It isn’t
even really a travel book. It speaks to
you of places mystical and remote,
down-to-earth and close by,
generally unheard of and immensely famous.
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| Monestary of the Hieronymites, Lisbon |
It won’t give you directions, instructions, hours of admissions,
nearby accommodations or the best local restaurants. It will only give you dreams for future
travel, and moments of delight when you discover you have already been to many
of these places. And the photographs……divine.
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| A pile of rocks? No, one of the three pyramids at Giza. From afar, they look perfect and smooth. |
To top it off, it isn’t for everyone. Some of you may travel for a specific
purpose, such as scuba diving,
museum-hopping, or even shopping.
This is for those of you who see or hear about a place that makes you
want to jump on the next plane and immerse yourself in the gloriousness
of….whatever.
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| Three words describe Monticello: Fascinating. Gorgeous. Fascinating. A true national treasure. |
It is, my friends, simply titled “World Heritage Sites” and
is published by UNESCO Publishing. The book is organized by date of acceptance
by this United Nations Organization and each site was chosen for one or more
criteria: the Galapagos Islands, the
first entry, is honored for Natural Phenomenon or Beauty; Major Stages of
Earth’s History; Significant Ecological
or Biological Processes and Significant Natural Habitat for Biodiversity. That first year, the other sites were both
urban and remote and came from the USA, Senegal, Poland, Ethiopia, Ecuador,
Germany, and Canada. Now, there are
UNESCO sites in over 150 nations.
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| Restorations in the Jewish Ghetto, Historic Centre of Rome |
Sometimes, a specific place is designated, and sometimes a
region or several examples of a specific thing.
For example, in England, both
Stonehenge and Avebury, which are miles apart, are listed together. Avebury is similar to Stonehenge but more accessible
to visitors-there is even a small village on-site. Other examples are “Venice and its Lagoon,”
and “Old Village of Holloko and its Surroundings” (Hungary).
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| A detail in an alley of the Old Town section of Tallin, Estonia |
This is really a book for dreamers. With 936 listed sites and more coming every
year, it would really be nearly
impossible to visit all without unlimited time and budget, but each place would not necessarily appeal
to everyone. The book has over 800
pages but I decided to slog through it and note every one I had been to, and
happily found about 50. One is in my own
backyard, and was a somewhat early entry,
and looking at my list I realized that each of these places had been a
highlight of my days of wandering. I was
unaware, when I visited most of them, that they were so designated.
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| At first sight, this looks like....nothing much. However I took this photo from the western wall of Masada, at the point where the Romans breached the walls of the city after months of siege and building a ramp over a spur of rock to gain entrance. Imaging watching from above as, day by day, the Romans came closer and closer to the Jewish refugees. |
If you seek an understanding of the world, both cultural and physical, this is a must-have book to keep on your bedside table. Their website is pretty good too!
And now for my commercial: I am hosting a group on a cruise of wonderful ports both large and small between Rio and Buenos Aires in January. If you would like to join me, our gift will be a tour of Montevideo followed by a visit to a special winery outside of the city, with a relaxing lunch with new friends included. 888-857-7379 or anne@specialtycruise.com
