Landmarks

Tower of Hercules :: Galicia, Spain

December 2, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

As the great Dan Deacon once said, “Lighthouses rule. If you don’t like the lighthouse, you suck”. This statement is all the more true when you are blessed enough to have visited the Tower of Hercules, otherwise known by its Spanish name, Torre de Hércules. Perched on a rocky peninsula on the coast of Galicia in the northwest corner of Spain, the Tower of Hercules has been safeguarding ships since the late 1st century AD. Among the more magnificent structures erected by the Roman Empire, local legend has it that Hercules cut off the head of Medusa’s grandson Geryon, buried it where he stood, and built the lighthouse as a monument to his victory. In reality, researchers have conjectured that the tower was actually designed by the architect Gaius Sevius Lupus and commissioned by Emperor Trajan in his efforts to “Romanize” the area then known as Brigantium due to its prime port location.

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Crater Lake :: Crater Lake, Oregon

December 2, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

Breathtaking, inspiring, spectacular, there are clearly not enough words in the English language to describe the beauty and the grandeur of Crater Lake in Crater Lake, Oregon. Somewhere in the middle of the 6th century BC an enormous explosion of rock and lava destroyed the volcano Mount Mazama. In its place was a massive caldera that filled over thousands of years with snow and rain creating a lake so deep and so eerily blue it’s practically mesmerizing. To reach the absolute bottom you would have to descend an astounding 1,932 feet which makes Crater Lake the deepest in the United States and the ninth deepest in the world. Pure, pristine, and crystal clear the incredible peace one feels here will stay with you for the rest of your life.

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Durham Castle and Cathedral :: Durham, England

December 2, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

The city of Durham in England is home to an amazing Norman castle that has been occupied by and used by University College, Durham since 1840. Although Durham Castle is a working castle and home to over 100 students, it is open to the general public for guided tours through this amazing historical landmark. The castle sits atop a hill over the River Wear on the opposite end of another famous landmark, Durham Cathedral. In 1986 Durham Castle and Cathedral were inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list as fine examples of Norman architecture in England. In 2008, Palace Green, the small area of grass that separates the castle and cathedral was added to the existing UNESCO listing.

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Mono Lake :: Mono County, California

November 28, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

There has been a lot of talk recently about then end of the NASA space exploration program and the introduction of Virgin Galactic to soon take non-astronauts into outer space. All of these dreams of exploring distant stars have been around for generations; but few know that there is an otherworldly experience right here on planet Earth. Mono Lake (pronounced mō′- nō, like the Spanish for “monkey”) in Mono County, California is an ethereal wonderland of beauty surrounded by majestic mountains and amazing flora and fauna.

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Buda Castle :: Budapest, Hungary

November 28, 2022 by Chris Blecha Leave a Comment

First completed in 1265, Buda Castle (also called Royal Palace & Royal Castle) in Budapest is the historical castle complex of the Hungarian kings. Buda Castle is located on the southern edge of Castle Hill near the old Castle District famous for its medieval, Baroque and 19th century homes and buildings. The castle is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site list that inscribed “Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue” and is visited by thousands of tourists every year. The oldest section of the present day palace, Stephen’s Tower, was completed in the 14th century by Prince Stephen, younger brother of King Louis I of Hungary. During the long reign of King Sigismund of Hungary the castle was expanded into one of the largest Gothic palaces of the late Middle Ages. The final massive expansion of the castle occurred under King Matthias Corbinus in the late 1400s and stood until the medieval palace was destroyed during the siege of 1686. A new Baroque styled palace was built between 1714 and 1723 by King Charles III of Habsburg. This castle was also mostly destroyed by the great fire of 1810 as well as during an attack.

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