Loose_Grip/Pete's photos

On holiday in Jordan we drove out of Aqaba to Wadi Rum about 60km to the east towards the Saudi Arabian border. This is effectively the gateway to the Arabian desert and a wadi made famous by Lawrence of Arabia who passed this way several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917-18. It also featured in the 1960s film.

I just enjoyed a ride on this old bus between Quorn & Ruddington in Nottinghamshire but my bus-enthusiast friend tells me that rather than a standard Routemaster this bus RM121 is: "...known as a 'Dartmaster', one of the buses that were refurbished by Marshalls of Cambridge for TfL a while back for route 13 and maybe some others. The engine is probably a four-cylinder something and not an AEC six with a new Allison auto-gearbox and not the four-speed original, and the winding windows have been replaced by hopper type". (Quite a comfortable) HBM to everyone. Enjoy the start of the new week.

One of the marble minarets of the Taj Mahal.

A visit to the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore in 1980. This suspension bridge spans a valley in which the tropical birds can freely fly around but not away because of the overhead netting stretched acoss it. It was the largest such bird park in Asia covering 49 acres on the western slope of Jurong Hill, the highest point in the Jurong region but in 2023 it closed to be relocated to the Bird Paradise at Mandai in the north of the island. HFF to everyone on Ipernity. Enjoy the weekend.

It's difficult to capture the depth of the "Big Hole" in Kimberley but the height of the buildings give an idea of the scale. It's a real vertical wall of rock. Kimberlite, an ultramafic igneous rock and a rare variant of peridotite, is most commonly known to be the main host matrix for diamonds. It is named after Kimberley where diamonds were mined from this hole. Kimberlite occurs in the Earth's crust in vertical structures known as kimberlite pipes, as well as igneous dykes and can also occur as horizontal sills. The consensus on kimberlites is that they are formed deep within the mantle, hence at high temperatures and pressures. HWW to everyone. Have a great day!

In between the showers the sun did shine and I managed to get this shot of Belton House. Belton is a Grade I listed country house built between 1685 and 1687 by Sir John Brownlow & cared for today by the National Trust. HBM to everyone. Enjoy the start to the new week.

Where else but the Netherlands? The many windmills along this canal in South Holland near Rotterdam are famous but I can't for the life of me remember the name of the area. Help me Jaap, Fred, Trudy... Thanks! It's Kinderdijk of course! Anyway HFF to everyone. Enjoy the weekend.

Paella de verduras at the El Roble restaurant in Calpe. Delicious!

Mount Sibayak is a fairly dormant volcano near Berastagi south of Medan. It is more than 100 years since it last erupted - very recently in geological time - but the Barisan Mountains are definitely still active. Mt Sinabung a few kilometres from here did erupt in 2010.