Online Store

Cristiano Ronaldo's is not a diplomatic injury. But it was still he who pulled back in this case. And the lump sum announced on the eve of the match with Atalanta, was not particularly appreciated by the Bianconero environment. 

Because the annoyance to the flexors accused in recent days, however real, did not seem such a great obstacle as to prevent Ronaldo from facing the delicate challenge of Bergamo, or at least not to allow him to try it all the way by participating in finishing training and maybe starting anyway together with the team. 

A rest shift was scheduled in one of these three games to be played in a week, most likely expected against Parma or perhaps florence. 

Instead, in the morning came Ronaldo's decision to stop, communicated by Andrea Pirlo himself in a press conference before the last training session. 

A choice officially shared between the parties, but basically made by Ronaldo and accepted by the Bianconeri staff.

DECIDE HIM – It will then end on the sofa a week that began between the post-Juve-Genoa criticisms, a game lived by showing a rather evident nervousness beyond the episode-misunderstanding of the shirt thrown at a raccattapalle and then ended up on the ground. 

As late as Wednesday Ronaldo had played a personalized program, as did other teammates. Then in the group on Thursday and Friday in the hope and all in all in the belief of Pirlo that he would take the field with Atalanta. 

Finally, saturday's lump sum. Could he grit his teeth? Maybe it is. Did Juve all hope he could at least try? It seems so. Will he return to his seat as soon as possible as if nothing had happened? I'm sure you do. 

On the other hand, for better or worse, every circumstance makes it clear that ronaldo probably has more power than Juve, surely he decides on himself. 

He decides when to play, so always or almost. He decides when not to play, as in Bergamo despite the high stakes and Juve need him. And so he'il decide whether to stay or leave. With Juve waiting.

At Mai Po, one of Hong Kong’s most picturesque nature reserves, an eastern imperial eagle circles the pale sky, wings spread majestically to reveal its contrasting plumage. The bird’s flight path is captured by Robert Ferguson, an award-winning photographer and nature enthusiast who has called Hong Kong home for more than 20 years.

Despite Hong Kong’s fame for its towering urban skyscrapers, close to three-quarters of the city’s land is undeveloped, with 40% being country parks and other protected areas. This vast green territory, coupled with the city’s subtropical climate and diverse habitats, has allowed all sorts of animal species to thrive, from sapphire butterflies and bamboo vipers to barking deer and leopard cats.

These creatures are just some of the subjects of Wildcreatures Hong Kong, a daily blog Ferguson started in 2018 after leaving a successful media career to focus on his environmental passions. In 2019, he published a hard-copy 30-page photo guide that identifies over 100 bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile, and insect species, accompanied by interesting and informative facts as a way to further promote interest in Hong Kong’s teeming wildlife.

"There’s a huge amount to explore in Hong Kong, and really easily too."

“Hong Kong is this amazingly biodiverse, fascinating wild place. It really is,” Ferguson says. While many of the creatures, like the city itself, tend toward the small side, they are no less magnificent than their larger counterparts. Ferguson’s striking images showcase these, be they of an army of brown tree frogs resting under a shaded rock or of two lantern bugs in love on a crisp autumn leaf.

“There’s a huge amount to explore in Hong Kong, and really easily too,” Ferguson says. “Especially when you slow down a little, when you look under the leaves, or when you have a little bit more patience, you’re going to see dragonflies, monkeys, or blue-tailed lizards. Maybe you’ll see a civet cat, and you’re certainly going to see a snake or two. It’s just fantastic.”

Into the Wild

Ferguson trained as a publisher in the United Kingdom before moving to Hong Kong in 1991 to be with his then girlfriend, a doctor he married a year later.

“My wife is a great person for adventure,” Ferguson says, explaining how she would take a map and locate a stream from where they were, then hike up it until they were completely immersed in nature.

This sense of adventure allowed Ferguson to explore all parts of the city’s wilderness. He recommends Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, a conservatory situated on Tai Mo Shan, the highest mountain in Hong Kong for animal spotting. The 148-hectare stretch of land – encompassing wildlife sanctuaries, gardens, and paved nature walks – can be reached by bus from several MTR stations. A dedicated shuttle takes visitors to the top, where frost can gather on the coldest nights. Adventurous types can explore the trails on the mountain – a fascinating microcosm of Hong Kong’s biodiversity, with flora and fauna that change with the elevation.

Victoria Peak is even more accessible; it is a scenic tram ride away from the city’s financial center. The hilltop is known for having the best view of Hong Kong and offers an easy downslope trek past lush forests, flowing streams, and the occasional porcupine. There is also Tai Tam Mound Waterfall – a hidden oasis that is a hike away from the Parkview luxury housing estate in the south of Hong Kong Island.  Tai Po Kau in the New Territories boasts paths of different lengths, all of which take you winding through shaded woodlands that are home to many animals, including flitting fireflies in the warmth of late summer.

Many of these trails and country parks were relatively isolated during Ferguson’s early excursions. He laughingly admits to having no sense of direction and has managed to get lost on a couple of occasions. But in Hong Kong, he adds, “you’re only about an hour away from yum cha somewhere.”

Indeed, in recent years, many have realized just how easy and valuable it is to connect with Hong Kong’s great outdoors. Ferguson attributes this shift to the SARS outbreak in 2003. “That was the first time I saw a lot more people go out into the countryside and begin to interact with nature,” he says, explaining how the epidemic pushed people to embrace healthier pastimes – a trend that has been boosted again by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I used to go to Tai Po Kau and maybe see one other person the whole day. Now I can’t even find any car parking,” he says with a laugh.

Habitat of Riches

Accessibility to the bounties of nature is one of the main reasons Ferguson decided to put down his roots in Hong Kong. 

“If you’re an outdoorsy person, you might think, ‘Do I want my kids to grow up in a concrete jungle?’ Well, it’s actually the opposite,” Ferguson says of the city he calls home. He recalls how his family would go for hikes together on the many trails around the city, walking down waterfalls in Tai Tam and enjoying splashes in pools surrounded by mossy rocks and trees. These experiences instilled in his children a lifelong reverence for nature and have shaped their careers. His daughter now works as a dive instructor in the British Virgin Islands, while his son is an exploration geologist.

If you’re an outdoorsy person, you might think, ‘Do I want my kids to grow up in a concrete jungle?’ Well, it’s actually the opposite.

For work, too, Ferguson shuffles back and forth between the urban city and the countryside. One day he might be replying to emails or researching for his blog at the Hive, a co-working space in Sai Kung, known for its beaches and hiking spots as it is for its bustling seafood restaurants and local businesses. On other days, he’s hauling his photography gear up a mountain in wait for the perfect picture of a mongoose or a migratory bird.

“It is incredible how quickly you can be absolutely in the wild,” Ferguson says. “You can go out in the morning, blitz out in your car, have a splash in a waterfall and then go back to watch a movie and have lunch in a magnificent restaurant, maybe even overlooking the harbor. That’s really unique. I don’t know another city that has that.”

Originl

Vatican expert Robert Mickens pointed out that the obvious message it send. “It’s tiring to have to keep pointing out that this is totally irresponsible behavior, that it’s hypocritical and sets a very bad example,” he wrote on Twitter. “Pontifex is not beyond criticism. But most in the media are not even reporting this.”

It is wonderful seeing these people; prisoners, nurses, nuns, refugees, greeting Pope Francis after Mass this morning. A sight for sore eyes pic.twitter.com/3b8OIbWAhE

— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) April 11, 2021

Francis, who has been vaccinated along with all employees of the Holy See, has seemingly shrugged off guidelines that he should still wear a mask if he cannot stay socially distanced. The video clearly shows no one in his entourage wearing a mask, and those who are masked up in the receiving line lowered their masks to kiss his ring—which was not sanitized between mouths.

Italy has surpassed 114,000 deaths since last March, when it largely paved the pandemic path for the rest of the world outside China. Rome is under “orange zone” restrictions due to a high number of cases and pressure on local emergency rooms, yet the Vatican seems to be largely unaware—or unconcerned—that gatherings such as those caught on tape are punishable by large fines.

Francis, whose ill-advised trip to Iraq last month was followed by record numbers in cases in that country, has often complained about being pent up at the Vatican during Italy’s draconian lockdown restrictions. When asked on the flight to Rome from Iraq about whether he was worried about the huge gathering of people who came out to see him, he said he would leave it “in God’s hands” to take care of them.

First publish