Cyprus - Lemesos - Temple of Apollo

Limassol, lying between the ancient kingdoms of Kourion to the west and Amathus to the east, is the second largest town in Cyprus. Together with the suburbs surrounding it, it is already a large town, and is continually expanding in a coastal zone. It is a modern town, with fine residences, modern buildings, shops, luxury hotel complexes, countless restaurants & Taverns, and entertainment places to cater for all tastes.

The Apollo Temple, Near Limassol, is part of the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, the ancient god protector of forests.

Croatia - Veliki Tabor

Veliki Tabor is located in Desinic - Krapina-Zagorje County, a pleasant and enjoyable daytrip (57 KM) from Zagreb. Today Veliki Tabor Castle operates as a museum, displaying antique medieval weapons and tools.
Veliki Tabor Castle is what you think of when then think of a castle, its appearance, its massive fortified walls, its location, build on top of a hill (approximately 330 meters above sea level), this magic medieval fortified castle is complete with turrets and towers. The walls incorporate four towers which surround the main section of the castle.
Construction of Veliki Tabor is said to have started in the 12th century, various sections of Veliki Tabor Castle have been dated to different centuries, the most like explanations would be that the castle was either expanded from the original or repaired due to attacks over the centuries. Castle Veliki Tabor is situated approximately 330 meters above sea level and and occupies approximately an astonishing 3340 square meters.
One interesting fact of interest about Veliki Tabor is its water well which is measured at a depth of approximately 30 meters, considering when the well was dug (est. 12th Century), this is an astonishing feat. The castles has had restoration work done to it over the centuries to return it to its original splendor and glory,

China - Beijing - Qianmen Street

Located at the central axis of Beijing City, Qianmen Street is a famous pedestrian street. It runs from Jianlou (the Archery Tower) of Zhengyangmen in the north to the turning of Tiantan Park in the south. Qianmen Street is 840 meters (about 919 yards) in length and 21 meters (about 23 yards) in width. It is composed with buildings whose styles resemble the late Qing Dynasty (1644 --- 1911).

Qianmen Street has history of more than 570 years. It was called Zhengyangmen Street during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and finally named Qianmen Street in 1965. During the Qing Dynasty, there were many specialized outlets on either side of Qianmen Street, such as a meat market, cloth market and jewelry market. And there were also many craftsman workshops, warehouses and theatres in the Hutongs nearby.

After more than one year's renovation, Qianmen Street reopened on August 7th before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It is a symbol of genuine Beijing local culture. Qianmen Street has many of China's time-honored names. Visitors can enjoy a traditional Chinese way of life. Moreover, Qianmen Street has many international brands, such as H&M, Haagen-Dazs, Sephora, ZARA, Qggle, COSTS CAFÉ, and SK Jewelry. The most famous of China own names are as follows: Quanjude, Yitiaolong, and Douyichu, and Changchuntang.

China - Gansu - Jiayuguan Pass of Great Wall

Located about six kilometers (four miles) southwest of Jiangyuguan City in Gansu Province, the Jiayuguan Pass (Jiayuguan in Chinese) represents the western starting point of a section of the Great Wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The pass covers an area of 33,500 square meters (eight acres) and lies at the base of a narrow valley, and takes its name from one of the surrounding hills, the Jiayu. Commonly referred to as the finest example of its kind on earth, the pass is the best preserved of the Great Wall's ancient military fortresses.

The Jiayuguan Pass was constructed as far back as 1372. Legend has it that the official charged with overseeing the building of the pass demanded that the foremen not squander a single brick. The builders were for the most part successful, and the project was finished with just one brick surplus to requirements. It was actually left at the site and has become famous among the tourists visiting the area.

China - Bozhou Theatre

Bozhou, a bright pearl inlaid on the northwestern part of Anhui Province, is a state-level ancient cultural city with a history of more than 3,000 years. Over the centuries, Bozhou has given birth to many celebrities, including Cao Can, Hua Tuo, Li Shen, and Chen Tuan.

The long history of Bozhou has left behind many places of historic interest, such as the Opera Theater, Huazu Temple, the Graveyard of Cao Cao's family, and the underground troop course. The Opera Theater, a major unit under state protection, was built during 1662 and 1722, the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, around which there are such structures as an opera theater, a bel I tower, a drum tower, and the Hall to Lord Guan. These buildings are of high value for the study of architecture, opera, and painted sculptures of the Qing Dynast' Bozhou is also one of the four major producers of Chinese medicine.

Brasil - Landscape

Ubatuba Beach

Aquiraz

Danish Royal Family

Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik, Queen Margrethe II, Prince Consort Henrik, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie

Having existed for more than 1000 years, the Danish Monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. The two large houses of the Danish Monarchy are the House of Oldenborg and the House of Glücksborg. In 1863, the House of Glücksborg succeeded the House of Oldenborg. The present Royal Family are the direct descendants of the House of Glücksborg.

The Danish Royal House may be traced back to Gorm the Old and his son Harald I Bluetooth. The latter can be dated and located with certainty as he united Denmark. The two great lines of the Danish Royal House are the House of Oldenborg and the House of Glücksborg. The first representative of the House of Oldenborg became King in 1448, and the last King of the House of Oldenborg was King Frederik VII, as he had no heir to the throne. In 1863, the first representative of the House of Glücksborg became King, and the present Royal Family are direct descendants of this Royal House.

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik with their children

Official Website

Thailand - Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya city is the capital of Ayutthaya province in Thailand. The city was founded in 1350 by King U Thong, who went there to escape a smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often referred to as the Ayutthaya kingdom or Siam. It is estimated that Ayutthaya by the year 1600 CE had a population of about 300,000, with the population perhaps reaching 1,000,000 around 1700 CE, making it one of the world's largest cities at that time.

In 1767 the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, resulting in the collapse of the kingdom. The ruins of the old city now form the Ayutthaya historical park, which is recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was refounded a few kilometers to the east. The city is sometimes called "Venice of the East".

Russia - Baikal Lake

Baikal is easily the largest lake in Eurasia, and it is just as easily the deepest lake in the world (1,620 meters). On the merits of magnitude alone the lake is renowned as one of the earth's most impressive natural wonders, and rightfully so--Baikal is so large that all of the rivers on earth combined would take an entire year to fill it.

What fewer people realize, however, is that Baikal's majestic expanse is situated in a region of surpassing beauty, its forested shores surmounted by the jagged, snow-clad peaks of the Barguzin mountains. In the winter Baikal freezes over, with ice so thick that the Trans-Siberian Railway was briefly run over its surface. At this time of year the lake provides an unsurpassed venue for the pleasures of a tour by sleigh. In the summer, its crystalline blue waters are transparent to a depth of forty meters, and its shores are ringed with the brilliant colors of seasonal wildflowers. Boat tours offered during the warm months are one of the best ways to gain an introduction to the lake, as is hiking amongst the forests, streams, and waterfalls of Baikal's parks. The lake region is home to an enormous variety of plants and animals, most of which--like nerpas,the lake's freshwater seals, and its trademark delicacy, the omul salmon-- are found nowhere else in the world. Bears, elk, lynx, and sables abound in the surrounding forests.

Lake Baikal long ago became famous for the purity of its waters and surrounding shores, a pristine state that had been seriously threatened by planned industrial development in recent years. Luckily, Baikal was one of the first regions to benefit from the new Russian government's reversal of decades of anti-environmental industrial policies. Since 1992 Lake Baikal and the entire surrounding area have been designated as a national park, and Baikal is today a naturalist's paradise and an idyllic holiday destination. With fine beaches, excellent hiking, birdwatching, and pleasure boating, Baikal is well-positioned to become one of the most attractive vacation spots in Asia.

Portugal - Batalha Abbey

Batalha's abbey is one of Europe's greatest Gothic masterpieces and is protected as a World Heritage monument.

It was built in 1388 after King João I made a vow to the Virgin that he would build a magnificent monastery if she granted him a victory over the Castillians in the Battle of Aljubarrota. An equestrian statue of Nuno Alvares Pereira, the king's commander at the battle, stands before the southern facade.

The exterior possesses innumerable pinnacles, buttresses and openwork balustrades above Gothic and Flamboyant windows, while the front portal is decorated with statues of the apostles in intricate Gothic style.

In the vast Gothic interior are 16th-century stained-glass windows of exceptional beauty, and in the Founder's Chapel are the tombs of King João, his queen Philippa of Lancaster, and of their younger sons, including Prince Henry the Navigator.

The Royal Cloisters were first built in Gothic style in the late 1380s, but Manueline embellishments were added a century later. Typical Manueline symbols such as plants and flowers of the newly discovered lands and other seafaring motifs carved in every arch illustrates the variety and excitement of Portuguese art during the Age of Discovery.

The Chapter House guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, where the bodies of two casualties of World War I lie. The vaulting is an outstandingly bold feat (an unparalleled example of the Gothic style), rising to a height of 20m (60ft) without intermediary supports -- only condemned criminals were used to build it.

A magnificent Gothic doorway almost 15m (50ft) high with Manueline decoration gives access to the roofless Unfinished Chapels, perhaps the most astonishing part of Batalha. Seven chapels radiate from an octagonal rotunda, divided from each other by deeply carved incomplete pillars that create an effect of oriental exuberance. The massive buttresses were designed to support a dome that was left unfinished.

Pakistan - Kutwal Lake

The fairy-tale lake of “Kutwal”, 3300 meters in altitude is one of the highlights of this trek. It shimmers under the shadows of Haramosh Peak 7409 Mt and Mani Peak 6684 Mts., flanked by the Mani Glacier.

Towards its South-west are the snow covered ridges and peaks of the Haramosh range presenting awe-inspiring views of the beautiful landscape while the “Bilchar Peak” (6134 Mts.) and other snow bound ridges of the “Rakaposhi Range” are towards its north and the north-west. Towards the east is the “Haramosh La”, 4800 meters high and the snow covered ridges of the “Liala Massif” (6770-6300 Mts.) and due north east are the high ridges of the “Malibuting Massif” (7458 to 7260 Mts.). It is indeed a mountain wonderland.

Pakistan - Karachi City

Karachi is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the largest city in Pakistan. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, north-west of the Indus River Delta, the mega city is the largest city, original capital and cultural, economical, philanthropic, educational, and political hub, as well as the largest port, of the country.

The metropolitan area along with its suburbs comprises the world's second most populated city, spread over 3,530 square kilometers. The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants and refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins who have largely come to settle here permanently.

It is locally termed as the City of Lights for its liveliness and the City of The Quaid, for not only being both the birth and death place of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan but also his home after 1947. Residents and those born in the city are called "Karachiites".

New Zealand - Kaikoura - Whale Watching

Kaikoura, on the east coast of the South Island, is the main center for whale watching in New Zealand. It’s one of the only places in the world where you can easily see sperm whales.

Sperm whales, the largest of the toothed whales, grow to over 15 meters in length. They dive deep into the ocean to feed. The resident population of sperm whales at Kaikoura can be seen all year round. Orca (killer whales) may be seen from December to March, and humpback whales in June and July. Several dolphin species are seen almost daily in the area.

Whales thrive close to Kaikoura because of its unusual submarine landscape. The continental shelf drops quickly into a number of extremely deep underwater canyons. In addition, a warm current from the north meets a colder one from the south. This causes nutrients from deep within the ocean to be carried upward, a phenomenon that helps to support all types of marine life from plankton and krill to dolphins and whales.

New Zealand - Aoraki-Mt Cook

Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, reaching a height of 3,754 meters (12,316 ft). It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favorite challenge for mountain climbers. Aoraki/Mount Cook consists of three summits lying slightly south and east of the main divide, the Low Peak, Middle Peak and High Peak, with the Tasman Glacier to the east and the Hooker Glacier to the west.

Morocco - Marrakech

Marrakech, known as the "Red City", is an important and former imperial city in Morocco.

Like many North African cities, the city of Marrakech comprises both an old fortified city (the médina) and an adjacent modern city (called Gueliz).

Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has one of the busiest squares in Africa and the world, Djemaa el Fna. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers and musicians. By night food stalls open in the square turning it into a huge busy open-air restaurant.

Czech Republic - Kraj Vysocina

Vysočina Region is an administrative unit (Czech: kraj) of the Czech Republic, located partly in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia and partly in the south-west of the historical region of Moravia. Its capital is Jihlava.

History has provided Vysocina with a number of monuments, three of which, the historical centre of Telc, the Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelena Hora near Zdar nad Sazavou and the Jewish Ghetto together with the St. Prokopus Basilica in Trebic have been classified as international UNESCO monuments. The landmarks left by history complement the way people have changed the countryside, completing its beauty.

Czech Republic - Frydstejn Castle

The ruins of Frýdštejn Castle can be found in the Liberec Region, Czech Republic, near the town Turnov. It is one of three castles in Jablonec nad Nisou District. A typical rock castle, it lies on the upper end of a long sandstone rock ridge, next to the village of Frýdštejn (former Zásada). The castle dominates the nearby Jizera river valley and the old trade route from Turnov to the north.

Frýdštejn was constructed during 14th century (exact date is not known). It is mentioned for the first time in a church source from 1385. Being owned by a Catholic it was besieged by Hussites in August 1432 but its lord had agreed to cease hostilities and later joined the Hussites. The castle had changed owners several times. After a sale in 1556 it lost its function as a watchtower and at the end of 16th century it was no longer inhabited. During the Thirty Years' War marauders, deserters, and fugitives of every kind found shelter here.

The public has been allowed to visit the ruins since the 1890s, when the Turnov Adornment Club bought it from the Prince of Rohan, who lived in Sychrov Castle. The club had the conserved masonry reinforced. Archaeological findings from this period are available in the Turnov Museum. Today the castle is owned by the village Frýdštejn, which preserves its current state.

China - Beijing - Lugou Qiao Bridge - old postcard

The bridge was built in 1189 by the Jin Dynasty Shizong Emperor. Damaged by floods it was restored in 1444 and 1698. It has eleven arches and spans over a dried up Yongding River in south-west Beijing.

The interesting feature of the bridge is the 485 lions in all in different positions sitting on 140 balusters. The locals claimed the lions are too many to be counted. At both sides of the bridge are two stellae, one describing the renovation by the Kangxi Emperor in 1698, and the other with the characters “Moon over Lugou Bridge at Dawn” in the Qianlong Emperor’s handwriting.

It was called Marco Polo Bridge in the West because Marco Polo (1254-1324) described it in his travel book, “The Travels of Marco Polo”. This book was apparently dictated by Marco Polo and penned by a fellow prisoner in Genoa called Rusticello of Pisa, purportedly the author of a romantic tale of King Arthur. The book fascinated Europe at that time with tales of the grandeur of Chinese culture and technology, but it was then so unbelievable that the book was called Il Milione, The Million Lies and Marco Polo received the nickname Marco Millione, i.e. Marco Polo of a million lies.

Bulgaria Nessebar

The city of Nessebar and the resorts on its territory are located in the southeastern part of Bulgaria.

The present-day town is the successor of a Thracian fishermen's settlement named Menabryia (meaning literally 'the town of Mena'), the foundation of which dates back to the 2nd century BC. Later it remained the only Doric colony along the Black Sea coast, as the rest were typical Ionic settlements. The Greeks named it Messembria (which was later transformed into Nessabar by the Slavs), and it grew into a big and well-fortified town-state. The town benefited from natural protection from both the land and the sea. Remains suggest the existence of aqueducts, a sewerage system, fortified wails, an amphitheatre and numerous cult edifices (including an impressive temple of Apollo) at that time. The town became a popular commercial centre as a variety of goods from the Aegean and the Mediterranean regions were traded there and it also minted its own coins in the 5th century BC. Two centuries later, it founded its own colony called Navlohos near Obzor. The whole land between Nessebar and Obzor used to be a granary that supplied the two colonies with food as well as goods of exchange. In the 1st century BC the town surrendered to Marcus Lukulus' legions and was subjected top Roman domination, during which the construction of a second colony of Messembria began and was finished. The second colony, built to the south of Nessebar, was named Anhialo (present-day Pomorie).

In the early Middle Ages the town rebuilt its fortress walls and stayed part of the Byzantine Empire until 812 when the protobulgarian Khan Kroum conquered it, including it in the territory of Bulgaria. During the reign of Ivan Alexander the town went thorough a cultural and economic boom, and occupied substantial territories beyond the stretch of the peninsula. It was around that period when most of the churches of Nessebar, remains of which are to be found in the present-day town, were built. In 1366 the knights of Amadeus of Savoy conquered the town, and then sold it to Byzantium for 15,000 golden ducats. In 1453, shortly after Constantinople fell under Turkish domination the town was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and went through a period of decay. The Liberation found Nessabar as a small fishermen's settlement, with well-developed viticulture on the hills above the town.

Due to the unique natural surroundings and the well-preserved monuments from various historic periods, at the 7th session of the World Heritage Committee in Florence in 1983, the Old Town of Nessebar became the only Bulgarian town included in the World Cultural Heritage list of UNESCO.

Algeria - Touareg

The Tuareg are a Berber nomadic pastoralist people. They are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa.

Tuaregs are mostly nomads. For over two millennia, the Tuareg operated the trans-Saharan caravan trade connecting the great cities on the southern edge of the Sahara via five desert trade routes to the northern (Mediterranean) coast of Africa. The Tuareg adopted camel nomadism, along with its distinctive form of social organization, from camel-herding Arabs about two thousand years ago, when the camel was introduced to the Sahara from Arabia. The Tuareg once took captives, either for trade and sale, or for domestic labor purposes. Those who were not sold became assimilated into the Tuareg community. Captive servants and herdsmen formed a component of the division of labor in camel nomadism.

Algeria - Tassili

Tassili n'Ajjer is a mountain range in the Sahara desert in southeast Algeria, North Africa.

Much of the range, including the cypresses and archaeological sites (see below), is protected in a National park, Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site, named the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park.

The range is also noted for its prehistoric rock paintings and other ancient archaeological sites, dating from neolithic times when the local climate was much moister, with savannah rather than desert. The art depicts herds of cattle, large wild animals including crocodiles, and human activities such as hunting and dancing. The art has strong stylistic links to the pre-Nguni Art of South Africa and the region, executed in caves by the San Peoples before the year 1200 BC.

USA - Florida - St Augustin Light

The St. Augustine Light is an active lighthouse on the north end of Anastasia Island, within the current city limits of St. Augustine, Florida. The tower, built in 1874, is owned by the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Inc. (SAL&M), a not-for-profit maritime museum and private aid-to-navigation. Open to the public, admissions support continued preservation of the Lighthouse and fund programs in maritime archaeology and education.

The lighthouse and surrounding buildings have a long history of supposed paranormal activity. Allegedly, visitors and workers have seen moving shadows, heard voices and unexplained sounds, and seen the figures of two little girls standing on the lighthouse catwalk (who purportedly were daughters of Hezekiah Pittee, Superintendent of Lighthouse Construction, during the 1870s; the girls drowned in a tragic accident during the building of the tower). Other reports are of a woman seen on the lighthouse stairway or walking in the yard outside the buildings, and the figure of a man who roams the basement.

Philippines - Cebu City - Taoist Temple

Built in 1972, the Cebu Taoist Temple is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision in Cebu City. The temple was built by Cebu's substantial Chinese community. With an elevation of 300 meters above sea level,the temple is a towering, multi-tiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three separate winding routes.

Unlike the neighboring Phu Sian Temple, the Taoist temple is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. A ritual among devotees is where one prays to the gods to grant one's wish. The ritual includes washing of hands, going inside the chapel barefoot and dropping two blocks of wood. If the blocks of wood are both face up then one could make a wish. If not then it is not yet the time for one's wish to be granted and one has to come to the temple some other time.

The temple is the center of worship for Taoism, the religion which follows the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tze. Another ritual among Taoist devotees, which is done during Wednesdays and Sundays, is the climbing of its 81 steps (representing the 81 chapters of Taoism scriptures) to light joss sticks and have their fortune read by the monks.

Philippines - Banaue Rice Terraces

The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand.
The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe.

Italy - Matera

Matera is a town and a province in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Matera.

Matera has gained international fame for its ancient town, the "Sassi di Matera" (meaning "stones of Matera"). The Sassi originate from a prehistoric (troglodyte) settlement, and are suspected to be some of the first human settlements in Italy.

The Sassi are houses dug into the calcareous rock itself, which is characteristic of Basilicata and Apulia. Many of these "houses" are really only caverns, and the streets in some parts of the Sassi often are located on the rooftops of other houses. The ancient town grew in height on one slope of the ravine created by a river that is now a small stream. The ravine is known locally as "la Gravina".

In the 1950s, the government of Italy forcefully relocated most of the population of the Sassi to areas of the developing modern city. However, people continued to live in the Sassi, and according to the English Fodor's guide: "Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago."

Until the late 1980s this was considered an area of poverty, since these houses were, and in most areas still are, mostly unlivable. Current local administration, however, has become more tourism-oriented, and has promoted the re-generation of the Sassi with the aid of the European Union, the government, UNESCO, and Hollywood. Today there are many thriving businesses, pubs, and hotels.

One of the benefits of the ancient city, is that there is a great similarity in the look of the Sassi with that of ancient sites in and around Jerusalem. This has caught the eye of film directors and movie studios.

Finland

THE WORLD'S CREATION AND THE BIRTH OF WAINAMOINEN

Long, long ago, before this world was made, there lived a lovely maiden called Ilmatar, the daughter of the Ether. She lived in the air—there were only air and water then—but at length she grew tired of always being in the air, and came down and floated on the surface of the water. Suddenly, as she lay there, there came a mighty storm-wind, and poor Ilmatar was tossed about helplessly on the waves, until at length the wind died down and the waves became still, and Ilmatar, worn out by the violence of the tempest, sank beneath the waters.

Then a magic spell overpowered her, and she swam on and on vainly seeking to rise above the waters, but always unable to do so. Seven hundred long weary years she swam thus, until one day she could not bear it any longer, and cried out: 'Woe is mep. 9 that I have fallen from my happy home in the air, and cannot now rise above the surface of the waters. O great Ukko, ruler of the skies, come and aid me in my sorrow!'

No sooner had she ended her appeal to Ukko than a lovely duck flew down out of the sky, and hovered over the waters looking for a place to alight; but it found none. Then Ilmatar raised her knees above the water, so that the duck might rest upon them; and no sooner did the duck spy them than it flew towards them and, without even stopping to rest, began to build a nest upon them.

When the nest was finished, the duck laid in it six golden eggs, and a seventh of iron, and sat upon them to hatch them. Three days the duck sat on the eggs, and all the while the water around Ilmatar's knees grew hotter and hotter, and her knees began to burn as if they were on fire. The pain was so great that it caused her to tremble all over, and her quivering shook the nest off her knees, and the eggs all fell to the bottom of the ocean and broke in pieces. But these pieces came together into two parts and grew to a huge size, and the upper one became the arched heavens above us, and the lower one our world itself. From the white part of the egg came the moonbeams, and from the yolk the bright sunshine.

At last the unfortunate Ilmatar was able to raise her head out of the waters, and she then began to create the land. Wherever she put her hand there arose a lovely hill, and where she stepped she made a lake. Where she dived below the surface are the deep places of the ocean, where she turned her head towards the land there grew deep bays and inlets, and where she floated on her back she made the hidden rocks and reefs where so many ships and lives have been lost. Thus the islands and the rocks and the firm land were created.

After the land was made Wainamoinen was born, but he was not born a child, but a full-grown man, full of wisdom and magic power. For seven whole years he swam about in the ocean, and in the eighth he left the water and stepped upon the dry land. Thus was the birth of Wainamoinen, the wonderful magician.

(from "Finnish Legends for English Children" by R. Eivind published in 1893)

Japan - Kyoto - Gion Festival

It is said that the summer of Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, begins with the Gion Matsuri. It's an annual festival of Yasaka Shrine which begins July 1 and continues through July 31 every year. During this period, a series of Shinto rituals and various events take place at Yasaka Shrine and others locations in Kyoto-city.

The Gion Matsuri was started in 869 A.D when a bad plague spread in Kyoto. In the first festival, young men carried numbers of wooden floats as a divine intervention to stop the plague. The plague soon ended, and this event became a popular festival. The current form of the decorated floats appeared in the festival during the Edo period.

The highlights of the Gion Matsuri are Yoi-yama (the night before Yamahoko-junko) on the 16th and Yamahoko-junko on the 17th. Thirty two gorgeous yama-hoko floats are displayed from July 14-16, and main streets become pedestrian zones in the evening. During Yoi-yama, some houses on the Muromachi-dori and Shinmachi-dori streets open their doors to show treasured old folding screens. Festival vendors line the streets and traditional Japanese festival music (matsuri-bayashi) is played all over.

Yamahoko-junko is the procession of colorful floats through downtown Kyoto. The floats are pulled through the streets by teams of men dressed in traditional costumes. Each of the large floats carries musicians. The floats are decorated with tapestries or fabrics from Nishijin, Kyoto. Many of them were imported from India, Belgium, Persia, Turkey and other countries in the 15th century. The procession usually starts around 9 a.m. from the Shijo-Karasuma.

Kyoto is taken back in time during the Gion Matsuri festival. At this time, you see many street vendors and people wear traditional Japanese outfits.

Italy - Agrigento - Valle dei Templi

Agrigento is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the province of Agrigento. It is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas (also known as Acragas in Greek, Agrigentum in Latin and Kerkent in Arabic), one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden age of Ancient Greece.

The Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) is an archaeological site in Agrigento (ancient Greek Akragas), Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, and is one of the main attractions of Sicily as well as a national monument of Italy. The area was included in the UNESCO Heritage Site list in 1997. Much of the excavation and restoration of the temples was due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783-1863), who was the Duke of Serradifalco from 1809 through 1812.
The term "valley" is a misnomer, the site being located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento.

India - Mother and Child

Old stories from India:

The Enchanted Brahman's Son

In the city of Radschagriha there lived a Brahman by the name of Devasarman. His childless wife wept bitterly whenever she saw the neighbors' children. One day the Brahman said to her, "Dear one, stop your grieving. Behold, I was offering a sacrifice for the birth of a son when an invisible being said to me in the clearest words, 'Brahman, you shall be granted this son, and he shall surpass all men in beauty and virtue, and good fortune shall be his.'"

After hearing this, the Brahman's wife was overjoyed, and she said, "Such promises must come true." In the course of time she became pregnant and gave birth to a snake. When her attendants saw it, they all cried out, "Throw it away!" However, she paid no attention to them, but instead picked it up, had it bathed, and -- filled with a mother's love toward her son -- laid it in a large, clean container, fed it milk, fresh butter, and the like, so that within a few days it had reached its full growth.

Once when the Brahman's wife witnessed the wedding feast of a neighbor's son, her eyes clouded over with tears, and she said to her husband, "You treat me with contempt, because you are not making any effort at all to arrange a wedding for my dear child!"

When he heard this, the Brahman said, "Honored one! To achieve that I would have to go to the depths of hell and beseech Pasuki, the King of Snakes, for who else, you fool, would give his daughter in marriage to a snake?"

Having said this, he looked at his wife with her exceedingly sad face, and -- for the sake of her love and in order to pacify her -- he took some travel provisions and departed for a foreign land. After traveling about for several months he came to a place by the name of Kukutanagara. There, as evening fell, he was received by an acquaintance, a member of his caste. He was given a bath, food, and every necessity, and he spent the night there.

The next morning he took leave and was preparing to set forth once again, when his host said, "What brought you to this place, and where are you going now?"

The Brahman answered, "I have come to seek an appropriate bride for my son."

After hearing this, the host said, "If that is the case, then I have a very appropriate daughter. I have only respect for you. Take her for your son!" Acting upon these words, the Brahman took the girl, together with her servants, and returned to his home city. However, when the inhabitants of this region saw the girl, who was beautiful, gifted, and charming beyond comparison, they opened their eyes wide with love for her, and said to her attendants, "How could you deliver such a jewel of a girl to a snake?"

After hearing this, all of her companions were horrified, and they said, "She must be rescued from the murderer set up by this old Brahman."

Hearing this, the maiden said, "Spare me from such deception, for behold: Kings speak but once. The virtuous speak but once. A girl is promised in marriage but once. These three things happen but once. And further: Not even wise men and gods can change the decrees of fate. And moreover, my father shall not be reproached for his daughter's falseness."

Having said that, and with the permission of her attendants, she married the snake. She showed him proper respect, and served him milk and similar things.

One night the snake left his large basket, which was kept in the bedroom, and climbed into his wife's bed. She cried out, "Who is this creature, shaped like a man?"

Thinking it was a strange man, she jumped up. Shaking all over, she tore open the door and wanted to rush away, when the snake said, "Dear one! Stay here! I am your husband!" To convince her of this, he once again entered the body that he had left in the basket, then left it again. He was wearing a magnificent diadem, rings, bands, and bracelets on his upper and lower arms. His wife fell at his feet. Then together they partook of the joys of love.
His father, the Brahman, had arisen earlier than his son, and saw everything. He took the snake skin, which was lying in the basket, and burned it in the fire, saying, "He shall not enter it again." Later that morning, filled with joy, he presented his son to his family. Vitalized by unending love, he became an ideal son.

(I found this story here)

Poland

The Polish White Eagle

A thousand years ago, or maybe even more, there lived three brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus. For many years they had been content in their villages, but the families grew larger and they needed more room to live.

The brothers decided to travel in different directions to search for new homes. Lech, Czech, and Rus traveled with their troops for many days. They rode their horses over mountains and rivers, through forests and wild country. There were no people to be found anywhere, not a town or tiny village. On the crest of a mountain top, they separated, each going in a different direction. Czech went to the left, Rus went to the right and Lech rode straight ahead, down the mountain and across vast plains.

One day Lech saw a spendid sight. He and his troops had come to a place where a meadow surrounded a small lake. They stopped at the edge of the meadow as a great eagle flew over their heads. It flew around in great swooping circles, then perched on its nest, high on a craggy rock. Lech stared in awe at the beautiful sight. As the eagle spread its wings and soared into the heavens again, a ray of sunshine from the red setting sun fell on the eagle's wings, so they appeared tipped with gold, the rest of the bird was pure white.

"Here is where we will stay!" declared Lech. "Here is our new home, and we will call this place GNIEZNO ... (the eagle's nest).

He and his people built many houses and it became the center of his territory. They called themselves Polonians, which means "People of the Field". They made a banner with a white eagle on a red field and flew it over the town of Gniezno, which became the first historical capital of Poland.

(I found the story here)

Estonia

Old stories from Estonia:

The Milky Way

Soon after the creation of the world, God created a fair maiden and gave into her charge all the birds beneath the heavens. This was Lindu, the lovely daughter of Uko, who knew the paths of all the birds of passage, whence they came in spring, and whither they went in autumn, and appointed to each his dwelling. She cared for the birds with a tender heart, like a mother for her children, and gave them her aid whenever it was possible; and like a flower in the morning sunlight under a thousand dewdrops, so brightly shone Lindu in her motherly care for the birds.

 Therefore was it not surprising that all gazed upon her and loved her. Every one desired the maiden as a wife, and suitors came in crowds. The North Star drove up in a grand coach drawn by six brown horses, and brought ten presents. But Lindu gave him a sharp answer. “You must always remain at your post, and cannot stir from it,” said she.

 Then came the Moon in a silver coach drawn by ten brown horses, and he brought twenty presents. But Lindu refused the Moon too. “You are much too changeable,” said she, “and yet you always run in your old path, and that won’t suit me.”

 Scarcely had the Moon taken a sorrowful departure than the Sun drove up. He rode in a golden coach drawn by twenty gold-red horses, and brought thirty presents with him. But all his splendour and magnificence and rich presents went for nothing; for Lindu said, “I don’t like you. You always run on the same course day by day, just like the Moon.”

 At length the Northern Light came from midnight in a diamond coach drawn by a thousand white horses. His arrival was so splendid that Lindu went to the door to meet him. His attendants carried a whole coach-load of gold and silver, pearls, and jewelery into her house. And behold, the bridegroom and his presents pleased Lindu so much that she accepted him at once, saying, “You don’t always travel the same path, like the others. You set out when you will, and rest when it pleases you. Each time you appear in new splendor and magnificence, and each time you don a new robe, and each time you ride in a new coach with new horses. You are the fitting bridegroom, whom one can receive with joy.”

 Now they celebrated their betrothal with great splendor. But the Sun, Moon, and Pole Star looked on sadly, and envied the happiness of the Northern Light.

 The Northern Light could not tarry long in the bride’s house, for he was obliged to journey back towards midnight. But hefore his departure he promised soon to return for the wedding, and to carry the maiden to his home in the North. In the meantime she was to prepare her trousseau and get everything ready for the wedding.

 Lindu now waited and made everything ready. One day followed another, but the bridegroom came not to hold a joyous wedding with his bride. The winter passed away, and the warm spring adorned the earth with new beauty, then came the summer; but Lindu waited in vain for her bridegroom; nothing was seen of him.

 Then she began to lament bitterly, and sorrowed, day and night. She sat in the meadow by the river in her bridal robes and white veil and the wreath on her head, and from her thousand tears sprang the little brooks in the valley. She did not heed the little birds who flew about her head and shoulders, and sought to soothe her with their soft blandishments, nor did she remember to direct their migrations to foreign parts, and to care for their nurture and food. So they wandered about and flew from place to place, not knowing what to do or where to remain.

 At length the news of the maiden’s distress and the needs of the birds came to the ears of Uko. Then he resolved in his heart to help them all, p. 151 and ordered the winds to carry his daughter to him, away from the misery of the world. While Lindu was sitting on the ground weeping and lamenting, the winds sank down before her, and lifted her so gently that she herself perceived it not, and bore her away to heaven, where they set her down on the blue firmament.

 There dwells Lindu still in a heavenly pavilion. Her white bridal veil spreads from one end of the heavens to the other, and he who lifts his eyes to the Milky Way beholds the maiden in her bridal robes. From thence she still directs the birds on their long migrations; from thence she still gazes towards midnight at the other end of the heavens, and waves her hand in greeting to the Northern Light. There she has forgotten her sorrow, and her former happy life reawakens in her heart. And when winter approaches, she sees with joy that the Northern Light visits her as a guest, and asks after his bride. Often he rises up to her, and, heart to heart, renews the bond of their love. But they may not hold their wedding. Uko has stationed the maiden in the heavens with her bridal robe and veil, and the bridegroom cannot carry away his love from her seat. Thus has Uko in his wisdom determined, and thus has the Milky Way arisen.

(I found this story here)

Estonia Rapla

Rapla County (area 2957 sq km, population 37,000) is situated in the central part of the flat North Estonian mesa, roads from Tallinn to Pärnu and Viljandi pass through it. The County has a dense river network (the biggest is the Kasari River Basin) and very many beautiful manors and manor parks. Several ancient strongholds can be found along with churches dating from the Middle Ages, there are many Karst regions and caves and 13 protected marshes and bogs. There are bicycle routes around the town of Rapla and along the old railway embankment from Rapla to Virtsu for more serious cyclists. Pure and nature-close living environment are the main riches of the County that could be used for nature tourism.

Denmark - Nordborg Castle

Nordborg Castle is a small castle which lies on the southern side of Nordborg Lake in Nordborg on the island of Als in Denmark. The castle premises are currently used as a boarding school.

Nordborg Castle, with its white walls and red roof, has an ideal location on an islet in Nordborg Lake. The castle is surrounded by the small ducal town of Nordborg, which after 1945 was home to many Danfoss employees. There is now no trace of the first castle from the 12th century. But a new castle was built when Nordborg became part of the duchy of Sønderborg under Hans the Younger in 1571. The castle was the seat of the duchy of Nordborg in 1622-69, but it burned down in the 1660s. In 1676, the dukes of Pløn acquired Nordborg and built a new Italian-style castle, which the state took over in 1720. In 1766-72 the land was parceled out and most of the castle was demolished.

Denmark Sonderborg Castle

Sønderborg Castle is located in the town of Sønderborg, Denmark on the island of Als in South Jutland. It houses a museum focusing on the history and culture of the area.

Sønderborg Castle is reckoned to date back as far as 1158, when it was said to be founded by Valdemar the Great as a fortified tower. Over the centuries the castle has been enlarged and rebuilt, but in 1964-73 it was restored and returned to the Baroque form it was given by Frederik IV in the 1720s.
Under Christian III, in the mid-16th century, the castle was modified and converted into a four-wing castle. After the war of 1864, the province and the castle became German. On reunion in 1920, the Danish state acquired the castle, which came to house a museum of Southern Jutland history.
The Sønderborg Castle Museum houses local history collections from the Middle Ages to the present day, but with focus on the Schleswig wars of 1848-50 and 1864. The museum also hosts exhibitions on navigation, textiles and handicrafts and holds a small art collection with works by prominent Southern Jutland painters over the years.
The original ramparts around the castle became a visible part of the gardens in the 1970s.

Czech Republic - Brno

Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, located in the southeast of the country.

It was founded in 1243, although the area had been settled since the 5th century. Brno is the capital of the South Moravian Region as well as the seat of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and the Ombudsman. Traditionally, it has served as the capital of the historical land Moravia.

Old stories from Brno:

What was happening at the New Town Hall

The whole of the west front of the Dominican square is taken up by the Baroque building of the Land House, nowadays the New Town Hall. It used to be said that on certain days the halls on the second floor would be brightly lit, and those who were unafraid could see strangely dressed people there walking about wringing their hands. They were said to be the Moravian Lords who, before the battle of the White Mountain, had deliberated whether or not they should take part in a rebellion against the Emperor. Moreover, the second outer gate of the building, the one furthest from the church, was not allowed to be opened. Whoever did so would be punished. Once, however, two girls who cleaned the rooms of the town hall did not take this advice, for they wanted to see for themselves whether these stories were true. Having secretly taken the key, they set off in the night for the gate along with their boyfriends. When they finally succeeded in opening it, an icy wind blew upon them and the boy who first opened the gate received two blows to the head and fell to the ground, unable to move. That was enough for all of them, and nobody has tried to repeat this act ever since. Others talked about the heavy steps that could be heard from the beautiful corridor around the garden when a member of the town hall staff was to die. A very strong man in ancient clothes would step out of the corridor, so huge that he would walk as if his feet were made of stone, making booming sounds with every step. Coming out of the corridor he would take a walk about the courtyard, sometimes looking through the porter`s window. Then he would return to the corridor and disappear somewhere within. The clerks also knew that on certain days of November nobody was allowed to stay in the offices after six o`clock in the evening. Woe to anyone who stayed late! Something unseen would start to wander through the rooms, throwing papers off the desks and hats from their stands. Terrible sounds and moaning would resonate, and the doors would even open by themselves. Once there were many such rumors, but today they are widely forgotten.

Canada - Stanley Park Zoo

Stanley Park is a 404.9 hectare (1,001 acre) urban park bordering downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was opened in 1888 by David Oppenheimer in the name of Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor-General of Canada.

Stanley Park contains numerous natural and man-made attractions that lure visitors to the park. Unlike other large urban parks, Stanley Park is not the product of a landscape architect, but has evolved into its present, mixed-use configuration.

Until 1996, a main attraction in the park was a zoo, which grew out of the collection of animals begun by the first park superintendent, Henry Avison, after he captured a black bear and chained it to a stump. Avison was subsequently named city pound keeper, and his collection of animals formed the basis for the original zoo, which eventually housed over 50 animals, including snakes, wolves, emus, buffalo, kangaroos, monkeys, and Humboldt penguins.

In 1994, when plans were developed to upgrade Stanley Park's zoo, Vancouver voters instead decided to phase it out when the question was posed in a referendum. The Stanley Park Zoo closed completely in December 1997 after the last remaining animal, a polar bear named Tuk, died at age 36. He had remained after the other animals had left because of his old age. The polar bear pit, often criticised by animal rights activists, was converted into a demonstration salmon spawning hatchery. Captive animals can still be viewed at the Children’s Farmyard. Numerous varieties of animals live in the park, including 200 bird species, such as peacocks descended from the old zoo, as well as other non-native species.

Norway - Oslo - Opera House

The Oslo Opera House (Norwegian: Operahuset) is the seat of The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national opera theatre in Norway. The building lies in Bjørvika, in the center of Oslo, at the head of the Oslofjord.

The Storting decided on the 15 Juny 1999 to build a new opera house in Oslo. The construction started in 2003 and the Opera House was finished in 2007 with the opening event held on 12 April 2008. King Harald V of Norway opened the Opera House that evening at a gala performance attended by national leaders and royalty, including President Tarja Halonen of Finland, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. The main stage is 16 meters wide, and can be made up to 40 meters deep.

Its builder was Statsbygg, a government-run property owner. The architects were the Norwegian firm Snøhetta who were also the architects of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (the Library of Alexandria) in Egypt. The theatre designers were Theatre Projects Consultants based in London, the acoustic designers were BrekkeStrandArup, a joint venture between local consultant Brekke Strand Akustikk and international acousticians Arup Acoustics. Norwegian construction company Veidekke was awarded one of the largest building contracts of the project. The structure provides a total area of 38,500 m² and includes 1,100 rooms, one of which has 1,350 seats and another has up to 400 seats. Total expenditures for the building project were planned at 4.4 billion NOK, but finished ahead of schedule, and 300 million NOK under budget. At the 1-years jubilee of the opera 1.3 million people had visited the building.

Poland - Torun

Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River.

Listed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1997, Toruń has many monuments of architecture beginning from the Middle Ages, including 200 military structures. The city is famous for having preserved almost intact its medieval spatial layout and many Gothic buildings, all built from brick, including monumental churches, the Town Hall and many burgher houses.

The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.

China - Beijing Hutongs

Hutongs are a type of narrow streets or alleys, most commonly associated with Beijing, China. In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, and then joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such neighbourhoods.

Hutong represents an important culture element of Beijing city. Thanks to Beijing’s long history and status as capital for six dynasties, almost every hutong has its anecdotes, and some are even associated with historic events. In contrast to the court life and elite culture represented by the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect the culture of grassroots Beijingers. The hutongs are residential neighborhoods which still form the heart of Old Beijing.

Since the mid-20th century, the number of Beijing hutongs has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas in an attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history.