Looking like something out of Arthurian legend, Mont Saint-Michel is a small tidal island in Normandy with an abbey perched on top. Listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites, the island has a population of 44 - and is said to attract over 3 million visitors annually.
St. Michael's Mount of Penzance? I haven't been to either but wouldn't mind a visit. May well arrange that when my wife finally decides to retire - maybe even take in both....
Straying completely off topic - but I am a sucker for rare animals. This pic is of a gelada, a type of baboon found only in the Ethiopian highlands - a male as evidenced by the bright red hourglass figure on it's chest. Apparently hard to find, their actual geographic range is unknown, making it hard to estimate the population - the most recent estimate in 2008 being 200,000. Beautiful creatures, but I wouldn't like to get too close to one.
I am not sure that your knees would enjoy the climb, or your wallet recover from the admission fee if you want to get to the top.
Both worth a visit, the French one is full of tourist tat shops at the start but get off the rat run and it's great to explore. I think we had a guide. Long time since I went to the English one, way back in the 1960's and was devoid of anything remotely touristy, I expect it has changed.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil. A desert of white sand dunes, during the rainy season water collects between the dunes up to a depth of 3 metres, but doesn't drain away due to the impermeable rock underneath.
The mysterious Monte Sierpe - known in English as The Band of Holes. The band, about 20 metres wide and 1.5 km long, runs up the side of a mountain in the Pisco Valley in Peru. Discovered by an aviator in 1933, it contains around 6000 holes, thought to be man-made but no-one - not even the locals - really knows who created them or what their purpose was.
Attabad Lake in Pakistan - formed in 2010 after a massive landslide in the village of Attabad. The rock formation on the left resembles the head of a giant creature contentedly having a quite drink.
Monastery of the Holy Trinity in The Meteora in Greece. Built around the 14th century, it is one of only six remaining of the original 24 ‘Meteora Monasteries’. Meteora literally means ‘suspended in the air’ in Greek - the area is a World heritage listed site with numerous large pillars of rock, on top of which all 24 of the original monasteries were built. This one was built on a pillar 400 metres high.
Castello di Vezio in Italy. Overlooking Lake Como, the castle grounds are liberally sprinkled with ghostly figures in shrouds. At the start of each summer, visitors volunteer to ‘create’ the figures by allowing themselves to be wrapped in specially treated gauze covered with chalk dust. After sitting motionless for an hour, the chalk has dried and hardened, the shrouds are removed and placed at various points around the grounds. They last until winter, when the weather spoils them.
