|
|
|
|
|
They are a nation famed for efficiency and cleanliness. And it seems that those traits even apply to the campsite at one of their most famous international events. This was the scene at the campsite at Oktoberfest yesterday as lines of tents were neatly pitched in rows for use by festival-goers. It is marked contrast to British events such as Glastonbury, where every conceivable inch of ground is covered by a canvas city. However how long the tents remain in such neat and tidy rows remains to be seen - as the beer festival got into full swing yesterday. And for anybody concerned that Europe's biggest drink festival would run out of beer, they need not worry. Organisers at the festival have now installed oil pipeline technology to keep the pints flowing. The 1,000ft long pipeline runs underground to the main tent at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, which can hold 8,400 thirsty punters in one sitting. Brewers have plumbed in the pipe to stop bar staff worrying about when the barrels of ale are about to run out. The festival runs for over two weeks, and is expected to attract over six million visitors and seven million litres of beer will be drunk. Pipeline technician Uwe Daebel led a trial beer run with a group of willing helpers and described it as a 'great success.' He added: 'We filled the glasses of everyone, but, sadly, the rest went down the drain because we couldn't leave it in the pipeline.' The pipeline is not the only innovation introduced this year by the organisers who are also catering for couples feeling amorous after a few frothy lagers. Special soundproofed 'bonk-boxes' have been set up on the nearby camp site where they can canoodle in private. The converted containers include a double bed, soft lighting and layers of sound-deadening insulation which mean other guests on the site won't be disturbed. 'They're a great idea because lots of people who come to Oktoberfest end up camping and tents are a terrible place to get intimate,' said one festival fan. |
|
|
view Trust The Germans To Regiment Tents At A Beer Festival! Oktoberfest Gets Underway as presented by: Daily Mail Online |
|
|
|
At the age of four Zlata discovered she had an amazing talent - and she has been bending over backwards ever since to make the most of it. The Russian-born former gymnast, 24, is one of the world's most extreme contortionists. At 5ft 9ins and weighing just eight and a half stone, Zlata spends most of her day working out and training for shows around the world. In one of her favourite acts she bends herself backwards at a perfect 90 degree angle - virtually cutting herself in half so the back of her hands touch her heels. And she thinks nothing of casually pulling her legs up behind her and hooking them over her shoulders to land on the floor beside her hands. She can even squeeze herself into boxes just 50cms squared. Zlata said: 'Doing these poses just feels very natural to me. Sometimes it can get a bit uncomfortable if I have to hold a pose for a long time in photo shoots. 'But I think that's like anyone who sits down for a long time - their muscles get stiff. 'I don't really diet but I have to train very hard to keep my muscles in shape and to be as flexible as possible.' Zlata has a rare condition that makes all her tendons extremely pliable, allowing her to adopt seemingly back-breaking positions. But Zlata, who now lives in Germany, wasn't always applauded for her contortionist ability. She first started experimenting with her talent after her pre-school teacher asked her to create a bridge - where you stand on your hands and feet with your back arched - and she outshone her classmates. She admits other girls her age were jealous of her and would pick on her at school. 'In Russia being flexible is a very good thing to be because everyone is really into gymnastics,' she explained. |
|
|
|
view Zlata The Contortionist Gets Herself Into... A Fridge as presented by: Daily Mail Online |
|
|
|
For many, photographs from the World War II have only been seen in grainy black and white. But now, new colour images have emerged that show the full horror of the destruction inflicted by Nazi bombings across London. The powerful images were released to mark the 70th anniversary of the launch of Winston Churchill's 'V for Victory' campaign on July 19, 1941. In this extraordinary picture, the double-decker bus is still visible amid crumbling tarmac and bent girders left in an enormous crater caused by a bomb which landed in the middle of a Balham high street, south London. A symbol of resilience: The Houses of Parliament with part of them covered in scaffolding are seen across the River Thames on a sunny day in 1941. The random nature of the bombing is clearly demonstrated here as a church, right, remains untouched while a vast swathe of buildings close by were reduced to rubble. |
|
|
|
view Amazing Color Pictures Of London Under Siege From Nazi Bombers During World War II as presented by: Daily Mail Online |
|
|
|
If you suffer from vertigo, look away now. While some people would find it unbearable to go anywhere near the edge of a cliff, these Chinese workers are building a 3ft-wide road made of wooden planks on the face of one that’s thousands of feet high. Once finished, it is hoped sightseers will flock to here to edge along and admire the views. The 'road' - the width of a dinner table - they’re assembling is on Shifou Mountain in Hunan Province and stands vertical at 90 degrees without any slopes or alcoves. What’s more, the from China's eastern Jiangxi Province toil away on it with what appear to be few if any safety measures. |
|
|
|
view The Workers Building A 3ft-wide Wooden Road On A Vertical Cliff Face as presented by: Daily Mail Online |
|
|
|
If you are scared of creepy crawlies you might want to look away now. These are the remarkable close-up photographs of flies composed by stitching together up to 687 separate images taken through a microscope. Tomas Rak photographs a tiny area of the fly under a microscope before moving it a mere five hundredth of a millimetre and taking another snap. It can take a staggering 687 movements and 'micro-photographs' to capture every part of the fly in such stunning detail. Astonishing colours gleam on the head of a dung beetle, Anoplotrupes Stercorosus. Its entire body is only 10mm long. The whiskery head of a Vespula Vulgaris, the common wasp. The photographs are the result of an ingenious photography technique using a microscope. The shimmering and exquisite head of a wasp, measuring just 2mm. Even the hairs on its antennae are clear. |
|
|
|
view Photographer Captures Flies In Exquisite Detail as presented by: Daily Mail Online |
|
|
|
It was a scene that perhaps wouldn't have made the final cut of King Kong. This lowland gorilla shares a moment of quiet reflection with a tiny mallard duckling, who seems fairly nonplussed about being in the presence of one of nature's most powerful beasts. The heart-warming image is among Nature's Best Photography Magazine's wildlife photograph winners for 2010. A stunning image of a frolicking bear in the woods and a dramatic scene of a hummingbird facing down a deadly viper were also among the winners of the competition, which received more than 25,000 entries. The awards began with simple yet dynamic goals: to celebrate the beauty and diversity of nature through the art of photography, and to use it as a creative tool for encouraging greater public interest in outdoor enjoyment and conservation. The annual Windland Smith Rice International Awards programme is among the most highly-respected and visually compelling nature photography competitions in the world. The Grand Prize was won by Tom Cairns for his shot of an Osprey grabbing a fish from a lake in southern Finland. |
|
|
|
view Gorilla Making Friends With Duckling Among Wildlife Photography as presented by: Daily Mail Online |
|
|
|