Living in the provinces...

A small village close to Cislago organize a feast every september, a tribute to the tripe. I joined...

 

.nothing new actually as Bruce Gilden used this technique long time ago.

I got an impulse to test this kind of shots reading the blog and looking the photos of dirtyHarry one of my favourite streeter.

 

Funny stuff.

   

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Festa della trippa, Massina frazione di Cislago.

Una serata di esperimenti.

Flash + posa Bulb.

Un genere molto gettonato e simpatico, purchè non usato per spaventare i soggetti traendone certamente vantaggi fotografici ma perdendo il vero spirito della fotografia basato sul rispetto.

Questa foto nasce da un dialogo e da una posa. E' poi il momento in cui si preme il tasto del flash che stabilisce o meno quanto la foto sia intrigante..

L'effetto è divertente direi anche coadiuvato dai bicchieri di vino in abbondanza bevuti dal fotografo e dal soggetto...

    

The mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides)

It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States. It is a migratory bird, wintering in Argentina, the Caribbean, Chile, and Peru.

 

The summer adult's body is white and its back and wings are much darker grey than all other gulls of similar size except the larger laughing gull. The wings have black tips with an adjacent white band. The bill and legs are red. The black hood of the breeding adult is mostly lost in winter.

 

Young birds are similar to the adult but have less developed hoods and lack the white wing band. They take three years to reach maturity.

 

Although the bird is uncommon on the coasts of North America, it occurs as a rare vagrant to northwest Europe, south and west Africa, Australia and Japan, with a single record from Eilat, Israel, in 2011 (Smith 2011), and a single record from Larnaca, Cyprus, July 2006.At the beginning of 2017 has been observed also in Southern Romania, southeast Europe.[5]

 

© photo rights reserved by B℮n

 

Andalusia is located in southern Spain and covers an area of ​​8 provinces. Andalusia is the second largest autonomous region in Spain. Beautiful Andalucía, the land of olives, oranges, sunflowers, beautiful mountain ranges and valleys, nice white mountain villages with beautiful squares, is a bridge between two continents, Africa and Europe, and is the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet. There is something for everyone in Andalusia, from culture to beautiful terraces, sights, long beaches, beautiful inland areas with beautiful reservoirs, mountains and nice villages to visit. Seville is the capital of the province of Andalusia. It has a colorful history dating back to the Romans. You will find beautiful historic buildings, but also tapas bars where they serve the tastiest dishes. And of course not to forget the flamenco. The Cathedral of Seville was built on the site of the Moorish Mosque of the Almohad. This mosque was conquered from the Moors in 1248 and used as a cathedral. In the 13th century this mosque was demolished on the Patio de los Naranjos - the orange square of which, the minaret of the mosque, the old Giralda tower is still a remnant. In the cathedral you can admire a treasure room, the tomb of Columbus and the royal chapel. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. From the Giralda tower you have a beautiful view of the city of Seville.

 

Enjoy the most beautiful journey around the most important places of the city of Seville. Travel through the historic city center on a horse-drawn carriage, the most charming transport in Seville. From a traditional carriage you drive past UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as Seville Cathedral. This large Gothic Cathedral featuring iconic Moorish bell tower with city views, plus Columbus' tomb. The Virgen de la Antigua is an invocation of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin is usually represented with the Infant Jesus and a white rose. This beautiful altar is in the Cathedral of Seville, Andalusia, Spain.

 

Andalusië ligt in zuid Spanje en beslaat een gebied van 8 provincies. Andalusië de op één na grootste autonome regio in Spanje en meer dan twee keer zo groot als Nederland. Het mooie Andalusië, het land van de olijven, sinaasappels, zonnebloemen, mooie bergketens en valleien, leuke witte bergdorpen met mooie pleintjes, is een brug tussen twee continenten, Afrika en Europa, en is het punt waar de Atlantische Oceaan en de Middellandse Zee elkaar ontmoeten. Er is voor elk wat wils in Andalusië, van cultuur tot mooie terrasjes, bezienswaardigheden, lange stranden, prachtige binnenlanden met mooie stuwmeren, bergen en leuke dorpen om te bezoeken. Sevilla is de hoofdstad van de provincie Andalusië. Het heeft een kleurrijke geschiedenis die teruggaat tot de Romeinen. Je treft er schitterende historische gebouwen, maar ook tapasbars waar ze de lekkerste gerechten serveren. En natuurlijk de flamenco niet te vergeten. De kathedraal van Sevilla is gebouwd op de plaats waar eerst een Moorse moskee van de Almohaden stond. Deze moskee werd in 1248 veroverd op de Moren en in gebruik genomen als kathedraal. In de 13e eeuw werd deze moskee afgebroken op de Patio de los Naranjos - de sinaasappelhof waarvan, de minaret van de moskee, de oude Giralda toren nog een restant is. In de kathedraal zijn o.a. een schatkamer, het graf van Columbus en de Koninklijke kapel te bewonderen. De Virgen de la Antigua is een aanroep van de Maagd Maria. De Maagd wordt afgebeeld met het kind Jezus en een witte roos. Dit prachtige altaar staat in de kathedraal van Sevilla, Andalusië, Spanje.

..PETRUK grandfather Mystery of Mount MERAPI.

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MERAPI MOUNTAIN on the border of the provinces of the Special Region of Yogyakarta with Central Java indeed holds many mysteries. Among the volcanic eruptions that cause this natural disaster, we will try to uncover the mystery of the Mount Merapi stored in the Mount Merapi.

 

In the midst of the anxiety of the people around Merapi with the wedhus trash on Mount Merapi, the refugees and jogja residents were shocked by the circulation of a photograph of clouds on the top of Mount Merapi taken by a resident. And strangely the clouds formed the face of Mbah Petruk who was one of the puppet figures with sharp nose. The mystery of Mount Merapi Mbah Petruk is inseparable from the myths of the people who live on the slopes of Mount Merapi. They believe that the mountain in the Central Java and Yogyakarta regions was controlled by a supernatural figure, namely Mbah Petruk.

 

Residents think mbah petruk is angry with the people, and vent his anger through natural disasters that volcano erupted and appeared from the soaring smoke coming from Mount Merapi.

 

Strangely, in response to this the residents held a ceremony to quell the anger of Mbah Petruk by sacrificing a cow and then carried to the slopes of Mount Merapi. after being carried to the slopes of the mountain, the head of the cow, and the legs of the cow are cut and planted in the land of the slopes of Mount Merapi while the meat is distributed to the people.

 

Mount Merapi is also believed to be the palace of spirits. Panembahan Senopati the founder of the Mataram kingdom gained victory in the war against the Pajang kingdom with the help of the Merapi ruler. Mount Merapi erupted to kill Pajang army, the rest ran helter-skelter in fear. Residents believe that Mount Merapi is not only inhabited by humans but also inhabited by other creatures which they call the nation of delicate creatures or spirits.

 

Residents in the Mount Merapi area have beliefs about the existence of haunted or sacred places. The haunted place is believed to be a place that has been guarded by spirits, where it cannot be disturbed and that place has supernatural powers that must be respected. Abstinence for activities such as cutting trees, grazing and taking or moving objects in the area. In addition to these restrictions there are also taboo not to talk dirty, urinate or defecate, because it will cause offense to the spirits who inhabit the area.

 

The most haunted places on Mount Merapi are the Merapi crater as a palace and the center of the palace of Mount Merapi's spirits. Below the peak of Mount Merapi there is an area of ​​rock and sand called "Bubrah (broken) Market" which is believed by the community to be a very haunted place. The "Bubrah Market" is believed by the community to be a large market for the Merapi Palace and the large stones scattered around the area are considered to be stalls and tables for spirits.

 

Part of the palace of Merapi spirits that are considered haunted is Mount Wutoh which is used as the main gate of the Merapi Palace. Wutoh Mountain is guarded by spirits namely "Nyai Gadung Melati" whose job is to protect the environment in the mountain area including plants and animals.

 

In addition to places directly related to the Merapi Palace there are also other places that are considered haunted. The area around the tomb of Sjech Djumadil Qubro is a haunted place because his tomb is a tomb for the ancestors of the population and it must be respected.

Furthermore, other places such as in the forest, water sources, petilasan, rivers and ravines are also considered haunted. Some forests that are considered haunted are "Patuk Alap-alap Forest" where the place is used for grazing livestock belonging to the Merapi Palace, "Gamelan and Bingungan Forest" and "Pijen Dadn Blumbang Forest". Bukit Turgo, Plawangan, Telaga putri, Muncar, Goa Japan, Umbul Temanten, Bebeng, Ringin Putih and Watu Gajah.

 

Some types of sacred animals living in the forest around Mount Merapi are owned by Eyang Merapi. Forest animals, especially white tigers that live in the Blumbang forest, are never caught or killed. Furthermore, horses that live in the Patuk Alap-alap forest, around Mount Wutoh, and between Mount Selokopo Ngisor and Gunung Gajah Mungkur are considered / used by the people of the Merapi Fine Creatures Palace as mounts and towing trains.

 

At the peak of Merapi there is a palace similar to the Mataram palace, so here there is its own organization that regulates the government hierarchy with all its attributes and activities. The Merapi Palace according to the local community's belief was governed by brothers namely Empu (master craftsman) Rama and Empu Permadi.

 

Like the government as the Head of State (Empu Rama and Empu Permadi) delegated his power to Kyai Sapu Jagad in charge of regulating the natural conditions of Mount Merapi. Next there is also Nyai Gadung Melati, this figure is tasked with maintaining the greenness of the Merapi plant. There Kartadimeja in charge of maintaining palace animals and as commandos of spirits. He is the most famous and well-liked figure of the population because he often tells when Merapi will erupt and what residents must do to save themselves. The next figure is Kyai Petruk, known as one of Merapi's warriors.

 

Once the magnitude of the services that have been provided by the figures of the inhabitants of Mount Merapi, then as a form of their love and thanks to Mount Merapi, the community around Mount Merapi provides a tribute in the form of religious rituals. It has become a Javanese religious tradition that is by holding a salvation or wilujengan, by performing religious ceremonies and sacred acts.

 

The Labuhan salvation ceremony is held routinely every year on the date of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X's birth which is on the 30th Rajab. The ceremony was centered in the Kinahrejo hamlet of Umbulharjo village. This is where the figure of Mbah Marijan lives as a caretaker of Mount Merapi, who often serves as the

leader of the harbor ceremony. Mount Merapi and Mbah Marijan are two things that are difficult to separate. The existence of old man Mbah Marijan and his friends is more human, willing to open their inner eyes and ears to see what is invisible around Mount Merapi.

 

In Selo every new year Java 1 Suro (Javanese calendar is calculated by combining two cycles, namely the solar calendar and the lunar calendar) is held a ceremony of Mount Alms, with the hope that the community will be safe, secure and prosperous, with an abundant harvest. The ceremony is accompanied by planting buffalo heads on the summit of Merapi or in Bubrah (broken) Market.

 

fr : balikpapan.prokal.co/read/news/83873-mbah-petruk-misteri-gunung-merapi

  

© photo rights reserved by B℮n

 

Andalusia is located in southern Spain and covers an area of ​​8 provinces. Andalusia is the second largest autonomous region in Spain. Beautiful Andalucía, the land of olives, oranges, sunflowers, beautiful mountain ranges and valleys, nice white mountain villages with beautiful squares, is a bridge between two continents, Africa and Europe, and is the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet. There is something for everyone in Andalusia, from culture to beautiful terraces, sights, long beaches, beautiful inland areas with beautiful reservoirs, mountains and nice villages to visit. The capital of Andalusia is Seville. Another beautiful city of Andalusia is Granada. The crown jewel of Granada is undoubtedly the palace and fortress of Alhambra and is the most visited tourist attraction in Spain. It's an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stunning hilltop palace overlooks Granada and is visible from all over the city. It is both a palace and a fortress surrounded by walls and was the residence of Moorish rulers between the 13th and 15th centuries. The Cathedral of Granada was built on the site of the former Great Mosque. The first stone of the Cathedral of Granada was placed in 1523, but it was not finished until 1704, 181 years later. During your trip to Granada, you should definitely go on a stroll in the Albaicín neighborhood. It’s located on top of a hill, right across the Alhambra. Rising up on a hill facing the Alhambra, the Albaicín neighbourhood is made up of a network of winding streets and small squares which open up suddenly to wonderful views of the famous palace fortress - with the Sierra Nevada beyond.

 

Granada is a city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It sits at an average elevation of 738 m. There are a number of miradores, or lookout points, dotted on the hills throughout Albaycin. The most popular of these is the Mirador de San Nicolas, once described by Bill Clinton as ‘the most beautiful sunset in the world’, with its panoramic views of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Viewpoint from Albaycin on Fortress of Alhambra.

 

Andalusië ligt in zuid Spanje en beslaat een gebied van 8 provincies. Andalusië de op één na grootste autonome regio in Spanje en meer dan twee keer zo groot als Nederland. Het mooie Andalusië, het land van de olijven, sinaasappels, zonnebloemen, mooie bergketens en valleien, leuke witte bergdorpen met mooie pleintjes, is een brug tussen twee continenten, Afrika en Europa, en is het punt waar de Atlantische Oceaan en de Middellandse Zee elkaar ontmoeten. Er is voor elk wat wils in Andalusië, van cultuur tot mooie terrasjes, bezienswaardigheden, lange stranden, prachtige binnenlanden met mooie stuwmeren, bergen en leuke dorpen om te bezoeken. De hoofdstad van Andalusië is Sevilla. Een andere mooie stad van Andalusië is Granada. Deze stad ligt op een hoogte van 738 m. Het kroonjuweel van Granada is ongetwijfeld het paleis en fort van Alhambra en is de meest bezochte toeristische attractie in Spanje. Het is een UNESCO-werelderfgoed. Het prachtige paleis op een heuveltop kijkt uit over Granada en is zichtbaar vanuit de hele stad. Het is zowel een paleis als een fort omgeven door muren en was de residentie van de Nasrid-sultans tussen de 13e en 15e eeuw. De kathedraal van Granada werd gebouwd op de plaats van de voormalige Grote Moskee. De eerste steen van de kathedraal van Granada werd in 1523 geplaatst, maar deze werd pas in 1704, 181 jaar later, voltooid. Tijdens je reis naar Granada moet u zeker een wandeling maken in de wijk Albaicin. Het bevindt zich op de top van een heuvel, recht tegenover het Alhambra. De wijk Albaicín bestaat uit een netwerk van kronkelende straatjes en kleine pleintjes.

Impalas in the Letaba River

 

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

 

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

 

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

 

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

The impala (/ɪmˈpɑːlə, -ˈpælə/, Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The sole member of the genus Aepyceros, it was first described to European audiences by German zoologist Hinrich Lichtenstein in 1812. Two subspecies are recognised—the common impala, and the larger and darker black-faced impala. The impala reaches 70–92 centimetres (28–36 inches) at the shoulder and weighs 40–76 kg (88–168 lb). It features a glossy, reddish brown coat. The male's slender, lyre-shaped horns are 45–92 centimetres (18–36 inches) long.

 

Active mainly during the day, the impala may be gregarious or territorial depending upon the climate and geography. Three distinct social groups can be observed: the territorial males, bachelor herds and female herds. The impala is known for two characteristic leaps that constitute an anti-predator strategy. Browsers as well as grazers, impala feed on monocots, dicots, forbs, fruits and acacia pods (whenever available). An annual, three-week-long rut takes place toward the end of the wet season, typically in May. Rutting males fight over dominance, and the victorious male courts female in oestrus. Gestation lasts six to seven months, following which a single calf is born and immediately concealed in cover. Calves are suckled for four to six months; young males—forced out of the all-female groups—join bachelor herds, while females may stay back.

 

The impala is found in woodlands and sometimes on the interface (ecotone) between woodlands and savannahs; it inhabits places close to water. While the black-faced impala is confined to southwestern Angola and Kaokoland in northwestern Namibia, the common impala is widespread across its range and has been reintroduced in Gabon and southern Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the impala as a species of least concern; the black-faced subspecies has been classified as a vulnerable species, with less than 1,000 individuals remaining in the wild as of 2008.

 

The first attested English name, in 1802, was palla or pallah, from the Tswana phala 'red antelope'; the name impala, also spelled impalla or mpala, is first attested in 1875. Its Afrikaans name, rooibok 'red buck', is also sometimes used in English.

 

The scientific generic name Aepyceros (lit. ‘high-horned’) comes from Ancient Greek αἰπύς (aipus, 'high, steep') + κέρας (keras, 'horn'); the specific name melampus (lit. ‘black-foot’) from μελάς (melas, 'black') + πούς (pous, 'foot').

 

The impala is a medium-sized, slender antelope similar to the kob or Grant's gazelle in build. The head-and-body length is around 130 centimetres (51 in). Males reach approximately 75–92 centimetres (30–36 in) at the shoulder, while females are 70–85 centimetres (28–33 in) tall. Males typically weigh 53–76 kilograms (117–168 lb) and females 40–53 kilograms (88–117 lb). Sexually dimorphic, females are hornless and smaller than males. Males grow slender, lyre-shaped horns 45–92 centimetres (18–36 in) long. The horns, strongly ridged and divergent, are circular in section and hollow at the base. Their arch-like structure allows interlocking of horns, which helps a male throw off his opponent during fights; horns also protect the skull from damage.

 

The glossy coat of the impala shows two-tone colouration – the reddish brown back and the tan flanks; these are in sharp contrast to the white underbelly. Facial features include white rings around the eyes and a light chin and snout. The ears, 17 centimetres (6.7 in) long, are tipped with black. Black streaks run from the buttocks to the upper hindlegs. The bushy white tail, 30 centimetres (12 in) long, features a solid black stripe along the midline. The impala's colouration bears a strong resemblance to the gerenuk, which has shorter horns and lacks the black thigh stripes of the impala. The impala has scent glands covered by a black tuft of hair on the hindlegs. Sebaceous glands concentrated on the forehead and dispersed on the torso of dominant males are most active during the mating season, while those of females are only partially developed and do not undergo seasonal changes. There are four nipples.

 

Of the subspecies, the black-faced impala is significantly larger and darker than the common impala; melanism is responsible for the black colouration. Distinctive of the black-faced impala is a dark stripe, on either side of the nose, that runs upward to the eyes and thins as it reaches the forehead. Other differences include the larger black tip on the ear, and a bushier and nearly 30% longer tail in the black-faced impala.

 

The impala has a special dental arrangement on the front lower jaw similar to the toothcomb seen in strepsirrhine primates, which is used during allogrooming to comb the fur on the head and the neck and remove ectoparasites.

 

The impala is diurnal (active mainly during the day), though activity tends to cease during the hot midday hours; they feed and rest at night. Three distinct social groups can be observed – the territorial males, bachelor herds and female herds. The territorial males hold territories where they may form harems of females; territories are demarcated with urine and faeces and defended against juvenile or male intruders. Bachelor herds tend to be small, with less than 30 members. Individuals maintain distances of 2.5–3 metres (8.2–9.8 ft) from one another; while young and old males may interact, middle-aged males generally avoid one another except to spar. Female herds vary in size from 6 to 100; herds occupy home ranges of 80–180 hectares (200–440 acres; 0.31–0.69 sq mi). The mother–calf bond is weak, and breaks soon after weaning; juveniles leave the herds of their mothers to join other herds. Female herds tend to be loose and have no obvious leadership. Allogrooming is an important means of social interaction in bachelor and female herds; in fact, the impala appears to be the only ungulate to display self-grooming as well as allogrooming. In allogrooming, females typically groom related impalas, while males associate with unrelated ones. Each partner grooms the other six to twelve times.

 

Social behaviour is influenced by the climate and geography; as such, the impala are territorial at certain times of the year and gregarious at other times, and the length of these periods can vary broadly among populations. For instance, populations in southern Africa display territorial behaviour only during the few months of the rut, whereas in eastern African populations, territoriality is relatively minimal despite a protracted mating season. Moreover, territorial males often tolerate bachelors, and may even alternate between bachelorhood and territoriality at different times of the year. A study of impala in the Serengeti National Park showed that in 94% of the males, territoriality was observed for less than four months.

 

The impala is an important prey species for several carnivores, such as cheetahs, leopards and lions. The antelope displays two characteristic leaps – it can jump up to 3 metres (9.8 ft), over vegetation and even other impala, covering distances of up to 10 metres (33 ft); the other type of leap involves a series of jumps in which the animal lands on its forelegs, moves its hindlegs mid-air in a kicking fashion, lands on all fours (stotting) and then rebounds. It leaps in either manner in different directions, probably to confuse predators. At times, the impala may also conceal itself in vegetation to escape the eye of the predator. The most prominent vocalisation is the loud roar, delivered through one to three loud snorts with the mouth closed, followed by two to ten deep grunts with the mouth open and the chin and tail raised; a typical roar can be heard up to 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away. Scent gland secretions identify a territorial male. Impalas are sedentary; adult and middle-aged males, in particular, can hold their territories for years.

 

The impala inhabits woodlands due to its preference for shade; it can also occur on the interface (ecotone) between woodlands and savannahs. Places close to water sources are preferred. In southern Africa, populations tend to be associated with Colophospermum mopane and Acacia woodlands. Habitat choices differ seasonally – Acacia senegal woodlands are preferred in the wet season, and A. drepanolobium savannahs in the dry season. Another factor that could influence habitat choice is vulnerability to predators; impala tend to keep away from areas with tall grasses as predators could be concealed there. A study found that the reduction of woodland cover and creation of shrublands by the African bush elephants has favoured impala population by increasing the availability of more dry season browse. Earlier, the Baikiaea woodland, which has now declined due to elephants, provided minimum browsing for impala. The newly formed Capparis shrubland, on the other hand, could be a key browsing habitat. Impala are generally not associated with montane habitats; however, in KwaZulu-Natal, impala have been recorded at altitudes of up to 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) above sea level.

 

The historical range of the impala – spanning across southern and eastern Africa – has remained intact to a great extent, although it has disappeared from a few places, such as Burundi. The range extends from central and southern Kenya and northeastern Uganda in the east to northern KwaZulu-Natal in the south, and westward up to Namibia and southern Angola. The black-faced impala is confined to southwestern Angola and Kaokoland in northwestern Namibia; the status of this subspecies has not been monitored since the 2000s. The common impala has a wider distribution, and has been introduced in protected areas in Gabon and across southern Africa.

 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the impala as a species of least concern overall. The black-faced impala, however, is classified as a vulnerable species; as of 2008, fewer than 1,000 were estimated in the wild. Though there are no major threats to the survival of the common impala, poaching and natural calamities have significantly contributed to the decline of the black-faced impala. As of 2008, the population of the common impala has been estimated at around two million. According to some studies, translocation of the black-faced impala can be highly beneficial in its conservation.

 

Around a quarter of the common impala populations occur in protected areas, such as the Okavango Delta (Botswana); Masai Mara and Kajiado (Kenya); Kruger National Park (South Africa); the Ruaha and Serengeti National Parks and Selous Game Reserve (Tanzania); Luangwa Valley (Zambia); Hwange, Sebungwe and Zambezi Valley (Zimbabwe). The rare black-faced impala has been introduced into private farms in Namibia and the Etosha National Park. Population densities vary largely from place to place; from less than one impala per square kilometre in Mkomazi National Park (Tanzania) to as high as 135 per square kilometre near Lake Kariba (Zimbabwe).

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.

 

Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Die Impalas (Aepyceros) sind eine Gattung mittelgroßer afrikanischer Antilopen, die gleichzeitig die monotypische Tribus Aepycerotini bilden. Wegen der äußerlichen Ähnlichkeit wurden die Impalas früher oft in die Nähe der Gazellen gestellt, nach neuen Erkenntnissen sind sie aber enger mit den Kuhantilopen verwandt.

 

Impalas erreichen eine Schulterhöhe von 90 cm und ein Gewicht von 40 kg (Weibchen) bis 65 kg (Männchen). Sie sind oben rehbraun gefärbt, die Flanken haben dabei eine etwas hellere Farbe. Der Unterbauch, die Brust, die Kehle und das Kinn sind weißlich. Den Steiß ziert beidseitig ein senkrechter schwarzer Streifen. Tarsalgelenk und Metacarpus sind dagegen schwarzbraun, weshalb diese Art auch Schwarzfersenantilope (A. melampus) genannt wird. Oberhalb des Hufes wächst an jedem Hinterlauf ein schwarzes Haarbüschel. Der Kopf ist zierlich, die Augen groß und die Ohren schmal und spitz. Bei der Schwarznasenimpala (A. petersi) ist ein namensgebender dunkler Streifen auf der Nase ausgebildet, der bei der Schwarzfersenantilope deutlich diffuser erscheint. Die Männchen haben leierartige Hörner, die bis zu 90 cm lang werden können und nach hinten, seitwärts und oben ausschwingen.

 

Das Verbreitungsgebiet der Schwarzfersenantilope reicht von Kenia und Uganda über Tansania, Sambia, Mosambik und Simbabwe bis nach Botswana und ins nordöstliche Südafrika. Isoliert von diesem Gebiet lebt eine weitere Population im Grenzgebiet von Angola und Namibia; diese wird als eigene Art abgetrennt, die Schwarznasenimpala. Diese Art ist besonders häufig im östlichen Teil des Etosha-Nationalparks in Namibia anzutreffen. Sie hat sich von dort im Verlaufe der letzten Jahre zunehmend auch in den westlichen Teilen des Nationalparks verbreitet, so dass sie heute auch an den Wasserlöchern um Okaukuejo vorkommt. Alle anderen Impalas sind näher miteinander verwandt und werden zumeist als eine einzige Art aufgefasst, die Schwarzfersenimpala, was auch durch genetische Analysen gestützt wird.

 

Eine ungewöhnliche Ansiedlung von Impalas fand 1976 im Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary auf den Philippinen statt. Es ist die einzige frei lebende Population von Impalas außerhalb Afrikas.

 

Bevorzugtes Habitat der Impala ist die offene Savanne. Während der Fortpflanzungszeit bewacht ein Impalamännchen in der Regel eine Gruppe von Weibchen. Dabei geht er wie auf einer Parade hin und her, zeigt seine Hörner, legt die Ohren zurück und hebt seinen Schwanz. Der Kampf der Männchen um einen Harem lässt sich in drei Kampffolgen aufteilen. Im ersten Teil demonstriert der Herausforderer seine helle Bauchseite, gähnt und lässt die Zunge herausschnellen. Dann senkt das Männchen seinen Kopf als Herausforderung zum Kampf. In der zweiten Phase stehen sich die beiden Rivalen einander mit erhobenem Kopf gegenüber, rücken vor und ziehen sich wieder zurück. Gibt nach dieser Demonstrationsphase noch keines der Männchen auf, verkeilen die beiden Tiere die Hörner ineinander und schieben sich vor und zurück, trennen sich wieder und beginnen mit ihrem Schiebekampf wieder von vorne, bis eines der Tiere aufgibt. Blut fließt in der Regel nicht.

 

Weibliche Impalas leben mit ihren Jungen in Herden von zehn bis hundert Tieren. Von diesen getrennte Herden bilden junge und alte Männchen, die zu schwach sind, um ein Revier zu verteidigen. Männchen im mittleren Alter sind territoriale Einzelgänger und beanspruchen jedes Weibchen für sich, das ihr Revier durchwandert.

 

Auf der Flucht können Impalas hohe Geschwindigkeiten erreichen und bis zu 9 Meter weite Sprünge vollführen. Bei der Überquerung von z. B. Farmzäunen können sie außerdem bis zu 3 Meter hoch springen. Sie suchen allerdings meistens eine Deckung auf, anstatt allein auf ihre Geschwindigkeit zu vertrauen. Zu ihrer Verteidigungsstrategie gegenüber Hetzjägern wie dem Afrikanischen Wildhund zählen auch sogenannte Prellsprünge, bei denen die Antilopen steifbeinig in die Luft springen.

 

Die Tribus und die Gattung gliedern sich folgendermaßen:

 

Tribus Aepycerotini Gray, 1872

 

Gattung Aepyceros Sundevall, 1847

 

Schwarzfersenantilope oder Impala (Aepyceros melampus Lichtenstein, 1812)

Schwarznasenimpala (Aepyceros petersi Bocage, 1879)

 

Die IUCN stuft die Schwarzfersenantilope als „nicht gefährdet“ (least concern) ein. Die Schwarznasenimpala gilt als „gefährdet“ (vulnerable).

 

Der Name „Impala“ entstammt der Zulu-Sprache, die Betonung erfolgt auf das a in der Mitte (Impala). Chevrolet nannte sein 1957 erschienenes Full-Size Car Chevrolet Impala nach der Antilope.

 

(Wikpedia)

This Dutch commemorative postage stamp was issued in 1979 to mark the 400th anniversary of the Union of Utrecht (1579–1979). The design shows two clasped hands, symbolizing unity and cooperation, surrounded by arrows representing the seven provinces that formed the foundation of the Dutch Republic. The Union of Utrecht is widely regarded as a cornerstone in the history of the Netherlands.

© photo rights reserved by B℮n

 

Andalusia is located in southern Spain and covers an area of ​​8 provinces. Andalusia is the second largest autonomous region in Spain. Beautiful Andalucía, the land of olives, oranges, sunflowers, beautiful mountain ranges and valleys, nice white mountain villages with beautiful squares, is a bridge between two continents, Africa and Europe, and is the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet. There is something for everyone in Andalusia, from culture to beautiful terraces, sights, long beaches, beautiful inland areas with beautiful reservoirs, mountains and nice villages to visit. Málaga is second-most populous city of Andalusia. Known to many as the capital of the Costa del Sol, Málaga is more than a seaside city. Málaga's history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in Europe. It was founded about 770 BC by the Phoenicians as Malaka. The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the historic center of the city an "open museum", displaying its history of nearly 3,000 years. With powerful walls visible from almost anywhere in the city, Málaga’s Alcazaba is a Moorish fortress palace and valuable monument from the Islamic era. Just down the hill, beyond the outer walls of the Alcazaba is a Roman Theatre the best ancient monument in the city.

 

Málaga is one of the oldest cities in Spain and hallmarks of its rich past are scattered across Malaga: the cobbled streets of the old quarter, its mountainside Roman Amphitheatre, the Moorish citadels of the Alcazaba and Gilfarbaro. And even once the sight-seeing is done, there’s still a city full of rooftop bars, gleaming boutique stores and nearby beaches to explore. Just down the hill, beyond the outer walls of the Alcazaba is the Roman Theatre, the best ancient monument in the city. This theatre was in use for around 300 years up to the 200s but then was forgotten about and even used as a quarry during the Moorish period. The structure was only rediscovered in 1951 and considering all its been through is actually in pretty good shape today. Several tiers of seating of the 16 metre-high spectator’s circle remain undamaged and there’s a recently-opened visitor centre. Kanitha next to old Roman Theatre.

 

Andalusië ligt in zuid Spanje en beslaat een gebied van 8 provincies. Andalusië de op één na grootste autonome regio in Spanje en meer dan twee keer zo groot als Nederland. Het mooie Andalusië, het land van de olijven, sinaasappels, zonnebloemen, mooie bergketens en valleien, leuke witte bergdorpen met mooie pleintjes, is een brug tussen twee continenten, Afrika en Europa, en is het punt waar de Atlantische Oceaan en de Middellandse Zee elkaar ontmoeten. Er is voor elk wat wils in Andalusië, van cultuur tot mooie terrasjes, bezienswaardigheden, lange stranden, prachtige binnenlanden met mooie stuwmeren, bergen en leuke dorpen om te bezoeken. Málaga is de tweede meest bevolkte stad van Andalusië. Málaga is bij velen bekend als de hoofdstad van de Costa del Sol en is meer dan een stad aan zee. De geschiedenis van Málaga beslaat ongeveer 2.800 jaar en is daarmee een van de oudste steden van Europa. Het werd gesticht rond 770 voor Christus door de Feniciërs als Malaka. De archeologische overblijfselen en monumenten uit de Fenicische, Romeinse, Arabische en christelijke tijdperken maken van het historische centrum van de stad een "open museum", met een geschiedenis van bijna 3000 jaar. Met dikke muren zichtbaar vanuit bijna overal in de stad, is Alcazaba Alcazaba een Moors vestingpaleis en een waardevol monument uit de islamitische tijd. Net de heuvel af, voorbij de buitenmuren van het Alcazaba, is een Romeins theater het beste oude monument in de stad. Het theater was tot 300 jaar oud in gebruik, maar werd daarna vergeten en zelfs gebruikt als een steengroeve tijdens de Moorse periode. De structuur werd pas in 1951 herontdekt en gezien alles wat hij heeft meegemaakt is hij eigenlijk in vrij goede staat vandaag. Verschillende rijen zitplaatsen van de 16 meter hoge toeschouwerscirkel blijven onbeschadigd en er is een onlangs geopend bezoekerscentrum. Foto van Kanitha bij het oude Romeinse theater.

Took during a trip in the Atlantic Provinces (Canada, New Brunswick)

 

Garden of the Provinces & Territories

The Garden of the Provinces and Territories is a 4-acre (1.6 ha) site along Confederation Boulevard in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital city. It is bounded by the Sparks Street escarpment on the south, Wellington Street on the west and north, and Bay Street to the east[1] between Christ Church Cathedral and the Library and Archives Canada. It was officially opened on September 25, 1962, as a western gateway to the Parliament Buildings.[1] The park was renamed from "Garden of the Provinces" on October 6, 2005 to recognize and include Canada's three territories.[1] Scott Brison, then the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, officially renamed the park.

2

© all rights reserved

 

Please take your time... and enjoy it large on black

 

Buddhism in Laos is largely of the Theravada school. Nearly 60% of the Lao population is Buddhist of the Theravada school, though Buddhism in this country has become integrated with folk beliefs such as ancestor worship. Buddhism was based on the religious movement founded in the sixth century B.C. by Siddhartha , later known as the Buddha, who urged the world to relinquish the extremes of sensuality and self-mortification and follow the enlightened Middle Way...... The focus of this religion is on man, not gods; the assumption is that life is pain or suffering, which is a consequence of craving, and that suffering can end only if desire ceases. The end of suffering is the achievement of nirvana often defined as the absence of craving and therefore of suffering, sometimes as enlightenment. Like in most other Theravada nations, Buddhism in Laos is represented primarily by the presence of Buddhist monks, who serve as officiants on ceremonial occasions, as well as being responsible for preserving and conveying the teachings of the Buddha.

 

A recent monk workshop was held by Mlup Baitong to increase awareness of the local provincial authorities and people regarding dolphin and fish conservation because most Laotians and Cambodians have unlimitedly belief on Buddhist religion. There are only 64 or 65 irrawaddy dolphins left in the Mekong river in Southeast Asia and is classified as a critically endangered species. A number of monks here at the border of Laos and Cambodia are already available for raising awareness as well as teaching materials. The monks encourage a dialogue here in Kratie and Stung Treng Provinces to elicit their support for the dolphin conservation and to extend the general public support. Above photo shows Saffron-cloaked monks on a slow boat at the Mekong River near the border of Laos - Cambodia. There are only 12 dolphins left in this area and a few more further down stream in Kratie - Cambodia. Many temples are build next to the river since transport in Laos via the river is faster than by road. Laos is truly a Mekong country, the river runs its full length. We had a friendly chat with the local people and monks. Lao monks are very friendly and approachable. We donated some money to this Buddhist community. We hope the monk workshop will help the Irrawaddy dophins to survive. Most people donate food to the monks to gain merit and improve their karma. The temples of Laos were once seen as "Universities" for monks. Lao monks are highly respected and revered in Lao communities. Many of the novice monks come from poor villages throughout Laos and live and study.

 

Een groot deel van de Laostiaase bevolking, zo’n 60% is boeddhist. Men hangt het zogenaamde Teravada-boeddhisme. In het Theravada wordt meditatie benadrukt als een essentieel onderdeel van het pad naar verlichting, samen met moreel gedrag en wijsheid. Het brengen van een einde aan het lijden is het hoofddoel van het Theravada boeddhisme. De Boeddha legde verder een zeer gedetailleerde gedragscode voor de Monniken neer: de Vinaya. Over het algemeen worden monniken door de Boeddha aangemoedigd om wereldse aangelegenheden en passies achter zich te laten, zodat zij gemakkelijker in staat zijn een staat van vrede en wijsheid te bereiken, en sterke ongezonde emoties zoals haat, verlangen en lust te overwinnen. Een Monnik zoals hierboven in z'n oranje gewaad, kaalgeschoren en met sandalen aan de voeten is niet meer weg te denken uit het straatbeeld van Laos.

 

Arona, 1/11/11

Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) perched on a rock in Victoria, BC, Canada.

 

See more of my photos at www.glennbartley.com

 

Join me on a bird photography workshop - www.glennbartley.com/photoworkshops

One of the provinces closest to Panama City is Coclé, characterized by its varied landscapes offering both mountains and sea. The province is distinguished by a mixture of coastal plains, rolling hills, and mountainous regions, including parts of the Central Mountain Range.

 

This collection of photographs offers a look at this province from atop its valleys. The images feature marvelous clouds of grey tones, heralding the arrival of winter, better known as the rainy season. In addition, there's an abundance of lush vegetation and pleasant weather; the altitude provides coolness, but if desired, the beach is just minutes away. Water in the sky and on the earth is welcome; in its rawest forms, it always looks beautiful.

In July 2012, we cruised Canada's Maritime Provinces on the Carnival Glory.

 

Here's the Glory docked on the St. John River in downtown Saint John, New Brunswick.

España - Bizkaia - Bilbao

Dedico estas flores a la amiga Maria Luisa Novela experta en flores y especialmente en sus maravillosas Echinopsis. Mis dos fotos no tienen el marco adecuado por estar tomadas en el Hotel Camprodon

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ENGLISH

Echinopsis chamaecereus is a species of cactus from Argentina. Synonyms include Chamaecereus silvestrii and Lobivia silvestrii, It has been called the "peanut cactus", This plant should not be confused with Echinopsis silvestrii, another species with a very different appearance.

E. chamaecereus has long stems about 1 cm (0.4 in) across. Orange flowers up to 4 cm (1.6 in) wide appear in late spring. In cultivation, E. chamaecereus is hardy to temperatures as low as −7 °C (19 °F) if kept dry.

E. chamaecereus was first collected and described in 1896 as Cereus silvestrii by Italian-Argentinian botanist Carlo Luigi Spegazzini in the mountains between the provinces of Tucuman and Salta, Argentina. However, subsequent expeditions to the area failed to find the species Spegazzini had collected and it is unknown whether the species has gone extinct since the initial collection.

This plant is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

 

WIKIPEDIA

 

High on the shore's bank a photograher looks through the lens of his camera to get a composition that is to his liking.

 

Storm clouds are rolling in land as seagulls take to the skies.

 

kenmo.fineartamerica.com/

kenmo.zenfolio.com/

 

© photo rights reserved by B℮n

 

Andalusia is located in southern Spain and covers an area of ​​8 provinces. Andalusia is the second largest autonomous region in Spain. Beautiful Andalucía, the land of olives, oranges, sunflowers, beautiful mountain ranges and valleys, nice white mountain villages with beautiful squares, is a bridge between two continents, Africa and Europe, and is the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet. There is something for everyone in Andalusia, from culture to beautiful terraces, sights, long beaches, beautiful inland areas with beautiful reservoirs, mountains and nice villages to visit. Seville is the capital of the province of Andalusia. It has a colorful history dating back to the Romans. You will find beautiful historic buildings, but also tapas bars where they serve the tastiest dishes. And of course not to forget the flamenco. In 1929, as part of the Spanish World Exhibition, among other things, the Plaza de España was constructed: a crescent-shaped square with the Pavilion de España situated on it. There are fifty murals on the façade that refer to the fifty Spanish provinces. In front of it are benches, which are eagerly used. The Plaza de España is a classic place to go with the family on Sundays. The majority of these buildings are used today by the government such as the town hall. The square also served as a film set for Naboo in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.

 

The Plaza de España is a landmark in Spain located in Sevilla. A "Moorish paradisical style" with a half mile of tiled fountains, pavilions, walls, ponds, benches, and lush plantings of Mediterranean pines. The Plaza de España has been used as a filming location for in the Star Wars movie – Attack of the Clones. The scene of a young Anakin and Padmé arriving at the planet of Naboo, walking over the bridge and through the corridors of the Royal Palace. Today they are filming another TV Serie in front of Plaza de España.

 

Andalusië ligt in zuid Spanje en beslaat een gebied van 8 provincies. Andalusië de op één na grootste autonome regio in Spanje en meer dan twee keer zo groot als Nederland. Het mooie Andalusië, het land van de olijven, sinaasappels, zonnebloemen, mooie bergketens en valleien, leuke witte bergdorpen met mooie pleintjes, is een brug tussen twee continenten, Afrika en Europa, en is het punt waar de Atlantische Oceaan en de Middellandse Zee elkaar ontmoeten. Er is voor elk wat wils in Andalusië, van cultuur tot mooie terrasjes, bezienswaardigheden, lange stranden, prachtige binnenlanden met mooie stuwmeren, bergen en leuke dorpen om te bezoeken. Sevilla is de hoofdstad van de provincie Andalusië. Het heeft een kleurrijke geschiedenis die teruggaat tot de Romeinen. Je treft er schitterende historische gebouwen, maar ook tapasbars waar ze de lekkerste gerechten serveren. En natuurlijk de flamenco niet te vergeten. In 1929 werd in Sevilla, als onderdeel van de Spaanse Wereldtentoonstelling onder meer de Plaza de España aangelegd: een halvemaanvormig plein met daaraan gelegen het Paviljoen de España. Op de gevel bevinden zich vijftig wandschilderingen die naar de vijftig Spaanse provincies verwijzen. Ervoor bevinden zich bankjes, waar gretig gebruik van wordt gemaakt. De Plaza de España is een klassieke plek om op zondag met de familie heen te gaan. Het merendeel van deze gebouwen wordt vandaag de dag gebruikt door de overheid zoals het stadhuis. Het plein diende ook als filmset voor Naboo in de film Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones uit 2002. Vandaag filmen ze een nieuwe TV serie voor het Plaza de España.

Five provinces circled the area of Tonle Sap Lake, more than three million of population inhabited around the bank of the Lake and 90% of them earn a living by catching fish and making agricultures.

 

Photo taken during recent trip to Cambodia. Photo edited in Lightroom.

ELEPHANT PLAINS: Located in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, neighbouring the Kruger National Park, the Elephant Plains Game Lodge promises a Big Five game viewing experience with high class luxurious and comfortable accommodation facilities. From rondavels to intimate honeymoon suites the lodge provides its guests with a vast range of options to choose from for their accommodation. Elephant Plains Game Lodge is famous for the enthralling Big Five game viewing where guests can avail two game drives a day. With amazing facilities like swimming pool, spa, gym, library, games room and much more; Elephant Plains Game Lodge serves the guests with one of the best accommodation services in South Africa. The lodge can accommodate up to 24 guests at a time and also offer wedding planning services for those who wish to celebrate the wedding in the wilderness of South Africa. www.elephantplains.co.za

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km from north to south and 65 km from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926. To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique. The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere"). The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruger_National_Park

SABI SAND: The Sabi Sand Game Reserve is situated in the southwestern corner of the world-renowned Kruger National Park in South Africa and consists of 65000 hectares. It is the most prestigious game reserve in South Africa and is famous for incredible leopard and lion sightings. www.sabisandsgamereserve.com

Canadian Maritime Provinces

Five provinces circled the area of Tonle Sap Lake, more than three million of population inhabited around the bank of the Lake and 90% of them earn a living by catching fish and making agricultures.

 

Photo taken during recent trip to Cambodia.

 

Photo edited in LR + Nik Collection Analog Efex Pro

Italien / Südtirol - Drei Zinnen

 

Antonio Locatelli Hut

 

Dreizinnenhütte

 

The Tre Cime di Lavaredo (pronounced [ˌtre tˈtʃiːme di lavaˈreːdo]; Italian for '"Three Peaks of Lavaredo"'), also called the Drei Zinnen (pronounced [ˌdʁaɪ ˈtsɪnən]); German for '"Three Merlons"'), are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps. The three peaks, from east to west, are:

 

Cima Piccola / Kleine Zinne ("little peak")

Cima Grande / Große Zinne ("big peak")

Cima Ovest / Westliche Zinne ("western peak").

 

Tre Cime as seen from the foot of Torre di Toblin mountain

 

The peaks are composed of well-layered dolomites of the Dolomia Principale (Hauptdolomit) formation, Carnian to Rhaetian in age, as are many other groups in the Dolomites (e.g., the Tofane, the Pelmo or the Cinque Torri).

 

Until 1919 the peaks formed part of the border between Italy and Austria-Hungary. Now they lie on the border between the Italian provinces of South Tyrol and Belluno and still are a part of the linguistic boundary between German-speaking and Italian-speaking majorities. The Cima Grande has an elevation of 2,999 metres (9,839 ft). It stands between the Cima Piccola, at 2,857 metres (9,373 ft), and the Cima Ovest, at 2,973 metres (9,754 ft).

 

Location and surroundings

 

The Three Peaks rise on the southern edge of the extensive pinnacle plateau with the Langen Alm (La Grava Longa), an alpine plateau at around 2200 m to 2400 m, which here forms the end of the Rienz Valley (Valle della Rienza). There are three small mountain lakes, the Zinnenseen. This area north of the mountains to the peaks to the municipality of part Toblach in South Tyrol and the Natural Park Three Peaks (up to 2010 Sesto Dolomites Nature Park), the since 2009 is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

 

The ridge of the battlements, which runs in a west-east direction, forms the border with the municipality of Auronzo di Cadore in the province of Belluno, which also represents the German-Italian language border. To the northeast, this ridge continues to the 2454 m high Paternsattel (Forcella Lavaredo), where it turns north to the mountains Passportenkopf (Croda di Passaporto, 2719 m) and Paternkofel (Monte Paterno, 2744 m). In the west it sits across the Forcella Col di Mezzo (2315 m) transition to the Zinnenkuppe (Col di Mezzo, 2254 m) and on to the 2252 m high Katzenleiterkopf (Croda d'Arghena).

 

To the southwest of the Drei Zinnen, the Forcella Col di Mezzo is followed by the Plano di Longeres plateau above the Valle di Rinbianco, a side valley of the Rienz Valley. Immediately south of the western pinnacle, the Forcella di Longeres saddle (2235 m) separates the Plano di Longeres from the Vallone di Lavaredo, a side valley of the Piave valley. To the south lies the Cadini group.

 

Cortina d'Ampezzo, 17 kilometers southwest, is the largest city in the area. Other larger towns are Toblach 13 kilometers northwest and Innichen 12 kilometers north.

 

Cabins and access

 

The most easily accessible support point around Drei Zinnen is Rifugio Auronzo (Auronzo hut, 2320 m). The cottage, which belongs to the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), is located immediately south of the massif above Forcella di Longeres, and has good road connections to the tourist resort of Misurina (toll road). The cabin can be reached on foot from Lavaredodalen in the southeast.

 

About one kilometer east of Rifugio Auronzo and from there via a wide hiking trail lies the privately run Rifugio di Lavaredo (2325 m) at the southeast foot of the Kleine Zinne.

 

Northwest of the peaks is the summer-open, privately run farmhouse Lange Alm (also Lange Alpe) at 2296 m. One hiking trail goes from the Auronzo hut over the Forcella Col di Mezzo, another from the north comes from the Rienztal.

 

CAI's Dreizinnenhütte (Rifugio Locatelli, 2438 m) is located approximately one kilometer northeast of Drei Zinnen. The cabin, which is well known for its view of the north wall, can be reached from Auronzohytta via Paternsattel on a wide hiking trail. Other access options are from Sexten through Fischleinboden from the east, and also from Sexten from the north through the Innerfeldtal and through the Rienztal from Höhlenstein (Landro) in the Höhlensteintal (Valle di Landro). From the southeast, the cabin can be reached from Lange Alm.

 

Climate, flora and fauna

 

The Sexten Dolomites are surrounded by other mountain ranges on all sides, and this sheltered location in the interior of the Alps provides relatively favorable climatic conditions considering the altitude. Nevertheless, when cold fronts pass the area, rapid weather changes with fog, wind and heavy rainfall can occur, even as snow, even in high summer. In shady gorges and under north walls, the snow can lie until late summer, sometimes all year round, even though there are no glaciers here.

 

The alpine vegetation zone around Drei Zinnen is dominated by the raibl layer's alpine mats. The plateau around Lange Alm is one of the few areas with grazing land in the nature park. Alpines are strikingly flowery; examples of plants that thrive here are beard bell, edelweiss and Gentiana clusii. The alpine marmot is a numerous mammal; there are also hares and chamois. On the other hand, there are no ibex in the Sexten Dolomites. Of birds there are Rock ptarmigan, ravens and golden eagles, and also hubriscan often be found hunting at this altitude. Vipers, especially the black variety, can be found at the unusual (for reptiles) altitude of 2600 m.

 

The vegetation on the vast clocks and on the southern flanks of the peaks is characterized by plants that are able to adapt to the constant movements of the stone clock. Examples of these are alpine cod mouth (Linaria alpina), French edible acid (Rumex scutatus), Thlaspi cepaeifolium, Potentilla nitida and alpine poppy (Papaver alpinum). In crevices are trickled Saxifraga squarrosa, cruciferous Kernera saxatilis, carnation Minuartia sedoides and the rare Paederota bonarota. In the steep, shady north walls there is hardly anyvascular plants; the most conspicuous vegetation is next to moss and low large carpets with blue-green bacteria, which appear especially on moist rock walls in the form of characteristic «ink lines». A mammal that moves all the way into the cliff areas is the snow field mouse (Chionomys nivalis). Insects (Tichodroma muraria) and alpine quays (Pyrrhocorax graculus) hunt insects here.

 

First ascents

 

The first ascent of the Cima Grande (Große Zinne) was on August 21, 1869, by Paul Grohmann with guides Franz Innerkofler and Peter Salcher. The Cima Ovest (Westliche Zinne) was first climbed exactly ten years later, on August 21, 1879, by Michel Innerkofler with G. Ploner, a tourist. The Cima Piccola (Kleine Zinne) was first climbed on July 25, 1881, by Michel and Hans Innerkofler. The routes of these three first ascents are still the normal ascent routes; the Cima Piccola's route is the most difficult of the three. A climbing route, the Dibona Kante, on the Cima Grande is named after Angelo Dibona.

 

Emilio Comici was the first to climb the north face of the Cima Grande in 1933 in a party of three, after an ascent time of 3 days and 2 nights. This partly overhanging northern face is considered by climbers to be one of the great north faces of the Alps.

 

Tourism

 

Tre Cime Natural Park is named after the famous peaks. The visitor centre provides information concerning the trails, natural and man-made landscapes of the Sexten Dolomites and it is located at the former Grand Hotel in Dobbiaco.

 

Numerous well-marked routes lead from the surrounding communities to and around the peaks. The most common route is from Paternkofel/Monte Paterno to the alpine hut Auronzo at 2,333 m (7,654 ft), over Paternsattel (Patern Pass) to the Locatelli alpine hut (Dreizinnenhütte) at 2,405 m (7,890 ft), and then to the peaks. There are a number of other routes as well.

 

Nearby communities include Auronzo di Cadore (in the province of Belluno, region of Veneto), Toblach/Dobbiaco, Sexten/Sesto, and the Puster Valley (in the province of Bolzano, region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol).

 

The area has also staged many finishes in Giro d'Italia.

 

History

 

Since the front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary during World War I ran through the Tre Cime peaks, there are a number of fortifications, trenches, tunnels, iron ladders, and commemorative plaques in the area. There was intense fighting throughout the so-called "White War" between 1915 and 1917.

 

Film and television appearances

 

Tre Cime has been used as a filming location for:

 

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

Solo: A Star Wars Story

 

(Wikipedia)

 

The Antonio Locatelli hut (German: Dreizinnenhütte) is a refuge located in the Tre Cime Natural Park in South Tyrol at an altitude of 2,450 m.

 

The refuge is named after Antonio Locatelli, who was born in Bergamo on April 17, 1895, and died on June 27, 1936, in the Lechemti massacre during the Ethiopian War. He was a highly decorated aviator (the only Italian soldier to receive three gold medals for his military valor), journalist, Italian politician, mountaineer, CAI academic and, at his death, president of the CAI of Bergamo. During the First World War, he distinguished himself as a pilot of military aviation, and his daring exploits made him famous. He participated in the flight over Vienna with D'Annunzio. Shot and captured on September 15, 1918, he managed to escape disguised as an Austrian soldier after a few weeks. Inside the shelter is a statue of the Virgin of Loreto, patron of the airmen.

 

In 1881, the owner of the Post Hotel in Sexten, Karl Stemberger, proposed to build a refuge for the Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein, the Austrian-German Alpine Club, near the Toblin pass. Members of the entire section of the club were enthusiastic about the panorama that can be enjoyed on the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, on Mount Paterno, and on the surrounding mountains, and decided to build the shelter to the pass.

 

Karl Stemberger managed the work, while the project was carried out by the president of the section, engineer Rienzner from Toblach. The work began in the spring of 1882. In two months, the equipment was available, and a simple one-storey building was installed, built with cut stones and a sloping roof. On the ground floor, the small shelter included an equipped room, an integrated kitchen, two tables, benches and chairs. Next to it was a door that led to a second room that served as a bed for the shepherds. On the east side, there was an outside staircase leading to the attic, which contained up to ten beds.

 

The shelter was to be open for autumn, but the weather was not favorable. In fact, in September 1882, a flood occurred in the upper Puster Valley. The inauguration was then postponed to 1883. For its realization, 1,250 florins were spent.

 

The refuge was destroyed during the First World War by an Italian grenade.

 

In 1922, a small refuge was rebuilt in place of the previous by the South Tyrol Alpine Club. In 1923, the refuge was expropriated in favor of the CAI section of Padua, which planned a major restoration and expansion in 1935

 

The new shelter was not renovated but was built in a slightly different position. A simple monument built on an edge of the former visible location recalls the previous structure. It also receives the complementary name of Sepp Innerkofler, a mountain guide in the Dolomites.

 

At the refuge is a small chapel and two small lakes: the Piani lakes.

 

The Locatelli refuge can be reached from the Auronzo refuge, connected to Misurina (a hamlet of Auronzo) by a toll road. The minimum walking time required to reach the Locatelli refuge from the Auronzo refuge (car park) is approximately 1h 20 '. The connection with Sexten via the Fischlein Valley is more demanding. It can also be reached from Lake Landro in three hours.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Die Drei Zinnen (italienisch Tre Cime di Lavaredo) sind ein markanter Gebirgsstock in den Sextner Dolomiten an der Grenze zwischen den italienischen Provinzen Belluno im Süden und Südtirol im Norden.

 

Die höchste Erhebung der Gruppe ist die 2999 m s.l.m. hohe Große Zinne (ital. Cima Grande). Sie steht zwischen den beiden anderen Gipfeln, der Westlichen Zinne (Cima Ovest, 2973 m) und der Kleinen Zinne (Cima Piccola, 2857 m). Neben diesen markanten Felstürmen zählen noch mehrere weitere Gipfelpunkte zum Massiv, darunter die Punta di Frida (2792 m) und der Preußturm, auch Kleinste Zinne (Torre Preuß, Cima Piccolissima, 2700 m).

 

Seit der Erstbesteigung der Großen Zinne im Jahr 1869 zählen die Drei Zinnen bei Kletterern zu den begehrtesten Gipfelzielen der Alpen. Sie sind durch zahlreiche Kletterrouten verschiedener Schwierigkeitsgrade erschlossen und wurden so zu einem Zentrum des alpinen Kletterns, von welchem viele wichtige Entwicklungen in der Geschichte dieses Sports ihren Ausgang nahmen. Darüber hinaus sind sie aufgrund ihrer leichten Erreichbarkeit eine Attraktion für den Massentourismus. Insbesondere die Ansicht der steilen Nordwände gehört zu den bekanntesten Landschaftsbildern der Alpen und gilt als Wahrzeichen der Dolomiten. Während des Gebirgskriegs im Ersten Weltkrieg waren die Drei Zinnen und ihre Umgebungsgebiete als Teil der Front zwischen dem Königreich Italien und Österreich-Ungarn heftig umkämpft.

 

Lage und Umgebung

 

Die Drei Zinnen erheben sich am Südrand des weitläufigen Zinnenplateaus mit der Langen Alm (La Grava Longa), einer alpinen Hochfläche auf ungefähr 2200 m bis 2400 m, die hier den Abschluss des Rienztals (Valle della Rienza) bildet. Dort liegen drei kleine Gebirgsseen, die Zinnenseen. Dieses Areal nördlich der Berge bis zu deren Gipfeln gehört zum Gemeindegebiet von Toblach in Südtirol und zum Naturpark Drei Zinnen (bis 2010 Naturpark Sextner Dolomiten), der seit 2009 Teil des UNESCO-Weltnaturerbes ist.

 

Der in West-Ost-Richtung verlaufende Kamm der Zinnen bildet die Grenze zur Gemeinde Auronzo di Cadore in der Provinz Belluno, die zugleich die deutsch-italienische Sprachgrenze darstellt. Nach Nordosten führt dieser Kamm weiter zum 2454 m hohen Paternsattel (Forcella Lavaredo), wo er nach Norden zu den Bergen Passportenkopf (Croda di Passaporto, 2719 m) und Paternkofel (Monte Paterno, 2744 m) abbiegt. Im Westen setzt er sich über den Übergang Forcella Col di Mezzo (2315 m) zur Zinnenkuppe (Col di Mezzo) (2254 m) und weiter zum 2252 m hohen Katzenleiterkopf (Croda d’Arghena) fort.

 

Südwestlich der Drei Zinnen schließt sich an die Forcella Col di Mezzo das Plateau Plano di Longeres oberhalb des Valle di Rinbianco, eines Seitentals des Rienztals, an. Unmittelbar südlich der Westlichen Zinne trennt der Sattel Forcella di Longeres (2235 m) den Plano di Longeres vom Vallone di Lavaredo, einem Seitental des Piavetals. Südlich liegt die Cadini-Gruppe.

 

Über den 2454 m hohen Paternsattel als tiefsten Punkt lässt sich der Zwölferkofel als nächster Gipfel erreichen, der höher als die Große Zinne ist. Damit beträgt die Schartenhöhe der Großen Zinne 545 m, die Dominanz beträgt 4,25 km.

 

Cortina d’Ampezzo, 17 Kilometer südwestlich gelegen, ist die größte Stadt in der Umgebung. Weitere größere Ortschaften sind Auronzo di Cadore 12 Kilometer südöstlich, Toblach 13 Kilometer nordwestlich und Innichen 12 Kilometer nördlich.

 

Orte, Stützpunkte und Wege

 

Der am leichtesten erreichbare Stützpunkt in der Umgebung der Drei Zinnen ist die Auronzohütte (Rifugio Auronzo, 2320 m). Diese Schutzhütte des Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) liegt unmittelbar südlich des Massivs oberhalb des Forcella di Longeres und ist vom südwestlich liegenden, zu Auronzo gehörenden Hotelort Misurina aus durch eine asphaltierte Mautstraße erschlossen. Von Südosten her kann die Hütte vom Lavaredotal über einen Wanderweg erreicht werden.

 

Etwa einen Kilometer östlich der Auronzohütte und von dort über einen breiten Fahrweg erreichbar liegt am Südostfuß der Kleinen Zinne die privat bewirtschaftete Schutzhütte Rifugio di Lavaredo (2325 m).

 

Nordwestlich der Zinnen liegt die im Sommer bewirtschaftete Almhütte Lange Alm (auch Lange Alpe, 2296 m). Ein Wanderweg führt von der Auronzohütte über die Forcella Col di Mezzo dorthin, ein weiterer von Norden aus dem Rienztal.

 

Die im Besitz des CAI befindliche, 2438 m hoch gelegene Dreizinnenhütte nordöstlich der Drei Zinnen ist mit etwa einem Kilometer etwas weiter von dem Massiv entfernt. Sie ist besonders für den Ausblick auf die Nordwände bekannt und kann über einen breiten Wanderweg von der Auronzohütte aus über den Paternsattel erreicht werden. Weitere Zustiegsmöglichkeiten gibt es von Sexten durch den Fischleinboden von Osten, von Innichen aus durch das Innerfeldtal von Norden und durch das Rienztal von Höhlenstein (Landro) im Höhlensteintal (Valle di Landro). Von Südosten ist die Hütte von der Langen Alm her erreichbar.

 

Die Drei Zinnen

 

Große Zinne

 

Die Große Zinne (Cima Grande), die mittlere der Drei Zinnen, ist mit 2999 m der höchste Gipfel der Gruppe. Sie fällt durch ihre 500 Meter hohe, senkrechte bis überhängende Nordwand auf, die manchmal zu den Großen Nordwänden der Alpen gezählt wird, obwohl sie im Gegensatz zu den anderen dieser Wände keine Eispassagen aufweist. Die Südseite ist weit weniger steil und von zahlreichen Bändern und Schuttterrassen durchzogen. Durch diese Südwand führt auch der Normalweg, mit einer Schwierigkeit von III (UIAA) die leichteste Route, die auch als Abstieg vom Gipfel genutzt wird. Weitere bekannte Kletterrouten sind die Nordostkante (Dibonakante, IV+), Dabistebaff (V) an der Nordostwand und Dülfer (V+) an der Westwand. Die Routen durch die Nordwand sind wesentlich schwieriger, hier sind vor allem die Direttissima (auch Hasse/Brandler, VIII+, VI A2), Sachsenweg (auch Superdirettissima, V A2), Via Camillotto Pellesier (X, V+ A2), Comici (VII, V+ A0), ISO 2000 (VIII+), Claudio-Barbier-Gedächtnisweg (IX-A0), Alpenrose (IX-) und Phantom der Zinne (IX+) zu nennen.

 

Im Osten liegen hinter der alpinistisch unbedeutenden Pyramide (ca. 2630 m) die Zinnenscharte und die Kleine Zinne. Im Westen bildet die Große Zinnenscharte die Abgrenzung zur Westlichen Zinne.

 

Die Erstbesteigung der Großen Zinne erfolgte am 21. August 1869 von Süden.

 

Der Schweizer Dani Arnold erklomm die Große Zinne 2019 über die klassische Nordwandroute (Comici-Dimai-Route) in nur 46 Minuten und 30 Sekunden.

 

Westliche Zinne

 

Die 2973 m hohe Westliche Zinne (Cima Ovest), früher auch Vordere oder Landroer Zinne genannt, ähnelt in ihrer Form der Großen Zinne. Ihre Nordwand weist allerdings noch wesentlich stärker überhängende Passagen auf, die bis zu einer horizontalen Distanz von 40 Metern über den Wandfuß herausragen, so dass die Nordwand der Westlichen Zinne auch als „Größtes Dach der Alpen“ bezeichnet wird. Wegen ihres stufenförmigen Aufbaus wird sie auch häufig als „umgekehrte Riesentreppe“ beschrieben und gilt als eine der markantesten Felsformationen der Alpen.

 

Der Berg wird west- und südseitig von einem massiven Vorbau umgeben, der mit dem Torre Lavaredo 2536 m, dem Zinnenkopf (Sasso di Landro, 2736 m), Croda di Mezzo (2733 m), Croda del Rifugio, auch Hüttenkofel (ca.2730 m), Il Mulo (ca.2800 m), Croda degli Alpini (2865 m), Croda Longéres und Torre Comici (2780 m) mehrere weitere Gipfelpunkte aufweist. Dieser Vorbau ist von der Westlichen Zinne durch die Westliche Zinnenscharte getrennt, in seinem Westen liegt die Forcella Col di Mezzo. Im Osten ist der Westlichen Zinne zur Großen Zinnenscharte hin der Torre di Forcella della Grande vorgelagert.

 

Der Normalweg zur Westlichen Zinne führt von der Westlichen Zinnenscharte südwestseitig im Schwierigkeitsgrad II zum Gipfel, er ist heute hauptsächlich als Abstiegsroute von Bedeutung. Wichtige Routen sind der Dülferkamin (IV) in der Südwand, Innerkofler (IV) in der Ostwand, Langl/Löschner (IV) in der Nordostwand, die Demuthkante (Nordostkante, VII, V+ A0), Dülfer (IV+) in der Westwand und die Scoiattolikante (VIII, V+ A2). Durch die Nordwand führen die Schweizer Führe (VIII+, 6 A3), Cassin/Ratti (VIII, VI-A1), Baur-Dach (VI+ A3), Alpenliebe (IX), Jean-Couzy-Gedächtnisführe (auch Franzosenführe, X, 5+ A3), Bellavista (XI-, IX A3), PanAroma (XI-, IX A3) und Pressknödl (7c).

 

Die Erstbegehung der Westlichen Zinne erfolgte am 21. August 1879 von Süden.

 

Kleine Zinne, Punta di Frida und Preußturm

 

Das Massiv der Kleinen Zinne (Cima Piccola, 2857 m) ist im Vergleich zu Großer und Westlicher Zinne wesentlich stärker gegliedert und weist mit der Punta di Frida (2792 m) und dem Preußturm (2700 m) weitere bedeutende Gipfelpunkte auf. Weiterhin zu erwähnen sind die Anticima, ein südlicher Vorgipfel der Kleinen Zinne und die Allerkleinste Zinne (Torre Minor, oft auch nur als „Vorbau“ bezeichnet), ein kleiner Felsturm vor dem Preußturm.

 

Die Kleine Zinne, die sich durch die schlanke Form ihres Gipfelaufbaus von den anderen Zinnen unterscheidet, gilt mit einem Normalweg im Schwierigkeitsgrad IV (über die Südwestwand) als der am schwierigsten zu erreichende Zinnengipfel. Weitere wichtige Anstiege sind die Gelbe Kante (Spigolo Giallo, VI, V+ A0) an der Südkante, Innerkofler (IV+) und Fehrmannkamin (V+) an der Nordwand, Langl/Horn (V) an der Ostwand und Orgler (VI-), Egger/Sauscheck (VI+, V+ A0), Ötzi trifft Yeti (VIII+) und Gelbe Mauer (auch Perlen vor die Säue, IX-) an der Südwand.

 

Auf die Punta di Frida führt der Normalweg (III) von Westen sowie mehrere weitere Routen wie Dülfer (IV+) in der Nordwand oder Zelger (IV) in der Südostwand.

 

Der Preußturm (Torre Preuß), ursprünglich als Kleinste Zinne (Cima Piccolissima) oder Punta d’Emma bekannt, wurde 1928 nach seinem Erstbesteiger Paul Preuß benannt. Während dieser Name in Italien schnell beliebt war, wurde er im deutschsprachigen Raum wegen Preuß' jüdischer Herkunft bald verschwiegen und ausschließlich die (von Preuß selbst geprägte) Bezeichnung „Kleinste Zinne“ gebraucht. Seit den 1960er Jahren findet zunehmend wieder der Name „Preußturm“ Verwendung. Der wichtigste Anstieg ist der nordostseitig gelegene Preußriss (V), weiterhin sind die durch die Südostwand führenden Routen Cassin (VII-, VI A0) und Via Nobile (IX+) zu erwähnen.

 

Die Erstbesteigung der Kleinen Zinne erfolgte am 25. Juli 1881 von Südwesten.

 

Geologie

 

Die Drei Zinnen bestehen aus Hauptdolomit, der in der Trias vor etwa 200 bis 220 Millionen Jahren durch Sedimentation in Flachwasserbereichen des Urmeeres Tethys entstand. Als Fossilien sind daher hauptsächlich marine Lebewesen wie Megalodonten und Gastropoden zu finden. Bedingt durch Gezeiten und andere Schwankungen des Meeresspiegels, die zu abwechselnden Perioden der Überflutung und des Trockenfallens weiter Landstriche führten, und gleichzeitiges stetiges Absinken des Untergrundes kam es zu einer Ablagerung des Gesteins in Form von übereinanderliegenden Schichten. Der Fels der Drei Zinnen weist daher eine deutliche und gleichmäßige Bankung auf, wobei zwischen den einzelnen Dolomitschichten dünne Lagen von Ton zu finden sind.

 

Im Zusammenspiel mit dieser horizontalen Bankung führten vertikale Klüfte zu Brüchen in rechtwinkligen Formen, die sich deutlich an den häufig würfelförmigen Felsbrocken der ausgedehnten Schutthalden am Fuß der steilen Wände zeigen. Wesentlicher Mechanismus der Erosion ist die Frostsprengung, die neben ständigem Steinschlag häufig auch größere Felsstürze zur Folge hat. So kam es etwa im Jahr 1948 zu einem großen Felssturz aus der Südwand der Großen Zinne, im Juli 1981 stürzte eine Felsbrücke zwischen Allerkleinster Zinne und Preußturm, die bis dahin häufig von Kletterern begangen worden war, in sich zusammen.

 

Gefördert wird das Wegbrechen großer Felsteile durch die Instabilität des Untergrunds. Das weitläufige Zinnenplateau, das die Basis der Gruppe bildet, ruht auf einem Sockel aus Schlerndolomit. Dieser wird von Moränen aus der Würmeiszeit, vor allem aber von relativ leicht verwitterbaren Gesteinen der Raibler Schichten überlagert. Die Erosion dieser Schichten entzieht den auf ihnen liegenden Felstürmen allmählich die Basis und führt zum Wegbrechen exponierter Felspartien. Diese bis heute anhaltenden Prozesse führten zur Entwicklung der steilen Formen der Zinnen und insbesondere der stark überhängenden Felsdächer der Nordwände.

 

Massentourismus und Vermarktung

 

Im Bewusstsein der ansässigen Bevölkerung scheinen die Drei Zinnen bis ins 19. Jahrhundert kaum eine besondere Rolle gespielt zu haben. So ist etwa im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen markanten Felsformationen in der Umgebung keine Sage über die Zinnen bekannt. In Reiseberichten aus dem frühen 19. Jahrhundert sind nur grobe Beschreibungen aus großer Entfernung zu finden. Ab der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts wurde das Hochpustertal zu einem Ziel für Sommerfrischler. Reiseberichte, die die internationale Bekanntheit der Drei Zinnen wesentlich steigerten, waren The Dolomite Mountains von Josiah Gilbert und George Cheetham Churchill 1864 und Untrodden peaks and unfrequented valleys. A midsummer ramble in the Dolomites von Amelia Edwards im Jahre 1873. Darüber hinaus waren die zu dieser Zeit in Mode gekommenen Ansichtskarten Grundlage für die bald steigende Popularität der Drei Zinnen auch außerhalb von Alpinistenkreisen. In Höhlenstein, dem einzigen Talort mit Blick auf die Zinnennordwände, entstand eine Kolonie von Luxushotels.

 

Der Erste Weltkrieg brachte zwar den Tourismus zum Erliegen, die Bilder von den Kämpfen am Zinnenplateau steigerten jedoch den Bekanntheitsgrad der Berge. In der Kriegspropaganda dienten die Zinnen auf beiden Seiten als Sinnbilder für das Gebirge schlechthin. Sie wurden dabei als Grenzmarkierung und Festung inszeniert. Bekannt wurde etwa ein Bild von der Bergung der Leiche des 1915 am Paternkofel gefallenen Sepp Innerkofler im Jahr 1918. Die Darstellung des Leichenzugs vor dem Hintergrund der Zinnen diente zur Verklärung Innerkoflers als Märtyrer und verfestigte den Mythos der Berge. Während der folgenden Zeit des Faschismus stilisierten südtirolpatriotische Bewegungen die Drei Zinnen zu einer Ikone Gesamttirols, wobei das Bild der Berge mit religiöser und politischer Symbolik aufgeladen wurde. So symbolisierten die Drei Zinnen auf Postkarten und Plakaten die ehemalige Gesamttiroler Grenze, indem sie etwa bei der Darstellung kämpfender Tiroler als Hintergrund dienten. Besonderen Anteil an der Popularisierung der Ansicht der Drei Zinnen hatte die Landschaftsfotografie, die zu dieser Zeit in Südtirol eine Blüte erlebte. Die vordergründig ideologiefreien Gebirgsaufnahmen transportierten in verdeckter Form politische Botschaften, die den Repressionen des faschistischen Staates kaum zugänglich war.

 

Bereits aus dem Jahr 1900 sind erste Verwendungen der Drei Zinnen in der Werbung bekannt, bis heute wird ihr Name häufig als Werbeträger genutzt. Insbesondere Gastronomiebetriebe der näheren Umgebung verwenden die Drei Zinnen gern als Namensbestandteil: so wird Toblach als „Gemeinde der Drei Zinnen beworben“. Seit 1998 wird ein knapp 20 Kilometer langer Berglauf von Sexten zur Dreizinnenhütte ausgetragen, der als „Drei-Zinnen-Lauf“ bezeichnet wird. In der Tourismuswerbung Südtirols stellen die Drei Zinnen ein häufig verwendetes Sujet dar. Der NS-Schriftsteller Karl Springenschmid nannte die Gipfelgruppe „Gottes eigenwilligste Schöpfung der Alpen“. Die italienische Post gibt seit 24. Juli 2008 eine Briefmarke mit einer Zeichnung der Berge im Rahmen der Serie Tourismus heraus. Stilisierte Darstellungen der Zinnen sind in den Logos mehrerer Unternehmen zu finden. Ihre Form wurde auch von einer Fruchteissorte namens Dolomiti nachempfunden, die in den 1980er Jahren populär war.

 

Der Wandertourismus erlebte zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts einen ersten Höhepunkt. Im Jahr 1908 besuchten bereits mehr als 2000 Menschen die 1881 erbaute Dreizinnenhütte. In der Zwischenkriegszeit nahm der Tourismus weiter zu. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wurden viele alte Kriegswege, darunter auch die Auronzostraße, für touristische Zwecke ausgebaut, was einen neuerlichen Anstieg der Besucherzahlen zur Folge hatte. Eine Verlängerung der Autostraße bis zur Dreizinnenhütte wurde bereits des Öfteren in Erwägung gezogen, bislang aber verhindert.

 

Die Umrundung der Drei Zinnen gilt als eine der beliebtesten Wanderstrecken der Dolomiten, da das Gebiet durch die mautpflichtige Straße zur Auronzohütte leicht erreichbar ist. Der Weg von der Auronzohütte zum Paternsattel und zur Dreizinnenhütte ist darüber hinaus sehr breit ausgebaut und weist nur geringe Steigungen auf. Er ist daher auch für ungeübte Wanderer leicht begehbar, sodass es an manchen Tagen durch den hohen Andrang zu regelrechten Staus kommt. Die Dreizinnenhütte bietet 140 Übernachtungsplätze an, mit den zahlreichen Tagesgästen hat sie bis zu 2000 Besucher täglich zu verzeichnen.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Die Dreizinnenhütte (italienisch Rifugio Antonio Locatelli – S. Innerkofler) ist eine Schutzhütte des CAI in den Sextner Dolomiten (Dolomiten, Südtirol, Italien) auf einer Höhe von 2405 m s.l.m. Sie befindet sich am Fuß des Paternkofels und bietet den berühmten Blick auf die Drei Zinnen. Die Hütte liegt im Gebiet des Dolomitenkriegs (1915–1918), was im Umfeld in Form von ehemaligen Kriegsunterständen, -steigen und -tunnel deutlich sichtbar ist. Die Dreizinnenhütte ist Ausgangspunkt für zahlreiche Wander-, Klettersteig- und Klettertouren im Naturpark Drei Zinnen und ein beliebter Zielpunkt für Tagesausflügler.

 

Zugänge

 

Standardweg von der Auronzohütte (2320 m, Parkplatz, Linienbus) über Lavaredohütte und Paternsattel, (Weg 101, Gehzeit 1,5 Stunden, Mountainbike-Strecke)

Von der Auronzohütte (2320 m) über Forc. de Col de Mezo (Weg 105 bzw. Dolomitenhöhenweg 4, Gehzeit 2 Stunden)

Von Sexten über Fischleinboden (Parkplatz, Linienbus) bis zur Talschlusshütte (Gehzeit 2 Stunden) und weiter durch das Altensteintal (Weg 102, Gesamtgehzeit 4 Stunden)

vom Höhlensteintal (Parkplatz, Linienbus Toblach-Cortina d’Ampezzo) durch das Rienztal (Weg 102, Gehzeit 3,5 Stunden)

vom Sextental (Linienbus) durch das Innerfeldtal (Parkplatz) (Weg 105 bzw. Dolomitenhöhenweg 4, Gehzeit abhängig vom Startpunkt)

 

Übergänge

 

Weg 101 über Büllelejochhütte zur Zsigmondyhütte

über die Gamsscharte und den Schartenweg zur Büllelejochhütte (Klettersteig)

über die Gamsscharte und Paßportenscharte zum Paternsattel (Klettersteig)

 

Gipfelbesteigungen

 

Paternkofel (2744 m, ehemaliger Kriegsstollen und -steig, heute Innerkofler-Klettersteig)

Toblinger Knoten (2617 m, Leitern-/Klettersteig, wiederinstandgesetzte Kriegssteige)

Drei Zinnen

 

Die ersten Pläne zur Errichtung der ersten Dreizinnenhütte wurden 1881 von der Sektion Hochpustertal des Deutschen und Österreichischen Alpenvereins gefasst. Da der Bau vom Zentralausschuss des Alpenvereins subventioniert wurde, konnte schon bald mit dem Bau begonnen werden, sodass im September 1882 die Hütte vollendet wurde. Dieses erste Schutzhaus, ein kleiner Steinbau mit einer Küche mit Tisch und Herd sowie Schlafgelegenheiten auf Strohlagern für insgesamt 18 Personen wurde wegen Unwettern allerdings erst am 25. August 1883 eingeweiht. 1886 und 1891 kam es zu Erweiterungen und ab 1892 wurde die Hütte auch bewirtschaftet. Aus dem Jahr 1897 ist bereits eine jährliche Besucherzahl von 642 bekannt. 1898 übernahm der Alpinist und Bergführer Sepp Innerkofler die Bewirtschaftung der Hütte. 1907 wurde die Dreizinnenhütte um ein Stockwerk erweitert, 1908 wurde die nun 55 Bergsteigern Platz bietende Schutzhütte neu eröffnet. In diesem Jahr besuchten bereits 2000 Menschen die Hütte.

 

Im Gebirgskrieg wurde die Hütte 1915 von italienischen Granaten zerstört. Von 1920 bis 1922 wurde eine nahe gelegene Militärbaracke als Hütte bewirtschaftet und 1922 vom Alpenverein Südtirol eine neue Hütte errichtet. 1923 wurde diese Hütte vom italienischen Staat enteignet, dem Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), Sektion Padua übergeben und in Capanna Antonio Bettella umbenannt. 1935 errichtete dieselbe Sektion in Zusammenarbeit mit der Sektion Bozen dann die heutige größere Dreizinnenhütte auf den Ruinen der alten. Während des Zweiten Weltkriegs stand die Hütte von 1942 bis 1945 leer, wurde geplündert und als Schafstall verwendet. 1946 renovierte die Sektion Padua das Haus, nachdem sie auch den Anteil der Sektion Bozen erworben hatte, und bewirtschaftet seither die Hütte. Heute wird die Hütte von bis zu 2000 Gästen täglich besucht, überwiegend sind dies Tagesgäste, die von der Auronzohütte hierher wandern.

 

(Wikipedia)

España - Bizkaia - Bilbao - Puente Zubizuri

Located on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the Centennial Flame commemorates Canada’s 100th anniversary as a Confederation. The Flame was first lit as the climax of the centennial celebrations of January 1, 1967, in the presence of then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.[1] He was joined on the hill by leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, and Secretary of State, who was in charge of the Centennial, Judy LaMarsh as well as thousands of onlookers.The Flame is fuelled by natural gas and surrounded by a fountain whose ledge contains the shields of 12 of Canada’s provinces and territories—Nunavut is absent as it was not created until 1999

Italien / Toskana / Chianti

 

Radda in Chianti

 

Chianti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkjanti]), in Italy also referred to as Monti del Chianti ("Chianti Mountains") or Colline del Chianti ("Chianti Hills"), is a mountainous area of Tuscany in the provinces of Florence, Siena and Arezzo, composed mainly of hills and mountains. It is known for the wine produced in and named for the region, Chianti.

 

History

 

The territory of Chianti was initially limited, in the thirteenth century, by the municipalities of Gaiole in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Castellina in Chianti and thus defined the "Chianti League" (Lega di Chianti).

 

Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, even decided in 1716 to issue an edict in which he officially recognized the boundaries of the Chianti district, which was the first legal document in the world to define a wine production area.

 

The villages of Chianti are often characterized by Romanesque churches and fortified medieval castles, signs of the ancient wars between Siena and Florence or as Monteriggioni, a fortified village north of Siena, on the ancient Via Cassia that leads to Florence.

 

In 1932, the wine designation specified the production limits for Chianti Classico, which is a DOCG (in Italian "Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita", governed by Italian regulations).

 

Geography

 

In addition to the cities already mentioned at the origin of this region, the city of Greve in Chianti radically expresses its connection directly in its name or as Impruneta which claims the name Impruneta in Chianti although it is not an official designation.

 

Agriculture

 

Like all rural regions of Tuscany, there is no monoculture and there are vineyards, olive trees, cereals and potatoes.

 

Silviculture

 

In the lower hills, there is the exploitation of oak woods, on the higher hills those of chestnut and holm oaks. Everywhere there are cypresses.

 

Viticulture

 

The name of Chianti wine refers to a region strictly located in the provinces of Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia, Pisa and Prato.

 

Cities in the region with explicit reference in their names:

 

Greve in Chianti and its hamlets: Panzano in Chianti, San Polo in Chianti

Radda in Chianti

Gaiole in Chianti

Castellina in Chianti

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Radda in Chianti is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 35 kilometres (22 miles) southeast of Florence and about 15 km (9 miles) north of Siena.

 

Radda in Chianti borders the following municipalities: Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Cavriglia, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Das Chianti-Gebiet [ˈkjantigəˌbiːt], auch Colline del Chianti (Chianti-Hügel) oder Monti del Chianti (Chianti-Berge) genannt, ist eine Hügelkette (Gebirgskette) im Zentrum der Toskana, in der schon seit Jahrhunderten Chianti-Wein produziert wird. Das Weinbaugebiet macht ca. ein Drittel der gesamten Toskana aus.

 

Geografie

 

Das Kerngebiet der Hügelkette teilt sich in die Gebiete Chianti fiorentino und Chianti senese auf. Hierbei liegt der fiorentinische Teil am südöstlichen Rand der Metropolitanstadt Florenz und umfasst die Gemeinden Barberino Val d’Elsa, Greve in Chianti, San Casciano in Val di Pesa und Tavarnelle Val di Pesa. Der senesische Teil liegt im Nordosten der Provinz Siena und umfasst Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Gaiole in Chianti, Poggibonsi und Radda in Chianti. Der sogenannte Chianti aretino ist der westliche Teil der Provinz Arezzo zwischen Arno und Chianti und gehört nicht zum Kerngebiet. Ihm gehören die Gemeinden Cavriglia, Bucine, Pergine Valdarno, Montevarchi und San Giovanni Valdarno an. Diese liegen geografisch gesehen im westlichen Valdarno[ (Arnotal).

 

Das Chianti-Gebiet umfasst im Westen Teile des Elsatals (Val d’Elsa) und des Pesatals (Val di Pesa), im Norden das Grevetal (Val di Greve), im Osten Teile des Arnotals (Valdarno) und des Ambratals (Val d’Ambra bzw. Valdambra). Im Südosten grenzt der Chianti an die Crete Senesi, im Südwesten an die Montagnola Senese.

 

In den Hügeln des Chianti entspringen die Flüsse bzw. Torrenti Ambra, Arbia, Bozzone, Greve, Ombrone, Pesa und Staggia. Zudem durchfließt im Westen der Elsa aus Süden und der Montagnola Senese kommend das Gebiet, das im Norden und Nordosten teilweise an den Arno grenzt.

 

Höchste Erhebung im Chianti-Gebiet ist der Berg Monte San Michele, der im Gemeindegebiet von Greve in Chianti liegt. Er erreicht eine Höhe von 893 Metern.

 

Geschichte

 

Das Gebiet wurde zuerst von den Etruskern und danach von den Römern besiedelt. Beide Kulturen hinterließen viele Spuren – auch, was den Weinbau angeht. Erstmals dokumentiert wurde das Gebiet als Clanti im 8. Jahrhundert. Im Mittelalter kämpften Florenz und Siena um die Vorherrschaft in diesem Gebiet. Der Name "Chianti" (Lega del Chianti) stand ursprünglich für einen Militärbund der Städte Radda, Castellina und Gaiole, der im 13. Jahrhundert entstand. Später wurde der Name auf immer größere Gebiete ausgeweitet. Dörfer und Klöster, Burgen und Festungen wurden in dieser Zeit errichtet, die dann später, als es wieder friedlicher wurde, in Landgüter und Villen umgewandelt wurden. In dieser Zeit fanden umfangreiche Waldrodungen statt, um Olivenhaine und Weinberge anzulegen. Diese Veränderungen brachten wirtschaftliche Erfolge und internationalen Ruhm für die Region.

 

Gesamtes Chianti-Gebiet (Weinbau)

 

Das gesamte Chianti-Gebiet erstreckt sich von Pisa (im Nordwesten) bis Montalcino (im Südosten) und ist offiziell in neun Untergebiete geteilt:

 

Chianti Classico (siehe unten)

Chianti Rufina (um Pontassieve)

Chianti Colline Pisane (um Pisa)

Chianti Montalbano (um Carmignano)

Chianti Colli Fiorentini (um Florenz)

Chianti Colli Senesi (um Siena)

Chianti Aretini (um Arezzo)

Chianti Montespertoli

 

Weinbau im Chianti-Classico-Gebiet

 

Es ist im Norden begrenzt von den Vororten von Florenz, im Osten von den Chianti-Bergen, im Süden von Siena und im Westen von den Tälern der Flüsse Pesa und Elsa. Es ist das Kernland des Chianti-Gebietes. Eine 70 km lange Weinstraße (die „Via Chiantigiana“, SS 222) verbindet die beiden großen Städte und führt durch eine großartige Kulturlandschaft. An der Straße liegen viele bekannte Weinorte aufgereiht wie an einer Perlenkette. Nur ein Zehntel des sehr waldigen Gebiets (insgesamt ca. 70.000 Hektar) wird für Weinbau verwendet. Der Gallo Nero (= „Schwarzer Hahn“) ist das Kennzeichen der Chianti-Classico-Weine. Das Consorzio del Marchio Storico Chianti Classico wacht über die Einhaltung der Regeln für guten Chianti.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Radda in Chianti (meist nur Radda) ist eine Gemeinde mit 1470 Einwohnern (Stand 31. Dezember 2022) in der Provinz Siena der Region Toskana in Italien.

 

Geografie

 

Der Ort erstreckt sich über 80 km². Radda liegt im Weinanbaugebiet des Chianti Classico und ist von großen Höhenunterschieden geprägt. So liegt der Hauptort in einer Höhe von 530 Metern, während der tiefstgelegene Stadtteil Lucarelli bei etwa 280 m liegt. Der höchste Punkt der Gemeinde liegt bei 845 m auf dem Monte Querciabella. Im Gemeindegebiet entspringt der Fluss Staggia. Zudem durchfließt der Arbia (6 km) und der Pesa (13 km) den Ort. Die Gemeinde liegt in der klimatischen Einordnung italienischer Gemeinden in der Zone E, 2 245 GG.

 

Zu Ortsteilen (frazioni) zählen Badia a Montemuro (706 m), Castelvecchi (580 m), Colle Petroso (520 m), La Villa (475 m), Lucarelli (285 m), Monterinaldi, Palagio (515 m), Selvole (504 m) und Volpaia (617 m).

 

Die Nachbargemeinden sind Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Cavriglia (AR), Gaiole in Chianti und Greve in Chianti (FI).

 

Geschichte

 

Ergebnissen archäologischer Ausgrabungen zufolge war der Ortskern schon um 2000 v. Chr. bewohnt und wurde im 1. Jahrtausend v. Chr. wahrscheinlich von den Etruskern besiedelt. Das erste gesicherte Dokument über Radda wurde in einem Schriftstück von Otto III. gefunden und ist auf das Jahr 1002 datiert. 1041 erscheint Radda als Ramda judicaria fiorentina et fesulana in den Aufzeichnungen des Klosters Badia a Coltibuono. Aufgrund seiner Lage zwischen Florenz und Siena war Radda Schauplatz mehrfacher Auseinandersetzungen der beiden Republiken. Als die Florentiner Republik 1250 das Chianti-Gebiet in drei Ligen (Terziere di Radda, Terziere di Gaiole und Terziere di Castellina) aufteilte, wurde Radda Hauptstadt der sogenannten Lega del Chianti. Dieser Status wurde 1415 bestätigt.

 

Gemeindepartnerschaften

 

Radda unterhält eine Gemeindepartnerschaft mit dem südwestfranzösischem Ort Saint-Brice im Arrondissement Cognac.

 

Auszeichnungen

 

Radda in Chianti ist Träger der Bandiera Arancione des Touring Club Italiano.

 

(Wikipedia)

Cabañeros National Park is a vast protected natural area located between the provinces of Ciudad Real and Toledo, in Castilla-La Mancha. It is considered the best example of Mediterranean forest in Europe and is distinguished by its great biological and landscape diversity, covering more than 40,000 hectares.

 

Its main features include:

 

Landscape: It is divided into two distinct areas:

 

La Raña: A vast plain with herbaceous vegetation where holm oak forests proliferate and large herbivores such as deer graze. It is an ideal habitat for steppe birds such as the little bustard and the stone curlew, and you can also observe storks and great bustards.

 

La Sierra: Composed of extensive rocky areas and scree covered with dense Mediterranean forests and scrub. Holm oak forests, cork oak forests, oak forests, and Pyrenean oak forests dominate here, along with scrubland such as rockrose and heath. It is home to large birds of prey such as the black vulture, the Spanish imperial eagle, and the black stork, as well as large mammals such as deer, roe deer, and wild boar.

Geology: Materials such as quartzite and slate predominate. In some areas, especially on the Boquerón del Estena route (considered a Site of Geological Interest), fossils dating back more than 400 million years can be found, indicating that the area was once covered by a sea.

Hydrography: Numerous streams and creeks cross the park, with their greatest flow in autumn and spring, contributing to a mosaic of flowers during these seasons. The park is bordered to the east by the Bullaque River and to the west by the Estena River.

Biodiversity: It is home to a rich fauna, including endangered species such as the Iberian lynx and the Spanish imperial eagle. Its flora is equally valuable, with different bioclimatic zones and 22 species classified as vulnerable or of special interest.

Cultural Values: The name "Cabañeros" refers to the old huts used by shepherds and charcoal burners. Traditional activities such as cork-cutting and beekeeping are still practiced.

 

The park offers hiking trails, guided off-road tours, and activities such as birdwatching and canoeing. It is an idyllic place to enjoy nature in its purest form at any time of year, with hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters. The deer rut in autumn (September-October) is particularly noteworthy, a natural spectacle for observing large deer.

Sir Caelan surveyed the “old broken soldier” before him, a relic of a time when the Provinces were hostile to each other, before peace and prosperity came. Now regretfully those hostilities had returned and the River Guardians, a series of fortified watchtowers along the river border with Loreos, were needed once more. This one however had definitely seen better times.

Caelan also surveyed with growing concern his newly-hired master engineer, a man of short attention span and even shorter temper, as he verbally abused his masons for minor infractions. ‘Rupert of Featherstone’, he called himself.

He heard Tavish, his archer man-at-arms, ride up behind him. “What a complete waste,” Caelan stated to his friend.

“Oh, I think not, this old soldier can be saved after all,” the archer corrected cheerfully.

“No, I meant the campaign.”

“Ach, lad are you still mopin’ over that?” Tavish chided him, “W’as done is done. Did ya really think these three peoples could get along for more than a few months time?”

“Bunch of hotheads. The Outlaws are our true enemies. Now they get the last laugh as the factions dig in and shake spears at each other. Common sense is not common.”

“You’re too naive. Besides, we did very well anyways. Lenfald now has an outpost on the island, we got the Ice Wizard, and walked away with all his silver to boot!” Tavish laughed, pleased with the thought. “Now you finally have some money lad. You can woo that wee lassy of yours in Durrough who caught your eye.”

Calean turned to glare at him suddenly. “Shut it.” He rode forward a few steps, looking up at an upper scaffold on the tower that seemed to him to be a bit rickety.

Unfortunately Tavish rode forward as well and wouldn’t let go if it, noting in a deliberately far-off voice, “Oh look, the flowers are a bloomin’ already, and love is in the air…”

“If I were you,” Caelan countered forcefully, “I would be more concerned with Rupert the “Master” engineer you hired, than my interest in Lady Kenzie. You seem to be a lot better at finding spies than you are at hiring competent engineers.”

“Couldn’t be helped. Everyone’s buildin’ now and the prices have gone up for eveythin’. Rupert is what ya get when you give me so little money to hire with.” He smiled an ‘I-told-you-so’ smile.

Caelan sighed. “We’re going to be here at this forever. Does that upper platform look right to you?”

“I wouldn’t set foot on it.”

“Rupert!” Caelan called up to the engineer on top of the tower, “Check that upper scaffold, I don’t think it’s right.”

Rupert took offense, “I set it meself sir! It’s right as rain,” he declared stomping repeatedly on top of it. And of course it suddenly collapsed from under him.

The only thing that saved Rupert from a death-plunge was his last-second mad-grab for the chain hanging from the crane, and now he swung there cursing and screaming for someone to let him down. His workers didn’t seem to be in a hurry to save him.

The archer just laughed with most everyone else, but Caelan quickly grew annoyed with Rupert’s panicked furry. A full minute went by with no one doing anything before the young knight finally snapped, “Would you shut this oaf up…”

Tavish immediately went from relaxed mirth to utterly serious action, drawing an arrow from his quiver, knocking it and shooting the crane’s top block in one swift motion. The chain was loosed and both Rupert and chain clumsily dropped fifteen feet into a plot of flowers, backside-first.

“You’re down now,” Tavish called to the dazed fellow and gave a flourish, “ye Master of The Sky!”

Caelan sighed again. “I shall call him, Rupert The Birdman.”

“Rupert of Littlewings. We should’ve spent the money and got a better one.”

----------------------------

Previous stories:

Sir Caelan Munro Background

 

A Hostile Invite

 

Great Northern Gray Wolfpack

 

Gathering Intel for the War

 

Fall of the Ice Wizard

 

In July 2012, we cruised Canada's Maritime Provinces on the Carnival Glory.

 

Here's the Glory docked on the St. John River in downtown Saint John, New Brunswick.

I drove from Bangkok midnight to Phetchabun is one of the northern provinces of Thailand distance 450 km. for take photo the sunrise at Tung Salang Luang

Thung Salaeng Luang National Park is a national park located in the Phitsanulok and Phetchabun Provinces of Thailand. It encompasses substantial portions of Amphoe Wang Thong and Amphoe Lom Sak.

 

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An eBay purchase.

 

African bush elephant calf

 

Afrikanischer Elefantenkalb

 

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

 

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

 

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

 

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Name

 

African Elephant or African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta africana]

 

Introduction

 

The Elephant is the world's largest land mammal, and weighs up to 7 tonnes and reaches heights of 3.3 m at the shoulder. Elephants can live to a potential age of 70 years. The massive tusks of older bulls can weigh up to 50 or 60 kilograms, but tusks weighing up to 90 kilograms have been recorded.

 

Appearance

 

What is the trunk and what is it used for?

The Elephant's trunk is a modified nose which is very sensitive and can even detect water under ground. There are as many as 50 000 muscles in an Elephant trunk. The sensitive finger-like appendages at the tip of the trunk enables them to pick the smallest twig or flower, pull the toughest reed of grass or even pick out a thorn from their feet.

 

Do elephants have knees or elbows?

 

The joints that are perceived as 'knees', are in fact wrists. This is a common misunderstanding due to the belief that a leg joint that bends between the foot and the body must be a knee. The main difference between us and the elephants is that our foot bones and hand bones are separate, whereas those of the elephant are one in the same, and have evolved to suit this four-legged mammal.

 

Why do elephants have tusks?

 

The tusks are used for obtaining food, fighting (amongst males) and for self defence. They are actually their upper incisors, and grow continuously until they die at around 60 years old. Although their skin is up to 3cm (1 inch) thick, it is quite sensitive.

 

Diet

 

Elephants are voracious feeders which in a day consume up to 272 kg (600 pounds) of grass, tender shoots and bark from trees. An adult Elephant can drink up to 200 litres of water in a single session. A single Elephant deposits up to 150kg (330 pounds) of dung every day - about one dollop every 15 minutes!

 

Breeding

 

African Elephant are not seasonal breeders. Generally they produce one calf every 3 to 4 years. The gestation period is about 22 months. At birth calves weigh about 100 kg (220 pounds) and are fully weaned between 18-24 months. An orphaned calf will usually be adopted by one of the family's lactating females or suckled by various females. Elephants are very attentive mothers, and because most Elephant behavior has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them for many years. Tusks erupt at 16 months but do not show externally until 30 months. Once weaned, usually at age 4 or 5, the calf still remains in the maternal group. Females mature at about 11 years and stay in the group, while the males, which mature between 12 and 15, are usually expelled from the maternal herd. Even though these young males are sexually mature, they do not breed until they are in their mid, or late 20s or even older and have moved up in the social hierarchy.

 

Behaviour

 

Mature males form bachelor groups and become solitary bulls. Elephant form strong family units of cows, calves and young offspring. Such herds are always led by an old female. Apart from drinking large quantities of water they also love wading or swimming in it. Elephants clearly relish mud baths.

It was once thought that family groups were led by old bull elephants, but these males are most often solitary. The female family groups are often visited by mature males checking for females in oestrus. Several interrelated family groups may inhabit an area and know each other well.

 

How do you tell an elephant's mock charge from a serious one?

 

It is imperative to keep in mind that Elephant are extremely intelligent, and each individual has a distinct character. Although there will be exceptions to the rules, the common signs of a mock charge are bush-bashing, dust-throwing, trumpeting and other vocalizations, open ears and an intimidating presence, can be considered a mock-display. Aggressive or startled elephants usually make sudden headshakes and flap their large ears against their head. Serious charges usually occur after all attempts to intimidate have failed, and the Elephant feels threatened. The ears are pinned back and head and trunk are lowered. Ultimately, the key lies in the intelligence of the animal and how they will react to the 'target' and unfamiliar actions, and a conscious decision is made.

 

Why do elephants rhythmically flap their ears?

 

Contrary to common belief, it is not an expression of anger. Being an animal of such a large size, with no sweat glands and a dark body colour, elephants flap their ears to cool the body and rid themselves of irritating insects.

 

Where are they found?

 

Once ranging across most of Africa the Elephant population has declined dramatically across the continent. In South Africa the Addo Elephant and Kruger National Park protect large herds. Due to rigorous conservation measures the Elephant population in South Africa has grown from a estimated 120 in 1920 in 4 locations, to 10 000 at 40 locations to date.

 

Notes

 

The African Elephant has recently been classified into two separate species, the more common African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta Africana] and the smaller African Forest Elephant [Loxodonta cyclotis] of the rainforest of Central Africa.

 

(krugerpark.co.za)

 

Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.

 

Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Afrikanische Elefant (Loxodonta africana), auch Afrikanischer Steppenelefant oder Afrikanischer Buschelefant, ist eine Art aus der Familie der Elefanten. Er ist das größte gegenwärtig lebende Landsäugetier und gleichzeitig das größte rezente landbewohnende Tier der Erde. Herausragende Kennzeichen sind neben den Stoßzähnen und dem markanten Rüssel die großen Ohren und die säulenförmigen Beine. In zahlreichen morphologischen und anatomischen Merkmalen unterscheidet sich der Afrikanische Elefant von seinen etwas kleineren Verwandten, dem Waldelefanten und dem Asiatischen Elefanten. Das Verbreitungsgebiet umfasst heute große Teile von Afrika südlich der Sahara. Die Tiere haben sich dort an zahlreiche unterschiedliche Lebensräume angepasst, die von geschlossenen Wäldern über offene Savannenlandschaften bis hin zu Sumpfgebieten und wüstenartigen Regionen reichen. Insgesamt ist das Vorkommen aber stark fragmentiert.

 

Die Lebensweise des Afrikanischen Elefanten ist durch intensive Studien gut erforscht. Sie wird durch einen stark sozialen Charakter geprägt. Weibliche Tiere und ihr Nachwuchs leben in Familienverbänden (Herden). Diese formieren sich wiederum zu einem enger verwandten Clan. Die einzelnen Herden treffen sich zu bestimmten Gelegenheiten und trennen sich danach wieder. Die männlichen Tiere bilden Junggesellengruppen. Die verschiedenen Verbände nutzen Aktionsräume, in denen sie teils im Jahreszyklus herumwandern. Für die Kommunikation untereinander nutzen die Tiere verschiedene Töne im niedrigen Frequenzbereich. Anhand der Lautgebung, aber auch durch bestimmte chemische Signale können sich die einzelnen Individuen untereinander erkennen. Darüber hinaus besteht ein umfangreiches Repertoire an Gesten. Hervorzuheben sind auch die kognitiven Fähigkeiten des Afrikanischen Elefanten.

 

Die Nahrung besteht sowohl aus weicher wie auch harter Pflanzenkost. Die genaue Zusammensetzung variiert dabei regional und jahreszeitlich. Generell verbringt der Afrikanische Elefant einen großen Teil seiner Tagesaktivitäten mit der Nahrungsaufnahme. Die Fortpflanzung erfolgt ganzjährig, regional gibt es Tendenzen zu einer stärkeren Saisonalisierung. Bullen kommen einmal jährlich in die Musth, während deren sie auf Wanderung zur Suche nach fortpflanzungswilligen Kühen gehen. Während der Musth ist die Aggressivität gesteigert, es finden dann auch Rivalenkämpfe statt. Der Sexualzyklus der Kühe dauert vergleichsweise lange und weist einen für Säugetiere untypischen Verlauf auf. Nach erfolgter Geburt setzt er in der Regel mehrere Jahre aus. Zumeist wird nach fast zweijähriger Tragzeit ein Jungtier geboren, das in der mütterlichen Herde aufwächst. Junge weibliche Tiere verbleiben später in der Herde, die jungen männlichen verlassen diese.

 

Die wissenschaftliche Erstbeschreibung des Afrikanischen Elefanten erfolgte im Jahr 1797 mit einer formalen artlichen Trennung des Afrikanischen vom Asiatischen Elefanten. Der heute gebräuchliche Gattungsname Loxodonta wurde offiziell erst dreißig Jahre später eingeführt. Die Bezeichnung bezieht sich auf markante Zahnunterschiede zwischen den asiatischen und den afrikanischen Elefanten. Im Verlauf des 20. Jahrhunderts wurden mehrere Unterarten unterschieden, darunter auch der Waldelefant des zentralen Afrikas. Letzterer gilt heute genetischen Untersuchungen zufolge als eigenständige Art, die weiteren Unterarten sind nicht anerkannt. Stammesgeschichtlich lässt sich der Afrikanische Elefant erstmals im beginnenden Mittleren Pleistozän belegen. Der Gesamtbestand gilt als gefährdet. Ursachen hierfür sind hauptsächlich die Jagd nach Elfenbein und Lebensraumverlust durch die zunehmend wachsende menschliche Bevölkerung. Der Afrikanische Elefant zählt zu den sogenannten „Big Five“ von Großwildjagd und Safari.

 

(Wikipedia)

Living in the provinces...

A small village close to Cislago organize a feast every september, a tribute to the tripe. I joined...

After a heavy dish of tripe a dance is mandatory!

 

-----------------------------

Festa della trippa, Massina frazione di Cislago.

L'immancabile danza dopo la trippa!!

 

Feste e sagre di provincia.

Mi piace come il flash riesca ad accentuare il clima giocoso e probabilmente un pò grottesco di queste ricorrenze..

Un divertente esperimento ricalcando le orme di Gilden.

 

Menmaatre Seti I (or Sethos I as in Greek) was a pharaoh of the New Kingdom Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, the son of Ramesses I and Queen Sitre, and the father of Ramesses II. As with all dates in Ancient Egypt, the actual dates of his reign are unclear, and various historians claim different dates, with 1294 BC to 1279 BC and 1290 BC to 1279 BC being the most commonly used by scholars today.

 

The name 'Seti' means "of Set", which indicates that he was consecrated to the god Set (or "Seth"). As with most pharaohs, Seti had several names. Upon his ascension, he took the prenomen "mn-m3‘t-r‘ ", usually vocalized as Menmaatre, in Egyptian, which means "Eternal is the Justice of Re." His better known nomen, or birth name, is transliterated as "sty mry-n-ptḥ" or Sety Merenptah, meaning "Man of Set, beloved of Ptah". Manetho incorrectly considered him to be the founder of the 19th dynasty, and gave him a reign length of 55 years, though no evidence has ever been found for so long a reign.

 

The greatest achievement of Seti I's foreign policy was the capture of the Syrian town of Kadesh and neighboring territory of Amurru from the Hittite Empire. Egypt had not held Kadesh since the time of Akhenaten. Tutankhamun and Horemheb had failed to recapture the city from the Hittites. Seti I was successful in defeating a Hittite army that tried to defend the town. He entered the city in triumph together with his son Ramesses II and erected a victory stela at the site. Kadesh, however, soon reverted to Hittite control because the Egyptians did not or could not maintain a permanent military occupation of Kadesh and Amurru which were close to the Hittite homelands. It is unlikely that Seti I made a peace treaty with the Hittites or voluntarily returned Kadesh and Amurru to them but he may have reached an informal understanding with the Hittite king Muwatalli on the precise boundaries of the Egyptian and Hittite Empires. Five years after Seti I's death, however, his son Ramesses II resumed hostilities and made a failed attempt to recapture Kadesh. Kadesh was henceforth effectively held by the Hittites even though Ramesses temporarily occupied the city in his 8th year.

 

The traditional view of Seti I's wars was that he restored the Egyptian empire after it had been lost in the time of Akhenaten. This was based on the chaotic picture of Egyptian-controlled Syria and Palestine seen in the Amarna letters, a cache of diplomatic correspondence from the time of Akhenaten found at Akhenaten’s capital at el-Amarna in Middle Egypt. Recent scholarship, however, indicates that the empire was not lost at this time, except for its northern border provinces of Kadesh and Amurru in Syria and Lebanon. While evidence for the military activities of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and Horemheb is fragmentary or ambiguous, Seti I has left us an impressive war monument that glorifies his achievement, along with a number of texts, all of which tend to magnify his personal achievements on the battlefield.

 

Seti's well preserved tomb (KV17) was found in 1817 by Giovanni Battista Belzoni, in the Valley of the Kings; it proved to be the longest at 136 meters and deepest of all the New Kingdom royal tombs. It was also the first tomb to feature decorations (including The Legend of the destruction of mankind ) on every passageway and chamber with highly refined bas-reliefs and colorful paintings - fragments of which, including a large column depicting Seti I with the goddess Hathor, can be seen in the Museo Archeologico, Florence. This decorative style set a precedent which was followed in full or in part in the tombs of later New Kingdom kings. Seti's mummy itself was not discovered until 1881, in the mummy cache (tomb DB320) at Deir el-Bahri, and has since been kept at the Cairo Museum.

 

His huge sarcophagus, carved in one piece and intricately decorated on every surface (including the goddess Nut on the interior base), is in Sir John Soane's Museum, in London, England; Soane bought it for exhibition in his open collection in 1824, when the British Museum refused to pay the £2,000 demanded. On its arrival at the museum, the alabaster was pure white and inlaid with blue copper sulphate. Years of the London climate and pollution have darkened the alabaster to a buff colour and absorbed moisture has caused the hygroscopic inlay material to fall out and disappear completely. A small watercolour nearby records the appearance, as it was.

 

From an examination of Seti's extremely well-preserved mummy, Seti I appears to have been less than forty years old when he died unexpectedly. This is in stark contrast to the situation with Horemheb, Ramesses I and Ramesses II who all lived to an advanced age. The reasons for his relatively early death are uncertain, but there is no evidence of violence on his mummy. His mummy was found decapitated, but this was likely caused after his death by tomb robbers. The Amun priest carefully reattached his head to his body with the use of linen cloths. It has been suggested that he died from a disease which had affected him for years, possibly related to his heart. The latter was found placed in the right part of the body, while the usual practice of the day was to place it in the left part during the mummification process. Opinions vary whether this was a mistake or an attempt to have Seti's heart work better in his afterlife. Seti I's mummy is about 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) tall.

Loevestein Castle, The Netherlands.

 

In the 16th century, the Provinces of the Low Countries atergeuzens’ere embroiled in a bitter struggle with the Spanish king. However, it wasn’t until 1568 that it turned into war – the Dutch Revolt, also known as the Eighty Years’ War.

 

Loevestein Castle was also involved in this battle for independence. The Spanish realized the importance of Loevestein’s strategic location and stationed their troops there. However, on 07 December 1570, a small group of Dutch buccaneers, known as the Watergeuzen (‘Sea Beggars’), cunningly managed to infiltrate the castle.

 

The Watergeuzen’s story didn’t end here however. In 1572, the Watergeuzen succeeded in taking Loevestein for good, whereby the castle passed into state hands. William of Orange had Loevestein Castle fortified, placing ramparts around the castle and in turn a moat around the ramparts.

 

Soldiers lived inside the ramparts – initially in wooden barracks and later in stone houses. The castle stood bare and empty in the centre of the fort. It seemed perfect for use as a prison. Virtually every room was used as a cell and the large hall on the second floor was divided into yet more cells using wooden partitions. This hall is still called Staatsgevangenis (State Prison) to this day.

 

Its prisoners weren’t criminals, but state prisoners of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. These included political and religious dissidents, as well as prisoners of war. Its most famous prisoner was Hugo Grotius (Dutch: Hugo de Groot) who put Loevestein on the map with his spectacular escape in a book chest.

Provinces near Manila

 

Katrina Santillan

Original Photo

2023

I drove from Bangkok midnight to Phetchabun is one of the northern provinces of Thailand distance 450 km. for take photo the sunrise at Tung Salang Luang.

Thung Salaeng Luang National Park is a national park located in the Phitsanulok and Phetchabun Provinces of Thailand. It encompasses substantial portions of Amphoe Wang Thong and Amphoe Lom Sak.

 

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Iseo Lake port

Postprocessing RAW:-- lights and saturation and clarity

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Lake Iseo or Lago d'Iseo or Sebino is the fourth largest lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio river.

It is in the north of the country in the Val Camonica area, near the cities of Brescia and Bergamo. The lake is almost equally divided between the Provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. This is a heavily industrialised part of the world, but the area remains one of outstanding natural beauty. The road north to Switzerland used to run along the side of the lake, and stories about entire families being swallowed up by the murky waters abound. A much safer road, carved into the side of the mountains, now exists.

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Il lago d'Iseo o Sebino (in lombardo lac d'Izé) è un bacino lacustre dell'Italia settentrionale, situato in Lombardia. Ha come principale immissario ed emissario il fiume Oglio. Ha una superficie di 65,3 km2 e una profondità massima di 251 metri è situato a 180 m di quota nelle prealpi, posto in fondo alla Val Camonica, si incunea tra le province di Bergamo e di Brescia ed ospita la più grande isola lacustre naturale dell'Italia: Monte Isola cui fanno da satelliti a nord e a sud i due isolotti di Loreto e di San Paolo.

 

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España - Bizkaia - Bilbao

In July 2012, we cruised Canada's Maritime Provinces on the Carnival Glory.

 

Here's the Glory docked on the St. John River in downtown Saint John, New Brunswick.

With both my operable motorised machines booked out at this time, Herr JokerTrekker kindly offered to give me a brief lift south, which (given that neither of us had been doing a lot of train chasing lately) turned into a jaunt up to Timaru after 934 and 925. Even this proved a challenge with the House of Wallace's #1 vehicle being electrically challenged this afternoon.

 

The high vantage point of the second choice provides a different view of the train crossing the Waitaki River between Otago and Canterbury.

 

Being the 'off season', this train has been pretty short of late (and indeed was light locos today, one day later), but with a recent weather-related cut of line, there has been a backlog of freight to clear and locos to shuffle about.

 

15 August 2019, Train 934, 5022-5143-5114-7104, Waitaki River, SIMT-NZ

España - Gipuzkoa - Zarautz

Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona, the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the center of one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe.

 

Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,535,251.

 

It comprises the larger part of the territory of the former Principality of Catalonia, with the remainder of the Historic Catalan region now part of southern France.

 

Catalonia borders France and Andorra to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the east (580 km coastline). The neighbouring Spanish regions of Aragon and the Valencian Community lie to the west and south respectively.

 

The official languages are Catalan, Spanish, and Aranese (Occitan); Catalan Sign Language is also officially recognised. The Catalan government intends to hold a referendum on independence from Spain in 2014.

Italien / Südtirol - Hohe Gaisl

 

seen from Monte Piana

 

gesehen vom Monte Piana

 

Monte Piana is a 2,324-metre (7,625 ft) tall mountain in the Sexten Dolomites and located on the border between the provinces of South Tyrol and Belluno. The smaller Northern summit of the mountain is named Monte Piano (2,305m).

 

During the so-called "White War" in World War I the mountain was hotly contested between the Austrian and Italian Armies. The Austrians had occupied the Northern summit Monte Piano, while the Southern summit Monte Piana was in Italian hands. Today many remnants of the fierce fighting can still be found on both summits.

 

History

 

When Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on 24 May 1915, seven / eight battalions of the thirty-five stationed between San Candido and the Stelvio were sent to Monte Piana and its valleys. Monte Piana was part of the operational sector of the IV Army commanded by Lieutenant General Luigi Nava, whose units were divided into two sectors, Cordevole and Cadore, the first belonging to the IX Corps and the second, of which part of the sector of Monte Piana, under the jurisdiction of the 1st Army Corps commanded by Lieutenant General Ottavio Ragni. On 24 May the Piana was occupied by two platoons of Alpine troops of the 96th company, Pieve di Cadore battalion, of the 7th regiment. Other Alpini of the 67th company around 08:30 were hit by an artillery shell fired from Monte Rudo while they were working on the road from Misurina to Monte Piana; they were the first Italians to fall on a mountain that in less than two years made about 14,000 victims from both sides. Here, on 7 June 1915, second lieutenant Antonio De Toni (7th regiment, 268th company, batt. Val Piave) was fatally wounded, the first to be killed in the Padua university community.

 

At the end of the day, the two years of war on Mount Piana essentially led to nothing, the two contenders fought for two long years on a patch of land, without ever being able to subvert the enemy forces, and on 3 November 1917 the positions on the plain were abandoned by the Italian units to retreat and take sides on the Grappa line in an attempt to resist the Austro-Hungarian offensive in Caporetto

 

Between 1977 and 1981, on the initiative of the Austrian Colonel Walther Schaumann, the "Open-air Historical Museum of Monte Piana" was established and can be visited by all, free of charge. The works for the rearrangement of the trenches were carried out by the group "Friends of the Dolomites" (Dolomitenfreunde) with the reconstruction of the walkways, trenches, tunnels and stairways of the time. Every year since 1983, the restoration work of the trenches has been carried out during the first fifteen days of August, by the "Monte Piana Foundation" and the "Friends of the Dolomites" (who for the occasion formed the "Gruppo Volontari Amici del Piana" ")

 

In 1981, during the usual meeting on the first Sunday of September, dedicated to the commemoration of the fallen of Monte Piana, the "Friends of the Dolomites" handed over the open-air Historical Museum to the "Monte Piana Foundation", which then work area. In 1983, the newly established "Gruppo Volontari Amici del Piana" began its patient work of intervention on those elements that are damaged every year by bad weather and thaw.

 

Since that year, the volunteers are committed to faithfully reconstructing the sections of dry stone wall that collapsed during the winter; they recover what remains of the old shelters, restore the wooden structure and carry out a radical cleaning of the mountain from waste, in respect of the fact that this site has become a protected area. In addition, the access paths from the surrounding valleys are maintained and the relative signs are taken care of, currently assisted by retired colonel Elio Scarpa.

 

In 1986 the Group dedicated its name to the recently deceased vice president of the "Monte Piana Foundation", Elio Scarpa, who was thus given the credit for having made possible the launch of this initiative. But support for the work also came from the Italian army at the hands of the Alpine Troops Command, so the group of volunteers can use, during the work, an off-road vehicle, tents and various materials, in addition to valid help. of the military personnel placed at its disposal, for a collaboration that continues today.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Hohe Gaisl (Croda Rossa d'Ampezzo in Italian), (3,146m) is a mountain in the northern Dolomites, on the border of South Tyrol and Veneto, in northern Italy, located between the Braies Valley and the Val di Landro.

 

It lies as an imposing and prominent mountain, dominating the valleys underneath it. Its summit has a pyramid shape, and the mountain's slopes glow a deep red colour, a feature it has in common with many Dolomite peaks. The mountain is rarely climbed as it is particularly prone to rockfall. It is more appreciated for its beauty.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Monte Piana ist ein 2.324 Meter hoher Berg in den Sextner Dolomiten an der Grenze zwischen den italienischen Provinzen Südtirol und Belluno, Italien, nördlich des Misurinasees. Der Plateauberg trägt noch den Monte Piano genannten Nordgipfel (2305 m). Der allein stehende Berg ist umgeben von den Drei Zinnen im Osten, der Cristallogruppe, der Cadini-Gruppe und dem Dürrenstein. Die Südtiroler Anteile des Bergs sind im Naturpark Drei Zinnen unter Schutz gestellt.

 

Im Ersten Weltkrieg war der Berg zwischen Österreichern und Italienern heftig umkämpft (siehe dazu auch den Artikel Gebirgskrieg 1915–1918). Der Nordgipfel Monte Piano war von den Österreichern, der südliche Hauptgipfel von den Italienern besetzt. Auf dem hochplateauartigen Gipfelbereich zeugen die Stellungsanlagen, Schützengräben und Stollen beider Seiten, die sich teilweise nur wenige Meter gegenüberlagen, davon noch heute. Auf einem 1977 bis 1982 vom Verein der Dolomitenfreunde angelegten Historischen Rundweg können diese besichtigt werden.

 

Ein leichter Anstieg auf den Berg erfolgt vom Süden her zum Rifugio Angelo Bosi (2.205 m), bis zur Hütte als asphaltierte Fahrstraße. Die übrigen Auf- und Abstiege über den Touristensteig und den Pionierweg erfordern Trittsicherheit. Der Dolomiten-Höhenweg 3 überquert den Berg.

 

Zum Gedenken an die Rolle des Monte Piano als Kriegsschauplatz 1915–1917 wählte der Ausmusterungsjahrgang 2000 der Theresianischen Militärakademie in Wiener Neustadt den Namen „Jahrgang Monte Piano“.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Die Hohe Gaisl (auch Geisel geschrieben, italienisch Croda Rossa d’Ampezzo) ist ein 3146 m hoher Berg in den Dolomiten.

 

Die Hohe Gaisl ist der höchste Gipfel der Pragser Dolomiten, sowie eines Gebirgsstocks, der den Grenzkamm zwischen Südtirol und der Provinz Belluno bildet. Im Norden fällt das Massiv zum Pragser Tal ab, im Süden und Westen zum Valle del Boite, im Osten zum Höhlensteintal. Administrativ ist der Berg zwischen den Gemeinden Prags, Cortina d’Ampezzo und Toblach aufgeteilt. Die zur Südtiroler Seite abfallenden Flanken sind im Naturpark Fanes-Sennes-Prags unter Schutz gestellt.

 

Der Gipfel der Hohen Gaisl ist der südöstliche Eckpfeiler eines grob von Nordwest nach Südost ziehenden und stetig höher werdenden Gebirgsstocks. Die nächstgelegenen Gipfel nordwestlich sind die Hohe Schlechtgaisl (2967 m) und die Kleine Gaisl (2860 m). Am einfachsten zugänglich ist er von Osten, vom Übergang des Gemärkpasses und vom Hochplateau der Plätzwiese aus.

 

Die Hohe Gaisl gilt wegen ihrer Einsamkeit und der Brüchigkeit des Gesteins bereits auf ihrem Normalweg als anspruchsvollster Dreitausender der Dolomiten. Ihre Erstbesteigung erfolgte 1865 durch Paul Grohmann, Angelo Pizzo und Fulgentio Dimai, die allerdings lediglich einen Vorgipfel erreichten. Der Hauptgipfel wurde erst fünf Jahre später durch Santo Siorpaes mit Begleitern erstiegen.

 

(Wikipedia)

It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States. It is a migratory bird, wintering in Argentina, the Caribbean, Chile, and Peru.

 

The summer adult's body is white and its back and wings are much darker grey than all other gulls of similar size except the larger laughing gull. The wings have black tips with an adjacent white band. The bill and legs are red. The black hood of the breeding adult is mostly lost in winter.

 

Young birds are similar to the adult but have less developed hoods and lack the white wing band. They take three years to reach maturity.

 

Although the bird is uncommon on the coasts of North America, it occurs as a rare vagrant to northwest Europe, south and west Africa, Australia and Japan, with a single record from Eilat, Israel, in 2011 (Smith 2011), and a single record from Larnaca, Cyprus, July 2006.At the beginning of 2017 has been observed also in Southern Romania, southeast Europe.[5]

 

España - Bizkaia - Bilbao

España - Bikzaia - Ondarroa

 

By the river Sabie

Hippopotamus

 

Am Fluss Sabie

Flusspferd

 

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

 

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

 

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

 

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

The common hippopotamus (/ˌhɪpəˈpɒtəməs/ HIP-ə-POT-ə-məs; Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, is a large, mostly herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal and ungulate native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis). The name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος). After the elephant and rhinoceros, the common hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged about 55 million years ago.

 

Common hippos are recognisable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and large size; adults average 1,500 kg (3,310 lb) and 1,300 kg (2,870 lb) for males and females respectively. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances.

 

The common hippopotamus inhabits rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of five to thirty females and young. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. The hippopotamus is among the most dangerous animals in the world as it is highly aggressive and unpredictable. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.

 

The Latin word "hippopotamus" is derived from the ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος, hippopotamos, from ἵππος, hippos, "horse", and ποταμός, potamos, "river", meaning "horse of the river". In English, the plural is "hippopotamuses", but "hippopotami" is also used; "hippos" can be used as a short plural. Hippopotamuses are gregarious, living in groups of up to thirty animals. A group is called a pod, herd, dale, or bloat.

 

Hippopotami are among the largest living land mammals, being only smaller than elephants and some rhinoceroses. Amongst the extant African megafauna, behind the two African elephant species, they average smaller than the white rhinoceros but are larger by body mass than the black rhinoceros and the giraffe. Mean adult weight is around 1,500 kg (3,310 lb) and 1,300 kg (2,870 lb) for males and females respectively, very large males can reach 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) and exceptional males weighing 2,660 kg (5,860 lb) and 3,200 kg (7,050 lb) have been reported. Male hippos appear to continue growing throughout their lives while females reach maximum weight at around age 25.

 

Hippopotami have barrel-shaped bodies with short legs and long muzzles. Their skeletal structures are graviportal; adapted to carrying their enormous weight, and their specific gravity allows them to sink and move along the bottom of a river. Hippopotamuses have small legs (relative to other megafauna) because the water in which they live reduces the weight burden. Though they are bulky animals, hippopotamuses can gallop at 30 km/h (19 mph) on land but normally trot. They are incapable of jumping but do climb up steep banks. Despite being semiaquatic and having webbed feet, an adult hippo is not a particularly good swimmer nor can it float. It is rarely found in deep water; when it is, the animal moves by porpoise-like leaps from the bottom. The eyes, ears, and nostrils of hippos are placed high on the roof of their skulls. This allows these organs to remain above the surface while the rest of the body submerges. The testes of the males descend only partially and a scrotum is not present. In addition, the penis retracts into the body when not erect. The genitals of the female are unusual in that the vagina is ridged and two large diverticula protrude from the vulval vestibule. The function of these is unknown.

 

The hippo's jaw is powered by a large masseter and a well-developed digastric; the latter loops up behind the former to the hyoid. The jaw hinge is located far back enough to allow the animal to open its mouth at almost 180°. A moderate folding of the orbicularis oris muscle allows the hippo to achieve such a gape without tearing any tissue. The bite force of an adult female has been measured as 8,100 newtons (1,800 lbf). Hippopotamus teeth sharpen themselves as they grind together. The lower canines and lower incisors are enlarged, especially in males, and grow continuously. The incisors can reach 40 cm (1 ft 4 in), while the canines reach up to 50 cm (1 ft 8 in). The canines and incisors are used for combat and play no role in feeding. Hippos rely on their broad horny lips to grasp and pull grasses which are then ground by the molars. The hippo is considered to be a pseudoruminant; it has a complex three-chambered stomach but does not "chew cud".

 

Unlike most other semiaquatic animals, the hippopotamus has very little hair. The skin is 6 cm (2 in) thick, providing it great protection against conspecifics and predators. By contrast, its subcutaneous fat layer is thin. The animals' upper parts are purplish-grey to blue-black, while the under parts and areas around the eyes and ears can be brownish-pink. Their skin secretes a natural sunscreen substance which is red-coloured. The secretion is sometimes referred to as "blood sweat", but is neither blood nor sweat. This secretion is initially colourless and turns red-orange within minutes, eventually becoming brown. Two distinct pigments have been identified in the secretions, one red (hipposudoric acid) and one orange (norhipposudoric acid). The two pigments are highly acidic compounds. They inhibit the growth of disease-causing bacteria, and their light absorption peaks in the ultraviolet range, creating a sunscreen effect. All hippos, even those with different diets, secrete the pigments, so it does not appear that food is the source of the pigments. Instead, the animals may synthesise the pigments from precursors such as the amino acid tyrosine. Nevertheless, this natural sunscreen cannot prevent the animal's skin from cracking if it stays out of water too long.

 

A hippo's lifespan is typically 40–50 years. Donna the Hippo was the oldest living hippo in captivity. She lived at the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Indiana in the US until her death in 2012 at the age of 61.

 

Different from all other large land mammals, hippos are of semiaquatic habits, spending the day in lakes and rivers. They can be found in both savannah and forest areas. Proper habitat requires enough water to submerge in and grass nearby. Larger densities of the animals inhabit quiet waters with mostly firm, smooth sloping beaches. Males may be found in very small numbers in rapid waters in rocky gorges. Hippo mostly live in freshwater habitats, however populations in West Africa mostly inhabit estuarine waters and may even be found at sea. With the exception of eating, most of hippopotamuses' lives occurs in the water. Hippos leave the water at dusk and travel inland, sometimes up to 10 km (6 mi), to graze on short grasses, their main source of food. They spend four to five hours grazing and can consume 68 kg (150 lb) of grass each night.

 

Like almost any herbivore, they consume other plants if presented with them, but their diet in nature consists almost entirely of grass, with only minimal consumption of aquatic plants. Hippos are born with sterile intestines, and require bacteria obtained from their mothers' feces to digest vegetation. Hippos have (albeit rarely) been filmed eating carrion, usually close to the water. There are other reports of meat-eating, and even cannibalism and predation. The stomach anatomy of a hippo is not suited to carnivory, and meat-eating is likely caused by aberrant behaviour or nutritional stress.

 

Hippo defecation creates allochthonous deposits of organic matter along the river beds. These deposits have an unclear ecological function. A 2015 study concluded that hippo dung provides nutrients from terrestrial material for fish and aquatic invertebrates, while a 2018 study found that their dung can be toxic to aquatic life in large quantities, due to absorption of dissolved oxygen in water bodies. Because of their size and their habit of taking the same paths to feed, hippos can have a significant impact on the land across which they walk, both by keeping the land clear of vegetation and depressing the ground. Over prolonged periods, hippos can divert the paths of swamps and channels.

A hippopotamus walking on the grass land in Serengeti National Park in the morning

 

Adult hippos move at speeds up to 8 km/h (5 mph) in water; typically resurfacing to breathe every three to five minutes. The young have to breathe every two to three minutes. The process of surfacing and breathing is subconscious: a hippo sleeping underwater will rise and breathe without waking up. A hippo closes its nostrils when it submerges into the water. As with fish and turtles on a coral reef, hippos occasionally visit cleaning stations and signal, by opening their mouths wide, their readiness for being cleaned of parasites by certain species of fishes. This is an example of mutualism, in which the hippo benefits from the cleaning while the fish receive food.

 

Hippopotamus coexist with a variety of formidable predators. Nile crocodiles, lions and spotted hyenas are known to prey on young hippos. However, due to their aggression and size, adult hippopotamus are not usually preyed upon by other animals. Cases where large lion prides have successfully preyed on adult hippopotamus have been reported; however, this predation is generally rare. Lions occasionally prey on adults at Gorongosa National Park and calves are taken at Virunga. Crocodiles are frequent targets of hippo aggression, probably because they often inhabit the same riparian habitats; crocodiles may be either aggressively displaced or killed by hippopotamuses. In turn, beyond cases of killing the seldom unguarded hippo calf, very large Nile crocodiles have been verified to occasionally prey on "half-grown" hippopotamuses and anecdotally perhaps adult female hippos. Aggregations of crocodiles have also been seen to dispatch still-living bull hippopotamuses that have been previously injured in mating battles with other bulls.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.

 

Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Das Flusspferd (Hippopotamus amphibius), auch Nilpferd, Großflusspferd oder Hippopotamus genannt, ist ein großes, pflanzenfressendes Säugetier. Es lebt in Gewässernähe im mittleren und südlichen Afrika. Zusammen mit dem Breitmaulnashorn zählt es zu den schwersten landbewohnenden Säugetieren nach den Elefanten. Mit einem Gesamtbestand von rund 125.000 bis 150.000 Tieren und einem erwarteten weiteren Rückgang der Population ist die Art gefährdet.

 

Zusammen mit dem Zwergflusspferd und zahlreichen ausgestorbenen Arten bildet das Flusspferd die Familie der Flusspferde (Hippopotamidae). Obwohl sie „-pferde“ genannt werden, sind Flusspferde mit den Pferden nicht näher verwandt. Traditionell werden sie in die Ordnung der Paarhufer gestellt. Nach derzeitiger Lehrmeinung sind indessen die Wale die nächsten Verwandten der Flusspferde, die zusammen mit den paraphyletischen Paarhufern das Taxon der Cetartiodactyla bilden.

 

Die Bezeichnung Flusspferd ist eine Lehnübersetzung des griechischen Wortes ἱπποπόταμος hippopótamos (gebildet aus hippos „Pferd“ und potamos „Fluss“). Hippopotamus, der wissenschaftliche Name der Gattung, ist die latinisierte Form des griechischen Wortes. Der Namensbestandteil amphibius bezieht sich auf die amphibische Lebensweise im Wasser und an Land. Hiob Ludolf erklärte den griechischen Namen des Tieres mit der Ähnlichkeit des aus dem Wasser ragenden Kopfes mit einem Pferdekopf.

 

Der Name Nilpferd rührt daher, dass in der Literatur zunächst Flusspferde am Nil beschrieben wurden.

 

Flusspferde sind schwere Tiere mit einem fassförmigen Körper, einem wuchtigen Kopf und kurzen Gliedmaßen. Die kräftigen Beine enden in jeweils vier nach vorne ragenden Zehen, die mit Schwimmhäuten verbunden sind.

 

Flusspferde erreichen eine Kopf-Rumpf-Länge von 2,9 bis 5,1 Metern, wozu noch ein 40 bis 56 Zentimeter langer Schwanz kommt. Die Schulterhöhe beträgt 150 bis 165 Zentimeter. Das Gewicht schwankt zwischen 1000 und 4500 Kilogramm. Männchen sind generell größer und schwerer als Weibchen.

 

Die Haut der Tiere ist so spärlich mit kurzen, feinen Haaren bedeckt, dass sie nackt erscheint. Die Haut ist bräunlich, annähernd kupferfarben gefärbt, an der Oberseite ist sie dunkler und am Bauch purpurn. Auch im Gesicht, speziell um die Augen, Ohren und an den Wangen, können purpurne oder rosafarbene Flecken vorhanden sein.

 

Der Kopf des Flusspferds ist groß und wuchtig. Die Schnauze ist vorne sehr breit, was durch die Eckzahnfächer bedingt ist. Auf Höhe der Prämolaren ist sie stark eingeschnürt. Die Nasenöffnungen liegen erhöht und sind verschließbar. Auch die leicht hervorstehenden Augen und die bis zu 10 Zentimeter langen Ohren sitzen hoch am Kopf, so dass nur sie aus dem Wasser herausragen, wenn das Tier unter der Wasseroberfläche schwimmt.

 

Pro Kieferhälfte haben die Flusspferde zwei oder drei Schneidezähne, einen Eckzahn, vier Prämolaren und drei Molaren. Die Schneide- und Eckzähne wachsen das ganze Leben lang. Die Schneidezähne sind rundlich, glatt und weit voneinander entfernt. Die oberen Schneidezähne sind eher klein und nach unten gerichtet, die unteren sind länger (vor allem das innere Paar) und weisen nach vorne. Die Eckzähne sind hauerartig entwickelt, die unteren sind größer und können eine Gesamtlänge von 70 Zentimetern erreichen (von denen 30 Zentimeter aus dem Zahnfleisch ragen). Die Prämolaren haben in der Regel einen Höcker, die Molaren weisen zwei Paar Höcker auf, nur der hinterste drei. Flusspferde können ihre Kiefer bis zu ca. 150° aufklappen.

 

Lebensraum der Flusspferde sind Gebiete mit tieferen Seen und langsam fließenden Flüssen, die idealerweise mit Schilfgürteln umgeben sind. Zum Weiden benötigt es Grasgebiete in der näheren Umgebung der Gewässer. In Regenwäldern kommt es außer bei großen Flüssen in der Regel nicht vor.

 

Flusspferde verbringen praktisch den ganzen Tag schlafend oder ruhend, dazu halten sie sich im Wasser oder in Gewässernähe auf. Dabei tauchen sie oft bis auf die Augen, Ohren und Nasenlöcher unter. Obwohl Flusspferde gut an ein Leben im Wasser angepasst sind, sind sie schlechte Schwimmer. Meistens laufen sie auf dem Grund eines Gewässers entlang oder lassen sich vom Wasser tragen; ihre Fortbewegungsart wird manchmal als „Schwimmlaufen“ umschrieben. Wenn sie untertauchen, können sie ihre schlitzförmigen Nasenlöcher und Ohren verschließen. Tauchgänge sind in der Regel nicht länger als drei bis fünf Minuten, sie können aber länger unter Wasser bleiben, möglicherweise bis zu 30 Minuten. Im Schlaf erfolgt das Auftauchen ebenso automatisch wie das Luftholen.

 

Vorwiegend in der Nacht verlassen sie das schützende Wasser, um sich auf Nahrungssuche zu begeben. Dabei können sie sich mehrere Kilometer vom Wasser entfernen, um Grasflächen zu erreichen. Um zu ihren Weideflächen zu gelangen, bilden die Gruppen regelrechte Trampelpfade („Hippo Trails“). Trotz ihres behäbigen Äußeren können Flusspferde im Bedarfsfall schnell laufen, Schätzungen belaufen sich auf bis zu 50 Kilometer pro Stunde. Diese Geschwindigkeit halten sie aber nur wenige hundert Meter durch.

 

An Land muss ihre Haut feucht bleiben, sie wird rissig, wenn sie zu lange der Luft ausgesetzt ist. Spezielle Hautdrüsen sondern eine Flüssigkeit ab, die die Tiere vor der Austrocknung schützt. Diese zunächst farblose Flüssigkeit verfärbt sich innerhalb von ein paar Minuten rötlich und später bräunlich. Bestandteil dieser Flüssigkeit sind zwei saure Pigmente, hipposudoric acid und norhipposudoric acid genannt. Diese wirken sowohl als Sonnenschutz, indem sie UV-Strahlen absorbieren, als auch antibiotisch gegen verschiedene Krankheitserreger. Das rötliche Schimmern hat früher zu der Vermutung geführt, Flusspferde würden Blut schwitzen.

 

(Wikipedia)