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by: Compulsiv… |
views: 2176 |
03:07
The Bridge on the River Kwai, (made famous by the omonymous film with Alec Guin…moreThe Bridge on the River Kwai, (made famous by the omonymous film with Alec Guinness and William Holden and which won 7 Academy Awards in 1957) was a key strategic element for the Japanese war effort during WWII. The Japanese needed to build a railroad in record time between Thailand and India a and they used their war prisoners to do it.
Construction of the Thailand-Burma Railway began on September 16, 1942.
The Railway, was to transport 3,000 tons of supplies per day to the frontline troops in Burma. Much of it required high bridges cut through mountains and jungle. The human cost was incredibly high. The railway operated for just 21 months before it was crippled by Allied weapons,
The train runs daily between Kanchanaburi and the current terminus at Nam Tok going over the bridge and passing over the equally impressive Wampo Viaduct, also built by prisoners of war.
61,000 Allied prisoners of war are believed to have labored on the railway under impossible conditions, including 30,000 British, 18,000 Dutch, 13,000 Australian, and 700 American soldiers. 16,000 of those troops died, many of them from diseases like cholera, beri beri, malaria, and typhoid, Another 200,000 Asian laborers, mostly Thai, were forced to work on the railway. More than 80,000 lost their lives.
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by: Compulsiv… |
views: 3061 |
12:00
Zagreb is a bustling modern city with a thousand year history. The 20th century…moreZagreb is a bustling modern city with a thousand year history. The 20th century blends without effort with its great buildings and monuments from the 17th 18th and 19th century.
Samobor is where people from Zagreb come to relax. The town with its beautifully preserved medieval plan looks almost unreal. When here must try the famous aperitif called Bermet and its very special custard cake which the people of Samobor claim has no calories.
30 minutes from Zagreb is a small winery called Korak. The family has been in the wine business for centuries. The current winery has been producing superior wines for 20 years Rieslings and Sauvignons are exceptional.
Opatje is a popular Summer and Winter resort on the Adriatic. The emperor of Austria loved this place. It was the Austrian nobility favorite spot in the 19th centuries and it shows. This place is all about indulging and pampering.
Motuvun is an old medieval town on top of a hill is in the heart of Istria. Population 500 tradition lives on in Motuvun.
In Li’vade there is an outstanding restaurant called Zigante, the cathedral of the Istrian truffle . The Chef prepares a pasta with black truffles, the Summer variety. A white truffle found by Zigante is in the Guinness Book of Records. And of course the store is all about …what else?
Great food needs great olive oil. In Buje one can taste what has been a specialty of Istria for centuries: the many varieties of olive oil.
In Brtonigla is Astarea one can taste traditional recipes of Istrian grandmothers prepared to perfection by loving traditional hands
In the rich wine country of Umag, is another outstanding winery: Kabola with its awarded wines like Malvasia and Grey Pinot.
Fusion spa in the hotel Melia has experts from Thailand and India practicing a range of sophisticated massages from Thai to Ayruvedic, to Tibetan Chi Nei Tsang massage
In Umag another major winery: Coronica . The wines of Istria are shaped by the red soil rich in iron and the salty sea air. Coronica uses no fertilizers and focuses on its native grapes producing mostly Malvasia for whites and Teran red.
Rovinj is a beautiful Adriatic town with a beautiful harbor and a charming an old town which owes its goods looks to the long presence of the Venetians. With a big influx of tourists from nearby Italy and northern Europe it has great hotels and restaurants
Pula was an administrative center of Istria since Roman times and the roman arena still stands as a sign of old roman glory. And an old culinary traditions which shows in its great markets.
Valsabbion is a sophisticated boutique hotel and a much awarded restaurant with very innovative cuisine both in content and presentation.
Down toward the central region of Licka are the Plitvize lakes. Surrounded by 3 mountains feeding the lakes this world heritage site is a grand collection of amazing waterfalls and 16 lakes known for their unusual changing colors colors ranging from blue to aqua to turquoise
Then through the ancient village of Mlinize with looks to have stepped out right out of the Middle Ages.
Nearby in Kuterevo in the Licka region there is a shelter for bear cubs run by volunteers and worth a visit.
The peninsual of Primosten is one of the most photogenic places on the Adriatic. This is also a rich wine country.
Further south is Trogir a World Heritage site with great architecture and the feeling of having stepped right into the Renaissance.
Split is another World heritage site with a very old history: it has an amazing old city built inside the huge palace built by on Roman Emperors’ Diocletian.
Split is a lively city with large markets and great outdoor life
Ston was a small town built to defend nearby Dubrovnik and its 5 kilometers wall it has the longest fortiefied walls in Europe. Ston is also the center of oyster growing in Dalmatia. Freshness does not come any closer.
Korchula is another spectacular island settled since Neolithic time Its most famous citizen Marco Polo is supposed to have been born here.
The Matusko winery is right outside Dubrovnik and it produces excellent full bodied reds like Dingac and Plavac.
And then there is Dubrovnik .
This is the city of all cities a fortress town a port a living museum the jewel of the Adriatic with great beaches history and a feel of having entered a magic place.
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by: Monty &am… |
views: 4159 |
05:08
A ferry trip to San Francisco to see Mission Dolores, the sixth mission founded…moreA ferry trip to San Francisco to see Mission Dolores, the sixth mission founded (1776) by Father Junipero Serra. less
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