The Seven Wonders Of My World

Joy and Debi have cajoled me into another blog. Apart from bitching about the UK’s weather - a national pastime I might add - politicians, and Prince Charles, thus potentially making me into a boring OF, I decided to take a more positive view.

The Seven Wonders Of The World

In my life, I have been fortunate to have traveled widely. I have visited all the countries of the so-called Western Europe, and some of the Eastern ones too. It has been an experience that has left an indelible mark on me. I have seen some fantastic sights, including that of the ‘Iron Curtain’ between West and East Germany during the Cold War. My children were petrified as I walked over to the East at one border! I have visited some of the great cities of Europe, all steep in their own history, language and architecture. I have eaten a bear steak with cranberries in a small village in Russia – I didn’t know I had actually crossed from Finland at the time – and consumed far too much of their local ‘lemonade’ in the process to even care. We sang great songs, but no Welsh hymns. I have visited India, complete with the statutory visit to the Taj Mahal, but a country so corrupt and racist I vowed never to visit again.
I wanted to select some pictures of my trips, but decided to limit those to seven places that I believe are truly astounding. Unfortunately, I don't know how to attach those pictures to this blog. After all, I've only been working computers for 42 years! So, please use your imagination.

I’m sure we’ve all seen the Biblical Seven Wonders Of The World, but I have chosen my own versions. Undoubtedly, there are other places on this planet which qualify, but these are places I have seen and have great memories of. These are all based upon personal experience. They are in no particular order.

The first has to be the Menai Suspension Bridge in North Wales, which links mainland UK with Anglesey. This is the ‘Land of my Fathers’, and is a sight to beholden.

My second is the Grand Canyon in Arizona. This has to be one of the most amazing places on earth. No camera shot could ever do it justice.

My third choice is the Corinth Canal in Greece. This canal is about 300 feet below the surrounding land, and is nearly four miles long. I cannot begin to imagine the work that went into building this canal.

My fourth choice is another bridge. The San Francisco Suspension Bridge. A magnificent bridge. Worth crossing from San Francisco to the city of Sausolito on the other side, a beautiful city with its quaint (read overpriced) art galleries and T-Shirt shops. But to sit on the waterfront sipping a beer has to be there amongst the tops. No wonder Clint Eastwood chooses to live there.

My fifth choice is the Great Wall of China. Apparently, it can be seen from space. Again imagine the effort to build this magnificent wall – over 4,000 miles long. I wonder if anyone could build such a structure today. Not with Unionization, they couldn’t. The view is to beholden. When I was there, a Chinese family, complete with their solitary child asked if they could have a picture of themselves taken with me. I was the Western Giant! A thrill to meet them, and share a few of my Cantonese words (unfortunately, I was in Mandarin speaking country, but what the heck, we managed).

My sixth choice is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Another natural wonder. I only saw it from a plane going from New Zealand to Singapore, but it was fabulous to see from 35,000 feet up. One of my ambitions is to get to personally visit it one day.

My final choice is Niagra Falls. That great divider of Canada and the United States. A wonderful place to visit, and not just for the Casino!

On a final note, since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to go to The Holy Land – it was my upbringing, three times and more to Chapel on a Sunday. I will be going in January. I will take pictures, and hopefully share some with you, dear readers. (I'm sure Rik will help correct my problems.)

Here endeth today’s lesson.