Greek Mythology
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Māui, “The Valley Isle,” is the second largest Hawaiian island. It is loved for its world famous beaches, sacred Lao Valley, views of migrating whales and the magnificent sunrises and sunsets seen on the summit of Haleakala Volcano. The origin of the island's name is found in the legend of Hawaiʻiloa, who is credited with the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. According to the legend, Hawaiʻiloa named the island after his son, named for Hawaiian demigod Māui.
From the vault, 9 years ago; how time flies!!!!!!
Elevation: 9,740 ft. (2969 m.)
A birds-eye view of Haleakala’s crater floor, as seen from the Kalahaku overlook.
Here's a brief intro on Haleakala from the web:
Towering over the island of Maui and visible from just about any point, Haleakala Crater is a force of nature in every sense. At 10,023 feet above sea level, this dormant volcano is the stage for a breathtaking range of landscapes—and skyscapes.
Haleakala means "house of the sun" in Hawaiian, and legend goes that the demigod Maui lassoed the sun from its journey across the sky as he stood on the volcano’s summit, slowing its descent to make the day last longer.
I'm back. I could sleep for another straight week. But I have the itch to stare at things and use my brain for things other than...errands and "packing tetris."
Sponsored:
Outfit: Demon Armor - Diety by Somnium, available at The Warehouse Sale, and afterwards at the Somnium Mainstore. It includes the horns, collar, gloves, an animated tail and pretty epic boots!
Globe:Ofanim by Somnium, available at the Somnium Mainstore.
Crown:Maledictor's Crown - Diety by Somnium, available at the Somnium Mainstore.
Tattoos: Sjora by Lilithé, available at the Lilithé Mainstore.
Pose: Set 270 by SAPA Poses, available at the SAPA Poses Mainstore.
Other Deets:
Head: Lelutka - Quinn
Body: Legacy - Male
Skin: Not Found - Hudson (Browless)
Face Markings: Loa - Lilith Face Paint
Third Eye: Aii - Demonic Touch - Third Eye
Halo: Varonis - Sombre Skybox (Disassembled and modified)
As usual, if you're curious about the raw shot, you can find it on my blog. Check it out!
______________________________
Links:
How could You better start a day than with a breakfast with Hercules an his son. Yes, You are right, there are thousands of possibilities to better start a day than walking up there at 4 o’clock in the morning. But I had decided to be here, at the Hercules Columns in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. For me, it was worth it.
Wie kann man den Tag besser beginnen als mit einem Frühstück bei Herkules und seinem Sohn. Ja, ist ja richtig, es gibt tausend Möglichkeiten den Tag besser zu beginnen als um 4 Uhr früh dort hoch zu laufen. Doch ich hatte mich entschieden hier zu sein, bei den Herkulessäulen im Elbsandsteingebirge. Für mich hat es sich gelohnt.
Hair ~ RAMA.SALON - Build a Bella Hair
Horns ~ :[Petrichor]:- Aromnys Adorned Horns - Soft
Skin ~ { Pity Party } Violet Lel Evo X Tone Blush @Tannenbaum
Shape ~ New!!! Olive Lelutka Halle Evo X & Ebody Reborn @MP
Outfit ~ Lunar - Demi @Equal10
Stockings ~ [MODA] TORN TIGHTS - 80%
Wings ~ [-] NANAO x .Tardfish. Maleficient Wings (Animesh) @TheWarehouseSale
Pose ~ Insomnia Angel. loco pose @KpopUnited
Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz, Viso del Marqués, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
El palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz es un edificio situado en el municipio de Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), en la Comunidad autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha, en España. Fue construido a finales del siglo XVI por Álvaro de Bazán, primer marqués de Santa Cruz. Actualmente es la sede del Archivo General de la Marina.
Fue construido entre 1564 y 1586 con modificaciones posteriores, y se trata de un edificio de planta cuadrada y estilo renacentista articulado en torno a un atrio renacentista con una tumba yacente. Los muros y techos se hallan cubiertos de frescos de doble temática: por un lado, escenas mitológicas y, por otro, batallas navales y ciudades italianas relacionadas con la trayectoria militar del marqués y de sus familiares. Los frescos se deben a unos pintores manieristas italianos, los Péroli. Al verlos, Felipe II les encargaría trabajos para El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo.
Para levantarlo, el marqués contrató a un equipo de arquitectos, pintores y decoradores que trabajaron en la obra desde 1564 hasta 1586. Para algunos, el diseño del edificio se debió al italiano Giovanni Battista Castello, conocido como el Bergamasco, que más tarde trabajó en El Escorial; para otros lo trazó, al menos en su plan original, Enrique Egas el Mozo.
La arquitectura se percibe como típica española, sin las arquerías italianas, con paramentos lisos y torres cuadradas en las esquinas, influidos por la austeridad de El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo, dentro de las relaciones armónicas características del Renacimiento. El espacio central está ocupado por un patio porticado que junto con la escalera forma un conjunto típicamente manierista entendido como estilo elegante y cortesano que desborda el marco meramente arquitectónico. Contaba con cuatro torres que, al parecer, se derrumbaron a consecuencia del Terremoto de Lisboa de 1755.
Las paredes están decoradas con 8.000 metros cuadrados de frescos manieristas elaborados por Giovanni Battista Peroli con Esteban Peroli y César de Bellis. Todos trabajaron para crear un espacio erigido a la mayor gloria de su dueño: por un lado, había que exaltar sus virtudes militares, y por el otro, enaltecer su linaje. Para lo primero, se pintaron en las paredes, las bóvedas y los techos del palacio vistas de ciudades y de puertos, así como los baluartes y las batallas en los que había conquistado su inmenso prestigio. A ambos lados de la escalera se ubicaron dos estatuas en las que aparecía representado como Neptuno (dios de los mares, con su tridente) y como Marte (dios de la guerra), y sobre las puertas del piso superior se colocaron los fanales de popa de las naves capitanas vencidas en las batallas, que eran los trofeos de los marinos. Para elogiar su linaje, y siguiendo la misma tradición renacentista de representar a hombres como dioses o semidioses de la antigüedad, se pintó a los antepasados del marqués y a sus esposas (tuvo dos) e hijos.
Estos dos grupos de representaciones se aderezaron con trampantojos, pinturas que simulaban puertas, columnas y otros elementos decorativos y arquitectónicos; y también con motivos grutescos que incluían animales mitológicos, sabandijas y follajes. Conforme una temática muy variada que se puede interpretar como defensa del catolicismo defendido en Trento.
Las estatuas sepulcrales de Alonso de Bazán (hermano de don Álvaro) y su esposa María de Figueroa, son el único ejemplo de escultura funeraria perteneciente al primer tercio del siglo XVII. Fueron ejecutados para el Monasterio de la Concepción que ocupaba la Comunidad de Religiosas Franciscas de El Viso del Marqués, ubicándose a día de hoy en el muro del Palacio más cercano a los jardines. Su creador fue Antonio de Riera, escultor relacionado con la corte de origen catalán. En ellas, aparecen los marqueses en actitud de orante, arrodillados en un reclinatorio, todo ello en mármol blanco que resalta sobre el mármol negro de los nichos. Se advierte en ellos cierta similitud con la elegancia y el clasicismo de los Leoni, a pesar de cierta rigidez formal, siendo de especial relevancia la forma en la que están ejecutadas las telas y el detalle de los vestidos.
The Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz is a building located in the municipality of Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It was built in the late 16th century by Álvaro de Bazán, the first Marquis of Santa Cruz. It currently houses the General Archive of the Navy.
Built between 1564 and 1586, with subsequent modifications, it is a square, Renaissance-style building centered around a Renaissance atrium with a recumbent tomb. The walls and ceilings are covered with frescoes depicting two themes: mythological scenes, and naval battles and Italian cities related to the military career of the Marquis and his family. The frescoes are by Italian Mannerist painters, the Pérolis. Upon seeing them, Philip II commissioned works from them for El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo.
To build it, the Marquis hired a team of architects, painters, and decorators who worked on the project from 1564 to 1586. Some believe the building was designed by the Italian Giovanni Battista Castello, known as El Bergamasco, who later worked at El Escorial; others believe it was designed, at least in its original plan, by Enrique Egas the Younger.
The architecture is perceived as typically Spanish, lacking the Italian arches, with smooth walls and square towers at the corners, influenced by the austerity of El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo, within the harmonious relationships characteristic of the Renaissance. The central space is occupied by a porticoed courtyard that, together with the staircase, forms a typically Mannerist ensemble, understood as an elegant and courtly style that transcends the purely architectural framework. It had four towers that apparently collapsed as a result of the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
The walls are decorated with 8,000 square meters of Mannerist frescoes created by Giovanni Battista Peroli with Esteban Peroli and César de Bellis. They all worked to create a space built to the greatest glory of its owner: on the one hand, to exalt his military virtues, and on the other, to honor his lineage. To this end, views of cities and ports, as well as the bastions and battles in which he had earned his immense prestige, were painted on the walls, vaults, and ceilings of the palace. On either side of the staircase were two statues depicting him as Neptune (god of the seas, with his trident) and Mars (god of war). Above the doors on the upper floor were the stern lanterns of defeated flagships, trophies of the sailors. To praise his lineage, and following the same Renaissance tradition of depicting men as gods or demigods of antiquity, the marquis's ancestors, his wives (he had two) and children were painted.
These two groups of representations were embellished with trompe l'oeil paintings simulating doors, columns, and other decorative and architectural elements; as well as grotesque motifs that included mythological animals, vermin, and foliage. This varied theme can be interpreted as a defense of the Catholicism championed in Trent.
The sepulchral statues of Alonso de Bazán (Don Álvaro's brother) and his wife María de Figueroa are the only examples of funerary sculpture dating from the first third of the 17th century. They were executed for the Monastery of the Concepción, which was occupied by the Community of Franciscan Nuns of El Viso del Marqués, and are now located on the wall of the Palace closest to the gardens. Their creator was Antonio de Riera, a sculptor of Catalan origin associated with the court. They depict the marquises in a prayerful attitude, kneeling on a prie-dieu. All in white marble, which stands out against the black marble of the niches. There is a certain similarity to the elegance and classicism of the Leoni family, despite their formal rigidity, with the execution of the fabrics and the detail of the dresses being particularly noteworthy.
Haleakalā is a volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. In Hawaiian folklore, the depression at the summit of Haleakalā was home to the grandmother of the demigod Māui. Māui's grandmother helped him capture the sun and force it to slow its journey across the sky in order to lengthen the day. Hawaiians called the mountain 'the house of the sun'. In the right background you can see two shield volcanos on the neighbouring Island of Hawai'i. The left one is Mauna Kea 4,207.3 m (13,803 ft) above sea level, the highest point in the state of Hawaiʻi and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. Measuring from its base at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain, with a distance from the ocean floor to the top of the mountain being 33,476 feet (10,203 m). Mauna Loa, its more massive neighbor to the right, stands at 4,169 m (13,679 ft). Mauna Loa has historically been considered the largest volcano on Earth by volume. The photo is a panorama from 3 pictures in landscape format.
Though He is truly without name, the followers of the Black Word cult have taken to calling their deity Invictus, meaning unconquerable or undefeated. The irony is indeed lost on them, however, as the monstrous god was indeed defeated and locked away many, many years ago for meddling in the affairs of mortals for His pleasure and amusement.
It was through Invictus that the First was given the power of spreading the Word, and it is His eventual return that drives the cult forward. It is said that once the cult has grown large enough, amassed enough power, He will be freed from His shackles to direct and lead His armies of followers into depravity, calamity, and the eventual rebirth of the world, and the Empire with it.
The official word from the Empire's historians is that Invictus is a myth, a false deity, and unjust justification for the crimes the cult has committed. Whether or not He truly exists, or ever existed, is nearly irrelevant at this time. The Black Word will continue to use His teachings as reason enough to spread their chaos, seed, and destruction across the kingdoms and within the Empire.
Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz, Viso del Marqués, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
El palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz es un edificio situado en el municipio de Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), en la Comunidad autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha, en España. Fue construido a finales del siglo XVI por Álvaro de Bazán, primer marqués de Santa Cruz. Actualmente es la sede del Archivo General de la Marina.
Fue construido entre 1564 y 1586 con modificaciones posteriores, y se trata de un edificio de planta cuadrada y estilo renacentista articulado en torno a un atrio renacentista con una tumba yacente. Los muros y techos se hallan cubiertos de frescos de doble temática: por un lado, escenas mitológicas y, por otro, batallas navales y ciudades italianas relacionadas con la trayectoria militar del marqués y de sus familiares. Los frescos se deben a unos pintores manieristas italianos, los Péroli. Al verlos, Felipe II les encargaría trabajos para El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo.
Para levantarlo, el marqués contrató a un equipo de arquitectos, pintores y decoradores que trabajaron en la obra desde 1564 hasta 1586. Para algunos, el diseño del edificio se debió al italiano Giovanni Battista Castello, conocido como el Bergamasco, que más tarde trabajó en El Escorial; para otros lo trazó, al menos en su plan original, Enrique Egas el Mozo.
La arquitectura se percibe como típica española, sin las arquerías italianas, con paramentos lisos y torres cuadradas en las esquinas, influidos por la austeridad de El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo, dentro de las relaciones armónicas características del Renacimiento. El espacio central está ocupado por un patio porticado que junto con la escalera forma un conjunto típicamente manierista entendido como estilo elegante y cortesano que desborda el marco meramente arquitectónico. Contaba con cuatro torres que, al parecer, se derrumbaron a consecuencia del Terremoto de Lisboa de 1755.
Las paredes están decoradas con 8.000 metros cuadrados de frescos manieristas elaborados por Giovanni Battista Peroli con Esteban Peroli y César de Bellis. Todos trabajaron para crear un espacio erigido a la mayor gloria de su dueño: por un lado, había que exaltar sus virtudes militares, y por el otro, enaltecer su linaje. Para lo primero, se pintaron en las paredes, las bóvedas y los techos del palacio vistas de ciudades y de puertos, así como los baluartes y las batallas en los que había conquistado su inmenso prestigio. A ambos lados de la escalera se ubicaron dos estatuas en las que aparecía representado como Neptuno (dios de los mares, con su tridente) y como Marte (dios de la guerra), y sobre las puertas del piso superior se colocaron los fanales de popa de las naves capitanas vencidas en las batallas, que eran los trofeos de los marinos. Para elogiar su linaje, y siguiendo la misma tradición renacentista de representar a hombres como dioses o semidioses de la antigüedad, se pintó a los antepasados del marqués y a sus esposas (tuvo dos) e hijos.
Estos dos grupos de representaciones se aderezaron con trampantojos, pinturas que simulaban puertas, columnas y otros elementos decorativos y arquitectónicos; y también con motivos grutescos que incluían animales mitológicos, sabandijas y follajes. Conforme una temática muy variada que se puede interpretar como defensa del catolicismo defendido en Trento.
Las estatuas sepulcrales de Alonso de Bazán (hermano de don Álvaro) y su esposa María de Figueroa, son el único ejemplo de escultura funeraria perteneciente al primer tercio del siglo XVII. Fueron ejecutados para el Monasterio de la Concepción que ocupaba la Comunidad de Religiosas Franciscas de El Viso del Marqués, ubicándose a día de hoy en el muro del Palacio más cercano a los jardines. Su creador fue Antonio de Riera, escultor relacionado con la corte de origen catalán. En ellas, aparecen los marqueses en actitud de orante, arrodillados en un reclinatorio, todo ello en mármol blanco que resalta sobre el mármol negro de los nichos. Se advierte en ellos cierta similitud con la elegancia y el clasicismo de los Leoni, a pesar de cierta rigidez formal, siendo de especial relevancia la forma en la que están ejecutadas las telas y el detalle de los vestidos.
The Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz is a building located in the municipality of Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It was built in the late 16th century by Álvaro de Bazán, the first Marquis of Santa Cruz. It currently houses the General Archive of the Navy.
Built between 1564 and 1586, with subsequent modifications, it is a square, Renaissance-style building centered around a Renaissance atrium with a recumbent tomb. The walls and ceilings are covered with frescoes depicting two themes: mythological scenes, and naval battles and Italian cities related to the military career of the Marquis and his family. The frescoes are by Italian Mannerist painters, the Pérolis. Upon seeing them, Philip II commissioned works from them for El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo.
To build it, the Marquis hired a team of architects, painters, and decorators who worked on the project from 1564 to 1586. Some believe the building was designed by the Italian Giovanni Battista Castello, known as El Bergamasco, who later worked at El Escorial; others believe it was designed, at least in its original plan, by Enrique Egas the Younger.
The architecture is perceived as typically Spanish, lacking the Italian arches, with smooth walls and square towers at the corners, influenced by the austerity of El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo, within the harmonious relationships characteristic of the Renaissance. The central space is occupied by a porticoed courtyard that, together with the staircase, forms a typically Mannerist ensemble, understood as an elegant and courtly style that transcends the purely architectural framework. It had four towers that apparently collapsed as a result of the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
The walls are decorated with 8,000 square meters of Mannerist frescoes created by Giovanni Battista Peroli with Esteban Peroli and César de Bellis. They all worked to create a space built to the greatest glory of its owner: on the one hand, to exalt his military virtues, and on the other, to honor his lineage. To this end, views of cities and ports, as well as the bastions and battles in which he had earned his immense prestige, were painted on the walls, vaults, and ceilings of the palace. On either side of the staircase were two statues depicting him as Neptune (god of the seas, with his trident) and Mars (god of war). Above the doors on the upper floor were the stern lanterns of defeated flagships, trophies of the sailors. To praise his lineage, and following the same Renaissance tradition of depicting men as gods or demigods of antiquity, the marquis's ancestors, his wives (he had two) and children were painted.
These two groups of representations were embellished with trompe l'oeil paintings simulating doors, columns, and other decorative and architectural elements; as well as grotesque motifs that included mythological animals, vermin, and foliage. This varied theme can be interpreted as a defense of the Catholicism championed in Trent.
The sepulchral statues of Alonso de Bazán (Don Álvaro's brother) and his wife María de Figueroa are the only examples of funerary sculpture dating from the first third of the 17th century. They were executed for the Monastery of the Concepción, which was occupied by the Community of Franciscan Nuns of El Viso del Marqués, and are now located on the wall of the Palace closest to the gardens. Their creator was Antonio de Riera, a sculptor of Catalan origin associated with the court. They depict the marquises in a prayerful attitude, kneeling on a prie-dieu. All in white marble, which stands out against the black marble of the niches. There is a certain similarity to the elegance and classicism of the Leoni family, despite their formal rigidity, with the execution of the fabrics and the detail of the dresses being particularly noteworthy.
Haleakala (which translates to "House of the Sun") is an active shield volcano that forms more than 75% of Maui (on the east side). Although listed as "active", no worries if you'd like to visit and even do the 11 mile, full day hike that descends 2,500', as the last eruption was about 500 years ago. The volcanic crater at the summit was said to have been the home of the demigod Maui whose grandmother helped him capture the sun to force it to slow its journey across the sky to lengthen the day. Wonderful place to visit and explore, would highly recommend.
Haleakalā is a United States National Park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaiʻi. The park covers an area of 30,183 acres (122.15 km2), of which 24,719 acres (100.03 km2) is a wilderness area.
The park area was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980.
The name Haleakalā is Hawaiian for "house of the sun." According to a local legend, the demigod Maui imprisoned the sun here in order to lengthen the day.
The park features the dormant Haleakalā (East Maui) Volcano, which last erupted at around 1490. The park is divided into two distinct sections: the summit area and the coastal Kipahulu area.
The two sections of the park average 1,450,000 visitors per year.
Each morning, visitors come to the summit of the volcano to watch the spectacular sunrise. More visitors come each afternoon to watch the equally amazing sunset.
The Photograph was taken at sunrise.
Puʻu ʻUlaʻula (Red Hill) is the tallest peak of Haleakalā ("house of the sun"), at 10,023 feet and is situated in south-central Maui island, Hawaii, U.S. It is a central feature of Haleakala National Park. Haleakala has one of the world’s largest dormant volcanic craters, which was formed mainly by erosion and measures about 20 miles (30 km) in circumference. In several places the rim of the crater rises more than 2,500 feet (760 metres) above the crater floor. Haleakala was last active in the late 18th century and is the larger of the two volcanoes that form the island of Maui. The name Haleakala derives from the legend that the demigod Maui imprisoned the Sun there in order to lengthen the day.
Waiting for a winter sunset above the crater of Haleakala (elevation 10,023 feet (3,055 m).
Maui's volcano last erupted sometime between 1480 and 1600 AD.
Haleakalā is Hawaiian for "house of the sun." According to a local legend, the demigod Maui imprisoned the sun here in order to lengthen the day.
It is a national park.
Thanks for stopping by!
© Melissa Post 2023
Wellington, NOVA ZELANDA 2023
Te Ika-a-Māui, also known as New Zealand’s North Island, is the country’s most populated island and home to the capital, Wellington, and its largest city, Auckland. Its Māori name means "The Fish of Māui," referring to the legend where the demigod Māui fished the island from the ocean. It is famous for its geothermal activity in Rotorua, volcanic landscapes in Tongariro, golden beaches in the Bay of Plenty, and rich Māori culture. Additionally, it is a hub of innovation and modernity, featuring vibrant cities and outstanding cuisine.
NOVA ZELANDA, Aotearoa B/N 2023
Te Ika-a-Māui is the Māori name for New Zealand’s North Island, meaning "The Fish of Māui," referring to the legend of the demigod Māui who pulled it from the ocean with his magical hook. It is the most populated island in the country, home to major cities like Auckland and Wellington, the capital. Its geography is diverse, featuring active volcanoes, geysers, and geothermal lakes in Rotorua. The climate is temperate and humid, ideal for agriculture and viticulture. Māori culture has a strong presence, reflected in the language, traditions, and art. It is a popular tourist destination known for its natural beauty and outdoor activities.
By now the plan had been lurking at the forefront of my mind for more than two weeks, since we’d first arrived here. Each time we headed out across the island in the car, we’d spot more of them. Apparently there are 1.7million of them on the island. I found that fact on the internet you know. Mind you, Crete has thirty million of them - according to the same source. That’s a harvest and three quarters. Olive trees are revered like demigods here - everywhere you look, no two alike, each of them bristling with age and charm. The oldest one on the island is an extraordinary sprawling specimen in the high ground hamlet of Exo Chora. Reputedly over two thousand years old, it looks more like an enormous snail. The trunk has grown into multiple sections, each of them twisted, belly to the ground, folding and notched in so many places. Parts of it look as if they’ve been dead for hundreds of years, yet the giant snail breathes, patiently bearing the weight of thousands of olives waiting to be picked at the end of the season. It seems that almost everyone on the island is an olive picker when the holiday season ends in late October. The snail is a magnificent sight at the edge of the village square. To stand at its side and feel the pulse of ancient history beneath your fingers is quite something. To think that it might have been there long enough to witness the Greek and Roman empires in their heyday. The birth of Christianity even. By the time some Norman invaders landed a long way north of here at Pevensey Bay kicked off a bit of a ruckus, and sent an arrow into King Harold's eye, it was probably already a thousand years old. It puts so much in context. Trees are wonderful things, whatever the genus - but olive trees, these gnarled guardians from another age; well they’re really rather special.
But if I wanted to photograph some of them, I was going to need to do so in suitable light. And being the pair of beach bums that we are, dragging ourselves away from the sea in time was always going to be a challenge. There was no point in trying to convince myself otherwise. Once we’re on the beach, we don’t generally leave until after sunset - almost always the last to arrive and the last to leave. Living where we do, the sea is practically in our blood. Another factor was that the best evening light wasn’t here, near where we were staying. For that we’d need to leave the beach quite early and head up into the hills to explore. We all know that photographing trees isn’t a case of plonking the tripod down and hoping for an immediate shot. So I resigned myself to the fact that I’d need to try and grab a sunrise one morning. But where? I was spoilt for choice really. There was that olive grove in the first village on the route into Zakynthos town. I’d also spotted a couple of appealing options on the high ground on the roads up to Maries and Volimes, but that was a longer drive and I wasn’t sure I’d remembered exactly where I’d seen them. And then there was the row of terraces along the steep road that began that journey up onto the high ground. That seemed the likeliest candidate.
It was only in the last few days, when we took the slow road up to the convent that we spotted a new area of Olive trees just above the sea, not more than a couple of miles from our apartment. Salted olives by the tonne right here. Just how I like them. By now there were just two mornings left, and so I finally resolved myself to crawl out of bed early the next day and make the short trip to the olive grove by the sea. As Ali stirred, muttered something about me having a nice time and turning over to sleep again, I crept down the steps from the apartment to the car and drove through the streets, where the day was slowly kick-starting itself into action. Here a cleaner on the way to tidy up after the tourists, there a barkeeper pulling up the shutters and preparing for the first hungry breakfast arrivals.
By now I knew the strip quite well, and the map had long since been discarded. Within a few minutes I was perfectly alone here at the olive grove, suddenly remembering how difficult the random nature of woodlands can be. But time was on my side and I soon found a group of three repeating forms cascading away from me. I lined up the shot and waited. And then I waited some more. Every so often a car would whizz past on the road above, or sometimes a heavy truck, rattling its way up the slope and shaking the silence all around me. I checked my watch. Sunrise was close now - all I had to do was stay here and count the minutes. But while I did that, I could quickly trot across the grass, leaving the camera where it was on the tripod, just to have a look.
It was the running and taking a look that unsettled me, but in the event that might have been a good thing. The composition I’d found was still worth taking, but not until some time later when warm light finally found its way through the grove. But in the meantime, I raced back to the camera on the tripod, dragged it back to a new and very hastily discovered scene, and just about caught an orange sun rising up over the headland on the far side of Alykanas. Somehow it told the story. The sea, the olive trees and the warm early light. An autumn morning in a peaceful Ionian idyll. Worth the effort of getting out of bed for I reckon.
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Explore #49
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Relieves murales. Historias en piedra
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De: www.worldhistory.org/trans/es/1-12950/angkor-wat/
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Angkor Wat está diseñado para representar el monte Meru, el nexo espiritual y físico en el hinduismo que es el centro de toda la realidad. Los cinco picos del Monte Meru están representados por las cinco agujas del templo. Se creía que Brahma y los Devas (semidioses) vivían en el monte Meru y es famosa la referencia que se hace en el Mahabharata cuando Yudhishthira y sus hermanos viajan a las puertas del cielo. Los hermanos van muriendo uno a uno hasta que solo quedan Yudhishthira y su fiel perro. Cuando llegan a la frontera del cielo, el guardián de la puerta le dice a Yudhishthira que puede entrar por la vida digna que vivió, pero que no se admiten perros en el cielo. Yudhishthira rechaza cualquier paraíso que no incluya a los perros y se aleja, pero el guardián lo detiene y se revela como Vishnú, que solo lo estaba probando una última vez antes de permitirle la entrada.
Historias como esta se cuentan por todo el templo, donde se encuentran escenas de las obras clásicas de la literatura religiosa hindú, como el Ramayana y el Bhagavad-Gita. La gran batalla de Kurukshetra del Gita se representa con claridad, al igual que la batalla de Lanka del Ramayana. Como la mayoría de la gente no sabía leer en el siglo XII d. C., Angkor Wat sirvió como un gigantesco libro en el que se podían relatar visualmente los importantes relatos religiosos y culturales.
...
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Wall reliefs.- Stories in Stone
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From: www.worldhistory.org/Angkor_Wat/
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Angkor Wat is designed to represent Mount Meru, the spiritual and physical nexus in Hinduism which is the center of all reality. The five peaks of Mount Meru are represented by the five spires of the temple. Brahma and the Devas (demigods) were thought to live on Mount Meru and it is famously referenced in The Mahabharata when Yudhishthira and his brothers travel to the gates of heaven. One by one the brothers die until only Yudhishthira and his faithful dog are left. When they reach the border of heaven, the gatekeeper tells Yudhishthira that he may enter for the worthy life he lived but that dogs are not allowed in heaven. Yudhishthira rejects any paradise which does not include dogs and turns away, but the gatekeeper stops him and reveals himself as Vishnu who was only testing him one last time before allowing him entrance.
Stories such as this are told all over the temple where one finds scenes from the classic works of Hindu religious literature such as the Ramayana and Bhagavad-Gita. The great Battle of Kurukshetra from the Gita is depicted clearly as is the Battle of Lanka from the Ramayana. As most people could not read in the 12th century CE, Angkor Wat served as a gigantic book on which the important religious and cultural tales could be related visually.
...
I find it hard to tell you how I want to run away
I understand it always makes you feel a certain way
I find a balance in the middle of the chaos
Send me up, send me down
Send me never demigod
Encuentro difícil contarte todo lo que quiero escapar.
Entiendo que siempre te hace sentir de cierta manera.
Yo encuentro equilibrio en mitad del caos.
Mándame abajo, mándame arriba,
no me mandes nunca a un semidios.
Youtube ---> youtu.be/b5mOUS0ymz8
Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz, Viso del Marqués, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
El palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz es un edificio situado en el municipio de Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), en la Comunidad autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha, en España. Fue construido a finales del siglo XVI por Álvaro de Bazán, primer marqués de Santa Cruz. Actualmente es la sede del Archivo General de la Marina.
Fue construido entre 1564 y 1586 con modificaciones posteriores, y se trata de un edificio de planta cuadrada y estilo renacentista articulado en torno a un atrio renacentista con una tumba yacente. Los muros y techos se hallan cubiertos de frescos de doble temática: por un lado, escenas mitológicas y, por otro, batallas navales y ciudades italianas relacionadas con la trayectoria militar del marqués y de sus familiares. Los frescos se deben a unos pintores manieristas italianos, los Péroli. Al verlos, Felipe II les encargaría trabajos para El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo.
Para levantarlo, el marqués contrató a un equipo de arquitectos, pintores y decoradores que trabajaron en la obra desde 1564 hasta 1586. Para algunos, el diseño del edificio se debió al italiano Giovanni Battista Castello, conocido como el Bergamasco, que más tarde trabajó en El Escorial; para otros lo trazó, al menos en su plan original, Enrique Egas el Mozo.
La arquitectura se percibe como típica española, sin las arquerías italianas, con paramentos lisos y torres cuadradas en las esquinas, influidos por la austeridad de El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo, dentro de las relaciones armónicas características del Renacimiento. El espacio central está ocupado por un patio porticado que junto con la escalera forma un conjunto típicamente manierista entendido como estilo elegante y cortesano que desborda el marco meramente arquitectónico. Contaba con cuatro torres que, al parecer, se derrumbaron a consecuencia del Terremoto de Lisboa de 1755.
Las paredes están decoradas con 8.000 metros cuadrados de frescos manieristas elaborados por Giovanni Battista Peroli con Esteban Peroli y César de Bellis. Todos trabajaron para crear un espacio erigido a la mayor gloria de su dueño: por un lado, había que exaltar sus virtudes militares, y por el otro, enaltecer su linaje. Para lo primero, se pintaron en las paredes, las bóvedas y los techos del palacio vistas de ciudades y de puertos, así como los baluartes y las batallas en los que había conquistado su inmenso prestigio. A ambos lados de la escalera se ubicaron dos estatuas en las que aparecía representado como Neptuno (dios de los mares, con su tridente) y como Marte (dios de la guerra), y sobre las puertas del piso superior se colocaron los fanales de popa de las naves capitanas vencidas en las batallas, que eran los trofeos de los marinos. Para elogiar su linaje, y siguiendo la misma tradición renacentista de representar a hombres como dioses o semidioses de la antigüedad, se pintó a los antepasados del marqués y a sus esposas (tuvo dos) e hijos.
Estos dos grupos de representaciones se aderezaron con trampantojos, pinturas que simulaban puertas, columnas y otros elementos decorativos y arquitectónicos; y también con motivos grutescos que incluían animales mitológicos, sabandijas y follajes. Conforme una temática muy variada que se puede interpretar como defensa del catolicismo defendido en Trento.
Las estatuas sepulcrales de Alonso de Bazán (hermano de don Álvaro) y su esposa María de Figueroa, son el único ejemplo de escultura funeraria perteneciente al primer tercio del siglo XVII. Fueron ejecutados para el Monasterio de la Concepción que ocupaba la Comunidad de Religiosas Franciscas de El Viso del Marqués, ubicándose a día de hoy en el muro del Palacio más cercano a los jardines. Su creador fue Antonio de Riera, escultor relacionado con la corte de origen catalán. En ellas, aparecen los marqueses en actitud de orante, arrodillados en un reclinatorio, todo ello en mármol blanco que resalta sobre el mármol negro de los nichos. Se advierte en ellos cierta similitud con la elegancia y el clasicismo de los Leoni, a pesar de cierta rigidez formal, siendo de especial relevancia la forma en la que están ejecutadas las telas y el detalle de los vestidos.
The Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz is a building located in the municipality of Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It was built in the late 16th century by Álvaro de Bazán, the first Marquis of Santa Cruz. It currently houses the General Archive of the Navy.
Built between 1564 and 1586, with subsequent modifications, it is a square, Renaissance-style building centered around a Renaissance atrium with a recumbent tomb. The walls and ceilings are covered with frescoes depicting two themes: mythological scenes, and naval battles and Italian cities related to the military career of the Marquis and his family. The frescoes are by Italian Mannerist painters, the Pérolis. Upon seeing them, Philip II commissioned works from them for El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo.
To build it, the Marquis hired a team of architects, painters, and decorators who worked on the project from 1564 to 1586. Some believe the building was designed by the Italian Giovanni Battista Castello, known as El Bergamasco, who later worked at El Escorial; others believe it was designed, at least in its original plan, by Enrique Egas the Younger.
The architecture is perceived as typically Spanish, lacking the Italian arches, with smooth walls and square towers at the corners, influenced by the austerity of El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo, within the harmonious relationships characteristic of the Renaissance. The central space is occupied by a porticoed courtyard that, together with the staircase, forms a typically Mannerist ensemble, understood as an elegant and courtly style that transcends the purely architectural framework. It had four towers that apparently collapsed as a result of the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
The walls are decorated with 8,000 square meters of Mannerist frescoes created by Giovanni Battista Peroli with Esteban Peroli and César de Bellis. They all worked to create a space built to the greatest glory of its owner: on the one hand, to exalt his military virtues, and on the other, to honor his lineage. To this end, views of cities and ports, as well as the bastions and battles in which he had earned his immense prestige, were painted on the walls, vaults, and ceilings of the palace. On either side of the staircase were two statues depicting him as Neptune (god of the seas, with his trident) and Mars (god of war). Above the doors on the upper floor were the stern lanterns of defeated flagships, trophies of the sailors. To praise his lineage, and following the same Renaissance tradition of depicting men as gods or demigods of antiquity, the marquis's ancestors, his wives (he had two) and children were painted.
These two groups of representations were embellished with trompe l'oeil paintings simulating doors, columns, and other decorative and architectural elements; as well as grotesque motifs that included mythological animals, vermin, and foliage. This varied theme can be interpreted as a defense of the Catholicism championed in Trent.
The sepulchral statues of Alonso de Bazán (Don Álvaro's brother) and his wife María de Figueroa are the only examples of funerary sculpture dating from the first third of the 17th century. They were executed for the Monastery of the Concepción, which was occupied by the Community of Franciscan Nuns of El Viso del Marqués, and are now located on the wall of the Palace closest to the gardens. Their creator was Antonio de Riera, a sculptor of Catalan origin associated with the court. They depict the marquises in a prayerful attitude, kneeling on a prie-dieu. All in white marble, which stands out against the black marble of the niches. There is a certain similarity to the elegance and classicism of the Leoni family, despite their formal rigidity, with the execution of the fabrics and the detail of the dresses being particularly noteworthy.
Fitz Roy (Patagonia) 20240205
The Fitz Roy, this majestic peak that pierces the Patagonian sky, also bears a more mystical name: Cerro Chaltén. Each name tells a story; one is a tribute to a daring explorer, the other a distant echo of an ancestral people.
The name Cerro Chaltén is a whisper from the tradition of the Tehuelches, this proud people who lived here long before us. They named this mountain, thus, the term meaning “blue” or “bluish” in their language – an ode to its mantle of ice shimmering in the dawn light. Their legends speak of Elal, a demigod and hero of Tehuelche mythology, who was brought to the summit by the protective swan Kelfü.
The name Fitz Roy was given to this giant of stone and ice by the explorer Francisco Pascasio Moreno in 1877 in honour of the captain of the HMS Beagle, Robert FitzRoy. The latter had explored the sources of the Río Santa Cruz in 1834, but a technical problem had forced him to turn back before reaching Lake Viedma.
Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz, Viso del Marqués, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
El palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz es un edificio situado en el municipio de Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), en la Comunidad autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha, en España. Fue construido a finales del siglo XVI por Álvaro de Bazán, primer marqués de Santa Cruz. Actualmente es la sede del Archivo General de la Marina.
Fue construido entre 1564 y 1586 con modificaciones posteriores, y se trata de un edificio de planta cuadrada y estilo renacentista articulado en torno a un atrio renacentista con una tumba yacente. Los muros y techos se hallan cubiertos de frescos de doble temática: por un lado, escenas mitológicas y, por otro, batallas navales y ciudades italianas relacionadas con la trayectoria militar del marqués y de sus familiares. Los frescos se deben a unos pintores manieristas italianos, los Péroli. Al verlos, Felipe II les encargaría trabajos para El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo.
Para levantarlo, el marqués contrató a un equipo de arquitectos, pintores y decoradores que trabajaron en la obra desde 1564 hasta 1586. Para algunos, el diseño del edificio se debió al italiano Giovanni Battista Castello, conocido como el Bergamasco, que más tarde trabajó en El Escorial; para otros lo trazó, al menos en su plan original, Enrique Egas el Mozo.
La arquitectura se percibe como típica española, sin las arquerías italianas, con paramentos lisos y torres cuadradas en las esquinas, influidos por la austeridad de El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo, dentro de las relaciones armónicas características del Renacimiento. El espacio central está ocupado por un patio porticado que junto con la escalera forma un conjunto típicamente manierista entendido como estilo elegante y cortesano que desborda el marco meramente arquitectónico. Contaba con cuatro torres que, al parecer, se derrumbaron a consecuencia del Terremoto de Lisboa de 1755.
Las paredes están decoradas con 8.000 metros cuadrados de frescos manieristas elaborados por Giovanni Battista Peroli con Esteban Peroli y César de Bellis. Todos trabajaron para crear un espacio erigido a la mayor gloria de su dueño: por un lado, había que exaltar sus virtudes militares, y por el otro, enaltecer su linaje. Para lo primero, se pintaron en las paredes, las bóvedas y los techos del palacio vistas de ciudades y de puertos, así como los baluartes y las batallas en los que había conquistado su inmenso prestigio. A ambos lados de la escalera se ubicaron dos estatuas en las que aparecía representado como Neptuno (dios de los mares, con su tridente) y como Marte (dios de la guerra), y sobre las puertas del piso superior se colocaron los fanales de popa de las naves capitanas vencidas en las batallas, que eran los trofeos de los marinos. Para elogiar su linaje, y siguiendo la misma tradición renacentista de representar a hombres como dioses o semidioses de la antigüedad, se pintó a los antepasados del marqués y a sus esposas (tuvo dos) e hijos.
Estos dos grupos de representaciones se aderezaron con trampantojos, pinturas que simulaban puertas, columnas y otros elementos decorativos y arquitectónicos; y también con motivos grutescos que incluían animales mitológicos, sabandijas y follajes. Conforme una temática muy variada que se puede interpretar como defensa del catolicismo defendido en Trento.
Las estatuas sepulcrales de Alonso de Bazán (hermano de don Álvaro) y su esposa María de Figueroa, son el único ejemplo de escultura funeraria perteneciente al primer tercio del siglo XVII. Fueron ejecutados para el Monasterio de la Concepción que ocupaba la Comunidad de Religiosas Franciscas de El Viso del Marqués, ubicándose a día de hoy en el muro del Palacio más cercano a los jardines. Su creador fue Antonio de Riera, escultor relacionado con la corte de origen catalán. En ellas, aparecen los marqueses en actitud de orante, arrodillados en un reclinatorio, todo ello en mármol blanco que resalta sobre el mármol negro de los nichos. Se advierte en ellos cierta similitud con la elegancia y el clasicismo de los Leoni, a pesar de cierta rigidez formal, siendo de especial relevancia la forma en la que están ejecutadas las telas y el detalle de los vestidos.
The Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz is a building located in the municipality of Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It was built in the late 16th century by Álvaro de Bazán, the first Marquis of Santa Cruz. It currently houses the General Archive of the Navy.
Built between 1564 and 1586, with subsequent modifications, it is a square, Renaissance-style building centered around a Renaissance atrium with a recumbent tomb. The walls and ceilings are covered with frescoes depicting two themes: mythological scenes, and naval battles and Italian cities related to the military career of the Marquis and his family. The frescoes are by Italian Mannerist painters, the Pérolis. Upon seeing them, Philip II commissioned works from them for El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo.
To build it, the Marquis hired a team of architects, painters, and decorators who worked on the project from 1564 to 1586. Some believe the building was designed by the Italian Giovanni Battista Castello, known as El Bergamasco, who later worked at El Escorial; others believe it was designed, at least in its original plan, by Enrique Egas the Younger.
The architecture is perceived as typically Spanish, lacking the Italian arches, with smooth walls and square towers at the corners, influenced by the austerity of El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo, within the harmonious relationships characteristic of the Renaissance. The central space is occupied by a porticoed courtyard that, together with the staircase, forms a typically Mannerist ensemble, understood as an elegant and courtly style that transcends the purely architectural framework. It had four towers that apparently collapsed as a result of the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
The walls are decorated with 8,000 square meters of Mannerist frescoes created by Giovanni Battista Peroli with Esteban Peroli and César de Bellis. They all worked to create a space built to the greatest glory of its owner: on the one hand, to exalt his military virtues, and on the other, to honor his lineage. To this end, views of cities and ports, as well as the bastions and battles in which he had earned his immense prestige, were painted on the walls, vaults, and ceilings of the palace. On either side of the staircase were two statues depicting him as Neptune (god of the seas, with his trident) and Mars (god of war). Above the doors on the upper floor were the stern lanterns of defeated flagships, trophies of the sailors. To praise his lineage, and following the same Renaissance tradition of depicting men as gods or demigods of antiquity, the marquis's ancestors, his wives (he had two) and children were painted.
These two groups of representations were embellished with trompe l'oeil paintings simulating doors, columns, and other decorative and architectural elements; as well as grotesque motifs that included mythological animals, vermin, and foliage. This varied theme can be interpreted as a defense of the Catholicism championed in Trent.
The sepulchral statues of Alonso de Bazán (Don Álvaro's brother) and his wife María de Figueroa are the only examples of funerary sculpture dating from the first third of the 17th century. They were executed for the Monastery of the Concepción, which was occupied by the Community of Franciscan Nuns of El Viso del Marqués, and are now located on the wall of the Palace closest to the gardens. Their creator was Antonio de Riera, a sculptor of Catalan origin associated with the court. They depict the marquises in a prayerful attitude, kneeling on a prie-dieu. All in white marble, which stands out against the black marble of the niches. There is a certain similarity to the elegance and classicism of the Leoni family, despite their formal rigidity, with the execution of the fabrics and the detail of the dresses being particularly noteworthy.
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Relieves murales. Historias en piedra
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
De: www.worldhistory.org/trans/es/1-12950/angkor-wat/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angkor Wat está diseñado para representar el monte Meru, el nexo espiritual y físico en el hinduismo que es el centro de toda la realidad. Los cinco picos del Monte Meru están representados por las cinco agujas del templo. Se creía que Brahma y los Devas (semidioses) vivían en el monte Meru y es famosa la referencia que se hace en el Mahabharata cuando Yudhishthira y sus hermanos viajan a las puertas del cielo. Los hermanos van muriendo uno a uno hasta que solo quedan Yudhishthira y su fiel perro. Cuando llegan a la frontera del cielo, el guardián de la puerta le dice a Yudhishthira que puede entrar por la vida digna que vivió, pero que no se admiten perros en el cielo. Yudhishthira rechaza cualquier paraíso que no incluya a los perros y se aleja, pero el guardián lo detiene y se revela como Vishnú, que solo lo estaba probando una última vez antes de permitirle la entrada.
Historias como esta se cuentan por todo el templo, donde se encuentran escenas de las obras clásicas de la literatura religiosa hindú, como el Ramayana y el Bhagavad-Gita. La gran batalla de Kurukshetra del Gita se representa con claridad, al igual que la batalla de Lanka del Ramayana. Como la mayoría de la gente no sabía leer en el siglo XII d. C., Angkor Wat sirvió como un gigantesco libro en el que se podían relatar visualmente los importantes relatos religiosos y culturales.
El templo se erige hacia arriba a través de una serie de galerías, lo que daba un amplio espacio a los diseñadores para explorar la historia cultural, religiosa y temporal del pueblo. La galería exterior del templo se extiende a lo largo de más de 600 m cubiertos por estos relieves. Angkor Wat fue diseñado para representar el mundo, con las cuatro esquinas del muro exterior ancladas en las cuatro esquinas de la tierra y el foso que representa los océanos circundantes. Escenas de la vida cotidiana, relatos mitológicos, iconografía religiosa y procesiones reales se enroscan en la fachada.
En la entrada occidental, una gran estatua de Vishnú con ocho brazos se ha colocado en la actualidad para recibir a los visitantes que depositan ofrendas a sus pies en señal de súplica o en agradecimiento por las oraciones atendidas. El santuario central del templo está alineado de norte a sur con el eje de la tierra, y la estatua de Vishnú se situaba en el centro, dejando claro que Vishnú estaba en el centro de todos los acontecimientos terrenales y divinos. Las galerías, según algunos estudiosos, se utilizaban para las observaciones astronómicas y se construyeron específicamente con ese fin para que los astrónomos pudieran ver claramente la rotación de los cielos en el cielo nocturno. No cabe duda de que el lugar estaba vinculado a las observaciones astronómicas, ya que está colocado con precisión para reflejar la constelación de Draco, el dragón, que representa la eternidad porque nunca se pone.
══════════════════════════════════════
Wall reliefs.- Stories in Stone
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: www.worldhistory.org/Angkor_Wat/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angkor Wat is designed to represent Mount Meru, the spiritual and physical nexus in Hinduism which is the center of all reality. The five peaks of Mount Meru are represented by the five spires of the temple. Brahma and the Devas (demigods) were thought to live on Mount Meru and it is famously referenced in The Mahabharata when Yudhishthira and his brothers travel to the gates of heaven. One by one the brothers die until only Yudhishthira and his faithful dog are left. When they reach the border of heaven, the gatekeeper tells Yudhishthira that he may enter for the worthy life he lived but that dogs are not allowed in heaven. Yudhishthira rejects any paradise which does not include dogs and turns away, but the gatekeeper stops him and reveals himself as Vishnu who was only testing him one last time before allowing him entrance.
Stories such as this are told all over the temple where one finds scenes from the classic works of Hindu religious literature such as the Ramayana and Bhagavad-Gita. The great Battle of Kurukshetra from the Gita is depicted clearly as is the Battle of Lanka from the Ramayana. As most people could not read in the 12th century CE, Angkor Wat served as a gigantic book on which the important religious and cultural tales could be related visually.
The temple was galleried – meaning it progresses upwards through a series of galleries - giving ample room for the designers to explore the cultural, religious, and temporal history of the people. The outer gallery of the temple stretches for over 1,960 feet (600 m) covered in these reliefs. Angkor Wat was designed to represent the world with the four corners of the outer wall anchored at the four corners of the earth and the moat representing the surrounding oceans. Scenes from everyday life, mythological tales, religious iconography, and royal processions all wind themselves around the façade.
At the western entrance, a large statue of eight-armed Vishnu has been placed in the present day to receive visitors who place offerings at his feet in supplication or in gratitude for prayers answered. The central sanctuary of the temple is aligned north-south to the axis of the earth, and the Vishnu statue once stood in the center, making clear that Vishnu was at the heart of all earthly and divine occurrences. The galleries, according to some scholars, were used for astronomical observations and were built specifically for that purpose so that astronomers could clearly view the rotation of the heavens in the night sky. There is no doubt the site was linked to astronomical observances as it is precisely positioned to mirror the constellation of Draco, the dragon, which represents eternity because it never sets.
The word dungeon comes from French donjon (also spelled dongeon), which means "keep", the main tower of a castle. The first recorded instance of the word in English was near the beginning of the 14th century when it held the same meaning as donjon. The proper original meaning of "keep" is still in use for academics, although in popular culture it has been largely misused and come to mean a cell or "oubliette". Though it is uncertain, both dungeon and donjon are thought to derive from the Middle Latin word dominio, meaning "lord" or "master".
In French, the term donjon still refers to a "keep", and the English term "dungeon" refers mostly to oubliette in French. Donjon is therefore a false friend to dungeon (although the game Dungeons & Dragons is titled Donjons et Dragons in its French editions).
An oubliette (same origin as the French oublier, meaning "to forget") was a form of prison cell which was accessible only from a hatch or a hole (sometimes called an angstloch) in a high ceiling. The use of "donjons" evolved over time, sometimes to include prison cells, which could explain why the meaning of "dungeon" in English evolved over time from being a prison within the tallest, most secure tower of the castle into meaning a cell, and by extension, in popular use, an oubliette or even a torture chamber.
The earliest use of oubliette in French dates back to 1374, but its earliest adoption in English is Walter Scott's Ivanhoe in 1819: "The place was utterly dark—the oubliette, as I suppose, of their accursed convent.
A dragon is a large, serpent-like legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures around world. Beliefs about dragons vary drastically by region, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence.
The earliest attested dragons resemble giant snakes. Dragon-like creatures are first described in the mythologies of the ancient Near East and appear in ancient Mesopotamian art and literature. Stories about storm-gods slaying giant serpents occur throughout nearly all Indo-European and Near Eastern mythologies. Famous prototypical dragons include the mušḫuššu of ancient Mesopotamia, Apep in Egyptian mythology, Vṛtra in the Rigveda, the Leviathan in the Hebrew Bible, Python, Ladon, and the Lernaean Hydra in Greek mythology, Jörmungandr, Níðhöggr, and Fafnir in Norse mythology, and the dragon from Beowulf.
The popular western image of a dragon as winged, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire is an invention of the High Middle Ages based on a conflation of earlier dragons from different traditions. In western cultures, dragons are portrayed as monsters to be tamed or overcome, usually by saints or culture heroes, as in the popular legend of Saint George and the Dragon. They are often said to have ravenous appetites and to live in caves, where they hoard treasure. These dragons appear frequently in western fantasy literature, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.
The word "dragon" has also come to be applied to the Chinese lung, which are associated with good fortune and are thought to have power over rain. Dragons and their associations with rain are the source of the Chinese customs of dragon dancing and dragon boat racing. Many East Asian deities and demigods have dragons as their personal mounts or companions. Dragons were also identified with the Emperor of China, who, during later Chinese imperial history, was the only one permitted to have dragons on his house, clothing, or personal articles. Source Wikipedia.
TD : 1/250 f/8 ISO 100 @18 mm
The Cedars of God ( Arz ar-Rabb "Cedars of the Lord") is one of the last vestiges of the extensive forests of the Lebanon Cedar, Cedrus libani , that once thrived across Mount Lebanon in ancient times. Their timber was exploited by the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Israelites and Turks. The wood was prized by Egyptians for shipbuilding; the Ottoman Empire used the cedars in railway construction.
The mountains of Lebanon were once shaded by thick cedar forests and the tree is the symbol of the country. After centuries of persistent deforestation, the extent of these forests has been markedly reduced..
Hebrew priests were ordered by Moses to use the bark of the Lebanon cedar in the treatment of leprosy. The Hebrew prophet Isaiah used the Lebanon cedar as a metaphor for the pride of the world
It was once said that a battle occurred between the demigods and the humans over the beautiful and divine forest of Cedar trees near southern Mesopotamia. This forest, once protected by the Sumerian god Enlil, was completely bared of its trees when humans entered its grounds 4700 years ago, after winning the battle against the guardians of the forest, the demigods. The story also tells that Gilgamesh used cedar wood to build his city.
Over the centuries, cedar wood was exploited by the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Israelites and Turks. The Phoenicians used the Cedars for their merchant fleets. They needed timbers for their ships and the Cedar woods made them the “first sea trading nation in the world”.[4] The Egyptians used cedar resin for the mummification process and the cedar wood for some of “their first hieroglyph bearing rolls of papyrus”. In the Bible, Solomon procured cedar timber to build the Temple in Jerusalem. The emperor Hadrian claimed these forests as an imperial domain, and destruction of the cedar forests was temporarily halted.
The Cedars of God are found at an altitude of more than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Four trees have reached a height of 35 metres (115 ft), with their trunks reaching 12–14 metres (39–46 ft).
Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz, Viso del Marqués, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
El palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz es un edificio situado en el municipio de Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), en la Comunidad autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha, en España. Fue construido a finales del siglo XVI por Álvaro de Bazán, primer marqués de Santa Cruz. Actualmente es la sede del Archivo General de la Marina.
Fue construido entre 1564 y 1586 con modificaciones posteriores, y se trata de un edificio de planta cuadrada y estilo renacentista articulado en torno a un atrio renacentista con una tumba yacente. Los muros y techos se hallan cubiertos de frescos de doble temática: por un lado, escenas mitológicas y, por otro, batallas navales y ciudades italianas relacionadas con la trayectoria militar del marqués y de sus familiares. Los frescos se deben a unos pintores manieristas italianos, los Péroli. Al verlos, Felipe II les encargaría trabajos para El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo.
Para levantarlo, el marqués contrató a un equipo de arquitectos, pintores y decoradores que trabajaron en la obra desde 1564 hasta 1586. Para algunos, el diseño del edificio se debió al italiano Giovanni Battista Castello, conocido como el Bergamasco, que más tarde trabajó en El Escorial; para otros lo trazó, al menos en su plan original, Enrique Egas el Mozo.
La arquitectura se percibe como típica española, sin las arquerías italianas, con paramentos lisos y torres cuadradas en las esquinas, influidos por la austeridad de El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo, dentro de las relaciones armónicas características del Renacimiento. El espacio central está ocupado por un patio porticado que junto con la escalera forma un conjunto típicamente manierista entendido como estilo elegante y cortesano que desborda el marco meramente arquitectónico. Contaba con cuatro torres que, al parecer, se derrumbaron a consecuencia del Terremoto de Lisboa de 1755.
Las paredes están decoradas con 8.000 metros cuadrados de frescos manieristas elaborados por Giovanni Battista Peroli con Esteban Peroli y César de Bellis. Todos trabajaron para crear un espacio erigido a la mayor gloria de su dueño: por un lado, había que exaltar sus virtudes militares, y por el otro, enaltecer su linaje. Para lo primero, se pintaron en las paredes, las bóvedas y los techos del palacio vistas de ciudades y de puertos, así como los baluartes y las batallas en los que había conquistado su inmenso prestigio. A ambos lados de la escalera se ubicaron dos estatuas en las que aparecía representado como Neptuno (dios de los mares, con su tridente) y como Marte (dios de la guerra), y sobre las puertas del piso superior se colocaron los fanales de popa de las naves capitanas vencidas en las batallas, que eran los trofeos de los marinos. Para elogiar su linaje, y siguiendo la misma tradición renacentista de representar a hombres como dioses o semidioses de la antigüedad, se pintó a los antepasados del marqués y a sus esposas (tuvo dos) e hijos.
Estos dos grupos de representaciones se aderezaron con trampantojos, pinturas que simulaban puertas, columnas y otros elementos decorativos y arquitectónicos; y también con motivos grutescos que incluían animales mitológicos, sabandijas y follajes. Conforme una temática muy variada que se puede interpretar como defensa del catolicismo defendido en Trento.
Las estatuas sepulcrales de Alonso de Bazán (hermano de don Álvaro) y su esposa María de Figueroa, son el único ejemplo de escultura funeraria perteneciente al primer tercio del siglo XVII. Fueron ejecutados para el Monasterio de la Concepción que ocupaba la Comunidad de Religiosas Franciscas de El Viso del Marqués, ubicándose a día de hoy en el muro del Palacio más cercano a los jardines. Su creador fue Antonio de Riera, escultor relacionado con la corte de origen catalán. En ellas, aparecen los marqueses en actitud de orante, arrodillados en un reclinatorio, todo ello en mármol blanco que resalta sobre el mármol negro de los nichos. Se advierte en ellos cierta similitud con la elegancia y el clasicismo de los Leoni, a pesar de cierta rigidez formal, siendo de especial relevancia la forma en la que están ejecutadas las telas y el detalle de los vestidos.
The Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz is a building located in the municipality of Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It was built in the late 16th century by Álvaro de Bazán, the first Marquis of Santa Cruz. It currently houses the General Archive of the Navy.
Built between 1564 and 1586, with subsequent modifications, it is a square, Renaissance-style building centered around a Renaissance atrium with a recumbent tomb. The walls and ceilings are covered with frescoes depicting two themes: mythological scenes, and naval battles and Italian cities related to the military career of the Marquis and his family. The frescoes are by Italian Mannerist painters, the Pérolis. Upon seeing them, Philip II commissioned works from them for El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo.
To build it, the Marquis hired a team of architects, painters, and decorators who worked on the project from 1564 to 1586. Some believe the building was designed by the Italian Giovanni Battista Castello, known as El Bergamasco, who later worked at El Escorial; others believe it was designed, at least in its original plan, by Enrique Egas the Younger.
The architecture is perceived as typically Spanish, lacking the Italian arches, with smooth walls and square towers at the corners, influenced by the austerity of El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo, within the harmonious relationships characteristic of the Renaissance. The central space is occupied by a porticoed courtyard that, together with the staircase, forms a typically Mannerist ensemble, understood as an elegant and courtly style that transcends the purely architectural framework. It had four towers that apparently collapsed as a result of the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
The walls are decorated with 8,000 square meters of Mannerist frescoes created by Giovanni Battista Peroli with Esteban Peroli and César de Bellis. They all worked to create a space built to the greatest glory of its owner: on the one hand, to exalt his military virtues, and on the other, to honor his lineage. To this end, views of cities and ports, as well as the bastions and battles in which he had earned his immense prestige, were painted on the walls, vaults, and ceilings of the palace. On either side of the staircase were two statues depicting him as Neptune (god of the seas, with his trident) and Mars (god of war). Above the doors on the upper floor were the stern lanterns of defeated flagships, trophies of the sailors. To praise his lineage, and following the same Renaissance tradition of depicting men as gods or demigods of antiquity, the marquis's ancestors, his wives (he had two) and children were painted.
These two groups of representations were embellished with trompe l'oeil paintings simulating doors, columns, and other decorative and architectural elements; as well as grotesque motifs that included mythological animals, vermin, and foliage. This varied theme can be interpreted as a defense of the Catholicism championed in Trent.
The sepulchral statues of Alonso de Bazán (Don Álvaro's brother) and his wife María de Figueroa are the only examples of funerary sculpture dating from the first third of the 17th century. They were executed for the Monastery of the Concepción, which was occupied by the Community of Franciscan Nuns of El Viso del Marqués, and are now located on the wall of the Palace closest to the gardens. Their creator was Antonio de Riera, a sculptor of Catalan origin associated with the court. They depict the marquises in a prayerful attitude, kneeling on a prie-dieu. All in white marble, which stands out against the black marble of the niches. There is a certain similarity to the elegance and classicism of the Leoni family, despite their formal rigidity, with the execution of the fabrics and the detail of the dresses being particularly noteworthy.
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Well I am falling behind in my posting lately (not to mention the viewing and commenting of others' photos), largely because I've been very active out shooting pics. Now nearly done with that for a few weeks, so I've built up a good backlog to work through. After a short string of lava pictures, I have to switch material slightly to avoid boring you all to death. I have 3 or 4 other lava shots which I will come back to in due course. Staying with the volcanic theme of Hawaii though, here's a shot from the summit of Mt Haleakala on the island of Maui at sunrise. A good sized crowd gathers every morning to watch the sun rise in spectacular fashion over the crater rim. I decided to wander around handheld for a bit and thought the shot of the sun rising over the watching crowd at crater's edge looked kinda cool cropped in a more panoramic format. Also sunstar :-) The Pentax 15-30mm produces a pretty nice one. Shot handheld because I had made the big mistake of packing my tripod in my checked clothing bag, which didn't make it to Maui until after our visit to Haleakala. I did improvise some other stabilized shots here with the good ol' "natural tripod" (aka, "pile of rock").
As I was researching the title for this photo, I discovered that Maui is the name of a Polynesian/Hawaiian hero/demigod who is considered sort of a "god of the sun". Also, of course, the name of the Hawaiian Island on which one can find Mt Haleakala rising just over 10,000 ft high. Haleakala itself means "house of the sun" (at least according to wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māui_(Hawaiian_mythology). The crater at the summit of Haleakala was (is?) the home of Maui's grandmother. "House of the Rising Sun" happens to be the title of a great blues-y classic rock song by The Animals. For those who know it, I'd better make clear that the theme of that song has little to do with this shot (or my visit to Hawaii overall), but the title could not be a better fit.
Shot handheld f11, 1/30 sec with Pentax K-3ii and the very excellent Pentax 15-30mm f2.8 lens (which is in fact a rebranded Tamron 15-30). On recent visit to Hawaii and Maui with Kevin Benedict. Check out Kevin's great shot of the crater: flic.kr/p/HivCzS.
Aloha!
Pragmatic ideologues rule the roost
in uncompromising pursuit of power
with all the moral mandates they’ve produced
and countenance most dour.
Looking down from Capitol Hill
emboldened by their popular support,
demigods elected- pure, distil,
not a human, not a wart.
Each election cycle brings about a bloodless coup,
yet takes a toll on the minds of men.
From crackpots to despots, what are we to do?
The polarization sets in.
If men were angels in a celestial theocracy
there’d be no sin and no bureaucracy.
If angels were to govern Earth,
we’d need no check on government girth.
With beatific support we make the choice
for a human with the heart of sin.
This is our political voice,
each vote cast a silent Amen.
Caught in currents with no life preserver,
cast your vote with self-righteous fervor
and be not afraid of apostasy within.
It’s not ‘till after, disappointment sets in.
Political theorists often opine,
victory to the strongly allied.
“No vote wasted, unless it’s against mine.
If you want all the glory, then vote on my side.”
Ensure yours is counted. There’s only one way.
Forget the lures and the poll and cast that ballot.
Our Uncle needs you to vote today,
no matter the party of your palate.
Moving state by state like a conquering Khan,
the opposition stands in defiance.
The lines of discourse are sharply drawn,
and I hear the sound of silence.
- Timothy Nall
Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz, Viso del Marqués, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
El palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz es un edificio situado en el municipio de Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), en la Comunidad autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha, en España. Fue construido a finales del siglo XVI por Álvaro de Bazán, primer marqués de Santa Cruz. Actualmente es la sede del Archivo General de la Marina.
Fue construido entre 1564 y 1586 con modificaciones posteriores, y se trata de un edificio de planta cuadrada y estilo renacentista articulado en torno a un atrio renacentista con una tumba yacente. Los muros y techos se hallan cubiertos de frescos de doble temática: por un lado, escenas mitológicas y, por otro, batallas navales y ciudades italianas relacionadas con la trayectoria militar del marqués y de sus familiares. Los frescos se deben a unos pintores manieristas italianos, los Péroli. Al verlos, Felipe II les encargaría trabajos para El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo.
Para levantarlo, el marqués contrató a un equipo de arquitectos, pintores y decoradores que trabajaron en la obra desde 1564 hasta 1586. Para algunos, el diseño del edificio se debió al italiano Giovanni Battista Castello, conocido como el Bergamasco, que más tarde trabajó en El Escorial; para otros lo trazó, al menos en su plan original, Enrique Egas el Mozo.
La arquitectura se percibe como típica española, sin las arquerías italianas, con paramentos lisos y torres cuadradas en las esquinas, influidos por la austeridad de El Escorial y el Alcázar de Toledo, dentro de las relaciones armónicas características del Renacimiento. El espacio central está ocupado por un patio porticado que junto con la escalera forma un conjunto típicamente manierista entendido como estilo elegante y cortesano que desborda el marco meramente arquitectónico. Contaba con cuatro torres que, al parecer, se derrumbaron a consecuencia del Terremoto de Lisboa de 1755.
Las paredes están decoradas con 8.000 metros cuadrados de frescos manieristas elaborados por Giovanni Battista Peroli con Esteban Peroli y César de Bellis. Todos trabajaron para crear un espacio erigido a la mayor gloria de su dueño: por un lado, había que exaltar sus virtudes militares, y por el otro, enaltecer su linaje. Para lo primero, se pintaron en las paredes, las bóvedas y los techos del palacio vistas de ciudades y de puertos, así como los baluartes y las batallas en los que había conquistado su inmenso prestigio. A ambos lados de la escalera se ubicaron dos estatuas en las que aparecía representado como Neptuno (dios de los mares, con su tridente) y como Marte (dios de la guerra), y sobre las puertas del piso superior se colocaron los fanales de popa de las naves capitanas vencidas en las batallas, que eran los trofeos de los marinos. Para elogiar su linaje, y siguiendo la misma tradición renacentista de representar a hombres como dioses o semidioses de la antigüedad, se pintó a los antepasados del marqués y a sus esposas (tuvo dos) e hijos.
Estos dos grupos de representaciones se aderezaron con trampantojos, pinturas que simulaban puertas, columnas y otros elementos decorativos y arquitectónicos; y también con motivos grutescos que incluían animales mitológicos, sabandijas y follajes. Conforme una temática muy variada que se puede interpretar como defensa del catolicismo defendido en Trento.
Las estatuas sepulcrales de Alonso de Bazán (hermano de don Álvaro) y su esposa María de Figueroa, son el único ejemplo de escultura funeraria perteneciente al primer tercio del siglo XVII. Fueron ejecutados para el Monasterio de la Concepción que ocupaba la Comunidad de Religiosas Franciscas de El Viso del Marqués, ubicándose a día de hoy en el muro del Palacio más cercano a los jardines. Su creador fue Antonio de Riera, escultor relacionado con la corte de origen catalán. En ellas, aparecen los marqueses en actitud de orante, arrodillados en un reclinatorio, todo ello en mármol blanco que resalta sobre el mármol negro de los nichos. Se advierte en ellos cierta similitud con la elegancia y el clasicismo de los Leoni, a pesar de cierta rigidez formal, siendo de especial relevancia la forma en la que están ejecutadas las telas y el detalle de los vestidos.
The Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz is a building located in the municipality of Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It was built in the late 16th century by Álvaro de Bazán, the first Marquis of Santa Cruz. It currently houses the General Archive of the Navy.
Built between 1564 and 1586, with subsequent modifications, it is a square, Renaissance-style building centered around a Renaissance atrium with a recumbent tomb. The walls and ceilings are covered with frescoes depicting two themes: mythological scenes, and naval battles and Italian cities related to the military career of the Marquis and his family. The frescoes are by Italian Mannerist painters, the Pérolis. Upon seeing them, Philip II commissioned works from them for El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo.
To build it, the Marquis hired a team of architects, painters, and decorators who worked on the project from 1564 to 1586. Some believe the building was designed by the Italian Giovanni Battista Castello, known as El Bergamasco, who later worked at El Escorial; others believe it was designed, at least in its original plan, by Enrique Egas the Younger.
The architecture is perceived as typically Spanish, lacking the Italian arches, with smooth walls and square towers at the corners, influenced by the austerity of El Escorial and the Alcázar of Toledo, within the harmonious relationships characteristic of the Renaissance. The central space is occupied by a porticoed courtyard that, together with the staircase, forms a typically Mannerist ensemble, understood as an elegant and courtly style that transcends the purely architectural framework. It had four towers that apparently collapsed as a result of the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
The walls are decorated with 8,000 square meters of Mannerist frescoes created by Giovanni Battista Peroli with Esteban Peroli and César de Bellis. They all worked to create a space built to the greatest glory of its owner: on the one hand, to exalt his military virtues, and on the other, to honor his lineage. To this end, views of cities and ports, as well as the bastions and battles in which he had earned his immense prestige, were painted on the walls, vaults, and ceilings of the palace. On either side of the staircase were two statues depicting him as Neptune (god of the seas, with his trident) and Mars (god of war). Above the doors on the upper floor were the stern lanterns of defeated flagships, trophies of the sailors. To praise his lineage, and following the same Renaissance tradition of depicting men as gods or demigods of antiquity, the marquis's ancestors, his wives (he had two) and children were painted.
These two groups of representations were embellished with trompe l'oeil paintings simulating doors, columns, and other decorative and architectural elements; as well as grotesque motifs that included mythological animals, vermin, and foliage. This varied theme can be interpreted as a defense of the Catholicism championed in Trent.
The sepulchral statues of Alonso de Bazán (Don Álvaro's brother) and his wife María de Figueroa are the only examples of funerary sculpture dating from the first third of the 17th century. They were executed for the Monastery of the Concepción, which was occupied by the Community of Franciscan Nuns of El Viso del Marqués, and are now located on the wall of the Palace closest to the gardens. Their creator was Antonio de Riera, a sculptor of Catalan origin associated with the court. They depict the marquises in a prayerful attitude, kneeling on a prie-dieu. All in white marble, which stands out against the black marble of the niches. There is a certain similarity to the elegance and classicism of the Leoni family, despite their formal rigidity, with the execution of the fabrics and the detail of the dresses being particularly noteworthy.
A concept for new race called the Lux Aeterna - "Eternal Light". A very highborn, demigod-like race with celestial blood flowing in their veins & a powerful affinity for magic.
Kind of like if the Magna-Ge had children with Bretons or Altmer, but with the physical hardiness of Nords
'Eua, the southernmost island of the Tonga Group is a limestone island that rides the eastern edge of the Australia Tectonic Plate. As the Pacific Plate is subducted beneath the Australia Plate, 'Eua is slowly being lifted up, with steep cliffs on the eastern side declining to the low energy coast on the western side.
Here the cliffs have been eroded by the hydraulic forces of the free waves exploding against the cliffs. Sea caves, arches, and blowholes are formed.
The Polynesian legend associated with this arch is that the demigod Maui threw his digging stick and punctured this cliff hence : Li'anga Huo.
The silhouetted buildings on the left comprise the Haleakala Observatory. Haleakala ("House of the Sun", found on Maui, Hawaii) is a massive volcano and the most sacred place on the island. The legend is that the ancient demigod Maui stood on the volcano's summit to lasso the sun and created the seasons. The mountain rises from 0' to 10,023' in elevation. Far above the clouds, it provides an amazing setting to view sunrises and sunsets. Technically it could be called the tallest mountain in the United States as it extends 19,680' underwater making it 672' taller than Mount Everest. At the top of the mountain there is a gigantic crater that is 7 miles across and 20 miles in circumference. We had a wonderful experience hiking in the crater and then taking in the sunset and beautiful display of stars.