分类必应美图下的文章

拉斯梅德拉斯的古罗马金矿遗址，西班牙莱昂 Ancient Roman gold mining site of Las Médulas, León, Spain (© DEEPOL by plainpicture/David Santiago Garcia)

The largest gold mine of the roman empire

This landscape might look natural, but it is not. At least not at a 100%. What you can see in our picture today is Las Médulas Cultural Park, in León, Spain, an ancient roman gold mining site which was as well the largest open pit one of the whole Empire.

Romans started exploiting it in the 1st century and continued doing so for 150 years at least. They removed more than 500 million cubic meters of earth and transformed the landscape forever. To extract gold they dug a complex system of tunnels inside the hills and then poured water in it to fragment the rock. It is estimated that more than 20.000 people worked in this site.

The exploitation was definitively abandoned in the 3rd century, and from that moment nature recovered what was its own. Oak trees and holm oaks grew again, and hundreds of chestnuts trees were planted. Wildlife includes roe deers, wildcats and boars, among other species.

圣托里尼岛鸟瞰图，希腊 Aerial view of Santorini island, Greece (© Amazing Aerial Agency/Offset)

Santorini through the clouds

With its romantic sunsets, dazzling ocean views, and whitewashed buildings clinging to rocky clifftops, the Greek island of Santorini (aka Thera) is the very picture of an idyll in the Aegean. But this tranquil scene belies the island's explosive geologic history, for this is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. The Minoan eruption, about 3,600 years ago, caused the center of the Thera Volcano to collapse into the ocean, leaving Santorini a jagged, crescent-shaped moon atop the sea.

The impact of the eruption was more than just geologic—when the volcano blew its top, Santorini was home to a thriving outpost of the Minoan civilization. A farming and fishing community had been established at Akrotiri on the island around 7,000 years ago, and by the time of the eruption had developed into a prosperous city built largely on trade with other cultures of the Aegean. Akrotiri had paved streets, delicate pottery, a drainage system, and multistory buildings decorated in elaborate frescoes. Akrotiri's fortunes ended abruptly, however, with the Minoan eruption, which completely buried the city in pumice and ash. Extensive archaeological excavations began in 1967, revealing artifacts that were remarkably well preserved by the volcanic material; particularly notable were the elegant, colorful frescoes. It seems Santorini has always been a site for the beautiful things in life.

四月的满月从圣迈克尔山上升起，英国康沃尔 The April full moon, or pink moon, rises over St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall, England (© Simon Maycock/Alamy Live News)

Once in a pink moon

We're seeing a vivid 'pink moon' rise above St. Michael's Mount—a granite-encrusted isle connected to the rugged peninsula of Cornwall, England, by sandy flats and a man-made causeway that submerge at high tide. The same order of monks that established France's Mont-Saint-Michel built a church and priory here in the 12th century. In ensuing centuries of war, the insular monastic outpost was fortified into the imposing castle we see today. Privately purchased in 1659, the mount was opened to the public in 1954—and is still managed by members of the family that bought it over 350 years ago.

This photo may give the moon a somewhat salmon tint, but the term 'pink moon' doesn't arise from its coloration, nor from any place near the Cornish shores. The April full moon is called the pink moon because Native Americans associated it with the flowering of wild ground phlox, or moss pink—an early sign of spring in eastern North America. The pink moon for 2020 will crest tonight around 10:30 PM EDT, and for extra effect, it's also a supermoon—that means it'll be full at the same time it's passing closest to Earth, making it appear larger.

盛开的樱花和姬路城，日本姬路 Cherry blossoms and Himeji Castle in Himeji, Japan (© Tororo/Getty Images)

Castle on a hill

In honor of Castle Day in Japan, we're featuring Himeji Castle—one of the most pristine examples of traditional Japanese castle architecture, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Castle Day is on April 6 (or 4/6) because the Japanese character for castle (城) is read as 'shiro,' and the Japanese pronunciation of 'four' is 'shi' and 'six' is 'ro.' Samurai warrior Akamatsu Norimura built Himeji Castle in 1333 as a fortress. Over the years, the structure has undergone many remodels, and several buildings were added as it changed hands. The castle even survived WWII unscathed while surrounding areas were bombed mercilessly.

维多利亚瀑布上的彩虹，赞比亚 Rainbow at Victoria Falls in Zambia (© Dietmar Temps/Shutterstock)

The rainbow connection

April showers bring rainbows, and on April 3, the celebration of Find a Rainbow Day. The rainbow shown here is at Victoria Falls in southern Africa on the Zambezi River, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Scottish explorer David Livingstone named the falls in honor of Britain's Queen Victoria, though it's also still called by its indigenous Lozi language name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means 'the smoke that thunders.' According to some historical records, local villagers described the falls to Livingstone as 'Seongo' or 'Chongwe,' which means 'The Place of the Rainbow,' since rainbows usually appear in the fall's constant spray. Under a bright moon, the falls will produce a 'moonbow.'

French philosopher and scientist René Descartes did some of the first studies of optics and rainbows around 1637--but no one at the time understood where the colors came from. In 1666, Isaac Newton explained that sunlight is really a mixture of the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

从庞塞德莱昂河口向灯塔望去，佛罗里达州 Looking inland from Ponce de León Inlet toward the lighthouse, Florida (© Jason Sponseller/Shutterstock)

Pascua Florida Day

We're at the Ponce de León Inlet Light in Central Florida for Pascua Florida Day, which marks the anniversary of the Spanish explorer's arrival here in 1513. Believing it to be an island, Ponce de León claimed the land for Spain and named it 'La Florida'—because of the verdant landscape and also because it was during the Easter season, which the Spaniards called 'Pascua Florida' (Festival of Flowers). According to legend, Ponce de León arrived here in search of the Fountain of Youth, a mythical water source said to restore the youth of those who drink or bathe in its waters. While that mission was unsuccessful, his name lives on in history–and on this lighthouse and the inlet where it shines.

At the Kistefos Museum's sculpture park in Norway, The Twist bridges the Randselva River via a multipurpose walkway (© Laurian Ghinitoiu)

What a twist

No, it's not a sci-fi movie set—but maybe it should be. The Twist seems like an intrusion from the future amidst the dense woods and preserved historic buildings of Jevnaker, Norway, home to the Kistefos Museum's sculpture park. The Twist is a bridge, but also an art gallery. Its unique construction features straight slats set at increasing angles as one moves toward the center—'like a stack of books,' as its architects at the Bjarke Ingels Group describe it—to create a 90-degree turn where a wall becomes the ceiling and vice versa.

Situated about an hour's drive from Oslo around a defunct wood pulp mill on the Randselva river—which the Twist spans—Kistefos boasts a collection of works by Anish Kapoor, Claes Oldenburg, and other notable artists. The Twist, which opened in fall 2019, will be a space for rotating (pun intended) art exhibitions and even music performances. Its 2020 season won't kick off until May 24, so it's not too late to book that flight to Norway.

Central Park early spring day

As the saying March goes in like a lion and out like a lamb. The Central Park in New York welcomes its picturesque spring as many areas in the US start to warm up.It is the fifth-largest park in New York City by area, covering 843 acres (3.41 km2). Main attractions of the park include landscapes such as the Ramble and Lake, Hallett Nature Sanctuary, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, and Sheep Meadow. As much a part of the city’s image as the Statue of Liberty and Times Square, leafy Central Park is the green heart of the Big Apple. A template for hundreds of urban parks around the world, the huge green space stretches 51 blocks through the middle of helter-skelter Manhattan.

悬崖边的福门托尔角灯塔，西班牙马略卡岛 Formentor lighthouse at the tip of Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, Spain (© Lasse Eklöf/DEEPOL by plainpicture)

The meeting point of the winds

We're at the northernmost tip of Mallorca's rugged Cap de Formentor, a seven-mile long slab of rock that's home to one of the most picturesque lighthouses on the Mediterranean Sea. Built atop this Spanish island in 1863 at 689 feet above sea level, the beacon still shines (by solar power now), protecting ships from the rocky coastline below. The wild and rugged Cap de Formentor is accessible by a twisty road that offers incomparable views along the way—including several beautiful beaches and, since 1929, the Hotel Formentor, a glamorous icon for Mediterranean jetsetters. During its heyday in the mid-20th century, the hotel was a destination for writers and celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and the Prince of Monaco. Today, the cape is less known for its star-studded past and more for protecting and conserving its natural and unspoiled beauty.

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