Seas and Lakes

More than three quarters of the surface of the Earth is covered by water in the form of oceans, seas and lakes. The volume of water from these bodies is drawn up into the clouds by the effect of the heat received from the sun and it descends as rain, keeping life in existence, today. Several parts of the ocean floors are more than ten miles, stretching below the surface and some abysses are even deeper than that. There are many wonders in the oceans that are even found close the land shores and they include deep harbours, coral reefs, sandbars and gravel banks which are built by the action of the ocean waves and the ebb and flow of the tides which is caused by the pull of the Moon. Most of the islands that are found in the middle of the oceans emerge from the sea floor directly. The coral reefs are made up of small coral animals that are also known as polyps or planktons and they are related to sea anemones and jellyfish. They occur in seas that have temperatures exceeding eighteen degrees Celsius or sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. These corals exist in colonies and they build external skeletons from calcium that is extracted from the seawater. These combined skeletons build huge deposits that turn into atolls and reefs. The Power of Seas and Lakes The seas and lakes have the power to change the face of Planet Earth. It has to be noted that the waves crash on to already heavily eroded rocky shores. Atolls also begin as fringing reefs around volcanic islands. They emanate from the rims of craters. On account of the subsidence, the centres of islands are left submerged to form lagoons and the reefs form atolls. The longer reefs appear off continental coasts. A fine example is the Great Barrier Reef, off the North-Eastern coast of Australia. Many people imagine lakes to be limited in size and area. There are some lakes in this world that look as big as the oceans, themselves. Take Lake Superior or the Caspian Sea for example. Caspian Sea is the largest in the world and it covers an area of one hundred and forty-four thousand square miles. It is located in a great depression, east of the Caucasus Mountains and it lies about ninety feet below the sea level. In contrast, the Aral Sea is located about two hundred and twenty miles to its east and lies about one hundred and sixty-five feet above the sea level. The Great Salt Lake in Utah in the United States of America is the saltiest in the world. Lake Eyre, the largest lake in Australia is often wholly dry and is covered with a thick crust of salt, covering its bed. It gets filled only in times of heavy rainfall. Lake Baikal in Southern Siberia is the deepest lake in the world. It fills a deep rift valley with its bed being close to five thousand feet below the sea level at the lowest point. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. It forms one of the five great lakes in North America. The Tarn House in Cumbria to the north of England is a fine example of a mountain lake, occupying a hollow that was created by snow and ice. Lake Titicaca in Bolivia is the highest situated lake in the world. Its surface is at around twelve thousand feet above the sea level.

The Trans Mountain Pipeline – Is it worth the big risk?!

So far, eighteen insurers have already dropped Trans Mountain because of the detrimental impact on local communities and drinking water issues but Liberty Mutual has remained silent. This project is in direct violation of human rights, as it does not have consent from indigenous communities. It has to be noted that if that isn’t bad enough, Liberty is also known for dropping coverage for people in areas most affected by climate disasters. Liberty Mutual maybe sensitive to any threats that spoil their `wholesome’ and `community-driven’ brand reputation. Whatever, The Trans Mountain pipeline is not worth the risk involving the health and safety of frontline communities and the threat to local wildlife. Trans Mountain poses massive threats to surrounding wildlife. From Anna’s hummingbirds to Orcas in the northern Pacific, this pipeline risks animals all along its route through Western Canada. Entire ecosystems are at risk and that is a big threat to local communities too. It looks like Liberty Mutual will decide the fate of the Trans Mountain Pipeline — and the fate of so many lives — when they decide whether or not to renew its insurance certificate The Trans Mountain pipeline, at some point, will break and leak, causing toxic tar sands oil to pollute drinking water and wild salmon habitats. Communities have called for a stop to the pipeline in order to protect the salmon — a food source and a large part of local economies; but their demands have been ignored. Ecosystems are connected. It’s not just a risk to a few animals in the short- term. Projects such as these cover hundreds of miles, carrying thousands of tons of tar sands oil. It harms everything along their path - people, animals, water and air. Despite the risks to protected animals, drinking water, frontline communities and our shared climate — construction has continued as the project continues to be insured. Tar sands oil releases three times more pollution than conventional oil and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion will triple the pipeline’s oil capacity — making it one of the most carbon intensive projects in the world. That’s why it’s so critical to consider about this expansion, NOW! The science is telling us that we cannot afford any new fossil fuel expansion. Trans Mountain Pipeline is literally a life-threatening expansion project. Will the government heads think about our environment and stop their greedy planning?!

Englischer Garten Muenchen - The English Gardens in Munich Germany

Munich’s Largest Park The "Englischer Garten" (English Garden) is Munich's largest park. In addition to its beer gardens, this location is a recreational dream for all hobby athletes: cyclists and joggers who have a great chance to use paths spreading across seventy-eight kilometres. In spring, summer and fall, tightrope walkers stretch their slack lines between trees, Frisbee players throw their discs and amateur kickers meet for soccer games. Kleinhesseloher See The Kleinhesseloher See (lake) at the border of the northern English Garden is a fine place to relax. It has to be remembered that the lake is not suitable for swimming, but you can spend a calm day on the water with a rowing or pedal boat. Hundreds of people like to sit at the shore during summer and look the swans and Mallard ducks that glide through it. These swans, geese and Mallard ducks also fearlessly move out of the lake and have a gala feeding time across vast expanse of fields and lawns. Monopteros Temple No matter what time of the day or year, the Monopteros offers a spectacular view of streams and trees, making you feel fine. It is no wonder then that the temple in the English Garden has come to embody the cosmopolitan nature of the city of Munich. The Monopteros is about fifty-five feet in height and reaches almost as deep into the ground. The stylish temple is built upon a strong brick foundation that is elegantly hidden by a man-made hill. This gives the Monopteros a secure base while offering a superlative view of the city and makes it a part of the English Garden that can be seen from afar. Along with the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower), it is one of the best known locations in this world-famous park. History King Ludwig I specially ordered his court architect Leo von Klenze to build a Greek-style temple. The Monopteros was constructed between 1832 and 1837 in honour of Elector Karl Theodor and King Maximilian. A green dome with a red top was supported by ten columns made of Kelheim limestone. The construction of a temple was first suggested by the urban planner Friedrich Ludwig Sckell, who proposed the idea of a pantheon in a specially designed wooded area in 1807. It was visualised as a place to honour Bavarian personalities. His nephew, the landscape gardener Carl August Sckell, managed to convince King Ludwig I to put those plans into action. Sckell Jr. spent many years designing the embankment around the firm foundations and planting trees in certain areas. Ludwig I of Bavaria modeled Munich into his own “Athens on the Isar” thought and many of the city buildings still are evidence of his undertaking today.

Mozarthaus Wien

The Mozarthaus in Vienna was the residence of the Mozart family from 1784 to 1787. It is also known as the Figaro House. It is located in the old town area of Vienna – Domgasse 5, Stephensplatz. It has now been turned into a museum. History The house was built in the seventeenth century, originally with a couple of floors, and was redeveloped in 1716. Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus’ father, rented rooms here from 1784, at which time it was also known as the Camesina House, after the family who had owned it since 1720. The original entrance of the house facing Schulerstraße (the one used by Mozart) was walled up to make room for a shop. The house is entered today from its rear in the Domgasse. In 1941, marking the 150th anniversary of Mozart's death, his former rooms were opened to the public. In 1945, the running of the exhibition was taken over by the Vienna Museum. In 2004, the City of Vienna's Wien Holding Company undertook the renovation of the Mozarthaus and redesigned it for visitors. This was completed in time for Mozart Year 2006 on the 250th anniversary of his birth. The design of the historical courtyard was essentially destroyed by the installation of an elevator. The original seventeenth century stone floor of the kitchen was removed and the original oak door of Mozart's apartment was varnished. Today the Mozarthaus presents information about the composer in combination with historical exhibits and audio-visual installation. Over two hundred thousand visitors come to this museum every year. Layout The Figaro House building has five floors, with private apartments located on the fifth floor. From the fourth floor to second basement level of the house, Mozarthaus Vienna uses as a museum and event rooms. Fourth floor – Business Lounge The `Business Lounge’ is located on the fourth floor of the building. This is an event area consisting of several rooms. The event area is characterised by restored wall paintings in combination with modern wall coverings. Third floor – Vienna in the Era of Mozart The third floor exhibits Mozart's personal and social situation in Vienna. A multimedia installation presents all the places where Mozart lived during his Viennese years. Visitors also learn about Mozart's most important performance venues and people of importance to him. His fondness for social life - balls, gambling, fashion, literature and science along with his connection to the thought world of the Freemasons, are closely explained. Second floor – Mozart's Musical World On this floor, Mozart's most important musician and composer colleagues in Vienna are presented. The exhibition also covers Mozart's collaboration with the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte in the operas The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. The historical stucco ceilings and wall paintings in these rooms give an impression of the original decoration of the entire house. This exhibition level also describes Mozart's Requiem and the end of his life, as well as a multimedia theatre installation "The Magic Flute - The Divine Laughter", which presents visitors with three-dimensional collages of scenes from The Magic Flute. The `Figaro Parallelo’ is a media installation that offers an up-to-date coverage of various Figaro productions from the world's leading opera houses with the different approaches of their individual directors. First floor – The Mozart Apartment The first floor houses the apartment where Mozart lived with his family from 1784 to 1787 and composed works such as his opera The Marriage of Figaro and three of the six Haydn Quartets. It was the largest and most expensive apartment Mozart ever lived in. It is the only Viennese apartment that has survived to this day. There are four rooms, two cabinets and a kitchen in the apartment and Mozart and his family are described with the help of photos and documents. An impressive flute clock is also on show. It was made around 1790. It plays a variation of the Andante in F Major for a Small Mechanical Organ, K. 616, which Mozart probably composed for this or a similar clock. Second Basement Floor – Concert Hall In the second basement, the historically unique baroque vault was converted into a multifunctional event venue using modern elements. During the restoration, the vault structure of the old brickwork was preserved.

Buda Pest Opera House

The Seat of Hungarian State Opera where Music is the Key Element Buda Pest Opera is one of the most famous buildings and tourist landmarks in this historical city. Glorifying its architecture and the possibility of attending an opera are two items that you may keep in mind if you visit Buda Pest. Music is a key element in the culture of Hungary. Most European cities show off opera houses proudly, such as the one in the Hungarian capital. The city dwellers took musical education very seriously and music played an important part in their culture and in their life in general. Location and History The Hungarian State Opera House is located on Andrassy Avenue in central Buda Pest. It was designed by a major nineteenth-century Hungarian architect, Miklos Ybl. The construction began in 1875 and was funded by the city’s municipality through the patronage of Emperor Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Opera House opened to the public on 27th September, 1884. On this day, the National Opera House opened with an initial capacity of 2,400 spectators and in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The nineteenth century was a productive period in Central Europe. Along with business, culture also took a step forward with the building of great opera houses that have survived till today. Examples are Staatsoper Wien (Vienna Opera House), Paris’s Palais Garnier and the Buda Pest Opera. The Budapest Opera House was built keeping the architecture of the Vienna Opera House in mind, but under orders from the King not to outdo that in size. Visiting groups had performed operas in Buda Pest from the early nineteenth century. Upon its completion, the opera section moved into the Hungarian Royal Opera House, with performances gaining an excellent reputation in its repertoire of about fifty operas with about one hundred and thirty annual performances. Hub for Reputed Artists Many important artists were guests here including the composer and conductor, Gustav Mahler. He was director in Budapest from 1888 to 1891. Later, Otto Klemperer was music director for three years from 1947 to 1949. In the nineteen seventies, the condition of the building pressed the Hungarian State to ask for a major renovation, which began in 1980 and lasted till 1984. The re- opening was held exactly a century after the original opening, on the 27 September 1984. The arrival of Gustav Mahler, as director of the opera, between 1888 and 1891, changed the direction of the theatre, which had until then suffered from financial difficulties and low quality performances. Under Mahler, the Budapest Opera House reached its first Golden Age. Architectural Style The Opera’s architect was Miklós Ybl, who also designed St. Stephen’s Basilica, among many other buildings and monuments. The Budapest Opera House is built in a Neo-Renaissance style with Baroque elements, in which paintings and sculpture play an important role. It is inspired by the Paris and Vienna opera houses that were built to glorify music. The decoration of the symmetrical façade followed a musical theme. In niches on either side of the main entrance, there are figures of Erkel and Liszt. These were sculpted by Alajos Strobl. The foyer has marble columns. The vaulted ceiling is covered in murals by Bertalan Szekely and Mor Than. They illustrate the nine Muses. Wrought-iron lamps light up the wide stone staircase and the main entrance. Going to the opera was a big social event in the nineteenth century. A huge and sweeping staircase was a key element of the opera house as it allowed ladies to show off their new gowns. Performances were closed down for the two World Wars, but fortunately the building itself escaped serious damage and so they were quickly able to resume after the wars were over. Since then, the opera house has undergone several revamping to modernise its space and reduce its capacity to about one thousand two hundred and fifty in the audience. Today, the opera house is also home to the Buda Pest Opera Ball, a society event that dates back to 1886.

The Parliament Buildings by the Danube River in Buda Pest Hungary

The Hungarian Parliament Building is a significant and iconic landmark for both Buda and Pest separated by River Danube. The location is Lajos Kossuth Square. This architectural monument is majestic in its style and presence. It was designed by the architect, Imre Steindl. It is situated on the Pest side on the eastern bank of the Danube River. Style of Architecture The building is crafted majestically in neo-Gothic style and it plays an important role as the seat of the Hungarian National Assembly. It is a crucial tourist destination which offers guided tours of the interiors. The architecture is also reminiscent of Baroque and Renaissance revival styles. It is 268 metres long and 123 metres wide and 96 metres high with its cupola. Its construction started in 1885 and got completed in 1904. The interior includes the Dome Hall, The Grand Stairway and the Chamber of Peers. It is the largest building in the whole country of Hungary and the tallest building in Pest, since its completion. In Hungarian, this building is also known as Orszaghaz which means `house of the country’. The style of architecture of this building has been influenced by the Gothic designs, similar to the Rathaus (City Hall) in Wien (Vienna). Its Renaissance elements, particularly of its cupola have been influenced by that of Maria vom Siege Dom (Church) in Wien (Vienna).