Uploads from Rosarian49, tagged rosarian49, with geodata

Waiting for guests

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:25:00 -0700

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The Laurus in the oak tub is back from the cold house, the Fothergilla gardenii in full flower (center left). From our garden. Best on black.

Camellia japonica 'Lavinia Maggi', presiding over hellebores and daffodils

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:28:39 -0700

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

Our tallest camellia has now reached a height of more than 4 meters; it has proved very hardy, surviving -18 C in winter 2012 without any freezing back (but with almost complete loss of flower buds). This year (2013) it's putting on a splendid display again, with the hellebores being no slouches either, albeit losing some of their colour with spring progressing. The emerging foliage of the Stewartia pseudocamellia can be seen in the upper right corner. From our garden. Best on black.

Villa del Balbianello, Lago di Como, Italy

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:49:38 -0700

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The Villa del Balbianello is a villa in the comune of Lenno, Italy, overlooking Lake Como. It is located on the tip of a small wooded peninsula on the western shore of the south-west branch of Lake Como and is famous for its elaborate terraced gardens. The villa was built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery for the Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini. By the early twentieth century the buildings had fallen into a state of neglect when an American military officer, Butler Ames, purchased and renovated the villa and its garden. In 1974 it was bought by the explorer Guido Monzino, leader of the first Italian expedition to climb Mount Everest. Monzino, who died in 1988, left the villa to the Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano, the National Trust of Italy. Its grounds now form part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani. (Source: Wikipedia)
The picture was taken in April 2009, with my wife Silvia, accompanied by friends of ours, coming down the stairs leading from the villa to the shore.
Best on black.

Castello di Miramare, near Trieste, Italy - Looking onto the Gulf of Trieste from the terrace

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:17:42 -0700

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

Castello di Miramare, near Trieste, Italy - The stairs leading to the harbour

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:18:37 -0700

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

Castello di Miramare, near Trieste, Italy - View from the park

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:18:08 -0700

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

Miramare Castle and its park were built by Ferdinand Maximilian (1832–1867), of the House of Habsburg, younger brother of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria. In 1954, Maximilian was appointed Commander in Chief of the Imperial Navy. He decided to move to Trieste and to have a home built facing the sea and surrounded by a park worthy of his name and rank. Designed in 1856 by Carl Junker, an Austrian architect, the architectural structure of Miramare was finished in 1860. The style reflects the artistic interests of the archduke, who was acquainted with the eclectic architectural styles of Austria, Germany and England.

Miramare Park, which at one time had no vegetation, and has now a surface area of 22 hectares (54 acres), stands on a rocky promontory overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The site was planned and arranged by Carl Junker, according to the wishes of Archduke Maximilian who carefully followed the building of his residence. As far as the botanical aspect was concerned, a gardener, Josef Laube, was called in but was replaced in 1859 by Anton Jelinek, a Bohemian who had taken part in the frigate Novara's expedition around the world. The park, on which work began in 1856, represents a classic example of a mixed, artificial implantation of ligneous forest-trees and bushes and it succeeds in blending the charm of a typically Northern environment and a Mediterranean context. (From Wikipedia) Unfortunately, park and gardens are in bad shape at the moment, presumably due to a lack of financial resources.

Lisbon - Praça de Dom Pedro IV aka Rossio

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:08:56 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

Right in the centre of Lisbon. The rectangular layout dates from the reconstruction of this part of the city after the great earthquake of 1755, reflecting the "rational" concepts of the Age of Enlightenment and in particular of Marquis de Pombal, prime minister at that time. The paving has recently been restored to its original pattern.

Lisbon - Elevador de Santa Justa

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:07:58 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

Lisbon is famous not only for its nostalgic trams, but also for its public elevators. They are a convenient way to overcome the height differences of Lisbon's hilly topography. This one is the only vertical lift remaining. It was built in 1902 by a French engineer and connects the districts of Baixa and Chiado. There are two cabins, each capable of vertically moving a maximum of 29 passengers (height difference 32 m). On the top floor is a kiosk and lookout, with panoramic views of the city.

Lisbon - View from the top of the Elevador de Santa Justa to Baixa and the Castelo de Sao Jorge

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:08:27 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The street in the foreground is the Rua de Santa Justa, portrayed from a different perspective elsewhere in my Photostream. Easily recognizable is the grid pattern of the Baixa district, reconstructed after the earthquake of 1755 according to the "rational" ideals of the Enlightenment. The Castelo de Sao Jorge on the horizon.

Lisbon - Oceanário ("Sea World"): the main basin (video)

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:29:30 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a video:

The Lisbon Oceanarium has a large collection of marine species — birds, mammals, fish, cnidaria, and other marine organisms totaling about 16,000 individuals of 450 species. The main exhibit is a 1,000m2, 5,000m3 tank with four large 49 m2 acrylic windows on its sides, and smaller focus windows strategically located around it. It is 7 m deep, which lets pelagic swimmers to swim above the bottom dwellers, and providing the illusion of the open ocean. About 50 species from around the world are kept in this tank, including sharks, rays, barracudas, groupers, and moray eels. One of the main attractions is a large sunfish. This video was filmed through one of the smaller windows.

Best with full-screen on.

Lisbon - Olivais, the former Expo site

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 05:37:56 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

Expo '98 closed its doors on 30 September 1998. The site remained closed until February 1999, when it reopened as Parque das Nações (Park of the Nations), a free-access park, keeping the gardens, Oceanarium (see separate photo), observation tower, funicular, and the Virtual Reality pavilion. Other buildings were re-purposed for the opening, such as the main entrance, converted to Centro Vasco da Gama, a regional shopping mall, and the main exhibition pavilions, converted to Feira Internacional de Lisboa (Lisbon International Exhibition Fair).

Within Parque das Nações, every other building or vacant parcel lot was sold for office or living space, to offset the Expo's costs. The area today is thriving, modern, stylish, and safe, attracting 18 million tourists a year to its gardens, museums, commercial areas and modern buildings. It has also become permanent residency for up to 25,000 people and one of Lisbon's premier business centers, with many multinational corporations basing their headquarters in its main avenue. (From Wikipedia)

Best on black.

Lisbon - Oceanário ("Sea World")

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 05:38:26 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The Lisbon Oceanarium (Oceanário de Lisboa) is located in the Parque das Nações, which was the exhibition grounds for the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition. The theme of the fair was "The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future," chosen in part to commemorate 500 years of Portuguese discoveries. The Oceanário is the largest indoor aquarium in Europe.

The Lisbon Oceanarium was designed by Peter Chermayeff of Peter Chermayeff LLC while at Cambridge Seven Associates. It is said to resemble an Aircraft carrier, with the masts reminiscent of a sailing boat. It is built into a large water basin adjacent to the river Tejo. Chermayeff is also the designer of the Osaka Oceanarium, one of the world's largest aquariums, and many other aquariums around the world. The Lisbon Oceanarium has a large collection of marine species: birds, mammals, fish, cnidaria, and other marine organisms totaling about 16,000 individuals of 450 species.

Best on black.

Lisbon - Church and monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora (the Patriarch's roof garden)

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:46:54 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The garden is part of the church and monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora. I discovered the garden looking down from the roof of the church. There are box (?) hedges, orange trees and palm trees. You see some walls covered with azulejo (glazed, painted tiles), something this monastery is famous for. I call it the Patriarch's roof garden, but I'm not sure this is its official name. I found this garden rather special. There seem to be more roof gardens on the adjacent buildings.

Picture taken in January. Best on black.

Lisbon - The old town

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:18:44 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The old town, extending over numerous hills, is famous for its narrow streets, small squares and steep stairs, but many districts (bairros) still have a fame as poor neighbourhoods. Thousands of buildings are in disrepair, many of them no longer inhabited, but city and state have not the means to restore and modernize enough of them. There is some private investment, converting dilapidated houses into luxury apartments.

Lisbon - Castelo de Sao Jorge, seen from the Miradouro Nossa Senhora do Monte

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:16:14 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The fortress goes back to Roman times. During the 10th century, the fortifications were rebuilt by Muslim forces. In the context of the Christian Reconquista, the castle and the city of Lisbon were conquered from the Moors by Afonso Henriques, assisted by northern European knights during the Second Crusade. The taking of the castle helped Christians forces maintain the defense of Lisbon until the end of the 12th century.

When, in 1255, Lisbon became the center of the Kingdom, the castle acted as a fortified residence for Afonso III, in his role as governor. It was extensively renovated around 1300. Between 1373 and 1375, King Ferdinand I constructed the walled compound that enclosed the entirety of the castle. This wall, which partially replaced the old Moorish walls, was designed to encircle previously-unprotected parts of the city. Completed in two years, it had 77 towers and a perimeter of 5,400 metres.

Best on black.

Lisbon - View from Miradouro Nossa Senhora do Monte

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 03:20:49 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The church Nossa Senhora do Monte lies on one of the many hilltops of Lisbon. The Castelo de Sao Jorge is on the right, Avenida da Liberdade (Lisbon's central axis) in the middle, the suspension bridge spanning the river Tejo on the horizon.

Best on black.

Lisbon - Church and monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora (the cloister)

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:47:19 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The present buildings are the result of a reconstruction of an older structure ordered by King Philip II of Spain, who had become King of Portugal (as Philip I) after a succession crisis in 1580. The church of the monastery was built between 1582 and 1629, while other monastery buildings were finished only in the 18th century. Today the Patriarch of Lisbon resides here.

Best on black.

Lisbon - Church and monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora (main façade)

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:48:20 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The church of the Monastery has a majestic, austere façade that follows the later Renaissance style known as Mannerism. The façade, attributed to Baltazar Álvares, has several niches with statues of saints and is flanked by two towers (a model that would become widespread in Portugal). The lower part of the façade has three arches that lead to the galilee (entrance hall). The floorplan of the church reveals a Latin cross building with a one-aisled nave with lateral chapels. The church is covered by barrel vaulting and has a huge dome over the crossing. The general design of the church interior follows that of the prototypic church of Il Gesù, in Rome. (From Wikipedia)

Picture taken in January. Best on black.

Lisbon - The National Pantheon (Church of Santa Engrácia)

nobody@flickr.com (Rosarian49) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:38:43 -0800

Rosarian49 posted a photo:

The current building of the Church of Santa Engrácia substituted previous churches dedicated to a martyr of the city of Braga, Saint Engrácia. In 1681, building of the current church began after previous structures collapsed. The author of the new design was João Antunes, royal architect and one of the most important baroque architects of Portugal. Work proceeded from 1682 through 1712, when the architect died. King John V lost interest in the church, concentrating his resources in the gigantic Convent of Mafra. The church was left unfinished until the 20th century, so that Obras de Santa Engrácia (lit. Saint Engrácia's works) has become a Portuguese synonym for long unfinished works. Eventually a dome was added, whereupon the church was reinaugurated in 1966.

In 1916, during the First Portuguese Republic, the Church of Santa Engrácia was turned into a National Pantheon, although it was completed only in 1966, during the government of the Dictator António de Oliveira Salazar. (From Wikipedia)

Picture taken from the roof of the Church Sao Vicente de Fora. Best on black.