Random old Bing wallpapers

Welcome to wildflower season on the magnificent Piano Grande (Great Plain) in Central Italy. For some geographic perspective, we’re in the calf region of Italy’s boot, nestled in the Apennine Mountains. Perched on the hillside is the little village of Castelluccio, where you can purchase the crop that made this region famous: lentils. The tiny, thin-skinned lentils cultivated here are considered delicacies.

This laser projected from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, marks the prime meridian, dividing Earth’s Eastern and Western hemispheres and helping travellers to chart their courses by establishing a universally adopted 0 degrees longitude. The meridian itself is essentially an imaginary line, arbitrarily placed. By the early 19th century, most maritime countries had established their own prime meridians to aid in navigation. But on this date in 1884, delegates from 25 nations (of which Australia was not included) met at a conference in Washington, DC where they established Greenwich as the international standard for mapping and time keeping. The decision made sense, as the Greenwich meridian was already widely used. But there was one hold out: France abstained from the vote and used its own prime meridian for several decades before eventually joining other countries in recognising the Greenwich meridian.

For hundreds of years, New Mexico's Chaco Canyon served as a major cultural centre for Ancestral Puebloans as their communities took root and flourished. However, with long winters, little rain and short growing seasons, the high desert wasn't the easiest place to live. Despite these challenges, the Pueblo people found ways to thrive in the austere region. Today, the Chaco Culture National Historical Park offers a glimpse into the ancient Pueblo people's culture, traditions and values. The site is home to remnants of prehistoric ceremonial and public buildings, called great houses, which are characterised by an architectural style unique to the Pueblo culture. These large homes are modelled after ancient cliff dwellings and are made of limestone blocks or adobe bricks. Pueblo Bonito is the biggest and most popular great home in the park.