Y has been consistently playing her guitars (this pink acoustic and her red electric) of late. Every night, after dinner, she would ask her dad for tips on fingering and they would jam for about 30 minutes or so. I love that they share this common passion, and I get to be their, umm, groupie.

 

On the blog: wp.me/pzNTM-l2

 

Follow me on Twitter

Shuhada' Sadaqat[8][a] (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; 8 December 1966 – July 2023), known professionally as Sinéad O'Connor,[9][b] was an Irish singer, songwriter and political activist. Her debut studio album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990), became her biggest success, selling over seven million copies worldwide.[11] Its lead single, "Nothing Compares 2 U", was named the number-one world single in 1990 by the Billboard Music Awards.[12]

O'Connor released ten studio albums. Am I Not Your Girl? (1992) and Universal Mother (1994) were certified gold in the UK,[13] Faith and Courage (2000) was certified gold in Australia,[14] and Throw Down Your Arms (2005) went gold in Ireland.[15] Her work included songs for films, collaborations with many other artists, and appearances at charity fundraising concerts. Her 2021 memoir Rememberings was a bestseller.[16]

In 1999, O'Connor was ordained as a priest by the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, an Independent Catholic sect that is not recognised by the Roman Catholic Church.[17] She consistently spoke out on issues related to child abuse (including her 1992 Saturday Night Live protest against the continued cover-up of Catholic Church sexual abuse cases), human rights, racism, organised religion, and women's rights. Throughout her music career, she spoke about her spiritual journey, activism, socio-political views, as well as her trauma and mental health struggles. In 2017, O'Connor changed her name to Magda Davitt. After converting to Islam in 2018 she changed it to Shuhada' Sadaqat,[2][8][18] but continued to record and perform under her birth name.[

O'Connor was born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor[20] in the Cascia House Nursing Home at 13 Pembroke Road, Dublin, on 8 December 1966.[2] She was named Sinéad after Sinéad de Valera, the mother of the doctor presiding over the delivery, Éamon de Valera, Jnr., and Bernadette in honour of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.[21][22] She was the third of five children;[23] her siblings are novelist Joseph,[24] Eimear,[25] John,[26] and Eoin.[27]

Her parents are John Oliver "Seán" O'Connor, a structural engineer later turned barrister[23] and chairperson of the Divorce Action Group,[28] and Johanna Marie O'Grady (1939–1985), who married in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Drimnagh, Dublin, in 1960. She attended Dominican College Sion Hill school in Blackrock, County Dublin.[29]

In 1979, O'Connor left her mother and went to live with her father, who had married Viola Margaret Suiter (née Cook) in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, in 1976.[30] At the age of 15, her shoplifting and truancy led to her being placed for 18 months in a Magdalene asylum called the Grianán Training Centre in Drumcondra run by the Order of Our Lady of Charity.[31] In some ways, she thrived there, especially in the development of her writing and music, but she also chafed under the imposed conformity. Unruly students there were sometimes sent to sleep in the adjoining nursing home, an experience of which she later commented, "I have never—and probably will never—experience such panic and terror and agony over anything."[32] She later for a period attended the Quaker Newtown School, Waterford for 5th and 6th year but did not sit the Leaving Certificate in 1985.[33][34]

On 10 February 1985, when O'Connor was 18, her mother Marie died in a car accident, aged 45, after losing control of her car on an icy road in Ballybrack and crashing into a bus.[35][36]

In June 1993, O'Connor wrote a public letter in The Irish Times which asked people to "stop hurting" her: "If only I can fight off the voices of my parents / and gather a sense of self-esteem / Then I'll be able to REALLY sing ..." The letter repeated accusations of abuse by her parents as a child which O'Connor had made in interviews. Her brother Joseph defended their father to the newspaper but agreed regarding their mother's "extreme and violent abuse, both emotional and physical". O'Connor said that month, "Our family is very messed up. We can't communicate with each other. We are all in agony. I for one am in agony."[37]

Musical career 1980s

One of the volunteers at Grianán was the sister of Paul Byrne, drummer for the band In Tua Nua, who heard O'Connor singing "Evergreen" by Barbra Streisand. She recorded a song with them called "Take My Hand" but they felt that at 15, she was too young to join the band.[38] Through an ad she placed in Hot Press in mid-1984, she met Colm Farrelly. Together they recruited a few other members and formed a band called Ton Ton Macoute.[22] The band moved to Waterford briefly while O'Connor attended Newtown School, but she soon dropped out of school and followed them to Dublin, where their performances received positive reviews. Their sound was inspired by Farrelly's interest in world music, though most observers thought O'Connor's singing and stage presence were the band's strongest features.[22][39]

O'Connor's time as singer for Ton Ton Macoute brought her to the attention of the music industry, and she was eventually signed by Ensign Records. She also acquired an experienced manager, Fachtna Ó Ceallaigh, former head of U2's Mother Records. Soon after she was signed, she embarked on her first major assignment, providing the vocals for the song "Heroine", which she co-wrote with U2's guitarist the Edge for the soundtrack to the film Captive. Ó Ceallaigh, who had been fired by U2 for complaining about them in an interview, was outspoken with his views on music and politics, and O'Connor adopted the same habits; she defended the actions of the Provisional IRA and said U2's music was "bombastic".[2] She later retracted her IRA comments saying they were based on nonsense, and that she was "too young to understand the tense situation in Northern Ireland properly".[40]

 

Her first album The Lion and the Cobra was "a sensation" when it was released in 1987 on Chrysalis Records,[41] and it reached gold record status, earning a Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy nomination. The single "Mandinka" was a big college radio hit in the United States, and "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" received both college and urban play in a remixed form that featured rapper MC Lyte. In her first U.S. network television appearance, O'Connor sang "Mandinka" on Late Night with David Letterman in 1988.[42] The song "Troy" was also released as a single in the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands, where it reached number 5 on the Dutch Top 40 chart.[43]

O'Connor named Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Bob Marley, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the Pretenders as the artists who influenced her on her debut album.[44] In 1989 O'Connor joined The The frontman Matt Johnson as a guest vocalist on the band's album Mind Bomb, which spawned the duet "Kingdom of Rain".[45] That same year, she made her first foray into cinema, starring in and writing the music for the Northern Irish film Hush-a-Bye-Baby.[46]

1990s

O'Connor's second album – 1990's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got – gained considerable attention and mostly positive reviews:[47] it was rated "second best album of the year" by the NME.[48] She was praised for her voice and original songs, while being noted for her appearance: trademark shaved head, often angry expression, and sometimes shapeless or unusual clothing.[47] The album featured Marco Pirroni (of Adam and the Ants fame), Andy Rourke (from The Smiths) and John Reynolds, her first husband;[49] most notably, it contained her international breakthrough hit "Nothing Compares 2 U", a song written by Prince[50][51] and originally recorded and released by a side project of his, the Family.[51] Hank Shocklee, producer for Public Enemy, remixed the album's next single, "The Emperor's New Clothes",[49] for a 12-inch that was coupled with another song from the LP, "I Am Stretched on Your Grave". Pre-dating but included on I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, was "Jump in the River", which originally appeared on the Married to the Mob soundtrack; the 12-inch version of the single had included a remix featuring performance artist Karen Finley.[52][53]

In July 1990, she joined other guests for former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters' performance of The Wall in Berlin.[54] She contributed a cover of "You Do Something to Me" to the Cole Porter tribute/AIDS fundraising album Red Hot + Blue produced by the Red Hot Organization.[55] Red Hot + Blue was followed by the release of Am I Not Your Girl?, an album made of covers of jazz standards and torch songs she had listened to while growing up; the album received mixed-to-poor reviews, and was a commercial disappointment in light of the success of her previous work.[56] Her take on Elton John's "Sacrifice" was acclaimed as one of the best efforts on the tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin.[57]

Also in 1990, she was criticised after she stated that she would not perform if the United States national anthem was played before one of her concerts; Frank Sinatra threatened to "kick her in the ass".[58] After receiving four Grammy Award nominations, she withdrew her name from consideration.[2] Although nominated for the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist, which she won, she did not attend the awards ceremony, but did accept the Irish IRMA in February 1991.[59]

I don't do anything in order to cause trouble. It just so happens that what I do naturally causes trouble. I'm proud to be a troublemaker.

—O'Connor in NME, March 1991[60]

She spent the following months studying bel canto singing with teacher Frank Merriman at the Parnell School of Music. In an interview with The Guardian, published in May 1993, she reported that singing lessons with Merriman were the only therapy she was receiving, describing Merriman as "the most amazing teacher in the universe."[61]

In 1992, she contributed backing vocals on the track "Come Talk To Me", and shared vocals on the single "Blood of Eden" from the studio album Us by Peter Gabriel. Gabriel invited her to join his ongoing Secret World Tour in May 1993, to sing these songs and more in an elaborate stage setting. O'Connor travelled and performed as a guest artist.[62] She was seen at Gabriel's side at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards in September. While in Los Angeles, she took too many sleeping pills, inciting media conjecture about a suicide attempt. She said she "was in a bad way emotionally at the time, but it wasn't a suicide attempt."[63] She left the tour suddenly, causing Gabriel to scramble for a replacement singer.[62] Decades later, she wrote in her memoir Rememberings that she left Gabriel because he treated her casually, and would not make a commitment.[6]

The 1993 soundtrack to the film In the Name of the Father featured O'Connor's "You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart".[49] Her more conventional Universal Mother album (1994) spawned two music videos for the first and second singles, "Fire on Babylon" and "Famine", that were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.[64][65] She toured with Lollapalooza in 1995, but dropped out when she became pregnant with her second child.[66] In 1997, she released the Gospel Oak EP.[67]

In 1994, she appeared in A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who,[68] also known as Daltrey Sings Townshend. This was a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall produced by Roger Daltrey of the Who in celebration of his 50th birthday.[69] A CD and a VHS video of the concert were issued in 1994, followed by a DVD in 1998.[70][71]

In 1996, O'Connor guested on Broken China, a solo album by Pink Floyd's Richard Wright.[72]

O'Connor made her final feature film appearance in Neil Jordan's The Butcher Boy in 1997, playing the Virgin Mary.[73]

In 1998, she worked again with the Red Hot Organization to co-produce and perform on Red Hot + Rhapsody.[74]

2000s

 

O'Connor at the "Music in My Head" festival in The Hague, 13 June 2008

Faith and Courage was released in 2000, including the single "No Man's Woman", and featured contributions from Wyclef Jean of the Fugees and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics.[75]

Her 2002 album, Sean-Nós Nua, marked a departure in that O'Connor interpreted or, in her own words, "sexed up" traditional Irish folk songs, including several in the Irish language.[76] In Sean-Nós Nua, she covered a well-known Canadian folk song, "Peggy Gordon".[77]

In 2003, she contributed a track to the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman, a cover of Parton's "Dagger Through the Heart". That same year, she also featured on three songs of Massive Attack's album 100th Window before releasing her double album, She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty. This compilation contained one disc of demos and previously unreleased tracks and one disc of a live concert recording. Directly after the album's release, O'Connor announced that she was retiring from music.[78] Collaborations, a compilation album of guest appearances, was released in 2005—featuring tracks recorded with Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Jah Wobble, Terry Hall, Moby, Bomb the Bass, the Edge, U2, and The The.[79]

Ultimately, after a brief period of inactivity and a bout with fibromyalgia, her retirement proved to be short-lived. O'Connor stated in an interview with Harp magazine that she had only intended to retire from making mainstream pop/rock music, and after dealing with her fibromyalgia she chose to move into other musical styles.[80] The reggae album Throw Down Your Arms appeared in late 2005.[81]

On 8 November 2006, O'Connor performed seven songs from her upcoming album Theology at The Sugar Club in Dublin. Thirty fans were given the opportunity to win pairs of tickets to attend along with music industry critics.[82] The performance was released in 2008 as Live at the Sugar Club deluxe CD/DVD package sold exclusively on her website.[83]

O'Connor released two songs from her album Theology to download for free from her official website: "If You Had a Vineyard" and "Jeremiah (Something Beautiful)". The album, a collection of covered and original Rastafari spiritual songs, was released in June 2007. The first single from the album, the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber classic "I Don't Know How to Love Him", was released on 30 April 2007.[84] To promote the album, O'Connor toured extensively in Europe and North America. She also appeared on two tracks of the new Ian Brown album The World Is Yours, including the anti-war single "Illegal Attacks".[85]

2010s

In January 2010, O'Connor performed a duet with R&B singer Mary J. Blige produced by former A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad of O'Connor's song "This Is To Mother You" (first recorded by O'Connor on her 1997 Gospel Oak EP). The proceeds of the song's sales were donated to the organisation GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services).[86] In 2012 the song "Lay Your Head Down", written by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for the soundtrack of the film Albert Nobbs and performed by O'Connor, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.[87]

O'Connor performing in 2013

In 2011, O'Connor worked on recording a new album, titled Home, to be released in the beginning of 2012,[88] titled How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?,[89][90] with the first single being "The Wolf is Getting Married". She planned an extensive tour in support of the album but suffered a serious breakdown between December 2011 and March 2012,[91] resulting in the tour and all other musical activities for the rest of 2012 being cancelled. O'Connor resumed touring in 2013 with The Crazy Baldhead Tour. The second single "4th and Vine" was released on 18 February 2013.[92]

In February 2014, it was revealed that O'Connor had been recording a new album of original material, titled The Vishnu Room, consisting of romantic love songs.[93] In early June 2014, the new album was retitled I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss, with an 11 August release date. The title derives from the Ban Bossy campaign that took place earlier the same year. The album's first single is entitled "Take Me to Church".[94][95]

In November 2014, O'Connor's management was taken over by Simon Napier-Bell and Björn de Water.[96] On 15 November, O'Connor joined the charity supergroup Band Aid 30 along with other British and Irish pop acts, recording a new version of the track "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, to raise money for the West African Ebola virus epidemic.[97]

In September 2019, O'Connor performed live for the first time in five years, singing "Nothing Compares 2 U" with the Irish Chamber Orchestra on RTÉ's The Late Late Show.[98][99]

2020s

In October 2020, O'Connor released a cover of Mahalia Jackson's Trouble of the World, with proceeds from the single to benefit Black Lives Matter charities.[100]

On 4 June 2021, O'Connor announced her immediate retirement from the music industry. While her final studio album, No Veteran Dies Alone, was due to be released in 2022, O'Connor stated that she would not be touring or promoting it.[101] Announcing the news on Twitter, she said "This is to announce my retirement from touring and from working in the record business. I've gotten older and I'm tired. So it's time for me to hang up my nipple tassels, having truly given my all. NVDA in 2022 will be my last release. And there'll be no more touring or promo."[101][102] On 7 June she retracted her previous statement, describing the original announcement as "a knee-jerk reaction" to an insensitive interview, and announcing that she would go ahead with her already scheduled 2022 tour.[103]

On 1 June 2021, O'Connor's memoir Rememberings was released to positive critical reception. It was listed among the best books of the year on BBC Culture.[104]

On 7 January 2022, O'Connor's son, Shane, died by suicide at the age of 17.[42] She subsequently decided to cancel her 2022 tour and her album No Veteran Dies Alone was postponed indefinitely.[105]

In February 2023, she shared a new version of "The Skye Boat Song", a 19th century Scottish adaptation of a 1782 Gaelic song, which is also the theme for the fantasy drama series Outlander.[106] The following month, she was awarded the inaugural Choice Music Prize Classic Irish Album by Irish broadcaster RTÉ for her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.[107][108]

Name

In 2017, O'Connor changed her legal name to Magda Davitt, saying in an interview that she wished to be "free of the patriarchal slave names. Free of the parental curses."[113][114] On her conversion to Islam in October 2018, she adopted the name 'Shuhada', and before mid-2019 also changed her surname from Davitt to Sadaqat.[115]

Personal and public image

Her shaved head has been seen as a statement against traditional views of femininity.[116]

Marriages and children

O'Connor had four children and was married and divorced four times. She had her first son, Jake, in 1987 with her first husband, music producer John Reynolds,[117] who co-produced several of her albums, including Universal Mother. Reynolds and O'Connor later married in Westminster register office in March 1989.[118][119] The same year, O'Connor had an abortion after things did not work out with the father. She later wrote the song "My Special Child" about the experience.[120] O'Connor and Reynolds announced their plan to divorce in November 1991 after being separated for some time.[121]

Soon after the birth of her daughter Brigidine Roisin Waters on 10 March 1996, O'Connor and the girl's father, Irish journalist John Waters, began a long custody battle that ended with O'Connor agreeing to let Roisin live in Dublin with Waters.[122][119][117] In August 2001, O'Connor married British journalist Nick Sommerlad in Wales; the marriage ended in July 2002 after 11 months.[123][117] She had her third child, son Shane, in 2004 with musician Donal Lunny.[117][119] In 2006, she had her fourth child, Yeshua Francis Neil Bonadio, whose father is Frank Bonadio.[124][125]

O'Connor was married a third time on 22 July 2010, to longtime friend and collaborator Steve Cooney,[4][126] and in late March 2011, made the decision to separate.[127] Her fourth marriage was to Irish therapist Barry Herridge. They wed on 9 December 2011, in Las Vegas, but their marriage ended after having "lived together for 7 days only".[128] The following week, on 3 January 2012, O'Connor issued a further string of internet comments to the effect that the couple had re-united.[5]

On 18 July 2015, her first grandson was born to her son Jake Reynolds and his girlfriend Lia.[129]

On 7 January 2022, two days after her 17-year-old son Shane was reported missing from Newbridge, County Kildare, he was found dead by suicide. His body was found by Gardaí in the Bray/Shankill part of Dublin.[130][131][132] O'Connor stated that her son, custody of whom she lost in 2013, had been on "suicide watch" at Tallaght Hospital, and had "ended his earthly struggle". O'Connor criticised the Health Service Executive (HSE) with regard to their handling of her son's case.[133][134][135] She initially criticised Ireland's family services agency, Tusla, but retracted this a few days later.[136][137] In January 2022, a week after her son's suicide, she was hospitalised on her own volition following a series of tweets in which she indicated she was going to take her own life.[138]

Relationship with Prince

Speaking about her relationship with Prince in an interview with Norwegian station NRK in November 2014 she said, "I did meet him a couple of times. We didn't get on at all. In fact we had a punch-up." She continued: "He summoned me to his house after 'Nothing Compares'. I made it without him. I'd never met him. He summoned me to his house – and it's foolish to do this to an Irish woman – he said he didn't like me saying bad words in interviews. So I told him to f*** off....He got quite violent. I had to escape out of his house at 5 in the morning. He packed a bigger punch than mine."[139] In her 2021 memoir Rememberings, O'Connor described her meeting with Prince in detail, which ranged from having his butler serve soup repeatedly despite no desire for soup, to hitting her with a hard object placed in a pillowcase after wanting a pillow fight, and stalking her with his car after she left the mansion.[140]

Health

In the early 2000s, O'Connor revealed that she suffered from fibromyalgia. The pain and fatigue she experienced caused her to take a break from music from 2003 to 2005.[141]

On an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show broadcast on 4 October 2007, O'Connor disclosed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years earlier, and had attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday, 8 December 1999.[142] Then, on Oprah: Where Are They Now? of 9 February 2014, O'Connor said that she had received three "second opinions" and was told by all three that she was not bipolar.

O'Connor was also diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.[143]

In August 2015, she announced that she was to undergo a hysterectomy after suffering gynaecological problems for over three years.[144] O'Connor later blamed the hospital's refusal to administer hormonal replacement therapy after the operation as the main reason for her mental health issues in the subsequent years, stating "I was flung into surgical menopause. Hormones were everywhere. I became very suicidal. I was a basket case."[145]

Having smoked cannabis for 30 years, O'Connor went to a rehabilitation centre in 2016, to end her "addiction".[146] O'Connor was agoraphobic.[147]

In August 2017, O'Connor posted a 12-minute video on her Facebook page in which she stated that she had felt alone since losing custody of her 13-year-old son, Shane, and that for the prior two years she had wanted to kill herself, with only her doctor and psychiatrist "keeping her alive".[148] The month after her Facebook post, O'Connor appeared on the American television talk show Dr. Phil on the show's 16th season debut episode.[149] According to Dr. Phil, O'Connor wanted to do the interview because she wanted to "destigmatize mental illness", noting the prevalence of mental health issues among musicians.[150] Shane died in January 2022. A week later, following a series of tweets in which she indicated that she was going to kill herself, O'Connor was hospitalised.[151]

Sexuality

In a 2000 interview in Curve, O'Connor said that she was a lesbian.[152] She later retracted the statement, and in 2005 told Entertainment Weekly "I'm three-quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay".[153]

In 2013, O'Connor published an open letter on her own website to American singer and actress Miley Cyrus in which she warned Cyrus of the treatment of women in the music industry and stated that sexuality is a factor in this, which was in response to Cyrus's music video for her song "Wrecking Ball".[154] Cyrus responded by mocking O'Connor and alluding to her mental health problems.[155]

Politics

O'Connor was a vocal supporter of a united Ireland, and called on the left-wing republican Sinn Féin party to be "braver". In December 2014 it was reported O'Connor had joined Sinn Féin.[156] O'Connor called for the "demolition" of the Republic of Ireland and its replacement with a new, united country. She also called for key Sinn Féin politicians like Gerry Adams to step down because "they remind people of violence", referring to the Troubles.[157]

In a 2015 interview with the BBC, O'Connor said she wished that Ireland had remained under British rule (which ended after the Irish War of Independence, except for Northern Ireland), saying "the church took over and it was disastrous".[158] Following the Brexit referendum in 2016, O'Connor wrote on Facebook "Ireland is officially no longer owned by Britain".[159]

Religion

 

Sinéad O'Connor on After Dark on 21 January 1995

In January 1995, O'Connor made an unexpected appearance on the British late-night television programme After Dark during an episode about sexual abuse and the Catholic Church in Ireland.[160] The discussion included a Dominican friar and another representative of the Catholic Church, along with former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald. Host Helena Kennedy described the event: "Sinéad came on and argued that abuse in families was coded in by the church because it refused to accept the accounts of women and children."[161]

In the late 1990s, Bishop Michael Cox of the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church (an Independent Catholic group not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church) ordained O'Connor as a priest.[17] The Catholic Church considers the ordination of women to be invalid and asserts that a person attempting the sacrament of ordination upon a woman incurs excommunication.[17] The bishop had contacted her to offer ordination following her appearance on RTÉ's The Late Late Show, during which she told the presenter, Gay Byrne, that had she not been a singer she would have wished to have been a Catholic priest. After her ordination, she indicated that she wished to be called Mother Bernadette Mary.[17]

In a July 2007 interview with Christianity Today, O'Connor stated that she considered herself a Christian and that she believed in core Christian concepts about the Trinity and Jesus Christ. She said, "I think God saves everybody whether they want to be saved or not. So when we die, we're all going home ... I don't think God judges anybody. He loves everybody equally."[162] In an October 2002 interview, she credited her Christian faith in giving her the strength to live through and overcome the effects of her childhood abuse.[112]

On 26 March 2010, O'Connor appeared on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° to speak out about the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland.[163] On 28 March 2010, she had an opinion piece published in the Sunday edition of The Washington Post in which she wrote about the scandal and her time in a Magdalene laundry as a teenager.[31] Writing for the Sunday Independent she labelled the Vatican as "a nest of devils" and called for the establishment of an "alternative church", opining that "Christ is being murdered by liars" in the Vatican.[164] Shortly after the election of Pope Francis, she said:[165][166]

Well, you know, I guess I wish everyone the best, and I don't know anything about the man, so I'm not going to rush to judge him on one thing or another, but I would say he has a scientifically impossible task, because all religions, but certainly the Catholic Church, is really a house built on sand, and it's drowning in a sea of conditional love, and therefore it can't survive, and actually the office of Pope itself is an anti-Christian office, the idea that Christ needs a representative is laughable and blasphemous at the same time, therefore it is a house built on sand, and we need to rescue God from religion, all religions, they've become a smokescreen that distracts people from the fact that there is a holy spirit, and when you study the Gospels you see the Christ character came to tell us that we only need to talk directly to God, we never needed Religion ...

Asked whether from her point of view, it is therefore irrelevant who is elected to be pope, O'Connor replied:

Genuinely I don't mean disrespect to Catholic people because I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the Holy Spirit, all of those, but I also believe in all of them, I don't think it cares if you call it Fred or Daisy, you know? Religion is a smokescreen, it has everybody talking to the wall. There is a Holy Spirit who can't intervene on our behalf unless we ask it. Religion has us talking to the wall. The Christ character tells us himself: you must only talk directly to the Father; you don't need intermediaries. We all thought we did, and that's ok, we're not bad people, but let's wake up ... God was there before religion; it's there [today] despite religion; it'll be there when religion is gone.[167]

Tatiana Kavelka wrote about O'Connor's later Christian work, describing it as "theologically charged yet unorthodox, oriented toward interfaith dialogue and those on the margins".[168]

In August 2018, via an open letter, she asked Pope Francis to excommunicate her as she had also asked Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II.[113]

In October 2018, O'Connor converted to Islam, calling it "the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian's journey".[169] The ceremony was conducted in Ireland by Sunni Islamic theologian Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri. She also changed her name to Shuhada' Davitt. In a message on Twitter, she thanked fellow Muslims for their support and uploaded a video of herself reciting the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer. She also posted photos of herself wearing a hijab.[170]

After her conversion to Islam, O'Connor called those who were not Muslims "disgusting" and criticised Christian and Jewish theologians on Twitter in November 2018. She wrote: "What I'm about to say is something so racist I never thought my soul could ever feel it. But truly I never wanna spend time with white people again (if that's what non-muslims are called). Not for one moment, for any reason. They are disgusting."[171][172] Later that month, O'Connor stated that her remarks were made in an attempt to force Twitter to close down her account.[173] In September 2019, she apologised for the remarks, saying "They were not true at the time and they are not true now. I was triggered as a result of Islamophobia dumped on me. I apologize for hurt caused. That was one of many crazy tweets lord knows."[174]

Death

On 26 July 2023, O'Connor was found dead at her flat in Herne Hill, South London, at the age of 56 Her family issued a statement later the same day, without indicating the cause of her death.[108][177][178] The following day, the Metropolitan Police reported that O'Connor's death was not being treated as suspicious] On 28 July, the Coronor in London said that the date of death was still unknown.

For the past 2 years, Turkish Airlines have been pretty consistent in what aircraft are allocated to its twice daily flights between Manchester and Istanbul-Atatürk... During its height, the S15 schedule churned out Airbus A330-200's during the busier periods with the Airbus A321-200's filling in where demand is lower.

Whilst the S16 has seen Airbus A330-200's operating one of 2 daily flights, its the S17 schedule that has consistently churned out Airbus A321-200's on the twice daily flights, with the odd Airbus A330 thrown in to provide additional uplift during the peak summer season towards the end of July and beginning of September.

It is certainly surprising just how impressive the Airbus A321 looks with Sharklets, whilst in the looks department it looked very much standard, the Sharklets give a much needed improvement to an aircraft family that is synonymous around the world.

Currently, Turkish Airlines operates 99 Airbus A320 family aircraft, which include 7 Airbus A319's, 24 Airbus A320's and 68 Airbus A321-200's. Turkish Airlines have 92 Airbus A321neo's on-order.

Juliet Tango Echo is one of 68 Airbus A321's in service with Turkish Airlines, delivered new to the flag-carrier in November 2015 and she is powered by 2 International AeroEngines IAE V2533-A5 engines. She is named after the city of Polatlı, located in the Ankara Province in Central Turkey.

Airbus A321-231(WL) TC-JTE 'Polatlı' powers out of Runway 23R on TK1994 to Istanbul-Atatürk (IST).

Despre copilăria mea

sau

Despre Rață și visul lui

sau

Despre un primar și jumătate aflat la un mandat şi jumătate

sau

Despre dreptul individului de a visa și dreptul istoriei de a-i distruge visul

sau

Despre istoria ca recompensă și ca răsfăț

 

de Oana URSACHE RÂŞCANU

 

Gura Humorului este un oraș mic, pitit printre coline și obcini, la răscruce de cărări către mănăstiri celebrisime. Uitat sus pe hartă, plin de orgolii neînțelese de nimeni, orașul meu a avut dintotdeauna energii absolut impresionante. Că oriunde m-aș afla rămîn om al locului meu de origine e pe jumătate adevărat. Pentru că adevărul întreg este că niciodată nu m-am simțit mai humorean decît acum, cînd trăiesc într-un Alicante mediteranean, cu mandarini plini de rod în decembrie, cu portocali plini de floare în februarie; cînd văd la știrile în limba spaniolă (catalană, pe alocuri) că sudul României e înghițit de zăpezi și viscole; cînd e inutil să îmi mai cumpăr cizme, din moment ce iarna nu e niciodată mai frig de +10 grade, ei bine, acum mă simt, culmea, mai humoreancă decît oricînd. O fi distanța cea care nu estompează, ci, dimpotrivă, amplifică paroxistic sentimentele interioare, cele pe care am apucat să le adun înainte de plecare, să le înghesui prin bagaje, ce am trăit, ce îmi mai amintesc din ce am trăit... Rămîn multe acasă, altele multe se pierd pe veci. Dar ceea ce totuși am apucat să iau și să păstrez, capătă acum consistența granitului. Humorenitatea mea, fie-mi permisă licența filosofică, a devenit o definiție aproape sinonimă cu românitatea, sau cu numele meu.

Uite că azi, deși tocmai mi-am cumpărat patine cu rotile, mă simt mai schioriță (o fi ăsta femininul?) ca niciodată. Și asta numai pentru că am cîteva zile de cînd scormonesc internetul și îmi agasez prietenii să îmi trimită fotografii cu pîrtia. Și nu mă mai satur de minunat, în special privind la fotografia lui Ovidiu Şancariuc, făcută de sus, de la mesteceni, la îngemănare de apus de soare și răsărit de lună, cu pădurea Arinișului misterioasă și ascunzișă. Ascunzișă pentru cei care ajung pentru prima dată acolo, nu pentru mine, pentru că le-am tropăit o copilărie întreagă în expediții Cireșarii, pe care le puneam în mare taină la cale cu Dana, și cu Manuela, și nu mai ajungeam să descoperim intrarea secretă în peșteră pentru că rămîneam în reverie adunînd cimbrișor din Poiana Soarelui, o poiană neașteptată care se deschide pe culme în plină pădure. Nu îi spuneam pe vremea aceea așa, îi spuneam Poiana Cimbrișor. Abia acum cînd copiii mei, ai Manuelei ne citesc Cireșarii, abia acum cînd după traseele off-road năucitoare ale lui Sorin, am redescoperit-o în plin soare și așa i-a rămas numele.

Îmi trimite Marius imaginea asta cu pirtia luminată ca un fulger în pădure, un fulger venit să rămînă, care taie și arde pădurea și lasă urmă albă, pîrtia asta semeață, ca un tăiș de sabie, vîrf de lance, deasupra orașului, tăcut, copleșit, pîlpîindu-și fudul luminițele în vale. Pînă și marele hotel BWB rămîne umbrit de lumina selenară a pîrtiei. Cînd o să ajung la Humor, așa vreau să o văd: de la mesteceni (or mai fi fiind mestecenii ăia care au dat numele dealului?...), pe înserat, ea aprinsă ca un templu păgîn din nordul extrem al planetei, eu...

Vorbeam cu ceva vreme înainte unui prieten, şi îi spuneam vorbe mari despre istoria mică și istoria mare, adică despre istoria individuală, a fiecăruia dintre noi, cea pe care o consumăm în încercarea de a supraviețui, în încercarea de a fi fericiți. Pe de cealaltă parte, istoria mare, cea de la televizor, care din păcate numai în foarte scurte episoade va intra în cărțile de istorie. Între istoria particulară și cea oficială, ni se scrurg, ni se termină viețile fără să ne dăm seama. La nivelul istoriei individuale însă, se întîmplă uneori miracole. Adică viața asta personală cu vise, pasiuni, curaj, longevitate în ideal, a cîtorva indivizi norocoși, ajunge să facă istorie. Istoria mare, care însă are prostul obicei de a evalua prea tîrziu oameni și fapte.

Orașul meu este un astfel de oraș. Un altfel de oraș. Cu astfel de oameni. Un altfel de oameni. Mi-am dat seama de lucrul acesta cînd acum 30 de ani un primar răsturna lunca Moldovei ca să facă un mare parc dendrologic. Eram mică, aveam fiecare clasă o porțiune dintr-o alee și trebuia să avem grijă de ea. Îmi amintesc ce mare noroc pe capul nostru că în clasa noastră era Manuela, (de care mă leagă cea mai longevivă prietenie, și pentru care, da!, Marius, sigur că o să dau foc iahtului ca în reclama la Alexandrion, și o să dau foc iahtului meu pentru Norica, pentru foarte mulți prieteni, pentru Rață am să îi dau foc, pentru toate personajele pe care le-am iubit, uite ii dau foc și pentru Don Quijote, și pentru Nichita care a iubit o leoaică tînără care l-a părăsit, și pentru Panait pe care nu l-au iubit suficient oamenii..., dacă nu cumva, iahtul meu e în permanență în flăcări, ca și al tău!), pentru că mama ei, mama Manuelei ne aducea cele mai frumoase răsaduri, bumbișori, zambile și trandafiri. Nu numai că era cea mai frumoasă alee dintre cele intrate în grija Școlii 1, ci dintre toate aleile parcului. De fiecare dată cînd venea mămaia în vizită, de la Bîrlad, mergeam să îi arăt aleea noastră, și ea știa exact ce plantă a răsărit nouă și o prețuia cu bunătatea de sfîntă a oricărei bunici (îmi imaginez eu). Știa și cîți boboci avuseseră trandafirii cu un an în urmă, și că zambilele cele mov sunt de anul acesta. Aleile se unduiau de-a lungul acestor istorii personale ale copiilor și părinților orașului.

Avea parcul acesta, (noi îi spuneam luncă) un bazin de înot uriaș, unde în puținele zile călduroase lăsate peste Humor, se bălăceau în neștire doctorul și pacientul X, primarul și portarul primăriei, profu de geografie și ultimul elev dintr-a opta, și un alt bazin mai mic alături, unde era o forfoteală de nedescris de urmașii celor care populau bazinul mare. Alături de bazin era o mică „plajă”, cu nisip de-adevăratelea și alături un părcușor de distracții, o terasă hexagonală bună de băut bere și suc, de unde se contamina aerul de Bucovina cu promisiuni grele de mici cu muștar. Mai ales aveam bunul obicei ca tot humoreanu să iasă duminica la plimbare în luncă, să asculte liniștea pestriță a copacilor populați de păsări hotărîte să-și dezvolte repertoriul, a Moldovei care susură prevestitoare alături, a firului de iarbă dormind sub zăpadă, a răzbunării caldei primăveri, descătușînd nebună energii și doruri și sete de viață și de verde. După plimbare, lumea se stătea la taclale, la un Cico (Brifcorul avea să fie inventat cu mult mai tîrziu). Dacă aveai o fustă nouă, în luncă îți făceai prima apariție cu ea, acolo aflai cine ce bicicletă și-a mai luat, ce pantofi se mai dau pe sub mînă la Romarta, ce modele au mai apărut la Guban. Acolo am văzut prima dată geaca roșie ca a lui Michael Jackson în Thriller, cu fermoare, cu tot dichisul, geaca cu care a făcut istorie în oraș Ovidiu Ilaș, geaca pe care o invidiau cam două generații de tineri și adolescenți. Acolo am văzut primii ochelari Startreck, ai lui Marius, și acolo m-am plimbat eu prima dată cu adidașii mei aduși din Germania și cu casetofonul galben Philips, cu căști, ultimul răcnet. Cînd erai îndrăgostit în luncă aveai marcată harta sentimentală. În luncă au rămas primele conversații („știi că m-a salutat? Cred că îi place de mine”), primele „Vrei să fii prietena mea?” („Hei, mi-a cerut prietenia!), primele emoții, strîngeri de mînă, primele săruturi, primele îmbrățișări și..., generațiile noi vor fi uimite să afle că nu mai urma nimic picant, că așa erau relațiile dintre oameni pe vremea aceea. Deveneai apoi părinte, în luncă făceai prima intrare a copilului în lume, acolo îi prezentai și îl trasnformai în om al locului. Acolo, în ritmul ba zăbăuc, ba cuminte al Moldovei, acolo, în curcubeul desenat de puntea suspendată care lega parcul de Ariniș („ariniș”, ce cuvînt frumos!, doamne), aproape un casteluș pentru noi, lunca toată, cu secvențe temporale bine conturate: ierni, primăveri, veri, toamne, pe malurile largi ale Moldovei la întâlnirea cu Humorelul, curgea viața noastră. Oaza aceasta, chiar cînd ani mai tîrziu avea să fie în întregime o ruină, a rămas în sufletul oricărui humorean, indiferent prin ce țară a lumii își are contul bancar sau serviciul (distincția e necesară), iar el își va identifica orașul prin acest parc anistoric, un lăcaș de huzur, ca o stațiune elvețiană pentru chiaburi.

A avut Humorul parte de un primar aproape mitic, transformat în referent istoric..., „apăi pe vremea lui Țăranu...”, sau „s-ar fi întîmplat așa ceva pe vremea lui Țăranu?” A fost vîrsta de aur a orașului. El făcuse lunca, și căminul de copii. Îi spuneam deunăzi unui prieten că aveam 3 ani cînd eu i-am ținut pernuța cu foarfecă lui Țăranu ca să taie panglica la inaugurarea căminului și că am plîns apoi că nu mi-au dat mie panglica roșie, că cică „nu era pentru copii”. Prietenul a făcut un comentariu pe care nu îl pot trece în memorii, ca să nu îmi pierd cititorii, dar eu am rămas de atunci cu o traumă, Freud mi-ar fi schițat deja portretul psihologic, că uite și acum cînd au tăiat panglica Udrea, Flutur și Vlădescu, la inaugurarea pîrtiei eu am avut curiozitatea să aflu ce s-a întîmplat cu bucățile de panglică, cine le-a luat, le păstrează cineva? Ce bine ar fi să fi păstrat primarul măcar o bucățică.

Țăranu, primarul boier, a plecat prin alte părți, lunca, încetul cu încetul s-a părăginit, arborii din patruzeci de ţări plantați în parc au fost năpădiți de buruieni, trandafirii noștri au dispărut sub invazia plantelor din preajmă. Au rămas anotimpurile să își cearnă neputința peste nepăsarea oamenilor. Băncile au început să dispară, felinarele să se spargă. Singură puntea suspendată ne lega de Arinișul închis și el după revoluție, nefericit renovat de fel de fel de șmecheri... Din conac boieresc ce fusese, a devenit juma de bloc rusesc, pentru nefamiliști, nici ăla finalizat; dispărute sînt și iazul pentru păstrăv din spatele conacului, și verandele largi și generoase în lumină și liniște.

Tot un alt fel de oraș a fost și Humorul post revoluționar, din moment ce noi am tot avut rezultate anapoda la toate alegerile locale. Altfel decît țara. Țin minte la primele alegeri, cînd România avea numai primari FSN-iști, de era harta toată plină de trandafiri, Humorul a fost al treilea oraș din țară cu primar țărănist: București, Timișoara și... Gura Humorului, de nu știa nimeni unde vine localitatea asta țîfnoasă. Mă sunau prietenii să mă întrebe cum de sîntem așa de revoluționari și de curajoși, că ce fel de oameni sînt acolo de au putut să voteze cu..., apăi dragilor, oamenii nu votau cu un partid, votau cu niște alți oameni. În istoria acestor lungi 20 de ani, anii lui Brucan, s-a mai întîmplat cîte ceva prin Humor, în ciuda vremurilor, niște oameni formidabili au reușit să participe la istoria cea mare.

Ni s-a întîmplat un muzeu foarte... altfel, și ăla pornit din visul Verei, că să fie așa cum vrea ea, și cu încăpățînare s-a ținut de capul tuturor pînă i-au făcut hatârul, că a vrut ea să îi fie muzeul organizat cum era calendarul popular în vremile cele bune, și uite așa s-a transformat fosta carmangerie într-un muzeu etnografic cum nu-i altul, o excursie în timp, printre obiceiurile de peste an. Nu mi s-a întîmplat să duc vreun grup de străini la muzeu care să nu rămînă impresionați. Să nu uităm că Vera, cînd a sosit ca directoare a muzeului trasformat acum în tribunal, a adus o expoziție Löwendal, baronul îndrăgostit de Bucovina, care a pictat țărani de la începutul secolului trecut în casa lui Fritz (o să scriu și despre Fritz), și la expoziția aceea plîngeam cu toții de emoție, grupul de oameni care dădeau viață oricărui festival, oricărui fapt cultural, era..., în fine, povestea-i lungă și o las pentru altă dată.

Ni s-a mai întîmplat, desigur și marea minune cu hotelul din centru, hotelul care era de fapt de mulți ani o stafie, un șantier oribil în mijlocul orașului și care, în 3 ani a devenit una din marile investiții din zonă, un hotel de 4 stele, singurul dintre Iași și Cluj, uite-așa, la Humor, ca să aibă și snobul din partea locului unde să-și însoare feciorul, ca să aibă și dragii mei țărani din Voroneț pentru cine organiza plimbări cu sania de Crăciun și mânăstirenii, demonstrație de încondeiere de ouă de Paște.

Apoi orașul s-a fălit cu sala de sport, toată lumea o știe drept „sala lui Ciocoiu”, pentru că el a visat-o, el a luptat pentru ea, el a văzut-o întîi în visele lui și mai apoi am văzut-o noi în Parcul cu cerb. (și nu e singura, pentru că în luncă a mai răsărit o sală de sport care arată ca o nacelă uriașă ancorată parcă împotriva voinței ei). Cît să ai unde să golești colesterolul și surplusul așezat pe ici pe colo de huzurul excesului de smîntînă în toate cele gătite bucovinește: că e ciorbă, că e „tocăniță de cartofi” , sau papanași, smîntîna nu poate lipsi. Alături de „sala lui Ciocoiu” stă să se deschidă și piscina acoperită, și cît mai rădeam de el cînd ne spunea că pînă la urmă se va face și piscina, „hai, mă, du-te cu piscina ta de aici, că nu are cum. Cine o să bage atîția bani?”, și uite-o că e și acoperită gata, ca să nu mai ai ce să îți dorești mai mult de la orașul tău. Mai cu seamă că și catedrala dă să își deschidă porțile în curînd, ca să avem grijă și de cele sufletești, că de trup ne grijim bine.

S-au întîmplat multe...

 

Multe pînă... pînă cînd l-am văzut pe Ursaciuc în luncă, acum 5 ani suflecat a treabă..., de atunci înainte întîmplările se înghesuie. Imediat după primele alegeri pe care le-a cîștigat, Ursaciuc era cu oameni cu pixuri și carnețele în mînă în luncă, printre buruieni și ce mai rămăsese din arborii unicat. Mergeau printre copaci și măsurau de zor, gesticulau, dădeau cușma pe ceafă. El promisese multe, ca toți ceilalți primari din lumea asta. Noi l-am ales de nebun ce era, (nebun e și acum), pentru că avusese o campanie șuie și năstrușnică, pentru că avea o armată de tineri lîngă el. Și, vorba vecinului meu, Lucian Năsulea: „Pe moșnegi, i-am tot ales și nu au făcut nimic, hai să vedem ce fac și ăștia mai tineri”. Dar să îl vezi în luncă în prima săptămînă, cu mînecile suflecate a treabă,... nu se aștepta nimeni. Am sunat la ușa lui Lucian și i-am spus: „L-am văzut pe primar în luncă, cred că o să o curețe”. Și în cîteva luni, lunca a fost tunsă, băncile refăcute, luminile reaprinse. Ne-am gîndit cu toții la Țăranu. Și ne-am tăcut gîndul mai departe. Eram mîndri că lunca era din nou aerisită, aleea principală asfaltată, ca să poți trece cu căruciorul copilului fără să îl zgudui prin hîrtoape. Apoi i-a adus pe Boney M la Humor și îl auzeam bombănind ceva și despre un festival rock. Cînd a avut în oraş o adunare de oameni importanți rău de tot, de la Banca Mondială, i-a urcat pe Toacă, le-a dat două leațuri și un ciocan și au bătut bancherii lumii cîteva cuie și au inaugurat acolo sus, ăi de la ditamai Banca Mondială, o bancă de șezut ciobanu ca să vază adîncul văii și naltu cerului, tot Humorul, până-n pânza de ceaţă dinspre apa Sucevei.

Mai are o calitate primarul ăsta, o menționez în acest laudatio, că nu știu cînd o să mai scriu despre el, că acu o fi el un primar inspirat, dar și lista mea de personaje e lungă. Cum spuneam, acest primar are o virtute rarisimă din păcate la nația politică românească: cînd vorbește Ursaciuc, vorbește bine. Are discurs și retorică. Are umor: îl poate genera și îl poate percepe și dacă îi stă cineva în cale, dă imediat replica, fără să ezite și fără să se scarmene în barbă că nu îi vin cuvintele. I se trage poate de pe vremea cînd era student și-şi făcea veacul printre cei de la Divertis. Are farmec, da, îmi pare rău, știu că îmi pierd credibilitatea, că nu își poate nimeni imagina că poate exista un filolog care să laude (hei, dezinteresat!) un primar, dar o fac, pentru că nu am nevoie nici de loc de casă, nici de loc de veci, și totuși Ursaciuc este un politician cu retorică pe alocuri impecabilă. Uite, da, Ursaciuc de la Humor. Știe să vorbească, are carismă, are conținut, nu bate apa în piuă. L-am văzut dînd interviuri și reușind să nu fie nici plictisitor, nici penibil, cum se întîmplă de cele mai multe ori. Pragmatica lingvistică ar avea ceva de lucru să-i decodeze poziția pe care o adoptă în comunicare. (Semnați cecul, dom primar?, că așa o portretizare..., mai rar!)

În ciuda demenței provocate de portocalizare (mecanică?) a alegerilor trecute, Ursaciuc a rămas primar, într-o confruntare teribilă, sinistră pe alocuri. A inventat campania săracă, aproape austeră, de la om la om, a intrat în casele oamenilor, și-a făcut campanie vorbind (inspirat). Și a rămas primar. A cerut ajutor, a făcut proiecte, a strigat, a cerșit bani de pe peste tot, a stat pe la uși, n-a renunțat niciodată, n-a uitat niciodată, a fost ajutat, i s-au întins ba mîini, ba capcane, s-a fript, s-a înfipt, și-a pierdut speranța, a găsit alta și a terminat pîrtia. Instalațiile, ultimul răcnet, venite de la tații și mamele pîrtiilor, refuzau să se adapteze și să se armonizeze cu Humorul, au venit specialiștii, au plecat, s-au întors, au venit alții și după un tango european al științei și vremurilor, cu puțin ajutor divin de zăpadă autentică, primarul și Humorul lui au deschis săptămîna trecută pîrtia. I-au spus Șoimul. Și bine i-au spus. Nu e despre primar scrierea asta. E despre vremea lui Țăranu, care, iată, a devenit vremea lui Ursaciuc.

Pîrtia de la Humor nu e o pîrtie: e visul imposibil, aproape indecent, care exclude de pe hartă o grămadă de alte stațiuni consacrate, lăsînd în urmă Predealul, și Dorna, şi câte altele... Da, azi Humorul are cea mai cea pîrtie de schi din țară.

 

Amintiri din clasa a VI-a, sau cum se bate pîrtie. Despre Rață

 

Într-a șasea eram. Îmi amintesc cu maximă exactitate, cum se întâmplă cu toate chestiile care te marchează: făcusem într-a cincea educație fizică cu profesorul Roșca, și acum se zvonea că o să avem un prof nou, tînăr și mișto și a venit... Rață. Mai degrabă zbanghiu decît mișto, tînăr în tot cazul. Multă vreme am crezut că ăsta îi e numele, de vreo cîteva ori i-am și spus tovarășul profesor Rață. Avea motocicletă și era un fel de haiduc tînăr, (tînăr e și acum) și ne tot povestea cum sînt munții de frumoși, și cum sînt Făgărașii, organiza excursii vara, el de capul lui, și cînd m-am mai mărit m-am inclus și eu în grupul montaniarzilor lui: ne adunam vreo 20 de mintoși și plecam la cucerit Făgărașul, pentru că ne povestise Rață despre un lac minunat..., am mers cu toții să îl vedem. Atunci, într-a șasea ne tot înnebunea cu schiurile și că să ne luăm, că să vedem ce sport minunat, că cum poți zbura fără să ai aripi (asta am pus-o de la mine, ca nu era Rață chiar atîta de poet; sau poate că o fi fost, în sufletul lui, dar nu cred că ar fi deschis gura să spună una ca asta), și cum noi care stăm aici, între munți, ar trebui cu toții să schiem. Ne-a convins pe toți, Rață. A convins generații întregi de copii și de părinți să își ia schiuri. În cazul meu l-a convins pe moșu să-mi aducă o pereche de schiuri Reghin, galbene, cu arc. Se prindea gheața în arc, și nu se mai închidea. Și Lucian Ulian mi-a dat o buburuză să mi-o lipesc pe schiuri, ca să fie mai șmechere. Și apoi, bocancii de piele, pe care ii dădeam cu untură de pește ca să nu se ude... și se udau. Tot Rață, cu pasiunea lui clocotitoare ne convingea pe toți să mergem duminică de duminică, să batem pîrtie și în deal și în vale, cu bătăi mărunte, schi lîngă schi. Adică, ajungeam sus, cu picioarele scrum de efort, și nu coboram pe schiuri, pentru că era pîrtia prea îngustă (o lungime două de schi), sau prea afînată zăpada, și mai coboram o tură, tot ca să batem zăpada. Și povești, și planuri. „Rață! Hai să căutăm undeva, la UMCTF, poate ne dă domnul Ulian un cablu și hai să îl punem cumva”, și începeau visele, că cum ar fi să punem cumva mînă de la mînă și să punem un cablu, cu un motoraș de mobră, pe care apoi să îl demontăm seara... În fiecare sîmbătă, după școală, mergeam pe Albu (pe jos, evident), sau pe Gingioaia și băteam pîrtie, și visam cu ochii deschiși. Și deja cînd coboram ne gîndeam să ne bucurăm cît mai mult de zbor, că după aia urma iar urcușul. Iar dacă pîrtia era suficient de bună (și pentru Rață arareori era), yupiii, puteai să urci cu schiurile în spate, și urcai, evident, mult mai repede.

Rață... La primii fulgi știai că Rață își freacă palmele și că abia așteaptă sîmbăta. Dar dacă îl căutai pe o zăpadă bună căzută marți, îl găseai în timpul săptămînii, singur pe pîrtie, și la deal și la vale. Ne făcea cadoul ăsta uneori: bătea el pîrtia pentru noi toți, și sîmbătă cînd veneam era numai bună, un pic înghețată de la vînt. Cîți copii nu a cărat Rață între genunchi la vale, ca să îi învețe! Pe cîți nu i-a dus la Dorna sau la Borșa, și îi căra și la deal pe cablu. Am crescut cu toții preluînd schiuri unii de la alții, ca o mare familie. Copiii mei, copiii Manuelei, fata Noricăi... toți schiază și asta i se datorează lui Rață și pasiunii de care ne-am contaminat cu toții. Dacă îți rămîneau clăparii mici, mergeai la Rață, sigur știa el pe cineva care are o pereche cu un număr mai mare, și desigur că știa pe cineva care are nevoie de clăparii tăi. La fel cu schiurile. Rață a făcut școală de schi la Humor. Fără aprobare de la inspectorat, fără fonduri Phare. S-a format apoi o generație întreagă de vîrsta mea, numai eu și Mihaela eram fete, restul un cîrd de băieți, printre ei și Sorin, acum stăpînul OZN-ului care bate zăpada pe Pîrtia Șoimul. Un utilaj care nu încape în nici o poză, indiferent de obiectiv. Rață nu mai trebuie să bată pîrtia, avem o mașină care face asta. Așa că nu cred că exagerez prea mult dacă spun că Rață a făcut istorie la Humor.

Am vrut apoi o pîrtie mai lungă și ne-am mutat spre Frasin unde în josul tîrlei se deschidea Sinucigașul. Așa îi spuneam noi unei văi absolut sălbatice, plină de mușuroaie și smîrcuri care ieșeau din zăpadă, o aventură și să o urci și să o cobori pe schiuri. (Aud că Șoimul are și el o porțiune absolut profesională). Schiam și noaptea la lumina lunii, cînd era lună plină, puneam un felinar în fereastra micuță a tîrlei și veneam ușor de sus înspre luminița din geam. Și acolo, planurile au luat-o razna rău de tot: că aici o să punem cablu și dincoace o sa punem un foișor unde să îți lași lucrurile ferite de ninsoare, că dincoace mai facem o cameră să avem de rămas peste noapte cu toată gașca de prieteni, ca să putem dimineața schia la prima oră, pe chiciură. Familia mea, gazdă acolo sus la tîrlă, mai alerga din cînd în cînd prin reprezentanți (adică eu) să mai pună un lemn pe foc să nu se răcească vinul și țuica fiartă, și ceaiul cu bucăți de mere și scorțișoară..., Isache, cu amîndoi copiii lui, niște gheme albastre care ca niște mușuroaie fermecate, se mișcau pe pîrtie, cînd în deal, cînd în vale, Sergiu Lupei, Mircea Sauciuc cu cele mai occidentale accesorii, după care ne întindeam cu discreție gîturile, să vedem ce s-a mai inventat în materie, cu Virgil, frate-su, amîndoi eleganți ca niște patinatori pe gheață, pe muzică clasică, Titi Ulian cum era hotărît în tot ce făcea, (o să scriu mult despre Titi Ulian, care făcuse teren de tenis muncitorilor lui de la UMTCF, o să scriu și despre Monicu Gingolea, un om cu un umor absolut contaminant), așa și schia, clasic, elegant și hotărît ca un concert de Anul Nou de la Viena și Sergiu Scutariu, Sergiu care schia ca un balerin, (trebuie și despre Sergiu vorbit mult), și în rest... povești și vise: ce-ar fi dacă. Eu sper că Sergiu... Știți cum era Sergiu? El era cel mai înalt om pe care îl cunoscusem eu. Drept e că și eu eram foarte mică pe atunci, dar și Sergiu era zvelt, brunet, frumos, și zîmbăreț. De fiecare dată cînd îl vedeai, Sergiu zîmbea. Dacă era vară avea o racheta de tenis în sapte, dacă era iarnă, schiurile. Grăbit, mergea cu pași mari să acopere pămîntul dacă nu cu statura lui, măcar cu umbra lui. Eu sper că Sergiu, de acolo unde a plecat așa, dintr-odată s-a dus, că mă și gîndeam că nu poți să îl îngropi pe Sergiu, pentru că e prea frumos și prea mare, aveam să citesc apoi o povestire minunată a lui Marquez despre Esteban, cel mai frumos mort, pentru care oamenii au trebuit să facă ferestre mai mari, și uși mai mari, și paturi mai mari, ei bine, Sergiu a murit absurd și definitiv, ca toți morții, lăsîndu-ne nouă visul lui de a avea... un teleschi la Humor, ei bine, eu sper că acolo unde a plecat într-așa o mare grabă, or fi oare ierni acolo?, sau joacă numai tenis?, eu aș vrea să fie și ninsoare, și pîrtii, pe un nor, să privească la noi, la Șoimul cel proaspăt și să schieze acolo sus, în lumină și în cîntec de îngeri. Cît despre Titi, ei bine, nu trebuia să moară, pentru că era foarte mare, un suflet și un bărbat mare, mare în idei și în determinarea cu care le ducea la capăt. Spre deosebire de noi toți ceilalți, Titi Ulian era capabil să gîndească o lume mai mare, venea poate din educația lui de neamț, serios, clasic, elegant, și te aștepți de la astfel de oameni să nu poată muri, pur și simplu, te aștepți de la ei să fie prea greu pămîntului să îi înghită. Și poate că într-adevăr pămîntul nu l-a putut înghiți și l-a eliberat într-o seară cînd nu a știut nimeni și își face lumile lui clasice pe undeva prea sus pentru noi, undeva unde nu îl putem ajunge.

Era plin pe pîrtie. Mai era Moroșan, nelipsit, uneori venea și Viorel Munteanu cu un rucsac plin de mere, și la fiecare urcare mai suplimenta aportul de vitamina C cu un măr, mai era generația celor un pic mai mari decît mine, gașca lui Lucian, cu Hardy Slubceacovschi (ce nume imposibil!), cu Dani Molocea, Cezar tobarul inspirat al Axiomelor, autorul tainic al super-hitului, cu Gaga, ah!, da, Gaga, pe care nu îl lăsa frumoasa lui Cristina să vină la schi și, pentru că stătea la etajul I, își arunca schiurile de la balcon jos, cu echipament cu tot, și spunea că pleacă pînă la un prieten și se urca în tren și mergea la Dorna la schi. Apoi următorul segment de vîrstă: Sorin, Radu, Grațian, Șmeganii...

Pentru e restabili istoria exactă, primul schior al Humorului fusese Generalul Dragu. Nu știu dacă știu mulți care e numele mic al generalului, dar toată lumea îi știe casa și povestea. Generalul Dragu a adus prin anii 80 o instalație de teleschi. A început atunci visarea cu ochii deschiși: oare unde o să îl monteze? Ce bine ar fi să fie pe Albu..., E prea scurtă pîrtia pe Albu, cred că o să îl pună pe Gingioaia. Multe ierni am așteptat minunea... Nu știu din ce motive instalația generalului nu a funcționat niciodată. Aud acum bîrfe urbane care spun că Mircea Sauciuc va instala telescaunul Generalului Dragu la Frasin.

Nici măcar Titi, nici Sergiu, nici măcar Rață, nici unul dintre noi nu mai aștepta un telescaun. Ne-am obișnuit cu toții să mergem prin împrejurimi, la pîrtia de la Mălini, prea ușoară pentru noi, numai bună pentru copiii noștrii. Nu mai visam... pentru că și visul trebuie să fie decent. Și uite acum, la Humor se arată Șoimul. Cu fel de fel de figuri: tunuri de zăpadă, mașină de bătut pîrtia, lumini pentru nocturnă, muzică, telescaun cu patru locuri în care nu îți îngheață fundul la urcare, pentru că nu e metal gol. Mi-a trimis Marius fotografia asta... și văd cum iată, uneori realitatea, istoria cea mare, care ne consumă zi de zi, tuturor visele, e capabilă, din cînd în cînd, de răsplată și răsfăț cosmic. Pentru toți cei care au schiat în Humor, pîrtia aceasta e mai mult decît oricare vis. Pentru că e. Pentru că FUNCȚIONEAZĂ, pentru că Rață acum e monitor şi-l cheamă Nicu și are tot un cîrd de copii în urma lui, pentru că toți cei care băteam pîrtie și la deal și la vale, pe vremuri, ne-am putea regăsi cu cartelele în mînă, la baza Șoimului.

Mi-e dor de copilăria mea...

 

Mă sună Marius:

─ Îmi vine să plîng. Am terminat de citit textul tău.

─ Marius, nu plînge, că acum avem pîrtie.

─ Auzi, cel mai frumos lucru pe care îl face textul ăsta al tău este că spune lucruri pe care le știu toți, dar care n-au fost puse la un loc, niciodată, și nu le-ar fi spus nimeni. Multi vorbesc frumos despre Rață, însă ce ai scris tu aici este manual de istorie.

─ Știi ce am uitat eu să scriu? Că Rață e neschimbat, de cînd eram noi într-a șasea, el a rămas identic cu sine, absolut neschimbat: și în energie, și în optimism, și în modestia cuceritoare, și fizic, deși or fi trecut 25 de ani de atunci.

─ Da, Oana. E neschimbat.

─ Bătea pîrtie ca un..., hai ca să nu îl glorificăm degeaba, dar, Marius, mergea singur pe Albu în timpul săptămînii, și mergea NUMAI ca să pregătească pîrtia pt sîmbătă, că el era neînsurat și avea mai mult timp liber. Și dacă mai prostea pe vreun Sorin, ca să îi țină de urît, bine. Vreun Sorin, vreun Fish, sau vreun Șmegan. Dacă nu, stătea singur...

─ Te cred și îl cred în stare.

─ Dacă nu, stătea singur ca un călugăr și clădea pe Albu, sau pe Gingioaia biserica lui, mănăstirea lui.

─ Cîndva, din Șoimul, o să-i spunem pîrtia lu' Rață ?

─ Hahahahaha! Nu spera săracu vreodată, nici unul nu spera din trupă, nici măcar occidentalul de Mircea, care văzuse la viața lui pîrtii adevărate,nici imaginația nu ne dădea așa ceva, nu ne încuraja la o asemenea dimensiune.

─ Știu, voi pregăteați de-atunci pîrtia lui Ursaciuc.

─ Nu, eu cred ca i-a făcut Ursaciuc pîrtie lui Titi, lui Sergiu, ca să mai treacă din cînd în cînd pe acasă și apoi lui Rață și tuturor celor din trupă ca să îi răsplătească și să le dea un vis pe care ei nu au avut curajul să îl viseze. Na, băi, uite ce nu ați avut voi nici măcar curaj să visați, și eu v-am făcut. Că tu poți să îmi spui orice, că e o investiție, că județul, că turismul, că..., orice, eu o să cred în continuare că în vremurile astea de mare tulburare, un primar a premiat niște oameni care au crezut toată viața lor într-o pasiune pe care o vedeau și o trăiau alb-negru, și acum o pot vedea în culori. Asta se cheamă răsfăț și remunerație după buget... mare.

Light as a rock, thick as a shadow....

 

...in this busy busy period during my photographic-forced-abstinence, I try to feed my PHOTOS-ADDICTION re-posting some old photographies of mine.....just because i like to see them closer, on the latest part of the photostream!!^__^

Hanuel Park, Seoul, South Korea

 

Consistent doing our little shooting project annually isn't a big deal, on a contrary more like a tradition to us to get this done. Regardless shooting while staycationing or overseas, we still pursue our objective and has become the eighth year this year.

 

Below listing recorded our hard works and efforts, every year we try to do achieve something different.

 

+1' Anniversary

+2' Anniversary

+3' Anniversary

+4' Anniversary

+5' Anniversary

+6' Anniversary

+7' Anniversary

 

It ain't easy when comes to maintain our little shooting project, from rough ideas and putting it into reality has come a long way. Given that both our career been tied up badly since we stepped in this University of Society, not to mention we even already try to plan ahead the coming years.

 

This is our first artwork showing to you all at Haneul Park, purposely waiting this very moment sharing our happiness. The scenery was breathtaking, but it paired with the suffer before we can enjoy the magical scenes.

 

Total 291 steps climb needed in order reaching the top, for those who wanted to shed some calories definitely have to drop by here, because after the 15 minutes suffered (including 1~2 minutes break time) you will completely forget how painful you were, all suffering will be paid off and trust it is all worth it.

 

The attraction of this place which is the silver lalang field, usually what we been seeing the common one would be yellowish or goldish in colour, and most importantly those silver lalang higher than us.

 

I wasn't paying attention when wifey trying to explain before we travel to Seoul, she said this is the place we must visit. The moment I heard required to climb 291 steps, I told her the scenery better be good, not to mention we were walking from the World Cup subway Station and that included 1~2km distance. it would be complete waste of time and energy if it is not what we expected.

 

We spent nearly 4 hours just to cover what we wanted to shoot, although we couldn't feel our legs but still wanted to explore further and looking for those unique areas. Since we were here might as well finished off what we supposed to.

 

----

Before putting a last full stop on this, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my feeling.

 

"I couldn't believe it has come to eight years now, I still felt like it was as fresh as yesterday. 8 years considerably a long journey as a relationship, thanks for always being there for me through these years, especially when I was impatience resulted in hot temper. Thanks for always understanding me during my hardest and darkest period of time, I couldn't imagine life without you, just like a human required oxygen to live, and you have supplied me oxygen unconditionally, allows me breathing and sustain my life cheerfully.

 

Happy eighth-anniversary wifey and more years to come...."

 

----

You must see this on large View On White and View On Black

 

Dutch postcard, no. 576. Photo: Paramount.

 

Blonde Mae West (1895-1982) was a seductive, overdressed, endearing, intelligent, and sometimes vulgar American actress and sex symbol. She featured a come-hither voice, aggressive sexuality, and a genius for comedy. West started in Vaudeville and on the stage in New York, and later moved to Hollywood to star in such films as I’m No Angel (1933), She Done Him Wrong (1933), and Klondike Annie (1936). She was one of the first women in the cinema to consistently write the films she starred in.

 

Mary Jane West was born in 1892, in Brooklyn, New York, to Matilda and John West. Family members called her Mae. Her father was a prizefighter known around the Brooklyn area as ‘Battlin' Jack’ West. Later, he worked as a "special policeman" (most likely as muscle for local business and crime bosses) and then as a private detective. Mae began working as an entertainer at age five at a church social. After a few years in stock, she moved into burlesque, where she was billed as ‘The Baby Vamp’. In 1907, 14-year-old West began performing professionally in vaudeville in the Hal Claredon Stock Company. Her mother made all her costumes, drilled her on rehearsals, and managed her bookings and contracts. In 1909, West met Frank Wallace, an up-and-coming vaudeville song-and-dance man. They formed an act and went out on the burlesque circuit. In 1911, she married Frank Wallace. Only 17, she lied about her age on her marriage certificate and kept the marriage secret from the public and her parents. She broke up the act soon after they arrived back in New York and the union remained a secret until 1935. In 1911, West auditioned for, and got a part, in her first Broadway show, ‘A La Broadway’, a comedy review. The show folded after only eight performances, but West was a hit. In the audience on opening night were two successful Broadway impresarios, Lee and J.J. Shubert, and they cast her in the production of ‘Vera Violetta’, also featuring Al Jolson and Gaby Deslys. West got her big break in 1918 in the Shubert Brothers revue Sometime, playing opposite Ed Wynn. Her character, Mayme, danced the shimmy, a brazen dance move that involved shaking the shoulders back and forth and pushing the chest out. As more parts came her way, West began to shape her characters, often rewriting dialogue or character descriptions to better suit her persona. She eventually began writing her own plays, initially using the pen name Jane Mast. In 1926 her first play, ‘Sex’, which she wrote, produced, and directed on Broadway, caused a scandal and landed her in jail for ten days on obscenity charges. Media attention surrounding the incident enhanced her career, by crowning her the darling "bad girl" who "had climbed the ladder of success wrong by wrong". She wrote and directed her second play, ‘Drag’ (1927) about homosexuality. She was an early supporter of gay rights and publicly declared against police brutality that gay men experienced. The play was a smash hit during a series of try-outs in Connecticut and New Jersey, but she was warned by city officials, not to bring it to Broadway. Finally, her play ‘Diamond Lil’ (1928), about a racy, easygoing, and ultimately very smart lady of the 1890s, became a Broadway hit and cemented West's image in the public's eye. And, after two more successful stage productions, she was invited to Hollywood.

 

At Paramount Pictures, Mae West made her film debut in Night After Night (Archie Mayo, 1932), starring George Raft. At 38 years old, she might have been considered in her ‘advanced years’ for playing sexy harlots, but her persona and physical beauty seemed to overcome any doubt. At first, she balked at her small role in Night After Night but was appeased when allowed to rewrite her scenes. One scene became a sensation. When a coat check girl exclaims, "Goodness! What lovely diamonds!", after seeing Mae's jewelry. Mae replies, "Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie". Mae was a hit and later George Raft said of Mae: "She stole everything but the cameras." In her second film, She Done Him Wrong (Lowell Sherman, 1933), West was able to bring her ‘Diamond Lil’ character to the screen in her first starring film role. Her co-star was newcomer Cary Grant in one of his first major roles. ‘Lil’ was renamed ‘Lady Lou’, and she uttered the famous West line, "Why don't you come up sometime and see me?" The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, and did tremendously well at the box office. She Done Him Wrong is attributed to saving Paramount from bankruptcy. In her next film, I'm No Angel (Wesley Ruggles, 1933), she was again paired with Grant. This film, too, was a financial blockbuster and West became the highest-paid woman in the United States. However, her reputation as a provocative sexual figure and the steamy settings of her films aroused the wrath and moral indignation of several groups. The new Hays Office had the power to pre-approve films' productions and change scripts. In 1934, the organisation began to seriously and meticulously enforce the Production Code on West's screenplays, and heavily edited them. West responded in her typical fashion by increasing the number of innuendos and double entendres, fully expecting to confuse the censors, which she did for the most part. Her film Klondike Annie (Raoul Walsh, 1936) with Victor McLaglen, concerned itself with religion and hypocrisy. William R. Hearst disagreed so vehemently with the film's context, and West's portrayal of a Salvation Army worker, that he personally forbade any stories or advertisements of the film to be published in any of his newspapers. However, the film did well at the box office and is considered the high-point of West's film career. Throughout the 1930s her films were anticipated as major events, but by the end of the decade she seemed to have reached her limit and her popularity waned. The few other films she did for Paramount — Go West, Young Man (Henry Hathaway, 1936) and Everyday's a Holiday (A. Edward Sutherland, 1937) — did not do well at the box office, and she found censorship was severely limiting her creativity. In 1937, she was banned from NBC Radio after a guest appearance with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy that was loaded with flirtatious dialogue and double-entendres.

 

In 1939, Mae West was approached by Universal Pictures to star in a film opposite comedian W.C. Fields. The studio wanted to duplicate the success they had with another film, Destry Rides Again (George Marshall, 1939), a Western morality tale starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. West, looking for a vehicle to make a comeback in films, accepted the part, demanding creative control over the film. Using the same Western genre, she wrote the script for My Little Chickadee (Edward F. Cline, 1940). Despite tension on the set between West and Fields (she was a teetotaler and he drank), the film was a box-office success, out-grossing Fields' previous two films. After making The Heat's On (Gregory Ratoff, 1943) for Columbia, she planned to retire from the screen and went back to Broadway and on a tour of English theatres. Among her popular stage performances was the title role in ‘Catherine Was Great’ (1944) on Broadway, in which she penned a spoof on the story of Catherine the Great of Russia, surrounding herself with an ‘imperial guard’ of tall, muscular young actors. The play was produced by theater and film impresario Mike Todd and ran for 191 performances and then went on tour. In 1954, when she was 62, she began a nightclub act in which she was surrounded by musclemen; it ran for three years and was a great success. In 1954, West formed a nightclub act which revived some of her earlier stage work, featuring her in song-and-dance numbers and surrounded by musclemen fawning over her for attention. The show ran for three years and was a great success. With this victory, she felt it was a good time to retire. In 1959, West released her bestselling autobiography, ‘Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It’, recounting her life in show business. She made a few guest appearances on the 1960s television comedy/variety shows like The Red Skelton Show and some situation comedies like Mister Ed. She also recorded a few albums in different genres including rock 'n' roll and a Christmas album which, of course, was more parody and innuendo than a religious celebration. In the 1970s, she appeared in two more films. She had s small part in Gore Vidal's Myra Breckenridge (Michael Sarne, 1970), starring Raquel Welch. She starred in Sextette (Ken Hughes, 1978), which she based on her own stage play. Both were box office flops, but are now seen as cult films. In 1980, Mae West died after suffering two strokes in Hollywood and was entombed in Brooklyn, New York. She was 88. Denny Jackson at IMDb: “The actress, who only appeared in 12 films in 46 years, had a powerful impact on us. There was no doubt she was way ahead of her time with her sexual innuendos and how she made fun of a puritanical society. She did a lot to bring it out of the closet and perhaps we should be grateful for that.”

 

Sources: Denny Jackson (IMDb), Biography.com, AllMovie, Wikipedia, and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards..

Personally, I have been consistently getting more and more bored and angry with the ‘mens’ game. The obscene amounts of money changing hands. The plethora of platitudes and excuses as to why grown, trained footballers can’t play twice in a week, and all of the other nonsense. What a ‘breath of fresh air’ this young lady is. This is Eva Olid. She is the Head coach of Hearts of Midlothian Women’s team in Scotland. Throughout the game as I watched it, there were no ‘angry’ outbursts of petulance, kicking water bottles or spitting. I’ve never seen a coach in the technical area smile so much. It probably doesn’t harm that she is very pleasant on the eye.

Waterworks architecture at Cami Ral, Anyos, La Massana, Vall nord, Andorra, Pyrenees - (c) Lutz Meyer

 

More Anyos & La Massana city, La Massana, Vall nord, Andorra, Pyrenees: Follow the group links at right side.

.......

 

About this image:

* Half frame format 3x2 image

* Usage: Large format prints optional

* Motive is suitable as symbol pic

* "Andorra authentic" edition (20 years 2004-2024)

* "Andorra camis & rutes" active collection

* Advanced metadata functionality on dynamic websites or apps

* for large metadata-controlled business collections: photo-archives, travel agencies, tourism editiorials

 

We offer 200.000+ photos of Andorra and North of Spain. 20.000+ visable here at Flickr. Its the largest professional image catalog of Andorra: all regions, all cities and villages, all times, all seasons, all weather(s). Consistent for additional advanced programming. For smartphones and web-db. REAL TIME!

 

It's based on GeoCoded stock-photo images and metadata with 4-5 languages. Prepared for easy systematic organising of very large image portfolios with advanced online / print-publishing as "Culture-GIS" (Geographic Info System).

 

More information about usage, tips, how-to, conditions: www.flickr.com/people/lutzmeyer/. Get quality, data consistency, stable organisation and PR environments: Professional stockphotos for exciting stories - docu, tales, mystic.

 

Ask for licence! lutz(at)lutz-meyer.com

 

(c) Lutz Meyer, all rights reserved. Do not use this photo without license.

I know you guys are probably going to murder me for not being consistent with flickr for the past couple of months, I’ve been so held up with college and life's bumpy roads. For the most part, I’ve been doing okay; a couple of bad decisions and trusting the wrong people made me feel extremely forsaken. And after moving out, I’ve been missing my family so so so much, it’s hard to believe they’re so far away in Bahrain.

I’ve missed looking through my daily sources of inspiration and taking pictures everyday. It made it feel completely out of place and I just really needed a vent that could help me pacify my misery. Unfortunately, I don't have that much free time on my hands anymore. However, last week I had the opportunity to go to Huntsville, TX for a church retreat. I managed to capture a couple of landscapes and macros and it was truly blissful and once again I started to feel like I was in my element again. I couldn’t wait to go home and process everything and show’em to you guys, but with all the tests and essays due this week I feel like my responsibilities have overshadowed my passion for taking pictures. I’m just hoping things will start slowing down and I really want to be able to post pictures on here more often. For those of ya’ll that want to add me on facebook…click this!

 

Charlie had been a consistently good player for the Rockies, and he hit his 15th home run of the season last night. Apparently, he has hit 3 home runs without a beard, and 203 with a beard. I guess he should keep his trademark beard.

With the Rockies' purple uniforms, and the Brewers in their baby blue City Connect jerseys, the game had a Little League look to it. I don't believe I have ever seen such vivid colors on the field before.

 

American Family Field

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

 

MADRID RIO

  

Madrid Río es un parque de la ciudad española de Madrid, consistente en una zona peatonal y de recreo construida entre los años 2006 a 2012 en los dos márgenes del río Manzanares, en buena parte sobre el trazado soterrado de la vía de circunvalación M-30,1​ desde el nudo Sur hasta el enlace con la A-5. En 2016, el proyecto se hizo con el galardón Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design de la Universidad de Harvard por su diseño e impacto social y cultural en la transformación del río

Entre 2003 y 2007 se llevó a cabo la obra de soterramiento del arco oeste de la M-30 en el ámbito del río, obra que hizo posible la eliminación del tráfico en superficie y la consiguiente liberación de más de cincuenta hectáreas de terreno ocupado anteriormente por las calzadas. A esta superficie se sumaron otras casi cien hectáreas correspondientes a los diferentes suelos infrautilizados adyacentes a la autopista.

 

Tras la construcción de los túneles afloró una herida vacía formada por un rosario de espacios desocupados, que atesoraban la potencia latente de convertirse en nexo de unión de un corredor ambiental de casi tres mil hectáreas dentro del término municipal, que se extiende desde El Pardo hasta Getafe y que enlaza importantísimas áreas verdes de la ciudad como la Casa de Campo, el Parque de la Arganzuela o el Parque del Manzanares Sur.

 

Por tanto, los beneficios obtenidos al enterrar la antigua autopista, obviamente, no han quedado reducidos a la mejora de ciertos aspectos de la movilidad urbana, ni siquiera a la rehabilitación local de los barrios, sino que pueden adquirir en un futuro próximo, una dimensión de gran escala que necesariamente deberá repercutir en las relaciones entre la ciudad y el territorio, entendidas en su mayor alcance. La enorme trascendencia para la ciudad de los espacios liberados como consecuencia del soterramiento de la M-30, llevó al Ayuntamiento de Madrid a convocar un Concurso Internacional de Ideas para concebir y proyectar los nuevos espacios libres en el entorno del río. El concurso lo ganó el equipo de arquitectos dirigido por Ginés Garrido y formado por Burgos & Garrido Arquitectos, Porras & La Casta y Rubio & Álvarez-Sala y West8, con la solución para la construcción de un parque urbano de más de ciento veinte hectáreas, que ocupa la superficie liberada por el soterramiento de la autopista. Los inicios del proyecto pasaron por el intento de comprender en su totalidad las cualidades geográficas de la cuenca fluvial. Las características del territorio y la diversidad de sus elementos naturales constituyen un conjunto de claves que han sustentado muchas de las ideas contenidas en el proyecto.

 

Sumariamente, la estrategia del éste se basa en la convicción de que, a través del río es posible conectar la ciudad, expresión máxima de la acción artificial, con los territorios del norte y el sur de Madrid, en los que aún perviven los elementos naturales propios de la cuenca fluvial. El río se convierte en puerta o enlace entre interior urbano y exterior territorial y, a través de sus márgenes, se establece la continuidad y la permeabilidad, hasta hoy aniquiladas por los sucesivos anillos concéntricos, hollados por los cinturones viarios, M-30, M-40, M-45, M-50 …, que fueron el resultado de aplicar a la red circulatoria los modelos de movilidad propios de mediados del siglo XX.

 

El proyecto se ha concebido en sucesivas aproximaciones o escalas a partir de las que se ha aplicado la reflexión sobre el campo de juego, obteniendo respuestas o soluciones diversas, desde el ámbito territorial o estratégico al local o específico.

 

En la escala territorial se han establecido los parámetros de partida para que, en el medio plazo, sea posible la regeneración de las márgenes del río en toda su longitud, como verdaderas áreas de integración entre el paisaje y la actividad humana, bajo un entendimiento contemporáneo capaz de superar el antagonismo implícito en el binomio urbano-rural.

 

En la escala metropolitana, a través del proyecto y de su concepción como gran infraestructura, se lleva a cabo la incorporación del corredor que se extiende sobre los bordes fluviales a su paso por la ciudad como parte del GR 124 (Gran Recorrido de la Red de Senderos Europeos) que ya, en 2011 se podrá transitar en toda su extensión, desde Manzanares el Real hasta Aranjuez.

 

En la escala urbana, el proyecto incorpora el río como doble línea de fachada inédita y configura un conjunto enlazado de espacios verdes que se infiltra en la ciudad; establece en la superficie un nuevo sistema de movilidad y accesibilidad; incrementa la integración y calidad urbana de los barrios limítrofes al río; protege y revaloriza el patrimonio histórico y detecta áreas de oportunidad que, sobre este ámbito de nueva centralidad, serán capaces de generar un cambio potencial del conjunto de la ciudad en el largo plazo.

 

En la escala local, la propuesta se ejecuta como una operación radicalmente artificial, materializada sin embargo con instrumentos eminentemente naturales. No se debe olvidar que se actúa mayoritariamente sobre una infraestructura bajo tierra. El proyecto se implanta sobre un túnel o, más bien, sobre la cubierta de un conjunto complejísimo de instalaciones al servicio del viario enterrado. Un edificio de hormigón de más de seis kilómetros de longitud, con enormes y determinantes servidumbres y con una topografía cuya lógica obedece exclusivamente a la construcción de la infraestructura, que emerge inopinadamente sobre el suelo y con la que ha sido necesario negociar. Sobre esta edificación subterránea, la solución adoptada se ha basado en el uso de la vegetación como principal material de construcción. El proyecto establece como estrategia general la idea de implantar una densa capa vegetal, de carácter casi forestal, allá donde sea posible, es decir, fabricar un paisaje con materia viva, sobre un sustrato subterráneo inerte, modificado y excavado para el automóvil, sobre una construcción que expresa por sí misma el artificio máximo.

 

Las familias, formas y asociaciones de especies vegetales seleccionadas provienen de la extrapolación del estudio de la cuenca del río y su adaptación, en cada caso, al medio urbano específico. La ordenación de los distintos entornos y su caracterización como lugares de uso público se ha producido teniendo en cuenta, por un lado, las funciones requeridas y las necesidades detectadas en cada distrito y por otro, la capacidad de conformar espacios habitables, inherente a los conjuntos organizados de vegetación de distinto porte.

La solución se concreta en tres unidades de paisaje principales. Primero, el Salón de Pinos, o corredor verde que discurre por la margen derecha del río. Es la estructura que permite la continuidad de los recorridos y reacciona en su encuentro con los puentes existentes dando lugar a distintos tipos de jardines de ribera (Jardines bajos de Puente de Segovia, Jardines del Puente de San Isidro, Jardines del Puente de Toledo y Jardines del Puente de Praga). Segundo, el enlace definitivo del centro histórico (representado por la imagen imponente del Palacio Real y la cornisa elevada de la ciudad), con la Casa de Campo, parque de más de mil setecientas hectáreas. En este entorno se incluyen la Avenida de Portugal, la Huerta de la Partida, la Explanada del Rey y los Jardines de la Virgen del Puerto. Tercero, la ancha franja sobre la ribera izquierda donde se sitúa el conjunto del Parque de la Arganzuela que incluye el centro de creación de arte contemporáneo de Matadero, y que representa la mayor superficie de espacio verde unitario de la propuesta.

 

Además de estas tres grandes operaciones paisajísticas coherentes entre sí, el proyecto propone ciento cincuenta intervenciones de diferente carácter, entre las que destaca el sistema puentes que dotan de un inédito grado de permeabilidad al cauce. Se han desarrollado soluciones sobre más de veinte puentes o pasarelas sobre el río, rehabilitando las siete presas, reciclando algunos puentes existentes y creando nuevos pasos, unas veces con un lenguaje silencioso y otras, intencionadamente expresivo. Como en una acción microquirúrgica el proyecto incorpora, eslabón por eslabón, una cadena de fórmulas de integración del río en la ciudad y de la ciudad en el río. Son elementos que garantizarán el contagio de los nuevos valores de las orillas regeneradas sobre los ámbitos y barrios cercanos. Con este efecto de resonancia, se prevé una sucesión de operaciones que aseguren una renovación de gran alcance. Desde ahora y de manera irreversible, se está fraguando una radical metamorfosis, sin precedentes para la ciudad de Madrid.

La superestructura lineal del Salón de Pinos es el elemento que organiza la continuidad de recorridos a lo largo de la ribera derecha del río. Está construida sobre los túneles en su práctica totalidad y tiene un ancho medio de treinta metros. Sobre la losa de hormigón que cubre el paso de los automóviles se han plantado más de 9.000 unidades de diferentes especies de pinos, de diversos tamaños, formas y agrupaciones con un marco de plantación forestal. Los ejemplares han sido seleccionados fundamentalmente en campos en los que hubiese posibilidad de extraer plantas con morfologías naturales (troncos no lineales, troncos dobles, troncos inclinados, etc.) De este modo se obtiene una prolongación controlada de los pinares de la sierra situada al norte de Madrid que parecen extenderse hasta el confín de la ciudad. Estos árboles han sido anclados a la losa de los túneles mediante cables de acero y bridas biodegradables, para potenciar su estabilidad y el crecimiento de sus raíces en horizontal sobre el paquete de tierras disponible. No obstante, este paseo se encuentra frecuentemente con estructuras de gran valor urbano o patrimonial.

 

Dos ejemplos simbólicos de esta intersección son los puentes históricos de Segovia (1582) y de Toledo (1732). En estos enclaves el salón reacciona como espacio de estancia, ampliando sus límites y ofreciendo un diseño específico, con árboles de ribera de hoja caduca y alineaciones de setos y bancos de piedra. Las actividades integradas en el salón se incorporan con un lenguaje coherente con su carácter forestal. Un claro ejemplo de este procedimiento lo forma el conjunto de áreas de juegos infantiles, diseñado específicamente como un sistema completo de formas naturales.

 

Jardines del Puente de Segovia

 

El puente de Segovia está declarado Bien de Interés Cultural. Fue construido a finales del siglo XVI por el arquitecto Juan de Herrera, por encargo de Felipe II. El proyecto de ajardinamiento de su entorno conforma una excepción en el ámbito del Salón de Pinos, constituyendo un ensanchamiento de éste y ofreciendo un modo diferente de aproximación al río. Los jardines se ordenan mediante una serie de líneas de traza orgánica que modelan sucesivas terrazas que descienden hacia el río. Estas líneas están construidas con unas piezas de granito de gran formato que sirven también de bancos. Entre ellos se extiende una superficie de hierba de bajo consumo hídrico arbolada con diferentes especies de árboles frondosos de ribera de la familia de los populus. En las inmediaciones de la fábrica almohadillada del puente se han construido dos estanques de agua limpia sobre los cuales, por un lado alza una fuente monumental de 16 chorros con forma de ciprés y por otro se extiende un pequeño jardín de lirios acuáticos. Los estanques son accesibles mediante unas gradas de piedra que se acercan a ellos hasta sumergirse.

 

Jardines del Puente de Toledo

 

Los jardines del Puente de Toledo constituyen una de las áreas más significativas del Proyecto Madrid Río, ya que se están situados en un enclave de excepcional importancia en el que el Salón de Pinos se encuentra con uno de los puentes monumentales de Madrid, el puente de Toledo, construido entre 1718 y 1732. El proyecto aprovecha dicho monumento en un doble sentido: Por un lado se compone un espacio concebido para ser visto desde lo alto del puente que se convierte así en un mirador privilegiado. De este modo los jardines ofrecen una nueva e inédita panorámica de Madrid ya que sus trazados dibujan un enorme tatuaje que se extiende como una alfombra sobre la superficie, reproduciendo un motivo figurativo vegetal. Por otro lado, los jardines incorporan el Puente de Toledo, que es una estructura barroca diseñada por el arquitecto Pedro de Ribera, como un objeto al que admirar, al que tocar y bajo el que pasar. La disposición de los setos está organizada de modo que conforma una serie de líneas que toman como referencia los jardines barrocos de la época borbónica, aunque están trazadas con un lenguaje contemporáneo. Asimismo en este punto se ha construido un graderío que permite la máxima aproximación a la lámina de agua del río, y la mejor contemplación de los arcos del antiguo puente.

 

Segunda unidad de paisaje: La Escena Monumental

 

La vinculación del centro histórico y el barrio de La Latina con la Casa de Campo ha estado vedada a los peatones de forma secular. El nuevo contacto, que ya es posible por la desaparición de los automóviles bajo tierra, ha sido resuelto con diversas intervenciones que asumen el carácter monumental y panorámico de esta zona, en la que el zócalo elevado del Palacio Real (germen primigenio del nacimiento de la ciudad) contacta con el río. Se han propuesto diferentes soluciones afrontando con extremada atención el contexto en el que se sitúan: La “Explanada del Rey”, explanada abierta pavimentada con un gran patrón figurativo y que sirve de gran atrio ante la Casa de Campo. La huerta de la partida, que es un recinto cerrado en el que se han plantado diferentes retículas de árboles frutales (perales, manzanos, moreras, granados, higueras, nogales, avellanos, etc) acoge un extraordinario mirador de la cornisa. La avenida de Portugal, convertida en un bulevar pavimentado por calceteiros portugueses y poblado por cuatro especies de cerezos (Prunus avium, P. avium ‘Plena’, P.yedoensis y P.padus ‘Watereii’ ) permite la contemplación de una espectacular floración que se alarga más de un mes en primavera. Por último, los jardines de La Virgen del Puerto, en la otra margen del río, estructurados mediante la disposición de parterres orientados según los ejes de los principales acontecimientos urbanos del área: el puente de Segovia, el puente del Rey, la avenida de Portugal y la puerta del Rey que ha sido restaurada y resituada según los datos disponibles en la cartografía histórica de Madrid.

 

Plataforma del Rey

 

En el acceso monumental que enlaza el centro histórico de Madrid con la Casa de Campo, antiguo cazadero real, destaca la Explanada o Plataforma del Rey, que es un espacio abierto de una superficie aproximada de 14.000 m2 y un frente paralelo al río de poco menos de 250 m. El destino de este espacio es el de formar un escenario capaz de acoger diferentes manifestaciones cívicas (conciertos, celebraciones oficiales, actividades culturales, etc.) en un entorno de extraordinaria calidad ambiental, que permite contemplar la Cornisa Histórica de la Ciudad. Este lugar está conectado con el Salón de Pinos y forma parte de él, aunque por exigencias de su uso, sea un área casi desprovista de arbolado. En ella el principal elemento organizador es el pavimento que, de forma muy suave, se adapta a una topografía que integra todas las emergencias de los túneles hasta hacerlas imperceptibles. En este pavimento las pequeñas piezas de granito y basalto forman un patrón que desciende desde la Avenida de Portugal y se esparce sobre la superficie del suelo a una escala en aumento progresivo. Dicho patrón vincula la plataforma con el pavimento proyectado en la avenida. De este modo la Plataforma es un elemento que liga de manera natural importantes piezas del escenario monumental que se produce en este punto, como son el Puente del Rey, la Casa de Campo, la Avenida de Portugal y el Salón de Pinos.

 

Huerta de la Partida

  

Se trata de un espacio recuperado que en las pasadas décadas se dedicó a albergar uno de los principales nudos de la autopista. La propuesta de regeneración de este lugar incluye varias operaciones: En primer lugar la construcción de una tapia, a veces opaca, a veces permeable que constituye un cierre que confiere al recinto el carácter de huerto cerrado. En segundo lugar, el modelado artificial del terreno, regularizando su superficie y tallando un único plano inclinado de suave pendiente que se desliza hacia el río. En tercer lugar la plantación de diferentes agrupaciones de árboles frutales (granados, moreras, manzanos, perales, avellanos, almendros, higueras, olivos y nogales) que se incorporan en el entorno describiendo cuadrantes reticulados con sutiles variaciones de orientación. Por último, se ha proyectado una ría húmeda que describe la trayectoria del Arroyo Meaques, actualmente entubado y oculto. Este proyecto ha sido fruto del estudio minucioso de la historia del lugar, ya que en el pasado, cuando Felipe II adquirió esta finca después de establecer la capitalidad de Madrid, en esta posición se plantaron algunas huertas que producían el alimento necesario para los trabajadores de la Casa de Campo.

 

Tercera unidad de paisaje: La Ribera del Agua. Arganzuela y Matadero

 

En la margen izquierda del cauce la ciudad se separa del río. El ejemplo más importante de la propuesta en esta orilla es el nuevo Parque de la Arganzuela, construido sobre antiguas dehesas de pasto de uso comunal. En este entorno se construyó el Matadero Municipal, notable ejemplo de arquitectura posindustrial de la segunda década del siglo XX. Con el soterramiento de la autopista, Madrid dispone ahora en este punto de 33 hectáreas de espacios libres que forman el mayor parque del proyecto. Éste se ha concebido como un gran espacio en el que el río se ha retirado dejando su huella ancestral. Está organizado con diferentes líneas que se entrecruzan, como surcos por los que pasó el agua, dejando entre sí espacios para distintos usos. Estas líneas, de carácter marcadamente longitudinal, son los caminos de distinta especie que recorren el espacio de norte a sur.

 

Paseo junto al matadero

 

Un camino más plano y ancho (el Camino Rápido), otro más sinuoso y de pendiente variable (el Camino Lento) y una franja empedrada de márgenes frondosos (el Arroyo Seco), que vertebra el centro del parque. La construcción del espacio se plantea como una gran arboleda que contiene varios paisajes, algunos más naturales y otros más construidos, configurados por una variación de especies, alturas, densidades y texturas. De este modo el parque, concebido como un retazo de la cuenca del río, incorpora tres áreas botánicas: bosque mediterráneo, bosque atlántico y fronda de ribera. El carácter de estos paisajes interiores está relacionado con los trazados longitudinales del parque, con árboles que siguen los caminos y las sendas, con sotos y bosques que emergen sobre la topografía. La textura boscosa se intercala con las superficies plantadas de aromáticas entre los caminos y el Arroyo Seco. Siguiendo la orilla izquierda del río, se dispone una franja húmeda y verde, con una pradera de césped que se inclina hacia el agua. Una constelación de fuentes ornamentales y un conjunto de tres láminas elípticas de agua pura introducen este elemento como materia narrativa que relaciona las distintas asociaciones de vegetación. Cada fuente presenta un distinto juego sonoro y visual y se rodea de pequeñas laderas plantadas de frutales que remiten a la imagen de los jardines de las leyendas o del Paraíso. Las líneas entrelazadas que estructuran el parque permiten la formación de recintos en los que se han situado importantes instalaciones para el recreo al servicio de los usuarios de todas las edades. En él se incluye un campo de fútbol , dos pistas de patinaje y tres importantes conjuntos de juegos infantiles. El parque así mismo incorpora el conjunto dedicado a la creación de arte contemporáneo de Matadero, como una gran dotación cultural que vive dentro de él. A través de los caminos se accede a las naves del antiguo complejo, cuya rehabilitación está a punto de finalizar. El diseño de los trazados permite entender la relación entre Matadero y el parque como un continuo entre el río y la ciudad.

 

El sistema de puentes sobre el río

 

La implantación de puentes sobre el Manzanares se lleva a cabo como una estrategia global, es decir, como un conjunto en que cada elemento resuelve problemas puntuales detectados en el entorno próximo, pero también forma parte a su vez de un sistema integral de conectividad transversal de acuerdo con la relación entre la ciudad y el río. Las unidades de este conjunto son de diferente carácter: puentes y presas rehabilitados o reciclados, puentes rodados existentes acondicionados al nuevo sistema de tráfico ciclista y peatonal, puentes singulares que constituyen hitos en el recorrido del río, pasarelas funcionales situadas en los nodos de máximo tránsito transversal y puentes de grandes luces que enlazan los recorridos del parque con los territorios exteriores a la ciudad al norte y al sur, haciendo realidad la principal aspiración territorial del proyecto.

 

Entre los puentes existentes destaca la operación llevada a cabo con las siete presas que han sido convertidas en pasarelas peatonales a través de su restauración integral y la incorporación de un tablero de madera accesible. En segundo lugar dentro de esta serie, se debe destacar el reciclaje del puente rodado de la M-30 que cruzaba el río al sur del Puente de Segovia, reconvertido en un puente peatonal y ciclista que incorpora un talud plantado con pinos. Entre los puentes singulares cabe mencionar el puente con forma de Y construido con cajones de perfiles metálicos, que evoca el lenguaje de los puentes ferroviarios del s. XIX colgados sobre los desfiladeros forestales y los puentes gemelos de hormigón que se dan acceso al complejo Matadero, proyectados como elementos de paso capaces también de configurar un espacio al que se ingresa, como pabellones que gravitan sobre el río, pero que verdaderamente pertenecen al parque.

 

Pasarela de Almuñécar

 

Fabricada de una sola pieza con fibra de carbono, para salvar una luz de algo más de 40 metros. Se sitúa sobre el único tramo del cauce que carece de cajero de hormigón. Su diseño final responde a las capacidades del material con que está fabricada, extremadamente ligero y resistente.

 

Restauración de Presas

 

Las siete presas que regulan el río a su paso de la ciudad han sido restauradas y puestas al servicio del nuevo sistema de pasos transversales. Sus mecanismos y exclusas han sido reparados y se les ha incorporado un tablero accesible de madera y una escala de peces para favorecer la continuidad de la fauna subacuática a lo largo del río.

 

Puente Oblicuo

 

Esta estructura viaria coetánea de la M-30 se ha reciclado para incorporarla al Salón de Pinos como un paso privilegiado a través del cual los peatones, los ciclistas y los árboles pasan de una a otra orilla. La losa aligerada que componía el tablero de hormigón postesado se cortó y apeó reforzándose para soportar las cargas debidas a su nuevo uso.

 

Puente del Principado de Andorra

 

Es uno de los nuevos puentes singulares del proyecto. Está construido por jaulas de perfiles abiertos, de expresividad algo arcaica, que toma como referencia las estructuras ferroviarias sobre los desfiladeros boscosos que se construyeron en Europa y Estados Unidos a finales de siglo XIX. Antes conocido como Puente Y, en julio de 2011 se le cambió de nombre al actual de Principado de Andorra, para agradecer al gobierno de Andorra la construcción del Puente de Madrid en Andorra la Vieja.​ Se escogió este puente para nombrarlo como Principado de Andorra porque representa también la geografía de Andorra: el país pirenaico está formado por dos valles, el del Valira del Norte y el del Valira de Oriente, los cuales confluyen en Escaldes-Engordany y se convierten en uno solo, de nombre Gran Valira. Esta disposición de los valles y sus ríos es similar a una Y.

 

Puentes Cáscara

 

Son dos puentes gemelos construidos con una lámina de 15 cm de hormigón autonivelante que forma una superficie con doble curvatura, de la que cuelga el tablero. Se conciben como dos pabellones a los que acceder para cruzar el río. Su bóveda se ha ornamentado con un mosaico creado por el artista Daniel Canogar.

 

Pasarela de la Princesa

 

El canto necesario para el funcionamiento de la pasarela se incorpora en las barandillas que en realidad conforman una pareja de vigas de alma llena y rigidizadores verticales. El lenguaje de la pasarela es intencionadamente sobrio.

  

L'Infiorata è una manifestazione consistente nel realizzare tappeti per mezzo di fiori o parti di essi generalmente in occasione della festività cattolica del Corpus Domini.La tradizione delle decorazioni floreali è nata a Roma nella prima metà del XVII secolo come espressione della cosiddetta festa barocca. Si ritiene, infatti, che la tradizione di creare quadri per mezzo di fiori fosse nata nella basilica vaticana ad opera di Benedetto Drei, responsabile della Floreria vaticana, e di suo figlio Pietro, i quali avevano usato "fiori frondati e minuzzati ad emulazione dell'opere del mosaico" il 29 giugno 1625, festa dei santi Pietro e Paolo, patroni di Roma. Pochi anni dopo, nel 1633, un altro quadro floreale venne realizzata da Stefano Speranza, uno stretto collaboratore del Bernini. Oreste Raggi informa che, morto Benedetto Drei, fu proprio Bernini a succedergli, e che "da Roma quest'arte si divulgò".

 

La tradizione barocca delle decorazioni floreali era stata adottata già nel XVII secolo nelle località dei Castelli romani probabilmente per gli stretti legami di questo territorio con Gian Lorenzo Bernini, il principale artefice di feste barocche. A Roma la consuetudine delle infiorate dovette scomparire alla fine del secolo XVII; nei Castelli romani continuò ancora nel XVIII secolo, come informa un manoscritto anonimo del 1824 conservato presso la Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma e stampato solo di recente.

 

La prima infiorata allestita per la festività del Corpus Domini risale al 1778 (anno in cui vennero allestiti alcuni quadri floreali nella via Sforza di Genzano) oppure al 1782 (anno in cui un tappeto coprì l'intera via senza soluzione di continuo). Da allora le località in cui si allestiscono infiorate in occasione nella ricorrenza del Corpus Domini sono numerose, specialmente dell'Italia centrale, ma anche dell'estero. Fra quelle fuori Italia merita di essere ricordata l'infiorata dell'Orotava, nelle Isole Canarie, in quanto i quadri sono ottenuti con la posa di erbe colorate, anziché petali di fiori. In alcune località non italiane (per es., Kōbe, in Giappone) da qualche anno si allestiscono infiorate sul modello di quelle tradizionali, ma prive di legame con le festività religiose cristiane.

 

Graz 2014.

Photo Copyright 2012, dynamo.photography.

All rights reserved, no use without license

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Hong kong)

 

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory south to Mainland China and east to Macao in East Asia. With around 7.2 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 2] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the world's fourth most densely populated country or territory.

 

Hong Kong used to be a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from the Qing Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War until British control resumed in 1945. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.[15]

 

Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[16][17] Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers.[18] In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields".[19] Hong Kong involves in international organizations, such as the WTO[20] and the APEC [21], actively and independently.

 

Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[22][23] As the world's 8th largest trading entity,[24] its legal tender, the Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[25] As the world's most visited city,[26][27] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[28] Even with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.[29]

 

Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour, which boasts the world's fifth busiest port with ready access by cargo ships, and its impressive skyline, with the most skyscrapers in the world.[30][31] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[32][33] Over 90% of the population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[34][35] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of Mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.[36][37][38]

Contents

 

1 Etymology

2 History

2.1 Prehistory

2.2 Imperial China

2.3 British Crown Colony: 1842–1941

2.4 Japanese occupation: 1941–45

2.5 Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97

2.6 Handover and Special Administrative Region status

3 Governance

3.1 Structure of government

3.2 Electoral and political reforms

3.3 Legal system and judiciary

3.4 Foreign relations

3.5 Human rights

3.6 Regions and districts

3.7 Military

4 Geography and climate

5 Economy

5.1 Financial centre

5.2 International trading

5.3 Tourism and expatriation

5.4 Policy

5.5 Infrastructure

6 Demographics

6.1 Languages

6.2 Religion

6.3 Personal income

6.4 Education

6.5 Health

7 Culture

7.1 Sports

7.2 Architecture

7.3 Cityscape

7.4 Symbols

8 See also

9 Notes

10 References

10.1 Citations

10.2 Sources

11 Further reading

12 External links

 

Etymology

 

Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island.[39]

 

The source of the romanised name "Hong Kong" is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation in spoken Cantonese 香港 (Cantonese Yale: Hēung Góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[13][14][40] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (Chinese: 香港仔; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jái), literally means "Little Hong Kong"—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[41]

 

Another theory is that the name would have been taken from Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人); it is equally probable that romanisation was done with a faithful execution of their speeches, i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese.[42] Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.[43]

 

Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour.[40]

 

The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[44] Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.

 

As of 1997, its official name is the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website;[45] however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.

 

Hong Kong has carried many nicknames. The most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive nightscape of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".

History

Main articles: History of Hong Kong and History of China

Prehistory

Main article: Prehistoric Hong Kong

 

Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[46][47][48]

 

Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[49][50] Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1066 BC) in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.[51]

Imperial China

Main article: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China

 

In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a centralised China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into his imperial China for the first time. Hong Kong proper was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern-day Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu.[52][53][54]

 

After a brief period of centralisation and collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[55] When Nanyue lost the Han-Nanyue War in 111 BC, Hong Kong came under the Jiaozhi commandery of the Han dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and flourish of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.[56]

 

From the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty, Hong Kong was a part of Bao'an County. In the Tang dynasty, modern-day Guangzhou (Canton) flourished as an international trading centre. In 736, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[57] The nearby Lantau Island was a salt production centre and salt smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. In c. 1075, The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in modern-day New Territories by the Northern Song dynasty.[58] During their war against the Mongols, the imperial court of Southern Song was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat by the Mongols at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[59] The Mongols then established their dynastic court and governed Hong Kong for 97 years.

 

From the mid-Tang dynasty to the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hong Kong was a part of Dongguan County. During the Ming dynasty, the area was transferred to Xin'an County. The indigenous inhabitants at that time consisted of several ethnicities such as Punti, Hakka, Tanka and Hoklo.

European discovery

 

The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[60][61] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.

 

Since the 14th century, the Ming court had enforced the maritime prohibition laws that strictly forbade all private maritime activities in order to prevent contact with foreigners by sea.[62] When the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance decree of the Kangxi Emperor, who ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County including those in Hong Kong were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated subsequently returned.[63][64]

British Crown Colony: 1842–1941

A painter at work. John Thomson. Hong Kong, 1871. The Wellcome Collection, London

Main articles: British Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)

 

In 1839, threats by the imperial court of Qing to sanction opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. The Qing admitted defeat when British forces captured Hong Kong Island on 20 January 1841. The island was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. A dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries, however, led to the failure of the treaty's ratification. On 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking.[65] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.[66]

 

The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.[67][68]

 

Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.

 

In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.[69][70][71]

 

Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.

File:1937 Hong Kong VP8.webmPlay media

Hong Kong filmed in 1937

 

In 1904, the United Kingdom established the world's first border and immigration control; all residents of Hong Kong were given citizenship as Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).

 

Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.[72]

 

In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.

Japanese occupation: 1941–45

Main article: Japanese occupation of Hong Kong

The Cenotaph in Hong Kong commemorates those who died in service in the First World War and the Second World War.[73]

 

As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong in on 8 December 1941.[74] Crossing the border at Shenzhen River on 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 18 days when British and Canadian forces held onto Hong Kong Island. Unable to defend against intensifying Japanese air and land bombardments, they eventually surrendered control of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941. The Governor of Hong Kong was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. This day is regarded by the locals as "Black Christmas".[75]

 

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony on 2 September 1945.[76]

Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97

Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong

Flag of British Hong Kong from 1959 to 1997

 

Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China moved in to seek refuge from the Chinese Civil War. When the Communist Party eventually took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more skilled migrants fled across the open border for fear of persecution.[69] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[69] The establishment of a socialist state in China (People's Republic of China) on 1 October 1949 caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.

Stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953

 

In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies under rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[77] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme to provide shelter for the less privileged and to cope with the influx of immigrants.

 

Under Sir Murray MacLehose, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (1971–82), a series of reforms improved the public services, environment, housing, welfare, education and infrastructure of Hong Kong. MacLehose was British Hong Kong's longest-serving governor and, by the end of his tenure, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the Crown Colony. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.

A sky view of Hong Kong Island

An aerial view of the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in 1986

 

To resolve traffic congestion and to provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, a rapid transit railway system (metro), the MTR, was planned from the 1970s onwards. The Island Line (Hong Kong Island), Kwun Tong Line (Kowloon Peninsula and East Kowloon) and Tsuen Wan Line (Kowloon and urban New Territories) opened in the early 1980s.[78]

 

In 1983, the Hong Kong dollar left its 16:1 peg with the Pound sterling and switched to the current US-HK Dollar peg. Hong Kong's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new development in southern China under the Open Door Policy introduced in 1978 which opened up China to foreign business. Nevertheless, towards the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre along with London and New York City, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the world's exemplar of Laissez-faire market policy.[79]

The Hong Kong question

 

In 1971, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s permanent seat on the United Nations was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong's status as a recognised colony became terminated in 1972 under the request of PRC. Facing the uncertain future of Hong Kong and expiry of land lease of New Territories beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question in the late 1970s.

 

The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Hong Kong into a British Dependent Territory amid the reorganisation of global territories of the British Empire. All residents of Hong Kong became British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTC). Diplomatic negotiations began with China and eventually concluded with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Both countries agreed to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong would remain autonomous as a special administrative region and be able to retain its free-market economy, British common law through the Hong Kong Basic Law, independent representation in international organisations (e.g. WTO and WHO), treaty arrangements and policy-making except foreign diplomacy and military defence.

 

It stipulated that Hong Kong would retain its laws and be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, based on English law, would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer. It was ratified in 1990.[69] The expiry of the 1898 lease on the New Territories in 1997 created problems for business contracts, property leases and confidence among foreign investors.

Handover and Special Administrative Region status

Main articles: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and 2000s in Hong Kong

Transfer of sovereignty

Golden Bauhinia Square

 

On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place, officially marking the end of Hong Kong's 156 years under British colonial governance. As the largest remaining colony of the United Kingdom, the loss of Hong Kong effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This transfer of sovereignty made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Tung Chee-Hwa, a pro-Beijing business tycoon, was elected Hong Kong's first Chief Executive by a selected electorate of 800 in a televised programme.

 

Structure of government

 

Hong Kong's current structure of governance inherits from the British model of colonial administration set up in the 1850s. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration states that "Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all areas except defence and foreign affairs" with reference to the underlying principle of one country, two systems.[note 3] This Declaration stipulates that Hong Kong maintains her capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of her people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover. [note 4] Such guarantees are enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance after 1997, albeit subject to interpretation by China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).[95][96]

 

Hong Kong's most senior leader, Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 selected members (600 in 1997) and nominally appointed by the Government of China. The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, Legislative Council, civil service and Judiciary.

 

Policy-making is initially discussed in the Executive Council, presided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, before passing to the Legislative Council for bill adoption. The Executive Council consists of 30 official/unofficial members appointed by the Chief Executive and one member among them acts as the convenor.[97][98]

 

The Legislative Council, set up in 1843, debates policies and motions before voting to adopt or rejecting bills. It has 70 members (originally 60) and 40 (originally 30) among them are directly elected by universal suffrage; the other 30 members are "functional constituencies" (indirectly) elected by a smaller electorate of corporate bodies or representatives of stipulated economic sectors as defined by the government. The Legislative Council is chaired by a president who acts as the speaker.[99][100]

 

In 1997, seating of the Legislative Council (also public services and election franchises) of Hong Kong modelled on the British system: Urban Council (Hong Kong and Kowloon) and District Council (New Territories and Outlying Islands). In 1999, this system has been reformed into 18 directly elected District Offices across 5 Legislative Council constituencies: Hong Kong Island (East/West), Kowloon and New Territories (East/West); the remaining outlying islands are divided across the aforementioned regions.

 

Hong Kong's Civil Service, created by the British colonial government, is a politically neutral body that implements government policies and provides public services. Senior civil servants are appointed based on meritocracy. The territory's police, firefighting and customs forces, as well as clerical officers across various government departments, make up the civil service.[101][102]

Is this consistent with your idea of automotive perfection? Robert’s gorgeous '69 Camaro was built by our friends at Detroit Speed! It's powered by a Mast Motorsports LS7 with a 6-speed Bowler Performance transmission and rides on DSE's Hydroformed Subframe, DSE minitubs, DSE QUADRALINK rear suspension, DSE/JRi double-adjustable coilovers, Baer brakes, 275/35ZR18 & 335/30ZR18 BFGoodrich Rival S tires, and 18x10/18x12 Forgeline CR3 wheels finished with Satin Gunmetal centers, Polished outers, & tall center caps! See more at: www.forgeline.com/customer_gallery_view.php?cvk=1807

I've donated so consistently to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation that I was invited to their Evening of Gratitude gala recently. I went alone, not knowing anyone there beforehand, as a non-Ukrainian. At first it felt a bit awkward, but soon it became clear that I wouldn't be the only Oriental/ Asian supporter there. This couple showed up and soon the ice was broken. We became friends soon after!

 

Cheffry's Bistro, 33 Powerhouse Street, Toronto

The first real good snow of the season piles down upon Amtrak 364, the Blue Water, as it finally arrives home in Port Huron, Michigan. I took this first snow as an opportunity to capture the Blue Water arriving in Port Huron, something I haven't done since 2016. The train was consistently running around 20-30 minutes late coming out of Chicago and trying to make up for lost time. It would makeup some of that time, but a sudden stop outside town at Griswold Street lost that time again. 364 arrived 42 minutes late, (scheduled 11:31 PM, arrival at 12:13 AM) not usually common for a mostly on-time train. Passengers coming back to Michigan would be greeted to a much colder, snowier Michigan than what was seen earlier that day. I also had a massive headache while taking these photos.

I am interrupting my photos from my Vietnam trip to share some thoughts on the new Panasonic S1R camera that will start shipping in about a week.

 

Caution: this is primarily for people interested in shooting with manual focus M mount lenses (made by Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander, et al), and within that group, especially people like me who think the rangefinder is a brain dead relic of the past, and have been looking for years for a modern camera to use with their M lenses.

 

For everyone else interested in these new cameras, I would recommend seeing the dozens of reviews that will be popping up all over the place very soon.

 

Background

 

At Photokina at Cologne, Germany, in 2018, Leica, Panasonic and Sigma announced an L-mount alliance that sounded more fluff than reality, but I thought there was a real chance something big could come out of it.

 

Fast forward to a couple of months ago, and Panasonic announced two new full-frame cameras in the L mount, a 24MP S1 entry-level body and a high-end 47MP S1R. This is consistent with the trend that Sony set, with the A7 and A7R, followed by Nikon with its Z7 and Z7R, then Canon with its R and RP, etc., and now we have the S1 and S1R.

 

I am pretty much committed to Sony and I have no intention of abandoning it any time soon. But since I dumped my Leica M9 in 2011 and dumped my Leica M240 in 2013, I have been waiting for a competent, high-res camera that was good enough for use with my M lenses.

 

Although the Sony cameras have been reasonable proxies, unfortunately Sony put a 2.3mm thick glass plate over the sensor in its camera. The Leica M lenses, which were all designed originally for film, required a glass plate that was as close to zero thickness as possible. This made Sony cameras sub-optimal for M lenses, especially wide angle lenses. Even 50mm lenses barely work with Sony cameras, showing heavy vignetting and loss of edge and corner sharpness at max aperture.

 

The Leica M cameras use a glass plate that is 0.85mm thick, and the Leica SL camera also used a thin glass plate. The new Panasonic cameras (designed in close collaboration with Leica) have both a thin glass plate as well as an entirely new micro lens array that make it possible for M lenses to be used effectively.

 

So to make a long story short, within a couple of days after the L mount alliance was announced, I started looking for a used M lens to L mount adapter on eBay, and found one virtually new for a throwaway price. Since then, I've been waiting for the first L mount camera to be announced.

 

Finally, a competent camera for M mount lenses!

 

When I saw the specs of the Panasonic S1R, I was very pleased with what I saw, and since then, I've been pretty happy with the handful of spotty reviews of the S1R, which has mostly focused on autofocusing, the new 24-105mm f/4 and 70-200mm f/4 lenses, etc., none of which I care about. My interest has been and at least for the time being, remains its usability with M mount lenses.

 

So finally, I got a chance to see and play with the Panasonic S1R today at a local dealer in the San Francisco Bay Area. There were two Panasonic reps on hand, with a couple of S1 and S1R bodies and some lenses, including the Panasonic 24-105/4 and 70-200/4, and I think they also had an Leica 50/1.4.

 

I went over to the store with my hitherto untested M to L adapter and four M lenses: Leica 21mm f/1.4 Summilux, Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summillux, Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux, and Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon ZM. I figured if these lenses worked reasonably well, pretty much all M mount lenses would likely work well, too.

 

Bottom line: the S1R impresses. I can’t recall seeing this level of performance from my M mount lenses from any Leica M camera, let alone Sony bodies. One of the reps told me they (Panasonic working with Leica) built a completely new micro lens array for the S1R that delivers a far superior IQ than the M or SL cameras. They even had big posters illustrating this new design – it shows a thinner glass plate and also taller micro lenses that look more like LEDs than lenses.

 

Whatever, the darned thing seems to work very well for my use case, which is to use this as a camera for my M lenses. The live view and loupe zoom works exactly as I was hoping, and focus peaking works very well, too. In fact, the focus peaking is so good that live view is almost (but not entirely) unnecessary.

 

The S1R is physically quite big (5.9 x 4.3 x 3.8" / 148.9 x 110.0 x 96.7 mm), which is 75% bigger in volume than a Sony A7R III (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.9" / 126.9 x 95.6 x 73.7 mm). But it is quite comfortable to hold and handle.

 

The S1R is also 55% heavier (1020 g vs. 657 g), which is a pain, for sure. And as of March 30, 2019, the S1R is also 32% more expensive in the U.S. ($3700 vs. $2800).

 

The price is a little misleading – Sony is likely getting ready an A7R IV with a 72 MP sensor and a bunch of new features that leapfrogs the S1R, and its price will likely be in the $3500 range at introduction, and the S1R will likely come down a little over the next few months. The price always equalizes – it is impossible to maintain a big discrepancy (unless you are Leica, but then you don't sell much).

 

For now, the Panasonic S1R appears to have jumped ahead of the Sony A7R III in a lot of areas, including resolution, a superb EVF, a high res LCD back that seems to articulate in more ways than in the Sony, pixel shifting, focus stacking, XQD memory support, etc.

 

The pixel shifting sounds very innovative, going well beyond what Pentax did in the K-1. It is done with a capture of eight shots, four to essentially offset the Bayer filtering and the other four to boost resolution. The claim is, they can crank out 180+ MP images that are near-medium-format.

 

They also have an automated focus stacking that can start from a specified location in the frame and take a specified number of steps in a specified step size. So you could combine pixel shifting + focus stacking to get very high res and very sharp images. The firmware has some motion sensing algorithm that is supposed to compensate for detected movements.

 

In theory, you could combine both pixel shifting and focus stacking to produce very sharp and very high res images.

 

The Panasonic rep also bragged that their AF lenses have almost no focus breathing, which makes the focus stacking even more effective.

 

It looks like there are a lot of other feature / function innovations. E.g., image review steps through some 4-5 different views that includes RGB and overall histograms.

 

I have no idea how autofocusing, focus tracking, eye AF, face recognition, video, etc, work. I was not testing the camera for any of those things.

 

But as a replacement for the brain-dead rangefinder, finally here is a camera that can really work well with M mount lenses to deliver an image quality that no Leica rangefinder or any other camera could ever deliver.

 

Test shots

 

In my brief handful of test shots, given the limitations of a busy store, sub-optimal lighting, limited availability of the S1R, etc. I came away very pleased with my test shots. I have enough confidence that with a little more breathing room, I can crank out images that I will be pleased with, and really enjoy shooting with my M lenses that I kept, after dumping my Leia M9 and M240 in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

 

The camera store had a female model, so that helped a bit. I took a few test shots of her, as well as a few other things in the store, mostly focusing on placing my subject in a corner of the frame.

 

I have uploaded a few of these shots to Flickr, as 100% magnification views in Capture One, saved as screen captures. This makes it easy to see exactly where they came from in the frame. These are hardly exhaustive, but I hope these provide a feel for what the S1R can do. In time, I expect to be uploading a lot more images from the S1R / M-lens combination.

 

As of right now, there are now RAW converters for the S1R in either LightRoom or Capture One. I do have the RAW files, but I also saved JPEGs, so what I have uploaded are SOOC JPEGs with no post processing. The in-camera JPEGs are not great – there is too much posterization. But they are looking good enough that I think the S1R will work very well with M lenses. I have no doubt that the raw files will be far better.

 

I did not get to test the sensor for high ISO and dynamic range. It is what it is, and it can't be too bad. I avoid shooting at very high ISOs, anyway. The colors look accurate.

 

So net-net, I’m pretty excited that I now have a camera that I can really use with my M lenses, and I’m planning to get the S1R. I just haven't decided if I'm going to buy it right away, or wait for the initial excitement to die down a little, then get one after the inevitable first price drop in a few months.

 

The new leadership in photography

 

More profoundly, after a decade of sleep walking by Canon and Nikon, the leadership in photography is now firmly in the grip of Sony and Panasonic, I think. From the D100/D1X through the D850/D5, (and similar progression of model numbers from Canon), apart from resolution and faster processing (both of which came from Moore’s Law), there has been very little innovation in cameras in the past nearly 20 years. In the past ten years, we have seen one dramatic new paradigm after another from the mirrorless guys that the DSLR users had no idea about.

 

I look at what Sony has done with its A7R III and A9, and now Panasonic with the S1R, and inevitably, what Sony will have to and will likely do in the A7R IV and A9 II, and with Sigma likely jumping in with a FF Foveon L-mount camera, there’s going to be a lot of excitement. Maybe this will be the golden age of photography…

 

Nikon and Canon are simply not culturally set up to innovate like this, and I wonder how they’re going to play this. The DSLR parade they were leading is rolling over a cliff, and the new parade is led by Sony, Panasonic, Fuji, Olympus, and even Leica and Sigma after the L mount alliance, not to forget the medium format guys.

This plant consistently blooms every year. Most of the flowers bloom on the old stalks. The plant is growing in a 6-inch plastic basket and is grown outside under 50 percent shade cloth. I grew this plant from a small seedling purchased from H&R Nurseries several years ago.

Singapore Zoo ranks consistently (after San Diego Zoo) as one of the best in the world.

 

There are currently about 300 species of animals across 28 hectares of lush rainforest. This is possible without a feeling of crowding because of the layering, with lemurs wandering freely, and orangutans and gibbons swinging high above the ground while the visitors watch from below.

 

For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/teeth-claws-and-colou...

via Instagram www.instagram.com/p/BBA9fwbhqpa/

 

consistently voted as one of the best cities to live in . worldwide

 

see this link to see why .. Vancouver city HD time lapse video

Glee bath and water play Consistent with cheerful colors and nature

I've been working consistently on my TC10 contest entry, which should be done soon. During these kind of builds, I find it helpful to take a break, and work on something else for a little bit.

 

I figured it was about time for me to use these Fischertechnic tires, and it's been a while since I have build a Unimog, so here we go.

 

Here you can see the basic axles and chassis, though it's early. 4x4, with live axles front and rear, with PF drive. There are portal axles on the rear, and I'll add them to the front.

 

It will be a U90, U500, or U5000 (pick one, right?). I welcome votes.

 

From The Queue.

Visita nuestro Blog de Semana Santa en:

asociacionredobles.blogspot.com

 

Actos que se van a desarrollar durante la conmemoración del 200º aniversario del

rescate del Cristo de la Cama, consistente en el traslado de la Imagen desde la Iglesia

de Santa Isabel de Portugal (vulgo San Cayetano) a la Basílica del Pilar.

El rescate se produjo el 17 de febrero de 1809 del Convento de San Francisco, lo que

actualmente es la Diputación Provincial. El día 10 los franceses volaron el Convento,

que era defendido por unos cuantos aragoneses y por los voluntarios de Valencia. El

día 17, María Blánquez entro en el convento y vio que todos los pasos que

procesionan en Semana santa, quince en total, estaban destruidos, salvo el Santísimo

Cristo de la Cama, que estaba indemne en su Capilla de la Hermandad. Salió a la

calle, cogió a cuatro hombres, volvió a entrar al convento y todos ellos cogieron al

Cristo de la cama. Lo llevaron primero a la parroquia de la santa Cruz, después a la

de Santiago y finalmente al Palacio Arzobispal, lugar en donde vivía el general

Palafox, que enfermo lo venero y ordeno fuera llevado al interior de la Basílica del

Pilar, siendo colocado en el Altar de los convertido mirando a su Madre, la virgen del

Pilar.

Este hecho es el que conmemoramos.

A las 18´00 horas se oirá en la Ciudad de Zaragoza a los Artilleros de Aragón

anunciando el comienzo de la procesión cívico religiosa.

Con la salida desde San Cayetano de la Bandera de la Hermandad de la Sangre de

Cristo dará comienzo la procesión, encontrándose el resto de participantes ubicados

en la plaza. Seguidamente saldrá la peana, portada a varal, del Cristo de la Cama. Lo

hará con un toque preparado para la ocasión por la Sección de Tambores de la

Hermandad de San Joaquín y Virgen de los Dolores. Una vez que nuestro Cristo de la

Cama este en la plaza sonara el Himno Nacional interpretado al órgano por Ignacio

Navarro Gil.

Finalizado el himno, se descubrirá una placa en cerámica de Muel, promovida por la

Asociación Cultural Redobles. Dicha placa será descubierta por el Ilmo. Sr. D.

Francisco Javier Lambán Montañés, o persona en quien en delegue, acompañado por

el Hermano Mayor de la Hermandad de la Sangre de Cristo. A la vez que se descubre

la placa, don José Antonio Armillas, Comisario del Bicentenario glosara brevemente

la figura de María Blánquez y lo que ella significo.

Finalizado este acto, dará comienzo en sí el desfile.

Por la calle Manifestación, calle Alfonso y calle Coso, nos dirigiremos a la plaza de

España, en donde se realiza el segundo acto del desfile. Este consiste en depositar dos

coronas de laurel. La primera en la placa que recuerda al Convento de San Francisco

y la segunda en el monumento a los Mártires.

La del Convento de San Francisco será portada por mujeres ataviadas con el traje

regional, en recuerdo y homenaje a María Blánquez. Entregada por don Francisco

Javier Lambán Montañés (o persona en quién delegue), le acompañaran el

Comandante Militar de Zaragoza, General Juan Pinto y el Hermano Mayor de la

Sangre de Cristo. La recibirán dos soldados del Batallón Pardos de Aragón.

La segunda corona, la entregara don Juan Alberto Belloch Julve (o persona en quién

delegue), acompañado también por el Comandante Militar y el Hermano Mayor,

siendo recibida por dos soldados del Batallón de Infantería Voluntarios de Aragón.

Durante este acto sonara en la plaza el Carillón de la Diputación Provincial con

marchas alusivas a los Sitios.

Finalizado el acto, continuaremos el desfile en dirección a la Plaza de la Seo por calle

don Jaime, calle Mayor, calle Dormer, calle Cisne y calle Cuellar.

En la plaza de la Seo se realiza el tercer y último acto. Consiste en una breve

alocución del General Pinto, Comandante Militar de Zaragoza y Teruel, en recuerdo

y homenaje del General Palafox. A Su conclusión, el Batallón de Infantería

Voluntarios de Aragón hará una descarga de fusilería.

Ya para finalizar, nos encaminaremos a la plaza del Pilar, finalizando el desfile,

alrededor de las 20´30 horas, con la entrada del Cristo de la Cama en la Basílica, en

donde permanecerá hasta el miércoles 25 de febrero.

Finalizado el desfile y por lo tanto el traslado, la Hermandad de la Sangre de Cristo

realizara una ofrenda a la Virgen del Pilar.

La Hermandad de la Sangre de Cristo, con el fin de dar mayor realce a este

acontecimiento histórico, ha invitado a participar a todos aquellos Ayuntamientos e

Instituciones galardonados con la Medalla del Bicentenario “Defensor de Zaragoza”,

distinción que también ha obtenido la propia Hermandad. Han confirmado su

asistencia una representación de los Ayuntamientos de Alcañiz, Barbastro, Calatayud,

Cariñena, Chelva, Huesca, Jaca, monzón y Valencia. También han confirmado su

participación los Artilleros de Aragón, Batallón Pardos de Aragón, Batallón de

Infantería Ligera Voluntarios de Aragón, la Asociación Cultural Royo del Rabal

(ronda y escenificación de personajes históricos de la época), la Asociación Cultural

Los Sitios (personajes históricos de la época), la Hermandad de San Juan de la Peña,

la Cofradía del Santo Sepulcro, la Hermandad del santo Refugio, la Real Ilustre

Congregación de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Madrid y la Real Maestranza de

Caballería.

La parte musical durante el desfile correrá a cargo de la Banda de Guerra de la

Brigada de Caballería Castillejos II, de la Banda Música de la Academia General

Militar y la Ronda de jotas de la Asociación Cultural el Rabal. Durante el desfile y

con el fin de que los peaneros lleven el ritmo adecuado, les acompaña un piquete de

diez instrumentos, cuyos miembros son de la cofradía de la Institución de la Sagrada

Eucaristía, que lo harán sin los distintivos propios de la Cofradía.

Cabe destacar el estreno de una marcha procesional en las calles de Zaragoza. La

primera y ultima pieza que interprete la Banda de Música será la Marcha al Cristo de

la Cama, cuyo autor es don Abel Moreno y que fue donada a la Hermandad por la

Asociación para el Estudio de la Semana Santa.

Ernesto Millán Lázaro

Hermano Mayor

Hermandad Sangre de Cristo

© yohanes.budiyanto, 2014

 

PRELUDE

The 1st of August, 2014 was such an historic day as the world finally welcomed the birth of the first in line to the Parisian throne after a painstaking and extraordinary "labor" process that took four years in creation, and almost a decade in the making. I was not talking about a French rival to baby George, but instead a newborn that has sent shivers down the spines of Paris' oldest and current Kings and Grand Dames from the day it was conceived. Yes, I was referring to The Peninsula Paris, the youngest sister to the legendary Peninsula Hong Kong (circa 1928).

 

Ever since the project was announced to the public four years ago, it has been on my top list of the most eagerly awaited hotel openings of the decade. So when the hotel announced 1st of August as an opening date back in March, I immediately issued my First Class return tickets to the City of Light, risking the usual opening delay. A man of his word, Peninsula Paris finally opened as scheduled.

 

HISTORY

The Peninsula brand needs no introduction, as it is synonymous with quality, technology, innovation, craftsmanship and sophistication, -much like a slogan for French top brands and their savoir faire. Despite having only 10 current properties worldwide in its portfolio (Paris is its tenth), each Peninsula hotel is a market leader in each respective cities, and consistently tops the chart in many bonafide travel publications and reigns supreme as the world's best, especially elder sisters in Hong Kong and Bangkok. The Peninsula model is different from other rival hotel groups, which usually expand aggressively through both franchise and managed models worldwide. Instead, the Peninsula focuses on acquiring majority to sole ownership on all its properties to ensure control on quality (Hong Kong, New York, Chicago and Tokyo are 100% owned; Bangkok, Beijing and Manila are over 75%; Shanghai is 50%, while Beverly Hills and Paris are the only two with only 20% ownership).

 

The history of the Peninsula Paris could be traced back to a modest villa aptly called Hotel Basilevski on the plot of land at 19 Avenue Kleber back in 1864, -named after its Russian diplomat owner, Alexander Petrovich Basilevski, which caught the attention of hotelier Leonard Tauber for his prospective hotel project. The Versailles-styled property was partly a museum housing Basilevski's vast and impressive collection of 19th century medieval and Renaissance art, which eventually was acquired by Alexander III, -a Russian Tsar, at the sums of six millions francs. These collections were later transported to the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and formed the base collection for the newly established Department of Medieval and Renaissance Art. After Basilevski sold the villa and moved to a more palatial residence at Avenue du Trocadero, the property was then acquired and rebranded the Palais de Castille as the residence of the exiled Queen Isabella II of Spain in 1868, who seeked refuge and continued to live there until 1904. Upon her death, the property was later demolished in 1906 to make way for the Majestic hotel, which finally opened in 1908 with much satisfaction of Leonard Tauber, who has eyed the premise from the very beginning.

 

The Majestic Hotel was exquisitely designed in the Beaux-Art style as a grand hotel by prominent architect of that time, Armand Sibien. Together with The Ritz (circa 1898), the two became the most preferred places to stay and entertain in Paris of the time. The Majestic has attracted the well-heeled crowd, and hosted many high profile events, most notably for a particular dinner hosted by rich British couple Sydney and Violet Schiff on 18 May 1922 as the after party of Igor Stravinsky's 'Le Renard' ballet premiere, and the hotel becomes an instant legend. The guests list were impressive: Igor Stravinsky himself, Pablo Picasso, Sergei Diaghilev, and two of the 20th century most legendary writers: James Joyce and Marcel Proust, who met for the first and only time before Proust's death six months later. Since then, the Majestic continued to draw high profile guests, including George Gershwin on 25 March 1928, where he composed "An American in Paris" during the stay.

 

If the walls could talk, the Majestic has plenty of stories to tell. It was once converted into a hospital during the infamy in 1914, and the British took residency at the hotel during the Paris Peace Conference back in 1919. The hotel was then acquired by the French State in 1936 as the offices of the Ministry of Defence; and later had a stint as the German Military High Command in France between October 1940 to July 1944 during the World War II. Post war, it then became the temporary home for UNESCO from 16 September 1946 until 1958. More than a decade after, the Paris Peace talks was opened by Henry Kissinger in one of its spectacular Ballrooms in 1969 with the Northern Vietnamese. Four years later, the Paris Peace Accord was finally signed at the oak paneled-room next to the Ballroom on 27 January 1973, which ended the Vietnam War. This triumphant event has also led to another victorious event when Henry Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize that same year.

 

The hotel continued to serve as the International Conference Center of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs until it was up for sale by the government in 2008 as part of the cost cutting program to the Qatari Diar, -which later transferred its ownership to Katara Hospitality, for a staggering USD 460 million. An excess of USD 600 million was further spent on the massive rebuilding and refurbishment not only to restore the hotel to its former glory, but also to transform it into a Peninsula with the highest standard.

 

The epic restoration work was led by prominent French architect, Richard Martinet, who has also previously work with the restoration of Prince Roland Bonaparte's former mansion into the Shangri-La Paris and also the Four Seasons George V; and involved teams of France's leading craftsmen; heritage designers and organisations; stonemasons from historic monument specialist; master glass crafters; crystal manufacturer; wood, moulding and gilder restoration experts, -many of whom are third generation, and have carried out high profile projects such as the Palace of Versailles, Louvre Museum, the dome of Les Invalides, the Grand and Petit Palais, and even the flame of the Statue of Liberty in New York. The result is truly breathtaking, and it was certainly money well spent to revive and recreate one of the nation's most treasured landmark. One of my favorite places within the hotel is the Main Lobby at Avenue des Portugais where the grand hall is adorned with a spectacular chandelier installation comprising 800 pieces of glass leaves inspired by the plane trees along Avenue Kleber. The work of Spain's most influential artist since Gaudi, Xavier Corbero, could also be found nearby in the form of a beautiful sculpture called Moon River.

 

Katara Hospitality owns 80% of The Peninsula Paris, and already has a spectacular portfolio ownership consisting some of the world's finest hotels, including The Raffles Singapore, Le Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris, Ritz-Carlton Doha, Schweizerhof Bern, and most recently, 5 of the InterContinental Hotel's European flagships, including Amstel in Amsterdam, Carlton in Cannes, De la Ville in Rome, Madrid and Frankfurt. It is interesting to note that Adrian Zecha, founder of the extraordinary Amanresorts chain is a member of the Board of Directors at Katara since September 2011, lending his immense hospitality expertise to the group.

 

At over USD 1 billion cost, the Pen Paris project is easily the most expensive to ever being built, considering it has only 200 rooms over 6 storeys. As a comparison, the cost of building the 101 storey, 494m high Shanghai World Financial Center (where the Park Hyatt Shanghai resides) is USD 1.2 billion; whereas Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building on earth at 163 storey and 828m, costed a 'modest' USD 1.5 billion to build. The numbers are truly mind boggling, and The Peninsula Paris is truly an extraordinary project. It might took the Majestic Hotel two years to build; but it took four years just to restore and reincarnate it into a Peninsula.

 

HOTEL OPENING

On a pleasant afternoon of 1 August 2014, the hotel finally opened its door to a crowd of distinguished guests, international journalists, first hotel guests and local crowds who partake to witness the inauguration and rebirth of a Parisian legend and grande dame (Many A-list celebrities and even Head of State flocked to the hotel to witness its sheer beauty). It was an historic day not just for Paris, but also for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group as it marks their arrival in Europe with its first ever Peninsula, while the second is already on the pipeline with the future opening of The Peninsula London, located just behind The Lanesborough at Knightsbridge.

 

The eagerly-awaited opening ceremony was attended by the Chairman of Katara Hospitality, His Excellency Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani; CEO of Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH), Clement Kwok; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Laurent Fabius; General Manager of the Peninsula Paris, Nicolas Béliard; and the event kicked off with an opening speech by the famous French Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, the Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, Madame Fleur Pellerin, who clearly stole the show with her public persona. A ribbon cutting and spectacular lion dance show concluded the event, which drew quite a spectacle on Avenue des Portugais as it brought a unique display of Asian heritage to the heart of cosmopolitan Paris.

 

LOCATION

The Peninsula Paris stands majestically at the tree-lined Avenue Kléber, just off the Arc de Triomphe. Personally, this is an ideal location in Paris as it is a stone's throw away from all the happenings at the Champs-Élysées, but is set away from its hustle and bustle, which is constantly a tourist trap day and night. Once you walk pass the leafy Avenue Kléber, the atmosphere is very different: peaceful and safe. The Kléber Metro station is just a few steps away from the hotel, providing guests a convenient access to further parts of town.

 

Champs-Élysées is the center of Parisian universe, and it is just a short and pleasant stroll away from the hotel, where some of the city's most legendary commercial and cultural institutions reside. For a start, Drugstore Publicis at the corner by the roundabout has been a legendary hang-out since the 1960s, and is my ultimate favourite place in town. The Post Modern edifice by architect Michele Saee (renovated in 2004) houses almost everything: a Cinema; side walk Brasserie & Steak House; Newsagency; Bookshop (you can find Travel publications and even the Michelin Guide); upscale Gift shop and Beauty corner (even Acqua di Parma is on sale here); Pharmacy (whose pharmacist thankfully speaks English and gladly advises you on your symptoms); upscale deli (stocking pretty much everything from Foie gras burger on the counter, to fine wines & cigar cellar; to Pierre Herme & Pierre Marcolini chocolates; Dalloyau bakery; Marriage Freres tea; and even the Petrossian Caviar!). Best of all, it features a 2 Michelin star L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile on its basement; and the store is even opened on Sunday until 2am. It is a one stop shopping, eating and entertainment, showcasing the best of France.

 

Further down the road, Maison Louis Vuitton stands majestically on its own entire 7 storey building, which was opened in 2005 as one of the biggest flagship stores in the world, covering a total area of 1,800m2. Designed by Eric Carlson and Peter Marino, the entire store is an architectural marvel and the temple of luxury, elegance and sophistication. This is one of the very few stores to open in Sunday as the French Labour Unions prohibits commercial stores to open on Sunday, unless if it involves cultural, recreational and sporting aspect. Initially, Maison LV was ordered by the court to close on Sunday, but LVMH finally wins an appeal in 2007 on the grounds of cultural experience; and the store has continued to draw endless queue on Sunday.

 

A block away from Maison LV is the legendary Parisian Tea Room of Ladurée, which was founded in 1862 by Louis Ernest Ladurée on its original store at 16 Rue Royal as a bakery. The Champs-Élysées store was opened in 1997 and has since attracted an endless queue of tourists and locals who wish to savour its legendary Macarons and pastries. The Ladurée phenomenon and popularity could only be rivaled by fellow Frenchmen Pierre Hermé, who has also attracted a cult of loyal fans worldwide. It may not have a flagship store at Champs-Élysées, but one could easily stop by Drugstore Publicis for a quick purchase to ease the craving.

 

For those looking for upscale boutiques, Avenue Montaigne located just nearby on a perpendicular, and features the flagship presence of the world's finest luxury fashion labels: Armani, Bottega Veneta, Valention, Prada, Dior, Versace, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Fendi and Salvatore Ferragamo to name a few. For the ultimate in shopping extravaganza, head down to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré where all money will (hopefully) be well spent.

 

Champs-Élysées is the most famous and expensive boulevard in the world, yet it has everything for everyone; and myriad of crowds flocking its grand boulevards for a pleasant stroll. It has no shortage of luxury stores, but it also offers mainstream stores for the general public, from Levi's to Zara and Lacoste; to McDonalds and Starbucks; and FNAC store (French answer to HMV).

 

In terms of fine dining experience, the areas around Champs-Élysées has plenty to offer. I have mentioned about the 2 Michelin L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile at the Drugstore Publicis, which was excellent. Robuchon never disappoints as it consistently serves amazing French cuisine amidst its signature red and black interior everywhere I visited, including Tokyo (3 Michelin), Hong Kong (3 Michelin), Paris (2 Michelin) and Taipei.

 

During my stay, I also managed to sample the finest cuisine from the kitchens of two, 3-Michelin Paris institutions: Pierre Gagnaire at Rue Balzac, just off Champs-Élysées; and Epicure at Le Bristol by Chef Eric Frechon on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, which was undoubtedly the best and most memorable dining experiences I have ever had in Paris to date. It is certainly the gastronomic highlight of this trip.

 

Other 3 Michelin establishment, such as Ledoyen is also located nearby at an 18th century pavilion by the Gardens of Champs-Élysées by newly appointed famous French Chef Yannick Alléno, who previously also resided at the Le Meurice with 3 Michelin, until Alain Ducasse took over last year during the Plaza Athénée closure for expansion.

 

August is a time of misery for international visitors to Paris as most fine dining restaurants are closed for the summer holiday. When choices are limited, foodies could rely on Epicure and Robuchon, which are opened all year round; and also the 2 Michelin star Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V. Although its food could not compete with Robuchon, Epicure and Gagnaire, guests could still enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

 

ROOMS:

On my visit to Paris last year, I was not too impressed with my stay at the Four Seasons George V, as everything seemed to be pretty basic: the room design; the in-room tech and amenities; and even the much lauded service. It simply does not justify the hefty price tag. The only thing stood out there were the ostentatious designer floral display at the lobby, which reportedly absorbed a six digit figure budget annually. When I saw them at the first time, this was what came to mind: guests are paying for these excessive flowers, whether you like it or not.

 

Fortunately, the Peninsula Paris skips all this expensive gimmick, and instead spends a fortune for guests to enjoy: advance room technology; a host of complimentary essential amenities, including internet access, non-alcoholic minibar, and even long distance phone calls. In fact, every single items inside the room has been well thought and designed for guest's ultimate comfort.

 

Ever since The Peninsula Bangkok opened in 1998 to much success, the group has used it as a template for its signature rooms for future sister hotels, which consists of an open plan, ultra-wide spacious room equivalent to a 2 bays suite, with 5-fixtures bathroom, and a separate Dressing Room, which soon becomes a Peninsula signature.

 

The Peninsula Tokyo followed this template when it opened in 2007 to rave reviews; and it was soon adopted as a model for Peninsula Shanghai, which later opened in 2009 as the flagship property in Mainland China. This layout is also being applied at The Peninsula Paris, albeit for its Suites categories, i.e. Junior Suite, which measure at an astonishing 50 - 60m2. The entry level Superior and Deluxe Rooms lack the signature layout with smaller size at 35 - 45m2, but they are already spacious for a Parisian standard; and each is equipped with Peninsula's signature technology.

 

Technology is indeed at the core of the Peninsula DNA, and no expense is spared in creating the world's most advance in-room technology. When other hotels try to cut costs and budgets on in-room technology with lame excuses, the Peninsula actually spends a fortune to innovate and set a new benchmark. In fact, it is probably the only hotel group to have its own Technology laboratory at a secret location deep inside Aberdeen, Hong Kong, where in-room tech is being developed and tested. It was here where innovative devices, such as the outside temperature indicator; my favourite Spa Button by the bathtub; or even the portable nail dryer for the ladies are invented. The Peninsula took the world by storm when it introduced the Samsung Galaxy tablet device at the Peninsula Hong Kong in 2012, which is programmed in 11 languages and virtually controls the entire room, including the lights, temperature, curtains, TV, radio, valet calls and Do Not Disturb sign. It even features touch screen Room Service Menu, hotel information, city guide, and a function to request room service and housekeeping items, thus creating an entirely paperless environment.

 

All these technological marvel are also being replicated at the Peninsula Paris, together with other 'standard' features, such as Nespresso Coffee Machine; flat-screen 3D LED television; LED touch screen wall panels; an iPod/iPad docking station; memory card reader; 4-in1 fax/scanner/printer/photocopier machine; DVD player; complimentary in-house HD movies; complimentary internet access and long distance calls through the VOIP platform. Even the room's exterior Parisian-styled canopy is electronically operated. All these technological offerings is so extremely complex, that it resulted in 2.5 km worth of cabling in each room alone.

 

Bathroom at the Junior Suite also features Peninsula's signature layout: a stand alone bathtub as the focal point, flanked by twin vanities and separate shower and WC compartments amidst acres of white marble. Probably the first in Paris, it features a Japanese Toilet complete with basic control panel, and a manual handheld bidet sprayer.

 

When all these add up to the stay, it actually brings a very good value to the otherwise high room rates. Better yet, the non-alcoholic Minibar is also complimentary, which is a first for a Peninsula hotel. The Four Seasons George V may choose to keep looking back to its antiquity past and annihilate most technological offerings to its most basic form, but the Pen always looks forward to the future and brings the utter convenience, all at your finger tip. The Peninsula rooms are undoubtedly the best designed, best equipped and most high-tech in the entire universe.

 

ROOM TO BOOK:

The 50 - 60m2 Junior Suite facing leafy Avenue Kléber is the best room type to book as it is an open-plan suite with Peninsula's signature bathroom and dressing room; and the ones located on the Premiere étage (first floor) have high ceilings and small balcony overlooking Kleber Terrace's iconic glass canopy. Personally, rooms facing the back street at Rue La Pérouse are the least preferred, but its top level rooms inside the Mansart Roof on level 5 have juliet windows that allow glimpse of the tip of Eiffel Tower despite being smaller in size due to its attic configuration. Superior Rooms also lack the signature Peninsula 5 fixtures bathroom configuration, so for the ultimate bathing experience, make sure to book at least from the Deluxe category.

 

If money is no object, book one of the five piece-de-resistance suites with their own private rooftop terrace and gardens on the top floor, which allow 360 degree panoramic views of Paris. Otherwise, the mid-tier Deluxe Suite is already a great choice with corner location, multiple windows and 85m2 of pure luxury.

 

DINING:

Looking back at the hotel's illustrious past, the Peninsula offers some of the most unique and memorable dining experiences in Paris, steep in history.

 

The area that once housed Igor Stravinksy's after party where James Joyce met Marcel Proust for the first time is now the hotel's Cantonese Restaurant, aptly called LiLi; and is led by Chef Chi Keung Tang, formerly of Peninsula Tokyo's One Michelin starred Hei Fung Terrace. Lili was actually modeled after Peninsula Shanghai's Yi Long Court, but the design here blends Chinese elements with Art Nouveau style that flourished in the late 1920s. It also boasts a world first: a spectacular 3x3.3m fiber optic installation at the entrance of the restaurant, depicting the imaginary portrait of LiLi herself. The Cantonese menu was surprisingly rather simple and basic, and features a selection of popular dim sum dishes. The best and most memorable Chinese restaurants I have ever experienced are actually those who masterfully fuse Chinese tradition with French ingredients: Jin Sha at the Four Seasons Hangzhou at Westlake; 2 Michelin Tin Lung Heen at Level 102 of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong; Jiang at Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou by Chef Fei; and Ya Ge at Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Ironically, the world's only 3 Michelin star Chinese restaurant, Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hong Kong failed to impress me.

 

The former Ballroom area where Henry Kissinger started the Paris Peace talks with the Vietnamese has now been transformed as The Lobby, which is a signature of every Peninsula hotels where the afternoon tea ritual takes place daily. The spectacular room with intricate details and crystal chandeliers has been meticulously restored, and is an ideal place to meet, see and be seen. Breakfast is served daily here, and guests could choose to have it either inside or outside at the adjoining al fresco La Terrasse Kléber, which connects all the F&B outlets on the ground floor, including Lili. Guests could choose from a Chinese set breakfast, which includes dim sum, fried vermicelli, and porridge with beef slices; or the Parisian set, which includes gourmet items such as Egg Benedict with generous slices of Jamon Iberico on top. The afternoon tea ritual is expected to be very popular as renowned Chef Pattissier Julien Alvarez, -who claimed the World Pastry Champion in 2009; and also the Spanish World Chocolate Master in 2007 at the tender age of 23, is at the helm; and the venue quickly booked out from the opening day.

 

Next to the Lobby is a small, intimate bar covered in exquisite oak panelling where Henry Kissinger signed the Paris Peace Accord back in 1973 that ended the Vietnam War. Kissinger politely declined the offer to have the Bar named after him, and instead it is simply called Le Bar Kléber.

 

On the top floor of the hotel lies the signature restaurant L'Oiseau Blanc, which is named after the French biplane that disappeared in 1927 in an attempt to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight between Paris and New York. A 75% replica of the plane has even been installed outside the main entrance of the restaurant with the Eiffel Tower on its background. The restaurant is divided into 3 distinct areas: a spectacular glass enclosed main dining room; a large outdoor terrace that runs the entire length of the hotel's roof; and an adjoining lively bar, all with breathtaking uninterrupted views of Paris' most identifiable landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Cœur at the highest point of the city at Montmartre.

 

L'Oiseau Blanc is led by Chef Sidney Redel, a former protégé of Pierre Gagnaire, and serves contemporary French cuisine focussing on 'terroir' menu of locally sourced seasonal ingredients from the region. During my stay, tomato was the seasonal ingredients, and Chef Redel created four courses incorporating tomato, even on dessert. While the food was of high quality, personally the menu still needs fine tuning, considering the sort of clientele the Pen is aiming for: the ultra rich (Chinese), who usually seek top establishments with luxury ingredients, such as caviar, black truffle, foie gras, blue lobster, Jamon Iberico, Wagyu beef, Kurobuta pork and Challans chicken.

 

LEISURE:

The Peninsula Paris features one of the best health and recreational facilities in the city, housed within the basement of the hotel, and covers an expansive area of 1,800m2. For a comparison, rival Mandarin Oriental Spa covers a total area of only 900m2 over two floors. The Peninsula Spa is undoubtedly one of the nicest urban spa that I have been to, it easily beats the Spa at the Four Seasons George V. The pool is also one of the city's largest at 22m long, -compared to both the Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental at 15m; the George V at only 9m, which is more like a bigger jacuzzi. The only two other pools better than the Peninsula is the one designed by Phillippe Starck at the Le Royal Monceau at 28m; and the spectacular grand pool at the Ritz.

 

There is the usual 24 hours gym within two fitness spaces equipped with Technogym machines and free weights; and the locker rooms features steam, sauna, and experience shower room. There is a total of 8 treatment rooms within the Spa area, and the highlight is certainly the Relaxation Room, which is equipped with amazing day beds with specially placed deep cushions. The best part? the beds are electronically operated, much like a first class seat on a plane.

 

X-FACTOR:

The Peninsula signature technology; The Spa Button in the bathroom; VOIP technology for complimentary long distance calls; The top suites (Historic, Katara and Peninsula Suites); Xavier Corbero's Moon River sculpture at the Lobby; Lili; The Lobby and Bar where Henry Kissinger signed Paris Peace Accord; L'Oiseau Blanc Restaurant; The 1,800m2 Peninsula Spa; and the 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II.

 

SERVICE:

There are a total of 600 staffs for just 200 rooms, so the service level is expected to be high; but it is perhaps unfair to judge the service during the opening weeks when all staffs were not at their best due to the intense preparation leading to the opening event. Furthermore, teething problems are expected for a newly opened hotel as great hotels are not born overnight, but takes a good few years of refinement.

 

Nonetheless, I was actually quite impressed with the level of service during the whole stay, as the majority of the staffs showed great attitude and much enthusiasm, which is a testament of great intense training. As one of the first guests arriving on the opening day, check-in was truly delightful and memorable as a battalion of staffs of different ranks welcomed and wished the most pleasant stay. The mood could not have been more festive as moments later, the hotel was finally inaugurated.

 

I was also particularly impressed with the service at both LiLi and The Lobby where staffs performed at an exceptional level like a veteran. There are two distinct qualities that made a lot of difference during the stay: humility and friendliness, which is quite a challenge to find, not only in Paris and the entire Europe, but even in Asian cities, such as Hong Kong. It is like finding needles in a haystack. A genuine smile seems to be a rare commodity these days, so I was happy to see plenty of smiles at the Peninsula Paris during the stay, from the signature Peninsula Pageboys to waiters, Maître d, receptionists and even to Managers and Directors. In fact, there were more smiles in Paris than Hong Kong.

 

When I woken up too early for breakfast one day, the restaurant was just about to open; and there were hardly anyone. I realized that even the birds were probably still asleep, but I was extremely delighted to see how fresh looking and energetic the staffs were at the dining room. There was a lot of genuine smile that warmed the rather chilly morning; and it was a great start to the day. One of the staffs I met during the stay even candidly explained how they were happy just to be at work, and it does not feel like working at all, which was clearly shown in their passion and enthusiasm.

 

That said, the Shangri-La Paris by far is still my top pick for best service as it is more personalized and refined due to its more intimate scale. The Shangri-La Paris experience is also unique as guests are welcomed to a sit down registration by the historic lounge off the Lobby upon arrival, and choice of drinks are offered, before being escorted to the room for in-room check-in. Guests also receive a Pre-Arrival Form in advance, so the hotel could anticipate and best accommodate their needs. During the stay, I was also addressed by my last name everywhere within the hotel, so it was highly personalized. I did receive similar treatment at The Peninsula Paris, -albeit in a lesser extent due to its size; and even the housekeeping greeted me by my last name. Every requests, from room service to mineral water were all handled efficiently at a timely manner. At times, service could be rather slow at the restaurants (well, it happens almost everywhere in Paris), but this is part of the Parisian lifestyle where nothing is hurried; and bringing bills/checks upfront is considered rude. I did request the food servings to be expedited during a lunch at LiLi on the last day due to the time constraint; and the staffs managed to succeed the task not only ahead of the time limit, but also it never felt hurried all along. Everything ran as smooth as silk.

 

VERDICT:

It was a personal satisfaction to witness the history in the making during the opening day on 1 August 2014, as the Peninsula Paris is my most eagerly awaited hotel opening of the decade. It was also historic, as it was a first in my travel to dedicate a trip solely for a particular hotel in a particular city (in this case Paris, some 11,578km away from home), without staying at other fine hotels. It was money well spent, and a trip worth taking as it was an amazing stay; and certainly a lifetime experience.

 

The Peninsula Paris could not have arrived at a better time, as two of the most established Parisian grande dames (Ritz and de Crillon) are still closed for a complete renovation, and will only be revealed in 2015; so there is plenty of time to adapt, grow and hone its skills. But with such pedigree, quality and illustrious history, the Pen really has nothing to be worried about. The Four Seasons George V seems to have a cult of highly obsessed fans (esp. travel agents) worldwide, but personally (and objectively), it is no match to the Peninsula. Based on physical product alone, the Pen wins in every aspect as everything has been meticulously designed with the focus on guest comfort and convenience. In terms of technology, the Pen literally has no rival anywhere on the planet, except from the obvious sibling rivalry.

 

The only thing that the Pen still needs to work on is its signature restaurants as all its rival hotels have at least 2 Michelin star restaurants (L'abeille at the Shangri-La; Sur Mesure at the Mandarin Oriental; and 3 Michelin at Epicure, Le Bristol; Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V and Alain Ducasse at Le Meurice). L'Oiseau Blanc design is truly breathtaking and would certainly be the most popular gastronomic destination in Paris, but at the moment, the food still needs some works.

 

There were the expected teething problems and some inconsistencies with the service; but with years of refinement, The Peninsula Paris will no doubt ascend the throne. Personally, the Shangri-La Paris is currently the real competitor, together with the upcoming Ritz and de Crillon when they open next year, especially when Rosewood has taken over Crillon management and Karl Lagerfeld is working on its top suites. The two, however, may still need to revisit the drawing boards and put more effort on the guestrooms if they ever want to compete; because at the moment, The Peninsula Paris is simply unrivaled.

 

UPDATE 2016:

*I have always been very spot-on with my predictions. After only two years since its opening, The Peninsula Paris has been awarded the much coveted Palace status. In fact, it is the only hotel in Paris to receive such distinction in 2016. Congratulations, it is very much deserving*

 

PERSONAL RATING:

1. Room: 100

2. Bathroom: 100

3. Bed: 100

4. Service: 90

5. In-room Tech: 100

6. In-room Amenities: 100

7. Architecture & Design: 100

8. Food: 80

9. View: 80

10. Pool: 95

11. Wellness: 95

12. Location: 95

13. Value: 100

 

Overall: 95.00

 

Compare with other Parisian hotels (all with Palace status) that I have stayed previously:

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, PARIS: 95.00

PARK HYATT PARIS-VENDOME: 90.00

FOUR SEASONS GEORGE V: 85.38

 

My #1 ALL TIME FAVORITE HOTEL

LANDMARK MANDARIN ORIENTAL, HONG KONG: 95.38

 

THE PENINSULA, PARIS

19, Avenue Kléber, Paris

Awarded Palace Status in 2016

 

General Manager: Nicolas Béliard

Hotel Manager: Vincent Pimont

Executive Chef: Jean-Edern Hurstel

Head Chef (Lili): Chi Keung Tang

Head Chef (L'oiseau Blanc): Sidney Redel

Head Chef (The Lobby): Laurent Poitevin

Chef Patissier: Julien Alvarez

 

Architect (original Majestic Hotel, circa 1908): Armand Sibien

Architect (renovation & restoration, 2010-2014): Richard Martinet

Interior Designer: Henry Leung of Chhada Siembieda & Associates

Landscape Designer: D. Paysage

 

Art Curator: Sabrina Fung

Art Restorer: Cinzia Pasquali

Artist (Courtyard installation): Ben Jakober & Yannick Vu

Crystal work: Baccarat

Designer (Lili fiber optic installation): Clementine Chambon & Francoise Mamert

Designer (Chinaware): Catherine Bergen

Gilder Specialist & Restorer: Ateliers Gohard

Glass Crafter (Lobby Installation): Lasvit Glass Studio

Master Glass Crafters: Duchemin

Master Sculptor (Lobby): Xavier Corbero

Metalwork: Remy Garnier

Plaster & Moulding Expert: Stuc et Staff

Silverware: Christofle

Silk & Trimmings: Declercq Passementiers

Wood Restoration Expert: Atelier Fancelli

  

Hotel Opening Date: 01 August 2014

Notable owners: Katara Hospitality; Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group (HSH)

Total Rooms & Suites: 200 (including 35m2 Superior, 45m2 Deluxe, 50m2 Grand Deluxe, 55m2 Premier and 60m2 Grand Premier Rooms)

Total Suites: 34 Suites (including 70m2 Superior, 85m2 Deluxe and 100m2 Premier

Top Suites: Historic Suite, Katara Suite, and The Peninsula Suite

Bathroom Amenities: Oscar de la Renta

 

Restaurants: The Lobby (All day dining & Afternoon tea), LiLi (Cantonese), L'Oiseau Blanc (French), La Terrasse Kléber

Bars and Lounges: Le Bar Kléber; Kléber Lounge; Cigar Lounge; and L'Oiseau Blanc Bar

Meeting & Banquets: Salon de l'Étoile for up to 100 guests, and 3 smaller Function Rooms

Health & Leisure: 24 hours gym & 1,800m2 Peninsula Spa with 22m indoor swimming pool and jacuzzis; Steam & Sauna, Relaxation Room, and 8 treatment rooms

Transport: chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce Extended Wheel Base Phantom; a 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II; 2 MINI Cooper S Clubman; and a fleet of 10 BMW 7 Series

 

Complimentary facilities: Non-alcoholic Minibar; Wired and Wireless Internet; VOIP long distance calls; HD Movies; Daily fruit Basket; International Newspaper; Chauffeured MINI Cooper S Clubman for Suites guests; and Chauffeured Rolls Royce for top Suites

 

paris.peninsula.com

Ongoing exploration. The bottom ones are made using Derwent Inktense pencils dipped in water, a process I loved. Wishing for some fresh plant matter, but have a stash of dried stuff with which to continue. The goal is: to be more consistently loose (like the one on the left), to develop a vocabulary of preferred shapes, and to increase my knowledge of how this medium behaves so that I bring a measure of control to it. I'd also like to play with some color mixing of them and then try out the blocks vs. the pencils.

Singapore Zoo ranks consistently (after San Diego Zoo) as one of the best in the world.

 

There are currently about 300 species of animals across 28 hectares of lush rainforest. This is possible without a feeling of crowding because of the layering, with lemurs wandering freely, and orangutans and gibbons swinging high above the ground while the visitors watch from below.

 

For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/teeth-claws-and-colou...

Singapore Zoo ranks consistently (after San Diego Zoo) as one of the best in the world.

 

After years of research, scientists have established that zebra stripes protect the animals from biting flies. They probably also help in thermoregulation and camouflage.

 

For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/teeth-claws-and-colou...

Been getting above freezing pretty consistently these days. We get the occasional shot of snow, but so far just been some light dustings that melt within a day or two. Then it is back to melting the built up layer from the winter. There is now a mix of bare ground (where trees or buildings helped keep the snow from piling up quite as much) and fairly deep snow (still about 1 foot deep in the middle of the yard)

© yohanes.budiyanto, 2014

 

PRELUDE

The 1st of August, 2014 was such an historic day as the world finally welcomed the birth of the first in line to the Parisian throne after a painstaking and extraordinary "labor" process that took four years in creation, and almost a decade in the making. I was not talking about a French rival to baby George, but instead a newborn that has sent shivers down the spines of Paris' oldest and current Kings and Grand Dames from the day it was conceived. Yes, I was referring to The Peninsula Paris, the youngest sister to the legendary Peninsula Hong Kong (circa 1928).

 

Ever since the project was announced to the public four years ago, it has been on my top list of the most eagerly awaited hotel openings of the decade. So when the hotel announced 1st of August as an opening date back in March, I immediately issued my First Class return tickets to the City of Light, risking the usual opening delay. A man of his word, Peninsula Paris finally opened as scheduled.

 

HISTORY

The Peninsula brand needs no introduction, as it is synonymous with quality, technology, innovation, craftsmanship and sophistication, -much like a slogan for French top brands and their savoir faire. Despite having only 10 current properties worldwide in its portfolio (Paris is its tenth), each Peninsula hotel is a market leader in each respective cities, and consistently tops the chart in many bonafide travel publications and reigns supreme as the world's best, especially elder sisters in Hong Kong and Bangkok. The Peninsula model is different from other rival hotel groups, which usually expand aggressively through both franchise and managed models worldwide. Instead, the Peninsula focuses on acquiring majority to sole ownership on all its properties to ensure control on quality (Hong Kong, New York, Chicago and Tokyo are 100% owned; Bangkok, Beijing and Manila are over 75%; Shanghai is 50%, while Beverly Hills and Paris are the only two with only 20% ownership).

 

The history of the Peninsula Paris could be traced back to a modest villa aptly called Hotel Basilevski on the plot of land at 19 Avenue Kleber back in 1864, -named after its Russian diplomat owner, Alexander Petrovich Basilevski, which caught the attention of hotelier Leonard Tauber for his prospective hotel project. The Versailles-styled property was partly a museum housing Basilevski's vast and impressive collection of 19th century medieval and Renaissance art, which eventually was acquired by Alexander III, -a Russian Tsar, at the sums of six millions francs. These collections were later transported to the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and formed the base collection for the newly established Department of Medieval and Renaissance Art. After Basilevski sold the villa and moved to a more palatial residence at Avenue du Trocadero, the property was then acquired and rebranded the Palais de Castille as the residence of the exiled Queen Isabella II of Spain in 1868, who seeked refuge and continued to live there until 1904. Upon her death, the property was later demolished in 1906 to make way for the Majestic hotel, which finally opened in 1908 with much satisfaction of Leonard Tauber, who has eyed the premise from the very beginning.

 

The Majestic Hotel was exquisitely designed in the Beaux-Art style as a grand hotel by prominent architect of that time, Armand Sibien. Together with The Ritz (circa 1898), the two became the most preferred places to stay and entertain in Paris of the time. The Majestic has attracted the well-heeled crowd, and hosted many high profile events, most notably for a particular dinner hosted by rich British couple Sydney and Violet Schiff on 18 May 1922 as the after party of Igor Stravinsky's 'Le Renard' ballet premiere, and the hotel becomes an instant legend. The guests list were impressive: Igor Stravinsky himself, Pablo Picasso, Sergei Diaghilev, and two of the 20th century most legendary writers: James Joyce and Marcel Proust, who met for the first and only time before Proust's death six months later. Since then, the Majestic continued to draw high profile guests, including George Gershwin on 25 March 1928, where he composed "An American in Paris" during the stay.

 

If the walls could talk, the Majestic has plenty of stories to tell. It was once converted into a hospital during the infamy in 1914, and the British took residency at the hotel during the Paris Peace Conference back in 1919. The hotel was then acquired by the French State in 1936 as the offices of the Ministry of Defence; and later had a stint as the German Military High Command in France between October 1940 to July 1944 during the World War II. Post war, it then became the temporary home for UNESCO from 16 September 1946 until 1958. More than a decade after, the Paris Peace talks was opened by Henry Kissinger in one of its spectacular Ballrooms in 1969 with the Northern Vietnamese. Four years later, the Paris Peace Accord was finally signed at the oak paneled-room next to the Ballroom on 27 January 1973, which ended the Vietnam War. This triumphant event has also led to another victorious event when Henry Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize that same year.

 

The hotel continued to serve as the International Conference Center of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs until it was up for sale by the government in 2008 as part of the cost cutting program to the Qatari Diar, -which later transferred its ownership to Katara Hospitality, for a staggering USD 460 million. An excess of USD 600 million was further spent on the massive rebuilding and refurbishment not only to restore the hotel to its former glory, but also to transform it into a Peninsula with the highest standard.

 

The epic restoration work was led by prominent French architect, Richard Martinet, who has also previously work with the restoration of Prince Roland Bonaparte's former mansion into the Shangri-La Paris and also the Four Seasons George V; and involved teams of France's leading craftsmen; heritage designers and organisations; stonemasons from historic monument specialist; master glass crafters; crystal manufacturer; wood, moulding and gilder restoration experts, -many of whom are third generation, and have carried out high profile projects such as the Palace of Versailles, Louvre Museum, the dome of Les Invalides, the Grand and Petit Palais, and even the flame of the Statue of Liberty in New York. The result is truly breathtaking, and it was certainly money well spent to revive and recreate one of the nation's most treasured landmark. One of my favorite places within the hotel is the Main Lobby at Avenue des Portugais where the grand hall is adorned with a spectacular chandelier installation comprising 800 pieces of glass leaves inspired by the plane trees along Avenue Kleber. The work of Spain's most influential artist since Gaudi, Xavier Corbero, could also be found nearby in the form of a beautiful sculpture called Moon River.

 

Katara Hospitality owns 80% of The Peninsula Paris, and already has a spectacular portfolio ownership consisting some of the world's finest hotels, including The Raffles Singapore, Le Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris, Ritz-Carlton Doha, Schweizerhof Bern, and most recently, 5 of the InterContinental Hotel's European flagships, including Amstel in Amsterdam, Carlton in Cannes, De la Ville in Rome, Madrid and Frankfurt. It is interesting to note that Adrian Zecha, founder of the extraordinary Amanresorts chain is a member of the Board of Directors at Katara since September 2011, lending his immense hospitality expertise to the group.

 

At over USD 1 billion cost, the Pen Paris project is easily the most expensive to ever being built, considering it has only 200 rooms over 6 storeys. As a comparison, the cost of building the 101 storey, 494m high Shanghai World Financial Center (where the Park Hyatt Shanghai resides) is USD 1.2 billion; whereas Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building on earth at 163 storey and 828m, costed a 'modest' USD 1.5 billion to build. The numbers are truly mind boggling, and The Peninsula Paris is truly an extraordinary project. It might took the Majestic Hotel two years to build; but it took four years just to restore and reincarnate it into a Peninsula.

 

HOTEL OPENING

On a pleasant afternoon of 1 August 2014, the hotel finally opened its door to a crowd of distinguished guests, international journalists, first hotel guests and local crowds who partake to witness the inauguration and rebirth of a Parisian legend and grande dame (Many A-list celebrities and even Head of State flocked to the hotel to witness its sheer beauty). It was an historic day not just for Paris, but also for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group as it marks their arrival in Europe with its first ever Peninsula, while the second is already on the pipeline with the future opening of The Peninsula London, located just behind The Lanesborough at Knightsbridge.

 

The eagerly-awaited opening ceremony was attended by the Chairman of Katara Hospitality, His Excellency Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani; CEO of Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH), Clement Kwok; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Laurent Fabius; General Manager of the Peninsula Paris, Nicolas Béliard; and the event kicked off with an opening speech by the famous French Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, the Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, Madame Fleur Pellerin, who clearly stole the show with her public persona. A ribbon cutting and spectacular lion dance show concluded the event, which drew quite a spectacle on Avenue des Portugais as it brought a unique display of Asian heritage to the heart of cosmopolitan Paris.

 

LOCATION

The Peninsula Paris stands majestically at the tree-lined Avenue Kléber, just off the Arc de Triomphe. Personally, this is an ideal location in Paris as it is a stone's throw away from all the happenings at the Champs-Élysées, but is set away from its hustle and bustle, which is constantly a tourist trap day and night. Once you walk pass the leafy Avenue Kléber, the atmosphere is very different: peaceful and safe. The Kléber Metro station is just a few steps away from the hotel, providing guests a convenient access to further parts of town.

 

Champs-Élysées is the center of Parisian universe, and it is just a short and pleasant stroll away from the hotel, where some of the city's most legendary commercial and cultural institutions reside. For a start, Drugstore Publicis at the corner by the roundabout has been a legendary hang-out since the 1960s, and is my ultimate favourite place in town. The Post Modern edifice by architect Michele Saee (renovated in 2004) houses almost everything: a Cinema; side walk Brasserie & Steak House; Newsagency; Bookshop (you can find Travel publications and even the Michelin Guide); upscale Gift shop and Beauty corner (even Acqua di Parma is on sale here); Pharmacy (whose pharmacist thankfully speaks English and gladly advises you on your symptoms); upscale deli (stocking pretty much everything from Foie gras burger on the counter, to fine wines & cigar cellar; to Pierre Herme & Pierre Marcolini chocolates; Dalloyau bakery; Marriage Freres tea; and even the Petrossian Caviar!). Best of all, it features a 2 Michelin star L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile on its basement; and the store is even opened on Sunday until 2am. It is a one stop shopping, eating and entertainment, showcasing the best of France.

 

Further down the road, Maison Louis Vuitton stands majestically on its own entire 7 storey building, which was opened in 2005 as one of the biggest flagship stores in the world, covering a total area of 1,800m2. Designed by Eric Carlson and Peter Marino, the entire store is an architectural marvel and the temple of luxury, elegance and sophistication. This is one of the very few stores to open in Sunday as the French Labour Unions prohibits commercial stores to open on Sunday, unless if it involves cultural, recreational and sporting aspect. Initially, Maison LV was ordered by the court to close on Sunday, but LVMH finally wins an appeal in 2007 on the grounds of cultural experience; and the store has continued to draw endless queue on Sunday.

 

A block away from Maison LV is the legendary Parisian Tea Room of Ladurée, which was founded in 1862 by Louis Ernest Ladurée on its original store at 16 Rue Royal as a bakery. The Champs-Élysées store was opened in 1997 and has since attracted an endless queue of tourists and locals who wish to savour its legendary Macarons and pastries. The Ladurée phenomenon and popularity could only be rivaled by fellow Frenchmen Pierre Hermé, who has also attracted a cult of loyal fans worldwide. It may not have a flagship store at Champs-Élysées, but one could easily stop by Drugstore Publicis for a quick purchase to ease the craving.

 

For those looking for upscale boutiques, Avenue Montaigne located just nearby on a perpendicular, and features the flagship presence of the world's finest luxury fashion labels: Armani, Bottega Veneta, Valention, Prada, Dior, Versace, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Fendi and Salvatore Ferragamo to name a few. For the ultimate in shopping extravaganza, head down to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré where all money will (hopefully) be well spent.

 

Champs-Élysées is the most famous and expensive boulevard in the world, yet it has everything for everyone; and myriad of crowds flocking its grand boulevards for a pleasant stroll. It has no shortage of luxury stores, but it also offers mainstream stores for the general public, from Levi's to Zara and Lacoste; to McDonalds and Starbucks; and FNAC store (French answer to HMV).

 

In terms of fine dining experience, the areas around Champs-Élysées has plenty to offer. I have mentioned about the 2 Michelin L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile at the Drugstore Publicis, which was excellent. Robuchon never disappoints as it consistently serves amazing French cuisine amidst its signature red and black interior everywhere I visited, including Tokyo (3 Michelin), Hong Kong (3 Michelin), Paris (2 Michelin) and Taipei.

 

During my stay, I also managed to sample the finest cuisine from the kitchens of two, 3-Michelin Paris institutions: Pierre Gagnaire at Rue Balzac, just off Champs-Élysées; and Epicure at Le Bristol by Chef Eric Frechon on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, which was undoubtedly the best and most memorable dining experiences I have ever had in Paris to date. It is certainly the gastronomic highlight of this trip.

 

Other 3 Michelin establishment, such as Ledoyen is also located nearby at an 18th century pavilion by the Gardens of Champs-Élysées by newly appointed famous French Chef Yannick Alléno, who previously also resided at the Le Meurice with 3 Michelin, until Alain Ducasse took over last year during the Plaza Athénée closure for expansion.

 

August is a time of misery for international visitors to Paris as most fine dining restaurants are closed for the summer holiday. When choices are limited, foodies could rely on Epicure and Robuchon, which are opened all year round; and also the 2 Michelin star Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V. Although its food could not compete with Robuchon, Epicure and Gagnaire, guests could still enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

 

ROOMS:

On my visit to Paris last year, I was not too impressed with my stay at the Four Seasons George V, as everything seemed to be pretty basic: the room design; the in-room tech and amenities; and even the much lauded service. It simply does not justify the hefty price tag. The only thing stood out there were the ostentatious designer floral display at the lobby, which reportedly absorbed a six digit figure budget annually. When I saw them at the first time, this was what came to mind: guests are paying for these excessive flowers, whether you like it or not.

 

Fortunately, the Peninsula Paris skips all this expensive gimmick, and instead spends a fortune for guests to enjoy: advance room technology; a host of complimentary essential amenities, including internet access, non-alcoholic minibar, and even long distance phone calls. In fact, every single items inside the room has been well thought and designed for guest's ultimate comfort.

 

Ever since The Peninsula Bangkok opened in 1998 to much success, the group has used it as a template for its signature rooms for future sister hotels, which consists of an open plan, ultra-wide spacious room equivalent to a 2 bays suite, with 5-fixtures bathroom, and a separate Dressing Room, which soon becomes a Peninsula signature.

 

The Peninsula Tokyo followed this template when it opened in 2007 to rave reviews; and it was soon adopted as a model for Peninsula Shanghai, which later opened in 2009 as the flagship property in Mainland China. This layout is also being applied at The Peninsula Paris, albeit for its Suites categories, i.e. Junior Suite, which measure at an astonishing 50 - 60m2. The entry level Superior and Deluxe Rooms lack the signature layout with smaller size at 35 - 45m2, but they are already spacious for a Parisian standard; and each is equipped with Peninsula's signature technology.

 

Technology is indeed at the core of the Peninsula DNA, and no expense is spared in creating the world's most advance in-room technology. When other hotels try to cut costs and budgets on in-room technology with lame excuses, the Peninsula actually spends a fortune to innovate and set a new benchmark. In fact, it is probably the only hotel group to have its own Technology laboratory at a secret location deep inside Aberdeen, Hong Kong, where in-room tech is being developed and tested. It was here where innovative devices, such as the outside temperature indicator; my favourite Spa Button by the bathtub; or even the portable nail dryer for the ladies are invented. The Peninsula took the world by storm when it introduced the Samsung Galaxy tablet device at the Peninsula Hong Kong in 2012, which is programmed in 11 languages and virtually controls the entire room, including the lights, temperature, curtains, TV, radio, valet calls and Do Not Disturb sign. It even features touch screen Room Service Menu, hotel information, city guide, and a function to request room service and housekeeping items, thus creating an entirely paperless environment.

 

All these technological marvel are also being replicated at the Peninsula Paris, together with other 'standard' features, such as Nespresso Coffee Machine; flat-screen 3D LED television; LED touch screen wall panels; an iPod/iPad docking station; memory card reader; 4-in1 fax/scanner/printer/photocopier machine; DVD player; complimentary in-house HD movies; complimentary internet access and long distance calls through the VOIP platform. Even the room's exterior Parisian-styled canopy is electronically operated. All these technological offerings is so extremely complex, that it resulted in 2.5 km worth of cabling in each room alone.

 

Bathroom at the Junior Suite also features Peninsula's signature layout: a stand alone bathtub as the focal point, flanked by twin vanities and separate shower and WC compartments amidst acres of white marble. Probably the first in Paris, it features a Japanese Toilet complete with basic control panel, and a manual handheld bidet sprayer.

 

When all these add up to the stay, it actually brings a very good value to the otherwise high room rates. Better yet, the non-alcoholic Minibar is also complimentary, which is a first for a Peninsula hotel. The Four Seasons George V may choose to keep looking back to its antiquity past and annihilate most technological offerings to its most basic form, but the Pen always looks forward to the future and brings the utter convenience, all at your finger tip. The Peninsula rooms are undoubtedly the best designed, best equipped and most high-tech in the entire universe.

 

ROOM TO BOOK:

The 50 - 60m2 Junior Suite facing leafy Avenue Kléber is the best room type to book as it is an open-plan suite with Peninsula's signature bathroom and dressing room; and the ones located on the Premiere étage (first floor) have high ceilings and small balcony overlooking Kleber Terrace's iconic glass canopy. Personally, rooms facing the back street at Rue La Pérouse are the least preferred, but its top level rooms inside the Mansart Roof on level 5 have juliet windows that allow glimpse of the tip of Eiffel Tower despite being smaller in size due to its attic configuration. Superior Rooms also lack the signature Peninsula 5 fixtures bathroom configuration, so for the ultimate bathing experience, make sure to book at least from the Deluxe category.

 

If money is no object, book one of the five piece-de-resistance suites with their own private rooftop terrace and gardens on the top floor, which allow 360 degree panoramic views of Paris. Otherwise, the mid-tier Deluxe Suite is already a great choice with corner location, multiple windows and 85m2 of pure luxury.

 

DINING:

Looking back at the hotel's illustrious past, the Peninsula offers some of the most unique and memorable dining experiences in Paris, steep in history.

 

The area that once housed Igor Stravinksy's after party where James Joyce met Marcel Proust for the first time is now the hotel's Cantonese Restaurant, aptly called LiLi; and is led by Chef Chi Keung Tang, formerly of Peninsula Tokyo's One Michelin starred Hei Fung Terrace. Lili was actually modeled after Peninsula Shanghai's Yi Long Court, but the design here blends Chinese elements with Art Nouveau style that flourished in the late 1920s. It also boasts a world first: a spectacular 3x3.3m fiber optic installation at the entrance of the restaurant, depicting the imaginary portrait of LiLi herself. The Cantonese menu was surprisingly rather simple and basic, and features a selection of popular dim sum dishes. The best and most memorable Chinese restaurants I have ever experienced are actually those who masterfully fuse Chinese tradition with French ingredients: Jin Sha at the Four Seasons Hangzhou at Westlake; 2 Michelin Tin Lung Heen at Level 102 of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong; Jiang at Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou by Chef Fei; and Ya Ge at Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Ironically, the world's only 3 Michelin star Chinese restaurant, Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hong Kong failed to impress me.

 

The former Ballroom area where Henry Kissinger started the Paris Peace talks with the Vietnamese has now been transformed as The Lobby, which is a signature of every Peninsula hotels where the afternoon tea ritual takes place daily. The spectacular room with intricate details and crystal chandeliers has been meticulously restored, and is an ideal place to meet, see and be seen. Breakfast is served daily here, and guests could choose to have it either inside or outside at the adjoining al fresco La Terrasse Kléber, which connects all the F&B outlets on the ground floor, including Lili. Guests could choose from a Chinese set breakfast, which includes dim sum, fried vermicelli, and porridge with beef slices; or the Parisian set, which includes gourmet items such as Egg Benedict with generous slices of Jamon Iberico on top. The afternoon tea ritual is expected to be very popular as renowned Chef Pattissier Julien Alvarez, -who claimed the World Pastry Champion in 2009; and also the Spanish World Chocolate Master in 2007 at the tender age of 23, is at the helm; and the venue quickly booked out from the opening day.

 

Next to the Lobby is a small, intimate bar covered in exquisite oak panelling where Henry Kissinger signed the Paris Peace Accord back in 1973 that ended the Vietnam War. Kissinger politely declined the offer to have the Bar named after him, and instead it is simply called Le Bar Kléber.

 

On the top floor of the hotel lies the signature restaurant L'Oiseau Blanc, which is named after the French biplane that disappeared in 1927 in an attempt to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight between Paris and New York. A 75% replica of the plane has even been installed outside the main entrance of the restaurant with the Eiffel Tower on its background. The restaurant is divided into 3 distinct areas: a spectacular glass enclosed main dining room; a large outdoor terrace that runs the entire length of the hotel's roof; and an adjoining lively bar, all with breathtaking uninterrupted views of Paris' most identifiable landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Cœur at the highest point of the city at Montmartre.

 

L'Oiseau Blanc is led by Chef Sidney Redel, a former protégé of Pierre Gagnaire, and serves contemporary French cuisine focussing on 'terroir' menu of locally sourced seasonal ingredients from the region. During my stay, tomato was the seasonal ingredients, and Chef Redel created four courses incorporating tomato, even on dessert. While the food was of high quality, personally the menu still needs fine tuning, considering the sort of clientele the Pen is aiming for: the ultra rich (Chinese), who usually seek top establishments with luxury ingredients, such as caviar, black truffle, foie gras, blue lobster, Jamon Iberico, Wagyu beef, Kurobuta pork and Challans chicken.

 

LEISURE:

The Peninsula Paris features one of the best health and recreational facilities in the city, housed within the basement of the hotel, and covers an expansive area of 1,800m2. For a comparison, rival Mandarin Oriental Spa covers a total area of only 900m2 over two floors. The Peninsula Spa is undoubtedly one of the nicest urban spa that I have been to, it easily beats the Spa at the Four Seasons George V. The pool is also one of the city's largest at 22m long, -compared to both the Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental at 15m; the George V at only 9m, which is more like a bigger jacuzzi. The only two other pools better than the Peninsula is the one designed by Phillippe Starck at the Le Royal Monceau at 28m; and the spectacular grand pool at the Ritz.

 

There is the usual 24 hours gym within two fitness spaces equipped with Technogym machines and free weights; and the locker rooms features steam, sauna, and experience shower room. There is a total of 8 treatment rooms within the Spa area, and the highlight is certainly the Relaxation Room, which is equipped with amazing day beds with specially placed deep cushions. The best part? the beds are electronically operated, much like a first class seat on a plane.

 

X-FACTOR:

The Peninsula signature technology; The Spa Button in the bathroom; VOIP technology for complimentary long distance calls; The top suites (Historic, Katara and Peninsula Suites); Xavier Corbero's Moon River sculpture at the Lobby; Lili; The Lobby and Bar where Henry Kissinger signed Paris Peace Accord; L'Oiseau Blanc Restaurant; The 1,800m2 Peninsula Spa; and the 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II.

 

SERVICE:

There are a total of 600 staffs for just 200 rooms, so the service level is expected to be high; but it is perhaps unfair to judge the service during the opening weeks when all staffs were not at their best due to the intense preparation leading to the opening event. Furthermore, teething problems are expected for a newly opened hotel as great hotels are not born overnight, but takes a good few years of refinement.

 

Nonetheless, I was actually quite impressed with the level of service during the whole stay, as the majority of the staffs showed great attitude and much enthusiasm, which is a testament of great intense training. As one of the first guests arriving on the opening day, check-in was truly delightful and memorable as a battalion of staffs of different ranks welcomed and wished the most pleasant stay. The mood could not have been more festive as moments later, the hotel was finally inaugurated.

 

I was also particularly impressed with the service at both LiLi and The Lobby where staffs performed at an exceptional level like a veteran. There are two distinct qualities that made a lot of difference during the stay: humility and friendliness, which is quite a challenge to find, not only in Paris and the entire Europe, but even in Asian cities, such as Hong Kong. It is like finding needles in a haystack. A genuine smile seems to be a rare commodity these days, so I was happy to see plenty of smiles at the Peninsula Paris during the stay, from the signature Peninsula Pageboys to waiters, Maître d, receptionists and even to Managers and Directors. In fact, there were more smiles in Paris than Hong Kong.

 

When I woken up too early for breakfast one day, the restaurant was just about to open; and there were hardly anyone. I realized that even the birds were probably still asleep, but I was extremely delighted to see how fresh looking and energetic the staffs were at the dining room. There was a lot of genuine smile that warmed the rather chilly morning; and it was a great start to the day. One of the staffs I met during the stay even candidly explained how they were happy just to be at work, and it does not feel like working at all, which was clearly shown in their passion and enthusiasm.

 

That said, the Shangri-La Paris by far is still my top pick for best service as it is more personalized and refined due to its more intimate scale. The Shangri-La Paris experience is also unique as guests are welcomed to a sit down registration by the historic lounge off the Lobby upon arrival, and choice of drinks are offered, before being escorted to the room for in-room check-in. Guests also receive a Pre-Arrival Form in advance, so the hotel could anticipate and best accommodate their needs. During the stay, I was also addressed by my last name everywhere within the hotel, so it was highly personalized. I did receive similar treatment at The Peninsula Paris, -albeit in a lesser extent due to its size; and even the housekeeping greeted me by my last name. Every requests, from room service to mineral water were all handled efficiently at a timely manner. At times, service could be rather slow at the restaurants (well, it happens almost everywhere in Paris), but this is part of the Parisian lifestyle where nothing is hurried; and bringing bills/checks upfront is considered rude. I did request the food servings to be expedited during a lunch at LiLi on the last day due to the time constraint; and the staffs managed to succeed the task not only ahead of the time limit, but also it never felt hurried all along. Everything ran as smooth as silk.

 

VERDICT:

It was a personal satisfaction to witness the history in the making during the opening day on 1 August 2014, as the Peninsula Paris is my most eagerly awaited hotel opening of the decade. It was also historic, as it was a first in my travel to dedicate a trip solely for a particular hotel in a particular city (in this case Paris, some 11,578km away from home), without staying at other fine hotels. It was money well spent, and a trip worth taking as it was an amazing stay; and certainly a lifetime experience.

 

The Peninsula Paris could not have arrived at a better time, as two of the most established Parisian grande dames (Ritz and de Crillon) are still closed for a complete renovation, and will only be revealed in 2015; so there is plenty of time to adapt, grow and hone its skills. But with such pedigree, quality and illustrious history, the Pen really has nothing to be worried about. The Four Seasons George V seems to have a cult of highly obsessed fans (esp. travel agents) worldwide, but personally (and objectively), it is no match to the Peninsula. Based on physical product alone, the Pen wins in every aspect as everything has been meticulously designed with the focus on guest comfort and convenience. In terms of technology, the Pen literally has no rival anywhere on the planet, except from the obvious sibling rivalry.

 

The only thing that the Pen still needs to work on is its signature restaurants as all its rival hotels have at least 2 Michelin star restaurants (L'abeille at the Shangri-La; Sur Mesure at the Mandarin Oriental; and 3 Michelin at Epicure, Le Bristol; Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V and Alain Ducasse at Le Meurice). L'Oiseau Blanc design is truly breathtaking and would certainly be the most popular gastronomic destination in Paris, but at the moment, the food still needs some works.

 

There were the expected teething problems and some inconsistencies with the service; but with years of refinement, The Peninsula Paris will no doubt ascend the throne. Personally, the Shangri-La Paris is currently the real competitor, together with the upcoming Ritz and de Crillon when they open next year, especially when Rosewood has taken over Crillon management and Karl Lagerfeld is working on its top suites. The two, however, may still need to revisit the drawing boards and put more effort on the guestrooms if they ever want to compete; because at the moment, The Peninsula Paris is simply unrivaled.

 

UPDATE 2016:

*I have always been very spot-on with my predictions. After only two years since its opening, The Peninsula Paris has been awarded the much coveted Palace status. In fact, it is the only hotel in Paris to receive such distinction in 2016. Congratulations, it is very much deserving*

 

PERSONAL RATING:

1. Room: 100

2. Bathroom: 100

3. Bed: 100

4. Service: 90

5. In-room Tech: 100

6. In-room Amenities: 100

7. Architecture & Design: 100

8. Food: 80

9. View: 80

10. Pool: 95

11. Wellness: 95

12. Location: 95

13. Value: 100

 

Overall: 95.00

 

Compare with other Parisian hotels (all with Palace status) that I have stayed previously:

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, PARIS: 95.00

PARK HYATT PARIS-VENDOME: 90.00

FOUR SEASONS GEORGE V: 85.38

 

My #1 ALL TIME FAVORITE HOTEL

LANDMARK MANDARIN ORIENTAL, HONG KONG: 95.38

 

THE PENINSULA, PARIS

19, Avenue Kléber, Paris

Awarded Palace Status in 2016

 

General Manager: Nicolas Béliard

Hotel Manager: Vincent Pimont

Executive Chef: Jean-Edern Hurstel

Head Chef (Lili): Chi Keung Tang

Head Chef (L'oiseau Blanc): Sidney Redel

Head Chef (The Lobby): Laurent Poitevin

Chef Patissier: Julien Alvarez

 

Architect (original Majestic Hotel, circa 1908): Armand Sibien

Architect (renovation & restoration, 2010-2014): Richard Martinet

Interior Designer: Henry Leung of Chhada Siembieda & Associates

Landscape Designer: D. Paysage

 

Art Curator: Sabrina Fung

Art Restorer: Cinzia Pasquali

Artist (Courtyard installation): Ben Jakober & Yannick Vu

Crystal work: Baccarat

Designer (Lili fiber optic installation): Clementine Chambon & Francoise Mamert

Designer (Chinaware): Catherine Bergen

Gilder Specialist & Restorer: Ateliers Gohard

Glass Crafter (Lobby Installation): Lasvit Glass Studio

Master Glass Crafters: Duchemin

Master Sculptor (Lobby): Xavier Corbero

Metalwork: Remy Garnier

Plaster & Moulding Expert: Stuc et Staff

Silverware: Christofle

Silk & Trimmings: Declercq Passementiers

Wood Restoration Expert: Atelier Fancelli

  

Hotel Opening Date: 01 August 2014

Notable owners: Katara Hospitality; Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group (HSH)

Total Rooms & Suites: 200 (including 35m2 Superior, 45m2 Deluxe, 50m2 Grand Deluxe, 55m2 Premier and 60m2 Grand Premier Rooms)

Total Suites: 34 Suites (including 70m2 Superior, 85m2 Deluxe and 100m2 Premier

Top Suites: Historic Suite, Katara Suite, and The Peninsula Suite

Bathroom Amenities: Oscar de la Renta

 

Restaurants: The Lobby (All day dining & Afternoon tea), LiLi (Cantonese), L'Oiseau Blanc (French), La Terrasse Kléber

Bars and Lounges: Le Bar Kléber; Kléber Lounge; Cigar Lounge; and L'Oiseau Blanc Bar

Meeting & Banquets: Salon de l'Étoile for up to 100 guests, and 3 smaller Function Rooms

Health & Leisure: 24 hours gym & 1,800m2 Peninsula Spa with 22m indoor swimming pool and jacuzzis; Steam & Sauna, Relaxation Room, and 8 treatment rooms

Transport: chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce Extended Wheel Base Phantom; a 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II; 2 MINI Cooper S Clubman; and a fleet of 10 BMW 7 Series

 

Complimentary facilities: Non-alcoholic Minibar; Wired and Wireless Internet; VOIP long distance calls; HD Movies; Daily fruit Basket; International Newspaper; Chauffeured MINI Cooper S Clubman for Suites guests; and Chauffeured Rolls Royce for top Suites

 

paris.peninsula.com

Height 32% of length, typical for P. depressa. (In sample of twelve typical shells from S.W.England and N.W. Wales range 25-37%).

Posterior and anterior profiles slightly convex.

Grey cephalic tentacles

Small black eye is primitive (or degenerate) cavity, open to seawater and lined with black retina cells.

White sides of foot lack features such as epipodial tentacles.

 

SPECIES DESCRIPTION part B BELOW

SPECIES DESCRIPTION part A 1Pd flic.kr/p/BaSA3C

Key id. features 3Pd flic.kr/p/Ay7bhf

PDF version at www.researchgate.net/profile/Ian_Smith19/research

 

OTHER SPECIES ALBUMS www.flickr.com/photos/56388191@N08/collections/

 

Identification of British patellid limpets.

Shell-exterior cannot be relied on, and shell-interiors can be confusing. Examination, in good light under magnification, of extended pallial tentacles on living animals is essential for consistent accurate discrimination of the three rock-dwelling Patella species. Best achieved with specimen adhering to underside of supported glass-sheet in black-based container of seawater.

Some morphologically intermediate forms can only be reliably identified by sequencing DNA or allozyme study 36Pd flic.kr/p/BdwtN8 and 37Pd flic.kr/p/AzydCD . Intermediates result from similar environmental factors affecting different species in similar ways and are not hybrids (Sanna et al., 2011 and Sá-Pinto et al., 2007). For the purpose of recording for distribution schemes it is advisable to disregard intermediates unless DNA or allozymes can be employed, especially beyond or on the limits of known distributions. Intermediates most frequent near limit of distributions of P. depressa and P. ulyssiponensis in Isle of Wight , perhaps because conditions not optimal (Fretter and Graham, 1994).

 

Key identification features of typical British specimens.

 

Patella depressa

[1&2 in combination, not singly, diagnostic of typical specimens but excludes intermediates.]

1. Pigmented pallial tentacles are opaque chalky-white for more than half of extended-length; may have translucent tip; distinctly whiter than buff mantle-skirt from which they arise 19Pd flic.kr/p/Af37zY . Even when mantle-skirt retracted, pallial tentacles often clearly visible contrasting with the darker mantle17Pd flic.kr/p/BaRWfU .

2. Sole of foot pitch-brown 16Pd flic.kr/p/Afb9yv to black 17Pd flic.kr/p/BaRWfU .

3. On shell-interior, whitish projecting points of ribs have short, unglazed, chalky, pure-white central line, but reduced or lacking where projecting points of ribs eroded 8Pd flic.kr/p/Ay6YL9 . [This feature recently recognised by S. Payne, and applies to all in large sample examined by IFS. ]

 

Before making records of this species further north than NW Anglesey it is advisable to familiarize oneself with specimens in areas where it is known to be frequent such as S. Devon, Channel Islands or Brittany.

Confirmation/correction can be sought by posting clear photo of pallial tentacles and foot on British Marine Molluscs Group at www.facebook.com/groups/british.marine.mollusca/

 

Similar species

 

Patella ulyssiponensis

1. Pallial tentacles have opaque pigment; white, off-white, cream or, on large specimens, yellowish or orange for about half of length; distal-half fades to translucent. Opaque basal parts often distinct from translucent mantle-skirt that they arise from so possible to confuse with P. depressa; important to use pallial tentacles in combination with foot-colour/shell-length for identification 41Pd flic.kr/p/ABFYRn .

2. Foot not pitch-brown/black; whitish when young 42Pd flic.kr/p/ALnSTW becoming yellowish 43Pd flic.kr/p/Ber2rm and often orange with age 44Pd flic.kr/p/ALnJ39 . Beware of juveniles under 12mm length that lack gonads above sole as dark viscera may show as blackish-shadow through thin pale translucent foot 42Pd flic.kr/p/ALnSTW . Green ovaries resting on interior surface of foot of mature female may show as faint greenish tinted zone along median line of foot where it is thinnest 43Pd flic.kr/p/Ber2rm .

 

Patella vulgata

Extremely variable species; foot colours and nearly all shell-features have overlaps with P. depressa and P. ulyssiponensis.

1. Pigment-less pallial tentacles are slender, translucent and same colour as mantle-skirt they arise from 45Pd flic.kr/p/AiLHRg .

Cautions:

Pallial tentacles may look white when arise from colourless mantle-skirt in some lighting, but no pigment and not chalky-white 46Pd flic.kr/p/AE15Wx .

Pigment-less translucency and fineness often make discernment difficult, especially when mantle skirt retracted from shell-rim and pallial tentacles viewed against shell 47Pd flic.kr/p/BeqQNY ; often virtually invisible when out of water as may be retracted into mantle 48Pd flic.kr/p/ABFF5R .

Foot colour varies, sometimes as dark as on P. depressa 47Pd flic.kr/p/BeqQNY .

 

Habits and ecology

On rocky shores with mild winters (January mean air temperature 42°F/5.6°C and above 40Pd flic.kr/p/BewPND ) with Ballantine (1961) wave exposure scale 1-5 (extremely exposed to fairly sheltered) where turbidity does not prevent plant growth. On bedrock in shallow pools, seawater trickles or other damp positions, not on shingle or boulders. Not sublittoral; lower limit varies, usually somewhere between MLWN and MLWS; upper limit MHWN, or EHWS if frequent swell-splash or in pools. Average size of adults decreases up shore (Branch, 1981a); unable to produce very large, thick, high-domed shells, like those of some P. vulgata 49Pd flic.kr/p/ABGb4o , to resist dessication on drained rock on upper shore, though some intermediate forms show a tendency towards a high profile 36Pd flic.kr/p/BdwtN8 . P.depressa is reported to be a rigidly homing species (Branch, 1981a), adults always after feeding-excursions seeking to return to same position. Foot longitudinally divided on interior by deep median groove of large blood sinus 25Pd flic.kr/p/ABS7Sp . Locomotion by retrograde waves alternating on each side (ditaxic) of sole; muscles alternately compress/relax against blood trapped between them to create waves 25Pd flic.kr/p/ABS7Sp . Feeds, mainly at night (Branch, 1981a) , on algal sporelings, detritus containing diatoms and organic remains, and on short algal growths, including encrusting calcareous spp. Grazing rock surfaces is facilitated by powerful muscles on large buccal mass 32Pd flic.kr/p/Bcivym , and by hard, iron-mineralized teeth on long ribbon with plentiful replacements for worn teeth 33Pd flic.kr/p/ABRUWR . Length varies seasonally; shorter when wear of active feeding exceeds growth rate. Patella spp. wear out up to two rows of teeth per day (Sigel, 2008 ). About four rows of teeth are in contact with substrate during feeding 15Pd flic.kr/p/Ay6H2J ; loose particles are retained by rim of surrounding jaw# 24Pd flic.kr/p/BdwNkP and the licker 32Pd flic.kr/p/Bcivym which sweeps them up at the end of the radula stroke. Long coiled intestine 30Pd flic.kr/p/Bex7R6 compacts faeces into firm faecal strings that will not contaminate gills in pallial groove; compensates for adults lacking hypobranchial gland to produce mucus to bind particles exiting from nuchal cavity. Cilia on roof of nuchal cavity and side of foot conduct faecal matter from anus in nuchal cavity to middle of right side 38Pd flic.kr/p/AguFeC . Faeces and debris accumulate there until periodic sharp contraction of pedal-retractor muscle clamps shell down and forcefully flushes water and waste out of shell (Fretter & Graham 1962 & 1994). When limpets removed from rock, accumulated pile of faecal strings often found in position. Cilia also create inhalent water-current from left of head through nuchal cavity, where urogenital openings located, and thence carry excreta and ova/sperm to exterior. Predators reported to be able to dislodge P. vulgata shells probably take P. depressa too; they include gulls (Larus spp.), oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus), crabs, starfish and rats. Nucella lapillus bores through the shell, usually to the pedal-retractor muscle where the adjacent viscera are accessible obliquely to its radula without having to bore through the thick amphora# shell-layers covering the viscera. Boring takes several days, but is rewarded with a large food supply, providing the Nucella isn't dislodged before completion 39Pd flic.kr/p/AguCY5 . Absence or scarcity of P.depressa from very sheltered sites, where crabs are abundant, and from the sublittoral fringe, where starfish occur, might be because of greater susceptibilty of this small species to them than of the larger P. vulgata and P. ulyssiponensis. Respiration: gill-cilia create gentle local inhalent respiratory water currents all around perimeter of animal from adjacent shell-rim onto gills, and exhalent currents below gills back to shell-rim 38Pd flic.kr/p/AguFeC (Yonge & Thompson, 1976). Densely ciliated groove on stalk and rim of each gill-lamella catches and removes large particles of detritus that would clog gill (Fretter & Graham, 1994) 18Pd flic.kr/p/Bc59v8 . Blood passes from viscera and foot via vessels through gaps in encircling shell-muscle 20Pd flic.kr/p/Ay6PEH into gills for oxygenation, and thence into encircling efferent pallial vessel 26Pd flic.kr/p/BciErS which takes it through nuchal cavity 29Pd flic.kr/p/AguVDE to heart for recirculation to head, foot and viscera (Fretter & Graham, 1994) .

 

Breeds spring to autumn, perhaps with summer pause (Fretter & Graham, 1994). May vary geographically; Yonge & Thompson (1976) said breeds sporadically all year with summer maximum. External fertilization so close proximity of sexes required for success; new populations unlikely to be established by isolated strays. Sperm and ova shed into water column, ova individually. Eggs hatch as free trochophore larvae (stage passed within egg by most “less-primitive” spp.) in plankton before transforming to veligers and, after a short planktonic-life, settling on lower shore and assuming limpet form. Spat, when 1mm long, have ten radiating ridges; P. vulgata has five ridges on right, four on left. P. ulyssiponensis has eight (Fretter & Graham, 1994). Move higher up shore when shell-length 5mm.

 

Distribution and status

P. depressa is a North-east Atlantic species extending northwards from Senegal (Trigo et al., 2018) through western Iberia and France to its northern limits in North Wales, eastern part of south coast England and Normandy. It extends only a short way into the Mediterranean. Trigo et al. (2018) states to Malaga, but an image with diagnostic foot and pallial tentacles shows it extends to Almeira 51Pd flic.kr/p/2k6xwit . Its absence further into the Mediterranean might be because the slight tidal rise and fall there does not produce a sufficient intertidal zone for this purely eulittoral species. The precise northern limits fluctuate, generally polewards in warm periods and receding in cooler periods, though other factors may have an influence 40Pd flic.kr/p/BewPND . In Britain, it is restricted to areas with mild winters with February mean Sea Surface Temperatures above 8°C. Consistently present populations occur between the Isle of Wight and mid Wales with zones of fluctuation beyond those points (Kendall et al. 2004). The most recent published information (Oróstica et al., October 2020 ) shows that, as would be expected in this period of exceptional temperature increase, the range has extended with scattered rare specimens reaching Beachy Head in south-east England, near Dunster in Somerset and Barry in Glamorgan but, unexpectedly, it has not reoccupied the north-western side of Lleyn or north-west Anglesey where it was recorded in the 1950s and lost in the 1980s.

The absence of P. depressa records on the mild-winter coasts of Ireland obviously requires explanation. Its distribution is used in Lewis (1964) as an exemplar of “southern species” with an explanation for its absence from Ireland. This eulittoral species cannot crawl across wide sublittoral areas. It is possible that it reached Britain in the warming after the Ice Age before sea-level rise cut Britain off from the continent but after Ireland had been cut off from Britain. Planktonic larvae can traverse sublittoral areas, but the phase is short in P. depressa so time is limited and it is difficult if currents are adverse. External fertilization requires a minimum population density with the sexes in close proximity for successful establishment of a sustained population; there may have been occasional small settlements in Ireland that have subsequently failed (Lewis, 1964). Records in Ireland, Scotland and the North Sea on distribution maps should be regarded as misidentifications unless there is photographic evidence of both brown-black foot and chalk-white opaque pallial tentacles.

 

Acknowledgements

I gratefully acknowledge the help of Jan Light and Sebastian Payne with information and discussion, and in providing many specimens for examination. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the author. I thank Samuel Santos García for use of his photograph of a specimen from Almeira.

 

Links and references

 

Akşit, D. & Falakil Mutaf, B. 2011. The external morphology of the gill of Patella caerulea L. (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Turk. J. Zool. 35(4) 603-606. Tübitak. Turkey. PDF contains SEM images of gill lamellae.

www.google.co.uk/search?q=patella+gill+ciliated+groove&am...

 

Ballantine, W.J. 1961. A biologically-defined exposure scale for comparative description of rocky shores. Field studies 1(3): 1-19. Free pdf at: fsj.field-studies-council.org/media/344345/vol1.3_17.pdf

 

Barber, A.H., Lu, D. & Pugno, N.M. 2015 Extreme strength observed in limpet teeth The Royal Society.

rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/105/20141326

 

Branch, G.M. 1981a. The biology of limpets. Oceangr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev. learning.watfordboys.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=4730

 

Branch, G.M. 1981b. The biology of limpets. Oceangr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev. www.google.co.uk/search?q=Patella+vulgata+blood+circulati...

 

Cohen, A.L. & Branch, G.M. 1992. Environmentally controlled variation in the structure and mineralogy of Patella granularis shells from the coast of southern Africa: implications for palaeotemperature assessments. Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 91: 49-57. www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=163844&pt=2&p=36767

 

Forbes, E. & Hanley S. 1849-53. A history of the British mollusca and their shells. vol. 2 (1849), London, van Voorst. (As dark-bodied variety of their P. athletica) ; Free PDF at archive.org/stream/historyofbritish02forb#page/428/mode/2up Use slide at base of page to select pp.428 for footnote.

 

Fretter, V. and Graham, A. 1962. British prosobranch molluscs. London, Ray Society.

 

Fretter, V. and Graham, A. 1994. British prosobranch molluscs. Revised and updated edition. London, Ray Society.

 

Goshima, S., Ilano A.S. & Ito, A. 2002. Seasonal and tidal-height variations in body weight and radular length in Nodilittorina radiata (Eydoux & Souleyet, 1852) J. Mollus. Stud. 68(3): 197-203.

mollus.oxfordjournals.org/content/68/3/197.full.pdf+html

 

Graham, A. 1988. Prosobranch and pyramidellid gastropods. London.

 

Heppel, D. 1964. Recorder's report: marine Molluscs. J. Conch. Lond., 25: 308-313.

 

Hughes, S.L., Holliday, N.P., Kennedy, J., Berry, D.I., Kent, E.C., Sherwin, T., Dye, S., Inall, M., Shammon, T. and Smyth, T. 2010. Temperature (Air and Sea) in MCCIP Annual Report Card 2010-11, MCCIP Science Review, 16pp. www.mccip.org.uk/arc

 

Jeffreys, J.G. 1862-69. British conchology. vol. 3 (1865). London, van Voorst. (As var.3 intermedia of Patella vulgata. Note that var.4 depressa describes P. ulyssiponensis features); Free PDF at archive.org/stream/britishconcholog03jeff#page/230/mode/2up . Use slide at base of page to select pp.230- 241.

 

Lewis, J.R. 1964. The ecology of rocky shores. London, Hodder & Stoughton.

 

Light, J. A guide to limpet identification for the general naturalist www.glaucus.org.uk/Limpet.htm

 

MacClintock, C. 1967. Shell structure of patelloid and bellerophontid gastropods (Mollusca). Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University. Bulletin 22.pdf at

www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=MacClintock%2C+C.+1967.+Sh....

215 pages, may take a few minutes to download. Contents on page v.(= p.6 of pdf). To find pages on pdf add 1 to Roman numerals, and add 11 to Arabic numerals.

 

McKay, D.W. and Smith, S.M. 1979. Marine mollusca of East Scotland. Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Museum.

 

Moore, H.B. 1937. Marine fauna of the Isle of Man. University Press of Liverpool. (“P. depressa Pennant” listed for I.O.M., but “[= P. athletica Bean] Forbes & Hanley 1853” shows record is actually of P. ulyssiponensis following the taxonomic misunderstanding of Jeffreys, and Forbes & Hanley).

 

Oróstica, M. H 2018. Living at the edge: Ecology of Patella species in Britain. PhD thesis. Bangor University.

research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/files/22310847/2018OrosticaP...

  

Oróstica, M. H., Hawkins, S. J., Broitman, B. R. and Jenkins S. R. 2020. Performance of a warm-water limpet species towards its poleward range edge compared to a colder-water congener. Mar Ecol Prog Ser doi.org/10.3354/meps13461

 

Pennant, T. 1777 British zoology London.

Page 142 biodiversitylibrary.org/item/127011#page/168/mode/1up

Pl. 89 fig.146. biodiversitylibrary.org/item/127011#page/361/mode/1up

 

Sanna, D., Dedola, G. L., Lai, T., Curini-Galletti, M. & Casu, M. 2011. PCR-RFLP: A practical method for the identification of specimens of Patella ulyssiponensis s.l. (Gastropoda: Patellidae), Italian Journal of Zoology,

pdf at www.researchgate.net/publication/233126771_PCR-RFLP_A_pra...

 

Sá-Pinto, A., Branco,M., Harris, D.J. & Alexandrino, P. 2005. Phylogeny and phylogeography of the genus Patella based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 325: 95-110.

 

Sá-Pinto, A., Alexandrino, P. & Branco,M. 2007. High genetic differentiation with no evidence of hybridization between four limpet species (Patella spp.) revealed by allozyme loci. Scientia Marina 71(4): 801-810. Barcelona. pdf at www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/131981.pdf

 

Sigel, A., Sigel, H. and Sigel, R.K.O., (Editors) 2008. Biomineralization: from nature to application. Chichester, Wiley. Page 299 (to access this page on-line Google-search “limpet wear teeth” and scroll down results to find title) books.google.co.uk/books?id=TiwK2VQhPMkC&pg=PA299&amp...

 

Tomlin, J.R.Le B. 1923. Patella depressa Pennant. J. Conch. Lond., 17: 34.

 

Trigo, J.E.; Diaz Agras, G.J.; Garcia Alvarez, O.L.; Guerra, A.; Moreira, J.; Pérez, J.; Rolán, E.; Troncoso, J.S,; Urgorri, V.. 2018. Guia de los Moluscos Marinos de Galicia. Servicio de Publicacións da Universidade de Vigo.

 

Yonge, C.M. and Thompson, T.E. 1976. Living marine molluscs. London.

 

Current taxonomy: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)

www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=151374

  

GLOSSARY

 

amphora – (on interior of limpet shell) Roman amphora-shaped area enclosed by scars of pedal-retractor muscle and anterior mantle-attachment.

 

aperture – mouth of gastropod shell; outlet for head and foot.

apex - earliest formed part of a gastropod shell, the summit of the cone. (In this limpet-account restricted to the exterior of the shell, and “vertex” used for the interior.)

 

cephalic – (adj.) of or on the head.

cilia – (pl.) microscopic linear extensions of membrane that move in rhythmic waves to create locomotion, or move particles and liquids e.g. inhalent water currents. (“cilium” singular). (Electron scanning microscope image at flic.kr/p/qQB5zj )

 

ciliary – (adj.) relating to or involving cilia.

coll. – in the collection of (named person or institution) (compare with legit).

conoid – shaped like a cone.

ctenidium – comb-like molluscan gill; usually an axis with a row of filaments either side (missing from Patella spp.).

distal - away from centre of body or point of attachment.

ditaxic - (of locomotion waves on foot) double series of waves, out of phase with each other, one series on each side of median line on sole.

 

ELWS – extreme low water spring tide level (usually near March and September equinoxes).

EHWS - extreme high water spring tide level (usually near March and September equinoxes).

epipodial - (adj.) of the epipodium (collar or circlet running round sides of foot of some gastropods).

 

epithelium – membranous covering of internal and external surfaces of animal's body, e.g. skin and lining of tubes and cavities.

 

head scar – term used by many British authors for patch of different shell-material, and often different colour, near vertex of interior of limpet shell; misnomer as the mobile head, free of any attachment to the shell or mantle-roof of the nuchal cavity cannot make a scar. A preferable term is “vertex patch”.

 

height – (of limpet) perpendicular distance from apex to plane of aperture-rim (best measured with callipers).

 

hyaline shield – transparent sheet of chitin at anterior of radula that rests on bolsters of odontophore; attachment point for retractor muscles of radula; helps guide food particles into mouth.

 

interspecific – existing or arising between different species.

intraspecific – occuring within a single species or involving members of one species.

jaw - unarticulated chitinous structure that encloses inner lips of Patella spp. at sides and anterior.

 

legit – (abbreviation; leg.) collected/ found by (compare with coll.)

licker - cuticularized structure with plate-like ridges and deep transverse grooves at tip of radula of Patella spp.; retains and sweeps up food particles.

 

mantle – sheet of tissue covering visceral mass of molluscs. Secretes shell of shelled species, and forms part or all of dorsal body surface (notum) of those without shells. (See mantle skirt.)

 

mantle skirt – extension on gastropods of mantle proper as a flap roofing a cavity containing gills, genital and renal openings, anus etc. On limpets, skirt and cavity extend around periphery of animal.

 

MHWN - mean high water neap tide level (mean level reached by weakest high tides for a few days every fortnight. i.e. those that rise the least).

 

MLWN – mean low water neap tide level (mean level reached by weakest low tides for a few days every fortnight. i.e. those that fall the least).

 

MLWS - mean low water spring tide level (mean level reached by lowest low tides for a few days every fortnight; Laminaria or Coralline zone on rocky coasts).

 

nuchal – (adj.) of nape of the neck.

nuchal cavity – cavity roofed by mantle skirt that contains head of limpet; part of mantle cavity (remainder consists of pallial groove on each side of body).

 

ovoid – egg-shaped, as a solid or in outline.

pallial groove band – shell material deposited on interior of shell by strip of black mantle roofing the pallial groove that contains the gills. On British Patella spp. p.g. band is often clouded-white.

 

pedal retractor muscle – strong muscle that retracts foot into shell of most gastropods, but on limpets is used to clamp shell to substrate, a.k.a. “foot muscle”.

 

retrograde - (of locomotion waves on foot) waves travel from anterior to posterior.

scar – mark on shell made by attachment point of muscle or other body part.

 

skirt shell layer - shell material deposited on interior of shell by mantle skirt. On British Patella spp. colourless when deposited, and clouded white, or transparent showing the colours of the outer layer. Crystalline structure causes short lines of blue iridescence parallel to the aperture rim on all four British species of Patella when the light is right.

 

trochophore – spherical or pear-shaped larva that swims with aid of girdle of cilia. Stage preceding veliger, passed within gastropod egg in most spp. but free in plankton for patellid limpets, most Trochidae and Tricolia pullus.

 

tricuspid - (of tooth) having three points.

unicuspid - (of tooth) having a single point.

veliger – shelled larva of marine gastropod or bivalve mollusc which moves by beating cilia of a velum (bilobed flap).

 

vertex – angle at highest point on interior of limpet-shell. [Synonym of “apex”, chosen (by IFS) to help avoid confusion with the highest point, apex, on the exterior. Gmelin used “vertex” when describing the interior of Patella ulyssiponensis, and in classical Latin “vertex” was used for the “pole of the heavens”; obviously only seen from below.]

 

vertex patch –layer of different shell-material, and often different colour, at vertex of interior of limpet shell. (See “head scar”.)

 

It's been consistently overcast here in Northern California for about two weeks so to fit that mood I thought I would do something edgy and dramatic, combined with Bella's roots on the street. This was taken on a mile stretch of road that is blocked off on both sides with no access for cars. I took this at about 2:00 in the afternoon.

 

I underexposed the ambient by about two stops, and placed a speedlite behind Bella (that's the flare), and one in front (camera left).

 

I added a texture from flickr user skeletalmess.

Singapore Zoo ranks consistently (after San Diego Zoo) as one of the best in the world.

 

Whenever we move from one area of the zoo to another, we need only look up to see more magnificent apes. That baby must have quite the grip to be able to hang on to mum’s chest as they swing through the trees!

 

For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/teeth-claws-and-colou...

The story for this build is quite long, but I strongly recommend reading it as it will provide a great deal of insight and explanation about the Black Dragons.

 

=================================================================

 

After a short time of walking through the winding tunnels beneath Armendahl’s Mountain, Andared and Kyle arrived at the camp of the Black Dragons. The vast openings and chambers that had been carved out of the mountain rock made an immediate impression on Andared. He was equally surprised by the distinct contrast between certain rooms. Many of the personal quarters were very Spartan in nature, containing only a bed and a small desk; however, in each corridor there were at least one or two chambers that contained lavish amounts of tapestries, rugs, and a myriad of furnishings. In particular, he noticed that there were dozens of statues and carvings made in the image of dragons throughout the camp. The architecture and design of the rooms held a consistent and archaic pattern, hearkening back to a bygone age, which led Andared to believe that the Black Dragons had not created this place at all, but had simply discovered it and made it their home.

At first, Andared’s presence was questioned by some members of the Dragon clan. He had anticipated this, and was not offended by the occasional suspicious glance that came his way. With the help of Kyle, word got around quickly that Andared would need to meet with the leaders of the Black Dragons. While on their way, Kyle explained to Andared the structure and purpose of the Dragon clan.

The Dragon clan, as a whole, existed for the sole purpose of protecting Lenfald and her interests. In particular, it was devoted to maintaining peace, security, and the promotion of justice. It was not a group that was sanctioned or supported by the Lenfel government, although it was not in conflict with them either. In general, it acted as a sort of vigilante establishment, carrying out operations and missions that the official Lenfel government could not. In spite of repeated public statements denying that the Lenfel Lords and Dukes had anything to do with the actions of the Black Dragons, it was widely believed (and correctly so) that on at least a few occasions there had been direct correlation between the Black Dragons and the royalty of Lenfald.

The Dragon Clan divides itself into three distinct factions: The Dragon Warriors, Forest Guardians, and Shadow Dragons. The three groups are united in purpose, but the members of each respective entity train and hone their abilities toward a particular skillset.

The Dragon Warriors (of whom Kyle is the Captain) spend much of their time learning and practicing the art of war. Their skills are most often employed by the Black Dragons in the form of assault teams or scouts. They spend almost equal amounts of time completing missions in Lenfald itself and the other regions of Roawia. On the battlefield, their skills in melee and hand-to-hand combat are unparalleled, even by the Areani. At the forefront of any fray, Dragon Warriors lay waste to their opposition with a deadly blend of ferocity and finesse. Although they practice with and become proficient with a vast array of weapons, all of the Warriors unanimously prefer to wield two slender swords designed and crafted by the Black Dragons.

The swords of the Dragon Warriors are almost as fabled as the Warriors themselves. They bear no hilt, valuing speed and precision over protection of the user. The blades of the swords are long and thin, crafted with such a fine edge that they will cut through almost any armor, hide, or flesh, yet sturdy enough to parry or even block a direct strike. Moreover, each sword is inlaid with small flecks of silver found in the Dragonscale Mountains. In the sunlight, the blades glimmer and shine with blinding majesty, and in the moonlight they glow a pale green as if enchanted by magic. Although this slightly weakens the blade, the psychological advantage it provides more than makes up for the loss. At times, the mere sight of these blades has caused outlaws to tremble and flee.

The second faction, Forest Guardians, is almost the antithesis of the Dragon Warriors. They put all their effort into the defense of themselves and others, becoming unbreakable bastions against any foe. This group is more diverse in its roles, ranging from sentries to battle commanders. The prime objective of Forest Guardians is to act as sentries, protecting the provinces of Lenfald and the home of the Black Dragons. Forest Guardians tend be more stationary, and as such they frequently spend long amounts of time away from the camp of the Black Dragons (except, of course, for the ones tasked with guarding the camp itself). By far the most outgoing and interactive of the three factions, Forest Guardians are typically well known, or at least known of, in the communities, provinces, and cities that they protect. Many of them keep birds as pets in order to relay and receive information from the rest of the Black Dragons. They train with a greatsword and a rounded Lenfel shield, protecting their allies and leading them to victory. Many of the Forest Guardians (particularly those who are less robust in terms of physical stature and strength) have great skill with a bow, which is a great boon for those acting as sentries.

The third and most secretive group is the Shadow Dragons. Boasting barely a handful of members, the Shadow Dragons play a very small, but crucial role in the operations of the Black Dragons. Their skillset lies solely in the art of stealth, making them incredible assassins and thieves. The amount of training, skill, and dedication required for this faction is one of the reasons why there are very few of them. The actions of the Shadow Dragons have directly shaped the history of Roawia for decades.

The Black Dragons are led by a group they refer to as “The Council” which is comprised of the three commanders that lead each separate faction. These three leaders govern and guide the Dragon clan as a whole. While individual missions and assignments are generally left to the discretion of faction commanders and captains, all assassinations and direct assaults must be sanctioned by the Council. Along with this, they determine who is allowed into the clan, and they are the chief instructors and trainers of new members.

Andared felt flooded from the outpour of information that Kyle was giving him, but he did his best to keep up. As they walked down the passages Andared realized that this “camp” was at least the size of a small city, and it was also entirely self-sufficient. There were several blacksmiths, tailors, hunters, cooks, and woodworkers among the ranks of the Black Dragons.

“But how can you afford all the supplies and tools? Where do you receive income?” Andared asked.

“We have hunters and foragers who collect food and other rare plants, then sell them at a more than reasonable price to nearby villages,” Kyle replied, then hastily added. “A small portion of the tax taken in by certain members of the governing body of Lenfald is also...bestowed, to us as a sign of thanks and support.”

Andared smirked at Kyle’s careful wording. He would have pressed him on the subject, but Kyle did not give him the chance.

“I just realized something I should have told you earlier. You won’t be meeting with the Council all at once. After hearing my report of you they decided that they would prefer to meet with you individually. You’re about to meet Barrin Strongarm, leader of the Forest Guardians...Are you ready?”

 

==================================================================

 

After a long hiatus from building, I'm finally starting to get back into building for the LCC and continuing Andared's story. I should be posting the next couple of installments over the course of the next two weeks (before the GC6 ends). Until then, thanks for viewing!

Westgate

 

Canterbury (/ˈkæntərbəri/) is a historic English cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.

 

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion owing to the importance of St Augustine, who served as the apostle to the pagan Kingdom of Kent around the turn of the 7th century. The city's cathedral became a major focus of pilgrimage following the 1170 martyrdom of Thomas Becket, although it had already been a well-trodden pilgrim destination since the murder of St Alphege by the men of King Canute in 1012. A journey of pilgrims to Becket's shrine served as the frame for Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century classic The Canterbury Tales.

 

Canterbury is a popular tourist destination: consistently one of the most-visited cities in the United Kingdom, the city's economy is heavily reliant upon tourism. The city has been occupied since Paleolithic times and served as the capital of the Celtic Cantiaci and Jute Kingdom of Kent. Many historical structures fill the area, including a city wall founded in Roman times and rebuilt in the 14th century, the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey and a Norman castle, and the oldest extant school in the world, the King's School. Modern additions include the Marlowe Theatre and the St Lawrence Ground, home of the Kent County Cricket Club. There is also a substantial student population, brought about by the presence of the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, the University for the Creative Arts, and the Girne American University Canterbury campus. Canterbury remains, however, a small city in terms of geographical size and population, when compared with other British cities.

 

The Roman settlement of Durovernum Cantiacorum ("Kentish Durovernum") occupied the location of an earlier British town whose ancient British name has been reconstructed as *Durou̯ernon ("stronghold by the alder grove"), although the name is sometimes supposed to have derived from various British names for the Stour. (Medieval variants of the Roman name include Dorobernia and Dorovernia.) In Sub-Roman Britain, it was known in Old Welsh as Cair Ceint ("stronghold of Kent"). Occupied by the Jutes, it became known in Old English as Cantwareburh ("stronghold of the Kentish men"), which developed into the present name.

 

Landmarks

 

Canterbury Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Anglican Communion and seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Founded in 597 AD by Augustine, it forms a World Heritage Site, along with the Saxon St. Martin's Church and the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey. With one million visitors per year, it is one of the most visited places in the country. Services are held at the cathedral three or more times a day.

 

The Roman Museum houses an in situ mosaic pavement dating from around 300 AD. Surviving structures from the Roman times include Queningate, a blocked gate in the city wall, and the Dane John Mound, once part of a Roman cemetery. The Dane John Gardens were built beside the mound in the 18th century, and a memorial was placed on the mound's summit. A windmill was on the mound between 1731 and 1839.

 

The ruins of the Norman Canterbury Castle and St Augustine's Abbey are both open to the public. The medieval St Margaret's Church now houses "The Canterbury Tales", in which life-sized character models reconstruct Geoffrey Chaucer's stories. The Westgate is now a museum relating to its history as a jail. The medieval church of St Alphege became redundant in 1982 but had a new lease of life as the Canterbury Urban Studies Centre, later renamed the Canterbury Environment Centre; the building is used by the King's School. The Old Synagogue, now the King's School Music Room, is one of only two Egyptian Revival synagogues still standing. The city centre contains many timber-framed 16th and 17th century houses, however there are far fewer than there were before the Second World War, as many were damaged during the Baedecker Blitz. Many are still standing, including the "Old Weaver's House" used by the Huguenots. St Martin's Mill is the only surviving mill out of the six known to have stood in Canterbury. It was built in 1817 and worked until 1890; it is now a house conversion. St Thomas of Canterbury Church is the only Roman Catholic church in the city and contains relics of Thomas Becket.

 

Canterbury Heritage Museum houses many exhibits - including the Rupert Bear Museum. The Herne Bay Times has reported that the Heritage at Risk Register includes 19 listed buildings in Canterbury which need urgent repair but for which the council has insufficient funds.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

The Westgate is a medieval gatehouse in Canterbury, Kent, England. This 60-foot (18 m) high western gate of the city wall is the largest surviving city gate in England. Built of Kentish ragstone around 1379, it is the last survivor of Canterbury's seven medieval gates, still well-preserved and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. The road still passes between its drum towers. This scheduled monument and Grade I listed building houses the West Gate Towers Museum.

 

The gatehouse is expensively faced in coursed ashlar of Kentish ragstone. It has battered plinths to the drum towers, battlements, machicolations and eighteen gunloops: a high number for a gateway, and among the earliest gunholes in Britain. The gunloops would have been added by the beginning of the fifteenth century. It had a drawbridge over the Stour, a portcullis and wooden doors.

 

The gateway has three floors. The ground floor was designed so that the gateway and vaulted passage had entrances to the towers on each side. Each tower had a ground-floor room with fireplace and four gunloops. The north tower's ground-floor room had a spiral staircase to upper floors. The first floor contains a large room with fireplace and, originally, the portcullis mechanism over the vaulted entranceway. This room had doors to the upper room of each tower, each with fireplace and three gunloops, and a northern door to a spiral staircase leading to the roof. Repairs were carried out due to an invasion scare during the 1470s and 1480s. In 1491 or 1492 a large, two-light, transomed, perpendicular east window was added to the large first-floor room, with a view towards the cathedral and along St Peter's Street.

 

The roof over the large first-floor central room has a battlemented parapet walk, originally with access to the tops of both towers and machicolations, as well as to the two low chambers, each with two gunports, in the tops of both towers. This part of the tower was less well-built than the lower storeys, either due to haste during the Peasants' Revolt or because it was built later. In 1793−1794 the hall over the gate was split into three and the present square lantern added to the roof, along with the wooden doors and cell linings which are visible today; the cost was £400.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Canterbury [ˈkæntəbəɹɪ] (von altenglisch Cantwaraburig für „Burg (oder Stadt, Ort) der Leute von Kent“, lat. Cantuaria, veraltet im Deutschen auch Kanterberg, Kanterburg oder Kantelberg) ist eine Universitätsstadt mit 55.240 Einwohnern (2011). Sie liegt am Fluss Stour in der Grafschaft Kent im Südosten Englands und ist Sitz des Erzbischofs von Canterbury und Zentrum der Anglikanischen Kirche Englands.

 

Canterbury soll der Sage nach 900 v. Chr. von Rudilibas angelegt und von den alten Briten Caerther oder Caerkent (Stadt von Kent) genannt worden sein. Ab 43 n. Chr. entstand an ihrer Stelle das römische Durovernum Cantiacorum (römisch: duro = „Fort“, verno = „Sumpf“), das sich zu einem Verwaltungszentrum entwickelte und das größte römische Theater Britanniens besaß; ab 200 n. Chr. wurde die Stadt mit einer Stadtmauer umgeben. Æthelberht von Kent, der ab 568 n. Chr. regierte, machte Canterbury zu seiner Residenz und nannte sie Cantwarabyrig.

 

Nach dem Übertritt der Angelsachsen zum Christentum wurde die Stadt Sitz des Erzbischofs-Primas, dem geistlichen Oberhaupt der Kirche von England und der anglikanischen Kommunion. Die Erzbischöfe von Canterbury werden seit dem Bruch Heinrichs VIII. mit Rom vom englischen König (später britischen König) bestimmt.

 

Der Mord an Thomas Becket ist Gegenstand in den Dramen von George Darley (1840), Alfred Tennyson (1884) und Jean Anouilh (1959) sowie in T. S. Eliots Theaterstück Murder in the Cathedral (1935), das im Chapter House uraufgeführt wurde und in Ken Folletts Roman Die Säulen der Erde.

 

Die Erzählungen der Canterbury Tales (deutsch: „Canterbury-Geschichten“) des mittelalterlichen Dichters Geoffrey Chaucer sind in eine Rahmenhandlung eingebunden, die von einer Pilgergruppe auf ihrem Weg von London nach Canterbury zum Grabmal von Thomas Becket handelt. Die Themen der Erzählungen variieren und beinhalten höfische Liebe, Verrat und Habsucht. Die Genres variieren ebenso, es gibt Romanzen, bretonische Lai (kurze rhythmische Erzählungen), Predigten und Fabeln.

 

Canterbury entwickelte sich in römischer Zeit als besagtes Durovernum Cantiacorum zu einer bedeutenden Siedlung. Nach der Christianisierung Kents wurden einige frührömische Kirchen wieder für den Gebrauch hergerichtet, so z. B. St. Martin und die damals an der Stelle der jetzigen Kathedrale befindliche Kirche. Seit jener Zeit ist Canterbury Mittelpunkt der Kirche in England und Anziehungspunkt für viele Besucher; nach der Ermordung von Thomas Becket waren das vor allem Wallfahrer. Im 12. Jahrhundert avancierte Canterbury zur zweitgrößten Münzstätte Englands nach London. Im 16. Jahrhundert setzte dank der Einführung der Weberei durch die Hugenotten, die als Religionsflüchtlinge vom Festland kamen, ein wirtschaftlicher Aufschwung ein. Im Jahr 1888 erhielt die Stadt Grafschaftsrechte, obwohl sie bis dahin von der Industriellen Revolution kaum berührt wurde und die Zahl der Einwohner nur geringfügig zugenommen hatte.

 

Die Stadt blieb über lange Zeit weitgehend unverändert, wurde aber im Zweiten Weltkrieg durch die deutsche Luftwaffe bei den „Baedeker-Vergeltungsangriffen“ auf kulturell bedeutende Städte Englands im Jahr 1942, vor allem am 1. Juni, stark beschädigt. Seitdem hat sich Canterbury zu einer modernen Stadt und einem wichtigen Einkaufszentrum entwickelt, mit großem Freizeitangebot, guten Verkehrsverbindungen und vielfältigen Unterkunftsmöglichkeiten. Weil viele historische Bauwerke erhalten blieben, konnte der mittelalterliche Charakter des Stadtkerns bewahrt werden. Bemerkenswert sind außer der Kathedrale auch die vielen anderen alten Kirchenbauwerke in der Stadt. Erwähnenswert sind hier u. a. Greyfriars, St Martin’s Church und St. Dunstan's Church.

 

Ein Großteil der Stadtmauer ist unversehrt; von den sechs alten Toren ist nur noch eins, das Westgate, aus der Zeit Richards II. erhalten; es beherbergt heute ein Museum. Am Fluss Stour entlang reihen sich die historischen Weberhäuser aneinander, und weiter flussabwärts liegen die Klöster der Blackfriars und Greyfriars aus dem 13. Jahrhundert. Canterbury bietet eine Vielzahl weiterer historischer Sehenswürdigkeiten wie den Bergfried des ehemaligen normannischen Canterbury Castles oder die normannische Treppe der King’s School. Einige von ihnen haben berühmten Dichtern und Schriftstellern als Anregung gedient. Christopher Marlowe wurde in Canterbury geboren und in St. Georg getauft. Trotz seiner engeren Bindungen an Rochester und Broadstairs wählte Charles Dickens als Schauplatz seines Romans David Copperfield Canterbury.

 

Neben der Kathedrale von Canterbury ist auch die St Martin’s Church Weltkulturerbe.

 

(Wikipedia)

Singapore Zoo ranks consistently (after San Diego Zoo) as one of the best in the world.

 

Animal patterns are functional – often as part of their camouflage.

 

For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/teeth-claws-and-colou...

"Miracles never cease to amaze me. I expect them, but their consistent arrival is always delightful to experience." ~ Mark Victor Hansen

 

A week ago, when we were crossing Blewett Pass in the Cascade Mountains on our way home from visiting the kids, we were driving in and out of alternating rain showers and sun breaks. We saw several beautiful rainbows along the way! This one was probably one of the brightest rainbows I have ever seen! It lasted for less than a minute, before the dark clouds and more rain moved in. I was just lucky that there was a spot to pull over in time!

Here is the drawing I made of phantom manor. It's my take on the character, Melanie Ravenswood. Phantom manor is a Disney ride, strongly influenced by the haunted mansion. However, phantom manor is a darker ride, and actually has a consistent storyline, unlike the haunted mansion, whose story is just myths from guest. I will also put the story, as I've heard and read it, of phantom manor below. Phantom manor is only in Disneyland Paris, so I sadly never had the chance to ride the ride. But in my picture I really wanted to make the bride, Melanie, the main focus. As I felt so bad for her. I also wanted to incorporate some haunted mansion memorabilia. Such as the hatbox ghost as a king painting, medusa, and the original haunted mansion bride, Constance, who killed her five husbands with her infamous axe. And see the shadow up at the top left corner? That would be the phantom. This is all done in colored pencils too, so it's not a painting, but rather on paper.

Phantom manor story:

Henry Ravenswood was a western settler who struck gold in the big thunder mountain, and founded the thunder Mesa mining company. Thus creating the town, Thunder Mesa. Ravenswood became very wealthy, and married a woman named Martha. He built a Victorian manor high on Boot Hill, overlooking big thunder mountain, where he raised a family and had a daughter Melanie Ravenswood, born 1842.

Big thunder mountain was rumored by natives to be cursed, and to be the home of the thunder bird. A powerful spirit possessing a treasure. According to the legend, it's wrath could cause a devastating earthquake. However, Henry Ravenswood would not believe such stories. As time went on, the gold in big thunder mountain ran out, making miners dig deeper into the cursed mountain. It also led all the towns people, mainly miners, to leave thunder Mesa. Which made Henry Ravenswood very angry. Melanie at this time has grown up to be a beautiful woman, and became engaged to a train engineer who planned to take her far away from thunder Mesa, which upset Henry Ravenswood very much. Henry did everything he could to stop the wedding, even threatening his daughter, saying "you will never leave his house". But his useless attempts came to a hault, when the thunder bird was awakened, and caused a terrible earthquake that killed Henry and his wife, Martha, and half the town.

On Melanie's wedding day, a mysterious phantom appeared in the house. While Melanie was preparing herself for her wedding, the phantom lured her fiancé up to the attic, where he hung him by the neck from the rafters. In the ballroom the bride say alone, with no sign of her groom. At this time all of her guests left, and started to eat the grand feast in the dining hall, which was meant for after the wedding. As guests were partying, Melanie was convinced "some day, he will come". And so, never taking off her wedding dress, or put down her bouquet, she wandered aimlessly around the estate, looking for her lost fiancé, while singing melancholy songs of lost love. The phantom, which is rumored to be her father, laughs at her human devotion of true love. Days became months, and months became years, as Melanie lost her youth, she still has seen no sight of her intended. The house began to fall into disrepair, people fled the once gold rush town, making the town a ghost town. the phantom began to invite his ghostly demons to stay in the house and in the ghost town. As more time went on, Melanie found her long lost love dead in the attic. At that time she realized what was going on, and saw the phantom, who she realized was her father. As he laughs at her shocking sad discovery, saying "you will never leave this house!". She fled, she tried to escape by getting in a carriage, unknowing that the town she once knew, had become a ghost town. And everywhere she went, she kept seeing the phantom. As he kept laughing at her distress and mocking her true love. Melanie tried to escape her phantom father, but landed in a ditch with sharp rocks from the thunder bird earthquake, and died. She never got to leave her house, she was cursed from the beginning. She now is rumored to still be in the manor on Boot Hill, searching for her lost fiancé, singing melancholy songs of lost love. With the phantom, and his demons haunting her.

"The Collegiate Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Church of Scotland parish church in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland.

 

Building work on the church was started in 1380, and further building and rebuilding has taken place up to the present day. It is the longest church in Scotland, at 206 feet (62.8 metres) from east to west, and is in the early Gothic style.

 

The cruciform church is located in a large open churchyard, at some distance from the town centre. The church is built on a scale becoming of a cathedral. It is of a uniform and consistent design, that suggests a clear adherence to the original plans. Having been desecrated during the sixteenth century, the nave of the church and the tower were repaired for use by the congregation, this part being subject to various restorations in subsequent centuries. A comprehensive renovation of the whole church was carried out in the 1970s.

 

The choir is aisled and is made up of four bays, intersected by buttresses with a mixture of gabled and pinnacled terminals. The windows between have simple curvilinear tracery dividing two main lights. The cornice below the eaves has foliate carving. The clerestory is unbuttressed and has double-lighted windows beneath two mouchettes. The window at the east end of the choir was built in 1877, and consists of four lights with contemporary tracery. One of the finials shows an angel playing the bagpipe. On the north side of the choir there is a medieval sacristy, which is now an ecumenical chapel and mausoleum of the Maitland family dedicated to the Three Kings.

 

The transepts are aisleless, with windows at the gables and to the west, the gable windows are triple lighted with mouchettes above. The north transept contains modern toilets and stairs to the north gallery. The south transept contains a memorial to George Seton and a stained glass window by Edward Burne-Jones donated by the Victoria and Albert Museum as part of the restoration. to the east of the north transept lies the Lauderdale Aisle, a small Scottish Episcopal chapel that commemorates John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane and others of the Maitland family. There is a stair turret in the east angle of the north transept which gives access to the tower. The tower is cubic in form and has triple lancet windows on each elevation. There are single figure niches on either side of the openings. The wall heads terminate in a decorative cornice with gargoyles. The corbelling at this level suggests that there were plans to erect a crown spire similar to that of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh and St. Michael's Parish Church, Linlithgow. It is not known whether or not this decorative structure was ever built.

 

The nave is similar to the choir, in that it has four bays on the north and south aspects, buttressed in between. The windows, however, are similar to those on the transept gables. The side aisles were raised by some 10 feet in 1811 and were finished with castellation and pinnacles. The clerestory windows are similar to those of the aisles and the wall heads finished with cornicing. The position of the pre-1811 vaults are still visible on the sides of the nave.

 

The western front of the building has a large window divided into six main lights in groups of three divided by a 'Y' shaped central mullion. These are each surmounted by double mouchettes and vesica piscis windows. The capital is formed of double "dagger" and single quatrefoil windows. Below is the main door, with round headed arch composed of several filleted shafts, the door is divided into two by a trumeau shaft topped with two semi-circular arches; the capital here bears a representation of the Arma Christi.

 

The interior of the church is notable for the extensive sexpartite vaulting. The pulpit and font were both designed by Glaswegian sculptor, William Birnie Rhind in 1891. In the north choir aisle there is an ancient sculpture of Haddington Burgh arms, discovered in the north transept, during the 1970s restoration. The east wall of the south transept houses a memorial to William Seton, Provost of Haddington, erected in 1682. In the late 1980s a new pipe organ was commissioned, and installed in 1990 on a gallery within the north transept. The tower of St Mary's had been silent since 1548, when the English army removed the three bells extant. In 1999 the church acquired a set of eight bells, cast to celebrate the coronation of George V in 1911, and originally hung as a chime in Dunecht House. These were installed between March and May 1999 and were dedicated by The Very Rev Dr John B. Cairns, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, on the 6th of June.

 

The Royal Burgh of Haddington (Scots: Haidintoun) is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which as a result of late-nineteenth century Scottish local government reforms took the form of the county of Haddingtonshire for the period from 1889 to 1921. It lies about 17 miles (27 km) east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the sixth or seventh century AD when the area was incorporated into the kingdom of Bernicia. The town, like the rest of the Lothian region, was ceded by King Edgar of England and became part of Scotland in the tenth century. Haddington received burghal status, one of the earliest to do so, during the reign of David I (1124–1153), giving it trading rights which encouraged its growth into a market town.

 

Today Haddington is a small town with a population of fewer than 10,000 people; although during the High Middle Ages, it was the fourth-biggest city in Scotland after Aberdeen, Roxburgh and Edinburgh. In the middle of the town is the Town House, built in 1748 according to a plan by William Adam. When first built, it inheld a council chamber, jail and sheriff court, to which assembly rooms were added in 1788, and a new clock in 1835. Nearby is the Corn Exchange (1854) and the County Courthouse (1833). Other nearby notable sites include the Jane Welsh Carlyle House, Mitchell's Close and the birthplace of author and government reformer Samuel Smiles on the High Street, marked by a commemorative plaque.

 

Haddington is located predominantly on the north-east bank of the River Tyne, and was once famous for its mills. It developed into the fourth-largest town in Scotland during the High Middle Ages, and later was at the centre of the mid-eighteenth century Scottish Agricultural Revolution.

 

In 1641, an Act was passed by the Parliament of Scotland to encourage the production of fine cloth, and in 1645 an amendment went through stating that the masters and workers of manufactories would be exempt from military service. As a result of this, more factories were established; these included the New Mills. This factory suffered during the Civil War with the loss of its cloth to General Monck. A new charter was drawn up in May 1681, and major capital invested in new machinery, but the New Mills had mixed fortunes, inevitably affected by the lack of protectionism for Scottish manufactured cloth. The Scots Courant reported in 1712 that New Mills was to be "rouped" (auctioned). The property was sold on 16 February 1713 and the machinery and plant on 20 March. The lands of New Mills were purchased by Colonel Francis Charteris and he changed their name to Amisfield.

 

As the county town of East Lothian, Haddington is the seat of East Lothian Council with offices located at John Muir House behind Court Street. This building occupies the site of Haddington's twelfth century royal palace and adjoins the former Sheriff Court complex. The town centre is home to a wide range of independent retailers including: a bookshop, two sports shops, a saddlery and country goods specialist, two butchers, a hardware shop, cookware shop and several gift shops alongside several pubs, restaurants and cafés. Nationwide retailers with a presence in Haddington include: Tesco, M&Co, Boots, Aldi and Co-op Food. Besides retail and administration, the town is also home to various law firms and has industrial capacity in the works beside the Tyne at the Victoria Bridge (PureMalt), and around the site of the old station (Lemac), and various smaller industrial units and garages. Haddington is also home to the offices of the local newspaper the East Lothian Courier. There is a farmers' market held on the last Saturday of the month in Court Street.

 

The town centre largely retains its historic street plan with Court Street, High Street, Market Street and Hardgate defining the edges of the original open triangular medieval market place, divided by a central island of buildings developed from the 16th century onwards on the site of market stalls. To the north and south the medieval rigg pattern of burgage plots can still be observed with narrow buildings fronting the main streets and long plots behind stretching back, originally to the line of the old town walls, accessed by small closes and pends. The historic importance of the town's relatively unaltered medieval plan and significant survival of historic buildings was recognised as early as the 1950s, with Haddington subject to an Improvement Scheme, Scotland's earliest, which saw many period properties rehabilitated by the Town Council (under the leadership of Frank Tindall as Director of Planning) and a pioneering town colour scheme developed, resulting in the distinctive and colourful townscape seen today. Some comprehensive redevelopment did occur, chiefly around Newton Port and Hardgate to allow for widening of these narrow streets to improve motor traffic flow. This included the demolition of Bothwell Castle and its dovecote in 1955, the land now forming part of Hardgate Park. Today the whole town centre is a conservation area with a high proportion of listed buildings, some dating back to the C16th, and the redevelopment and infill schemes undertaken since the 1950s have largely been in a sympathetic vernacular style which has maintained the town's historic character." - info from Wikipedia.

 

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

 

Now on Instagram.

 

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.

© yohanes.budiyanto, 2014

 

PRELUDE

The 1st of August, 2014 was such an historic day as the world finally welcomed the birth of the first in line to the Parisian throne after a painstaking and extraordinary "labor" process that took four years in creation, and almost a decade in the making. I was not talking about a French rival to baby George, but instead a newborn that has sent shivers down the spines of Paris' oldest and current Kings and Grand Dames from the day it was conceived. Yes, I was referring to The Peninsula Paris, the youngest sister to the legendary Peninsula Hong Kong (circa 1928).

 

Ever since the project was announced to the public four years ago, it has been on my top list of the most eagerly awaited hotel openings of the decade. So when the hotel announced 1st of August as an opening date back in March, I immediately issued my First Class return tickets to the City of Light, risking the usual opening delay. A man of his word, Peninsula Paris finally opened as scheduled.

 

HISTORY

The Peninsula brand needs no introduction, as it is synonymous with quality, technology, innovation, craftsmanship and sophistication, -much like a slogan for French top brands and their savoir faire. Despite having only 10 current properties worldwide in its portfolio (Paris is its tenth), each Peninsula hotel is a market leader in each respective cities, and consistently tops the chart in many bonafide travel publications and reigns supreme as the world's best, especially elder sisters in Hong Kong and Bangkok. The Peninsula model is different from other rival hotel groups, which usually expand aggressively through both franchise and managed models worldwide. Instead, the Peninsula focuses on acquiring majority to sole ownership on all its properties to ensure control on quality (Hong Kong, New York, Chicago and Tokyo are 100% owned; Bangkok, Beijing and Manila are over 75%; Shanghai is 50%, while Beverly Hills and Paris are the only two with only 20% ownership).

 

The history of the Peninsula Paris could be traced back to a modest villa aptly called Hotel Basilevski on the plot of land at 19 Avenue Kleber back in 1864, -named after its Russian diplomat owner, Alexander Petrovich Basilevski, which caught the attention of hotelier Leonard Tauber for his prospective hotel project. The Versailles-styled property was partly a museum housing Basilevski's vast and impressive collection of 19th century medieval and Renaissance art, which eventually was acquired by Alexander III, -a Russian Tsar, at the sums of six millions francs. These collections were later transported to the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and formed the base collection for the newly established Department of Medieval and Renaissance Art. After Basilevski sold the villa and moved to a more palatial residence at Avenue du Trocadero, the property was then acquired and rebranded the Palais de Castille as the residence of the exiled Queen Isabella II of Spain in 1868, who seeked refuge and continued to live there until 1904. Upon her death, the property was later demolished in 1906 to make way for the Majestic hotel, which finally opened in 1908 with much satisfaction of Leonard Tauber, who has eyed the premise from the very beginning.

 

The Majestic Hotel was exquisitely designed in the Beaux-Art style as a grand hotel by prominent architect of that time, Armand Sibien. Together with The Ritz (circa 1898), the two became the most preferred places to stay and entertain in Paris of the time. The Majestic has attracted the well-heeled crowd, and hosted many high profile events, most notably for a particular dinner hosted by rich British couple Sydney and Violet Schiff on 18 May 1922 as the after party of Igor Stravinsky's 'Le Renard' ballet premiere, and the hotel becomes an instant legend. The guests list were impressive: Igor Stravinsky himself, Pablo Picasso, Sergei Diaghilev, and two of the 20th century most legendary writers: James Joyce and Marcel Proust, who met for the first and only time before Proust's death six months later. Since then, the Majestic continued to draw high profile guests, including George Gershwin on 25 March 1928, where he composed "An American in Paris" during the stay.

 

If the walls could talk, the Majestic has plenty of stories to tell. It was once converted into a hospital during the infamy in 1914, and the British took residency at the hotel during the Paris Peace Conference back in 1919. The hotel was then acquired by the French State in 1936 as the offices of the Ministry of Defence; and later had a stint as the German Military High Command in France between October 1940 to July 1944 during the World War II. Post war, it then became the temporary home for UNESCO from 16 September 1946 until 1958. More than a decade after, the Paris Peace talks was opened by Henry Kissinger in one of its spectacular Ballrooms in 1969 with the Northern Vietnamese. Four years later, the Paris Peace Accord was finally signed at the oak paneled-room next to the Ballroom on 27 January 1973, which ended the Vietnam War. This triumphant event has also led to another victorious event when Henry Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize that same year.

 

The hotel continued to serve as the International Conference Center of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs until it was up for sale by the government in 2008 as part of the cost cutting program to the Qatari Diar, -which later transferred its ownership to Katara Hospitality, for a staggering USD 460 million. An excess of USD 600 million was further spent on the massive rebuilding and refurbishment not only to restore the hotel to its former glory, but also to transform it into a Peninsula with the highest standard.

 

The epic restoration work was led by prominent French architect, Richard Martinet, who has also previously work with the restoration of Prince Roland Bonaparte's former mansion into the Shangri-La Paris and also the Four Seasons George V; and involved teams of France's leading craftsmen; heritage designers and organisations; stonemasons from historic monument specialist; master glass crafters; crystal manufacturer; wood, moulding and gilder restoration experts, -many of whom are third generation, and have carried out high profile projects such as the Palace of Versailles, Louvre Museum, the dome of Les Invalides, the Grand and Petit Palais, and even the flame of the Statue of Liberty in New York. The result is truly breathtaking, and it was certainly money well spent to revive and recreate one of the nation's most treasured landmark. One of my favorite places within the hotel is the Main Lobby at Avenue des Portugais where the grand hall is adorned with a spectacular chandelier installation comprising 800 pieces of glass leaves inspired by the plane trees along Avenue Kleber. The work of Spain's most influential artist since Gaudi, Xavier Corbero, could also be found nearby in the form of a beautiful sculpture called Moon River.

 

Katara Hospitality owns 80% of The Peninsula Paris, and already has a spectacular portfolio ownership consisting some of the world's finest hotels, including The Raffles Singapore, Le Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris, Ritz-Carlton Doha, Schweizerhof Bern, and most recently, 5 of the InterContinental Hotel's European flagships, including Amstel in Amsterdam, Carlton in Cannes, De la Ville in Rome, Madrid and Frankfurt. It is interesting to note that Adrian Zecha, founder of the extraordinary Amanresorts chain is a member of the Board of Directors at Katara since September 2011, lending his immense hospitality expertise to the group.

 

At over USD 1 billion cost, the Pen Paris project is easily the most expensive to ever being built, considering it has only 200 rooms over 6 storeys. As a comparison, the cost of building the 101 storey, 494m high Shanghai World Financial Center (where the Park Hyatt Shanghai resides) is USD 1.2 billion; whereas Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building on earth at 163 storey and 828m, costed a 'modest' USD 1.5 billion to build. The numbers are truly mind boggling, and The Peninsula Paris is truly an extraordinary project. It might took the Majestic Hotel two years to build; but it took four years just to restore and reincarnate it into a Peninsula.

 

HOTEL OPENING

On a pleasant afternoon of 1 August 2014, the hotel finally opened its door to a crowd of distinguished guests, international journalists, first hotel guests and local crowds who partake to witness the inauguration and rebirth of a Parisian legend and grande dame (Many A-list celebrities and even Head of State flocked to the hotel to witness its sheer beauty). It was an historic day not just for Paris, but also for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group as it marks their arrival in Europe with its first ever Peninsula, while the second is already on the pipeline with the future opening of The Peninsula London, located just behind The Lanesborough at Knightsbridge.

 

The eagerly-awaited opening ceremony was attended by the Chairman of Katara Hospitality, His Excellency Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani; CEO of Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH), Clement Kwok; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Laurent Fabius; General Manager of the Peninsula Paris, Nicolas Béliard; and the event kicked off with an opening speech by the famous French Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, the Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, Madame Fleur Pellerin, who clearly stole the show with her public persona. A ribbon cutting and spectacular lion dance show concluded the event, which drew quite a spectacle on Avenue des Portugais as it brought a unique display of Asian heritage to the heart of cosmopolitan Paris.

 

LOCATION

The Peninsula Paris stands majestically at the tree-lined Avenue Kléber, just off the Arc de Triomphe. Personally, this is an ideal location in Paris as it is a stone's throw away from all the happenings at the Champs-Élysées, but is set away from its hustle and bustle, which is constantly a tourist trap day and night. Once you walk pass the leafy Avenue Kléber, the atmosphere is very different: peaceful and safe. The Kléber Metro station is just a few steps away from the hotel, providing guests a convenient access to further parts of town.

 

Champs-Élysées is the center of Parisian universe, and it is just a short and pleasant stroll away from the hotel, where some of the city's most legendary commercial and cultural institutions reside. For a start, Drugstore Publicis at the corner by the roundabout has been a legendary hang-out since the 1960s, and is my ultimate favourite place in town. The Post Modern edifice by architect Michele Saee (renovated in 2004) houses almost everything: a Cinema; side walk Brasserie & Steak House; Newsagency; Bookshop (you can find Travel publications and even the Michelin Guide); upscale Gift shop and Beauty corner (even Acqua di Parma is on sale here); Pharmacy (whose pharmacist thankfully speaks English and gladly advises you on your symptoms); upscale deli (stocking pretty much everything from Foie gras burger on the counter, to fine wines & cigar cellar; to Pierre Herme & Pierre Marcolini chocolates; Dalloyau bakery; Marriage Freres tea; and even the Petrossian Caviar!). Best of all, it features a 2 Michelin star L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile on its basement; and the store is even opened on Sunday until 2am. It is a one stop shopping, eating and entertainment, showcasing the best of France.

 

Further down the road, Maison Louis Vuitton stands majestically on its own entire 7 storey building, which was opened in 2005 as one of the biggest flagship stores in the world, covering a total area of 1,800m2. Designed by Eric Carlson and Peter Marino, the entire store is an architectural marvel and the temple of luxury, elegance and sophistication. This is one of the very few stores to open in Sunday as the French Labour Unions prohibits commercial stores to open on Sunday, unless if it involves cultural, recreational and sporting aspect. Initially, Maison LV was ordered by the court to close on Sunday, but LVMH finally wins an appeal in 2007 on the grounds of cultural experience; and the store has continued to draw endless queue on Sunday.

 

A block away from Maison LV is the legendary Parisian Tea Room of Ladurée, which was founded in 1862 by Louis Ernest Ladurée on its original store at 16 Rue Royal as a bakery. The Champs-Élysées store was opened in 1997 and has since attracted an endless queue of tourists and locals who wish to savour its legendary Macarons and pastries. The Ladurée phenomenon and popularity could only be rivaled by fellow Frenchmen Pierre Hermé, who has also attracted a cult of loyal fans worldwide. It may not have a flagship store at Champs-Élysées, but one could easily stop by Drugstore Publicis for a quick purchase to ease the craving.

 

For those looking for upscale boutiques, Avenue Montaigne located just nearby on a perpendicular, and features the flagship presence of the world's finest luxury fashion labels: Armani, Bottega Veneta, Valention, Prada, Dior, Versace, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Fendi and Salvatore Ferragamo to name a few. For the ultimate in shopping extravaganza, head down to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré where all money will (hopefully) be well spent.

 

Champs-Élysées is the most famous and expensive boulevard in the world, yet it has everything for everyone; and myriad of crowds flocking its grand boulevards for a pleasant stroll. It has no shortage of luxury stores, but it also offers mainstream stores for the general public, from Levi's to Zara and Lacoste; to McDonalds and Starbucks; and FNAC store (French answer to HMV).

 

In terms of fine dining experience, the areas around Champs-Élysées has plenty to offer. I have mentioned about the 2 Michelin L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile at the Drugstore Publicis, which was excellent. Robuchon never disappoints as it consistently serves amazing French cuisine amidst its signature red and black interior everywhere I visited, including Tokyo (3 Michelin), Hong Kong (3 Michelin), Paris (2 Michelin) and Taipei.

 

During my stay, I also managed to sample the finest cuisine from the kitchens of two, 3-Michelin Paris institutions: Pierre Gagnaire at Rue Balzac, just off Champs-Élysées; and Epicure at Le Bristol by Chef Eric Frechon on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, which was undoubtedly the best and most memorable dining experiences I have ever had in Paris to date. It is certainly the gastronomic highlight of this trip.

 

Other 3 Michelin establishment, such as Ledoyen is also located nearby at an 18th century pavilion by the Gardens of Champs-Élysées by newly appointed famous French Chef Yannick Alléno, who previously also resided at the Le Meurice with 3 Michelin, until Alain Ducasse took over last year during the Plaza Athénée closure for expansion.

 

August is a time of misery for international visitors to Paris as most fine dining restaurants are closed for the summer holiday. When choices are limited, foodies could rely on Epicure and Robuchon, which are opened all year round; and also the 2 Michelin star Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V. Although its food could not compete with Robuchon, Epicure and Gagnaire, guests could still enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

 

ROOMS:

On my visit to Paris last year, I was not too impressed with my stay at the Four Seasons George V, as everything seemed to be pretty basic: the room design; the in-room tech and amenities; and even the much lauded service. It simply does not justify the hefty price tag. The only thing stood out there were the ostentatious designer floral display at the lobby, which reportedly absorbed a six digit figure budget annually. When I saw them at the first time, this was what came to mind: guests are paying for these excessive flowers, whether you like it or not.

 

Fortunately, the Peninsula Paris skips all this expensive gimmick, and instead spends a fortune for guests to enjoy: advance room technology; a host of complimentary essential amenities, including internet access, non-alcoholic minibar, and even long distance phone calls. In fact, every single items inside the room has been well thought and designed for guest's ultimate comfort.

 

Ever since The Peninsula Bangkok opened in 1998 to much success, the group has used it as a template for its signature rooms for future sister hotels, which consists of an open plan, ultra-wide spacious room equivalent to a 2 bays suite, with 5-fixtures bathroom, and a separate Dressing Room, which soon becomes a Peninsula signature.

 

The Peninsula Tokyo followed this template when it opened in 2007 to rave reviews; and it was soon adopted as a model for Peninsula Shanghai, which later opened in 2009 as the flagship property in Mainland China. This layout is also being applied at The Peninsula Paris, albeit for its Suites categories, i.e. Junior Suite, which measure at an astonishing 50 - 60m2. The entry level Superior and Deluxe Rooms lack the signature layout with smaller size at 35 - 45m2, but they are already spacious for a Parisian standard; and each is equipped with Peninsula's signature technology.

 

Technology is indeed at the core of the Peninsula DNA, and no expense is spared in creating the world's most advance in-room technology. When other hotels try to cut costs and budgets on in-room technology with lame excuses, the Peninsula actually spends a fortune to innovate and set a new benchmark. In fact, it is probably the only hotel group to have its own Technology laboratory at a secret location deep inside Aberdeen, Hong Kong, where in-room tech is being developed and tested. It was here where innovative devices, such as the outside temperature indicator; my favourite Spa Button by the bathtub; or even the portable nail dryer for the ladies are invented. The Peninsula took the world by storm when it introduced the Samsung Galaxy tablet device at the Peninsula Hong Kong in 2012, which is programmed in 11 languages and virtually controls the entire room, including the lights, temperature, curtains, TV, radio, valet calls and Do Not Disturb sign. It even features touch screen Room Service Menu, hotel information, city guide, and a function to request room service and housekeeping items, thus creating an entirely paperless environment.

 

All these technological marvel are also being replicated at the Peninsula Paris, together with other 'standard' features, such as Nespresso Coffee Machine; flat-screen 3D LED television; LED touch screen wall panels; an iPod/iPad docking station; memory card reader; 4-in1 fax/scanner/printer/photocopier machine; DVD player; complimentary in-house HD movies; complimentary internet access and long distance calls through the VOIP platform. Even the room's exterior Parisian-styled canopy is electronically operated. All these technological offerings is so extremely complex, that it resulted in 2.5 km worth of cabling in each room alone.

 

Bathroom at the Junior Suite also features Peninsula's signature layout: a stand alone bathtub as the focal point, flanked by twin vanities and separate shower and WC compartments amidst acres of white marble. Probably the first in Paris, it features a Japanese Toilet complete with basic control panel, and a manual handheld bidet sprayer.

 

When all these add up to the stay, it actually brings a very good value to the otherwise high room rates. Better yet, the non-alcoholic Minibar is also complimentary, which is a first for a Peninsula hotel. The Four Seasons George V may choose to keep looking back to its antiquity past and annihilate most technological offerings to its most basic form, but the Pen always looks forward to the future and brings the utter convenience, all at your finger tip. The Peninsula rooms are undoubtedly the best designed, best equipped and most high-tech in the entire universe.

 

ROOM TO BOOK:

The 50 - 60m2 Junior Suite facing leafy Avenue Kléber is the best room type to book as it is an open-plan suite with Peninsula's signature bathroom and dressing room; and the ones located on the Premiere étage (first floor) have high ceilings and small balcony overlooking Kleber Terrace's iconic glass canopy. Personally, rooms facing the back street at Rue La Pérouse are the least preferred, but its top level rooms inside the Mansart Roof on level 5 have juliet windows that allow glimpse of the tip of Eiffel Tower despite being smaller in size due to its attic configuration. Superior Rooms also lack the signature Peninsula 5 fixtures bathroom configuration, so for the ultimate bathing experience, make sure to book at least from the Deluxe category.

 

If money is no object, book one of the five piece-de-resistance suites with their own private rooftop terrace and gardens on the top floor, which allow 360 degree panoramic views of Paris. Otherwise, the mid-tier Deluxe Suite is already a great choice with corner location, multiple windows and 85m2 of pure luxury.

 

DINING:

Looking back at the hotel's illustrious past, the Peninsula offers some of the most unique and memorable dining experiences in Paris, steep in history.

 

The area that once housed Igor Stravinksy's after party where James Joyce met Marcel Proust for the first time is now the hotel's Cantonese Restaurant, aptly called LiLi; and is led by Chef Chi Keung Tang, formerly of Peninsula Tokyo's One Michelin starred Hei Fung Terrace. Lili was actually modeled after Peninsula Shanghai's Yi Long Court, but the design here blends Chinese elements with Art Nouveau style that flourished in the late 1920s. It also boasts a world first: a spectacular 3x3.3m fiber optic installation at the entrance of the restaurant, depicting the imaginary portrait of LiLi herself. The Cantonese menu was surprisingly rather simple and basic, and features a selection of popular dim sum dishes. The best and most memorable Chinese restaurants I have ever experienced are actually those who masterfully fuse Chinese tradition with French ingredients: Jin Sha at the Four Seasons Hangzhou at Westlake; 2 Michelin Tin Lung Heen at Level 102 of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong; Jiang at Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou by Chef Fei; and Ya Ge at Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Ironically, the world's only 3 Michelin star Chinese restaurant, Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hong Kong failed to impress me.

 

The former Ballroom area where Henry Kissinger started the Paris Peace talks with the Vietnamese has now been transformed as The Lobby, which is a signature of every Peninsula hotels where the afternoon tea ritual takes place daily. The spectacular room with intricate details and crystal chandeliers has been meticulously restored, and is an ideal place to meet, see and be seen. Breakfast is served daily here, and guests could choose to have it either inside or outside at the adjoining al fresco La Terrasse Kléber, which connects all the F&B outlets on the ground floor, including Lili. Guests could choose from a Chinese set breakfast, which includes dim sum, fried vermicelli, and porridge with beef slices; or the Parisian set, which includes gourmet items such as Egg Benedict with generous slices of Jamon Iberico on top. The afternoon tea ritual is expected to be very popular as renowned Chef Pattissier Julien Alvarez, -who claimed the World Pastry Champion in 2009; and also the Spanish World Chocolate Master in 2007 at the tender age of 23, is at the helm; and the venue quickly booked out from the opening day.

 

Next to the Lobby is a small, intimate bar covered in exquisite oak panelling where Henry Kissinger signed the Paris Peace Accord back in 1973 that ended the Vietnam War. Kissinger politely declined the offer to have the Bar named after him, and instead it is simply called Le Bar Kléber.

 

On the top floor of the hotel lies the signature restaurant L'Oiseau Blanc, which is named after the French biplane that disappeared in 1927 in an attempt to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight between Paris and New York. A 75% replica of the plane has even been installed outside the main entrance of the restaurant with the Eiffel Tower on its background. The restaurant is divided into 3 distinct areas: a spectacular glass enclosed main dining room; a large outdoor terrace that runs the entire length of the hotel's roof; and an adjoining lively bar, all with breathtaking uninterrupted views of Paris' most identifiable landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Cœur at the highest point of the city at Montmartre.

 

L'Oiseau Blanc is led by Chef Sidney Redel, a former protégé of Pierre Gagnaire, and serves contemporary French cuisine focussing on 'terroir' menu of locally sourced seasonal ingredients from the region. During my stay, tomato was the seasonal ingredients, and Chef Redel created four courses incorporating tomato, even on dessert. While the food was of high quality, personally the menu still needs fine tuning, considering the sort of clientele the Pen is aiming for: the ultra rich (Chinese), who usually seek top establishments with luxury ingredients, such as caviar, black truffle, foie gras, blue lobster, Jamon Iberico, Wagyu beef, Kurobuta pork and Challans chicken.

 

LEISURE:

The Peninsula Paris features one of the best health and recreational facilities in the city, housed within the basement of the hotel, and covers an expansive area of 1,800m2. For a comparison, rival Mandarin Oriental Spa covers a total area of only 900m2 over two floors. The Peninsula Spa is undoubtedly one of the nicest urban spa that I have been to, it easily beats the Spa at the Four Seasons George V. The pool is also one of the city's largest at 22m long, -compared to both the Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental at 15m; the George V at only 9m, which is more like a bigger jacuzzi. The only two other pools better than the Peninsula is the one designed by Phillippe Starck at the Le Royal Monceau at 28m; and the spectacular grand pool at the Ritz.

 

There is the usual 24 hours gym within two fitness spaces equipped with Technogym machines and free weights; and the locker rooms features steam, sauna, and experience shower room. There is a total of 8 treatment rooms within the Spa area, and the highlight is certainly the Relaxation Room, which is equipped with amazing day beds with specially placed deep cushions. The best part? the beds are electronically operated, much like a first class seat on a plane.

 

X-FACTOR:

The Peninsula signature technology; The Spa Button in the bathroom; VOIP technology for complimentary long distance calls; The top suites (Historic, Katara and Peninsula Suites); Xavier Corbero's Moon River sculpture at the Lobby; Lili; The Lobby and Bar where Henry Kissinger signed Paris Peace Accord; L'Oiseau Blanc Restaurant; The 1,800m2 Peninsula Spa; and the 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II.

 

SERVICE:

There are a total of 600 staffs for just 200 rooms, so the service level is expected to be high; but it is perhaps unfair to judge the service during the opening weeks when all staffs were not at their best due to the intense preparation leading to the opening event. Furthermore, teething problems are expected for a newly opened hotel as great hotels are not born overnight, but takes a good few years of refinement.

 

Nonetheless, I was actually quite impressed with the level of service during the whole stay, as the majority of the staffs showed great attitude and much enthusiasm, which is a testament of great intense training. As one of the first guests arriving on the opening day, check-in was truly delightful and memorable as a battalion of staffs of different ranks welcomed and wished the most pleasant stay. The mood could not have been more festive as moments later, the hotel was finally inaugurated.

 

I was also particularly impressed with the service at both LiLi and The Lobby where staffs performed at an exceptional level like a veteran. There are two distinct qualities that made a lot of difference during the stay: humility and friendliness, which is quite a challenge to find, not only in Paris and the entire Europe, but even in Asian cities, such as Hong Kong. It is like finding needles in a haystack. A genuine smile seems to be a rare commodity these days, so I was happy to see plenty of smiles at the Peninsula Paris during the stay, from the signature Peninsula Pageboys to waiters, Maître d, receptionists and even to Managers and Directors. In fact, there were more smiles in Paris than Hong Kong.

 

When I woken up too early for breakfast one day, the restaurant was just about to open; and there were hardly anyone. I realized that even the birds were probably still asleep, but I was extremely delighted to see how fresh looking and energetic the staffs were at the dining room. There was a lot of genuine smile that warmed the rather chilly morning; and it was a great start to the day. One of the staffs I met during the stay even candidly explained how they were happy just to be at work, and it does not feel like working at all, which was clearly shown in their passion and enthusiasm.

 

That said, the Shangri-La Paris by far is still my top pick for best service as it is more personalized and refined due to its more intimate scale. The Shangri-La Paris experience is also unique as guests are welcomed to a sit down registration by the historic lounge off the Lobby upon arrival, and choice of drinks are offered, before being escorted to the room for in-room check-in. Guests also receive a Pre-Arrival Form in advance, so the hotel could anticipate and best accommodate their needs. During the stay, I was also addressed by my last name everywhere within the hotel, so it was highly personalized. I did receive similar treatment at The Peninsula Paris, -albeit in a lesser extent due to its size; and even the housekeeping greeted me by my last name. Every requests, from room service to mineral water were all handled efficiently at a timely manner. At times, service could be rather slow at the restaurants (well, it happens almost everywhere in Paris), but this is part of the Parisian lifestyle where nothing is hurried; and bringing bills/checks upfront is considered rude. I did request the food servings to be expedited during a lunch at LiLi on the last day due to the time constraint; and the staffs managed to succeed the task not only ahead of the time limit, but also it never felt hurried all along. Everything ran as smooth as silk.

 

VERDICT:

It was a personal satisfaction to witness the history in the making during the opening day on 1 August 2014, as the Peninsula Paris is my most eagerly awaited hotel opening of the decade. It was also historic, as it was a first in my travel to dedicate a trip solely for a particular hotel in a particular city (in this case Paris, some 11,578km away from home), without staying at other fine hotels. It was money well spent, and a trip worth taking as it was an amazing stay; and certainly a lifetime experience.

 

The Peninsula Paris could not have arrived at a better time, as two of the most established Parisian grande dames (Ritz and de Crillon) are still closed for a complete renovation, and will only be revealed in 2015; so there is plenty of time to adapt, grow and hone its skills. But with such pedigree, quality and illustrious history, the Pen really has nothing to be worried about. The Four Seasons George V seems to have a cult of highly obsessed fans (esp. travel agents) worldwide, but personally (and objectively), it is no match to the Peninsula. Based on physical product alone, the Pen wins in every aspect as everything has been meticulously designed with the focus on guest comfort and convenience. In terms of technology, the Pen literally has no rival anywhere on the planet, except from the obvious sibling rivalry.

 

The only thing that the Pen still needs to work on is its signature restaurants as all its rival hotels have at least 2 Michelin star restaurants (L'abeille at the Shangri-La; Sur Mesure at the Mandarin Oriental; and 3 Michelin at Epicure, Le Bristol; Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V and Alain Ducasse at Le Meurice). L'Oiseau Blanc design is truly breathtaking and would certainly be the most popular gastronomic destination in Paris, but at the moment, the food still needs some works.

 

There were the expected teething problems and some inconsistencies with the service; but with years of refinement, The Peninsula Paris will no doubt ascend the throne. Personally, the Shangri-La Paris is currently the real competitor, together with the upcoming Ritz and de Crillon when they open next year, especially when Rosewood has taken over Crillon management and Karl Lagerfeld is working on its top suites. The two, however, may still need to revisit the drawing boards and put more effort on the guestrooms if they ever want to compete; because at the moment, The Peninsula Paris is simply unrivaled.

 

UPDATE 2016:

*I have always been very spot-on with my predictions. After only two years since its opening, The Peninsula Paris has been awarded the much coveted Palace status. In fact, it is the only hotel in Paris to receive such distinction in 2016. Congratulations, it is very much deserving*

 

PERSONAL RATING:

1. Room: 100

2. Bathroom: 100

3. Bed: 100

4. Service: 90

5. In-room Tech: 100

6. In-room Amenities: 100

7. Architecture & Design: 100

8. Food: 80

9. View: 80

10. Pool: 95

11. Wellness: 95

12. Location: 95

13. Value: 100

 

Overall: 95.00

 

Compare with other Parisian hotels (all with Palace status) that I have stayed previously:

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, PARIS: 95.00

PARK HYATT PARIS-VENDOME: 90.00

FOUR SEASONS GEORGE V: 85.38

 

My #1 ALL TIME FAVORITE HOTEL

LANDMARK MANDARIN ORIENTAL, HONG KONG: 95.38

 

THE PENINSULA, PARIS

19, Avenue Kléber, Paris

Awarded Palace Status in 2016

 

General Manager: Nicolas Béliard

Hotel Manager: Vincent Pimont

Executive Chef: Jean-Edern Hurstel

Head Chef (Lili): Chi Keung Tang

Head Chef (L'oiseau Blanc): Sidney Redel

Head Chef (The Lobby): Laurent Poitevin

Chef Patissier: Julien Alvarez

 

Architect (original Majestic Hotel, circa 1908): Armand Sibien

Architect (renovation & restoration, 2010-2014): Richard Martinet

Interior Designer: Henry Leung of Chhada Siembieda & Associates

Landscape Designer: D. Paysage

 

Art Curator: Sabrina Fung

Art Restorer: Cinzia Pasquali

Artist (Courtyard installation): Ben Jakober & Yannick Vu

Crystal work: Baccarat

Designer (Lili fiber optic installation): Clementine Chambon & Francoise Mamert

Designer (Chinaware): Catherine Bergen

Gilder Specialist & Restorer: Ateliers Gohard

Glass Crafter (Lobby Installation): Lasvit Glass Studio

Master Glass Crafters: Duchemin

Master Sculptor (Lobby): Xavier Corbero

Metalwork: Remy Garnier

Plaster & Moulding Expert: Stuc et Staff

Silverware: Christofle

Silk & Trimmings: Declercq Passementiers

Wood Restoration Expert: Atelier Fancelli

  

Hotel Opening Date: 01 August 2014

Notable owners: Katara Hospitality; Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group (HSH)

Total Rooms & Suites: 200 (including 35m2 Superior, 45m2 Deluxe, 50m2 Grand Deluxe, 55m2 Premier and 60m2 Grand Premier Rooms)

Total Suites: 34 Suites (including 70m2 Superior, 85m2 Deluxe and 100m2 Premier

Top Suites: Historic Suite, Katara Suite, and The Peninsula Suite

Bathroom Amenities: Oscar de la Renta

 

Restaurants: The Lobby (All day dining & Afternoon tea), LiLi (Cantonese), L'Oiseau Blanc (French), La Terrasse Kléber

Bars and Lounges: Le Bar Kléber; Kléber Lounge; Cigar Lounge; and L'Oiseau Blanc Bar

Meeting & Banquets: Salon de l'Étoile for up to 100 guests, and 3 smaller Function Rooms

Health & Leisure: 24 hours gym & 1,800m2 Peninsula Spa with 22m indoor swimming pool and jacuzzis; Steam & Sauna, Relaxation Room, and 8 treatment rooms

Transport: chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce Extended Wheel Base Phantom; a 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II; 2 MINI Cooper S Clubman; and a fleet of 10 BMW 7 Series

 

Complimentary facilities: Non-alcoholic Minibar; Wired and Wireless Internet; VOIP long distance calls; HD Movies; Daily fruit Basket; International Newspaper; Chauffeured MINI Cooper S Clubman for Suites guests; and Chauffeured Rolls Royce for top Suites

 

paris.peninsula.com

Absolutely stunning stretch of coast and beach - can understand why it is consistently voted in the top 10 of Britain's beaches.

Cormorant (Disambiguation)

 

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed. The great cormorant (P. carbo) and the common shag (P. aristotelis) are the only two species of the family commonly encountered on the British Isles, and "cormorant" and "shag" appellations have been later assigned to different species in the family somewhat haphazardly.

 

Cormorants and shags are medium-to-large birds, with body weight in the range of 0.35–5 kilograms (0.77–11.02 lb) and wing span of 45–100 centimetres (18–39 in). The majority of species have dark feathers. The bill is long, thin and hooked. Their feet have webbing between all four toes. All species are fish-eaters, catching the prey by diving from the surface. They are excellent divers, and under water they propel themselves with their feet with help from their wings; some cormorant species have been found to dive as deep as 45 metres (150 ft). They have relatively short wings due to their need for economical movement underwater, and consequently have the highest flight costs of any flying bird.

 

Cormorants nest in colonies around the shore, on trees, islets or cliffs. They are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some have colonised inland waters – indeed, the original ancestor of cormorants seems to have been a fresh-water bird.[citation needed] They range around the world, except for the central Pacific islands.

  

Names

 

No consistent distinction exists between cormorants and shags. The names 'cormorant' and 'shag' were originally the common names of the two species of the family found in Great Britain, Phalacrocorax carbo (now referred to by ornithologists as the great cormorant) and P. aristotelis (the European shag). "Shag" refers to the bird's crest, which the British forms of the great cormorant lack. As other species were discovered by English-speaking sailors and explorers elsewhere in the world, some were called cormorants and some shags, depending on whether they had crests or not. Sometimes the same species is called a cormorant in one part of the world and a shag in another, e.g., the great cormorant is called the black shag in New Zealand (the birds found in Australasia have a crest that is absent in European members of the species). Van Tets (1976) proposed to divide the family into two genera and attach the name "cormorant" to one and "shag" to the other, but this flies in the face of common usage and has not been widely adopted.

 

The scientific genus name is Latinised Ancient Greek, from φαλακρός (phalakros, "bald") and κόραξ (korax, "raven"). This is often thought to refer to the creamy white patch on the cheeks of adult great cormorants, or the ornamental white head plumes prominent in Mediterranean birds of this species, but is certainly not a unifying characteristic of cormorants. "Cormorant" is a contraction derived either directly from Latin corvus marinus, "sea raven" or through Brythonic Celtic. Cormoran is the Cornish name of the sea giant in the tale of Jack the Giant Killer. Indeed, "sea raven" or analogous terms were the usual terms for cormorants in Germanic languages until after the Middle Ages. The French explorer André Thévet commented in 1558, "... the beak [is] similar to that of a cormorant or other corvid," which demonstrates that the erroneous belief that the birds were related to ravens lasted at least to the 16th century.

  

Description

 

Cormorants and shags are medium-to-large seabirds. They range in size from the pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), at as little as 45 cm (18 in) and 340 g (12 oz), to the flightless cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi), at a maximum size 100 cm (39 in) and 5 kg (11 lb). The recently extinct spectacled cormorant (Phalacrocorax perspicillatus) was rather larger, at an average size of 6.3 kg (14 lb). The majority, including nearly all Northern Hemisphere species, have mainly dark plumage, but some Southern Hemisphere species are black and white, and a few (e.g. the spotted shag of New Zealand) are quite colourful. Many species have areas of coloured skin on the face (the lores and the gular skin) which can be bright blue, orange, red or yellow, typically becoming more brightly coloured in the breeding season. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet have webbing between all four toes, as in their relatives.

  

Habitat

 

They are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some have colonised inland waters – indeed, the original ancestor of cormorants seems to have been a fresh-water bird, judging from the habitat of the most ancient lineage. They range around the world, except for the central Pacific islands.

  

Behaviour

 

All are fish-eaters, dining on small eels, fish, and even water snakes. They dive from the surface, though many species make a characteristic half-jump as they dive, presumably to give themselves a more streamlined entry into the water. Under water they propel themselves with their feet, though some also propel themselves with their wings. Some cormorant species have been found, using depth gauges, to dive to depths of as much as 45 metres (150 ft).

 

After fishing, cormorants go ashore, and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun. All cormorants have preen gland secretions that are used ostensibly to keep the feathers waterproof. Some sources state that cormorants have waterproof feathers while others say that they have water permeable feathers.[8][9] Still others suggest that the outer plumage absorbs water but does not permit it to penetrate the layer of air next to the skin. The wing drying action is seen even in the flightless cormorant but commonly in the Antarctic shags and red-legged cormorants. Alternate functions suggested for the spread-wing posture include that it aids thermoregulation or digestion, balances the bird, or indicates presence of fish. A detailed study of the great cormorant concludes that it is without doubt to dry the plumage.

 

Cormorants are colonial nesters, using trees, rocky islets, or cliffs. The eggs are a chalky-blue colour. There is usually one brood a year. The young are fed through regurgitation. They typically have deep, ungainly bills, showing a greater resemblance to those of the pelicans, to which they are related, than is obvious in the adults.

  

Taxonomy

 

The cormorants are a group traditionally placed within the Pelecaniformes or, in the Sibley–Ahlquist taxonomy, the expanded Ciconiiformes. This latter group is certainly not a natural one, and even after the tropicbirds have been recognised as quite distinct, the remaining Pelecaniformes seem not to be entirely monophyletic. Their relationships and delimitation – apart from being part of a "higher waterfowl" clade which is similar but not identical to Sibley and Ahlquist's "pan-Ciconiiformes" – remain mostly unresolved. Notwithstanding, all evidence agrees that the cormorants and shags are closer to the darters and Sulidae (gannets and boobies), and perhaps the pelicans or even penguins, than to all other living birds.

 

In recent years, three preferred treatments of the cormorant family have emerged: either to leave all living cormorants in a single genus, Phalacrocorax, or to split off a few species such as the imperial shag complex (in Leucocarbo) and perhaps the flightless cormorant. Alternatively, the genus may be disassembled altogether and in the most extreme case be reduced to the great, white-breasted and Japanese cormorants.

 

Pending a thorough review of the Recent and prehistoric cormorants, the single-genus approach is followed here for three reasons: first, it is preferable to tentatively assigning genera without a robust hypothesis. Second, it makes it easier to deal with the fossil forms, the systematic treatment of which has been no less controversial than that of living cormorants and shags. Third, this scheme is also used by the IUCN, making it easier to incorporate data on status and conservation. In accordance with the treatment there, the imperial shag complex is here left unsplit as well, but the king shag complex has been.

 

The cormorants and the darters have a unique bone on the back of the top of the skull known as the os nuchale or occipital style which was called a xiphoid process in early literature. This bony projection provides anchorage for the muscles that increase the force with which the lower mandible is closed. This bone and the highly developed muscles over it, the M. adductor mandibulae caput nuchale, are unique to the families Phalacrocoracidae and Anhingidae.

 

Several evolutionary groups are still recognizable. However, combining the available evidence suggests that there has also been a great deal of convergent evolution; for example the cliff shags are a convergent paraphyletic group. The proposed division into Phalacrocorax sensu stricto (or subfamily "Phalacrocoracinae") cormorants and Leucocarbo sensu lato (or "Leucocarboninae") shags does indeed have some degree of merit. The resolution provided by the mtDNA 12S rRNA and ATPase subunits six and eight sequence data[25] is not sufficient to properly resolve several groups to satisfaction; in addition, many species remain unsampled, the fossil record has not been integrated in the data, and the effects of hybridisation – known in some Pacific species especially – on the DNA sequence data are unstudied.

  

List of genera

 

The family contains three genera:[26]

 

- Microcarbo (5 species)

- Phalacrocorax (22 species, including one extinct in 19th century)

- Leucocarbo (15 species)

  

Evolution and fossil record

 

Cormorants seem to be a very ancient group, with similar ancestors reaching back to the time of the dinosaurs. In fact, the earliest known modern bird, Gansus yumenensis, had essentially the same structure. The details of the evolution of the cormorant are mostly unknown. Even the technique of using the distribution and relationships of a species to figure out where it came from, biogeography, usually very informative, does not give very specific data for this probably rather ancient and widespread group. However, the closest living relatives of the cormorants and shags are the other families of the suborder Sulae—darters and gannets and boobies—which have a primarily Gondwanan distribution. Hence, at least the modern diversity of Sulae probably originated in the southern hemisphere.

 

While the Leucocarbonines are almost certainly of southern Pacific origin—possibly even the Antarctic which, at the time when cormorants evolved, was not yet ice-covered—all that can be said about the Phalacrocoracines is that they are most diverse in the regions bordering the Indian Ocean, but generally occur over a large area.

 

Similarly, the origin of the family is shrouded in uncertainties. Some Late Cretaceous fossils have been proposed to belong with the Phalacrocoracidae:

A scapula from the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary, about 70 mya (million years ago), was found in the Nemegt Formation in Mongolia; it is now in the PIN collection. It is from a bird roughly the size of a spectacled cormorant, and quite similar to the corresponding bone in Phalacrocorax. A Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous, c. 66 mya) right femur, AMNH FR 25272 from the Lance Formation near Lance Creek, Wyoming, is sometimes suggested to be the second-oldest record of the Phalacrocoracidae; this was from a rather smaller bird, about the size of a long-tailed cormorant.

 

As the Early Oligocene Sula" ronzoni cannot be assigned to any of the suloid families—cormorants and shags, darters, and gannets and boobies—with certainty, the best interpretation is that the Phalacrocoracidae diverged from their closest ancestors in the Early Oligocene, perhaps some 30 million years ago, and that the Cretaceous fossils represent ancestral suloids, "pelecaniforms" or "higher waterbirds"; at least the last lineage is generally believed to have been already distinct and undergoing evolutionary radiation at the end of the Cretaceous. What can be said with near certainty is that AMNH FR 25272 is from a diving bird that used its feet for underwater locomotion; as this is liable to result in some degree of convergent evolution and the bone is missing indisputable neornithine features, it is not entirely certain that the bone is correctly referred to this group.

 

During the late Paleogene, when the family presumably originated, much of Eurasia was covered by shallow seas, as the Indian Plate finally attached to the mainland. Lacking a detailed study, it may well be that the first "modern" cormorants were small species from eastern, south-eastern or southern Asia, possibly living in freshwater habitat, that dispersed due to tectonic events. Such a scenario would account for the present-day distribution of cormorants and shags and is not contradicted by the fossil record; as remarked above, a thorough review of the problem is not yet available.

  

Two distinct genera of prehistoric cormorants are widely accepted today, if Phalacrocorax is used for all living species:

 

- Limicorallus (Indricotherium middle Oligocene of Chelkar-Teniz, Kazakhstan)

- Nectornis (Late Oligocene/Early Miocene of Central Europe – Middle Miocene of Bes-Konak, Turkey) – includes Oligocorax miocaenus

  

The proposed genus Oligocorax appears to be paraphyletic – the European species have been separated in Nectornis, and the North American ones are placed in the expanded Phalacrocorax. A Late Oligocene fossil cormorant foot from Enspel, Germany, sometimes placed herein, would then be referable to Nectornis if it proves not to be too distinct. All these early European species might belong to the basal group of "microcormorants", as they conform with them in size and seem to have inhabited the same habitat: subtropical coastal or inland waters. Limicorallus, meanwhile, was initially believed to be a rail or a dabbling duck by some. There are also undescribed remains of apparent cormorants from the Quercy Phosphorites of Quercy (France), dating to some time between the Late Eocene and the mid-Oligocene.

 

Some other Paleogene remains are sometimes assigned to the Phalacrocoracidae, but these birds seem quite intermediate between cormorants and darters (and lack clear autapomorphies of either). Thus, they may be quite basal members of the Palacrocoracoidea. The taxa in question are:

 

- Piscator (Late Eocene of England)

- "Pelecaniformes" gen. et sp. indet. (Jebel Qatrani Early Oligocene of Fayum, Egypt) – similar to Piscator?

- Borvocarbo (Late Oligocene of C Europe)

 

The supposed Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene "Valenticarbo" is a nomen dubium and given its recent age probably not a separate genus.

  

In human culture

 

Cormorant fishing

 

Humans have used cormorants' fishing skills in various places in the world. Archaeological evidence suggests that cormorant fishing was practiced in Ancient Egypt, Peru, Korea and India, but the strongest tradition has remained in China and Japan, where it reached commercial-scale level in some areas. In Japan, cormorant fishing is called ukai (鵜飼). Traditional forms of ukai can be seen on the Nagara River in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, where cormorant fishing has continued uninterrupted for 1300 years, or in the city of Inuyama, Aichi. In Guilin, China, cormorants are famous for fishing on the shallow Lijiang River. In Gifu, the Japanese cormorant (P. capillatus) is used; Chinese fishermen often employ great cormorants (P. carbo). In Europe, a similar practice was also used on Doiran Lake in the region of Macedonia.

 

In a common technique, a snare is tied near the base of the bird's throat, which allows the bird only to swallow small fish. When the bird captures and tries to swallow a large fish, the fish is caught in the bird's throat. When the bird returns to the fisherman's raft, the fisherman helps the bird to remove the fish from its throat. The method is not as common today, since more efficient methods of catching fish have been developed, but is still practiced as a cultural tradition.

 

In folklore, literature, and art

 

Cormorants feature in heraldry and medieval ornamentation, usually in their "wing-drying" pose, which was seen as representing the Christian cross, and symbolizing nobility and sacrifice. For John Milton in Paradise Lost, the cormorant symbolizes greed: perched atop the Tree of Life, Satan took the form of a cormorant as he spied on Adam and Eve during his first intrusion into Eden.

 

In some Scandinavian areas, they are considered good omen; in particular, in Norwegian tradition spirits of those lost at sea come to visit their loved ones disguised as cormorants.[36] For example, the Norwegian municipalities of Røst, Loppa and Skjervøy have cormorants in their coat of arms. The symbolic liver bird of Liverpool is commonly thought to be a cross between an eagle and a cormorant.

 

In 1853, a woman wearing a dress made of cormorant feathers was found on San Nicolas Island, off the southern coast of California. She had sewn the feather dress together using whale sinews. She is known as the Lone Woman of San Nicolas and was later baptised "Juana Maria" (her original name is lost). The woman had lived alone on the island for 18 years before being rescued. When removed from San Nicolas, she brought with her a green cormorant dress she made; this dress is reported to have been removed to the Vatican.

 

The bird has inspired numerous writers, including Amy Clampitt, who wrote a poem called "The Cormorant in its Element". The species she described may have been the pelagic cormorant, which is the only species in the temperate U.S. with the "slim head ... vermilion-strapped" and "big black feet" that she mentions.

 

A cormorant representing Blanche Ingram appears in the first of the fictional paintings by Jane in Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre.

 

The cormorant served as the hood ornament for the Packard automobile brand.

 

Cormorants (and books about them written by a fictional ornithologist) are a recurring fascination of the protagonist in Jesse Ball's 2018 novel Census.

  

[Credit: en.wikipedia.org]

 

www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/perilous-is-the-road-to-t...

Introduction

Many people in welcoming thesecond coming ofthe Lord the Lord only attach importance to the prophecy in Scripture that the Lord will descend from the clouds to come again while neglecting the prophecy that the second coming of the Lord is through incarnation. They declare as false any way that bears witness to the second coming of the Lord as God become flesh. Is their understanding and practice consistent with Scripture? In regard to the Lord's return through incarnation, how actually is it prophesied in Scripture?

Terms of Use： en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html

I am consistently amazed at how well the "Grinstein Green" has held up over the years, now going on 20 years old. Granted 9804 was among the final batch of 70mac's to recieve the treatment as a 1997 graduate of LaGrange, but even the first run of mac's from '93 have held up fairly well save for two decades of road grime. Not too bad for an ugly pain scheme...

Mirror replaced, cleaned up and returned to (mostly consistent) working order

Visita nuestro Blog de Semana Santa en:

asociacionredobles.blogspot.com

 

Actos que se van a desarrollar durante la conmemoración del 200º aniversario del

rescate del Cristo de la Cama, consistente en el traslado de la Imagen desde la Iglesia

de Santa Isabel de Portugal (vulgo San Cayetano) a la Basílica del Pilar.

El rescate se produjo el 17 de febrero de 1809 del Convento de San Francisco, lo que

actualmente es la Diputación Provincial. El día 10 los franceses volaron el Convento,

que era defendido por unos cuantos aragoneses y por los voluntarios de Valencia. El

día 17, María Blánquez entro en el convento y vio que todos los pasos que

procesionan en Semana santa, quince en total, estaban destruidos, salvo el Santísimo

Cristo de la Cama, que estaba indemne en su Capilla de la Hermandad. Salió a la

calle, cogió a cuatro hombres, volvió a entrar al convento y todos ellos cogieron al

Cristo de la cama. Lo llevaron primero a la parroquia de la santa Cruz, después a la

de Santiago y finalmente al Palacio Arzobispal, lugar en donde vivía el general

Palafox, que enfermo lo venero y ordeno fuera llevado al interior de la Basílica del

Pilar, siendo colocado en el Altar de los convertido mirando a su Madre, la virgen del

Pilar.

Este hecho es el que conmemoramos.

A las 18´00 horas se oirá en la Ciudad de Zaragoza a los Artilleros de Aragón

anunciando el comienzo de la procesión cívico religiosa.

Con la salida desde San Cayetano de la Bandera de la Hermandad de la Sangre de

Cristo dará comienzo la procesión, encontrándose el resto de participantes ubicados

en la plaza. Seguidamente saldrá la peana, portada a varal, del Cristo de la Cama. Lo

hará con un toque preparado para la ocasión por la Sección de Tambores de la

Hermandad de San Joaquín y Virgen de los Dolores. Una vez que nuestro Cristo de la

Cama este en la plaza sonara el Himno Nacional interpretado al órgano por Ignacio

Navarro Gil.

Finalizado el himno, se descubrirá una placa en cerámica de Muel, promovida por la

Asociación Cultural Redobles. Dicha placa será descubierta por el Ilmo. Sr. D.

Francisco Javier Lambán Montañés, o persona en quien en delegue, acompañado por

el Hermano Mayor de la Hermandad de la Sangre de Cristo. A la vez que se descubre

la placa, don José Antonio Armillas, Comisario del Bicentenario glosara brevemente

la figura de María Blánquez y lo que ella significo.

Finalizado este acto, dará comienzo en sí el desfile.

Por la calle Manifestación, calle Alfonso y calle Coso, nos dirigiremos a la plaza de

España, en donde se realiza el segundo acto del desfile. Este consiste en depositar dos

coronas de laurel. La primera en la placa que recuerda al Convento de San Francisco

y la segunda en el monumento a los Mártires.

La del Convento de San Francisco será portada por mujeres ataviadas con el traje

regional, en recuerdo y homenaje a María Blánquez. Entregada por don Francisco

Javier Lambán Montañés (o persona en quién delegue), le acompañaran el

Comandante Militar de Zaragoza, General Juan Pinto y el Hermano Mayor de la

Sangre de Cristo. La recibirán dos soldados del Batallón Pardos de Aragón.

La segunda corona, la entregara don Juan Alberto Belloch Julve (o persona en quién

delegue), acompañado también por el Comandante Militar y el Hermano Mayor,

siendo recibida por dos soldados del Batallón de Infantería Voluntarios de Aragón.

Durante este acto sonara en la plaza el Carillón de la Diputación Provincial con

marchas alusivas a los Sitios.

Finalizado el acto, continuaremos el desfile en dirección a la Plaza de la Seo por calle

don Jaime, calle Mayor, calle Dormer, calle Cisne y calle Cuellar.

En la plaza de la Seo se realiza el tercer y último acto. Consiste en una breve

alocución del General Pinto, Comandante Militar de Zaragoza y Teruel, en recuerdo

y homenaje del General Palafox. A Su conclusión, el Batallón de Infantería

Voluntarios de Aragón hará una descarga de fusilería.

Ya para finalizar, nos encaminaremos a la plaza del Pilar, finalizando el desfile,

alrededor de las 20´30 horas, con la entrada del Cristo de la Cama en la Basílica, en

donde permanecerá hasta el miércoles 25 de febrero.

Finalizado el desfile y por lo tanto el traslado, la Hermandad de la Sangre de Cristo

realizara una ofrenda a la Virgen del Pilar.

La Hermandad de la Sangre de Cristo, con el fin de dar mayor realce a este

acontecimiento histórico, ha invitado a participar a todos aquellos Ayuntamientos e

Instituciones galardonados con la Medalla del Bicentenario “Defensor de Zaragoza”,

distinción que también ha obtenido la propia Hermandad. Han confirmado su

asistencia una representación de los Ayuntamientos de Alcañiz, Barbastro, Calatayud,

Cariñena, Chelva, Huesca, Jaca, monzón y Valencia. También han confirmado su

participación los Artilleros de Aragón, Batallón Pardos de Aragón, Batallón de

Infantería Ligera Voluntarios de Aragón, la Asociación Cultural Royo del Rabal

(ronda y escenificación de personajes históricos de la época), la Asociación Cultural

Los Sitios (personajes históricos de la época), la Hermandad de San Juan de la Peña,

la Cofradía del Santo Sepulcro, la Hermandad del santo Refugio, la Real Ilustre

Congregación de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Madrid y la Real Maestranza de

Caballería.

La parte musical durante el desfile correrá a cargo de la Banda de Guerra de la

Brigada de Caballería Castillejos II, de la Banda Música de la Academia General

Militar y la Ronda de jotas de la Asociación Cultural el Rabal. Durante el desfile y

con el fin de que los peaneros lleven el ritmo adecuado, les acompaña un piquete de

diez instrumentos, cuyos miembros son de la cofradía de la Institución de la Sagrada

Eucaristía, que lo harán sin los distintivos propios de la Cofradía.

Cabe destacar el estreno de una marcha procesional en las calles de Zaragoza. La

primera y ultima pieza que interprete la Banda de Música será la Marcha al Cristo de

la Cama, cuyo autor es don Abel Moreno y que fue donada a la Hermandad por la

Asociación para el Estudio de la Semana Santa.

Ernesto Millán Lázaro

Hermano Mayor

Hermandad Sangre de Cristo

The Burj Al Arab, consistently voted the world's most luxurious hotel. One of the three 7-star hotel in the world. It is the second tallest building in the world that is used exclusively as a hotel. Before the Burj Khalifa, this hotel is the most iconic structure in Dubai.

 

Gear: Canon 7D + Tokina 11-16

Settings: f8.0 | 1/25 | ISO 200

 

To learn more about this shot: michaelrcruz.com/?p=1270

Please join me on my 365 Project : michaelrcruz.com/?cat=38

 

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/michaelrcruz