Interesting spot on the maps, virtual sign seeing on the net.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Mykonos


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Mykonos (Greek: Μύκονος) is a Greek island and a tourist destination, renowned for its cosmopolitan character and its intense nightlife. The island is part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Siros, Paros and Naxos. It spans an area of 105.183 km2 (41 sq mi) and rises at an elevation of 341 m (1,119 ft) at its highest point. The island is composed primarily of granite. It has little natural fresh water and relies on the desalination of sea water in order to meet its needs. There are 9,320 inhabitants (2001) most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town), which lies on the west coast.

from: Mykonos - Wikipedia

Santorini


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Santorini (Greek: Σαντορίνη, pronounced [ˌsa(n)do̞ˈrini]) is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland. It is also known as Thera (or Thira, Greek Θήρα [ˈθira]), forming the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km² (28 mi²) and a 2001 census population of 13,670. It is composed of the Municipality of Thira (pop. 12,440) and the Community of Oía (Οία, pop. 1,230, which includes 268 inhabitants resident on the offshore island of Therasia, lying to the west). These have a total land area of 90.623 km², which also includes the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi, and Christiana (all part of the Municipality of Thira).

from: Santorini - Wikipedia

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Melrose Avenue


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Melrose Avenue is a well-known Los Angeles street that starts from Santa Monica Boulevard at the border between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and ends at Hoover Street in Silver Lake. Melrose runs north of Beverly Boulevard and south of Santa Monica Boulevard.


Melrose is also useful as an east-west thoroughfare since it is usually at least four lanes in width, and left turns are prohibited during rush hour.

from: Melrose Avenue - Wikipedia

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Forth Railway Bridge


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The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, to the east of the Forth Road Bridge, and 14 km (9 miles) west of central Edinburgh. It is often called the Forth Rail Bridge or Forth Railway Bridge to distinguish it from the Forth Road Bridge, but should correctly be referred to as the Forth Bridge.[citation needed] The bridge connects Scotland's capital Edinburgh with Fife, and acts as a major artery connecting the north-east and south-east of the country. Described as "the one internationally recognised Scottish landmark",[1] it may be nominated by the British government as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2] The bridge and its associated railway infrastructure is owned by Network Rail Infrastructure Limited.

from Forth Railway Bridge - Wikipedia

Friday, July 17, 2009

Dafen (town of painting replicas)


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Dafen (Chinese: 大芬社区; pinyin: Dàfēn Shèqū) is a suburb of Buji, Longgang, Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China. In the early 1990s a group of about twenty artists under the leadership of the painter and businessman Huang Jiang took up residence in this town. They specialised in the making of large numbers of replicas of oil paintings by masters such as Van Gogh, Dalí, da Vinci, Rembrandt or Warhol[1]

These replicas were sold in many countries for relatively low prices. The endeavor was quite successful and the demand for replicas increased. In order to fulfill the demand more and more artists took up residence and started to make a living, the estimate (2006) being in the thousands.

Many of the artists are trained at art academies in the required techniques and produce dozens of replicas daily.

These replicas are of paintings of artists who have died more than seventy years ago and consequently out of copyright. The only requirement is that it is made clear that these paintings are replicas. Currently, the village sells both originals and replicas. It is possible to commission paintings for low prices. The village is a gated development, recognizable by the large sculpture of a hand holding a paintbrush outside its gates.

from: Dafen (town of painting replicas) - Wikipedia

Monday, July 13, 2009

Guadalajara, Jalisco


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Guadalajara (pronounced /ˌɡwɑːdələˈhɑːrə/;[1] Spanish: [ɡwaðalaˈxaɾa]) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of the state and in the western-Pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,579,174 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality.[2] The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area includes seven other adjacent municipalities and has a population of 4,095,715 in 2008, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Mexico, behind Mexico City.[2][3] The municipality is the most densely populated in Mexico after Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl in the State of Mexico.[4]

Guadalajara is situated at an altitude of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft).

The city is named after the Spanish city of Guadalajara, with the name originating from the Arabic Wadi-al-Hajara (وادي الحجارة), meaning "Valley of Stones"; the literal translation of the Iberian name (Arriaca), meaning "Stony River".

From: Guadalajara, Jalisco - Wikipedia

Xochimilco


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Xochimilco is one of the sixteen delegaciones or boroughs within Mexican Federal District. It is located within Mexico City, 28 kilometres (17 mi) south of the city center.[1] To the north it has borders with Coyoacán, Tlalpan and Iztapalapa; to the west with Tláhuac; and to the southeast with Milpa Alta. It covers an area of 122 km2; it is the third biggest delegación.

Xochimilco is better known for its extended series of canals — all that remains of the ancient Lake Xochimilco. Xochimilco has kept its ancient traditions, even though its proximity to Mexico City influence that area to urbanize. Movies such as María Candelaria (1940) have given that area a romantic reputation where all inhabitants travel in colourful trajineras (Xochimilco boats) between chinampas covered with flowers.

Today, agriculture is an important but minor activity -- the canals representing only a small fraction of their former extent, Chinampería (chinampa-related activities). It was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1987.[1]

The name Xochimilco comes from Nahuatl, and means "flower field place". It is pronounced [ʃoːtʃiˈmiːlko] in Nahuatl, [sotʃiˈmilko] in Spanish.

from: Xochimilco - Wikipedia

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Musée Rodin




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The Musée Rodin in Paris, France, is a museum that was opened in 1919 in the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds. It displays works by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Rodin used the Hôtel Biron as his residence from 1908, and subsequently donated his entire collection of sculptures (along with paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Pierre-Auguste Renoir that he had acquired) to the French State on the condition that they turn the building into a museum dedicated to his works.

The Musée Rodin contains most of Rodin's significant creations, including The Thinker and The Kiss. Many of his sculptures are displayed in the museum's extensive garden. The museum is one of the most accessible museums in Paris. It is located near a Metro stop, Varenne, in a central neighborhood and the entrance fee is very reasonable. The gardens around the museum building contain many of the famous sculptures in natural settings. Behind the museum building is a small lake and casual restaurant.

Additionally, the Metro stop, Varenne, features some of Rodin's sculptures on the platform.

The museum has also a room dedicated to works of Camille Claudel.

Source: Musée Rodin - Wikipedia

Monday, July 6, 2009

Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Ukraine


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Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Ukrainian: Майдан Незалежності, literally: Independence Square) is the central square of Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. One of the main city squares, it is located on the Khreschatyk Street. The square was known under many different names but it became prominent as simply the Maidan due to the political events of great significance that took place there in the recent years after the Ukrainian accession to independence.

from: Maidan Nezalezhnosti - Wikipedia