Rosenborg Castle - The Silver Lions and the Throne.

 Riddersalen, Rosenborg slot

The three silver lions were made in Copenhagen 1665-70 by Ferdinand Küblich. They had - like the monarch's throne - their model in the old Testament's story about the wise king Solomon which throne was protected by 12 golden lions.The silver lions were used in offical events like fx anointments and they are still used today in the royal family at the "Castrum Doloris".  At the monarch's death the coffin is publicly accessible for a few days, and during this period the lions guard the king or the queen. 

The silver lions stand in the Great Hall (Riddersalen)  at Rosenborg castle. In the great hall is also a fine collection of silver furniture, mainly from the 1700s.








The silver-clad throne, ( used for audience) made by A.F. Holling in Copenhagen for Christian 6.'s Audience Chamber at Christiansborg castle.  Silver furniture symbolized greatness and power, and they were indispensable requisites in a princely residence of the Baroque. The main part of the exhibited furniture was made at Christianborg, which was the absolute monarchy's new residence. It was finished in 1740, but when the new castle burnt down in 1794, the furniture was saved and found a place at Rosenborg. Several pieces of furniture at Rosenborg origin from Christian 6.'s Audience Chamber.

The anointment throne (to the left)  was used for the Danish kings from 1671-1840. Frederik III ordered in the 1660s a throne - and this throne was made even more legendary when it was told that it was made from the horn of a unicorn. The throne is actually made from narwhal tusk, which the king possessed because of his supremacy of the Faroes and Iceland. The throne is made by Bendix Grodtschilling and was used for the first time at Christian 5.'s anointment in 1671. The crowning of Christian 8. in 1840 was however the last use of the throne, since it was also the last coronation upon Danish ground. In 1848 Frederik 7.. became king and signed the first Danish constitution in the start of his rule, in 1849. Since regents are not crowned in Denmark anymore, the next regent is proclaimed at the same time as the prime minister proclaims the old regent's death from the balcony at Christiansborg castle.  

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photo september 2008: grethe bachmann

Rosenborg Castle - The Flora Danica Porcelaine

Flora Danica is a magnificent handpainted  porcelaine-set decorated with pictures of Danish plants, copied  from the coloured planches in the botanic-work Flora Danica. The porcelaine-set consists of a dinner- and dessert-service and was from 1790-1802 made by den Kongelige Porcelænsfabrik, now Royal Copenhagen, 

Disputed origin.
Very little is known about the background of the origin of the set. It is known that the order came from the Danish royal house, but it is not known why or how big the original order was. The purpose has been disputed.  According to a very discussed tradition the set was meant to be a diplomatic gift from the Danish royal house to the Russian empress, Catharina the Great, at a time where Denmark needed a close connection to Russia in an alliance against the common enemy Sweden. According to the tradition Catharina's death in 1796 meant that the not finished set was never sent to Russia, but stayed in the Danish royal house.

Making the set
For the performance of the set an already existing set-form was chosen, the so-called Perlemodel (Pearl model) in classicistic style, equipped with gold edges. The set was decorated with pictures of 700 whole wild plants, which were copied from the unique botanical work Flora Danica. The scientific reproductions of Denmark's plants in this planche-work which had begun in 1761, was copied till the last detail upon the porcelaine. The making of the set became a life's work for one of the period's greatest porcelaine-painters, Johann Christoph Bayer, who decorated 1.644 pieces from the 1802 pieces of the whole set.

The work with the set started in 1790 and went fast in the beginning. 988 pieces were finished in 1792- and 363 more pieces came to in 1794. The same year crownprince Frederik ordered the set expanded from 80 till 100 place settings. Up till 1802 were made 370 pieces more. 93 pieces lacked in 1802 when the work was stopped on royal orders. In January 1803 the fabric delivered a set with 1802 various handshaped and handpainted porcelaine-pieces.

The Flora Danica-set was used for the first time at Christian 7.'s birthday 29. January 1803 at Amalienborg castle. The set has since been used at ceremonial events in the royal house, like weddings, birthdays, New Year's Banquets etc. Today it is used very rarely, the last time was at queen Ingrid's birthday in 1990.


From the original 1802 pieces exist still 1530 pieces. Some are exhibited at Christiansborg castle, Rosenborg castle and in Christian 7.'s Palæ at Amalienborg.

New Production:
In 1862 Den kongelige Porcelænsfabrik took up the production of Flora Danica in connection to princess Alexandra's wedding in 1863 to the British heir to the throne, the later king Edward 7.  The couple was given a set of 60 place settings (765 pieces) as a wedding gift.

The production of the set has continued since, and the Flora Danica-set is thereby the only set from the big porcelaine-sets from the grand time of the porcelaine in the 1700s which is still being produced.

The Flora Danica set is in the kulturkanonen (cultural canon) of Danish design and arts and crafts.

Rosenborg Slot

photo september 2008: grethe bachmann, Rosenborg Slot, København

Green Hairstreak/ Grøn Busksommerfugl

photo: stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

 Callophrys rubi

Green Hairstreak is an early butterfly species. They might be seen already at the end of March, the flight time usually extend until the end of June, sometimes they were seen in July and early August, but they usually flies from late April until mid June in one generation and overwinters as a cocoon upon the surface of the soil. The genus name Callophrys is a Greek word meaning "beautiful eyebrows", while the species Latin name rubi derives from Rubus, one of the hostplants. This butterfly is often called rubi among butterfly collectors.


Callophrys rubi is found in most of Europe, from the Arctic Ocean till the south of Spain. Outside Europe from North Africa till Sibiria. 


Wingspan: 22-27 mm. It is easily recognized because of its small size, quick flight and the green underside. The green colour of the underside varies from golden green till grass green or verdigris green, and the white spots can form an almost continuous line or lack completely.  The upperside of the wing is a uniform dull brown with two paler patches on the male's forewings made up of scent scales. The Green Hairstreak is almost always seen with folded wings and therefore you can usually only see the pretty green underside.


Early butterfly collectors thought that the only foodplant was Bramble (blackberry), Rubus fruticosus, but as its habits became better understood the list grew and will probably continue to do so. Depending on the habitat it will use: Common Rock Rose (Helianthemum nummularium), Bird's Foot-Trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus), Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Broom (Cytisus scoparius), Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria), Bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus), Dogwood ( Cornus sanguinea), Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), Cross-leaved heather (Erica tetralix) and Bramble. The larva is also recorded as feeding on Birch (Betula), Raspberry (Rubus idaeus), Bird vetch (Vicia cracca), Zigzag clover (Trifolium medium), Common heather (Calluna vulgaris), Spiraea, Siberian pea tree (Caragana), Sweetvetch (Hedysarum) and Hawthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) in different parts of its range. The wide range of foodplants means that this butterfly is able to use a wide range of habitats including chalk downland, heathland, moorland and clearings in woodland.  It is present in wetlands as well as on poor dry meadows, at an elevation of about 0–2,300 metres.



 
The eggs are laid singly. The caterpillars are not known to be tended by ants like some lycid larvae but the pupae, which are formed at ground level, emit squeaks which attract ants and it is thought that ants will always bury any that are found. The whistling squeaks can be heard by humans. Green Hairstreaks overwinter as pupae and are univoltine, having one generation of adult butterflies per year.  The larvae is ab. 15 mm long. It is green yellow and has short light hairs, the larvae itself seems transparent. Upon its back it has two rows of yellow spots and a yellow stripe upon the side.


The flight is lightning fast and restless, but even in flight the green colour is visible. The butterflies however spend much of the time resting upon leaves of small birch trees and other low trees or bushes, where the males maintain territories. The resting places of the males are maintained through most of the flight time, but they are used by many other various butterflies, since each male only use the resting place for an hour or two. In cool sunshine the species rest with its side tilted towards the sun - it looks like the butterfly lies upon its side and it is seen upon willow catkins, various composites, marsh daisy and other flowers, but it is not especially seeking nectare. The Green Hairstreak is very shy and fast, and you'll have to be more than good to follow its flight with the eyes if it gets scared and flies up. It often comes back to the same spot after a short flight. That's worth to remember if you want to take a photo!

In Denmark: 

The Green Hairstreak (DK: Grøn Busksommerfugl)  is impossible to confuse with any other Danish butterfly. The green colour is very marked and the black and white stripes of the tentacles and the legs are very distinct. The backwing has a little tip. 
The fodderplant of the larvae in Denmark: The larvae may live upon a number of low bushes, but it seems to prefer bog bilberry ( Vaccinium uliginosum), cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris) alder buckthorn  (Frangula alnus), broom (Sorothamnus scoparius) and blackberry  (Rubus fruticosus )lotus corniculatus birds' foot trefoil. the geeen hairsteak is spread and common in Jutland, but  rare on the Isles and not existing at Bornholm.It's habitat are various pandscapes from dry hills and pastures with broom till heaths and heath moors or peat bogs. On the Isles the species are mostly found in peat bogs and raised bogs.



Source: Dagsommerfugle i Danmark, Michael Stoltze, 1998; Danmarks insekter 2012.

photo Gammel Ry, 24. maj 2009: grethe bachmann
photo Kongsø hede, April 2006: stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

Orange Tip/ Aurora Butterfly

Orange tip/ Aurora
Anthocharis cardamines

The Orange Tip flies from late April until late June and overwinters as a cocoon in low vegetation. It is named Orange tip because of the male's bright orange tips to his forewings. The males are a common sight in spring flying along hedgerows and damp meadows in search of the more reclusive female which lacks the orange and is often mistaken for one of the other 'White' butterflies. The female is - while resting - recognized by its large round spot on the forewing and the grey-black pointed forewing. Both sexes have upon the underside a moss-green marbling, which actually consists of a mix of yellow, black, grey and white scales. The male is able to hide his orange tips by tucking the forewings behind the hindwings at rest.

The wing span is 37-47 mm. The middle spot of the forewing varies in size and the border between the male's orange and white wing colour can differ, relative to the middle spot.

The flight is lively and jumpy. The females often rest for a long time in the vegetation, while the males patrol the terrain and only sit briefly on the plants or suck nectare.

The Orange tip is found across Europe, and eastwards into temperate Asia as far as Japan. The past 30 years has seen a rapid increase in the range of the Orange Tip in the UK, particularly in Scotland and Ireland, probably in response to climate change.

Orange tip, underside.

The habitats are flowery and often moist places with crucifers, like damp pastures and meadows. The Orange tip also lives in more dry pastures, along forest roads and glades and in residential districts - and along riverbanks, ditches, fens, country lanes. 

Both sexes are attracted especially to cruciferous where the female later place the eggs. The caterpillar's fodderplants are siliques from the Cuckoo flower (Cardamines pratensis), Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata),  Mouse-ear cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), Rock cress (Arabis), Tower cress, (Turritis glabra) and many other cruciferous.


The eggs are white to begin with but change to a bright orange after a few days before darkening off just before hatching. Because the larvae feed almost exclusively on the flowers and developing seedpods there is rarely enough food to support more than one larva per plant. If two larvae meet one will often be eaten by the other to eliminate its competitor. Newly hatched larvae will also eat unhatched eggs for the same reason. To stop eggs from being laid on plants already laid on the female leaves a pheromone to deter future females from laying.

Pupation occurs in early summer in scrubby vegetation near the foodplant, where they stay to emerge the following spring. Recent research suggests that the emergence of the butterfly may be delayed for as much as two years, thus insuring the species against unfavourable conditions in a given season.



In Denmark:
The Orange Tip (DK: Aurora)  is spread and few in numbers in West Jutland, but else widespread and common in the rest of the country. The species have spread and been more common in many places during the latest years because of the nitrate-tolerant Garlic mustard, which has replaced the Cuckoo flower as the most important host plant. .


Source: Michael Stoltze, Dagsommerfugle i Danmark, Gyldendal 1998.  Videnskab.dk, 2012.

photo Egtved, 9. May 2009: grethe bachmann
photo Skaade May 1999: stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan.dk 

What children say -

 What do children say about summer?

 I've found some stuff about kids and their summer holidays. They are American kids, but they are like kids all over the world, and I think their thoughts and wishes about the summer holidays are the same. The guy Hyder who wants to take his mom with him to Norway because he loves her very much - and the little girl Ashlei, who won't take anyone with her on vacation, because she wants all the chocolate for herself. I think they ar marvellous!



Tiannah, 11, said her best trip was to Vermont, the home of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. In addition to the ice cream, she liked lying on a comfortable hammock and sleeping under the stars.

Sophie, 11, liked her trip to Colorado best because she learned to cast a fishing rod in a wobbly canoe. She also learned the backstroke in the hotel pool.

Hawaii was a favorite spot for a number of kids:
Diana, 11, liked it so much she wants to move there. "I went to the beach, saw snakes, fish, and a sailfish in the ocean, ate great food, got sunburned, and rode in the new rented car we got."

Where you vacation is important, but as kids described their favorite trips, it was the people that seemed to matter most. In fact, more than half of kids said fun people were the most important ingredient — more important than a great place or fun stuff to do.

Mabembe, 12, said her best trip was a couple years ago when her family took a very long drive to Toronto for a wedding. "What made the trip sooo fun was that we drove," she said. "Yes you heard right, we drove! Two and a half days long. I tell ya, it was all worth it because we did it together as a family."

Lucie, 11, said her best vacation was when her family went to Tanzania in Africa. "I went not to have a safari adventure, but a family one. We went because all my family lives there except my mom, dad, my brother, me, and my sister. That was the best part because I could meet my distant family."

Family and friends also were important as kids described where they'd go on a dream vacation. Some kids chose popular vacation spots, but others said they wanted to visit other planets or go back in time!

Jen, 12, wants to visit 1960s. Why? To see the Beatles live in concert. "I am a big fan of the Beatles and am disappointed that I wasn't even alive when they were together. I'd take my parents so they could tell me about the '60s so I would know how to act in a different decade!"

Nina, 15, would take her best friend, Kathy, to the moon so they could float around in zero gravity.
Madeline, 8, wants to take her dog, Captain, on a trip to Saturn.

Megan, 10, would like to take her family and her cats, Marcie and Buster, on a trip to see volcanoes. She'd stop in Hawaii and Yellowstone National Park — two volcanic spots — to get a head start on her career. "I want to study volcanoes when I grow up," she said.

Hyder, 12, wants to go to Norway to see how it stays light for 6 months of the year and dark for the other 6. Who would he take? "My mom because I love her very much."

Matt, 10, says he wants to go to Washington, DC, to see his uncle and to see the new Major League Baseball team, the Nationals. He'd take his family "because they have done so many things for me."

Alaina, 13, says she's always wanted to visit Queensland, Australia. She'd visit the Sydney Opera House and explore Australian culture. Who would she bring? "My mom, dad, and . . . no one else. Ha-ha, just kidding. I'd take along my little brother, too."

It's hard to tell if Ashlei, 10, was kidding when she said she'd take no one with her on a dream vacation to Hershey, Pennsylvania.
 Why go alone? "I want all the chocolate to myself," she said.


























Photo Strands, Mols, 2007: grethe bachmann

Alternative Building - Living Houses

Nørre Snede

cedar

built in cedar wood

clay

blue mussels on the roof.

the round corners show the use of straw.

                                                                                                                    

In a parcelling in the southern outskirt of the town Nørre Snede in Mid Jutland is an interesting building project of sustainable houses. Living houses. Materials like straw, clay, cedar, blue mussels etc.

blue mussels on roof

In the local plan for the parcelling "Skovdalen" is  determined that the buildings must be built according to sustainable principles. The building must in material-production, establishment and daily use affect the environment as little as possible, evaluated from a comprehensive accounting.

It is not allowed to use impregnate wood, glass fiber- or rockwool products and other materials, which can affect the environment.

The heating must be CO2 neutral, like: passive solar heating, non-polluting heating with straw, wood etc. Primary heating sources must not be based on fossil fuels or electricity from the public net.

Local sustainable sanitation must be established by the help of root zone systems, sand filter, willow-cleansing systems or alike effective cleansing systems, which comply the existing environment requirements. The amounts of wastewater, which have to be cleansed, can be  minimized by the use of composting toilet and/or WC, which use grey wastewater. WC can also be established by using collected rainwater.

Several property owners can join in establishing a common solution.

The Grundejerforeningen (property owner union) establishes local sorting and collecting of waste and a possibility for local recycling.

The starting point is that pesticides, insecticides and fungicides must not be used in the area.

The present town Nørre Snede lies upon a large hillside, but the Iron Age people built their village downside the hills. 
  
From the new building area in Skovdalen you've got a view to the place where an Iron Age village was found in an excavation some years ago. The longhouses in Nørre Snede were a little smaller than the wellknown houses from the Iron Age village in Vorbasse. ( the biggest was 36 meter long)  Each longhouse stood in the middle of a square fencing together with one or two small buildings, and the farms were placed in long rows. The stables were in the west end of the house, the living section to the east, which is contrary to the usual Iron Age house There are six building stages of this village, where they have moved the village to the next place,close to the previous - and the houses are the same from ab. year 400 until the 600s.




photo: grethe bachmann

Landscape in Viborg district in May

The landscape in May is lightgreen - and if the weather is fine and sunny , it is so nice and lovely everywhere. And I love the month of May.  But the days of May this year have been very cold, and today on the 18th of May it is still cold. I have turned up the heat in the rooms.
The day I was in the district around Viborg the weather was also rather cold, it had been frost a couple of nights ago -  and if I compare to photos from other years in May there are usually goats and ponies in the fields by the Dollerup brook. It was obvious that the soil here was too moisty. Some of the blooming hedgerows are holding back their flowers. Maybe next week-end will be better -  I really long for the butterflies!     

There is a sweet song, which tells about this mild and gentle landscape in May.

Kom, maj, du søde, milde!
Gør skoven atter grøn,
og lad ved bæk og kilde
violen blomstre skøn.
Hvor ville jeg dog gerne,
at jeg igen den så!
Ak, kære maj, hvor gerne
igen i marken gå.

I'm sorry I cannot sing it for you - and I'm not sure you would like it! You know the tune, it's a wellknown Mozart melody. da da da da di diii da - da da da da didi da ..........etc!!!

Dolllerup Bakker, the heath

View from Dollerup Bakker to Hald Sø

Beech in May

rape field and dandelions

Lake at Klosterlund

Lake at Klosterlund

Orienteering race

Kærmysse/ Bog Arum

Klosterlund, colour by the edge of the lake

Good friends

Testrupvej, Viborg district

Testrupvej and Hald Sø, Viborg district

Iceland Ponies

Dollerup brook, Viborg district.

Dolllerup brook, Viborg district.

at Dollerup brook, Viborg district




photo May 2012: grethe bachmann

ph

The Sunshine Award is a Precious Thing on a Rainy Day.

This was really a lovely surprise in the middle of a stormy, rainy day. A bouquet of sunshine. It couldn't be better.

Thank you and hugs to Kittie Howard,   for the

 I'm supposed to pass the award on to five people (along with some questions). Please drop by Kittie Howard (link above image) and the five below. You will enjoy it.

A Taste of Italy

Sage to Meadow

The Potters House Penketh 


Teresa Evangeline


Moments of Mine 



Now, I'm supposed to answer some questions:

1. Who are your favorite authors and what is it that strikes you about their work?

I like many authors, I usually choose an author and read his works, but I like to read the classics, like the old Russians, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. I think most women can relate to Anna in some way. There are many great classics, like Flaubert's Madame Bovary, Emile Zola's Nana etc. Marcel Proust series: In Search of Lost Time. I like Hemingway and Steinbeck too. But I think it's very difficult to answer this question. And I'll probably change the answer to-morrow.

2. If you were stranded on a deserted island, and were allowed to bring 3 items with you, what would they be? 

Sun Lotion and pen and paper.  

3. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I was always a dreamer, but I'm 80 this year. Oh dear, where would I be in five years? Would you force me to answer?   

4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I love my little country, but it's very cold in the winter season, so I would like to live in Spain or in the south of France from January till mid April. I want to live in Denmark in the summer and autumn season. Denmark is so beautiful in summer and autumn, and I want to live close to the sea. 

5. Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover?

I would prefer all three. Some books might be difficult to buy in the bookstore, but available as ebooks.

6. If you could be any character (male or female) from your book who would you pick? And why?

I'm writing my memoirs. So I would pick myself.

7. Where and/or how did you get your inspiration to write your novel?

I've wanted to do some writing since 1980, I had some turbulant years in my life in the 1980s. I've got a large bunch of manuscripts and a box with diaries to work with.

8. What were the best parts about writing this book?

 Studying my notes! That was fun. `)  

9. Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

I do my writing by hand, so yes, a blank piece of paper might stop me, but usually not for long.

10. What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks? :)

My hobbies have changed a little, since I cannot do any sports now. But I've still got my painting, I love to read and go to the cinema and being with my friends. I don't party much anymore. The most important thing for me now is to go out in nature doing some research and studying nature in general, and go home and write about it and sort my photo-archive. 
On a usual day I tidy up and go shopping and when I came home I see if I have spent too much money! And then I might be in the mood to do some writing!

Boosting Your Health with 5 Herbs

I know that most people today know how to take good care of their health. I  myself too. Sometimes I forget all the good advice, but when I  begin to see the herbs pop up from the earth out there in the woods and in the fields in spring, I suddenly remember how fantastic it is that you can just go out there and gather herbs for your own kitchen. All those herbs during spring and summer with all those fine qualities. There are so many fine herbs out there with an ancient history, and when you gather herbs it's like being the part of a thousand year old chain of people. The herbs were always there - and they probably will continue to be there...........



5 herbs for your health.

Stinging Nettle.














Already from the first days of spring the first little nettle shots pop up into the air from the black soil, and those tiny sprouts are bursting with nutrition and energy. The nettle contains among other things large amounts of zinc, which is important for the production of insuline and sexual hormones. Nettle contains also much iron, of which women are often in shortage - this can cause anemia and fatigue. Furthermore the nettle contains much betacarotene, B- and C- vitamins, calcium, potassium, silicon and sodium. The aboveground part of the nettle is used in herbal medicine, typically for women, because of its nutritious qualities. The nettle also works diuretic, mildly blood-sugar regulating and milk promoting.

  Lemon Balm                                                                                      

Old garden at Nyord, an island between Zealand and Møn

Lemon balm is sedative for the nervous system and is used as a natural part of  the treatment of problems  like stress and insomnia.


 Peppermint

Krans-mynte( Mentha x verticillata)

Peppermint is a wellknown old medicinal herb, which through centuries was used against stomach problems and against nausea. It is also a good means against flu and cold, and it stimulates the circulation - at the same time it increases the blood circulation to the brain and clears the mind.




 Ground elder

This is the edible plant of all times - most are annoyed by it because it spreads violently, but both leaves and flowers can be used in cooking. The leaves are good in salads, soups and vegetable-dishes. The flowers can be used in salad. The ground elder is also fine as a green touch in juices and smoothies. The tiny leaves taste best. The plant is basic, rich in minerals and is said to work detoxifying. That's why it is especially good in arthritis-problems.


 Dandelion

The dandelion contains almost double as much A-vitamin as spinach, which is known for its big content of A-vitamin. The leaves of dandelion taste bitter and stimulate the liver and the digestion. Pluck the fine leaves and chop them finely for a salad, or put them in vegetable-dishes - or brew a dandelion tea. The flowers can be used as a decoration in salads and desserts. The dandelion is used in herbal medicine to cleanse the blood and to improve the work of the liver and the gall. It contains much potassium and many good vitamins and minerals.





Source: Caroline Fibæk: Urt din sundhed op, Sunde tips, Femina nr.19, Maj 2012. 

photo: grethe bachmann

photo of Mentha x verticillata: stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk