Tag Archives: Europe

Greater Flamingo

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Greater Flamingo

Tall, pink flamingos are greater flamingos.

  • Greater flamingos have the scientific name Phoenicopterus roseus, and are from the wading bird family, Phoenicopteridae, that only consists of six species of flamingos.
  • Greater flamingos are native to areas in Africa, Europe’s south and South Asia.
  • Greater flamingos are titled as the world’s largest flamingo, with figures of approximately 110 to 150 centimetres (43 to 60 inches) in height and 2 to 4 kilograms (4.4 to 8.8 pounds) in weight; with records of 187 cm (just over 6 feet) and 4.5 kg (10 lb).
  • Greater flamingos have red feathers in some areas, and black flight feathers, but they are well known for their pink-white feathers that are best seen when the bird is standing, although flamingos are born with white and grey feathers that are absent of pink colouration for two years or more.
  • Greater flamingos obtain their pink coloured body and plumage by eating organisms that contain carotenoid pigments, that are mostly found in the algae they eat, and if their diet consists mostly of algae, they will be a deeper colour pink than those that feed mainly on shrimp and the like.

Greater Flamingo, Pink, White, Adult, One Leg Full, Zoo, Bronx Zoo, New York, United States, statuesque, Ten Random Facts, National Geographic

Adult Flamingo
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • The Greater flamingo’s diet mainly consists of shrimp, tiny fish, seeds, blue-green algae and other algae, molluscs and plankton, and they obtain their food by filtering the food from water in their bill.
  • Greater flamingos can live to be over 60 years old in captivity, with the oldest Greater in captivity dying at an age of around 83 years old in Australia’s Adelaide Zoo, in early 2014.
  • The tongues of Greater flamingos were historically eaten luxuriously by Roman emperors.
  • Greater flamingos generally live in colonies, which helps to protect them from predators, that can be as large as a thousand or more birds, in habitats of lakes, particularly alkaline lakes, and mudflats.
  • When calling, greater flamingos produce a sound like a honk of a goose, and they lay one white egg per season in a nest of mud.
Bibliography:
Greater Flamingo, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Flamingo
Greater Flamingo, n.d, Adelaide Zoo, http://www.zoossa.com.au/adelaide-zoo/animals-exhibits/animals/birds?species=Greater%20Flamingo

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Buxus

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Buxus

Grow a hedge of buxus.

  • Buxus is a group of evergreen plants that contain 70 species that are native to parts of Europe, Asia, America and Africa.
  • Buxus suit a wide range of conditions and are generally best grown in full sun, although shady conditions can be tolerated by some species.
  • ‘Buxus’ is also known as ‘boxwood’ and ‘box’, and comes from the family Buxaceae, the box family.
  • Buxus are shrubs or small trees that grow to a height of 2 metres to a maximum of 15 metres (6.5 to 50 feet) in height, depending on the species and whether the plant is clipped to contain its size.
  • Buxus have flowers that are small and coloured in yellow-green shades, that generally appear in spring.

Buxus, boxwood, plant, hedge, white, green, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Buxus are slow growing and are popularly used as a decorative plant, particularly as hedges, topiary or bonsai.
  • Buxus plants have very good quality, hard wood, which is denser than water, and has historically been used to make boxes, chess pieces, printing using woodblocks, and musical instruments and parts, particularly form the strings and woodwind class and is still used for many of these purposes today.
  • Small branches of Buxus have been found in Ancient Romans’ tombs.
  • Buxus sometimes have a scent of a fox or cat urine, which displeases some people.
  • Buxus leaves have a low level of toxicity if consumed, although it can be fatal for small animals.
Bibliography:
Boxwood, n.d, BCI, http://www.bonsai-bci.com/files/Boxwood.pdf
Buxus, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxus

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Caraway Seed

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Caraway Seed

Do not be carried away with caraway seeds.

  • Caraway seeds grow on the caraway plant, that has the scientific name of ‘Carum carvi’, and is from the family Apiaceae, the family of parsley and carrot.
  • Caraway seeds are shaped as a crescent and grow to be 2 millimetres (0.08 inches) in length.
  • Caraway seeds are technically dry fruit, rather than seeds, from the European, and possibly Asian and North African, biennial plant of the same name that grows to be 40 to 60 centimetres (15 to 24 inches) in height.
  • Caraway seeds have a taste hinting of anise and a smell of sweet pepper, and sometimes caraway thyme can be used as a replacement, along with similar flavoured spices that include anise, fennel, dill, cumin, liquorice-root and coriander.
  • Caraway seeds are often used as spice, most famously in bread, but are also used in cakes, desserts, alcoholic beverages, German sausages, curry and Indian traditional food, among others.

Caraway Seeds, Spice, Fruit, plant, Bowl, Many, Ten random facts, food

  • Oil can be distilled from caraway seeds, that is then used to add a pleasant smell to soap, perfume and other fragrant toiletry products.
  • Caraway seeds are probably one of the oldest used spices, having been eaten for thousands of years, and in Ancient Egypt they were used to treat digestive system problems, and is still believed to be effective for the digestion of foods, soothe stomach pains and cramps, and to help prevent wind buildup.
  • Caraway seeds have significant quantities of zinc, vitamin C, manganese, potassium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and protein, and are high in calcium and dietary fibre.
  • Caraway seeds were believed to ward off witches, so they were historically used as a ‘protection food’.
  • Caraway seeds are typically brown to grey in colour, with a pale outline, and are harvested in the middle of summer upon ripening.
Bibliography:
Caraway, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caraway
Grieve M, Caraway, 2014, Botanical.com, http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/carawa20.html
History of Caraway, 2014, Our Herb Garden, http://www.ourherbgarden.com/herb-history/caraway.html

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Belgium

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Belgium

“Strength through Unity” – Belgium’s Motto.

  • Belgium is a country found in Europe’s west, that covers just over 30,500 square kilometres (11,700 square miles) in area, and its neighbours are Germany, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and the capital city is Brussels.
  • Belgium has a constitutional monarch in place; and is the only country in the world with the ‘popular monarchy’ system, and as such the king is known as the king of the people (King of the Belgians), rather than the king of the country.
  • ‘Belgium’ is also known as ‘België’ in Dutch, ‘Belgique’ in French, ‘Belgien’ in German, the ‘Kingdom of Belgium’ (its official name), and the ‘Battlefield of Europe’, referring to the country being the ground of many wars.
  • Of the 11 million people who populate Belgium, approximately 59% are Dutch speaking and 41% are French speaking, as well as a small quantity of German speaking people, causing the country to have three official languages.
  • Belgium is split into three areas, the two major areas being Flanders and Wallonia; the former mainly houses those of Flemish origin (Dutch speakers) while the latter mainly houses those of Walloon origin (French speakers) as well as the small group of 70,000 Germans that generally reside in the eastern part of the country.

Belgium, Brussel, Capital City, Birds Eye View. Aerial, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Europe, From Atonium

Aerial View of the capital city, Brussels
Image courtesy of La Citta Vita/Flickr
  • Belgium was originally occupied by Celtic and Germanic communities until 100 BC when it was conquered by Romans and known as ‘Gallia Belgica’, which is where the modern name of the country is derived from.
  • Belgium’s politics involves the king, who is the head of state, and from 2013 was King Philippe, who allocates the position of all ministers for the federal government.
  • In 2012, Belgium had a nominal GDP estimate of $484.7 billion, with food, finished diamonds, metal, machinery, and chemicals as major exports.
  • Belgium is known for its contribution to the arts, and for its cuisine, with many famous chocolates and over 1000 different types of beer.
  • Belgium is the home of 11 or more UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many famous architectural buildings and galleries, including the Cathedral of Notre-Dam.
Bibliography:
Belgium, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium
Belgium, n.d, European Union, http://europa.eu/about-eu/countries/member-countries/belgium/index_en.htm

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Hill of Crosses

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Hill of Crosses

Have you ever seen thousands of crosses in one place, like the Hill of Crosses?

  • The Hill of Crosses is a 60 metre (200 feet) long hill, covering more than 4500 square metres (1.1 acre), north of the city of Šiauliai, in Lithuania, in northern Europe.
  • The first crosses to be placed on the Hill of Crosses were probably erected there sometime after 1831, to remember dead relatives that were killed in a rebellion around that time.
  • In 1900, 130 crosses existed on the Hill of Crosses, and now it is believed to have a collection of more than 200,000 crosses on site.
  • The Hill of Crosses originally held a fortress that was destroyed, and now it attracts Catholic pilgrims, who bring, and leave there, crosses, crucifixes, carvings, rosaries, statues and the like.
  • During its history, more than 6,200 crosses and other items have been destroyed on the Hill of Crosses in many demolition attempts by the Soviet government, but these were quickly replaced by new crosses each time.

Part of the Hill of Crosses, metal, Wood, crucifix, crowded, statue, many, Ten Random facts, Flickr

Part of the Hill of Crosses
Image courtesy of Arian Zwegers/Flickr
  • The crosses placed on the Hill of Crosses are symbolic of faith, love and sacrifice, and many prayers for peace over the centuries have been offered, amid religious and political unrest.
  • Most crosses on the Hill of Crosses are made of wood, metal or plastic, and can be found in many different colours, shapes and sizes.
  • In 1993, the Hill of Crosses was visited by Pope John Paul II, which brought attention to the site, and caused it to gain in popularity.
  • Although entry onto the Hill of Crosses if free, parking at the base of the hill requires a fee.
  • At the pope’s urging, a monastery was built a few hundred metres away from the Hill of Crosses, and it was consecrated in the year 2000.
Bibliography:
Hill of Crosses, 2002, Sanctuaries and Pilgrimage Sites, http://www.lcn.lt/en/bl/sventoves/kryziuk/
Hill of Crosses, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_of_Crosses
History of the Hill of Crosses, 2012, HillofCrosses.com, http://www.hillofcrosses.com/hill-of-crosses-history.html

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Dianthus

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Dianthus

Smell the sweet fragrance of dianthus.

  • ‘Dianthus’ are also known as ‘carnations’, ‘pinks’ or ‘sweet williams’, although these terms are more specific to certain species.
  • The dianthus genus, includes 300 species of perennial plants with beautiful flowers.
  • Dianthus comes from the family Caryophyllaceae, the pink or carnation family.
  • Dianthus are native to Europe or Asia, but a select quantity of species can be found in either North America or Africa.
  • Dianthus flowers are five-petalled, and they are generally frilled or serrated on the edge, hence the common name ‘pink’ (not a reference to the colour).

Dianthus, Pink, White, Single, Dead, Prim, Frilled, Ten Random Facts, Flower, Australia

  • Dianthus flowers are typically patterned in shades of pink but can also be white, purple, yellow, orange or red in colour.
  • Dianthus flower from spring through to autumn, and some species have a sweet smell of spice.
  • ‘Dianthus’ comes from the Greek words for ‘of Zeus’ (a god in Greek mythology) and ‘flower’, ‘dios’ and ‘anthos’ respectively.
  • Dianthus plants grow between 10 cm (4 inches) and 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height, and often have grey or blue-green foliage
  • Dianthus are often used for cut or decorative purposes, and more than 100 species have earned the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in the United Kingdom.
Bibliography:
Dianthus, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianthus
Mackey B, Dianthus, Carnations, Pinks, 2014, HowStuffWorks, http://home.howstuffworks.com/define-dianthus-carnation-pinks.htm

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