View allAll Photos Tagged Declared
BEAUTY REMAINS UNCHANGED
"YOUR BEST SHOT 2016"
FLICKR
SUNSET AT THE ANGLO MEAT PACKING PLANT FRAY BENTOS URUGUY DECLARED WORLD HERITAGE.
Canon PowerShot SX130 IS
FRIGORIFICO ANGLO
ANTIQUE
FRAY BENTOS
URUGUAY
WORLD HERITAGE (UNESCO) SINCE JULY 2015
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frigor%C3%ADfico_Angl
o_del_Uruguay
www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/south-america/uru...
www.facebook.com/FrigorificoAnglo/
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frigor%C3%ADfico_Anglo_del_Uruguay
Frigorífico Anglo del Uruguay
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Frigorífico Anglo del Uruguay was a meatpacking plant located at Fray Bentos, Uruguay, on the Uruguay River bank.
In 1924, the Vestey group purchases the old installations of Liebig Extract of Meat Company and the production goes on under a new name.
During its peak period, El Anglo had 5,000 workers whose ranks included English, Belgians, Russians, Spanish and Italians. It finally closed in 1979 after Europe and the United States had cut back their purchases from Latin America. Small brick houses with thick walls running along the river's edge in Fray Bentos form the "Barrio Anglo," a city-within-a-city where meatpacking workers lived that featured a hospital, a school, a social club and a football squad.[1]
2/10/2024 2 A.M.
177647
5358
394
White Tank Campground
Joshua Tree National Park is located in southeastern California. Declared a U.S. National Park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act (Public Law 103-433), it had previously been a U.S. National Monument since 1936. It is named for the Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) native to the park. It covers a land area of 790,636 acres (1,235.37 sq mi; 3,199.59 km2) —an area slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island. A large part of the park, some 429,690 acres (173,890 ha), is a designated wilderness area. Straddling the San Bernardino County/Riverside County border, the park includes parts of two deserts, each an ecosystem whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation: the higher Mojave Desert and lower Colorado Desert. The Little San Bernardino Mountains run through the southwest edge of the park.
The rock formations of Joshua Tree National Park were formed more than 100 million years ago from the cooling of magma beneath the surface into monzogranite, with roughly rectangular joints. Groundwater then filtered through the joints to erode away the corners and edges to create rounded stones, and flash floods washed away covering ground to create piles of boulders. These prominent outcrops are known as inselbergs.
(Wikipedia)
Der Joshua-Tree-Nationalpark ist eine Wüstenlandschaft im Südosten Kaliforniens, die den Übergang zwischen der Mojave-Wüste und der Colorado-Wüste bildet. Der Park ist nach der auffälligen, im Englischen „Joshua Tree“ genannten Josua-Palmlilie (Yucca brevifolia) benannt, der größten Art der Gattung der Palmlilien (Yucca), die auch Josuabaum genannt wird.
Neben den Joshuabaum-Wäldern bietet der Park eine der interessantesten geologischen Formationen, die man in den kalifornischen Wüsten findet. Es herrschen kahle Felsen vor, die in der Regel in einzelne Felsformationen aufgebrochen sind.
Joshua-Tree wurde 1936 zum National Monument und 1994 zum Nationalpark erklärt. Er wird jährlich von über einer Million Menschen – darunter Tausende von Felskletterern aus aller Welt – besucht.
(Wikipedia)
Santa María del Naranco.
Declared National Monument in 1885 and World Heritage site by UNESCO. Registered together with other Pre Romanesque Asturian monuments under the name of "Churches of the Kingdom of Asturias" in 1985.
Declarado Monumento Nacional en 1885 y como Patrimonio Mundial de la Humanidad por la UNESCO, inscrito con otros monumentos prerrománicos asturianos con el nombre de "Iglesias del Reino de Asturias", en 1985.
_________________
© All rights reserved.This photograph is Copyright and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the photographer.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Tung_Uk_Museum:
The Sam Tung Uk Museum is a museum restored from Sam Tung Uk (三棟屋; 'three-beam-dwelling', which describes the original floorplan), a Hakka walled village in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong.
It was built by a Chan (陳) clan under the leadership of the clan patriarch, Chan Yam-shing, in 1786 during the Qing dynasty. The Chan clan was originally from Fujian; they had moved to Guangdong, and then to Hong Kong to engage in farming. The site has been carefully restored and opened to the public as a museum.
Sam Tung Uk was vacated in April 1980 and declared a historic monument in March 1981. The Hong Kong government funded its restoration and converted it into a museum between 1986 and 1987. The restoration work won the Pacific Heritage Award of the Pacific Asia Tourist Association in 1990.
The entrance, assembly and ancestral halls, and twelve of the original houses are preserved. Other rooms have been modified to accommodate a reception area, an orientation room, an exhibition hall, a museum office, and a lecture theatre. The agricultural implements and everyday objects of Hakka village life are on permanent display. The main exhibition hall at the far end of the building complex changes its displays approximately every six months. Documentation of the restoration process is on display in Orientation Room.
Ancient town Hội An, Vietnam - declared Top Heritage Site (1930) .. "renowned ancient relic that plays a significant role in the spiritual life of the locals. Formerly known as Cam Ha Palace and Hai Binh Palace, the temple exemplified ancient architectural features. Much of the temple suffered damage from weather and war, leaving only the temple gate standing. Since then, the local authority has meticulously restored the gate and landscaped the surroundings."
Well, strictly speaking this scene is a sunset, so one could question the title and the attached meaning... But it was a radiant Umbrian sunset just after a long, powerful thunderstorm, so I will stick to my idea.
As the WHO has declared the state of pandemic Covid-19 is spreading everywhere and is reaping its dreadful harvest, bringing whole nations and economies to their knees. Believe me, it is even possible that the darkest hour is still to come. But I think that this incredible planetary experience has the potential to change our way to live. We have taken for granted too many beautiful, precious things (and beware, when you take something for granted you are lessening it). This humble, unaware virus is teaching us values we had drowned in our running digital hedonism - solidarity, self-sacrifice, collaboration. It is teaching us the fundamental value of truth and of scientific research. It is reminding us that we are just a small part of a wonderfully complex world - and that we are not nearly as powerful as we like to think to be. After all, the immediate means to limit infection are exactly the same as they were for the epidemics of the past - quarantine, avoiding close contact with one another, clean your hands frequently, limitations to gatherings, public events, and so on (and everything is worsened and sped up by our global network of transportation). On the other hand science, unavoidably, needs time to find real solutions. So we are experiencing a new sense of being frail - something we used to think of as a relic of the past.
I believe that this pandemic will change everything, more than a war: this is not an enemy endowed with evil projects for mankind but, rather, a natural phenomenon which is putting us in the right perspective in the world. So I believe that this pandemic will change everything. But, in the meantime, we have to manage to get out of these dark times. I would like to dedicate this photo to the people who are suffering because of this ordeal, and to the heroic people who is wrestling with the effects of the infection*: my humble contribute to remember that the darkest hour - whenever it will come - is just before the dawn.
* Sadly in Italy we have seen a growing trend of threats and assaults to physicians during the last years. Many people doubted the good faith of physicians, scientists and medicine in general. I'd guess that this tide is quickly changing.
This photo is closely related to my A neverending story. To be precise, it has been captured some 5 minutes earlier. This view, however, is somewhat narrower and, after a bit of cropping in the foreground, lays a greater emphasis on the glorious cloudscape.
I have obtained this picture by blending an exposure bracketing [-1.7/0/+1.7 EV] by luminosity masks in the Gimp (EXIF data, as usual, refer to the "normal exposure" shot), then I added some final touches with Nik Color Efex Pro 4. RAW files has been processed with Darktable.
A good contribution to the post-processing of part of the foreground came from a cool trick by Boris Hajdukovic I have found rather serendipitously on the web. I have cloned out an obnoxious young olive tree at the center of the foreground dancing a bit too freely in the residual wind.
I am afraid that colours and tones of this picture might be pretty close to the edge of looking overdone (this seems to be an inherent feature of the bracketings I captured of this sunset, since I always post-process from scratch). It all depends on your screen, of course: the picture looks safely good my HP screen, but I am afraid that it can easily look a bit over-the-top on other screens.
Now we know that a picture cannot possibly look right on every screen - the factors affecting the results are simply too many, including largely unpredictable ones, such as personal display settings. Admittedly one should not think too much about this, but when a photo is close to the critical boundary one should struggle to find the better balance between what she would like the photo to be and the risk of looking overdone. Since this photo is important to me, I would be grateful for comments about this matter, to help me realise if I have to downtone it :-)
Thank you very much in advance!
On a declared emergency due to a jammed gun, F-16C 'Spank 11' returns to Lakenheath with Fire crews at the ready
On a two-ship detail with 'Spank 12' to the Aberporth Ranges,
visiting 89-2030/AV is from the 510FS/31FW based at Aviano in Italy
276A1811
The best-known rock area of the Czech Republic was declared in 1933 already the state natural preserve. The rock town includes over 200 rock towers, a number of observation points lead both through the lower labyrinth of corridors and on the tops of rocky ranges. In Prachovské skály rank among the most sought-after climbing terrain in the Czech Republic.
It's was a rainy and foggy morning.
Cesky Raj is een prachtig natuurgebied dat zo’n 90 km ten noord-oosten van Praag ligt en ca.700 km2 bestrijkt. In dit natuurgebied, bekend onder de naam 'Tsjechisch paradijs', wisselen grillige rotsformaties en romantische bossen elkaar af. Nergens in Tsjechië is het landschap zó uitgesproken uniek en onwerkelijk. Wandelen door wonderlijk Prachovské skály is van de ene verbazing in de andere vallen. De bizar gevormde rotsen steken ver boven het landschap uit. De wandelingen gaan er bovenlangs, onderdoor en soms zelfs dwars doorheen. Het gebied bevindt zich tussen Turnov, Jicín en Mladá Boleslav. Dat dit gebied Cesky Raj ofwel “Boheems Paradijs” heet, is natuurlijk niet voor niets. In oktober 2005 is dit gebied opgenomen in het Europese netwerk van geologische parken UNESCO.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Kwun:
Tai Kwun, or the Former Central Police Station Compound (CPS Compound) includes three declared monuments in Central, Hong Kong: the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Surrounded by Hollywood Road, Arbuthnot Road, Chancery Lane, and Old Bailey Street, the compound underwent a heritage revitalisation and reopened to the public on 29 May 2018[1] as Tai Kwun (Chinese: 大館), a centre for heritage and arts.
The Former Central Police Station Compound (FCPSC), built between 1841 and 1925, comprises 16 historic buildings grouped under the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Most of the city's historic colonial architecture had been bulldozed for development before the British government handed it back to China in 1997.
The first building in the FCPSC is the Magistrate's House, with jail blocks, which were built in 1841. In 1899, the former Central Prison was renamed to Victoria Prison (or Victoria Gaol). The site underwent numerous expansions and reconstruction over the next century. In 1862, the number of prisoners increased to 650, and the government decided to develop the land nearby. The series of compounds hence formed Tai Kwun. Victoria Prison was decommissioned in 2006.
In 2008, the government of Hong Kong partnered with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to conserve and revitalise the complex, which turned into one of the most significant and expensive revitalisation projects in the territory, costing HK$1.8 billion; work began in 2011.
The conversion was completed in phases. Work faced a setback when a wall and roof collapsed in 2016. The Buildings Department prosecuted a subcontractor it deemed responsible for the accident, which was reportedly triggered by the failure of a brick pier that had been structurally undermined. Tai Kwun partially reopened to the public in May 2018.
A Former Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project was established to conserve and revitalise the heritage site for reuse. The project was operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and took eight years and HK$3.8 billion or about US$480M in 2018.
Tai Kwun, named after the historical colloquial name of the compound, is a mix of heritage and contemporary architecture. 16 heritage buildings have been restored for reuse. An additional two new buildings have been constructed, featuring designs inspired by the site's historic brickwork.
As early as the 1880s, the name Tai Kwun has been recorded in news articles in reference to the Former Central Police Station.
In 2018, Time listed Tai Kwun in its "World's Greatest Places 2018" list.
In 2019, Tai Kwun was awarded "Award of Excellence" from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Excerpt from the plaque:
Architectural features of a vernacular dwelling
The dwelling of the eldest branch was the residence of Chan Kin-sheung 陳健常, a 15-generation descendant of the Chan clan. The main hall of this three-bay dwelling was the main living space of the family, and two side rooms were furnished as bedrooms. A cockloft was built at the upper court of the main hall, which was used for storage or as a bedroom.
After the Ann Arbor declared bankruptcy in 1973, they eventually became a part of Conrail known as the Michigan Interstate Railway, and eventually the State of Michigan took over and it became the Ann Arbor Railroad System. Also in Cadillac was the lesser known Michigan Northern which operated the former Pennsy. Both operated ecclectic power with the Ann Arbor utilizing 10 GP35s and a handful of alco switchers. The Michigan Northern was a haven of Baldwins of various types. Respective examples of each are seen outside the Cadillac shops in May of 1979 with a GP35 and 1 of the 2 surviving Baldwin RF16 sharks that were plagued with problems. Photo by Emery Gulash.
"... declared to be the Son of God with power, ... by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord..."
St. Paul used some long sentences ...
It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of the Resurrection! Thanks for looking.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Man Mo Temple or Man Mo Miu (Chinese: 文武廟), a temple for the worship of the civil or literature god Man Tai (文帝) / Man Cheong (文昌) and the martial god Mo Tai (武帝) / Kwan Tai (關帝). The two gods were popularly patronized by scholars and students seeking progress in their study or ranking in the civil examinations in the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are several Man Mo Temples in Hong Kong, the best known of which is the temple in Sheung Wan.
The largest Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong is located at Nos. 124-126 Hollywood Road, in Sheung Wan. It was built in 1847. It is part of a complex that comprises three adjacent blocks namely Man Mo Temple, Lit Shing Temple (No. 128 Hollywood Road) and Kung So. The Man Mo Temple, the main building of the complex, is dedicated to the civil god Man Cheong and the martial god Kwan Tai. Lit Shing Kung (列聖宫) is for the worship of all heavenly gods. Kung So (公所), to its west, was an assembly hall where community affairs and disputes were settled. In 1908, the Temple was officially entrusted to Tung Wah Board of Directors. The temple has since been managed by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. It was graded as a Grade I historic building in 1993 and it is now a declared monument.
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/hong-kong-...:
Tung Wah Coffin Home
Situated on Sandy Bay Road, Tung Wah Coffin Home was established in 1899. It is believed that the predecessor of Tung Wah Coffin Home was a coffin home near the slaughter house in Kennedy Town, which was established in 1875 with funds from the Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan. Its management was later handed over to Tung Wah Hospital. In 1899, Tung Wah Coffin Home was officially named when a plot of land in Sandy Bay was granted by the Government for rebuilding the coffin home.
Taking advantage of Hong Kong’s entrepot status, its geographic location at the doorway to mainland China, and the close connections of Tung Wah Hospital’s board members with overseas organisations and global business network, the coffin home was able to provide a repatriation service for those deceased abroad by providing a temporary depository at the coffin home, from where the deceased could then be returned to their birth place for burial. This service eventually allowed the coffin home became the centre of a global charity hub during the last century.
Tung Wah Coffin Home now consists two halls, 72 rooms, gateways, pavilion and gardens built in different periods. Its buildings reflect a variety of architectural styles, ranging from traditional Chinese vernacular architecture to modern Western-style elements, and others that are a hybrid of both. Tung Wah Coffin Home underwent a large scale restoration project between 2003 and 2004, with a view to restore the coffin home’s elements to their original architectural styles. The restoration project won the Award of Merit in the 2005 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards and the Award of Honor in the Heritage Preservation and Conservation Awards offered by the Antiquities and Monuments Office in the same year.
Tung Wah Coffin Home was declared a monument in 2020.
This is the start of a short series of shots from my declared favorite town - Saarburg.
The picture was taken with an IR-mod. Canon EOS 80D and a 642 clip filter to insert into the camera.
With the filter, color IR images are still possible due to the residual light.
The Leuckbach, which flows here shortly behind the waterfall with mill, originally led through the town and past the castle. To flow into the Saar in Niederleuken. A detour of the stream was made in the Middle Ages. The Leuk now flowed through the middle of the city. since the Leukbach could be used in many ways - as by the mills under the waterfall.
---
Das ist der Auftakt zu einer kurzen Reihe mit Aufnahmen aus meiner erklärten Lieblingsstadt - Saarburg.
Die Aufnahme entstand mit einer IR-mod. Canon EOS 80D und einem 642 Clipfilter zum Einsetzen in die Kamera.
Mit dem Filter sind durch den Restlichtanteil noch Farb-IR Aufnahmen möglich.
Der hier kurz hinter dem Wasserfall mit Mühle mündende Leuckbach, führte ursprünglich durch die Stadt und hinter der Burg vorbei. Um in Niederleuken in die Saar zu fließen. Eine Umleitung des Bachs wurde im Mittelalter vorgenommen. Die Leuk floss nun mitten durch die Stadt hindurch. da sich der Leukbach vielfältig nutzen ließ - wie durch die Mühlen unter dem Wasserfall.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa (on the right) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of The Pisa Cathedral (on the left), known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. The tower's tilt began during construction, caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed, and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Construction of the tower occurred in three stages across 199 years, from 1173 to 1372.
These two buildings, together with two other religious edifices close-by (The Baptistery and The Monumental Cemetery - not included in this photo), are the dominant components of Square of Miracles, formally known as Cathedral Square, which in 1987 was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [Source: Wikipedia]
Taken at Square of Miracles, Pisa, Tuscany, Italy as part of a series of excursion tours during my Mediterranean Cruise
Shengongxi
“Shengongxi”, thanksgiving opera performance, is a performance specially arranged to thank the deities for their blessings. “Shengong” means to make merit for the deities. Local groups would invite Cantonese Opera troupes during the birthdays of deities, the Jiao Festival 太平清醮 and other activities to “entertain both deities and mortals”. The audiences would also experience the atmosphere of “shared happiness of the deities and people”. The repertoire includes traditional set pieces such as “Prime Minister of Six States” 六國大封相, “Bestowing Longevity” 賀壽, “A Fairy Returns Her Son to the Mortal Father” 天姬送子 and “Blessing by the God of Fortune” 跳加官.
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/outlying-i...:
Yeung Hau Temple is one of the oldest temples in Tai O. The temple was probably built in 1699 or earlier with reference to the oldest relic at the temple, an iron bell cast in the 38th year of Kangxi reign (1699) of the Qing dynasty dedicated to the deity of Hau Wong.
Yeung Hau Temple has long been patronised not only by fishing folks and fisheries merchants in Tai O, but also by merchants from the neighbouring places and the Qing soldiers along the coast. The temple is also popular for its strong association with the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade which is a traditional festive event with a history of over one hundred years and was inscribed onto the third national list of intangible cultural heritage of China in 2011.
The temple compound consists of the main temple building and side halls constructed of grey brick, granite and timber. The main temple building is a Qing vernacular two-hall-three-bay building, with a courtyard covered with a pavilion in-between the two halls. The recessed façade is supported by granite columns. Exquisite historic Shiwan ceramic figurines portraying Chinese folk stories can also be found on the roof ridge of the entrance hall and the two parapet walls of the covered courtyard.
Yeung Hau Temple was declared a monument in 2017.
Suecia - Varberg - Fortaleza
***
ENGLISH
Varberg Fortress was built in 1287-1300 by Count Jacob Nielsen as protection against Eric VI of Denmark, who had declared him an outlaw after the murder of his father King Eric V of Denmark. Jacob had close connections with King Eric II of Norway and as a result got substantial Norwegian assistance with the construction. The fortress, as well as half the county, became Norwegian in 1305. In the fourteenth century the fortress was expanded to include a castle.
King Erik's grand daughter, Ingeborg Håkansdotter, inherited the area from her father, King Haakon V of Norway. She and her husband, Erik, Duke of Södermanland, established a semi-independent state out of their Norwegian, Swedish and Danish counties until the death of Erik. They spent considerable time at the fortress. Their son, King Magnus IV of Sweden (Magnus VII of Norway), spent much time at the fortress as well.
Varberg was besieged multiple times in the 16th century. Much of the original structure was destroyed as a result. The fortress was augmented during the late 16th and early 17th century on order by King Christian IV of Denmark. However, after the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 the fortress became Swedish. It was used as a military installation until 1830 and as a prison from the end of the 17th Century until 1931.
It is currently used as a museum which has a couple of notable pieces on permanent exhibit: Bocksten Man with the only complete clothing from the 1300s known to have been worn by a single individual and the button that supposedly killed Charles XII of Sweden additionally bed and breakfast as well as private accommodation. The moat of the fortress is said to be inhabited by a small lake monster. In August 2006, a couple of witnesses claimed to have seen the monster emerge from the dark water and devour a duck. The creature is described as brown, furless and with a 40 cm long tail.
***
ESPAÑOL
La fortaleza de Varberg fue construida en 1287-1300 por el conde Jacob Nielsen como protección contra Eric VI de Dinamarca , quien lo declaró un proscrito tras el asesinato de su padre, el rey Eric V de Dinamarca . Jacob tenía conexiones cercanas con el rey Eric II de Noruega y, como resultado, obtuvo una importante asistencia noruega en la construcción. La fortaleza, así como la mitad del condado , se convirtió en noruega en 1305. En el siglo XIV, la fortaleza se amplió para incluir un castillo.
La nieta del rey Erik, Ingeborg Håkansdotter , heredó el área de su padre, el rey Haakon V de Noruega . Ella y su esposo, Erik, duque de Södermanland , establecieron un estado semiindependiente desde sus condados noruegos , suecos y daneses hasta la muerte de Erik. Pasaron un tiempo considerable en la fortaleza. Su hijo, el rey Magnus IV de Suecia (Magnus VII de Noruega), también pasó mucho tiempo en la fortaleza.
Varberg fue asediado varias veces en el siglo XVI. Gran parte de la estructura original fue destruida como resultado. La fortaleza fue aumentada a fines del siglo XVI y principios del XVII por orden del rey Christian IV de Dinamarca . Sin embargo, después del Tratado de Brömsebro en 1645, la fortaleza se convirtió en sueca. Fue utilizado como instalación militar hasta 1830 y como prisión desde finales del siglo XVII hasta 1931.
Actualmente se utiliza como un museo que tiene un par de piezas notables en exhibición permanente: Bocksten Man con la única ropa completa del siglo XIII que se sabe fue usada por un solo individuo y el botón que supuestamente mató a Carlos XII de Suecia, además de la cama y Desayuno , así como alojamiento privado. Se dice que el foso de la fortaleza está habitado por un pequeño monstruo lacustre . En agosto de 2006, un par de testigos afirmaron haber visto al monstruo emerger de las aguas oscuras y devorar un pato. La criatura se describe como marrón, sin pelo y con una cola de 40 cm de largo.
Poblet Monastery. Chapter room
Poblet abbey (declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO ).
The central armchair is for the abbot, the white monks sit down around him..
The cistercian order began to spread and rule europe in 1113.
Gothic art is characterized by its pursuit of purity and austerity.
Poblet can be counted among the most important monasteries in Europe
www.larutadelcister.info/en/poblet
whc.unesco.org/en/interactive-map/
All rights reserved.
Excerpt from www.taikwun.hk/en/taikwun/programmes/contemporary_art:
Tai Kwun Contemporary’s exhibitions are showcased in 1500-plus square metres of museum-standard galleries, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, over three storeys. Located in the new building JC Contemporary as well as the F Hall heritage building, the gallery spaces connect the new and the old, much like the spirit of the entire site. The façade of the new building is moreover inspired by the brick patterns found on this historic site, while the new circular staircase has become one of the main attractions of the entire revitalised compound.
The exhibitions are primarily held on the first and third floors, while the second floor hosts the Artists’ Book Library (more below). Additionally, all over Tai Kwun there are numerous public artworks specially commissioned by Tai Kwun Contemporary, with works by the artists Izumi Kato, and Lawrence Weiner.
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/hong-kong-...:
Tung Lin Kok Yuen is situated at No. 15, Shan Kwong Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, being a Buddhist monastery founded in 1935 by Lady Clara Ho Tung and her husband Sir Robert Ho Tung. The name of the monastery was derived from the couple’s name Sir Robert Ho Tung and Lady Clara (Dharma name Lin Kok).
Lady Clara was a Buddhist and lay patron who had a passionate desire to spread the wisdom and practice of Buddhism as well as to promote the education of women. She founded the Po Kok Free School and the Po Kok Buddhist Institute in Hong Kong in the early 1930s to provide education for women and training for nuns. After Tung Lin Kok Yuen was first built, it housed both the School and the Buddhist Institute. As it is located in the residential area of Happy Valley, Tung Lin Kok Yuen marked the emergence of an urban monastery model in Hong Kong, as contrasted to the traditional monastery setting in the mountains.
With its arrowhead-shaped building plan, Tung Lin Kok Yuen’s appearance resembles a “giant ship” symbolising one of Mahayana Buddhism’s concepts of ferrying all beings to the “other shore”, or in other words enlightenment itself. The architect responsible for the building design was Fung Tsun, and Venerable Shi Ai Ting provided extensive advice for details which embody the Buddhist doctrine. While Tung Lin Kok Yuen adopted Western structural forms, it retained traditional Chinese designs in both its interior and exterior decorations such as flying eaves, brackets and glazed tile roofs. Following the traditional Chinese layout for a Buddhist monastery, it had a Skanda Hall, the Grand Buddha Hall and a Tripitaka Library in designated sequence. On each side of the Grand Buddha Hall were the Dharma Bell and the Dharma Drum. Behind the Grand Buddha Hall there was a courtyard which was redeveloped in 1954 into a three-storied Lin Kok Memorial Building. This was also designed by Fung Tsun to be integrated with the original building in the same style of architecture. The first floor of the Lin Kok Memorial Building now houses the Bhaisajyaguru Buddha Hall.
Tung Lin Kok Yuen was declared a monument in 2017.
… these are not ordinary flowers but have medical use... taken inside the Herbal Garden of the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences … (www.hkmms.org.hk/en/about-us/the-museum/) …
Opened in early 1996, the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences charts the historical development of medical sciences in Hong Kong, and is one of the first museums in the world to compare traditional Chinese and Western approaches to medicine…The museum is housed in the former Old Pathological Institute, which is preserved as a Declared Monument. (www.discoverhongkong.com/au/see-do/culture-heritage/museu... )
A garden of herbs with medicinal use was first opened at the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences in 2003. It complements the other exhibits in the Museum in presenting a more complete picture of Hong Kong’s heritage as a meeting place for East and West. (www.google.com/culturalinstitute/exhibit/9QKCQN-cnhf_IQ ).Virtual tour is available in the link above.
Excerpt from the plaque:
Flower Board Crafting Technique
During traditional festivals or celebrations, our attention is often drawn to the large and colourful flower boards which bring a festive ambience to the events. At the same time the flower boards represent the respect of the sender for the recipient, as a reflection of etiquette and social relations.
A flower board is composed of supporting frames made of bamboo strips and iron wire. For flower boards used for greetings, the main function of the characters on the flower boards is to send such congratulatory messages. Masters usually prepare a draft design of the flower board for confirmation of the customer’s requirements. The characters on the flower board are painted on cardboard paper. Achieving a match between the colour of the characters and that of the background is of utmost importance in flower board crafting. For example, characters in an orange or red colour are matched against a green background and bordered with a black or white outline. Gold paper is sometimes placed between the characters to make them stand out even more.
Masters draw patterns of dragons and phoenixes on the components of the flower boards. Although flower boards are usually used for one-off events, some components are reusable after repair, given that there is a centern standardisation in terms of the sizes of the flower boards.
This reservoir is declared a "Special Protection Zone for Birds" (SPA).
Up to 24 different types of migratory birds have been cataloged that stop temporarily there, as a resting point and also to nest.
The native vegetation is of the halophilic type (capable of growing under high concentrations of salt), since these lands were part of a sea in the Jurassic period.
The Monteagudo reservoir is one of the oldest reservoirs in Spain and is located in the basin of the Regajo stream, which comes from the port of Alentisque.
The first dam, installed in the bed of the Regajo stream, dates back to 1863, being one of the first modern hydraulic works carried out in Spain for irrigation exploitation.
Subsequently, in 1982, the dam of the reservoir basin was increased and a new feeder channel was built in order to provide the reservoir with greater capacity (9.6 hm3).
The current feeder canal is fed by the waters of the Nágima River, these being practically the only contribution that the reservoir receives since the flow of the Regajo is very low.
(Information collected from the website: guiadesoria.es/naturaleza/parajes-naturales/975-monteagud...)
EMBALSE DE MONTEAGUDO DE LAS VICARÍAS, 2024
Este embalse está declarado "Zona Especial de Protección para las Aves" (ZEPA).
Se han catalogado hasta 24 tipos de aves migratorias diferentes que se detienen temporalmente allí, como punto de descanso y también para anidar.
La vegetación autóctona es de tipo halófilo (capaz de crecer bajo altas concentraciones de sal), ya que estas tierras formaban parte de un mar en el periodo Jurásico.
El embalse de Monteagudo es uno de los embalses más antiguos de España y está situado en la cuenca del arroyo del Regajo, que viene del puerto de Alentisque.
La primera presa, instalada en el cauce del arroyo Regajo, data de 1863, siendo una de las primeras obras hidráulicas modernas realizadas en España para explotación de regadío.
Posteriormente, en 1982, se efectúo el recrecimiento de la presa del vaso del embalse y se construyo un nuevo canal alimentador con el fin de dotar al embalse de una mayor capacidad (9,6 hm3).
El canal alimentador actual se nutre de las aguas del río Nágima, siendo éstas, prácticamente, el único aporte que recibe el embalse pues el caudal del Regajo es muy escaso.
(Información recogida de la web: guiadesoria.es/naturaleza/parajes-naturales/975-monteagud...)
Declared a national park in 1954, the Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide includes an enormous volcanic crater 30 miles (48 km) in circumference, out of which rises Mount Teide at a staggering 12,200 feet (3,718 metres), making it the highest peak in the whole of Spain.
Spring 2025 has now been declared the driest on record in the UK since 1893. At that time, the Settle & Carlisle Railway was barely 18 years old, and A4 Pacifics could scarcely have been conceived of! While the weather has been welcome for many, it has not been very favourable for steam enthusiasts, with multiple steam bans on the mainline due to line side fire risks.
While we got to have steam action today, it was clear the crew were not taking chances this evening, as No. 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley' passed Angerholme (Mallerstang), being almost entirely pushed up towards Ais Gill summit by class 47 No. D1924 on the rear. The train was the returning 'Settle & Carlisle Fellsman', working as 1Z08 Carlisle - Chester. Nevertheless, the express passenger blue locomotive looks well with a full set of crimson and cream Mk1's.
11 June 2025
More photos at: cogloadjunctionphotography.weebly.com/
Alexeevsky Palace (Алексеевский дворец) is a Revivalist palace compound on the bank of the Moika River in Saint Petersburg. It was erected in the mid-1880s as a private residence of Grand Duke Alexisand his family.
The palace's asymmetrical design with two distinctive towers and a set of exuberant rooftops is highly unusual for Saint Petersburg. Architect Maximilian Messmacher used a different style for each façade. The dining hall had a set of ten paintings by Ernst Friedrich von Liphart. The park was encircled by a wrought iron and stone fence. The central gates are still ornamented with the Grand Duke’smonogram.
In 1910 part of the gardens were sold for the construction of a candy factory. Though the palace was declared a national landmark in 1968, it remained in utter disrepair throughout the Soviet period. A major restoration was undertaken in the early 21st century at the behest of Sergei Roldugin.
In 2008 the palace was reopened as the St. Petersburg Music House, where concertsand excursions are available with the exception of July.
Ulldecona Castle is a fortified complex in Ulldecona (Montsià) declared a cultural asset of national interest. It rises above the Puig del Castell, a small elevation that is part of the Serra Grossa. This complex is on the left bank of the river Sénia, the current political-administrative boundary between Catalonia and the Valencian Country. The wide visibility and the great fertility and richness of the land have meant that this place has over time been a strategic area for the control of the territory from the Iberian era to the Middle Ages.
The fortress is mostly the work of the order of Saint John of Jerusalem. It was the seat of the main command of the hospitallers of the lands of the Ebro when Amposta ceased to be so after the exchange made by the castellan of Amposta, Ramon de Ribelles, with King Peter the Great, in 1280, of the lordship of Amposta for possessions of Aragon.
With the conquest of the lands south of the Ebro by the Christians in 1148, the castle passed to the Montcada family, from Tortosa. In 1173 the castle and the grounds were given to the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem. In 1178 Alfonso I gave it back to the Hospitallers.
Nachdem es inzwischen einige sommerliche Tage gab, wurde auch bei den Special Forces nun endlich "Sommer" befohlen .. 😎👍
After a few summery days, the Special Forces have finally declared "summer"... 😎👍
España - Murcia - Real Casino - Salón de Baile
***
ENGLISH:
The Royal Casino of Murcia is one of the most emblematic buildings of the city of the same name, capital of the Region of Murcia (Spain). It is located in the center of it, on Calle Trapería, not far from the cathedral. The building, whose construction began in 1853, is a mixture of different artistic currents that coexisted in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in Spain and was declared a national historical-artistic monument in 1983, which is why it is currently considered an Asset of Cultural Interest, with the category of "monument".
The building is the headquarters of the institution of the same name, which functions as a private club. It is open to tourist visits and other events, it is the most visited civil building in the Region of Murcia and, counting only organized groups, an average of 150,000 people visit it annually, of which 25,000 are foreigners.
The building has been extensively restored between 2006 and 2009. On the occasion of the completion of the restoration works, King Juan Carlos I of Spain granted the Casino de Murcia the title of "Royal".
***
ESPAÑOL:
El Real Casino de Murcia es uno de los edificios más emblemáticos de la ciudad del mismo nombre, capital de la Región de Murcia (España). Se encuentra en el centro de la misma, en la calle Trapería, no lejos de la catedral. El edificio, cuya construcción comenzó en 1853, es una mezcla de distintas corrientes artísticas que coexistieron en la segunda mitad del siglo xix y principios del siglo xx en España y fue declarado monumento histórico-artístico nacional en 1983, por lo que en la actualidad está considerado Bien de Interés Cultural, con la categoría de «monumento».
El edificio es la sede de la institución del mismo nombre, que funciona como un club privado. Abierto a visitas turísticas y otros eventos, es el edificio civil más visitado de la Región de Murcia y, contando solamente los grupos organizados, lo visitan anualmente un promedio de 150 000 personas, de las que 25 000 son extranjeras.
El edificio ha sido profundamente restaurado entre los años 2006 y 2009. Con motivo de la finalización de las obras de restauración, el rey Juan Carlos I de España concedió al Casino de Murcia el título de Real.
El Edificio Carrión (también conocido como Edificio Capitol) es uno de los más conocidos del tercer tramo de la calle Gran Vía madrileña. Está situado en la esquina de esta calle con la de Jacometrezo, en la plaza del Callao. Su perfil se ha venido empleando como icono de la calle en las celebraciones del centenario de la Gran Vía. El edificio fue ideado como un espacio multiuso, en el instante que se construyó el edificio contenía oficinas, cafeterías y el Cine Capitol.
*
A comienzos del siglo XXI, el edificio acoge un cine, una tienda de ropa y un hotel. El estilo de su fachada corresponde a una arquitectura expresionista con claras influencias mendelsohnianas.
*
En abril de 2018 fue declarado Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) por el Gobierno de la Comunidad de Madrid tanto por su estilo arquitectónico como por su carácter icónico en la Gran Vía.
Es muy conocido también, por tener en su fachada superior, el anuncio de Schweppes.
***
The Carrión Building (also known as Capitol Building) is one of the best known of the third section of Gran Vía street in Madrid. It is located on the corner of this street with that of Jacometrezo, in the Plaza del Callao, its profile has been used as an icon of the street in the celebrations of the centenary of the Gran Vía. The building was designed as a multipurpose space, at the time the building was built it contained offices, cafeterias and the Capitol Cinema.
*
At the beginning of the 21st century, the building houses a cinema, a clothing store and a hotel. The style of its facade corresponds to an expressionist architecture with clear Mendelsohnian influences.
*
In April 2018, it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) by the Government of the Community of Madrid, both for its architectural style and its iconic character on the Gran Vía.
It is also well known for having the Schweppes advertisement on its upper façade.
OTRA FORMA DE VER MI GALERIA. Mira todas mis fotos y amplia la que quieras
MIS FOTOS MÁS POPULARES SEGÚN VUESTRO CRITERIO.
Puedes seguirme en 500px.com/pabloarias
Y ahora también en FACEBOOK
Mis blogs:
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/hong-kong-...:
The School House of St. Stephen’s College is not only the oldest surviving school building still providing boarding facilities in Hong Kong, but also one of the very few remaining structures used as part of the Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945).
Established by the Reverend Bishop Banister of the Anglican Church and a number of prominent Chinese, including Sir Ho Kai and Dr Tso Seen-wan, who wished to save China through education, St. Stephen’s College first opened on Western Street in 1903. Construction of the present campus in Stanley started in 1928. Opened on 25 March 1930, the School House was the first building completed in the project.
Japan attacked Hong Kong in December 1941 and captured St. Stephen’s College on Christmas Day that year, when they broke into the School House and committed the St. Stephen’s College Massacre. Together with the nearby Stanley Prison Warders’ Quarters, the college was then used as the Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945). The school reopened in 1947.
Designed in the late transitional Arts and Crafts style marked by a Modernist influence, the School House is an H-shaped building consisting of an east wing and a west wing connected by a central block. Rough-cast rendering, wide overhanging eaves, arched windows and doorways and arcaded verandahs are typical features of the Arts and Crafts style that can all be seen in the School House.
School House of St. Stephen's College was declared a monument in 2011.
After I declared that I was going to photography frozen food this week, I was fed an article about foods you didn't know you could freeze. Hmm, seems like that isn't a coincidence, I'm not really a fan of the virtual spying.
Late last year, after Big Lots declared bankruptcy and began liquidating all of its stores, news broke that the company had entered a deal with Variety Wholesalers, owners of Roses and other chains, to acquire the Big Lots intellectual property as well as hundreds of store leases, with plans to reopen them under the same name. Fast-forward to April 10, 2025, and the first batch of “Big Lots 2.0” stores held their soft openings, with Mississippi lucky enough to act as home to two of those initial stores, Tupelo and Pearl. With the latter being my local store, naturally, I decided to check out what the reopened Pearl Big Lots is all about. If you’re interested in seeing it too, then please head over to my recent blog post here: midsouthretail.blogspot.com/2025/04/big-lots-variety-whol...
(c) 2025 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)
I declared back in 2019 after seeing a male Blue Mason Bee at Wall Common that this was my new favourite bee. Well, it's still right up there. It's not just those big green eyes, it's the body which is hammer-finish gold when it catches the light. Just awesome.
Another thing I said in 2019 was that it would be good to see a female, and history is repeating itself - we saw several males at Draycott Sleights, but no females.
The UNESCO declared the medina of Sousse a World Heritage Site in 1988, citing among other things its preservation from modern development.
Sousse's old city has apects that
made it ideal as a film location. Most famous is Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), where Sousse represents Cairo. It is noteworthy that the styles of Sousse, white-washed houses with blue details, bear no resemblance to the actual architecture of Cairo.
Pienza is a town and comune in the province of Siena, Tuscany, in the historical region of Val d'Orcia. Situated between the towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino, it is considered the "touchstone of Renaissance urbanism".
In 1996, UNESCO declared the town a World Heritage Site, and in 2004 the entire valley, the Val d'Orcia, was included on the list of UNESCO's World Cultural Landscapes.
Before the village was renamed Pienza its name was Corsignano. It is first mentioned in documents from the 9th century. Around 1300 parts of the village became property of the Piccolomini family. After Enghelberto d'Ugo Piccolomini had received the fief of Montertari in Val d'Orcia from the emperor Frederick II in 1220. In the 13th century Franciscans settled down in Corsignano.
In 1405 Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini was born in Corsignano, a Renaissance humanist born into an exiled Sienese family, who later became Pope Pius II. Once he became Pope, Piccolomini had the entire village rebuilt as an ideal Renaissance town and renamed it Pienza ("city of Pius"). Intended as a retreat from Rome, it represents the first application of humanist urban planning concepts, creating an impetus for planning that was adopted in other Italian towns and cities and eventually spread to other European centers.
The rebuilding was done by Florentine architect Bernardo Gambarelli (known as Bernardo Rossellino) who may have worked with the humanist and architect Leon Battista Alberti, although there are no documents to prove it for sure. Alberti was in the employ of the Papal Curia at the time and served as an advisor to Pius. Construction started about 1459. Pope Pius II consecrated the Duomo on 29 August 1462, during his long summer visit. He included a detailed description of the structures in his Commentaries, written during the last two years of his life.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Tung_Uk_Museum:
The Sam Tung Uk Museum is a museum restored from Sam Tung Uk (三棟屋; 'three-beam-dwelling', which describes the original floorplan), a Hakka walled village in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong.
It was built by a Chan (陳) clan under the leadership of the clan patriarch, Chan Yam-shing, in 1786 during the Qing dynasty. The Chan clan was originally from Fujian; they had moved to Guangdong, and then to Hong Kong to engage in farming. The site has been carefully restored and opened to the public as a museum.
Sam Tung Uk was vacated in April 1980 and declared a historic monument in March 1981. The Hong Kong government funded its restoration and converted it into a museum between 1986 and 1987. The restoration work won the Pacific Heritage Award of the Pacific Asia Tourist Association in 1990.
The entrance, assembly and ancestral halls, and twelve of the original houses are preserved. Other rooms have been modified to accommodate a reception area, an orientation room, an exhibition hall, a museum office, and a lecture theatre. The agricultural implements and everyday objects of Hakka village life are on permanent display. The main exhibition hall at the far end of the building complex changes its displays approximately every six months. Documentation of the restoration process is on display in Orientation Room.
Taken along the streets of Toledo. Toledo is the capital of the province of Toledo and the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage and historical co-existence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures.
Now war is declared, and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls
London calling, now don't look to us
Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London calling, see we ain't got no swing
'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river
~~~~~
really loving the clash lately <3
oh yeah, picture is unedited :P
L'Estany de Banyoles, Banyoles, Girona.
L'Estany de Banyoles es el lago más grande de Catalunya, en la provincia de Girona. Es el principal símbolo de la ciudad de Banyoles. El lago y su cuenca lacustre son considerados el conjunto cárstico más extenso de España, constituyendo un sistema medioambiental de notable valor.
Situado en el oeste del término municipal de Banyoles, fue declarado por la Generalitat de Catalunya como zona integrante del Plan de Espacios de Interés Natural. En 2003 se incluyó en la lista Ramsar de Zonas Húmedas de Importancia Internacional, solicitándose por varios colectivos la instauración de un Parque Natural.
L'Estany de Banyoles es de origen tectónico y cárstico. Se formó en la época cuaternaria, hace unos 250 000 años. Los movimientos tectónicos producidos por la formación de los Pirineos abrieron la falla del Ampurdán. La erosión y otros fenómenos geológicos crearon la zona lacustre.
El primer Estany de Banyoles tenía una extensión muy superior a la actual, inundando las riberas unos 6 u 8 metros por encima del nivel actual de las aguas.
Las pesquerías son pequeñas construcciones que se encuentran en las aguas del lago en la orilla oriental y declaradas Bien Cultural de Interés Nacional (en la categoría de Jardín Histórico) por la Generalitat de Catalunya.
En total hay 20 pesquerías, cada una con un nombre particular. Su construcción comenzó a mediados del siglo XIX hasta 1931, y durante estos años han sido renovados y acondicionados.
Inicialmente, el papel de la pesquería era mantener el material para la pesca. Posteriormente, muchos de ellos aumentaron la superficie para poder almacenar un bote. Finalmente, con la llegada de la práctica del deporte y el ascenso de la burguesía banyolina, se adaptaron para poder nadar e incluso quedarse.
L'Estany de Banyoles is the largest lake in Catalonia, in the province of Girona. It is the main symbol of the city of Banyoles. The lake and its lacustrine basin are considered the most extensive karst complex in Spain, constituting an environmental system of remarkable value.
Located in the west of the municipality of Banyoles, it was declared by the Generalitat de Catalunya as an integral part of the Plan of Spaces of Natural Interest. In 2003 it was included in the Ramsar list of Wetlands of International Importance, requesting by several groups the establishment of a Natural Park.
L'Estany de Banyoles is of tectonic and karstic origin. It was formed in the Quaternary era, about 250,000 years ago. The tectonic movements produced by the formation of the Pyrenees opened the Ampurdán fault. Erosion and other geological phenomena created the lacustrine zone.
The first Estany de Banyoles had a much higher extension than the current, flooding the banks about 6 or 8 meters above the current level of water.
The fishery are small constructions that are found in the water of the lake on the east bank and declared Cultural Good of National Interest (in the category of Historic Garden) by the Generalitat de Catalunya.
In total there are 20 the fishery, each with a particular name. Its construction began in the mid-nineteenth century until 1931, and over these years they have been renovated and conditioned.
Initially, the role of the fishery was to keep the material for fishing. Subsequently, many of them increased the surface in order to be able to store a boat. Finally, with the arrival of the practice of sport and the rise of the banyolina bourgeoisie, they adapted to be able to swim and even to stay.
Declared by UNESCO in 1999, March 21 is World Poetry Day. And April is National Poetry Month in the US. If you can't get out and about in real nature, try reading some poems about the outdoors. Both can lift your spirits. Big thanks to my dad for passing on his love of poetry to me and many in our family.
Excerpt from www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/outlying-i...:
Yeung Hau Temple is one of the oldest temples in Tai O. The temple was probably built in 1699 or earlier with reference to the oldest relic at the temple, an iron bell cast in the 38th year of Kangxi reign (1699) of the Qing dynasty dedicated to the deity of Hau Wong.
Yeung Hau Temple has long been patronised not only by fishing folks and fisheries merchants in Tai O, but also by merchants from the neighbouring places and the Qing soldiers along the coast. The temple is also popular for its strong association with the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade which is a traditional festive event with a history of over one hundred years and was inscribed onto the third national list of intangible cultural heritage of China in 2011.
The temple compound consists of the main temple building and side halls constructed of grey brick, granite and timber. The main temple building is a Qing vernacular two-hall-three-bay building, with a courtyard covered with a pavilion in-between the two halls. The recessed façade is supported by granite columns. Exquisite historic Shiwan ceramic figurines portraying Chinese folk stories can also be found on the roof ridge of the entrance hall and the two parapet walls of the covered courtyard.
Yeung Hau Temple was declared a monument in 2017.
The national park Talampaya is a nature reserve and one of the seven "Patrimony of Humanity" declared by Unesco in Argentina. It is located in the center-west of the province of La Rioja. It was created in 1975 as a provincial park with the objective of protecting important archaeological and paleontological sites of the area, and in 1997 became dependent on the National Park Administration. The administrative headquarters (office of tourism) of the National Park of Talampaya, is in its new building; The attention to the public is in Dávila Avenue between San Martin and Calle Ing. Lorenz, in the town of Villa Union.
The park occupies 215 000 ha. Its landscape, flora and fauna are characteristic of the mountain biome. It is the result of tectonic movements, which for thousands of years have been added erosion of water and wind in a desert climate, with great ranges of temperatures, intense daytime heat and low temperatures at night, with torrential rains in summer and winds Strong in spring. The average height of the terrain is around 1300 masl, and the climate is continental.
The walls and canyon of the Talampaya River were eroded by wind and water, giving them curious shapes. To the incredible of the landscape are added collective mortars, remains of indigenous dwellings and petroglíficos of great antiquity. This archaeological - paleontological reserve is to the southeast of the province of La Rioja in the departments of Coronel Felipe Varela and Independencia. The formations, with their sandstones and multicolored clays, which acquired capricious shapes due to wind erosion, are extremely attractive. Due to its resemblance to reality, its shapes and colors, many forms already have names such as: the Friar, the Magician King, the Cathedrals, the Needles, the Crib, the Castle and many more.
The park is an important paleontological site, it is a site of great importance for its abundant wealth in fossils. Among the fossils discovered is the Lagosuchus talampayensis, one of the first dinosaurs that inhabited Earth, 250 million years ago, in the early Triassic. Also found were turtle fossils with an antiquity of 210 million years, such as the Palaeocheris talampayens. Thanks to a long series of fossil animals unknown to paleontology, one of the most interesting studies of paleontological science is being completed: how and when the first dinosaurs first appeared, as well as increasing knowledge about the mammalian reptiles whose basic trunk later emerged the mammals.
In explore on 05/12/2017!! Happy about that!!
The blue hour.
Info from Wikipedia:
Quebec City (pronounced /kwɪˈbɛk/ (About this sound listen) or /kəˈbɛk/; French: Québec [kebɛk] (About this sound listen)); French: Ville de Québec), officially Québec, is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. The city had a population estimate of 531,902 in July 2016, (an increase of 3.0% from 2011) and the metropolitan area had a population of 800,296 in July 2016, (an increase of 4.3% from 2011) making it the seventh-largest metropolitan area in Canada.
The narrowing of the Saint Lawrence River proximate to the city's promontory, Cap-Diamant (Cape Diamond), and Lévis, on the opposite bank, provided the name given to the city, Kébec, an Algonquin word meaning "where the river narrows". Founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico, and were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 as the 'Historic District of Old Québec'.
The city's landmarks include the Château Frontenac, a hotel which dominates the skyline, and La Citadelle, an intact fortress that forms the centrepiece of the ramparts surrounding the old city. The National Assembly of Quebec (provincial legislature), the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec), and the Musée de la civilisation (Museum of Civilization) are found within or near Vieux-Québec.
Visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_City
© Copyright
This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.
Puddy has declared my bed "home" since she moved in with us last month. I love her big round eyes, here. She is vigilant but also very curious and interested in this strange new world. She had never seen another cat before moving into our house.
In Canada, this weekend is a long weekend. According to the federal government, May 24 was first declared a holiday by the legislature of the Province of Canada in 1845 to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday. However, in 1952, Parliament declared that Victoria Day would be celebrated on the Monday before May 24 every year. As a result of this convention, the long weekend sometimes falls well before May 24. This year, for example, May 24 falls on a Sunday, but due to the parliamentary decree, the long weekend will run from May 16 to May 18. The May 24 weekend is thought to be the unofficial start to summer. Many people go away for the long weekend, so the roads will be really packed. After two days of dreary, overcast skies and some rain, and rain forecast for today, it’s too bad the long weekend wasn’t last weekend. Drive carefully if you will be out on the roads!
I had planned to go on a half-day birding trip this morning. Woke up at 5:00 am (after an hour and a half's sleep), hoping that maybe the forecast had changed. Instead, it's raining and looks most unpleasant out there. I really don't feel like walking in this, and not be able to take any photos, so decided I would post my "daily three" to Flickr and then go back to bed. Hope I don't miss any really special sightings : (
It's back to the tiny Northern Pygmy-owl today. I had this 'telemacro' photo already edited, so only needed to edit the other two photos late last night. It was taken on 20 February 2015, roughly a week before I saw it (and its mate) for the last time. People who have been seeing it in the months since then must be keeping very quiet about it. No reports, no photos posted anywhere. Gotta love the 48x zoom on my point-and-shoot : ) Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm.
In the afternoon of 20 February 2015, there were just a couple of friends down in the park and, happy to say, they had already found this tiny, popcan-sized owl. This was its perch during the time I was there, giving some nice out in the open views, but all very similar. It's such a beautiful owl. This is the female, all puffed up to keep warm on a cold winter's day - the male is smaller, has a more rusty colour especially around the neck, and he has a thicker, white eyebrow line.
"Northern Pygmy Owls are 'sit and wait' predators, that hunt mainly by vision, diving down onto prey on the ground and driving the talons into the prey's throat. They will also attack birds in shrubs, crashing into the hapless victims. Most prey is carried off in the feet to feeding sites. Birds are usually plucked before being consumed. They often eat only the brains of birds and the soft abdomen of insects. One of these little owls can carry prey weighing up to 3 times its own weight.
The Northern Pygmy Owl feeds on a wide range of small prey including small mammals, birds, and reptiles and amphibians. Voles make up the bulk of their diet, with birds comprising most of the rest (mainly songbirds, but as large as a California Quail). Other small mammals include shrews, mice, chipmunks, bats, moles, young rabbits, and weasels. Insects may be very important when they are most abundant. Other prey taken are toads, frogs and small lizards and snakes.
During winter, surplus prey is cached in a cavity, often in large quantities. Summer caches are usually much smaller.
Pellets are very small, averaging about 3cm long. They are formed only occasionally as these owls don't consume large amounts of fur, feathers, or bone. The pellets tend to fall apart shortly after ejection." From OwlPages.
www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Glaucidium&species=ca...