text:
Wheaton Wings Fee Structure
- If a nonresident makes a team, the fee is an additional $100.
- Uniform fee is separate from registration fee.
- Wheaton Wings has a new payment plan option. $200 initial payment in May or June, 1/3 payment in August, 1/3 payment in October and final 1/3 payment due in January.
- Wheaton Wings offer partial scholarships for players that qualify. For more information, please visit the Leisureship (Scholarship) Program Page.
Each Player Receives:
- Training with a professional trainer, two times a week for one-and-one-half hour each session (weather permitting).
- Fall = 12 Weeks
- Spring = 10 Weeks
- Training with a professional trainer, once a week for one-and-one half hour each session for 11 sessions in the winter.
- Five day preseason camp in the beginning of August.
- Club goalie training on Saturdays in the fall and spring, except on holiday weekends and tournament weekends. (Each team is allowed to send two goalies a week)
- Professional trainer will plan and run all training sessions.
- Professional trainer will coach at all league games and one tournament in the fall and spring.
- Team will participate in Northern Illinois Soccer League (NISL - Boys) or Illinois Women’s Soccer League (IWSL - Girls)
- Fall = 10 games
- Spring = 8 games
- Teams will participate in two tournaments, one in the fall and one in the spring.
- Player Evaluation – Written and short (5 min.) meeting between trainer and parent/player to discuss the player evaluation.
Player Evaluation Form (PDF)
Volunteer Parent Assistant Coach is required to carry a class E coach's license to back up the trainer at games and assist trainers at training sessions.
Additional Fees may apply if a team decides to do more than what is covered by the registration fee, those fees may include:
- Third Team Training Day-Fall and Spring
Approximate Cost: $251 per player
- Extra Tournament
Approximate Cost: $535
- Trainer at Extra Tournament
Approximate Cost: $320
- Trainer to Coach at Extra Tournament
Approximate Cost: $360
- Renting a turf field for winter training
Approximate Cost: $230 (full field per hour) or $120 (half field per hour)

domain: sports


text:
Glistening and glowing in traditional hues, this handwoven silk cotton saree ensures a comfortable fit. The simplistic combination of floral buttas and geometric stripes adorns the base. The red borders add a pop of colour and complement the floral patterns, while the foliage patterns on the opulent pallu render a rich look. The silver zari work adds a touch of elegance and glamour to the saree, making it perfect for any formal occasion. Complementing the weave is a plain red blouse piece with matching borders.
Note: There might be slight variations in the colour of the product due to photographic lighting sources or device settings. If you'd like more clarity before your purchase, please contact our customer engagement team.

domain: design


text:
Last weekend was pretty rad. I would say one of the best I’ve had in a while but all my weekends lately have been pretty awesome.
killer photo from the Bandit 50k taken by Donovan Jenkins
I woke up last Monday after racing twice over the weekend with a pretty sore left quad. I mean most of my body was a bit wrecked after another big week and 71k of racing over two days, but my left leg was a little more sore than it should have been or than I would have expected. I knew something wasn’t right. So I put my recovery skills into action. A bit of foam rolling, strapping myself to the compex, icing, and making an emergency appointment with Shari… and all that was done by 9am on Monday.
I took it easy for most of the week the week (no running, 1 ez spin, 2 days completely off) and was feeling much better by Thursday morning. I had a good jog and was ready to get back it by the weekend. Friday morning Maggie and charged the hills at La Costa and I was feeling good and shaking out the races from the weekend before. After that it was on to LA to see Go Radio play at the roxy.
There are bunch of trails up in the LA near my sisters and most of which I have never run. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the backbone trail and the Santa Monica Mountains and I wanted to do some exploring. I took a look at the course map for the upcoming Coyote Backbone Trail Ultra (a 68 mile point to point race on 3/30 which I would surely be charging if Old Goats wasn’t the weekend before) and got a rough idea of what I wanted. So we headed out to Will Rodgers State Park to get on it and in typical fashion I didn’t take a map or enough water!
25 miles & about 5k of climbing later Maggie and I got back to my truck both equally smashed. It was a big run, it was hot, we got lost, we both cracked, we ran out of water, didn’t eat enough, and paid the price… and it was awesome. It may have been too big of a run the weekend after racing hard but I am so stoked we charged it. One the biggest reasons I decided to focus on running was days like that.
The training doesn’t feel like training. I wasn’t out on the trails, in the middle of nowhere, contemplating how this run would benefit when it’s time to race. There are so many awesome trails relatively close to where I live and I want to see them. I have wanted to see them for years actually but never really had the time. I was typically too caught up with my training and racing to stray from the “plan”. That really doesn’t happen anymore.
There was a good discussion on GZ’s blog last week regarding making the right choices for short & long term goals (racing and life). I feel I have spent (too) many years sacrificing short term fun in lieu of long terms goals. More often than not and whether the goal was achieved or not, I was left unfulfilled It’s like all the sacrifices really weren’t worth it to me. I don’t want to do that any more. I want to pursue the short term fun while chasing the long term goals. This very well could mean I don’t reach those goals or ever race to/meet my full potential… and I’m more than OK with that. I fall asleep every night these days knowing that I am doing exactly what I want to be doing and having more fun
training than I have in a very long time.
The bottom line is I am not a professional athlete, never will be, never wanted to be, but I still want to race. I like racing for the sake of racing not necessarily just trying to win. I like the head to head, shoulder to shoulder competition, and getting pushed to another level by the guys and girls around me. A good example of this was at the Bandit 50k. Up the initial steep climb Chris Price took the lead. I was not feeling awesome but I just put my head down and tried to hold on. My legs were screaming and my heart was in my throat but I didn’t back down. I didn’t win the race, not even close, but looking back those first 6 miles of “racing” and suffering that ensued for the next 25 miles is what it’s about for me. I won’t lie though…. just because winning is not my #1 reason for being out there doesn’t mean I don’t want to win on race day. I do hope that some day, and hopefully in the near future, I can get out there and mix it up with some of the top guys and come out on top… and if it doesn’t that’s fine by me too.
So that was a bunch of rambling…
I had a pretty mellow week of training last week with the exception of Saturday. Unfortunately when I woke up Sunday my quad was sore again. Not a surprise at all. It probably wasn’t (actually I know if definitely wasn’t) a smart idea to charge 25 hard, hilly miles on Saturday when my quad was just starting to come around…. but the run was rad… so no regrets. That means I am back to taking it easy again this week. It’s definitely not optimal with The Old Goats 50 Miler coming up in 3.5 short weeks but at least riding my bike doesn’t aggravate it. It actually makes feels better. The symptoms are a bit odd. It’s pretty tight and sore when I wake up in the morning and once I ride or start moving around it really loosens up. After riding I don’t even notice it any more. Any ideas? It seems like it’s my sartorius muscle may be be causing the issue.
So it will be more riding, more self care, and more deep tissue work from Shari this week. Hopefully I’ll be ready to go by the weekend and can get in couple of good weeks before old goats.
week of 2/18-24:
Monday: Rest Day. Massage with Shari
Tuesday: AM 1:16, 19 miles, 673 ft. mellow Spin down to Del Mar.
Wednesday: Rest Day. I was gonna jog in the evening but this happened. Went out for beers instead since I couldn’t get home.
Thursday: AM 1:06, 8.9 miles, 820 ft hood trails before work. I was feeling good. Rested. PM Massage with Shari
Friday: AM 1:40, 12.4 miles, 1796 ft La Costa with Maggie. Good on the climbs. Quad was good.
Saturday: 3:39, 25.1 miles, 4,308 ft. Killer run in the Santa Monica Mtns with Maggie. We both exploded. Fun day.
Sunday: 2:10, 35.8 miles, 1962 ft. Mellow sunny spin on the coast. Quad was sore when I woke up. Felt good on the bike.
6:25, 46.4 miles, 6.996 ft running
3:20, 55 miles, 2,635 ft cycling
*update for this week. It’s Wednesday and I still haven’t run since the 25 miler on Saturday. I have been riding, stretching, foam rolling, compexing, and just relaxing. I got another massage (torture session) with Shari last night and I think she broke up the rest of the junk. It wasn’t fun! It’s feeling WAY better now but I don’t want to push it. I may jog tomorrow morning but if I wake up sore I won’t. I’m fine if I don’t end up running at all this week if that means I am good to go next week.
an awesome beer courtesy of John


text:
Year of Publication: 2020
The seven countries of the AGRUMIG project – China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand – are all severely affected by the rupture in migration patterns. The impacts are a complex of factors related to movement into, within and from countries. Some countries are both sending and receiving migrants, others are predominantly sending. Although many migrant communities have been stranded aboard, and some have been repatriated, or have returned voluntarily, the experience varies enormously. Overall, there would seem to have been in reality little migrant return, not just because of the significant travel barriers in place, but because some have opted to remain and continue to seek work. In other words, the rupture is in the logistics of movement, rather than in the economic logic of migration.

domain: geography


text:
see full article
see full article
see full article see full article see full article see full article
see full article
BOUTIQUE HOTEL CASA ANGELINA, AMALFI COAST
by Cesare Zucca
Three ‘Nobel’ days in Oslo Stay at the Grand Hotel
3 HOTELS ROOF TOPS you don’t want to miss
by Cesare Zucca
Discovering beautiful Poland POZNAN by Cesare Zucca
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL Phnom Penh
BEST ‘KIDS FRIENDLY’ MUSEUMS IN NEW YORK
Children’s Museum of The Arts (103 Charlton St) invita all’arte, coinvolgendo i bambini in disinvolte classi di pittura, ceramica, scultura e musica.
New York City Fire Museum (278 Spring St) organizza Safety Tour, una vera lezione sul fuoco con tanto di simulazione di incendio, dove un vigile newyorkese insegnerà le tecniche di salvataggio.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan (212 West 83 St) è un immenso asilo stile Disneyland con cinque piani di attrazioni, giochi educativi, passatempi intelligenti e divertimento, da Let’s Dance, spazio interattivo dedicato ai bambini che amano ballare, a Art, Artists & You dove i piccoli si improvvisavo artisti .
Natural History Museum (CPW/79 St) ospita The Butterfly Conservatory, una foresta con più di 500 farfalle da tutto il mondo.
You just don’t realize how lucky you were when your join the guided 3,30-hour food tour organized by VisitLLjubljana.com managed by the Tourism Office of Ljubljana until you experience it.
They offer numerous guided city tours including the Historical City Centre and Ljubljana Castle revolving around history, art and landmarks, whether on foot, bicycle or on a boat cruising the river.
There is no other way to sample the incredible diversity of Slovenian food in so little time and in such a fun and well-paced way.
Slovenia is a small country yes, but it counts no less than 24 gastronomic regions.
Ljubljana, reminding me of Paris in a way, is pretty much in the center of the country and, as a capital, has attracted many food vendors and restaurateurs to benefit from the largest concentration of population (and tourists) of the country. But, right off the bat, let me tell you that, at no point, do you feel shepherded to a pasture of touristic traps you would have found on your own. The choice is balanced between food shops and restaurants, clearly very carefully picked.
Also, it isn’t a gorging party:
at the end of the tour, you feel satiated, without ever feeling over full!. As all good cooking requests, things started with the sourcing of ingredients: the market!
And Ljubljana is blessed, right in its center with a human sized, yet substantial farmer’s market, with one section dedicated to only certified organic vendors. I had noticed on my way to the tour some beautiful chanterelle mushrooms, as well as yellow broad beans that I had never encountered before. Lucky enough, I was able to find them again and was met with the most charming smile the seller could have shared.
Then, we got to visit the permanent covered market, a beautiful building along the riverbank. That was like entering a world of its own. Gorgeous charcuterie, cheeses, breads (got a loaf of this dark and dense bread, yet moist and oh! so tasty). A separate section is dedicated to fish, perhaps for temperature and odor control. Whatever the reason might be, I was really impressed by the display of fish available and the absence actually of any strong fishy smell. Slovenia is known mainly as an inland country, but it does have a little bit of coast on the Adriatic Sea and they sure know how to source the best of what can come out of it. Everything looked so fresh, a real temptation for any cook.
But carrying fish on ice for the rest of the tour was NOT going to happen!
We met our lovely guide Simona in Ciril-Metodov, the cobblestoned main street. She took us at Klòbasarna, where we had the first tasting: a warm smoked sausage form the Carniola region just South of Austria, in other words at the Northern end of Slovenia. Made of the finest pieces of pork, this sausage neither greasy nor too dry, just hit the spot accompanied by a light red wine, a little horseradish and mustard which I loved.
Simona took us in more that 7 venues, specialized in different specialties, from the syrups and the honeys of Dobrote-Dolenjske, to the traditional cake prekmurska gibanica homemade at
I won’t be going in the detail of all the things tasted, either in gastronomic shops or in restaurants… I want you to go and experience it for yourself. Besides beef tongue, fried chicken, honey (Slovenia is Europe’s largest producer per capita), my heart will go for this humble dish of mashed potatoes with sautéed onions and bits of bacon that we tasted at a very special restaurant, Druga Violina, where all the members of the staff suffer from some form of disability or another. It felt really good to contribute to this effort to support the community and, let’s be frank, it also tasted soooo good, just by itself. With influences coming from all neighboring countries (Italy, Austria, Hungry and Croatia), tucked between sea, plains, forests and mountains, the small country of Slovenia is rich of diversity and, if this three-hour tour cannot cover everything, it sure serves as the best introduction one can hope to taste in this timeframe!
Tours priced at 52€ everything included,
To make a reservation
For more info www.visitLjubljana.com
GRAND HOTEL TOPLICE, JULIJANA RESTAURANT IN BLED, SLOVENIA
Slovenia. Bled, about an hour North of the capital Ljubljana to the North-West of Slovenia. Rather than the town it is the beautiful lake that gives the name Bled, famous among the European elite as early as the 1930’s with the construction of a luxurious hotel providing natural hot spring source knowned for health benefits.I am talking of the Grand Hotel Toplice, a venue that boasts a rich history, a magical location, gorgeous alpine and lake views and sumptuously comfortable, elegantly styled rooms.
Each of the rooms and suites at Grand Hotel Toplice has its own unique character and are traditionally styled with beautiful parquet floors, rich furniture and beautiful paintings with many of the rooms benefiting from breathtakingly beautiful lake views. The hotel has been recently renovated and restored to its former glory and is one of the best hotels in Slovenia as well as being a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection.
It has hosted many eminent guests and is frequented by celebrities such as Vivian Leigh, Arthur Miller, Pablo Neruda, King Hussein of Jordan, Paul McCartney and…me, with my best friend-chef-writer Philip Sinsheimer, graciously hosted by Sava hotel and resort group that manage the venue.
Starting from the impeccable reception. the hotel boasts luxurious accommodation, few restaurant, a bar and the enchantment of Lake Bled. All rooms and suites are individually decorated in an enchanting and traditional style, lavishly equipped with an excellent range of facilities, a relaxing thermal swimming pool and benefit from different saunas, wellness services and a solarium among a private lido, where Philip (expert swimmer) dived in the limpid lake water while me (lazy man…) was indulging in a relaxing sunbathing. We dedicated the morning ( when the light is best) to row to the island where the minuscule baroque chapel.I was anxious to hear the bells rings, because I knew about the legend wich narrates that around the year 1500, the leaseholder of Lake Bled at the time, Hartman Kreigh, disappeared. People said he was killed. Sad for the events, the Lady of the Castle collected all of her precious golden jewellery to be melted down and casted into a bell for the chapel on the island of the Lake, so that the bell would toll in remembrance of beloved companion. They say the bell has a magic power, when it rings, you should make 3 wishes and wait for them to become real. We did 99 steps and finally we arrived at the church, where the view is really breathtaking and, yes, we waited for the bell… Not sure my wishes are becoming a reality, we ll see….
A true wish coming true was the splendid dinner we were invited for dinner at Julijana Restaurant where Chef Bertoncelj prepared a great dinner.
I leave Philip the privilege of writing about it, since he is a chef and a food blogger.
GRANDE CUISINE BY THE LAKE
This historic landmark now called the Grand Hotel Toplice, operated by the Sava hotel and resort group, has managed to preserve the relics of the past with grand salons adorned with memorabilia pictures and bring all the comfort of modernity at the same time.This delicate balance between past was brilliantly reflected in the cuisine of the executive chef Simon Bertoncelj and the whole crew under him. Having dinner at the gastronomic Julijana Restaurant, especially if the weather allows to eat al fresco facing the lake is a moment of bliss: the quality of service, attention to detail and classic decor evoke a certain respect of classical elegance. This doesn’t constrain the cuisine to old classics, and the chef’s creativity and modern techniques seem to find their place very naturally in this elegant environment.
The mise en bouche consisting of a delicately baked oyster and a buttery giant shrimp had all the signs of what you can expect in a palace restaurant: prime quality ingredients simply treated. This seafood opening was in synch with the view of the water even though it wasn’t the sea. As I were to learn later by the chef, unfortunately, as beautiful as it is, the lake doesn’t often yield the quantity of fish needed to take place on the menu.
The mushroom cappuccino with porcini had the depth of flavor one can only get in top notch restaurants, served piping hot but adorned with the freshness of a few micro greens scattered on top rather than the old habit of a dollop of cream and a few chives. Fresh too was the vitello tonnato inspired salad, bright and lively. Here, as in all the great restaurants experienced in Slovenia, the wine list paid homage to the country’s fine wines, such as the 2017Verus Chardonnay from Stajerska, the western part of the Podravje region in the North of the country. At last a chardonnay that can showcase both concentration of flavors and freshness in the palate with a mere 13° alcohol content.The shining fish course was a thick and moist turbot filet, perfectly cooked and adorned by a beautiful composition of vegetables and foamy grapefruit sauce. Here again: classic base and modern composition. Though generous, nothing was heavy, and the beautiful matured saddle of veal served pink with a herb crust was still welcome.
To finish, the iconic Bled Cream Cake, which recipe goes back to 1953 and is secretly kept by the Sava hotels group. The result was up to the legend. Even though I really do not have much of a sweet tooth, and I have had my share of mille-feuilles in France, this raised version of the classic with just two layers of perfectly crisp puffed pastry holding a firm custard covered by a layer of lighter whipped cream is to die for…
Chef Simon Bertoncelj, who has worked under the commands of Gordon Ramsey, seems rather poised and discreet, but if you really want to find out, he opens his kitchen to a guest table of 2 to 6 people for a 7-course menu cooked and served, right before their eyes…and ears!
For more info
Grand Hotel Toplice
Cesta svobode 12, 4260 Bled, Slovenia
+386 4 579 10 00
Cesta svobode 12, 4260 Bled, Slovenija
Reception+386 4 579 10 00
Reservations+386 4 579 16 00
Hotel Hellsten, Stockholm. Memories of an exotic journey
Hotel Hellsten is located in the heart of Stockholm and is the ideal starting point for all those who are visiting the City, since the attractions and sites of interest are reachable by public transport within easy reach including the subway that is just round the corner.
The next street is the busy Sveavägen, Stockholm”s only real boulevard. The hotel is just around the corner from the underground (metro) stop Rådmansgatan. The locality is one of the most exciting in Stockholm, with a multitude of different restaurants within a few minutes walking distance. It is also a short walk from Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s historic and beautiful old town. I loved the area, and the next busy street Sveavägen, so alive and full of restaurants, shops and…barbers & haidressers,don’t ask me why, but very useful…
The rooms are divided into various types depending on the services they offer, mostly in different styles, some have canopy bed, some are equipped with the classic Swedish fireplace called kakelugnar, light rays, wooden panels, even a private sauna,
The walls are painted with warm colors that span from orange to red, to blue, to purple.
All rooms have private new bathrooms, TV, telephone, free wired internet access and a hairdryer. They are non-smoking as well as the entire structure.
My room had a cosy little terrace.
Here and there I found exotic touches, my guide explained that Mr.Hellsten, owner of Hellsten, Rex and the newest Hellsten Glashus, is an enthusiastic traveller who likes to collect items from his trips. I loved the african masks !
You have a colonial-style bar where coffee and tea are served 24 hours for free. Great idea! Every Thursday Hellsten Earth Bar transforms into one of Stockholm’s premier jazz venues. Exciting live acts on stage at 8pm and on the last Thursday of each month you are welcome to jam with the band, just bring your instruments or vocals, and the entrance is free.. Comfy beds and an excellent breakfast buffet that included pancakes, cold cuts, cheeses, eggs, lots of fruits and the traditional Swedish meatballs and served in a sunny and spacious veranda.
Add Hotel Hellsten on your next trip to Stockholm!
For more info
Industrial or design? A posh stay in Hamburg
In my last trip to Hamburg I got the chance to visit and stay in Hotel Gastwerk and The George, two great properties owned by Fortune Hotels Group.
They have different style and decor, both friendly, welcoming and worth to spend one (or few) nights there.Let’s start with the industrial red bricks Gastwerk. The name says it all, It was a squared and rigorous red bricks gas factory. Roughly 120 years ago, the old gas plant provided light to the streets and houses in West Hamburg. In the impressive and carefully restored industrial building, built with brick and steel, modern design and historical architecture form a fascinating harmonic setting. Gastwerk is first Hamburg’s design hotel.
The building welcomed me with a large hall with a wide, meticulously well lighted reception and two unforgettable metal elevators, one red and one yellow lighted. The industrial adventure was already starting…
141 rooms, lofts and suites, some with modern walls with a contemporary feeling, some with bricks walls (I love them), like the loft-like one where I was staying, giving the perfect atmosphere of and warehouse.
In addition to that Gastwerk boasts a configurable conference area, the Mangold restaurant (I didn’t dine there, so no idea of the food) the L.BAR, the beautiful SPA, free parking spaces in front of the hotel and underground. Here and there you’ll discover classy touches of fresh flowers, old black and white pictures, original gas machines, and a splendid old water boiler.
The second Fortune Hotel is The George, located in the hearth of the vibrant Saint George area. This venue is a triumphant tribute to the apotheosis of a ‘boutique hotel’ concept, where design meets furniture, lighting and that smell of trendyness…
This reinterpretation of English style in Hamburg results in rooms swathed in warm colors ranging from cocoa to Champagne, lamps with delightful pleated shades and stylish wallpaper in a variety of designs. Super comfy mattresses, a nice view of the Lake Alster, not to mention that sweet & cute ‘Welcome Cesare’… The George Hotel is a four-pearl property flush with a Great-Britain-in-the-’60s design, with 125 stylish rooms that all have flat-screen TVs, minibars, and free weight, a party-vibe bar, the supercool rooftop Campari Lounge in the terrace with a spectacular view of the Alster, a defined breakfast buffet that included a fine selection of cold cuts, imported cheeses, fruits and vegetables, and…
Yes! there is Da Caio, italian restaurant (where I could not resist peeping at the menu, which I found correct in dishes choices and…right spelling, which is always a good sign for an Italian eating in an Italian restaurant abroad…
Fortune Hotels Group.
Two memorable days in PulaGreat history, mild climate, smooth sea, unspoiled nature, dream beaches, friendly locals, smiling people, amazing food and…best teeth on hearth!Welcome to Croatia!I spent only two days in Pula, but, believe me , I ‘ll go back!. Pula is the largest town on the Istrian peninsula and offers a diversity of attractions to lovers of culture. The rich itinerary of its three thousand year old history, where every step you take through the Old Town is a landmark, begins and ends with the Roman amphitheatre. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing, shipbuilding, and tourism.
The Arena. Pula’s amphitheater was built around the end of the first century before Christ. It was August with a very hot weather. That s why my lovely guide Rossana met me there early in the morning , immediately after they open the gate. I suggest you to do the same. Rossana told me a quite cute legend about a raw linen made tent (they called it velarium) that used to be opened up to protect from the sun and give some shade to the audience while watching the show, or function as a bug umbrella in case of rain.Actually the morning is he best time to come to the arena as well the sunset time.Often the Arena hosts operas, concerts and performances. The acoustic is amazing: Tenors Giorgio Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Beniamino Gigli said the this place was one of the most suitable for their voice and for the public. In the Arena have been performing great music legends such as Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Sting, Simply Red, Robert Plant, Status Quo, Massive Attack, just to mention few. Every summer, Pula host a superb Film Festival in the Arena,
Celebrity town. Pula was also the residence of many Italian celebrities, from Italian singer Sergio Endrigo, to Italian actress Alida Valli who was celebrated as one of the most beautiful woman in the he world.Pula girls!
The legacy of Alida Valli keeps the tradition. Beauty, charme, and those beautiful legs, so famous all over the world, make the local girls into dreamgirls !Writer James Joyce
choose Pula as his residency for several years. After a full day of historical sightseeing you will find many coffee shops on the street Forum including Café Uliks is a must for any fans of James Joyce, the Irish author who worked in Pula as a teacher in the early 20th century.Wines and foodWines top quality wines including Malvasia (one of my favorites) the most famous Istrian wines produced from indigenous white grapes. and Teran, a rich red wine, intensely purple colored, able to compet with the Italian ones but less expensive.A big time specialty is the zgvacet ragout. It is a sauce of diced chunks of chicken meat. In Pula, just as in most towns of Istria, be sure to taste seafood specialties, of which dishes rospi (monkfish), sea bass or delicious buzara Kvarner scampi only a small number of delicacies on offer. In Pula you should try and shells, thanks to the clear waters are a special flavor mussels, scallops or kanaštrele excellent fish stew, and definitely should try the black risotto with cuttlefish. Lovers of oily fish to taste anchovies to savor. This dish is eaten cold and fried sardines topped with sauce, oil, onion, vinegar and spices.In Pula you should try and maneštras traditional thick soup whose main ingredients are potatoes and beans with added mixture of bacon and garlic.
Many Pula’s restaurants carry the highlight of gastronomy: the white truffles. Try them with fusi or gnocchi with truffles or shaved over meat or cheese. But the real combo, the Romeo and Juliet of the choiche should be truffles and eggs!Bars, shops, market and flea marketsHave fun, look around, bargain!
Smile!Dental tourism, is hot in Croatia, organized groups come here and put their teeth in place with low-budget, cheaper prices, excellent quality, good materials and expert dentist.How to contact them who contact them? Or you can see on the websites or call the local tourist agency that will give you advice on the best places or to be so lucky to have a friend who has already been here already.Do not!
Croatia has its own currency: the kuna.
Don’t change your money in the street, you may get useless Balcanian or Bulgarian money…
Go into a bank and change there!Where to stayI stayed at Amfiteatar Hotel, located in the heart of the Pula city, hotel Amphitheater is at a 2 minutes walking distance to the Arena and 5 minutes walking distance to the city cathedral, with the harbor also in the close vicinity. Beach and the airport are only 10 minutes away by car. Very close to the arena and within a short walking distance to all the other attractions in the old town.I had dinner in the outdoor restaurant, Owner Chef and culinary star Deniz Zembo prepared delicious local dishes with a twist. I loved the grilled octopuss and delicious cake.I would like to thank the lovely ladies Viviana Vukelic and Adriana Bajic from Ente Nazionale Croato per il Turismo in Milan and the super cool Goran from the Tourism Office in Pula, Chef Deniz Zembo and my amazing guide Rossana. They truly contributed to make my Pula’s visit memorable, fun and wonderful.For more info
ENTE NAZIONALE CROATO PER IL TURISMO
https://croatia.hr/en-GBTOURISM OFFICE PULA
Hacienda Chichen: discover the most revered Mayan site the smart way!
Chichen Itza, located inland of the Yucatan Peninsula, about 200 km East of Cancun, is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico with over 2.6 million tourists in 2017.
Do the math… .That’s on average over 7000 visitors a day. Even though the site is not limited to the iconic Kukulcàn pyramid (photo 1) and covers a very large area (over 300 hectares), that is a lot of human flesh roaming around! Especialy when one considers that the most popular way to visit the Unesco world heritage site is via tour operators organizing day trips from Cancun or Merida, creating a huge influx of fully loaded buses arriving around 11 AM or so every day. Arriving with the sun at its hottest among hordes of tourists had always been a deterring idea to me. I had sacrificed the visit of wholly site during my passed 3 visits of Yucatan, favoring the ruins of Tulum and Cuba, less crowded and still awesome examples of the might and splendor of the Mayan civilization. For this fourth visit this last spring, I was determined to visit the legendary Chichen Itza in the best way possible. Staying overnight at the Hacienda Chichen revealed to be the smartest answer possible. Smart because by staying overnight in this historic hotel located a few hundred feet from the archeological site enables to start exploring the grounds as early as 8 AM, before the arrival of the crowds. Smart, because the hotel combines genuine elegance and great service while respecting authenticity and ecological responsibility. Follow me, let me show you the way…When I arrived from Tulum around noon at the Chichen Itza bus terminal, I was left at the main entrance of the site in one of the largest parking lots I have ever seen: hundreds of buses still unloading their loads of tourists from every continent. The line to the ticket booth was long, the heat dreadful. Instead of joining the frenzy, I hopped in a cab and 10 minutes later, I was discovering the old-world charm of the Hacienda Chichen. The check in was a breeze and the welcoming cocktail made of pineapple and Chaya leaf juice refreshing as heaven (pic 3). I was later to learn that it had been freshly made from the organic garden of the property, providing a lot of the fruits, vegetables and herbs used by the kitchen
The front desk offered to arrange the purchase of my ticket to visit the site the next morning, without any surcharge, avoiding the hassle to wait in line. They also offered the possibility to have a legitimate private guide for the visit, but as usual, I declined in order to feel totally free and visit at my own pace. The afternoon was mine to relax and enjoy what the Hacienda had to offer. The 28 rooms set in a total of 12 cottages spread out on the lush grounds were originally built to host archeologists who helped excavate the site. Now they are opened to all offering soothing air conditioning, large bed, beautiful sheets, large bathrooms, fresh flowers and hammocks on the front porch for those eager to adopt the Mayan way to take a nap at the sound of singing birds
Another way to relax in a horizontal way is to indulge in one of the treatments at the Yaxkin spa. And that’s exactly what I did, with the 45-minute Pakal treatment, a Maya healing ritual focusing on the head and the upper body. The soul is also soothed by an initial prayer in Mayan language by my charming therapist.
I loved the fact that the room was very large, not one of those cubicles where on feels locked up. The outside garden was present in the room with the use of various herbs and plants, including a refreshing aloe vera jelly applied on the face.Totally relaxed, I finished the afternoon by lingering by the superb swimming pool, large and square as I like them to do laps at length. .Recycled and chemical-free water added a guilt free sensation to the overall pleasure. Time went by and before I knew it was time to meet the general manager for a grand tour of the property, including the restored church where weddings can be organized, surrounded by the beautifully maintained vegetation).
No wedding the evening of my stay, but I still felt like a very special person, enjoying an evening drink on the beautiful front patio at the sound of a traditional trio singing deep from the heart local ballads.
For dinner, I ventured across the street to the humbler Villas Areological hotel (http://www.villasarqueologicas.com.mx/chichen-itza.html)
that I wanted to check out for its restaurant serving a variety of traditional dishes from Yucatan. The best, by far, was the cream of Chaya soup and I appreciated the selection of Mexican wines. The night was young, but the day had been long, so I was eager to return to my beautiful room for a good night sleep. At 8:20 Am, I recuperated my ticket to visit the site and was guided to the private entrance specific to the Hacienda. I was alone when I crossed the gate and after a ten-minute walk, I was facing the beautiful Mayan pyramid with the company of a couple of iguanas, but not another human soul.
The morning air was cool, and the silence only broken by singing birds. All the merchants on the way were focused on unpacking their things, leaving me unburdened. Besides the famous pyramid, I loved walking through the gigantic ball game field practically alone
As well as discovering the sacred cenote (sinkhole) and the perfectly aligned columns without the eye sore of groups of tourists ruining the geometry of the monuments. After three hours of walking at my own pace, I went back to the Hacienda, walking against the growing flow of visitors and the solicitations of the souvenir vendors, they were in full swing mode, trying to sell their T-shirts and miniature statues probably made in China!
The heat had risen and a last dip in the pool after a refreshing outdoor shower felt like pure bliss. At noon I was packed and ready to leave this magical place.
A short taxi ride took me to the small town of Piste where I tasted a delicious and original pozole de coco, lightly sweetened and perfectly chilled (pic 20), then hopped on a collective to reach Valladolid after 24 hours of total serenity, visiting the most famous Mayan site in the best way possible…
the nontouristytourist way!
Text and photos by Philip Sinsheimer
HACIENDA CHICHEN RESORT AND YAXKIN SPA
Tel: +52 999 920 8407
A ‘HYGGE’SUMMER IN COPENHAGEN
In summer Copenhagen is an ideal destination: favorable weather, long and sunny days, smiling, polite and serene people. It seems that everyone here discovers the secret of happiness: hygge, a Danish word that invites you to enjoy the simple pleasures of life and live alone or with friends, at home or outside, special and happy moments.
Find yourself singing on the beach around a bonfire, have a nice picnic at the park, attend an outdoor concert, participate in a street festival or take a bike ride … these and more are the little pleasures of life that feed the hygge spirit in the life of the Danes.
To find out right away just do this test . The result is a real personalized treatment based on hygge, released with all the tips on how to get it on a trip to Denmark.
Useful and precious, a true friend! I’m talking about the Copenhagen Card, a pass that allows you to visit as many as 86 museums and attractions, use all public transportation for free and benefit from discounts on tours, bars and restaurants.
I also used it for a tour of the canals and the port. 1 hour, audiogude in all languages, a show of ancient and modern architecture, a sea of photos. passing the numerous bridges of the city. But pay attention to be seated: the bridges are very low and the risk to bump your head on it, it s quite possible.
The oldest playground in the world. You will skip over breathtaking roller coasters,you will be projected into space, you will remain suspended in the air more than a thousand other rides in the charming gardens where the oriental facade of beautiful
Hotel Nimb stands out.
After the aerial acrobatics, I finally relaxed in the Brasserie, famous Nimb restaurant,
French cuisine, refined menu, excellent wine list, good service and relaxing atmosphere (apart from the crowded side room that celebrated a noisy birthday…) I tasted the Chef’s specialties, a delicate mollusk bisque served with scampi and carrots, a crunchy turbot à la meunière, sprinkled with lemon drops, ending with a puff pastry stuffed with strawberries and cream, all paired to my favorite Sancerre Domaine de La Garenne, deliciously fruity, In short, a dinner worthy of the unique atmosphere of the location.
Copenhagen history boasts of royalties and magnificent castles,Here my favorites
Amalienborg Palace, a must for anyone with a taste for royal history and the life of Denmark’s royal family who still resides inside the palace. Experience royal history at the museum and sense the present of one of the world’s oldest monarchies from the beautiful palace square where you can watch the changing of its famous guards called Den Kongelige Livgarde. Every day you can experience the changing of the guards, as they march from their barracks in 100 Gothersgade by Rosenborg Castle through the streets of Copenhagen and end up at Amalienborg, where the changing of the guard takes place at 12:00 noon.
Christiansborg Palace famous for its hall covered with 17 giant tapestries, which tell 1000 years of Danish history, It is a gift from The Danish business community in occasion of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe 50th birthday,. Bjørn Nørgaard painted the full-size sketches upon which the tapestries were woven. These impressive royal rooms host the official receptions in the presence of the Queen, between a sparkle of uniforms and great evening gowns. Better to avoid arriving by car or taxi, the protocol prefers that the guests present themselves in a carriage…
As a food lover, I could not resist the temptation to descend into the legendary Royal Kitchens to discover the background of an official banquet, browse the Queen’s recipes and admire one of the largest collections of copper crockery in Europe.
To be or not to be…
I recommend a small excursion outside the city. Helsingør 30 minutes by train.
The famous Castle of Kronborg, better known as Hamlet’s house, reigns there. In fact, here Shakespeare set his drama. Gossips say that the writer had never been there, but would have been an actor in his company to tell him about this mighty fortress, from whose park, littered with cannons, you can glimpse Sweden. Suddenly the walls resound with the voices of the characters of Hamlet, which appear, like ghosts, perfectly interpreted by talented actors who bring to life the tragic events of the drama, You could spend a whole day in Kronborg, and live many experiences, guided tours through the casemates and the halls, explore the passages and towers, see a play and relax admiring the sea – but if you prefer, you can get an idea Kronborg concrete even in just one hour. Kronborg is open all year round (except 1st January, 24th, 25th and 31st December) from 11am to 4pm. In the summer (June, July and August) the schedule is extended: from 10.30am to 5.30pm.
After all that drama I needed a…great meal and I went to the renowned restaurant Brasserie 1861, where I met the Chef. His name is Casper Stuhr Sobczyk I can describe him as a gentle viking with the sweetest smile and… smoked sardines tattooed in his arm.
They called him ‘the king of herbs ‘for his passion for vegetables and fresh products from the field. His passions are: fish, molluscs, entrails as lamb’s brain, (not so popular in the quite skeptic Northern Europe), He started with French cuisine, passed to the molecular and ended up with mixing them two styles. ‘I like to play with the ingredients, says Casper, like for example, pairing strawberries to balsamic vinegar. I worked in Danmark a lot, including the Copenhagen National Library. I got good reviews and I started my new adventure here at Marienlyst Hotel, In my my fridge at home, there is always place for eggs, probably because my wife loves them, lot of vegetables and of course several max sizei Pepsi. I Love Pepsi… ‘His friendly Verona born partner Fabio Ciccarelli started serving a surprising appetizer: a revolutionary version of the traditional blini, made with caviar white sturgeon, to be mixed to crème fraiche on herbal waffle. The ingredients just melt perfectly together.
Then a salted unusually cooked burned salmon, followed by a mackerel with foie gras, green peas. As a main dish , I tasted halibut with asparagus that burned for few minutes to maintain the crunchiness.
Every dish was so intense, so fresh and so herbal.
No wonder why Chef Sobczyk is the ‘king of herbs…
’In the summer, Denmark is a foodies paradise with its festivals and gastronomic events Do not miss the Copenhagen Cooking & Food Festival from August 24th to September 2nd, during which Copenhagen becomes a huge Nordic restaurant and definitely stop at the new street food Reffen, an urban playground recently opened, that mixes crafts and culture.
Reffen is a place where the people of Copenhagen are invited to take part in the development. 54 start-ups in the form of food stalls, bars and creative workshops many confirming the dogmas “Reduce and Reuse”.
Mermaid yes or no?
The most celebrated mermaid statue of The Little Mermaid from Hans Christian Andersen’s children’s story, sitting on a stone at Langelinie in the harbor of Copenhagen, Denmark. Honestly I saw her from the boat and I have to say that the invading ‘selfie addicted crowd’ didn’t appeal to me… So I went at night, and here she was, alone, shining on the dark, mysterious and looking like wanting to splash in the water any minute,
That, I call a magic encounter with Miss Mermaid…for more info
Hamburg, Germany, Why go there and where to stay, what to eat
I started my Hamburg experience with an avalanche of photos and selfies on board of the Stadtrundfahrt double-decker bus, providing earphones in all languages. In a couple of hours you’ll know the city, get off when you want, visit and get the next one. An indispensable tour, also in a mini-cruise version with Harbor Cruise You will enjoy the aquatic view of the city, of the immense port and of the colossal cargo ships with gigantic containers.
Hamburg means bricks, red bricks, so my next stop was Speicherstadt.
Almost a kilometer of old warehouses with typical red bricks, used as storage for incoming goods: oriental carpets, tea, raw coffee, cocoa, tobacco, spices. Among the attractions: a kaffeerösterei, an old coffee roaster, where you can also enjoy decadent cakes with strawberries and cream.
Chocoversum, a true chocolate triumph,
Manufactum a trendy shop and the Spice Museum where you will find and taste everything: European spices, Asian and Indian flavors, exotic perfumes, 50 varieties of pepper, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, mustard seeds and the most expensive ones: orchid vanilla and saffron.
Miniatur Wunderland Models of trains and landscapes in miniature? I was doubtful …well, I was amazed. Two huge floors where landscapes and cities of all the world have been meticulously reconstructed with airports, motorways, railways in great turmoil and crowded by a thousand minuscule people, including a team while washing Pope Francis car…
Travel and read.
130 bookshops stocked with second hand books! Passengers are allowed not only to read them during their journey ,but also to take them home.
Extraordinary glass structure, with windows that look like eyes. With its perfect acoustic, hosts concerts and shows. You get there with a spectacular 82 meter escalator that runs through The Plaza, from which you can enjoy a great view.
Perfect location for a drink or a snack at the Beer & Dine and a little shopping in the well-stocked book, music and souvenir store. Tickets can be booked 18 weeks in advance and children up to three years do not pay.
Hamburg and its museums. I chose two. Kunsthalle, 700 years of art, from the great masters of the Renaissance until 1800 with Manet, Caspar David Friedrich, up to the German expressionism (which I adore) and the contemporary avant-garde .
MKG Great museum with unusual exhibits: famous deco posters, precious vintage pianos, sketches and 30s dresses, a space dedicated to design furniture, photo galleries avant – garde and much more.
It is true that the hamburger was born in Hamburg?
The most famous meatball in the world is ‘made in the USA’ or ‘made in Hamburg’?
The name would leave no doubt, but the Americans boast its paternity.
The Germans claim that it was cooked in the houses of Hamburg and then it was exported to the USA, while for the Americans it would be born in the port of Hamburg, a municipality located in the state of New York and the inventors would have been the Menches brothers who in 1885 would propose the first sandwich stuffed with meat during the country festival Erie County Fair.
Legends aside, here you will find space burgers. The best from Burger Lounge, Jim Block Jungfernstieg, Dulf’s Burger , Otto’s Burger Grindelhof and Schanze .
WHERE TO STAY
I tried two hotels, both experiences were great!
Novotel Hamburg City Alster Hotel
4-star hotel in the modern rooms and suites with a desk and free WIFI
Central location and U-Bahn station on our doorstep make the Novotel Hamburg City Alster hotel the ideal base in Hamburg. 5-minutes away from Alster-Schwimmhalle and within 20 minutes of English Theatre Of Hamburg. Highlights at this hotel include in-room free WiFi, free high-speed Internet, and LCD TVs. All 210 soundproofed rooms feature sofa beds, satellite TV, and separate bathtubs and showers. You’ll find nice touches like soaking tubs and free toiletries to enhance your stay. Coffee/tea makers, free newspapers, and safes are also available. Enjoy the fitness centre, Turkish bath/hammam, and sauna. Business amenities include a meeting room and a business centre. Added amenities include free WiFi in public areas and laundry facilities. Each morning excellent buffet breakfast is served between 6:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Sights within a 20-minute walk of this 4-star Hamburg-Nord hotel include Museum of Arts and Crafts Hamburg and Mundsburg Center. Enjoy the comfort of the sauna and the video games area. Rooms are spacious and bright, Super comfy bed…I slept like a baby!
Dining in is an option with room service, and minibars provide refreshments. I had a great lunch at the hotel stylish restaurant Novo2, and a nice chat with the executive Chef, who told me that his menu focuses on seasonal products and evergreen tasty meat. and suggested a juicy and tender La Maracho Rump Steak with sauteed vegetables and … a silver swan (just for decoration…) Novo2 is an innovative combination of a bar lounge , that offers delicious seasonal dishes and light snacks are served from 6.30am to 9.30pm. A cool spot where where you can have a nice glass of wine, like i did!
HafenCity. It is the new futuristic district of Hamburg, area of creatives and artists,
To get there they have specially built the metropolitan U4 line. in 3 stops from the center you have already arrived. Here you can breathe fresh air, the spaces are open and many Hamburgers get away from work to go for a drink or a snack.
I stayed at the brand new 25 Hours HafenCity Hotel where I had a great time. I felt like a sailor, the rooms look like a ship’s cabins, with prosperous painted models on the bathroom walls.
Here atmosphere is easy and relaxed , The motto says COME AS YOU ARE! There is also free access to a spectacular spa in stones and wood. In the morning a rich buffet breakfast is set up, there you can find everything, including rote gruetze, my beloved raspberry, blueberry and cherry sauce served on lean yogurt. Yummy!
What does a real Hamburger drink?
Beer, of course! It has been produced in Hamburg for over a millennium and has become an icon of German culture. Here some popular ones.
Ratsherrn, one of the city’s most famous artisan breweries From pilsner to light beers. Galopper des Jahres, popular and animated. The members of the staff are true fan of craft beer, so be sure to ask for their recommendations: they know what to suggest for every taste and palate. Blockbräu, a terrace with a wonderful view.
My favorite? Altes Mädchen An incredible variety of excellent local and around 70 international beers, also combined with tasty German specialties.Remember, the real Hamburger does not drink Coca Cola!
The preferred alternative is fritz-kola, rich in caffeine and lemon. It was born in 2002, invented almost for fun by young friends Lorenz and Mirco and produced with a really amateur process. Imagine: the labels were photocopies and they were glued by hand on the bottle …
Today it is the national soft drink.
Red lights …
night and day!
The St. Pauli district was once a bad area full of noisy pubs, frequented by criminals, sailors and prostitutes. Today the taverns have become artistic skyscrapers, like the Dancing Towers, which seem to really dance, while the smoky haunts of the past have become fashionable places.
But the raunchy survived: sex shops, theaters, striptease, burlesque and the inevitable bouncers who invite you to enter. In addition to the ‘sensory’ attractions, the neighborhood is full of super-trendy shops, new boutiques, hip clubs and bars
Keep walking around the St.Pauli district,
head towards Markstrasse and the surroundings of KarolinenvIertel.
There You will find small bars, self-managed restaurants, flowers, perfumes, mini boutiques and lots of vintage. If you are ‘bio’ dive into the Rider Markt Halle, and a relaxing drink from Zoe the bar of the different sofas. For more chic and exclusive products, head to Hole Bleichen.
Then it comes the time for…
beauty and relaxation.
After a long walk, it is right to take a relaxing break in Jungfernstieg, in the heart of Hamburg with a fantastic view of the Alster river. Here Nivea Haus awaits for you, this is the official store of the famous face cream, born in Hamburg in 1929. Here you can find classic or brand new creams for face and body, cosmetics, revitalizing treatments, relaxing massages, as well as manicures and pedicures.
Plus a really cute souvenir: your ‘Nivea’. You ‘ll be photographed and in a second …you’re on the cover of the famous blue box. I couldn’t resist …
So, what do you think?
Am I fine for a cream cover?
MATERA, Italy. The city, the Sassi and the best Lucanian dishes
Matera is one of the oldest cities in the world. By day the sunlight enhances its white. At night, it looks like an immense nativity set up under the starry sky.
Its quarter I Sassi, ancient dwellings dug into the tufo, where the roofs serve as a base for the houses that have developed on higher levels. These were dug entirely into the rock and represent one of the most striking examples of exploitation of natural resources to obtain suitable conditions for the life of a large community. In the caves often lived more families and despite the lack of space, almost all daily activities took place in the cavities of cave-houses: from handicrafts to weaving, from food storage to animal care (dogs, chicken, pigs, horses and donkeys were living with the family as primitive source of heating). The temperature was constant and guaranteed by the characteristics of the sea tufo , so the inhabitants did not suffer too much from the cold in winter and found a shelter from summer heat. This way of life for years has been seen as a sign of backwardness and incivility. The inhabitants of the Sassi were often considered as primitives living like animals. In 1952 Sassi was considered “the Italian national shame”and abandoned in the late ’50s, Sassi was able to be redeemed until they became Unesco World Heritage in and will be the 2019 European Capital of Culture. Its amazing scenario has been used s a set for Mel Gibson “The Passion” Pier Paolo Pasolini “The Gospel According to Matthew “King David”, Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt “, and the remake of “Ben-Hur “.
I took the Gran Tour of Sassi,
an intense 3 hours guided tour and I learn so much about the history of this amazing city. The tour begins in front of the Cathedral, in the upper part of the City, and then goes deeper into the tangle of narrow alleys, caves, cellars, churches, small gardens, tiny squares and districts. I was able to discover in detail these unusual dwellings partly carved out of the limestone. It s a long walk, so wear comfy shoes.
Matera is also well now for its cooking tradition, a classic example of Italian peasant cuisine, using free ingredients combined with a fair amount of labor and know-how to turn an odd edible food into a delectable dish.
Here my choices:
View, ambience, real food, rich menu, moderate prices and …did I mentioned the view? Welcome to Il Terrazzino, one of the oldest deck restaurant in Sassi Eustachio Persia welcomed me with a dish of local cold cuts, including my fav lampascioni, bulbs of a common wildflower in southern Italy, then I ordered lamb, and…surprise! iIt came wrapped in yellow strawpaper.
‘This place used to be a cantina, told me Eustachio, just wine, no food.So people used to cook it at home and take it here, all wrapped up in paper tto keep it warm, then tear the bag and eat it paired with a nice glass of wine.Then came the crapiata a soup of different legumes, cereals and potatoes typical of the Basilicata cuisine of rural tradition, prepared in great quantity every year on the first day of August in the district La Martella, close to the cultivated fields and served to the inhabitants. Eustachio took me downstairs, to the 17 century cellar, which incorporates the typical architecture of the Sassi and was refurbished to retrace moments of daily life of the peasant life,
Simple yet elegant restaurant Located in the Sassi area, Baccus is well know for its Chef Carlo Pozzuoli who likes to reinterpretate typical local dishes and flavors of the past in a modern way.
Starting with super crunchy chips of red peppers, followed by fagots of ziti with cream of yellow and red peppers, bundled in a slice of sweet scamorza cheese topped by goat ricotta curlS.
A soupy Dish with tagliolini pasta with black and white chickpeas, considered ideal fro pregnant women, since it contains a lot of iron.
The menu dedicates an attentive search of local herbs, like the cicoriella, the sivone and other fresh leaves variously used in cooking: in salads, minestrone, simply boiled with oil and lemon, or as a filling of ravioli and pansotti or excellent omelettes.
Carlo and his wife Mariella were wonderful hosts. Not only keeping me company at the table but also surprising me with a taste of a sweet heart shaped Sporcamuso, (begrime the face) a dessert so full of cream that I inevitably ended up with hot pastry cream all over my face.
‘We represent the tradition. My family managed this restaurant since the 50’s’ told me Anna, owner of the popular Ristorante Pizzeria Da Mario ‘Since then we are always been loved by the people from Matera and from all over the world. Many celebrities have eaten here: Richard Gere, Mel Gibson just to mention few’
I went there for lunch and followed Anna’s suggestions, starting with a tasty orecchiette alle rape with anchovies and toasted breadcrumbs, then I tried home made strascinati pasta with cardoncelli mushrooms and garnished with the typical crunchy peperone crusco, fried red pepper. Da Mario is know for its pizza. I tried a baby Margherita, perfectly cooked. ‘I love my town, peaceful and quiet, I run the restaurant a cosy BnB called Sassi Belvedere although sometimes I need some noise… some that’s why I have a place in Milan, where I go , like an escape little vacation, but then I am happy to be back in my Lucania ( the ancient name of Basilicata) Sorry I still call it Lucania.. perhaps it’s because I like the old things…
I don’t blame her..
Where I stayed.
Residence San Gennaro, located in the inner courtyard of the old “neighborhood”, once the fulcrum of the days of the inhabitants
Super friendly host Francesco delighted me with anecdotes about the city, gave me tips took me to the prehistoric hypogeous cave below the residence, embellished with a precious Nativity and prepared a great breakfast that included fresh local products. I stayed in Guerricchio suite, that has a kitchenette, a delightful double bedroom, a private bathroom and a cute little balcony to enjoy the view on the enchanting Sassi of Matera. It is At the entrance an artistic work of great value welcomed me. “Girasoli di Guerricchio”, a Lucanian artist to whom the suite is dedicated.
I also loved
An amazing gateway” to the city, charting its history thanks to an innovative communication project, where the walls, the ceilings and the floors will take to an extraordinary journey through the history of Matera from its origins to the present day.
(Museum of Contemporary Sculpture Matera)
This unique museum provides the perfect environment for the symbiosis of sculpture and the characteristic carved sites in the Sassi; the exhibition galleries, in fact, consist not only of the rooms of the Palazzo, but also the vast hypogea, where the works of art are revitalized by the strength and beauty of the surrounding rock hewn spaces
- see full article
- see full article
- see full article see full article
- see full article see full article
- see full article
- see full article
- see full articlesee full articlesee full article see full article
- see full article see full article

domain: travel


text:
Arsenal boss Unai Emery is hopeful that Alexandre Lacazette will be available for the side’s Premier League opener against Newcastle.
Lacazette, 28, limped off with an ankle injury in Arsenal’s defeat to Lyon at the Emirates Cup and subsequently missed the Gunners’ friendly loss to Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Sunday night.
Though Lacazette was pictured wearing a protective boot over his ankle following the clash with Lyon, it appears he could be line to feature at St James’ Park this weekend.
Emery revealed that Arsenal’s medical staff were ‘optimistic’ over Lacazette’s fitness and did not rule out the French striker making an appearance against the Magpies. Read more

domain: news


text:
Do you like exploring new locations? Then, you need to plan a trip to Azerbaijan. Known popularly as the Land of Fire, Azerbaijan has many exotic places to explore. The hospitality of the locals makes the trip memorable. This destination has become easy to access due to the introduction of e-Visa by the government. You can explore the location in the Caucasus at affordable prices. Are you not convinced? Then, read ahead to know the reasons why you need to visit this mysterious country.
You can explore the Mud Volcanoes around Baku as part of our extended Baku tour.
Explore Mountain Villages
You can see some of the beautiful mountain villages created by Azerbaijan and Georgia. You can explore the cultural and historical villa villages along the Caucasus Mountains stretch. It is a favorite place tourists like to visit. Explore Quba, the tourist destination attracting visitors from all around the world.
Although we offer tours all around Azerbaijan, Quba is our specialty since we are born and raised in Quba and our company was founded in Quba.
Check out our day tour to Quba and Khinalig.
Check Out The Historical, Traditional, And Modern Architecture
Azerbaijan is a place where you can see a combination of historical, traditional, and modern architecture. You can see medieval places, Government House, Flame Towers, and temples. By visiting the city of Baku, you can see varied architecture in the same place. The amalgamation of medieval and traditional Islamic styles makes Azerbaijan a place worth visiting.
Have you ever seen water burning? Due to The Oxymoronic Phenomenon, you can see the weird sight of water burning in Azerbaijan. In the wonderful natural site of Yanar Bulag situated to the south of Astara, you can see methane-infused water released from the underground spring. This water burns when ignited.
Visit Some Mysterious Locations
When you visit the old town in Baku known as Icheri Sheher, you can see a mysterious cylindrical building known as Maiden Town. Apart from its unusual structure, no information exists regarding its purpose or age. Gobustan on the southwest side of Baku has ancient settlements. It dates back to forty thousand years. It can evoke wonder and curiosity as the cave once provided shelter to early humans.
The Azerbaijan E-Visa
When the expense of processing a visa becomes lower, an exotic place becomes the best location for vacation. Earlier, Azerbaijan visa processing took a long time with hefty fees. Today, you can get e-visa with fewer formalities and cheaper rates. It costs less and takes only three business days to process.
We at Toso Tour can help you or you can do the process yourself on the official e-visa portal here. If you need our help, just give us a shout – we do not charge ANYTHING for this service.
Let Us Show You Azerbaijan
Does the idea of visiting Azerbaijan appeal to you? Then, you need to seek the assistance of an expert travel agency like Toso Tour to customize your trip and make it memorable. The experts have organized and arranged tours to meet the satisfaction of the clients. With expert help, you never have to worry about the logistics of the trip. You can enjoy the best experience in Azerbaijan as the travel experts can suggest a tour meeting your unique needs.


text:
Due to the large variability in tinnitus, a one-size-fits-all approach (as offered by maskers) will have limited benefits. Indeed, there is evidence that being able to customize a sound therapy (e.g., using the tinnitus pitch or hearing loss profile), will provide greater benefits7,8 for tinnitus sufferers. Given the evidence supporting this line of thinking and the limitations of existing tinnitus management options, we were driven to develop and rigorously test an enjoyable, personalized sound therapy that has potential to provide lasting relief to tinnitus sufferers.
While tinnitus is as varied as its causes, it can be grouped into two categories: tonal and non-tonal. Tonal tinnitus is more common and describes the perception of a near-continuous sound or overlapping sounds with a well-defined frequency (e.g., whistling, ringing, buzzing). Non-tonal forms of tinnitus include humming, clicking, crackling, and rumbling.
Tinnitus (pronounced ti-nə-təs or tə-nī-təs) is the conscious awareness of a sound in your ears or head not caused by an external noise. Too often associated with hearing loss, the fact is more than 50 percent of people living with tinnitus don’t have measurable hearing loss. Since there are many causes, tinnitus can be associated with a variety of health problems.
Various techniques can help make tinnitus tolerable, although the ability to tolerate it varies from person to person. Many people find that background sound helps mask the tinnitus and helps them fall asleep. Some people play background music. Other people use a tinnitus masker, which is a device worn like a hearing aid that produces a constant level of neutral sounds. For the profoundly deaf, an implant in the cochlea (the organ of hearing) may reduce tinnitus but is only done for people with severe to profound hearing loss in both ears. If these standard techniques are not helpful, people may want to seek treatment in clinics that specialize in the treatment of tinnitus.
Health care professionals who incline to offer patients an option or strategy to deal with tinnitus are confronted with the variability inherent to this disorder.5 The cause of tinnitus can vary, although people who experience tinnitus have usually first developed hearing loss due to ageing or from exposure to loud noise that caused peripheral auditory damage. In fact, the number of tinnitus sufferers that develop the constant ringing due to hearing loss may be even higher than thought, as some tinnitus sufferers only appear to have normal hearing when thresholds at frequencies below 8 kHz are measured. Less frequently, tinnitus may also occur after a head or neck injury, or due to the presence of an acoustic neuroma. Certain medications may also contribute to the development of tinnitus through effects on hair cells in the inner ear or via mechanisms that are not yet well understood.6 This variety in cause has been the first part of the challenge in developing a “cure” or effective treatment for tinnitus. However, even for the largest group of tinnitus sufferers (those who may develop tinnitus due to hearing damage), effective treatments have been hard to come by.
Tinnitus (pronounced "tin-it-tus") is an abnormal noise in the ear (note that it is not an "itis" -- which means inflammation). Tinnitus is common -- nearly 36 million Americans have constant tinnitus and more than half of the normal population has intermittent tinnitus. Another way to summarize this is that about 10-15% of the entire population has some type of constant tinnitus, and about 20% of these people (i.e. about 1% of the population) seek medical attention (Adjamian et al, 2009). Similar statistics are found in England (Dawes et al, 2014) and Korea (Park and Moon, 2014).
To answer your question about NAC (N-acetyl-L-cysteine), I’ve seen little evidence suggesting that is effective for tinnitus. Instead – though the research is very limited – multiple anecdotal reports describe success with the herb ginkgo biloba. Try taking two tablets of standardized extract of ginkgo three times a day with meals (no more than a total dose of 240 mg a day). Ginkgo may work by increasing blood circulation to the head and neck. Give it at least a two-month trial. You might also explore cranial therapy, a gentle manipulative technique performed by osteopathic physicians. This approach seems to take the pressure or irritation off the auditory nerves. If high blood pressure is responsible for your tinnitus, try to get that under control through diet, exercise, and weight loss or medication if necessary.
Every person living with tinnitus hears a unique sound. The sound can be a low or high frequency, and its volume and pitch may change over time, with the severity varying from person to person. Those with acute tinnitus may struggle to sleep, focus at work, or communicate with others. In such cases, treatment plays a crucial role in helping an individual regain control of his or her life.
If the cause of your tinnitus is excessive earwax, your doctor will clean out your ears by suction with a small curved instrument called a curette, or gently flush it out with warm water. If you have an ear infection, you may be given prescription ear drops containing hydrocortisone to help relieve the itching and an antibiotic to fight the infection.
Even with all of these associated conditions and causes, some people develop tinnitus for no obvious reason. Most of the time, tinnitus isn’t a sign of a serious health problem, although if it’s loud or doesn’t go away, it can cause fatigue, depression, anxiety, and problems with memory and concentration. For some, tinnitus can be a source of real mental and emotional anguish.
Tinnitus affects every layer of society, and there has been increasing support for awareness. Recently, musicians who are affected by tinnitus have come together to create awareness for the disorder. Artists including Chris Martin of Coldplay and Black Eyed Peas have created a compilation album to help raise funds towards finding a cure for tinnitus. In the United States, the Department of Defense has invested millions of dollars into investigations of tinnitus sound therapies. In addition, the American Tinnitus Association makes efforts to lobby the US government to provide support for tinnitus sufferers.
We occasionally recommend neuropsychological testing using a simple screening questionnaire -- depression, anxiety, and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) are common in persons with tinnitus. This is not surprising considering how disturbing tinnitus may be to ones life (Holmes and Padgham, 2009). Persons with OCD tend to "obsess" about tinnitus. Treatment of these psychological conditions may be extremely helpful.
Tinnitus (pronounced tin-NY-tus or TIN-u-tus) is not a disease. It is a symptom that something is wrong in the auditory system, which includes the ear, the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, and the parts of the brain that process sound. Something as simple as a piece of earwax blocking the ear canal can cause tinnitus. But it can also be the result of a number of health conditions, such as:
Tinnitus can be triggered by a variety of different causes, and it varies dramatically from person to person. Some of the causes result in permanent tinnitus that may require treatment, while others result in temporary tinnitus that disappears on its own. Common causes of tinnitus include hearing loss, wax buildup, stress, exposure to loud noises, certain disorders, and certain medications. To learn more about the various causes of tinnitus, check out our page What Causes Tinnitus?
This well-designed study found that using CBT alongside elements of standard therapy can help patients with tinnitus of varying severity. However, the differences in outcomes between the two groups were quite small, and this technique can only help manage tinnitus rather than curing it, as some papers implied. Also, the patients in the study were followed for only 12 months, so it is unclear whether this approach can help in the longer term.
If you are living with tinnitus, contact the Sound Relief Hearing Center. We are the tinnitus experts you need to experience the best possible outcome with your tinnitus treatment. To learn more about us, please browse our website or give us a call at 720-259-9962. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet with one of our tinnitus specialists. We look forward to hearing from you!
Some patients choose to get involved in “tinnitus retraining,” which involves wearing a device in the ears that provides soothing music or noise, along with undergoing counseling. The goal is to help your body and brain learn to get accustomed to tinnitus noise, which reduces your negative reactions to unwanted sounds. Support and counseling during the process can be helpful for reducing anxiety. Researchers are now learning more about the benefits of coherent cognitive behavioral therapy interventions to help treat distress associated with tinnitus. (3)
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that some tinnitus is a consequence of neuroplastic alterations in the central auditory pathway. These alterations are assumed to result from a disturbed sensory input, caused by hearing loss. Hearing loss could indeed cause a homeostatic response of neurons in the central auditory system, and therefore cause tinnitus.
However, the multidisciplinary approach based on CBT is not a “cure for tinnitus”, as implied in some papers, but rather a system for managing its symptoms and effects on people’s lives. The differences in outcomes between the treatment and usual care groups were quite small, with the multidisciplinary approach giving a small improvement in quality of life compared with usual care, and moderate improvements in tinnitus severity and impairment. Also, less than 70% of participants completed the trial to 12 months, and this could have affected the reliability of the study’s overall results. Furthermore, as the patients in the study were only followed for 12 months, it is uncertain whether this approach can help in the longer term.
Luckily, many can live with their tinnitus as it may only occur occasionally and/or is relatively quiet, but for some the tinnitus is so bothersome, severe and intense that it negatively influences their daily life to a very large extend. For those people, it is very natural to look for a cure that can make the tinnitus go away - or at least reduce it.
You don’t need to enroll in an eight-week program to get started with mindfulness training. Participants in the MBTSR program all received a copy of the groundbreaking book “Full Catastrophe Living” by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Kabat-Zinn’s book is the premier manual for practicing mindfulness in daily life. You will learn about, and be encouraged to practice, meditation and breathing techniques that can help draw your focus away from tinnitus.
Technology and portable music devices also contribute to noise pollution, especially in younger people. Keep the volume of your phone, MP3 players or iPod on the lower end when listening to headphones, and don’t play very loud noises for long durations of time. To aid in tinnitus treatment, look out for changes in your ability to hear if you’re frequently exposed to loud noises, limit use of headphones or consider wearing earplugs.
Masking Devices. Similar to the white noise machines listed above, there are now masking devices that can be worn in the ear, just like a hearing aid, that do almost the same thing. They produce low-level white noise that can suppresses your tinnitus symptoms by training your brain to focus on them instead of the ringing in your ears. These are perfect if you can’t always have a white noise machine running near you.
Noise exposure. Exposure to loud noises can damage the outer hair cells, which are part of the inner ear. These hair cells do not grow back once they are damaged. Even short exposure to very loud sounds, such as gunfire, can be damaging to the ears and cause permanent hearing loss. Long periods of exposure to moderately loud sounds, such as factory noise or music played through earphones, can result in just as much damage to the inner ear, with permanent hearing loss and tinnitus. Listening to moderately loud sounds for hours at a young age carries a high risk of developing hearing loss and tinnitus later in life.
Standard masking devices help to mask the sound of tinnitus while you are using them, but they have no long-lasting effects. Modern medical-grade devices use customized sounds tailored specifically to your tinnitus. Unlike regular sound machines, these devices are only worn intermittently. You may experience benefits long after the device is turned off, and over time, you may experience long-term improvement in the perceived loudness of your tinnitus.

domain: medical


text:
歷史系列 ─ 謄刻古籍No.1─No.3 介紹
謄刻古籍No.1-聖徒生活12卷 No.1 Transcribe Ancient Books I-Les Vies des Saints│桂楠木、油畫顏料、凡尼斯 Phoebe kwangsiensis H. Liu., oil paint, vernis│2016-2018
“Les Vies des saints” 《聖徒生活》的作者阿德里安·貝爾（Adrien Baillet , 1649年6月13日-1706年1月21日）是法國學者和評論家。他幼時窮困，從家鄉附近一個修道院的修士那裡學習到拉丁語，其後在神學院內接受了完整的教育，後來被任命為博韋學院的教師，1676年被正式任命為神父。1680年他接受了巴黎議會主席的圖書館館長任命，期間親手撰寫完成了整個圖書館的圖書目錄共35卷。他的一生都在不斷地、堅持不懈地熱情學習與勤奮勞動中度過，每日只允許自己擁有五個小時的休息時間。
Les Vies des saints was written by Adrien Baillet (1649.06.13 – 1706.01.21), a French scholar and critic. Grew up in an impoverished family, he was sent to be a pupil in a monastery near his hometown, where he was taught Latin by the monks. He then received a complete education in a theological seminary and was afterwards appointed a teaching position at the College of Beauvais. In 1676, he was officially ordained a priest; and in 1680, he accepted an appointment to be the librarian to the Advocate-General to the Parlement of Paris, during which he completed a catalogue raisonné of the library, with 35 volumes in total. He spent his life in continuous learning and diligent labor, devoting so much of his time that he only allowed himself five hours of rest per day.
Published in 1701, Les Vies des saints was his most well-known work, which demonstrated his serious contemplation on the sbject of miracles in Christendom and became a controversial book after its publication. This work is a replication of the rare first edition from 1701.
謄刻古籍No.2-希臘羅馬名人傳 Transcribe Ancient Books II- Plutarchi Parallela, Seu Vitae Parallelae│桂楠木、油畫顏料、凡尼斯 Phoebe kwangsiensis H. Liu, oil painting, vernis│2018
“Plutarchi Parallela, Seu Vitae Parallelae” 《普魯塔克的比較列傳》一書又名《希臘羅馬名人傳》，作者普魯塔克（Plutarch，約46年─125年）為羅馬時代的希臘著名傳記作家、哲學家，其作品在文藝復興時期至為重要。此書可謂開歐洲傳記文學的先河，是西洋世界最早一部傳記。該書規範寫作傳記的原則，人物繁多，記載詳實，並生動刻劃出傳記人物的人格特質和心理變化 。全書共五十個篇章，除四篇單人傳記，另四十六篇均各包含一個希臘人物和一個羅馬人物的傳記，記後一比較文，文中將二人顯著之特點加以對比。
Plutarchi Parallela, Seu Vitae Parallelae, also known as Lives of Illustrious Greeks and Romans or Parallel Lives, was written by Plutarch (46-125), a celebrated Greek biographer and philosopher in ancient Rome, whose works had tremendous importance during the time of Renaissance. This particular work is considered the first of the biography genre in Europe, and therefore, the first biography in the history of Western civilization. In the book, Plutarch talked about the principles of writing a biography and provided a minute account of many figures, vividly describing their personality traits and psychological journeys. The book comprises of fifty chapters, including four biographies featuring four individual figures and forty-six biographies, each features a pair of a Greek figure and a Roman figure, ensued by the writer’s comment and comparison of their respective characteristics.
Over the course of two millennia after the book’s publication, it has been viewed as a canonical work in Western literature and carries equal importance to the Chinese masterwork, Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian. Plutarch was also named “the father of biography” in Western literary world because of this historical masterpiece. This work is based on the Greek/Latin version published in 1723 to 1724.
謄刻古籍 No.3-哲學家塞內卡作品Transcribe Ancient Books III-Oeuvres de Séneque le Philosophe│桂楠木、油畫顏料、凡尼斯 Phoebe kwangsiensis H.Liu., oil paint, vernis│2018-2019
“Oeuvres de Séneque le Philosophe”《哲學家塞内卡作品》一書的作者–盧修斯·阿奈烏斯·塞內卡 （拉丁語：Lucius Annaeus Seneca，約西元前4年－西元65年）是古羅馬時代著名的科爾多瓦斯多亞學派的哲學家、政治家、劇作家。他曾任尼祿皇帝的導師及顧問，62年因躲避政治鬥爭而引退，但仍於65年被尼祿賜死，以切開血管的方式自殺。
Oeuvres de Séneque le Philosophe was written by Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC – 65 AD), a renowned Stoic philosopher from Cordoba, who was also a statesman and playwright in ancient Rome. He was a tutor and advisor to the Roman emperor, Nero, and retired in 62 to avoid political struggles. However, he was still forced by Nero to take his own life by severing his veins himself in 65.
Seneca upheld the idea that human being’s only mission in life was to elevate morals and wisdom while maintaining spiritual serenity. He advocated stoicism and asked practitioners to renounce real life and desires to wait for divine revelation and spiritual liberation. Due to the impact of such thinking on the subsequent development of Christianity, he was named “the uncle of Christianity” by German philosopher Friedrich Engels in his Bruno Bauer and Early Christianity. This work is
based on the French version translated by François La Grange published in Paris in 1795.

domain: literature


text:
Your source for political news, stories and blog posts related to the 2020 election cycle.
Does anyone know…was CornPop a Latino? That would help.
He will certainly try to make Castro story work against Bernie.
Biden will be hard pushed to take any of Sanders Latino vote but he is newly energized after his recent comeback and his endorsements from the relevant people are happening on a wide scale.


text:
US 4365997 A
A compound substance of great hardness and toughness, comprising a metal matrix, having embedded therein, hard material granules of a size of 0.1 to 5 mm. The metal matrix comprises 1 to 4% carbon, 0.3 to 0.6% silicon, 0.5 to 1.5% manganese, 0.8 to 2.8% vanadium, 0.5 to 1.5% chromium, 2 to 10% tungsten, about 0.01% aluminum and the remainder, iron.
1. Wear resistant compound substance comprising a cast metal matrix comprising, by weight, 1 to 4% carbon, 0.3 to 0.6% silicon, 0.5 to 1.5% manganese, 0.8 to 2.8% vanadium, 0.5 to 1.5% chromium, 2 to 10% tungsten, about 0.01% aluminum, and the remainder, iron, and, embedded in said metal matrix, a hard material in granular form, the hard material having a grain size of 0.1 to 5 mm.
2. Compound substance as defined in claim 1 wherein said hard material has a grain size of 0.5 to 1 mm.
3. Compound substance as defined in claim 1 wherein the metal matrix comprises, by weight, 2.5 to 3.5% carbon, 0.4 to 0.5% silicon, 0.8 to 1.2% manganese, 1.5 to 2.3% vanadium, 0.8 to 1.2% chromium, 5 to 8% tungsten, 0.01% aluminum, and the remainder iron.
4. Compound substance as defined in any one of claims 1 through 3 wherein the metal matrix having said hard material embedded therein, is tightly bonded to a metal layer free of hard materials.
5. Compound substance as defined in any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein the hard material is selected from the group consisting of tungsten carbide of the type WC, tungsten carbide of the type W2 C, titanium carbides, tantalum carbides, and mixtures thereof.
6. Compound substance as defined in any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein the embedded hard material is free of titanium.
7. Compound material as defined in any one of claims 1 through 3 wherein the weight ratio of hard material to metal matrix, based on initial weights, is 1:5.
8. Compound substance as defined in any one of claims 1 through 3 which is welded onto a tool subject to abrasive wear.
9. Compound substance as defined in claim 8 wherein the tool is an excavating bucket or a rock drilling bit.
10. Method for producing a compound substance comprising melting an alloy comprising, by weight, 1 to 4% carbon, 0.3 to 0.6 silicon, 0.5 to 1.5% manganese, 0.8 to 2.8% vanadium, 0.5 to 1.5 chromium, 2 to 10% tungsten, about 0.01% aluminum, and the remainder, iron, pouring said melt into a mold, adding to said melt hard material granules having a size of 0.1 to 5 mm, the hard material being embedded in a plastic matrix comprising a plastic which evaporates without residue, and simultaneous with said addition, cooling said melt.
11. Method as defined in claim 10 wherein the mold is a preheated ceramic mold.
12. Method as defined in claim 10 or 11 wherein the mold is preheated to about 800° C. to about 1200° C.
13. Method as defined in claim 10 or 11 additionally comprising soldering or welding the compound substance onto a metal layer free of hard materials.
14. Method as defined by claim 10 wherein the mold is vibrated to uniformly distribute the hard material in the bottom of the metal matrix.
15. The method as defined in claim 10 or 14, wherein the plastic matrix is placed in the mold before the metal alloy is poured into the mold, and when the melt is added to the mold, the plastic evaporates above the surface of the melt, and the hard substance granules are simultaneously released, falling into the melt.
The present invention relates to a wear resistant compound material including a metal matrix in which a hard material is embedded. Hard materials include hard substances and hard metals. Hard substances are understood to mean carbides, nitrides, borides, silicides and oxides having a great hardness. Among the hard metals are Stellites, cast alloys based on Co-Cr-W-C-B, and hard metals based on tungsten carbide and/or titanium carbide or tantalum carbide, sintered with Co.
According to the prior art, it is the custom to armor machine parts which are subject to great wear with, among other things, deposition welded alloys in which the metal matrix formed by the welding electrode jacket has hard materials embedded in it. Such deposition welded alloys are applied in thin layers to the greatly stressed machine parts. However, these parts have the drawback that they can withstand only limited thermal and mechanical stresses and have only relatively short service lives. In order to increase service life, the deposition welded layers would have to be thickened, but this is not feasible because such thickened protective layers would be even more subject to loosening due to thermally caused mechanical stresses.
German Offenlegungsschrift [Laid-open Application] No. 2,630,932 discloses a compound substance made of a metal matrix with embedded hard material spheres. This compound substance is composed of hard metals containing 94 percent by weight WC and 6 percent by weight Co, or W2 C hard substances and a metal matrix of sintered iron, sintered steel, cast iron or cast steel, the weight ratio of hard material to the metal matrix being 1:1 to 1:0.1.
It has been found, however, that such composite compound substances are unable to meet the demands of the uses to which they are put. The hard material spheres of a size of 2 to 10 mm easily break out of the metal matrix so that service life times cannot be substantially improved compared to the prior art deposition welded alloys. Moreover, the manufacture of the compound substance disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,630,932 is very difficult.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wear-resistant compound substance containing a hard material in granular form embedded in a metal matrix.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a compound substance of greater hardness and toughness, and resistance to abrasive wear, compared with prior art substances.
In view of these objects and in accordance with its purpose, the present invention provides a wear resistant compound substance and methods for its manufacture, the substance comprising a sintered or cast metal matrix including by weight, 1 to 4% carbon, 0.3 to 0.6% silicon, 0.5 to 1.5% manganese, 0.8 to 2.8% vanadium, 0.5 to 1.5% chromium, 2 to 10% tungsten, about 0.01% aluminum, and the remainder iron, and, embedded in the metal matrix, a hard material in granular form, the hard material having a grain size of 0.1 to 5 mm.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic representations of casting molds according to the present invention, in cross section.
The present invention includes a novel compound substance and a method for its preparation. The substance which includes a metal matrix having hard material granules embedded therein, exhibits great hardness and toughness, and is useful as an abrasion resistant part.
Embodiments of the metal matrix of the present invention are sintered or cast, and comprise by weight, 1 to 4% carbon, 0.3 to 0.6% silicon, 0.5 to 1.5% manganese, 0.8 to 2.8% vanadium, 0.5 to 1.5% chromium, 2 to 10% tungsten, about 0.01% aluminum, and the remainder iron. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the metal matrix will comprise, by weight, 2.5 to 3.5% C, 0.4 to 0.5% Si, 0.8 to 1.2% Mn, 1.5 to 2.3% V, 0.8 to 1.2% Cr, 5 to 8% W, 0.01% aluminum and the remainder Fe.
In its broad embodiment, the metal matrix has embedded therein granules of a hard material having a grain size of 0.1 to 5 mm. In the further embodiment as described above, the grain size will generally be 0.5 to 1 mm. In accordance with the present invention, grain size ranges may also be 0.5-5 mm in the first embodiment described above, and 0.1-1 mm in the further embodiment above.
"Hard materials" as used herein refers to hard metals and to other hard substances, and to mixtures thereof.
The resisting substance to be utilized in the compositon can be hard materials or hard metal alloys or combinations thereof. The hard components which are applicable with respect to the composition of the subject application are carbides, nitrides, borides, silicides, and oxides of the elements of Groups IIa, IIIa, IVa, IVb, Vb and VIb of the Periodic Table including such compounds as one or more of tungsten carbide, zirconium boride, titanium nitride, tantalum carbide, zirconium carbide, alumina, beryllium carbide, titanium carbide, silicon carbide, aluminum, boride, boron carbide, and mixtures thereof. The carbides of Groups IVb, Vb and VIb of the Periodic Table are preferred.
Among the hard metals useful in the present invention are Stellites® (Co-Cr-W alloys), cast alloys based on Co-Cr-W-C-B, and hard metals based on tungsten carbide and/or titanium carbides, or tantalum carbides, sintered with Co. Particularly useful are tungsten carbides of the WC or W2 C type, titanium carbides, and/or tantalum carbides. Furthermore hard metal scrap is of great use in these compound substances. Such hard metal scrap components are often available in grain sizes of 0.5 to 5 mm as waste materials or scrap, from hard metal manufacturing facilities and can thus be subjected to economical further processing.
Hard substances include carbides nitrides, borides, silicides and oxides having great hardness.
The weight ratio of hard material grains to metal matrix is preferably 1:5, with respect to the initial weight of the components.
In another embodiment of the invention, the embedded hard metal is free of titanium.
In using these compound substances, it is advantageous for the metal matrix containing the hard material granules to be tightly bonded to a metal layer which does not contain any hard materials. In particular, this embodiment can easily be applied as a coating on a machine element which acts as a wear resistant layer.
The compound substance of the present invention may be manufactured by a process in which a metal alloy is melted and poured into a mold, preferably ceramic, and preferably preheated to about 800° to about 1200° C. Hard material grains, preferably of a size of 0.5 to 1 mm, are added to this melt, which is simultaneously quenched.
Due to their high specific weight, the hard material grains drop to the bottom of the mold, while the surfaces of the grains being to dissolve from exposure to the high temperature melt. An extremely favorable influence is exerted on structure of the compound substance produced if the mold is of the vibrating type, and the vibrations begin simultaneously with the addition of the granules. In this way, the hard material additive is uniformly distributed in the bottom of the metal matrix. By adjusting the metal matrix, it is possible to finely regulate the thickness of the wear-resistant compound layer.
In another method of manufacturing the compound bodies, the hard material grains are embedded in plastic matrix, the plastic being of a type which can be evaporated without residue. This plastic matrix is placed in the mold before the metal matrix is cast. When the hot, liquid metal is added to the mold, the plastic evaporates above the surface of the liquid metal, and the hard substance granules are simultaneously released, falling into the melt.
In a further embodiment of the method, the metal matrix with embedded hard material is soldered or welded to a metal free of hard material. This facilitates the application of the wearable compound substance as a wear resistant layer on particular machine parts.
These wear resistant parts may also be soldered or welded to tools which are subject to great abrasive wear, such as evacuation buckets and rock drilling bits.
The compound substances produced according to the present invention exhibit a great hardness and surprisingly a great toughness.
The invention will now be explained with regard to the preferred embodiments and with references to FIGS. 1 and 2.
Molded bodies of a size 35×15×100 mm3 are produced as compound substances according to the present invention. An alloy of the composition, by weight, of 3% C, 0.5% Si, 1% Mn, 1% Cr, 8% W, 1.6% V, 0.01% Al and the remainder Fe, is melted in an induction furnace. The melt, at 1520° C., is poured into ceramic mold 1, as shown in FIG. 1, which is heated to about 1000° C. A cast piece of dimensions 35×100×80 mm3 is produced. After completion of casting, hard metal additives grains 6, having a grain size of 0.5 to 1 mm, are added to melt 2 in the mold. Because of their higher specific weight, the hard metal grains sink to the bottom of the mold, their surfaces starting to dissolve due to the contact with the melt. At the same time, the mold is caused to vibrate so that a uniform distribution of the hard metal grains is realized at the bottom of the mold. The weight ratio of the metal melt to the hard material grains is 5:1.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the melt is fed into a casting funnel 3 and flows in an ascending manner into a ceramic mold 4 while above the melt there is disposed a plastic matrix 5 which can be evaporated without residue and which contains a mixture of hard material grains.
This plastic matrix is incorporated into the mold which has been heated to 200° C. in such a manner that during casting and during evaporation of the plastic 5 the hard material grains 6 fall into the melt where they are uniformly distributed at the bottom of the metal matrix.
To obtain uniform introduction of the hard material granules into the melt, two factors are of substantial importance: (1) good wettability of the individual grains by the melt, and (2) proper balancing of the relationship of temperature and free melt surface to the weight and surface of the additive granules. Since the melt continuously loses heat, the addition of the granules must not take too long; however, too rapid addition may result in surface solidification of the melt, thus preventing uniform sinking of the hard material granules. The plastic matrix which evaporates without residue and which contains embedded granules, optimizes the addition of granular materials into the melt.
It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

domain: chemistry


text:
Year: 2009 ISBN: 978-90-429-2039-2 Pages: X-314 p. Price: 74 EURO
Add to cart
The history of philosophy has painted two differing, if not contradictory, images of Nicholas of Cusa. He was hitherto considered either as a mystical theologian or as a political philsopher. This book is a comparative study of the two great works that have generated these divergent representations of the 15th century German thinker, namely De concordantia catholica and De docta ignorantia. The study yields an understanding of the continuity and discontinuity in the thinking of the Cusanus of the Council of Basel and that of the post-Basel period. This book also provides details that are necessary to offer a unified as well as a dynamic thought, which is of vital importance to argue for the continued relevance of medieval thought in contemporary times.

domain: library