Archive for April, 2008
The Yusupov Palace on Moika River in St. Petersburg The Yusupov Palace is one of the gems of St. Petersburg not only for its unique beauty but also for its storied history. The palace dates back to the time of Peter the Great and underwent several reconstructions under the hands of the best architects in Russia. Jean Bautiste Vallain de la Motte, Mikhailov II, Monigetti, Kennel, Stepanov, and Beloborodov were among the names that contributed to the palace at one time or another. The Yusupovs purchased the palace in 1830 and owned it until the time of the revolution in 1917. These were the years in which the palace came to be known throughout Europe for its extravagant interiors, magnificent balls, and even theatrical performances. For all of its beauty the palace will always be remembered as the site where one of the most famous murders in history occurred-the murder of the mad monk Gregory Rasputin! The Yusupov family could trace its origins back to more than a thousand years of Russian history to the rulers of the Tatar Nogai horde. Their years of service to the Russian state and the Tsars of Russia began at the time of Ivan the Terrible. The original Yusupov to own the palace was Nikolai Yusupov. He was a shining example of a highly educated and fabulously wealthy member of European nobility. He held many distinguished posts in the government, spoke five languages, and was a leading patron of the arts. He was a passionate collector of art and was entrusted by the Romanovs to enhance the art collections of the Hermitage and several of the most prominent Tsarist palaces. Nikolai also purchased for himself one of the greatest collections of paintings, statues, and artistic rarities. The palace was handed down through a succession of famous Yusupovs that each in turn had the palace improved but always in a very tasteful and opulent style. The family itself continued to excel in the affairs of Russia and the last owners of the palace (1911- 1917) were no exception. This, by now very famous palace along the Moika River, belonged to Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston, his wife Zinaida Yusupova and their son Prince Felix and his wife Irina. Irina was the granddaughter of Alexander III and the niece of Nicolas II. The wealth of the Yusupov family by this time was immense and the list of their properties made them one of the top five wealthiest and most prominent families in all of Russia. It all came to a tragic end with the fall of the Tsarist Regime even though Prince Felix the Younger and his wife Irina escaped from the Crimea to Paris after the revolution. To this day Xenia Yusupova, a granddaughter of Prince Felix, visits the palace around once a year and is allowed to occupy the palace while in St. Petersburg during her brief visits. Anastasia Dukhnina
A lot of people write me asking how to become a writer. There is an easy answer to that question. It is so simple that I used to stumble over the simplicity of it. Writers read. Writers write. My advice I routinely give is that over which I used to puzzle. But, do not miss the point here. If you want to learn to write then read everything in the genre which appeals to you. Read, read, and then re-read the great ones in your field. I write primarily travel related pieces. The writer that I chose as my mentor is the travel writer, Bill Bryson. I have read and re-read everything that this man has ever written. And, I will read everything he continues to produce in the future. I not only enjoy his writing but apparently a great many people do too. He is a successful travel writer and that is why I read what he puts on paper. I was actually a voice performance major at the University. I will never forget what my voice coach told me. He said that singing is 90% imitation and 10% original creativity– at first. What he meant is that when you are just starting out, find the masters and imitate what you hear in their voices. I believe this to be true in all the arts. When you are a beginner, a hack, find those who are the best and imitate them. Do not copy them exactly, but seek to find out what they do that is great in their field and seek to do the same. Eventually that 10% originality will become 100% you. Also, writers write. I was told to write 1000 words of publishable material per day. I mean write something that is worth publishing each day and do no less than 1000 words. You may think this a lot. It isn’t. But to practice tight writing pick some subject and write 1000 words a day. Do no more and no less. This will teach you to write something worthwhile daily and will teach you write tightly. I deal with stress by finding the things in my day that flip me out and writing 1000 words about it. I am convinced that every single person who aspires to write can find loads of stuff in their days to do this exercise. This exercise prepared me for writing 600 word op-ed pieces. If you can limit yourself to 1000 words on some subject you can start shaving it down to an op-ed size column. Lastly, I have come across a small eBook that is worth taking a look at on travel writing. It is in the resource section below named, BECOME A TRAVEL WRITER. OUR NEW BOOK Guanajuato, M Tags: GTO, guanajuato, live in guanajuato, living in mexico, mexico, travel writing, writing in mexico
The Botanical Ark is situated in a unique position in Australia’s wet tropics. High rainfall creates lush jungles and permanently flowing creeks. Consider the Miracle Fruit - a small tree (Synsalum dulcificum) from Nigeria…It’s small red berries are an amazing natural sweetener - the complex protein in the fruit coats ones taste buds and blocks out the acid and sour receptors - making the sourest lemon taste deliciously sweet. This sensation can last up to two hours. The Botanical Ark is located in Tropical Queensland, adjacent to the Daintree Wilderness, Great Barrier Reef, near Port Douglas (30 minutes) and Cairns (90 minutes). This article can be freely published on a website as long as it’s not modified in any way including the author’s bylines, plus the hyperlink must be made active just like below.
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