3:31 AM
Gildeskål is a coastal municipality that encompasses part of the mainland as well as many islands. Major islands include Fleinvær, Fugløya, Nordarnøya, Sandhornøya, and Sørarnøya. The southern part of the municipality includes part of the Saltfjellet mountains and the northern part of the municipality borders the Saltfjorden and the Vestfjorden.
There are many lakes in the municipality including: Fellvatnet, Langvatnet, Litle Sokumvatnet, and Sokumvatnet.
7:37 AM
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country.
The area of the whole city amounts to more than 13,840 hectares, including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (from Brugge aan zee meaning "Bruges on Sea"). The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is oval-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. The city's total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008), of whom around 20,000 live in the city centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km2 (238 sq mi) and has a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008.
Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam and Stockholm, it is sometimes referred to as The Venice of the North. Bruges has a significant economic importance thanks to its port and was once the chief commercial city in the world. Bruges is well known as the seat of the College of Europe, an elite university institute for European studies regarded as "the EU's very own Oxbridge.
7:34 AM
Piney Lake is a longtime Colorado favorite destination for lake fly fishing. Nestled at the base of the remote and rugged Gore Range and surrounded by the Eagle’s Nest wilderness, Piney Lake is the trout-laden gem of Eagle County.
7:32 AM
Ölüdeniz (literally Dead Sea, due to its calm waters even during storms; official translation name Blue Lagoon) is a small village and beach resort in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province, on the Turquoise Coast of southwestern Turkey, at the conjunction point of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. It is located 14 km (9 mi) to the south of Fethiye, near Mount Babadağ.
Ölüdeniz remains one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean[citation needed]. It has a secluded sandy bay at the mouth of Ölüdeniz, on a blue lagoon. The beach itself is a pebble beach. The lagoon is a national nature reserve and construction is strictly prohibited. The seawater of Ölüdeniz is famous for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine, while its beach is an official Blue Flag beach, frequently rated among the top 5 beaches in the world by travelers and tourism journals.
2:43 PM
Pendleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 7,695,making it the fifth-least populous county in West Virginia. Its county seat is Franklin. The county was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1788 from parts of Augusta, Hardy, and Rockingham Counties and was named for Edmund Pendleton (1721–1803), a distinguished Virginia statesman and jurist. Pendleton County was strongly pro-Confederate during the American Civil War, however there were pockets of Union support.
Spruce Knob, located in Pendleton County, is the highest point in the state and in the Alleghenies, its elevation being 4,863 feet. Parts of the Monongahela and George Washington National Forests are also located in Pendleton.
1:59 PM
Manarola is a small fishing town in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northern Italy, that spills down a ravine to the wild and rugged coastline at the Ligurian sea. Manarola is one of the five tiny towns in a section of the Italian Riviera known as Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre, which translates to "five lands," refers to five villages that are all connected by a walking path: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.
Manarola is the oldest and the second smallest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. On the west end, there is a little harbor and on the east side lies the San Lorenzo church and a square where the townsmen meet for various activities. And as most of Cinque Terre, there are vineyards everywhere.
The tiny harbor at Manarola features a boat ramp, picturesque buildings tripping down the ravine and the town's swimming hole. Although there is no real beach here, it has some of the best deep-water swimming around. A ladder up the rocks and a shower are provided for those who love a little adventuresome swimming.
1:57 PM
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a rugged land of ice and rock, with 19 peaks over 3,000 metres including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook.
12:56 AM
Venice is a beautiful city located in northeast Italy that is famous for its intricate transport system of interconnected canals. A perfect setting for a magical Valentines break. It has been described as the most beautiful city built by man and one of Europe’s most romantic cities. Venice is also known for its art, architecture and culture. So you’ll never be short of something to do in the “City of Bridges”.
5:47 AM
Hemşin is a town and district of Rize Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey, 57 km from the city of Rize.
Hemşin is a district of green hills 19 km inland from the Black Sea. The area is the ethnic homeland of the Hemshin peoples of Turkey.
5:44 AM
Kotor is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of Kotor Municipality.
The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Some have called it the southern-most fjord in Europe, but it is a ria, a submerged river canyon. Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive and picturesque Mediterranean landscape.
In recent years, Kotor has seen a steady increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ship. Visitors are attracted both by the natural beauty of the Gulf of Kotor and by the old town of Kotor.
1:08 PM
Lungern is a municipality in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland. Lake Lungern is located within the municipality. Besides Lungern itself, the municipality includes the settlements of Bürglen, Kaiserstuhl and Obsee.
The village of Lungern lies 750 metres (2,460 ft) above sea level in the highest part of the canton of Obwalden, on the eastern shore of the Lake of Lungern and at the foot of the Brünig Pass. It is the highest village of the Sarneraa-Valley, and is situated in a basin that is open only to the north and is surrounded on all other sides by steep and woody inclinations and rocks.
To the south-west the municipality extends to the Brünig Pass. On its north-western side, the municipal boundary is set by the Wilerhorn and Höch Gumme mountains, and includes the whole of the Lake of Lungern. To the east, the boundary reaches as far as the Hochstollen and Chingstuel mountains, and includes the Güpfi mountain and part of the Kleine Melchtal valley.
Besides the village of Lungern, the municipality includes the settlements of Kaiserstuhl and Bürglen that lie at the northern end of the lake, and Obsee on the south-western end of the lake. The hamlet of Obsee might be the best maintained part of the old village, where you will still find old houses in their original structure and style.
The municipal district of Lungern has an area of 46.33 square kilometres (11,450 acres), of which 6.48 square kilometres (1,600 acres) are meadow and tilled land, 19.2 square kilometres (4,700 acres) are pastureland, 15.97 square kilometres (3,950 acres) are wooded and the remaining 2.91 square kilometres (720 acres) are unproductive.
1:06 PM
Faafu Atoll - also known as Northern Nilande Atoll - is a small group of 23 islands about 120 kilometres south west of the capital of the Maldives, Male. Only one island, Filitheyo, has been developed as a luxury tourist resort. Five islands in the atoll that are inhabited by local people, including Nilandhoo, where the explorer Thor Heyerdahl uncovered important archaeological evidence of the pre-Islamic culture of the Maldives.
The sole resort island of Filitheyo is a tropical paradise worthy of a magazine cover - a small but perfectly-formed coral cay shaded by coconut palms and lush exotic forest, encircled by white sand beaches and clear, warm azure waters. The eco-styled resort buildings match the idyllic surroundings, with thatched wooden villas scattered among the palms beside the beaches, or built on stilts out over the reef-sheltered waters of the island's lagoon. All the villas are built on the western side of the island, and so each enjoys amazing views of the setting sun and the open ocean horizon. The villas are furnished to a very high standard, and the resort is a perfect choice visitors who want to experience a touch of nature tinged with luxury.
Filitheyo is situated on the eastern edge of Faafu Atoll, a 30-minute seaplane flight from the international airport at Malé - which means visitors have have more time to relax on the beach and enjoy the resort facilities. There are several bars and restaurants to suit different tastes, including the Sunset Bar on the waterfront on the western side of the island, where guests gather at the day's end to enjoy tropical cocktails blended with fresh fruit. Other facilities include a swimming pool and poolside bar, badminton and beach volleyball courts, a fitness centre, and a health spa offering Asian-inspired and traditional local treatments. The resort also has internet access, and there is a doctor in attendance on the island.
The beaches are the focus of activities during the day, and the resort has facilities for sailing, kayaking, snorkelling, and scuba diving. Traditional dhoni sailing boats are on hand to carry ferry to the nearby uninhabited islands of the atoll, for a romantic picnic or a private stroll on a secluded and empty beach. The outer reefs of Faafu Atoll are swept by gentle currents that bring many large pelagic sea species close to the islands, such as whale sharks and manta rays, making these waters very popular with divers, and the resort's dive school can arrange training and guided tours of the best local dive sites.
The island of Nilandhoo at the southern tip of Faafu Atoll was the scene of explorations by the Norwegian geographer Thor Heyerdahl, who identified the remains of seven Hindu temples on the island, dating from before the conversion of the Maldives to Islam in the late 12th Century. Heyerdahl believed that the pre-Islamic Maldivian culture had spread from Sri Lanka, carried by an ancient sea-fearing civilization that influenced the cultures of South America and Easter Island - although his theory might be deemed "romantic" by most modern historians. Today Nilandhoo is famous for its 800 year-old mosque, founded by the sultan who introduced Islam to the Maldives and built from the coral stones of the island's ruined temples.
1:04 PM
Hirosaki Castle (Hirosaki-jo) was built by Lord Tsugaru, who governed this region at the beginning of the 17th century. The castle tower was originally five stories, but it was destroyed by fire after being struck by lightning in 1627. Since five-storied castle towers were prohibited by the Edo Shogunate, which governed Japan at the time, it was rebuilt with only three stories.
Besides the castle tower, the turret on the southeast corner and the east gate of the outermost castle wall are designated Important Cultural Properties.
Moreover the entire area of the castle ruin, including the stone walls and moat, is designated a Historic Site. Many cherry trees are planted around the castle, drawing numerous visitors during the cherry blossom season from the end of April until the beginning of May each year, a time when Hirosaki Castle is said to be at its most beautiful.
1:02 PM
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The population of the city is 685,135. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby hills one can find hot springs. The city is 233 km (145 mi) to the west of Ankara, 330 km (205 mi) to the southeast of Istanbul and 78 km (48 mi) to the northeast of Kütahya. Known as a university town, both Eskişehir Osmangazi University and Anadolu University (which has one of the largest student enrollments in the world) are based in Eskişehir. The province covers an area of 2,678 km2 (1,034 sq mi).
1:05 PM
Nordfjord is a traditional district of Norway. The region is located in the northern part of Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. It centers on the Nordfjorden and it comprises the municipalities of Selje, Vågsøy, Bremanger, Eid, Gloppen, Hornindal, and Stryn. The Nordfjord region covers an area of about 4,295 square kilometres (1,658 sq mi) and is home to a population (2010) of approximately 32,464.
The fjord is the sixth longest in Norway stretching 106 kilometres (66 mi) from the island of Husevågøy at the mouth to the village of Loen at the other end. The region encompasses the rough coastline of the Stadlandet peninsula to the Jostedalsbreen, Europe's largest mainland glacier. The region also includes the lake Hornindalsvatnet, Europe's deepest lake at 514 metres (1,686 ft) below sea level. The glacier Briksdalsbreen is particularly scenic. The Stryn area provides year-round alpine skiing, and there are numerous old fishing communities along the fjord going back to pre-Viking times.
