- Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
Deer drinking water. At first I thought they were eating watermelons :-) And then there are two more apostles around the chi-rho-alpha-omega sign. - Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
My favourite part of the ceiling. So intense. Unfortunately, the illumination of the whole mausoleum was almost nonexistent... - Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia was built between 425 and 450. Galla Placidia was the daughter of the Roman emperor Theodosius I. - Ravenna
Not a window, actually a roof. - Basilica of San Francesco
Alabaster windows in the basilica. - Basilica of San Francesco
The submerged crypt in the basilica, dating from the 9-10th century. There are living fish in the crypt! - Quadrarco di Braccioforte
The sarcophagi date from the 5-6th century and belong to rich Ravenna families. This one is of the Pignatta family. - Basilica of San Francesco
Initially built in 450, rebuilt in the 9th and 10th century. Handed over to the Franciscans in 1261, now the basilica is dedicated to Saint Francis. - Marlene Dietrich
Super-Marlene by LeDiesis - Ravenna
- Casa Matha
Casa Matha is a guild of fishermen, one of the oldest in the world. - Ravenna
Spirito e Bellezza by Luisa Valentini (2013) - Mecato Coperto
The old market is now occupied with modern restaurants and bars. - Ravenna
After two days of sightseeing in the town, one recognises almost all the street-sign mosaics. - Ravenna
- Ravenna
Wonderful street signs all over the town. - Ravenna
What a wonderful depiction of Dante! - Beatrice
Super-Beatrice by LeDiesis - Pomposa Abbey
Some of the frescoes are even older, from the 10th century. - Pomposa Abbey
The church is full of 14th century Bolognese school frescoes, depicting Old Testament, New Testament and the Apocalypse. - Pomposa Abbey
Ah, the Last Judgment. The Hell is interesting as there are people actually being tortured. Often they are just being taken by all sorts of cute creatures. - Pomposa Abbey
In the apse, Christ sits on the throne surrounded by musician angels and saints. Below is the procession opened by the Virgin Mary with St. Benedict. The Abbot Andrea, who ordered the work in 1351 is kneeling down on the left. The bottom part tells the story of Saint Eustace. Fresoes by Vitale da Bologna. - Pomposa Abbey
Another fresco in the Chapter House, this one depicts Saint Benedict. - Pomposa Abbey
The Chapter House with early 14th century frescoes by a direct pupil of Giotto. In the center is Saint Guido, the Abbot of Pomposa (970-1046), on the left Saint Paul and on the right a pair of prophets, Moses and David. Note the horns on Moses :-) - Pomposa Abbey
Frescoes in the refractory. - Pomposa Abbey
This Benedictine monastery dates probably to around 600. It was definitely already big and super important in 874. It is built like a typical Romanesque abbey. The campanile is from 1063. - Pomposa Abbey
What a lovely peacock. A peacock is apparently considered incorruptible, representing the yearning for heavenly beatitude. - Passerela di Igne
Igne footbridge - Snow!
Another black & white real-world photo! - Fresh snow
- Old houses in Mareson
- Window shutters
I love the precise cuts of the window shutters! - Doggo!
Another old barn transformed into a new house. Is that a dog-shaped opening? - Mailbox
Even the mailbox is made in traditional style! - It's snowing
- Monte Civetta
- Torre di Valgrande
Civetta ridge - Palafavera
Wonderful cross-country trails - Torre di Valgrande
The ridge of Monte Civetta - Monte Coldai
- Black & white
I love black & white photos directly from the nature. This is Centro Fondo Peronaz, towards Cadore. - Garden Eels
Splendid Garden Eel (Gorgasia preclara) and Spotted Garden Eel (Heteroconger hassi) from Indian habitat. These creatures can be 40 cm long and live in abundant colonies - forming a "garden" - at a depth of 30 m. Creepy as hell. - Clown Anemonefish
Amphiprion ocellaris. They are protandric hermaphrodites - Nemo's Dad would actually change into Nemo's Mom once she died. - White-spotted Jellyfish
Phyllorhiza punctata. Copied from the Oceanario webpage: "The small white spots on its bell are crystalline inclusions close to the surface. The colour of the umbrella varies according to the presence or absence of symbiotic algae, that provide energy to the jellyfish, through photosynthesis." - Fish Eating Anemone
Urticina piscivora. It feeds on small fish, but also other anemones. - Giant Spider Crab
Macrocheira kaempferi. They have a span of up to 3.6 metres! And can liver over 50 years! - Common seadragon
Common seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus). How can something like this be ever called "common"?!? How can any dragon ever be called "common"? - Seaweed
Seaweed looks like a crown of thorns. - Sandy anemone
Bunodactis reynaudi. These anemones have over 300 tentacles and can be pink, brown, green, or blue. They live in Antarctic waters. - Sharky!
Sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), I think. - Yellow Banded Poison Dart Frog
Dendrobates leucomelas. A poisonous frog that lives in northern parts of South America. Phantasmal poison frog (Epipedobates tricolor) is also there. - Phantasmal Poison Frog
Phantasmal poison frog (Epipedobates tricolor) is so so tiny! Officially "about" 22.6 mm. - Big Blue
So mesmerising... - Sea otter
Enhydra lutris - Sea otter
Enhydra lutris. It is cute as hell but I am loving the waves just as much :-) - Green anemone and some funny sea stars
Giant Green Anemone (Anthopleura xanthogammica) are green due to the microscopic algae in their tissues. - Inca tern
Larosterna inca, living in Peru and Chile. What a mustache! - Homeotropic alignment
Sorry, professional deformation. - All Oceans in one
The central aquarium hosts species from four oceans. Devil Ray (Mobula mobular) in the spotlight. - Planar alignment
- Oceanário
Great tile work at the Lisbon Oceanarium. - Forests underwater
Stop and listen. Nature is a great teacher. Live simply. - Forests underwater
- Forests underwater
An exhibition by Takashi Amano - Signs
One day, one day ... - Portugal pavilion
- Parque das Nações
The site of Expo 98 world exposition is the modern part of Lisbon. The exposition was held to mark the 500th annivercary of Vasco da Gama's voyage to India. - Parque das Nações
Modern tiles at the underground stop. - Elevador de Santa Justa
- Elevador de Santa Justa
The lift was opened in 1899. - Basílica da Estrela
Rooftop decoration - Lisbon
Really, Lisbon, really? - Basílica da Estrela
You can get on the roof of the Basilica. How cool is that?!? - Basílica da Estrela
In the dome above the church - Basílica da Estrela
View from the dome - Basílica da Estrela
The Basilica was built between 1779 and 1790 by Mateus Vicente de Oliveira, an architect from the Mafra school and Reinaldo Manuel de Sousa. - Basílica da Estrela
Remember, someone is always watching you... - Jardim da Estrela
Well, hello! And good morning to you too! O Despertar by José Simões de Almeida. - Jardim da Estrela
Carris for kids - Jardim da Estrela
- Jardim da Estrela
Dombeya wallichii, also known as pinkball. - Jardim da Estrela
One of the statues in the park is the farmer, O cavador, made in 1913 by sculptor Costa Motta. - Jardim da Estrela
- Jardim da Estrela
Dragon tree - Ocean Sunfish
Mola Mola is the world's heaviest bony fish, reaching more thatn 3 m in length and weighing over 2 tons. - White elephant
Really, everyone has got to have a white elephant. Even Praça do Comércio. - Arco da Rua Augusta
It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. - Tejo
- Fish!
A lot of canned fish. - Universidade de Lisboa
Toilet poetry at the Lisbon University :-) - Belver town
- Tejo
Tejo as seen from Belver at sunset. - Belver castle
Further up the river there is another casle: Belver. Unfortunately there was a heavy storm and the castle closed early. - The keep
The keep is, according to Wikipedia, an innovation at this castle, appearing in the 12th century after the Castle of Tomar, the principal defensive redoubt of the Templars in Portugal. - Almourol castle
The castle was built under Gualdim Pais, a crusader, Knight Templar and the founder of Tomar. - Almourol castle
This is a popular spot: Lusitanians, Romans, Alans, Visigoths, Andalusian Berbers, Templars ... - Tejo
Tejo river as seen from the top of the three-storey high keep. - Almourol castle
E M CC VIIII Magister Gaudinus, Bracara que est caput Gallece ortus edificavit hoc castrum Almorel cum fratribus suis... The 1209 is now 1171. And the Master was Gualdim Pais from Braga, the Grand Master of Knights Templar. - Almourol castle
The castle was built on an islet and is accessible by boat only. - Almourol castle
The Almourol castle was part of the defensive line controlled by the Knights Templar, and a stronghold used during the Portuguese Reconquista.