Tag Archives: Europe

Metéora

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Metéora

Metéora is a mystical location of amazing architecture.

  • Metéora is a group of six remaining monasteries, of the 24 that were built in the area, located on the outskirts of the Plain of Thessaly, in central Greece.
  • The monasteries in Metéora are built atop sandstone rock cliffs that reach up to 400 metres (1312 feet) in height.
  • The first residents of Metéora were hermit monks, most likely in the 11th century, who sought refuge from Turkish armies in the caves during this period.
  • The Metéora monasteries were mostly constructed during the 1300 and 1400s, as a safe haven for monks and nuns who felt threatened by the political instability that was apparent in the area at the time.
  • Lengthy ladders, and ropes or nets were originally used to access the monasteries at Metéora, and there is now cable car access to some sites, although it wasn’t until the early 1900s that steps carved from rock were added for convenience.
Meteora, Rocks, Pillars, Religion, Monastery, Greek, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Place,
Part of Metéora
Image courtesy of Antonio Picascia/Flickr
  • Metéora’s rock pillars are believed to have been formed by tectonic movement and erosion by wind and water.
  • ‘Metéora’ means ‘suspended in the air’ or similar, in Greek, and the monasteries and the cliffs they sit upon have been used in. or inspired literature, music and film.
  • Metéora covers an area of 2.72 square kilometres (1.05 square miles) and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
  • Metéora has a large temperature range that varies from very cold to very hot, and has significant quantities of rain throughout the year.
  • Metéora is a popular tourist destination, visited by thousands annually, and to access the sites, steps or rock climbing are the two main options.
Bibliography:
Meteora, 2014, UNESCO WHC, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/455
Meteora, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteora
Meteora: The most photogenic spiritual site in Greece, 2014, Visit Greece, http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/destinations/meteora_the_most_photogenic_spiritual_site_in_greece

Padlock

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Padlock

Everything is secure with a padlock.

  • Padlocks are security devices used to keep items secure, that can usually be opened via a code or key, and are portable.
  • Padlocks commonly have a cylindrical ‘U’ shaped top, called a shackle, typically attached to a rectangular base or body, and sizes vary greatly, with different sizes used on proportionate objects.
  • To use a padlock, the shackle is placed over or through a latch, and the shackle is then closed.
  • Padlocks have been used for thousand of years by Ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, and they were in use from 1000 BC in Asia’s China, and they became more widespread via travelling merchants.
  • Padlocks are typically made of steel or brass, or a combination of both, and they were originally made from wood, although silver, brass and bronze were later used.

Padlock, Three, Some, Secure, Key, Black, Rectangle, Traditional, Ten Random Facts

  • A ‘padlock’ is said to have been named so, between the 9th and 11th century, when the invention was used to secure paddocks.
  • In the 1800s, padlocks become more commercially viable, were manufactured in mass production processes, and the security of the locks were improved.
  • Padlocks typically are locked by the shackle catching on an internal mechanism in the body of the device, and they are often self-locking by a person pushing the shackle closed, but occasionally they require a key for assistance.
  • Padlocks are often unlocked by using a key or entering a number or letter combination, and they can be illegally unlocked by using a lock pick or a heavy tool, such as a hammer, chisels or bolt cutters.
  • Pictures of padlocks are used as a popular symbol for securing, and are used universally on the internet and online world.
Bibliography:
History of Padlocks – Who Invented Padlock?, n.d., History of Keys, http://www.historyofkeys.com/padlocks-history/history-of-padlocks/
Padlock, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padlock

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Camembert

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Camembert

Do you prefer soft cheese, like camembert?

  • Camembert is a milk based, light yellow coloured cheese, that has a sweet taste, textures of creaminess and softness, and is typically shaped as a short cylinder.
  • Camembert is said to have been invented in a Normandy village of the same name, in Europe’s France, in the late 1700s by a French farmer named Marie Harel, and the cheese was a common addition to French military ration packs during World War I.
  • Camembert is traditionally made of unpasteurised milk, known as ‘Camembert de Normandie’, and those with French certification are still made this way.
  • The initial process for creating camembert is done by solidifying a mix of warm cow’s milk, rennet and mesophilic bacteria, and the curd is extracted and the whey is then removed.
  • Camembert curd is placed in a round form, and once all the whey has been removed, the cheese is sprayed with Penicillium camemberti fungus that has been dissolved in water and is left to ripen.
Camembert Cheese, White, Soft, Cut, Half, Plate, Ten Random Facts, FlickrCamembert
Image courtesy of Rebecca Siegel/Flickr
  • It is a requirement by law, that three weeks minimum must pass, to allow camembert to ripen and then be packaged, and the cheese is commonly covered by a thin paper wrap or two, before being packaged and transported.
  • The rind (mouldy layer) of camembert has generally been white since the 1970s, although historically it was a blue to grey colour, and was spotted brown.
  • Commercial camembert is typically 10 to 11.5 centimetres (4 to 4.5 inches) in diameter, 3.2 to 3.8 centimetres (1.25 to 1.5 inches) in height and weighs approximately 200 to 250 g (7 to 8.8 ounces).
  • Camembert is often confused with brie cheese, and while they are similar in texture and appearance, brie is usually much larger or sliced from a large wheel, ages slower, has a milder taste, and often uses a different substance to create the mouldy rind.
  • Camembert is very high in fat, sodium, riboflavin, protein, calcium and phospherous; is high in vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, folate and vitamin A; and also contains many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Camembert, 2012, Cheese.com, http://www.cheese.com/camembert/
Camembert, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camembert
Prabhat S, Difference Between Brie and Camembert, 2009, DiferenceBetween.net, http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/difference-between-brie-and-camembert/

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Salina Turda

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Salina Turda

Salina Turda is a salt mine, theme park and museum – all underground!

  • Salina Turda is the world’s deepest underground entertainment park and museum, and has its origins as a salt mine.
  • Salina Turda is located in Cluj County, in the region of Transylvania, in Europe’s Romania.
  • Salina Turda was mined from as early as 1075 AD, in Medieval Europe, until its closure in 1932, for table salt.
  • Salina Turda underwent an improvement program costing €5.8 million, that began in 2008 and was completed in 2010.
  • Salina Turda has four main mines and a number of other rooms, that either contain historic equipment, or are impressively shaped, and some feature large stalactites and other salt formations.
Salina Turda, Theme Park, Entertainment, underground, lake, entertainment, Salt mine, Romania, Europe, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Interesting, Top
Part of Salina Turda
Image courtesy of Cristian Bortes/Flickr
  • Salina Turda contains constructions that are strange in appearance, often compared with science fiction architecture, with the tube lighting adding to the effect.
  • Salina Turda is said to have very clean air and limited bacteria, as well as a constant temperature of 11°C to 12°C (52°F to 53.5°F), and its environment therefore does not trigger asthmatic reactions.
  • Salina Turda mines are as deep as 120 metres (394 feet), and others are 108 metres (354 feet) and 42 metres (138 feet) deep, and they are connected by narrow corridors.
  • Salina Turda is a popular tourist destination, and it has an underground lake that can be travelled on via boat, a Ferris wheel, mini golf course, bowling lanes, sports field, amphitheatre, billiard tables, table tennis, a spa treatment room and more.
  • At different times in the 20th century, Salina Turda was used as an antiaircraft shelter and a cheese storage facility, and it opened for tourism in 1992.
Bibliography:
Ryan R, Salina Turda salt mine in Romania is now an underground theme park, 2014, News, http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/salina-turda-salt-mine-in-romania-is-now-an-underground-theme-park/story-e6frfqai-1227016762579
Turda Salt Mine, 2013, Salina Turda, http://salinaturda.eu/salt-mine-turda/?lang=en
Salina Turda, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salina_Turda
Salina turda salt mines turned subterranean history museum, 2013, Designboom Architecture, http://www.designboom.com/architecture/salina-turda-salt-mines-turned-subterranean-history-museum-11-30-2013/

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Hallerbos

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Hallerbos

Is Hallerbos full of magic?

  • Hallerbos is a forest area located in Europe’s Belgium, mainly in the Halle district.
  • Hallerbos is known for its abundance of wild hyacinths or bluebells that bloom during spring, from April to May.
  • The forest of Hallerbos has an area of approximately 5.35 square kilometres (2 square miles), which includes 1 square kilometre (0.4 square miles) that is classed as a reserve and is home to a number of rare plants.
  • ‘Hallerbos’ is also known as ‘Halle Forest’ and ‘The Blue Forest’.
  • The trees of Hallerbos include species of oak, ash, pine, beech, giant sequoia and larch.
Hallerbros, Trees, Forest, Plants, Bluebells, Carpet, Belgium, Europe, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Part of Hallerbos
Image courtesy of Ines Saraiva/Flickr
  • Nearly all of the Hallerbos trees were cut down by Germans during World War I.
  • Hallerbos is home to hares, foxes, deer, rabbits and polecats.
  • In Ancient Roman times, Hallerbos was part of the Coal Forest, which reached into Germany.
  • Since the 1930s, Hallerbos trees have been replenished and planted, and the area expanded by the purchase of nearby farms.
  • Hallerbos has tracks for cyclers, hikers and horse riders, and also a museum.

 

Bibliography:
Hallerbos, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallerbos
Halle 2011, Natuur en Bos, http://www.natuurenbos.be/hallerbos#.U-VbUvmSzVx
Welcome to Hallerbos, 2014, Hallerbos, http://www.hallerbos.be/en/

 

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Barbecue Sauce

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Barbecue Sauce

Do you like barbecue sauce?

  • Barbecue sauce is a sauce or condiment used for flavouring food items, and its use and recipe varies in different regions and countries.
  • ‘Barbecue sauce’ is also known as ‘barbeque sauce’ and ‘BBQ sauce’.
  • Some barbecue sauces are designed to be used to marinate or baste meat cooked on a barbecue, as well as flavouring other foods.
  • Barbecue sauce typically has the primary ingredient of at least tomato paste or vinegar, depending on its purpose with an addition of sugar or molasses, spices and sometimes liquid smoke.
  • One of the first commercial barbecue sauces was made in Georgia’s Atlanta, in the United States, and was available for purchase in 1909.

Barbeque Sauce, BBQ, Barbecue. Condiment, Commercial, Bottled, Australian, Homebrand

  • Barbecue sauce is typically red-brown to dark brown in colour.
  • Barbecue sauce is commonly sold in bottles in supermarkets, and is often similar to ketchup or tomato sauce in its taste and use.
  • Barbecue sauce originated from the culinary practice of marinating, combined with the barbecue method Native Americans used to cook their meat.
  • Barbecue sauce was probably invented in America from the 1400s – 1600s, and was later developed in Europe.
  • Some barbecue sauces have a very high content of sodium, are a good source of manganese, and have a significant quantity of vitamin A and potassium, as well as other vitamins and minerals.

 

Bibliography:
Barbecue Digest: The secret history of BBQ sauce, 2012, Eatocracy, http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/07/09/bbq-sauce/
Barbecue Sauce, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbecue_sauce
Goldwyn M, The History of Barbecue Sauce, 2012, Amazing Ribs, http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_articles/history_of_bbq_sauce.html

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