View allAll Photos Tagged because
because the Randall House is habitat for a rare species of bat, it stands behind a padlocked gate, rather than just an "authorized vehicles only" sign.
Because I worked as an Electronic Design Engineer in the Defense Industry, I went on numerous Business Trips to then McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) in St. Louis. I spent a great amount of time (after work hours) Railfaning in Downtown St. Louis. In the Mid 1980's, St. Louis Union Station, which is located on Market Street between 18th and 20th Streets, was converted to a Hotel and Shopping Mall with Stores, Restaurants and a Food Court. While I was there I purchased several Post Cards just in case the exposures of my photographs were unsatisfactory. Here is a Postcard showing St. Louis City Hall framed by the Gateway Arch during a Fourth of July Fireworks Show.
The Train Shed behind the Station served as a Railroad Museum with Covered Wagons (E and F Units, aka Diesel Locomotives), a Steam Engine, and several pieces of Rolling Stock (aka Box Cars) with advertising Murals of Anheuser Busch Beer and other local industries. There was even a Tourist Train that took visitors on short excursions. I will try to find my slides of the Rolling Stock that was stored under the train shed, scan the slides and post some of the photos to flickr™. Further information about St. Louis Union Station can be found at:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(St._Louis)
www.funcarnival.com/store/6000stl.html
Trains no longer stopped at Union Station, however Amtrak used a Trailer for a station about half a mile East of Union Station and there was an active Freight Rail Yard just Southeast of Union Station. There were also several Railroad Bridges that crossed the Mississippi River to East St. Louis, Illinois. Also a Light Rail Line called Metrolink ran from Lambert–St. Louis International Airport, past the St. Louis Cardinals (Baseball) Busch Stadium in a Tunnel and then crossed the Mississippi River over on Edes Bridge, stopping at a Gambling Casino on the Illinois side of the River. Metrolink was later extended further East to serve Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
If you are interested in photography life is getting complicated because the range of decisions to be made is increasing at an amazing rate.
This month has been amazing because so many new cameras have been launched and I am interested in many of them. I suspect that I will get the Fuji X-T3 but I would like to get the Fuji GFX-50R or the GFX-100S but I cannot really justify paying between Euro 6000 and Euro 13,000 to switch to medium format. The 50R body will cost about Euro 4,500 and the 100S will retail at about Euro 10,000 so it is definite that i will not be getting the 50R. The 50R with a suitable lens would cost about Euro 6,000 so the possibility of me getting one is not good.
Sony did not launch a new camera but they announced a 24mm GM lens but when I went to my local dealer for details I was asked if I was planning to trade-in my Zeiss Batis 25mm and then I realised I had nor used the Batis since I got the Sony A7RIII. Many were expecting Sony to announce the A7SIII but all indications are that it will not appear in the shops until sometime in 2019
As the Sony 24mm is expensive it does not make much sense for me to purchase one if I already have a prime 25mm Zeiss lens so I decided to take it out to Glasnevin Cemetery to see how good it is. I liked the results but chromatic aberration proved to be an issue but despite that I suspect that I will give the Sony 24mm GM a miss. At this stage I am considering three lenses for my Sony A7RIII and they are the 12-24mm G, the 16-35 GM and the Sigma 105mm. Note: Capture One corrected for chromatic aberration better than did Lightroom.
Ever since it was introduced I have used Adobe Lightroom and I am currently Using version 8 [yes 8 not 7] but recently someone mentioned to me that Capture One is better than Lightroom. I had a quick look today and the images imported by Capture One do appear to be better ... it will take me a few weeks to investigate this because switching would have a major impact on my workflow.
...because today is her birthday!! Happy Birthday, darling Febe!! She is one year old!
Every time I post, I forget how to add to groups! OR turn on from private to public. Someone said this flickr is like Mac? WHAT? MAC is USER FRIENDLY!
Ha...and I see that there is still some grass in Febe's hair! I thought that I had brushed that out! :D
because of rare but existant problems with his memory card, first Chip stated to write down important stuff in notes, just in case he forgets something. It might be strange for computer to use notepads and post-its, but he just really doesnt want to mess up.
He's adorable, okay?
Because of the great fire wall of Chinese policy, it's so hard to cross the limit to visit flickr, so I could not reply my dear friends, I'm so sorry about that and please forgive me,thank you so much and hope my friends can still hit on me！由于中国网络原因，访问flickr很困难，速度很慢，所有暂时没有办法一一回应各位好友，请朋友们见谅！还请各位好友继续关注我！
My pro account is out of time，thank you my friends here for supporting me what a long time！！May I have a pleasure to receive a pro gift from you？我的pro账号到期了，感谢朋友们长期以来的热心支持！！有好心人能赞助一个pro账号给我吗，在此先表感谢！！
If you want to use or buy this image，please contact me. 版权所有，转载请联系本人。
Back to Australia..I am putting on as many photos as I can because I am going to be away for two months from Sept 26.
July 27, 2012 Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, Queensland Australia.
We had a week in Noosa and it rained the hole time! Two nights in Brisbane, and just over two weeks at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.
Broadbeach is a suburb on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Broadbeach had a population of 3,791.
Development in the area today mostly incorporates low rise structures, consisting of single bedroom houses and apartment blocks. Much of the suburb consists of canal waterways, including Lake Intrepid that are linked to the Nerang River.
Broadbeach is home to one of Queensland's largest shopping centres, Pacific Fair, which serves as the regional public transport hub, known as the Pacific Fair Bus Station. The area is also home to the Jupiters Hotel & Casino, the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Oasis Shopping Centre. Broadbeach Alliance manage the precinct and present annual events and festivals such as Blues on Broadbeach Music Festival, Broadbeach Jazz Festival and many moe throughout the year www.broadbeachgc.com. Well known apartment blocks include The Wave, The Oracle, Beach Haven, Niecon Plaza, the Hi-Ho Motel, Belle Maison, Bel Air and Air on Broadbeach. It wasn't until the construction of Lennon's Broadbeach Hotel (now the site of the Oasis Hotel and Shopping Centre) in 1955 that development in the area began to increase.
A monorail connects the Oasis Shopping Centre with Conrad Jupiters Casino, however the system is strictly privatised. The Gold Coast Oceanway provides pedestrians and cyclists access along the beaches of Broadbeach. The suburb contains a major road intersection between Nerang - Broadbeach Road and the Gold Coast Highway.
The Broadbeach Surf Life Saving Club patrols the beach in the centre of the suburb. Representing the suburb in the AFL Queensland State League and having its home ground at Merrimac Oval is the Broadbeach Australian Football Club. Other facilities include the Broadbeach Lawn Bowls Club the Broadbeach Surfschool which provides surfing training.
Taken from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadbeach,_Queensland
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
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Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
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LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
July 18th, 2013 - J. Geils Band performs live on Because We Can Tour at Ford Field in Detroit Michigan. Credit: Chris Schwegler. www.schwegweb.com
(further pictures and information you can see if you go to the end of page and by clicking on the link...)
Belvedere
Belvedere Castle. Garden Front of the Lower Belvedere.
Belvedere Palace stands supposedly on the foundations of a Roman camp that had been erected here for strategic reasons. In 1693 Prince Eugene of Savoy acquired field and vineyard grounds between today's Rennweg and today's Gürtel. In 1700 Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt began with the construction of a palace garden (Lower Belvedere), whose in French-style layed out park was equipped with large water basins, an orangery with precious foreign plants and a menagerie. Prince Eugene was a great animal lover, and some animals in his collection could be fed exclusively by himself.
1720 the Prince conceived the plan the summer palace to supplement by a another palace building on the hill of the garden.
The 1721 by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt begun works had been completed in 1724. The Upper Belvedere served in contrast to the Lower only representative purposes and was never meant to live.
The Prince and his architect managed a perfect symbiosis between architecture and garden. After the death of the Savoy (1736) inherited his niece Victoria of Savoy-Soisson, nee Princess Hildburghausen, all his possessions. From her the Habsburgs beginning of 1752 acquired the Belvedere. From 1755 Empress Maria Theresa moved the Arcierenleibgarde (Royal Company of the Archers) and the Galician Guard in the annex of the Belvedere. Besides, the castle stood almost empty.
Belvedere Castle. Engraving by Salomon Kleiner 1731/40 (left).
Vienna from the Belvedere. Coloured copper engraving by Carl Schütz, 1784 (right).
1770 Belvedere Palace was venue of brilliant festivities:
In castle and park the marriage of Archduchess Maria Antonia (Marie Antoinette) with the Dauphin of France by proxy (per procura) was celebrated. About 2,000 people were invited, more than 1,500 bottles of champagne, which was far from home in Vienna at that time,
were emptied. For hospitality of the guests, there were round tables, which were covered with silver. However, the Court of Vienna had a large part of the silver service to rent of nobles, because the stocks of the silver chamber were not sufficient. Finished was the festival by a magnificent fireworks.
1776, the imperial picture gallery from the Stallburg (home of the famous Lipizzan stallions) was transferred to the Upper Belvedere, the animals of the menagerie came to Schönbrunn. Shortly before the Congress of Vienna in 1814 in the Lower Belvedere the Ambras Collection was exposed. During the war against Napoleon (1805-1809), much of the collection of paintings had to be outsourced. The Corsican claimed 400 masterpieces for himself, but which after his defeat at Waterloo to the Habsburgs have been restituted. The after the French wars completely neglected building has been restored 1850-1866.
Castle Park with Upper Belvedere. Photograph, around 1890.
1819 Emperor Franz II (I) the Institute of Botany, University of Vienna, had given spacious grounds for enlargement of the Botanical Garden at Rennweg. Franz was very interested in botany and in accordance with a Habsburg House bill - every Archduke must learn a civilian job - has been educated for gardener. In an adjoining garden of Schloß Belvedere he had from his private funds laid out a botanical garden ("Flora Austriaca") which was left to the Institute of Botany for use.
During the cholera epidemic of 1831, the Belvedere served as well as Schönbrunn Palace the imperial family as a refuge; supposedly one was there protected from the bad air, which was attributed to the onset of the disease. Both castles lay in the "countryside", the air was much better here than in the densely populated city. During wartime, a hospital was set up in the castle.
As the space for the imperial collections became too small, it was thought to expand the Upper Belvedere by wing buildings. This plan was dropped for aesthetic reasons, however. After the expansion of the city (razing of the bastions and glacis) arose on the ring road the newly created Court Museums; moved there in 1891 the major part of the paintings.
Archduke-Heir to the Throne Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este at folk and children's party in the park of the Belvedere Palace. Photograph, 1905.
To 1893/94 it is likely that Archduke Franz Ferdinand has chosen the Upper Belvedere to his residence in Vienna. Other sources say that it had been assigned to him by the Emperor Franz Joseph as a place to stay in Vienna. The rooms have been restored, adapted for residential purposes and supplemented with neo-Baroque furniture. The heir of the Este collections furnished his residence with numerous works of art. He had envisaged the castle for the accommodation of his collections; in 1893 were numerous boxes from India and Singapore in Belvedere stored. 1894 Emperor Franz Joseph could see the collection: "Yesterday I went to the Belvedere, where Franzi showed me his now quite and very nicely prepared collections. The same are as imposing as interesting by the incredible amount of objects and by the rarity and beauty of them. I believe that this exhibition would be interesting for you", wrote the monarch to his wife, Empress Elisabeth. That same year, Archduke Franz Ferdinand showed his collections his future wife, Sophie Chotková,
"Where I unaware of your fatigue with particular brutality you dragged from box to box" as he apologetically from Budweis wrote to the Countess.
Then the collections moved one the one hand to the Palais Modena in the Beatrixgasse, on the other hand to Konopischt. Only in 1898, Franz Ferdinand was granted by Emperor Franz Joseph to move into the Belvedere as Vienna Residence. More revitalization works were carried out and were also necessary. Technical modernization and preservation of the original building condition had priority - as always with the projects of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. As furnishings served still preserved furnitures from Schloss Hof, which were supplemented by new ones in old style. The private rooms in addition to electric lighting were equipped with central heating.
Belvedere Castle. Staircase in the Upper Belvedere (left).
Marble plastic "Apotheosis of Prince Eugene" by Balthasar Permoser in Gold Cabinet of the Lower Belvedere (right).
If his presence was needed in Vienna, Franz Ferdinand here could lead a normal family life and escape the pressures of court ceremonial, in which the to him in morganatic marriage affiliated wife was exposed to the evils of the courtiers. When the heir to the throne invited guests to the Belvedere, he was sitting opposite his wife as a hostess while she was ranked in the Hofburg always after the latest unmarried Archduchess. About the cozy family life at Belvedere reported Prince von Clary-Aldringens:
"Aunt Sophie invited us ... to snack into a Belvedere, unexpectedly, suddenly appeared the Archduke - we literally froze in our Hab-Acht-position (stand at attention). He greeted us warmly ... [I got to know] the Archduke as a friendly landlord, who was playing and laughing with his Children..."
Between 1899 and 1914 in the Lower Belvedere the military bureau of the heir to the throne was housed. Other well-known Residents - but of outbuildings - were Anton Bruckner, who in 1896 died in the Kustodenwohnung (guardian house), and Richard Strauss, who lived here from 1925 to 1944.
After the assassination of the Archduke and his wife in Sarajevo, the Belvedere should serve as the residence of the new heir to the throne, Archduke Karl and his family. This, however, preferred living in Schönbrunn and especially in the villa Wartholz. In 1917, Charles' brother Archduke Maximilian moved with his family into the Belvedere.
During World War II the castle was badly damaged by bombs, but rebuilt after the war ended immediately. On 15 May 1955 was the Marble Hall venue of the signing of the Austrian State Treaty. Today, the Upper Belvedere houses important art collections.
Excerpts from
Thus lived the Habsburgs - Imperial and Royal Palaces in the
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
Ingrid Haslinger, Gerhard Trumler
Christian Brandstätter Verlag mbH
The publishing service for museums, businesses and
public bodies
www.brandstaetter - verlag.at
Denomination of the summer residence which Prince Eugene of Savoy himself had erected btw Rennweg and Swiss Garden. The term which refers to the unique view over Vienna dates from the time of Maria Theresa. Prinz Eugen bought in 1697 a plot of land at the Rennweg, which he extended to 1721 in four stages to the current area. Between 1714 and 1716 emerged the Lower Belvedere It is an elongated ground floor building, designed of a 7-axes central projection, two wings and two corner pavilions. The 3-axis central pavilion houses the Marble Hall. The castle the only rarely in Vienna sojourning builder served during the summer months as a pleasure palace.
Only in 1720 commenced construction works for the Upper Belvedere, first drawings for this existed already in 1717. The in it extent and form language compared to the Lower Belvedere especially magnificent Upper Belvedere served primarily as a representative setting for grand receptions and festivities. The architectural history of the example due to the loss of the Eugenianischen Bauarchivs (construction archiv of Prince Eugene) cannot be explored in detail without any gaps. 1723 (according to Rizzi 1721/22) the Upper Belvedere s is considered complete. The architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, who repeatedly worked for Prince Eugen, with the construction of the Belvedere has created his main work. It counts in its multiform architectonic as well as sculptural structure to the most important baroque buildings of the 18th century. The to the ensemble belonging, btw Upper and Lower Belvedere laying garden has been created by the Bavarian horticultural engineer D. Girard and today only in broad terms is original. The designs for the interior of the castle stem from C. le Fort du Plessy.
After the death of the prince the belvedere went into the possession of his sole heiress, Victoria Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She sold it in 1752 to Maria Theresa. At the behest of Joseph II from 1775 the imperial picture gallery was transferred here, which in 1781 for the first time was open to the public. had. Since 1806 was located in the Lower Belvedere the Ambras Collection. Both collections were in 1890 in the Museum of Art History transferred. In 1894, the palace became residence for the heir to the throne Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
After the first World War I the Republic of Austria in Belvedere installed the Austrian Gallery. 1945 suffered the Belvedere severe war damage. In 1950, the "Gold Cabinet" in the north-eastern corner pavilion of the Upper Belvedere was destroyed by fire and replaced by a copy. The since 1988 ongoing general renovation should have been completed in 1996.
aeiou - the cultural information system of the bm: bwk
14,000 key words and 2000 pictures from history, geography, politics and business in Austria
Austrian Gallery Belvedere
The in the center of Vienna situated Belvedere palaces with their extensive parks form an impressive baroque Gesamtkunstwerk. The Museum in the Upper and Lower Castle
provides an excellent overview of the Austrian Art from the Middle Ages to the present. the collections of the 19th and 20th Century also include an exquisite inventory of international art. World Famous works by Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka, Renoir and Monet you can see in the upper
Belvedere, from where you can enjoy a spectacular view to the center of Vienna. In the historic rooms of the Lower Belvedere are shown works of art from the Middle Ages and Baroque.
Austrian Gallery Belvedere
Prinz Eugen -Strasse 27 , A - 1037 Wien
Phone +43 / ( 0) 1 / 79557-0
Fax +43 / (0) 1/79 84 337
Upper Belvedere
Collections of the 19th and 20th century
Prinz Eugen -Strasse 27 , A - 1037 Wien
Lower Belvedere
Baroque Museum, and Museum of Medieval Art
Rennweg 6a, A - 1030 Vienna
because on 6/12/2008 he was drinking, dancing and laughing in a club (bouzoukia) in Iera Odos while the police was murdering the student Alexandros Grigoropoulos...
because the sinking sands of the serpent's sanctuary have sucked and stirred my heart so hard that the thought is harrowing, harrowing.
Here it is…my last big vacation of 2015. It also happened to be the longest of the year. I’ve actually put off editing these pictures (until this week – mid-January 2016). I’ve been putting this off because, honestly, I have very mixed emotions about the trip.
I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about India and all the Indians I met there – better things yet to say about Indian cuisine. However, I didn’t travel alone, and that caused quite a bit of headaches. So, I’ve been lazier than usual about going through these. However, in looking at them, I’m starting to dwell only on the good side, and hopefully will show that here. (I won’t mention anything else about what or why I didn’t enjoy the trip. Honestly, I hope to go back to India again sometime. It’s the 7th largest country in the world and has a lot to see…)
This particular trip was 13 days…and very localized. We only visited two states: Rajasthan (RJ) and Uttar Pradesh (UP). Also Delhi, though I didn’t go out in Delhi and don’t have a single picture to show for it. In those two weeks, we took the following tour, in this order: landed in Delhi (at 3:00 a.m.) on September 26. At 7:30 a.m., we were on a bus to our first destination: Rajasthan.
The first week we spent in Rajasthan visiting each of these cities for approximately two days: Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. (I found myself thinking, “There sure are a lot of ‘purs’ here…just like there are a of ‘zhous’ in China – Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Zhouzhou. ‘Pur,’ like ‘zhou,’ apparently means “town.”) Rajasthan is hot. Damn hot. Even in late September the daytime temperatures seemed to soar close to 40 degrees. At least 35, for certain… Rajasthan has a lot of desert terrain and many castles. Quite a few old palaces are out in Rajasthan, so it can tend to have a bit of a romantic feel to it.
After finishing in Rajasthan, we went over to Uttar Pradesh for literally one afternoon seeing the Taj Mahal in Agra, before shuffling off to the holy city of Varanasi (one of Hinduism’s most famous – if not the most famous – cities). From Varanasi, we took an 18 hour train ride (during which I apparently ate something so nasty that it stayed with me…for close to three months). Note to readers: Try to avoid eating on Indian trains. After another two days in Delhi, we flew back around 4:00 in the morning on October 9. For now…back to the beginning in Jaipur.
Jaipur is famously called the Pink City. A lot of the old town architecture is pink, so…well, you get the idea. It’s named for its founder, Jai Singh II (1688-1744), a great warrior-astronomer who assumed power at age 11 upon his father’s death.
The following is from Lonely Planet India: “Jai Singh could trace his lineage back to the Rajput clan of Kachhawas, who consolidated their power in the 12th century.” Their capital was at Amber (which is pronounced ahm-AIR…not AM-burr) about 10 kilometers northeast of town. This is northern India’s first planned city, if LP is being honest with me.
All I hope you get out of that is that this is an area with close to a millennium of “important” history to India, but the city of Jaipur as we see it now is only about 300-400 years old. Jaipur currently has a population of about three million. There’s an Old City (Pink City) which is where most of the tourists head – including yours truly – a new city, and….that’s about it. For my purposes (and in an attempt at brevity), I’ll say we went to the Central Museum (Albert Hall) south of the Old City. We also visited Hawa Mahal, Tripolia Bazaar (and Gate), and Jantar Mantar in the Old City. Other than that, we went to Amber Fort for a few hours.
Things started innocuously enough. We had left Delhi at 7:30 in the morning and gotten to Jaipur about 5 hours later. We had one stop on the bus for breakfast. I don’t recall what I ate…some type of curry, of course, but I don’t recall which. It may have just been mutter paneer. It was, however, delicious, and I didn’t feel hungry at all again until dinner.
The bus. Bus transportation in India, by the way, is rather interesting. Sometimes they are private buses (the small kind that only hold 8-12 people), sometimes sleeper buses, sometimes regular coaches…but the regular coaches didn’t seem too common. There doesn’t seem to be any uniformity in India about this.
Anyway, the bus dropped us off right next to Amber Fort. Since this was one of the small 8-12 person jobs, it could pretty much stop and go where it pleased, it seems, and this one didn’t actually take us to Jaipur.
As soon as we got off the bus here, we hired a tuk tuk (san lun che, for you Chinese readers) that took us down to the Old City. There, we switched to another one that took us the 2-3 kilometers west of the Old City to the more quiet and residential Bani Park where our hotel (the Hotel Anuraag Villa, which turned out to be about the nicest one we stayed in) was located. The second tuk tuk driver is the one we hired to take us around that afternoon and the next day. For the first day, I paid 500 rupees (~50 RMB/$8) for 4-6 hours’ work. We checked in and he waited patiently as we ate lunch in the backyard of the hotel.
Our driver took us first to the Central Museum (Albert Hall) where we spent an hour or two in mid-afternoon. The museum itself isn’t too bad. It has standard fare: tribal dress, Buddhist sculptures, even an Egyptian mummy. The building itself, though, is worth seeing. Anyway, an hour here was more than enough time.
From there, we went to the Sun Temple (I think that’s what it’s called) where I enjoyed the late afternoon sun (and rather smoggy view, though not quite as smoggy as Chinese cities I’m accustomed to). After that, we ended up going to a rather nice restaurant that cost about 2500 rupees (250 RMB/$40) for two. I splurged. It was fantastic.
After a night of sleep that may or may not have transported me to an alternate universe (I sleep more deeply than most bears), I woke up ready to go the next morning. I hired the same tuk tuk driver to haul us around, and we went first to the Old City (Hawa Mahal, the Tripolia Bazaar, Jantar Mantar, and Amber Fort…plus another fort in the middle of the water whose name I’ve forgotten). Though the time was a little shorter than the previous day, I paid him 750 rupee, since he actually drove us around farther. That’s still just under $15, so I had no problem with that.
Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) is the most recognizable architectural building in the Pink City (though it’s technically just outside the Old City). It’s a five story building that was built by Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 to “enable ladies of the royal household to watch the life and processions of the city.” There are nice views of Jantar Mantar and the City Palace to the west and the Siredoori Bazaar directly across the street.
Jantar Mantar is an observatory that was built by Jai Singh in 1728. “Jantar mantar” is derived from the Sanskrit “yanta mantr,” which means “instrument of calculation.” There are some rather large, interesting, and certainly eclectic sculptures, all for measuring time among the heavens.
Amber Fort was the highlight of Jaipur for me. The Kachhawaha Rajputs ruled from here for over 800 years. This fort was built beginning in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh using war booty. It’s a royal palace built from pale yellow and pink sandstone with various courtyards. If you walk up the hill, you will enter the fort through the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) and find yourself in Jaleb Chowk (Main Square) where the armies presented to the king. Walking up the stairs from Jaleb Chowk will bring you to the second courtyard and Diwan-I-Am (Hall of Public Audience) with its double row of columns. The maharaja’s apartments are located around the third courtyard, which you enter through Ganesh Pol. On one side of the interior courtyard is the Jai Mandir (Hall of Victory) which has many mirrored tiles. On the opposite side of Jai Mandir, across Maota Lake (a very small decorative pond, really) is Sukh Niwas (Hall of Pleasure). The fourth courtyard has the zenana (women’s quarters), which were designed so the maharaja could make his nightly visits without the other women knowing about it. In all, the fort/palace and the views from the fort are wonderful. I won’t say “breathtaking” or “stunning,” but certainly worth the visit.
Once I bade farewell to the tuk tuk driver, we wandered around the Old City a little longer before heading over to the hotel for dinner and to see a puppet show (that was not free, but wasn’t advertised as costing anything; they basically try to shame you into “donating” when they’re done). After that, we headed to the train station for a midnight ride across the state on Indian Railways…the first of five train rides throughout these two weeks.
If anyone has seen Slumdog Millionaire, you saw Indian Railways in action…with people riding ON the cars, among other things. I didn’t see anything quite like that, but…the lowest class passenger cars were quite crowded. We were always in first- or second-class sleepers which, to me, didn’t differ too much from the style of sleeper cars in China, though they weren’t quite as nice. They were…very close to the same, at least from my experience.
So, goodbye Pink City and hello Golden City. Jaisalmer was a twelve hour ride due west from Jaipur, and we arrived sometime mid-morning. More to come…
Because of the great fire wall of Chinese policy, it's so hard to cross the limit to visit flickr, so I could not reply my dear friends, I'm so sorry about that and please forgive me,thank you so much and hope my friends can still hit on me！由于中国网络原因，访问flickr很困难，速度很慢，所有暂时没有办法一一回应各位好友，请朋友们见谅！还请各位好友继续关注我！
My pro account is out of time，thank you my friends here for supporting me what a long time！！May I have a pleasure to receive a pro gift from you？我的pro账号到期了，感谢朋友们长期以来的热心支持！！有好心人能赞助一个pro账号给我吗，在此先表感谢！！
If you want to use or buy this image，please contact me. 版权所有，转载请联系本人。
Because of the unique head and bill markings this is one of the easier female ducks to confidently identify. The nearest lookalikes are the Scaup family... but their females all have all-gray bills that lack additional decorations. The bill markings become more pronounced as the breeding season nears.
IMG_4169; Ring-necked Duck
It is claimed that Death is the great leveller because Death makes everyone equal, because it does not spare anyone, not even the wealthy, famous, or talented. A visit to a cemetery such as Glasnevin shows that this is not really true. It is true that no one can avoid death but some people certainly can show off their wealth even after their death. They or their family can announce to the world just how wonderful they were when they ware alive but those with less money may end up sharing an unmarked plot with a number of strangers.
Since 1832 the bodies of the rich were interred in fancy private tombs while those of the poor went into unmarked common ground. It really surprised me to discover that up to 75% of those buried in the cemetery are in unmarked shared graves. Special areas were also created for victims of the many epidemics or outbreaks (of smallpox (1871-2), cholera (1865-66) or typhoid (1846-49)) that occasionally killed off large numbers of Dubliners in short periods of time. The last such outbreak, the Influenza Epidemic of 1918, saw 240 funerals at Glasnevin Cemetery over an eight-day period. The norm would have been twelve or thirteen.
Since the first burial a register has been maintained. The register includes the full name and address of the deceased, cause, date and location of death. The exact location of the grave is also included in the register but that does not mean that there will be anything to see. During a previous visit I came across an American family who on finding the grave on their great grand father were very upset by the fact that there was nothing to identify the grave or to indicate who was buried there. They got really annoyed with the official when he explained that it was a pauper’s grave and even more upset when they learned what that meant. The official eventually said to them I was not even born when your grandparents were buried so please don’t get annoyed with me.
Glasnevin Trust, which runs Glasnevin Cemetery, has operated a ‘pay later scheme’ for families who couldn’t afford graves at the time of burial. This would happen regularly, but in most cases people never repaid the money and the grave would be considered to be a pauper’s grave meaning that the grave was occupied but still owned by the trust. Today, these graves are known as “gone over graves” and are available for sale. Before any ‘gone over grave’ is sold, it is Glasnevin Trust’s policy to ensure that potential buyers are made fully aware of the grave’s history and the remains of the original occupants are not disturbed.
I made this one for last week's challenge on Cards Blog.
underconstruction-agata.blogspot.com/2010/01/presque-fini...
Because I will barely have any time this weekend I already started studying law yesterday. The cases we talked about during our lectures were quite interesting but studying the theory simply isn't.
It is claimed that Death is the great leveller because Death makes everyone equal, because it does not spare anyone, not even the wealthy, famous, or talented. A visit to a cemetery such as Glasnevin shows that this is not really true. It is true that no one can avoid death but some people certainly can show off their wealth even after their death. They or their family can announce to the world just how wonderful they were when they ware alive but those with less money may end up sharing an unmarked plot with a number of strangers.
Since 1832 the bodies of the rich were interred in fancy private tombs while those of the poor went into unmarked common ground. It really surprised me to discover that up to 75% of those buried in the cemetery are in unmarked shared graves. Special areas were also created for victims of the many epidemics or outbreaks (of smallpox (1871-2), cholera (1865-66) or typhoid (1846-49)) that occasionally killed off large numbers of Dubliners in short periods of time. The last such outbreak, the Influenza Epidemic of 1918, saw 240 funerals at Glasnevin Cemetery over an eight-day period. The norm would have been twelve or thirteen.
Since the first burial a register has been maintained. The register includes the full name and address of the deceased, cause, date and location of death. The exact location of the grave is also included in the register but that does not mean that there will be anything to see. During a previous visit I came across an American family who on finding the grave on their great grand father were very upset by the fact that there was nothing to identify the grave or to indicate who was buried there. They got really annoyed with the official when he explained that it was a pauper’s grave and even more upset when they learned what that meant. The official eventually said to them I was not even born when your grandparents were buried so please don’t get annoyed with me.
Glasnevin Trust, which runs Glasnevin Cemetery, has operated a ‘pay later scheme’ for families who couldn’t afford graves at the time of burial. This would happen regularly, but in most cases people never repaid the money and the grave would be considered to be a pauper’s grave meaning that the grave was occupied but still owned by the trust. Today, these graves are known as “gone over graves” and are available for sale. Before any ‘gone over grave’ is sold, it is Glasnevin Trust’s policy to ensure that potential buyers are made fully aware of the grave’s history and the remains of the original occupants are not disturbed.
Because everyone loves Alice in Wonderland, and I know the book by heart.
Model and make up - Francesca Rossi
Photo, manipulation (Cheshire Cat), post-processing and costume - Me
Because even if I'm the eternal Cancer boy, ruled by the moon and happy at night... I also need the light and warmth to survive...
In fact, the only thing I really dread of the winter, more than the cold even, is the shorter days. When it's 5pm and it's already pitch dark my mood really falls sometimes... but I try to come back to my inner light and pull me through until the next morning, where the sun through my window will caress my skin and make it all better again...
Self-portrait taken with my 3G iPhone
at Nina's (Anton's sister) house in Topanga Canyon
Los Angeles.
The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls (in Arabic, («qa'lat al-Hamra'» means Red Castle). It is located on top of the hill al-Sabika, on the left bank of the river Darro, to the west of the city of Granada and in front of the neighbourhoods of the Albaicin and of the Alcazaba.
The Alhambra is located on a strategic point, with a view over the whole city and the meadow (la Vega), and this fact leads to believe that other buildings were already on that site before the Muslims arrived. The complex is surrounded by ramparts and has an irregular shape. It limits with the valley of the river Darro on its northern side, with the valley of al-Sabika on its southern side and with the street Cuesta del Rey Chico on the eastern side. The Cuesta del Rey Chico is also the border between the neighbourhood of the Albaicin and the gardens of the Generalife, located on top of the Hill of the Sun (Cerro del Sol).
The first historical documents known about the Alhambra date from the 9th century and they refer to Sawwar ben Hamdun who, in the year 889, had to seek refuge in the Alcazaba, a fortress, and had to repair it due to the civil fights that were destroying the Caliphate of Cordoba, to which Granada then belonged. This site subsequently started to be extended and populated, although not yet as much as it would be later on, because the Ziri kings established their residence on the hill of the Albaicin.
The castle of the Alhambra was added to the city's area within the ramparts in the 9th century, which implied that the castle became a military fortress with a view over the whole city. In spite of this, it was not until the arrival of the first king of the Nasrid dynasty, Mohammed ben Al-Hamar (Mohammed I, 1238-1273), in the 13th century, that the royal residence was established in the Alhambra. This event marked the beginning of the Alhambra's most glorious period.
First of all, the old part of the Alcazaba was reinforced and the Watch Tower (Torre de la Vela) and the Keep (Torre del Homenaje) were built. Water was canalised from the river Darro, warehouses and deposits were built and the palace and the ramparts were started. These two elements were carried on by Mohammed II (1273-1302) and Mohammed III (1302-1309), who apparently also built public baths and the Mosque (Mezquita), on the site of which the current Church of Saint Mary was later built.
Yusuf I (1333-1353) and Mohammed V (1353-1391) are responsible for most of the constructions of the Alhambra that we can still admire today. From the improvements of the Alcazaba and the palaces, to the Patio of the Lions (Patio de los Leones) and its annexed rooms, including the extension of the area within the ramparts, the Justice Gate (Puerta de la Justicia), the extension and decoration of the towers, the building of the Baths (Baños), the Comares Room (Cuarto de Comares) and the Hall of the Boat (Sala de la Barca). Hardly anything remains from what the later Nasrid Kings did.
From the time of the Catholic Monarchs until today we must underline that Charles V ordered the demolition of a part of the complex in order to build the palace which bears his name. We must also remember the construction of the Emperor's Chambers (habitaciones del Emperador) and the Queen's Dressing Room (Peinador de la Reina) and that from the 18th century the Alhambra was abandoned. During the French domination part of the fortress was blown up and it was not until the 19th century that the process of repairing, restoring and preserving the complex started and is still maintained nowadays.
Just because when a woman told you "NO"
Now you wanted to silent her because her voice became a threat to you
Why is that?
She won't be afraid to speak the truth
And...
All pics are ©Rosa Rusa. All rights reserved.Please dont use them before had my written permission. mail me if you need one]
Patti Smith Group - Because the night 1978
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xACZHv-sLCg
Take me now baby here as I am
Hold me close, try and understand
Desire is hunger is the fire I breathe
Love is a banquet on which we feed
Come on now try and understand
The way I feel when I'm in your hands
Take my hand come undercover
They can't hurt you now,
Can't hurt you now, can't hurt you now
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
Have I doubt when I'm alone
Love is a ring, the telephone
Love is an angel disguised as lust
Here in our bed until the morning comes
Come on now try and understand
The way I feel under your command
Take my hand as the sun descends
They can't touch you now,
Can't touch you now, can't touch you now
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
With love we sleep
With doubt the vicious circle
Turns and burns
Without you I cannot live
Forgive, the yearning burning
I believe it's time, too real to feel
So touch me now, touch me now, touch me now
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
Because tonight there are two lovers
If we believe in the night we trust
Because tonight there are two lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
Italy-June-22-001.jpg - 43601 BytesVerbania, Italy: June 25, 2004
In his commentary to his own book, Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta, Srila Sanatana Gosvami quotes the following verses:
athaitat paramam guhyam
srnvato yadu-nandana
su-gopyam api vaksyami
tvam me bhrtyah suhrt sakha
["My dear Uddhava, O beloved of the Yadu dynasty, because you are My servant, well-wisher and friend, I shall now speak to you the most confidential knowledge. Please hear as I explain these great mysteries to you.I am telling you the most hidden knowledge."
(Srimad-bhagavatam 11.11.49)]
sri-bhagavan uvaca
na rodhayati mam yogo
na sankhyam dharma eva ca
na svadhyayas tapas tyago
nesta-purtam na daksina
vratani yajnas chandamsi
tirthani niyama yamah
yathavarundhe sat-sangah
sarva-sangapaho hi mam
(Srimad-bhagavatam 11.12.1-2)]
In the 11th Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Lord Krsna tells Uddhava, "O My dear Uddhava, you are very near and dear to Me. You are My friend, commander-in-chief and advisor, and we have so many other relationships as well. I am therefore going to reveal to you the most important and hidden knowledge."
"O friend, the association of My most elevated devotees cuts to pieces all desires for worldly sense gratification. That high-class mahat-sanga, association of pure devotees, can control Me. On the other hand, philosophical analysis, piety, yoga, chanting the Vedas, accepting the renounced order of life, performing severe austerities, giving in charity, non-violence, following instructions for discipline in the practice of yoga, taking vows, visiting and bathing in holy places chanting confidential mantras cannot do so."
You should also think like this. These activities cannot help you anywhere near as much as mahat-sanga can help. Mahat-sanga is the most favorable activity for advancement in devotion to the Lord. Controlling the mind and senses - along with mahat-sanga it is ok, otherwise not. If anyone has taken sannyasa but has no devotion or strong faith in the self-realized guru, the above-mentioned pious activities are all performed in vain. External activities alone cannot help you.
Performing Vedic fire sacrifices and developing gardens, children's schools and areas for cow protection also cannot help you. Daksina (bringing money to Gurudeva.) alone will not help. You will have to serve internally, in pure devotee association, so that pure bhakti will come to you. In that association you will learn how to control Krsna in no time.
Otherwise, fasting on the holy day of Ekadasi, worshiping demigods and even Deities of the Lord, chanting brahma-gayatri and other mantras, and taking bath in Ganga alone will not help you. Lord Krsna has also mentioned always telling the truth, not stealing, and being detached from the world. They will also not help you. They will control and attract you. Without mahat-sanga, even observing the Ekadasi fast will be like reward-seeking activity. You will thus be controlled, bound by the subsequent material pious results.
Mahat-sanga must be included in these activities in order for them to be beneficial to you. If you neglect mahat-sanga and you also neglect asat-sanga (association of materialists), even this will not be favorable. If one neglects asat-sanga and at the same time neglects sat-sanga, this is not only of no use, but it is dangerous. This is because one will again be attracted by asat-sanga. In fact, that person is still in asat-sanga, the association of his own polluted mind and heart.
Asancaya means not to collect anything, and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is an example of a devotee who did not collect material paraphernalia. If asancayah is done for bhakti or is a result of bhakti, and if it is done in mahat-sanga, then it is okay. Otherwise it is nothing. It is not okay. To collect paraphernalia is sancayah. Asancayah is good in connection with bhakti. Then it is favorable. If it is not for bhakti, it is not favorable. Brahmacarya (celibacy) will also not be favorable.
Mauna is the practice of silence. To be silent among worldly persons is somewhat good, but don't be silent in the assembly of Gurudeva and Vaisnavas. Chant Hare Krsna, ask those pure devotees questions with honor, and try to hear their harikatha. If you are always speaking hari-katha, this is real mauna.
Mahat-sanga will control you and cut all bad worldly attachments. Lord Krsna will come to you and you will be able to attain krsna-bhakti - krsna-prema.
Our acaryas have expressed their desire for pure bhakti in their prayers. They prefer pure bhakti over going to Vaikuntha.
pasu-paksi ho'ye thaki swarge va niroye
tava bhakti rahu bhaktivinoda-hrdoye
[Be my life in heaven or in hell, be it as a bird or a beast, may devotion to You always remain within the heart of Bhaktivinoda.
(Sri Siksastaka, Song 4)]
Our acaryas want bhakti and mahat-sanga. For them, without mahat-sanga there is no need of heaven or even the spiritual world of Vaikuntha. Suppose one person is hearing hari-katha in bona-fide mahat-sanga, and another person is in Vrndavana with the monkeys, taking bath in the Yamuna and performing parikrama of Govardhana - but is not in mahat sanga. Who is better? The person in mahat-sanga is better. A kanistha-adhikari, a neophyte devotee, cannot understand this fact, but Sri Krsna Himself confirms it.
mad-bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tisthami narada:
"O Narada, I am present wherever My devotees are chanting."
(Padma Purana)
It is for this reason that Krsna is saying, "Life is only successful in the association of the mahat-purusa. It is only successful in mahat-sanga." What more can I tell about this subject? What to speak of having their association, even to hear the glorification of this kind of mahatma gives the fruit of bhakti.
Vidura has said:
srutasya pumsam sucira-sramasya nanv anjasa suribhir idito 'rthah tat-tad-gunanusravanam mukunda- padaravindam hrdayesu yesam
["Persons who hear from a spiritual master with great labor and for a long time must hear from the mouths of pure devotees about the character and activities of pure devotees. Pure devotees always think within their hearts of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, who awards His devotees liberation."
(Srimad-bhagavatam 3.13.4)]
Scholars of the Spiritual science have established this tattva. We must hear sastra, but in mahat-sanga; not here and there. Krsna takes rest in the heart of His devotees. He is always present in their hearts' glorification of Him; so go to these persons. By their association you will attain devotion to Lord Krsna and your life will be successful.
Dhruva Maharaja prayed, "O Prabhu, to meditate on Your lotus feet and to hear Your sweet pastimes, a rasika-bhakta attains so much happiness."
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
["The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self."
(Srimad-bhagavatam 1.2.60)]
That happiness cannot be achieved by brahman realization (realization of the impersonal aspect of Krsna.) What more can I say on this subject? The life of the heavenly demigods is finished after some time. Kala (personified Time) cuts off their heads and they come to this world again. However, those who are always serving in high-class association will not fall down; they will not die. In this verse, beginning "Srutasya pumsam sucira-sramasya",Sri Vidura refers to "bhagavat bhakta-sanga" and "tad-bhakta-sanga." One is the mahat (self-realized pure devotee), and one is mahat-sangi sanga, the self-realized associates of that mahat. The second is better. Do you understand?
For example, Sri Caitanaya Mahaprabhu is mahat-sanga and Srila Rupa Gosvami is mahat-sangi sanga. The association of Sriman Mahaprabhu's associate is superior, because that associate, His pure devotee, can better give you what Mahaprabhu came to give; the most elevated service to Him.
In his commentary, Srila Sanatana Gosvami quoted verses from scriptures like Sri Brahma-samhita, from so many Puranas, from the Upanisads and Srutis, and especially from Srimad-bhagavatam. He proved that pure devotee association is the root of all bhakti. By this, Lord Krsna can be controlled forever.
The root mahat-sanga is Gurudeva - if he is really a qualified and bona-fide Guru.
All the verses quoted by Srila Sanatana Gosvami in this regard are called rasayana (the most pleasing elixir, the reservoir of transcendental mellows), and at the end of his commentary on Sri Brhat-bhagavatamrta, he gives fully thickened rasayana. He quotes the words of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami:
jayati jana-nivaso devaki-janma-vado
yadu-vara-parisat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam
sthira-cara-vrjina-ghnah su-smita-sri-mukhena
vraja-pura-vanitanam vardhayan kama-devam
["Lord Sri Krsna is He who is known as jana-nivasa, the ultimate resort of all living entities, and who is also known as Devakinandana or Yasoda-nandana, the son of Devaki or Yasoda. He is the guide of the Yadu dynasty, and with His mighty arms He kills everything inauspicious as well as every man who is impious. By His presence He destroys all things inauspicious for all living entities, moving and inert. His blissful smiling face always increases the lusty desires of the gopis of Vrndavana. May He be all-glorious and happy!"
(Srimad-bhagavatam 10.90.48)]
Editorial advisors: Sripad Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanatha dasa
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