Going-to-the-Sun Mountain is an interesting mountain which is 2940 m high (9,647 feet) and it is located in Glacier National Park, within the United States of America which is also one of the most famous and iconic mountains in the park.

Going-to-the-Sun Mountain (henceforth, GTTS) may take the United States’s “most words in a summit name” award.

The mountain was named by James Willard Schultz in 1888 and its hulking, disintegrating form is as complicated as its name.

During the winter of 1887-1888, James Willard Schultz, an early hunting guide in the St. Mary Lakes region and his family built a cabin on the north shore of Upper St. Mary Lake.

While hunting on Red Eagle Mountain with his Pikuni friend, Tail-Feathers-Coming-Over-the-Hill, gave this mountain the name it bears today.

Naming the moutain by James Willard Schultz for what he claimed was an old Indian legend, in which Napi, the Old Man, came down from his home in the sun to help his people, the Blackfeet, out of their difficulties. When his work was done, he returned to his home in the sun, up the slopes of this mountain.

This legend however, was probably invented by the white men, and may have originated within Schultz, who was not above flowering up his stories to make them have more reader appeal. Alternatively, numerous Blackfeet Indian legends are credited with the origins of the mountains’ name.

Used by the Blackfeet as a location for vision quests, it is one of the most accessible major mountain peaks in Glacier National Park. According to several sources, the actual Blackfeet name for the mountain is The-Face-of-Sour-Spirit-Who-Went-Back-to-The-Sun-After-His-Work-Was-Done Mountain, in explanation of the snowfields on the mountainside which, as viewed from the west, make the outline of a face.

Lake Hévíz is a geological active natural thermal lake, which is also the biggest in Europe, but second biggest in the world, located in the vicinity of the City of Hévíz, within the western part of Hungary.

With a surface area of about 47,500 square km (18,340 square mi), it is close to the western end of Lake Balaton, and the flow of water in Lake Hévíz is very strong, which is believed by the locals that the water is completely replenished every single day.

Surrounded by some 60 hectares (148 acres) of nature conservation area, the springs of different temperatures diffuse in a narrow cave, from where the water reaches the lake and has a constant temperature of about 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit).

Once in the lake, the temperature of the water is somewhat 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), however, in winter the temperature reaches around 22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees Fahrenheit) making it very pleasant even in winter time.

The depth of the lake varies, whereas along the shores it is some 130 cm (51 inches) and the deepest part is the center of the lake which is measured to be at 38 meters (125 feet).

The flora and fauna are quite unique due to the temperature and chemical composition of the water, even though it is slightly radioactive and contains reduced sulfuric compounds as well as oxygen in solution, and there are several species that are endemic to the lake.

The largest group of life form in the lake, besides the humans, is the bacteria that is supposed to has a curative effect.

There are also plenty of water lilies that are dotting the lake, which were brought to Hungary at the end of 19th century, supporting the eco-life, with leaves slowing down evaporation, and creepers protecting the medicinal mud on the bottom of the lake.

Nonetheless, the thermal baths that are built on the lake offer every visitor a unique experience from Hungary, and as the bathing is the main activity, together with mud packing and massages, it will offer peace and tranquility to those who need to calm their nerves a bit, as well as it will be beneficial to those suffering from rheumatic diseases and locomotor disorders.

In Belarus, the time over Christmas and New Year is called ‘Kaliady’.

Kaliady starts and ends with two Christmases and has the New Year celebrations in the middle!

It starts on December 25th when Catholics and Protestants in Belarus celebrate Christmas; the big New Year’s Eve celebrations are in the middle; and it ends on January 7th when Christmas is celebrated in the Orthodox church (most people in Belarus celebrate Christmas using the Orthodox date).

During the time that Belarus was part of the Soviet Union, Kaliady and Christmas was not celebrated very much, if at all. New Year was made into the important celebration. But now Christmas celebrations are coming back, although New Year is still the bigger holiday.

Kaliady is also the name for an old pre-soviet tradition where people would dress up and go around their neighbors singing songs – like carol singing. This is still done in some rural villages but isn’t common anymore.

Many of the ‘traditions’ that most people associate with Christmas are now linked to the New Year celebrations. There are New Year Trees (sometimes called holiday trees), and gifts are often put under the tree and are exchanged/opened on New Year’s Eve.

New Year and Christmas lights are put in towns and cities throughout Belarus.

It’s traditional to have three important meals during Kaliady, which are known as ‘Kućcia’ (or ‘Kutia’ or ‘Kutsia’) meals; this is what Orthodox Christmas Eve is called and is also the name of a porridge which is eaten at the Christmas Eve meal.

The first meal is known as the ‘fasting’ or ‘Lent’ Kućcia and the last meal is the ‘Hungry’ Kućcia. They are meant to be very simple with no meat or fat in them.

There are normally 12 dishes at the Orthodox Christmas Eve Kućcia to represent Jesus’s 12 disciples.

As well as Kućcia porridge the other dishes will items like pancakes, fish and mushrooms; as well as kisel (a dessert made of oatmeal fruit, berries and potato starch sometimes served with milk). Sometimes straw is put under the tablecloth to help people remember that Jesus was placed in a manger as a baby (this is also done in neighbouring countries like Poland and Russia).

The middle Kućcia, eaten on New Year’s Eve and called the ‘great’ Kućcia, is a big feast. Some people will only have the main Kućcia on New Year’s Eve! One vital dish is ‘Olivje’ or ‘Olivier’ salad; it made from potatoes, eggs, green peas, pickles, mayonnaise and ham. Other salads like ‘Shuba’ (diced pickled herring with layers of grated vegetables, chopped onions and mayonnaise) are also popular.

Tinned peas are very important and feature in many of the great Kućcia dishes! Mandarin oranges are also normally eaten during New Year’s Eve.

At about 11.50pm, there is a short speech by the Belarusian President shown on the TV before the New Year arrives at 12am with lots of fireworks! (Some people, who can also get Russian TV, might watch the New Year arrive in Moscow at 11pm Belarus time as Moscow is in a different time zone.)

Catholic and Protestant Christians might go to a Midnight Mass service on the 24th December and/or a Christmas Day service on the 25th December.

For Orthodox Christians the main Christmas service normally starts at midnight on the 6th/7th January following the hungry Kućcia and the night time service can last for several hours! Then Christmas Day, on the 7th January, is a public holiday where people visit family and friends.

In Belarusian, Merry Christmas is ‘Z Kaljadami’ (З Калядамі) and Happy New Year is ‘Z Novym godam’ (З Новым годам).

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has announced that the infrastructure for the first phase (Marina to Mile 2) of Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LMRT) BLUE LINE Rail is Ready.

A release signed by the Consultant, Corporate Communication of LAMATA, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi said the completion of the infrastructure is in fulfilment of the promise made by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Jide Sanwoolu that the project would be completed in the last quarter of 2022, ahead of the commencement of passenger operations slated for the first quarter of 2023.

He explained that the LRMT Blue Line is one of the six rail lines and monorail prescribed for Lagos in the state’s Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP).

According to him, the LRMT Blue Line is a 27-kilometer rail system from Marina to Okokomaiko.

Construction has been divided into phases for ease of implementation and is expected to move more than 500,000 passengers when the entire line is completed.

In his words, “Governor Sanwo-Olu had, while campaigning for the office of Governor, promised to complete the infrastructure for the first phase of the LRMT Blue Line

“The first phase is a 13-kilometer stretch from Marina to Mile 2 and has five stations at Mile 2, Suru-Alaba, Orile Iganmu, National Theatre and Marina. It is expected to move about 200,000 passengers daily”, he added.

Ojelabi pointed out that the rail system would be powered by electricity from an independent power plant to be purposely built for its operation.

Similarly, the Managing Director of LAMATA, Engr. Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo averred that the completion of the infrastructure for the first phase of the LRMT Blue Line is a testimonial of the importance of public transportation to Governor Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES agenda.