You Can Travel To The Alps All The Year Around

I am a snowboarder. I am addicted to the rush of cold air that carries me down a mountain. I am a thrill seeker on snow, searching high and low for the perfect powder, pushing my limits so I am faster, stronger, better. Sometimes I fall, sometimes I hurt but always there are the mountains that I love and can't resist and for ten years one mountain range in particular have been calling my name.

I have snowboarded in Austria, France and Italy surveying and judging and comparing their corners of the Alps, but for some reason I've never snowboarded in the Swiss Alps… so why exactly was I headed there in the middle of summer?

Because the Alps are beautiful in the summer so why not tick off a corner of my favourite mountain range during the warmer months. They are as worthy of a visit in summer as they are in winter, perhaps even more so because quite frankly if you're not a snow sports enthusiast – and I understand well that it's not for everyone – the Alps remain a haven for holiday opportunities all against a stunning backdrop. So when my boyfriend embarked on an epic road trip from one temporary home in the south of France to our next in the capital of cool, Berlin, we knew we'd have to make a stop somewhere on the way.

We climbed up and up and up mountain roads, which meandered their way to Laax where we stayed in Rocks Resort, a collection of smart, designer apartments a shuffle of salopettes away from the ski lift. Despite it being the end of August and we began our journey in blistering heat, the mountain air and scenic journey we encountered felt like we were travelling across time towards winter as much as we were crossing countries in Europe.

There followed three days of adjusting to our new and unfamiliar surroundings. The clouds never left our side, the temperature was nearly 20 degrees cooler than the south of France and I delighted in being surrounded by alpine style hotels, buildings and of course, the food. Our apartment served us well – comfortable, sleek, modern – I would be lying if I said we didn't discuss coming back in winter, it was all too easy to think about enjoying the steam room in our apartment or cooking up a feast to be shared after a day on the slopes.

Instead we had a range of summer activities we could have enjoyed – hiking, mountain and downhill biking, paragliding and climbing. We are snow bunnies at heart so aside from a few brisk walks up steep hills and a few too many hours in the nearby hotel's spa, we spent our days watching the clouds gather and dreaming about snow fall.

So in this awkward two month period before the skis season starts as some of us itch to layer up, wax down and pick out a new woolly hat, don't forget that the Alps deserve your love in the summer and all seasons as much as they do in winter, and if these photos are anything to go by they have a lot of love to give you too.

There Are Several Interesting Facts Of The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It's a hypersaline lake that is truly one of Earth's unique places. Below you will find several interesting facts of this fascinating place.

The Dead Sea is 377m deep, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride or other mineral salts, with saline levels surpassing that of ocean water.

With 33.7% salinity, the Dead Sea is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. Although Lake Assal, Garabogazköl and some hypersaline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond) have reported higher salinities.
The Dead Sea's unusually high salt concentration means that people can easily float in the Dead Sea due to natural buoyancy. In this respect the Dead Sea is similar to the Great Salt Lake in Utah in the United States.

The Dead Sea is roughly 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish. The high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present.

The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment for several reasons. The mineral content of the water, the very low content of pollens and other allergens in the atmosphere, the reduced ultraviolet component of solar radiation, and the higher atmospheric pressure at this great depth each have specific health effects.

Biblically, the Dead Sea was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers.

An unusual feature of the Dead Sea is its discharge of asphalt. From deep seeps, the Dead Sea constantly spits up small pebbles and blocks of the black substance. Asphalt coated figurines and bitumen coated Neolithic skulls from archaeological sites have been found. Egyptian mummification processes used asphalt imported from the Dead Sea region.

A List Of The Best Hawaiian Beaches

Long weekends and beaches go hand in hand. When it comes to finding the best Hawaiian beaches, there are almost as many choices as there are locations themselves. And in Hawaii, they number in the hundreds. We're sharing a few more of our favorites today before heading up to Hanalei Bay. Please add yours to the list!

1. Hanalei Bay Kauai

Hanalei Bay, iconic Kauai is an island favorite and that of travelers worldwide. There isn't much we haven't already said about this beauty that's been featured in films including most recently The Descendants.

2. Makena Beach Maui

South of Wailea, this is one of the island's best beaches and a great escape when staying to the north at Lahaina and beyond. The beach is long and wide, protected by lava walls. It has great swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing with terrific views of neighboring Kahoolawe and Molokini.

3. Hapuna Beach, Big Island

We featured this photo on the Beat of Hawaii Facebook fan page yesterday. This beach is loved by visitors and locals alike. It has everything from good state park facilities with camping to a resort tucked at the far end. It's big enough that it all works. Hapuna is known for swimming, boarding, snorkeling and sunbathing that are consistently top notch. Do you know about turtle cove? At the far end of the beach, near the hotel, you'll see Hawaiian green sea turtles.

Protecting Mediterranean Sea Is So Necessary Now

The Mediterranean Sea is home to more than 400 million people spread across 22 countries, of which 143 million people live on the coast, and about another 175 million visit the region each year. The well being of all these people depends on the health of the environment of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Mediterranean environment is one of the richest and at the same time one of the most vulnerable in the world as its marine and coastal environments are exposed to a combination of pressures, 80% of which come from land-based pollution.

More than half of urban areas on the Mediterranean with a population over 100,000 do not have waste water treatment plants and 60% of the wastewater produced in these areas is directly discharged into the sea. More than 80% of landfills in southern and eastern Mediterranean countries are not monitored. The marine environment of the Mediterranean is especially exposed to agricultural waste, airborne particles and river run-off, which carries pathogens, heavy metals, organic pollutants, oils and radioactive substances into the sea.

Rapid urbanisation coupled with increasing and unsustainable development of tourism in the Mediterranean Sea’s coast has contributed to significant environmental and health problems. Pollution from industry, shipping and households, the loss of open areas, and the destruction of coastal ecosystems for construction projects are also taking their toll.

In November 2006 a timetable of action for the Horizon 2020 Initiative was launched. One of these actions called on the European Investment Bank or World Bank to work with donor countries to identify projects which are having the largest impact on Mediterranean pollution levels - upstream and downstream pollution - across the Mediterranean Region.

The identification of priority hotspots investments were conducted by the European Investment Bank in cooperation with the United Nation's Environment Programme's Mediterranean Action Plan. The activities of the MeHSIP will primarily focus on providing support to the Horizon 2020 initiative and partner countries in implementing priority pollution reduction investment projects.

The EIB will now proceed in finalising a list of projects under the Mediterranean Hotspot Investment Programme based on the 44 projects already identified in seven Mediterranean countries. Among the criteria for determining the potential investment in projects are the projects' importance for the country or the Mediterranean region, how significantly they reduce pollution, the sustainability of the operations, and the loan repayment capacity of the projects' promoters and the amounts required from donors.

There Is A List Of Beautiful European Beaches

Beautiful beaches are sure to be targeted tourist as one vacation destination. Did you know, beaches with exotic sights not only in the tropics area, in continental Europe there are also many beautiful beach. The following is a list of beautiful European beaches.

Patara beach

Patara is a coastal village located on the Turkish Riviera, in the south of Turkey. This beach is the longest beach in the Mediterranean, with beautiful white sand. According to legend, Patara was the birthplace of Apollo and in the work of the old Roman rule, Patara became one of the most important ports in the Western Mediterranean. As evidence, on the beach there are relics of the ancient Romans in the form of archaeological sites.

Behind the beach, sand dune beaches adorn the surrounding landscape, coupled with views of the Taurus Mountains. To protect the environment, the coast of the building is not allowed there. In addition, the beach is just one of the few beaches in the world to be a rare turtle habitat, Loggerhead turtle. These turtles come to the beach for incubating eggs, every year in May and October.

Corsica island

Corsica is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Corsica is located to the west of Italy, 160 km southeast French mainland, and north of Sardinia. Corsican island is famous as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. French hero of the house can still be found on this beautiful island, despite having turned into a museum of history. Although this place has been popular with tourists, but the island of Corsica still beauty, with white sand beaches, mountains and the city against the backdrop of a small harbor suitable as a place to relax.

Kefalonia

Kefalonia is the largest island in the Ionian Islands, located in western Greece, with an area of ​​350 square kilometers. The island is named after the mythological figure Cephalus, meaning Head Island.

Among the Greek islands, Kefalonia is an island that has a unique beauty, with a calm sea and small houses on the seafront colorful. The sea around the island’s beaches suitable for sightseeing cruise by boat or small ship, to some cape remote and deserted.

Due to its proximity to Italy, Kefalonia especially popular for tourists who come from the State Pizza. Besides voyage, other interesting tourist attractions in Kefalonia is an underground lake Mellisani and Myrtos Beach.

Sardinia

Want to meet a lot of travelers and tourists from other parts of the world? Sardinia is the place. Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily. Sardinia located between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, on the southern island of Corsica sebalah. Sardinia has a beautiful view of the typical mediteran.

Oceans surrounded by white sand beaches like in the tropical island. Sardinia is also often a tourist destination world celebrities, such as Rihanna, Heidi Klum, Janet Jackson, and many more world celebrities.

Sesimbra
Located in the west of Portugal, Sesimbra is a small fishing port. Here also there is a beautiful beach with blue sea and bright cheap accommodations in the vicinity. As well as the fishing, the beach is also famous for its sport fishing. Especially the sword fish, the degree of difficulty is high enough to attract the interest of many tourists.

Sesimbra untouched by posh resorts, but that’s why this place still has wonderful charm of a typical fishing village. The beach is suitable for swimming, and if lucky you can see dolphins while swimming at the beach. On the edge of the harbor there are also many delicious seafood restaurants.

Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coast is a coastal area south of the Sorrentine Peninsula, southern Italy. This beach is one of the most popular beaches in Italy are visited by thousands of tourists, especially during the summer. The coastline along the Amalfi Coast is truly remarkable, extending along the 50 kilometers between the high cliffs, wide streets, gardens, lemon and wine, and white villas. The resort surrounding a magnet for world travelers, and is now developing on the beach has been terminated to maintain its natural authenticity.

Mesmerized Beauty of Nature Himachal

Fondly referred as the ‘Devbhoomi', Himachal Pradesh located in the northern part of Indian subcontinent. The valley is spectacularly soaked in the mesmerizing beauty of nature with undulating snow clad mountain peaks, green lush forests, serene lakes, raging rivers, alpine meadows and stunning hill stations.
Himachal Tour Packages unleash numerous holiday destinations and sites that offer memorable holiday experience to the tourists. Hill stations such as Shimla, Manali, Kullu, Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Kufri, Solan, Chamba valley, Chail, Kangra Valley, Kasauli, Lahaul and Spiti Valley are the some of the most popular tourist destination in the state. All these peaceful destinations are located in blissful natural setting with spectacular natural beauty, pleasant climate, cool and serene environment and charming attractions that attracts the tourists from all corners of the world. Himachal Pradesh Tourism has also contributed a lot in upgrading the infrastructural facilities in the state, which make the state a perfect place to visit.

The state is blessed by wealth of natural beauty and dotted with most fascinating hill destinations of the country. Himachal Pradesh tourism is not only acclaimed for its beautiful hill stations but also known for incorporating various ancient temples and spiritual sites. Undulating slopes of its valley serves as the pristine platform to engage in adventurous activities. In Himachal, a tourist can enjoy adventure activities like trekking, mountaineering, skiing, white water rafting, rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, heli skiing, para gliding, fishing, angling, camping, etc. While, in the places like Rohtang Pass and Solang Valley, one can have the ethereal experience in absolute snowfall, Lahaul and Spiti valley offers the beauty of Stark lunar landscape.
This beautiful state of India is the perfect place to enjoy vacation or honeymoon in the lap of Himalaya. Each of the hill station and plain valley is endowed with blessings of nature that never fails to lure the attention of tourists throughout the year. Nahan, Mandi, Khajjiar, Chail, Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur are other lesser known places in Himachal which equally offer natural splendor. These places are far away from humdrums of tourist's rush and serves as the peaceful getaways for discerning travelers. If you really want to experience unexplored beauty of nature and its ecstasy, you must visit this paradisiacal land on the earth. Visit the land and enjoy your holiday to the fullest in a most memorable and delightful way.