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Demonstrators on top of the statue Place de la Nation.
Merci de lire les explications en début d'album / Please read the explanations at the beginning of the set
Part of Régimes Spéciaux (Recommended as a slideshow)
Copyright © Argazkilari 64- 2009- All rights reserved
Au royaume d'Albanie, ancêtre du comté d'Albany, le roi Elinas chassait dans la forêt et rencontra à une fontaine une magnifique jeune femme qu'il salua bien humblement:
– "Ma chère dame, je désire plus que tout avoir votre bon amour et votre bonne grâce.
– Donc, si vous me voulez prendre pour épouse, jurez que vous ne chercherez jamais à me voir au temps de mes couches."
Ainsi parla la fée Persine (ou Presine). Ils se marièrent et eurent trois filles, toutes aussi belles que leur mère. L'aînée s'appelait Mélusine, la deuxième Mélior et la dernière Palestine. Mataquas, fils du premier lit d'Elinas, jaloux du bonheur de sa belle-mère, poussa son père dans la chambre où Persine baignait ses filles.
– Faux roi, tu as manqué à ta parole, cria la mère, il t'en mésaviendra, tu m'as à jamais perdue !
Persine s'exila avec ses trois filles au sud, sur l'île magique d'Avalon, où elles montaient chaque matin sur la colline d'Elénos, la montagne fleurie, d'où elles pouvaient apercevoir la lointaine Albanie.
– Filles, voyez là-bas où vous êtes nées et où vous auriez eu votre sort sans la fausseté de votre père qui vous a réduites à une misère sans fin. Et chaque fois elle répétait son malheur, si bien que l'aînée, Mélusine, déclara à ses sœurs :
– Je suis d'avis, s'il vous semble bon, d'enfermer le parjure en la merveilleuse montagne de Northumberland, appelée Brumblerio, d'où il ne sortira plus jamais. Ce qu'elles firent.
Leur mère s'en montra fort courroucée :
– Toi Mélusine, qui es l'aînée, tu sera la première punie. Désormais tu seras tous les samedis Serpente au-dessous du nombril. Si toutefois tu trouves un homme qui te veuille épouser à la condition de ne jamais te voir le samedi, tu vivras le cours naturel d'une vie de femme et tu mourras naturellement. De toutes façons de toi sortira une noble et très grande lignée qui accomplira de belles et hautes prouesses. Mais si jamais tu te sépares de ton mari, sache que tu retourneras au tourment d'auparavant sans fin.
Mélior fut condamnée à garder un épervier merveilleux dans un château en Arménie. Quant à Palestine, elle fut enfermée dans le mont Canigou avec le trésor de son père jusqu'à ce qu'un preux chevalier la délivre.
Mélusine signifie "merveille" ou "brouillard de la mer". Pour les Lusignan, on l'appelle "Mère Lusigne" (la mère des Lusignans), fondatrice de leur lignée. Dans le dictionnaire Littré, elle est appelée Merlusigne, ce qui pourrait faire penser à une connotation aquatique.
Certains lui donnent une origine bretonne insulaire. En breton son nom devient Melizenn et se traduit par La Mielleuse.
Le nom de sa mère Persina trouve sa racine bretonne dans le mot Berz ou Berziñ signifiant selon le contexte avertissement, interdit, férié, prohibition, injonction, mise en garde. Ce qui correspond bien à son rôle face à son époux. (Wilkipedia)
Le nom de sa sœur Melior pourrait venir de Meler en breton, le fabricant de miel, mais Miliour en breton signifie aussi La Flatteuse
Pour sa sœur Palestine, on pourrait faire un rapprochement avec Bac'h C'hestenn, Bac'h signifiant cellule et la mutation de Kestenn, signifiant la Ruche en breton. Peut-être à rapprocher du fait qu'elle demeure prisonnière de la montagne telle une nymphe d'abeille dans l'alvéole de la ruche. Cependant, Bac'h Laezenn est plus proche de son rôle dans l'histoire ; Bac'h signifiant aussi séquestre et Laez-enn signifiant la hauteur, le monticule.
Le nom de la colline de Brumblerio tire aussi son nom du breton et s'approche de la colline appelée Bryn y Briallu, connue aujourd'hui sous le nom de Primrose Hill et qui signifie La colline aux Primevères
Quant à la montagne de Canigou on peut la retrouver au Gwynedd, Pays de Galles dans la montagne de Carnguwch qui culmine à 359 mètres sur le territoire de la commune de Pistyll. Son sommet est constitué d'amoncellement de pierres tel un cairn naturel.
Pour en savoir davantage : fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%c3%a9lusine_(f%c3%a9e)
From the Website
The Tower Hamlets Trayned Bandes were, of course, by their nature, a social as well as military organisation. This is also especially true of the re-created regiment, and is reflected in the civilian roles: craftsmen make useful items and repair equipment, musicians entertain us and the public, preachers watch out for our moral wellbeing, servants and clerks bring order to the lives of officers and goodwives and families lend their support and cater to the inner man!
Upcoming Events
14th/15th August 2010, Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire
28th/29th/30th August 2010, Basing House, Hampshire (Major Muster)
11th September 2010, St John the Evangelist Church, Leeds.
Texture by
Sterling Silver
Skeletal Mess (bruised ego)
View On Black - - - Explore #226 on july 22nd 2010
brandhorst museum munich, germany (2008)
Bad Bruise, Deep Peach and Ruben’s Flesh
The polychromatic facade appears similar to a large, abstract painting. It is constructed of several layers. A layer of horizontally folded bi-coloured sheet-metal skin with fine perforations absorbs the traffic noise. 36,000 ceramic rods, glazed in 23 different colours, are hung in front of this element. They are arranged in three colour families (“Bad Bruise”, “Deep Peach” and “Ruben’s Flesh”) in such a way that the building appears to consist of three interlocking volumes.
The surface of the building alters as the observer moves. At the scale of the façade as a whole, the layering of horizontal and vertical lines along with the contrast and merging of colours create a general impression of oscillation in the closed exterior walls of the building – almost of dematerialisation.
Design team:
project team:
David Wegener (project leader), Peter Apel, Rasmus Jörgensen, Mareike Lamm, Jürgen Bartenschlag, Philip Engelbrecht, Andrea Frensch, Michaela Kunze
second trial
thanks to Vanessa Thomz's texture www.flickr.com/photos/vanka/
look at it on large and black : View On Black
Better- View On Black
Annual Honesty (Lunaria annua) is a tall (height about 1 m), hairy-stemmed biennial plant native to the Balkans and south west Asia, and naturalized throughout Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. It has large, pointed oval leaves with marked serrations. The common name "Honesty" arose in the 16th century, and it may be due to the translucent seed-pods which are like flattened pea-pods and borne on the plant through winter. In South-East Asia and elsewhere, it is called the Money Plant, because its seed pods have the appearance of silver coins. In the United States it may also be known as "Silver Dollars," also because of the seed pods. In Denmark it is known as Judaspenge and in The Netherlands as Judaspenning (coins of Judas), an allusion to the story of Judas Iscariot and the thirty pieces of silver he was paid.
.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunaria_annua
www.meucat.com/maps/mapa_satelite.php?COD=roma&NOME=P...
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
Following, a text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or "Fountain of the Four Rivers" is a fountain in Rome, Italy, located in the Piazza Navona. Designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini, it is emblematic of the dynamic and dramatic effects sought by High Baroque artists. It was erected in 1651 in front of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, and yards from the Pamphilj Palace belonging to this fountain's patron, Innocent X (1644-1655).
The four gods on the corners of the fountain represent the four major rivers of the world known at the time: the Nile, Danube, Ganges, and Plate. The design of each god figure has symbolic importance.
Design
Bernini's design was selected in competition. The circumstances of his victory are described as follows:
So strong was the sinister influence of the rivals of Bernini on the mind of Innocent that when he planned to set up in Piazza Navona the great obelisk brought to Rome by the Emperor Caracalla, which had been buried for a long time at Capo di Bove for the adornment of a magnificent fountain, the Pope had designs made by the leading architects of Rome without an order for one to Bernini. Prince Niccolò Ludovisi, whose wife was niece to the pope, persuaded Bernini to prepare a model, and arrange for it to be secretly installed in a room in the Palazzo Pamphili that the Pope had to pass. When the meal was finished, seeing such a noble creation, he stopped almost in ecstasy. Being prince of the keenest judgment and the loftiest ideas, after admiring it, said: “This is a trick … It will be necessary to employ Bernini in spite of those who do not wish it, for he who desires not to use Bernini’s designs, must take care not to see them.”
Paraphrase from Filippo Baldinucci, The life of Cavaliere Bernini (1682)
Public fountains in Rome served multiple purposes: first, they were highly needed sources of water for neighbors in the centuries prior to home plumbing. Second, they were monuments to the papal patrons. Earlier Bernini fountains had been the Fountain of the Triton in Piazza Barberini, the fountain of the Moor in the southern end of Piazza Navona erected during the Barberini papacy, and the Neptune and Triton for Villa Montalto, whose statuary now resides at Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Each has animals and plants that further carry forth the identification, and each carries a certain number of allegories and metaphors with it. The Ganges carries a long oar, representing the river's navigability. The Nile's head is draped with a loose piece of cloth, meaning that no one at that time knew exactly where the Nile's source was. The Danube touches the Papal coat of arms, since it is the large river closest to Rome. And the Río de la Plata is sitting on a pile of coins, a symbol of the riches America could offer to Europe (the word plata means silver in Spanish). Also, the Río de la Plata looks scared by a snake, showing rich men's fear that their money could be stolen. Each is a river god, semi-prostrate, in awe of the central tower, epitomized by the slender Egyptian obelisk (built for the Roman Serapeum in AD 81), symbolizing by Papal power surmounted by the Pamphili symbol (dove). In addition, the fountain is a theater in the round, a spectacle of action, that can be strolled around. Water flows and splashes from a jagged and pierced mountainous disorder of travertine marble. A legend, common with tour-guides, is that Bernini positioned the cowering Rio de la Plata River as if the sculpture was fearing the facade of the church of Sant'Agnese by his rival Borromini could crumble against him; in fact, the fountain was completed several years before Borromini began work on the church.
The dynamic fusion of architecture and sculpture made this fountain revolutionary when compared to prior Roman projects, such as the stilted designs Acqua Felice and Paola by Fontana in Piazza San Bernardo (1585-87) or the customary embellished geometric floral-shaped basin below a jet of water such as the Fontanina in Piazza Campitelli (1589) by Giacomo della Porta.
Unveiling
he Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi was unveiled to the populace of Rome on 12 June 1651. According to a report from the time, an event was organised to draw people to the Piazza Navona. Beforehand, wooden scaffolding, overlaid with curtains, had hidden the fountain, though probably not the obelisk, which would have given people an idea that something was being built, but the precise details were unknown. Once unveiled, the full majesty of the fountain would be apparent, which the celebrations were designed to advertise. The festival was paid for by the Pamphili family, to be specific, Innocent X, who had sponsored the erection of the fountain. The most conspicuous item on the Pamphili crest, an olive branch, was brandished by the performers who took part in the event.
The author of the report, Antonio Bernal, takes his readers through the hours leading up to the unveiling. The celebrations were announced by a woman, dressed as the allegorical character of Fame, being paraded around the streets of Rome on a carriage or float. She was sumptuously dressed, with wings attached to her back and a long trumpet in her hand. Bernal notes that "she went gracefully through all the streets and all the districts that are found among the seven hills of Rome, often blowing the round bronze [the trumpet], and urging everyone to make their way to that famous Piazza." A second carriage followed her; this time another woman was dressed as the allegorical figure of Curiosity. According to the report, she continued exhorting the people to go towards the piazza. Bernal describes the clamour and noise of the people as they discussed the upcoming event.
The report is actually less detailed about the process of publicly unveiling the fountain. However, it does give ample descriptions of the responses of the spectators who had gathered in the Piazza. Once there, Bernal notes, the citizens of the city were overwhelmed by the massive fountain, with its huge life-like figures. The report mentions the "enraptured souls" of the population, the fountain, which "gushes out a wealth of silvery treasures" causing "no little wonder" in the onlookers. Bernal then continues to describe the fountain, making continuous reference to the seeming naturalism of the figures and its astonishing effect on those in the piazza.
The making of the fountain was met by opposition by the people of Rome for several reasons. First, Innocent X had the fountain built at public expense during the intense famine of 1646-48. Throughout the construction of the fountain, the city murmurred and talk of riot was in the air. Pasquinade writers protested the construction of the fountain in September 1648 by attaching hand-written invectives on the stone blocks used to make the obelisk. These pasquinades read, "We do not want Obelisks and Fountains, It is bread that we want. Bread, Bread, Bread!" Innocent quickly had the authors arrested, and disguised spies patrol the Pasquino statue and Piazza Navona
The streetvendors of the market also opposed the construction of the fountain, as Innocent X expelled them from the piazza. The Pamphilij pope believed they detracted from the magnificence of the square. The vendors refused to move, and the papal police had to chase them from the piazza. Roman Jews, in particular, lamented the closing of the Navona, since they were allowed to sell used articles of clothing there at the Wednesday market.
Navona Square (Piazza Navona).
Following, a text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in first century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium.[1] The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones ("games"), and hence it was known as 'Circus Agonalis' (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to 'in agone' to 'navone' and eventually to 'navona'.
Defined as a public space in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred to it from the Campidoglio, the Piazza Navona is a significant example of Baroque Roman architecture and art. It features sculptural and architectural creations: in the center stands the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini; the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi; and the Pamphilj palace also by Rainaldi and which features the gallery frescoed by Pietro da Cortona.
The Piazza Navona has two additional fountains: at the southern end is the Fontana del Moro with a basin and four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo della Porta (1575) to which, in 1673, Bernini added a statue of a Moor, or African, wrestling with a dolphin, and at the northern end is the Fountain of Neptune (1574) created by Giacomo della Porta. The statue of Neptune in the northern fountain, the work of Antonio Della Bitta, was added in 1878 to make that fountain more symmetrical with La Fontana del Moro in the south.
At the southwest end of the piazza is the ancient 'speaking' statue of Pasquino. Erected in 1501, Romans could leave lampoons or derogatory social commentary attached to the statue.
During its history, the piazza has hosted theatrical events and other ephemeral activities. From 1652 until 1866, when the festival was suppressed, it was flooded on every Saturday and Sunday in August in elaborate celebrations of the Pamphilj family. The pavement level was raised in the 19th century and the market was moved again in 1869 to the nearby Campo de' Fiori. A Christmas market is held in the piazza.
Other monuments on the Piazza Navona are:
Stabilimenti Spagnoli
Palazzo de Cupis
Palazzo Torres Massimo Lancellotti
Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore
Palazzo Braschi (Museo di Roma)
Sant'Agnese in Agone
Literature and films
The piazza is featured in Dan Brown's 2000 thriller Angels and Demons, in which the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi "The Fountain of the four rivers"(the Danube, the Gange, the Nile and the River Plate) is listed as one of the Altars of Science. During June 2008, Ron Howard directed several scenes of the film adaptation of Angels and Demons on the southern section of the Piazza Navona, featuring Tom Hanks.
The piazza is featured in several scenes of director Mike Nichols' 1970 adaptation of Joseph Heller's novel, Catch-22.
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi was used in the 1990 film Coins in the Fountain. The characters threw coins into the fountain as they made wishes. The Trevi Fountain was used in the 1954 version of the film.
A Fontana Dei Quattro Fiumi, é maior das três fontes, localizada no centro da praça. Na fonte dos rios, Bernini projetou quatro estátuas representando os rios dos quatro continentes: o Nilo, o Danúbio, o rio da Prata e o Ganges. As estátuas estão montadas sobre um obelisco egípcio, sendo circundadas por leões e outros animais fantásticos, tendo no cume uma pomba em bronze, símbolo da paz no mundo e da família Pamphili. Para realçar a rivalidade entre Bernini e Borromini, que fez a igreja de Santa Agnese, os romanos criaram uma lenda em torno da fonte dos rios, que fica em frente a esta igreja. Segundo os romanos, as estátuas duvidam da solidez do projeto de Borromini. A que retrata o rio da Prata, tem a mão erguida, a proteger o corpo do desabamento da igreja; a que retrata o Nilo, traz a cabeça coberta por um véu, a recusar a ver a obra de Borromini.
A seguir um texto, em português, da Wikipédia a Enciclopédia Livre:
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fonte dos Quatro Rios), foi esculpida por Gian Lorenzo Bernini entre 1648 e 1651, artista do barroco italiano, foi concebida por uma ordem do Papa Inocencio X o Papa da familia Pamphili, cujo tinha sua casa nesta praça.
Esta localizada na Praça de Navona, em Roma. Ela representa os quatro principais continentes do mundo cortados por seus principais rios: Rio Nilo, na África; Rio Ganges, na Ásia, Rio da Prata, na América e o Rio Danúbio, na Europa.
A seguir, texto em português do site Wiki lingue:
A escultura da Fonte dos Quatro Rios, encontra-se na Piazza Navona de Roma (Itália) e foi criada e talhada pelo escultor e pintor Gian Lorenzo Bernini em 1651 baixo o papado de Inocencio X, em plena época barroca, durante o período mais prolífico do genial artista e cerca da que em outro tempo fué a Chiesa dei San Giacomo de gli Spagnoli
A fonte compõe-se de uma base formada de uma grande piscina elíptica, coroada em seu centro de uma grande mole de mármol, sobre a qual se eleva um obelisco egípcio de época romana, o obelisco de Domiciano .
As estátuas que compõem a fonte, têm umas dimensões maiores que na realidade e são alegorias dos quatro rios principais da Terra (Nilo, Ganges, Danubio, Rio da Prata), a cada um deles em um dos continentes conhecidos na época. Na fonte a cada um destes rios está representado por um gigante de mármol .
As árvores e as plantas que emergem da água e que se encontram entre as rochas, também estão em uma escala maior que na realidade. Os animais e vegetales, gerados de uma natureza boa e útil, pertencem a espécies grandes e potentes (como o leão, cavalo, cocodrilo, serpente, dragão, etc.). O espectador, girando em torno da fonte, descobre novas formas que dantes estavam escondidas ou cobertas pela massa rocosa. Com esta obra, Bernini quer suscitar admiração em quem olha-a, criando um pequeno universo em movimento a imitação do espaço da realidade natural.
A fonte foi submetida a restauração, um trabalho que se deu por concluído em dezembro de 2008. Constitui um dos palcos finque da novela e o filme Anjos e Demónios, à qual é arrojado um dos cardeais sequestrados, e Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) se lança à água para lhe salvar.
Os animais da fonte
A fonte apresenta figuras de sete animais, além de uma pequena pomba e o emblema dos Pamphili. Para poder observá-las basta com dar uma volta ao redor da fonte. As figuras são: um cavalo, uma serpente de terra (na parte mais alta, cerca do obelisco), uma serpente de mar, um delfín (que funciona também como desagüe), um cocodrilo, um leão e um dragão. Notar também a vegetación esculpida que parece real.
Praça Navona.
A seguir, um texto em português, da Wikipédia a Enciclopédia livre:
A Praça Navona (em italiano: Piazza Navona) é uma das mais célebres praças de Roma. A sua forma assemelha-se à dos antigos estádios da Roma Antiga, seguindo a planificação do Estádio de Domiciano (também denominado entre os italianos de Campomarzio, em virtude da natureza rude e esforçada dos exercícios - manejo de armas - e desportos atléticos que aí se realizavam). Albergaria até 20 mil espectadores sentados nas bancadas. A origem do nome deve-se ao nome pomposo que lhe foi dado ao tempo do Imperador Domiciano (imperador entre 81-96 d.c.): "Circo Agonístico" (do étimo grego Agonia, que significa precisamente - exercício, luta, combate). Actualmente o nome corresponde à corruptela da forma posterior in agone, depois nagone e finalmente navone, que por mero acaso significa também "grande navio" na língua italiana.
As casas que entretanto e com o passar dos anos foram sendo construídas sobre as bancadas, delimitariam e circunscreveriam até à actualidade o tão afamado Circo Agonístico.
A Navona passou de fato a caracterizar-se como praça nos últimos anos do século XV, quando o mercado da cidade foi transferido do Capitólio para aí. Foi remodelada para um estilo monumental por vontade do Papa Inocêncio X, da família Pamphili e é motivo de orgulho da cidade de Roma durante o período barroco. Sofreu intervenções de Gian Lorenzo Bernini (a famosa Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fonte dos Quatro Rios, 1651) ao centro); de Francesco Borromini e Girolamo Gainaldi (a igreja de Sant'Agnese in Agone); e de Pietro de Cortona, que pintou a galeria no Palácio Pamphilj, sede da embaixada do Brasil na Itália desde 1920.
O mercado tradicional voltou a ser transferido em 1869 para o Campo de' Fiori, embora a praça mantenha também um papel fundamental em servir de palco para espectáculos de teatro e corridas de cavalos. A partir de 1652, em todos os Sábados e Domingos de Agosto, a praça tornava-se num lago para celebrar a própria família Pamphili.
A praça dispõe ainda duas outras fontes esculpidas por Giacomo della Porta - a Fontana di Nettuno (1574), na área norte da praça, e a Fontana del Moro (1576), na área sul.
Na extremidade norte da praça, por debaixo dos edifícios, foram postas a descoberto ruínas antiquíssimas, a uma cota muito abaixo da actual, comprovando a primeva utilização daquele imenso terreiro. Outros monumentos com entrada para a praça:
Stabilimenti Spagnoli
Palazzo de Cupis
Palazzo Torres Massimo Lancellotti
Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore
Curiosidades
Na Piazza Navona, está localizado o Palazzo Pamphilj, propriedade da República Federativa do Brasil, sede da Embaixada Brasileira e da Missão Diplomática do Brasil para a Itália.
A little break from the California trip. This is from last evening on the VA side of Great Falls Park.
Sort of a 3 part story. The Good = this shot. I was happy with the location I found right down on the water coupled with the pretty tones in the sky. The Bad = the below shot. Not that it's terrible or anything, but I wish it were 'epic' or something along those lines, because I paid for it. The result of the below shot, was The Ugly. A cracked filter, and more painful, a cracked knee...it's an evening I won't soon forget.
A reminder that bad things can happen very very quickly. Stay safe out there...
Thanks for looking!
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Comments and constructive criticism always appreciated.
Explored #114. Thank you very much!
Thames River, St Paul's Cathedral, London.
Back to my comfort zone :)
This is the last shot in series when I took a walk along the river on Thames Festival event. My personal favourite in the series is this one. Another two - (this and that) - became quite popular on Flickr.
DRI - Digital Blending - manually - 4xp. I did not like HDR version.
View LARGE.
News: What do you do if there is no proper group for your photos? (Well if there is only one dead more than a year ago). Create a new one! Welcome to DRI group - all about you DRI (Dynamic Range Increase) photos. 50 outstanding works (works, not snapshots) in just 3 days, 15 members. Not that bad for a start I think.
'My most interesting' show.
Just a little intro to a new series of pics that I can't wait to start. It's a love story, historical fiction, about Aleida March and Che Guevara.
Che is such an interesting figure, and when I started looking into this story in particular I couldn't help but get sucked into it. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. <3
Creo que se puede ver un poco mejor así...
EL ÁRBOL DE LA FELICIDAD
Cuento de Filosofía Sufí
Cuentan que hace muchos, muchos años un peregrino tras caminar durante infinitas jornadas bajo el implacable sol de la India deseó en su corazón poder descansar a la sombra de un árbol que le diera cobijo. Y así fue que, de pronto, divisó a lo lejos un frondoso árbol solitario en medio de la planicie. Cubierto de sudor y tambaleándose sobre sus fatigados pies se encaminó alegremente hacia el árbol que hacía realidad su deseo.
Al fin podré descansar, pensó, mientras se abría paso entre sus tupidas ramas que llegaban hasta el suelo. ¿Qué más podría desear?
Tendiéndose sobre la tierra en su refugio vegetal trató de conciliar el sueño, pero el suelo estaba duro y mientras más el peregrino trataba de ignorarlo y descansar, más duro le parecía el suelo sobre el que estaba.
Si al menos tuviera una cama, pensó.
Al momento surgió una imponente cama, con impolutas sábanas de seda, digna de un sultán. Brocados, lujosos tejidos de Samarkanda y las más suaves pieles cubrían el lecho. Y es que, sin saberlo, el peregrino había ido a sentarse bajo el mítico árbol de los deseos. Aquel árbol milagroso que es capaz de convertir en realidad cualquier deseo expresado bajo sus ramas.
El hombre se acostó en el mullido lecho relajándose.
¡Oh, qué a gusto me siento, lástima del hambre que tengo! –pensó-, y ante él apareció una espléndida mesa cubierta con la más sabrosa de las comidas, con ricos y variados platos exquisitamente preparados y servidos en la más extravagante de las vajillas. Sobre las más finas telas imbricadas de hilos preciosos se mezclaban oro, plata y finísimo cristal con las más exóticas frutas y lujuriosos postres. Todas estas maravillas tomaron forma ante sus asombrados ojos. Todo aquello con lo que siempre había soñado en las solitarias noches de su largo peregrinar estaba ahora ante él.
El peregrino comía y comía con el temor de que tal prodigio desapareciera en el aire tan súbitamente como había aparecido. Pero, cuanto más comía, más comida aparecía. Y cada nuevo manjar era aún más sabroso y exquisito que el anterior. Finalmente dijo:
Ya no puedo más y en ese mismo momento la mesa con todas sus maravillas se desvaneció en el aire.
Es maravilloso, pensó, mientras un sentimiento de felicidad le embargaba.
No me moveré de aquí y seré por siempre feliz.
Pero, de pronto, una idea terrible surcó su mente:
Claro que esta planicie es famosa por sus feroces tigres. ¿Qué sucedería si un tigre me descubriese? Sería terrible morir, después de finalmente haber encontrado el árbol de la felicidad.
Fue la milésima de una fracción de segundo, pero bastó. Cumpliendo su deseo, en aquel momento surgió de la nada un terrible tigre que lo devoró.
Y así, el árbol de la felicidad quedó solo de nuevo, y allí sigue esperando la llegada de un ser humano de corazón completamente puro, donde no resida el miedo, ni la desconfianza, sino sólo responsabilidad y conocimiento.
Para acompañar, Otoño Porteño, en la interpretación de Astor Piazzolla.
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¡TENGAN TODOS UN EXCELENTE DÍA!!!
¡UN BESOTE INMENSO PARA TODOS!!!
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Badewald. Switzerland.
Check it out my Portfolio: GETTY IMAGES
Maybe you like this: / Facebook / 500px
Switzerland (German: Schweiz[note 3] [ˈʃvaɪts]; French: Suisse [sɥis]; Italian: Svizzera [ˈzvittsera]; Romansh: Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ] or [ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ]), officially the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western and Central Europe,[note 4] where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres – Zürich and Geneva.
View On Black | My Photostream on Black | Desktop Background
It's always tricky trying to choose a good day to photograph the beach
especially when you live an hour away so a lot of it is based on Internet
research before making the trip. I have found that webcams can offer some
insight as to beach conditions and I have many bookmarked which I check
before making the choice to head to the beach. The weather is even more
difficult to judge. Many times I have left dramatic skies only to find the
clear skies over the Pacific. Then there are the surf conditions.
Granted there are sites that cover the surf but reading them is somewhat
tricky. Finally I use Google Earth with the weather maps and cloud maps
turned on. If I am going for the sunset, I will also take a peek at a free
program called The Photographer's Ephemeris which shows the angle and times
of the sunset. This can be very helpful in determining when and where the
sun will set in relation to the land. In the end though, there is still an
element of lucky. I've gone out on great days only to be shut down by a
storm on the beach. Other days I have gone out when the weather really
sucked and to find it open up and become perfect right at the sunset. On
those rare occasions I am often the only one on the beach. Not so on this
day. There was a group of photographers crowded along the beach. I
thought to stop and chat but was busy catching the last bits of light.
Turned out that there were several people there who I have listed as
contacts on Flickr. Perhaps next time.
Darv
© Darvin Atkeson
Mom and I had the opportunity to stay at this B and B at the beginning of summer in Durango, Colorado. We had a little cottage all to ourselves with a nice front porch with a swing. The breakfast we received was delicious and they had a happy hour in the evening. The Inn had these wonderful ponds and great gardens to walk around. Across the highway, you could watch the Durango/Silverton narrow gauge railroad go by in the morning and come back in the evening. If you are ever in the Durango area, I recommend you to look in to staying here. Click here for the their website. I suggest clicking the link and having a look at how wonderful this place is.
I used textures by Encouter, I'm not able to find them on here but I appreciate their works of art.
View On Black, or View my most interesting stream ON BLACK!
I started my day quite early, even before sunrise, driving around to explore downtown Boston. Unfortunately, I got lost and wasn't able to find anything exciting. Therefore, I decided to come back to the Seaport District where we briefly stopped by in the previous afternoon and saw how it looked in the early morning...
I walked from Fan Pier to the Courthouse. The water is calm, the sky is clear, the buildings look fabulous, and even the city is silent in the early morning. To me, it's a perfect way to start my day in Boston, or any big city! :-)
p.s. 歡迎光臨我新闢的部落格 光影、色彩、我，關於攝影二三事！
___________________________________________________
~波士頓，麻薩諸塞州，美國~
Boston, MA, USA
- ISO 50, F22, 10 sec, 19mm
- Canon 5D Mark II with EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L lens
- sunrise @ 5.11am / shot @ 5:45am, 2011//6/30
© copyright 2011 Hsiang Wei Chao
.|| This image may not be used for any purposes without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
One of the machine is blowing artificial "snow", for the joy of the children :-) It's also safe for the cameras apparently ;-)
Part of "Le Grand Répertoire", a set on this exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris.
HDR image processed from 5 exposures with Photomatix Pro.
From Alberta's lovely landscape back into the big city.
Saw this scenery in downtown Toronto a few weeks ago ... in a hurry to catch my 5 shots and not to get killed by a car :-)
To get all the details, maybe give it a try and check this one in Large and on Black!
Please don't use this image on any media without asking for permission.
© All rights reserved.
[main ver.] digi*ana*logue
*
Come on a my 1st photograph exhibition!
2008/6/28(Sat) to 2008/7/12(Sat) Hours: 11:30-26:00 (Tuesday closed)
Closing Party: 2008/7/12(Sat) 19:00start to 23:00close
Door: 1500yen (petit food + 1drink)
Location: torse
Address: 2F, 2-20-9 Takaban , Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-0004 Japan. Tel: 03-6909-2336 Fax: 03-6909-2337 / Google Map
[main ver.] digi*ana*logue
*
私、ヨシダユキヒロの初の個展となる
写真展を開かさせて頂くことになりました！
場所は学芸大学駅から徒歩１分ぐらいの場所に
新しくできたtorse（トルス）というステキなカフェ＆ギャラリーです。
なお、この写真展がこのお店の展示のこけら落としでもあります！
ぜひ足をお運び頂き、ご高覧ください。
＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊
【ヨシダユキヒロ 1st 写真展 「白い霧の向こう」】
2008/6/28(Sat)〜2008/7/12(Sat）@ 学芸大学駅前 "torse"
Closing Party 2008/7/12(Sat) 19:00〜23:00
1500yen (ちょっとしたフード＋１ドリンク)
白い夢のような世界。何かに傷ついても、また夢を見て、
もやもやしたその先へ踏み出したい。
＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊
＊ 作者プロフィール
＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊
ヨシダユキヒロ
カメラを持ってお散歩をしながらこの世の秘密を探っている旅人。
一見、水と油に見えるような対立する関係をデジタルとアナログに見立てて
いまの自分の世界の向こう側を探り、解け合って行きたいというコンセプ
トを持つ「digi*ana*logue」（デジタルとアナログの対話）というセルフ
ユニットにて活動中。
digi*ana*logue
＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊
2005年04月 cubismo grafico, capsule, HALFBYがゲストDJ参加のイベントフライヤー用に写真提供
2005年06月 OOSP アナログ１２インチレコードジャケット用に写真提供
2005年08月 OOSP 1st アルバム ＣＤブックレット用に写真提供
2005年12月 DJ鈴木雅尭氏がゲストDJ参加の配布用MIXCDジャケットをデザイン+写真提供
2006年03月 名古屋造形芸術大学写真部展のＤＭをデザイン+写真提供
2005月10月 「カメラ日和 vol.4」2005年12月号に掲載
2007年10月 月刊「psiko」2007年11月号に掲載
2007年10月 「女子カメラ vol.4」2007年12月号に掲載
2008年05月 「カメラ日和 vol.19」2008年7月号に掲載
＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊
＊ 場所の詳細
＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊
torse（トルス）
〒152-0004
東京都目黒区鷹番2-20-9 torse 2F
東急東横線 学芸大学駅 徒歩1分
Tel:03-6909-2336 Fax:03-6909-2337
11:30-26:00
火曜定休
info@torse.jp
Googleマップ
＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊
＊ クロージングパーティ
＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊ー＊
Closing Party 7/12(Sat) 19:00 - 23:00 @ torse
1500yen (ちょっとしたフード＋１ドリンク)
代官山のヨーロッパの女の子のお部屋をイメージしたセレクトショップBRIQUEのオーナー。またアクセサリーや洋服を中心としたブランド Lilimelliaデザイナーとして全国セレクトショップにて展開中。そしてフランス音楽、ジャズを中心としたラウンジ音楽イベントshamrock 他、音楽イベントのオーガナイザー。
60年代の音楽を中心にスピンするDJ。そしてDJと平行して歌手エルナ・フェラガ〜モの主宰するレーベルマドレーヌ・エージェンシーにてLes Petits名義で歌手としても活動している。年内スタート予定のラウンジイベントshamrockのメンバーでもある。
イラストレーター兼 DJ。現在エディトリアル媒体を中心に、企業広告、雑誌広告、音楽雑誌、CD カバーアート、Web 、クラブイベントにおいてイラストレーションを発表＆展開中。2002年から、イラストレーター・絵本作家・編集者などといったクリエーターを志望するための学校「パレットクラブ」にて「イラストコース」「イラスト基礎コース」の講師も始める。
My buddy Domino. She passed away in 2007, but lives on in my heart. I'm feeling nostalgic today.
(7 Feb. 2010) I got tagged, and this one's interesting: Who or what is the love of your life? List 14 reasons why. Well, I'm sentimental when it comes to pets (and animals in general), so it shouldn't surprise people who know me that Domino was/is the "love of my life" (and I'm man enough to admit it).
1. Domino was the first cat I ever adopted (after having had two dogs while growing up).
2. She had the sweetest disposition of any pet (dog or cat) that I've ever known.
3. When she was little more than a kitten, she accidentally pulled an unaffixed drawing tabletop down on top of herself, giving her a concussion. We drove her to the emergency vet at midnight; I held her in the passenger seat on a stiff piece of cardboard to try to keep her from being jostled. I talked to her the entire way to keep her with us. She was at the vet overnight, unconscious, with an IV in her leg, and they really didn't know how she'd come out of it. At 4am, the vet called and said she would be fine; she was just small enough that the table didn't do more than give her a good knock on the head (the tabletop's rails were just tall enough that she wasn't badly crushed by the tabletop). From that day forward, she was my buddy; I really think my talking to her created a strong bond. She never left my side after that.
4. She purred and it sounded so musical, unlike any other purr I've ever heard.
5. She was definitely the Yin to my other adopted cat Whisper's Yang. (Funny that Domino was mostly black and Whisper was all white.) Nothing at all against Whisper (the devilish little brat), but Domino was the "good" cat. :)
6. She was very, very social and loved everyone, which at the time I thought was rare for a cat.
7. She loved to be picked up and held (and purred while she was held).
8. She insisted on going outside on my balcony but was never angry if I took my time letting her out. I could always count on her to stay safely away from the edge.
9. She learned how to beg for food, but would be content after one tiny scrap of meat, after which she'd walk away from the table satisfied.
10. Domino loved eating unbuttered, unsalted popcorn. She daintily ate one piece at a time and never ate more than three pieces.
11. She loved other cats and even my family's dog.
12. She never complained (well, almost never), and she seemed very wise.
13. She never gave anyone a reason to dislike her.
14. She gave me joy every day I had her, and even now, nearly three years after her passing, I smile when I think of her. I love my current cat Lily Bean more than I can say, but Domino will always be what I told her she was: the best cat in the world.
www.algarvewildlife.com/reserves-guadiana.php
There are many reasons to visit this beautiful part of Portugal: in spring the wildflowers are wonderful, in autumn the fungi are fabulous, but whatever time of year you visit, the birds are brilliant, and this is what the region is most famous for.
The parque itself is designated as a SPA – Special Protection Area. (There is an explanation of conservation designations on the First Nature website...) It is a large area around the little town of Castro Verde, which lies off the western edge of the Parque.
The countryside is a mixture of wooded hills clad with pine or introduced eucalyptus, grasslands studded with holm oak trees under which the famous black pigs forage for acorns in the autumn, and the largest area of rolling steppes in Portugal – even in high summer when the overall impression is of a desert the landscape is unforgettable.
This outstanding natural park partly lies along the Portuguese border with Spain and is best accessed (from the Algarve) by driving to Castro Marim on the Spanish border and heading north along the IC27 and then Route 122 in the direction of Beja. Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana is a huge area covering almost 700 square kilometres and, in order to see all that it has to offer, a stay of two or three days in the area would be ideal.
The Hotel Beira Rio in the lovely little town of Mertola is ideal. The hotel is in Rua Dr. Afonso Costa and well signed from all entry points into Mertola, although you should be ready for some interesting driving around the narrow, cobbled streets on the way! The hotel is simple but immaculately clean and comfortable and has excellent views up and down the River Guadiana, which it overlooks. Breakfast is available but there is no restaurant in the hotel for other meals. The staff supply a map with all the nearby restaurants marked, along with the main tourist attractions.
huge area covering almost 700 square kilometres and, in order to see all that
Access and Facilities
There are a number of routes of varying distances throughout and around the Parque which are easy to follow. The road (route 123) between Mertola and Castro Verde and then back via the IP2 (to Trinidade) and then the 122 returning to Mertola is a triangular route and will give you a really good feel for the area.
Another really enjoyable, and not too long, route is marked off the N267 as Circuto de Serras. It passes through some outstanding mountain scenery with several ideal spots to pause and admire the surroundings. Also, not too distant (about 31 kilometres) from Mertola, is Puolo do Lobo, which is an impressive waterfall on the River Guadiana. Considering how seldom one sees water in rivers in the Algarve, and bearing in mind that Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana sits in the centre of the hottest and most arid region of Portugal with rain well below average, it is quite a surprise to see such a waterfall. Puolo do Lobo is accessed through gates around a kilometre before the waterfall which can be found at the bottom of a steep track. There are parking places and a vehicle turning area very close to the cascade.
Close to Castro Verde there is an Environmental Education Centre run by the Liga da Protectao da Natureza - see the paragraph below for more details.
The Birds of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana
Any description of the birdlife of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana has to include both the Little Bustard and the Great Bustard, although excessive pressure from birdwatchers has had a negative impact on the breeding success of these two species in recent years. Before attempting to find and photograph these birds it is a good idea to visit the LPN (Liga da Protecao da Natureza) Castro Verde Environmental Education Centre which lies about 10 minutes drive to the east of Castro Verde itself. The centre is open from 9am – 5pm except on Sundays and Mondays, and the English-speaking staff there will explain the various measures that should be adopted when observing Little Bustards and Great Bustards. There is also information available on all the bird-watching hotspots, including walking trails, that exist in the area.
Of the two species of Bustard to be found in the Parque, the Little Bustard is the more common of the two and most likely to be spotted from the roadside. In Spring the head of male bird, perched on its long black neck, can be seen protruding above the tall grasses as he patrols the nest in the absence of his mate. The Great Bustard is a much shyer bird and more rarely seen by the casual visitor to the area. At a weight of around 18 kilogrammes this monster is Europe's heaviest bird and it seems nothing short of a miracle that it is able to take to the air. Even more sensitive to habitat destruction than the Little Bustard, this amazing bird is on the Endangered List and afforded the highest levels of protection.
Many of the other birds to be found here are classified as rare or endangered. There are a few pairs of Bonelli’s Eagles and Golden Eagles for instance, and Great Spotted Cuckoos, Golden Oriels, Black-shouldered Kites and Blue Rock Thrushes can all be found in the Parque. A recent study of the presence of breeding Eagle Owls in the Parque revealed the highest density of these birds ever recorded. Azure-winged Magpies are common in the area and also many Lapwings, which have become so rare in other parts of Europe where they were once common birds. Other notable species present in the Parque include the European Roller, Bee Eater, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Montague’s Harrier, Calandra Lark, Common Crane, Lesser Kestrel, Eurasian Griffon Vulture and Eurasian Black Vulture. There have even been sightings of Spanish Imperial Eagles soaring over the area.
Other birds to look out for include the Rufous-tailed Robin, a Black-shouldered Kite, several Buzzards, Red Kites, and numerous Red-legged Partridges scurrying across the roads.
Less affected by visiting birdwatchers and naturalists than some of the rarer birds are the Storks - their nesting colonies are frequently found in trees on the roadsides of the Park. Although common throughout the Iberian Peninsula they nevertheless create huge interest for visitors from other parts of the world.
General Wildlife of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana
Although best known for being a mecca for bird watchers Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana is also an excellent place to see many of the wildflowers that occur in southern Portugal, and in autumn, the Parque is an outstanding place to see numerous species of fungi.
One of the earliest of the spring flowers in the area is the cute-looking Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgare) which pops up from the base of the plant's arrowhead-shaped leaves as early as December or January. Once the flower season gets underway the roadsides and river banks are consumed with the yellows and purples of early sping as Jonquil, Yellow Hoop-petticoat Daffodil and Barbary Nut burst into flower. They are quickly followed by bright pink Catchflly (Silene colorata) and deep purple Viper's-bugloss (Echium vulgare). The grasslands are a paradise for various members of the pea family including the darkly beautiful Vicia Benghalensis with its thickly hairy stems. In spring the landscape resembles a view through a kaleidoscope with its ever-changing colour as one dominant species of wildflower gives way to the next and so on. By the end of May the extensive crop fields are ripe and golden, but once harvested, this arid area becomes almost desert-like with no indication of the glorious pageant of colour that has gone before. Despite being one of the more instensively farmed parts of the Algarve, the lower useage of herbicides and pesticides on the land than in other parts of Europe means that Mother Nature can still remind us of her power to beautify the countryside with a diversity of flowers and plants beyond the wildest imaginings of even the greatest of our garden designers.
Lying in wait for the first hint of autumn rains are the numerous species of fungi which pop up on the roadsides and in the woodlands of the Parque. One of the more obvious of them is the Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) which is particularly numerous on the edge of wooded roads throughout the area. It is particularly good to eat and, in a good year, locals sell their excess to passers-by. Chanterelles (Cantharellas cibarius) are another excellent edible species that can be found in both spring and autumn in the Algarve in vast numbers.
Although the temperatures in the Parque in mid summer are very high and the coastal sea breezes seldom penetrate so far inland, this vast open grassland area of the Algarve is well worth a visit at any time of year and provides a very different perspective of southern Portugal from the mainly over-developed coastal area where most of us spend our time on holiday.
I haven't seen too many Monarch Butterflies this summer so far but when I do I wait for moments like this ;) This beauty happened my way last week and I forgot about it ;)
I must add that when I first joined flickr..I had never taken a photograph of a butterfly before. Seeing all the beautiful butterfly photographs on flickr got me hooked. It does require lots of luck and lots of patience.. However, I find it so much fun and we sure don't see butterflies in winter here in Southern Ontario..So I do enjoy shooting them whenever I can ;) Perhaps this may encourage some of you who don't normally shoot them to give it a try? Go on.....I dare ya! :)
The common name “Monarch” was first published in 1874 by Samuel H. Scudder because “it is one of the largest of our butterflies, and rules a vast domain."
Best viewed LARGE.
VIEW MY WEB SITE AND SHOP HERE
MY GETTY COLLECTION HERE
www.gettyimages.com/search/search.aspx?assettype=image&am...
Here is my first published work even though did it as a freebie its great seeing your work on a web site
www.thewhitehartvillageinn.com/index.html
Here is the flickr set
Catedral de Barcelona @ Barcelona, Cataluña, España
On Black / Fondo Negro then press F11 / luego presiona F11
La Catedral de la Santa Cruz y Santa Eulalia (nombre oficial de la Catedral) es la catedral gótica de Barcelona, sede del Arzobispado de Barcelona, en Cataluña, España.
La catedral actual se construyó durante los siglos XIII a XV sobre la antigua catedral románica, edificada a su vez sobre una iglesia de la época visigoda a la que precedió una basílica paleocristiana, cuyos restos pueden verse en el subsuelo, en el Museo de Historia de la Ciudad. La finalización de la imponente fachada en el mismo estilo, sin embargo, es mucho más moderna (siglo XIX). El edificio es Bien de Interés Cultural y, desde el 2 de noviembre de 1929, Monumento Histórico-Artístico Nacional.
Está dedicada a la Santa Cruz y a Santa Eulalia, patrona de la ciudad de Barcelona (actualmente es más celebrada como tal es la Virgen de la Merced que, estrictamente, es patrona de la diócesis de Barcelona, pero no de la ciudad), una joven doncella que, de acuerdo con la tradición católica, sufrió el martirio durante la época romana. Una de tales historias cuenta que fue expuesta desnuda en el foro de la ciudad y que milagrosamente, a mitad de primavera, cayó una nevada que cubrió su desnudez. Las enfurecidas autoridades romanas la metieron en un barril con vidrios rotos, clavos y cuchillos clavados en él y lanzaron cuesta abajo el barril (de acuerdo con la tradición, se trataría de la calle Baixada de Santa Eulàlia, Cuesta de Santa Eulalia). Y así, hasta trece martirios diferentes, uno por cada año de edad de la santa. Finalmente, fue crucificada en una cruz en forma de aspa, que es el emblema de la catedral y la diócesis, así como el atributo iconográfico de la santa.
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The Cathedral of Santa Eulalia (official name) is the Gothic cathedral seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain. (Though sometimes inaccurately so called, the famous Sagrada Família is not a cathedral). The cathedral was constructed throughout the 13th to 15th centuries, with the principal work done in the 14th century. The cloisters enclosing the Well of the Geese (Fuente de las Ocas) were completed about 1450. The neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that is common to Catalan churches in the 19th century.
The cathedral was constructed over the crypt of a former Visigothic chapel, dedicated to Saint James, which was the proprietary church of the Viscounts of Barcelona, one of whom, Mir Gerberto, sold it in 1058 to bishop Guisleberto. Its site faced the Roman forum of Barcelona,
It is a hall church, vaulted over five aisles, the outer two divided into chapels. The transept is truncated. The east end is a chevet of nine radiating chapels connected by an ambulatory. The high altar is raised, allowing a clear view into the crypt.
The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in Barcelona. One story is that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street (according to tradition, the one now called 'Baixada de Santa Eulalia'). The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral's crypt.
The choir stalls retain the coats-of-arms of the knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. In his first trip into Spain, Charles, the future Holy Roman Emperor, selected Barcelona as the site of a chapter of his Order. The king had arrived for his investiture as Count of Barcelona, and the city, as a Mediterranean port, offered the closest communication with other far-flung Hapsburg dominions, while the vast proportions of the cathedral would accommodate the grand ceremonies required. In 1518 the Order's herald, Thomas Isaac, and its treasurer, Jean Micault, were commissioned to prepare the sanctuary for the first sitting of the chapter in 1519. Juan de Borgonya executed the painted decoration of the sanctuary.
The church stands on a plain at the foot of the road. It is a building with a single nave with a semicircular apse oriented east, the two bodies together directly through the opening arc of the apse. The nave is covered with a barrel vault point, reinforced by two arcs that twist off a simple imposta. The apse is covered by a fourth round of a sphere. Four windows give light to the interior: two in front of the lunch, one in the west and the center of the apse, all with double-stroke and a round arch, the inner monolithic adovellat and a la outside. The entrance gate is located on one side of the south wall and is composed of two semicircular arches adovellats and degradation. The walls that enclose the sides of the ship lift and speaker, beyond the height of the roof with a gable double arc located on the west. This wall was a door open late to edge which was walled up in the restoration done by the Barcelona between 1970 and 1973, while reopening the door for lunch. The work is arranged in small blocks horizontal rows and tied with lime mortar rather sandy. Front door, a bastion of low wall was a small close where there is a sink stone named above were on the inside. We must remember that in the era of the house there are Santamaria anthropomorphic tombs that are part of the ancient necropolis of the church and is now hidden.
The first document which mentions Santa Maria is the consecration of the church of the monastery of San Lorenzo near Bagà, dated 21 November 983, in which the count of Cerdanya-Oliba Besalú and his wife Ermegarda donations made between some underwater the Sta. Maria has five houses, lands, tithes and first, and in a more clear: "Et in Avizano ecclesiam Sanctae Marie et hamlets V et terras et vineas, cum suas decimas et primitias (Parchment n. 1110, AM). The church was therefore within the limits of the old county of Berga and under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishop of Urgell, depending on the Benedictine monastery of San Lorenzo near Bagà. The 1003 Count Oliba Cabreta the cedi to the monastery of Santa Maria de Serrateix (which depended on St. Lawrence nearly Bagà). In the tenth century Bishop of Urgell religious communities became the rule of Saint Benedict, taking care of the Benedictine parishes dependents. For this reason, some historians believe that Santamaria's house, next to the church, could have been the seat of a monastery that women would care about the cult of the Virgin Mary. The year 1312 remained the category of the parish as confirmed at the deanery of Berga. Currently depends on the parish of St. Martí as a covered (BENEDICT, 1993). During the Civil War (1936-1939) was leaving the cult and was converted into storage until 1970, the Heritage Service of the Barcelona are carried out important restoration work, returning the cult on 14 May 1973 . From inside the church comes to the front altar of Santa Maria attributed to the Master of Avià, preserved in the National Art Museum of Catalonia and which n'exposa back inside the church . The Virgin Mary was venerated Avià of this church and was known as Our Lady of La Leche, because it calls for pregnant women to assist in the delivery and give them strength to have the baby milk (Joys of Santa Maria de Avià).
Weather with me again so as i had planned the Winter will be coastal back to my passion !!! We were treated to one amazing cloud show after this was taken so moved down the beach for wet reflections. Did a small stop on the way home at Mewslade low tide some amazing rocks there , its 70 miles from home to get here , then the horrible steps down and even worse the climb back UP .
The 'Helvetia'
Rhossili shipwreck
The gales around the Gower coast on the morning of 1st November 1887 caused two ships, heavily laden with timber, to be stranded off Mumbles' Head. Unable to navigate the stormy seas to dock at Swansea Harbour, the struggling ships found themselves being blown down the Bristol Channel by the increasingly strong south-easterly winds. One ship luckily managed to reach the shelter of Lundy Island, but the oak-constructed barque of the Helvetia, struck the dangerous sandbank of Helwick Sands. With the next turbulent swell, the ship gained freedom from the shallow waters but was swept precariously around Worm's Head into the shallow waters of Rhossili Bay.
The captain of the Helvetia dropped anchor here and was taken ashore by the coastguard. However, he refused to abandon his ship altogether, leaving the crew aboard the barque, afraid that given the chance, someone might steal her. Unfortunately, the wind refused to die down and when it changed direction suddenly, it forced the ship to drag her anchor. With nightfall rapidly approaching, the decision was finally made for the crew to abandon ship. The tortured wreck of the Helvetia was discovered the next morning, laid to rest upon the sands and surrounded by her cargo of 500 tons of wood.
During the following weeks the timber was systematically collected from the beach and gathered for auction sale, where South Wales timber merchants purchased the cargo at a bargain price. Arrangements were made for the timber to be taken by ship during the summer months. It was during this phase of the wood clearance operation that the sea brought a second disaster to the area.
The steamboat Cambria, from Llanelli, and a small Mumbles sailing vessel, having loaded the Helvetia’s timber from the bay, were both caught short by the tide. The captain of the sailing vessel carried his anchor out to low water to assist in leaving the bay later, but the propeller driven Cambrian needed to wait for high tide.
As the tide came in, the wind picked up pace causing the waves to intensify and swell. As the Cambria started to float with the rising water, it unfortunately turned sideways onto the strengthening waves, and looked as if it would surely be wrecked. However, with the help from the coastguard, the ship was stabilized and the crew managed to sail away safely later the same day. The ship's anchor had been left behind, however, and so some local men were hired to carry the anchor over the sands at low water, to the nearby area of the bay known as Kitchen Corner. There they attached a buoy to the anchor, making it ready for collection when the ship returned later.
When the ship returned to the bay several months later, the Cambria’s master sent a boat ashore with some day-tripping landlubbers. After spending the day at the Rhossili public house 'The Ship Inn', these men finally recovered the anchor. Unfortunately, the weight of the anchor, accompanied by the weight of the six rescuers, proved too much for the boat, eventually causing it to capsize. All six men were thrown into the ocean. Only one of the men made it to the shore alive.
The wreck of the Helvetia itself was sold cheaply to a local man, but before he had a chance to strip the precious copper keel from the vessel, she had started to settle in the sand. Nevertheless, he made good salvage of the ship's deckboards by flooring his kitchen with its wood.
Rhossili was not a stranger to profit from shipwrecks, previous centuries had witnessed the violence of the Rhossili Wreckers - who lured in unsuspecting ships caught in troubled seas to be smashed against the rocks, in order to acquire their cargo. Such purposeful wrecking confined to the past, the locals would still always make good use of the wreckwood from the beaches, and nearly all of the surviving old farm buildings down the far end of the peninsula are constructed from such reclamation.
The ocean-stripped oak carcass of the Helvetia shipwreck is today an easily recognised landmark of Rhossili and must be one of the most photographed of objects on the Gower peninsula as a whole.
Best Viewed BLACK
Taken Saturday morning following our temple run..
Canal life has long been a part of Thai culture. The Europeans used to call Bangkok "Venice of the East". That was fifty years ago, when Bangkok still had hundreds of canals (klongs). In the mid-nineteenth century, the mighty Chao Phraya River flowed through a city with two-thirds of its residents living on floating houses. Then they started filling in and paving over the canals, to make roads.
Today there are many fewer klongs and most people take the roads instead of the waterways, but a klong is still an attraction. The many klongs that snake through Bangkok offer multiple opportunities and provide a unique look into the everyday lives of the population.
Many Thais live along the waterways, in small wooden houses that rise out of the water on wooden stilts. As you pass by, you can see them doing laundry or bathing while small children are playing. They are wonderful people..
Long flat boats can be seen laden with exotic produce and colorful fare plying the waterways as they have done for centuries. This pic depicts in some ways a feel for life as it was decades ago. Truly impressive ... and hot.. :-) enjoy my man in blue (MIB).. LOL..
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Prise lors de ma sortie de Samedi.. cette photo lance une mini serie sur la vie et les images que l'on peut trouver le long des canaux renommes de Bangkok.. On s'est bien amuse a marche sur pres de 6 Km. A vous maintenant de decouvrir et la serie continue.. ..
Bonne semaine a toutes et a tous.. :-)
I now have two books of my work available...
The Feeding of the Birds... The photography of Allan Ellerby Book Preview
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Also available is the more comprehensive...
B:S:O - el puente sobre el rio kwai
Colera es un municipio y localidad de la comarca del Alto Ampurdán, provincia de Gerona, comunidad autónoma de Cataluña,
Censado por primera vez como municipio independiente en 1936, tras desagregarse del municipio de Portbou.
El término municipal de Colera limita al norte con el municipio de Portbou y Banyuls-sur-Mer (Francia). Al sur limita con el termino municipal de Llançà. Al este está el mar Mediterráneo. Al oeste limita con los términos municipales de Rabós y Llançà.
El término municipal de Colera tiene dos playas:
Playa de Garbet. Tiene una longitud de 650 metros y una anchura media de 140 metros. Dispone de zona de fondeo. Esta compuesta por piedra de ribera grande y pequeña. El oleaje suele ser moderado con viento de levante. Tiene aparcamiento en la misma playa, duchas, agua potable, papeleras y teléfono público. No están permitidos los animales.
Playa d'en Goixa. Tiene una longitud de 350 metros y una anchura media de 30 metros. Esta compuesta por piedra de ribera grande. El oleaje suele ser moderado con viento de levante. Tiene aparcamiento cercano, duchas, agua potable, papeleras, puerto deportivo, acceso a minusválidos y teléfono público. No están permitidos los animales.
Colera tiene un total de 601 habitantes, de los cuales 310 son hombres y 291 mujeres, según datos del INE 2006.
Cinque Terre. Italy.
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The Cinque Terre (Italian pronunciation: [ˌtʃinkwe ˈtɛrːe]) is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. The Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination.
The villages of the Cinque Terre were severely affected by torrential rains which caused floods and mudslides on October 25, 2011. Nine people were confirmed killed by the floods, and damage to the villages, particularly Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, was extensive.
The home and gardens of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster. It is only opened four times a year to the public, I was lucky enough to be there when it was.
This is an amazingly stunning place that Clairey and I spent a day in...just loved it! 88 acres of beauty!
I did have to laugh at all the flower, tree, and sky photo's I took...because a sky, flower or tree in England is so much different! lol
I hope you all are well and enjoying the summer so far. xo
;0}
El Paseo de la Castellana es una de las principales avenidas de Madrid. Actualmente con seis carriles centrales y cuatro laterales, que recorre la ciudad desde la Plaza de Colón (al fondo de la imagen) hasta el Nudo Norte. Su trazado correspondía al del antiguo cauce fluvial del arroyo de la Fuente Castellana (fuente que manaba en la plaza de Castilla), hasta lo que ahora son los Nuevos Ministerios. Desde allí se hizo una prolongación, proyectada en tiempos de la I República, hasta casi el antiguo pueblo de Fuencarral.
Utilizo esta vía casi a diario y me llamó tanto la atención verla tan desierta que no pude resistirme a subir al paso elevado de Eduardo Dato y fotografiarla a gusto. El motivo de la ausencia de tráfico era que ese día finalizaba allí, como es tradicional, la Vuelta Ciclista a España.
HDR de tres imágenes hoquilladas un paso de exposición.
Hilo de la Sesión en Pullip .es: I Like It / Me Gusta
(Read in order, this is: SHOT/FOTO 5 of 5) PAG: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05.
FOTOHISTORY: In English / En Español
Lenn: …
Lenn: IIIII LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE IT!!! *¬*
/
Lenn: …
Lenn: MMME GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSTA!!! *¬*
LINKS:
- Las FOTOHISTORIAS de Sheryl en el Foro de Pullips: Pullip .es
Realism and super-realism are what I’m after. This world is full of things the eye doesn’t see. I mean even the eye of a sensitive person. The camera can see more, and oftentimes better.
～Andreas Feininger - "Feininger as I Know Him" by Wilson Hicks, The Best of Popular Photography by Harvey V. Fondiller , ISBN: 0871650371 , Page: 69
Mejor pincha aquí para ver en grande sobre negro o pulsa 'L'.
Better click here to view this large on black or press 'L'.
© Derechos de Autor. Esta fotografía no podra usarse sin mi consentimiento escrito.
© All rights reserved, don´t use this image without my permission.
Sevilla: Album/Set
Remembering old times...: Album/Set
Virados, B&W: Album/Set
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Canon 450D + ZEISS Distagon T* 2,8/21, @21mm, 1/200 sec, f/5,6, ISO 100
No Tripod, Manual exposure, Date 08/5/2011 12:39:21
Explore: 19 October 2011 in # 3
Como se hizo: Imagen procedente de un sólo archivo RAW, pasada a blanco y negro con método ColorLab. No es HDR.
Quisiera dedicar esta foto a César, amigo y gran persona os invito a todos a visitar su galeria..
La Plaza de España de Sevilla constituye un conjunto arquitectónico encuadrado en el Parque de María Luisa, configura uno de los espacios más espectaculares de la arquitectura regionalista.
La Plaza de España constituyó el proyecto más emblemático de la Exposición Iberoamericana del año 1929, fue proyectada por el arquitecto sevillano Aníbal González, que también era arquitecto director del evento expositivo, fue ayudado por un buen conjunto de colaboradores, entre los que se encontraban el ingeniero José Luis de Casso y el arquitecto Aurelio Gómez Millán. Las obras de construcción comenzaron en el año 1914, resultando el proyecto más ambicioso y costoso de la Exposición, llegando a trabajar en su construcción mil hombres al mismo tiempo, puede resultar asombroso, cómo una ciudad en situación económica difícil en esos años, se embarcó en un proyecto de semejante magnitud. Algunos aspectos del proyecto suscitaron algunos rechazos, la Academia de Bellas Artes se opuso a la altura prevista de las dos torres que podían rivalizar con la Giralda y Forestier, diseñador del Parque de María Luisa rechazaba la construcción de la ría que rodea la plaza, para una ciudad con gran escasez de agua como Sevilla. En 1926, tras la dimisión de Aníbal González de su cargo de director de la Exposición, asume la finalización del proyecto el arquitecto Vicente Traver, que terminó los cerramientos del recinto y añadió la fuente del centro de la Plaza.
La plaza de España ha sido utilizada como escenario de algunas películas conocidas, entre ellas:
* En la película Lawrence de Arabia, la plaza representaba el cuartel general del Ejército británico en el Cairo
* En la película Star Wars Episodio II: El Ataque de los Clones de la saga de la Guerra de las Galaxias, la plaza representa el planeta Naboo, aunque el escenario de la filmación fue modificado digitalmente.
English:
Making off: Edited from a RAW file. BW with Color Lab method. No HDR.
This time I would like to dedicate this picture to my friend, César, i invite to view your photostream.
The Plaza de España ("Spain Square", in English) is a plaza located in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Renaissance Revival style in Spanish architecture.
In 1929 Seville hosted the Ibero-American Exposition World's Fair, located in the celebrated Maria Luisa Park (Parque de María Luisa). It was designed by Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier. The entire southern end of the city was redeveloped into an expanse of gardens and grand boulevards. The centre of it is Parque de María Luisa, a 'Moorish paradisical style' with a half mile of: tiled fountains, pavilions, walls, ponds, benches, and exhedras; lush plantings of palms, orange trees, Mediterranean pines, and stylized flower beds; and with vine hidden bowers. Numerous buildings were constructed in it for the exhibition.
The Plaza de España, designed by Aníbal González, was a principal building built on the Maria Luisa Park's edge to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits. González combined a mix of 1920s Art Deco and 'mock Mudejar', and Neo-Mudéjar styles. The Plaza de España complex is a huge half-circle with buildings continually running around the edge accessible over the moat by numerous beautiful bridges. In the centre is a large fountain. By the walls of the Plaza are many tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain.
Today the Plaza de España mainly consists of Government buildings. The Seville Town Hall, with sensitive adaptive redesign, is located within it. The Plaza's tiled 'Alcoves of the Provinces' are backdrops for visitors portrait photographs, taken in their own home province's alcove. Towards the end of the park, the grandest mansions from the fair have been adapted as museums. The farthest contains the city's archaeology collections. The main exhibits are Roman mosaics and artefacts from nearby Italica.
The Plaza de España was used for location shooting some scenes in the films Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
la maison colorée avec la vieille pompe, Village des Éboulements, Charlevoix, Québec
HDR from 3 different exposures - - EXIF from 0ev exposure - Photomatix - local curves adjustments
View On Black | More of the Set Out of Montreal (soon).
See my most interesting pictures here or take some time to view the slideshow .
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(Explore #145: Jul 14, 2009)
Source of two kinds of oil produced in Alberta, Canada: Canola oil and crude oil.
Pumpjacks (also known as nodding donkeys, pumping units, horsehead pumps, beam pumps, sucker rod pumps (SRP), grasshopper pumps, thirsty birds and jack pumps) are the overground drives for a reciprocating piston pump installed in an oil well. It is used to mechanically lift liquid out of the well if there is not enough bottom hole pressure for the liquid to flow all the way to the surface. The arrangement is commonly used for onshore wells producing relatively little oil. Pumpjacks are common in many oil-rich areas, dotting the countryside and occasionally serving as local landmarks.
Depending on the size of the pump, it generally produces 5 to 40 litres of a crude oil-water mixture (called emulsion) at each stroke. The size of the pump is also determined by the depth and weight of the oil to be removed, with deeper extraction requiring more power to move the heavier lengths of sucker rods (see diagram at right).
A pumpjack converts the rotary mechanism of the motor to a vertical reciprocating motion to drive the pump shaft, and is exhibited in the characteristic nodding motion. The engineering term for this type of mechanism is a walking beam. It was often employed in stationary and marine steam engine designs in the 1700s and 1800s.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpjack
Have a great day and thanks for visiting!
© Angela M. Lobefaro - Explore -
© Angela M. Lobefaro
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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dedicated to all my Flickr friends
taken in Phi Phi Island - Krabi - Thailand - Jun '08
My Most interesting photos for a guy called Isaias
The Phi Phi Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะพีพี) are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Phi Phi Don, the larger and principal of the two Phi Phi islands, is located at [show location on an interactive map] 7°44′00″N, 98°46′00″E. Both Phi Phi Don, and Phi Phi Leh, the smaller, are administratively part of Krabi province, most of which is on the mainland, and is located at [show location on an interactive map] 8°02′30″N, 98°48′39″E.
Ko Phi Phi Don ("ko" (Thai: เกาะ) meaning "island" in the Thai language) is the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants, although the beaches of the second largest island, Ko Phi Phi Lee (or "Ko Phi Phi Leh"), are visited by many people as well. There are no accommodation facilities on this island, but it is just a short boat ride from Ko Phi Phi Don. The rest of the islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Noi, and Bamboo Island, are not much more than large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea.
Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim.But the actual population if counting laborers, especially from the north-east, from the mainland is much more Buddhist these days.
Ko Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach. Phi Phi Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's nest soup industry. There was criticism during filming of 'The Beach' that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal. [1] The controversy cooled down however, when it was discovered that the producers had done such a decent job of restoring the place that it finally looked better than it had done before.
Following the release of The Beach, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically, and with it the population of the island. Many buildings were constructed without planning permission.[citation needed]
Ko Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was wiped out. Redevelopment has, however, been swift, and services like electricity, water, Internet access and ATMs are up and running again, but waste handling has been slower to come back online.
My Most interesting photos for a guy called Isaias
View On Black or View Large in Black
9th shot on EXPLORE. #72 :-)
We both know what's happening now
I just want you to be strong and be ready.
Don't give up, we love you.
Cheer up, doc!
Cheer up :-)
Parc Conchycole (huîtres et moules) - Bassin de Thau - Mèze Le Mourre Blanc - Les Amoutous .
Le premier à élever des coquillages dans l'étang de Thau a été Gatien Lafite originaire d'Arcachon. Il avait commencé sa culture dans les canaux de Sète vers 1875 mais il dut la déplacer. En 1908, il installa son élevage à l'Ouest de Bouzigues sur les rives du Joncas.
Les pêcheurs, d'abord réticents, car ils se livraient à la pêche du coquillage et du poisson sur tout l'étang de Thau, finirent par adopter cette nouvelle activité d'élevage des coquillages. Auguste Picard est le premier en 1911 à demander une concession conchylicole.
www.algarvewildlife.com/reserves-guadiana.php
There are many reasons to visit this beautiful part of Portugal: in spring the wildflowers are wonderful, in autumn the fungi are fabulous, but whatever time of year you visit, the birds are brilliant, and this is what the region is most famous for.
The parque itself is designated as a SPA – Special Protection Area. (There is an explanation of conservation designations on the First Nature website...) It is a large area around the little town of Castro Verde, which lies off the western edge of the Parque.
The countryside is a mixture of wooded hills clad with pine or introduced eucalyptus, grasslands studded with holm oak trees under which the famous black pigs forage for acorns in the autumn, and the largest area of rolling steppes in Portugal – even in high summer when the overall impression is of a desert the landscape is unforgettable.
This outstanding natural park partly lies along the Portuguese border with Spain and is best accessed (from the Algarve) by driving to Castro Marim on the Spanish border and heading north along the IC27 and then Route 122 in the direction of Beja. Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana is a huge area covering almost 700 square kilometres and, in order to see all that it has to offer, a stay of two or three days in the area would be ideal.
The Hotel Beira Rio in the lovely little town of Mertola is ideal. The hotel is in Rua Dr. Afonso Costa and well signed from all entry points into Mertola, although you should be ready for some interesting driving around the narrow, cobbled streets on the way! The hotel is simple but immaculately clean and comfortable and has excellent views up and down the River Guadiana, which it overlooks. Breakfast is available but there is no restaurant in the hotel for other meals. The staff supply a map with all the nearby restaurants marked, along with the main tourist attractions.
huge area covering almost 700 square kilometres and, in order to see all that
Access and Facilities
There are a number of routes of varying distances throughout and around the Parque which are easy to follow. The road (route 123) between Mertola and Castro Verde and then back via the IP2 (to Trinidade) and then the 122 returning to Mertola is a triangular route and will give you a really good feel for the area.
Another really enjoyable, and not too long, route is marked off the N267 as Circuto de Serras. It passes through some outstanding mountain scenery with several ideal spots to pause and admire the surroundings. Also, not too distant (about 31 kilometres) from Mertola, is Puolo do Lobo, which is an impressive waterfall on the River Guadiana. Considering how seldom one sees water in rivers in the Algarve, and bearing in mind that Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana sits in the centre of the hottest and most arid region of Portugal with rain well below average, it is quite a surprise to see such a waterfall. Puolo do Lobo is accessed through gates around a kilometre before the waterfall which can be found at the bottom of a steep track. There are parking places and a vehicle turning area very close to the cascade.
Close to Castro Verde there is an Environmental Education Centre run by the Liga da Protectao da Natureza - see the paragraph below for more details.
The Birds of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana
Any description of the birdlife of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana has to include both the Little Bustard and the Great Bustard, although excessive pressure from birdwatchers has had a negative impact on the breeding success of these two species in recent years. Before attempting to find and photograph these birds it is a good idea to visit the LPN (Liga da Protecao da Natureza) Castro Verde Environmental Education Centre which lies about 10 minutes drive to the east of Castro Verde itself. The centre is open from 9am – 5pm except on Sundays and Mondays, and the English-speaking staff there will explain the various measures that should be adopted when observing Little Bustards and Great Bustards. There is also information available on all the bird-watching hotspots, including walking trails, that exist in the area.
Of the two species of Bustard to be found in the Parque, the Little Bustard is the more common of the two and most likely to be spotted from the roadside. In Spring the head of male bird, perched on its long black neck, can be seen protruding above the tall grasses as he patrols the nest in the absence of his mate. The Great Bustard is a much shyer bird and more rarely seen by the casual visitor to the area. At a weight of around 18 kilogrammes this monster is Europe's heaviest bird and it seems nothing short of a miracle that it is able to take to the air. Even more sensitive to habitat destruction than the Little Bustard, this amazing bird is on the Endangered List and afforded the highest levels of protection.
Many of the other birds to be found here are classified as rare or endangered. There are a few pairs of Bonelli’s Eagles and Golden Eagles for instance, and Great Spotted Cuckoos, Golden Oriels, Black-shouldered Kites and Blue Rock Thrushes can all be found in the Parque. A recent study of the presence of breeding Eagle Owls in the Parque revealed the highest density of these birds ever recorded. Azure-winged Magpies are common in the area and also many Lapwings, which have become so rare in other parts of Europe where they were once common birds. Other notable species present in the Parque include the European Roller, Bee Eater, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Montague’s Harrier, Calandra Lark, Common Crane, Lesser Kestrel, Eurasian Griffon Vulture and Eurasian Black Vulture. There have even been sightings of Spanish Imperial Eagles soaring over the area.
Other birds to look out for include the Rufous-tailed Robin, a Black-shouldered Kite, several Buzzards, Red Kites, and numerous Red-legged Partridges scurrying across the roads.
Less affected by visiting birdwatchers and naturalists than some of the rarer birds are the Storks - their nesting colonies are frequently found in trees on the roadsides of the Park. Although common throughout the Iberian Peninsula they nevertheless create huge interest for visitors from other parts of the world.
General Wildlife of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana
Although best known for being a mecca for bird watchers Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana is also an excellent place to see many of the wildflowers that occur in southern Portugal, and in autumn, the Parque is an outstanding place to see numerous species of fungi.
One of the earliest of the spring flowers in the area is the cute-looking Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgare) which pops up from the base of the plant's arrowhead-shaped leaves as early as December or January. Once the flower season gets underway the roadsides and river banks are consumed with the yellows and purples of early sping as Jonquil, Yellow Hoop-petticoat Daffodil and Barbary Nut burst into flower. They are quickly followed by bright pink Catchflly (Silene colorata) and deep purple Viper's-bugloss (Echium vulgare). The grasslands are a paradise for various members of the pea family including the darkly beautiful Vicia Benghalensis with its thickly hairy stems. In spring the landscape resembles a view through a kaleidoscope with its ever-changing colour as one dominant species of wildflower gives way to the next and so on. By the end of May the extensive crop fields are ripe and golden, but once harvested, this arid area becomes almost desert-like with no indication of the glorious pageant of colour that has gone before. Despite being one of the more instensively farmed parts of the Algarve, the lower useage of herbicides and pesticides on the land than in other parts of Europe means that Mother Nature can still remind us of her power to beautify the countryside with a diversity of flowers and plants beyond the wildest imaginings of even the greatest of our garden designers.
Lying in wait for the first hint of autumn rains are the numerous species of fungi which pop up on the roadsides and in the woodlands of the Parque. One of the more obvious of them is the Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) which is particularly numerous on the edge of wooded roads throughout the area. It is particularly good to eat and, in a good year, locals sell their excess to passers-by. Chanterelles (Cantharellas cibarius) are another excellent edible species that can be found in both spring and autumn in the Algarve in vast numbers.
Although the temperatures in the Parque in mid summer are very high and the coastal sea breezes seldom penetrate so far inland, this vast open grassland area of the Algarve is well worth a visit at any time of year and provides a very different perspective of southern Portugal from the mainly over-developed coastal area where most of us spend our time on holiday.
اهل الخير - gold - اذاعة - القران الكريم - استضافة المواقع - مواضيع - الطفل - الاسرة - الديكور والازياء - الاخبار - الصحف الاسرائيلية - رياضة - المسلمة -الفتاة المسلمة - الاسلام - تاريخ -مأكولات وصحة - نكت وتسالي - فيديو - اغاني واناشيد - خطب - افلام - برامج - اناشيد - هكر - برامج -دليل المواقع - فلسطين - اليوتيوب - بنات الضفة - توبيكات - العاب - تصميم فلاش - تصميم فوتوشوب - معا - القدس - العاب - بلياردو - فيس بوك - عشاق الحور- منتدى- جوالات- جوال - عشاق- رسائل- استضافة- الدعم الفني-المصارعة-صور-الحياة الزوجية-الحور-منتديات فلسطينية-العاب 2011-مقالات - تقارير
The Inner City Parish Church on the Pest side of the Danube in Budapest dates back to the 12th century. It's actually built on even older structures-an 11th-century Romanesque church commissioned by Hungary's first king, Saint Stephen, plus the remains of the Contra Aquincum (a third-century Roman fortress and tower), parts of which are visible.
There is hardly any architectural style that cannot be found here in some part or another, starting with a single Romanesque arch in its south tower. The single nave, with an equally high transept and unusually slender columns, still has its original Gothic chancel and some frescoes from the 14th-15th centuries. Two side chapels contain beautifully carved Renaissance altarpieces and tabernacles of red marble from the early 16th century.
During Budapest's Turkish occupation the church served as a mosque—a mihrab, a Muslim prayer niche, is a reminder. During the 18th century the church was given two baroque towers and its present facade. In 1808 it was enriched with a rococo pulpit.... seen on the left of this photo.
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2011-11-15
#126
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Ribblehead Viaduct, Chapel-le-Dale, North Yorkshire
This image was taken a couple of months back after a full day around the amazing Ribblehead Viaduct and neighbouring waterfalls. We were heading back to the car and was about to put camera gear in the boot when I just looked back and had to take this image. I quickly got my camera back out of my bag and took a couple of images then in the distance I heard a train leaving Ribblehead station, so just waited a couple of minutes and got this image. Really happy with this image as I feel it captures everything about Ribblehead and its viaduct. One thing that I never noticed until I post processed the image is the mist appearing just behind the viaduct. It had a been a very warm day but the temperature did drop quite quick hence the mist.
Really can't wait to go back here during my next time up North.
Photo Details
Sony Alpha SLT-A77
Sigma 10-20mm 1:4-5.6 EX DC HSM
RAW
f/13 at -2EV
20mm
ISO50
1/200s exposure
Software Used
Lightroom 5
Information
Ribblehead Viaduct is a railway viaduct across the valley of the River Ribble at Ribblehead, in North Yorkshire, England, 28 miles (45 km) north west of Skipton and 26 miles (42 km) south east of Kendal. The viaduct is a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Ribblehead viaduct is 440 yards (400 m) long, and 104 feet (32 m) above the valley floor at its highest point. It is made up of twenty-four arches of 45 feet (14 m) span, with foundations 25 feet (7.6 m) deep. The north end of the viaduct is 13 feet (4.0 m) higher in elevation than the south end. 1.5 million bricks were used in the construction and some of the limestone blocks weighed 8 tons each.
It was designed by the engineer John Sydney Crossley. The first stone was laid on 12 October 1870 and the last in 1874. One thousand Navvies building the viaduct established shanty towns on the moors for themselves and their families. They named the towns after victories of the Crimean War, sarcastically for posh districts of London, and Biblical names. There were smallpox epidemics and deaths from industrial accidents; meaning that the church graveyard at Chapel-le-Dale had to be extended. One hundred navvies were killed during the construction of the viaduct.
In 1964, several brand new cars being carried on a freight train that was crossing the viaduct were blown off the wagons they were being carried upon and landed on the ground by the viaduct.
It is the longest and most famous viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle Railway. Ribblehead railway station is located less than half a mile to the south of the viaduct. Just to the north of it is the Blea Moor Tunnel, the longest tunnel on the Settle-Carlisle Line. It is located near the foot of the mountain of Whernside. The viaduct is curved, and so may be seen by passengers on the train.
The Settle-Carlisle line is one of three north-south main lines; along with the West Coast Main Line through Penrith and the East Coast Main Line via Newcastle. British Rail attempted to close the line in the 1980s, citing the reason that the viaduct was unsafe and would be expensive to repair. A partial solution was to single the line across the viaduct in 1985, preventing two trains from crossing simultaneously. The closure proposals generated tremendous protest and were eventually retracted. The viaduct, along with the rest of the line, was repaired and maintained and there are no longer any plans to close it.