Tag Archives: Europe

Verdon Gorge

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Verdon Gorge

Do not tumble down the walls at Verdon Gorge.

  • Verdon Gorge is a canyon with a river running through it, that is located in Europe’s France, in the south-east of the country.
  • Verdon Gorge is approximately 25 kilometres (15.5 miles) in length and, at its deepest depth, 0.7 kilometres (0.4 miles).
  • Verdon Gorge has stunning, turquoise coloured water, and some say this is due to tiny particles of rock  (most likely limestone), known as ‘rock flour’ or ‘glacial flour’, in the water, and others say it is because the water contains microscopic algae.
  • Verdon Gorge is a popular tourist destination, with more than a million visitors a year, and it is especially popular for rock climbing, as there are approximately 1500 courses to choose from, while other sports enjoyed include rafting, hiking, canoeing, fishing and paragliding.
  • ‘Verdon Gorge’ is also known in French as ‘Gorges du Verdon’ and ‘Grand Canyon du Verdon’, and it is named so, due to the colour of the water of the Verdon River, that flows through the gorge.

Verdon Gorge, River, Walls, Limestone, Wonder, France, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Part of Verdon Gorge
Image courtesy of Kirandulo/Flickr
  • Out of all the gorges and canyons in Europe, the Verdon Gorge is the largest, and it is part of the Regional Natural Park of Verdon (Parc Naturel Regional du Verdon).
  • Verdon Gorge was formed from erosion caused by the Verdon River, and the gorge ends with a man-made lake called ‘lac de Sainte-Croix’ (Lake of Sainte-Croix).
  • Verdon Gorge runs through five different hydro-electric dams, constructed during the years of 1929 and 1975.
  • Verdon Gorge was the subject of an expedition in 1905, by Frenchman Édouard-Alfred Martel, a speleologist, a scientist that study caves, who completed a geological survey of the area.
  • Much of Verdon Gorge is made of limestone, with the highest, vertical wall reaching 300 metres (1000 feet).
Bibliography:
Collins R, Verdon Gorge, 2013, Provence Beyond, http://www.beyond.fr/sites/verdon.html
Verdon Gorge, 2013, Gorges to Visit, http://www.gorges-to-visit.com/VerdonGorge.html
Verdon Gorge, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdon_Gorge

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Lily (Lilium)

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Lily (Lilium)

Is this… Is that… No, this is a true lily!

  • Liliums, or ‘lilies’ as they are commonly known, are true lilies from the Liliaceae family, and are plants that are grown from scaly bulbs.
  • Lillies are often confused with other ‘lillies’ that are not from the lily family, especially day lillies, that have foliage coming from the ground, rather than leaves growing up a stem.
  • Lilies are native to mostly temperate areas in North America, Europe and Asia, and are typically found in woody or grassy environments.
  • Lilies grow up to 60 to 180 centimetres (2 to 6 feet) in height, with the stem being very long and strong.
  • A lily plant forms large flowers at the top of the long stem of the plant, that are often marked with patterns and are generally red, white, pink, yellow, purple and orange in colour and are sometimes fragrant.

Lilium, Pink, White, Plant, Flower, Lily, True, Bud, Open, Ten Random Facts

  • Some lilies are poisonous to cats, fatally damaging the kidney and its functions, and the pollen can also be hazardous to them.
  • Lilies are commonly grown as a decorative flower in the garden or in pots, and are important in the cut flower industry, often featuring in bouquets.
  • The bulb of a lily can be eaten like a vegetable, eaten in luxury in China, although can be sometimes quite bitter and unpleasant.
  • Since the 1100s, lilies have symbolised ‘purity’, with specific varieties symbolising many things, and more recently, they have been a traditional addition to a bouquet on a couple’s 30th wedding anniversary.
  • Lily flowers are usually shaped like a trumpet or bell when partly opened, often opening out to a star shape, and they generally bloom from spring through to autumn, depending on the species.
Bibliography:
Lilium, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium
Lily – Lilium candidu, 2013, Flying Flowers, http://www.flyingflowers.co.uk/about-flowers/Flowers/FF_About_Lily,default,pg.html

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Aquilegia

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Aquilegia

Pretty bird-like aquilegias bob all day in the wind.

  • Aquilegias are perennial, ornamental flowering plants that include 60 to 70 species and belong to the Aquilegia genus.
  • ‘Aquilegia’ flowers and plants are also known as ‘granny’s bonnets’ and  ‘columbines’, and are from the family Ranunculaceae, which is the family of buttercups.
  • Aquilegias are native to meadows and woodlands in cooler areas north of the equator.
  • The common name ‘columbine’ comes from the Latin word for ‘dove’, while the genus name, ‘aquilegia’, comes from the word ‘aquila’, which is Latin for ‘eagle’, and both are a reference to the unusual shape of the flower.
  • Aquilegias grow to be 38 to 51 centimetres (15 to 20 inches) in height, and are usually grown from seed.

Columbine, Flower, Purple, Lilac, Shade, Bud, Open, Plant, Flower, Aquilegia, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • The indigenous Americans used small portions of some species of aquilegia flowers, as sweet additions to some meals, and sometimes used the roots medicinally.
  • Aquilegia plants have long-spurred flower petals that often resemble birds and are full of sweet nectar.
  • Aquilegias are highly toxic if the roots or seeds are consumed, and can cause fatalities.
  • Aquilegia flowers are typically red, purple, blue, white or yellow in colour, and depending on the species bloom in spring and/or summer.
  • Aquilegia plants are generally hardy, preferring partly shady conditions, and they have bluish green, maidenhair fern-like foliage.
Bibliography:
Aquilegia, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquilegia
Plant Profile: Aquilegia, 2013, Gardening Australia, http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1866504.htm

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Moose

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Moose

The big, big moose.

  • ‘Moose’ are also known as ‘Eurasian elks’, or ‘elks’, although they are different to the American elk, and their scientific name is ‘Alces alces’ which includes 6 to 7 subspecies.
  • Moose belong to the deer family, Cervidae, and the sub family Capreolinae, and can grow to be 1.4 to 2.1 metres (4.6 to 6.9 feet) in height, and weigh between 200 to 700 kilograms (440 to 1500 pounds),
  • Moose are native to the forests of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly abundant in Canada, Alaska and Russia, although they are found in parts of Europe, Asia and the United States, and are one of the largest land animals in Europe and North America.
  • Adult male moose are named ‘bulls’, adult females are called ‘cows’ and the young are named ‘calves’, and they do not live in herds, but are instead solitary for most of their lives.
  • The diet of moose consists of large quantities of vegetation, including aquatic plants, as they require significant amounts of sodium in their diet.

Bull Moose, Antlers, Full, Male, Wyoming, Meadow, Single, Ten Random Facts, National Geographic

Moose
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Moose are classified by the shape of the antler that the males grow and lose at the end of autumn, regrowing in spring, and while the antlers grow at a rapid rate, ‘velvet’ protects them.
  • Moose can run at speeds of 56 km/h (35 mph) and they can also swim well, reaching speeds of 9.6 km/h (6 mph).
  • Moose live for 15 to 25 years, and usually give birth to one or two young, who are chased away when they are around one year old.
  • Moose are preyed on by wolves and bears, although these predators are both wary of the adult deer, and the moose are often hunted by humans who consume them as food.
  • Automobile accidents can occur with moose, which are generally fatal for both parties due to the size of the animal.
Bibliography: Katherine Gammon, Fun Facts about Moose, 2013, Live Science, http://www.livescience.com/27408-moose.html
Moose, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose

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Ludwig van Beethoven

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Ludwig van Beethoven

Have you heard Ludwig van Beethoven’s symphonies?

  • Ludwig van Beethoven has no recorded birth date, but was officially baptised on 17 December, 1770, and is believed to have been born the day before, on the 16th in the city of Bonn, in what is now known as Germany.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven was a German pianist and composer of many symphonies, concertos, sonatas and other musical pieces and first performed in 1778 at seven years of age.
  • In 1787, when Ludwig van Beethoven was 16, his mother died, leaving behind an alcoholic husband that became even more dependent on the substance, two younger boys and Ludwig, who became the main carer for his two siblings.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven began to lose his hearing in 1796, at 26 years of age, and became nearly totally deaf by 1814.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven died on 26 March, 1827, aged 56, and at the point of his death, a clap of thunder supposedly occurred.

Ludwig van Beethoven, Portrait, Painting, 1861 to 1897, L. Prang & Co, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Portrait of Beethoven
Image courtesy of Boston Public Library/Flickr
  • A statue of Ludwig van Beethoven was revealed in 1845 in Germany, as an acknowledgement of 75 years since he was born.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven loved a number of women during his life, but never married, although he fought for the custody of a nephew at one stage.
  • On the planet Mercury, there is a crater that has been named in honour of Ludwig van Beethoven.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most famous classical composers and musicians in history.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven’s father and grandfather were musicians, and Ludwig studied with the Austrian composer Joseph Hayden, often known as the ‘Father of Symphonies and String Quartets’ and was also influenced by the work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Bibliography:
Ludwig van Beethoven, 2013, Naxos, http://www.naxos.com/person/Ludwig_van_Beethoven/25976.htm
Ludwig van Beethoven, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

 

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Mayonnaise

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Mayonnaise

No salad is complete without mayonnaise.

  • ‘Mayonnaise’ is also known as ‘mayo’, and became popular in France, eventually spreading to many countries throughout the world.
  • Mayonnaise is typically a condiment that has a thick, creamy texture, and is generally made of egg yolk, oil and an acidic solution such as vinegar or lemon juice.
  • Mayonnaise is usually white, cream or white-yellow in colour, and sometimes includes whole eggs, rather than just the yolk.
  • Mayonnaise is often used as a base ingredient in other condiments, a common sauce being Thousand Island dressing, which is mayo usually mixed with tomato sauce and a few other ingredients.
  • It is not certain who invented mayonnaise, or when or where, but it is considered a Spanish or French concoction, with its origin between the 15th to the 18th centuries.

mayonnaise, condiment, bowl, blue, Ten Random Facts

  • Mayonnaise is high in vitamin K and E and has a high fat content, reaching up to 85% fat in some formulas.
  • Mayonnaise became commercially available and popular in the United States in the early 1900s.
  • Raw egg was traditionally used in mayonnaise, but is now less frequently used due to possible food poisoning from salmonella bacteria.
  • Mayonnaise is often used in or on salads, as well as dressings, sandwiches and dip.
  • It is said that mayonnaise has a number of unusual uses that includes applying it like shampoo conditioner, using it for sunburn relief, and for treating head lice.
Bibliography:
Mayonnaise, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayonnaise
What are Some Uses of Mayonnaise?, 2013, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-some-uses-for-mayonnaise.htm

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