View allAll Photos Tagged FERTILE
Get that shot - whatever!
Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Seagulls, sunset, fertileness, history and magic… That’s what Istanbul whispered to me at that moment… BeNowMeHere, Istanbul, Turkey, 2016 via 500px bit.ly/1Rqsf58
Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Plakias is a popular tourist resort, located 36km south of Rethymno city, at the exit of a fertile valley surrounded by high mountains and dense olive groves. Next to it empties the river Kotsifos.
One of the major growth drivers of the region is the long beachfront, known as Gialia. The main beach starts near the town and extends to the east for 1.3km, up to Cape Mouri. It is a well organized beach, with cool green waters. Along the beach there is a road, ideal for walking or cycling. Along this road there are several restaurants and hotels, while on the beach there are tamarisk trees, umbrellas, water sports, beach volley courts, snack bars, changing rooms, showers, etc.
The eastern part of the long beach is called Paligremnos. The beach is sandy and very well organized, next to hotels and restaurants. Characteristic of Paligremnos are nearby huge vertical cliffs that rise to a great height. There are caves, dug by Wehrmacht during the German Occupation. Moreover, this place is called Gonates (i.e. knees), because according to tradition, the epic hero Digenis kneeled there to drink water from a local spring. Lastly, in Paligremnos a strange phenomenon takes place on every full moon, from September to January. The moonlight is reflected in the mirror-like towering cliffs. Thus, many big squids approach the beach and locals gather them with big sticks.
The main beach of Plakias is located between Paligremnos and Plakias village. It is similarly well-organized. In its western part, near the village, the river Kotsifos empties. Therefore, the sea water temperature is low.
West of the village, between the village and the new harbour of Plakias, lies the second beach of Skinos. Skinos has many rocks and sand. Next to the village, the beach is slightly organized with umbrellas, while as you head to the west it gets rockier. Skinos is ideal for fishing and snorkeling. The road that heads to the nearby beach of Souda comes along this beach.
For further information please visit www.cretanbeaches.com/Beaches/Rethymnon/plakias-beaches/#...
Crete (Greek: Κρήτη, Kríti ['kriti]; Ancient Greek: Κρήτη, Krḗtē) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece.
The capital and the largest city of Crete is Heraklion. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own poetry, and music). Crete was once the center of the Minoan civilization (c. 2700–1420 BC), which is currently regarded as the earliest recorded civilization in Europe.
The island is first referred to as Kaptara in texts from the Syrian city of Mari dating from the 18th century BC, repeated later in Neo-Assyrian records and the Bible (Caphtor). It was also known in ancient Egyptian as Keftiu, strongly suggesting some form similar to both was the Minoan name for the island.
The current name of Crete is thought to be first attested in Mycenaean Greek texts written in Linear B, through the words ke-re-te (*Krētes; later Greek: Κρῆτες, plural of Κρής),[4] and ke-re-si-jo (*Krēsijos; later Greek: Κρήσιος), "Cretan". In Ancient Greek, the name Crete (Κρήτη) first appears in Homer's Odyssey.[8] Its etymology is unknown. One speculative proposal derives it from a hypothetical Luvian word *kursatta (cf. kursawar "island", kursattar "cutting, sliver").[9] In Latin, it became Creta.
The original Arabic name of Crete was Iqrīṭiš (Arabic: اقريطش < (της) Κρήτης), but after the Emirate of Crete's establishment of its new capital at ربض الخندقRabḍ al-Ḫandaq (modern Iraklion), both the city and the island became known as Χάνδαξ (Khandhax) or Χάνδακας (Khandhakas), which gave Latin and Venetian Candia, from which French Candie and English Candy or Candia. Under Ottoman rule, in Ottoman Turkish, Crete was called Girit (كريت).
For more information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crete
Inspiration Point is a spot fertile with photographic potential. There are gorgeous views of Tahoma aka Mt. Rainier, the western peaks of the Tatoosh Range, the Nisqually Valley, and the night sky. And, hanging around to do a timelapse of a lenticular cloud circling Mt. Rainier can be very awe-inspiring. One evening I came to Inspiration Point in hopes of catching some pretty sunset colors but the sky got thicker and thicker with clouds. Meanwhile, a lennie just happened to be dancing atop the mountain, so I went over to set up a timelapse. Some blue sky was still visible but by the time I was all set to start the TL, any hint of blue sky had been snuffed out by the drama of incoming clouds. After the TL I did manage to get a subdued sunset shot with a sliver of pink peeking through the clouds on the horizon. Inspiration Point did not disappoint on this evening nor on return visits – it lives up to its name, whether it be pre-dawn alpenglow, blue hour or just any ol’ delightful conditions of atmospherics and light! August/September 2019
The fertile farmland of the Annapolis Valley as viewed from the Look Off, Nova Scotia, Canada. Photo # 1.
PS: I used a slight dreamland effect.
Poem.
A gentler, more colourful Highlands is Perthshire.
Glistening "ribbon" lochs run west to east,
some large, some small.
Verdant pastures for sheep and cattle, and golden arable fields
make a striking patchwork, between the peaks.
High Munros of beige and purple with the subtle tones and textures
of lower slopes, resplendent with mostly
mature Deciduous woodland.
Meandering, surging and vibrant rivers
flow from the famous lochs of Rannoch, Tummel, Tay and Earn, in Straths, as opposed to glens,
being wider, sometimes less steep,
but all farmed on the rich, water-deposited alluvium.
Rapids, cataracts and waterfalls are common,
as Salmon leap back to their spawning grounds.
Rural villages, like Aberfeldy, cradled in these valleys,
have dwellings and bridges made of Granite,
seemingly everlasting.
Legends, poetry and song have immortalised
these timeless hills and valleys.
It is their glorious diversity of colour
that lingers long in our memory.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Detail of the reproductive structure of plant in the family Equisetaceae, with mature strobilus (sporangia)
Klostergarten von Kloster Bonlanden mit dem Sonnengesangweg dem Lobpreis des hl. Franziskus, dem Mutterhaus der Franziskanerinnen von der Unbefleckten Empfängnis Unserer Lieben Frau (OSF) in Bonlanden, einem Teilort der Gemeinde Berkheim an der Iller im Landkreis Biberach in Oberschwaben-Deutschland
Der Sonnengesangweg - Station "Mutter Erde"
„Mutter Erde" ist die Mutter allen Lebens, der Pflanzen, der Tiere und der Menschen. Aus ihrem fruchtbaren Schoß kommt alles Leben hervor und geht wieder zu ihr zurück.
Monastery Garden Monastery Bonlanden with the Sonnengesangweg the worship of St. Francis, the motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady (OSF) in Bonlanden, a suburb of the municipality Berkheim on the Iller in the district of Biberach in Upper Swabia-Germany
The Canticle - Station 'Mother Earth'
'Mother Earth' is the mother of all life, of plants, animals and humans. From her fertile womb comes forth all life and goes back to her.
Jardin du cloître du monastère bonlanden avec Sonnenweg chantant les louanges de la St. Francis, la maison-mère des sœurs franciscaines de l’Immaculée conception de notre Dame (OSF) en bonlanden, un village de la municipalité de Berkheim sur l’Iller dans le District de Biberach, en Haute-Souabe Allemagne
la façon dont les chanter au soleil - terre-mère station ;
' mère Mise à la terre est la mère de toute vie, les végétaux, les animaux et les gens. De son ventre fertile, toute vie vient et remonte à elle de nouveau.
The translation from German to English with ImTranslator
Traduction de l'allemand en français avec ImTranslator
Great to have been in South Uist last year at the end of June last year and get an oportunity to photograph the stunning and abundant wild flower displays on the machair (translation from Scottish Gaelic being low-lying fertile plain). A glorious yellow floral display here of yellow buttercups and wild iris.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
The ancestral seat of the earls of Moray
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
A new stronghold
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
This fertile valley is spotted with villages whose inhabitants date their ties to the land and agriculture back several centuries to the time of the Incan empire. No wonder the Inca turned agriculture into a science centuries ago, experimenting with everything from the importance of crop rotation to how altitude affects crop growth. They were true agricultural engineers before there was even a term for the science of farming.
A recent birthday present to myself.
(P. parritae x P. antioquiensis - Charlie you got them in the wrong order on your label! )
4 years ago Charlie Pridham raised at least 41 seedlings of this self-fertile hybrid at his nursery in Cornwall. I think he had been given the seeds by Carlos Rendón in San Francisco since both men are collectors of Lapageria and have met. (Carlos raised the original hybrid.)
It seems that I misinterpreted some of Charlie's posts on Flickr - please see his comment below. (16/11/2017)
At a deeper level, the majestic holy mountain, deep forest, bamboo grove, rivers, rice fields on fertile soil, village houses and farmers are visual presentation of religio socio cultural lives of Javanese people.
The theme is probably the most popular painting for Javanese houses.
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Red sand dunes cover the landscape in the region of Al-Ain, in the eastern region of Abu Dhabi emirate next to the border with Oman.
Al Ain is a fertile oasis city located approximately 160 kilometres east of the Abu Dhabi capital. Its name ("the spring" in Arabic) derives from its originally plentiful supply of fresh water, which makes its way underground across most of the plain lying before the Omani mountains.
PENTAX K20D, f/6.7, 0.003 sec (1/350), ISO 100, 18 mm
All rights reserved - Copyright © Lucie Debelkova www.luciedebelkova.com
All images are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Fertile farmland on Helghan is an incredibly rare and precious thing. Unfortunately, creatures of all shapes and sizes, ranging from pests like the Corpsebeetle to the fearsome Red Bear, threaten crop and farmer alike.
The people of Helghan, being no strangers to danger and hardship, tackle such problems the best way they know how: with firepower.
The StA-14, a legendary and reliable weapon, was reformed into an affordable "hunter's carbine" for the general public in 2329.
Its range and stopping power does not match that of its military-issue counterpart, but the Jager is still an effective hunting and home defense rifle.
A fertile hybrid between a North American buckeye and a European horse chestnut, which was first created in the early 19th century. This cultivar is more recent.
Seen in the Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden,
Santa Barbara, California
Thanks for the ID to my friend, Mike.
nrhp # 78001274- Rhodes Mill is a historic structure located in Fertile, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1] William Rhodes moved to Fertile Township in Worth County, Iowa from Ontario in 1856. The following year he opened a saw mill along what is now known as the Winnebago River. During the American Civil War he enlisted in the 32nd Iowa Infantry. After he was discharged in 1865 the town of Fertile grew around his mill. Iowa's wheat production increased after the war. Rhodes built a flour mill on the same site in 1868. It had a capacity of 50 barrels of flour per day, and by 1884 he was doing around $10,000 worth of business a year.[2] He and his son remained in business until 1918.
The mill itself is a 2½-story, rectangular, frame structure built on a rubblestone foundation. The building originally measured 42 by 34 feet (13 by 10 m).[2] It was extended to a length of 56 feet (17 m) when a two-story residential space was added.[2] A small shed was added to the facility in 1919, and a concrete dam was built across the river in 1929.
from Wikipedia
This was just a "middle of the day" handheld shot. No stunning light or drama. However, I just like this part of the world for a real super farming landscape. Fertile soil and lowish rainfall allows a wide range of crops to be produced. The "bread basket" of Northern Ireland. Not too many days with blue skies this "summer" either so worth taking a photograph to remind myself what it looks like!
abundant in cloud forest near Mindo, Ecuador
identification would be much appreciated
my lichen photos by genus - www.flickr.com/photos/29750062@N06/collections/7215762439...
my photos arranged by subject, e.g. mountains - www.flickr.com/photos/29750062@N06/collections
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.
Kerala’s from civilization almost untouched rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.
The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.
📌….A great way to explore the “Kerala Backwaters” is by taking a tour with a “Kettuvallam”, a motorized houseboat, converted from a former barge, which was designed & constructed to be mainly used in the backwaters of Kerala, that were previously used to transport goods, rice, spices etc.
The size of a kettuvallam varies, but is typically around 30 m long & 4 m wide in the middle. It is made primarily from the wood of the Aanjilis tree, a tree in the jackfruit family, also bamboo is used. The frames & planks are connected with coconut or other palm fiber cords. Characteristic of a kettuvallam is the fact that not a single nail is used for the entire boat construction.
These days kettuvallam is mainly for tourist purposes, there are currently about a thousand of these houseboats, sounds like a lot, but they get lost in the huge backwater area, it also depends on the season. The regional government has stopped the construction of additional houseboats, only if a new boat will replace an old one, a permission will be extended.
There are simple Kettuvallam, with one apartment up to duplex with 10 apartments, swimming pool etc, with a fife star hotel luxury. Travel can be rented from one day/night flexible up to 10 days, longer by arrangement.
Since I lived in India for a few years, when I had to fly down on business to Kovalam & it was possible to take a few days of I/we used the opportunity at a suitable time to discover something new every time. Above all, I was able to get in touch with a fisherman who paddled with us through the small canals & also showed corners of the tourist track, including those where the sun went down like in a movie, places which you don't see otherwise as a tourist.
📍 ….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.
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Steptoe Butte State Park, Colfax, Washington
Okay, you guessed it. I am closing the week with another shot of the farming landscape of the Palouse. This was taken from the best view of the countryside, namely Steptoe Butte State Park. This view is looking west, just after the morning sun has cleared the top of the butte. I loved the leading line of the creek, taking the eye from the shadows to what I believe is a dirt road that take you to the rolling mounds of farmland.
The amazingly beautiful region the the Pacific Northwest is at times jaw dropping. The play of light and clouds over the fertile farm lands and the stunning majesty of Mt. Rainier offer endless points of view in the State of Washington.
The Farm house, to the left out of frame, has a view worth everyday's hard work, one to be proud of!
The **Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu** is an archaeological site located on the southern side of the fertile plain of Santa Lucia, in the municipality of Bonorva, in Sardinia, Italy. This complex, one of the most important in Sardinia, is composed of about twenty hypogeal tombs of the domus de janas type, one of which with its eighteen rooms turns out to be one of the largest among those present in the Mediterranean basin.
The tombs are excavated on the wall and on the plateau of a trachytic outcrop about ten meters high and 180 meters long. Inside them are reproduced architectural details of dwellings to recreate environments similar to the deceased's house. Chronologically, the complex is located in the Ozieri culture of the Late Neolithic (3500-2900 BC) with use and partial structural modifications of some hypogea continuing until medieval times.
Among the domus that make up the necropolis, three of them, the Tomb of the chief, the Circular hut tomb and the Chamber tomb, are particularly important for their spectacularity and excellent state of preservation.
Fertile cultivated landscape with farm building in the Val d’Orcia (in English: "Valley of the Orcia") near the town of Pienza, Province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Some background information:
The Val d'Orcia, or Valdorcia, is a region of Tuscany, central Italy, which extends from the hills south of Siena to Monte Amiata. Its endless gentle, cultivated rolling hills, which are covered with grain or sunflowers in the summer and vineyards, olive groves, cypresses, beech or chestnut trees all year round alternate with medieval habitations, rural villas and castles boasting impervious towers – all of which is diffused in a tranquilly-isolated nature. This is the scenario that is laid out before the eyes of the visitor to Val d’Orcia.
In 2004, the Val d'Orcia was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. According to UNESCO the valley is an exceptional exemplar of the way in which a natural setting was redesigned during the Renaissance (in the 14th and 15th centuries), reflecting the ideals of good governance in the Italian city-state. Additionally, these splendid localities were celebrated by the painters of the Sienese School, which flourished between the 13th and 15th centuries.
The Val d‘Orcia is often described as the perfect combination of nature and culture, but it is also an ecosystem which bears witness of the rural population that has cultivated and farmed the ground since the Middle Ages. However, also five-million years of geological history have left their mark on this territory that, today, is abundant in plant and animal species. Even the deposits of lava from volcanoes no longer active – such as Mounts Radicofani and Amiata – have contributed to the delineations and details of the area; the lava, hardened, gave form to those dark stones known as trachytes.
The valley is not only traversed by the river Orcia, but also by the rivers Asso, Formone, Vellora and Vivo. Furthermore the historic road Via Francigena and the Roman road Via Cassia pass through valley that covers an area of altogether 61,188 hectare (151,200 acres). Occasionally the landscape is broken by gullies and picturesque towns and villages such as Montalcino, San Quirico, Pienza, Castiglione and Radicofani. In the northwest the Val d’Orcia borders the Crete Senesi landscape while in the northeast it is flanked by the Val di Chiania.
Until 1250, the Val d’Orcia was under the rule of the noble family Aldobrandeschi, but subsequently noble families of the nearby town of Siena took control of the valley. They were attracted by the continuous transit of men and commerce along the fundamental pathways Via Francigena and Via Cassia. The most notable of these families was the family Piccolomini, which also provided several popes, among them the famous Pius II. It was him who commissioned to transform the little village of Corsignano into the town of Pienza and hence into a place which he thought is the "ideal town". However, after the mid-1500s, Val d’Orcia became a valuable part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and thereby of the Florentine orbit – solely for its agricultural aspect. Thus, it was the family Medici that improved the valley’s infrastructure in the years that followed.
Within the Val d'Orcia is a strip of land following the Orcia river that is used as a wine-growing area between the DOCG zones of Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Here the Sangiovese and Trebbiano-based wines are produced under the Orcia Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status. The DOC red wine is composed of at least 60 percent Sangiovese with other local varieties, such as Abrusco, permitted to fill in the remainder of the blend. The dry white wine and Vin Santo style DOC wines are composed of at least 50 percent Trebbiano with other local varieties filling out the rest of the blend. All grapes destined for DOC wine production are limited to a maximum harvest yield of 10 tonnes/hectare with the finished wines required to have a minimum alcohol level of at least 12 percent.
But the region is also very rich in other high quality local products such as the "Pecorino" cheese of Pienza (a typical cheese made with sheep's milk), the genuine olive oil, saffron, mushrooms, (including truffles), sweet chestnuts, honey and a lot of other specialties.
A fertile region. Cereals (barley), vegetables (beans, chickpeas, carrots, etc.) and tree fruits (dates, figs, pomegranates, olives, etc.). The trees also provide the shade necessary for oasis farming. Water is supplied by the meltwater from the Todgha River, which runs down from the mountains and is transported to small, higher-lying canals from where it reaches the fields.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.
Kerala’s from civilization almost untouched rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters.
Water Buffalos;
The water buffalo is a large, up to 3m long & heavy, strong cattle. The head is long, narrow, with small ears & set low on the body. The horns are horizontal & sickle-shaped backwards, these can reach a span of two meters, the horns of the female are significantly narrower & shorter than the males. The water buffalo stands on long, strong legs with wide hooves, the claws are spread wide, so the water buffalo don't sink into their swampy habitat.
📍… The wild water buffalo is listed as an endangered species, estimated about only 1000 water buffalos are still living in Asia.
Grasses, herbs & aquatic plants are the main part of his diet, but also leaves & small branches, he feeds exclusively vegetarian.
If the herd lives near humans, the water buffalo will also eat cultivated grain. Water buffalos are ruminants; searching for food, wild water buffalos they usually go in small groups split off from the main group, only looking for food in the evening hours.
👉….At 7 to 8%, buffalo milk contains almost twice as much fat as cow's milk. It is used to make the real mozzarella cheese in Italy, the "Mozzarella di Bufala campana", while the delicious “Burrata” is mainly made from cow's milk & rarely from water buffalo milk.
All European domestic water buffalos descend from the Asian wild water buffalo. Their domestication probably began 3000 years BC. in China, Pakistan & Iraq. In the 6th century they reached Europe via Bulgaria & Greece.
Today the European water buffalo is mainly found in Italy, Bulgaria, Romania & Hungary.
📌…Kerala’s unique backwaters in South India, is a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.
The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.
In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.
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So fertile is the soil here that not a foot of land is wasted. In the few areas being plowed at this time of year {October], we could see the rich color of the soil - and NOT A STONE to be found! Where I live in New York, about half the "soil" is stone. [The part that isn't stone grows plants very well, however].