Friday, April 29, 2011
La Digue Island - Seychelles
The fourth largest island of the Seychelles group, La Digue is considered to be one of the most beautiful islands with palm-fringed beaches, towering granite boulders and turquoise waters.La Digue is the fourth largest inhabited island of the Seychelles, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. It has a population of about 2,000 people, who mostly live in the west coast villages of La Passe (linked by ferry to Praslin and Mahé) and La Réunion. It has an area of 10 km². La Digue is named after a ship in the fleet of French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne, who visited the Seychelles in 1768.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
Monday, April 25, 2011
Arc de Triomphe - Paris,France
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.The arch was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories, but he was ousted before the arch was completed. In fact, it wasn't completed until 1836 during the reign of Louis-Philippe. The Arc de Triomphe is engraved with names of generals who commanded French troops during Napoleon's regime.The monument stands 50 m (160 ft) in hdight, 45 m (148 ft) wide and 22 m (72 ft) deep. The large vault is 29.19 m (95.8 ft) high and 14.62 m (48.0 ft) wide. The small vault is 18.68 m (61.3 ft) high and 8.44 m (27.7 ft) wide.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Corsica Island - France
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia.Corsica was formed as an island through volcanic explosions. It is known as the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean.Nearly two million people visit Corsica each year, drawn by the mild climate and by some of the most diverse landscapes in all Europe. Nowhere in the Mediterranean has beaches finer than the island's perfect half-moon bays of white sand and transparent water.
Millau Viaduct - France
The Millau Viaduct is a work of both engineering prowess and architectural grace. Spanning the River Tam, in the south of France, Millau is a massive piece of infrastructure that appears as light as the fog that puffs across the valley.When it opened on 17 December 2004, the spectacular Millau Viaduct set new standards in both planning design and construction - without mentioning the record it set as the largest cable-stayed bridge in Europe. Near the bridge is a permanent visitors’centre with stunning views of the bridge and across the valley which it spans.At 2.4km long, and 270m above the river at its highest point, the Millau viaduct spans a 2km valley in the Massif Central mountain range and forms the final link in the A75 highway from Paris to Barcelona.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sagrada Familia - Barcelona, Spain
Basilica de la Sagrada Família is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926).Sagrada Familia or the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia was begun in 1882 by public subscription. A year later Gaudí became director of the project, a post he would hold for more than 40 years until his death in 1926. Work continued on the church based on Gaudí's general plan and studies. Unlike many churches, it survived during the Spanish Civil War, when many churches were burned; it was and is seen as a kind of symbol for the city of Barcelona.One projection anticipates construction completion around 2026, the centennial of Gaudí's death.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Leeds Castle - Kent, England
Leeds Castle, acclaimed as the most romantic castle in England, is located in south-east England, built on two adjacent island in the river Len. Leeds Castle was originally a manor of the Saxon royal family possibly as early as the reign of Ethelbert IV ( 856-860). The first castle was an earthwork enclosure whose wooden palisade was converted to stone and provided with two towers along the perimeter. This is now vanished. Traces of arches in a vault thought to be Norman were found at the beginning of this century. source
Monday, April 11, 2011
Madeira Island - Portugal
The Madeira Islands, 540 miles southwest of Lisbon, Portugal, are a Portuguese archipelago positioned about 360 miles directly west of Morocco, Africa in the north Atlantic Ocean. These islands are a popular year-round resort, famed worldwide for their Madeira wine, embroidery artisans, a perfect (low humidity) climate, striking scenery and beautiful flowers. Madeira Island (740 sq km) is the largest island of the group. It's a rugged, mountainous rock, famed for its elevated sea cliffs, including Cabo Girao, the planet's second highest.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Glamis Castle - Scotland
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public. Glamis Castle was the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, best known as the Queen Mother. Her second daughter, Princess Margaret, was born there. Since 1987 an illustration of the castle has featured on the reverse side of ten pound notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.The castle features extensively in fiction and legend, and according to local legend has more dark secrets than any other castle in Scotland. The most famous legend connected with the castle is that of the Monster of Glamis, a hideously deformed child born to the family. In the story, the monster was kept in the castle all his life and his suite of rooms bricked up after his death.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Guggenheim Museum - Bilbao, Spain
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The Guggenheim is one of several museums belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The museum features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Angel Falls - Venezuela
Angel Falls is one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions, but, even today, a trip to the falls is a complicated affair. The falls are located in an isolated jungle of Venezuela, and a flight from Puerto Ordaz or Ciudad Bolívar is required to reach Canaima camp, the starting point for river trips to the base of the falls.It is the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft). Angel Falls is also called Salto Ángel or indigenously Kerepakupai-merú. The indigenous name derived from the Pemón natives means "falls from the deepest place".
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Vasco da Gama Bridge - Longest Bridge in Europe
The Vasco da Gama Bridge in Portugal is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts) and 9th longest in the world. It has a total length of 17.2 km (10.7 miles), including 0.829 km (0.5 miles) for the main bridge, 11.5 km (7.1 miles) in viaducts, and 4.8 km (3.0 mi) in dedicated access roads.It is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts and roads that spans the Tagus River near Lisbon. Its purpose was to alleviate the congestion on Lisbon's other bridge (25 de Abril Bridge) and to join the previously unconnected motorways radiating from the Portuguese capital. The bridge carries six road lanes, with a speed limit of , the same as motorways, except on one section which is limited to . On windy, rainy, and foggy days, the speed limit is reduced to . The number of road lanes will be enlarged to eight when traffic reaches a daily average of 52,000.
