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La estación de Principe Pio sustituye a la antigua Estación del Norte. Originalmente la Compañía de los Caminos de Hierro del Norte de España construyó en 1861 unas instalaciones provisionales en el lugar donde luego se construyó la estación, debido a la inauguración del ferrocarril que iba desde Madrid a Irún. La estación definitiva fue inaugurada en 1882, convirtiéndose en una de las más destacadas de la red de Norte como también de las estaciones de Madrid. Durante la Guerra Civil Española la cercanía del frente bélico la dejó aislada en Madrid, recibiendo numerosos impactos de artillería.
Al final de la contienda se encontraba muy dañada y la quiebra de los Caminos de Hierro del Norte provocó que fuese integrada en RENFE. Tras la inauguración de la Estación de Chamartín comenzó su declive al ser traslado el tráfico ferroviario a la nueva estación. En 1993 finalmente fue clausurada, siendo rehabilitada como un intercambiador y un centro comercial y renombrada como Estación de Príncipe Pío.
Listen That's the way it is - Celine Dion
I can read your mind and I know your story
I see what you're going through
It's an uphill climb, and I'm feeling sorry
But I know it will come to you
Don't surrender 'cause you can win
In this thing called love
When you want it the most there's no easy way out
When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is
When you question me for a simple answer
I don't know what to say, no
But it's plain to see, if you stick together
You're gonna find a way, yeah
So don't surrender 'cause you can win
In this thing called love
When you want it the most there's no easy way out
When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is
When life is empty with no tomorrow
And loneliness starts to call
Baby, don't worry, forget your sorrow
'Cause love's gonna conquer it all, all
When you want it the most there's no easy way out
When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is
When you want it the most there's no easy way out
When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is
That's the way it is
That's the way it is, babe
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is.
In Wordpress In Blogger photo.net/photos/Reinante/ In Onexposure
Here is a recent image to break up my recent Tahoe photos. I had to go tonight and see the impending storm that is making its way down the Pacific coast. Early this morning we had hail, which is unique since we live right on the beach. I ran up the coast just North of Santa Cruz. The whole way up all I could do was keep my eyes on these crazy sun beams. Seriously the whole ocean was lit up by isolated beams hitting the surface North, South and West of Santa Cruz.
As I ran down the cliff to the beach I watched the beams disappear. I just missed them. I am sure that up North they were going off, but I was already down at the site by that time, and it would take 30 minutes to run up the hill and find another site.
Here is my version of the approaching storm, that is sure to bring a week of power outages, flooding and more snow and hail.
Nikon D300
Tokina 11-16mm @ 11mm
ISO 100
f/11 for 2s
Singh-Ray 3 stop reverse
Lee .6 soft GND
Gondolier by Irene Becker © All rights reserved
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A low view of the road that leads to Pitt Lake in Pitt Meadows near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
About this photo: It was a gorgeous sunny week last week with about +11C/52F and you could feel the warmth of the sun. On days like that I can't help but wanting to go out and enjoy the weather and take some photos. I ended up going to Pitt Lake in Pitt Meadows which is a 20-25 minute drive from my place.
Once you drive through this area you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere as there is hardly anybody around and hardly any cars on this road (especially on a week day in the mornings) and that only about 15 minutes away from a fair sized town. I stopped alongside the road a little ways before arriving at Pitt Lake to capture this photo of the road leading to the beautiful mountain views with some fresh powder snow on top. I just love these views!
~Camera Settings:
*Camera Model: Sony ILCA-77m2
*Focal Length: 16mm
*F-Number: F/8
*Exposure Time: 1/160 sec.
*ISO Speed: ISO-100
*Exposure Program: Manual Mode (M)
Thank you for dropping by!
Ann :)
Some information on the Pitt Lake area: Pitt Lake is located in Grant Narrows Regional Park in Pitt Meadows which is about 45 minutes east of downtown Vancouver. Pitt Lake is the second-largest lake in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, being about 53.5 square km (20.5 square mi) in area. It is about 25km (15.6mi) long and about 4.5km (2.8mi) wide at its widest, and is also one of the world's largest tidal lakes, its confluence with the Fraser being only a few miles upstream from that river's estuary into the Strait of Georgia. Its southern tip, where the Pitt River resumes, is 40km (25mi) east of downtown Vancouver.
The upper Pitt River valley is a typical U-shaped glacial valley in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. The over-deepening of the lower end of the valley over the span of the Wisconsin glaciation created a trough over 140m (462ft) below current sea level. After initial glacial retreat at around 13,000 years ago a saltwater fjord occupied this basin when relative sea levels were still ca 120m (396ft) to 140m (462ft) above current levels in the region. Unlike neighbouring Indian Arm and Howe Sound farther west this fjord basin became cut off by sedimentation of the lower Fraser River by ca 10,500 years ago and is now considered a tidal fjord lake.
The community of Pitt Meadows occupies the marshy lowland at the southern end of the lake, some of which has become drained and is known as the Pitt Polder. Just southwest of the lake is the community of Port Coquitlam, which is across the Pitt River from Pitt Meadows. At the north end of the lake is a locality named Alvin, which is a transport and shipping point for logging companies and their employees. The Upper Pitt, meaning the valley upstream from the lake, is considered BC's best fly-fishing rivers and one of its best steelhead streams.
The lake is popular with boaters and canoeists, but is prone to heavy winds and rains as well as big waves (due to its great depth). The mountain range on its east flank comprises Golden Ears Provincial Park, its basin to the north is in southern Garibaldi Provincial Park, while the mountain range on its west, northeast of Vancouver's Coquitlam Lake watershed reservoir, is Pinecone Burke Provincial Park. The waterfront and foreshore of the lake and river are public-access and include extensive migratory wildfowl habitat. There is a destination golfing resort in the Pitt Polder area called Swan-e-set.
The area along the east side of the lake is somewhat famous for being the reputed location of Slumach's lost gold mine, the location of many failed and sometimes disastrous searches for the alleged murderer's lost gold mine. (Info from Wikipedia).
#121, 6 august 09,
I watched this photo many times - never sure if i should delete or store it.
It's definitely not a "beautiful flower - shot".
But each time i love the background-colours in combination with the colours of the leaves ..... and the light, which seems to lit up the seams of the leaves, and glitters at the remains of the spiders web.
So i decided to show you this attempt and am looking forward to your opinions of my perception, your critics, helpful advices and others.... :-)
Burren Green Moth (Calamia tridens), one of the coolest and rarest finds of this summer's butterfly/moth-season
Groene Weide-Uil www.vlindernet.nl/vlindersoort.php?vlinderid=802
Practicando los macros.
Gota de lluvía
En una gota de lluvía cabe el universo entero,
el tuyo, el mío, el de todos,
en una gota de lluvia cabe Kafka,
cabe Manhattan,
caben cien islas y cien rosas.
En una minúscula y nerviosa gota de lluvia
cabe la sabiduría de Sgalambro,
cabe la sombra de la luz,
caben mil derviches girando alrededor de tu cintura,
cabe la era del cinghiale bianco,
la era que siempre estamos esperando...
En una minúscula gota de lluvia
cabe todo,
todo menos el silencio cómplice y educado
que hiere como un cuchillo hambriento.
Todo, cabe todo
menos tus ojos
de esclavo obediente,
todo menos la tristeza acomodada,
todo menos la sombra
de una comunidad sin comuna.
Todo menos la cordura de tanta “buena gente”.
En una gota de lluvia cabe
el universo
entero,
el tuyo,
el mío
el de todos.
Who loves to sing arias? The State Opera in Stuttgart was built between 1909 - 1912 (architect Max Littmann) and belongs to the State Theatre. It is beautifully situated near the Eckensee in the castle garden. I love this building and the architecture. - This photo was taken 2006 with my Minolta SLR Camera.
Das Württembergische Staatstheater - Opernhaus in Stuttgart wurde erbaut von 1909 bis 1912 (Architekt Max Littmann).Es liegt wunderschön im Schlosspark beim Eckensee. Mir gefällt das Gebäude und die Architektur sehr gut. - Aufgenommen 2006 mit meiner damaligen Minolta Spiegelreflex. Württembergisches Staatstheater Stuttgart
© 2008 Ursula Sander - All rights reserved.
Explored - Feb. 16, 2009 - Thank you all so very much!
Thanks Donna for the explore update!
Where:
Barrington Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
When:
Near midnight after a snow storm last month
What:
Roaming the streets downtown just after a snow storm last month. I've tried shooting these street lamps with the lit wreaths around them a couple times. Once from the pedway above the street but never really liked the PoV I got. Anyway a couple buddies wanted to go downtown to get some snow shots. I crossed the street here with the camera setup on the tripod and just plunked it down, fired off a shot and ran before the truck ran over me! :-)
I mentioned it before but I just can't get over the cool starburst from this cheap "nifty-fifty" lens. If you own a Nikon, Canon or Pentax (maybe the others too?) go out and spend the $100 and pick up one of these lenses!
After always posting up pictures of fishing boats and villages I thought I should show you a little bit of the city for a change :-)
What I learned:
Wear a big coat to protect your camera from the snow when you aren't shooting. Also bring lots of little lens wipes.
You:
I appreciate all comments, tips, questions & faves! No need for glitzy awards, your "real" comments are much better!
........................................................................................................
Nikon D90 : Nikkor 50mm 1.8D lens : 3s @ f/22 : ISO 400
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Beautiful calm morning at Pitt Lake in Pitt Meadows near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
About this photo: Last week my friend and I enjoyed a lovely fall day in our area. We drove out to Pitt Lake in Pitt Meadows near Vancouver, BC, Canada. It was a fairly sunny day and while walking along the trail I still found some fall colours at the marshes. I loved how the sun was shining on the colours full trees across the marsh which was calm and allowed for some lovely reflections.
We had a wonderful time that day which was followed by a delicious late lunch at nearby restaurant. We had a fun filled day with beautiful views.
~Camera Settings:
*Camera Model: Sony ILCA-77m2
*Focal Length: 45mm
*F-Number: F/8
*Exposure Time: 1/160 sec.
*ISO Speed: ISO-100
*Exposure Program: Manual Mode (M)
Thank you for dropping by!
Ann :)
Some information on the Pitt Lake area: Pitt Lake is located in Grant Narrows Regional Park in Pitt Meadows which is about 45 minutes east of downtown Vancouver. Pitt Lake is the second-largest lake in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, being about 53.5 square km (20.5 square mi) in area. It is about 25km (15.6mi) long and about 4.5km (2.8mi) wide at its widest, and is also one of the world's largest tidal lakes, its confluence with the Fraser being only a few miles upstream from that river's estuary into the Strait of Georgia. Its southern tip, where the Pitt River resumes, is 40km (25mi) east of downtown Vancouver.
The upper Pitt River valley is a typical U-shaped glacial valley in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. The over-deepening of the lower end of the valley over the span of the Wisconsin glaciation created a trough over 140m (462ft) below current sea level. After initial glacial retreat at around 13,000 years ago a saltwater fjord occupied this basin when relative sea levels were still ca 120m (396ft) to 140m (462ft) above current levels in the region. Unlike neighbouring Indian Arm and Howe Sound farther west this fjord basin became cut off by sedimentation of the lower Fraser River by ca 10,500 years ago and is now considered a tidal fjord lake.
The community of Pitt Meadows occupies the marshy lowland at the southern end of the lake, some of which has become drained and is known as the Pitt Polder. Just southwest of the lake is the community of Port Coquitlam, which is across the Pitt River from Pitt Meadows. At the north end of the lake is a locality named Alvin, which is a transport and shipping point for logging companies and their employees. The Upper Pitt, meaning the valley upstream from the lake, is considered BC's best fly-fishing rivers and one of its best steelhead streams.
The lake is popular with boaters and canoeists, but is prone to heavy winds and rains as well as big waves (due to its great depth). The mountain range on its east flank comprises Golden Ears Provincial Park, its basin to the north is in southern Garibaldi Provincial Park, while the mountain range on its west, northeast of Vancouver's Coquitlam Lake watershed reservoir, is Pinecone Burke Provincial Park. The waterfront and foreshore of the lake and river are public-access and include extensive migratory wildfowl habitat. There is a destination golfing resort in the Pitt Polder area called Swan-e-set.
The area along the east side of the lake is somewhat famous for being the reputed location of Slumach's lost gold mine, the location of many failed and sometimes disastrous searches for the alleged murderer's lost gold mine. (Info from Wikipedia).
The "Maxxi" is a great inspiration for many architecture photographers - it is very interesting to have a look on the different "interpretation keys" - it is a demonstration that the same subject can be viewed and reproducted in so many ways, and each of them has an its own meaning and sense.
You could start a good "Maxxi Tour" having a look on Anna's excellent galleries about this subject:
- maxi
- MAXXI (terza parte in progress)
Many thanks to borealnz for the texture :-)
Look the links below for a different way to look at my shots/ Regarder ci-dessous les liens pour voir mes photos d ' une autre façon
www.fluidr.com/photos/45715717@N00
View On Black || Become a Fan || Explore
View in lightbox is must. Click at the Picture.
Glowing macro in selective colors.
Nikon D90 | Nikkor 50mm 1.8D @ 50 mm | 1/4000 @ f/1.8 | ISO 100 | WB : Daylight
Place: Lalian (لالیاں), Naran (Pakistan)
Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity, is the capital and largest city of Jerash Governorate (محافظة جرش), which is situated in the north of Jordan, 48 km (30 miles) north of the capital Amman towards Syria. Jerash Governorate's geographical features vary from cold mountains to fertile valleys from (1250 to 300 meters above sea level), suitable for growing a wide variety of crops.
Jerash is known for the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, also referred to as Antioch on the Golden River. It is sometimes misleadingly referred to as the "Pompeii of the Middle East or Asia", referring to its size, extent of excavation and level of preservation (though Jerash was never buried by a volcano). Jerash is considered one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Near East. It was a city of the Decapolis.
More info at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerash
© Eddie Chui
HaPPY FLoWeRY THuRSDaY !!!
The last day of Songkran festival is here.
Thailand is wet and ready for a new year.
This man here is working on the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok.
The most important shrine for the thais and you can believe me, tons of flowers, candles and incense sticks are laid down all day by the thai Buddhists, coming to this place to pray for good business and success.
So this man is doing an important job, he grabs all flowers and the other stuff and making space for new ones.
I like the hand of him, I catched in this shot.
HaPPY GoRGeouS GReeN THuRSDaY all of you !!!
Look here for more information about the eRaWaN SHRiNe.
Miss me……..
Vu sous cet angle, il semble bien mystérieux ...
www.ain-tourisme.com/chateau-de-montveran-01AASOR100320.s...
I want to thank everyone of my contact and friends but time would not permit me to do this so instead I post a THANK-YOU this way. My little squirrel How's My Whiskers, made over 1000 views in just over 24 hours and The Flickr Front Page and without each and everyone of you that would not be possible. It is also fantastic to know how many friends a person has here on Flickr, the email and well wishes I received while in the hospital was quite overwhelming.
You are all wonderful and if I have not answered your email please be patient as I am answering them all.
Icy wind blows between the houses, flashes quickly in the night on the streets of the rotten city. A shade, a woman, her eyes are shiver and charm, her look magnetize you, it won't let you go.
The photoshoot shows the creature in an own perspective, who became nowadays very popular in books, films and series. The vampire. The immortal being of the past, the present and the future.
Look at the whole series!
Az időn át - Vámpír krónikák (a jelen)
Jeges szél süvít a házak közt, fürgén cikázik az éjszakában a romlott város utcáin. Egy árny, egy nő, a szeme borzongás és igézet, megbűvöl a tekintete, nem ereszt.
A sorozat saját szemszögünkből mutatja be azt a lényt, aki mára oly divatossá vált könyvekben, filmekben és tévésorozatokban. A vámpírt. A múlt, a jelen és a jövő alakját, aki halhatatlansággal bír.
Nézd meg a sorozat többi darabját is!
Info:
Concept, model: Ágnes Vincze
Makeup artist: Dóra Vízhányó
Hair stylist: Gábor Antal
Strobist info:
Metz 58 AF-1 @ 1/4 power at camera right 80º into a reflective white umbrella, fired with Phottix Tetra PT-04II wireless trigger
Strobist.hu info:
Metz 58 AF-1 @ 1/4 teljesítményen kamera jobb 80º-ról, fehér visszaverő ernyőbe Phottix Tetra PT-04II-vel indítva.
Aniés, Huesca (Spain).
ENGLISH
When I arrived at the foot of the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Rock, a group of half dozen of Griffon vultures began to fly over me, in circles… When they verified that I did not have thought to fall down the precipice, they retired to rocks near the house of the hermit.
Although these birds are considered ugly and of bad omen, its majestic flight in this place seemed to me one of the things more beautiful than I have never seen.
***
The Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) is an Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae.
The Griffon Vulture is 95-110 cm (37-43 in) long with a 230-265 cm (91-105 in) wingspan, and it weighs between 6 and 13 kg (13.2 and 29 lb). It is a typical Old World vulture in appearance, with a white bald head, very broad wings and a short tail. It has a white neck ruff and yellow bill. The buff body and wing coverts contrast with the dark flight feathers.
Like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals which it finds by soaring over open areas, often moving in flocks. It grunts and hisses at roosts or when feeding on carrion.
It breeds on crags in mountains in southern Europe, north Africa, and Asia, laying one egg. Griffon Vultures may form loose colonies. The population is mostly resident.
More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Vulture
----------------------
CASTELLANO
Cuando llegué al pie del Santuario de la Virgen de la Peña, un grupo de media docena de buitres leonados empezó a volar sobre mí, en círculos... Cuando comprobaron que no tenía pensado caerme por un barranco, se retiraron a unas rocas cercanas a la casa del ermitaño.
Si bien son consideradas aves feas y de mal agüero, su majestuoso vuelo en aquel paraje me pareció una de las cosas más bellas que he visto nunca.
***
El Buitre leonado (Gyps fulvus) es una de las mayores rapaces que puede encontrarse en la Península Ibérica, superando en envergadura (hasta 260 centímetros) incluso al águila imperial ibérica. Junto con el buitre negro, el quebrantahuesos y el alimoche (en verano), es una de las pocas especies de buitres que pueden verse en Europa, pues se le puede encontrar en España, Portugal, zonas aisladas de Francia (donde ha sido reintroducido) e Italia, buena parte de los Balcanes y Crimea. El resto de su distribución abarca varias partes de África septentrional y Asia occidental, desde Turquía, Arabia y el Cáucaso hasta las estribaciones del Himalaya y el noroeste de la India.
Aunque no se considera una especie especialmente amenazada, el buitre leonado es un ave protegida en varios países. En otros tiempos los ganaderos perseguían y mataban a los buitres por considerarlas aves de mal agüero, que amenazaban al ganado próximo a parir.
En la actualidad, el buitre leonado ha visto reducido su alimento en Europa desde que las normativas de la UE prohíben el abandono de ganado muerto en el campo, sobre todo a partir de la crisis de las vacas locas. Dada la escasez de grandes ungulados en este continente como ciervos, gamos o muflones debido a la caza y la desaparición de los bosques, las carroñas dejadas por los pastores constituyen una parte importante de la dieta de este animal.
Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buitre_leonado
We reached our destination extremely late in the night . . .
and so had to wait till the morning to really see where i had arrived . .
this was the view that greeted me in the morning from the farmhouse that we had booked at Kolad . .
i had the privilege to have tea and breakfast while taking in this amazing place . .
Mt first attempt at an HDR, created from a single RAW file..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do not use this image on websites, blogs or
other media without my permission.
If you want to use this image, contact me at
ishan.photography@gmail.com
© All rights reserved
Explore #189 | large on black
This is the last photo I have edited and ready to go ... I did several of them early last week knowing that this week would be crazy and now I've run out! I've really missed working on my photos and also viewing yours these last several days! I think I'm addicted to you guys and your streams!! But things have been so busy for me!
As you know, I finished launching my new site yesterday but I've also been preparing for a big choral concert which happens this Thursday evening and also regular rehearsals for a musical I'm in which happens in January.
Now that my site is done I really have to buckle down and write that first Microsoft article and then also get to work for my poor clients, whom I've quite neglected as of late. All is to say, not enough time for Flickr! :(
I look forward to visiting you all soon ... hopefully I'll find some time over the weekend!
El monasterio de Sant Cugat es una antigua abadía benedictina situada en la localidad catalana de San Cugat del Vallés (España). El monasterio, construido en el siglo IX, destaca por su impresionante claustro. Fue el monasterio de mayor importancia de todo el condado de Barcelona. Los orígenes del monasterio se sitúan en el siglo IX cuando se decidió unir la iglesia que contenía los restos de San Cucufate o San Cucufato (Cugat en catalán) con una fortificación anexa. La pequeña iglesia, construida en el siglo V, era un pequeño recinto de planta cuadrada alrededor de la que se cree existía ya una comunidad de monjes. Sin embargo, no se tienen noticias documentadas de la existencia de esta comunidad hasta el año 878. En los inicios del siglo X la importancia del monasterio empieza a ser notable. Los abades de San Cugat tomaban parte en actos de relevancia y las posesiones de la comunidad se amplían llegando a tener tierras desde la zona del Penedés hasta la del Montseny. En el año 985, el ataque de las tropas sarracenas capitaneadas por Almanzor afectó al monasterio aunque no causó daños excesivamente graves. El abad que regía el monasterio en esa época, Odón, inició las obras de reconstrucción del cenobio. A finales del siglo XI, Berenguer Ramón II dispuso que el monasterio quedara sometido al de San Ponce de Tomieres, en la zona de la Provenza, lo que creó discrepancias entre los monjes de Sant Cugat. El abad de San Ponce se trasladó hasta el monasterio catalán y aquellos monjes que estaban en desacuerdo con su gestión fueron expulsados. Sin embargo, el obispo de Barcelona reclamó sus derechos sobre el monasterio que volvió a quedar sometido a la diócesis barcelonesa. Fue en ese periodo cuando más se ampliaron los dominios de San Cugat. Quedaron sujetos al mismo los monasterios de Santa Cecília, el de Sant Llorenç del Munt, Sant Pau del Camp, Sant Pere de Clará y el de Sant Salvador de Breda. A mediados del siglo XII se iniciaron las obras de construcción de un nuevo monasterio. Se amplió la iglesia existente en una obra que se prolongó en el tiempo, ya que su construcción no finalizó hasta el año 1337.
En el año 1350 se iniciaron las obras de fortificación del monasterio. El rey Pedro III amplió esta fortificación añadiendo algunas torres de guardia. Sin embargo, en este periodo se inició el declive de Sant Cugat. El abad Pere Busquets suprimió la elección directa del abad por parte de los monjes del monasterio. Los nuevos abades eran nombrados desde la diócesis y algunos de ellos ni siquiera visitaban el monasterio. Aunque se siguieron realizando algunas obras, San Cugat ya no tenía el poder de antaño. Durante la Guerra de Sucesión Española, el monasterio fue ocupado por las tropas del Archiduque Carlos, ocupación que causó graves desperfectos en el edificio. Se llevó a cabo una restauración que finalizó en 1789.
En 1835 los monjes abandonaron el monasterio; el abandono fue causado en parte por la ley de desamortización que obligaba a las órdenes religiosas a abandonar sus pertenencias, y en parte por el asalto de un grupo de habitantes de la zona. Sant Cugat quedó abandonado hasta 1851, año en el que la Comisión de Monumentos Históricos decidió restaurarlo.En 1931 fue declarado Monumento Histórico Artístico.
Tal vez lo más destacado de todo el conjunto del monasterio de San Cucufato es su impresionante claustro. Se trata de un claro ejemplo del arte románico catalán y fue construido en el siglo XII. En el siglo XVI se le añadió un segundo piso y se construyó también el atrio de entrada. Con una longitud de más de 30 metros, el claustro es obra del artista Arnau Gatell. Su planta es casi cuadrada y tiene arcos de medio punto, apoyados sobre pares de columnas. Cada una de estas columnas está decorada con capitel es finamente elaborados, con detalles variados que van desde la representación de animales a las escenas bíblicas. Se pueden contra 72 pares de capitales. Otro elemento destacado es la basílica, construida en este caso en estilo gótico. El edificio, de 52 metros de largo por 23 de ancho, consta de tres naves cubiertas con bóvedas sostenidas por columnas. Llama la atención el rosetón de 8,2 metros de diámetro, muy parecido al de la catedral de Barcelona y a la de Tarragona. La iglesia contiene un retablo gótico, conocido como el retablo de Todos los Santos, realizado en 1375 por el artista Pere Serra.
The monastery of Sant Cugat is a former Benedictine abbey located in the Catalan town of Sant Cugat del Valles (Spain). The monastery, built in the ninth century, noted for its impressive cloister. It was the most important monastery throughout the county of Barcelona. The origins of the monastery is located in the ninth century when he decided to join the church containing the remains of St. Cucufate or San Cucuphas (Cugat in Catalan) with a fortification attached. The small church built in the V century, was a small square enclosure around which people believe there was already a community of monks. However, there are reports documented the existence of this community until the year 878. In the early tenth century the importance of the monastery began to be noticeable. The abbots of San Cugat took part in important events and possessions of the community is coming to have land extending from the Penedes area to Montseny. In the year 985, the attack of the troops commanded by Mansur Saracens hit the monastery but did not damage too severe. The abbot, who ruled the monastery at that time, Odo began the reconstruction of the monastery. In the late XI, Berenguer Ramon II decreed that the monastery becomes subject to St Ponce de Tomieres, in the Provence area, creating discrepancies between the monks of Sant Cugat. The abbot of St. Ponce moved to the Catalan monastery and the monks who disagreed with his administration were expelled. However, the bishop of Barcelona claimed their rights over the monastery which was once again subjected to the diocese of Barcelona. It was during this period when most were extended domains San Cugat. Were liable to the same monastery of Santa Cecilia, the Sant Llorenç del Munt, Sant Pau del Camp, Sant Pere de Clará and Sant Salvador de Breda. A mid-twelfth century began construction of a new monastery. Existing church was expanded in a work that lasted over time, since its construction was not completed until 1337.
In the year 1350, work began defense of the monastery. King Pedro III extended this fortification by adding a few guard towers. However, in this period began the decline of Sant Cugat. The abbot Pere Busquets abolished the direct election of the abbot by the monks. The new abbots were appointed from the diocese and some of them even visited the monastery. Although it continued to make some plays, San Cugat longer had the power of old. During the War of Spanish Succession, the monastery was occupied by troops of the Archduke Charles, an occupation that caused serious damage to the building. It undertook a restoration that ended in 1789.
In 1835 the monks left the monastery, the abandonment was caused in part by the law that forced confiscation of religious orders to abandon their belongings, and in part by the assault of a group of locals. Sant Cugat was abandoned until 1851, when the Landmarks Commission decided restaurarlo.En 1931 was declared a Historic Artistic Monument.
Perhaps the highlight of the whole of the monastery of San Cucuphas is its impressive cloister. This is a clear example of Catalan Romanesque art and was built in the twelfth century. In the sixteenth century added a second floor and also built the entrance hall. With a length of over 30 meters, the cloister is work by the artist Arnau Gatell. Its plan is almost square and has round arches, supported on pairs of columns. Each of these columns is decorated with capitals is finely produced, with detail varied, ranging from animals to represent biblical scenes. You can expect 72 pairs of capital. Another feature is the basilica, built in Gothic style in this case. The building, 52 meters long by 23 wide, has three naves covered with vaults supported by columns. It is striking rosette of 8.2 meters in diameter, much like the cathedral of Barcelona and Tarragona. The church contains a Gothic altarpiece, known as the altar of All Saints, made in 1375 by artist Pere Serra.
This is a close crop of a photo I took of Chihuly's glass art exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. I used the Photoshop filter "Fractalius" to enhance the photo and focus on the beautiful colors and shapes. These colorful glass globes are presented stacked in a rowboat in the desert landscape!
Dale Chihuly's glass art exhibition at the Garden is named "Chihuly: The Nature of Glass" and Chihuly's work is displayed from November 22, 2008 to May 31, 2009. The Nature of Glass exhibit features new and unique works of glass artfully located throughout the Garden. Dale Chihuly is known for his innovative glass sculptures, and his work is immediately recognizable for its grand scale and vibrant colors. This is Chihuly's first exhibition in an outdoor desert environment.
“The artist permits and encourages photography of the artwork in this exhibition for educational and non-commercial use only.”
INFORMATION ON ARTIST DALE CHIHULY:
Dale Patrick Chihuly (b. September 20, 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, United States) is an American glass sculptor. Chihuly graduated from high school in Tacoma. Supported by his mother, after his brother George's death in a flight-training accident in Florida and his father's death of a heart attack, he enrolled at the College of the Puget Sound (now University of Puget Sound) in 1959.
In 1967, he received a Master of Science in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chihuly lives and works in his 25,000 square foot (2300 m²) studio, nicknamed "The Boathouse" for its former use, on Lake Union. Since losing the vision in one of his eyes in a car accident in 1976, Chihuly (who wears an eyepatch) no longer has the depth perception necessary to handle the molten glass himself. Instead, he conceptualizes each project with paint and canvas and then employs a team of artists to do the work.
About his work: His fascination with abstract nature forms comes from his mother's garden in Tacoma, Washington. One of his sculptures would be prominently displayed on the sitcom Frasier, which is set in nearby Seattle. His love for the ocean and its creatures is also reflected in his art.
Over the past forty years, Chihuly's glass sculptures have explored color, design, and assemblage. Although his work varies in size and color, he is best known for his multipart blown masterpieces. Also interested in Irish culture, he has produced a sizeable volume of "Irish cylinders," which are more modest in conception than his blown glass works.
Some of Chihuly's works cover whole ceilings of casinos and hotels, while others are hand-sized abstract flowers. Chihuly uses intense colors to bring his work to life. He is also known for using neon and argon.
Chihuly uses nature as a setting for his pieces, and tries to create his pieces as though they are part of nature. He sometimes entwines his pieces around tree branches and trunks. He also suspends them in space and floats them in water. Although it is not widely known, some components of Chihuly's installations (for example, the stacked aqua-colored chunks that decorate the Tacoma "Bridge of Glass") are made of an acrylic-type material rather than glass.
Source: Wikipedia
HDR image processed from 7 exposures with Photomatix Pro (again, the new version, so cool!).
Once more - since it was such a stunning moment - the Ring of Brodgar at sunrise ... a Neolithic henge and stone circle on the Mainland of the Orkney Islands.
A different perspective and a slighly earlier moment, right just after the sunrise at the horizon.
Unforgettable!
A cool thing is that on one of the stones, a viking was engraving some signs ... kinda early time tourism :-)
Please check this one in Large and discover all the details. Use the new flickr or check in Large and on Black!
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© All rights reserved.
le chemin médiéval, Puy-l'Evêque, Lot, France
view BIGGER On Black | See More of the set Pittoresques Villages de France.
See my most interesting pictures here or take some time to view the slideshow .
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Histoire: Puy-l'Évêque est une cité médiévale.
En 1228 pendant la croisade des Albigeois l’évêque de Cahors, Guillaume de Cardaillac, prend possession de la ville et lui donne le nom actuel : Puy l’Evêque. A la révolution la ville prends le nom de Puy Libre.
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Le Pandémonium
Evocation du palais de Satan (le palais de tous les démons) décrit dans le Paradis perdu de Milton, oeuvre écrite en Angleterre au XVIIè siècle, qui raconte la lutte entre Satan et Dieu. La scène montre Satan, à droite, en train d'haranguer ses troupes qui sortent des flots de lave pour se lancer à l'assaut du Ciel.
Oeuvre de John Martin
Angleterre
entre 1823 et 1827
Huile sur toile
Exposition Mythes fondateurs. D'Hercule à Dark Vador
www.louvre.fr/expositions/mythes-fondateurs-d-hercule-dar...
Présentation du tableau sur le site du musée du Louvre
musee.louvre.fr/bases/doutremanche/notice.php?lng=0&i...
Cette petite exposition, remarquablement conçue, est installée dans l'espace où se trouvent habituellement les expositions dossiers. Consacrée aux mythes fondateurs de l'Humanité, elle est destinée en priorité à un public scolaire. Elle illustre les grands mythes par des oeuvres et des objets provenant en majorité des collections des musées nationaux sans se limiter à l'Antiquité. Pour faire percevoir la continuité du mythe dans la pensée humaine, l'exposition se termine avec Dark Vador, un mythe populaire moderne connu de tous pour faire comprendre à la jeunesse d'aujourd'hui que ce type de personnage a de nombreux ancêtres.
Aucun dispositif numérique n'est présent dans l'espace d'exposition, ce qui est appréciable et rappelle avec raison que les images numériques ne peuvent remplacer les oeuvres originales. Par contre une visite virtuelle et une application pour téléphone et tablette sont disponibles gratuitement sur internet. S'ajoutent à ces applications numériques, un catalogue sur papier, des documents pédagogiques et des jeux pour enfants. Cette belle opération qui a reçu le soutien de nombreux mécènes montre une fois de plus le savoir-faire du musée du Louvre en matière de médiation.
petitegalerie.louvre.fr/visite-virtuelle/#/petite_galerie_1/
postprocessing:
reinforced sharper
using PhotoFiltre software
CROP
Highest position: #373 on Saturday, February 21, 2015
mode=history
Highest position: #342 on Saturday, February 21, 2015 (best position Saturday night)
The externel flash [Canon Speedlite 430EX II ] helps in exact focussing with its infrared method.
There was some wind.
Exif data
Artist eagle1effi
Canon Exposure Mode Program AE
Tele-macro
Camera <b<Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Exposure 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture f/5.0
Focal Length 17.5 mm aka 96 mm
ISO Speed 100
Tele-macro
Focus Distance Upper 1.15 m
________________________
Herbe de la pampa
L'adjectif spécifique selloana lui a été donné en 1818 par le naturaliste Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), en hommage au botaniste et naturaliste allemand Friedrich Sellow qui étudia la flore d'Amérique du Sud, en particulier celle du Brésil.
Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as pampas-grass,
is a flowering plant native to southern South America, including the pampas after which it is named.
Der Begriff "Ziergras" stammt nicht aus der Botanik.
hier: Pampasgras aka Cortaderia Selloana
... after the German botanist and naturalist Friedrich Sellow.
...
The feathery flower head plumes, when dried, are widely used in flower arrangements and other ornamental displays.
Das Amerikanische Pampasgras (Cortaderia selloana) oder Silber-Pampasgras
ist eine Pflanzenart aus der Familie der Süßgräser (Poaceae).
Das Schneiden der meisten Ziergräser sollte im Frühjahr vorgenommen werden und nicht im Herbst, weil ansonsten Wasser in die Halme gelangen und zu Fäulnis führen kann. Das spätere Zurückschneiden im Frühjahr schützt die Pflanzen außerdem vor Kälte und hilft ihnen zu überwintern.
Wegen der auffallenden Farben und imposanten Wuchs-Formen ihrer Blätter, Blüten oder Halme auch im Herbst und Winter sind Ziergräser (englisch: ornamental grass) ein beliebtes Gestaltungselement in der Gartenkunst und künstlerischen Gartengestaltung.
Ziergras-Arten eignen sich als Solitär-Pflanzen, als Sichtschutz für den Stauden- und Steingarten oder auch zur Verbindung verschiedener Pflanzenarten wie Blumen und Sträucher.
Auch als Kübelpflanzen für den Balkon, die Terrasse oder den Wintergarten sind Ziergräser beliebt.
HDR image processed from 5 exposures with Photomatix Pro.
Seen and captured (this time with tripod :-) ) in Berne ... the lovely town where I was born. Showing Kramgasse in the medieval old town with the famous Zeitglockenturm in the background.
Explore 17/06/2010 #424
Thanks so much my friends!
Please don't use this image on any media without asking for permission.
© All rights reserved.
I'm fascinated by the idea of death personified. A little morbid it's true but a concept that interests me nonetheless. It was in Philip Pullman's, Dark Materials when the idea was first introduced to me, death walking side by side with you through life.
"Doesn't it scare you, having your death close by all the time?" said Lyra
"Why ever would it? If he's there, you can keep an eye on him. I'd be a lot more nervous not knowing where he was."
"And everyone has their own death?" said Will, marvelling.
"Why yes, the moment you're born, your death comes into the world with you, and it's your death that takes you out."
- The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman
This is my little take on such an idea. The model is the lovely Sevgi. We took this at a meetup in London last year. I've put together a blog post about it here :)
El Aconcagua... El Centinela de Piedra... En sus pendientes inhumadas, donde el hielo y el viento son soberanos, suelen tocarse los extremos: el principio y el final de un camino; el éxito y el fracaso; la vida y la muerte.
Mítica mole que eleva su cima hacia los astros, mientras su sombra se proyecta desde el desierto hasta el océano. Escenario de historias poco comunes, de grandes gestos de coraje y heroísmo. También develador de vanidades y temores. En ese ambiente exigente el hombre se muestra tal cual es, no hay lugar para la mentira.
Hasta donde es válido arriesgar la vida para alcanzar su cima ? La respuesta cabe solamente allí arriba. Nadie, apoltronado en la tibieza de una vida timorata, puede juzgar a aquel que hace derroche de su propia vitalidad. El montañismo de altura implica serios riesgos y quien decide practicarlo debe ser absolutamente y exclusivamente responsable de sus actos.
El montañismo es un juego, un juego de fantasía y poder donde convergen técnica, capacidad física, experiencia, ética y determinación. Las montañas como objetivos alpinisticos solamente existen en la imaginación del hombre, en su fantasía. El juego consiste en superar limpiamente las mayores dificultades con el auxilio de los mínimos medios tecnológicos posibles con el más alto grado de destreza, entrenamiento y audacia. No se debe luchar contra la naturaleza, sino adaptarse a ella, comprenderla, respetar su ritmo y tratar de asimilar el poder que contiene.
El Aconcagua es la montaña más alta del Continente Americano, esta es una de las razones por las cuales es conocido mundialmente. Aunque su fama se debe principalmente a sus grandes atractivos alpinísticos. Según dicen algunos expertos montañeros, que han escalado en el Himalaya, los casi siete mil metros del Aconcagua representan psicológica y fisiológicamente varias centenas de metros más. Esto se debe a razones conocidas y a otras desconocidas aún. En el Himalaya hay vegetación hasta 5.000 metros, en la cordillera de los Andes Centrales solamente hasta los 3.500 - 4.000 metros. La humedad relativa ambiente es muy escasa y el espesor de las capas de la atmósfera, en esta zona del globo terráqueo, tienen particularidades que determinan estos efectos.
Estos factores sumados a las grandes distancias deshabitadas, al aspecto desértico general y al aislamiento de todo auxilio, tienen sin duda, importantes consecuencias sobre el ser humano. Todo esto contribuye a que el Aconcagua sea un apropiado terreno de medida y preparación para acceder posteriormente a montañas superiores a 8.000 metros, constituyendo un excelente escenario de juego, donde el alpinista puede encontrarse completamente a gusto y colmar muchas de sus mas grandes ambiciones deportivas.
Tanto el filo Este, el "Glaciar de Los Polacos", como el filo Sur-Oeste, presentan condiciones apropiadas para que los visitantes desplieguen sus capacidades en varios niveles de exigencia, como asimismo la faz Oeste. La vertiente Nor-Oeste de la montaña, por donde transcurre la vía normal, sin dificultades técnicas, permiten el ascensionismo deportivo de altura y también es apta para la practica del ascensionismo recreativo. Faceta esta última aconsejada únicamente, bajo la dirección de guías y para individuos de excelente condición física, convenientemente equipados. Respecto de la faz Sur, su ambiente desolado y severo, la mala calidad de la roca, los constantes peligros de aludes de seracs y nieve, las caídas de piedras, el gran desnivel, la importante altura sobre el nivel del mar, la amenaza de bruscos cambios climáticos, más el aislamiento total, son los factores que le confieren su condición de "salvaje".
Desde el punto de vista técnico, la pared presenta lodo tipo de dificultades en hielo, nieve y roca. Quien afronta la ascensión debe poseer una buena técnica de escalada, gran estado físico, considerable experiencia y, fundamentalmente mucho entusiasmo y perseverancia.
En esta inmensa montaña es posible realizar alpinismo de alto nivel, interrelacionado con una gran dosis de aventura. El "Centinela de Piedra", hierática pirámide para los Inca siglos atrás, aún atesora misterios y su magnífica silueta atrapa los sueños de muchos alpinistas.
Bottlenose dolphin View Nose Dip On Black
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), where previous thought was that this was one species. Bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and temperate seas worldwide.
Bottlenose dolphins live in groups called pods that typically number about 15 dolphins, but group size varies from solitary bottlenose dolphins up to groups of over 100 or even occasionally over 1000 animals. Their diet consists mainly of forage fish. Dolphin groups often work as a team to harvest schools of fish, but they also hunt individually. Dolphins search for prey primarily using echolocation, which is similar to sonar. They emit clicking sounds and listen for the return echo to determine the location and shape of nearby items, including potential prey. Bottlenose dolphins also use sound for communication. Sounds used for communication include squeaks and whistles emitted from the blowhole and sounds emitted through body language, such as leaping from the water and slapping their tails on the water.
There have been numerous investigations of bottlenose dolphin intelligence. Such testing has included tests of mimicry, use of artificial language, object categorization and self-recognition. This intelligence has driven considerable interaction with humans. Bottlenose dolphins are popular from aquarium shows and television programs such as Flipper. They have also been trained by militaries for tasks such as locating sea mines or detecting and marking enemy divers. In some areas they cooperate with local fishermen by driving fish towards the fishermen and eating the fish that escape the fishermen's nets. Some encounters with humans are harmful to the dolphins: people hunt bottlenose dolphins for food, and dolphins are killed inadvertently as a bycatch of tuna fishing. A bottlenose dolphins can jump up 16 feet out of the water.[citation needed]
.
Las Vegas - Plafond du hall d'entrée de l'hôtel Bellagio.
WIKIPEDIA
Bellagio est un AAA Five-Diamond, Mobil hôtel cinq étoiles de luxe nominale et le casino situé sur le Strip de Las Vegas dans le domaine de la non constituée en société Paradise Clark County, Nevada, Etats-Unis. Il est la propriété de MGM Mirage et a été construit sur le site de l'hôtel et du casino démoli Dunes. Inspiré par la station du lac de Côme en Italie du Bellagio, Bellagio est célèbre pour son élégance. Une de ses caractéristiques les plus notables est un lac de 8 acres (32.000 m2) artificielle entre le bâtiment et de la bande, qui abrite les Fontaines du Bellagio, une fontaine dansante grande eau synchronisés à la musique.
Bellagio a été conçu par Steve Wynn et construite par sa compagnie, Mirage Resorts, Inc suivant l'achat et la démolition de l'hôtel et le casino légendaire Dunes en 1993. Bellagio a été conçu par Marnell Corrao Associates et Jon Jerde. Bellagio a eu un coût de construction initial de US $ 1,6 milliard.
Le Bellagio emploie quelque 10.000 personnes. À l'automne 2006, le casino a été rénové et de nouveaux uniformes ont été émises, en changeant la couleur originale à un type plus élégant.
fleurs en verre Chilhuly sous plafond hall.
A l'intérieur Bellagio, Dale Chihuly de Fiori di Como, composé de plus de 2.000 fleurs en verre soufflé à la main, couvre 2.000 m² (190 m2) du plafond hall. Bellagio est le foyer de la production aquatique du Cirque du Soleil de "O", que le spectacle permanent pour la deuxième production de la troupe de renommée mondiale.
Bellagio is an AAA Five-Diamond, Mobil Five-Star rated luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA. It is owned by MGM Mirage and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino. Inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy, Bellagio is famed for its elegance. One of its most notable features is an 8-acre (32,000 m2) artificial lake between the building and the Strip, which houses the Fountains of Bellagio, a large dancing water fountain synchronized to music.
Bellagio was conceived by Steve Wynn and built by his company, Mirage Resorts, Inc. following the purchase and demolition of the legendary Dunes hotel and casino in 1993. Bellagio was designed by Marnell Corrao Associates and Jon Jerde. Bellagio had an original construction cost of US$1.6 billion.
The Bellagio employs approximately 10,000 people. In the fall of 2006, the casino floor was remodeled and new uniforms were issued, changing the original color scheme to a more elegant type.
Chilhuly glass flowers under lobby ceiling.
Inside Bellagio, Dale Chihuly's Fiori di Como, composed of over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, covers 2,000 sq ft (190 m2) of the lobby ceiling. Bellagio is home to Cirque du Soleil's aquatic production of "O", only the second permanent production show for the world-renowned troupe.
Les Vielles tours de Montréal, Québec, Canada
composite HDR* (using mean and minimum function) - 7 exposures - EXIF from +3ev - Curves and levels adjustments - 10mm
More of the set Discovering Montreal | More of the set Night Scenes
See my most interesting pictures here or take some time to view the slideshow .
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Children Go Where I Send You
Performed by Nina Simone
Children go where I send you,
How shall I send you?
I'm gonna send you one by one,
One for the little biddy baby, was born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children go where I send you,
How shall I send you?
I'm gonna send you two by two,
Two for Paul and Silas,
One for the little biddy baby, was born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children go where I send you,
How shall I send you?
I'm gonna send you four by four,
Four for the poor that stood at the door,
Three for the Hebrew children,
Two for Paul and Silas,
One for the little biddy baby, was born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children go where I send you,
How shall I send you?
I'm gonna send you six by six,
Six for the six that couldn't get fixed,
Five for the gospel preacher,
Four for the poor that stood at the door,
Three for the Hebrew children,
Two for Paul and Silas,
One for the little biddy baby, was born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children go where I send you,
How shall I send you?
I'm gonna send you eight by eight,
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate,
Seven for the seven came down from heaven,
Six for the six that couldn't get fixed,
Five for the gospel preacher,
Four for the poor that stood at the door,
Three for the Hebrew children,
Two for Paul and Silas,
One for the little biddy baby, one for the little biddy baby,
One for the little biddy baby. He was born, born,......
He was born in Bethlehem.
This was the title for an e.mail sent to me by "The valley walker" well i have now seen it :-) tease me some more now i need to find that "babys finger "
MY GETTY COLLECTION HERE
www.gettyimages.com/search/search.aspx?assettype=image&am...
VIEW MY WEB SITE AND SHOP HERE
Here is my first published work even though i did it as a freebie its great seeing your work on a web site !
www.thewhitehartvillageinn.com/index.html
Here is the flickr set
Best on black
A woman tries to calm down a young protestor. No crop.
Please read the explanation at the beginning of the set and view the pictures in chronological order.
Part of Anti-Sarko Demonstration
ENGLISH
Espresso or caffè espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing very hot, but not boiling water under high pressure through coffee that has been ground to a consistency between extremely fine and powder.
Espresso was developed in Milan, Italy in the early 20th century, but up until the mid-1940s it was a beverage produced solely with steam pressure. The invention of the spring piston lever machine and its subsequent commercial success changed espresso into the beverage we know today. Espresso is now produced with between 8.2 and 18 atmospheres or bars (0.82 to 1.8 megapascals; 120 to 265 PSI) of pressure.
The defining characteristics of espresso include a thicker consistency than drip coffee, a higher amount of dissolved solids than drip coffee per relative volume, and a serving size that is usually measured in shots, which are between 25 and 30 ml (30ml=1 fluid ounce) in size. Espresso is chemically complex and volatile, with many of its chemical components quickly degrading from oxidation or loss of temperature. Properly brewed espresso has three major parts: the heart, body, and the most distinguishing factor, the presence of crema, a reddish-brown foam that floats on the surface of the espresso. It is composed of vegetable oils, proteins and sugars. Crema has elements of both emulsion and foam colloid.
As a result of the high-pressure brewing process, all of the flavors and chemicals in a typical cup of coffee are concentrated. Because of its intense and high concentration of ingredients (including caffeine), espresso lends itself to mixing into other coffee based drinks, such as lattes, cappuccini, macchiato and mochas, without being diluted in the resulting drink.
***
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, and so on.
Fair trade's strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalised producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. It also aims at empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organizations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade.
More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade
----------------------------------------
CASTELLANO
El café expreso (también café espresso o café exprés) es un tipo de preparación del café. Debe su término a la obtención de esta bebida a través de una cafetera expreso. Se caracteriza por su rápida preparación y por su sabor más concentrado. A juicio de expertos representa la mejor forma de preparar un café.
Para la obtención de un café expreso, se hace pasar agua a alta presión (entre 5 y 10 Bar, dependiendo de la máquina) a través del café. Para que el agua atraviese el café extrayendo todo su sabor y aroma, es necesario que el molido se haga muy fino.
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Consumo responsable es un concepto defendido por organizaciones ecológicas, sociales y políticas que consideran que los seres humanos harían bien en cambiar sus hábitos de consumo ajustándolos a sus necesidades reales y optando en el mercado por opciones que favorezcan la conservación del medio ambiente y la igualdad social. Entre las citadas organizaciones se encuentran Ecologistas en acción, algunos partidos verdes y en especial aquéllas organizaciónes e individuos que propugnan una Ecología social.
Se esgrime que el acto de consumir no sólamente es la satisfacción de una necesidad, sino que implica colaborar en los procesos económicos, medioambientales y sociales que posibilitan el bien o producto consumido. Por ello se postula que deberían tenerse en cuenta en el momento de elegir entre las opciones disponibles en el mercado las que menos repercusiones negativas tengan.
Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso, es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumo_responsable
This one of the rarest plants in Britain and is in bloom at the moment.
www.first-nature.com/worldsites/uk-gait-barrow.php
Species Recovery Programme - the Lady's Slipper Orchid
This wonderful flower has become a potent symbol for how much of our wonderful wildlife heritage has been lost and continues to be lost as a result of the many pressures affecting our countryside - increasing industrialisation, commercial and housing development, intensive farming and the use of herbicides and pesticides, and water abstraction to name but a few.
The Lady's Slipper Orchid was recognised as a native European species in 1568, and the earliest record of a British plant is of a dried herbarium specimen from 1640, collected from the Ingleton area in Yorkshire. Although still widespread in some parts of Europe, the Lady's Slipper Orchid was always a rarity in Britian and consequently highly prized by plant collectors who, from the mid-18th Century, collected the plants with such ruthlessness that by 1888 great concern was being expressed at the disappearance of the Lady's Slipper Orchid from the wild. Regrettably the population continued to decline, resulting in its declared extinction by 1917.
In 1930 a single plant was discovered in Yorkshire, on a privately-owned site where visiting is strictly prohibited. As a result of close protection this plant continues to grow and is gradually increasing in vigour and flowering performance. The intense concern about the survival of this single plant led ultimately to the formation of the Cypripedium Committee, an organisation made up from members of Natural England, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Yorkshire Naturalists Union; their primary aim was to ensure the safety of the single surviving plant. A secondary aim has been to propagate the plant and to attempt to re-introduce it to some of its former flowering sites, so that Lady's Slipper Orchids could be visited and enjoyed by the public. By this time, two other specimens of our native Lady's Slipper Orchid, collected from the Ingleton area of Yorkshire at the turn of the Century, were known of; these plants, which provide important genetic material, were being maintained in cultivation for possible cross-pollination with plants grown for the purposes of re-introduction. This long and difficult process received a major boost when in 1983 a generous donation was made by Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury, resulting in the establishment of the Sainsbury Orchid Project at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in London.
After much work and many setbacks a reliable technique for the mass-reproduction of seedlings and a method for weaning the seedling plants have been established. As a result, in the autumn of 1989, the first seedlings were planted in the wild. Today, despite the many dangers and predations that threaten these young plants, there are some thriving young Lady's Slipper Orchids in a number of sites. It will be many years, however, before a healthy population of Lady's Slipper Orchids, free from the threat of extinction, can be established.
The Silverdale Plant
This specimen of the Lady's Slipper Orchid is thought to have been planted in Victorian times in some form of landscape gardening. It has been cared for over many years by dedicated local naturalists and has received formal protection since 2000 to ensure that visitors to the plant enjoy it without having a damaging impact on the plant and its location. As a result of an intensive programme of care, this is now a vigorous and beautiful plant with many gorgeous flowers. Controlled public access to this plant provides an opportunity for people to see the Lady's Slipper Orchid without adding pressure to the true wild sites where the re-introduced plants are in their most fragile stage of growth and development.
Despite all the care and protection given to the Silverdale plant it has been attacked by plant thieves on several occasions, and so access to it remains under review. Of all the threats that exist to our rare and beautiful wildflowers in Britian, human predation remains one of the greatest. Those selfish and obnoxious individuals who pick the flowers or dig up rare plants would do well to heed the words written about one of their kind, a Miss Thomasin Tunstall, who was responsible for so much collection and the resulting disappearance of many specimens of the Lady's Slipper Orchid in the 1600s:
'A worthy Gentlewoman indeed! O Mistress Thomasin if only you had loved these delights a little less ruinously for future generations! Do you sleep quiet, you worthy Gentlewoman, in Tunstall Church or does your uneasy sprite still haunt the Helks Wood in vain longing to undo the wrong you did? "Accursed for evermore, into the lowerest of the Eight Hot Hells, be all reckless uprooters of rarities". John Parkinson, 1629.
Definitely worth viewing on black
I took the title from this 1937 Pullman poster.
This 1912 Pullman private car was custom-built in Chicago for Clara Baldwin Stocker, the eldest daughter of Elias “Lucky” Baldwin (link). It has been completely restored to its 1912 condition, and is on display at The Nethercutt Collection (link) in Sylmar, CA. Two great things about The Nethercutt Collection: 1. It has hundreds of beautifully restored antique and classic cars, musical instruments, this Pullman car, and a 1937 Canadian Royal locomotive. 2. Entrance is 100% free.
If you're in the Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley area, it's definitely worth a visit.
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More of my HDR photos can be found here.
=> For those interested in learning about HDR, Trey Ratcliff (Flickr handle: Stuck in Customs) is widely considered an HDR guru/expert/pioneer. His website has a few free basic instructional videos on how to create HDR images as well as info on how to learn more advanced techniques. Highly, highly recommend!