September 8, 2008 – 9:22 am
Meaning ‘suspended in air’ the name Meteora includes the entire rock community of 24 monasteries. There were no steps and the main access to the monasteries was by means of a net that was hitched over a hook and hoisted up by rope and a hand cranked windlass to winch towers overhanging the chasm. Monks descended in the nets or on retractable wooden ladders up to 40m long to the fertile valleys below to grow grapes, corn and potatoes.
Photo by: SBA73
Studies suggest that the pinnacles are formed about 60 million years ago during the Tertiary Period . Weathering and earthquakes then shaped them into their present shape.
Although it is unknown when Metéora was established, as early as the 11th century AD hermit monks were believed to be living among the caves and cutouts in the rocks.
read more »
August 29, 2008 – 4:05 pm
The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, have long been a source of inspiration for writers and artists, from morality tales of the Middle Ages to modern manga series and video games.
Here are some creative photographs inspired by Gluttony, Lust, Wrath, Sloth, Pride, Greed and Envy plus a famous quote for each of those seven deadly sins.
read more »
Mantises, Mantes, Mantids or whatever term you prefer to use for their plural form, are among the most fascinating and at the same time scariest insects in the world.The 2,300 species of praying mantises comprise an order of insects called Mantodea.The word ‘mantis’ is Greek, and means prophet or fortune teller. Praying prophet? Very appropriate. Mantids so often look like they know something we don’t.
Photo by: Lawraa
read more »
Cloud Gate is a public sculpture by Anish Kapoor in Millennium Park, Chicago. The sculpture is shaped like an ellipse, and its legume-like appearance has caused it to be nicknamed “The Bean”. It is made of 168 highly polished stainless steel plates, and stands at 33 feet high, 66 feet long, and 42 feet wide, weighing 110 tons.
From a distance it could be mistaken for a huge drop of mercury, while up close its highly reflective surface captures and transforms the skyline, the downtown cityscape and even the passers-by into a wonderfully warped new vista. The artist, Anish Kapoor, has referred to the sculpture as “a gate to Chicago, a poetic idea about the city it reflects.” The 12-foot underbelly is called the “omphalos” or navel and multiplies reflections in a vortex. read more »
