Uploads from Guillermo R.

Tigresa dorada - Zoo de Madrid

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:32:23 -0700

Una preciosa tigresa de 6 años llamada Dora es la nueva habitante del Zoo Aquarium de Madrid, donde los que se acerquen podrán observarla junto al tigre blanco Falcao, ha informado el parque temático en un comunicado.

La tigresa dorada o golden tabby (como se conoce en inglés) se caracteriza por unos bellos trazos naranjas y un suave pelaje que cubre su pecho y patas de blanco alcanzando un peso aproximado de 140 kilos.

La hembra de seis años, en su primera incursión, ha practicado de una de sus grandes aficiones, el agua, nadando en la piscina de las instalaciones para posteriormente inspeccionar la pradera.

En un primer encuentro, la espectacular pareja formada por Falcao, el tigre blanco, y Dora, la tigresa dorada, ha sido de reconocimiento mutuo y posteriormente, de cariño y aceptación. A partir de hoy, se les puede ver juntos en la instalación de tigres de Bengala del Zoo de Madrid donde estos animales, amantes del agua, disfrutan sus primeros días en común.

(Fuente: www.larazon.es/detalle_normal/noticias/1284177/una-tigres...)

Mutua Madrid Open - Caja Mágica

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sun, 05 May 2013 03:07:40 -0700

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

La Caja Mágica es un icono de la arquitectura deportiva internacional que, desde hoy, día 3, al 12 de mayo, es el centro del tenis mundial. Más de 200 jugadores se medirán en sus pistas, con Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Williams o Sharapova a la cabeza. Arranca el Mutua Madrid Open que tiene categoría Masters 1000 en hombres y Premier en mujeres, en la instalación gestionada por Madridec.

Con el lema "Soy abierto; soy Madrid", el Mutua Madrid Open abre sus puertas a la que es su duodécima edición. En esta ocasión, las mejores raquetas del ranking masculino y femenino jugarán sobre tierra batida y al aire libre. Los tres estadios de la Caja Mágica disponen de un techo retráctil que permite esta posibilidad.

El complejo deportivo fue diseñado por el arquitecto francés Dominique Perrault. Los materiales principales empleados en La Caja Mágica, de forma cubicular, son el acero, el aluminio, el hormigón y el vidrio. Presupuestado inicialmente por 100 millones de euros, la factura total ascendió hasta los 294 millones de euros.
Se estructura en torno a dos edificios principales, La Caja Mágica y el Tenis Indoor.
La Caja Mágica alberga tres pistas con cubiertas móviles, instaladas de tierra batida. La pista central (llamada oficialmente Estadio Manolo Santana) ofrece capacidad para 12.442 personas. Las pistas menores disponen de 2.923 (Estadio Arantxa Sánchez Vicario) y 1.772 asientos respectivamente, y habrían sido ampliadas si Madrid hubiera sido elegida sede olímpica.
El Tenis Indoor alberga once pistas cubiertas de menor tamaño. Dispone asimismo de las instalaciones correspondientes a su función como club deportivo.
Para la edición del Torneo Masters 1000 de 2012 la superficie de tierra batida fue sustituida por otra de tierra azul, lo que causó gran polémica por sus diferentes características de bote y por resultar extraordinariamente resbaladiza, con riesgo para la integridad de los jugadores. Varios de ellos, incluidos Novak Djokovic y Rafael Nadal, vigentes números 1 y 2 del mundo en aquél momento, anunciaron que si se mantenía dicha superficie no volverían a acudir al torneo. Varios meses después la ATP revocó la homologación de la tierra azul, inhabilitándola para la disputa de torneos oficiales.

(Fuente: wikipedia.org & madrideyc.es)

Palacio de Cristal del Retiro

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:11:48 -0700

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

El Palacio de Cristal del Retiro es una estructura de metal y cristal situado en los Jardines del Retiro de Madrid (España). Fue levantado en 1887 con motivo de la Exposición de las Islas Filipinas, celebrada ese mismo año. Su estructura es de metal, y está totalmente recubierto por planchas de cristal, de ahí su nombre. Fue construido por Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, y su proyecto de construcción se inspiraba en el Crystal Palace, levantado en Londres en 1851 por Joseph Paxton. La decoración cerámica utilizada en pequeños frisos y remates es obra de Daniel Zuloaga; de ella destacan las figuras de grutescos con cabezas de ánades. La gran impresión que debió de causar el palacio queda reflejada en esta descripción, aparecida en El Globo, en 1887.

A sus pies se encuentra un lago artificial (existe una escalera que se sumerge dentro de él), en el que se pueden encontrar varios ejemplares de ciprés de los pantanos (Taxodium distichum), cuya principal característica es que parte de su tronco y de sus raíces están bajo el agua. El edificio está rodeado de castaños de Indias.

El 10 de mayo de 1936, el Palacio de Cristal del Retiro fue el escenario en el que se eligió a Manuel Azaña como presidente de la República. Las Cortes se habían quedado pequeñas para acoger a la asamblea mixta de diputados y compromisarios y el Palacio de Cristal fue elegido para la votación y toma de posesión. Azaña, único candidato, salió elegido por 754 votos de 874.

(Fuente: wikipedia.org)

St Margaret's Church

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:16:17 -0700

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

The Anglican church of St. Margaret, Westminster Abbey is situated in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, and is the parish church of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London. It is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

Tríptico de Semana Santa

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 01:45:06 -0700

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Un tríptico (del griego τρίπτυχο, tri- «tres» + ptychē «doblar») es una obra de arte (por lo general un panel pintado) que se divide en tres secciones, o tres paneles tallados que están unidos por bisagras. Por lo tanto es un tipo de políptico (término que se aplica a todas las obras que se componen de varios paneles).

(Fuente: wikipedia.org)

London Underground

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:28:44 -0700

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

The London Underground (otherwise known as the Underground or the Tube) is a metro system in the United Kingdom, serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. The system serves 270 stations and has 402 kilometres (250 mi) of track, 45 per cent of which is underground. Since 2003 LUL has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL), the statutory corporation responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London, which is run by a board and a commissioner appointed by the Mayor of London.
It incorporates the first underground railway in the world, which opened in 1863 and now forms part of the Circle, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines and the first line to operate underground electric trains, in 1890, now part of the Northern line.[3] The first tunnels were built just below the surface; later circular tunnels (tubes) were dug through the London Clay. When the Central London Railway opened in 1900, it was known as the "twopenny tube". The lines were marketed as the UNDERGROUND in the early 20th century on maps and signs outside stations. Originally private companies owned and ran the railways and in 1933 these merged to form the London Passenger Transport Board. Harry Beck's tube map appeared for the first time in 1933. The Victoria line was opened 1968–71 and the Jubilee line in 1979, and this was extended in 1999. The Travelcard was introduced in the mid 1980s and the Oyster card in 2003.
Today in official publicity, the term 'tube' embraces the whole underground system,[4] and the tube map now includes the other TfL railways such as the Docklands Light Railway and London Overground as well as the Emirates Air Line. It is the fourth largest metro system in the world in terms of route miles, after the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, Shanghai Metro and the Beijing Subway.[5] It also has one of the largest numbers of stations. In 2011/12 there were 1.2 billion passengers making it the third busiest metro system in Europe, after Moscow and Paris.[citation needed] As of 2011, 86 per cent of operational expenditure on the London Underground is covered by passenger fares.[6] The oldest sections of the London Underground completed 150 years of operations on 10 January 2013.[7] The system is currently being upgraded to increase capacity.

This picture was taken outside Knightsbridge Station.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

Parador de Gredos

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 03:01:48 -0700

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Desde 1928 la sierra de Gredos acoge este edificio de piedra, el primero de los Paradores, entre aguas cristalinas, agrestes rocas y verdes pinares. Su emplazamiento, el Alto del Risquillo, se presenta como privilegiado mirador del Valle del Tormes, el macizo de Gredos y las sierra de Piedrahita y Béjar, convirtiéndose en centro de excursiones.
Los recios muros de piedra del hotel esconden un interior en el que destacan las habitaciones, cómodas y confortables, y algunas de ellas con terraza. En el comedor, biblioteca o salones, impera el clasicismo de la madera. La presencia de columnas de granito y el mobiliario proporcionan al conjunto un tradicional estilo castellano. La calidad de las carnes y legumbres de la tierra, como las afamadas judías del Barco, surten a una cocina rica en asados y reconfortantes platos de cuchara.

(Fuente: www.parador.es/es/parador-de-gredos)

Number #13

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:08:02 -0700

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

¿Por qué siempre asociamos el número 13 con la mala suerte? Hay varias explicaciones. Entre ellas está que había 13 personas en la Última Cena de Jesucristo y luego fue crucificado, que el código de Hammurabi omite este número en su lista, que existen 13 espíritus del mal, o que los calendarios sólo tienen doce meses.

Se trata de una superstición antigua fuertemente arraigada en nuestra cultura, hasta el punto de llegar a hablar de una enfermedad (triscadecafobia) en aquellas personas que tienen miedo a este número. En España y Latinoamérica los días martes 13 se consideran de mal agüero, y lo mismo ocurre con los viernes 13 en Francia y países anglosajones.

Algunos datos curiosos como el hecho de que se evite el 13 en la Fórmula 1, que en algunos portales se omita el número 13 o que en Madrid no exista la línea 13 de autobús, demuestran este recelo en nuestra sociedad. Otros datos revelan cómo la vida de una persona como Richard Wagner parece estar ligada a dicho número, nació en un año acabado en 13, la suma de las letras de su nombre y apellido son 13, los números de su año de nacimiento (1813) suman también 13, compuso 13 óperas y falleció un día 13.

Se suele decir: “En martes 13 no te cases ni te embarques, ni de tu familia te apartes”. En Francia, por ejemplo, nunca se le da a una casa el número trece en su dirección. En Italia, la lotería nacional lo omite. Las líneas aéreas internacionales obvian ese número en los asientos de los aviones. En los Estados Unidos, los edificios rascacielos y departamentos dan al piso que sigue al 12 el número 14.

En los Estados Unidos, el trece sería considerado como un número con suerte. Forma parte de muchos de los símbolos nacionales, ya que en el reverso de los billetes de banco hay una pirámide incompleta de trece escalones, el águila heráldica sostiene en una garra una rama de olivo con trece hojas y trece frutos, y en la otra, trece flechas.

(Fuente: www.erroreshistoricos.com/curiosidades-historicas/origen/...)

The Grange Blooms Hotel in Bloomsbury (London)

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:33:24 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

An impressive 18th century townhouse,the Grange Blooms Hotel is uniquely set in the heart of Bloomsbury adjacent to the British Museum. Just minutes away from Covent Garden, Theatre land and Oxford Street, the Grange Blooms Hotel is perfectly placed for both business and leisure pursuits in the capital. The traditional decor and period create the warm ambience of a bygone era creating an oasis of timeless elegance in an ever-changing world.

(Source: www.grangehotels.com/hotels-london/grange-blooms-hotel/gr...)

The new Stamford Bridge West Stand exterior - Home of the Chelsea F.C.

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:55:40 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Stamford Bridge is a football stadium located in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London. It is the home ground of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge. The capacity is 41,837, making it the eighth largest ground in the Premier League.
Opened in 1877, the stadium was used by the London Athletics Club until 1905, when new owner Gus Mears founded Chelsea Football Club to occupy the ground; Chelsea have played their home games there ever since. It has undergone numerous major changes over the years, most recently in the 1990s when it was renovated into a modern, all-seater stadium.
Stamford Bridge has been used as a venue for England international matches, FA Cup Finals, FA Cup semi-finals and Charity Shield games. It has also hosted numerous other sports, such as cricket, rugby union, speedway, greyhound racing, baseball and American football. The stadium's highest official attendance is 82,905, for a league match between Chelsea and Arsenal on 12 October 1935.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

British Museum - Great Court

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:38:01 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Designed by Foster and Partners, the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court transformed the Museum’s inner courtyard into the largest covered public square in Europe. It is a two-acre space enclosed by a spectacular glass roof with the world-famous Reading Room at its centre.

In the original Robert Smirke design the courtyard was meant to be a garden. However, in 1852–7 the Reading Room and a number of bookstacks were built in the courtyard to house the library department of the Museum and the space was lost.

In 1997, the Museum’s library department was relocated to the new British Library building in St Pancras and there was an opportunity to re-open the space to public.

An architectural competition was launched to re-design the courtyard space. There were over 130 entries and it was eventually won by Lord Foster.

The competition brief had three aims:

1) Revealing hidden spaces
2) Revising old spaces
3) Creating new spaces
4) The £100 million project was supported by grants of £30 million from the Millennium Commission and £15.75 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Great Court was opened on 6 December 2000 by Her Majesty the Queen.

(Source: www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/the_museums_story/great_co...)

St. James - Celebrating Christmas

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 10:51:43 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Memorial Walk - The Diana Princess of Wales

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 09:29:29 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

The Diana,Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is a 7-mile (11 km) long circular walking trail in London dedicated to the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. It goes between Kensington Gardens, Green Park, Hyde Park and St. James's Park in a figure-eight pattern, passing five sites that are associated with her life: Kensington Palace, Spencer House, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, and Clarence House. It is marked with ninety individual plaques, each of which has a heraldic rose etched in the centre made of aluminium. It has been described as 'one of the most magnificent urban parkland walks in the world'. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was the Chairman of the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Committee was quoted as saying it is 'one of the most magnificent urban parkland walks in the world.' The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is in London, and celebrates the life of the Princess of Wales who died in a car accident on 31st August 1997 in Paris.
The walk was constructed at a cost of £1.3 million. No members of the Royal Family, even Diana's sons, William and Harry, were present at its opening.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

Buckingham Palace

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:00:59 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch.

Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every year. For visitor information, please visit the Royal Collection website.

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high.

The Palace is very much a working building and the centrepiece of Britain's constitutional monarchy. It houses the offices of those who support the day-to-day activities and duties of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and their immediate family.

(Source: www.royal.gov.uk/theroyalresidences/buckinghampalace/buck...)

Pasadizo construido entre la Casa de Cisneros y la Casa de la Villa.

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 23:29:31 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Pasadizo construido a principios del siglo XX entre la Casa de Cisneros y la Casa de la Villa.

Calle del Rollo y Plaza de San Javier, Madrid

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:49:38 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

La calle del Rollo está situada en pleno Madrid de los Austrias, el Madrid antiguo, y muy cerca de la plaza de la Villa y de la plaza Mayor.

Es una calle con mucho encanto, ya que cuando paseas por ella te da la sensación de estar en un pueblo, no en una gran capital europea. Es una calle estrecha, con un claro desnivel salvado por unas escaleras, y cierta vegetación correspondiente a un pequeño jardín que hay delante de una de las casas de esta calle.

El nombre actual es en honor al rollo jurisdiccional de la Villa, que estaba ubicado en esta calle.

Al final de la calle del Rollo, pasando por la travesía del Conde, existe una plazuela, llamada de San Javier. A la derecha está el mesón de San Javier donde se puede disfrutar de un remanso de paz en este Madrid tan ruidoso. Esta plaza la tienen catalogada como la más pequeña de Madrid.

A este lugar le viene el nombre de San Javier de una casa, propiedad de la Compañía de Jesús, en cuya fachada había una imagen de San Francisco Javier, apóstol de las Indias y colaborador de San Ignacio en la fundación de esta orden.

(Fuente: www.minube.com/rincon/calle-del-rollo-a4196 y
lacomunidad.elpais.com/ajimeno/2010/11/15/pongamos-hablo-...)

Buckingham Palace

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 08:34:43 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.
Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1705 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was subsequently acquired by George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, and known as "The Queen's House". During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, forming three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front which contains the well-known balcony on which the royal family traditionally congregates to greet crowds outside. However, the palace chapel was destroyed by a German bomb in World War II; the Queen's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection.
The original early 19th-century interior designs, many of which still survive, included widespread use of brightly coloured scagliola and blue and pink lapis, on the advice of Sir Charles Long. King Edward VII oversaw a partial redecoration in a Belle Époque cream and gold colour scheme. Many smaller reception rooms are furnished in the Chinese regency style with furniture and fittings brought from the Royal Pavilion at Brighton and from Carlton House. The Buckingham Palace Garden is the largest private garden in London.
The state rooms, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public each year for most of August and September, as part of the Palace's Summer Opening.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

London Eye

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 08:03:40 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames in London, England. The entire structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft).
It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually. When erected in 1999 it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed first by the 160 m (520 ft) Star of Nanchang in 2006 and then the 165 m (541 ft) Singapore Flyer in 2008. Supported by an A-frame on one side only, unlike the taller Nanchang and Singapore wheels, the Eye is described by its operators as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel". It provides the highest public viewing point, and is the 20th tallest structure, in London.
The London Eye, or Millennium Wheel, was officially called the British Airways London Eye and then the Merlin Entertainments London Eye. Since 20 January 2011, its official name is the EDF Energy London Eye following a three-year sponsorship deal.
The London Eye adjoins the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The site is adjacent to that of the former Dome of Discovery, which was built for the Festival of Britain in 1951.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

London Charing Cross and Thames River

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 11:54:49 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Charing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 17 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern. It is the fifth busiest rail terminal in London.
The station takes its name from its location next to the central London road junction of Charing Cross. The front of the station faces the Strand, while at the other end is the northern end of Hungerford Bridge, which is crossed by all trains serving the station. Ticket barriers control access to all platforms, although the bridge entrance has no barriers.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

Big Ben

nobody@flickr.com (Guillermo R.) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 13:55:44 -0800

Guillermo R. posted a photo:

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower, officially named Elizabeth Tower, as well. Elizabeth Tower holds the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world and is the third-tallest free-standing clock tower. It celebrated its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place. The tower was completed in 1858 and has become one of the most prominent symbols of both London and England, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.

(Source: wikipedia.org)