Perché au sommet sur un rocher de basalte noir (Castle Rock) à l’emplacement même d’un ancien volcan, le château d’Édimbourg veille sur la ville depuis le moyen âge. Le début de construction de la forteresse remonterait au XIIe siècle, sur un site occupé par l’homme depuis l’âge du bronze (IIe siècle après J.-C.). Une histoire vieille de 3000 ans d'une occupation préhistorique à partir de l'Âge de Bronze aux premiers siècles de notre ère avec les Romains cohabitant avec la tribu celte des Votadini (ou Brythonic) dont les descendants construisirent un château-fort baptisé Din Eityn, qui deviendra finalement Édimbourg. C'est à cette époque, au 7ème siècle, que remonte la plus ancienne trace d’un château sur ce lieu. L’architecture de ses bâtiments en pierre rappelle l’histoire de la ville et ses transformations au fil des siècles. C’est le roi David Ier, au moment de son accession au trône du royaume d’Alba, qui introduit le féodalisme dans le pays et entreprend l’édification de plusieurs seigneuries. Le château d’Édimbourg devient une résidence royale et lieu de couronnement avant d’être utilisé comme caserne militaire. Au XIVe siècle, le château est marqué par de nombreux conflits dont des guerres d’indépendance écossaise contre les forces anglaises. Rebâti après la signature du traité de Berwick de 1357, le château d’Édimbourg est attaqué de nouveau deux siècles plus tard sous le commandement d’Olivier Cromwell en 1651 aboutissant à la formation du Commonwealth républicain d’Angleterre. À partir du début du XVIIe siècle, le site se transforme en prison et héberge une grande garnison de soldats. Le château aurait subi près d’une trentaine de sièges militaires dans son histoire, ce qui en fait un des sites fortifiés les plus assiégés du Royaume-Uni. L’un d’eux aboutit à l’incorporation du royaume d’Écosse dans le nouveau royaume de Grande-Bretagne en 1707 sous le règne de la reine Anne (dynastie des Stuarts). La forteresse abrite les joyaux de la couronne de l’Écosse (Honours of Scotland) et la Pierre du Destin (Stone of Destiny) symboles de l’antique royauté. La pierre de Scone est utilisée pour la cérémonie de couronnement des monarques écossais et anglais depuis plusieurs siècles. De nos jours, le château abrite toujours une garnison. Chaque jour, à treize heures précises, un coup de canon est tiré depuis les remparts dominant l'Esplanade où se déroule tous les ans en août le célèbre « Military Tattoo ».

Perched atop a black basalt rock (Castle Rock) on the very site of an ancient volcano, Edinburgh Castle has watched over the city since the Middle Ages. The beginning of construction of the fortress dates back to the 12th century, on a site occupied by man since the Bronze Age (2nd century AD). A 3000 year old story of prehistoric occupation from the Bronze Age to the first centuries of our era with the Romans cohabiting with the Celtic tribe of the Votadini (or Brythonic) whose descendants built a castle called Din Eityn , which would eventually become Edinburgh. It is at this time, in the 7th century, that the oldest trace of a castle dates back to this place. The architecture of its stone buildings recalls the history of the city and its transformations over the centuries. It was King David I, at the time of his accession to the throne of the Kingdom of Alba, who introduced feudalism to the country and undertook the construction of several seigniories. Edinburgh Castle became a royal residence and coronation site before being used as military barracks. In the 14th century, the castle was marked by numerous conflicts, including the wars of Scottish independence against English forces. Rebuilt after the signing of the Treaty of Berwick in 1357, Edinburgh Castle was attacked again two centuries later under the command of Oliver Cromwell in 1651 resulting in the formation of the Republican Commonwealth of England. From the beginning of the 17th century, the site was transformed into a prison and housed a large garrison of soldiers. The castle would have suffered nearly thirty military sieges in its history, making it one of the most besieged fortified sites in the United Kingdom. One of these resulted in the incorporation of the Kingdom of Scotland into the new Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 during the reign of Queen Anne (Stuart dynasty). The fortress houses the Crown Jewels of Scotland (Honours of Scotland) and the Stone of Destiny, symbols of ancient royalty. The Stone of Scone has been used for the coronation ceremony of Scottish and English monarchs for several centuries. Today, the castle still houses a garrison. Every day, at 1 p.m. sharp, a cannon shot is fired from the ramparts overlooking the Esplanade where the famous “Military Tattoo” takes place every year in August.

Rio de Janeiro

Brasil

fontaine Wallace sur la contre allée des Champs-Elysées à proximité du Pavillon Yannick Alléno.

Ces fontaines qui se présentent sous la forme de petits édicules en fonte présents dans plusieurs villes dans le monde ont été dessinées par Charles-Auguste Lebourg, elles tiennent leur nom de Richard Wallace, le philanthrope britannique qui finança leur édification.

Elles sont souvent associées par les étrangers à l'image de Paris, car c'est dans cette ville qu’elles furent implantées en premier et qu’on en trouve le plus en France.

Fontaine Wallace on the counter alley of the Champs-Elysées near the Pavillon Yannick Alléno.

These fountains, which take the form of small cast iron aedicules found in several cities around the world, were designed by Charles-Auguste Lebourg, they take their name from Richard Wallace, the British philanthropist who financed their construction.

They are often associated by foreigners with the image of Paris, because it is in this city that they were first established and that we find the most of them in France.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Objectif Canon 50 mm

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En Eristain vemos Santa María, quizás sea, en parte, el edificio más antiguo que se conserva en el valle. Hasta su restauración, hace unos pocos años, se pensaba que era de finales del s. XII, pero como podemos apreciar por el tipo de sillería de su fachada norte así como los posibles vanos, actualmente cegados, que en él se ven, e igualmente la composición de los sillares del hastial y la ventana que en él se abre, podemos decir que la menos el lado del Evangelio y el de los pies de la nave se tratan de una edificación de entorno al s. X – XI.

Parte del interior está enlucido y conserva en el ábside y presbiterio pinturas datadas por Príncipe de Viana en el s. XIV, (posiblemente sean anteriores) sobre unas románicas. Curiosamente, en el arco que da paso a éste, hay una pintura, cuyos pigmentos naturales indican que es muy anterior al resto de pinturas, se trata de una cabeza humana de la que salen unos tallos a modo de sarmientos pámpanos y hojas de vid que descienden por los pilares laterales.

Fuentes:

www.romanicoennavarra.info/eristain.htm

www.arteguias.com/monumentos/iglesiaeristain.htm

………

À Eristain, nous voyons Santa Maria, c’est peut-être, en partie, le plus ancien bâtiment conservé dans la vallée. Jusqu’à sa restauration, il y a quelques années, on pensait que c’était de la fin du s. XII, mais comme on peut l’apprécier par le type de pierre de taille de sa façade nord ainsi que les possibles baies, actuellement aveuglées, que l’on y voit, et également la composition des pierres de taille de taille de la fent et de la fenêtre qui s’y ouvre, on peut dire que le moins le côté de l’Évangile et celui des pieds de la nef sont d’un édification autour du s. X – XI.

Une partie de l’intérieur est plâtrée et conserve dans l’abside et le presbytère des peintures datées du prince de Viana au s. XIV, (peut-être sont-ils antérieurs) sur des romans. Curieusement, dans l’arc qui cède la place à celui-ci, il y a une peinture, dont les pigments naturels indiquent qu’elle est bien antérieure au reste des peintures, il s’agit d’une tête humaine dont sortent des tiges à la manière de sarments pâpans et de feuilles de vigne qui descendent par les piliers latéraux.

………

In Eristain we see Santa María, perhaps it is, in part, the oldest building that is preserved in the valley. Until its restoration, a few years ago, it was thought that it was from the end of the century. XII, but as we can appreciate by the type of ashlar of its north facade as well as the possible openings, currently blinded, that are seen in it, and also the composition of the ashlars of the sting and the window that opens in it, we can say that at least the side of the Gospel and that of the feet of the nave are a building around the s. X – XI.

Part of the interior is plastered and preserves in the apse and presbytery paintings dated by Príncipe de Viana in the s. XIV, (possibly previous) on some Romanesque. Interestingly, in the arc that gives way to it, there is a painting, whose natural pigments indicate that it is much earlier than the rest of the paints, it is a human head from which some stems come out like pampian branches and vine leaves that descend down the side pillars.

Piazza Grande è il cuore del centro storico di Arezzo.

Venne realizzata nel XIII sec., ma la piazza come la vediamo oggi è il risultato di una profonda trasformazione avvenuta nel XVI sec. con la costruzione delle Logge del Vasari (l'edificio a sinistra nell’immagine) .

Su uno dei lati la Piazza è chiusa da antiche case medioevali, in parte restaurate nel Novecento.

----------

Piazza Grande is the heart of the historic center of Arezzo (Tuscany, Italy).

It was built in XIII sec, but the square as we see now is the result of a deep transformation done on the XVI cent, with the edification of the “Logge del Vasari” (the building visible on the left side in the image).

On one of its side, the Piazza is closed by ancient medieval houses, partially restored in the XX century.

En la pedanía de El Paraíso/El Paradís, y en zona de fuerte expansión urbanística puede verse un curioso edificio que fue construido a finales del s.XIX por el Dr. Esquerdo para su uso privado, conocido como Torre de la Malladeta.

De planta ovalada y construida a semejanza de las torres costeras de defensa del s.XVI, no debe confundirse con edificación fortificada alguna.

***

In the hamlet of El Paraíso / El Paradís, and in a zone of strong urban expansion can be seen a curious building that was built at the end of the nineteenth century by Dr. Esquerdo for private use, known as Torre de la Malladeta.

Of oval plan and constructed to resemblance of the coastal towers of defense of the sixteenth century, it should not be confused with fortified edification some.

MIS ALBUMNES

Cloister, Chorin Monastery

"Chorin Monastery is a former Gothic Cistercian abbey in the Chorin district near the town of Chorin, about six kilometers north of Eberswalde in the Barnim district of Brandenburg. It was founded by Ascanian margraves in 1258 and had far-reaching significance on the northern edge of the sphere of influence of the Ascanians (border with the Slavs).

Between the secularization of 1542 and the beginning of the 19th century, the monastery was left to decay.

Then the ruins were secured and the buildings were partially reconstructed under the direction of Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

Today, the Chorin Cistercian Monastery is a monument that typically represents brick Gothic. [...] "(translated from German Wikipedia entry)

Kreuzgang, Kloster Chorin

"Das Kloster Chorin ist eine ehemalige gotische Zisterzienserabtei in Amt Chorin in der Nähe des Ortes Chorin etwa sechs Kilometer nördlich von Eberswalde im brandenburgischen Landkreis Barnim. Es wurde 1258 von askanischen Markgrafen gegründet und hatte weitreichende Bedeutung am nördlichen Rand des Einflussbereichs der Askanier (Grenze mit den Slawen).

Zwischen der 1542 erfolgten Säkularisation und dem beginnenden 19. Jahrhundert war das Kloster dem Verfall preisgegeben.

Dann erfolgten Sicherung der Ruinen und teilweise Rekonstruktion der Gebäude unter der Leitung von Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

Heute ist das Zisterzienserkloster Chorin ein die Backsteingotik typisch repräsentierendes Baudenkmal. [...]" (Wikipedia)

Son édification a débuté en septembre 2009, et s'achève en 2015 sur le parc de la Villette à Paris.

Le maître d’ouvrage, la « Philharmonie de Paris », a confié le projet du nouveau bâtiment aux Ateliers Jean Nouvel en avril 2007 à l’issue du concours de maîtrise d’œuvre.

Jean Nouvel s'est entouré de Brigitte Métra comme architecte associée pour la salle de concert, des acousticiens Marshall Day Acoustics (conception acoustique de la salle), Nagata Acoustics (conseil de l'architecte et essais sur maquette)11 et Studio DAP pour l'acoustique du bâtiment. Les Ateliers Jean Nouvel se sont entourés de Jacques Le Marquet et ducks scéno pour la scénographie de la salle.

Le projet s'inscrit dans le Parc de la Villette, œuvre de l’architecte Bernard Tschumi,

Le projet s'inscrit dans le Parc de la Villette, œuvre de l’architecte Bernard Tschumi, cf Wikipedia

Its construction began in September 2009, and is completed in 2015 on the Parc de la Villette in Paris. The client, the "Philharmonie de Paris", entrusted the project of the new building to the Ateliers Jean Nouvel in April 2007 at the end of the project management competition. Jean Nouvel surrounded himself with Brigitte Métra as associate architect for the concert hall, acousticians Marshall Day Acoustics (acoustic design of the room), Nagata Acoustics (architect's advice and tests on model)11 and Studio DAP for the acoustics of the building. The Ateliers Jean Nouvel surrounded themselves with Jacques Le Marquet and ducks scéno for the scenography of the room. The project is part of the Parc de la Villette, the work of the architect Bernard Tschumi,

Perché au sommet sur un rocher de basalte noir (Castle Rock) à l’emplacement même d’un ancien volcan, le château d’Édimbourg veille sur la ville depuis le moyen âge. Le début de construction de la forteresse remonterait au XIIe siècle, sur un site occupé par l’homme depuis l’âge du bronze (IIe siècle après J.-C.). Une histoire vieille de 3000 ans d'une occupation préhistorique à partir de l'Âge de Bronze aux premiers siècles de notre ère avec les Romains cohabitant avec la tribu celte des Votadini (ou Brythonic) dont les descendants construisirent un château-fort baptisé Din Eityn, qui deviendra finalement Édimbourg. C'est à cette époque, au 7ème siècle, que remonte la plus ancienne trace d’un château sur ce lieu. L’architecture de ses bâtiments en pierre rappelle l’histoire de la ville et ses transformations au fil des siècles. C’est le roi David Ier, au moment de son accession au trône du royaume d’Alba, qui introduit le féodalisme dans le pays et entreprend l’édification de plusieurs seigneuries. Le château d’Édimbourg devient une résidence royale et lieu de couronnement avant d’être utilisé comme caserne militaire. Au XIVe siècle, le château est marqué par de nombreux conflits dont des guerres d’indépendance écossaise contre les forces anglaises. Rebâti après la signature du traité de Berwick de 1357, le château d’Édimbourg est attaqué de nouveau deux siècles plus tard sous le commandement d’Olivier Cromwell en 1651 aboutissant à la formation du Commonwealth républicain d’Angleterre. À partir du début du XVIIe siècle, le site se transforme en prison et héberge une grande garnison de soldats. Le château aurait subi près d’une trentaine de sièges militaires dans son histoire, ce qui en fait un des sites fortifiés les plus assiégés du Royaume-Uni. L’un d’eux aboutit à l’incorporation du royaume d’Écosse dans le nouveau royaume de Grande-Bretagne en 1707 sous le règne de la reine Anne (dynastie des Stuarts). La forteresse abrite les joyaux de la couronne de l’Écosse (Honours of Scotland) et la Pierre du Destin (Stone of Destiny) symboles de l’antique royauté. La pierre de Scone est utilisée pour la cérémonie de couronnement des monarques écossais et anglais depuis plusieurs siècles. De nos jours, le château abrite toujours une garnison. Chaque jour, à treize heures précises, un coup de canon est tiré depuis les remparts dominant l'Esplanade où se déroule tous les ans en août le célèbre « Military Tattoo ».

Perched atop a black basalt rock (Castle Rock) on the very site of an ancient volcano, Edinburgh Castle has watched over the city since the Middle Ages. The beginning of construction of the fortress dates back to the 12th century, on a site occupied by man since the Bronze Age (2nd century AD). A 3000 year old story of prehistoric occupation from the Bronze Age to the first centuries of our era with the Romans cohabiting with the Celtic tribe of the Votadini (or Brythonic) whose descendants built a castle called Din Eityn , which would eventually become Edinburgh. It is at this time, in the 7th century, that the oldest trace of a castle dates back to this place. The architecture of its stone buildings recalls the history of the city and its transformations over the centuries. It was King David I, at the time of his accession to the throne of the Kingdom of Alba, who introduced feudalism to the country and undertook the construction of several seigniories. Edinburgh Castle became a royal residence and coronation site before being used as military barracks. In the 14th century, the castle was marked by numerous conflicts, including the wars of Scottish independence against English forces. Rebuilt after the signing of the Treaty of Berwick in 1357, Edinburgh Castle was attacked again two centuries later under the command of Oliver Cromwell in 1651 resulting in the formation of the Republican Commonwealth of England. From the beginning of the 17th century, the site was transformed into a prison and housed a large garrison of soldiers. The castle would have suffered nearly thirty military sieges in its history, making it one of the most besieged fortified sites in the United Kingdom. One of these resulted in the incorporation of the Kingdom of Scotland into the new Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 during the reign of Queen Anne (Stuart dynasty). The fortress houses the Crown Jewels of Scotland (Honours of Scotland) and the Stone of Destiny, symbols of ancient royalty. The Stone of Scone has been used for the coronation ceremony of Scottish and English monarchs for several centuries. Today, the castle still houses a garrison. Every day, at 1 p.m. sharp, a cannon shot is fired from the ramparts overlooking the Esplanade where the famous “Military Tattoo” takes place every year in August.

🇫🇷 Entrepris en 1762, l’aménagement de la place d’Armes, de la place de Chambre et de la place du Marché dégage le tissu urbain médiéval sur trois côtés autour de la cathédrale. L’édification de la mairie et du Parlement, côté place d’Armes et du palais des évêques de Metz

Blondel construit sur les trois côtés de la cathédrale ainsi dégagée, une enveloppe classicisante.

Un sobre et majestueux portail principal est construit en 1764 du côté de l'évêché

Le portail de la Vierge qui donnait accès à la collégiale Notre-Dame-la-Ronde est dissimulé par les arcades classiques, sous lesquelles ouvrent des échoppes .

Les derniers ajouts de Blondel dont le style disconvient à l'idéal romantique de l'époque sont détruits en 1898 pour faire place à un portail de style néogothique inauguré en 1903 par l'empereur Guillaume II,Les sculptures, sur le tympan du portique, représentent le Jugement dernier. Une des statues sculptées par Auguste Dujardin, représentant le prophète Daniel, a les traits de l'empereur

🇬🇧 Undertaken in 1762, the development of Place d'Armes, Place de Chambre and Place du Marché opened up the medieval urban fabric on three sides around the cathedral. With the construction of the town hall and parliament building on the Place d'Armes side and the palace of the bishops of Metz

Blondel built a classicist envelope around the three sides of the cathedral that had been cleared.

A sober and majestic main portal was built in 1764 on the side of the bishop's palace

The Portal of the Virgin, which gave access to the collegiate church of Notre-Dame-la-Ronde, was concealed by classical arcades, under which shops opened.

The last additions by Blondel, whose style was at odds with the Romantic ideal of the time, were demolished in 1898 to make way for a neo-Gothic portal inaugurated in 1903 by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The sculptures on the tympanum of the portico depict the Last Judgement. One of the statues sculpted by Auguste Dujardin, representing the prophet Daniel, has the features of the emperor.

🇩🇪 Die 1762 begonnene Umgestaltung der Place d'Armes, der Place de Chambre und der Place du Marché legt das mittelalterliche Stadtgefüge auf drei Seiten um die Kathedrale herum frei. Die Errichtung des Rathauses und des Parlaments auf der Seite der Place d'Armes und des Palastes der Bischöfe von Metz

Blondel baut auf den drei Seiten der so freigelegten Kathedrale eine klassizistische Hülle.

Ein schlichtes und majestätisches Hauptportal wird 1764 auf der Seite des Bischofspalastes errichtet

Das Marienportal, das den Zugang zur Stiftskirche Notre-Dame-la-Ronde ermöglichte, wird von den klassischen Arkaden verdeckt, unter denen sich Verkaufsstände öffnen .

Die letzten Ergänzungen von Blondel, deren Stil dem romantischen Ideal der Zeit widersprach, wurden 1898 abgerissen, um Platz für ein neogotisches Portal zu schaffen, das 1903 von Kaiser Wilhelm II. eingeweiht wurde. Die Skulpturen auf dem Tympanon des Portals stellen das Jüngste Gericht dar. Eine der von Auguste Dujardin geschnitzten Statuen, die den Propheten Daniel darstellt, hat die Gesichtszüge des Kaisers.

🇪🇸 Emprendida en 1762, la urbanización de la Place d'Armes, la Place de Chambre y la Place du Marché abrió el tejido urbano medieval en tres lados alrededor de la catedral. Con la construcción del ayuntamiento y del parlamento en el lado de la plaza de Armas y del palacio de los obispos de Metz

Blondel construyó una envoltura clasicista alrededor de los tres lados de la catedral que habían sido despejados.

En 1764 se construyó un sobrio y majestuoso portal principal en el lado del palacio episcopal

El portal de la Virgen, que daba acceso a la colegiata de Notre-Dame-la-Ronde, estaba oculto por arcadas clásicas, bajo las cuales se abrían tiendas.

Los últimos añadidos de Blondel, cuyo estilo chocaba con el ideal romántico de la época, fueron demolidos en 1898 para dar paso a un pórtico neogótico inaugurado en 1903 por el káiser Guillermo II. Las esculturas del tímpano del pórtico representan el Juicio Final. Una de las estatuas esculpidas por Auguste Dujardin, que representa al profeta Daniel, tiene los rasgos del emperador.

Traducción realizada con la versión gratuita del traductor DeepL.com

A Montsoreau, entre Saumur et Chinon, dans le Val de Loire, le Saut aux Loups est un site troglo à flanc de coteau dominant la Loire. Occupé depuis la nuit des temps par l’homme, les loups aussi y élurent domicile...

Du moyen-âge à la fin de XIX siècle une mine d’extraction du tuffeau y fut exploitée intensivement pour l’édification des châteaux et églises de la région.

Des kilomètres de galeries furent ainsi creusés tandis que plusieurs habitations troglodytiques étaient bâties.

Elles sont aujourd’hui préservées dans leur état d’origine et servent de cadre à notre restaurant troglodyte.

C’est à la fin du XIX siècle, l’exploitation du tuffeau ayant cessé, que ces vastes galeries ont été converties en cave à champignons ou champignonnière.

Les visiteurs peuvent découvrir les différentes étapes de la culture des champignons dans ce site hors du commun.

In Montsoreau, between Saumur and Chinon, in the Loire Valley, the Jumping Wolves is a troglodyte site on the hillside overlooking the Loire. Busy since time immemorial by the man, the wolves also took up residence there ...

From the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century, a tufa extraction mine was exploited intensively for the construction of the castles and churches of the region.

Miles of galleries were dug while several troglodyte dwellings were built.

They are now preserved in their original state and serve as a frame for our troglodyte restaurant.

At the end of the 19th century, the exploitation of the tuffeau having ceased, these vast galleries were converted into a mushroom or mushroom cellar.

Visitors can discover the different stages of mushroom cultivation in this extraordinary site.

construction est due à Ferdinand II, prince d'origine allemande devenu roi de Portugal jure uxoris de 1837 à 1853, en tant qu'époux de reine Marie II, tous deux fondateurs de la troisième maison de Bragance.

En 1839, après avoir racheté les ruines d’un monastère hiéronymite du XVe siècle, ce même souverain confie l’édification de son palais d’été au baron Ludwig von Eschwege. Celui-ci mélange allègrement les styles architecturaux — mauresque, baroque, gothique, Renaissance et manuélin — afin de livrer un bâtiment exubérant et haut en couleur, mais qui conserve toutefois quelques parties de l’ancien monastère.

La construction, commencée au milieu du XIXe siècle, ne s’achève qu’en 1885, année de la mort du roi.

The construction is attributed to Ferdinand II, a prince of German origin who became King of Portugal jure uxoris from 1837 to 1853, as the husband of Queen Maria II, both founders of the third House of Braganza.

In 1839, after purchasing the ruins of a 15th-century Hieronymite monastery, the same sovereign entrusted the construction of his summer palace to Baron Ludwig von Eschwege. Von Eschwege cheerfully mixed architectural styles—Moorish, Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Manueline—to create an exuberant and colourful building, while retaining some parts of the old monastery.

Construction began in the mid-19th century but was not completed until 1885, the year of the king's death.

Brasil

Londrina-PR

Brazil

First time I had ever seen what looked to be a colorless rainbow. I kept asking Walt if he was seeing what I was seeing and he nonchalantly says " for your edification, it is called a fogbow"? Now I have been a photographer for a while and have seen moonbows but Walter is forever telling me things that are not true and I will re-tell these untruths to much smarter people than I. Grabbed my phone for a fact check sesh and two seconds later I see my tripod with the 14-24mm crash and pieces from the lens hood flying through the air. I felt so weak and I couldn't gather the strength to pick up my gear and check the lens. Walter picks up the camera and I am hopelessly waiting for the news. The glass still works but the zoom is non-functional. I tell you what, I will never forget the day I learned what a fogbow is.

Au pied du Hohneck, le Schiessrothried est un petit lac d'origine glaciaire du versant alsacien des Vosges. Il n'était à l'origine qu'une tourbière surcreusée et devint réellement un lac par l'édification d'un petit barrage fort discret, ce qui fait croire à beaucoup qu'il est d'origine naturelle.

L'objectif du barrage était de réguler le flot des eaux vers les usines de textile et les scieries de la vallée de Munster, dont la plupart étaient alimentées en électricité de façon autonome.

At the foot of the Hohneck, the Schiessrothried is a small lake of glacial origin on the Alsatian side of the Vosges. It was originally just an over-excavated peat bog and became a real lake by the construction of a small, very discreet dam, which leads many to believe that it is of natural origin. The purpose of the dam was to regulate the flow of water to the textile factories and sawmills of the Munster valley, most of which were supplied with electricity independently.

Weatherwax School

Built by Capt. John M. Weatherwax. He had a penchant for education, since this isn't the only school named after him. He made his money in lumber then moved to Aberdeen, WA to expand his earnings, in 1885. He died in Stanton, MI on July 19, 1896. Buried in Oakhill in GR.

The village of Rocca San Casciano, until the 12th century, is indicated as 'Pieve di San Cassiano in Casatico', where the latter term indicated the river today called Montone. Only in 1197 in a document for the first time the expression "Castrum Roche Sancti Cassiani in Casatico" (latin), obviously, this leads to assuming the existence of a castle attributable to that currently recognized as Castellaccio, built around the year one thousand (XI Sec.) Probably going to the behavior of Calbola's compensation accounts, who had the main castle in Calboli (between Rocca San Casciano, Dovadola and Predappio). From its edification the political and civil importance of the ancient manor, means that it is the object of vicissitudes and clashes until the 16th century, when the Castellaccio returns to be part of the Florentine Republic. From 1600 to today, the castle has lost the political and social requirements of the past, suffers a slow and inexorable degradation to be the subject of continuous collapses that drastically reduced them into dimensions and masonry development.

Currently of the broad original castle remains nothing but its robust tower (Keep of the castle), symbol of the village itself. The tower was partially restored in 2015 with a first batch of total amount of Euro 100,000. The adjacent compartments pour into a state of degradation, the cover floor and perimeter walls are interested in partial collapses and significant cracks.

Angelo Branduardi: "Il Signore di Baux"

youtu.be/awT840Upbmo

Celia Farber claims to be an investigative *ahem* journalist. Really she is nothing more than a person who gets paid for spreading HIV denialist propaganda. Every cause has their mouthpiece. Celia Farber is an expert. Not in HIV or AIDS. No Celia is an expert in very publicly stitching herself up! The following extracts from an interview are taken from bookslut all comments in bold are my own observations:

BS:You are constantly described as an AIDS dissident that does not believe HIV causes AIDS -- but nowhere in your book is this explicitly stated. So how would you describe your views?

CF: Thank you for noticing that critical detail. I have never written that HIV does not cause AIDS. I don’t think I’ve ever said that HIV does not cause AIDS. I took one semester of journalism in college. Thanks Celia. Good to see that you spent a hell of a lot of time earning the title of journalist!!!

CF: It is not for me to say as a journalist -- as a nonscientist -- what causes or doesn’t cause AIDS. Great Celia. You are off to a blinding start. Not only do you admit to having no substantial education as a journalist but you make it perfectly clear that you are not a scientist...

BS:Do you wish you had taken a different approach reporting? Is there anything you would have done differently?

CF:My quick answer is usually yes, of course. But it’s unanswerable… What I wish I had done differently, in retrospect, was to calculate the damage and the blight, both on myself and on my family and ask myself, “Is it fair to do to others?” Because what you actually do is you invite financial ruin. The damage and the blight Celia? Oh poor you and your poor family! How many of your denialist chums have died? How many people who have listened to your warped rhetoric are now dead because they did not access the treatments that could have prolonged their life? That is the damage and that is the blight Celia. NOT the fact that you did not earn more money. But I think that is more to do with just the one semester at journalist school than anything else...

BS:As a non-gay male AIDS reporter and Westerner investigating Africa, did you have to deal with identity politics?

CF: I never got that kind of guff from any Africans, [but] certainly from the gay community. Those that were opposed to what I was doing -- that was one of the charges: that I wasn’t gay and how the hell could I know what I was doing and what right did I have to say anything? But that’s inconsistent with the core belief system, which is that AIDS is everybody’s disease... Yes darling but you started spouting your denialist crap in 1988. Do you also have selective amnesia? Of course the Gay community were going to take exception to your denialist crap because Gay men were bearing the brunt of the numbers of deaths and the social stigma. The last thing they would have wanted when they were dying would be for someone like you to add more bulshit to the fire...

I would go to AIDS conferences and go through an immense crisis each time, “Am I crazy or are they crazy?” Answers on a postcard...

BS: Do you think The Constant Gardner was able to voice political dissent as it is shielded as fiction?

CF:I would caution people against assuming that John le Carre is writing fiction. Let me make a generality: fiction writers today like John le Carre are doing journalism, and the journalists are writing fiction. Thanks again Celia.... i didn't need to read this interview with you to know that you talk a pile of stinking shit! But thanks for the clarification!

I do wish that I could crawl away, quietly and turn up on some completely other part of the beach. So do we Celia, so do we... and take your denialist chums with you...

Celia worked as a researcher on the BBC documentry "Guinea Pig Kids" This is what the BBC had to say about the programme in question:

ECU ruling: Guinea Pig Kids, BBC2, 30 November 2004 and related websites

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/news/2007/11/30/51154.shtml

Publication date: 30 Nov 2007

Complaint

The Director of Planning and Policy Research of the New York-based Center for HIV Law and Policy, supported by several academics and other agencies involved in HIV research and treatment, complained that the programme unfairly claimed that New York City's Administration for Children's Services, together with a number of medical and child care institutions, "effectively conspired to force helpless children of colour into inappropriate and sinister 'experiments' when in fact they made life saving drugs already approved for adults available to children living with HIV/AIDS who were in the foster care system", that it gave a misleading impression of the effects of anti-HIV medication, and that it falsely claimed that "denying medication to children with AIDS will improve their health while appropriate treatment will kill them".

BBC Editorial Complaints Unit's ruling

The programme explored legitimate concerns about a research project involving the testing of anti-HIV drugs on children in the care system, where (it had emerged) there had been a failure in some cases to provide independent advocacy as required by the research protocols. However, the programme portrayed this failure as being the more serious because the drugs being trialled were, it claimed, both "lethal" and ineffective. In support of these claims, the programme interviewed an expert witness who was, though the audience was not told, a leading advocate of the propositions that HIV is unconnected with AIDS, that anti-retroviral drugs do not work in the treatment of AIDS and that they are, in fact, responsible for deaths attributed to AIDS. The audience was not told that his was a minority and controversial view which would be challenged by mainstream medical opinion. No other medical opinion was heard on this subject.

The programme also gave the false impression that parents or carers who objected to their children being placed in the trials risked losing custody of their children. In fact, the three case studies which created this impression did not involve children connected with the trials. Though there was no explicit claim that "denying medication to children with AIDS will improve their health while appropriate treatment will kill them", the treatment of case studies in the programme contributed to that impression. This complaint has been partly upheld.

Further action

A correction will be published on bbc.co.uk, as part of the pages on which the material complained of appears, with a link to this summary. In addition, the ECU will contact other websites featuring the material in order to draw their attention to its ruling. The management of BBC News is addressing the issues arising from the ruling for the commissioning and supervision of independent productions of this kind.

Celia Farber: An AIDS Denialist Masquerading as a Journalist

www.aidstruth.org/folly.php

Celia Farber, the author of the March 2006 Harper's Magazine article attacking HIV clinical research, misrepresents herself to the popular media as a legitimate journalist and science writer, interested only in doggedly covering a good story. She is in fact an AIDS "dissident" who has been publicizing and extolling the claims of AIDS denialists and attacking scientific research on HIV/AIDS since the late 1980s. Farber has signed the two defining petitions of HIV denialism and she co-authored with members of the denialist group HEAL a core tract of the denialist movement called "HIV: Against Science." She described herself in the subtitle of one of her articles as "an AIDS Dissident" and she is a prominent member of the denialist "Group for the Scientific Reappraisal of the HIV/AIDS Hypothesis." Her denialism is well documented, but she conceals her beliefs in order to fool the mainstream media into allowing her to promote them in print.

Farber's main contribution to the AIDS denialist movement is to broadcast their views to the general public in the disguise of objective journalism. In her writing for the popular press, she has consistently and deceptively refused to fully disclose her deep involvement with, and her role as a spokesperson for, the denialist camp. She has also evaded explaining clearly her own understanding or beliefs about HIV and AIDS. Instead, she allows other denialists to make the case for her in extended, laudatory quotes, while maintaining the pretense that she is just an objective reporter asking honest questions, and one who is unfairly abused for her honesty:

All I ever did was follow and report, with what some may consider excessive attention, the vital debate about whether HIV is the cause of AIDS. And whether AZT is a viable therapy for those who are HIV antibody positive. And whether being HIV antibody positive is the same as "having" HIV. And whether "having" HIV necessarily means your immune system is decaying. Etc. I consider all of these questions to be very straightforward, logical, and of obvious importance. I simply picked up a thread and followed it. (Farber , "AIDS Inc." 1994).

Farber's disingenuous claim to "follow and report" on an issue in which she is deeply committed to one side is one she has tried to maintain even as the Harper's Magazine piece brought new attention to the denialist clique. She is reported in The New York Times as saying that she "does not endorse [denialist Peter] Duesberg's position but is simply reporting on an unpopular view. 'People can't distinguish, it seems, between describing dissent and being dissent [sic],'" she wrote in an email to the reporter, Lia Miller. But in fact, people can distinguish between reportage and the party line, and Farber has always toed the latter. She has for two decades consistently attacked medicine, belittled scientific research and enthusiastically promoted denialists and their various claims. There is nothing even remotely balanced in her work.

Despite the denialist motive that drives her writing, Farber lacks the courage of her convictions and won't publicly stand behind the denialist ideology she promotes so relentlessly. She even cravenly disclaims her own positions when cornered. In a recent email she sent to a wide circulation list, she wrote of her Harper's Magazine article, "It does not, for example, say that all AIDS drugs are ghastly, or worthless." No, perhaps not in those exact words, but Farber is being disingenuous. What her article does say is "Duesberg thinks that up to 75 percent of AIDS cases in the West can be attributed to drug toxicity. If toxic AIDS therapies were discontinued, he says, thousands of lives could be saved virtually overnight." In the same email, she asserted "In each article [in the past] where I have addressed HAART I have included, clearly, the fact that the regimens have absolutely helped people who are very sick." That statement's as absolutely false as it is hypocritical. For example, in an article about HAART published in 2000, she made two comments about the benefits of antiretroviral drugs:

There are facts and figures, studies and counter-studies, a virtual blizzard of data that could be arranged to show any number of things. The new AIDS drugs have saved people's lives: that's one piece of truth. The new AIDS drugs have killed people: that's another. The new AIDS drugs have damaged and deformed some people so badly that although they are alive, they wish they were dead.

And:

Precisely what it means for a life to be "saved" is complicated, especially when the patient was not sick to begin with. As [German denialist Claus] Koehnlein wryly commented, "If you treat completely healthy people you can claim great therapeutic success."

Both of these statements, spun by sarcasm, are in effect claims that no people with HIV/AIDS have benefited from HAART, which is a blatant lie.

Farber has tried to portray herself as a neutral observer to The New York Times and critics by claiming she merely presents the contradictory views of others for the edification of the reader. But when we reviewed 34 articles about AIDS by Farber, we found that the clear thesis and topic of every single one was some variant of AIDS denialism--HIV does not cause AIDS; AIDS doesn't exist; there is no heterosexual AIDS; there is no AIDS epidemic in Africa; HIV is not transmitted by sex or by semen or by breast milk; HIV does not exist...

Farber's writing style typically highlights extensive quotes from denialists, whom she describes in warm, laudatory and respectful terms and whose claims are given great credence. By contrast, she consistently attacks legitimate HIV science, medicine, researchers and AIDS activists. Occasionally, she takes the words of legitimate doctors and advocates out of context to support the denialist argument. All of this is held together with her grandiose narrative of her Quest for The Truth: This, she says, "is my private hell, but also my great Sisyphean challenge. My labyrinth…" (Berkowitz: "Interview" 2000).

Celia Farber wants the world to regard her as a courageous and objective investigative journalist, but in reality she's nothing more than a lying propagandist for the denialist mini-movement. What is shocking is that Harper's Magazine's editors fell for this scam.

Roger Hodge: In Cahoots or Just Incompetent?

Roger Hodge, Farber's editor and, sadly, the man replacing Harper's Magazine's legendary editor Lewis Lapham, has defended his ignominious debut by claiming that he is merely airing an important controversy. It is not yet clear if he actually shares Farber's denialism or was, by failing to exercise due diligence, merely deceived by her masquerade as a journalist. Quite possibly, both of these things are true. On the question of HIV as the cause of AIDS, he told Gay City News "I don't feel like I am qualified to judge it"-a dodge similar to Farber's feints when she's in the headlights. The New York Times reported that "Mr. Hodge said the magazine stood behind the article and Ms. Farber. 'The fact that she's been covering this story does not make her a crackpot - it makes her a journalist. She's a courageous journalist, I believe, because she has covered the story at great personal cost.'"

Hodge also continues to assert the accuracy of the article against the overwhelming evidence presented to him that the piece is a farrago of fabrications, errors and innuendo. Gay City News reported that he said: "It was very, very thoroughly fact-checked over the course of three months. … A lot of what people are describing as errors are differences of opinion about the data." But his fact-checkers were either biased or incompetent, because at least 58 scientific and non-scientific howlers made it into print (www.aidstruth.org). Did Farber provide Hodge with her own list of "experts" to consult as fact-checkers? Or did Hodge select them based on his own knowledge of science and medicine? In either case, this vital task in the editing of any article was thoroughly botched.

If all it takes to get a science-bashing article into the new, dumbed-down Harper's Magazine is to warm-over baseless conspiracy theories and wild speculation, then we can expect the next issue to feature a piece from the Discovery Institute that promotes Intelligent Design – let's teach the controversy, brave Sir Roger! And perhaps he'll offer space to the oft-maligned Holocaust denialists, too, who make the same claim that legitimate scholars will not pay attention to their theories.

Hodge's quotes in Gay City News reveal that he still sees AIDS denialism as something honorable, a case of the little guy taking on the big bad wolves of the federal government and the pharmaceutical industry, standing up to be counted, risking it all for the sake of the truth and freedom of speech. If this were true, Hodge would have the full support of all of us, for we share this predisposition. We, like most scientists and AIDS activists, are liberals and progressives. That's why it's so difficult for us to accept that Harper's Magazine, a journal aimed at liberal intellectuals, would print Farber's article. The AIDS denialists are not honest dissidents, and they tarnish the word by using it. In South Africa, they even have tried to link their dissidence to that of Nelson Mandela, as if the two positions could in any way be equated. And when it comes to craven profiteering and the unethical exploitation of people with HIV, the denialists' champions, such as Matthias Rath and David Rasnick, take the cake.

Where Roger Hodge got it so badly wrong was to allow such an obviously error-ridden and biased article into a once-reputable magazine. In the circumstances, Hodge should now do what is honorable and resign for the sake of his magazine's reputation. He's proven himself not up to the task of editing an article. He's proven unable to exercise intelligent judgment about scientific discourse, medicine, public health and the HIV epidemic. He's proven himself gullible and sloppy by being fooled by a writer he told Gay City News he's known for "many years." Perhaps you knew Farber both too well and not well enough, Roger? And perhaps, Lewis Lapham, you knew Roger both too well and not well enough when bequeathing your legacy to him?

Jeanne Bergman, PhD, Health GAP, New York, NY

John P. Moore, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York

Well done Celia... keep on digging.....

The history of Boutemont Castle dates back to the year 1000 with the edification of a feudal motte surmounted by a wooden tower . From 1405 onwards The stone building was built in the 16th century and has been transformed ever since.

no photoshop

crazy reflections of a totally normal building within the facade of another glass-and-steel-edification

Excerpt from the plaque:

Spirit of Windsor Engine 5588

This Pacific Type 4-6-2 Steam Locomotive is dedicated to the memory of the glorious Steam Era in Canadian Railroading and to the Citizens of Windsor.

No. 5588 was built in the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1911 for the Canadian National Railways and saw many years of fast freight and passenger service in Southern Ontario before being retired in 1961.

In 1962, the Historic Vehicle Society of Ontario (Windsor) launched a public campaign to save old 5588 from the scrap heap and to bring it to Windsor for the edification of our and future generations.

Sunset over Laguna Beach turned out to be pretty colorful thanks to the giant wildfire in the San Gabriels. Getting soaked by some cool ocean waves was pretty nice too :)

View On Black

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Another from my beach adventure on friday.. it was a rather miraculous sunset that evening!

A quick request... I've had this crazy idea for some time, and now it seems there's a chance for me to win $50k to do it... if you've got 3 seconds of time please follow this link and hit the yellow pic it button, thanks!

crazy idea

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Rio de Janeiro

Brasil

Tortured trees on Oregon's highest mountaintop forest, Drake Peak, in the dead of winter under a glowing sunrise to the east.

What a marvelous place to camp!

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An old file, subtly reprocessed, this was from last year in Redwood National Park. It's one of the images I keep coming back to for some reason.

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Merriam Peak in the John Muir Wilderness, illuminated by the predawn glow, seen from the Royce Lakes.

Classic clear Sierra skies... and I enjoyed every minute of it. Could've used a little more oxygen though.

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Avalanche lilies and buttercups in the remote backcountry of Olympic National Park, WA.

Another from last year, figured I'd slowly bring these on to flickr for you all to appreciate :)

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First off, this one doesn't work on a white background... so view it LARGE, otherwise the mat takes up a lot of real estate.

This is 4 exposures blended massaged and tickled till they looked right (all taken without moving the camera of course).

I used an LED headlamp to light paint this old bristlecone (same tree as the other shots) during one of the exposures. For more details on the processing you can check out my article here: www.naturephotographers.net/articles0509/fv0509-1.html

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Incredible post-storm sunset colors over a remote set of dunes in Death Valley, NP.

About 30 min before this is was whipping sand and rain.. I'll probably be digging sand out of my ears and hair for the next week.. twas worth it though!

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Another from the magical dogwoods. Having 'peaked early' with wide angle dogwood/sequoia shots last year, I spent some time searching for more artistic interpretations. There was a bunch of brushy branches hurting this one, but with some clever curves and color work I managed to largely hide them from sight. That low angle dappled light really brings these trees to life (very little saturation added - note the "drab" green leaves - that really is real orange!)

Please view large.

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Paris

I'm just going back through a lot of quite old, never-used photos...for my own edification.

Not knowing about ants, I'll assume that there is a new generation of them every year. It that's the case, then this one goes back eight generations.

Le phare est relié à la terre ferme par une jetée en granit. Les courants forts au large de la pointe, et les nombreux naufrages, dont le plus célèbre est sans doute celui de la Blanche-Nef, ont rendu indispensable l'édification d'un phare.

Il se situe aux antipodes exactes des îles des Antipodes

Le phare de Gatteville, construit par l'architecte Charles-Félix Morice de la Rue, avec 11 000 blocs en granit rose de Fermanville, pesant au total 7 400 tonnes, est une haute tour cylindrique de 74,85 mètres, ce qui en fait le second plus haut phare d'Europe. Sa tour, construite au centre d'un soubassement de deux niveaux, a un diamètre à la base de 9,25 mètres et de 6 mètres à la passerelle.

Il est dit que le phare comporte autant de marches que de jours dans l'année, alors qu'il n'en compte que 349 marches, autant de fenêtres que de semaines et autant de niveaux (représentés par le nombre de fenêtres en façade) que de mois.

The lighthouse is connected to the mainland by a granite pier. The strong currents off the point, and the numerous shipwrecks, the most famous of which is undoubtedly that of the Blanche-Nef, made the building of a lighthouse essential.

It is located at the exact opposite ends of the Antipodes Islands.

The Gatteville lighthouse, built by the architect Charles-Félix Morice de la Rue, with 11,000 blocks of pink granite from Fermanville, weighing a total of 7,400 tonnes, is a high cylindrical tower of 74.85 meters, which makes it the second tallest lighthouse in Europe. Its tower, built in the center of a two-level base, has a diameter at the base of 9.25 meters and 6 meters at the gateway.

It is said that the lighthouse has as many steps as there are days in the year, whereas it only has 349 steps, as many windows as there are weeks and as many levels (represented by the number of windows on the facade) than months.

Probarona Purnima, one of the largest festival of the Buddhists, will be celebrated in Bangladesh The festival is also known as Ashvini Purnima that marks conclusion of the three months long seclusion of the monks inside their monasteries for self edification and atonement of their defilement.

Two limber pines enjoy the sunset together, two vertical miles above death valley, near the summit of Telescope Peak.

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Incredible sunset over a tarn near Mount Baker. This is a bit of a non-traditional composition, but I liked the open space on the left.

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CHAMBORD

Le château de Chambord est un château français situé dans la commune de Chambord, dans le département du Loir-et-Cher en région Centre-Val de Loire.

Construit au cœur du plus grand parc forestier clos d’Europe (environ 50 km2 ceint par un mur de 32 km de long), il s'agit du plus vaste des châteaux de la Loire. Il bénéficie d'un jardin d'agrément et d'un parc de chasse classés monuments historiques.

Le site a d'abord accueilli une motte féodale, ainsi que l'ancien château des comtes de Blois. L'origine du château actuel remonte au XVIe siècle et au règne du roi de France François Ier qui supervise son édification à partir de 1519.

CHAMBORD

The castle of Chambord is a French castle located in the commune of Chambord, in the department of Loir-et-Cher in Center-Loire Valley.

Built in the heart of the largest closed forest park in Europe (about 50 km2 surrounded by a wall of 32 km long), it is the largest of the castles of the Loire. It benefits from a pleasure garden and a hunting park classified historical monuments.

The site first hosted a feudal motte, as well as the old castle of the counts of Blois. The origins of the present castle date back to the 16th century and to the reign of King Francis I of France who oversees its construction from 1519.

Pope Benedict XVI's message to the Franciscan family, April 18, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Franciscan family!

With great joy I welcome you all at this happy and historic occasion that has gathered you all together: the eighth centenary of the approval of the "protoregola" [monastic rule] of St. Francis by Pope Innocent III. Eight hundred years have passed, and those dozen friars have become a multitude, scattered all over the world and now here, by you, worthily represented. In recent days you have gathered in Assisi for what you wanted to call the "Chapter of Mats" to recall your origins. And at the end of this extraordinary experience you have come together with the "Signor Papa" [Lord Pope], as your seraphic founder would say. I greet you all with affection: the Friars Minor of the three branches, guided by the respective Ministers General, among whom I thank Father José Rodriguez Carballo for his kind words, the members of the Third Order, with their Minister General; the Franciscan women religious and members of the Franciscan secular institutes, and knowing them spiritually present, the Poor Clares, which constitute the "second order."

I am pleased to welcome some Franciscan bishops, and in particular I greet the bishop of Assisi, Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, who represents the Church of Assisi, the home of Francis and Clare, and spiritually, of all the Franciscans. We know how important it was for Francis, the link with the bishop of Assisi at the time, Guido, who acknowledged his charisma and supported it. It was Guido who presented Francis to Cardinal Giovanni of St. Paul, who then introduced him to the Pope and encouraged the adoption of the Rule. Charism and institution are always complementary for the edification of the Church.

What should I tell you, dear friends? First of all I would like to join you in giving thanks to God for the path that he has marked out for you, filling you with his benefits. And as Pastor of the Church, I want to thank him for the precious gift that you are for the entire Christian people. From the small stream that flowed from the foot of Mount Subasio, it has formed a great river, which has made a significant contribution to the universal spread of the Gospel. It all began from the conversion of Francis, who, following the example of Jesus "emptied himself" (cf. Phil 2:7) and, by marrying Lady Poverty, became a witness and herald of the Father who is in heaven. To the "Poverello" [little poor man], one can apply literally some expressions that the apostle Paul uses to refer to himself and which I like to remember in this Pauline Year: "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And this life, I live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God who has loved me and given himself for me" (Gal. 2:19-20). And again: "From now on let no one bother me: for I wear the marks of Jesus on my body" (Gal 6:17).

Francis reflects perfectly the footsteps of Paul and in truth can say with him: "For me, to live is Christ" (Phil 1:21). He has experienced the power of divine grace and he is as one who has died and risen. All his previous wealth, any source of pride and security, everything becomes a "loss" from the moment of encounter with the crucified and risen Jesus (cf. Phil 3:7-11). The leaving of everything at that point becomes almost necessary to express the abundance of the gift received. A gift so great as to require a total detachment, which itself isn't enough; it requires a entire life lived "according to the form of the holy Gospel" (2 Tests, 14: the Franciscan Sources, 116).

And here we come to the point that surely lies at the heart of our meeting. I would summarize it as follows: the Gospel as a rule of life. "The Rule and life of the Friars Minor is this, to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:" this is what Francis writes at the beginning of his Rule (Rb I, 1: FF, 75). He defined himself entirely in the light of the Gospel. This is his charm. This is his enduring relevance. Thomas of Celano relates that the Poverello "always held himself in the heart of Jesus. Jesus on the lips, Jesus in his ears, Jesus is his eyes, Jesus in his hands, Jesus in all the other members [...] In fact finding himself often traveling and meditating or singing about Jesus, he would forget he was traveling and would stop to invite all creatures to praise Jesus" (1 Cel., II, 9, 115: FF115). So the Poverello has become a living gospel, able to attract to Christ men and women of all ages, especially young people, who prefer radical idealism to half-measures. The Bishop of Assisi, Guido, and then Pope Innocent III recognized in the proposal of Francis and his companions the authenticity of the Gospel, and knew how to encourage their commitment for the good of the Church.

Here is a spontaneous reflection: Francis could have also not gone to the Pope. Many religious groups and movements were forming during that time, and some of them were opposed to the Church as an institution, or at least didn't seek the Churches' approval. Certainly a polemical attitude towards the hierarchy would have won Francis many followers. Instead, he immediately thought to put his journey and that of his companions into the hands of the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter. This fact reveals his true ecclesial spirit. The little "we" that had started with his first friars he conceived from the outset inside the context of the great "we" of the one and universal Church. And the Pope recognized and appreciated this. The Pope, in fact, on his part, could have not approved the project of the life of Francis. Indeed, we can well imagine that among the collaborators of Innocent III, some counseled him to that effect, perhaps fearing that his group of monks would end up resembling other heretical groups and pauperisms of the time. Instead the Roman Pontiff, well informed by the Bishop of Assisi and Cardinal Giovanni of St. Paul, was able to discern the initiative of the Holy Spirit and welcomed, blessed and encouraged the nascent community of "Friars Minor."

Dear brothers and sisters, eight centuries have passed, and now you have wanted to renew this gesture of your founder. You are all sons and heirs of those origins, of that "good seed" which was Francis, who was conformed to the "grain of wheat" which is the Lord Jesus, died and risen to bring forth much fruit (cf. Jn 12:24). The saints propose anew the fruitfulness of Christ. As Francis and Clare of Assisi, you also commit yourselves to follow the same logic: to lose your lives for Jesus and the Gospel, to save them and make them abundantly fruitful. While you praise and thank the Lord who has called you to be part of such a great and beautiful family, stay attentive to what the Spirit says to it today, in each of its components, to continue to proclaim with passion the Kingdom of God, the footsteps of your seraphic father. Every brother and every sister should keep always a contemplative mood, happy and simple; always begin from Christ, as Francis set out from the gaze of the Crucifix of San Damiano and from the meeting with the leper, to see the face of Christ in our brothers and sisters who suffer and bring to all his peace. Be witnesses to the "beauty" of God, which Francis was able to sing contemplating the wonders of creation, and that made him exclaim to the Most High: "You are beauty!" (Praises of God Most High, 4.6: FF 261).

Dear friends, the last word I would like to leave with you is the same that the risen Jesus gave to his disciples: "Go!" (cf. Mt 28:19, Mk 16:15). Go and continue to "repair the house" of the Lord Jesus Christ, his Church. In recent days, the earthquake that struck the Abruzzo region has severely damaged many churches, and you from Assisi know what this means. But there is another "ruin" that is far more serious: that of people and communities! Like Francis, always start with yourselves. We are the first house that God wants to restore. If you are always able to renew yourselves in the spirit of the Gospel, you will continue to assist the pastors of the Church to make more and more beautiful the Church's face, that of the bride of Christ. The Pope, now the same as then, expects this of you. Thank you for coming! Now go and bring to all the peace and love of Christ the Savior. May Mary Immaculate, "Virgin made Church" (cf. Greetings to the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1 FF, 259), accompany you always. And may my Apostolic Blessing, which I cordially impart to all of you here present, and the entire Franciscan family, support you as well.

[Translation by Matthew Pollock]

[The Holy Father greeted the Franciscans in various languages. In English, he said:]

I am pleased to welcome in a special way the Minister Generals gathered with the priests, Sisters and Brothers of the worldwide Franciscan community present at this audience. As you mark the Eight-hundredth anniversary of the approval of the Rule of Saint Francis, I pray that through the intercession of the Poverello, Franciscans everywhere will continue to offer themselves completely at the service of others, especially the poor. May the Lord bless you in your Apostolates and shower your communities with abundant vocations.

© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

THE BLACK EAGLE COMPLEX is probably the most monumental architectural accomplishment in Oradea

( Varadinum ) and in Transylvania, as far as the Secession building style is concerned. The contest to build this architectural complex was won by architects Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezső. Its construction, on the old location of the “Black Eagle” Inn, begins in 1907, under the supervision of construction engineer Sztarill Ferenc, and in December 1908, the edification is complete.

Black Eagle Palace has an interior passage covered with glass element that it singles secession architecture in the context of our country and also attract the attention of tourists. The palace is “Y” shaped with three entrances dominated by one eagle, emblem of the building. Part of the passage entrance from the V. Alecsandri street and from Union square is shaped like an eagle’s beak.

On the facade that is situated at Union square, you can see the features and the beautiful secession style clock tower. Note the ground ornaments (floral and zoomorphic), combined with other styles of baroque or rococo, and a mixture of elements is that make Black Eagle Palace an architectural monument special and a unique expression of artistic thinking from the early twentieth century.

And it is the largest and most representative architectural ensemble Secession style in Transylvania.

Sea stack at sunrise, seen from a ocean side cave, from Bandon Beach (from last year, reprocessed). It was a bear to get the shadow detail in there, hope it looks ok.

Please view large!

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Adventures for your entertainment and edification: artinnature.wordpress.com/

I'll leave you with a Halloween nightmare of finding this stunner on the closet floor. I have to wear shoes in my own house, or constantly watch my feet! At least these guys are photogenic, so they pay for my trouble with a photoshoot. And then I take a walk waaaaayyyy back in the woods to let them go.

Thanks for indulging me in another season of arachnid edification! I appreciate all of you and your enthusiasm for atypical obsessions.

31 Arachtober 2025, Part 2 of 2

Southern Devil Scorpion, Vaejovis carolinianus

Tellico Plains, TN • 28 August 2025

Palácio Cruz e Sousa / Florianópolis

Had an afternoon out with my local wildlife expert Webby61 yesterday, 'twas a very interesting days edification on the three B's...Bugs, Butterfly's and Bees! :o)

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Please respect my wishes and do not post Icons or Awards on my photo stream.

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Thanks to those who look and take the time to comment, it's much appreciated, I realise we all have different tastes and opinions so critique/constructive criticism or Ideas are very welcomed.

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Note: I only upload a minimal size and minimal quality image.

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Please do not use my images in any way shape or form without obtaining my explicit consent.

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All my images are: © All Rights Reserved

Die stille Verscheider Kapelle zu Ehren der schmerzhaften Muttergottes ist im weiten Umkreis bekannt. Die Erbauung der heutigen Kapelle läst sich auf die Zeit zwischen 1480 und 1520 einengen. Unzählige Pilger wandern seit Jahrhunderten zu ihr hin, um ihre Anliegen vor- zutragen.

2018-11-24

The quiet Verscheid chapel in honor of the painful Mother of God is known in the wider area. The edification of the present chapel can be narrowed down to the time between 1480 and 1520. Countless pilgrims have come to her for centuries to voice their concerns.

2018-11-24

Here's one from a magical Ponderosa grove in the Deschutes National Forest outside Sisters, OR, seen under heavy snowfall and waning twilight light. I used (or was forced to use) a long exposure, rendering the snowfall more like fog.

A fog layer earlier in the day and week, along with cold temperatures, deposited a layer of frost on just about everything except the Ponderosa trunks. That, combined with the fresh and falling snow, covered everything in white which picked up the twilight blues in an eery way. Winter forests under fresh snow fall always amaze me in how silent they are, such a magical experience!

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Adventures for your entertainment and edification: artinnature.wordpress.com/