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We visited the Duomo Museum, just east of the Cathedral. It was wonderful, but as with everything else here, the internet and books are loaded with images, so here's just a sample, the charming choir of Luca della Robbia, along with the truly wrenching Donatello Maddalena (Mary Magdalen), of which Vasari wrote: "a finely executed and impressive work. She is portrayed as wasted away by her fastings and abstinence, and Donatello's expert knowledge of anatomy is demonstrated by the perfect accuracy of every part of the figure."
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After reaching the saturation point ("arted out" as our guides say) we were hungry for a different kind of Italian art -- food and wine. We followed Sabrina's advice and found the tiny Trattoria Le Mossacce (via del Proconsolo 55r). I didn't take any pictures of the outside (must've been hungry), but found one on the 'net. You walk through a very narrow hall into a very tiny dining room. Nearly everyone inside was Italian, with the exception of a group which followed us in. They were German but could as well have been Americans. The idiots wanted to push two tables together so the eight of them could sit together. It would have been impossible. The waiter told them to go to hell, so they settled for a men's table and a women's table (the women, who sat near us, seemed relieved). I had spaghetti, and Karen had tagliatelli; the wine was chianti.
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| Bargello Museum We next dropped into the Bargello, aka Bargello Palace or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People), which is a former barracks and prison, the principal place of execution, one of the oldest buildings in Florence, begun in 1255. Initially the headquarters of the Capitano del Popolo and later of the Podestà, in the sixteenth century it became the residence of the Bargello or head of police spies from which it took its name. Saw a lot of Cellini, Michelangelo, Donatello - in particular, Donatello's David. Also got a chuckle out of Michelangelo's Bacchus |
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Santa Croce - Gothic Franciscan church
Novotel Peace Beijing features a restaurant, serving breakfast only. This property features massage and treatment rooms, beauty services, and a hair salon. In addition to an indoor pool, Novotel Peace Beijing provides a spa tub, a sauna, and a fitness facility. Novotel Peace Beijing also offers a bar/lounge, high-speed Internet access, and conference rooms. The property has a 24-hour front desk.
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Shanghai Peace hotel Location
Located on the famous Bund by the Huangpu River (at the cross roads of Nanjing Road East and Zhongshan Dong Yi Road).
Hongqiao International Airport 18km Pudong Interantional Airport 50km Shanghai Railway Station 5km Nearest Subway Station 1km The bund 0km Nanjing Road Shopping Area 100m
Well defined as the top holiday destination in the UAE, Dubai is filled with an incredible variety of services and attractions. One of the biggest appeals of Dubai is the combination of exciting urban adventures and nightlife coupled with easy-going days spent at one of the many notable Dubai beach resorts. Beach hotels in Dubai run parallel with the city’s standards offering exceptional surroundings, world class services and plenty of excellent amenities.
On Dubai’s famous Jumeirah Beach lies the Jumeirah Beach Hotel nestled invitingly on a stretch of privately owned beachfront facing the Arabian Gulf. Less than a half hour from the city center, this Dubai beach hotels location offers the best of both worlds, tranquility and excitement. Luxurious and spirited Jumeirah is one of the top beach hotels in Dubai. Designed for families, couples and friends, the hotel presents a large variety of fun possibilities for every traveler. This beach resorts Dubai visitors, especially families, love the close proximity to the Wild Wadi Waterpark.
Our most popular Grand Canyon Rafting Tours venture deep into the West Rim Indian Country where you will meet with an expert Hualapai Indian River Runner Guide and board your 8-passenger river raft. Experience 40 miles of thrills and excitement and feel the relentless power of class 3 and 4 rapids! You will shoot rapids like "Dragon Tooth" and stop at Tavertine Canyon and hike to the Tavertine Waterfalls and enjoy lunch and refreshments along the way. We also offer some combination Grand Canyon & Boat Tours where at the bottom of the canyon you will enjoy a wonderful 20 minute Pontoon Boat ride on the Colorado River between the shear red and gold cliffs of Quartermaster Canyon.
You might want to delight in the relaxation of a slow Float Trip through Black Canyon, one of the Colorado River's most beautiful and exciting canyons at the base of Hoover Dam where you will board a 35-passenger river raft that will take you 11 miles downstream with a friendly, informed guide. These are exciting experiences that will leave you with memories that will last a lifetime!
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Moscow Kremlin is a group of fortifications and civic and religious buildings in the heart of Moscow, opposite the Moscova River in the south, the Red Square in the East and the Alexander Garden in the west .
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When it opened in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world and the first to use electrical lighting. It has hosted presidents, royalty, and celebrities throughout the years. The hotel has been featured in numerous movies and books.
The hotel received the Four Diamond rating from the American Automobile Association,[4] and was listed by USA Today as one of the "Top 10 Resorts In The World".[5]
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The family of products from Flex-Ability Concepts, Oklahoma City, OK, was used extensively in the arch-laden design of the new St. Therese of Carmel Catholic Church in San Diego, CA. Flex-C Trac®, Flex-C Arch™ and Flex-C Angle were all utilized in a variety of interior and exterior radii applications to create a striking, inviting look for the 1,000- seat church.
The Flex-C Trac system provides an easy way for builders to frame high quality curves by utilizing a simple, flexible metal track or plate for use with wood or metal studs.
More than 8,000 linear feet of Flex-Ability Concepts products were used, including 8” and 10” 16 gauge Flex-C Trac on the top and bottom of structural beams used to frame radii above and below.
Hyndman & Hyndman Architects, Cardiff By The Sea, CA, developed the design. The design objectives, according to Shelly Hyndman, “included providing a building footprint and form that would emphasize the long linear center aisle used for processions in liturgies while still providing a contemporary ‘seating in the round’ worship space. Multiple arches were used to establish a consistent vocabulary and provide a somewhat Tuscan feeling to the building design.”
The entire building is light gauge steel framing. According to Hyndman, “The building exceeded the 50' maximum height allowable under the Type 5 building type limitations and therefore a Type 3 building was required using non-combustible construction. Additionally, many of the soffits and architectural features in the ceilings were better suited to the light weight nature of steel studs rather than wood framing. Since the super-structure was steel, this also provided for easier connections that would otherwise require additional expense in attachments between architectural features and the primary structure. The flexible track also contributed to the decision to use steel studs since the curved forms could be more economically achieved using this curveable product.”
Hyndman continued, “The performance of the Flex-C Trac was great. The subcontractor seemed to whistle through the light gauge framing portion of the job, maybe even picking up schedule delays lost to the steel structure erection time. The flexible track system was economical and more accurate and consistent than wood framing. No bends or tangential defects can be seen as is sometimes the case with wood. The congregation loves the new building!”
The framing contractor on the project was A&R Construction, San Diego. The Flex-Ability Concepts distributor was Heartland Building Materials, San Diego.
Flex-C Trac is made of galvanized steel and is available in 16 and 20 gauges in a wide variety of widths. Flex Lite, a new light duty alternative, is also available in 25 gauge steel. Flex-C Plate and Flex-C Angle are both available in 20 gauge.
For more information on the Flex-Ability Concepts family of products for both commercial and residential applications, call 405-996-5343 or visit the company's website.
