Favorite Places, Cities, and Monuments

Most naturally beautiful places I have been to, only minimal human intervention allowed:

1) Norwegian Fjords near Bergen: Steep, dark rock cliffs covered in vivid green vegetation, sometimes topped with snow plunging into deep blue water. The most gorgeous place I have been to on earth.
2) Lake Nakuru, Kenya: rising up out of the African Serengeti, this high altitude mountain lake is home to three million flamingos, with many rhinos, monkeys, and exotic birds. The whole landscape is shrouded by lush vegetation encompassed by mountains.
3) Amalfi Coast, Italy: Thousands of years or terraces climb steep green hills planted with lemons, peppers, olives, and grapes. The cliffs crash into small white sand beaches, then into clear, warm water. Every few miles, small towns are built into the steep stone faces.
4) Isle of May, Scotland: This small island off the Scottish coast is dotted by unique white rock formations, beautiful bays, and steep cliffs. More impressive than its beautiful geology is the island amazing bird life. It is a literal aviary. There are thousands of puffins, cormorants, guillemots, and others, a bird lover’s paradise.
5) Ring of Kerry, Ireland: Miles and miles of grassy peat bogs with sharp rocky outcroppings dotted with small lakes and sparse copses of trees. In the week I spent there, rainbows were near daily occurrences. The landscape falls into ocean off short cliffs where it is constantly pummeled by huge waves.
6) Arches, Utah: The stripped red rock is beautiful, and in the spring bright green brush, grasses, and wildflowers sprout up in sharp contrast with the rest of the landscape. The rock formations are really the highlight for me. Delicate arch in particular is breath taking to me.
7) Niagara falls, New York: The falls are simply massive. The deafening roar of the water is as impressive as the few of the falls and mist. I love standing just on the edge of the falls watching the water as it moves peacefully towards its sharp fall.
8) Wengen, Switzerland: This small town nestles between huge, colossal white capped mountains. The light green grass is often interrupted by small streams, and dark green pines. Small herds of cows are commonplace, wearing large deep bells that announce their presence.
9) Yellowstone & Grand Tetons, WY, ID: The forests are beautiful, the mountains are stunning, but seeing buffalo, wolves, moose, bears, bald eagles, is one of a kind to me.
10) Nile River, near Luxor Egypt: Further north the river is dirty, but a few hours south of the delta the water is a deep blue, flanked by a thin green strip of palm trees, then after only a few hundred feet turns into a white desert. The sunsets especially are breathtaking.

Honorable Mention: Bretagne, France; Lake district, England; Bay of Naples, Italy; Muir Woods, California; Etna, Sicily; Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights, Israel; Cliffs of Dover, England.

Favorite Cities:

1) Paris
2) Rome, Vatican
3) Florence, Fiesole
4) Venice, Murano, Burano
5) Jerusalem
6) Assisi
7) Munich
8) London
9) Prague
10) San Fransisco

Honorable Mention: Vienna, Salsburg, Siena, Naples, Palermo, Antwerp, Delft, Bath, Lisbon, Barcelona, Vienna, Versailles, Rouen, Cologne, Grenoble, Washington D.C.

Coolest Monuments I have seen:

1) Petra, Jordan

2) St. Peters, Rome
3) Mont Saint Michelle, France
4) Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame, Paris
5) Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
6) Karnack Temple, Egypt
7) Piazza St. Marco, Venice
8) Orvieto Cathedral, Orvieto
9) Stonehenge, England
10) Pyramids and Sphinx, Egypt