Thursday, June 7, 2012

Saracens Head Hotel: New jobs in Essex

Saracens Head Hotel in Great Dunmow, UK, has reopened and that led to the creation of 30 new jobs in Essex, England. Hotel is placed in High Street, Great Dunmow CM6 1AG, Essex, England, UK.

Hotel revamp follows its acquisition by Cozy Pubs. Mr John Davey, the mayor of Great Dunmow, said: “The new owners have really transformed the place

Monday, November 28, 2011

Studenica Monastery ( 12th century)

Studenica Monastery ( 12th century)

Studenica Monastery , 11km from Usce, and 62 km S from Kraljevo. The beauty of the location is exceptional, the monastery lies on the banks of Studenica river, surounded by mountains and forest. The monastery is the ruler Stefan Nemanja s most important foundation and a treasury of medieval art . Serbian literature originated in the monastery, also a place of burial for the Nemanjics. In the center of the complex lies the Church of Our Lady ( late 12th century) the great example of the Rascian school of architecture , an artistic and architectual style that originated in Serbia at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century. The church consists of one nave with a parvis and a dome painted with monumental frescoes. The building style and its interior are Byzantine, while the facade is in the western Romanesque style , coverd with white marble and decorated with many sculptures. The western portal is distinguished by its beauty, with the Mother of God with Christ surrounded by angels on the gable. Some of the oldest murals (1208-09) have been partially preserved. These paintings served as a foundation for Serbian painting in the 13th century. The monumental Crucifixion of Christ, on the western wall of the naos, on a blue setting, with a golden aureole and stars, imparts its divine serenity to the spectator.

Studenica Monastery

Studenica

Studenica Serbia

Studenica monastery

Friday, November 25, 2011

Sopocani Monastery

Sopocani Monastery

Lies 14 km W of Novi Pazar , at the Raska river's spring . Built by Uros I whose mortal remains were buried in it , together with the remains of several other members of the Nemanjic dynasty (his mother Ana Dandolo and King Stephen the first-Crowned). The Church of the Holy Trinity was built in the Rascian style . The church boasts outstanding frescoes and paintings on the altar and naos, with a touch of the classical spirit. These works are regarded as the most monumental in European medieval art , and they were painted by Byzantine's most skilled artists after Constantinople fell to the Crusaders.
The fresco depicting the Ascension of the Holy Mother of God is the best example of Sopocani's murals . The composition is harmonious and well- balanced, countenances serene and movements elegant. The harmony of colors imparts dignity , while the golden light of the background suggests the presence of the Havens on Earth The Turks ravaged the monastery several times and burned it in 1689 , leaving it deserted and roofless over two centuries.
Sopocani

Sopocani Monastery Serbia

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Sokobanja


Lies 230 km from Belgrade. It is spa with a tradition going several centuries back, where many renowned people , including authors Ivo Andric and Branislav Nusic sought repose. An old Serb saying claims visitors come to Sokobanja old and leave young. In addition to its hot mineral springs, the spa also boasts abalmy climate , with a high concentration of ozone. The town lies between Mt. Ozren and Mt. Rtanj, noted for a strong magnetic field capable of disturbing air navigation. The area is also the source of the famous Rtanj Tea. The Soko grad (Hawk s Fort), at a strategic curve on the Moravica River, two kilometers from the spa, has an Upper Town with a standing tower, and a more accessible Lower Town.




Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Vrnjacka Banja


Lies 195 km from Belgrade. Vrnjacka Banja is the most famous spa and with the longest tradition of all, of many spas in Serbia , known from Roman times. During Turkish rule , according to legend , the people buried springs to avoid to having to serve Turkish agas and beys having baths there. The spa blossomed as elite resort under Prince Mihailo Obrenovic , when the first official season was declared open in 1867 . At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, numerous villas were built around hot water springs and two adjacent hills.
The regent Belimarkovic' s Manor (1886), fashioned after northern Italy's country villas, is now a cultural center that hosts exhibitions , musical and theatrical events .
The spa is blessed with a moderate climate , protected from winds by mountains and a unique spring produces water corresponding to body temperature (36.5) The spa also has several cold water springs , good infrastructure ( hotels , courts, pools, saunas). Facilities offer weight-loss programs , quick diagnostic, and a school for diabetes. The spa promotes health and assists the treatment of various diseases.





Monday, November 21, 2011

Palic


Palic, 8km E of Subotica, 170 km north of Belgrade.
Lake Palic became a fashionable summer resort more than 150 years ago. Proof of this is visible in its Art Deco architecture (the Zenski Strand building ). The Great Park was built in 1842 to resamble an English garden . Located in it are a water tower , the Great Terrace (Velika Terasa),Summer Stage (Letnja pozornica), concert pavilion, and a zoo , set in a beautiful botanical garden .
The lake s well-tended beaches and great climate ( 2,100 sunny hours a year) make it a good place to relax or try out some water sports : the lake is shaped like is an ellipse and is one of the best suited for water sports in Europe. The shore is 17 km in length. The average depth of the water is about 2 meters and there is an abundance of aquatic life , especially myriad fish . There is also an adjacent area for basketball and other sports . The lake contains some sulfur and somewhat alkaline in addition to containing natural chlorides.




Saturday, November 19, 2011

Fruska Gora


The mountain (539m) and much of its surroundings are a national park . It was once an island in the Pannonian Sea that used to cover the Pannonian Plain long before the time of man. The mountain is covered by a thick forest of hundred year oak and birch trees , as well as the linden, a tree beloved by the Slavic peoples.



Monasteries of Mt. Fruska Gora

The mountain has been central to Serb spirituality for centuries . The monasteries were built in the late Middle Ages when Serb culture was moving northward in response to the Ottoman onslaught.
However, archeologist and historians have discovered that Fruska Gora appears to have been a place of spirituality even before . Evidence of this can be seen in the form of bronze icons from the 12th century found at Rakovac . The serb monasteries were built by adherents of the Moravian school of architecture. The founders of the first of the monasteries were the despots of the house of Brankovic, descendants of the Serb rulers of the Medieval times. In the 1700s many were rebuilt in Baroque style, getting tall bell towers and intricate Baroque iconstases. During the Second World War the monasteries suffered heavy damage. Many valuable objects were taken .



Petkovica


Krusedol

Friday, November 18, 2011

Lepenski vir


Lepenski vir , site situated on the banks of the Danube at Djerdap 46 km from Golubac in Serbia. It dates from 6700 - 4500 BC . The location itself is magnificent and is one of the most important archeological sites in the world .

Lepenski vir consists of several layers of remains of settelmaents of fishermen and hunters and a regional holy site . It is famous for its fish- shaped figures carved from flat stones taken out of the Danube , which are the oldest known examples of sculpture in Europe . The foundations of the settelments are specific - shaped like an arc of a circle with the tip cut of , indicating to an outstanding knowledge of mathematics. Tools found at the site were fashioned with unusual mastery and pieces of elaborate jewlery have also been discovered . The Culture of Lepenski vir comprises a series of prehistoric settelments along the Danube, built mostly near large whirpools rich in fish . Original sculptures are perserved in the National Museum in Belgrade.






Thursday, November 17, 2011

Vinca


Village on the right bank of the Danube , 11km from Belgrade . Vinca is one of the major prehistoric archeological sites in Europe. The settelments were found beneath an old Serb necropolis ( 10th to 13th century ), a 10 m cross- section graphically showing all the layers.

As an economic and cultural center , Vinca has lent its name to what is known as the Vincian culture. This well developed Neolithic culture, which thrived from 4500 - 3200 BC , encompassed the central Balkans and a part of the Pannonian Plain and was without match in Europe in terms of the territory it coverd , the size of its settelments , and its artistic attainments. Its anthropomorphic and zoomorphic terra-cottas testefy to a highly- developed religion . Also found here were high- quality pieces of pottery , tools , and jewlery made from shelles ,as well as evidence of primitive foundries. Some researchers belive the signs preserved on Vincian pottery actually represent the oldest example of writing .


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Travel photos

Great art photos from traveling all over the world.

o DUBA PLAINS (Botswana)
o ETOSHA (namibia)
o GREAT WHITES (Capetown)
o Sand Dunes (Namibia)
o Cormorant Fishing (Japan)
o Floating Markets (Bangkok)

Monday, November 15, 2010

Montenegro Real estate

Here are some beautiful real estate in Montenegro photos. Some are available and some are just great examples you can see in Montenegro coast. Real estates are in Budva, Herceg Novi, Bar, Kotor, Tivat, Ulcinj and many others. Montenegro is divided into twentyone municipalities and this places, buildings and flats are almost from all of them.


Montenegro Krasici


Montenegro Budva

Friday, May 14, 2010

Lake Powell

Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona. It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead. Lake Powell was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the controversial Glen Canyon Dam, which also led to the creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a popular summer destination. The reservoir is named for explorer John Wesley Powell, a one-armed American Civil War veteran who explored the river via three wooden boats in 1869. In 1972, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was established. It is public land managed by the National Park Service, and available to the public for recreational purposes. It lies in parts of Garfield, Kane, and San Juan counties in southern Utah, and Coconino County in northern Arizona.

Lake Powell view
by Wolfgang Staudt

ourists on Lake Powell
by wordmunger

Lake Powell rock
by Geert Orye

Lake Powell Navajo Canyon
by exfordy

Lake Powell marina
by Alex E. Proimos

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Laponian area - Sweedish

The Laponian area is a large mountainous wildlife area in the Lapland province in northern Sweden, more precisely in the Gällivare Municipality, Arjeplog Municipality and Jokkmokk Municipality. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The total area is about 9400 km², making it the world's largest unmodified nature area which is cultured by natives - the natives in this case being the reindeer herding Sami people. Being so large, the geography of the area varies greatly. Each nature reserve and national park has its distinctive features.

95% of the area is protected as national parks or nature reserves. It consists of the national parks Muddus, Sarek, Padjelanta and Stora Sjofallet, and the nature reserves Sjaunja and Stubba. The other 5% are in the areas of Sulitelma, Tjuoltadalen, and Rapadalen. The village Porjus is a natural port to the Laponian area and has recently opened an information center.

The highest mountain of the area is Sarektjahkka, at 2,089 meters.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Dubrovnik Croatia

Dubrovnik is an old city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist resorts of the Mediterranean, a seaport and the center of the Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its population was 43,770 in 2001. Dubrovnik is nicknamed "Pearl of the Adriatic" and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city of Dubrovnik/Ragusa was built on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages it became the only city-state in the Adriatic to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development during the 15th and 16th centuries. Furthermore, Dubrovnik was one of the centers of the development of the Croatian language and literature, home to many notable poets, playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists and other scholars.

Today Dubrovnik is the proudest feather in Croatia's tourist cap, an elite destination and one of the most beautiful towns in the Mediterranean, definitely a place to visit. Dubrovnik used to be an independent republic, surviving mostly on trade. It managed to survive many centuries, with constant threats to its territory, particularly from the mighty Ottoman Empire and Venice. As early as 19th century, it was discovered by celebrities, to get its well-deserved title of elite destination in the 20th century. The fact that nine out of Croatia's fifteen most luxurious hotels are situated in Dubrovnik shows how important it is to be seen in Dubrovnik. It was thus visited by numerous kings, queens, princes and princesses, presidents, high diplomats, celebrities and businessmen, including, of course, the late Pope John Paul II, who was also an honorary citizen of the city of Dubrovnik.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Zlatibor mountine - Serbia


Zlatibor (meaning "Golden Pine") is a very popular mountain resort area in south-western Serbia. It is bounded on the north by Mount Tara, to the east by the Veliki Rzav River, to the south by the Uvac River and to the west by Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Warm and pleasant summers and not so cold winters. Zlatibor's air is very clean and healthy and going to Zlatibor is recommended for those who have tyroide gland-related and breathing issues.
Medium hills and a lot of fields. Highest peak is Tornik at 1496 meters (4908 feet), and other peaks are Brijac, Cigota, Vijogor, Konjoder, Liska, Gruda... Branesko polje (the Branesci Plain) is the biggest Zlatibor's plain.
Zlatibor has a lot of very pure and clean water. There are many smaller and bigger rivers, but there are no natural lakes. There are only a couple of artefact lakes. Zlatibor's waters have good infuence on human health because they contain some minerals.
Many animals inhabit Zlatibor's woods and pastures. More than 120 plant species can be found in Zlatibor's fields.
The first inhabitants of Zlatibor were the Illyrians. They left their small tombs all over Zlatibor. Romans conquered Zlatibor in 4th century BC and the Illyrians were romanized.

Slavs came in 7th century from what is today Poland.

From 1463 to 1804, Zlatibor was a part of the Ottoman Empire.

Beginning of tourism in Zlatibor dates from August 1893, when Aleksandar I Obrenović, king of Serbia, came to Kulaševac, as Kraljeve Vode were called back then. However, the real tourism started in 1905, when the king Petar I Karađorđević visited Kraljeve Vode.
In formal situations, Zlatiborians use the literary Serbian language. In unformal situations, however, languages that are used are the Traditional Zlatiborian, and the Neo-Zlatiborian.

The Traditional Zlatiborian is a dialect of the Serbian language. It is quite similar to the standard Serbian, but there are many differences. Knowing standard Serbian could be useful if you speak with a Zlatiborian villager, but not always. The Neo-Zlatiborian is a mixture of the Traditional Zlatiborian and the literary Serbian language.

English is not spoken in Zlatibor's rural areas, but in urban areas (in Kraljeve Vode and Cajetina) many people just know some words of it, or speak it well. However, entering a hotel or a restaurant where English isn't spoken could be quite possible.
When you come to Zlatibor, you will probably come to Kraljeve Vode. Kraljeve Vode is a small town, but it's very modern and urban (even more than Cajetina, the administrative centre of Zlatibor). It is connected with other Zlatibor's towns and villages. When speaking about Zlatibor, many people usually refer to Kraljeve Vode only.

The best way to get to Zlatibor is to get to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and then to look for a direct bus line to Zlatibor. Bus lines connect Zlatibor with all parts of Serbia, and Montenegro.

You can also come to Zlatibor by train from Belgrade and other bigger cities, but you'll end up in Semegnjevo, Susica, Sljivovica, or Jablanica, Zlatibor's villages. The main train station for Zlatibor, despite being called the Zlatibor Train Station (Zeleznicka stanica Zlatibor) is located in the village of Semegnjevo, 10 km away from Kraljeve Vode. Coming to Kraljeve Vode from there could be difficult, because there aren't a lot of people who speak English, so it would be better to leave the train in the neighboring city of Uzice, and then use a bus to come to Zlatibor.