Auschwitz concentration camp

Auschwitz

Auschwitz concentration camp (Poland, nearby Krakow) was a network of concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was the largest of the German concentration camps, consisting of Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II–Birkenau, Auschwitz III–Monowitz and 45 satellite camps.

Auschwitz had for a long time been a German name for Oświęcim, the town by and around which the camps were located. The name “Auschwitz” was made the official name again by the Germans after they invaded Poland in September 1939. Birkenau, the German translation of Brzezinka (= “birch forest”), referred originally to a small Polish village that was destroyed by the Germans to make way for the camp. More…

Street game (Hanoi)

Street game (Hanoi)

Hanoi, located on the right bank of the Red River, is the capital of Vietnam and the country’s second largest city. Its population was estimated at 3 million. From 1010 until 1802 it was the most important political centre of Vietnam. It was eclipsed by Hue during the Nguyen dynasty period (1802-1945), but Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to 1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam, and it became the capital of a reunified Vietnam in 1976.

Musician (Central London)

Musician

London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest city, urban zone and metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London’s ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. More…

Tea picking

Tea picking in India

Tea leaves and flushes, which includes a terminal bud and two young leaves, are picked from Camellia sinensis bushes typically twice a year during early spring and early summer or late spring. Picking is done by hand when a higher quality tea is needed, or where labour costs are not prohibitive. Depending on the skill of the picker, hand-picking is performed by pulling the flush with a snap of the forearm, arm, or even the shoulders, with the picker grasping the tea shoot using the thumb and forefinger, with the middle finger sometimes used in combination.

London street

London street

London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest city, urban zone and metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London’s ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. More…

Trafalgar Square, London

Trafalgar Square (London)

Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. It is in the borough of the City of Westminster. At its centre is Nelson’s Column. Column is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of contemporary art. The square is also used for political demonstrations and community gatherings, such as the celebration of New Year’s Eve. More…

Domestic Pigeon

Domestic pigeon

The Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia domestica) was derived from the Rock Pigeon. The Rock Pigeon is the world’s oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5000 years ago. Research suggests that domestication of pigeons was as early as ten thousand years ago. More…

Wire fence – Garden at Buckingham Palace

Garden at Buckingham Palace -  wire fence

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch. Buckingham Palace is located in the City of Westminster. The palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today’s palace was a large town-house built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1705 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years.

During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front which contains the well-known balcony on which the royal family traditionally congregates to greet crowds outside. More…

Pitaya

Pitaya

A pitaya or pitahaya is the fruit of several cactus species. “Pitaya” usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while “Pitahaya” or “Dragonfruit” always refers to fruit of the genus Hylocereus. More…

Tulum – Maya World

Tulum - Mexico

Tulum is the site of a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city serving as a major port for Cobán. The ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) tall cliffs, along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea.

Tulum has architecture typical of Maya sites on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. This architecture is recognized by a step running around the base of the building which sits on a low substructure. Doorways of this type are usually narrow with columns used as support if the building is big enough. As the walls flare out there are usually two sets of moulding near the top. The room usually contains one or two small windows with an altar at the back wall, roofed by either a beam-and-rubble ceiling or being vaulted. More…