Selinunte founded 628 BC and abandoned about 250 BC, is now a Greek archeological site on the West coast of Sicily.  During Selinunte’s peak before 409 BC, there were 30,000 inhabitants. The Temple of Hera dates to 460-450 BC and  between 1956 through 1959 it was the only temple of five on the site to have been rebuilt.   The other temples lay in ruins around the Acropolis. Sicily has several well-preserved Greek settlements. It was a beautiful cloudless day providing a bright blue backdrop to take this picture with my Panasonic DMC-GF1 camera with polarized filter. Trapani, Sicily, Italy.

June 15, 2013.
~ Laurel Pfund

The Basilica Cistern was originally constructed by Emperor Constantine on the site of the Stoa Basilica, built between 3rd and 4th centuries in the Early Roman Age, which was destroyed by fire in 476. Emperor Justinian rebuilt and enlarged it after the Nika riots of 532.  In full operation, the cistern held 2,800,000 cubic feet (80,000 cubic meters) of water for the Great Palace of Constantinople and Topkapi Palace. It was in use through 1909   Water traveled from the Belgrade Forest on an aqueduct bringing in 100 tons of water filling the cistern half the height of the columns; the pipes eventually clogged and it fell into disrepair.  Rainwater seeping through the ceiling is the only source of water at present. This is one of many locations grouped into the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dimly lit, a 10-second time delay was used to take this picture with my Panasonic DMC-GF1 camera. Old City, Istanbul, Turkey.

August 26, 2012.
~ Laurel Pfund

The Tashichho Dzong is a Buddhist monastery and fortress originally built in 1216 by Lama Gyalwa Lhanapa. Relocated, destroyed multiple times by fire and damaged in an earthquake the temple’s most recent reconstruction was completed and consecrated in 1968. This Dzong is the seat of Bhutan’s government; Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan. There is no separation of state government (constitutional monarchy) and religion in Bhutan. Buildings within the complex include the throne room, offices of the king, cabinet secretariat and the ministries of the home affairs and finance. Just before leaving the city I took this photo with a Panasonic DMC-GF1 camera. Thimphu, Bhutan.

October 25, 2012.
~ Laurel Pfund

The serenity and beauty of the evening lights belies the underlying conflict within the walls of this sacred city filled with a plethora of historic and religious sites. The most visible structure is the Dome of the Rock located on Temple Mount (Har HaMoriyah) built about 1400 years ago during the first Muslim conquest. This is the same site the first Jewish temple was built 1000 years before Christ. The dome covers a slab of stone sacred to both Muslim and Jewish faiths. This evening’s panoramic view from Mt. Olive was taken with a Panasonic DMC-GF1 camera using a 10-second delay timer. Jerusalem, West Bank, Israel.

November 2, 2010.
~ Laurel Pfund

Zhongdian County was officially renamed Shangri La County by the Chinese government in 2001, primarily to attract tourism by aligning itself with the utopian city of the same name in the novel “The Lost Horizon”.  Lijiang’s Old Town is a UNESCO Heritage Site going back over 1000 years; it was a horse stop on the tea trade route. With only pedestrians allowed in the central part of town, it makes for a pleasant ambiance wandering the streets, viewing the unique architecture built by the Nakhi people and finding places to dine. This picture, taken with my Panasonic DMC-GF1 camera, shows the picturesque waterways that wind through town and under foot bridges. On March 11, 2013, a fire destroyed a 600-square meter section of the Old Town. Lijiang, Shangri La County, Yunnan Province, China.

April 2010.
~ Laurel Pfund