deltiology

Notify!/Avertissez! /通知！/Подписаться!/Benachrichtigen Sie!/Notificaciones!/إعلام!

2010-07-15T11:33:00.002+03:00

► Notify!
This blog has moved to http://www.stampland.net

► Avertissez!
Ce blog a déménagé http://www.stampland.net

► 通知！
このブログは移動しました http://www.stampland.net

► Подписаться!
Этот блог переехал http://www.stampland.net

► Benachrichtigen Sie!
Dieser Blog ist umgezogen http://www.stampland.net

► Notificaciones!
Este blog se ha trasladado a http://www.stampland.net

إعلام!►
انتقلت الى هذا بلوقhttp://www.stampland.net

110 - Hungary

2009-07-31T10:28:00.001+03:00

Győr [Győr (Hungarian), Raab (German), Ráb (older Czech, older Slovak), Dyor - Дьёр (Russian)] is the most important city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron county and lies on one of the important roads of Central Europe, halfway between Budapest and Vienna. The city is the sixth largest in Hungary and one of the seven main regional centres of the country.

109 - Hungary

2009-07-31T10:22:00.002+03:00

It was founded as the first Hungarian Benedictine monastery in 996 by Prince Géza, who designated this as a place for the monks to settle, and then it soon became the centre of the Benedictine order. The monastery was built in honour of Saint Martin of Tours. Géza's son, King Stephen I donated estates and privilege to the monastery. Astrik (Anastasius) served as its first abbot.
The oldest surviving document to use Hungarian language, the Charter of the Tihany Benedictine Abbey, dating back to 1055, is still preserved in the library. The first buildings of the community were destroyed, then rebuilt in 1137. The Basilica's pillars and the early Gothic vault were built in the early XIII century, using the walls of the former church. In 1486 it was reconstructed under King Matthias in Gothic style.
The monastery became an archabbey in 1541 and as a result of Ottoman incursions into Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was turned into a fortification. During one and a half centuries of the Turkish Occupation, the monks, however, had to abandon the abbey for shorter or longer periods of time. Only later were they able to start the reconstruction of the damaged buildings. During the time of Archabbot Benedek Sajghó, a major baroque construction was in progress in the monastery.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, rich Baroque adornments and extensions were added to the complex and much of its current facade dates from this time. It received its present form in 1832, with the library and the tower, which was built in classicistic style. The 18th century, the era of the Enlightenment also influenced the life of the monasteries. The state and the monarchs judged the operation of the communities according to immediate utility, by and large tolerating only those orders which practised nursing and education. In the 1860s, Ferenc Storno organised major renovations, mostly in the basilica.
After 1945 the properties of the Order and the schools run by the Benedictines were confiscated by the communist state from 1950 until the end of communism in Hungary. In 1995, one year before the millennium, the complex was entirely reconstructed and renovated. In 1996, "the Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment" was elected among the World Heritage sites.
Pannonhalma was visited, among others, by Alexius II, Patriarch of Moscow in 1994, Pope John Paul II in 1996 and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and the Dalai Lama in 2000. In 2005, a film was made about the archabbot, Asztrik Várszegi, titled A közvetítő ("The mediator").

108 - Hungary

2009-07-31T10:14:00.003+03:00

The library was finished in the first third of the 19th century. The longitudinal part of the building was planned and built by Ferenc Engel in the 1820´s. Later János Packh was commissioned with extending the edifice, and the oval hall is his work. Joseph Klieber, a Vienna master was asked to ornament the interior of the building.
On the four sides of the oval hall's ceiling the allegories of the four medieval university faculties can be seen: Law, Theology, Medicine and the Arts. The holdings of the library have been increasing ever since. Manuscripts from the time of Saint László have been catalogued in Pannonhalma. As of today, 400.000 volumes are kept in the collection.

107 - Hungary

2009-07-31T10:08:00.003+03:00

Pannonhalma's most notable landmark, the Benedictine Pannonhalma Archabbey, one of the oldest historical monuments in Hungary, can be found next to the town, on top of a hill (282 m). Saint Martin of Tours is believed to have been born at the foot of this hill, hence its former name, Mount of Saint Martin (Márton-hegy in Hungarian), from which the monastery occasionally took the alternative name of Márton-hegyi Apátság. This is the second largest territorial (ie., approx. sovereign) abbey in the world, after the one in Monte Cassino.

106 - Hungary

2009-07-31T09:44:00.002+03:00

Pannonhalma is a small town in western Hungary, in Győr-Moson-Sopron county with approx. 4.000 inhabitants. It is about 20 km from Győr; it is accessible by car, bus or train.
The town, known as Győrszentmárton until 1965, is dominated by its most famous landmarks: the thousand-year-old Pannonhalma Archabbey and the Benedictine Secondary School, which are situated above the village, on Szent Marton Hill. The hill itself is still known by this ancient name and the name "Pannonhalma" was introduced as part of the Hungarian language reforms in the nineteenth century. The association with Saint Martin ("Szent Márton" in Hungarian) derives from a belief that Martin of Tours was born here, though others believe he was born in nearby Szombathely.
There is a small statue in the town at the crossroads under the abbey which shows the saint as a Roman soldier, cutting his cloak according to the legend associated with him. The wall behind this is part of the original fortifications which were built in 1569 as a result of incursions into Western Hungary by the Ottoman Turks. The area remained a moving frontier between the Islamic Ottoman empire and the Christian west for the following 140 years and the town suffered considerable damage during this time.
From at least the nineteenth century, Szent Marton had a significant Jewish community. They played an important role in the commerce of village, as it was then, until the latter years of World War II. In 1944 the remaining Jewish families were rounded up and sent to extermination camps. A small synagogue, built in the late 1800´s, remains on the main street, though it is no longer in use. The building is in the process of being restored and a monument has been constructed on the street in front of it. Some dozens of Jews were protected in the abbey when it was taken under control of the International Red Cross in October 1944, along with 3.000 other refugees, many of them children, thanks to the efforts of a Swiss national, Eduard Benedek Brunschweiler. The IRC was expelled from Pannonhalma by the Red Army in April 1945.
In 1996 parts of the town were included in UNESCO's demarcation of the Abbey as a World Heritage Site. Four years later, the village of Pannonhalma was officially granted "town" status.

105 - Hungary

2009-06-23T17:30:00.001+03:00

Winemaking started in the Pannonhalma-Sokoróalja region when Benedictine monks founded the monastery of Pannonhalma in 996. Social and political turmoil following World War II made it impossible to continue the centuries-old traditions, since both the properties and the winery were taken over by the Communist state. In the ensuing decades, monks living in Pannonhalma did not give up hope of resuscitating their wine-making traditions. Since the fall of Communism, the monks have revived the viticultural traditions and the wineries. In 2000, the abbey repurchased vineyards that had been confiscated by the Communists and began replanting grape vines in the same year. The winery is situated on a 2000 m² plot with a capacity of 3000 hls. The main grape varieties are Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Welchriesling, Ezerjó and Sárfehér. In addition, they have planted the more international Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. They currently have 37 hectares under newly planted vines and the first harvest took place in autumn 2003.

104 - Hungary

2009-06-23T17:27:00.002+03:00

The name Esztergom was first mentioned in 1079. Some think the name comes from Isztergam (Iszter meaning Danube and Gam referring to the nearby river Garam). The town is the seat of Etzel/Attila in the Niebelungenlied as Gran. In Croatian Ostrogon, in Polish Ostrzyhom, in Slovak Ostrihom, in Latin Strigonium, in Turkish Estergon.

103 - Hungary

2009-06-23T17:21:00.002+03:00

The Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed Into Heaven and St Adalbert is an ecclesiastic basilica in Esztergom, Hungary, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, and the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary. It is dedicated to the Saint Mary of the Assumption and Saint Adalbert.The building of the present church took place on the foundation of several earlier churches. The first was built by Stephen I of Hungary between 1001–1010 (as the original Saint Adalbert church), the first cathedral in Hungary, which was burned down at the end of XII century. It was rebuilt, and even survived the Mongol invasion of Hungary. However, in 1304, Wenceslaus III, a probable candidate for the Hungarian throne, sacked the castle and the church. It was repaired in the the following years. The archbishops of the XIV and XV century ornated the church more, made some altering and a huge library was also added, the second most significant one in the country. It was ruined again under Turkish rule, in 1543. In 1820, the Archdiocese was restored and archbishop Sándor Rudnay decided to restore Esztergom's status as mother church of the country.
The architect was Pál Kühnel and the lead contractor was János Packh. The foundation-stone was laid and work began in 1822. The Bakócz chapel was carefully disassembled (into about 1,600 pieces) and was moved 20 metres away from its original location and attached to the new basilica. In 1838 Packh was murdered, so József Hild was placed in charge of construction. He completed it in Classicistic style. Under the next archbishop, János Scitovszky, the upper church was completed and dedicated on August 31, 1856. The 1856 consecration ceremonies featured the premiere of the Missa solennis zur Einweihung der Basilika in Gran (Gran Mass), composed and conducted by Franz Liszt. The final completion of the cathedral took place twelve years later in 1869.

102 - Hungary

2009-06-23T17:18:00.000+03:00

Esztergom (known by alternative names) is a city in northern Hungary, about 50 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there.
Esztergom was the capital of Hungary from the 10th till the mid-13th century and it was the Royal Seat until King Béla IV of Hungary moved to Visegrád and later to Buda.
Esztergom still is the seat of the prímás (Primate) of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. The city has the Keresztény Múzeum, the largest ecclesiastical collection in Hungary. Its cathedral, Esztergom Basilica is the largest church in Hungary.
One of the newest sights of Esztergom is the Mária Valéria bridge, connecting Esztergom with the city of Štúrovo in Slovakia. Originally it was inaugurated in 1895, but the retreating German troops destroyed it in 1944. It was rebuilt in 2001 with the support of the European Union.

101 - Hungary

2009-06-23T17:11:00.001+03:00

In the Pannonhalma Archives of the Benedictine Archabbey we can find one of the richest and most valuable collections of documents from the first centuries of the Hungarian statehood. It includes the monastery's interpolated charter (1001-1002) from Saint Stephen, the founding charter of the Tihany Abbey (1055), the first known written text to include Hungarian words and phrases. The records of the medieval Pannonhalma, a monastery with the rights to issue official documents (locus authenticus), and the records of the Bakonybél, the Tihany and the Dömölk abbeys constitute separate entities. The archive collects documents from the archabbot's office, the Theological School and the former Teacher Training School of the order, the former and current secondary schools, the dependent Benedictine houses, the finance offices of the Archabbey, and from the documentation of the parishes that belong to the so called Territorial Abbey: a quasi-diocese under the authority of the Archabbey. Partially as deposit, partially as inheritance, the archives of the Guary, the Somogyi, the Chernel, the Kende, the Erdődy and the Lónyay families came into our collection. The amount of the archive's holdings is 192 running metres.

100 - Hungary

2009-06-23T16:56:00.004+03:00

The Danube Bend (Dunakanyar in Hungarian), marks a point in the Danube where the river literally makes a sharp bend (the direction of the current does not change direction though). The Danube Bend is not a town, but a region or certain length of the Danube which is dotted by a string of small riverside towns north of Budapest. Both Hungarians and foreign tourists find this a popular excursion destination. Just after Esztergom, about 40km (25 miles) north of Budapest, the Danube swings abruptly south. This marks the beginning of the Danube Bend region if approaching from the north. The river then swings sharply north again just before Visegrád, and then heads south once more before reaching Vác. Vác typically marks the end of the Danube Bend. The charming towns along the meandering Danube Bend - particularly Szentendre, Visegrád, and Esztergom - can easily be vistied on day trips from Budapest since they are all close to Budapest.

099 - Hungary

2009-06-23T16:52:00.005+03:00

The Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed Into Heaven and St. Adalbert is an ecclesiastic basilica in Esztergom, Hungary, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, and the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary. It is dedicated to the Saint Mary of the Assumption and Saint Adalbert.
It is the tallest building in Hungary and the 18th biggest church in the world. Its inner area is 56,000 m². It is 118 m long and 49 m wide. It has a reverberation time of more than 9 seconds. Its dome, forming a semi-sphere, is situated in the middle, and it has 12 windows. It is 71,5 m high inside, with a diameter of 33,5 metres, and is 100 m high from outside, counted from the crypt.
The altarpiece (13,5×6,6 metres, depicting the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Michelangelo Grigoletti) is the largest painting in the world painted on a single piece of canvas.
The basilica is also known for Bakócz Chapel (named after Tamás Bakócz), built by Italian masters between 1506-1507 out of red marble of Süttő, its walls adorned with Tuscan Renaissance motifs. It is the most precious remaining example of Renaissance art in Hungary.
The huge crypt, built in Old Egyptian style in 1831, is today the resting place of late archbishops, among others, József Mindszenty.

098 - Hungary

2009-06-23T16:47:00.004+03:00

The building of the Hungarian Culture Foundation is located in the heart of the Buda Castle, near the Matthias Church and the Fishermen's Bastion. The house of the Foundation is an impressive palace of new gothic style, built in the early 20th century.
In the frameworks of its activities focusing on Hungarians living outside the country's borders, the Foundation fosters the broadening of cultural relationships among prominent Hungarian personalities and public living all over the world.
The central concept of the initiatives of the Foundation is the "meeting of regions". In this spirit we organize the Day of Hungarian Culture, the Cartoon Festival, the Smile-days of Buda, the Day of Poetry, the Days of Carpathian Basin, the Honey-days of Buda, and other events all year round.
The Hungarian Culture Foundation produces the financial sources for its mission through entrepreneurial work. Our magnificent setting is available to those who look for an ideal scene for a ball, a reception, a party, a conference, a training course, a concert, or a performance. In the ornate hall of our building, the Foundation arranges fine arts, business and trade exhibitions. This facility of great traditions also offers offices to let. Furthermore, the Foundation runs a 16-room two-star hotel with a family atmosphere. In the rooms of the Hotel Kulturinnov there are private showers, telephones and mini-bars. Room prices include buffet breakfast.
In the building of the Hungarian Culture Foundation are housed several restaurants, such as the Jankó Contemporary Hungarian Restaurant, the Matthias Restaurant, and Fortuna Restaurant; drink bars are also at our guests' service. In the Fortuna Passage, which belongs to the house of the Foundation, one can browse special shops such as Judit Józsa's Pure Source Gallery offering hand-made ceramics and sculptures, the Fortuna Antique Shop, as well as a Fashion Store. In the cellar of the building you can visit the House of Hungarian Wines, where you can taste the most famous wines of all 22 Hungarian wine-regions.

097 - Hungary

2009-06-23T16:41:00.004+03:00

The library was finished in the first third of the 19th century. The longitudinal part of the building was planned and built by Ferenc Engel in the 1820s. Later János Packh was commissioned with extending the edifice, and the oval hall is his work. Joseph Klieber, a Vienna master was asked to ornament the interior of the building.
On the four sides of the oval hall's ceiling the allegories of the four medieval university faculties can be seen: Law, Theology, Medicine and the Arts. The holdings of the library have been increasing ever since. Manuscripts from the time of Saint László have been catalogued in Pannonhalma. As of today, 450.000 volumes are kept in the collection.

096 - Hungary

2009-06-21T23:26:00.004+03:00

The Citadel (Fellegvár) and the Lower Castle The Visegrád double castle system is one of the castles built by Béla IV recognizing the consequences of the Mongol invasion. The fortress preserved its significance until the Turkish invasions.
The Citadel had a multifunctional role: it was protecting the valley of the Danube, it was controlling the main commerical route between Buda and Esztergom, and also served as a custom’s house. The fortress consisted of two parts.
The construction of the Lower Castle started under the reign of Béla IV around 1247. It was unique, as the fortress was not located next to the road differing from the common traditions, but the road was crossing the territory of the castle. The most interesting part of the Lower Castle is the so called Solomon Tower. The Tower was named after a false story, stating that Solomon was guarded in this Tower after loosing in the battle for the throne against King Saint László and Géza.
This unique Hungarian building was constructed based on a southern-German design. Under the reign of Louis the Great King of Hungary, the famous bell-founder Konrád Gaal was operating in the fortress. Today the Tower is hosting a five-storey museum, introducing the history of Visegrád to its visitors.
In 1246 Béla IV started the construction of the Citadel on an area with outstanding geographical characteristics, by the using the money from the family jewels of his wife, Mária Lascaris to build a refugee for the Dominican Order nuns living on the ’Rabbits Island’ (today’s Margaret Island).
At that time the plan of the fortress was triangle-shaped, with two towers.
The Old Tower was erected at a location most at risk, and the Gate Tower protected the southern entrance. The significance of the fortress considerably improved during the Anjou era. Once Charles Robert obtained the fortress from Máté Csák, he moved the royal court here in 1323.
The Visegrád Citadel hosted the famous Royal Summit of Kings, and the first Anjou King died in the castle in 1370. The Saint Crown of Hungary was guarded here. When Louis the Great became the King of Poland in 1370, the Polish crown was also stored in the castle. The palace wings and a new external wall was erected during the Anjou reign. Sigismund of Luxemburg extended the fortification with a third set of walls and carried out several lavish constructions.
Following the Turkish reign, after the liberation of Buda in 1686 the Habsburgs conquered the fortress after a 5-day siege. Due to the dissolution of the border castle system the fortification became unwanted and was left to ruin.
The excavation and reconstruction activities started in 1871 and are still underway today.

095 - Hungary

2009-06-19T01:16:00.001+03:00

Lake Balaton affects the local area precipitation per annum. The area receives approximately two to three inches (5-7 cm) more precipitation than most of Hungary, resulting in more cloudy days, and less extreme temperatures. The lake's surface freezes during colder winters. Lake Balaton region's climate has also made it ideal for growing grapes to make wine. Secondary radiation is emitted from the lake doubling the amount of sunlight that the grapes vines of the region receive. The Mediterranean climate combined with the soil (containing volcanic rock) has made the region notable for its production of wines since the Roman period two thousand years ago.

094 - Hungary

2009-06-19T00:52:00.003+03:00

Tihany is a village on the northern shore of Lake Balaton on the Tihany Peninsula (Hungary, Veszprém County). The whole peninsula is a historical district.
The center of the district is the Benedictine Abbey, which was founded in 1055 AD by András (Andrew) I, who is buried in the crypt. (The founding charter of this abbey is the first extant record of Hungarian language, preserved in Pannonhalma Benedictine Archabbey.) The church itself was rebuilt in baroque style in 1754. The still functioning abbey is a popular tourist attraction due to its historical and artistic significance. It also has the best view of Lake Balaton.
The abbey also features as a footnote in Habsburg history - the last Habsburg Emperor of Austria, Charles I was briefly held prisoner here following his second attempt to regain the throne of Hungary.

093 - Hungary

2009-06-19T00:41:00.003+03:00

Lake Balaton, located in Hungary, is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the foremost regional tourist destinations. Due to Hungary being landlocked, it is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea". The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalized Sió is the only outflow. With a surface area of 592 km² has a length of 77 km and a width ranging from 4 to 14 km. The lake's surface is 104 m above sea level, and its depth varies up to 12,2 m (mean depth is 3,2 m).

In Hungarian, the lake is known as Balaton (nicknamed Balcsi, and sometimes "The Hungarian Sea"); in Latin as Lacus Pelso, in German as Plattensee, in Slovak as Blatenské jazero and in Croatian and Serbian as Blatno jezero.
Its name means approximately "muddy lake" in Slavic ("blato" means "mud" in South-Slavic from earlier Pan-Slavic "bolto"). The Hungarian name Balaton, is also derived from the original Slavic name (Slavic neutrum adjective "boltьno(-je ezero)" = "muddy (lake)"), but it has no concrete meaning today in Hungarian.
The Romans called the lake Lacus Pelso ("Lake Pelso"). Pelso derives from a local name for the lake, perhaps from the Illyrian language, the Illyrians having once populated the region. Paleolinguists surmise that "Pelso" meant "shallow" in Illyrian, this deduction being based on its probable Proto-Indo-European root *pels-, and on examples such as Plattensee ("shallow sea"), a name given to the lake by the Germanic people in the area through the centuries.

092 - Bulgaria

2009-06-18T23:46:00.004+03:00

Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe, borders five other countries: Romania to the north (mostly along the River Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east.

Bulgaria includes parts of the Roman provinces of Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia. Old European culture within the territory of present-day Bulgaria started to produce golden artifacts by the fifth millennium BC.
Currently Bulgaria functions as a parliamentary democracy under a unitary constitutional republic. A member of the European Union since 2007 and of NATO since 2004.
Bulgaria comprises portions of the regions known in classical times as Moesia, Thrace, and Macedonia. The mountainous southwest of the country has two alpine ranges - Rila and Pirin - and further east stand the lower but more extensive Rhodope Mountains. The Rila range includes the highest peak of the Balkan Peninsula, Musala, at 2.925 meters; the long range of the Balkan mountains runs west-east through the middle of the country, north of the famous Rose Valley. Hilly country and plains lie to the southeast, along the Black Sea coast in the east, and along Bulgaria's main river, the Danube in the north.

091 - Austria

2009-06-18T23:37:00.003+03:00

Franz Joseph I (-German, I. Ferenc József in Hungarian, in English Francis Joseph I Charles, see the name in other languages) (18 August 1830 - 21 November 1916), Emperor of Austria, reigned from 1848 until 1916 and King of Hungary from 1867 until 1916.
Franz Joseph died in the Schönbrunn Palace in 1916, aged 86, in the middle of the war. He is said to have died singing "Gott erhalte, Gott beschütze, Unsern Kaiser" ("God Save the Emperor"). He was succeeded by his grandnephew Karl. But two years later, after defeat in World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy dissolved.
His 68-year reign is the third-longest in the recorded history of Europe (after those of Louis XIV of France and Johannes II, Prince of Liechtenstein).
Elisabeth of Bavaria (24 December 1837 - 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary as spouse of Emperor Francis Joseph I. From an early age, she was called “Sisi” by family and friends.
While Elisabeth's role and influence on Austro-Hungarian politics should not be overestimated (she is only marginally mentioned in scholarly books on Austrian history), she has undoubtedly become a 20th century icon. Elisabeth was considered to be a free spirit who abhorred conventional court protocol; she has inspired filmmakers and theatrical producers alike.

090 - Finland

2009-05-08T16:24:00.002+03:00

Greetings with stamps - a booklet of five was designed for people sending different kinds of greetings, congratulations and invitations. One of the booklet’s stamps depicts a gift parcel and tulips, the theme of the second stamp is a layer cake, the third stamp bears flowers, the fourth features a coffee cup and a letter, and the fifth has a messenger pigeon.
The booklet also includes five letter-sealing stamps bearing the legends: Tervetuloa (Welcome), Kiitos (Thanks), Onnea (Good luck), Hei (Hello) and Terveisin (With Greetings). The booklet and stamps were drawn by a Dutch-born designer resident in Finland, Vincent Bakkum. (posti.fi)

089 - Finland

2009-05-08T16:10:00.002+03:00

The Nordic Library Week

In the middle of the 90s the PR Society for Nordic Libraries, a group of librarians in the Nordic countries, wanted to create a cultural manifestation in the middle of the darkest period of the year, in November. Together with the Norden Associations they planned an event for November 1997.
And so began the story of the Nordic Library Week in 1997. That year was announced as a Nordic Year, by the project NORDLIV ("Nordic Life"). NORDLIV was organised by the Federation of the Norden Associations, cooperation body of eight national Norden Associations. The topic for the project NORDLIV was Nordic Identity - the history, culture and society.
The idea behind the week was then, and still is, to promote the mutual Nordic culture references, and the Nordic literature especially. From the very beginning the week has been opened with a special ceremony; the electric lights are switched off, the candles are lit and the same text is read out loud, at the same moment in all of the participating libraries. The Swedish title of the week, Kura skymning, is referring to the twilight time of the day, and the old ancient story-telling tradition; in the twilight when it was too dark to keep on working, the people gathered together and listened to stories.
Every year has had its own theme, which has been used as background when looking for suitable texts. For the last six years there has been a text chosen both for adults and children, who have started the library week already on Monday morning. (bibliotek.org)

088 - Germany

2009-05-08T16:08:00.002+03:00

Dinkelsbühl is a historic city in Bavaria, Germany. It lies in the district of Ansbach, north of Aalen. Dinkelsbühl is still surrounded by the old medieval walls and towers. There exist a lot of outstanding attractions. The image of this town is very typical for a German town of the 15th to early 17th century.

* St. George's Minster is a beautiful masterpiece of the gothic style in the late 15th century ( by Nikolaus Eseler )
* St. Paul's, now a Protestant church, was rebuilt in the 19th century in the style of the far late Roman architectural style.
Originally it was part of a former monastery.
* the Castle of the Teutonic Order, with a rococo chapel
* The so-called Deutsches Haus, the ancestral home of the counts of Drechsel-Deufstetten, is a fine specimen of the German renaissance style of wooden architecture.

* situated in front of the Minster is the monument to Christoph von Schmid (1768-1854), a 19th century writer of stories for the young
* Museum of the 3rd Dimension, the former city mill
* theHistorical Museum, is showing historical findings and reconstructions of ancient houses of the city. In 2008 the complete museum gets a new domicile in the so called "Steinerne Haus" from the 14th century.
* the church of St. Vincent, 2 km outside the city

087 - Finland/France

2009-05-08T15:47:00.004+03:00

Jacques Linard (1597-1645) est un peintre français de la première moitié du XVII° siècle qui a réalisé un petit nombre de natures mortes. Il naît en 1597 et est baptisé le 6 septembre de cette même année en l'église Saint-Rémy de Troyes.

Son père Jehan Linard est dans l'acte de baptême qualifié de maître peintre, et sa mère se nomme Anne Thays. Actif à Paris dès le début des années 1620, on connaît aujourd'hui moins d'une cinquantaine d'œuvres de lui, dont un surprenant Flûtiste, datant de cette première décennie. Sa sœur épousera Claude Baudesson, elle donnera naissance au futur peintre de nature morte Nicolas Baudesson.
Il est inhumé à Paris le 12 septembre 1645.

086 - Finland

2009-05-08T15:44:00.004+03:00

A still life (plural still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural (food, flowers, plants, rocks, or shells) or man-made (drinking glasses, books, vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, and so on) in an artificial setting. With origins in ancient times and most popular in Western art since the 17th century, still life paintings give the artist more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition than do paintings of other types of subjects such as landscape or portraiture. Still life paintings, particularly before 1700, often contained religious and allegorical symbolism relating to the objects depicted. Some modern still life breaks the two-dimensional barrier and employs three-dimensional mixed media, and uses found objects, photography, computer graphics, as well as video and sound.

085 - Greece

2009-05-08T15:38:00.003+03:00

Agia Paraskevi (Greek: Αγία Παρασκευή, named after Saint Paraskevi), is a suburb of Athens, Greece, in the northeast of Athens, about nine kilometers away from the city. It is linked to Athens by Mesogeion Avenue, a major road in the greater Athens area.

Up until the 1950s, the suburb was sparsely inhabited, with most of its inhabitants practising agriculture. In the 1960s, the rapid economic development that the country was experiencing drove an influx of immigrants to the big cities, and a burst of construction activity. Thus the population of suburban Athens (and Agia Paraskevi) dramatically increased; a process that went on into the 1980s and 1990s (see table below). Today, Agia Paraskevi, like the majority of Athens' suburbs, is densely populated.
In 1993, there was considerable opposition from inhabitants of the suburb to the construction of the Hymettus ring road. The ring road was to form a major highway on the mountainside linked directly to the Attiki Odos, and the construction of both the ring and Attiki Odos were to commence immediately. The realization that this plan would demand the felling of a considerable numbers of trees, as well as spurring an increase in noise pollution, predictably aroused the opposition of the local population, who requested a different solution: a covered road. However, the government would not reverse the decision and, in fact, sent bulldozers to the mountainside. This led to a riot in April, 1993. Thousands of people travelled up the mountainside and faced the bulldozers, forcing the drivers to leave. At length police arrived and managed to force the demonstrators off the site; eventually the construction of the two highways began, and was completed in 2001. The road was covered only at a small section, that running over the Deree College.

084 - Romania

2009-05-08T15:31:00.001+03:00

A shopping mall, shopping center, or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings which contain retail units, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit.

Strip malls have developed since the 1920s, corresponding to the rise of suburban living in the United States after World War II. As such, the strip mall development has been the subject of the same criticisms leveled against suburbanisation and urban sprawl in general. In the United Kingdom, these are called retail parks, out-of-town shopping centres, or precincts.

083 - Romania

2009-05-08T15:28:00.002+03:00

Whisky or whiskey refers to a broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn). Most whiskies are aged in wooden casks (generally oak), the exception being some corn whiskeys.

With few exceptions, the spelling is Scotch, Canadian, and Japanese whisky (plural: whiskies), but Irish and American whiskey (whiskeys).

082 - Romania

2009-05-08T15:25:00.003+03:00

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds. The process begins with pollination, is followed by fertilization, leading to the formation and dispersal of the seeds. For the higher plants, seeds are the next generation, and serve as the primary means by which individuals of a species are dispersed across the landscape. The grouping of flowers on a plant are called the inflorescence.

In addition to serving as the reproductive organs of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans, mainly to beautify their environment but also as a source of food.

081 - Romania

2009-05-08T15:22:00.002+03:00

Built as a strategic military route, The Transfăgărăşan (trans + Făgăraş) or DN7C is the highest and most dramatic paved road in Romania. It runs North to South across the tallest sections of the Carpathian Mountains, between the highest peak in the country, Moldoveanu, and the second highest, Negoiu. The road connects the historic regions of Transylvania and Wallachia, and the cities of Sibiu and Piteşti.

The road climbs to 2.034 meters altitude. The most spectacular route is from the North. It is a winding road, dotted with steep hairpin turns, long S-curves, and sharp descents. The Transfagarasan is both an attraction and a challenge for hikers, cyclists, drivers and motorcycle enthusiasts alike. Due to the topography, the average speed is around 40 km/h. The road also provides access to Bâlea Lake and Bâlea Waterfall.

The road is usually closed from late October until late June because of snow. Depending on the weather, it may remain open until as late as November. It may also be closed, at times, because of weather conditions (it occasionally snows even in August). There is a sign at the town of Curtea de Argeş that provides information on the passage. Travelers can find food and lodging at several hotels or chalets (cabane) along the way.

It has more tunnels (a total of 5) and viaducts than any other road in Romania; in the vicinity of the highest point, at Bâlea Lake, the road passes through the longest road tunnel in Romania (884 m).

Among the attractions along the southern section of the road, near the village of Arefu, is the Poienari fortress. The castle served as the residence of Vlad III the Impaler, the king who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula character. There is a parking area and a path to the ruins.

The northern section is used as a part of yearly cyclist competitions Tour of Romania (Romanian: Turul României). The difficulty of this section is considered to be very similar to Hors Categorie climb (literally beyond categorization) in Tour de France.

080 - Romania

2009-05-08T15:18:00.003+03:00

Lake Sfânta Ana (English: Lake Saint Ann, Hungarian: Szent Anna-tó) is a crater lake located in the volcanic crater named "Puciosul" of the Eastern Carpathians, near Tuşnad in the Natural Reserve of Mohoş, Harghita County, Romania. It has an area of 0,22km² and has a maximum depth of 7 m.

079 - Romania

2009-05-08T15:15:00.002+03:00

Râşnov (German: Rosenau; Hungarian: Barcarozsnyó) is a town in Braşov County, Romania with a population of under 16.000.

It is located at about 15 km from the city of Braşov and about the same distance from Bran, on the road that links Wallachia and Transylvania.
Its name is derived from Slavic "žrŭnovy", meaning (village or valley) "of the mill". In 14th century, German documents used the name Rasnov, but the modern German name, Rosenau, is based on a popular etymology, being influenced by the German word "Rose".
In Râşnov a citadel was built around the year 1215 by the Teutonic Knights and it was mentioned for the first time in 1331. The citadel was conquered only once in its history, around the year 1600 by Gabriel Báthory.
There is a myth attached to Râşnov Fortress. During a particularly long siege of the fortress, the citizens of Râşnov were concerned about the lack of available fresh drinking water. Two Turkish soldiers, having been captured earlier, were put to the task of digging a well in the centre of the fortress. These two men were assured that they would be given their freedom once the well was completed. According to local legend, it took them 17 years to finish the well, but they were still killed afterwards. This famous well still sits in the centre of Râşnov Fortress, and is 143 metres deep.

078 - Romania

2009-05-08T15:12:00.001+03:00

Unirea Shopping Center is a shopping mall located in Unirii Square, Bucharest, Romania. Opened in the 1990s, it was the first modern shopping center in Bucharest, with part of it being built in a former Ceauşescu-era hunger circus. The closest metro station to the center is Piaţa Unirii metro station.
As recently as 2001, the upper floors consisted largely of shops that were little more than vendor stalls. Today, however, it is now a modern shopping center.

077 - Romania

2009-05-08T15:07:00.003+03:00

The National Museum of Romanian History (Romanian: Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României) is a museum on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest, Romania, which contains Romanian historical artifacts from prehistoric times up to modern times.
The permanent displays include a plaster cast of the entirety of Trajan's Column, the Romanian Crown Jewels, and the Pietroasele treasure. The museum is located inside the former Postal Services Palace, which also houses a philatelic museum. As of 2007, the museum is under reconstruction; a late medieval archaelogical site was discovered under the building.

076 - Romania

2009-05-08T14:57:00.004+03:00

Mogoşoaia Palace is situated about 10 kilometres from Bucharest, Romania. It was built between 1698-1702 by Constantin Brâncoveanu in what is called the Romanian Renaissance style or Brâncovenesc style, a combination of Venetian and Ottoman elements. The palace bears the name of the widow of the Romanian boyar Mogoş, who owned the land it was built on. The Palace was to a large extent rebuilt in the 1920s by Marthe Bibesco.

The Palace had been given to Marthe by her husband, George Bibesco, who later also deeded the land to her. She spent all her wealth from the many books she wrote in its reconstruction and it became the meeting place for politicians and international high society, a quiet retreat during the growing turmoil of the 1930s.

The Palace is now a popular tourist destination, but although the grounds and gardens are beautiful, the interior of the palace itself is under reconstruction and presently houses a museum and art gallery. (Muzeul de Artă Brâncovenească)

During the second world war, Prince Antoine Bibesco (a cousin of George Bibesco) and his wife Elizabeth Bibesco, refused to flee the country despite their outspoken anti-fascist opinions. Elizabeth spent considerable time during these years visiting Marthe Bibesco at Mogosoaia and when Elizabeth died of pneumonia on April 7, 1945 she was buried in the Bibesco family vault on the grounds of Mogoşoaia. It may surprise visitors to see her grave here with its poignant epitaph in English - "My soul has gained the freedom of the night." Neither Elizabeth Bibesco's husband, Antoine, nor George Bibesco's wife, Marthe, could be buried beside them, as they both died during the Communist regime.
In 2008 the Romanian gothic rock band Inopia produced a video of their song "Epitaph", filmed entirely at Mogoşoaia. The long medievalist composition is based on Elizabeth Bibesco's epitaph.

075 - Romania

2009-05-08T14:54:00.001+03:00

The Village Museum (Muzeul Satului in Romanian) is an open-air ethnographic museum located in the Herăstrău Park (Bucharest, Romania), showcasing traditional Romanian village life. The museum extends to over 100.000 m2, and contains 272 authentic peasant farms and houses from all over Romania.
It was created in 1936 by Dimitrie Gusti, Victor Ion Popa, and Henri H. Stahl.
There are other "village museums" throughout Romania, including ASTRA National Museum Complex in Sibiu.

074 - Romania

2009-05-08T14:50:00.003+03:00

The Palace of the Parliament (Romanian: Palatul Parlamentului) in Bucharest, Romania is a multi-purpose building containing both chambers of the Romanian Parliament. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Palace is the world's largest civilian administrative building (The Pentagon is the largest overall), most expensive administrative building, and heaviest building.

The Palace was designed and nearly completed by the Ceauşescu regime as the seat of political and administrative power. Nicolae Ceauşescu named it the House of the Republic (Casa Republicii), but many Romanians call it the People's House (Casa Poporului).
The Palace measures 270 m by 240 m, 86 m high, and 92 m under ground. It has 1.100 rooms, 2 underground parking garages and is 12 stories tall, with four additional underground levels currently available and in use, with another four in different stages of completion.
The structure combines elements and motifs from multiple sources, in an eclectic neoclassical architectural style. The building is constructed entirely of materials of Romanian origin. Estimates of the materials used include one million cubic meters of marble from Transylvania, most from Ruşchiţa; 3.500 tonnes of crystal - 480 chandeliers, 1.409 ceiling lights and mirrors were manufactured; 700.000 tonnes of steel and bronze for monumental doors and windows, chandeliers and capitals; 900.000 m³ of wood (over 95% domestic) for parquet and wainscotting, including walnut, oak, sweet cherry, elm, sycamore maple; 200.000 m² of woollen carpets of various dimensions (machines had to be moved inside the building to weave some of the larger carpets); velvet and brocade curtains adorned with embroideries and passementeries in silver and gold.

073 - Romania

2009-05-08T14:31:00.003+03:00

The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeş (early 16th century) is one of the most famous buildings in Romania, and stands in the grounds of a monastery, in Curtea de Argeş city. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
It resembles a very large and elaborate mausoleum, built in Byzantine style, with Moorish arabesques. In shape it is oblong, with a many-sided annex at the back. In the centre rises a dome, fronted by two smaller cupolas, while a secondary dome, broader and loftier than the central one, springs from the annex. Each summit is crowned by an inverted pear-shaped stone, bearing a triple cross, emblematic of the Trinity.
The windows are mere slits; those of the tambours (the cylinders on which the cupolas rest) are curved and slant at an angle of 70 degrees, as though the tambours were leaning to one side. Between the pediment and the cornice a thick corded moulding is carried round the main building. Above this comes a row of circular shields, adorned with intricate arabesques, while bands and wreaths of lilies are everywhere sculptured on the windows, balconies, tambours and cornices, adding lightness to the fabric. It is all raised on a platform 7 ft (2,1 m). high and encircled by a stone balustrade.
Facing the main entrance is a small open shrine, consisting of a cornice and dome upheld by four pillars. The cathedral is faced with pale grey limestone, easily chiselled but hardening on exposure. The interior is of brick, plastered and decorated with frescoes. Close by stands a large royal palace, Moorish in style. The archives of the cathedral were plundered by Hungarians and Turks, but several inscriptions, Greek, Slav and Roman, are left.
One tablet records that the founder was Prince Neagoe Basarab (1512-1521); another that Prince Ioan Radu completed the work in 1526; a third describes the repairs executed in 1681 by Prince Şerban Cantacuzino; a fourth, the restoration, in 1804, by Joseph, the first bishop. Between 1875 and 1885 the cathedral was reconstructed, and in 1886 it was reconsecrated.

072 - Romania

2009-05-08T14:24:00.001+03:00

Arcul de Triumf is a triumphal arch located in the northern part of Bucharest, on the Kiseleff Road. The first, wooden, triumphal arch was built hurriedly, after Romania gained its independence (1878), so that the victorious troops could march under it. Another temporary arch was built on the same site, in 1922, after World War I, which was demolished in 1935 to make way for the current triumphal arch, which was inaugurated in September 1936.
The current arch has a height of 27 meters and was built after the plans of the architect Petre Antonescu. It has as foundation a 25 x 11.50 meters rectangle. The sculptures with which the facades are decorated were created by famous Romanian sculptors such as Ion Jalea and Dimitrie Paciurea.

071 - Romania

2009-05-08T14:22:00.001+03:00

Turnul Colţei (also Turnul Colţea or Colţii) was a tower located in Bucharest, Wallachia, now in Romania. Having a height of 50 metres, it was the highest building in the city for more than a century. Its initial purpose was to be used as a bell tower — its 1.700 kg bell, was moved to the Sinaia Monastery after the tower was demolished. Its was also meant to serve as a watch tower.
The tower was named after Vornic Colţea Doicescu. His brother, Udrea Doicesu, built a small wooden church on the plot near the tower; after he was assassinated, the church and the land next to it were inherited by Colţea, who donated them to the Orthodox Church. The Church sold the patch of land near the church to Spătar Mihai Cantacuzino, who, in 1701, used it as the location for the first hospital in Wallachia, the Colţei Hospital, and also decided to build a tower.
The tower was built between 1709 and 1714, its construction being assisted by the Swedish soldiers of the army of King Charles XII, who had fled to Wallachia after the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Poltava. Mihai Cantacuzino kept his secret archive inside the tower.
An earthquake on October 14, 1802 destroyed its top part, including its clock; in 1888, it was demolished completely. Two years later, in 1890, another structure was built as a watch tower, Foişorul de Foc.

070 - Romania

2009-05-08T14:17:00.002+03:00

Bucharest (Romanian: Bucureşti) is the capital city, industrial and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, and lies on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River.
Bucharest was first mentioned in documents as early as 1459. Since then it has gone through a variety of changes, becoming the state capital of Romania in 1862 and steadily consolidating its position as the centre of the Romanian mass media, culture and arts. Its eclectic architecture is a mix of historical (neo-classical), interbellum (Bauhaus and Art Deco), Communist-era and modern. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of the "Little Paris of the East" (Micul Paris). Although many buildings and districts in the historic centre were damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes and Nicolae Ceauşescu's program of systematization, many survived. In recent years, the city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom.
According to July 2007 official estimates, Bucharest proper has a population of 1.931.838. The urban area extends beyond the limits of Bucharest proper and has a population of 2,1 million people. Adding the satellite towns around the urban area, the metropolitan area of Bucharest has a population of 2,6 million people. Bucharest is the 6th largest city in the European Union by population within city limits.
Economically, the city is the most prosperous in Romania and is one of the main industrial centres and transportation hubs of Eastern Europe. As the one of the wealthiest cities in Romania, Bucharest also has a broad range of convention facilities, educational facilities, cultural venues, shopping arcades and recreational areas.
The city proper is administratively known as the Municipality of Bucharest (Municipiul Bucureşti), and has the same administrative level as a county, being further subdivided into six sectors.

069 - Romania

2009-05-08T13:55:00.002+03:00

Peak Bucsoiu has 2492 m altitude. It is the second peak of the Bucegi Mountains, being exceeded only by Omu, 2507 m.
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation. The topographic terms "acme", "apex", "peak", "summit", and "zenith" are synonyms.
The term "summit" is generally only used for a mountain peak with some significant amount of topographic prominence or topographic isolation (distance from the nearest point of higher elevation); for example, a boulder next to the main summit of a mountain is not considered a summit. Summits near a higher peak, with some prominence or isolation, but not reaching a certain cutoff value for these quantities, are often considered subsummits (or subpeaks) of the higher peak, and are considered as part of the same mountain.
A pyramidal peak is an exaggerated form produced by ice erosion of a mountain top.

068 - Romania

2009-05-08T13:51:00.001+03:00

Predeal (Hungarian: Predeál, German: Schanzpass) is a town in Romania, in Braşov County. An important mountain resort, Predeal is located on the Prahova Valley and is surrounded by five massifs: Postăvarul, Piatra Mare, Bucegi, Baiului and Fiţifoi. The name is derived from the Romanian archaic form "pre deal" which means "on the hill" or from the Slavic word "predel", which means "bound", "limit". In the late years the town has known a remarkable boom in construction, with many well-off people from all over the country, having a mountain retreat in Predeal. Predeal is the highest town in Romania with an altitude between 1033m-1110m.
William of Wied, Prince of Albania, died here in 1945. Predeal was the hometown of one of Romania's less known poets, Mihail Săulescu.

067 - Belgium

2009-05-07T09:09:00.003+03:00

Brussels (French: Bruxelles, Dutch: Brussel), officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union (EU) and the largest urban area in Belgium. It includes the Brussels municipality which is the capital of Belgium, Flanders and the French Community of Belgium by law.

Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town founded by Charlemagne's grandson into a metropolis of more than one million inhabitants. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers a total area of 4.127 km2, covering the Capital-Region and 103 surrounding municipalities, and has a population of almost 2,7 million.
Since the end of the Second World War, Brussels has been an important centre for international politics. It hosts the main institutions of the European Union, and the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Thus, Brussels is the polyglot home of many international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants. Brussels is the EU's third-richest city in terms of per capita income.
Although historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels has become increasingly francophone. Today most inhabitants are native French-speakers, although both languages have official status. This process has led to a longstanding conflict between the French and Dutch speaking community, reflecting the situation in Belgium at large.
Brussels has since World War II become the administrative centre of many international organisations. Notably the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) have their main institutions in the city, along with many other international organisations such as the WEU, WCO and EUROCONTROL as well as international corporations. Brussels is third in the number of international conferences it hosts also becoming one of the largest convention centres in the world. The presence of the EU and the other international bodies has for example led to there being more ambassadors and journalists in Brussels than in Washington DC. International schools have also been established to serve this presence.
Brussels serves as capital of the European Union, hosting the major political institutions of the Union. The EU has not declared a capital formally, though the Treaty of Amsterdam formally gives Brussels the seat of the European Commission (the executive branch) and the Council of the European Union (a legislative and executive body, the main institution). It locates the formal seat of European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg, where votes take place, however meetings of political groups and committee groups (where most work takes place) are formally given to Brussels along with a set number of plenary sessions. Three quarters of Parliament now takes place at its Brussels hemicycle. Between 2002 and 2004, the European Council also fixed its seat in the city.
Brussels, along with Luxembourg and Strasbourg, began to host institutions in 1957, soon becoming the centre of activities as the Commission and Council based their activities in what has become the "European Quarter". Early building in Brussels was sporadic and uncontrolled with little planning, the current major buildings are the Berlaymont building of the Commission, symbolic of the quarter as a whole, the Justus Lipsius building of the Council and the Espace Léopold of Parliament. Today the presence has increased considerably with the Commission alone occupying 865,000 m2 within the "European Quarter" in the east of the city (a quarter of the total office space in Brussels). The concentration and density has caused concern that the presence of the institutions has caused a "ghetto effect" in that part of the city. However the presence has contributed significantly to the importance of Brussels as an international centre.

066 - Brazil

2009-05-05T17:23:00.001+03:00

The Monumental Axis ("Eixo Monumental" in Portuguese) is a central avenue in Brasília's city design. The avenue begins on the National Congress of Brazil building and is considered part of the DF-002 road. Its first section is known as "Ministries Esplanade" ("Esplanada dos Ministérios"), as its surrounded by ministries buildings. Many important government buildings, monuments and memorials are located on the Monumental Axis. Brazil's bicameral National Congress (Portuguese: Congresso Nacional) consists of Senate of Brazil (the upper house) and the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil (the lower house).
* The Federal Senate (Senado Federal) contains 81 seats: three senators from each state and three from the Federal District, elected on a majority basis to serve eight-year terms. Elections are scheduled so that two-thirds of the upper house is up for election at one time and the remaining one-third four years later.
* The Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) comprises 513 deputies (members of congress), who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms. Elections are based on a complex system of proportional representation by states. The seats are allotted proportionally according to each state's population, but each state is eligible for a minimum of eight seats and a maximum of 70 seats.
Both houses of Congress meet in a purpose-built legislative palace in the centre of Brasília. Fifteen political parties are currently represented in Congress. Until recently, it was common for politicians to switch parties, so that the proportion of congressional seats held by particular parties changes often. However the Supremo Tribunal Federal has recently declared that it is Deputies are not allowed to switch parties during their term in office.
Since the 1960s, the National Congress has its seat in Brasilia. As most of the official buildings in the city, it was designed by Oscar Niemeyer following the style of modern Brazilian architecture.
The semisphere to the left is the seat of the Senate, and the hemisphere to the right is the seat of the Chamber of the Deputies. Between them there are two towers of offices. The Congress also occupies other surrounding buildings, some of them interconnected by a tunnel.

065 - Italy

2009-05-05T17:12:00.007+03:00

(postal card) Treviso (Venetian: Trevixo, French: Trévise, Latin: Tarvisium) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of Treviso province and the municipality has 81.627 inhabitants (2007): some 3.000 live within the Venetian walls (le Mura) or in the historical and monumental center, some 80.000 live in the urban center proper, while the city hinterland has a population of approximately 170.000. It is the home of the headquarters of designer clothing company Benetton, major appliance maker DeLonghi and sports eyewear maker Rudy Project.
Treviso stands at the confluence of Botteniga with the Sile, 30 km north of Venice and 50km east of Vicenza, 40 km north-east of Padua, 120 km south of Cortina d'Ampezzo. The city is situated some 15 km south-west the right bank of the Piave River, on the plain between the Gulf of Venice and the Alps.
The UCI Road World Championships, often referred to as the World Cycling Championships, is the annual world championship for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The UCI road world championships include events for elite men and women's road race and individual time trial. In addition, championships are held for the same events for cyclists under 23.
* The winner of the UCI road world championship is considered the world cycling champion (or road world champion) and wears a Rainbow Jersey for a year in road races. The event is a single 'massed start' road race, the winner the first across the line.
* The winner of the time trial is the world time trial champion and wears the Rainbow Jersey for a year in individual time trial (ITT) events or time trial stages on stage races, such as the Tour de France.
Both the road race and time trial events are ridden by riders representing their countries, although they will have been representing different teams for most of the season.
The first professional world championship took place in 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany and was won by Alfredo Binda, of Italy. The race is held towards the end of the European season, usually following the Vuelta a España. The event can be held over a relatively flat course which favors cycling sprinters or a hilly course which favors a climbing specialist or all-round.
The elite men's race is usually won by riders on the UCI ProTour. In the past there were separate events for amateurs and professionals.
The world championship and two of the three Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España) form the Triple Crown of Cycling.

064 - Great Britain

2009-05-05T17:07:00.003+03:00

The Postcard Store
We're so excited to be able to offer you gorgeous greetings cards at a fraction of their recommended retail price. On thick glossy card you'll find the most incredible photographic images including my absolute favourite - a little heap of baby tigers snuggling up together. We've given you such a mix of images - from flowers and animals to unusual contemporary designs - that you'll find the perfect card for almost every occasion. (www.thepostcardstore.co.uk)

063 - Finland

2009-05-05T16:45:00.002+03:00

Mannerheim was one of the most impressive figures during the first three decades of the Finnish independence. He was a great man even in his own lifetime. Mannerheim’s family background was noble, Finnish and Swedish-speaking.
The paternal line of the Mannerheim family had come to Sweden from the Netherlands in the 17th century and had great influence on the conditions in Finland during the first decades of autonomy. At Gustaf’s birth, the family was one of the best-known noble families in the country.
Mannerheim’s great-grandfather Carl Erik Mannerheim (1759-1837) belonged to the Anjala League, an opposition movement during the reign of Gustav III, but survived through amnesty and purchased the Louhisaari country estate in 1795. In 1805 he was chosen chairman of the Finnish Economic Society. At the beginning of Russian rule in Finland, he was chairman of the delegation accounting for matters in Finland to Tsar Alexander I, county governor and deputy chairman of the Economic Department of the Senate (a kind of Prime Minister) 1822-1826. (www.mannerheim.fi)

062 - Germany

2009-05-05T16:39:00.002+03:00

(postal card) Velbert is a town in the district of Mettmann, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Langenberg, a district of Velbert, is well known as the location of the Sender Langenberg transmitter site.Velbert is located in the hills of the Berg region, approx. 20 kilometres north-east of the state capital Düsseldorf and 12 kilometres north-west of Wuppertal on the left side of the Ruhr river. Velbert stands on the highest part of the Berg region and also in its centre. Its average elevation is around 230 metres above sea level; its highest point, at 303 metres, is the Hordt-Berg and its lowest, at around 80 metres, is in Nierenhof am Deilbach. The highest point in Velbert itself is 263 metres above sea level, at the corner of Friedrichstraße and Langenberger Straße.

Bernhard Klemens Maria Grzimek was a renowned zoo director, zoologist, book author, editor, and animal conservationist in postwar West-Germany. After studying veterinary medicine in 1928, first at Leipzig and later in Berlin, he received a doctorate in 1933. After World War II he became director of the Frankfurt Zoological Garden, then in ruins, which he made into one of the largest zoological gardens in Germany. At the same time he served as president of the Frankfurt zoological society for over forty years. The society - organized on similar principles as its London and New York counterparts - runs a number of wildlife conservation projects both in Germany and overseas; most well-known is its ongoing work in the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania, East Africa.

Grzimek is most famous for the work he undertook for the conservation of the Serengeti. He spent several years studying the wildlife there along with his son Michael, especially on areal observation and counts of large scale annual migrations. In 1959 Michael was killed in an aircrash while flying the Dornier Do 27 due to a collision with a Griffon Vulture. He wrote a best-selling book called Serengeti shall not die, which appealed enormously to the public and was key in driving the creation of the Serengeti National Park.

061 - Great Britain

2009-05-05T16:28:00.002+03:00

Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. It is often colloquially known as Aber, and is located at the confluence of the Rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol.
Aberystwyth since the late 19th century has also been a major Welsh educational centre, with the establishment of the first University in Wales in 1872. The permanent population is around 12.000, but for nine months of the year the 7.000 resident students associated with Aberystwyth University take this total to about 19.500 people.
Aberystwyth is a major tourist centre and a cultural link between North Wales and South Wales. Constitution Hill is scaled by the Aberystwyth Electric Cliff Railway giving access to fine views and other attractions at the top, while much of the finest scenery in Mid Wales lies within easy reach of the town. This includes the wilderness of the Cambrian Mountains, whose valleys contain forests and meadows which have changed little in centuries. A convenient way of reaching the interior is by the preserved narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.
Although the town is relatively modern, it contains a number of historic buildings, including the remains of the castle and the Old College of Aberystwyth University nearby. The Old College was originally intended to be a hotel, but due to a lack of funds the shell of the building was sold to the university. The new university campus overlooks Aberystwyth from Penglais Hill to the east of the town centre. The terminus for the standard gauge railway is also very impressive being built in 1924 in typical style of the period. The architecture is a mix of Gothic, Classical Revival and Victorian, and the town is sometimes referred to as "the Oxbridge of Wales".
The town is generally regarded as the capital of Mid Wales, and several institutions have regional or national offices there. Perhaps the most important of the public bodies located in Aberystwyth is the National Library of Wales. The library also incorporates the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, one of six British regional film archives. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, which maintains and curates the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), provides the public with information about the built heritage of Wales. Aberystwyth is also the home to the national offices of UCAC and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, and the site of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research. The Welsh Books Council and the offices of the standard historical dictionary of Welsh, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, are also located in Aberystwyth.

060 - Netherlands

2009-05-05T16:26:00.001+03:00

Leiden (in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands and has 118.000 inhabitants. It forms a single urban area with Oegstgeest, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten, Valkenburg, Rijnsburg and Katwijk, with 254.000 inhabitants. It is located on the Old Rhine, close to the cities of The Hague and Haarlem. The recreational area of the Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) lies just to the northeast of Leiden.
Today Leiden forms an important part of Dutch history. The end of the Spanish siege in 1574 is celebrated on 3 October by an annual parade, a day off, a fair and eating the traditional food of herring and white bread and hutspot. However, the most important piece of Dutch history contributed by Leiden was the Constitution of the Netherlands. Johan Rudolf Thorbecke (1798–1872) wrote the Dutch Constitution in April 1848 in his house at Garenmarkt 9 in Leiden.
Leiden has important functions as a shopping and trade center for communities around the city. The University of Leiden is famous for its many developments including the famous Leyden jar, a capacitor made from a glass jar, invented in Leiden by Pieter van Musschenbroek in 1746. (It was actually first invented by Ewald Georg von Kleist in Germany the year before, but the name "Leyden jar" stuck.) Another development was in cryogenics: Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1913 Nobel prize winner in physics) liquefied helium for the first time (1908) and later managed to reach a temperature of less than one degree above the absolute minimum. Albert Einstein also spent some time at Leiden University during his early to middle career.
The city also houses the Eurotransplant, the international organization responsible for the mediation and allocation of organ donation procedures in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia.

059 - Finland

2009-05-05T16:14:00.001+03:00

Tampere is a city in southern Finland located between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. Since the two lakes differ in level by 18 metres (59 ft), the rapids linking them, Tammerkoski, have been an important power source throughout history, most recently for generating electricity. Tampere is dubbed the "Manchester of Finland" for its industrial past as the former center of Finnish industry, and this has given rise to its Finnish nickname "Manse" and terms using that such as Manserock. The Tampere region, called Pirkanmaa, which includes outlying municipalities, had around 470.000 residents, of which 230.000 were employed, and a turnover of 25 billion euros in 2007.
Tampere is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of 209.744, with close to 300.000 people in the conurbation and over 340.000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in Finland, after the Greater Helsinki municipalities of Helsinki and Espoo. Helsinki can be reached in 1,5–2 hours by train and 2–2,5 hours by car. The distance to Turku is approximately the same. Tampere airport is the second-busiest international airport in Finland, with 800.000 passengers annually.

058 - Finland

2009-05-05T16:09:00.003+03:00

Vierumäki is a village located in the Finnish municipality Heinola in the region Päijänne Tavastia, Province of Southern Finland. It is known for hosting international ice hall sports events.

Sport in Vierumäki:
Curling
* The 2001 European Curling Championships took place in Vierumäki.
* Vierumäki hosted the 2008 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, from March 8 to March 16, 2008.
* The 2008 World Senior Curling Championships, won by Canada.
Ice hockey
* The 2008 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships, Division II, takes place in Vierumäki from March 25 to March 30, 2008.

057 - Poland

2009-05-05T16:01:00.003+03:00

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Its official name is Hlavní město Praha, meaning Prague, the Capital City. Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for more than 1.100 years. The city proper is home to more than 1,2 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 1,9 million.
Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Nicknames for Prague have included "the mother of cities" (Praga mater urbium, or "Praha matka měst" in Czech), "city of a hundred spires" and "the golden city". The name Prague comes from an old Slavic root, praga, which means “ford”, referring to the city's origin at a crossing of the Vltava River. This root is found in other toponyms in the region. For example, a district of Warsaw bears the name of Praga. The native name of the city, Praha, is also related to the modern Czech word práh, which means "threshold". A popular etymology connects the name of the city to the fact that the city is located on the threshold of the Slavic and German worlds.
A legendary etymology connects the name of the city with Libuše, prophetess and mythical founder of the Přemyslid dynasty. She is said to have ordered the city to be built where a man stood on the threshold of his house. Others finally, fascinated by the magic character of the city, affirm that Prague lies on the threshold of a door of access to other worlds or other dimensions. The history of Prague spans thousands of years, during which time the city grew from the Vyšehrad Castle to the multicultural capital of a modern European state, the Czech Republic.

056 - Portugal

2009-05-05T15:53:00.004+03:00

Porto, also Oporto in English, is Portugal's second city and capital of the Norte NUTS II region. The city is located in the estuary of the Douro river in northern Portugal. The largest city in the region, Porto is considered the economic and cultural heart of the entire region. The city, which had an estimated population of about 220.000 (est. 2008), lies at the centre of the political Greater Metropolitan Area of Porto, with a population of slightly more than 1,7 million (est. 2008), and is the main agglomeration of northern Portugal. The city of Porto comprises 15 civil parishes.

One of Portugal's most internationally famous products, Port wine, is named after the city because it is produced in, and shipped from the area or, more precisely, from Vila Nova de Gaia, a city just across the river which belongs to the same conurbation. The country was also named after the Latin name of Porto, Portus Cale.
Porto district is one of the most industrialised districts in Portugal, and Maia, one of Porto's satellite cities, has the largest industrial park in Portugal. The historic centre of Porto was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. The World Heritage site is defined in two concentric zones; the "Protected area", and within it the "Classified area". The Classified area comprises the medieval borough located inside the 14th-century Romanesque wall.

055 - United States

2009-05-05T15:50:00.003+03:00

The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon. This bird was (and sometimes still is) colloquially known in North America as the "Sparrow Hawk". This name is misleading because it implies a connection with the Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, which is unrelated; the latter is an accipiter rather than a falcon. Though both are diurnal raptors, they are only distantly related. American Kestrels are widely distributed across the Americas. Their breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico, the Baja, and the Caribbean. They are local breeders in Central America and are widely distributed throughout South America.

Most of the birds breeding in Canada and the northern United States migrate south in the winter, although some males stay as year-round residents. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America – about the size of a large thrush, such as the American Robin (Turdus migratorius), on average. The American Kestrel is sexually dimorphic, although there is some overlap within the species. The female ranges in length from 9-11 in (23-28 cm) with a wingspan of 21-24 in (53-61 cm) and weighs an average of 4.2 oz (120 g). The length of the male varies between 8-10 in (20-25 cm) with a wingspan ranging from 20-22 in (51-56 cm) and weighing an average of 3,9 oz (111 g). These subtle differences are often difficult to discern in the field.
The coloration of the feathers, however, greatly varies between the sexes. Males have blue-grey secondary feathers on their wings, while the undersides are white with black barring. The back is rufous in coloration, with barring on the lower half. The belly and flanks are white with black spotting. The tail is also rufous, except for the outer rectrix set, which is white with a black subterminal band. The back of the female American Kestrel is rufous with dark brown barring. The wings exhibit similar coloration and patterning to the back. The undersides of the females are white with rufous streaking. The tail of the female is noticeably different from the male, being rufous in color with numerous narrow dark brown or black bars. Juveniles exhibit coloration patterns similar to the adults.

054 - Malaysia

2009-05-05T15:40:00.004+03:00

Kota Bharu (Jawi:كوت بهارو), a city in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. It is also the name of the territory (jajahan) in which Kota Bharu City is situated. The name means 'new city' or 'new castle/fort' in Malay. Kota Bharu is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia, and lies near the mouth of the Kelantan River. In 2005, it had an estimated population of 425.294, making it one of the largest towns on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This northeastern Malaysian city is close to the Thai border, and is home to many mosques. Also of interest are various museums and the unique architecture of the old royal palace (still occupied by the sultan and sultanah and off-limits to visitors but viewable from outside) and former royal buildings (which can be visited) in the center of town.
The City is served by Keretapi Tanah Melayu's East Coast Line at the nearby Wakaf Bharu Station, in the town of Wakaf Bharu across the Kelantan River. Kota Bharu was established by Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan in 1844 as Kelantan's capital. Pantai Sabak, about 10 km from Kota Bharu, was the initial landing point of the Japanese invasion forces on 8 December 1941 in their Malayan campaign when they successfully engaged the British in jungle warfare and ultimately captured Singapore.

053 - Romania

2009-05-04T02:59:00.003+03:00

The Bucegi Mountains are located in central Romania, south of the city Braşov. They are part of the Southern Carpathians group of the Carpathian Mountains.
To the east, the Bucegi Mountains have a very steep slope towards the popular tourist destination Prahova Valley. At a higher elevation is the Bucegi Plateau, where wind and rain have turned the rocks into spectacular figures such as the Babele (1) and Sphinx (2). The Bucegi is believed to be the Dacian holy mountain Kogainon, on which the mythical figure Zalmoxis resided in a cave. Babele (meaning old women) is a name for an area on the Bucegi Mountains plateau in Romania. Babele is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The name comes from some mushroom shaped rock formations, the result of erosion and varying hardness of the rock layers. The Bucegi Sphinx is another rock formation in the same area, named for its sphinx-like appearance.
The Babele challey is accessible either by cable car from Buşteni or by road. It can also be reached by foot, coming from Buşteni through Valea Jepilor (Juniper Valley), or from the crest of Bucegi Mountains, from the Piatra Arsă challey.

052 - Romania

2009-05-02T16:27:00.004+03:00

Prahova Valley (Romanian: Valea Prahovei) is the valley where the Prahova river makes its way between the Bucegi and the Baiului Mountains, in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania. It is a tourist region, situated about 100 km north of the capital city of Bucharest. Geographically, the Prahova river separates the Eastern Carpathians chain from the Southern Carpathians. Historically, the corridor was the most important passage way between the principalities of Wallachia and Transylvania. The present DN1 road, linking Bucharest with the city of Braşov and the future A3 will be built along the Prahova Valley.
Prahova Valley will be the bid of Romania for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
The region is a popular destination for mountaineers and for winter sports fans. The most important resorts are: Predeal, Azuga, Buşteni, Sinaia, Comarnic and Breaza.

051 - Romania

2009-05-02T16:15:00.004+03:00

Ski-run (piste) Clăbucet, Predeal, has a medium degree of difficulty. Has a length of 2100 m and level difference of 390 m. There have night lighting and artificial snow. Ski-run Clăbucet has an incline of 20%. Ski-run Clăbucet is approved internationally. It is served by chairlift and ski lift.
A piste is the name given to a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is most often used in Europe; in North America, a piste would more often be referred to as a trail, a slope, or a groomed run. Piste is French for trail or track.

050 - Romania

2009-05-02T15:43:00.003+03:00

The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It weighs 100 to 700 kg (220-1.500 pounds) and its larger subspecies such as the Kodiak bear match the Polar bear as the largest extant terrestrial carnivore. While the brown bear's range has shrunk, and it has faced local extinctions, it remains listed as a least concern species, with a total population of approximately 200,000. Its principal range countries are Russia, the United States (especially Alaska), Canada, and Finland where it is the national animal. The species primarily feeds on vegetable matter, including roots, and fungi. Fish are a primary source of meat. It also eats small land mammals and occasionally larger mammals, such as deer. Adult brown bears can match wolf packs and large felines, often driving them off their kills.
It is sometimes referred to as the bruin, from Middle English, based on the name of the bear in History of Reynard the Fox, translated by William Caxton, from Middle Dutch bruun or bruyn.
Brown bears have furry coats in shades of blonde, brown, black, or a combination of those colors. The longer outer guard hairs are often tipped with white or silver, giving a "grizzled" appearance. Their tail is 4-5 inches (10-13 cm) long. Like all bears, brown bears are plantigrades and can stand up on their hind legs for extended periods of time. Brown bears have a large hump of muscle over their shoulders which distinguishes them from other species. Brown bears are very powerful, and can break the backs and necks of large prey. The forearms end in massive paws with claws up to 15 cm (6 inches) in length which are mainly used for digging. The claws are not retractable, and have relatively blunt points. Their heads are large and round with a concave facial profile, a characteristic used to distinguish them from other bears. Males are 38-50% larger than females. The normal range of physical dimensions for a brown bear is a head-and-body length of 1,7 to 2,8 m (5,6 to 9,2 feet) and a shoulder height of 90 to 150 cm (35 to 60 inches). The smallest subspecies is the Eurasian Brown Bear whose mature females weigh as little as 90 kg (200 lb).

049 - Romania

2009-05-02T15:33:00.002+03:00

Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Ţepeş in Romanian), or simply Dracula (November/December 1431 – December 1476), was a Wallachian (present-day southern Romania) voivode. His first reign as crown prince took place at age 17, during the same year of his release from Turkish captivity, in 1448. His main reign took place in 1456 and ended in 1462. His final reign was accomplished with the aid of the Hungarian throne in 1476 and he ruled until his assassination months later within the same year. Vlad the Impaler is known for the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed as ruler of Wallachia, however the people of Romania refer to Vlad as a savior to their nation and continue to justify his method of torture as not uncommon for that period in history. Impalement was Ţepeş's preferred method of torture and execution, however the exact number of enemies executed cannot be relied on for they are documented by Vlad's rivals, therefore are most likely exaggerated to an extent. In the English-speaking world, Vlad III is perhaps most commonly known for inspiring the name of the vampire in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.
As prince, Vlad maintained an independent policy in relation to the Ottoman Empire and was a defender of Wallachia against Ottoman expansionism. His Romanian surname "Drăculea" means "Son of the dragon" and is derived from his father's title, Vlad the Devil (see Vlad II Dracul); the latter was a member of the Order of the Dragon created by Emperor Sigismund. The word "Dracul" means "the Devil" in modern Romanian but in Vlad's day also meant "dragon" and derives from the Latin word "Draco", also meaning "dragon". The suffix "-lea" can be translated as "son of".
The old Romanian word for serpent is nowadays the most common and casual reference to the devil-the people of Wallache gave Vlad II the surname "Dracula" ("Dracula" being the more grammatically correct form). His son Vlad III would later use in several documents the surname "Drăculea". Through various translations ("Draculea", "Drakulya") Vlad III eventually came to be known as "Dracula" (note that this ultimate version is a modern invention). His post-mortem moniker of "Ţepeş" ("Impaler") originated in his preferred method for executing his opponents, impalement-as popularized by medieval Transylvanian pamphlets. In Turkish, he was known as "Kazıklı Bey" which means "Impaler Prince". Vlad was referred to as "Dracula" in a number of documents of his times, mainly the Transylvania Saxon pamphlets and "The Annals of Jan Długosz".

048 - Romania

2009-05-02T15:17:00.002+03:00

The princely church was built in 1352 under Basarab I on the place of the XIII century Saint Nicholas church. The forefront is narrow and domed, with a cupola in the centre; the nave is square, domed, of large proportions. The tower rises above the four pillars bearing the arches.

The paintings covering the walls date back to voivode Vlaicu’s time (1364-1366.) Some of the paintings are from the XVIII century. Altogether there are around 130 wall paintings. The outside look is defined by the alternation of stone and brick layers.

For a long time the church served as a burial place for rulers of Muntenia. One of them was voivode Vlaicu. In his tomb archeologists found a number of XIV century artifacts, among which the belt buckle from Arges.
In 1992, when the princely court, Curtea de Arges, was being renovated a piece of paper was found which says that voivode Basarab, i.e. Basarab I ruling between 1310 and 1352, and the founder of the independent feudal state of Muntenia, died in 6860 (i.e. 1352) in Câmpulung. I Basarab was also buried in the churh.
His tomb is displayed under glass. One can also see a few pieces of an overlord’s clothing with gold and silver inlay.

047 - Romania

2009-05-02T15:08:00.002+03:00

A dolphinarium is an aquarium for dolphins. The dolphins are usually kept in a large pool, though occasionally they may be kept in pens in the open sea, either for research or for public performances. Some dolphinariums consist of one pool where dolphins perform for the public, others have expanded into much larger parks, keeping other marine animals and having other attractions. These larger parks are often not considered to be dolphinariums themselves, but marine mammal parks or theme parks that include a dolphinarium. A dolphinarium can also be part of a zoo.
Though cetaceans have been held in captivity in both North America and Europe since the 1860s, the first being a pair of Beluga Whales in the New York museum, dolphins were first kept for paid entertainment in the Marine Studios dolphinarium founded in 1938 in St. Augustine, Florida. It was here that it was discovered that dolphins could be trained to perform tricks. Recognizing the success of Marine Studios, more dolphinariums keeping dolphins for entertainment followed. In the 1960s, keeping dolphins in zoos and aquariums for entertainment purposes became increased in popularity after the 1963 Flipper movie and subsequent Flipper television series. In 1966, the first dolphin was exported to Europe. In these early days, dolphinariums could grow quickly due to a lack of legislation and lack of concern for animal welfare. New legislation, most notably the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act in the United States, combined with a more critical view on animal welfare forced many dolphinariums around the world to close. As an example, during the early 1970s there were at least 36 dolphinariums and travelling dolphin shows in the United Kingdom, none of which still exist today, the last dolphinarium in the UK having closed its doors in 1993. A considerable number of dolphinariums remain elsewhere in Europe however. Japan is also home to a relatively large number of dolphinariums. Dolphinarium of Constanța was opened in 1972.

046 - Romania

2009-05-02T15:04:00.001+03:00

Poenari Castle also known as Poenari Citadel (Cetatea Poenari in Romanian), is a ruined castle in Romania, in Argeş County (Căpăţânenii Pământeni village of the Arefu commune) on a canyon formed on the Argeş River valley, close to the Făgăraş Mountains. It stands on a cliff, on the right side of the Transfăgărăşan road which climbs high into the mountains. Poenari Castle is said to be one of the most haunted places in the world. It was erected around the beginning of the 13th century by the first Romanian rulers in the South region of Romania, known as Wallachia. Around the 14th century, Poenari was the main citadel of the Basarab rulers. In the next few decades, the name and the residents changed a few times but eventually the castle was abandoned and left in ruins. However, in the 15th century, realizing the potential for a castle perched high on a steep precipice of rock, Vlad III the Impaler repaired and consolidated the structure, making it one of his main fortresses.
Although the castle was used for many years after Vlad's death in 1476, it eventually was abandoned again in the first half of the 16th century and was in ruins by the 17th century. Due to its size and location, control of the castle was difficult to take, even by natural forces. However, in 1888, a landslide brought down a portion of the castle which crashed into the river far below. Nonetheless, the castle was slightly repaired and the walls and its towers still stand today. To reach the castle, visitors need to climb 1.500 steps.

045 - Romania

2009-05-02T14:56:00.003+03:00

Today a historical monument, Peleş Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle placed in an idyllic setting in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1883. The first architect was the Viennese Wilhelm von Doderer (1825-1900) and then German Johannes Schultz (1876-1883). Later additions were made between 1893 and 1914 by the Czech architect Karel Liman, who added designed the towers, including the main central tower, 66 m in height.
By form and function, Peleş, is truly a palace but affectionately and consistently called a castle instead, by all. Its architectural style is a Neo-Renaissance of romantic inspiration that can find a corespondent in 19th century ideals with the monumental Gothic Revival of Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, ironically called a castle as well. A Saxon influence can be observed in the interior courtyard facades that have rich and ornated fachwerk similar to northern Europe alpine architecture and allegorical hand painted murals. Interior decoration is mostly a Baroque influence with heavy carved woods and exquisite fabrics.
Peleş Castle has 3.200 sq. meters of floor plan, over 170 rooms, 30 bathrooms, many with dedicated themes from world cultures (in similar fashion with other Romanian palaces, like Cotroceni Palace for example), themes that can vary by function (offices, libraries, armouries, art galleries) or by style (Florentine, Turkish, Moorish, French, Imperial) all extremely lavishly furnished and decorated to the slightest detail. The establishment hosts one of the finest collections of art in East and Central Europe, consisting of statues, paintings, furniture, arms and armour, gold, silver, stained glass, ivory, fine china, tapestries and rugs; the collection of arms and armour has over 4.000 pieces, divided between Eastern and Western war, ceremonial or hunting spreading over four centuries in history. Oriental rugs come from the finest sources: Bukhara, Mosul, Isparta, Saruk and Smirna, porcelain from Sevres and Meissen, leather from Córdoba but perhaps the most acclaimed are the hand painted stained glass vitralios, mostly Swiss. A towering statue of King Carol I by Raffaello Romanelli overlooks the main entrance but many other statues are present on the seven Italian neo-Renaissance terrace gardens, mostly of Carrara marble executed by the Italian sculptor Romanelli. The gardens also host fountains, urns, stairways, guarding lions, marble paths and other decorative pieces.

044 - Romania

2009-05-02T14:42:00.006+03:00

The Sinaia Monastery was founded by Prince Mihai Cantacuzino in 1695 and named after the great Sinai Monastery on Mount Sinai. As of 2005 it is inhabited by 13 Christian Orthodox monks led by hegumen Macarie Bogus. It belongs to the archdiocese of Bucharest. Situated in the Prahova Valley, the Monastery has given its name to the dwellings nearby. Those few houses have turned into the town of Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania. The monastery consists of two courtyards surrounded by low buildings. In the centre of each courtyard there is a small church built in the Byzantine style. One of them - "Biserica Veche" (The Old Church) - dates from 1695, while the more recent "Biserica Mare" (The Great Church) was built in 1846. The monks possess a library that constitutes a repository for valuable jewels belonging to the Cantacuzino family, as well as the earliest Romanian translation of the Bible, dated 1668. Here is buried Take Ionescu, former Prime Minister of Romania.
Prince (Spătarul) Mihai Cantacuzino founded the monastery upon his return from a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai. It took five years to complete the first buildings from 1690 to 1695. It was supposed to serve as a Monastery as well as a fortified stronghold on the way from Brașov to Bucharest. In the first plan the Monastery will hold 12 monks just like the Twelve Apostles, but, in time, the number of monks grew.
During the Russo-Turkish War, 1735-1739 the Monastery was deserted and the valuables hid inside a bell and buried. During that war the Turks have fought a battle with the troupes stationed within the walls of the Monastery and won. The ottomans had burned the area and broke the wall in two places. Until 1850, Sinaia consisted of little more than the monastery and a group of huts. In 1864, however, the monastic estate was assigned to the Board of Civil Hospitals (Eforia Spitalelor Civile), which opened a hospital and several baths, and helped develop mineral springs in Sinaia.
In 1948 the Monastery goes under the patronage of the Archdiocese of Bucharest from the Board of Civil Hospitals. The Romanian Patriach Justinian restores the buildings between the years 1951 and 1957 with the money from the Archdiocese of Bucharest. At this point they fit the whole Monastery with running water, electricity and natural gas.
The Old Church was built in 1695. As of 2006 it is currently closed and it is restored to the old beauty. The original painting is made by Pârvu Mutu and restored for the first time in 1795. Celebratin 200 years of the Old Church in 1895 they opened the Museum of the Monastery. This is the first exhibition of church objects in Romania.

Postcard History

2009-05-01T20:09:00.005+03:00

A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope and at a lower rate than a letter. Stamp collectors distinguish between postcards (which require a stamp) and postal cards (which have the postage pre-printed on them). While a postcard is usually printed by a private company, individual or organization, a postal card is issued by the relevant postal authority. The United States Postal Service defines a postcard as: rectangular, at least 3-½ inches high x 5 inches long x .007 inch thick and no more than 4-¼ inches high x 6 inches long x .016 inches thick; (in metric; 12.7 cm*8.9 cm) however, some postcards have deviated from this (for example, shaped postcards).
The study and collecting of postcards is termed deltiology.
Postcard Era*: Pioneer - 1893-1898 - During this time only the government was allowed to use the word "Postcard" on the back of the postcard. Privately published postcards in this era will have the titles "Souvenir Card", "Correspondence Card", or "Mail Card" on the back.
Private Mailing Card - 1898-1901 - In 1898, by an act of Congress, private printers were granted permission to print and sell cards that bore the inscription "Private Mailing Card". Postcards of this era have undivided backs. During this period around 1900, Real Photo postcards (postcards on film stock) began to filter into use.
Undivided Back - 1901-1907 - Cards from this era have the word "Post Card" printed on the reverse. Written messages were still restricted to the front side, with the entire back dedicated to the address. This "undivided back" is what gives this postcard era its name. At the end of this period in time, the picture postcard hobby became the greatest collectible hobby that the World has ever known. The official figures from the U.S. Post Office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908, cite 677.777.798 postcard mailed. That was at a time when the total population of the U.S. was 88.700.000.
Divided Back - 1907-1915 - The divided back card, with space for a message on the address side, began the Golden Age of American Postcards, which lasted until about 1915, when World War I blocked the import of the fine German-printed cards.
White Border - 1915-1930 - After World War I, the German publishing industry was never rebuilt. Most locally available postcards were printed by U.S. publishers during this period. On U.S. Views, to save ink, a white border was left around the view, thus we call them "White Border" postcards.
Linen - 1930-1945 - New American printing processes allowed printing on postcards with a high rag content. The rag content gave these postcards a textured feel. They were also cheaper to produce and allowed the use of bright dyes for image coloring. They proved to be extremely popular with roadside establishments seeking cheap advertising.
Photochrom - 1945-1970 - A new type of postcard, the color Photochrome (called Chrome) appeared around 1939. These "Chrome" postcards started to dominate the scene soon after they were launched by the Union Oil Company in their western service stations in 1939. They were easily produced, of high photo quality and most importantly, they were in color.
Continental.

Printing Method* : Lithography & Photolithography, Printed Photo, Real Photo and Tinted Photo

Postcard Topics* : Advertising, Animals, Artist Signed, Children, Circus, Comics, Expositions, Famous People, Fantasy, Games, Gruss Aus ("Greetings From:"), Holidays, Military, Novelty, Nudes, Political, Pretty Ladies, Propaganda, Sports, Telephones, Transportation, U.S. Views, World Leaders and Worldwide Views.

Important Events in Postcard History**

1861 - The Lipman's Postal Card, "COPY-RIGHT SECURED 1861", Philadelphia.
1869, October 1 - Austria issued the world's first postal card. In the next few years, Austria's example was followed by many other countries: Switzerland (1870), Belgium (1871), Spain (1873), Italy (1873), Greece (1876), most of Scandinavia.
1870, October 1 - Britain issued first postal card, for use in that country only.
1871, June - Canada (the first non-European country) issued their first postal card.
1871-72 - The second edition Lipman card.
1872 - The first Russian postcard.
1873, January 15 - France issued their first postal card (120 x 78 mm).
1873 - Germany issued first official postal cards.
1873 - The first U.S. government postal card, one cent rate, including the imprinted stamp.
1873, June - Romania issued their first postal card (CARTA DE POSTA).
1873, December - Japan's first postcard was issued. See year conversion table for Japanese postmarks.
1875 - General Postal Union was formed, at a meeting held in Berne, Switzerland.
1875, July 1 - Britain issued their first postal card for foreign use.
1878 - Universal Postal Union (UPU) congress held in Paris.
1878 - France issued first official postal cards (140 x 90 mm).
1882 - The first commemorative postcard was issued in Germany for the Nuremberg Exhibition.
1889 - Pictorial card showing the Eiffel Tower, engraved by Léon-Charles Libonis.
1890 - Gruss Aus (Greetings from) cards.
1893 - The World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The first commercially produced pictorial card.
1894 - Britain issued first picture postcards.
1897 - Heinrich von Stephan died in Berlin, having made a profound impact on the standardization of mail service worldwide.
1899 - Raphael Tuck & Sons issued their first postcards.
1900 - The World's Exposition in Paris.
1902 - Great Britain became the first country to allow divided back cards, allowing senders to write both a message and the recipient's address on the back of the card.
1920 - Art Deco designs.
* by PostcardCollector.org
** by Old Picture Postcards

043 - Romania

2009-05-01T00:25:00.002+03:00

In the town of Sinaia and its surroundings restrictions are in place regarding cutting down or picking up flora. The felling of trees is not allowed. It is forbidden to pick up any alpine plants. Severe punishment may be in store for those who gather these plants: the Mountain Peony (Rhododendron Kotsky), Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), and the Yellow Gentiana (Gentiana lutea). Tourist camping is only authorized in designated places, following necessary and compulsory protection standards. The mountainous area in which Sinaia is located is in the Bucegi Natural Park region. The Park covers a total area of 326,63 square kilometres, of which 58,05 square kilometres are under strict protection and shelter natural monuments. The Bucegi Natural Preserve area includes all the abrupt areas of the mountains Vârful cu Dor, Furnica, and Piatra Arsă. The mountainous area is continuously patrolled by mountain rescue patrols as well as by members of the Mountain Police.
At the entrance to the Cumpătu district, one can find the "Sinaia alder-tree grove" botanical reservation placed under the protection of the Romanian Academy and the Bucharest Biology Institute. In the same district, there is also another ecological research station under the patronage of UNESCO - Jacques-Yves Cousteau, belonging to the University of Bucharest, which also includes a museum of Bucegi Mountains fauna in a laboratory for nature protection.

042 - Romania

2009-05-01T00:16:00.003+03:00

Sinaia is a mountain resort in Romania. The town was named after Sinaia Monastery, around which it was built; the monastery in turn is named after the Biblical Mount Sinai. King Carol I of Romania built his summer home, Peleş Castle, near the town. Sinaia is about 60 km northwest of Ploieşti and 50 km south of Braşov, in a mountainous area on the Prahova River valley, just east of the Bucegi Mountains. The altitude varies between 767 m and 860 m.
The city is a popular destination for hiking and winter sports, especially downhill skiing. Among the tourist landmarks, the most important are Peleş Castle, Pelişor Castle, Sinaia Monastery, Sinaia Casino, Sinaia train station, and the Franz Joseph and Saint Anne Cliffs. Sinaia was also the summer residence of the Romanian composer George Enescu, who stayed at the Luminiş villa.

041 - Romania

2009-05-01T00:11:00.003+03:00

Romania is a country located in South-East Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory. It shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the south.

The territory's recorded history includes periods of rule by Dacians, the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. As a nation-state, the country was formed by the merging of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 and it gained recognition of its independence in 1878. Later, in 1918, they were joined by Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia. At the end of World War II, parts of its territories (roughly the present day Moldova) were occupied by USSR and Romania became a member of the Warsaw Pact. With the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Romania started a series of political and economic reforms. After a decade of post-independence economic problems, Romania made economic reforms such as low flat tax rates in 2005 and joined the European Union in January 1, 2007. While Romania's income level remains one of the lowest in the European Union, reforms have increased the growth speed. Romania is now an upper-middle income country economy.

Romania has the 9th largest territory and the 7th largest population (with 21,5 million people) among the European Union member states. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest (Romanian: Bucureşti), the 6th largest city in the EU with 1,9 million people. In 2007, Sibiu, a city in Transylvania, was chosen as a European Capital of Culture. Romania also joined NATO on March 29, 2004, and is also a member of the Latin Union, of the Francophonie of the OSCE and an associate member of the CPLP. Romania is a semi-presidential unitary state.

040 - Germany

2009-04-30T17:24:00.001+03:00

Sanssouci Park is a large park surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany. Following the terracing of the vineyard and the completion of the palace, the surroundings were included in the structure. A baroque flower garden with lawns, flower beds, hedges and trees was created. In the hedge quarter 3,000 fruit trees were planted. The greenhouses of the numerous nurseries contained oranges, Melons, peaches and bananas. The goddesses Flora and Pomona, who decorate the entrance obelisk at the eastern park exit, were placed there to highlight the connection of a flower, fruit and vegetable garden.
With the expansion of the site after the creation of more buildings, a 2.5 km long straight main avenue was built. It began in the east at the 1748 obelisk and over the years was extended all the way to the New Palace, which marks its end in the west. In 1764 the picture gallery was constructed, followed by the New Chambers in 1774. They flank the palace and open the alley up to rondels with the fountains, surrounded by marble statues. From there paths lead in a star pattern between tall hedges to further parts of the gardens.
In his organisation of the park, Frederick continued what he had begun in Neuruppin and Rheinsberg. During his stay as Crown Prince in Neuruppin, where he was commander of a regiment from 1732 to 1735, he ordered that a flower, fruit and vegetable garden be laid out in the grounds of his abode. He already deviated here from the classical organisation of baroque gardens, which concerned themselves purely with the model represented by Versailles, by combining the beautiful and the useful. He also followed this principle in Rheinsberg. Apart from the transformation of the palace, which Frederick received as a present from his father Frederick William I in 1734, he ordered the establishment of fruit and vegetable garden areas enclosed by hedges. In addition the central avenue and a larger intersecting avenue did not lead directly to the palace, as was usual in French parks of the era, but took off from the south wing and at a right angle to the building.
Frederick invested heavily in the fountain system of Sanssouci Park, as water features were a firm component of baroque gardens. But the Neptune Grotto, finished in 1757 in the eastern part of the park, was used just as little for its intended function as the fountain facilities. Atop the Ruinenberg, roughly six hundred metres away, was a water basin from which no water could arrive into the park and because of the "fountaineers"' lack of expertise the project failed.
It did not succeed until steam power was employed one hundred years later, and thus the purpose of the water reservoir was finally fulfilled. In October 1842 an 81.4 horsepower steam engine built by August Borsig started working and made the water jet of the Great Fountain below the vineyard terraces rise to a height of 38 metres. A pumping station on the Havelbrucht was especially built for this machine. It was commissioned by Frederick William IV and built by Ludwig Persius between 1841 and 1843, "in the manner of a Turkish Mosque with a minaret as a chimney".
Many years earlier, Frederick William III had acquired an area which bordered Sanssouci Park to the south and given it to his son Frederick William IV for Christmas in 1825. There Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Ludwig Persius built Charlottenhof Palace on the site of a former farm house and Peter Joseph Lenné was commissioned with the garden design. With the baroque flower and fruit and vegetable gardens from the Frederician era in mind, the garden architect converted the flat and partly swampy grounds into an open landscape park. Broad meadows created visual avenues between Charlottenhof, the Roman Baths and the New Palace with the Temple of Friendship developed from the time of Frederick the Great. Casually placed groups of bushes and trees and a moat that was broadened into a pond at its southeastern end beautify the large park. Lenné used the materials excavated to create the pond to construct a gentle hilly area landscape where the paths meet in the shape of stars at the high points.

039 - Germany

2009-04-30T17:19:00.003+03:00

Ulm is a city in the German Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120.000 (2006), forms an urban district of its own (German: Stadtkreis) and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and traditions as a former Free Imperial City (German: freie Reichsstadt). Today, it is an economic centre due to its varied industries, and it is the seat of a university (University of Ulm, founded in 1967). Internationally, Ulm is primarily known for the tallest church in the world, the Gothic minster (Ulm Minster, German: Ulmer Münster) and as the birthplace of Albert Einstein.
The oldest traceable settlement of the Ulm area began in the early Neolithic period, around 5000 BC. Settlements of this time have been identified at the villages of Eggingen and Lehr, today districts of the city. In the city area of Ulm proper, the oldest find dates from the late Neolithic period. Ulm was first mentioned in 854 and declared an Imperial City (German: Reichsstadt) by Friedrich Barbarossa in 1181.
At first, Ulm's significance was due to the privilege of a Königspfalz, a place of accommodation for the medieval German kings and emperors on their frequent travels. Later, Ulm became a city of traders and craftsmen. One of the most important legal documents of the city, an agreement between the Ulm patricians and the trade guilds (German: Großer Schwörbrief), dates from 1397. This document, considered an early city constitution, and the beginning of the construction of an enormous church (Ulm Minster, 1377), financed by the inhabitants of Ulm themselves rather than by the church, demonstrate the assertiveness of Ulm's mediæval citizens. Ulm blossomed during the 15th and 16th centuries, mostly due to the export of high-quality textiles. The city was situated at the crossroads of important trade routes extending to Italy. These centuries, during which many important buildings were erected, also represented the zenith of art in Ulm, especially for painters and sculptors like Hans Multscher and Jörg Syrlin the Elder. During the Reformation, Ulm became Protestant (1530). With the establishment of new trade routes following the discovery of the New World (16th century) and the outbreak and consequences of the Thirty Years' War (1618–48), the city began to decline gradually. Around 1700, it was alternately invaded several times by French and Bavarian soldiers.
Most of the city was rebuilt in the plain and simple style of the 1950s and 1960s, but some of the historic landmark buildings have been restored. Ulm experienced substantial growth in the decades following World War II, with the establishment of large new housing projects and new industrial zones. In 1967, Ulm University was founded, which proved to be of great importance for the development of the city. Particularly since the 1980s, the transition from classical industry towards the high-tech sector has accelerated, with, for example, the establishment of research centres of companies like Daimler, Siemens and Nokia and a number of small applied research institutes near the university campus. The city today is still growing, forming a twin city of 170,000 inhabitants together with its neighbouring Bavarian city of Neu-Ulm, and seems to benefit from its central position between the cities of Stuttgart and Munich and thus between the cultural and economic hubs of southern Germany.

038 - Czeh Republic

2009-04-30T17:09:00.003+03:00

The Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička) in the complex of Prague Castle. The street full of small houses built in Mannerism style at the end of the 16th century. The street was created during the construction of northern fortification at the end of the 15th century. In 1597 the emperor Rudolf II decided to give the space there to the castle marksmen who guarded the fortification. But there were 24 marksmen and a lack of space. Therefore, the marksmen had to build very small houses for them and their families. The material they used was stone, mud, and wood. The emperor prohibited to build windows in the direction to the Deer Moat or to sell or rent the house to somebody else. During the decades several houses were destroyed, after 1657 there were only 14 houses left. Castle marksmen were not needed so much any more, that’s why more and more people of other occupations came to live there. The Golden Gate hosted both rich and poor people, artists, clerks, footmen, etc. One of the famous inhabitants of this street was famous writer Franz Kafka in house no. 22 or Prague prophetess Madame de Thebes, who was killed by the Gestapo in the war because she foretold the end of Nazism.

Golden Lane got its name from the story of alchymists living in the street during the reign of Rudolf II who tried to make not only the philosopher stone or the elixir of youth, but also to transform metals into gold. Even though these stories are not based on the truth, there is a real story dating to the beginning of the 20th century. One of the local house was inhabited by an old man, doctor of philosofy Uhle, who spent all his money on old books Souvenir shop about magic. He made secret experiments in his lab inside the house. In 1831 people in the Golden Lane heard a big detonation from his house. When fire fighters entered the house and distinguished fire, they found Uhle dead with a yellow stone in his hand. Later on the stone was proved to be gold. How the gold got into the house is still not known. Maybe he really made his and many other alchymists’ longtime dream come true.

037 - Great Britain

2009-04-30T17:03:00.004+03:00

Scotland (Gaelic: Alba) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland consists of over 790 islands including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centres. Edinburgh was the hub of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, which transformed Scotland into one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, was once one of the world's leading industrial cities and now lies at the centre of the Greater Glasgow conurbation, which dominates the Scottish Lowlands. Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union.
The Kingdom of Scotland was an independent sovereign state prior to 1st May 1707, upon which date she entered into a political union with the Kingdom of England to create the united Kingdom of Great Britain. This union resulted from the Treaty of Union agreed in 1706 and enacted by the twin Acts of Union passed by the Parliaments of both countries, despite widespread protest across Scotland. Scotland's legal system continues to be separate from those of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and Scotland still constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in public and in private law. The continued independence of Scots law, the Scottish education system, and the Church of Scotland have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and Scottish national identity since the Union. Although Scotland is no longer a separate sovereign state, the constitutional future of Scotland continues to give rise to debate.

036 - Finland

2009-04-30T16:58:00.002+03:00

Fritillaria meleagris (Snake's Head Fritillary, Checkered Daffodil, Frog-cup, Guinea-hen Flower, Leper Lily, Snake's Head (the original English name) or (in northern Europe) simply Fritillary) is a Fritillary, a flower from the family Liliaceae.
The flower has a chequered reddish-brown, purple, white and grey colouration, sometimes mostly white. It flowers from March to May and grows between 15 and 40 cm in height. It has a round bulb, about 2cm in diameter which contains poisonous alkaloids. The plant is commonly found growing in grasslands in damp soils and river meadows. It can be found at altitudes up to 800 metres. It is native to Europe, but in many places, including France, Slovenia and Romania it is an endangered species that is rarely found in the wild, but is common in horticulturists' gardens. In Croatia the flower is known as Kockavica and is part of the country's national symbol. It is the only species of Fritillary native to Britain, growing in traditional grass meadows. Due to changing land usage, it is now quite rare in the wild. The Meadow of Magdalen College, Oxford, the village of Ducklington, Oxfordshire (which holds a Fritillary Sunday festival), and the North Meadow National Nature Reserve, Wiltshire are some of the best locations to view this flower.
The Leper Lily is the official flower of the Swedish province of Uppland, where it grows in large quantities every spring at the meadows in Kungsängen, just outside Uppsala, also giving the flower its Swedish name, kungsängslilja. In Sandemar strandängar (Sandemar beach meadows), a nature reserve west of the village Dalarö in Stockholm archipelago in Sweden has the Snake's Head Fritillary also found a locale where it can flourish in abundance.

035 - United States

2009-04-30T16:53:00.002+03:00

Flowers and Flower arrangements from 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, the World's Favorite Florist!
Your best choice when shopping online for flowers, bouquets and gifts at any time of the year, especially Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. We have a wonderful variety of fresh flowers and plants including roses, orchids, tulips, carnations, lilies, and more. We also offer delicious gourmet gift baskets of fresh fruit, gourmet food, chocolate and candy.
You'll find bouquets for all occasions: birthday, anniversary, Just Because, New Baby, Love & Romance, I'm Sorry, Get Well, and Sympathy. And we also have the right flower arrangements for all holidays: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Halloween.
We offer many different rose colors and flower arrangements: red, pink, yellow, peach, purple, and white. Whether you're looking for a flower bouquet or a potted plant, our variety of flowers and gifts provide you plenty of choices.
Same-day flower delivery is available throughout Spring, Winter, Summer and Fall. All you have to do is place your order by 2:00 pm of the gift receiver's time.
In 1976, Jim McCann, founder and CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, opened his first retail florist shop and forever changed the way flowers are bought for birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions. For more than 30 years, our passion has been to help you connect and express yourself to the important people in your life by providing the finest selection of beautiful flowers and arrangements, from roses to tulips to carnations to orchids to gerbera daisies, available for same day or next day delivery. You can also find plants, gift baskets, gourmet foods, and stuffed animals perfect for every occasion and all covered by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
A Forbes Magazine Best of the Web pick, and named to Internet Retailer's Best of the Web Top 50 Retail Sites list for seven consecutive years, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM is proud to offer solutions for every gifting need, whether you're looking for flower delivery across town or across the country. (1-800-flowers.com)

034 - Russia

2009-04-30T16:42:00.003+03:00

Safety Last! is a 1923 comedy silent film starring Harold Lloyd. It includes one of the most famous images from the silent film era: Lloyd clutching the bending hands of a clock on the side of a building as he dangles from the outside of a skyscraper above moving traffic. The film was highly successful and critically hailed, and cemented Lloyd's status as a major figure in early motion pictures. It is still popular at revivals, and is viewed today as one of the great film comedies.
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies. Harold Lloyd ranks alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton as one of the most popular and influential film comedians of the silent film era. Lloyd made nearly 200 comedy films, both silent and "talkies," between 1914 and 1947. He is best known for his "Glasses Character", a resourceful, success-seeking go-getter who was perfectly in tune with 1920s era America.
His films frequently contained "thrill sequences" of extended chase scenes and daredevil physical feats, for which he is best remembered today. Lloyd hanging from the hands of a clock high above the street in Safety Last! is one of the most enduring images in all of cinema. Lloyd did many of these dangerous stunts himself, despite having injured himself in 1919 during the filming of Haunted Spooks when an accident with a prop bomb resulted in the loss of the thumb and index finger of his right hand (the injury was disguised on film with the use of a special prosthetic glove, though the glove often did not go by unnoticed).
Although Lloyd's individual films were not as commercially successful as Charlie Chaplin's on average, he was far more prolific (releasing twelve feature films in the 1920s while Chaplin released just three), and they made more money overall ($15,7 million to Chaplin's $10,5 million).

033 - Hungary

2009-04-27T22:47:00.002+03:00

"Himnusz" (in English: Hymn) - the song beginning with the words Isten, áldd meg a magyart (God, bless the Hungarians) - is the official national anthem of Hungary. It was adopted in 1844 and the first stanza is sung at official ceremonies. The words were written by Ferenc Kölcsey, a nationally renowned poet in 1823, and the now-official music was composed by romantic composer Ferenc Erkel, although other less-known musical versions exist. The poem had the subtitle "A magyar nép zivataros századaiból" ("From the rough centuries of the Hungarian people"); it is often argued that this subtitle was only added so that the poem passes Habsburg censorship, by emphasizing past rather than present national grievances.
The poem and song titled "Szózat", which starts with the words Hazádnak rendületlenül légy híve, óh magyar (To your homeland be faithful steadfastly, O Hungarian) enjoys a social status nearly equal to that of "Himnusz", even though only "Himnusz" is mentioned in the Constitution of Hungary. Traditionally, Himnusz is sung at the beginning of ceremonies, and Szózat at the end.
Recognition is also given to the Rákóczi March, a short wordless piece (composer unknown, but sometimes attributed to János Bihari) which is often used on state military occasions; and the poem Nemzeti dal written by Sándor Petőfi.
The official radio station Kossuth Rádió plays Himnusz every day at ten past midnight when broadcast on AM bands ends, and so do the state TV channels at the end of the daily broadcast. Himnusz is also traditionally played on Hungarian television at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve. Even in private homes, people will stand and sing along at that time.
The words of the Hungarian anthem are unusual for the genre in expressing a direct plea to God rather than proclaiming national pride. Because of the mention of God, the anthem was played but the words were not sung during the period of the strongest Communist rule in Hungary (1949–1956). (Party Secretary Mátyás Rákosi even asked composer Zoltán Kodály to write a new, Communist-themed national anthem, but Kodály refused, and Rákosi didn't press the matter.) After the fall of the Hungarian Revolution, János Kádár attempted to replace the Himnusz with Szózat as the national anthem, but failed.

* O, my God, the Magyar bless
With Thy plenty and good cheer!
With Thine aid his just cause press,
Where his foes to fight appear.
Fate, who for so long did’st frown,
Bring him happy times and ways;
Atoning sorrow hath weighed down
Sins of past and future days.

* integral - click here

032 - Hungary

2009-04-27T00:18:00.000+03:00

The Szózat (in English: Appeal or Summons) is considered as a second national anthem of Hungary, beside the Himnusz. Usually only its first two stanzas are sung at national celebrations. The official anthem is sung at the beginning of ceremonies, and Szózat is sung at the end. It was written in 1836 by Mihály Vörösmarty, and was set to music in 1840 by Béni Egressy.

* Oh, Magyar, keep immovably
your native country's trust,
for it has borne you, and at death
will consecrate your dust!

No other spot in all the world
can touch your heart as home—
let fortune bless or fortune curse,
from hence you shall not roam!

* integral - click here

031 - Australia

2009-04-26T21:46:00.005+03:00

(postal card) Waratah (Telopea) is a bundle of about 1000 hair shrubs or small trees in the Proteaceae, native to the southeastern parts of Australia (New South Wales and Victoria) and Tasmania. They have spirally arranged leaves 10-20 cm long and 2-3 cm broad with entire or serrated margins, and large, dense flowerheads 6-15 cm diameter with numerous small red flowers and a basal ring of red bracts. The name waratah comes from the Eora Aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of the Sydney area. Within the Proteaceae, their closest relatives appear to be the genera Alloxylon (Tree Waratahs), Oreocallis and Embothrium, a group of generally terminal red-flowering plants which skirt the southern edges of the Pacific Rim. Together they make up the subtribe Embothriinae within the family.

***

Grevillea mucronulata, also known as Green Spider Flower, is a shrub which is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. This species is a spreading to erect shrub which usually grows to between 0.3 and 2 metres in height. Its leaves are elliptic, obovate or round. The green flowers appear predominantly from late autumn to mid spring (May to October in Australia). The species occurs in dry sclerophyll woodland or heathland in the upper Hunter Valley, the Sydney region and southward along the coast towards Eden where it is found in isolated pockets. As the green flowers are camouflaged within the foliage, this species has not proved as popular in horticulture as other species within the genus, beyond being grown by collectors.

030 - Germany

2009-04-25T02:12:00.000+03:00

The Palatinate Forest (German: Pfälzerwald) is a low-mountain region in southwestern Germany, located in Palatinate in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The Nature Park (German: Naturpark, equivalent Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Palatinate Forest covers 1.771 km² and its highest elevation is Mount Kalmit (673 m). Together with the northern part of the adjacent Vosges Mountains in France it forms the UNESCO Biosphere reserve Palatinate Forest-Vosges du Nord. The Biosphere reserve is one of the biggest forests in Europe.

The Palatinate Forest can be divided into 3 areas:
* The northern Palatinate Forest, bounded by the northern Palatinate extensive hilly landscape and reaching southwards to a line from Kaiserslautern to Bad Duerkheim
* The middle Palatinate Forest from the stream Isenach and the line Kaiserslautern - Bad Duerkheim to the stream Queich and the line Pirmasens - Landau
* The southern Palatinate Forest, the so called Wasgau, from the stream Queich and the line Pirmasens - Landau to the french borderline in the south.

029 - Finland

2009-04-25T01:55:00.000+03:00

Kuopio is a Finnish city and municipality located in the province of Eastern Finland and the region of Northern Savonia. A population of 92.046 makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of 1.728,54 square kilometres (667,39 sq mi), of which 604,51 km2 (233,40 sq mi) is water and half forest. The population density is only 82/km² (210/sq mi), but the city's urban areas are populated very densely (urban area: 1 617,6 /km²), nationally second only to capital Helsinki (urban area: 1.690/km²). The population of the entire Kuopio region is 119.472.
Kuopio was founded in 1653 by Governor Peter Brahe, but the official date is recognized as November 17, 1775, when King Gustav III of Sweden ordered the establishment of the city of Kuopio. The municipality of Vehmersalmi joined the city of Kuopio on January 1, 2005 like the municipality of Kuopion maalaiskunta in 1969 and the municipality of Riistavesi in 1973. Karttula will join Kuopio in 2011. Kuopio is almost completely surrounded by lake Kallavesi.
The city is surrounded by lake Kallavesi, and several parts of it are built on islands. Kuopio's ample waterfronts and islands are also utilized in the Saaristokaupunki (lit. Archipelago city) -project, the biggest residential area currently being built in Finland. Saaristokaupunki will accommodate a total of 14.000 inhabitants in 2015. All houses will be situated no more than 500 meters from the nearest lakeshore. Kuopio is known for its association with a national delicacy, Finnish fish pastry (Kalakukko), and the dialect of Savo, as well as the hill of Puijo and the Puijo tower. Besides being a very popular outdoor recreation area, Puijo serves also as a stage for a yearly World Cup ski jumping competition.
The city has a nationally unique feature in its street network, where every second street is practically a pedestrian and cycle street, so called "rännikatu" (lit. rain gutter street). These operate as woonerf streets, providing pedestrians a calm environment aside from the main street traffic. This setup dates back all the way to 1776 and the first town plan by Pehr Kjellman.

028 - United States

2009-04-25T01:46:00.000+03:00

The Chincoteague (Assateague) Pony is a hardy breed that developed on Assateague Island, which is off the Atlantic coast of Maryland and Virginia. The ponies live in a feral condition on the Virginia portion of Assateague and are owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Excess numbers are rounded up each year by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company of neighboring Chincoteague Island during the annual Pony Penning and auctioned off as a fundraiser. These ponies, sold to private owners, have been successfully re-domesticated and are used as riding ponies. The Chincoteague Pony Association was established in 1994. All ponies sold by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company are eligible for registration, as well as those bred by private breeders. There are several Chincoteague Pony breeders scattered around the United States, the Chincoteague Pony Breeders Association was established in 2006. Several of these breeders also breed descendants of Misty of Chincoteague.

027 - United States

2009-04-25T01:41:00.000+03:00

The Milwaukee Breakwater lighthouse is located in the harbor of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. It protects the entrance to the Milwaukee River. This lighthouse, owned and operated by the United States Coast Guard, is an active aid to navigation. The steel tower has a square Balcony and "round cast iron lantern room [that] features helical astragals" in the lantern. The two-story steel lighthouse keeper's quarters are in the art deco style. The structure rests on a 60 feet (18 m) by 54 feet (16 m) concrete pier, which rises more than 20 feet (6, m) above the lake's surface. The tower rests 14 feet (4,3 m) above the second floor and is 53 feet (16 m) tall overall. The red light has a focal plane of 67 feet (20 m) feet above Lake Michigan. The lantern and parapet are painted black. The structure is near the middle of the four-mile-long Milwaukee breakwater. It is built to withstand heavy weather and waves when Lake Michigan becomes roughest. The building is made of quarter-inch "steel plates over a steel skeletal frame, and is equipped with windows and portholes with glass a full half inch in thickness." The structure was originally painted red, but became white thereafter.
In 1926, the original fourth order Fresnel lens was transferred from the Milwaukee Pierhead Light. The "helical barred lantern is also thought to have come from the pierhead light". The lens was removed in 1994, and is now an exhibit in Manitowoc at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. The resident lighthouse keepers serviced not only this light, but all of the lights in the harbor, however boat launching and landing from this structure was especially risky.

026 - United States

2009-04-25T01:36:00.000+03:00

The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington, and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over 2,3 million visitors in all for the World Fair. The Space Needle is 605 feet (184 m) high at its highest point and 138 feet (42 m) wide at its widest point and weighs 9.550 tons. When it was completed it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River. It is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and earthquakes up to 9.5 magnitude (which would protect the structure against an earthquake as powerful as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake). The tower has 25 lightning rods on its roof to prevent lightning damage.
The Space Needle features an observation deck at 520 feet (160 m), and a gift shop with the rotating SkyCity restaurant at 500 feet (152 m). From the top of the Needle, one can see not only the Downtown Seattle skyline, but also the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay and surrounding islands. Photographs of the Seattle skyline often show the Space Needle in a prominent position, even appearing to tower above the rest of the city's skyscrapers, as well as Mount Rainier in the background. This occurs because the tower, which is equivalent in height to a 60-story building, stands roughly four-fifths of a mile (1.3 km) northwest of most downtown skyscrapers, and on a hill.
Visitors can reach the top of the Space Needle via elevators that travel at 10 mph (16 km/h). The trip takes 43 seconds, and some tourists wait in hour-long lines in order to ascend to the top of the tower. On windy days, the elevators are slowed down to a speed of 5 mph. The Space Needle was designated a historic landmark on April 19, 1999 by the City's Landmarks Preservation Board.

025 - Belarus

2009-04-25T01:31:00.000+03:00

The former castle in Navahrudak, Belarus (Навагрудскі замак) was one of the key strongholds of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, cited by Maciej Stryjkowski as the location of Mindaugas's coronation as King of Lithuania as well as his likely burial place. Modern historians cannot make up their minds as to the true location of Mindaugas's coronation.

As early as the 14th century, Navahrudak is known to have possessed a stone tower along the lines of Tower of Kamyanyets. Other fortifications were of timber. The castle was stormed by the Teutonic Knights under Heinrich von Plotzke in 1314. Although the attack was not successful, the tower sustained substantial damage. During the reign of Vytautas the Great four new stone towers were added to the system of Navahrudak fortifications. In the 17th century the main castle boasted 7 towers, apart from those of the Lesser Castle. Navahrudak was one of the northernmost forts besieged by the Crimean Tatars in the 16th century.
Nabahrudak was twice occupied by Russian forces during the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667). Further destruction was inflicted by the Swedes who sacked Navahrudak as part of the Great Northern War in 1706. Attempts to preserve the ruins from further decay were undertaken in the 1920s. The castle grounds at present provide the setting for medieval reenactment and theatrical jousting.

024 - Switzerland

2009-04-25T01:21:00.000+03:00

The Lötschental is the largest valley on the northern side of the Rhône valley in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It lies in the Bernese Alps, with the river Lonza running down the length of the valley from its source within the Langgletscher.

The picturesque valley extends about 27 kilometers (17 miles) from the Lötschenlücke (3178 m) at the top of the Langgletscher to the mouth of the valley at Steg/Gampel (630 m). It is surrounded by 3,000 meter high mountains, including the Bietschhorn (3,934 m), the Hockenhorn (3,293 m), the Wilerhorn (3,307 m) and the Petersgrat (3,205 m). The Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn area is the most glaciated area in the Swiss Alps, and was declared a Natural World Heritage Site by decision of UNESCO on December 13, 2001, along with southern and eastern parts of the Lötschental. The main villages of the Lötschental are Wiler and Kippel, with 538 and 383 inhabitants respectively. Other villages in the valley include Ferden and Blatten. Altogether, the valley has approximately 1500 inhabitants.

023 - South Korea

2009-04-24T02:01:00.002+03:00

Jeju-do (transliterated Korean for Jeju Province, short form of Jeju Special Self-governing Province) is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. Its capital is the city of Jeju. The island contains the Natural World Heritage Site entitled Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.

***

The Rose of Sharon is a flower of uncertain identity mentioned in English language translations of the Bible. The word in question is the Hebrew חבצלת ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ, which has been uncertainly linked to the words בצל beṣel, meaning "bulb", and חמץ ḥāmaṣ, which is understood as meaning either "pungent" or "splendid" (The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon). The name first appears in 1611, when it was used in the King James Version of the Bible. According to an annotation at Song of Solomon 2.1 by the translation committee of the New Revised Standard Version, this is a mistranslation of the Hebrew word for "crocus".
The most accepted interpretation for the Biblical reference is the Pancratium maritimum, which blooms in the late summer just above the high-tide mark. The Hebrew name for this flower is חבצלת or חבצלת החוף (coastal ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ). It is commonly assumed by most people in Israel that, the Sharon plain being on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the Biblical passage refers to this flower.

***

The amur grape (Vitis amurensis), is a species of grape native to the Asian continent. Its name comes from the Amur Valley in Russia and China. It's very resistant to frost, but is not tolerant to drought. By hybridization with the European wine grape (Vitis vinifera), several cultivars resistant to low temperatures are produced, such as "Zarja severa" (Northern dawn) and Rondo.

***

(postal stamp) Physalis alkekengi (Bladder cherry, Chinese lantern, Japanese lantern, or Winter cherry; Japanese: hōzuki), is a relative of P. peruviana (Cape Gooseberry), easily identifiable by the larger, bright orange to red papery covering over its fruit, which resemble Chinese lanterns. It is native from southern Europe east across southern Asia to Japan.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 40-60 cm tall, with spirally arranged leaves 6-12 cm long and 4-9 cm broad. The flowers are white, with a five-lobed corolla 10-15 mm across, with an inflated basal calyx which matures into the papery orange fruit covering, 4-5 cm long and broad.

***

The Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) is a stocky, medium-sized owl which is common in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey, with several of the eleven recognised subspecies having both variants. The nest is typically in a tree hole, and eggs and young are fiercely defended against potential predators. This owl is non-migratory and highly territorial, and many young birds starve if they cannot find a vacant territory once parental care ceases. This nocturnal bird of prey hunts mainly rodents, usually by dropping from a perch to seize its victim, which is swallowed whole, although in more urban areas its diet includes a higher proportion of birds. Its night hunting is aided by vision and hearing adaptations and silent flight. The Tawny is capable of catching smaller owls, but may itself be killed by the Eagle Owl or Northern Goshawk, and foxes are an important cause of mortality in newly fledged young.

***

The Black-crowned Night Heron (or just Night Heron in Eurasia), (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium-sized heron. Adults are 64 cm long and weigh 800 g. They have a black crown and back with the remainder of the body white or grey, red eyes, and short yellow legs. Young birds are brown, flecked with white and grey. These are short-necked and stout herons. The breeding habitat is fresh and salt-water wetlands throughout much of the world. The subspecies N. n. hoactli breeds in North and South America from Canada as far south as Patagonia, and the nominate race N. n. nycticorax in Europe, Asia and Africa. Black-crowned Night Herons nest in colonies on platforms of sticks in a group of trees, or on the ground in protected locations such as islands or reedbeds. Three to eight eggs are laid. This heron is migratory outside the tropical parts of its extensive range, where it is a permanent resident. The North American population winters in Mexico, the southern United States, Central America, and the West Indies, and the Old World birds winter in tropical Africa and southern Asia.

***

The Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus), also known as the mejiro, is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. The specific epithet is occasionally written japonica, but this is incorrect due to the gender of the genus. Its native range includes much of east Asia, including Japan, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. It has been intentionally introduced to other parts of the world as a pet and as pest control, with mixed results. As one of the native species of the Japanese islands, it has been depicted in Japanese art on numerous occasions, and historically was kept as a cage bird. The Japanese White-eye is about 4 to 4,5 inches in size, with a green forehead and a yellow throat, a greenish back, and dark brown wings and tail outlined in green. Like other white-eyes, this species exhibits the distinctive white eyering that gives it its name (mejiro also meaning "white eye" in Japanese). It is omnivorous, feeding primarily on insects and nectar. Introduced to Hawaii in 1929 as a means of insect control, it has since become a common bird on the Hawaiian Islands, and has become a vector for avian parasites that are now known to adversely affect populations of native birds such as Hawaiian honeycreepers, as well as spreading invasive plant species through discarded seeds.

***

The Yellow-billed Grosbeak or Chinese Grosbeak (Eophona migratoria) is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It can be found in the following countries: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, Korea, Republic of, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Russian Federation, Taiwan, Province of China, Thailand, Viet Nam. It is found in these habitats: temperate forests.

022 - Netherlands

2009-04-24T01:56:00.000+03:00

Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of the Netherlands. The name "Holland" is also often used to refer to the whole of the Netherlands, although this is not formally correct. From the 10th century to the 16th century it was a unified political region, a county ruled by the Count of Holland. By the 17th century, Holland had risen to become a maritime and economic power, dominating the other provinces of the Dutch Republic. Today, the former County of Holland consists of the two Dutch provinces of North Holland and South Holland.

021 - Algeria

2009-04-24T01:45:00.000+03:00

Lupin, often spelled lupine in North America, is the common name for members of the genus Lupinus in the legume family (Fabaceae). The genus comprises between 200-600 species, with major centers of diversity in South America and western North America and in the Mediterranean region and Africa. The species are mostly herbaceous perennial plants 0,3-1,5 m (1-5 ft) tall, but some are annual plants and a few are shrubs up to 3 m (10 ft) tall - see also bush lupin -, with one species (Lupinus jaimehintoniana, from the Mexican state of Oaxaca) a tree up to 8 m high with a trunk 20 cm (8 in) in diameter. They have a characteristic and easily recognised leaf shape, with soft green to grey-green leaves which in many species bear silvery hairs, often densely so. The leaf blades are usually palmately divided into 5-28 leaflets or reduced to a single leaflet in a few species of the southeastern United States. The flowers are produced in dense or open whorls on an erect spike, each flower 1-2 cm long, with a typical peaflower shape with an upper 'standard', two lateral 'wings' and two lower petals fused as a 'keel'. Due to the flower shape, several species are known as bluebonnets or quaker bonnets. The fruit is a pod containing several seeds.
Like most members of their family, lupins can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into ammonia, fertilizing the soil for other plants. The genus Lupinus is nodulated by Bradyrhizobium soil bacteria. Some species have a long central tap roots, or have proteoid roots. Lupins contain significant amounts of certain secondary compounds like isoflavones and toxic alkaloids, e.g. lupinine and sparteine.

020 - Algeria

2009-04-24T01:32:00.000+03:00

Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar Periwinkle) is a species of Catharanthus native and endemic to Madagascar. Synonyms include Vinca rosea (the basionym), Ammocallis rosea, and Lochnera rosea; other English names occasionally used include Cape Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, Rosy Periwinkle, and "Old-maid". In the wild, it is an endangered plant; the main cause of decline is habitat destruction by slash and burn agriculture. It is also however widely cultivated and is naturalised in subtropical and tropical areas of the world.
It is an evergreen subshrub or herbaceous plant growing to 1 m tall. The leaves are oval to oblong, 2,5-9 cm long and 1-3.5 cm broad, glossy green, hairless, with a pale midrib and a short petiole 1-1,8 cm long; they are arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are white to dark pink with a darker red centre, with a basal tube 2,5-3 cm long and a corolla 2-5 cm diameter with five petal-like lobes. The fruit is a pair of follicles 2-4 cm long and 3 mm broad.

019 - Algeria

2009-04-24T01:22:00.000+03:00

The genus Tamarix (tamarisk, salt cedar) comprises about 50-60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. They are evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees growing to 1-18 m in height and forming dense thickets, The largest, Tamarix aphylla, is an evergreen tree that can grow to 18 m tall. They usually grow on saline soils, tolerating up to 15.000 ppm soluble salt and can also tolerate alkali conditions. Tamarisks are characterized by slender branches and grey-green foliage. The bark of young branches is smooth and reddish-brown. As the plants age, the bark becomes bluish-purple, ridged and furrowed. The leaves are scale-like, 1-2 mm long, and overlap each other along the stem. They are often encrusted with salt secretions. The pink to white flowers appear in dense masses on 5-10 cm long spikes at branch tips from March to September, though some species (e.g. T. aphylla) tend to flower during the winter.

Tamarix can spread both vegetatively, by adventitious roots or submerged stems, and sexually, by seeds. Each flower can produce thousands of tiny (1 mm diameter) seeds that are contained in a small capsule usually adorned with a tuft of hair that aids in wind dispersal. Seeds can also be dispersed by water. Seedlings require extended periods of soil saturation for establishment. Tamarix species are fire-adapted, and have long tap roots that allow them to intercept deep water tables and exploit natural water resources. They are able to limit competition from other plants by taking up salt from deep ground water, accumulating it in their foliage, and from there depositing it in the surface soil where it builds up concentrations temporarily detrimental to some plants. The salt is washed away during heavy rains. Tamarix trees are most often propagated by cuttings.

018 - Algeria

2009-04-24T01:16:00.001+03:00

Nymphaea is a genus of aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. There are about 50 species in the genus, which has a cosmopolitan distribution. The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is water-lily or waterlily.
The name Nymphaea comes from the Greek term "Νυμφαία", possibly related to "Νύμφη" meaning "nymph". The nymphs in Greek mythology were supernatural feminine beings associated with springs, so the application of the name to delicately flowered aquatic plants is understandable.

017 - Algeria

2009-04-24T01:07:00.000+03:00

Allamanda cathartica (Golden Trumpet) is an ornamental plant of Allamanda genus in the Apocynaceae family, which is native from Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. It is mainly used to treat malaria. Its large flowers are very fragrant. This South American plant is thought to blossom best in full sunshine, and well drained soil.

016 - China

2009-04-21T23:53:00.000+03:00

Langshan Mountain is located in Xinning County of Shaoyang City. It is the border area of southwest Hunan Province, This scenic spot occupies an area of 108 square kilometers in all. And it looks over the Hengshan Mountain in the east, abuts guilin City in the south, and echoes to Wuling in the north. It is divided into five branch of scenic sports. Bajiao Stockaded Village, Niubi Stockaded Village, camel Mountain, Zixia Cave and Fuyi River. It gathers red rosy clouds, green ranges, grotesque peaks. Quiet valleys and magical caves and beautiful rivers together and is praised as unknown jadeite in the South and the bright pearl of tourism. Among the scenes, the General Rock, the Tiansheng Bridhge, the Tianyilane. The Bajiao Stockaded Village, the Camel Mountain and the Pepper Mountain are praised as the best seceneries of China and can be rated as the world natural wonder.Langshan Mountain is authorized as the major national scenic spot and a national geological park.

015 - United States

2009-04-21T23:45:00.001+03:00

Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the state of Oregon. As of July 2008, it has an estimated population of 575,930, making it the thirtieth most populous in the United States, and has been referred to as the greenest city in the United States. Portland is Oregon's most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest, after Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle, Washington. Approximately two million people live in the Portland metropolitan area (MSA), the 23rd most populous in the United States as of July 2006.

Portland was incorporated in 1851 and is the county seat of Multnomah County. The city extends slightly into Washington County to the west and Clackamas County to the south. It is governed by a commission-based government headed by a mayor and four other commissioners.

014 - United States

2009-04-21T23:39:00.001+03:00

Wisdom is an ideal that has been celebrated since antiquity as the knowledge needed to live a good life. What this means exactly depends on the various wisdom schools and traditions claiming to help foster wisdom. In general, these schools have emphasized various combinations of the following: knowledge, understanding, experience, discretion, and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity to apply these qualities well towards finding solutions to problems. In many traditions, the terms wisdom and intelligence have somewhat overlapping meanings; in others they are arranged hierarchically, with intelligence being necessary but not sufficient for wisdom; Neo-Platonists like Cusanus, endorsed a "docta ignorantia" in which the greatest wisdom was to recognize one's own ignorance of the divine.

Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m2) between 48th and 51st streets in New York City. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning between Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It is the largest privately held complex of its kind in the world, and an international symbol of modernist architectural style blended with capitalism.

013 - Finland

2009-04-18T10:20:00.000+03:00

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. The capital city is Helsinki.