A to Z challenge: Z

Finally, our last destination: Zimbabwe Yep, I would love to go to South Africa.

And that is the end of the 2013 A to Z Challenge. Until next year!

A to Z challenge: Y

Yukon, the land of the midnight sun and Aurora Borealis that I call home.

Yukon is not for sissies, that's for sure. It requires some adjustments to the lifestyle because of the cold, harsh climate and the wilderness right on the door step. But I love it! I love it's beauty, long summer days and fluffy snow in the winter, wood crackling in the wood stove and night sky full of stars (in the winter only).  If you have never visited north - do it! It's an amazing experience.

So long my friends,
Evalina

A to Z challenge: X

Where should we go today? I do not have even a little desire to visit China and that's where most places starting with an X are. I know! We can go to Xalapa in Mexico.

Sorry it's in Spanish. I didn't understand much but I enjoyed the short video, I hope you will too!

So long my friends,
Evalina

A to Z challenge: W

W for the White Island in New Zealand, an active volcano that I would love to explore.

The White Island volcano is estimated to be between 150,000 to 200,000 years old. It was named White Island by Captain Cook, the first European to sight the island. This was in 1769 and as he noted in his log book, “We called it White for as such it always appeared to us”. Cook, however, did not come close enough to realize it was a volcano.

Europeans did not land on White Island until 1826. The first man to do so was Henry Williams and that's how he described the scene:

“We walked round the crater, which presented an awful sight. Its surface was nearly on a level with the sea. One of its sides having fallen in, we had easy access. Steam and smoke were issuing from all parts of the island and to the very summit. There were several small lakes of boiling substance, and on the right a large body of smoke with the upmost fury rose up from the regions below. We examined this awful sight as minutely as we dared but from the intolerable stench of brimstone and the lightness of the surface over which we had to pass, we deemed it not prudent to remain long, fearing suffocation from the one or precipitation into some boiling cavity from the other. As the whole island was composed of sulfur, being blackened with the smoke gave it a ghastly appearance.”

I think that walking on White Island would be like walking on the moon.  Virtually no vegetation (do not see any on pics) but lush beds of yellow and white sulfur crystals among hissing, steaming, bubbling fumaroles. Oh, maybe a little smelly but definitely exciting!

So long my friends,
Evalina

A to Z challenge: V

Yep, I'm back to Italy and today's challenge is taking us to Venice, an extraordinary architectural masterpiece in which even the smallest building contains works by some of the world's greatest artists such as Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and others.

The city is built on 118 small islands (connected by 409 bridges) and seems to float on the waters of the lagoon.  In this lagoon, nature and history have been so closely linked since the 5th century AD when Venetian populations, to escape barbarian raids, found refuge on the sandy islands of Torcello, Iesolo and Malamocco. These temporary settlements gradually became permanent and the initial refuge of the land-dwelling peasants and fishermen became a maritime power. The small island of Rialto was chosen as the headquarters of the new city.

Oh, I must explore it!

 

 

 

So long my friends,
Evalina