On the right -- this is the second of two loaves I made for different Thanksgiving parties. The first was cold fermented for 18hrs, and this loaf for 48hrs. It is a 70% hydration dough using bread flour only.

I am overall pleased with the results and the flavor was awesome, great acidity. I was worried it would be too sour after a long cold proof, but no issues there. Baked directly from the fridge.

I am looking to darken the crust, and have a bit more oven spring, this loaf seems on the flatter side. I also don't like how much flour is left on the dough from the banneton, looking for a way to reduce that.

This wine, made with six clones of Pinot Noir from mature vines, has been aged 16 months in French oak (ranging from new barrels to three-year-old barrels). The wine begins with aromas of cherry and toasty oak. On the generous palate, there are flavours of cherry, cassis, vanilla and toasty oak, with spicy notes on the finish. The richness of flavour reflects the hot 2015 vintage but the moderate alcohol, just 12.5%, tells us that the Mavety family took pains to pick early to retain freshness and acidity

"Schloss Lieser (Castle of Lieser) in the Mosel valley nearby Bernkastel-Kues is one of the most striking buildings within the village of Lieser, Germany. The building currently houses a 49-room Autograph Hotel, called SCHLOSS LIESER, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION, which is scheduled to open for guests summer 2019.

The castle was created on the site of a 1710-built church property.

Today's castle was designed by the architect Heinrich Theodor Schmidt in 1884–1887 as the residence for the family of the winery owner Eduard Puricelli. Eduard Puricelli founded and led several gas industries, including in Trier and also in the Rheinböller hut. Puricelli applied several times for Catholic and conservative parties to Members mandates and belonged to the constituent Reichstag of the North German Confederation. After the German-French war 1870/71 Puricelli continued for economic reasons, together with eleven other companies in Trier for the Annexation of Alsace-Lorraine.

Eduard Puricellis daughter Maria, sole heiress of parental possessions, married in 1880 the high Prussian officer Dr. Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer-Alst/ Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer-Lieser (1856–1922). Through its activities in the Prussian administrative services Clemens von Schorlemer made the acquaintance Kaiser Wilhelm II, who appreciated him.

In 1895/1904-1906 the castle was extended when Maria and Dr Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer moved into the castle .

The castle consists out of two components, the older part in forms of Neo-Renaissance and the younger part in the forms of Art Nouveau.

The outside side is influenced by the Neo-Renaissance, but in outline – according to the architect – Neo-Gothic. The jewellery forms bays, gables and towers are oriented to the German forms of Late Renaissance. The entrance is protected by a tower were two free-standing granite columns rise. The Risalit/Avant-corps on the left side of the main facade is Risalit by large, spread over two floors, is emphasized. The Madonna statue at the corner near the chapel comes from Peter Fuchs, who also worked at the Cologne Cathedral. On the main facade there are representations from the fields of industry and agriculture. For the stone construction Mosel slates and red – on the ground floor – brighter Udelfanger sandstone were used. The roof has been made from the slate quarries of Cauber Erbstollens.

The ground plan is located between the Mosel river and the mountains, so that all rooms within the building – as in English country houses - are along a corridor. The basic design of the building with the octagonal hall is based on Italian villas of the 16th (Palladio) and 17th centuries.

The ground floor, in which mainly economic areas and the bottling plants were located, has been created very high for flood protection.

In the stairwell between eight large pilasters painted landscapes and architectural motifs from the Mosel region created by Karl Julius Grätz are located. The stairwell window with lead glazing has four painted medallions of Binsfeld and Janssen in Trier. The staircase itself is a self-construction of Trier sandstone with wrought-iron, partly gilded railings.

The first floor is a Beletage with representation rooms. In the octagonal hall, where the stairs end, the sculptor's work, the pillars and the wall panelling have been created in light Burgreppacher sandstone. The ceiling has been plastered and contains several paintings. The first floor contains the rather sober work room, reception room, with pitch pine and oak wood-panelled dining room large with a rich and carved wooden ceiling and several doorframes, the small dining room for everyday use, a poolroom, several garden rooms, guest rooms and a kitchen.

The second floor is the private sector of the house. Is had been equipped with livingrooms, sleepingrooms, tourist rooms and rooms for servants. It also contains a wall table and a marble fireplace. The copper plate of the fireplace has been decorated with a presentation of Hubert Salentin from Düsseldorf.

The hall of Beletage links to the chapel, which is a building on its own. The wallpaintings are by Karl Julius Grätz. The glass paintings are by Binsfeld and Janssen. Peter Fuchs created the saint statues. The mosaic floor with his figural representations was designed by the architect and produced in Mettlach.

A special feature of the paintings is the image originally situated on the terrace sculpture of the wife of the owner. With her old German costume, keys and wallet in hand, it symbolizes allegorical excessive.

The carpentry work, furniture and other equipment details were drawings of the architects of Epple and Ege in Stuttgart. From the company M. Armbruster in Frankfurt the construction locks and art metalwork were created.

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.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

A cortado is a beverage that consists of espresso coffee mixed with a small amount of warm milk to reduce the acidity. The word cortado is the past participle of the Spanish verb cortar, in the sense of "dilute". Wikipedia

The rainy season arrives, arid land that dominates the island of Madura district gradually began to look green as farmers began to work his fields for planting rice. Very nice to see a situation like this, known as Madura farmers rely on rain to irrigate his fields, because the area is famous for arid.

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.

"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.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

The pointed house "Spitzhäuschen" is believed to have been built in 1416 at no. 13 Karlstraße.

"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.

I found this article in the TopTropicals' Encyclopedia fascinating.

Cinnamomum zeylanicum - a legendary commodity and culinary spice, Cinnamon

Scientific name: Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum verum

Family: Lauraceae

Common name: Cinnamon

Origin: Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

An exciting story of Cinnamon - the most famous world spice... This historical plant can be easily grown in your garden. Enjoy the story and brew some cinnamon tea!..

Cinnamon

Cinnamomum aromaticum:

Young leaves of Cinnamon can be pinkish to red

Somewhere in the archives of your mind, do you remember your school days and studying the great explorers of the New World, like Columbus and Magellan? Were you ever asked how and why these extravagant expeditions were funded? These ever-dangerous missions were the sixteenth-century prequel to the Cold War space race, with similar stakes for national prestige and power. In the days before NASA and government grants, who put up the cash for these escapades? It was usually the Spanish king. But, as you doubtless already know if you've ever tried coax a new office computer out of your boss, there never seems to be enough money in the budget. In contrast to the illusion of endless wealth they portrayed, even kings were often in deep financial straits, and competitors were fierce for the few funds they offered. And proving your soundness as a financial risk was no easy thing in those days before computerized credit reports.. As classics of political economics have taught us, capitalists can lend money only in exchange for profit. So, if you approached the king with a "go I know not whither” attitude, you had better at least promise to bring back something worthwhile that was a perennially popular quarry, such as spices, which were often worth more their weight in gold.

Only one out of five ships from Magellan's fleet returned - the "Victoria". However, the hold carried 26 tons of spices, sufficient to cover the losses of the expedition and to actually make a profit for the investors.

Life in those days would have been unbearable without savory spices to disguise the poor quality and preparation of food. The quality of food was disgusting - unless you were royalty, you were destined for a lifetime of boiled meat-and-vegetable soup. The culinary arts existed more in theory than in fact, and only the rich could afford the luxury of fried meat (widespread consumption of fried meat did not come until the 18- and 19th centuries). Today we feed our dogs better meat than most people ate then, and salting was the only method of keeping meat fresh. Toil and harsh conditions were the standards of life... That's why spices were so valued, with their ability to lift the palate and the spirit even slightly above the drudgery of everyday life. Our sense of taste is primitive-- we sense saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, and acidity, and in this, we are not much different from other animals. Most of our culinary enjoyment stems from the sense of smell, which connects aromas to specific foods. Spices were also important as status symbols: something akin to wearing a Rolex watch or owning a yacht.

In those times the spice trade route came by way of Muslim countries and from there by sea through the Italian ports of Genoa and Venice. The fantastic wealth of these and other ports was almost completely due to the spice trade, or rather to the hefty customs duties collected on these goods. Without this excess wealth and the artistic patronage it inspired, the Renaissance would not have been possible (it is interesting to speculate on where we would be without it!). Everything was fine prior to the beginning of the fifteenth century, when the Turks took the Balkans, the Black Sea and Syria, ending the old commercial routes to the East. The developing countries of Europe were very unhappy with these circumstances. They began to cherish the idea of going directly to the source of the riches themselves, cutting out the middleman.. It was this prospect of grand profit which fueled the first risky expeditions. Perhaps one of the most crucial points in the history of commerce was May 20, 1498, when Vasco de Gama sailed to Calcutta, initiating “spice fever”!

Two countries, Spain and Portugal, were dearest to the Pope's heart at this time. They burned their heretics, unlike the more freethinking France and England. To the great dismay of Pope Alexander VI, by the end of the fifteenth century, there was no love lost between these two rival siblings of the Pope's affections. Portugal mastered the route around Africa, and Spain (a little late on the exploration scene, as it was preoccupied with disarming the Moors), decided to move to another side, sending Columbus westward. They took different directions with the same intent -- to possess the riches of the Orient. The outcome is now legendary. In 1494, under the auspices of the Pope the world was divided in two: Spanish (to the West from the 49th meridian) and Portuguese (to the east). This agreement did not interfere with the existence of countries already established. It is interesting that this arbitrary division allowed Portugal to colonize Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken to this day.

Meanwhile, other countries were not at rest and were no less greedy in their aspirations. England and Holland took their share of colonies as well. For example, the Dutch East Indian company practically governed Indonesia and therefore monopolized world trade in spices from the 17th century on. English companies in India monopolized the perfume trade, and these are only two commodities that were plundered by empirical ambition.

Here we will discuss only one plant - cinnamon (Cinnamomum). Various varieties exist, only two of which are commercially popular: plain cinnamon - Cinnamomum zeylanicum, native to Ceylon and Malabar off the coast of India; and Cassia cinnamon - Cinnamomum aromaticum, native to Burma and South China (not to be confused with the Cassia plant). The spice cinnamon is obtained from the young bark of the branches. The two differ in appearance in the fact that the bark of cinnamon is thin and yellowish-brown, and the bark of Cassia is thicker and gray in color. Cinnamon possesses the stronger aroma, but to deduce the form of the plant from the appearance of the spice is practically impossible.

The first references to Cassia are encountered in Chinese books dated about 3000 B.C. The Egyptian queen Hatshepsut, who ruled approximately 1500 B.C., was an outstanding monarch, especially considering how rare it was for a woman to rule in those times. Among her accomplishments, she organized an expedition into present-day Yemen to find valuable species of wood and ivory for the building of the palace and temple in Thebes. Among the treasures was a large quantity of cinnamon.

In the works of John the Apostle (Revelation 18:12-13, New International Version), cinnamon is mentioned among the “excesses” of the riches of Babylon:

...Cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh, and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.

The Roman historian Pliny wrote that the cost of cinnamon was fifteen times that of silver. Romans used this spice to make expensive perfumery as well as to improve the taste of wine. Emperor Nero, after the murder of his wife, ordered cinnamon to be gathered from the entire city for the funeral bonfire.

Medieval Europe all but forgot about cinnamon, and only rare contacts with Muslims and Marco Polo's expedition revived the use of cinnamon and sugar in cooking. In the 15th century, cinnamon was so expensive that it was paid for in Muslim markets with "hard currency"- eunuchs and white female slaves.

In the spring of 1530, The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V went to Germany to visit one of the richest bankers in Europe - Fugger. It was an unpleasant mission for the emperor- he was there to ask for more time to pay old loans as well as to obtain new funds. Charles complained about the cold weather in Germany and compared it with the warm spring of Italy. In reply, the banker threw cinnamon bark into the furnace, after first throwing in the old debts of the emperor - a gesture to show that Germans were at least warm of heart!

As previously discussed, the Portuguese and Spaniards rushed to the Spice Islands from either side. Lorenzo de Almeida discovered Ceylon and its cinnamon trees in 1505. Before this cinnamon was the source of wealth for rulers. In 1580 the Portuguese took the coast and required 125 tons of cinnamon as a yearly tribute from the natives.

In desperation, the king of Candi (one of four kingdoms of Ceylon) turned to the Dutch for help, and in 1658 the island fell under the possession of the Dutchmen. However, their administration was no more merciful than the Portuguese- in fact, it was much worse.

The men who harvested cinnamon belonged to one of the lowest castes - Chaliya. Each of them had to gather about 60 lb of cinnamon each season. Dutchmen raised this quota ten times that amount, a practically impossible amount. Then they freed the harvesters from taxes at least. Still, it is not surprising that many chose to run away into the mountains, increasing the burden on those remaining. And there was only one punishment for a fugitive caught- capital punishment. Capital punishment also awaited any who attempted to smuggle cinnamon or anyone who had unreported cinnamon trees on his property. When Dutchmen learned that cinnamon grew on the Malabar coast of India, they persuaded local rulers by bribes and threats to destroy the trees in order to completely monopolize the market.

The majority of cinnamon was grown in the kingdom of Candi, and its rulers often destroyed trees in order to sabotage the Europeans. In 1761 they attacked the Dutchmen, killing about 7,000 people and destroying huge reserves of cinnamon. It is not surprising that the price of cinnamon in Holland leaped instantly. To prevent another such incident, the Dutch began to cultivate cinnamon on plantations. This arrangement was no more tasteful to the harvesters, who once again began to sabotage trees in protest. In response to this, the Dutch imposed a severe punishment- anyone caught in sabotage had his right hand chopped off.

Plantations proved to be successful, and the collection of wild cinnamon ceased to be profitable. Breeding cinnamon trees led to the crisis of overproduction, and in June of 1760 in Amsterdam, a cinnamon reserve worth 16 million French livre (an imposing sum in today's currency, one could buy a good horse for 100 livre in those days) burnt in a building of the Admiralty over the course of two days. It was noted that for several days the entire land of Holland smelled of cinnamon.

When France took Holland after the French revolution, it also gained Ceylon. When England defeated the French in 1795, they put this resource to work immediately, putting the rich plantations under the control of the East India Company. The island was completely subject to England and the cultivation of cinnamon was sharply limited to drive the market. However, this monopoly collapsed in the middle of the nineteenth century due to the Dutch smuggling exported cinnamon trees to Java and Borneo, and Frenchmen revealed that the cinnamon also grew well on the islands of Maverick and Reunion.

All this led to the price of cinnamon falling drastically in Europe, allowing even the non-rich to use this spice which was previously reserved for only the most wealthy of diners.

Nowadays, world production of cinnamon is about 8,000-10,000 tons per year, with 80-90% of this coming from Sri Lanka. World production of cassia is 20,000-25,000 tons per year, two-thirds of which is grown in Indonesia. Cinnamon and Cassia are used in the production of liqueurs, perfumery, and for cooking.

The cinnamon tree can reach 50 ft in height, but on plantations, trees are trained into bushes of 6-8 ft. The leaves are fragrant (they are often used to impart a cinnamon flavor to tea, for example). The cinnamon tree "drinks" a large amount of water. In its natural habitat, more than 6 ft of rainfall annually. The flowers are very small and unimposing.

The cinnamon tree is propagated by seeds or cuttings. The plant is pruned after two or three years to form a bush, and cinnamon can already be harvested in the rainy season from a two-year-old tree.

The harvesting method is relatively simple. First, branches are cut from the tree. These are left for a day or two- in the dampness the bark rots and becomes easier to separate from the tree. After this comes the most complex part of the operation. The twigs and leaves are trimmed from the branches and the outer rough layer of bark is scraped off. After this, “stripes” are cut into the branches to separate the bark from the inner wood of the branch. The bark is then cut from the branch by making two accurate parallel cuts, and it then forms the characteristic curled twigs that we recognize as cinnamon sticks. These are then cut accurately into 42-inch lengths and dried.

One acre yields about 200 lb of cinnamon per year...

Cinnamon trees can be easily grown as an exotic container plant or planted in the ground in areas with frost-free climates. Fresh leaves may be added to tea. Enjoy the aroma of this tropical plant collection gem!

Courtesy TopTropicals Nursery

Blueberries are perennial flowering plants with indigo-colored berries from the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium (a genus that also includes cranberries, bilberries and grouseberries). Species in the section Cyanococcus are the most common[1] fruits sold as "blueberries" and are native to North America (commercially cultivated highbush blueberries were not introduced into Europe until the 1930s).[2]

Blueberries are usually erect, prostrate shrubs that can vary in size from 10 centimeters (3.9 in) to 4 meters (13 ft) in height. In the commercial production of blueberries, the smaller species are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), while the larger species are known as "highbush blueberries".

The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen, ovate to lanceolate, and 1–8 cm (0.39–3.15 in) long and 0.5–3.5 cm (0.20–1.38 in) broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The fruit is a berry 5–16 millimeters (0.20–0.63 in) in diameter with a flared crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally dark purple when ripe. They are covered in a protective coating of powdery epicuticular wax, colloquially known as the "bloom".[3] They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of the growing season: fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude, so the peak of the crop can vary from May to August (in the northern hemisphere) depending upon these conditions.

Formation in the algerian Sahara between Youfihaket and Tagrera. Freddy Krueger? Grendel from Beowulf? This thing also looks like a map of Africa viewed from the back side. The Hoggar plateau and national park are full of these and similar formations, more nightmares, imps, ghouls and phantoms to come soon.

Taken at a lunch stop mid-day. Salad with a vinaigrette of tooth disintegrating acidity, days old bread, leftovers from previous nights dinner. All tastes delicious in the desert. Really.

I found this article in the TopTropicals' Encyclopedia fascinating.

Cinnamomum zeylanicum - a legendary commodity and culinary spice, Cinnamon

Scientific name: Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum verum

Family: Lauraceae

Common name: Cinnamon

Origin: Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

An exciting story of Cinnamon - the most famous world spice... This historical plant can be easily grown in your garden. Enjoy the story and brew some cinnamon tea!..

Cinnamon

Cinnamomum aromaticum:

Young leaves of Cinnamon can be pinkish to red

Somewhere in the archives of your mind, do you remember your school days and studying the great explorers of the New World, like Columbus and Magellan? Were you ever asked how and why these extravagant expeditions were funded? These ever-dangerous missions were the sixteenth-century prequel to the Cold War space race, with similar stakes for national prestige and power. In the days before NASA and government grants, who put up the cash for these escapades? It was usually the Spanish king. But, as you doubtless already know if you've ever tried coax a new office computer out of your boss, there never seems to be enough money in the budget. In contrast to the illusion of endless wealth they portrayed, even kings were often in deep financial straits, and competitors were fierce for the few funds they offered. And proving your soundness as a financial risk was no easy thing in those days before computerized credit reports.. As classics of political economics have taught us, capitalists can lend money only in exchange for profit. So, if you approached the king with a "go I know not whither” attitude, you had better at least promise to bring back something worthwhile that was a perennially popular quarry, such as spices, which were often worth more their weight in gold.

Only one out of five ships from Magellan's fleet returned - the "Victoria". However, the hold carried 26 tons of spices, sufficient to cover the losses of the expedition and to actually make a profit for the investors.

Life in those days would have been unbearable without savory spices to disguise the poor quality and preparation of food. The quality of food was disgusting - unless you were royalty, you were destined for a lifetime of boiled meat-and-vegetable soup. The culinary arts existed more in theory than in fact, and only the rich could afford the luxury of fried meat (widespread consumption of fried meat did not come until the 18- and 19th centuries). Today we feed our dogs better meat than most people ate then, and salting was the only method of keeping meat fresh. Toil and harsh conditions were the standards of life... That's why spices were so valued, with their ability to lift the palate and the spirit even slightly above the drudgery of everyday life. Our sense of taste is primitive-- we sense saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, and acidity, and in this, we are not much different from other animals. Most of our culinary enjoyment stems from the sense of smell, which connects aromas to specific foods. Spices were also important as status symbols: something akin to wearing a Rolex watch or owning a yacht.

In those times the spice trade route came by way of Muslim countries and from there by sea through the Italian ports of Genoa and Venice. The fantastic wealth of these and other ports was almost completely due to the spice trade, or rather to the hefty customs duties collected on these goods. Without this excess wealth and the artistic patronage it inspired, the Renaissance would not have been possible (it is interesting to speculate on where we would be without it!). Everything was fine prior to the beginning of the fifteenth century, when the Turks took the Balkans, the Black Sea and Syria, ending the old commercial routes to the East. The developing countries of Europe were very unhappy with these circumstances. They began to cherish the idea of going directly to the source of the riches themselves, cutting out the middleman.. It was this prospect of grand profit which fueled the first risky expeditions. Perhaps one of the most crucial points in the history of commerce was May 20, 1498, when Vasco de Gama sailed to Calcutta, initiating “spice fever”!

Two countries, Spain and Portugal, were dearest to the Pope's heart at this time. They burned their heretics, unlike the more freethinking France and England. To the great dismay of Pope Alexander VI, by the end of the fifteenth century, there was no love lost between these two rival siblings of the Pope's affections. Portugal mastered the route around Africa, and Spain (a little late on the exploration scene, as it was preoccupied with disarming the Moors), decided to move to another side, sending Columbus westward. They took different directions with the same intent -- to possess the riches of the Orient. The outcome is now legendary. In 1494, under the auspices of the Pope the world was divided in two: Spanish (to the West from the 49th meridian) and Portuguese (to the east). This agreement did not interfere with the existence of countries already established. It is interesting that this arbitrary division allowed Portugal to colonize Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken to this day.

Meanwhile, other countries were not at rest and were no less greedy in their aspirations. England and Holland took their share of colonies as well. For example, the Dutch East Indian company practically governed Indonesia and therefore monopolized world trade in spices from the 17th century on. English companies in India monopolized the perfume trade, and these are only two commodities that were plundered by empirical ambition.

Here we will discuss only one plant - cinnamon (Cinnamomum). Various varieties exist, only two of which are commercially popular: plain cinnamon - Cinnamomum zeylanicum, native to Ceylon and Malabar off the coast of India; and Cassia cinnamon - Cinnamomum aromaticum, native to Burma and South China (not to be confused with the Cassia plant). The spice cinnamon is obtained from the young bark of the branches. The two differ in appearance in the fact that the bark of cinnamon is thin and yellowish-brown, and the bark of Cassia is thicker and gray in color. Cinnamon possesses the stronger aroma, but to deduce the form of the plant from the appearance of the spice is practically impossible.

The first references to Cassia are encountered in Chinese books dated about 3000 B.C. The Egyptian queen Hatshepsut, who ruled approximately 1500 B.C., was an outstanding monarch, especially considering how rare it was for a woman to rule in those times. Among her accomplishments, she organized an expedition into present-day Yemen to find valuable species of wood and ivory for the building of the palace and temple in Thebes. Among the treasures was a large quantity of cinnamon.

In the works of John the Apostle (Revelation 18:12-13, New International Version), cinnamon is mentioned among the “excesses” of the riches of Babylon:

...Cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh, and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.

The Roman historian Pliny wrote that the cost of cinnamon was fifteen times that of silver. Romans used this spice to make expensive perfumery as well as to improve the taste of wine. Emperor Nero, after the murder of his wife, ordered cinnamon to be gathered from the entire city for the funeral bonfire.

Medieval Europe all but forgot about cinnamon, and only rare contacts with Muslims and Marco Polo's expedition revived the use of cinnamon and sugar in cooking. In the 15th century, cinnamon was so expensive that it was paid for in Muslim markets with "hard currency"- eunuchs and white female slaves.

In the spring of 1530, The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V went to Germany to visit one of the richest bankers in Europe - Fugger. It was an unpleasant mission for the emperor- he was there to ask for more time to pay old loans as well as to obtain new funds. Charles complained about the cold weather in Germany and compared it with the warm spring of Italy. In reply, the banker threw cinnamon bark into the furnace, after first throwing in the old debts of the emperor - a gesture to show that Germans were at least warm of heart!

As previously discussed, the Portuguese and Spaniards rushed to the Spice Islands from either side. Lorenzo de Almeida discovered Ceylon and its cinnamon trees in 1505. Before this cinnamon was the source of wealth for rulers. In 1580 the Portuguese took the coast and required 125 tons of cinnamon as a yearly tribute from the natives.

In desperation, the king of Candi (one of four kingdoms of Ceylon) turned to the Dutch for help, and in 1658 the island fell under the possession of the Dutchmen. However, their administration was no more merciful than the Portuguese- in fact, it was much worse.

The men who harvested cinnamon belonged to one of the lowest castes - Chaliya. Each of them had to gather about 60 lb of cinnamon each season. Dutchmen raised this quota ten times that amount, a practically impossible amount. Then they freed the harvesters from taxes at least. Still, it is not surprising that many chose to run away into the mountains, increasing the burden on those remaining. And there was only one punishment for a fugitive caught- capital punishment. Capital punishment also awaited any who attempted to smuggle cinnamon or anyone who had unreported cinnamon trees on his property. When Dutchmen learned that cinnamon grew on the Malabar coast of India, they persuaded local rulers by bribes and threats to destroy the trees in order to completely monopolize the market.

The majority of cinnamon was grown in the kingdom of Candi, and its rulers often destroyed trees in order to sabotage the Europeans. In 1761 they attacked the Dutchmen, killing about 7,000 people and destroying huge reserves of cinnamon. It is not surprising that the price of cinnamon in Holland leaped instantly. To prevent another such incident, the Dutch began to cultivate cinnamon on plantations. This arrangement was no more tasteful to the harvesters, who once again began to sabotage trees in protest. In response to this, the Dutch imposed a severe punishment- anyone caught in sabotage had his right hand chopped off.

Plantations proved to be successful, and the collection of wild cinnamon ceased to be profitable. Breeding cinnamon trees led to the crisis of overproduction, and in June of 1760 in Amsterdam, a cinnamon reserve worth 16 million French livre (an imposing sum in today's currency, one could buy a good horse for 100 livre in those days) burnt in a building of the Admiralty over the course of two days. It was noted that for several days the entire land of Holland smelled of cinnamon.

When France took Holland after the French revolution, it also gained Ceylon. When England defeated the French in 1795, they put this resource to work immediately, putting the rich plantations under the control of the East India Company. The island was completely subject to England and the cultivation of cinnamon was sharply limited to drive the market. However, this monopoly collapsed in the middle of the nineteenth century due to the Dutch smuggling exported cinnamon trees to Java and Borneo, and Frenchmen revealed that the cinnamon also grew well on the islands of Maverick and Reunion.

All this led to the price of cinnamon falling drastically in Europe, allowing even the non-rich to use this spice which was previously reserved for only the most wealthy of diners.

Nowadays, world production of cinnamon is about 8,000-10,000 tons per year, with 80-90% of this coming from Sri Lanka. World production of cassia is 20,000-25,000 tons per year, two-thirds of which is grown in Indonesia. Cinnamon and Cassia are used in the production of liqueurs, perfumery, and for cooking.

The cinnamon tree can reach 50 ft in height, but on plantations, trees are trained into bushes of 6-8 ft. The leaves are fragrant (they are often used to impart a cinnamon flavor to tea, for example). The cinnamon tree "drinks" a large amount of water. In its natural habitat, more than 6 ft of rainfall annually. The flowers are very small and unimposing.

The cinnamon tree is propagated by seeds or cuttings. The plant is pruned after two or three years to form a bush, and cinnamon can already be harvested in the rainy season from a two-year-old tree.

The harvesting method is relatively simple. First, branches are cut from the tree. These are left for a day or two- in the dampness the bark rots and becomes easier to separate from the tree. After this comes the most complex part of the operation. The twigs and leaves are trimmed from the branches and the outer rough layer of bark is scraped off. After this, “stripes” are cut into the branches to separate the bark from the inner wood of the branch. The bark is then cut from the branch by making two accurate parallel cuts, and it then forms the characteristic curled twigs that we recognize as cinnamon sticks. These are then cut accurately into 42-inch lengths and dried.

One acre yields about 200 lb of cinnamon per year...

Cinnamon trees can be easily grown as an exotic container plant or planted in the ground in areas with frost-free climates. Fresh leaves may be added to tea. Enjoy the aroma of this tropical plant collection gem!

Courtesy TopTropicals Nursery

La Sûre (Sauer en luxembourgeois et en allemand) est une rivière belgo-germano-luxembourgeoise et un affluent en rive gauche de la Moselle. Elle fait donc partie du bassin versant du Rhin.

La rivière tire son nom de l'acidité de son eau.

Son cours est de 206 km et son bassin versant couvre 4 240 km2. Ses affluents principaux sont la Wiltz, l'Alzette, l'Ernz Blanche, l'Ernz Noire, l'Our et la Prüm.

Le belvédère « Houfëls » (Haut-Rocher) près de Boulaide offre une vue imprenable sur la vallée de la Sûre et la Haute-Sûre.

A 457 mètres d'altitude se trouve un pavillon qui a été construit en 1934 par la famille Hames. Même si le pavillon ne peut être admiré que de l'extérieur, les lieux invitent toujours à s'y attarder pour un pique-nique avec vue panoramique.

Le point de vue est situé sur plusieurs sentiers de randonnée, dont l'Éislek Pad Boulaide, l'Autopédestre Boulaide et le Natur Pur ?. Il est également acecssible en voiture.

Pour les amateurs d'histoire, l'aire de repos derrière le pavillon abrite deux pièces d'artillerie historiques de la Seconde Guerre mondiale : un PAK (canon antichar) allemand de 8,8 cm et un canon américain de 155 mm.

The Sûre (Sauer in Luxembourgish1 and German) is a Belgian-German-Luxembourgish river and a left-bank tributary of the Moselle. It is therefore part of the Rhine watershed.

The river takes its name from the acidity of its water.

Its course is 206 km and its watershed covers 4,240 km2. Its main tributaries are the Wiltz, the Alzette, the Ernz Blanche, the Ernz Noire, the Our and the Prüm.

The "Houfëls" (High Rock) lookout point near Boulaide offers a breathtaking view of the Sûre valley and the Haute-Sûre.

At an altitude of 457 metres there is a pavilion that was built in 1934 by the Hames family. Even though the pavilion can only be admired from the outside, the place still invites you to linger for a picnic with a panoramic view.

The viewpoint is located on several hiking trails, including the Éislek Pad Boulaide, the Autopédestre Boulaide and the Natur Pur ?. It is also accessible by car.

For history buffs, the rest area behind the pavilion houses two historic artillery pieces from the Second World War: a German 8.8 cm PAK (anti-tank gun) and an American 155 mm gun.

"Residential and commercial building; four-story late historic building, marked 1904.

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.

Vinello Arancia was fermented in wood and aged on second use cherries and raspberries. It pours a cloudy pale orange with a prominent white head. Enjoy aromas of ripe red fruit, subtle citrus and mild funk followed by orange, lychee and guava with a balanced sweetness and bright acidity

From Luppolo Brewing on Venables

"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.

"Schloss Lieser (Castle of Lieser) in the Mosel valley nearby Bernkastel-Kues is one of the most striking buildings within the village of Lieser, Germany. The building currently houses a 49-room Autograph Hotel, called SCHLOSS LIESER, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION, which is scheduled to open for guests summer 2019.

The castle was created on the site of a 1710-built church property.

Today's castle was designed by the architect Heinrich Theodor Schmidt in 1884–1887 as the residence for the family of the winery owner Eduard Puricelli. Eduard Puricelli founded and led several gas industries, including in Trier and also in the Rheinböller hut. Puricelli applied several times for Catholic and conservative parties to Members mandates and belonged to the constituent Reichstag of the North German Confederation. After the German-French war 1870/71 Puricelli continued for economic reasons, together with eleven other companies in Trier for the Annexation of Alsace-Lorraine.

Eduard Puricellis daughter Maria, sole heiress of parental possessions, married in 1880 the high Prussian officer Dr. Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer-Alst/ Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer-Lieser (1856–1922). Through its activities in the Prussian administrative services Clemens von Schorlemer made the acquaintance Kaiser Wilhelm II, who appreciated him.

In 1895/1904-1906 the castle was extended when Maria and Dr Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer moved into the castle .

The castle consists out of two components, the older part in forms of Neo-Renaissance and the younger part in the forms of Art Nouveau.

The outside side is influenced by the Neo-Renaissance, but in outline – according to the architect – Neo-Gothic. The jewellery forms bays, gables and towers are oriented to the German forms of Late Renaissance. The entrance is protected by a tower were two free-standing granite columns rise. The Risalit/Avant-corps on the left side of the main facade is Risalit by large, spread over two floors, is emphasized. The Madonna statue at the corner near the chapel comes from Peter Fuchs, who also worked at the Cologne Cathedral. On the main facade there are representations from the fields of industry and agriculture. For the stone construction Mosel slates and red – on the ground floor – brighter Udelfanger sandstone were used. The roof has been made from the slate quarries of Cauber Erbstollens.

The ground plan is located between the Mosel river and the mountains, so that all rooms within the building – as in English country houses - are along a corridor. The basic design of the building with the octagonal hall is based on Italian villas of the 16th (Palladio) and 17th centuries.

The ground floor, in which mainly economic areas and the bottling plants were located, has been created very high for flood protection.

In the stairwell between eight large pilasters painted landscapes and architectural motifs from the Mosel region created by Karl Julius Grätz are located. The stairwell window with lead glazing has four painted medallions of Binsfeld and Janssen in Trier. The staircase itself is a self-construction of Trier sandstone with wrought-iron, partly gilded railings.

The first floor is a Beletage with representation rooms. In the octagonal hall, where the stairs end, the sculptor's work, the pillars and the wall panelling have been created in light Burgreppacher sandstone. The ceiling has been plastered and contains several paintings. The first floor contains the rather sober work room, reception room, with pitch pine and oak wood-panelled dining room large with a rich and carved wooden ceiling and several doorframes, the small dining room for everyday use, a poolroom, several garden rooms, guest rooms and a kitchen.

The second floor is the private sector of the house. Is had been equipped with livingrooms, sleepingrooms, tourist rooms and rooms for servants. It also contains a wall table and a marble fireplace. The copper plate of the fireplace has been decorated with a presentation of Hubert Salentin from Düsseldorf.

The hall of Beletage links to the chapel, which is a building on its own. The wallpaintings are by Karl Julius Grätz. The glass paintings are by Binsfeld and Janssen. Peter Fuchs created the saint statues. The mosaic floor with his figural representations was designed by the architect and produced in Mettlach.

A special feature of the paintings is the image originally situated on the terrace sculpture of the wife of the owner. With her old German costume, keys and wallet in hand, it symbolizes allegorical excessive.

The carpentry work, furniture and other equipment details were drawings of the architects of Epple and Ege in Stuttgart. From the company M. Armbruster in Frankfurt the construction locks and art metalwork were created.

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.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

"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.

Shot @ Hebal Lake, a ready to destroy ganesh idol made of POP, after Ganesh Chadurthi.

The most serious impact of the Ganesh festival on the natural environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. Traditionally, the Ganesh idol was sculpted out of earth taken from nearby one’s home. After worshipping the divinity in this earth idol, it was returned back to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This cycle represented the cycle of creation and dissolution in Nature.

However, as the production of Ganesh idols on a commercial basis grew, the earthen or natural clay was replaced by Plaster of Paris. Plaster is a man made material, easier to mould, lighter and less expensive than clay. However, plaster takes much longer to dissolve and in the process of dissolution releases toxic elements into the water body. The chemical paints used to adorn these plaster idols, themselves contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium.

On the final day of the Ganesh festival thousands of plaster idols are immersed into water bodies by devotees. These increase the level of acidity in the water and the content of heavy metals. The day after the immersion, shoals of dead fish can be seen floating on the surface of the water body as a result of this sudden increase.

Gods are for worship, not for the show.

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...

As always, the best camera is the one you have with you.

I only had my ancient iPhone 4S, and its limitations are obvious in this photo. However, I really, really wanted to capture and share this hydrangea (die Hortensie) showing its blossoms in the midst of spectacularly changing colors in late spring.

NB - Hydrangeas are naturally white. but accidental or forced mutations can give them the genetic ability to produce colored flowers. However, whether they show colors (and which ones) depends on soil pH and whether there are aluminum ions in the soil. For more on this, see:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrangea#Colours_and_soil_acidity

Location: A private front garden next to a public sidewalk, Riehen BS Switzerland.

In my album: Dan's Flower Power.

original negative > orthochromatic plates of glass 18x24cm (year 1920 ≈ 1930) by courtesy of my cousin (George)

anonymous photographer!

scanned > epson V600 (in two pieces and joined)

digital negative printed > Hp laserjet 4100 on glossy

support paper > Fabriano F4 24x33cm smooth 220gr

cyanotype recipe > classic formula (two coats)

development > pure white vinegar (6% acidity) 1min

wash > water 1min

bleaching > soda 4gr / 3lt 10 sec.

toned > J-Nùsol FM ( Attention: FM formula!!) 15min.

wash > water 30min

blue border > buffered hydrogen peroxide (7,2% 24vol.)

print scanned > Epson V600 (600dpi, reduced at 3Mega)

Waves of bacterial mats provide the colors and apparent textures of the hot springs. Each type of bacterial is adapted to live at a particular temperature and acidity present in different rings radiating from the hot spring.

A wine-growing estate in the Chianti Classico region near the little town of Radda in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Some background information:

The Chianti region covers a vast area of Tuscany and includes within its boundaries several overlapping regions. Within the collective Chianti region more than 8 million cases of wines classified as DOC level or above are produced each year. Today, most Chianti falls under two major designations of Chianti DOCG, which includes basic level Chianti, as well as that from seven designated sub-zones, and Chianti Classico DOCG. Together, these two Chianti zones produce the largest volume of DOC/G wines in Italy.

The Chianti DOCG covers all the Chianti wine and includes a large stretch of land encompassing the western reaches of the province of Pisa near the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Florentine hills in the province of Florence to the north, to the province of Arezzo in the east and the Siena hills to the south. Within this regions are vineyards that overlap the DOCG regions of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Any Sangiovese-based wine made according to the Chianti guidelines from these vineyards can be labelled and marked under the basic Chianti DOCG, should the producer wish to use the designation.

Within the Chianti DOCG there are eight defined sub-zones that are permitted to affix their name to the wine label. Wines that are labelled as simply Chianti are made either from a blend from these sub-zones or include grapes from peripheral areas not within the boundaries of a sub-zone. The sub-zones are: Colli Fiorentini, Chianti Rufina, Chianti Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montespertoli and Montalbano.

The original area dictated by the edict of Cosimo III de' Medici would eventually be considered the heart of the modern "Chianti Classico" subregion. The Chianti Classico subregion covers an area of approximate 260 km2 (100 square miles) between the city of Florence to the north and Siena to the south. There are about 7,140 ha (17,640 acres) of vineyards in this area. The four communes of Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti are located entirely within the boundaries of the Chianti Classico wine-growing region.

The soil and geography of this subregion can be quite varied, with altitudes ranging from 250 to 610 m (820 to 2,000 feet), and rolling hills producing differing macroclimates. There are two main soil types in the area: a weathered sandstone known as alberese and a bluish-gray chalky marlstone known as galestro.

Chianti Classico wines are premium Chianti red wines that tend to be medium-bodied with firm tannins and medium-high to high acidity. Floral, cherry and light nutty notes are characteristic aromas with the wines expressing more notes on the mid-palate and finish than at the front of the mouth. As with Bordeaux, the different zones of Chianti Classico have unique characteristics that can be exemplified and perceived in some wines from those areas. Chianti Classico wines must have a minimum alcohol level of at least 12% with a minimum of 7 months aging in oak, while Chianti Classicos labeled riserva must be aged at least 24 months at the winery, with a minimum alcohol level of at least 12.5%.

Wine is cultivated in Tuscany ever since Etruscan times. However, the earliest documentation of a Chianti wine dates back to the 13th century when viticulture was known to flourish in the "Chianti Mountains" around Florence. The merchants in the nearby townships of Castellina, Gaiole and Radda formed the Lega del Chianti (in English: "League of Chianti") to produce and promote the local wine. By the 18th century, Chianti was widely recognised as a red wine, but the exact composition and grape varieties used to make Chianti at this point is unknown.

It was not until the work of the Italian statesman Bettino Ricasoli (1809 to 1880) that the modern "Chianti recipe" as a Sangiovese-based wine would take shape. Prior to Ricasoli, Canaiolo was emerging as the dominant variety in the Chianti blend with Sangiovese and Malvasia playing supporting roles. In the mid-19th century, Ricasoli developed a recipe for Chianti that was based primarily on Sangiovese. His recipe called for 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, 10% Malvasia (later amended to include Trebbiano) and 5% other local red varieties. In 1967, the DOC regulation set by the Italian government firmly established the "Ricasoli formula" of a Sangiovese-based blend with 10 to 30% Malvasia and Trebbiano.

Today, Chianti wines are popular among wine connoisseurs all over the world, unquestionably ranking with Bordeaux wines. At the same time the famous Chianti wines also appear in popular culture. In the 1991 film "The Silence of the Lambs" Hannibal Lecter delivers his most quotable line: "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."

"Romanesque west tower, Late Gothic cupola, Gothic Revival quire, possibly from the latter half of the 17th century, Baroque aisleless church, from 1718.

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.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

This Rosé offers a broad spectrum of fruity aromas, in particular strawberries and raspberries. The palate is fresh due to its well balanced acidity and has a soft finish From Salentein in Argentina

taken in Armenia, Colombia. Beans are ready to harvest when they turn red, usually in March and September. I love Colombian coffee because they're low in acidity and it has a lovely aroma. No sugar nor milk needed ;)

Camellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number. The genus was named by Linnaeus after the Jesuit botanist Georg Joseph Kamel, who worked in the Philippines, though he never described a camellia. This genus is famous throughout East Asia; camellias are known as cháhuā (茶花) in Chinese, "tea flower", an apt designation, as tsubaki (椿) in Japanese, as dongbaek-kkot (동백꽃) in Korean and as hoa trà or hoa chè in Vietnamese.

Of economic importance in the Indian subcontinent and Asia, leaves of C. sinensis are processed to create the popular beverage, tea. The ornamental Camellia japonica, Camellia oleifera and Camellia sasanqua and their hybrids are represented in cultivation by a large number of cultivars.

Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, is of major commercial importance because tea is made from its leaves. While the finest teas[citation needed] are produced by C. sinensis thanks to millennia of selective breeding of this species, many other camellias can be used to produce a similar beverage. For example, in some parts of Japan, tea made from C. sasanqua leaves is popular.

Tea oil is a sweet seasoning and cooking oil made by pressing the seeds of C. oleifera, C. japonica, and to a lesser extent other species such as C. crapnelliana, C. reticulata, C. sasanqua and C. sinensis. Relatively little-known outside East Asia, it is the most important cooking oil for hundreds of millions of people, particularly in southern China.

Camellia oil is commonly used to clean and protect the blades of cutting instruments.

Camellia oil pressed from seeds of C. japonica, also called tsubaki oil or tsubaki-abura (椿油) in Japanese, has been traditionally used in Japan for hair care.

Today camellias are grown as ornamental plants for their flowers; about 3,000 cultivars and hybrids have been selected, many with double or semi-double flowers. C. japonica is the most prominent species in cultivation, with over 2,000 named cultivars. Next are C. reticulata with over 400 named cultivars, and C. sasanqua with over 300 named cultivars. Popular hybrids include C. × hiemalis (C. japonica × C. sasanqua) and C. × williamsii (C. japonica × Camellia saluenensis|C. saluenensis). Some varieties can grow to a considerable size, up to 100m², though more compact cultivars are available. They are frequently planted in woodland settings, alongside other calcifuges such as rhododendrons, and are particularly associated with areas of high soil acidity, such as Cornwall and Devon in the UK. They are highly valued for their very early flowering, often among the first flowers to appear in the late winter. Late frosts can damage the flower buds, resulting in misshapen flowers.[8]

There is great variety of flower forms:

single (flat, bowl- or cup-shaped)

semi-double (rows of large outer petals, with the centre comprising mixed petals and stamens)

double:

paeony form (convex mass of irregular petals and petaloids with hidden stamens)

anemone form (one or more rows of outer petals, with mixed petaloids and stamens in the centre)

rose form (overlapping petals showing stamens in a concave centre when open)

formal double (rows of overlapping petals with hidden stamens)

The camellia parasite Mycelia sterile produces a metabolite named PF1022A. This is used to produce emodepside, an anthelmintic drug.[4]

Mainly due to habitat destruction, several camellias have become quite rare in their natural range. One of these is the aforementioned C. reticulata, grown commercially in thousands for horticulture and oil production, but rare enough in its natural range to be considered a threatened species.

Photo taken whilst visiting Petworth House and Gardens.

One of several populations of this species in the rugged, rocky country to the west of the Atherton Tableland in northeast Queensland. In this locality they grow variously on granite, rhyolite and basalt, so they don't seem to be fussy about the level of acidity of their substrate. Like most of Australia's Cycas species it is fire tolerant. This patch was burnt over in the previous dry season.

The fronds unfurl with a silver indumentum on them, then they go through a stage of being rather yellow as they expand to their final size. Then they acquire a glaucous bloom as they harden. The bloom wears off with age, and when two years old, the leaves end up dark green.

Service man applying Nimbu-Mirchu in Jodhpur, India.n India, to ward off the evil eye, a string of vegetables, typically green chilies and lemons, is hung above doors. This practice, known as “Nimbu-Mirchi,” involves threading alternate pieces of chilies and lemons and hanging them prominently at the entrance of homes or shops. The pungency of chilies and the acidity of lemons are believed to repel negative energies and absorb harmful influences. This protective talisman is replaced regularly to maintain its efficacy, reflecting deep-rooted cultural beliefs in safeguarding against the evil eye (Nazar) .

This is an actual experiment that has been going on for 3 days. It's a whole raw egg with it's shell dissolved in white vinegar. The only thing holding the egg together is the thin but tough membrane. We take the egg out of the vinegar each day and measure it's circumference. The egg has been swelling daily as the vinegar passes into the membrane to balance the acidity of the vinegar. This is supposed to teach the osmosis action of cells. It is my older daughter's experiment and she has yet to touch the egg as she finds it quite disgusting. I found the whole thing fascinating and Rosie is looking forward to popping it tomorrow.

View Large on black to see how disgusting it really is.

Taken for our daily challenge - Ugly

Don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission from Laurarama.

© All rights reserved

This crowd-pleasing Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful Bordeaux blend, with soft, round tannins and a plush, rich mouthfeel. Built to age and develop further complexity, the wine in its youth is ripe and juicy upfront with aromas of fresh boysenberry, blackberry, and cassis, alongside dark berry fruit notes of fig, black cherry cola, and currants. The warm baking spice notes from the oak-integration work well with the more traditional Knights Valley tones of lavender, wild sage, and mocha. Lively and well-balanced with vibrant acidity, chewy tannins, and a long, smooth, satisfying finish.

"Longuich ([ ˈlɔŋɡɪç ]) is a local community in the Trier-Saarburg district in Rhineland-Palatinate. It belongs to the municipality of Schweich on the Roman Wine Route. The place is on the right bank of the Moselle in the Moselle-Franconian language area.

Longuich is a Gallo-Roman (more precisely: Mosel-Roman) place name (pronounced: Long_gich), which is derived from a 1st-century foundation called Longus Vicus (long village, long district). The place has been inhabited since at least Roman times, as various finds indicate, in particular the Villa Urbana, whose reconstructed bathing wing can be visited.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Prussian mayor's office of Longuich emerged from the French Mairie Longuich.

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.

medium.com/the-armory-art-gif/homage-to-paul-jaisini-gifs...

CR531659-65. Von Winning Kirchenstück GG 2013 is quite possibly the finest Riesling I have ever tasted (96/100). It is a wine of great depth and length, offering an expressive profile of ripe peach, sweet lemon, and tropical fruit, all supported by a subtle touch of oak in the background. A lively, well-preserved acidity adds freshness and structure. The 2013 vintage predates the winery’s shift—around 2017—towards extended barrel aging, which in some later vintages can allow vanilla and oak notes to dominate more prominently. Here, however, they remain refined and beautifully integrated.

... 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, "black background", STUDIO, square, husk, skeleton, "Golden Strawberry", "Chinese Lantern", "Cape gooseberry", design, colour, "conceptual art", "Nikon D7000", "Magda indigo"

Red luminescent color with warm glows. Has a strong aroma of berries and sweets. Very young and fresh in the mouth, well balanced with its acidity, rich in floral nuances and spices.

(Camera settings)

Camera: FinePix HS20EXR (FUJIFILM)

Focal Length: 41mm

ISO Speed: 100

Aperture: f/5

Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec

In 1980 a friend brought us some comfrey to plant in our new garden. He said it produced delicious greens. And just as much as nowadays, I loved greens.

It grew well, but we didn't like the greens: a hairy texture and a tooth-hurting oxalic-acidity.

I tried cutting down the plant to plant something else but it came back from the roots the following year -- and twice as big. The third year it was twice as big again. It was a monster that I thought might take over the garden.

So I spent the following couple of years digging it up and destroying its roots. I got rid of it. Whew.

But it is a pretty plant. When I saw some growing late this afternoon in my favourite park, in a part that used to be a family farm, I took some pictures.

Ceviche is a Latin American delicacy in which seafood is gently “cooked” by the acidity of lime juice. Many types of fish can be used, but this recipe with scallops creates a light and refreshing appetizer perfect for the summer season.

For this recipe, please go to:

creativeelegancecatering.blogspot.com/2024/07/scallop-cev...

For hundreds more delicious recipes and mouthwatering food images, please go to:

creativeelegancecatering.blogspot.com/

"The curtain wall is the largely preserved city fortifications around the archbishop's part of Pfalzel. It was built by 1539 incorporating a medieval predecessor from the late 14th century, particularly the artillery wall with six roundels. The rampart wall (earth wall between two walls) with bastions protruding from the wall was probably built by Master Peter (builder of the Red Tower on Kaiserstrasse in Trier). The fortress was rendered unusable by the French in 1673/74. The fortification begins on the Moselle with Bastion 1, runs behind the houses east and north of Klosterstrasse, Scholasterei and Golostrasse, reinforced by Bastions 2 to 5, to the end bastion 6 behind Golostrasse 3 and 5 or Residenzstrasse 25. The moat area The outside along the rampart is now largely occupied by gardens and the cemetery. In 1961 a breakthrough was created between Bastion 5 and 6, and the system was repaired from 1970 to 1992.

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.

(further information and pictures you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)

Mariahilferstraße

Mariahilferstraße, 6th, 7th, 14th and 15th, since 1897 (in the 6th and 7th district originally Kremser Sraße, then Bavarian highway, Laimgrubner main road, Mariahilfer main street, Fünfhauserstraße, Schönbrunnerstraße and Penzinger Poststraße, then Schönbrunner Straße), in memory of the old suburb name; Mariahilf was an independent municipality from 1660 to 1850, since then with Gumpendorf, Magdalenengrund, Windmühle and Laimgrube 6th District.

From

aeiou - the cultural information system of the bm: bwk

14,000 key words and 2000 pictures from history, geography, politics and business in Austria

www.aeiou.at

Mariahilferstraße, 1908 - Wien Museum

Mariahilferstraße, 1908

Picture taken from "August Stauda - A documentarian of old Vienna"

published by Christian Brandstätter - to Book Description

History

Pottery and wine

The first ones who demonstrably populated the area of ​​today's Mariahilferstraße (after the mammoth) were the Illyrians. They took advantage of the rich clay deposits for making simple vessels. The Celts planted on the sunny hills the first grape vines and understood the wine-making process very well. When the Romans occupied at the beginning of our Era Vienna for several centuries, they left behind many traces. The wine culture of the Celts they refined. On the hill of today's Mariahilferstraße run a Roman ridge trail, whose origins lay in the camp of Vindobona. After the rule of the Romans, the migration of peoples temporarily led many cultures here until after the expulsion of the Avars Bavarian colonists came from the West.

The peasant Middle Ages - From the vineyard to the village

Thanks to the loamy soil formed the winery, which has been pushed back only until the development of the suburbs, until the mid-17th Century the livelihood of the rural population. "Im Schöff" but also "Schöpf - scoop" and "Schiff - ship" (from "draw of") the area at the time was called. The erroneous use of a ship in the seal of the district is reminiscent of the old name, which was then replaced by the picture of grace "Mariahilf". The Weinberg (vineyard) law imposed at that time that the ground rent in the form of mash on the spot had to be paid. This was referred to as a "draw".

1495 the Mariahilfer wine was added to the wine disciplinary regulations for Herrenweine (racy, hearty, fruity, pithy wine with pleasant acidity) because of its special quality and achieved high prices.

1529 The first Turkish siege

Mariahilferstraße, already than an important route to the West, was repeatedly the scene of historical encounters. When the Turks besieged Vienna for the first time, was at the lower end of today Mariahilferstrasse, just outside the city walls of Vienna, a small settlement of houses and cottages, gardens and fields. Even the St. Theobald Monastery was there. This so-called "gap" was burned at the approach of the Turks, for them not to offer hiding places at the siege. Despite a prohibition, the area was rebuilt after departure of the Turks.

1558, a provision was adopted so that the glacis, a broad, unobstructed strip between the city wall and the outer settlements, should be left free. The Glacis existed until the demolition of the city walls in 1858. Here the ring road was later built.

1663 The new Post Road

With the new purpose of the Mariahilferstrasse as post road the first three roadside inn houses were built. At the same time the travel increased, since the carriages were finally more comfortable and the roads safer. Two well-known expressions date from this period. The "tip" and "kickbacks". In the old travel handbooks of that time we encounter them as guards beside the route, the travel and baggage tariff. The tip should the driver at the rest stop pay for the drink, while the bribe was calculated in proportion to the axle grease. Who was in a hurry, just paid a higher lubricant (Schmiergeld) or tip to motivate the coachman.

1683 The second Turkish siege

The second Turkish siege brought Mariahilferstraße the same fate. Meanwhile, a considerable settlement was formed, a real suburb, which, however, still had a lot of fields and brick pits. Again, the suburb along the Mariahilferstraße was razed to the ground, the population sought refuge behind the walls or in the Vienna Woods. The reconstruction progressed slowly since there was a lack of funds and manpower. Only at the beginning of the 18th Century took place a targeted reconstruction.

1686 Palais Esterhazy

On several "Brandstetten", by the second Turkish siege destroyed houses, the Hungarian aristocratic family Esterhazy had built herself a simple palace, which also had a passage on the Mariahilferstrasse. 1764 bought the innkeeper Paul Winkelmayr from Spittelberg the building, demolished it and built two new buildings that have been named in accordance with the Esterhazy "to the Hungarian crown."

17th Century to 19th Century. Fom the village to suburb

With the development of the settlements on the Mariahilferstraße from village to suburbs, changed not only the appearance but also the population. More and more agricultural land fell victim to the development, craftsmen and tradesmen settled there. There was an incredible variety of professions and trades, most of which were organized into guilds or crafts. Those cared for vocational training, quality and price of the goods, and in cases of unemployment, sickness and death.

The farms were replaced by churches and palaces, houses and shops. Mariahilf changed into a major industrial district, Mariahilferstrasse was an important trading center. Countless street traders sold the goods, which they carried either with them, or put in a street stall on display. The dealers made themselves noticeable by a significant Kaufruf (purchase call). So there was the ink man who went about with his bottles, the Wasserbauer (hydraulic engineering) who sold Danube water on his horse-drawn vehicle as industrial water, or the lavender woman. This lovely Viennese figures disappeared with the emergence of fixed premises and the improvement of urban transport.

Private carriages, horse-drawn carriages and buggies populated the streets, who used this route also for trips. At Mariahilferplatz Linientor (gate) was the main stand of the cheapest and most popular means of transport, the Zeiselwagen, which the Wiener used for their excursions into nature, which gradually became fashionable. In the 19th Century then yet arrived the Stellwagen (carriage) and bus traffic which had to accomplish the connection between Vienna and the suburbs. As a Viennese joke has it, suggests the Stellwagen that it has been so called because it did not come from the spot.

1719 - 1723 Royal and Imperial Court Stables

Emperor Charles VI. gave the order for the construction of the stables to Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. 1772 the building was extended by two houses on the Mariahilferstrasse. The size of the stables still shows, as it serves as the Museum Quarter - its former importance. The Mariahilferstraße since the building of Schönbrunn Palace by the Imperial court very strongly was frequented. Today in the historic buildings the Museum Quarter is housed.

The church and monastery of Maria Hülff

Coloured engraving by J. Ziegler, 1783

1730 Mariahilferkirche

1711 began the renovation works at the Mariahilferkirche, giving the church building today's appearance and importance as a baroque monument. The plans stem from Franziskus Jänkl, the foreman of Lukas von Hildebrandt. Originally stood on the site of the Mariahilferkirche in the medieval vineyard "In Schoeff" a cemetery with wooden chapel built by the Barnabites. Already in those days, the miraculous image Mariahilf was located therein. During the Ottoman siege the chapel was destroyed, the miraculous image could be saved behind the protective walls. After the provisional reconstruction the miraculous image in a triumphal procession was returned, accompanied by 30,000 Viennese.

1790 - 1836 Ferdinand Raimund

Although in the district Mariahilf many artists and historical figures of Vienna lived , it is noticeable that as a residence they rather shunned the Mariahilferstraße, because as early as in the 18th Century there was a very lively and loud bustle on the street. The most famous person who was born on the Mariahilferstrasse is the folk actor and dramatist Ferdinand Raimund. He came in the house No. 45, "To the Golden deer (Zum Goldenen Hirschen)", which still exists today, as son of a turner into the world. As confectioners apprentice, he also had to visit the theaters, where he was a so-called "Numero", who sold his wares to the visitors. This encounter with the theater was fateful. He took flight from his training masters and joined a traveling troupe as an actor. After his return to Vienna, he soon became the most popular comedian. In his plays all those figures appeared then bustling the streets of Vienna. His most famous role was that of the "ash man" in "Farmer as Millionaire", a genuine Viennese guy who brings the wood ash in Butte from the houses, and from the proceeds leading a modest existence.

1805 - 1809 French occupation

The two-time occupation of Vienna by the French hit the suburbs hard. But the buildings were not destroyed fortunately.

19th century Industrialization

Here, where a higher concentration of artisans had developed as in other districts, you could feel the competition of the factories particularly hard. A craftsman after another became factory worker, women and child labor was part of the day-to-day business. With the sharp rise of the population grew apartment misery and flourished bed lodgers and roomers business.

1826

The Mariahilferstraße is paved up to the present belt (Gürtel).

1848 years of the revolution

The Mariahilferstraße this year was in turmoil. At the outbreak of the revolution, the hatred of the people was directed against the Verzehrungssteuerämter (some kind of tax authority) at the lines that have been blamed for the rise of food prices, and against the machines in the factories that had made the small craftsmen out of work or dependent workers. In October, students, workers and citizens tore up paving stones and barricaded themselves in the Mariahilfer Linientor (the so-called Linienwall was the tax frontier) in the area of ​​today's belt.

1858 The Ring Road

The city walls fell and on the glacis arose the ring-road, the now 6th District more closely linking to the city center.

1862 Official naming

The Mariahilferstraße received its to the present day valid name, after it previously was bearing the following unofficial names: "Bavarian country road", "Mariahilfer Grund Straße", "Penzinger Street", "Laimgrube main street" and "Schönbrunner Linienstraße".

The turn of the century: development to commercial street

After the revolution of 1848, the industry displaced the dominant small business rapidly. At the same time the Mariahilferstraße developed into the first major shopping street of Vienna. The rising supply had to be passed on to the customer, and so more and more new shops sprang up. Around the turn of the century broke out a real building boom. The low suburban houses with Baroque and Biedermeier facade gave way to multi-storey houses with flashy and ostentatious facades in that historic style mixture, which was so characteristic of the late Ringstrasse period. From the former historic buildings almost nothing remained. The business portals were bigger and more pompous, the first department stores in the modern style were Gerngross and Herzmansky. Especially the clothing industry took root here.

1863 Herzmansky opened

On 3 March opened August Herzmansky a small general store in the Church Lane (Kirchengasse) 4. 1897 the great establishment in the pin alley (Stiftgasse) was opened, the largest textile company of the monarchy. August Herzmansky died a year before the opening, two nephews take over the business. In 1928, Mariahilferstraße 28 is additionally acquired. 1938, the then owner Max Delfiner had to flee, the company Rhonberg and Hämmerle took over the house. The building in Mariahilferstrasse 30 additionally was purchased. In the last days of the war in 1945 it fell victim to the flames, however. 1948, the company was returned to Max Delfiner, whose son sold in 1957 to the German Hertie group, a new building in Mariahilferstrasse 26 - 30 constructing. Other ownership changes followed.

1869 The Pferdetramway

The Pferdetramway made it first trip through the Mariahilferstraße to Neubaugasse.

Opened in 1879 Gerngroß

Mariahilferstraße about 1905

Alfred Gerngross, a merchant from Bavaria and co-worker August

Herzmanskys, founded on Mariahilferstrasse 48/corner Church alley (Kirchengasse) an own fabric store. He became the fiercest competitor of his former boss.

1901 The k.k. Imperial Furniture Collection

The k.k. Hofmobilien and material depot is established in Mariahilferstrasse 88. The collection quickly grew because each new ruler got new furniture. Today, it serves as a museum. Among other things, there is the office of Emperor Franz Joseph, the equipment of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico from Miramare Castle, the splendid table of Charles VI. and the furniture from the Oriental Cabinet of Crown Prince Rudolf.

1911 The House Stafa

On 18 August 1911, on the birthday of Emperor Franz Joseph, corner Mariahilferstraße/imperial road (Kaiserstraße) the "central palace" was opened. The construction by its architecture created a sensation. Nine large double figure-relief panels of Anton Hanak decorated it. In this building the "1st Vienna Commercial sample collective department store (Warenmuster-Kollektivkaufhaus)", a eight-storey circular building was located, which was to serve primarily the craft. The greatest adversity in the construction were underground springs. Two dug wells had to be built to pump out the water. 970 liters per minute, however, must be pumped out until today.

1945 bombing of Vienna

On 21 February 1945 bombs fell on the Mariahilferstrasse, many buildings were badly damaged. On 10th April Wiener looted the store Herzmansky. Ella Fasser, the owner of the café "Goethe" in Mariahilferstrasse, preserved the Monastery barracks (Stiftskaserne) from destruction, with the help other resistance fighters cutting the fire-conducting cords that had laid the retreating German troops. Meanwhile, she invited the officers to the cafe, and befuddled them with plenty of alcohol.

www.wien-vienna.at/blickpunkte.php?ID=582

Bergh Apton is a village and parish in south Norfolk, 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Norwich.

In Saxon and Norman times Bergh Apton was two separate villages. Apton, meaning a ‘farm or enclosure belonging to Api’, lay to the north-west, and Bergh, from Old English, meaning a ‘hill or mound’, was to the south-east. Each village had its own church, Apton was served by the church of St. Martin, last recorded being used in 1555 with the remains being cleared in 1834. Bergh was served by the 14th. century church of St. Peter and St. Paul, which stands on a low hill overlooking the River Chet, marking the southern boundary of the now combined parish.

There is some evidence for early occupation in the parish. Mesolithic flints and Neolithic axes have been found, ans there are a number of Bronze Age barrows, mostly clustered in the east of the parish. The site of a possible Roman villa is in the south of the parish, where painted wall plaster, roof tile, pottery and coins have been found.

A late 5th. to late 6th. century Anglo Saxon burial site was discovered at Bergh Apton. The site was excavated in 1973 and although the south and west portions of the site had previously been destroyed, 63 graves were found. The state of preservation of the skeletal remains was described as 'very poor' due to the acidity of the soil. Grave goods found at the site included weapons, shields, spears and jewellery. One grave, possibly of a minstrel, was found to contain a lyre similar to that found at Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk. Twelve of the graves were those of children aged under 12 years. No evidence of an Anglo Saxon settlement adjacent to the cemetery has been found. The artefacts from the site are currently held by Norwich Castle Museum.

The village sign is double sided. This side shows, on the ground, a partially unrolled scroll, which is the will of Christopher Tenwinter, who in 1599 bequeathed 60 acres of land to the parish, on condition that 20 shillings was distributed to the poor annually. His ghostly likeness can be seen under the right side of the tree. The church of St. Peter and St. Paul is in the background on the left and a tractor with a 5 share plough is on the right.

The Ijen volcano complex is a group of stratovolcanoes, in East Java, Indonesia. It is inside a larger caldera Ijen, which is about 20 kilometers wide. The Gunung Merapi stratovolcano is the highest point of that complex. The name of this volcano resembles that of a different volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, also known as Gunung Merapi; there is also a third volcano named Marapi in Sumatra. The name "Merapi" means "fire" in the Indonesian language.

West of Gunung Merapi is the Ijen volcano, which has a one-kilometer-wide turquoise-colored acid crater lake. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones forms an east/west-trending zone across the southern side of the caldera. The active crater at Kawah Ijen has an equivalent radius of 361 metres (1,184 ft), a surface of 0.41 square kilometres (0.16 sq mi). It is 200 metres (660 ft) deep and has a volume of 36 cubic hectometres (29,000 acre·ft).

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.

Images were taken from a height of 2799 m above sea level, while climbing the mountain crater of Ijen, East Java Indonesia.

The Ijen volcano complex is a group of stratovolcanoes, in East Java, Indonesia. It is inside a larger caldera Ijen, which is about 20 kilometers wide. The Gunung Merapi stratovolcano is the highest point of that complex. The name of this volcano resembles that of a different volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, also known as Gunung Merapi; there is also a third volcano named Marapi in Sumatra. The name "Merapi" means "fire" in the Indonesian language.

West of Gunung Merapi is the Ijen volcano, which has a one-kilometer-wide turquoise-colored acid crater lake. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones forms an east/west-trending zone across the southern side of the caldera. The active crater at Kawah Ijen has an equivalent radius of 361 metres (1,184 ft), a surface of 0.41 square kilometres (0.16 sq mi). It is 200 metres (660 ft) deep and has a volume of 36 cubic hectometres (29,000 acre·ft).

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.[2]

The beauty of Ijen mountain is not on the crater area only, but also when the sun rises from behind the mountain and the surrounding natural scenery ..... it's amazing!

Images were taken from a height of 2799 m above sea level, while climbing the mountain crater of Ijen, East Java Indonesia.

This is the largest volcanic crater in the world.

The half-timbered building to the right is no. 45 built in 1580.

"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.

Devoto Gardens is a 20 acre diversified family farm nestled among apple orchards, pinot noir vines, and a bounty of flowers for cutting. Situated west of downtown Sebastopol, the farm is often canopied with cool morning fog that lingers into the afternoon hours, providing a perfect climate for cultivating flowers, grapes, and apples.

In 1975, Susan and Stan Devoto bought the ranch that would become Devoto Gardens and began farming micro-greens and flowers the following year. But it didn't take long before the family became obsessed with apples, and now they grow over 50 varieties of heirloom species.

The Devotos grow as many heirloom apples as there are uses and tastebuds. Thousands of nuances make each individual apple delicious, whether its being used for raw eating, juicing, baking, or cider.

Jolie (the middle daughter of three) acknowledges that the best tasting apples are also the most difficult to grow, and therefore, require the most dedication. Although apple trees are resilient, the more TLC they receive, the better the flavor of the fruit. Having grown apples for nearly 40 years, the Devotos intimately know each variety: the time of harvest, what it tastes like at its best, and the amount of acid versus sugar in the fruit.

The apple harvest begins with the Gravenstein in August and will last into November. Once the apples have been picked, they are hauled from the orchard to a spot in front of the greenhouse where they are sorted, boxed, labeled, and loaded into a van for the markets.

Gravensteins have a sweet/tart flavor combo with a little spice and bright acidity. They’re perfect for eating, saucing, baking, or in the case of Jolie’s new venture with her husband Hunter, artisan sparkling hard cider. Regardless of use, the Gravenstein Apple remains a symbol of Sonoma County’s historical agricultural tradition.

Backlight

Gegenlicht

Herzlich Willkommen beim Stadt-Land-Leute-Portal von Tüpedia, dem Stadtwiki Tübingen

Lustnau liegt östlich von Tübingen und ist mit seinen 9.436 Einwohnern der größte Stadtteil von Tübingen.

Neusiedler -

Siedlungsgebiet : Stäudach - Herrlesberg

72074 Tübingen

Motor des europäischen Weinbaus waren die Klöster. Im Mittelalter wurde Wein hauptsächlich zur Sicherstellung der Liturgie angebaut. Christliche Rituale ohne Messwein waren unvorstellbar.

Vom 9. bis in das 14. Jahrhundert herrschte darüber hinaus ein vergleichsweise mildes Klima. Diese Periode wird auch Mittelalterliche Warmzeit oder Mittelalterliches Klimaoptimum genannt.

Das mediterrane Klima im Sommer lässt an den steil abfallenden Weinbergen hin zum Neckarufer einen fein mundenden Wein gedeihen.

Sorten:

Drollinger (Trollinger) , Gutedel, weiße Elblinge, Sylvaner und wenig Klevner*

...

Exkurs

Weisswein: ursprünglich aus dem Elsass oder Burgunder Raum

Einen Produktionsschwerpunkt bildet er jedoch in Gebieten mit kühlem Weinbauklima. Weiße Rebsorten benötigen weniger Wärme und Licht zur Erreichung der Vollreife als rote Rebsorten. Der Aufbau der Anthocyane dunkler Sorten verschlingt große Mengen an Sonnenenergie. Andererseits spielt der Reifezustand der Tannine in hellen Rebsorten nur eine untergeordnete Rolle, da durch die frühe Pressung eine Extraktion der Tannine verhindert wird. Darüber hinaus werden weiße Rebsorten häufig vor der phenolischen Reife geerntet, um einen ausreichend hohen Säuregehalt zu garantieren. Das gustatorische Gleichgewicht eines Weißweins beruht im Wesentlichen auf dem Spiel zwischen Alkohol und Zucker auf der einen Seite und der Säure auf der anderen Seite.

Der Weißburgunder ist ein relativ neutraler Wein, der sich deshalb hervorragend zu verschiedensten leichten Gerichten kombinieren lässt. Seine Säure ist sehr sanft und unauffällig.

Als Fehér Burgundi in Ungarn gehandelt.

Einen Aufschwung erfuhr die Sorte vor 150 Jahren mit der Ausweitung der Sektproduktion, für die man reine Burgunderweinberge anpflanzte.

1874 von Weißer *Klävner ( Klawner) auf Weißer Burgunder bzw. Weißburgunder umgetauft.

Pinot blanc:

Französische Bezeichnung für Weißer Burgunder.

Weisee Rebe - Landwein:

Pinot Blanc stands out by way of its fine, fruity nose. Typical is its light nutty aroma. As a dry wine, with its fresh acidity and fine fruit, it is an excellent partner to food.

....

Herrlesberg - ab 1990 entstandenen auf der Hochfläche nordöstlich der Lustnauer Ortsmitte ein klassisches Einfamilenhäuser Baugebiet mit teilweise architektonisch interessanten Villen und Landhäusern.

Herrlesberg gilt als nicht ganz billiges Baugebiet, obwohl anfangs jegliche Infrastruktur für Kinder und Jugendliche fehlte.

Die Orts-strassen werden zu Spielstrassen deklariert.

Beispiel:

Die Gertrud-Bäumer-Straße ist eine Spielstraße. Es wohnen viele Leute in der Gertrud-Bäumer-Straße. Es hat leider keine Spielplätze oder Fussballplätze.

In dem Neubaugebiet leben 2102 Einwohner.

Es gibt heute städtische Kinderhaus Herrlesberg mit bis zu 40 Plätzen.

Der Herrlesberg ist ein reines Wohn- und Schlafquartier

Seit Februar 2009 gibt es einen genossenschaftlicher Laden auf dem "Herrlesberg" .

www.herrlesbergladen.de/geschichte.html

---

Wohngebiet "Auf dem Herrlesberg" oberhalb des Tübinger Stadtteils Lustnau (Ortskern) und unterhalb von Pfrondorf

Lustnau - Dieser Ort gehörte den Herren von Lustnau – Ministeriale der Pfalzgrafen von Tübingen.

Im Mittelalter wurde in Lustnau hauptsächlich Wein- und Ackerbau betrieben. Insbesondere der Weinbau nahm einen breiten Raum ein. Die Weingärten befanden sich vor allem am Herrlesberg, am Österberg und auch in der Neuhalde.

Der Weinbau ging in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts stark zurück und wurde ehr und mehr durch Hopfenanbau ersetzt.

Während des ersten Weltkrieges wurde der Hopfenanbau gänzlich eingestellt.

Die landwirtschaftlichen Flächen und ehemaligen Weinberge wurden im 20. Jahrhundert immer mehr bebaut.

Es gibt aber am steilen Neckarhang noch vereinzelte kleine Parzellen auf denen Gemüse und Blumen gedeihen, siehe oben.

Weitere Bilder folgen.

Übersicht:

www.flickr.com/photos/eagle1effi/3344604686

Lustnau vor 1900

Die alte 1740 und die neue 1842 erbaute Staatsstraße von Tübingen nach Dettenhausen und weiterhin nach Stuttgart geht hier durch; ferner führt eine Vicinalstraße nach Kirchentellinsfurth.

Haupterwerbsquellen sind Feldbau, Weinbau, Obstbau und Viehzucht; sodann finden sich Liaskalksteinbrüche, die gutes Straßenmaterial liefern, eine Lehmgrube und Kiesbänke am Neckar.

Unter den Gewerbetreibenden sind Maurer und Zimmerleute zahlreich vertreten und arbeiten auch nach außen; drei Schildwirthschaften, worunter eine mit Bierbrauerei, die namhafte Geschäfte macht; zwei Kaufläden und ein Kramladen bestehen.

Dann befindet sich hier eine Ziegelhütte mit Drainirrohrfabrikation und eine Mühle mit drei Mahl- und einem Gerbgange.

Die Vermögensverhältnisse der Einwohner gehören zu den mittleren; der begütertste Bürger besitzt 40, der Mittelmann 12–15 und die ärmere Klasse 1–31/2 Morgen; einige haben gar kein Grundeigenthum. Hiesige Bürger besitzen etwa 20 Morgen auf Pfrondorfer Markung, dagegen haben Bürger von Kirchentellinsfurth und Kusterdingen Weinberge und Wiesen auf hiesiger Markung.

Weinberge sind etwa 50 Morgen vorhanden, von denen übrigens nur die Hälfte mit Reben bestockt ist, während die andere Hälfte theils mit Hopfen, theils mit anderen Kulturgewächsen bepflanzt wird. Man pflegt Drollinger, Gutedel, weiße Elblinge, Sylvaner und wenig Klevner, die einen mittelguten Wein liefern. Auf den Morgen rechnet man 2000–2500 Stöcke und 4–5 Eimer Ertrag. Die Preise eines Eimers bewegten sich in den Jahren 1811 von 46–50 fl., 1857 von 30–36 fl., 1865 von 60–70 fl. Der Wein wird größtentheils im Ort verbraucht.

Die im Zunehmen begriffene Obstzucht ist bedeutend und gegenwärtig läßt die Gemeinde 10 Morgen zu Obstbaumgütern anlegen; es werden vorzugsweise Luiken, Fleiner, Goldparmäne, Knausbirnen, Palmischbirnen, Mostbirnen, Bratbirnen und ziemlich Zwetschgen gepflanzt. Das Obst gedeiht gerne und erlaubt in günstigen Jahren einen ziemlich namhaften Verkauf nach Tübingen.

... 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

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

"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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