View allAll Photos Tagged Onceinalifetime
Canterbury - 2015
A 1968 Mercury Cougar rolled along side the train for a while, slowly passing us. What a car, and in perfect condition!
Viaduct Basin, Auckland - 2015
Live music entertained the crowds during the day, and DJs came out after dark. An awesome place to sit and chill in my final few hours in New Zealand.
Pan Pac Foyer, Napier - 2015
Also known as the Napier Municipal Theatre, it has a capacity of nearly 1000, and opened in 1938.
Cheltenham Beach, Devonport - 2015
At the north end of the beach, the sand stops and these weathered cliffs rise out of nowhere. The shapes and layers, and their sudden appearing was quite surprising.
Wellington - 2015
The should have been taken with an old analogue film camera, or a box browny maybe...
New Regent Street, Christchurch - 2015
"The most beautiful street in New Zealand" as described by the city Mayor, Daniel Sullivan, in 1932. It was a brand new shopping mall, of 40 colourful units, designed in the Spanish Mission Revival style. Unsurprisingly it suffered damage in the 2011 earthquakes, but thankfully survived. As it is a Category 1 NZ Historic Places site it's been painstakingly restored, with new handmade tiles and new rendering. It reopened in April 2013, just over 81 years after it first opened.
www.christchurchnz.com/destinations/christchurch/new-rege...
As read by Christopher Walken.
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door;-
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-
Merely this, and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
'Tis the wind and nothing more."
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown before-
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never- nevermore'."
But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or devil!-
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore-
Is there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting-
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
An alternate but beautiful version HERE.
Alternate lyrics:
THE clock struck midnight
And through my sleeping
I heard a tapping at my door
I looked but nothing lay in the darkness
And so I turned inside once more
To my amazement
There stood a raven
Whose shadow hung above my door
Then through the silence
It spoke the one word
That I shall hear for evermore
Nevermore
Thus quoth the raven, nevermore
And still the raven remains in my room
No matter how much I implore
No words can soothe him
No prayer remove him
And I must hear for evermore
Quoth the raven, nevermore
Nevermore
Thus quoth the raven, nevermore
Quay Street, Auckland - 2015
Apartment building on Quay Street, over looking the water front with a perfect view of the boats coming and going.
Late '90s Dodge Viper GTS, Wheels On Windsor - 2015
A rare right-hand-drive converted 90s Viper, pushing out 550hp!!
Two years of Meraki
Oh so much glee!
Two years to this date
Come celebrate with me!!
We, at Meraki Pictures are super happy today.... We've turned two! smile emoticon It's been a fantastic journey so far and we couldn't have done it without you guys. So, thank you for all the love, shares, likes and encouragement you'll give us and please keep sending us more of all the goodness! We love you all and can't wait for another fantastic year ahead! smile emoticon kiss emoticon
And our counter just hit '700 likes'!!! Thank you so much for all the love.
Louis Roederer is one of the largest remaining independent Champagne Houses, owned by the Rouzaud family since it was founded in 1776. It is most famous for producing the premium champagne Cristal. It is based just south of Reims, France. Tsar Nicholas II nominated Louis Roederer as the official wine supplier to the Imperial Court of Russia. Thus it became known as the 'Champagne of the Tsars'. The Russian Revolution and Prohibition in the United States caused the company to lose major ground during the early 20th century, though it quickly re-established itself during the Great Depression as an eminent wine-producer.
Cristal is the brand name of a well-known champagne produced by Louis Roederer. Cristal is easily recognized by its clear, "crystal" bottle, anti-UV cellophane wrapper, and gold label. A typical price in the United States is $350 or more [1] for a bottle. In the United Kingdom, prices are around £150 per bottle and can rise to £650 in some bars in central London.
History
It was first created in 1876 for Alexander II of Russia but did not become commercially available until 1945.[2] As the political situation in Russia at the time of his ruling was unstable, the tsar feared assassination. He ordered that the bottles, containing the drink, were made clear to avoid having a bomb hidden in a typical green bottle. Louis Roederer commissioned a Flemish glassmaker to create a Champagne bottle with a flat bottom. Bottles made from common glass have a bell shaped bottom which makes them strong enough to cope with the pressure created by the champagne. In order to create a flat bottomed bottle they had to be made from stronger, clear lead crystal. The Champagne has since become known as "Cristal".[3]
The 1974 vintage saw the first release of a rosé Cristal.[2]
The 2000 vintage was made from 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay grapes, with a dosage of 10g/l.[2]
Cristal assumed a place of prominence in Hip hop culture, with many artists, prominently Jay-Z, mentioning the drink as a luxury good in their lyrics.[4] Furthermore, Cristal and other products, such as Courvoisier and Hennessy, experienced increases in sales resulting from these endorsements.[5]
However in mid-2006, Jay-Z announced he would boycott the drink after taking offense to comments which he called "racist", by Frédéric Rouzaud the Managing Director of Louis Roederer.[6].
Valentines gift from the spouse..a lovely bottle of *CRISTAL*.
Public Trust Office, Napier - 2015
This is one of the few buildings that survived the 1931 earthquakes, it was newly built!
Te Hononga Civic Centre, Christchurch - 2015
This building opened in mid-2010, it's the new City Council HQ - the NZ$113 million eco-friendly jewel in the authorities crown. As soon as it opened the quakes hit, but thankfully suffered not structural damage. This is not a new building though, the council took over the old 1970s built post office processing plant in a joint venture with Ngai Tahu Property. It was fully renovated into office space, and is as good as purpose built. So being an industrial strength building it did very well in the earthquakes, but still suffered NZ$10 million of damage and was closed for 9 months.
www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/5884533/...
Il n'y a pas rien place dans toute la monde qui avait les memes colours comme La Polynesie Francais.
There is nowhere in the world that has the same colors as French Polynesia.
The engine pulled closer as soon as FEC foremen and car inspectors arrived on scene. Things were starting to heat up here at El Dorado. FEC #501, a GP38-2, was one of FEC's 11 most forgotten engines and wears the classic Candy Cane scheme. As of 2014, the unit is now repainted in a bright shade of blue with the logo seen on Champs and the Pink Ladies.
Tramway, Christchurch - 2015
The city had an extensive tramway system up till the 1950s, when the introduction of diesel buses proved move convenient. It has operated a few heritage routes since the 60s, that have gathered momentum and extensions, and opened a city route in 1995. It's mainly aimed at tourist, and operates through a joint venture without he council.
The 2011 earthquake knocked the system out for over 2 and a half years, delaying another extension that passes Re:START and The Terrace.
Smash Palace - 2015
The inside is as fascinating as the outside, there are parts any car that you can think of that has ever been sold in New Zealand. Alongside this row of chrome grills from the 60s and 70s, are shelves, draws, and boxes, full. simply full.
Waterfront, Queenstown - 2015
As the evening continues, so do the stories, the tales of adventures, and the drinking!
War Memorial Tower, Whanganui - 2015
Whanganui is a large town at the mouth of the Whanganui River, in the Manawatu-Wanganui region, administered by the Wanganui District Council. So is it Whanganui or Wanganui? Wikipedia has a good explanation (Wanganui or Whanganui), and as the local iwi, the New Zealand Geographic Board, and the Crown agencies decided it should be with an 'h' I'll go with them. This is despite the residents voting twice in the last decade to keep the spelling, without the 'h'.
This is the Memorial Tower that sits on Durie Hill over looking the town.
I've composed this shot to explain what may happen in the next couple of years. Remember that the State of Florida DOT owns the Miami Sub from Gator at MP SX 966 to Oleander at SXH 40.67. The FEC is working to create a coastal link for Tri-Rail, which expands upon the reason why FDOT bought the tracks in the first place. Of course, CSX, in wanting to get out of Miami for so long might have found this as a golden opportunity to leave. It is believed, and going beyond the rumored stage that by 2015 FEC will be running trains in lieu of CSX on the 71 mile Miami Subdivision. So, crappy shots like these will be of high value then. But shot quality is besides the point, I wanted to depict the FEC "looming" or "stepping into" CSX's presence here in South Florida which has been such for the last 86 years. What will be a plus is seeing intermodal on the CSX corridor as per what the Sentinel said, but we won't be exposed to CSX power nearly as much anymore if said case is true. Update: Got semi-official word both will share trackage on the Miami Sub making things even better!
Milk Bar, Devonport - 2015
Not far from Cheltenham Beach, near the suburb of Vauxhall, is this little Milk Bar. They sell all sorts of local food and drink, and a great stopping off point on the way back to Devonport.
Steamer Wharf, Queenstown - 2015
Any cool place in New Zealand has a Mac's Brew Pub, this one is called Pub On Wharf.
Wellington - 2015
Awesomely cool tiled mosaic mural on Frederick Street, next door to my hotel (gourmetstay.co.nz/). Wellington is covered in both legal and illegal art work. From the sculptures I posted earlier, to really innovative graffiti work.
Wellington - 2015
Queens Wharf has this tent-like covering, as it leads from the quayside towards Post Office Square - that's the sculpture Skyblues in distance. I'd just had a few Garage Project beers at Bin44, so the focus might be a bit off!