Tag Archives: Europe

Newgrange

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Newgrange

Newgrange takes prehistoric architecture to a new level.

  • Newgrange, also known as ‘New Grange’, is a monumental structure that was built in ancient times, and is found in Ireland’s County Meath, in Europe.
  • Newgrange is a roundish building in shape, featuring internal chambers and hallways, with an opening on the side that is facing south-east.
  • In 1993, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention listed Newgrange as a World Heritage Site as part of the Brú na Bóinne group.
  • Stone is the primary material used to construct Newgrange, while grass grows on the roof of the structure, and it also includes soil and sand.
  • The height of Newgrange reaches 12 metres (39 feet) and has a diameter of around 80 metres (262 feet).
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Newgrange
Image courtesy of Young Shanahan/Flickr
  • Newgrange was built by a Neolithic community around 3200 to 3100 BC, and it is believed to be older than the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge, that are also renowned for their age and monumental significance.
  • Newgrange is said to be a passage tomb, that has housed the remains of multiple people, while the structure may have also been used for religious purposes.
  • Although abandoned some 1000 years after it was built, Newgrange managed to leave a significant footprint in the myths of Ireland, especially in the time of the Middle Ages.
  • It is considered that Newgrange was first uncovered and entered by people from the modern age in 1699, by workers employed by the owner of the land, Charles Campbell; and this led to the beginning of historical interest, and the site was first investigated by Edward Lhwyd, a Welsh antiquarian.
  • Newgrange is considered an art of architecture, featuring many creative corridors, sculptures and carved stones, as well as a window, known as a ‘roof box’, that lights the inner structure during the Winter Solstice.
Bibliography:
Newgrange, 2010, World Heritage Ireland, http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/bru-na-boinne/built-heritage/newgrange/

Newgrange, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange
Newgrange – Ireland’s Most Famous Monument, 2015, Mythical Ireland, http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/newgrange/

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Puss Moth

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Puss Moth

Puss moths are an example of grey-scale beauty.

  • Puss moths are a species of moth of a medium size, native to Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia.
  • The scientific name of a puss moth is Cerura vinula and it is from the family Notodontidae, a family of moths known as ‘prominents’.
  • Puss moths have wings that are predominantly a white, grey or cream colour, that are patterned with black coloured marble styled markings, and the body is similar in colouring.
  • The wingspan of a puss moth is roughly 5 to 8 centimetres (2 to 3 inches) in length, though they may be larger, while the length of the caterpillar is approximately 8 centimetres (3 inches).
  • Puss moth caterpillars are primarily green in colour when mature (black when juvenile) and have small white spots, and their head is surrounded by a red coloured ring that is decorated with two black spots so that it appears to be a face.
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Puss Moth
Image courtesy of Ben Sale/Flickr
  • Puss moth caterpillars strike a defence pose when feeling threatened, which involves intimidation with its pretend ‘face’ and the two red tipped projections on its rear.
  • As a method of protection, puss moth caterpillars may excrete formic acid which is sprayed out when they are further threatened, a feature that makes it one of the more dangerous caterpillars in the United Kingdom.
  • The diet of puss moth caterpillars mainly consists of vegetation from poplars and willow trees, and once hatched, they have an average lifespan of three to five months.
  • Puss moths have a soft furry texture that is comparable to the fur of a cat, which is the reason for the moth’s common name, and they are said to be threatened in some areas due to continuous woodland destruction and pollution.
  • Puss moth caterpillars construct hard waterproof cocoons that are considered one the strongest among moth species, and once the metamorphosis process has concluded, the moth releases a liquid to soften the cocoon so that it can be liberated.
Bibliography:
Cerura Vinula, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerura_vinula
Puss Moth, 2013, Buglife, https://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-and-habitats/puss-moth
Puss Moth, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/puss-moth/

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Bank of England

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Bank of England

The Bank of England is the financial pride of England.

  • The Bank of England is the United Kingdom’s central bank, located on Threadneedle Street, in England’s London, in Europe.
  • The ‘Bank of England’ is officially known as the ‘Governor and Company of the Bank of England’, and it is also informally known as ‘The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street’.
  • The Bank of England, as a central bank, is the second oldest on earth, and its framework has been used as guide for nearly all central banks in existence today.
  • In 1694, the Bank of England was founded, using a proposed scheme designed by Scotsman William Paterson, with the support of the first Earl of Halifax, Charles Montagu, and merchant Michael Godfrey.
  • Initially, subscribers provided financial assistance to fund the Bank of England, while the bank provided a loan of 1.2 million pounds (1.8 million US dollars) to the English government, after an economical collapse due to being defeated at the hands of France.
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Bank of England, Lombard Street
Image courtesy of Diliff / Wikimedia Commons
  • The Bank of England originated in Walbrook in London, on a site where the Mithras temple of the Roman ‘God of Contracts’ once stood, and the bank was later relocated to its site on Threadneedle Street in 1734.
  • Money notes began to be distributed by the Bank of England from 1694, originally made by hand, until 1725 when notes started to become printed mechanically.
  • A vault can be found underneath the Bank of England, that houses a store of gold that was worth 156 billion pounds (nearly 240 billion US dollars) in 2012.
  • The currency used by the Bank of England is pound sterling, and the bank had a total reserve of 403 billion pounds (620 billion US dollars) in 2013.
  • The Bank of England premises on Threadneedle Street has been built and rebuilt a number of times over the centuries, while the current bank building was designed by Englishmen Herbert Baker, and was constructed from 1925 to 1939.
Bibliography:
Bank of England, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_England
Buildings and Architects, n.d, Bank of England, http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/about/Pages/history/buildings.aspx
History, n.d, Bank of England, http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/about/Pages/history/default.aspx#3

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Bran Castle

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Bran Castle

Bran Castle is a secret residence of the vampires.

  • Bran Castle is a large castle found in central Romania in Europe, along the border of the historic regions of Transylvania and Wallachia.
  • ‘Bran Castle’ is popularly known as ‘Dracula’s Castle’, especially by tourists, and is also known as ‘Bran Fortress’.
  • It is thought that a wooden castle was built on or near the site of the present-day Bran Castle, built by the Teutonic Knights around 1212 and named Dietrichstein, however it is believed to have been destroyed in 1242.
  • Bran Castle is situated on a cliff at an elevation of 762 metres (2500 feet), and is surrounded by valleys and hills and is major tourist destination in Romania.
  • King Louis I of Anjou ordered the original construction of Bran Castle in 1377, which was built by choice by residents from the nearby town of Brașov, at their own expense.
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Bran Castle
Image courtesy of Rob/Flickr
  • Bran Castle was completed by 1382, in record time, and was built for the purpose of defending Transylvania’s border and included a customs station.
  • Bran Castle was popularised by the renowned novel Dracula, which describes a similar residence to Bran Castle for Count Dracula, although further analysis has revealed there a major differences in the descriptions.
  • Queen Marie, the last queen consort of Romania, was quite fond of Bran Castle as a residence, and was given the castle in 1920 by the town of Brașov, and later her daughter Princess Ileana inherited it, however in 1948, it was taken by the communists and eventually made into a museum.
  • In 2015, the owner of Bran Castle was Archduke Dominic of Austria-Tuscany, also known as Dominic von Habsburg and son of Princess Ileana, who acquired the castle in 2006, after the Romanian government gave over the rights of the castle to the traditional owners.
  • Bran Castle has had various owners and caretakers over the centuries, and has been used by royalty and the forestry, among others, and it has also undergone various renovation and restoration projects.
Bibliography:
Bran Castle, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bran_Castle
Medieval Fortress, 2013, Bran Castle, http://www.bran-castle.com/medieval-fortress.html
Morris E, Bran Castle, Romania: In Search of Dracula – and the Buried Heart of a Long-Dead Queen, 2015, Exploring Castles, http://www.exploring-castles.com/bran_castle.html

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Loch Ness

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Loch Ness

Loch Ness is a placed of busted myths and mythical monsters.

  • Loch Ness is a freshwater lake, or loch as it is known in Scotland, found in the Highlands of Scotland, in the United Kingdom in Europe.
  • Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland by volume, at 7.5 cubic kilometres (1.8 cubic miles), and it reaches a depth of 230 metres (755 feet) and covers an area of 57 square kilometres (22 square miles).
  • The popularity of Loch Ness is caused primarily by the potential monster, named after the lake, that is believed by some to dwell there, and information about the creature was publicised in 1933.
  • Species of eels, salmon, trout, minnows and sea sturgeons, among other aquatic animals, are native to the waters of Loch Ness.
  • An artificial island in the southern area of Loch Ness was created before the 1400s AD, and while it has been called various names, it is known as Cherry Island today.
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Part of Loch Ness
Image courtesy of Dave Conner/Flickr
  • The ruins of Urquhart Castle can be found on the banks of the western side of Loch Ness, and was built from the 1200s.
  • Loch Ness is used in two hydroelectricity plants, the Glendoe Hydro Scheme and the Foyers pumped-storage scheme.
  • Tourists visiting Loch Ness can choose from a variety of cruises that travel across the lake, while hiking along tracks in the nearby woodlands, sailing, and fishing are also popular activities.
  • In July 1966, Brenda Sherratt crossed the full length of Loch Ness by swimming, and was the first to do so, accomplishing the feat at age 18.
  • River Moriston, River Oich, River Enrick, River Foyers, and River Coilte each feed into Loch Ness, while the Ness River flows out of the lake.
Bibliography:
Loch Ness, 2015, Visit Scotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/en-au/info/towns-villages/loch-ness-p868181
Loch Ness, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness

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Prosciutto

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Prosciutto

Only prosecute someone who gives you nasty prosciutto.

  • Prosciutto is a ham that has gone through a dry-curing process, and it is commonly sliced in very thin pieces and generally not cooked before eating.
  • The term ‘prosciutto’ is derived from the Latin words ‘pro’ meaning ‘before’ and ‘exsuctus’ meaning ‘dried up’ or ‘without juice’, which comes from the word ‘exsugere’ meaning ‘to suck out moisture’.
  • Traditionally prosciutto is made of the hind leg or the thigh of pigs or wild boar, although this style of meat can be produced from other animals.
  • The process of making prosciutto generally involves pressing, salting and cleansing the raw meat from blood and other impurities for approximately two months, and then the meat goes through a drying and curing process that typically takes between 12 and 24 months.
  • Prosciutto is popularly eaten with melon, figs and other fruit; bread or bread sticks; wrapped around vegetables like asparagus; or as an addition to other dishes including pasta and pizza.

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  • Prosciutto is historically an Italian product, and it has been produced in Italy’s city of Parma, from as early as 100 BC.
  • ‘Proscuitto crudo’ is the name for the raw version of the meat, and while the ham is commonly eaten uncooked, if added to other dishes it should only be cooked for short periods of time at low heat, to avoid destroying the flavour and texture.
  • Prosciutto is generally a combination of colours that may include white, pink, peach, orange and red in colour.
  • The sodium content of prosciutto is very high, while the meat is also high in fat and a good source of protein.
  • Sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate are occasionally used in the making of prosciutto, which often enhances the pink and red colours of the ham, however the use of these chemicals is not common in traditionally cured hams, and are absent from those that are produced in protected areas of origin in Italy.
Bibliography:
Ipatenco S, Is Prosciutto Healthy?, 2015, LiveStrong.com, http://www.livestrong.com/article/374315-is-prosciutto-healthy/
Prosciutto, 2015, Life In Italy, http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/prosciutto.asp
Prosciutto, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosciutto

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