分类必应美图下的文章

一头公牛站在皮库山前的田野中，亚速尔群岛皮科岛 A bull stands in a field under the gaze of Mount Pico, Pico Island, Azores (© Atmo-Sphere/Getty Images)

A bull, some flowers, and a stratovolcano

It's grape-harvesting time on Pico, a centuries-old tradition that kicks off in early September. Pico is one of nine islands comprising an autonomous region of Portugal called the Azores archipelago. The islands themselves are peaks of vast volcanic mountains that rise high above the Atlantic Ocean. Looming in the background of today's photo is Mount Pico, a stratovolcano partly responsible for the island's flourishing wine industry. The mineral-rich volcanic earth and warm temperate climate call for unique methods for growing grapes. Fields of vines run along the ground, resting on top of black basalt rocks the locals call 'biscoitos' (biscuits). These rock biscuits serve a purpose: During the day, the rocks absorb and give back heat, which in turn helps ripen the grapes. The bull, while picturesque, is merely a bystander enjoying the flowers and the view, and perhaps musing about mysteries of viticulture on a far-flung volcanic island.

陆家嘴金融贸易区，中国上海 Lujiazui Financial District, Shanghai, China (© Jackal Pan/Getty Images)

Tall, taller, tallest

Piercing the clouds above Shanghai as we celebrate National Skyscraper Day, each of these three supertall spires could be seen as a freeze-frame of China's swift economic growth in the past couple of decades. Jin Mao Tower (right, 1,380 feet) was China's tallest building from 1999 until the Shanghai World Financial Center (left, 1,614 feet) opened in 2007 and took the title. Shanghai Tower (center, 2,139 feet) topped out in 2013, besting the SWFC and becoming the second-tallest skyscraper in the world (behind Dubai's Burj Khalifa).

史密斯洛克州立公园，俄勒冈 Smith Rock State Park, Oregon (© Manuela Durson/Getty Images)

A rock in a wild place

Here in the high desert of Central Oregon, Smith Rock beckons rock climbers from around the world with its cliffs of tuff and basalt. Considered by many to be the birthplace of American sport climbing, it's home to nearly 2,000 climbing routes of all levels of difficulty. For those happier with their feet firmly planted on the ground, Smith Rock State Park offers the usual range of outdoor activities, including biking, hiking, and watching for wildlife including prairie falcons, golden eagles, and mule deer.

阳光穿透加拉霍奈国家公园中的森林，西班牙戈梅拉岛 Sunlight piercing a forest in Garajonay National Park, La Gomera, Spain (© Martin Siepmann/Westend61/Offset by Shutterstock)

20 million years ago…

Let’s go back 20 million years ago. The forest that you see in our image today and that looks like a tropical jungle is one of the oldest in Europe. It is located in Garajonay National Park, on the Canary Island of La Gomera, Spain. And it represents the best example that exists in the Old World of the Cenozoic flora that once covered all the Mediterranean basin.

This is a laurissilva or laurel forest. And if it has survived to our days, it is because of the special conditions of temperature and humidity of this fascinating volcanic island, where the mist tangles around the trees covered by lichens and ferns, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that seems to be taken from a fairies tale. In fact, the name Garajonay comes from a popular legend that also names the highest peak in La Gomera, “Alto de Garajonay”, which is almost 1,500 meters high.

田里的干草捆，丹麦日德兰 Hay bales in a field in Jutland, Denmark (© Nick Brundle Photography/Getty Images)

Hay, what's up?

Whenever summer turns to autumn, the hay harvest is at the front of farmers' minds. To mark the occasion, we're ambling through this hayfield full of beautifully rolled bales. This particular pastoral patch is in Jutland, the agrarian mainland of Denmark that 'juts' into the North Sea. But if you could—hay presto—snap your fingers and teleport to any hayfield at sunset, you'd surely see similar neat rows of dry, amber-tinted grass.

The art of drying nutritious grasses as animal fodder is nearly as old and widespread as Jutland's gently rolling hills. And it's a delicate one, especially in places with four distinct seasons: Those precious few fall days when the sun is bright, the air is low in moisture, and the grass is mature might make for a farmer's only chance all year to harvest, dry, and bale up the nutrient-rich vegetation. So, the pithy proverb, 'Make hay while the sun shines' is the golden rule to those who tend these golden fields.

Bicycle sculptures at the Col d'Aubisque, Hautes Pyrenees, France (© Fco. Javier Sobrino/age fotostock)

Big wheels on a big mountain

Today we're high in the French Pyrenees at the Col D'Aubisque, a beautiful mountain pass topping out at 5,607 feet above sea level. It has special significance to riders and followers of the Tour de France, which starts today in Nice: The Col D'Aubisque is one of the most famous climbs on the 23-day Tour (21 days of racing), with riders clocking around 2,200 miles overall. The road up the pass has grades in either direction that can tilt past 10%. This epic mountain stage was first added to the 1910 race and it's since appeared in more than half the annual Tours, though not this year as it happens.

Just off to the side of the road at the pass, these three giant bicycle sculptures are painted in colors that correspond to the colorful jerseys worn by Tour de France riders. The yellow bike represents the overall time leader's yellow jersey; the green jersey is for the leader in stage points; and the white polka-dot jersey is for the best climber, or the 'King of the Mountains.' It's an apt name for anyone who conquers the Col D'Aubisque, which is an 'Hors Categorie' climb, meaning it is beyond categorization. In other words, it's really, really, hard. While climbing the Col in 1910, French rider Octave Lapize famously yelled at Tour officials, “You are murderers!” Today, motorists can drive over the pass without breaking a sweat, but cyclists still have their work cut out for them.

鸟瞰桑吉奈尔群岛，法国科西嘉 (© sam74100/Getty Images Plus)

A prison fit for a count

Château d'If, off the coast of Marseille, France, was built beginning in 1524 as a fortress by King Francis I because of the tiny island's steep cliffs and strategic location. While the 'château' never gained notoriety defending the ancient port (since it was never attacked), it did become famous as a prison. Surrounded by treacherous currents—like Alcatraz in San Francisco—it gained a reputation starting in the late 16th century as a dumping ground for powerful political and religious prisoners. As far as official records go, none of the prisoners condemned there ever escaped.

However, there is one famous tale of an escape from the château by one Edmond Dantes, the titular hero of the 1844 Alexander Dumas novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' And though he is a work of fiction, you can visit Edmond Dantes' cell on the lower level of the prison. The nearly perfectly preserved castle is just a short ferry ride from the docks of the old port of Marseille.

死亡谷国家公园跑道湖的迷踪石，加利福尼亚 Sailing stone at Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park, California (© Patrick Walsh/Getty Images)

Rocks on the move

No, that stone in today's homepage image didn't get there by itself. Or, did it? Not only is Death Valley one of the hottest places on Earth, it also boasts a mysterious geologic phenomenon—rocks that drift across the exceptionally flat desert floor, seemingly under their own power. The rocks here at Death Valley's Racetrack Playa are known as 'sailing stones' and they can vary in size from a few ounces to hundreds of pounds. As seen in our image, the stones leave long trails behind them as they move across the scenic dry lakebed.

Since the stone trails were first observed in the early 1900s, no one knew just how the stones managed to have apparently 'sailed' across Racetrack Playa without someone to push them along. Because they'd never been seen moving, the sailing stones gave rise to many wild theories to explain their mobility. Then, in 2014, scientists captured the movement of the stones for the first time using time-lapse photography, and the mystery was finally solved: The stones move only with the perfect balance of melting ice, water, and wind. One day that winter of 2014, rain had formed a shallow pond that froze overnight. When it thawed in the next day's sun, the very thin ice sheet melted and cracked into floating panels. Driven by a light wind, these sheets accumulated behind the stones, and very slowly pushed them forward.

Spotted Lake emerges

This might look like the surface of some distant planet, but Spotted Lake is much closer to home. Just north of the US border in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, the lake's strange coloration is due to its high concentrations of mineral deposits. It's a protected cultural site of the Syilx/Okanagan Nation for its healing properties. Spotted Lake is an endorheic lake, which is a basin where water collects but has no river or sea to drain into. The water level rises with rainfall during autumn and winter and then as the days grow longer and hotter the water lowers as it evaporates. During the hot, dry summers in the Okanagan, Spotted Lake earns its name–large 'spots' in varying hues of blue, green, or yellow become more prominent as the water level drops. The area's closed to the public, but you can get a decent view from the highway. Binoculars recommended.

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