France - Lorraine - 54 Meurthe-et-Moselle - Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy

LORRAINE
NANCY (Meurthe-et-Moselle)
Stanislas Square

Sent by Juliette from Nancy, France.

Nancy, the temporary residence of a king without a kingdom – Stanislas Leszczynski, later to become Duke of Lorraine – is paradoxically the oldest and most typical example of a modern capital where an enlightened monarch proved to be sensitive to the needs of the public. Built between 1752 and 1756 by a brilliant team led by the architect Héré, this was a carefully conceived project that succeeded in creating a capital that not only enhanced the sovereign's prestige but was also functional. (read further)

Mexico - Guadalajara

Guadalajara - MEXICO
FIESTA IN GUADALAJARA - During "fiesta" nights, the cathedral, finished and consecrated in 1968, is adorned by fireworks.

Sent by Juan from Guadalajara, Mexico.

Guadalajara (/ˌɡwɑːdələˈhɑrə/, Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwaðalaˈxaɾa]) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality. The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area includes seven adjacent municipalities with a reported population of 4,328,584 in 2009, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Mexico, behind Mexico City. The municipality is the second most densely populated one in Mexico; the first being Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl in State of Mexico. (read further)

United Arab Emirates - Fujairah Fort

UAE - Fujairah Fort at Bithmah Oasis

Sent by Ritz from Fujairah, UAE.

Fujairah Fort, built in 1670, was badly damaged in the early 20-th century. Considered the oldest fort in the UAE, it has served as a defensive building and a home for the ruling family. The Fujairah Fort is a mud brick structure with three major sections, several halls, one square tower and two round towers. The fort has been renovated and restored to its former glory. For many centuries it was the only stone building along the Fujairah coast. Located on a hill at the edge of date gardens.
One of the milestones in the building's history was a two-year occupation by Wahabbists, from 1808 to 1810. They took possession of the fort, as well as others along the Eastern Coast, until local tribes won it back. The British bombarded the fort in 1925 during a confrontation wit the Ruler of Fujairah and the towers facing the sea were severely damaged. It was the last time when British gunboats opened fire in the Gulf of Oman. (Source)

France - Aquitaine - 33 Gironde - Bordeaux

BORDEAUX (Gironde)

Sent by Lucie from Bordeaux, France.

Bordeaux (French pronunciation: ​[bɔʁˈdo]; Gascon: Bordèu; Basque: Bordele) is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.

The city of Bordeaux, with a population of 239,157 inhabitants in 2010, is the ninth largest city in France; its metropolitan area (aire urbaine) is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 1,127,776. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department. Its inhabitants are called "Bordelais" (for men) or "Bordelaises" (women). The term "Bordelais" may also refer to the city and its surrounding region.

The city's nicknames are "La perle d'Aquitaine" (The Pearl of Aquitaine), and "La Belle Endormie" (Sleeping Beauty) in reference to the old center which had black walls due to pollution. Nowadays, this is not the case. In fact, a part of the city, Le Port de La Lune, was almost completely renovated.

Bordeaux is the world's major wine industry capital. It is home to the world's main wine fair, Vinexpo (fr), while the wine economy in the metro area takes in 14.5 billion euros each year. Bordeaux wine has been produced in the region since the 8th century. The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century. (Source)

The Bahamas (3)

Hugs & Kisses from ...
The Bahamas

Sent by ashcan0 from The Bahamas. Thank you very much.

U.S.A. - Alaska - Juneau (2)

JUNEAU
Alaska
The aerial tramway, running from Juneau's cruise ship dock to a level platform on Mt. Roberts, takes people 1,750 feet up the mountain for a magnificent view of downtown Juneau, the Inside Passage and the Gastineau Channel.

Sent by Scott from Juneau, Alaska.

Russia - Jewish Autonomous Oblast - Birobidzhan

Views of Birobidzhan.

Sent by Natalia from Birobidzhan,  Russia.

Birobidzhan (Russian: Биробиджан, IPA: [bʲɪrəbʲɪˈdʐan]; Yiddish: ביראָבידזשאַן) is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway, close to the border with China. Population: 75,413 (2010 Census); 77,250 (2002 Census); 83,667 (1989 Census).
The town is named after the two largest rivers in the autonomous oblast: the Bira and the Bidzhan, although only the Bira flows through the town, which lies to the east of the Bidzhan Valley. Both rivers are tributaries of the Amur. (read further)

Russia - Murmansk Oblast - Murmansk

Aurora Borealis in Murmansk.

Sent by Mashe from Murmansk, Russia.

Murmansk (Russian: Му́рманск; Kildin Sami: Мурман ланнҍ; Northern Sami: Murmánska; Skolt Sami:Muurman) is a port city and the administrative centre of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, an inlet of the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland. Regardless of how north it is, Murmansk tends to be nearly the same as any other Russian city of its size, featuring highway and railway access to the rest of Europe, a railway station, and a trolleybus system, in fact, the northernmost on Earth. Population: 307,257 (2010 Census); 336,137 (2002 Census); 468,039 (1989 Census). Despite its rapidly declining population, Murmansk remains the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. (read further)

Palau (3)

Palau Islands.

Sent by P.O.D.C Belau Tour from Koror, Palau.

France - Aquitaine - 24 Dordogne - Périgord

Dordogne - Périgord

Sent by Mylene from Dordogne, France.

The Périgord (Occitan: Peiregòrd / Perigòrd) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département, now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine région. It is divided into four regions, the Périgord Noir (Black), the Périgord Blanc (White), the Périgord Vert (Green) and the Périgord Pourpre (Purple). The geography and natural resources of Périgord make it a beautiful, unspoiled region rich in history and wildlife, and the newly created Parc Naturel Régional Périgord-Limousin aims to conserve it as such.

The area is noted for its cuisine, especially its duck and goose products, such as confit de canard and foie gras. It is known as a centre for truffles in France. Périgourdine wines include Bergerac (red and white) and Monbazillac. (read further)

United Kingdom - England - Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight
Sandown - The Solent - Bembridge Mill
Brighstone - Freshwate - Godshill

Sent by Krystyna from Isle of Wight, England

The Isle of Wight /ˈaɪl əv ˈwaɪt/, known to the ancient Romans as Vectis, is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 3 to 5 mi (5 to 8 km) off the coast of Hampshire, separated from mainland United Kingdom by a strait called the Solent. It has the distinction of being England's smallest county during high tide, while Rutland is the smallest when Wight is at low tide. The island has several resorts which have been holiday destinations since Victorian times. (read further)

France - Alsace - 67 Bas-Rhin - Strasbourg (2)

STRASBOURG (Bas-Rhin)

Sent by Maite from Strasbourg, France.

France - Upper Normandy - 76 Seine-Maritime - Rouen

Rouen
76000 Seine-Maritime
The cathedral Notre-Dame, of gothic architecture, classified historic monument.

Sent by Maria from Rouen, France.

Rouen (French pronunciation: ​[ʁwɑ̃]), in north-western France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. It was here that Joan of Arc was executed in 1431. People from Rouen are called Rouennais. (read further)

Russia - Kamchatka Krai - Kurilskoye Lake

South Kamchatka Sanctuary, Kurilskoye Lake. Fighting for a prey.

Sent by Olesya from Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky in Kamchatka Krai, Russia.

Kurile Lake (Russian: Кури́льское о́зеро "Kuril’skoye Ozero", aka "Keuay") is a large caldera containing a crater lake located at the southern tip of Kamchatka Peninsula, within the Southern Kamchatka Wildlife Refuge in Russia.

It has an area of 77 square kilometres (30 sq mi) (the third largest by area of all lakes in Kamchatka and the second among the freshwater lakes, second only to Kronotsky lake). The lake has an average depth of 176 metres (577 ft), and a maximum depth of 306 m (1,004 ft). The lake is fed by snowmelt, rain and a few rivers and streams: the Etimynk, Hakytsin, Vychenkiya and Kirushutk. From the lake flows the Ozernaya (Lake) river into the Sea of Okhotsk to the west. The magnitude of fluctuation in the water level is one to three meters (the highest levels are from May to June and the lowest in April). The average water temperature off the shore is between six and seven degrees Celsius in September. (read further)

Malaysia - Kedah - Langkawi Island

The cable car glides above the rainforest of Langkawi Island.

Sent by my friend Salah of UAE from Langkawi Island. Salah had a vacation in Langkawi Island and before that I managed to meet and had drinks with him in Kuala Lumpur on 4th of April.

Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi the Jewel of Kedah (Malay: Langkawi Permata Kedah) is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border. On July 15, 2008, Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah had consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah in conjunction with his Golden Jubilee Celebration. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 64,792, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Langkawi is also an administrative district with the town of Kuah as largest town. Langkawi is a duty-free island. (read further)

Gibraltar (3)

GIBRALTAR
Several views.

Sent by Leanne and her team from Gibraltar.

Laos - That Luang Festival

That Luang Festival, Ventiane, LAO P.D.R.

Sent by LTMD from Ventiane, Laos.

Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Bun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). (read further)

British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)

A coconut crab, native to Diego Garcia, goes exploring.

Sent by Greg from Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.  Thanks to Francis of Oregon for this.

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean halfway between Tanzania and Indonesia. The territory comprises the six atolls of the Chagos Archipelago with over 1,000 individual islands – many tiny – amounting to a total land area of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi).

The largest island is Diego Garcia, 44 km² (17 sq mi), the site of a joint military facility of the United Kingdom and the United States. Following the eviction of the native population (Chagossians) in the 1960s, the only inhabitants are US and British military personnel and associated contractors, who collectively number around 4,000 (2004 figures).

Mauritius sought to resume control over the Chagos Archipelago which was split from its territory by the UK in 1965 to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. Between 1968 and 1973, the Chagossians, then numbering about 2,000 people, were expelled by the British government to Mauritius and Seychelles to allow the United States to establish a military base on the island. Today, the exiled Chagossians are still trying to return, claiming that the forced expulsion and dispossession was illegal. (read further)

Anguilla

Sandy Ground
Anguilla - British West Indies.

Sent by Viceroy from The Valley, Anguilla.

Anguilla (/æŋˈɡwɪlə/ ang-gwil-ə) is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territory consists of the main island of Anguilla itself, approximately 16 miles (26 km) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The island's capital is The Valley. The total land area of the territory is 35 square miles (90 km²), with a population of approximately 13,500 (2006 estimate).

Anguilla has become a popular tax haven, having no capital gains, estate, profit or other forms of direct taxation on either individuals or corporations. In April 2011, faced with a mounting deficit, it introduced a 3% "Interim Stabilisation Levy", Anguilla's first form of income tax. (read further)

Burundi - Bujumbura

Bujumbura City

Sent by Déo from Bujumbura, Burundi.

Bujumbura (/ˌbuːdʒəmˈbʊərə/; French pronunciation: ​[buʒumbuʁa]) is the capital, largest city, and main port of Burundi. It ships most of the country's chief export, coffee, as well as cotton, skins, and tin ore. It is on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. (read further)

Croatia - Historic City of Trogir

Historic City of Trogir.

Sent by Iva from Croatia.

Trogir is a remarkable example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Its beautiful Romanesque churches are complemented by the outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the Venetian period. (read further)

Russia - Kabardino-Balkaria Republic (2)

View of Kabardino-Kalbaria Republic.

Sent by Liana from Nalchik in Kabardino-Kalbaria Republic, Russia.

Can some please translate this into English? Thank you.