Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake

The event take place every May in Gloucestershire, England. The tradition is at least two hundred years old and some claim may go back as far as roman times or beyond. The rules are simple - you arrive, someone throws a huge Double Gloucester cheese down the steepest hill you have ever seen and you then attempt to run down the hill after it (I say attempt because mostly people just fall or bounce after it), and the first one to the bottom the hill gets the cheese!

The Running of the Bull

The event takes place in Pamplona in Spain and is world famous and absolutely deadly. 15 people have been killed since 1910, most recently an American tourist in 1995. The event is simple; a herd of bulls are released into the narrow streets of the Pamplona while the competitors (given a head start) run for their lives. There is no winner as such, just those happy to still be alive.

Orange Throwing at the Ivrea Carnival

The event takes place in Ivrea in Turin, Italy. Dating to the middle of the 19th Century (before which people used to throw beans). Anybody can enter by joining one of the participating teams. Then it is simply a case of being pulled around in a large cart and being pummelled with oranges while you feebly attempt to throw some back.

Tar Barrel Carrying

Takes place in the village of Ottery St Mary in Devon, England. Always held on Guy Fawkes night (the 5th of November) and is believed to have first occurred in 1688. The event involves people carrying huge burning barrels of tar on their backs. They run with the burning barrel until the heat and weight become too much and then pass it on to someone else, this continues until the barrels break up.

Man Versus Horse

The event takes place in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales every year. The event dates from only 1980 when a local pub landlord overheard a boastful conversation about how a man could beat a horse over a long distance. Now every year a race takes place between a man and horse over 22 miles. In 2004 a man called Huw Lobb became the first ever man to beat the horse.

Royal Shrovetide Football

Takes place in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England. An ancient ball game, which is the ancestor of soccer and its derivatives, where the inhabitants of the town split into two teams, and then by any means get a ball into the opposing teams goal (the goals are three miles apart). The rules are - get the ball into the opponent's goal and knock the hell out of people on your way.

La Tomatina

Takes place in Bunol in Valencia, Spain and is basically a big tomato fight where more than 100 metric tons of tomatoes are thrown and anyone can join in. Why? Well why not!

Oktoberfest Festival

Ok maybe not that bizarre, but still very quirky in its way and well worth a mention. The well-known German beer festival takes place every year in Munich, Germany in late September. Turn up eat drink and be very very merry. Not much more to say really.

Batalla Del Vino

A good old-fashioned wine fight! Occurs annually on St Pedros Day (29th of June) in the Spanish Town of Haro. The event consists of the town folk walking to the chapel for a religious service carrying all the wine they can, once the mass is over the wine throwing begins. The aim is to cover everybody with as much wine as possible using buckets, water guns and any other implement you can think of to fire liquid around the place.

The Farther Ted Festival

Yes that's right a festival to celebrate the Irish TV sitcom Father Ted. Held in Inish Mor an island off Galway in the west of Ireland, which is supposed to be the official Craggy Island from the show. The festival goes on for a few days and involves a number of events linked to the show such as - the priests and nuns five a side soccer tournament, the Lovely Girls beauty pageant, a song for Europe and lots more ridiculous events reminiscent of the show.

Yungas Road (Highway of death in Bolivia)

Yungas Road is one of the most dangerous roads of all world. It is placed in Bolivia, between La Paz and Coroico cities. Since this region is called as Yungas, naturally this road is named as Yungas Road.

This road is used by heavy trucks, buses and lorries. Naturally, if you go to there,you can see the wreckages of many lorries and buses. In last years, it is also preferred by cyclists and motorcyclists. ”Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking” is one of the extreme sports made by on this road. Every month, more than 200 people die on Yungas Road. Annual death toll is more than 3000.

Guoliang Tunnel Road (China)

Guoliang Road is one of the most well-known killer roads .It was built by the villagers living in Guoliang region. Total length of the road is almost 1200 meters. It is located in Taihang mountains in China. To finish complete road took 5 years of villagers. On the road, there are tunnels with 5 meters height and 4 meters width. This road is known as death machine.

Pasubio Road (Italy)

Pasubio Road was constructed in Vicenza, Northern Italy. Once upon a time, it was really a dead machine. Currently, it is only used for motorcycling activities.On the road, there are hairpin turns and tunnels. The existence of the roads twisting into tunnels and hairpin turns makes this road interesting.

In winter Minnesota's temperature averages to be about zero degrees F. In the summer it averages to be seventy-four degrees F. Minnesota doesn't have any mountains only hills. All in all, Minnesota proves to have spectacular climate and history just as great.

Minnesota has intriguing history which starts way back in 6,000 B.C. these people evolved into Mound Builders. Later in about 1362 Vikings came. Sioux Indians later appeared and outgrew the Vikings and the Mound builders. Minnesota was found by French explorers named Pierre Esprit Raddison and his brother in law M'edard Chouart Sieur Du Luth (Duluth is now a large city by Lake Superior) in 1679. France had also claimed other states like Iowa and Illinois.

The French sold their land to Britain who had a war with the Americans called the revolutionary war. The Americans won that war and got the Louisiana Purchase which included all the states east of the Mississippi including Minnesota. Another fact is that Paul Bunion came from Minnesota. In conclusion, Minnesota's history is awesome, but wait until you hear about its wildlife.

In addition to small birds and animals common in the Midwest, Minnesota has many large animals as well. Back in 1990 black bears numbered 20,000. Also, a population of 1,750 timber wolves. Small fur barring animals such as raccoons, muskrats, striped skunks, gray and red foxes and weasels are present allover Minnesota. Bobcats are found in low densities.

Five species of squirrel and two species of flying squirrel are found in forests, while the gopher (the State animal) hangs out in open spaces. The state also has many fish to go in all of the lakes. Some of the fish are walleye, trout, salmon, muskellunge, largemouth bass and sunfish. The rare paddlefish and the long lived sturgeon are both found in St. Croix River. Those are just a few of the 153 species of fish found in Minnesota.

The main part of the economy in Minnesota is the cooperatives, which is a sponsor for buying and selling, mainly for the farmers. Most of the cooperatives where originally immigrants from Denmark or Finland, today many people are cooperatives. Agriculture is also an important part of Minnesota's economic activity. The agriculture to Minnesota is based on wheat, soybeans, hay and flaxseed. Minnesota ranks 5th in the number of farmland, nearly half of the state is farm. Minnesota has great economy and just as great entertainment and sports.

Minnesota has a ton of entertainment and excellent sports teams. Also, Minnesota is home to the NHL (National Hockey League) hall of fame. Minnesota has a baseball team named the Twins, a football team named the Vikings, a basketball team named the Timber Wolves and a hockey team named Wild. The Twins is named after the twin cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul); the Vikings are named after the Vikings that came in the 1300s. The Timber Wolves are named after the amazing population in the 1990s and Wild is named after al of the wildlife in Minnesota.

Some of the fun places you can go to are Mall of America, the Metro dome, the Wheat Mill or the Como Zoo. Those were just a few of the things you can do in Minnesota.

Minnesota is a great place to go to and has more then one interesting fact. To wrap things up, Minnesota has super climate, amazing history, massive wildlife, great economy, and excellent entertainment and sports, that is why I am proud to have Minnesota as my topic.

Statistics:

• Capitol - Saint Paul.
• Population - 4,919,279 people.
• State Hood - May, 11, 1858 32nd state.
• Motto - L'Etolie du Nord .
• Song - “Hail! Minnesota”.
• Tree - Norway Pine.
• Area - 84,068 sq miles.
• Total Water Area - 4,780 sq miles.
• Bird - Common Loon.
• Flower - Pink and White Lady's Slipper.
• Elevation - Eagle Mountain 2,301 feet above sea level.
• Nickname - Land of 10,000 lakes.
• Name means - “Cloudy Water” from the Sioux Indians.
• Rochester is home of the Mayo Clinic.
• The Hockey hall of fame is located in Minnesota as well as four pro sports teams.
• Paul Bunion came from Minnesota.
• Between the 1860s and theearly1900s Minnesota was the leading lumber producing state.
• Minneapolis and St. Paul became big cities because of a man named Edmond La Croix, he found out how to purify white flower in the early 1870's .
• Lake Itasca is the source of the Mississippi and was found by Henry L. Schoolcraft.
• Roger Maris came from Minnesota.

Today, I woke up eager to get to my first destination, Persepolis. Persepolis was founded by Darius the Great in 518 B.C. It was built to be the capital of the Persian Empire and is located in Shiraz. This grand city took over a century to make. It was visualized as a show place. This means that it was a center for receptions and ceremonial festivities. The life of Persepolis was only two centuries long, for in 331 B.C. Alexander the Great looted and burned it to the ground. Now, only the pillars that held the roof up remain along with some of the artwork. It was said that Alexander carried away all of the treasures on 20,000 mules and 5,000 camels. While I was walking about the ruins of Persepolis, it was interesting how well some of the artwork had stayed in tact over the centuries.

Day 2: Tomb of Hafez

Since I felt like going to see some tombs, today I went to the tomb of Hafez. Hafez was a very famous poet and still is today for people who love Persian poetry. He was educated by some of the leading scholars in Shiraz, his hometown. People say that he really loved his hometown. In fact, he loved his hometown so much, that he refused generous invitations inside and outside of Iran. When I looked at his marble tombstone, I saw that some of his poems were engraved there. I also saw that the creators of his tomb put in gardens and pools to make the environment more peaceful. In 1935, eight stone columns were put around his tombstone in the shape of an octagon. It was interesting to visit his tomb, because the gardens had many exotic plants and I was able to sit around the pools, drink tea, and reflect on his poetry.

Day 3: Tomb of Saadi

After I had been to the tomb of Hafez, I was in the mood to go to another tomb that belonged to a poet. I chose the tomb of Saadi. Like Hafez, Saadi was another famous Iranian poet. When he was just a child, his father died. When he grew up and finished college, he traveled through India and central Asia. While he was traveling, he got captured and was made to labor on a stronghold in Tripoli. Throughout his life, he had two principle works. One of them expressed Muslim virtues while the other was about his travels. His tomb was built in the shape of an octagon. His tomb is unique for a couple of reasons. A pool was made for people to throw coins in to make wishes and all the walls of his tombs were inscribed with his work. It was interesting to see how long or how short his poems were and what they meant.

Day 4: Tomb of Ferdosi

Having learned all of this information on poets and their tombs, I wondered what a writer's tomb would be like, so I went to the tomb of Ferdosi. Ferdosi was born in 940 A.D. near a town called Toos. His greatest work was the ShahNameh or Book of Kings. The Book of Kings was basically about the history of Iran. It took him more than twenty- five years to write it. I found out that the original brick structure of his tomb had been ruined and parts of the tomb were rebuilt in 1926. The construction on his tomb stopped in 1934 during the1000 year anniversary of his death. People say that the tomb lies over his exact place of death. It was interesting to me to see his style of writing.

Day 5: Sio-Seh Pole Bridge

After viewing three tombs, I had a yearning to see a famous bridge, so I went to the Sio-Seh Pole Bridge or the bridge of thirty-three arches. It was originally called the Allahverdikhan Pole after the architect who built it. This famous bridge was built in 1600. It was made so that it would be 300 meters long. This bridge was made as a kind of lovers point. This means that men and women would dress nicely to meet each other on this bridge and take a walk. Today it is still used for these purposes and it is also a major tourist attraction. I found it interesting to walk across this bridge, because I could see and touch the arches. The arches are also supposed to light up at night which gives the bridge an eye-catching glow.

Day 6: Naghshe Jahan Square

Today I went to Naghshe Jahan Square. Naghshe Jahan Square is one of the biggest, most beautiful squares in the world. It is 512 meters long and 160 meters wide, which actually makes it a rectangle. It was constructed in the sixteenth century to express Isfahan's majesty. It was made during the reign of shah Abbas. Like most other monuments in Isfahan, the main color and material of the square is blue tiles. I heard that if you want to see the whole square, it would take a few days since it is so big. It used to be much smaller than it is today, because now there are new buildings and more room. It was interesting to roam around the square and to go to the museum.

Day 7: Ali Qapu Palace

To end my trip, I decided to visit a palace, so I picked Ali Qapu Palace. Ali Qapu means the high gate in Turkish, which suits the palace, because it is seven stories high. This palace belonged to the Safavid period and was used for the greeting of ambassadors and envoys from other countries. The Safavid ruler was said to have watched polo games from the upper galleries of the palace. Back in the Safavid period, the largest rooms were used only for royal banquets. When I went inside, I found many amazing paintings. The room with the most impressive artwork was the music room. The music room was where most of the art was and where there were shapes of vases carved into the walls. This palace was very interesting to visit because of the amazing artwork on the ceilings and walls throughout the rooms.

Food

In Iran, there are many different kinds of food. Almost all cooking is based on rice. The people of Iran will eat rice plain, with yoghurt, or covered with special sauces. Chelo kebab is the most popular food and is also the national food. It is basically two skewers of marinated lamb served with onions, tomatoes, and of course, rice. For a better taste, Iranians broil it over charcoal. Bread and fruits are also very popular and are being constantly consumed. Bread is eaten on an almost daily basis for breakfast. Iranians eat bread with cheese made from the milk of a sheep and tea to start off their day.

Clothing

Iranian men usually wear loose trousers for clothing. They also wear long or short-sleeved shirts and can only wear shorts for swimming or playing an official sport. Women must wear Islamic dress when they leave their houses to go out anywhere. This Islamic dress consists of black chadors with thick tights. Women can also wear socks instead of tights. When women are at home, they are allowed to wear whatever they want. The women usually get uncomfortably hot when wearing a chador in hot weather. Rich Iranian women can afford to wear the latest fashions.

Sports

Iranians love watching and playing sports. The two most commonly watched and played sports are soccer and wrestling. Private companies usually sponsor the soccer teams. The soccer season goes from October to June and games are played on Thursdays and Fridays. Up to 100,000 people will try to get into a stadium to see one of the games. Before 2000, only men could go to the games, now women can too. Wrestling takes place in a zur khoneh which means “house of strength”. Iranian wrestling is a combination of wrestling and gymnastics and is taken very seriously. There is also camel and horse racing, but gambling on these sports is now prohibited.

New Year (Noruz)

The most important Iranian holiday is Noruz or the New Year. It starts on the first day of spring, which is March 21 and goes on for thirteen days. As a symbol of renewal, lentils and wheat are grown and houses are thoroughly cleaned. People also jump over fires to cleanse their souls and get rid of bad luck. This is called Charshanbeh Souri. Iranians also set up a new year's table with seven symbolic foods. This is called a Haft Seen. On the first twelve days, relatives go to each others houses and give children gifts, usually money. The thirteenth day is bad luck, so people throw their lentils and barley into a river or lake. They then have a family picnic to end the celebrations.