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Dungeons & Dragons
Complete Arcane
Page 28:
Bloodwalk (Su): At 10th level, a blood magus becomes perfectly attuned to the song of blood. He gains the supernatural ability to transport himself great distances via the blood of living creatures. Once per day as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, he can seamlessly enter any living creature (except an elemental, ooze, plant, undead, or other creature without blood or a similar fl uid) whose size equals or exceeds his own and pass any distance to another living creature on the same plane in a single round, regardless of the distance separating the two. A blood magus merely designates a direction and distance (“a living creature twenty miles due west of here”), and the bloodwalk ability transports him to a destination creature as close as possible to the desired location. He can’t specify a named individual as the endpoint unless he has previously obtained a sample of that creature’s blood and has it preserved in a vial that he carries. The entry and destination creatures need not be familiar to the blood magus. A blood magus cannot use himself as an entry creature. If an intended entry creature is unwilling, he must make a successful melee touch attack to enter. (A missed touch attack does not use up the ability for that day.) When exiting a creature, a blood magus chooses an adjacent square in which to appear. Entering and exiting a creature is painless unless a blood magus wishes otherwise (see below). In most cases, though, the destination creature finds being the endpoint of a magical portal surprising and quite unsettling. If he desires, a blood magus can attempt to make a bloody exit from the destination creature. He bursts forth explosively from the creature’s body, dealing 10d6 points of damage unless the creature makes a Fortitude save (DC 10 + blood magus’s class level + blood magus’s Con modifier). When he makes a bloody exit, a blood magus must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round from the shock of his expulsion.
Took my parents to see the "Sensorio, Field of Light" in Paso Robles last night. Fiber optic threads sprouting to endpoints via octopus tentacles connected to buried bulbs - 58,000 of them planted in rolling hills amongst craggy oaks. Scrambled to get there before evening light disappeared, and barely made it. Definitely not part of the Central Coast thing growing up! Really unique experience. iPhone snaps - we'll see how the camera shots turn out later (though they ban tripods, so that was a separate challenge).
Nie jest łatwo, proszę państwa, wracać z knajpy na Żiżkowie. Piwo jest tanie, ale tunel jest długi, duch jest ochoczy, ale ciało mdłe. W pewnym momencie nie widać początku i końca tunelu, w tym momencie idealna geometria nie jest nośnikiem dobrej nadziei, przynosi raczej niepokój podobny do tego z "Odysei kosmicznej 2001".
It's not an easy piece, ladies and gentlemen, to get back from pub on Žižkov (Prague). Beer is cheap, but the tunnel is long, the Spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak. At some stage, while progressing down the tunnel, you cannot see it's endpoints. At this moment these great geometrical proportions fill you with fear like in "Space Odyssey 2001".
Italien / Toskana - Siena
Piazza del Campo
seen from Palazzo Comunale
gesehen vom Palazzo Comunale
Piazza del Campo is the main public space of the historic center of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is regarded as one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. It is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The Palazzo Pubblico and its Torre del Mangia, as well as various palazzi signorili surround the shell-shaped piazza. At the northwest edge is the Fonte Gaia.
The twice-a-year horse-race, Palio di Siena, is held around the edges of the piazza. The piazza is also the finish of the annual road cycling race Strade Bianche.
History
The open site was a marketplace established before the thirteenth century on a sloping site near the meeting point of the three hillside communities that coalesced to form Siena: the Castellare, the San Martino and the Camollia. Siena may have had earlier Etruscan settlements, but it was not a considerable Roman settlement, and the campo does not lie on the site of a Roman forum, as is sometimes suggested. It was paved in 1349 in fishbone-patterned red brick with 8 lines of travertine, which divide the piazza into 9 sections, radiating from the mouth of the gavinone (the central water drain) in front of the Palazzo Pubblico. The number of divisions is held to be symbolic of the rule of The Nine (Noveschi) who laid out the campo and governed Siena at the height of its mediaeval splendour between 1292-1355. The Campo was and remains the focal point of public life in the City. From the piazza, eleven narrow shaded streets radiate into the city.
The palazzi signorili that line the square, housing the families of the Sansedoni, the Piccolomini and the Saracini etc., have unified rooflines, in contrast to earlier tower houses — emblems of communal strife — such as may still be seen not far from Siena at San Gimignano. In the statutes of Siena, civic and architectural decorum was ordered :"...it responds to the beauty of the city of Siena and to the satisfaction of almost all people of the same city that any edifices that are to be made anew anywhere along the public thoroughfares...proceed in line with the existent buildings and one building not stand out beyond another, but they shall be disposed and arranged equally so as to be of the greatest beauty for the city."
The unity of these Late Gothic houses is affected in part by the uniformity of the bricks of which their walls are built: brick-making was a monopoly of the commune, which saw to it that standards were maintained.
At the foot of the Palazzo Pubblico's wall is the late Gothic Chapel of the Virgin built as an ex voto by the Sienese, after the terrible Black Death of 1348 had ended.
Fonte Gaia
The Fonte Gaia ("Joyous Fountain") was built in 1419 as an endpoint of the system of conduits bringing water to the city's centre, replacing an earlier fountain completed about 1342 when the water conduits were completed. Under the direction of the Committee of Nine, many miles of tunnels were constructed to bring water in aqueducts to fountains and thence to drain to the surrounding fields. The present fountain, a center of attraction for the many tourists, is in the shape of a rectangular basin that is adorned on three sides with many bas-reliefs with the Madonna surrounded by the Classical and the Christian Virtues, emblematic of Good Government under the patronage of the Madonna. The white marble Fonte Gaia was originally designed and built by Jacopo della Quercia, whose bas-reliefs from the basin's sides are conserved in the Ospedale di St. Maria della Scala in Piazza Duomo. The former sculptures were replaced in 1866 by free copies by Tito Sarrocchi, who omitted Jacopo della Quercia's two nude statues of Rhea Silvia and Acca Larentia, which the nineteenth-century city fathers found too pagan or too nude. When they were set up in 1419, Jacopo della Quercia's nude figures were the first two female nudes, who were neither Eve nor a repentant saint, to stand in a public place since Antiquity.
(Wikipedia)
Die Piazza del Campo ist der bedeutendste Platz der toskanischen Stadt Siena, deren Zentrum er bildet.
Der Platz ist bekannt durch seine beeindruckende Architektur und seine halbrunde Form sowie durch das hier normalerweise jährlich zweimal ausgetragene Pferderennen Palio di Siena.
Geschichte
Das Zentrum der bereits in der Etruskerzeit bedeutenden Stadt lag ursprünglich im Gebiet des heutigen Castelvecchio, während „der Campo“ lediglich ein Stück Land war, das dem Abfluss des Regenwassers diente. Da aber auch die an Siena vorbeiführende Fernstraße über dieses Feld verlief und sich hier mit einer anderen Straße kreuzte, entwickelte sich bald ein Marktplatz.
Der Name „Campo“ wird zum ersten Mal schriftlich 1169 erwähnt in einer Quelle, die sich mit der gesamten Talebene befasst, zu der auch die heutige Piazza del Mercato, heute auf der anderen Seite des Palazzo Comunale, gehörte. Damals erwarb die Stadt Siena das Gelände, das von der Piazza del Mercato bis zur heutigen Logge della Mercanzia reicht. Eine Unterteilung des Geländes in die heutigen zwei Plätze wird 1193 erwähnt, sodass man davon ausgehen kann, dass in der Zwischenzeit zumindest eine Mauer erbaut wurde, die den Platz in zwei Hälften teilte; möglicherweise geschah dies, um das Wasser besser ableiten zu können.
Bis ins Jahr 1270, als die Herrschaft der Vierundzwanzig (1236–1270) zu Ende ging, wurde dann der Platz für Messen und Märkte genutzt. Zwar hatte der Platz noch nicht das heutige Aussehen, er entwickelte sich aber allmählich zum zweiten Mittelpunkt der Stadt neben dem Dom; während dort religiöse Feste im Mittelpunkt standen, dominierten auf der Piazza del Campo der Handel und weltliche Feste. Da sich auch die städtische Obrigkeit immer unabhängiger vom Bischof (und später Erzbischof) machte, kam in der Zeit der Herrschaft der Neun (1289–1355) der Bedarf nach einem eigenen Rathaus auf.
Die Piazza del Campo ist einer der eindrucksvollsten kommunalen Plätze Italiens – im Gegensatz zum Markusplatz Venedigs und zur Piazza dei Miracoli Pisas ist dies ein Platz ohne Kirche, also ein rein politisches Zentrum – und das zeigt sich auch in der Kunst in den Innenräumen des Rathauses. Das Gelände ist leicht abschüssig und der Palazzo Pubblico, der öffentliche Palast, also das Rathaus steht an der tiefsten Stelle. Diese auffallend tief liegende Position im Gegensatz zu den Gepflogenheiten anderer Städte erklärt sich aus dem Bedürfnis, eine neutrale Lage zwischen den Hügeln von Siena zu wählen. Auch hier hat also das Konkurrenzdenken innerhalb der Stadt Konsequenzen gehabt. Das hatte zur Folge, dass der Turm sehr hoch werden musste, damit er trotz seiner niedrigen Lage die Stadt überragen konnte.
Mit dem Bau des Palazzo Comunale wurden dann auch die Impulse für eine architektonische Gestaltung des Platzes gegeben. In den Jahren 1327–1349 erhielt der Platz eine Pflasterung, wobei auch heute noch die Einteilung in neun Segmente an die damalige Herrschaft der Neun erinnert. Die „Skyline“ des Platzes ist allerdings nicht spontan in einem Stück entstanden. Erst mit den Jahren sorgte die Stadtverwaltung durch entsprechende Gesetze dafür, dass die Fassadengestaltung einheitlich gehandhabt wurde. So wurde etwa eine Peter- und Paul-Kirche abgerissen; heute erinnern die Gassen Vicoli di San Pietro e di San Paolo daran.
Nach 1861 wurden, wie auch an anderen Gebäuden in der Altstadt von Siena, Gebäude an der Piazza von ihren barocken Fassaden „befreit“, um dem ursprünglichen, d. h. mittelalterlichen Erscheinungsbild wieder zur Geltung zu verhelfen.
Seit ca. 2017 gehören 15 der 20 Gebäude, die den Platz begrenzen, Igor Bidilo, einem Investor aus Kasachstan.
Fonte Gaia
Auf der höheren Seite des Campo steht der Fonte Gaia, den Jacopo della Quercia von 1409 bis 1419 geschaffen hat. ‚Brunnen der Freude’ heißt er, weil es 1342 zum ersten Mal gelungen war, mithilfe einer 25 km langen Leitung Wasser in die Stadt fließen zu lassen. Der ewige Wassermangel war in der Bergstadt Siena ein großes Problem – besonders in den Sommermonaten. Stilistisch hat della Quercia in den Figuren dieses Brunnens etwas Ähnliches erreicht wie die Sieneser Malerei, nämlich einen Ausgleich zwischen der klassischen Tradition und gotischem Schwung.
Die Figuren des Brunnens sind zwar seit 1858 durch Nachbildungen von Tito Sarrocchi ersetzt, aber trotzdem haben wir hier ein wichtiges Dokument für die Entwicklung der frühen Renaissance-Plastik vor uns. Zur damaligen Zeit, 1409, hatte man angefangen, sich zunehmend für die antike Vergangenheit zu interessieren und dabei natürlich besonders für die Geschichte Roms. Jacopo della Quercia war von der Stadt Siena deshalb beauftragt worden, in diesem Brunnen die angebliche römische Abstammung der Stadt als Gründung der Söhne des Remus und ihre darauf beruhenden Tugenden zu dokumentieren. Die Originalteile des Brunnens sind heute im Museum von Santa Maria della Scala im Raum Fienile zu betrachten.
Gebäude
Palazzo Comunale
Mit dem Bau des Gebäudes der Stadtverwaltung wurde 1297 begonnen. Ursprünglich hatte der Palazzo lediglich drei Stockwerke; später erfolgten weitere Anbauten. Vor allem aber kam im Laufe des 14. Jahrhunderts mit dem Torre del Mangia der 102 Meter hohe Turm hinzu, der das Stadtbild von Siena prägt. Der Name leitet sich von dem Spitznamen Mangiaguadagni (Gewinnfresser) des ersten Glöckners ab.
Cappella di Piazza
Vor dem Eingang zum Palazzo Pubblico wurde als Dank für die überstandene Pest 1352 – also noch in der Gotik – eine kleine Kapelle, die Cappella di Piazza, die Platzkapelle errichtet, die über 100 Jahre später (1463) mit einer Renaissance-Dekoration ihre heutige Gestalt erhielt. Beides passt aber so gut zusammen, als sei es gleichzeitig geschaffen worden. Die Dachkonstruktion stammt von Antonio Federighi und entstand in den 1460er Jahren. Die nordeuropäische Gotik wurde in Italien im 13. und besonders im 14. Jh. in stark veränderter und der italienischen Tradition angepassten Form übernommen. Und später konnte im 15. Jh. die Renaissance auf jahrhundertelange vorbereitende Phasen aufbauen. Beides widersprach sich hier in Italien nicht so wie in Frankreich oder Deutschland. Hier an dieser Kapelle ist in der Gotik also locker der alte Rundbogen verwandt worden und nicht der eigentlich typische gotische Spitzbogen. Und als in der Renaissance der Rundbogen wieder zur Norm wurde, musste hier auch gar nichts geändert werden.
Das Pferderennen
Auf dem Platz wird zweimal im Jahr, am 2. Juli und am 16. August, ein Pferderennen („Palio di Siena“) ausgetragen.
(Wikipedia)
A bird of prey flies into the Sun. Shot near End Point, Manipal, India
Sometimes nature presents us with photo opportunities that are too good to be true. This was one such moment for me. I have only cropped the original and "darkened" the bird for emphasis. The original SOOC version is in my flickr comment below.
Some of my photographer friends are too afraid to point their cameras into the sun for fear of stuck pixels!!! Well I believe in taking such risks for the joy of such shots (see flickr comment below). So far my D90 and iPhone sensors have held up well against my "abuse" :)
A must view in large and on black (Press L)
In the interest of accuracy, there are those on the left coast that like to call Amtrak's Seattle-Los Angeles Coast Starlight train the "Starlate." I personally prefer "Silver Slug," which mocks the tradition of Seaboard Air Line's fast Silver Comet-Meteor-Star, since the train averages a blistering 38.9 MPH from endpoint to endpoint.
The Coast Starlight pictured here was over nine hours late entering Emeryville, California. On the previous evening, the train held at Chemult, Oregon for seven hours. The train's thruway bus connection was stuck in a massive traffic jam - caused by the legions of people visiting Central Oregon to see the full solar eclipse.
We were vacationing in the Hyatt House at Emeryville, staying in a room on the ninth floor. The hotel definitely rates five stars for railfanning!
LED signage flashing their destinations, the endpoints of the current M-Line, Milwaukee "Hop" streetcars 03 and 02 rest at the system's carbarn at Vel Phillips & Clybourn, directly underneath I-794. Not only is this an efficient use of space, but the freeway above provides some protection from the elements, allowing some cars to be stored outside- it was a stormy evening in this case. It's a little historical irony that this facility is only a block away from the site of the North Shore Line's famous terminal at 6th & Clybourn- today occupied by a parking garage.
Como, por ejemplo, que merece la pena vivir. ¿Por qué? Porque la felicidad esta a tres pasos y medio, y la vida tiene algo… no se, tú llámalo X, que engancha. Porque something happens en el mundo mientras nosotros perseguimos something we can't have. Y en realidad siempre acabamos back to black. Pero nuestro last breath deberíamos dedicarlo a ese día que pintemos otra realidad, o a cuando le digamos a alguien “llámame sin elle”. Porque podemos hacer que un día merezca la pena, por ejemplo, yendo a una galería llamada Mikesphot Gallery a ver una exposición de Julián Pavón o de Clau, o podemos quedarnos en casa dibujando estrellas en su espalda. Porque algún día alguna chica de azul nos llamará la atención, y nos hará recapacitar. Porque es verdad que lo prohibido atrae, y que vivimos rozando el límite de lo prohibido y deshojando margaritas de papel, pero inside this city of nightmares puede haber un wonderland, y si no que se lo pregunten a Lunayda. Porque si te cruzas con IsabelitaPul te dirá que dejes de hacer siempre the same, y Cristina, Irene, Sara, Carla y Silvia estarán de acuerdo. Porque aunque Andrea loves playing xylophone, Oscar prefiere escribir pretéritos imperfectos. Porque siempre habrá violent pornography, pero, aún así, el precious love del que hablan los cuentos existe. Porque hay little things que siempre nos harán sonreír, y cuando exclamemos “OMG, Olivia's here” descubriremos muchas maravillas sobre el cielo. Y aunque Perzul, Carulains, Pinflow y Mauri sigan el dulce movimiento de un pestañeo, yo siempre sostendré que hay looks that kill. Porque aunque me encanta dar pasos de equilibrista, reconozco que todos tenemos vices and virtues. Porque tu fucking love estará dispuesto a matar monstruos por ti, pero MariaDC encontrará una Mrs. Exception. Es posible que alguna amazona cronopiana quiera ser simply happy, pero acabe convertida en una chica jueves con un scatterbrain. Yo sigo pensando que no hay nothing like you, y que 14 delirios son pocos a vuestro lado. También es cierto que la única forma de flotar es caer, y que los huracanes de palabras son geniales para los días en los que la inspiración escasea. Porque hay personas como Sara García o Norae Lebowsky que tienen mucho que decir, y no me hagáis hablar de Rocío o no acabaré nunca. Supongo que si grito “Endpoint(me)!” ocho latidos sacudirán mis venas mientras Anna takes photos y la niña imantada le sonríe a Lucas. A pesar de todo, existe una cláusula denominada “Visual Legacy” que establece que photography is our drug, y eso es algo que kills my soul. De todas formas existe un síndrome feliz que nos demuestra que imposible is nothing, y que escribir con rayos es posible. Creo que algún día sufriré un shortcircuited, pero Alex estará ahí para ayudarme. Y cuando mire el reloj y el Tictac me diga “let’s fly” sabré que hay una gran city pop donde lo sweet&strange es normal para Sandra Rodrigo. Porque si the dreams princess hoy tiene ganas de ti, Patricia tendrá que salir de su wonder underground. Y si Amy Bell piensa que esto es amzlicious, yo gritaré “smile me please” porque la antigravedad me deja with no name and no face. Pero pase lo que pase Paul estará ahí, y yo seguiré queriendo mirar la lavadora con vosotros.
Pd: flying high la vida es más fácil.
Malditos flickrianos, me hacéis escribir textos sin sentido! Me he tirado una hora poniendo los enlaces.. espero que os guste ! (:
Gare de Fès 03/07/2023 09h24
Boarding for our train ride of more than 6 hours from Fès to Marrakech via Meknes, Kénitra, Rabat, Casablanca and Settat. Around 520 kilometers.
The service was done by SNCF coaches used in France for the Corail service. En voiture Corail, comfort sur rail...
Gare de Fès
The Fes Railway station is the main station in the Moroccan city of Fes. There are secondary stations for local connections, but this is the station used for the long-distance main-line trains.
Fes lies on the East-West mainline in Northern Morocco and offers direct connections with Oujda and Nador in the East, Tangier in the North and via transfer at Meknes, the main North-West line to Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech.
A part of the Moroccan mainline network is electrified. On the West to East mainline Fes is the endpoint of the electrified tracks. The trains going to and from Taourirt, Oujda and Nador are powered with diesel-locomotives while trains from the west terminating in Fes or going to Tanger use electric locomotives.
From Nador there are 4 trains per day calling at Fes and the same applies to Oujda. One of the daily trains to/from Oujda is a so-called hoteltrain that offers only couchette places, and with couchette tickets available on all night-trains. Traveltimes from Fes to Nador is approximately 6 hours, and to Oujda approximately 5.5 hours.
The section Fes-Meknes-Rabat and further to Casablanca is by far the busiest long-distance Het traject, with 18 daily trains, of which 8 continue from Casablanca to Marrakech. The journey to Marrakech railway station takes 8.5 hours.
The Office National des Chemins de Fer or ONCF, the state-company operating the railways invests a lot of money and effort to modernize the network. The stations of Marrakech and Fes have been (re)built in the past years, the branch-line Taourirt-Nador was built between 2006 and 2009. And around the city of Meknes a bypass is constructed so that a part of the trains can bypass Meknes
There are plans to construct a highspeed connection between Fès and Rabat.
[ Wikipedia ]
ATTENTION FELLOW FLICKR FRIENDS: Looking for some inspiration? Leslie (Bogostick) and I are excited to announce A-Z Challenge 2.0's September themes! We hope you will consider joining us!
Group Description
A monthly challenge for doll photographers to find inspiration and contribute. Three to four themes based on each letter of the alphabet will be presented each month.
Members can submit a photo for one, two, or all themes. At the end of the month, members will vote for their favorite photos.
Participation is based on your time and inspiration. While we hope everyone can create a photo for each month, it is not required. Come and go as you like!
Submit just one photo per theme. Last day to submit photos for these themes is September 30th!
Read below for information about each theme. You can also visit the following discussion post: www.flickr.com/groups/2962397@N20/discuss/72157700943849545/
Themes for the month of September:
V - Vivia Las Vegas!
The saying goes, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” But for this theme, we want to see how your doll spends his/her weekend in Sin City. The Las Vegas Strip is all about flash, pizzazz, and living on the wild side. Think 24-hour casinos, showgirls and concerts, vibrant nightclubs and bars. Aside from the bustling nightlife, there’s plenty to do during the day. Perhaps your doll(s) prefers soaking in the sun at day clubs and hotel pool parties. Maybe visiting museums is on the to-do-list. Or maybe your dolls are on their way to a quickie wedding chapel! How you choose to approach this theme is entirely up to you. There are lots of possibilities for our dolls in a city that never sleeps.
W - Wedge Heel Shoes
“The right shoe can make everything different.” - Jimmy Choo
For this theme, show us that one of your doll’s favorite accessories is her wedge heel shoes. Wedge footwear can be chic or playful. Maybe we'll see her modeling a cute sundress with strappy wedge sandals or a cocktail dress with stylish wedge pumps. Or maybe we see her reaching for her favorite pair of wedge boots by the door before leaving for a walk. You may approach this theme however you like. Just be sure to include a pair of these versatile shoes somewhere in your photo, from on your doll's feet, to beside her bed, to on sale at a department store.
X - X marks the spot
The phrase “X marks the spot” often refers to a specific location, target, or goal. For this theme we want to see what your doll(s) is after. Is your doll a pirate following a map to a hidden treasure chest full of gold? Is your doll vacationing in a foreign city and following his/her visitors map to popular landmarks? Perhaps your doll is an entertainer and an X has been marked on the stage floor to show him/her where to stand. Or maybe your doll is an athlete practicing archery or crossing a finish line of a race. The only requirement for this theme is that there must be a doll and a marked endpoint or desired target somewhere in your photo.
Make sure to title your photos with the theme you are representing. (example: A-Z challenge: A - All Aboard!)
V - Viva Las Vegas!
W - Wedge Heel Shoes
X - X marks the spot
Most importantly, have lots of fun! Let's get those creative juices flowing! :)
Not a member or missed last month? Not a problem--this group is fluid -- participate when you can. Don't hesitate to ask any questions!
Visit A-Z Doll Photography Challenge to join. Hope to see you there! :)
The collage is my creation, but the photos used are not mine. please see below for web links
Photo credits for the collage:
V - www.designscene.net/2014/12/rianne-ten-haken-madame-figar...
Press "L". Pärnu jetty.
Fuji GA645i, Fujinon Super-EBC 60mm f4, Tiffen 0.6 GND, Kodak Tri-X 400 (400TX) developed with Ethol UFG, wet-mounted drumscan.
Færderseilasen, also called Færder'n, is a regatta that held on the second weekend in June by the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club.
The regatta starts in Oslo for ordinary sailboats and in Son for old yachts. The fastest of the sailboats reach Færder Lighthouse. The endpoint is in Horten.[1] Smaller boats turn around at Hollenderbåen or Medfjordbåen. The regatta is open for any member of the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (KNS), and boats are placed in classes according to their sailing potential. The trip from Oslo to Færder to Horten is about 83 nm long. (Wikipedia)
Best viewed on black.
Mozes en Aäronstraat | Dam 05/12/2020 12h55
The Dam seen from the Mozes en Aäronstraat. A view with the Nieuwe Kerk at the left and the Royal Palace on the right. The tram rails is not in regular use anymore since the Summer of 2018 (tram line 14 used to use this at the time).
Dam
Dam is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city and the country.
Dam Square lies in the historical center of Amsterdam, approximately 750 metres south of the main transportation hub, Centraal Station, at the original location of the dam in the river Amstel. It is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching about 200 metres from west to east and about 100 metres from north to south. It links the streets Damrak and Rokin, which run along the original course of the Amstel River from Centraal Station to Muntplein (Mint Square) and the Munttoren (Mint Tower). The Dam also marks the endpoint of the other well-traveled streets Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat and Damstraat. A short distance beyond the northeast corner lies the main Red-light district: De Wallen.
On the west end of the square is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which served as the city hall from 1655 until its conversion to a royal residence in 1808. Beside it are the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and the Madame Tussauds Amsterdam Wax Museum. The National Monument, a white stone pillar designed by J.J.P. Oud and erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of World War II, dominates the opposite side of the square. Also overlooking the plaza are the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the upscale department store De Bijenkorf. These various attractions have turned the Dam into a tourist zone.
The Dam derives its name from its original function: a dam on the Amstel River, hence also the name of the city.[1] Built in approximately 1270, the dam formed the first connection between the settlements on the sides of the river.
[ Source & More: Wikipedia - Dam (Square) ]
Hilltop Tours, Inc.
Route 5 - Quezon Avenue - Angat (Temporary Bus Route during GCQ and MGCQ)
Original Route: Norzagaray, Bulacan - Baclaran via EDSA/Commonwealth Avenue/PITX
(Endpoint should at PITX once if the old route will active again..
The phrase “X marks the spot” often refers to a specific location, target, or goal. For this theme we want to see what your doll(s) is after. Is your doll a pirate following a map to a hidden treasure chest full of gold? Is your doll vacationing in a foreign city and following his/her visitors map to popular landmarks? Perhaps your doll is an entertainer and an X has been marked on the stage floor to show him/her where to stand. Or maybe your doll is an athlete practicing archery or crossing a finish line of a race. The only requirement for this theme is that there must be a doll and a marked endpoint or desired target somewhere in your photo.
The idea came soon but I had no time to realize it punctual.
Nevertheless I like to show him.
Credits:
X Men Origins, Wolverine, Hot Toys, 2009
Kip Thorne’s home in the hills of Linda Vista, Pasadena, felt like an observatory of the mind—a place where the boundaries between mathematics, physics, and imagination blurred. When I photographed him there on November 29, 2022, his study was filled with the artifacts of a life spent in pursuit of the deepest questions: models of warped space-time and black holes, intricate diagrams of gravitational waves, and props from Interstellar, the film he helped bring to life with the precision of real physics. His wife, Dr. Carolee Winstein, was there too, her presence adding a kind of counterbalance—a reminder that for all of Thorne’s work in the cosmos, he was still deeply rooted in the human world.
At one point, he and Carolee slipped into matching black leather biker jackets, a playful nod to the rebellious spirit that had always fueled his science. It was the kind of moment Feynman would have loved—one part physics, one part performance, a refusal to take oneself too seriously even when contemplating the fundamental structure of the universe.
Thorne had spent much of his career at Caltech, where he held the Richard P. Feynman Professorship of Theoretical Physics. “It can be a lot,” he said with a knowing smile, “having your chair named after a friend.” And yet, his approach to science—bold, intuitive, always a little mischievous—felt entirely in line with Feynman’s legacy.
But perhaps the greatest testament to his work wasn’t in titles or even theories, but in something that was once considered impossible: the direct detection of gravitational waves. Einstein had predicted them a century earlier, but even he doubted they would ever be observed. Thorne, along with Rai Weiss and Barry Barish, had spent decades proving otherwise.
At the heart of this effort was LIGO—the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory—a project so ambitious, so delicate in its precision, that many in the physics community were skeptical it could ever succeed. Two immense detectors, separated by thousands of miles, had to measure distortions in space-time smaller than a fraction of a proton’s width. It was like trying to detect the shifting of a cosmic whisper through a hurricane of noise.
But on September 14, 2015, the signal came—two black holes, colliding over a billion light-years away, sending ripples through the very fabric of the universe. It was not just a discovery, but a new way of observing reality, a kind of cosmic hearing that had never existed before. For this, Thorne, Weiss, and Barish were awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Sitting in his study that day, surrounded by equations that had once been just abstractions but were now the foundation of an entirely new field of astronomy, Thorne seemed as curious as ever. The Nobel was a milestone, yes, but not an endpoint. There was still so much to uncover—more black holes, more neutron stars, maybe even the faint echoes of the Big Bang itself.
Outside, the light over Pasadena had softened into evening. He glanced at one of the models on his desk, fingers lightly tracing the curve of a black hole’s event horizon, as if contemplating what lay beyond it.
Silver Twinkle Stars HD Arrival to the endpoint from Leyte! ✨
Silver Star Shuttle & Tours, Inc. | 201402 | Yutong ZK6122HD9 fleet by Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. (China)
🚏 Original / Authorized Franchise Route: Tacloban City (Leyte) - Cubao (Quezon City)
🚏 Modified Route Currently Served in PITX (Parañaque City) - Ormoc City (Leyte)
🕚 Date Taken on February 2023
📍 Photo Shot Location @ Diosdado Macapagal Blvd. cor Panay St., Tambo, Parañaque City
️ Landmark: Near Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX)
Theme Description: The phrase “X marks the spot” often refers to a specific location, target, or goal. For this theme we want to see what your doll(s) is after. Is your doll a pirate following a map to a hidden treasure chest full of gold? Is your doll vacationing in a foreign city and following his/her visitors map to popular landmarks? Perhaps your doll is an entertainer and an X has been marked on the stage floor to show him/her where to stand. Or maybe your doll is an athlete practicing archery or crossing a finish line of a race. The only requirement for this theme is that there must be a doll and a marked endpoint or desired target somewhere in your photo.
Here's a last one for the week. Words are such a big part of my life. This week has been fun as I look inside and out for words that guide me. Just saw this on our fridge and decided that it would be a fitting endpoint for the mantra week. All you need is love....all I need is love!!
Sa Pobla 11.07.2016: Der neue Bahnhof von Sa Pobla. Es ist jetzt der dritte Endpunkt der Strecke.
The new station of Sa Pobla. It is now the third endpoint of the Sa Pobla Railway line.
The chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall near Bradwell is one of the oldest ecclesiastical buildings in England. It dates from 654 and was built on the site of the abandoned Roman fort Othona, repurposing Roman stones and bricks. It was established by St Cedd who travelled down to Essex from Lindisfarne to evangelise the East Saxons. Although at one time it served as a barn, the chapel is once again in regular use for worship and is one of the endpoints of St Peter's Way. The other endpoint of this 65 kilometre pilgrimage route is St Andrew's Church at Greensted (the oldest wooden church in the world). For information about St Peter's Way, see:
Dam 12/02/2021 11h53
Dam (not: Dam Square!) 5 days after blizzard Darcy. Still covered in snow due to the frost. And not crowded due to the lockdown of the moment (non essential shops closed as well as bars and restaurants).
(album with all the photos of Darcy blizzard, the frost period, drifting snow, people in the snow, cars in the snow, transport and more)
Dam
Dam is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city and the country.
Dam Square lies in the historical center of Amsterdam, approximately 750 metres south of the main transportation hub, Centraal Station, at the original location of the dam in the river Amstel. It is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching about 200 metres from west to east and about 100 metres from north to south. It links the streets Damrak and Rokin, which run along the original course of the Amstel River from Centraal Station to Muntplein (Mint Square) and the Munttoren (Mint Tower). The Dam also marks the endpoint of the other well-traveled streets Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat and Damstraat. A short distance beyond the northeast corner lies the main Red-light district: De Wallen.
On the west end of the square is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which served as the city hall from 1655 until its conversion to a royal residence in 1808. Beside it are the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and the Madame Tussauds Amsterdam Wax Museum. The National Monument, a white stone pillar designed by J.J.P. Oud and erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of World War II, dominates the opposite side of the square. Also overlooking the plaza are the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the upscale department store De Bijenkorf. These various attractions have turned the Dam into a tourist zone.
The Dam derives its name from its original function: a dam on the Amstel River, hence also the name of the city.[1] Built in approximately 1270, the dam formed the first connection between the settlements on the sides of the river.
[ Source & More: Wikipedia - Dam (Square) ]
Gare de Fès 03/07/2023 09h26
Boarding for our train ride of more than 6 hours from Fès to Marrakech via Meknes, Kénitra, Rabat, Casablanca and Settat. Around 520 kilometers.
The service was done by SNCF coaches used in France for the Corail service. En voiture Corail, comfort sur rail...
Gare de Fès
The Fes Railway station is the main station in the Moroccan city of Fes. There are secondary stations for local connections, but this is the station used for the long-distance main-line trains.
Fes lies on the East-West mainline in Northern Morocco and offers direct connections with Oujda and Nador in the East, Tangier in the North and via transfer at Meknes, the main North-West line to Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech.
A part of the Moroccan mainline network is electrified. On the West to East mainline Fes is the endpoint of the electrified tracks. The trains going to and from Taourirt, Oujda and Nador are powered with diesel-locomotives while trains from the west terminating in Fes or going to Tanger use electric locomotives.
From Nador there are 4 trains per day calling at Fes and the same applies to Oujda. One of the daily trains to/from Oujda is a so-called hoteltrain that offers only couchette places, and with couchette tickets available on all night-trains. Traveltimes from Fes to Nador is approximately 6 hours, and to Oujda approximately 5.5 hours.
The section Fes-Meknes-Rabat and further to Casablanca is by far the busiest long-distance Het traject, with 18 daily trains, of which 8 continue from Casablanca to Marrakech. The journey to Marrakech railway station takes 8.5 hours.
The Office National des Chemins de Fer or ONCF, the state-company operating the railways invests a lot of money and effort to modernize the network. The stations of Marrakech and Fes have been (re)built in the past years, the branch-line Taourirt-Nador was built between 2006 and 2009. And around the city of Meknes a bypass is constructed so that a part of the trains can bypass Meknes
There are plans to construct a highspeed connection between Fès and Rabat.
[ Wikipedia ]
Sa Pobla 11.07.2016: Der neue Bahnhof von Sa Pobla. Es ist jetzt der dritte Endpunkt der Strecke.
The new station of Sa Pobla. It is now the third endpoint of the Sa Pobla Railway line.
Gare de Fès 03/07/2023 09h19
Last year I quickly visited Gare de Fès and promissed myself to come back and take the train to discover Morocco. Today I made this happen and took the train from Fès to Marrakesh. Departing at 9h40 and arriving in Marrakech at 16h14 (travel time 6h34).
Gare de Fès
The Fes Railway station is the main station in the Moroccan city of Fes. There are secondary stations for local connections, but this is the station used for the long-distance main-line trains.
Fes lies on the East-West mainline in Northern Morocco and offers direct connections with Oujda and Nador in the East, Tangier in the North and via transfer at Meknes, the main North-West line to Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech.
A part of the Moroccan mainline network is electrified. On the West to East mainline Fes is the endpoint of the electrified tracks. The trains going to and from Taourirt, Oujda and Nador are powered with diesel-locomotives while trains from the west terminating in Fes or going to Tanger use electric locomotives.
From Nador there are 4 trains per day calling at Fes and the same applies to Oujda. One of the daily trains to/from Oujda is a so-called hoteltrain that offers only couchette places, and with couchette tickets available on all night-trains. Traveltimes from Fes to Nador is approximately 6 hours, and to Oujda approximately 5.5 hours.
The section Fes-Meknes-Rabat and further to Casablanca is by far the busiest long-distance Het traject, with 18 daily trains, of which 8 continue from Casablanca to Marrakech. The journey to Marrakech railway station takes 8.5 hours.
The Office National des Chemins de Fer or ONCF, the state-company operating the railways invests a lot of money and effort to modernize the network. The stations of Marrakech and Fes have been (re)built in the past years, the branch-line Taourirt-Nador was built between 2006 and 2009. And around the city of Meknes a bypass is constructed so that a part of the trains can bypass Meknes
There are plans to construct a highspeed connection between Fès and Rabat.
[ Wikipedia ]
During departure, train driver, train guard and station staff show green flags to show everything is safe.
We see a train safely leaving Thon Buri railway station, the endpoint of Thai Railways' Southern line.
The mechanical signals seem to be out of order.
SRT 1228, Thon Buri 23.5.2015
Near endpoint.
Transportpro T13
Company/Owner: Transportpro Services, Inc./GV Florida Transport., Inc.
Route: Batac-Sampaloc
Area of Service: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Region (R1)
Type of Service: PUB Provincial Operation Bus
Classification: Deluxe Airconditioned Bus
Coachbuilder: Del Monte Motorworks, Inc.
Model: Hino RM DM16S1
Chassis: RM2PSS
Engine: P11C-TH
Transmission: M/T
Speed: 6 Forward, 1 Reverse
Suspension Type: Wide Airsuspension
Seat Configuration: 2x2 with CR
Maximum Capacity: 45+2
Shot Location: A. Bonifacio Ave., Quezon City
Date Taken: July 2, 2023
iPhone camera can not contain the hiviz. Espressogrinder (Endpoint Coffeegrinder with Chorus, 'natch) in winter form with dynamo, PDW Full Metal fenders.
Dynamo is an import Shimano XT DH-T785L to Busch + Müller Lumotec IQ Cyo Plus to a Secula in the rear (seat stay mount version altered to bolt to a disc brake mount)
Bag is an Endpoint Espresso Rando bag:
rideendpoint.com/collections/frontpage/products/espresso-...
Took my parents to see the "Sensorio, Field of Light" in Paso Robles last night. Fiber optic threads sprouting to endpoints via octopus tentacles connected to buried bulbs - 58,000 of them planted in rolling hills amongst craggy oaks. Scrambled to get there before evening light disappeared, and barely made it. Definitely not part of the Central Coast thing growing up! Really unique experience. iPhone snaps - we'll see how the camera shots turn out later (though they ban tripods, so that was a separate challenge).
One of the cool things of working around the "starship" is getting the scoop on the cool comings and goings of trains around the city. I had run this 642-014 towards the BRC when it was quitting time, so a quick dash out of the office got me to 55th Street on the BRC to GTS. Here they slowly roll south near 55th Street on BRC's Kenton Sub. as a CTA Orange line train arrives at its' Midway Airport endpoint. A CP GP38-2 leading 2 CSX units for Canada? No way! I guess when it comes to a Canadian-Qualified leader, geeps are fair game!
The Kangarutha Track runs up over the bluffs and down into the coves for nine kilometres along the Pacific coastline through the Bournda National Park. It is rated at a Grade 4/6 difficulty by WildWalks, but the views make it worth the effort!
The lookout at the dramatic Wallagoot Gap marks the endpoint of our walk.
For the PhotoBlog story, please visit my website:
www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/walking-the-kangaruth...
One of the arms / canals seems to be covered with the concrete. The stone seems to have been cut with this face upwards and may have originally been an opening 'dalle de couverture' for one of the massive dolmen corridors that are to be found in the area. There are other cups and 'rigoles' on the same stone with edge basins to let water build up and unplug onto a subject. The stone is currently integrated into the apex of a medieval bridge in a region that has yet to have had significant pressures. The cement does not mark the endpoint of the monolith and is a 'patch'.
AJM 02;08.17
Fontana di Trevi
A seguir, um texto, em português, do Blog do Noblat:
Nenhuma semana sobre fontes poderia ser feita sem falar na Fontana di Trevi, a linda, a inteiramente diferente de todas as outras fontes. Numa pequena praça, formada pelo cruzamento de três vias, em italiano tre vie, e é daí que vem seu nome, a fonte marca o ponto final do aqueduto Acqua Vergine, um dos mais antigos de Roma.
Reza a lenda que em 19 a.C, uma virgem ajudou os Romanos a encontrar uma fonte de água pura. Essa nascente supriu Roma de água por mais de 400 anos, e isso só terminou entre 537 e 538, quando os visigodos sitiaram Roma e destruíram seus aquedutos.
A reconstrução do aqueduto só terminou em 1453, sob o papa Nicolau V que mandou fazer ali uma bacia em mármore para acolher a água.
Em 1629, o papa Urbano VII pediu a Bernini que embelezasse a fonte; o grande arquiteto começou por mudar o local da escultura: seu projeto a colocava do outro lado da praça e ela ficaria de frente para o Palácio Quirinal, de modo que o papa pudesse apreciar a vista. Mas o papa morreu, o projeto foi abandonado. Ainda assim muitos dos detalhes que Bernini criara foram respeitados pelo arquiteto Nicola Salvi, que assina a fonte.
Em 1730, Salvi recebeu do papa Clemente XII a incumbência de reiniciar a decoração da fonte. Os trabalhos começaram em 1732 e terminaram em 1762, depois da morte de Clemente. A estátua principal, do deus Oceano, só foi colocada após a morte do papa.
O pano de fundo da estrutura é o Palazzo Poli que, para compor o cenário perfeito, recebeu uma nova fachada com colunas gregas que unem os dois andares.
O tema principal é “O Domínio das Águas”. A biga de Oceano, em forma de concha, é puxada por cavalos alados dominados por Tritãos. O nicho do deus é um imenso arco do triunfo; nos laterais estão as estátuas da Abundância e da Salubridade.
No alto, em baixo relevo, a origem dos aquedutos romanos e, acima, as armas de Clemente XII. O conjunto mede 25.9m de altura x 19,8m de largura e é a maior fonte barroca dessa cidade com tantas fontes.
Reza a lenda que ao jogar uma moeda na fonte, está assegurada sua volta a Roma. Se jogar três moedas com a mão direita sobre o ombro esquerdo, você garante sua boa sorte. Parece brincadeira? Cerca de 3mil euros são jogados por dia na Fontana di Trevi!
Esse cenário deslumbrante serviu a Federico Fellini para uma das cenas mais famosas de sua obra-prima, o filme La Dolce Vita. Difìcil alguém que não conheça a cena interpretada por Anita Eckberg e Marcello Mastroianni. Pois bem, quando Mastroianni faleceu, desligaram a água e cobriram a fonte de panos negros. Foi o luto de Roma pelo grande ator.
Um texto, em português, da Wikipédia, a Enciclopédia livre:
A Fontana di Trevi (Fonte dos trevos, em português) é a maior (cerca de 26 metros de altura e 20 metros de largura) e mais ambiciosa construção de fontes barrocas da Itália e está localizada na rione Trevi, em Roma.
A fonte situava-se no cruzamento de três estradas (tre vie), marcando o ponto final do Acqua Vergine, um dos mais antigos aquedutos que abasteciam a cidade de Roma. No ano 19 a.C., supostamente ajudados por uma virgem, técnicos romanos localizaram uma fonte de água pura a pouco mais de 22 quilômetros da cidade (cena representada em escultura na própria fonte, atualmente). A água desta fonte foi levada pelo menor aqueduto de Roma, diretamente para os banheiros de Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa e serviu a cidade por mais de 400 anos.
O "golpe de misericórdia" desferido pelos invasores godos em Roma foi dado com a destruição dos aquedutos, durante as Guerras Góticas. Os romanos durante a Idade Média tinham de abastecer-se da água de poços poluídos, e da pouco límpida água do rio Tibre, que também recebia os esgotos da cidade.
O antigo costume romano de erguer uma bela fonte ao final de um aqueduto que conduzia a água para a cidade foi reavivado no século XV, com a Renascença. Em 1453, o Papa Nicolau V determinou fosse consertado o aqueduto de Acqua Vergine, construindo ao seu final um simples receptáculo para receber a água, num projeto feito pelo arquiteto humanista Leon Battista Alberti.
Em 1629, o Papa Urbano VIII achou que a velha fonte era insuficientemente dramática e encomendou a Bernini alguns desenhos, mas quando o Papa faleceu o projeto foi abandonado. A última contribuição de Bernini foi reposicionar a fonte para o outro lado da praça a fim de que esta ficasse defronte ao Palácio do Quirinal (assim o Papa poderia vê-la e admirá-la de sua janela). Ainda que o projeto de Bernini tenha sido abandonado, existem na fonte muitos detalhes de sua idéia original.
Muitas competições entre artistas e arquitetos tiveram lugar durante o Renascimento e o período Barroco para se redesenhar os edifícios, as fontes, e até mesmo a Scalinata di Piazza di Spagna (as escadarias da Praça de Espanha). Em 1730, o Papa Clemente XII organizou uma nova competição na qual Nicola Salvi foi derrotado, mas efetivamente terminou por realizar seu projeto. Este começou em 1732 e foi concluído em 1762, logo depois da morte de Clemente, quando o Netuno de Pietro Bracci foi afixado no nicho central da fonte.
Salvi morrera alguns anos antes, em 1751, com seu trabalho ainda pela metade, que manteve oculto por um grande biombo. A fonte foi concluída por Giuseppe Pannini, que substituiu as alegorias insossas que eram planejadas, representando Agrippa e Trivia, as virgens romanas, pelas belas esculturas de Netuno e seu séquito.
A fonte foi restaurada em 1998; as esculturas foram limpas e polidas, e a fonte foi provida de bombas para circulação da água e sua oxigenação.
A text, in english, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The fountain at the junction of three roads (tre vie) marks the terminal point of the "modern" Acqua Vergine, the revivified Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman technicians located a source of pure water some 13 km (8 miles) from the city. (This scene is presented on the present fountain's façade.) However, the eventual indirect route of the aqueduct made its length some 22 km (14 miles). This Aqua Virgo led the water into the Baths of Agrippa. It served Rome for more than four hundred years. The coup de grâce for the urban life of late classical Rome came when the Goth besiegers in 537/38 broke the aqueducts. Medieval Romans were reduced to drawing water from polluted wells and the Tiber River, which was also used as a sewer.
The Roman custom of building a handsome fountain at the endpoint of an aqueduct that brought water to Rome was revived in the 15th century, with the Renaissance. In 1453, Pope Nicholas V finished mending the Acqua Vergine aqueduct and built a simple basin, designed by the humanist architect Leon Battista Alberti, to herald the water's arrival.
In 1629 Pope Urban VIII, finding the earlier fountain insufficiently dramatic, asked Bernini to sketch possible renovations, but when the Pope died, the project was abandoned. Bernini's lasting contribution was to resite the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace (so the Pope could look down and enjoy it). Though Bernini's project was torn down for Salvi's fountain, there are many Bernini touches in the fountain as it was built. An early, striking and influential model by Pietro da Cortona, preserved in the Albertina, Vienna, also exists, as do various early 18th century sketches, most unsigned, as well as a project attributed to Nicola Michetti, one attributed to Ferdinando Fuga and a French design by Edme Bouchardon.
Competitions had become the rage during the Baroque era to design buildings, fountains, and even the Spanish Steps. In 1730 Pope Clement XII organized a contest in which Nicola Salvi initially lost to Alessandro Galilei — but due to the outcry in Rome over the fact that a Florentine won, Salvi was awarded the commission anyway. Work began in 1732, and the fountain was completed in 1762, long after Clement's death, when Pietro Bracci's Oceanus (god of all water) was set in the central niche.
Salvi died in 1751, with his work half-finished, but before he went he made sure a stubborn barber's unsightly sign would not spoil the ensemble, hiding it behind a sculpted vase, called by Romans the asso di coppe, "the "Ace of Cups".
The Trevi Fountain was finished in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini, who substituted the present allegories for planned sculptures of Agrippa and "Trivia", the Roman virgin.
The fountain was refurbished in 1998; the stonework was scrubbed and the fountain provided with recirculating pumps.
The backdrop for the fountain is the Palazzo Poli, given a new facade with a giant order of Corinthian pilasters that link the two main stories. Taming of the waters is the theme of the gigantic scheme that tumbles forward, mixing water and rockwork, and filling the small square. Tritons guide Oceanus' shell chariot, taming seahorses (hippocamps).
In the center is superimposed a robustly modelled triumphal arch. The center niche or exedra framing Oceanus has free-standing columns for maximal light-and-shade. In the niches flanking Oceanus, Abundance spills water from her urn and Salubrity holds a cup from which a snake drinks. Above, bas reliefs illustrate the Roman origin of the aqueducts.
The tritons and horses provide symmetrical balance, with the maximum contrast in their mood and poses (by 1730, rococo was already in full bloom in France and Germany).
A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Among those who are unaware that the "three coins" of Three Coins in the Fountain were thrown by three different individuals, a reported current interpretation is that two coins will lead to a new romance and three will ensure either a marriage or divorce. A reported current version of this legend is that it is lucky to throw three coins with one's right hand over one's left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain.
Approximately 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day and are collected at night. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy. However, there are regular attempts to steal coins from the fountain.
Dam 14/12/2017 21h23
Christmas tree in front of the Koninklijk Paleis (royal palace).
Dam
Dam (somtimes referred as 'Dam Square' by tourists) is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city and the country.
Dam Square lies in the historical center of Amsterdam, approximately 750 meters south of the main transportation hub, Centraal Station, at the original location of the dam in the river Amstel. It is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching about 200 meters from west to east and about 100 meters from north to south. It links the streets Damrak and Rokin, which run along the original course of the Amstel River from Centraal Station to Muntplein (Mint Square) and the Munttoren (Mint Tower). The Dam also marks the endpoint of the other well-traveled streets Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat and Damstraat. A short distance beyond the northeast corner lies the main red-light district: de Wallen.
On the west end of the square is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which served as the city hall from 1655 until its conversion to a royal residence in 1808. Beside it are the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. The National Monument, a white stone pillar designed by J.J.P. Oud and erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of World War II, dominates the opposite side of the square. Also overlooking the plaza are the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the upscale department store De Bijenkorf. These various attractions have turned the Dam into a tourist zone.
The Dam derives its name from its original function: a dam on the Amstel River, hence also the name of the city. Built in approximately 1270, the dam formed the first connection between the settlements on the sides of the river.
As the dam was gradually built up to it became wide enough for a town square, which remained the core of the town developing around it. Dam Square as it exists today grew out of what was originally two squares: the actual dam, called Middeldam; and Plaetse, an adjacent plaza to the west. A large fish market arose where ships moored at the dam to load and unload goods. The area became a centre not only of commercial activity but also of the government, as the site of Amsterdam's town hall.
[ Source: Wikipedia ]
Photographer: Richard Scalzo
Model: Arielle
Editing: Richard Scalzo
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Fontana di Trevi
Um texto, em português, da Wikipédia, a Enciclopédia livre:
A Fontana di Trevi (Fonte dos trevos, em português) é a maior (cerca de 26 metros de altura e 20 metros de largura) e mais ambiciosa construção de fontes barrocas da Itália e está localizada na rione Trevi, em Roma.
A fonte situava-se no cruzamento de três estradas (tre vie), marcando o ponto final do Acqua Vergine, um dos mais antigos aquedutos que abasteciam a cidade de Roma. No ano 19 a.C., supostamente ajudados por uma virgem, técnicos romanos localizaram uma fonte de água pura a pouco mais de 22 quilômetros da cidade (cena representada em escultura na própria fonte, atualmente). A água desta fonte foi levada pelo menor aqueduto de Roma, diretamente para os banheiros de Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa e serviu a cidade por mais de 400 anos.
O "golpe de misericórdia" desferido pelos invasores godos em Roma foi dado com a destruição dos aquedutos, durante as Guerras Góticas. Os romanos durante a Idade Média tinham de abastecer-se da água de poços poluídos, e da pouco límpida água do rio Tibre, que também recebia os esgotos da cidade.
O antigo costume romano de erguer uma bela fonte ao final de um aqueduto que conduzia a água para a cidade foi reavivado no século XV, com a Renascença. Em 1453, o Papa Nicolau V determinou fosse consertado o aqueduto de Acqua Vergine, construindo ao seu final um simples receptáculo para receber a água, num projeto feito pelo arquiteto humanista Leon Battista Alberti.
Em 1629, o Papa Urbano VIII achou que a velha fonte era insuficientemente dramática e encomendou a Bernini alguns desenhos, mas quando o Papa faleceu o projeto foi abandonado. A última contribuição de Bernini foi reposicionar a fonte para o outro lado da praça a fim de que esta ficasse defronte ao Palácio do Quirinal (assim o Papa poderia vê-la e admirá-la de sua janela). Ainda que o projeto de Bernini tenha sido abandonado, existem na fonte muitos detalhes de sua idéia original.
Muitas competições entre artistas e arquitetos tiveram lugar durante o Renascimento e o período Barroco para se redesenhar os edifícios, as fontes, e até mesmo a Scalinata di Piazza di Spagna (as escadarias da Praça de Espanha). Em 1730, o Papa Clemente XII organizou uma nova competição na qual Nicola Salvi foi derrotado, mas efetivamente terminou por realizar seu projeto. Este começou em 1732 e foi concluído em 1762, logo depois da morte de Clemente, quando o Netuno de Pietro Bracci foi afixado no nicho central da fonte.
Salvi morrera alguns anos antes, em 1751, com seu trabalho ainda pela metade, que manteve oculto por um grande biombo. A fonte foi concluída por Giuseppe Pannini, que substituiu as alegorias insossas que eram planejadas, representando Agrippa e Trivia, as virgens romanas, pelas belas esculturas de Netuno e seu séquito.
A fonte foi restaurada em 1998; as esculturas foram limpas e polidas, e a fonte foi provida de bombas para circulação da água e sua oxigenação.
A text, in english, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The fountain at the junction of three roads (tre vie) marks the terminal point of the "modern" Acqua Vergine, the revivified Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman technicians located a source of pure water some 13 km (8 miles) from the city. (This scene is presented on the present fountain's façade.) However, the eventual indirect route of the aqueduct made its length some 22 km (14 miles). This Aqua Virgo led the water into the Baths of Agrippa. It served Rome for more than four hundred years. The coup de grâce for the urban life of late classical Rome came when the Goth besiegers in 537/38 broke the aqueducts. Medieval Romans were reduced to drawing water from polluted wells and the Tiber River, which was also used as a sewer.
The Roman custom of building a handsome fountain at the endpoint of an aqueduct that brought water to Rome was revived in the 15th century, with the Renaissance. In 1453, Pope Nicholas V finished mending the Acqua Vergine aqueduct and built a simple basin, designed by the humanist architect Leon Battista Alberti, to herald the water's arrival.
In 1629 Pope Urban VIII, finding the earlier fountain insufficiently dramatic, asked Bernini to sketch possible renovations, but when the Pope died, the project was abandoned. Bernini's lasting contribution was to resite the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace (so the Pope could look down and enjoy it). Though Bernini's project was torn down for Salvi's fountain, there are many Bernini touches in the fountain as it was built. An early, striking and influential model by Pietro da Cortona, preserved in the Albertina, Vienna, also exists, as do various early 18th century sketches, most unsigned, as well as a project attributed to Nicola Michetti, one attributed to Ferdinando Fuga and a French design by Edme Bouchardon.
Competitions had become the rage during the Baroque era to design buildings, fountains, and even the Spanish Steps. In 1730 Pope Clement XII organized a contest in which Nicola Salvi initially lost to Alessandro Galilei — but due to the outcry in Rome over the fact that a Florentine won, Salvi was awarded the commission anyway. Work began in 1732, and the fountain was completed in 1762, long after Clement's death, when Pietro Bracci's Oceanus (god of all water) was set in the central niche.
Salvi died in 1751, with his work half-finished, but before he went he made sure a stubborn barber's unsightly sign would not spoil the ensemble, hiding it behind a sculpted vase, called by Romans the asso di coppe, "the "Ace of Cups".
The Trevi Fountain was finished in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini, who substituted the present allegories for planned sculptures of Agrippa and "Trivia", the Roman virgin.
The fountain was refurbished in 1998; the stonework was scrubbed and the fountain provided with recirculating pumps.
The backdrop for the fountain is the Palazzo Poli, given a new facade with a giant order of Corinthian pilasters that link the two main stories. Taming of the waters is the theme of the gigantic scheme that tumbles forward, mixing water and rockwork, and filling the small square. Tritons guide Oceanus' shell chariot, taming seahorses (hippocamps).
In the center is superimposed a robustly modelled triumphal arch. The center niche or exedra framing Oceanus has free-standing columns for maximal light-and-shade. In the niches flanking Oceanus, Abundance spills water from her urn and Salubrity holds a cup from which a snake drinks. Above, bas reliefs illustrate the Roman origin of the aqueducts.
The tritons and horses provide symmetrical balance, with the maximum contrast in their mood and poses (by 1730, rococo was already in full bloom in France and Germany).
A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Among those who are unaware that the "three coins" of Three Coins in the Fountain were thrown by three different individuals, a reported current interpretation is that two coins will lead to a new romance and three will ensure either a marriage or divorce. A reported current version of this legend is that it is lucky to throw three coins with one's right hand over one's left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain.
Approximately 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day and are collected at night. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy. However, there are regular attempts to steal coins from the fountain.
Chrysanthemum flower.
The name chrysanthemum means gold flower in Greek.
In many European countries Chrysanthemums are associated with death and funerals. In China where most of the varied genus comes from they a linked with trial and adversity.
Where I live they are loved as cheerful and colourful, all year round cut flowers that last a long time and are photogenic - a ready photographic model available in any season :)
Some while ago I starting working on a set of images for Sliders Sunday based on a photograph I took on the old little camera almost five years ago now. I never got around to publishing them, so in the past couple of days I have been finishing them off.
So another set. The usual approach: take one starting image; try mangling in different ways, see if we can reach some interesting but distinctly different endpoint, rinse, repeat.
For this set I largely wanted to avoid using Topaz filters as they are just too addictive - a veritable kindergarten of toys. I sought some different exercise instead, so there is only one Topaz variant.
This set has seven images in it (you can see them all in the Chrysanthemum Set album www.flickr.com/gp/pixelatedsky/u986f4). In my defence three of them are pretty photorealistic, two in colour and one black and white.
Of course, these mangling sets are an unashamedly selfish pursuit of mine, being that I have most of the fun messing about with the mangling. But it’s always fascinating to hear from you which (if any) you prefer. It becomes startlingly apparent that we are all different, and although that sounds pretty obvious it’s easy for me to forget!
Now I have to say that my wife, my lover, my best friend and my art director have all conspired to speak with one voice (as they so often do). They only like one of them, as far as I can determine (it never does to probe too closely into the intricacies of their minds :) ), and it’s not the one I would have guessed.
The point is to reassure you: my expectation is already set low so even if you don’t like any of them I haven’t far to fall. Always a good place to be :)
I never know which one to actually choose for Sliders Sunday. I have about three and a half favourites in this set, and the one in the top slot seems to change by time of day...
I rather like this one though. I have noticed previously that flowers often look really intriguing in a mirror filter (I first came across this using a free phone app called Mirrorlab). The image is in monochrome to emphasise the shapes and patterns. Can you see a face I wonder...
As usual, I shall post a link to the in-camera original in the first comment so you can see how far we came.
Thank you for taking the time to look. I hope you enjoy the image and the series. Happy Sliders Sunday!
[Handheld in daylight.
Processed Photolab for colour and tonal range.
Sharpening and in-painting to tidy up the detail in Affinity.
Converted to B&W in Silver Efex, going for high contrast and structure.
Mirrored in Affinity with (I think) one mirror and choosing the origin and input and output angles to find something interesting.]
Reaching endpoint.
Cisco 806
Company/Owner: Luzon Cisco Transport, Inc.
Route: Pasay-San Fabian via Manaoag
Area of Service: Pangasinan, Ilocos Region (R1)
Type of Service: PUB Provincial Operation Bus
Classification: Deluxe Airconditioned Bus
Coachbuilder: Autodelta Coachbuilders, Inc.
Model: Volvo B8R GL6127HKC1 Replica
Chassis: YV3R
Engine: D8C
Transmission: A/T
Speed: 6 Forward, 1 Reverse
Suspension Type: Electronically-Controlled Airsuspension
Seat Configuration: 2x2 with CR
Maximum Capacity: 42+2
Shot Location: North Luzon Expressway endpoint, Brgy. Unang Sigaw, Balintawak, Quezon City
Date Taken: January 7, 2023
290/365
A goal can be defined as the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it.
A little Background:
On Day 98 (12/27/09) of this project, I became irritated with my weight and set a goal to lose 25lbs from 224.5 to 199.5lbs. Over the next few months I tried to do this with diet alone losing 18 lbs but lapsed into some old habits and by day 218 (4/26/10) I had gained 6 of those pounds back then weighing 213.3lbs. The diet alone approach continued to not work until day 255 (6/2/10) weighing 216lbs I became furious with myself. From that day until today I have counted every calorie, worked out every day, and on Day 290 my scale read 199.5.
When I set that “goal” I assumed that when I reached it you would see a triumphant image, me celebrating, or sitting on a bench taking in the accomplishment, but as I looked at that number on the scale I realized something about myself. That number no longer is as important to me because over a week ago I had reset the “goal” weight to 185lbs.
So I began thinking about the way goals have played into my life. Graduating high school was never a goal, it was a given I was going to college. By the time I was graduating from college I had set my sights on graduate school. By the time I was handed the document proclaiming I had an MBA I was focused on furthering my career and landing the next job. My work career has progressed in the same manor, from accounting manager, to Manager of Finance and HR to Corporate Controller.
I have realized that my “goal” has never been to reach an endpoint and terminate, it has always been to be on a path, passing milestones along the way, noticing them pass and finding the new direction I will be taking. As I get closer to the end of this project I find myself dreading it, wondering “what will I do next”, “where will I go from here”?
So Day 290 is symbolized in this image by me walking past the bench, in the direction of the light, not knowing the final destination but knowing I am on the right path, and being comfortable never reaching the light as I will continually adjust my goal to remain on “The Journey”.
MidPoint Café and Gift Shop, 305 Historic Route 66, Adrian, Texas. The Midpoint Café, a restaurant, souvenir and antique shop, bills itself as geographically the midway point between Los Angeles and Chicago on historic Route 66. Signage in Adrian proudly declares a 1139-mile distance to each original US 66 endpoint; the café's slogan is "when you're here, you're halfway there". The café, built in 1928 and expanded in 1947, operated 24 hours a day during Route 66's heyday and is the oldest continuously operating Route 66 café between Amarillo, Texas and Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Its origins can be traced to a one-room, dirt-floor brick café known as Zella's, built by Jeannie VanderWort and leased to Zella Crim. The restaurant changed hands several times. Dub Edmunds and Jesse Fincher acquired the property in 1956, operating it and an adjacent filling station as Jesse's Café until 1976. It became well known for its hot, fresh home-made pies. The café was sold in 1976 to Terry and Peggy Creitz as Peggy's Café; a subsequent owner changed the name to Rachel's. Fran Houser purchased the business, naming it the Adrian Café, in 1990. The Midpoint Café's current name and identity were adopted in 1995 on the advice of travel author and US Route 66 Association founder Tom Snyder. They began selling antiques on consignment by 1997 alongside its "nostalgia food" menu of breakfasts, hamburgers, and the homemade desserts which it calls "Ugly Crust Pies". The term "ugly crust" was coined by Joann Harwell, Midpoint Café's pastry chef, who would create various tasty, freshly baked pies (pecan, chocolate chip, apple, lemon meringue, and chocolate) using her grandmother's recipe, only to lament that the crusts looked better when her grandmother had made the same pies years ago.
Every now and then, CityNightLine coaches need to be transferred between the two important endpoints of CNL services that are Zürich HB and München Hbf. The direct EuroCity trains connecting the two cities are used for those transfers, and so EC 193 ended up with a double-decker sleeping coach behind Re 421 379, giving the ensemble a nice and colorful look. Zürich HB, 29-04-2014.