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Steam Train Ride from Grosmont to Pickering.

novita77 — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:21:41 +0300

One of the place who still run steam train is North Yorkshire Moor Railway. We catch the train from Grosmont all the way to Pickering via Goathland and Levisham. Took family ticket cost us 30 pound for return.

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The trip started in Grosmont – Goathland – Levisham then Pickering. We were there in the winter just after new year. It was snowing quite a bit … Thats the only snowing in Doha during our holiday back in the UK

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Arrived in Pickering we had a walk around … something to eat then took the train back.

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It was a nice day out.

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open air train museum, selcuk, turkey.

novita77 — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:00:18 +0300

Entrance fee for adult 3 YTL. And children free of charge. This is the place that my son enjoying the most ... The museum located 15 mins drive out of Selcuk.

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Ephesus Ancient City, Selcuk, Turkey

novita77 — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:27:02 +0300

This enclosure for archaeological remains at Ephesus elegantly reconciles historic conservation with accessibility for visitors. The site of a succession of great ancient civilizations, Ephesus, on the south-west coast of modern Turkey, embodied a peculiarly fertile synthesis of architecture and culture.

In 356BC the Greeks built the Artemesium (a colossal Ionic temple dedicated to Artemis the fertility goddess) which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. During the 2nd century BC, Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the eastern Roman Empire, famous for its Artemesium, the Library of Celsus and its medical school.
Quoted from Catherine Slessor's Housing History.

Ephesus; Ancient Greek city of Asia Minor, near the mouth of the Menderes River, in what is today West Turkey, South of Smyrna (now Izmir). One of the greatest of the Ionian cities, it became the leading seaport of the region. Its wealth was proverbial. The Greek city was near an old center of worship of a native nature goddess, who was equated with the Greek Artemis, and c.550 B.C. a large temple was built. To this Croesus, who captured the city, contributed.

http://www.ephesus.u...

In the year of 10 BC, Androclos, the son of King of Athens-Kodros, was searching a location for establishing a site. Androclos belonged to Akhas, was running from the Dor invasion in Greece. He was leading one of the migration convoys. It was predicted by an Apollon oracle that a fish and a boar would show the location of the new settlement. Days later, parallel to the oracle’s prediction, while frying, a fish fell down from the pan, irritating a hiding boar behind the bushes. The feared boar escaped immediately. Androclos followed the boar and established the city of Ephesus, where he had killed the boar. When Androclos died in the wars with Carians, a mausoleum was built to the memory of the first king of Ephesus. The mausoleum is considered to be placed around "The Door of Magnesia".

Ephesus was ruled by the Lydian king, Kreisos, in the mid 6BC. The city reached the "Golden Age" and became a good model to the Antic World in culture and art, as well. But the inhabitants of Ephesus moved away. Because they did not like being ruled and lived in the new Ephesus that is located around the area of Artemis. As the detailed excavations have not completed yet, apart from the Artemis, the remains of that age haven’t been revealed.

http://www.ephesus.u...

Ephesus was controlled by the Romans in 190 BC. The city was given to the Bergamian kings for a time. With the death of King Attalos 3 in 133BC, the city was re-ruled by the Romans. Ephesus reached to its height and was notorious for its wealth and luxury between 1-4 AD., especially during the reign of Augustus. During the period, the population of Ephesus increased to 225 000, and the city became the capital of the new Asia. By cleaning the river Caystros from the alluviums, the great trade port of Ephesus, a gateway to foreign countries, enriched the prosperity of the city and continued to thrive with commerce and culture. The city was constructed, adding new models to the former magnificence of Ephesus. "Celsus Library" clearly exemplifies the perfecta of the era, with the delicate details of the construction.

http://www.ephesus.u...

Entrance fee : 10 YTL for adult and free for children

They not taking payment with Euro, so make sure you have enough Lira or you can pay with your credit card.

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St John Basilica, Selçuk, Ephesus

novita77 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 23:47:37 +0300

The impressive ruins of the Byzantine Church of St John mark the spot where St John the Evangelist was buried.

main gate of the church

The church is on the slopes of Ayasoluk Hill near the center of Selçuk (the town next to Ephesus), just below the fortress.

ayasuluk fortress

St John is believed to have spent the last years of his life in Ephesus writing his version of the Gospel. Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD) believed that a tomb dating from the 300s was John's, so he built a great church above it in the 500s.

tomb 1

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In later centuries the ruined church was pillaged for building materials, but restoration allows you to see its extent and to imagine its beauties.

church 1

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Plan to spend about 30 minutes here. You can easily walk here from the center of Selçuk.

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Just down the hill from the basilica is the 13th-century Isa Bey Mosque, recently restored, open for free (it's a working mosque) and worth a look.

To the southwest, look for the ruined Temple of Artemis between the St John Basilica and the Ephesus archeological site.

St John Basilica is about 3.5 km (2 miles) from the Ephesus archeological site.

baptism site

http://www.turkeytra...

Entrance fee : 2 YTL (around 3 QR) per adult, children entrance is free.

Beware you might be approached by locals who tried to sell you a 'genuine antique coins'. They are genuinely new :D

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isa bey mosque, selcuk, turkey

novita77 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 23:21:04 +0300

isa bey 1

Built in 1375 by Isa Bey, the founder of the Aydinogullan Emirate. It is an interesting example of asymmetrical architecture. The courtyard of the mosque was formerly surrounded by a gallery surmounted by domes, now no longer in existence. All the windows were in the same style. The marble carving is of the highest quality. The courtyard was later used as a cemetery.

isa bey 2

isa bey 3

The mosque built on a plot 57 m long by 51 m wide.

isa bey 4

isa bey 5

The mosque open for visitors except on prayers time.

isa bey 6

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Byzantine Aqueduct, Selcuk Turkey.

novita77 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:26:26 +0300

Running east west along Namik Kemal Caddesi and Inonu Caddesi stand the remains of Byzantine Aqueduct. Nowadays serve as a handy nesting place for storks. It is said that this type of bird coming back to the same nest year after year.

Aqueduct 2

Eggs laid late April or May and the bird stay right through till September.

Unfortunately when we were there we just missed the season.

Aqueduct 1

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Artemis Temple, Selcuk, Turkey

novita77 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:18:21 +0300

The first builder of the temple were said to be the Amazons. Plinus the writer reports that the temple was ransacked seven times in its history. During the Archaic period the temple burned by a madman named Herostratos in year 356 AD.

Nowadays the temple only left as a pillar ... you can overlook Ayasuluk Fort in the background.

Entrance fee : Free.

More about the temple :

http://en.wikipedia....

artemis temple

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tulamben ship wreck, Bali.

novita77 — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:40:35 +0300

Tulamben has become Bali's most famous diving area and therefore where you are most likely to meet internationally recognised underwater photographers and writers. Tulamben Bay, like the rest of Bali, is situated in the richest marine biogeographic zone in the world. Being on the north-east coast, the bay receives very plankton-rich waters from the major ocean current that moves from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. This, coupled with the fact that the three main dive sites provide totally different physical environments, mean that Tulamben contains a stunningly diverse underwater ecosystem.

lobster

The beach is fist-sized black volcanic rocks that become sand in the shallows. This black sand does not provide the reflective properties of white limestone sand and, combined with the amount of plankton in the water, accounts for the relatively low visibility (12-25M). It does however provide a dramatic contrast, which brings out the colours of the corals, gorgonians, fish and other marinelife. The 100s of macro-species that live here both blend and contrast beautifully with the sand.

Tulamben is a wonderful place to learn to dive and to learn about underwater life. There are occasional sightings of Mola-Mola (Sunfish), Manta Rays, Whale Shark, tuna and other pelagics but it is the permanent population of Tulamben that brings people here for the 1st and 100th time.

http://www.aquamarin...

I never actually been diving to this site, but if you are a diving fans ... and have a chance to visit Bali, this is a spot not to be miss.

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bratang floral market, surabaya.

novita77 — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:26:57 +0300

flower 1

Initially, Flower Market Bratang in a piece of farm form, which is the alternative of choice of five-flower merchant that coming from Kayun/Kayoon Flower Market. They must move because their reason is less the farm broadness. Grow since year 1990-an across every alley with floor paving block as wide as less than 1 meter. The typical aroma of some flower is smell by the friendliness smiling of the flower merchants. It is for 2400 m2 farm precise in west side of Bratang Market, the merchants arrange interest ornamental plant and also leaf elegantly, clean and respected. More than 200 stands that owned by 65 merchants of vary size but generally fairish 3x4 meter.

flower 2

http://www.eastjava....

flower 3

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Grahadi, The Official Residents of East Java Governor.

novita77 — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:21:27 +0300

grahadi from outside

Grahadi building is convention hall and the official resident of East Java Governor. See it’s a self remain as of the Dutch commissioner Dirk Van Hogendorp (1794-1798). Initially the front of Grahadi faced the river. During tea-hours in the afternoon, the occupants could see small vessels with passengers up and down the river. The small vessels used to transportation, they arrived and go by the small vessels. In 1802 the front side of building which originally faced the North, had changed into the South until the present time.

grahadi old canon

http://www.eastjava....

To visit the official website of Grahadi :

http://www.eastjava....

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