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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Third night - Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010

The magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
Mexico Team competed tonight in the Vancouver's annual fireworks competition: Celebration of Light 2010.
The magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
The magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night

 Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
The pyrotechnic demonstration was breath-taking, and depending on where you were, the explosions and pretty colours of the fireworks pounding your heartbeat.

The magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico nightThe magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
Around 10 p.m. the show was on for real, with the fireworks dancing to the broadcast Rock, pop, Mexican contemporary, and Banda music with electronic elements like in theirs anounces. I liked their syncronization of effects, and the speed up  rhythm of fireworks. - was an awesome "Journey".

The magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team night

Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
Crowds started to gather around 8:30. Hours before the show begins, police closed off roads and rerouted traffic in the west end of downtown.
The magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
The weather forecast was calling for clear skies  tonight, and we came late, about 20 min before the show, but still managed to find a prime viewing spot to watch the fireworks, down by the water on First Beach in Stanley Park.
Fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
 
The magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
The judging process and criteria are often unclear to spectators, but The Celebration of Light is a serious competition, with judges scoring each country's entry on a criteria that includes:
Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night1. general concept with presentation, structure and scale of display;
2. colour;
3. originality: design and architecture,
4. quality of production: rhythm of fireworks, volume of effects and quality of construction,
5. correlation of music.
The magic of fireworks  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night

The first three nights are the competition and the last night will be the grand finale where the winners are announced.
The Journey  -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night
The Journey -  Vancouver's   Celebration  of  Light   2010 - Mexico team - third night

After tonight show, I'm very curious which country will aquire the highest average score and will be the winner. It's pretty hard to decide...

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Pelargonium-flavoured blackberry - apple pie

Scented Pelargonium / Geranium Fair Ellen flower



 "Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful;
they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.
Luther Burbank




Scented Pelargonium / Geranium Citrosa flower 

Pelargoniums with scented- leaves (which are fragrant all the time) will give a delicious flavour to your food. Elizabeth David, a  great British cookery writer of the mid 20th century, was a user of pelargonium leaves. She left behind many interesting recipes for cooking with scented flowers. She used to stick a few leaves of peppermint geranium / Pelargonium Tomentosum when made jellies and said that the leaf of a sweet-scented geranium gives an incomparable flavour when cooked with blackberries for jelly.
 Scented Pelargonium / Geranium Attar of Roses flower

  "Qui pingit florem, floris non pingit odorem." / "Who paints the flower does not paint the flower's fragrance."






You'll became also fan of their flavour if will use her recipe for pelargonium-flavoured blackberry and apple pie:


Scented Pelargonium / Geranium Pink Champagne flower Pelargonium-flavoured blackberry and apple pie

Ingredients:
4 pelargonium leaves
500g  Bramley apples
275g blackberries
125g sugar
Zest of one lemon

For the pastry:
175g plain flour
80g unsalted butter
Pinch salt
1 egg yolk mixed with a little ice-cold water 

 

Scented Pelargonium / Geranium Prince of Orange flower
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Sift the flour with the salt and either rub the butter into the flour by hand, or pulse in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add just enough of the egg/iced water mixture to bring the mixture into a ball and allow the pastry to rest in the fridge while you prepare the fruit.
Peel, core and slice the apples and put in a bowl with the blackberries, lemon zest, sugar and torn pelargonium leaves. Mix gently and pile the prepared fruit into a one-litre pie dish or one with a lip around the edge.
Roll out the pastry, dampen the edge of the dish with a pastry brush and place a thin strip all the way round, pressing down with your fingers to secure it. Brush the strip with the pastry brush to dampen and roll out the pastry to fit the top of the dish, lay the pastry over the fruit and pinch the edges. If you have pastry left over, roll it out, press a pelargonium leaf on to it to make imprints, cut around the shapes and use the pastry leaves to decorate the pie. Pierce the top with the tip of a sharp knife and brush the pie with a little milk, scattering some caster sugar over the top.
Put into the preheated oven and once the pastry is crisp and beginning to colour lower the heat to 175C and cook for another 20 minutes.
You can try  this recipe with other scented pelargonium leaves too. Believe me, your taste should be delighted by Pelargonium Capitatum, Pelargonium Odoratissimum, or Pelargonium Graveolens flavours.
Serve with cream or ice cream.
Scented Pelargoniums / Geraniums Skeleton Rose flower


"Eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. " Mark Twain 

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night

Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team


Spectacular and Amazing fireworks. I've never seen such a spectacular show.

Spain just won "the world cup of fireworks...

Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team




Saturday, July 24 - was the second night of Vancouver's famous summer fireworks competition.

Don't be afraid to dive into these pictures taken from this spectacular festival of light.

Yellow flames at Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team

Behind the moon, up in the sky, the fireworks exploding in the dark ... and fizzle yellow, orange, red, blue or green!
The hell was suggested using yellow or red , flames and a strange face that appeared in the dark...  
Strange face at Fireworks - Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team

White fireworks at Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team
The sky was transformed into light-filled color palette over English Bay, testing a range of colour combinations, tonal progression between each colour and colour mixing.
Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team - mauve skyVancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team - green sky

Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team - red fireworksVancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team - blue accents
Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team

For a half of hour was lovely to see   how colours are rendered using a smooth tonal transition from one colour to the next and how the full range of colours was achieved through one simple colour mixing approach.


Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team - mixed coloursVancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team - colour rendered

According to the official site of this competition, Saturday, July 24th, Spain offered a battle between light and darkness - exercise of imagination for the Hell & Heaven.

Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain teamVancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team

I really enjoyed Spain's stylistic interpretation of 'Heaven and Hell' fireworks.

The magic of fireworks - Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain team
The magic of Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - Spain teamVancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Second Night - the Spain's magnificent show


In 2005, this performance of Iberian fire and contemporary choreography won the 2005 Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique de Cannes









and yesterday, for thousands of people who enjoyed it,  the Spain's magnificent show won  Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 Fireworks Competition (until now!). 

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Vancouver's Celebration of Light 2010 - Night One

Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.team
Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.team I love the fireworks, their brilliant multitude of colors, their amazing rhythms and choreography!
Yesterday was started Vancouver 2010 Celebration of Light  international fireworks competition and festival, four nights of the best fireworks you've ever seen.

Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.team
The magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.teamThe magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.team
The 2010 Celebration of Light fireworks competition celebrates 20th year in 2010. It runs in July 21, 24, 28, & 31 and cheers on United States, Spain and Mexico and China. The prime viewing points are southern side of Stanley Park, English Bay Beach, Vanier Park, Kits Beach, and Jericho Beach.

The magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.team

The magic of U.S.A. team fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010
The magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.team Last Night was the first show with electrifying atmosphere enjoyed by thousands of people.
 His theme was "In the Mood" according to VentureVancouver's Blog, or "a tribute to the Big Band era" according to Vancouver Sun.

I was going early there, to get a spot in the most popular viewing spot English Bay.
The capoeira demonstration during Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One
People at fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.team
Funny car
Initial seemed to be extremely crowded but I enjoyed seeing the people walking on streets, funny cars or Capoeira demonstration  on Davie street.


The show itself was spectacular if you get to listen to the accompanying music; it was like watching ballet in the sky, and it was truly spectacular that all the people come together to watch this amazing show in silence.
The magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.teamThe magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.team

Sitting on the beach, watching the sunset, waiting for the sky to darken ... followed by the beautiful fireworks and music like "Mambo Italiano" and "You’re Nobody ’Til Somebody Loves You" was what brings the whole Vancouver city together.


The magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- Night One -U.S.A.teamThe U.S.A night - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010It was amazing to see the fireworks light up the night sky while seeing the hundreds of faces light up with joy and happiness at the same time.



The magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- First Night - U.S.A.team

The magic of fireworks - Vancouver's   Celebration of Light 2010- First Night - U.S.A.team

The Celebration of Lights is definitely one of the Summer highlights in Vancouver which turn this wonderful city into a truly mystical magical place to be.