Blooms and bridges.

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Guess it's time for lilac blooms!! I was out and about so I took a couple of photos.

I really like all the subtle colors in this photo. Enlarge it for a better view.

You can see how high up the blooms are. I have been doing a little research about how best to prune these shrubs. You can force them into a low shrub by cutting 1/3 of the old wood out each year and you will always have blossoms. Not as many the first two years, but it's a good way to do it, I guess........

I've been noticing just how many lilac bushes there are. In town and countryside alike, they are quite prolific.
They really are a sight! And the wonderful aroma on a calm afternoon.... nothing like it.




Now to another part of the world, let's go take a look at the Millau viaduct in France. This photo looks a little unreal, hey?




Here's another view. Still a little skeptical? "The Millau Viaduct is part of the new E11 expressway connecting Paris and Barcelona and features the highest bridge piers ever constructed. The tallest is 240 metres (787 feet) high and the overall height is an impressive 336 metres (1102 feet), making this the highest bridge in the world."




Another interesting view. Some other facts include: "Interestingly, the Millau Viaduct is not straight. Why? It's because a straight road could induce a floating sensation as you drive across it. So, a slight curve remedies that feeling. The curve is 20km in range. Moreover, the road has a slight incline of 3% to improve the visibility and reassure the driver"

Now, being totally skeptical of these things, I fired up Google Earth, typed in millau viaduct. I was amazed to see images from 2004 (I think) showing this thing in early construction stages! Some of the huge piers were in place, the start of one end with a tower and cables holding up a short stretch of road. All the twisting, curving roads you see in the photos are also part of the landscape shown on Google's digital photos of the earth. If you enjoy looking at maps and are interested in how the world actually looks, then you need to download Google Earth. It's a gas.....

Here are a few good sites for photos and info about this bridge.



That's it for now, I gotta go, Carlo

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