View allAll Photos Tagged Practised,
Hi guys! Thank you all so much for your support on my recent photographs. It feels so good to finally be sharing what I've been creating over the last two months.
This photograph in particular means quite a lot to me. Delta Goodrem has been one of my biggest inspirations since I was about nine years old. For those of you who don't know who she is, she's an absolutely incredible Australian singer. I created this piece "Made to Fly" in direct response to her new single "Wings", wanting to portray my interpretation of the track.
I was staying at my Aunty's property around about the time when the track had just been released. I was drawing in my sketch book day in and day out, hoping to really create an amazing photograph. I had this idea to make wings made out of leaves but knew it was going to take some prep time. I collected sticks the day before of the shoot and practised positioning and posing. I was very lucky to have Christian helping me and letting me bounce ideas off of him. On the day of the shoot, It took me about an hour or so to finalise the wings - ensuring that there were enough leaves and that they were exactly the right shape and in the right location. I organised my camera settings and just as the sun was setting, handed over my camera to Christian to click the shutter for me while standing on a ladder. I am so happy with how it turned out and am over the moon that a week later, I got to hand a printed version of this photograph to Delta herself.
I got the opportunity to truly express to her how much she's meant to me in the only way I know how, through what has rapidly become my greatest passion - photography. I'm overwhelmed with happiness that she's set eyes on my work (+ has a copy of it!), expressed her love of the piece + excited about her willingness to possibly work together sometime in the future (fingers crossed - ahh!). If there's anyone I want to see my work, it's her and to this day, even though it's still a bit of a blur, I cannot believe it actually happened.
On a Sunday morning in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. This is Leslie Tate encouraging us to embrace an alternative way of life. Leslie, 71, is an author, and his weekly interviews with creative and community-engaged people as well as his books can be viewed at leslietate.com/
Leslie does not just talk and write about alternatives, he has practised them, and he also knows at what price they come. However, doing nothing, he tells me, would be even pricier.
Kyūdō is the Japanese martial art of archery. Experts in kyūdō are referred to as kyūdōka (弓道家?). Kyūdō is based on kyūjutsu ("art of archery"), which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan. Kyūdō is practised by thousands of people worldwide. As of 2005, the International Kyudo Federation had 132,760 graded members. (Wikipedia)
I told you I had to get to this place again. Still not happy with the result, but couldn't do better than this. Here's some information about it:
In the town of Sintra, the Quinta da Regaleira, an extremely beautiful architectural complex, includes an early twentieth century palace and a garden. Specialists consider that the estate reveals and symbolises Masonic rituals, although no-one knows whether the original owner of the estate, António Carvalho Monteiro, actually practised Masonic rituals on the site, or simply desired to perpetuate the imaginary universe of this secret cult. The garden includes labyrinthine galleries and subterranean grottoes, which can be accessed from this dry well, 60 metres deep, 9 stairwells each with 15 steps.
Early morning in Tawau, barter trade is still being practised in this part of the World.
An image made during the Crossing Bridges 4 programme a collaboration between 4 photography forum from Clubsnap (Singapore), PhotoMalaysia (Malaysia), PhotoVn (Vietnam) and Fotografer.Net (Indonesia).
This image will be shown during the 1st PhotoMalaysia.com annual Print Exhibition
Although the original "All Creatures Great and Small" books were written by vet Alf Wight using the pseudonym James Herriot, who practised mainly in the Thirsk area, I believe he was no stranger to the Swaledale area of Yorkshire, where this picture was taken, not long after a snow shower had passed by.
©copyright 2025-Peter Ainsworth
A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made out of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.
The Hagen Open-air Museum (LWL-Freilichtmuseum Hagen – Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Handwerk und Technik; English: "LWL Open-air Museum Hagen – Westphalian State Museum for Craft and Technics") is a museum at Hagen in the southeastern Ruhr area, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded, together with the Detmold Open-air Museum, in 1960, and was first opened to the public in the early 1970s. The museum is run by the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL, regional authority for Westphalia and Lippe within North Rhine-Westphalia). It lies in the Hagen neighbourhood of Selbecke south of Eilpe in the Mäckingerbach valley.
The open-air museum brings a bit of skilled-trade history into the present, and it takes a hands-on approach. On its grounds stretching for about 42 ha, not only are urban and rural trades simply "displayed" along with their workshops and tools, but in more than twenty of the nearly sixty rebuilt workshops, they are still practised, and interested visitors can, sometimes by themselves, take part in the production.
As early as the 1920s, there were efforts by a group of engineers and historical preservationists to preserve technological monuments for posterity. The initiator, Wilhelm Claas, even suggested the Mäckingerbach valley as a good place for a museum to that end. The narrow valley was chosen, as wind, water and wood were the three most important location factors for industry in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In 1960, the Westphalian Open-Air Museum was founded, and thirteen years later, the gates opened to the public. Unlike most open-air museums, which show everyday life on the farm or in the country as it was in days gone by, the Hagen Open-Air Museum puts the history of these activities in Westphalia in the fore. From the late 18th century through the early years of the Industrial Revolution to the highly industrialized society emerging in the early 20th century, the visitor can experience the development of these trades and the industry in the region.
Crafts and trades demonstrated at the Westphalian Open-Air Museum include ropemaking, smithing, brewing, baking, tanning, printing, milling, papermaking, and much more. A favourite attraction is the triphammer workshop shown in the image above. Once the hammer is engaged, a craftsman goes to work noisily forging a scythe, passing it between the hammer and the anvil underneath in a process called peening.
The Hagen Westphalian Open-Air Museum is open from March or April until October.
This was taken whilst on holiday in Florida in 2007.
We travelled around quite a bit with the final stop being in Naples. Every night we would have dinner and then go to the beach to watch the sun set along with dozens of other people. Most headed for the main pier off of 12th Ave south but I preferred the remains of this old pier off of 3rd Ave south. I ‘practised’ this shot over several evenings but only on this one night (11th Aug) did all the elements come together.
Hedgelaying is a countryside skill that has been practised for centuries, mainly in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with many regional variations in style and technique.
16 random things about me... i was tagged by my great friend Ge (I travel East)
1. I love Simona
2. My favourite sound in the world: swallows chirp!
3. My fav places in Italy: Venice &Ferrara. In the world: New York & Seoul . In Europe: Berlin and Amsterdam & SCOTLAND (of course!!!)
4. I practised martial arts for 15 years (Karate & Judo)
5. I love playing soccer (of course: i'm Italian ;-) but i broke 2 times my shoulders and once two fingers so i quit!
6. My desidered place to visit next: Japan!
7. I love travelling and i visited (until now) 21 countries in the world
8. I love sea town in winter
9. I love snow, but i see it once every two years (so sad!!!)
10. Before Simona i was a women addict ;-)
11. I love listening at classic music (Bach & Vivaldi above all) & brit pop (radiohead) & american new folk (Alena Diane - Basia Bulat)
12. I love living in the hystoric centre of my little city: Salerno View the alley where i live.. photo by tato!
13. I directed my first short movie when i was 11 years old, but my first professional work was at 23.
14. I love vintage!
15. I have long curly hair since i was 18 years old
16. I wrote a novel. writing is my second passion (photo 1st)
This theme brought me back into my late teens 😄. During this time I practised archery and won some competitions in 1991. This was my award of the club champignonship, a small pin.
HMM 😏
This is in continuation of my earlier post.
On our recent visit to the state of Kerala we witnessed a Kathakali performance in Kochi.Before the actual performance one of the male actor-dancers gave us a demonstration of the facial expressions and hand gestures (mudras) that would be used during the actual performance to express various emotions ,words etc - to tell us the story .We were really enthralled by the way he conveyed love, desire, anger, sarcasm, humour, sorrow and a myriad other feelings and emotions through the movement of his eyes, eyebrows, facial muscles and his hand gestures.He played the female role in the play and was probably the most versatile actor-dancer in the troupe.Kathakali actor-dancers undergo rigorous training for many years before they perform on stage.
Kathakali is a traditional form of Indian classical dance and one of the oldest theatre forms still practised.It is a "story game" genre of art , distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditionally male actor-dancers.It is native to and almost entirely practised by the people of Kerala, the state at the south-western tip of India.
The roots of Kathakali can be traced back to at least the 1st millenium CE.
The term Kathakali is derived from the words "katha" meaning story or conversation and "kali" which means performance or play.The traditional themes are folk stories,religious legends and ideas from the Hindu epics and Puranas.Like all classical dances of India, a Kathtakali performance synthesizes music, vocalists, choreography and hand and facial gestures which express ideas and emotions.
A Kathakali repertoire is an operatic performance involving actor-dancers in the front supported by musicians and vocalists.Typically all roles (even the female ones) are played by male actor-dancers.
Traditionally a kathakali performance is long ,starting at dusk and continuing through dawn with breaks for the artists. Modern performances are shorter. The stage is mostly bare with only a few drama related items.The front of the stage is adorned with a huge brass lamp (kalivilakku) with its thick wick sunk in coconut oil.When there was no electricity this lamp provided the light for the night performances when the actor-dancers would gather around it.
Of all the classical dances, Kathakali has the most elaborate make-up and costumes consisting of head dresses, vividly painted faces and masks.It typically takes hours to prepare a kathakali troupe for a play.
The make-up follows an accepted code that helps the audience identify with the characters.The colours which are made from natural ingredients are used denote different characters.For eg.The colour Pacha (green) with brillint coral lips potrays a noble character ,Thaadi (red) denotes an evil streak, Kari (black) is the code for forest dwellers, hunters, demons etc.
The actors speak a sign language where the word part of the dialogues is expressed through hand gestures ( mudras) while emotions and moods are expressed through facial and eye movements.
Source :- Wikipedia
One of the four forms of bullfighting praticed in the world but it differs from the other three by two features, first it is practised exclusevely with cows and not bulls, the other feature it shares with the Camargue races, is that there is no killing, or hurting of the animal, either during the race, or after.
I played quite a bit with this one for Sliders Sunday and practised Gimp a little. I do not use Windows or Macs, so Gimp and RawTherapee are my got o programs for photography. I could not compare them to LR or PS as I never used those. Anyway, Gimp allowed me to produce exactly what I imagined. And, it was a simple task. I wanted to make an image that looks as an image from the comic book.
No presets are used. And it was quite simple three-step process with just two layers. One contained original colour image. For a second I used edge-detection, made that to very contrast image containing only black edges.
I merged the layers and made colours look aquarelish by playing with levels.
That will be all.
One of the four forms of bullfighting praticed in the world but it differs from the other three by two features, first it is practised exclusevely with cows and not bulls, the other feature it shares with the Camargue races, is that there is no killing, or hurting of the animal, either during the race, or after.
According to ancient legends Achilles pursued Iphigenia to this peninsula and there practised for his races.
2015-08-15 Ukraine. Tendra's sandbank.
IMG_0909
In the country old fashioned farming methods are still practised. Winnowing can be seen and both men and woman work the fields.
On the Sunday of Open House weekend in London last month I was lucky enough to get tickets for a tour of Bloomberg's new headquarters designed by Foster + Partners. The building has only been open a year and is one of the most self sustaining buildings in the world.
This photo is of the main hypotrochoid stepped ramp that flows through the centre of the building. The tour included several areas but I thought this stunning piece of architecture was fantastic. Clad in bronze, the ramp is designed and proportioned as a place of meeting and connection, allowing staff to hold brief conversations with colleagues, whilst not impeding the flow of people.
We weren't allowed to use proper cameras, but we could use our mobile phones. The tour did move at quite a pace, so we didn't get much time for photos but I may post the others I have in a separate album at some point.
Occupying a full city block, the 3.2-acre site actually comprises two buildings united by bridges that span over a pedestrian arcade that reinstates Watling Street, an ancient Roman road that ran through the site. The building itself sits near the site of the ancient Walbrook River and when it was being built they discovered over 14,000 Roman artefacts.
The new Bloomberg building also returns the archaeological remains of the Roman Temple of Mithras to the site of their original discovery, Mithras was a Roman god worshipped by secretive Cult of Mithras, which practised between the 1st and 4th centuries. It really was incredible to see this ancient temple under a futuristic building such as this. If anyone fancies seeing it for themselves, the temple is open to the public and free to visit.
This was definitely a tour worth going on and I learnt so much from our guides. Not only about the building itself but about the Roman's who settled in this area and created Londinium.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As much as I appreciated comments and feedback I would request no Awards or flashy gif comments, please. They will be deleted. Thank you.
Montserrat, Barcelona (Spain).
ENGLISH
The Corn Poppy, Field Poppy, Flanders Poppy, or Red Poppy is the wild poppy of agricultural cultivation—Papaver rhoeas. It is a variable annual plant. The four petals are vivid red, most commonly with a black spot at their base. In the northern hemisphere it generally flowers in late spring, but if the weather is warm enough other flowers frequently appear at the beginning of autumn. It has a variety of common names.
It is known to have been associated with agriculture in the Old World since early times. It has most of the characteristics of a successful weed of agriculture. These include an annual lifecycle that fits into that of most cereals, a tolerance of simple weed control methods, the ability to flower and seed itself before the crop is harvested. Like many such weeds, it also shows the tendency to become a crop in its own right; its seed is a moderately useful commodity, and its flower is edible.
Its origin is not known for certain. As with many such plants, the area of origin is often ascribed by Americans to Europe, and by northern Europeans to southern Europe. The European Garden Flora suggests that it is ‘Eurasia and North Africa’; in other words, the lands where agriculture has been practised since the earliest times.
The leaves are mildly poisonous to grazing animals. The seed is harmless and is used sometimes as a condiment. The commonly grown decorative Shirley Poppy is derived from forms of this plant. The commonly used parts of the corn poppy are the seeds (in baking), the fresh green parts as vegetable, and the red petals by making syrups and alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks. Red poppy syrup is a traditional beverage of Mediterranean regions like Bozcaada.
--------------------------
CASTELLANO
Papaver rhoeas, la amapola silvestre, especie del género Papaver, es una planta de ciclo anual que alcanza más de 5 dm de altura. De tallos erectos y poco ramificados con finos pelillos.
Las hojas, que nacen alternas a lo largo del tallo, sin peciolo, son pinadas y muy dentadas en los márgenes con una única nervadura central.
Las flores de color escarlata intenso, acampanadas y casi esféricas, poseen 4 finos pétalos y 2 sépalos vellosos. Los estambres, de color negro, forman un racimo anillado alrededor del gineceo, lo que le da el aspecto de botón negro. El fruto es una cápsula verde pálido de forma cónica con una especie de tapa en la parte superior (opérculo), conteniendo numerosas semillas que escapan a través de las grietas del opérculo. Florecen de principio a final de la primavera.
La amapola se ha asociado a la agricultura desde muy antiguo. Su ciclo de vida se adapta a la mayoría de los cultivos de cereales, floreciendo y granando antes de la recolección de las cosechas. Aunque se la considera una mala yerba es fácil de combatir con los habituales métodos de control de plagas.
Las hojas son levemente venenosas para los animales herbívoros. Sin embargo, las semillas son inofensivas y a menudo se utilizan como condimento y en bollería, las partes verdes frescas se consumen como verdura y los pétalos se usan para elaborar siropes y bebidas no alcohólicas. La savia, pétalos y cápsulas contienen rhoeadina, un alcaloide de efectos ligeramente sedantes, a diferencia de la variedad Papaver somniferum.
The Hagen Open-air Museum (LWL-Freilichtmuseum Hagen – Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Handwerk und Technik; English: "LWL Open-air Museum Hagen – Westphalian State Museum for Craft and Technics") is a museum at Hagen in the southeastern Ruhr area, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded, together with the Detmold Open-air Museum, in 1960, and was first opened to the public in the early 1970s. The museum is run by the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL, regional authority for Westphalia and Lippe within North Rhine-Westphalia). It lies in the Hagen neighbourhood of Selbecke south of Eilpe in the Mäckingerbach valley.
The open-air museum brings a bit of skilled-trade history into the present, and it takes a hands-on approach. On its grounds stretching for about 42 ha, not only are urban and rural trades simply "displayed" along with their workshops and tools, but in more than twenty of the nearly sixty rebuilt workshops, they are still practised, and interested visitors can, sometimes by themselves, take part in the production.
As early as the 1920s, there were efforts by a group of engineers and historical preservationists to preserve technological monuments for posterity. The initiator, Wilhelm Claas, even suggested the Mäckingerbach valley as a good place for a museum to that end. The narrow valley was chosen, as wind, water and wood were the three most important location factors for industry in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In 1960, the Westphalian Open-Air Museum was founded, and thirteen years later, the gates opened to the public. Unlike most open-air museums, which show everyday life on the farm or in the country as it was in days gone by, the Hagen Open-Air Museum puts the history of these activities in Westphalia in the fore. From the late 18th century through the early years of the Industrial Revolution to the highly industrialized society emerging in the early 20th century, the visitor can experience the development of these trades and the industry in the region.
Crafts and trades demonstrated at the Westphalian Open-Air Museum include ropemaking, smithing, brewing, baking, tanning, printing, milling, papermaking, and much more. A favourite attraction is the triphammer workshop shown in the image above. Once the hammer is engaged, a craftsman goes to work noisily forging a scythe, passing it between the hammer and the anvil underneath in a process called peening.
The Hagen Westphalian Open-Air Museum is open from March or April until October.
Barney doing his best "Oliver Twist" impression ;-)
My other dog Flynn has been really poorly the past few days, involving being rushed into the emergency vets in the middle of the night on Fri/Sat. He got so ill, so fast they suspected he'd got a foreign body but it turns out it was "just" an infection, which had caused a temperature spike & he'd basically gone into shock. The poor pup has had a couple of bladder infections recently & it looks like he either has prostate problems (despite being young & castrated), or a very oddly shaped bladder, that may need surgery!! The vet is quite confused at the moment but we're hopefully going to start getting answers soon.
Barney-dog has had a very boring time of it & was mostly left to his own devices all weekend. We finally managed to get the camera out on Sunday afternoon for a few minutes, while Flynn, who came home this morning, had a potter in the garden. I thought I'd get some training in whilst taking pictures, so we practised "hold" - the metal bowl nicely is quite a challenge for Barney - but he'll do it, as long as there's some good rewards afterwards :) Flynn made me smile, as like Barney, he's now learned to pose for the camera & kept wanting to join in - I'd turn round & he'd be standing with his front paws on a tree stump, waiting for a treat!
Reached Explore #198
Plaça Major - Manresa, Barcelona (Spain).
Dancing group "Cor de Catalunya" performing "Sàbat de Bruixes"
Grupo de danza "Cor de Catalunya" interpretando "Sàbat de Bruixes"
ENGLISH
The Sabbath or Sabbat is a supposed meeting of those who practice witchcraft, Satanism, or other rites.
European records tell of innumerable cases of persons being accused or tried for taking part in Sabbath gatherings, from the Middle Ages to the 17th century or later. However, there are no reliable reports on what actually happened during a Sabbath; and much of what was written about them may be the product of popular imagination or deliberate misinformation.
The Compendium Maleficarum (1608), by Francesco Maria Guazzo, aka Guaccio, Guaccius is a book published by an Italian priest with some illustrations of what he imagined could be a Sabbath, and gives a description of it; a brief summary can be cited as an example: "the attendants go riding flying goats, trample the cross, are made to be re-baptised in the name of the Devil, give their clothes to him, kiss the Devil's behind, and dance back to back forming a round".
The most common belief on which authors agreed is that Satan was present at the Sabbath, often as a goat or satyr, and many agreed that more demons were present. Another belief said that sometimes a person could offer his/her own body to be possessed by some demon serving as a medium. It was believed that the Sabbath commenced at midnight and ended at dawn, beginning with a procession, continuing with a banquet, then a Black Mass, and culminating with an orgy in which non-marital or sexual intercourse with demons in male or female form was practised. Consumption of hallucinogens and sometimes alcohol was often reported.
According to folklore, the Sabbath was most often celebrated in isolated places, preferably forests or mountains.
More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath_(witchcraft)
---------------------------
CASTELLANO
Un aquelarre (del euskera akelarre, "aker" = macho cabrío; "larre" = campo) es el lugar donde las brujas (sorgiñas en euskera) celebran sus reuniones y sus rituales. Aunque la palabra viene del euskera se ha asimilado en castellano y por extensión se refiere a cualquier reunión de brujas y brujos.
En estas celebraciones se solía venerar un macho cabrío negro al que se le ha asociado con el culto a Satán. Uno de los aquelarres más conocidos es el que se celebraba en la cueva de Zugarramurdi (Navarra) y de aquí es de donde le viene al ritual el nombre, del lugar donde se celebraba. Aquelarre es el nombre del campo que está delante de la mencionada cueva.
Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquelarre
Something a little different this time.Make-up of artists before a Kathakali performance in Kochi.
Kathakali is a traditional form of Indian classical dance and one of the oldest theatre forms still practised.It is a "story game" genre of art , distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditionally male actor-dancers.It is native to and almost entirely practised by the people of Kerala, the state at the south-western tip of India.
The roots of Kathakali can be traced back to at least the 1st millenium CE.
The term Kathakali is derived from the words "katha" meaning story or conversation and "kali" which means performance or play.The traditional themes are folk stories,religious legends and ideas from the Hindu epics and Puranas.Like all classical dances of India, a Kathtakali performance synthesizes music, vocalists, choreography and hand and facial gestures which express ideas and emotions.
A Kathakali repertoire is an operatic performance involving actor-dancers in the front supported by musicians and vocalists.Typically all roles (even the female ones) are played by male actor-dancers.
Traditionally a kathakali performance is long ,starting at dusk and continuing through dawn with breaks for the artists. Modern performances are shorter. The stage is mostly bare with only a few drama related items.The front of the stage is adorned with a huge brass lamp (kalivilakku) with its thick wick sunk in coconut oil.When there was no electricity this lamp provided the light for the night performances when the actor-dancers would gather around it.
Of all the classical dances, Kathakali has the most elaborate make-up and costumes consisting of head dresses, vividly painted faces and masks.It typically takes hours to prepare a kathakali troupe for a play.
The make-up follows an accepted code that helps the audience identify with the characters.The colours which are made from natural ingredients are used denote different characters.For eg.The colour Pacha (green) with brillint coral lips potrays a noble character ,Thaadi (red) denotes an evil streak, Kari (black) is the code for forest dwellers, hunters, demons etc.
The actors speak a sign language where the word part of the dialogues is expressed through hand gestures ( mudras) while emotions and moods are expressed through facial and eye movements.
On our recent trip to Kerala we saw a Kathakali performance in Kochi. We were also allowed to see the make-up being put on.It was a mesmerizing performance.
Source :- Wikipedia
Photos of the actual performance to follow.:-)
Have a great Sunday my friends.
Vulcan B.2 preserved.
Avro Vulcan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Avro Vulcan
A Royal Air Force Vulcan B.2 in flight.
Type Strategic bomber
Manufacturer Avro
Designed by Roy Chadwick
Maiden flight 1952-08-31
Introduced 1956
Retired March 1984
Status 21 on display in museums
Primary user Royal Air Force
Produced 1956-1965
Number built 134
The Avro Vulcan was a British delta-wing subsonic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. The Vulcan was part of the RAF's V bomber force, which fulfilled the role of nuclear deterrence against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Contents
[show]
* 1 Design and prototypes
* 2 Operational aircraft
* 3 Nuclear deterrent
* 4 Conventional role
* 5 Aerial refuelling role
* 6 Restoration to flight
* 7 Trivia
* 8 Operators
* 9 Specifications (Vulcan B.2)
* 10 In popular culture
* 11 References
* 12 External links
* 13 Related content
[edit]
Design and prototypes
Design work began at A. V. Roe in 1947 under Roy Chadwick. The Ministry of Defence specification required a bomber with a top speed of 500 knots (930 km/h), an operating ceiling of 50,000 ft (15,000 m), a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5500 km) and a bomb load of 10,000 lb (4500 kg). Design work also began at Vickers and Handley Page, and all three designs were approved — the Valiant, the Victor, and the Vulcan.
As the delta wing was an unknown quantity Avro began scale prototype testing in 1948 with the single-seater Type 707, and despite the crash of the first prototype on 30 September 1949 work continued. The first full-scale prototype aircraft, the Type 698, made its maiden flight (after its designer had died) on 31 August 1952. The Vulcan name was not chosen until 1953.
Operational aircraft
In September 1956 the RAF received its first Vulcan B.1, XA897, which immediately went on a fly-the-flag mission to New Zealand. On 1 October, while approaching London Airport to complete the tour, XA897 crashed short of the runway in bad weather conditions. The second Vulcan was not delivered until 1957, and the delivery rate picked up from then. The B.2 variant was first tested in 1957 and entered service in 1960. It had a larger wing and better performance than the B.1 and had a distinctive kink in its delta wing to reduce turbulence. In all 134 Vulcans were produced (45 B.1 and 89 B.2), the last being delivered to the RAF in January 1965. The last military-operational Vulcan squadron was disbanded in March 1984.
On 14 October 1975 Vulcan B.2 XM645 of No.9 Squadron RAF Waddington lost its right undercarriage when it attempted to land at Luqa airport in Malta. The pilot decided to do a circuit to crash land on runway 24 after it was covered with fire prevention foam. As the aircraft was turning inbound for the landing, it broke up in mid-air over the village of Zabbar, killing 5 of its 7 crew members. Large pieces of the aircraft fell on the village, but with very low casualties — one woman (Vincenza Zammit, 48), who was shopping in a street was hit by an electric cable and was killed instantly, and some 20 others were injured slightly. Only the pilot and co-pilot escaped, using their ejector seats.[1]
[edit]
Nuclear deterrent
Royal Air Force Avro 698 Vulcan B.1
Enlarge
Royal Air Force Avro 698 Vulcan B.1
As part of Britain's independent nuclear deterrent the Vulcan initially carried Britain's first nuclear weapon, the Blue Danube gravity bomb. Blue Danube was a low-kiloton yield fission bomb designed before the United States detonated the first hydrogen bomb. The British then embarked on their own hydrogen bomb programme, and to bridge the gap until these were ready the V-bombers were equipped with an Interim Megaton Weapon based on the Blue Danube casing and Green Grass, a large pure-fission warhead of 400 kT yield. This bomb was known as Violet Club. Only five were deployed before a better weapon was introduced as Yellow Sun Mk.1. A later model, Yellow Sun Mk.2 was fitted with Red Snow, a British-built variant of the U.S. Mk-28 warhead, and Yellow Sun Mk.2 was the first British thermonuclear weapon to be deployed, on both the Vulcan and Victor. All three V-bombers also carried U.S. thermonuclear bombs assigned to NATO under the dual-key arrangements. Red Beard (a smaller, lighter low-kiloton yield) bomb was pre-positioned in Cyprus and Singapore for use by Vulcan and Victor bombers, and from 1962 26 Vulcan B.2As and the Victor bombers were armed with the Blue Steel missile, a rocket-powered stand-off bomb, which was also armed with the 1.1 megaton yield Red Snow warhead. When the Skybolt ALBM was cancelled and Blue Steel retired, the Vulcan bombers adopted a high-low-high mission profile using a rapidly introduced parachute-retarded laydown bomb, WE.177B. This weapon WE.177 extended the life of the Vulcan in a strategic role until the British Polaris submarines were operational. WE.177B continued in use on the Vulcan in a low-level tactical strike role in support of European NATO ground forces, and outlived the Vulcan bombers, being used also on Tornado and other low-level strike aircraft until retirement in 1998.
Conventional role
Avro Vulcan from Operation Black Buck at East Fortune, 2002, showing mission markings.
Enlarge
Avro Vulcan from Operation Black Buck at East Fortune, 2002, showing mission markings.
Although the primary weapon for the Vulcan was nuclear, Vulcans could carry up to 21 x 1000 lb (454 kg) bombs in a secondary role. The only combat missions involving the Vulcan took place in the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina, when a number of Vulcans flew the 3,380 nautical miles (6300 km) from Ascension Island to Stanley to bomb the occupied airfield there with conventional bombs in Operation Black Buck. By this date the number of Victor aircraft available for air-to-air refueling was extremely limited, so some Vulcan aircraft were adapted in 50 days to fulfil that role. Five Vulcans were selected for the operation: their bomb bays were modified, the fuel systems replaced and the electronics updated. The first bombing mission was on April 30–May 1, 1982 and there were five further bombing missions. At the time these missions held the record for the world's longest distance raids. While only one 1000 lb bomb hit Stanley's runway, the raid demonstrated the willingness and ability of the British to attack the Argentine defences.
[edit]
Aerial refuelling role
After the end of the Falklands War, the Vulcan was due to be withdrawn from RAF service. However, the disbandment of 57 Squadron and delays in the operational availability of the Tristar left a gap in the RAF's air to air refuelling capability. As an interim measure six Vulcan B.2s were converted into AAR tankers and commissioned into service with 50 Squadron from 1982 to 1984.
[edit]
Restoration to flight
A team of volunteers and specialists called the "Vulcan 558 Club" (Formally "Vulcan To The Sky Club") are working to return Vulcan XH558 to flight; they are hoping to have the plane ready for a test flight in early 2007. Though the website carried an announcement on 1 August 2006 that the project was in imminent danger of being abandoned due to lack of finance [2], the target of raising the remaining £1.2m was achieved on 31 August, thanks to a high-profile publicity campaign. Time had almost run out for XH558 when Sir Jack Hayward, a British philanthropist, donated £500,000. It is now hoped that the aircraft will be ready in time for the 25th anniversary of the Falklands conflict in 2007. [3]
[edit]
Trivia
* The Vulcan was the first jet-powered bomber to use delta wings.
* Wing Commander Roly Falk demonstrated the aircraft's high performance in the second production Vulcan, XA890, by performing a barrel-roll immediately after takeoff at the 1955 Farnborough Air Show.
* A Vulcan was used as a test-bed for the Concorde engine, the Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus and the Rolls-Royce Conway turbofan.
* Although the Vulcan had a crew of up to seven, only the pilot and co-pilot were provided with ejector seats. This feature of the Vulcan has been the basis of significant criticism; there were instances of the pilot and co-pilot ejecting in an emergency leaving their colleagues to face death. The navigator and electronics operator could only escape by tilting their seats and climbing out of the cockpit after the pilots had ejected. Their parachutes were opened automatically (by static line). This method of escape was practised regularly, and successfully put into action on more than one occasion, with all crew members surviving, but relied on the absence of g-forces which in other cases made it impossible.
* The wing tip of a Vulcan made contact with the runway during a New Zealand airshow. It landed safely, but with severe damage to one main undercarriage. There was a long delay while it was decided whether to scrap it, ship it back by sea, or repair it in situ. In the end,the aircraft was repaired by the RNZAF - who hopefully applied kiwi roundels. A display at the Ohakea branch of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum includes honeycombed skin from the damaged aircraft.
* Testing the brakes of the Vulcan included strapping the company photographer Paul Culerne to the front landing gear with the aircraft moving at full landing speed and photographing the brakes in operation. [4]
[edit]
Operators
* United Kingdom
o Royal Air Force
+ No. 9 Squadron RAF
+ No. 12 Squadron RAF
+ No. 27 Squadron RAF
+ No. 35 Squadron RAF
+ No. 44 Squadron RAF
+ No. 50 Squafron RAF
+ No. 83 Squadron RAF
+ No. 101 Squaron RAF
+ No. 617 Squadron RAF
+ No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit
[edit]
Specifications (Vulcan B.2)
Ventral view of Avro Vulcan B.2 (XH558)
Enlarge
Ventral view of Avro Vulcan B.2 (XH558)
eneral characteristics
* Crew: 5: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator Plotter, Navigator Radar and Air Electronics Officer (two extra seats could be fitted for Crew Chiefs if required, for a total of 7 crew)
* Length: 99 ft 11 in (30.45 m)
* Wingspan: 111 ft 0 in (33.83 m)
* Height: 27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)
* Wing area: 3,965 ft² (368.4 m²)
* Empty weight: 80,000 lb (36 000 kg)
* Loaded weight: 199,585 lb (90 530 kg)
* Useful load: 21,000 lb (9550 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 204,000 lb (92 500 kg)
* Powerplant: 4× Bristol-Siddeley Olympus 301 turbojets, 20,000 lbf (89 kN) each
Performance
* Maximum speed: 560 knots (645 mph, 1040 km/h)
* Cruise speed: 540 knots (625 mph, 1005 km/h)
* Range: 2,000 nm (2,300 mi, 3700 km)
* Service ceiling: 62,300 ft (19 000 m)
* Wing loading: 50 lb/ft² (246 kg/m²)
* Thrust/weight: 0.88
Armament
* Missiles:
o 1× Blue Steel stand-off missile armed with a thermonuclear warhead
o 2× AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missiles
* Bombs:
o 1× Yellow Sun Mk.2 nuclear bomb armed with a thermonuclear warhead or
o 21× 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
For an explanation of the units and abbreviations in this list, please see aviation-related units.
[edit]
In popular culture
* The Vulcan bomber was featured in the 1965 James Bond movie Thunderball. Agents of SPECTRE hijacked a Vulcan bomber in order to use its two nuclear bombs for a ransom plot against the US and Britain.
* The spaceship HMS Camden Lock in the BBC2 comedy series Hyperdrive bears the serial number XH558.
Tiva's evil plan to turn the forest into a lake has progressed to one giant ice rink.
She practised her ice dancing on a large puddle.
Tiva has come home dry for several days now.
Sisters' Meals Festival Of Miao Ethnic Group
The Sisters’ Rice Festival is sometimes called Sisters’ Meal Festival or Eat Sisters’ Rice Festival. The legend is there was once an old man and his wife who had three beautiful daughters. One day while they played on the riverside, the young girls felt lovesick. Zhang Guolao, a bearded God who carried a bamboo tubular drum, possessed the spirits of the girls, telling them to prepare five-colored rolls of glutinous rice filled with shrimp, fish and other special things. When young men came down from the mountain, the beautiful girls presented the rice to them. In this way, the young girls found their marriage partners
Sisters’ Meal festival, which takes in the Spring, is specific to southeast Guizhou. During the third lunar month in Shidong, Taijiang County in Southeast Guizhou Province, girls flock to the mountains to collect wild flowers and berries to dye the glutinous rice known as Sister’s Rice and everyone cooks up a storm! A storm of glutinous rice that is — dyed in several colors and formed into balls. Each girl prepares her rice with a symbol then wraps it in a handkerchief or put inside small baskets
The Miao minority “Sisters’ Rice Festival” is a celebration of spring and of love. Dressed in finest embroidered and appliqued clothing, adorned in all their freshly shined silver jewelry, young women set out to attract a suitable mate. That’s the traditional goal, but fun is the name of the game! Two, sometimes three, festival days are filled with dancing, singing, eating, drinking lots of rice wine, watching bull fights and cockfights, and horse racing.
The Festival brings villagers from many remote areas together, the girls beautifully dressed in their embroidered costumes. A kaleidoscope of colors, local customs and traditions, signature costumes and hairstyles provide a never-ending fashion show. It is said that the Miao originated from the egg of a butterfly that emerged from a maple tree. The butterfly married a bubble and laid twelve eggs. A mythical bird called the Jiyu watched over the eggs for twelve years and finally they hatched into a Miao man known as Jiangyang, a Thunder God known as Leigong, a water buffalo, snake, dragon, tiger, centipede, elephant and four other omens. All of these symbols are found in the exquisite embroidery and colorful decoration of these artistically talented people.
In anticipation of the Sisters’ Rice Festival, the grandmothers, mothers and other female relatives polish and shine the collection of silver neck rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings, hair pins and combs, rings and pendants, phoenix crowns and headpieces that the young courting-age girls will wear. The Miao believe that silver, representing light, dispels evil spirits. Silver is also a symbol of wealth and beauty, and some young women wear several kilograms of it at one time. Dazzling embroidered skirts, blouses, aprons and jackets are decorated with many different tooled silver ornaments. Pretty necks are encircled with bands of silver and linking silver chains that support large shining lockets, glittering beads and hanging tassels. Elaborate silver headpieces crown the heads of the girls as they proudly display their self-made costumes.
The festival always begins with special family meals. Sharing traditional foods such as rice that has been colored with the dyes of different leaves, berries and flowers, then cooked in bamboo tubes, and homemade rice wine, is similarly practised among the many Miao tribes. Some of the dyed rice is molded into balls that hold hidden treasures. These rice balls are presented to the young men who come to visit, and each treasure has a different meaning. Pine needles mean “You should give me embroidery needles.” and corn silk is a suggestion of fine yarn. A thorn tells the lucky fellow “You are the one!” Chopsticks or red flower pistils say, “Let’s marry quickly — the sooner the better.” And a single chopstick, some garlic or chili means, “Find someone else!”
Meanwhile, you will find many elders at the cockfighting competitions, trading at the daylong markets, or leisurely rowing long dugout canoes on the river beside the festival ground. This is a time of camaraderie and “catching up.” Mid-morning approaches, and the elders rush off to the bullfights. Excitement rises as the mighty bulls lock horns, trying to wrestle each other to the ground. All day long, one bull after another is defeated and then the final match begins. The winning bull brings great honor and riches to his owner for the following year, so although it is festival, the participants enter into the fights with a certain seriousness. Such anxiety calls for much merriment, eating, drinking and friendly betting. The champion bull’s horns are festooned with chickens, ducks, red ribbons and flowers as he is led around the battleground and through the town, snorting proudly for all to see. Finally he is bathed in the soothing waters of the Qingshui. The crowds thin out as people join picnics and special feasts.
The Qingshui riverside becomes lively and exciting as the music and dancing begins. As they walk and dance, the lovely Miao girls jingle and shimmer in the sun. Their cheeks burn with excitement while they flirt with handsome young men, each of whom is searching for a beauty worthy of his strength and handsomeness. Towards evening the newly formed couples break away and begin singing together.
When darkness falls, the festival beat increases as the dragon dances begin. Candles are lit inside the 25-meter-long hollow paper dragons. Battles begin as the fiery dragons weave in and out of the hooting crowds chasing each other. Drums and fireworks complete the noisy atmosphere. Into the evening, the elders continue to make the rounds, greeting their friends, swapping stories and songs, sharing tobacco and wine As the moon rises high in the night sky, young lovers wander off. The mountain paths are busy with the sounds of tinkling footsteps and clear melodious voices singing gentle love songs to the tunes of Lusheng pipes. Long into the night, the partying continues… Bamboo flutes and wooden drums echo sounds throughout the valley as the dawn breaks, beginning the next day’s festivities. As crowds slowly gather, the lovely dancing girls strut like peacocks while the boys look on admiringly
Course landaise aux Arènes de Gazaupouy, Gers, France.Elle est une des quatre formes de tauromachie pratiquées dans le monde. Elle se distingue des trois autres (corridas, corrida portugaise et course camarguaise) par deux particularités : la première est qu'elle se pratique quasi exclusivement avec des femelles (vaches landaises) et non des taureaux. L'autre particularité, qu'elle partage avec la course camarguaise, est qu'il n'y a pas de mise à mort de l'animal, ni au cours de la course ni après.One of the four forms of bullfighting praticed in the world but it differs from the other three by two features, first it is practised exclusevely with cows and not bulls, the other feature it shares with the Camargue races, is that there is no killing, or hurting of the animal, either during the race, or after.
Siena è un comune di 54.391 abitanti della Toscana centrale, capoluogo dell'omonima provincia.
La città è universalmente conosciuta per il suo patrimonio artistico e per la sostanziale unità stilistica del suo arredo urbano medievale, nonché per il suo famoso Palio; il centro storico è stato infatti dichiarato dall'UNESCO patrimonio dell'umanità nel 1995.
Siena fu fondata come colonia romana al tempo dell'Imperatore Augusto e prese il nome di Saena Iulia.
All'interno del centro storico senese sono stati ritrovati dei siti di epoca etrusca, che possono far pensare alla fondazione della città da parte degli etruschi.
Il primo documento noto in cui viene citata la comunità senese risale al 70 e porta la firma di Tacito che, nel IV libro delle Historiae, riporta il seguente episodio: il senatore Manlio Patruito riferì a Roma di essere stato malmenato e ridicolizzato con un finto funerale durante la sua visita ufficiale a Saena Iulia, piccola colonia militare della Tuscia. Il Senato romano decise di punire i principali colpevoli e di richiamare severamente i senesi a un maggiore rispetto verso l'autorità.
Dell'alto Medioevo non si hanno documenti che possano illuminare intorno ai casi della vita civile a Siena. C'è qualche notizia relativa alla istituzione del vescovado e della diocesi, specialmente per le questioni sorte fra il Vescovo di Siena e quello di Arezzo, a causa dei confini della zona giurisdizionale di ciascuno: questioni nelle quali intervenne il re longobardo Liutprando, pronunziando sentenza a favore della diocesi aretina. Ma i senesi non furono soddisfatti e pertanto nell'anno 853, quando l'Italia passò dalla dominazione longobarda a quella franca, riuscirono ad ottenere l'annullamento della sentenza emanata dal re Liutprando. Pare, dunque, che al tempo dei Longobardi, Siena fosse governata da un gastaldo, rappresentante del re: Gastaldo che fu poi sostituito da un Conte imperiale dopo l'incoronazione di Carlo Magno. Il primo conte di cui si hanno notizie concrete fu Winigi, figlio di Ranieri, nel 867. Dopo il 900 regnava a Siena l'imperatore Ludovico III, il cui regno non durò così a lungo, dal momento che nel 903 le cronache raccontano di un ritorno dei conti al potere sotto il nuovo governo del re Berengario.
Siena si ritrova nel X secolo al centro di importanti vie commerciali che portavano a Roma e, grazie a ciò divenne un'importante città medievale. Nel XII secolo la città si dota di ordinamenti comunali di tipo consolare, comincia a espandere il proprio territorio e stringe le prime alleanze. Questa situazione di rilevanza sia politica che economica, portano Siena a combattere per i domini settentrionali della Toscana, contro Firenze. Dalla prima metà del XII secolo in poi Siena prospera e diventa un importante centro commerciale, tenendo buoni rapporti con lo Stato della Chiesa; i banchieri senesi erano un punto di riferimento per le autorità di Roma, ai quali si rivolgevano per prestiti o finanziamenti.
Alla fine del XII secolo Siena, sostenendo la causa ghibellina (anche se non mancavano, le famiglie senesi di parte guelfa, in sintonia con Firenze), si ritrovò nuovamente contro Firenze di parte guelfa: celebre è la vittoria sui toscani guelfi nella battaglia di Montaperti, del 1260, celebrata anche da Dante Alighieri. Ma dopo qualche anno i senesi ebbero la peggio nella battaglia di Colle Val d'Elsa, del 1269, che portò in seguito, nel 1287, alla ascesa del Governo
dei Nove, di parte guelfa. Sotto questo nuovo governo, Siena raggiunse il suo massimo splendore, sia economico che culturale.
Dopo la peste del 1348, cominciò la lenta decadenza della Repubblica di Siena, che comunque non precluse la strada all'espansione territoriale senese, che fino al giorno della caduta della Repubblica comprendeva un terzo della toscana. La fine della Repubblica Senese, forse l'unico Stato occidentale ad attuare una democrazia pura a favore del popolo, avvenne il 25 aprile 1555, quando la città, dopo un assedio di oltre un anno, dovette arrendersi stremata dalla fame, all'impero di Carlo V, spalleggiato dai fiorentini, che cedette in feudo il territorio della Repubblica ai Medici, Signori di Firenze, per ripagarli delle spese sostenute durante la guerra. Per l'ennesima volta i cittadini senesi riuscirono a tenere testa ad un imperatore, che solo grazie alle proprie smisurate risorse poté piegare la fiera resistenza di questa piccola Repubblica e dei suoi cittadini.
Dopo la caduta della Repubblica pochi senesi guidati peraltro dall'esule fiorentino Piero Strozzi, non volendo accettare la caduta della Repubblica, si rifugiarono in Montalcino, creando la Repubblica di Siena riparata in Montalcino, mantenendo l'alleanza con la Francia, che continuò ad esercitare il proprio potere sulla parte meridionale del territorio della Repubblica, creando notevoli problemi alle truppe degli odiati fiorentini. Essa visse fino al 31 maggio del 1559 quando fu tradita dagli alleati francesi, che Siena aveva sempre sostenuto, che concludendo la pace di Cateau-Cambrésis con l'imperatore Carlo V, cedettero di fatto la Repubblica ai fiorentini.
Lo stemma di Siena è detto "balzana". È uno scudo diviso in due porzioni orizzontali: quella superiore è bianca, quella inferiore nera,con la Lupa che allatta Senio e Ascanio. Secondo la leggenda, starebbe a simboleggiare il fumo nero e bianco scaturito dalla pira augurale che i leggendari fondatori della città, Senio e Ascanio, figli di Remo, avrebbero acceso per ringraziare gli dei dopo la fondazione della città di Siena. Un'altra leggenda riporta che la balzana derivi dai colori dei cavalli, uno bianco ed uno nero, che Senio e Ascanio usarono nella fuga dallo zio Romolo che li voleva uccidere e con i quali giunsero a Siena. Per il loro presunto carattere focoso che, si dice, rasenta la pazzia, anche i senesi sono definiti spesso "balzani".
Siena (em português também conhecida como Sena) é uma cidade e sede de comuna italiana na região da Toscana, província do mesmo nome, com cerca de 52.775 (ISTAT 2003) habitantes. Estende-se por uma área de 118 km2, tendo uma densidade populacional de 447 hab/km2. Faz fronteira com Asciano, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Monteriggioni, Monteroni d'Arbia e Sovicille.
Siena é universalmente conhecida pelo seu património artístico e pela notável unidade estilística do seu centro histórico, classificado pela UNESCO como Património da Humanidade.
Segundo a mitologia romana, Siena foi fundada por Sénio, filho de Remo, e podem-se encontrar numerosas estátuas e obras de arte mostrando, tal como em Roma, os irmãos amamentados pela loba. Foi um povoamento etrusco e depois colónia romana (Saena Julia) refundada pelo imperador Augusto. Era, contudo, uma pequena povoação, longe das rotas principais do Império. No século V, torna-se sede de uma diocese cristã.
As antigas famílias aristocráticas de Siena reclamam origem nos Lombardos e à data da submissão da Lombardia a Carlos Magno (774). A grande influência da cidade como pólo cultural, artístico e político é iniciada no século XII, quando se converte num burgo autogovernado de cariz republicano, substituindo o esquema feudal.
Todavia, o esquema político conduziu sempre a lutas internas entre nobres e externas com a cidade rival de Florença. Data do século XIII a ruptura entre as facções rivais dos Guibelinos de Siena e dos Guelfos de Florença, que seria argumento para a Divina Comédia de Dante.
Em 4 de Setembro de 1260, os Guibelinos apoiaram as forças do rei Manfredo da Sicília e derrotaram os Guelfos em Montaperti, que tinham um exército muito superior em armas e homens. Antes da batalha, toda a cidade fora consagrada à Virgem Maria e confiada à sua protecção. Hoje, essa protecção é recordada e renovada, lembrando os sienenses da ameaça dos aliados da Segunda Guerra Mundial de bombardearam a cidade em 1944, o que felizmente não veio a acontecer.
Siena rivalizou no campo das artes durante o período medieval até o século XIV com as cidades vizinhas. Porém, devastada em 1348 pela Peste Negra, nunca recuperou o seu esplendor, perdendo também a sua rivalidade interurbana com Florença. A Siena actual tem um aspecto muito semelhante ao dos séculos XIII-XIV. Detém uma universidade fundada em 1203, famosa pelas faculdades de Direito e Medicina, e que é uma das mais prestigiadas universidades italianas.
Em 1557 perde a independência e é integrada nas formações políticas e administrativas da Toscana.
Siena também deu vários Papas, sendo eles: Alexandre III, Pio II, Pio III e Alexandre VII.
Os dois grandes santos de Siena são Santa Catarina (1347-1380) e São Bernardino (1380-1444). Catarina Benincasa, filha de um humilde tintureiro, fez-se irmã na Ordem Terceira dominicana (para leigos)e viveu como monja na casa dos pais. É famosa pelo intercâmbio interior com o próprio Cristo, que num êxtase lhe disse: "Eu sou aquele que é e tú és aquela que não é". Apesar da origem modesta, influenciou papas e príncipes com sua sabedoria e seu exemplo, conseguindo inclusive convencer o papa de então, contra a maioria dos cardeais, a regressar a Roma do exílio de Avinhon na França. Quanto ao franciscano São Bernardino, ele é célebre por ter sido o maior expoente, no Catolicismo, da via espiritual de invocação do Nome Divino, que encontra similares em todas as grandes religiões, do Budismo (nembutsu) ao Islã ([[dhikr]]) e ao Hinduísmo (mantra). Os sermões que Bernbardino fez na praça central de Siena provocaram tal fervor religioso e devoção ao nome de Jesus que o conselho municipal decidiu colocar o monograma do nome de Jesus (composto pelas letras IHS, significando "Jesus salvador dos homens")na fachada do prédio do governo. Do mesmo modo, muitos cidadãos o pintaram sobre as fachadas de suas casas, como até hoje se pode ver na cidade.
Siena also widely spelled Sienna in English) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008.[1] Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the palio.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill-forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. The first document mentioning it dates from AD 70. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Saenones.
The Roman origin accounts for the town's emblem: a she-wolf suckling infants Romulus and Remus. According to legend, Siena was founded by Senius, son of Remus, who was in turn the brother of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Statues and other artwork depicting a she-wolf suckling the young twins Romulus and Remus can be seen all over the city of Siena. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name "Saina," the Roman family name of the "Saenii," or the Latin word "senex" ("old") or the derived form "seneo", "to be old".
Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.
The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the Mark of Tuscia which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions.
Siena prospered as a city-state, becoming a major centre of money lending and an important player in the wool trade. It was governed at first directly by its bishop, but episcopal power declined during the 12th century. The bishop was forced to concede a greater say in the running of the city to the nobility in exchange for their help during a territorial dispute with Arezzo, and this started a process which culminated in 1167 when the commune of Siena declared its independence from episcopal control. By 1179, it had a written constitution.
This period was also crucial in shaping the Siena we know today. It was during the early 13th century that the majority of the construction of the Siena Cathedral (Duomo) was completed. It was also during this period that the Piazza del Campo, now regarded as one of the most beautiful civic spaces in Europe, grew in importance as the centre of secular life. New streets were constructed leading to it, and it served as the site of the market and the location of various sporting events (perhaps better thought of as riots, in the fashion of the Florentine football matches that are still practised to this day). A wall was constructed in 1194 at the current site of the Palazzo Pubblico to stop soil erosion, an indication of how important the area was becoming as a civic space.
In the early 12th century a self-governing commune replaced the earlier aristocratic government. The consuls who governed the republic slowly became more inclusive of the poblani, or common people, and the commune increased its territory as the surrounding feudal nobles in their fortified castles submitted to the urban power. Siena's republic, struggling internally between nobles and the popular party, usually worked in political opposition to its great rival, Florence, and was in the 13th century predominantly Ghibelline in opposition to Florence's Guelph position (this conflict formed the backdrop for some of Dante's Commedia).
On 4 September 1260 the Sienese Ghibellines, supported by the forces of King Manfred of Sicily, defeated the Florentine Guelphs in the Battle of Montaperti. Before the battle, the Sienese army of around 20,000 faced a much larger Florentine army of around 33,000. Prior to the battle, the entire city was dedicated to the Virgin Mary (this was done several times in the city's history, most recently in 1944 to guard the city from Allied bombs). The man given command of Siena for the duration of the war, Bonaguida Lucari, walked barefoot and bareheaded, a halter around his neck, to the Duomo. Leading a procession composed of all the city's residents, he was met by all the clergy. Lucari and the bishop embraced, to show the unity of church and state, then Lucari formally gave the city and contrade to the Virgin. Legend has it that a thick white cloud descended on the battlefield, giving the Sienese cover and aiding their attack. The reality was that the Florentine army launched several fruitless attacks against the Sienese army during the day, then when the Sienese army countered with their own offensive, traitors within the Florentine army killed the standard bearer and in the resulting chaos, the Florentine army broke up and fled the battlefield. Almost half the Florentine army (some 15,000 men) were killed as a result. So crushing was the defeat that even today if the two cities meet in any sporting event, the Sienese supporters are likely to exhort their Florentine counterparts to “Remember Montaperti!”.
The limits on the Roman town, were the earliest known walls to the city. During the 10th and 11th centuries, the town grew to the east and later to the north, in what is now the Camollia district. Walls were built to totally surround the city, and a second set was finished by the end of the 13th century. Much of these walls still exist today.[2]
Siena's university, founded in 1240 and famed for its faculties of law and medicine, is still among the most important Italian universities. Siena rivalled Florence in the arts throughout the 13th and 14th centuries: the important late medieval painter Duccio di Buoninsegna (1253–1319) was a Sienese, but worked across the peninsula, and the mural of "Good Government" by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in the Palazzo Pubblico, or town hall, is a magnificent example of late-Medieval/early Renaissance art as well as a representation of the utopia of urban society as conceived during that period. Siena was devastated by the Black Death of 1348, and also suffered from ill-fated financial enterprises. In 1355, with the arrival of Charles IV of Luxembourg in the city, the population rose and suppressed the government of the Nove (Nine), establishing that Dodici (Twelve) nobles assisted by a council with a popular majority. This was also short-lived, being replaced by the Quindici (Fifteen) reformers in 1385, the Dieci (Ten, 1386–1387), Undici (Eleven, 1388–1398) and Twelve Priors (1398–1399) who, in the end, gave the city's seigniory to Gian Galeazzo Visconti of Milan in order to defend it from the Florentine expansionism.
In 1404 the Visconti were expelled and a government of Ten Priors established, in alliance with Florence against King Ladislas of Naples. With the election of the Sienese Pius II as Pope, the Piccolomini and other noble families were allowed to return to the government, but after his death the control returned into popular hands. In 1472 the Republic founded the Monte dei Paschi, a bank that is still active today and is the oldest surviving bank in the world. The noble factions returned in the city under Pandolfo Petrucci in 1487, with the support of Florence and of Alfonso of Calabria; Petrucci exerted an effective rule on the city until his death in 1512, favouring arts and sciences, and defending it from Cesare Borgia. Pandolfo was succeeded by his son Borghese, who was ousted by his cousin Raffaello, helped by the Medici Pope Leo X. The last Petrucci was Fabio, exiled in 1523 by the Sienese people. Internal strife resumed, with the popular faction ousting the Noveschi party supported by Clement VII: the latter sent an army, but was defeated at Camollia in 1526. Emperor Charles V took advantage of the chaotic situation to put a Spanish garrison in Siena. The citizens expelled it in 1552, allying with France: this was unacceptable for Charles, who sent his general Gian Giacomo Medici to lay siege to it with a Florentine-Imperial army.
The Sienese government entrusted its defence to Piero Strozzi. When the latter was defeated at the Battle of Marciano (August 1554), any hope of relief was lost. After 18 months of resistance, it surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the Republic of Siena. The new Spanish King Philip, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it (apart a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of Presidi) to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century. A Republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino resisted until 1559.
The picturesque city remains an important cultural centre, especially for humanist disciplines
Town Window, Knaresborough, 17 Jul 2021
Knaresborough Town Windows are a collection of ‘trompe l’oeil’ paintings on buildings around the centre of town depicting scenes of historic significance.
This painting has Mother Shipton, with her cat, making prophesies.
Mother Shipton is England's most famous Prophetess. She could predict the future. It started off with small premonitions but as she practised, she became more confident and her powers grew. Soon she was known as Knaresborough’s Prophetess, a witch who made her living telling the future. She died in 1561, aged 73.
Essaouira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded by wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the Oued Ksob discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod.[1] The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local fishery.[2] The village of Diabat lies about five kilometres south of Essaouira, immediately south of the Oued Ksob.
Essaouria connects to Safi to the north and to Agadir to the south via the N1 road and to Marrakech to the east via the R 207 road. There is a small airport some 7-8 km away from the town, which schedules several flights a week to Casablanca.
The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.
The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi remains rather small, although the catches (sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current.
There are only a handful of modern purpose-built hotels within the walls of the old city. The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries.
Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis.
Parasols tend to be used on the beach as a protection against the wind and the blowing sand. Camel excursions are available on the beach and into the desert band in the interior.
Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site, the Chaim Pinto Synagogue. The Simon Attias Synagogue is also still standing.
Tavira Island lies south of the town of Tavira, just a few hundred metres off the coast. It is 11 kilometres long and varies between 150 m to 1 km in width. The island has 11 km of the best beaches in the Algarve, Portugal, including areas where naturism can be legally practised. It is part of the Natural reserve of Ria Formosa. It is also popular among tourists, people that like to swim and bird watchers. Access to the island is by ferry, and also by a small floating bridge in the Santa Luzia/Pedras d'El Rei area.
Excerpt from frimurer.no:
The Norwegian Order of Freemasons is a detached independent body of men from all walks of life and from all parts of the country. They meet regularly initially to work on their personal development. These meetings which are based on Christian Faith are conducted with dignity and bound in traditionThe idea and aim of Freemasonry is to influence the process of ennoblement and personal improvement by promoting humility, tolerance and compassion. Those qualities which the members master in the lodge should be practised in their daily lives.
These human qualities can of course be attained and practised by others who are not freemasons, but the Order of Freemasons is an organisation where this thought has taken a practical form which enables its members to develop it through ancient rituals, and with dignity.
The Norwegian Order of Freemasons does not engage itself in national or international political issues, nor does it engage itself in religious or social disputes.
The members shall show loyalty to the authority and laws of the country. They shall show respect for the Order itself and the aims of Freemasonry.
Our present day Freemasonry grew forth in England and Scotland in the 1600´s as an ethical and philosophical system based on the art of building, its symbolism and history. The Order, in its original form, was consecrated in 1717 when four Masonic lodges in London amalgamated to form The Grand Lodge.
The system was quickly adopted and became predominant in continental Europe. The first Norwegian lodge was founded on the June 24th 1749 on Bygdoey, a peninsular on the Oslo Fjord.
Enjoying the views in Essaouira
Essaouira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded by wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the Oued Ksob discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod.[1] The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local fishery.[2] The village of Diabat lies about five kilometres south of Essaouira, immediately south of the Oued Ksob.
Essaouria connects to Safi to the north and to Agadir to the south via the N1 road and to Marrakech to the east via the R 207 road. There is a small airport some 7-8 km away from the town, which schedules several flights a week to Casablanca.
The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.
The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi remains rather small, although the catches (sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current.
There are only a handful of modern purpose-built hotels within the walls of the old city. The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries.
Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis.
Parasols tend to be used on the beach as a protection against the wind and the blowing sand. Camel excursions are available on the beach and into the desert band in the interior.
Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site, the Chaim Pinto Synagogue. The Simon Attias Synagogue is also still standing.
Essaouira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded by wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the Oued Ksob discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod.[1] The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local fishery.[2] The village of Diabat lies about five kilometres south of Essaouira, immediately south of the Oued Ksob.
Essaouria connects to Safi to the north and to Agadir to the south via the N1 road and to Marrakech to the east via the R 207 road. There is a small airport some 7-8 km away from the town, which schedules several flights a week to Casablanca.
The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.
The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi remains rather small, although the catches (sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current.
There are only a handful of modern purpose-built hotels within the walls of the old city. The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries.
Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis.
Parasols tend to be used on the beach as a protection against the wind and the blowing sand. Camel excursions are available on the beach and into the desert band in the interior.
Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site, the Chaim Pinto Synagogue. The Simon Attias Synagogue is also still standing.
Lübars ist das älteste Dorf Berlins, in dem heute noch Landwirtschaft betrieben wird. Dieses ursprüngliche Leben ist aber nur 30 Minuten von Berlins Mitte entfernt. Hier gibt es noch echte Pferdestärken, einen historischen Dorfkern, Reiterhöfe, Stallungen und funktionierende Bauernhöfe.Die Landschaft rund um Lübars ist einzigartig und zeichnet sich durch eine artenreiche Tierwelt aus – das ist Natur pur mitten in der Großstadt.
Quelle: Bezirksamt Reinickendorf von Berlin
Lübars is the oldest village in Berlin where farming is still practised today. But this authentic rural life is only 30 minutes away from Berlin's centre. Here you can still find real horsepower, a historic village centre, riding and other stables, and working farms.The landscape around Lübars is unique and features wildlife rich in species - this is pure nature in the middle of the big city.
Source: Administration of Reinickendorf Borough in Berlin
"The Silat Master"
This is a portrait of Johari Omar in a silat stance. Silat is the traditional martial arts practised in the Malay Archipelago and Indonesia.
In Balik Pulau on the other end of the island, Siberian-born Russian artist Julia Volchkova has painted beautiful pieces, pieces which also portray the local culture. The Balik Pulau literally means "back of the island" in Malay; a very apt name for a quiet town at the back of the island.
The Silat Mural is a mural on a wall in Balik Pulau, along Jalan Balik Pulau. It was painted in January, 2016 by Russian mural artist Julia Volchkova. The mural depicts silat master Johari Omar engaging in silat with another proponent. Silat master Johari Omar, 48 (2016), whose face is on the artwork featuring a martial artist, said it was an honour to have been a part of something special.
About Julia Volchkova.
Born in Nizhnevartovsk, Siberia (Russia) in 1987, Volchkova Yulia Anatolievna (Julia) studied drawing from an early age. In 2004, Julia won the competition of the faculty of art and design. In 2010, she graduated from the Institute and went to Saint Petersburg and she began drawing graffiti and street art. Soon after that Julia gained popularity in Russia and began to engage in commercial activities, and was commissioned to paint walls. She also worked with celebrities and in all kinds of interesting projects. She participated in art festivals, in Russia and Ukraine. And recently Julia was invited to paint a Murals in Malaysia, and thus, her journey through the camps of Asia began.
Essaouira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded by wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the Oued Ksob discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod.[1] The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local fishery.[2] The village of Diabat lies about five kilometres south of Essaouira, immediately south of the Oued Ksob.
Essaouria connects to Safi to the north and to Agadir to the south via the N1 road and to Marrakech to the east via the R 207 road. There is a small airport some 7-8 km away from the town, which schedules several flights a week to Casablanca.
The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.
The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi remains rather small, although the catches (sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current.
There are only a handful of modern purpose-built hotels within the walls of the old city. The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries.
Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis.
Parasols tend to be used on the beach as a protection against the wind and the blowing sand. Camel excursions are available on the beach and into the desert band in the interior.
Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site, the Chaim Pinto Synagogue. The Simon Attias Synagogue is also still standing.
Essaouira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded by wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the Oued Ksob discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod.[1] The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local fishery.[2] The village of Diabat lies about five kilometres south of Essaouira, immediately south of the Oued Ksob.
Essaouria connects to Safi to the north and to Agadir to the south via the N1 road and to Marrakech to the east via the R 207 road. There is a small airport some 7-8 km away from the town, which schedules several flights a week to Casablanca.
The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.
The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi remains rather small, although the catches (sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current.
There are only a handful of modern purpose-built hotels within the walls of the old city. The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries.
Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis.
Parasols tend to be used on the beach as a protection against the wind and the blowing sand. Camel excursions are available on the beach and into the desert band in the interior.
Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site, the Chaim Pinto Synagogue. The Simon Attias Synagogue is also still standing.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Pho:
Wat Pho, also spelled Wat Po, is a Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is on Rattanakosin Island, directly south of the Grand Palace. Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, its official name is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan. The more commonly known name, Wat Pho, is a contraction of its older name, Wat Photaram.
The temple is first on the list of six temples in Thailand classed as the highest grade of the first-class royal temples. It is associated with King Rama I who rebuilt the temple complex on an earlier temple site. It became his main temple and is where some of his ashes are enshrined. The temple was later expanded and extensively renovated by Rama III. The temple complex houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand, including a 46 m long reclining Buddha. The temple is considered the earliest centre for public education in Thailand, and the marble illustrations and inscriptions placed in the temple for public instructions has been recognized by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Programme. It houses a school of Thai medicine, and is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage which is still taught and practised at the temple.
Ici je me pratiquais pour faire partie du Cirque du Soleil... malheureusement mamieDan n'a jamais voulu que j'auditionne...Je serais peut-être devenu célèbre...
Bon vendredi ...
Bisous
Here I practised me to be a part of the Cirque du Soleil regrettably mamieDan has never wanted that I audition... I would maybe have become famous...
Good Friday...
Kisses
He sat, watched my blossoming interest in photographing people, and realising I was male, young and could wield a camera, took instant caution in how I approached the idea of shooting women. He looked at me through eyes wiser than mine, through eyes practised with defending the ideas behind his own life's work, where he often photographed women, and felt the need to defend such an act to the uneducated. He lectured me on feminism, tore into every photo I took of a woman knowing that if he didn't someone else would.
The fact remains that no matter how much I think I've learned about why I take the photos I do, about the motives real or subconscious, or the manners in which to defend what I take to the ill-advised, there is always someone out there, smarter than I who can tie whatever I say in knots. Or take what I say and misinterpret it.
None of it matters really. I shoot what I like to shoot, and just hope I do it for the right reasons that I agonise over daily. Hopefully others buy into it too. But several points that came up when talking to my lecturer and friend Mr White, always, always stick in my mind. Dead simple, dead obvious things. 1) Do not use your viewpoint in relation to the subject to imply sexual or gender specific strengths. Don't stand over the woman making does eyes, looking all dominating. You're asking for being slurred... 2) Never try and instill a mood that isn't there. You can't say "look sexy" or "look sad" to achieve a look and a feel, as all you're doing is painting an awkward ideal of the poor image you had in your head.
You can't act these things, you have to uncover them for real. Don't say "look pensive"; "look away to the side of the photo so you look fragile and approachable, so you look vulnerable." Saying these things marks you as a predator with a camera. There's no point creating a mood, it's not real, you just have to capture and convey what is there.
That's portraits, taking something that says something about the subject. Tell a story.
I don't know what this says more about, her and who she is, or me for being so utterly taken in by it. I don't care. :-)
Essaouira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded by wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the Oued Ksob discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod.[1] The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local fishery.[2] The village of Diabat lies about five kilometres south of Essaouira, immediately south of the Oued Ksob.
Essaouria connects to Safi to the north and to Agadir to the south via the N1 road and to Marrakech to the east via the R 207 road. There is a small airport some 7-8 km away from the town, which schedules several flights a week to Casablanca.
The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.
The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi remains rather small, although the catches (sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current.
There are only a handful of modern purpose-built hotels within the walls of the old city. The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries.
Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis.
Parasols tend to be used on the beach as a protection against the wind and the blowing sand. Camel excursions are available on the beach and into the desert band in the interior.
Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site, the Chaim Pinto Synagogue. The Simon Attias Synagogue is also still standing.
I practised a bit more night time photography with my March Yashicamat film. I am getting better but still not completely happy yet - I have really enjoyed doing it though and that's the important thing! There are some breaks in the trails because there were a few clouds drifiting across the sky. This exposure was about 55 minutes at f5.6.
map: G8
Im Bild ein Blick in einen Mittelwald, eine Waldbauform aus dem Mittelalter, die heute noch in Franken praktiziert wird und die sich als ziemlich widerstandsfähig gegenüber den Klimaveränderungen erweist.
The picture shows a view into a "Mittelwald", a form of silviculture from the Middle Ages, which is still practised in Franconia today and which is proving to be quite resistant to climate change.
Flynn is a fairly big border collie but that door is tiny :) It's the entrance to the old school building in town - first built in the 1400s & in use as a school until the 1860s! Now the place is a little museum... a dog friendly museum! It's closed during the winter months but maybe once spring arrives & they open the doors again, I'll take Flynn in for the first time.
For a very long time, going inside public buildings was just not a thing I contemplated doing with Flynn (unless it was the vet!). It's a shame because our town is extremely dog friendly. A large number of the shops allow dogs in - from hardware shops, to jewellery & clothes shops - even the chemists. I think pretty much all the cafes, pubs etc are dog friendly. However, I just couldn't trust Flynn not to get spooked by something, feel "trapped" & then redirect onto me - possibly with his teeth. Even when my concerns about that sort of thing reduced... I remained worried he'd simply embarrass me by acting like a feral creature I'd dragged out of a hedge! Flynn is polite & obedient - in certain situations - but of course, we'd never practised indoors manners, beyond the house, so I had visions of him a) generally running amok &/or b) barking, a LOT - his go-to response when excited or frustrated!
However, just recently, at the grand old age of 9yrs, Flynn has ventured into a couple of shops with me. This week, he came in the book shop. He looked a tiny bit apprehensive when I opened the shop door (was this a sneaky vet visit I was tricking him into?!) but followed me willingly enough & behaved beautifully once inside. Flynn walked on a loose lead the entire time, stayed nicely focused & engaged with me, he managed to mostly ignore the other customers, we had no majorly panicky behaviour or any woofing, no sudden lunges in an effort to leave, nor did he do anything "naughty" - no books were harmed, or even sniffed too much. Just... normal civilised dog behaviour! Progress has been glacially slow but it makes me unbelievably happy whenever Flynn achieves things I long thought impossible. He has become so much more confident & trusting in recent years & along the way, seems to have learnt at least a few manners ;-)
A young monk plays with a squirrel on the balcony of the Mahagandayon monastery, one of the largest teaching monasteries in Myanmar and located in the city of Amarapura.
Buddhism in Myanmar or Burma is predominantly of the Theravada tradition, practised by 89% of the country's population. It is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of the proportion of monks in the population and proportion of income spent on religion.
Theravāda is the oldest surviving Buddhist branch. The word is derived from the Sanskrit sthaviravada, and literally means "the Teaching of the Elders".
Call me a control freak. Today I practised manual flash and manual focus and of course manual shooting in general. I'm trying to nail jewelry macros for my weddings. The only thing bothering me here is that the upper part of the copper light I hung my earrings on, is very shiny and the lightest patch of colour catches the viewer's attention at once. Tried cropping it, didn't like it. I do like the reflection of the earrings. I should have made more of an effort to dust off the lamp. Have not reached perfection yet.
Known as the Lulav House, number 61 is another property on what is arguably Tel Aviv's swankiest street to have a welcome recent makeover after years of damage from sun, sand, and pollution. It was designed and built by Solomon Gepstein in 1932, as a private residence for Mendel Menachem Lolev, a Belarusian rabbi who emigrated to Israel via Riga, and who became successful in business. Its severe parallels and perpendiculars are a very strict application of the principles of the International Style, then coming into vogue.
The architect, Gepstein was originallly from Odessa and apparently somethiong of a bohemian who also dabbled in painting and journalism, and claimed that he only practised architecture to make a livelihood.
Thanks to TelAviv.pedia and Google Translate for the information!
Suizen (吹禅) (“blowing Zen”) is a Zen practice consisting of playing the traditional Japanese shakuhachi bamboo flute as a means of attaining self-realization.[1] Suizen was traditionally practised by the Komusō (“monks of emptiness”), the Zen Buddhist monks of the Fuke sect of Japan who flourished during the Edo period (1600 to 1868).
Instrumental music is rare in all Buddhist practice where instruments usually accompany ritual chants if they are used at all. With suizen, the playing of the shakuhachi as a spiritual exercise is at the core of the religious practice, making it unique in the world of Buddhism.[2][3]
The practice of suizen may be understood in the context of both ancient Buddhist and Chinese classics which exerted a profound influence on Japanese music, which used awareness of sound as a medium of enlightenment.[1]
Breath is also of fundamental significance as the standard practice of sitting Zen meditation (zazen) and so there is a natural link between zazen and suizen. The type of breathing technique required varies from school to school within suizen.[4]
The concept of ichi on jo butsu – the attainment of enlightenment through a single note – became an important aspect of the Fuke sect’s ‘blowing Zen’ as it developed in later periods.[5] The sound produced by the instrument, which was taught along strict and traditional lines in the suizen schools, is not considered important. It is the practice of blowing which leads to enlightenment.