ITALY - Tourism in Italy, travel tips, information, italian regions Director : Eugenio Magnani ENIT - The Italian Government Tourist Board 630 Fifth Avenue - Suite 1965 New York, New York 10111 The Ancient Maya and their origins The Maya were a civilization that devoted much of their time to the worship and study of the cosmos and celestial bodies. A belief in astronomy and cosmology dominated their culture, religion and their every day lives in ways that we are only beginning to understand. The Maya lived their lives by a very complex calendar that was based upon the movements of the stars and planets, and while many of their beliefs and practices may appear to be nothing but superstition, it seems evident that their calendar was based upon real events and real movements in the sky that do in fact have an effect on the Earth. In Mayan society a belief in astronomy and in the importance of the movements of celestial bodies was utterly essential to their culture and to how they conducted their everyday lives, and while some of their practices can certainly fall under the “superstition” banner some of their beliefs and practices can not be easily rejected and definitely had a profound effect on their lives.
A guide to the eateries of France - travel tips and articles - Lonely Planet - StumbleUpon There's a vast number of eateries in France. Most have defined roles, though some definitions are becoming a bit blurred. Here's a quick guide: Auberge 'Auberge' by Ludo29880. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike An auberge (inn), which may also appear as an auberge de campagne or auberge du terroir (country inn), is usually attached to a rural B&B or small hotel and serves traditional country fare. Bar 'la fourmi' by superbez. A bar or bar américain (cocktail bar) is an establishment dedicated to elbow-bending and rarely serves food. Bistro 'P8070034' by philip_sheldrake. A bistro (also spelled bistrot) is not clearly defined in France nowadays. Brasserie 'brasserie' by zoetnet. Unlike the vast majority of restaurants in France, brasseries – which can look very much like cafés – serve full meals, drinks and coffee from morning till 11pm or even later. Buffet A buffet (or buvette) is a kiosk, usually found at train stations and airports, selling drinks, filled baguettes and snacks. Café
How Old is the Sphinx? | Historic Mysteries The head of the Sphinx emerging from the sand The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most recognizable man-made objects in the world. Despite this, it is also one of the most mysterious man-made objects in the world. Even if you accept the general consensus of who built the Sphinx, when and why, you are still left with many questions that have not been, or cannot be, answered. However, not everyone accepts the general consensus and therefore, the Sphinx is even more of enigma to them. One of the mysteries of the Sphinx that has possibly been answered, but the answer is often disputed, is the age of the Sphinx. If you deny the general consensus of the age of the Sphinx, you are left with the question of who built it. According to translations of the “Dream Stela” at the foot of the Sphinx, King Thutmose IV came across the head of the Sphinx when he was still a prince. According to Egypt’s premiere archaeologist, Dr. Dr.
Accueil - Wiksign Who Built Great Pyramid? - Hall of Gods Egyptologists would have us believe that the Great Pyramid and its two sister pyramids were built in the early dynastic period of the Old Kingdom, about 4,600 years ago. Looking at the evidence objectively, however, their case is far from clear cut. In his book ‘The Phoenix Solution’ (1998), Alan Alsford claimed that much of the evidence for the 4th dynasty origin of the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx actually pointed to an adoption scenario, rather than construction of the monuments during that time period. Thus, according to this theory, the Egyptian pharaohs Khufu and Khafre adopted the Great Pyramid, the Second Pyramid and the Sphinx, rather than built them. In addition to renovating these structures, they and their successors built the causeways which ran between the mortuary and valley temples, and the smaller pyramids and masteba. The authenticity of the workmen's graffiti in the Great Pyramid is questionable. Article continues: Legends and Records
World powers rush in to rebuild Libya - Africa As the endgame of the Muammar Gaddafi regime plays out in Libya, members of the international community - from world powers to oil companies - are gathering to discuss their respective roles in the country's future. Decades of partial isolation imposed by Gaddafi have left the oil-rich country's economy reeling from a raft of sanctions and its government in a diplomatic no man's land. The rebel government, or National Transitional Council (NTC), has said it intends to change all that. In comments published on Wednesday in an Italian newspaper, NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil said the "new" Libya would build "strong relations with other countries, based on mutual respect and co-operation". Going by Wednesday's flurry of diplomatic action, foreign countries appeared eager to reciprocate. Unlocking assets Britain has said it will ask the UN to release all or part of the $20bn of Libyan assets frozen in the United Kingdom to aid the rebels, a government source said on Wednesday. China weighs in
Mystery at Abydos - Hall of Gods In 1848, an archaeological expedition working in Egypt discovered strange hieroglyphs on a ceiling beam at an ancient temple in Abydos, several hundred miles south of Cairo. The hieroglyphs were carefully copied and brought back to Europe. The mysterious images gave rise to heated debate amongst Egyptologists. Eventually, however, they were dismissed as bizarre objects that nobody could adequately explain and were forgotten. In the mid 1990's photographs and videos, taken primarily by tourists who had visited Abydos, began to appear on the internet. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the ancient high-tech machinery glyphs have been dismissed out of hand by modern Egyptologists. Re-carving of inscriptions was a common phenomenon in ancient Egypt. Recently, the respected Arab newspaper 'Al-Sharq Al-Awsat' published several photographs taken at another Egyptian temple, the Amon Ra Temple in Karnak. See also: Who Built the Great Pyramid?
LIBYA - News | Peter Clifford Online [tweetthis] TIMELINE – 18th JULY 2012 10.14 GMT: In Libya’s first elections since 1965 (but no political parties allowed) and first totally free elections since 1952, a liberal, secular union, the National Forces Alliance, won 39 out of the 80 seats reserved for political parties. A Happy Voter in Libya’s Elections The National Forces Alliance is led by Mahmoud Jibril, who acted as Libya’s first interim Prime Minister after the fall of Gaddafi. However, the final outcome and who has the majority of seats remains to be seen. 120 seats in the 200 seat parliament are reserved for independent candidates and where their allegiances lie has not yet been revealed. The Muslim Brotherhood’s religious Justice and Construction Party gained only 17 seats but claims that it has a bigger following among the independent candidates. Many observers thought Libya would go the way of Tunisia and Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood has gained a majority hold. Mahmoud Jibril – Election Front-Runner
When the Sea Saved Humanity With the global population of humans currently approaching seven billion, it is difficult to imagine that Homo sapiens was once an endangered species. Yet studies of the DNA of modern-day people indicate that, once upon a time, our ancestors did in fact undergo a dramatic population decline. Although scientists lack a precise timeline for the origin and near extinction of our species, we can surmise from the fossil record that our forebears arose throughout Africa shortly before 195,000 years ago. Back then the climate was mild and food was plentiful; life was good. A detailed record of Africa’s environmental conditions during glacial stage 6 does not exist, but based on more recent, better-known glacial stages, climatologists surmise that it was almost certainly cool and arid and that its deserts were probably significantly expanded relative to their modern extents. Select an option below: Customer Sign In
Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread — Joy the Baker - StumbleUpon I’m sorry. I know it’s Monday morning and you probably came here for some pretty pictures of food that you could glance at, and then move on with your day… and here I go thrusting warm, soft cinnamon sugar bread in your face. It’s not fair. I know it’s not fair. You don’t deserve this sort of torture. This bread hits all the comfort spots in my soul. I’m sorry and you’re welcome and I love you. Let’s start at the beginning. I did this all without the use of a stand mixer and dough hook. This dough can be made and left to rise , then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. This is the dough just before it’s left to rise. After the dough has rested and risen for an hour, I knead it in a few tablespoons of flour. This is the part in the bread process where you can wrap the dough and place it in the fridge to rest overnight. I worked with my dough right away. I can’t even deal. I sliced the dough, vertically, into six long strips. After 30 minutes in the oven… oh man…. bread heaven.
Ancient Peruvian Skulls Found in Florida Backyard Published at 8:56 am EST, May 16, 2012 Researchers are amazed and puzzled by two ancient Peruvian skulls found in a Florida backyard last January. The two skulls, dating back from possibly the year 1200 to 1400, AD are believed to have originated in Peru or another South American country and somehow ended up in the town of Winter Garden, Florida. Medical examiner Jan Garavaglia studied the skulls and was able to determine that one was of a young child possibly aged 10 or 11 and the other an older man. She originally alerted officials after finding human tissue still on the bone; however later found that this tissue had been mummified. After closer examination, Garavaglia determined that the bones were from Peru after observing an “Inca bone,” on the skulls. Researchers from the University of Central Florida and Yale University are now trying to piece the mystery together and find the origins of these skulls.
Copycat Candy Recipes - StumbleUpon To make all of these Instructables, download this collection of How To’s as an ebook. Download » "Copycat Candy Recipes" is your backstage pass to famous brand-name candies! You've grown up eating these classic brand name candies, now you can recreate them at home. These Copycat Candy Recipes are sure to be just as good as the originals - if not better!! Instructables is the most popular project-sharing community on the Internet. Sarah James Editor, Food & LivingInstructables.com Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries - StumbleUpon Call me easily amused, but these little torch-topped cupcakes delight me. Besides being a cute novelty item for a party, I think they would add a little drama to the end of a romantic meal. I've been looking for something different to serve for Valentine's dessert, and this is definitely different. The strawberries are hollowed out and filled with a bit of liquor, then ignited with a match. For the cake portion, I chose a One Bowl Chocolate Cupcake recipe because 1. it's quick 2. it is easy, and 3. it fits my prerequisite for a light ending on date night. I should say, a light ending provided you don't eat too many. The cakes are just sweet enough, and have a light, fluffy crumb - the perfect vehicle for rich chocolate buttercream. Notes for flaming strawberries:Any alcohol below 80 proof will not ignite well. Shaina made a margarita version of this on Babble Food. Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries Yield: About 20 cupcakes [click to print]Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.