previously independent districts can look back on a history as diverse as Pfalzel. The name goes back to the Latin word “palatiolum” (= little Palatinate) and was originally the name for a palatial castle complex from the 4th century, which was most likely closely related to the imperial court in Trier. Some of the walls of the complex that have been preserved to this day extend up to the second floor.

In the 7th century, a nunnery was founded in the building, which was de facto dissolved in 1016/17 by Archbishop Poppo von Babenberg and converted into a canon monastery. The monastery ring was supplemented with a gatehouse, cloister, chapels and farm buildings. Until the 16th century, the castle and monastery were surrounded by an impressive rampart wall that has been preserved to this day and was supplemented by a tithe barn, an Electoral Trier office building, a mint and a mill.

Under Archbishop Albero of Montreuil (1131–1152) work began on building a castle complex in the western part of the Palatiolum. A previous castle construction cannot be determined from the written sources. The Palatinate Castle repeatedly served as an alternative and “counter-residence” for the Archbishops of Trier when there were disputes with the municipality of Trier.

A civil farming settlement developed in the area around the castle, which, secured with its own defensive wall, gained town status in 1346.

During Electoral Trier times, the Pfalzel district comprised 54 towns around Trier. In French times, the canton of Pfalzel existed with several mairie.

In the Prussian period from 1815 onwards, Biewer and Ehrang, among others, belonged to the Pfalzel mayor's office. Biewer was separated in 1930 and incorporated into Trier, but Pfalzel initially remained independent.

On March 1, 1968, the two independent communities of Ehrang and Pfalzel were united to form one large community. Just a year later, however, on June 7, 1969, the municipality of Ehrang-Pfalzel was incorporated into the city of Trier. Since then, Pfalzel and Ehrang/Quint have been districts of the city of Trier.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

Planting rice in the field is generally planted at regular intervals. The most popular on the island of Java, is a 20-cm. Young plants plugged into the waterlogged soil depth of 10 to 15 cm to its roots buried below ground level.

Upland rice is planted directly in the field. After the wet soil, seed sowing in bolt-bolt. Upland rice generally rely on rain water supply. There is no flooding in the dry land cultivation. In upland cultivation scaffolding, seeds and even spread on dry land, before the rain fell.

Rice is a crop that requires treatment for his growth. Treatment may include fertilizing and pest control; fertilization in rice plants can use urea fertilizer, fertilizer Kcl, and poshpat. The fertilization procedure ideal for rice is to look at the condition of the soil and the plant itself. Soil conditions that must be considered is the acidity of the soil, while of the plant is to see how the growth of plants, in other words the growth should be in accordance with existing criteria.

© 2019 Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott

The regularity of the repeating lines of tall pines begs for vertical portraits. Something about the acidity of the pine needles keeps most undergrowth down, so there is often open space underneath a pine forest like this that feels akin to being in a cathedral with massive pillars all around. A great place for a portrait...among the giants.

The Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE has become one of my favorite portrait lenses. Check out why in my review: Text Review: bit.ly/AF85mmDA

Video Review: bit.ly/AF85mmYT

Image Galleries: bit.ly/AF85mmFEig

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The white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is an Old World vulture native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000, as the population severely declined. White-rumped vultures die of renal failure caused by diclofenac poisoning. In the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals, and it was thought to be "the most abundant large bird of prey in the world".As of 2016, the global population was estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals.

White-rumped vultures usually become active when the morning sun is warming up the air so that thermals are sufficient to support their soaring. They were once visible above Calcutta in large numbers.

When they find a carcass, they quickly descend and feed voraciously. They perch on trees nearby and are known to sometimes descend also after dark to feed. At kill sites, they are dominated by red-headed vultures Sarcogyps calvus. In forests, their soaring often indicated a tiger kill.They swallow pieces of old, dry bones such as ribs and of skull pieces from small mammals. Where water is available they bathe regularly and also drink water. A pack of vultures was observed to have cleaned up a whole bullock in about 20 minutes. Trees on which they regularly roost are often white from their excreta, and this acidity often kills the trees. This made them less welcome in orchards and plantations.

The Java Jaunt, part #2: Kawah Ijen.

Bali is the ideal island for stress relief. Seriously. Its beautiful beaches, jaw dropping reefs, spectacular surf breaks, Lychee Martinis, temples & shrines, banana pancakes, black rice pudding, … So much beauty, in stark contrast with freezing & cold Kazachstan. Vishnu had joined our path, no doubt about it.

After one week it was time to hit the road. Heading West, to Java. The bumpy ride that’s called Adventure immediately started at the port. There are less tourists in Java, so drivers and scammers eagerly jump on any occasion they can take. Taxi, sir? How can we get your money, sir? It’s advisable to have a strict plan if you’re travelling Java. Any confusion/doubt will lead into an opportunity to take you elsewhere. Bargaining is a much intense process than in Bali, and most of the drivers have little knowledge of English. Anyway. Back to the plan.

I had seen pictures of an amazing active volcano in East Java. Research informed me the volcano was kinda hard to reach, and you need to be in good shape to go all the way. The death of a French photographer who slipped during the hike a couple of years ago made it even more harder. Nevertheless, I was determined to see it.

A young boy in his early twenties agreed on taking us to the mount Ijen in his 4x4. What followed was a 3 hour back-breaking ride into the mountains. Halfway the ride we got stuck in a landslide. Locals pulled us out. When we reached the last control post we eagerly stashed some Coca Cola, banana’s and food, and started the steep 2 hour hike to the crater rim. On foot, because there’s no other way to reach the summit.

Meet the Kawah Ijen. An active stratovolcano of the Ijen Plateau. The crater houses the world’s most largest acidic lake, with a shocking pH acidity of 0,5 at its center point. Fall in and you dissolve. Instantly. Active vents at the edge of the lake contain elemental sulfur. The escaping volcanic gasses are channeled through a network of ceramic pipes, resulting in condensation of molten sulfur. It’s this sulfur that gets broken into large pieces and carried out in baskets by miners. Some of these miners carry loads up to 100 kilograms on their back, working amidst the pungent and irritating sulfur smell. Unreal scenery.

Next up: The Java Jaunt, part #3: Gunung Bromo. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time.