Amazon River Amazing Photos

10 beautiful and fun photos of the Amazon River.

If you haven’t noticed, I love water. Every time I do a post for this 10 Friday Photos series, I seem to pick something related to water or at least include a lot of pics with water in them. Perhaps that’s why Martyna decided to do one on deserts last week, to balance things out a bit.
If I can’t get to the ocean, my next choice for enjoying nature is probably heading to a nice river. I thought I’d make this post 10 beautiful photos of rivers from around the world, but ended up finding so many cool or beautiful Amazon River photos that I decided to just make it an Amazon River post. Enjoy!

Amazon River at Sunset

Photo Credit: Bruno Girin via flickr

Photo Credit: zrim via flickr

Photo Credit: PHOTOPHANATIC1 via flickr

Amazon Baby

Photo Credit: Daniel Zanini H. via flickr

Amazon River Headwaters

Photo Credit: quinet via flickr

Where 2 Rivers Meet & Mix

Photo Credit: idua_japan via flickr

Floating Houses on the Amazon River

Photo Credit: Bruno Girin via flickr

Photo Credit: Bruno Girin via flickr

Amazon River and Rainforest

Photo Credit: leoffreitas via flickr
Like these photos? View more from our 10 Friday Photos series.
Top Photo Credit: Kara Allyson via flickr

via planetsave.com

Amazon galore!

Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburg PA USA

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Phipps Conservatory “Collage”, originally uploaded by visitPA.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a great steel and glass Victorian greenhouse, has been inviting visitors to explore the beauty and mysteries of plants since 1893. Set amidst one of Pittsburgh’s largest greenspaces, Schenley Park, Phipps Conservatory stands as a cultural and architectural centerpiece of the city’s Oakland neighborhood.
In recent decades, Phipps has evolved into one of the region’s most vibrant, thriving cultural attractions, bringing fresh perspectives and artists into our historic glasshouse environment. Phipps has also become a strong advocate for advanced green-building practices, sustainable gardening and a new environmental awareness.
more @: http://phipps.conservatory.org/

Audierne, Brittany, France

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Audierne, originally uploaded by kerivoa.

Audierne (Breton: Gwaien) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The town lies on a peninsula at the mouth of the Goyen river and for centuries was a fishing village, with a wide sandy beach. Visitors can take a boat from Audierne’s port of Esquibien to the Île de Sein.
The harbour, formerly important to the local fishing industry, is now essentially a yacht port. Remaining of the fishery is an oyster farm, in which the delicacy can be bought.
Along the harbour stretches the town’s main shopping area with its cafés, bars and restaurants, crêperies, boutiques, estate agents and holiday agencies, the town hall, the tourism office, and the regional bus stop. On Saturday mornings there is a farmers’ market, which serves as a meeting place for natives and tourists alike.
Audierne is twinned with Penryn, Cornwall.
source and more info @: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audierne
and @ the official site: http://www.audierne.fr/

Löderup, Ystad, Skåne, Sweden

photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dahlstroms/

Löderup is a locality situated in Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 558 inhabitants in 2005

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler _uacct = “UA-4574305-1”;urchinTracker();

Greek Islands…αιγιοπελαγιτικα τοπια…το καλοκαιρι ειναι κοντα

Στη Μύκονο, στη Σέριφο, στη Σίκινο, στη Μήλο

πετάς κυπαρισσόμηλο κι εγώ πετάω μήλο.

Στην Αμοργό, στην Κίμωλο στη Νιό στη Σαντορίνη

μου στέλνεις κιτρολέμονο σου στέλνω μανταρίνι.

Παράγγειλα του κύρη σου που πίνει τον καφέ του

να σ έχει μαντζουράνα του να σ έχει κατιφέ του.

Παράγγειλα της μάνας σου που πλένει στο σκαφίδι

να μη σου λέει πικρόλογα τι θα τη φάει το φίδι.

Να δώσει η Μεγαλόχαρη κι η Παναγιά η Κανάλα

να μεγαλώσεις γρήγορα σαν τα κορίτσια τ άλλα.

Και τ’ Αγιο-Λιός ανήμερα στη Νάξο και στην Πάρο

να δώσει η Καλαμιώτισσα γυναίκα να σε πάρω.

Παράγγειλα του κύρη σου που ρίχνει παραγάδι

να ‘ρθεί να κουβεντιάσουμε την Κυριακή το βράδυ.

Παράγγειλα στη μάνα σου που μοιάζει με βαρέλι

να σε ποτίζει αφρόγαλο να σε ταΐζει μέλι.

Στη Μύκονο, στη Σέριφο, στη Σίκινο, στη Μήλο

πετάς κυπαρισσόμηλο κι εγώ πετάω μήλο.

Στην Αμοργό, στην Κίμωλο στη Νιό στη Σαντορίνη

μου στέλνεις κιτρολέμονο σου στέλνω μανταρίνι.

Στίχοι: Νίκος Γκάτσος

Μουσική: Μάνος Χατζιδάκις

Ερμηνευτής: Μανόλης Μητσιάς

οι φωτογραφιες απο την Γεωργία, την γνωστη σαν NosyParker

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Tower bridge, London UK

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Tower bridge, originally uploaded by brunoat.

movable bridge of the double-leaf bascule (drawbridge) type that spans the River Thames between the Greater London boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Southwark. It is a distinct landmark that aesthetically complements the Tower of London, which it adjoins.
The bridge was completed in 1894 and provides an opening 250 feet (76 metres) wide. Its twin towers rise 200 feet (61 metres) above the Thames.
Between the towers stretch a pair of glass-covered walkways that are popular among tourists. The walkways were originally designed to allow pedestrians to cross even while the bridge was raised, but they became hangouts for prostitutes and thieves and so were closed from 1909 to 1982.
The Tower Bridge was operated by hydraulic pumps driven by steam until 1976, when electric motors were put into operation; the steam power system is still kept (in good repair) as a tourist display. Because of the reduction in shipping at the London Docklands, however, the leaves are now seldom raised.

source: Wikipedia

Photo Soundtrack: “Final Battle”, from Van Helsing. (Composed by Alan Silvestri).

30 secs audio clip (real audio) here.
Complete audio clip (mp3 24 kbps) here.

See more info about Photo Soundtrack here.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Lamberts Castle, Dorset, UK

A walk around Lamberts Castle offers stunning views of the Marshwood Vale with its clay valleys and rolling greens and hills. On a clear day you can see Chesil beach and Portland to the east and out toward the sea at Charmouth to the south.

Lambert’s Castle is an Iron Age hill fort in Dorset, England, United Kingdom.
The fort rises to a height of 256 m on a broad northerly spur, with steep natural slopes on three sides, and linear ramparts across the flat southern approaches.
The site is owned by the National Trust. The is a car park accessible down a track off the B3165 east of Axminster. Coney’s Castle is about 1.5 km to the south, and Pilsdon Pen about 5 km to the north-east.
It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest on account of its geology, archaeology and ecology. It was notified as an SSSI in 1981.

Main hillfort with repairs to the ramparts Photo: NATIONAL TRUST

more @: Lambert’s castle
and @: Lamberts Castle, Dorset: Walk of the week – Telegraph

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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From Istanbul to Alexandria, travel in the footsteps of Alexander The Great

By Peter Mckay 

The Irish actor Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone’s 2004 Hollywood blockbuster Alexander was unsatisfactory from a purist’s point of view. His career  –  conquering three continents by the time he died,…..

Great expectations: The elegant Marmara waterfront in Istanbul was the starting point for Peter McKay’s epic cruise adventure

Most of Stone’s Alexander was shot at Pinewood Studios, Bucks. Swan Hellenic’s MV Minerva zigzagged from Istanbul, Turkey to Alexandria, Egypt by way of Thessaloniki and Kavalla, Greece; Kusadasi, Turkey; Rhodes, Greece; Fethiye, Antalya and Tasucu, Turkey; and then Larnaca, Cyprus; before cruising to Alexandria. We boarded after ….

All at sea: The Minerva looks more like a ship than a cruise liner and has room for about 320 guests

Modern air travel’s arrivals and departures are dismal experiences, but coming and going on ocean liners are pure pleasures. Tugboats fussed around as the ship’s hooter blasted a minaret-wobbling farewell to Istanbul. Minerva glided out into the Marmara Sea. 

A necklace of shore lights sparkled for the next few hours as we headed through the softly warm night towards the Dardanelles and Gallipoli where, in the sad-all-over year of 1915, under the leadership of Winston Churchill, …….. 

Rocks of ages: Temples at Kusadasi, on Turkey’s Aegean coast, were among the highlights of the Alexander the Great cruise

Some new ocean liners resemble blocks of flats and carry as many as 6,000 passengers, but Minerva looks like a ship and has room for about 320. Although ‘retro’ in design, the 12,500 tonnes, 435ft-long vessel was built in 1997 and has ultra-modern propulsion and navigational systems. 

There are six passenger decks, two restaurants, a cinema, the shipwide Darwin Lounge on Main Deck used for classical concerts and lectures, a gym, shops, beauty salon, good library with internet access and all the usual conveniences, including a small pool, card room and smoking room. 

My cabin had a large window rather than a port hole, twin beds, a shower, wash basin and loo  –  cosy rather than ……

more @
Cruise holidays: From Istanbul to Alexandria, travel in the footsteps of Alexander The Great | Mail Online

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Mykonos, Cyclades, Greece

Ask anybody who has visited the Greek islands and they will tell you that apart from the beaches, nothing compares to the early-evening stroll in the islands’ towns. The light of the late hour, the pleasant buzz, the narrow streets filled with locals and tourists alike, and the romantic ambience in the air as you stroll along streets can lead you to anything from a modern restaurant, a pleasant taverna, a fortress, or an ancient, unassuming site.

Despite its intense commercialism and seething crowds in high season, Hora is still the quintessential Cycladic town and is worth a visit to the island in itself. The best way to see the town is to venture inland from the port and wander. Browse the window displays, go inside an art gallery, a store, or an old church that may be open but empty inside. Keep in mind that the town is bounded on two sides by the bay, and on the other two by the busy vehicular District Road, and that all paths funnel eventually into one of the main squares:Plateia Mantos Mavroyenous,on the port (calledTaxi Squarebecause it’s the main taxi stand);Plateia Tria Pigadia;andPlateia Laka,near the south bus station.
Hora also has the remains of a smallVenetian kastro(fortress) and the island’s most famous church,Panagia Paraportiani (Our Lady of the Postern Gate),

Read more: Frommer’s Mykonos (Cyclades, Greece)

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Ramallah’s Clubs Attract Young, Diverse Crowd, West Bank, Israel

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

By MICHAEL T. LUONGO

THE open-air deck pulsed with the rhythmic dancing of hundreds of young people, their hands raised toward the pine trees above them, needles sparkling yellow, red and blue in the disco lights. Couples watched from the sides by bonfires, huddling against the breezes billowing in from the valley below the club.

Amira Bernadette Dibdy, lead singer of CultureShoc, called out to the crowd in a mix of Arabic and English. The band was Snowbar’s live Thursday performance, a ritual that has made the club the hottest spot in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the West Bank. Though Yasser Arafat’s floodlit tomb loomed nearby, no one was talking about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at Snowbar. They were too focused on the music.

The barrier walls here are certainly intimidating, and Ramallah doesn’t have the holy mystique of Bethlehem, but this city on the West Bank has become a destination for thousands of young North Americans, Europeans and offspring of the Palestinian elite. Some work for locally based non-governmental organizations or new businesses; others are visiting. Many of the hot spots are set in restored Ottoman buildings, streamlined Art Deco houses that date from the British mandate, or atop new high-rises. Some residents say the scene is an undiscovered challenge to what Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Amman, Jordan — each a few miles but a psychological world away — offer young people in the Middle East.

John Saadeh, 24, a Palestinian-American from San Francisco, moved to Ramallah last year after his parents opened a pizzeria near Ramallah’s historic Old City. He likes the night life, he said, because “everybody knows everybody out here. You’re like a celebrity. It’s very easy to meet people.”

Veronica Grant, a Jewish American from North Carolina, also 24, lives in Ramallah but commutes to graduate school at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. “I wanted to experience the Palestinian side, because I grew up with the Jewish side,” she said. “I find Ramallah one of the more liberal places in the Middle East, even more than Amman.”

Part of the appeal for these young travelers is the sophisticated culture embodied by night spots like Orjuwan, an Italian-Palestinian fusion restaurant and bar opened in November by three young members of a prominent West Bank family: Sari Sakakini; his brother, Salim; and sister, Katia. The restaurant has a couch-strewn patio, a wine bar under a vaulted Ottoman ceiling and a dining room with a view of the Old City.

“We wanted to make five-star…

more @: Next Stop – Ramallah’s Clubs Attract Young, Diverse Crowd – NYTimes.com

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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From Black Sea beaches to Byzantine Nessebar, Bulgaria

By Claire Gervat

Lunch hadn’t been this relaxing for ages. On one side of the terrace was the sea, deep blue and sparkling; on the other was the restaurant, almost hidden by a huge fig tree surrounded by irises.

On the table was a plate of perfectly grilled sardine-sized fish, a bowl of salad and a glass of a local dry white wine: the ideal finale to a sunny morning of gentle sightseeing. My first day on Bulgaria’s Black Sea Riviera was already a good one.

Uncrowded sands: Bulgaria has 125 miles of Black Sea coastline, ideal for cheap summer breaks

The omens had been positive from the moment I’d opened my bedroom curtains and spotted two dolphins cruising in the bay below.

It wasn’t what I’d expected at all. When I had started my search for a holiday with guaranteed summer sun, Bulgaria had caught my eye mainly because it seemed so reasonably priced.

Wedged between Greece and Turkey, and just three hours flight away, it seemed too good to be true. I was worried that I’d end up in a bargain basement version of the Costa del Sol.

My fears were misplaced; there are large new resorts along the 125-mile coastline, but I wasn’t in one of them.

I was staying in the modern Hotel Festa Panorama in the newer part of the small seaside town of Nessebar near Burgas, perfectly positioned between the five-mile curve of golden sand backed by the cheek-by-jowl hotels of Sunny Beach resort and the old part of town.

The hotel is looking neat and chic after a change of ownership and decor over the winter, and I was tempted to spend my first morning by the large pool and practising the odd word of Bulgarian (mainly ‘thank you’) on the staff.

However, all the guidebooks agreed that Old Nessebar is one of the Black Sea coast’s loveliest spots, so I headed out to see if they were right. They certainly were.

Squeezed on to a peninsula no more than half a mile long and barely a quarter of a mile wide, Old Nessebar is a delight – cobbled lanes, Byzantine churches and weathered woodand-stone houses wrapped in the remains of its defensive ramparts.

I started my morning of explorations outside the walls, walking through the fish market to the harbour where I watched fishermen painting their boats while house martins swooped above.

From there, a short flight of stairs up into the heart of the town brought me to the best-preserved of Old Nessebar’s churches, Sveti Stefan.

……

more @: Bulgaria holidays: From Black Sea beaches to Byzantine Nessebar | Mail Online

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Czech’s New Brewery Hotels

What could be more relaxing than bathing in…beer? (Courtesy Zámek Zábřeh)

Stříbro is reachable by rail via nine daily departures from Prague’s Hlavní nádražzí main train station. Book at the station (or online at eshop.cd.cz, in English, click on “Inland Tickets”) for about $10 each way. The hotel is a mile from the train station, uphill. Taxis are available.

U Rybiček offers seven doubles, starting at $43. Also available are two suites, which have two to three times as much living space as standard rooms, along with couches, coffee tables, and small kitchens, from $80. 011-420/604-280-787, urybicek.eu.

Zámek Zábřeh

Located in the northeastern Moravian city of Ostrava, the 16th-century Zábřeh château was converted into a luxury hotel and brewpub in 2007. Decorated with period antiques and exposed beams dating back centuries, the 18 rooms include several large suites. Soak in a beer bath at its mini-spa. U Zámku 42/1, Ostrava, 011-420/554-819-411, zamek-zabreh.cz, doubles from $65.

Purkmistr
Hosting one of the country’s best craft-beer festivals (September 18 this year), the Purkmistr hotel, brewery, and restaurant is located in Plzeň, the birthplace of pilsner. The building, opened in 2007 after restoration, originally dates from 1603. There are 32 guest rooms (including two suites), decorated in a contemporary style with partially exposed brick walls hung with French Impressionist prints. Purkmistr also bowls a strike for fun with its own three-lane bowling alley. Selská náves 21/2, 011-420/377-994-311, purkmistr.cz, doubles from $118.

Hotel St. Florian
During the filming of the recent remake of the James Bond flick Casino Royale, the hilltop Bohemian burg of Loket stood in for a charming town in Montenegro. The Hotel St. Florian, a.k.a. “Hotel Svatý Florián” in Czech, offers 27 simple guest rooms as well as an excellent amber lager brewed on the premises. T.G. Masaryka 70, Loket, 011-420/352-685-109, hotel-loket.cz, doubles from $95.

more @ The Czech Republic’s New Brewery Hotels – Budget Travel

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Monastiraki sq., Athens Greece

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perfusion, originally uploaded by argyrio d’emmanuelli.

Monastiraki (Greek: Μοναστηράκι, literally little monastery) is a flea market neighborhood in the old town of Athens, Greece, and is one of the principal shopping districts in Athens. The area is home to clothing boutiques, souvenir shops, and specialty stores, and is a major tourist attraction in Athens and Attica for bargain shopping. The area is named after Monastiraki Square, which in turn is named for the Pantánassa church monastery that is located within the square. The main streets of this area are Pandrossou Street and Adrianou Street.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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*Placid, Oregon, USA

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Placid, originally uploaded by Tomaocron.

*placid [ˈplæsɪd]
adj
having a calm appearance or nature
[from Latin placidus peaceful; related to placēre to please]
=========================
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon’s northern and eastern boundaries respectively.
The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers who formed an autonomous government in Oregon Country in 1843; the Oregon Territory was created in 1848, and Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859. Salem is the state’s capital and third-most-populous city; Portland is the most populous. Portland is the 30th-largest U.S. city, with a population of 582,130 (2009 estimate) and a metro population of 2,241,841 (2009 estimate), the 23rd-largest U.S. metro area.
The valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon is the most densely populated and agriculturally productive region of the state, and is home to eight of the ten most populous cities. Oregon’s 2000 population was about 3.5 million, a 20.3% increase over 1990; it is estimated to have reached 3.8 million by 2008. Oregon’s largest for-profit private employer is Intel, located in the Silicon Forest area on Portland’s west side.
The state has 199 public school districts, with Portland Public Schools as the largest. There are 17 community colleges, and seven publicly financed colleges in the Oregon University System. Oregon State University in Corvallis and the University of Oregon in Eugene are the two flagship universities of the state, while Portland State University has the largest enrollment.
Major highways include Interstate 5 which runs the entire north-south length of the state, Interstate 84 that runs east-west, U.S. Route 97 that crosses the middle of the state, U.S. Route 101 that travels the entire coastline, and U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 26 that run east-west, among many other highways. Portland International Airport is the busiest commercial airport in the state and is operated as part of the Port of Portland, the state’s busiest port. Rail service includes Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway freight service, Amtrak passenger service, as well as light rail and street car routes in the Portland metro area.
Oregon enjoys a diverse landscape including a scenic and windswept Pacific coastline, the volcanoes of a rugged and glaciated Cascade Mountain Range, dense evergreen forests, and high desert across much of the eastern portion of the state. The towering Douglas firs and redwoods along the rainy Western Oregon coast provide a dramatic contrast with the lower density and fire prone pine tree and juniper forests covering portions of the Eastern half of the state. The eastern portion of the state also includes semi-arid scrublands, prairies, deserts, and meadows. These drier areas stretch east from Central Oregon. Mount Hood is the highest point in the state at 11,249 feet (3,429 m). Crater Lake National Park is the only national park in Oregon. Oregon is the United States’ leader in forest fires[citation needed]; in 2007 the state had more than 1,000 of them.

more @: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Suns up, all about NYC, USA

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Suns up, originally uploaded by pmarella.

all about New York

http://www.december.com/places/nyc/blue.html

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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