World's top 10 places to visit

Have you been thinking of making a list of places to visit over the next few years? If you have, there’s no way you should miss scheduling time to see some of the most famous landmarks in the world. Believe it. They’re not famous for nothing.
While their names will no doubt be familiar, it won’t be until you’re actually standing in front of one of them that you’ll be able to truly appreciate their jaw-dropping splendor. The awe-inspiring, monumental grandeur of these world-famous landmarks just has to be seen to be believed.
So get your pen out and start adding them to your travel bucket list.

10. Christ The Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Even if you’re not religious, you need to see the statue of Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The immense structure is an incredible combination of artistic creativity and ingenious engineering. From on top of Mount Corcovado, the staggering 38-meter tall statue looms over the city below, arms outstretched in benediction. But it’s not until you get up close, you’ll realize just how big the statue is and you’ll start to wonder how they ever got it up there in the first place. It is that colossal.
Reaching Those Dizzy Heights. Don’t let the altitude of the statue put you off going to see it either. Although you can hike your way up, which will make you feel like a true explorer, there’s also a tram which winds its way up Mount Corcovado through the forest and is far less strenuous on your legs. At the end of the tram line, you’ll find a minibus waiting to take you on the final, vertigo-inspiring, leg of the journey.
When to go: The best time to go has to be when Rio de Janeiro’s amazing carnival is in full swing. Yes, it’s going to be busy. In fact, the streets will be packed, teeming with party-goers, loud music, and incredible parades. It is the world’s biggest party and the electric atmosphere is one experience you really can’t afford to miss. Never mind the tram or hiking up to the statue, once you’ve caught the rhythm of the music, you’ll be samba dancing up the mountain.
Location on Map: Christ The Redeemer, Brazil

9. Mount Fuji, Honshu Island, Japan

If you want to return from a vacation, have something absolutely unbelievable to boast about, and have the photos to prove it, then you need to go to Japan. It’s not often you get the chance to say you’ve climbed a country’s highest mountain and telling your friends you reached the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan will leave them open-mouthed with disbelief. The good news is, although you do need to be fit, you don’t need to be a mountaineer to achieve it.
Get A Volcanic Chill. While Japan’s Mount Fuji may be a live volcano, don’t be mistaken in thinking it’ll be warm at the top. It’s not. At just under four thousand meters above sea level, the air can be pretty chilly so you won’t be climbing it in shorts and a t-shirt even in the summer months when the peak is bare of snow. All transportation stops at Station 5, no matter which of the four routes up you take, and you’ll be on foot from there to the top. Don’t think any routes are easier than the others, they’ll all put your stamina and willpower to the test. But if three hundred thousand people a year can do it, so can you.

When to go: The official climbing season is in July and August while, if you don’t mind the cold, there are still guided tours you can take up until mid-October or when Mount Fuji receives its first sprinkling of snow. Although climbing Mount Fuji has been likened to making a pilgrimage, any unusual experiences you have are more likely to be due to lack of oxygen at high altitude and overexertion than connections with religious deities. No, climbing Mount Fuji might not be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.
Location on Map: Mount Fuji, Japan

8. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA

If strolling over a suspension bridge has never been on your list of things to do, maybe it’s time it was. Take a step onto the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and you’ll suddenly understand just how Gulliver felt when he woke up in the land of the giants. The sheer magnitude of the metal structure, seemingly floating above the waters of the Golden Gate strait, is difficult to fully comprehend until you’re actually standing on it.
Feel the Suspense. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on foot is no stroll in the park. At just under three kilometres long, it doesn’t sound too strenuous an activity, but add the extra dimension of being almost three hundred metres up in the air and it starts to get interesting. Wind will whip at your hair and any conversation you might be thinking of having will be drowned out by traffic noise. But when you take in the views of San Francisco, from the middle of one of the world’s most iconic constructions, you’ll be really glad you did it.

When to go: Cross the Golden Gate Bridge any time from May to the end of August and you could be lucky enough to do some whale spotting without having to fork out any extra for a boat ride. If you’re into spooky atmospheres walk the bridge in the early morning when the fog is rolling in, but make sure you wear something warm and waterproof or you’ll end up a bit damp around the edges.
Website: www.goldengatebridge.org
Location on Map: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

7. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia

Do you like your architecture with an alien edge to it? If the answer is yes, then getting your photo taken in front of Sydney Opera House has to be a must do on your list. Perched on the edge of Sydney Harbour, on the outside, the Opera House appears like a giant spaceship folding back its protective shields. On the inside it’s a multicultural combination of venues where, apart from listening to other-worldly operatic music, you can take in some seriously top-notch theatrical performances and live concerts.
When to go: There really is only two times of the year to visit the Sydney Opera House. The first, from the end of May to mid-June when the whole of Sydney, including the Opera House, is lit up brighter than the proverbial Christmas tree with stunning three dimensional laser lighting during the Vivid Sydney event. The second and absolutely unmissable time is New Year’s Eve when the Opera House becomes the backdrop for one of the world’s biggest fireworks displays. If you like to bring in the new year with a big bang, there really isn’t any other place you should consider doing it than in Sydney.
Website: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Location on Map: Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia

6. The Pyramids of Giza and The Sphinx, Egypt

If you’ve ever dreamt of becoming an archaeological treasure hunter, riding a camel through the desert and uncovering ancients artefacts, get your bags packed, grab a trowel and jump on a plane that’s heading to Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx await you.
Be Blown Away. You don’t need to be a lover of either mythology or big cats to appreciate the enormity of the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx in Egypt. There is something completely timeless about these two famous Egyptian landmarks that defies explanation. Wrap the flapping lengths of a keffiyeh headdress around your face to stop the sting of the sand and as you stand next to the pyramids to ponder on the ingenuity of ancient civilisations, you’ll be blown away by more than desert winds when you realise every step up is actually taller than you are.

When to go. Egypt is hot, hot, hot. So to be able to really enjoy viewing the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, choose a time when the temperatures will be a little cooler. Book your camel for any time between November and March and you’ll be safe from the sizzling heat. If you’re not averse to spells of thirty five or forty degrees Celsius, you could try the summer months from April to October but you could end up frying eggs on the stones of the Sphinx.
Location on Map: The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, Egypt

5. The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Fancy yourself a bit of a gladiator? Well, you may have seen the epic films and think you can swing a sword, but once you’re down in the arena of the Colosseum in Rome, you’ll probably be so overwhelmed by the size of the amphitheatre, you’ll want to reconsider. The Romans really did take their fun and games seriously. The amphitheatre is large enough to have held an audience of around eighty thousand which is well on par with most modern Olympic stadiums.
Mind Boggling Building. The fantastic construction is truly mind boggling when you consider the materials and equipment the Romans had available to build it. Even more incredible is that it’s still standing today. Take an underground tour of the tunnels and feel the prickle of ghostly goosebumps crawl across your skin in sympathy for all the gladiators and animals who preceded you, but weren’t fortunate enough to come out again and end their day snacking on pizza.

When to go: The Colosseum in Rome is one of Europe’s most visited attractions so whenever you go during the daytime you’re going to have to queue. Beat the crowds and do it at night when the Colosseum looks even more impressive illuminated. Sightseeing is also much more fun without having to put up with suffocating heat, so night tours are winners all round.
Location on Map: The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

4. Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

There’s no way you can write a list of famous landmarks you want to visit without putting the Taj Mahal in India on it. There’s just something amazingly special about monuments which have been built for love. Whether it’s the extra details that are added or just the idea itself, but when Shah Jahan set himself the task of building the Taj Mahal in India, he really went for it.
Colorful Crowds. Don’t be deceived into thinking the Taj Mahal is a palace and although it’s often mistaken for one, it is a mausoleum which he constructed in memory of his wife. Now that’s love. Its ornateness, inside and out, is something to truly marvel at. Though take note, the colourful crowds winding their way around the Taj Mahal are not an integral part of the decoration, they’re the queues to get in.

When to go: Sunrise or sunset? Both times have lots in their favor, but depending on your sleep habits, if you’re not an early riser, you might want to choose a later viewing. But both options have the advantage of being cooler than a midday visit when the temperatures can be sweltering. Don’t plan on visiting the Taj Mahal on a Friday as it is closed for prayers and if you use the Western Gate to enter watch out for marauding monkeys.
Website: www.tajmahal.gov.in
Location on Map: Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

3. Great Wall of China, Beijing, China

When is a wall not a wall? When it’s the Great Wall of China. This is one wall which is completely inconceivable in all aspects until you actually see it so it just has to be part of your list of famous landmarks to visit. When you stand on the Great Wall you won’t be wondering about the whys and wherefores of why it was built in the first place because you’ll just be too busy gaping at its greatness.
Be Awed By Greatness. Yes, you’d be quite right in surmising great wasn’t added to the wall’s name by mistake. When you see that line of stonework snaking through the lush Chinese countryside,over mountains, through valleys and into the infinite distance, you’ll realise why it is one of the true wonders of the world and one you seriously just can’t afford to miss.

When to go. Beijing just has to be seen in Spring when the city itself and the countryside around the Great Wall are in full bloom. Yes, it’s cherry blossom time and unless you suffer from serious hay fever, it’s one of the best times to go. Although July and August are summer months and can get pretty warm, they’re also the rainy season so if you’re planning on going then, take an umbrella. Unless you relish Arctic temperatures and have the blood of an Eskimo, skip going during the winter as it’s just too cold.
Location on Map: Great Wall of China, Beijing, China

2. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

If you’re in search of the most romantic landmark in the world, then you’ll have found it in the Eiffel Tower in Paris. This iconic structure of metal girders for some reason epitomises love and has inspired many a man to drop down on one knee on the observation deck to make a marriage proposal.
Lofty Proposals. What is it about the Eiffel Tower in Paris that causes that effect on people? It could be the pure, ooh la la Frenchness of the vibe in the Paris air at altitude or it could be the glass viewing floor sixty metres above ground level. It might be the sheer height of the tower which stands a disconcerting three hundred meters plus or it could just be an after effect from the bubbles in the champagne from the bar right at the top. There’s only one way to find out for sure. Put the Eiffel Tower in Paris on your list and go and discover its magic for yourself.
When to go. If you’re in search of some landmark romance, then you’ll really want to be climbing up the Eiffel Tower early evening in the summertime. Make a reservation before you go, you’ll jump the queues in time to see the sunset over Paris and the lights come on all over the city. It really doesn’t get any better than that.
Website: www.toureiffel.paris
Location on Map: The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

1. The Statue of Liberty, New York, USA

Is there any landmark more famous in the world than the Statue of Liberty in New York? There’s only one answer to that. No, there’s not. The Statue of Liberty is one lady who should be at the top of everyone’s list of world famous landmarks to visit.
Though her copper robes have turned a tarnished green over the years, for a woman of her age and for someone who’s been carrying a torch for America for over a hundred and thirty years, she’s still pretty impressive. She is the symbol of freedom worldwide and one you just can’t miss seeing at least once in your lifetime. Guaranteed that when you do go, the Statue of Liberty will welcome you to New York, without batting an eyelid, the same as she has done millions of other visitors over the decades.
When to go. Spring, summer or early autumn are the best time to visit the Statue of Liberty. Try it in winter and you’ll probably be chipping icicles off your eyebrows. Day or night? Has to be night. Take a boat cruise around the bay of Manhattan at dusk and you’ll see how, once illuminated, the great lady almost seems to come to life.
Website: www.nps.gov/stli/
Location on Map: The Statue of Liberty, New York, USA

11 Habits for good Health...

When it comes to building healthy habits, small decisions add up over time. We talked to exercise physiologist Christopher Travers, MS, and dietitian Laura Jeffers, MEd, RD, LD for diet, nutrition and fitness ideas that you can incorporate into your life. Below, find their ideas for ways to be healthier every day:

1. Don’t just take the stairs — use them

If you have stairs at your home or office, take them every chance you get. But don’t stop there. For a strong cardio workout, walk up and down the stairs repeatedly. Start with a limited number of repetitions, then increase them as you feel stronger.

2. Drink 1 extra glass of water

There are health benefits to drinking more water. It helps keep your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, protects your spinal cord and other sensitive  tissues, and gets rid of wastes through urination, sweat, and bowel movements. You can also add flavor to your water to help up your intake.

3. Take a 10-minute walk

Walk during your lunch hour or to a store that is a block away to buy a gallon of milk — it’s all good for you. Even if it’s cold outside, you can often walk comfortably by dressing right: Start with a sweat-wicking layer next to your body, add insulating layers for warmth, and top them off with a waterproof shell.

4. Focus on sitting up straight

Having good posture can prevent aches and pain and it can also reduce stress on your ligaments. You can try to leave yourself a note to sit up straight, until it becomes an unconscious habit. Walking with your shoulders back and head held high can also make you feel good about yourself.

5. Go to bed ½ hour earlier

Do you sleep a solid seven or eight hours most nights? Many of us don’t but experts say this is a marker of good heart health. Solid sleep doesn’t just give you more energy, it can also help with healthy eating goals. When you’re short on sleep, it reduces your body’s production of hormones that suppress appetite, which can contribute to weight gain.

6. Replace 1 can of diet soda with carbonated water

If you drink diet soda each day, use carbonated mineral water to help wean yourself off of it. Research suggests the brain reacts to artificial sweeteners much like it does to sugary sweets. Ingesting them frequently can increase your desire for high-calorie foods and put you at risk for weight gain.

7. Balance on one leg for 10 seconds at a time, then switch to the other leg

This simple exercise is something you can do while brushing your teeth or standing in a line. It’s a part of neuromotor training, which helps you improve your balance, agility and mobility — all things you need in everyday movement and in other forms of exercise.

8. Weigh yourself every week

To keep your weight from creeping up on you, set a weekly maintenance or loss goal for yourself, write it down, and check yourself against that goal. Weigh yourself each week on the same day and at the same time – and wearing the same amount of clothing for consistency.

9. Eat a healthy breakfast every day

Eat something high in fiber that includes protein to keep you full and energized. If you start the day out right, you tend to eat better overall. Tired of the same bowl of oatmeal? Add different toppings to make it more exciting.

10. Include greens and lettuce in your meals

Incorporate lettuce into your meals to add nutrients and water to your diet. The fiber in lettuce helps to fill you up, and it does so at just 20 calories per serving. Lettuces that are dark green and reddish in color are the most nutritious and the most flavorful.  But even the popular, pale iceberg lettuce provides water, fiber and folate.

11. Find creative substitutions for unhealthy foods

Work to eliminate foods and snacks that you buy regularly that are high in calories but low on their health benefit. Eat them less often, as an occasional treat. Try using low-fat dairy, whole-grains, healthy oils (avocado and olive oil) and natural sweeteners (fruit) instead of high-fat or sugary alternatives.
Remember that building new healthy habits can take some time. Stay focused on your goal, and if you slip along the way, just start again.

What To Eat In Denmark? Best Danish Food & Cuisine

1. Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød usually consists of a piece of buttered rye bread (rugbrød), a dense, dark brown bread. Pålæg (literally “on-lay”), the topping, that among others can refer to commercial or homemade cold cuts, pieces of meat or fish, cheese or spreads. This daily practice is the base of the famous Danish open sandwich, smørrebrød: a slice or two of pålæg is placed on the buttered bread, and then decorated with the right accompaniments, to create a tasty and visually appealing food item.

2. Æbleskiver

Æbleskiver

Æbleskiver “Pancake Puffs” also called “appleskives” are traditional pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. The name literally means apple slices in Danish, although apples are not usually an ingredient in present-day versions. Somewhat similar in texture to European pancakes crossed with a popover or Yorkshire pudding, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover. The English language spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver.

3. Gløgg

Gløgg

Glögi, also called Glühwein or mulled wine, is a spiced, usually alcoholic drink, served warm. The original form of Glögi, a spiced liquor, was used to revive messengers and postmen who travelled on horseback or skis in cold weather in Scandinavia. The production of glögi begins by boiling water and adding spices to it. After a few minutes of simmering you sieve the mixture, and add for example blackcurrant juice and clear spirits. Glögi can also be used to produce wine. The most common spices in Finnish glögi are cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Other common spices are orange peel and cardamom. The same spices are often used in glögi as in ginger snaps. Glögi may also contain raisins or almonds.

4. Rødgrød med fløde

Rødgrød med fløde

Sstewed, thickened red berry compote (usually a mix of strawberries, rhubarb, raspberry) served with cream or as topping on ice cream.

5. Tarteletter

Tarteletter med høns i asparges

Small bowls of crusty pastry traditionally filled with Høns i Asparges.

6. Flæskesteg

Flæskesteg

Flæskesteg (roast pork) with crackling, usually with red cabbage

Shop Related Products

Cloverhill Ultimate Danish Variety Pack

$20.80

 (21)

Glory Foods Fried Apples 14.5 Ounce ( 3 - Pack ) Sweet …

$14.99

 (4)

Arrowhead Mills Organic Rye Flour, 20 oz. Bag (Pack of 6)

$16.62$18.00

 (342)

Junket Danish Dessert Mix Bundle of 6 (3 Raspberry a…

$29.29

 (13)

Ads by Amazon 

7. Hindbærsnitter (Raspberry Bars)

Hindbærsnitter

8. Rugbrød

Rugbrød

Rugbrød is a very common bread in Denmark. Rugbrød usually resembles a long brown extruded rectangle, no more than 12 cm high, and 30–35 cm wide, dependent upon the bread pan in which it is baked. The ingredients typically include rye flour, cracked or chopped rye kernels and seeds such as sunflower seeds, linseeds or pumpkin seeds.

9. Frikadeller

Frikadeller

Frikadeller are flat, pan-fried meatballs of minced meat, often likened to the Danish version of meatballs. The origin of the dish is unknown but frikadeller are most often associated with Danish cuisine specifically or Scandinavian cuisine in general. They are a popular dish in much of Europe, especially Germany, where they are known as Frikadellen, Buletten, Fleischküchle or Fleischpflanzerl, Austria, where they are known as Faschierte Laibchen and Denmark, their supposed country of origin. Through cultural exchange with the aforementioned countries, frikadeller have also entered national cuisines of other European countries such as Faroe Islands, Norway, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Russia, Estonia, Ukraine, Latvia, the Netherlands, Lithuania as well as South Africa, where they form part of the Afrikaner culinary heritage. In Swedish cuisine, poached quenelles are called frikadeller and are usually served in soup. In Hungary, it is called fasírt and often accompanies the Hungarian stew type, the “Főzelék”.

10. Risalamande

Risalamande

Risalamande is a traditional Danish dessert typically served at Christmas. It gained popularity when rice pudding became more common. Until then rice pudding had been a very exclusive dish, as making it required two expensive, imported ingredients: rice and cinnamon. After World War II, risalamande experienced an increase in popularity, being touted as a “savings” dessert: adding whipped cream (which was easily available) to the still fairly expensive rice would make the rice last longer. In order to minimize costs, risalamande was frequently made without almonds during this time, too.

11. Stegt flæsk

Stegt flæsk

Stegt flæsk is the national dish of Denmark and one of the country’s most popular foodstuffs and has been described as “a dish of pork fat, and only pork fat, in parsley sauce. Mmmm.” An “alternative guide to Denmark” from the British broadcaster BBC described stegt flæsk med persillesovs as fried slices of pork with fat served with parsley sauce and boiled potatoes.

Stegt means ‘fried’ and flæsk means ‘strips of pork belly’. It is lightly salted but not smoked.

12. Danish pastry (Wienerbrød)

Wienerbrød

A Danish pastry or just Danish (especially in American English) is a multilayered, laminated sweet pastry in the viennoiserie tradition. The concept was brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers and has since developed into a Danish specialty. Like other viennoiserie pastries, such as croissants, they are a variant of puff pastry made of laminated yeast-leavened doughs, creating a layered texture. Danish pastries were exported with immigrants to the United States, and are today popular around the world.

13. Rød pølse

Rød pølse

Rød pølse (Red sausage, About this sound listen (help·info)) is a type of brightly red, boiled pork sausage very common in Denmark. Since hot dog stands are ubiquitous in Denmark, some people regard røde pølser as one of the national dishes. Røde pølser are of the Vienna type and the skin is coloured with a traditional red dye (carmine). They are to be heated in hot water and are commonly served with remoulade, mustard or ketchup, fried onions and pickled sliced cucumber. Legend has it, that it was once ordered that day-old sausages be dyed as a means of warning.

14. Hjerter i Flødesovs  (Hearts in cream sauce) 

Hjerter i Flødesovs

Calf’s hearts are cleaned and stuffed with parsley and smoked bacon or lard from pork. They are seasoned and fried in a pot with butter and onions. Bouillon and cream is added and they are left to simmer for 1½ hour. The hearts are sliced and served with the sauce, mashed potatoes and surt (a general term for pickled vegetables).

15.  Æbleflæsk

Æbleflæsk

Æbleflæsk  is a traditional Danish dish consisting of cured or salted pork belly (known as flæsk), fried with apples, thyme and sugar. Chopped onion is often fried with the apples. There are many versions, ranging from a sweet apple mash with small cubes of bacon, to larger slices of lightly salted and fried pork, arranged with the fried apples and onions on a dish. In a version common today, the pork belly is fried first in a skillet, and then followed by pieces of tart apples. While the apples are frying, they are mixed with spices and sugar. The apples should soften up before they are done. When ready to serve, either cold or hot, the pork and apples are mixed and rugbrød is offered on the side. In alternative versions, the apples are cooked in water instead and the pork belly is prepared in the oven.