Random thoughts and photos of my journey through life…
The breathtaking mountainscape at the summit is awe-inspiring – experience, too, the unique alpine atmosphere. The best views at 2132 metres above sea level are a further five-minute cable car ride away.
More ‘On the Line’ can be found in the gallery.
17 Comments CherryPie on Aug 30th 2013
From Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway winds up through lush meadows carpeted with Alpine flowers, past sparkling mountain streams and fascinating rock faces.
14 Comments CherryPie on Aug 29th 2013
…The Lake
8 Comments CherryPie on Aug 29th 2013
The Lion Monument is one of the Lucerne tourist attractions. The sculpture of a dying lion pierced by a spear is a monument to the Swiss Guards of Louis XVI of France:
On 10 August 1792, the guards defended the Palais des Tuileries, in Paris. When it was stormed by revolutionaries. Those who survived the attack were arrested and guillotined on the night of 2-3 September.
The Lowendenkmal, or Lion Monument was carved out of the sandstone cliff face by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen, and it was inveiled in 1821.*
*From The Eyewitness Travel Guide to Switzerland.
21 Comments CherryPie on Aug 28th 2013
Yesterday the weather was glorious, so we took advantage of the sunshine and took a leisurely drive through the Shropshire countryside to Highley Station and Engine house. We arrived just in time for lunch, which we ate sitting on the balcony overlooking the railway track. We timed it just right to watch a couple of trains go by and capture a few photographs.
We then headed home taking in more of the countryside, stopping for a cup of tea along the way. I also managed to locate I garden centre that I hadn’t been to for years. It is now on my list of things to do on another day. Along Wenlock edge we noticed several scarecrows along the roadside, there was even ‘a scared crow’. After a bit of research I found out that they were leading the way to a flower festival at St Peter’s church, Rushbury.
Even though the nights are drawing in now, it was possible to dine on the patio as the sun went down behind my oak tree.
11 Comments CherryPie on Aug 27th 2013
The Kultur-und Kongresszentrum or Culture and Convention Centre when translated into English is more commonly known as the KKL Centre.
The KKL Centre was a project of French architect Jean Nouvel and built between the years 1995 to 2000.
The Culture and Convention Center in Lucerne is composed of three parts: a concert hall, conference rooms with an auditorium and a museum of contemporary art.
The idea was to play with a horizontal plane as canopy linking the different spaces that are lined up below. This form on the elevation level of the lake covered a large urban area with a water element. The metaphor refers to three ships docked in the lake under the huge deck.
The construction was a major challenge because of the overhang that reaches 45 meters on the diagonal, with a height of 21 meters. This represents the most architecturally unique building, which ‘float’ light and elegant between land and sky, and gives the area a peaceful atmosphere.
The roof was designed to harmonize with a horizontal center of the lake, inviting visitors to spend some time abroad.
Faced with the impossibility of building the center on water, Nouvel decided to enter the lake in the building, creating two channels of low depth that operate within the complex. The water was channeled into the three parts of the building at the same level as the Plaza Europa.
The tech behind the structure:
In choosing the form of the large roof overhang and structural economic influence. A web of steel plate girders were included to strengthen the high slope in the northeast corner. With a maximum height of 3.7 meters beam, falling almost to zero at the edge of the roof, it was possible to achieve a cantilever beam of 45 meters.
A major challenge was how to ensure continuity at the intersection of three beams of 2.5 meters. The engineers used an innovative concept for linking the main diagonal beams to allow a continuous distribution of bending throughout the structure, uninterrupted by the joints. Diagonal beams were organized to achieve large holes in the main beams. Linkages were established with neck bolts using HSFG soldier.
As the wind is the most important cargo solicitation on the roof, their behavior was studied in a wind tunnel using a 1:200 scale model. Different parts of the structure were tested in a laboratory compared to storms, earthquakes, fires, depletion and degradation. The long-term performance of the roof is guaranteed by an extensive program of inspection and maintenance. To access the interior of the roof is designed especially removable plates.
6 Comments CherryPie on Aug 26th 2013
Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.
Kahlil Gibran
14 Comments CherryPie on Aug 25th 2013
