Mystical, Magical & Magnificent Monasteries in Meteora (20 Pics) The caves in Meteora, Greece, had inhabitants for fifty millennia, but due to raids, “hermit monks” moved to the safety of sandstone rock pinnacles in the 9th century and began building monasteries. More monks and nuns came, building more monasteries perched high upon the cliffs. Wikipedia reports, “Access to the monasteries was originally (and deliberately) difficult, requiring either long ladders lashed together or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith — the ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only ‘when the Lord let them break.’” UNESCO World Heritage says, “The net in which intrepid pilgrims were hoisted up vertically alongside the 1,224 ft. cliff where the Varlaam monastery dominates the valley symbolizes the fragility of a traditional way of life that is threatened with extinction.” Photo #1 by Vaggelis Vlahos A view of Meteora monasteries in Greece. Photo #5 by Gabriele Quaglia The Holy Monastery of St.
Odd Origins of Idioms In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. The solution was a metal plate called a 'Monkey' with 16 round indentations. Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Apartments & Bed and breakfast - Wimdu
50 Strange Buildings of the World This is the original list of 50 strange buildings which has been and is being copied (stolen) by many bloggers. If you wish to post it on your blog or website, feel free to use up to 20 buildings from this list and give a proper link to our website ( as the source article. Ok, now enjoy this weird, odd, bizarre and incredible looking arcitechture! After reading it, don’t forget to check Part II and Part III. 1. Construction of the building started in in January 2003 and in December 2003 it was finished. Image via: brocha 2. The Hundertwasser house “Waldspirale” (”Forest Spiral”) was built in Darmstadt between 1998 and 2000. The structure with 105 apartments wraps around a landscaped courtyard with a running stream. Image via: Kikos Dad 3. Image via: manuelfloresv 4. Image via: Mélisande* 5. The Longaberger Basket Company building in Newark, Ohio might just be a strangest office building in the world. Image via: addicted Eyes 6. Image via: jonathan_moreau 7.
Paulista Avenue Residence – Sao Paulo, Brazil Paulista Avenue Residence – Sao Paulo, Brazil When it comes to city living in Sao Paulo, Brazil, it’s hard to find better than this. The Paulista Avenue Residence is a refurbishment of a modern classic, updated by the group at Piratininga Arquitetos Associados. The new design maintains much of the modern character of the Abelardo de Souza classic, with a geometric hive-style ceiling and cool concrete columns. A tile floor and contemporary furnishings give the home a high-style treatment, fit perfectly for the father-and-son singles that live within. While the private rooms are locked away in the back, the entertainment section of the home features an open loft floor plan and wide, unrestricted views of the Sao Paulo streets.
"Shall" Versus "Will" This episode concerns your future: whether you should use shall or will. Guest-writer Bonnie Trenga writes, there are two sets of rules: the stickler version and the people’s version. There is also the British version and the American version. Shall in Britain The stickler version and British version line up pretty well with each other: tradition holds that you use shall to indicate the future if you are using first person (I or we) and will if you are using second or third person (you, he, she, or they). So, in England, it would be perfectly normal to say, “I shall have tea with my grandmother tomorrow.” Shall With Determination The British traditionally use shall to express determination or intention on the part of the speaker or someone other than the subject of the verb. Shall in America In America, will has replaced shall in all but a few cases. The most common two places you’ll see shall in America are in legal documents and in lofty prose (3). The Legal Shall The Lofty Shall References
Places to Visit in France - the most Interesting and Beautiful Regions of France and Best Places in France Almost every region in France has something interesting to discover - quiet villages, stunning scenery, historical buildings lost in the countryside, beaches...so before rushing to visit the most popular regions why not think about somewhere else for a change? You can avoid the crowds and still have a great time discovering the 'real' France! Our France regional travel guides feature hundreds of the most scenic, interesting and picturesque places to visit in all parts of France to help you better plan your visit. The most popular French regions with visitors include Brittany, the Dordogne and the Cote d'Azur (along with the rest of Provence), and of course and many tourists like to visit Paris. Plan your visit Explore Places in France Select here from the 1000's of places we have reviewed To help you better plan which part of the country you would like to visit there are several ways below to start exploring: Explore the regions of France Forgotten your French geography? Alsace Auvergne Brittany
20 free attractions in London Who cares if London's hotels and restaurants tend to be on the expensive side? No city in the world has more free stuff to do. In addition to world-class museums without a ticket admission, you get the parks, canal walks, super markets (Portobello Road Market at Notting Hill Gate, Camden Market at Chalk Farm Rd, wonderful Columbia Road Flower Market at Gosset St in East London etc) and maybe some royal-spotting, and you can fill a life. London, thank you! Here's the mere start of the free list: 1. Around, more or less, since the 13th century, the Borough Market is stuffed with food-lovers and all you need for a memorable grab-and-go breakfast or lunch. 2. Hidden under Waterloo Bridge, the institute features four cinemas (not free) and the fun Mediatheque, where you can peruse DTV/film archives and watch for free. 3. Unreal; one of London's top attractions, and absolutely free. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Those Victorians sure liked to 'c & c' (collect and catalogue). 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Jade Mountain, St Lucia's Most Romantic Luxury Resort Diction Exercises - Tongue Twisters to Learn How to Speak Clearly - articulation drills to make sure they get your message Why should you do diction exercises? Because your speech content may be great, you may look fantastic but unless your audience can UNDERSTAND what you're saying, your message is lost. 697Save Diction exercises will help you learn how to speak clearly. These drills are the speaker's warm-up equivalent. The benefits of diction/articulation exercises or drills are: strengthening and stretching the muscles involved in speech bringing to your attention habitual speech patterns which may be less than perfect. Good diction is NOT about changing your accent or making you 'talk posh'. The most commonly known and used diction exercises are Tongue Twisters. There are literally squillions of them, each focusing on either a single letter, or a letter combination. Tongue twisters have long been an integral part of a public speaker's tool kit. Diction Exercises: Tips & Tongue Twisters Diction Exercises for 'B' words: Bill had a billboard. For 'Q' words:
Top 10 Interesting Ghost Towns Around The World There are many reasons why cities are abandoned, because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as a flood, government action, uncontrolled lawlessness or war. Some abandoned ghost towns are now tourist attractions, while others might be dangerous or illegal to visit. Anyone else here fascinated by them? 10 - Bodie, California Founded in 1876, Bodie is the authentic American ghost town. Dwindling resources proved fatal however, and although greatly reduced in prominence, Bodie held a permanent residency through most of the 20th century. Today, Bodie is preserved in a state of arrested decay. 9 - San Zhi, Taiwan More of a modern choice this time. After this the whole thing received the cover-up treatment. 8 - Varosha, Cyprus Varosha is in the Turkish occupied city of Famagusta in Cyprus. 7 - Gunkanjima, Japan 6 - Balestrino, Italy In the late nineteenth century, the North-West coast of Italy was struck by numerous earhquakes.