The Val de Loire is a majestic region awarded world heritage listing because of its amazing chateaux.The kings of France, seduced by the temperate climate and the game-filled forests constructed their these incredible Loire Valley castles. They surrounded themselves with the greatest architects and artiests of this era.
This is the country of a thousand castles. Many chateaux and stately homes are open to the public: some are state owned, such as Chambord and Blois; others are private, and still lived in. A huge percentage of them run son-et-lumiere spectacles during the summer season. Chateau de Chenonceau and Chateau de Chambord are incredibly popular.
Chateau du Clos Luce
Chateau du Clos Luce is where Leonard de Vinci spent the last fewyears of his life. You can visit his salons, study, kitchen and bedrooms, the chapel and see frescoes painted by his pupils. His drawings and paintings are set out in the garden of the chateau with giant models sponsored by IBM of some of the most spectacular machines he invented together with voice-overs.
Chateau du Chaumont
Chateau du Chaumont is located on the bank of the Loire River about twenty minutes west of Blois originated in the 11th century
In 1560, the chateau became the property of Catherine de' Medici who entertained numerous astrologers there, including Nostradamus. On the death of her husband, King Henry II, Catherine used her power to take over the much coveted Chateau de Chenonceau from her husband's favourite, Diane de Poitiers. She was forced to accept the Chateau de Chaumont in exchange for her beloved Chenonceau.
Each year from April to October, the chateau holds an international garden event covering a different theme. Last year it was play. In 2007 the theme is going to be mobility.
Chateau de Chenonceau
Le Chateau des Dames built on a bridge across the river Cher is one of the more beautiful chateaux of the Loire with elegant arches and turrets, and stately avenues bordered by plane trees. It's beauty is reflected in the waters of the River Cher.
Chenonceau owes much of its design and beauty to four women. Catherine de Briconnet was largely responsible for its early Renaissance style. Catherine then passed the chateau to Henri II's mistress, Diane de Poiters who was responsible for the formal gardens to the left of the chateau as you approach it, and for building a bridge across the River Cher. Unfortunately Diane de Poitiers was forced to relinquish ownership of the castle to Catherine de Medici (the embittered wife of Henri II) who offered Chateau de Chaumont in exchange. Not exactly a fair swap! Catherine de Medici constructed the gallery over the bridge. Later the chateau was inherited by Louise de Lorraine, the bereaved wife of Henri III Catherine's favourite son. She painted the ceiling of her bedroom black and white out of respect for her late husband.
Chateau de Cheverney
Chateau de Cheverny is undoubtedly the most lavishly furnished of all the Loire Valley Chateaux. Built between 1604 and 1634 very little has changed. The present owner is a direct descendant of the original owners. The 1640s interior decoration is among the finest of its kind. Some of the chateau's masterpieces include paintings by old masters, tapestries from Paris and Holland plus Louis XIV's commode and unforgettable grandfather clock.
Tintin fans will note that Herge based the mythical Moulinsart on Cheverny. There is a Tintin exhibition directly opposite the chateau. In world war 2 the 18th century Orangerie served as a hiding place for the Mona Lisa.
Chateau de Chambord
Chambord is truly royal in its grand scale, its grand air, its indifference to common consideration (Henry James). It combined the dream and ego of King Francois I with the imagination of Leonardo de Vinci. The result is a real mathematisation of architecture, a grandiose creation : 440 rooms with 365 fireplaces, a fabulous double staircase, and a unique roof terrace
The Loire Valley is a beautiful region and a great destination. Remember you do not have to be satisfied just visiting castles, you can actually stay in a castle. Many are now converted to hotels and chambre d'hotes (bed and breakfast establishments).
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Non-Selection Of Angkor Wat Undermines Credibility Of New Seven Wonders Of The World
I am saddened to announce that Angkor Wat did not make the new "Seven Wonders of the World" as determined by Bernard Weber's online campaign.
Just like previous attempts to name the world's seven wonders, this one is seriously flawed and arbitrary. The new method is based on electronic votes casted through the internet and cell phone text messages.
The New Seven Wonders were announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal at a celebrity-studded ceremony televised in more than 170 countries to an estimated 1.6 billion viewers. The winners are:
* The Great Wall of China * India's Taj Mahal * Jordan's ancient city of Petra * Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru * Brazil's Statue of Christ the Redeemer * Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid * Italy's Colosseum
Of these, only the Great Wall, which stretches over 4,000 miles and is the only man-made structure visible from space, clearly belongs on the list.
Since many of the 100 million votes came from Latin America, it's hardly surprising that Machu Picchu of Peru, Brazil's Statue of Christ the Redeemer, and Mexico's Chichen Itza made the list.
However, it is hard to conceive how any of these sites could top Angkor Wat in a fair and objective selection process. For instance, Brazil's 100-foot Christ the Redeemer statue is only 75 years old and took just 10 years to erect. By contrast, Angkor Wat, the largest religious temple in the world, is more than 800 years old and covers more than 200 acres of ground.
The voting allowed one free vote to registered members and charged a fee for additional votes. In Brazil, there was a campaign Vote no Cristo (Vote for the Christ) which had the support of the country's telecommunications firms to allow Brazilians to cast text message votes at no charge. The "Vote for Christ" slogan, which can be seen on bumper stickers throughout North America, seems to call on people to vote on their religious faith rather than the statue's architectural merits. If you're Christian, I think you'd be hard pressed not to vote for Christ.
Previous attempts to name the Seven Wonders had favored Greco-Roman structures. The Great Pyramids of Giza was withdrawn from the voting but was honored anyway as "Honorary Candidate" to placate the Egyptians' indignation that their site should be included automatically rather than having to be voted on. As if the vote's credibility isn't already undermined by its own dubious methodology and outcome, there are actually eight wonders on the list of seven, counting the Great Pyramids' special honorary status.
Perhaps we Cambodians should demand a similar special honor for Angkor Wat as well because it clearly dwarfs many of the current selections in size, splendor and architectural sophistication. After all, if there are already eight "wonders" on the list of seven, what's wrong with having nine, ten, or even twenty?
I've had some misgivings about the voting from the beginning because Cambodia has a population of just 14 million, compared to 522 million in Latin America and over a billion each in China and India. Moreover, internet access is quite limited and expensive in Cambodia. For instance, unlimited broadband access costs almost $900 a month, not a trivial amount by any standards, but an astronomical figure in a country whose per capita income is less than $400 a year. Internet usage is largely restricted to foreigners and English-speaking Cambodians at internet cafes charging users hourly fees.
Despite Cambodia's small population and highly limited internet access, I figured that Angkor Wat would have no problem making the Seven Wonders list given the sheer number of Asian tourists who visit Angkor each year. As it turned out, while the world's two most populous countries, China and India, each had their sites, the Great Wall and Taj Mahal, respectively, selected, Asians tended not to vote as a unified bloc.
While the selection of the "New Seven Wonders" is trivial and worthless from a scientific standpoint, the huge sensationalism that surrounds this preposterous undertaking could lead to serious and far-reaching consequences. Cambodia, an impoverished country still reeling from decades of civil war and genocide, relies heavily on tourism revenues for its recovery. Apart from being an insult to Cambodians everywhere, the marginalization of Angkor could eat away at the desperately needed dollars generated by cultural tourism to the country.
Although the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the world body responsible for overseeing the restoration of World Heritage sites, has vehemently dismissed the Swiss-born Bernard Weber project and said it would reflect "only the opinions of those with access to the internet," the massive fanfare created by the campaign could lead to public confusion about who the true Seven Wonders of the World are, leading to deleterious reallocation of restoration funds from truly deserving sites to less deserving ones.
If there is such a thing as the Eighth Wonder of the World, it would not be Angkor Wat, but the mere fact that this magnificent monument was not selected among the Seven Wonders. Anyone who has visited Angkor Wat can attest to its grandeur, sublime beauty and architectural splendor. In fact, Angkor Wat is just one of the many temples in an archaeological area stretching over some 400 sq. km. The complex, collectively known as "Angkor" (which means "city" in Khmer), is home to Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple, many other magnificent remains of the once-mighty Khmer Empire which ruled from the 9th to the 15th century. Although Angkor Wat is the largest and most beautiful of them all, Angkor Thom and Bayon could have easily been nominated for the Seven Wonders as well.
But don't take my word for it-- go visit Angkor and judge for yourself whether or not Angkor Wat belongs to the World's Seven Wonders list.
Just like previous attempts to name the world's seven wonders, this one is seriously flawed and arbitrary. The new method is based on electronic votes casted through the internet and cell phone text messages.
The New Seven Wonders were announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal at a celebrity-studded ceremony televised in more than 170 countries to an estimated 1.6 billion viewers. The winners are:
* The Great Wall of China * India's Taj Mahal * Jordan's ancient city of Petra * Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru * Brazil's Statue of Christ the Redeemer * Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid * Italy's Colosseum
Of these, only the Great Wall, which stretches over 4,000 miles and is the only man-made structure visible from space, clearly belongs on the list.
Since many of the 100 million votes came from Latin America, it's hardly surprising that Machu Picchu of Peru, Brazil's Statue of Christ the Redeemer, and Mexico's Chichen Itza made the list.
However, it is hard to conceive how any of these sites could top Angkor Wat in a fair and objective selection process. For instance, Brazil's 100-foot Christ the Redeemer statue is only 75 years old and took just 10 years to erect. By contrast, Angkor Wat, the largest religious temple in the world, is more than 800 years old and covers more than 200 acres of ground.
The voting allowed one free vote to registered members and charged a fee for additional votes. In Brazil, there was a campaign Vote no Cristo (Vote for the Christ) which had the support of the country's telecommunications firms to allow Brazilians to cast text message votes at no charge. The "Vote for Christ" slogan, which can be seen on bumper stickers throughout North America, seems to call on people to vote on their religious faith rather than the statue's architectural merits. If you're Christian, I think you'd be hard pressed not to vote for Christ.
Previous attempts to name the Seven Wonders had favored Greco-Roman structures. The Great Pyramids of Giza was withdrawn from the voting but was honored anyway as "Honorary Candidate" to placate the Egyptians' indignation that their site should be included automatically rather than having to be voted on. As if the vote's credibility isn't already undermined by its own dubious methodology and outcome, there are actually eight wonders on the list of seven, counting the Great Pyramids' special honorary status.
Perhaps we Cambodians should demand a similar special honor for Angkor Wat as well because it clearly dwarfs many of the current selections in size, splendor and architectural sophistication. After all, if there are already eight "wonders" on the list of seven, what's wrong with having nine, ten, or even twenty?
I've had some misgivings about the voting from the beginning because Cambodia has a population of just 14 million, compared to 522 million in Latin America and over a billion each in China and India. Moreover, internet access is quite limited and expensive in Cambodia. For instance, unlimited broadband access costs almost $900 a month, not a trivial amount by any standards, but an astronomical figure in a country whose per capita income is less than $400 a year. Internet usage is largely restricted to foreigners and English-speaking Cambodians at internet cafes charging users hourly fees.
Despite Cambodia's small population and highly limited internet access, I figured that Angkor Wat would have no problem making the Seven Wonders list given the sheer number of Asian tourists who visit Angkor each year. As it turned out, while the world's two most populous countries, China and India, each had their sites, the Great Wall and Taj Mahal, respectively, selected, Asians tended not to vote as a unified bloc.
While the selection of the "New Seven Wonders" is trivial and worthless from a scientific standpoint, the huge sensationalism that surrounds this preposterous undertaking could lead to serious and far-reaching consequences. Cambodia, an impoverished country still reeling from decades of civil war and genocide, relies heavily on tourism revenues for its recovery. Apart from being an insult to Cambodians everywhere, the marginalization of Angkor could eat away at the desperately needed dollars generated by cultural tourism to the country.
Although the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the world body responsible for overseeing the restoration of World Heritage sites, has vehemently dismissed the Swiss-born Bernard Weber project and said it would reflect "only the opinions of those with access to the internet," the massive fanfare created by the campaign could lead to public confusion about who the true Seven Wonders of the World are, leading to deleterious reallocation of restoration funds from truly deserving sites to less deserving ones.
If there is such a thing as the Eighth Wonder of the World, it would not be Angkor Wat, but the mere fact that this magnificent monument was not selected among the Seven Wonders. Anyone who has visited Angkor Wat can attest to its grandeur, sublime beauty and architectural splendor. In fact, Angkor Wat is just one of the many temples in an archaeological area stretching over some 400 sq. km. The complex, collectively known as "Angkor" (which means "city" in Khmer), is home to Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple, many other magnificent remains of the once-mighty Khmer Empire which ruled from the 9th to the 15th century. Although Angkor Wat is the largest and most beautiful of them all, Angkor Thom and Bayon could have easily been nominated for the Seven Wonders as well.
But don't take my word for it-- go visit Angkor and judge for yourself whether or not Angkor Wat belongs to the World's Seven Wonders list.
Some Of The Features That You Need To Look For In A Good Fitting Sandal
Sandals have been around for a long time and are probably one of the oldest types of footwear in existence. Sandals do not apply to a particular class of people; in ancient times slaves as well as kings wore them equally. The sandal is still a popular choice in the footwear industry but a lot of people do not have the knowledge needed to choose sandals that fit properly. It is easy to tell if regular shoes fir properly because they are enclosed and you can feel how far you toe is from the end of the shoe. The proper fit of a pair of sandals can be a little harder to determine.
Sandals come a great variety of styles and looks just like other types of footwear some are best for the beach and some may even be made specifically for a certain sport such as hiking or even beach volleyball. It is essential that you take the time to make sure that the sandals you choose fit well so that you will be comfortable and not harm your feet.
As with other footwear you should first look for support in sandals. The arch of your foot is very important and needs to be protected when wearing sandals just as when you are wearing regular closed shoes. Find a shoe that will support the arch properly because this is what helps you walk in the most efficient manner possible and maintain your posture.
With sandals the sole should be a little larger than the actual size of your foot so that your toes or heel do not hang over the sides. Many sandals will have a form fitting sole and in order for this to occur as it should you will want to be sure that there is enough room for this process to occur.
You should also choose a think sole for a pair sandals since that is the only thing that is coming between you and the pounding pavement. You look for this in other shoes and sandals are no different. It is the sole of the shoe that absorbs the energy from the pounding of your feet on the ground.
So let's wrap it up. Always be concerned with making sure you have the right arch support so that your feet will be as healthy as possible and not tire easily. Be sure that the sole is oversized a bit so that your feet have room to mold them and be sure that the sole is thick to absorb the shock of repeated footstrikes.
Sandals come a great variety of styles and looks just like other types of footwear some are best for the beach and some may even be made specifically for a certain sport such as hiking or even beach volleyball. It is essential that you take the time to make sure that the sandals you choose fit well so that you will be comfortable and not harm your feet.
As with other footwear you should first look for support in sandals. The arch of your foot is very important and needs to be protected when wearing sandals just as when you are wearing regular closed shoes. Find a shoe that will support the arch properly because this is what helps you walk in the most efficient manner possible and maintain your posture.
With sandals the sole should be a little larger than the actual size of your foot so that your toes or heel do not hang over the sides. Many sandals will have a form fitting sole and in order for this to occur as it should you will want to be sure that there is enough room for this process to occur.
You should also choose a think sole for a pair sandals since that is the only thing that is coming between you and the pounding pavement. You look for this in other shoes and sandals are no different. It is the sole of the shoe that absorbs the energy from the pounding of your feet on the ground.
So let's wrap it up. Always be concerned with making sure you have the right arch support so that your feet will be as healthy as possible and not tire easily. Be sure that the sole is oversized a bit so that your feet have room to mold them and be sure that the sole is thick to absorb the shock of repeated footstrikes.
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