Demetrio's Travel Pages

Braila, Romania

2012-01-29T21:38:00.001+02:00

Braila, originally uploaded by gulgulas.

Brăila (Romanian pronunciation: [brəˈila] Greek: Μπράιλα; Turkish: İbrail) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County, in the close vicinity of Galaţi.
According to the 2002 Romanian census there were 216,292 people living within the city of Brăila, making it the 10th most populous city in Romania.

Yosemite

2012-01-24T12:07:00.000+02:00

Yosemite National Park ( /joʊˈsɛmɨtiː/ yoh-sem-it-ee) is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of 761,268 acres (3,080.74 km2) and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend their time in the seven square miles (18 km2) of Yosemite Valley. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness. Although not the first designated national park, Yosemite was central to the development of the national park idea, largely owing to the work of people like Galen Clark and John Muir.Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet (648 to 3,997 m) and contains five major vegetation zones: chaparral/oak woodland, lower montane, upper montane, subalpine, and alpine. Of California's 7,000 plant species, about 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada and more than 20% within Yosemite. There is suitable habitat or documentation for more than 160 rare plants in the park, with rare local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the restricted ranges many of these plants occupy.The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granitic rocks and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and then tilted to form its relatively gentle western slopes and the more dramatic eastern slopes. The uplift increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in formation of deep, narrow canyons. About 1 million years ago, snow and ice accumulated, forming glaciers at the higher alpine meadows that moved down the river valleys. Ice thickness in Yosemite Valley may have reached 4,000 feet (1,200 m) during the early glacial episode. The downslope movement of the ice masses cut and sculpted the U-shaped valley that attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today.via Wikipedia

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

2012-01-21T01:21:00.001+02:00

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland, originally uploaded by _Zinni_.

the Danish name of the town is (Scoresbysund) is located on Liverpool Land (a peninsula in eastern Greenland) and the inhabitants are only just over 500 and live mostly on hunting.

stop SOPA/PIPA

2012-01-18T17:38:00.000+02:00

Fingal Head, Tweed Heads, NSW, Australia

2012-01-18T03:24:00.001+02:00

Bad is never good until worse happens., originally uploaded by Christolakis.

Fingal Head was first sighted by James Cook about 17:15 EST 15–16 May 1770 (log date). The area and small town is often just called Fingal. It is located on the Far North Coast of New South Wales in Tweed Shire, about 5 km south of the New South Wales and Queensland border, and south of the Gold Coast. At the 2006 census, Fingal Head had a population of 575 people.
Via Wikipedia

Oxford, England, UK

2012-01-17T10:59:00.001+02:00

Street Entertainer, Oxford, originally uploaded by Howard Somerville.

Oxford is the oldest university city in the United Kingdom, situated some 50 miles (80 km) to the west of the capital London in its own county of Oxfordshire, and located on the rivers Thames (the section of the Thames in Oxford is known as "The Isis") and Cherwell. Together with Cambridge (the second oldest university city and Oxford's great rival), Oxford has long represented the British academic establishment and élite ("Oxbridge"), a haven of tradition and endeavour. Oxford's famous "Dreaming Spires" refer to the medieval churches and colleges that dominate the bustling modern town in all their Gothic splendour. Picturesque architecture and a vibrant modern life (driven by students, light industry and technology) set in the rolling countryside of Oxfordshire make this a great destination.
via Wikipedia

Kos - Kastri Islet, Aegean Sea, Greece

2012-01-02T04:28:00.001+02:00

Kos - Kastri Islet, originally uploaded by Visit Greece.

Kos - Kastri Islet

The island has several sandy coasts. The beaches in the north side of the island are more affected by winds. Most of the coasts underwent touristic development and have easy access and various services. Some of the most visited beaches are: Nomikou-Barbagianni sandy beach extending from the city of Kos to the surrounding areas. It is an organized beach with umbrellas and deck-chairs, water sports, restaurants and bars. Zourouni sandy beach is an organized beach with umbrellas and deck-chairs, water sports, bars and loud music. Nautical Club beach with fine sand is awarded with the European Union blue flag. Milos beach with fine sand, which is also awarded with European Union blue flag. There is a coastal bar with loud music and frequent concerts.

visit #greece Infographic 2011

2011-12-28T17:18:00.001+02:00

ΘΕΜΑ: Στοιχεία και αριθμοί για το 2011:
To VisitGreece.gr και η συνεχόμενα ανοδική πορεία του στο χώρο των μέσων κοινωνικής δικτύωσης
Από τις αρχές του 2010, το www.visitgreece.gr, το επίσημο site προβολής της χώρας μας ως τουριστικός, και όχι μόνο, προορισμός, διαγράφει μια επιτυχημένη πορεία στο χώρο των μέσων κοινωνικής δικτύωσης, με σημαντική παρουσία σε Facebook, YouTube και Flickr.
Το φθινόπωρο του 2010, προστίθεται στη λίστα των καναλιών προβολής μας και το Twitter.
Από το φθινόπωρο του 2011, επεκτείνουμε τη δραστηριότητά του αυτή στο Foursquare - που δίνει τη δυνατότητα στο χρήστη να εξερευνήσει την Ελλάδα, κάνοντας check in σε εκπληκτικά μέρη και προορισμούς - αλλά και στο Google+, μέσα από το οποίο μπορεί να μοιραστεί φωτογραφίες, βίντεο, συμβουλές αλλά και χρήσιμες πληροφορίες που φωτίζουν τις μοναδικές ομορφιές της χώρας μας.
Μέσα σε σύντομο σχετικά χρονικό διάστημα και έπειτα από μια αξιοσημείωτη, ανοδική πορεία, καταφέραμε να χτίσουμε μια αμφίδρομη, διαδραστική σχέση με το κοινό, να αναπτύξουμε μια προσωπική επαφή με κάθε επισκέπτη ξεχωριστά, αλλά και να δημιουργήσουμε μια χρηστική πλατφόρμα επικοινωνίας, προσιτή στους δυνητικούς επισκέπτες.
Για αυτό, φιλοδοξία του Visit Greece είναι να διευρύνει ακόμα περισσότερο τον κύκλο των ανθρώπων που αγαπούν την Ελλάδα και αγκαλιάζουν τη δράση του επίσημου site του Ελληνικού Οργανισμού Τουρισμού, όπως επαγγελματίες ταξιδιωτικοί συντάκτες, travel bloggers αλλά και Έλληνες πολίτες, που με τη σειρά τους θα λειτουργήσουν ως πρεσβευτές της προσπάθειας για την προώθηση της χώρας μας ως μοναδικό τόπο εμπειριών, για κάθε εποχή του χρόνου.
Στην προσπάθεια αυτή λοιπόν, είναι αναγκαίο να συμβάλουμε όλοι, κάθε Έλληνας και κάθε Ελληνίδα. Να αγκαλιάσουμε το επίσημο site μας και τα κανάλια προβολής μας σε όλα τα κοινωνικά μέσα.
Σας καλούμε να ισχυροποιήσετε την παρουσία του www.visitgreece.gr, κάνοντας follow, like, +1, και να διαδώσετε το μήνυμα για την προβολή της χώρας μας παντού.
Στο infographic που θα βρείτε συνημμένο θα έχετε την ευκαιρία να δείτε αναλυτικά την πορεία του www.visitgreece.gr στα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης για το 2011, αλλά και το περιεχόμενο, τα posts, tweets, photos, videos και tips που αγαπήθηκαν περισσότερο από όλο τον κόσμο που μας παρακολουθεί.
Από Γραφείο Επικοινωνίας
Ελληνικού Οργανισμού Τουρισμού

Infographic 2011, originally uploaded by Visit Greece.

Top 20 Fun Christmas Facts Around the World

2011-12-26T19:15:00.001+02:00

via venere.com

December 22 is a Solstice Day in 2011

2011-12-21T02:26:00.001+02:00

The December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, it is when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. Depending on the Gregorian calendar, the December solstice occurs annually on a day between December 20 and December 23. On this date, all places above a latitude of 66.5 degrees north (Arctic Polar Circle) are now in darkness, while locations below a latitude of 66.5 degrees south (Antarctic Polar Circle) receive 24 hours of daylight.

Use the Sunrise and Sunset calculator to calculate the number of daylight hours in many cities worldwide during the December solstice.

The sun is directly overhead on the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere during the December solstice. It also marks the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours for those living south of the equator. Those living or travelling south from the Antarctic Circle towards the South Pole will see the midnight sun during this time of the year.

On the contrary, for an observer in the northern hemisphere, the December solstice marks the day of the year with the least hours of daylight. Those living or traveling north of the Arctic Circle towards the North Pole will not be able to see the sun during this time of the year.

more : via timeanddate.com

Holiday Traveling in Europe [infographic]

2011-12-09T19:35:00.001+02:00

So Brits like to holiday in Europe more often than in Texas.

That’s okay with me, the most sought after destination for the British, Spain, is quite the location. The majority of people I know who’ve studied abroad went to Spain and I’ve heard it is a wonderful place.

Although, the mix of balconies, sangria and an inexcusable butchery of the Spanish language tends to lead to the ER for some chaps. Spain takes cake with nearly double of the amount of hospitalizations for UK tourists than any other country in Europe.

The only reason I can think is that they party too hard. France has almost 10 million visits a year from the United Kingdom, but only 217 medical emergencies come out of them. Come on France, Step up! Why would I want to go on a vacation where I’m promised safety, security and a scar-free visit? I wouldn’t. Spain sounds much more exciting and I believe that’s why the British tend to vacation there.

via dailyinfographic.com

Δήμος Καρπενησίου ... αξέχαστα Χριστούγεννα

2011-12-08T21:27:00.001+02:00

Ο Δήμος Καρπενησίου παρουσιάζει το πρόγραμμα των εκδηλώσεων των Γιορτών Χειμώνα που θα κρατήσουν συντροφιά στους δημότες αλλά και τους επισκέπτες μας καθ'όλη τη διάρκεια των χριστουγεννιάτικων εορτών.

Την παράσταση κλέβει το παγοδρόμιο αλλά και το Βασίλειο των Πάγων που θα στηθούν στην κεντρική πλατεία της πόλης μας...

Σας περιμένουμε όλους για να περάσουμε ανεπανάληπτες στιγμές!

wind & sea @ #Greece

2011-11-22T01:58:00.001+02:00

Wind and Sea by Alex Anagnostidis

Greenland Dock , London UK

2011-11-20T15:27:00.001+02:00

photo via Roman Gerodimos

Greenland Dock is the oldest of London's riverside wet docks, located in Rotherhithe in the area of the city now known as Docklands. It used to be part of the Surrey Commercial Docks, most of which have by now been filled in. Greenland Dock is now used purely for recreational purposes; it is one of only two functioning enclosed docks on the south bank of the River Thames.

The dock was originally laid out between 1695-99 on land owned by the aristocratic Russell family of the 1st Duke of Bedford. The Russells had been given a portion of land in lower Rotherhithe by a wealthy Streatham landowner, John Howland, as part of a wedding dowry for his daughter Elizabeth, granddaughter of Sir Josiah Child - the dictatorial chairman of the East India Company, who married Wrothesley Russell, the Marquis of Tavistock. They immediately set about "improving" the rural property, obtaining parliamentary permission in 1695 to construct a rectangular dock with an area of about 10 acres (4.0 ha), capable of accommodating around 120 ships. It was named Howland Great Wet Dock in honour of John Howland. Designed by local shipwright, John Wells, the dock was intended to refit East India ships.

more info via Wikipedia

SUGAR LOAF , Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

2011-11-17T03:33:00.001+02:00

BONDINHO DO PÃO DE AÇUCAR / SUGAR LOAF ‘BONDINHO’..(EXPLORE # 330, 17 de abril de 2009), originally uploaded by ⚡⚡⚡ Sérgio ⚡⚡⚡ D'åntas.'..

Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese, Pão de Açúcar), is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rising 396 metres (1,299 ft) above the harbor, its name is said to refer to its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar.

Lake Louise, Albrta Canada

2011-11-06T01:04:00.001+02:00

Lake Louise, originally uploaded by mahonyweb.

Lake Louise is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Improvement District No. 9 Banff (Banff National Park). It is named for the nearby Lake Louise, which in turn was named after the Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, and the wife of John Campbell, the 9th Duke of Argyll, who was the Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. The province of Alberta is also named for Princess Louise.

Cycladic scenery Aegean Sea Grece

2011-11-06T00:33:00.001+02:00

Cycladic scenery, originally uploaded by Marite2007.

Windmill, cliff and Aegean sea. Aegiali, Amorgos island, Cyclades, Greece

Matera's Heart of Stone | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2011-10-28T13:19:00.001+03:00

via flickr.com

Basilicata - Italy Matera has gained international fame for its ancient town, the "Sassi di Matera" (meaning "stones of Matera"). The Sassi originate from a prehistoric (troglodyte) settlement, and are suspected to be some of the first human settlements in Italy. The Sassi are houses dug into the calcareous rock itself, which is characteristic of Basilicata and Apulia. Many of these "houses" are really only caverns, and the streets in some parts of the Sassi often are located on the rooftops of other houses. The ancient town grew in height on one slope of the ravine created by a river that is now a small stream. The ravine is known locally as "la Gravina". In the 1950s, the government of Italy forcefully relocated most of the population of the Sassi to areas of the developing modern city. However, people continued to live in the Sassi, and according to the English Fodor's guide: “ Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago. ” Until the late 1980s this was considered an area of poverty, since these houses were, and in most areas still are, mostly unlivable. Current local administration, however, has become more tourism-oriented, and has promoted the re-generation of the Sassi with the aid of the European Union, the government, UNESCO, and Hollywood. Today there are many thriving businesses, pubs, and hotels. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matera

Mölle by the sea, Höganäs, Skåne, Sweden

2011-10-28T13:10:00.001+03:00

Mölle by the sea, originally uploaded by Håkan Dahlström.

Mölle is a locality situated in Höganäs Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 725 inhabitants in 2005.
It is best known for its scenic harbour and its location adjacent to the Kullaberg Nature Reserve. Its harbour, situated on the Kattegat Strait, provides services for marine fishing, watersports outings and tour excursions along the coast, especially the rocky shore of Kullaberg to the north. Fodor characterizes Mölle as "a small town set in spectacular isolation on the dramatic headland of the Kulla Peninsula".
As a historic seaside resort, Mölle has hosted numerous technical and professional conferences such as: the Swedish Network of European Economists, Joint Swedish-Russian International Workshop on Information Theory; and the Royal Society (United Kingdom) of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Hypnotic Iceberg

2011-10-28T13:06:00.001+03:00

Hypnotic Iceberg, originally uploaded by Marc Shandro.

Another view of the same iceberg I posted a while ago showing more of the surrounding context in Lake Argentina in Los Glaciares National Park. This iceberg is about 4m (12ft) high above the water.

Sahara Wondrland

2011-10-25T23:53:00.001+03:00

Crete from Space, Aegean Sea, Greece

2011-10-24T12:06:00.001+03:00

The Aegean and Libyan Seas in the eastern Mediterranean are split by the island of Crete, which is seen in prominence in this Envisat image.

The image is a collation of three separate passes by the European Space Agency’s Envisat satellite on 11 December 2010, 10 January and 11 March 2011. Each pass was assigned a separate colour – red, green and then blue – and the changes in colour reveal changes in the surface between the three passes.

At the top of the image is the southern portion of the Cyclades island group, including the islands of Milos, Ios, Anafi and Santorini.

Source: European Space Agency

Source: Planetsave (http://s.tt/13AvM)

Foggy sunrise in Dubai, UAE

2011-10-20T16:52:00.001+03:00

Foggy sunrise in Dubai #1, originally uploaded by momentaryawe.com.

Dubai has a rich collection of buildings and structures of various architectural styles. Many modern interpretations of Islamic architecture can be found here, due to a boom in construction and architectural innovation in the Arab World in general, and in Dubai in particular, supported not only by top Arab or international architectural and engineering design firms such as Al Hashemi and Aedas, but also by top firms of New York and Chicago.[96] As a result of this boom, modern Islamic – and world – architecture has literally been taken to new levels in skyscraper building design and technology. Dubai now boasts more completed or topped-out skyscrapers higher than 2/3 km, 1/3 km, or 1/4 km than any other city. A culmination point was reached in 2010 with the completion of the Burj Khalifa (Khalifa Tower), now by far the world's tallest building at 828 m (2,717 ft). The Burj Khalifa's design is derived from the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, with the triple-lobed footprint of the building based on an abstracted version of the desert flower hymenocallis which is native to the Dubai region. The completion of the Khalifa Tower, following the construction boom that began in the 1980s, accelerated in the 1990s, and took on a rapid pace of construction unparalled in modern human history during the decade of the 2000s, leaving Dubai with the world's tallest skyline as of 4 January 2010

Midnight Sun @ #Iceland

2011-10-20T12:10:00.000+03:00

Midnight Sun: A natural phenomenon occurring in the summer months north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle where the sun never fully sets and remains visible 24 hours a day. This short time lapse film was shot during the Icelandic Midnight Sun in June of 2011.For 17 days I travelled solo around the entire island shooting almost 24 hours, sleeping in the car, and eating whenever I had the time. During my days shooting this film I shot 38,000 images, travelled some 2900 miles, and saw some of the most amazing, beautiful, and indescribable landscapes on the planet. Iceland is absolutely one of the most beautiful and unusual places you could ever imagine. Especially during the Midnight Sun when the quality of light hitting the landscape is very unusual, and very spectacular.Iceland is a landscape photographers paradise and playground, and should be number 1 on every photographers must visit list. Iceland during the Midnight Sun is in sort of a permanent state of sunset. The sun never full sets and travels horizontally across the horizon throughout the night, as can be seen in the opening shot and at the :51 second mark in the video. During the Arctic summer, sunset was at midnight and sunrise was at 3am. The Arctic summer sun provided 24 hours a day of light, with as much as 6 hours daily of "Golden light". Once the sun had set it wouldn't even get dark enough for the stars to come out, and they don't start to reappear until August. "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Hopper Gilgit Pakistan

2011-10-18T03:43:00.001+03:00

Rush Lake 4694m.., originally uploaded by M Atif Saeed.

Rush Lake 4694m..

The Hunza-Nagar Valley, the Hunza-Nagar District, is the seventh district of Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan. The district comprises Hunza and Nagar. Sikandarabad is the administrative center of this district. Before the announcement of new district, Hunza-Nagar was part of district Gilgit.

How to Stay Healthy When Traveling

2011-10-17T16:50:00.000+03:00

Nothing ruins a holiday more than getting sick. While some illnesses are largely unpreventable, being aware of the risks and taking a few precautions before you go can make all the difference. Here are a few basic tips for staying healthy on the road.

Photo by: Gustey.com

Before you go

Research your destination. Are you traveling to a yellow fever zone? Is there a high risk of an infectious disease? Will you be at risk of altitude sickness? The best source of information on traveler’s health is the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. If you are still not sure, visit your local doctor. Make sure you do your research several weeks before your leave date as you may require a course of vaccinations. Also, if you’ve been putting off that trip to the dentist, now may be a good time to go!

Packing

A basic first-aid kit is a must. Essentials include band-aids, antiseptic wipes, iodine/antiseptic cream, painkillers, insect repellent, sun cream and any prescription drugs you may be using. You may also want to consider bandages, water purifying tablets, anti-malarials, anti-diarrheal, vitamins and oral hydration sachets. The more health risks your destination and activities pose, the bigger your first aid kit should be!

On the Road

Get lots of rest!

Before you freak out, cancel your plane ticket and refuse to leave the house, take heart, there are a few easy ways of staying healthy while you’re away.

Plan your itinerary to give yourself time to adjust to a new place and recover from jet lag. This particularly applies if you are traveling to a high altitude!
Be aware of how a change in climate may affect your particular health condition and plan accordingly
Make sure you have enough of your own prescription medication to last your trip and pack it in your hand luggage. Keep it in its original packaging to avoid delays at the airport
Pack as lightly as possible and be careful when lifting your luggage
Be aware of the dangers of the sun – take a hat and high-factor sun cream
Stay hydrated. If local water poses a risk, drink bottled water and don’t have drinks with ice
Trust your instinct when eating at stalls or restaurants – if they look dodgy they probably are. It may be prudent to avoid meat and rice if eating at dodgy restaurant is unavoidable!
Strengthen your immune system: eat healthily, get enough sleep and exercise
Clean cuts well
Wash your hands when possible
Avoid mosquito prone areas if you can. Cover up, use repellent and a mosquito net when sleeping
If bitten by an animal, wash wound well with soap and water and seek medical advice immediately.
Take a rain jacket
Practice safe sex
Get health insurance!

Hope these tips help you stay safe and healthy on your next trip!

- Emma McMahon

via: http://travelblog.viator.com/how-to-stay-healthy-when-traveling/?aid=tweet2

"Ποταμοῖς τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐμβαίνομέν τε καὶ οὐκ ἐμβαίνομεν, εἶμέν τε καὶ οὐκ εἶμεν.""We both step and do not step in the same rivers. We are and are not."Heraclitus the Riddler

Prague, Czech Republic

2011-10-17T14:47:00.000+03:00

Dear Praha by Edgar Barany

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million. The city has a temperate oceanic climate with warm summers and chilly winters.

Prague has been a political, cultural and economic centre of Europe and particularly central Europe during its 1,100 year existence. For centuries, during theGothic and Renaissance eras, Prague was the permanent seat of two Holy Roman Emperors and thus was also the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Later it was an important city in the Habsburg Monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and after World War I became the capital of Czechoslovakia. The city played major roles in theProtestant Reformation, the Thirty Years' War, and in 20th-century history, during both World Wars and the post-war Communist era.

Prague is home to a number of famous cultural attractions, many of which survived the violence and destruction of twentieth century Europe. Main attractions include the following: Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter, the Lennon Wall, and Petřín hill. Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCOlist of World Heritage Sites.

Prague boasts more than ten major museums, along with countless theatres, galleries, cinemas, and other historical exhibits. Also, Prague is home to a wide range of public and private schools, including the famous Charles University. Its rich history makes it a popular tourist destination, and the city receives more than 4.1 million international visitors annually, as of 2009. Prague is classified as a global city.

more via Wikipedia

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Colmar, Alsace, France

2011-10-16T19:52:00.001+03:00

Jewelry Box in Alsace - Colmar, France, originally uploaded by Batikart.

Colmar is the third largest city in Alsace and a Jewelry box. You can see a lot of colorful very well-preserved half-timbered houses. Here "La petite Venise" with the Lauch river.

Colmar, die drittgrösste Stadt im Elsass, zeigt sich mit bunt bemalten, sehr gut erhaltenen Fachwerkhäusern von seiner besten Seite. Hier seht ihr das Schmuckkästchen, das Viertel Klein Venedig, am Fluss Lauch.

Colmar (French: Colmar, Alsatian: Colmer, German: Colmar, between 1940-1945 under Nazi rule: Kolmar) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court. It is situated along the Alsatian Wine Route and considers itself to be the "Capital of Alsatian Wine" (capitale des vins d'Alsace). In 2006, the city of Colmar had a population of 65,713 and the metropolitan area of Colmar had a population of 120,367. Colmar is the center of the arrondissement of Colmar, which has 144,700 inhabitants in 2006.
Colmar is the home town of the painter and engraver Martin Schongauer and the sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi, who designed the Statue of Liberty. The city is renowned for its well preserved old town, its numerous architectural landmarks and its museums, among which the Unterlinden Museum.
Colmar was founded in the 9th century. This was the location where Charles the Fat held a diet in 884. Colmar was granted the status of a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire in 1226. During the Thirty Years' War, the city was taken by the armies of Sweden in 1632, who held it for two years. The city was conquered by France under Louis XIV in 1697.
In 1679 (Treaties of Nijmegen) Colmar was ceded to France. With the rest of Alsace, Colmar was annexed by the newly formed German Empire in 1871 as a result of the Franco-Prussian War. It returned to France after World War I, was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1940, and then reverted to French control after the battle of the "Colmar Pocket" in 1945.
The Colmar Treasure, hidden during the Black Death, was discovered here in 1863.

Colmar is 64 kilometres (40 mi) south-southwest of Strasbourg, on the Lauch River, directly to the east of the Vosges Mountains. It is connected to the Rhine by a canal.

Mostly spared by the destructions of the French Revolution and the wars of 1870-1871, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, the cityscape of old-town Colmar is homogenous and renowned among tourists. The area crossed by canals of the river Lauch, and which formerly served as the butcher's, tanner's and fishmonger's quarter, is now called "little Venice" (la Petite Venise). Colmar's cityscape (and neighbouring Riquewihr's) served for the design of the Japanese animated film Howl's Moving Castle. (Source: Wikipedia)

London UK

2011-10-16T19:50:00.001+03:00

Keep, originally uploaded by Katarina 2353.

London is the largest urban area and the capital of England and the United Kingdom. An important settlement for two millennia, London's history goes back to its founding by the Romans. Since its settlement, London has been part of many important movements and phenomena throughout history, such as the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival. The city's core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited medieval boundaries; but since at least the 19th century the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis which has developed around it. Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London region of England and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected mayor and assembly.

London is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city. London boasts four World Heritage Sites: The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church; the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and its popularity has increased over the years due to economic growth.

London's diverse population draws from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and over 300 languages are spoken within the city. As of 2006, it has an official population of 7,512,400 within the boundaries of Greater London and is the most populous municipality in the European Union. As of 2001, the Greater London Urban Area has a population of 8,278,251 and the metropolitan area is estimated to have a total population of between 12 and 14 million. London will be hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London

Norwegian Woods

2011-10-16T19:03:00.001+03:00

Norwegian Woods, originally uploaded by Ole C. Salomonsen.

Amazing conditions currently from the flow from the sun. Barely time to be home.

Just have to charge the batteries and head out again!

I crawled out on a narrow slippery rock to be able to shoot this. Low standpoint, as low as my tripod allwoed me.

The river was very very calm, I could look straight through the surface to the bottom when the lights lit it up in the complete darkness.

Abandoned Casino Constanta Romania

2011-10-12T01:23:00.001+03:00

Abandoned Casino, originally uploaded by Bogdan Suditu.

Constanța (Romanian pronunciation: [konˈstant͡sa]; historical names: Tomis, Greek: Κωνστάντια, Konstantia, Bulgarian: Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, Turkish: Köstence) is the oldest extant city inRomania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region.

The city of Constanța is one of the most important in Romania, one of four roughly equal-size cities which rank after Bucharest. The Constanța metropolitan area, founded in 2007, comprises 14 localities located at a maximum distance of 30 km (19 mi) from the city, and with 446,595 inhabitants it is the second largest metropolitan area in Romania, after Bucharest.

The Port of Constanța has an area of 39.26 km² (15.16 sq mi) and a length of about 30 km (19 mi). It is the largest port on the Black Sea, and one of the largest ports in Europe.

Venice Italy from space.. a Floating city

2011-09-30T17:16:00.001+03:00

Earth From Space: Floating city, originally uploaded by europeanspaceagency.

The islands that make up the Italian city of Venice and the surrounding Venetian Lagoon are pictured in this image. Snaking through the central districts is the Grand Canal, with the Santa Lucia train station at its northern end and the Saint Mark Basin at its southern end. Zooming in, we can see water buses and taxis navigating the canal and gondolas docked along the edge. The square island to the north is San Michele. Once a prison island, it became a cemetery when Napoleon’s occupying forces declared burial on the main islands unsanitary.

This image was acquired on 22 June 2008 by Ikonos-2, a commercial satellite that provides panchromatic and multispectral high-resolution imagery. ESA is supporting Ikonos-2 as a Third Party Mission, which means that the Agency uses its multi-mission European ground infrastructure and expertise to acquire, process and distribute data from the satellite to its wide scientific user community.

High resolution versions of this image can be found at: www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM44R0UDSG_index_1.html

Château de Chantilly France

2011-09-26T02:47:00.001+03:00

Château de Chantilly - 24-12-2007 - 15h44, originally uploaded by Panoramas.

The Château de Chantilly (pronounced: [ʃɑ.to də ʃɑ̃.ti.ji]) is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly, France. It comprises two attached buildings; the Grand Château, destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s, and the Petit Château which was built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency. Owned by the Institut de France, the château houses the Musée Condé, which is one of the finest art galleries in France and is open to the public.

St. Kilda, Scotland, UK

2011-09-24T20:06:00.001+03:00

Cloud-wrapped Borerary, St. Kilda, Scotland, originally uploaded by JC Richardson.

St Kilda (Scottish Gaelic: Hiort) is an isolated archipelago 64 kilometres (40 mi) west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean. It contains the westernmost islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The largest island is Hirta, whose sea cliffs are the highest in the United Kingdom. The islands are administratively a part of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar local authority area.
St Kilda was permanently inhabited for at least two millennia, with its population probably never exceeding 180 (and certainly no more than 100 after 1851). The entire population was evacuated from Hirta (the only inhabited island) in 1930. Currently, the only year-round residents are defence personnel although a variety of conservation workers, volunteers and scientists spend time there in the summer months.
The origin of the name St Kilda is a matter of conjecture. The islands' human heritage includes numerous unique architectural features from the historic and prehistoric periods, although the earliest written records of island life date from the Late Middle Ages. The medieval village on Hirta was rebuilt in the 19th century, but the influences of religious zeal, illnesses brought by increased external contacts through tourism, and the First World War all contributed to the island's evacuation in 1930. The story of St Kilda has attracted artistic interpretations, including an opera.
The entire archipelago is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It became one of Scotland's five World Heritage Sites in 1986 and is one of the few in the world to hold joint status for its natural and cultural qualities. Two different early sheep types have survived on these remote islands, the Soay, a Neolithic type, and the Boreray, an Iron Age type. The islands are a breeding ground for many important seabird species including Northern Gannets, Atlantic Puffins, and Northern Fulmars. The St Kilda Wren and St Kilda Field Mouse are endemic subspecies. Parties of volunteers work on the islands in the summer to restore the many ruined buildings that the native St Kildans left behind. They share the island with a small military base established in 1957.

Shiprock, New Mexico USA

2011-09-24T18:36:00.001+03:00

Shiprock sunrise, originally uploaded by Rozanne Hakala.

Shiprock (Navajo: Tsé Bitʼaʼí, "rock with wings" or "winged rock") is a rock formation rising nearly 1,583 feet (482.5 m) above the high-desert plain on the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. It has a peak elevation of 7,177 feet (2,187.5 m) above the sea level. It lies about 12 by 20 miles (19 by 32 km) southwest of the town of Shiprock, which is named for the peak. Governed by the Navajo Nation, the formation is in the Four Corners region and plays a significant role in Navajo religion, mythology and tradition. It is located in the center of the Ancient Pueblo People or Ancestral Puebloan civilization, a prehistoric Native American culture of the Southwest United States often referred to as the Anasazi. Shiprock is a point of interest for rock climbers and photographers and has been featured in several film productions and novels. It is the most prominent landmark in northwestern New Mexico

The Numbers Behind the Travel Industry: Pigs, Planes & Urine (infographic)

2011-09-17T16:13:00.001+03:00

This infographic was commissioned by travelmatch.

Arctic Sea Ice

2011-09-16T13:28:00.001+03:00

Arctic Sea Ice, originally uploaded by NASA Goddard Photo and Video.

Arctic Sea Ice

On July 12, 2011, crew from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy retrieved a canister dropped by parachute from a C-130, which brought supplies for some mid-mission fixes.

The ICESCAPE mission, or "Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment," is NASA's two-year shipborne investigation to study how changing conditions in the Arctic affect the ocean's chemistry and ecosystems. The bulk of the research takes place in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas in summer 2010 and 2011.

Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen

For updates on the five-week ICESCAPE voyage, visit the mission blog at: go.usa.gov/WwU

NASA image use policy.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

Greece's Top 10 Archaeological Sites

2011-09-15T19:43:00.001+03:00

A visit to Greece allows the opportunity to go back through the corridors of time with some of the most awesome archaeological sites in the world. Greece is literally a network of the remains of civilizations that date from as far back as the prehistoric times and weaves its way through early historic, Roman and Byzantine periods. Here are 10 of the best of the archaeological sites in Greece:

1. Acropolis of Athens

The Parthenon - Photo: B. Paige

Sitting on the highest point and overlooking the city is the “Citadel of Athens.” One of the most significant monuments and testament to the great architectural heritage of Greece, the Acropolis was a brainchild of the statesman Pericles and built during the 5th century. This ancient religious site bears the remains of a number of temples and statues including the Propylea Gateway, the Parthenon, the Erechtheum and the Theatre of Dionysus. Most of the artifacts found during the excavations are now displayed in the Acropolis Museum.

2. Delphi

The Temple of Apollo - Photo: A. Pappa

Delphi is most famous for the legendary and influential oracle found in numerous ancient Greek writings and is situated in central Greece on the slope of Mount Parnassus. Legend has it that the Greek god Apollo used the oracle to speak to humans through a medium called the Pythia, or a priestess of the Delphi. Discovered in 1893, the site today is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Greece with its spectacular remains of the Temple of Apollo, the Stadium, Athenian Treasury and the Altar of the Chians among others.

3. Sacred Island of Delos

Naxian Lions Terrace of Delos - Photo: A. Pippo

Also known as the Island of Apollo, this small but historically significant sanctuary is located in the heart of Cyclades just miles away from Mykonos. During the ancient times, it was the center of religion, trade, commerce and politics and its discovery in 1873 was monumental in that it bore testament to a highly advanced civilization. Must-sees include the Agora, the Temple of the Lions, the Sanctuary and the Theatre District.

4. Olympia

Ruins of the Philippeion - Photo: M. Fitzpatrick

The site of the first Olympic games and an ancient sanctuary, the site was first discovered and excavated in 1829. Ancient Olympia was situated in Peloponesse and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989. Today, the town is a flourishing community of municipalities and subdivisions. Visitors to the ancient ruins can still see impressive monuments such as the Stadium, the temples dedicated to Zeus and Hera and the Palaestra.

5. Knossos

Knossos Minoan Palace - Photo: S. Leon

Another legendary site is Knossos, the largest and best preserved archaeological find from the Bronze Age and the remains of the great Minoan civilization. The grand Palace of Knossos was home to King Minos and the setting for many heroic tales and epics including the Minotaur in the Labyrinth and Icarus. Aside from the palace visitors can see the Royal Villa, the intricate frescoes on the walls and the Minoan Columns.

6. Vergina

A tomb in Vergina - Photo: B. Dirah

Also known as the Archaeological Site of Agai (or Aegae), this ancient Macedonian capital was brought to global attention in 1977 with the discovery of the burial site of the kings of Macedon including Philip II and Alexander IV. Valuable artifacts found in the site are now housed in the Great Tumulus Museum.

7. Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus

Theatre of Epidaurus - Photo: H. Melo

According to legend, Asklepios was a god of medicine and was worshipped in the city state of Epidaurus in Ancient Greece. A huge sanctuary was built in his honor (the “Asclepieion) and became the center of activity in Epidaurus with throngs of people coming to find healing for their conditions. Other majestic ancient monuments uncovered in the site include the theatre, palace and tombs.

8. Lindos

Acropolis of Lindos - Photo: A. Anna

Situated in the island of Rhodes is the citadel of Lindos, an ancient fortified area that has been in existence since the 10th century BC. It was an important trading post in the 7th to 6th centuries BC but declined in significance after the rise of Rhodes in the 5th century. The most important find is the Doric Temple of Athena along with the Propylaea and the Hellenistic wall.

9. Meteora

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity - Photo: D. Jarmin

From the Greek word which means “suspended in the air” the Meteora Monasteries have come to be known as one of Greece’s most impressive sites. It is a community of six Greek Orthodox monasteries started and built during the 9th century on rock pillars and along high mountain walls at the edge of Thessaly and along the Eastern Pindus Mountains. In the old times, the only way to get to the monasteries was by hoisting up long ladders or large nets. Today, visitors can reach the place through staircases that were made from the rock formations.

10. Mycenae

The Lion Gate - Photo: E. Rones

The once mighty and glorious civilization of Mycenae is situated on a hill in Northeastern Peloponnese in Argolis. From the 5th to the 1st century BC, Mycenae was the political, cultural, religious and military center so much so that the period has come to be known in Greek history as Mycenaean. Vestiges if its grandeur can still be seen in the citadel ruins – the Lion Gates, Treasury of Atreus and Grave Circle A are among the impressive architecture that can be seen in the site.

via offtoeurope.com

Discover the Mediterranean's Artisanal Olive Oils

2011-09-14T17:20:00.001+03:00

By Raphael Kadushin

Olive oil may have only recently found a firm place at the American table, next to that smug pat of butter. But in the Mediterranean, where groves of olive trees are a fixed part of the landscape, the oil has liberally infused the culture and cuisine for millennia. Now certain epicenters of the liquid gold—Spain, France, Greece, andItaly—have witnessed a resurgence of smaller, artisanal olive oil producers that are welcoming visitors and helping fuel a local celebration of this ancient cash crop. That means travelers can map their own olive oil odyssey—one that leads from the olive estates themselves to olive oil tastings, boutiques (where the stock is bottled to clear customs), festivals, and meals overseen by an olive oil sommelier.

The 17th-century Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille (www.moulin-cornille.com) sits in Provence’s Vallée des Baux, one of France’s olive oil centers, and is considered by some chefs one of the most authentic olive mills in the country. Visit in late October and November to watch the granite millstones crush the harvest of tiny green and brown olives. Year-round, the Moulin features a film on olive oil production and a degustation of three types of the cold-pressed house specialty. Stop at the nearby boutique Jean Martin for a variety of Provençal olive oils, sauces, fig confit, and cooking classes ($26 per person).

Just below the Sierra Subbética Mountains in the southern Spanish province of Córdoba, the Núñez de Prado family (www.nunezdepradousa.com) has been producing olive oil on the single-family estate since 1795, using olives handpicked from their groves. Visitors can watch the seven varieties of estate olives get crushed in the 18th-century mill. After the demonstration, move on to a tasting (by appointment) of the organic result, roused by hints of almond, oranges, and apples, which is a favorite of the Spanish royals. The neighboring whitewashed town of Baena continues the fruity education at the Museo del Olivar y el Aceite (www.museoaceite.com), housed in its own antique mill. In November, Baena hosts an annual olive and olive oil festival that climaxes with a tapas crawl through the town’s cafés where chefs compete to serve the most creative olive-based plates.

Any olive oil quest should include Greece, where olive-leaf wreaths were the original Olympic crown and where the fruit has been cultivated for 4,000 years. The prefecture of Lakonia in south-central Peloponnese is known for the groves of Koroneiki olives that produce a fruity olive oil. The central Lakonian town of Sparta features the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil (www.piop.gr), where fossilized olive leaves from Santorini date back 60,000 years. The neighboring family-owned Olea olive oil estate (www.oleaestates.com) in the Valley of Sparta offers visitors estate tours, tastings, and excursions to the Caves of Diros.

Armando Manni was a film director before deciding to take over an ancient grove in Italy, scientifically refine olive oil production, and launch his Manni Oils(www.manni.biz)—part estate, part chemistry lab—near Montalcino, Tuscany. Working with the University of Florence to create a unique methodology called Live Oil, he produces an organic extra virgin olive oil high in antioxidant value and low in acidity. After sampling his oil (arrange tastings in advance), visitors can hike to the top of Mount Amiata for a memorable view over the olive groves and to the sea.

via travel.nationalgeographic.com

@ Cute Crete, Greece

2011-09-14T13:35:00.001+03:00

A tilt-shift video by Joerg Daiber.

Locations: Agios Nikolaos, Spinalonga, Kritsa, Katharo, Pitsidia and Matala on Crete, Greece.

Shot with Lumix GH2, Gorillapod, 14-140mm and 7-14mm Lenses.

Post with Final Cut Pro and After Effects.

Music: Greece by Gayle Ellett.

The pretty side of the financial crisis.

Watch full screen!

Monastiraki Square, Athens, Greece

2011-09-13T16:28:00.001+03:00

Monastiraki Square, originally uploaded by Visit Greece.

Athens is the historical capital of Europe, with a long history, dating from the first settlement in the Neolithic age. In the 5th Century BC (the “Golden Age of Pericles”) – the culmination of Athens’ long, fascinating history – the city’s values and civilization acquired a universal significance. Over the years, a multitude of conquerors occupied Athens, and erected unique, splendid monuments - a rare historical palimpsest. In 1834, it became the capital of the modern Greek state and in two centuries since it has become an attractive modern metropolis with unrivalled charm.

Via Flickr:
Athens is the historical capital of Europe, with a long history, dating from the first settlement in the Neolithic age. In the 5th Century BC (the “Golden Age of Pericles”) – the culmination of Athens’ long, fascinating history – the city’s values and civilization acquired a universal significance. Over the years, a multitude of conquerors occupied Athens, and erected unique, splendid monuments - a rare historical palimpsest. In 1834, it became the capital of the modern Greek state and in two centuries since it has become an attractive modern metropolis with unrivalled charm.

Photo: (GNTO / Yannis Skoulas)
--
www.visitgreece.gr

one day on earth..

2011-09-13T15:06:00.001+03:00

onedayonearth.org

ONE DAY ON EARTH creates a picture of humanity by recording a 24-hour period throughout every country in the world. We explore a greater diversity of perspectives than ever seen before on screen.

We follow characters and events that evolve throughout the day, interspersed with expansive global montages that explore the progression of life from birth, to death, to birth again. In the end, despite unprecedented challenges and tragedies throughout the world, we are reminded that every day we are alive there is hope and a choice to see a better future together.

Founded in 2008, ONE DAY ON EARTH set out to explore our planet’s identity and challenges in an attempt to answer the question: Who are we? Please help us tell this story: 101010donate.org

Many thanks to the contributors of One Day on Earth, Vimeo, Ning, United Nations, and the 60+ non-profits for making this happen.

Director: Kyle Ruddick

Producer: Brandon Litman

Co-producer: Daniel Lichtblau

Production Supervisor: Gina Nemirofsky

Editors: Michael Martinez & Javier Alvarez

Trailer Editor: Michael Martinez

MUSIC BY: Joseph Minadeo and Beirut Images and

Stories in this trailer by: 350.org Abdessamad Idrissi Ada & Kris Chmielewski Aditya Kolli Adonis Pulatus Alex M Alexander Alexandros Hadjicostas Ali Azhari Ben Klein Black Pencil Project Brandon Litman Bronek Kaminski Bryon Evans Capi Baigorria Chi Kong Lui Chris Todd Christian Ducken Clifford W Klima Daniel Chung Daniel Lichtblau David Ahrendts David Aufdembrinke Demeocq Dimitri Ellerington Dimitris Christopoulos Enrico Trippa Even Q Fendi Shareef Franz Walter Gema Interiano Gregory Hall Hae Jung Hofman Husam Al-Sayed Itcho James Travis III Jay Galvan John Miller John Rinker Jon Carr Jonathan Sterkenburg Juan Garcia Juhani Väihkönen Karl Hillcoat-Williams Kieran Ball Kreshnik Berisha Kyle Ruddick Luke Younge Marcel van der Steen Mark Eby Michael Diiorio Michael Martinez Miklos Volner Moaez Saeed Mohammadreza Shams Napali NASA Nita Deda Olakunle Idowu Ombajo Misava Edward Paul Johannessen Peter Beier Philippe Kiener Phil Klein Ramda Yanurzha Ray Paunovich Renee van der Sluis Richard Liston VIII Rick Rashid Ryan Green Siraj Shahjahan Steve Romano Suporn Shoosongdej Tamir Naber Tato Carrillo TEDxRainier Tej Gyan Foundation Tim Courson Todd Brown Torsten Lohrmann UNDP Bahrain UNDP Congo UNDP Kenya UNDP Kuwait UNDP Nepal United Nations Development Programme Video Volunteers Wes Davis Yll Citaku Zeenat Munir

Welcome to EF Dublin

2011-09-12T11:28:00.000+03:00

Gardena Pass S. Tyrol, Italy

2011-09-12T00:10:00.001+03:00

Chapel of St Maurice, originally uploaded by bingleyman2.

The Gardena Pass (Italian: Passo Gardena; German: Grödnerjoch; Ladin: Ju de Frara or Jëuf de Frea) (el. 2136 m.) is a high mountain pass in South Tyrol in Italy. There are tourist accommodations on the pass itself. Walkers visit the pass to access the dramatic Dolomite mountains.
It connects Sëlva in the Val Gardena and Corvara in the Val Badia. The road over it comprises part of the famous Sella Ring, in which four linked passes (Gardena, Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo) encircle the spectacular Sella group. The route becomes busy with tourists, motorcyclists and cyclists during the summer.

Thors Chariots the Northern Lights Norway

2011-09-11T23:45:00.001+03:00

Thors Chariots - The Northern Lights from Ingenious TV on Vimeo.

I have just returned from my annual trip to Norway to shoot the Northern Lights. This year I used a Sony PMW-350 with a NanoFlash and they performed superbly, which was just well as this year we were clouded out for all but 2 nights and even then there was a thin layer of cloud making the Aurora dim and diffuse. One of these days I'm going to get the funds together to go and spend a month up in Norway during the winter and really make a go of shooting the Aurora. It is such a beautiful subject and video cameras are now sensitive enough to capture many of the finer details that are lost with long exposure still photographs.
The clips were shot using the Slow Shutter at either 32 of 64 frames recording 1 frame every second timelapse on both the 350 and NanoFlash. I did have to add in some gain this year due to the faint nature of the Aurora, up to 6db at times and as a result the pictures are grainier than I would have liked. Even so I have to say that the 350 is super sensitive. There was another person with me (Phil Clemo) shooting on one of my EX3's and the footage from the 350 is quite a bit better than the EX3 material shot at the same time.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Islas Canarias Espana

2011-09-11T23:29:00.001+03:00

El Cielo de Canarias / Canary sky - Tenerife from Daniel López on Vimeo.
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Valparaiso Chile

2011-09-04T20:32:00.000+03:00

Valparaíso (/ˌvælpəˈraɪzoʊ/, Spanish: [balpaɾaˈiso]) is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation (Greater Valparaíso) and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region. Although Santiago is Chile's official capital, the National Congress of Chile was established in Valparaíso in 1990.

Valparaíso played an important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century, when the city served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacificoceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan. Always a magnet for European immigrants, Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age, when the city was known by international sailors as “Little San Francisco” and “The Jewel of the Pacific.”

Examples of Valparaíso’s former glory include Latin America’s oldest stock exchange, the continent’s first volunteer fire department, Chile’s first public library, and the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world. The opening of the Panama Canal and reduction in ship traffic dealt a staggering blow to Valparaíso, though the city has staged an impressive renaissance in recent years.

Though nearby San Antonio has taken the reins as the country’s most commercially important seaport (greater tonnage moved), the City of Valparaíso remains a vibrant center of Chilean culture, and the Greater Valparaíso metropolitan area (which includes Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Quilpué and Villa Alemana) has the third largest concentration of population in the country after Greater Santiago and Greater Concepción.

Valparaiso Colors at Daylight... 5th one! | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Postcards from Belgium... another one from 'Brugge'?? | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2011-09-04T20:30:00.000+03:00

Bruges (Dutch: Brugge) is a town in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium. Relatively cosmopolitan and bourgeois given its compact size, it is one of the best preserved pre-motorised cities in Europe and offers the kind of charms rarely available elsewhere. Bruges is a postcard perfect stop on any tour of Europe.

The historical center is not so big and thus quite walkable. The only mode of public transport inside city is bus. Buses are operated by the Flemish public transport company De Lijn . Taxis on the market place and station cost about €10. Bicycles are easy to rent and make getting around the city very speedy, although the cobblestoned paths can make the rides a little bumpy and uncomfortable.

Some highlights: official site

Groeninge Museum, Dijver 12, B-8000, [official site]. 7 days 9:30AM-5PM. Known as 'The city museum of Fine Arts', it houses a collection of artworks that span several centuries (14th-20th), focusing mainly on works by painters who lived and worked in Bruges. €8 / €6 (audioguide and ticket Arents House and Forum+ included in the entrance).

Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilige Bloed Basiliek), Burg 10, [official site]. Apr-Sep 9:30AM-11:50AM & 2PM-5:50PM, Oct-Mar 10AM-11:50AM & 2PM-3:50PM. A beautiful church on the Burg square. It houses a relic - a vial of blood that is said to be that of Jesus - and was built in the Gothic style. Try and get there early so you can view the chapel when it is quiet and not filled with tourists. And don't forget to visit the chapel underneath, in heavy Romanesque style - a contrast to the lovely light Gothic above. Free.

Brewery De Halve Maan, Walplein 26, ☎ +31 50 332-697, [official site]. Apr-Oct M-Sa 11:00-16:00, Su 11:00-17:00. This brewery annex beer museum offers a tour of the beer making process. A history of the brewery is provided, as well as an overview of the city from its tower. The tour lasts for 45 minutes and is a good way to get a feel for Belgian beer making. The tours start at the exact turn of the hour, be at least fifteen minutes early as there is a maximum amount of people that can join. The entrance price includes one drink of Brugse Zot or Straffe Hendrik and is served after the tour at the outside terrace or indoor bar. €6 including 1 beer.

Onze Lieve Vrouwkerk, Mariastraat. A fascinating church with architecture from the Romanesque and Gothic periods. In the east end of the church are very fine tombs of Charles the Bold and his daughter Mary of Burgundy - in contrasting Gothic and Renaissance styles, despite their superficial similarity. The church also houses one of the few Michelangelo sculptures outside of Italy, the "Madonna with child". Free.

Jerusalem church, [official site]. In a quiet area of the city, a highly unusual church with octagonal tower built by the Adornes brothers, merchants of Italian extraction. It includes a fine black tournai marble tomb, late Gothic stained glass, and a tiny and rather spooky chapel containing an effigy of the dead Christ. The entrance fee also covers the Lace Museum in the former Adornes mansion, where you can see local women and girls learning this traditional craft.

The Begijnhof. Also known as the convent, between the centre of the station and the city, with white painted small houses and fine plane trees, is a quiet place to walk - groups are discouraged.

The Hospital of St John, [official site]. 09:30 - 17:00, Closed Mondays. Sint-Janshospitaal contains a museum of six paintings by Hans Memling, within the early medieval hospital buildings. €6 with Bruges card / €8.

Choco-Story Museum, Wijnzakstraat 2 (Sint-Jansplein), ☎ 050/61.22.37, [official site]. 10AM-5PM. This museum is a must see for chocolate enthusiasts as it describes chocolate's transition from cocoa into chocolate. Its low cost tasty exhibits make it well worth the time (and Belcolade's gently overt marketing). Be sure to stay for the chocolate making exhibition to get some excellent samplers. €6 with Bruges card / €7.

DiamantMuseum, Katelijnestraat 43, ☎ 050 33 63 26‎, [official site]. 10:30AM-5:30PM. Diamond museum has a large range of exhibits ranging from mining all the way to polishing and all the history in between. Everyday at 12:15 there is a live polishing demonstration. Individuals €6, Groups €4.5, Students €3.

The Friet Museum, Vlamingstraat (opposite Academiestraat), [official site]. Check out the world's only frites (fries or chips) museum which tells the story of the humble potato from South America and how it has evolved into a fry. Don't forget to try the tastiest fries cooked by the guy who cooked for the Belgian Royal Family.

Bruges is visited by a huge number of tourists and it sometimes becomes quite annoying, especially around the Markt and Burg squares.

Postcards from Belgium... another one from 'Brugge'?? | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Paris vs New York

2011-09-04T11:23:00.000+03:00

much more @ :

If It's Hip, It's Here: 35 Graphic Design Posters by Vahram Muratyan Compare Paris With New York.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Pagoda of Yasaka in Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan

2011-09-03T19:02:00.001+03:00

Morning light, originally uploaded by kamomebird.

Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社, Yasaka Jinja), also known as Gion Shrine, is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto. Founded over 1350 years ago, the shrine is located between the popular Gion District and Higashiyama District, and is often visited by tourists walking between the two districts.

The shrine's main hall combines the honden (inner sanctuary) and haiden (offering hall) into a single building. In front of it stands a dance stage with hundreds of lanterns that get lit in the evenings. Each lantern bears the name of a local business in return for a donation.

Yasaka Shrine is well known for its summer festival, the Gion Matsuri, which is celebrated every July. Arguably the most famous festival in the whole country, the Gion Matsuri dates back over a thousand years and involves a procession with massive floats and hundreds of participants. The shrine also becomes busy during the cherry blossom season around early April, as the adjacent Maruyama Park is one of the most famous cherry blossom spots in Kyoto.

The Clock Tower

2011-09-03T17:51:00.001+03:00

The Clock Tower, originally uploaded by P•A•U•L | Photography.

Sighişoara (Romanian pronunciation: [siɡiˈʃo̯ara]; German: Schäßburg; Hungarian: Segesvár, Hungarian pronunciation: [’ʃɛɡɛʃvaːr]; Latin: Castrum Sex) is a city and municipality on the Târnava Mare River in Mureş County, Romania. Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighişoara has a population of 32,287 (2002).
The city administers seven villages: Angofa, Aurel Vlaicu, Hetiur, Rora, Şoromiclea, Venchi and Viilor.

During the 12th century, German craftsmen and merchants known as the Transylvanian Saxons were invited to Transylvania by the King of Hungary to settle and defend the frontier of his realm. The chronicler Krauss lists a Saxon settlement in present-day Sighiṣoara by 1191.[citation needed] A document of 1280 records a town built on the site of a Roman fort as Castrum Sex or "six-sided camp", referring to the fort's shape of an irregular hexagon. Other names recorded include Schaäsburg (1282), Schespurg (1298) and Segusvar (1300).[2] By 1337 Sighişoara had become a royal center for the kings, who awarded the settlement urban status in 1367 as the Civitas de Segusvar.
The city played an important strategic and commercial role at the edges of Central Europe for several centuries. Sighişoara became one of the most important cities of Transylvania, with artisans from throughout the Holy Roman Empire visiting the settlement. The German artisans and craftsmen dominated the urban economy, as well as building the fortifications protecting it. It is estimated that during the 16th and the 17th centuries Sighişoara had as many as 15 guilds and 20 handicraft branches. The Baroque sculptor Elias Nicolai lived in the city. The Wallachian prince Vlad Dracul (father of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula), who lived in exile in the town, let coins to be minted in the city (otherwise coinage was the monopoly of the Hungarian kings in the Kingdom of Hungary) and issued the first document listing the city's Romanian name, Sighişoara.

via Wikipedia

It's Always Summer

2011-09-03T14:08:00.001+03:00

It's Always Summer, originally uploaded by brexians.

It's Always Summer

Heave the anchor short!
Raise main-sail and jib--steer forth,
O little white-hull'd sloop, now speed on really deep waters,
(I will not call it our concluding voyage,
But outset and sure entrance to the truest, best, maturest;)
Depart, depart from solid earth--no more returning to these shores,
Now on for aye our infinite free venture wending,
Spurning all yet tried ports, seas, hawsers, densities, gravitation,
Sail out for good, eidolon yacht of me!

by Walt Whitman
www.quotesandpoem.com/poems/SelectedPoemByTopic/Whitman/S...

Mount Rushmore South Dakota USA

2011-09-02T15:01:00.000+03:00

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States. Sculpted by Gutzon Borglumand later by his son Lincoln Borglum, Mount Rushmore features 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (in order from left to right) George Washington,Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km²) and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level.

South Dakota historian Doane Robinson is credited with conceiving the idea of carving the likenesses of famous people into the Black Hills region of South Dakota in order to promote tourism in the region. Robinson's initial idea was to sculpt the Needles; however, Gutzon Borglum rejected the Needles site and chose the larger Mount Rushmore. Borglum also decided the sculpture should have a more national focus, and chose the four presidents whose likenesses would be carved into the mountain. After securing federal funding, construction on the memorial began in 1927, and the presidents' faces were completed between 1934 and 1939. Upon Gutzon Borglum's death in March 1941, his son Lincoln Borglum took over construction. Although the initial concept called for each president to be depicted from head to waist, lack of funding forced construction to end in October 1941.

The U.S. National Park Service took control of the memorial in 1933, while it was still under construction, and manages the memorial to the present day. It attracts approximately two million people annually.

Badshahi Masjid, Lahore, Pakistan

2011-09-01T09:37:00.000+03:00

The Badshahi Mosque (Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد) or the 'King's Mosque' in Lahore, commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673, is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world. Epitomising the beauty, passion and grandeur of the Mughal era, it is Lahore's most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction.

Capable of accommodating 5,000 worshippers in its main prayer hall and a further 95,000 in its courtyard and porticoes, it remained the largest mosque in the world from 1673 to 1986 (a period of 313 years), when overtaken in size by the completion of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. Today, it remains the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.

To appreciate its large size, the four minarets of the Badshahi Mosque are 13.9 ft (4.2 m) taller than those of the Taj Mahal and the main platform of the Taj Mahal can fit inside the 278,784 sq ft (25,899.9 m²) courtyard of the Badshahi Mosque, which is the largest mosque courtyard in the world.

In 1993, the Government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of the Badshahi Mosque as a World Heritage Site in UNESCO's World Heritage List, where it has been included in Pakistan's Tentative List for possible nomination to the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

Halloween 2011 @ Disneyland Paris

2011-09-01T00:13:00.000+03:00

Are you ready for Halloween 2011 at Disneyland Paris from Filipv on Vimeo.
Are you ready for Halloween 2011 at Disneyland Paris
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Iceland a time lapse ...

2011-09-01T00:05:00.000+03:00

Iceland from Darius Valatkevicius on Vimeo.

Time lapse movie from magnificent country Iceland. It's truly A Photographer's Paradise. During two weeks trekking trip we visited Landmannalaugar, Myvatn Krafla, Jokulsargljufur, Snaefelness, Reykjavik.

Music: Ludovico Einaudi "Nefeli"
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Swiss Alps, Switzerland

2011-08-31T20:19:00.001+03:00

Alpi di Siusi, originally uploaded by bingleyman2.

The Swiss Alps (German: Schweizer Alpen, French: Alpes suisses, Italian: Alpi svizzere, Romansh: Alps svizras) are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps. The highest summit in the Swiss Alps is Monte Rosa (4,634 metres (15,202 ft)) near the Swiss-Italian border. The highest mountain which lies entirely on Swiss territory is the Dom (4,545 meters (14,911 ft)). Other main summits can be found in the list of mountains in Switzerland.
Since the Middle Ages, transit across the Alps played an important role in history. The region north of the St. Gotthard Pass became the nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the early 14th century.

Burano island, Venice, Italy

2011-08-31T17:03:00.001+03:00

Burano, originally uploaded by fsa99999.

Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy; like Venice itself, it could more correctly be called an archipelago of four islands linked by bridges. It is situated near Torcello at the northern end of the Lagoon, and is known for its lacework.

Sassolungo sunrise. Austro-Italian borders

2011-08-30T02:24:00.001+03:00

Sassolungo sunrise., originally uploaded by bingleyman2.

The Langkofel / Sassolungo Group is one of the most significant mountain groups of the Dolomites. The 6 main summits of the group (Langkofel/Sassolungo, Fünffingerspitze/Punta d. Cinque Dita, Grohmannspitze/Punta Grohmann, Innerkofler Turm/Torre Innerkofler, Zahnkofel/Il Dente and Plattkofel/Sassopiatto) are arranged in the shape of a horse-shoe opened to NW. All mountains are very close together, they form an impressive landscape with huge faces, bizarre rock formations, exposed ridges and some minor snow or ice fields/gullys above green meadows. The borders of the group are Val di Fassa (South), Grödnertal/Val Gardena (north) and the Sellajoch/Passo Sella (East). West of the group there are Schlern and Seiser Alm, Europe's largest mountain pasture.

Especially the view from the Sellajoch to the trio of Langkofel, Fünffingerspitze and Grohmannspitze or the view to the huge N and NE-faces of Langkofel are among the most impressive landscapes of the whole Dolomites or even the world. Just imagine that Langkofel's summit is located nearly 2000m above the village of St. Christina in Gröden / Val Gardena. Hiking below the huge wall results in craned necks...

The Angry Medusa @ Didima, Ionia , Minor Asia (Turkey)

2011-08-30T01:49:00.001+03:00

The Angry Medusa, originally uploaded by Son of Groucho.

Didyma (Greek: Δίδυμα) was an ancient Ionian sanctuary, the modern Didim, Turkey, containing a temple and oracle of Apollo, the Didymaion. In Greek didyma means "twin", but the Greeks who sought a "twin" at Didyma ignored the Carian origin of the name. Next to Delphi, Didyma was the most renowned oracle of the Hellenic world, first mentioned among the Greeks in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo,[3] but an establishment preceding literacy and even the Hellenic colonization of Ionia. Mythic genealogies of the origins of the Branchidae line of priests, designed to capture the origins of Didyma as a Hellenic tradition, date to the Hellenistic period.[4]
Didyma was the largest and most significant sanctuary on the territory of the great classical city Miletus. To approach it, visitors would follow the Sacred Way to Didyma, about 17 km long. Along the way, were ritual waystations, and statues of members of the Branchidae family, male and female, as well as animal figures. Some of these statues, dating to the 6th century BC are now in the British Museum, taken by Charles Newton in the 19th century.
Greek and Roman authors laboured to refer the name Didyma to "twin" temples — not a feature of the site — or to temples of the twins, Apollo and Artemis, whose own cult center at Didyma was only recently established, or whether, as Wilamowitz suggested[5] there is a connection to Cybele Dindymene, "Cybele of Mount Dindymon", is mooted. Recent excavations by the German team of archaeologists have uncovered a major sanctuary dedicated to Artemis, with the key ritual focus being water.
The 6th-century Didymaion, dedicated to Apollo, enclosed its smaller predecessor, which archaeologists have identified. Its treasury was enriched by gifts from Croesus.

Carcassonne, la Cité, Aude, France

2011-08-28T00:12:00.001+03:00

The Cité de Carcassonne is a medieval fortified architectural group located in the French city of Carcassonne, in the department of Aude, in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon. It is located on the right bank of the Aude, on the hill, in the south-east part of the actual city. It was the historic city of Carcassonne.
The Cité de Carcassonne was founded in the Gallo-Roman period. It derives its reputation from double surrounding walls (3 km in length) with 52 towers. The town has about 2,500 years of history: it has seen the Romans, Visigoths, Saracens and Crusaders. In the beginning of its history it was a Gaulish settlement. In the 3rd century A.D., the Romans decided to transform it into a fortified town. The town was finally annexed to the kingdom of France in 1247 A.D. It was a strong French frontier between France and the Kingdom of Aragon.
In 1659, after the Treaty of the Pyrenees, the province of Roussillon became a part of France, and the town lost its military significance. Fortifications were abandoned and the town became one of the economic centres of France, concentrating on the woollen textile industry.
In 1849 the French government decided that the city fortifications should be demolished. This decision was strongly protested by the masses. Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille and Prosper Mérimée, an eminent archaeologist and historian, led a campaign to preserve the fortress as a historical monument. The government reversed its decision and in 1853 restoration work was started. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the architect, was charged with renovating the fortress. Viollet-le-Duc's work was criticised during his lifetime as inappropriate to the climate and traditions of the region. After his death in 1879, the restoration work was continued by his pupil, Paul Boeswillwald, and later by the architect Nodet.
The town was restored at the end of the 19th century. In 1997 it was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

Montblanc, Tarragona, Spain

2011-08-27T03:56:00.001+03:00

Arcada, originally uploaded by Carme Ribes.

Montblanc ιs the capital of the Catalan comarca Conca de Barberà, in the Spanish province of Tarragona.
The Prades Mountains are located in the vicinity of this municipality.
The area around Montblanc has been inhabited for thousands of years. Evidence of cave dwellings have been found dating back to Palaeolithic times.
From the 4th to the 1st century BC Iberian villages existed on Santa Bàrbara hill. These villages coexisted with the early Roman settlers. Evidence of Roman artifacts have been found which date from between the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD.
After the invasion by the Moors in 711 AD, much of the area became dominated by a patchwork of Islamic fiefdoms. The Islamic invasion initiated a long period of very successful agricultural and commercial development. This was responsible for the birth of many towns and villages in the region which still retain their Islamic names.
The 10th and 11th centuries seem to have been a period of relatively peaceful coexistence in which Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in the region of Montblanc. This productive period continued until an allegiance of forces, strongly supported by the Roman Catholic Church, initiated an era of expulsions, which forced the Moors, the Jews and many of the interbred mixed race peoples to leave the Iberian peninsula.
Maties Palau Ferré (1921-2000), painter and sculptor, disciple of Pablo Picasso, was born and died in Montblanc.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Briksdalsbreen glacier, Fjordane, Norway.

2011-08-27T03:14:00.001+03:00

0119-3-YA SE DIVISA EL GLACIAR DE BRYKSDAL (Noruega), originally uploaded by -MARCO POLO-.

Briksdalsbreen (English: the Briksdal glacier) is one of the most accessible and best known arms of the Jostedalsbreen glacier. Briksdalsbreen is located in the municipality of Stryn in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The glacier lies on the north side of the Jostedalsbreen, in Briksdalen (the Briks valley) which is located at the end of the Oldedalen valley, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of the village of Olden. It is part of Jostedalsbreen National Park. Briksdalsbreen terminates in a small glacial lake, Briksdalsbrevatnet, which lies 346 metres (1,135 ft) above sea level.

The size of Briksdalsbreen is not only depending on temperature, but is also strongly affected by precipitation. Measurements since 1900 show small changes in the first decades, with advances in the glacier front in 1910 and 1929. In the period from 1934 to 1951 the glacier receded by 800 metres (2,600 ft), exposing the glacial lake. In the period from 1967 until 1997 the glacier expanded by 465 metres (1,526 ft) and covered the whole lake, with the glacier front ending at the lake outlet. The glacier attracted international attention in the 1990s, as it was growing at a time when other European glaciers were in decline.
After the year 2000, the glacier once again receded. In 2004 it had receded to 230 metres (750 ft) behind the lake outlet and in 2007 the glacier front was on dry land behind the lake. In this regard, its position approximated the situation in the 1960s. However, glaciologists speculate that the size of the glacier was at its smallest since the 13th century.
In 2008, the glacier front had only receded by 12 metres (39 ft) since the 2007 measurement. The slower melting is explained by the glacier being completely on dry land. The winter of 2007–2008 saw an increase in glacier mass, which was expected to move the glacier front forward around 2010. This was confirmed in the fall of 2010, when measurements showed that the glacier had advanced 8 metres over the last year. This was however in comparison with the 2009 measurements, which saw the glacier being the most receded since measurements started in 1900.
As the winter of 2009–2010 saw little snow and the summer temperature in 2010 was 2.5–3 degrees Celsius above average, Professor Atle Nesje predicts that further strong receding will be seen in 2013.. As Briksdalsbreen is now very narrow at some stretches, it is possible that it will temporarily disconnect from the larger Jostedalsbreen.
via Wikipedia

Elafonissi Island - West Crete Greece

2011-08-27T02:38:00.001+03:00

Elafonissi Island - West Crete, originally uploaded by k.kounalaki.

Elafonisi Island is near the southeast tip of Crete, 43km from Kastelli and 76km from Chania. The road from Chrisoskalitissa continues as a dirt track of 5km to Elafonisi. There are organized bus tours from Kastelli and Chania as well as boat tours from Paleohora to Elafonisi. The area of Elafonisi has beautiful beaches, in front of which is the island of Elafonisi itself.

This lovely islet was the site of a massacre of 850 women and children by the Turks in 1824. The women and children were hidden there and as the Turks camped on the beaches a horse found the shallow, 0.5 - 0.8 metre-deep water path to the island. The Turks discovered the women and children and slaughtered them. There is a memorial plaque on the highest point of the islet

Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand

2011-08-27T02:36:00.001+03:00

Wat Mahathat | Sukhothai Historical Park, originally uploaded by P•A•U•L | Photography.

Near the center of the walled city is the largest and most important temple, Wat Mahathat. The huge almost square complex once held five ponds, ten prayer halls and around 200 stupas (chedi). Exact construction dates are not known, but the temple was most certainly built and expanded over the course of many years. The main construction was probably done from the late 13th through to the mid 14th centuries, but like many Thai temples, Wat Mahathat was continually modified and added to up until the old city was abandoned in the 18th century.
As with almost all Thai temples, the main axis of Wat Mahathat lies along an east-west direction, with most of the main buildings, and their Buddha images, facing east. At the very 'front' of the complex is what is commonly called the "tall" prayer hall, for the height of its platform and columns. At the rear of the platform is a large Buddha image in the quintessential Sukhothai style.
via and more info.. http://thailandforvisitors.com/north/sukhothai/historical-park/wat-mahathat.php

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

2011-08-22T23:18:00.001+03:00

Cincinnati, originally uploaded by kwatson0013.

Cincinnati is the 3rd largest city in the state of Ohio behind Columbus and Cleveland.

Cincinnati was descovered in 1788 by explorers John Cleves Symmes and Robert Patterson. Symmes was the father in law to future 9th President of the United States William Henry Harrison. They named the town Losantville which meant city opposite the Licking River. The Licking River is a river that flows through Kentucky and enters into the Ohio River right where Cincinnati is. The name would later be changed to Cincinnati by Revolutionary War General Arthur St Clair after the Society of Cincinnati which was established during the war.

In 1802, Cincinnati was incorporated as a city and by 1811, steam boats were using the Ohio River to supply the area from the east. The Miami and Erie Canal was also completed that year giving passage from the Ohio River to Lake Erie. This would cause rapid growth in Cincinnati and in 1819, Cincinnati was incorporated into a city.

Cincinnati was considered the first real American City of the United States. It was the biggest city east of the Allegheny River for years and was inhabited by all Americans instead of eastern citys that at one time were controlled by the English.

During the mid 1850's, Cincinnati earned its name the Queen City. In a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Catawba Wine, Longfellow rights about Cincinnati as the Queen of the West. It is still referred as the Queen City today.

La Grand-Place Brussels Belgium

2011-08-22T23:05:00.001+03:00

La Grand-Place Brussels Belgium, originally uploaded by brexians.

La Grand-Place in Brussels is a remarkably homogeneous body of public and private buildings, dating mainly from the late 17th century. The architecture provides a vivid illustration of the level of social and cultural life of the period in this important political and commercial centre.

Trakai, Vilnious Lithuania

2011-08-21T17:21:00.001+03:00

Trakai, originally uploaded by Vaidas M.

Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of area and, according to 2007 estimates, is inhabited by 5,357 people. A notable feature of Trakai is that the town was built and preserved by people of different nationalities. Historically, communities of Karaims, Tatars, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Poles lived here.

Hallstatt, upper Austria, Austria

2011-08-20T10:58:00.001+03:00

Hallstatt, originally uploaded by Disegno di Dino.

Hallstatt, Upper Austria is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria. It is located near the Hallstätter See (a lake). At the 2001 census it had 946 inhabitants. Alexander Scheutz has been mayor of Hallstatt since 2009.
Hallstatt is historically known for its production of salt from the local salt mines.

My Place in the Cosmos

2011-08-19T18:18:00.001+03:00

My Place in the Cosmos from Joe Menth on Vimeo.
Timelapse clips from still long-exposure photographs shot with a 15mm f/2.8 fisheye and a 17-35mm f/2.8 on a Canon 5D MKII, exposures of 5 to 30 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 800-3200, depending on conditions, moon phase, and cloud cover...
Location primarily my backyard on Mutiny Bay, Whidbey Island, Washington.

Just stumbled upon timelapse techniques last summer and decided to give it a try. This contest was the first incentive to learn how to edit clips together on a time budget...

Most clips are quite late at night, as I'm a night owl and universe geek. My entire interest in timelapse grew from learning how to photograph starscapes, and these clips are mostly an excuse to get to watch the stars and milky way move overhead on an accelerated time scale that we don't get to experience any other way.

Music: "Our Place in the Cosmos" (LJS Lounge Mix) by Symphony of Science
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Mont Saint Michel, Normandy France

2011-08-18T14:07:00.001+03:00

Mont saint michel 2, originally uploaded by sylvain.landry.

Mont Saint-Michel (pronounced: [mɔ̃ sɛ̃ mi.ʃɛl]; English: Saint Michael's Mount) is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre (just over half a mile) off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The population of the island is 41, as of 2006. The island has been a strategic point holding fortifications since ancient times, and since the 8th century AD it became the seat of the Saint-Michel monastery, from which it draws the name.

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

2011-08-17T21:19:00.001+03:00

Nature's Symmetry, originally uploaded by Jim Boud.

Lake Louise is a lake in Alberta, Canada. The glacial lake is located in Banff National Park, 5 km (3.1 mi) from the hamlet of Lake Louise and the Trans-Canada Highway.
Lake Louise is named after the Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, who was the Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883.
The emerald colour of the water comes from rock flour carried into the lake by melt-water from the glaciers that overlook the lake. The lake has a surface of 0.8 km2 (0.31 sq mi) and is drained through the 3 km long Louise Creek into the Bow River.
Fairmont's Chateau Lake Louise, one of Canada's grand railway hotels, is located on Lake Louise's eastern shore. It is a luxury resort hotel built in the early decades of the 20th century by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Moraine Lake and Lake Agnes are also accessible from Lake Louise.

via Wikipedia

The Champs Elysees

2011-08-17T20:48:00.001+03:00

The Champs Elysees, originally uploaded by NewGirlonPost.

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (French pronunciation: [avəˈny de ˈʃɑ̃z‿eliˈze] ) is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world, and with rents as high as €1.1 million (US$1.5 million) annually per 1,100 square feet (92.9 square metres) of space, it remains the second most expensive strip of real estate in Europe, having recently (as of 2010) been overtaken by London's Bond Street.] The name is French for Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed dead in Greek mythology. The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is known as "The most beautiful avenue of the world", La plus belle avenue du monde in French.

via Wikipedia

the "torres del paine", Patagonia, Chile

2011-08-17T20:35:00.001+03:00

First view of the Towers DSC4811, originally uploaded by Ken Hornbrook.

Torres del Paine National Park (Parque Nacional Torres del Paine) is a national park encompassing mountains, a glacier, a lake, and river-rich areas in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. The park is located 112 km (70 mi) north of Puerto Natales and 312 km (194 mi) north of Punta Arenas. Bernardo O'Higgins National Park is its neighbour to the west, while Los Glaciares National Park is located to the north in Argentine territory.

Ardvreck Castle,Scotland UK

2011-08-17T13:57:00.001+03:00

Ardvreck Castle, originally uploaded by HadleyWildlife.

Standing on a rocky promontory jutting out into Loch Assynt in Sutherland, north west Highland, Scotland, Ardvreck Castle is a ruined castle dating from the 16th century. The ruins can be reached by driving along the A837 which follows the north shore of Loch Assynt from the village of Inchnadamph. Care should be taken when walking around the site as falling masonry is a possible danger.

Phuket beaches, Thailand

2011-08-15T12:14:00.000+03:00

'Love from Phuket'. Phuket Beaches Thailand [2 Min Revamp] from Jrbazil on Vimeo.

Phuket Beaches: Rawai, Laem Sing, Kata, Karon, Tri Trang, & Paradise Beach.

Phuket ( /puːˈkɛt/; Thai: ภูเก็ต [pʰūː.kèt]), formerly known as Thalang (Tha-Laang) and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon (a corruption of the Malay Tanjung Salang, i.e. "Cape Salang"), is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phang Nga and Krabi, but as Phuket is an island it has no land boundaries.

Phuket, which is approximately the size of Singapore, is Thailand’s largest island. The island is connected to mainland Thailand by two bridges. It is situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoyed a rich and colorful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ship logs of Portuguese, French, Dutch and English traders. The region now derives much of its income from tourism.

Inspired by Philip Bloom's 'Love from Southend' Which is my home town. http://vimeo.com/1025907
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Fitz Roy summit, Andes Argentina Chile border

2011-08-13T22:50:00.002+03:00

A Razor to the Sky, originally uploaded by Stuck in Customs.

Monte Fitz Roy is a mountain located near El Chaltén village, in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile. The mountain is also known as Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitz Roy, or simply Mount Fitz Roy. Cerro is a Spanish word meaning mountain, while Chaltén comes from a Tehuelche (Aonikenk) word meaning "smoking mountain", due to a cloud that usually forms around the mountain's peak. Fitz Roy, however, was only one of a number of peaks the Tehuelche called Chaltén.

As he describes in his book, Viaje a la Patagonia Austral, Francisco Moreno first saw the mountain on 2 March 1877. Since the native inhabitants also called other mountains Chaltén, he named it Fitz Roy, in honour of Robert FitzRoy, who, as captain of the HMS Beagle had travelled up the Santa Cruz River in 1834 and charted large parts of the Patagonian coast.

It has been agreed by Argentina and Chile that their international border detours eastwards to pass over themain summit, but a large part of the border to the south of the summit, as far as Cerro Murallón, remains undefined.

The mountain is the symbol of the Argentine Santa Cruz Province, which includes its representation on its coat of arms.

It was first climbed in 1952 by French alpinists Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone.

The mountain has a reputation of being "ultimate", despite its average height (although being the highest peak in the Los Glaciares park, it is less than half the size of theHimalayan giants), because the sheer granite faces present long stretches of arduous technical climbing. In addition, the weather in the area is exceptionally inclement and treacherous. It also attracts many photographers thanks to its otherworldly shape. The area, while still fairly inaccessible, was even more isolated until the recent development of El Chaltén village and El Calafate international airport. The mountain climb, however, remains extremely difficult and is the preserve of very experienced climbers. Today, when a hundred people may summit Mount Everest in a single day, Monte Fitz Roy may only be successfully ascended once a year.

Monte Fitz Roy is the basis for the Patagonia clothing logo following Yvon Chouinard's 3rd ascent and subsequent film in 1968.

LA bY NIGHT , CA USA

2011-08-12T18:46:00.000+03:00

LA Light from Colin Rich on Vimeo.

Song by Cinematic Orchestra http://www.cinematicorchestra.com/

Make sure to watch in HD full screen, with scaling off for best quality!

Just want to say a note of thank to everyone's support and comments.

I sought out to capture the electric radiance of Los Angeles at night.

It took me 6 months of on and off shooting to finish this project and I've learned a couple things along the way.

First off, LA might be the entertainment capital of the world, but it sure is difficult to shoot around downtown without having homeland security officers, police, or security take notice and harass you. Know your shooting rights!

Shooting time lapses is a labor of love and a study in patience.

This video is dedicated to the memory of my Grandmother, Mary Johnson who passed away after battling cancer. She spent most of her life bettering the lives of others and was the kindest person I've ever known.

Cinematography, direction, and editing by Colin Rich
http://www.facebook.com/colinrich1
http://www.pacificstarflight.com/Pacific_Star/Open.html

Produced by William Ahmanson
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=741029873

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Juno Mission Overview... Space travel

2011-08-06T20:03:00.001+03:00

The Juno spacecraft will look deep beneath Jupiter's swirling curtains of clouds to decipher the planet's structure and history during a mission that will begin with a 5-year flight through deep space. The journey will begin aboard an Atlas V rocket equipped with five booster rockets and a large Centaur upper stage. In this webcast, members of NASA's Launch Services Program and Juno's principal investigator detail what it takes to prepare an interplanetary mission and what potential discoveries lie ahead.

Andros, Cyclades, Greece

2011-08-06T00:40:00.001+03:00

Andros, originally uploaded by Visit Greece.

Andros is the northernmost island of the group with a great naval tradition and no landscape like the postcards from the Cyclades: apart from the sandy beaches, there are rocky coastlines, mountain ranges alternating with fertile plains, lush vegetation and abundantly flowing streams.

have a great weekend!

2011-08-05T22:43:00.001+03:00

Airplanes @ HANGAR-7, originally uploaded by Berry Bull.

Jin Mao tower and Shanghai TV Tower, China

2011-08-05T00:14:00.001+03:00

jin mao tower and shanghai tv tower, originally uploaded by Gaellery.

The Jin Mao Tower (simplified Chinese: 金茂大厦; traditional Chinese: 金茂大廈; pinyin: Jīn Mào Dàshà; literally "Golden Prosperity Building") is an 88-story landmark supertall skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel. Until 2007 it was the tallest building in the PRC, the fifth tallest in the world by roof height and the seventh tallest by pinnacle height. Along with the Oriental Pearl Tower, it is a centerpiece of the Pudong skyline. Its height was surpassed on September 14, 2007 by the Shanghai World Financial Center which is next to the building. The Shanghai Tower, a 128-story building located next to these two buildings and now under construction, will be even taller.
via Wikipedia

tepui plateau, Venezuela

2011-08-03T16:58:00.000+03:00

A tepui ( /ˈtɛpwi/), or tepuy, is a table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran Sabana.

Tepuis tend to be found as isolated entities rather than in connected ranges, which makes them the host of a unique array of endemic plant and animal species. Some of the most outstanding tepuis are Neblina, Autana, Auyantepui and Mount Roraima. They are typically composed of sheer blocks of Precambrian quartz arenite sandstone that rise abruptly from the jungle, giving rise to spectacular natural scenery. Auyantepui is the source of Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall.

Mount Roraima (also known as Roraima Tepui or Cerro Roraima in Spanish, and Monte Roraima in Portuguese), is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of tepui plateau in South America. First described by the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in 1596, its 31 km² summit area is defended by 400-metre-tall cliffs on all sides. The mountain includes the triple border point of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana.

Mount Roraima lies on the Guiana Shield in the southeastern corner of Venezuela's 30000 km² Canaima National Park forming the highest peak of Guyana's Highland Range. The tabletop mountains of the park are considered some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating back to some two billion years ago in the Precambrian.

The highest point in Guyana and the highest point of the Brazilian state of Roraima lie on the plateau, but Venezuela and Brazil have higher mountains elsewhere. The triple border point is at 5°12′08″N 60°44′07″W, but the mountain's highest point is Maverick Rock, 2810 m, at the south end of the plateau and wholly within Venezuela.

Via: Wikipedia..

vacation mode is on..

2011-08-03T00:36:00.001+03:00

IMG_9794_filtered, originally uploaded by nustyR AirTeamImages.

Mountain Nebula

2011-08-03T00:23:00.001+03:00

Mountain Nebula, originally uploaded by orvaratli - on 4 week tour..

The Aurora this night was really weird. At one point it was very faint straight overhead and it pulsated like a heart beat. It stayed up straight overhead for a few minutes and then slowly got lower until it fainted out. It was more like a cloud than a Aurora arch that I am used to see.