10 Places to See Nature at its Best

No matter how many uniquely talented artists we have, no one can beat the creativity nature holds in itself. This world that we live in is amazingly beautiful but we are so busy with our lives that we don’t find time to have a break and admire the beauty we have around us.

Here is a list of 10 most beautiful natural scenes that will take your breath away.

Skaftafell – Iceland

Skaftafell is a national park situated between Klaustar. It was founded on September 15 1967 and enlarged twice afterwards. The picture above is one of the marvelous spot to see in this beautiful park. The park measures 4807 km², making it Iceland’s second largest national park.

Paria Canyon – Vermilion Cliffs

Paria canyon – Vermilion cliffs are situated in northern Arizona and southern Utah, USA. It is basically a wilderness which is composed of plateaus, escarpments and deep canyons. The picture is showing the wave formation on one of the cliffs. One would want to actually go there and see with their own eyes.

Multnomah Falls – USA

A waterfall on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, situated east of Troutdale, flanked by Corbett and Dodson, next to the Historic Columbia River Highway. The total height of the waterfall is 620 feet. Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the State of Oregon, USA. Beauty at its peak!

Capilano Suspension Bridge – Vancouver

A simple suspension bridge crossing the Capilano river in North Vancouver, Canada. The current bridge is 446 ft long and 230 ft above the river. Draws over 800,000 visitors a year.

East Iceland

I know you still think its a painting. Its not ! The mountains located in East Iceland are of different colors and are the most unique ones. The beauty of nature can be seen over there.

Ice Canyon – Greenland

The Greenland ice sheet is a vast body of ice covering 1,710,000 square kilometers, 80% of the surface of Greenland. It is the second largest ice body in the world, after the Antarctic Ice sheet. The ice in the current ice sheet is almost 110,000 years old. The canyons seem artificial in the pictures but once you see them, you go crazy.

Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometers and a population of about 3.75 million. It is known for its stunning landscapes, its well-off artistic legacy and its huge influence on high culture. It also has been the home of some of the best artists in the world like Leonardo da Vinci, Luca Paciolo etc.

Marble Caves –  Chile

The beautiful and dazzling marble caves situated in Chile is the most epic place one would want to visit. A real tourist would not want to leave that place without at least 300 pictures.

Mount Roraima – Venezuela

Mount Roraima is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of Tepui plateau in south America. The plateaulooks like a Pandora mountain in the avatar when covered with clouds. An outstanding view to watch.

Paterswoldse Meer

I mean, who wouldn’t want to visit this place. Walk on the ice with water on your both sides. EPIC!!!

Two Symbols of Venice

What do you associate Venice with?

Venetian film festival. Venetian plaster. Venetian waltz. Venetian merchants. Otello - a Venetian Moor (according to Shakespeare). Venetian bridges (though Hamburg has almost three times more of them). "Venetian" tart - so delicious! Venetian painting of Renaissance. Venetian mosaic. Venetian glass - Murano. Venetian lace - Burano. And, of course, two chronic as bronchitis, and eternal like Ararat Mount, symbols of this city: masks and gondolas.

No, the real symbol of the city is undoubtedly a lion, the king of all animals. But only those who know Venice very well remember it. At that, the lion has two symbolic images. It is well-read and it's never stopped to hold a book. If it leans on the open book with its paw - it is a peacemaker. If the book is closed - a war is coming.

But this post is about the two evident symbols associated with Venice in minds of inhabitants of our planet: Venetian carnival masks and Venetian gondolas. By the way, they both are connected with plague.

Carnivals have been held in Venice for long. They came from the Roman culture and represented celebration of winter solstice. All estates were allowed to celebrate the holiday. And in order the rich weren't insulted by the presence of the poor at the same table and their behaviour as if they were equal, everyone had masks on faces. There was another positive moment - a slave could make a drunkard of the master's daughter or flirt with his wife with impunity and never be afraid that the following day he would be birched.

Later, during the plague, people believed that the Reaper wouldn't recognize the one in a mask she has come for. So masks were widely worn then.

Citizens of the city got used so much to wear masks that even went shopping with hidden faces. However they were finally forbidden due to revelry of banditry and were worn since then only during carnival celebrations.

Gondolas have another story. Long ago there weren't diesel or gasoline engines, no electric ones as well. Horses with carts swam badly. So people moved with help of boats with human muscular traction. The boats were so different in sizes and colors. The canals were narrow, the turns curved and sharp and people were trying to carry as much as possible in one trip. So it was getting more and more complicated to use a boat and in the 15th century there appeared a rule regulating dimensions of gondolas - 11 m long and 1.40 m wide.

According to one version black color started to be used during the plague: it didn't seem to be appropriate to carry corpses in bright colorful gondolas. Another version says that one young wife of an elderly doge was visited by one admirer who came by a black gondola. The doge was really old and couldn't stop it. But what he could do - to get rid of rumours, ordering to paint all boats black.

Antiquities Of Turkey

Erzurum is a major city in Asian Turkey. Its climate is severe. It is located in a valley at 7000 feet sea level and is surrounded by mountains covered by snow most part of the year. The land is woodless but benign. Erzurum has a plenty of fountains with water of fabulous taste. Anyone can appreciate it using a tin dipper hanging near the fountain. During the Erzurum Congress held by Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) in 1923 the borders of the modern Turkey Republic were established.

Erzurum Principal Mosque, Ulu Cami, was built in 1179 and went through a reconstruction process 5 times. The central isle and the wall facing Mecca are the only remnants of the 12th centuries left.

One can make use of shoe polishers' services in the streets.

Iranian (Persian) motifs.

Behind the Cifte Minareli Medrese, or the teological college, stands the 13th century Hatuniye Turbesi, or mausoleum, that was built for Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat's daughter.

The building of Cifte Minareli Medresse represents a quadrangle with an open internal square that holds a small pond. There is a variety of small rooms inside. Later, Sultan Murad IV ordered to dislocate military barracks here due to a tense political situation in the country. The unique building was reconstructed in 1971 and has been protected by the state since then being the symbol of Erzurum. 

The entrance is decorated with two identical minarets made of red and blue bricks.

The fortress faces the south where Cifte Minareli Medresse is located. Behind it just an empty space is left with stones scattered around.

The clock installed in the minaret built in the beginning of the 19th century was gifted by Queen Victoria.

The upper part of the tower is totally wooden.

Ammunition that had to be used in the event of war.

Climb the fortress and you will get a wonderful view of the ski resort. It will become obvious that Erzurum is surrounded by mountains.

Another small square in the south is decorated by three tombs, or Uc Kumbetler. The oldest tomb was built in the beginning of the 12th century. Its semi-oval windows were influenced by Georgian, Armenian and Turkic tendencies in architecture of the early period. 

There is a football field nearby. The young football player was willing to participate in the photo session...

... as well as the old man.

Baiburt is a regular Turkish town located in the mountains. 

Last time to enjoy the eternal snow fields before going to the coastal region of the Black Sea. 

On the way to Trabzon there is a Greek Monastery in Sumela. Trout farmings will show you have not lost your way.

The man holds an unusual musical instrument.

The pictures were not that good due to fog.

During the Byzantine epoch Trabzon was surrounded by numerous monasteries. They were Christian fortresses in Islamic world. The Sumela Monastery was the biggest fortress and is in a good condition till now.

The Sumela Monastery was founded in 386 AD during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius I. According to a legend, all started with a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, the work of Saint Luke, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. After the death of Luke, the icon declared its desire to leave the place where it was kept and was brought to the cave in the mountains by angels. After that the icon was discovered by two hermits and inspired them to found the monastery.

The privileges held by the Monastery in the Byzantium epoch were later confirmed by Sultan Selim and other rules of the Ottoman empire.

The monastery contains a large amount of frescoes. Many of them are unique as they don't correspond to the canonic rules and unite orthodox and eastern motifs.

Archangel Gabriel.

Fresco of a solemn Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus.

Saints.

Back to Jerusalem and Meeting of the Lord.

To investigate the frescoes in detail more than a couple of hours will be needed.

Football match in Trabzon.

Two Italian Brothers-Islands

Burano and Murano are small islands near Venice, the first is world-famous for multicolored houses, the second - for its peculiar glass. Burano looks like a magic town. Nobody knows what the matter is for such bright palette, but houses have a rather exotic view.

Roads for cars don't exist here, all provision is brought on boats and discharged by hands.

Yards have the same motley mood as channels.

Wet clothes add the colour to the views.

The majority of windows and doors are curtained with materials.

Usually a door behind a rag is open: the way rooms are aired out.

Besides the multicolored houses tourists are attracted in Burano by the Museum of Venetian lace and Saint-Marino church.

Channels of Murano resemble those of Venice.

Murano is much bigger than Burano.

This town had nothing serious previously, but in the 13th century all the glass production of Venice was brought here in order to avoid fires in the town and save secrets of this production.

Several factories are located on the island, they are widely open for tourists, for potential buyers. 

Real masters arrange real shows for tourists. Watching the process of transforming of a shining thing into a carafe or a horse is a very spectacular sight. Burning hot glass is malleable and looks like burnt sugar.

Firstly, a master blows into a tube and puffs out a small glass bubble.

Then he makes a neck constantly turning the hot tube.

Another worker helps him and gives additional pieces of hot glass for handles and other decorations of a future carafe.

After 2 minutes the item is ready.

Now it is time for a horse that costs 10 euros.

Murano glass is definitely expensive. For example, the left vase on this photo costs 12,000 euros.

A road to the airport.

Male inhabitants of Murano do fishery in bays of the Adriatic Sea, female-spin laces, tablecloths, napkins and other home textile.

And of course, fishers can find millions of reasons to drink a little...or not a little. How to get home after such libations? To paint your housesome bright and unique color is the perfect solution.

Spring In Greece - Kos Island

As soon as you leave a plane you are embraced by mild and warm air. It's not hot like on the mainland, all the island is blown through by the wind. This post won't contain architecture, sights, important historic ruins or excavations. Because it's not the most meaningful here. It's the territory of the nature, mountains and the sea. Emerald water kisses the coastal pebbles, everything around is in bloom, the air has so many smells, hardly caught but so wonderful.

Bruges - the Cemetery of Umbrellas

Bruges originates from the word "Bryggia" that means "Pier". 

It was founded in 852 by count Baldwin The Iron Arm. In present days Bruges is a large tourist destination of Belgium. Cute, hospitable, friendly Bruges. A lot of shops where famous Belgian chocolate may be bought.

It's pleasant just to walk along its streets without any map. And it's diffucult to lose your way here because the old center is not big and surrounded by a canal.
Besides, hiring a bicycle is a great idea, cyclists have many rights and cars always give way to them. Don't forget your camera - something interesting can be seen at each corner.

But this post is mostly about sad umbrellas of Belgians. Why? When it starts raining here, the wind is very strong and many umbrellas break. Belgians throw them away and buy new ones. That's why in rainy days Bruges is such a cemetery of umbrellas...

Most of all thrown out umbrellas at the stores where they are sold.

Some of them have just been bought...

Even if an only spoke is broken an umbrella is not needed anymore...

Cascais - "Little Stone" of Portugal

Cascais is a wonderful city of Portugal located 30 minutes driving from Lisbon. So you may get there by taxi only for 20 euros. As it is one of the main resorts of the sunny coast (Portuguese Riviera), you may bathe there, the city has all resort attributes: beaches (windsurfing), restaurants, clubs, the embankment at the foot of the citadel, churches, chapels. But probably the main thing located there is a wonderful museum of an artist Paula Rego.

By the way, the name "Cascais" is originated from the word "cascale" - "little stone".