Colours of the Venetian Port

Colours of the Venetian Port, originally uploaded by Spyros Papaspyropoulos.

Christmas at Aristotelous Square, Thessaloniki, Greece

Christmas at Aristotelous Square, Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by niikos.

Paros, Greece

Coast - Paros, Greece, originally uploaded by The Web Ninja.

Paros (/ˈpɛərɒs/; Greek: Πάρος; Venetian: Paro) is a Greek island in the central Aegean Sea. One of the Cyclades island group, it lies to the west of Naxos, from which it is separated by a channel about 8 kilometres (5 miles) wide. It lies approximately 100 mi (161 kilometres) south-east of Piraeus. The Municipality of Paros includes numerous uninhabited offshore islets totaling 196.308 square kilometres (75.795 sq mi) of land. Its nearest neighbor is the municipality of Antiparos, which lies to its southwest.
Historically, Paros was known for its fine white marble, which gave rise to the term "Parian" to describe marble or china of similar qualities. Today, abandoned marble quarries and mines can be found on the island, but Paros is primarily known as a popular tourist spot.

Guardians of the Past

Guardians of the Past, originally uploaded by benalesh1985.

The Moai statues of Easter island’s Ahu Akivi seem to stand guard, possibly protecting the secrets of their mysterious past. Only they, and the vibrant Cosmos above know the true story of Easter Island’s puzzling history.

Norðurljós/Northern lights/Aurora borealis

Norðurljós/Northern lights/Aurora borealis, originally uploaded by nurdug2010.

An aurora (plural: aurorae or auroras; from the Latin word aurora, "sunrise" or the Roman goddess of dawn) is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere (thermosphere). The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and, on Earth, are directed by the Earth's magnetic field into the atmosphere. Most aurorae occur in a band known as the auroral zone, which is typically in 3° to 6° latitudinal extent of geographical poles, or equivalently, 10° to 20° latitudinal extent of geomagnetic poles, and at all local times or longitudes. During a geomagnetic storm, the auroral zone expands to lower latitudes.
Aurorae are classified as diffuse and discrete. The diffuse aurora is a featureless glow in the sky that may not be visible to the naked eye, even on a dark night. It defines the extent of the auroral zone. The discrete aurorae are sharply defined features within the diffuse aurora that vary in brightness from just barely visible to the naked eye, to bright enough to read a newspaper by at night. Discrete aurorae are usually seen in only the night sky, because they are not as bright as the sunlit sky. Aurorae occasionally occur poleward of the auroral zone as diffuse patches or arcs (polar cap arcs), which are generally invisible to the naked eye.
In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis (or the northern lights), named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621. Auroras seen near the magnetic pole may be high overhead, but from farther away, they illuminate the northern horizon as a greenish glow or sometimes a faint red, as if the Sun were rising from an unusual direction. Discrete aurorae often display magnetic field lines or curtain-like structures, and can change within seconds or glow unchanging for hours, most often in fluorescent green. The aurora borealis most often occurs near the equinoxes. The northern lights have had a number of names throughout history. The Cree call this phenomenon the "Dance of the Spirits". In Medieval Europe, the auroras were commonly believed to be a sign from God.
Its southern counterpart, the aurora australis (or the southern lights), has features that are almost identical to the aurora borealis and changes simultaneously with changes in the northern auroral zone.
It is visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, South America, New Zealand, and Australia. Aurorae occur on other planets. Similar to the Earth's aurora, they are visible close to the planet's magnetic poles. Modern style guides recommend that the names of meteorological phenomena, such as aurora borealis, be uncapitalized.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mount St. Helens from Marquam Hill

Mount St. Helens from Marquam Hill - HDR, originally uploaded by David Gn Photography.

Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. The eruption on May 18, 1980, killed dozens of people and changed the landscape with its 24-megaton blast. And here it is, after its eruption almost** 30 years ago. This is one of the many views you can get from up on Oregon Health & Science University campus on Marquam Hill.

Mother protection against predators

Mother protection against predators, originally uploaded by B℮n.

Photo taken at the Trotternish mountains where sheep walk around unfenced but mother ewe must always be aware of the danger from the ground or even from the air.

Moulin Rouge alternative

Moulin Rouge alternative

Moulin Rouge (French pronunciation: ​[mu.lɛ̃ ʁuʒ], French for Red Mill) is a cabaret in Paris, France.
The house was co-founded in 1889 by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.
Moulin Rouge is best known as the spiritual birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance. Originally introduced as a seductive dance by the courtesans who operated from the site, the can-can dance revue evolved into a form of entertainment of its own and led to the introduction of cabarets across Europe. Today, Moulin Rouge is a tourist attraction, offering musical dance entertainment for visitors from around the world. The club's decor still contains much of the romance of fin de siècle France.

Santa Barbara - Greece - Drama City

Santa Barbara - Greece - Drama City, originally uploaded by vegaslyra.

According to the legend that surrounds the source of the city, where in 1830 the drama was conquered by the Turks, the chapel of St. Barbara was demolished to build in place of a mosque. The plans of the invaders, but changed ... the day of the Santa Barbara area flooded with water so the mosque was never built. Since then, Saint Barbara became the patron of Drama and just across the lake with the foundations, built the new church dedicated to Saint who saved the church. Thereafter, on December 4 every year our city commemorates the patron saint.
The legend that followed the custom of the boats, the versions of which are two. Under the first, on the eve of Santa Barbara after the procession, people send in sunken chapel a candle for St. on a plank of wood.
The second scenario is based on the Santa Barbara except the artillery was patron and protector of girls who guarded the gossip and helped the "lottery" of their marriage. So all the girls free to December 3, during vespers, and just darkened, lit candles on the east wall of the lake. Some girls put the candles on the planks of wood and with a wish to send the sunken church of St. Barbara. The state board of the lake showed if the prayer could be performed. If the candle extinguished considered a failure but the hope remained, and the next morning all the girls arrived back at the lake to bathe in water that Saint Barbara was to bless the night before.
The years that passed since then and many times he left for good. But the custom of the candles in the lake remained. Only the candles are now traveling on a boat made of children's hands, creating a beautiful and unique atmosphere. That time and has, snow, rain and bitter cold always on December 3 just sourouposei small captains are in their positions and take pride in their ship to be burned or sail away with the other
And if the young people of Drama await the feast of Saint Barbara to throw the boat on the lake, the large waiting to taste the warm and fragrant Barbara that all the housewives are preparing Drama.
The city once the best and celebrate. Once again, all appointments are at noon in procession the image of Saint Barbara and the afternoon on the lake. And then the cold that everyone will feel strongly we expect warm Barbara at home!