The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China.

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8G at 40mm, f/8, 1/200sec and ISO 200.

The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven (simplified Chinese: 天坛; traditional Chinese: 天壇; pinyin: Tiāntán; Manchu: Abkai mukdehun) is a complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It has been regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism. The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century. The Jiajing Emperor also built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of Sun (日壇)in the east, the Temple of Earth (地壇)in the north, and the Temple of Moon (月壇)in the west. The Temple of Heaven was renovated in the 18th century under the Qianlong Emperor. Due to the deterioration of state budget, this became the last large-scale renovation of the temple complex in the imperial time. (Wikipedia)

A water taxi (abra) crossing Dubai Creek is approaching the harbor of the Deira district of Dubai. The cross-river trip costs 1 Dirham (AED 1) per passenger and affords a picturesque view of the city.

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8G at 44mm, f/11, 1/200sec and ISO 200.

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Dubai Creek or Khor Dubai (Arabic: خور دبي‎, Khawr Dubayy) is a saltwater creek located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It ends at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Some sources say that the creek extended as far inland as Al Ain, and that the Ancient Greeks called it River Zara. Historically, the creek divided the city into two main sections – Deira and Bur Dubai. It was along the Bur Dubai creek area that members of the Bani Yas tribe first settled in the 19th century, establishing the Al Maktoum dynasty in the city. In the early 20th century, the creek, though incapable then of supporting large scale transportation, served as a minor port for dhows coming as far away as India or East Africa. Although it impeded the entry of ships due to current flow, the creek remained an important element in establishing the commercial position of Dubai, being the only port or harbour in the city. Dubai’s pearling industry, which formed the main sector of the city’s economy, was based primarily on expeditions in the creek, prior to the invention of cultured pearls in the 1930s. (Wikipedia)

Lamb of The Old Norwegian Sheep Breed (Villsau) an unimproved remnant of the old Norwegian landrace that was raised in the country since the Viking age. It is a small primitive, short-tailed sheep that is mainly found on the west coast of Norway. The breed is adapted to grazing outside all year around in cold and windy climate.

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8G VRII at 200mm, f/11, 1/160sec and ISO 200.

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Animal husbandry spread throughout Europe, with sheep arriving in Norway during the Neolithic, or “new” Stone Age; remnants have been found in caves from this period. Land cultivation followed. In the early Iron Age, people who were buried at the modern Norwegian Føre, in Bø, Vesterålen, were left with lamb meat for their journey to another life. This shows that sheep were recognised as good food. One additional article the dead received was a spinning wheel, which indeed typifies Iron Age archaeological finds. As now, lambskin was used for clothing, since wool is a good insulator, holding warmth even when wet. When boat sails appeared around AD 600, wool proved to be a suitable material, because woollen sails are both lightweight and quick-drying. One broad lugsail of ­the type on the Gaukstad ship was probably worth a fortune, based on the enormous number of sheep and working hours needed to spin and weave the huge amount of wool. Weights from vertical looms abound in Iron Age archaeological material. Along with land cultivation, fishing, and hunting marine mammals, sheep raising was of major importance for the Laplanders and Norwegians, providing both food and clothing. Laplanders also sacrificed sheep on sacrificial stones up to the 16-17th centuries. (From woolandsheep.com)

Detail of the east pediment of Parthenon (a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece) that narrates the birth of Athena from the head of her father, Zeus.

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8G VRII at 82mm, f/8, 1/250 and ISO 200.

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The Parthenon (Greek: Παρθενών) is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decorations of the Parthenon continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy and one of the world’s greatest cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a program of selective restoration and reconstruction to ensure the stability of the partially ruined structure.

Flooding from the River Ouse in York, England at Woodsmill Quay at Queens Staith in the spring of 2012.

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 50mm 1.4G at f/16, 1/50sec and ISO 200.

York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence. The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities. The city was founded by the Romans in 71 AD, under the name of Eboracum. It became in turn the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jorvik. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained. In the 19th century York became a hub of the railway network and a confectionery manufacturing centre. In recent decades, the economy of York has moved from being dominated by its confectionery and railway-related industries to one that provides services. The University of York and health services have become major employers, whilst tourism has become an important element of the local economy. The city is prone to flooding from the River Ouse, and has an extensive (and mostly effective) network of flood defences. These include walls along the Ouse, and a liftable barrier across the River Foss where it joins the Ouse at the ‘Blue Bridge’. In October and November 2000 York experienced the worst flooding in 375 years with over 300 homes being flooded. Much land in and around the city is on flood plains and has always been too flood-prone for development other than agriculture. The ings are flood meadows along the River Ouse, while the strays are open common grassland in various locations around the city. (Wikipedia)

Dry stone wall surrounding rocky pastures with grazing or resting sheep on West Coast of Norway in spring

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8G VR II at 135mm, f/11, 1/200sec and ISO200.

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Dry stone is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their unique construction method, which is characterized by the presence of a load-bearing facade of carefully selected interlocking stones. Dry stone technology is best known in the context of wall construction, but dry stone artwork, buildings, bridges, and other structures also exist. A dry stone wall, also known as a dry stone dyke, drystane dyke, dry stone hedge, or rock fence, is a wall constructed from stones without mortar to bind them together. As with any dry stone construction, the structural integrity arises from compressional forces and the interlocking of the stones. Such walls are used in building construction, as field boundaries, and on steep slopes as retaining walls for terracing. (Wikipedia)

Sea foam from breaking waves at rocky coastline at Golten, Sund, Norway.

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 14-24mm 2.8G at 14mm, f/11, 1/200sec and ISO 200.

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In fluid dynamics, wind waves or, more precisely, wind-generated waves are surface waves that occur on the free surface of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and canals or even on small puddles and ponds. They usually result from the wind blowing over a vast enough stretch of fluid surface. Waves in the oceans can travel thousands of miles before reaching land. Wind waves range in size from small ripples to huge waves over 30 meters high. When directly being generated and affected by the local winds, a wind wave system is called a wind sea. After the wind ceases to blow, wind waves are called swell. Or, more generally, a swell consists of wind generated waves that are not—or are hardly—affected by the local wind at that time. They have been generated elsewhere, or some time ago. Wind waves in the ocean are called ocean surface waves.
Wind waves have a certain amount of randomness: subsequent waves differ in height, duration and shape, with a limited predictability. They can be described as a stochastic process, in combination with the physics governing their generation, growth, propagation and decay—as well as governing the interdependence between flow quantities such as: the water surface movements, flow velocities and water pressure. The key statistics of wind waves (both seas and swells) in evolving sea states can be predicted with wind wave models. (Wikipedia)

Ewe and lambs of old Norwegian Sheep (Wild Sheep) breed resting in green spring grass.

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8G at 200mm, f/16, 1/125sec and ISO 200.

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The Norwegian feral sheep (Villsau) is an unimproved remnant of the old Norwegian landrace that was raised in the country since the Viking age. It is a small primitive, short-tailed sheep that is mainly found on the west coast of Norway. The breed is adapted to grazing outside all year around in cold and windy climate. They have a strong flocking instinct and are good mothers. The sheep are small framed, with good legs and a fleece varying in colour with gray and black badger-face the most common colours. Rams are usually horned but 90 % of the ewes are polled. The wool is double coated with variable fibre length and diameter and is used for handicrafts. The mean greasy fleece weight is around 1.5 kg. Adult live weight is 50-60 kg for rams and around 32 kg for ewes. The litter size varies from 1 to 4 lambs at birth. Mean carcass weight of lambs is 12 kg when slaughtered at the age of 5 months. The lamb meat is marketed as a specialty product and is quite popular in restaurants. The population size has grown from 500 sheep in 1956 to around 20,000 adult sheep in 2001. (North SheD - Origin and diversity of North European sheep breeds)

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8G at 28mm, f/11, 1/60sec and ISO 200.

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The Yonghe Temple, also known as the “Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple”, the “Yonghe Lamasery”, or – popularly – the “Lama Temple” is a temple and monastery of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism located in the northeastern part of Beijing, China. It is one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. The building and the artworks of the temple is a combination of Han Chinese and Tibetan styles. Building work on the Yonghegong Temple started in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty. It originally served as an official residence for court eunuchs. It was then converted into the court of the Prince Yong (Yin Zhen), a son of the Kangxi Emperor and himself the future Yongzheng Emperor. After Yongzheng’s ascension to the throne in 1722, half of the building was converted into a lamasery, a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism. The other half remained an imperial palace. After Yongzheng’s death in 1735, his coffin was placed in the temple. The Qianlong Emperor, Yongzheng’s successor, gave the temple imperial status signified by having its turquoise tiles replaced with yellow tiles which were reserved for the emperor. Subsequently, the monastery became a residence for large numbers of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Mongolia and Tibet, and so the Yonghe Lamasery became the national centre of Lama administration. The temple is said to have survived the Cultural Revolution due to the intervention of Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. It was reopened to the public in 1981. (Wikipedia)

Nikon D3X and Nikkor 50mm 1.4G at f/8, 1/400sec and ISO 200.

The image may be licensed at istockphoto.com

York Castle in the city of York, England, is a fortified complex comprising, over the last nine centuries, a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings on the south side of the River Foss. The now-ruinous keep of the medieval Norman castle is sometimes referred to as Clifford’s Tower. Built originally on the orders of William I to dominate the former Viking city of York, the castle suffered a tumultuous early history before developing into a major fortification with extensive water defences. After a major explosion in 1684 rendered the remaining military defences uninhabitable, York Castle continued to be used as a jail and prison until 1929. (Wikipedia)