Thursday 10 February 2011

Estonia - Tartu


Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university.

Czech Republic - Moravia and Silesia Holy Places

Cyprus - Beautiful Landscape

China - Beijing University


Throughout its history, the university has distinguished itself in terms of intellectual freedom and has produced and hosted many modern and prominent Chinese thinkers, including figures such as: Lu Xun, Mao Zedong, Gu Hongming, Hu Shih, Li Dazhao, and Chen Duxiu. Peking University was influential in the birth of China's New Culture Movement, May Fourth Movement, the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 and many other significant events.

Canada - Acadia University


Acadia University is located in the town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia the provincial capital. Founded in 1838 by the Baptist Community, Acadia's beginning was the result of the commitment and enthusiasm of a community determined to build a university. The University has been shaped by their spirit of hard work and dedication to the principles that everyone should have access to university regardless of gender, race or religious affiliations - a spirit which continues to guide the university today.

Belgium - Mechelen


Mechelen lies on the major urban and industrial axis Brussels-Antwerp, about 25 km from each city. Inhabitants find employment at Mechelen's southern industrial and northern office estates, as well as at offices or industry near the capital and Zaventem Airport, or at industrial plants near Antwerp's seaport.

Mechelen is one of Flanders' prominent art cities, with Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, and Leuven. It was notably a centre for artistic production during the Northern Renaissance, when painters, printmakers, illuminators and composers of polyphony and were attracted by patrons such as Margaret of York, Margaret of Austria and Jeroen Van Busleyden

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Australia

Sunday 26 December 2010

Czech Republic - Traditional Costume

Cyprus - Kiti - Angeloctistos Church


The main part of Panagia Angeloktisti, which literally means "Our Lady built by the angels" in Greek, dates from the 11th century and still serves as a working church for the busy village. During our visit, locals from various walks of life - an old lady dressed head to toe in black, a construction worker from the building site down the road and a dentist from across the street taking a break from drilling teeth - all stopped in to offer up a quick prayer and kiss an icon or two. It's nice to see such a venerable old building still in active use.

The church was built on and around the remains of a 6th century Christian basilica, the apse of which - and the fabulous mosaic of the Virgin Mary which serves as its stunning centerpiece - still survive today. Intriguingly, the mosaic was only "discovered" in 1952 during renovations. The original construction has clearly been added to and sympathetically restored in parts, and the standard is such that you can hardly differentiate between the ancient and the relatively new.

Cyprus - Landscape