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Compare this with my first one. The main difference, aside from the composition: This one is not a HDR. I guess I am growing out of the HDR phase.
This picture shows sunrise at the Mühlensee, a particular lake that is gradually turning into a swamp when it was left alone (i.e. no longer drained), which is why you can see all the dead tree stumps there, when the water got too much for them.
It might not be the most upmarket place we’ve stayed in this year, but George (presumably Anglicized for the overwhelmingly British clientele) and his team have given us a very warm welcome. The apartment is comfortable and clean and we don’t ask for more than that. If George is slightly disappointed that we don’t spend quite as much time or money at the hotel bar as most of his guests, he doesn’t show it. Maybe my rapturous approval of the house Village Salad has put a big mark in the credit column for the occupants of room sixty-six. But we prefer to explore a holiday destination rather than lounge about by the pool ordering pints of Mythos all day. Besides which, Ali only drinks water. Hot water or cold water are the only two beverages she needs in life. People don’t believe her at first - they think she’s just being polite. No really - no tea, no coffee, definitely no juice or sugary fizzy pop (you should see her face when I pour a glass of orange juice in the morning), and no alcohol either. I make up for these shortfalls - except for the fizzy pop. I don’t drink that stuff either. I’m quite keen on the Mythos though. Especially the way it’s served in frozen glasses. I’ve taken to putting my own beer glasses in the ice box for an hour before pouring one back at the apartment in the evenings.
Our holiday rep is young, shy and giggly. She’s also Swedish. I was in Sweden less than two weeks ago, and at the bar, as I pay for my Village Salad, I bore the poor girl to sleep about my adventures in her homeland. She agrees that the west coast is a beautiful part of the country. In turn I agree that we’re having a lovely time here in Rhodes. She grins. I think it’s the last time we’ll stay in a place like this though. For years we booked everything independently, but after the pandemic, and just so we could blame everything on the operator when things went wrong, we returned to the traditional package holiday. But it’s not really our thing. Neither of us like mixing with other people, and we really don’t need to be entertained in the evenings. We much prefer the sound of the cicadas at night to what we’re being served with here. So far we’ve been treated to Whitney Houston, Bob Marley, Lionel Richie, Billy Ocean, Rihanna, Wilson Pickett and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. All of this as we sit out on the balcony each evening, whether we like it or not. Obviously not the actual artists. How much do you think we paid for this holiday? Besides which it wouldn’t be possible as a number of them aren’t with us anymore. What’s interesting is that all of the performers come from South Africa. We think it’s the same people coming back every two or three nights, each time wearing different wigs. The quizmaster isn’t from South Africa though. Essex I reckon. He was still reading out the questions after midnight the other evening. The majority of the other guests are several years older than us. Exactly how many Rihanna songs are they familiar with? I only know two and I’m a mere stripling compared to most of them. The artists are very versatile. They usually lapse into Earth Wind and Fire or Heatwave after they’ve played the only three songs that anyone knows. Two if it’s Rihanna. Nobody seems to notice.
And competing with all of this is the din from the bar just across the way. To my horror, someone in charge of the jukebox has just faded out Mark Knopfler’s legendary guitar break from “The Sultans of Swing,” the only thing that has quite literally been music to my ears as we sit out here on the balcony in the dark. Because apparently it’s karaoke night. And the most important thing about being a karaoke performer is that you need to be tone deaf. Take the hen party that’s shouting the words of Paul Heaton over the microphone. More like an Imperfect Ten really. I sigh and open the Booking.com app. I noticed there were some apartments in a village up in the hills near the Seven Springs that we visited the other day. Next time we’ll do it all independently again, just like we used to.
To escape from all of this we’ve hired a car, just like we always do on these holidays. This time it’s a white Suzuki Celerio with a squeaky clutch pedal and a remote key fob that has a dead battery. Mostly we turn right at the bottom of our road, heading along the strip and out of town towards wherever we’ve decided to retreat to. Each time we do this, our first hazard is a bend in the road that I’ve unaffectionately named Poo Pong corner, a reference to the fact that it evidently sits over the town’s sewage drain, and upon which someone has opened a restaurant called Flames. Oh the irony! Surely it would only take a lit cigarette on an especially noxious day for the Flames to go up in, well, flames? It never seems to be that busy there. I love Greek food, but not when there are competing aromas coming from a river of floating effluent just a few yards away that’s come from the inner workings of a couple of thousand overindulgent tourists.
Occasionally though, we turn left instead of right, and drive a mile or two down the road to the tiny beach at the edge of the next town. This is a little piece of the Greece we love, with quiet water lapping at the shoreline, the flat warm sea such a gentle contrast to the drama we’re used to at home. And one evening as the sun sunk over the hills in the west it delivered the first worthwhile picture. Strangely, taken along the holiday strip rather than in some remote wild area. Later, back on the balcony, as someone from the raucous bar squawked to everyone within a half mile radius that they were simply the best, I had a quick go at it on the little laptop that comes with me on every holiday these days. I decided to award myself a small glass of ouzo. And promptly changed my mind in favour of a slightly bigger one. I needed to do something to drown that karaoke out.
Peaso compare tengo coño .... y esa postura le costó lo suyo ... llevaba los botines del Fary y es que es un "profesioná" del escenario
“It’s hard not to stand in awe and enchantment with the beauty in which nature expresses herself.” Steve Maraboli.
More than two years since we moved to Ireland, and we have finally been lucky enough to see the Cliffs of Moher, those colossi that seem to challenge the Atlantic Ocean with their greatness. No image or video that we have seen can be compared to the feeling of smallness experienced when these stone giants are seen in person. In Ireland there are many beautiful cliffs along its coasts, but the spectacular nature of Moher is unique.
Although we could have visited them before, I wanted to wait for the right moment. I wanted to see them for the first time at sunset, on a weekday, in the low season, and staying a couple of nights in the nearby town of Doolin so that we could return the next day and walk for hours on the trails that run along its edges, in addition to having more opportunities to photograph them from different parts.
I owe this image with the sun and the most recognizable view of the cliffs to my wife, since I had chosen a more elevated and frontal view of the cliffs at first for the sunset. Thanks to her I changed my mind, and running together we arrived just in time to capture one of the most beautiful memories we will have of Ireland.
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"Es difícil no quedar asombrado y encantado por la belleza con la que la naturaleza se expresa". Steve Maraboli.
Más de dos años desde que nos mudamos a Irlanda, y por fin hemos tenido la suerte de contemplar los Acantilados de Moher, esos colosos que parecen desafiar con su grandeza al Océano Atlántico. Ninguna imagen o vídeo que hayamos visto puede compararse a la sensación de pequeñez que se experimenta cuando se divisan en persona estos gigantes de piedra. En Irlanda hay muchísimos acantilados de gran belleza por todas sus costas, pero la espectacularidad de Moher es única.
Aunque podíamos haberlos visitado antes, tenía claro que íbamos a esperar al momento adecuado. Quería verlos por primera vez al atardecer, un día entre semana, en temporada baja, y quedándonos un par de noches en el cercano pueblo de Doolin para poder volver al día siguiente y pasear durante horas por los senderos que recorren sus bordes, además de tener más oportunidades para fotografiarlos desde diferentes partes.
Esta imagen con el sol y la vista más reconocible de los acantilados se la debo a mi mujer, ya que yo había elegido una vista más elevada y frontal a los acantilados en un primer momento para el atardecer. Gracias a ella cambié de opinión, y corriendo juntos llegamos justo a tiempo para capturar uno de los recuerdos más hermosos que tendremos de Irlanda.
Mala Mala Game Reserve
Near Kruger National Park
South Africa
Happy Caturday!!
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five species in the genus Panthera, a member of the Felidae. The leopard occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and are declining in large parts of the global range.
Contemporary records suggest that the leopard occurs in only 25% of its historical global range. Leopards are hunted illegally, and their body parts are smuggled in the wildlife trade for medicinal practices and decoration.
Compared to other wild cats, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. It is similar in appearance to the jaguar, but generally has a smaller, lighter physique. Its fur is marked with rosettes similar to those of the jaguar, but the leopard's rosettes are smaller and more densely packed, and do not usually have central spots as the jaguar's do. Both leopards and jaguars that are melanistic are known as black panthers.
The leopard is distinguished by its well-camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting behaviour, broad diet, and strength (which it uses to move heavy carcasses into trees), as well as its ability to adapt to various habitats ranging from rainforest to steppe, including arid and montane areas, and its ability to run at speeds of up to 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph).- Source Wikipedia
Compared to the similar black-bellied tanager, this species looks duller.
Asociacion para La Conservacion de Aves y La Biodiversidad Koepcke's Hermit, Peru
Photo taken through Glass!
Lion
Of all the great cats, the lion has always held a supreme place in man's esteem and imagination. The lion has always been honored by man, crediting the regal beast with attributes he prizes most; nobility, courage, loyalty, combative skills and sexual prowess. This attribution applies to both sexes, for a lioness is a creature of sinuous beauty ,but the full-grown male, whose magnificent mane ranging in color from a rich golden brown to a deep blackish-brown, mark him as the veritable monarch of the plains. The legacy of the lion, King of Beasts, as the model throughout history is demonstrated by its appearance among the earliest drawings made by humans over 15,000 years ago.
Zoological name: Panthera leo
Species: Of the known sub-species of lion there seems to be an agreement on 2 as far as genetics go - Pantherinae Panthera leo leo - the African lion, and Pantherinae Panthera leo persica - the Asian lion. Regardless of the area of Africa a lion is found in today, their DNA analysis has shown them to be the same, whereas there is a difference between African and Asian. As of the time of this writing, the Barbary lion has never been tested and compared to these results, and may in fact be a third and distinct lion sub-specie.
Presence on the planet: The lion was once found from northern Africa through southwest Asia (extinct in most countries within past 150 years), west into Europe (extinct 2000 years ago) and east into India (relict population in Gir Forest only). Today, the majority of Africa’s lions can be found in east and southern Africa, with a small number in west Africa. Most of the lions today exist inside protected areas. No accurate number of how many lions exist in the wild has been reported, but guesstimates are between 30,000-100,000.
Habitat: Lion prides are often found in the open plains, but are known from nearly all habitats except deep desert and rainforest. Lions climb trees to rest and cool off, or sometimes to escape stampedes. During the day, lions rest by water holes or salt licks, but at night these places are usually reserved for hunting.
Physical appearance: Males range from 172 to 250 cm in body length, females from 158 to 192 cm. Tail length varies between 60 and 100 cm in length. Females are 45 to 68 kilograms lighter than the average-size male, but have an equal muscle mass. Males weigh between 150 and 260 kg while females weigh between 122 and 182 kg.Lions have a broad face, rounded ears, and a relatively short neck. Male lions have a mane, which varies in color. It usually is a silverish-grey or a yellowish-red. The darker the mane the older the lion. Captive lions are known to have longer and fuller manes than wild lions. The underside of males is a buff color, while the females' underside is whitish in color. Both sexes have sharp retractable claws on each paw and powerful shoulders, which they use to bring down their prey. Hinge-like jaws containing 5 centimeter canines also aid the lion in hunting and catching their prey.
Diet: Lions are very opportunistic eaters, and will take almost any prey ranging from small rodents to young rhinos, hippos and elephants. The majority of its prey, however, is medium to large ungulates, most notably zebra, wildebeest, impala, warthog, hartebeest and waterbuck. They will stay away from adult rhinos, hippos, elephants and even giraffes. The females do most of the hunting, and the male will come and join the females after the kill is made. The females will make way for the males and allow him to eat his fill first. Males will participate on a hunt when it is a particularly large prey item - like a water buffalo - where his size and strength is required to bring down such a large animal (although enough females can do it successfully on their own). Males must also hunt during their bachelor stages, when there are no females to take care of them.
Reproduction & Offspring: Lions will reproduce any time of the year, and all females of reproductive maturity will breed at the same time. This allows them to give birth in synchrony with each other, thereby sharing the suckling responsibilities. Any lactating female in a pride will suckle any cub that belongs to the pride. Lions give birth to 1-6 cubs after a gestation of 110 days. The cubs are born blind and helpless, and weigh approximately 2-4 pounds. Cub mortality is very high in lions, and less than half will survive their first year. Young males will leave their pride between 2-4 years if they can get away with staying that long, but sometimes they are forced out as early as 13-20 months. Females remain with their natal pride most of the time, although some will disperse and form new prides. While male lions are physically capable of reproducing at 30 months and females at 24 months, they do not generally successfully reproduce until pride membership has been firmly established.
Conservation status: Lions are generally considered problem animals whose existence is at odds with human settlements and cattle culture. Their scavenging behavior makes them highly susceptible to poisoned carcasses put out to eliminate predators. Where the wild prey is migratory, lions will predate on captive stock during the lean season, thus making the nuisance animals and easy targets for humans to eliminate.
The mating worms logo on the nose of the PC unit leading NS Train 239 gives us a glimpse into the turbulent past of railroading. Fortunately the future looks pretty bright compared to when this insignia was common across the eastern half of the United States.
Locomotive: NS 1073
3-24-17
Birmingham, MO
Sunset vs Sunrise colors Google AI Overview
Sunset colors are a vibrant mix of reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, and purples, created as sunlight travels through more of Earth's atmosphere, scattering blue light and allowing longer wavelengths to reach our eyes, with atmospheric conditions like dust and humidity enhancing these warm hues. The specific shades depend on the time after sunset, with yellows appearing before, reds and oranges dominant at sunset, and deep reds and purples lingering afterward, often enhanced by particles like pollution or volcanic ash.
Common Sunset Colors
Warm Tones: Yellow, orange, fiery red, and gold are primary colors due to light scattering.
Cool Tones: Pinks and purples often appear as light mixes with the remaining blues and violets.
Variations: Deep crimson, coral, lavender, and even hints of green can appear.
The Science Behind the Colors
Rayleigh Scattering:
Shorter wavelengths (blue, violet) are scattered away by air molecules.
Longer Path:
At sunset, sunlight travels through more atmosphere, scattering more blue and green light.
Visible Colors:
This leaves the longer wavelengths (yellow, orange, red) to dominate the sky.
Atmospheric Influence:
Dust, aerosols, and pollution particles can scatter light further, intensifying reds and oranges or even creating rare violet hues.
Timing Matters
Before Sunset: Yellows are often visible.
At Sunset: Oranges and reds become prominent.
After Sunset (Twilight): Deep reds, purples, and blues can be most vibrant, about 15-20 minutes after the sun disappears.
Sunrise and sunset colors are both caused by light scattering, but sunsets often appear redder and warmer (more oranges/reds) because the atmosphere contains more dust, pollution, and moisture from the day, scattering shorter blue light more effectively. Sunrises tend to be softer, with more pinks and yellows, as the air is generally cleaner and cooler in the morning, though humidity and clouds heavily influence both.
The Science Behind the Colors (Rayleigh Scattering)
Longer Path: At sunrise and sunset, sunlight travels through more of Earth's atmosphere to reach your eyes compared to midday.
Blue Light Scattered: Molecules in the atmosphere (like nitrogen and oxygen) scatter shorter-wavelength colors (blue and violet) more efficiently.
Reds & Oranges Remain: This scattering removes most blue light, allowing longer-wavelength reds, oranges, and yellows to dominate the sky.
Key Differences: Sunrise vs. Sunset
Atmospheric Conditions: The main differentiator is what's in the air.
Sunrise: Air is often cooler, clearer, and has less dust/pollution, leading to softer, more defined colors, sometimes with more blues/greens near the horizon before the golden hour.
Sunset: A full day's activities stir up dust, haze, and pollutants, which scatter light more broadly, creating more intense reds, oranges, and sometimes purples, often appearing more "chaotic" or layered.
Moisture: More humidity at sunset can mute colors, while low humidity at sunrise can make them vibrant, though high humidity can create dramatic hues at either time.
In a Nutshell
Sunrise: Often cleaner air, cooler tones, more defined light, sometimes blue/green pre-dawn, then soft pinks/yellows.
Sunset: Dustier, warmer air, more intense reds/oranges/pinks due to particulates, a broader color palette.
To say that Marsh Warbler is a bit of a birders' bird is an understatement. They look incredibly similar to the much commoner Reed Warbler, but only keen birdwatchers would get excited about seeing one. It took me years to get a clear photo of a common Reed Warbler because they always hide among reed stems, so I cannot believe how lucky I was to get an unobscured view of this Marsh Warbler on my first attempt, as they are also notorious skulkers. I say lucky because this one only perched momentarily in the open before bolting back to a hidden song perch. But this photo does show all of the subtle diagnostic features of Marsh Warbler; The tips of its primary feathers (wing tips) are edged pale , where these are dark-edged on Reed Warbler. Take a look on this Reed Warbler to compare: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/52098887790/in/photolist Also the tertials (those feathers above the primaries on the closed wing) have a more contrasting pale edge on Marsh Warbler. The overall colour of Marsh Warbler has a subtle olive hue, and lacks any rufous tones of Reed Warbler. Finally the legs are noticeably pale whereas they appear dark on Reed Warbler.
There are about 130,000 breeding pairs of Reed Warbler in Britain whereas Marsh Warbler usually has fewer than ten breeding pairs. Two singing males had set up breeding territories less than 100m apart on the Lincolnshire coast near Chapel St Leonards last week and as I had not seen one for over 20 years, and I have never photographed one I thought I'd make the effort. I'm glad I did, though they were elusive and only gave photo-opportunities on a couple of occasions. The habitat was not quite like the previous Marsh Warblers I had seen as this one seemed to inhabit reeds, just like Reed Warbler, whereas the others I have seen have been in tall fen with Meadowsweet and Great Hairy Willowherb rather than reeds.
Windlight: ColeMarie's Windlight Set: Cloudy Day (sunset)
i made a youtube video comparing PBR items in Alchemy Beta (PBR capable viewer) and Firestorm (currently nonPBR viewer) just to see the differences.
my youtube video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTG5L51WH9M
If you make it over there, let me know what you think.
Firestorm is working on adding PBR. If you want to join their beta testing group to test their pbr viewer, go to their website and click the link to join their beta group in SL.
Alchemy beta does not have all the whistles and bells of Firestorm. For example, no area search which as a hunter, I really like. However, it does have some other advantages. PBR is one. That's very cool. Frame rate is faster. and you can do alt shift C for cinema mode for pictures and videos and the UI and huds disappear. Nice!
However, I know where things are in Firestorm so I'm very comfy with it.
The coolest thing about PBR: realtime reflections so you can have mirrors.
The Tornado is not a small aircraft, but it is very small compared to the A310 Multi Role Tanker Transport it is flying in formation with.
Celebrating 10 years since the introduction of the type into the active inventory of the German Air Force at Laage AFB near Rostock. Demonstration Air Refueling operations with two Eurofighter and two Tornado aircraft. Here is a close-up with one Tornado in the frame.
Categories:
Airbus - A310 - MRTT - Tornado - Luftwaffe - Bundeswehr - Laage 2014
Collections:
Bajo Hondo
es una localidad del sur de la provincia argentina de Buenos Aires, ubicada a 22 km de Punta Alta y a 30 de Bahía Blanca, sobre la Ruta Nacional 3, dentro del partido del Coronel Rosales. Cuenta con 164 habitantes (INDEC, 2010), lo que no representa cambio significativo frente a los 165 habitantes (INDEC, 2001) del censo anterior. Su historia no es muy diferente de la de los demás pueblos vecinos, que fueron construidos al paso del Ferrocarril del Sud, que poco a poco fue recorriendo los distintos pueblos y caminos de la República Argentina.
Corría 1891 (año tomado como el de la fundación del pueblo) cuando se construyó la "Estación del ferrocarril Sud", que se encuentra en las afueras del pueblo, alejado uno o dos kilómetros.
En esos años los ferrocarriles eran las principales fuentes económicas de país. Cuando llegó a Bajo hondo se tardaron 7 años en planificar la fundación del pueblo.
Uno de los "fundadores" fue el belga Gustavo Coulembier, el primero que, en 1883, adquirió una parcela en tierras del actual Bajo Hondo. Llamó al terreno “La Sidonia" y estableció allí su casa.
Hacia 1900 una población considerable vivía en tierras de Bajo Hondo, de manera que se hizo necesaria la fundación de diferentes instituciones y entidades; por ejemplo:
La Cooperativa Agrícola de Bajo Hondo, “El Porvenir”.
El centro social “Brisas del Sur”.
Y la sala de primeros auxilios.
La escuela del pueblo, construida previamente a su fundación oficial, el 5 de mayo de 1890, fue abastecida con energía eléctrica gracias al equipo electrógeno propiedad de don Carlos Borgato, hasta que la cooperativa eléctrica se ocupó de su abastecimiento. Su primer maestro fue Don Bautista Elosegui. Bajo Hondo cuenta con un puesto de vigilancia que funciona desde 1948 y una capilla, construida por D. Francisco del Brío en 1967.
En la década de los 1990s, durante el gobierno de Carlos Menem, se privatizaron las empresas estatales. Los ferrocarriles, entre tantas otras empresas, dejaron de ser tan importantes como lo habían sido, dejando así multitud de vías muertas, entre las cuales se encuentran las de Bajo Hondo.
TRASLATOR
Bajo Hondo
is a town in the south of the Argentine province of Buenos Aires, located 22 km from Punta Alta and 30 from Bahía Blanca, on National Route 3, within the party of Colonel Rosales. It has 164 inhabitants (INDEC, 2010), which does not represent a significant change compared to the 165 inhabitants (INDEC, 2001) of the previous census. Its history is not very different from that of the other neighboring towns, which were built at the passage of the Ferrocarril del Sud, which little by little was touring the different towns and roads of the Argentine Republic.
It was in 1891 (the year taken as the foundation of the town) when the "Estación del Railroad Sud" was built, which is located on the outskirts of the town, one or two kilometers away.
In those years the railroads were the main economic sources of the country. When it reached Bajo bajo, it took 7 years to plan the founding of the town.
One of the "founders" was the Belgian Gustavo Coulembier, the first who, in 1883, acquired a plot in the land of the current Bajo Hondo. He called the land "La Sidonia" and established his home there.
Towards 1900 a considerable population lived in lands of Low Hondo, so that it became necessary the foundation of different institutions and entities; for example:
The Cooperativa Agrícola de Bajo Hondo, "El Porvenir".
The social center "Brisas del Sur".
And the first aid room.
The village school, built prior to its official foundation, on May 5, 1890, was supplied with electricity thanks to the power equipment owned by Mr. Carlos Borgato, until the electric cooperative took care of its supply. His first teacher was Don Bautista Elosegui. Bajo Hondo has a surveillance post that has been in operation since 1948 and a chapel, built by D. Francisco del Brío in 1967.
In the decade of the 1990s, during the government of Carlos Menem, state enterprises were privatized. The railroads, among many other companies, ceased to be as important as they had been, leaving many dead ways, among which are those of Bajo Hondo.
Just west of Blue Mountain Drive and the hotbox detector at MP 22.6, the westbound Zephyr is having no issues moving along at track speed in the continually-falling snow. Without question, passengers aboard the Zephyr are going to have a better experience on the trip west today compared to folks driving in the high country on I-70!
©2024 ColoradoRailfan.com
The term “depth theology” was coined especially by the Jewish philosopher of religion Abraham Heschel. He used it to denote a kind of pretheological common ground of religion to which one must return in interreligious dialogue. He compared theology and depth theology in a manner reminiscent of our distinction between the act of faith (fides qua) and the content or object of faith (fides quae):
-Notes on Chapter 2, The Afternoon of Christianity The Courage to Change, Tomáš Halík
“Theology is like sculpture, depth theology is like music. Theology is in the books, depth theology is in the hearts. The former is doctrine, the latter an event. Theologies divide us; depth theology unites us.”
-Abraham Heschel, Insecurity of Freedom: Essays on Human Existence (New York: Schocken Books, 1972), 119.
(283/365) This spider has made her home in a Mint plant on our patio so you can see how small she is compared to the size of the Mint leaves. I only realised she was munching on a tiny aphid when I cropped the image & saw it's wings. Taken on my iPhone5 (Arachtober 7)
Taddeo di Bartolo (1362-1422) - the funeral of Mary (1415) - Cappella dei Signori - Public Palace of Siena
Cappella dei Signori (Cappella di Palazzo)
All'inizio del XV secolo, fu realizzata una nuova più ampia cappella rispetto a quella esistente al piano terreno.
Della sua decorazione fu incaricato Taddeo di Bartolo, che realizzò nel 1415 cinque scene della Vita della Vergine, Santi, Evangelisti, Profeti e Virtù.
Cappella dei Signori (Palace Chapel)
At the beginning of the fifteenth century, was built a chapel more larger compared to the existing one on the ground floor.
The decoration was entrusted to Taddeo di Bartolo, who realized, in 1415, scenes of the Life of the Virgin, Saints, Evangelists, Prophets and Virtues.
The diet of breeding Long-tailed Skuas usually comprises 90% lemmings, but there are no lemmings on Svalbard. Which probably explains why they are a rare breeding bird with only about 25 pairs on the whole archipelago. This compares with about 1000 pairs of Arctic Skua. But you can see from this photo that they are not averse to chasing other seabirds to steal their food, which is a habit known as kleptoparasitism. In this instance the victim is an Arctic Tern. I'm not expecting much attention on this photo as it looks boring in thumbnail but I like this style of photography that shows a bird actually doing something in the context of its natural environment. And it is still possible to see the small icebergs from a nearby glacier in the out-of-focus background. This was taken in Kongsfjord on the island of Spitsbergen.
Compared to its Tokaido Shinkansen counterpart south of Tokyo, the Tohoku Shinkansen route from Omiya to Aomori is far less busy. Despite the frequent breaks between trains, train variety is diverse, and the route host some of the fastest trains, officially, in the world.
Here, a soon to be rarified E3 Series leads a northbound Yamagata/Akita combined service towards Fukushima as it speeds past a Yamabiko service at Nasushiobara Station.
JR Tohoku Shinkansen.
JR E3 Series
Nasushiobara, Tochigi Pref., Japan.
Whatever Shousuke told Shunsuke he's not impressed by it.
(Ahhhh how cute is Shou's profile??? That little nose!!! D: <3)
Look closely at these intricate iron details - built by the Hawks family from 5,050 tons of iron, this pioneering structure was the world's first bridge to combine rail and road traffic. The pedestrian walkways you see here have carried millions of footsteps since the road deck opened in 1850, when pedestrians paid a halfpenny toll and could only cross from 5 am until 6 pm (24-hour access came in June 1871).
Engineering Under Pressure
Between 2005-2008, the bridge underwent essential restoration when severe cracks were found in some of its iron girders. Every rivet, every beam, every plate of this ironwork was examined and restored. The footpaths were closed in March 2006 due to vandalism and the increasing scale of works, but reopened in 2008 after the £43 million restoration.
Built to Last
James Nasmyth's novel steam pile driver was used for the first time in bridge building, delivering 60 to 70 blows a minute compared to the four-minute cycle time of hand-operated drivers. The ironwork you're looking at represents the cutting edge of 1840s engineering - and it's still doing its job beautifully.
The pedestrian walkways on either side of the lower level provide great views of the river and the other bridges - all framed by Robert Stephenson's magnificent iron lattice work.
Frankreich / Provence - Gorges du Verdon
South Rim
Südrand
The Verdon Gorge (French: Gorges du Verdon Occitan: Gòrja de Verdon) is a river canyon located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is about 25 km (15.5 mi) long and up to 700 metres (0.4 mi) deep. It was formed by the Verdon River, which is named for its turquoise-green colour, one of the location's distinguishing characteristics. In between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, the river has cut a ravine to a depth of 700 meters through the limestone mass. At the end of the canyon, the Verdon flows into the artificial Lake of Sainte-Croix.
The gorge is very popular with tourists, who can drive around its rim, rent kayaks to travel on the river, or hike. The limestone walls, which are several hundreds of metres high, attract many rock climbers. It is considered an outstanding destination for multi-pitch climbing, with 1,500 routes available ranging from 20 metres (65 feet) to over 400 metres (1,300 feet).
History
During the Triassic period, the Provence subsided and was covered by the sea, leaving thick layers of various limestone deposits. Several million years later, with the arrival of the Jurassic period, the area was covered by a warm shallow sea, which allowed the growth of various corals. The Cretaceous period saw what is now Basse Provence being raised and the sea reaching the current location of the Alps, which were themselves erected during the tertiary era. As a result of the large-scale geological activity, many of the Jurassic limestone deposits fractured, forming relief with valleys and other such features. The origins of the Verdon Gorge can be traced to this era.
The dawn of the Quaternary period had large-scale glaciation, transforming water pockets and lakes into rivers of ice, which remodeled the topography, scouring and striating the landscape. At the end of this activity, erosion by rivers continued, forming the Gorge as it is today. The Verdon's riverbed was scoured for a second time of the accumulated coral and limestone sediments, by a water delivery rate nearing 2000 to 3000 cubic metres per second.
Discovery
The gorge was described in printed form from 1782 and 1804. By the second half of the 19th century, it was featured in French tourist guides. According to Graham Robb's book The Discovery of France, the gorge did not become known outside France until 1906.
Recent developments
On 10 July 2006, the Council of State annulled the declaration of public use of a project by EDF relating to a proposed high-voltage line which would have had to pass through the Verdon Gorge. This decision ended 23 years of struggle by public groups and associations of environmental defence to preserve a site of exceptional natural interest, of which a part contains protected animal and plant species.
During the 2022 European drought, the water levels in the river were very low and dried up completely in some parts.
Geography
The source of the Verdon is close to the col d'Allos hill in the Trois Eveches mountain range, whence it continues, flowing into the Durance river near Vinon-sur-Verdon after traveling 175 kilometres. Between Castellane and the Galetas bridge, the river passes through the lake of Sainte-Croix, created by the construction of a dam of the same name. Before the dam was constructed, the village of Les Salles-sur-Verdon occupied the river plain. To create the reservoir, the village was destroyed in 1973. Les Salles-sur-Verdon was reconstructed as a more modern settlement higher up the valley. Today, it is the youngest village in France.
For some distance the Verdon Gorge forms the border between the départements of Var to the south and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the north in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région.
This region between Castellane and the Lac de Sainte-Croix is called the Gorges du Verdon, or Verdon Gorge. It is split into three distinct parts:
"Prégorges" ('pre-gorge'), from Castellane to Pont de Soleils,
the deepest part of the Gorge, from Pont de Soleils to l'Imbut, and
the Canyon from l’Imbut to the Pont du Galetas.
The Verdon Gorge is narrow and deep, with depths of 250 to 700 metres and widths of 6 to 100 metres at the level of the Verdon river. It is 200 to 1500 metres wide from one side of the Gorge to the other at the summits. The Gorge has been compared to the Grand Canyon in the United States.
Hydro-electric dams
Between 1929 and 1975, five dams were erected on the course of the Verdon, between Castellane and Gréoux-les-Bains. These dams hold back water in the following reservoirs:
Lac de Castillon, which was created by flooding the village of the same name
Lac de Sainte-Croix, flooded the village of des Salles-sur-Verdon.
Lac d'Esparron-Gréoux, known locally as "lac d’Esparron".
Reservoir at Chaudanne
Reservoir at Quinson, sometimes improperly called the "lac de Montpezat", the name of the village over which it dominates.
Notable features
The Styx du Verdon, associated with the river Styx of Greek mythology, is an area of sub-canyon within the gorge.
The Imbut, also known as Embut or Embucq, is an area where the Verdon disappears underground, beneath enormous rock structures, before re-emerging above ground.
Tourism
The Verdon Gorge attracts numerous tourists, especially during the summer period. The river's turquoise colour is associated with glacial sources and the minerals of rock flour suspended in the water.
It is easily accessible on its right bank from the north (via route D952 from Castellane to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie), and on its left bank from the south (via routes D71, D90 and D955 from Aiguines to Castellane).
Sport
The Verdon Gorge attracts many rock climbers for its more than 1,500 climbing routes on good limestone rock.
The Verdon and its Gorge are also a favoured destination for fishermen, particularly for fly fishing.
Hiking, canoeing, paragliding, rafting, climbing and canyoning are some of the sports practised in the region.
Hiking and scenic walks
The most common hikes in the gorge include:
Le sentier (pathway) de Martel
Le sentier de l'Imbut
Le sentier du Bastidon
Le belvédère de Rancoumas par le pont de Tusset (the Rancoumas panoramic viewpoint near the Tusset Bridge)
The Sentier Martel, was laid out in 1928 by the Touring Club de France.[citation needed] It was named in 1930 to honor the explorer Édouard-Alfred Martel (1859–1938). Martel had visited the Verdon in 1905 as an employee of the Southeast Electricity Company, carrying out precise geological surveys of the river. On 11 August, he and his team (explorer Armand Janet, schoolmaster Isidore Blanc, geographer Cuvelier, plaus Baptistin Flory, Fernand Honorat, Prosper Marcel, and Tessier Zurcher) began an expedition of the region. Their successful arrival at the Pas de Galetas marked the completion of the first expedition of the Verdon Canyon.
Other expeditions to the Verdon included Martel's team the following year; followed by Robert de Joly, who in 1928 was the first to completely cross the Verdon Gorge.
(Wikipedia)
Die Verdonschlucht, französisch Gorges du Verdon, umgangssprachlich auch Grand Canyon du Verdon, ist eine Schlucht in der französischen Provence, Département Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Sie beginnt flussabwärts nach der Stadt Castellane und endet nahe Moustiers-Sainte-Marie im Stausee Lac de Sainte-Croix. Durch den etwa 21 km langen und bis zu 700 Meter tiefen Canyon fließt der türkisfarbene Fluss Verdon. Die Gorges du Verdon sind neben der Tara-Schlucht einer der größten Canyons Europas und Hauptbestandteil des nach ihm benannten Regionalen Naturparks Verdon.
Geographische Lage
Der Verdon entspringt in der Nähe des Col d’Allos im Bergland Trois Évêchés und mündet nach etwa 175 km in der Nähe von Vinon-sur-Verdon in die Durance. Das interessanteste Stück seines Laufes befindet sich zwischen Castellane und der Galetas-Brücke kurz vor dem Lac de Sainte-Croix. Die Schlucht von Verdon definiert über weite Strecken die Grenze zwischen den Départements Var im Süden und Alpes-de-Haute-Provence im Norden. Das Gebiet ist in drei Teilabschnitte gegliedert:
Die „Prégorges“ zwischen Castellane und der Brücke bei Soleils
Die Schlucht zwischen der Brücke und l’Imbut
Der Canyon zwischen l’Imbut und der Brücke von Galetas
Die Schlucht ist am Grund zwischen 6 und 100 m breit, die gegenüberliegenden Flanken sind zwischen 200 und 1500 m voneinander entfernt und die Tiefe variiert zwischen 250 und 700 m.
Entstehung
In der Trias-Zeit senkte sich die Provence ab und wurde vom Meer bedeckt. In der Folge lagerten sich am Grund verschiedene Schichten von Kalk (abgestorbene Muscheln u. ä.) ab. Im Jura wurde die Provence erneut von einem warmen, wenig tiefen Meer überflutet, was die Entstehung mächtiger Korallenbänke begünstigte.
In der Kreidezeit hob sich die Provence, und das Meer zog sich in den Bereich der heutigen Alpen zurück. Erst im Tertiär wurden die Alpen aufgefaltet. Die in der Folge zerbrechenden Kalkmassive aus der Jurazeit bestimmten das Relief und die Täler. In dieser Zeit suchte sich auch der Verdon sein Bett.
Im Quartär überformten die eiszeitlichen Gletscher die Landschaft. Am Ende der Vereisung nehmen die Flüsse ihre Erosionstätigkeit wieder auf. Bedingt durch die Eisschmelze waren die Wassermengen gewaltig: bis zu 3000 m³/s. Diese Mengen ermöglichten die tiefen Einschnitte im weichen Gestein.
Jüngere Geschichte
Auf dem Gebiet des heutigen Stausees, der durch den Bau des Sainte-Croix-Staudamms entstand, befand sich vor 1973 die Ortschaft Les Salles-sur-Verdon, die kurz vor der Flutung des Tals vollständig zerstört und an anderer Stelle neu aufgebaut wurde. Heute ist sie eine der jüngsten Gemeinden Frankreichs.
Seit dem 7. Mai 1990 ist die Schlucht offizielles Naturschutzgebiet.
Am 10. Juli 2006 beschloss der Conseil d’État, dass die geplante 400.000-Volt-Hochspannungsleitung der Électricité de France durch den Canyon nicht gebaut werden dürfe. Damit endete ein über 23 Jahre andauernder Kampf verschiedener Umwelt- und Naturschutzorganisation, die sich für den Erhalt der ursprünglichen Schlucht einsetzen.
1905: Erste vollständige Durchquerung der Schlucht durch den Speläologen Martel
1929: Grundsteinlegung des Castillon-Staudamms
1932: Unterbrechung der Bauarbeiten
1936: Ein Brand beschädigt den Staudamm
1948: Fertigstellung des Castillon-Staudamms
1951: Fertigstellung des Chaudanne-Staudamms
1960: Fertigstellung des Esparron-Gréoux-Staudamms
1973: Flutung des Sainte-Croix-Stausees
1973: Wiederaufbau der gefluteten Ortschaft Les Salles-sur-Verdon etwa 400 m entfernt
1974: Beginn der Stromproduktion des Wasserkraftwerks in Sainte-Croix
1975: Flutung des Quinson-Stausees
Aktivitäten
Auf dem Wasser
Teilweise lässt sich die Verdonschlucht mit Wildwasser-Kajaks befahren, im Unterlauf am Lac de Sainte-Croix auch mit größeren Booten. Der Wasserabfluss der oberen Stauseen ist zumindest während der Hauptreisezeit Juli und August einheitlich festgelegt. Um den Wassersport wie Wildwasserschwimmen, Rafting etc. zu unterstützen, wird an zwei Tagen der Woche (meist dienstags und freitags) mehr Wasser abgelassen. Der Abfluss beträgt dann 10–16 Kubikmeter Wasser pro Sekunde, an den anderen Tagen ca. 0,5 Kubikmeter Wasser pro Sekunde. Es existiert eine Hotline zur Information über aktuelle Wasserstände. In der Vor- und Nachsaison hingegen wird deutlich unregelmäßiger Wasser abgelassen, in manchen Jahren wochenlang bis zu 40 Kubikmeter pro Sekunde, in anderen wochenlang nur 0,5 Kubikmeter pro Sekunde. Bei Wassermengen über 2 bis 3 Kubikmeter wird im Wildwasserschwimmen Ungeübten vom Baden in der Strömung abgeraten. Durch unberechenbare Hindernisse wie Siphone, Unterspülungen und Holzverblockungen besteht dann Lebensgefahr.
Wandern
Das Wandern in den unzugänglicheren Regionen der Schlucht ist beliebt und gilt als ungefährlich. Die bekannteste Wander-Route durch den Verdon-Canyon beginnt und endet in der Mitte des Canyons an einem Aussichtspunkt, von dem es relativ steil über Serpentinen bergab geht. Sie führt entlang des Sentier Martel (benannt nach dem Erstdurchquerer Martel). Der Abstieg beginnt von der Route de Crête, am Vereinshaus La Maline. Unten am Fluss angelangt sollte man sich an der dortigen Weggabelung nach Norden halten und dort zügig dem Wegverlauf stromaufwärts folgen. Im Verlauf der fast sechsstündigen Wanderung – ohne Möglichkeit eines Zwischenausstieges – führt der Wanderweg beständig bergauf-bergab und über einige künstlich angelegte Leitern und Treppen abwärts. Eine davon (Brèche Imbert) ist recht steil und führt über 252 Stufen von einem Aussichtspunkt hinunter. Kurz vor Ende der Route führt der Weg durch zwei hintereinander liegende Tunnel, die als einzige Möglichkeit weiterführen. Hier sollte ursprünglich der Fluss komplett umgeleitet werden, doch das Projekt wurde nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg aufgegeben. Die Länge des ersten Tunnels beträgt 110 m, die des zweiten 657 m.
Insgesamt ist für diese Bergwanderung mit etwa fünf bis sechs Stunden reiner Gehzeit zu rechnen. Am End- bzw. Ausgangspunkt Point Sublime im Norden befindet sich ein weiterer Parkplatz. Für die Rückfahrt zum Ausgangspunkt besteht die Möglichkeit, ein Schluchtentaxi oder einen allerdings selten verkehrenden Linienbus zu benutzen.
Klettern
Die Verdonschlucht war in den 1970er und 1980er Jahren eines der bedeutendsten Klettergebiete. In den 1970er Jahren wurden zahlreiche ausgesetzte technische Linien erstbegangen, in den 1980er Jahren gelang dann Kletterern wie Patrick Berhault und Patrick Edlinger die freie Begehung vieler dieser Routen. Auch heute wird in dem Gebiet noch intensiv geklettert.
Weitere Aktivitäten
Auf der Ringstraße um den Verdon-Canyon sind immer wieder Aussichtspunkte zur Schlucht hin, aber auch auf die Lavendel-Felder, für die die Region berühmt ist, angelegt. Über der Schlucht kreisen häufig Paraglider, Drachen und Segelflieger, wenn das Wetter dies zulässt. Die Pont de l’Artuby wird sehr stark von Bungee-Jumpern frequentiert. Ebenso ist die Schlucht mit ihren Pässen Ziel vieler Motorradfahrer.
(Wikipedia)
A little later, even more light had gone missing compared to the previous photo, so I had to do some serious post-production here, moving perilously close to HDR territory. It's worth it though, because this is an interesting service. In fact, this is the consist that will form the night train from Szklarska Poręba Górna to Warszawa Wschodnia later that day, complete with sleeper coach (visible directly behind loco EP07-1042). On this daytime run, of course, that coach is locked. Jaczków, 24-06-2025.
One of my contacts, J Bespoy, gets the best shots of little goslings, so I was very excited when I spotted this baby. They are so cute and small compared to the size the parent. This does not have a large crop. They strolled right past me.
If you have time, it is so much better in Fullscreen - lots of detail.
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Member of the Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature
© All Rights Reserved
Compare this red-eyed vireo to yesterday's shot, where the red eye showed up so well in the sun. In the shade, that eye appears almost black!
This guy was busking outside Sainsbury's Supermarket at Green Park (Bath). As he played the violin/fiddle (how do you tell the difference?), he kind of sang along to himself. It was more fiddler's type ballads as compared to classical violin pieces he was playing.
He was not posing for me in this shot, but he was aware I was shooting. He told me his name was Rory and he was from Romania. Perhaps that's where his tunes came from and when he was singing to himself, he was picturing himself back there in the mountains....
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THIS IS STRANGER NUMBER #06 in my 100 strangers project collection. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Just like my Death Star (www.flickr.com/photos/8107354@N03/27323605751/in/album-72...), this new Star Wars custom model is based on the kenner Micro Collection toy line from the 80's. Again, I tried to stay true to the original toy while adding some modern touches.
This time, I've been smart enough to make a photo showing my Lego model compared to the Kenner toy... better late than never :)
PRE-ORDER.
Following numerous requests I opened a special page on my shop to allow people to pre-order the instructions for my custom Space Wars model of the "City in the Sky".
These instructions will be available from 15 November 2016.
Special pre-order price untill 15 novembre 2016.
All details on my website:
Appleton Tower at night - this incredibly ugly, tall building was part of Edinburgh University's still controversial programme of demolitions and rebuilding from the 1960s, which was a swathe of George Square's handsome Georgian buildings destroyed for ugly concrete, tall structure like this.
The original plan was for much more of this around this area, but fortunately that didn't happen. As is common with a lot of this Brutalist architecture, the concrete has not weathered the decades well, and the exterior all had to be renovated and replaced a few years ago.
The ugliness of the structure compared to much of the rest of the city is legendary, with it being something of a running joke that the best thing about being in the tower is not being able to see it on the skyline then! However, sometimes even the ugliest, modern sructures look better in a monochrome night shot!
I took this photo of Raven using my 50mm F1.8G Nikon lens to compare it against the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 I chose not to keep.
The sculpture on the exterior have been compared to work at Saint-Pierre Abbey in Moissac. The abbey in on the route of Santiago de Compostela in France. the doors are glazed giving a tantalizing glimpse of the interior.
The tympanum over the main door shows Christ enthroned surrounded by the symbols of the Evangelists and a few of those guardian angels.
This image was created as a “hero” image for a section of my upcoming book, Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet - skycrystals.ca/product/pre-order-macro-photography-the-un... . A colourful portion of the wing of a Madagascan Sunset butterfly (Chrysiridia rhipheus), shot with a 20x microscope objective.
These kinds of images are difficult to accomplish simply because the subject is so small and it was intentionally photographed on an angle. The butterfly wing was not parallel to the focal plane of the camera, which would have made this slightly easier to shoot but would also lack depth. How much is actually in focus in a single image? Well, take a look at one of the frames that went into making this: donkom.ca/bts/PDKP5901.jpg
Photographed with a Mitutoyo Plan APO 20x microscope objective mounted on an old Canon FD 200mm F/4 telephoto lens to function as a “tube lens” for the infinity-corrected objective, the only think needed to make this work is to use a 52mm – M26 step-down filter thread and to set the tube lens focus to infinity. Here’s a shot of the behind-the-scenes setup which shows you all of the ingredients: donkom.ca/bts/_1090434.jpg
Those ingredients are:
Bulb blower to clean dust off the specimen!
Automated focusing rail. In this case I’m using the StackShot from Cognisys but I also have a Novoflex Castel Micro on the way to compare. Automation is extremely helpful when shooting at magnifications such as this.
Lumix S1R. I was pleasantly surprised at the resolving power of this microscope objective, showing incredible detail on this 47MP camera body!
Canon FD 200mm F/4 + 20x objective, as discussed above.
Yongnuo YN-14EX II ring flash – my new favourite ring flash!
Platypod Max + Gooseneck arms and crab clamps to hold the ring flash. The angle of shooting required that the ring be positioned off camera, and with this setup I could easily manipulate the position with slight adjustments and get it very close to the subject. I believe they still have a bundle on sale: platypod.com/tripods/max-macro-bundle
Bolt P12 battery pack, allowing the flash to fire with an additional 12 AA batteries… helpful when you know a lot of images are going to be shot!
How many images for this sequence? It’s my biggest stack ever at 991 frames. I could have probably gotten away with around 700 images or so, but a greater degree of overlap was helpful to remove some flare effects off of the wing by certain stacking algorithms. Zerene Stacker and two of the Helicon Focus modes failed, one of them worked (Mode B) to create decent results with just some clean-up work in Photoshop.
God damn! Stripes are a bitch.
I don't know what else to say after finishing this picture
Ha!
This all started as an experiment with some new LORAs that focused on makeup and lips. As with all things, adding the new element meant I had to adjust and turn the controlnet nodes to pull the best image out.