Refinement photos on Flickr

Photo : Jason Whittaker

A daring and sculptural creation, Citroën DS5 perfectly expresses the DS spirit, with bold choices on styling, architecture, sensations and refinement.

www.njchurchscape.com/Johnsonburg%20Christian.html

2016 10 11 The First Christian Church in Johnsonburgh (NJ) est 1846 by harleygma80

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The building, erected in 1846, is stucco over stone, with several nice refinements in the cornice and lintel over the door. The belfry (if that's what it was), much deteriorated, now sits in the ground adjacent to the church.

The Christian denomination grew out of the revivals of the early part of the 19th century and their churches were occasionally referred to as Unitarian owing to a misunderstanding of their basic philosophy. They are definitely Christian but were open to some theological diversity. This congregation was organized about 1826 by a leading revivalist, Mrs. Abigail Roberts, who also organized one nearby in Great Meadows and at least two in Hunterdon county. Initial services were held in the Episcopal mission in town. The church (but not this building) is also associated with the legend of the White Pilgrim, for which see Henry Beck, Tales and Towns of Northern New Jersey.

This church is similar in style to several other Christian churches in the area, although a little more refined in the door surround. See, for example, the Christian church in Little York (Hunterdon County).

more info: www.livingplaces.com/NJ/Warren_County/Frelinghuysen_Towns...

Guaranty (Prudential) Building, Church Street and Pearl Street, Buffalo, NY by Warren LeMay

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Built in 1895-1896, this Chicago School-style thirteen-story skyscraper was designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler for the Guaranty Construction Company. It was initially commissioned by Hascal L. Taylor, whom approached Dankmar Adler to build "the largest and best office building in the city,” but Taylor, whom wanted to name the building after himself, died in 1894, just before the building was announced. Having already had the building designed and ready for construction, the Guaranty Construction Company of Chicago, which already had resources lined up to build the project, bought the property and had the building constructed, with the building instead being named after them. In 1898, the building was renamed after the Prudential Insurance Company, which had refinanced the project and became a major tenant in the building after it was completed. Prudential had the terra cotta panels above the main entrances to the building modified to display the company’s name in 1898, upon their acquisition of a partial share in the ownership of the tower. The building became the tallest building in Buffalo upon its completion, and was a further refinement of the ideas that Sullivan had developed with the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, which was built in 1890-92, and featured a design with more Classical overtones, which were dropped with the design of the Guaranty Building in favor of a more purified Art Nouveau and Chicago School aesthetic, and with more intricate visual detail, with the ornate terra cotta panels cladding the entire structure, leaving very few areas with sparse detail. The building is an early skyscraper with a steel frame supporting the terra cotta panel facade, a departure from earlier load bearing masonry structures that had previously been predominant in many of the same applications, and expresses this through large window openings at the base and a consistent wall thickness, as there was no need to make the exterior walls thicker at the base to support the load from the structure above. The building also contrasts with the more rigid historically-influenced Classical revivalism that was growing in popularity at the time, and follows Sullivan’s mantra of “form ever follows function” despite having a lot of unnecessary detail on the exterior cladding and interior elements. The building’s facade also emphasizes its verticality through continual vertical bands of windows separated by pilasters that are wider on the first two floors, with narrower pilasters above, with the entire composition of the building following the tripartite form influenced by classical columns, with distinct sections comprising the base, shaft, and capital, though being a radical and bold abstraction of the form compared to the historical literalism expressed by most of its contemporaries, more directly displaying the underlying steel structure of the building.

The building is clad in rusty terra cotta panels which feature extensive Sullivanesque ornament inspired by the Art Nouveau movement, which clad the entirety of the building’s facades along Church Street and Pearl Street, with simpler red brick and painted brick cladding on the facades that do not front public right-of-ways, which are visible when the building is viewed from the south and west. The white painted brick cladding on the south elevation marks the former location of the building’s light well, which was about 30 feet wide and 68 feet deep, and was infilled during a 1980s rehabilitation project, adding an additional 1,400 square feet of office space, and necessitating an artificial light source to be installed above the stained glass ceiling of the building’s lobby. The building’s windows are mostly one-over-one double-hung windows in vertical columns, with one window per bay, though this pattern is broken at the painted portions of the non-principal facades, which feature paired one-over-one windows, on the second floor of the principal facades, which features Chicago-style tripartite windows and arched transoms over the building’s two main entry doors, on the thirteenth floor of the principal facades, which features circular oxeye windows, and at the base, which features large storefront windows that include cantilevered sections with shed glass roofs that wrap around the columns at the base of the building. The building’s terra cotta panels feature many natural and geometric motifs based on plants and crystalline structures, the most common being a “seed pod” motif that symbolizes growth, with a wide variation of patterns, giving the facade a dynamic appearance, which is almost overwhelming, but helps to further grant the building a dignified and monumental appearance, and is a signature element of many of the significant works of Adler and Sullivan, as well as Sullivan’s later independent work. The building’s pilasters halve in number but double in thickness towards the base, with wide window openings underneath pairs of window bays above on the first and second floors, with the pilasters terminating at circular columns with large, decorative, ornate terra cotta capitals in the central bays, and thick rectilinear pilasters at the corners and flanking the entry door openings. The circular columns penetrate the extruded storefront windows and shed glass roofs below, which formed display cases for shops in the ground floor of the building when it first opened, and feature decorative copper trim and mullions framing the large expanses of plate glass. The base of the building is clad in medina sandstone panels, as well as medina sandstone bases on the circular columns. The major entry doors feature decorative copper trim surrounds, a spandrel panel with ornate cast copper detailing above and the name “Guaranty” emblazoned on the face of each of the two panels at the two entrances, decorative transoms above with decorative copper panels as headers, and arched transoms on the second floor with decorative terra cotta trim surrounds. Each of the two major entrance doors is flanked by two ornate Art Nouveau-style wall-mounted sconces mounted on the large pilasters, with smaller, partially recessed pilasters on either side. The building features two cornices with arched recesses, with the smaller cornice running as a belt around the transition between the base and the shaft portions of the building, with lightbulbs in each archway, and the larger cornice, which extends further out from the face of the building, running around the top of the building’s Swan Street and Pearl Street facades, with a circular oxeye window in each archway. The lower corner recessed into the facade at the ends, while the upper cornice runs around the entire top of the facade above, with geometric motifs in the central portions and a large cluster of leaves in a pattern that is often repeated in Sullivan’s other work at the corners. The spandrel panels between the windows on the shaft portion of the building feature a cluster of leaves at the base and geometric patterns above, with a repeat of the same recessed arch detail as the cornice at the sill line of each window. The pilasters feature almost strictly geometric motifs, with a few floral motifs thrown in at key points to balance the composition of the facade with the windows. A small and often overlooked feature of the ground floor is a set of stone steps up to an entrance at the northwest corner of the building, which features a decorative copper railing with Sullivanesque and Art Nouveau-inspired ornament, which sits next to a staircase to the building’s basement, which features a more utilitarian modern safety railing in the middle.

The interior of the building was heavily renovated over the years before being partially restored in 1980, with the lobby being reverted back to its circa 1896 appearance. The Swan Street vestibule has been fully restored, featuring a marble ceiling, decorative mosaics around the top of the walls, a decorative antique brass light fixture with Art Nouveau detailing and a ring of lightbulbs in the center, the remnant bronze stringer of a now-removed staircase to the second floor in a circular glass wall at the north end of the space, and a terazzo floor. The main lobby, located immediately to the west, features a Tiffany-esque stained glass ceiling with ellipsoid and circular panels set into a bronze frame that once sat below a skylight at the base of the building’s filled-in light well, marble cladding on the walls, mosaics on the ceiling and around the top of the walls, a bronze staircase with ornate railing at the west end of the space, which features a semi-circular landing, a basement staircase with a brass railing, a terrazzo floor, and multiple historic three-bulb wall sconces, as well as brass ceiling fixtures matching those in the vestibule. The building’s elevators, located in an alcove near the base of the staircase, features a decorative richly detailed brass screen on the exterior, with additional decorative screens above, with the elevator since having been enclosed with glass to accommodate modern safety standards and equipment, while preserving the visibility of the original details. Originally, when the building was built, the elevators descended open shafts into a screen wall in the lobby, with the elevators originally being manufactured by the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company, with these being exchanged in 1903 for water hydraulic elevators that remained until a renovation in the 1960s. Sadly, most of the historic interior detailing of the upper floors was lost during a series of renovations in the 20th Century, which led to them being fully modernized during the renovation in the 1980s, with multiple tenant finish projects since then further modifying the interiors of the upper floors.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, owing to its architectural significance, and to help save the building, which had suffered a major fire in 1974 that led to the city of Buffalo seeking to demolish it. A renovation in the early 1980s managed to modernize the building while restoring the lobby and the exterior, which was carried out under the direction of the firm CannonDesign, and partial funding from federal historic tax credits. The building was purchased in 2002 by Hodgson Russ, a law firm, which subsequently further renovated the building to suit their needs, converting the building into their headquarters in 2008. This renovation was carried out under the direction of Gensler Architects and the local firm Flynn Battaglia Architects. The building today houses offices on the upper floors, with a visitor center, known as the Guaranty Interpretative Center, on the first floor, with historic tours offered of some of the building’s exterior and interior spaces run by Preservation Buffalo Niagara. The building was one of the most significant early skyscrapers, and set a precedent for the modern skyscrapers that began to be built half a century later.

Plats - Belle Juliette by HPRG Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

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LE TALMA

Much like Madame Récamier’s literary salons, the Talma’s refinement and attention to detail makes it something exceptional, a place where you will feel at ease and welcome while sitting in the bar’s luxurious sofas and armchairs.

At lunchtime, the Italian-themed menu is packed with fresh, quality products such as the Burrata, succulent sliced meats and an ever-changing daily special. The chilled "Marco Polo" soup, ossobuco, radicchio salad with orange and excellent creamy goat’s cheese with truffle are already firm favourites!

In the afternoon, cakes and desserts await, invented and prepared by the Talma’s chef, Agnès and presented in our sweets trolley for afternoon tea. Our financier cake, special hot chocolate, citrus syrup cake and special Chateaubriand are already classics!

In the evening, a selection of vintage wines is available, accompanied by light tapas-style dishes in an Italian style.

The Talma is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from midday to 2.30pm. Afternoon tea is served from 3pm to 6pm every day of the week. The bar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm (closes midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

To reserve a table, please call +33 1 42 22 97 40 or e-mail talma@labellejuliette.com

RESTAURANT LE TALMA

A l’image du salon littéraire de Madame Récamier, le Talma se distingue par son raffinement et ses attentions délicates pour que chacun se sente entouré, accueilli, dans le luxe des canapés et fauteuils du bar.

Au déjeuner, nous proposons une carte d'inspiration italienne qui privilégie des produits frais et de qualité comme la Burrata ou bien des charcuteries fines ou encore des plats du jour. Le consommé glacé "Marco Polo", le risotto croquant d’épeautre, l'osso bucco, la salade trévise à l'orange ou bien l'excellent chèvre crémeux à la truffe ont déjà leurs amateurs !

L’après midi, la gourmandise sera à la fête grâce aux pâtisseries "faites maison" par Agnès, la cuisinière du Talma, qui sont présentées sur chariot lors de notre «Afternoon Tea». Le chocolat chaud, le cake au sirop d'agrumes, les financiers ou encore le Chateaubriand sont déjà des classiques !

Le soir, une carte de vins haut de gamme est proposée avec de petites assiettes, type tapas, toujours d’inspiration Italienne.

Le Talma vous accueille pour déjeuner du mardi au samedi de 12h à 14h30, pour l'afternoon tea tous les jours de 15h à 18h, le bar vous accueille du mardi au jeudi de 11H à 23h, le vendredi et le samedi de 11h à 24h.

Pour réserver une table : +33 1 42 22 97 40 ou talma@labellejuliette.com

LE TALMA- Hôtel La Belle Juliette

92 rue du Cherche Midi

75006 Paris

France

Photo : Jason Whittaker

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F Fresco by Benjamin Donnelly

Though the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau had put the excellent MiG-15 fighter in production, giving the Soviet Union one of the best fighters of the early 1950s, MiG felt it could further improve on the design. The MiG-15 had shown itself to be unstable as it neared the speed of sound, and it was anticipated that further refinement could be done to the aircraft.

As a result, MiG OKB began work on an improved MiG-15, referred to as the MiG-15-45 because of its primary characteristic, an improved swept wing. This new wing was thinner than that on the MiG-15, included wing fences for improved aerodynamics, and was swept at 45 degrees near the wingroot and to a slightly lesser degree at the wingtip, giving the new variant a distinctive “banana-wing” shape. The fuselage was extended to incorporate an afterburner on the VK-1F turbojet, while a small ventral fin was added beneath the tail to further improve stability. While the MiG-17 could not quite break the sound barrier, it was very stable in most respects and kept the heavy armament and good all-around visibility of the MiG-15. The design changes were enough to warrant a new designation, so it became the MiG-17.

The first MiG-17 flew in January 1950, and low-level production soon began—low-level due to the urgent need for MiG-15s to fight in the Korean War. Not until after the war had ended did full-scale production begin on the MiG-17. By then, it was considered somewhat obsolescent: the supersonic MiG-19 was placed in production alongside the MiG-17, while work had begun on the MiG-21. Nonetheless, it was kept in production for the rest of the decade as the MiG-19 proved to be a bit of a disappointment. The MiG-17 was updated in 1953 after the Soviet Union captured a F-86F Sabre, and copied elements of the Sabre’s ejection seat and gunsight into the new fighter. It was dubbed “Fresco” by NATO. Attempts were made to build all-weather versions of the MiG-17 with mixed results; the all-missile MiG-17PM was reviled by its pilots due to a poor radar and worse missiles. The most common version was the day fighter MiG-17F.

The MiG-17’s combat debut was not auspicious, seeing action in the 1956 Suez War and the 1958 Quemoy Crisis. In the former, Egypt’s few MiG-17s were outnumbered and outflown by French and Israeli Mystere IV and Super Mystere fighters, while over the Taiwan Straits, People’s Republic of China MiG-17s were ambushed by Republic of China F-86Fs equipped with Sidewinder missiles. By 1960, production had ended, and the Soviet Union sold off most of its stock to client states, reequipping with more modern MiG-21s.

In 1962, the Soviet Union supplied the nascent North Vietnamese People’s Air Force with 36 MiG-17Fs as the nucleus of a new air force, and to offset the American-supplied Thai and South Vietnamese air forces. By 1965, when Operation Rolling Thunder began, these aircraft were sent against US Air Force and Navy fighters attacking the Thanh Hoa bridge. On 4 April 1965, a force of four MiG-17s shot down two F-105 Thunderchiefs to score the VPAF’s first victories of the war, but paid a heavy price, losing three out of the four to escorting F-100 Super Sabres and their own antiaircraft fire. The MiG-17 would remain the primary VPAF aircraft throughout Rolling Thunder, though it was gradually supplemented by the MiG-21. Since the MiG-17 was subsonic and lacked radar, it depended on ground radar to guide the pilot to the target, but once in a dogfight, the small, very manueverable, cannon-armed MiG had a definite advantage over American aircraft; only the F-8 Crusader came remotely close to matching it. It came as a rude surprise to American pilots that semi-obsolete aircraft were still capable of destroying the latest word in military equipment, and it pointed up the deficiencies in American air combat training.

By 1972, the VPAF had largely withdrawn its MiG-17s to training units, preferring the more modern MiG-19 and MiG-21. While the MiG-17 did account for a few more kills, they mostly ended up being shot down by better trained US Navy pilots and USAF F-4E pilots, who now had internal guns themselves. In the right hands, a MiG-17 was still a formidable opponent, as US Navy aces Randy Cunningham and William Driscoll found out on 10 May 1972, when a MiG-17 dueled in the vertical with their F-4J for nearly ten minutes before it was finally shot down.

After Vietnam, the MiG-17 had outlived its usefulness, and though it would see limited service in African brushfire wars and in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, what few air forces retained them relegated them to second-line and training units. A few persisted in the Albanian and North Korean air forces until 2000. 10,603 MiG-17s were built by the Soviet Union, Poland, and China, serving in 40 air forces; today, several hundred still remain in museums and in flyable condition, including 27 in the United States alone.

This MiG-17F is a Syrian example, using the 1/48 Academy kit. It is painted in a more or less standard camouflage of tan, dark green and blue-gray over light gray, and is configured for the ground attack role with eight 2.75-inch rockets.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17PF Fresco by Benjamin Donnelly

Though the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau had put the excellent MiG-15 fighter in production, giving the Soviet Union one of the best fighters of the early 1950s, MiG felt it could further improve on the design. The MiG-15 had shown itself to be unstable as it neared the speed of sound, and it was anticipated that further refinement could be done to the aircraft. As a result, MiG OKB began work on an improved MiG-15, referred to as the MiG-15-45 because of its primary characteristic, an improved swept wing. This new wing was thinner than that on the MiG-15, included wing fences for improved aerodynamics, and was swept at 45 degrees near the wingroot and to a slightly lesser degree at the wingtip, giving the new variant a distinctive “banana-wing” shape.

The fuselage was extended to incorporate an afterburner on the VK-1F turbojet, while a small ventral fin was added beneath the tail to further improve stability. While the MiG-17 could not quite break the sound barrier, it was very stable in most respects and kept the heavy armament and good all-around visibility of the MiG-15. The design changes were enough to warrant a new designation, so it became the MiG-17.

The first MiG-17 flew in January 1950, and despite the loss of the prototype to a fatal crash, low-level production soon began—low-level due to the urgent need for MiG-15s to fight in the Korean War. Not until after the war had ended did full-scale production begin on the MiG-17. By then, it was considered somewhat obsolescent: the supersonic MiG-19 was placed in production alongside the MiG-17, while work had begun on the MiG-21. Nonetheless, it was kept in production for the rest of the decade as the MiG-19 proved to be a bit of a disappointment. The MiG-17 was updated in 1953 after the Soviet Union captured a F-86F Sabre, and copied elements of the Sabre’s ejection seat and gunsight into the new fighter. It was dubbed “Fresco” by NATO. Attempts were made to build all-weather versions of the MiG-17 with mixed results; the all-missile MiG-17PM was reviled by its pilots due to a poor radar and worse missiles. The most common version was the day fighter MiG-17F.

The MiG-17’s combat debut was not auspicious, seeing action in the 1956 Suez War and the 1958 Quemoy Crisis. In the former, Egypt’s few MiG-17s were outnumbered and outflown by French and Israeli Mystere IV and Super Mystere fighters, while over the Taiwan Straits, People’s Republic of China MiG-17s were ambushed by Republic of China F-86Fs equipped with Sidewinder missiles. By 1960, production had ended, and the Soviet Union sold off most of its stock to client states, reequipping with more modern MiG-21s.

In 1962, the Soviet Union supplied the nascent North Vietnamese People’s Air Force with 36 MiG-17Fs as the nucleus of a new air force, and to offset the American-supplied Thai and South Vietnamese air forces. By 1965, when Operation Rolling Thunder began, these aircraft were sent against US Air Force and Navy fighters attacking the Thanh Hoa bridge. On 4 April 1965, a force of four MiG-17s shot down two F-105 Thunderchiefs to score the VPAF’s first victories of the war, but paid a heavy price, losing three out of the four to escorting F-100 Super Sabres and their own antiaircraft fire. The MiG-17 would remain the primary VPAF aircraft throughout Rolling Thunder, though it was gradually supplemented by the MiG-21. Since the MiG-17 was subsonic and lacked radar, it depended on ground radar to guide the pilot to the target, but once in a dogfight, the small, very manueverable, cannon-armed MiG had a definite advantage over American aircraft; only the F-8 Crusader came remotely close to matching it. A favorite tactic of MiG-17 pilots was to hide “in the grass” at low level and pick off any unwary American pilot, or attack during a bomb run when their opponents were at their weakest. It came as a rude surprise to American pilots that semi-obsolete aircraft were still capable of destroying the latest word in military equipment, and it pointed up the deficiencies in American air combat training.

MiG-17s accounted for about 50 USAF and Navy aircraft during Rolling Thunder, enough that when the Top Gun program was formed in 1969, A-4 Skyhawks were assigned specifically to simulate them. This was also secretly supplemented by two ex-Syrian MiG-17Fs captured by Israel in 1968 and given to the United States under Project Have Drill. One deficiency that was found in the MiG-17 was that, at high speeds and low altitudes, compressibility would set in and the aircraft became unresponsive to the controls. These lessons were put to good use when American strikes resumed in 1972. By this time, the VPAF had largely withdrawn its MiG-17s to training units, preferring the more modern MiG-19 and MiG-21. While the MiG-17 did account for a few more kills, they mostly ended up being shot down by better trained US Navy pilots and USAF F-4E pilots, who now had internal guns themselves. In the right hands, a MiG-17 was still a formidable opponent, as US Navy aces Randy Cunningham and William Driscoll found out on 10 May 1972, when a MiG-17 dueled in the vertical with their F-4J for nearly ten minutes before it was finally shot down.

After Vietnam, the MiG-17 had outlived its usefulness, and though it would see limited service in African brushfire wars and in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, what few air forces retained them relegated them to second-line and training units. A few persisted in the Albanian and North Korean air forces until 2000. 10,603 MiG-17s were built by the Soviet Union, Poland, and China, serving in 40 air forces; today, several hundred still remain in museums and in flyable condition, including 27 in the United States alone.

Like many of Pima's MiG collection, this aircraft, built as 1D-0634, was built as a Lim-6MR, the Polish license-built version of the MiG-17PFM. This PF was a generally successful attempt to turn the day fighter MiG-17F into an all-weather version, by adding a radar in the intake of a modified nose. Wing hardpoints were also added for K-5 (AA-1 Akali) air to air missiles.

0634 served with the Polish Air Force from 1959 to 1987, ending with the 40th Fighter-Bomber Regiment, It was sold off on the open market a year later, and ended up with the USAF-sponsored Defense Test and Evaluation Support Agency at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Retired in 1990, it was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum in 1992.

Though I've seen a good number of MiG-17Fs, this is the first time I had ever seen the PF version of this aircraft. It has been repainted to depict a Soviet MiG-17PFM, attached to PVO Strany air defense forces in the early 1960s.

1

A daring and sculptural creation, Citroën DS5 perfectly expresses the DS spirit, with bold choices on styling, architecture, sensations and refinement.

Plats - Belle Juliette by HPRG Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

LE TALMA

Much like Madame Récamier’s literary salons, the Talma’s refinement and attention to detail makes it something exceptional, a place where you will feel at ease and welcome while sitting in the bar’s luxurious sofas and armchairs.

At lunchtime, the Italian-themed menu is packed with fresh, quality products such as the Burrata, succulent sliced meats and an ever-changing daily special. The chilled "Marco Polo" soup, ossobuco, radicchio salad with orange and excellent creamy goat’s cheese with truffle are already firm favourites!

In the afternoon, cakes and desserts await, invented and prepared by the Talma’s chef, Agnès and presented in our sweets trolley for afternoon tea. Our financier cake, special hot chocolate, citrus syrup cake and special Chateaubriand are already classics!

In the evening, a selection of vintage wines is available, accompanied by light tapas-style dishes in an Italian style.

The Talma is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from midday to 2.30pm. Afternoon tea is served from 3pm to 6pm every day of the week. The bar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm (closes midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

To reserve a table, please call +33 1 42 22 97 40 or e-mail talma@labellejuliette.com

RESTAURANT LE TALMA

A l’image du salon littéraire de Madame Récamier, le Talma se distingue par son raffinement et ses attentions délicates pour que chacun se sente entouré, accueilli, dans le luxe des canapés et fauteuils du bar.

Au déjeuner, nous proposons une carte d'inspiration italienne qui privilégie des produits frais et de qualité comme la Burrata ou bien des charcuteries fines ou encore des plats du jour. Le consommé glacé "Marco Polo", le risotto croquant d’épeautre, l'osso bucco, la salade trévise à l'orange ou bien l'excellent chèvre crémeux à la truffe ont déjà leurs amateurs !

L’après midi, la gourmandise sera à la fête grâce aux pâtisseries "faites maison" par Agnès, la cuisinière du Talma, qui sont présentées sur chariot lors de notre «Afternoon Tea». Le chocolat chaud, le cake au sirop d'agrumes, les financiers ou encore le Chateaubriand sont déjà des classiques !

Le soir, une carte de vins haut de gamme est proposée avec de petites assiettes, type tapas, toujours d’inspiration Italienne.

Le Talma vous accueille pour déjeuner du mardi au samedi de 12h à 14h30, pour l'afternoon tea tous les jours de 15h à 18h, le bar vous accueille du mardi au jeudi de 11H à 23h, le vendredi et le samedi de 11h à 24h.

Pour réserver une table : +33 1 42 22 97 40 ou talma@labellejuliette.com

LE TALMA- Hôtel La Belle Juliette

92 rue du Cherche Midi

75006 Paris

France

Photo : Jason Whittaker

1

A daring and sculptural creation, Citroën DS5 perfectly expresses the DS spirit, with bold choices on styling, architecture, sensations and refinement.

Perfect Dark Zero by 4ChanSukzAss!

2

Perfect Dark, when released back in 2000 on the Nintendo 64, was a big deal. It offered a slew of refinements over the already excellent N64 shooter, GoldenEye 007, as well as even more content and game modes. Along the same lines, many were hoping Perfect Dark Zero, which seems to have been in development since a time only few on Earth can remember, would be a similarly exhilarating experience. To an extent, it manages to live up to the hopes and expectations. It offers several improvements and still is able to maintain the flavor of the original. In addition, there's a huge amount of options for multiplayer matches and cooperative play on and off of Xbox Live.

The story of this game follows Joanna Dark, a super spy, during a period of time before she became wrapped up with the Carrington Institute in her battle against dataDyne, an evil corporation. Like in the previous game, you start out a mission with one or two concrete objectives, then acquire more based on which difficulty level you choose. Some objectives are necessary to complete while others are optional. Once you beat a level on one difficulty, it opens up the next. You'll need to beat the entire game on Perfect Agent, the third difficulty level, if you want to unlock the near impossible fourth difficulty level, Dark Agent. Perfect Dark Zero is a game where the single and multiplayer modes are split into two distinct categories, making them almost totally different games. We'll start with the single player. Your experience here will vary largely with what level of difficulty you've chosen. On Agent, the game can be breezed through with little to no difficulty. Secret Agent provides a moderate challenge, while Perfect Agent will force you to replay missions until you've got pretty much every enemy position and strategy memorized. It would have been nice to see a save game element instituted in PDZ, since as it is you'll need to replay the entire level if you fail an objective, which is really aggravating if you've played an entire level through only to screw up at the very end. As it is, there's a checkpoint feature you can respawn at roughly halfway through each level, but if you choose to use it you'll lose the ability to keep stats in the level.

As you make your way through PDZ on each difficulty level you'll be able to unlock more and more of the game's arsenal which you'll be able to use in each level afterward. This becomes crucial on some levels since each weapon has highly specific secondary and tertiary fires. For example, you'll find the Jungle Storm stage is near impossible on the harder difficulties if you don't have a P90 so you can use its radar sweep secondary function to locate enemies through the foliage. The weapon variety in the game is great, on the whole, and every weapon you'll be able to find some sort of use for. The single player mode's biggest problems are with the enemy A.I. and the weak storyline. Granted, the storyline doesn't really factor into the gameplay, but it's pretty much impossible not to notice how laughably bad it is. Many of the game's major events are treated as almost inconsequential, and often you'll find missions start and end with tons of loose ends fluttering about. The voice acting too, during these sequences, is overflowing with a forced wit and general cheesiness. Though the game's story factors into the presentation, it's the single player enemy A.I. that affects the gameplay. Though the enemies in single player are more likely to react to your presence at the higher difficulty levels, they never display any advanced assault tactics. In other words, the enemies behave much like they did on the N64. If they see you, they're going to start shooting and chasing you, and that's about it. Granted, they will start backing away from you at times and hide behind walls, but it still feels as though you're playing the old game. It's entirely possible in many areas to pull off the old school technique of waiting behind a door for enemies who've seen you to charge through so you can shoot them in the head. At higher difficulty levels this becomes a less viable option only because the damage output and accuracy of enemies is greatly increased, but their attack strategies never improve. Given how it's five years and two console generations after the original, it could have been expected that PDZ would have included some advanced squad tactics.

Similarly, you'll occasionally find yourself in situations where you're fighting alongside and escorting a few allies. Unfortunately, these allies aren't very smart, and will often get themselves killed despite your best efforts. They tend to wander directly into enemy fire and fail to retreat to safety once they start getting shot. Instead, they just stand there and absorb bullets, which will sometimes cause you to fail your mission. Because of these problems, the single-player campaign is frustrating and boring at times. Though some parts of some levels really shine, in other places the action just isn't that interesting and you'll feel as if you're just wasting time between large action sequences.

PDZ has excellent visuals in some places, whereas in others the visuals are more questionable. The graphical style leans heavily on almost every surface having a sharp shimmer, which looks great when you're in an area with metallic walls, but odd when you're staring at shiny bricks in a South American series of ruins. Aside from the overdone shimmering, the game really excels in some of the larger scale areas, which is especially evident in the bridge sequence near the end of the game. PDZ is capable of displaying sprawling vistas with no problems, has excellent lighting effects, awesome enemy animations, and some of the most attractive gun models I've seen. Also, the effect of blasting away pieces of an enemy's armor is undeniably cool. In addition, there are some of the best blurring effects so far on the Xbox 360. The soundtrack to the game varies widely, featuring everything from pumping techno music to hard rock to compositions with a distinct James Bond sound. Though it's always appropriately intense when you're in the middle of a battle, it can at times seem to be out of place. In some levels, for instance, you may find it that killing tons of heavily armored troops with futuristic weapons to the tune of a southern rock song to be slightly odd. Nevertheless, the game pulls you right in with its excellent weapon fire sound effects. The guns of PDZ are loud and all have very distinct sound effects, from the Jackal to the Psychosis Gun. This is great for when you finally come up to that one sniper that's been taking shots at you all level and unload a full shotgun clip into his chest at close range. Perhaps the strongest aspect of the single player is the sense of frenzy it's able to create, though these sequences that combine silky explosions, huge environments, and the deafening pelting of gunfire are spread out. In between you may get frustrated with some of the parts where setting off an alarm spawns an endless stream of security guards that charge at you. Somehow, they all know exactly where you are, even if there aren't any cameras.

You will have access to a few new moves in PDZ including a roll, a melee attack, and the ability to take cover behind walls. Both the roll and melee attack extremely useful and easy to pull off, but the cover proves more problematic. This is because in order to take cover, you'll need to be in a specific spot to get a prompt to hit the A button to appear on screen. It would have been way better there would have been some way to immediately take cover against any surface instead of having to search for a cover spot. You'll need to use this ability frequently, especially in the later levels where a firefight against multiple opponents will shred you in seconds if you're not protecting yourself as much as possible. Perfect Dark Zero excels because of its enormous multiplayer aspect. Through Xbox Live players can play cooperatively through the mission modes, play in Deathmatch killcount, team killcount, capture the flag and territorial gains modes as well as Dark Ops' eradication, infection, sabotage and onslaught modes. Each of these modes is different and provides players with a wide range of unique gameplay experiences awaiting them online. In the Deathmatch modes you'll be able to hop into games with 16 players and 15 bots in small levels, which comes to a total of 32 if you include yourself, while larger maps support up to 32 human players plus 15 bots if your online connection is up to it. In Dark Ops you can't use bots, so 32 is the largest amount of players you can squeeze into those games.

How do the bots play online? Well, they're pretty freaking hard to beat. On the higher difficulty settings they will headshot you almost every time they're able to catch you out in the open. And it's not just that they're more accurate, they'll also capture and return flags with surprising efficiency. They'll even hop on the back of your hover tank to man the turret if the spot is open, though they sometimes get confused about this. Playing online with the rest of the Perfect Dark Zero community has turned out to be a lot of fun. The game runs smoothly and you'll find gun fights when you're using roll, melee, and cover fire techniques are way more intense than in single player. We did notice a few small issues though. Headshots seem really easy to get, which is an annoyance given how powerful they are compared to shooting a person in the chest or arms. One shot to the head and you're pretty much done, whereas entire clips can be unloaded at the body and still have the person walk away. Also, reloading your gun needs to be tweaked. As it is, you'll continue to reload as you perform a combat roll or climb a ladder, which is fairly unrealistic and also unbalanced. For instance, assume you've just unloaded your entire CMP150 clip at an advancing opponent and failed to kill them. If you hit reload then immediately perform a combat roll, you'll find yourself at the end of the reload animation when you pop back up. This move keeps you stocked with ammo while also making you almost impossible to hit. Finally, the imprecision of getting into a cover position is even more pronounced in multiplayer since you'll have way more people shooting at you. It would have been nice to see a few more vehicles in the game. As it is you'll have access to the jetpac and the hovercraft. The jetpac can walk or fly around levels while blasting machine guns, though is limited by an invisible ceiling. The hovertank is capable of seating one driver and a gunner. As a cool addition, you'll be able to replace the machine gun turret with a plasma rifle or rocket launcher, provided you have the appropriate weapon. The best part about vehicles in multiplayer is that they're not completely overpowered. So, if you're flying around an enemy base in a jetpac trying to kill everyone once they spawn in a team killcount game, you're going to get taken out pretty quickly. Not only are you a huge target up in the sky, but a few well aimed clips from a gun like the P90 will drop you right out of the air.

In online more than in single player you'll also see some wacky death animations. Occasionally you'll see find that when you shoot someone they'll go flying in the opposite direction than they should have or even straight up in the air. Aside from those glitchy animations, the deaths are generally representative of where and how hard an enemy got hit which is especially obvious if you've popped someone with a shotgun. There's no jumping in Perfect Dark Zero, though in the multiplayer you'll be able to hop over ledges by pressing into a low wall at a perpendicular angle. Though the game only has six multiplayer maps, there is enough variation of each to keep you from getting bored. Also, the multiplayer announcer absolutely sucks and there's unfortunately no way to turn him down short of muting all sound effects. Despite him, the multiplayer modes are still fun to play, just beware when loading up capture the flag and territorial gains. There are also a number of achievements, 50 to be exact, for you to attain. The fact that most of them are based around online play should tip you off as to where you should be spending your time. Though there's so much to do in Perfect Dark's single player campaign, it gets tedious after a while. Over Xbox Live, this is a totally different and much better game which forces players to use combinations of the new roll and cover moves to get by. It's got great weapons and excellent sound effects with visuals that, at times, are just as good. If you're looking for one of the best Xbox 360 multiplayer experiences at launch, look no further than this title. While Perfect Dark Zero ushers in a fantastic set of online options and scenarios -- and we expect this to be THE online game for Xbox 360 for quite a while -- the single-player game is surprisinly lacking in originality and innovation. Five years of waiting for this? Hm... PDZ's single-player campaign adds nothing to the genre, but more specifically, the improvements made over the original are minimal and disappointing. I strongly recommend skipping playing it by yourself and instead punching through it with a friend in coop, which, smartly, is included. This game, however, shines online and will make you happy you bought it.

Refinement by Jen The Ripper

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the tiny changeling Impostor~ by Celena & Martin

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she certainly lacks some renaissance refinement! ~ but wants to hang out with the pretty dollies soon ;) I always thought pretty girls should have ugly dolls!

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A daring and sculptural creation, Citroën DS5 perfectly expresses the DS spirit, with bold choices on styling, architecture, sensations and refinement.

Plats - Belle Juliette by HPRG Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

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LE TALMA

Much like Madame Récamier’s literary salons, the Talma’s refinement and attention to detail makes it something exceptional, a place where you will feel at ease and welcome while sitting in the bar’s luxurious sofas and armchairs.

At lunchtime, the Italian-themed menu is packed with fresh, quality products such as the Burrata, succulent sliced meats and an ever-changing daily special. The chilled "Marco Polo" soup, ossobuco, radicchio salad with orange and excellent creamy goat’s cheese with truffle are already firm favourites!

In the afternoon, cakes and desserts await, invented and prepared by the Talma’s chef, Agnès and presented in our sweets trolley for afternoon tea. Our financier cake, special hot chocolate, citrus syrup cake and special Chateaubriand are already classics!

In the evening, a selection of vintage wines is available, accompanied by light tapas-style dishes in an Italian style.

The Talma is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from midday to 2.30pm. Afternoon tea is served from 3pm to 6pm every day of the week. The bar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm (closes midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

To reserve a table, please call +33 1 42 22 97 40 or e-mail talma@labellejuliette.com

RESTAURANT LE TALMA

A l’image du salon littéraire de Madame Récamier, le Talma se distingue par son raffinement et ses attentions délicates pour que chacun se sente entouré, accueilli, dans le luxe des canapés et fauteuils du bar.

Au déjeuner, nous proposons une carte d'inspiration italienne qui privilégie des produits frais et de qualité comme la Burrata ou bien des charcuteries fines ou encore des plats du jour. Le consommé glacé "Marco Polo", le risotto croquant d’épeautre, l'osso bucco, la salade trévise à l'orange ou bien l'excellent chèvre crémeux à la truffe ont déjà leurs amateurs !

L’après midi, la gourmandise sera à la fête grâce aux pâtisseries "faites maison" par Agnès, la cuisinière du Talma, qui sont présentées sur chariot lors de notre «Afternoon Tea». Le chocolat chaud, le cake au sirop d'agrumes, les financiers ou encore le Chateaubriand sont déjà des classiques !

Le soir, une carte de vins haut de gamme est proposée avec de petites assiettes, type tapas, toujours d’inspiration Italienne.

Le Talma vous accueille pour déjeuner du mardi au samedi de 12h à 14h30, pour l'afternoon tea tous les jours de 15h à 18h, le bar vous accueille du mardi au jeudi de 11H à 23h, le vendredi et le samedi de 11h à 24h.

Pour réserver une table : +33 1 42 22 97 40 ou talma@labellejuliette.com

LE TALMA- Hôtel La Belle Juliette

92 rue du Cherche Midi

75006 Paris

France

flickr.com/photos/miahz/3863699399/

Photo : Jason Whittaker

Magnus S. Reynolds 953 Stainless Steel Custom stem SS by Aaron Hayes

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Then shape the spots that need some refinement.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F Fresco by Benjamin Donnelly

Though the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau had put the excellent MiG-15 fighter in production, giving the Soviet Union one of the best fighters of the early 1950s, MiG felt it could further improve on the design. The MiG-15 had shown itself to be unstable as it neared the speed of sound, and it was anticipated that further refinement could be done to the aircraft. As a result, MiG OKB began work on an improved MiG-15, referred to as the MiG-15-45 because of its primary characteristic, an improved swept wing. This new wing was thinner than that on the MiG-15, included wing fences for improved aerodynamics, and was swept at 45 degrees near the wingroot and to a slightly lesser degree at the wingtip, giving the new variant a distinctive “banana-wing” shape.

The fuselage was extended to incorporate an afterburner on the VK-1F turbojet, while a small ventral fin was added beneath the tail to further improve stability. While the MiG-17 could not quite break the sound barrier, it was very stable in most respects and kept the heavy armament and good all-around visibility of the MiG-15. The design changes were enough to warrant a new designation, so it became the MiG-17.

The first MiG-17 flew in January 1950, and despite the loss of the prototype to a fatal crash, low-level production soon began—low-level due to the urgent need for MiG-15s to fight in the Korean War. Not until after the war had ended did full-scale production begin on the MiG-17. By then, it was considered somewhat obsolescent: the supersonic MiG-19 was placed in production alongside the MiG-17, while work had begun on the MiG-21. Nonetheless, it was kept in production for the rest of the decade as the MiG-19 proved to be a bit of a disappointment. The MiG-17 was updated in 1953 after the Soviet Union captured a F-86F Sabre, and copied elements of the Sabre’s ejection seat and gunsight into the new fighter. It was dubbed “Fresco” by NATO. Attempts were made to build all-weather versions of the MiG-17 with mixed results; the all-missile MiG-17PM was reviled by its pilots due to a poor radar and worse missiles. The most common version was the day fighter MiG-17F.

The MiG-17’s combat debut was not auspicious, seeing action in the 1956 Suez War and the 1958 Quemoy Crisis. In the former, Egypt’s few MiG-17s were outnumbered and outflown by French and Israeli Mystere IV and Super Mystere fighters, while over the Taiwan Straits, People’s Republic of China MiG-17s were ambushed by Republic of China F-86Fs equipped with Sidewinder missiles. By 1960, production had ended, and the Soviet Union sold off most of its stock to client states, reequipping with more modern MiG-21s.

In 1962, the Soviet Union supplied the nascent North Vietnamese People’s Air Force with 36 MiG-17Fs as the nucleus of a new air force, and to offset the American-supplied Thai and South Vietnamese air forces. By 1965, when Operation Rolling Thunder began, these aircraft were sent against US Air Force and Navy fighters attacking the Thanh Hoa bridge. On 4 April 1965, a force of four MiG-17s shot down two F-105 Thunderchiefs to score the VPAF’s first victories of the war, but paid a heavy price, losing three out of the four to escorting F-100 Super Sabres and their own antiaircraft fire. The MiG-17 would remain the primary VPAF aircraft throughout Rolling Thunder, though it was gradually supplemented by the MiG-21. Since the MiG-17 was subsonic and lacked radar, it depended on ground radar to guide the pilot to the target, but once in a dogfight, the small, very manueverable, cannon-armed MiG had a definite advantage over American aircraft; only the F-8 Crusader came remotely close to matching it. A favorite tactic of MiG-17 pilots was to hide “in the grass” at low level and pick off any unwary American pilot, or attack during a bomb run when their opponents were at their weakest. It came as a rude surprise to American pilots that semi-obsolete aircraft were still capable of destroying the latest word in military equipment, and it pointed up the deficiencies in American air combat training.

MiG-17s accounted for about 50 USAF and Navy aircraft during Rolling Thunder, enough that when the Top Gun program was formed in 1969, A-4 Skyhawks were assigned specifically to simulate them. This was also secretly supplemented by two ex-Syrian MiG-17Fs captured by Israel in 1968 and given to the United States under Project Have Drill. One deficiency that was found in the MiG-17 was that, at high speeds and low altitudes, compressibility would set in and the aircraft became unresponsive to the controls. These lessons were put to good use when American strikes resumed in 1972. By this time, the VPAF had largely withdrawn its MiG-17s to training units, preferring the more modern MiG-19 and MiG-21. While the MiG-17 did account for a few more kills, they mostly ended up being shot down by better trained US Navy pilots and USAF F-4E pilots, who now had internal guns themselves. In the right hands, a MiG-17 was still a formidable opponent, as US Navy aces Randy Cunningham and William Driscoll found out on 10 May 1972, when a MiG-17 dueled in the vertical with their F-4J for nearly ten minutes before it was finally shot down.

After Vietnam, the MiG-17 had outlived its usefulness, and though it would see limited service in African brushfire wars and in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, what few air forces retained them relegated them to second-line and training units. A few persisted in the Albanian and North Korean air forces until 2000. 10,603 MiG-17s were built by the Soviet Union, Poland, and China, serving in 40 air forces; today, several hundred still remain in museums and in flyable condition, including 27 in the United States alone.

Like many MiG-17s on display in the United States, this "Fresco" is actually a Lim-5, 1C-1905, the Polish license-built version of the MiG-17F. It was delivered in 1957, and was actually used as a lead-in fighter trainer for most of its career, finishing with the 38th Combat Training Regiment in 1987. With the Cold War drawing to a close, Poland sold many MiG-17s on the open market, and the USAF bought 1C-1905. It was flown as a test and aggressor aircraft by the Defense Test and Evaluation Support Agency at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico until it was retired in 1990. In 1992, it was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum.

Because of the MiG-17's infamy from the Vietnam War, Pima chose to paint 1C-1905 in the colors of the Vietnamese People's Air Force. Colors for the VPAF's MiG-17s ran the gamut from simple bare metal to very elaborate schemes; this one lies somewhere in the middle, with green and brown over light gray. The paint has faded badly under the sun, and this MiG could use some restoration work.

India - Uttar Pradesh - Agra - Taj Mahal - 2ff by Manfred Sommer

The Taj Mahal (/ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl/, more often /ˈtɑːʒ/; from Persian and Arabic, "crown of palaces", pronounced [ˈt̪aːdʒ mɛˈɦɛl]) is a white marble mausoleum located on the southern bank of Yamuna River in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his favorite wife of three, Mumtaz Mahal.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for an additional ten years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million Indian rupees, which in 2015 would be valued at around 52.8 billion Indian rupees ($827 million US). The construction project employed around 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The domed marble tomb is part of an integrated complex consisting of gardens and two red-sandstone buildings surrounded by a crenellated wall on three sides.

The Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India". It is one of the world’s most celebrated structures and a symbol of India’s rich history. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, the Taj Mahal attracts some 3 million visitors a year.

INSPIRATION

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his favorite of three wives and beloved companion, Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian princess, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1643 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished about five years later.

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including; the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand), Humayun's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. Buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.

TOMB

The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin.

The base structure is a large multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners forming an unequal eight-sided structure that is approximately 55 metres on each of the four long sides. Each side of the iwan is framed with a huge pishtaq or vaulted archway with two similarly shaped arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level.

The most spectacular feature is the marble dome that surmounts the tomb. The dome is nearly 35 metres high which is close in measurement to the length of the base, and accentuated by the cylindrical "drum" it sits on which is approximately 7 metres high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). The top is decorated with a lotus design which also serves to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is emphasized by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of the main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls, and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial which mixes traditional Persian and Hindustani decorative elements.

The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns point heavenward.

The minarets, which are each more than 40 metres tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working minarets - a traditional element of mosques, used by the muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The chattris all share the same decorative elements of a lotus design topped by a gilded finial. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that in the event of collapse, a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period, the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.

EXTERIOR DECORATIONS

The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest in Mughal architecture. As the surface area changes, the decorations are refined proportionally. The decorative elements were created by applying paint, stucco, stone inlays or carvings. In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into either calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs. Throughout the complex are passages from the Qur'an that comprise some of the decorative elements. Recent scholarship suggests that the passages were chosen by Amanat Khan.

The calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you." The calligraphy was created in 1609 by a calligrapher named Abdul Haq. Shah Jahan conferred the title of "Amanat Khan" upon him as a reward for his "dazzling virtuosity". Near the lines from the Qur'an at the base of the interior dome is the inscription, "Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi." Much of the calligraphy is composed of florid thuluth script made of jasper or black marble inlaid in white marble panels. Higher panels are written in slightly larger script to reduce the skewing effect when viewed from below. The calligraphy found on the marble cenotaphs in the tomb is particularly detailed and delicate.

Abstract forms are used throughout, especially in the plinth, minarets, gateway, mosque, jawab and, to a lesser extent, on the surfaces of the tomb. The domes and vaults of the sandstone buildings are worked with tracery of incised painting to create elaborate geometric forms. Herringbone inlays define the space between many of the adjoining elements. White inlays are used in sandstone buildings, and dark or black inlays on the white marbles. Mortared areas of the marble buildings have been stained or painted in a contrasting color which creates a complex array of geometric patterns. Floors and walkways use contrasting tiles or blocks in tessellation patterns.

On the lower walls of the tomb are white marble dados sculpted with realistic bas relief depictions of flowers and vines. The marble has been polished to emphasise the exquisite detailing of the carvings. The dado frames and archway spandrels have been decorated with pietra dura inlays of highly stylised, almost geometric vines, flowers and fruits. The inlay stones are of yellow marble, jasper and jade, polished and levelled to the surface of the walls.

INTERIOR DECORATION

The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal reaches far beyond traditional decorative elements. The inlay work is not pietra dura, but a lapidary of precious and semiprecious gemstones. The inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, although only the door facing the garden to the south is used. The interior walls are about 25 metres high and are topped by a "false" interior dome decorated with a sun motif. Eight pishtaq arches define the space at ground level and, as with the exterior, each lower pishtaq is crowned by a second pishtaq about midway up the wall. The four central upper arches form balconies or viewing areas, and each balcony's exterior window has an intricate screen or jali cut from marble. In addition to the light from the balcony screens, light enters through roof openings covered by chattris at the corners. The octagonal marble screen or jali bordering the cenotaphs is made from eight marble panels carved through with intricate pierce work. The remaining surfaces are inlaid in delicate detail with semi-precious stones forming twining vines, fruits and flowers. Each chamber wall is highly decorated with dado bas-relief, intricate lapidary inlay and refined calligraphy panels which reflect, in miniature detail, the design elements seen throughout the exterior of the complex.

Muslim tradition forbids elaborate decoration of graves. Hence, the bodies of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan were put in a relatively plain crypt beneath the inner chamber with their faces turned right, towards Mecca. Mumtaz Mahal's cenotaph is placed at the precise centre of the inner chamber on a rectangular marble base of 1.5 by 2.5 metres. Both the base and casket are elaborately inlaid with precious and semiprecious gems. Calligraphic inscriptions on the casket identify and praise Mumtaz. On the lid of the casket is a raised rectangular lozenge meant to suggest a writing tablet. Shah Jahan's cenotaph is beside Mumtaz's to the western side, and is the only visible asymmetric element in the entire complex. His cenotaph is bigger than his wife's, but reflects the same elements: a larger casket on a slightly taller base precisely decorated with lapidary and calligraphy that identifies him. On the lid of the casket is a traditional sculpture of a small pen box.

The pen box and writing tablet are traditional Mughal funerary icons decorating the caskets of men and women respectively. The Ninety Nine Names of God are calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Other inscriptions inside the crypt include, "O Noble, O Magnificent, O Majestic, O Unique, O Eternal, O Glorious... ". The tomb of Shah Jahan bears a calligraphic inscription that reads; "He travelled from this world to the banquet-hall of Eternity on the night of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year 1076 Hijri."

GARDEN

The complex is set around a large 300-metre square charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. Halfway between the tomb and gateway in the center of the garden is a raised marble water tank with a reflecting pool positioned on a north-south axis to reflect the image of the mausoleum. The raised marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar in reference to the "Tank of Abundance" promised to Muhammad.

Elsewhere, the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains. The charbagh garden, a design inspired by Persian gardens, was introduced to India by Babur, the first Mughal emperor. It symbolises the four flowing rivers of Jannah (Paradise) and reflects the Paradise garden derived from the Persian paridaeza, meaning 'walled garden'. In mystic Islamic texts of the Mughal period, Paradise is described as an ideal garden of abundance with four rivers flowing from a central spring or mountain, separating the garden into north, west, south and east.

Most Mughal charbaghs are rectangular with a tomb or pavilion in the center. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, is located at the end of the garden. With the discovery of Mahtab Bagh or "Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna, the interpretation of the Archaeological Survey of India is that the Yamuna river itself was incorporated into the garden's design and was meant to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise. Similarities in layout and architectural features with the Shalimar Gardens suggests both gardens may have been designed by the same architect, Ali Mardan. Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including abundant roses, daffodils, and fruit trees. As the Mughal Empire declined, the Taj Mahal and its gardens also declined. By the end of the 19th century, the British Empire controlled more than three-fifths of India, and assumed management of the Taj Mahal. They changed the landscaping to their liking which more closely resembled the formal lawns of London.

OUTLYING BUILDINGS

The Taj Mahal complex is bordered on three sides by crenellated red sandstone walls; the side facing the river is open. Outside the walls are several additional mausoleums, including those of Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favourite servant.

The main gateway (darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of marble, and reminiscent of the Mughal architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of the tomb's archways, and its pishtaq arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. The vaulted ceilings and walls have elaborate geometric designs like those found in the other sandstone buildings in the complex.

At the far end of the complex are two grand red sandstone buildings that mirror each other, and face the sides of the tomb. The backs of the buildings parallel the western and eastern walls. The western building is a mosque and the other is the jawab (answer), thought to have been constructed for architectural balance although it may have been used as a guesthouse. Distinctions between the two buildings include the jawab's lack of a mihrab (a niche in a mosque's wall facing Mecca), and its floors of geometric design whereas the floor of the mosque is laid with outlines of 569 prayer rugs in black marble. The mosque's basic design of a long hall surmounted by three domes is similar to others built by Shah Jahan, particularly the Masjid-i Jahān-Numā, or Jama Masjid, Delhi. The Mughal mosques of this period divide the sanctuary hall into three areas comprising a main sanctuary and slightly smaller sanctuaries on either side. At the Taj Mahal, each sanctuary opens onto an expansive vaulting dome. The outlying buildings were completed in 1643.

CONSTRUCTION

The Taj Mahal is built on a parcel of land to the south of the walled city of Agra. Shah Jahan presented Maharajah Jai Singh with a large palace in the center of Agra in exchange for the land. An area of roughly three acres was excavated, filled with dirt to reduce seepage, and leveled at 50 metres above riverbank. In the tomb area, wells were dug and filled with stone and rubble to form the footings of the tomb. Instead of lashed bamboo, workmen constructed a colossal brick scaffold that mirrored the tomb. The scaffold was so enormous that foremen estimated it would take years to dismantle.

The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. It is believed over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials. The translucent white marble was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble.

According to the legend, Shah Jahan decreed that anyone could keep the bricks taken from the scaffold, and thus it was dismantled by peasants overnight. A fifteen kilometer tamped-earth ramp was built to transport marble and materials to the construction site and teams of twenty or thirty oxen pulled the blocks on specially constructed wagons. An elaborate post-and-beam pulley system was used to raise the blocks into desired position. Water was drawn from the river by a series of purs, an animal-powered rope and bucket mechanism, into a large storage tank and raised to a large distribution tank. It was passed into three subsidiary tanks, from which it was piped to the complex.

The plinth and tomb took roughly 12 years to complete. The remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years and were completed in order of minarets, mosque and jawab, and gateway. Since the complex was built in stages, discrepancies exist in completion dates due to differing opinions on "completion". Construction of the mausoleum itself was essentially completed by 1643 while work continued on the outlying buildings. Estimates of the cost of construction vary due to difficulties in estimating costs across time. The total cost has been estimated to be about 32 million Indian rupees, which is around 52.8 billion Indian rupees ($827 million US) based on 2015 values.

LATER DAYS

Abdul Hamid Lahauri in his book Badshahnama refers to Taj Mahal as rauza-i munawwara, meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb. Soon after the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Upon Shah Jahan's death, Aurangzeb buried him in the mausoleum next to his wife. In the 18th century, the Jat rulers of Bharatpur invaded Agra and attacked the Taj Mahal, the two chandeliers, one of agate and another of silver, which were hung over the main cenotaph, were taken away by them, along with the gold and silver screen. Kanbo, a Mughal historian, said the gold shield which covered the 15-foot high finial at the top of the main dome was also removed during the Jat despoliation.

By the late 19th century, parts of the buildings had fallen into disrepair. During the time of the Indian rebellion of 1857, the Taj Mahal was defaced by British soldiers and government officials, who chiselled out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. At the end of the 19th century, British viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a sweeping restoration project, which was completed in 1908. He also commissioned the large lamp in the interior chamber, modelled after one in a Cairo mosque. During this time the garden was remodelled with British-style lawns that are still in place today.

THREATS

In 1942, the government erected a scaffolding to disguise the building in anticipation of air attacks by the Japanese Air Force. During the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, scaffoldings were again erected to mislead bomber pilots.

More recent threats have come from environmental pollution on the banks of Yamuna River including acid rain due to the Mathura Oil Refinery, which was opposed by Supreme Court of India directives. The pollution has been turning the Taj Mahal yellow. To help control the pollution, the Indian government has set up the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a 10,400-square-kilometre area around the monument where strict emissions standards are in place.

Concerns for the tomb's structural integrity have recently been raised because of a decline in the groundwater level in the Yamuna river basin which is falling at a rate of around 5 feet a year. In 2010, cracks appeared in parts of the tomb, and the minarets which surround the monument were showing signs of tilting, as the wooden foundation of the tomb may be rotting due to lack of water. In 2011 it was reported that some predictions indicated that the tomb could collapse within 5 years.

TOURISM

The Taj Mahal attracts a large number of tourists. UNESCO documented more than 2 million visitors in 2001, which increased to about 3 million in 2015. A two tier pricing system is in place, with a significantly lower entrance fee for Indian citizens and a more expensive one for foreigners. Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex and tourists must either walk from parking lots or catch an electric bus. The Khawasspuras (northern courtyards) are currently being restored for use as a new visitor center.

The small town to the south of the Taj, known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, was originally constructed with caravanserais, bazaars and markets to serve the needs of visitors and workmen. Lists of recommended travel destinations often feature the Taj Mahal, which also appears in several listings of seven wonders of the modern world, including the recently announced New Seven Wonders of the World, a recent poll with 100 million votes.

The grounds are open from 06:00 to 19:00 weekdays, except for Friday when the complex is open for prayers at the mosque between 12:00 and 14:00. The complex is open for night viewing on the day of the full moon and two days before and after, excluding Fridays and the month of Ramadan. For security reasons only five items - water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, still cameras, mobile phones and small ladies' purses - are allowed inside the Taj Mahal.

MYTHS

Ever since its construction, the building has been the source of an admiration transcending culture and geography, and so personal and emotional responses have consistently eclipsed scholastic appraisals of the monument. A longstanding myth holds that Shah Jahan planned a mausoleum to be built in black marble as a Black Taj Mahal across the Yamuna river. The idea originates from fanciful writings of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a European traveller who visited Agra in 1665. It was suggested that Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb before it could be built. Ruins of blackened marble across the river in Moonlight Garden, Mahtab Bagh, seemed to support this legend. However, excavations carried out in the 1990s found that they were discolored white stones that had turned black. A more credible theory for the origins of the black mausoleum was demonstrated in 2006 by archaeologists who reconstructed part of the pool in the Moonlight Garden. A dark reflection of the white mausoleum could clearly be seen, befitting Shah Jahan's obsession with symmetry and the positioning of the pool itself.

No evidence exists for claims that describe, often in horrific detail, the deaths, dismemberments and mutilations which Shah Jahan supposedly inflicted on various architects and craftsmen associated with the tomb. Some stories claim that those involved in construction signed contracts committing themselves to have no part in any similar design. Similar claims are made for many famous buildings. No evidence exists for claims that Lord William Bentinck, governor-general of India in the 1830s, supposedly planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and auction off the marble. Bentinck's biographer John Rosselli says that the story arose from Bentinck's fund-raising sale of discarded marble from Agra Fort.

Another myth suggests that beating the silhouette of the finial will cause water to come forth. To this day, officials find broken bangles surrounding the silhouette.

In 2000, India's Supreme Court dismissed P. N. Oak's petition to declare that a Hindu king built the Taj Mahal. In 2005 a similar petition was dismissed by the Allahabad High Court. This case was brought by Amar Nath Mishra, a social worker and preacher who says that the Taj Mahal was built by the Hindu King Parmar Dev in 1196.

WIKIPEDIA

Date on Menu Bar in Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) by miahz

7

Why is Date in menu bar a "new" feature in Snow Leopard 10.6?

This was one of the first things i changed when i got my MacBook Pro with OS X 10.5 in December 2007.

System Preferences… > International > Formats > Time / Customize…

Show: Medium

The trick is to copy the Month and Date elements from the Date / Customize… section first, then paste them into the Times edit box. Format as you please, but i suggest using the two-digit month and day and the four-digit 24-hour time for most efficient use of space on the menu bar (MM/DD-hh:mm).

See the Time Customize panel options:

Read about it:

miahz.com/2009/08/menu-bar-date-osx-leopard/

1959 Land Rover Series 2 by Border Rovers

1

Original early Series 2.

Series 2, 2A and 3 have a devoted following all over the world as anyone who has ever used one will confirm.

Legendary capabilities off road and superior refinements all round compared to Series 1. Perfectly engineered longer and wider relative to S1. Iconic period styling by David Bache.

Owned and operated by Border Rovers.

Border Rovers can be contacted on:

07515899390

Series II 88-inch utilities (1958-1961)

The Series II Land Rover was introduced in April 1958, exactly 10 years after the original was shown in Amsterdam. Both “Regular” and “Long” models had the same wheelbases as the Series Is they replaced, but there were many important differences. Most obvious was the styling (by Rover’s David Bache), which was impressive enough to survive with only minor changes into the 21st century. It provided barrel-sides to cover axles with wider tracks, plus a sill panel to conceal the underpinnings, and a particularly neat truck cab option. Mechanical changes focussed on a new and much more powerful petrol engine, this time an OHV four-cylinder of 2286cc. However, the 88-inch models retained the old 2-litre engine until summer 1958. The existing 2052cc diesel, a close cousin of the new petrol engine, remained available. The usual range of body styles was on offer – soft top, truck cab, and Station Wagon (see below). Overseas buyers could also have a Window Hardtop model. Bronze Green was still the most popular colour, but there were six others: Beige, Dark Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Marine Blue and Poppy Red, the latter for fire engines. There were 60,456 88-inch Series II models, of which just 9,539 were diesel-powered. The last five 1500-series chassis (from 1960) appear to have had Perkins diesel engines from new.

Laird Super Solution Replica by Raphael Brescia

NR12048

From EAA Webiste:

The Original Laird Super Solution

The 1930s were the Golden Age of air racing, when air races were more popular, and drew larger crowds, than baseball. E.M. “Mattie” Laird was an experienced airplane designer whose Laird Solution won the 1930 Thompson Trophy race. Two Laird Speedwings also performed well in the 1930 Chicago National Air Races. In mid-1931, the Cleveland Speed Foundation asked Laird to build a new airplane to challenge the Travel Air Mystery Ship, which was burning up race courses around the country. The Super Solution was based heavily on the Solution and other earlier Laird designs, but it looked like an entirely new airplane. With the Cleveland Air Races scheduled for Labor Day, work began on the racer in July of 1931 and it was test-flown about six weeks later. It needed very few changes or refinements before Laird delivered it to his race pilot, Jimmy Doolittle. The Foundation’s goal was to enter the Super Solution in the Los Angeles to Cleveland Bendix Trophy race and then, a few days later, run it in the closed-course Thompson Trophy race in Cleveland, Ohio.

Laird provided two different engines for the Super Solution. For the cross-country Bendix Race, where steady power at high altitudes would be the key, the airplane would use a direct-drive engine. For the closed-course Thompson Race, a 3:2 geared-drive engine would give the best flat-out power. Both engines were highly modified versions of the Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior nine-cylinder radial. Off the shelf, the Wasp Junior was rated at 375 hp. With high-compression pistons and “doped” fuel, both modified engines produced well over 500 hp.

Super Solution in the Bendix and Thompson Races

Sponsored by Vincent Bendix and the Bendix Corporation, the cross-country Bendix Trophy race was meant to encourage transcontinental air travel. It was an open-class dash from Los Angeles to Cleveland with a bonus prize for the airplane that could continue from Cleveland to Newark, New Jersey, and win a truly transcontinental race.

Doolittle and the Super Solution won the Bendix race handily with an elapsed time of 9 hours, 10 minutes, and 21 seconds, and an average speed of 223 miles per hour—well ahead of the closest competitor.

After just a few minutes on the ground in Cleveland, Doolittle headed for Newark to complete the full transcontinental flight. His elapsed time from Burbank, California, to Newark, New Jersey (2,882 miles) was 11 hours, 16 minutes, and 10 seconds, at an average speed of 217 mph. Doolittle and the Super Solution beat the 1930 transcontinental record set by the Travel Air Mystery Ship, by 1 hour and 8 minutes.

Less than 30 minutes after landing, Doolittle flew the Super Solution back to Cleveland for an engine change and the Thompson Trophy Race at the Cleveland National Air Races.

The Thompson Trophy Race was a 100-mile pylon race for airplanes with engines of unlimited displacement. Airplanes had to reach 175 mph in time trials to qualify for the race.

With the geared engine installed, the Super Solution roared through the time trial at 260 mph, on partial throttle, but proved to be almost uncontrollable. The torque and vibration of the geared engine induced wing warping and aileron reversal at speeds above 250. The direct drive engine was reinstalled and Doolittle flew a new pre-race time trial at a scorching 272 mph. As the Thompson race began, the Super Solution took a commanding lead, but by the second lap the engine, which had already flown the Bendix race, was ailing badly. Doolittle lost the lead in the third lap to Lowell Bayles in the Granville brothers’ Gee Bee Z racer. With gauges above redline, Doolittle landed the Super Solution after the seventh lap to avoid a complete engine failure. An engine teardown revealed a scuffed piston, possibly caused by a particle of foreign matter. Even with its sick engine, the Super Solution had averaged 228 mph over the seven laps.

The Last Record

After an engine overhaul at the Pratt & Whitney plant in Hartford, Connecticut, Doolittle flew the Super Solution to Ottawa, Canada, for another cross-country record attempt, flying from Ottawa, to Washington, D.C., to Mexico City, Mexico. His elapsed time on October 20, 1931 was 12 hours and 36 minutes, a record that stood for many years.

In the summer of 1932, Doolittle and a new sponsor, Shell Oil Company, set out to modify the Super Solution to provide better forward visibility and to strengthen the wing rigging so the cooler-running geared engine could be used without warping the wings. Other modifications included a controllable-pitch propeller and retractable landing gear.

The new Super Solution, looked very little like its 1931 namesake, and it was plagued with problems, including severe rudder and elevator flutter. With the date of the Thompson Trophy Race fast approaching, the Granville brothers asked Doolittle to fly their Gee Bee R-1 racer. He accepted and won the 1932 Thompson Trophy in the R-1.

Shell Oil put the Super Solution in storage where it sat for years, ignored or cannibalized for parts. It may have passed through several owners before its fuselage was donated to the Smithsonian in 1948 by the Swallow Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas.

Length: 27 feet, 10 inches

Wingspan: 21 feet

Empty Weight: 1,580 pounds

Gross Weight: 2,160 pounds

Cruise Speed: 250 mph

Maximum Speed: 300 mph

Crew: 1

Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior

Horsepower: 500-plus hp

This airplane is a full-size replica of the 1931 Laird LC-DW300 Super Solution racer, winner of the 1931 Bendix Trophy race, piloted by Jimmy Doolittle. The replica was built by members of the Florida Sport Aviation Antique & Classic Association and EAA Chapter 17 in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1974, with help from EAA headquarters, members of the two groups obtained the remains of the Laird Super Solution from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., where it had been stored since 1948. The group’s initial goal was a full restoration, but it quickly became apparent that restoring the incomplete and badly damaged airplane would be impossible. They decided to build a replica.

Major components were built in Florida and in 1979 the replica was moved to the EAA Museum (then in Hales Corners, Wisconsin) for completion. The finished project was unveiled at EAA Oshkosh 1981 with pilot Jimmy Doolittle and designer Mattie Laird reunited for the occasion.

A daring and sculptural creation, Citroën DS5 perfectly expresses the DS spirit, with bold choices on styling, architecture, sensations and refinement.

Shenandoah Crossing ™ in Gordonsville, Virginia by Bluegreen Vacations

Enjoy rustic refinement within the cozy cabins of Bluegreen Shenandoah Crossing. Read more about Bluegreen's Shenandoah Crossing at Colorful Places.

Noble Jump by SHAPE NATO

3

NATO will continue the process of testing and refinement of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) during part two of Exercise NOBLE JUMP, from 9 to 19 June 2015 in Zagan, Poland.

Die NATO setzt die Erprobung und Weiterentwicklung des Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) während Teil zwei der Übung NOBLE JUMP in Zagan, Polen fort.

2009 Mansory Cyrus (06) by Georg Sander

2

The MANSORY limited customization programme for Aston Martin DB9 / DBS

Get behind the wheel of one of the world's most spectacular vehicles

One of the most innovative chassis refinements produced by the noble manufacturer MANSORY is called CYRUS. Alternatively, it optimizes either model DB9 or DBS made by Aston Martin. Perfect workmanship and elaborate engineering are the hallmarks of these 15 limited edition vehicles, which are in a class of their own.

CYRUS aerodynamics components are made of extremely light "prepreg autoclave carbon" and do not only include wing extensions for the front and rear, but also side skirt attachments and trims. At the front axle, a redesigned front skirt with enlarged air intakes provides optimal ventilation for the 12-cylinder power pack. The CYRUS front is visually enhanced with the newly designed carbon bonnet. With its two slotted “power domes” additional fresh air is directed into the front engine. The masculine design of the newly developed rear skirt with integrated diffuser emphasises the superior look and provides space for four stainless steel end pipes of the sonorous sport exhaust system.

(www.mansory.com)

- - -

Mansory Cyrus auf Basis des Aston Martin DB9 order DBS.

Perfekte Verarbeitung und ausgereifte Technik kennzeichnen das maskuline Aerodynamikpaket. Ein Gewindefahrwerk sorgt für beste Straßenlage und setzt die markanten Felgen im XXL-Format optimal in Szene.

Haute Couture auf Rädern

Passgenaue Verarbeitung und perfekte Oberflächen dokumentieren den Qualitätsanspruch des MANSORY Designeroutfits.

Die CYRUS-Aerodynamikkomponenten bestehen aus dem extrem leichten „prepreg autoclav carbon“ und umfassen neben den vorderen und hinteren Kotflügelverbreiterungen auch neue Seitenschwelleraufsätze und Verblendungen. An der Vorderachse sorgt eine neu entwickelte Frontschürze mit größeren Lufteinlässen für die optimale Kühlung des Zwölfzylinderaggregats. Optisch vollendet wird die Vorderansicht des CYRUS mit der neu designten Karbonmotorhaube. Sie sorgt durch zwei geschlitzte „Powerdome“ für zusätzliche Frischluftversorgung des Frontmotors. Auch am Heck haben sich die Techniker des Veredlers etwas einfallen lassen, um der Optik des Frontmotors. Auch am Heck haben sich die Techniker des Veredlers etwas einfallen lassen, um der Optik des Aston Martin den letzten Schliff zu verpassen. Die neu gestaltete Heckschürze mit dem integrierten Diffusor rundet den souveränen Auftritt ab und schafft Platz für vier Edelstahlendrohre der klangvollen Sportauspuffanlage.

(www.mansory.com)

CO2 Saps and Oils by Gary Tucker

1859 Concentrates. CO2 Oils made with wax pulled from an Apeks Supercritical 1500-20L.

Ideation refinement by Ruth

1

Plats - Belle Juliette by HPRG Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

LE TALMA

Much like Madame Récamier’s literary salons, the Talma’s refinement and attention to detail makes it something exceptional, a place where you will feel at ease and welcome while sitting in the bar’s luxurious sofas and armchairs.

At lunchtime, the Italian-themed menu is packed with fresh, quality products such as the Burrata, succulent sliced meats and an ever-changing daily special. The chilled "Marco Polo" soup, ossobuco, radicchio salad with orange and excellent creamy goat’s cheese with truffle are already firm favourites!

In the afternoon, cakes and desserts await, invented and prepared by the Talma’s chef, Agnès and presented in our sweets trolley for afternoon tea. Our financier cake, special hot chocolate, citrus syrup cake and special Chateaubriand are already classics!

In the evening, a selection of vintage wines is available, accompanied by light tapas-style dishes in an Italian style.

The Talma is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from midday to 2.30pm. Afternoon tea is served from 3pm to 6pm every day of the week. The bar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm (closes midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

To reserve a table, please call +33 1 42 22 97 40 or e-mail talma@labellejuliette.com

RESTAURANT LE TALMA

A l’image du salon littéraire de Madame Récamier, le Talma se distingue par son raffinement et ses attentions délicates pour que chacun se sente entouré, accueilli, dans le luxe des canapés et fauteuils du bar.

Au déjeuner, nous proposons une carte d'inspiration italienne qui privilégie des produits frais et de qualité comme la Burrata ou bien des charcuteries fines ou encore des plats du jour. Le consommé glacé "Marco Polo", le risotto croquant d’épeautre, l'osso bucco, la salade trévise à l'orange ou bien l'excellent chèvre crémeux à la truffe ont déjà leurs amateurs !

L’après midi, la gourmandise sera à la fête grâce aux pâtisseries "faites maison" par Agnès, la cuisinière du Talma, qui sont présentées sur chariot lors de notre «Afternoon Tea». Le chocolat chaud, le cake au sirop d'agrumes, les financiers ou encore le Chateaubriand sont déjà des classiques !

Le soir, une carte de vins haut de gamme est proposée avec de petites assiettes, type tapas, toujours d’inspiration Italienne.

Le Talma vous accueille pour déjeuner du mardi au samedi de 12h à 14h30, pour l'afternoon tea tous les jours de 15h à 18h, le bar vous accueille du mardi au jeudi de 11H à 23h, le vendredi et le samedi de 11h à 24h.

Pour réserver une table : +33 1 42 22 97 40 ou talma@labellejuliette.com

LE TALMA- Hôtel La Belle Juliette

92 rue du Cherche Midi

75006 Paris

France

Photo : Jason Whittaker

Plats - Belle Juliette by HPRG Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

LE TALMA

Much like Madame Récamier’s literary salons, the Talma’s refinement and attention to detail makes it something exceptional, a place where you will feel at ease and welcome while sitting in the bar’s luxurious sofas and armchairs.

At lunchtime, the Italian-themed menu is packed with fresh, quality products such as the Burrata, succulent sliced meats and an ever-changing daily special. The chilled "Marco Polo" soup, ossobuco, radicchio salad with orange and excellent creamy goat’s cheese with truffle are already firm favourites!

In the afternoon, cakes and desserts await, invented and prepared by the Talma’s chef, Agnès and presented in our sweets trolley for afternoon tea. Our financier cake, special hot chocolate, citrus syrup cake and special Chateaubriand are already classics!

In the evening, a selection of vintage wines is available, accompanied by light tapas-style dishes in an Italian style.

The Talma is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from midday to 2.30pm. Afternoon tea is served from 3pm to 6pm every day of the week. The bar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm (closes midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

To reserve a table, please call +33 1 42 22 97 40 or e-mail talma@labellejuliette.com

RESTAURANT LE TALMA

A l’image du salon littéraire de Madame Récamier, le Talma se distingue par son raffinement et ses attentions délicates pour que chacun se sente entouré, accueilli, dans le luxe des canapés et fauteuils du bar.

Au déjeuner, nous proposons une carte d'inspiration italienne qui privilégie des produits frais et de qualité comme la Burrata ou bien des charcuteries fines ou encore des plats du jour. Le consommé glacé "Marco Polo", le risotto croquant d’épeautre, l'osso bucco, la salade trévise à l'orange ou bien l'excellent chèvre crémeux à la truffe ont déjà leurs amateurs !

L’après midi, la gourmandise sera à la fête grâce aux pâtisseries "faites maison" par Agnès, la cuisinière du Talma, qui sont présentées sur chariot lors de notre «Afternoon Tea». Le chocolat chaud, le cake au sirop d'agrumes, les financiers ou encore le Chateaubriand sont déjà des classiques !

Le soir, une carte de vins haut de gamme est proposée avec de petites assiettes, type tapas, toujours d’inspiration Italienne.

Le Talma vous accueille pour déjeuner du mardi au samedi de 12h à 14h30, pour l'afternoon tea tous les jours de 15h à 18h, le bar vous accueille du mardi au jeudi de 11H à 23h, le vendredi et le samedi de 11h à 24h.

Pour réserver une table : +33 1 42 22 97 40 ou talma@labellejuliette.com

LE TALMA- Hôtel La Belle Juliette

92 rue du Cherche Midi

75006 Paris

France

Photo : Jason Whittaker

Plats - Belle Juliette by HPRG Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

LE TALMA

Much like Madame Récamier’s literary salons, the Talma’s refinement and attention to detail makes it something exceptional, a place where you will feel at ease and welcome while sitting in the bar’s luxurious sofas and armchairs.

At lunchtime, the Italian-themed menu is packed with fresh, quality products such as the Burrata, succulent sliced meats and an ever-changing daily special. The chilled "Marco Polo" soup, ossobuco, radicchio salad with orange and excellent creamy goat’s cheese with truffle are already firm favourites!

In the afternoon, cakes and desserts await, invented and prepared by the Talma’s chef, Agnès and presented in our sweets trolley for afternoon tea. Our financier cake, special hot chocolate, citrus syrup cake and special Chateaubriand are already classics!

In the evening, a selection of vintage wines is available, accompanied by light tapas-style dishes in an Italian style.

The Talma is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from midday to 2.30pm. Afternoon tea is served from 3pm to 6pm every day of the week. The bar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm (closes midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

To reserve a table, please call +33 1 42 22 97 40 or e-mail talma@labellejuliette.com

RESTAURANT LE TALMA

A l’image du salon littéraire de Madame Récamier, le Talma se distingue par son raffinement et ses attentions délicates pour que chacun se sente entouré, accueilli, dans le luxe des canapés et fauteuils du bar.

Au déjeuner, nous proposons une carte d'inspiration italienne qui privilégie des produits frais et de qualité comme la Burrata ou bien des charcuteries fines ou encore des plats du jour. Le consommé glacé "Marco Polo", le risotto croquant d’épeautre, l'osso bucco, la salade trévise à l'orange ou bien l'excellent chèvre crémeux à la truffe ont déjà leurs amateurs !

L’après midi, la gourmandise sera à la fête grâce aux pâtisseries "faites maison" par Agnès, la cuisinière du Talma, qui sont présentées sur chariot lors de notre «Afternoon Tea». Le chocolat chaud, le cake au sirop d'agrumes, les financiers ou encore le Chateaubriand sont déjà des classiques !

Le soir, une carte de vins haut de gamme est proposée avec de petites assiettes, type tapas, toujours d’inspiration Italienne.

Le Talma vous accueille pour déjeuner du mardi au samedi de 12h à 14h30, pour l'afternoon tea tous les jours de 15h à 18h, le bar vous accueille du mardi au jeudi de 11H à 23h, le vendredi et le samedi de 11h à 24h.

Pour réserver une table : +33 1 42 22 97 40 ou talma@labellejuliette.com

LE TALMA- Hôtel La Belle Juliette

92 rue du Cherche Midi

75006 Paris

France

Photo : Jason Whittaker

Asbestos Mill Cylinder Equipment by Asbestorama

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Cylindrical screening machine used for large bulk refinement of asbestos fiber. Example image of similar equipment, by LAB-Chrysotile, also shown.

Bay Area - Bay Crossing BART Option 1: Oakland to San Francisco (2007) by Erica Fischer

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Reposting since the original PDF no longer seems to be online. Bay Area Regional Rail Plan Attachment C: BART System Refinements, 2007.

Tiara of gold with enamel and glass beads by Akieboy

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Tiara

C. 300-250 BC

Canosa, hypogeum Lagrasta

Gold, glass and enamel

The necropolis in Canosa has provided splendid examples of the refinement of women's jewelry in the Hellenistic period. This diadem features exuberant, richly inventive decoration typical of the floral style developed by Greek goldsmiths in southern Italy, especially Taranto, in the 3rd century BC. Palmettes, rosettes, and intertwining foliage form a tracery in gold and enamel, worthy of the finest lace. The piece is dotted with tiny colored glass beads.

A piece of women's jewelry -

The diadem is one of the oldest and most characteristic items of women's jewelry in the Greek world. Unlike coronets or wreaths, which were used by men as signs of political or social status, and as funerary objects, the diadem was worn by women only, often serving a purely decorative purpose. Numerous examples in gold have been found in necropolises in southern Italy, Macedonia, and on the Black Sea coast, testifying to the great refinement of Greek jewelry-making during the Hellenistic period, and to the widespread diffusion of decorative motifs throughout the Mediterranean basin. This example is from Canosa, in Apulia (southern Italy), where it was probably found in one of the Lacrasta tombs. It entered the Louvre in 1863 after Napoleon III purchased the collection of the marquis of Campana.

Exuberant flowers and foliage -

The diadem's decoration is extraordinarily inventive and technically accomplished, comprising an openwork tracery of luxuriant stems dotted with palmettes, rosettes, foliage, and a variety of flowers. The motifs are intertwined like fine lace, highlighted with gold filigree work, blue enamel, and berries made from green, white, and blue pâte de verre. The piece is clearly the work of a Greek goldsmith influenced by Oriental styles and jewelry created for the royal court of Macedonia in the 4th century BC. The diadem is typical of the naturalistic decorative style seen in northern Greek jewelry and precious metalwork from 375-350 BC.

Hellenistic jewelry and metalwork in southern Italy -

The diadem was made during the Hellenistic period, in the 3rd century BC, by a goldsmith active at Canosa in southern Italy, or possibly a workshop in Taranto. Greek metalworking flourished in Apulia during this period; women's jewelry based on northern Greek designs using abundant flowers and foliage was especially popular. Items made in Taranto were exported throughout the surrounding region, as well as to Campania and Etruria. The innovative workshops of Taranto pioneered the reduction of the base plate to a plain background, focusing our attention solely on the scrolling, openwork design.

Ice-Cream Refinement by Henner Zeller

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... just before hitting the vanilla ice cream.

Information Technology Center by University of Hawai‘i News

Refinements are being made to the visual displays in the second level Information Technology Operations Center (ITOC). photo by Larry Wiss

Plats - Belle Juliette by HPRG Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

LE TALMA

Much like Madame Récamier’s literary salons, the Talma’s refinement and attention to detail makes it something exceptional, a place where you will feel at ease and welcome while sitting in the bar’s luxurious sofas and armchairs.

At lunchtime, the Italian-themed menu is packed with fresh, quality products such as the Burrata, succulent sliced meats and an ever-changing daily special. The chilled "Marco Polo" soup, ossobuco, radicchio salad with orange and excellent creamy goat’s cheese with truffle are already firm favourites!

In the afternoon, cakes and desserts await, invented and prepared by the Talma’s chef, Agnès and presented in our sweets trolley for afternoon tea. Our financier cake, special hot chocolate, citrus syrup cake and special Chateaubriand are already classics!

In the evening, a selection of vintage wines is available, accompanied by light tapas-style dishes in an Italian style.

The Talma is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from midday to 2.30pm. Afternoon tea is served from 3pm to 6pm every day of the week. The bar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm (closes midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

To reserve a table, please call +33 1 42 22 97 40 or e-mail talma@labellejuliette.com

RESTAURANT LE TALMA

A l’image du salon littéraire de Madame Récamier, le Talma se distingue par son raffinement et ses attentions délicates pour que chacun se sente entouré, accueilli, dans le luxe des canapés et fauteuils du bar.

Au déjeuner, nous proposons une carte d'inspiration italienne qui privilégie des produits frais et de qualité comme la Burrata ou bien des charcuteries fines ou encore des plats du jour. Le consommé glacé "Marco Polo", le risotto croquant d’épeautre, l'osso bucco, la salade trévise à l'orange ou bien l'excellent chèvre crémeux à la truffe ont déjà leurs amateurs !

L’après midi, la gourmandise sera à la fête grâce aux pâtisseries "faites maison" par Agnès, la cuisinière du Talma, qui sont présentées sur chariot lors de notre «Afternoon Tea». Le chocolat chaud, le cake au sirop d'agrumes, les financiers ou encore le Chateaubriand sont déjà des classiques !

Le soir, une carte de vins haut de gamme est proposée avec de petites assiettes, type tapas, toujours d’inspiration Italienne.

Le Talma vous accueille pour déjeuner du mardi au samedi de 12h à 14h30, pour l'afternoon tea tous les jours de 15h à 18h, le bar vous accueille du mardi au jeudi de 11H à 23h, le vendredi et le samedi de 11h à 24h.

Pour réserver une table : +33 1 42 22 97 40 ou talma@labellejuliette.com

LE TALMA- Hôtel La Belle Juliette

92 rue du Cherche Midi

75006 Paris

France

509/5 Cornuficia Denarius Q.CORNVFICI AVGVR IMP. head Ceres or Tanit, Cornuficius crowned by Juno Sospita. Utica 42BC. AM#09158-42 by Andrew McCabe

Photo : Jason Whittaker

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Denarius. 42BC. 4.16grams. Utica mint. Cornuficia. Crawford 509/05 Q.CORNVFICI. Obverse: hd Ceres l. Reverse: Cornuficius crowned by Juno Sospita . Extremely Rare.

Quintus Cornuficius was the republican governor of Africa Vetus (the "old" province) from 44-42 BC, during the civil wars. He was a man of considerable refinement, a poet and orator and a close friend of Cicero and Catullus. In 43 BC, Cornuficius refused to hand over his province to Antony's nominee, and he was proscribed by the triumviral government. In 42 BC, he was attacked by Titus Sextius, the governor of the neighboring province of Africa Nova. The course of this local conflict mirrored that of the wider civil war. Cornuficius enjoyed some initial success, even briefly invading Sextius' province, but he was utimately defeated and killed outside Utica in 42 BC. Before his defeat, Cornuficius produced a remarkable coinage in gold and silver, of astonishing artistic achievement. The three obverse types, heads of Africa, Jupiter Ammon, and Ceres-Tanit, all refer to his province of Africa. They share a common reverse, which depicts Cornuficius as augur being crowned by Juno Sospita, seemingly a reference to his own Lanuvine origin. All of these coins are of considerable rarity today. In Tresors Monetaires XX, 2002, p. 1-4, Michel Amandry published a definitive die study and corpus of this fascinating issue. Amandry knew of only 24 denarii of all types, including 12 with the head of Ceres-Tanit. These latter were struck from only three obverse and six reverse dies; three of these reverses were also paired with the Jupiter Ammon obverse. The present cataloguer is aware of two additional specimens of Ceres-Tanit; thus, the coin offered here is perhaps the fifteenth known example. Following Crawford, the "conventional wisdom" is that all plated Republican silver coins are contemporary forgeries. The coins of Cornuficius seem to present an umistakable exception to this general rule. Three coins in Amandy's Corpus are also fourrees; thus, including the present coin, out of 15 known examples, four are plated. This is an almost inconceivable percentage, if these fourrees are indeed ancient forgeries. They are struck from two obverse and two reverse dies; thus the hypothetical forger would have needed to possess by happenstance at least two examples of this exceedingly rare coin. There is good reason however to believe that in this particular case the plated coins are just as "official" as the good silver ones, especially as the plated and good silver coins share dies. It is possible to construct a persuasive scenario for this claim which doesn't violate Crawford's general dictum. The good silver coins would be the money Quintus Cornuficius minted to pay his soldiers, in the early, successful days of his struggle for North Africa. As the war turned against him, it is easy to imagine him increasingly strapped for precious metal, and resorting to striking more and more plated denarii. His soldiers expected to be paid, and were probably prepared not to examine that payment overly closely. At the end, he was restricted to Utica and its environs; how much silver could have remained there after months of fighting?. Text courtesy Phil Davis, Harlan J Berk, with permission. Photo copyright Ahala. There is additional discussion about this coin on andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Studies.html and also on andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Auctions.html

Mount St. Helens on May 17, 1980, in FSX. by Steven Rosenow

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Further mesh and aerial image overlay refinements.

1981 Porsche 928 S by Ruairidh MacVeigh

One of the most famous and most popular Porsche's of all time, mixing a sublime design with incredible power, but have been known for their temperamental nature.

Originally, the 928 was intended to replace the Porsche 911, combining the power, poise, and handling of a sports car with the refinement, comfort, and equipment of a luxury sedan to create what some Porsche executives thought would be a vehicle with wider appeal than the compact, quirky and sometimes difficult 911.

Development of the 928 began in the late 1960's, when the company intended to change the direction of the company more towards the luxury tourer market. Managing Director Ernst Fuhrmann was also a major driving force behind the inception of this car as the flagship 911 was starting to lose it's edge, with a slump in sales damaging the company's profits. Fuhrmann envisioned the new range-topping model as being the best possible combination of a sports coupé and a luxury sedan, something well equipped and comfortable enough to be easily driven over long distances that also had the power, poise and handling prowess necessary to be driven like a sports car. This set it apart from the 911, which was intended to be an out-and-out sports car.

Ordered by Ferdinand Porsche to come up with a production-feasible concept for his new model, Fuhrmann initiated a design study in 1971, eventually taking from the process the final specification for the 928. Several drivetrain layouts were considered during early development, including rear and mid-engined designs. After deciding that the mid-engine layout didn't allow enough room in the passenger compartment, a front engine/rear wheel drive layout was chosen.

Porsche engineers wanted a large-displacement engine to power the 928, and prototype units were built with a 5.0L V8 producing close to 300hp. Ferdinand Piëch wanted this car to use a 4.6L V10 with 88mm bore spacing based upon Audi's five-cylinder engine. The five-cylinder unit is a derivative of the Volkswagen Golf EA827 engine, essentially an inline-four with another cylinder added. Several members of the Porsche board objected, chiefly because they wished for Porsche AG to maintain some separation from Volkswagen.

The first two running prototypes of Porsche's M28 V8 used one four-barrel carburettor, but this was just for initial testing. The cars were sold with the planned Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system. When increasing concern within the company over the pricing and availability of fuel during the oil crisis of the 1970s became an issue of contention, smaller engines were considered in the interest of fuel economy. A push began for the development of a 3.3L 180hp powerplant they had drawn up designs for, but company engineers balked at this suggestion. Both sides finally settled on a 4.5L, SOHC per bank 16-valve V8 producing 240hp, which they considered to have an acceptable compromise of performance and fuel economy.

The 928 made it's début at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show before going on sale later that year as a 1978 model. Although it won early acclaim for its comfort and power, sales were slow. Base prices were much higher than that of the previous rangetopping 911 model and the 928's front-engined, water-cooled design put off many Porsche purists.

During its construction life, the 928 went through several variations. The first, the 928S, entered sales in 1980, sporting new front and rear spoilers and sported wider wheels and tires than the older variant, but 928 was fitted with a revised 4.7L engine.

Another was the 928 S4 variant, which debuted in mid-1986, being fitted with an updated 5.0L V8 producing 316hp. The S4 and GT variants were both cut at the end of 1991 model year, making way for the final version of the 928. The 928 GTS, launched in 1991, was fitted with a 5.4L, giving 345hp. Loaded GTS models could eclipse $100,000 in 1995, making them among the most expensive cars on the road at the time. This severely hampered sales despite the model's high competency and long standard equipment list. Porsche discontinued the GTS model that year after shipping only 77 of them to the United States.

By the early 1990's though the 928 was starting to look and feel its age, and thus Porsche began considerations for its replacement. In 1991 the lower market 944 was replaced by the 968, a car that combined both the finesse styling of the 928 and 944 to create a sublime but sadly underselling sports car. By 1995 though the jig was up for both cars, their design's looking very 70's, and more of the company's desires being placed into the Boxster and updated versions of the 911. The last of the 928's and 968's left the production line in 1995, with just over 61,000 cars being built.

Today 928's are quite rare cars and hold a very high value due to their incredible engineering quality. However, the car's are known for their temperamental nature, with early ones being quite unreliable and often being sold as spares. Other than that though, the 928's have quite a cult following, but are a point of contention for a lot of Porsche purists who consider the 911 the top of the company's game.

Bay Area - Bay Crossing BART Option 1: Lombard [actually Geary]/Van Ness/Townsend St. Alignment (2007) by Erica Fischer

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Reposting since the original PDF no longer seems to be online. Bay Area Regional Rail Plan Attachment C: BART System Refinements, 2007.

Plats - Belle Juliette by HPRG Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

LE TALMA

Much like Madame Récamier’s literary salons, the Talma’s refinement and attention to detail makes it something exceptional, a place where you will feel at ease and welcome while sitting in the bar’s luxurious sofas and armchairs.

At lunchtime, the Italian-themed menu is packed with fresh, quality products such as the Burrata, succulent sliced meats and an ever-changing daily special. The chilled "Marco Polo" soup, ossobuco, radicchio salad with orange and excellent creamy goat’s cheese with truffle are already firm favourites!

In the afternoon, cakes and desserts await, invented and prepared by the Talma’s chef, Agnès and presented in our sweets trolley for afternoon tea. Our financier cake, special hot chocolate, citrus syrup cake and special Chateaubriand are already classics!

In the evening, a selection of vintage wines is available, accompanied by light tapas-style dishes in an Italian style.

The Talma is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from midday to 2.30pm. Afternoon tea is served from 3pm to 6pm every day of the week. The bar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm (closes midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

To reserve a table, please call +33 1 42 22 97 40 or e-mail talma@labellejuliette.com

RESTAURANT LE TALMA

A l’image du salon littéraire de Madame Récamier, le Talma se distingue par son raffinement et ses attentions délicates pour que chacun se sente entouré, accueilli, dans le luxe des canapés et fauteuils du bar.

Au déjeuner, nous proposons une carte d'inspiration italienne qui privilégie des produits frais et de qualité comme la Burrata ou bien des charcuteries fines ou encore des plats du jour. Le consommé glacé "Marco Polo", le risotto croquant d’épeautre, l'osso bucco, la salade trévise à l'orange ou bien l'excellent chèvre crémeux à la truffe ont déjà leurs amateurs !

L’après midi, la gourmandise sera à la fête grâce aux pâtisseries "faites maison" par Agnès, la cuisinière du Talma, qui sont présentées sur chariot lors de notre «Afternoon Tea». Le chocolat chaud, le cake au sirop d'agrumes, les financiers ou encore le Chateaubriand sont déjà des classiques !

Le soir, une carte de vins haut de gamme est proposée avec de petites assiettes, type tapas, toujours d’inspiration Italienne.

Le Talma vous accueille pour déjeuner du mardi au samedi de 12h à 14h30, pour l'afternoon tea tous les jours de 15h à 18h, le bar vous accueille du mardi au jeudi de 11H à 23h, le vendredi et le samedi de 11h à 24h.

Pour réserver une table : +33 1 42 22 97 40 ou talma@labellejuliette.com

LE TALMA- Hôtel La Belle Juliette

92 rue du Cherche Midi

75006 Paris

France