It's Snowing Here. I Wouldn't Mind a Trip to Liguria

Liguria is a coastal region of Italy (northwest). It's where pesto originated, specializing in flowers, wine and olive oil, it also has fabulous beaches. (Flowers, beaches and wine? I'm ready to pack my bags).

Source:  Konrad Jagodzinski

Here's a video that might tempt you if you aren't already tempted. It's called Little Liguria (I'm assuming the title is due to the film process that makes everything look small).

Little Liguria from Filippo Rivetti on Vimeo.

Here's one more time lapse of Liguria (a completely different tone from the last but also beautiful).

Dinner (or Marriage or More) in the Sky

Let's suppose that you had a lot of money. Would you be interested in Dinner in the Sky? It's been around for several (or more) years, and if you haven't already heard of it, the concept is that a crane hoists diners and staff into the air, usually in very scenic areas. (There's also Marriage in the Sky and Showbizz in the Sky, which may feature other adjacent platforms with performers or the bridal party). I'll admit that I'm fascinated by the concept and the fact that it must be a monumental experience to see Paris, for instance, from a viewpoint that no one else has, but despite a number of climbs to mountain peaks where my feet are on steep and rocky, but solid ground, I'm not usually fond of heights. I'm not sure I could do this without hyperventilating.

Image of a dinner over Edinburgh by Graeme Pow

The video below offers a bit of an explanation of what this experience is about. Dinner in the Sky began in Belgium but has now spread around the world. And they appear to expanding into even more venues. A visit to the website (link above) reveals Golf in the Sky, Theater in the Sky and more. 

And a wedding

Would this be on your bucket list if you had the money?

Prince Edward Island This Summer?

I was just reading the Chicago Tribune's travel section and saw that Prince Edward Island is offering some fabulous deals for tourists this summer. No doubt it has something to do with the cost of fuel.

I've only been there once, but it's a beautiful place (and for Anne of Green Gables fans, there's that connection). So, of course, I went in search of some Prince Edward Island images.

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Teacup Rock

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Covehead Lighthouse

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The inspiration for Anne of Green Gables
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(As always, I urge you to click through on the Source links for more fantastic images by the photographers).

If you'd like more information about Prince Edward Island, including a video and information on all the lighthouses, check out their official Prince Edward Island tourism site.

If You Like Game of Thrones...

Here's a video of the carillon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison playing the theme music from the show (rather, the music is being played by Lyle Anderson). I've always been a fan of both the city of Madison as well as the U of Wisconsin-Madison (except when the University of Illinois is competing against them in sports), so this is just one more thing to like.

Here's the text beneath the video on YouTube:

The Game of Thrones theme music performed by Lyle Anderson on the UW-Madison Carillon. The carillon was originally dedicated in 1936 and has 56 bells ranging in size from 15 to 6,823 pounds. Anderson has been UW-Madison's official carillonneur for almost 30 years.

If You're Looking For an Interesting Travel Location

I've seen a few of these online and even blogged about at least one of them, but some of these were new to me. Hopefully, some of them are new to you, too.

Harry Selfridge and Wisconsin

If you watch Masterpiece Theater, then you know that they're going to begin a 10-part series called Mr. Selfridge. It's about Harry Gordon Selfridge, the department store magnate (for those of us in the U.S., it's a high-end UK store (according to the store's website, it is "the only store to be twice awarded the accolate of the Best Department Store in the World.

But while Selfridges might be a UK store, Harry's roots were in Wisconsin. He was born there and after he made his money by helping Marshall Field turn the Marshall Field department stores into a phenomenon, he bought land and built a mansion along Geneva Lake in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Harrose Hall (a combination of his name and his wife's name) had a grand staircase, a parlor 40 by 60 feet, 9 bedrooms and five servant rooms). There's no train in Lake Geneva today, but when Harrose House was built (1899), there was a daily train from Chicago to Lake Geneva nicknamed the "millionaires' train (for obvious reasons). The house (renamed Somerset when Selfridge sold it in the 1920s) was torn down in 1975, but visitors to Lake Geneva today can still walk the path that rims the entire 20+ miles of the lake and view the new (and old) mansions that are there today.

I'm looking forward to the series. Here's a clip.

A Halloween Maze

For the past 18 years, the Stewart family of New Jersey has been creating a Halloween maze. And every year the maze is different.

A Very Tiny Apartment

This one's been around a bit. Makes me claustrophobic, but I have to hand it to him if he's managed to live here for 5 years.

Gorgeous Greece - Travel While Staying at Home

Greece may be having financial problems, but as you can see in this video by Stian Rekdal, it's just beautiful. So let's indulge in some armchair travel.

Greece from Stian Rekdal on Vimeo.

We Are the World (Where the Hell is Matt? 2012)

I'm sure you've seen some of the Where the Hell is Matt? videos. This one is especially nice (love the ending). The fact that (as one person in the comments said), these videos point out the "We are one world" message is wonderful. Dance, music (and clearly Matt in this case) can help us find common ground. Lovely.

Google's World Wonders

Just in case you haven't noticed the New! Explore the Wonders of the World with Google link below your search box, I'll mention it now. Wonders of the World allows viewers to explore various sites around the world (virtually, that is). Right now there are 132 sites in 18 countries. Viewers can use the arrow keys to flip through the locations, they can use drop down menus to find sites by location or theme and they can also use the globe at the bottom of the page to click through and to see where all the Wonders of the World are located.

Clicking through to a location will allow you to experience a 360 degree view of the site (don't forget to look at the More Views buttons at the bottom of the image). In addition, viewers can access information about the site, videos and photos. Altogether a great use of technology!

Chicago Time-lapse

This video, by Chris Pritchard, is the first in a series called Places in Time.

Places in Time: Chicago from Chris Pritchard on Vimeo.

It's worth clicking through to his Vimeo page to read the background on this video (I think, but then I'm a bit biased. This is my city).

Google Takes You on a Tour of the White House

The Google Art Project and the White House have teamed up to enable those who can't get to DC or visit the White House can go on a virtual tour.

A Story for Tomorrow

This story of a trip to Chile and Patagonia has wonderful narration and visuals.

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay on Vimeo.

Fire and Water

Who says fire and water don't mix? This is the fountain at the new City Creek Center Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was designed by the same company that built the fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Beautiful Norway

Norway is one of the places I've always wanted to visit, so this time-lapse video by Stian Rekdal was right up my alley (beautiful music, too. I wish I knew what it was). Locations include Ålesund, Trollstigen, Geiranger, the Briksdal glacier and Urnes & Kaupang stave churches.

Norway from Stian Rekdal on Vimeo.

Ice Castles - Silverthorne, Colorado

I haven't seen these in person, and I'm not much for cold weather. Still, they look pretty cool.

Here's a video that showcases the ice castles.



And here you can learn more about the ice castles (including a bit about the history of the creator, Brent Christiensen, as well as a video that talks a bit about making the ice castles).

A Treehouse Vacation in Cost Rica

I'm not sure this is my kind of vacation, but I can see the appeal.

Landscapes: Volume One (a Time-lapse)

This film by Dustin Farrell is shot mostly in Arizona, but there are also some shots of Goblin Valley State Park and Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah.

Landscapes: Volume One from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

Yosemite Time-lapse

Yosemite National Park is one of the largest, busiest parks in the US National Park system. Here one can see granite cliffs, waterfalls and groves of Giant Sequoia. At over 750,000 acres, it is massive, and almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness. I'll revisit the topic at some other time in more detail, but for now, enjoy this time-lapse by Sheldon Neill and Colin Delehanty.

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.