Tomonoura, formerly known as Tomonotsu, is a port in the Tomo ward of Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It stands on the southern point of the Numakuma Peninsula, 14 kilometers south of Fukuyama Station. Tomonoura has been a prosperous port since ancient times.
Fukuyama is a city on Japan’s Ashida River. Myōō-in Temple has an ornate 5-story pagoda built in the 1300s. The grounds of Fukuyama Castle feature cherry blossoms in spring and colorful foliage in fall. The Hiroshima Prefectural Historical Museum displays the ruins of Kusado Sengen, the area’s medieval port. South, Tomonoura is a port town known for its Edo-era buildings and the stone Jōyatō Lighthouse.
Hillfield House was once home to Gloucester’s Trading Standards officers — not that you’d know it to see the place today. Toby Keel takes a look.
This Grade II-listed building, in the Wotton area just north of Gloucester’s centre, was built in the 1860s and is filled with period touches, from the fireplaces and ornate cornicing to stone pillars and the extraordinary stained glass windows.
Just as grand is the first floor, accessed by a stone staircase, lit from a skylight above and ringed by an ironwork balustrade that looks out onto the space below. All your fantasies of hosting a Bridgerton-style ball can finally be fulfilled.
For all this grandeur, the living rooms themselves do offer cosier, more intimate nooks. Off the main hallway and the corridor beyond are a drawing room, sitting room, study, kitchen-breakfast room and seemingly-endless series of reception rooms.
Located just over an hour’s drive, 42 miles west of Colorado Springs and at the end of a private road, KBO Ranch is 360± acres of raw, undeveloped mountain terrain and exceptional wildlife habitat. Views from the property are spectacular and include Pikes Peak, Mount Pisgah, the Collegiate Peaks, and the sun-soaked Sangre De Cristo Mountains.
The land is vacant and undeveloped, while approximately 70 percent is tree covered with large stands of mature ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and aspen surrounded by meadows and oak-covered hillsides. The topography is varied and elevations range from 9,500 feet at the high bluff site, down to 8,550 feet in the secluded valley bottom. The current owners have developed extensive trail systems, only allowed ATV access, and limited the use of the property to hunting only.
Large herds of elk and mule deer roam the property along with bears, turkey, and mountain lions. With over 3.6 miles of common boundary with adjacent conserved lands, this property will remain a private and secluded retreat.
Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, is bisected by the Vltava River. Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” it’s known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show. Completed in 1402, pedestrian Charles Bridge is lined with statues of Catholic saints.
Walk Down Wenceslas Square
The centerpiece of the New Town, and likely your first visit after arriving at the train station, is the monument to the Czech hero Saint Wenceslas. The Good King himself looks down a grand boulevard lined with unique and colorful buildings on its way to the former city walls of the Old Town. The equestrian statue is ringed by four other Czech patron saints. This large square has long been a gathering place for protests and demonstrations, including the peaceful Velvet Revolution that gradually seized power from the Czech communist government in the late twentieth century.
Circle the Old Town Square
At the bottom of Wenceslas Square, you’ll be entering the Old Town of Prague; note the sudden change in street layout and architecture. Old Town Square in the center of the old walled city is an absolute must-see for every Prague visitor; predictably, it is often crowded. Try to visit early in the morning or, even better, late in the evening to enjoy a quiet square. At the top of every hour, tourists gather around the Astronomical Clock to watch its chime. This complex clock marks the hour of the day in a twenty-four hour cycle, phases of the sun and moon, and the passing of the seasons. The hourly chime is small and quiet – it wasn’t originally built to entertain large crowds – so don’t expect a big flashy show.
Make the Climb to Prague Castle
On the other side of the wide Vltava River, on top of a steep hill, is the large compound of Prague Castle. Not named for any one particular building, this fortified mini city has been the center of Czech power for centuries; from medieval kings to modern parliament. From the top ramparts, look out over the contrasting architecture and red roofs of the Prague skyline stretching out below. Try to find the characteristic towers and steeples of the churches and the defense towers along the old city wall. Crowds clear out at night, leaving the square around St. Vitus’ Cathedral and the normally jam-packed Golden Lane all yours for an evening exploration.
Wild Side Ranch gets its name for its 14,538± total acres of dramatic cliffs and canyons with a rolling landscape marked by thick stands of ponderosa pines, juniper and pinons, numerous canyons, rock outcroppings, cliff faces, arroyos, drainages, and all interspersed by meadows of native grasses.
The primary feature of the property is the stunning and iconic landmark, Cañon Blanco, serving as the southern boundary. Nestled between the Sandia and Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range, every turn on the property offers a different view from big sky bluffs across sprawling prairies to dense forests before New Mexico’s notable grandiose sunsets. Several miles of the Wild Side’s eastern boundary border the 1.6 million-acre Santa Fe National Forest, protecting the land as a wildlife habitat for trophy elk, mule deer, wild turkey, bear, and mountain lions.
The outdoors in Idaho can be a lot of different experiences. In Idaho, there are a dozen fire lookouts that can be booked online. With views for days and ample peace and quiet, a stay in an Idaho fire lookout will be a bucket list trip leaving you with memories for a lifetime.
While staying in an Idaho fire lookout is stunning with surrounding views and solitude, some may require small hikes to get to, and depending on the time of year certain vehicles may be needed. This video gives you a good look at the experience.
A snowy Grand Canyon was shrouded by a partial cloud inversion in Arizona.
Grand Canyon National Park, in Arizona, is home to much of the immense Grand Canyon, with its layered bands of red rock revealing millions of years of geological history. Viewpoints include Mather Point, Yavapai Observation Station and architect Mary Colter’s Lookout Studio and her Desert View Watchtower. Lipan Point, with wide views of the canyon and Colorado River, is a popular, especially at sunrise and sunset.
Columbus is Ohio’s state capital. The city’s Scioto Mile is a string of parks on both sides of the Scioto River, with a huge interactive fountain and trails. On the west bank, the COSI science center offers hands-on exhibits and a planetarium. Downtown, the Columbus Museum of Art includes American and European paintings and a sculpture garden. The German Village area has restored brick houses built by 1800s settlers.
Frankfurt, a central German city on the river Main, is a major financial hub that’s home to the European Central Bank. It’s the birthplace of famed writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose former home is now the Goethe House Museum. Like much of the city, it was damaged during World War II and later rebuilt. The reconstructed Altstadt (Old Town) is the site of Römerberg, a square that hosts an annual Christmas market.
SKYLINE VIEWS is a fast motion short film by German filmmakers Fenchel & Janisch. The hyper lapse and time lapse footage was shot in summer 2020 in Frankfurt using mirrorless cameras. The static scenes were locked-off tripod shots and the motion shots were photographed hand-held. The high resolution photo sequences were edited using Adobe CameraRaw and After Effects CC.
See the stages and methods used to make a painted enamel box out of copper. Find out more about materials and techniques in our collections: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections?typ…
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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