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The village of Vernazza in better times...

The Cinque Terre region on the Ligurian riviera is one of those places on this planet that you wish you could retire in. They are a set of five (cinque) cozy fishing villages perched precipitously on cliffs overlooking the clear waters of the Ligurian sea. It is a spot stuck in a time warp complete with steepling, pastel colored buildings, a lazy laid back life style and the best Pesto sauce in the world. (Pesto was created in Liguria.). It's no wonder then that the entire Cinque Terre region was selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997.
Vernazza is village number four in the Cinque Terre. (The other four being Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia and Monterosso) Claimed by many to be the crown jewel of the five villages, this gorgeous village comes complete with a castle from the middle-ages, a lively, beautiful harbor and popular trails through vineyard covered cliffs.
A seat after dinner overlooking the ocean with a glass of the local sciacchetra wine watching the skies welcome the night in a riot of colors gives one a whole new perspective on life!

Equipment: Canon Rebel XSi, 24-105L

October 2011 Mud slides
Tragically, Vernazza was hit last week with one of the biggest rain-storms in the history of Italy. Two of the towns - Vernazza and Monterosso were devastated by massive mud slides from the surrounding hills. (Video of the devastation)
All shops on main street have disappeared under the mud! (Slide show)
Please join me in praying that all the people in this paradise are able to pick up their lives and go back to enjoying life in the way that only they can. (Disaster relief links)

Update November 15th:
After the emergency relief work, crews have worked hard over the past three weeks and the main street is emerging again from under the mud. Some details here

November 25th 2011 - One Month after the floods
Recovery still underway - Still only emergency crews and locals allowed in town. But the major challenge of getting back to regular life still looms ahead. Tragically, floods and other 'acts of God' are not covered by insurance! More details here.

January 25th 2012 - Sure signs of recovery
Recovery work is in full swing - Train and roads have been re-opened. Thanks to the massive efforts of the people, the villages are getting back to normal life. A bow to the mighty spirit of these people! Details: here

Adjacent to probably the most famous national park in the world (Yellowstone of course!), the Grand Tetons are an awe-inspiring spectacle in their own right consisting of a range of 13000+ft (~4000m) peaks rising precipitously out of a spectacularly, lush valley floor.
Like the rest of Yellowstone, this area is rich in wildlife and large game (birds, deer, moose etc.). The abundance of crystal clear water from the snow run-off in summer makes this national park extremely popular with fauna and tourists alike. You can kayak, white-water raft, cruise on a motor launch or just gasp at the beauty of sunset at Oxbow lake - all against the sublime backdrop of towering white peaks glistening in the sun or shrouded mystically in cloud . In winter, Jackson Hole - a proper touristy town - is a very popular ski destination.

This photo was taken at Colter Bay - a rustic village half-way between Yellowstone and Jackson Hole. Located right on the massive Jackson lake, they have cabins, a restaurant, a store and a view to kill for. I hope to stay here the next time I visit :-).

NPS Site: Grand Teton National Park

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Death Valley National Park in east-central California is one of the most spectacular spots on this planet. Within a few square miles, it packs everything from 11000 ft snow-clad mountains to Badwater, the lowest point in the western hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level. You can be trudging up classic desert sand dunes (above) one moment and within the hour you could be walking on a rock-hard plain of solid salt! Tour an abandoned borax mine along the road or off-road to see the miraculous crawling rocks at Racetrack Playa. The park looks different with the seasons too. You can see marvelously still saltwater lakes after the rains or gorgeous wildflowers in spring. Be careful though- go here at the peak of summer and you will quickly realize the reason behind the park's morbid name. A photographers paradise to boot!
Don't believe me? Just check out the stunning Death Valley photographs on flickr

Equipment: Canon XSi, 24-105L, CPL

The spectacular Navajo bridge girds the Colorado River a few miles north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Built way back in 1929, this bridge is one of only seven land crossings possible across the Colorado River in 750 miles (the reason, of course, being the series of impassable canyons including the Grand canyon and Glen canyon) It is now maintained by the National Park Service.

More details at the NPS site:
www.nps.gov/glca/historyculture/navajobridge.htm

Best Viewed Large!

Equipment: Canon Rebel XSi, 24-105L, CPL

Wishing all my flickr friends a very merry Christmas and a great 2011 ahead!!!

Finished in 1852, Helsinki Cathedral is a beautiful and elegant church that dominates downtown Helsinki. It is pretty large (for scale see the figures beside the pillars below.) yet very intricately designed. Statues of the twelve apostles grace the tops of the roof.

Link to the wiki description:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki_Cathedral

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