Lemaire Channel. Antarctic

Lemaire Channel is a strait off Antarctica, located between Kiev Peninsula in the mainland's Graham Land and Booth Island. Nicknamed "Kodak Gap" by some, it is one of the top tourist destinations in Antarctica; steep cliffs hem in the iceberg-filled passage, which is 11 km long and just 1,600 metres wide at its narrowest point.

It was first seen by the German expedition of 1873-74, but not traversed until December 1898, when the Belgica of the de Gerlache expedition passed through. De Gerlache named it for Charles Lemaire (1863-1925), a Belgian explorer of the Congo.
The channel has since become a standard part of the itinerary for cruising in Antarctica; not only is it scenic, but the protected waters are usually as still as a lake, a rare occurrence in the storm-wracked southern seas, and the north-south traverse delivers vessels close to Petermann Island for landings. The principal difficulty is that icebergs may fill the channel, especially in early season, obliging a ship to backtrack and go around the outside of Booth Island in order to reach Petermann.

Castle Vischering- Germany

Vischering Castle  in Lüdinghausen, North Rhine-Westfalia is the most typical moated castle in the Münster region of Germany. This region has one of the highest German concentrations of castles, palaces and fortifications, Lüdinghausen having three by itself. The castle consists of outer defensive courtyard, defensive gateways, moat, drawbridge, main building and chapel. The sandstone walls, the red tile roofs as well as their reflection in the moat provide many harmonious views from the wooded surroundings.   
Vischering Castle was built by Bischop Gerhard von der Mark to counter the second castle built by the Von Lüdinghausen family. It became the seat of the Droste zu Vischering Family. Droste is the local title for the hereditary noble administrators serving the Bishops of Münster. The moat is constantly replenished by a side-arm of the River Stever. The outer defensive courtyard contains the business and farm buildings. The main building is a horseshoe-shaped three-story structure with heavy outer wall. Its inner courtyard is closed off by the chapel and a lower defense wall. A castle keep is missing, having been removed during Renaissance renovations. Fire destroyed the castle in 1521. Rebuilding took place on the existing foundation. Windows and the addition of a large bay made the castle more liveable but diminished its defensive character. The whole site however retains the character of a feudal age moated castle. Damage from air attack during World War II was minor.
Vischering Castle houses the Münsterlandmuseum, an exhibit on knighthood for children, as well as a cafe-restaurant. It serves as a cultural center for Kreis Coesfeld. Visiting hours are provided in the first link below. Viewing the outside is possible at all times. The second link provides a more detailed chronology of the castle in German .

The Aitu & Bukali 1800cc Mix Power & Adventure

I am not quite sure about the purple color, but I can easily picture Mel Gibson spreading mayhem on one of these bikes. The two robust concepts show off their sharp, aggressive figures, while each maintains a character of its own.

The Aitu is the more refined of the two, if this term can ever describe such an angry-looking motorcycle. It was built with customization and precision in mind, featuring a V-Twin 1800cc engine for impressive power and non-silent exhausts to make sure you are heard if not seen while rocket speeding. The smooth leather seating stretches over its steel body, presenting the futuristic chopper concept with superior style.

The vigorous Bukali, on the other hand, boasts a lot of muscle and promises exhilarating speeds and superior comfort. It is powered by a potent Flat-6 1800cc, 5-speed engine and features a unique seat with extra cushioning to pamper you during those long bumpy rides. The stunning head lights employ a two-chip LED array located behind the lens, also found in the Aitu concept.

The vicious motorbikes by Renato Gschwend present a captivating attraction for adventurous riders and are bound to make heads turn if they ever find their way to the streets. My favorite detail on both is the sculptured rear wing, which on Aitu is highlighted by bolted nails: sizzling!

East Deutschland, Kromlau, Rhododendron Park

The Rhododendron-Park Bremen (46 hectares), is a major collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, as well as a substantial botanical garden (3.2 hectares), located at Deliusweg 40, Bremen, Bremen (state), Germany. It is open daily; park admission is free but a fee is charged for Botanika.
The botanical garden dates to 1905 when it was created by businessman Ernst Franz Schütte at a different site (1905 Osterdeich, 3 hectares). This original garden was organized geographically, with plants from the Orient, Mexico, and the Caucasus, as well as collections of crop plants, medicinal herbs, native plants, and poisonous plants. It remained privately held until 1935 when it became city property, and was transferred to its current location within the Rhododendron Park over the next few years. Today's garden was completed in 1949-1950.
The park itself began in 1933 at the initiative of the German Rhododendron Society on former farmland and forest, opening to the public in 1937. Its Botanika facility, described as Germany's largest nature center, opened in 2003. In 2007 ownership of the park was transferred to a nonprofit foundation.

Carnival! Rio de Janeiro- Brazil

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Lent every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723.

As the parade is taking place in the Sambadrome and the balls are being held in the Copacabana Palace and beach, many of the carnival participants are at other locations. Street festivals are very common during carnival and are highly populated by the locals. Elegance and extravagance are usually left behind, but music and dancing are still extremely common. Anyone is allowed to participate in the street festivals. Bandas and bondos are very familiar with the street carnival especially because it takes nothing to join in on the fun except to jump in. One of the most well known bandas of Rio is Banda de Ipanema. Banda de Ipanema was first created in 1965 and is known as Rio’s most irreverent street band.
Incorporated into every aspect of the Rio carnival are dancing and music. The most famous dance is the samba, a Brazilian dance with African influences. The samba was created by the African . The samba remains a popular dance not only in carnival but in the ghetto villages outside of the main cities. These villages keep alive the historical aspect of the dance without the influence of the western cultures. Other dances include the lundu, the polka, and the maxixe.
The samba is the main dance of Rio Carnival but it is not performed in silence. Music is another major aspect of all parts of carnival. As stated by Samba City, “Samba Carnival Instruments are an important part of Brazil and the Rio de Janeiro Carnevale, sending out the irresistible beats and rhythms making the crowd explode in a colourful dance revolution fantasy fest!” The samba that is found in Rio is batucada, referring to the dance and music being based on percussion instruments. It “is born of a rhythmic necessity that it allows you to sing, to dance, and to parade at the same time.” This is why the batucada style is found in most all of Rio’s street carnivals.
Street parades, blocos and bandas take place throughout the city of Rio during Carnival. There can be more than 300 bandas taking place at any given point in time. While the biggest street party takes place right outside the Sambadrome, the largest organized street dance is typically found on Cinelândia Square in Rio’s Centro. In 2012, more than 2 million revelers took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro to participate in the Cordão do Bola Preta bloco. According to police estimates, more than 5 million people attended a bloco during Rio Carnival 2012 and there was not one reported incident of crime.

HONDA XL600R STREET TRACKER

Honda’s bulletproof enduro weapon for the latter part of the twentieth century was the XL600, a big four-valve thumper built to handle desert rallies. There were several variants and upgrades, and they weren’t pretty bikes—but with a few modifications, the XL was surprisingly capable on the road. This conversion, however, sure is a pretty bike. You can see how it was built on Thierry’s Roc Street Tracker site. We suspect the powerful XL600R has the makings of a cult classic, and in the years to come, may even be mentioned in the same breath as the SR400 and W650.

Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia

Fairy Tale House, Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia

The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most portion in Georgia, then ending northward in Pennsylvania. To the west of the Blue Ridge, between it and the bulk of the Appalachians, lies the Great Appalachian Valley, bordered on the west by the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachian range.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are noted for their bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, from the isoprene released into the atmosphere,thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color.
Within the Blue Ridge province are two major national parks: the Shenandoah National Park in the northern section and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the southern section. The Blue Ridge also contains the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects the two parks and is located along the ridge crestlines with the Appalachian Trail.

The Blue Ridge Mountains have stunted oak and oak-hickory forests and comprise most of the Appalachian slope forests. Flora also includes grass, shrubs, hemlock and mixed-oak pine forests. While the Blue Ridge includes the highest summits in the eastern United States, the climate is nevertheless too warm to support an alpine zone, and thus the range lacks the tree line found at lower elevations in the northern half of the Appalachian range. The highest parts of the Blue Ridge are generally coated in a dense spruce-fir stand.

Ring of Kerry , County Kerry, south-western Ireland

The Ring of Kerry  is a tourist trail in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. The route covers the 179 km circular road (N70, N71, and R562 road), starting from Killarney, heading around the Iveragh Peninsula and passing through Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen and Killorglin. Popular points include Muckross House (near Killarney), Staigue stone fort and Derrynane House, home of Daniel O'Connell. Just south of Killarney, Ross Castle, Lough Leane, and Ladies View (a panoramic viewpoint), all located within Killarney National Park, are major attractions located along the Ring. A more complete list of major attractions along the Ring of Kerry includes: Gap of Dunloe, Bog Village, Rossbeigh Beach, Cahersiveen Heritage Centre, Derrynane House, Skellig Experience, Staigue Fort, Kenmare Lace, Moll's Gap, Ladies View, Torc Waterfall, Muckross House, The Blue Pool, Ross Castle, Ogham Stones, St Mary’s Cathedral, Muckross Abbey, Franciscan Friary, Kellegy Church, O’Connell Memorial Church, Sneem Church and Cemetery, Skellig Michael, Beehive Cells and the Stone Pillars marking an important grave.
There is also an established walking path named The Kerry Way, which takes its own route, and a signposted Ring of Kerry cycling path which uses older quieter roads where possible. The Kerry Way roughly follows the scenic driving route of the Ring of Kerry.
There are numerous variations to the route taking in St. Finian's Bay and Valentia Island which the official driving ring misses (the official cycling route takes in Valentia Island). As well as some fine beaches, it also offers the Gap of Dunloe, Bog Village, Derrynane House, the Skellig Experience Valentia Island, Molls Gap, Torc Waterfall, Muckross House and Ross Castle.
"The Ring" is a popular day trip and numerous bus companies offer trips during the summer months. As the narrow roads make it difficult for tour coaches to pass, all tour buses run in an anti-clockwise (or counter-clockwise) direction, traveling via Killorglin first. It is recommended that car owners travel in the opposite direction, going first to Kenmare to avoid delays caused by tour buses. In 2008 satellite navigation systems were blamed for directing bus drivers in a clockwise direction around the route.

Boat or Island ? It is Osros Floating Island

Designed by an Austrian company the Osros floating island includes six luxury double bedrooms, with space for 12 residents and four staff members. On top of that you’ll have up to 1,000 square meters of living space including six double rooms, a sun deck, a BBQ area, Jacuzzi, terrace and a bar with seating for 15 people. The interiors are simply amazing providing guests with luxury dining areas and the latest swank in terms of clever and versatile solutions for modern living. The manufacturers describe the island as an “autonomous power supply based energy system” powered by a noiseless wind energy system. The island also features over 120 m2 of solar panels. Heat recovery from the sea water is used for heating and air conditioning. Sounds attempting? This boat will come to world by the end of 2013.

Toyota launches 2013 Crown series in Japan

Toyota has new cars rolling off the assembly line in Japan this week, launching both the 2013 Crown Royal and Crown Athlete. Judging from the press shots we see below, the new cars in the Crown series look pretty sleek. Toyota even made a point of drawing our attention to the grills of the cars in its announcement, which it says were “based on the shape of a crown.” As sleek as they look, they demand a pretty hefty price if you want to take one home with you. Toyota didn’t get too terribly specific, but it did say that prices for cars in the Crown series range from $41,362 for the Royal on up to $63,626 for the Athlete G. That can’t exactly be considered pocket change, so those who want one are going to spend a significant amount of cash.

Of course, if you’re living in the US, you’re out of luck anyway. Despite the fact that the Royal and Athlete mark the 14th generation of the Crown series, the line isn’t offered by Toyota in the US. We suppose this is one of those instance where you’ll have to admire from afar, sadly. In any case, rear-wheel drive cars in the 2013 Crown series come with the option of a hybrid setup that features a 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder engine. For those who aren’t interested in hybrid technology, Toyota also offers the Crown with a 2.5 or 3.5 V6 engine.

EHINGER KRAFTRAD ‘SNOW RACER’

Ehinger Kraftrad is a small German workshop based in Hamburg that builds intriguing vintage Harley-Davidsons. Run by Uwe Ehinger and Katrin Oeding, it’s called ‘Kraftrad’ rather than the usual ‘Motorrad’—because Motorrad generally means mass-produced goods. Whereas Ehinger Kraftrad specializes in very limited scale, high quality production. Uwe Ehinger’s background is in racing, and this classy ‘Snow Racer’ is inspired by 1930s race bikes. The heart of the Snow Racer is a story in itself: it’s a 1946 U model engine fitted with 1936 VLH cylinders, giving a capacity of 80ci. The bottom end has been completely overhauled, with new bearings and refined balancing. The heads are from a 1948 ULH, reworked to improve performance and provide better cooling. Further mods include tweaked camshafts, a Dell’Orto carburetor, and an unrestricted 30s-style exhaust system. (“It serves more as a directional guide for exhaust fumes than a means for reducing noise,” Ehinger notes wryly.) A modified Baker 6-speed transmission was placed in the rigid frame. And then Ehinger developed a custom coupling for the primary drive, with a matching clutch basket. The brakes are also custom: the specialist manufacturer Behringer created one-off hubs for the Snow Racer’s 21” and 19” wheels, and inboard brakes were installed. Then Ehinger fitted a Harley VL fork—equipped with a custom triple tree—and in a moment of inspiration, a modified Yamaha TY80 gas tank. The Snow Racer is a runner, and not a show bike. Ehinger Kraftrad’s other builds are just as unusual, but like this one, they’re eminently rideable too. Head over to the company’s very stylish website to discover more.

Tasmanian fires raze 80 properties, thousands stranded

In January 2013, intense bushfires blazed in Tasmania, an island south of Australia. One of the hardest hit towns was Dunalley, a fishing village on the eastern coast. A blaze destroyed at least 80 homes—about 30 percent of the town— when it tore through the area on January 4, 2013. In the nearby village of Connellys Marsh, 40 percent of the buildings were destroyed. Primrose Sands lost several homes as well.
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the charred landscape on January 14. Vegetation-covered land is red in the false-color image, which includes both visible and infrared light. Patches of unburned forest are bright red, in contrast with areas where flecks of light brown indicate some burning. The darkest brown areas are the most severely burned. Buildings, roads, and other developed areas appear light gray. Clouds are white.
Extreme heat and strong winds fueled the fires. Temperatures in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, soared to a record high of 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on January 4. The heat wave, like all extreme weather events, had its direct cause in a complex set of atmospheric conditions that produce short-term weather. However, weather occurs within the broader context of the climate, and there’s a high level of agreement among scientists that global warming has made it more likely that heat waves and wildfires of this magnitude will occur.

Atton Conrad Creates His Dazzling Dresses Entirely Out of Light

Here’s a new textile we bet you’ve never tried: photons. Atton Conrad, an art photographer based in London, created a series of luminous gowns using nothing but light. Conrad adapted a technique known as “light painting” to capture trails of light on a long-exposure camera. Using a remote trigger and custom “light brushes,” Conrad achieved a level of control few have managed, allowing him to cloak his models in garments of pure fluorescence. Like most light painters, Conrad started out with basic swoops and spirals. His methodology evolved, however, when he realized the craft’s potential. “I realized that the techniques could give me incredibly fine control over light and texture, to an unique, almost hyperreal result,” he told io9. “I have always been known for my classic lighting, and still take great pleasure in it, but this took it in a completely fresh direction.”

Thought not real in the physical sense, Conrad’s light dresses dazzle on film.

Thought not real in the physical sense, Conrad’s light dresses dazzle on film. And who knows where technology might lead us? Clotheshorses of the future may very well parade in clothing derived from electromagnetic waves and particles. It’d certainly be sustainable: waste-free, completely renewable, and changeable at a moment’s whim.

Luoping, Yunnan, China

Luoping County  is located in Qujing Prefecture, Yunnan, China.
The county of Luoping in eastern Yunnan is noted for its beautiful scenery in spring, when its fields of canola (also known as rapeseed) flowers are in full bloom, surrounding the area's mountains with a sea of golden flowers to spectacular effect.
Located near where Yunnan meets Guizhou and Guangxi, Luoping is about 240 kilometers east of Kunming. Not unlike the terraced fields of Yuanyang in southern Yunnan, Luoping's canola fields attract many photographers.
Luoping's golden beauty lasts until late June. During this high travel season for the county there are regular buses leaving from Kunming's bus stations on an almost hourly basis. Accommodation in Luoping ranges from cheap 10-yuan boarding houses to more expensive star-rated hotels.

Transylvania, Romania

Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical regions of Crişana, Maramureş, and Romanian part of Banat.
Transylvania is often associated with vampires(chiefly due to Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and its film adaptations) and the horror genre in general, while the region is also known for the scenic beauty of its Carpathian landscape and its rich history.
The Transylvanian plateau, 300 to 500 metres (1,000-1,600 feet) high, is drained by the Mureş, Someş, Criş, and Olt rivers, as well as other tributaries of the Danube. This core of historical Transylvania roughly corresponds with nine counties of modern Romania. Other areas to the west and north, which also united with Romania in 1918 (inside the border established by peace treaties in 1919-20), are since that time widely considered part of Transylvania.

 Tourist attractions

• Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle
• The medieval cities of Alba Iulia, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu (European Capital Of Culture in 2007), Târgu Mureş and Sighişoara (UNESCO World Heritage Site and allegedly birthplace of Vlad Dracula)
• The city of Braşov and the nearby Poiana Braşov ski resort
• The city of Hunedoara with the 14th century Hunyadi Castle
• The citadel and the Art Nouveau city centre of Oradea
• The Densus Church, the oldest church in Romania in which services are still officiated
• The Dacian Fortresses of the Orăştie Mountains, including Sarmizegetusa (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• The Maramureş region including:
  • The Merry Cemetery of Săpânţa (the only of that kind in the world)
  • The Wooden Churches (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • The cities of Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmaţiei.
  • The villages on the Iza, Mara, and Viseu Valleys.
• The Saxon fortified churches (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Romanian traditions and folk culture, ASTRA National Museum Complex, Sibiu
• Hungarian traditions and folk culture
• The cafe culture, street theatre and cosmopolitan society of Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara
• The Apuseni Mountains:
  • Ţara Moţilor
  • The Bears Cave, one of the most beautiful caves in Europe
  • Scarisoara Ice Cave, that has a gigantic and astonishing underground glacier, actually the third largest glacier cave in the world
• The Rodna Mountains.

Crystal Mill, Colorado, USA

The Crystal Mill, or the Old Mill is an 1892 wooden powerhouse located on an outcrop above the Crystal River in Crystal, Colorado, United States. Although called a mill, it is more correctly denoted as a compressor station, which used a water turbine to drive an air compressor. The compressed air was then used to power other machinery or tools. Today it stands as a Colorado icon.While it is often reputed to be the most photographed site in the state, this is logistically impossible, as compared to easily accessible and heavily visited Maroon Lake, near Aspen.
The mill was constructed in 1893 by George C. Eaton and B.S. Phillips, promoters of the Sheep Mountain Tunnel and Mining Company.It was built as a power plant for the Sheep Mountain Tunnel.Originally it had a horizontal waterwheel which generated compressed air for miners in the nearby silver mines. It fell into disuse in 1917 when the Sheep Mountain Mine closed. The mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1985.

DnB NOR Headquarters Exterior Facade Architecture

The 17-storey building is part of the Bjørvika waterfront development in the city. The new headquarter cluster with a total surface of 80,000m2, is developed by the Norwegian Oslo S Utvikling (OSU), and its central building, designed by MVRDV with 17 floors and a surface of 36,500m2, is due to be completed in 2013. Created on August 10, 2010 02:28 AM, this dnb nor headquarters exterior facade architecture picture is currently viewed at its largest dimension which is 450 pixels x 363 pixels. Archived in the Architecture category, the dnb nor headquarters exterior facade architecture is also can be found with waterfront architecture or dnb nor headquarters and mvdrv architect as well as dutch architect terms.

Waterbeds: First underwater hotel to be created in Dubai

Dubai boasts the world's tallest building and world's largest mall. The new challenge is to create the world's largest underwater hotel, The Water Discus.
The hotel will boast 21 excusive suites designed by Polish company Deep Ocean Technology and Swiss BIG InvestConsult AG. It’s expected to comprise two discs, one under the water and the other above.
"The Water Discus Hotel project opens many new fields of development for the hotel and tourism sector, housing and city sector in the coastal off-shore areas, as well as new opportunities for ecology support by creation of new underwater ecosystems and activities on underwater world protection," President of BIG Bogdan Gutkowski told World Architecture News.

"Additionally we would like to create here in the UAE the International Environmental Program and Center of the Underwater World Protection – with Water Discus Hotel as a laboratory tool for ocean and sea environment protection and research," he added.
The ambitious project isn’t the first attempt to create an underwater hotel. The Maldives’ Rangali Islands resort has one underwater suite; the one-room Utter Inn can be found on Lake Mälaren, in Sweden; and the three-room Jules’ Undersea Lodge is said to be the only underwater hotel in America.

Yunnan Stone Forest

The Stone Forest or Shilin is a notable set of limestone formations located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, near Shilin approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the provincial capital Kunming. The tall rocks seem to emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like petrified trees thereby creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. Since 2007, two parts of the site, the Naigu Stone Forest  and Suogeyi Village , have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the South China Karst.The site is classified as a A-class tourist site.
These formations, caused by the dissolution of limestone, are believed to be over 270 million years old and are a tourist attraction for both overseas and domestic tourists, with bus tours bringing tourists from Kunming. There are also a number of hotels in the area.
According to legend, the forest is the birthplace of Ashima , a beautiful girl of the Yi people. After falling in love she was forbidden to marry her chosen suitor and instead turned into a stone in the forest that still bears her name.Each year on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, many Yi people celebrate the Torch Festival , which features folk dances and wrestling competitions.

Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne  is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.
The lake has a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. It has a total area of 114 km² (44 sq mi), an elevation of 434 m (1,424 ft), and a maximum depth of 214 m (702 ft). Its volume is 11.8 km³. Much of the shoreline rises steeply into mountains up to 1,500 m above the lake, resulting in many picturesque views including those of Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus.
The Reuss River enters the lake at Flüelen (in the canton of Uri, the part called Urnersee) and exits at Lucerne. The lake also receives the Muota (at Brunnen) Engelberger Aa (at Buochs), the Sarner Aa (at Alpnachstad).
It is possible to circumnavigate the lake by road, though the route is slow, twisted, and goes through tunnels part of the way. Steamers and other passenger boats ply between the different towns on the lake. It is a popular tourist destination, both for native Swiss and foreigners, and there are many hotels and resorts along the shores. In addition, the meadow of the Rütli, traditional site of the founding of the Swiss Confederation, is on the southeast shore of the lake. A 35 km commemorative walkway, the Swiss Path, was built around the lake to celebrate the country's 700th anniversary.

The lake is navigable, and has formed an important part of Switzerland's transport system for many centuries, and at least since the opening of the first track across the Gotthard Pass in 1230. This trade grew with the opening of a new mail coach road across the pass in 1830. This road had its northern terminus at Flüelen at the extreme eastern end of the lake, and the lake provided the only practical onward link to Lucerne, and hence the cities of northern Switzerland and beyond.
Whilst the development of Switzerland's road and rail networks has relieved the lake of much of its through traffic, it continues to be used by a considerable number of vessels, both private and public. Much of this usage is tourist or leisure oriented, but the lake continues to provide practical public and cargo transport links between the smaller lakeside communities.
Passenger boats of the Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees (SGV) provide services on the lake, including many run by historic paddle steamers. The SGV serves 32 places along the shore of the lake, with interchange to both main line and mountain railways at various points. Under separate management, the Autofähre Beckenried-Gersau provides a car ferry service between Beckenried, on the south bank of the lake, and Gersau on the north.
Cargo barges, to a local design known as Nauen, are still used on the lake. Some have been converted for use as party boats. Other barges are used by the gravel dredging industry that operates on the lake, using large dredgers to obtain sand and gravel for use in the construction industry

Life in the clouds: Over 3,000 compounds and seven species of bacteria found in HAILSTONES (so it's probably not a good idea to eat snow)

Researchers say clouds are teeming with life - and that bacteria could actually trigger rain and hailstorms
Findings could have major implications for weather forecasting
At first glance they may look like they have fallen from the sky in a clean and perfect form - but hailstones and clouds are actually filled with bacteria and over 3,000 chemical compounds, scientists revealed today.
The Danish researchers analyzed hailstones recovered after a storm in May 2009 and found that they carried several species of bacteria typically found on plants and almost 3000 different compounds usually found in soil.
The team say their finding could have major implications for our understanding of weather patterns, and that certain bacteria may even trigger hailstorms.
However, the researchers say the hailstones had very few soil-associated bacteria or chemicals that would usually occur in plants.
Three of the bacterial species discovered were found in most of the hailstones studied, and may represent 'typical' cloud inhabitants, the study in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Tina Šantl Temkiv and colleagues from Aarhus University, Denmark found.
According to the authors, the findings may help understand how clouds work
'When we started these analyses, we were hoping to arrive at a merely descriptive characterization of the bacterial community in an unexplored habitat,' said said Ulrich Gosewinkel Karlson, leader of the aeromicrobiology research group at Aarhus University.
'But what we found was indirect evidence for life processes in the atmosphere, such as bacterial selection and growth,'
Some of the bacterial species can seed the tiny ice crystals that lead to rain, suggesting they play a role in causing rain, the researchers believe.
'They're sucking huge amounts of air from under the clouds, that's how the bacteria probably got into the cloud,' said Tina Santl Temkiv, an environmental chemist at Aarhus University in Denmark.
In the past, researchers have found bacterial life in clouds that drift over mountaintops.
Bacteria have been found as far up as 24.8 miles and may even survive as spores into space, Temkiv said.
The team studied 42 hailstones that had formed in a thunderstorm over Ljubljana, Slovenia, in May 2009.
After carefully removing the outer layer and sterilizing the hailstone, they analyzed its chemical composition.
Some of bacteria found are ice-nucleators, meaning they can act as seeds for ice crystals to attach to in the clouds above Earth.
When these same ice crystals get large enough, they fall as rain or snow, depending on the air temperature.

World’s-tallest-building-will-be-built-in-90-days

Modular design will soon enjoy its shining moment when a 220-story modular building is constructed in Changsha, China.
The amazing part about this building’s construction is that it will be complete in only 90 days, according to ModSpace. Known as Sky City, the tower will be built by Broad Sustainable Building, a subsidiary of China’s Broad Group. The group will employ a building technology where 95 percent of the building is pre-fabricated before construction begins.
According to Business Insider, the building will top out at about 2,750 feet, about 33 feet higher than the world’s current tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Sky City will cost about $628 million to build.
Construction of Sky City is said to be completed by March 2013.

Ponta da Piedade. Lagos, Algarve, Portugal

The Ponta de Piedade is a monument natural resort of Lagos , in the Algarve in Portugal .This bizarre scenery with cliffs of up to 20 metres is especially impressive from the seaside. It is one of the most photographed motifs in the Algarve.

A great variety of shellfish and molluscs life in the warm and serene waters of the Costa d’Oiro, where this place belongs to. Discover the beauty of the nature, hidden bays and mysterious caverns. 
The bay of Lagos with its white sandy beaches is the ideal place for all kinds of aquatic sports, e.g. wind surfing, sailing, diving and fishing.  
Sightseeing trips by sailing or small fishing boats are offered at the marina of Lagos. 
By car to the southern point of the bay, then follow a pathway with steps carved into the cliffs. 

Millau Viaduct

The Millau Viaduct  is a cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France.
Designed by the French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster, it is the tallest bridge in the world with one mast's summit at 343.0 metres (1,125 ft) above the base of the structure.It is the 12th highest bridge deck in the world, being 270 metres (890 ft) between the road deck and the ground below.The viaduct is part of the A75-A71 autoroute axis from Paris to Montpellier. Construction cost was approximately €400 million. It was formally dedicated on 14 December 2004, inaugurated on the 15th, and opened to traffic on the 16th. The bridge received the 2006 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award.

 The bridge's construction cost up to €394 million,with a toll plaza 6 km (3.7 mi) north of the viaduct costing an additional €20 million. The builders, Eiffage, financed the construction in return for a concession to collect the tolls for 75 years, until 2080.However, if the concession yields high revenues, the French government can assume control of the bridge as early as 2044.
The project required about 127,000 cubic metres (166,000 cu yd) of concrete, 19,000 tonnes (21,000 short tons) of steel for the reinforced concrete and 5,000 tonnes (5,500 short tons) of pre-stressed steel for the cables and shrouds. The builder claims that the lifetime of the bridge will be at least 120 years.

New York City in Brief

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world.The city is referred to as New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. A global power city,New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters,New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.

 Many districts and landmarks in New York City have become well known to its approximately 50 million annual visitors.Times Square, iconified as "The Crossroads of the World",is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theater district,one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections,and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.The city hosts many world renowned bridges, skyscrapers,and parks. New York City's financial district, anchored by Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, functions as the financial capital of the world and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by total market capitalization of its listed companies.Manhattan's real estate market is among the most expensive in the world. Manhattan's Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere. Providing continuous 24/7 service,the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive rapid transit systems worldwide. Numerous colleges and universities are located in New York, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, which are ranked among the top 50 in the world.

Tianjin Ecology and Planning Museums by Steven Holl Architects

Tianjin Ecology and Planning Museum by Steven Holl Architects, in the new city being constructed near Tianjin, China.
The Ecology and Planning Museums will be 600,000 square feet. Will be the first institutions to be constructed in the cultural center of the new city. The city will be home to an estimated population of 500,000 when complete. “The Ecology Museum experience begins with an orientation projection space next to a restaurant and retail opening to the ground level. From there, visitors take the elevator to the highest exhibition floor. Visitors proceed through the three ecologies in a descending procession of ramps: Earth to Cosmos, Earth to Man, Earth to Earth. At the ground floor, the Earth to Earth Exhibition turns clockwise, moving down towards the Ocean Ecology Exhibition located under the reflecting pond of the plaza. Four outdoor green roof terraces open out from Level 2 (Earth to Earth) with living exhibits changing with the seasons.”

Lake Mashū,Hokkaido,Japan

Lake Mashū  is a landlocked endorheic crater lake formed in the caldera of a potentially active volcano. It is located in Akan National Park on the island of Hokkaidō, Japan. The lake has been called the clearest lake in the world.

Masyuko-Lake-Hokkaido-Japan

Lake Mashū is surrounded by steep crater walls 200 metres (660 ft) high. It has no significant inlets and no outlet. The lake is one of the clearest in the world and one of the deepest in Japan.On August 1, 1931 the transparency of the water was measured at 41.6 metres (136 ft). Lake Baikal was measured around the same time measured 40.5 metres (133 ft). This is the lake's claim to clearest in the world. Since the 1950s the transparency has tended to range between 20 and 30 metres (66 and 98 ft). The loss in transparency is probably due to the introduction of sockeye salmon and rainbow trout into the lake. At the same time, the clarity of Lake Baikal has not been measured.
In summer, the surface of Lake Mashū is often obscured by fog. This has given the lake a reputation for mysteriousness. Local legend says that if you can see the surface of the lake, you will have bad luck.
The Mashu-dake Hiking Course is a trail that goes along the crater rim and to the top of Mount Mashū.There are no settlements along the shores of the lake. Access to the lakeshore itself is prohibited by the Ministry of the Environment (Japan). Visitors may only view the lake from the designated observation towers.

Volkswagen’s Car Tower's

The Autostadt is a visitor attraction adjacent to the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, with a prime focus on automobiles. It features a museum, feature pavilions for the principal automobile brands in the Volkswagen Group, a customer centre where customers can pick up new cars, and take a tour through the enormous factory, a guide to the evolution of roads, and cinema in a large sphere. One of the prime attraction at the Autostadt is the two gleaming car parking towers of glass and galvanized steel where cars are automatically moved from the Wolfsburg plant and on to the customer centre where they are collected by their owners. Each tower is 60 meter tall and houses 400 cars each and are the heart of vehicle delivery at the Autostadt. The two towers are connected to the Volkswagen factory by a 700 metre underground tunnel. A conveyor belt system transports finished cars directly from the adjacent manufacturing plant to the towers’ basement. From there they are lifted into position via mechanical arms that rotate and run along a central beam, moving vehicles in and out of their bays at a speed of two meters per second. When a customer purchases a car from Autostadt the car is picked from the silo and transported out to the customer without having driven a single meter, and the odometer is thus on “0″. Visitors can explore the tower via a panoramic glass elevator, and are eventually taken to an observation deck on the twentieth floor, giving a view of the factory, the town of Wolfsburg and the surrounding countryside. Last year 175,893 new cars were handed over to their new owners. Currently, 37% of new VW buyers from Germany pick up their new vehicle from Wolfsburg, and there is space to build two more high-tech towers should that figure increase.

Castell-Platja d'Aro

Platja d’Aro on Costa Brava, Spain

Castell-Platja d'Aro is a municipality in the middle of the Costa Brava in Catalonia, Spain. It is formed from two parts: Castell d'Aro is the ancient village 3 km inland build around a medieval castle and fortified church on the road from Platja d'Aro to Santa Cristina d'Aro. Platja d'Aro was originally a small fishing village on the road from Palamós to Sant Feliu de Guíxols located on a large 2 km beach. It is now a major resort popular predominantly with Catalans or villa owning Northern Europeans.
The outskirts include a number of urbanisations including Mas Nou which offers spectacular views over the coast and a championship golf course.
Along the coast connecting the main beach with numerous small beaches is the Camí de Ronda.

Castell d'Aro is located in the heart of the Costa Brava, 80 km north of Barcelona. It borders with Calonge to the north, Santa Cristina d'Aro to the west, Sant Feliu to the south and the Coast to the East. Castell-Platja d'Aro occupies the eastern end of the Vall d'Aro, a narrow plain drained by the river Ridaura and located between the Mountain ranges of Cadiretes and southern end of the Gavarres. Platja d'Aro was originally a small fishing village on the highway between Palamós and Sant Feliu de Guíxols with a 2 km long beach. It is now a major tourist resort with hotels and other commercial premises.

In 1996 a new high profile tourist campaign was started, tourists and visitors were encouraged to search the beach for shells and sea snails to obtain prizes and to participate in a prize draw for a car. In 1997 a Museum of the Wrist Watch was opened with 350 wristwatches from history.

Assisi PG Rocca Maggiore

The bleached yellow bones of this fortress glower high above the city, a reminder of the hated Cardinal Albornoz, who built the 14th-century version we see today to establish papal authority over Assisi. A young Frederick II, future Holy Roman Emperor, spent his earliest childhood within the walls of the short-lived 12th-century fortress that stood here, on an Umbri burial site. Beyond the circular rampart added in the 16th century by Pope Paul III, you can enter the outer walls to visit the restored keep and soldiers' quarters. Inside, the castle is a warren of rooms and halls highlighting costumes, arms and festivals of medieval Assisi. A very long corridor lit by repeating arrow slits leads to a polygonal watchtower, with a panoramic view, that's not lit at all. The warning sign at the corridor's base is no joke -- a spiral staircase in the pitch dark can be quite a challenge for those who don't come equipped with a flashlight. From the top of the keep is a stunning view to Assisi below -- indeed, the best part of a visit here is the walk up the hill through ever narrowing streets.

Fort Bourtange in Groningen Netherlands

Fort Bourtange is a star fort located in the village of Bourtange, Groningen, Netherlands. It was built in 1593 under the orders of William the I of Orange. Its original purpose was to control the only road between Germany and the city of Groningen, which was controlled by the Spaniards during the time of the Eighty Years' War.
After experiencing its final battle in 1672, the Fort continued to serve in the defensive network on the German border until it was finally given up in 1851 and converted into a village. Fort Bourtange currently serves as a historical museum.

During the Eighty Years' War, the Spaniards had control over Groningen and the road leading from there to Germany. William, the leader of the Netherlands, saw it necessary to break off communications between Groningen and Germany. He decided that it would be optimal to build a fortification on the Bourtange passage, which was the main road leading to Germany. The fort was completed in 1593 in the design of a star fort with a network of canals and lakes which were used as moats (which were also constructed in the design of stars). At the time of its completion, the fort housed five garrisons. Soon after its construction, Spanish forces from Groningen besieged it, though the attack ended in failure.
Fort Bourtange faced another battle in 1672 against invading Germans. After capturing 18 cities and towns in the northern Netherlands, they demanded that the Fort be surrendered. The fort's governor, Captain Protts, refused this demand, and the Germans replied with a frontal assault. Thanks to the surrounding marshes and the time-tested fort defenses, the invading army was repelled successfully.
After its eventual secession and conversion into a village in 1851, living conditions began to deteriorate. Over 100 years later in 1960, the local government decided that to combat this growing problem the old Fort would be restored to its 1740-1750 appearance and made into a historical museum. This provided valuable tourism for the surrounding village. The Fort still remains a museum today.

Costa Concordia

MS Costa Concordia  is a Concordia-class cruise ship built in 2004 by the Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente yards in Italy and operated from 2005 by Costa Crociere (a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation) and the name Concordia was intended to express the wish for "continuing harmony, unity, and peace between European nations."

Costa Concordia was the first of the Concordia-class cruise ships, followed by sister ships Costa Serena, Costa Pacifica, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa, and Carnival Splendor  built for Carnival Cruise Lines. When the 114,137 GT Costa Concordia and her sisters entered service, they were among the largest ships built in Italy until the construction of the 130,000 GT Dream-class cruise ships.
On 13 January 2012 at about 9:45 pm, in calm seas and overcast weather, under command of Captain Francesco Schettino, Costa Concordia struck a rock in the Tyrrhenian Sea just off the eastern shore of Isola del Giglio, off the western coast of Italy about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Rome.This tore a 50 m (160 ft) gash on the port (left) side of her hull, which almost immediately flooded parts of the engine room and caused loss of power to her propulsion and electrical systems. With water flooding in and listing, the ship drifted back to Giglio Island, where she grounded just 500 m (550 yd) north of the village of Giglio Porto, lying on her starboard (right) side in shallow water with most of her starboard side under water.Despite the gradual sinking of the ship, its complete loss of power, and its proximity to shore in calm seas, an order to abandon ship was not issued until over an hour after the initial impact. Although international maritime law requires all passengers to be evacuated within 30 minutes of an order to abandon ship, the evacuation of Costa Concordia took over six hours and not all passengers were evacuated. Of the 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew known to have been aboard, 30 bodies have been located, and two more passengers are missing and presumed dead.

Description

Costa Concordia is 290.20 metres (952 ft 1 in) long, with a beam of 35.50 metres (116 ft 6 in) and a draught of 8.20 metres (26 ft 11 in). She is equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion with six 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V46C four-stroke medium-speed diesel generating sets with a combined output of 75.6 megawatts (101,400 hp) and two 21-megawatt electric motors connected to fixed-pitch propellers.Her service speed is 19.6 knots (36 km/h; 23 mph),but during sea trials, she achieved a speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). 

Amenities

Costa Concordia has approximately 1,500 cabins; 505 have private balconies and 55 have direct access to Samsara Spa and are considered Spa staterooms; 58 suites have private balconies and 12 have direct access to the spa. Costa Concordia has one of the world's largest exercise facility areas at sea, the Samsara Spa, a two-level, 6,000 m² (64,600 sq ft) fitness center, with gym, a thalassotherapy pool, sauna, Turkish bath and a solarium.The ship has four swimming pools, two with retractable roofs, five jacuzzis, five spas, and a poolside movie theatre on the main pool dec.

From sky

There are five on-board restaurants, with Club Concordia and Samsara taking reservations-only dining. There are thirteen bars, including a cigar and cognac bar and a coffee and chocolate bar.
Entertainment options include a three-level theatre, casino, and a futuristic disco. There is a children's area equipped with video game products. The ship has a Grand Prix motor racing simulator and an internet café. 

Salvage 

Salvage experts Smit International assessed removal of Costa Concordia and her 2,380 tonnes of fuel.Smit assessed that any salvage operation could take up to ten months,and the ship may be a constructive total loss. Smit were contracted to remove her fuel, and during the operation it was reported that the ship had shifted 60 cm (23.6 in) since grounding,but there was no immediate prospect of her breaking up or sinking deeper.Following a competitive tender, in May 2012 it was announced that Titan Salvage and Italian firm Micoperi had won the salvage contracts.Their plan, expected to cost $300m and therefore expected to be the most expensive salvage ever, is to:

• Secure the hull to the land using steel cables, to stop her falling into the deeper ocean
• Build a horizontal underwater platform below the ship
• Bring the hull to vertical, by winching the hull onto the platform
• Attach airtight tanks to either side of the hull
• Refloat the hull and tanks
• Recovery tow to an Italian port

Oahu, Hawaii

Oʻahu known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oʻahu's southeast coast. Including small close-in offshore islands such as Ford Island and the islands in Kaneohe Bay and off the eastern (windward) coast, it has a total land area of 596.7 square miles (1,545.4 km²), making it the 20th largest island in the United States.In the greatest dimension, this volcanic island is 44 miles (71 km) long and 30 miles (48 km) across. The length of the shoreline is 227 miles (365 km). The island is the result of two separate shield volcanoes: Waiʻanae and Koʻolau, with a broad "valley" or saddle (the central Oʻahu Plain) between them. The highest point is Mt. Ka'ala in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to 4,003 feet (1,220 m) above sea level.
the term Oʻahu has no confirmed meaning in Hawaiian, other than that of the place itself.Ancient Hawaiian tradition attributes the name's origin in the legend of Hawaiʻiloa, the Polynesian navigator credited with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates that he named the island after a son.
Residents of Oʻahu refer to themselves as "locals" (as done throughout Hawaiʻi), no matter their ancestry.
The city of Honolulu—largest city, state capital, and main deepwater marine port for the State of Hawaiʻi—is located here. As a jurisdictional unit, the entire island of Oʻahu is in the City & County of Honolulu, although as a place name, Honolulu occupies only a portion of the southeast end of the island.

Stairway to Heaven,Oahu, Hawaii

Well-known features found on Oʻahu include Waikīkī, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Kāneʻohe Bay, Kailua Bay, North Shore.  
Being roughly diamond-shaped, surrounded by ocean and divided by mountain ranges, directions on Oʻahu are not generally described with the compass directions found throughout the world. Locals instead use "ewa" (pronounced "eh-va") to mean toward the western tip of the island, "Diamond Head" to be toward the eastern tip, "mauka" is toward the mountains and "makai" toward the sea.
Locals consider the island to be divided into various areas, which may overlap. The most commonly accepted areas are the "City", "Town" or "Town side", which is the metropolitan area from Halawa to the area below Diamond Head (residents of the island north of the Koʻolau Mountains consider the Town Side to be the entire southern half); "West Oʻahu," which goes from Pearl Harbor to Kapolei and Ewa and may include the Makaha and Waianae areas; the "North Shore" (northwestern coast); the "Windward Side" (northeastern coast); the "East Side" (the eastern portion of the island, including both the Windward Side and the area east of Diamond Head; and "The Valley" or "Central Oʻahu" which runs northeast from Pearl Harbor toward Haleiwa. These terms are somewhat flexible, depending on the area in which the user lives, and are used in a mostly general way.

The opening battle of World War II in the Pacific for the United States was the Imperial Japanese Navy attack on Pearl Harbor, Oʻahu on the morning of December 7, 1941. The surprise attack was aimed at the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its defending Army Air Corps and Marine Air Forces. The attack damaged or destroyed twelve American warships, destroyed 188 aircraft, and resulted in the deaths of 2,403 American servicemen and 68 civilians (of those, 1,177 were the result of the destruction of the USS Arizona alone).
Today, Oʻahu has become a tourism and shopping heaven. Over five million visitors (mainly from the American mainland and Japan) flock there every year to enjoy the quintessential island holiday experience.
An earthquake, measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, struck the Island Of Hawai'i and the surrounding islands at 07:07:49 HST on October 15, 2006, causing an island-wide power outage and over $200 million in damage.

Hunyad castle, Transylvania, Romania

The Hunyad Castle or Hunedoara Castle  is a Gothic-Renaissance castle in Hunedoara (Transylvania), Romania
Hunyad Castle was built by King Charles I of Hungary, after his visit in Temesvár (Timişoara), Kingdom of Hungary (now Romania), in 1307. The King decided to set up residence there. The building, probably built by Italian builders, was finished in 1315 and in 1316 the King was already established in the new castle, where he lived almost eight years. The last document signed by him in Timisoara dated June 15, 1323. In 1409, the castle was given to John Hunyadi's father, Voyk, by Sigismund, king of Hungary, as severance. The castle was restored between 1446 and 1453 by his son John Hunyadi. It was built mainly in Gothic style, but has Renaissance architectural elements. It features tall and strong defense towers, an interior yard and a drawbridge. Built over the site of an older fortification and on a rock above the small river Zlaşti, the castle is a large and imposing building with tall and diversely colored roofs, towers and myriad windows and balconies adorned with stone carvings.
The current castle is the result of a fanciful restoration campaign undertaken after a disastrous fire and many decades of total neglect. It has been noted that modern "architects projected to it their own wistful interpretations of how a great Gothic castle should look".As one of the most important properties of John Hunyadi, the castle was transformed during his reign. It became a sumptuous home, not only a strategically enforced point. With the passing of the years, the masters of the castle had modified its look, adding towers, halls and guest rooms. The gallery and the keep - the last defense tower (called "Neboisa" which means "Not afraid" in Serbian language), which remained unchanged from John Hunyadi's time, and the Capistrano Tower (named after the saint, Franciscan monk from the Battle of Belgrade in 1456) are some of the most significant parts of the construction. Other significant parts of the building are the Knights' Hall (a great reception hall), the Club Tower, the White bastion, which served as a food storage room, and the Diet Hall, on whose walls medallions are painted (among them there are the portraits of Matei Basarab, ruler from Wallachia, and Vasile Lupu, ruler of Moldavia). In the wing of the castle called the Mantle, a painting can be seen which portrays the legend of the raven from which the name of the descendants of John Hunyadi, Corvinus came.
Tourists are told that it was the place where Vlad III of Wallachia (commonly known as Vlad the Impaler) was held prisoner by János Hunyadi, Hungary's military leader and regent during the King's minority, for 7 years after Vlad was deposed in 1462. Later, Vlad III entered a political alliance with János Hunyadi, although the latter was responsible for the execution of his father, Vlad II Dracul. Because of these links, the Hunedora Castle is sometimes mentioned as a source of inspiration for Bram Stoker's Castle Dracula. In fact, Stoker neither knew about Vlad's alliance with Hunyadi, nor about Hunyadi's castle. Instead, Stoker's own handwritten research notes confirm that the novelist imagined the Castle Dracula to be situated on an empty top in the Transylvanian Călimani Mountains near the former border with Moldavia.
In the castle yard, near the 15th-century chapel, there is a well 30 meters deep. According to the legend, this fountain was dug by twelve Turkish prisoners to whom liberty was promised if they reached water. After 15 years they completed the well, but their captors did not keep their promise. It is said that the inscription on a wall of the well means "you have water, but not soul". Specialists, however, have translated the inscription as "he who wrote this inscription is Hasan, who lives as slave of the giaours, in the fortress near the church".

In February 2007, Hunyad Castle played host to the British paranormal television program Most Haunted Live! for a three-night live investigation into the spirits reported to be haunting the castle. Results were inconclusive.

Neuschwanstein Castle,Bavaria, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle  is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and extensive borrowing, not with Bavarian public funds.
The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886.Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle.More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer.The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle and later, similar structures.

The municipality of Schwangau lies at an elevation of 800 m (2,620 ft) at the south west border of the German state of Bavaria. Its surroundings are characterized by the transition between the Alpine foothills in the south (towards the nearby Austrian border) and a hilly landscape in the north that appears flat by comparison. In the Middle Ages, three castles overlooked the villages.

One was called Schwanstein Castle.In 1832, Ludwig's father King Maximilian II of Bavaria bought its ruins to replace them by the comfortable neo-Gothic palace known as Hohenschwangau Castle. Finished in 1837, the palace became his family's summer residence, and his elder son Ludwig (born 1845) spent a large part of his childhood here.
Vorderhohenschwangau Castle and Hinterhohenschwangau Castle sat on a rugged hill overlooking Schwanstein Castle, two nearby lakes (Alpsee and Schwansee), and the village. Separated only by a moat, they jointly consisted of a hall, a keep, and a fortified tower house.In the 19th century only ruins remained of the medieval twin castles, but those of Hinterhohenschwangau served as a lookout place known as Sylphenturm.
The ruins above the family palace were known to the crown prince from his excursions. He first sketched one of them in his diary in 1859.When the young king came to power in 1864, the construction of a new palace in place of the two ruined castles became the first in his series of palace building projects.Ludwig called the new palace New Hohenschwangau Castle; only after his death was it renamed Neuschwanstein.The confusing result is that Hohenschwangau and Schwanstein have effectively swapped names: Hohenschwangau Castle replaced the ruins of Schwanstein Castle, and Neuschwanstein Castle replaced the ruins of the two Hohenschwangau Castles.

Dover,Kent,England

Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings. The town is the administrative centre of the Dover District and home of the Dover Calais ferry through the Port of Dover. The surrounding chalk cliffs have become known as the White Cliffs of Dover, and the narrow sea passage nearby – the Strait of Dover.Its strategic position has been evident throughout its history: archaeological finds have revealed that the area has always been a focus for peoples entering and leaving Britain. The name of the town derives from the name of the river that flows through River Dour. The town has been inhabited since the Stone Age according to archeological finds, and Dover is one of only a few places in Britain – London and Cornwall being other examples – to have a corresponding name in the French language, Douvres.

There was a military barracks in Dover, which was closed in 2007. Although many of the former ferry services have declined, services related to the Port of Dover provide a great deal of the town’s employment, as does tourism. The prospect of privatizing the sale of the Port of Dover to create increased cash flow for the government was given a recent ironic twist due to the rejection of a possible bid from the town of Calais in France after opposition in Dover against any sale forced the government to withdraw the Port from the market:

Local residents had clubbed together to propose buying it for the community. More than 12,000 people have bought a £10 share in the People's Port Trust, which it said would see Dover "owned by people who love our country". The trust has a string of celebrity supporters – including Vera Lynn, who made Dover famous with her second world war song The White Cliffs of Dover. Neil Wiggins, chairman of the trust, said he was "very, very pleased" with the decision that would "ensure Dover remains forever England."