dimanche 26 avril 2009

Eiffel Tower Travel Gallery





Eiffel Tower Travel Gallery
The structure was built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World's Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. Eiffel originally planned to build the tower in Barcelona, for the Universal Exposition of 1888, but those responsible at the Barcelona city hall thought it was a strange and expensive construction, which did not fit into the design of the city. After the refusal of the Consistory of Barcelona, Eiffel submitted his draft to those responsible for the Universal Exhibition in Paris, where he would build his tower a year later, in 1889. The tower was inaugurated on 31 March 1889, and opened on 6 May. Three hundred workers joined together 18,038 pieces of puddled iron (a very pure form of structural iron), using two and a half million rivets, in a structural design by Maurice Koechlin. The risk of accident was great, for unlike modern skyscrapers the tower is an open frame without any intermediate floors except the two platforms. However, because Eiffel took safety precautions, including the use of movable stagings, guard-rails and screens, only one man died.The tower was met with much criticism from the public when it was built, with many calling it an eyesore. Newspapers of the day were filled with angry letters from the arts community of Paris. One is quoted extensively in William Watson's US Government Printing Office publication of 1892 Paris Universal Exposition: Civil Engineering, Public Works, and Architecture. “And during twenty years we shall see, stretching over the entire city, still thrilling with the genius of so many centuries, we shall see stretching out like a black blot the odious shadow of the odious column built up of riveted iron plates.” Signers of this letter included Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, Charles Gounod, Charles Garnier, Jean-Léon Gérôme, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and Alexandre Dumas.
Novelist Guy de Maupassant who claimed to hate the tower supposedly ate lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day. When asked why, he answered that it was the one place in Paris where one could not see the structure. Today, the Tower is widely considered to be a striking piece of structural art.

One of the great Hollywood movie clichés is that the view from a Parisian window always includes the tower. In reality, since zoning restrictions limit the height of most buildings in Paris to 7 stories, only a very few of the taller buildings have a clear view of the tower.

Eiffel had a permit for the tower to stand for 20 years, meaning it would have had to be dismantled in 1909, when its ownership would revert to the City of Paris. The City had planned to tear it down (part of the original contest rules for designing a tower was that it could be easily demolished) but as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after the expiration of the permit. The military used it to dispatch Parisian taxis to the front line during the First Battle of the Marne, and it therefore became a victory statue of that battle.
By: Wikipedia.com

dimanche 19 avril 2009

Former Hokkaidō government office building




Former Hokkaidō government office building
The Former Hokkaidō Government Office Building (,Hokkaidōchō kyūhonchōsha) is an American-neo-baroque structure constructed in 1888 as a base of the Hokkaidō administration. The nickname is Akarenga or "Red Brick." It is the symbol of Hokkaidō and was designated a Japanese Important Cultural Properties in 1969. Behind the current Hokkaidō Government building, the building is located in North 3 West 6, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan.

Currently, the facilities inside the building include a conference room, a museum shop, a tourist information office, and a few historical exhibition rooms and libraries. Visitors can enter the building for free. Flower gardens and a pond are located in front of the building, which occasionally are designated as some event venues.
By : Wikipedia.com

samedi 18 avril 2009

Sapporo in Japan Travel Gallery





Sapporo in Japan Travel Gallery
Sapporo (Sapporo-shi) ja-Sapporo.ogg listen (help·info) is the fifth-largest city in Japan by population. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan.
Sapporo is best known outside Japan for hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics, the first ever held in Asia and the annual Yuki Matsuri in the city, internationally referred to as the Sapporo Snow Festival, which draws more than 2 million tourists from around the world. The city is also home to the eponymous Sapporo Brewery.
By : Wikipedia.com

vendredi 17 avril 2009

Beach Pattaya in Thailand





Beach Pattaya in Thailand
Located in a crescent on Thailand's Eastern Seaboard, only 147 km from Bangkok, is the closest of Thailand's major beach resorts to the capital city – Pattaya Beach.
The combination of its big, wide beaches, water sports, interesting attractions, sightseeing, shopping, great hotels and resorts, international dining experiences – together, of course, with a vivacious night life that is infamous the world over – makes Pattaya's formula for fun a big winner. Pattaya's relaxing tropical ambience is synonymous with every ingredient for memorable holidays.

Toscana Enjoy In Italy




Toscana Enjoy In Italy
A very old, recently renovated farmhouse which conserves the traditional layout of the rooms
and the main building features.
These beautiful houses are rare examples of rural archi wooden ceilings,
the antique brick arches, the Tuscan terracotta floors and the elegant furnishing all give this house a very special appeal. Situated at the edge of the woods ...
The House is the ideal holiday home for those amongst you who want to spend a tranquil and short trip to the most beautiful artistic towns of central Italy.

jeudi 16 avril 2009

Boat Quay in Singapore




Boat Quay on Singapore
Boat Quay is a special place, situated in Singapore and it can be called one of the most popular tourists destination. What is more, it belongs to one of the most busiest port in the world and the ideal place for trading. The Boat Quay is the center of the night life and a plenty of entertainments.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque Best Travel





Sultan Ahmed Mosque Best Travel
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is the national mosque of Turkey, and is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.

It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul.
By : Wikipedia.com

lundi 13 avril 2009

North Beach Deluxe Food Lover's




North Beach Deluxe Food Lover's
Have you ever imagined taking an exotic trip to the South Pacific? There is a special place where you can be the first to experience sunrise on the planet each day. It's an ancient archipelago with over three hundred tropical islands. Cannibals once inhabited these parts and colonial mariners once sailed through them at their own peril. But it's a whole different ballgame now. Bula! Welcome to the Fiji Islands!

jeudi 9 avril 2009

Vitória state of Espírito Santo, Brazil.



Vitória state of Espírito Santo, Brazil.
Vitória ( in English "Victory") is the capital of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. It is located on a small island within a bay where a few rivers meet the sea. It was founded in 1551. The city proper (area 93 km2 or 35.9 sq mi) has a population of 313,300 (2005) whilst the Greater Vitória metropolitan area has a population of over 1,612,885 (2005), the 14th largest in Brazil. In 1998, the United Nations rated Vitória as the fourth best state capital in Brazil to live in, rating cities on health, education, and social improvement projects.
The new Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport connects Vitória with many Brazilian cities.
The city is home to the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES).
By : Wikipedia.com

mercredi 8 avril 2009

Vila Velha is a coastal town in Espírito Santo




Vila Velha is a coastal town in Espírito Santo
Vila Velha is a coastal town in Espírito Santo, Brazil. It lies across from Vitória, the state capital. Its population was 396,323 (2005) and its area is 208.82 km².
Vila Velha forms part of the Greater Vitória metropolitan area. To the north is Vitória, to the west Cariacica and Viana, to the south Guarapari, and to the east the Atlantic Ocean.

Notable corporations in Vila Velha include Garoto, one of Brazil's largest chocolate manufacturers.
Vila Velha used to have one of the best coastal areas of Espírito Santo. Unfortunatelly, due to intense real estate development, its mains beaches, like Praia da Costa, Itapuã and Itaparica were virtually destroyed by a wall of high buildings. That massive skyline casts a shadow on those beaches during the afternoon hours.
By : Wikipedia.com

Cinque Terre In Italy





Cinque Terre In Italy
The Cinque Terre (pronounced CHEEN-kweh TEHR-reh) is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Cinque Terre is noted for its beauty. Over centuries, man has carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible "modern" development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages and cars can not reach it from the outside. It is a very popular tourist destination.

In 1998 the Italian Ministry for the Environment set up the Protected natural marine area Cinque Terre to protect the natural environment and to promote socio-economical development compatible with the natural landscape of the area.

In 1999 the Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre was set up to conserve the ecological balance, protect the landscape, and safeguard the anthropological values of the location.
By :Wikipedia.com

jeudi 2 avril 2009

The coastline In Italian




The coastline In Italian
Amalfi: The origins of the village are in the IV century A.D. . We can admire its monuments in the Romanesque style (XIII century) and its cathedral. The Amalfi Drive is generally considered to be one of the most scenic stretches of Italian Coastline.