Hà Giang is the final frontier in northern Vietnam, an amazing landscape of limestone pinnacles and granite outcrops. The far north of the province has some of the most spectacular scenery in the country – if not the region – and the trip between Yen Minh and Dong Van, and then across the Mai Pi Leng Pass to Meo Vac, is quite mind-blowing. Ha Giang should be one of the most popular destinations in this region, but its distance from just about everywhere else keeps visitor numbers at a low level.
Category Archives: Views
Village Views: Geiranger In Western Norway (4K)
Geiranger is a village in western Norway, at the head of Geirangerfjord. The Norwegian Fjord Center has multimedia on the history of the region and its inhabitants.
Video timeline: 00:00 Opening 00:28 Best view of the geiranger Fjord 01:04 Waterfalls and Mountain all around the Village 02:48 The Seven Sisters Waterfall 04:51 Farm Villages 06:16 Aerial View of Geiranger
Part of the steep Trollstigen mountain road weaves through the village, connecting to Flydalsjuvet lookout, which has views over the fjord. The fjord’s waterfalls, including the Seven Sisters, the Suitor and the Bridal Veil, are visible by boat.
Front Page: Wall Street Journal – July 20, 2022
Putin Says Russia Will Honor Europe Gas Commitments
Russian President Vladimir Putin also warned that flows via the Nord Stream pipeline could be curbed soon if sanctions prevent additional maintenance on its components.
Walking Tour: Dubrovnik In Southern Croatia (4K)
Dubrovnik is a city in southern Croatia fronting the Adriatic Sea. It’s known for its distinctive Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century. Its well-preserved buildings range from baroque St. Blaise Church to Renaissance Sponza Palace and Gothic Rector’s Palace, now a history museum. Paved with limestone, the pedestrianized Stradun (or Placa) is lined with shops and restaurants.
Hiking Tour: Laugavegur Fimmvörðuháls, Iceland
Fimmvörðuháls is the area between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull in southern Iceland.
Video timeline: 00:00 Intro 2:21 Landmannalaugar 7:59 Álftavatn 9:59 Hvanngil 12:52 Emstrur 15:28 Volcano Huts 16:06 Valahnúkur 17:39 Thórsmörk 22:06 Baldvinsskáli 24:11 Skógafoss 24:50 Guide
The route between Skógar and Thórsmörk goes through this pass and is one of the most popular walking routes in Iceland, despite being 22 kilometres long and involving 1,000 metres of climbing.
Front Page View: The New York Times – July 19, 2022
Covid Rises Across U.S. Amid Muted Warnings and Murky Data
BA.5, a highly transmissible variant, is dominating a surge of new infections. Many health officials say the wave is cause for caution, not alarm.
Architecture: ‘Plateau Residence’ By Michael Hennessey Architects
MICHAEL HENNESSEY ARCHITECTURE
Plateau Residence
The severe topography and the intense climatic conditions at the site are the two primary factors that influence the design of this single-family residence. The building is situated on a plateau located above a steep, ambitious climb. The massing of the building is kept low to the ground to respect the existing topography below the plateau and to create a direct connection between the interior spaces and the surrounding landscape.
The site experiences relatively severe temperature swings from winter to summer. As a means to mediate a proper climatic response, a strategy is developed to relate the massing and fenestration specifically to the function of the public and private spaces of the residence. The public living spaces are defined with an abundance of glazing that is shaded with deep overhangs, horizontal slats, and vertical fins. Conversely, the private bedroom and bathroom spaces are shielded from the hot afternoon sun by stone walls.
Italy Tours: The Castles Of Rimini In Emilia-Romagna
The province of Rimini (Italian: provincia di Rimini) is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The provincial capital is the city Rimini. The province borders the independent state of the Republic of San Marino. As of 2015, the province has a population of 335,199 inhabitants over an area of 864.88 square kilometres (333.93 sq mi), giving it a population density of 387.57 inhabitants per square kilometre. The city Rimini has a population of 147,578 inhabitants, and the provincial president is Andrea Gnassi. There are 26 comuni (singular: comune) in the province, see comuni of the Province of Rimini.
Front Page View: The New York Times – July 18, 2022
Report on Uvalde Shooting Finds ‘Systemic Failures’ in Police Response
The decision to finally confront the gunman was made by a small group of officers and could have been made far earlier, the report found.
Nature Views: Vernal Falls In Yosemite National Park
“Sunday Morning” takes us to Vernal Falls in California’s Yosemite National Park. Videographer: Lance Milbrand.
Vernal Fall is a 317-foot waterfall on the Merced River just downstream of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, California. Like its upstream neighbor, Vernal Fall is clearly visible at a distance, from Glacier Point, as well as close up, along the Mist Trail.
Boomers Daily 