Thursday, November 29, 2012

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

St. Anthony Church, Macau


A thank-you card from Dennis.

It is one of the three oldest churches in Macau where the Portuguese Weddings use to take place up to now.


St Anthony's Church, or Igreja de Santo António, is one of the oldest churches in Macau. The church stands on the site of a chapel that was built in 1558. It was then rebuilt in stone 1638, but burnt down in 1809. The church was then rebuilt the next year, in 1810, and once again in 1875.

The present St Anthony's Church, built in the Neoclassical style, dates to 1930. Its façade and tower dates to 1940. The Portuguese community in Macau likes to have their weddings here, giving rise to a Chinese nickname for the church, Fa Vong Tong, or Church of Flowers. Another fire necessitated restoration to be carried out again in 1930 and further work was done on the facade and tower in 1940.

St Anthony's Church is named after St Anthony of Padua, near Venice in Italy. Incidentally I visited the mother church, the Basilica di Sant' Antonio in Padua where the saint's remains are kept. In Macau, St. Anthony is the patron saint of seafarers. On his feast days, his statue would be carried by a regiment of soldiers on a platform around the city. 



DE-1738874



The Rugen Island

BY-677119

Ophiogomphus cecilia is a species of dragonfly in family Gomphidae. It is found in Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.

CH-128373

 Matterhorn, Switzerland

DE-1733305

East Sussex

FR-247368

 La Tour Eiffel, Paris

RU-723327

Peterhof. The Great Cascade. The Samson Fountain.

BY-668326

I. Khrutski "Fruit and candle", end of 1830 - beginning of 1840-ies
From the collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

EE-141263



CH-126681

Luxemburgerli (also Luxembourger) is a brand name of confectionery made by the Confiserie Sprüngli in Zürich, Switzerland. Essentially a small macaron, they have a top and bottom sugar-based confection with a center cream filling. The Luxemburgerli is lighter than a macaron and is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.

Luxemburgerli were invented by the confectioner Camille Studer who brought the recipe to Zürich after creating them in a Luxembourg confectionery shop (Confiserie Namur) in 1957. There, the recipe was refined for a confectionery contest. The name Luxemburgerli is derived from the nickname which a colleague bestowed on Studer, whose family originated in Luxembourg. The original name, Baiser de Mousse (foam kiss in French), perceived as appropriate for the new creation, was changed to Gebäck des Luxemburgers ("Luxemburger's confection") which became, in Swiss German, Luxemburgerli ("little Luxembourger").

Flavors include: vanilla, chocolate, stracciatella (chocolate chip), caramel, hazelnut, champagne, amaretto, chestnut, mocha, cinnamon, lemon, mandarin, and raspberry. Many flavors are seasonal. The shelf life is three to five days, refrigerated.

NL-1543497



US-1947392


Louisiana

Monday, November 19, 2012

CN-751022

West Lake or Xī Hú is a freshwater lake located in the historic area of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China. The lake is divided by the causeways of Sū Dī , Bái Dī , and Yánggōng Dī . There are numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and artificial islands within the lake.
West Lake has influenced poets and painters throughout the ages for its natural beauty and historical relics, and it has been among the most important sources of inspiration for Chinese garden designers, as evidenced by the impact it had on various Chinese classical gardens. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, and was described as having "influenced garden design in the rest of China as well as Japan and Korea over the centuries" and as reflecting "an idealized fusion between humans and nature."

DE-1669100



Reichstag, Berlin

US-1946873

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Duquesne Incline was once a practical mode of transport for Pittsburgh's citizens, providing safe and reliable public transportation. The historic rail car, which began operating in 1877m is now a popular attraction for tourists. With its 400-foot rise up Mt. Washington, the incline proivides a scenic view of the Pittsburgh skyline.

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