Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It stands on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec; the two form the cores of the Ottawa–Gatineau census metropolitan area (CMA) and the National Capital Region (NCR). The 2011 census reported a population of 883,391 within the city, and 1,236,324 within the CMA, making them the fourth-largest city and the fourth-largest CMA in Canada respectively. The City of Ottawa has since estimated it had a population of 943,260 in 2013.
Founded in 1826 as Bytown and incorporated as "Ottawa" in 1855, the city has evolved into a political and technological centre of Canada. Its original boundaries were expanded through numerous minor annexations and ultimately replaced by a new city incorporation and major amalgamation in 2001 which significantly increased its land area. The name "Ottawa" is derived from the Algonquin word adawe, meaning "to trade".
Initially an Irish and French Christian settlement, Ottawa has become a multicultural city with a diverse population. The city is known as being among the most educated in Canada and hosts a number of post-secondary, research, and cultural institutions. Ottawa has a high standard of living and low unemployment. It ranks 14th out of 221 in the Mercer Quality of Living Survey, and it contains a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak is an unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3934 feet (1199 m).
Ring Necked Pheasant
The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). It is native to Asia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe (where it is naturalized), it is simply known as the "pheasant". Ring-necked pheasant is both the name used for the species as a whole in North America and also the collective name for a number of subspecies and their intergrades which have white neck rings.
It is a well-known gamebird, among those of more than regional importance perhaps the most widespread and ancient one in the whole world. The common pheasant is one of the world's most hunted birds; it has been introduced for that purpose to many regions, and is also common on game farms where it is commercially bred. Ring-necked pheasants in particular are commonly bred and were introduced to many parts of the world; the game farm stock, though no distinct breeds have been developed yet, can be considered semi-domesticated. The ring-necked pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota, one of only three U.S. state birds that is not a species native to the United States.
Quiver Trees
The Quiver Tree Forest is a forest and a well-known tourist attraction of southern Namibia. It is located about 14 km north of Keetmanshoop, on the road to Koës, in the Gariganus farm. It comprises about 250 specimens of Aloe dichotoma, a species of aloe that is also locally known as "quiver tree" because bushmen use its branches to make quivers. The forest is spontaneous; the tallest quiver trees are two to three centuries old. The forest was declared a national monument of Namibia on June 1, 1995.
In the surroundings of the forest there is another site of geological interest (itself a tourist attraction), the Giant's Playground, a vast pile of large dolerite rocks. This tree is also known for looking like its upside down because the "leaves" look like they are the roots of the tree. The "quiver tree" has a long history of beliefs that it will bring good luck to anybody that worships this tree and nurtures it. Since diamonds are very rich in Namibia, people say that if you dig up one of these trees you will get diamonds in your lifetime but since these trees are blessed nobody want to dig them up.
San Francisco Bay Bridge
The San Francisco Bay Bridge is made up of two spans, its western section reaching from San Francisco to Treasure Island and the eastern segment running from Treasure Island to Oakland. Eastbound lanes travel on the lower deck, and you can see little from them. The view going west is much nicer.
There are no pedestrian walkways or vista points on the bridge, but you can drive on the bridge and stop midway at Treasure Island for a nice view of the it and the San Francisco skyline.
Douro River
The Douro is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto.
Alice In Waterland
An amazing series of pictures by photographer Elena Kalis around the theme of Alice in Wonderland. With this beautiful project entitled “Alice In WaterLand“, Elena gives us some awesome photographs, with water helping to create a twisted dimension.
The mother and the daughter Sacha Kalis are working together to create poetic and surreal underwater photographs, through staging designed by Sacha, who has spent her life swimming in the turquoise waters of the Bahamas…
The mother and the daughter Sacha Kalis are working together to create poetic and surreal underwater photographs, through staging designed by Sacha, who has spent her life swimming in the turquoise waters of the Bahamas…
Felucca sail boats on the Nile river at Aswan, Egypt
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is 6,853 km (4,258 miles) long. The Nile is an "international" river as its water resources are shared by eleven countries, namely, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt. In particular, the Nile is the primary water source of Egypt and Sudan.
The Nile has two major tributaries, the White Nile and Blue Nile. The White Nile is considered to be the headwaters and primary stream of the Nile itself. The Blue Nile, however, is the source of most of the water and fertile soil. The White Nile is longer and rises in the Great Lakes region of central Africa, with the most distant source still undetermined but located in either Rwanda or Burundi. It flows north through Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda and South Sudan. The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan from the southeast. The two rivers meet near the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
Crescent Moon Lake, near the ancient silk road city of Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China
Yueyaquan (Chinese: 月牙泉) is a crescent-shaped lake in an oasis, 6 km south of the city of Dunhuang in Gansu Province, China. It was named Yueyaquan in the Qing Dynasty. Mildred Cable & Francesca French visited the lake during their travels in the region and recorded their impressions in their book The Gobi Desert, "All around us we saw tier on tier of lofty sand-hills, giving the lie to our quest, yet when, with a final desperate effort, we hoisted ourselves over the last ridge and looked down on what lay beyond, we saw the lake below, and its beauty was entrancing."
According to measurements made in 1960, the average depth of the lake was 4 to 5 meters, with a maximum depth of 7.5 metres (25 ft). In the following 40 years, the depth of the lake continually declined. In the early 1990s, its area had shrunk to only 1.37 acres (5,500 m2) with an average depth of 0.9 meter (maximum 1.3 meter). In 2006, the local government with help of the central government started to fill the lake and restore its depth; its depth and size have been growing yearly since then. The lake and the surrounding deserts are very popular with tourists, who are offered camel and 4x4 rides.
Mountain Viscacha
Lagidium is a genus of rodent in the family Chinchillidae. It contains the following species:
- Northern Viscacha (Lagidium peruanum)
- Southern Viscacha (Lagidium viscacia)
- Wolffsohn's Viscacha (Lagidium wolffsohni)
- Lagidium ahuacaense - a new species from Ecuador described in June 2009.
Members of this species are medium to large-sized rodents which also looks remarkably like a long-tailed rabbit. Soft dense fur covers its body, from the tips of its elongate fur covered ears, edged with a fringe of white fur to the end of its long, curled tail. Their tails are bushy and can range up to about 1/3 of the length of its body. The forelimbs are relatively short, while the contrastingly long and muscular hind-limbs enable it to run and jump with ease. However, the number of digits on the hind feet is reduced to 4 (apparent in Chinchillas as well). The color of its fur varies seasonally and with age, but generally the upper parts are grey to brown, with tints of cream and black, while the under-parts are pale yellow or tan. However, contrary to the former statement, it has been stated elsewhere that they have pale yellow or grey upper parts, and a black tail tip. They weigh up to 6.6 lbs (3 kg) and have fairly delicate incisors in which the enamel of the incisors are not colored.
L. peruanum are diurnal species that are active throughout the year. They leap among rocks and performs a series of whistles and trills associated with warning. Colonial structures are composed of small family units of two to five individuals in a subdivided colony that can be as large as 75 animals.
L. viscacia are also diurnal and are most active near sunrise and sunset. They spend the day on perches, grooming and summing themselves. They are adept at moving over rocky surfaces and do not hibernate.
In northern viscacha (L. peruanum), males tend to be promiscuous. The gestation period for the female is 140 days, and the usual litter size is one. It is viviparous and lactation takes about eight weeks. In Peru, mating takes place from October through November. Both female and male sexual maturities are reached after one year and weaning has been found to occur after 59 days.
In southern viscacha (L. viscacia), mating occurs from October through December. After a gestation of 120–140 days, a female gives birth to a single, precocious (having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual) young. The young are born fully furred, with their eyes open, and are able to eat solid food on their first day of life.
Polar bears near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a carnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is a large bear, approximately the same size as the omnivorous Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi). A boar (adult male) weighs around 350–700 kg (770–1,540 lb), while a sow (adult female) is about half that size. Although it is the sister species of the brown bear, it has evolved to occupy a narrower ecological niche, with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting the seals which make up most of its diet. Although most polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time at sea. Their scientific name means "maritime bear", and derives from this fact. Polar bears hunt their preferred food of seals from the edge of sea ice, often living off fat reserves when no sea ice is present.
The polar bear is classified as a vulnerable species, with eight of the nineteen polar bear subpopulations in decline. For decades, large scale hunting raised international concern for the future of the species but populations rebounded after controls and quotas began to take effect. For thousands of years, the polar bear has been a key figure in the material, spiritual, and cultural life of Arctic indigenous peoples, and polar bears remain important in their cultures.
Nettle jelly fish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California
Sea Nettle (Chrysaora) is one of the genus of Scyphozoa class of the phylum Cnidaria. The species of sea nettle we are most commonly knowledgeable about are Chrysaora quinquecirrha, which is mostly found along the east coast of North America in the Atlantic Ocean, and Chrysaora fuscescens, which is mostly found along the west coast of North America in the Northeast Pacific Ocean.
The Sea Nettle is semi-transparent and has small whitish dots and reddish-brown stripes. In some cases, these stripes and dots are missing, and they make the sea nettle look whitish and opaque. The sea nettle is saucer-like in shape. The bell of the sea nettle usually grows to about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. It also has four oral arms attached to the underside of the mouth. In addition to this, it has a number of long tentacles, along the margins of its body, which extend for several feet.
Sea Nettles are equipped with a number of nematocysts along their oral arms and tentacles. These nematocysts are like capsules with a coiled thread inside it, which is lined with barbs along its length. The thread contains powerful paralyzing toxins within itself. When a sea nettle comes in contact with any hard surface and pressure is applied to the tentacles, these nematocysts get activated and the thread starts uncoiling. They get fired into the surface in its contact and inject their powerful venom into it.
Loch Tulla in the Western Highlands, Scotland, UK
Loch Tulla is a small loch at grid reference NN293428 near Bridge of Orchy and Glen Coe in Scotland and in the central highlands. It contains salmon some of which are bred locally. It lies north-east of the Inveroran Hotel, a popular West Highland Way stop off point close to Bridge of Orchy.
There's a Big Giant in Budapest
Budapest is under attack from a pretty pissed-off looking giant. No really!
The angry-looking behemoth was pictured erupting from the ground in Szechenyi Square.
It is the work of artist Ervin Herve-Loranth and has been part of a display in the capital’s art market exhibition for the past week.
Two wild turkeys in a field
The wild turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the diverse Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which was originally derived from a southern Mexican subspecies of wild turkey. Although native to North America, the turkey probably got its name from the domesticated variety being imported to Britain in ships coming from the Levant via Spain. The British at the time therefore, associated the wild turkey with the country Turkey and the name stuck.
Lake Moraine in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 km (68–112 mi) west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses 6,641 km2 (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.
Landscape near Trenta, in the Triglav National Park, Slovenia
Triglav National Park (TNP) is the only national park in Slovenia. It was established in its modern form in 1981 and is located in the northwestern part of the country, respectively the southeastern part of the Alpine massif. Mount Triglav, the highest peak of Julian Alps, stands almost in the middle of the national park. From it the valleys spread out radially, supplying water to two large river systems with their sources in the Julian Alps: the Soča and the Sava, flowing to the Adriatic and Black Sea, respectively.
Lake Ashinoko with Mount Fuji in the background, near Hokone, Japan
Lake Ashi, also referred to as Hakone Lake or Ashinoko Lake, is a scenic lake in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, Japan. It is a crater lake that lies along the southwest wall of the caldera of Mount Hakone, a complex volcano that last erupted in 1170 CE at Owakudani. The lake is known for its views of Mt. Fuji and its numerous hot springs. A number of pleasure boats and ferries traverse the lake, providing scenic views for tourists and passengers. Several of the boats are inspired by the design of sailing warships.
Most visitors to Lake Ashi stay in the nearby resorts or visit some of the local attractions, including taking the aerial tram Hakone Ropeway to The Great Boiling Valley. From Togendai on Lake Ashi, the Hakone Ropeway aerial tram connects to Sounzan, the upper terminus of the Hakone Tozan Cable Car funicular railway. This in turn connects to the Hakone Tozan Line mountain railway for the descent to Odawara and a connection to Tokyo by the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.
237 steps down to the ocean on the island of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
Gaztelugatxe is an islet on the coast of Biscay belonging to the municipality of Bermeo, Basque Country (Spain). It is connected to the mainland by a man-made bridge. On top of the island stands a hermitage, dedicated to John the Baptist, that dates from the 10th century, although discoveries indicate that the date might be the 9th century. With another small neighboring island, Aketze, they form a protected biotope that extends from the town of Bakio until Cape Matxitxako, on the Bay of Biscay.
The best seasons to visit are spring and autumn.
Bird perched atop a wading Capybara in Pantanal Matogrossense National Park, Brazil
The capybara is the largest rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, chinchillas, and the coypu. Native to South America, the capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually lives in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is not a threatened species and is hunted for its meat, hide and also for a grease from its thick fatty skin which is used in the pharmaceutical trade.
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (currently known officially as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for commercial sponsorship reasons) is an association football stadium in Wembley Park, London, England. It opened in 2007 and was built on the site of the earlier Wembley Stadium which was demolished in 2003. The stadium hosts major football matches such as the FA Cup Final and home matches of the England national football team.
Wembley Stadium is a UEFA category four stadium. With 90,000 seats it is the second largest stadium in Europe and the largest stadium in the United Kingdom. It is owned by The Football Association through their subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL).
In domestic club football, in addition to the FA Cup final, the stadium hosts the season-opening FA Community Shield, the finals of the Football League Cup, the Football League Trophy and the Football League play-offs. In European club football, it hosted the 2011 and 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. In international football, the stadium hosted the Gold medal matches at the 2012 Olympic Games football tournament, and will host both the semi-finals and final of UEFA Euro 2020. The stadium also hosts the rugby league Challenge Cup Final, the NFL International Series and music concerts.
Aerial view of Miskito Cays, off the coast of Nicaragua
The Miskito Cays are an archipelago with an area of 27 km² located off shore in the North-Eastern Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, they are part of the RAAN autonomous region. The Miskito Cays are composed of 76 formations that include estuaries, coral reefs, cays, seagrass beds, and islets, of which 12 of the formations are covered with vegetation and consequently form islands which are lined with white sand beaches.
Miskito Cay (Cayo Miskito), also known as Cayo Mayor, is the largest and most important cay located in the center of the archipelago measuring 37 km². Other main islands are Maras Cay, Nasa Cay, and Morrison Denis Cay.
The Miskito Cays Biological Reserve is one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua, it was declared a protected area in 1991.
Table Mountain above Cape Town, South Africa
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the Flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. The mountain forms part of the Table Mountain National Park.
Green sea turtles in Bora Bora, French Polynesia
The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle, or Pacific green turtle, is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The common name comes from the usually green fat found beneath its carapace.
This sea turtle's dorsoventrally flattened body is covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace; it has a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. It is usually lightly colored, although in the eastern Pacific populations parts of the carapace can be almost black. Unlike other members of its family, such as the hawksbill sea turtle, C. mydas is mostly herbivorous. The adults usually inhabit shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrasses.
Like other sea turtles, green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. Many islands worldwide are known as Turtle Island due to green sea turtles nesting on their beaches. Females crawl out on beaches, dig nests and lay eggs during the night. Later, hatchlings emerge and scramble into the water. Those that reach maturity may live to eighty years in the wild.
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the facility is adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, between Sydney and Farm Coves.
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the facility formally opened on 20 October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon's 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The NSW Government, led by Premier Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958, with Utzon directing construction. The government's decision to build Utzon's design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect's ultimate resignation.
Though its name suggests a single venue, the project comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres in the world — hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. The venues produce and present a wide range of in-house productions and accommodate numerous performing arts companies, including four key resident companies: Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, more than seven million people visit the site each year, with 300,000 people participating annually in a guided tour of the facility.
Canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Amsterdam–Rhine Canal or Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal is a canal in the Netherlands that was built to connect the port city of Amsterdam to the main shipping artery of the Rhine. Its course follows a generally southeasterly direction as it goes through the city of Utrecht towards Wijk bij Duurstede where it intersects the Lek branch of the Rhine and then continues on to the Waal river near Tiel, with a branch, the Lek Canal, to the Lek near Nieuwegein.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at night
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the second largest city in Brazil, the sixth largest city in the Americas and the world's thirty-fifth largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, ranked as the second most populous metropolitan area in Brazil, the sixth most populous in the Americas and the eighteenth largest in the world. Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's third most populous state. Part of the city has been designated as a World Heritage Site, named "Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea", identified by UNESCO on 1 July 2012 in the category Cultural Landscape.
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