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Julie is on the tailgate, me under the rainbow, Chelsea is next to me, and Penny at the front door of the truck.
We didn't take the float apart right away but took the helium balloons off and handed them out to the children in the park .
I came across a little girl [ about sevenish in age] who was standing by herself next to a tree, her back was facing the tree, she had her arms crossed and a mad/sad look on her face.[ the look is hard to describe , but I have a daughter and knew the look.]
I said " would you like a balloon?
She just shook her head "no".
Then I said "would you like TWO balloons?"
With her arms still crossed, she shook her head "yes" , took the balloons, smiled and ran back over to her family, they tied the balloons to a baby carrige. [ Apparently her sibling.]
I wonder if 20 years from now that girl will remember that day.
Sometimes the simplest acts can impact a persons life.
Just got around to processing this one. I know it is similar to a previous shot I have posted but this may be my favorite. Love the colors in the clouds just before the sun made its appearance. This is one of many fishing piers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They stand as reminders of the devastation of the storm but now provide interesting elements for coastal photography. The location of this shot is actually just across Highway 90 from the Pass Christian Walmart Supercenter. In Mississippi, we may be last in some areas but you can't touch our view from Walmart!
www.rushingimages.com/Mississippi/Mississippi-Gulf-Coast/...
Another model created with the Lego Digital Designer. The AT-ST is the one by TLC, but the platform is selfmade.
Elizabeth Fort is situated on the south side of the city and is said to be one of the finest examples of a 17th century star-shaped fort. The fort itself has gone through a number of phases & rebuilds. Originally built in 1601 during the reign of Elizabeth I, it was replaced in 1624 by a stronger fort which had the same basic outline as that which survives today.
It is reputed that improvements were also made by Cromwell 1649 when he took control of the city. It was used again in 1690 by Williamite forces to shell the city and a cannonball fired from the Fort at the old tower of St. Fin barre’s was found during the 19th century rebuilding of the Cathedral.
In 1719, Elizabeth Fort became a British military barracks and housed approximately seven hundred men. In 1806, a ‘New Barrack’s’ was built on the north side of the city (now called Collin’s Barracks), and Elizabeth fort was converted to a Female Convict Prison. It subsequently became home to various bodies such as a station for the Cork City Artillery Militia.
During the Irish War of Independence (1920-21), it was occupied by the Royal Irish Constabulary and duly handed over to the Provisional Irish government at the end of the war. It is now a Garda Station (Irish police force) and to this day remains one of Cork’s most historic gems. Never been excavated, Elizabeth Fort has a wealth of stories waiting to be discovered and to be told.
The fort itself is partially open to the public and it is well worth the a visit for the views over the city.
Österreich / Kärnten / Nationalpark Hohe Tauern - Geotrail Tauernfenster
The High Tauern (pl.; German: Hohe Tauern, Italian: Alti Tauri) are a mountain range on the main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern border of the Austrian states of Salzburg, Carinthia and East Tyrol, with a small part in the southwest belongs to the Italian province of South Tyrol. The range includes Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner at 3,798 metres (12,461 ft) above the Adriatic.
In the east, the range is adjoined by the Lower Tauern. For the etymology of the name, see Tauern.
Geography
According to the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps, the range is bounded by the Salzach valley to the north (separating it from the Kitzbühel Alps), the Mur valley and the Murtörl Pass to the east (separating it from the Lower Tauern), the Drava valley to the south (separating it from the Southern Limestone Alps), and the Birnlücke Pass to the west (separating it from the Zillertal Alps).
Its most important subgroups along the Alpine crest are (from West to East):
Venediger Group (including Grossvenediger, 3,666 metres (12,028 ft), and Lasörling, 3,098 metres (10,164 ft))
Granatspitze Group (Großer Muntanitz, 3,232 metres (10,604 ft), and Granatspitze, 3,086 metres (10,125 ft))
Glockner Group (Grossglockner, 3,798 metres (12,461 ft))
Goldberg Group (Hoher Sonnblick, 3,106 metres (10,190 ft))
Ankogel Group (Hochalmspitze, 3,360 metres (11,020 ft), Ankogel, 3,246 metres (10,650 ft)) and Reisseck Group (Reisseck, 2,965 metres (9,728 ft))
The eastern end of the High Tauern is formed by the Hafner massif of the Ankogel Group, which includes the easternmost three-thousander peaks in the Alpine chain.
Further parts of the High Tauern south of the main crest of the Alps are (from West to East):
Rieserferner Group (Hochgall, 3,436 metres (11,273 ft))
Villgraten Mountains (Weiße Spitze, 2,962 metres (9,718 ft))
Schober Group (including the Petzeck, 3,283 metres (10,771 ft) and Hochschober, 3,240 metres (10,630 ft))
Kreuzeck Group (Mölltaler Polinik, 2,784 metres (9,134 ft))
High Tauern National Park
Along 100 kilometres (62 mi) of the main chain stretches the High Tauern National Park (Nationalpark Hohe Tauern), to which the Austrian Alpine Club as freeholder and the three states of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol have contributed territory. With an area of about 1,834 square kilometres (708 sq mi), it is by far the largest of Austria's seven national parks as well as the largest nature reserve in the Alps. It is divided into a core zone of 1,198 square kilometres (463 sq mi) including the Grossglockner and Grossvenediger massifs, with complete prohibition of agricultural use, and a fringe zone of 638 square kilometres (246 sq mi) used for forestry and alpine-meadow farming. Five special nature sanctuaries are protected from any human disturbance.
The park of the IUCN II category comprises the Pasterze and numerous further glaciers, the Krimml Waterfalls, several glacial valleys and alluvial fans, as well as extended tundra areas and forests. Among the flora of the Alps, especially Swiss Pines grow along the tree line; above subshrub, mainly alpenrose but also the endemic Saxifraga rudolphiana, up to nival level at about 2,800 m (9,200 ft). The fauna includes chamois, Alpine ibex and red deer, as well as griffon vulture and the golden eagle. The formerly extinct bearded vulture and the Alpine marmot have been successfully reintroduced.
The park was established according to a 1971 declaration signed by the participating states at Heiligenblut, it nevertheless took until 1981, when the first parts around Großglockner and Hochschober in Carinthia were put under protection. The adjacent parts finally joined in 1992. Tourism has become less harmful to the environment. A particular emphasis is put on the protection and maintenance of traditional ways of life in the Alps.
Tunnels and passes
The High Tauern are crossed by three tunnels:
Tauern Railway Tunnel between Bad Gastein and Mallnitz, finished in 1906
Katschberg Tunnel on A10 Tauern Autobahn (European route E55) leading from Sankt Michael im Lungau and the Tauern Road Tunnel to Rennweg
Felbertauerntunnel on B108 Felbertauern Straße highway, between Mittersill and Matrei in Osttirol
The best-known mountain pass road of the High Tauern is the scenic Grossglockner High Alpine Road inaugurated in 1935, including a tunnel at an elevation of 2,505 metres (8,219 ft) under the Hochtor Pass (2,573 metres (8,442 ft)). East of it, the Katschberg Pass (1,641 metres (5,384 ft)) on B 99 Katschberg Straße highway parallel to the Katschberg Tunnel links Sankt Michael and Rennweg. Another road crosses the Staller Sattel between Sankt Jakob in Defereggen and Rasen-Antholz at 2,052 metres (6,732 ft).
(Wikipedia)
Die Hohen Tauern sind eine Hochgebirgsregion der Zentralalpen. Sie liegen größtenteils in Österreich. Der rund 120 km lange und bis 3798 m ü. A. hohe Hauptkamm stellt die geografische Mitte der Ostalpen dar. Hier befinden sich – neben den Ötztaler Alpen – die höchsten Berge Österreichs. In der Hafnergruppe (ein Teil der Ankogelgruppe) liegen die östlichsten Dreitausender der Alpen.
Lage und Gebirgsgruppen
Die Hohen Tauern liegen in den österreichischen Bundesländern Salzburg, Kärnten und Tirol (Osttirol). Der 150 km lange Hauptkamm markiert die Grenze zwischen Salzburg und den beiden anderen Ländern; sein südwestlicher Rand gehört zur italienischen Provinz Südtirol.
Die nördliche Abgrenzung bildet das Tal der Salzach, die südliche das Tal der Drau. Im Westen werden die Hohen Tauern von Krimmler Ache und Ahrntal begrenzt, im Osten von Großarltal, Murtörl (2260 m ü. A.), Murwinkel und Katschberg-Pass (1642 m ü. A.). Westlich der Birnlücke (2667 m ü. A., Krimmler Tauern) schließen sich die Zillertaler Alpen an, nordöstlich des Murtörls (2260 m ü. A.) die Gipfel der Radstädter Tauern (siehe auch Niedere Tauern).
Gemäß der orografischen Einteilung der Ostalpen (AVE) durch den Deutschen und Österreichischen Alpenverein gliedern sich die Hohen Tauern in folgende Gebirgsgruppen (von Westen nach Osten):
Venedigergruppe (höchster Gipfel Großvenediger 3657 m ü. A.) mit Durreckgruppe, Panargenkamm und Lasörlinggruppe
Granatspitzgruppe (Großer Muntanitz 3232 m ü. A.)
Glocknergruppe (Großglockner 3798 m ü. A.)
Goldberggruppe (Hocharn 3254 m ü. A.)
Ankogelgruppe (Hochalmspitze 3360 m ü. A.) mit Hafner- und Reißeckgruppe.
Im Süden sind dem Tauern-Hauptkamm vorgelagert:
Rieserfernergruppe (Hochgall 3436 m ü. A.)
Villgratner Berge oder Defereggengebirge (Weiße Spitze 2962 m ü. A.)
Schobergruppe (Petzeck 3283 m ü. A.)
Kreuzeckgruppe (Polinik 2784 m ü. A.).
Nationalpark und Geologie
Im Zentrum der Region liegt der Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, in dem der Österreichische Alpenverein und Grundbesitzer in den drei Bundesländern Tirol, Salzburg und Kärnten wichtige Flächenanteile eingebracht haben. Er ist mit 1836 km² der größte der sechs österreichischen Nationalparks und damit auch der größte der Alpen. Das Schutzgebiet gliedert sich in eine Kernzone (Naturzone gemäß IUCN) und eine Außenzone (Randzone) mit Wald- und Almwirtschaft.
Der Fremdenverkehr hat seit der Errichtung des Nationalparks nur mehr geringfügig zugenommen und sich auf qualitativ hochwertigen „sanften Tourismus“ und naturschonendes Bergsteigen verlegt. Dem Umweltschutz und dem Erhalt ursprünglicher Erwerbszweige wird besonderes Augenmerk gewidmet. Einige Stauseen spielen für die Energiewirtschaft eine bedeutende Rolle (Kapruner-, Stubach- und Maltatal). Im Felbertal wird das Wolframerz Scheelit abgebaut; der Abbau hier allein macht Österreich zum viertgrößten Förderer von Wolfram weltweit.
Die Geologie der Hohen Tauern wird von Kristallingesteinen geprägt, der Aufbau des Gebirges ist jedoch ungewöhnlich kompliziert. Von paläozoischen Gneisen und Glimmerschiefern über Phyllite und Quarzite bis zu mesozoischen Kalken herrscht eine große Vielfalt, die durch die Tektonik des „Tauernfensters“ noch verstärkt wird. Dies macht auch den Reiz der Landschaft aus: von senkrechten Felswänden und scharfkantigen Graten finden sich alle Übergänge bis zu sanften Graskuppen und Hochmooren. Steile Kare und Gletscher wechseln mit verkarsteten Hochflächen und ganzen Gruppen von Bergseen, beliebte Gipfel mit solchen, die nie bestiegen werden. Die Eisgrenze der Hohen Tauern verläuft zwischen 2700 und 2900 m.
Die nordwärts zur Salzach führenden Täler haben Stufenbau (glaziale Trogtäler) mit Wasserfällen und gewaltigen Klammen (Gasteiner- und Liechtensteinklamm, Kitzlochklamm usw.), die für Besucher mit sicheren Stegen ausgebaut sind. Wichtige Verkehrsverbindungen über/durch die Hohen Tauern sind der Felbertauerntunnel, die Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße, der Tauerntunnel (Eisenbahn) und der Katschbergtunnel (Tauernautobahn).
(Wikipedia)
Geo-Trail Tauernfenster, Heiligenblut am Großglockner
Der Lehrpfad ist eine hochalpine Wanderung über 5,4 Kilometer, bei der es sich zwar um eine leichte Wanderung handelt, aber Trittsicherheit sollte man schon mitbringen, denn man ist mitten in den Hohen Tauern auf 2.600 Meter Seehöhe unterwegs. Insgesamt werden 300 Höhenmeter überwunden.
Der Weg namens Tauernfenster setzt die Geologie in den Mittelpunkt und ist eine Rundwanderung von und nach der Bergstation der Schareck-Umlaufseilbahn in der Nähe des Schareck-Gipfels auf 2.600 Meter Seehöhe. Von dort aus gibt es eine große Schleife durch ein für die Gologie besonders interessantes Gebiet in den Hohen Tauern, was den Ausblick auf mehr als 100 Berggipfel über 3.000 Meter zulässt. Damit hat man alleine schon vom Naturerlebnis her einen großen persönlichen Mehrwert.
Zusätzlich gibt es aber auch geologische Besonderheiten zu begutachten, die auf 13 Stationen untergliedert sind. Dazu gehören Höhlen, verschiedene zum Teil bizarre Formen von Verwitterung oder auch Dolinen. Man erlebt damit ein Naturbild, das man im Flachland nie zu Gesicht bekommt, weil sich zwar auch dort geologische Besonderheiten gebildet haben, die aber ganz andere Strukturen aufweisen.
(bmluk.gv.at)
This is a 1/3 replica of an actual river steamer that used to ply the waters of southern British Columbia. The original is not working, but is permanently moored and can be visited in Kaslo, BC: klhs.bc.ca/
The Glenmore Reservoir doesn't actually lead to downtown Calgary... it ends just around the corner.
The temple complex is located on the site of the so-called Grove of the Heart. Fierce battles for the city of Voronezh were fought at this place during the Great Patriotic War, many fighters died defending our Homeland. The grove was so named because it resembled the shape of a heart and was located about a kilometer from the city. Among the soldiers, another name for the grove was fixed - the grove of death. Our soldiers called this place the grove of death among themselves.
The central cathedral of the complex was built in honor of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg and resembles a ship in its shape.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the memorial Day of St. Nicholas.Xenia on February 6th. This saint, who lived in St. Petersburg in the middle of the XVIII century, is known for her feat of foolishness: she devoted the rest of her life to a single task: to beg God's forgiveness for her husband, who suddenly died without repentance. To do this, she disguises herself in her husband's uniform and for 45 years wandered around the city in such an outfit, posing as her dead husband, posing as his name Andrei Fedorovich. Many considered her insane, but the examination did not reveal any abnormalities in the unfortunate widow. She distributed her husband's remaining belongings to the suffering. The feat of Blessed Xenia is a model of sacrificial love, humility and meekness. It is no coincidence that Xenia of St. Petersburg is one of the most revered and beloved saints in Russia.
The church was created in the traditional Old Russian style by architect A.B. Logvinov. It is crowned by nine gilded domes. The height of the temple is about 30 meters.
The lower church was consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the upper one in honor of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg with side chapels in honor of the Vladimir and Pochaev icons of the Mother of God.
St. Xenia's Church is loved by Voronezh residents and pilgrims coming from other cities.
People who visit or once visited this church note its majesty, beauty, magnificent decoration, well-groomed and landscaping of the nearby territory, surrounded by greenery and flower beds in summer, on which monuments to Saints Xenia and John of Kronstadt are located. Pilgrims speak positively about the staff and clergy of the monastery.
The Liturgy is celebrated daily at 7 a.m., the beginning of the evening service at 15.30. The current schedule of services can be found on the official website of the temple complex here.
The sacraments of Baptism, Wedding, Unction (Unction), as well as the funeral rite are performed in various temples of the complex: Baptism on Saturdays and Sundays at 11.00 in the church of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, Unction in the lower church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (during Lent they are unction on Saturdays (March 30, 6, 13, 20, 27 April) and on Great Wednesday (May 1) at 17.00). The wedding takes place in the church of Blessed Xenia. For all questions, please contact the church shop.
Before the Baptism, conversations are held with the child's future godparents and his parents (on Thursdays at 5.30 pm in the Sunday School building), before the Wedding - with the bride and groom.
The temple implements the project Social Assistance Center. There is a canteen where the needy are fed free of charge, a bakery is also open where bread is baked and distributed to people on weekends, training is organized for children from large and low-income families who want to learn baking skills. Within the framework of the project, there is a sewing workshop, which also provides charitable services for sewing various products. Here you can also learn the basics of sewing for families in need: children and their mothers.
In the social network in contact there is a page of the complex where you can find not only information about the services, but also the latest news. The youth community Youth Group of the Church of Xenia of St. Petersburg has been created separately, which contains up-to-date information regarding participation in Orthodox events (conferences, forums, festivals, etc.), holding various meetings with clergy, interesting speakers.
There is a Sunday school "Rodnik" at the temple. Classes are held on Saturdays from 15.00 (for preschoolers) and Sundays from 9.00 (for middle and high school age children). The children study the Law of God, the Old and New Testaments, Hagiography, Orthodox worship, the Basics of spiritual morality, the Basics of choral singing and the Church Slavonic language.
The clergy of the temple participate in missionary activities: they hold various thematic talks in secondary and higher educational institutions of the city (about family, spiritual and moral values), take part in conferences, competitions, and in the defense of research projects.
27", dat kijkt toch wat prettiger als de oude met 21,5".
Mijn foto's zijn ineens errug groot.:o)
Volgens sommigen is dit een 24", maar deze is echt veel groter dan de 21,5".
Deze computer is inderdaad een 24", jullie hadden gelijk.
De nieuwe van B. is een 27".
Manheim is a district of Kerpen in the Rhine-Erft district in North Rhine-Westphalia. Manheim is located in the mining zone of the Hambach open-cast mine and must give way to it by 2022 according to RWE's plans.
Manheim ist ein Stadtteil von Kerpen im Rhein-Erft-Kreis in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Manheim liegt in der Abbauzone des Tagebaus Hambach und muss diesem nach den Plänen von RWE bis zum Jahr 2022 weichen.
The Vasa Museum is a wonderful place to visit but as the ship is kept in semi darkness it is difficult to photograph. It is a beautiful ship , made of Japanese Oak, with some incredible carvings, particularly on the stern. Its sinking in Stockholm Bay , without a shot being fired, must have been an amazing tragedy to witness . It lay on the bed of Stockholm bay for 333 years.
Vasa is a Swedish warship built 1626-1628. The ship foundered and sank after sailing less than a nautical mile (ca 2 km) into its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. It fell into obscurity after most of its valuable bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century. After it was located again in the late 1950s in a busy shipping lane just outside the Stockholm harbor, it was salvaged with a largely intact hull in 1961. The ship is one of Sweden's most popular tourist attractions. Vasa was built top-heavy and had insufficient ballast. Despite an obvious lack of stability in port, it was allowed to set sail and foundered only a few minutes after it first encountered a wind stronger than a breeze. The impulsive move to set sail was the result of a combination of factors: Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, who was leading the army on the continent on the date of its maiden voyage, was impatient to see it join the Baltic fleet in the Thirty Years' War; at the same time, the king's subordinates lacked the political courage to discuss the ship's structural problems frankly or to have the maiden voyage postponed.
The ship was one of the biggest and most heavily armed at that time and was a symbol of Gustavus Adolphus's expansion plans as he was at war with Poland at the time . He was a dab hand at playing the " Papist" card and had the Swedish people whipped up into a religious frenzy. The ship was due to take on supplies further down the Stockholm bay but because it was so top heavy without the supplies and ballast only sailed a very short distance before it topped over and sank.
Tonnage:1210 tonnes displacement
Length:
Sparred Length: 69 m (226 ft)
Between perpendiculars 47.5 m (155.8 ft)
Beam:11.7 m (38 ft)
Height:52.5 m (172 ft)
Draft:4.8 m (16 ft)
Propulsion:Sails, 1,275 square m (13,720 sq ft)
Crew:145 sailors, 300 soldiers
Armament:
64 guns, including:
24-pounders—48
3-pounders—8
1-pounders—2
howitzers—6
This is some of the work I rescued from the failed water droplet setup. I am amazed how well "post it notes" wrk as light modifiers, by moving the note and allowing white light to be cast from the side of the strobe I was abble to create this dual tone effect. I have not used any post to create this, just a little sharpening in Aperture.
Strobist: SB600 with Post it Note Gel 1/32pwr fired into white board background CTR301 triggered. 35-70mm lens
I dreamed about a human being is is part of a project exploring the use of artificial intelligence as applied to photography by using online open source code and data.
More information at fransimo.info/?p=1100
ID:415f058473e5e04faab53f7ba9c77d70
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This is Manchester 436, a historic and rare survivor. It was the first Crossley Mancunian; and it's the only surviving Manchester Corporation pre-war double decker. It survived for many years by being used as a caravan in Shropshire, and restoration work is just beginning.
If you can, please help by visiting the fundraising page at mydonate.bt.com/events/gmts436/93876
Puno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839.
Peru is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Peru is a magical destination, abundant with ancient ruins dating back to the Incas.
Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina.
De Otter is een met riet gedekte korenmolen in Oterleek. Het is een achtkantige houten molen.
Al vanaf waarschijnlijk 1633 heeft in Oterleek een molen gestaan. De voorganger van de huidige molen is in 1899 afgebrand. Daarna is het molenaarshuis en de restanten van de molen verkocht en is de huidige molen gebouwd.
In 1963 is het maalbedrijf gestopt, en de molen verkocht aan de gemeente. Die heeft hem in 1974 overgedragen aan Stichting De Schermer Molens.
De molen is tegenwoordig in beheer bij De Raphaelstichting, die de molen en een bakkerswinkel in de naastgelegen schuur runt met behulp van verstandelijke gehandicapten. De molen draait en maalt regelmatig.
This is my shoot anything sunday pic. I wanted to post something so here's something I took in December. It's in Royal Exchange Square in Glasgow. It's GOMA Gallery and the reflection is from a shop across the square.
This image is © KM Edinburgh. It would be an offence for you to remove the copyright mark, or post the image elsewhere without my written permission.
This is the second Enviro400 included in KMB 80th Anniversary Project. It had the colour of an air-conditioned Dennis Jubilant. After over 30 years, this colour sticked on the new product of Dennis!
Here is the colour on the air-conditioned Dennis Jubilant:
by David T. Hill : Updated March 9, 2020 Anno Domini
"Copper is great at killing superbugs – so why don’t hospitals use it?
Copper and its alloys exhibit impressive antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties. Copper has been exploited for health purposes since ancient times. Egyptian and Babylonian soldiers would sharpen their bronze swords (an alloy of copper and tin) after a battle, and place the filings in their wounds to reduce infection and speed healing.
The process involves the release of copper ions (electrically charged particles) when microbes, transferred by touching, sneezing or vomiting, land on the copper surface. The ions prevent cell respiration, punch holes in the bacterial cell membrane or disrupt the viral coat, and destroy the DNA and RNA inside.
This latter property is important as it means that no mutation can occur – preventing the microbe from developing resistance to copper. Copper alloys kill superbugs, including MRSA and those from the notorious ESKAPE group of pathogens – the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections."
theconversation.com/copper-is-great-at-killing-superbugs-...
It has been recorded that both Kids and Women (and probably African Americans) have more immunity to Coronavirus then adult Men and the probable reason is that these groups have higher Copper content in their systems. See quotes below.
Copper Tincture :
"Put some copper pennies into vinegar overnight. The vinegar may turn pale blue - that is the cuprous ion. Add a drop of that to your coffee, tea or food for copper. Good idea, but don't overdo it. Copper coating on pennies is fine since it is still copper. You can buy copper supplements but I'd rather do it this way."
lunaticoutpost.com/thread-167147-post-3115235.html?fbclid...
You can use this for ingestion and you could also make a bigger batch and use it for cleaning - dampen a rag and wipe down all surfaces - tables, counters, door handles, etc. You could even take a sponge bath with it. Mix it with vaseline and dab it in your nostrils and every time you breathe in you will be putting copper ions into your lungs but this should probably only be done if you have actually contracted the virus.
The Masks are virtually useless (because they don't make an air tight seal so its a waste of time shaving your beards boys) but if you soak one in this solution it will kill the virus (making masks reusable) and wear it damp every time you breathe in you will be breathing in Copper Ions which will kill the Virus in your lungs as well as making it into your Blood Stream. But you will need to monitor for Copper Toxicity (Headaches, acne, greenish complexion, etc., see url below).
You could pour this solution into a Humidifier and, in theory, Ionize an entire room and turn it into an impromptu clinic if you needed to but, again, this should be only if you have contracted the virus.
There is no proof that Colloidal Silver or Vitamin C kills viruses (see quotes below) and, in fact, the Aids Community tried both and neither one worked so they discarded that practice so you probably don't want to waste your time with Silver or Vitamins to stop a Weaponized Virus (Antiviral Research, Vol. 16, April 2020, Article : The spike glycoprotein of the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV contains a furin-like cleavage site absent in CoV of the same clade) which is probably Airborne like Influenza (New England Journal of Medicine, Feb. 19, 2020 SARS-CoV-2, Article : Viral Load in Upper Respiratory Specimens of Infected Patients). Copper Ions, however, have been proven to kill both the HIV Virus and Coronavirus (see quote below).
Some multivitamins have copper in them. You can make some impromptu 'silverware' so you ingest particulates of copper on a regular basis so it gets in your blood. You can make rings out of copper grounding wire and wear them on you hands and then everything you touch will have copper particles on them. You can even carry a penny in you mouth off and on but make sure you use an older penny cause the recent ones are only copper coated.
"You can buy colloidal copper in liquid form (gold too)."
lunaticoutpost.com/thread-167147-post-3115387.html?fbclid...
You can ask at any pharmacy like Walmart or any good Vitamin Store and they should be able to order liquid colloidal copper for you if they don't already carry it in stock and it should have the normal dosage suggestions on the bottle.
What is Colloidal Copper :
www.healthline.com/health/colloidal-copper
Colloidal Silver :
"Proponents of colloidal silver claim that it can have antiviral effects in your body. Some studies have suggested that different types of silver nanoparticles may help kill viral compounds. However, the amount of nanoparticles in a colloid solution can vary and a recent study found colloidal silver to be ineffective at killing viruses, even in test-tube conditions."
www.healthline.com/nutrition/colloidal-silver?fbclid=IwAR...
Vitamin C :
"Several years ago there was much interest in high-dose Vitamin C as an HIV treatment. By the end of 1987 this interest had greatly diminished, although some people continue to use the treatment today. One reason we have been skeptical of Vitamin C is that if the treatment had worked well, it seems unlikely that the community would have stopped using it."
www.aids.org/2010/10/vitamin-c-laboratory-tests-indicate-...
HIV :
"Incorporation of copper alloy surfaces in conjunction with effective cleaning regimens and good clinical practice could help to control transmission of respiratory coronaviruses, including MERS and SARS.
Copper alloys have demonstrated excellent antibacterial and antifungal activity against a range of pathogens in laboratory studies (14,–19). Copper ion release has been found to be essential to maintaining efficacy, but the mechanism of action is variable (20, 21). A reduction in microbial bioburden and acquisition of nosocomial infection has now been observed in clinical trials of incorporation of copper alloy surfaces in health care facilities (22,–25).
Rapid inactivation of human coronavirus occurs on brass and copper nickel surfaces at room temperature (21°C).Inactivation of coronavirus on copper and copper alloy surfaces results in fragmentation of the viral genome, ensuring that inactivation is irreversible.
Copper ions have been shown to directly inhibit proteases by reacting with surface cysteine and to inflict damage to the viral genome in HIV and herpes simplex virus (40, 41).
The mechanism of bacterial death on copper surfaces is complex, involving not only direct action of copper ion on multiple targets but also the generation of destructive oxygen radicals, resulting in “metabolic suicide” (20). This was not observed for norovirus destruction on copper, presumably because of the lack of respiratory machinery (26). However, it appears that superoxide and hydroxyl radical generation may be important in the inactivation of coronaviruses on copper alloys but that inactivation on 100% copper surfaces is primarily due to the direct effect of copper ions.
In this study, we observed rapid damage, including clumping, breakage, membrane damage, and loss of surface spikes, to the coronavirus particles following exposure to copper, and some particles appeared smaller and seemed to have lost rigidity, folding up on themselves. These changes were not observed with virus recovered from stainless steel surfaces.
There is now a large body of evidence from laboratory studies and small clinical trials to suggest that incorporation of copper surfaces could play a significant role in reducing infection transmission from contaminated surfaces."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4659470/
Plasma Copper in Human Subjects
"Plasma copper was not correlated with age among control subjects or AD patients. Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid copper were not correlated in any group.
Plasma copper is increased in human female (1008 ± 51) compared to male (836 ± 41) control subjects (P = 0.01) when all age groups were combined. When the control subjects were divided by age group, trends to higher plasma copper in females were appreciated in the middle-aged and old control subjects, but not the young subjects."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3199105/
"Copper levels in plasma and erythrocytes in healthy Japanese children and adults.
This study showed differences in plasma and erythrocyte copper concentrations in children and adults. All determinations were performed with a flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean plasma copper level at 1 month of age was significantly lower than in adults. After 1 month of age the mean concentration in plasma increased to its peak value at 2 to 5 yr of age, then decreased gradually with age. At 7 months to 10 yr of age, the copper levels in plasma were significantly higher than in adults. The erythrocyte copper levels at 1 month to 1 yr of age were significantly higher than in adults. The copper content of erythrocytes was highest at 2 to 6 months of age and then decreased gradually. The copper concentration of erythrocytes may reflect more accurately liver and total body copper levels than does the plasma copper level. There is less possibility of copper contamination in erythrocytes than in hair. Therefore, the measurement of erythrocyte copper concentration may well be a helpful index of the total copper status."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7064868
Copper Toxicity Symptoms :
www.holistic-back-relief.com/images/x7-signs-of-Copper-to...
Original Post :
theoferrum.activeboard.com/t66302031/copper-ions-the-silv...
Viewed from Harperdean Farm.
"The Royal Burgh of Haddington (Scots: Haidintoun) is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which as a result of late-nineteenth century Scottish local government reforms took the form of the county of Haddingtonshire for the period from 1889 to 1921. It lies about 17 miles (27 km) east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the sixth or seventh century AD when the area was incorporated into the kingdom of Bernicia. The town, like the rest of the Lothian region, was ceded by King Edgar of England and became part of Scotland in the tenth century. Haddington received burghal status, one of the earliest to do so, during the reign of David I (1124–1153), giving it trading rights which encouraged its growth into a market town.
Today Haddington is a small town with a population of fewer than 10,000 people; although during the High Middle Ages, it was the fourth-biggest city in Scotland after Aberdeen, Roxburgh and Edinburgh. In the middle of the town is the Town House, built in 1748 according to a plan by William Adam. When first built, it inheld a council chamber, jail and sheriff court, to which assembly rooms were added in 1788, and a new clock in 1835. Nearby is the Corn Exchange (1854) and the County Courthouse (1833). Other nearby notable sites include the Jane Welsh Carlyle House, Mitchell's Close and the birthplace of author and government reformer Samuel Smiles on the High Street, marked by a commemorative plaque.
Haddington is located predominantly on the north-east bank of the River Tyne, and was once famous for its mills. It developed into the fourth-largest town in Scotland during the High Middle Ages, and later was at the centre of the mid-eighteenth century Scottish Agricultural Revolution.
In 1641, an Act was passed by the Parliament of Scotland to encourage the production of fine cloth, and in 1645 an amendment went through stating that the masters and workers of manufactories would be exempt from military service. As a result of this, more factories were established; these included the New Mills. This factory suffered during the Civil War with the loss of its cloth to General Monck. A new charter was drawn up in May 1681, and major capital invested in new machinery, but the New Mills had mixed fortunes, inevitably affected by the lack of protectionism for Scottish manufactured cloth. The Scots Courant reported in 1712 that New Mills was to be "rouped" (auctioned). The property was sold on 16 February 1713 and the machinery and plant on 20 March. The lands of New Mills were purchased by Colonel Francis Charteris and he changed their name to Amisfield.
As the county town of East Lothian, Haddington is the seat of East Lothian Council with offices located at John Muir House behind Court Street. This building occupies the site of Haddington's twelfth century royal palace and adjoins the former Sheriff Court complex. The town centre is home to a wide range of independent retailers including: a bookshop, two sports shops, a saddlery and country goods specialist, two butchers, a hardware shop, cookware shop and several gift shops alongside several pubs, restaurants and cafés. Nationwide retailers with a presence in Haddington include: Tesco, M&Co, Boots, Aldi and Co-op Food. Besides retail and administration, the town is also home to various law firms and has industrial capacity in the works beside the Tyne at the Victoria Bridge (PureMalt), and around the site of the old station (Lemac), and various smaller industrial units and garages. Haddington is also home to the offices of the local newspaper the East Lothian Courier. There is a farmers' market held on the last Saturday of the month in Court Street.
The town centre largely retains its historic street plan with Court Street, High Street, Market Street and Hardgate defining the edges of the original open triangular medieval market place, divided by a central island of buildings developed from the 16th century onwards on the site of market stalls. To the north and south the medieval rigg pattern of burgage plots can still be observed with narrow buildings fronting the main streets and long plots behind stretching back, originally to the line of the old town walls, accessed by small closes and pends. The historic importance of the town's relatively unaltered medieval plan and significant survival of historic buildings was recognised as early as the 1950s, with Haddington subject to an Improvement Scheme, Scotland's earliest, which saw many period properties rehabilitated by the Town Council (under the leadership of Frank Tindall as Director of Planning) and a pioneering town colour scheme developed, resulting in the distinctive and colourful townscape seen today. Some comprehensive redevelopment did occur, chiefly around Newton Port and Hardgate to allow for widening of these narrow streets to improve motor traffic flow. This included the demolition of Bothwell Castle and its dovecote in 1955, the land now forming part of Hardgate Park. Today the whole town centre is a conservation area with a high proportion of listed buildings, some dating back to the C16th, and the redevelopment and infill schemes undertaken since the 1950s have largely been in a sympathetic vernacular style which has maintained the town's historic character." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.
Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Developed by Las Vegas Sands, it is billed as the world's most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion (US$5.7 billion), including cost of the prime land.
With the casino complete, the resort features a 2,560-room hotel, a 120,000 sq.m. convention-exhibition center, The Shoppes mall, an Art & Science museum, two Sands Theatres, six "celebrity chef" restaurants, two floating pavilions, a casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex is topped by a 340m-long SkyPark with a capacity of 3,900 people and a 150m infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world's largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 67m. The 20-hectare resort was designed by Moshe Safdie Architects. The local architect of record was Aedas Singapore, and engineering was provided by Arup and Parsons Brinkerhoff (MEP).
Originally set to open in 2009, Las Vegas Sands faced delays caused by escalating costs of material and labour shortages from the onset. The severe global financial crisis also pressured the company to delay its projects elsewhere to complete the integrated resort. Although Marina Bay Sands has been compared on scale and development costs to MGM's CityCenter, the latter is a mixed-use development, with condominium properties - comprising three of the seven main structures, being sold off.
The resort was officially opened with a two-day celebration on 23 June 2010 at 3.18 pm, after a partial opening earlier in April. It was, however, not finished at the time of the April opening, which was marked by numerous service failures. The museum, theatres and floating pavilions are still being built and are expected to be fully completed by December 2010.
Background
Part of the parcel of land for Marina Bay Sands in the foreground prior to development. The parcel overlooks Singapore's financial district in the background.
Marina Bay Sands is one of two winning proposals for Singapore's first Integrated Resorts, the other being the Resorts World Sentosa, which incorporates a family-friendly Universal Studios Theme Park. The two large-scale resorts were conceived to meet Singapore's economic and tourism objectives for the next decade and they will have 30-year casino licenses, exclusive for the first ten years.
Bidders were assessed based on four criteria:
* tourism appeal and contribution
* architectural concept and design
* development investment
* strength of the consortium and partners
On 27 May 2006, Las Vegas Sands (LVS) was declared winner of the Marina Bay site in the prime new business district of Marina South with its business-oriented resort. LVS highlighted its forte in Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions (MICE), of which its founder, Sheldon Adelson, is a pioneer in Las Vegas and the key to his early business success. In the Design Evaluation portion of the tender, a panel of local and international architects commended Sands' design as superior to other bids in terms of pedestrian circulation and layout, and it also fit in with the Marina Bay landscape best. They liked that the hotel towers was set back from the waterfront to open up expansive views of the city and the entire Marina Bay, making the skyline for Singapore's downtown more attractive and distinctive.[10]
Singapore Tourism Board highlighted Sands' line-up of six celebrity chefs, such as Australia's Tetsuya Wakuda and Thomas Keller (Napa Valley, California, USA) and Charlie Trotter (Chicago, USA).
LVS submitted its winning bid on its own. Its original partner City Developments Limited (CDL), with a proposed 15 per cent equity stake, pulled out of the partnership in the second phase of the tender process. CDL's CEO, Kwek Leng Beng said his company's pullout was a combination of factors - such as difficulties in getting numerous companies he owns to comply in time, as well as reluctance of some parties to disclose certain private information in probity checks required by the Singapore government. However, Kwek was retained as an advisor for Sands' bid.
[edit] Investment
Inside the Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Las Vegas Sands initially committed to invest S$3.85 billion (about US$2.85 billion) in the project, not including the fixed S$1.2 billion (about US$888 million) cost of the 6,000,000 square feet (560,000 m2) site itself. With the escalating costs of materials, such as sand and steel, and labour shortages owing to other major infrastructure and property development in the country, Sheldon Adelson place the total cost of the development at S$8.0 billion (about US$5.9 billion) as of July 2009.
Las Vegas Sands declared the undertaking as "one of the world's most challenging construction projects and certainly the most expensive stand-alone integrated resort property ever built".[14] It expects the casino to generate at least $1 billion in annual profit.[6] Two months after the initial phased opening, the casino attracts around 25,000 visitors daily, about a third being Singaporeans and permanent residents who pay a $100 daily entry levy or $2,000 for annual unlimited access. Half a million gamblers passed through the casino in June 2010.
For the economy, Marina Bay Sands is projected to stimulate an addition of $2.7 billion or 0.8 per cent to Singapore's Gross Domestic Product by 2015, employing 10,000 people directly and 20,000 jobs being created in other industries.
The resort is designed by Moshe Safdie, who says it was initially inspired by card decks. In addition to the casino, other key components of the plan are three hotel towers with 2,500 rooms and suites, a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m2) Art-Science museum and a convention centre with 1,200,000 square feet (111,000 m2) of space, capable of accommodating up to 45,000 people. The resort's architecture and major design changes along the way were also approved by a number of consultant feng shui masters.[citation needed]
[edit] Opening
During the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics opening ceremony
Marina Bay Sands was originally planned to be completed in a single phase in 2009,[13] but rising construction costs and the financial crisis forced the company to open it in phases. The first phase's preview opening was further delayed until 27 April 2010, and the grand opening was pushed back to 23 June 2010. The rest of the complex remain under construction and will not be completed before 2011.
On 27 April 2010, Marina Bay Sands had the first of a planned 3 to 4 phase openings. The casino, parts of the conference hall, a segment of the Shoppes, 963 hotel rooms and the event plaza were opened at the auspicious time of 3:18 p.m as part of the "preview opening".
The Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) held the first conference at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on 2–5 May 2010, but the event was marred by uncompleted facilities and a power failure during a speech. IPBA withheld payment of S$300,000 and was consequently sued by Marina Bay Sands. In June IPBA counter-sued, describing the venue as a "complete disaster" and that its earlier payments had been imposed by "duress, fear and force".[18] An "amitable settlement" with undisclosed terms was announced in August.
On 23 June 2010, the resort had its official opening with a "2-day celebration"; this includes the Sands SkyPark, the Event Plaza along Marina Bay, more shops, additional dining options and nightlife offerings, and the rest of the hotel rooms. First day events included - a "World Championship Climb" on the glass facade of the building to the SkyPark, with 7 teams of 21 top rock climbers from around the world competing, and an evening concert for 4,000 invited guests and customers, featuring Diana Ross, Kelly Rowland, JJ Lin among others. The SkyPark was opened on the second day at 2 pm, with about 2,000 adult tickets costing S$20 each sold.
* In December 2010, the Art-Science Museum, two Sands Theatres and two floating Crystal Pavilions will be completed.
* In March 2011, Disney's The Lion King musical production will debut at the Marina Bay Sands Theatre.
Attractions
View of the CBD skyline, City Hall, and Esplanade from the SkyPark
View of Singapore Flyer from the SkyPark
Marina Bay Sands features three 55-storey hotel towers which were topped out in July 2009. The three towers are connected by a 1 hectare sky terrace on the roof, named Sands SkyPark.
In front of the three towers include a Theatre Block, a Convention and Exhibition Facilities Block, as well as the Casino Block, which have up to 1000 gaming tables and 1400 slot machines. The Art-Science Museum is constructed next to the three blocks and has the shape of a lotus. Its roof will be retractable, providing a waterfall through the roof of collected rainwater when closed in the day and with laser shows when opened at night. The Art-Science Museum opens in December 2010.
The SkyPark is home to the world's longest elevated swimming pool, with a 478-foot (146-meter) vanishing edge, perched 191 meters above the ground. The pools are made up of 422,000 pounds of stainless steel and can hold 376,500 gallons (1424 cubic metres) of water. The SkyPark also boasts rooftop restaurants, nightclubs, gardens hundreds of trees and plants and a public observatory with 360-degree views of the Singapore skyline.
There are four movement joints beneath the main pools, designed to help them withstand the natural motion of the towers, and each joint has a unique range of motion. The total range of motion is 19.68 inches (500 millimetres). In addition to wind, the hotel towers are also subject to settlement in the earth over time, so engineers built and installed custom jack legs to allow for future adjustment at more than 500 points beneath the pool system. This jacking system is important primarily to ensure the infinity edge of the pool continues to function properly.
Moshe Safdie designed an Art Path within the resort, incorporating seven installations by five artists including Sol Lewitt, Antony Gormley and Zheng Chongbin. The pieces are meant to play on environmental influences including light, water and wind, integrating art with architecture.
This is a VERY small Christmas Tree in London's Victoria train station. Did they run out of money? Even the lights are powered by people on as bicycle (there were people on a bike I did not want to hang around to photograph an empty bike).
A collection pf photographs of the 2019 Christmas lights in central London. Locations visited / photographed.. Oxford Street, Regent Street, Carnaby Street, Brewer Street, Chinatown, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden.
Photographed on 23 December 2019, weather was dry.
Looks real doesn't it? This is a huge, life-sized stuffed animal sheep dog.
It is on the floor of a parking garage in Rolling Hills Estates, CA.
When I first pulled into the garage there were 30 or so junior high boys and their skateboards. They were using the stuffed animal as an object to jump over. They have to play somewhere. I walked across the street to the mall. There were well over 100 junior high boys and their skateboards hanging out in the open air mall. It was Friday night, this is the place they have where they can meet. I went to Borders and bought a book. When I came out, there was a sheriff's car parked at the curb and no kids. Not a one. I went back over to the parking garage and the kids were gone as well. But the shaggy dog remained. I had to grab a photo of it.
I parked my car so that the headlights would shine on the dog. And here is the shot I got from my iPhone. Here we are in a very wealthy community with a top school district and yet there is no skate board park for the kids. Therefore, they skate on the street with no helmets. It's kind of sad that a town with highly rated schools and a ton of money is really not kid-friendly.
This is moment the idea for a skatepark was born.
[There are 11 images in this set] This is a creative commons image, which you may freely use by linking to this page. Please respect the photographer and his work.
The Capehart Crocker House (apparently most commonly called Capehart House) is a fine example of Queen Anne-style architecture, constructed in 1898 for Lucy Catherine Capehart and her second husband, B. A. Capehart, who died in 1899 shortly after moving in. Mrs. Capehart died in 1908. The house eventually was the home of sheriff H. G. Crocker. In 1947 it was turned into apartments and then used as offices for state government in 1971. In 1979 when much of the neighborhood was being torn down, the house was moved from Wilmington Street to Blount Street, an area associated with the well-to-do. A sign in front indicates it’s now the offices of the North Carolina State Ethics Commission.
From virtually any angle, the roofline is a wonderland of shapes and lines. The National Register website states “Its dramatic massing of towers, turrets, dormers and pediments is complemented by a rich combination of colors and textures, including pressed tan brick, rough stone, patterned slate shingles, stained glass and elaborate wood ornamentation.”
The architect is Adolphus G. Bauer (1858-1898), a local architect, whose life could form the basis of a fascinating book (fiction or non-fiction); it even has enough dramatic possibilities for a movie. He committed suicide before the home was completed. Mostly demolished, his structures showed a flair for the elaborate asymmetrical design of that period. Perhaps his most notable achievement was the Baptist Female Seminary of Raleigh, which later evolved into Meredith College. Another standing example is the North Carolina School for the Deaf at Morganton.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places 17 January 1975, NRHP Reference #75001293
Major sources of information:
www.nps.gov/nr/travel/raleigh/cpe.htm
ncarchitects.lib.ncsu.edu/people/P000040
A beautiful sunny day image of the home donated to public domain is at
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Capehart-House-20080321.jpeg
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
"Death for the believer is just a transition" - Jayson Turner
This creation was born out of one of the only times anyone has asked me to build something out of Lego. About 3 years ago my pastor asked me to create something original out of Lego that communicated the idea of eternity. I was in the middle of a large town layout project at the time, but I didn't forget his request. Just 2 months before Brickcon 2015 I was finally ready to take my town layout apart that I had spent 2 years perfecting, and with the help of my brother-in-law, disassembled it and sorted all the brick. I powered through the process, and built the whole thing in just under 2 months – the fastest I've ever built a large-scale creation like this. I was surprised, but the speed actually helped make the build better. I didn't have time to slow down and second guess myself or try something different, I just moved forward.
Description:
The man on the bridge has just died. On the earth stand all of his friends and family, all the people who loved him and cared about him during his life. They are watching him cross over to the other side. On the pillar of heaven stands a single figure, an angel, taking human form, waiting to greet him. Inside the guard outpost are supplies for the journey ahead.
The colors on the Foundation of Earth are meant to represent the layers of earth, starting with rock at the base, then stone, then clay, dirt, and grass at the top. The Foundation of Heaven begins with a crystalline structure, denoting design and order (it's actually modeled after the mythical city Minas Tirith from The Lord of the Rings) followed by a diamond layer above. The blue is a nod to the idea that heaven is in the clouds. Heaven has grass and flowers and trees because I liked the idea that God is drawing us towards something new yet familiar, and we won't be 'freaked out' when we die.
After the arrival and greeting, the path rises sharply after the outpost – this is to symbolize that while there is no pain or suffering in heaven, there is growth and new challenges. The flecks of dark red in the brown dirt atop the heaven pillar come from the description of the red stones found in heaven in Revelation chapter 21. It's the same with bits of gold found on the path (a reference to the 'streets of gold' (Revelation 21:21).
I made the man in his early 40's because I think it's an interesting idea that we can die at any time from something unexpected like heart disease or a car accident – and we have the opportunity now to allow ourselves to ponder what the afterlife will be like.
The angel and the man will walk the path together on their way to the holy city, the angel as the guide, while they talk and the man has a chance to ask questions and get some answers. The path goes on. The journey continues after death.
Note: the quote in the photo is an excerpt from the book "Wishful Thinking" by Frederick Buechner
Lucerne (/ljuːˈsɜːrn/; German: Luzern [luˈtsɛrn] (About this soundlisten); French: Lucerne [lysɛʁn]; Italian: Lucerna [luˈtʃɛrna]; Romansh: Lucerna; Lucerne German: Lozärn) is a city in central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the district of the same name. With a population of about 81,057 people (as of 2013),[3] Lucerne is the most populous town in Central Switzerland, and a nexus of economics, transportation, culture, and media of this region. The city's urban area consists of 17 municipalities and towns located in three different cantons with an overall population of about 250,000 people (as of 2007).[4]
Owing to its location on the shores of Lake Lucerne (German: Vierwaldstättersee) and its outflow, the river Reuss, within sight of the mounts Pilatus and Rigi in the Swiss Alps, Lucerne has long been a destination for tourists. One of the city's famous landmarks is the Chapel Bridge (German: Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first erected in the 14th century.
The official language of Lucerne is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect.
Contents
1History
1.1Early history and founding (750–1386)
1.2From city to city-state (1386–1520)
1.3Swiss-Catholic town (1520–1798)
1.4Century of revolutions (1798–1914)
1.521st century
2Geography and climate
2.1Topography
2.2Climate
3Politics
3.1Government
3.2Parliament
3.3National elections
3.3.1National Council
3.4International relations
3.4.1Twin towns
4Demography
4.1Population
4.2Historic population
4.3Religion
5Economy
6Sights
7Culture and events
7.1Culture
7.2Events
8Transport
9Sport
10Gallery
11Notable people
12See also
13References
14Further reading
15External links
History[edit]
Early history and founding (750–1386)[edit]
After the fall of the Roman Empire beginning in the 6th century, Germanic Alemannic peoples increased their influence on this area of present-day Switzerland.
Around 750 the Benedictine Monastery of St. Leodegar was founded, which was later acquired by Murbach Abbey in Alsace in the middle of the 9th century, and by this time the area had become known as Luciaria.[5]
The origin of the name is uncertain, it is possibly derived from the Latin name of the pike, lucius, thus designating a pike fishing spot in the river Reuss. Derivation from the theonym Lugus has been suggested but is phonetically implausible. In any case, the name was associated by popular etymology with Latin lucerna "lantern" from an early time.[6]
In 1178 Lucerne acquired its independence from the jurisdiction of Murbach Abbey, and the founding of the city proper probably occurred that same year. The city gained importance as a strategically located gateway for the growing commerce from the Gotthard trade route.
By 1290 Lucerne had become a self-sufficient city of reasonable size with about 3000 inhabitants. About this time King Rudolph I von Habsburg gained authority over the Monastery of St. Leodegar and its lands, including Lucerne. The populace was not content with the increasing Habsburg influence, and Lucerne allied with neighboring towns to seek independence from their rule. Along with Lucerne, the three other forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden formed the "eternal" Swiss Confederacy, known as the Eidgenossenschaft, on November 7, 1332.
Later the cities of Zürich, Zug and Bern joined the alliance. With the help of these additions, the rule of Austria over the area came to an end. The issue was settled by Lucerne’s victory over the Habsburgs in the Battle of Sempach in 1386. For Lucerne this victory ignited an era of expansion. The city shortly granted many rights to itself, rights which had been withheld by the Habsburgs until then. By this time the borders of Lucerne were approximately those of today.
From city to city-state (1386–1520)[edit]
In 1415 Lucerne gained Reichsfreiheit from Emperor Sigismund and became a strong member of the Swiss confederacy. The city developed its infrastructure, raised taxes, and appointed its own local officials. The city’s population of 3000 dropped about 40% due to the Black Plague and several wars around 1350.
In 1419 town records show the first witch trial against a male person.
Swiss-Catholic town (1520–1798)[edit]
Lucerne in 1642
Among the growing towns of the confederacy, Lucerne was especially popular in attracting new residents. Remaining predominantly Catholic, Lucerne hosted its own annual passion play from 1453 to 1616. It was a two-day-long play of 12 hours performance per day.[7] As the confederacy broke up during the Reformation, after 1520, most nearby cities became Protestant, but Lucerne remained Catholic. After the victory of the Catholics over the Protestants in the Battle at Kappel in 1531, the Catholic towns dominated the confederacy. The region, though, was destined to be dominated by Protestant cities such as Zürich, Bern and Basel, which defeated the Catholic forces in the 1712 Toggenburg War. The former prominent position of Lucerne in the confederacy was lost forever. In the 16th and 17th centuries, wars and epidemics became steadily less frequent and as a result the population of the country increased strongly.
Lucerne was besieged by a peasant army and quickly signed a peace treaty with the rebels in the Swiss peasant war of 1653.
Century of revolutions (1798–1914)[edit]
Conflict at Lucerne, Illustrated London News, 1845
In 1798, nine years after the beginning of the French Revolution, the French army marched into Switzerland. The old confederacy collapsed and the government became democratic. The industrial revolution hit Lucerne rather late, and by 1860 only 1.7% of the population worked in industry, which was about a quarter of the national average at that time. Agriculture, which employed about 40% of the workers, was the main form of economic output in the canton. Nevertheless, industry was attracted to the city from areas around Lucerne. From 1850 to 1913, the population quadrupled and the flow of settlers increased. In 1856 trains first linked the city to Olten and Basel, then Zug and Zürich in 1864 and finally to the south in 1897.
21st century[edit]
On June 17, 2007, voters of the city of Lucerne and the adjacent town of Littau agreed to a merger in a simultaneous referendum. This took effect on January 1, 2010.[8] The new city, still called Lucerne, has a population of around 80,000 people, making it the seventh-largest city in Switzerland. The results of this referendum are expected to pave the way for negotiations with other nearby cities and towns in an effort to create a unified city-region, based on the results of a study.[9]
Geography and climate[edit]
Topography[edit]
Lucerne is located at the outfall of Lake Lucerne into the river Reuss, which flows from south-east to north-west. The city occupies both banks of the river and the lowest reach of the lake, with the city centre straddling the river immediately downstream of the outfall. The city's suburbs climb the hills to the north-east and south-west, and stretch out along the river and lake banks, whilst the recently added area of Littau is to the north-west.[10]
Besides this contiguous city area, the municipality also includes an exclave on the south shore of Lake Lucerne some 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) away, comprising the northern slopes of the Bürgenstock. This section of the municipality is entirely surrounded by the lake and by land of the canton of Nidwalden. It does not contain any significant settlements, but the summit of the Bürgenstock is the highest point of the municipality.[10]
The municipality has an area of 29.1 square kilometers (11.2 sq mi). Of this area and as of 2009, 28.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 22.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 47.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (2.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[11]
Climate[edit]
Between 1961 and 1990 Lucerne had an average of 138.1 days of rain per year and on average received 1,171 mm (46.1 in) of precipitation. The wettest month was June during which time Lucerne received an average of 153 mm (6.0 in) of rainfall. During this month there was rainfall for an average of 14.2 days. The driest month of the year was February with an average of 61 mm (2.4 in) of precipitation over 10.2 days.[12] Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).[13]
hideClimate data for Lucerne
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °C (°F)3.4
(38.1)5.2
(41.4)10.3
(50.5)14.4
(57.9)19.1
(66.4)22.2
(72)24.7
(76.5)23.8
(74.8)19.4
(66.9)14.3
(57.7)7.8
(46)4.3
(39.7)14.1
(57.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)0.5
(32.9)1.4
(34.5)5.4
(41.7)9.1
(48.4)13.7
(56.7)16.9
(62.4)19.1
(66.4)18.3
(64.9)14.6
(58.3)10.2
(50.4)4.6
(40.3)1.6
(34.9)9.6
(49.3)
Average low °C (°F)−2.3
(27.9)−2.0
(28.4)1.1
(34)4.3
(39.7)8.9
(48)12.1
(53.8)14.2
(57.6)13.9
(57)10.6
(51.1)6.7
(44.1)1.6
(34.9)−1.0
(30.2)5.7
(42.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)51
(2.01)54
(2.13)74
(2.91)88
(3.46)128
(5.04)154
(6.06)151
(5.94)146
(5.75)107
(4.21)76
(2.99)73
(2.87)72
(2.83)1,173
(46.18)
Average snowfall cm (inches)16.0
(6.3)20.2
(7.95)8.3
(3.27)1.2
(0.47)0.0
(0)0.0
(0)0.0
(0)0.0
(0)0.0
(0)0.4
(0.16)5.3
(2.09)14.6
(5.75)66.0
(25.98)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)9.38.711.811.812.913.512.512.510.29.49.610.0132.2
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm)3.84.41.90.60.00.00.00.00.00.12.47.937.9
Average relative humidity (%)83797370727272758083848477
Mean monthly sunshine hours47721221411611712011871379752361,423
Percent possible sunshine21283636373845453932221735
Source: MeteoSwiss[14]
Politics[edit]
Government[edit]
The City Council (Stadtrat) constitutes the executive government of the city of Lucerne and operates as a collegiate authority. It is composed of five councilors (German: Stadtrat/-rätin), each presiding over a directorate (Direktion) comprising several departments and bureaus. The president of the executive department acts as mayor (Stadtpräsident). In the mandate period (Legislatur) September 2016 – August 2020 the City Council is presided by Stadtpräsident Beat Züsli. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the Grand City Council are carried by the City Council. The regular election of the City Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any resident of Lucerne allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the City Council. The delegates are selected by means of a system of Majorz. The mayor is elected as such as well by public election while the heads of the other directorates are assigned by the collegiate.[15]
As of September 2016, Luzern's City Council is made up of one representative of the SP (Social Democratic Party, who is also the mayor), and one each of CVP (Christian Democratic Party), GPS (Green Party), FDP (FDP.The Liberals), and glp (Green Liberal Party). The last regular election was held on 1 May/5 June 2016.[15]
The City Council (Stadtrat) of Luzern[15]
City Councilor
(Stadtrat/-rätin)PartyHead of Directorate (Direktion, since) ofelected since
Beat Züsli[SR 1] SPMayor's Office and City's Chancellary (Präsidialdirektion und Stadtkanzlei, 2016)2016
Franziska Bitzi Staub CVPFinances (Finanzdirektion, 2016)November 2016
Adrian Borgula GPSEnvironment, Transport, and Security (Direktion Umwelt, Verkehr und Sicherheit, 2012)2012
Manuela Jost glpBuilding and Civil Engineering (Baudirektion, 2012)2012
Martin Merki FDPSocial Services (Sozialdirektion, 2012)2012
^ Mayor (Stadtpräsident)
Toni Göpfert (FDP) is Town Chronicler (Stadtschreiber) since 1990.
Parliament[edit]
The Grosse Stadtrat of Luzern for the mandate period of 2016-2020
JUSO (2.1%)
jg (2.1%)
SP (27.1%)
GPS (12.5%)
glp (8.3%)
CVP (14.6%)
FDP (18.8%)
SVP (16.7%)
The Grand City Council (Grosser Stadtrat) holds legislative power. It is made up of 48 members, with elections held every four years. The Grand City Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the City Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system of proportional representation.
The sessions of the Grand City Council are public. Unlike members of the City Council, members of the Grand City Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Luzern allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Grand City Council. The parliament holds its meetings in the Rathaus (Town Hall) am Kornmarkt.[16]
The last regular election of the Grand City Council was held on 1 May 2016 for the mandate period (German: Legislatur) from September 2016 to August 2020. Currently the Grand City Council consist of 13 members of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS) and one of its junior section, the JUSO, 9 The Liberals (FDP/PLR), 7 Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC), 7 Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC), 6 Green Party (GPS/PES) and one of its junior section, the jg of Luzern, and 4 Green Liberal Party (GLP/PVL).[16]
National elections[edit]
National Council[edit]
In the 2015 election for the Swiss National Council the most popular party was the SPS which received 25.8% of the vote. The next five most popular parties were the SVP (19.5%), the FDP (15.4%), the CVP (14.1%), the GPS (13.3%), and the GLP (8.9%). In the federal election, a total of 26,521 voters were cast, and the voter turnout was 49.48%.[17]
International relations[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Switzerland
Twin towns[edit]
Lucerne is twinned with the following towns:[18]
United Kingdom Bournemouth, United Kingdom (1981)[18][19]
United States Chicago, Illinois, United States (1999)[18]
Poland Cieszyn, Poland (1994)[18]
France Guebwiller / Murbach, France (1978)[18]
Czech Republic Olomouc, Czech Republic (1994)[18]
Germany Potsdam, Germany (2002)[18][20]
Demography[edit]
Population[edit]
Largest groups of foreign residents 2013[21]
NationalityNumbers% of total
(% of foreigners)
Germany4,1675.2 (20.7)
Italy2,2792.8 (11.3)
Portugal1,7652.2 (8.8)
Serbia1,4301.8 (7.1)
Kosovo7941.0 (3.9)
Spain7600.9 (3.8)
Sri Lanka7340.9 (3.6)
Bosnia and Herzegovina5430.7 (2.7)
Croatia5380.7 (2.7)
Republic of Macedonia4570.7 (2.6)
Lucerne has a population (as of 31 December 2017) of 81,401.[2] As of 2013, 19,264 or 25.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals, of which 19.9% are from Europe, 2.8% from Asia, 1.2% from Africa and 1.0% from America.[21] Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 1.2%. Most of the population (as of 2010) speak German (87%), with Italian, as well as Serbo-Croatian and English with 5% being second most common languages, followed by French and Albanian with 3%, and Portuguese and Spanish with 2% each.[22]
The age distribution in Lucerne is (as of 2013); 12,916 people or 15.7% of the population is 0–19 years old. 26,381 people or 33.8% are 20–39 years old, and 25,863 people or 32.1% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution is 10,530 people or 13.1% are 65–79 years old, 4,208 or 5.2% are 80–89 years old and 900 people or 1.1% of the population are 90+ years old.[23]
In Lucerne about 73.6% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).
As of 2000 there are 30,586 households, of which 15,452 households (or about 50.5%) contain only a single individual. 853 or about 2.8% are large households, with at least five members.[24] As of 2000 there were 5,707 inhabited buildings in the municipality, of which 4,050 were built only as housing, and 1,657 were mixed use buildings. There were 1,152 single family homes, 348 double family homes, and 2,550 multi-family homes in the municipality. Most homes were either two (787) or three (1,468) story structures. There were only 74 single story buildings and 1,721 four or more story buildings.[24]
Historic population[edit]
The historical population of Lucerne is given in the following table:
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
186013,166—
187016,450+2.25%
188020,419+2.18%
188823,607+1.83%
190032,954+2.82%
YearPop.±% p.a.
191043,611+2.84%
192048,394+1.05%
193047,066−0.28%
194159,847+2.21%
195066,170+1.12%
YearPop.±% p.a.
196076,148+1.41%
197083,374+0.91%
198078,274−0.63%
199076,466−0.23%
200075,425−0.14%
YearPop.±% p.a.
201077,491+0.27%
201681,592+0.86%
Source: City of Lucerne - Population by Nationality and Sex since 1860
Religion[edit]
The city grew up around Sankt Leodegar Abbey, founded in AD 840, and remained strongly Roman Catholic into the 21st century. By 1850, 96.9% of the population was Catholic, in 1900 it was 81.9% and in 1950 it was still 72.3%. In the 2000 census the religious membership of Lucerne was: 35,682 (60%) Roman Catholic, 9,227 (15.5%) Protestant, with an additional 1,979 (3.33%) who were of some other Christian denominations; 1,824 individuals (3.07% of the population) Muslim; 196 individuals (0.33% of the population) Jewish. Of the remainder, 1,073 (1.8%) individuals were another religion; 6,310 (10.61%) stated they do not belong to any organized religion; and 3,205 (5.39%) did not answer the question.[24]
Economy[edit]
As of 2012, there were a total of 77,641 people employed in the municipality. Of these, a total of 166 people worked in 53 businesses in the primary economic sector. The secondary sector employed 7,326 workers in 666 separate businesses. Finally, the tertiary sector provided 70,149 jobs in 6,929 businesses. In 2013 a total of 11.0% of the population received social assistance.[25] As of 2000 51.7% of the population of the municipality were employed in some capacity. At the same time, women made up 47.9% of the workforce.[24]
Lucerne is home to a number of major Swiss companies, including Schindler Group, Chronoswiss, Emmi, EF Education First and the Luzerner Kantonalbank. Suva, one of Switzerland's oldest accident insurance companies, is also based in Lucerne, as is the University of Lucerne, the youngest of Switzerland's traditional universitites.
Thanks to its continuous tax-cutting policies, Lucerne has become Switzerland's most business-friendly canton. As of 2012 Lucerne offers Switzerland's lowest corporate tax rate at cantonal level.[26]
Furthermore, Lucerne also offers very moderate personal income tax rates. In a recent published study of BAK Basel Economics taxation index 2012, Lucerne made it to the 4th place with an only marginally 2% higher tax rate compared to the top canton in this comparison.[27]
Since November 2009, Zurich Airport can be reached from Lucerne within 1 hour and 2 minutes[28] by a direct (every hour) train connection every half an hour with a stop just below the airport, and within 40 minutes by car due to a direct motorway from Lucerne to the Airport, but only if you travel outside of rush hours.
Sights[edit]
Since the city straddles the Reuss where it drains the lake, it has a number of bridges. The most famous is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204 m (669 ft) long wooden covered bridge originally built in 1333, the oldest covered bridge in Europe, although much of it had to be replaced after a fire on 18 August 1993, allegedly caused by a discarded cigarette. Part way across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Lucerne's history. The Bridge with its Tower is the city's most famous landmark.
Lucerne city, lake and mountains view from the tower
Downriver, between the Kasernenplatz and the Mühlenplatz, the Spreuer Bridge (Spreuerbrücke or Mühlenbrücke, Mill Bridge) zigzags across the Reuss. Constructed in 1408, it features a series of medieval-style 17th century plague paintings by Kaspar Meglinger (de) titled Dance of Death (Totentanzzyklus). The bridge has a small chapel in the middle that was added in 1568.
Old Town Lucerne is mainly located just north of the Reuss, and still has several fine half-timber structures with painted fronts. Remnants of the old town walls exist on the hill above Lucerne, complete with eight tall watch towers. An additional gated tower sits at the base of the hill on the banks of the Reuss.
The twin needle towers of the Church of St. Leodegar, which was named after the city's patron saint, sit on a small hill just above the lake front. Originally built in 735, the present structure was erected in 1633 in the late Renaissance style. However, the towers are surviving remnants of an earlier structure. The interior is richly decorated. The church is popularly called the Hofkirche (in German) and is known locally as the Hofchile (in Swiss-German).
Bertel Thorvaldsen's famous carving of a dying lion (the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal) is found in a small park just off the Löwenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards of who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when an armed mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris.
The Swiss Museum of Transport is a large and comprehensive museum exhibiting all forms of transport, including locomotives, automobiles, ships, and aircraft. It is to be found beside the lake in the northern-eastern section of the city.
The Culture and Convention Center (KKL) beside the lake in the center of the city was designed by Jean Nouvel. The center has one of the world's leading concert halls, with acoustics by Russell Johnson.
Culture and events[edit]
Culture[edit]
The Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre at night
Since plans for the new culture and convention centre arose in the late 1980s, Lucerne has found a balance between the so-called established culture and alternative culture. A consensus was reached that culminated in a culture compromise (Kulturkompromiss). The established culture comprises the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre (KKL), the city theater (Luzerner Theater) and, in a broader sense, smaller establishments such as the Kleintheater, founded by comedian Emil Steinberger, a Lucerne native, or Stadtkeller, a music restaurant in the city's old town. KKL houses a concert hall as well as the Museum of Art Lucerne (Kunstmuseum Luzern).
Alternative culture took place mostly on the premises of a former tube factory, which became known as Boa. Other localities for alternative culture have since emerged in the same inner city area as Boa. Initially, Boa staged various plays, but concerts became more and more common; this new use of the building clashed with the development of apartment buildings on nearby lots of land. Due to possible noise pollution, Boa was closed and a replacement in a less heavily inhabited area is currently under construction. Critics claimed though that the new establishment would not meet the requirements for an alternative culture.
Südpol is a center for performing arts in Lucerne presenting music-, dance- and theatre-events. The house at the foot of Pilatus is opened since November 2008.
Lucerne is home to the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, a category A symphonic orchestra, and to the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra, and they both hold most of their performances in the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre.
Lucerne is also home to Keramikkonzerte (keramikkonzerte.com/), a series of classical chamber music concerts held throughout each year.
Events[edit]
Every year, towards the end of winter, Fasnacht (Carnival) breaks out in the streets, alleyways and squares of the old town. This is a glittering outdoor party, where chaos and merriness reign and nothing is as it normally is. Strange characters in fantastic masks and costumes make their way through the alleyways, while Guggenmusiken (carnival bands) blow their instruments in joyful cacophony and thousands of bizarrely clad people sing and dance away the winter. The Lucerner Fasnacht, based on religious, Catholic backgrounds, starts every year on the Thursday before Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday) with a big bang at 5am called Morgenwacht (Morning Watch). There are big parades in the afternoon on Schmotzige Donnerstag (literally: Lardy Thursday)[29] and the following Monday, called Güdismontag (literally: Paunch Monday), which attract tens of thousands of people. Lucerne's Carnival ends with a crowning finish on Güdisdienstag (literally: Paunch Tuesday) evening with the Monstercorso, a tremendous parade of Guggenmusiken, lights and lanterns with even a larger audience. Rather recently a fourth Fasnacht day has been introduced on the Saturday between the others Fasnacht days, the Rüüdige Samstag while mainly several indoor balls take place. From dusk till dawn on the evenings of Schmotzige Donnerstag, Güdismontag, and after the Monstercorso many bands wander through the historical part of the city playing typical Fasnacht tunes. Until midnight, the historical part of the city usually is packed with people participating. A large part of the audience are also dressed up in costumes, even a majority in the evenings.
Lucerne Fasnacht
The city hosts various renowned festivals throughout the year. The Lucerne Festival for classical music takes place in the summer. Its orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, is hand-picked from some of the finest instrumentalists in the world. In June yearly the pop music festival B-Sides takes place in Lucerne. It focuses on international acts in alternative music, indie rock, experimental rock and other cutting edge and left field artistic musical genres. In July, the Blue Balls Festival brings jazz, blues and punk music to the lake promenade and halls of the Culture and Convention Center. The Lucerne Blues Festival is another musical festival which usually takes place in November. Since spring 2004, Lucerne has hosted the Festival Rose d'Or for television entertainment. And in April, the well-established comics festival Fumetto attracts an international audience.
Being the cultural center of a rather rural region, Lucerne regularly holds different folklore festivals, such as Lucerne Cheese Festival, held annually. In 2004, Lucerne was the focus of Swiss Wrestling fans when it had hosted the Swiss Wrestling and Alpine festival (Eidgenössisches Schwing- und Älplerfest), which takes place every three years in a different location. A national music festival (Eidgenössiches Musikfest) attracted marching bands from all parts of Switzerland in 2006. In summer 2008, the jodelling festival (Eidgenössisches Jodlerfest) is expected to have similar impact.
The 2021 Winter Universiade will be hosted by Lucerne.
Transport[edit]
Lucerne railway station
Lucerne boasts a developed and well-run transport network, with the main operator, Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern (VBL), running both the trolleybuses in Lucerne and a motor buses network in the city and to neighboring municipalities. Other operators, such as PostAuto Schweiz and Auto AG Rothenburg, provide bus services to other towns and villages.
Lucerne railway station is one of Switzerland's principal railway stations situated in the middle of the town and just next to the lake, and enjoys excellent connection to the rest of Switzerland via railway services operated by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) and the Zentralbahn (zb). Two other stations are located within the city boundaries, with Lucerne Allmend/Messe railway station close to the Swissporarena in the south of the city, and the Lucerne Verkehrshaus railway station adjacent to the Swiss Museum of Transport in the east.
Lucerne's city transit system is fully integrated into the coherent and integrated fare network system called passepartout encompassing all kind of public transport in the cantons of Lucerne, Obwalden, and Nidwalden.
Sport[edit]
The Swissporarena is home to FC Lucerne of the Swiss Super League
There are several football clubs throughout the city. The most successful one is FC Luzern which plays in Switzerland's premier league (Swiss Super League). The club plays its home matches at the new Swissporarena, with a capacity of 16,800.
The city's main hockey team is the HC Luzern which plays in the Swiss Second League, the fourth tier of Swiss hockey. They play their home games in the 5,000-seat Swiss Life Arena.
In the past, Lucerne also produced national successes in men's handball and women's volleyball and softball.
Having a long tradition of equestrian sports, Lucerne has co-hosted CSIO Switzerland, an international equestrian show jumping event, until it left entirely for St. Gallen in 2006. Since then, the Lucerne Equestrian Masters replaced it. There is also an annual horse racing event, usually taking place in August.
Lucerne annually hosts the final leg of the Rowing World Cup on Rotsee Lake, and has hosted numerous World Rowing Championships, among others the first ever in 1962. Lucerne was also bidding for the 2011 issue but failed.
Lucerne hosts the annual Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern Track and field meeting, which attracts world class athletes such as Yohan Blake and Valerie Adams.
The city also provides facilities for ice-hockey, figure-skating, golf, swimming, basketball, rugby, skateboarding, climbing and more.
Lucerne hosted FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event Lucerne Open 2015 and FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championship in 2016.
Another from my trip through Glencoe and onto the Rannoch Moor. This is looking across to the Black Mount. It looks like a lovely day but the wind would have cut you in two and it was freezing cold. A Dutch lady arrived while I was crouched down taking this and all she could say was "oh my god" I agree it is pretty awesome.
This is a J.K. Straus puzzle. It one of the earliest by this company, the box is plain orange/red with no picture (as is also stated on Bob Armstrongs website) and the cut is rather different than the later ones too.
The title is Snow Queen, the artist R.C. Kaufmann (1900-1999), so this is his earlier work. It has 305 pieces and measures about 30 x 40 cm.
I love this picture, I love art deco and this breathes that period...
This is my cross section drawing through a typical terraced house in the Kensington Fields Conservation Area in Liverpool in its original state as built. It shows the relationship between the internal rooms. Note the basement with its circular “coal hole” cut into the front steps through which deliveries were made. Also, the vestibule door with its decorative bright red and blue glazing see www.flickr.com/photos/townerassociates/8360293051/in/phot.... Text and photography © R.Towner RIBA 2013
Done in 0.6.
To do list:
XM29 OICW Custom PSG-1
...and I know the spring is missing, but the way I did that area, it would have taken at least...4 hours?
Life is good with a choice of brilliant colors!
2013 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta,
Hot air balloon: Third Child (on top) and
Air Rocky Top (bottom)
Neelkanth is a major peak of the Garhwal division of the Himalayas, in the Uttarakhand region in India. Although substantially lower than the highest peaks of the region, it towers dramatically over the valley of the Alaknanda River and rises 3,474 metres (11,398 ft) above the Hindu holy town of Badrinath.
Frank Smythe described the peak as "second only to Siniolchu in Himalayan beauty."
The Satopanth Glacier lies on the northwest side of Nilkantha, below a 2,500 m (8,200 ft) face of the peak. The Panpatia Glacier lies to the southwest, and feeds the Khirao Ganga, a stream running under the south side of the peak. Further away, to the west of the peak, lies the well-known Gangotri Glacier and its associated peaks. Across the Alaknanda valley lie the Kamet and Nanda Devi groups.
Mythological Beliefs
It is believed that there was no mountain on the spot where Nilkantha stands today. There was an adage route between Kedarnath and Badrinath. The "Purohita" or the worshipper of the two temples worshipped them in one day. This continued for a long time until due to some sins of the worshipper, Lord Shiva became displeased with him and stood blocking the way as huge sky-kissing mountain, which is said to be modern Neelkanth.
Cookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It is 2 miles (3 km) north of Maidenhead close to the boundary with Buckinghamshire and forms part of the High Wycombe Urban Area. It has a population of 5,519.[1] In 2011 The Daily Telegraph deemed Cookham Britain's second richest village
History[edit]
The area has been inhabited for thousands of years. There were several prehistoric burial mounds on Cock Marsh which were excavated in the 19th century and the largest stone axe ever found in Britain was one of 10,000 that has been dug up in nearby Furze Platt. The Roman road called the Camlet Way is reckoned to have crossed the Thames at Sashes Island, now cut by Cookham Lock, on its way from St. Albans to Silchester. By the 8th century there was an Anglo-Saxon abbey in Cookham and one of the later abbesses was Cynethryth, widow of King Offa of Mercia. It became the centre of a power struggle between Mercia and Wessex. Later King Alfred made Sashes Island one of his burhs to help defend against Viking invaders. There was a royal palace here[3] where the Witan met in 997.
It is recorded in the Domesday Book as Cocheham. The name may be from the Old English cōc + hām, meaning 'cook village', i.e. 'village noted for its cooks', although the first element may be derived from the Old English cōc(e) meaning 'hill'.[4]
Although the earliest stone church building may date from 750, the earliest identifiable part of the current Holy Trinity parish church is the Lady Chapel, which was built in the late 12th century on the site of the cell of a female anchorite who lived next to the church and was paid a halfpenny a day by Henry II.[5]
In the Middle Ages, most of Cookham was owned by Cirencester Abbey and the timber-framed 'Churchgate House' was apparently the Abbot's residence when in town. The "Tarry Stone" – still to be seen on the boundary wall of the Dower House – marked the extent of their lands.
In 1611 the estate at Cookham was the subject of the first ever country house poem, in Aemilia Lanyer's "Description of Cookham". In the poem 'Lanyer' pays tribute to her patroness, Margaret Clifford, Countess of Cumberland, through a description of her residence as a paradise for literary women. The estate at Cookham did not actually belong to Margaret Clifford, but was rented for her by her brother while Clifford was undergoing a dispute with her husband.
The town people have resisted many attempts to enclose parts of the common land, including by the vicar, Rev. Thomas Whateley in 1799, Miss Isabella Fleming in 1869 (who wanted to stop nude bathing at Odney) and the Odney Estates in 1928 who wanted to enclose Odney Common.[6] The Maidenhead and Cookham Commons Preservation Committee was formed and raised £2,738 to buy the manorial rights and the commons which were then donated to the National Trust by 1937. These included Widbrook, Cockmarsh, Winter Hill, Cookham Dean Commons, Pinkneys Green Common and Maidenhead Thicket.[7]
Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.
It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces were displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre, sadly since closed). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.
The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).
The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.
Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, after all there are echoes of the Gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.
Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.
However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, all it's stained glass having been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).
The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.
The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days. For more see below:-
The event is in its third year and has been embraced by the general public as well as attracting talent recognised worldwide. Blackpool has seen some very big names from the world of urban art. This year artists have come from Spain, Australia, Chile, France and Italy. There are Sore2, Smug, Osch, Kashink and Zed1 to name but a few. Of course there is also some home-grown talent with 5 Blackpool based artists who are quickly making a name for themselves on the scene.
Sand, Sea & Spray takes place in six different locations all over the town of Blackpool:
The Sun Lounge, North Pier – an historical venue, the Sun Lounge is Grade II listed and has been visited by tourists since the Victorian era.
Deansgate – the hub of creativity and the home of the developing art scene in Blackpool.
Adelaide Street – 100 year old, Grade II listed picture frames are being brought into the 21st Century with the canvases being painted by fantastic urban artists.
Car park, Central Drive/Palatine Road – young people from the local area will have the chance to work alongside the established artists as they paint the walls together.
Church Street car park – a brilliant focal point for a piece of street art. Hundreds of people pass here every day on their way into the town and it has become well known for the piece by Smug and Dead. A perfect example of how the event has impacted on the town, causing people to sit up and take notice of urban art. Now it’s time to replace the art with something completely different and create a new talking point.
Ocean Boulevard – this is home to a vintage, static tram which will be transformed by one of the artists. Like the Sun Lounge and the picture frames on Adelaide Street, the tram is going to be another fantastic representation of the old and the new as contemporary, vibrant art breathes new life into an historic part of Blackpool.
This is one of Tama Zoo's new arrivals. Little IBUKI, the second King Cheetah born at the zoo in the past 12 months. (Ibuki is a Japanese tree). He's a real treasure.
Nikon D800, AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR11
Nyord is 5 km in area, comprising around 120 hectares of moraine, where Nyord village and cultivated fields lieand a further 400 hectares of salt-meadow, which in winter is flooded by thesea and in summer is used to graze cattle. The salt-meadows are home to a richplant and bird life. They offer some ofthe best habitat for waders and waterfowlin Denmark. The bird tower beside the road provides an excellent vantagepoint from which to observe the birds.
The restaurant is fully equipped with Dirk Behlau's Live Concert, Lifestyle & Band photography. Bands includes Leningrad Cowboys, Sanctuary, The Creepshow, Nashville Pussy, Watain, Sick of it All, Walls of Jericho, Paul Ansell, Grand Magus, Machine Head, Amon Amarth, Nekromantix, Blues Pills, Motörhead, Trivium, Suicide Silence, Kvelertak...
Open every day from 4pm to midnight.
ROCK PIT
Hohenstaufenring 24 (Zülpicher Platz) Cologne, Germany
Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey (Khmer: ប្រាសាទបន្ទាយស្រី) is a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor in Cambodia. It lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom.[1] Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the "jewel of Khmer art."
HISTORY
FOUNDATION & DEDICATION
Consecrated on 22 April 967 A.D., Bantãy Srĕi was the only major temple at Angkor not built by a monarch; its construction is credited to a courtier named Yajnavaraha / Yajñavarāha (modern Khmer: យជ្ញវរាហៈ), who served as a counsellor to king Rajendravarman II (modern Khmer: ព្រះបាទរាជេន្រ្ទវរ្ម័ន).The foundational stela says that Yajnavaraha, grandson of king Harsavarman I, was a scholar and philanthropist who helped those who suffered from illness, injustice, or poverty. His pupil was the future king Jayavarman V (r. 968- ca. 1001). Originally, the temple was surrounded by a town called Īśvarapura.
Yajñavarāha's temple was primarily dedicated to the Hindu god Śiva. Originally, it was carried the name Tribhuvanamaheśvara—great lord of the threefold world—in reference to the Shaivite linga that served as its central religious image. However, the temple buildings appear to be divided along the central east-west axis between those buildings located south of the axis, which are devoted to Śiva, and those north of the axis, which are devoted to Viṣṇu.
The temple's modern name, Bantãy Srĕi—citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty—is probably related to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings found on the walls and the tiny dimensions of the buildings themselves. Some have speculated that it relates to the many devatas carved into the walls of the buildings.
EXPANSION & REDICATION
Bantãy Srĕi was subject to further expansion and rebuilding work in the eleventh century. At some point it came under the control of the king and had its original dedication changed; the inscription K 194 from Phnoṃ Sandak, dated Monday, the 14th or 28 July 1119 A.D. records (line B 13) the temple being given to the priest Divākarapaṇḍita and being rededicated to Śiva. It remained in use at least until the fourteenth century according to the last known inscription K 569, dated Thursday, 8 August 1303 A.D.
RESTAURATION
The temple was rediscovered only in 1914, and was the subject of a celebrated case of art theft when André Malraux stole four devatas in 1923 (he was soon arrested and the figures returned). The incident stimulated interest in the site, which was cleared the following year, and in the 1930s Banteay Srei was restored through the first important use of anastylosis at Angkor whereby a ruined building or monument is restored using the original architectural elements to the greatest degree possible. Until the discovery of the foundation stela in 1936, it had been assumed that the extreme decoration indicated a later date than was in fact the case. To prevent the site from water damage, the joint Cambodian-Swiss Banteay Srei Conservation Project installed a drainage system between 2000 and 2003. Measures were also taken to prevent damage to the temples walls from nearby trees.
Unfortunately, the temple has been ravaged by pilfering and vandalism. When toward the end of the 20th century authorities removed some original statues and replaced them with concrete replicas, looters took to attacking the replicas. A statue of Shiva and his shakti Uma, removed to the National Museum in Phnom Penh for safekeeping, was assaulted in the museum itself.
MATERIALS & STYLE
Banteay Srei is built largely of a hard red sandstone that can be carved like wood. Brick and laterite were used only for the enclosure walls and some structural elements. The temple is known for the beauty of its sandstone lintels and pediments.
A pediment is the roughly triangular space above a rectangular doorway or openings. At Banteay Srei, pediments are relatively large in comparison to the openings below, and take a sweeping gabled shape. For the first time in the history of Khmer architecture, whole scenes of mythological subject-matter are depicted on the pediments.
A lintel is a horizontal beam spanning the gap between two posts. Some lintels serve a structural purpose, serving to support the weight of the superstructure, while others are purely decorative in purpose. The lintels at Banteay Srei are beautifully carved, rivalling those of the 9th century Preah Ko style in quality.
Noteworthy decorative motifs include the kala (a toothy monster symbolic of time), the guardian dvarapala (an armed protector of the temple) and devata (demi-goddess), the false door, and the colonette. Indeed, decorative carvings seem to cover almost every available surface. According to pioneering Angkor scholar Maurice Glaize, "Given the very particular charm of Banteay Srei – its remarkable state of preservation and the excellence of a near perfect ornamental technique – one should not hesitate, of all the monuments of the Angkor group, to give it the highest priority." At Banteay Srei, wrote Glaize, "the work relates more closely to the art of the goldsmith or to carving in wood than to sculpture in stone".
THE SITE
The site consists of three concentric rectangular enclosures constructed on an east-west axis. A causeway situated on the axis leads from an outer gopura, or gate, to the third or outermost of the three enclosures. The inner enclosure contains the sanctuary, consisting of an entrance chamber and three towers, as well as two buildings conventionally referred to as libraries.
THE OUTER GOPURA
The gopura is all that remains of the outer wall surrounding the town of Isvapura. The wall is believed to have measured approximately 500 m square, and may have been constructed of wood. The gopura's eastern pediment shows Indra, who was associated with that direction, mounted on his three-headed elephant Airavata. The 67 m causeway with the remains of corridors on either side connects the gopura with the third enclosure. North and south of this causeway are galleries with a north-south orientation.
THE THIRD (OUTER) ENCLOSURE
The third enclosure is 95 by 110 m; it is surrounded by a laterite wall breached by gopuras at the eastern and western ends. Neither pediment of the eastern gopura is in situ. The west-facing pediment is now located in the Musée Guimet in Paris.[18] It depicts a scene from the Mahabhārata in which the Asura brothers Sunda and Upasunda fight over the Apsara Tilottama. The east-facing pediment is lying on the ground. It depicts a scene from the Rāmāyaṇa in which a demon seizes Rama's wife Sita. Most of the area within the third enclosure is occupied by a moat divided into two parts by causeways to the east and west.
THE SECOND ENCLOSURE
The second enclosure sits between an outer laterite wall measuring 38 by 42 m, with gopuras at the eastern and western ends, and a brick inner enclosure wall, measuring 24 by 24 m. The western gopura features an interesting bas relief depicting the duel of the monkey princes Vāli and Sugriva, as well as Rāma's intervention on Sugrīva's behalf. The inner enclosure wall has collapsed, leaving a gopura at the eastern end and a brick shrine at the western. The eastern pediment of the gopura shows Śiva Nataraja; the west-facing pediment has an image of Durga. Likewise, the laterite galleries which once filled the second enclosure (one each to north and south, two each to east and west) have partially collapsed. A pediment on one of the galleries shows the lion-man Narasiṃha clawing the demon Hiranyakashipu.
THE FIRST (INNER) ENCLOSURE
Between the gopuras on the collapsed inner wall are the buildings of the inner enclosure: a library in the south-east corner and another in the north-east corner, and in the centre the sanctuary set on a T-shaped platform 0.9 m high. Besides being the most extravagantly decorated parts of the temple, these have also been the most successfully restored (helped by the durability of their sandstone and their small scale). In 2010, the first enclosure is open to visitors again, but the inner temples are roped off and inaccessible.
THE LIBRARIES
The two libraries are of brick, laterite and sandstone. Each library has two pediments, one on the eastern side and one on the western. According to Maurice Glaize, the four library pediments, "representing the first appearance of tympanums with scenes, are works of the highest order. Superior in composition to any which followed, they show true craftsmanship in their modelling in a skilful blend of stylisation and realism."
The east-facing pediment on the southern library shows Śiva seated on the summit of Mount Kailāsa, his mythological abode. His consort Umā sits on his lap and clings anxiously to his torso. Other beings are also present on the slopes of the mountain, arranged in a strict hierarchy of three tiers from top to bottom. In the top tier sit bearded wise men and ascetics, in the middle tier mythological figures with the heads of animals and the bodies of humans, and in the bottom tier large animals, including a number of lions. In the middle of the scene stands the ten-headed demon king Rāvaṇa. He is shaking the mountain in its very foundations as the animals flee from his presence and as the wise men and mythological beings discuss the situation or pray. According to the legend, Śiva stopped Rāvaṇa from shaking the mountain by using his toe to press down on the mountain and to trap Rāvana underneath for 1000 years.
The west-facing pediment on southern library shows Śiva again seated on the summit of Mount Kailāsa. He is looking to his left at the god of love Kāma, who is aiming an arrow at him. Umā sits to Śiva's right; he is handing her a chain of beads. The slopes of the mountain are crowded with other beings, again arranged in a strict hierarchy from top to bottom. Just under Śiva sit a group of bearded wise men and ascetics, under whom the second tier is occupied by the mythological beings with the heads of animals and the bodies of humans; the lowest tier belongs the common people, who mingle sociably with tame deer and a large gentle bull. According to the legend, Kāma fired an arrow at Śiva in order to cause Śiva to take an interest in Umā. Śiva, however, was greatly angered by this provocation, and punished Kāma by gazing upon him with his third eye, frying Kāma to cinders.
The east-facing pediment on the northern library shows the god of the sky Indra creating rain to put out a forest fire started by the god of fire Agni for purposes of killing the nāga king Takshaka who lived in Khandava Forest. The Mahābhāratan heroes Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are shown helping Agni by firing a dense hail of arrows to block Indra's rain. Takṣaka's son Aśvasena is depicted attempting to escape from the conflagration, while other animals stampede about in panic.
The west-facing pediment on the southern library depicts Kṛṣṇa slaying his wicked uncle Kamsa.
THE SANCTUARY
The sanctuary is entered from the east by a doorway only 1.08 m in height: inside is an entrance chamber (or maṇḍapa) with a corbelled brick roof, then a short corridor leading to three towers to the west: the central tower is the tallest, at 9.8 m. Glaize notes the impression of delicacy given the towers by the antefixes on each of their tiers. The six stairways leading up to the platform were each guarded by two kneeling statues of human figures with animal heads; most of those now in place are replicas, the originals having been stolen or removed to museums.
WIKIPEDIA
33868 is one of a batch of fifteen 33858-72 at Olive Grove, Sheffield. They spend most of their time on the 120, but 33868 was my first ride of the day on the 1A, and seen after I alighted at Sheffield Lane Top, very much with an eye on Stagecoach 19103 approaching in the opposite direction! 18.6.22.
Thursday.
Start of the two day road trip.
I was awake before five with my allergies giving me hell. It was so bad I thought I had a cold, but it went off during the day, allergies is the best fit, but as I was feeling better later, it don't really matter. Anyway, we have breakfast, I load the car having packed the night before, and I drive Jools to the factory. And It's just me and the open road. Well, apart from all other drivers in south east England who were driving too. In fact I got caught in a train of cars heading to Folkestone behind a Dutch camper van travelling at 25mph.
However, onto the motorway and into the rush hour traffic of Ashford and then Maidstone before the fun that is the M25 heading into Dartford. It is odd that the most important part of the motorway is the corssing and we have to pay to use it, even if it has already been paid for and it causes god-almighty traffic jams. It's not that the money is reinvested back in the road system, as you will see later when I moan about the East Anglain road system with its myriad of bottlenecks and planning disasters.
I get through the queues, pay my two quid to find the southbound traffic the other side of the tunnel is at least three times as worse. And then there is the hjoy of the A12 through Essex. How can it be that a simple road causes so much pain? Is it the mad driving, the racing to get to the next junction, the pointless jams at Chelmsford. I mean who would want to go to Chelsmford? But once into the quiet county of Suffolk, I was able to turn off and head into the Dedham Vale. Or would have if the road signs would have made sense! Does it sound like I'm complaining all the time? I don't like traffic, queues or Essex. So, maybe driving through Essex in the rush hour was planning for trouble.
I switched on the sat nav, programmed the first port of call, Stoke by Nayland, and set off. I was lucky that my friend, Simon, had provided me with a list of fine churches to visit. All of the churches I would visit this morning would be splendid. I saw a sign for the village of Boxted, and realise that is on my list, so I head there, driving towards Church Hill, which my spidy senses tell me I might find the church. I park on the small high street through the village, with the church on my left. I leave the sat nav in the car switched on, I thought there would be no thieves in such a wonderful spot.
And I was right.
St Peter was quite spectacular, to me, inside, it was like a theatre, with a gallery containing seats and the organ, with the later being the centre of the stage. It was a delight, and is quite possibly my favourite church of all. Some doing, but I loved the church. But, I had to move on. But I tell the folks clearing bushes for the church wall how much I loved it. She had only been in once, at Christmas, but though the acoustics were good.
It was only a five minute drive to Soke by Nayland, I found the church and parked on the main street of the village and walked up to the churchyard noting the worker's vans parked near the porch. This could be trouble I thought.
It has fine glass, memorials and tiles, but I did have a run in with one of the workers. I wanted to photograph the windows, and asked if I could get by. NO. I was told. We're busy. But you're just talking. No, we're busy, and we might hot you on the head, said the stage erector. I siad I would be careful, and he retorted that he would not be held responsible if I had an accident. All in all it put a damper on the church, so I got my shots and left. I mean I can always go back.
I stopped at the small book shop at the cross roads and by a Sherlock Holmes novel to read if I got bored that evening, and head off for the next church.
It is a short drive to Polstead, the next on the list. Now, I did not plan this and I am getting the feeling that I am retracing my tracks already, in fact I was to pass through Stoke by Nayland some four times during the day. Oh well, its no real hardship.
Polstead lies in a shallow valley, with the village scattered up one side. I assume that the church will be on the highest point. As there are only four roads in and out of the village, it shouldn't be hard to find. I drive past the attractive cillage pond, more like a lake and head up through the village, past many wonderful looking ancient houses, but find no church. Back down into the centre of the village and out another road, and still no church. This just leaves the road I came in on, and so head back down through the village, past the pond onto the main road, or what counts as the main road, and a few yards further along is a small white sign pointing up the other side of the valley into some woods.
A new road has been laid, and there is a good sized car park, so I abandon the car, grab the cameras and walk into the church year. From outside St Mary looks something like a typical small Suffolk church, others might feel differently about that, but nothing too spectacular. But once inside on is met with brick-topped arches and it filled with the most wonderful light. I am awestruck, and glad that I do not research these churches beforehand so my breath can be taken away by the beauty of these churches.
After getting my shots I go back outside, taking a tray of quinces that are on offer and deposit a couple of quid in the box as a donation.
I program in Wissington into the sat nav and set off. Soon I see we are to go through Nayland, so I decide if I can find a parking space I will stop here first and snap the church. Nayland is a stunning looking large village, but, it knows it. I wanted to warm to the village, but seems to be more Aldborough that traditional working village, I could be wrong, but judging by the quantity of high powered sports cars parked in the village square, I get the feeling I am right.
I find a place to park, and see the church framed down Church Mews making a fine shot. So I snap that and enter the churchyard, walking round t the main entrance through the porch. Inside it is another fine church, built on a grand scale. I really warm to the church and am happy to snap it.
When I parked the car I saw some fashionably dressed ladies sipping coffees outside a shop, so I go in search of a cup for myself, to find it an arts shop which held classes for children to pain ceramics, with a coffee bar as a side line. Having just two tables, and a queue of several people, I assume I won't get a table and hope I can find a place somewhere else. I walk back to the car, load up and drive off towards Wissington.
Entering the village, I see a sign pointing to Wiston church, not the one I was looking for, but a church, so I drive down the narrow lane to the parking spot. The church is on a private estate, and they don't want cars parking near the church. Or something. But it is only a five minute walk, and it is a wonderful autumn day with lots of golden sunshine, its no chore to walk.
Wisset or Wissington? Is the question posed inside the church, so they are one and the same, more mangling of the mother tongue by East Anglians, then.
I am greeted with the sight of the wooden tower showing over a modern barn, it looks wonderful. First thing I notice is the bowed end, which reminds me of Loddon. Entry is my a grand glazed porch, but inside the walls are covered by the remains of ancient paintings, and right in front, over a door, is a dragon. Not what I was expecting. It is a delightful small church, made all the more special by the paintings, some more complete than others. And once again I have the church to myself. I am tempted to stay here longer, but it is already getting near lunchtime, and time is getting away from me.
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Wissington, sometimes pronounced and even spelt Wiston, is in a gentle fold of Essex, above the Stour. It looks to Colchester rather than to Ipswich, and since the closure of the Jane Walker Hospital the village has returned to being a sleepy hamlet, not particularly on the way to anywhere.
Norman churches are not common in Suffolk; there was wealth to rebuild most of them on the eve of the Reformation. The best Norman churches are out on the margins of the county, as though some central authority had forgotten them. Apart from Nayland, the nearest other churches to Wissington are all in Essex.
Having said that St Mary is Norman, a qualification must be made, since the Victorians clearly thought that it wasn't quite Norman enough. They built the eastern apse, and filled the church with 'Norman' furnishings. There is a tasteless stone Norman pulpit, an absurd stone Norman reading desk, and even, I am afraid, Norman pews.
You approach the church by a narrow by-road from the Bures to Nayland road, which peters out into a private lane across the Wissington Hall estate.
You must leave your car on the hard standing area before entering the estate. The track is a public footpath, and takes you about 200m past a field that was full of the fluffiest, most comical sheep on my last visit. The church stands above the farmyard just to the west of the hall.
This is not a church you will come across by accident. The setting is superb - what it must be to wake up and see it every morning. You enter the churchyard from the eastern end, the apse for a moment making the building look round. The ancient exterior promises gloom, and you'll not be disappointed. You step into a darkness that seems ancient, and if you can ignore the pews and ridiculous pulpit, you can conjure up in your mind the candle flickering and incense-clouded early middle ages.
A building like this has a long memory, and, unusually for Suffolk, probably had as long a life before the Reformation as it has had since.
There is a smell of earth, a coolness that is unchanging, whatever the weather outside. And then, as your eyes become accustomed to the gloom, you can look up to see the wonderful wall-paintings.
The paintings date from about 1280, and the complete range is still discernible. In common with many other survivals from this period, there are two levels.
The top level of paintings (the best preserved) shows the story of Christ from Annunciation to Ascension. The south wall is best of all. The sequence is shown below; hover to read the captions, click to see enlarged images. They starts at the far eastern end with the Annunciation; the angel holds a lily, and Mary's face is just visible on the right.This painting is wrongly identified as St Michael in some sources. The Visitation is lost, and we catch up on the story with one of two paintings here that are world famous. It apparently shows the Nativity (and must, to fit in with the sequence) but the imagery of it is more usually associated with the confinement of St Anne and the birth of the Blessed Virgin. It shows Mary in some pain, and her watching husband in distress, as a midwife nurses her. The problem is that, because of her immaculate conception, Mary was believed in medieval times to have given birth without pain. Although this doctrine was only formally received into the Church in the 19th century, it was widely held in medieval England.
The next part of the story fills two panels; in the first, an angel appears to the shepherds, one of whom is in the panel with him. His fellows gather in the next frame, while young sheep gambol without concern at their feet. In the next frame, they appear to be hurrying down to Bethlehem. In fact, the story switches at this point from St Luke's Gospel to St Matthew's, and these are the Magi travelling to greet the Christchild.
The journey of the Magi is followed by a two frame scene in which they offer their gifts to the infant Christ. He sits on his mother's lap, much as he does in the same scene at Thornham Parva across the county. There then follows the other world famous image; the angel appears to the Magi to tell them not to go back to Jerusalem but to return by a different route. As in the capital at Autun Cathedral, they are shown all asleep in the same bed.
The final two scenes in this row show the flight into Egypt and, just before the gallery intervenes and they are lost, the massacre of the innocents, with a fearsome soldier wielding a sword.
The painting is in ochre, with vine designs around the painted archways and alcoves that offset the subjects. The lower range is less well preserved, and is generally held to be scenes from the life of St Nicholas. I have to say that I do not find the evidence for this compelling. Certainly, the most well-preserved painting shows a man in a boat, and he appears to be holding a bishop's crozier as he blesses the sailors, as in the St Nicholas legend. However, if it wasn't a crozier, then this could just as easily be the story of Christ calming the waters of Lake Gallilee, in which case we must be open to the possibility that this is another range of scenes from the life of Christ. However, those to the east of this don't fit any obvious stories, and they are now so faint that it is easy to read almost anything into them. One figure appears to be female and holding a wheel, and so could be St Catherine. To her right, one figure pushes down the head of another - the expression on the face of the victim suggests another martyrdom.
There are fewer images survivng on the north wall, and they are generally in poorer condition, but several parts of the crucifixion story are clear. In one, Christ is nailed to the cross; He lies on the ground, and his executioners kneel beside him. I have seen this described as 'Christ washing the feet of his disciples, which is not impossible, but seems odd at this place in the sequence.
In the next, a figure holds a stick with a vinegar sponge up to the thirsting Christ, while a woman weeps at his nailed feet. The next image I take to be Christ being taken down from the cross, because the iconography is familiar; he lies with his head to the left resting in his mother's lap. However, an unusual feature is the large number of people gathered to watch; there are usually only three or four. The only other really clear image in the sequence is the risen Christ standing with his hands help open, surrounded by his friends I have seen this described as 'the last supper'.
There are two other major paintings on the north wall, and they are both really quite extraordinary. One is above the former north door, and shows a large and ferocious dragon. He is quite out of scale with the other images, and in quite a different style. Some sources suggest that it is part of a scene of St Margaret, but I could see no evidence for this. At the other end of the north wall, however, is the earliest known English image of St Francis. He is shown preaching to the birds in the tree. If 1280, the estimated date for this work, is broadly correct, then this could have been painted by people who were alive in the lifetime of their subject.
There are also the remains of a doom on the west wall above the gallery, hidden when I was last here by building work.
The rest of this building is as atmospheric, and the Victorian additions are obvious, so don't intrude too much. You step beyond the chancel arch into a square space that was obviously once the base of the tower, as at Ousden or Oulton. The sanctuary beyond is all Victorian. A brass inscription for a Laudian Rector has been reset in the tiles. Turning back west, you can make out the two parts of the gallery through the gloom, a royal arms of George III and two hatchments flanking it. Mortlock says that it has Fear God and Honour the King inscribed on the back. This end was undergoing repairs on my last visit.
Beneath the gallery, the font, later than the Norman period, is unique in Suffolk. There is one detail in particular on it that I like very much. The lions at its base are not sitting up, alert, as is common in East Anglia. They are lying down, as though the rural idyll of this place, and its ageless peace, have at last overcome them, and they have surrendered themselves to sleep.
St Mary, Wissington, is just south of the Sudbury to Colchester Road, where the road from Nayland to Bures cuts through. I have never found it locked.