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A photo of the 7m diameter revolving 'Gaia' art installation in Southwark Cathedral.

I didn't have long to take photos but given how everyone seemed to be taking the same symmetrical shot with their phones I wanted to get a few 'different' shots. I'd say this falls into that category and if you're not familiar with the installation you would assue it's a Photoshop creation.

I saw Gaia earlier in the year in Oxford but unfortunately despite making a special trip to see it on it's last day I got there only to realise I didn't have a battery in my camera....... Luckily I knew the installation toured so I'd hoped to catch it again at some point. Currently there's two of these installed in Grimsby and Leeds and if it's going to be in your area it's definitely worth a visit with your (battery filled) camera.

More info and touring dates for Gaia here : my-earth.org/tour-dates/

From the website, "Gaia is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring seven metres in diameter and created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface* the artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet, floating in three dimensions.

The installation aims to create a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

The artwork also acts as a mirror to major events in society. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the artwork may provide the viewer with a new perspective of our place on the planet; a sense that societies of the Earth are all interconnected and that we have a responsibility toward one another. After the lockdown, there has been a renewed respect for nature."

© D.Godliman

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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. Businesses close their doors and everyone goes skating. According to Richard van Ammerzoden, a skater from Rotterdam, skating in Holland originated as a poor man's sport. Isolated by mud and water in the damp winters, rural farmers prayed for ice. When it came, just like Hans Brinker, they strapped on their wooden skates with leather thongs, and traveled great distances to visit friends and relatives they hadn't seen in months. Then they skated home.

Perhaps that explains the origin of the Elfstedentocht or "Eleven Cities Tour", a 200-kilometer mega-tour in the province of Friesland known as "the mother of all skating tours." In the 1890s, some Frisian farmer with well-developed leg muscles tried to skate through all eleven cities of Friesland in a single day. He succeeded, and the rest is history.

Photo taken at the Holysloter Die nearby Amsterdam. A family happening where Dutch families skating to the sunset horizon enjoying kilometers of natural ice. Today I took a day off enjoying the natural ice. I did skate a tour from Amsterdam - Ransdorp - Holysloot - Uitdam - Zuiderwoude to Monnickendam and back - about 40km. I did skate a tour from Amsterdam - Ransdorp - Holysloot - Uitdam - Zuiderwoude to Monnickendam and back - about 40km. This photo I took on my way home to Amsterdam. In the distance you can see the smoke of the Power Plant "Hemweg" of Amsterdam. Tomorrow extreme low temperature of -15 degrees Celcius is expected.

Zo'n 1000 jaar geleden of eerder begon men te schaatsen . Toen hadden ze nog geen ijzer uit gevonden dus deden ze dat met botten van geslachte of dode dieren. Die maakten ze een beetje scherp, bonden ze met touwen onder hun voeten vast en zo kwamen ze al een beetje vooruit. Toen er ijzer uit werd gevonden waren er al vrij snel ijzeren schaatsen in plaats van schaatsen van botten. Nederland is het enige land waar zoveel mensen schaatsen. De schaats is ook in Nederland uitgevonden. Ook in Noorwegen schaatsen veel mensen maar lang niet zoveel als in Nederland. Er ligt daar meestal te veel sneeuw op het ijs. Als er twee nachten matige vorst is geweest slaat de gekte weer toe. Erwtensoep in de pot, schaatsen uit het vet en tochten maken. Helaas heeft het al jaren niet meer gevroren, weet een hele generatie niet wat natuurijs maar nu lijkt eindelijk de weer een vorst periode aan te breken waar op natuurijs geschaatst kan worden.

© Copyright Tommy Simms All Rights Reserved.

Another view of of a small section of Pueblo Bonito. 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.

4-4560x

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.

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.

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)

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

This bronze statue by sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi (1924–2005) depicts Sir Isaac Newton in the search for knowledge. It is located in the piazza of the British Library in London.

Based on William Blake’s famous watercolour 'Newton', the six-tonne sculpture was cast by the Morris Singer Foundry established in 1848, best known for the Trafalgar Square lions.

Blake’s original watercolour shows Newton surrounded by the glories of nature but oblivious to it all. Instead, he is focused on reducing the complexity of the universe to mathematical dimensions, bending forward with his compass.

For Paolozzi though, the interpretation of his Newton (1995) was very different. He was inspired by both Newton and Blake together – one representing science and the other representing poetry, art and the imagination, and decided that this synthesis would be perfect for the British Library.

He said: ‘While Blake may have been satirising Newton, I see this work as an exciting union of two British geniuses. Together, they present to us nature and science, poetry, art, architecture – all welded, interconnected, interdependent.’

The sculpture measures 3 m in height

© All rights reserved.

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

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

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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

For my video; youtu.be/edQJsGn35Po,

Lynnmour, District of North Vancouver, British Columbia,

Canada.

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.

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

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.

The Watts Towers are a collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, sculptural features, and mosaics within the site of the artist’s residence in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The entire site was designed and constructed by Simon Rodia, an Italian immigrant construction worker over a 33-year period from 1921 to 1954. The tallest tower is 99.5 feet (30.3 m). The towers are decorated with found objects, including bottles, ceramic tiles, seashells, figurines, mirrors, and much more. Rodia died in 1965. The Towers were designated a United States National Historic Landmark in 1990.

M6 TTL 0.58vf

JCH Street Pan

21mm SEM

Rodinal 1+50 20C 22:00

Yellow Filter

#classiclenses

#35mmfilm

#21mmSEM

#film

#filmphotography

#analog

#analogphotography

#classiclensespodcast

#photographywithclassiclenses

#bestvintagelens

#leica

#JCHStreetPan

#rodinal

#leicaM6

#negativepositives

#LeicaMag

#shootfilmbenice

#banalmag

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.

Tonlé Sap (literally large river (tonle); fresh, not salty (sap), commonly translated to "Great Lake") refers to a seasonally inundated freshwater lake, the Tonlé Sap Lake and an attached river, the 120 km (75 mi) long Tonlé Sap River, that connects the lake to the Mekong.

They form the central part of a complex hydrological system, situated in the 12,876 km2 (4,971 sq mi) Cambodian floodplain covered with a mosaic of natural and agricultural habitats that the Mekong replenishes with water and sediments annually. The central plain formation is the result of millions of years of Mekong alluvial deposition and discharge. From a geological perspective, the Tonlé Sap Lake and Tonlé Sap River are a current freeze-frame representation of the slowly, but ever shifting Lower Mekong Basin. Annual fluctuation of the Mekong's water volume, supplemented by the Asian Monsoon regime causes the unique flow reversal of the Tonle Sap River.

The Tonlé Sap Lake occupies a geological depression (the lowest lying area) of the vast alluvial and lacustrine floodplain in the Lower Mekong Basin, which had been induced by the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. The lake's size, length and water volume varies considerably over the course of a year from an area of around 2,500 km2 (965 sq mi), a volume of 1 km3 (0 cu mi) and a length of 160 km (99 mi) at the end of the dry season in late April to an area of up to 16,000 km2 (6,178 sq mi), a volume of 80 km3 (19 cu mi) and a length of 250 km (160 mi) as the Mekong maximum and the peak of the South-West monsoon's precipitation culminate in September and early October.

As one of the world’s most varied and productive ecosystems the region has always been of central importance for Cambodia's food provision. It proved capable to maintain the Angkorean civilization, the largest pre-industrial settlement complex in world history. Either directly or indirectly it affects the livelihood of large numbers of a predominantly rural population to this day. With regards to a growing and migrating population, ineffective administration and widespread indifference towards environmental issues the lake and its surrounding ecosystem is coming under increasing pressure from over-exploitation and habitat degradation, fragmentation and loss. All Mekong riparian states have either announced or already implemented plans to increasingly exploit the river's hydroelectric potential. A succession of international facilities that dam the river's mainstream is likely to be the gravest danger yet for the entire Tonle Sap eco-region.

The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, that contains an exceptional large variety of interconnected eco-regions with a high degree of biodiversity is a biodiversity hotspot and was designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1997.

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.

© 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

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

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia's largest national park covering almost 30,000 hectares, is situated in the lower elevations of the Dinarides in the central part of the country. Within a beautiful karst landscape dominated by a mix of forests and meadows, the magnificent Plitvice lake system stands out, fascinating scientists and visitors alike. Interconnected by many waterfalls and watercourses above and below ground, the lakes are grouped into the upper and lower lakes. The former are formed on dolomites, with mild relief, not so steep shores and enclosed by thick forests, whereas the latter, smaller and shallower, are situated in limestone canyon with partially steep shores. The lake system is the result of millennia of ongoing geological and biochemical processes creating natural dams known as tufa barriers. These are formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate from the waters flowing through the property. In the case of the Plitvice lake system, this geochemical process of tufa formation interacts with living organisms, most importantly mosses, algae and aquatic bacteria. The scale of the overall lake system and the natural barriers are an exceptional expression of the aesthetically stunning phenomenon, acknowledged since the late 19th century. Plitvice Lakes National Park area is mainly covered with very well preserved forests essential for the continuity of geochemical processes in water system (above and below ground), which include an area of 84 ha of old-growth forest of beech and fir. Besides the striking landscape beauty and the processes that continue to shape the lakes, the park is also home to noteworthy biodiversity. The tufa barriers themselves provide habitat for diverse and highly specialized communities of non-vascular plants. Brown Bear, Grey Wolf and Lynx along with many rare species roam the forests, while the meadows are known for their rich flora.

Le photographe espagnol Javier Aznar González de Rueda a remporté le premier prix de l’EWPY 2023 cette année pour son incroyable image, “Maternal Care” , qui montre une mère punaise s'occupant de sa couvée !

Le photographe se concentre sur la recherche en histoire naturelle, la conservation de la faune et le lien entre l'homme et la nature !

« Les soins maternels augmentent considérablement les chances de survie de la progéniture" !

Dans la forêt tropicale équatorienne, les punaises juvéniles sont vulnérables aux attaques de nombreux prédateurs et parasitoïdes tels que les guêpes ichneumon …

Il s’agit d’un écosystème très complexe avec d’innombrables organismes dans un vaste réseau de vie interconnecté », explique le photographe Javier Aznar González de Rueda !

______PdF______________________________________

Spanish photographer Javier Aznar González de Rueda has taken home the top prize this year for his incredible image, Maternal Care, which shows a mother stink bug caring for her brood.

The photographer focuses on natural history research, wildlife conservation, and the connection between people and nature.

“Maternal care significantly increases an offspring’s chances of survival.

In Ecuador’s rainforest, juvenile stink bugs are vulnerable to attack by numerous predators and parasitoids such as ichneumon wasps …

This is a highly complex ecosystem with countless organisms in a vast interconnected web of life,” explains photographer Javier Aznar González de Rueda !

______________________________________________PdF_

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.

© Dan McCabe

Palouse Falls is the Official Waterfall of the State of Washington. It has a drop of 198 ft. (60 m).

The canyon at the falls is 115 meters (377 feet) deep, exposing a large cross-section of the Columbia River Basalt Group. These falls and the canyon downstream are an important feature of the channeled scablands created by the great Missoula Floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington and across the Columbia River Plateau during the Pleistocene epoch.

The ancestral Palouse River flowed through the currently dry Washtucna Coulee to the Columbia River. The Palouse Falls and surrounding canyons were created when the Missoula Floods overtopped the south valley wall of the ancestral Palouse River, diverting it to the current course to the Snake River by erosion of a new channel.

The area is characterized by interconnected and hanging flood-created coulees, cataracts, plunge pools, kolk created potholes, rock benches, buttes and pinnacles typical of scablands.

[Source: wikipedia.org]

This photo is an HDR composite of 5 separate exposures. That said, I'm not especially satisfied with the post-processing and may revisit it in the future.

This (digital) MOC, as a counterpart of my Yavin IV Rebel Base, is a modular, imperial Tie Fighter Hangar.

The rendered images are composed of 3 modules of the hanger, the left one (the Entry) and right one (small Elevator) slightly changed. Each module has a base of 48 x 64 Studs (3 x 4 16x16 Plates) and are interconnected the classic way with pins. The pillars and walls themselves are also modular, connected by pins and can easily be replaced or exchanged with each other. A technique I used for my Republic Hangar and proven for the transport to many events.

My daughter June's cat Jacqui and the Ice Cream Maker are of course also present. ;-)

As usual I've been inspired by many great MOCers around the world. Credits go to swebricks (Star Wars Community Build 2013), Spacepilot3000 (Escape from Docking Bay 327, THE starting point when you build imperial walls), TheCreatorr (Death Star Hangar Bay MOC and of course to the epic MOCer Jerac (Middle section of his awesome Tie Fighter). And finally to myself (Republic Hangar).

I hope you like the moc and find and recognize some well known characters.

Nitmiluk National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 244 km southeast of Darwin, (4 hours or 350 km by road) around a series of gorges on the Katherine River and Edith Falls.

Previously named Katherine Gorge National Park, its northern edge borders Kakadu National Park. The gorges and the surrounding landscape have great ceremonial significance to the local Jawoyn people, who are custodians of Nitmiluk National Park. In Jawoyn, Nitmiluk means "place of the cicada dreaming".

Katherine Gorge, a deep gorge carved through ancient sandstone by the Katherine River, is the central attraction of the park. Katherine Gorge is made up of thirteen gorges, with rapids and falls, and follow the Katherine River, which begins in Kakadu. During the Dry, roughly from April to October, the Katherine Gorge waters are placid in most spots and ideal for swimming and canoeing.

There can be freshwater crocodiles in most parts of the river, as they nest along the banks, but they are generally harmless to humans unless provoked. Saltwater crocodiles regularly enter the river during the wet season, when the water levels are very high, and are subsequently removed and returned to the lower levels at the onset of the dry season. Thus, swimming in the wet season is prohibited.

Cruises of various lengths go as far as the fifth gorge. The gorges can be explored by canoe and flat bottomed boat. In the dry season the gorges become separated as the level of the river falls. They are interconnected in the wet. There is a visitor centre and accommodation located at the Katherine Gorge, about 30 km east of the town of Katherine.

Freshwater crocodiles are widely distributed along the river year-round. During the wet season, rises in water levels may allow saltwater crocodiles to enter the gorge, where they are caught and relocated to lower levels when the dry season begins.

Birds that can be seen include ospreys, red-tailed black cockatoos, great bowerbirds, white-gaped honeyeaters and red-winged parrots. Part of the Yinberrie Hills Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for endangered Gouldian finches, lies in the park

Montreal's Underground City (officially RÉSO or La Ville Souterraine in French) is the set of interconnected complexes (both above and below ground) in and around Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is also known as the indoor city (ville intérieure), and is one of the largest underground complexes in the world.

This was a pattern that I did not see repeated during my mornings at the Earth Cafe. There were lots of bicycles, though never more than one person on a bike. There were a handful of skateboards and scooters, and a couple of motorcycles ... but only one motor scooter.

I don't know what model this one is, though it reminds me of a Vespa or Lambretta. At least the two men on the scooter are wearing helmets, and at least there are rear-view mirrors on both sides ... but it was still an unusual sight.

**********************

As I’ve mentioned in a couple of recent Tumblr blog postings, I’m working on an exercise for a new class that I’ve started taking at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in the fall of 2015.( You can see the earlier Tumblr postings here and here.)

In addition to taking a bunch of photos (see the other Tumblr postings for details and descriptions of what the photos are supposed to illustrate), we also have the task of editing our images down to a maximum of 10 “presentation images” that we will share with the ICP class next week. When our instructor, Joanne Dugan, asked me last week if I anticipated having any problems with this aspect of the assignment, I shrugged and said, “No, I do this all the time …”

Well, yes and no: I do do a lot of editing/winnowing of my photos before deciding which ones should be shared with anyone else. But I had forgotten that I also do a lot of cropping, color-adjustment, tweaking, and general post-processing before I upload my photos to Flickr, Facebook, or even Instagram. For this particular ICP exercise, we were also told not to crop the photos, and not to do any post-processing. That makes things a lot more difficult …

On the other hand, part of the exercise is to assemble and share a maximum of ten photos that collectively tell a “story” of some kind – and to “tell” that story with anywhere from a word, to a sentence, to a paragraph for each of the photos. That makes things a lot easier … after all, if a photo has to be presented in isolation, then it truly stands alone. And it is intended to be viewed without any accompanying text, then it really stands alone. There’s nothing wrong with that; indeed, one might argue that that’s the whole point of photography: a picture should “tell” a story all by itself, without any extraneous verbiage to “explain” what might not be obvious to the viewer.

But not very many things exist in complete isolation of the rest of the universe, especially in today’s interconnected world. I suppose some people would debate that point quite vigorously; and some people might argue that a photograph of a person, place, or thing should be able to “stand alone” without anything else. I certainly have seen photos that fall into this category, and I suppose I’ve taken a few like that, too. Or, maybe if I never intended my photos to be considered in complete isolation from one another, perhaps that’s how some people prefer to look at them …

But for me, that’s a pretty rare phenomenon. Almost always, I find myself telling a story. The photographs obviously present one “dimension” of the story, in a visual form; and I’ve been trying to remind myself lately that videos can present can present one, and sometimes two, additional dimensions (motion and sound) that can add enormously to the viewer’s understanding and appreciation of the underlying story.

But even if one uses only traditional photos, I find that it’s almost impossible for me to crate (or make, or take) one photo by itself; invariably, I take dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands, which collectively tell a story. It may be a story about someplace I’ve been, or some event in which I’ve participated, or some individual (or group of individuals) that I want the viewer to know and appreciate in more detail than would be possible to communicate in a single photo.

And then there are the words … maybe it’s because I spend part of my time as a writer and teacher that I find it almost impossible not to augment my photos with words. Lots of words. Indeed, sometimes far too many words; and sometimes clumsy words, or the wrong words. And I do realize that there are times when the situation would be improved if I would just shut up, and let the photograph do all of the communication. But for better or worse, I guess I’m a photojournalist.

With that in mind, I began the process of editing the photos for my recent ICP assignment. Here’s what I found:

1. It’s not as easy as one might think, when you start with a large number. I began winnowing the original images when I had 2,700 (after 9 days of shooting), and I still had 5 days of shooting left).

2. It’s much more difficult than I had imagined, given the constraints of my ICP class: no cropping, no post-processing, and a maximum of only 10 images. I’ve worked within those constraints for the final images that I’m submitting to the ICP class; but for these Flickr uploads, I’ve ended up with 40-45 images – and they have been heavily cropped, tilted, color-corrected, noise-dusted, and tweaked in various other ways. C’est la vie…

3. Using the collection of photos to “tell a story” is both easier and harder than I thought it would be. I’m including these background notes in all of the photos that get uploaded to Flickr … because I’ve learned (form past experience) that some visitor will zoom in on just one particular photo, without necessarily looking at all of them, and/or without seeing the overall notes for the entire album. And I don’t think I’ll find it difficult to write a few sentences to provide the background details for each photo … but whether they “flow” and create one overall, coherent “story” remains to be seen.

4. Aside from a narrative “story,” there are some “themes” that I noticed throughout this entire two-week exercise. The most significant one was exactly what I had anticipated: patterns. If you are lucky enough to sit in the same spot at the same time, day after day, you see the same rhythms, the same people, the same repetitions of life’s little actions and emotions. Many people have the opportunity to see these patterns, because they do follow the same schedule, day after day, on their way to their job or their school. But some of us have irregular routines, and any, most of us don’t pay any attention. If you slow down, and pay attention, you’ll see the patterns.

But sometimes the pattern involves uniqueness – i.e. strange and unusual people or events that seem to happen only once. But I have to keep reminding myself that my visits have lasted only two weeks; if I was here for a month, or a full season, or perhaps an entire year – then perhaps I would see these strange incidents repeating themselves

5. Another theme – which I did not anticipate, but was delighted to see – was the pervasive sense of affection and caring between and among everyone on the street. Mostly it was apparent in the interactions between parents and children; but sometimes it was between dog-owners and the dogs they were walking; sometimes it was between friends who happened to be walking along together; and sometimes it was between complete strangers and me, as the strangers would smile and nod and say “hello” if they noticed I was watching them. It was a great experience.

Fifth attempt out of 10 ICM photos taken during the Solstice day on June 21 2022.

I like this one because it still sees the grass and the beams effect is interconnected with concentric lines.

Ref.SAVAGE 2022\Albe e tramonti\ICM country 005 in the wild grass VM def

©WhiteAngel Photography & #PlanisphericArt. All rights reserved.

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

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

The Monk Praying In The Bamboo Lake - Bamboo Mystic Symbolism by Daniel Arrhakis (2024)

With the Mantra / Music : Tadyatha Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha

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.

Blanketing the City IV is a 2021 Vancouver Mural Festival public art project.

Six barren concrete pillars now have a colourful coating.

Located above a downtown Vancouver underground BC Hydro sub-station, Cathedral Square Park was one of a few permanent structures designed by Bruno Freschi for Expo 86.

Three Indigenous weavers (one from each of the three local First Nations) designed the interconnected murals to blanket all of the site's immense concrete pillars.

Debra Sparrow invited master weavers Chief Janice George (Sḵwxwú7mesh) and Angela George (səlilwətaɬ) to collaborate on the design of the murals.

Blanketing The City IV: Cathedral Square transmits and magnifies the visibility of xwməθkwəyə̓ m, Sḵwxwú7mesh ̱and səlilwətaɬ culture on their ancestral lands.

This project is a deep exploration and implementation of Indigenous visibility in public spaces via a multi-year collaboration between these weavers.

Blanketing The City IV: Cathedral Square, is the first semi-permanent public art collaboration between weavers from the three local nations.

Blanketing the City asserts the visibility and culture of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh people on their unceded lands.

In the central nave is the cross of 16 m, the main altar and the commungatory that separates the sanctuary from the Assembly.

In the mountains, about 500 meters from Zipaquirá, there is a salt cathedral, 50 km from Bogota. About 250,000 tons of salt were removed to sculpt the bleak and ethereal underground sanctuary, heralded as one of Colombia's greatest architectural achievements. You descend 180 meters from the surface passing through 14 small chapels that represent the Stations of the Cross, each of them a sentimental triumph of symbolism and mining. But nothing anticipates the culmination of the trail in the main nave, where a monumental cross (the world's largest underground church) is lit from the bottom up.

The Sacred Axis, a square with a halite hand carved cross (4.2 meters (14 ft) height).

The three ships: They are interconnected by a crack, symbolizing the birth and death of Christ.

Copies of Creation of Adam and Pieta can be seen.

Four large cylindrical columns representing the Four Evangelists.

Based on a mission with three interconnected components (Circus - Earth - Human), La TOHU is a laboratory for sustainable development through culture.

As the only presenter specializing in contemporary circus in North America, it supports the development of the discipline by offering the best of circus from here and elsewhere around the world, in season and through its MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENTEMENT CiRQUE Festival, while supporting training, research, creation and circulation within an international network. It also supports the education of audiences and the building of a memory of circus through mediation, exhibitions and the development of the Jacob William Fund). It thus contributes to positioning Montreal as the international capital of the circus arts.

As the first LEED Gold-certified green building in Quebec, La TOHU acts as a reception and interpretation pavilion in Frédéric-Back Park, a model of transformation and environmental engineering. It offers a wide range of educational activities related to the environment and guarantees compliance with the highest standards for the organization of eco-responsible events.

Finally, anchored in the heart of the Saint-Michel district, one of the most disadvantaged but also one of the youngest and most multicultural districts in Canada, it acts as a driving force for cultural, social and economic vitality in its territory. Like a cultural center, it offers free multidisciplinary programming for neighbourhood residents, while developing expertise in the organization of major outdoor events such as the Saint-Michel FALLA. It is distinguished by a bold local employability policy that favours the Saint-Michel youth.

S’appuyant sur une mission à trois volets interconnectés (Cirque – Terre – Humain), la TOHU est un laboratoire de développement durable par la culture.

LE CIRQUE

Seul diffuseur spécialisé en cirque contemporain en Amérique du Nord, elle appuie le développement de la discipline en offrant le meilleur du cirque d’ici et d’ailleurs, en saison et via son Festival MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE, tout en soutenant l’entraînement, la recherche, la création et la circulation au sein d’un réseau international. Elle appuie aussi l’éducation des publics et la constitution d’une mémoire du cirque via de la médiation, des expositions et la mise en valeur du Fonds Jacob William…). Elle contribue ainsi à positionner Montréal comme capitale internationale des arts du cirque.

LA TERRE

Premier bâtiment vert certifié LEED Or au Québec, la TOHU agit à titre de pavillon d’accueil et d’interprétation du parc Frédéric-Back, modèle de transformation et d’ingénierie environnementale. Elle offre une vaste gamme d’activités éducatives relatives à l’environnement et garantit le respect des plus hauts standards d’organisation d’événements écoresponsables

L'HUMAIN

Enfin, ancrée au cœur du quartier Saint-Michel, l’un des plus défavorisés mais aussi des plus jeunes et multiculturels au Canada, elle agit comme moteur de vitalité culturelle, sociale et économique dans son territoire. À l’instar d’une maison de la culture, elle offre une programmation multidisciplinaire gratuite destinée aux résidents du quartier, tout en développant une expertise dans l’organisation de grands événements extérieurs tels que la FALLA de Saint-Michel. Elle se démarque par une audacieuse politique d’employabilité locale pour les jeunes de Saint-Michel.

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Please take your time... to View it large on black

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 same as last year we could ice skating on the Gouwsea. Ice skating can be done from Monnickendam - Nes - Marken and from Marken 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.

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 two speedskaters and an Infinite line of Dutch skaters on the vast frozen Gouwsea. A historical moment since crossing the Gouwsea by skates is such a rare occurrence. Today I skate from Monnickendam - Nes - Marken - Nes and back to Monnickendam a trip of 16km, such a beautiful sea of ice to enjoy.

Op 25 januari 2013 een schaatstocht gemaakt rond de Gouwzee van Monnickendam - Nes - Marken - Monnickendam. Bij Volendam lag dit keer te veel sneeuw en onbegaanbaar. Eindelijk weer een dag waarin Waterlanders de ijzers konden onderbinden. De Gouwzee helemaal dichtbevroren en dit is nu al vier van de drie laatste winters gebeurd. Maar het blijft een historische ijstocht. Vele honderden schaatsenrijders zoeken vandaag de bevroren oppervlakte van de Gouwzee op voor een schaatstocht langs alle havens. Mensen kunnen een rondje Gouwzee schaatsen. Een groot ijsoppervlakte tussen Monickendam en Marken met prima ijs. Een oneindig mooi gezicht op deze ijszee anno 2013. Het was genieten. De weilanden zijn hier wit, de Gouwzee totaal bevroren 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 besneeuwde landschap. Het ijs is geweldig hier. Ik stop nog even voor het maken van foto. Deze two schaatsers schaatsen hier vanaf de dijk richting Marken met stevige tegenwind. Met minimale inspanning kan je hier wel 50km/uur schaatsen. Het levert een prachtig plaatje op.

By reducing the smaller squares, I managed to add in another module. The model is from 3 strips of paper measuring 62cm x 4cm. Perhaps more modules can be added by extending the larger square but the model will not be stable. I guess I shall stop here. I shall now experiment with pentagons and perhaps hexagons.

*Ocean, is the interconnected mass of saltwater covering 70.78% of the surface of the earth. Often called the world ocean, it has an area of about 361 million sq km, an average depth of about 3,730 m, and a total volume of about 1,347,000,000 cu km.

Feel the Ocean Breeze, San Diego, California, USA

PixQuote:

"You are asking me what makes a good picture. For me, it is the harmony between subject and form that leads each one of those elements to its maximum of expression and vigor."

-Henri Cartier-Bresson

***There is no AI in this image ***

All manipulations were created in Photoshop.

Stock used:

Envato

Artwork ©jackiecrossley

© All rights reserved. This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying & recording without my written permission. This image is not authorised for use on your blogs, pinboards, websites or use in any other way. You may not download this image without my written permission from me. Thank you.

Listen and enjoy: P!nk - Just Like A Pill (Official Video)

One of my favorite spots for meditation. These General Sherman (mammoth) trees are magnificent.

© Andy Brandl / PhotonMix (2011)

Don´t redistribute / use on webpages, blogs or any other media without my explicit written consent

Nitmiluk National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 244 km southeast of Darwin, (4 hours or 350 km by road) around a series of gorges on the Katherine River and Edith Falls.

Previously named Katherine Gorge National Park, its northern edge borders Kakadu National Park. The gorges and the surrounding landscape have great ceremonial significance to the local Jawoyn people, who are custodians of Nitmiluk National Park. In Jawoyn, Nitmiluk means "place of the cicada dreaming".

Katherine Gorge, a deep gorge carved through ancient sandstone by the Katherine River, is the central attraction of the park. Katherine Gorge is made up of thirteen gorges, with rapids and falls, and follow the Katherine River, which begins in Kakadu. During the Dry, roughly from April to October, the Katherine Gorge waters are placid in most spots and ideal for swimming and canoeing.

There can be freshwater crocodiles in most parts of the river, as they nest along the banks, but they are generally harmless to humans unless provoked. Saltwater crocodiles regularly enter the river during the wet season, when the water levels are very high, and are subsequently removed and returned to the lower levels at the onset of the dry season. Thus, swimming in the wet season is prohibited.

Cruises of various lengths go as far as the fifth gorge. The gorges can be explored by canoe and flat bottomed boat. In the dry season the gorges become separated as the level of the river falls. They are interconnected in the wet. There is a visitor centre and accommodation located at the Katherine Gorge, about 30 km east of the town of Katherine.

Freshwater crocodiles are widely distributed along the river year-round. During the wet season, rises in water levels may allow saltwater crocodiles to enter the gorge, where they are caught and relocated to lower levels when the dry season begins.

Birds that can be seen include ospreys, red-tailed black cockatoos, great bowerbirds, white-gaped honeyeaters and red-winged parrots. Part of the Yinberrie Hills Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for endangered Gouldian finches, lies in the park

For my video; youtu.be/edQJsGn35Po,

Lynnmour, District of North Vancouver, British Columbia,

Canada.

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.

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.