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It is believed by some that the modern use of the phrase stems from an article by Fred R. Barnard in the advertising trade journal Printers' Ink, promoting the use of images in advertisements that appeared on the sides of streetcars. The December 8, 1921 issue carries an ad entitled, "One Look is Worth A Thousand Words." More recently it has been quoted as "One showing is worth a hundred sayings", and was published in that form as early as 1966 discussing persuasion and selling in a book on engineering design.

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Phantom Medieval Italian Village 

The following photographic essay is a compilation of breathtaking views of rare and unique places around the world. The Ghost Medieval Italian Village has been an apocalyptic inspiration for filmmakers all over the world. There is nothing more surreal than witnessing an abandoned city as a way to introducing audiences to all forms of abandonment. From the 1948 Ghost-Town-Western 'Yellow Sky' starring Gregory Peck, to the deserted London streets of Danny Boyle's '28 Days Later'. The frightful tension associated with popular 90's video game 'Silent Hill', to the post-apocalyptic nothingness of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer-winning novel 'The Road'. The theme is well-trodden, everywhere you may choose to glance. An excellent backdrop to any form of entertainment, whether it be film, literature or anything else for that matter.

 

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Italian Restaurant Built in the Grotta Palazzese

with Stunning Views Over the Adriatic Sea

The enchanting restaurant in Polignano a Mare in Southern Italy was built inside a cave centuries ago, allowing for one of the world's most unique dining experiences. Carved from the cliff face's limestone, the restaurant juts out 74 feet above sea level, allowing diners to watch the waves lap the shores just beneath them.

 

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The Islands of Marieta in Nayarit, Mexico  

The Marietas Islands were originally formed many thousands of years ago by volcanic activity, and are completely uninhabited. The islands are about an hour long boat ride west-northwest from the coast of Puerto Vallarta and are visited daily by hundreds of tourists, yet no one can legally set foot on the islands. In the early 1900s the Mexican government began conducting military testing on the islands because no one lived there. Many bombings and large explosions took place on the islands causing amazing caves and rock formations to be created. After a massive international outcry, started by scientist Jacques Cousteau in the late 1960s, the government eventually decided to label the islands a national park and therefore protected against any fishing, hunting or human activity.

 

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Naples, Italy

Naples has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. The earliest Greek settlements were established in the Naples area in the second millennium BC.  The Romans soon captured the city from them and made it a Roman colony.  During the Roman era, the people of Naples maintained their Greek language and customs, while the city was expanded with elegant Roman villas, aqueducts, and public baths. Landmarks such as the Temple of Dioscures were built, and many emperors chose to holiday in the city.  Today, Naples is the capital of the Italian region Campania and the third-largest municipality in Italy, after Rome and Milan with about one million inhabitants.  Naples was the most-bombed Italian city during World War II.  Much of the city's 20th-century periphery was constructed under Benito Mussolini's fascist government, and during reconstruction efforts after World War II. In recent decades, Naples has constructed a large business district, the Centro Direzionale, and has developed an advanced transport infrastructure, including an Alta Velocità high-speed rail link to Rome and Salerno, and an expanded subway network, which is planned to eventually cover half of the region. 

 

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The Raur of the Lion, Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka Raur of the Lion, is an ancient palace located in the central Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa, this site was selected by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The significance of the Sri Lanka Lion goes back to a prehistoric subspecies of lion, endemic to Sri Lanka. It appears to have become extinct prior to the arrival of culturally modern humans, c. 37,000 years BC. This lion is only known from two teeth found in deposits at Kuruwita. Based on these teeth, P. Deraniyagala erected this subspecies in 1939.

 

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Myra, Turkey

Myra is an ancient Greek town in Lycia where the small town of Kale (Demre) is situated today in present day Antalya Province of Turkey. It was located on the river Myros, in the fertile alluvial plain between Alaca Dağ, the Massikytos range and the Aegean Sea. Andriake was the harbour of Myra in classical times, but silted up later on. The main structure there surviving to the present day is a granary (horrea) built during the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian (117–138 CE). Beside this granary is a large heap of Murex shells, evidence that Andriake had an ongoing operation for the production of purple dye. Excavations have been carried out at Andriake since 2009. The granary was turned into the Museum of Lycian Civilizations. The granary has seven rooms and measures 56 meters long and 32 meters wide. Artifacts found during the excavations in the Lycian League were placed in the museum. The structures in the Harbor Bazaar as well as the agora, synagogue and a six-meter deep, 24-meter long and 12-meter wide cistern were restored. A 16-meter long Roman-era boat, a crane and a cargo car were placed in front of the museum.

 

Malta

Ther Village of Popeye, Malta

Popeye Village, also known as Sweethaven Village, is a group of rustic and ramshackle wooden buildings located at Anchor Bay in the north-west corner of the Mediterranean island of Malta, two miles from the village of Mellieħa. It was built as a film set for the production of the 1980 live-action musical feature film Popeye, produced by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions starring Robin Williams. Today it is open to the public as an open-air museum and family entertainment complex.

 

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Lebassin Waterfall Restaurant, Philippines

The Labassin Waterfall Restaurant is a truly singular and memorable experience. Located at the Villa Escudero Resort in the Philippines, guests can enjoy lunch while the water flows under their feet . Besides enjoying the authentic local cuisine, you can enjoy the almost untouched nature of the region formerly occupied by a farm and coconut plantations.

 

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Roraima Mountain, Brazil

Mount Roraima lies on the Guiana Shield in the southeastern corner of Venezuela's 30,000-square-kilometre (12,000 sq mi) Canaima National Park forming the highest peak of Guyana's Highland Range. The tabletop mountains of the park are considered some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating back to some two billion years ago in the Precambrian. Since long before the arrival of European explorers, the mountain has held a special significance for the indigenous people of the region, and it is central to many of their myths and legends. The Pemon and Kapon natives of the Gran Sabana see Mount Roraima as the stump of a mighty tree that once held all the fruits and tuberous vegetables in the world. Felled by Makunaima, their mythical trickster, the tree crashed to the ground, unleashing a terrible flood. Roroi in the Pemon language means blue-green and ma means great.

 

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Kansas City Library, USA

"The Community Bookshelf [Central Library Parking Garage] is a striking feature of Kansas City's downtown. It runs along the south wall of the Central Library's parking garage on 10th Street between Wyandotte Street and Baltimore Avenue. The book spines, which measure approximately 25 feet by 9 feet, are made of signboard mylar. The shelf showcases 22 titles reflecting a wide variety of reading interests as suggested by Kansas City readers and then selected by The Kansas City Public Library Board of Trustees."



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Buddhist Monastery, Bhutan

The Kingdom of Bhutan is sometimes overlooked, locked between Tibet and India, but the Land of the Dragon as the Bhutanese call it is home to some of the most exquisite Buddhist monasteries in the world. Here, we take a fleeting visit to some of the over forty monasteries in Bhutan – quite a number considering the population of the entire country is only around 700,000.

 

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Rainbow Mountains, China

The Danxia scenic area in Gansu province, north-west China, is a landform of reddish sandstone that has been eroded to create unusual rock formations. Layers of different colored sandstone and minerals were pressed together over 24 million years and then buckled up by tectonic plates, according to the Telegraph. Read More here:   COFL

 

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Bishop's Castle - Colorado, USA

 

Bishop Castle started as a family construction project situated in the Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado in the San Isabel National Forest located North West of Rye, Colorado. The castle is named after its constructor, Jim Bishop. The Castle is located in south central Colorado along a paved public road, State Highway 165, approximately 13 miles (21 km) southeast of the junction of State Highways 96 and 165. Construction of the castle began in 1969, when Bishop began construction on a family cottage, which he decided to surround with rocks. Several neighbors noted that the structure looked something like a castle. Bishop took this into consideration and soon began building his castle. He had bought the land when he was fifteen for a price of $450. In 1996, he was challenged by the local and state government over unsanctioned road signs that pointed to the site. They settled the dispute by issuing official road signs.

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Yalta Mountains, Crimea

The Yalta Mountains rise to 1500 meters above the resort town of Yalta on Crimea's South Shore. There are a number of trails up the mountains from Yalta, but the plateau is most accessible from Ay-Petri. The Ay-Petri plateau basically turns into the Yalta plateau as you head east. Officially, the mountain area belongs to a nature reserve and is off-limits to the public. In practice, however, it is heavily visited by picnickers, hikers, mountain bikers, and government officials and rich people with special passes. Historically, the plateau has been used as pastureland, but the Soviets began reforesting it to improve the retention of precipitation in soil, which provides water for the greater Yalta area.

 

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The Doors of Hell, Uzbekistan Russia

While drilling in 1971, Soviet geologists tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas. The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole with a diameter of 70 metres (230 ft) at 40°15′10″N 58°26′22″E. To avoid poisonous gas discharge, it was decided the best solution was burn it off. Geologists had hoped the fire would use all the fuel in a matter of days, but the gas is still burning today. Locals have dubbed the cavern "The Door to Hell".

 

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Fort of Burtang, Netherlands

Fort Bourtange is a star fort in the village of Bourtange, Groningen, Netherlands. It was built in 1593 under the orders of William the Silent. Its original purpose was to control the only road between Germany and the city of Groningen, which was controlled by the Spaniards during the time of the Eighty Years' War. After experiencing its final battle in 1672, the Fort continued to serve in the defensive network on the German border until it was finally given up in 1851 and converted into a village. Fort Bourtange currently serves as a historical museum.

 

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Gardens of Vezac, France

The town of Vézac in the Dordogne region of France is home to one of the world's most magnificent landscapes, the famed Gardens of Marqueyssac. These stunningly sculptured landscapes wrap around a 17th century chateau that sits perched above the picturesque Dordogne valley. The bubbly, rounded forms of the garden are carefully manicured by active attendants, maintaining a design that was first developed over 300 years ago. The Gardens of Marqueyssac are now available for public strolls, having been restored to their original glory for a public opening in 1996. The Château de Marqueyssac stretches across a large plot that includes 5 km of walking trails, a Belvedere pavilion high above the river below, a chapel and these famed overhanging gardens.

 

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The Alps,  Germany

The Bastei is a rock formation towering 194 metres above the Elbe River in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Germany. Reaching a height of 305 metres above sea level, the jagged rocks of the Bastei were formed by water erosion over one million years ago and are the major landmark of the Saxon Switzerland National Park.  The Bastei has been a tourist attraction for over 200 years. In 1824, a wooden bridge was constructed to link several rocks for the visitors. This bridge was replaced in 1851 by the present Bastei Bridge made of sandstone. The rock formations and vistas have inspired several well-known artists, among them Caspar David Friedrich.

 

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The Green (Fly) Gayser - Nevada, USA

Fly Geyser is not an entirely natural phenomenon; it was accidentally created by well drilling in 1964 exploring for sources of geothermal energy. The well may not have been capped correctly, or left unplugged, but either way dissolved minerals started rising and accumulating, creating the travertine mound on which the geyser sits and continues growing. Water is constantly released, reaching 5 feet (1.5 m) in the air. The geyser contains several terraces discharging water into 30 to 40 pools over an area of 74 acres (30 ha). The geyser is made up of a series of different minerals, but its brilliant colors are due to thermophilic algae.

 

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Litlanesfoss Waterfall, Iceland

In the Eastern part of Iceland, downstream the Hengifoss fall, there's another jump that deserves a visit: Litlanesfoss. It's made by the Lagarfljot river, and it winds through a tight gorge, that a great number of basaltic columns make an amazing place; it then ends into a tight funnel where it makes a small lake.

 

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Chand Baori Rajashtan, India

Chand Baori is one of the oldest and most attractive landmarks in Rajasthan. It was built by King Chanda of the Nikumbha Dynasty between 800 and 900 AD and was dedicated to Hashat Mata, Goddess of Joy and Happiness upon completion. The state of Rajasthan is extremely arid, and the design and final structure of Chand Baori was intended to conserve as much water as possible. At the bottom of the well, the air remains 5-6 degrees cooler than at the surface, and Chand Baori was used as a community gathering place for locals during periods of intense heat.  One side of the well has a pavilion and resting room for the royals.

 

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Nasir Na Ol Mosque, Iran

The Nasir ol Molk Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque, is a traditional mosque in Shiraz, Iran. It is located at the district of Gowad-e-Arabān, near Šāh Čerāq Mosque. The mosque includes extensive colored glass in its facade, and displays other traditional elements such as the Panj Kāse ("five concaved") design. It is named in popular culture as the Pink Mosque, due to the usage of considerable pink color tiles for its interior design. The mosque was built during the Qajar era, and is still in use under protection by Endowment Foundation of Nasir ol Molk. It was built from 1876 to 1888, by the order of Mirzā Hasan Ali (Nasir ol Molk), a Qajar ruler. The designers were Mohammad Hasan e Memār and Mohammad Rezā Kāshi-Sāz e Širāzi.



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The Spiral Staircase, China

One of the most challenging hikes can be found in the remote town of Linzhou in the Taihang Mountains, where the real draw to venture so far southwest of Beijing is rising to meet this 300-foot-tall spiral staircase.  The region is also famous of "The Red Flag Canal" which is located on the edge of the Taihang Mountains, as well as the Shitai Passenger Railway crosses under the Taihang Mountains via the Taihang Tunnel, which, at almost 28 kilometres (17 mi), is the longest railway tunnel in China.

 

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The Pink Lake, Western Australia

Pink Lake is a salt lake in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It lies about 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of Esperance and is bounded to the East by the South Coast Highway. The lake is not always pink but the distinctive colour of the water changes as a result of green alga Dunaliella salina, halobacterium Halobacteria cutirubrum, and/or high concentration of brine prawn. Once the lake water reaches a salinity level greater than that of sea water, the temperature is high enough and adequate light conditions are provided, the alga begins to accumulate the red pigment beta carotene. The pink halobacterium grow in the salt crust at the bottom of the lake and the colour of the lake is a result of the balance between, D. salina and H. cutirubrum.

 

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Merry Cemetery, Romania

The Merry Cemetery is located in the village of Săpânța, Maramureş county, Romania. It is famous for its colourful tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the persons who are buried there as well as scenes from their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction. The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies – a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn. Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made, a culture whose philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life.

 

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Salt Mines, Russia

Hundreds of feet below Yekatinberg, a Russian city, is an abandoned salt mine which might as well be the inside of a rave. The walls are covered with psychedelic patterns, caused by the natural layers of mineral carnallite creating swirls throughout the coloured rock. Carnallite is used in the process of plant fertilisation, and is most often yellow to white or reddish, but can sometimes be blue or even completely colourless.

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Lena Pillars Nature Park, Russia

Lena Pillars Nature Park is marked by spectacular rock pillars that reach a height of approximately 100 m along the banks of the Lena River in the central part of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). They were produced by the region's extreme continental climate with an annual temperature range of almost 100 degrees Celsius (from –60 °C in winter to +40 °C in summer). The pillars form rocky buttresses isolated from each other by deep and steep gullies developed by frost shattering directed along intervening joints. Penetration of water from the surface has facilitated cryogenic processes (freeze-thaw action), which have widened gullies between pillars leading to their isolation. Fluvial processes are also critical to the pillars. The site also contains a wealth of Cambrian fossil remains of numerous species, some of them unique.

 

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To Sua Ocean trench in Lotofaga, Samoa

Lotofaga is a village on the south coast of Upolu island in Samoa. Lotofaga is also the name of the larger Lotofaga Electoral Constituency (Faipule District) which includes Lotofaga village and two other villages, Vavau and Matatufu. The villages and Lotofaga Electoral Constituency all come within the larger political district of Atua which representsis 1,865 people (2006 Census).


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Santa Maria Monastery, Italy

Santa Maria Dell'Isola – An attractive small monastery located on the top of a hill just on the beach of Tropea in Calabria, Italy. It is a holy place for pilgrims. The present frontage of the monastery is dated after the earthquake of 1905 and is the work of the local workers of the district of Montecassino. This Santa Maria Dell'Isola Church became a place of pilgrimage on August 15 – Assumption of Mary and on 8 September – Nativity of Mary. Inside the arch there is a painting of St. Family and also a group of statues in the altar.


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The Fort of São João Baptista das Berlengas, Portugal

The Fort of Berlengas is located off western coast of Portugal, on the largest island of the archipelago of the Berlengas, in the municipality of Peniche in Oesteregion. The fortification belonged to a group of defensive military structures meant to protect the municipality located on the coast. King Manuel of Portugal ordered the construction of a fortress on Berlenga Grande in 1502, which was immediately rectified under the reign of King Sebastian of Portugal. The fort, was constructed from the remains of a pre-existing monastery (the Monastery of the Misericórdia da Berlenga) which had previously been abandoned.  English, and French pirates and privateers. Further, violent weather often cut-off communication to the mainland, which was especially distressing during pirate incursions, as result, the Monastery was abandoned. During the French invasion of the peninsula, the outpost served as a base for British troops, although it was the French later who plundered it. In 1821, João VI of Portugal ordered a remodelling of the fort that included the reconstruction of the chapel, which had been burned down during the French assault. The fort was also used during the Liberal Wars, serving as a forward base for troops loyal to Pedro IV of Portugal, to attack the fortress of Peniche (then occupied by Miguelist forces). Fourteen years later its armaments were removed, beginning a gradual decline in the fort's state. In 1953, the fort was repaired and remodelled as part of an attempt to adapt the structure into a Posada or Inn.

 

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El Alcázar of Segovia, Spain

The Alcázar of Segovia, like many fortifications in Spain, started off as an Arab fort, which itself was built on a Roman fort but little of that structure remains. The first reference to this particular Alcázar was in 1120, around 32 years after the city of Segovia returned to Christian hands. King Alfonso VI reconquered lands to the south of the Duero river down to Toledo and beyond. However, archaeological evidence suggests that the site of this Alcázar was once used in Roman times as a fortification.  Major renovations at the Alcázar were conducted by King Philip II after his marriage to Anna of Austria. He added the sharp slate spires to reflect the castles of central Europe. In 1587, architect Francisco de Morar completed the main garden and the School of Honor areas of the castle. The royal court eventually moved to Madrid and the Alcázar then served as a state prison for almost two centuries before King Charles III founded the Royal Artillery School in 1762.

 

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The Underwater Shi Cheng Lake in China

The ancient lost city of Shi Cheng lies deep underwater. FIFTY three years ago, this ancient city in China vanished without a trace.

It was all because the government had decided they needed a new hydro-electric power station. Shi Cheng, also known as "Lion City" and located in the province of Zhejiang, lay directly in the firing line and was flooded when its valley was turned into a man-made lake. As the water rose, the city was left at the bottom of this new-found body of water. It's estimated that Shi Cheng, which was founded about 1300 years ago, now lies between 26 and 40 metres beneath the gorgeous Thousand Island Lake.

But it has a new lease on life now, having resurfaced as an adventure park for tourists.

 

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The Leshan Giant Buddha, China

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a 71-metre (233 ft) tall stone statue, built during the Tang Dynasty. It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest stone Buddha in the world and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world. The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

 

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Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city.

 

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City in a Garden, Singapore

An international competition for the design of the master plan, held in January 2006, attracted more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms from 24 countries. Two firms – Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter – were eventually awarded the master plan design for the Bay South and Bay East Gardens respectively. The park has proven extremely popular for event planners, with demand so high that the park has to limit the number of events to three per week.

 

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Quinta de Regaleria, Sintra - Portugal

Quinta da Regaleira is an estate located near the historic center of Sintra, Portugal. It is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra". Along with the other palaces in the area (such as the Sintra National Palace, Pena, Monserrate and Seteais palaces), it's considered one of the principal tourist attractions of Sintra. The property consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park that features lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions. The palace is also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", which is based on the nickname of its best known former owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro.  

Read More About:  Mystical and Mysterious Quinta de Regaleira

 

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Deadly Salt Lake, Tanzania

The alkaline water in Lake Natron has a pH as high as 10.5 and is so caustic it can burn the skin and eyes of animals that aren't adapted to it. The water's alkalinity comes from the sodium carbonate and other minerals that flow into the lake from the surrounding hills. And deposits of sodium carbonate — which was once used in Egyptian mummification — also acts as a fantastic type of preservative for those animals unlucky enough to die in the waters of Lake Natron. Despite some media reports, the animal didn't simply turn to stone and die after coming into contact with the lake's water. In fact, Lake Natron's alkaline waters support a thriving ecosystem of salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, flamingos and other wetland birds, tilapia and the algae on which large flocks of flamingos feed. Now, photographer Nick Brandt has captured haunting images of the lake and its dead in a book titled "Across the Ravaged Land"

 

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White Temple, Thailand

Wat Rong Khun, perhaps better known to foreigners as the White Temple, is a contemporary, unconventional, privately owned, art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. By the end of the 20th century, the original Wat Rong Khun was in a bad state of repair. Funds were not available for renovation. Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist from Chiang Rai, decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project with his own money. 

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Águeda, Portugal

If you come to Águeda, a municipality in Portugal, during the month of July, you may see hundreds of colorful umbrellas floating above some streets. They are hung over promenades giving pedestrians a nice shade and something cool to look at.

 


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Archipelago Azores, Portugal

The Azores, officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean about 1,360 km (850 mi) west of continental Portugal. There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. All the islands have volcanic origins, although some, such as Santa Maria, have had no recorded activity since the islands were settled. The Azores are actually some of the tallest mountains on the planet, measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, which thrust high above the surface of the Atlantic.  Because these once-uninhabited and remote islands were settled sporadically over a span of two centuries, their culture, dialect, cuisine, and traditions vary considerably.

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The Village of Bagan, Burma

Bagan is an ancient city located in the Mandalay Region of Burma (Myanmar). From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day. Bagan was founded in the second century CE, and fortified in 849 CE by King Pyinbya. The culture of Bagan was dominated by religion. The religion of Bagan was fluid, syncretic and by later standards, unorthodox. It was largely a continuation of religious trends in the Pyu era where Theravada Buddhism co-existed with Mahayana Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, various Hindu (Saivite, and Vaishana) schools as well as native animist traditions. While the royal patronage of Theravada Buddhism since the mid-11th century had enabled the Buddhist school to gradually gain primacy, other traditions continued to thrive throughout the Pagan period to degrees later unseen. Bagan, located in an active earthquake zone, had suffered from many earthquakes over the ages, with over 400 recorded earthquakes between 1904 and 1975. Today, 2229 temples and pagodas remain. 

 

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 Blue Hole Cenote, Belize

A blue hole is a cave (inland) or underwater sinkhole. They are also called vertical caves. There are many different blue holes located around the world, typically in low-lying coastal regions. The best known examples can be found in Belize, the Bahamas, Guam, Australia (in the Great Barrier Reef), and Egypt (in the Red Sea). Blue holes are roughly circular, steep-walled depressions, and so named for the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them. Their water circulation is poor, and they are commonly anoxic below a certain depth; this environment is unfavorable for most sea life, but nonetheless can support large numbers of bacteria. The deep blue color is caused by the high transparency of water and bright white carbonate sand. Blue light is the most enduring part of the spectrum; other parts of the spectrum—red, yellow, and finally green—are absorbed during their path through water, but blue light manages to reach the white sand and return upon reflection. The deepest blue hole in the world-at 392 meters (1,286 ft) is Pozzo del Merro in Italy. The deepest blue hole in the world with underwater entrance—at 202 metres (663 ft)—is Dean's Blue Hole, located in a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas. Other blue holes are about half that depth at around 100–120 metres (330–390 ft). The diameter of the top entrance ranges typically from 25–35 metres (82–115 ft) (Dean's Blue Hole) to 300 metres (980 ft) (Great Blue Hole in Belize).

 

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Blagaj, Bosnia Herzegovina

Blagaj is a village-town (kasaba) in the south-eastern region of the Mostar basin, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It stands at the edge of Bišće plain and is one of the most valuable mixed urban and rural structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, distinguished from other similar structures in its urban layout. Blagaj was most likely named for its mild weather patterns since "blaga" in Bosnian means "mild". Blagaj is situated at the spring of the Buna river and a historical monastery. The Blagaj Tekija was built around 1520, with elements of Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style and is considered a national monument.  A 360° Virtual Tour Can Be Seen Here

 

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Montreal Botanical Garden, Canada 

 

The Montreal Botanical Garden in Montreal, Quebec, Canada is comprised of 75 hectares (190 acres) of thematic gardens and greenhouses. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2008 as it is considered to be one of the most important botanical gardens in the world due to the extent of its collections and facilities. The garden was founded in 1931, in the height of the Great Depression, by mayor Camillien Houde, after years of campaigning by Brother Marie-Victorin. The grounds were designed by Henry Teuscher, while the Art Deco style administration building was designed by architect Lucien F. Kéroack. It serves to educate the public in general and students of horticulture in particular, as well as to conserve endangered plant species. The grounds are also home to a botanical research institution, to the Société d'astronomie de Montréal,and to the Montreal Insectarium; offsite, the Garden staff also administer the Ferme Angrignon educational farm and petting zoo.

 

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Natural White Sand Pool of Fervedouro, Brazil

Near the Mateiros village is a natural pool, Fervedouro. It measures 8 meters in diameter, the water is crystal blue and the ground is white sand. The pressure pushes you out of the water. In fact there is no bottom, only a soft mix of sand and water. The pond is protected with planted banana plants.  Fervedouro is located in Jalapãoa State Park, a deserted region of 34.000 km2 in the east of the state Tocantins between the city Palmas and the state Bahia. It is a flat and dry savanna with no trees higher than 2 meter and small rivers that slice deep through the red soil. The area can be crossed via one rough road. A long trail of dust will mark the presence of a visitor. But visitors are to prepare themselves well for the trip because Jalapão is hostile and completely deserted.

 

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Buddhist Stairway to the Sky, Thailand

Legend says that at the top of Khao Khitchakut, a holy mountain located deep in the Chanthaburi province near the Thai-Cambodia border, there is an actual footprint of Khao Khitchakutthe Lord Buddha. It's believed that visiting the footprint equates to appearing before the Lord Buddha and those who make the trek are granted 1 wish. These spiritual beliefs are what draw thousands to make the climb every year. Besides the distance, roughly 10km in total, what makes the climb even more elusive is the short window of when the mountain is open; 3 months each year starting from Chinese New Year to Magha Puja day (roughly late January to early April).

 

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Hotel Le Moulin de l'abbaye, France

Le Moulin de l'Abbaye, includes three romantic dwellings, steeped in history, on the banks of the Dronne river. This was the home of Abbé de Brantôme, author of "La Vie des dames galantes". The charm of this region, known as the "Venice of the Perigord", is an inspiration for the palate in the elegant " Le Moulin" restaurant, on its riverside terrace or at the "Fil de l'Eau", its delightful fisherman's bar. It is also considered as the "Marvel Venice of the Perigord" with its luxuriant landscape, its prehistoric grottos, its quaint bow bridge which is the only one of its kind in France, its castles and superb estates.

 

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Tower of Percée in the Chartreuse Mountains, France

Situated in the Chartreuse mountains la Tour Percée is a unique double arch and at 32 meters the longest span in the Alps. The existence of this arch was only documented in 2005. The Chartreuse Mountains is the longest mountain range located in southeastern France, stretching from the city of Grenoble south to the Lac du Bourget north. It is the southernmost range in the Jura Mountains and belongs to the French Prealps.  The monastic Carthusian Order takes its name from these mountains, where its first hermitage was founded in 1084. Also derived from the mountain range's name is that of the alcoholic cordial Chartreuse produced by the monks since the 1740s, and of the chartreuse colour, named after the drink.

 

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Wacachina Oasis, Peru

Huacachina is a village in the Ica Region, in southwestern Peru and it is featured on the back of the 50 Nuevo Sol bill. Huacachina is built around a small natural lake in the desert. Called the "oasis of America," it serves as a resort for local families from the nearby city of Ica, and increasingly as an attraction for tourists drawn by the sports of sandboarding and taking dune buggy rides on sand dunes that stretch several hundred feet high. Legend holds that the lagoon was created when a beautiful native princess was apprehended at her bath by a young hunter. She fled, leaving the pool of water she had been bathing in to become the lagoon. The folds of her mantle, streaming behind her as she ran, became the surrounding sand dunes. And the woman herself is rumored to still live in the oasis as a mermaid.

 

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The Library of Alexandria, Egypt

The Royal Library of Alexandria in Egypt, was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. It was dedicated to the Muses, the nine goddesses of the arts. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC. With collections of works, lecture halls, meeting rooms, and gardens, the library was part of a larger research institution called the Musaeum of Alexandria, where many of the most famous thinkers of the ancient world studied. The library was created by Ptolemy I Soter, who was a Macedonian general and the successor of Alexander the Great. Most of the books were kept as papyrus scrolls, and though it is unknown how many such scrolls were housed at any given time, their combined value was incalculable. The library is famous for having been burned down, resulting in the loss of many scrolls and books; its destruction has become a symbol for the loss of cultural knowledge. A few sources differ on who is responsible for the destruction and when it occurred. Although there is a mythology of the burning of the Library at Alexandria, the library may in truth have suffered several fires or other acts of destruction over many years. Possible occasions for the partial or complete destruction of the Library of Alexandria include a fire set by Julius Caesar in 48 BC, an attack by Aurelian in the AD 270s, and the decree of Coptic Pope Theophilus in AD 391. After the main library was fully destroyed, ancient scholars used a "daughter library" in a temple known as the Serapeum, located in another part of the city. According to Socrates of Constantinople, Coptic Pope Theophilus destroyed the Serapeum in AD 391. Although the various component parts of the physical library were destroyed, in fact the centres of academic excellence had already moved to various capital cities. Furthermore, it is possible that most of the material from the Library of Alexandria actually survived, by way of the Imperial Library of Constantinople, the Academy of Gondishapur, and the House of Wisdom. This material may then have been preserved by the Reconquista, which led to the formation of European Universities and the recompilation of ancient texts from formerly scattered fragments. Completed in 2002, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina functions as a modern library and cultural center, commemorating the original Library of Alexandria.

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