SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s five Spanish colonial missions – four of them already protected as a national park – are being celebrated as one of the newest United Nations’ World Heritage Sites in a ceremony attended by world dignitaries and local community members. Representatives from the United States, Spain, and Mexico gathered with thousands of San Antonio citizens in a celebration ceremony at Mission San José to formally welcome the San Antonio Missions into the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage List.
A World Heritage designation brings awareness to the “outstanding universal value” and “cultural significance” of these missions as they join the ranks of other important global sites, including the Great Wall of China, Stonehenge, and the Giza Pyramid of Egypt. Designation as a World Heritage Site reflects the global interest in and historical impact of a certain location, which generates an increase in tourism to the site.
Below is a statement from Suzanne Dixon, Senior Director, Regional Operations of the National Parks Conservation Association:
“This celebration ceremony is the culmination of nine years of work by this community and its allies to make this designation a reality. The World Heritage List recognizes the most significant natural and cultural sites on the planet, and our missions have secured this prestigious and well-deserved distinction. The San Antonio missions are the country’s largest collection of Spanish colonial resources. They now stand among Earth’s greatest natural and cultural landmarks.”
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About National Parks Conservation Association
Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than one million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for future generations. |
"Tourists don't know where they've been, travellers don't know where they're going." ~ Paul Theroux
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
San Antonio's Spanish Missions World Heritage Site
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Luxembourg Palace & Garden, Paris, France
View of the Luxembourg Palace and main fountain and boat pond. |
The Luxembourg Palace is located at 15 rue de Vaugirard in
the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was originally built between 1615 and 1645
to be the royal residence of the regent Marie de Médicis, mother of Louis XIII
of France. After the Revolution it was refashioned into a legislative building
between 1835-1836 it was enlarged and remodeled. Since 1958 it has been the
seat of the French Senate of the Fifth Republic. On the south side of the
palace, the formal Luxembourg Garden presents a 25-hectare green parterre of
gravel and lawn populated with statues and large basins of water where children
sail model boats, some of which can be seen in the video below. Source: Wikipedia.
View overlooking the main fountain and central garden |
Like many of the other magnificent buildings and palaces
around Paris, and indeed elsewhere in France, one can only marvel at the amount
of planning, money, labor, and resources that must have gone into erecting this
massive palace, and into landscaping and maintaining the stunning gardens on
which the palace and other buildings stand.
Today, the palace building is the home of the French senate.
During my brief three of four hour visit to the palace grounds, I did not enter
the main building itself. In fact, I'm not even sure if the building is open to
the general public. However, the beautifully maintained gardens are open, and
during my outing they were well patronized by locals and international visitors
alike. There is much to see around the grounds including a series of statues of
former French queens, saints and reproductions of classical Antiques.
L'acteur Grec (The Greek Actor), by Arthur Bourgeois (1838-1886) |
You can wander through an orchard of apple and pear trees,
enjoy a performance of the théâtre des marionnettes (puppet theatre), ride on a
vintage carousel, enjoy one of the many free musical performances scheduled
throughout the summer months, and visit the Orangerie with its displays of art,
photography, and numerous sculptures. The grounds of the garden also contain
more than one hundred statues, monuments, and fountains scattered throughout
the 25-hectares (61 acres), including Frédéric Bartholdi’s first 1870 model for
the Statue of Liberty.
Here's a short video compilation of photographs and video footage I put together of my visit:
More Information
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
I visited Cambodia early in 2011 and during my stop in the
national capital, Phnom Penh, I paid a visit to the complex housing the Royal
Palace and the magnificent ‘Silver Pagoda’ which is located next to the Royal
Palace.
Gleaming in gold, the Royal Palace is one of Phnom Penh's
most splendid architectural achievements. It is home to His Majesty King
Norodom Sihanouk and Her Majesty Queen Norodom Monineath. The palace was built
in 1866 by His Majesty Prince Bat Norodom, the great grandfather to the current
King. The Royal Palace is built on the site of the old town. This site was
especially chosen by a Commission of Royal Ministers and Astrologers because it
had great geographical significance in relation to the King, who was regarded
as a direct descendant of the gods. Credit: Tourism Cambodia…
Among the images in the video are the Stupa of His Majesty
King Suramarit and Her Majesty Queen Kossomak. A stupa (Sanskrit for
"heap") is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing
"relics", typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns, used as a
place of meditation. Most of the images are of the ‘Silver Pagoda’ and some of
the monuments surrounding the building.
The 'Silver Pagoda' sits next to the Royal Palace. The
Pagoda's proper name is Wat Preah Keo Morokat, which means 'The Temple of the
Emerald Buddha.' It has received the common name 'Silver Pagoda' after the
solid silver floor tiles that adorn the temple building. The pagoda compound as
a whole contains several structures and gardens, the primary building being the
temple Wat Preah Keo Morokat and other structures including a library, various
stupas, shrines, monuments, minor buildings and the galleries of the Reamker.
Credit: Canby Publications…
The brief video footage shows one of the wonderful Ramayana
Frescoes that line the interior of the pagoda compound walls. The murals were
painted in 1903-1904 by a team of students working under the direction of
artist Vichitre Chea and architect Oknha Tep Nimit Thneak. Over the 100+ years
since they were first painted, some sections of the frescoes have become badly
damaged and worn. While I was there, a small team of artists were at work on
the frescoes conducting the painstaking work of restoring one of the longest
murals.
More:
Thursday, October 8, 2015
La Placita Village, Tucson, Arizona
Ok, let me be straight up with you right from the start – La Placita Village, in downtown Tucson, Arizona, is not a traditional village in the old Southwest tradition.
Instead it is delightful collection of adobe, brick, and wood frame buildings designed to resemble a Mexican marketplace.
When I visited the complex on a blazing hot day in the
middle of September, there were not a lot of people about, which gave me plenty
of time to shoot some video footage, take photographs, and examine each of the
buildings with their wonderful patchwork of vibrant oranges, purples, yellows,
blues, greens and reds.
The village itself is home to the Tucson Visitor Center
where you will find the usual assortment of maps, brochures, and merchandise.
There are numerous buildings housing boutique shops, cafés and restaurants, and
other small establishments, and the Village is within easy walking distance of
several excellent museums, a Convention Center, Music Hall, the Fox Tucson
Theater, and much more.
During the warmer months, free screenings of classic films
are presented on the Village plaza, and other outdoor events are scheduled
throughout the summer months.
Here is a short collage of video footage and photographs of the complex...
* * *
La Placita Village
110 S Church Street
Tucson, AZ, 85701.
More Info:
Visit the Official Tucson Travel Information Guide…
Visit the Official Tucson Travel Information Guide…
Monday, October 5, 2015
Greek Island Cooking: Rice Stuffed Zucchini
Another in my “Irene’s Kitchen” series featuring the Greek Island cooking of my sister, Irene Gevezes. This time Irene is cooking Stuffed Zucchini, a very simple vegetarian dish.
Finding large zucchini (also referred to in some countries as Courgette, or Squash), of the size seen in this video — which came from Irene’s homegrown plants — may be quite difficult in modern supermarkets since they tend to favour short, thin fruit under 20 cm (8 in.) in length.
Look for the larger zucchini at weekend farmer’s markets, or better still — grow your own.
Look for the larger zucchini at weekend farmer’s markets, or better still — grow your own.
Ingredients
——————
Four large zucchini halved
2 cups uncooked rice
5-6 Spring onions
3-4 Garlic Cloves
Fresh mint
1/2 cup Olive Oil (for frying)
Condiments: salt, pepper, turmeric to taste
Filmed on the Greek island, Ikaria, in 2014. With thanks to Irene Gevezes for her patience, culinary skills, and delightful meals.
You can see more of my videos online via my YouTube channel...
Thursday, June 11, 2015
The New York Wheel: Myth or Reality
The New York Wheel is a 625-foot (190.5 m) tall giant Ferris Wheel planned for construction in St. George, Staten Island. The wheel will have 36 passenger capsules, each carrying up to 40 passengers, and a total maximum capacity of 1,440 people per ride. Up to 30,000 passengers per day and about 4.5 million per year are expected to ride what is said to be the largest Ferris Wheel in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. A single ride is expected to last about 38 minutes.
The official New York Wheel website states that “The Wheel is expected to begin construction in First Quarter, 2015”, with “a target opening date of early 2017.” As of this post, we are fast approaching the third quarter, 2015, and as far as I can ascertain construction has yet to begin on the proposed site.
There have been many engineering and architectural renderings depicting the views from the top of the New York Wheel, with the above image being just one of many. Will the New York Wheel even get built? I certainly hope so. I for one would be more than happy to line up for an opportunity to enjoy a unique view of New York harbor, the Manhattan skyline, and Staten Island itself. Apart from the architectural renderings, it is hard to image what an actual ride on the Wheel might be like. However, one enterprising drone operator has recorded a two minute film over the proposed site which seeks to give a realistic view from one of the massive passenger capsules.
The footage seems to have been recorded early one morning as the sun rises over Brooklyn, and one can see freighters entering New York harbor, a ferry entering the St George terminal, distant views of the Statue of Liberty, and of course the Manhattan skyline.
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