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A rhyme, dating from a time when the presence of corvidae indicated future events. This rather blameless Torresian Crow was in the Minnippi Wetlands in Brisbane. Texture from PicMonkey.
How many do you see?
It was a phenomenal low tide yesterday at the beach. I have never seen so many sea stars at once. We had to be careful where we stepped.
Scanned slide (Kodak negative) – date c late 1980s / early 1990s.
In a semi abandoned condition after the closure of Leicester's Cattle Market in 1988, the former clock tower and associated buildings stand neglected in waste ground which was in the process of clearance to make way for a new cinema, car park and other businesses.
Fearful that the old clock tower might have been demolished, I thought a few photos would be in order. Happily it still survives and the buildings surrounding it have been transformed into what is now the aptly named Counting House pub (grade II listed).
photo manipulation/gimp
for joshua
~ a project to help Joshua recognise him self in images and photos.
I started finding 4-leaf clovers at our house from day one. They were so plentiful I stopped picking them, but they were a great way to break the ice with many new neighbors out for a stroll. "Do you want to get lucky?", I'd ask before crouching at their feet. For some reason, I also got to know many of our fine police officers this way.
But 5-leaf clovers have been less common. This afternoon, my one-year-old son and I were sitting in the grass, feeding each other grapes, when I noticed he was staring intently at something on the ground. He looked up at me as if to say "Is this right?" before looking back down and pointing at this clover. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get his finger in the shot, but nevertheless he would like you know that this clover indeed has 5 leaves.
A simple counting machine I designed and built for my son. Select the value with the dial in the middle, then push the green button to add it to the total or the red button to subtract it. The case is laser cut from bamboo.
Bain News Service,, publisher.
Count Montgelas
[between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920]
1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.
Notes:
Title from data provided by the Bain News Service on the negative.
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).
Format: Glass negatives.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.30638
Call Number: LC-B2- 5219-1
One of the members of Tal National from Niger, performing at this year's WOMAD Festival.
You can see my WOMAD 2018 shots here: WOMAD 2018
You can see my WOMAD 2017 shots here: WOMAD 2017
You can see my WOMAD 2016 shots here: WOMAD 2016
You can see my WOMAD 2015 shots here: WOMAD 2015
You can see my WOMAD 2014 shots here: WOMAD 2014
You can see my WOMAD 2013 shots here: WOMAD 2013
You can see my WOMAD 2012 shots here: WOMAD 2012
You can see my WOMAD 2011 shots here: WOMAD 2011
You can see my WOMAD 2010 shots here: WOMAD 2010
You can see my WOMAD 2009 shots here: WOMAD 2009
My thanks are due to Dee McCourt of Borkowski PR for arranging my photo pass.
I had a cute little helper to count the lucky stars with! there were so many! to know how many there were
and see who won
Founded in 1123 by Stephen, Count of Boulogne, it was built originally for the Order of Savigny. Located in the 'Vale of Nightshade', south of Dalton-in-Furness, the abbey is built entirely out of local sandstone. It passed in 1147 to the Cistercians, who gradually enlarged and rebuilt the original ornate church. The majority of the current ruins date from the 12th and 13th centuries. By the 15th century, it had been completely re-modelled and had become the second richest and most powerful - as well as one of the grandest - Cistercian Abbeys in England, behind Fountains Abbey.
...same perfect winter day in Kinderdijk, a little bit after sunset...my fingers were refusing to press the shutter as they were so...frozen...
-> more on my blog:
Royal Saudi Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon '313' comes across the road to land on Runway 25 at RAF Coningsby.
She was there with two other single seaters and a twin stick plus four RSAF Tornados to participate in exercise Saudi Green Flag, flying with RAF assets of based Typhoons, Marham based Tornado GR.4's and others including a 'Cobham' EW Falcon seen operating from there the same day.
The title?......................every Royal Saudi Air Force machine has the inscription 'God Bess You' painted under the cockpit.
Bear Mc Creadie Live on stage.
Bear Mc Creadie
Musical authenticity is ail about being true to oneself, and on that count, Bear and The Essentials score as the real deal. Led by the lanky singer and songwriter known simply as Bear - a name that reflects his Native American heritage - the Austin, TXbased singer and his combo occupy the sweet spot between country and rockabilly like it's home sweet home.
Two Time Fool, the debut album by Bear and The Essentials, casts a direct line back to the music made by the coolest hillbilly cats of a half-century ago, back when country was indeed country and rock'n'roll was a kicking and wailing style that was just being born. On it, Bear proves himself a rollicking voice deep within the tradition as weil as a writer whose five originals stand· head and shoulders with sangs associated with such masters as Frankie Miller ("Living DolI"), Johnny Cash (Cowboy Jack Clement's "It's Just About Time") and Johnny Horton (Hank Snow's "Golden Rocket" and "Honky Tonk Mind"). (To wit, look for Bear's title song on the nextFabulous Thunderbirds album.) Backed by Doug Strahan on guitar and Ethan Shaw (formerly of The Derailers) on bass and steel guitar, Bear renews the hillbilly musical magic of the 19505 forthe new century. Produced by Billy Horton at Austin's Fort Horton Studios, Two Time Fool goes beyond revivalism to ptove that timeless music comes back alive in the hands of a new master of the form.
Since arriving in Austin in 2001, Bear has stepped From the audience to the stage of local dubs to become the talent to watch in the city's lauded roots music scene. That's no doubt because be was teethed on the sort of music he writes and performs 31 years ago.
The leader of Bear and The Essentials was born Bear McCreadie in the mountain town of Truckee, California. He grew up in a close family with his older sister, mother and father - who is of Hoopa Valley Indian descent and was a fan of the finest old-school country and early ro.ck-'n'roll. "That music definitely stuck From a young age. Elvis, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton and Hank Williams got me rolling. My father introduced me to lots of stuff and then 1 just kept digging."
One of Bear's earliest memories is seeing an Elvis Presley movie on TV. "1 remember thinking, man, there's something about this guy. 1 don't know, what it is, but 1 was just fascinated. And 50 my dad took me out and bought me 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. And 1 remember hearing '1 Need Your Love Tonight,' and thinking, man, this is just the coolest thing ever.
"It was the same thing the first time 1 heard Johnny Horton singing 'l'm A Honky Tonk Man.' The line 'Calling hey hey mama, can your daddy come home?' just stuck in my head. 1 don't know what it was, but everything he was playing me, 1 remember hearing it and thinking, this stuff is just amazing."
What the young Beardidn't know was that the music he loved was From back in the pasto "1 just thought that this was what was going on," he recalls with a chuckle. "1 didn't realize that this was ail From years before 1 was born.
"1 remember telling my Mom when 1 was little, '1 want to go see Johnny Horton.' And she said, weil, he died. 1 said, 'Weil, 1 want to go see Buddy Holly.' She said, weil, he died too. '1 want to go see Elvis.' Weil, he died. And this went on and on. And 1 just burst into tears and was devastated that every hero that 1 had was dead." Eventually his parents took Bear to see Marty Robbins (not long before he also died) at a casino in Reno, "and 1 was instantly hooked. To this day he is one of my very favorites, one of the greatest singers ever."
Bear.s musical tastes may seem like a throwback, but they also reflect the simple times of his youth in what was then the tiny town of Truckee. "1 remember when we got the first stopliglit, the fist 7-Eleven, the first Safeway. 1 loved it there, and if 1 hadn't been forced to leave, 1 am reasonably certain 1 would have died there," he says. "1'm definitely into the whole small town, typical go next door and borrow a cup of sugar from your neighbor kind of thing, and the fact that everybody knew everybody."
By the time Bear was in junior high, he had picked up his father's guitar and began not just listening to music but also started ma king it. When his family moved to the San Francisco Bay area during Bear's high school years, the small town boy found himself in a suburban place he didn't relate to. "1 wou Id just sit in my room and listen to old records," he says. "Halfway through high school 1 decided that 1 wanted to start playing. It was always just something 1 did by myself, sitting around trying to pick out Hank Williams songs. "
After graduating from high school Bear worked as an auto mechanic. On a summer vacation, he traveled through Austin, San Antonio, New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville, and knew where he wanted to be. "1 just loved Austin instantly. 50 1 went back and kept working and continued noodling around with music. Finally, 1 decided, 1've been stuck in the Bay Area too long and 1've hated it since 1've been here, 50 1'mgoing to move to Austin. "
Once there, he was inspired by the talent he heard playing the dubs, and fell in with fellow musicians and songwriters like Roger Wallace, The Horton Brothers and Teri Joyce. "1 never sang in front of a single person until 1 moved here," he explains. "Once 1 started it and 1 got a little taste, it was like, that's what 1 want to do."
Bear also began wri,ting songs in earnest, getting pointérs and encouragement from guitarist Chris Miller of Dave Alvin's Guilty Men. He started playing Austin joints like The Continental Club, Gin..--ny's Little Longhorn and The Poodle Dog Lounge, making a name for himself in the Austin~·scene.
Then one night his phone rang. On the line was his friend (and Handy Award winning blues artist) Nick Curran, who was in Los Angeles writing sangs with Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. "He called me at two o'dock in the morning and said, man, 'remember that song of yours, 'Two Time Fool?' Send me a chart and the words." Wilson dug the tune and decided to record it.
With his first album and coyer now under his belt, Bear is off to an auspicious start.
Though he modestly says that his style "is just hillbilly music," he knows what makes the music he loves and creates the wheat that is separate from the chaff. "Ali that stuff was 50 genuine. 1 could tell when 1 was a kid that it had a little more substance to it than the usual pop fluff." And now with Two Time Fool, Bear and The Essentials are ready to rock the world once again with hillbilly substance and soul.
Sibiu (Romanian: [siˈbiw], antiquated Sibiiu; German: Hermannstadt [ˈhɛʁmanʃtat], Transylvanian Saxon dialect: Härmeschtat, Hungarian: Nagyszeben [ˈnɒcsɛbɛn]) is a city in Transylvania, Romania, with a population of 147,245.[1] Located some 275 km (171 mi) north-west of Bucharest,[2] the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt. Now the capital of Sibiu County, between 1692 and 1791 and 1849–65 Sibiu was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania.
Sibiu is one of the most important cultural centres of Romania and was designated the European Capital of Culture for the year 2007, along with the city of Luxembourg.[3] Formerly the centre of the Transylvanian Saxons, the old city of Sibiu was ranked as "Europe's 8th-most idyllic place to live" by Forbes in 2008.[4]
The city administers the Păltiniș ski resort.
History[edit]
See also: Timeline of Sibiu
The first official record referring to the Sibiu area comes from 1191, when Pope Celestine III confirmed the existence of the free prepositure of the German settlers in Transylvania, the prepositure having its headquarters in Sibiu, named Cibinium at that time.[5]
In the 14th century, it was already an important trade centre. In 1376, the craftsmen were divided in 19 guilds. Sibiu became the most important ethnic German city among the seven cities that gave Transylvania its German name Siebenbürgen (literally seven citadels).[6][7] It was home to the Universitas Saxorum (Community of the Saxons), a network of pedagogues, ministers, intellectuals, city officials, and councilmen of the German community forging an ordered legal corpus and political system in Transylvania since the 1400s.[8][9] During the 18th and 19th centuries, the city became the second- and later the first-most important centre of Transylvanian Romanian ethnics. The first Romanian-owned bank had its headquarters here (The Albina Bank), as did the ASTRA (Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and Romanian's People Culture). After the Romanian Orthodox Church was granted status in the Habsburg Empire from the 1860s onwards, Sibiu became the Metropolitan seat, and the city is still regarded as the third-most important centre of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Between the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and 1867 (the year of the Ausgleich), Sibiu was the meeting-place of the Transylvanian Diet, which had taken its most representative form after the Empire agreed to extend voting rights in the region.
After World War I, when Austria-Hungary was dissolved, Sibiu became part of Romania; the majority of its population was still ethnic German (until 1941) and counted a large Romanian community, as well as a smaller Hungarian one. Starting from the 1950s and until after 1990, most of the city's ethnic Germans emigrated to Germany and Austria. Among the roughly 2,000 who have remained is Klaus Johannis, the current President of Romania.
Geography[edit]
Topographic map of the Sibiu region
Panoramic view of Sibiu historic center, looking East.
Sibiu is situated near the geographical center of Romania at
WikiMiniAtlas
45.792784°N 24.152069°E. Set in the Cibin Depression, the city is about 20 km from the Făgăraș Mountains, 12 km from the Cibin Mountains, and about 15 km from the Lotru Mountains, which border the depression in its southwestern section. The northern and eastern limits of Sibiu are formed by the Târnavelor Plateau, which descends to the Cibin Valley through Gușteriței Hill.
The Cibin river as well as some smaller streams runs through Sibiu. The geographical position of Sibiu makes it one of the most important transportation hubs in Romania with important roads and railway lines passing through it.
City districts[edit]
The following districts are part of Sibiu. Some were villages annexed by the city but most were built as the city developed and increased its surface.
•Historic Center - Divided into the Upper Town and Lower Town
•Centru (Centre)
•Lupeni
•Trei Stejari
•Vasile Aaron
•Hipodrom I, II, III, IV
•Valea Aurie (Golden Valley)
•Tilișca
•Ștrand
•Turnișor (Little Tower; German: Neppendorf)
•Piața Cluj
•Țiglari
•Terezian
•Reșița
•Lazaret
•Gușterița (German: Hammersdorf)
•Broscărie
•Viile Sibiului
•Tineretului
•Veteranilor de Război
The Southern part, including the ASTRA National Museum Complex and the Zoo, also falls within the city limits.
Politics[edit]
Sibiu city council composition in 2004:
Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
Social Democratic Party
National Liberal Party
Democratic Party
Although ethnic Germans make up less than 2% of Sibiu's population, Klaus Johannis, the former president of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR/DFDR) and current president of Romania, served as mayor of Sibiu from 2000 to 2014. Johannis was overwhelmingly reelected in 2004 (with 88.7% of votes) and 2008 (with 83.3% of the votes cast) and his party gained an absolute majority in the city council in that year. After the 2014 presidential elections, the interim position for mayor of the city was filled by deputy mayor Astrid Fodor who in the 2016 local elections won the seat with a majority of votes.[18]
Despite winning the local elections with a majority of votes and a high approval rating, the current administration is beginning to be viewed as slow moving and lacking transparency. Another issue that is affecting the current administraiton's approval ratings is the lack of investments and innovations
Economy[edit]
Sibiu is an important economic hub for Romania, with a high rate of foreign investments. It is also an important hub for the manufacturing of automotive components and houses factories belonging to ThyssenKrupp Bilstein-Compa, Takata Corporation, Continental Automotive Systems, and NTN-SNR ball bearings. Other local industries are machine components, textiles, agro-industry, and electrical components (Siemens).
The city also contains Romania's second-largest stock exchange, the Sibiu Stock Exchange which is set to merge with the Bucharest Stock Exchange in 2018.[19]
The main industrial activities of Sibiu take place in two industrial zones located on the outskirts of the city:
•East industrial zone (East Economic Center), alongside the railway to Brașov and Râmnicu Vâlcea
•West industrial zone (West Economic Center),[20] near the exit to Sebeș, close to the Airport
A commercial zone located in the Șelimbăr commune plays an important role in the economy of Sibiu. It houses a mall and other large retailers.
Another factor that plays an important role in the economy of the city is tourism, which has been increasing at a steady rate since 2007.
Transport[edit]
Sibiu International Airport Location
Sibiu is well served in terms of transport and infrastructure. In 2010 a city bypass was opened, significantly reducing the road traffic inside the city.
Tursib[21] is the city's internal transportation system operator.
Air[edit]
Sibiu Airport, Blue Air flight.
Sibiu has one of the most modern international airports in Romania, with direct connections to Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Italy and Spain while connections to other European countries being scheduled to start in summer 2018 Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland.
Road[edit]
Sibiu is an important node in the European road network, being on two different European routes (E68 and E81). At a national level, Sibiu is located on three different main national roads, DN1, DN7 and DN14.
The Romanian Motorway A1 will link the city with Pitești and the Romanian western border, near Arad. From the remaining 332 km of motorway towards the border with Hungary Nadlac, a total of 276 km is completed and the last 56 km are currently under construction, while the timeline for the segment towards Pitești is targeted for completion for the year 2025 (construction will start no sooner than 2019). Sibiu' s ring road as part of A1 motorway was completed on December 1, 2010.
Sibiu is also an important hub for the international bus links with the biggest passenger transporter in Romania, Atlassib, based here. Transport companies are also providing coach connections from Sibiu to a large number of locations in Romania.
Public bus transportation in Sibiu
Rail[edit]
Main article: Sibiu railway station
Sibiu is situated on the CFR-Romanian Railways Main Line 200 (Brasov - Făgăraș - Sibiu - Simeria - Arad - Romanian Western Border) and on Line 206 (Sibiu - Mediaș).
The city is served by five rail stations: the Main Station (Gara Mare), the Little Station (Gara Micǎ), Turnișor, Sibiu Triaj, Halta Ateliere Zonă . It has an important diesel-powered locomotives depot and a freight terminal.
Numerous Inter City trains (nicknamed Blue Arrows) connect Sibiu to other major cities in Romania: Cluj-Napoca, Brașov, Craiova, Timișoara and Bucharest.
Cycling[edit]
Over the last six years, Sibiu has enjoyed a revival of cycling. The bicycle way in the city span for 43 kilometers.
Bicycle rentals have offered a boost for the local economy with several small rental centers and a bigger rental center that is administered by the I'Velo Bike Sharing group.
Culture[edit]
Sibiu is one of Romania's most culturally lively cities. It has 3 theatres and a philharmonic orchestra along with other smaller private theatrical venues and a theatre studio housed by the Performing Arts and Acting section of Lucian Blaga University, where students hold monthly representations.
The Radu Stanca National Theatre[22] is one of the leading Romanian theatres. With origins dating back to 1787, it attracts some of the best-known Romanian directors, such as Gábor Tompa and Silviu Purcărete. It has both a Romanian-language and a German-language section, and presents an average of five shows a week.
The Gong Theatre is specialised in puppetry, mime and non-conventional shows for children and teenagers. It also presents shows in both Romanian and German.
The State Philharmonic of Sibiu[23] presents weekly classical music concerts, and educational concerts for children and teenagers. The concerts take place in the newly restored Thalia Hall, a concert and theatre hall dating from 1787, situated along the old city fortifications. Weekly organ concerts are organised at the Evangelical Cathedral during summers, and thematic concerts are presented by the Faculty of Theology choir at the Orthodox Cathedral.
The Sibiu International Theatre Festival is an annual festival of performing arts. Since 2016, it is the largest performance arts festival in the world.[24]
Brukenthal National Museum, Sibiu.
Museums and parks[edit]
Sibiu's museums are organised around two entities: the Brukenthal National Museum and the ASTRA National Museum Complex. The Brukenthal Museum consists of an Art Gallery and an Old Books Library located inside the Brukenthal Palace, a History Museum located in the old town hall building, a Pharmacy Museum located in one of the first apothecary shops in Europe, dating from the 16th century, a Natural History Museum and a Museum of Arms and Hunting Trophies.
The ASTRA National Museum Complex focuses on ethnography, and consists of a Traditional Folk Civilisation Museum, a 96-hectare open-air museum located in Dumbrava Forest south of Sibiu, a Universal Ethnography Museum, a Museum of Transylvanian Civilisation and a Museum of Saxon Ethnography and Folk Art. Also planned is a Museum of the Culture and Civilisation of the Romany People.
Bicycle riders in Sub Arini park, in Sibiu.
The Dumbrava Sibiului Natural Park stretches over 960 hectares and it is situated 4 km away from the center of the city in the southwest direction along the road towards Răşinari. Also, here you can find the Zoological Garden and Ethnography Museum.
There is a Steam Locomotives Museum close to the railway station, sheltering around 40 locomotives, two of which are functional.
The first park in the city was The Promenade, later called "The Disabled Promenade." established in 1791, today part of Parcul Cetății (Citadel Park). Current arrangement of the park, including the space between the walls, dates from 1928.
The Sub Arini Park, established in 1856 is one of the biggest and best-maintained parks in Romania. There are other green spaces in the city center, the best known being Astra Park, established in 1879.
Tineretului Park
Other parks:
Tineretului Park, Reconstrucției Park, Corneliu Coposu Park, Petöfi Sándor Park, Piața Cluj Park, Ștrand Park, Cristianului Park, Țițeica Park, Vasile Aaron Park, Lira Park.
The distribution of green space is good compared to other Romanian cities.
Events[edit]
Citadel Park, with the 16 century City wall
Several festivals are organised yearly in Sibiu, the most prestigious of them being the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, organized each spring at the end of May. Medieval Festival organized every year in August, reviving the medieval spirit of Transylvania. The Artmania Festival is held every Summer since 2006 and as of 2008 the Rockin' Transilvania Festival is also held in Sibiu. The oldest Jazz Festival in Romania is organized here, as well as the "Carl Filtsch" festival for young classical piano players, the "Astra Film" documentary film festival, the Transylvania calling Festival a Multi Cultural 6 day Open Air Music festival! 26–31 July 2007, a medieval arts festival and many more smaller cultural events.[25] Feeric Fashion Week is also hosted here.
European Cultural Capital[edit]
The designation as a European Cultural Capital for 2007, owed greatly to the excellent collaboration with Luxembourg, but also to what many regard as a miraculous social rebirth taking place in the city during the last years. The Cultural Capital status was expected to bring about an abrupt increase in quantity and quality of cultural events in 2007.
Tourism[edit]
In 2007, Sibiu was the European Capital of Culture (together with Luxembourg). This was the most important cultural event that has ever happened in the city, and a great number of tourists came, both domestic and foreign.
The city of Sibiu and its surroundings are one of the most visited areas in Romania. It holds one of the best preserved historical sites in the country, many of its medieval fortifications having been kept in excellent state. Its old center has begun the process for becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. Sibiu and its surrounding area have many significant museums, with 12 institutions housing art collections, paintings, and exhibits in decorative arts, archeology, anthropology, history, industrial archeology and history of technology and natural sciences.
The city also lies close to the Făgăraș Mountains - a very popular trekking destination, close to the Păltiniș and Arena Platos ski resorts - popular winter holiday destinations, and it is at the heart of the former Saxon communities in Transylvania renowned for its fortified churches.
Fortified Lutheran church of Gușterița neighbourhood, 13th century
Since 2007, a traditional Christmas market is held for the first time in Sibiu, Romania. The first of its kind in Romania, it is inspired by Viennese Christmas markets, being a project developed by the Social Attaché of the Austrian Embassy in Romania, dr.h.c. Barbara Schöfnagel It was held in the "Lesser Square" (Piața Mică) with 38 small stalls, a small stage and an area dedicated to children, having several mechanical attractions installed there. Since 2008 the market is held in the "Grand Square" and grew to a number of about 70 stalls, a bigger stage was set up, where Christmas carols concerts are held. An ice skating rink and a children's workshop are also attractions which have been added in the following years.[26] It was the first Christmas Market in Romania,[27] but soon other Christmas markets emerged across the country. In 2013, the Sibiu Christmas markets was included in the "15 Of the Most Beautiful Christmas Markets in Europe"[28]
Main sights[edit]
Sibiu Lutheran Cathedral
Market in the Large Square, 1790, painting by Franz Neuhauser the Younger
Christmas Fair in the Large Square
Coopers Tower
The House with Caryatids on Mitropoliei Street, constructed in 1786
Pasajul Scărilor (Passage of the Stairs) in the Lower Town
Much of the city's aspect is due to its position, easily defensible, but allowing horizontal development. The old city of Sibiu lies on the right bank of the Cibin River, on a hill situated at about 200 m from the river. It consists of two distinct entities: the Upper Town and the Lower Town. Traditionally, the Upper Town was the wealthier part and commercial outlet, while the Lower Town served as the manufacturing area.
The Lower Town
(German: Unterstadt, Romanian: Orașul de jos) comprises the area between the river and the hill, and it developed around the earliest fortifications. The streets are long and quite wide for medieval city standards, with small city squares at places. The architecture is rather rustic: typically two-storey houses with tall roofs and gates opening passages to inner courts.
Most of the exterior fortifications were lost to industrial development and modern urban planning in the mid-late 19th century; only four towers still exist. A building associated with newer urbanism of the period is the Independența Highschool.
This area has the oldest church in the city, dating back to 1292.
The Upper Town (German: Oberstadt, Romanian: Orașul de sus) is organised around three city squares and a set of streets along the line of the hill. As the main area for burgher activities, the area contains most points of interest in the city.
Grand Square
(German: Großer Ring, Romanian: Piața Mare ) is, as its name suggests, the largest square of the city, and has been the center of the city since the 15th century. At 142 meters long and 93 meters wide, it is one of the largest ones in Transylvania.
Brukenthal Palace, one of the most important Baroque monuments in Romania, lies on the north-western corner of the square. It was erected between 1777 and 1787 as the main residence for the Governor of Transylvania Samuel von Brukenthal. It houses the main part of the National Brukenthal Museum, opened in 1817, making it one of the oldest museums in the world. Next to the palace is the Blue House or Moringer House, an 18th-century Baroque house bearing the old coat of arms of Sibiu on its façade.
Interior of the Sibiu Orthodox Cathedral
On the north side is the Jesuit Church, along with its dependencies, the former residence of the Jesuits in Sibiu. Also on the north side, at the beginning of the 20th century an Art Nouveau building was constructed on the west part, now it houses the mayor's office.
Liars Bridge in Lesser Square, erected in 1859
Next to the Jesuit Church on the north side is the Council Tower, one of the city's symbols. This former fortification tower from the 13th century has been successively rebuilt over the years. The building nearby used to be the City Council's meeting place; beneath it lies an access way between the Grand Square and the Lesser Square.
On the south and east sides are two- or three-storey houses, having tall attics with small windows known as the city's eyes. Most of these houses are dated 15th to 19th centuries, and most of them are Renaissance or Baroque in style.
Lesser Square (Small Square, German: Kleiner Ring) as its name implies, is a smaller square situated in the northern part of the Upper Town. After the 2007 rehabilitation there has been an increase in the number of small businesses such as pubs and restaurants in this area.
The square is connected to the other two squares and to other streets by small, narrow passages. The main access from the Lower City is through Ocnei Street, which divides the square in two. The street passes under the Liar's Bridge - the first bridge in Romania to have been cast in iron (1859).[29]
To the right of the bridge is another symbol of the city, The House of the Arts, a 14th-century arched building formerly belonging to the Butchers' Guild. On the left side of the bridge is the Luxemburg House, a Baroque four-storey building.
Huet Square
is the third of the three main squares of Sibiu. Its most notable feature is the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral in its center. It is the place where the earliest fortifications have been built in the late 12th century or early 13th century. The buildings around this square are mainly Gothic. On the west side lies the Brukenthal Highschool, in place of a former 14th-century school.
The Thick Tower
The Fortifications
of Sibiu made the city one of the most important fortified cities in Central Europe. Multiple rings were built around the city, most of them out of clay bricks. The south-eastern fortifications are the best kept, and all three parallel lines are still visible. The first is an exterior earth mound, the second is a 10-meter-tall red brick wall, and the third line comprises towers linked by another 10-meter-tall wall. All structures are connected via a labyrinth of tunnels and passageways, designed to ensure transport between the city and lines of defense.
In the 16th century more modern elements were added to the fortifications, mainly leaf-shaped bastions. Two of these survived to this day, as the Haller Bastion (all the way down Coposu Boulevard) and "Soldisch Bastion".
The Passage of the Stairs, leads down to the lower section of Sibiu. It descends along some fortifications under the support arches. It is the most picturesque of the several passages linking the two sides of the old city.
Health
Health[edit]
Sibiu County Hospital
Sibiu is one of the important medical centers of Romania, housing many important medical facilities:
•County Hospital
•Academic Emergency Hospital;
•Hospital of Pediatrics;
•Military Emergency Hospital;
•CFR Hospital (Romanian Railways Hospital);
•"Dr. Gheorghe Preda" Psychiatry Hospital
•other smaller private clinics
The city also houses one of the largest private hospitals in the country, Polisano.
Education[edit]
Samuel von Brukenthal High School
Sibiu is an important centre of higher education, with over 23,000 students in four public and private higher institutions.[30][31][32][33]
The Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu was founded in 1990, with five faculties: Engineering and Sciences; Language Sciences; History and Law; Medicine; Food and Textile Processing Technology. Nowadays, there are 10 faculties and departments.
Sibiu also houses the Nicolae Bălcescu Land Forces Academy and the Military Foreign Language Center as well as two private universities, Romanian-German University and Alma Mater University.
In Sibiu there are 20 educational institutions on the secondary level, the most important of which are:
•Gheorghe Lazăr National College - sciences and informatics, first opened in 1692 as a Jesuit College
•
Gheorghe Lazăr National College
Samuel von Brukenthal National College - German language high school
•Octavian Goga National College - social sciences, sciences, informatics and linguistics
•Onisifor Ghibu Theoretical Highschool - informatics, sciences, sports, theater and linguistics
•Andrei Șaguna National College - training for school teacher and linguistics
•Constantin Noica Theoretical Highschool - sciences and linguistics
•Daniel Popovici Barcianu Highschool - agricultural sciences
•George Baritiu National College - economic sciences
•Nicolae Iorga Elementary school
•Regina Maria Elementary school
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I love finding places that get so dark you can see all the stars that are out there. On Kauai, HI when it gets dark, it's dark. There was a small amount of moonlight that evening but not so much that it affected the sky so much. This was taken on a beach near Poipu on the South Coast.
The foreground was lit using a small flashlight. Just enough power to highlight the waves crashing on the rocks.
Record/Study Photo.Doc Series
As per adjacent posts
2 Drake
Eurasian Wigeon EUWI (Anas penelope)
&
American Wigeon AMWI (Anas americana) flock
near Tetayut Creek mouth
Saanichton Bay
Central Saanich BC
DSCN0425
Male EUWI can very much stand out in an AMWI flock./...grey sides and especially the Reddish Head .....BUT beware of getting too excited and mistaking the red heads of drake Green Wing Teal in tight feeding flocks
Also note that the "iridescence " of some of the drake AMWI can have a reddish - purplish sheen at this time of year/stage of moult.
Can be a bit deceiving when scanning for hybrids.