View allAll Photos Tagged INTERCONNECTED
The Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States.
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.
Shore operated lift fishing nets are a type of stationary lift nets, commonly known in India as "Chinese fishing nets", each installation is operated by a team of 4 to 6 fishermen.
In India they are mostly found in Kerala’s Backwaters & coastal areas around the cities of Kollam & Kochi, where they became besides for fishing also a tourist attraction & a beloved photo motive.
This for India unusual fishing method is almost unique to the area of Kerala,
This fishing method was introduced by Chinese explorers who landed there in the 14th century. One assumption of the city name Kochi is “co-chin”, the interpretation is meaning “like China”
📌….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”.
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
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.
📌….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”.
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.
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters. Paddy Fields.
The Paddy fields in the Kerala area are below sea level. Bunds around the rice fields keep out overflowing water into the fields. After harvesting the paddy fields, they are used for ducklings where they will thrive on locusts & fishes.
The paddy fields will be used for duck farming where they will live & thrive up to 20 to30 ducks a hectare & the moment when the ducks should be removed from working in a paddy, after 8 weeks, so as not to eat the rice & …the dams will be opened at some strategic points & the shared duck marathon will begin following the farmer in his canoe to the duck farm.
In 1989, the Japanese farmer Takao Furuno, after learning about traditional Japanese rice farming method that consisted of using ducks to eliminate the weeds in rice fields, the "Aigamo Method”, he was able to identify the optimal age at which ducklings should be released into rice fields, 7 days after hatching from the egg & developed this new-traditional rice growing technique. In the meantime, it has become established in every country of Asia some European rice-growing regions & others like Cuba are also experimenting with this method.
The waterfowl turned out to be a perfect alternative to expensive pesticides, other insecticides & chemicals while protecting the soil from chemical pollution as they eat plenty of insects, weeds. The ducks also help to oxygenate the water & their droppings are the ideal fertilizer for the soil.
The "Aigamo" duck is a cross between wild & domesticated ducks. These animals are apparently optimally suited to this method of rice cultivation. They ducklings will be placed in the paddy field about two weeks after the seedlings have been planted. The ducks grow up in the rice field & eat insects, snails & weeds. As a result, the farmer does not have to laboriously remove the weeds & vermin from the fields himself; neither does he have to spray any pesticides & chemical fertilizers can therefore be saved.
After one season in the rice fields, the ducks are kept for up to 3 years to lay eggs or because they have eaten their fill in the rice fields, they can be sold profitably as ducks for roasting & other recipes.
The adoption of this method boosts farmers income by eliminating chemicals, fertilizer etc., by commercializing the ducks later & decreases their workloads by 200-250 human work hours p/hectare.
The system actually seems to work: a study by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization recently showed that crop yields are increased by 20 percent with the "Aigamo Method".
📌….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”.
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
Like each of us, Merton was imperfect, but he kept moving beyond dualities and false either/ ors. One does not have to choose a favourite work, the poetry over the prose, or the later over the early works. What matters is the constant evolution of both his life and his work –the always-surging, expanding process. The way he makes a gift of his own fragility gives us hope that each of us, with our own finitudes, flaws, and failures, may also touch holy ground. He is not removed from us, but a close friend. The core of our being, like his, intersects with the luminous core that he called the point vierge, or “point of nothingness” that is “pure diamond.” 12 When we read him, we are invited to linger at this juncture, this no place where we don’t know exactly who we are, where we’re going, or what our final destination might be. We know only that we are always here, always now, always interconnected. He expresses it best at the end his life in The Asian Journal where he states, “We are already one.
--Thomas Merton’s Dance with the Feminine Superabundantly Alive, Susan McCaslin & J.S. Porter
/************
-Klaus Schulze - Easy Listening
At the confluence of the Blyde River and the Treur River in the South African region of Mpumulanga, thousands of years of water erosion have created a unique and otherworldly geological feature. Here at the mouth of the Blyde River Canyon, the two rivers formed swirling eddies of water. Over time, this formed huge cylindrical potholes in the sandstone bedrock. The effect, seen from the crags above, is now a fascinating network of tunnels and tubes and interconnected whirling pools. The different soil levels in each hole give them each a unique color and makes for a striking and colorful landscape.
The formations get their name from a prospector, John Bourke, who was one of the first to proclaim that the region had gold deposits and who staked a claim nearby. Despite the name of the potholes, he never found a single ounce of gold there — though luckier prospectors would later find rich amounts of gold in the area
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Mannur.
Kerala’s from civilization almost untouched rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters & other landscapes, rivers deep & mountains high, as colourful as their people, as diverse as the taste of South Indian cuisine.
Therefor the” Keralites”, natives to Kerala, describe the land along the Malabar coast since ever very simply as;…
📍…“Gods own Country”, …now who can beat this description?.
On the way to Mannur, which is surrounded by infinite slopes of bright green tea plantations, passing this road up the mountain which could be anywhere, but do not aspect in the south Indian State of Kerala.
📌….Kerala best known for Ayurveda & its rich, fertile unique backwaters, 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.
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
Granite Well at The You Yangs
This week is NAIDOC Week. I thought i would report a story I recently learnt, as told by Uncle Bryon Powell. He is a Wathaurung Man and this is Wathaurung country.
The You Yangs are a granite outcrop that form part of a songline that goes from South Australia to Wilsons Promontory. Along this songline are other granite outcrops including The Grampians and Arthurs Seat. The songline was in important trading route and one of many other interconnected routes that provided commerce for aboriginal people for hundreds and thousands of generations.
What you can see here in the foreground is a well that was carved out of the rock. Typically these also had a granite capstone to keep the animals and birds out to protect the water from contamination. This well is over a metre deep and one of a series throughout the location.
Once early settlers figured out the purpose, they smashed the capstones and salted the well so that they were unusable, toxic etc.
Excerpt from www.wallpaper.com/art/galleries/olafur-eliasson-inaugurat...:
A harmonious cycle of interconnected nows (2023)
His new works at Azabudai Hills are no less layered. Looking upwards in the glass-fronted lobby of Mori JP Tower (at 330m, the tallest skyscraper in Japan), A harmonious cycle of interconnected nows hangs from a 15m-high ceiling, comprising a set of four intricately delicate spiralling forms, each spanning 3m in diameter.
The spirals, made from recycled zinc (a first for Eliasson) follow the dynamic trajectory of a single point to express the movement found in all things. A complex series of interconnected, polyhedron-shaped modules is threaded into loops, twists and curves, their multi-faceted surfaces gently reflecting the shifting sun outside.
Explaining the concept, Eliasson says: ‘The work was inspired by shifting scales: looking simultaneously at the macro level, where everything is in constant motion, and at the micro level, where everything consists of tiny building blocks.
‘These large-scale motions are all, to a certain extent, cycles, even if they take place at a pace or scale that is beyond anything we can visualise – our planet, the sun, the solar system travelling through space, the passing of the seasons, the water cycle and the rock cycle on Earth. What appears solid is actually in motion, ephemeral. At the same time, the world is made up of these elemental building blocks that exhibit a clarity or structure that is seemingly stable – crystals, molecules, and atomic structures.’
Rotterdam and part of the Zeeland province in southwest Netherlands are featured in this radar image acquired by Copernicus Sentinel-1.
This multitemporal picture is a combination of three radar images, each assigned to a colour channel: red for the image acquired in August 2022, green for the second image taken in January 2023, and blue for the last image from June 2023.
The combined images, with their different colours, help identify changes that have occurred between the acquisitions. For example, the green means that the vegetation was particularly lush when the January image was acquired.
Parts that appear grey or white depict little or no change. Water surfaces usually appear dark or black.
The coloured dots in the black of the North Sea are ships. Their colours indicate when they were captured by the satellite, as noted above. The white dots on the left are offshore wind farms.
Rotterdam, the country’s second largest city after Amsterdam, can be seen as a grey area near the centre of the image, straddling the New Meuse River, visible as a black line. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port and the gateway to some 450 million customers.
Other cities pictured include Utrecht northwest of Rotterdam and The Hague northeast of Rotterdam. Moving north along the coast lies the town of Noordwijk, which is home to ESTEC, ESA’s technical centre, where new missions are designed, their industrial development is managed and, in some cases, the spacecraft and instruments are tested.
The large body of water south of Rotterdam is Haringvliet. Haringvliet dam is visible as a white and green bridge closing the mouth of the river. The dam was constructed as part of the ‘Delta Plan’ – a number of dams, sluices, dikes and barriers to reinforce the coastline. Volkerak dam, also part of the plan, is visible in the image at the eastern end of Haringvliet.
The area featured at the bottom of the image is part of the province of Zeeland. It lies on a large river delta, formed by the confluence of the Schelde and Meuse rivers and consists of a complex system of islands, peninsulas and waterways, mostly below sea level and interconnected by the dams and bridges of the Delta Works.
Credit:
contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2022-23), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
All bees have very high-energy needs that must be met for their survival. Bees need key resources such as pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers. Bees need these resources for themselves and their progeny. Many bees need water in addition to nectar.
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters. Duck Marathon,
sitting on the embankment…ready tor the duck marathon take-offf.
The Paddy fields in the Kerala area are below sea level. Bunds around the rice fields keep out overflowing water into the fields. After harvesting the paddy fields, they are used for ducklings where they will thrive on locusts & fishes.
The paddy fields will be used for duck farming where they will live & thrive up to 20 to30 ducks a hectare & the moment when the ducks should be removed from working in a paddy, after 8 weeks, so as not to eat the rice & …the dams will be opened at some strategic points & the shared duck marathon will begin following the farmer in his canoe to the duck farm.
In 1989, the Japanese farmer Takao Furuno, after learning about traditional Japanese rice farming method that consisted of using ducks to eliminate the weeds in rice fields, the "Aigamo Method”, he was able to identify the optimal age at which ducklings should be released into rice fields, 7 days after hatching from the egg & developed this new-traditional rice growing technique. In the meantime, it has become established in every country of Asia some European rice-growing regions & others like Cuba are also experimenting with this method.
The waterfowl turned out to be a perfect alternative to expensive pesticides, other insecticides & chemicals while protecting the soil from chemical pollution as they eat plenty of insects, weeds. The ducks also help to oxygenate the water & their droppings are the ideal fertilizer for the soil.
The "Aigamo" duck is a cross between wild & domesticated ducks. These animals are apparently optimally suited to this method of rice cultivation. They ducklings will be placed in the paddy field about two weeks after the seedlings have been planted. The ducks grow up in the rice field & eat insects, snails & weeds. As a result, the farmer does not have to laboriously remove the weeds & vermin from the fields himself; neither does he have to spray any pesticides & chemical fertilizers can therefore be saved.
After one season in the rice fields, the ducks are kept for up to 3 years to lay eggs or because they have eaten their fill in the rice fields, they can be sold profitably as ducks for roasting & other recipes.
The adoption of this method boosts farmers income by eliminating chemicals, fertilizer etc., by commercializing the ducks later & decreases their workloads by 200-250 human work hours p/hectare.
The system actually seems to work: a study by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization recently showed that crop yields are increased by 20 percent with the "Aigamo Method".
📌….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”.
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
The Harley-Davidson Museum is a North American museum near downtown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin celebrating the more than 100-year history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m²) three building complex on 20 acres (81,000 m²) along the Menomonee River bank contains more than 450 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and hundreds of thousands of artifacts from the Harley-Davidson Motor Company's 110-year history. The museum attracts an estimated 300,000 visitors annually. The museum opened to the public on July 12, 2008, on a 20 acres (81,000 m²) site in the Menomonee Valley. The museum was built in an historically industrial area of Milwaukee. Prior to Harley-Davidson's purchase of the land from the city, the site was formerly used by the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, Lakeshore Sand Company, and Morton Salt. A 4 feet (1.2 m) layer of imported soil was added to combat the contaminated soil. New vegetation was planted to restore the landscape to its riparian state. In late February 2006, designs for the museum were unveiled. The designs were created by James Biber, a partner at Pentagram, his team, and Michael Zweck-Bonner, an associate at Pentagram. Abbott Miller, a partner at Pentagram, designed the museum's permanent exhibitions. The firm designed the museum over a period of eight years. On June 1, 2006, Harley-Davidson began the construction of the $75 million complex with a groundbreaking ceremony that included legendary Harley-Davidson dirt track motorcycle racer, Scott Parker, breaking ground by doing a burnout with a Harley-Davidson XL883R Sportster, instead of with the traditional golden shovel. The site includes parking spaces for 1,000 motorcycles and 500 cars. The Museum's facade also features a 17-foot (5.2 m)-tall, steel Harley-Davidson sign. The museum’s galleries permanent exhibitions, spread throughout two floors, in addition to temporary exhibits and the motor company’s archives. The complex also includes a restaurant, café, retail shop, and special event spaces. Also on display are historic Harley-Davidson items that tell the company's story and history, such as photographs, posters, advertisements, clothes, trophies, video footage of vintage and contemporary motorcycling, and interactive exhibits, including 10 motorcycles that visitors can sit on.
The Motorcycle Gallery
On the museum’s upper level, a procession of motorcycles is displayed down the center of the main hall, running the length of the building, with galleries on either side.
The Harley-Davidson Journey
Along the east side of the upstairs galleries, a series of interconnected galleries exhibit the Harley-Davidson's chronological history. The galleries relate the company's history from its origins in a 10x15-foot wooden shack to its current status as the top U.S. motorcycle manufacturer, producing more than 330,000 bikes each year. The centerpiece of the gallery is "Serial Number One", the oldest known Harley-Davidson in existence, which is encased in glass. The glass enclosure sits within a floor-embedded, illuminated outline of the backyard shed the motor company was founded in.
The Engine Room
The museum's second floor galleries begin with the Engine Room. A Knucklehead engine is displayed disassembled into several pieces. The Engine Room also features several interactive touch screen elements that show how Harley motors, including Panhead and Shovelhead motors work.
Clubs and Competition
The Clubs and Competition gallery includes displays and information about Harley-Davidson's racing history. The gallery includes a section of a replica wooden board track, suspended in the air at a 45-degree incline. The wooden track features vintage video footage of actual board track races, and attached 1920s-era Harley-Davidson racing motorcycles; the bikes that raced on board tracks at 100 miles -per-hour. Fatalities were common, which led to the banning of wooden board tracks for motorcycle racing.
Tank Gallery
The museum's upper floor exhibits also include the Gas Tank Gallery, formerly part of the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Open Road Tour. The exhibit displays 100 of Harley-Davidson's most memorable tank graphics, spanning 70 years, selected by the company's styling department and reproduced on "Fat Bob" tanks.
Custom Culture
The Custom Culture gallery covers Harley-Davidson's impact on American and global culture. The centerpiece of the Custom Culture Gallery is "King Kong", a 13-foot (4.0 m)-long, two-engine Harley-Davidson motorcycle customized by Felix Predko. The exhibit also features exact replicas of the customized Harley-Davidson bikes ridden by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in the 1969 American movie, "Easy Rider", including Fonda's "Captain America" chopper and Hopper's "Billy Bike". Two of each of the two choppers were created, and one "Captain America" was destroyed in the film's production.
Ngwe Saung beach is situated near Yangon city and it can be reached within a 5-hour drive from Yangon. The beach itself is approximately 9 miles long and one of the longest beach in South East Asia and newly opened beach in Ayeyarwaddy delta region interconnected with the Andaman Sea. Moreover, Ngwe Saung is located a bit south of Ngapali which is also another popular beach resorts in Myanmar.
"In an interconnected world, it is time to recognize a simple truth: solidarity is self-interest. If we fail to grasp that fact, everybody loses."
- António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, as quoted in Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone.
César Manrique Foundation is headquartered in a spectacular dwelling designed by César Manrique himself upon his return from New York City, when he decided to locate permanently at Lanzarote. This was his home for the 20 years running from 1968 to 1988, the longest he ever lived in a single place. It is sited in the midst of a lava coulee formed during the violent eruptions that rocked the island between 1730 and 1736. This 3 000 square metre building engages in constant dialogue with the natural surrounds on its 30 000-square metre lot and beyond: here, volcano and architecture blend in mutual respect.
The upper storey draws its inspiration from Lanzarote’s traditional architecture, enhanced with modern functional elements such as wide windows, large rooms and overhead lighting.
The lower storey is built around five natural volcanic bubbles interconnected by tunnels excavated in the lava. They constitute a surprisingly habitable setting and an exemplary intervention in a natural space. The swimming pool, the small ballroom, the oven, the barbeque… are also open to visitors, all surrounded by abundant plant life and the island’s ubiquitous basalt. The room located just before the exit is the painter’s former studio, today converted into an exhibition hall for paintings.
The landscaping around the house plays on the fascinating contrast between the inorganic black lava, volcanic ash and “socos” (low wind screens) on the one hand and fruit trees and other plants on the other.
Excerpt from rom.on.ca:
See bloodsuckers in a whole new light in Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches. Featuring immersive experiences, larger-than-life installations, and interactive elements, this exhibition will answer your biting questions about bloodfeeding creatures, whether they’re natural or supernatural.
From mosquitoes and ticks to vampires, Bloodsuckers explores the incredible diversity, evolution and interconnected world of nature’s vampires, and the myths, legends and pop culture they have inspired.
Manufacturer: Citroën S.A., Groupe PSA Peugeot Citroën, Saint-Ouen - France
Type: 2CV Berline AZ / 2CH
Production time: 1961 - 1963
Production outlet: 461,453
Engine: 424cc Citroen A53 AZ-series twin cylinder OHV boxer air-cooled
Power: 13.5 bhp / 4.200 rpm
Torque: 26.5 Nm / 2.500 rpm
Drivetrain: front wheels
Speed: 84 km/h
Curb weight: 560 kg
Wheelbase: 94.5 inch
Chassis: dual H-frame platform chassis and aircraft-style tube framework with unitized (bolted) steel body
Steering: rack & pinion
Gearbox: four-speed manual / dashboard umbrella stick
Clutch: single dry plate disc (centrifugal)
Carburettor: Solex 26 CBI
Fuel tank: 20 liter
Electric system: 6 Volts / 50 Ah
Ignition system: wasted spark ignition system
Brakes front: hydraulic inboard drums
Brakes rear: hydraulic drums
Suspension front: independent leading arm with interconnected longitudinal coil springs, transverse cross member (not an anti-roll bar) and friction dampers (frotteur) + inertia shock absorbers
Suspension rear: independent swinging trailing arm, tie rods with transversal coil springs, friction dampers (frotteur) and suspension cylinders at the side + inertia shock absorbers
Differential: spiral-toothed final drive
Wheels: 15 inch 3 stud steel wheels
Tires: 135 - 380 Michelin Pilote
Options: centrifugal “Trafficlutch”, Radioën transistor radio
Special:
- Designed by Flaminio Bertoni as the TPV (Toute Petite Voiture: 1938) what later became the 2 CV (1948), restyled by André Lefèbvre, included headlamp beam height adjustment.
- The flat-twin air-cooled engine was designed by Walter Becchia, while the ingenious suspension was designed by Marcel Chinon.
- Only one colour was initially offered when the car came on the scene in 1948, it was grey. A second colour (blue) was offered since 1959 and then in 1960 yellow was added.
- The engine did not even include a distributor; instead, there was a coil that fired the spark plugs and only speed-controlled ignition timing: the “wasted spark ignition system”.
- The cenrtifugal clutch (“Trafficlutch”) is designed for city use. You can drive off in 1st or 2nd gear. The AZ is now driving like an automatic.
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, …if you have a pet, take good care of it,…Sunday bath at the picturesque Backwaters. The unique backwaters is a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes & brackish lagoons formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea. The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem, freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea.
The about 30 mtr long luxury Kettuvallams, Kerala houseboats, in the backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala, they were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
© all rights reserved by B℮n
The Netherlands is a small country of 16 million people, but it boasts a quarter of a million competitive speedskaters, and millions more who skate for fun. What's the story? Natural ice in the Netherlands is a rare occurrence. In fact, some winters there's no natural ice at all. Maybe that explains why the Dutch love to skate outdoors. They hardly ever get the chance! But when a cold wave hits, and the interconnected maze of canals, rivers and lakes freeze over, it's a spontaneous celebration, a national holiday. Infinite sea of ice is perfect for ice skating journeys. Ice skating is not only a Dutch sport, it also underwrites the history, art and culture of the Netherlands. Perhaps most importantly a good freeze provides the Dutch a chance to discover the wilderness and an outdoor challenge within their own landscape. The Netherlands are a long distance skater's dream. Hundreds of kilometres of potential routes can carry the skater to the heart of a wild landscape. Today after 4 years we we could ice skating on the Gouwsea. Ice skating can be done from Monnickendam - Nes - and back. Infinite sea of ice is perfect for ice skating journeys. Besides ice skating Dutch also love Ice yachting. This is the sport of sailing and racing iceboats and is very popular in the Netherlands. Ice boats are racing at a speed of 100 km an hour over the ice of the Gouwsea but today day there was no wind.
Waterland in the winter is a real skater’s paradise. As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. Many are hoping for further frigid conditions. Photo taken of a Dutch skaters on the vast frozen Gouwsea. A historical moment since crossing the Gouwsea by skates is such a rare occurrence. Today I skate in Monnickendam, such a beautiful sea of ice to enjoy.
Op 22 januari 2017 een eerste schaatstocht gemaakt in Monnickendam. Het ijs is prachtig op de Gouwzee. Bij Volendam ligt het nog open. Eindelijk weer een dag waarin Waterlanders de ijzers konden onderbinden. De Gouwzee is voor een groot gedeelte dichtbevroren. Het is vier winters geleden dat dit voor het laatst gebeurde. Het blijft een bijzonder tafereel. De eerste schaatsers gaan het ijs op en schaatsen van Monnickendam naar de Nes. Een groot ijsoppervlakte tussen Monickendam en Marken is nog niet overal betrouwbaar. Een oneindig mooi gezicht op deze ijszee anno 2017. Het was genieten. De Gouwzee ligt er prachtig bij en de adem komt in kleine grijze pufjes uit mijn mond. Handen op de rug. Rustig ademen. Ik geniet van het geluid van de ijzers over het ijs en het prachtige uitzicht over de eindeloze ijsmassa. Het ijs is geweldig hier. Ik stop nog even voor het maken van foto. Het levert een prachtig plaatje op. Zwanen en de grijsbruine gans met forse oranje snavel en roze poten zijn hier heel veel te zien in Waterland.
Plaça d'Europa (official name in Catalan, in Spanish: Plaza de Europa) is a square in the District VII of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat suburb of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. Located on the Granvia de l'Hospitalet avenue at the intersection with Carrer d'Amadeu Torner. It is part of L'Hospitalet's recent urban development, and one of its biggest squares at 33 ha, with a distinguishable skyline made up of high-rises, among the tallest structures in the city, some of which are designed by the renowned architect Toyo Ito. It is expected to become its economic centre, and will allow different parts of the city formerly severed by the Granvia to become interconnected.
Exhibition Title - Fractal Nature: The Geometry of Being
Art Statement:
Fractal Nature: The Geometry of Being presents the evocative visual world of Esta Republic, where organic forms and structured overlays collide. Through vivid florals, crystalline surfaces, coastal reflections, and celestial grids, Esta reimagines nature not as a static muse but as a dynamic system - layered, fragmented, and interconnected.
Her signature style distorts and reframes familiar natural scenes - flowers, clouds, landscapes, minerals - through geometric filters, digital echoes, and surreal arrangements. This creates a dialogue between chaos and control, wildness and design, memory and presence.
The exhibition invites viewers to step into liminal spaces where petals spiral into data, skies fracture into mosaic, and coastlines echo like digital dreams - offering a contemplative lens on how nature and perception evolve in an increasingly synthetic world.
Cate Infinity
(Art Curator)
Biography of Esta Republic:
Born in San Francisco, California, Esta Republic grew up immersed in a world of creativity. Her father, a flamenco guitarist from Barcelona, and her mother, a painter renowned for her vivid depictions of the Redwood Forests, instilled in her a deep appreciation for both music and visual art. Esta studied fine art at St. Martin's Academy in London, where she developed a foundation in contemporary techniques and global aesthetics, followed by an internship at the Tate Modern Gallery, further grounding her in modern and conceptual art history.
Her artistic style is distinctly modern - marked by bold compositions, geometric overlays, and vibrant punches of color. Influenced by the emotional intensity of Van Gogh, the surreal experimentation of Salvador Dalí, and the pop sensibility of Andy Warhol, her work explores the dynamic intersections between nature, perception, and digital form.
Currently based in her hometown, she works as a graphic designer at a San Francisco advertising firm while continuing to create and exhibit her personal art under the moniker Esta Republic.
Check it out now: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/TheRefuge/73/159/3020
Hackesche Höfe, Berlin.
The Hackesche Höfe are a complex of eight interconnected courtyards just off S-Bahn Station Hackescher Markt. They are lovingly reconstructed and accessible through Rosenthalerstrasse 40’s main arched entrance. They are located in an area, also known as the Scheunenviertel - one of Berlin’s top entertainment hubs, popular with locals and visitors.
Textures are my own.
All is alive and all is interconnected.
Life is varied, complex , diverse, at times messy but incredibly beautiful and sacred. A marvelous mystery.
For my video; youtu.be/OqpDnGKtKug,
The Park & Tilford Gardens is a 1.5-acre (6,100 m2) (originally 3-acre (12,000 m2)) botanic garden situated in the City of North Vancouver, British Columbia. The complex, established in 1969 as a community project of Canadian Park & Tilford Distilleries Ltd., consists of eight separate but interconnected areas. The original gardens were designed by Harry J. Webb of Justice & Webb Landscape Architects.
Lynnmour, District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.
…”Fifty Shades of Green”,
Kerala’s rich, 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.
📌….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”.
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.
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
Two silhouetted Sandhill Cranes seem to be touching and interconnected as they fly above me in the Collins Marsh, Wisconsin...
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”.
Therefor the” Keralites”, natives to Kerala, describe the green paradise for fauna & flora along the Malabar coast since ever very simply as;…
📍…“Gods own Country”, …now who can beat this description?.
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.
📌….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”.
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.
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.
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.
📌…Lift fishing nets are a type of stationary operated fishing nets, commonly known in India as "Chinese fishing nets", each installation is operated by a team of 4 to 6 fishermen.
In India they are mostly found in Kerala’s Backwaters & coastal areas around the cities of Kollam & Kochi, where they became besides for fishing also a tourist attraction & a beloved photo motive.
This for India unusual fishing method is almost unique to the area of Kerala,
This fishing method was introduced by Chinese explorers who landed there in the 14th century. One assumption of the city name Kochi is “co-chin”, the interpretation is meaning “like China”
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
Galaxies are not scattered randomly across the universe. They gather together not only into clusters, but into vast interconnected filamentary structures with gigantic barren voids in between. This “cosmic web” started out tenuous and became more distinct over time as gravity drew matter together.
Astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a thread-like arrangement of 10 galaxies that existed just 830 million years after the big bang. The 3 million light-year-long structure is anchored by a luminous quasar – a galaxy with an active, supermassive black hole at its core. The team believes the filament will eventually evolve into a massive cluster of galaxies, much like the well-known Coma Cluster in the nearby universe.
This deep galaxy field from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) shows an arrangement of 10 distant galaxies marked by eight white circles in a diagonal, thread-like line. (Two of the circles contain more than one galaxy.) This 3 million light-year-long filament is anchored by a very distant and luminous quasar – a galaxy with an active, supermassive black hole at its core. The quasar, called J0305-3150, appears in the middle of the cluster of three circles on the right side of the image. Its brightness outshines its host galaxy. The 10 marked galaxies existed just 830 million years after the big bang. The team believes the filament will eventually evolve into a massive cluster of galaxies.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Feige Wang (University of Arizona), and Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
#NASA #STScI #jwst #jameswebbspacetelescope #NASAGoddard #NASAMarshall #galaxy #quasar #supermassiveblackhole
The Boston Central Library is located in Copley Square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. The central library consists of McKim Building and Johnson Building, and the two buildings are attached and interconnected with interior passageways. The central library as a whole with the two buildings combined contains 930,000 square feet (86,000 m2) of space and houses 21,000,000 items in its collections as of 2015.
220
It will be at least another week before people will start sitting in these Muskoka chairs. Two days ago we had snow that covered the ground again. Today we have heavy rains to add to our still flooded areas. I look forward to sitting on our two chairs on the front porch soon. I posted this for fence Friday because I like the way the lines interconnected to make it look like a grid pattern when in fact there are no actual squares. Happy Fence Friday.
The navigli were a system of navigable and interconnected canals around Milan, Italy.
The system consisted of five canals: Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Pavese, Naviglio Martesana, Naviglio di Paderno, Naviglio di Bereguardo. The first three were connected through Milan via the Fossa Interna, also known as the Inner Ring. The urban section of the Naviglio Martesana was covered over at the beginning of the 1930s, together with the entire Inner Ring, thus sounding the death knell for the north-eastern canals. Commercial carrying continued on the Naviglio Grande, but the decline was steady and by the 1960s a project of a fluvial port to reach the Po River and consequentially the Adriatic Sea through the canals was shelved for good.
with the SS Rotterdam
The Erasmus Bridge (Dutch: Erasmusbrug) is a combined cable-stayed and bascule bridge in the centre of Rotterdam, connecting the north and south parts of this city, second largest in the Netherlands. The bridge was named after Desiderius Erasmus a.k.a. Erasmus of Rotterdam, a prominent Christian renaissance humanist.
The 802-metre-long (2,631 ft) bridge across the New Meuse was designed by Ben van Berkel and completed in 1996. The cable-stayed bridge section has a single 139-metre-high (456 ft) asymmetrical pale blue pylon with a prominent horizontal base, earning the bridge its nickname "The Swan".
The southernmost span of the bridge has an 89-metre-long (292 ft) bascule bridge for ships that cannot pass under the bridge. The bascule bridge is the largest and heaviest in Western Europe and has the largest panel of its type in the world.
After costing more than 165 million Euros to construct, the bridge was officially opened by Queen Beatrix on September 6, 1996. Shortly after the bridge opened to traffic in October 1996, it was discovered the bridge would swing under particularly strong wind conditions. To reduce the trembling, stronger shock dampers were installed.
The bridge featured in the 1998 Jackie Chan film Who Am I?. In 2005, several planes flew underneath the bridge as part of the "Red Bull Air Race". The bridge is also part of The World Port Days in Rotterdam.
In 2005, the bridge served as the backdrop for a performance by DJ Tiësto titled "Tiësto @ The Bridge, Rotterdam". The performance featured fire-fighting ships spraying jets of water into the air in front of the bridge, a fireworks barge launching fireworks beside the bridge, and multi colored spot/search lights attached to the bridge itself.
The bridge was crossed during the prologue and the opening stage of the 2010 Tour de France.
(Wikipedia)
De Rotterdam is a building on the Wilhelminapier in Rotterdam, designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in 1998. The complex is located between the KPN Tower and Rotterdam Cruise Terminal and was finalized at the end of 2013. On 21 November 2013, the municipality of Rotterdam, as the largest user, received the keys. The design provides space for offices, a hotel and apartments. The 44 floors amount to a total floor space area of about 160,000 m², making it the largest building in the Netherlands.
Construction began in 2009, when the municipality committed itself to hire 25,000 m² of the office space. The highest point (at 149 meters) was reached at the end of 2012, and the building was ready on its scheduled date of November 15, 2013. The total cost at the start of construction in 2009 was estimated to be €340,000,000.
Rem Koolhaas, who once considered a career in film, reasoned that the most frequent view of these structures would be in motion, from the window of a car. As the view changes, the towers, rising from a shared six-story plinth, separate and then merge. The building consists of three interconnected towers that share a thirty feet high base which includes six floors. The lower two layers form a large glass plinth. At about 90 meters above ground the towers – known as West Tower, Mid Tower and East Tower– are shifted a few meters in different directions, which enhances the wind stability and provides space for terraces. In the original design the towers did not touch each other, but in order to simplify the play of forces and to keep the construction affordable they are now connected in a few places. The facade provides the option of natural ventilation. On the west side there are balconies that are accessible from the apartments.
De Rotterdam is designed for residency, labor and leisure. The largest part is intended as office space and residency. It has 240 apartments, 72,000 m2 of offices, conference rooms and an underground parking with two floors providing over 684 parking spaces There is also a hotel with 285 rooms and 1500 m2 is assigned to cafes and restaurants. For fitness facilities 2,500 m2 is reserved and for shops 5,000 m2. The functions are grouped into blocks, but the different user groups meet at various places in the building, a concept that is defined by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture as a vertical city. De Rotterdam will be used daily by about 5,000 people and with a floor space index of 32 De Rotterdam forms the most densely built part of the Netherlands.
(Wikipedia)
The fifth SS Rotterdam, also known as "The Grande Dame", is a former ocean liner and cruise ship, and has been a hotel ship in Rotterdam, Netherlands since 2010. She was launched by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands in a gala ceremony on 13 September 1958, and was completed the following summer.
The Rotterdam was the last great Dutch "ship of state", employing the finest artisans from the Netherlands in her construction and fitting out process. Her career spanned forty-one years. She sailed from 1959 until her final retirement in September 2000.
Concept and design
Originally she was conceived as a running mate to the popular Nieuw Amsterdam launched in 1937, but work was put on hold at the outbreak of World War II in Europe. When economic conditions once again became favorable for completion of the new ship in early 1954, the beginning of the end of ocean liners as basic transport was visible on the horizon.
The designers took this in mind and created a groundbreaking vessel, a two class, horizontally divided ship with movable partitions and a unique double staircase allowing for easy conversion to cruising. The christening and launch on September 13, 1958 by Queen Juliana was a huge crowd puller, with tens of thousands on both banks of the river. Rotterdam's machinery was shifted aft, to the now-traditional two thirds aft position, and in lieu of a funnel twin uptake pipes were fitted.
To provide balance, a large deckhouse was built atop the superstructure in the midships position of a typical funnel. While very controversial at the time.
History
As Rotterdam
Her sea trials and handing over to Holland America Line took place on July 20, 1959, just a few months before her maiden crossing of the Atlantic. On her maiden voyage she carried the then Crown Princess of the Netherlands to New York.
Due to the growing popularity of air travel, an increasing number of transatlantic liners began to disappear from service. This trend led to the Rotterdam's permanent retirement from transatlantic service in 1969. Subsequently, she received a small refit for permanent cruising and began her new life as a full time cruise ship. The Rotterdam also became a one class ship after this refit.
She became increasingly popular throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, with mostly American and Australian passengers. Another refit in 1977 saw her passenger capacity decreased from 1,499 to 1,144. By the 1980s the ship had settled into a routine of winters in the Caribbean and summers in Alaska, with the occasional (and very popular) world cruise. Carnival Cruise Lines took over Holland America Line in 1989.
Rotterdam in Valdez, Alaska in 1997, her last year with Holland America Line.
She remained in service until 1997, when Carnival announced, much to the dismay of the ship's loyal fans, that to upgrade her to meet the new 1997 SOLAS regulations would cost 40 million dollars.[3] While Carnival did have the money necessary to upgrade her, they had been opting to retire what they had supposedly called the "old ship." A replacement, the sixth Rotterdam, was ordered from Fincantieri shipyards in Italy. A gala finale cruise ended her final season on September 30, 1997.
There was a proposal for the Rotterdam to return to her homeport of Rotterdam where she would serve as a hotel ship, but the proposal fell through. There were also rumors of the vessel possibly being sold for scrap in Asia as what happened to the similar looking Canberra. In October 1997, she was sold to Premier Cruise Line (Premier wanted to buy the Canberra first, but P&O refused to sell her to them and was sold for scrap, thus causing Premier to buy Rotterdam instead).
As Rembrandt
Originally, Premier Cruise Line wanted to rename the vessel as The Big Red Boat IV to align her with Premier's other vessels, but public outcry caused Premier to instead renamed her to SS Rembrandt after the Dutch painter. Controversially, Premier was able to refit the Rembrandt for new safety regulations as well as many other things for half the amount Carnival had predicted. Her livery under Premier was the same as her HAL Livery, albeit with the Premier Cruise logo on the stern and her name changed.
She sailed for Premier along with the ex ocean liners Oceanic, Eugenio C and Transvaal Castle, all now named Big Red Boat I, II and III. She continued to serve as a fairly popular cruise ship out of Port Canaveral, Florida until September 13, 2000, when Premier Cruises shut down.
It was midnight when this was made official and the captain of the Rembrandt was ordered to dock in Halifax, Nova Scotia and offload all. She was subsequently placed under arrest by the Halifax Sheriff's department until the next morning, then days later she sailed to be laid up in Freeport, Bahamas.
Restoration and hotel opening
On July 12, 2004, Rembrandt arrived at Gibraltar for asbestos encapsulation and removal performed by the Cuddy Group of the UK. She next visited Cadiz where her hull was repainted its original Holland America grey, and was also renamed back to Rotterdam. She then moved on to Poland and Germany for final restoration. She returned to the city of Rotterdam on August 8, 2008.
She opened to the public on February 15, 2010 as a combination museum/hotel and school for vocational training. On 12 June 2013, she was sold to WestCord Hotels, which also owns the Hotel New York located in the former Holland America Line headquarters building in Rotterdam.
Since 2018, Rotterdam is the last remaining ex-Premier Cruise Line vessel still afloat, after the former Starship Atlantic was scrapped in 2018.
For three years, the Rembrandt was laid up with other Premier Cruise Line vessels in Freeport, Bahamas. There were fears that she may be sold for scrap after her some of their fleetmates were sold for scrap in Asia. Then in May 2003, the Rembrandt was purchased by the Rotterdam Dry Dock Company (RDDC), with the plan to return the ex-Rotterdam to her homeport of Rotterdam where she would serve as a hotel ship.
(Wikipedia)
Die Erasmusbrücke (niederl. Erasmusbrug) ist eine Schrägseilbrücke in Rotterdam über die Nieuwe Maas, einen Hauptstrom im Rhein-Maas-Delta. Die nach dem Philosophen Erasmus von Rotterdam benannte Straßenbrücke, über die auch die Linie 20 der Straßenbahn Rotterdam verkehrt, verbindet das Zentrum von Rotterdam mit dem Kop van Zuid, einem städtebaulichen Entwicklungsgebiet.
Das Bauwerk befindet sich bei Rhein-Kilometer 1000,86 und Kilometer 11,53 der niederländischen Wasserstraße 102 (Nieuwe Maas–Nieuwe Waterweg–Maasmond). Die Erasmusbrücke ist auf dieser Wasserstraße die letzte Brücke, bevor diese bei Kilometer 46,17 und Rhein-Kilometer 1036,20 in der Nordsee endet. Westlich der Erasmusbrücke verlaufen der Maastunnel und der Beneluxtunnel unter der Nieuwe Maas. Am südlichen Brückenkopf steht der auffallende KPN Tower von Renzo Piano mit seiner schräg zur Straße geneigten Fassade.
Das 802 Meter lange Bauwerk überspannt die Neue Maas mit einer 410 Meter langen, asymmetrischen Schrägseilbrücke, die eine 278 Meter weite Hauptöffnung und einen 139 Meter hohen, weißen, angewinkelten Pylon hat. Dieser brachte der Brücke den Spitznamen „de zwaan“ (der Schwan) ein. Eine Klappbrücke mit einer Stützweite von 89 Metern befindet sich südlich neben der Schrägseilbrücke. Dabei handelt es sich um die größte und schwerste Klappbrücke Westeuropas. Das Gesamtgewicht des stählernen Bauwerks beträgt 6.800 Tonnen. Die Baukosten betrugen 165 Millionen Euro.
Die Brücke wurde 1989 von den Architekten Van Berkel & Bos (Ben van Berkel und Caroline Bos) entworfen. 1994 begann man mit dem Bau. Der Pylon wurde mit Hilfe des leistungsstärksten Schwimmkrans der Welt, dem Thialf, errichtet. Am 4. September 1996 eröffnete die Königin Beatrix der Niederlande die Erasmusbrücke.
Im November 1996 wurden an den Schrägseilen der Brücke starke Schwingungen beobachtet, die bei bestimmten Windverhältnissen in Kombination mit Regen, der an den Seilen herunterrann, auftraten. Deshalb wurden nachträglich an den Schrägseilen dynamische Schwingungsdämpfer montiert. 1998 erhielt die Brücke den „Nationalen Stahlbaupreis“. Eine Nachbildung im Maßstab 1:25 ist in Madurodam zu sehen.
(Wikipedia)
De Rotterdam ist ein Gebäude im Stadtteil Wilhelminapier in Rotterdam, das vom Office for Metropolitan Architecture 1998 entworfen wurde. Das Gebäude befindet sich zwischen dem KPN Tower und dem Rotterdam Cruise Terminal und wurde 2013 fertiggestellt. Es wurde am 21. November 2013 eröffnet. Das Gebäude ist für eine Mischnutzung aus Büros, einem Hotel und Appartements ausgelegt. Es bietet auf 44 Stockwerken eine Gesamtfläche von ungefähr 162.000 m², womit es das größte Gebäude der Niederlande ist.
Der Bau wurde im Jahre 2009 begonnen, nachdem die Stadtverwaltung zusagte 25.000 m² der verfügbaren Büroflächen zu mieten. Der höchste Punkt in 149 Metern Höhe wurde 2012 erreicht und termingerecht im November 2013 übergeben. Die Baukosten wurden 2009 auf 340 Millionen Euro geschätzt.
De Rotterdam ist als Wohn- und Arbeitsgebäude ausgelegt. Der größte Teil davon entfällt auf die 240 Appartements und die 72.000 m² Bürofläche. Es beinhaltet ein Hotel mit 285 Zimmern, 5.000 m² für Geschäfte, 1.500 m² Cafe- und Restaurantfläche und 2.500 m² für Sport- und Fitnessangebote.
(Wikipedia)
Die Rotterdam ist ein ehemaliges niederländisches Passagierschiff, gebaut von der niederländischen Werft Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij. Sie ist das größte jemals in den Niederlanden gebaute Passagierschiff. Heute dient es als Museums- und Hotelschiff.
Geschichte
Die Rotterdam, für die Holland-Amerika-Lijn gebaut, wurde im Liniendienst zwischen Rotterdam und New York mit Zwischenstation in Le Havre eingesetzt. Sie verließ Rotterdam am 3. September 1959 zur Jungfernfahrt mit dem Ziel New York. Unter den Passagieren befand sich auch Kronprinzessin Beatrix. Als der transatlantische Luftverkehr immer mehr an Bedeutung gewann, wurde die Route 1971 nach über zehn Jahren eingestellt. Ab 1971 wurde die Rotterdam, weiterhin unter niederländischer Flagge fahrend, für die Holland-Amerika-Lijn auf Kreuzfahrten rund um den Globus eingesetzt. Zu den häufigsten Zielen zählten vor allem die Karibik und Alaska.
Nach einer letzten Galafahrt unter Kapitän Peter Bos wurde die Rotterdam am 30. September 1997 verkauft und durch die neue Rotterdam ersetzt. Käufer war die US-amerikanische Reederei Premier Cruises. Das Schiff erhielt den neuen Namen Rembrandt. Im Jahr 2000 kam die amerikanische Reederei jedoch in finanzielle Schwierigkeiten, so dass die Rembrandt außer Betrieb genommen wurde und in Freeport auf den Bahamas vor Anker lag. Die Zukunft der alten Rotterdam war zu diesem Zeitpunkt völlig ungewiss.
Nach drei Jahren, 2003 kaufte die niederländische Dampfschifffahrt Rotterdam BV das Kreuzfahrtschiff und kam somit wieder unter niederländische Flagge. Die Rembrandt erhielt nun ihren alten Namen Rotterdam zurück.
2004 wurde das Schiff in der Cammell Laird Werft in Gibraltar einer Asbestsanierung und Wartungsarbeiten unterzogen. Im gleichen Jahr noch ging die Dampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft Rotterdam in die Hände des Hafenbetrieb Rotterdam über. Zwischen Dezember 2004 und 2009 fanden Verhandlungen mit dem Hotel Cruiseship Operations 2 (HCO2) statt, um das Schiff im Maashaven als Hotel, Restaurant und Kasino zu nutzen. Eine 2005 geplante Komplett-Sanierung von Asbest musste wegen zu hoher Kosten entfallen. So erhielt das Schiff wiederum neue Eigentümer: die Woonbron und Eurobalance BV. Es wurde in das neu gegründete Unternehmen De Rotterdam BV integriert und die Asbest-Sanierung als Auftrag an eine Spezialwerft in Cádiz, Spanien, vergeben. Danach lag die Rotterdam in Wilhelmshaven, Deutschland, und wurde renoviert. Die ursprünglich 2006 vorgesehene Überführung des Schiffes nach Rotterdam verzögerte sich wegen der umfangreichen Sanierungsarbeiten, insbesondere der weiteren Beseitigung von Asbest und der mehrfachen Änderung des Nutzungsplans. So waren alle Arbeiten erst im Sommer 2008 abgeschlossen und das Schiff gelangte nach Rotterdam, wo es seinen endgültigen Ruheplatz vor Katendrecht erhielt. Im Jahr 2009 wurde es für die Öffentlichkeit freigegeben. Im Jahr 2013 kauften die WestCord Hotels das Schiff und betreiben es an der gleichen Stelle in Rotterdam als Museum, Hotel und Eventschiff.
Nutzung seit 2009
Seit 2009 wird das Schiff multifunktional genutzt. Tagsüber stellt es als Museumsschiff eines der Besucherschwerpunkte im Rotterdamer Tourismussektor dar. Es wird täglich von mehreren hundert Menschen besichtigt und von zahlreichen Rundfahrten angefahren. Ehemalige Besatzungsmitgliedern machen Führungen an Bord. In den Abendstunden liegt der Schwerpunkt in der Gastronomie, nachts wird es als Hotelschiff mit 254 Kabinen genutzt. Zusätzlich können mehrere Räume gemietet werden.
(Wikipedia)
Force of Nature by Ts’msyen artist Phil Gray on the side of the Douglas Reynolds Gallery, South Granville Street in Vancouver.
The work, sponsored by the gallery, was painted for the 2021 Vancouver Mural Festival (VMF).
Artist Statement:
“The story of Salmon Woman tells how this supernatural woman brought salmon to Raven.
After Raven’s many travels, he was worn down and tattered. He met and married Salmon Woman who healed him and cleaned him up.
While he was searching for food, she touched the water and hundreds of salmon appeared for him to feast on.
Although she saved him and nursed him back to health, he took her for granted and treated her terribly. In the end, Salmon Woman became fed up and took everything with her when she left him, leaving him as desolate as before.
This design is a commentary about how colonialism has negatively affected the way we treat women, LGBTQ+, and the environment.
Although women are life givers and interconnected with the environment, heteropatriarchy forced a shift in our morals and responsibilities in relation to them.
This representation of Salmon Woman with all the colours of the rainbow is a reminder that until women and LGBTQ+ are valued, respected, and reinstated back into their traditional roles and responsibilities our communities will continue to struggle to become healthy vibrant communities again.” – Phil Gray, 2021
Excerpt from scotiabankcontactphoto.com/2022/core/vid-ingelevics-ryan-...:
Since 2019, Toronto-based artists Vid Ingelevics and Ryan Walker have charted the progression of the Port Lands Flood Protection Project, one of the most ambitious civil works projects in North America. This third series of photographs, presented on wooden structures along the Villiers Street median, focuses on the extraordinary operation of building a new mouth for the Don River and the careful methodology employed in the naturalization of a massive industrial brownfield.
The first photographic series that Ingelevics and Walker produced about this site, titled Framework (2020), captured the buildings and structures demolished to make way for the river excavation. This demolition allowed for the massive movement of soil captured in the second series, A Mobile Landscape (2021). How to Build a River documents how this soil removal made way for the river to be constructed using bio-engineering practices. It reveals the innovative bioengineering techniques used to construct this complex ecology and its multiple engineering layers, which will soon be invisible—either submerged underwater or beneath park surfaces—when the project is finished.
As the excavation has proceeded and workers have brought materials to the site and carefully categorized, prepared, and positioned them, Ingelevics and Walker have witnessed the river’s path quickly taking shape. The images in this series follow the rigorous steps taken to protect the new riverbed and future ecosystem, with multiple layers of sand, charcoal, and impermeable geosynthetic clay liner added to block contaminants caused by almost a century of housing fuel storage tanks in the Port Lands. The photographs capture the ways in which the new riverbanks (known as “crib walls”) were stabilized with logs, tree trunks, rocks, and coconut fibre material, and track the meticulous creation of future habitats for fish and birds.
Fish Habitat (2019) shows the development of a new riparian habitat, which includes coloured streamers strung across the water to deter geese from landing and eating vegetation that will provide food for fish. In Stratified River Ingredients (2021) a worker strides past stepped blankets of biodegradable coconut fabric, which will help hold the riverbank soil together until plant root systems are in place. In this series the new river comes to life. Its plants and banks, its roots and rocks and sands can all be seen coming together in Meander (2021). All of these innovative bioengineering techniques have been employed in similar projects around the world where nature is fast-tracked, but it’s unusual to have so many techniques applied simultaneously, and on such a vast scale.
At times during this massive project, something as small as an unidentified plant can halt construction. Transplanting #1 and #2 (2021) show crews salvaging plants for storage after strange, bulrush-like plants sprouted unexpectedly after 100 years of dormancy underground. These were likely remnants of the site’s original wetlands, which germinated when sunlight hit the excavated mud. Some of the plants were taken to a greenhouse laboratory at the University of Toronto, and others were transplanted to the Leslie Street Spit, located nearby along the waterfront. Even with the most meticulously planned naturalization processes, nature can still surprise us.
Following their documentation of the processes of destruction and removal required to prepare the site, this third series of work in Ingelevics and Walker’s multi-year project allows viewers to witness the construction of these new, interconnected habitats and structures. Their photographs offer glimpses into the makings of a highly creative built ecology, one that has looked to nature in order to artificially recreate it.
A town outside Shanghai. Even in 1990s, old towns and especially hutongs, interconnected lanes with houses around small compounds were disappearing. I used an Apple iPhone to scan this photo from our old album.
The Renaissance Center (aka GM Renaissance Center) is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in downtown Detroit, on the shore of the Detroit River. The complex is owned by General Motors, which uses it as its world headquarters. The central tower, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center with its curved glass-clad facade, is the second tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. It has been the tallest building in Michigan since it was erected in 1977. The principal architect was John Portman.
Views from the Colorado National Monument are known to be beautiful. From the red rock formations, to the canyons that they form ... all overlooking the valley towns of Grand Junction and Fruita in Colorado.
Tom and I fell in love with the area years ago and continue to do so. As many of you know, we tend to do most of our traveling and photography out west and Tom spends numerous weeks out west in the winter for snowboarding as well. Being from south Florida, where we lack mountains or any type of elevation or even season, it sort of made sense. I always thought of it as a Yin and Yang thing, where "in Chinese philosophy, yin and yang describe how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another." (Cited from Wikipedia) Others might think of it as a "you always want what you don't have" sort of thing. We know that we love the winters and the mountains, but I was never sure about the harsh winter of the western areas that we love so much ... Montana, Wyoming, or even Alaska (which also has the challenges of light extremes in the various seasons). However, we always knew that we felt a bit out of place in Florida. During our travels all over this amazing country of ours, we always wonder ... could this be a place that we could call home? Each place would have it's benefits and challenges, but life is all about compromises, right?
So, Tom and I have something special to announce. In just 3 short days we'll be following our hearts and purchasing a home out west. As you might have guessed by the image, and our many trips out there, we're purchasing that home in Mesa County ... in the small mountain biking town of Fruita, CO! There will be biking opportunities galore for Tom, a slower lifestyle with mountains that surround us, a gentler winter, yet still seasons, and snow, lots of it nearby, yet we won't have to spend the entire winter with a snow shovel in hand. Photographically, the area is full of new opportunities ... wildlife, landscapes (day and night), and most places we love are within a day's drive.
Is anyone out there shocked? I know that I was, and I still am, as I sort through my life at this moment. I couldn't even get myself to share the news with anyone, due to the mixed emotions that I was feeling and the desire to not jinx myself. LOL
So, I want to apologize for being a bit off the radar lately, but we have been busy... extremely busy! Yes, "Somewhere Under the Rainbow" we'll be making a home! I'll be keeping everyone in the loop from here on out. Whew! That felt good to get this exciting news off of my chest! :-)
Hope that everyone has a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by to view.
© 2017 Debbie Tubridy / TNWA Photography
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia’s best-known national park, listed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites. It is a popular visiting destination all year round, and must-see for every visitor to Croatia.
Well known for its system of cascading lakes - whereby sixteen lovely lakes are interconnected by cascades and waterfalls. The park is simply beautiful. The main focus of park's beauty are sixteen lakes, divided into two parts - Gornja jezera (Upper lakes) and Donja Jezera (Lower Lakes), as well as numerous waterfalls and cascades.
For video, please visit youtu.be/6p-MI7efeCw
© Copyright Tommy Simms All Rights Reserved.
Pueblo Bonito is the largest ruin in the Chaco Canyon complex. It reached 5 stories in height along its back wall (on the left). It housed as many as 600 rooms - most of them interconnected by interior doorways - at its peak in the late 1000's AD. There was no access to the rooms except from the inner/central courtyard.
4-4564
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.
The nature of the Kerala Backwaters immersed in the glow of the sunset, a vivacious day descends to the shadow & the calm of the night, punctuated at times by the screeching of birds.
📌….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”.
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.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
Hackesche Höfe, Mitte, Berlin.
El Hackesche Höfe es un complejo de patios notable situado junto al Hackescher Markt en el centro de Berlín. El complejo consta de ocho patios interconectados, a los que se accede a través de una entrada arqueada principal en el número 40 de Rosenthaler Straße.
El complejo fue diseñado en estilo Jugendstil (o Art Nouveau) por August Endel, y el primer patio está adornado con una magnífica fachada de ladrillo vitrificado policromado. La construcción de este proyecto, lanzado en 1906, sigue un patrón de clara separación entre áreas residenciales, artesanía, comercio y cultura, que lo distingue de los patios del siglo XIX.
The Hackesche Höfe is a remarkable courtyard complex located next to the Hackescher Markt in the center of Berlin. The complex consists of eight interconnected courtyards, which are accessed through a main arched entrance at number 40 of Rosenthaler Straße.
The complex was designed in the Jugendstil (or Art Nouveau) style by August Endel, and the first courtyard is adorned with a magnificent polychrome vitreous brick façade. The construction of this project, launched in 1906, follows a pattern of clear separation between residential areas, crafts, commerce and culture, which distinguishes it from the courtyards of the nineteenth century.
A futuristic, geothermal, underground cityscape with towering structures, intricate architecture, and vehicles on looping labyrinthine exchanges.
Created With Deep Dream AI Generator
Three small islands interconnected by smooth coral sandy beaches; undisturbed, quiet, and clean. Beautiful underwater scenery and a great panoramic view from up here. This is as close to paradise as it gets...ahhhh
Looks great large on black
Excerpt from tourismhamilton.com:
Inter/Connected (47) by Laura Smith: Inter/Connected features a complex series of digital illustrations which intertwine to provoke mindful investigations towards the relationships between human activity and the natural world in which this activity takes place. Each unique panel of the traffic signal box shows a series of pollinator-friendly wildflowers which are native to the Hamilton region, as well as at-risk pollinators like the Monarch Butterfly and the Honey Bee. Set amongst the native flora and fauna are depictions of our Front-line Healthcare workers who have worked tirelessly to support our community during the COVID-19 crisis.
At the confluence of the Blyde and Treur Rivers in the South African region of Mpumulanga, thousands of years of water erosion have created a unique and otherworldly geological feature.
Here at the mouth of the Blyde River Canyon, the two rivers formed swirling eddies of water. Over time, this formed huge cylindrical potholes in the sandstone bedrock. The effect, seen from the crags above, is now a fascinating network of tunnels and tubes and interconnected whirling pools. The different soil levels in each hole give them each a unique color and makes for a striking and colorful landscape.