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Showing posts with label sculpture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sculpture. Show all posts

Friday, October 9, 2026

Paddington Station, London




 
Morning outside Paddington Station, Angela Lansbury by the sculpture of what looks like Alice in Wonderland's tea party, called The Wild Table of Love. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Wikipedia article on Paddington station has a picture of the Paddington Bear sculpture on Platform 1.
Paddington station's official name is London Paddington which is how it is listed in Wikipedia.
The overground section built by Brunel was in his time on the west of London and ran west to Wales. 

The Paddington underground station has exits adjacent and within a complex. The station occupies the whole of a block on Praed Street, including the old station hotel.

The Big Hotel
The old railway hotel was built in grand style. It is now, in 2026, a Hilton. They were charging about £400 for a walk-in rate which was the price quoted to me on reception in October. But you might find it cheaper off-peak and booked through booking.com.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Haberdashers Hall, London - For Holding Meetings, Events, Exhibitions, Wine Tastings, Wedding Receptions

 Traditional modern building. The haberdashers were hat makers. Along with the merchant taylors,who made clothes, a success in their day. 

Famous Schools

Both founded schools which are still educating young people in north London. Haberdashers boys school, and Haberdashers' girls school are both in Borehamwood.

A famous school, Haberdashers

If you are near the old Smithfield Market, in London, near Farringdon station, you might pass by the entrance to the very modern Haberdashers building. It has a central courtyard, sculptures, and upstairs rooms hired out for events. 

Security at the door will direct you to any event you are visiting, after checking that you are on the list.

I attended an Italian wine tasting and wine pairing event there which is described in another post.


The cloistered courtyard, ground floor. Photo by Angela Lansbury. All rights reserved.

Zonin1821 Portfolio Tasting 2026

At the Zonin1821 event, we had an Italian buffet downstairs alongside the courtyard. A short spiralling stair, or lift, takes you up to the second level. This has a long gallery with mixture of small dining rooms and much larger halls.

Sculpture at the modern Haberdashers Hall in London. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Weddings at Haberdashers Hall

The venue can also be hired for weddings. The ground floor is a great place for a stand up buffet lunch. The upstairs rooms with tables and portraits around the walls suits small or large seated dinners.

Haberdashers Hall Address

Haberdashers Hall,  18 West Smithfield, London EC1

Near Farringdon station.

Useful Websites For Haberdashers Hall

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/venues-for-hire/haberdashers-hall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worshipful_Company_of_Haberdashers

The Haberdashers School Websites

https://haberdashers.co.uk/

https://haberdashers.co.uk/history/

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Sunday, December 7, 2025

Green Park Station Outdoor Decoration

 The architecture of the building above Green Park station and the adjoining Marks & Spencer store is amazing. All along Piccadilly see the historic buildings.


Green Park underground railway station showing sculpture on the building above. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Ski Centres and Sights in Andorra, near Spain and France



Map of Andorra, sandwiched between Spain to the South and France to the North.


You can take a one day guided tour to Andorra from Barcelona, or drive there for a longer stay. My family drove all the way from near Gibraltar in the far south of Spain in December 2021 in order to go skiing.

As you can see, it is quite small. The capital and largest city is Andorra La Vella, slightly nearer Spain in the south by road. En route you pass Sant Julia de Loria, and Santa Coloma, on the CG-1 road, which runs along the river.

Continuing on north to the east on the CG-2 road, you pass les Bons Encamp, Canillo, Soldeu and Pas de la Case.

Flag of Andorra. Blue, yellow and red. With a lozenge in the middle containing stripes and two animals.

Compare with the flags of Spain and France. Spain also has a motif in the middle. The French flag is red, white and blue.

Flag of France.
Flag of Spain.

Flag of Portugal.



Flag of Catalonia, Spain.

Now let's take a quick look at each place.


1 Santa Julia (accent on the a) de Loria
On the Valera river.

Sant Julià de Lòria


Museum of Tobacco


L'església de Sant Ivo d'Auvinyà ha estat beneïda per l'Arquebisbe d'Urgell i Copríncep d'Andorra Mons. Joan Enric Vives i Sicília el 10 de desembre de 2011


Gran Valira, the largest river in Andorra, flowing through Sant Julià de Lòria in the south.


2 Santa Coloma

Just south of the capital is Santa Coloma.

Notice how high the mountains are above the city.

From Santa Coloma you are only about 2 kilometres from the major city.


3 Andorra La Vella

The capital and largest city.

Sites include

La Casa de la Val

Historic old house and government building.


See 1 monuments in the garden, sculptures and a tower dovecote, the Criminal Court with carved wood panel walls and carved ceiling, the wooden doors of the cupboard of the seven keys, the modern auditorium upstairs.

River Gran Valira flowing under the triangular Pont de Paris in the capital of Andorra, Andorra la Vella.


Skiing

Ski resorts

Most of these resorts were once small mountain villages which have grown due to skiing. The resorts have joined together so that your ski pass covers neighbouring areas. As a result there are now two large alpine skiing areas known as Vallnord and Grandvalira.

Vallnord covers Arcalis and the Arinsal-Pal ski area. Arcalis is quite distant away from Arinsal-Pal but the latter have been joined up by a cable car connecting the two ski areas. The Arisnal-Pal ski area is directly accessible from La Massana right from the middle of the town. 93 km (58 mi) of trails.

Grandvalira covers Soldeu and Pas de la Casa. 

The Soldeu ski area is also accessible from Encamp and Canillo. It has 193 km of ski slopes between 1710–2640 m. The surface of grandvalira is about 1.926 H, and it's divided into 6 different areas:

  • Pas de la Casa — skiing resort right on the French border, north east of the capital.

  • Pas de la Case ski resort on the French border in the north of Andorra. Notice the white snow on the left. The buildings are colourful, black, brown, white, orange, yellow, pink, green and blue, beige. The green hotel on the front, far right, is the Hotel Kandahar.







  • Soldeu—skiing resort
  • Arcalis—ski area at the head of the valley from El Serrat
  • Arinsal—skiing resort part of the Arinsal Pal ski area. Also known as Vallnord which means Valley North in English
  • Pal—skiing resort part of the Arinsal Pal ski area.



  • I eventually found a photo of the Storm in a Teacup sculpture on the website of a UK travel company called Absolutely Travel Company.

  • Arinsal-Pal -- which is two skiing areas connected by cable car. See Arinsal and Pal. North, slightly north west of the capital city.


Church of St Climent de Pal. 11the century building with later 16th century murals.

Arinsal cable car and looking down at cable car station below.

La Rabassa is a cross-country (Nordic) skiing area in southern Andorra above the town of Sant Julia de Loria.


Websites

Historic House and government building

http://www.casadelavall.ad/en/the-consell-general

Postal Museum

https://visitandorra.com/en/culture/postal-museum/

Museum Pass

https://visitandorra.com/ca/cultura/passmuseu-d-andorra/

Holidays booked from the UK and website showing the teacup sculpture

https://www.absolutelytravel.co.uk/andorra/mountain-walks-coll-de-la-botella.aspx


More to see in Ordino, in my later post.

 About the Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.



Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.

Quick Quotations

Who Said What When



 



Friday, August 6, 2021

Changi Airport During Covid-19 - what can you still see?

 


Pre-flight test
In August 2021 before leaving Singapore we had to get a Covid-19 test done. This took longer than expected. You could not book online, just turned up. Then having arrived at noon we were told the first appointment was 1 pm. We had lunch from Starbucks but all the restaurants were in no seating allowed. Even the shelves where you could park a cup of coffee were cordoned off.

We asked where we could sit and eventually found a public seat which was partly available. You needed one person to wait, lurking, for whoever was sitting there to vacate, then quickly slide in. 

Changi Airport
At the airport, Changi Airport's Terminals were reduced to two. The taxi could let passengers off at only one door. You went through the trace together before entering.

Checking in was fast. Hardly anybody at the airport. No great welcoming seasonal displays.
The sculpture angel wings is still there. But cordoned off so you cannot stand right up next to it for a selfie or yourself with wings. Still good to see it.

Jewel
I thought Jewel was open but the taxi driver said it was closed. I knew it had been closed for a while but thought it might have been reopened. Barriers seemed to be up. It was gone 9 pm. 

Ironically, one of the films on the flight from Singapore to London was a documentary about the opening of Jewel. I enjoyed the film. I learned that the water is treated. And that cleaners work through the night, cleaning the floors but also the overhead windows.

Useful websites


About the author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and until Covid-19 was a frequent flyer.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Mona Lisa and Jesus Paintings - Sculptor Botero is also an artist whose works you can own



Museo de Botero (Botero Museum) in Bogota, capital city of Colombia, South America. Panorama showing Mona Lisa aged twelve, by artist Fernando Botero.
Photo by diego_cue in Simple Wikipedia

The first thing you see when you walk into the museum is Botero's sculpture, the hand.


Big Bird
I first saw a Botero sculpture of the little fat little black bird, titled Big Bird, a blackbird, not a pigeon, whatever, by the waterfront, the walkway along the river, in the Central Business District in Singapore.

Huge Horse
Afterwards I came across the imposing strong black horse near Buona Vista which means good view, in an enclosed courtyard beside the Buona Vista MRT railway station.

Sculptor and Painter, Botero
When I looked up Botero in Wikipedia I discovered he was also a painter but I didn't take much notice of that. Now I have switched up my laptop and it magically remembers I did previous searches for Botero and it hopefully sends me photos and advertisements on Botero.

Google Is Watching You
You might think that having Google watching you and your browsing and buying habits is creepy and annoying, because often when you have just bought something you want to move on, not going through buyer's remorse seeing all the things you could have bought - even cheaper, What a waste of your time and the advertiser's. But in this instance I was delighted to see a panel of pictures by Botero.

Why Should Painters Reinvent The Wheel?
I had noticed previously that he had painted an updated, modernised Mona Lisa. He painted it when he moved from South America to Paris, France, in Europe (as opposed to Paris, Texas) with other artists. He spent time in the Louvre (where else) looking at the most famous painting in the Louvre, by Italian Leonardo De Vinci. As is the habit of art students, he copied famous paintings, but improsed his own style.

On taking a look at the pictures I see he has found a series of famous paintings and imposed his own style on them, plump people as well as plump animals. As with parodies of songs, this means he has the subject or plot already selected. An endless supply of ideas.

His own work is surprising because it gives a new take on something already known. Moreover, he has pre-arranged publicity because you already know the subject.

Surprise or Shock
To see a plump Mona Lisa is a surprise. To see a fat Jesus is a shock. A first. Like it, or loathe it, you are likely to remember it.

Marketing Magic
Furthermore, making variations on already well known paintings is an excellent marketing ploy. Why? First, because when anybody searches for a famous artwork, up pops his variation.Secondly, as in my case, when buyers are looking for Botero, the advertisers will chase lots of potential buyers with new but already familiar themes.

Buying Sculptures
A Botero sculpture can be bought, but you need to be a billionaire, or have access to funds and buy on behalf of a major gallery or buyer who wants to install a sculpture in a public place, to enhance the city, or mpress buyers, borrowers and lenders approaching your bank or business.However, artwork to hang on the wall at home comes at a more affordable price and needs less space.

Once somebody else has invested the money, an enormous amount of money, in a sculpture in a public place, you can enjoy seeing it for free. Free look. Free picture. Free selfie.

Add an objective to a stroll, your daily exercise. Find a place to take a visitor which does not cost you or them money. Pick target and achievement for your morning, afternoon or day out.


Broadgate Venus by Mike Quinn, in Wikipedia.

Seeing Sculptures


UK
Broadgate Venus near Liverpool Street station, London, England, UK

Buying Botero Artwork
Having discovered Botero artwork on the internet, I now realise you don't have to travel the world to see Botero. However, it is good to see his sculptures in real life, to get a sense of the scale. The little bird in particular is interesting. We see birds as small; but his bird is big.

Travel Tips - Where to see Botero Sculpture
Where to see Botero artwork
Singapore
Big Bird
Horse

Spain

Madrid
Barcelona - Cat by Botero

USA

LATIN AMERICA - COLOMBIA

Dog sculpture - Medellin, Colombia

Where to see and buy Botero originals and reproductions
Singapore Gallery
https://www.operagallery.com/fernando-botero

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fernando-Botero-First-Canvas-Rolled/dp/B01G97004S

Ebay
https://www.ebay.com.sg/b/Fernando-Botero-Art-Paintings/

Lazada
https://www.lazada.sg/products/fernando-botero-president-size-x-gallery-wrapped-canvas-art-print-wall-decor-

Ezbuy
Mona Lisa Repro
https://ezbuy.sg/product/420788207.html

TRAVEL
To see the original of the Mona Lisa, go to The Louvre in Paris, France.

COUNTRY TRAVEL
COLOMBIA, SOUTH AMERICA
Mona Lisa painting.

France
visitfrance.co.uk

SPAIN
spain.info.en

USA
visittheusa.co.uk

Singapore
https://wikitravel.org/en/Colombia
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/

UK
visitlondon.com
visitbritain.com
visitbritain.org

AIRLINE
Singapore Airlines - frequently wins awards
singaporeair.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, photographer, researcher, author and speaker and teacher of English and other languages.

For handy Spanish For the Traveller see earlier post.
I have several popular posts on countries around the world including Spain, and learning Spanish. Please share links to your favourite posts.

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/11/statues-to-see-for-free-in-botero-plaza.html
About The Author
Angela Lansbury
    

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Where To See and Celebrate Ferdinand Botero's Fat ladies, Funny Men and Absurd Animals: Fernando Botero's Sculptures, Beryl Cook pictures and saucy postcards

Fernando Botero

Sculptor Fernando Botero is over 80 years old and during his long life has produced numerous striking sculptures.

The first Botero sculpture I noticed was in Singapore inside the outdoor shopping mall beside Buona Vista MRT train station. A big bold black horse. Smooth sculpture. Impressive, imposing, memorable, monumental. Strong. Curvaceous.

SINGAPORE
Botero's big bumper size bird in Boat Quay at UOB plaza.

(Also look for Rodin's Thinker.)



Photo from Eustaquio Santimano in Wikipedia.
English: Fernando Botero's sculpture Adam and Eve near Crockfords Tower at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.
Date14 April 2010, 19:55
SourceBotero's Adam and Eve
AuthorEustaquio Santimano from Singapore.
Permission
(Reusing this file)
CC-BY-2.0.

Photo by Scabredon~commonswiki in Wikipedia article on Botero.

Botero
See sculptures:

USA, 
New York, Park Avenue
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
The Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York

Washington DC Smithsonian Institute

Austria, Vienna
Modern art Museum (museum Moderne Kunst)

 Monte Carlo. His works are found in many important private and public collections, such as the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; Ho-am Museum (Seoul); 

ARMENIA
Woman smoking a cigarette (foot of cascade)
Armenia, Yerevan

"The Cat", Yerevan, Armenia. (On the way to the Cascade.)

Roman Warrior, Cafesjian Museum of Art, Yerevan, Armenia.

Colombia
Lady, Medellin


Also see the monument to the old shoes in Cartagena, inspired by the poet who said the city was as comfortable as an old pair of shoes. Somebody pointed out that they are not shoes but boots.

France, Champs Elysees, Paris

Germany
Man and woman in Goslar.
 Kunsthalle Nuremberg (Nuremberg);
 Neue Pinakothek (Munich); Staatgalerie Moderne Kunst (Munich); 

Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel 
Man on Horse, bronze, 1992, at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel.


Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv Israel

Italy, Rome
 Museo d’Arte Moderna del Vaticano (Rome);

Sleeping woman, In front of art museum, Vaduz, Leichtenstein

Spain
Cat, Barcelona

Cat in Rambla del Raval, Barcelona, Spain. Photo from author Canaan in Wikipedia article on Botero.

Whilst in the Barcelona area see two more sculptures: the flirty giraffe by another sculptor, Josep Granya

And the thinking bull by Josep Granya. Josep (Josep I presume is local language for Joseph.)


Now back to Botero.

Caballo Con Bridas, Bilbao. (Horse with)

Motherhood, Oviedo, Spain.



The Hand, Madrid, Spain.

Woman with mirror, Madrid.

Woman with fruit. Fernando Botero sculpture in Bamberg, Germany.
You can see several sculptures grouped together in Armenia and in his homeland, Colombia, South America.

Singapore
Horse, by MRT train station

WHAT TO SEE WHERE

FERNANDO BOTERO FREE TO LOOK
Fernando Botero sculptures in public places.


About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.Please share links to your favourite posts.







Thursday, July 18, 2019

DIY Buona Vista Artwork Tour




Spinning circles on mobile outside Matrix near Buona Vista MRT. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

You can take official station Artwork Tours or make your own DIY tour from Buona Vista.   Enjoy restful greenery, stepped water and wonderful Artwork near Buona Vista and Beautiful Biopolis

Flag of Singapore.

The name Buona Vista means beautiful view in Italian. Google translate asked if I meant buena, which is Spanish, very similar. From the Latin videre to see. A town called Vista is in California, USA. Vista, according to dictionary.com is a view, often along a passageway between buildings, exactly the situation at Buona Vista.

I looked up the Portuguese translation and found boa vista, not bom vista (as in Bombay). The word Bombay comes from bom baim.I tried beautiful view and was given vista bonita.

So, the station in Buona Vista, which is Italian.
The multi-storey mural of a tree in Buona Vista MRT railway station in Singapore. Photo by circleline4 in Wikipedia.

Arriving on the yellow Circle Line from Botanic Gardens, I and you are greeted by the sight of a multi-storey artwork showing a tree. It is a eucalyptus tree which used to grow in the area above, and was remembered fondly by the artist. The overlapping mosaic effect is supposed to pay homage to works by David Hockney. I would prefer a realistic tree.

I used to hate Singapore's Buona Vista, a vast interchange, between the yellow Circle Line and the green East West line, with crowds massing to mount the upward escalator in the evenings evening. However, now Buona Vista MRT station is a magnet to me at off-peak times because of the delights nearby. What made me go to the detested station and explore the surroundings?

I am Area Director for Area S3 in Toastmasters International so I went to visit a corporate club at lunch time to install their new committee. I had to conduct a short ceremony, followed by a speech. In advance I had asked the outgoing President who was organising the event for directions to the Matrix building on Biopolis Street. My map showed the Biopolis Street, Biopolis Way and a third Biopolis, within walking distance of the station.


Seating with fans. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Fans And Seating For A Meeting
My first decision was exit B or D through the shopping mall, indoors and aircon but possibly confusing and distracting and delaying, or out in the open? The problem was solved by a member of staff standing near the exit. She told me which way to go, and that the other exit brings me out to the same place from the other line on another level.

Upstairs on street level, my first delighful discovery at the dreaded Buona Vista MRT train interchange, after the two escalators, was a large seating area outdoors under overhead fans. The seating area is also far away from the car fumes, but with the sight of distant traffic, so you do not feel isolated. The fans were not brilliantly effective but the sight of them was soothing.

I am a fan of fans. I sat and looked at my map. However, I had to hurry on to my meeting.


Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

One North Park
Walking on to the crossroads, I saw a grassy area leading uphill, a park called One North Park. I took a photo of the attractive park. I liked the welcoming sculpture at the entrance and large name plus useful information plaque. The sign was handy in case I ever wanted to go there for a walk with friends in that area.

The road uphill was a slight challenge, but manageable and quite short. I consoled myself with the thought that coming back downhill would be quicker and easier.

When I reached the first turning I was greeted by a delightful sight of running water cascading down a series of steps.


A display of embroidered circles hanging like a mobile caught my attention next.

At the base of the gentle almost silent waterfall is a red sculpture.

The Mobile Circles
Later, after my meeting, with time, I was able to go up close to the mobile to look at it. Each circle was a surprise.


First the stunning colours. Secondly, the friendly faces embroidered. Such ingenuity. An amazing number of creatures. A pretty peacock. A fab fish. A spider. A couple of cuddling, cuddly cats.And the Singapore flag.


As they spin you keep seeing new animal faces, patterns and scenes. Photo by Angela Lansbury.


Mobile of embroidered cats. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The Sculpture
The sculpture is a double sculpture. Red. But it blends in with the greenery. It forms a landmark.


Red sculpture at Biopolis. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Around the base of the trees were plaques which answered my questions. What tree is this? I noticed one tree plaque. Then a second. Then a third.

Finally, back to the top, I found a giant sulpture with its main magnificent flower or glowerhead of gossamer depicted metal far above.

Metal tree sculpture. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

As I walked back downhill, I saw another couple of metal trees or giant flowers which I had somehow not seen on the way up. I returned to the station exhilarated. Yes, I had met charming people and eaten a delicious Indian lunch with fruit and water, but the final pleasure was the stunning sculptures and lovely landscaping of the area between Buona Vista and Biopolis. 

Tour
But there's more. Researching the area online I discouvered that you can arrange to take a tour organized by the stations, of the Singapore stations' artwork.

Useful Websites For Travellers
For first and last train times:
http://www.smrt.com.sg/Journey-with-Us/Trains/NetworkMap/BuonaVista
Information on the Art In Transit tour
http://www.smrt.com.sg/Community/Empowering-through-Arts-and-Education
Photo of tree mural and copyright information in Wikipedia
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_of_the_Circle_Line_section_of_Buona_Vista_MRT_Station,_Singapore_-_20110820.jpg
Getting To Singapore on Singapore Airlines
singaporeair.com

About The Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.