Viewing Berlin From The Radio Tower

The Berlin 146 m high radio tower Funkturm was erected in the end of the 1990s. It's located on the territory of the international exhibition center Messe Berlin. On the height of 120 m there is a small restaurant and a viewing point from where the German capital is rather well observed.

Let us go up the historic monument, that's the very place from where the first wire and TV broadcast were made.

From the viewing point we can see all 26 pavillions of the giant exhibition center with total area of 160 thousand m2. On the picture we can умут notice the American espionage station, where from just recently quite cultural excursions have started to be made.

Porto - the Majestic City of Bridges And Portwine

Porto - a city in Portugal with the second large population located in the north of the country, on the right bank of the Doura river. It is the former capital of the Portugal and the large port of the country famous for its portwine. The settlement on the territory of modern Porto existed long before the Roman arrival. They called this city Portus Cale. Later this name transformed into Portucale. In its turn it gave a name to Condado Portucalense county that finally gave the name to the whole country - Portugal.

The city is sometimes called the northern capital of the country.

The Biggest Wedding You Could Ever Visit Is Held Today!

Probably only a hermit who lives on the bottom of the English channel hasn't heard yet about the wedding of Prince William and his girlfriend Catherine Middleton. Some people are crazy about the event - buy up all the souvenirs with an image of the happy copuple, others, vice versa, turn up their nose and having an additional day off ahead buy tickets to far countries in order to be as far as possible from London on Friday, April 29th. This way or another, but the British capital hasn't seen such a pother for a long time. Westminster Abbey is now a place where people have pitched their tents 3 days ago to be ready to see the most interesting moments of the ceremony.

First of all a few words about the heroes of the day. William - elder son of Prince Charles and princess Diana, grandson of Elizabeth II, the second in the line of the aspirants for the throne of Great Britain (after his father). He met Catherine Middleton in the University of St. Andrews not far from Edinburgh. Liking grew into frindship and later in love. The official proof of their relashionship became a photo taken in the Swiss Alps in 2004. But in 2007 they broke up to start everything from the new page in some months, and in November 2010, having been together for almost 9 years, they announced the engagement. The Middleton family doesn't belong to the British aristocracy, but once Catherine marries William she will get a title of nobility and a coat of

arms.

After graduation Catherine (Kate) Middleton worked for some time in the store of clothes and accessories "Jigsaw" in Dover Street.

Back then she probably didn't think that rather close there was a jewelry store Garrard that had made a ring decorated with a sapphire and diamonds for princess Diana's engagement. That very ring that Prince William gave Kate last year.

Those lucky men who were invited to the wedding ceremony should gather in the Westminster Abbey at 8:15am. At 10:10 William and his brother Harry will leave the royal mansion Clarence House, and go to the Westminster Abbey by a coach. Their trip should take about 5 minutes. (We take London time).

The Place Where the Best Wine Lives!

Montalcino is the native land of wonderful wine - Brunello di Montalcino. The city is beautiful, not even beautiful, but stunning! Valleys of the hills impress indeed, maybe you know that the landscapes of Toskana are in the list of the UNESCO cultural heritage. And they do desrve it, when you look at this you hardly can take your breath and start thinking that a man has created nature, cause everything around is manmade here!

The center is full of collections of vintage wines. You may taste the best wine of various years and purchase some bottle to enjoy it in the best days of your life. Why can you buy much there? 15 dollars for a bottle is not that much! Happy indeed are those people who live here!

The Museum of Fire Protection In Berlin

The Berlin fire fighting service was founded in 1851. Today more than 4 000 fire men and more than 900 units of equipment fight fires in the German capital saving lives of people. Last year the rescue service number 112 was dialed more than 350 thousand times (about 1000 calls a day). 80% of them were addressed to the emergency and ambulance, 11% of false calls and 2%  - fire alarms. 

The museum is located in one of the fire fighting departments.

Sketching Gorgeous Venice

Do you remember the wonderful post showing Venice in snow? Truly awesome!

This city doesn't need many words, it speaks for itself, you may simply see it and enjoy. Sink in Venice right now!

The Valley of Jugs In Laos

The valley of jugs - an archaeological monument in Laos, in Xianhuang province. It's thousands of big stone jugs at the foot of the Annamite range dividing Laos and Vietnam.

The size of the jugs varies from 0,5 to 3 meters, their weight reaches 6000 kg and they are about 1500-2000 years old. Now it's being discussed whether to give this place the status of the World Heritage of the UNESCO. The situation is getting more complicated due to the fact that Xianhuang province underwent serious American bombing in the 70s during the so-called "Secret War". That's the reason why the considerable part of the valley is not open for tourists.

Archaeоlogists believe that the jugs were used 1500-2000 years ago by the ancient people who lived in South-East Asia and whose culture remains to be absolutely unknown. The material dates back to 500-800 years BC. Anthropologists and historians suppose that the jugs were used either like funeral urns or to store water.   

The biggest group of the jugs not far from Phonsavan city is called the First Site, it has about 250 jugs of vaious sizes. They lay among unexploded shells so only three sites are open for visitors, entering other sites is considered to be dangerous.

Laotian legends say that in this valley there lived giants. Other legends say that king Khun Chyn won his enemies and ordered to make the jugs for rice wine Lao Lao.

During the Civil war Americans damaged the cave by bombing and since then the valley has been keeping many unexploded shells. After the war the research in the valley became limited due to the risk of explosion.

Landscapes around