Category <font color=#006600>PARKS AND GARDENS</font> (6)

(42) TEACHING MUSIC IN PORTUGAL

am.ma.en 05/03/2008 @ 22:35

Bandstand in the gardens of the Estói Palace nearby Faro, Algarve - Portugal.

NOTE: THE PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO PUT AN END TO THE NATIONAL CONSERVATOIRE! Started in the 19th century, the Conservatoire has about 900 (NINE HUNDRED) students nowadays, but will probably have no more than a few 50 (FIFTY) of them next year, because of the recent proposals to reform the system by the Ministre of Education.

[originally posted on Feb 8th, 2008]

Category: PARKS AND GARDENS

(33) THE GIANT WHEEL OF VIENNA

am.ma.en 23/02/2008 @ 14:39

- was built by the end of the XIX century, bombed in 1945 and restored in 1947. Since then, it has turned around non-stop ... at 0.75 metres per second (one metre is about 3.3 feet).

The Giant Wheel of Vienna in the Prater Park, Vienna - Austria

Das Wiener Riesenrad is located in the Prater Park, has 15 wagons and 61 metres (200 feet) diameter. Vienna - Austria

[originally posted on Jan 31st, 2008]

Category: PARKS AND GARDENS

(28) IN THE OPEN AIR

am.ma.en 23/02/2008 @ 11:53

A few images from urban parks in Europe:

Urban Park in Copenhagen - Denmark Copenhagen - Denmark

Urban Park in Santiago de Compostela - Spain Santiago de Compostela (Saint James of Compostela) - Spain

Urban Park nearby London - England Nearby London - England

Urban Park in London - England London - England

The urban parks are privileged areas for leisure and for different formal and informal sports activities, which is quite healthier than the exercises in gyms but not yet very common in Portugal.

Sportsmen from abroad have already complained about the lack of adequate practice areas in open air, away from traffic, pollution and urban noise.

We just have a great climat for plants to grow fast and for people to leisure and sport in the open air, but our government chooses to promote gyms instead of parks... (The portuguese government has recently lowered the gyms' VAT).

[originally posted on Jan 27th, 2008]

Category: PARKS AND GARDENS

(24) THE SHADE OF THE TREES

am.ma.en 20/02/2008 @ 12:29

- at the Botanic Garden of the Natural History National Museum (Lisbon University), widely known as the College of Sciences' Botanic Garden.

Botanical Garden of the Natural History National Museum - Lisbon, Portugal

Botanical Garden of the Natural History National Museum, Lisbon - Portugal

"A botanic garden is obviously more than just a garden. The being botanic indicates that the plants growing in it, more than just being beautiful and providing a pleasant environment, have necessarily other usefulnesses, such as teaching, investigation and conservation of the vegatation's genetic heritage."

Free translation from Professor Fernando Catarino (who was the Director of this Botanical Garden for twenty years), A Importância dos Jardins Botânicos, The Importance of Botanical Gardens.

[originally posted on Jan 23rd, 2008]

Category: PARKS AND GARDENS