Latest news with #SantaMaria
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Canadiens: Potential First Round Pick
'It's in our DNA': Racing returns to Santa Maria Speedway under new family ownership 'It's in our DNA': Racing returns to Santa Maria Speedway under new family ownership
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
Replica Columbus flagship arrives in Jersey
A replica of Christopher Columbus's flagship is in Jersey for the first time and has opened its decks to the public. The Nao Santa María arrived at Albert Pier is visiting the island and is due to continue to several ports in the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands as part of a European tour. The Nao Victoria Foundation, which built the ship in 2018, said it was a "faithful, full-scale historical reproduction", with four masts, five sails, and five decks. It said the ship sailed "as a floating museum of its own story and Spanish maritime heritage". The ship, which was constructed in Spain, weighs about 180 tonnes, is 29m (95ft) long, and 8m (26ft) wide. "During its stay in Jersey, visitors will be able to board the ship and explore its decks to learn more about this famous 1492 flagship of Christopher Columbus," the foundation said. "Its features, rigging, navigation, the stories it tells, and how the crew lived on board under harsh conditions." The original Santa María was the largest of the three small ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first expedition across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. It sank on the return leg of the journey, after running aground off the north coast of Haiti on Christmas Day the same year. The Nao Santa María is open until 20:30 BST on Sunday. Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Replica of first ship to sail the world heads to Kent Darwin legacy voyage passes halfway mark Nao Santa Maria
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
Replica Columbus flagship arrives in Jersey
A replica of Christopher Columbus's flagship is in Jersey for the first time and has opened its decks to the public. The Nao Santa María arrived at Albert Pier is visiting the island and is due to continue to several ports in the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands as part of a European tour. The Nao Victoria Foundation, which built the ship in 2018, said it was a "faithful, full-scale historical reproduction", with four masts, five sails, and five decks. It said the ship sailed "as a floating museum of its own story and Spanish maritime heritage". The ship, which was constructed in Spain, weighs about 180 tonnes, is 29m (95ft) long, and 8m (26ft) wide. "During its stay in Jersey, visitors will be able to board the ship and explore its decks to learn more about this famous 1492 flagship of Christopher Columbus," the foundation said. "Its features, rigging, navigation, the stories it tells, and how the crew lived on board under harsh conditions." The original Santa María was the largest of the three small ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first expedition across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. It sank on the return leg of the journey, after running aground off the north coast of Haiti on Christmas Day the same year. The Nao Santa María is open until 20:30 BST on Sunday. Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Replica of first ship to sail the world heads to Kent Darwin legacy voyage passes halfway mark Nao Santa Maria
Times
17-05-2025
- Times
The fairytale town near Lisbon where a week costs £403
There's a fairytale quality to Obidos. Straddling a bluff 40 miles north of Lisbon and once the residence of Portuguese queens, the original, incredibly pretty village at its heart is enclosed by a fully intact Moorish defensive wall. Whitewashed houses with blue or yellow stripes line the narrow streets up to the turret-laden castle; cats snooze on steps; footsteps clack on cobblestones; honeysuckle perfumes corners; and vast views beckon down alleys. Day-trippers reliably materialise between 11am and 5pm, but stay in Obidos and you'll get to experience a wonderfully authentic town in the surrounding hours, most memorably at sunset when an exquisite golden light takes hold. It's possible to walk the entire Moorish wall for free. Up to 13m high and accessed via four staircases, this mile-long circuit may lack railings (or any sort of safety provision), but it affords views over the town's terracotta roofs and towards the Atlantic coast over the vast, T-shaped Obidos Lagoon. Much of the 13th-century castle is now a hotel, but visitors may enter its main courtyard. The elegant Santa Maria church has blue-and-white azulejo tiles and canvases by Josefa de Obidos, a renowned 17th-century painter who settled here. Perhaps her best work, Beneficiado Faustino das Neves, a dramatic, death-centred chiaroscuro portrait, hangs in the adjacent Municipal Museum (free; No more than five minutes' walk from all this is the Pousada Vila Obidos hotel. This converted 18th-century house contains 17 traditional-style rooms whose high ceilings, flowery print wallpapers and picture windows create a beautifully calming old centre's bookshop-lined main street, Ruta Direita, descends to its main gate, Porta da Vila, which features a blue-tiled balcony shrine. Catching the eye just beyond is a two-mile aqueduct built in the 1500s. Obidos's other claim to fame is the production of ginja — an intensely flavoured liqueur made from sour morello cherries. Available everywhere, it's often served in edible chocolate cups for extra decadence. Try the small Ibn Errik Rex tavern; if you're peckish, you could also have sausages grilled tableside (ginja from £3; Rua Direita 100). Fill your week with boat rides and paddleboarding on the lagoon (20 minutes' drive away), bike rides around the dunes, or head to Bom Sucesso beach for safe swimming. Also close are the Unesco-listed Alcobaca and Batalha monasteries: Cistercian and Dominican complexes respectively, with royal tombs and grand cloisters. • 10 of the most beautiful places in Portugal (and how to see them) Buses take an hour from Lisbon's Campo Grande bus station, stopping just beside Porta da Vila and leaving you with a five-minute uphill walk to the hotel. They're hourly on weekdays, every two hours at weekends (£8; Trains from Lisbon take twice as long to reach a small station that's less convenient, so ignore those. • Return Stansted-Lisbon flights, departing on June 3• 20kg hold luggage• Seven nights' room only at Pousada Vila Obidos ( This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue Feeling flush? If you're inspired by Obidos and have more to spend, try one of these: About 20m from the city walls, the Real d'Obidos is a 14th-century residence turned old-fashioned hotel. All 18 rooms are air-conditioned and surround a medieval-style lounge and honesty bar. The biggest selling point is a 13m swimming pool in the garden, open from June, with a games room (including a snooker table) adding to the appeal. Superior rooms offer castle Six nights' B&B from £899pp, including flights and car hire, departing on June 5 ( • Read our full guide to Portugal For maximum flex stay in Obidos's castle itself, a building considered to be one of Portugal's seven ancient wonders. A sister property to the Pousada Vila, the Pousada Castelo Obidos has 17 baronial-style bedrooms — nine in the original fortress — featuring vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, fireplaces and four-poster beds. Some have balconies. There's a formal restaurant serving regional dishes, plus you get access to towers where members of the public can't Six nights' B&B in a suite from £1,644pp, including flights and private transfers, departing on May 31 (
CNET
11-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Keep Your Mother's Day Bouquets Fresher for Longer With These Expert-Backed Tips
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of times I went to the farmers' market with my family, when they let me bring home a bouquet of sunflowers. I've continued this tradition into adulthood by keeping fresh-cut flowers around my home -- sometimes sunflowers, but oftentimes whatever beautiful bundles the local farmers' market down the street happens to be selling. But even after years of buying flowers weekly, I still get sad when the petals start to wither and brown and drop. Whether you bought flowers for yourself at the local supermarket, or you received a special bouquet in honor of Mother's Day or another celebration or milestone, you'll want to extend the life of those flowers for as long as possible. I talked with two floral experts to round up tips for buying the freshest flowers and how to keep those blooms lasting longer. I'll also share common myths that horticulturists say don't work. For more clever tips, here's the best location for your plants, and here's the best indoor plants for low light and clean air. What to look for in cut flowers You're in the store, ready to purchase flowers for yourself or a special someone, but which bouquet should you pick from the dozens on the stand? Believe it or not, this decision can impact the longevity of the flowers you buy. Joe Guggia, owner of JP Designs Floral based in Santa Maria, California, has worked for over 45 years in the floral industry. He told me many floral bunches are shipped from Ecuador or California, so it's important to closely examine each stem and leaf to make sure you're not buying flowers that are older or were damaged during shipping. Next, once you pull the bushel from the display, check to make sure the water is clean and the leaves aren't yellow, spotted or drooping. You'll also want to be sure the stems aren't slimy or broken. Lucy Bradley, a consumer and community horticulture professor at North Carolina State University, told me you need to check for fuzzy gray mold and drooping, damaged petals. "Extend the vase life by selecting flowers that are just beginning to open," Bradley said. "For roses and other single flowers, select blooms that have only one petal unfurled. For gladiolus and other spike flowers, choose stems with only the first two or three flowers open. For daisy-type flowers, like sunflowers, select flowers with centers that are still greenish." Your in-store buying decisions can impact the longevity of your tips that will actually work While there's a slew of myths surrounding flower care, Guggia and Bradley broke down some tricks that are guaranteed to work. Change the water -- and do it often Adding fresh, lukewarm water to a clean vase is a sure-fire way of keeping flowers healthy longer. "That's the key for people who get vase arrangements, is to replace the water as frequently as they can," Guggia said. "If they just hold the whole bunch out, pour the water out, and put fresh water in, and put the arrangement back in, that'll keep them for days and days and days." Why? Bradley explained that simply dumping out water will get rid of any bacteria growing in the vase water, which may clog the flower stem, preventing water uptake. Trim the ends Guggia and Bradley both agreed that recutting the stems of the bunches as soon as you bring them home is key for longevity. But don't even think about reaching for those blunt kitchen scissors! Bradley said the best practice is to grab a sharp knife or shears for trimming flowers to prevent damaging the stem and reducing its ability to take up water. Wipe the tool off with alcohol first and then carefully make fresh cuts on all stems at a 45-degree angle at least half an inch from the end of the stem. Cutting at an angle results in most of the base of the stem being off the bottom of the vase. It removes clogged tissue that no longer transports water to the flower, Bradley said. Be sure to trim the ends of the stems before putting flowers into a vase. PhotoAdd pennies, but take note of its age You've probably heard of the penny method or maybe you've already tried tossing a penny into your vase with the water and flowers. But before you go digging around in the bottom of your purse or jean pocket, you need to know that only pennies minted before 1982 will work. Those are the ones with the natural antimicrobial properties, which come from the copper. "Originally pennies contained copper, which is a fungicide that prevents disease," Bradley said. "However, pennies are now made of mostly zinc, so are no longer effective." Some cut-flower tips don't really work When it comes to flower care, there will also be debate over which methods do and don't work. Maybe you've tried some in the past -- no judgment here! That said, the experts I spoke with broke down some of the biggest myths when it comes to keeping cut flowers fresher longer. Add sugar to the flower vase? If you paid attention through a high school science class, then you may remember flowers benefit from the sugars produced through photosynthesis. But this mostly applies when the flower or leaves are still attached to the plant, so think twice before dumping an entire Sprite into your vase water. While sugar can work to extend the life of cut flowers, those little packets of floral preservatives work much better. BloomsyBox Bradley explained that sometimes adding a teaspoon and a half of sugar per quart of water or using half water and half carbonated lemon-lime drink in the vase water can act as plant food to extend the bloom, but none are as effective as a commercial floral preservative. Floral preservatives are those little packets that often come with your floral arrangement. They often contain sucrose and a biocide -- an antibacterial agent -- that gives the flower energy, helps the stems absorb more water and prevents bacteria from growing. Does bleach help flowers stay fresher? As the saying goes, a little goes a long way when it comes to bleach. Bradley explained that a few drops of bleach (1 teaspoon per gallon of water) can help kill bacteria and fungi, but adding too much -- which is all too easy -- will also serve to kill plant cells. Can vodka, vinegar or aspirin extend the life of your blooms? There are many, many tricks on the internet about how to keep cut flowers longer involving vinegar, aspirin, vodka -- you name it. And while these methods may work on a case-by-case basis, our experts don't recommend these tricks since they're based on anecdotal evidence rather than backed by science. Clean water is key to prolonging the life of your floral arrangement. David Watsky/CNET "Truthfully, I wouldn't do any of those things because in most cases the arrangement is going to be a mixture of types of flowers, which may be susceptible to not accepting whatever that item is that you're putting in the water," Guggia said. "Keeping the water clean is the best thing." More tips for you: FAQs Why shouldn't I put vodka, aspirin, vinegar or other substances in the mixture I give to my flowers? While vodka, aspirin and vinegar might help prevent certain flowers from wilting away, many bouquets are composed of several different types of flowers. What works to keep one type of flower alive could harm or kill other flowers, so you'll either need to research the mixture's effect on each flower or keep it out of the bouquet.
