Tagged With "UNESCO World Heritage Site"
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Re: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Where Gumbo was #195)
Another reminder of man's inhumanity towards man. Deeply moving moment - like a visit to the gravestones of northern France. Less we forget.
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Re: Antarctica, part 3. Antarctica Rocks!
Hi Kirsten, Behind in my emails, but did want you to know that the last of your series on Celebrating Nature went live today. I want to personally thank you so very much for sharing your tremendous talents with our audience. I enjoyed reading -- and learned a lot -- from your posts and greatly enjoyed your wonderful photography! I'm sure many others did, too. If you have more material you'd like to post on TravelGumbo in the coming months, it would be our pleasure to host it. Hope you had a...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? (#195)
It's time for another clue. This man played a significant role in helping preserve and promote the features of our site of interest.....
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? (#195)
To help you better define our locale, here are a few more clues before we look at the specific site tomorrow. You can buy these near the entrance to our site.... And see sunsets like these from a nearby beach....
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Re: Trains in Cuba
Great question...and possibly not an easy clear answer. Cuba's trains have generally been in poor shape in recent years as older equipment has run down and spares not available. However, according to Mark Smith (The Man in Seat 61), that's changing with the arrival of a fleet of new Chinese-built locomotives. On his site ( Seat61.com ) he has an extensive update of recent changes in schedules, routes and locations (that's important because Havana's main station is closed for a 3-year...
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Re: Trains in Cuba
Thanks for the info. I too love Mark's site. I will try my damnedest to do a train journey if I can so I can send you details. Wilbur.
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Re: Butterfly World, Florida
Such an enjoyable article and beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing!
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
That's good news, Mac! OK...the leaves start turning first in the north, moving south as the weather changes...but timing is always tricky because it depends on each year's combination of temperature and humidity. Here's a link to a site I've found useful in the past...it's from Yankee magazine, and includes a live map of the progress of the leaves as well as itineraries and more. http://www.yankeefoliage.com/ We haven't had a good leaf-peeping piece on Gumbo yet, so I'm looking forward to...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 14, 2015: YanGuan -- a scenic little town to watch Qiantang’s Tidal Bore （钱塘江潮）in China
I have heard of the Qiantang Tidal Bore, which is the biggest in the World. The largest in Europe is that on the River Severn in South West England, which is highest near the equinoxes - a website details times and height predictions. I attach some pictures from a few years ago taken near a pub, conveniently located near a good viewing site. The bore is particularly popular with surfers, and I believe the world record for longest wave ride was recorded there.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#140)
Wednesday's clue...only about a 5-minute walk from the first clue. You might be curious to know it was built both after and before the first...
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Re: Sea World gives up its killer whale shows
I grow weary of political correctness. Orcas are highly intelligent animals, no doubt -- and have the "cruelty" we expect of intelligent animals (anyone who's seen them hunt a baby gray whale for hours, only to kill it, eat its tongue and let the rest go to waste knows what I mean). I never saw Blackfish, but I do recall at the old Marineland park in Southern California. The park was closed for a number of months, and the orcas got depressed. Listless, didn't eat, didn't look good. Someone...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#140)
Puzzler's apology...very late with today's clue. To make up for it a little, I'll load tomorrow's, too!
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Re: Wonders of the Modern World
The Soviets have never been completely transparent about Chernobyl, but this is the story as best as I was able to synthesize it: It seems that the alarm system was malfunctioning (going off all the time) so it was turned off by the tech monitoring the system. He had the fuel rods pulled out of their cooling chambers for maintenance work, was distracted (remember, the alarms are off), then by the time he focused back on the task at hand the rods had begun to melt and couldn't be reinserted...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#140)
Saturday's clue...only one more to go before Monday's reveal...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#140)
I think Garry's got it...because he just posted the scene that was in today's e-mail in a cropped version, and which I obviously forgot to upload here! Congrats, Garry...and let's see who else twigged to it...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 16, 2015: Franklin Automobiles in Tucson, Arizona
I’ve heard that, but I’ve also always wondered if it were true, since a driver holding the reins on a horse or horses would want to be able to exert equal force on either side…and all the pictures I can find of buggy drivers seem to show the driver in the middle! One site I just looked at suggests that Ford made the switch to make it easier for passengers to get in and out, by moving the driver away from the curb; the same site suggests that in the early days on the Continent, right-hand was...
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Re: Exploring Willemstad, Curacao’s UNESCO World Heritage Site
Great piece and fabulous destination. I can almost feel the heat and humidity from your photos!
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Re: Exploring Willemstad, Curacao’s UNESCO World Heritage Site
It was a long time ago and warm, yes, but I seem to remember Curacao being dry, think goats & tumbleweeds.
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Re: Airbnb's rural listings gain popularity
"...the short-term rental site is clearly not just for urban hipsters anymore." From my own experience I'd put a somewhat different spin on it. Something like "urban hipsters seek rural experience". A good percentage of my guests come from one of the hipster capitols of the universe, San Francisco.
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Re: Top of the World! A visit to Burj Khalif
Thanks - I had been wondering what the views would be like. Now I know. (I'm far too mean to pay for such things myself!)
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Re: Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site, Manitoba (Where Gumbo Was #184)
What an interesting historic site! I really enjoy learning new history lessons -- thank you!!!
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Re: Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site, Manitoba (Where Gumbo Was #184)
Thanks for your comment, Garry. The York boats were important to the development of the prairies, as was the Red River cart. You find examples of both at this historic site.
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Re: Experience Lalgarh Palace with Palace on Wheels Train
Without doubt this mode of travel appeals to some people. However, on our travels through Rajasthan we encountered tour groups from the Palace on Wheels on a couple of occasions and felt that going by road, with a car and driver, suited us much better. You simply saw a hell of a lot more, had much more contact with the local people, and were not tied to any schedule. We stayed at the Laxmi Niwas Palace, which is part of the Lalgarh site, and it was very pleasant indeed. (Whilst there are...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan, 21, 2014: Raccoon, Vancouver, British Columbia
And they are smart. When my kids were young, we used to camp every summer in Maine, at a site where raccoons came every night to feast at the cans. One year I decided I'd had enough, and brought chain tethers to keep the lids on. Worked fine, the lids stayed quiet all night. But in the morning, when we left our tents, we found that our two stryofoam coolers (which were not in use) had been shredded, all the implements from the table were on the ground, and the ropes securing our storage tarp...
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Re: Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump (That's really its name)
DrF, I'm guessing the answer is a straightforward geologic issue, but can you tell me what determines whether the hills are part of, or alternatively simply adjoin, the mountains? All VERY interesting!
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Re: Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump (That's really its name)
I believe it is an issue of the mountains' origins. A range has a common origin from a common fault line. The Rockies are a fairly new range, and the Porcupines have been around longer and are much more eroded. But I'm not a geologist, PM. I just look at them and think it's all beautiful!
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Re: Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump (That's really its name)
A good answer - scientifically & emotionally! Thanks again.
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Re: Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump (That's really its name)
I loved Head Samshed In when I visited it. Definitely a must see if you get to that part of the world. If you do also go to the Frank Slide site. A massive land-slide took placein the 1920's (I think). i will find one of my photos.
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Re: Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump (That's really its name)
Thanks for the comment, Jonathan. The Frank Slide is in the Crowsnest Pass area and it's very interesting to see. Beautiful valley as well with a lot of mining history
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #11
Well, here it is Friday night, and I see everyone gathered around to see what's in the Gumbo (e)mailbag and here...because indeed, the mystery has again been solved. Gumbo was in the Roman Arena at Arles, deep in the heart of Roman France. First to point at the site (but not to actually claim it) was Port Moresby, who contributed a picture of it at 1 pm on Wednesday while others were pointing out other Roman arenas. PM was followed by TravelandNature at 11 pm that night—you'll have noted...
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Re: Ghost Images of WWI
Amazing work...and a stark reminder of how recently all this took place.
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Re: Ghost Images of WWI
Recent, indeed. I've taken to comparing events in history to the life spans of people I've known, or who they knew, and it brings it into shocking relief for me. WWI was a fact during the young adulthood of my grandparents, just 5 years before the births of my parents, one of whom is still alive. In that context it seems like it was just yesterday.
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Re: Ghost Images of WWI
The photos are eerie and definitely captivating. Perhaps the most horrific of all the wars, but we always say that until the next ones roll around and are even worse.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 9
Looks very similar to a Norwegian Wooden Church. Shame you cut the cars out of your Photo. But that would have made it too easy then !
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 9
That's right! Can't tell—my lips are sealed until Friday evening at least... Originally Posted by TatToo: Details. Details. Can't tell - are the roof shingles cut of wood or of slate ?
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 9
Given the shingles appear to continue onto the vertical and near-vertical surfaces, I suspect the shingles are wood.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 9
How many Folk Singers does it take to replace a roof ? 3. 1 does all the work - and the other 2 hold the ladder while singing a song about how much better the old roof was.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 9
Looking at the picture again, it occurred to me that it was reminiscent of Northern Thai traditional architecture.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 9
Well, nothing "Thais" us together like a good puzzle! But alas, this one did not last to the weekend. WorkerBee, our puzzle champion started homing in by e-mail on Wednesday, with an inspired but wrong guess: Once again Gumbo is taking time to visit a church. This church is made of wood on a base of stone. The location is near Barsana (Birsana) in Maramures county, Romania. By Thursday, he had continued his research, and last night he was back with another e-mail, and he had nailed it. On...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 9
Originally Posted by PortMoresby: Now I am confused. Romanian Bollywood? It's a brave new world, PM....
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 9
Considering that F. Scott Fitzgerald's only play, The Onion, features a character who is "the Ambassador of Irish Poland," Romanian Bollywood should not be a big reach! However...not so puzzling. Just as Iceland is Greenland and several other places in the new Ben Stiller "Walter Mitty" film, the film industry of India shoots in unexpected places...although in the video whose link is HERE , there's no attempt to play it as somewhere else.
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
Thanks ,it truly is a highlight of any trip to the area.I loved the Location and setting of the house.
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
Jefferson has always been a fascinating and difficult character, with many sides to his life and work. Aside from the Monticello and other designs, he was also a pioneer agriculturalist, importing many varieties of flowers and vegetables, and improving them by breeding. But for me, the hardest task, mentally and emotionally, is to reconcile the brilliant political and philosophical words with an absolute refusal to even question the institution of slavery, when many others of his time in...
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
PHeymont, I never try to judge historic figures through the prism of modern values. Remember in the 18th century slavery was a global institution -- absolutely every country in the world had slaves. And being from Virginia, he knew the southern states wouldn't join northern colonies in forming a new country without slavery being allowed, so I don't think he thought it was time to fight that fight. I think he valued the formation of the new country above all else -- risking his life to do so...
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
I would agree that presentism is a real danger for historians...but without wanting to veer this discussion too far off course, you'll note that I cited two of his close colleagues and acquaintances in Virginia alone, not to mention Lafayette and many others IN HIS TIME AND ACQUAINTANCE who had already concluded that it was time, and many others were acting on it. It was an active debate in his time and place, he was aware of it, and sadly...he took the wrong side.
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
I agree his side was not the right one, PHeymont, but I also believe of greatest importance for him was forming the new country. I don't think we'll ever know his personal feelings about slavery because he didn't write about them.
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
I believe you can tell a great deal about someone from what they leave behind. On a visit to Monticello I was struck by the design of the house and the distinct sensibility it indicated regarding the creative mind of it's designer. I bought a sundial in the gift shop and am reminded of the man every time I look at it.
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
Regarding his feeling about slavery, I have no doubt, because of the nature of the man as shown by the things he did write, he was conflicted. And while he seems never to have come to a personal solution I don't believe, either, that his lack of action was de facto support for the institution. Sometimes there just isn't time to resolve one's own conflicts and be a father of a new nation too. We may be asking too much of human beings if we expect tidy packages and complete resolutions in 1 ...