A brooding statue!

A picture that would haunt you – The Appennine Colossus by Giambologna.

The Appennine Colossus by Giambologna.

Measuring about 35 feet tall, this is arguably the most spectacular feature of the gardens of Villa Medici at Pratolino, located about 12 km north of Florence, Italy. A personification of the Apennine mountain ranges, this statue was carved by  legendary Italian sculptor Giambologna (1529 – 1608), who is responsible for well-known works such as various versions of Mercury, plus Samson Slaying a Philistine (1562), Rape of the Sabine Women (1574-82) and Hercules beating the Centaur Nessus (1599). The statue is in actual a building with a network of grottoes, their walls studded with shells, corals, pearls and crystals, and painted with frescoes of muscled men mining precious ores. Inside the statues head is a chamber which once housed an ochestra and two working fountains, one of which portrayed the Greek Goddess of Water – Thetis (also the mother of the Trojan war hero Achilles).

Nature’s gift – Frying Pan Lake.

In 1886, a volcano named Mount Tarawer situated near the town of Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island erupted. It was the country’s largest volcanic eruption that claimed over a hundred lives. It left behind a massive crater. To make up for the disaster created, less than 130 years after that, nature gifted New Zealand with the largest hot spring in the world – The Frying Pan Lake.

The Frying Pan Lake, Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley, New Zealand

The Frying Pan Lake, situated in Waimangu Volcanic Valley covers an area of 38,000 sq mtrs and is fed by an uncounted number of acid springs. Although the average temperature of the lake is around 50°C the hottest areas are almost boiling. As a result steam and various noxious gases are constantly released from Frying Pan Lake.

A Wall That Plays Music When It Rains…

The musical funnel wall

The Funnel Wall at the Kunsthof-Passage in Neustadt, Germany. It’s a Rube Goldberg inspired wall that creates music when it rains, due to the mousetrap drain and gutter system with various sized metal cones!

Travel Quote

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

About the Photograph – A secret destination which the traveler was unaware – Angel Falls.
The highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world was a ‘secret’ to the world till 1937. An American Bush pilot named Jimmy Angel crashed near the top of the falls and accidently discovered these. With a height of 979 m and a plunge of 807 m, the falls are one of the top tourist attractions of Venezuela”

The Tunnel of Love

This ones for the ‘madly in love’ people again…

The Tunnel of Love, Kleven, Ukraine

Aptly called the ‘Tunnel of Love’, this is a beautiful train track in the town of Kleven in Ukraine. The craftsmanship of nature turned this ordinary industrial train track into one of the most romantic spots on Earth. As trees were left to grow freely around the rails, a closed green tunnel was formed that is today a highly popular place among lovers. Locals believed that the wishes of your loved ones come true if you walk the tracks through this tunnel with your true love. Whatsay people, would you try this with your partner?

For the season of love…

First up are these beautiful twin hearts…

For the conjoined hearts…

Located on the north side of Cimei island of Penghu archipelago, Taiwan, these twin hearts are actually a traditional fishing trap. Originally, the twin hearts stone weir was built of basalt and coral reefs, however, as the catches decreased gradually, fishing has almost ceased at the place. But, the twin hearts stone weir continues to attract tourists from across the world contributing to the economy of Penghu.

Colors of Nature: Geothermal Pools

Another few wonders of nature that falls under the amazing category of ‘Colors of Nature’, here I present naturally colored pools/ geysers/ hot springs.

First up is the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA with its world-famous geothermal areas. Some of the most colorful pools from the park are:

1. Morning Glory Pool – Taking its name from the morning glory flower, which the spring resembles, this hot spring is a part of the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. A few rare occasions saw the pool erupt as a geyser, usually post a nearby seismic activity. The pool displays distinct colors due to the inhabiting bacteria.
   

   Morning Glory Pool at Yellowstone National Park

2. Grand Prismatic Spring – The largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, Grand Prismatic Spring is located in the Midway Geyser Basin of the Yellowstone National Park. The striking blue, green, yellow, orange, gold, red and brown colors of the pool remind you of the rainbow dispersion of white light through an optical prism. Again the blame goes onto the pigmented bacteria growing along the mineral rich water of the pool. Depending on the water temperature that favors one bacterium over another, the color display changes while retaining the beauty of the site!
   

   Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

3. Opal Pool – Another beautiful pool in the Midway Geyser Basin is the Opal Pool that displays a vivid green color. A fountain-type geyser, the hot spring has recorded eruptions as high as 70 feet. With each eruption, the water level decreases and refills post that. In 2005, the pool was completely drained, but three years later it refilled as a bright green one.
   

   Opal Pool, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

4. Chromatic Pool – This time its the Upper Basin region. The Chromatic spring and the connected Beauty Pool are stunning sights for their distinct colors. Making it more fascinating is the fact that when the water level in one of the two pools rises and overflows, the water level in the other decreases. These fluctuations range from a few weeks to several years. The colors however continue to attract visitors from across the globe.
   

   Chromatic Pool, Upper Basin Region, Yellowstone National Park

5. Sapphire Pool – Named for its crystal-clear blue water that resembes an Oriental sapphire, Sapphire Pool was once a placid hot pool. After a major earthquake in 1959, continuous powerful eruptions caused the crater to double in size. Some nine years later, the frequent eruptions stopped destroying the biscuit-like formations around its edge, and the crystal-clear water became murky. Today the pool still retains its crystal-clear, blue water, while violently boiling and surging occasionally.
   

   The crystal colors of the Sapphire Pool

Second part of the naturally colored hot springs are from New Zealand:

1. Rainbow Terrace – The chromatic traventine formations are a part of Orakei Korako Cave & Thermal Park or “The Hidden Valley”. Located in the valley on the banks of the Waikato River, some 25 mins north of Taupo, North Island, New Zealand, the colorful geothermal pools give these distinct colors to the Rainbow Terrace.  
   

   Rainbow Terraces in the Hidden Valley or Orakei Korako Cave & Thermal Park

2. Champagne Pool – Champagne Pool is a prominent geothermal feature within the Waiotapu geothermal area in the North Island of New Zealand. Formed about 900 yrs ago by a hydro-thermal eruption, the terrestrial hot spring derives its name from the abundant efflux of Carbon dioxide, similar to a glass of bubbling champagne. The orange color at the brim originates from deposits of arsenic and antimony sulfides. It is located about 30 km southeast of Rotorua and about 50 kms north east of Taupo.
   
   

   The Nature’s glass of Champagne