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Grey Point Fort (map reference J45698325) is a battery located at Helen's Bay on the south side of Belfast Lough. It was part of the defences of Belfast.
Construction of the battery began in 1904, with the guns mounted by 1907.[1] The construction of the battery and another battery on the opposite side of the Lough at Kilroot was noted by the Owen Report of 1905.[2]
The battery was armed with two 6-inch Mark VII Breech loading guns. During the First World War additional buildings were constructed to provide accommodation for men of Kitchener's Army. Following the war, the battery remained in use with two coastal defence search lights being installed in 1936.
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The Perito Moreno Glacier, a declared UNESCO World Heritage site is located 78km west of El Calafate in the Santa Cruz region of Patagonian Argentina and is is one of 48 glaciers in Patagonian Argentina and Chile.
The Perito Moreno Glacier covers an area of 255 square km, is 30km long and 5km wide, 50 to 70m above lake level and about 100m below. At its deepest point, the ice is 700 m thick, although the average is much less at approximately 170m.
Without doubt this massive glacier was one of the most accessible and visually stunning natural phenomenons I have seen anywhere in the world.
My first sight of the glacier at Curva de Los Suspiros lookout belied its massive size but when I finally got up close to the southern ice face in Brazo Rico in a cruise boat I was absolutely stunned by its sheer enormity. That was just the start of the experience and after the cruise we traveled a short distance around the Magallanes Peninsula to the lengthy boardwalk viewing platform where panoramic viewing of the eastern and northern terminus faces was possible. From the boardwalk one could see and hear massive chunks of ice calving off the glacier as it moved inexorably forward at a rate reported to be around 1.5 to 2m per day.
At the time of my visit in March 2003 the Perito Moreno Glacier was one of the few glaciers in the world that was considered stable, ie. not retreating. Both the Upsala and San Rafael Glaciers which I also visited in South America were clearly, by comparison dramatically receding.
The interesting thing about the Perito Moreno Glacier is that at times, after of a lot of ice buildup, the glacier terminus actually reaches land at the tip of the Magallanes Peninsula. When this happens the ice buildup completely blocks Brazo Rico damming it off from the northern Canal de Temanos, causing Lago Argentino to be divided into two distinct water bodies with the southern water body, Brazo Rico's water volume rising as much as 25-30m higher than the water level in the northern Canal de Tempanos.
Eventually the water finds a weak point, a rupture occurs, and water under great pressure crashes through from Brazo Rico into Canal de Tempanos in one massive and no doubt spectacular flooding event which of course is eagerly awaited by Glaciologists, TV news crews and tourists alike. This rupture event has tended to occur about once every 4-5 years. The last such rupture event occurred on January 19, 2013, and previously, March 4, 2012, 2008, 2006, 2004, 1988, 1986, 1980, 1977, 1975, 1972, 1970, 1966, 1963, 1960, 1956, 1953, 1952, 1947, 1940, 1934 and 1917. Wikipedia
So mesmerized was this monster glacier was I that I almost failed to allocate enough time to actually photograph it. I spent considerable time just walking up and down the long boardwalk, completely captivated by the awesomeness of the ice landscape in my view, listening to its constant rumbling sounds and becoming completely immersed in the sheer wonder of it all.
Ghoulie Manor
Located inside the Silver City Galleria
Taunton, Massachusetts
Haunted House
Address: Silver City Galleria, 2 Galleria Mall Dr, Taunton, MA 02780
Phone:(508) 591-3327
August 28th, 2015
I was asked to shoot the incredible displays being put together at the legendary Ghoulie Manor in the Silver City Galleria in Taunton, MA. I haven't seen such a dedicated group of artists like this in a while. Halloween sure does bring out the creative side of many.
"The Legend of Ghoulie Manor
No one knows exactly when or how the respected Goulet family, an admired fixture in the community since the early 19th century, became the object of dread and suspicion that it is today. Those brave or curious enough to pursue the matter have never been heard from again. Some speculate that those who got their answers fled, horrified, as far away as they could. The less fortunate meddlers, it's said, never saw the light of day again. Most right-thinking people would just as soon as not pursue the matter, lest they find themselves sharing the same end.
What is known, though, is that the family's reputation devolved rapidly, so that the local children, adept at name-calling as children are, started calling the place “Ghoulie” Manor, as opposed to the refined and correct “Goulet.” One cannot even ask those children who started the name-calling, as each eventually disappeared without a trace.
As the years passed, each successive generation of Goulets became more secretive, their deeds more sinister. Rumors of disappearances and black magic began making the rounds among the local gossips. Some wagging tongues say the family is nothing but a bunch of gangsters, or a pack of grave-robbers, which makes the name “Ghoulie”all the more fitting. Others say they're sorcerers, or necromancers, or a group of mad scientists, performing unholy experiments on each other. It seems that no sin, mundane or magical, is left out when talking about Ghoulie Manor's inhabitants.
And while it's easy to dismiss such talk as mere idle stories, no one can explain why the entire place radiates an aura of unsettling unwholesomeness. Dogs, cats, and horses instinctively shy away from the place and avoid the grounds. Smaller, less aware animals like squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks are often found dead within the boundaries of the property, no marks of violence evident. Even birds that fly over the house wind up dead, cold and stiff, lying on the manor's corrupt ground.
Modern technology is not immune to the ruinous atmosphere of Ghoulie Manor. There are reports of watches stopping, radios broadcasting nothing but static, car batteries failing, compasses not pointing north, and phones losing their connections. Something is clearly wrong within the decaying property.
Yes, something unholy lurks in Ghoulie Manor, and its family members, both living and dead, remain ensconced behind the moldering walls of the old house, guarding those secrets, waiting, and watching. No one knows what they want, or why they remain so insular and sinister. What are they hiding? Is it the sins of the past or evil deeds yet to be unleashed on an unsuspecting community?
Be warned: any who seek to plumb the dark depths of Ghoulie Manor for answers end up only with madness, horror, and an unmarked grave. Nothing can pry those secrets from the skeletal death grip of the family. And yet, nothing lasts forever. Perhaps you are the one who finally masters the secret, instead of the other way around. Savor one last breath of clean wholesome air before you enter, for it may be your last."
SOURCE: www.ghouliemanor.com/about.html
Located at 109 East Main Street in Medirden, this commercial building features storefront elements manufactured by Mesker Bros. Iron Works of Saint Louis.
Meriden is located to the south of Valley Falls in western Jefferson County (northeast of Topeka).
Located between Northcote and Croxton, the Northcote yard on right which was largley intact here, is now occupied by multi level residental units.
Mackinac Island, Michigan, is a beautiful island. Located in the Straits of Mackinac, it's about 8-9 miles in circumference.
There's the actual town of Mackinac Island, where the ships dock. Since 1898 (I think), there have been no motorized vehicles allowed on the island (for consumer use, at least) as they scared the horses.
Your modes of transportation are one of three:
1. Horse (and carriage) as a taxi, personal rental, or part of a tour (for about $30/adult). Or, just rent a horse for $50/hour/horse.
2. Bicycles. For rental all over the place in town.
3. Your two feet.
The town of Mackinac Island. Its Main Street -- the first thing you see after passing under the portico from any of the ferries -- is actually Huron Street. One parallel street behind, you have Market Street. There are a number of other streets in the town, too, all easily walkable (obviously). Since this is basically a tourist resort, you'll find about 80% of the establishments in town fall into one of the following categories: fudge shops (12 different companies have fudge shops here), bed & breakfasts, bike rentals, or restaurants (pizzeria, bar/saloon/burger joint). The only eyesore on the island is a Starbucks. It disgusts me to no end. If you intend to spend the night on the island, be prepared to have your wallet lightened substantially, especially in season (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
For overnight accommodations, the most famous place on the island is the Grand Hotel, which has the longest covered porch of any building in the world (660 ft./200 meters). It'll set you back over $400/night. There's no air conditioning. It was built in 1887 and is perfectly imperfect. They finished it in three months. Even to wander the grounds, you have to pay $10 per their signage. On a sunny summer day, it's beautiful, especially with all of the flags flying along the porch. If you aren't inclined to pay through the nose here, the B&Bs, during summer, would probably set you back around $300/night, but don't quote me on that. (The more frugal folks -- like me -- stay in Mackinaw City, slightly expensive, but reasonable, and take day trips to the island.
Speaking of "in season," Mackinac Island has less than 500 year-round residents. Yet, I think they clear 2 million tourists a year. The majority of them come from May-September.
To support that massive influx, there are 600 horses on the island in summer, but only about 200 stay on for winter.
More than the horses, they can't survive without a temporary summer workforce. On the island (and also in Mackinaw City and possibly St. Ignace), you'll find the majority of summer workers are eastern European. They stay until the end of September. This year, I bumped into Turkish, Polish, Montenegran, Serbian, Kosovan, and I'm not sure which other nationalities. Expect to meet some incredibly friendly and happy Europeans.
What's the history of this area? Recent (1600-now), is about all most people focus on. It was originally Native American land, then the French arrived, followed by Brits, and finally Americans.
As a result, there are forts around. Michilimackinac (in Mackinaw City) was the first fort, from the Brits, then Americans. Then the Brits relocated to the island (more strategic) and built Fort Mackinac. While at Fort Mackinac, they also decided to build a more rudimentary fort on the highest ground on the island: Fort George (which the Americans renamed Fort Holmes).
The forts were eventually in the Americans' hands and Fort Mackinac was garrisoned until 1895. So here's your fun trivia: Yellowstone National Park was the first national park created in the U.S. (and world) in 1872. The second national park in the U.S.? Mackinac Island, actually.
The island was a national park (as the parks were actually administered by the military prior to the creation of the Department of the Interior & National Park Service) and it was maintained as a national park until 1895 when the federal government trimmed back a bit and stopped having an active presence on the island. (At this point, the island went to the state and the entire island is now basically Mackinac State Park.)
As it's a state park, you'll find the majority of the island is actually natural -- lots of woods and beautiful walks and trails. Should you have a little wanderlust to get away from the town, you'll find the following:
1. A small airport in the middle of the island.
2. Two 9 hole golf courses (Jewel & Wawashkamo), though you could be creative and call it one where the front and back nine are a bit away from each other.
3. Cemeteries: Protestant, Catholic, and Military. (The military cemetery is one of only 5 in the nation that are permitted to fly flags at half mast year-round due to the unknown soldiers buried here.)
4. Hiking trails that lead to Fort Holmes, Skull Cave, Arch Rock, and other areas on the interior. (Skull Cave is very underwhelming in its current condition, though its history is interesting.)
Among the buildings in town that don't fall into one of the generic categories mentinoed above, you'll find at least 4 churches, the old fur trading store, a police station, a U.S. post office, a school, an old county courthouse (not current as Michilimackinac County no longer exists), an art museum, and a yacht club.
Fort Mackinac, by the way, is actually in town and the price of admission is $13.50 as of this writing. They have soldiers in period uniforms do weapons demonstrations (rifle, cannon), and have all of the buildings maintained to the time of its use (1875-95 or so). Some of the views of the town, Marquette Park, and cove with its two lighthouses are nice. Is it worth $13.50? I don't think so, but hey...if you're only here once, you ought to have a look, especially if the weather's nice and sunny.
During the summer, you'll find that June is the best time to come for flowers -- so many lilacs that the air smells more like flowers than horses. There are also the two boat regattas (Port Huron to Mackinac & Chicago to Mackinac) that end here in the straits. I believe those are in May or June.
All in all, there's a good reason that Mackinac Island is usually voted one of the ten best summer getaways in the country. It's unforgettable and, more than that, it's relaxing. Even with the excessive crowds. I know I haven't covered everything, but it's certainly enough to give you a good idea.
The Think Tank located within the Brayford Enterprise Park, on the historically important site used for the prototype testing of the original military tank.
The tank affiliation has informed the design and name of the building, as well as all the signage and building logo. One elevation has track-like staggered walls replicating tank treads, whilst the main entrance elevation has the curves and rivets that emulate a tank turret. In addition the choice of Rockpanel Chameleon as the exterior cladding gives the building a multi-coloured, camouflage-like quality that changes its tone from greens, bronze and black according to daylight levels.
With the University of Lincoln’s future expansion the Think Tank is set to be part of the University’s campus. On Ruston Way, Lincoln, Lincolnshire.
Located in the south of Kiev, this place is generally known as Kitaevo monastery or hermitage. The name Kitaevo apparently is derived from the Turkic word China, referring to a wall, a fortification, a fortress, or a siege tower. Apparently it has nothing to do with China, though.
Le Suquet is the old quarter of Cannes, probably best known to tourists as the climbing, winding cobbled lane lined with local restaurants, Rue St Antoine. Le Suquet contains a clock tower and church that sit highfacing east overlooking the Bay of Cannes and Cannes itself. At the bottom of Le Suquet on Rue Dr. P. Gazagnaire is the market Forville, where the market is held in the mornings and early afternoon.
This area is the original fishermans' residential area of Cannes. The houses are all very old. The streets were laid out at least 400 years ago. It is a 5-minute walk from the beach and is full of restaurants around the Rue Saint Antoine and the Rue du Suquet. A lot of the area is pedestrianised and is a major tourist attraction for visitors to Cannes. The rue du Suquet is the original main road into Cannes. It came in below the walls of the castle (very good for defence). Ironically it is a pedestrian street again but full of good quality gourmet restaurants
From prehistory to the modern period
The medieval castle and tower of the XI th century.
Le Suquet hill is the origin of the city of Cannes. Upon the ancient tribes of Ligurian occupy the site, which is a strategic location to install a oppidum overlooking both the bay and inland. Peaking at 66 m, is this high place of the original settlement which gave its name to the town, the term Ligurian Canoa meaning "high" or "peak".
In the Middle Ages , the power of the counts of Provence is based on the fortifications that serve both to protect themselves from attacks from the sea to show his power to the people and the local nobility, unwilling to accept the order feudal one . These strongholds, is at the top of the hill of Le Suquet, a Castellum Marcellini ("Castle Marcellin"). William I st the Liberator after his hand resumed county of Provence , gives, in 960, which was only a very modest castrum to Rodoard 2 , head of a branch of the powerful family of the house of Grasse , with the fief of Antibes Cannes which is part a reward for his loyalty.
Around the year 1030 Gruette William, eldest son of Rodoard, enter orders and sells part of his land to the abbey of Lérins . The deed of gift is also the act of creation of the territory that would become the town of Cannes. He mentions a castle on the hill Suquet, in the center of a new urban area that grows . The act of 1030 still refers to a port that was really just a beach. Reads: From Portu Canue , most authentic form, from the word Ligurian Canoa meaning "high" or "peak" and referring to the ancient place of human occupation on the hill Suquet.
In 1080, the abbot of Lérins Aldebert II began the building of the great tower of Suquet to put the site safe from attacks by corsairs and Saracens . In 1131, the donation is confirmed by the Count of Provence, note that the Pope will seal itself. "The Count says our free city and free of all charges. She became a "free" land. This means that it does not pay taxes and they will pay taxes ... comtaux others. ". A signaling system by lights from the tower of the fortified monastery of Lérins Abbey and that of Suquet installed in 1327. The tower of Suquet is not completed until three centuries later in 1365 by Father Jean de Thornafort . With its twenty two meters high it can monitor the bay of Cannes.
In 1178, the Castellum Marcellini takes the name of Castellum Francum (Frankish castle). We see developing a real home with a feudal castle, houses, a hospital, churches, Notre-Dame-du-Puy, who, after the construction of Our Lady of Hope , will become the Chapel of St. Anne . This site is therefore a castrum , that is to say, a fortified village, grouped around the castle (now museum Castre ). A tight frame is observed around the castle and the church, on the ridge and down the slopes to the east and north especially, away from the ramparts: the barrier . A single source of fresh water flows at the foot of Le Suquet. Village activities are agriculture (wheat, olives) and fishing strictly regulated. The commercial dynamism is closely related to port activity and rich market town of Grasse who exports its fabrics and leathers.
In 1447 the inhabitants are free commune to escape the grip of the abbots of Lérins. The construction of the church of Our Lady of Hope is undertaken in the XVI th century. The XVIII th and XIX th centuries sanitation and road works leading to the destruction of part of the walls and many houses to allow Italy piercing of the road, the present Rue Georges Clemenceau, and the Mont Chevalier Street. At the end of the XIX th century Suquet population is enriched by the arrival of Italian immigrants, mainly from Piedmont. Two new roads are open, framing the Forville market recently established the streets of Dr. Pierre-Garzagnaire and Louis Blanc. The castle, partly destroyed, sold as national property during the Revolution became, in 1878, a ceramic factory "The Mont Chevalier art pottery". In 1919, the town of Cannes installs the Musée de la Castre .
The contemporary Suquet
The door of the Forville market .
The hill is sandwiched between the boulevard Victor Tuby north the street from Dr. Pierre-Gazagnaire to the east and the loop of the Georges Clemenceau Street to the south and west. At the heart of the neighborhood, its medieval streets sloping meander around the citadel. Its main shopping street, the Rue Saint-Antoine , restaurants street DEVALLE the hill from the streets of Le Suquet and leads to the St. Peter pier and promenade Pantiero where is the Hotel de Cannes behind which animates the Forville market . In between, the Meynadier Street , crossed by Pierre-Gazagnaire streets and Louis Blanc , heads east to the area of the Croisette . A helipad is located at the foot of Le Suquet, at the end of the pier of the Old Port . The forecourt of the church of Our Lady of Hope hosts summer concerts of musical evenings of Le Suquet . The Castre Museum , located in the gardens of the fortress dominated by the tower of Suquet exhibited in the rooms of the old castle and its Chapel of St. Anne its primitive art collections, Mediterranean antiquities, paintings landscapes and musical instruments in the world.
The tower of Suquet , the Chapel of St. Anne and the Church of Our Lady of Hope , located on the Place de la Castre at the top of the hill Suquet are classified MH by order of July 28, 1937.
Located in the Foleshill district to the north of the city. The Foleshill Palace was opened on 18th October 1911. It was built for and operated by Charles Orr who went on to operate a small local chain of cinemas in the city. Seating was provided for 450 on a single raked level. It was renamed Grand Picture Palace on 20th December 1911. In 1919 the building was enlarged to seat 900.
In 1928 it was enlarged again, and with the addition of a balcony could seat 1,600. A tea room and waiting lounge had also been added, and it had been equipped with a ‘grand organ’. It re-opened still as a silent cinema on 22nd November 1928. In March 1929 it was equipped with a Western Electric(WE) sound system.
In 1934 it was re-named Regal Cinema and the screen was brought forward of the stage, reducing the seating capacity to 1,016, and leaving unused 600 seats and the original silent screen painted on the rear wall all hidden from view. In March 1939 it was taken over by Oscar Deutsch and became part of his Odeon Theatres Ltd. chain.
The Regal Cinema was closed by the Rank Organisation on 26th November 1960. The auditorium was soon demolished and a workshop was built on the site. The façade was re-modelled, removing the original decorative tiles, and the foyer/front section of the building became a Sketchley dry cleaners.
This is located in Taylors, South Carolina in the Taylors Fire and Rescue Department's workshop/storage. The fire and rescue department is not selling or scrapping this siren. They are refurbishing it and will be put back into service for use as a tornado siren. This siren is probably being refurbished now. Before this siren was removed from service, it was used to alert drivers to clear the intersection (same thing like an emergency traffic signal would do) when fire and rescue department responds to a call.
Located on Mutley Plain in Plymouth in the middle of a roundabout, the Hyde Park was closed for a while in 2013 but was saved following a campaign and returned as a microbrewery brewing one ale and serving four other real ales. These are three from the Dartmoor Brewery and a guest. Didn't pop in this time but the interior is a wonder to behold full of 70s advertising and memorabilia. This was one of the first pubs I started drinking at in the 1970s, the other being the Archer due to their proximity to the railway station.
whatpub.com/pubs/PLY/A-01-75/hyde-park-plymouth
The Hyde Park made national headlines a few years back. Read on -
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/morris-dancers-barred-pub-b...
- Onofrio's Fountain -
Located at the open space right to Pile gate designed by Onofrio della Cava from Naples.
When you enter through either the Pile Gate or the Ploce Gate at the western and eastern ends of the Stradun respectively, the first thing that you will see is one of two Onofrio fountains in Old Town, which were constructed beginning in 1438 so that visitors could wash away the possibility of carrying plague into the city before they entered. The fountains, designed by Italian hydro-engineer Onofrio della Cava and architect Pietro di Martino, provide clean, cold water via an aqueduct from the Dubrovnik River (Rijeka Dubrovacka), 11km (7 miles) away, but the fountains' efficacy as germ killers is questionable. This larger fountain at the Pile Gate looks like a giant sectioned vat with a dome; it delivers cold water from 16 carved stone heads that ring the structure's lower third. The 16 heads are all that is left of the fountain's stone ornamentation after the 1667 quake and the 1991-92 siege. Water from the Luza Square fountain flows through a more ornate device with detailed sculpture work. Many people fill their water bottles and soak their bandannas in the fountains' cold water, especially in summer when Dubrovnik is steamy.
- St. Saviour Church -
The Renaissance-Gothic facade of St. Saviour Church faces the larger Onofrio fountain between the Pile Gate and the Franciscan Monastery at Stradun.
St. Saviour was built in the early 16th century by Petar Andrijic of Korcula and it is one of the few structures not damaged in the 1667 quake. Some say it was influenced by Sibenik's UNESCO World Heritage cathedral. It is certain, however, that St. Saviour influenced several Dalmatian churches, most notably the cathedral of Hvar. St. Saviour's is no longer used for Mass. The church's interior appears to have been recently restored, as the marble and ceiling paintings are quite bright and clean looking.
The church was built by the order of the local Senate in gratitude that the town had been spared from destruction in the earthquake that hit Dubrovnik in that time. The monumental inscription above the main entrance on the front facade testifies to this. Construction started in 1520 on project by the architect Petar Andrijich of Korchula. The building was completed in 1528.
The church has one nave with a Gothic-cross-ribbed vault. The lateral windows are also Gothic with the typical pointed arches. Nevertheless, the main facade with the Renaissance elements on the portal and the three-leaf semicircular top as well as the semicircular apse reveal a recognizable Renaissance style.
In 1667 Dubrovnik was overtaken again by a strong earthquake. This time there was considerable collapse throughout the town. Happily, the church of the Saviour withstood the disaster so it can be seen today in its original form as a fine example of the town's harmonious Renaissance architecture.
- Franciscan Monastery -
Franciscan Monastery is built in the transitional Romanesque-Gothic style. The construction started in 1337. In 1667 it was completely destroyed in the Great Earthquake. The door with Pieta at Stradun is the only thing left from the original church after it has been rebuilt. The Cluster of the Franciscan Monastery is considered to be a masterpiece of architecture in Dubrovnik. It was built in Romanesque-Gothic style by the famous Mihoje Brajkov from Bara. The capitals are a true example of Romanesque style, with bestiary motives bringing the spirit of Gothic as well.
Pieta at the church of Male braèe - gothic sculpture done by Leonard and Petar Petrovic (1498). The lofty interior of the monastery (reputed once to have had ceiling paintings by Titian) was reconstructed after the Great Earthquake of 1667. The original Gothic-top of the bell tower was also lost and replaced with an octagonal cupola (height 44m).
The Old Pharmacy, located inside the Franciscan monastery, was opened in 1317. It is the third oldest pharmacy in Europe, but the only one still working. The inventories, ceramics, bowls, laboratory equipment and old medical books of the old Pharmacy are kept in the Franciscan Monastery Museum, among other highly valued and priceless objects of Dubrovnik's historic and cultural past.
The Franciscan monastery's library possesses 30,000 volumes, 22 incunabula, 1,500 valuable handwritten documents. The well-labeled exhibits include a 15th century silver-gilt cross and silver thurible, an 18th century crucifix from Jerusalem in mother-of-pearl on olive wood, an martyrology (1541) by Bemardin Gucetic (Gozze) and illuminated Psalters.
Among the pictures is one of Rudjer Boskovic painted in London in 1760, and a painting showing the town before the earthquake. This painting is one of the very few ones that show the Old Town before the earthquake and is used to reconstruct and understand how Dubrovnik was build before the catastrophe in 1667.
The kanchi Kailasanathar temple is the oldest structure in Kanchipuram. Located in Tamil Nadu, India, it is a Hindu temple in the Dravidian architectural style. It is dedicated to the Lord Shiva, and is known for its historical importance. The temple was built from 685-705AD by a Rajasimha ruler of the Pallava Dynasty. The low-slung sandstone compound contains a large number of carvings, including many half-animal deities which were popular during the early Dravidian architectural period. The structure contains 58 small shrines which are dedicated to various forms of Shiva. These are built into niches on the inner face of the high compound wall of the circumambulatory passage. The temple is one the most prominent tourist attractions of the city.
GEOGRAPHY
The temple is located on the banks of the Vedavathi River at the western limits of the Kanchipuram. It faces east. Its location, demarcated according to the religious faiths, is in one of three "Kanchis", the Shiva Kanchi; the other two Kanchis are, Vishnu Kanchi and Jain Kanchi. It is 75 kilometres from the Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. Kailasanathar is one of several notable temples in Kanchipuram, the others being Ekambaranatha, Kachapeshwarar, Kamakshi Amman, Kumarakottam Temple, and Varadaraja Perumal.
HISTORY
The Kailasanathar Temple (meaning:“Lord of the Cosmic Mountain”), is built in the tradition of Smartha worship of Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya (Sun), Ganapathi and Kartikeya, in Hinduism, a practice which replaced the Buddhism.
Temple construction is credited to the Pallava dynasty, who had established their kingdom with Kanchipuram (also known as "Kanchi" or "Shiva Vishnu Kanchi") as the capital city, considered one of the seven sacred cities under Hinduism. There was an interregnum when the Chalukya rulers defeated the Pallavas and occupied Kanchipuram. However, the Pallavas regained their territory and started expanding their capital city of Kanchipuram and built many temples of great magnificence. The only temple of this period which is extant is the Kailsahanathar Temple.
The temple was built during 685-705AD. It is the first structural temple built in South India by Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha), and who is also known as Rajasimha Pallaveswaram. His son, Mahendravarman III, completed the front façade and the gopuram (tower). Prior temples were either built of wood or hewn into rock faces in caves or on boulders, as seen in Mahabalipuram. The Kailasanathar temple became the trend setter for other similar temples in South India. According to local belief, the temple was a safe sanctuary for the rulers of the kingdom during wars. A secret tunnel, built by the kings, was used as an escape route and is still visible.
The temple has gone by other names such as Kachipettu Periya Thirukatrali (meaning: Stone Temple of Kachipettu, the old name for the present day Kanchipuram) when Rajaraja Chola I of the Chola Dynasty paid a visit to this temple. Inspired by the architecture of this temple, he built the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur. Currently, Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple has retained the Pallava architecture in its original stylized form with influence of the later styles developed by the Chola Dynasty and Vijayanagara Emperors. It is of stone built architecture unlike the rock cut architecture built into hallowed caves or carved into rock outcrops as in Mahabalipuram. The tall gopuram (tower) is to the left and the temple complex is to the right. The temple's foundations are made of granite, which could withstand the weight of the temple, while the super structure including the carvings are all made of sandstone. Initially, only the main sanctuary existed with pyramidal vimana and a detached mandapa (main hall). The temple complex is complete in all respects as it has garbagriha (sanctum sanctorum), antarala (inner enclosure), mandapa, a high compound wall, and an entrance gate, the gopuram. The mandapa, which was initially detached, was made part of the main shrine by interposing an ardhamantapa (smaller hall). The pillars of the mandapa have the repetitive features of mythical lion mounts.The structure has a simple layout with a tower or shikara at the center of the complex. The shikara of the temple, above the main shrine (sanctum sanctorum), is square in plan and rises up in a curvilinear style or pyramidal shape. The tower has many levels rising proportionately. At the top of this tower, there is a small roof in the shape of a dome. The pillar elements with mythical animal shapes (lions on the base) are extra features in Pallava style. At the entrance, the gopuram walls are plastered. Its entrance wall has eight small shrines and a gopura, precursor to the main gopura. At some later stage, the mandapa and the sanctuary were joined by an intermediate hall called the ardhamantapa, which is reported to have marred the beauty of the temple to some extent. The temple is enclosed within walls in a rectangular layout.
SHRINES
The main shrine has a 16 sided Shivalinga in black granite stone deified in the sanctum sanctorum. Within the walls of the main shrine there is padabhanda adhisthana (main pedestal) with very elegantly carved images of gods with a sculpted Nandi, a little distance away giving guard to the deity. On each face of the outer walls of the main shrine there are many carvings of gods and goddesses. In the south facing wall the sculpture depicts Shiva as Umamaheshavara with Varaha (incarnation of Vishnu as a boar) raising the linga, flanked by Brahma and Vishnu and flying amaras at the lower level. The west facing hall has sculptures of Shiva in the form of Sandhya Tandavamurti and Urdhava Tandvamurti and the ensemble is completed with images of ganas in dancing poses and also with images of Brahma, Vishnu, Nandi and Parvathi. The carving of Shiva on the north facing wall is a composition of Tripurantaka flanked by three ganas, goddess Durga with three ganas, and Bhairavi, Kaushiki and Jyestha. The exterior faces of the vimana (tower) have images of Bhikshatana, Somaskanda and Shiva in Samhara-Tandava (destructive dancing) pose. In the inner walls of the prakara (circumabulatory passage) there is galaxy of images of Durga, Skanda, Bhavati, Tripurantaka, Garudarudha-Vishnu, Asura Samhara (slaying of demons), Narasimha Vishnu (Vishnu in the incarnation of lion faced man), Trivikrama, Shiva Tandava (Shiva in a dancing pose), Shiva severing the fifth head of Brahma, desecration of Yagna of Daksha, Brahma and his wife, Gangadhara, Urdhava tandava, Vishnu flanked by Bhudevi and Sridevi, Lingodhbava (emergence of linga), Bhikshatana, Ravana, and Vali offering prayers to Atmalinga Chandikeshvara. Vimana's south facing wall has very elegant image of Shiva in a sitting posture of peace and quietude known as Dakhshinamurti, and its west wall has Shiva in the form of Lingodhbava.
The tower has multiple shrines embodied on all its external faces which have the appearance of miniature shrines. These shrines have three features, the sala (rectangular), kuta (square) and panjara (apsidal) styles. Eight small shrines also decorate the entrance wall. The 58 small shrines are built into the niches of the compound wall that encloses the main shrine; they depict Somaskanada reliefs of Shiva and his consort Parvathi in many dance forms.
OTHER FEATURES
The outstanding feature of sculptures is the profusion of depiction of the erect lions projecting out in several directions. There are two sculptures of Shiva here which are seen holding the Veena (musical string instrument) in the hand. There is a lot of difference between the Veena found in the said sculptures and the present day Veena. There are also beautiful sculptures of Mathahvialasa Prakshanam. The temple also has the earliest stone inscription records of the twenty eight Saivagamas (Shaiva saints) in which the Pallava King Rajasimhavarman states his faith in Shaivism. The murals on the inner walls are well preserved.
CIRCUMAMBULATORY PASSAGE
A circumambulatory passage, with a symbolic meaning is situated along the compound wall. In order to make the circumambulation, there is a narrow entry passage which devotees must crawl through. Seven steps must be climbed in order to reach the passage. Passing through the narrow passage is indicative of passage through life. After the circumambulation, the exit is through a pit or another narrow passage symbolic of death. It is believed that making the circumambulation round the various deities would usher the same blessings as visiting paradise.
FESTIVAL
Maha Shivaratri is the biggest festival held in the temple when thousand of devotees throng the temple in the evening hours to offer prayers to the main deity.
WIKIPEDIA
Located at the crossroads of the Cascade, Klamath, and Siskiyou mountain ranges, scientists have long recognized the outstanding ecological values of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The convergence of three geologically distinct mountain ranges resulted in an area with remarkable biological diversity. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail meanders 19 miles through the monument, offering challenging hikes with stunning views.
Photo by Bob Wick, BLM
Located in the village of Damsholte on the island of Møn. It is the only village church in the country built in the Rococo style. and is considered to be one of Denmark's finest Rococo buildings. Built in 1741-43.
Catalina Island is located 26 miles off the coast of Southern California. It is part of Los Angeles county and has a small town know as Avalon where most people dock at. You can take a plane or a boat, depending on the way of travel it can take 1 to 4 hrs to get there. We traveled out of Newport Beach in Orange County on a Catamaran called the Catalina Flyer. The trip was just over an 1hr. It moved pretty good. Avalon is a quiet little town with a tourist flare. Not a lot to do there but a nice relaxing day.
Arbour Hill Prison is a prison and military cemetery located in the Arbour Hill area near Heuston Station.
The military cemetery is the burial place of 14 of the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. Among those buried there are Patrick Pearse, James Connolly and Major John MacBride. The leaders were executed in Kilmainham Gaol and their bodies were transported to Arbour Hill for burial.
The graves are located under a low mound on a terrace of Wicklow granite in what was once the old prison yard. The grave site is surrounded by a limestone wall on which the names are inscribed in Irish and English. On the prison wall opposite the grave site is a plaque with the names of other people who were killed in 1916.
The prison was designed by Sir Joshua Jebb and Frederick Clarendon and opened on its present site in 1848, to house military prisoners.
The adjoining Church of the Sacred Heart, which is the prison chapel for Arbour Hill prison, is maintained by the Department of Defence. At the rear of the church lies the old cemetery, where lie the remains of British military personnel who died in the Dublin area in the 19th and early 20th century.
The church has an unusual entrance porch with stairs leading to twin galleries for visitors in the nave and transept.
A doorway beside the 1916 memorial gives access to the Irish United Nations Veterans' Association house and memorial garden.
Located in the coastal Mexican state of Veracruz, Tuxpan offers a rustic coastal charm and is very unique from the rest of Mexico. If you enjoy my pictures, check out my Dreamstime profile for some great travel photos.
www.allbendoregon.com/sunriver_oregon/
Located just 16 miles southwest of Bend off Highway 97, the beautiful resort community of Sunriver attracts visitors from all over who come to relax and enjoy a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities.
Overview
Sunriver, Oregon is one of the Northwest’s most popular year round vacation destinations. Approximately 16 miles southwest of Bend, the resort community of Sunriver offers world class golf and easy access to perhaps the best skiing in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, visitors to Sunriver have a vast playground right outside their front door which includes hiking, biking, fishing, climbing, and whitewater rafting amidst the breathtaking scenery of Central Oregon.
Location
Sunriver, OR is located 16 miles southwest of Bend, just west of Highway 97.
Lodging and Services
Although there are no hotels in Sunriver, lodging options are plentiful. Visitors can stay at the beautiful Sunriver Resort or rent one of over 3,000 private homes or 1,000 condominiums. Dining options include a handful of restaurants and cares offering a variety of cuisine.
Activities
Winter Sports – Visitors to Sun River, Oregon can enjoy downhill skiing or snowboarding at nearby Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort. Cross country skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling are also popular winter activities.
Hiking, Biking, Horseback Riding - During the warmer months, visitors can explore miles of trails in the surrounding area, or bike 35 miles of paved trails in Sunriver.
Fishing and Whitewater Rafting - The nearby Deschutes River is a popular place for fly fishing and whitewater rafting.
Golf - Sunriver Resort has three 18-hole championship golf courses, making it one of best places in the Northwest for golf.
Attractions
Newberry National Volcanic Monument – This beautiful monument covers over 55,500 acres northwest of Sunriver and has several lakes, fascinating lava flows, and interesting rock formations.
High Desert Museum – This museum has fascinating wildlife exhibits as well as authentic displays that depict life in Central Oregon back in the late 1800s.
Getting Here
It's really easy to get to Bend from Sunriver. Start by going east on S. Century Drive to Hwy 97. Turn north on Hwy 97, which goes right through Bend. Along the way you may glimpse some of the native wildlife, including deer, elk, coyotes, and eagles.
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Located near Fountain Inn., SC at Woodruff Durbin fire department. *Photo taken on 4/5/14.* This siren is controlled by Laurens County Emergency Management and tested every Saturday at 12:00PM EST (not depending on the weather conditions).
Testing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmVOboJISjE
located on the banks of the famous Wisconsin River. An attractive business town with the apaper manufacturing industry employing the most people. Famous too as a popular recreation area
postmarked 1968
The Musée des Arts et Métiers, (Museum of Arts and Crafts) is a museum in Paris that houses the collection of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (National Conservatory of Arts and Industry), which was founded in 1794 as a depository for the preservation of scientific instruments and inventions.
In 1794, Abbot Henri Gregoire founded the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers, designed to be a collection of machines, tools and models created in the fields of technology and science. The Conservatory, established in 1802 and located in the old priory of Saint Martin des Champs, was also an institution of education and the fore-runner of the Musee des Arts et Metiers.
Since its foundation, the museum has been housed in the previosly deserted priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs in the rue Réaumur in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris.
The Benedictine priory and church of Saint Martin des Champs was built in the mid-11th century, the first Gothic structure to be built in Paris. However, this was destroyed and replaced with the church that stands there now, built in the 13th century.
Improvements on it continued through the years; Henri III constructed the large portal on rue St. Martin; in 1626, Mansart built the high altar in the apse; a cloister was completed in 1720.
During the French Revolution the priory was pillaged and the monks executed, leaving it deserted until the Conservatory occupied it in 1802.
During renovations in 1993, archaeological discoveries confirmed the existence of a Merovingian necropolis located beneath the nave of the medieval church, dating from the 6th-7th centuries. Over 100 plaster coffins were found.
The Musee des Arts et Metiers is organized into 7 departments: Scientific Instruments; Materials; Construction; Communication; Energy; Mechanics; Transportation. Each department is displayed chronologically.
The museum begins with Scientific Instruments, exhibiting tools of astronomy used for determining the place of the sun in the zodiac, weights and measures such as Charlemagne's Pile, the royal standard of weight at the end of the 15th century and Pascal's calculators, designed by Blaise Pascal when he was 19 years old.
The equipment of Antoine Lavoisier's laboratory from the mid-1700s is exhibited. Lavoisier is regarded as the father of modern chemistry.
The equipment used by Foucault for determining the speed of light is displayed, which he measured while working at the Observatory of Paris in 1862. Numerous other exhibits chronicle scientific development up to the 1990s and robotic technology.
In the Materials department we discover the creation of glass, brick and fabrics, including the development of looms and the factories which produce the vast quantities of the materials used today.
In the Construction section of the museum one can see the model used in 1690 for constructing Jules Mansart's Eglise du Dome at the Hôtel les Invalides.
Also exhibited is the model for constructing the dome of what was the Wheat Market of 1809, now the Bourse, the building for the Paris stock market, located adjacent to the Garden of Les Halles. This dome, built in 1763, was one of the first metal structures to be constructed in France.
In the Communication department are exhibited printing presses, typewriters, telephone equipment from the early 1900s, telegraph systems from 1860, radio development from 1924 onward, the history of cameras, phonographs, recording instruments for producing sound for cinema and satellites, with a model of the Telstar which enabled the first live trans-Atlantic television transmission in 1962 from New York to England.
The Energy department displays the history of the machinery used for harnessing every form of energy including steam, wind, electrical, atomic and solar.
The Mechanics department of the Musee des Arts et Metiers is impressive with its collection of the development of mechanical machinery. Here are several "hands-on" exhibits where one can operate pulleys and pumps and gears.
The Transportation department shows everything from the bicycle to rocket ships. This is the final department visited in the museum and an impressive section of it is located in the chapel of the old church.
Here we find the first "horseless carriages", steam powered trains, propeller driven racing cars, modern cars cut in half and complete airplanes which are suspended overhead, dramatically contrasting with the ceiling of this medieval church.
Also found in this part of the museum is an in-motion Foucault Pendulum. This 156 year old demonstration continues to fascinate and prove the measurable reality of Earth's rotation. The actual orb used by Foucault on February 3, 1851, at the Paris Observatory, his first public demonstration of his pendulum, is exhibited here and protected within a glass case.
The museum, which underwent major renovation in 1990, includes an additional building adjacent to the abbey, with larger objects remaining in the abbey itself.
The museum has over 80,000 objects and 15,000 drawings in its collection, with 40,000 at the Paris site.
The museum appears in literature as the scene of the climax of the novel Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
Today is really the excuse that I used to come back to Siem Reap for a week. Mao was nice enough not to schedule any other customers for today since it’s my 43rd birthday, and also for Saturday. (Another reason, I think, is that I wanted to see all of the non-major sites and most everyone else is only interested in the major ones. So…thanks to Mao for giving up a few bucks from others just to make sure I got to see all that I wanted these two days.)
Mao came to pick me up around 10:00 in the morning with his wife and adorable daughter. Today, we pretty much followed the small loop tour that we did yesterday (and that most tourists do). However, we skipped every spot from yesterday (Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm’s main temple, Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda, Bayon) and opted for the others along the same route.
The first stop of the morning was Prasat Kravan. This is a particularly interesting – and small – temple that consists mainly of one building with a central tower, but five chambers lined up in a row. Prasat Kravan was built in the early 10th century (consecrated in 921) and is built of brick. It was built during the short reign of Harshavarman I. The name is the modern name (though I don’t know the original name) and means “cardamom sanctuary,” for a tree that once stood here. From an architectural standpoint, what is most interesting – and what caught my attention – is the brick bas-reliefs here. They are the only known representation of these in Khmer art and are reason alone to visit here. The central tower has a statue of Vishnu and the northernmost has a statue of his consort, Lakshmi.
After 15-20 minutes at Prasat Kravan, Mao took me to Bat Chum, which was quite near. (It wasn’t on my list, so kudos to Mao for adding a few stops that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen; as I said, the man knows the territory, and I highly recommend him to anyone who comes here.) Bat Chum is a very, very small site (under restoration, though it looks like even the restoration has been forgotten) a few hundred meters due south of Sra Srang, and a few hundred meters east of the road from Angkor Wat to Banteay Kdei. When Bat Chum was built in 960, there were houses and a Buddhist monastery nearby, which have long since vanished. This temple was built by the lone Khmer architect whose name we know: Kavindrarimathana. He also built the palace of the East Mebon and Sra Srang. This is a temple with three brick towers. There are stone lions and interesting inscriptions here as well.
From Bat Chum, we returned to the main road, skirted along the eastern and northern sides of Banteay Kdei’s outer wall, then along the southern and western sides of Ta Prohm’s outer wall. Most people enter Ta Prohm from the western gate (as evidenced by the massive throng of tuktuks here) or the eastern gate (where you will find a slew of souvenir vendors). As far as I can tell, there is no southern gate – as I imagine you’d see it flying by on the road. (Banteay Kdei does have a northern gate, though people don’t seem to stop here.) Ta Prohm does have a rather charming and rarely visited northern gate that I was unaware of. Again…thanks, Mao. Just stop on the road at the northwest corner of Ta Prohm’s outer wall and walk east along the north wall for about five minutes to find the northern gate, surrounded by jungle.
Next up on today’s tour is a very small site that, from what I know, doesn’t even have a name. (Mao didn’t even know the name of the place, so it’s just titled ‘Unnamed Site’ here.) It’s very small, almost an afterthought, but still worth a look. It’s on the road heading due north from Ta Prohm’s west gate about 100-200 meters south of where it heads to the west to Ta Keo. It’s barely 50 meters off the road, so is very easy to visit in 10 minutes or so.
Right at the point where the road takes a 90 degree turn to head west to Ta Keo, you have the option of going straight (down a fairly bumpy dirt road) to Ta Nei. This is actually a larger temple, but unlike the others nearby, it hasn’t gone under extensive restoration yet, so it isn’t visited very often. It’s 800 meters north of Ta Keo, set back in the woods, and is 200 meters west of the Eastern Baray’s western border. It was built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. The highlights of coming here are simply the setting, the pediments, and the overall lack of visitors.
After half an hour or so at Ta Nei, Mao and I hopped back in the tuktuk and returned to the main road, heading west past Ta Keo before veering north and making a very quick stop at the Hospital Chapel that is 150 meters due west of Ta Keo (slightly north). This is a very quick – 5 minute – stop that interested me simply because it was/is part of a hospital that’s close to a thousand years old now. It was built by Jayavarman VII (like so many of the Angkor sites) in the late 12th century. This sandstone monument is one of four that were on site here (and, from what I’m reading, one of 102 that were found throughout the empire). Honestly, seeing this just makes me wonder about 12th century medicine. What would a Khmer hospital at the turn of the 13th century have been like?
Moving north from the Hospital Chapel, the road takes another 90 degree turn to the west. Before entering the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, you pass Thommanon and Chao Say Tevoda (bypassed, as already mentioned), and then Spean Thma, near a bridge that crosses the Siem Reap River. (The Siem Reap River, today, is more like a gentle stream, though it was used to transport the quarried rock from Phnom Kulen to Angkor to build these massive temples a thousand years ago.) That aside, I decided to bypass Spean Thma for now.
Once inside the Victory Gate, which I mistakenly called the East Gate in May (it is on the eastern wall), we turned south on a dirt path about 100-200 meters inside Angkor Thom and traveled south, parallel to the wall. After less than 5 minutes, you arrive at the road that runs directly east from Bayon to the East Gate, otherwise known as the Slaves’ Gate or Gate of the Dead. (From the names, obviously, if anyone who didn’t belong to the royal family saw this gate…bad news for them.) According to Mao, the slaves were marched out this gate on the way to their execution. Grim history aside, it’s a rather nice gate, well-restored, with some good angles for shooting. It’s certainly worth a visit, especially since it’s so easily accessible – and there are rarely many people around.
After this quick stop, we took the road due west to the heart of Angkor Thom – Bayon – then headed up the road towards the North Gate, where the majority of Angkor Thom sites are located (just north of Bayon). Passing by Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper Kings (all on the west side of the main road), and the Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers (east side of the main road, with the towers being bisected by the road heading east through the Victory Gate), we turned off just north of the Terrace of the Leper Kings to the west to see Tep Pranam – very briefly – and Preah Pilalay.
Tep Pranam is simply a statue of a giant seated sandstone Buddha, still in use for worship today, that was built around the 16th century. If this were in an out-of-the-way place, it may not be worth the time. However, it’s in the heart of Angkor Thom and it’s impossible to go to Preah Pilalay without seeing it if you come by tuktuk. (This isn’t a complaint by any means; it’s rather nice.) Preah Pilalay is in the northwest section of Angkor Thom and is fairly remote (given the amount of tourists that the other nearby sites see). Its main features are a tall chimney-like structure, a few nagas, and its setting in the forest. It was built in either the 13th or 14th century, possibly by Jayavarman VIII or, perhaps, by Jayavarman VII. It’s about 200 meters north of the royal enclosure (Phimeanakas). Some of the larger trees that used to tower over the temple have been hewn resulting in a very different feel. However, it was a pleasant side trip.
Hopping back in the tuktuk and going directly across the road, the last stop for the day inside Angkor Thom was the Preah Pithu group. This is a collection of five temples/ruins in the northeastern section of Angkor Thom that is in a delightful wooded setting. If you can see them in early morning or late afternoon, you should get some wonderful lighting. You can spend as little as 15 minutes here or as much as an hour or two. They probably weren’t designed to be one cohesive group, though it’s not possible to say with certainty. They were built in the 13th century. (Though I mention this as the last stop, I’ve also included the North Kleang and Northern Suor Prat Towers here. Though I didn’t explore those in depth, I am giving them their own set here – Kleangs and Suor Prat Towers.)
On the way out of Angkor Thom, via the South Gate, we stopped outside the moat for a few pictures. Directly south of Angkor Thom are a few temples that I wanted to see: Thma Bay Kaek, Prasat Bei, and Baksei Chamkrong.
We visited them in that order. Thma Bay Kaek is nearest the road about 50 meters southwest of the bridge over the southern moat. All that remains here are the ruins of a square brick tower. It’s probably the remains of one of many temples that were here in the Bakheng area. It was built in the 10th century by Yasovarman I.
About a five minute walk - -if that – due west of Thma Bay Kaek is Prasat Bei (“Three Towers”). Unlike Thma Bay Kaek, these towers are still standing, so obviously, slightly more photogenic. They would probably be best photographed in early morning. The trees block it from the west in late afternoon. It, too, was built by Yasovarman I in the 10th century.
The last of the three temples in this area, Baksei Chamkrong, is the most impressive of the three. It’s from the early and middle 10th century (rededicated in 948) and was built by Harshavarman. This is a pyramid temple at the foot of Phnom Bakheng. The name means “the bird with sheltering wings,” though – like most temples here – this is a modern appellation that the builders wouldn’t have recognized. This tower is a single brick tower on a pyramidal base.
Finally, to finish up the day, Mao dropped me at Phnom Bakheng. It’s about a 20 minute walk up the hill around a winding path. This is considered to be one of the best places to watch sunset over Angkor Wat because of its panoramic view from the peak of the hill. However, everyone knows this, and this is the only place all day that was too crowded for my liking. In addition to its being under restoration to the point of making it a bit of an eyesore (for the time being), it was easily my least favorite place of the entire day. After waiting in line for 20 minutes and barely moving an inch, I decided to call it a day, taking 1-2 pictures (that you see here), and heading back down the hill.
Mao had disappeared into the throngs of people eating at restaurants. Fortunately for me, he spotted me. On the way back to the guesthouse, he stopped and picked up a birthday cake which we shared with the folks who happened to be at the guesthouse. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday. Tomorrow, too, would be just me and would include the lesser-visited sites on the Grand Tour Loop, in addition to 1-2 others.
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.
Located in the John Street Roundhouse, my father-in-law and I got to see their turn table in operation to bring a CP Coach car into the barn to begin restoration of the interior and exterior.
Nikon FE - AI-S Nikkor 35mm 1:2.8 - Ferrania P30 @ ASA-80
Kodak HC-110 Dil. H 12:00 @ 20C
Scanner: Epson V700
Editor: Adobe Photoshop CC
Located to the east of the Bamberg County Courthouse
Bamberg, South Carolina is a small town located in the south of the state, south of Columbia. It serves as the seat of Bamberg County.
Located on South pulaski Road at the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
Unknown photographer, borrowed from the internet.
CASA GORORDO MUSEUM - Located in Lopez Jaena Street, it is the home of the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu - Juan Gorordo (1862-1934). A tour inside this residence is a brief journey into a Filipino lifestyle in a particular period between 1860 to 1920. The place presently features noted paintings, museum relics, a courtyard, antique household items and furniture. The Casa Gorordo Museum was originally a two-storey house built in the mid-19th century in the historic Parian district of Cebu City. During the Spanish colonial era, the Parian district was the most prestigious section of the city and home to its most prominent families.
During the Spanish colonial era, Alejandro Reynes y Rosales built the house. It was later bought in 1863 by Juan Isidro De Gorordo, a Spanish merchant. The house was then bought in 1980 by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) under its Cultural Heritage Program. It was opened as a museum in 1983. The National Historical Institute declared the house as a National Historical Landmark in 1991.
The house is a wood-and-stone type of house that was a typical architectural type during the Spanish colonial period. Locally called as bahay na bato, the house is built with coral stone blocks, molave hardwood flooring and terra-cotta roof tiles. Displayed inside the museum is elaborate antique furniture, period costumes, paintings and religious images, wood carvings, decorative art and household items, and tools for farming, kitchen and baking. It also has a gallery for contemporary art on the ground floor.
The lower part of the house has walls of Mactan coral stone, which makes it deliciously cool in the middle of the day. The stunning upper-storey living quarters are pure Philippine hardwood, held together not with nails but with wooden pegs. As well as having Spanish and native influences, the house incorporates principles of feng shui, owing to the Chinese ancestry of Gorordo matriarch Donna Telerafora (whose death portrait graces the hallway). Items on display includes kitchen implements, antique photos and furniture.
Entrance admission rates are based on rates for international and local visitors. Foreign tourists pay Php70 for adults and Php50 for students. Local tourists pay Php40 for adults, Php15 for college students, and Php10 for high school and elementary students. You cannot use a camcorder in this museum , nor use flash on your camera, both are forbidden.
Located in the village of Bishton on the outskirts of Newport, South Wales.
I am not sure how old this church is, but it is described as being "Early English", so i am guessing 13th Century.
Mount Jerome is located in the heart of the suburb of Harold’s Cross which is centrally located on the south side of Dublin city, just beyond the grand canal. It is on the 16 and 9 bus routes. If you are getting a taxi make sure that they do not bring you to Mount Argus church which is nearby [I mention this because it has happened to some of my relatives attending family funerals]
Mount Jerome was the first privately owned cemetery in Ireland, when it first opened in 1836. It was also the first privately owned crematorium in Ireland in 2000. To date they have received more than 250,000 funerals for burial and 13,000 for cremation. They receive 250,000 visitors annually.
Due to the declining burial numbers in the 1970's, the condition of the Cemetery began to deteriorate as revenues fell. In 1984 it was put into voluntary liquidation. I actually lived beside Mount Jerome in 1983-85 and often saw young children and teenagers vandalising graves and monuments. By the late 1990's, it had fallen into a serious state of neglect with large swaths of the cemetery covered in overgrowth.
However with new owners in 1998 and the opening of a Crematorium in 2000, revenues have recovered and the Cemetery has undergone a complete reversal of fortune. The ongoing funds provided by the Crematorium have afforded the Cemetery the means to put in place a proper maintenance program to prevent it falling into decline again. Even since my last visit I can see a major improvement.
If you like old churchyards and cemeteries Mount Jerome is a place that should be on your ‘places to visit’ list. It is here here wealthy Victorians were buried and had expensive monuments built to advertise their importance even though they had moved on the the afterlife. They couldn't take their wealth with them. So they made sure they could still flaunt it for decades and centuries to come.
To some extent they must have been fooled by the craftsmen of the day into believing that the monuments had been built to last. Most of the Victorian structures have decayed to a greater or lesser extent and some are in a really bad condition.
It has some prominent persons interred, but the funerary architecture and statuary is the main attraction. Conservative family vaults, some serviced by sunken roads, compete with Egyptian-style tombs. And amongst dozens of angels clutching all sorts of paraphernalia you will also find a dog pining for its dead master. The symbolism is very different to that at Glasnevin - for example there are fewer celtic crosses there are many more broken columns [A broken column indicates a life cut short, a memorial to the death of someone who died young or in the prime of life, before reaching old age] and to a much greater degree the monuments proclaim the wonderful attributes of the deceased.
In my opinion the decay adds to the attractiveness of Mount Jerome.
Like Glasnevin, Mount Jerome is an operating graveyard and two of my grandparents are buried there.
Deerland Malaysia
Located in a natural rainforest just a stone throw away from Kuala gandah Eplephant Sanctuary and Krau Wildlife Reserve at Bukit Rengit Lanchang, Pahang, it is about 2 hours away from Kuala Lumpur.
The serene and prestine natural environment is filled with abundance of flora and fauna.
Learn about the jungle, get in touch with your spiritual innerself. Feed the animals, appreciate what nature have to to offer.
(Animals includes monkeys, deer, snakes, sun bear and many more!)
The Sun Bear stands approximately 1.2 m (4 ft) in length, making it the smallest member in the bear (Ursidae) family. Males tend to be 10-45% larger than females; the former normally weigh between 50 and 100 kg (66-132 lb), the latter between 40 and 70 kg (44-88 lb). The Sun Bear possesses sickle-shaped claws that are relatively light in weight. It has large paws with naked soles, probably to assist in climbing. Its inward-turned feet make the bear's walk pigeon-toed, but it is an excellent climber. It has small, round ears and a stout snout. The tail is 1.2-2.8 inches (3-7 cm) long. Despite its small size, the Sun Bear possesses a very long, slender tongue, ranging from 8 to 10 inches (20-25 cm) in length. The bear uses it to extract honey from beehives.
Unlike other bears, the Sun Bear's fur is short and sleek. This adaptation is probably due to the lowland climates it inhabits. Dark black or brown-black fur covers its body, except on the chest, where there is a pale orange-yellow marking in the shape of a horseshoe. Similar colored fur can be found around the muzzle and the eyes. These distinctive markings give the Sun Bear its name.
Diet
The diet of the Sun Bear varies widely and includes small vertebrates, such as lizards, birds, and other mammals, in addition to fruits, eggs, termites, the young tips of palm trees, nests of bees, berries, sprouts, insects, roots, cocoa, and coconuts. Its powerful jaws can crack open nuts. Much of the Sun Bear's food must be detected using its keen sense of smell, as its sight is poor.
Lifestyle and Reproduction
The Sun Bear does not hibernate, and, as a result, it can reproduce year-round. The offspring reach sexual maturity after 3-4 years and may live up to 30 years in captivity. A female Sun Bear can produce 1 to 2 cubs per year. Sun Bears undergo a roughly 96 day gestation period after which the 300 to 400g cub is born blind and hairless. The cub is initially totally dependent on its mother and suckling can continue for about 18 months. After 1 to 3 months, the young cub can run, play and forage near its mother. Male Sun Bears grow larger than females. Females are observed to mate at about 3 years. During time of mating, the Sun Bear will show behavior like hugging, mock fighting and head bobbing with its mate.
Being a primarily nocturnal creature, the Sun Bear tends to rest during the day on lower limbs not far above the ground. Because it spends so much time in trees, the Sun Bear can sometimes cause damage to private property. It has been known to destroy coconut palms and cacao trees on plantations.
Sources : deerland.org
The John Muir National Historic Site is located in Martinez, in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. It preserves the Italianate Victorian mansion where the naturalist and writer John Muir lived, as well as a nearby 325 acres (132 ha) tract of native oak woodlands and grasslands historically owned by the Muir family. The main site is on the edge of town, in the shadow of State Route 4, also known as the "John Muir Parkway".
John Muir’s home was among the grandest of its time, and costing $20,000 to build, an extravagant amount in its day. An article in the Martinez Gazette, written while the house was being constructed, said “with but one or two exceptions, it will be the finest and most complete private residence in the county.”
The house, completed in 1882, was built for Dr. John and Louisiana Strentzel, Muir’s parents-in-law. The Strentzels gave their original house to John and his bride Louie as a wedding gift. When Dr. Strentzel died in 1890, the Muirs moved into this house.
The seventeen-room home is in the Italianate style of late Victorian architecture, and is constructed mostly of redwood. The architects were Wolfe and Son of San Francisco. The home incorporates key features of the Italianate style, including: a rectangular, symmetrical shape, wide eaves with brackets and cornices, a porch with balustrades, a square cupola and high, double-paned windows with hood moldings.
The interior of the 10,000 square-foot house with 12-foot-high ceilings has retained many of its original features, including the Douglas fir floor and black walnut staircase banister. Note the crack in the transom over the front door, which occurred during the Port Chicago explosion of World War II. Phone service was installed in 1884 by Dr. Strentzel, and the house was one of the first in the area to have it (the phone in the downstairs hallway is not original).
The house suffered some damage during the 1906 earthquake, including two of the Italian marble fireplaces. Muir replaced the east parlor’s damaged fireplace with a large, Mission style brick one. He described it in a letter to a friend, “In particular I've built a big fireplace, almost suitable for mountaineers, into which I roll a jolly pair of logs two feet in diameter and pile a half dozen smaller ones between and back of them making fires that flame and roar and radiate sunny heat like those we built on the frosty Coyote Meadows above the canyon of the Kern.” (January 7, 1907)
Furnishings in the home are from the period, but did not belong to the Muirs or Strentzels. An exception is John Muir’s original desk in his “scribble den,” where he penned most of his published works, including his books—writings that paved the way to preserving our nation’s most beautiful natural lands, or “wild places.”
Upstairs, the small balcony at the end of the hall is where Muir slept on many clear nights, seeming to prefer having the stars over his head to a roof.
When John Muir died in 1914 (nine years after his wife), his grown daughters Wanda and Helen sold the house. It remained in the hands of private owners until local citizens (including those who established the John Muir Association) worked for the historic structure’s establishment as a public treasure. The National Park Service bought the house in 1964, along with nine acres of the Muir’s fruit ranch. In 1993, NPS bought an additional 326 acres, known as Mt. Wanda.
Next to Alhambra Creek, about a mile from the house, Muir was buried next to his wife on what was once part of the original 2,600-acre ranch.
The grounds of the 9 acre main site contain grapevines and an orchard with many types of fruit trees as well as many mature exotic trees from around the world that were growing at the time Muir lived. Also to be found are exhibits and machinery of ranch life in the late 1800's.
A 'must see' on the same property is the preserved Vincente Martinez Adobe home built in 1849.
While living here, Muir realized many of his greatest accomplishments, co-founding and serving as the first president of the Sierra Club, in the wake of his battle to prevent Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley from being dammed, playing a prominent role in the creation of several national parks, writing hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles and several books expounding on the virtues of conservation and the natural world, and laying the foundations for the creation of the National Park Service in 1916.
The park's museum collection includes historic documents and artifacts that relate to the writing, travels, political activities and daily life of John Muir and his family in Martinez. Significant portions of the collections include over 1,000 plant specimens collected by Muir during his many travels, photographs of his travel, correspondence to and from Muir, books from his personal library, and first editions of his published works. Many of Muir's original items were graciously donated by Muir family members.
The collection also includes Victorian era furnishings, clothing, household goods, farm implements, books and textiles that are not unique to Muir or his home; however, these pieces allow us to interpret the day-to-day life on the Martinez fruit ranch. The collections are displayed in the home, carriage house and through exhibitions in the Visitor Center.
The Muir house was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1960.
It became a National Historic Site in 1964, is California Historical Landmark no. 312, and National Historic Landmark, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1988 nearby Mount Wanda Nature Preserve was added to the Historic Site.
www.allbendoregon.com/sunriver_oregon/
Located just 16 miles southwest of Bend off Highway 97, the beautiful resort community of Sunriver attracts visitors from all over who come to relax and enjoy a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities.
Overview
Sunriver, Oregon is one of the Northwest’s most popular year round vacation destinations. Approximately 16 miles southwest of Bend, the resort community of Sunriver offers world class golf and easy access to perhaps the best skiing in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, visitors to Sunriver have a vast playground right outside their front door which includes hiking, biking, fishing, climbing, and whitewater rafting amidst the breathtaking scenery of Central Oregon.
Location
Sunriver, OR is located 16 miles southwest of Bend, just west of Highway 97.
Lodging and Services
Although there are no hotels in Sunriver, lodging options are plentiful. Visitors can stay at the beautiful Sunriver Resort or rent one of over 3,000 private homes or 1,000 condominiums. Dining options include a handful of restaurants and cares offering a variety of cuisine.
Activities
Winter Sports – Visitors to Sun River, Oregon can enjoy downhill skiing or snowboarding at nearby Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort. Cross country skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling are also popular winter activities.
Hiking, Biking, Horseback Riding - During the warmer months, visitors can explore miles of trails in the surrounding area, or bike 35 miles of paved trails in Sunriver.
Fishing and Whitewater Rafting - The nearby Deschutes River is a popular place for fly fishing and whitewater rafting.
Golf - Sunriver Resort has three 18-hole championship golf courses, making it one of best places in the Northwest for golf.
Attractions
Newberry National Volcanic Monument – This beautiful monument covers over 55,500 acres northwest of Sunriver and has several lakes, fascinating lava flows, and interesting rock formations.
High Desert Museum – This museum has fascinating wildlife exhibits as well as authentic displays that depict life in Central Oregon back in the late 1800s.
Getting Here
It's really easy to get to Bend from Sunriver. Start by going east on S. Century Drive to Hwy 97. Turn north on Hwy 97, which goes right through Bend. Along the way you may glimpse some of the native wildlife, including deer, elk, coyotes, and eagles.
Share Your Thoughts
Kirtipur (Nepali: कीर्तिपुर, Nepal Bhasa: किपू Kipu) is an ancient city in Nepal. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley 5 km south-west of the city of Kathmandu. It is one of the five municipalities in the valley, the others being Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Madhyapur Thimi.
ETYMOLOGY
The name Kirtipur comes from Kirti (glory) and pur (city).
DEMOGRAPHICS
Originally a Newar foundation, Kirtipur is still a center of Newar culture. It has been merged with surrounding villages to form the municipality of Kirtipur with a population of 67,171.
It consists of many temples, gumbas (Buddhist monastery) and churches too. Due to the presence of Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur is also a popular area for out-of-town students and professors to rent houses and they are major contributors to the local economy.
HISTORY
Kirtipur's history dates from 1099 AD. It was part of the territory of Lalitpur at the time of the invasion of the Kathmandu Valley by the Gorkhali king Prithvi Narayan Shah in the 18th century.
In 1767, Kirtipur was annexed to the Gorkhali kingdom by Prithvi Narayan following the Battle of Kirtipur. He took the town on his twenty third attempt, after entering it by trickery. After this, he cut off the noses and lips of everybody in the city.
This was the site of an inspirational peaceful demonstration of the people in the 2006 mass uprising that overthrew the powers of the king. It is considered to be an anti-monarchy city due to its bitter history against the Shah dynasty whose modern founder conquered the city insultingly, which was followed by negligence of the administration and development by subsequent rulers.
PLACES OF INTEREST
BAGH BHAIRAB
Bagh Bhairab temple is one of the most popular temples dedicated to the God Bhairab in the form of a tiger. This god is regarded as the guardian of Kirtipur and the locals call it Ajudeu, a grandfather god. Bhairab, the most terrifying and awful form of Shiva is the destroyer on one hand and the guardian on the other. Ceremonial rituals in relation to the important events of life such as rice-feeding, puberty, marriage and even the construction of houses cannot be done without propitiating this deity in most of the towns and cities of Nepal.
The present three storeyed temple of Bagh Bhairab probably built in 16th century stands in the brick-paved rectangular courtyard with the rest houses around it. There are some small shrines and stone images spread over the courtyard. The main gate is at the southern side. There are two other gates in the eastern and western sides. The two roofs of the temple are of tiles while the third one is covered with gilt-copper. There are wooden pillars carved with Hindu gods and goddesses. They have been erected in between windows of the second storey and the names of the carved deities have been finely cut out below them on the pedestals.
There are eighteen pinnacles-one in the first roof, six in the middle and eleven in the top roof. Beneath the eaves of the first roof there are very old but faded murals depicting the stories of Ramayan. Maha Bharat and the various manifestations of Durga, the mighty mother goddess. These paintings are frescoes in red with white plaster background. At the right side of the main gate of the temple there is Hifa Dyo, the god of blood sacrifice is allowed directly to Bagh Bhairab, all animal offerings to the deity are made here on behalf of this deity just as the animal sacrifices are made to Kumari, a stone idol, placed at the second gate in the left side of Chandeswori at Banepa and to the Chhetrapal which is at the very beginning of the final series of the steps to the temple of Khadga Jogini at Sankhu.
There are two torans over Hifa Dyo. They bear very fine cuttings of Asta-Matriks, Asta-Bhairabs and other gods and goddesses. In the western wall of the temple there is a hollow space regarded by the local people as Nasa Dyo, the god of music and dance. Bagh Bhairab made of clay has been enshrined in the left side corner in the temple. The three glass-eyed tiger-god is tongue-less and tooth-less but covered with silver and copper plates and heavily ornamented. This deity as mentioned in the stone inscriptions has been called Bagheswor (the tiger god), Bhimsen Bhattarak (Bhimsen, the governing deity), Gudei Sthanadhipati (the lord in the form of tiger) and Ajudyo(the ancestral god).
The local peoples hail this deity as the embodiment of prudence, knowledge, productivity and strength to resist all evils. Hence, the auspicious ceremonies such as weddings, hair-cuttings, rice-feedings and other ritual performances in Kirtipur are done only after a puza to this deity.
CHILANCHO STUPA
A Buddhist shrine, is situated on the southern hill. It is located in Kirtipur, Nepal. It was made in medieval period. An inscription of Nepal Samvat 635 is found in this Chaitya. Therefore, it is one of the most important historical stupa of this region.
UMA MAHESHWAR
Uma Maheshwar temple (locally, Kwacho Dega) is one of the important heritage sites of Kirtipur. This pagoda-style three-storied temple is situated at the highest point (1414 m) of Kirtipur. Since this temple is at the top of the hill, one can enjoy picturesque view of the Kathmandu valley and mountains like Langtang, Dorge Lakkpa, Chobhu Bhamure, and Gaurishankar.
The temple was constructed in 1655 AD by Rautra Vishwanath Babu, a son of king Sidhhi Narsinga Malla. It was destructed in an earthquake in 1832 AD. After remained dilapidated for about a century, it was restored in 1933 AD after it was again destroyed by an earthquake. Local people and government made a herculean effort to renovate it into the current state. The restoration process was completed only in 1982 AD. Recently, in 2008 some work was done to preserve the arts of temple.
There is an artistic stone gate at the entrance. On each side of the stone staircase leading to the temple, there is a stone elephant, with sculptures of Bhimsen and Kuber as protectors of the temple. The main deities in this temple are standing Lord Shiva and Parvati. There are other images of deities like Sarasvati and Mahismardini on false doors around temple.
The wooden doors, pillars, and beams are crafted with artistic figures of different gods and goddess such as Astamatrika and Asta Bhairav. Similarly, erotic figures are also carved in wooden beams. According to archeologists, these figures on beams have tantric values.
The bell on the northern side of temple was cast in 1895 by Gillett & Johnston Founders, Corydon. It was one of the four quarter bells of Ghantaghar of the central Kathmandu and was reallocated to this temple after the Ghantaghar was destroyed by the earthquake in 1933.
SHRI KIRTI BIHAR
A Theravada Buddhist monastery built in traditional Thai architectural style, is situated near the entrance to the city.
MEDIA
To Promote local culture Kirtipur has one FM radio station Radio Newa F.M. - 106.6 MHz Which is a Community radio Station.There are several weekly newspaper published from Kirtipur. They are Shahid Weekly, Kirtipur Darpan, Kirtipur Sandesh. Also there is a local television station, Kirtipur Channel and some more local channel.
WIKIPEDIA
The John Muir National Historic Site is located in Martinez, in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. It preserves the Italianate Victorian mansion where the naturalist and writer John Muir lived, as well as a nearby 325 acres (132 ha) tract of native oak woodlands and grasslands historically owned by the Muir family. The main site is on the edge of town, in the shadow of State Route 4, also known as the "John Muir Parkway".
John Muir’s home was among the grandest of its time, and costing $20,000 to build, an extravagant amount in its day. An article in the Martinez Gazette, written while the house was being constructed, said “with but one or two exceptions, it will be the finest and most complete private residence in the county.”
The house, completed in 1882, was built for Dr. John and Louisiana Strentzel, Muir’s parents-in-law. The Strentzels gave their original house to John and his bride Louie as a wedding gift. When Dr. Strentzel died in 1890, the Muirs moved into this house.
The seventeen-room home is in the Italianate style of late Victorian architecture, and is constructed mostly of redwood. The architects were Wolfe and Son of San Francisco. The home incorporates key features of the Italianate style, including: a rectangular, symmetrical shape, wide eaves with brackets and cornices, a porch with balustrades, a square cupola and high, double-paned windows with hood moldings.
The interior of the 10,000 square-foot house with 12-foot-high ceilings has retained many of its original features, including the Douglas fir floor and black walnut staircase banister. Note the crack in the transom over the front door, which occurred during the Port Chicago explosion of World War II. Phone service was installed in 1884 by Dr. Strentzel, and the house was one of the first in the area to have it (the phone in the downstairs hallway is not original).
The house suffered some damage during the 1906 earthquake, including two of the Italian marble fireplaces. Muir replaced the east parlor’s damaged fireplace with a large, Mission style brick one. He described it in a letter to a friend, “In particular I've built a big fireplace, almost suitable for mountaineers, into which I roll a jolly pair of logs two feet in diameter and pile a half dozen smaller ones between and back of them making fires that flame and roar and radiate sunny heat like those we built on the frosty Coyote Meadows above the canyon of the Kern.” (January 7, 1907)
Furnishings in the home are from the period, but did not belong to the Muirs or Strentzels. An exception is John Muir’s original desk in his “scribble den,” where he penned most of his published works, including his books—writings that paved the way to preserving our nation’s most beautiful natural lands, or “wild places.”
Upstairs, the small balcony at the end of the hall is where Muir slept on many clear nights, seeming to prefer having the stars over his head to a roof.
When John Muir died in 1914 (nine years after his wife), his grown daughters Wanda and Helen sold the house. It remained in the hands of private owners until local citizens (including those who established the John Muir Association) worked for the historic structure’s establishment as a public treasure. The National Park Service bought the house in 1964, along with nine acres of the Muir’s fruit ranch. In 1993, NPS bought an additional 326 acres, known as Mt. Wanda.
Next to Alhambra Creek, about a mile from the house, Muir was buried next to his wife on what was once part of the original 2,600-acre ranch.
The grounds of the 9 acre main site contain grapevines and an orchard with many types of fruit trees as well as many mature exotic trees from around the world that were growing at the time Muir lived. Also to be found are exhibits and machinery of ranch life in the late 1800's.
A 'must see' on the same property is the preserved Vincente Martinez Adobe home built in 1849.
While living here, Muir realized many of his greatest accomplishments, co-founding and serving as the first president of the Sierra Club, in the wake of his battle to prevent Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley from being dammed, playing a prominent role in the creation of several national parks, writing hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles and several books expounding on the virtues of conservation and the natural world, and laying the foundations for the creation of the National Park Service in 1916.
The park's museum collection includes historic documents and artifacts that relate to the writing, travels, political activities and daily life of John Muir and his family in Martinez. Significant portions of the collections include over 1,000 plant specimens collected by Muir during his many travels, photographs of his travel, correspondence to and from Muir, books from his personal library, and first editions of his published works. Many of Muir's original items were graciously donated by Muir family members.
The collection also includes Victorian era furnishings, clothing, household goods, farm implements, books and textiles that are not unique to Muir or his home; however, these pieces allow us to interpret the day-to-day life on the Martinez fruit ranch. The collections are displayed in the home, carriage house and through exhibitions in the Visitor Center.
The Muir house was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1960.
It became a National Historic Site in 1964, is California Historical Landmark no. 312, and National Historic Landmark, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1988 nearby Mount Wanda Nature Preserve was added to the Historic Site.
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in North America and the 34th most populous in the world. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country. San Francisco is the second most densely populated major city in the country. Los Angeles County is the country's most populous, while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. California borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, the Mexican state of Baja California to the south; and has a coastline along the Pacific Ocean to the west.
The economy of the state of California is the largest in the United States, with a $3.4 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2022. It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If California were a sovereign nation, it would rank as the world's fifth-largest economy as of 2022, behind Germany and ahead of India, as well as the 37th most populous. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and third-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.5 trillion respectively as of 2020). The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018, and is home to five of the world's ten largest companies by market capitalization and four of the world's ten richest people.
Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America and contained the highest Native American population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, including large-scale immigration into California, a worldwide economic boom, and the California genocide of indigenous people. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850.
Notable contributions to popular culture, for example in entertainment and sports, have their origins in California. The state also has made noteworthy contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, environmentalism, economics, and politics. It is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and one of the largest film industries in the world, which has had a profound influence upon global entertainment. It is considered the origin of the hippie counterculture, beach and car culture, and the personal computer, among other innovations. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as the centers of the global technology and film industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse: 58% of it is based on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific, and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the state's economy, California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state. California's ports and harbors handle about a third of all U.S. imports, most originating in Pacific Rim international trade.
The state's extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, dominates the state's center. California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate and monsoon seasonal weather. The large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains.
Settled by successive waves of arrivals during at least the last 13,000 years, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. Various estimates of the native population have ranged from 100,000 to 300,000. The indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct ethnic groups, inhabiting environments from mountains and deserts to islands and redwood forests. These groups were also diverse in their political organization, with bands, tribes, villages, and on the resource-rich coasts, large chiefdoms, such as the Chumash, Pomo and Salinan. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered social and economic relationships between many groups.
The first Europeans to explore the coast of California were the members of a Spanish maritime expedition led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542. Cabrillo was commissioned by Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain, to lead an expedition up the Pacific coast in search of trade opportunities; they entered San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542, and reached at least as far north as San Miguel Island. Privateer and explorer Francis Drake explored and claimed an undefined portion of the California coast in 1579, landing north of the future city of San Francisco. Sebastián Vizcaíno explored and mapped the coast of California in 1602 for New Spain, putting ashore in Monterey. Despite the on-the-ground explorations of California in the 16th century, Rodríguez's idea of California as an island persisted. Such depictions appeared on many European maps well into the 18th century.
The Portolá expedition of 1769-70 was a pivotal event in the Spanish colonization of California, resulting in the establishment of numerous missions, presidios, and pueblos. The military and civil contingent of the expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá, who traveled over land from Sonora into California, while the religious component was headed by Junípero Serra, who came by sea from Baja California. In 1769, Portolá and Serra established Mission San Diego de Alcalá and the Presidio of San Diego, the first religious and military settlements founded by the Spanish in California. By the end of the expedition in 1770, they would establish the Presidio of Monterey and Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo on Monterey Bay.
After the Portolà expedition, Spanish missionaries led by Father-President Serra set out to establish 21 Spanish missions of California along El Camino Real ("The Royal Road") and along the Californian coast, 16 sites of which having been chosen during the Portolá expedition. Numerous major cities in California grew out of missions, including San Francisco (Mission San Francisco de Asís), San Diego (Mission San Diego de Alcalá), Ventura (Mission San Buenaventura), or Santa Barbara (Mission Santa Barbara), among others.
Juan Bautista de Anza led a similarly important expedition throughout California in 1775–76, which would extend deeper into the interior and north of California. The Anza expedition selected numerous sites for missions, presidios, and pueblos, which subsequently would be established by settlers. Gabriel Moraga, a member of the expedition, would also christen many of California's prominent rivers with their names in 1775–1776, such as the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River. After the expedition, Gabriel's son, José Joaquín Moraga, would found the pueblo of San Jose in 1777, making it the first civilian-established city in California.
The Spanish founded Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of the Californian missions.
During this same period, sailors from the Russian Empire explored along the northern coast of California. In 1812, the Russian-American Company established a trading post and small fortification at Fort Ross on the North Coast. Fort Ross was primarily used to supply Russia's Alaskan colonies with food supplies. The settlement did not meet much success, failing to attract settlers or establish long term trade viability, and was abandoned by 1841.
During the War of Mexican Independence, Alta California was largely unaffected and uninvolved in the revolution, though many Californios supported independence from Spain, which many believed had neglected California and limited its development. Spain's trade monopoly on California had limited the trade prospects of Californians. Following Mexican independence, Californian ports were freely able to trade with foreign merchants. Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá presided over the transition from Spanish colonial rule to independent.
In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence gave the Mexican Empire (which included California) independence from Spain. For the next 25 years, Alta California remained a remote, sparsely populated, northwestern administrative district of the newly independent country of Mexico, which shortly after independence became a republic. The missions, which controlled most of the best land in the state, were secularized by 1834 and became the property of the Mexican government. The governor granted many square leagues of land to others with political influence. These huge ranchos or cattle ranches emerged as the dominant institutions of Mexican California. The ranchos developed under ownership by Californios (Hispanics native of California) who traded cowhides and tallow with Boston merchants. Beef did not become a commodity until the 1849 California Gold Rush.
From the 1820s, trappers and settlers from the United States and Canada began to arrive in Northern California. These new arrivals used the Siskiyou Trail, California Trail, Oregon Trail and Old Spanish Trail to cross the rugged mountains and harsh deserts in and surrounding California. The early government of the newly independent Mexico was highly unstable, and in a reflection of this, from 1831 onwards, California also experienced a series of armed disputes, both internal and with the central Mexican government. During this tumultuous political period Juan Bautista Alvarado was able to secure the governorship during 1836–1842. The military action which first brought Alvarado to power had momentarily declared California to be an independent state, and had been aided by Anglo-American residents of California, including Isaac Graham. In 1840, one hundred of those residents who did not have passports were arrested, leading to the Graham Affair, which was resolved in part with the intercession of Royal Navy officials.
One of the largest ranchers in California was John Marsh. After failing to obtain justice against squatters on his land from the Mexican courts, he determined that California should become part of the United States. Marsh conducted a letter-writing campaign espousing the California climate, the soil, and other reasons to settle there, as well as the best route to follow, which became known as "Marsh's route". His letters were read, reread, passed around, and printed in newspapers throughout the country, and started the first wagon trains rolling to California. He invited immigrants to stay on his ranch until they could get settled, and assisted in their obtaining passports.
After ushering in the period of organized emigration to California, Marsh became involved in a military battle between the much-hated Mexican general, Manuel Micheltorena and the California governor he had replaced, Juan Bautista Alvarado. The armies of each met at the Battle of Providencia near Los Angeles. Marsh had been forced against his will to join Micheltorena's army. Ignoring his superiors, during the battle, he signaled the other side for a parley. There were many settlers from the United States fighting on both sides. He convinced these men that they had no reason to be fighting each other. As a result of Marsh's actions, they abandoned the fight, Micheltorena was defeated, and California-born Pio Pico was returned to the governorship. This paved the way to California's ultimate acquisition by the United States.
In 1846, a group of American settlers in and around Sonoma rebelled against Mexican rule during the Bear Flag Revolt. Afterward, rebels raised the Bear Flag (featuring a bear, a star, a red stripe and the words "California Republic") at Sonoma. The Republic's only president was William B. Ide,[65] who played a pivotal role during the Bear Flag Revolt. This revolt by American settlers served as a prelude to the later American military invasion of California and was closely coordinated with nearby American military commanders.
The California Republic was short-lived; the same year marked the outbreak of the Mexican–American War (1846–48).
Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into Monterey Bay in 1846 and began the U.S. military invasion of California, with Northern California capitulating in less than a month to the United States forces. In Southern California, Californios continued to resist American forces. Notable military engagements of the conquest include the Battle of San Pasqual and the Battle of Dominguez Rancho in Southern California, as well as the Battle of Olómpali and the Battle of Santa Clara in Northern California. After a series of defensive battles in the south, the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed by the Californios on January 13, 1847, securing a censure and establishing de facto American control in California.
Following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (February 2, 1848) that ended the war, the westernmost portion of the annexed Mexican territory of Alta California soon became the American state of California, and the remainder of the old territory was then subdivided into the new American Territories of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Utah. The even more lightly populated and arid lower region of old Baja California remained as a part of Mexico. In 1846, the total settler population of the western part of the old Alta California had been estimated to be no more than 8,000, plus about 100,000 Native Americans, down from about 300,000 before Hispanic settlement in 1769.
In 1848, only one week before the official American annexation of the area, gold was discovered in California, this being an event which was to forever alter both the state's demographics and its finances. Soon afterward, a massive influx of immigration into the area resulted, as prospectors and miners arrived by the thousands. The population burgeoned with United States citizens, Europeans, Chinese and other immigrants during the great California Gold Rush. By the time of California's application for statehood in 1850, the settler population of California had multiplied to 100,000. By 1854, more than 300,000 settlers had come. Between 1847 and 1870, the population of San Francisco increased from 500 to 150,000.
The seat of government for California under Spanish and later Mexican rule had been located in Monterey from 1777 until 1845. Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of Alta California, had briefly moved the capital to Los Angeles in 1845. The United States consulate had also been located in Monterey, under consul Thomas O. Larkin.
In 1849, a state Constitutional Convention was first held in Monterey. Among the first tasks of the convention was a decision on a location for the new state capital. The first full legislative sessions were held in San Jose (1850–1851). Subsequent locations included Vallejo (1852–1853), and nearby Benicia (1853–1854); these locations eventually proved to be inadequate as well. The capital has been located in Sacramento since 1854 with only a short break in 1862 when legislative sessions were held in San Francisco due to flooding in Sacramento. Once the state's Constitutional Convention had finalized its state constitution, it applied to the U.S. Congress for admission to statehood. On September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850, California became a free state and September 9 a state holiday.
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), California sent gold shipments eastward to Washington in support of the Union. However, due to the existence of a large contingent of pro-South sympathizers within the state, the state was not able to muster any full military regiments to send eastwards to officially serve in the Union war effort. Still, several smaller military units within the Union army were unofficially associated with the state of California, such as the "California 100 Company", due to a majority of their members being from California.
At the time of California's admission into the Union, travel between California and the rest of the continental United States had been a time-consuming and dangerous feat. Nineteen years later, and seven years after it was greenlighted by President Lincoln, the First transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. California was then reachable from the eastern States in a week's time.
Much of the state was extremely well suited to fruit cultivation and agriculture in general. Vast expanses of wheat, other cereal crops, vegetable crops, cotton, and nut and fruit trees were grown (including oranges in Southern California), and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production in the Central Valley and elsewhere.
In the nineteenth century, a large number of migrants from China traveled to the state as part of the Gold Rush or to seek work. Even though the Chinese proved indispensable in building the transcontinental railroad from California to Utah, perceived job competition with the Chinese led to anti-Chinese riots in the state, and eventually the US ended migration from China partially as a response to pressure from California with the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.
Under earlier Spanish and Mexican rule, California's original native population had precipitously declined, above all, from Eurasian diseases to which the indigenous people of California had not yet developed a natural immunity. Under its new American administration, California's harsh governmental policies towards its own indigenous people did not improve. As in other American states, many of the native inhabitants were soon forcibly removed from their lands by incoming American settlers such as miners, ranchers, and farmers. Although California had entered the American union as a free state, the "loitering or orphaned Indians" were de facto enslaved by their new Anglo-American masters under the 1853 Act for the Government and Protection of Indians. There were also massacres in which hundreds of indigenous people were killed.
Between 1850 and 1860, the California state government paid around 1.5 million dollars (some 250,000 of which was reimbursed by the federal government) to hire militias whose purpose was to protect settlers from the indigenous populations. In later decades, the native population was placed in reservations and rancherias, which were often small and isolated and without enough natural resources or funding from the government to sustain the populations living on them. As a result, the rise of California was a calamity for the native inhabitants. Several scholars and Native American activists, including Benjamin Madley and Ed Castillo, have described the actions of the California government as a genocide.
In the twentieth century, thousands of Japanese people migrated to the US and California specifically to attempt to purchase and own land in the state. However, the state in 1913 passed the Alien Land Act, excluding Asian immigrants from owning land. During World War II, Japanese Americans in California were interned in concentration camps such as at Tule Lake and Manzanar. In 2020, California officially apologized for this internment.
Migration to California accelerated during the early 20th century with the completion of major transcontinental highways like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66. In the period from 1900 to 1965, the population grew from fewer than one million to the greatest in the Union. In 1940, the Census Bureau reported California's population as 6.0% Hispanic, 2.4% Asian, and 89.5% non-Hispanic white.
To meet the population's needs, major engineering feats like the California and Los Angeles Aqueducts; the Oroville and Shasta Dams; and the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges were built across the state. The state government also adopted the California Master Plan for Higher Education in 1960 to develop a highly efficient system of public education.
Meanwhile, attracted to the mild Mediterranean climate, cheap land, and the state's wide variety of geography, filmmakers established the studio system in Hollywood in the 1920s. California manufactured 8.7 percent of total United States military armaments produced during World War II, ranking third (behind New York and Michigan) among the 48 states. California however easily ranked first in production of military ships during the war (transport, cargo, [merchant ships] such as Liberty ships, Victory ships, and warships) at drydock facilities in San Diego, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. After World War II, California's economy greatly expanded due to strong aerospace and defense industries, whose size decreased following the end of the Cold War. Stanford University and its Dean of Engineering Frederick Terman began encouraging faculty and graduates to stay in California instead of leaving the state, and develop a high-tech region in the area now known as Silicon Valley. As a result of these efforts, California is regarded as a world center of the entertainment and music industries, of technology, engineering, and the aerospace industry, and as the United States center of agricultural production. Just before the Dot Com Bust, California had the fifth-largest economy in the world among nations.
In the mid and late twentieth century, a number of race-related incidents occurred in the state. Tensions between police and African Americans, combined with unemployment and poverty in inner cities, led to violent riots, such as the 1965 Watts riots and 1992 Rodney King riots. California was also the hub of the Black Panther Party, a group known for arming African Americans to defend against racial injustice and for organizing free breakfast programs for schoolchildren. Additionally, Mexican, Filipino, and other migrant farm workers rallied in the state around Cesar Chavez for better pay in the 1960s and 1970s.
During the 20th century, two great disasters happened in California. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and 1928 St. Francis Dam flood remain the deadliest in U.S. history.
Although air pollution problems have been reduced, health problems associated with pollution have continued. The brown haze known as "smog" has been substantially abated after the passage of federal and state restrictions on automobile exhaust.
An energy crisis in 2001 led to rolling blackouts, soaring power rates, and the importation of electricity from neighboring states. Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company came under heavy criticism.
Housing prices in urban areas continued to increase; a modest home which in the 1960s cost $25,000 would cost half a million dollars or more in urban areas by 2005. More people commuted longer hours to afford a home in more rural areas while earning larger salaries in the urban areas. Speculators bought houses they never intended to live in, expecting to make a huge profit in a matter of months, then rolling it over by buying more properties. Mortgage companies were compliant, as everyone assumed the prices would keep rising. The bubble burst in 2007–8 as housing prices began to crash and the boom years ended. Hundreds of billions in property values vanished and foreclosures soared as many financial institutions and investors were badly hurt.
In the twenty-first century, droughts and frequent wildfires attributed to climate change have occurred in the state. From 2011 to 2017, a persistent drought was the worst in its recorded history. The 2018 wildfire season was the state's deadliest and most destructive, most notably Camp Fire.
Although air pollution problems have been reduced, health problems associated with pollution have continued. The brown haze that is known as "smog" has been substantially abated thanks to federal and state restrictions on automobile exhaust.
One of the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States that occurred in California was first of which was confirmed on January 26, 2020. Meaning, all of the early confirmed cases were persons who had recently travelled to China in Asia, as testing was restricted to this group. On this January 29, 2020, as disease containment protocols were still being developed, the U.S. Department of State evacuated 195 persons from Wuhan, China aboard a chartered flight to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, and in this process, it may have granted and conferred to escalated within the land and the US at cosmic. On February 5, 2020, the U.S. evacuated 345 more citizens from Hubei Province to two military bases in California, Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, where they were quarantined for 14 days. A state of emergency was largely declared in this state of the nation on March 4, 2020, and as of February 24, 2021, remains in effect. A mandatory statewide stay-at-home order was issued on March 19, 2020, due to increase, which was ended on January 25, 2021, allowing citizens to return to normal life. On April 6, 2021, the state announced plans to fully reopen the economy by June 15, 2021.