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Même si cet album tombait plutôt bien, en 88, après un coffret live encore trop imprégné de 'Born in the Usa', trop de musculation, trop... long.
Je suis resté, encore aujourd'hui, scotché au Nebraska sorti une dizaine d'années plus tôt.
Avec 'the ghost of Tom Joad', Springsteen a bien essayé, sinon de rééditer l'exploit, du moins de retrouver cette même veine d'inspiration, via une sobriété, une retenue bien venue, moins dépressive.
Sans y parvenir, faut bien le reconnaître.
"Carving"
Phare de la Revellata - Calvi (Balagne - Haute-Corse)
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Here's another look at the poppies that I'm currently exploiting.
I particularly wanted backlighting with these flowers, so I put a bare YN560-II behind and to the right at about 1 o'clock, a Strobie 130 in a softbox camera left and behind at 11 o'clock and for fill lighting I used a YN560 in a softbox camera right, in front, at 4 o'clock. Strobes were in manual mode and were triggered by a Yongnuo RF-603N.
Other plants, flowers, fruit or thingys that I've photographed using strobes, can be seen in my Strobe Lit Plant set. In the description for that set, I list resources that I've used to learn how to light with off camera flash. www.flickr.com/photos/9422
The sad story of the decline and administration of Wrightbus.
As recently as five years ago, Wrightbus was still riding high. It was vying with Alexander Dennis Limited as market leader in the United Kingdom (UK) for buses and indeed in some years prior to that it had actually been market leader. Yet barely a few years later, it had suffered a rapid decline and crashed into administration in one of the most significant issues to affect the industry since the TransBus International debacle. So what happened?
Well like all sad stories it’s important to start at the beginning. Wrightbus was founded in 1946 as Robert Wright & Son Coachbuilders in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. In its early years it rebodied lorries for schools and for local authorities for accessible transport needs. In 1978, the company released its first aluminium-structured bus bodywork but it went barely noticed in mainland of the UK. During the 1980s Wright was not yet a major player in the UK bus market, and most of its sales continued to be to the welfare sector. To try and expand its presence, it designed a very stylish coach body, the Wright Contour. It was built between 1982 until 1987, with the first entering service with Whittles in 1983. Most were fitted to Bedford Y series, but others were seven Leyland Tigers for Ulsterbus, one Ford R1115 and one ACE Puma IV midicoach. The Contour was an attempt to break into the coach market, but only 37 Contours were built over 5 years, prompting Wright to withdraw from the coach market. It also dabbled with minibus building but it was fighting amongst more established players in the market and so while a few sales took place, there were but a drop in the ocean.
Wright's breakthrough into the mainstream bus bodybuilding sector in the UK came in the early 1990s wIth the Handybus. The Handybus was a midibus body offered on a variety of chassis but was probably most successful than some with bodies on the emerging Dennis Dart in attracting reasonably-sized orders from a variety of operators including London Buses, Go Ahead Northern, Ulsterbus and Citybus (Belfast). It was a very square design but unusually featured a recessed driver’s windscreen, angled towards the driver. London Buses went for the type in a big way and many compared the type to the famous London RF type of the 1950s.
This was followed by Wrights with a move into the full size single deck market with the Endeavour which was fitted to Dennis Javelin, Leyland Tiger and Scania K93 chassis, and enabled Wright to develop its highly successful Endurance body which competed with the Alexander Strider and Northern Counties Paladin for orders on Volvo B10B and Scania N113CRB chassis. It saw Wrightbus bodies appear in a variety of fleets.
It was during this period that a friendship was struck between William Wright, son of the original Robert Wright, and Moir Lockheed, Chief Executive of the expanding GRT Group. GRT was one of the embryonic groups forming at that time and had high expectations of increasing passenger comfort. It saw Wrightbus bodywork increasingly preferred for GRT companies. When GRT merged with Badgerline to form Firstbus, it saw Wrightbus become that organisation’s preferred supplier.
Other Wright products introduced in this period included two Mercedes-Benz-based products, the O405 based Cityranger and the OH1416 based Urbanranger. This was launched around the time bus operators in the UK began switching to low floor chassis. As a consequence the Urbanranger only attracted a handful of orders. The Cityranger appeared in some GRT fleets. However Wright had become well established in the bus bodybuilding sector by then and was more than able to exploit the opportunities the low-floor revolution would offer it from the mid-1990s onwards.
In 1993, the Pathfinder on low floor Dennis Lance SLF and Scania N113CRL chassis was unveiled. It saw Wrightbus selected by London’s Buses as the body supplier for the first mass trial of these accessible. buses. Wrightbus was seen as the market leader for low-floor vehicles. However the Dennis and Scania N113CRL buses were still expensive as well as quite compromised (by today’s standards) for accessibility and if they were to achieve market penetration, what was needed was a cheaper alternatives for cost conscious operator. Step forward Wrightbus again, this time with Scania’s help.
The snappily titled Axcess-Ultralow was introduced in 1995 and offered on the Scania L113 chassis. At this time it was selling in reasonable numbers to UK bus operators, but unlike other bodybuilders who could only offer the L113 with step-entrance bodies, Wright modified it by removing the middle section of the chassis and thus offered UK bus operators one of the first mainstream low-floor body/chassis combinations. A major customer for the Axcess-Ultralow was Firstbus taking approximately 240. Next up was the Volvo B10L based Liberator introduced at the end of 1995. A notable purchase came from National Express, who ordered 120 in 1997.
Next came the Renown body built on the Volvo B10BLE which went on to become the standard bus of the Blazefield Group and was also ordered by Go-Ahead Northern and Firstbus. However Renown production was stopped when the B10BLE was replaced by the Volvo B7L on the new Wright Eclipse (later Wright Eclipse Metro), which due to its vertical rear engine wasn't popular with many operators. However Wright did not lose custom and many operators including the likes of Ulsterbus simply switched to the incline-engined Scania L94UB, on a similar Wright Solar body. Another bodywork, which resembles the current Solar/Eclipse range is the Meridian, which was bodied on the MAN A22 full low-floor single-deck chassis. It was introduced as an alternative to the MAN 18.220 range which only really sold to Stagecoach, with Alexander/TransBus/Alexander Dennis bodies. It didn’t sell well, with only a handful of Meridians going to Newport Transport. Other body types offered in due course were the Cadet and Commander on DAF/VDL bus, which sold well to Arriva companies, which was hardly surprising given Arriva held the import franchise for DAF/VDL Bus at the time.
As Dennis became part of Mayflower Bus and Coach, the number of Dennis bodies built by Wrightbus declined. However, Wrightbus offered the only real competition to the all conquering Dennis Dart with its Cadet body on both the Volvo B6LE (later B6BLE) and DAF/VDL SB120. Volvo later dropped the B7L, having replaced it with the B7RLE, more to UK operators tastes, and Wrightbus updated its Eclipse bodywork body work to offer the B7RLE with the Eclipse Urban, to differentiate it from the now renamed Eclipse Metro to anyone who wanted the B7L still. Which no one did…..It also introduced its first articulated vehicles, initially on Volvo chassis and later on Scania. These were the Eclipse Fusion on Volvo chassis and Solar Fusion on Scania, most of which went to Firstbus. However you may have noticed one sector not covered - double deckers. Wrightbus rather oddly felt that articulated buses were the way to go and saw no need for a double decker. That was to change.
With the formation of TransBus, it meant that the majority of Volvo’s double-deckers would be bodied by a competitor. Despite claims by TransBus to the contrary, Volvo was worried that TransBus would try and persuade potential customers to buy its own buses instead of Volvo’s. Whilst East Lancs could build some, it worried about capacity. It needed another option. So, that and pressure from operators with similar concerns persuaded Wrightbus to design a new double-decker body - The Gemini.
The first Wright Eclipse Gemini double-decker was first built on the Volvo B7TL chassis in 2001. A similarly styled bus entered service with Arriva London in August 2003 as the Wright Pulsar Gemini on the VDL DB250 chassis. Apparently designs were produced for a Scania version (Solar Gemini?) but none were built. But the Gemini was a stylish, smart design and looked well ahead of the competing President and ALX400 designs from TransBus as it was then. Large operators of Gemini-bodied buses include Arriva, FirstGroup, Go-Ahead Group and National Express. Key customers won from TransBus were Lothian Buses as well as Metroline, although other companies dual sourced and bought both Gemini’s and other type. Only Stagecoach remained immune and didn’t order any until 2016, although it acquire some with purchases of other companies, such as Yorkshire Traction’s operations in Lincolnshire and part of First’s Manchester’s operation with the sale of its Wigan garage.
Wrightbus formed an increasingly close relationship with Volvo and through Volvo, it won major export orders for operators in Asia with the B10TL Super Olympian and then the B9TL when the B10TL was discontinued. With TransBus going through its own issues, Wrightbus overtook it to be the UK market-leader in bus bodywork.
You may notice the slight important difference there. Wrightbus was a bodybuilder at this stage. It didn’t build its own buses. That didn’t come until much later. However an unexpected and subsequent blow saw the B7TL banned from London due to noise issues, removing an important market for a while until Volvo introduced its B9TL replacement a few years later.
Following the TransBus implosion, successor Alexander Dennis began to recover some of the ground it lost under TransBus. It updated its range to include the very stylish Enviro 200 and 300 single-deckers and 400 double-decker. So to fight back, Wrightbus refreshed its range to produce the Cadet 2, Eclipse 2 and Gemini 2. These were mainly built on Volvo and VDL Bus chassis, Scania having decided to launch its own integral range.
From 2008, Hybrids were seen as the next big thing in the bus world. Volvo introduced the B5LH and Wright adapted its Gemini body accordingly for this new design. However the company also introduced its own Gemini Integral. This wasn’t quite as integral as you may think as it was actually built on an adapted VDL Bus chassis. But it showed that the company was beginning to think along these lines.
The next big issue was the New Routemaster. I’ve covered that bus and its merits in detail here:- flic.kr/p/2mB9qfd
However, the winning of this contract would have a major effect on Wrightbus and some say that this is where the decline of the company started. It changed the company from a bodybuilder into a complete vehicle builder. So in a fateful decision, it acquired extra premises near its current factory to build the New Routemasters.
At the same time Wrightbus wasn’t immune to the flaws in the New Routemaster - in that no one outside London would buy it - and with only 1000 on order over five years, it had this new chassis plant that needed to be kept busy. So it made the second fateful decision to introduce its own integral range of complete buses.
To be fair to Wrightbus, this wasn’t all down to them. Fuel consumption was becoming a major concern to bus operators and loud voices, such as Firstbus’s Moir Lockheed, were calling for lighter weight chassis to save diesel. Alexander Dennis was ahead of the curve in this regard as most of its chassis were lightweight chassis anyway and Volvo and other chassis makes with their heavyweight chassis were seen suddenly as old hat. So Wrightbus introduced its lightweight Streetlite and Streetdeck range.
The Streetdeck was an integral double-decker built on a Wrightbus designed chassis. It had a Mercedes-Benz engine and was designed to compete with the Enviro 400 and crucially the Volvo B9TL. A hybrid version was also available. The Streetlite was a single-decker and available in two variants - the WF (Wheel Forward) which had its entrance behind the front wheel. That variant was designed to compete with the similar design of the Optare Solo. The DF (door forward) variant as seen here by 63268 (SN14DYW) was designed to compete with the Enviro 200. Initially, both Streetlites were available with Cummins and Mercedes-Benz engines, but Cummins was dropped with the move to Euro VI.
However, the decision to launch its own range seems to have led to a breakdown in the relationship with Volvo. Suddenly Wrightbus was competing with Volvo - sounds familiar. So in a repeat of earlier TransBus days, it launched bodywork available by Egyptian company MCV and even allowed Alexander Dennis to build on its chassis, who had launched their frighteningly competent and stylish Enviro 400MMC double-decker.
Nothing daunted, Wrightbus announced it was moving to a new factory in Ballymena, a converted tobacco factory. This would hopefully enable savings to be made as the whole assembly would be under one roof, rather than separate bits built on various halls on the previous factory. All looked fine at this stage but as the New Routemaster contract ended in 2017, it now meant that chassis plant desperately needed more orders. To improve the appeal of its vehicles, it updated the styling of its Eclipse and Gemini bodies, introducing a more aggressive, angular styling known as the ‘stealth’ front, after the United States Air Force’s F117A NIghthawk fighter, known as the Stealth Bomber. It certainly was an acquired taste compared to the curves of the previous Gemini. It also announced it was entering the fledgling electric bus market with the StreetAir, which was an electric single-decker based on an adapted Streetdeck chassis with batteries on the roof.
Then the problems started in 2018. Quality issues began to manifest themselves with its new integral range. Reports of build quality issues, even collapsed floors on some vehicles, began to surface. Although its Streetdeck/Streetlite range was selling, it wasn’t selling well enough to keep the vast new factory busy. It’s Streetdeck range hasn’t achieved any real penetration in London, a crucial market for double-deckers with only Arriva ordering a small batch. The hybrid version of the Streetdeck had flopped, with only First West Yorkshire taking any for use on park and ride services around Leeds. It’s Streetlite range had been ordered by some operators but was being outsold multiple times over by Alexander Dennis’s Enviro 200 model.
On top of that, key customers such as Firstbus and Arriva weren’t ordering as many buses as before or were placing what business they did want elsewhere. Quality issues had seen operators such as Metroline, Lothian and Tower Transit place orders elsewhere. Lothian, which had been the first - and so for only - customer for the StreetAir had found them hopelessly unreliable and it was reported that this unreliability was a key reason that it’s next buses were ordered from Alexander Dennis. The company was caught in a perfect storm.
Then came probably the issues that in all likelihood doomed the company. To keep the new Ballymena factory busy, it took the decision to build an order for a Hong Kong operator in Northern Ireland rather than in China, where buses for the former colony were assembled from kits. It also built Streetdeck buses in anticipation of an order from Firstbus but without the contract signed. Whilst this kept the workers busy, it proved a very expensive decision when you factor in build costs here compared to China and shipping to Asia. Building buses in anticipation of an order is also not a good idea, especially when the order isn’t then confirmed. These were the straws that broke the camel’s back. In July 2019, the company announced it needed investment to support what was listed as ‘cash flow’ issue. Then in September 2019, the company crashed into administration.
However it was the scale of the subsequent job losses that surprised many. The administrators - who in fairness to them have to try and salvage something from the financial wreckage of the company - only retained 50 of the staff and made the remaining 1,200 redundant. Whilst any job losses are terrible news for those affected, the size of these losses suggested that the company’s problems were more severe than anyone out with the directors of Wrightbus were letting on. Then stories came to light of poor working conditions and some questionable donations being made to a religious charity run and set up by the Wright family members. In fairness these donations were made in the past when the company was very profitable but it didn’t look good given the then current circumstances.
It looked the company may not survive. However, the slimmed down business was bought by Joe Bamford, son of the owners of the JCB Company who looked to set the company up as a pioneer in the field of Hydrogen Buses. The pandemic stunted the recovery but the company - which is now known as the Bamford Bus Company but trades as Wrightbus - has begun the slow climb back up from its darkest hour. Former staff were recruited again, helped by large orders from Rotala and Translink. The Rotala order included the same buses that were actually built in anticipation of the Firstbus order, which explains why some brand new Rotala buses running about Greater Manchester featuring interiors designed for Firstbus routes in Leeds. However these welcome orders gave the company the breathing room it needed to innovate and launch new products. Whether it’ll ever return to the levels it was, time will no doubt tell.
Véhicule : SETRA S 511 HD €6
Identification : 273 (EJ-311-AS)
Exploitant : Sarro Autocars Mont-de-Marsan
Dépôt : Mont-de-Marsan
Réseau : n.a.
Ligne : n.a.
Voiture : Tourisme - Occasionnel
Destination : n.c.
Merci à Cyril pour son accueil !
11/03/2020 10:55
Quai du Maroc ; F-33 BORDEAUX
Exploits. Escapades. Experiences.
All of them amazing and they all await just around the corner . . .
. . . on the road to The City by the Bay!
— in San Francisco, California.
#sanfrancisco
Ville: Nice
Réseau: Lignes d'Azur
Exploitant: Régie Ligne d’Azur
Numéro de parc: 626
Ligne: 18 Riquier - Saint Sylvestre
"Public transport"
Hanoi (Viêt Nam)
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"Shinto monk"
Le Togakushi-jinja est un sanctuaire shinto situé à Togakushi, préfecture de Nagano au Japon. Le sanctuaire se trouve au sein du parc national de Joshin'etsukogen. Togakushi (JAPON 2008)
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"Act of Faith"
Ville portuaire de Tomonoura, Fukuyama (Préfecture de Hiroshima).
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Silène fleur de coucou, ou oeillet des prés (
Silene flos-cuculi). En bordure de champ, Champ des papilles (agriculture biologique). Bouguenais (44).
Jardin Arbosevo Namesti - Prague (République Tchèque)
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Véhicule : IRISBUS IVECO Citelis 18 GNV
Identification : 2610 (BC-388-WN)
Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole
Dépôt : Centre d'Exploitation du Lac (CEL)
Réseau : TBM (Bordeaux Métropole)
Ligne : 18 NAVETTE STADE EURO 2016
Voiture : 1809
Destination : Mise en Ligne
À l'occasion de l'UEFA EURO 2016 (coupe d'Europe de football), une ligne spéciale a été créée pour délester le Tram C de l'afflux de supporters, malgré les renforts mis en place. Cette "Navette Stade" porte le numéro 18, et fait la liaison entre le Parc des Expositions (et Nouveau Stade) et la station Tram B "La Cité du Vin" (anciennement "Bassins à Flot"), pour une correspondance depuis/vers le Centre-Ville. Cette Navette est mise en place avant et après le match, pour répartir les mouvements sur 2 axes. Pour l'occasion, un large périmètre avait été bloqué à la circulation autour du Stade Matmut Atlantique pour faciliter la circulation des supporters et des bus, et un arrêt spécial a été aménagé parallèlement à la station de Tram. Une zone de stationnement était mise en place pendant le match pour les bus assurant la Navette sur les "Rue du Vergne" et "Avenue de la Jallère". Cette Navette a été pérennisée au sein de l'offre TBM pour les événements au Stade Matmut Atlantique.
18/06/2016 15:55
Rue du Vergne ; F-33 BORDEAUX
Behind the nets shines freedom. Outside, everything is blurry . Inside, the son complicate everything.
"Copyright © – Nikola Bernard
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Véhicule : MAN Lion's City A21 CNG
Identification : 1614 (EP-161-NP)
Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole
Dépôt : Dépôt de Bastide-Niel
Réseau : TBM (Bordeaux Métropole)
Ligne : Lianes 15
Voiture : 1507
Destination : VILLENAVE D'ORNON Courréjean
14/05/2019 18:01
Cours de Verdun ; Bordeaux
Vieux quartiers de Hanoï (Vietnam)
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Place Saint Michel à Dijon (France - Bourgogne - Côte d'Or)
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The exploitation rights for this text are the property of the Vienna Tourist Board. This text may be reprinted free of charge until further notice, even partially and in edited form. Forward sample copy to: Vienna Tourist Board, Media Management, Invalidenstraße 6, 1030 Vienna; media.rel@wien.info. All information in this text without guarantee.
Author: Andreas Nierhaus, Curator of Architecture/Wien Museum
Last updated January 2014
Architecture in Vienna
Vienna's 2,000-year history is present in a unique density in the cityscape. The layout of the center dates back to the Roman city and medieval road network. Romanesque and Gothic churches characterize the streets and squares as well as palaces and mansions of the baroque city of residence. The ring road is an expression of the modern city of the 19th century, in the 20th century extensive housing developments set accents in the outer districts. Currently, large-scale urban development measures are implemented; distinctive buildings of international star architects complement the silhouette of the city.
Due to its function as residence of the emperor and European power center, Vienna for centuries stood in the focus of international attention, but it was well aware of that too. As a result, developed an outstanding building culture, and still today on a worldwide scale only a few cities can come up with a comparable density of high-quality architecture. For several years now, Vienna has increased its efforts to connect with its historical highlights and is drawing attention to itself with some spectacular new buildings. The fastest growing city in the German-speaking world today most of all in residential construction is setting standards. Constants of the Viennese architecture are respect for existing structures, the palpability of historical layers and the dialogue between old and new.
Culmination of medieval architecture: the Stephansdom
The oldest architectural landmark of the city is St. Stephen's Cathedral. Under the rule of the Habsburgs, defining the face of the city from the late 13th century until 1918 in a decisive way, the cathedral was upgraded into the sacral monument of the political ambitions of the ruling house. The 1433 completed, 137 meters high southern tower, by the Viennese people affectionately named "Steffl", is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture in Europe. For decades he was the tallest stone structure in Europe, until today he is the undisputed center of the city.
The baroque residence
Vienna's ascension into the ranks of the great European capitals began in Baroque. Among the most important architects are Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. Outside the city walls arose a chain of summer palaces, including the garden Palais Schwarzenberg (1697-1704) as well as the Upper and Lower Belvedere of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1714-22). Among the most important city palaces are the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene (1695-1724, now a branch of the Belvedere) and the Palais Daun-Kinsky (auction house in Kinsky 1713-19). The emperor himself the Hofburg had complemented by buildings such as the Imperial Library (1722-26) and the Winter Riding School (1729-34). More important, however, for the Habsburgs was the foundation of churches and monasteries. Thus arose before the city walls Fischer von Erlach's Karlskirche (1714-39), which with its formal and thematic complex show façade belongs to the major works of European Baroque. In colored interior rooms like that of St. Peter's Church (1701-22), the contemporary efforts for the synthesis of architecture, painting and sculpture becomes visible.
Upgrading into metropolis: the ring road time (Ringstraßenzeit)
Since the Baroque, reflections on extension of the hopelessly overcrowed city were made, but only Emperor Franz Joseph ordered in 1857 the demolition of the fortifications and the connection of the inner city with the suburbs. 1865, the Ring Road was opened. It is as the most important boulevard of Europe an architectural and in terms of urban development achievement of the highest rank. The original building structure is almost completely preserved and thus conveys the authentic image of a metropolis of the 19th century. The public representational buildings speak, reflecting accurately the historicism, by their style: The Greek Antique forms of Theophil Hansen's Parliament (1871-83) stood for democracy, the Renaissance of the by Heinrich Ferstel built University (1873-84) for the flourishing of humanism, the Gothic of the Town Hall (1872-83) by Friedrich Schmidt for the medieval civic pride.
Dominating remained the buildings of the imperial family: Eduard van der Nüll's and August Sicardsburg's Opera House (1863-69), Gottfried Semper's and Carl Hasenauer's Burgtheater (1874-88), their Museum of Art History and Museum of Natural History (1871-91) and the Neue (New) Hofburg (1881-1918 ). At the same time the ring road was the preferred residential area of mostly Jewish haute bourgeoisie. With luxurious palaces the families Ephrussi, Epstein or Todesco made it clear that they had taken over the cultural leadership role in Viennese society. In the framework of the World Exhibition of 1873, the new Vienna presented itself an international audience. At the ring road many hotels were opened, among them the Hotel Imperial and today's Palais Hansen Kempinski.
Laboratory of modernity: Vienna around 1900
Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06) was one of the last buildings in the Ring road area Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06), which with it façade, liberated of ornament, and only decorated with "functional" aluminum buttons and the glass banking hall now is one of the icons of modern architecture. Like no other stood Otto Wagner for the dawn into the 20th century: His Metropolitan Railway buildings made ​​the public transport of the city a topic of architecture, the church of the Psychiatric hospital at Steinhofgründe (1904-07) is considered the first modern church.
With his consistent focus on the function of a building ("Something impractical can not be beautiful"), Wagner marked a whole generation of architects and made Vienna the laboratory of modernity: in addition to Joseph Maria Olbrich, the builder of the Secession (1897-98) and Josef Hoffmann, the architect of the at the western outskirts located Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and founder of the Vienna Workshop (Wiener Werkstätte, 1903) is mainly to mention Adolf Loos, with the Loos House at the square Michaelerplatz (1909-11) making architectural history. The extravagant marble cladding of the business zone stands in maximal contrast, derived from the building function, to the unadorned facade above, whereby its "nudity" became even more obvious - a provocation, as well as his culture-critical texts ("Ornament and Crime"), with which he had greatest impact on the architecture of the 20th century. Public contracts Loos remained denied. His major works therefore include villas, apartment facilities and premises as the still in original state preserved Tailor salon Knize at Graben (1910-13) and the restored Loos Bar (1908-09) near the Kärntner Straße (passageway Kärntner Durchgang).
Between the Wars: International Modern Age and social housing
After the collapse of the monarchy in 1918, Vienna became capital of the newly formed small country of Austria. In the heart of the city, the architects Theiss & Jaksch built 1931-32 the first skyscraper in Vienna as an exclusive residential address (Herrengasse - alley 6-8). To combat the housing shortage for the general population, the social democratic city government in a globally unique building program within a few years 60,000 apartments in hundreds of apartment buildings throughout the city area had built, including the famous Karl Marx-Hof by Karl Ehn (1925-30). An alternative to the multi-storey buildings with the 1932 opened International Werkbundsiedlung was presented, which was attended by 31 architects from Austria, Germany, France, Holland and the USA and showed models for affordable housing in greenfield areas. With buildings of Adolf Loos, André Lurçat, Richard Neutra, Gerrit Rietveld, the Werkbundsiedlung, which currently is being restored at great expense, is one of the most important documents of modern architecture in Austria.
Modernism was also expressed in significant Villa buildings: The House Beer (1929-31) by Josef Frank exemplifies the refined Wiener living culture of the interwar period, while the house Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1926-28, today Bulgarian Cultural Institute), built by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein together with the architect Paul Engelmann for his sister Margarete, by its aesthetic radicalism and mathematical rigor represents a special case within contemporary architecture.
Expulsion, war and reconstruction
After the "Anschluss (Annexation)" to the German Reich in 1938, numerous Jewish builders, architects (female and male ones), who had been largely responsible for the high level of Viennese architecture, have been expelled from Austria. During the Nazi era, Vienna remained largely unaffected by structural transformations, apart from the six flak towers built for air defense of Friedrich Tamms (1942-45), made ​​of solid reinforced concrete which today are present as memorials in the cityscape.
The years after the end of World War II were characterized by the reconstruction of the by bombs heavily damaged city. The architecture of those times was marked by aesthetic pragmatism, but also by the attempt to connect with the period before 1938 and pick up on current international trends. Among the most important buildings of the 1950s are Roland Rainer's City Hall (1952-58), the by Oswald Haerdtl erected Wien Museum at Karlsplatz (1954-59) and the 21er Haus of Karl Schwanzer (1958-62).
The youngsters come
Since the 1960s, a young generation was looking for alternatives to the moderate modernism of the reconstruction years. With visionary designs, conceptual, experimental and above all temporary architectures, interventions and installations, Raimund Abraham, Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth, Hans Hollein, Walter Pichler and the groups Coop Himmelb(l)au, Haus-Rucker-Co and Missing Link rapidly got international attention. Although for the time being it was more designed than built, was the influence on the postmodern and deconstructivist trends of the 1970s and 1980s also outside Austria great. Hollein's futuristic "Retti" candle shop at Charcoal Market/Kohlmarkt (1964-65) and Domenig's biomorphic building of the Central Savings Bank in Favoriten (10th district of Vienna - 1975-79) are among the earliest examples, later Hollein's Haas-Haus (1985-90), the loft conversion Falkestraße (1987/88) by Coop Himmelb(l)au or Domenig's T Center (2002-04) were added. Especially Domenig, Hollein, Coop Himmelb(l)au and the architects Ortner & Ortner (ancient members of Haus-Rucker-Co) ​​by orders from abroad the new Austrian and Viennese architecture made a fixed international concept.
MuseumQuarter and Gasometer
Since the 1980s, the focus of building in Vienna lies on the compaction of the historic urban fabric that now as urban habitat of high quality no longer is put in question. Among the internationally best known projects is the by Ortner & Ortner planned MuseumsQuartier in the former imperial stables (competition 1987, 1998-2001), which with institutions such as the MUMOK - Museum of Modern Art Foundation Ludwig, the Leopold Museum, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Architecture Center Vienna and the Zoom Children's Museum on a wordwide scale is under the largest cultural complexes. After controversies in the planning phase, here an architectural compromise between old and new has been achieved at the end, whose success as an urban stage with four million visitors (2012) is overwhelming.
The dialogue between old and new, which has to stand on the agenda of building culture of a city that is so strongly influenced by history, also features the reconstruction of the Gasometer in Simmering by Coop Himmelb(l)au, Wilhelm Holzbauer, Jean Nouvel and Manfred Wehdorn (1999-2001). Here was not only created new housing, but also a historical industrial monument reinterpreted into a signal in the urban development area.
New Neighborhood
In recent years, the major railway stations and their surroundings moved into the focus of planning. Here not only necessary infrastructural measures were taken, but at the same time opened up spacious inner-city residential areas and business districts. Among the prestigious projects are included the construction of the new Vienna Central Station, started in 2010 with the surrounding office towers of the Quartier Belvedere and the residential and school buildings of the Midsummer quarter (Sonnwendviertel). Europe's largest wooden tower invites here for a spectacular view to the construction site and the entire city. On the site of the former North Station are currently being built 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, on that of the Aspangbahn station is being built at Europe's greatest Passive House settlement "Euro Gate", the area of ​​the North Western Railway Station is expected to be developed from 2020 for living and working. The largest currently under construction residential project but can be found in the north-eastern outskirts, where in Seaside Town Aspern till 2028 living and working space for 40,000 people will be created.
In one of the "green lungs" of Vienna, the Prater, 2013, the WU campus was opened for the largest University of Economics of Europe. Around the central square spectacular buildings of an international architect team from Great Britain, Japan, Spain and Austria are gathered that seem to lead a sometimes very loud conversation about the status quo of contemporary architecture (Hitoshi Abe, BUSarchitektur, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid, NO MAD Arquitectos, Carme Pinós).
Flying high
International is also the number of architects who have inscribed themselves in the last few years with high-rise buildings in the skyline of Vienna and make St. Stephen's a not always unproblematic competition. Visible from afar is Massimiliano Fuksas' 138 and 127 meters high elegant Twin Tower at Wienerberg (1999-2001). The monolithic, 75-meter-high tower of the Hotel Sofitel at the Danube Canal by Jean Nouvel (2007-10), on the other hand, reacts to the particular urban situation and stages in its top floor new perspectives to the historical center on the other side.
Also at the water stands Dominique Perrault's DC Tower (2010-13) in the Danube City - those high-rise city, in which since the start of construction in 1996, the expansion of the city north of the Danube is condensed symbolically. Even in this environment, the slim and at the same time striking vertically folded tower of Perrault is beyond all known dimensions; from its Sky Bar, from spring 2014 on you are able to enjoy the highest view of Vienna. With 250 meters, the tower is the tallest building of Austria and almost twice as high as the St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna, thus, has acquired a new architectural landmark which cannot be overlooked - whether it also has the potential to become a landmark of the new Vienna, only time will tell. The architectural history of Vienna, where European history is presence and new buildings enter into an exciting and not always conflict-free dialogue with a great and outstanding architectural heritage, in any case has yet to offer exciting chapters.
Info: The folder "Architecture: From Art Nouveau to the Presence" is available at the Vienna Tourist Board and can be downloaded on www.wien.info/media/files/guide-architecture-in-wien.pdf.
© cuma 2013. © Copyright – Marcelo Moreno©. Photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Pictures can not be used without explicit permission by the creator.
© cuma 2013. © Copyright – Marcelo Moreno©. Estas fotos tienen derechos de autor. Todos los derechos reservados. Las imágenes no pueden ser utilizadas sin autorización expresa del autor.
© Copyright – Marcelo Moreno©. © cuma 2013.
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained herein for any use outside FlickR, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
© Copyright -. Marcelo Moreno © - © cuma 2013
La reproducción, publicación, modificación, transmisión o explotación de una obra contenida en este documento por cualquier uso fuera de Flickr, personal o comercial, sin mi permiso previo y por escrito es estrictamente prohibido. Todos los derechos reservados ".
(Texturas logradas con distintos filtros de PS.)
The Exploited: Matt Justice (guitar) and Wattie Buchan (vocals) performing live in the SO36. Wattie is hitting the mic against his head. He always does this and it must drive all the people at the soundboard nuts. Berlin, 27.10.19, singer, Sänger, guitar player, Gitarrist
Un train de berlines chargées de charbon, arrive sur la boucle de déchargement d'une exploitation minière, vers Villaseca de Laciana en 1983.
© Tobie Openshaw. If you wish to use this image, (for any purpose - yes, even if you just want to link to it from your blog) please contact me at topenshaw@hotmail.com
Betelnut girls (Binlang Xi Shi/檳榔西施) are a unique part of Taiwan culture. They sit in brightly-decorated glass booths wearing skimpy outfits, and sell cigarettes, drinks and betelnut to passing drivers. It’s a controversial trade but not actually illegal. The question of whether the girls are exploited is open to debate – certainly their own perception is mostly that they are doing a job like any other, and the less they choose to wear, the more they sell. For more info, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betel_nut_beauty and follow the links to the video and pictures.
Image is model-released.
Exploitant : Transdev Montesson les Rabaux
Réseau : Entre Seine et Forêt
Ligne : 21
Lieu : Ermitage Pont (Le Port-Marly, F-78)
Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/vehicule/31180
Motrice : ALSTOM TGV EuroDuplex 3UFC
Élément : 890 (310380)
Exploitant : STF TGV Atlantique
Technicentre : n.c.
Réseau : TGV SNCF
Ligne : n.c.
Train : n.c.
Destination : n.c.
31/07/2019 15:55
Gare SNCF d'Arcachon
Boulevard du Général Leclerc ; F-33 ARCACHON
Exploit del 2003
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Do not use any of my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
All rights reserved - Copyright © fotomie2009 - Nora Caracci
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"Helmet design"
Hanoi (Vietnam)
Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
www.flickriver.com/photos/pat21/sets/
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
© Copyright: The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained herein for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Burchell's Zebra and Waterbuck
Steppenzebras und Ellipsen-Wasserbock
iSimangaliso Wetland Park (previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park) is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about 275 kilometres north of Durban. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary, and made up of around 3,280 km2 of natural ecosystems, managed by the iSimangaliso Authority. The park includes:
Lake St. Lucia
St. Lucia Game Reserve
False Bay Park
Kosi Bay
Lake Etrza Nature Reserve
Lake Sibhayi
St. Lucia Marine Reserve
St. Lucia Marine Sanctuary
Sodwana Bay National Park
Mapelane Nature Reserve
Maputaland Marine Reserve
Cape Vidal
Ozabeni
Mfabeni
Tewate Wilderness Area
Mkuze Game Reserve
The park was previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, but was renamed effective 1 November 2007. The word isimangaliso means "a miracle" or "something wondrous" in Zulu. The name came as a result of Shaka's subject having been sent to the land of the Tsonga. When he came back he described the beauty that he saw as a miracle.
The park is dueto be integrated into a transfrontier park, the Ponta do Ouro-Kosi Bay Transfrontier Conservation Area, straddling South Africa, Mozambique, and Eswatini. This is in turn planned to become a part of the greater Greater Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Until 1895, the bay had been a home of the Tsonga people and their Tsonga fish kraal. This is the original and the natural home of the Tsonga people and they have lived here for more than 1000 years. Records from early Portuguese sailors rightfully point out this area to be occupied by the Tsonga people and further down south. The area was also known as Tembeland or Thongaland but the name fell into disuse around the early 1900s. The area was ruled by a Tsonga branch of the Vahlanganu (Tembe). The Swiss Missionary, Reverend Henri Alexandra Junod (Known as HA Junod), conducted a scientific and ethnographic study of the Tsonga people during the early 1890s and produced a detailed map, showing the occupation of the bay by the Tsonga Tembe people. The Swiss Missionary, Rev Junod, illustrated in his detailed map that the area was known as Tembeland and that the Tembe capital city was located in the St Lucia bay. Rev Junod's map showed that by 1906, the Tsonga people occupied the land from St Lucia up until Valdezia in the Spelenkon district of the Transvaal province, known today as Limpopo Province. St Lucia bay and Maputo bay are one land and they belong to the Tsonga people, Tsonga villages were built from St Lucia bay until Maputo and they were not separated by any natural division. Around St Lucia, the ruling chief was the Tembe Royal Family, while around Maputo, the ruling class was the Maputo royal family, who are all of the Vahlanganu branch of the Tsonga people. In and around Maputo and St Lucia bay (Tembeland), the language spoken is Ronga, which according to the Swiss Missionary, Rev HA Junod, is not an independent language but a dialect of Xitsonga. According to Rev Junod, Ronga language is so similar to Xitsonga that it cannot be regarded an independent language but is a dialect of a major language known today as Xitsonga.
The Tsonga people were forcefully removed from the park when Britain colonised the area in 1895 and turned the place into a wildlife reserve and established the holiday town of St Lucia. Because of colonisation, the southern part of the park was handed over to the Zulu nation, while the northern part was given to the Tsonga people. Before colonisation, the Tsonga controlled the entire St Lucia bay. Despite colonisation and annexation of land, the Tsonga people still live in the northern part of the park, at Kosi Bay. The Tembe Elephant Park, run by Chief Israel Tembe, is a living history that testify to the rich Tsonga history of this wetland park. Chief Israel Tembe is the custodian of this ancient Tsonga land that was taken away during colonisation. The Tembe kingdom, one of the most powerful kingdoms in Southern Africa before colonisation, was a ruling class for more than eight centuries.
St. Lucia was first named in 1554 Rio dos Medos do Ouro (alternatively Rio dos Médãos do Ouro — River of the Gold Dunes) by the survivors of the Portuguese ship Saint Benedict. At this stage, only the Tugela River mouth was known as St. Lucia. Later, in 1575, the Tugela River was named Tugela. On 13 December 1575, the day of the feast of Saint Lucy, Manuel Peresterello renamed the mouth area to Santa Lucia.
In 1822, St. Lucia was proclaimed by the British as a township.
In 1895, St. Lucia Game Reserve, 30 km north of the town was proclaimed.
In 1971, St. Lucia Lake and the turtle beaches and coral reefs of Maputaland have been listed by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention).
In December 1999, the park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site at an unveiling ceremony, where Nelson Mandela was the guest of honour.
The park was proclaimed a world heritage site because of the rich biodiversity, unique ecosystems and natural beauty occurring in a relatively small area. The reason for the huge diversity in fauna and flora is the great variety of different ecosystems on the park, ranging from coral reefs and sandy beaches to subtropical dune forests, savannas, and wetlands. Animals occurring on the park include elephant, African leopard, black and southern white rhino, buffalo, and in the ocean, whales, dolphins, and marine turtles including the leatherback and loggerhead turtle.
The park is also home to 1,200 Nile crocodiles and 800 hippopotami.
In December 2013, after 44 years of absence, African lions were reintroduced to iSimangaliso.
There are large outcroppings of underwater reefs which are home to brightly coloured fish and corals. Some of the most spectacular coral diversity in the world is located in Sodwana Bay. The reefs are inhabited by colour-changing octopuses and squid ready to ambush unsuspecting prey. Occasionally gigantic whale sharks can be seen gliding through the water, mouth agape to scoop up tiny plankton.
Twenty-four species of bivalve molluscs are recorded in St. Lucia Lake, which constitutes a considerable portion of the park.
(Wikipedia)
Burchell's Zebra [Equus burchelli]
Appearance
Body stripes are less numerous and broader than that of the Cape Mountain Zebra, whereas body stripes extend around the belly. Leg striping is less prominent. Measures 1.3 to 1.4 metres at the shoulder and weighs 300-320 Kg. They have rounded ears approximately 160-170 mm long. Front portion of mane forms a black tuft between the ears. Diet: Predominantly a grazer, feeding in areas with short grass. Zebra have a strong sensitive upper lip with which it gathers herbage by collecting the grass between the lip and the lower incisors before plucking the harvest.
Breeding
Non seasonal breeder, foals may be born in any month. However, under optimal conditions more foals are born during summer. After a gestation period of 360-390 days, a single foal is born, which weighs 30-35 Kg. Foals are weaned at the age of 11 months.
Behaviour
The Burchell's Zebra lives in small family units, which typically consist of one stallion and one mare with their foals. Non-breeding stallions occur in bachelor groups. Herd stallions are between four to 12 years old. Water holes in conjunction with favoured grazing areas attract family groups which collectively congregate in large numbers. They are often seen in close association with Wildebeest, other plains Antelope and Baboons.
Habitat
Short grassland areas within savanna woodland and grassland plains constitute the preferred habitat. Their dependence on water restricts the Burchell's Zebra to wander further than ten to 12 km from water. Densely vegetated areas are avoided.
Where they are found
Unmistakably a member of the horse family. This species is the largest of the two distinct species inhabiting South Africa's wild life domain. The ranges of the Burchell's Zebra and the Cape Mountain Zebra are mutually exclusive. The Cape mountain Zebra is confined to the Cape mountainous regions, whereas that of the Burchell's Zebra coincides with woodland and grassy plains.
Field Notes
The Burchell's Zebra is the closest relative to the extinct Quagga which roamed the southern plains of South Africa until the 19th century, so close in fact that scientists are using DNA from chosen individual to attempt to bring the Quagga back.
Each individual Zebra has unique markings and act in similar fashion as fingerprints in humans. It is said that newborn Zebra stay close to the mother to imprint her patterns. The southern Burchell's Zebra has a distinctive shadow brown stripe in the white stripe, a characteristic which diminishes the further north they occur.
(krugerpark.co.za)
The waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus Kobus of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. The thirteen subspecies are grouped under two varieties: the common or Ellisprymnus waterbuck and the Defassa waterbuck. The head-and-body length is typically between 177–235 cm (70–93 in) and the average height is between 120 and 136 cm (47 and 54 in). A sexually dimorphic antelope, males are taller as well as heavier than females. Males reach approximately 127 cm (50 in) at the shoulder, while females reach 119 cm (47 in). Males typically weigh 198–262 kg (437–578 lb) and females 161–214 kg (355–472 lb). The coat colour varies from brown to grey. The long, spiral horns, present only on males, curve backward, then forward and are 55–99 cm (22–39 in) long.
Waterbuck are rather sedentary in nature. A gregarious animal, the waterbuck may form herds consisting of six to 30 individuals. These groups are either nursery herds with females and their offspring or bachelor herds. Males start showing territorial behaviour from the age of five years, but are most dominant from the age of six to nine. The waterbuck cannot tolerate dehydration in hot weather, and thus inhabits areas close to sources of water. Predominantly a grazer, the waterbuck is mostly found on grassland. In equatorial regions, breeding takes place throughout the year, but births are at their peak in the rainy season. The gestational period lasts for seven to eight months, followed by the birth of a single calf.
Waterbuck inhabit scrub and savanna areas along rivers, lakes and valleys. Due to their requirement for grasslands as well as water, the waterbuck have a sparse ecotone distribution. The IUCN lists the waterbuck as being of Least Concern. More specifically, the common waterbuck is listed as of Least Concern while the defassa waterbuck is Near Threatened. The population trend for both the common and defassa waterbuck is downwards, especially that of the latter, with large populations being eliminated from certain habitats because of poaching and human disturbance.
The scientific name of the waterbuck is Kobus ellipsiprymnus. The waterbuck is one of the six species of the genus Kobus and belongs to the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. The generic name Kobus is a New Latin word, originating from an African name, koba. The specific name ellipsiprymnus refers to the white elliptical ring on the rump, from the Greek ellipes (ellipse) and prymnos (prumnos, hind part). The animal acquired the vernacular name "waterbuck" due to its heavy dependence on water as compared to other antelopes and its ability to enter into water for defence.
The type specimen of the waterbuck was collected by South African hunter-explorer Andrew Steedman in 1832. This specimen was named Antilope ellipsiprymnus by Ogilby in 1833. This species was transferred to the genus Kobus in 1840, becoming K. ellipsiprymnus. It is usually known as the common waterbuck. In 1835, German naturalist Eduard Rüppell collected another specimen, which differed from Steedman's specimen in having a prominent white ring on its rump. Considering it a separate species, Rüppell gave it the Amharic name "defassa" waterbuck and scientific name Antilope defassa. Modern taxonomists, however, consider the common waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck a single species, K. ellipsiprymnus, given the large number of instances of hybridisation between the two. Interbreeding between the two takes place in the Nairobi National Park owing to extensive overlapping of habitats.
Not many fossils of the waterbuck have been found. Fossils were scarce in the Cradle of Humankind, occurring only in a few pockets of the Swartkrans. On the basis of Valerius Geist's theories about the relation of social evolution and dispersal in ungulates during the Pleistocene the ancestral home of the waterbuck is considered to be the eastern coast of Africa - with the Horn of Africa to the north and the East African Rift Valley to the west.
The waterbuck is the largest amongst the six species of Kobus. It is a sexually dimorphic antelope, with the males nearly 7 percent taller than females and around 8 percent longer. The head-and-body length is typically between 177–235 cm (70–93 in) and the average height is between 120 and 136 cm (47 and 54 in).[10] Males reach approximately 127 cm (50 in) at the shoulder, while females reach 119 cm (47 in). The waterbuck is one of the heaviest antelopes. a newborn typically weighs 13.6 kg (30 lb), and growth in weight is faster in males than in females. Males typically weigh 198–262 kg (437–578 lb) and females 161–214 kg (355–472 lb). The tail is 22–45 cm (8.7–17.7 in) long.
The waterbuck is of a robust build. The shaggy coat is reddish brown to grey, and becomes progressively darker with age. Males are darker than females. Though apparently thick, the hair is sparse on the coat. The hair on the neck is, however, long and shaggy. When sexually excited, the skin of the waterbuck secretes a greasy substance with the odour of musk, giving it the name "greasy kob". The odor of this is so unpleasant that it repels predators. This secretion also assists in water-proofing the body when the animal dives into water. The facial features include a white muzzle and light eyebrows and lighter insides of the ears. There is a cream-coloured patch (called "bib") on the throat. Waterbuck are characterised by a long neck and short, strong and black legs. Females have two nipples. Preorbital glands, foot glands and inguinal glands are absent.
The common waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck are remarkably different in their physical appearances. Measurements indicate greater tail length in the latter, whereas the common waterbuck stand taller than the defassa waterbuck. However, the principal differentiation between the two types is the white ring of hair surrounding the tail on the rump, which is a hollow circle in the common waterbuck but covered with white hair in the defassa waterbuck.
The long, spiral horns curve backward, then forward. Found only on males, the horns range from 55 to 99 cm (22 to 39 in) in length. To some extent, the length of the horns is related to the bull's age. A rudimentary horn in the form of a bone lump may be found on the skulls of females.
Waterbuck are rather sedentary in nature, though some migration may occur with the onset of monsoon. A gregarious animal, the waterbuck may form herds consisting of six to 30 individuals. The various groups are the nursery herds, bachelor herds and territorial males. Herd size increases in summer, whereas groups fragment in the winter months, probably under the influence of food availability. As soon as young males start developing horns (at around seven to nine months of age), they are chased out of the herd by territorial bulls. These males then form bachelor herds and may roam in female home ranges. Females have home ranges stretching over 200–600 hectares (0.77–2.32 sq mi; 490–1,480 acres). A few females may form spinster herds. Though females are seldom aggressive, minor tension may arise in herds.
Males start showing territorial behaviour from the age of five years, but are most dominant from the age of six to nine. Territorial males hold territories 4–146 hectares (0.015–0.564 sq mi; 9.9–360.8 acres) in size. Males are inclined to remain settled in their territories, though over time they may leave inferior territories for more spacious ones. Marking of territories includes no elaborate rituals - dung and urine are occasionally dropped. After the age of ten years, males lose their territorial nature and replaced by a younger bull, following which they recede to a small and unprotected area. There is another social group, that of the satellite males, which are mature bulls as yet without their own territories, who exploit resources, particularly mating opportunities, even in the presence of the dominant bull. The territorial male may allow a few satellite males into his territory, and they may contribute to its defence. However, gradually they may deprive the actual owner of his territory and seize the area for themselves. In a study in the Lake Nakuru National Park, only 7 percent of the adult males held territories, and only half of the territorial males tolerated one or more satellite males.
Territorial males may use several kinds of display. In one type of display, the white patch on the throat and between the eyes is clearly revealed, and other displays can demonstrate the thickness of the neck. These activities frighten trespassers. Lowering of the head and the body depict submission before the territorial male, who stands erect. Fights, which may last up to thirty minutes, involve threat displays typical of bovids accompanied by snorting. Fights may even become so violent that one of the opponents meets its death due to severe abdominal or thoracic wounds. A silent animal, the waterbuck makes use of flehmen response for visual communication and alarm snorts for vocal communication. Waterbuck often enter water to escape from predators which include lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs and Nile crocodiles (leopards and spotted hyenas prey on juveniles). However, it has been observed that the waterbuck does not particularly like being in water. Waterbuck may run into cover when alarmed, and males often attack predators.
Waterbuck are susceptible to ulcers, lungworm infection and kidney stones. Other diseases from which these animals suffer are foot-and-mouth disease, sindbis fever, yellow fever, bluetongue, bovine virus diarrhoea, brucellosis and anthrax. The waterbuck is more resistant to rinderpest than are other antelopes. They are unaffected by tsetse flies but ticks may introduce parasitic protozoa such as Theileria parva, Anaplasma marginale and Baberia bigemina. 27 species of ixodid tick have been found on waterbuck - a healthy waterbuck may carry a total of over 4000 ticks in their larval or nymphal stages, the most common among them being Amblyomma cohaerens and Rhipicephalus tricuspis. Internal parasites found in waterbuck include tapeworms, liverflukes, stomachflukes and several helminths.
The waterbuck exhibits great dependence on water. It can not tolerate dehydration in hot weather, and thus inhabits areas close to sources of water. However, it has been observed that unlike the other members of its genus (such as the kob and puku), the waterbuck ranges farther into the woodlands while maintaining its proximity to water. With grasses constituting a substantial 70 to 95 percent of the diet, the waterbuck is predominantly a grazer frequenting grasslands. Reeds and rushes like Typha and Phragmites may also be preferred.A study found regular consumption of three grass species round the year: Panicum anabaptistum, Echinochloa stagnina and Andropogon gayanus. Hyparrhenia involucrata, Acroceras amplectens and Oryza barthii along with annual species were the main preference in the early rainy season, while long life grasses and forage from trees constituted three-fourths of the diet in the dry season.
Though the defassa waterbuck were found to have a much greater requirement for protein than the African buffalo and the Beisa oryx, the waterbuck was found to spend much less time on browsing (eating leaves, small shoots and fruits) in comparison to the other grazers. In the dry season about 32 percent of the 24-hour day was spent in browsing, whereas no time was spent on it during the wet season. The choice of grasses varies with location rather than availability; for instance, in western Uganda, while Sporobolus pyramidalis was favoured in some places, Themeda triandra was the main choice elsewhere. The common waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck in the same area may differ in their choices; it has been observed that while the former preferred Heteropogon contortus and Cynodon dactylon, the latter showed less preference for these grasses.
Waterbuck are slower than other antelopes in terms of the rate of maturity. While males become sexually mature at the age of six years, females reach maturity within two to three years. Females may conceive by the age of two-and-a-half years, and remain reproductive for another ten years. In equatorial regions, breeding takes place throughout the year, and births are at their peak in the rainy season. However, breeding is seasonal in the Sudan (south of Sahara), with the mating season lasting four months. The season extends for even longer periods in some areas of southern Africa. Oestrus lasts for a day or less.
Mating begins after the male confirms that the female is in oestrus, which he does by sniffing her vulva and urine. A resistive female would try to bite or even fight off an advancing male. The male exhibits flehmen, and often licks the neck of the female and rubs his face and the base of his horns against her back. There are several attempts at mounting before the actual copulation. The female shifts her tail to one side, while the male clasps her sides with his forelegs and rests on her back during copulation, which may occur as many as ten times.
The gestational period lasts for seven to eight months, followed by the birth of a single calf. Twins are rare. Pregnant females isolate themselves in thickets as parturition approaches. Newborn calves can stand on their feet within a half-hour of birth. The mother eats the afterbirth. She communicates with the calf by bleating or snorting. Calves are kept hidden from two to three weeks up to two months. At about three to four weeks, the calf begins following its mother, who signals it to do so by raising her tail. Though bereft of horns, mothers will fiercely defend their offspring from predators. Calves are weaned at eight months, following which time they join groups of calves of their own age. Young females remain with their mothers in nursery herds, or may also join bachelor herds. The waterbuck lives to 18 years in the wild and 30 years in captivity.
The waterbuck is native to southern and eastern Africa (including countries such as Angola, Botswana, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda) besides a few countries of western and northern Africa such as Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. Though formerly widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, its numbers have now decreased in most areas.
The common waterbuck is found east of the Eastern African Rift. Its southern range extends to the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve (KwaZulu Natal) and to central Namibia. By contrast, the defassa waterbuck inhabits western and central Africa. The defassa waterbuck occurs west of the Albertine Rift and ranges from Eritrea to Guinea Bissau in the southern Sahel, its most northerly point of distribution being in southern Mali. Its range also stretches east of the Congo basin through Zambia into Angola, while another branch extends to the Zaire River west of the Congo basin. While the common waterbuck is now extinct in Ethiopia, the defassa waterbuck has become extinct in Gambia.
Waterbuck inhabit scrub and savanna areas alongside rivers, lakes and valleys. Due to their requirement for grasslands as well as water, the waterbuck have a sparse distribution across ecotones (areas of interface between two different ecosystems). A study in the Ruwenzori Range showed that the mean density of waterbuck was 5.5 per square mile, and estimates in the Maasai Mara were as low as 1.3 per square mile. It has been observed that territorial size depends on the quality of the habitat, the age and health of the animal and the population density. The greater the age of the animal or the denser the populations, the smaller are the territories. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, females had home ranges 21–61 hectares (0.081–0.236 sq mi; 52–151 acres) in area whereas home ranges for bachelor males averaged between 24–38 hectares (0.093–0.147 sq mi; 59–94 acres). The oldest female (around 18 years old) had the smallest home range.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) lists the waterbuck as of least concern (LC). More specifically, the common waterbuck is listed as of Least Concern while the defassa waterbuck is near threatened (NT). The population trend for both the common and defassa waterbuck is decreasing, especially that of the latter, with large populations being eliminated from their habitats due to poaching and human settlement. Their own sedentary nature too is responsible for this to some extent. Numbers have fallen in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Akagera National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, and Comoé National Park. Population decrease in the Lake Nakuru National Park has been attributed to heavy metal poisoning. While cadmium and lead levels were dangerously high in the kidney and the liver, deficiencies of copper, calcium and phosphorus were noted.
Over 60 percent of the defassa waterbuck populations thrive in protected areas, most notably in Niokolo-Koba, Comoe, Mole, Bui, Pendjari, Manovo-Gounda St. Floris, Moukalaba-Doudou, Garamba, Virunga, Omo, Mago, Murchison Falls, Serengeti, and Katavi, Kafue and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, the national parks and hunting zones of North Province (Cameroon), Ugalla River Forest Reserve, Nazinga Game Ranch, Rukwa Valley, Awash Valley, Murule and Arly-Singou. The common waterbuck occurs in Tsavo, Tarangire, Mikumi, Kruger and Lake Nakuru National Parks, Laikipia, Kajiado, Luangwa Valley, Selous and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi game reserves and private lands in South Africa.
(Wikipedia)
Der iSimangaliso Wetland Park (bis Oktober 2007 Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, danach iSimangaliso Wetland Park) ist ein Nationalpark an der Ostküste der südafrikanischen Provinz KwaZulu-Natal. Der Eingang zum Park befindet sich nahe der Kleinstadt St. Lucia.
Der Nationalpark umfasst die Feucht- und Küstengebiete von Mapelane im Süden bis hinauf zur Sodwana-Bucht im Norden und besteht aus vielen kleinen Schutzgebieten mit subtropischer bis tropischer Vegetation. Im Norden liegen die Mkuze-Sümpfe, während sich im Westen trockene Dornensavannen befinden.
Im Zentrum des Parks befindet sich der St.-Lucia-See, nach dem der Park benannt wurde. Mit einer Länge von 40 Kilometern und einer Breite von bis zu 21 Kilometern beträgt seine Fläche rund 300 km²; damit ist er der größte See Südafrikas. In dem 200 Kilometer langen Küstenstreifen finden sich die zweithöchsten bewaldeten Sanddünen der Welt.
In den Feuchtgebieten leben die größten Krokodil- und Flusspferdbestände Südafrikas. In den Savannen im Westen leben Meerkatzen, Nashörner, Büffel und Leoparden. Zwischen den Seen und Sümpfen brüten Reiher, Pelikane und Störche. Der Park verfügt über die höchste Dichte an Amphibien, darunter viele geschützte Arten. Außerdem kann man auf der Meeresseite Buckelwale sehen.
In der Nähe des Nationalparks befindet sich der Ort St. Lucia, in dem es Übernachtungs-, Freizeit- und Einkaufsmöglichkeiten gibt. St. Lucia ist zudem Ausgangspunkt für Walbeobachtungen und Fahrten auf dem St.-Lucia-See zu den Flusspferden.
Der iSimangaliso Wetland Park wurde 1999 in die Liste des Weltnaturerbes der UNESCO aufgenommen.
2004 wurde die Mündung des Feuchtgebietes durch eine Sanddüne gesperrt, um eine Ölpest nach der Havarie des Frachters Jolly Rubino abzuwehren. Seitdem ist der Wasserspiegel erheblich unter Meeresniveau gesunken, so dass die Maßnahme noch nicht rückgängig gemacht werden konnte.
Bis 2007 hieß der Nationalpark Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park. Seit November 2007 wird er iSimangaliso Wetland Park genannt. isimangaliso bedeutet „Wunder“ und verweist auf ein Zulu-Sprichwort über Ujeqe, einem Hofbeamten des Zulu-König Shaka: Ubone isimanga esabonwa uJeqe kwelama Thonga. – „Wenn Du Wunder gesehen hast, dann hast Du dasselbe gesehen wie Ujeqe in Thonga.“ Thonga oder Tongaland ist ein historischer Name für die Region Maputaland, zu der der Park gehört.
(Wikipedia)
Das Steppenzebra (Equus quagga) oder Pferdezebra ist ein Zebra aus der Familie der Pferde (Equidae) und gehört zur Ordnung der Unpaarhufer (Perissodactyla). Es stellt heute die häufigste Zebra-Art in Afrika dar und ist vom Nordosten bis in den Süden des Kontinents verbreitet. Es lebt gesellig in kleinen Herdenverbänden und ernährt sich hauptsächlich von Gräsern. Im Gegensatz zu den anderen heutigen Pferdearten kommt es auch in teilweise geschlossenen Landschaften vor. Der Bestand, dessen größte Population heute in der Serengeti lebt, gilt als nicht gefährdet. Es werden sechs rezente Unterarten unterschieden, die sich meistens deutlich in der Streifenzeichnung voneinander abheben.
(Wikipedia)
Als Wasserbock werden zwei Arten afrikanischer Antilopen aus der Gattung der Wasserböcke (Kobus) bezeichnet. Man unterscheidet den Ellipsen-Wasserbock (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) und den Defassa-Wasserbock (Kobus defassa). Beide wurden ursprünglich in einer Art zusammengefasst und zur Unterscheidung von den anderen Arten der Gattung Kobus auch unter dem Namen Gemeiner Wasserbock geführt, heute gelten sie als eigenständig.
Der Ellipsen-Wasserbock (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) ist eine große, kräftige, bis zu 270 kg schwere Antilope mit zotteligem, graubraunem Fell und einem weißen Ring um den Schwanzansatz (die namengebende Ellipse). Auch das Gesicht ist teilweise weiß, und ein weißer Streifen zieht sich von der Kehle bis zum Ohrenansatz. Nur die männlichen Tiere tragen lange, stark geringelte, weit geschwungene und nach vorne gerichtete Hörner. Die Schulterhöhe beträgt 1,30 m.
Das Verbreitungsgebiet reicht von Südafrika und Nordost-Namibia über Botswana und Mosambik und die Savannen Ostafrikas bis nach Äthiopien und Somalia.
Diese Antilopenart ist an Dauergewässer gebunden, in deren Nähe sich Wälder oder offenes Grasgelände mit Dickicht und Schilf bewachsene Gebiete befinden. Junge Männchen bilden eigene Herden, Weibchen und Jungtiere leben in Gruppen von 5 bis 10 Tieren zusammen.
Die beiden Wasserbock-Arten sind weniger stark ans Wasser gebunden als andere Vertreter ihrer Gattung. Sie können sich durchaus vom Wasser entfernen und sind dann in der offenen Savanne oder in Wäldern zu finden. Die weiblichen Wasserböcke leben in Herden von etwa fünf, in seltenen Fällen bis zu siebzig Tieren. Ebenfalls Herden bilden junge Männchen. Dagegen werden ältere Männchen zu Einzelgängern, die ein Revier gegen Artgenossen verteidigen und jedes durchziehende Weibchen für sich beanspruchen.
Wasserböcke gehören zu den häufigsten Großsäugetieren Afrikas. Schätzungsweise gibt es etwa 95.000 Defassa-Wasserböcke und 105.000 Ellipsen-Wasserböcke, von denen mehr als die Hälfte in Schutzgebieten lebt. Beide Arten werden seitens der IUCN als gering gefährdet (near threatened) klassifiziert. Die Bestände außerhalb von Schutzgebieten sind durch Jagd und Habitatzerstörung rückläufig.
(Wikipedia)
Véhicule : IRISBUS IVECO Citelis 18 GNV
Identification : 2612 (BC-384-WN)
Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole
Dépôt : Centre d'Exploitation du Lac (CEL)
Réseau : TBM (Bordeaux Métropole)
Ligne : 18 NAVETTE STADE EURO 2016
Voiture : 1807
Destination : Mise en Ligne
À l'occasion de l'UEFA EURO 2016 (coupe d'Europe de football), une ligne spéciale a été créée pour délester le Tram C de l'afflux de supporters, malgré les renforts mis en place. Cette "Navette Stade" porte le numéro 18, et fait la liaison entre le Parc des Expositions (et Nouveau Stade) et la station Tram B "La Cité du Vin" (anciennement "Bassins à Flot"), pour une correspondance depuis/vers le Centre-Ville. Cette Navette est mise en place avant et après le match, pour répartir les mouvements sur 2 axes. Pour l'occasion, un large périmètre avait été bloqué à la circulation autour du Stade Matmut Atlantique pour faciliter la circulation des supporters et des bus, et un arrêt spécial a été aménagé parallèlement à la station de Tram. Une zone de stationnement était mise en place pendant le match pour les bus assurant la Navette sur les "Rue du Vergne" et "Avenue de la Jallère". Cette Navette a été pérennisée au sein de l'offre TBM pour les événements au Stade Matmut Atlantique.
02/07/2016 21:19
Rue du Vergne ; F-33 BORDEAUX
Mirit Ben-Nun uses lines and points as an expressive resource and does so by exploiting its nuances and associations to the fullest. Some forms follow the same direction and others change it constantly, even urgently. Its language is visual and independent of its expressiveness, lies in the value and organization of its elements. The things of the visible world are unimportant, the achievement is the achievement of reproduction of the world and human nature. Constantly encourages creativity. In this case pointillism conveys emotions by the effect it achieves using color, points, lines and thus captures the attention of the observer.
Dora Woda
Meeting aérien "Air Legend" 2019 (Melun-Villaroche)
Dassault Rafale C - Solo Display 2019 - Escadron de Transformation 03.004 "Aquitaine" basé à St Dizier BA 113 - pilote capitaine Sébastien NATIVEL "Babouc"
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The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
Washington, D.C.
"The new East Wing extension to the National Gallery, Washington D.C., sits on a difficult triangular site. However, Pei was able to exploit this feature, giving his wedge-shaped building a marvelous sense of presence and sculptural purpose. A post-tensioned concrete structure, this extension to Washington's major art gallery follows the triangular shape of its Fourth Avenue site. It is situated on an 8.8 acre site with some 110,000 sq ft of main exhibition space and 16,000 sq ft of temporary exhibition areas. This building helped to shape attitudes to museum building throughout the United States in the 1970s and later."
— Dennis Sharp. Twentieth Century Architecture: a Visual History. p379.
Véhicule : HEULIEZ BUS GX 337 €6
Identification : 169029 (EB-700-DV)
Exploitant : Keolis Cars de Bordeaux
Dépôt : Ambarès-et-Lagrave
Réseau : TBM (Bordeaux Métropole)
Ligne : Locale 91
Voiture : 9103
Destination : Mise en Ligne (Escarraguel)
21/04/2021 16:51
Arrêt TBM "AMBÈS Escarraguel"
Place Escarraguel ; F-33 AMBÈS