Irish Bridges, Castles and More!

Dozens of ancient castles and ruins are sprinkled across Ireland’s lush, green countryside in various states of ruin.  http://www.pinterest.com/shilio1/irish-ruins-and-castles/



Celtic Cross Origins

One popular legend has it that St. Patrick introduced the cross intending to convert pagan heathens to Christianity. At a time when church leaders thought it would be easier to convert pagans from their beliefs to Christian beliefs if they used symbols that they were already familiar with. 

 

It’s believed by some that the four arms of the cross represents the four elements, earth, air, fire and water.  They also represent the four directions of the compass, North, South, East and West.  And finally the four parts of man, mind, soul, heart and body.  The horizontal line of the cross symbolizes earth and the vertical portion symbolizes heaven.

Some believe that the ring on the Celtic cross represents the Roman sun-god, Invictus, therefore the sun. Others interpret it as the moon.  Catholics and Protestants say this ring represents eternity and emphasizes unending love as shown by the sacrifice on the cross.  Or, that it might represent the halo.  From a practical point of view it it’s said that the ring, or circle was a solution to keep the early stone crosses from breaking.

The Samuel Beckett "Harp" Bridge in Dublin

The bridge is inspired by traditional Irish harp. The harp is a true symbol of Ireland in its design so the cables are reminiscent of the strings and so the bridge is a mixture of symbolism and modernity. Calatrava Bridge was named for Samuel Beckett, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969.

Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry in the southwest of Ireland is one of our most scenic routes located in some of the most beautiful, unspoiled natural environments in Ireland. It is one of Ireland's best-known and most scenic circuits, skirting the edge of the Iveragh Peninsula – the middle and largest of three fingers of land reaching out into the Atlantic on the island's south-west extremity. Roughly 120-miles of scenic beauty, encountering some of Ireland's finest landscapes, a breathtaking mosaic of rugged, storm-bashed coast, steep mountains, velvety green fields, historic sites, slate-colored glacial lakes and welcoming towns and villages.

Iveragh Peninsula

Country Perfect for Grazing Sheep

Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs are 700 feet high at the highest point and range for 5 miles along the West coast County Clare. The tower of the O'Brien Clan stands on a headland of the Cliffs. The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale, sandstone and limestone with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. It is possible to see 300 million year-old river channels cutting through, forming unconformities at the base of the cliffs.

Snowdonia National Park

The Mountains of Snowdonia



Snowdonia National Park, which has the evocative Welch name of “Eryri” meaning ‘the place of the eagles’, is an area of outstanding natural beauty covering 838 square miles and containing some of the most magnificent scenery in Wales.

The rocks that cover Snowdonia were formed by volcanoes in the Ordovician period and much of the scenery was carved out by glaciers.

STONEHENGE

Located near Salisbury in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside, it is a highlight of the South West. The true meaning of this ancient, awe-inspiring creation has been lost in the mists of time. Was Stonehenge a temple for sun worship, a healing center, a burial site or perhaps a huge calendar? How did the builders manage to carry the mighty stones from so far away and then, using only the most primitive of tools, build this amazing structure? Surrounded by mystery, Stonehenge never fails to impress.

Interesting Facts on Stonehenge

Ø         Stonehenge was built between 3100 - BCE.

Ø    The circle was aligned with the midsummer sunrise, the midwinter sunset and the most southerly rising and northerly setting of the moon.

Ø     The ground plan and structural engineering of Stonehenge incorporate sophisticated mathematical and geometrical understandings on the part of the builders.

Ø     There were two types of stones used in its construction: the bluestones (weighing as much as four tons and brought from 240 miles away) and the Sarsen stones (averaging eighteen feet in height and twenty-five tons in weight).

Stonehenge Purposes

Ø   Prior to 1950’s most archeologists believed that Stonehenge’s use had been limited to ritual activities of  different Neolithic chiefdoms. However, it is now known that Stonehenge had another equally important function, which was its use as an astronomical observatory.

Ø   Stonehenge was simultaneously used for both astronomical observation and ritual function. By gathering data regarding the movement of celestial bodies, the Stonehenge observations were used to indicate appropriate periods in the annual ritual cycle. During those periods, among them being the solstices, equinoxes and different lunar days, festivals and ceremonies were held.

Mounds Around Stonehenge

Heel Stone, Sun-Stone or Friar's Heel?

The Heel Stone lies just outside the main entrance to the henge. It is a rough stone, 16 feet above ground, leaning inwards towards the stone circle. At summer solstice an observer standing within the stone circle, looking north-east through the entrance, would see the sun rise above the heel stone.

A folk tale dating back to the seventeenth century suggests the origin of the Friar's Heel:

The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!" A friar replied, "That’s what you think!," whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there.

Hadrian's Wall

The emperor Hadrian visited Britannia in AD 122 and ordered his generals to build a wall from the Tyne to the Solway, to prevent raiders from the north destroying the strategic Roman base at Corbridge, in Northumberland.

Hadrian’s Wall was 80 Roman miles long - about 73 modern miles or 117 km. It was built in 5 mile stretches, with seventeen forts. Smaller forts called ‘milecastles’ were built every mile and between these were signal turrets.

Building the wall was a huge undertaking; it took 15 years to build, and sons followed fathers into guarding the wall. Eighteen thousand soldiers worked on it, and 4 million tonnes of stone were used.  It served as a frontier for several Roman incursions into Caledonia.

The Remains of a Mighty Wall

How the Kangaroo Got a Long Tail, and the Wombat a Flat Forehead: An Aboriginal Tale

Many years ago, Mirram the kangaroo and Warreen the wombat were both men. They were very friendly, and hunted and lived together in the same camping-ground. Warreen had a very comfortable gunyah made of bark and soft leaves, but Mirram who was a careless fellow-did not trouble to build a home. He was content to sleep in the open, by the side of a big fire, with the blue sky for a cover, and the green grass for a couch. This open air life was very nice in fine weather, when the stars twinkled in the sky like golden fire-flies, but it was extremely uncomfortable in the rainy season.

One night a great storm arose. The wind howled eerily, and rocked the tall trees to and fro as though they were shaken by the strong arms of an invisible giant. The rain fell in torrents, and darkness covered the light of the stars. The rain quickly quenched the glowing embers of Mirram's fire, and he was left to the mercy of the storm. After shivering in the cold for some time, he decided to seek the hospitality of Warreen. "Surely my friend would not refuse me shelter on such a night as this," he thought. "I will ask him."

Feeling very cold and miserable, he crept to the opening of Warreen's tent, and seeing there was sufficient space for both of them to sleep comfortably, he woke him and said: "The storm has killed my fire. I am very wet, and the cold wind has chilled me to the bone. May I sleep in the corner of your tent?" Warreen blinked his eyes sleepily and answered in a gruff voice: "No. I want to place my head in that corner. There isn't any room." With this rude remark he moved into the corner, but, as he could not occupy the whole space of the tent, another corner became vacant. Mirram went away and sat by the wet ashes of his fire, and his thoughts were as miserable as the weather. The fury of the storm increased, and looking anxiously at the rainproof gunyah of his friend, he decided to approach Warreen again. He entered the shelter, and, touching Warreen gently on the shoulder, said: "The wind is very cold, and as biting as the teeth of the wild dog. The rain is falling heavily and will not cease. I should be grateful if you would allow me to sleep in that corner. I will not disturb you." Warreen raised his head, listened to the moaning of the storm outside, and then replied: "I will not have you here; there isn't any room. Go outside and do not keep waking me." "But," replied Mirram, "there is room in that corner. Surely you wouldn't drive me out into the storm to die!"

There upon, Warreen moved one leg into the corner and again a space became vacant. Seeing he could no longer hoodwink Mirram and hide from him his selfish intentions, he grew very angry and yelled: "Get out! Get out! I won't have you in my tent. I don't care where you die." This harsh treatment exasperated Mirram and he left the tent in a terrible rage. Outside the tent, he groped around in the dark until he found a large flat stone. Then he crept silently to the gunyah. By the sound of heavy breathing he knew Warreen was asleep. Moving very silently, he entered the tent, and, raising the stone high in his arms, dashed it on the head of the sleeper. The terrible blow did not kill Warreen but flattened his forehead. When he had recovered from his pained surprise, he heard the mocking voice of Mirram saying: "That is your reward for treating a friend so cruelly. You and your children and their children's children will wander through the land with flat foreheads that men may know them for your selfishness." As Warreen was no match for his opponent, he did not answer, but nursed his sore head and some very bad thoughts. From that moment, he was always planning revenge for his injury.

Some time later, Warreen was hunting in the forest, and, through the shadow of the trees, he saw Mirram a short distance ahead. He crept noiselessly towards him, and, when Mirram was looking for the marks of a possum on the bark of a tree, he threw a spear at him with all his strength. The spear struck Mirram at the bottom of the back, and so deeply did it enter that he could not pull it out. While he was struggling with the spear, Warreen walked up to him, and, in a bantering voice, said: "Aha! My turn has come at last. I have waited long to repay you. You will always carry the spear in your back and wander without a home while you live. Your children will carry the spear and be homeless for ever. By these tokens, men will always remember your attempt to kill me while I slept."

From that time the kangaroo has had a long tail, which makes a low, thudding sound as he wanders homeless through the bush, and the wombat still has a very flat forehead as an everlasting sign of selfishness.

From http://www.sacred-texts.com/aus/smalaa.htm

Three Sisters Legend

According to an Aboriginal dreamtime story, the three huge rocks formation were once three beautiful sisters named 'Meehni', 'Wimlah', and Gunnedoo' from the Katoomba tribe. The three sisters fell in love with three brothers from the nepean tribe but their tribal laws forbid their marriage. The three brothers did not except this law and tried to capture the three sisters by force. This caused a major tribal battle and the lives of the three sisters were thus threatened. A witch doctor decided to turn the sisters into rocks in order to protect them and thought to reverse the spell only after the battle. Unfortunately, he was killed in the battle and the three sisters remained as the enormous and beautiful rock formations until today.

Australia

Australia is the only country that has a whole continent to itself. World famous for its natural wonders and wide open spaces. Australia's biggest attraction is its natural beauty. The landscape varies from endless sunbaked horizons to dense tropical rainforest to chilly southern beaches.

Australian flora and fauna is essentially unique to the island continent, the result of having been isolated from the rest of the world for millions of years. Amongst Australian animals are a large group of marsupials and monotremes Just some of the animal icons of Australia are the kangaroo (national symbol) and the koala.

The continent of Australia was apparently first settled more than 40,000 years ago with successive waves of immigration of Aboriginal peoples from south and south-east Asia. With rising sea levels after the last Ice Age, Australia became largely isolated from the rest of the world and the Aboriginal tribes developed a variety of cultures, based on a close spiritual relationship with the land and nature, and extended kinship. Australian aborigines maintained a hunter/gatherer culture for thousands of years in association with a complex artistic and cultural life - including a very rich story-telling tradition.

Queenstown, New Zealand Flickr Fun

Central Library Arches

New Zealand has quite awesome and breath-taking landscape and several block-buster movies were filmed on location. Did you know Peter Jackson's Lord of the rings trilogy and King Kong (2005) were shot on location.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfong/6220651/
Rohan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southnz/579770608/

Isengard

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80651083@N00/126681734/

King Kong

How Hybrid Vehicles Work

Lets face it, we live in an oil dependent world and the United States alone consumes roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day and this has direct consequences on our planet. We now are nearing an age when global warming is inevitable and our resources are ever so heavily used and are beginning to deplete, but there are some simple suggestions that we can follow to conserve resources. For example, when traveling we can take the bus or carpool and hybrid automobiles are another way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, but surely these altenatives are no pancea for the dilemma we face in the future: running out of fossil fuels and ultimately widening the ozone hole, leading to climate change.

Many people have misconceptions on how hybrid vehicles operate. Some of the advanced technologies typically used by hybrids include:

Regenerative Braking. The electric motor applies resistance to the drivetrain causing the wheels to slow down. In return, the energy from the wheels turns the motor, which functions as a generator, converting energy normally wasted during coasting and braking into electricity, which is stored in a battery until needed by the electric motor.

Electric Motor Drive/Assist. The electric motor provides additional power to assist the engine in accelerating, passing, or hill climbing. This allows a smaller, more efficient engine to be used. In some vehicles, the motor alone provides power for low-speed driving conditions where internal combustion engines are least efficient.

Automatic Start/Shutoff. Automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarts it when the accelerator is pressed. This prevents wasted energy from idling.illustrates the main parts of a hybrid vehicle.


*Photo from U.S. Department of Energy http://www.fueleconomy.gov/