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To the west of Vaduz lies the Alpstein massif, part of the Appenzell Alps in Switzerland. This range is characterized by dramatic peaks that rise steeply above the Rhine Valley. Some prominent peaks include:
Hoher Kasten (1,795 m): A well-known peak with a revolving restaurant at its summit, offering panoramic views of the surrounding areas.
Säntis (2,502 m): The highest peak in the Alpstein massif and a dominant feature of the skyline to the west of Vaduz. Säntis is visible from far across the region and is famous for its weather station and panoramic vistas.
Altmann (2,435 m): A jagged, striking peak near Säntis, adding to the dramatic western skyline.
The Alpstein range is an iconic part of the landscape west of Vaduz, providing a picturesque view over the Rhine Valley and into Switzerland.
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Our short 2 day visit to Vaduz in August 2023 coincided with a Beatles-themed event focussed on the Vaduz Town Square, On Saturday, August 12, 2023, the Kulturverein Triangel hosted the 2nd Vaduz Grand Casino Beatles Party at the Vaduz Town Hall Square.
The event featured performances by the Blue Shoes Band and HELP!, offering an evening dedicated to Beatles music for fans and attendees.
Additionally, the Vaduz Classic 2023 festival concluded on Sunday evening with a popular concert format titled "Evergreens for You," which included timeless hits, potentially featuring Beatles songs.
These events provided opportunities for Beatles enthusiasts to enjoy live performances of the band's music in Vaduz during August 2023.
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Google Lens suggested that this plant could be Cannabis sativa - Marijuana ??
Can anyone confirm that. I didn't think at the time that it was some sort of Bamboo. There are other plants that can be mistaken for Cannabis sativa, which is actually not legally able to be grown in Vietnam. This clump was near a main tourist walking pathway which makes me suspect that perhaps it's a look alike plant.
ID assistance appreciated.
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We weren't sure but we thought this may have been some sort of training facility, perhaps a hangover from the Vietnam War.
It was located very near to where Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House was located and we thought, still inside the Hanoi Botanic Gardens?
The kids in Vietnam who use this slippery dip must be tough though, judging by the concrete they land on at its base.
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Naurvoo is a substantially modified (Easy 11.6) (38 feet) Catamaran. The design, by Queenslander Peter Snell, was known as an "Easy Catamaran" though it proved anything but that, taking boatbuilder Phil Wright over 12 years of actually building time to complete but actually, over 31 years before it was finally launched on the 19th May 2025.
Phil Wright is the great grandsons of John Wright, founder of Tuncurry, NSW and of Wright Shipyards, a business that began in 1875 with several generations of the family managing the business until its closure in 1958.
Despite this family boat-building connection Phil Wright had no previous experience with building boats.
For some, as yet unexplained reason, in the early 1990’s Phil decided he was going to build a catamaran and go off sailing the oceans of the world. While this is a dream he never came to realise he did in fact ultimately achieve at least the construction of an impressive boat.
The story began in 1994 when he optimistically sought out plans for a suitable catamaran that he could by a process of trial and error teach himself how to build. After selecting Peter Snell's 11.6m Easy Catamaran he began construction of the rudders, frames and keels in his double car garage at Green Point, near Forster, NSW but this space soon proved much too restrictive to allow the project to proceed.
The decision to sell and buy a property with a house and large shed to house the boat was finally taken and in the early 2000's he sold his home in Green Point and moved to Timbertops, an acreage subdivision just north of Darawank, about 10kms north of Tuncurry.
By June of 2010 the boat, which can sleep up to 7 people, was well advanced, though some 16 years after its construction had begun. Construction was at times slow, always dependent on available funds, family circumstances and on the motivation to struggle through difficult construction challenges, often necessitating researching new technologies and materials all the while having to learn new skills.
Phil was also fortunate that he had several friends who were willing to assist him whenever he needed help. While there were many others, two bear particular mention, Laurie Kilham and Robert Smith.
Some jobs such as completing the electrical wiring required specialised skills and, in such cases, experts were hired.
Most of the work however was carried out on a trial-and-error basis and sometimes this resulted in errors resulting in the need to rebuild some sections of the boat due to incorrect calculations, building construction methods or faulty selection of building materials or components.
As his knowledge of construction methods, materials and skill level grew progress was made, though lack of motivation and money sometimes meant that the boat sat idle, sometimes for several years before work would continue.
However, by February of 2014, some 20 years after construction had begun, the boat was finally ready to be raised to allow rollers to be placed under its keels in readiness to allow it to be winched outside the shed onto two concrete pads.
The operation to remove it outside the shed took place on Friday 15th March 2014.
On the 20th of February 2016, 22 years after construction began, the boat was moved by crane and lowloader about 250m to two newly laid concrete pads at the front of his Timbertops property.
The plan was then to fit it out with rigging, mast and sails and launch it into the Wallamba River as soon as funding became available.
This was going to be a costly exercise at the time involving potentially over $30,000 to complete. With Phil's retirement from paid work at around that time the necessary motivations and finances to complete the sail rigging and move the boat to the water became more and more challenging. This resulted in the boat, though for all intents and purposes finished, remaining on its blocks for another 9 years with almost no further work done on it during that period.
Finally, in April of 2025, now 31 years after construction had begun, an offer was made to buy the boat as it was, structurally finished, but for the sail rigging.
After some consideration Phil accepted the offer and finally made the decision to sell the boat to an enthusiastic buyer intent on finally getting it completed and in the water as soon as was possible.
The new owners were soon on-site cleaning up the boat and after a bit of hard yakka the boat scrubbed up looking a million dollars.
On the 19th May 2025 the boat was finally lifted by crane onto a lowloader and moved to the Wallamba River, north of Tuncurry where in untimely torrential rain the 5 tonne boat was lowered by crane into a rapidly rising Wallamba River.
(On May 21st 2025 Taree, on the Manning River just 30 kms north, suffered its most devastaing flood in recorded memory with the river rising to 6.44 m.)
It was a joy to behold for those who had watched this boats construction over such long a period to see it finally hit the water.
Phil had always had concerns that the boat would be too heavy however once floating of its own accord it became clear it was sitting perfectly in the water, a great source of relief for all involved.
With the rain tumbling down it wasn't long before the new owners were able to get the twin outboards on the boat fired up and immediately move it downstream to Tuncurry then across Wallis Lake to Coomba Bay, on the southern end of Wallis Lake.
Flickr Album - Moving - Launching Naurvoo
The whole operation was carried out just a day before the Wallamba River broke its banks and flooded.
With the boat now at Coomba Bay the owners, Lee and Debbie Roper plan to crane the boat out of the water onto dry land where the vessel will be fully rigged and some structural changes made.
Once the necessary work is completed the boat will be renamed "Affinity 3 of Naurvoo" and then sailed down the coast to Brisbane Water on the lower Central Coast where it will be permanently based in Hardys Bay.
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When one is travelling in a foreign country like Vietnam, where all the signage is in Vietnamese, as are the tourist maps, it can be difficult to get one's bearings, much less remember the names of the settlements you pass through.
While trekking from Sapa to Lao Chải the trail basically follows the ridge line above the Mông Hòa Stream. This affords wonderful views of the settlement patterns and agricultural pursuits of this lush green valley, basically rice and corn. As you get closer to the Lao Chải–Sang Haí area the trail comes down the mountain to a broader flood plain with the Muong Hoa stream at its centre.
The Mường Hoa Valley, is known for its stunning terraced rice fields and the diverse ethnic communities that live there, including the Hmong people. The Mường Hoa Valley extends from Sapa and includes several other villages like Ta Van, Giang Ta Chai, and Y Linh Ho.
iPhone 14 Giveaway is here. Participate and win a brand new iPhone 14 for free. The price of the iPhone 14 IS $999, you can win for free with this Giveaway
iPhone 14 Giveaway is here. Participate and win a brand new iPhone 14 for free. The price of the iPhone 14 IS $999, you can win for free with this Giveaway
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On leaving Sapa we took a transfer to Lào Cai along the Sapa to Lào Cai Road. Several places along the road had been impacted by landslips and mudslides following a week of heavy rain before we had arrived in the province.
,
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Naurvoo is a substantially modified (Easy 11.6) (38 feet) Catamaran. The design, by Queenslander Peter Snell, was known as an "Easy Catamaran" though it proved anything but that, taking boatbuilder Phil Wright over 12 years of actually building time to complete but actually, over 31 years before it was finally launched on the 19th May 2025.
Phil Wright is the great grandsons of John Wright, founder of Tuncurry, NSW and of Wright Shipyards, a business that began in 1875 with several generations of the family managing the business until its closure in 1958.
Despite this family boat-building connection Phil Wright had no previous experience with building boats.
For some, as yet unexplained reason, in the early 1990’s Phil decided he was going to build a catamaran and go off sailing the oceans of the world. While this is a dream he never came to realise he did in fact ultimately achieve at least the construction of an impressive boat.
The story began in 1994 when he optimistically sought out plans for a suitable catamaran that he could by a process of trial and error teach himself how to build. After selecting Peter Snell's 11.6m Easy Catamaran he began construction of the rudders, frames and keels in his double car garage at Green Point, near Forster, NSW but this space soon proved much too restrictive to allow the project to proceed.
The decision to sell and buy a property with a house and large shed to house the boat was finally taken and in the early 2000's he sold his home in Green Point and moved to Timbertops, an acreage subdivision just north of Darawank, about 10kms north of Tuncurry.
By June of 2010 the boat, which can sleep up to 7 people, was well advanced, though some 16 years after its construction had begun. Construction was at times slow, always dependent on available funds, family circumstances and on the motivation to struggle through difficult construction challenges, often necessitating researching new technologies and materials all the while having to learn new skills.
Phil was also fortunate that he had several friends who were willing to assist him whenever he needed help. While there were many others, two bear particular mention, Laurie Kilham and Robert Smith.
Some jobs such as completing the electrical wiring required specialised skills and, in such cases, experts were hired.
Most of the work however was carried out on a trial-and-error basis and sometimes this resulted in errors resulting in the need to rebuild some sections of the boat due to incorrect calculations, building construction methods or faulty selection of building materials or components.
As his knowledge of construction methods, materials and skill level grew progress was made, though lack of motivation and money sometimes meant that the boat sat idle, sometimes for several years before work would continue.
However, by February of 2014, some 20 years after construction had begun, the boat was finally ready to be raised to allow rollers to be placed under its keels in readiness to allow it to be winched outside the shed onto two concrete pads.
The operation to remove it outside the shed took place on Friday 15th March 2014.
On the 20th of February 2016, 22 years after construction began, the boat was moved by crane and lowloader about 250m to two newly laid concrete pads at the front of his Timbertops property.
The plan was then to fit it out with rigging, mast and sails and launch it into the Wallamba River as soon as funding became available.
This was going to be a costly exercise at the time involving potentially over $30,000 to complete. With Phil's retirement from paid work at around that time the necessary motivations and finances to complete the sail rigging and move the boat to the water became more and more challenging. This resulted in the boat, though for all intents and purposes finished, remaining on its blocks for another 9 years with almost no further work done on it during that period.
Finally, in April of 2025, now 31 years after construction had begun, an offer was made to buy the boat as it was, structurally finished, but for the sail rigging.
After some consideration Phil accepted the offer and finally made the decision to sell the boat to an enthusiastic buyer intent on finally getting it completed and in the water as soon as was possible.
The new owners were soon on-site cleaning up the boat and after a bit of hard yakka the boat scrubbed up looking a million dollars.
On the 19th May 2025 the boat was finally lifted by crane onto a lowloader and moved to the Wallamba River, north of Tuncurry where in untimely torrential rain the 5 tonne boat was lowered by crane into a rapidly rising Wallamba River.
(On May 21st 2025 Taree, on the Manning River just 30 kms north, suffered its most devastaing flood in recorded memory with the river rising to 6.44 m.)
It was a joy to behold for those who had watched this boats construction over such long a period to see it finally hit the water.
Phil had always had concerns that the boat would be too heavy however once floating of its own accord it became clear it was sitting perfectly in the water, a great source of relief for all involved.
With the rain tumbling down it wasn't long before the new owners were able to get the twin outboards on the boat fired up and immediately move it downstream to Tuncurry then across Wallis Lake to Coomba Bay, on the southern end of Wallis Lake.
Flickr Album - Moving - Launching Naurvoo
The whole operation was carried out just a day before the Wallamba River broke its banks and flooded.
With the boat now at Coomba Bay the owners, Lee and Debbie Roper plan to crane the boat out of the water onto dry land where the vessel will be fully rigged and some structural changes made.
Once the necessary work is completed the boat will be renamed "Affinity 3 of Naurvoo" and then sailed down the coast to Brisbane Water on the lower Central Coast where it will be permanently based in Hardys Bay.
Copyright - All Rights Reserved - Black Diamond Images
To the west of Vaduz lies the Alpstein massif, part of the Appenzell Alps in Switzerland. This range is characterized by dramatic peaks that rise steeply above the Rhine Valley. Some prominent peaks include:
Hoher Kasten (1,795 m): A well-known peak with a revolving restaurant at its summit, offering panoramic views of the surrounding areas.
Säntis (2,502 m): The highest peak in the Alpstein massif and a dominant feature of the skyline to the west of Vaduz. Säntis is visible from far across the region and is famous for its weather station and panoramic vistas.
Altmann (2,435 m): A jagged, striking peak near Säntis, adding to the dramatic western skyline.
The Alpstein range is an iconic part of the landscape west of Vaduz, providing a picturesque view over the Rhine Valley and into Switzerland.
Copyright - All Rights Reserved - Black Diamond Images
Carpinus betulus, the European or common hornbeam, is a species of tree in the birch family Betulaceae, native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England.
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Thac Bac Waterfall (Silver Waterfall) is an impressive 200m high waterfall in Ô Quí Hồ, Tỉnh Lào Cai province, Vietnam. It is conveniently located right next to National Highway 4D, just 15kms from Sapa. The altitude at the top of the waterfall is 2,000masl and the altitude at the bridge on O Quy Ho pass is 1,800masl. The water flows down in a series of steps with a pathway running up the hill with several bridges crossing the stream at various intervals
The drive from Sapa to the waterfall is very scenic, towering mountains, terraced fields rice and other crops as well as lush rainforest vegetation delight the eye.
We were extremely fortunate to see the Silver Waterfall in full flow, after very heavy rain in the province just a day or two before our arrival.
iPhone 14 Giveaway is here. Participate and win a brand new iPhone 14 for free. The price of the iPhone 14 IS $999, you can win for free with this Giveaway
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The Doctoral Steles of the Temple of Literature in Thang Long, or the Doctoral Steles of the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, are stone steles recording the names of those who passed the Doctoral examinations during the early Le Dynasty, the Mac Dynasty and the Le Trung Hung Dynasty (1442-1779) at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam , Hanoi, Vietnam. These stone steles were recognized by UNESCO as a World Documentary Heritage under the Memory of the World Program on March 9, 2010, in Macau, China. After the Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks, the Doctoral Steles of the Temple of Literature are the second documentary heritage of Vietnam to be included in the list of World Documentary Heritage.
The stele of the Confucian examination in the year of Nham Tuat (1443), the 3rd year of Dai Bao, is the first stele of the doctorate in Vietnam.
History
The doctoral steles of the Temple of Literature in Thang Long were erected over a period of nearly 300 years (from 1484 ( Hong Duc 15th year) to 1780 (Canh Hung 41st year), engraved with the names of Vietnamese Confucian doctors from the royal examinations from 1442 (Dai Bao 3rd year) to 1779 (Canh Hung 40th year). During that time, there were 124 examinations, of which 30 were not erected with steles and 91 were erected with steles, so the total number of steles here must be 91. However, due to historical changes, there are only 82 doctoral steles left today, 9 of which have been lost. According to the book Kien Van Tieu Luc written by Le Quy Don in 1776, there were 124 doctoral examinations at that time, but now there are only 82 steles left. So, out of the 42 examinations, how many were not erected with steles, how many were erected but lost? According to Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu, 9 examinations in 1469, 1472, 1484, 1490, 1493, 1499, 1505, 1508 and 1634 all had steles erected but are no longer visible. Wikipedia
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This wooden sculpture was created during a residence grant on the occasion of the Schlossmediale 2017 under the annual theme WILD. The German artist Georg Mann collected lumber and timber from the Werdenberg region and assimilated it into an egg-shaped spiral. The egg symbolizes growth and life.
The wood will slowly rot and will become breeding ground for new things to arise.