Roros, Norway. The Mining City


Roro  is a town and municipality in Sor-Trondelag county, Norway. It is part of the Gauldalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Roros. Other villages include Brekken, Glamos, Feragen, Galaa, and Hitterdalen.

The mining town of Roros is sometimes called Bergstaden which means "the mining town" due to its historical notoriety for copper mining. It is one of two towns in Norway that were historically designated "mining towns", along with the "silver-town" of Kongsberg. The modern-day inhabitants of Roros still work and live in the characteristic 17th and 18th century buildings which have led to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Roros has about 80 wooden houses, most of them standing around courtyards. Many retain their dark pitch-log facades, giving the town a medieval appearance.

The town is named after the old Roros farm ("Roraas" around 1530), since the town was built on its ground. The first element is the river name Roa and the last element is os meaning "mouth of a river" (the small river Roa runs into the great river Glama here). The meaning of the river name Roa is unknown.


River Thames, London.


The River Thames  flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom, behind the River Severn. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Windsor, Kingston upon Thames, and Richmond.

The river gives its name to several geographical and political entities, including the Thames Valley, a region of England around the river between Oxford and west London, the Thames Gateway, the area centered on the tidal Thames, and the Thames Estuary to the east of London. The tidal section of the river is covered in more detail under Tideway.

With a total length of 215 miles (346 km), the Thames is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. It rises at Thames Head in Gloucestershire, and flows into the North Sea at the Thames Estuary via London, the country's capital, where it is particularly deep and navigable; the Thames drains the whole of Greater London. Its tidal section includes most of its London stretch with a rise and fall of 7 meters (23 ft); tides reaching up to Teddington Lock. Along its course are 45 navigation locks with accompanying weirs. Its catchment area covers a large part of South Eastern and a small part of Western England and the river is fed by 38 named tributaries. The river contains over 80 islands. Having both seawater and freshwater stretches, the River Thames supports a variety of wildlife.

Human activity along points from its source to its mouth is evidenced for thousands of years in places; now it provides dwelling places, water power, food and drink. A major highway is formed for much of its length for shipping and supplies: through the Port of London for international trade, internally along its length and by its connection to the British canal system. The river’s strategic position has seen it at the centre of many events and fashions in British history, earning it a description by John Burns as “Liquid History”. It has been a physical and political boundary over the centuries and generated a range of river crossings. More recently, the river has become a major leisure area supporting tourism and pleasure outings as well as the sports of rowing, sailing, skiffing, kayaking, and punting. The river has had a special appeal to writers, artists, musicians and film-makers and is well represented in the arts. It is still the subject of various debates about its course, nomenclature and history.


Dubai, The Amazing City


Dubai  is a city in the United Arab Emirates, located within the emirate of the same name. The emirate of Dubai is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and is one of the seven emirates that make up the country. It has the largest population in the UAE and the second-largest land territory by area after Abu Dhabi.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the national capital, are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. The city of Dubai is located on the emirate's northern coastline and heads up the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. Dubai is nowadays often misperceived as a country or city-state and, in some cases, the UAE as a whole has been described as 'Dubai'.
  


Wayang Islands, Indonesia.


Wayang Island is one of the islands within the Raja Ampat district in the province of West Papua. The island is known for its beautiful atolls and amazing underwater life covering a total area of 155,000 hectares (about 383,013.3 acres).
Here, you find pristine beaches with unique Karst islands that look like mushrooms sprouting out from the sea. Along these beaches, tourists can see fairy tale panorama, more captivating than Leonardo DiCaprio’s getaway in “The Beach”. The crystal clear waters around Wayag Island appear like unreal windows to various types of flora and fauna that live underwater.
Wayag Island never ceases to amaze. Divers, especially, have been overwhelmed not only by the rich underwater displays, but also by the panoramic beauty of the island as they climb up to its highest platform and observe coves and atolls around. It is a dream come true, truly a dream fulfilled.
The island is 10 km north of the equator. Liveaboards are the best choice for travelers with a love for adventure and romance. Social contacts with other travelers will only be a call away. Dive briefings are enriching, so that just being there with other divers and the exotic looking staff, you will feel as if you are already drawn into the depths of Wayag’s surreal beauty.


Cumbria, England



Cumbria  is a non-metropolitan county in North West England.Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle and the only other major urban area is Barrow-in-Furness on the south-western tip of the county which has a population just slightly smaller than Carlisle. The county of Cumbria consists of six districts (Allerdale, Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden and South Lakeland), and in 2008 had a population of just under half a million. Cumbria is one of the most sparsely populated counties in the United Kingdom, with 73.4 people per sq km (190/sq mi).


Cumbria, the third largest ceremonial county in England by area, is bounded to the north by the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders, to the west by the Irish Sea, to the south by Lancashire, to the southeast by North Yorkshire, and to the east by County Durham and Northumberland.


Cumbria is predominantly rural and contains the Lake District and Lake District National Park, considered one of England's most outstanding areas of natural beauty, serving as inspiration for artists, writers, and musicians. Much of Cumbria is mountainous, and it contains every peak in England over 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level, with Scafell Pike at 978 metres (3,209 ft) being the highest point of England. An upland, coastal, and rural area, Cumbria's history is characterised by invasions, migration, and settlement, as well as battles and skirmishes between the English and Scottish. Historic sites in Cumbria include Carlisle Castle, Furness Abbey, and Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Kaieteur Falls, Guyana.



Kaieteur Falls is a high-volume waterfall on the Potaro River in central Guyana, Potaro-Siparuni region. It is located in Kaieteur National Park. It is 226 meters (741 ft) high when measured from its plunge over a sandstone and conglomerate cliff to the first break. It then flows over a series of steep cascades that, when included in the measurements, bring the total height to 251 meters (822 ft). While many falls have greater height, few have the combination of height and water volume. This has given Kaieteur Falls the misleading label of "largest single drop" waterfall in the world which is often misinterpreted as "tallest single drop.However, it is likely one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world .

Kaieteur Falls is about three times higher than the more well known Niagara Falls, located on the border between Canada and the United States and about two times the height of the Victoria Falls located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa. It is a single drop waterfall which is the 123rd tallest (single and multi-drop waterfall) in the world, according to the World Waterfall Database. The same web site lists it as 19th largest waterfall in terms of volume, and in their estimation, Kaieteur is the 26th most scenic waterfall in the world.



Sardinia, Italy.



Located closer to Africa than Italy, Sardinia’s turquoise sea and white sandy beaches rival the tropics. Sant'Antioco & San Pietro, off the coast of Southwestern Sardinia, are charming islands as yet unspoiled by too much tourist development. The seaside resort of Santa Teresa di Gallura offers all the attractions of the coast without the sometimes-soulless glitz of the Costa Smeralda. Further east, Palau & Arcipelago di la Maddalena are pretty laidback, too: the archipelago itself comprises a national park with loads of island-hopping opportunities.
Away from the coast, the scenery can be similarly stunning with a pastoral quilt of forested mountain peaks, valleys of citrus groves and pastures of happily grazing cattle and sheep. In contrast, the urban scene can be disappointing.

Some towns are, frankly, dull and depressing with breeze-block buildings and graffiti. Others, like medieval Bosa in the west, are impossibly picturesque with their pink-and-golden buildings flanking the river. Alghero, in Northern Sardinia, has a fascinating Catalan history (the language is still spoken here) and a delightful old centre; the lively town of Iglesias also retains an appealing Spanish legacy. Calgliari is historic and cosmopolitan at the same time, while the equally historic Oristano is quietly elegant. Traditional culture thrives most vigorously in the heartland where the elderly women are still draped in black; here tourists are rare – stared at – but ultimately welcomed.
Across the landscape are scattered 7000 nuraghi, strange conical stone fortresses seemingly built by a Sardinian Fred Flintstone. Curious temples, tombs, mysterious menhirs and remains of entire Bronze Age villages complete the prehistoric cartoon.

Sardinia distinguishes itself in the kitchen with hearty pastas and a love for pungent local cheeses, like pecorino and smoked ricotta. Sardinians also produce notable wines and a head-splitting firewater, filu e ferru.

Avoid visiting during broiling, crowded July and August, as well as in winter when the island goes into hibernation and many restaurants and hotels are closed. The best times of the year to visit are in the spring, when the wildflowers are in bloom, and during the early autumn when the temperatures are still pleasantly warm and most of the tourists have left.


Helena, Montana , USA



Nestled beneath the foothills of the Montana Rockies, Helena, Montana would be a perfect setting for a Norman Rockwell painting. Exhibiting the class and elegance of a Victorian city, it is both the capital of the state of Montana and the county seat for Lewis and Clark County. The real estate market is booming, but there are still many fantastic real estate opportunities available. Check back on this site often, as we will be hosting the most current real estate listings available in Western Montana.

Helena is the epitome of diverse culture, hosting folks dressed in jeans and those in business suits walking side by side through the busy downtown streets. Helena, despite its urban population of nearly 70,000, still engages itself in the unique community spirit that has endeared it to all who live or visit there. There are ample street festivals, fairs, a local symphony and rodeos to appease anyone¡¯s entertainment preferences. The city itself is alive with the community spirit, offering street festivals, theater, museums, symphonies, fairs and rodeos.

Downtown Helena features a marvelous Pedestrian Walking Mall in an outdoors setting that includes a wide variety of shops, restaurants and coffee shops. There are also wonderful shopping opportunities in the greater Helena area including Capitol Hill Mall and various other shopping districts on the east, west and north sides of town and the downtown area.




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Lichtenstein Castle, Germany !!!!


Lichtenstein Castle can be found rising up from a crag in the Swabian Jura, a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The castle which stands was built in the 1840s by King Frederick I of Württemberg’s nephew, Duke Wilhelm of Urach. The Duke was so taken by the patriotic novel of the same name (written by Wilhelm Hauff) that he built the spectacular Neo-Gothic castle we see today. Lichtenstein Castle has further inspired others, including Reynier Fritz who built a luxury replica in Hout Bay, South Africa.





Perched on a forested crag in the foothills of the Alps, Lichtenstein Castle is the archetypal fairy-tale keep. It was built between 1840-42 by Count Wilhelm of Württemberg, then an independent kingdom in southern Germany. Wilhelm was inspired by a novel popular at the time called Lichtenstein, a romantic portrayal of the region's chivalric warriors in the Middle Ages. His neo-gothic citadel was erected on the supposed foundations of an earlier stronghold of the noble knights of Lichtenstein — not to be confused with the Principality of Liechtenstein — whose lineage faded by the 17th century. The castle's keep and outer buildings are linked by a narrow causeway; its broad crenellated stone walls meld into a cliff face that drops down into the Echaz Valley below. But its seeming impregnability ought not deter visitors — nowadays, the castle is a popular spot for weddings.





Tomie Ohtake Institute, Brazil !!!!


Tomie Ohtake Institute, erected in the most important city in Latin America, Sao Paulo, has a proposal to present new trends of the national and international art, as well as those that are references in the last 50 years, coinciding with the period of work of an artist who names the space, Tomie Ohtake.

Opened in November 2001, the cultural center occupies a total area of 7,500 m . Exhibit has seven rooms distributed in two large floors, one of which also houses the education sector, with four studios, space for seminars, documentation area and a Great Hall, where they are installed Santinho the restaurant, bookstore and shop Gaudi IT objects.

Instituto Tomie Ohtake is installed in a business complex built by the private group Aché that reflects a contemporary view of the city, where work and leisure culture are integrated.