Tunnel of Love, Ukraine

There is no doubt in that planet earth has such fascinating places that seem part of heaven. Our world is full of such sceneries and wonders which have astonishing beauty. There is only need to search for that, as for every good thing we have to struggle or search same is case for finding such great destinations. Modern life is so much busy that one hardly gets any time for recreation.

Hectic and busy schedule of daily routine life affects your working power. To gain back your work capability, it’s needed that one must get away once in a year to such place where he/she can find peace of mind. Soothing climate and beautiful sceneries re-boost human’s soul. Which makes one relax and he forgets tensions of the daily routine life.

Well those all things carry along one’s life. But getting time for self and family is essential to keep balance in the life.

Tunnel of Love Location

Tunnel of love is great place to see either once in life. Romance is part of human life. Tunnel of is heaven for romantic people. Tunnel of love is located in Ukraine. In western Ukraine Klevan is an urban settlement in the Rivine Raion of Rivne.

If you want to see this beautiful natural masterpiece of beauty then you can access Klevan via T1B17 and H22 roads. Tunnel of located 28.3 Km northwest of Rivne and 50.4 Km southwest of Lutsk along the H22, Klevan is located on the bench of the Stubla River.

Man made Tunnel

The Tunnel of love is a man made tunnel, it was planned for years and it taken years to be in present form. Tunnel of love, Ukraine is a train tunnel, as train passes through the luscious piece of woodland. It passes through a unique passageway which is covered allover by trees.

The train passes 3 times a day from this green leafy tunnel.

A Place for Lovers

Though this tunnel serves as a train route but this place is used by lovers also to make wish. According to local people in Klevan if the lovers are sincere to each other in their love then their wishes comes true.

On the whole Tunnel of Love is a worth seeing place if you travel to Ukraine then try not to miss this place. Whether you are alone or with your loved one!

The Colosseum

The most famous monument of Ancient Rome is the Colosseum. Its real name is Flavian Amphitheatre. The Emperor Vespasian started it between 70 and 76 AD and his son Titus in 80AD completed it. Titus dedicated the Colosseum to the Vespasian death year after. It was having a grand opening by holding 100days worth of games there. The site where it was built there Nero was having a huge villa for himself. While Vespasian wanted to build something for people rather than for himself. It was given name the Colosseum because it was built near that place where Nero erected a huge statue of colossus of himself. That statue was 100 feet high and was the largest gilded bronze statue of its time depicting him as god of the sun. It was moved away latterly and it taken 24 elephants to move it from there.

The Colosseum was the great source of recreation and entertainment for all Roman Empire people enjoys to go to theater to watch plays and concerts, and stadium the chariot races and the amphitheater to watch the bloody sports. There were so many types of furious fights were held in the Colosseum like gladiatorial combats, fights with beasts and individual fights. The Colosseum was having capacity of having 50,000 people. Sometimes people spend whole day in the Colosseum watching sports.

The games were really wild and bloody and for almost 4 centuries men died for that only to provide entertainment to crowd. There were the training schools for the gladiators; most of those gladiators were the criminals and slaves.

At first there were fights to the death between wild animals such bear against buffalo, buffalo against elephant, and elephant against rhinoceros. There were fights between men and beasts also such fights were called venations.

The Amphitheater building from outside is built of travertine and interior haves tufa and bricks. Its outside was decorated with the Greek columns but that don’t support the architecture. The enclosing boundary of the Colosseum is of 527m and its height was 50m. It was having 80 entrances and all were having numbers except the 4 main entrances that were wider than other others were reserved for the Emperor. The Colosseum entrances were designed in such way that crowd could get out in five minutes. Its interior was divided into three parts: the arena, the podium, and the cavea.

Presently the two third of the original building had been removed and so many rows of seats in the cavea are missing. Though its structure was similar to other amphitheaters but in size it was lot bigger.

Monasteries of Meteora, Greece

There are so many beautiful monasteries around the world. But these six monasteries located in Greece that I am going to tell are the most unique ones. These monasteries are build on natural rock pillar on the edge of the Pindus Mountains in central Greece, these six spectacular Monasteries are known as “Monasteries of Meteora” means floating in the air.

1. The Monastery of St. Stephan

This monastery was founded in 14^th century. Now its convent for nuns. It is located almost on the outskirts of Kalambaka, a bridge there makes it easy to get there.

This monastery was badly damaged in World War II and the afterwards in civil war. So many precious and priceless water color paintings on walls were erased and others were totally were destroyed. Fortunately the Monastery’s most sacred asset the head of St. Charlambos was saved, about that its famous it wards off the illness.

Recently the nuns have been attempting to restore the sections of the monastery that are declining.

This monastery has a small museum having collection of ecclesiastical robes and objects.

Most of all this monastery haves a fascinating view.

2. The Monastery of the Holy Trinity

The Holy Trinity Monastery looks familiar, it probably can be that you seen in James Bond movie For Your Eyes only.

Aside from that great honor, the Holy Trinity Monastery boasts one of the most spectacular positions of the six Meteora monasteries – Agia Triada is perched atop a slender pinnacle and accessible only by 140 steep steps.

The one monk who lives there welcomes visitors and shows them around the monastery’s church, refectory and courtyard. Visitors to Holy Trinity can also see the winch system used to bring people and supplies to the mountaintop monasteries.

3. The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron

If you are not having time to visit all six monasteries of Meteora then visit only one Great Meteoron Monastery. Though other monasteries are worth visiting but this one is top on all.

The Great Meteoron Monastery was founded in the 14^th century but monks built the present monastery in 16^th century that visitors see now.

The lovely church at the Great Meteoron is in the shape of a Greek cross and topped by a 12-sided dome. Inside there are so many watercolor elaborated wall paintings.

The frescoes in the dome feature Christ, the four evangelists, the apostles, and the prophets. Church fathers are by the altar and liturgical feasts are depicted along the walls of the nave. The narthex is decorated with rather frightening images of the Last Judgment and Punishment of the Damned.

Outside the church is a pleasant shady courtyard and a small museum containing icons and illuminated manuscripts. The wine cellar is well stocked with barrels of the sacred drink.

4. The Monastery of Saint Nikolaos Anapafsas

The Monastery of Saint Nikolaos Anapafsas is a little 14^th century monastery approached by a relatively gentle path on the otherwise rugged Meteora in Greece.

It features splendid frescoes by the 16^th century Cretan painter Theophanes the Monk.

5. Roussanou Monastery

Roussanou Monastery is on top of the rocky peaks of Meteora in Thessaly, Greece. Standing tall and strong still yet centuries passed.

It was founded in the 13^th century and now functions as a convent for nuns. The site includes octagonal domed church and beautiful courtyard. Its now easily accessible, thanks to its new bridge.

6. Varlaam Monastery

Varlaam Monastery is named for the monk who first built a tiny chapel on this rocky promontory in the 14^th century.

In the 16^th century two brothers from the monastery at loannina enlarged the chapel and founded the monastery. According to legend, they had to drive away the monster who lived in a cave on the summit before they could move in.

Today, a narrow bridge that runs from the main road on the Meteora can access Varlaam Monastery. Varlaam Monastery’s most pleasant features are the garden and the monk who sometimes sits there and chats with visitors. The old refectory is now a museum.

Varlaam contains frescoes by the well-known iconographer Frangos Katelanos and houses a collection of relics, carved wooden crosses, icons, embroidered epitaphoi and   many other ecclesiastical treasures.

North of the church is the “Parekklesion of the Three” (dedicated to the Three Bishops: St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom), which was built in 1627 and decorated in 1637.

The busiest tourist season at Meteora is between May and September. The mountain range to the east and north of Meteora experiences baking heat in summer and severe cold in winter with heavy snowfalls. Summer is the driest time. Storms occur year round, especially at higher altitudes. Most visitors to Meteora stay in Kalambaka or Kastraki, the two closest villages to Meteora.

In my opinion these Monasteries are the standing human hand build wonders of world still standing tall having so many stories along them. A sacred but fascinating place to visit.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

This is the statue of god in whose honor 1^st ever-Olympic games were held in the history of mankind. This statue of Zeus was located on the land name Olympia which given its very name to Olympics.

Its located on the west coast of modern Greece in the ancient town of Olympia almost 150km west of Athens.

 

There is opinion that the ancient Greek calendar starts in 776 BC the year in which Olympic games were started. The splendid temple of Zeus was built around 450BC and the architect Libon designed it and the Athenian sculptor Pheidias made statue of Zeus. He started working on the statue of Zeus around 440 BC. In making of statue wooden frames, metal sheets and ivory was used.

The beauty of temple attracted the people and worshippers from all over the world for years. The statue was repaired in 2 BC skillfully. In the first century AD the Roman emperor Caligula tried to shift the statue to Rome but he failed to shift it because the scaffolding built by workmen was collapsed. The emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic games in AD 391 as Pagan practices and also the temple of Zeus was ordered closed. Later on Olympia faced the natural disasters like earthquake, landslides and floods, and the temple was damaged by fire in the 5^th AD. The rich Greeks transported the statue to Constantinople but it was destroyed in 462AD by massive fire.

Pheidias started working on the statue around 440BC and years earlier he developed a technique to build large size statues of gold and ivory. The workshop of Pheidias still exists in Olympia that can be a co incident that it’s so much identical in size and orientation to the temple of Zeus.

The base of statue was about 6.5 m (20 ft) wide and 1.0 (3 ft) high aside from its base the statue’s height was 13 m (40 ft) according to modern building heights its equal to a 4 story 4- story building.

The Temple of Artemis at Epheseus

A question can come in mind that this is just a temple how it can have place amongst other unique structures like Pyramid, Hanging Gardens and the Clossus of Rhodes answer for that is just simple the beauty of this temple attracted people for years which mean it was the one of the most beautiful structure on earth in its times. The Temple of Artemis is not a simple temple like other ones; it was the most beautiful structure on earth was built in honor of the Greek goddess Artemis (Diana) of hunting and wild nature.

It’s located near the town of Selcuk, 50km south of Izmir (Smyrna) in Turkey.

The temple foundation was made in 7^th century BC. But its structure, which is listed as Wonder that was built in 550 BC. Its construction expenses were beard by the Lydian king Croesus and the Greek architect Chersipheron designed it and it was decorated with bronze statues, which were sculpted by the most skilled artists of their time like Pheidias, Polycleitus, Kresilas, and Phradmon.

Similar to other temples of that time its foundation was in rectangular form, the building was made of marble having a decorated outward appearance and a spacious courtyard. There was a marble step surrounding the building led to the high terrace that was almost 80m (260 ft) by 130m (430 ft) in plan. The columns were 20m (60 ft) high with Ionic capitals and carved circular sides. There were total 127 columns aligned orthogonally covering the whole area except the central cella or house of the goddess.

The temple was having so many very beautiful works of art that includes four ancient bronze statues of Amazons sculpted by the finest artists at the time.

The early descriptions about the temple by the historians helped a lot the archeologists to re build the building. Well a more accurate reconstruction of the temple may give the general layout of the temple.

El Camino del Rey

El Camino del Rey is a very dangerous walkway that goes along the steep walls of a narrow gorge known as El Chorro.

Location of El Chorro

The El Chorro gorge is located in Spain near Alora, a village close to Malaga. It’s very close to the Mediterranean Sea.

El Chorro is a limestone gorge in Andalusia through that passes the Guadalhorce River. In 1921 Dam was made on this river forming three reservoirs, which are having thick pine forests on the sides. Makinodromo is having rivers, lakes, canyons and full of trees, this area is well known in Europe for rock climbing and its also popular for mountain biking, hiking and camping.

Next to El Chorro gorge there is a 700 meters high Desfiladero de los Gaitanes Pass and on the side of this high mountain there is a walkway. This path is famous as a very dangerous path called El Camino del Rey (The King’s little path).

This path was constructed in 1901 and it got its name because Alfonso XIII of Spain officially opened the path.

People are traversing this path from many years but now this path is in poor condition due to lack of repairs. In 2000 a tourist had died trying to cross it. But that accident hasn’t affected many people. El Camino del Rey is still a popular climb even today.

Description

The Camino del Rey is a path constructed on the gorge wall. This unusual walkway is hundred meters above the canyon base and travels the full length of the gorge.

Currently the walkway is no longer in best shape because different sections of concrete are broken away. Still the walking the full length on it is possible. It is said that the walkway was built so that the king can observe the engineering work taking place in the gorge. But now this walkway instead of Royalty gets the climbers.

This walkway is only 3 feet wide and its held to the mountainside by pins driven into the stone. 700 feet below the river is flowing.

On purpose of its building was to allow local workers the ability cross between two nearby waterfalls, Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls and it was serving as a shortcut to workers so that they wont have to climb down the mountain on one side and climb back up on the other.  But now this walk is in status of serious disrepair many parts of this walkway are completely collapsed leaving nothing but a metal beam and a wire. So if you got chance to walk on that then that’s best for you to never look down.

Though there is a great danger and risk but that doesn’t seem to stop people from climbing it. This walkway is still serving as short cut to Makinodromo the famous climbing sector of El Chorro. A century ago this walkway was a shortcut and its still serving as a short cut several people risk their lives on a daily basis to climb on that though is illegal.