Source….unknown…input from a friend of mine.
Natarajan
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Starting in early September, a huge mass makes its way towards the high Alpine pastures in Austria. This is a mass of more than 100,000 heads of cattle, and they have come to eat.
This huge herd of cows comes to spend all summer, about 4 months, grazing in the lush green high Alpine pastures. From September to early October, the huge herds come down to the town of Tyrol for a beautiful cattle drive, the air is filled with the sound of cow bells and brass bands, with many of the cows wearing traditional head gear that makes them look very festive indeed, decked with ribbons and garlands of flowers in over 40 cattle drives.
![]() Crowds of all ages gather in the valley, tourists mingling with locals as they celebrate this unique event – the homecoming of the animals, as well as thousands of Alpine herdsmen and dairymen who have spent their time in the highlands with the herds.
![]() On the day of the grand cattle drive, stalls are set up in the street, selling all sorts of authentic Tyrolean specialties and refreshments. Brass bands are out in force as well and the streets become full of people in traditional Tyrolean lederhosen and dirndl costumes. A perfect opportunity to enjoy authentic Tyrolean customs!
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Source::::::www.ba-bamail.com
Natarajan
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| Completed in 2007 by Merkx + Girod Architecten, the Selexyz Dominicanen Bookstore in Maastricht in the Netherlands is an incredible church conversion that was originally consecrated in 1294. Located between Maastricht’s two major squares (the Markt and the Vrijthof), the bookstore is run by a large Dutch chain in collaboration with the city council of Maastricht.
The location has not been used as a church for over 200 years. Before becoming a bookstore it served as a bicycle storage, exam hall for students, a Christmas market and venue for various shows and events. While some may find this usage peculiar, there are actually a significant number of abandoned churches in the Netherlands, many of them hundreds of years old.
With land being a premium in the country, local governments have opted to convert and restore (just look at those ceilings!) rather than demolish these historic abandoned buildings. For those interested in more information, there’s a great write-up on this building at Crossroads Magazine.
source….www.ba-bamail.com Natarajan |