- Villa Romana delle Grotte, Portoferraio
A huuuge villa with an even larger garden. - Villa Romana delle Grotte, Portoferraio
This was the upper pool of the villa. Not bad. Not bad at all. - Villa Romana delle Grotte, Portoferraio
A wonderful Roman villa from I century BC. If I'm not mistaken, this is the spa that included calidarium and frigidarium. - Double-headed eagle
On the corner of Stephansplatz and Jasomirgottstrasse. - Stephansdom
The tower of Stephansdom, 136 m, built between 1368 and 1433. - 615 € ?!?
Is it just me or is 615 € for a pair of (such) sneakers insanely expensive? - Aliens?
Some UFO lights in the center or Vienna. - Cow with glasses
Bäckerstraße 12, probably 16th century. A cow. With glasses. Playing Backgammon. With a dog. - Jesuitenkirche
Interior of Jesuit Church - Jesuitenkirche, fake dome
The Jesuit (University) Church, built in 1620s and redecorated by Andrea Pozzo in 1703. What a brilliant optical illusion. This is the "dome" from the other side. - Jesuitenkirche
Interior of the Jesuit church, by Andrea Pozzo, 1703. - Jesuitenkirche
The Jesuit (University) Church, built in 1620s and redecorated by Andrea Pozzo in 1703. What a brilliant optical illusion! - Basilisk
Basilisk in the Schönlaterngasse 7. - Basilisk
The basilisk, Schönlaterngasse 7. According to a myth, on 26 June 1212, the servant of a baker discovered a basilisk at the bottom of the well in the courtyard. He destroyed it by holding a mirror to it (looking into its eyes was known to be fatal). The basilisk exploded. Now I know where JK got her ideas from. - Julius Meinl Haus
Handelshaus Julius Meinl, 1899, Fleischmarkt 7. - Julius Meinl Haus
Handelshaus Julius Meinl, 1899, Fleischmarkt 7. - Passerela di Igne
Igne footbridge - 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. - Mosteiro da Batalha
The famous Batalha Monastery, officially known, as the Monastery of Saint Mary of the Victory. It was erected in commemoration of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota and is now one of the best examples of late gothic architecture in Portugal. - Largo Infante Dom Henrique
The town was founded by King D. João I of Portugal to pay homage to the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota (August 14, 1385). - Tree branches at night
It was a rainy night and these are the reflections on tree branches. - The eastern wall
- Obidos
The town and the town walls at night. - The town falls
- Castelo de Óbidos
- "Medieval" market
The town is very proud if its medieval history and they organise medieval markets and festivals. - A flower pot
Probably some king I should recognise, but I don't. - Obidos
View from the town walls. - The famous town walls
Originally built in the Moors era (8-11th century), the current walls were rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. You can walk along the 1.5 km long walls. - Porta da Vila
The main entrance to the city with 18th century azulejos. - Porta da Vila
The ceiling represents the Crown of Thorns. - Palácio de Mafra
The Palace of Mafra was built between 1717-1755 and is one of the largest royal palaces with 40 000 m^2. - Saint Francis Borgia
A statue of Saint Francis Borgia, a great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI. Yeah, pope. - Statue detail
It's just insane, how much detail there is in one single accessory to one of the many statues in such a church. - Saint Jerome
A statue of Saint Hieronymus in the baroque basilica. - Mafra Basilica dome
What a wonderful dome. - The north cloistre
- Mafra Library
Fun fact: there are about 500 bats living in the library that eat insects and preserve the books. - Mafra Library
- Mafra Library
But the books - oh, my! So, so magnificent! - Mafra Library
The famous library has about 36 000 volumes - dating from 14th to 19th century, including the Nuremerg Chronicle from 1493 (The complete book) and the Diderot et d'Alembert Encyclopédie from 1751. - Perspectivae pictorum atque architectorum
Perspectivae pictorum atque architectorum. Andrea Pozzo. This Latin/German edition is from 1719. The complete book I do have a soft spot for Andrea Pozzo as he was the architect of my hometown's cathedral. - Regla de las cinco ordenes de architectura
Regla de las cinco ordenes d'architectura de Iacome de Vignola. Giacomo Barocci da Vignola. This spanish edition is from 1702. The complete book - Architecture de Palladio, Divisee en Quatre Livres
Architecture de Palladio, Divisee en Quatre Livres. Andrea Palladio. This french edition is from 1726. The complete book - Mundus Subterraneus
Mundus Subterraneus. A book from 1665 by Athanasius Kircher. This page explains the connections of water inside the Earth. The complete book - 18th century tools
Tools from the 1st half of the 18th century: the suspension weights, the monkey, the ratchet, and the wedges. - Giant compasses
These compasses are giant! But than again, you probably need them if you're building such a huuuge thing. - Furniture
Well... not my cup of tea at all, but interesting nevertheless. - What a cutie!
In the Hunting room, also called the Trophy room. - Another ... game?
Another game in the Game room. It might be some sort of early table football but I am not sure. - The Yellow room
Also called the Music room or the Reception room. - A billiard table
The Games room - Tassels
- Queen's bathroom
- Queen's bathroom
- A chair in Queen's bedroom
Most of the furniture was taken to Brazil when the Royal family fled in 1808, so the palace was later redecorated in the original style. - Chamberlain's room
The coat of arms and a bunch of Greek gods.