2787 CHINA (Macau) - Guia Fortress - part of Historic Centre of Macau (UNESCO WHS)

2787 Macau - Capela de Nossa Senhora da Guia
and Guia Lighthouse at the Guia Fortress.

The Guia Fortress is a 17th-century colonial military fort, chapel, and lighthouse complex, located in the St. Lazarus Parish, in Macau Peninsula. The fort was constructed between 1622 and 1638, after an unsuccessful attempt by the Netherlands to capture colonial Portuguese Macau. Inside the fortress stands Guia Chapel, originally established by Clarist nuns, who resided at the site before establishing the Convent of St. Clare. Its elaborate frescoes depict representations of both western and Chinese themes, displaying motifs of religious and mythological inspiration that are a perfect example of Macao's multicultural dimension.

2786 FRANCE (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) - Chemin de Fer de La Mure

 

The Chemin de Fer de La Mure (La Mure railway) is a former coal-carrying electrified railway in (and owned by) the Department of Isère near the city of Grenoble, which lost its regular public passenger service in 1950 (although miners' trains continued until 1962). It lost most of its freight traffic in 1952, and even the anthracite ceased in 1988. However, the local tourist office had been chartering seasonal tourist passenger trains since 1968 and these developed steadily over the years, the line becoming one of the finest tourist railways in Europe with spectacular views over dams and lakes, and mountain scenery.

2785 CANADA (Alberta) - The map of the province

Alberta is a western province of Canada, one of the three prairie provinces, and is bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta's capital, Edmonton, is near the geographic centre of the province and is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's crude oil, oil sands and other northern resource industries. About 290km south of the capital is Calgary, the largest city in Alberta.

2783 Murder in the botanical garden

2783 Common wasp (Vespa vulgaris) caught in a
Venus flytrap (Dioanea muscipula)

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands on the East Coast of the United States in North Carolina and South Carolina, specifically within a 60-mile radius of Wilmington. It catches its prey (chiefly insects and arachnids) with a trapping structure formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves, which is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against wasting energy by trapping objects with no nutritional value.

2782 ALBANIA (Elbasan) - Traditional clothes in Elbasan

The Ottomans erected garrisons throughout southern Albania by 1415 and occupied most of Albania by 1431. In 1466 Mehmet II constructed on the Shkumbin River a massive castle, whereon he named Elbasan, meaning 'conquered country' in Turkish. It became the seat of Sanjak of Elbasan, a centre of Ottoman urban civilisation over the next 445 years. Even after the Ottoman occupation Elbasan remained a center of Islam in Albania.

2781 LITHUANIA (Šiauliai) - Hill of Crosses

Located about 12km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania, the Hill of Crosses is an historical and architectural monument, a unique composition of folk art. It attracts people with its peace, spirituality, and sacred nature. The oblong mound stands on a plain and is surrounded by the valleys of Kulpė Stream and its nameless tributaries. The hill itself is the Jurgaičiai-Domantai mound, which sits next to a former ancient village that was here in the 13th-14th centuries.

2779 HUNGARY - The locomotive no. 376.631, class 376

During the last two decades of the 19th century the number of branchlines in Hungary increased quickly, almost all of them as private initiatives. The builders made use of the state grants and real estate speculations, but when getting ready, they left the operation for the State Railway, MÁV. This happened usually using the "Standard Contract", which foresaw all parts of the railroad to be built according MÁV standards. The most branchline companies built on the cheapest way that was allowed by the "Standard Contract", resulting light rails capable only for axle loads as light as 10 metric tons.

2778 ISRAEL - Haifa

2778 Crossing Balfour-Herzl Street in Haifa

Haifa, the third-largest city in Israel, is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain, the historic land bridge between Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the mouth of the Kishon River. Located on the northern slopes of Mount Carmel and around Haifa Bay, the city is split over three tiers. The lowest is the center of commerce and industry including the Port of Haifa. The middle level is on the slopes of Mount Carmel and consists of older residential neighborhoods, while the upper level consists of modern neighborhoods.

2777 FRANCE (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) - Corenc

Corenc is a commune in the Isère département in southeastern France, in the Alps, an upscale suburb of Grenoble.

2776 ROMANIA - Greetings from Romania

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of 20th century were issued numerous postcards "Greetings from Romania" with images depicting people in traditional costumes and scenes of rural life. The one from the image is a contemporary reproduction of such a postcard, slightly modified from the original. Text on the front was rearranged to occupy the right side, back then intended for writing message (on the most postcards issued before 1898 the back was undivided, and the writing was not allowed on the side with the address up in 1907).

2774 FRANCE (Saint Barthélemy) - The flamboyant tree

Flamboyant tree or Royal poinciana (Delonix regia) is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae, noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. It is endemic to the Madagascar's dry deciduous forests but has been introduced into tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide. In the wild it is endangered, but it is widely cultivated elsewhere. In many tropical parts of the world it is grown as an ornamental tree.

2773 CHINA (Inner Mongolia) - Camel racing

The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), the camel with two humps, is one of the tavunhorshoo (five snouts), the five domesticated animals on which the mongolian's herding economy depends (horse, cow/yak, sheep, goat, and camel). With its tolerance for cold, drought, and high altitudes, it enabled the travel of caravans on the Silk Road. A Bactrian camel can go nine days without water, 33 days without food.

2772 ITALY (Campania) - Mount Vesuvius

2772 Vesuvius in 1941

Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, about 9km east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc, and consists of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera caused by the collapse of an earlier much higher structure. It is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and several other settlements. Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years.

2770, 2771 ROMANIA (Sibiu) - The Historic Centre of Sibiu and its Ensemble of Squares (UNESCO WHS - Tentative List)

2770 Sibiu in 1898

 
Located in Transylvania, Romania, Sibiu (German: Hermannstadt) straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt. The first official record referring to the Sibiu area comes from 1191, when Pope Celestine III confirmed the existence of the free prepositure of the German settlers in Transylvania, the prepositure having its headquarters in Sibiu, named Cibinium at that time. The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary (1141-1162), the main task of the Transylvanian Saxons being to defend the southeastern border of the Kingdom of Hungary.

2771 The Big Square in Sibiu in 1900

 

Although Sibiu is an ancient settlement dating from Neolithic, the overall form and shape of the city is medieval. Its evolving lines of strong fortifications, together with its characteristic street pattern, squares and building plots, developed and grew especially following the Tatar invasion of 1241. In the 14th century, it was already an important trade centre, and from 1366 onwards became known as Hermannstadt. In 1376, the craftsmen were divided in 19 guilds. Sibiu became the most important ethnic German city among the seven cities that gave Transylvania its German name Siebenbürgen (literally seven citadels).

2768, 2769 FRANCE (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) - Chamrousse

2768 Chamrousse in summertime

Chamrousse is a ski resort in southeastern France, in the Belledonne Mountain Range near Grenoble in the Isère department. It is located in a commune of the same name and is situated on the Recoin at 1,650m and the Roche Béranger at 1,750m. Actually, it is made up of two small towns: Chamrousse 1650 (Nook) and Chamrousse 1750-1700 (Roche Beranger - Arselle Ski Area) which are interconnected by ski slopes. The resort is cleverly built within the forest and has exceptional panoramic views overlooking Grenoble on the valley floor...

2769 Chamrousse in wintertime

 

The ski-lifts reach the Cross of Chamrousse at 2,253m. There are more than 90km of downhill runs at Chamrousse and 24 ski lifts. There are also 37km of trails for cross-country skiing. Cross-country skiing can be practised from the opening of the resort to early or mid-April. Skiers here can discover or rediscover the Olympic slopes and the technical Casserousse Couloir which provides over 850 metres of vertical ski descent. But Chamrousse is not only for skiers, there are many outdoor activities on offer for example; Paragliding, Snowshoeing, Snow mobiling and Ice driving.

2767 FRANCE (Saint Martin) - A coconut tree

The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family) and the only species of the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit. The term is derived from the 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish word coco meaning "head" or "skull", from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features. It is a large palm, growing up to 30m tall, with pinnate leaves 4-6m long, and pinnae 60-90cm long. On fertile soil, it can yield up to 75 fruits per year, but more often yields less than 30.

2766 ROMANIA (Iași) - Mihail Sadoveanu (1880-1961)

Mihail Sadoveanu was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure. Often seen as the leading author of his generation, and generally viewed as one of the most representative Romanian writers, he was also believed to be a first-class story-teller, and received praise especially for his nature writing and his depictions of rural landscapesbut also he is remembered mostly for his historical and adventure novels. An exceptionally prolific author by Romanian standards, he published over a hundred individual volumes, and his career spanned five decades.

2168, 2185, 2765 FRANCE (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) - Belledonne

2168 Belledonne range

Posted on 30.12.2015, 03.01.2016, 22.09.2016
Belledonne is a mountain range in the Dauphiné Alps (part of the French Alps) in southeast France, noted for the spectacular scenery, numerous ski areas, interesting geology, and a diverse range of alpine land types and uses. The southern end of the range forms the eastern wall of the mountains that surround the city of Grenoble. The highest point is the Grand Pic de Belledonne (2,977m).

2185 Lakes in Belledonne range

The range is delineated by several valleys, including the Grésivaudan Valley on the west, the Arc River to the north and the Romanche River to the south. The range counts dozens of peaks over 2,500m, more than 10 glaciers, and many alpine lakes. The Pas de la Coche pass is the only natural break point in the range, which is believed that Hannibal to have passed when he crossed the Alps with his army.

2765 Achard Lake in Belledonne range

The mountains are home to marmots, chamois, ibex mountain goats and grouse. Reportedly, wolves have returned since 1998, coming from Italy and the press regularly echoes complaints from shepherds about wolves attacking their sheep. The ibex had completely disappeared, but early 1983, 13 females and 7 males were brought in from Switzerland and by spring 2002, their population had risen to 900 heads.

2764 UNITED STATES - Apache Devil Dancers

2764 Apache Devil Dancers in Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation
(Sacramento Mountains / New Mexico)

The Apache believe that langsyne their ancestors lived alongside with supernatural beings. The common belief is that there are spirits that live within certain mountains and underground realms. Part of the Apache creation story incorporates the belief that they are the blood relatives of the mountains, trees, rocks, and the wind. One of the most important pieces to the beliefs of the Apache is a holy being sometimes referred to as White-Painted Woman, but also known as Changing Woman or White Shell Woman.

2763 FRANCE (Saint Barthélemy) - Saint-Jean

Saint-Jean is a quartier located in the northern part of the island. It contains one of the best known beaches on the island and is the centre of water sport activity. This popular neighbourhood also comprises the second largest shopping area on the island. Some of the islands most magnificent villas, hotels, and restaurants can also be found in this city. In the hills, luxury hotels and pretty villas are hidden in the tropical vegetation and a profusion of colourful flowers.

2762 FRANCE - Wines of France - Health, Cheerfulness, Hope

As is known, France is one of the largest wine producers in the world. French wine traces its history to the 6th century BC, with many of France's regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive high-end wines sold internationally to more modest wines usually only seen within France. France is the source of many grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah) that are now planted throughout the world, as well as wine-making practices and styles of wine that have been adopted in other producing countries.