Flowers

An explosion of oranges, yellows, purples and whites has covered California's hillsides, as a rare "super bloom" bursts into life in the wake of a very wet winter.

Vast stretches of countryside that spend months of the year as a muted, dry brown have been transformed into a carpet of color that can be seen from space.

Matic is one of the biggest football stars who did the same over the last weekend. The poppy is a symbol worn by the the British each November, leading up to Armistice Day, in memory of their soldiers killed in wars - and according to the Royal British Legion, "the decision to wear it must be a matter of personal choice."

Around 30,000 Turkish tulip flowers of different shapes and colors are on display at a tulip festival in the city of Morges, Switzerland.

Six Albanian nationals have been arrested in the region of Grammos in northwestern Greece, near the border with Albania, on charges of violating forestry laws by illegally picking huge amounts of a wild mountain herb.

Police said they caught the men on Tuesday and seized 132 kilos of Primula veris (cowslip), as well as 10 horses that were used to carry the harvest.

Greek police say they have arrested six Albanian men near the border that separates the two countries and seized 10 horses and more than 100 kilograms of an illegally harvested wild mountain herb traditionally used to cure various ailments. 

Most of the northern hemisphere welcomed spring with unexpected snowfalls. April photos picturing cities covered with a white blanket of frost was shared with frustration, because normally April must be the month when this white blanket has to be a formed by a bed of flower petals.

Still new for Bulgaria, the saffron production is already enjoying huge successes and even serves as an example for other countries, Nova TV reported.

A delegation from Chile arrived in the Rhodopes to explore how the native producers are doing. The aim is to have the experience from Bulgaria implemented in the South American country.

Just as I was ready to write another spring article, I woke up to a frosted morning. The blooming flowers in the garden are covered with snow; it is hard to believe that it is April 23. This reminds me of another mid-April snowfall in the most unlikely geography, in Gaziantep. It was the spring of 2011; I was preparing a book on Gaziantep cookery for the Chamber of Commerce.

Pro-Erdoğan TV presenter Ertem Şener on Wednesday attacked Richard Moore, British ambassador to Turkey, on social media, using offensive language that included expletives.

A sports anchor has caused controversy by accusing the U.K. ambassador to Ankara of posting veiled "pro-coup" messages and supporting the "No" campaign in Turkey upcoming April 16 referendum, drawing an angry reaction from the ambassador who replied simply: "Who is this fool?"