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Sunday, December 31, 2017

Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata (Italy)

When Vesuvius erupted on 24 August AD 79, it engulfed the two flourishing Roman towns of Pompei and Herculaneum, as well as the many wealthy villas in the area. 
These have been progressively excavated and made accessible to the public since the mid-18th century. 
The vast expanse of the commercial town of Pompei contrasts with the smaller but better-preserved remains of the holiday resort of Herculaneum, while the superb wall paintings of the Villa Oplontis at Torre Annunziata give a vivid impression of the opulent lifestyle enjoyed by the wealthier citizens of the Early Roman Empire.

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Friday, December 29, 2017

Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (India)


Built in the early 13th century a few kilometres south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base, and alternating angular and rounded flutings. 
The surrounding archaeological area contains funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311), and two mosques, including the Quwwatu'l-Islam, the oldest in northern India, built of materials reused from some 20 Brahman temples.

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Thursday, December 28, 2017

Classical Weimar (Germany)

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the small Thuringian town of Weimar witnessed a remarkable cultural flowering, attracting many writers and scholars, notably Goethe and Schiller. 
This development is reflected in the high quality of many of the buildings and of the parks in the surrounding area.

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Sunday, December 24, 2017

Melon

The melon is family of the cucumber and is actually not a fruit, but a vegetable. Melons are grown in many tropical and subtropical regions.
In addition, they grow under controlled conditions in Dutch greenhouses. Melons cross well to other species, so there is a huge variety for sale.
All melons taste sweet, but they all have a slightly different taste.

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Saturday, December 23, 2017

Carcassonne (France)

Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. 
In its present form it is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defences encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets and its fine Gothic cathedral. 
Carcassonne is also of exceptional importance because of the lengthy restoration campaign undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc, one of the founders of the modern science of conservation.

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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Mount Wuyi (China)

Mount Wuyi is the most outstanding area for biodiversity conservation in south-east China and a refuge for a large number of ancient, relict species, many of them endemic to China. 
The serene beauty of the dramatic gorges of the Nine Bend River, with its numerous temples and monasteries, many now in ruins, provided the setting for the development and spread of neo-Confucianism, which has been influential in the cultures of East Asia since the 11th century. 
In the 1st century B.C. a large administrative capital was built at nearby Chengcun by the Han dynasty rulers. 
Its massive walls enclose an archaeological site of great significance.

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Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (United States)

This karst landscape in the state of New Mexico comprises over 80 recognized caves. 
They are outstanding not only for their size but also for the profusion, diversity and beauty of their mineral formations. 
Lechuguilla Cave stands out from the others, providing an underground laboratory where geological and biological processes can be studied in a pristine setting.

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Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe (Spain)

The monastery is an outstanding repository of four centuries of Spanish religious architecture. 
It symbolizes two significant events in world history that occurred in 1492: the Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula by the Catholic Kings and Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas. 
Its famous statue of the Virgin became a powerful symbol of the Christianization of much of the New World.

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Monday, December 18, 2017

Uvs Nuur Basin (Russia)

The Uvs Nuur Basin (1,068,853 ha), is the northernmost of the enclosed basins of Central Asia. 
It takes its name from Uvs Nuur Lake, a large, shallow and very saline lake, important for migrating birds, waterfowl and seabirds. 
The site is made up of twelve protected areas representing the major biomes of eastern Eurasia. 
The steppe ecosystem supports a rich diversity of birds and the desert is home to a number of rare gerbil, jerboas and the marbled polecat. 
The mountains are an important refuge for the globally endangered snow leopard, mountain sheep (argali) and the Asiatic ibex.

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Sunday, December 17, 2017

Paradise (New Zealand)

Paradise is a rural locality in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. 
It lies on the eastern side of the Dart River at the head of Lake Wakatipu, close to the settlement of Glenorchy.

The surrounding area is used for sheep and cattle farming. 
The locality has also been used as a setting in films and television.

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