The brush strokes capture the beauty
While life on the left bank goes on.
I wander past, hands in pockets,
Appreciating the beauty of Paris’ sun.

The nightlife in Paris is as they say;
Burlesque, lively, bon vivant.
But, Paris by day, walk face to the sun
Shows a side more intelligent, than fun.

Appreciate the art, the culture, the joie de vivre.
It is here for all, the Louvre, Notre Dame, la Tour Eiffel.
Take with you your thoughts as you wander the city.
Leave, then, with more thoughts and culture as well.

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon is the biggest and most probably the most beautiful canyon in the world. It is situated in Arizona State. Grand Canyon is also a national park.

Copper Canyon

Copper Canyon, or Barranca Del Cobre, is the name of a group of canyon in Chihuahua state in Mexico. Copper Canyon consists of 6 canyons in Sierra Tarahumara region.

Avon Gorge Canyon

A natural beauty in Bristol, England. Every year, millions of tourists come Avon Gorge to see both the beauty of canyon itself and Avon River.

Fish River Canyon

It is located in Namibia. It is one of the largest, most well-known and most beautiful canyons of the world. Fish River flows through canyon. It's marvellous nature attract millions of visitors every year.

Vikos Gorge Canyon

Vikos Gorge is a national park in Epirus, Greece. It is the natural habitat of many animals species and one of the marvels of nature. Vikos Gorge is the deepest canyon in the world.

The Grand Canyon

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The Grand Canyon is located in the northwest part of Arizona. This “Grand Valley” was made by the cut of the running water. Colorado River flows through the Canyon and that over the years it cut through the rock. You can see many layers of the rock which are at least two billion years old according to the Geologists.

Glass Bridge is a special attraction of Grand Canyon.

Glass Bridge is horseshoe-shaped bridge suspended 4,000 feet above the Colorado River on the very edge of the Grand Canyon. Tourists can skywalk here and get the thrilling experience of the Grand Canyon.

Rainbow Bridge

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Rainbow Natural Bridge is salmon-red Navajo sandstone arching over Bridge Canyon and located in Southern Utah, USA. Rainbow Bridge is the World's natural bridge with the span of 275 feet, at the top it is 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide. This bridge is made from sandstone formed during the end of the Triassic and Jurassic period.

Devils Tower

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According to geologists, Devils Tower is formed by the intrusion of igneous material. It is composed of sedimentary rocks like red sand stones, silk stones belonged to the Triassic Time, i.e.225 to 195 million years ago. Once upon a time there was a sea here, slowly gypsum, sandstone and limestone was deposited and a sudden volcanic eruption of the earth made it like a strong tower nearly 50 million years ago.

Devils Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River and has base 1,000 feet across. This 1.5 acre park is covered with beautiful pine forests, woodlands and grass lands. President Theodore Roosevelt established Devils Tower National Monument in 1906.

Polar Aurora (Northern/Southern lights)

Auroras are natural colored light displays in the sky particularly in the polar zone. They occur in the ionosphere and usually observed at night.

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Aurora borealis (Northern lights) appear in green or red colors and in the months of September to October and March to April.

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Aurora australis (Southern lights) is caused by plasma particles from the sun i.e. part of the solar wind. These can be seen at the South Pole during the six month from March to September.

The collisions in the atmosphere electronically excite atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere. Benjamin Franklin was the first person to theorize this.

The Bay of Fundy

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The Bay of Fundy extends from the northern coast of Maine and into Canada between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The Bay creates the highest tides; some reach more than 50 feet. It was formed as the continental plates parted millions of years ago. The Bay of Fundy is a 170-mile-long, funnel- shaped bay and splits into two narrow bays, Chignecto Bay and the MinasBasin.

Ayers Rock

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Ayers Rock (called as Uluru by Aborigines) is one of the oldest rocks on the Earth. It is located in Australia. This rock is formed over a period of about 500 million years. The top of this rock is 1,142 feet above the plains and the base is 5 miles around. This is covered with many caves and grooves. According to a legend of Aborigines, Uluru was once an ocean, but due to a great battle on its shores it rose up in revolt, forming the great blood-colored rock.

Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves

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Eisriesenwelt ice cave is the largest ice cave in the world. It is a natural limestone ice cave and located at the height of 1640 meter in Werfen, Austria. The temperature inside the cave is under zero. Though the length of the cave is 42km, only the first kilometer is covered in ice and the rest of the cave is formed of limestone.

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You can visit this cave from May 1st to October 26th every year.

Dead Sea

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The Dead Sea is a salt lake located between Israel and Jordan. It is 1,083 feet deep, 67 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide. It is the deepest hyper-saline lake in the world with 30% salinity. No animals can flourish in this lake due to its high salinity, hence the name.

Part of getting ready to visit an unknown country is doing my homework stating the places of interest of the people traveling. My daughter and I put on a piece of paper which points of interest we desired to see and then compared notes.

Needless to say, many of the same ideas were on both lists. After compiling the final agenda, we had more to do. Locating the contents of the list on the map of Ireland, was next in line to schedule.

Since the entire country was to be seen, we decided to rent a car, so nothing was left out on our travels. It took 2 of us to drive the car. No kidding! One to sit in the driver's seat that is opposite from our cars and the other to shift and remind the pilot of the car to remain on the “wrong side of the road”. We are such creatures of habit; we determined early on, that the motoring was a 2 person venture. Signs were in the native tongue with some sporadic English language on the street signs too. We both learned much from our enjoyable mistakes.

Cliffs of Mohr, is splendid, but takes some getting to before you view the beauty. The trip to the cliffs was pleasant and enlightening. We passed many tourists, who were seeing the country from mini campers. Yes, they were on the roadway. Animals are permitted to roam free, so an occasional cow or goat alerted the co-pilot to inform the captain of the vessel to be alarmed to animal in the road. Bed and Breakfasts are plentiful and our selected rest and relaxation at the close of each day's events. We got to visit with locals and see interiors of some homes as well. We were fed very well in some, while others were skimpy for the first meal of the day. A Castle had to be one night's stay, which we were glad we only did for one night. The price was extremely high and the abode was cold. Everything was a-la-carte which meant no free breakfast during that one evening of feeling like Princesses.

Kilarney should not be overlooked. The countryside ride in a one horse buggy is a must, not only to see the sights, but to enjoy someone else driving you along with other benefits. I won't spoil the other great things that ride provides so you can be surprised as we were.

The Blarney stone, Bunraty castle, a caveman meal, seeing the church where Christopher Columbus prayed before setting sail to discover America and your heart's desire might be on your Points of interest list. The Abbey, museums; large and small along with Waterford Crystal Factory might be included on your “Must See” agenda.

Even if you do not drink alcohol, going to a pub at about 11AM, is an experience I will never forget and perhaps you might not either. Plan on walking if you are going to

sample anything alcohol. The bartenders serve delicious tasting concoctions that go down easily, and then kick you in about 20 minutes. I recommend Mead wine and asking the bartender for suggestions. Plan a meal in the pub if at all possible. Enjoy the locals there.

Many happy memories are mine from my trip to Ireland. You can write about yours when you return.

All this beauty can be seen by taking a short walk off the Avenue Of The Giants. All you hear is the wind in the trees and birds singing. It is amazing!

The Avenue is located off of Highway 101 in Northern California between Garberville and Fortuna. If you ever get the chance to go, beauty awaits.

Streets are lined with busy kiosks, architectural landscapes, gothic century cathedrals, and opera theatres. The Armenian and Orthodox churches manifest the cities ambience and depict a potently evolving history. No doubt the city is officially included to the UNESCO List of World Monuments of Architecture. Lvov has always been a significant educational portal housing the famous Ivan Franko National University where I learnt to speak, read and write Russian from amiable tutors.

Lvov has one small welcoming international airport (UKLL/LWO) located a mere 6Km from the Cities hub. I personally recommend taking the Railway as it has all the comforts of traveling, tourists die for. I recall a modestly priced journey from Lvov to the Ukraine's Capital Kiev. I was immediately impressed by their railway cabins, which were amply stacked with soaps and towels, fresh smelling, scrupulously white and cozy pillows, blankets mattresses. An attendant checked on us every 2 hours to offer tea, biscuits and other local desserts.

The most comfortable hotels are located in the heart of the city and tourists are offered cheaper initiatives such as renting an apartment. The "Downtown Lvov Apartments" are only meters away from theatres, cathedrals, museums, restaurants cafes and shops. A lot of ancient fortification and religious buildings are situated around the city- Olesko castle and Pidgirtsi castle. Not far from the city itself there are balneology centers in Truskavets, Morshyn and Skhidnytsia and ski-centers in Slavsko and Tysovets. The cities inhabitants are friendly and warm towards tourists and often invite Polish tourists as till date the city houses Polish architecture. Tourists are advised to buy mineral water and speak in Russian, Ukrainian, German or even English dialect.

The market place is havoc with fresh supplies arriving from the suburbs and rural plantations in the day time. Women are often seen employed as compared to men who would rather play dominoes within the city's central square. Ukrainian women are well known throughout the world for the arduous jobs and active spirit. You will see them tediously working in restaurants, medical centers, kiosks, bars, postal houses, hostels, messes and universities. Streets are also lined with young talented artists who make paintings out of charcoal and sketch portraits for passer-bys.

A famous club known as "Split" is one of the most privileged and prestigious entertainment zones consisting of casinos, restaurants, pubs and show-bars. Busses, railways, Tramps and Taxis run throughout the day and a tramp is the most convenient and cheapest mode of transport within the city preferred by university students and employees.

A personal favorite local starter is the Russian salad and "Smitana", a drink made of rich curd-pure in quality and excellent in taste. The salad is served in various Restaurants such as "Kapriz" and "Darwin" and the "Smitana" can be purchased locally from Kiosks or the Market place. I have till date not relished upon the original salad elsewhere. Many restaurants within the city offer smoking, non-smoking areas, special family room for larger families and a warm but busy ambience.

The climate in Ukraine is temperate continental, mainly characterized by plentiful precipitation and cloudiness in winter and fall where winters are usually long and cold. Summers are short but can be pretty hot. In winter the kiosks close by 5pm as it becomes really dark and the streets become deserted. At this time it is advisable not to venture off alone and to take a taxi while traveling within the city. My overall stay for 6 months in the city only warned me about staying out doors at nights as it can be dangerous for tourists and students to wander off alone. The cities inhabitants usually retire to bed early and begin the day as soon as the cock crows. Being a winter-bird myself, I would travel to this city often during December and January. Summer-birds are advised to wear carry minimal clothing as it can become very hot and sweaty during summer. The city has forestry reserves and various natural resorts; you will be thrilled by the beauty and natural forestry throughout the city.

Before you go do not forget to learn some basics in Russian language. Some phrases like "Thank you", translated as "Cpaciba", "Excuse me", translated as "Pajalysta", "Do you speak English?" translated as "we gavariti pa angleesski?", and a handy Phrase book will help you move about the city more conveniently. Till then "La re vedere" (translated as good-bye).

Estonia

Estonia is a wonderful way to see the essence of Europe. To the east is Russia, to the north is Finland, on the west side sits Sweden, and to the south, there is a land border with Latvia. The small nation enjoys a Baltic Sea coastline. Estonia was oppressed for decades under the U.S.S.R.'s ruling, after World War II.

In 1991, it was finally declared a separate nation. The national language Estonian enjoys a fully, 100%, literate population. Sometimes it is referred to as “E-sonia,” seeing as it is highly wired for the Internet and technology.

Throughout Estonia's history, it has often been in the middle of battles, strictly on account of its geographical location. It is a country that was taken over by Hitler in 1941 and then lost its identity again as part of the U.S.S.R.

While visiting Estonia, be sure to check out Hiiumaa Islets Landscape Reserve, a national park and island; Kiek-in-de-Kök, a fortress and a museum; and Naissaar, an island and war memorial in a lush natural forest.

The capital of Tallinn is a favorite destination for many seasoned globe trotters that know what they like. Estonia is full of beautiful churches and countryside.

The ideal season to check out this enchanting locale is from June to September, as the winters are quite frosty. Estonia is known to have a great deal of character and charm, without breaking the traveler's bank account. Some visitors find it similar in quaintness to Prague as it was 20 years ago.

Estland

This is Estonia

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is in Central America, and while the country did recently endure a civil war, it is peaceful now. Nicaragua is a beautiful and scenic tropical spot that is not a tourist trap. It lies between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.

This Spanish-speaking country is a place of thick green tropical rain forests, vast beaches of blue water and remarkable volcanoes and mountains. As this is a rainforest, the best time to visit is the dry season, from November to April.

Who wouldn't want to visit an unspoiled and still pristine part of the world with exotic animals, gorgeous beaches and postcard perfect natural splendor? Many travelers return to this country for the hospitality of the “Nicas”, the people of Nicaragua.

Fernando de Noronha

Fernando de Noronha is an island about 200 miles off the coast of Brazil. The island is largely in a natural and conserved state. It is another stunning, unspoiled place for explorers looking to stray away from the usual island tourist crowds.

To keep the island from becoming overcrowded, less than 500 visitors are allowed on the island at one time. Although the remoteness of the island is more expensive than what you would pay on the mainland, the seasoned tropical visitor will find it to be truly fabulous. Seventy percent of this island is appointed as a national park, and wildlife abounds. Sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, exotic birds and manta ray all share the habitat in and around this island.

The archipelagos a favorite place for diving enthusiasts. Unfortunately, it is becoming quite expensive to stay on this island, as the natives are rumored to be enjoying the foreign cash. However, even if you could stop off for a few nights, it would be worth the splurge to be so close to a perfect ecosystem of such intense beauty.

Fernando De Noronha

Fernando de Noronha National Park - Brazil

Fernando de Noronha - A hidden and lonely beach in Brazil

Beach - Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Greenland

Greenland. You are thinking, the land of ice? Yes, it is “that” Greenland, and it is actually showing more greenery than ever, thanks to climate change, and revealing is what lies beneath.

Crime is completely unknown in this area of the world, so if you value safety, this may be the place for you. Greenland is the world's biggest island. 85 percent of Greenland is ice cap. This ice cap is used by ten percent of the Earth's population as a water source. If these ice caps melt, the level of the oceans would rise by more than 20 feet.

Greenland has the most daylight hours in the summer, with a 'midnight sun,” visible from May until late July. The highest summer temperature is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Whales are frequently seen by tour boats, whose passengers will be able to view some of the most beautiful humpbacks, pilot whales, sperm whales and narwhals very easily.

The Northern Lights are best in August and September. There is fishing and golf on the island, and many quaint inns for lodging. Nature lovers will become addicted to this spot, as there are a variety of fantastic outdoor activities, such as ice climbing, dog sledding, and kayaking. Greenland is probably the most isolated place left on the planet, hence the serenity is the most beautiful aspect of a journey to this seemingly mystical land.

Aurea Borealis and Animals on Greenland

2004 Greenland

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Tasmania

Tasmania is an island off the coast of southeast Australia. About 40% of the island is protected land and reserves. Less than half a million residents call Tasmania home. It is about 26,000 square miles in size. Summer in the Southern Hemisphere is from December until February. The trees on the island of Tasmania are some of the oldest on the planet.

Tasmania is full of lush rain forests, alpine meadows, mountain peaks and large clear lakes. Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park are some of the most beautiful places to see on the fabled island.

The best time to visit Tasmania is between the months of October and April. The Tasmanian Devil is found only on the island of Tasmania, and cartoons, of course.

Tasmania: A Visual Experience

Soothing Sunrises on the Shores of Tasmania

Tasmania In Spring

These little known and lesser publicized destinations will surely create many memories of adventure and stunning views for those who dare to venture off the well-traveled path.

Come join us for a visit to Toogood Pond in Unionville. We can assure you that you will have a visit worthy of what is truly a magnificent landscape.

Toogood Pond is one of the most beautiful features of Markham's historic Unionville community. Neighbouring the Varley Art Gallery and scenic Unionville Main Street, the pond is part of Rouge Park, North America's largest natural environment park in a natural setting.

The famous 33-hectare park, which features a marsh and a partially naturalized pond, is home to a variety of birds, animals, and waterfowl. Canadian geese and mallard ducks can often be seen gliding across the pond's rippling green surface. Eastern Cottontail rabbits can also be found around Toogood Pond.

Toogood Pond is known for its many species of birds and geese, especially Canadian geese. This is a great place to take a break from life and enjoy some nature.

For humans, a walkway circles the pond and a meandering boardwalk cuts through the marsh, making Toogood Pond a popular spot for leisurely walks.

This meandering bridge will definitely provide a great view of the scenery.

Toogood Pond is located between Carlton and Kennedy Roads in Markham, behind Unionville Public School. Please join us to make your weekend an unforgettable one.

The Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization, is the official franchise holder of the three most prestigious beauty contests, Miss International, Miss World and Ms. Universe Beauty Pageants, is also one of the country's partners in nation building.

BPCI was founded by the first Miss International title holder, Stella Marquez Sawadski de Araneta, who won the title in 1960 at Long Beach, Calfornia, USA. Miss Sawdski, who is of Colombian descent, married Filipino businessman Jorge Araneta. She started the Binibining Pilipinas-Universe Pageant in 1964 and the Bb.Pilipinas-International license four years later. In 1992, she also acquired the franchise for Bb. Pilipinas-Miss World Pageant. All of these pageants are now under BPCI.

BPCI has been actively involve in charity works to help children, the indigent families, orphans and other less privileged members of the society. Every each, during pageant duration, candidates of the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant would visit orphaned children under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and day care centers all over Manila to give them a day's out dedicated to shopping, playing games, and dining out. It also holds skills training and educational programs for the less privilege to be able to provide them with alternative means of livelihood. During the difficult time in Porac, Pampanga, when Mount Pinatubo erupted, Binibining Pilipinas beauties distributed goods, medicines, and other basic needs to the people of Porac. The same initiatives are also being done whenever there are floods, fire and calamities that hit the country.

The financial backbone of BPCI is in itself, the Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant, with the proceeds from corporate sponsors going directly to its charity programs. The organization is more than just a venue in discovering the beauty of Filipinas, but in a more meaningful way, a vehicle of providing help and joy to the indigent members of the society.

The country still faces a war and grave problem in the form of Taliban insurgents and other terrorist groups but hope is still what its people believe in.

In a country where three workers do work to construct a road and six policemen protect them, rebuilding must be a hard task. The insurgents frequently attack on road constructing companies, clinics, schools and laborers. Still the photos below shows a new look of different parts of different provinces including Kandahar, the former stronghold of the Taliban, which brings hope to people.

Reconstruction

A site near a famous shrine in Kandahar that is now beautifully constructed. Hundreds of people visit the shrine every day and then come here for a relaxation.

Beauty

This beautiful dam is in the Bamyan province where the Taliban had demolished two historical Buddha statues.

Greenery

A view of Nengrahar's Noor Valley which is located between Kunar and Jalalabad. This valley is famous for its greenery.

Dance

People enjoy traditional music and dance. Extremists had banned this during their rule.

Music

People enjoy the traditional Afghan music. Extremists had banned these activities during their widely condemned rule.

Women

Shukriya Barakzai, Member of Parliament, is speaking in a public meeting. Though there are still many barriers and problems for women, it is a very big development that they now can participate in every walk of life.