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This is not with the lens fully out and this is what you can see with it. I am amazed at what you can take with this lens but it is also takes patience to get these pics. Manual focus and trying to line up the shot is not easy through a small eye piece. It is fun when you get it right though.
Different Position – Sir you are now a women 39
transgenre.silicone-breast.com/2016/12/29/different-posit...
Notice : Releasing this comic on every Monday to Thursday
• SAINT STUPID's DAY PARADE - APRIL 1st , 2019 !
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• ...and now for something completely different !
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Photos are properly marked SAFE or RESTRICTED ( 18+ only / nudity). There is NO porn, and, NO stolen photos on my site!
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The spiral galaxy NGC 3596 is on display in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image that incorporates six different wavelengths of light. NGC 3596 is situated 90 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo, the Lion. British astronomer Sir William Herschel first documented the galaxy in 1784.
NGC 3596 appears almost perfectly face-on when viewed from Earth, showcasing the galaxy’s neatly wound spiral arms. These bright arms hold concentrations of stars, gas, and dust that mark the area where star formation is most active, illustrated by the brilliant pink star-forming regions and young blue stars tracing NGC 3596’s arms.
What causes these spiral arms to form? It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer, partly because spiral galaxies are so diverse. Some have clear spiral arms, while others have patchy, feathery arms. Some have prominent bars across their centers, while others have compact, circular nuclei. Some have close neighbors, while others are isolated.
Early ideas of how spiral arms formed stumped astronomers with the ‘winding problem’. If a galaxy’s spiral arms are coherent structures, its arms would wind tighter and tighter as the galaxy spins, until the arms are no longer visible. Now, researchers believe that spiral arms represent a pattern of high-density and low-density areas rather than a physical structure. As stars, gas, and dust orbit within a galaxy’s disk, they pass in and out of the spiral arms. Much like cars moving through a traffic jam, these materials slow down and bunch up as they enter a spiral arm, before emerging and continuing their journey through the galaxy.
Text credit: European Space Agency
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker
For more information: science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-comes-face-to-fac...
Size: 12x5x3cm, weight: XXXgr.
Density: X,XXgr./cm³ / Estimated grit size: very variable 4K-8K
Usage: with water or oil, water should be preferred
Colour: differs totally from which quarry and which layer the stone was quarried. To identify and get further more information about the different kinds, read Henk Bos - Grinding and Honing Part 4 about Belgian Whetstones in detail (www.bosq.home.xs4all.nl) additional a visit of Coticule.be (maintained & created by Bart Torfs) is recommended! (www.coticule.be)
A Sharpening Stone which is known as a Coticule, Belgian Waterwhestone or in german "Gelber Belgischer Brocken" which is also shortened as GBB. There is also a second type which is and in the past was mostly used a the backing of the Coticule, the "Belgian Blue Waterwhetstone" or in german "Blauer Belgischer Brocken" shortened as BBW/BBB. Coticules are very interesting in their apperance, none is like the other and sometimes they have really nice structures (banding, gradients, inclusions).
Concerning the performance of the stones, the Coticules are very flexible in usage. That means that the stones with a very thick slurry used with more pressure work quite fast and remove a lot of material! A moderate slurry is a bit slower, using plain water is the slowest way which is used to polish the bevel and finish on the Stone. Later on there is a link to both Sharpening techniques brought to paper from Coticule.be named "Unicot" und "Dilocut" which are both great if they are well learned.
"About this Stone"
A very thick stone (3cm) with a mixed up Coticule layer, on certain areas it has several hybrid layer inclusions (Quartz). It has a natural grown BBW backing. At the End on one side both layers (Coticule/BBW) get mixed up together, this is quite rare and ive never seen any comparable stone.
more about the History of Coticules can be found here:
www.ardennes-coticule.be/en/ardennes-coticule-en.html
General information on coticules:
Wikipedia.de: "Belgischer Brocken"
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgischer_Brocken
Coticule.be
Salmchateau.be: "Le Coticule de Salchateau"
www.salmchateau.be/article39.html
Vielsalm.be: "Musee de Coticule"
www.vielsalm.be/loisirs-et-tourisme/culture/les-musees/mu...
Sources of buying coticules:
Ardennes-coticule.be, Founder is Maurice Celis
Belgischer-Brocken.com, Site from Steffen J. Lindner:
The Supirior Shave (TSS):
How to use a coticule:
Coticule.be: "Méthode Unicot" with PDF Files in EN, NL, IT, FR, ES, DE
(Link: www.coticule.be/unicot.html)
Coticule.be: "Méthode Dilucot" with PDF Files in EN, NL, FR, ES
(Link: www.coticule.be/dilucot-honing-method.html)
Geological Information:
Région Walonne, Bra Lierneux, 55/3-4: "Carte Géologique de Wallonie "
Échelle: 1/25000, Notice Explicative
(Link: geologie.wallonie.be/files/content/sites/geoprod/files/re...)
Literature:
[1] Bos, Henk - "Grinding and Honing Part 4 Belgian Whetstones", Info 20M, ISSN 1872-7824
(Link: www.xs4all.nl/~bosq)
[2] Boulvain, F. Prof. & Pingot, J. L. Dr. - Excursions: "Une introduction à la GEOLOGIE de la WALLONIE", Université de Liège, Faculté des Sciences, Département de Géologie, 2014
(Link: www2.ulg.ac.be/geolsed/geolwal/geolwal.htm)
[3] Boulvain, F. Prof. - Excursions "Excursions des cours de Processus Sedimentaires et Geologie de la Wallonie", Université de Liège, Faculté des Sciences, Département de Géologie, 2013
[4] Caubergs Michel - "Inventaire de quelques anciennes mines et carrieres souterraines de Wallonie", Essai D'archeologie miniere, 1991
[5] Devleeschouwer, Xavier / Mullard, Cyril / Goemaere, Eric - "Underground Workings of Slate Vein and Coticule in the commune of Vielsam (Belgium): The Geological Risk Management through Database and GIS", Post-Mining 2005, November 16-17, Nancy, France
(Link: gisos.ensg.inpl-nancy.fr/fileadmin/File/PM_2005/PM05_pdf/...)
[6] Gaspard, Charles - "L'industrie de la Pierre a rasoir dans le region de Sart-Lierneux", Extraites des Enquêtes du Museé de la Vie Wallonie, TOME XIV (No. 5 157-160)
[7] Goemaere, Eric - "Ardoise et coticule en Terre de Salm, Des pierres et des Hommes", Collection Geosciences du Service Géologique de Belgique, Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, ISBN : 978-2-9600676-1-3
(Link: www.sciencesnaturelles.be/institute/structure/geology/gsb...)
(Extrait "L'atelier Burton: www.sciencesnaturelles.be/institute/structure/geology/gsb...)
[8] Goemaere, E. & Declercq, P-Y. , 2012. "Le "coticule" de Vielsalm et Lierneux (Belgique)" une pierrre à aiguiser au passé mondial. Ann. Soc. géologique du Nord, 19 (2e série), 117-131
[9] Lessuise, A., "Le coticule. Situation géographique et géologique des gisements. Exploitation et préparation des pierres abrasives. Valorisation des déchets d’exploitation" Annales des Mines de Belgique, 1: 101-125, 1981
[10] Remacle, A. - "Les ardoisières de l’Ardenne belge" Intérêt biologique et état des lieux des sites en surface. Région wallonne, Direction Générale des Ressources Naturelles et de l’Environnement, Division de la Nature et des Forêts, Travaux n° 30, 189 p., 2007
[11] Renard, A. & S.J. - "Sur la structure et La Composition Minéralogique Du Coticule et sur ses Rapports avec Le Phyllade Oligistifère, 21.10.1876
[12] Knight, Richard - Appendix No. V Pages 231-237, Paragraph Nr. 15 in "Transactions of the Society instituted at London for the...Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce, Vol. L, 1836
███▓▒░░.Text and Links created by RAZORLOVESTONES 05.09.2014.░░▒▓███
From the autumn 2016 trip to Vietnam:
Hey, Hey, Hue Hue! (“Hue” rhymes with “way,” by the way, and has an aspirated ‘h’ at the beginning.) As I mentioned yesterday, the fine folks at Huenino arranged a private car to shuttle us around the Hue countryside. That cost $37, flat rate, to take as long as we wanted, but she said we would probably be done around 2:00.
After eating an omelet and toast, our driver came to our hotel (which was in an alley) to pick us up. The agenda was this: First, we went to the Thien Mu Pagoda about 1-2 kilometers due west of the Citadel along the Perfume River. After that, we went to three different imperial tombs that were roughly 20 kilometers from downtown Hue (and a few kilometers from each other), and then ended up at the Citadel.
Normally, I wouldn’t be very excited about a pagoda, but when we got to Thien Mu, I was pleased. It’s situated on a slight hill above the Perfume River. (I love the name of the river, by the way, though there was nothing pleasantly aromatic about it. I’m also glad to say it wasn’t a sarcastic name with a pungent bouquet to offend the senses, either.) When you get to the pagoda, though, it has a wonderful little approach: a small, steep staircase that leads up to the pagoda with four pillars right at the top of the stairs that frame the pagoda well.
Next to the pagoda are a few minor temples (about the size of outhouses) surrounded by trees with views of the river. Directly behind the pagoda is the entrance to the temple. The main gate is nice and, upon entering, the main hall is about a hundred meters directly in front of you. The green is pretty lovely and, on the side of the green are some minor halls.
Behind the main hall there is a bonsai garden and a second hall. Finally, behind the secondary hall is another green with a mini pagoda/statue at the back of the grounds. The back of the grounds are enclosed by trees.
After leisurely making our way to the back of the grounds (in 30-45 minutes, I’d guess), we walked back towards the front, photographing flowers and two women in traditional dress before stopping at a side hall that had a peculiarity: A sky blue Austin dating from around 1960.
This is the car (which, I believe, I mentioned in my Saigon posts as well) in which the monk Thich Quang Duc rode from An Quang Pagoda down to Saigon before self-immolating in 1963 to protest the treatment of the Ngo Dinh Diem government. (I won’t elaborate here, but the response of Ngo’s sister, to say the least, was callous. You can find a letterbox in the LP Vietnam and read about it.) As I said, I was absolutely delighted by this temple. I suppose I could ascribe it the polar opposite from how I felt at seeing Disappointment Falls en route to Hue on Thursday.
After roughly an hour here at Thien Mu Pagoda, our driver took us to the first of three imperial tombs. To say a little bit about imperial Vietnam – and the era that these tombs cover – the first thing you need to know is that you can NOT associate dynastic Vietnam with China. They couldn’t be much more different. China’s dynasties span more than two thousand years from 221 B.C.-1911 A.D. (with smaller kingdoms even predating those). When talking about imperial Vietnam, we have to reach way, way back in time…to the 1800s – A.D., that is. So, these tombs are somewhere around 150-200 years old, give or take a few years.
Another thing to know about imperial Vietnam is that they ruled while the country was really being run by the French who, by this point, had taken over Indochina. So, I suppose if you were desperate to compare Vietnamese emperors to Chinese, you could go with the last emperor, Puyi, who was pretty much a puppet emperor in Manchuria until the 1930s when the Japanese let him rule as a figurehead. (Speaking of Puyi, that movie – the Last Emperor – is extraordinary.)
For now, I’ll focus squarely on the tombs themselves. The first one we stopped at was the Tomb of Minh Mang. When we arrived here, we went to the ticket booth to buy a pass to the four sites (three tombs plus Citadel) for 360,000 VND/person (~17-18 USD).
Of the imperial tombs I’ve seen – primarily in southeastern Korea – this one was the most like those. The Korean mausoleums are massive mounds built on top of the tombs and that’s what this was.
In retrospect, Minh Mang’s tomb was my favorite of the three we would see on the day. It was parklike and fairly expansive. Minh Mang “ruled” from 1820-1840, so obviously the tomb would date from sometime around 1840. The tomb was planned during his reign and built by his successor, Thieu Tri.
The Honor Courtyard is at the south end of the complex directly in front of Dinh Vuong (Stele Pavilion). There are three stairways leading up to the pavilion. From inside the pavilion, you have a nice view of Sung An Temple (dedicated to Minh Mang and his empress) directly in front of you and two side halls framing in a courtyard filled with potted flowers.
Behind Sung An temple, you pass through Hien Duc Gate descend some stairs and can cross one of three bridges to span Trung Minh Ho (Lake of Impeccable Clarity). The central bridge was for the emperor’s use only, so I guess I was an emperor on this day.
Once across the bridge, you find yourself looking up at Minh Lau Pavilion (Pavilion of Light) which is built on three superimposed terraces that represent the “three powers”: the ehavens, the earth, and water. To the left of this is the Fresh Air Pavilion and, to the right, the Angling Pavilion.
Finally, you cross another, slightly longer, stone bridge that carries you over Tan Nguyet Lake (Lake of the New Moon). This is a crescent-shaped lake and, once across, you finally find yourself at the base of Minh Mang’s tomb with its rather large staircase flanked by dragon banisters that lead to his sepulcher. However, you also find that the gates are locked and you can’t actually go see the tomb. (It’s only open one day a year, on the anniversary of his death.)
After reaching the tomb, you can walk out the same way you came in or, after crossing the stone bridges in front of Minh Lau Pavilion, you can veer off and take a path that skirts the large and rather pleasant Tan Nguyet Lake back to the front gate (which is what we did).
When we finally made our way back to our driver, I think we’d spent an hour or so at the first tomb. From there, it was a short 5-10 minute drive to the second of the three: the Tomb of Khai Dinh. I’ll simply copy the LP Vietnam description of this tomb here:
“This hillside monument is a synthesis of Vietnamese and European elements. Most of the tomb’s grandiose exterior is covered in blackened concrete, creating an unexpectedl Gothic air, while the interiors resemble an explosion of colorful mosaic.
Khai Dinh was the penultimate emperor of Vietnam, from 1916 to 1925, and widely seen as a puppet of the French. The construction of his flamboyant tomb took 11 years.
Steps lead to the Honor Courtyard where mandarin honor guards have a mixture of Vietnamese and European features. Up three more flights of stairs is the stupendous main building, Thien Dinh. The walls and ceiling are decorated with murals of the Four Seasons, Eight Precious Objects, and Eight Fairies. Under a graceless, gold-speckled concrete canopy is a gilt bronze statue of Khai Dinh. His remains are interred 18m below the statue.”
Khai Dinh’s tomb was a stark contrast to Minh Mang’s. Minh Mang’s takes advantage of a natural setting whereas this tomb has a castle/temple feel to it. It’s on a hill and the views afforded from in front of Thien Dinh are quite wonderful. The temple itself – actually it advertises itself as a palace – is pretty much as Lonely Planet described it: rather ostentatious. That being said, it’s still well worth coming out here, especially to use it as a contrast from the other two tombs. Anyway, about 30 minutes at the Tomb of Khai Dinh should more than suffice even the most leisurely of visitors.
From there, we hopped back in the car for a 15 minute drive to the third and final tomb of the day: the Tomb of Tu Duc. This is actually the closest of the three to the city. I rather like the order in which we visited, though. My favorite first, least-favorite second, and another nice one to end it.
The Tomb of Tu Duc was built between 1864 and 1867. According to LP, it’s “the most popular, and certainly one of the most impressive of the royal mausoleums.” (That being said, I preferred Minh Mang’s tomb…by a long way.)
This tomb was designed by the emperor himself for use both before and after his death. Tu Duc was an interesting puppet king. Basically…he was a sterile Lothario. He had 104 wives and countless concubines, though no offspring. (Ok…he may not have been sterile, but with that many women around, I don’t think it’s a terribly unreasonable guess.)
This tomb is much closer in style to Minh Mang’s than to Khai Dinh’s. When you walk through the front gate, a patyh leads directly to Lou Khiem Lake. There’s a tiny island to the right – Tinh Khiem – where he used to hunt small game. Across the water to the left is Xung Khiem Pavilion, where he would compose and recite poetry to his concubines.
From the lake, turn directly behind you to find Hoa Khiem Temple, where Tu Duc and his wife (Empress Hoang Le Thien Anh) were worshipped. It’s not much to speak of when visiting it today, for it doesn’t seem to be a priority to maintain it. There are two thrones in here…and the larger one was for the empress. Tu Duc was, shall we say, vertically challenged, only reaching 153 cm in stature. (That’s a hair over 5’0”, which would even make Prince seem to tower over him.)
Anyway, the temples to honor the emperor/empress and another to honor his mother were so unimpressive to me that I won’t bother with more details. From this area, you continue to walk back less than 5 minutes to the Honor Courtyard with its statues of elephants, horses, and diminutive mandarins (the emperor ensured that his servants were even shorter than he, though I’m not sure where he found enough that fit that description). The courtyard leads to the Stele Pavilion, which has a 20 ton stele for which the emperor drafted the inscriptions himself. From LP, “He freely admitted that he had made mistakes and chose to name his tomb Khiem (modest).”
Of the three tombs on the day, this one is the least impressive. It’s enclosed by a wall on the back side of a tiny crescent-shaped lagoon. It’s a drab, gray monument. The reason it’s unimpressive, I guess, is because the emperor isn’t actually buried here. The site of his remains is unknown as, to keep it a secret from grave robbers, all 200 servants who buried the king were beheaded. How lovely.
As you can tell, I’m not a fan of this particular kind. (Paranoid and insecure, anyone?) However, the grounds and his tomb – barring the temples dedicated to him and his mom – are pleasant enough. I honestly don’t know why people would consider this the most popular, but I won’t argue. I’ll just say it’s a nice place to visit – but not if it’s the only destination you have in mind. The tombs are best seen as a group for contrast’s sake.
Having had our fix of tombs satisfied, the driver took us back into town and dropped us off just inside the Quang Duc Gate (southwestern gate) of the Citadel right in front of the Nine Holy Cannons. (Actually, there are five on this side; the other four are inside the southeast gate: Ngan Gate.)
The Citadel, for comparison, is quite a bit like China’s Forbidden City in its layout and use. Having said that…it’s nothing like the Forbidden City in terms of scale or elaborate detail. However, it’s still quite photogenic.
To get the dimensions out of the way, the outer wall of the Citadel is 10 kilometers long (close to square in orientation, so 2.5 km by 2.5 km) with a moat surrounding it that is 30 meters across. Within the Citadel, there are very distinct sections: the Imperial Enclosure and Forbidden Purple City is in the center. Temple compounds are in the southwest section and residences for family members (emperor’s mother, for example) are in the northwest. There are gardens in the northeast and to the north was the Mang Ca Fortress (which is still a military base).
Unfortunately for the world, you need to really use your imagination when visiting the Forbidden City because the one thing that wasn’t forbidden, sadly, were bombs by both the French and U.S troops during the various wars of the 20th century. Of the 148 buildings that were originally here, only 20 are still standing.
Getting back to our particular tour of the citadel, it started inside the southwest gate which was the outer wall of the compound. It was more of a military parade ground for the emperor and is currently flanked by the nine aforementioned cannons (for decorative purposes only, found under small pavilions) and a massive Vietnamese flag flying high at the center of the southern outer wall.
Walking across the parade grounds, you get to the ticket booth and pass through Ngo Mon Gate. This is a gate with three doors, the central of which was only for the emperor’s use. On top of the gate is the Ngu Phung (Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes). There’s a large drum and bell on its upper level as well. The emperor only came here on special occasions, the last of which, on 30 August 1945, was when Emperor Bao Dai appeared to end the Nguyen Dynasty, abdicating to a delegation sent by Ho Chi Minh.
After entering and crossing a bridge, you arrive at the Thai Hoa Palace (Palace of Supreme Harmony, built in 1803). This is an attractive palace which forbids photography inside. That’s all for the best. It has nice details but, except for the throne, is essentially a large, empty chamber. In a back room, though, is a nice introductory video that previews the Citadel which I’d recommend watching.
We actually went counter to the plan laid out by Lonely Planet here. Instead of continuing directly through the middle of the compound, we turned left out of the back door of the main palace.
After resting for half an hour or so in a cafe, we continued to the southwest corner of the compound. The highlights here are open fields – in a few cases where temples used to be before being blown to smithereens – and a few nice temples are still standing. The most photographic of these is a temple in front of which stand Nine Dynastic Urns. Having seen the three temples in the southwestern corner of the Citadel, we made our way north along the inside of the western wall towards the residential compounds.
On the way there, we decided to skip those and head back towards the center of the Citadel where we came upon the Hall of Mandarins. This is a hall that lists the accomplishments of every emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. Again, most of the buildings here are gone, and there are just open, grassy fields framed by the halls. The mandarins used to have their offices off the halls here.
Once through the western hall, you come back into an interior grassy field – also framed by rather nice, long corridors. This is/was the Forbidden Purple City where the private residence of the emperor would have been. To the right of the eastern corridor, just outside the Forbidden Field, is the Royal Theater which, while we were here, was under restoration.
From here, we made our way back towards the Thai Hoa Palace, only to find that we couldn’t exit whence we came in, so we had to follow the wall around to the eastern gate. I can say that the southeastern section of the Citadel just has a nice forest-like feel to it, but nothing architectural of note.
When we finally made our way out the eastern gate, we paid two bike drivers (these are bikes on the front of which are placed chariot-ish looking carts that seat one person) to take us back over towards our hotel where we grabbed a very late lunch/early dinner.
For the evening, we just went out for a walk along the river, but – unlike Hoi An – Hue isn’t terribly impressive at night. There’s a night market, but really, everything just seemed a bit dark and not interesting. This was probably also due to the fact that I was feeling a slight fever (possibly from the afternoon shower the day before) and my energy was practically drained. I’m glad to say that I felt fine the following morning, which was good, since we had a one hour flight to Hanoi that would get us to the capital around noon.
As always, thanks for dropping by and viewing these pictures. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll answer as I have time.
It doesn't look very tasty, it looks like the sauce has split, the colors are dull, but it tastes great! I was a bit surprised about that as I was doubting it a little bit while cooking it. When I tasted the sauce (after a lot of work, mainly because I boned and minced a pork shoulder and decided to use the lot for this recipe) I was disappointed it just tasted like "mapo tofu sauce". And I think I might make it differently next time, but adding the rice cakes and the creamed silken tofu did work. It's not a subtle dish and if you're the kind of person who can only stand half a chili in your food, it definitely is not your dish, but I kind of loved it. It's perfect for a winter's day, when you're cold and hungry.
I only skipped the fried shallots. The rest I did pretty much according to the original recipe. Oh, and I picked out the dried chiles before serving as you're not supposed to eat them anyway.
Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes
From: Momofuku Cookbook
Serves 4 – 6
½ cup peanut oil
3 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 ½ t kosher salt
1 pound ground pork (454g)
2 very loosely packed cups dried red chillies
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 T chilibeansauce (toban jiang)
1 T kochukaru (Korean chilli powder)
6 T water
1 T usukuchi (Japanese light soy sauce)
1 T sugar
2 cups sliced Chinese broccoli (gai-lan)
1 packet of rice sticks
8 ounces silken tofu (225g)
1 cup sliced scallions, greens and whites
½ cup packaged Chinese fried shallots
1. Heat 2 T of the oil in a wide frying pan set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, a minute or two, add the onions with ½ t salt. Cook stirring now and then until the onions start to colour and shrink, around 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook the onions for around 20 mintues more, turning them over on themselves every 5 minutes or so, until golden and sweet.
2. Meanwhile heat another T of oil in a wide frying pan set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the meat and cook, breaking it up with a spatula or spoon, for around 10 minutes just until the meat looses it pink rawness. Transfer the meat to a bowl and put the pan back on the stove.
3. Add the 5 remaining T of oil to the pan and turn the heat down to medium and let the the oil heat up for a minute. Add the dried chillies to the pan and warm through for a minute until fragrant. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute to infuse the oil with its flavour. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chilli bean paste, szechuan peppercorns, chilli powder. Set aside until the onions are finished cooking.
4. Add the water, cooked onions, and pork to the pan with the chilli sauce and stir to combine. Add the sugar, soy and the remaining 2 t salt and stir in. You can cool and refrigerate (few days) or freeze (few weeks) the sauce at this point, if needed.
5. Meanwhile put a large pot of water onto boil and salt well.
6. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and add in the chopped greens. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes stirring occasionally until tender.
7. Add the rice cakes to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes and warmed through. If using the thin sliced rice cakes these only take 30 seconds in the boiling water. Drain and add to the pan with the pork. Whisk the tofu until creamy then stir into the pork mixture. (see what this creamy silken tofu looks like: here )
8. Divide between serving bowls and top with scallions and fried shallots and serve immediately.
A few weeks ago, I made a list of churches that were on the Grade I list at least, so enabling me to pick a couple of churches to visit.
We did this, but finding two targets closed, Jools looked at the map and compared the list and found that Nettlestead was nearby despite being a different postal area.
It happens.
So, we drove over, heading out of Maidstone heading west, the church should have been on our left hand side. As we neared the church, I spotted the lych gate on the road with a footpath heading down the valley side.
I parked on the side of the road and go to investigate, down the path to the row of trees, and through a gap in a wall was the chuchyard with the church standing stark against the grey sky.
The tower looked Norman, large and squat, but the question was: would the porch door be unlocked?
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Tucked away down a straight path, to the north of Nettlestead Place and west of the River Medway, this small church is intriguing and full of character. The oldest part of the church is the tower, dating from the thirteenth century. This is now attached to a church completely rebuilt in the first half of the fifteenth century by the Pympe family, great supporters of the Woodville family and tenants of threw Dukes of Buckingham. The reason why everyone should visit the church is to see the contemporary glass installed in the huge Perpendicular windows which march down the nave. The Pympes arms may be seen, as well as those of their overlords and other families with whom they were associated. Reginald Pympe (1448-1530) was seen as a threat to Richard III but he lived to enjoy happy times in the reign of Henry VII. What was broken at the Reformation was skilfully restored and augmented by Ward and Hughes in the early 20th century. There are two lovely monuments on the east wall of the nave - to Katherine and Elizabeth Scott, one 16th and one 17th century.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Nettlestead
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NETTLESTED.
SOUTHWARD from watringbury lies Nettlested, called in Domesday, Nedested.
This PARISH lies on the western bank of the Medway, which is its eastern boundary, whence the ground rises up to the grounds of Roydon-hall, at the opposite side of it. It is within the district of the Weald. The situation is low, and rather of a gloomy aspect, from the number of spreading and losty oaks, and elm trees interspersed throughout it; the soil a fertile clay, consisting much of it of rich grazing land like that already described in the adjoining parish of East Peckham, though it is equally fertile for the growth of corn and hops in the upper parts of it. The high road from Maidstone through Watringbury to Tunbridge, branches off from Watringbury, and leads through this parish, not far from the bank of the river; in the northern part of it is the church, and at some distance from it the remains of the antient Place bonse, by which it appears to have been built of stone, with handsome sized gothic windows; on a stone portal, in the west front is the date 1587, probably that of some large repair or addition made to it, as the other parts of the building carry with them marks of much greater antiquity. The grand entrance to the house from the river is yet standing. The form of the antient gardens with the ponds are yet remaining. The mansion appears to have been spacious and noble, equal to the respectable families who once resided in it, though now it is for the most part over-run with weeds and spontaneous shrubs, and bears with it every mark of that vicissitude and ruin which is the inevitable lot of the transitous labours of man, however his utmost endeavours may have been exerted to prevent it. It is now made use of as an oast to dry hops, and for a labourere to dwell in, the occupier of the manor farm living in a modern house between it and the church, hence the road leads through the village built at Nettlested-green, whence it divides, that to the left leading towards the river at Twyfordbridge, and the other strait forward through Hailstreet to it at Brandt-bridge, both leading towards the southern parts of the Weald and Suffex. The groves of young oaks, elms, and other trees, planted along the borders of the river Medway, contribute greatly to the beauty of the scenery, which is considerably heightened by the rich gardens of hops, and the dif ferent dwellings and cottages intervening at frequent spaces between them.
This parish, with others in this neighbourhood, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the fifth pier of Rochester bridge.
IN THE REIGN of William the Conqueror, this place was part of the possessions of the king's halfbrother, Odo, bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in the survey of Domesday, taken about the year 1080.
Haimo holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Nedestede. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is six carucates. In demesne there is one, and fourteen villeins, having five carucates. There is a church, and fourteen servants, and two mills of fourteen shillings, and a fishery of two shillings, and seven acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of thirty-five bogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth eight pounds, afterwards six pounds, now eight pounds and five shillings. Norman held it of king Edward.
Of this manor the bishop has thirty shillings and two houses.
And again in another place, in the same record:
Adam holds of the bishop (of Baieux) one yoke in Pimpa. The arable land is . . . He has there half a carucate, with two servants, and four acres of meadow and half a fishery, untaxed; wood for the pannage of six bogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth six shillings, and afterwards five shillings, now ten shillings, yet it pays fifteen shillings. Godric held it of king Edward.
By another entry in the same book it appears, that Rayner, or Rannulf de Columbels, who held the manor of West Farleigh under the bishop, as one suling, held likewise another part of this estate, for after the description of his holding that manor it thus continues.
Of this suling Rayner (de Columbus) holds one yoke of the bishop in the manor of Pimpe, and he has there one carucate with nine servants, and three acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of four hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth twenty shillings, now forty shillings. Alnod Cilt held it of king Edward.
On the disgrace of the bishop of Baieux, about four years after the taking of the above survey, all his estates became confiscated to the crown, and these mentioned above, which comperhended the manors of Nettlested, with those of Hylth and Pimpe, were afterwards held of the Clares, earls of Gloucester, as chief lords of the fee, by the eminent family of Pimpe, who took their name from the latter of them, making it the principal seat of their residence, though they had another seat afterwards in East Farleigh, in this neighbourhood, and a third at Alhallows, in the hundred of Hoo. They bore for their arms, Gules, two bars argent, a chief vaire, as they now remain painted in the windows of this church.
Richard de Pimpe held these manors in the reigns of king Edward I. and II. and his descendant, Sir Philip de Pimpe, was a man of eminence and property in this county, as appears by his being one of those, who in the 11th year of king Edward III. were, in respect to their estates, assessed to furnish a guard for the defence of the sea coasts; towards which Sir Philip was ordered to provide two men at arms. (fn. 1)
His widow Joane married John de Coloigne, who, together with her son, Sir Thomas de Pimpe, paid respective aid for their lands in Nettlested, and adjoining to it, in the 20th year of king Edward III. that is to say,
"For the manor of Nettlested, the manor of Hylth and Hylth park, with other lands in Nettlested and Hylth, for the manor of Pimpe, in Nettlested, Crongebery, and Pimpe, all which were held of the earl of Gloucester, as chief lord of the see.
William, son of Sir Thomas de Pimpe, possessed Nettlested, and kept his Shrievalty here in the 37th, 45th, and 49th years of king Edward III. in which year he died, and his son, Reginald de Pimpe, of Pimpe's-court, in East Farleigh, on his death, served that office the remainder of that year.
His descendants continued to reside at Pimpe'scourt, in this parish, two of whom, Reginald and John Pimpe, unsuccessfully engaging, with others, in assisting Henry, duke of Buckingham, against king Richard III. were attainted, and their estates were declared forfeited to the crown. But on the death of king Richard, and the earl of Richmond's attaining the crown, they were restored in blood and estates. Reginald Pimpe died without male issue, leaving an only daughter and heir Anne, for whom an act had passed in the 1st year of that reign, and she married to Sir John Scott, of Scotts-hall, and John Pimpe, in the 2d year of king Henry VII. kept his Shrievalty at Pimpe's-court, in East Farleigh. He died in the 11th year of that reign, anno 1495, being then possessed of the manor, with the advowson of the church of Nettlested, the manor of Hilthe, and also the manor of Pimpe, with its appurtenances, in this parish and Yalding, and certain other lands and tenements in Yalding, all held of the duchess of Buckingham. He left an only daughter and heir, Winifred, married to Sir John Rainsford, who in her right possessed this manor. He died S.P. 1st Elizabeth, leaving his wife surviving, who appears by the escheat rolls to have been a lunatie, and to have died possessed of these manors and estates in the 18th year of that reign; when Sir Thomas Scott, of Scotts-hall, (grandson of Sir John Scott above-mentioned) seems to have succeeded to them, as her next of kin, and his second son, Sir John Scott, possessed it afterwards, and resided at Nettlested, which by the date remaining on the ruins of it, he seems to have made great additions to. He was twice married, but left issue by neither of his wives, and these manors and their appurtenances, came on his death to his brother, Edward Scott, esq. of Scottshall, whose descendant, George Scott, esq. of Scottshall, alienated the manors of Nettlested, Health and Pimpe, with the mansion and advowson of the church of Nettlested, by authority of an act of parliament passed anno 10 and 11 William III. to Sir Philip Boteler, bart. of Teston, whose son, Sir Philip Boteler, bart. died possessed of them in 1772, having by his will devised one moiety of his estates to Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Chart Sutton, and the other moiety to Elizabeth, viscountess dowager of Folkestone, and William Bouverie, earl of Radnor, both since deceased; and on a partition of his estates between them, the manors and estates of Nettlested, with the appendant advowson, were among others. allotted to Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, now of T'eston, the present possessor of them.
THE MANOR of LOMEWOOD, alias Laysers, formerly called Lomewood, alias Bromes, in this parish, was part of the possessions of the family of Clare, earls of Gloucester, and was settled by one of them on the priory of Black Canons, at Tunbridge, in this county.
This manor continued part of the revenues of the above priory till its dissolution in the 16th year of king Henry VIII. After which the king, in his 17th year, granted the above priory, with others then suppressed for the like purpose, together with all their manors, lands, and possessions, to Cardinal Wolsey, for the better endowment of his college, called Cardinal college, in Oxford.
But four years afterwards, the cardinal being cast in a præmunire, all the possessions of the college, which through want of time had not been firmly settled on it, became forfeited to the crown, (fn. 2) and the king, in his 27th year, granted this manor of Lomewood, alias Le Bromys, with all lands, &c. belonging to it in this parish, to Sir Edward Nevill, third son of George Nevill, lord Abergavenny, who, in consideration of a marriage to be had between his daughter Katherine, and George Roydon, son and heir apparent of Thomas Roydon, esq. of East Peckham, and of a certain sum paid to him, conveyed it, by the name of Cardinals lands, called Bromes, in Lomewood, to Thomas Roydon above-mentioned.
On the death of whose sons without issue, his five daughters became his coheirs; the second of whom, Elizabeth, as part of her share of the inheritance, entitled her husband, William Twysden, esq. of Chelmington, to this manor, then held in capite, and in his descendants it has continued down to Sir William Jarvis Twysden, bart. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who is the present possessor of it.
Charities.
JOHN THUNDER, about the year 1756, gave by will 5s. worth of bread, to be distributed yearly on Good Friday, to the poor of this parish for forty years, which term is now expired.
Nettlested is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the dioceseof Rochester and deanryof Malling.
The church, which stands at the east side of the village, is dedicated to St. Mary. It is a small but handsome building, with a low pointed tower or steeple. There are good remains of painted glass in it.
The church of Nettlested was always esteemed an appendage to the manor, and as such is now in the patronage of Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Teston.
¶Edmund, bishop of Rochester, anno 1486, at the instance of John Pimpe, esq. lord of the manor, and patron of the church of Barmingjett, united that church to this of Nettlested; and decreed, that after such union the former should not be esteemed as a church, but as a chapel, dependent, united, and annexed to this church of Nettlested; the rector of which and his successors should for the future have and enjoy all profits, tithes, and emoluments, &c. belonging to the church of Barmingjett, and convert and freely dispose of the same to his and their own proper uses for ever. And he decreed, that the rector and his successors should in future pay yearly to the bishop of Rochester and his successors, twenty pence, and to the archdeacon twelve pence yearly, in lieu of such payments as belonged to them of antient custom from the church of Barmingjett, before the annexing and consolidating of the same. (fn. 3)
In which situation it continues at this time; the rector of Nettlested being presented, instituted and inducted to, the rectory of Nettlested, with the chapel of Barmingjett annexed.
It is valued in the king's books, with the chapel of Barmingjett annexed, at 12l. 10s. 10d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 5s. 1d.
The learned Sir Roger Twysden, who lived in the reigns of king James and Charles I. in his discourse on the Weald, says, that in the time of the lady Golding, who hired the tithes of this parish, Nettlested was held to be in the Weald, and she denied the tithe of wood accordingly; yet the rector of it affirmed then to Sir Roger, that all, who had wood in the parish, paid tithe of it at that time to him, excepting himself.
The parsonage-house is a large antient well timbered building, having a court-yard before it, and an antient gateway, through which is the entrance to it from the high road.
Professor Noreena Hertz of the Duisenberg School of Finance, Rotterdam - think differently: In an inspiring speech on decision-making by one of the most influential economists in the world, Professor Hertz asks people to ''think differently'' and kick-start independent decision-making. She also gave advice on how to adapt and develop new skills during these difficult economic times. Noreena Hertz is a Professor at the Duisenberg School of Finance, the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University and fellow at Judge Business School, Cambridge University. Her speech is brought to you in full length by Euranet's Anastasia-Areti Gavrili. (In English)
www.euranet.eu/gre/Dossiers/Antimetophizontas-ten-krhise-...
Photo by Euranet / Anastasia-Areti Gavrili
www.euranet.eu/gre/Dossiers/Antimetophizontas-ten-krhise-...
Different vantage points around the Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Mill in the Cuyahoga Valley due south of Cleveland, Ohio. (early spring, 2024)
Wikipedia reports, "A nymph (Greek: νύμφη, nymphē) in Greek mythology and in Latin mythology is a minor female nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing; their amorous freedom sets them apart from the restricted and chaste wives and daughters of the Greek polis. They are believed to dwell in mountains and groves, by springs and rivers, and also in trees and in valleys and cool grottoes." And in sea caves! - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymph
New JOHHNY RANGER MCCOY Instagram! instagram.com/45surf
Welcome to your epic hero's journey! The beautiful 45surf goddess hath called ye to adventure, beckoning ye to read deeply Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, whence ye shall learn of yer own exalted artistic path guided by Hero's Journey Mythology. I wouldn't be saying it if it hadn't happened to me.
PRETTY! Canon 5D Mark II Photos of Beautiful Blonde Swimsuit Bikini (Green One Piece Swimsuit!) Model Goddess with Pretty Blue Eyes in a Sea Cave !
Some video of the goddess:
She was tall, thin, fit, and very pretty with long, blonde hair and blue eyes! From Sweden!
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II EF 24-105/4L IS USM was my workhorse until I got the Nikon D800 & D800E with the 70-200 mm 2.8 VR2 zoom.
Canon, Nikon, you can't go wrong with the pretty 45surf model goddesses! (Though the D800 is my new love.)
May the goddess inspire ye along a hero's journey of yer own making, and the path of yer own taking.
Was a classic socal autumn morning with a bright, blue, sunny sky! Hope the photos make you feel like you were there! :)
May the HJM Goddesses guide, inspire, and exalt ye along yer heroic artistic journey!
Shot in both RAW & JPEG, but all these photos are RAWs finished in Lightroom 5.3 ! :)
New Instagram! instagram.com/45surf
Join/like my facebook page! www.facebook.com/45surfHerosJourneyMythology
Follow me on facebook! facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic journey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.
A Gold 45 Goddess guards the wisdom of dx4/dt=ic -- my physics theory which appears on all the 45surf clothes. Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! :) You can read more about my research and Hero's Journey Physics here:
herosjourneyphysics.wordpress.com/ MDT PROOF#2: Einstein (1912 Man. on Rel.) and Minkowski wrote x4=ict. Ergo dx4/dt=ic--the foundational equation of all time and motion which is on all the shirts and swimsuits. Every photon that hits my Nikon D800e's sensor does it by surfing the fourth expanding dimension, which is moving at c relative to the three spatial dimensions, or dx4/dt=ic!
May the Hero's Journey Mythology Goddess inspire you (as they have inspired me!) along your own artistic journey! All the Best on Your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy! Catch those photons as they surf the fourth expanding dimension!
This photo shows three different Transdev vehicles on their respective stands at Skipton Bus Station on 13/10/2019. On the far left heading for Grassington on the BalesBus Network is Transdev - The Keighley Bus Company 155, YJ17FUW, an Optare Solo M9250SR. It was new to Transdev Keighley & District(155), in 08/2017. In the centre is Transdev - The Keighley Bus company 241, YJ16DWK, an Optare Versa V1170. It was one of three Versas new in 07/2016 for Dalesway branded Service 66 Keighley - Airedale Hospital - Skipton. It is awaiting departure back to Keighley while nearest the camera, on the right of the photo, is Transdev - The Burnley Bus Company 2775, BF63HCV, a Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL. It was new to Transdev Burnley & Pendle(2775) in 10/2013 and is awaiting departure on an X43. "When will we three meet again"?, claims the Volvo. Well it depends on the vehicle roster I suppose! This photo was taken from preserved London & Country 359, UHG736R, a Leyland National Greenway 11351A/1R East Lancs rebuild. New to Ribble(736) as a standard National in 10/1976, it passed to London & Country in 1994 being rebuilt by East Lancs in the June of that year being fitted with a Gardner engine in the process. It was re-registered JIL2199. It subsequently passed to Arriva Fox County(2146) before passing to Northern Blue(9), Burnley. It then passed to Wootten's, Chesham, prior to passing into preservation as London & Country 359 and reverting to its original registration. This was about to depart for Kildwick while at the Aire Valley Transport Group Yorkshire Dales Rally & Running Day. © Peter Steel 2019.
I got my doc martens for my birthday in april.. and i havnt taken them off since.
Had to have red. Every time i walk out my front door, everyones eyes go zoom, straight to my feet.
LOVE IT. :D
No it’s not a Rorschach Test but it sort of reminded me of one!
Today was another glorious day on the water and the sunrise was a memorable one as well! This however, is the sunset from the last week’s journey to the bayou which was also quite spectacular! This is a shot taken looking due east toward Clear Lake City from just west of Bay Area Park! This is a wide part of the bayou that eventually turns into Mud Lake and heads toward Clear Lake close to Johnson’s Space Center!
We eventually reached about 72ºF today! It was a wonderful winter day! Bring on the spring!
This book concludes our tandem edition on Recombination and Meiosis. Subtitled Models, Means and Evolution, it follows its first-born twin with emphasis on Crossing-Over and Disjunction. In the commissioning of chapter topics we have tried to cover numerous aspects of the meiotic system from many different angles. Both these books are embedded as volumes 2 and 3 in a topical Series devoted to Genome Dynamics and Stability, where DNA transmission and maintenance functions are discussed from experimental and theoretical perspectives. The earlier vol. 1 dealt with Facets and Perspectives of Genome Integrity, focusing on DNA damage repair mechanisms, and an upcoming vol.4 is on transposable elements. These books on meiotic processes, together with other volumes in this Series on genome management in mitotic cells, provide a grass-roots level starting platform—initiating a prospective trajectory superimposable upon the exploding field of molecular cell physiology, or systems biology (see below). The preceding volume preferentially dealt with meiotic processes in multicellular organisms, such as plants and animals including man. Also, basic accomplishments from work on yeasts was presented in a comparative perspective—concerning the decisive roles of Spo11-induced breaks for crossing-over, of sister chromatid cohesion in chromosome disjunction, and cell cycle modulation in the global control of the meiotic program. The present book puts additional focus on yeasts as unicellular model organisms, where progress in revealing the mechanisms of meiotic recombination has taken place most rapidly and systematically. Also, a central aspect of genetic recombination in E. coli is included for its outstanding merits as a universal model. Furthermore, three facets of evolutionary relevance are also discussed. As for the models and means of meiotic recombination, two prominent and comprehensive chapters call for particular attention. Inasmuch as theoretical interpretations of empirical data about the exchange of genetical markers in successive generations has long preceded their biochemical elucidation,James E.Haber gives expert guidance on a veritable tour de force, presenting the Evolution of Recombination Models frompurely genetic crosses into the molecular era. He follows the historical record from simplistic breaking/joining schemes to break-induced replication, from suspected single-strand breaks to partner choice by single-strand annealing, and from the generation of double-strand breaks (DSBs) to their repair by the establishment and resolution of single or double Holliday junctions, and finally to DSB repair in the absence of crossing over accomplished through synthesis-dependent strand annealing that does not involve Holliday junctions. This scenic ride is aptly complemented from the enzymatic perspective, as displayed by Kirk T. Ehmsen and Wolf-Dietrich Heyer on the Biochemistry of Meiotic Recombination: Formation, Processing, and Resolution of Recombination Intermediates. These authors highlight the biochemistry of meiotic recombination, as more and more meiosis-specific enzymes have been added to the basic toolbox, which likewise is at work in mitotic cells (cf. GDS vol. 1, this Series). Overlapping with functions in replication and DSB repair these enzymes comprise topoisomerase, nuclease, recombinase, polymerase, and helicase activities, as well as single-strand stabilizing protein, a protective end-tethering complex and a range of modulating co-factors. The single most remarkable feature about the initiation of meiotic recombination is the deliberate and catalyzed introduction of numerous DSBs in the chromosomal DNA. Notably, the enzyme responsible for this pivotal and conserved activity is derived from a former topoisomerase (Spo11; Keeney, this SERIES), which as such had a cell-intrinsic function essential for the untangling of replication intermediates in every cell cycle. The total number of cuts is even larger than the number of effective crossovers later on2. The important question of how the sites to be cut are chosen in a given cell— among myriads of potentially equivalent sites that are ignored—is still one of the most vigorously pursued aspects of ongoing research. Foremost, the susceptible substrate for meiotic DSBs is not naked DNA, but DNA embedded in chromatin, as highlighted by Michael Lichten, in his chapter on Meiotic Chromatin—the Substrate for Recombination Initiation. The two yeasts compared for this traits how pronounced differences in the distribution of hotspot sites for DSB formation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a fairly promiscuous DSB machinery can be assembled at about every stretch of accessible chromatin that has been opened up for other purposes, especially at activated promoter regions. Michael Lichten coins the term "opportunistic DSBs" for these phenomena, foremost in S. cerevisiae—differentiating meiotic DSBs from both lower
and higher degrees of sequence specificity: on one hand ionizing radiation induced DSBs,which occur with little sequence preference and without regard for chromatin structure, and on the other hand from the site-specific cuts of restriction-type endonucleases—or other nucleic acid transactions, such as transcription promotion, where both chromatinstructure and the recognition of DNA sequence elements contribute to specificity. Such opportunistic usage of promoter-modulated open chromatin can only in part explain the DSB pattern observed in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, where other determinants may play a significant, hotspot-specific role. Also to be determined by meiosis-specific chromatin organization, the assembly of and/or cleavage by the DSB machinery should not be all too promiscuous on a particular issue, in that at most one of two sister chromatids can become susceptible at any given site, whereas the other sister strand needs to be protected around the equivalent site. The molecular basis for this significant restriction still remains to be determined. After the meiosis-specific, Spo11-induced DSBs have been processed to protruding 3 ends, these single strands have to interact with the corresponding sequence on the homologous chromosome, in order to repair and seal the break by homologous recombination. In eukaryotes the crucial strand exchange reaction is catalyzed by RecA-like recombinases of the ubiquitous Rad51 family and/orthemeiosis-specificDmc1protein. As modeled by the most widely studied RecA recombinase of E.coli, Chantal Prévost, in herchapter on Searching for Homology by Filaments of RecA-Like Proteins, discerns their basic functions in the genome-wide search for complementary DNA strands so as to facilitate the initial strand exchange reaction in highly coordinated, helical DNA–protein filaments, which likewise are formed by the eukaryotic RecA homologs. Corresponding studies to the leading work on meiosis in S.cerevisiae have also been pursued in S.pombe,showing striking differences indetail at various levels. The most interesting aspects of this work are pointed out in two chapters specifically devoted to the fission yeast. For one thing, S. pombe belongs to the rather few organisms that have lost the ability to form synaptonemal complexes in meiotic prophase, which usually stands out as the most characteristic structural basis of bivalent synapsis. Instead, another conserved feature of canonical meiosis, the clustering of telomeres in the so-called bouquet arrangement, is vastly exaggerated in a series of nuclear movements, which in S. pombe facilitates a dynamical alignment
of homologous chromosomes from nuclear fusion throughout the entire prophase of meiosis (D.Q. Dingand Y. Hiraoka, this BOOK). Furthermore, the crossover mechanism itself is peculiar as well. Whilst many organisms including S. cerevisiae actually employ two partly overlapping crossover pathways, one of these pathways is entirely missing in S. pombe. Characteristically, the main recombinational intermediate in S.pombe consists of single Holliday junctions (G. Cromie and G.R.Smith, this BOOK), whilst earlier results on S. cerevisiae had suggested double Holliday junctions as the canonical model. The species-oriented chapter by Gareth Cromie and Gerald R. Smith, on Meiotic Recombination in S. pombe: A Paradigm for Genetic and Molecular Analysis,was published Online FirstinJune2007. At thatrelatively early date, most of their extensive data on DSB hotspot distribution in S. pombe were mentioned in brief as unpublished results. These significant data are now more fully discussed, as mentioned above, in Michael Lichten’s comparative chapter—with due reference to their recent publication in the mean time (Cromie et al. 2007). Unfortunate as such asynchrony appears to be, this is a price to pay for the advantages of Online First publication for the individual chapters as they are being completed—with a spread of Online First dates up to a year per book in such a series. Three evolutionary topics relating to meiosis have been selected to conclude this book: the putative origin of the meiotic system, the confinement of meiosis to the germline in animals, and the abandonment of meiosis in relatively few eukaryotic lineages, some of which are remarkably persistent on the evolutionary time scale—capable of lasting for millions of years. At the dawn of genetics, crossing-over and meiosis had been considered very much the same, but the early view of apparent congruence between the two phenomena has long since been abandoned. Instead, genetic recombination as such has proved to have much earlier and more fundamental roles than the complex and highly integrated pattern of mainstream meiosis, of which crossing-over has become the most characteristic ingredient. In short, homologous DNA recombination has directly co-evolved with faithful replication (see R. Egel and D.Penny, thisBOOK), clearing physical damageand/or broken replication forks as they arise (C. Rudolph, K.A. Schürer, and W. Kramer, GDS vol. 1, this Series)—potentially in each cell cycle of prokaryotes and eukaryotes alike. Of more sporadic occurrence, on the other hand, meiosis only happens once per generation,or life cycle—whatever meaning may be attached to these derived terms for unicellular organisms (see below). N.B., bacteria and archaea are proficient in recombinational repair of DSB damage to their DNA, but meiosis is missing altogether. In multicellular organisms, the meanings of generation and lifecycle are evident, and the complex inter-relationship of germline development and maintaining sexuality in animals and plants was already recognized by Charles Darwin and August Weissmann by the end of the 19th century. In his chapter on The Legacy of the Germ Line—Maintaining Sex and Life in Metazoans: Cognitive Roots of the Concept of Hierarchical Selection, Dirk-Henner Lankenau follows the germline concept to its historical roots, and he addresses the multiple levels of selective evolution related to this concept. Also, he fathoms Weismann’s prescient usage of germ plasm in its original meaning that nowadays has been replaced by genes and genomes—and he sketches a tie to modern frontiers, discussing the so-called nuage as a germline-specific germplasm organelle of multiple RNA processing, where a suspended term is thus revived in new guises. A hallmark of meiosis is the production of recombinant offspring, efficiently scrambling the parental genotypes. The overwhelming majority of taxonomic groups throughout eukaryotes show proficiency of meiosis, at least to begin with. Higher plants and animals would probably never have originated without the evolutionary thrust empowered by meiosis. Yet, sexual propagation including meiosis has been lost repeatedly in evolution, although major evolutionary innovations have never sprung from such secondarily asexual lineages. Hence, asexual lineages of relatively ancient origins can serve as virtual mirrors to reflect the evolutionary importance of meiosis in the remaining majority of animals and plants, as thoroughly discussed by Isa Schön, Dunja K.Lamatsch,
and Koen Martens in their chapter on Lessons to Learn from Ancient Asexuals. To single out a particular highlight, the purging of deleterious mutations by a meiotic recombination appears to be remarkably effective—readily compensating for the low mutation rates observed. As for the inferred origin of the meiotic system, this does not only far predate the emergence of multicellular animals, fungi and plants—it even dates back before the last common ancestor of all the eukaryotic phyla known today (LECA). As canonical meiosis, therefore, is a common heritage to all eukaryotes, there are no comparative cues among different lineages living today from which by parsimony to deduce a likely order of step-wise additions to the basic toolbox of meiotic mechanisms. On the other hand, the meiotic system is so complex in its widely conserved pattern, that its instantaneous invention from scratch appears unlikely. Against this rather uninformative backdrop, Richard Egel and David Penny, in their chapter On the Origin of Meiosis in Eukaryotic Evolution, propose a possible series of incremental steps towards meiosis, each of which could have added some selective advantage on its own. This series may well have started before the mitotic division system had been perfected to its present fidelity, e.g. when telomere-directed chromosome movements may have preceded the establishment of centromeres. Hence their hypothesis is subtitled Coevolution of Meiosis and Mitosis from Feeble Beginnings. A likely driving force to establish a proto-meiotic system—alternating with proto-mitotic nuclear division—is seen in maintaining a periodically needed dormancy program, so as to protect it against the accumulation of dormancy-deficient mutations at the higher error load presumed in early evolution. This is in line with the common correlation between meiosis and the formation of dormant spores or cysts in extant microbial eukaryotes. In a certain sense, therefore, a single generation in the life cycle of unicellular eukaryotes would last from one stage of encystment or sporulation to the next. With the commissioning and presentation of the various chapter topics on the genomic aspects of the meiotic system we hope to have served a salient need for integrating basic knowledge gained from studying diverse genetic model organisms. Research on meiotic exchange and segregation mechanisms may appear more esoteric than the vast resources spent on understanding metabolism and growth in mitotic cells. While emphasis on the latter area is motivated by the numerical predominance of mitotic divisions, as well as the direct connection of mitotic cell divisions to the immense problems of cancerous growth in human disease, meiosis in its paucity is more secluded and its medical aspects are limited to less pressing problems, such as impaired fertility or Down-like syndromes (H.Kokotas,M.Grigoriadou,andM.B.Petersen, this Series). Also, a certain twist of hierarchy is undeniable: whilst endless perpetuation of mitotic divisions can be viable as an evolutionarily stable strategy, a contiguous series of several meioses is certainly not. In this sense meiosis will always be the subordinate companion of mitosis. At the conceptual level, however, the complexity of molecular mechanisms applying to meiosis far exceeds that of its mitotic counterpart. And for the continuity of generations in most eukaryotic forms of life, both meiosis and mitosis are complementary features of general and essential interest. Traditionally, the largest share of meiotic research has been focused on DNA exchange and related features, whereas the immense field of protein–protein interactions in the rewiring of the meiotic cell out of and back into the mitotic cell cycle stood in second place. The concluding chapter of the preceding volume specifically deals with these meiotic aspects of molecular cell physiology (L. Pérez-Hidalgo, S. Moreno, and C. Martin-Castellanos, this Series). As pioneered with yeasts, genome-wide expression studies have started with identifying all the genes upregulated in meiotic cells and sorting them into functional categories. This is a long way off fromknowing all their particular functions. To illustrate the scope of the barely charted field: of 4,824 annotated genes in S. pombe, 955 proteins contain coiled-coil motifs4; of these, 180 are upregulated before, during or after meiosis—21 exclusively so, but not expressed during mitosis (Ohtaka et al. 2007). The interactive potential of so many proteins is enormous, and the systemsbiology of meiosis has merely just begun. To form a link between both books on Recombination and Meiosis, the list of chapter titles in the preceding volume is included after the Contents table of this book. In fact, as some of the individual chapters already had been published Online First, before the editorial decision to divide the printed edition into two books, the preliminary cross references had not yet accounted for the split. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but the listing of all the chapter titles in both books should hopefully direct the reader to the proper destination. We would also like to point out that the missing chapter numbers are no neglect but reflect an obligatory compromise necessitated by publishing all manuscripts OnlineFirst immediately
after they have been peer-reviewed, revised, accepted and copy-edited (see, www.springerlink.com/content/119766/). We most cordially thank all the chapter authors for contributing to this topical edition of two accompanying books focusing on meiotic recombination. Without their expertise and dedicated work this comprehensive treatise would not have been possible. Receiving the incoming drafts as editors, we had the great privilege of being the first to read so many up-to-date reviews on the various aspects of meiotic recombination and model studies elucidating this ever-captivating field. Also, we greatly appreciate the productive input of numerous referees, who have assisted us in thriving for the highest level of expertship, comprehensiveness, and readability. We are again deeply indebted to the editorial staff at Springer. We would especially like to mention the editor Sabine Schwarz at Springer Life Sciences(Heidelberg), the deskeditor Ursula Gramm (Springer,Heidelberg),and the production editor Martin Weissgerber (le-tex publishing services oHG, Leipzig).
April 2008
Copenhagen, Richard Egel
Ladenburg, Dirk-Henner Lankenau
Many photographers take the same typical wide angle shot of Emirates towers, including me :p But this time I wanted to capture a different angle, and ... Click :)
Nikon D100
Sigma 70-300 F/4-5.6D
Focal length: 220mm
ISO 200
1/320 seconds at F/5.3
Hope you like it :)
ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA E RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Update - The Forum and Temple of Trajan in Rome (2018-20): "L’evidenza archeologica ha dimostrato che il tempio c’è.” With New Comments & New Information Courtesy of Prof. James E. Packer (18 March 2020).
PDF = wp.me/pbMWvy-5t
Note: I have actually been working on this brief notice on the The Forum and Temple of Trajan in Rome (2019-2020) since May 2020 onwards (1), but, with the recent Italian 'Chinese virus’ Crisis in late Feb thru March 2020, I have been sidelined communicating, discussing and attempting help my dear friend in Rome.
ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA E RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Update - The Forum and Temple of Trajan in Rome (2018-20): "L’evidenza archeologica ha dimostrato che il tempio c’è.” With New Comments & Information Courtesy of Prof. James E. Packer (18 March 2020).
Update - Rome recently in late January 30 2020 and in early 11-13 December 2019, the numerous Italian scholars in Rome affiliated with the long-term research and studies of the Forum and Temple of Trajan at the two following conference’s (see below) presented and discussed the results of their recent work on the Forum and Temple of Trajan, see:
I). Rome - LA TOPOGRAFIA DELL’AREA A NORD DEL FORO DI TRAIANO. Giornata di studio. Rome, the Auditorium dell’ Ara Pacis (30 January 2020).
Abstract - La giornata di studio è finalizzata a confrontare differenti esperienze della ricerca archeologica riguardanti un’area di grande importanza nella topografia antica della città. In essa infatti doveva trovarsi il grande tempio di Traiano e Plotina divinizzati la cui esatta localizzazione e consistenza sono, da anni, al centro di un intenso dibattito fra gli specialisti. Verranno anche presentati i risultati di nuovi scavi effettuati dalla Scuola Spagnola [see: note 2] nei sotterranei della sua sede di via di S. Eufemia oltre a quelli delle indagini realizzate dalla Città Metropolitana di Roma nel sottosuolo di palazzo Valentini. Si ripercorreranno le tappe della scoperta degli auditoria adrianei di piazza Venezia, a cura del Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, e verranno esposte nuove teorie riguardanti alcuni dei principali monumenti esistenti in antico nell’area oggetto di studio. Infine saranno illustrati i risultati più recenti della ricerca sulla topografia e sulla decorazione architettonica del Foro di Traiano.
Fonte / source:
--- Convegno La topografia dell’area nord del Foro di Traiano/ 30 de Enero de 2020. Rome, EEHAR [the Spanish School of History and Archaeology in Rome] (01/2020) (accessed late January 2020).
www.eehar.csic.es/convegno-la-topografia-dellarea-nord-de... (3).
Surprisingly, after a lengthy search on the internet, apparently no one from the Italian TV or newspaper media (print, internet or social media resources) in Rome reported on the furthcoming or actual ‘La topografia dell’area nord del Foro di Traiano’ conference on 30 January 2020? But, then again since mid-t0-late 2019 and up-to early 2020, for some unknown reason compared to past years (2008-18), the recent news of the archaeological & restoration work in the area of the Imperial Fora of Rome has not been covered by the Italian media? (4).
The only mention of the ‘La topografia dell’area nord del Foro di Traiano’ conference (30 January 2020) is brief notice recently posted on the following Facebook page:
I.1. Dr. Riccardo Montalbano (ed.), Qualche breve considerazione sul convegno "LA TOPOGRAFIA DELL'AREA A NORD DEL FORO DI TRAIANO", in: Topografia di Roma antica / Topography of Ancient Rome. Facebook (01 Feb. 2020) (accessed 19 March 2020).
Fonte / text & foto / sources:
Dr. Riccardo Montalbano (ed.), Topografia di Roma antica / Topography of Ancient Rome. Facebook (01 Feb. 2020). www.facebook.com/groups/540545102790727/
Nel corso della giornata di studi sono emersi numerosi dati inediti e sono stati proposti spunti di grande interesse. In particolare:
1). Presenza di un incredibile palinsesto murario rinvenuto nelle cantine della nuova sede della Escuela Española de Historia y Arqueología en Roma, in via di Sant'Eufemia (intervento: Antonio pizzo e Massimo Vitti). L'elemento più interessante, a mio avviso, è la presenza di resti riferibili a un colombario (datazione proposta: età augustea), che solleva nuovi problemi circa la linea pomeriale nella zona (chiaramente connesso con le mura repubblicane che, come noto, correvano lungo la sella poi cancellata a partire dall'età domizianea).
2). Rilettura complessiva delle 3 aule - Auditoria vs Athenaeum - con la novità riguardante un presunto ingresso da sud, costituito dalla "quinta" rinvenuta nel 1932 e ora messa in connessione con il sistema delle tre aule. Questo fronte, movimentato da una grande abside, avrebbe schermato l'irregolare disposizione retrostante (intervento: R. Rea).
3). Templum divi Traiani et Plotinae: secondo P. Baldassarri la presenza del tempio, un ottastilo con colonne da 50 piedi, è giustificata dalla grande fondazione rinvenuta (la cui larghezza però non è sufficiente a giustificare la fronte del tempio così come immaginato; per questo motivo, essa viene riferita solo alla scalinata del tempio, dunque all'interasse tra le guance della scalinata di accesso frontale), oltre che dalle camerelle di fondazione. In questa ricostruzione, non si rinuncia al grande portico a ferro di cavallo (a mio avviso, lo sviluppo a est della domus B di palazzo Valentini sembra far escludere questa soluzione). Bellissimi i frammenti architettonici rinvenuti, tra cui uno splendido frammento di rilievo con grifo.
4). Nuovi preziosi dati vengono dalla zone biblioteche del foro di Traiano e, in particolare, dall'esplorazione della cappella sepolcrale della chiesa del Ss. Nome di Maria e dalle strutture individuate (parte della biblioteca orientale). I nuovi dati permettono di articolare nel dettaglio il sistemare delle scale e degli accessi.
Inoltre, si ripropone un'altra alternativa circa l'ingresso del Foro da nord, con un grande arco di ingresso (intervento R. Meneghini - E. Bianchi), arco che secondo E. La Rocca è da identificare con l'arco partico noto dalle fonti letterarie (intervento E. La Rocca).
5). Interessantissime le osservazioni sul frammento 36b della Forma Urbis, la cui iscrizione sinora era stata letta com TEM PL (um) e identificato con il complesso campense dedicato a Matidia. La novità, correttamente rilevata, consiste nella presenza di un separatore e un'eccessiva spaziature tra TEM - PL, da leggere come Tem(plum) Plotinae (come proposto). Ciò apre interessanti prospettive sia epigrafiche (questione della dedica del tempio e della titolatura inversa tra Traiano e Plotina), sia topografiche (collocazione del frammento rispetto alla griglia della FUM).
6). Di grande utilità, infine, le considerazione su tutto l'apparato decorativo del foro (intervento L. Ungaro) e sui frammenti di ordine gigante rinvenuti nell'area (intervento M. Milella). Ma su questi temi, sutor ne ultra crepidam…
II). Rome - Dr. Paola Baldassarri (Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale), “L'area a Nord della Colonna Traiana e il Tempio dei divi Traiano e Plotina : riflessioni in merito alle indagini di Palazzo Valentini.” Conférence - Topographie et urbanisme de la Rome antique, Caen, France (11-13 Dec. 2019).
During the conference Dr. Baldassarri presented the following lecture on the “L'area a Nord della Colonna Traiana e il Tempio dei divi Traiano e Plotina,” in Caen, France (Dec. 2019). This presentation briefly discusses the recent series of excavations below the Palazzo Valentini in 2018-19, also based upon her recent published work on the Temple in the following journal articles (including two published works in English [2011, 2014-15]).
Fortunately, the various presentations at the recent Conference - Topographie et urbanisme de la Rome antique, Caen, France (11-13 Dec. 2019), with these presentation lectures recorded and now available on You-tube as of mid-January 2020. Note: several screenshots taken from Dr. Baldassarri’s video and converted into photographs are also republished here.
--- Dr. Paola Baldassarri (Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale), “L'area a Nord della Colonna Traiana e il Tempio dei divi Traiano e Plotina : riflessioni in merito alle indagini di Palazzo Valentini.” Conférence - Topographie et urbanisme de la Rome antique, Caen, France (11-13 Dec. 2019). You-Tube (17 January 2020) [24:50].
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uoeQ1MVDR0&t=313s
As mentioned Dr. Baldassarri’s lecture presentation is based upon several of her recently published works (2012-18) on the “il Tempio dei divi Traiano e Plotina” several as cited and available in PDF (particularly in RM 122 [2016], pp. 171-202) as listed here below :
--- Paola Baldassari (2018), “Gli scavi Palazzo Valentini e il Templum Divi Traiani et Divae Plotinae: omaggio di Adriano divis parentibus.” [Unpublished] paper / lecture read at the following conference in Rome = ‘Il Convegno Internazionale “adventus Hadriani 118 – 2018”’. Rome, Italy (4 July 2018). aha.uniroma2.it/it/ S.v., independent.academia.edu/PBaldassarri
--- Paola Baldassarri, (2017), “Templum divi Traiani et divae Plotinae : nuovi dati dalle indagini archeologiche a Palazzo Valentini.” RendPontAcc. 89, pp. 599-648. (Abstract in Italian & English). [= Part. II of] “FORO TRAIANO: ORGANIZZAZIONE DEL CANTIERE E APPROVVIGIONAMENTO DEI MARMI ALLA LUCE DEI RECENTI DATI DI PALAZZO VALENTINI.”
www.pont-ara.org/index.php?module=Pubblicazioni&func=...
--- Paola Baldassarri (2016), “Indagini archeologiche a Palazzo Valentini. Nuovi dati per la ricostruzione del tempio di Traiano.” RM 122, pp. 171-202 [in PDF]. (Abstract in English).
--- Paola Baldassarri (2015), “Le indagini archeologiche a Palazzo Valentini (Roma) e il tempio dei divi Traiano e Plotina,” pp. 1689 - 1756 [in PDF], in: Paola Ruggeri et al., L’Africa romana Momenti di continuità e rottura: bilancio di trent’anni di convegni L’Africa romana. Vol. II., Rome: Carocci editore (2015).
www.academia.edu/32087781/Paola_Baldassarri_Le_indagini_a...
--- Paola Baldassarri (2013), “Alla ricerca del tempio perduto: indagini archeologiche a Palazzo Valentini e il templum Divi Traiani et Divae Plotinae.” Arch.Cl. 64., pp. 371–481 [in PDF]. (Abstract in English).
www.academia.edu/29206723/Alla_ricerca_del_tempio_perduto...
--- Paola Baldassarri; Antonella Lumacone & Luca Salvatori (2012), “Nuove indagini archeologiche a Palazzo Valentini. Il tempio dei divi Traiano e Plotina.” Forma Urbis, XVII, 5 (May 2012): 45-52 [in PDF]. wp.me/pPRv6-2ab
For a brief summary by Dr. Baldassarri research on the Temple of Trajan in English (2011, 2014 & 2015), see:
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA. ROMA – rinvenimenti sotto Palazzo Valentini – l´esistenza e una porzione di un edificio che potrebbe essere l´introvabile Tempio del Divo Traiano. LA REPUBBLICA (19/05/2007) & Luisa Napoli & Paola Baldassarri, RESEARCH ARTICLE – Palazzo Valentini: Archaeological discoveries and redevelopment projects. Frontiers of Architectural Research, Vol. 4.2 (June 2015): 91-99. wp.me/pPRv6-4VP
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGICA & RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: “Roberto Del Signore & Paola Baldassarri, Provincia di Roma, “The multimedia museum: an original meeting between antiquities and innovation in the Roman domus of Palazzo Valentini,” Conference – ATHENS, GREECE (2 OCT. 2014) [PDF], pp. 1-81. [And Foto: Dott.ssa Arch. Maria G. Ercolino (2014)].
--- Paola Baldassarri (2011), “Archaeological Excavations at Palazzo Valentini: a residential area in the shade of the Trajan’s Forum,” pp. 43-67 [in PDF], in: Mustafa Sahin et al., 11th INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON ANCIENT MOSAICS, Bursa October 16th–20th 2009, Istanbul : Uludağ University (2011).
www.academia.edu/29207218/Archaeological_Excavations_at_P...
III). Rome, the ‘Il Foro di Traiano’ and the ‘il Tempio di Traiano e Plotina’ and the Sovrintendenza Capitolina / “Il Foro di Traiano / Il tempio che non c’è.” (April 2019) (re-accessed March 2020).
Sometime in March and or April 2019, after nearly a decade of providing no new useful information on the Imperial Fora (2008-19), the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali's webpage for the Fori Imperiali (Roman Antiquity [and now thru through the Modern era]) finally updated its website with the new information as listed here below:
--- Sovrintendenza Capitolina (April 2019 [March 2020]) = “Home » Patrimonio » Roma antica » Aree archeologiche » Fori Imperiali.” =
www.sovraintendenzaroma.it/i_luoghi/roma_antica/aree_arch....
“L’area prima dei Fori, Il Foro di Cesare, Il Foro di Augusto, Il Templum Pacis, Il Foro di Nerva, Il Foro di Traiano, Mercati di Traiano e Museo dei Fori Imperiali, La Terrazza domizianea & I Fori Imperiali dal Medioevo ad oggi.” And “Bibliografia essenziale” & “Fori Imperiali - Dati archivio.”
In the section of the Sovrintendenza’s website devoted to the Forum and Temple of Trajan, now listing the following information =
1.1). Sovrintendenza Capitolina / “Il Foro di Traiano / Il tempio che non c’è.” (April 2019 [March 2020]). www.sovraintendenzaroma.it/content/il-tempio-che-non-c%E2...
‘Il tempio che non c’è - Nel Foro di Traiano mancava il tempio, edificio che abbiamo visto invece costantemente presente negli altri Fori Imperiali. In passato si riteneva che un gigantesco tempio dedicato a Traiano e Plotina divinizzati (e comunque non a una divinità “tradizionale”, come era sempre accaduto) fosse stato edificato dal successore di Traiano, ossia Adriano (117-138 d.C.) al limite settentrionale del complesso, in un’area sostanzialmente corrispondente a quella in cui oggi si trova Palazzo Valentini. Le ricerche effettuate in tempi recenti nei sotterranei del Palazzo hanno invece riportato alla luce resti, anche consistenti, di edifici d’abitazione, ridimensionando o escludendo così la presenza di un tempio in questo punto.’
An alternative website, the 'fori-imperiali.info' (April 2019), re-publishes the same information from the Sovrintendenza's website: "Roma antica » Aree archeologiche » Fori Imperiali »", with the exception of providing an English Language version, as follows:
'The temple that isn’t there - Within Trajan’s Forum there is no temple, a building which is present in all the other Imperial Fora. In the past it was believed that an enormous temple had been built to celebrate the deified Trajan and Plotina (and not as a “traditional” divinity as had always been the case). This temple was believed to have been built by Trajan’s successor Hadrian (117-138 A.D.) at the northern edge of the complex, in an area that is essentially where Palazzo Valentini stands today. Recent researches carried out in the basement of that building has brought to light ruins of private habitations, some quite substantial, which would appear to exclude the presence of such a temple in that area or at least reduce its possible size.'
Additional information in English on the Forum / Temple of Trajan in English, cited from Fori-imperiali.info “I Fori Imperiali” (April 2019) = fori-imperiali.info/ & “Il Foro di Traiano / Il tempio chenon c’è” .http://fori-imperiali.info/005-2/ (Accesssed April 2019) (re-accessed March 2020).
The Sovrintendenza's website on 'il foro di Traiano » il tempio che non c’è' offers no attribution to the source of the photograph (i.e., digital reconstruction of the Forum / Temple of Trajan); while the 'fori-imperiali.info' website cites, the following information:
"Ipotesi ricostruttiva del Tempio di Traiano (J. Packer)." This image of the Tempio di Traiano (i.e. J. Packer), was originally published in the following work: “Fig. 15 - Conjectural reconstruction of the Temple of Divine Trajan and the temenos (J. Burge)”, facing page 112; see: J. E. Packer, with John Burge (2003), “TEMPLUM DIVI TRAIANI PARTHICI ET PLOTINAE: a debate with R. Meneghini.” JRA 16 (2003): 109-113.
Note: Just recently Prof. Packer was kind enough to allow me to republish online a copy of his following 2003 work [in PDF] (see below in section # IV):
--- James E. Packer, with John Burge (2003), “TEMPLUM DIVI TRAIANI PARTHICI ET PLOTINAE: a debate with Roberto Meneghini.” JRA 16, pp. 109-136 [now in PDF].
The revision of the Sovrintendenza Capitolina / “Il Foro di Traiano / Il tempio che non c’è.” (April 2019), might be based upon a series of recent articles published by Dr. Eugenio La Rocca (2018) & Dr. Roberto Meneghini (2018) on the Forum and Temple of Trajan. In the former article by Prof. La Rocca basically dismisses the interesting research and will argued conclusions for the ‘traditional’ location and architectural design of Temple of Trajan (similar to that of J. E. Packer [2003]), as then published in Dr. Baldassarri RM 122 (2016 ): 171-202 (as cited above) (5).
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Eugenio La Rocca, Il tempio dei divi Traiano e Plotina, l’arco partico e l’ingresso settentrionale al foro di Traiano: un riesame critico delle scoperte archeologiche. Veleia, No. 5 (2018): 57-107 [in PDF]. wp.me/pPRv6-4LR
Abstract: The temple of the divi Trajan and Plotina, the Parthian arch and the northern entrance to the Trajan forum: a critical review of archaeological discoveries. There is some reliable evidence from antique sources about the templum divi Traiani, thanks to which it is known that the templum was connected with the column of Trajan, although they do not clarify neither the morphology of the building nor its actual location. The recent excavations carried out in the foundations of the palazzo Valentini have not shed some light on the problem. The reproduction of the gigantic temple, with 8 × 10 (or 9) Egyptian granite columns of 50 feet height, is still based on the hypothetical reconstruction of the northern area of the Trajan forum drawn by Guglielmo Gatti [= based on his grandfather’s notes] and by Italo Gismondi. Something the results of new investigations do not actually allow it. Furthermore, the proposed solutions do not take into account the Parthian arch of Trajan, whose placement at the southern entrance of the Trajan forum, as suggested by Rodolfo Lanciani and Italo Gismondi, can no longer be sustained. It is likely that the arch, whose construction was started in May of 116 A. D. and it was still ongoing at the time of Trajan’s death on the 7th of August of 117 A. D., was instead the main entrance of the forum, that is, the northern one, in an area affected by the building interventions of Hadrian, whose entity and motivations, unfortunately, fly from us. The existence of the Parthian arc in the area partially occupied by the templum divi Traiani, at least according to the most recent proposals of reconstruction, compels to revise the Hadrian’s setting of the Trajan forum to the north of the columna cochlis.
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Lucrezia Ungaro, Traiano e la costruzione della sua immagine nel Foro | Trajan and the construction of his representation, Veleia, No. 5 (2018): 151-177 [in PDF]. wp.me/pPRv6-4LF
Abstract – The discovery of a new colossal portrait of Trajan occurred during the preparation of the exhibition «Trajan. Building the Empire, creating Europe», gave a renewed reading of the complex figurative program wanted by the emperor in his Forum. In the framework of his political, military and social action, the Forum is in fact the highest representation of his virtus imperatoria and of the maiestas populi romani. In particular, the portraits of the Traianus Father and of the so-called Agrippina / Marcia are reconsidered, in the light of a possible gallery dedicated to Trajan’s genetic family and his models, such as Julius Caesar. Equal attention is devoted to the distribution of sculptures and reliefs discovered in forensic spaces, to their hierarchical relationship in the huge space of the square. Finally, the proposal to recognize the porticus porphiretica in the three-segmented hall is reconsidered, examining preliminarily the known porphyry sculptures attributable to the Forum, and some fragments preserved in the deposits of the Museum of the Imperial Fora, thus getting new interest.
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Roberto Meneghini, L’Arco di Traiano partico nel Medioevo. Veleia, No. 5 (2018): 180-188 [in PDF]. wp.me/pPRv6-4LV
Abstract: The hypothesis, put forward by Eugenio La Rocca in this same volume, of the presence of the Arcus Parthicus of Trajan in the area immediately to N of the Trajan’s Column seems to be confirmed by the medieval tradition. In fact, in the area are cited from historical sources and archives, the Arch of the Foschi di Berta (in reality cannot be precisely positioned), and an Arcus Traiani Imperatoris that would be exactly in correspondence with the structures found in the recent excavations of the subsoil of Palazzo Valentini, now of the Provincia or the Città Metropolitana di Roma.
Likewise, Dr. R. Meneghini and Dr. L. Ungaro in published a series of conference presentations on the Forum and Temple of Trajan for the recent Traiano exhibit in Rome (2017-18), see:
--- Roberto Meneghini, I Fori Imperiali / Il Foro di Traiano, pp. 1-20 [in PDF], in: Traiano: Costruire L’Impero, Creare L’Europa (Trajan: Constructing the Empire, Creating Europe), Mercati di Traiano, Museo dei Fori Imperiali, Rome (08/05/2018), 29 November 2017–16 September 2018. wp.me/pPRv6-4LF
--- Lucrezia Ungaro, Dai frammenti alle ricomposizioni, dai depositi ai nuovi progetti di allestimento, pp. 1-76 [in PDF], Traiano: Costruire L’Impero, Creare L’Europa (Trajan: Constructing the Empire, Creating Europe), Mercati di Traiano, Museo dei Fori Imperiali, Rome (08/05/2018), 29 November 2017–16 September 2018. wp.me/pPRv6-4LF
For a review of the Traiano Exhibit (2017-18) and additional information, see:
Traiano: Costruire L’Impero, Creare L’Europa (Trajan: Constructing the Empire, Creating Europe), Mercati di Traiano, Museo dei Fori Imperiali, Rome, 29 November 2017–16 September 2018, curated by Claudio Parisi Presicce, Marina Milella, Simone Pastor, and Lucrezia Ungaro.
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Online Museum Review – Jeremy Hartnett, Marketing Trajan at the Museo dei Fori Imperiali. AJA 122.4 (Oct. 2018): 1-6 [in PDF], s.v, Roberto Meneghini | Lucrezia Ungaro (2018) [in PDF] & s.v., Prof Arch. P. Martellotti / Dott.ssa Arch. B. Baldrati (1999-2002).https://wp.me/pPRv6-4LF
IV). ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Update - The Forum and Temple of Trajan in Rome (2018-20): "L’evidenza archeologica ha dimostrato che il tempio c’è.” With New Comments & New Information Courtesy of Prof. James E. Packer (18 March 2020).
Rome, the Temple of Trajan: “…La scoperta non è sensazionale perché anche in passato si era parlato della possibile esistenza del Tempio di Traiano sotto Palazzo Valentini. La presenza della domus aveva fatto passare di moda l’ipotesi. L’evidenza archeologica ha dimostrato che il tempio c’è. Un impulso alla ricerca viene anche dallo scavo di Roberto Egidi (Soprintendenza statale) che messo in luce l’Athenaeum e che non è famoso come [Prof. Andrea] Carandini e [Prof. Eugenio] La Rocca! Peccato che verrà presto ricoperto. La situazione nel complesso frena gli entusiasmi.”
Comment Former Senior Director with the MIBACT and Italian archaeologist,
personal communication to M. G.Conde (08 December 2011) (6).
Since the fall 2019 and up-to the 30 January 2020, with having access now to Dr. Baldassarri’s recent work on the Temple of Trajan in Rome = the notice of the "LA TOPOGRAFIA DELL'AREA A NORD DEL FORO DI TRAIANO", Rome Conference in Jan. 2020; her conference video presentation in Caen, France in mid-December 2019 and several of her recently published articles, notably the RM 122 (2016 ): 171-202.
I would like to offer a personal comment on Dr. Baldassarri’s recent work on the Temple of Trajan (2018-20), as noted in her RM 122 (2016 ): 171-202, she fundamentally completely ignores the invaluable previously work conducted on the Forum of Trajan by Prof. James E. Packer (2006, 2003, 2001 & 1997)? In her reconstruction of the history of the excavations and studies of the temple in the 19th, along with her new digital reconstruction of the temple itself. With the exception of the few architectural remains of the Temple brought to light underneath the Palazzo Valentini (2005 onwards), her work is fundamentally continuing the work and similar design plans of Prof. Packer’s earlier work on the Temple?
For the benefit of the non-Italian independent researchers, university students and scholars interested in the research and studies of the Forum and Temple of Trajan (2017-2020), after discussing with Prof. Packer the recent work of Dr. Baldassarri, Dr. La Rocca and Dr. Meneghini (2017-20), although he is currently engaged in his forthcoming book on the Theater of Pompey in Rome. He found the new research on the Temple of Trajan very interesting. As for his recent and past work in Forum of Trajan, see the following:
--- James E. Packer [on Facebook] (15 May 2015). Personal comments in reference to: “I FORI IMPERIALI – “Un marmo sopra l’altro così rialzeremo le colonne del Foro di Traiano.” LA REPUBBLICA (15 May 2015). wp.me/pPRv6-2Y1
--- James E. Packer (2013a), [Review of] “The Atlante: Roma antica revealed,” ANDREA CARANDINI (a cura di) con PAOLO CARAFA, ATLANTE DI ROMA ANTICA. BIOGRAFIA E RITRATTI DELLA CITTÀ (Mondadori Electa 2012). 2 vols. Pp. 1086, pls. XVII + 276 + 37 map
sections. ISBN 978-88-370-8510-9. EUR. 150.” JRA 26 (Nov., 2013), pp. 553-561.
(Abstract). doi.org/10.1017/S104775941300041X & wp.me/pPRv6-1S5
--- James E. Packer (2013b), interview with J. E. Packer, in: T.E. Watts, “Rome Walk: Imperial Fora II-Trajan’s Forum and Market,” Rome: You-Tube (22 Nov. 2013), [1:00:13]. Interview with J. E. Packer, during a school group tour visit to the Forum of Trajan & the Forum of
Caesar. Rome: You-Tube (22 Nov. 2013), [1:00:13]. wp.me/pPRv6-2pu
--- James E. Packer (2008a), “Italo Gismondi and Pierino Di Carlo: ―Virtualizing Imperial Rome for 20th-Century Italy.” AJA Online Review Article, 112.3 (July), pp. 1-6 [PDF]. AJA Online Edition.
www.ajaonline.org/online-review-article/254 & PDF = wp.me/pPRv6-2GB
Prof. James E. (2008b), “The Column of Trajan: the topographical and cultural contexts.” JRA 21, pp. 471-478 [PDF]. (Abstract) doi.org/10.1017/S104775940000478 & PDF = wp.me/pPRv6-1sv
--- James E. Packer (2006), “Digitizing Roman Imperial architecture in the early 21st century: purposes, data, failures, and prospects,” pp. 309-320; in: L. Haselberger and J. Humphrey (eds)., Imaging Ancient Rome. Documentation – Visualization – Imagination. Proceedings of the Third Williams Symposium on Classical Architecture, 2004. JRA Supplementary Series 61 (2006). Index summary, JRA Supl. 61 (2006).
--- James E. Packer, with John Burge (2003), “TEMPLUM DIVI TRAIANI PARTHICI ET PLOTINAE: a debate with Roberto Meneghini.” JRA 16, pp. 109-136 [in PDF] (7).
--- James E. Packer (2001a), The Forum of Trajan in Rome: A Study of the Monuments in Brief. University of California Press (2001), pp. 1-235. (Preview & abstract in Google Books).
books.google.com/books?id=Tn7zf3ecm2wC&source=gbs_nav...
--- James E. Packer (2001b), Il Foro di Traiano a Roma: breve studio dei monumenti. Rome: Edizioni Quasar (2001), pp. 1-256. (Tradotto in italiano da Elisabetta Ercolini [translated into Italian by Elisabetta Ercolini]). (Abstract and summary) =
www.edizioniquasar.it/sku.php?id_libro=481&bef=1638&a...
--- James E. Packer (1997a), “Report from Rome: The Imperial Fora, a Retrospective.” AJA 101 (Apr., 1997), pp. 307-330 [PDF]. (Abstract) www.jstor.org/stable/506512 & PDF = wp.me/pPRv6-2oq
And for two important peer-review articles in English and Italian on Prof. Packer’s work on the Forum of Trajan (2001 & 1997), see:
--- Tom Stevenson (2002), [Review of] “James E. Packer & John Burge, The Forum of Trajan in Rome: a Study of the Monuments in Brief (2001).” PRUDENTIA Vol 34, No 1, pp. 101-105 [PDF]. prudentia.auckland.ac.nz/index.php/prudentia/article/view...
--- Francesco Ferretti, (2001), “Foro di Traiano – Notiziario bibliografia”: J. E. Packer, Forum of Trajan Vol. I-III; R. Meneghini, F. di Traiano, RM 105 (1998); & E. La Rocca, F. di Traiano, RM 105 (1998); in: Notiziario bibliografico di Roma e Suburbio, 1997-2001. BCom Vol. 102 (2001), pp. 399-400 [PDF]. wp.me/pPRv6-4BX
Hope the readers will have found this brief notice of the Forum and Temple of Trajan useful.
Thank you Martin G. Conde
Washington DC, USA (20 March 2020).
A special thank you to Prof. James E. Packer and also Dr. Arch. Barbara Baldrati, Gianni De Dominicis & Alvaro Di Alvariis of Rome, Italy; all being very kind and contributing and sharing their important and invaluable work on Rome with me.
Their various works on Rome can be accessed via a search on the following website:
ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA E RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA 2010-20.
ROME – THE IMPERIAL FORA: SCHOLARLY RESEARCH & RELATED STUDIES.
rometheimperialfora19952010.wordpress.com/
Notes and Additional Information:
For a collection of research materials (in PDF’s and images) on the recent and past excavations and studies of the Forum, Temple and Markets of Trajan (1998-2020), see:
ROMA ARCHEOLOGICA & RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA. Il Foro di Traiano: Tempio di Traiano - Colonna di Traiano - Basilica Ulpia - scavi (1998-2020, 1989-1997, & 1928-33). | The Forum of Trajan: Temple of Trajan - Column of Trajan - Basilica Ulpia - excavations (1998-2020, 1989-1997, & 1928-33).
-- Forum of Trajan =
www.flickr.com/photos/imperial_fora_of_rome/sets/72157600...
--- Temple of Trajan =
www.flickr.com/photos/imperial_fora_of_rome/sets/72157594...
1). This brief summary on the Forum and Temple of Trajan (2018-20) is part of my forthcoming paper entitled:
ROMA ARCHEOLOGICA & RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA. The Temple of Divine Trajan in Rome, 2010-20. A Review of the Italian & International Studies - "L’evidenza archeologica ha dimostrato che il tempio c’è,” (2011). With Additional Contributions by Dr. Arch. Barbara Baldrati, Gianni De Dominicis & Alvaro Di Alvariis. Versus the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali - ‘Il tempio che non c’è,’ (2019); 1-25 [in PDF]. By Martin G. Conde, Independent Researcher. Washington DC, USA. (March 2020) mgconde@yahoo.com
2). For news of the restoration of the New Spanish School of History and Archaeology on the Via di Sant'Eufemia in Rome, see:
--- Valencia, a 15 de abril de 2010, Cleop reformará la nueva sede de la Escuela española de Historia y Arqueología del Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas en Roma (2010) [in PDF].
www.cleop.es/media/pdf/ESCUELA%20DE%20HISTORIA%20Y%20ARQU...
--- Salvatore Nicoletti, “SCUOLA SPAGNOLA DI STORIA E ARCHEOLOGIA, ROMA
INTEGRAZIONI SPAZIALI.” IOARCH 68, Jan. & Feb. (2017): 50-52 [in PDF].
3). List of the presenters at the ‘La topografia dell’area nord del Foro di Traiano’ - Conference (30/01/2020).
ORE 9,15 - INTRODUZIONE (Presiede Eugenio La Rocca)
ORE 9,30 - Antonio Pizzo, Massimo Vitti, Il Pomerio, i sepolcri e il Foro di Traiano.
ORE 10,15 - Francesca de Caprariis, Traiano tra Campidoglio e Campo Marzio
ORE 11,00/11,30 - PAUSA
ORE 11,30 - Rossella Rea, Gli auditoria di piazza Venezia.
ORE 12,15 - Paola Baldassarri, Il Tempio dei divi Traiano e Plotina e i suoi disiecta membra: novità dalle indagini a Palazzo Valentini.
ORE 13,00/15,00 PAUSA PRANZO (Presiede Domenico Palombi)
ORE 15,00 – Elisabetta Bianchi, Roberto Meneghini, Il Foro di Traiano a nord della Basilica Ulpia.
ORE 15,40 - Eugenio La Rocca. L’arco Partico di Traiano
ORE 16,20/16,50 PAUSA
ORE 16,50 - Claudio Parisi Presicce, Una nuova proposta per la localizzazione del Tempio di Plotinae del divo Traiano.
ORE 17,30 - Lucrezia Ungaro, Per un abaco delle sculture del Foro di Traiano
ORE 18,10 – Marina Milella, Resti marmorei di architetture di grandi dimensioni.
4). Rome, News of the Forum of Trajan and Via Alessandrina excavations (2019-20).
Since 2019, Dr. Arch. Federico Celletti working on the Via Alessandrina site (2017-20) has been kind enough to share with me his personal photographs of the ongoing excavations at the site (see references cited here below). While recently on 21 Feb. 2020, during an official visit by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Rome, the administration of the City of Rome exhibited several of the architectural elements and decorations recently recovered from the Forum of Trajan excavations (see below). While the only news in English on the recent Forum of Trajan excavations is the “Dagli scavi ai Fori Imperiali riemerge la testa del dio Dioniso,” in: NOTES FROM ROME 2018-19; PBSR 87 (2019): 309-316 [in PDF] (see below).
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Foro di Traiano / Via Alessandrina – Gli scavi e le scoperte in corso. Foto: Dr. Arch. Federico Celletti / Facebook (09/03/2020). S.v., Virginia Raggi & President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (21/02/2020). wp.me/pPRv6-5cR
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Raggi riceve il presidente della Repubblica Azerbaigian – esposti i reperti archeologici provenienti dagli scavi archeologici dell’area di i Fori Imperiali & via Alessandrina. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan [English & Italiano] (21/02/2020). wp.me/pPRv6-5cH
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGICA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: “Dagli scavi ai Fori Imperiali riemerge la testa del dio Dioniso,” in: NOTES FROM ROME 2018-19; PBSR 87 (2019): 309-316. Foto: Dr. Arch. Federico Celletti / FACEBOOK, Rome (24 May 2019). wp.me/pPRv6-59q
5). ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: ROME – “Trajan’s Temple, Column and Forum / Templum Divi Traiani” in: VR Back To The Past. CARLO CESTRA DIGITAL PRODUCTIONS 2010-19 (04/2019). For an alternative digital reconstruction / video of the ‘Templum Divi Traiani’ see the following work of Carlo Cestra, Senior CG Artist = ROME – Trajan’s forum: This is part of the project named VR Back To The Past, a collection of virtual reality tours I am working on. Here is the digital reconstruction of the north-western part of the Trajan’s Forum in Rome (beside the “Basilica Ulpia”) with the Trajan’s Column and the Temple. The Temple of Trajan (Templum Divi Traiani et Plotinae), Trajan’s Column area.
Fonte | source:
— Carlo Cestra, Senior CG Artist – Trajan’s forum (04/2019).
6). Also see: ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Andrea Carandini, Paolo Carafa, & Fabio Cavallero, Il TEMPIO dei DIVI TRAIANO e PLOTINA ROMA ANTICA – ESCLUSIVO, ARCHEOLOGIA VIVA, Rivista: N. 149 / mese: Sett.-Ott. 2011, pp. 47-54 [PDF pp. 1-5].
7). For the earlier and recent discovery of the Trajanic inscriptions in the Forum of Trajan and the L’Athenaeum di Adriano, see:
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Rome, the Metro C Archaeological Surveys – the Piazza Madonna di Loreto, Sector (# S14/B1). The Discovery of New Inscriptions & Architectural Elements of the Temple of Trajan? (January 20th, 2011).
www.flickr.com/photos/imperial_fora_of_rome/5374055767
--- ROMA ARCHEOLOGICA & RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Dott.ssa Paola Baldassarri – Nuovi dati per la ricostruzione del tempio di Traiano, (2015-16), Dr. Antonio Lopez Garcia, L’Athenaeum di Adriano (2015) & Marmo – Dedica ai divi Traiano e Plotina, MUSEI VATICANI (2017).
SALKANTAY TREK TO MACHU PICCHU
4 DAYS - 3 NIGHTS
SALKANTAY TREK TO MACHU PICCHU
4 DAYS - 3 NIGHTS
The amazing Salkantay trek to Machupicchu is one of the famous treks in Cusco and the best alternative route to get to Machupicchu. It is takes you through different types of landscapes from the typical Andean landscape up to the snowcapped mountains and down to the tropical forests and finally gets you into the jungle, Salkantay trek named among the 25 best Treks in the World, by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine
If you are thinking to do a hiking trip to Machupicchu and you want to be off of the beaten path and be in touch with the nature; Salkantay trek is the best option. Hiking 75 kilometers = 46 miles and reaching the famous Apacheta (mountain offerings) pass 4621masl = 15160ft which is the highest point of the Salkantay trek: enjoying the amazing view during the hike from Mollepata town to Soraypampa base camp at knee of the Umantay mountain. Then to go up to the highest point to enjoy the view of outstanding snow-capped Salkantay mount. This was one of the most important Apus in the Inca period! Then you are going dawn to Chaullay through the beautiful scenery and then go to Santa Teresa to jump into the natural and medicinal hot spring. And finally we reach to Aguas Calientes town for overnight in the hotel and the last day of your adventure you will get up too early to be the firsts ones up in Machupicchu and enjoy the sunrise.
OVERVIEW
Highlight: Hiking alongside the magnificent Apu Salkantay and then arriving at the ruins of Machu Picchu.
Location: The Salkantay trek begins 3 hours driving to the west of Cusco, Peru. We pass the village of Mollepata and begin hiking at Marcocasa.
Duration: 4 days/ 3 nights
Starting point: cusco
Ending point: cusco
Level: Moderate to Challenging
Adventure Rating: Given the new restrictions on the Inca trail, Salkantay is the second most popular hike in the region and some of the campsites are less remote than on other trails.
Modality: Trekking, Archaeological and Cultural
Ideal for: Adventure Seekers, Couples, Friends, Nature Lovers, and Intrepid People
Altitude: 2,800 masl to 4,650 masl
Inca Trail alternative: Yes, the Salkantay trek is an excellent option.
Departure Dates: Daily departures
All private service departure dates are adapted to your request
Trekkers Wanted: If you wish to join a group tour, please see Trekkers Wanted.You can also form your own tour to be advertised on this page maximum group size 10.
ITINERARY - SALKANTAY TREK TO MACHU PICCHU 4 DAYS - 3 NIGHTS
DAY 1: Cusco - Mollepata - Marcocasa - Soraypampa.
We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco from 5: 00 am to 5:30 am to go by bus to Mollepata. Begin a spectacular scenic drive through the Anta plains with beautiful and panoramic views of the majestic Salkantay and other mountains covered with snow, and the Valley of Apurimac River. After two and a half hours drive we stop in Mollepata to have breakfast for last minute supplies, leg-stretching or to use the bathrooms, before continuing to Marcocasa. There we will meet with our support staff. They will load the equipment on horses and mules. Around 9:30 a.m. we will star our trek toward Soraypampa (3900 meters above sea level) if we keep a regular pace we will take 4 hours approximately to reach to Soraypampa the first camp site where will have lunch after lunch in the afternoon we have an option to go up to Umantay lake (4200masl) which takes 3 hours hike back and forth from the camp to see the glacier lake of Umantay. But if we keep slow pace; we will have lunch at halfway between Soraypampa and Marco Casa maybe after 3 hours of hiking. And after that we hike two a half hours more to Soraypampa. Anyway our camp is going be at Soraypampa. Sleeping tents will be ready and we will have a warm delicious dinner in the evening.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner.
Overnight: Soraypampa in the tents.
Maximum Altitude: 3850 masl.
Minimum Altitude: 2850 masl.
Hiking distance: 14 km approx.
DAY 2: Soraypampa - Salkantay Pass - Huayramachay – Chaullay
Today early in the morning we will wake you up with the coca tea. Around 6:00 we will have a nutritious breakfast around 7:00 am we will start the hardest day of the whole Salkantay trek; we will be walking up to the highest point of the trek. After 6 kilometers uphill through the magnificent scenery of Rocky Mountains and enjoying the view of Salkantay mount. We reach the top of the trek. We will appreciate spectacular views of the mountains and the imposing snowy peaks of the Salkantay (6264 meters above sea level) which is known as the second highest mountain of the Cusco region. After 2 hours downhill around 1:00 p.m. we will have our delicious Peruvian lunch, in the area called Huayracmachay. Then we continue our hike to Chaullay approximately 3 hours of downhill we will get to our camp in Chaullay = 2900 masl Where we will have the sleeping tents ready. Around 7: 00 pm we will have dinner to recover energy from the trek.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Overnight: Chaullay in the tents.
Maximum Altitude: 4650 masl.
Minimum Altitude: 2920 masl.
hiking distance: 20km to Chaullay.
DAY 3: Chaullay - Collpapampa - La Playa - Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes.
Around 6:00 am; we will start our trek to La Playa through the Santa Teresa valley. We will hike 6 hours approximately during the hike will see: water fall, orchids, coffee, banana, avocado plantations and we will taste the famous passion fruit or granadilla and also we will see a village call Colpapampa also call the “forest cloudy brow” where waterfalls, thermal hot springs, fruit-bearing trees, varied flora, and birds can be observed. If we are lucky, we will be able to see the famous bird called “the Cock of the Rocks”. After lunch at La playa, we will catch a local transportation to Hidroelectrica train station. Here we have two options if you are exhausted you may take a train to Aguas Calientes. Or you may walk from hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes town about 3 hours along the train track. Once in Aguas Calientes town; we are going to the accommodation which is included in the tour then by 7:00 we will have dinner at the local restaurant. This is cover by the company.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: in Aguas Calientes at the hotel which included in the package.
Maximum Altitude: 2920 masl
Minimum Altitude: 1600 masl
Hiking distance: 15km approx.
DAY 4: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo -Cusco
Today early in the morning after breakfast at the hotel you will be able to choose between. Walk up to Machupicchu. Or take bus up to Machupicchu. Any way we will be the first ones into Machupicchu to enjoy the sunrise and you will have two a half hours guided tour. Then you will have the free time to explore Machupicchu by yourselves or if you desire, ascent toward the Huaynapicchu Mountain. Or climb to Machupicchu montaña. After Machupicchu you are going back to Aguas Calientes town to take a train to Ollantaytambo and from there by bus back to Cusco. The bus drops you off at your hotel in Cusco.
Meals: Breakfast.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
Pre-departure briefing at the office in Cusco
Collection from your hotel in the morning and transfer in private transportation to Marcocasa (starting point of the trek).
Personal tents: 2 people in each 4-people-capacity tent, to allow for higher comfort and a safe keeping of backpacks. Our tents are 3-season, highly maintained to ensure an excellent performance in field. Kailas, Pro Aconcagua and Rei 4 Outfitter tents are employed when double accommodation is requested.
One sleeping pad per person.
1 Blanket. Or Liner.
One pillow per person.
Dining tent with tables and chairs
Kitchen tent
English speaking professional and official tourist guide (2 guides for groups of over 10 people)
1 night accommodation in Aguas Calientes
Chef and cooking equipment
Pack animals (to carry tents, food and cooking equipment) – days 1 to 3
Pack animals to carry personal gear up to a maximum of 7kg per person (including sleeping pad and sleeping bag) – days 1 to 3
1 emergency horse every 8 persons – days 1 to 3
Accommodation for all our staff
Meals (3B, 3L, 3D + daily morning snack + daily tea service except last day). Vegetarian or special menus are available at no extra cost
One textile snack bag per person, to avoid the usage of plastic bags that contaminate our environment
Boiled filtered water every day since the first lunch. For your water bottles.
Bio-degradable personal hand soaps
Bio-degradable dishwashing detergents used by our kitchen staff
Others: hot water every morning and evening for washing purposes / boiled water to fill your water bottle every morning and night, and also at lunch time if requested with enough time ahead
First-aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle
Machupicchu entrance feet.
One way bus ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machupicchu on day 4
Expedition Train from Aguas Calientes to Cusco. Upgrade to Vistadome or Hiram Bingham service, availability upon request.
Transfer from train station to the hotel in Cusco
24-h guest service: please ask for the emergency number available during your time of visit.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?
First breakfast on day one.
Lunch on the last day after the guided tour at Machu Picchu
Walking Sticks
Sleeping bag: you may rent it from us. Our sleeping bags are -20ºC-comfort (0ºF), mummy form and include a sleeping liner. They are cleaned after every use and have a maximum usage of 30 trips.
Train from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes town on day 3
OPTIONAL AND RENTALS
Extra night in Aguas Calientes $50 (or email us for alternate options). We will just need to arrange your train back to Cusco for the following day.
Please tell us before final booking process.
Personal horse and horsemen for riding or carrying extra personal belongings while on the trek.
Extra cost is $80 for the trek.
Therma-rest inflatable sleeping pad rent: US$ 5.00 per day
Entrance to the Hot Springs in Santa Teresa.
Gettysburg.
The Civil War from 1861-64 was the most tragic and momentous event in American history. It had its origins in the economic and agricultural differences between the North and the South which were exacerbated by different views about the morality of black slavery. Once Abraham Lincoln (a Republican) was elected in November 1860 as the next President to be inaugurated in February 1861 the fears of the South could no longer be allayed by compromise and logical thinking. South Carolina, always the most firebrand and radical of the Southern states seceded almost immediately. So technically the Civil War was about secession and whether the constitution gave any state the right to secede rather than it being about slavery. But the expansion (not the mere existence) of slavery was the issue behind secession. Sth Carolina was joined by other southern states and they quickly formed the confederacy with Jefferson Davis as President. Lincoln wanted to avoid war. He chose not to be the aggressor but as an able lawyer and great humanist he warned that he would defend the property of the US. When the Confederates (Grey Coats or Rebels) fired on Fort Sumner in the harbour of Charleston, the capital of South Carolina in April 1861 the war began. The north had the advantage of a much bigger population, better rail system, almost all of the industry in America, and money, but they struggled for four years to win the war. Many of the battles were in the Border States near Washington DC where the southern state of Virginia basically abuts the northern states of Pennsylvania and Maryland. (But Maryland really had no choice but to join with the north as it was placed under military control by Lincoln. After all the capital, Washington DC is almost surrounded by Maryland.) One of the great battles that occurred in this region was the Battle of Gettysburg.
Despite the advantages of the North it lost most of the battles in the first couple of years of the Civil War. The Yankees could not defeat the great southern General Robert E Lee. That is why Lincoln kept changing his generals. The turning point was probably the Battle of Gettysburg which raged from 1-4th July 1863. General Meade led the Union forces in their bloody defeat of the Confederates under Lee at Gettysburg. Around 163,000 men faced each other in the battles. At the end of the last day, Confederate causalities - dead, wounded and missing were 28,000 (out of 75,000 troops) and the Union casualties were 23,000 (out of 88,000 troops. ) After the battle General Lee had to retreat to the South quickly and leave the Confederate dead on the battle field. These were incredibly high death tolls for any battle. Is it any wonder the Americans still feel so deeply about the Civil War? By the end of the Civil War, over 620,000 men had been killed and nearly 300,000 wounded- many of them maimed for the rest of their lives: - a total of almost 1 million men. The death toll from the Civil War was greater than the combined US toll for World Wars One and Two. A total of16.47% of all troops were killed in the Civil War- a very high proportion. This compares badly with American involvement in say World War One- 2.46% of troops killed, or World War Two- 2.52% of troops killed. The Civil War was a huge tragedy.
After the battle Lincoln went to dedicate a memorial to the men who had lost their lives in this great battle in November of 1863. The Gettysburg Address is a remarkably short speech, for a politician, and is considered by many to be one of the finest speeches in the English language. In just over two minutes, Lincoln invoked the principles of human equality espoused by the Declaration of Independence and redefined the Civil War as a struggle not merely for the Union, but as "a new birth of freedom" that would bring true equality to all of its citizens, and that would also create a unified nation in which states' rights were no longer dominant.
At Gettysburg we will see battlefield, memorials and the interpretive centre with its dioramas and displays. Below is a map of the town and surrounding battlefields and memorials.
Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865. The Republican Party emerged in American in 1854 to oppose the EXPANSION of slavery into the new western territories. In the 1858 congressional elections Lincoln made his most famous statement:
“A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other."
Four nominees stood to be the Republican candidate for the 1860 Presidential election and Lincoln was chosen as the Republican candidate. He won the election and became the first anti slavery president from one section (the North) party to win an election. During the campaign the Democrat Party split into a northern and southern democrat parties with different candidates. Lincoln kept a low profile after the election and because of assassination threats and safety concerns in Baltimore he was secretly taken to Washington DC in disguise on 23 February 1861 to be inaugurated as President on 4th March. Once the November election results were known, Sth Carolina and then other southern states seceded. Lincoln’s training as a small town lawyer held him in good stead as president. He studied the constitution closely and developed his legalistic arguments. The South had no right to secede. The constitution was a binding contract and no state could unilaterally secede. He would not attack the South but he would defend the property of the US in the rebelling (seceding) Southern states and the posts would be delivered. Historians argue that Lincoln chose to avoid war, and not be the aggressor, but the South had little room for manoeuvring out of war. The South began the war at Fort Sumter. Despite Lincoln’s expert handling of the military aspects of the war, his choice of generals and his handling of the affairs of state, he was unpopular with many Republicans as he was not radical enough. Lincoln stood as an independent candidate for the US presidential elections of 1864 and won, this time not as a Republican but as the leader for the National Union Party. Perhaps Lincoln’s most memorable act was the Emancipation Proclamation of 1st January 1863 which set slaves free in the rebelling states. (It required a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery in all states.) This act brought former slaves into the War in both the North and South; it bought strong alliances with European powers, especially France and England who could not support a pro-slavery nation ( the Confederacy had tried to get France’s financial backing) ; and it turned the war from a war about secession and constitutional issues into a war about slavery. Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth 5 days after General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House on 9 April 1865 thus ending the Civil War.
While out on a walk at Frear Park in Troy, New York, USA on August 6, 2020, I happened to look up through the leaves of a sumac tree & spied this wee bug, identified as most likely being a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug by my good friend & Shield Bug expert rockwolf. What a delight are the small things of nature!
As our helicopter approaches Leer in northern South Sudan, all one can see is eerily empty, dry, sun-stricken land. The people we meet on the ground, however, have a different story to tell. It is one of human suffering on an unimaginable scale. Escalating fighting and brutality in the area may compromise the next, widely believed to be decisive, round of peace talks in Addis Ababa.
“The peace talks have not been successful, and I guess most disappointingly the cessation of hostilities [agreement] that was signed at the end of last year which most people felt was a step in the right direction is not working either, and the intensification of the conflict on the ground has a huge human impact,” says UNMISS Chief David Shearer, keen to talk to the warring parties in the hope they will lay down their weapons and build durable peace.
On arrival, we are greeted not by one but two typhoons, as the armed personnel carriers used by the Ghanaian peacekeepers are called.
And the 126 West African blue helmets making up the robust base in Leer have indeed gotten used to vicious, destructive whirlwinds in their immediate vicinity. Recent, frequent clashes between government and opposition troops have seen several humanitarian actors forced to leave the area.
But Leer has witnessed numerous arrivals, albeit involuntary ones, too. Over the last week, a steady stream of approximately 600 displaced persons have been scrambling for a place to temporarily settle down in a tiny protection area next to the base of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
They are joining another 500 or so displaced and disillusioned individuals, most of whom may smile wryly at the somewhat euphemistically named Temporary Protection Area.
“I have been here for three years by now, because of the crisis and all the cases of rape going on outside of here, in the villages. Staying here is not easy, but at least it is better and safer than in a village,” says Nyalui Yor. “Many people were being killed outside, and if you survive and if you are a woman, they rape you.”
Or worse, her fellow protection area resident Nyakui Kong, might add. She arrived just three days ago, with horror scenes still haunting her mind.
“People were killed, houses were burnt, food was taken away. Someone tried to hang me, but luckily I fell down and ran to the UN base. This is the only place I can go,” she says.
The utter lack of available food has also contributed to the decision of the desperate to seek shelter in the protection area, and judging by what precious little can be purchased in Leer’s town centre, real scarcity persists.
Cooking oil is sold in minuscule plastic bags, garlic is bought, or at least on offer, by the clove. Purchasing power is so limited and customers so few and far between that an elderly, near-toothless man fails to fetch a paltry 5 dollars for his two cute baby goats. Two armed young men of unknown affiliation grin grimly, puffing away on their cigarettes as they watch the non-unfolding of the business transaction.
James Gatdit, in the protection area, is also having a feeling that nothing positive is happening. He and his six brothers, three sets of twins, no less, were somehow separated from their parents about two years ago. His mother and father live in the UN Mission protection site in Bentiu, while James and his brothers are mostly idle in Leer.
“Life is no good here. We have no proper accommodation, there is not enough food and nobody is going to school. Why? There are no teachers and no books,” says James, who would like to become a doctor “to give medicines to people who need them”.
James Gatdit seems sadly resigned to his fate.
“How can I be optimistic? The future is no good. There is no future. I don’t believe that our leaders have it in their hearts to make peace.”
Sporting a Liverpool FC football shirt, he cannot even follow his favourite club’s amazing Champions League campaign on TV. Yet Champions League football provides a rare distraction for James and his peers.
“We can’t watch the games, but we play them ourselves,” he says with a hint of a smile.
So, who is to blame for the dire circumstances found in Leer and its surroundings? That, it turns out, depends on whom you are asking.
John Matip Gatluak, governor of Southern Liech, talks of “rebel” attacks “on a daily basis” and about the difficulties of “youth management”.
“The government is doing what it can to contain the situation, but management of youths is difficult, actually. We can’t really control our youth. The security situation is normal, except for the youth, who are out there fighting far from Leer”, Mr. Gatluak says as he steps out from his bullet-ridden office. He and his advisors hint that the conflict is not “tribal”, but “all political” and also driven by cattle raids and subsequent revenge attacks.
His is a lone voice of optimism:
“There is no point that we fight ourselves. President Salva Kiir is declaring a ceasefire and we have to respect it, although rebels continue to attack us. But peace will come. We will manage to bring peace to our people.”
In Dablual in Northern Liech, ten minutes north by helicopter, the tune is different.
“The security situation here is very bad. Government forces have been stealing in this area for almost ten days now. The soldiers come and look for the IO [in opposition] soldiers. They come and kill the old women, the children, the old men. They destroy everything, including houses and even the bore hole, which is now broken,” Major General Joseph Nhial, acting governor in the opposition-controlled area, laments. He mentions numerous places where fighting is ongoing, but maintains that his troops are just defending themselves.
“We [the opposition] are in a position of peace. We follow the cessation of hostilities [agreement] we signed last year.”
In the meantime, a majority of the local population, mostly women and children, are surviving on wild vegetables and fruits, in the bush or on fragile islands in the swamps surrounding the area.
Later this month, the next round of the High Level Revitalization Forum, already postponed twice, is expected to take place. Several stakeholders believe that these talks are crucial, and possibly the last chance to mend the broken seams of this young, war-torn country.
Optimism is hard to come by.
“I know that we are making a difference. I know that people are alive today because of what we do. It is what gets me up in the morning and keeps me going, but you are not seeing the longer term process panning out and that is really depressing. After a day like today, I feel pretty dispirited, to be perfectly honest,” Mr. Shearer said.
In an attempt to mitigate these bleak circumstances, UNMISS is intensifying its patrols to protect civilians and to monitor and report human rights violations. The Mission is also supporting the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and will continue to work alongside local communities to end the hostilities and build durable peace for the sake of the people.
But as we leave Leer heading for Juba, the Ghanaian typhoons remain. So does the uncertainty of what the future holds.
Photo: UNMISS / Eric Kanalstein