its_dramatic photos on Flickr

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I've shot a number of photographs of these two towers in Century City near Beverly Hills California but this is probably my favorite because of its dramatic graphics and the fact that I was able to include the light fixture without compromising the integrity of the twin towers.

This is a Kodachrome 25 slide taken with a Nikon F3 camera . Scanned with an Epson Perfection V500 Photoscanner

This work may not be copied, reproduced, republished, edited, downloaded, displayed, modified, transmitted, licensed, transferred, sold, distributed or uploaded in any way without my prior written permission.

DSC_5853 by Erwin Friesen

Crarae Garden is a tranquil site, with its dramatic gorge, rippling burn, waterfalls and cliffs. The informal hillside layout of mature woody plants radiating out from the burn creates a wonderful natural effect.

Near the banks of Loch Fyne, on the west coast, immerse yourself in Britain's finest example of an exotic Himalayan-style woodland garden.

Askia Panorama (Iceland) by Florian A

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Askja is a caldera in the central Highlands of Iceland, just north of Vatnajökull glacier. It is best known for its dramatic eruptions, as well as the training grounds for Apollo astronauts because of its otherworldly, lunar landscapes.

Musician (head restored), Beverley Minster by Aidan McRae Thomson

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One of the many carvings adorning the wall arcading in the north aisle.

There is a danger of running out of superlatives when trying to describe Beverley Minster. It is not only the second finest non-cathedral church in the country but is architecturally a far finer building than most of our cathedrals themselves! It will come as a surprise to many visitors to find this grand edifice simply functions today as a parish church and has never been more than collegiate, a status it lost at the Reformaton. What had added to its mystique and wealth was its status as a place of pilgrimage housing the tomb of St John of Beverley, which drew visitors and revenue until the Reformation brought an end to such fortunes and the shrine was destroyed (though the saint's bones were later rediscovered and reinterred in the nave). That this great church itself survived this period almost intact is little short of a miracle in itself.

There has been a church here since the 8th century but little remains of the earlier buildings aside from the Saxon chair near the altar and the Norman font in the nave. The present Minster's construction spans the entirety of the development of Gothic architecture but forms a surprisingly harmonious whole nevertheless, starting with Early English in the 13h century choir and transepts (both pairs) with their lancet windows in a building phase that stopped at the first bays of the nave. Construction was then continued with the nave in the 14th century but only the traceried windows betray the emergent Decorated style, the design otherwise closely followed the work of the previous century which gives the Minster's interior such a pleasingly unified appearance (the only discernable break in construction within can be seen where the black purbeck-marble ceased to be used for certain elements beyond the eastern bay of the nave). Finally the building was completed more or less by 1420 with the soaring west front with its dramatic twin-towers in Perpendicular style (the east window must have been enlarged at this point too to match the new work at the west end).

The fabric happily survived the Reformation intact aside from the octagonal chapter-house formerly adjoining the north choir aisle which was dismantled to raise money by the sale of its materials while the church's fate was in the balance (a similar fate was contemplated for the rest of the church by its new owners until the town bought it for retention as a parish church for £100). The great swathes of medieval glass alas were mostly lost, though seemingly as much to neglect and storm-damage in the following century than the usual iconoclasm. All that survived of the Minster's original glazing was collected to form the patchwork display now filling the great east window, a colourful kaleidoscope of fragments of figures and scenes. Of the other furnishings the choir stalls are the major ensemble and some of the finest medieval canopied stalls extant with a full set of charming misericords (though most of these alas are not normally on show).

There are suprisingly few monuments of note for such an enormous cathedral-like church, but the one major exception makes up for this, the delightful canopied Percy tomb erected in 1340 to the north of the high altar. The tomb itself is surprisingly plain without any likeness remaining of the deceased, but the richly carved Decorated canopy above is alive with gorgeous detail and figurative embellishments. There are further carvings to enjoy adorning the arcading that runs around the outer perimeter of the interior, especially the north nave aisle which has the most rewarding carved figures of musicians, monsters and people suffering various ailments, many were largely restored in the 19th century but still preserve the medieval spirit of irreverent fun.

To summarise Beverley Minster would be difficult other than simply adding that if one enjoys marvelling at Gothic architecture at its best then it really shouldn't be missed and one should prioritise it over the majority of our cathedrals. It is a real gem and a delight to behold, and is happily normally open and welcoming to visitors (who must all be astonished to find this magnificent edifice is no more than a simple parish church in status!). I thoroughly enjoyed this, my second visit here (despite the best efforts of the poor weather!).

beverleyminster.org.uk/visit-us-2/a-brief-history/

Crump Theatre: Columbus, IN by Bill Badzo - .212.8 Million views

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In a building dating to 1874, John Crump opened his Opera House in 1889. In 1914, the first movies were shown, and not long afterwards, the Opera House was renamed the Crump Theatre.

In 1934, seating was increased when the orchestra pit was removed, and the same year, the Crump Theatre was nearly renamed the 'Ritz'.

The Crump Theatre underwent a thorough renovation in 1941, to the plans of architect Alden Meranda. It was redesigned in Art Moderne style, including its dramatic facade, with its two-story tall vertical marquee, illuminated by chaser lights.

cinematreaures.org

Kirkjufell, or 'Church Mountain', is a distinctly shaped peak found on the north shore of Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula, only a short distance away from the town of Grundarfjörður. It is often called ‘the most photographed mountain in Iceland’, due to i by Jason Nunez

ift.tt/2ooJBYu Kirkjufell, or 'Church Mountain', is a distinctly shaped peak found on the north shore of Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula, only a short distance away from the town of Grundarfjörður. It is often called ‘the most photographed mountain in Iceland’, due to its dramatic formation and perfect coastal location. Kirkjufell takes its name from its resemblance to a church steeple, sharpened at the top with long curved sides. From other angles, the mountain has been compared to a witch’s hat or even a freshly scooped ice cream. Peaking at 463 metres, 1519 feet, Kirkjufell is an impressive landmark. Throughout the centuries, Kirkjufell’s striking slopes have acted as a visual landmark for seafarers and travellers. More recently, it has attracted amateur and professional photographers alike. Within walking distance from Kirkjufell is the serene and perfectly located waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss, or 'Church Mountain Falls', an excellent subject for photographers who can easily frame the mountain in the background. Despite its relatively diminutive height, Kirkjufellsfoss’ three-steps, gentle flow, and dramatic differences between seasons make it as impressive as some of Iceland’s larger waterfalls. Fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones will recognise Kirkjufell as a shooting location from Season 7 of Game of Thrones. The mountain is showcased from the scenes ‘North beyond the Wall’ when Jon Snow, The Hound and Jorah Mormont, amongst others, brave the wilderness in hopes of catching an undead wight. Having seen it in a vision, The Hound acknowledges Kirkjufell as “[...] the mountain like an arrowhead”, and the events that happen beneath it are some of the show’s most dramatic. Source: guidetoiceland.is #travelingdorks #icelandair . . . #inspiredbyiceland #icelandic #everydayiceland #whyiceland #chasingwaterfalls #mystopover #ig_iceland #icelandtravel #visiticeland #exploreiceland #discovericeland #kirkjufell #gameofthrones #loves_iceland #wowair #icelandexplored #alliceland #bestoficeland #absoluteiceland #icelandtrip #wheniniceland #icelandic #sonyalpha #sonyimages #sonyalphasclub #sonyphotography #sonyphotogallery #sonygmaster

Canyonlands National Park, Utah by Jeffrey Neihart

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Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah is known for its dramatic desert landscape carved by the Colorado River. Island in the Sky is a huge, flat-topped mesa with panoramic overlooks. Other notable areas include the towering rock pinnacles known as the Needles, the remote canyons of the Maze and the Native American rock paintings in Horseshoe Canyon. Whitewater rapids flow through Cataract Canyon.

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REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS

'' The Last Rose of Summer ''

Beautiful flowers at Reford Gardens.

Visit : www.refordgardens.com/

From Wikipedia:

Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.

Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.

Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.

She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.

In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.

During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.

In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.

Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.

To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.

Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.

In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)

Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford

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Visit : www.refordgardens.com/

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LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS

Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.

Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada

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Octagon Tower, Roosevelt Island by Emilio Guerra

Roosevelt Island, Manhattan, New York City

The Octagon, located at the northern end of Roosevelt Island, served as the administrative center and main entrance hall of the New York City Lunatic Asylum, one of the first institutions of its kind established in this country.

Designs for the Asylum were prepared in 1834-35 by the acted New York architect, Alexander Jackson Davis, and the building was opened in 1839. Davis' plans called for a much more elaborate scheme than was actually built by the City; the Octagon was to have been one of a pair within a great U-shaped complex, ordered around a central rectangular pavilion.

As built, the single Octagon, from which two long wings extended, became the focal point of the building. Much admired in the 19th century for its architectural excellence, the Octagon now stands alone, the imposing geometric clarity and simplicity of its design fully revealed.

The City of New York purchased Blackwell's Island, as Roosevelt Island was called, in the 19th century, in 1828 with a view to institutional development; it was believe that the pleasant island surroundings would be conducive to both physical and mental rehabilitation. The island Penitentiary was begun in 1829, and the Lunatic Asylum was constructed at the end of the following decade. An Almshouse, Workhouse, and numerous charity hospitals were also built on Blackwell's Island during the course of the century, The Lunatic Asylum was erected in response to the desperate need for proper accomodation of the insane.

Previously, these cases had been assigned to a few overcrowded and poorly maintained wards in Bellevue Hospital, In the middle years of the 19th century, the attitude towards the treatment and care of the insane underwent significant and progressive change. Recognition that they required medical assistance, not merely custodial restraint, led to the founding of such institutions as the New York City Lunatic Asylum.

That this change in. attitude was, however, only gradually accomplished is well demonstrated by the fact that, in the early years of the Lunatic Asylum, patients were supervised by inmates from the Penitentiary under the direction of a small medical staff. The physicians in charge deplored this situation, and a suitable staff of orderlies and nurses was finally hired in 1850. Physical activity and labor as well as entertainment were prescribed as therapeutic for mental disturbances.

Thus, the male patients of the lunatic Asylum who were willing and able, worked in vegetable gardens or built sea walls in order to reclaim land, while female patients aided in housekeeping chores and worked as seamstresses.

A library—for the most part the result of donations from publishing houses and private citizens-- •• was formed, and weekly dances were held. At the recommendation of a resident physician, even a billiard table was purchased.

The Asylum was, however, plagued with difficulties, primarily due to overcrowding and financial inadequacies. In the early years the diet of the patients was inadequate, and scurvy was a relatively common disease.

Typhus and cholera epidemics afflicted the patients and staff alike in the 1860s. When Charles Dickens visited the United States in 1842, he was taken on a tour of the Black-well's Island Lunatic Asylum where he much admired the architecture, calling the building "handsome" and the Octagon an especially "elegant" feature; but he further commented in his American Notes (1842): "... everything (at the Asylum) had a lounging, listless, madhouse air which was very painful."

Through the perseverance of the resident physicians and other concerned New Yorkers, conditions were gradually improved. Additional buildings were constructed to ease overcrowding and to separate violent patients from less serious cases.

The facilities in general were made more pleasant and comfortable. By 1875 a contributor to Harper's Weekly magazine was able to write that "very few sane persons inhabit more healthy and convenient chambers."

In 1894 it had been determined that municipal facilities could no longer adequately care for the great numbers of indigent insane. Ward's Island also in the Hast River was consequently ceded to the State of New York, and all New York City mental patients were transferred to hospitals there.

The Lunatic Asylum was renamed Metropolitan Hospital and became a general hospital with special emphasis on the treatment of tubercular patients. In the 1950s the buildings on the island were abandoned for new quarters in Manhattan. By the late 1960s the island redevelopment project of the New York State Urban Development Corporation, threatened the old Asylum with demolition.

Fortunately it was decided, on the basis of. recommendations made by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and a report prepared by the noted architectural historian, Henry-Russell Hitchcock, to preserve the central Octagon, Demolition of the two wings which projected at right 'angles to the south and west was completed in 1970, and temporary preservation the measures were taken for the Octagon under the direction of the New York architect, Giorgio Cavaglieri, who also restored two other buildings on the island, the Blackwell House and the Chapel of the Good Shepherd.

The Octagon has a complicated history of alteration and modification., which has carefully traced by Jane B. Davies, an authority on the work of A.J. Davis. The original 1834-35 design by Davis was in what he termed the "Tuscan Style".

The Octagon was to have had a low-pitched hip roof with wide eaves and a central skylight. Construction of the Asylum had barely begun, however, when the City Council ordered work halted because of disagreements over the design.

In 1837 work was resumed, but Davis' great U-shaped plan was reduced to a single octagon joined to a single east-west wing. The upper portion of the Octagon was altered to include a crenelated cupola and the architectural detail was changed to the Greek Revival style. Davis had intended that the Octagon should house a kitchen and dining hall, day rooms, a laundry, and baths. It now became the administrative center and main entrance as well as the living quarters for the Resident Physician.

This phase of construction was completed in 1839, under the supervision of two master-builders, as Davis was apparently no longer associated with the project. In 1847-48 a north-south wing was built repeating the style of the earlier east-west wing. Architect Joseph M. Dunn was commissioned in 1879 to alter the Asylum.

He raised the wings one story in height and, to retain the visual prominence of the Octagon, added a dome-like convex mansard roof with neo-Grec detail. To further enhance the Octagon, a new main entrance was constructed with a double staircase.

The Octagon, executed in the gray "granite" (actually gray gneiss) quarried on the island in' the 19th century, is a smooth-walled, crisply faceted structure, relying for its dramatic effect on the clarity of its geometry and the boldness of its silhouette. The fenestration is especially notable as the earliest surviving example of the "Davisean window" ; paired windows appear at each floor, separated by heavy mullions and by simple stone transverse members, creating a very modern feeling of continuous verticality.

The main entrance of the Octagon, at first floor level, is approached by a double staircase of stone which was originally covered by a wooden porch, and has heavy wing walls adorned by recessed

the third floor by a simple projecting metal cornice with boldly scaled dentils and a paneled frieze beneath. At the center of the roof is the simple octagonal cupola surmounted by its dome-like octagonal roof.

This tall, convex mansard roof is crowned by a heavy cornice and pierced by two tiers of dormer windows. The rectangular windows are enframed by neo-Grec pilasters and pediments, and smaller dormers with oval windows appear above.

The plan of the Octagon is composed of a central rotunda surrounded by four rooms, separated by corridors which radiate outward. The rotunda contains a spiral staircase constructed of cast iron with wood Ionic columns encircling the high central stairwell -an especially beautiful space, described by Henry-Russell Hitchcock as one of the grandest interiors in the City.

Although the silhouette and proportions of the Octagon have been altered by the addition of Dunn's mansard dome, the major credit for the design of the structure may be assigned to Alexander Jackson Davis (1803-1892), a native New Yorker and highly successful architect, who worked throughout the United States.

In the early years of his career Davis was in partnership with the prominent architect Ithiel Town (1784-1844) with whom he designed the New York Customs House (now Federal Hall National Memorial), a designated New York City Landmark. During the period of his association with Town, Davis designed the Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum, as well as the State Capitols of Indiana, North Carolina, Illinois, and Ohio, the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, and the Patent Office in Washington D.C.

His commissions were, however, not limited solely to public buildings; he was also responsible for numerous commercial buildings, churches and domestic structures, and was the author of two books, Views of the Public Buildings in the City of New York (c, 1830) and Rural Residences 1837). While Davis was a highly competent practitioner of the Greek Revival style --in his early twenties he made an intensive study of Greek detail — he was also well versed in many other styles, as his original "Tuscan" design for the Lunatic Asylum demonstrates.

The architectural historian, Talbot Hamlin, has praised Davis' "consistent feeling for logical planning." The original symmetrical plan made by Davis for the New York City Lunatic Asylum took into account efficient supervision of patients, ease of circulation and ample provision for good lighting and ventilation in the wards.

Davis' plan was a variant of the influential "panoptic plan," which was centralized with radiating wings, developed in Great Britain by Jeremy Bentham (1742 -1832), a philosopher and jurist interested in prison reform. While only a portion of Davis' original proposal for the Lunatic Asylum was actually built, the plan still functioned very effectively. Davis' New York, City Asylum project was also significant in that it served as the prototype for his North Carolina Hospital for the Insane at Raleigh.

Dr. R.L. Parsons, Resident Physician of the Lunatic Asylum during the 1860s, remarked in his annual report of 1865 that the Octagon "has a symmetry, a beauty and a grandeur even, that are to be admired." These qualities arc still in evidence, not only to the visitor to Roosevelt Island, but also from Manhattan where the picturesque silhouette of the Octagon is a prominent feature of the island's skyline.

- From the 1976 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report

Rouken Glen by Marilyn Connor

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Rouken Glen Park is a historic park located next to Thornliebank, Giffnock and Newton Mearns.

It contains a range of features and facilities including the pavilion visitor centre which hosts various exhibitions throughout the year ranging from health awareness days to old photo exhibits of the park and surrounding areas, play area, walled garden, the Glen with its dramatic water falls and woodland paths, and a boating pond. There is also a garden centre, café and restaurant and art gallery located in the park.

Throughout the year the park hosts many events ranging from local Community Gala Days to national events like Armed Forces Day.

Information sign for our walk by Jackie & Dennis

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From the sign :-)

Tindaya - El Cotillo

This trail starts in the peaceful village of Tindaya and crosses the wide western plains of Fuerteventura, home to steppe birds like alcaraván (Burhinus oedicnemus) and hubara canaria (Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae).

As the silhouette of Montaña de Tindaya fades behind, the terrain becomes more rugged and wild.

The path leads through dry shrubland to the Barranco de Los Encantados, a striking ravine filled with paleodunes and fossil formations that tell the story of the island's wind-shaped past.

From there, the trail descends to the coast, passing Punta de Esquinzo and its dramatic cliffs, then continues along untouched beaches and dunes edged by volcanic malpaís.

The walk ends in El Cotillo, with its fishing-town charm and historic sites.

A diverse and immersive route for those seeking the full northwest experience: plains, coast, geology and open horizons.

Ravine of Los Encantados

The Barranco de los Encantados (Ravine of Los Encantados) is one of the most remarkable landscapes in northwest Fuerteventura.

Its name recalls ancient beliefs of mysterious presences, linked to small clouds said to appear around the summer solstice.

Beyond legend, the ravine preserves a fossil dune system over 100,000 years old. Declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2008, it stands out for its extraordinary geological and paleontological value, making it a unique place that deserves careful protection.

The trail reaches the coast near El Cotillo, where wide beaches such as Piedra Playa open out to the Atlantic.

Their golden sands and constant waves create a powerful natural setting, popular with surfers and walkers alike.

Entering the village reveals its seafaring origins, still evident in the calm atmosphere of the harbour and in the Torre del Tostón (18th century), a coastal fortification that today stands as a cultural landmark of the community.

Waterfall, near かずら橋 by Andrew Evans

The Iya Valley (祖谷渓谷 Iya Keikoku) region in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan is a scenic area known for its dramatic mountain valleys and old vine bridges. Although access has improved in recent years, the Iya Valley and the inner parts of Shikoku have historically been remote and difficult to enter, making them a favorite retreat for refugees and defeated warriors. Most notably, members of the Taira clan were rumored to have entered the area after losing the Genpei War to the Minamoto clan in the late 12th century.

Florence+The Machine by Omar Lanzetti

Fonte : Wikipedia

Florence and the Machine (styled as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band that formed in London in 2007, consisting of lead singer Florence Welch, Isabella Summers, and a collaboration of other artists. The band's music received praise across the media, especially from the BBC, which played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Introducing. At the 2009 Brit Awards they received the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" award. The band's music is renowned for its dramatic and eccentric production and also Welch's powerful vocal performances.

The band's debut studio album, Lungs, was released on 6 July 2009, and held the number-two position for its first five weeks on the UK Albums Chart. On 17 January 2010, the album reached the top position, after being on the chart for twenty-eight consecutive weeks.As of October 2010, the album had been in the top forty in the United Kingdom for sixty-five consecutive weeks, making it one of the best-selling albums of 2009 and 2010. The group's second studio album, Ceremonials, released in October 2011, entered the charts at number one in the UK and number six in the US. The band's third album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, was released on 2 June 2015. It topped the UK charts, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, their first to do so. The album reached number one in a total of eight countries and the top ten of twenty. Also in 2015, the band was the headlining act at Glastonbury Festival, making Florence Welch the first British female headliner this century.

Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul. Lungs won the Brit Award for Best British Album in 2010. Florence and the Machine has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album. Additionally, the band performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert

Snæfellsnes by Sergio Thor Miernik

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The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a region in western Iceland known for its dramatic landscapes. At its western tip, Snæfellsjökull National Park is dominated by Snæfellsjökull Volcano, which is topped by a glacier. Nearby, a trail leads through lava fields to black-pebble Djúpalónssandur Beach. In Stykkishólmur fishing village, the 19th-century wood-frame Norwegian House is a regional museum with a craft shop.

Barsana Monastery - Maramures - Romania by Rita Willaert

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Barsana Monastery - Maramures - Romania

Barsana Monastery - -

Barsana monastery, one of the main attractions in Maramures, Romania

When UNESCO designated parts of the Maramures Region in Northern Transylvania a WORLD HERITAGE site, it was aimed at protecting the stylized wooden architecture and its dramatic vernacular. Of particular appeal are the tall spires of orthodox churches that dot the area. One of these is the recently constructed Barsana Monastery complex - actually a convent with sixteen nuns. Created in post-Communist years on the site of a church abandoned in 1790, the complex has become a significant cultural and religious attraction. Its 56 meter-tall (180 feet) spired church is reputedly the tallest wooden structure in Europe.

www.flickr.com/photos/wwwdragos/7614653774/in/set-7215762...

Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire by Martin Beek

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Flowers for the Bard...

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) is rightly regarded and honoured as the greatest writer of the English language, and as the world's preeminent dramatist. He wrote approximately 38 plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems. Already popular in his own lifetime, Shakespeare became more famous after his death and his work was adulated by many prominent cultural figures through the centuries.He is often considered to be England's national poet and is sometimes referred to as the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard")or the "Swan of Avon".

Holy Trinity Church,

We visited Stratford upon Avon this weekend: this being the season of Shakespeare’s birthday on 23rd April. His grave in the chancel, which is an enormous tourist attraction. The bard was buried there in 1616 an honour bestowed upon him and his family as a “lay rector” of Holy Trinity church on the banks of the Avon. Just above the site on the north wall is a demi-figure bust of William Shakespeare by Gerard Johnson, erected within seven years of his death by his wife and friends. Pevsner states that the monument succeeded in making bard look like a self satisfied school master.This is similar to many other monuments dedicated to scholars and academics from this period, we have a few such memorials here in Oxford. The bust is probably (along with the well known engraved folio portrait) is likely to be the best likeness we have of England’s beloved son. Beneath this wall monument is the actual tomb (this weekend festooned with garlands and flowers from all corners of the earth)…upon it is written the famous curse “Bleste be the man that spares these stones, and curst be he that moves my bones.” Nearby is the old font in which he probably was baptized and the register of births and deaths. Although for most people visiting Shakespeare’s church the grave and the monuments and mementoes are the most important points; it should be said that this chancel is really only second to The Beauchamp chapel at nearby Warwick St Mary, for its dramatic space and magnificence.

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REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE METIS

Beautiful flowers at Reford Gardens.

Papaver orientale, the Oriental poppy, is a perennial flowering plant native to the Caucasus, northeastern Turkey, and northern Iran.

Oriental poppies grow a mound of leaves that are hairy and finely dissected in spring. They gather energy and bloom in mid-summer. After flowering the foliage dies away entirely, a property that allows their survival in the summer drought of Central Asia. Gardeners can place late-developing plants nearby to fill the developing gap.

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaver_orientale

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