WINTER WONDERLAND

Plitvice Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the oldest & most beautiful national park in all of Croatia! The Plitvice Lakes contain 16 inter-locking lakes, surrounded by lush forests and is considered one of the most beautiful, natural sights in all of Europe. 

You may be wondering about the origin of such inter-locking lakes. Well, the waters flowing over the limestone and chalk have, over thousands of years, deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams which in turn have created a series of beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls. These geological processes continue today.

I was over there in the early days of winter when the Lakes didn't even looked like filled with water but with a fine mist super-imposed on a fairy tale backdrop.

Look at the waterfall below. Don't you find it ethereal?

The Plitvice Lakes are apparently one of the cleanest and most pristine lakes in the world. There are a lot of preservation efforts to ensure that the Lakes remain clean and that the “blue” of the lakes doesn’t fade away. For instance, swimming in the lakes is strictly prohibited.

I took many many photos but I regretted it later when I had to sort through all those photos. I felt like I couldn't do the breathtaking views of the Lakes enough justice. It was really quite stunning.

The vegetation, the rocky cliffs, the lakes along with stunning waterfalls, all blend into one seamless green-blue extravaganza that it's impossible to get tired of the beauty. 

The forests in the Park are home to bears, wolves and many rare bird species. I would have liked to have been greeted, even at a distance, by any of them but I saw none but these pretty flowers that made me pick up my camera and take a shot.

There are several scenic nearby hotels and lodging right next to the Park itself. I stayed the overnight in one of these and, though apparently they might look not very inviting when seen from outside, the ambiance was really cozy, inside.

The sun hadn't shine while it was snowing, so there was snow the next day.

Please believe me, it's definitely a must-see!

Thank you!

THE HOUSE CRASH WAS OVER

Credit: Google

Have you ever been afraid that a house might fall over you and squash you? I know what it looks like, but no, that house did not just fall out of the sky. It was an artistic project of the famous Austrian sculptor Erwin Wurm. His purpose was set it up especially to look like a house just falling out of the sky and landing on the Viennese Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK). You may wonder why did Wurm did it so. That was his statement against over-development.

In 2007, I had to travel to Vienna and having already read about the 'House Crash', I was very curious to see it in person. A walk away from the hotel, I was in the most compact and notorious neighbourhood of Vienna. Standing in the middle, I was surrounded by the MUMOK but... no House Crash! I was tremendously upset.

Have a nice week!
Thank you!

A SLICE OF HEAVEN RELOCATED ON EARTH

Today I am focusing on the India's spectacular marble Jain temple, seated majestically on the slope of a hill, in the village of Ranakpur, near Udiapur.  This beautiful building dates from 1432 and it's said that it took one hundred years to complete the whole structure. 
It's a stunning piece of architecture most notable for the quality and variety of its carved surface decoration. The turrets and domes of the temple are supported on over 1,444 pillars, each one with its own individual and unique carving.

The Temple, dedicated to the Lord Adinath, has entrances at the four compass points and images of the Lord facing in each direction in the central chamber. The marble sculpture of Maidevi, the mother of Adinath, on the back of an elephant, is of an amazing grandeur.  

Either seen from the outside or looking at its interior, the Temple is an architectural marvel, as delicate as finely embroidered lace, yet as imposing and complex in design as it's profoundly logical. 

If in the future, you have a chance to travel through India, I would suggest you to never miss visiting this architectural jewel.

Thank you!