Bora Bora Island,French Polynesia

Bora Bora (Society Islands)

Bora Bora island is possibly the single most famous island in all the world. The legends, mysteries, and romance associated with the words "Bora Bora" bring an almost mystical presence to the island.
It's true Bora Bora is indeed a wonderful place to vacation... but this magical presence is not so unattainable.
This website seperates the facts from the fiction regarding this wonderful Tahiti Polynesian island paradise: Tourism aspects, activities, practicalities, culture, and all the things you'll want to know when planning a trip to Bora Bora. We propose to the would be traveler that the Island of Bora Bora is quite real and attainable as a vacation getaway. Part of the allure has to be its almost unbelievable beauty. Two towering peaks of sheer black rock dominate the center of the island and make an impressive backdrop to an assortment of blue waters that will dazzle the eyes. Bora Bora's lagoon is its most treasured feature, and allows the traveler many opportunities to experience it in a variety of ways. Windsurf, jetski, scuba dive, swim, bask in its warmth... the list goes on.Bora bora is truly an experience worth having. A wonderfully relaxing place to be as well as a great island for you to experience, your Bora Bora vacation will never be forgotten.

The warm shallow water of Bora Bora's lovely lagoon is world famous for its unspoiled beauty. An almost unbroken expanse of warm, white sand surrounds the island, providing it with a white collar of perfection for sun worshippers.
This truly beautiful island lies 240kms north west of Tahiti in the Leeward Society Islands. Home to more than 4,000 people, it is in the centre of a multicoloured lagoon, surrounded by off-shore motu islets inside a protective necklace of coral.
As you approach from the sea or air, you can't help but be awed by the basalt obelisk of Mount Otemanu, a natural sculpture that towers majestically over an island of intense emerald green.
Getting to Bora Bora is easy. A launch takes you from the Bora Bora airport on Motu Mute to the main island, crossing the lagoon to Vaitape Village.

Trinita dei Monti Church,Italy

Trinita dei Monti Church,Rome,Italy

Piazza di Spagna was at the center of the Strangers' Quarter, the triangle made by Via del Corso, Via Frattina and Via del Babuino, where most of the foreigners lived, in particular painters and sculptors. It was named after the Spanish Embassy (on the right). Vasi preferred to show Piazza di Spagna seen from the north-west giving emphasis to the Palace of Propaganda Fide by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and to the bell tower of S. Andrea delle Fratte by Francesco Borromini. He showed Piazza di Spagna seen from the south-west (giving emphasis to the Spanish Steps) in plate 128.The view is taken from the green dot in the map below. In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Steps leading to SS. Trinitเ dei Monti; 2) Palazzo di Propaganda Fide; 3) Palazzo di Spagna; 4) Fontana della Barcaccia; 5) Campanile di S. Andrea delle Fratte. 5) is covered in another page. The small 1785 map shows also 6) SS. Trinitเ dei Monti; 7) S. Atanasio dei Greci; 8) Colonna dell'Immacolata.

The only change relates to the Column of the Immacolata erected by Pope Pius IX in 1854. Otherwise what we see today is what Vasi shows in his plate (the image was taken on December 8th while waiting for the arrival of the pope for the commemoration of the Immaculate Conception).

The Steps (called by the Italians Scalinata della Trinitเ dei Monti) were built in 1721-25 by Francesco de Sanctis to link the Piazza with the church of Trinitเ dei Monti. The curved lines of the Spanish Steps recall Porto di Ripetta built in 1704 by Alessandro Specchi.Costs were born by France (a donation had been made in 1655 by a French gentleman) to which the church belonged and the piers and the globes at the beginning of the steps have the fleurs-de-lis of the Bourbon family together with the chequered eagle of Pope Innocentius XIII. John Keats lived and died in the pink house to the right of the steps.
The church was built in 1519, but the fa็ade was completed towards the end of the XVIth century. The steps were built by Domenico Fontana in 1586-1588 and the coat of arms of Pope Sixtus V is still visible on the pillars. Both bell towers had a clock: one followed the Italian practice, while the other one followed the French practice (to learn more about the Italian hour click here). In 1789 Pope Pius VI erected in front of the church an obelisk found near Porta Salara. The top of the obelisk shows a lily and a star which are heraldic symbols of Pius VI .

The fountain was built by Pietro Bernini with the assistance of his son Gian Lorenzo at a very low level because of poor water pressure. The fountain is decorated with the sun of Urbanus VIII. See Filippo Juvarra's plate of the coat of arms by G. L. Bernini.

Cappadocia;Turkey

Cappadocia;Turkey

Cappadocia has one of the most interesting and spectacular landscapes in the world. About three million years ago the volcanoes of Mt. Erciyes and Mt. Hasan covered the surrounding plateau with volcanic tuff as a result of their violent eruptions. The natural effects of wind, water and rain eroded this area into a spectacular, surrealist landscape of rock caves, capped pinnacles and fretted ravines in colors ranging from warm tones of red and gold to cool tones of green and gray.

Cappadocia which is unique in the world and is a miraculous nature wonder is the common name of the field covered by the provinces of Aksaray, Nevsehir, Nigde, Kayseri and Kirsehir in the Middle Anatolian region.
In the upper Myosen period in the Cappadocia region as a result of the vulcanic eruptions occurred in Erciyes, Hasandag and Gulludag, in the region was formed a large tableland from the vulcanic tufas and together with the erosion of the Kizilirmak river and wind over ten thausands of years there appeared the chimney rocks which are a wonder of the nature. In the old Bronze Age the Cappadocia which was the population zone of the Assyrian civilization later has hosted the Hittite, Frig, Pers, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations. The first Christians escaped from the persecution of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century B.C. came to the Cappadocia over the Antakya and Kayseri and they have settled here. The first Christians finding the underground cities from Cappadocia have been hidden in these underground cities which gates were made in such way in which they couldn't be easily observed and they have escaped from the persecution of the Roman soldiers. Due that they had live in the underground cities for long duration without being able to go out they have developed these underground cities by making provisions rooms, ventilation chimneys, wine production places, churches, abbeys, water wells, toilets and meeting rooms.
In the prehistoric periods the first human settlements have begun and the humans have constructed the underground cities in the volcanic rocks in form of tufa due to protect themselves from the wild animals and they lived for long times in these underground cities.

Urgup, Cappadocia Turkey
In these cities made in form of rooms connected to each others some of the rooms were connected to each other only with the tunnels tight and permitting passing of just a person. At the access gates of these tunnels there were huge stone rollers used for closing the tunnels for security reasons.
The first populations of the region of Cappadocia were Hatties, Luvies and Hittites. In the 3000-2000 years B.C. the Assyrians have established trade colonies in this region. The Cappaddocian tables with cuneiform in Assyrian language founded at Kaneþ which are lighting the social and politic life of the period and were in the same time the trade and economical agreements are the firs written tablets of Anatolia. According to these documents in that period in Anatolia were founded small local kingdoms non-depending from a central authority. These had in generally in their hands a little area and were living in peace. The region creating the core of the Hittite Empire later has go under the domination of Phrigia and Pers. The Pers civilization has called this region Katpatuka and its center was Mazaka. When Datames the Satrab (Starab: little district administrator at Pers) of Cappadocia has bear arms against the biggest king of Pers, the other Anatolian Satrabs have been supported him but the revolt has been raided. In 33 b.c. the Big Alexander has captured a big part of Cappadocia. In 188 B.C. The Cappadocia which entered under the Roman domination has been captured in 100 B.C. by the Mithridatesd the king of Pontus but in 63 B.C. Pompeius has defeated Mithridates and took again the Cappadocia under the domination of Rome. In the period of Tiberius the Cappadocia gainded the status of Roman district.

Cappadocia was one of the most important places in the spreading periods of the Christian religion. The first christians trying to escape from the Roman soldiers who wanted to avoid the spreading of the Christian religion have settled in the region of Cappadocia which was so suitable for hiding and so they were able to continue their natures and to spread their religions. Saint Basileious from Kaisera and Saint Gregorios from Nyssa had settled in Cappadocia. In 647 A.C. together with occupation of Kayseri by Muaviye Cappadocia has met with the Arabian invasions. Cappadocia which went under the domination of the Seljuks in 1072 has been added to the lands of Ottoman Empire in 1399 by the Ottoman Sultan Yildirim Beyazit.
Cappadocia which is in our days one of the most important tourism centers of Turkey is visited every year by hundred thousands of tourists coming from every part of the world.

The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands

Top 5 Reasons to Come to Galapagos

A Distinctive Sense of Place
The Galapagos is a rare destination where you become accustomed to being surprised. Nothing quite compares to the joy of observing animals in the wild here, or the sense of wonder and privilege felt while spending time with animals who don't run or fly away when humans approach, and are truly unique treasures of our earth.
Composed almost exclusively of volcanic rock, the Galapagos Islands thrust their bleak profiles from the Pacific Ocean 600 miles west of mainland Ecuador. It was here that Darwin found the perfect conditions to formulate his evolutionary theory: that far from the ravages of the continents, life evolved into a strange sub-world of specialized creatures who adapted to their harsh environment in an amazing variety of ways.
Setting foot on barren coasts of fresh black lava frozen in its descent to the shoreline, you'll see why early explorers, whalers, and pirates likened the islands to an inferno on earth. But you'll quickly come to appreciate each island as a little "world unto itself" with its own distinctive character, terrain, climate, and wildlife. You'll come to see it as a comfortable place for its odd inhabitants to lay eggs, raise young, and feed on the abundant marine life swept here by cool Humboldt Currents. From the world's only seagoing lizards to flightless cormorants and penguins, inflatable frigate birds, clownish boobies, patriarchal tortoises and 13 species of Darwin finches, you'll enjoy thrilling encounters with animals, up-close and in large numbers, who are completely at ease among human visitors. And you're sure to come away inspired to protect them and their environment, one of the last great wild places.

Active Adventures with a Focus on Nature
The best way to experience the Galapagos is by cruising between the enchanted islands. A limited number of small ships and yachts take tourists from island to island in the Galapagos. Unlike traditional cruises in other parts of the world, our Galapagos cruises lack crowds, assigned seats, lavish entertainment, and sailing for long periods at sea. Instead, we offer cruises for active individuals interested in the nature and animals of the islands, for those seeking wild places and soft adventure, with time to relax on the beach or swim and snorkel or dive.

Nature & Wildlife like Nowhere Else
Evolutionary wonders such as Darwin's finches, land and marine iguanas, and flightless cormorants, with Naturalist-guides illuminating their special features.
An incredible mix of polar and tropical species, from penguins and fur seals to flamingos and tropical fish.
Giant tortoises, waved albatrosses and sea turtles in some of their last habitats on earth.
Face-to-face encounters with animals and scientists at Darwin Research Station.
Masses of fearless seals, iguanas, and even birds who allowed us to snap photos up close.
Volcano summits, tortured lava flows, and impossibly blue sky and sea.
Snorkel with sea lions over coral reefs and submerged craters teeming with marine life.
Remote mangroves, pirate hideouts, cliffs and coasts, explored on tranquil panga excursions.
Inland lagoons and highlands with an astounding array of rare bird life.
Dramatic rock towers with diving boobies, acrobatic frigates and sea birds sweeping overhead.
Dolphins, whales, and rays seen while lunching and sunbathing up on deck.
...and so much more.

A New & Exciting Family Destination
For parents and grandparents eager to share their love of the natural world with children, our Galapagos programs are designed to offer a safe and rewarding experience for all generations. We ensure families' comfort and safety in even the most remote places by our use of only the best cruise ships of their type, as well the most modern and well-equipped ground transport. With the wide range of cruise vessels now offered in the region, and the varied choices of itineraries, the Galapagos can be enjoyed by all ages as never before.

A Great "Week Away" Escape
The Galapagos are easy to visit, even as a quick week away-depart today and you can step onto your first Galapagos beach by tomorrow. While advance bookings are encouraged, we also welcome last-minute travelers whose schedules necessitate planning on short notice, if you're flexible as to ship choice. The only requirements are that visitors must be physically capable of going ashore in small craft (assisted by cruise staff) and wading through shallow water. And all visitors should genuinely love nature, for the main reason to visit the Galapagos is to experience the wildlife. With its focus on learning and active exploration, the Galapagos are not for everyone. But for active people who genuinely love nature, the Galapagos are not to be missed.

The Bay of Fundy,North Amarica

The Bay of Fundy

It is impossible to talk about the Bay of Fundy without talking about tides. The ebb and flow of the Fundy tides are equal to the output of 250 nuclear power stations. This massive amount of untapped energy fuels a fragile ecosystem that provides a nutritious food supply for numerous species of bottom-dwelling organisims, birds, fish and the world's largest mammals, whales.Twice a day the Bay of Fundy fills and empties from the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the earth. Often the tides begin with a significant wave called The Bore. One of the finest examples of the Bore in Nova Scotia is on the largest river in the province, the Shubenacadie. The Bay of Fundy provides the fuel for the exciting Tidal Bore on the Shubenacadie River system. There are several companies in the region providing rafting tours as this wall of water advances up the river.Tides in the Bay of Fundy proper (along south western Nova Scotia) can reach a height of 3.5 meters (11 ft.), while tides near the head of the Bay (in the Minas Basin into which the Shubenacadie River flows) can rise and fall 13 meters (43 ft.) on average and reach an unbelievable 16 meters (53 ft.) during the springtime.

Why are the Fundy Tides the Highest in the World?

While the gravitational forces of the sun and moon combine to create a continuum of tidal action the world over, it is the unique shape of the Bay of Fundy that contributes to the extraordinary high tides experienced here.
The Bay of Fundy is 290-kilometer-long (180 miles) in length. The mouth of the Bay of Fundy is 100 km (62 miles) wide and between 120 and 215 meters (400-700 feet) deep. Frequently described as funnel-shaped, this amazing body of water gradually narrows until it splits to form Chignecto Bay and the Minas Basin. Becoming gradually shallower, Chignecto Bay splits into Shepody Bay and Cumberland Basin, then Shepody Bay narrows and splits again into the Memramcook and Petitcodiac Rivers.
It is here, near this junction of rivers that the flowerpot formations of the Hopewell Rocks are found. The distance across the Bay of Fundy at this point is about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) and the depth at low tide about 14 meters (45 feet).
The highest tides of the Bay of Fundy are due to two unique characteristics of this finger of the Gulf. The gradual tapering and shallowing that constricts the tidal flow, causes the waters to rise from an average of one meter (3 feet) found elsewhere in the world to the 16-meter (52 feet) tidal range found at the head of the Bay of Fundy.
The second factor is the precise dimension of this incredible body of water. Every basin of water has its own natural rhythm and at 290 km (180 miles) long, the time it takes for the tide to flood the length of Bay of Fundy is nearly identical to the time it takes for the tide to come in from the adjoining Gulf of Maine.
This resonance - the meshing of these two rhythms - means that the tidal range is amplified. Called the "Seiche Effect", this amplification is frequently compared to the wave action produced by a child sloshing water back and forth in a bathtub, each wave higher than the one previous. It is this comparison which led to the Bay of Fundy being called 'the world's largest bathtub'.

Niagara Falls,Canada

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls (French: les Chutes du Niagara) is a set of massive waterfalls located on the Niagara River, straddling the international border separating the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are located 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.
Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the border and American Falls on the United States side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls also is located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island. Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly-formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water fall over the crest line every minute in high flow,[1] and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.
The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.

The name "Niagara" (Iroquois Nation pronunciation "Nee-ah-GAh-rah"[7][8][9]) is said to originate from an Iroquois word "Onguiaahra" meaning "The Strait." The region's original inhabitants were the Ongiara, an Iroquois tribe named the Neutrals by French settlers, who found them helpful in mediating disputes with other tribes.[10]
A number of figures have some stake to the honor first circulating an eyewitness description of Niagara Falls. Frenchman Samuel de Champlain visited the area as early as 1604 during his exploration of Canada and members of his party reported to him the spectacular waterfalls, which he describe in his journals. Finnish-Swedish naturalist Pehr Kalm, explored the area in the early 1700s and wrote of the experience. The consensus honoree is Belgian Father Louis Hennepin, who observed and described the Falls in 1677, earlier than Kalm, after traveling with explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, thus bringing the Falls. Further complicating matters, also there is credible evidence, that French Jesuit Reverend Paul Ragueneau visited the falls some 35 years prior to Hennepin's visit while working among the Huron First Nation in Canada. Jean de Brebeuf also may have visited the falls while spending time with the Neutral nation.[11]

Man and woman on Canadian side of Niagara Falls, circa 1858
During the 18th century tourism became popular, and by the mid-century, it was the area's main industry. Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Jérôme visited with his bride in the early 19th century.[12] Demand for passage over the Niagara River led in 1848 to the building of a footbridge and then Charles Ellet's Niagara Suspension Bridge. This was supplanted by German-born John Augustus Roebling's Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge in 1855. After the American Civil War, the New York Central railroad publicized Niagara Falls as a focus of pleasure and honeymoon visits. With increased railroad traffic, in 1886, Leffert Buck replaced Roebling's wood and stone bridge with the predominantly steel bridge that still carries trains over the Niagara River today. The first steel archway bridge near the Falls was completed in 1897. Known today as the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, it carries vehicles, trains, and pedestrians between Canada (through Canadian Customs Border Control) and the U.S.A. just below the Falls. In 1941 the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission completed the third current crossing in the immediate area of Niagara Falls with the Rainbow Bridge, carrying both pedestrian and vehicular traffic between the two countries and Canadian and U.S. customs for each country.
After the First World War, tourism boomed again as automobiles made getting to the Falls much easier. The story of Niagara Falls in the 20th century is largely that of efforts to harness the energy of the Falls for hydroelectric power, and to control the development on both sides that threaten the area's natural beauty.

Stonehenge;Britain

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is surely Britain's greatest national icon, symbolizing mystery, power and endurance. its original purpose is unclear to us, but some have speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities. It has been called an astronomical observatory for marking significant events on the prehistoric calendar. Others claim that it was a sacred site for the burial of high-ranking citizens from the societies of long ago.
While we can't say with any degree of certainty what it was for, we can say that it wasn't constructed for any casual purpose. Only something very important to the ancients would have been worth the effort and investment that it took to construct Stonehenge.
The stones we see today represent Stonehenge in ruin. Many of the original stones have fallen or been removed by previous generations for home construction or road repair. There has been serious damage to some of the smaller bluestones resulting from close visitor contact (prohibited since 1978) and the prehistoric carvings on the larger sarsen stones show signs of significant wear.
Construction of the Henge In its day, the construction of Stonehenge was an impressive engineering feat, requiring commitment, time and vast amounts of manual labor. In its first phase, Stonehenge was a large earthwork; a bank and ditch arrangement called a henge, constructed approximately 5,000 years ago. It is believed that the ditch was dug with tools made from the antlers of red deer and, possibly, wood. The underlying chalk was loosened with picks and shoveled with the shoulderblades of cattle. It was then loaded into baskets and carried away. Modern experiments have shown that these tools were more than equal to the great task of earth digging and moving.
The Bluestones About 2,000 BC, the first stone circle (which is now the inner circle), comprised of small bluestones, was set up, but abandoned before completion. The stones used in that first circle are believed to be from the Prescelly Mountains, located roughly 240 miles away, at the southwestern tip of Wales. The bluestones weigh up to 4 tons each and about 80 stones were used, in all. Given the distance they had to travel, this presented quite a transportation problem.
Modern theories speculate that the stones were dragged by roller and sledge from the inland mountains to the headwaters of Milford Haven. There they were loaded onto rafts, barges or boats and sailed along the south coast of Wales, then up the Rivers Avon and Frome to a point near present-day Frome in Somerset. From this point, so the theory goes, the stones were hauled overland, again, to a place near Warminster in Wiltshire, approximately 6 miles away. From there, it's back into the pool for a slow float down the River Wylye to Salisbury, then up the Salisbury Avon to West Amesbury, leaving only a short 2 mile drag from West Amesbury to the Stonehenge site.
Construction of the Outer Ring The giant sarsen stones (which form the outer circle), weigh as much as 50 tons each. To transport them from the Marlborough Downs, roughly 20 miles to the north, is a problem of even greater magnitude than that of moving the bluestones. Most of the way, the going is relatively easy, but at the steepest part of the route, at Redhorn Hill, modern work studies estimate that at least 600 men would have been needed just to get each stone past this obstacle.
Once on site, a sarsen stone was prepared to accommodate stone lintels along its top surface. It was then dragged until the end was over the opening of the hole. Great levers were inserted under the stone and it was raised until gravity made it slide into the hole. At this point, the stone stood on about a 30ฐ angle from the ground. Ropes were attached to the top and teams of men pulled from the other side to raise it into the full upright position. It was secured by filling the hole at its base with small, round packing stones. At this point, the lintels were lowered into place and secured vertically by mortice and tenon joints and horizontally by tongue and groove joints. Stonehenge was probably finally completed around 1500 BC.
Who Built Stonehenge? The question of who built Stonehenge is largely unanswered, even today. The monument's construction has been attributed to many ancient peoples throughout the years, but the most captivating and enduring attribution has been to the Druids. This erroneous connection was first made around 3 centuries ago by the antiquary, John Aubrey. Julius Caesar and other Roman writers told of a Celtic priesthood who flourished around the time of their first conquest (55 BC). By this time, though, the stones had been standing for 2,000 years, and were, perhaps, already in a ruined condition. Besides, the Druids worshipped in forest temples and had no need for stone structures.
The best guess seems to be that the Stonehenge site was begun by the people of the late Neolithic period (around 3000 BC) and carried forward by people from a new economy which was arising at this time. These "new" people, called Beaker Folk because of their use of pottery drinking vessels, began to use metal implements and to live in a more communal fashion than their ancestors. Some think that they may have been immigrants from the continent, but that contention is not supported by archaeological evidence. It is likely that they were indigenous people doing the same old things in new ways.
As Legend Has It The legend of King Arthur provides another story of the construction of Stonehenge. It is told by the twelfth century writer, Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his History of the Kings of Britain that Merlin brought the stones to the Salisbury Plain from Ireland. Sometime in the fifth century, there had been a massacre of 300 British noblemen by the treacherous Saxon leader, Hengest. Geoffrey tells us that the high king, Aurelius Ambrosius, wanted to create a fitting memorial to the slain men. Merlin suggested an expedition to Ireland for the purpose of transplanting the Giant's Ring stone circle to Britain. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the stones of the Giant's Ring were originally brought from Africa to Ireland by giants (who else but giants could handle the job?). The stones were located on "Mount Killaraus" and were used as a site for performing rituals and for healing. Led by King Uther and Merlin, the expedition arrived at the spot in Ireland. The Britons, none of whom were giants, apparently, were unsuccessful in their attempts to move the great stones. At this point, Merlin realized that only his magic arts would turn the trick. So, they were dismantled and shipped back to Britain where they were set up (see illus. at right) as they had been before, in a great circle, around the mass grave of the murdered noblemen. The story goes on to tell that Aurelius, Uther and Arthur's successor, Constantine were also buried there in their time*.
Present Day Stonehenge Situated in a vast plain, surrounded by hundreds of round barrows, or burial mounds, the Stonehenge site is truly impressive, and all the more so, the closer you approach. It is a place where much human effort was expended for a purpose we can only guess at. Some people see it as a place steeped in magic and mystery, some as a place where their imaginations of the past can be fired and others hold it to be a sacred place. But whatever viewpoint is brought to it and whatever its original purpose was, it should be treated as the ancients treated it, as a place of honor .
The modern age has not been altogether kind to Stonehenge, despite the lip service it pays to the preservation of heritage sites. There is a major highway running no more than 100 yards away from the stones, and a commercial circus has sprung up around it, complete with parking lots, gift shops and ice cream stands. The organization, English Heritage, is committed to righting these wrongs, and in the coming years, we may get to see Stonehenge in the setting for which it was originally created. Despite all its dilapidation and the encroachment of the modern world, Stonehenge, today, is an awe-inspiring sight, and no travel itinerary around Britain should omit it.