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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Den_Burg
Den Burg is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Texel on the island of the same name, and lies about 12 km north of Den Helder.
Overview
Located in the middle of the island, Den Burg is the largest city of Texel. It features a historic centre and also the town hall. Outdoor markets are held each week in the main square. Nevertheless, Den Burg is the island's least touristic settlement.
In 2001, Den Burg had 6,160 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town covers 1.47 km² and contains 2,645 residences.[1] The slightly larger statistical district "Den Burg" has a population of around 6,380.[2]
Notable sites
A monument to the constructed language, Esperanto, is on the corner of Kogerstraat and De Zes. It was constructed in 1935 when Esperanto was widely spoken throughout the island.[3]
Notable people
Willem Eduard Bok (1846–1904), State Secretary of the South African Republic (Transvaal) 1880-1889.
Hans Kamp (born 1940), philosopher, creator of discourse representation theory (DRT).
Henk Zijm (born 1952), mathematician, professor and Rector Magnificus (2005–2008) at the University of Twente.
Dorian van Rijsselberghe (born 1988), windsurfer, winner of gold medal in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
Wiki with my precious lapis lazuli cat
For Our Daily Challenge topic - '2 different versions of the same thing'
Tours (Indre-et-Loire) - Place Plumereau
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartiers_du_Vieux-Tours#Place_Plum...
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary_Church:
Rosary Church is located at 125 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is the oldest Catholic church in Kowloon. The church is in Gothic style; the original plan was based on a Roman Basilican model. The church, St. Mary's Canossian College and St. Mary's Canossian School in adjacent belongs to same building cluster.
It was classified as Grade II Historic Building in 1990 and it has been a Grade I Historic Building since 2010.
In 1900, because of the Boxer Rebellion in China, some Indian battalions in the British army were stationed in Kowloon; there were about 200 Catholics in the brigade. At the same time, there was an increasing number of Catholics among the civil population.
A donation of $20,000 was made in 1903 by Dr. Anthony Gomes, a Portuguese Catholic. so that the church could be built. The foundation stone was laid solemnly by Fr. De Maria, Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong on 10 December 1904.
The church was designed by Palmer and Turner, and its construction church was completed in 1905, for the population of Catholics was increasing even after the British troops had left.
On 23 May 1905, the completed church was consecrated to Our Lady of Pompeii, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary; according to the intention of Dr A S Gomes, the benefactor, in loving memory of his parents and brother.
During the Second World War, the Church remained untouched by the Japanese army and still could continue its religious services. At that time, the Church was led by the Italian Parish Priest, Horace De Angelis.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Wales_Northern_Heritage_C...:
The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) (Centre du patrimoine septentrional Prince-de-Galles in French) is the Government of the Northwest Territories' museum and archives. Located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, the PWNHC acquires and manages objects and archival materials that represent the cultures and history of the Northwest Territories (NWT), plays a primary role in documenting and providing information about the cultures and history of the NWT, and provides a professional museum, archives and cultural resource management services to partner organizations.
A group of history-minded Yellowknifers first envisioned a museum for the Northwest Territories in the early 1950s and after several years of planning, and three years of construction, the 'Museum of the North' opened in July 1963 in downtown Yellowknife. It was operated by volunteers with the Yellowknife Museum Society until 1970 when care of its artifacts was transferred to the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Planning for a larger institution began due to concern over the loss of northern artifacts and collections, and the need to provide museum services and support throughout the Northwest Territories under a government mandate. In 1972, a program calling for the development of museum services in the NWT received official approval from the Government of the Northwest Territories. Construction started in 1975. On April 3, 1979, His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, officiated at the opening of the facility that bears his name.
The PWNHC holds in trust for the public a large collection of objects that represent the peoples and cultures of the NWT, and produces exhibitions that tell stories about the land, people and history of the NWT. However, the PWNHC is "more than a museum". In addition to its exhibits, collections and conservation programs, the PWNHC houses the NWT Archives, provides technical, logistic and financial support to individuals and organizations involved in cultural activities and the arts, and authorizes archaeological studies in the NWT.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jogyesa:
Jogyesa (Jogye Temple) is the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The building dates back to the late 14th century and became the order's chief temple in 1936. It thus plays a leading role in the current state of Seon Buddhism in South Korea. The temple was first established in 1395, at the dawn of the Joseon Dynasty; the modern temple was founded in 1910 and initially called "Gakhwangsa". The name was changed to "Taegosa" during the period of Japanese rule, and then to the present name in 1954.
Jogyesa is located in Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, in downtown Seoul. Natural monument No. 9, an ancient white pine tree, is located within the temple grounds. Jogyesa Temple is located in one of the most popular cultural streets in Seoul, Insa-dong, near the Gyeongbokgung Palace.
The Jogyesa Temple used to be known as Gakhwangsa Temple which was founded in 1395. During the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945), the temple become one of the strongest fortresses of Korean Buddhism. Gakhawangsa Temple emerged as the temple of the resistance to Japanese efforts to suppress Korean Buddhism. In 1937, a movement for the establishment of a Central Headquarters began which was successful with the building of the Main Buddha Hall of Jogyesa Temple in Seoul in 1938.
The temple became known as Taegosa Temple in 1938 and by its current name of Jogyesa Temple in 1954. The name Jogyesa Temple was chosen to denote the structure's status as the main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism (Buddhist sect which combines and integrates the Korean Zen and Textual Schools of Buddhism). The Jogye Order has 1700 years of history and is the most representative of Korean Buddhism Orders. The Jogye Order is based on the Seokgamoni doctrine and teachings of the Buddha, and it focuses on the mind and nature of this.
The Daeungjeon (Main Buddha Hall) was constructed in 1938 of pine wood from Baekdu Mountain, and it's always filled with the sounds of chanting. In the main temple courtyard there are two trees which are 500 years old, a White Pine and a Chinese Scholar tree.
The White Pine tree is about 10 meters high and gave the nearby area “Susong-dong” its name (Song means 'pine tree'). This tree was brought by Chinese missionaries during the Joseon Dynasty. This pine tree sits besides the Main Hall, and its branch towards the Main Hall is only partially alive. One side of this tree is adjacent to the passage, while the other side sits next to the building. Therefore, because the area is inadequate for the tree to grow, the Lacebark pine is not preserved well and since the Lacebark pine is a rare tree species and is valuable in biology, it is designated and protected as a Natural Monument.
The Chinese Scholar tree, which is 26 meters tall and four meters in circumference, silently stands watch over the temple grounds.
Jogyesa Temple's features is a mix of traditional temple and palace architecture. The lattice designs found on the doors and windows of the Daeungjeon are unique in their own right. The temple also features the Geuknakjeon (Hall of Supreme Bliss) in which the Amitabha Buddha is enshrined, the Beomjongnu, a structure where a bell which enlightens the public with its sound is housed, and an information center for foreign nationals.
The Temple also has colorful matsya (Sanskrit for "fish") which is sacred to Hindu-Buddhists as it is one of the avatar (incarnation) of Hindu deity Vishnu which has been described in detail in Matsya Purana and 6th BCE Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya.
To enter the temple, visitors must pass through the Iljumun or "one pillar gate". The Iljumun is an entry that represents is the division that separates the mortal world from the world of Buddha.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawel_Castle:
The Wawel Royal Castle and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. A fortified residency on the Vistula River in Kraków, it was established on the orders of King Casimir III the Great and enlarged over the centuries into a number of structures around an Italian-styled courtyard. It represents nearly all European architectural styles of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods.
The castle is part of a fortified architectural complex erected atop a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula River, at an altitude of 228 metres above sea level. The complex consists of numerous buildings of great historical and national importance, including the Wawel Cathedral where Polish monarchs were crowned and buried. Some of Wawel's oldest stone buildings can be traced back to 970 AD, in addition to the earliest examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture in Poland. The current castle was built in the 14th century, and expanded over the next hundreds of years. In 1978 Wawel was declared the first World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Centre of Kraków.
For centuries the residence of the kings of Poland and the symbol of Polish statehood, Wawel Castle is now one of the country's premier art museums. Established in 1930, the museum encompasses ten curatorial departments responsible for collections of paintings, including an important collection of Italian Renaissance paintings, prints, sculpture, textiles, among them the Sigismund II Augustus tapestry collection, goldsmith's work, arms and armor, ceramics, Meissen porcelain, and period furniture. The museum's holdings in oriental art include the largest collection of Ottoman tents in Europe. With seven specialized conservation studios, the museum is also an important center for the conservation of works of art. With over 1.79 million visitors in 2022, Wawel Castle is the most visited art museum in the country and the 22nd most visited art museum in the world.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%8Dan-ji:
Ryōan-ji (Shinjitai: 竜安寺, Kyūjitai: 龍安寺, The Temple of the Dragon at Peace) is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui ("dry landscape"), a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles (small, carefully selected polished river rocks) raked into linear patterns that facilitate meditation. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The temple's name is synonymous with the temple's famous Zen garden, the karesansui (dry landscape) rock garden, thought to have been built in the late 15th century.
The garden is a rectangle of 248 square meters (2,670 square feet), twenty-five meters by ten meters. Placed within it are fifteen stones of different sizes, carefully composed in five groups; one group of five stones, two groups of three, and two groups of two stones. The stones are surrounded by white gravel, which is carefully raked each day by the monks. The only vegetation in the garden is some moss around the stones.
The garden is meant to be viewed from a seated position on the veranda of the hōjō, the residence of the abbot of the monastery. The stones are placed so that the entire composition cannot be seen at once from the veranda.
The wall behind the garden is an important element of the garden. It is made of clay, which has been stained by age with subtle brown and orange tones. In 1977, the tile roof of the wall was restored with tree bark to its original appearance. When the garden was rebuilt in 1799, it came up higher than before and a view over the wall to the mountain scenery behind came about. At present this view is blocked by trees.
The garden had particular significance for the composer John Cage, who composed a series of works and made visual art works based on it.
Like any work of art, the artistic garden of Ryōan-ji is also open to interpretation or research into possible meanings. Many different theories have been put forward inside and outside Japan about what the garden is supposed to represent, from islands in a stream, a tiger family crossing a river, mountain peaks, to theories about secrets of geometry or the rules of equilibrium of odd numbers. Garden historian Gunter Nitschke wrote: "The garden at Ryōan-ji does not symbolize anything, or more precisely, to avoid any misunderstanding, the garden of Ryōan-ji does not symbolize, nor does it have the value of reproducing a natural beauty that one can find in the real or mythical world. I consider it to be an abstract composition of 'natural' objects in space, a composition whose function is to incite meditation."
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sioux_Falls,_South_Dakota
Sioux Falls is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 131st-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up to the Iowa state line. As of 2020, Sioux Falls had a population of 192,517, which was estimated in 2022 to have increased to 202,600. The Sioux Falls metro area accounts for more than 30% of the state's population. Chartered in 1856 on the banks of the Big Sioux River, the city is situated in the rolling hills at the junction of interstates 29 and 90.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis"
(South Dakota) "داكوتا الجنوبية" "南达科他州" "Dakota du Sud" "दक्षिण डकोटा" "サウスダコタ" "사우스다코타" "Южная Дакота" "Dakota del Sur"
(Sioux Falls) "شلالات سيوكس" "苏福尔斯" "सिओक्स फॉल्स" "スーフォールズ" "수폴스" "Су-Фолс" "Cataratas Sioux"
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Visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggys_Cove,_Nova_Scotia
Peggys Point Lighthouse (also known as Peggy's Cove Lighthouse) is in Peggys Cove and is an iconic Canadian image. It is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Nova Scotia and is a prime attraction on the Lighthouse Trail scenic drive. The lighthouse marks the eastern entrance of St. Margarets Bay and is officially known as the Peggys Point Lighthouse.
Peggys Cove is a classic red-and-white lighthouse still operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The light station is situated on an extensive granite outcrop at Peggys Point, immediately south of the village and its cove. This lighthouse is one of the most-photographed structures in Atlantic Canada and one of the most recognizable lighthouses in the world.
Visitors may explore the granite outcrop on Peggys Point around the lighthouse; despite numerous signs warning of unpredictable surf (including one on a bronze plaque on the lighthouse itself), several visitors each year are swept off the rocks by waves, sometimes drowning.
Peggys Cove is 43 kilometers (26 miles) southwest of downtown Halifax and comprises one of the numerous small fishing communities located around the perimeter of the Chebucto Peninsula. The community is named after the cove of the same name, a name also shared with Peggy's Point, immediately to the east of the cove. The village marks the eastern point of St. Margaret's Bay.(Wikipedia)
Visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair_Flight_111
Swissair Flight 111
Swissair Flight 111 (SR111, SWR111) was a Swissair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 on a scheduled airline flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, United States to Cointrin International Airport in Geneva, Switzerland. This flight was also a codeshare flight with Delta Air Lines.
On Wednesday, 2 September 1998, the aircraft used for the flight, registered HB-IWF, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Halifax International Airport at the entrance to St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia. The crash site was 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from shore, roughly equidistant from the tiny fishing and tourist communities of Peggys Cove and Bayswater. All 229 people on board died—the highest death toll of any aviation accident involving a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and the second-highest of any air disaster to occur in Canada, after Arrow Air Flight 1285. This is one of only two hull losses of the passenger configured MD-11, along with China Airlines Flight 642.
The initial search and rescue response, crash recovery operation, and resulting investigation by the Government of Canada took over four years and cost CAD 57 million (at that time approximately US$38 million). The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's (TSB) official report of their investigation stated that flammable material used in the aircraft's structure allowed a fire to spread beyond the control of the crew, resulting in a loss of control and the crash of the aircraft.
Swissair Flight 111 was known as the "UN shuttle" due to its popularity with United Nations officials; the flight often carried business executives, scientists, and researchers
Aircraft
The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, serial number 48448 registered HB-IWF, was manufactured in 1991 and Swissair was its only operator. It bore the title of Vaud, in honor of the Swiss canton of the same name. The airframe had a total of 36,041 hours. The three engines were Pratt & Whitney 4462s. The cabin was configured with 241 seats (12 six-abreast first-, 49 seven-abreast business-, and 180 nine-abreast economy-class). First- and business-class seats were equipped with an in seat in-flight entertainment system, installed at some point after initial entry into service. (Wikipedia)
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Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Arts_Centre:
The Living Arts Centre is a 225,000 sq ft (20,900 m2) multi-use facility which opened in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on October 7, 1997. The complex houses three theatres for the performing arts, Hammerson Hall, RBC Theatre and Rogers Theatre), an exhibition gallery (the Laidlaw Hall), seven art studios and facilities for corporate meetings.
The Living Arts Centre was designed by the Zeidler Partnership, who were awarded an Award of Merit in the City of Mississauga Urban Design Awards in 1998 for the complex. The building was funded by donations by corporate, community and individual sponsors, as well as the City of Mississauga and the Government of Canada.
Glass artist Stuart Reid designed a piece made of etched and enameled glass, blown by mouth, for the main foyer titled "Dance of Venus", which won an international competition. It measures 30 ft (9.1 m) by 150 ft (46 m).
Hammerson Hall is the larger of the two theatres, providing tiered concert seating for 1300 people, while the RBC Theatre has a flexible seating arrangement, allowing for cabaret-style seating at tables or up to 400 people for theatre performances. The complex also includes a 110-seat lecture style space known as the Rogers Theatre, a variety of meeting rooms, rehearsal space and an on-site Food & Beverage department.
A range of exhibitions, events and performances are hosted by both the Living Arts Centre and community partners, including the Mississauga Choral Society, Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, Mississauga International Children`s Festival, and several resident artists occupy the studio spaces. The centre has averaged over 400,000 visitors each year.
The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene.
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One of several projects, that explore photography as evidence amongst other ideas. Blog | Tumblr | Website | pixelfed.au | Instagram | Photography links | my Ko-fi shop | Off Ya Trolley! | s2z digital garden | vero | Dpreview albums | my work archived on trove at the National Library of Australia.
Wiki - A low mountain range about 6km from Reykjahlið on the way to Egillsstaðir. Next to it - mainly at the bottom of the hill on the further side from Reykjahlið are interesting hot mud pools, solfataras, fumaroles, etc.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Our_Lady,_Maastricht:
The Basilica of Our Lady (Dutch: Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw) is a Romanesque church in the historic center of Maastricht, Netherlands. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Tenhemelopneming) and is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Roermond. The church is often referred to as the Star of the Sea (Dutch: Sterre der Zee), after the church's main devotion, Our Lady, Star of the Sea.
The building is largely Romanesque in style and is considered an important example of the Mosan group of churches that are characterized by massive westworks and pseudo-transepts. Our Lady's in Maastricht indeed has a tall, massive westwork and two pseudo-transepts on each side. The westwork, built of carbonic sandstone, dates from the early 11th century and is flanked by two narrow towers with marlstone turrets. Some spolia, probably from the former Roman castrum of Maastricht, were used on the lower parts of the westwork. The nave with its transept and pseudo-transepts largely dates from the second half of the 11th century.
The church has two choirs and two crypts. The east choir dates from the 12th century and is decorated with carved Romanesque capitals (several of which are 19th-century copies). The east crypt is a century older. During the building campaign the original plan for the eastern part of the church was abandoned and a new scheme, based on the newly finished choir of St. Lambert's Cathedral, Liège, adopted.[5] The current, heavily restored choir towers are roofed with Rhenish helms of stone rather than shingling. One of the towers, named after Saint Barbara, was used for storage of the city archives and the church treasury.
A 13th-century Gothic portal, rebuilt in the 15th century, provides access to the church from Onze Lieve Vrouweplein. It is also the entrance of the so-called Mérode chapel (or Star of the Sea chapel).
Wiki : "Queen Sofía Palace of the Arts is the final structure built of a grand City of Arts and Sciences concept designed by the Valencia-born and internationally known architect Santiago Calatrava, which began in 1995. The building was constructed by a joint venture of Dragados and Necso and it was opened on 8 October 2005."
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dz%C5%8Dmon:
The Hōzōmon (宝蔵門, "Treasure-House Gate") is the inner of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Sensō-ji (the outer being the Kaminarimon) in Asakusa, Tokyo. A two-story gate (nijūmon), the Hōzōmon's second story houses many of the Sensō-ji's treasures. The first story houses two statues, three lanterns and two large sandals. It stands 22.7 metres (74 ft) tall, 21 metres (69 ft) wide, and 8 metres (26 ft) deep.
History
The gate's north face
The Hōzōmon was first built in 942 AD by Taira no Kinmasa. Destroyed by fire in 1631, it was rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1636. It stood for 300 more years until it was once again burned down during the Tokyo air raids of 1945. In 1964, the present steel-reinforced concrete structure was built with a donation of ¥150 million from Yonetarō Motoya.
Since the gate was reconstructed using flame-resistant materials, the upper story of the Hōzōmon stores the Sensō-ji's treasured sutras. These treasures include a copy of the Lotus Sutra that is designated a Japanese National Treasure and the Issai-kyō, a complete collection of Buddhist scriptures that has been designated an Important Cultural Property.
Features
One of the Niō statues that stand on either side of the gate's south face. Unlike the Kaminarimon, which houses four different statues, the Hōzōmon houses two guardian statues that are located on either side of the gate's south face. These 5.45-metre-tall statues represent Niō, the guardian deities of the Buddha. Because of these statues, the gate was originally called the Niōmon (仁王門, "Niō Gate") before it was renamed the Hōzōmon.
The gate also features three large lanterns. The largest and most prominent lantern is a red chōchin that hangs under the center of the gate's opening. With a height of 3.75 m, a diameter of 2.7 m and a weight of 400 kg, the lantern displays the name of the town Kobunachō (小舟町). The current iteration of the lantern dates back to 2003 when ¥5 million was donated by the people of Kobunachō. Its donation commemorated the 400th-year-anniversary of the start of the Edo period. On either side of the chōchin hangs two 2.75 metre-tall copper Tōrō weighing approximately 1000 kg each. All three lanterns are completely removed during festivals such as Sanja Matsuri.
On the Hōzōmon's north (back) face are the waraji, two 4.5 m long, 1.5 m wide straw sandals that weigh 400 kg each.
Sant Jaume de Frontanyà, Barcelona (Spain).
Wiki Loves Monuments Code: RI-51-0000444
ENGLISH
The agustinian Monastery of Sant Jaume de Frontanyà is located in center of the town of the same name, in the Catalan region of the Berguedà.
In 11th century it was constructed to welcome the community of Sant Jaume Vell, who was in badly condition at the top of the mountain. One knows that in 1066 already they were in the new construction. The lords of the place made great donations, arriving have six canons and one prior. From the death of its last prior Arnald Fresc, in 1395, its decay began, since the commandatary priors began to adapt rents that had the monastery. The extinction of the monasteries of the order of San Agustín in Catalonia in 1592, caused that it passed to depend on the bishopric of Solsona.
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CASTELLANO
El Monasterio agustiniano de Sant Jaume de Frontanyà está situado en el centro del pueblo del mismo nombre, en la comarca catalana del Berguedà.
En el siglo XI se construyó para acoger la comunidad de Sant Jaume Vell, que estaba en mal estado en lo alto de la montaña. Se sabe que en el año 1066 ya estaban en la nueva edificación. Los señores del lugar hacían grandes donaciones, llegando a tener seis canónigos y un prior. A partir de la muerte de su último prior Arnald Fresc, en 1395, se inició su decadencia, ya que los priores comendatarios se empezaron a apropiar las rendas que tenía el monasterio. La extinción de los monasterios de la orden de San Agustín en Cataluña en el año 1592, hizo que pasara a depender del obispado de Solsona.
Del monasterio solo queda la iglesia de una sola nave, tres ábsides y transepto. La nave y los brazos del transepto tienen bóveda de cañón, sobre el crucero hay una cúpula ochavada, que forma un cimborrio en el exterior de doce caras, único de este periodo en Cataluña. En el ábside central hay cinco hornacinas semicirculares separadas por semicolumnas.
En el exterior la fachada presenta una ventana en forma de ojo de buey, sobre la puerta de entrada formada por dos arcos de medio punto en degradación.
Los ábsides tienen una decoración de tres series de cinco arcuaciones separadas por lesenas en el central y frisos de arcuaciones en los laterales. En el cimborrio también se encuentra un friso con arcuaciones.
El campanario cuadrado, es del siglo XVI, colocado sobre la fachada principal.
Fuente: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monasterio_de_Sant_Jaume_de_Frontan...
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_House_(Bangkok):
The old Customs House is a historic building in Bangkok, located on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Rak District. It was built in 1888 as one of the many Western-style buildings commissioned by King Chulalongkorn, and was designed by Joachim Grassi in the neo-Palladian style. The building fell into disrepair during the mid-20th century. Beginning in 2019, it is undergoing restoration and re-development as a luxury hotel.
The Customs House was built in 1888 to designs by Joachim Grassi. Built in the Palladian style, it is a fine example of the prevalent use of Western architecture in public buildings during Siam (Thailand)'s modernisation under the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). The building sits on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Rak District, on Soi Charoen Krung 36, and was symbolically considered the gateway to the country.
In 1949, the customs office moved to Khlong Toei Port. The building later came to serve as headquarters of the Marine Police Division, and then residences for staff of the Bang Rak Fire Station. The building has much deteriorated since, and while multiple plans for its restoration were proposed, none came to fruition.
In 2005, real estate consortium Natural Park won a 30-year concession from the Treasury Department (which administers the building as state property) to renovate the site as an Aman Resorts hotel. However, in the ten years since, no development had taken place, due to difficulties in relocating the previous tenants. The residents finally moved out in early 2016, and the Treasury Department confirmed in 2017 that the project would go ahead under the U City company, as Natural Park was now known following restructuring.
U City, in a joint venture with Aman Resorts and Silverlink Resorts, signed the development contract on 29 May 2019, giving it a thirty-year lease of the property. U City plans to spend 3 billion baht (US$94 million) restoring and developing the property as a luxury hotel, slated to be completed by 2025. Work will begin with archaeological excavation and cataloguing in association with the Fine Arts Department.
wiki - St Peter's Church, Lowick
Lowick is a charming village located in the East Northamptonshire district of England. It is known for its picturesque countryside, historical landmarks, and vibrant community. The village boasts a beautiful 13th-century church, a historic manor house, and a range of traditional cottages. Lowick has a strong sense of community with various local organizations, clubs, and events bringing people together. The village is surrounded by rolling hills, lush meadows, and ancient woodlands, offering ample opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ying_Lung_Wai:
Ying Lung Wai (Chinese: 英龍圍) is a walled village in the Yuen Long Kau Hui area of Yuen Long District, Hong Kong.
Ying Lung Wai is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy.
Ying Lung Wai was established by a branch of the Tang Clan of Kam Tin, who had set up the nearby villages of Sai Pin Wai and Nam Pin Wai, but later moved to the area to establish the village due to feng shui reasons.
At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Ying Lung Wai was 94. The number of males was 38.
Ying Lung Wai is part of the Tung Tau alliance (東頭約) or "Joint Meeting Group of Seven Villages", together with Nam Pin Wai, Tung Tau Tsuen, Choi Uk Tsuen, Shan Pui Tsuen, Wong Uk Tsuen and Tai Wai Tsuen. The Yi Shing Temple in Wong Uk Tsuen is an alliance temple of the Tung Tau Alliance.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musbury_Tor
Musbury Tor is a flat topped hill overlooking Helmshore in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It separates Alden Valley to its south and Musbury Valley to the north. It is a very popular walking spot and the views from the top are magnificent. It is on farmland and is mainly sheep pasture. It is one of the tallest hills (338m) in the Rossendale valley and can be seen from much of Helmshore. A panoramic view from the top is shown in Chris Aspin, Derek Pilkington and John Simpson's book of Helmshore[1].
Geology
The underlying solid geology of the Rossendale fells is largely formed by the Lower Coal Measure comprising bedded sandstones, shales and mudstones. Rocks of the Millstone Grit series outcrop above the valley of the River Irwell and cap the hills. Musbury Tor is a perfect example of peneplanation leaving an almost isolated flat-topped hill where the harder Millstone Grit protects the softer underlying shales, leaving the distinctive sharp topography of edges and ledges characteristic of the uplands above the Irwell Valley.[2]
The other small scale topographic variations such as the undulating hummocky landforms are generally due to the former workings and stone quarries
History
Musbury was a township in the hundred of Blackburn. It was divided into three portions - Musbury Park; Musden Head (to the south), and the Trippet of Ogden (in the north). It was once the centre of the Earl of Lincoln's deer park, which was fenced by 1304, and stretches of the ditch enclosures still remain in the Alden and Musbury valleys.[4]
In 1894 Musbury ceased to be a township, and was transferred from Tottington parish to the borough of Haslingden.
World War II and after
"...to scan the skies for paratroops, four Home Guardsmen armed with one old rifle and six rounds of ammunition climbed each evening to the top of the Tor", says Chris Aspin in his memoirs. The guards apparently sheltered in a tiny hut, but they often "stumbled into bogs and old quarry workings". Chris Aspin also mentions American GIs practicing paratroop drops, and field exercises with live ammunition, before D-Day, setting up tents and a cookhouse by Great House on the Tor.[5]
In 1949 the Great House Experimental Farm in Helmshore was established by the Ministry of Agriculture on the flat top and southern slopes of Musbury Tor. Important experiments, including many on high-level grain planting and animal husbandry, and the effects of acidity in rain, were carried out. Great House Experimental Farm was closed in 1982, broken up and sold off to private farmers and others.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K11_Art_Mall:
K11 Art Mall is a seven-storey shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong located in The Masterpiece, developed by New World Development and completed in December 2009. It is near Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui stations.
The K11 Art Mall has seven storeys (two underground, five above ground). The B1 and B2 storeys were opened on 27 November 2009, and the rest of the mall was opened on 5 December that year. Retail and restaurants accounted for 80 per cent and 20 per cent of the stores, respectively.
B2 is mainly international cuisine, women's fashion, shoes and cosmetics, with shops such as D-mop zone, Mousse, ISCOV, JILL SCOTT, Mirabell, and Milan. B1 is mainly daily necessities, including La Creation de Gute bakery, LensCrafters, AV Life, Dymocks bookstore, I Love Kitchen, Mannings, and Market Place by Jasons supermarket.
The ground floor has many high-end stores, including Longchamp, Tiffany by Soloman, Thann, the Italian brand Dormeuil, Y-3, D-mop, and Chow Tai Fook concept store. In the centre is a large plaza, called "The Piazza", that features a glass ceiling and a large LED screen.
Levels 1–3 have many boutiques, including AIGLE, KLASSE14, Laosmiddle, Levi's, Clarks, Fila, and mademoiselle. The mall also caters to Mainland customers, with several Mainland brand-name specialty stores such as Biba and imaroon.
There are restaurants on each floor of the mall, totaling over 20, including B2's Miso Cool and DALAT Vietnamese restaurant; The Piazza's Espressamente illy and awfully chocolate; and various others, such as AKU Japanese Restaurant, Al Pasha, Cool Gelato, Ginza Bairin and Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant.
Published:
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The Church of the Nativity, or Basilica of the Nativity is a basilica located in Bethlehem in the Palestinian West Bank. The grotto it contains holds a prominent religious significance to Christians of various denominations as the birthplace of Jesus. The grotto is the oldest site continuously used as a place of worship in Christianity, and the basilica is the oldest major church in the Holy Land.
The church was originally commissioned by Constantine the Great a short time after his mother Helena's visit to Jerusalem and Bethlehem in 325-326, on the site that was traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus.[3][4] That original basilica was likely built between 330-333, being already mentioned in 333, and was dedicated on 31 May 339. It was destroyed by fire during the Samaritan revolts of the sixth century, possibly in 529, and a new basilica was built a number of years later by Byzantine Emperor Justinian (r. 527-565), who added a porch or narthex, and replaced the octagonal sanctuary with a cruciform transept complete with three apses, but largely preserved the original character of the building, with an atrium and a basilica consisting of a nave with four side aisles.
The Church of the Nativity, while remaining basically unchanged since the Justinianic reconstruction, has seen numerous repairs and additions, especially from the Crusader period, such as two bell towers (now gone), wall mosaics and paintings (partially preserved). Over the centuries, the surrounding compound has been expanded, and today it covers approximately 12,000 square meters, comprising three different monasteries: one Greek Orthodox, one Armenian Apostolic, and one Roman Catholic, of which the first two contain bell towers built during the modern era.
The silver star marking the spot where Christ was born was stolen in 1847. Some assert that this was a contributing factor in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire. Others assert that the war grew out of the wider European situation.
Since 2012, the Church of the Nativity is a World Heritage Site and was the first to be listed by UNESCO under 'Palestine'.
A 250-year-old understanding among religious communities, the Status Quo, applies to the site.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_sandpiper
The marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia. The genus name Tringa is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific stagnatilis is from Latin stagnum, "swamp".
Description
It resembles a small elegant greenshank, with a long fine bill and very long yellowish legs. Like the greenshank, it is greyish brown in breeding plumage, paler in winter, and has a white wedge up its back that is visible in flight. However, it is more closely related to the common redshank and the wood sandpiper.[3] Together, they form a group of smallish shanks which tend to have red or reddish legs, and in breeding plumage are generally a subdued, light brown above with some darker mottling, with a pattern of somewhat diffuse small brownish spots on the breast and neck. The length is 22–26 cm (8.7–10.2 in), wingspan is 55–59 cm (22–23 in) and weight is 45–120 g (1.6–4.2 oz)
Distribution
It is a migratory species, with majority of birds wintering in Africa, and India with fewer migrating to Southeast Asia and Australia. They prefer to winter on fresh water wetlands such as swamps and lakes and are usually seen singly or in small groups.
These birds forage by probing in shallow water or on wet mud. They mainly eat insects, and similar small prey.
The marsh sandpiper is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Kwun:
Tai Kwun, or the Former Central Police Station Compound (CPS Compound) includes three declared monuments in Central, Hong Kong: the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Surrounded by Hollywood Road, Arbuthnot Road, Chancery Lane, and Old Bailey Street, the compound underwent a heritage revitalisation and reopened to the public on 29 May 2018[1] as Tai Kwun (Chinese: 大館), a centre for heritage and arts.
The Former Central Police Station Compound (FCPSC), built between 1841 and 1925, comprises 16 historic buildings grouped under the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Most of the city's historic colonial architecture had been bulldozed for development before the British government handed it back to China in 1997.
The first building in the FCPSC is the Magistrate's House, with jail blocks, which were built in 1841. In 1899, the former Central Prison was renamed to Victoria Prison (or Victoria Gaol). The site underwent numerous expansions and reconstruction over the next century. In 1862, the number of prisoners increased to 650, and the government decided to develop the land nearby. The series of compounds hence formed Tai Kwun. Victoria Prison was decommissioned in 2006.
In 2008, the government of Hong Kong partnered with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to conserve and revitalise the complex, which turned into one of the most significant and expensive revitalisation projects in the territory, costing HK$1.8 billion; work began in 2011.
The conversion was completed in phases. Work faced a setback when a wall and roof collapsed in 2016. The Buildings Department prosecuted a subcontractor it deemed responsible for the accident, which was reportedly triggered by the failure of a brick pier that had been structurally undermined. Tai Kwun partially reopened to the public in May 2018.
A Former Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project was established to conserve and revitalise the heritage site for reuse. The project was operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and took eight years and HK$3.8 billion or about US$480M in 2018.
Tai Kwun, named after the historical colloquial name of the compound, is a mix of heritage and contemporary architecture. 16 heritage buildings have been restored for reuse. An additional two new buildings have been constructed, featuring designs inspired by the site's historic brickwork.
As early as the 1880s, the name Tai Kwun has been recorded in news articles in reference to the Former Central Police Station.
In 2018, Time listed Tai Kwun in its "World's Greatest Places 2018" list.
In 2019, Tai Kwun was awarded "Award of Excellence" from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changdeokgung:
Behind the palace lies the 78-acre (32 ha) Huwon (後苑, Rear garden) which was originally constructed for the use of the royal family and palace women. The garden incorporates a lotus pond, pavilions, and landscaped lawns, trees, and flowers. There are over 26,000 specimens of a hundred different species of trees in the garden and some of the trees behind the palace are over 300 years old. The garden for the private use of the king had been called 'Geumwon' (禁苑, Forbidden garden) because even high officials were not allowed to enter without the king's permission. It had also been called 'Naewon' (內苑, 'Inner garden'). Today Koreans often call it 'Biwon' (秘院, Secret garden) which derived from the office of same name in the late 19th century. Though the garden had many other names, the one most frequently used through Joseon dynasty period was 'Huwon'.
In September 2012, the Buyongjeong pavilion in the garden was re-opened after a year-long restoration project. The pavilion was restored based on the Donggwoldo from 1820, National Treasures of South Korea No. 249.
A variety of ceremonies hosted by the king were held in Huwon. In the early period of the Joseon dynasty, military inspections in which the king participated were often held here. King Sejo had troops parade and array before him or commanded them by himself in the garden. In addition, feasts were given, archery tournaments held, and fireworks enjoyed in Huwon.
The Ongnyucheon (玉流川, "Jade Stream") area is of particular interest. It contains a U-shaped water channel carved in 1636 for floating wine cups, with a small waterfall and an inscribed poem on the boulder above it. The area also contains five small pavilions.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swale
The Swale is a strip of sea separating North Kent from the Isle of Sheppey. The Swale was originally part of a river valley facing eastwards. As sea-levels rose, water occupied the whole length of the valley, dividing today's Isle of Sheppey from the mainland. The Swale forms both a National Nature Reserve and a Special Protection Area.
History
The name "Swale" is Old English in origin, and is believed to mean "swirling, rushing river", or "rushing water".[1] The Swale was originally part of a river. Prior to the formation of the English Channel in about 6500 BC, the eastern coast of Great Britain extended much further into the area of the present-day North Sea, and the Isle of Sheppey formed part of mainland Britain. The channel now occupied by the Swale comprised a river valley facing eastwards. As sea-levels rose, water occupied the whole length of the valley, dividing today's Isle of Sheppey from the mainland.
When the Romans arrived in Britain, the Swale extended much wider than it does today, with one part of the Isle of Sheppey — now called the Isle of Harty — a separate island. Two ferry services also crossed the Swale, one between Oare and Harty, and the other between Murston (near Sittingbourne) and Elmley (another former hamlet on the Isle of Sheppey). The Isle of Harty is no longer separate but the marshlands now gradually filling the channel delineate it. The channel needs constant dredging to allow use of the busy waterway.
The Swale is crossed at its western end by two bridges: the Kingsferry Bridge and the later Sheppey Crossing.
Nature
The Swale forms both a National Nature Reserve and a Special Protection Area: the eel grass, Ray's knotgrass, white seakale, glassworts and golden samphire support rare and uncommon migrant butterflies and moths, including the Essex emerald, the ground lackey, the clouded yellow butterfly and rare hawk-moths. Since 1968, it has also been a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[2]
Birds
The Swale notably provides habitats for the following birds:
Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) at least 17 percent of Great Britain's breeding population
Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) at least 15 percent of Great Britain's breeding population
Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus)
Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)
Eurasian golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa islandica)
Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
knot (Calidris canutus)
pintail (Anas acuta)
Common redshank (Tringa totanus)
Shoveller (Anas clypeata)
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Bank_Tower_(Montreal):
The Royal Bank Tower is a skyscraper at 360 Saint-Jacques Street in Montreal, Quebec. The 22-storey 121 m (397 ft) neo-classical tower was designed by the firm of York and Sawyer with the bank's chief architect Sumner Godfrey Davenport of Montreal. Upon completion in 1928, it was the tallest building in the entire British Empire, the tallest structure in all of Canada and the first building in the city that was taller than Montréal's Notre-Dame Basilica built nearly a century before.
The bank's first official head office was at Hollis and George in Halifax in 1879. In 1907 the Royal Bank of Canada moved its head office from Halifax to Montreal. As its original building on Saint-Jacques Street turned out to be too small, in 1926 the board of directors of the biggest bank in Canada hired New York architects York and Sawyer to build a prestigious new building a short distance westward. Between 1920 and 1926 the bank had bought up all the property between Saint-Jacques, Saint-Pierre, Notre-Dame and Dollard Streets to demolish all the buildings there including the old Mechanics' Institute and the ten-storey Bank of Ottawa building in order to make space for the new 22-storey building.
In 1962, the Royal Bank moved its main office to another famous Montreal building, Place Ville-Marie, however kept a branch in the impressive main hall of the old building, situated in Old Montreal. That branch relocated to the nearby Tour de la Bourse in July 2012.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwerpen-Centraal_railway_station:
Antwerpen-Centraal railway station (Dutch: Station Antwerpen-Centraal, French: Gare d'Anvers-Central) is the main railway station in Antwerp, Belgium. It is one of the most important hubs in the country and is one of the four Belgian stations on the high-speed rail network. From 1873 to early 2007, it was a terminal station. The current building, designed by the architect Louis Delacenserie, was constructed between 1895 and 1905. On 23 March 2007, a tunnel with two continuous tracks was opened under part of the city and under the station. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
The station is widely regarded as the finest example of railway architecture in Belgium, although the extraordinary eclecticism of the influences on Delacenserie's design had led to a difficulty in assigning it to a particular architectural style. In W. G. Sebald's novel Austerlitz an ability to appreciate the full range of the styles that might have influenced Delacenserie is used to illustrate the brilliance of the fictional architectural historian who is the novel's protagonist. Owing to the vast dome above the waiting room hall, the building became colloquially known as the spoorwegkathedraal ("railroad cathedral").
The originally iron and glass train hall (185 metres long and 44 metres or 43 metres high) was designed by Clément Van Bogaert, an engineer, and covers an area of 12,000 square metres. The height of the station was necessary for dissipating the smoke of steam locomotives. The roof of the train hall was originally made of steel.
In 2009, the American magazine Newsweek judged Antwerpen-Centraal the world's fourth greatest train station. In 2014, the British-American magazine Mashable awarded Antwerpen-Centraal the first place for the most beautiful railway station in the world.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkaku-ji:
Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, 'Temple of the Golden Pavilion'), officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, lit. 'Deer Garden Temple'), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It is one of the most popular buildings in Kyoto, attracting many visitors annually. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape and is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites.
The Golden Pavilion (金閣, Kinkaku) is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex. The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf. The pavilion functions as a shariden (舎利殿), housing relics of the Buddha (Buddha's Ashes). The building was an important model for Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion Temple) and Shōkoku-ji, which are also located in Kyoto. When these buildings were constructed, Ashikaga Yoshimasa employed the styles used at Kinkaku-ji and even borrowed the names of its second and third floors.
The pavilion successfully incorporates three distinct styles of architecture, which are shinden, samurai and zen, specifically on each floor. Each floor of the Kinkaku uses a different architectural style.
The first floor, called The Chamber of Dharma Waters (法水院, Hō-sui-in), is rendered in shinden-zukuri style, reminiscent of the residential style of the 11th century Heian imperial aristocracy. It is evocative of the Shinden palace style. It is designed as an open space with adjacent verandas and uses natural, unpainted wood and white plaster. This helps to emphasize the surrounding landscape. The walls and fenestration also affect the views from inside the pavilion. Most of the walls are made of shutters that can vary the amount of light and air into the pavilion and change the view by controlling the shutters' heights. The second floor, called The Tower of Sound Waves (潮音洞, Chō-on-dō ), is built in the style of warrior aristocrats, or buke-zukuri. On this floor, sliding wood doors and latticed windows create a feeling of impermanence. The second floor also contains a Buddha Hall and a shrine dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kannon. The third floor is built in traditional Chinese chán (Jpn. zen) style, also known as zenshū-butsuden-zukuri. It is called the Cupola of the Ultimate (究竟頂, Kukkyō-chō). The zen typology depicts a more religious ambiance in the pavilion, as was popular during the Muromachi period.
The roof is in a thatched pyramid with shingles. The building is topped with a bronze hōō (phoenix) ornament. From the outside, viewers can see gold plating added to the upper stories of the pavilion. The gold leaf covering the upper stories hints at what is housed inside: the shrines. The outside is a reflection of the inside. The elements of nature, death, religion, are formed together to create this connection between the pavilion and outside intrusions.
The Golden Pavilion is set in a Japanese strolling garden (回遊式庭園, kaiyū-shiki-teien, lit. a landscape garden in the go-round style). The location implements the idea of borrowing of scenery ("shakkei") that integrates the outside and the inside, creating an extension of the views surrounding the pavilion and connecting it with the outside world. The pavilion extends over a pond, called Kyōko-chi (鏡湖池, Mirror Pond), that reflects the building. The pond contains 10 smaller islands. The zen typology is seen through the rock composition; the bridges and plants are arranged in a specific way to represent famous places in Chinese and Japanese literature. Vantage points and focal points were established because of the strategic placement of the pavilion to view the gardens surrounding the pavilion. A small fishing hall (釣殿, tsuri-dono) or roofed deck is attached to the rear of the pavilion building, allowing a small boat to be moored under it. The pavilion grounds were built according to descriptions of the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida, intending to illustrate a harmony between heaven and earth. The largest islet in the pond represents the Japanese islands. The four stones forming a straight line in the pond near the pavilion are intended to represent sailboats anchored at night, bound for the Isle of Eternal Life in Chinese mythology.
The garden complex is an excellent example of Muromachi period garden design. The Muromachi period is considered to be a classical age of Japanese garden design. The correlation between buildings and its settings were greatly emphasized during this period. It was an artistic way to integrate the structure within the landscape. The garden designs were characterized by a reduction in scale, a more central purpose, and a distinct setting. A minimalistic approach was brought to the garden design by recreating larger landscapes in a smaller scale around a structure.
From my set entitled “Roses”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607214064416/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. [1]
The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.
The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).[2][3]
Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products.
The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in Southeast Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.
The flowers of most species roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.
The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips. Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also eat the seeds.
While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia have densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.
Roses are popular garden shrubs, as well as the most popular and commonly sold florists' flowers. In addition to their great economic importance as a florists crop, roses are also of great value to the perfume industry.
Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.
Twentieth-century rose breeders generally emphasized size and colour, producing large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong sweet scent.
Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even tropical climates, especially when grafted onto appropriate rootstock.
Rose pruning, sometimes regarded as a horticultural art form, is largely dependent on the type of rose to be pruned, the reason for pruning, and the time of year it is at the time of the desired pruning.
Most Old Garden Roses of strict European heritage (albas, damasks, gallicas, etc.) are shrubs that bloom once yearly, in late spring or early summer, on two-year-old (or older) canes. As such, their pruning requirements are quite minimal, and are overall similar to any other analogous shrub, such as lilac or forsythia. Generally, only old, spindly canes should be pruned away, to make room for new canes. One-year-old canes should never be pruned because doing so will remove next year's flower buds. The shrubs can also be pruned back lightly, immediately after the blooms fade, to reduce the overall height or width of the plant. In general, pruning requirements for OGRs are much less laborious and regimented than for Modern hybrids.
Modern hybrids, including the hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, modern miniatures, and English roses, have a complex genetic background that almost always includes China roses (R. chinensis). China roses were evergrowing, everblooming roses from humid subtropical regions that bloomed constantly on any new vegetative growth produced during the growing season. Their modern hybrid descendants exhibit similar habits: Unlike Old Garden Roses, modern hybrids bloom continuously (until stopped by frost) on any new canes produced during the growing season. They therefore require pruning away of any spent flowering stem, in order to divert the plant's energy into producing new growth and thence new flowers.
Additionally, Modern Hybrids planted in cold-winter climates will almost universally require a "hard" annual pruning (reducing all canes to 8"–12" in height) in early spring. Again, because of their complex China rose background, Modern Hybrids are typically not as cold-hardy as European OGRs, and low winter temperatures often desiccate or kill exposed canes. In spring, if left unpruned, these damanged canes will often die back all the way to the shrub's root zone, resulting in a weakened, disfigured plant. The annual "hard" pruning of hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. should generally be done in early spring; most gardeners coincide this pruning with the blooming of forsythia shrubs. Canes should be cut about 1/2" above a vegetative bud (identifiable as a point on a cane where a leaf once grew).
For both Old Garden Roses and Modern Hybrids, any weak, damaged or diseased growth should be pruned away completely, regardless of the time of year. Any pruning of any rose should also be done so that the cut is made at a forty five degree angle above a vegetative bud. This helps the pruned stem callus over more quickly, and also mitigates moisture buildup over the cut, which can lead to disease problems.
For all general rose pruning (including cutting flowers for arrangements), sharp secateurs (hand-held, sickle-bladed pruners) should be used to cut any growth 1/2" or less in diameter. For canes of a thickness greater than 1/2", pole loppers or a small handsaw are generally more effective; secateurs may be damaged or broken in such instances.
Deadheading is the simple practice of manually removing any spent, faded, withered, or discoloured flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. The purpose of deadheading is to encourage the plant to focus its energy and resources on forming new offshoots and blooms, rather than in fruit production. Deadheading may also be perfomed, if spent flowers are unsightly, for aethestic purposes. Roses are particularly responsive to deadheading.
Deadheading causes different effects on different varieties of roses. For continual blooming varieties, whether Old Garden roses or more modern hybrid varieties, deadheading allows the rose plant to continue forming new shoots, leaves, and blooms. For "once-blooming" varieties (that bloom only once each season), deadheading has the effect of causing the plant to form new green growth, even though new blooms will not form until the next blooming season.
For most rose gardeners, deadheading is used to refresh the growth of the rose plants to keep the rose plants strong, vibrant, and productive.
The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.
Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.
Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.
Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).
The rose is the national flower of England and the United States[4], as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose), and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York[5] (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.
Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
Roses are often portrayed by artists. The French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté produced some of the most detailed paintings of roses.
Henri Fantin-Latour was also a prolific painter of still life, particularly flowers including roses. The Rose 'Fantin-Latour' was named after the artist.
Other impressionists including Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne have paintings of roses among their works.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia (the word Rose itself is from Persian) then spread through Arabia and India, but nowadays about 70% to 80% of production is in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk in Bulgaria, with some production in Qamsar in Iran and Germany.[citation needed]
The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by the Iranian rose water from Qamsar. In Bulgaria, Iran and Germany, damask roses (Rosa damascena 'Trigintipetala') are used. In the French rose oil industry Rosa centifolia is used. The oil, pale yellow or yellow-grey in color, is sometimes called 'Rose Absolute' oil to distinguish it from diluted versions. The weight of oil extracted is about one three-thousandth to one six-thousandth of the weight of the flowers; for example, about two thousand flowers are required to produce one gram of oil.
The main constituents of attar of roses are the fragrant alcohols geraniol and l-citronellol; and rose camphor, an odourless paraffin. β-Damascenone is also a significant contributor to the scent.
Quotes
What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii
O, my love's like a red, red rose/That's newly sprung in June — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
Information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Mark Twain, Roughing It
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.
Part of a set photographs of the Prince Regent's Royal Pavilion (also known as Brighton Pavilion).
Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, borrowing ideas from Indian architecture in the days when that region was still part of the British Empire.
Unlike the originals, the building's frame is Cast Iron - cutting edge technology at the time when the building was redeveloped by the architect en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nash_(architect) are actually very small scale - much too small for an adult to fit inside. Like the shrunken higher up windows and tapering outline of the Senate House of London University, the reduction in size of the minarets adds to the illusion of scale.
The viewpoint (often used in picture postcards) is also deceptive. By perching the camera on the edge of a small (four paces by ten paces) ornamental pond, the false impression is created that the pavilion is adjacent to a huge lake.
There is an official Royal Pavilion website.
During Work War II, Adolf Hitler is famously claimed to have spared the Pavilion from bombing because he wanted to use it has his English headquarters. This is reputed to be based on statements by William Joyce, an American born German radio propaganda broadcaster (named Lord Haw-Haw by British listeners), statements presumably made to demoralise listeners into the belief that this outcome was inevitable. Brighton was bombed, however, so maybe the Luftwaffe just missed.
The image is made up from High Dynamic Range (HDR) files. A large number of (identically framed) bracketed exposures were merged into a single HDR file. This 32 bits per channel file (over 4 billion shades of red, green or blue) was converted to a more mundane 8 bits per channel jpeg file. (It is not currently technically feasible to fully display 4 billlion shades per colour on a computer monitor, or on a print.) In the conversion process Local Adaptation was used, a trick that enables the detail in both very bright (floodlit) areas and very dark (moonlit) areas to be viewed in the same image. The human visual system is particularly sensitive to detecting edges, and "overlooks" intervening smooth gradients. This makes Local Adaptation a viable technique / optical illusion.
The image has also been modified using transformations to remove any barrel distortion, and also adapted to ensure a classical perspective with parallel verticals.
A Canon 300D DSLR was used. The number of exposures ranged from 1/250 sec. to 30 secs. in 2 EV/stop increments. Two large, nervous, ornamental carp live in the pool. I think that they moved about between exposures, causing the feint, strange, multiple streaks in the surface of the pond.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters).
The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. The surrounding area is contained within the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the preservation of the Grand Canyon area and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.
Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon.
For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans, who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site, and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_National_Park
Grand Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World. The park, which covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties, received more than 4.7 million recreational visitors in 2023. The Grand Canyon was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 26, 2019.
Source: www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
Entirely within the state of Arizona, the park encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homelands of 11 present day Tribal Communities, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—a mile deep canyon unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors from both north and south rims.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "米国" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis" "ארצות הברית" "संयुक्त राज्य" "США"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "אריזונה" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
(Grand Canyon) "جراند كانيون" "大峡谷" "גרנד קניון" "ग्रांड कैन्यन" "グランドキャニオン" "그랜드 캐니언" "Гранд-Каньон" "Gran Cañón"
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recherche,_assistance,_intervention...
Avec l'autorisation de la Direction du RAiD
Je tiens à remercier la Direction, les personnels d'encadrement, "TK" , Chef de l'unité Cynotechnique, Référent Air Marshal et tous les opérateurs du RAiD pour leur accueil et Fanny TURGIS, PDG De TURGIS & GAILLARD Industries sans qui ce reportage n'aurait pas été possible.
Toute reproduction totale ou partielle strictement interdite
Tous droits réservés.
Cette image est la propriété de TBWLC Photography & de TURGIS & GAILLARD Industries sous le contrôle du RAiD
Des poursuites seront engagées contre tout-contrevenant.
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With the authorization of the RAiD Directorate
I would like to thank the Management, the management staff, "TK", Head of the Cynotechnique Unit, Air Marshal Referent and all RAiD operators for their hospitality and Fanny TURGIS, CEO of TURGIS & GAILLARD Industries without whom this report would not have been possible.
Any total or partial reproduction strictly prohibited
All rights reserved.
This image is the property of TBWLC Photography & TURGIS & GAILLARD Industries under the control of RAiD
Prosecution will be initiated against any offender.
More info . . . . Wikipedia .
The existing design of the Piazza del Campidoglio and the surrounding palazzi was created by Renaissance artist and architect Michelangelo Buonarroti in 1536–1546. At the height of his fame, he was commissioned by the Farnese Pope Paul III, who wanted a symbol of the new Rome to impress Charles V, who was expected in 1538. This offered him the opportunity to build a monumental civic plaza for a major city as well as to reestablish the grandeur of Rome. Michelangelo's first designs for the piazza and remodeling of the surrounding palazzi date from 1536. His plan was formidably extensive. He accentuated the reversal of the classical orientation of the Capitoline, in a symbolic gesture turning Rome’s civic center to face away from the Roman Forum and instead in the direction of Papal Rome and the Christian church in the form of St. Peter’s Basilica. This full half circle turn can also be seen as Michelangelo’s desire to address the new, developing section of the city rather than the ancient ruins of the past. An equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius was to stand in the middle of the piazza set in a paved oval field. Michelangelo was required to provide a setting for the statue and to bring order to an irregular hilltop already encumbered by two crumbling medieval buildings set at an acute angle to one another. The Palazzo del Senatore was to be restored with a double outer stairway, and the campanile moved to the center axis of the palace. The Palazzo dei Conservatori was also to be restored, and a new building, the so-called Palazzo Nuovo, built at the same angle on the north side of the piazza to offset the Conservatori, creating a trapezoidal piazza. A wall and balustrade were to be built at the front of the square, giving it a firm delineation on the side facing the city. Finally, a flight of steps was to lead up to the enclosed piazza from below, further accentuating the central axis.
SEE my shots with . . . . 2,000-40'000 views.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuyama_Castle:
Fukuyama Castle (福山城, Fukuyama-jō), sometimes called Hisamatsu Castle (久松城, Hisamatsu-jō) or Iyō Castle (葦陽城, Iyō-jō) was the castle of the Bingo-Fukuyama Han during the Edo period of Japanese history. The grounds of the castle have been designated a National Historic Site since 1964. The castle is located in Fukuyama Park in Fukuyama, Hiroshima near Fukuyama Station.
Fukuyama Castle is located at a hill in the center of Fukuyama city. Prior to the Edo Period, this area was a large tidal flat. The Sanyōdō highway, which connects the Kinai region with Kyushu, ran to the north of the modern city center, and Tomonoura, a port on the Seto Inland Sea from the Heian period, was to the south. The main power center for Bingo Province was at Kannabe Castle to the northeast. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Fukushima Masanori was awarded control of both Aki Province and Bingo Province; however, in 1619, the Tokugawa shogunate used the pretext that he had made repairs to Hiroshima Castle without permission to seize a portion of his domain, awarding a 100,000 koku portion of Bingo Province to Tokugawa Ieyasu's cousin, Mizuno Katsunari. Katsunari had an outstanding military record and it was expected that he would act as a bulwark on the Sanyōdō highway against possible rebellion by the powerful tozama daimyō of western Japan, such as the Mōri clan. Mizuno found that Kannabe Castle was located in a narrow mountain valley and was inconvenient both to manage his domain and to defend against attack, some received a special exception from the shogunate's "one domain - one castle" rule to build a new castle and castle town on reclaimed land. Construction started in 1619 and was completed in 1622.
The new Fukuyama Castle occupied a hill with a length of 400 meters and width of 200 meters. The inner bailey occupies the southern half of the hill, and contains a five-story tenshu at its northern edge. The southern edge was protected by two yagura turrets.The Fushimi yagura was a white three-story structure transferred from abolished Fushimi Castle in Kyoto. The Tsukumi yagura has a red handrail balcony. Between these two yagura is the main gate of the castle, also transferred from Fushimi Castle.
The secondary bailey occupied the north half of the hill, and outer bailey surrounded south half of the hill. Fukuyama Castle had seven three-story yagura and 15 smaller yagura, and tall stone walls, and was surrounded by water moats, connected by canal to the Seto Inland Sea.
The Mizuno clan was replaced by the Abe clan was rulers of Fukuyama Domain in 1698 and governed to the Meiji restoration. Although the various Abe daimyō played important political roles in the administration of the shogunate, they seldom visited the domain in person. During the Boshin War, Fukuyama Castle was attacked by the Chōshū army in January 1868, but the domain defected to the Imperial side and the castle was spared destruction.
After the Meiji Restoration, most of the buildings except for the tenshu and a number of yagura were demolished. The castle grounds became a public park. In 1931, the tenshu was designed a "National Treasure" under the former Cultural Properties Protection Law. However, the tenshu burned down during World War II. Much of outer areas of the castle grounds disappeared due to the construction of railways and urban development. Fukuyama Station was built directly adjacent to the inner bailey of the castle and the tenshu can be seen clearly from its platforms.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choi_Uk_Tsuen:
Choi Uk Tsuen or Tsoi Uk Tsuen (Chinese: 蔡屋村) is a village in Yuen Long Kau Hui, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Choi Uk Tsuen is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. For electoral purposes, Choi Uk Tsuen is located in the Shap Pat Heung North constituency of the Yuen Long District Council.
The village has an ancestral hall which houses photos of the living and deceased people of the village. The village also has a community centre.
The community living in Choi Uk Tsuen consists of people who have the surname Choi, specifically descendants of three independent family lines who share the same name and have joined the village at various times.
The traditional Poon Choi (Big Bowl Feast) still continues when there is a major event taking place (e.g. wedding celebration and various Chinese Festivals according to the Chinese New year).
Choi Uk Tsuen is part of the Tung Tau alliance (東頭約) or "Joint Meeting Group of Seven Villages", together with Nam Pin Wai, Tung Tau Tsuen, Ying Lung Wai, Shan Pui Tsuen, Wong Uk Tsuen and Tai Wai Tsuen. The Yi Shing Temple in Wong Uk Tsuen is an alliance temple of the Tung Tau Alliance.
it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_bruennichi
Il ragno vespa non è aggressivo, e attacca l'uomo solo se viene disturbato; in tal caso il suo morso, provoca bruciore e arrossamento della parte colpita, ma i suoi effetti svaniscono al massimo nell'arco di un giorno.
Una curiosità si ha nell'accoppiamento di tali aracnidi, infatti quasi sempre le femmine di questi ragni uccidono i loro pretendenti maschi, a meno che questi ultimi non riescano a fuggire prima; spesso nel tentativo di fuga il pene degli individui maschi si spezza all'interno delle femmine, non permettendo che altri ragni fecondino la stessa, e assicurandosi così il successo riproduttivo
Argiope bruennichi, ou Aranha Vespeira, é uma espécie distribuída em toda a Europa Central, Norte da Europa, Norte de África e partes da Ásia. Tal como muitos outros membros do género, mostra riscas amarelas e pretas no seu abdómen.
A aranha constrói uma espiral ao amanhecer ou entardecer no meio da vegetação, para atrair insectos. Quando uma presa é capturada na teia, rapidamente é imobilizada através do envolvimento em teia. De seguida a aranha pica-a, de forma a injectar um veneno paralisante.
O macho da espécie é muito menor do que a fêmea. Muitas vezes pode ser visto perto de uma dela, aguardando pelo momento em que ela atinja a maturidade sexual. Neste curto espaço de tempo, em que a fêmea está receptiva ao sexo, o macho pode aproximar-se sem risco de ser comido.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwentwater
Derwentwater (or Derwent Water) is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in north west England. It lies wholly within the Borough of Allerdale, in the county of Cumbria.
The lake occupies part of Borrowdale and lies immediately south of the town of Keswick. It is both fed and drained by the River Derwent. It measures approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) long by 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and is some 72 feet (22 m) deep. There are several islands within the lake, one of which is inhabited. Derwent Island House, an 18th-century residence, is a tenanted National Trust property open to the public on five days each year.
Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value. It is surrounded by hills (known locally as fells), and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded. A regular passenger launch operates on the lake, taking passengers between various landing stages. There are seven lakeside marinas, the most popular stops being: Keswick, Portinscale and the Lodore Falls, from which boats may be hired. Recreational walking is a major tourist activity in the area and an extensive network of footpaths exists within the hills and woods surrounding the lake.
The Keswick—Borrowdale road runs along the eastern shore of the lake and carries a regular bus service. There is a lesser, or unclassified, road along the western shore connecting the villages of Grange and Portinscale.
Derwentwater gave its name to the Earldom of Derwentwater.
The lake is believed to be the last remaining native habitat of the vendace (Coregonus vandesius) fish from the 4 originally known sites: Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent Water in the Lake District and the Castle Loch & Mill Loch in Lochmaben.[2]
Etymology
'Derwent' is " '(River) with oak trees', traditionally explained from Brit." (i.e.: Brythonic Celtic) " 'derwā' 'oak' plus suffixes, hence of the same origin as other English rivers named Derwent, Darwen, Darent and Dart...The river gave its name to Derwent Water (which was also known as the 'Lake of Derwent', 'Keswick Lake', or 'Keswick Water' in the 18th-19th centuries)...".[3] Plus "OE 'wæter', with the meaning probably influenced by its ON relative 'vatn'
Derwentwater's islands
There are numerous islands in Derwentwater, the largest being: Derwent Island, Lord's Island, St Herbert's Island, Rampsholme Island, Park Neb, Otter Island, and Otterbield Island. St. Herbert's Island is named after a C. 7th priest hermit, St. Herbert of Derwentwater.
Second generation
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Montclair
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Motor_Company
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Brampton Street Rods classic/vintage cruise night, Shoppers' World
shopswb.com/event/Brampton-Street-Rods-Cruise-Nights/2145...
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Sigma 12-24mm 1:4.5-5.6 DG HSM EX
_DSC3416 Anx2 Q90 2k f25 f50
www.unesco-welterbe.de/de/karolingisches-westwerk-und-civ...
Corvey ist eine ehemalige reichsunmittelbare Benediktinerabtei an der Weser. Corvey war ein bedeutendes karolingisches Kloster, es verfügte über eine der wertvollsten Bibliotheken des Landes, zahlreiche Bischöfe gingen aus der Abtei hervor. Heute noch erhalten sind die sächsischen Gesetze Karls des Großen, die fünf ersten Bücher der Annalen des römischen Historikers Tacitus sowie Schriften des römischen Schriftstellers und Philosophen Cicero.
Corvey besitzt das älteste und einzige fast vollständig erhaltene karolingische Westwerk weltweit (Bauzeit 873-885). Der zentrale, dreiseitig von Emporen umgebene Hauptraum im Obergeschoss greift in seiner Form und seiner ursprünglichen künstlerischen Ausstattung auf antike Vorbilder zurück. Die Ausstattung mit lebensgroßen Stuckfiguren, der farbigen Raumfassung mit architektonischen Gliederungen, ornamentalen Friesen und mythologischen Wandmalereien, die das einzig publike Beispiel von Wandmalereien in karolingischer Zeit darstellen, ist in wesentlichen Teilen erhalten. Die Fresken aus dem 9. Jahrhundert zeigen antike Motive der Odyssee.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Abbey_of_Corvey
Corvey is a former imperial Benedictine's abbey near the river Weser. Corvey was an important carolingian cloister, it disposed of one of the most valuable libraries of the country, and numerous bishops arose from the abbey. The Saxon laws of Charlemagne, books of Tacitus as well as writings of Cicero are received even today.
Corvey owns the oldest and only almost completely preserved carolingian westwork worldwide (construction time 873-885). The central, three-sided from lofts surrounded main space in the upper floor falls back in his form and his original artistic equipment on antique models. The equipment with full-size stucco figures, ornamental friezes and mythological mural paintings which show the only example of mural paintings in carolingian time, received in essential parts. The frescoes from the 9th century show antique motives of the Odyssey.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Basilica,_Krak%C3%B3w:
Saint Mary's Basilica (Polish: Kościół Mariacki) is a Brick Gothic church adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland. Built in the 14th century, its foundations date back to the early 13th century and serve as one of the best examples of Polish Gothic architecture. Standing 80 m (262 ft) tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz). Some of its monumental polychrome murals were designed by Poland's leading history painter, Jan Matejko (1838–1893). In 1978 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Historic Centre of Kraków.
On every hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, a trumpet signal—called the Hejnał mariacki—is played from the top of the taller of Saint Mary's two towers. The plaintive tune breaks off in mid-stream, to commemorate a famous 13th century trumpeter who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before a Mongol attack on the city. The noon-time hejnał is heard across Poland and abroad broadcast live by Polish Radio Jedynka.
Saint Mary's Basilica also served as an architectural model for many of the churches that were built by the Polish diaspora abroad, particularly those like Saint Michael's and Saint John Cantius in Chicago, designed in the Polish Cathedral style.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8D-ji:
Tō-ji Temple (東寺, Tō-ji, "East Temple"), also known as Kyō-ō-gokoku-ji (教王護国寺, The Temple for the Defense of the Nation by Means of the King of Doctrines) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Minami-ku ward of Kyoto, Japan.
Founded in 796, it was one of the only three Buddhist temples allowed in the city at the time it became the capital of Japan. As such it has a long history, housing treasures and documents from the early Heian period and the Tang dynasty, and with buildings in its complex covering the Kamakura, Muromachi, Momoyama, and Edo periods. Five of these buildings have been designated National Treasures in two different categories: the Lotus Flower Gate (rengemon), the Miei Hall (mieidō), the Golden Hall (kondō) and the five-storied Pagoda (gojūnotō) (temple buildings) and the Kanchiin Guest Hall (kanchiin kyakuden) (residences).
Tō-ji was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
The five-storied Pagoda (五重塔, gojūnotō) of Tō-ji dates from 1643 (Edo period), when it was rebuilt by order of the third Tokugawa Shōgun, Iemitsu. The original pagoda was built in the 9th century, but it was destroyed and rebuilt four times before reaching its current state. It was designated a National Treasure in 1952.
The pagoda stands 54.8 meters (180 feet) high, and is the tallest wooden tower in Japan. Entrance into the pagoda itself is permitted only on special occasions, but it is usually open and the interior can be seen from the outside. It houses relics, sculptures, and paintings. At ground level, there are statues of four Buddhas facing different directions.
The Kondo or Golden Hall is the main hall of the temple and contains a statue of Yakushi from 1603.
The Miedo is dedicated to Kobo Daishi, also called Kukai, the temple's founder. It stands on the location of his original residence. The hall is opened on the 21st of each month when a memorial service is held for Kukai.
The grounds feature a garden and pond, in which turtles and koi swim. The grounds also house an academically rigorous private school, Rakunan, from which many students are sent to elite universities.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_the_Patchwork_Elephant
My local used bookshop had this in the window. I'm very fond of Elmer and his stories.