Saturday, October 16, 2010

The boats of the Barcolana Regatta near the Faro della Vittoria

The copyright for this photo is managed by CORBIS
Photographer: unknown
Location: Trieste, Italy


I am a sucker for lighthouses :) SO though this picture is not as exceptional as some of the other, it still is quite good.

Faro della Vittoria (The light of Victory): Built in 1854 (Architect: Moring Karl) and replaced due to the increased demand of a better lighthouse in 1927 (Architect: Arduino Berlam), in the presence of  King Vittorio Emanuele III (hence the name, I assume)

For more information on the structure, go here, you may need to translate the page (hint: use chrome :D)

These are the numbers of the Faro della Vittoria:
is 67.85 meters high 
is 116 meters high from the sea
the average intensity of the light is of 1,250,000 candles
has a range of 35 miles
weighs more than 8,500 tonnes
then total cost of 5,265,000 lire

Here are a few more pictures from the web


showing both the sculptures of the lighthouse


 unknown soldier (sculptor Trieste John Mayer (1863-1943)) height 8.60 m, represents memory of all the sailors who died in WW I


Winged Victory Statue (sculptor: John Mayer) height 7.20 m

Some locations for travel in and around Trieste can be found here

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo

The copyright for this photo is managed by Getty Images
Photographer: Frans Lemmens
Location: The Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo with Mount Cook National Park in the background on the South Island of New Zealand


New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Lake Tekapo, background: Mount Cook National Park, Unesco World Heritage Site. Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area. Maori: Te Wahipounamu. Foreground: Church of the Good Shepherd.

Church of the Good Shepherd: Built in 1935, it is considered the most photographed building in New Zealand, It is a registered historic place in New Zealand. The church contains a significant collection of Gurnsey's carvings and features an unusual altar window, which offers visitors a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding lake and mountains. It is built from local materials and surrounded by indigenous plants makes it very much part of the surrounding landscape and gives it a timeless quality.

Lake Tekapo: Summer or winter, snow-covered or golden yellow, the surrounding mountains and turquoise lake make a spectacular backdrop for the Church of the Good Shepherd. The unforgettable night sky reveals why Lake Tekapo has a reputation for clear air.

Travel information and other information can be obtained from this website

More interesting information

The magnificent Mackenzie has a startlingly clear night sky and is about to become the worlds first "Night Sky National Park".

A few images of the night sky are here

Another image of the same landscape on Getty Images (Managed Rights) taken by Hideo Kurihara



Fraser Gunn, a resident of Lake Tekapo has a photography site.

Other interesting information, Aurora Australis can be seen from this location and it seems amazing. The above website has breathtaking pictures