Optical illusion's photostream  

along the rocky shores of St-Quay Portrieux, Bretagne, France

The Cerro Negro volcano in Nicaragua is one of the few places in the world where volcano boarding is possible. Volcano boarding is a new extreme sport, and consists of sliding down a steep slope covered by volanic ash whilst sitting (or standing) on plywood boards.... Speeds of up to 80 km/h can take place, so protective clothing and goggles is an absolute neccesity......I can say from my own experience that it's quite a thrill, and it seems a very unnatural thing to do when standing at the summit and peering down in the depth below!
Worth mentioning is also that the Cerro Negro volcano (2338 ft) is the youngest volcano in Central America and that it's also still active. The previous erruption occurred in 1999.

On this photo, the steep angle of Cerro Negro's slope is nicely visible, and it is clear that we rode down through low-hanging clouds. In the background another volcano summit can be seen, as well as the slowly undergoing sun since dusk is about to set in...

The former Royal Museum in Edinburgh (now part of the National Museum of Scotland), has undergone a major redevelopment programme in the last few years....the result is, quite simply, breathtaking...the Grand Gallery, depicted, is inspired by The Crystal Palace in London. The National Museum of Scotland was already a place worth visiting, but now, with the redevelopment programme completed, even more!

Thanks to Wandelgraaf for pointing out the correct name of this species.... the bird depcited is the White-throated Magpie-Jay, also known as 'Calocitta formosa' in Latin. Apparently, it is a fairly common bird in Central America. This particular photo was taken on the volcanic island of Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua, and is therefore unconnected to the previous photo, below, of birdwatchers, that was taken in The Netherlands...

On the island of Texel, The Netherlands