Thursday, September 26, 2013

Thursday 13 - Wonderful Places I've Seen - Septtember 26, 2013


I haven't participated in this meme before but it seems like fun.  Each Thursday,
you pick a theme and list thirteen things about it.  I can do that, I'm sure!

My very first time to participate, I thought I'd write about thirteen wonderful
places I've seen - though I don't have photos with me, here in India, to depict
all of them.

1.     The Taj Mahal in Agra, India - the Unesco World Heritage site which was
         built by Shah Jahan, for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving 
         birth to their 14th child


from Bing Images, domain free

The Taj Mahal

An architectural treasure,
A tribute to true love,
It almost seems to glow,
From a full moon above.

Made of pure white marble,
Mumtaz Mahal lies here,
With Emperor Shah Jahan,
Resting very near.

Such overwhelming beauty,
Reflected in its pool.
Its minarets standing guard,
Over India's treasured jewel.

Built on the River Yumana,
The Taj is an exquisite sight,
Symbolic of love for centuries,
Inspiring poets to write.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) 2008 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved.  


2.     The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, a Buddhist temple in Bangkok,
        Thailand.- he is 15 m high and 47 m long


The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho
Bangkok, Thailand

What is that you contemplate
As the crowds go passing through?
You lie in gilded splendor,
With nothing else to do.

Is there meaning to your dreamy face.
Could it be nirvana near?
Can you hear the faithful praying,
As they bow before you here?

Though you lie alone, Wat Pho is filled,
With Buddhas large and small,
A thousand other figures here,
So you are not alone at all.

Your surroundings are exotic,
Chedi graceful and serene,
A vast temple of great beauty,
A never forgotten scene.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright ©  1997 


3.     Iguazu Falls - on the border of Argentina and Brazil, was named as one
        of the winners of "The New Seven Wonders of Nature" - rent "The 
        Mission" with Robert de Niro which shows the splendor of the falls

from Bing Images, domain free

4.     Mysore Palace in Mysore in southern India - the official residence of the 
        Wodeyars who ruled Mysore for over seven centuries



5.  The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy is a freestanding bell tower that
      began to lean during construction.  The ground was too soft on one side
      to support the tower's weight.



6.     The Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji, in Kyoto, Japan is officially named
         Rokuon.  It is a Zen Buddhist temple built in the midst of classical
         gardens with a reflecting pond.  It is part of a World Heritage site.



7.     The Sydney Opera House, in Sydney, Australia is also a World Heritage
         site looking out at Sydney Harbor.  It is a multiple venue site and is one 
         of the world's most famous performing arts centers.


from Bing Images, domain free


8.     Butchart Gardens is a National Historic Site of Canada, located at
        Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, near Victoria.  It receives over a
        millions visitors a year.

from Bing Images, domain free


9.     The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California is one of the most
         internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco.  The American 
         Society of Civil Engineers named it one of the Wonders of the Modern
         World.  I crossed this bridge, as a visitor from New Orleans when I was
         eighteen.  I'll never forget the thrill I felt - because I feel it every single 
         time I travel over it - and I have hundreds of times in the 35 + years 
         I've lived in the San Francisco area.




10.   Senso-ji is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, located in the Asakusa
         area.  Next to it is a Shinto shrine.



11.    The Byodo-In Buddhist Temple on the island of Oahu in Hawaii is 
          a replica of a 900-year-old temple near Kyoto, Japan.  It is set in
          beautiful gardens, with the Ko'olau Mountains behind.  It has a
          9 foot Buddha and a three ton brass peace bell.  I see it every
          time I am on Oahu since it is in Kaneohe, about fifteen miles from
          Honolulu.

from Bing Images, domain free


12.    La Boquerria - (  Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria )  located on 
          La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain is my favorite of many markets I've
          visited about the world.  The produce and vegetables are so 
          artistically arranged and there are wonderful spots inside to have a
          quick meal of Padron peppers or calamari, or to sip a glass of
          Spanish wine.



13.    The Acropolis of Athens, Greece is an ancient citadel that looks out
          over the city, reminding all of its importance to history and the world.


I have been blessed to travel about much of the world so I could easily do
another post about thirteen wonderful places!!!


I am participating, for the first time in 




Check it out and jointhe fun!










  















12 comments:

  1. Great 13, and welcome to the meme. We've visited a lot of the same places :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At 69 ( on Thursday ), I have been so blessed to see much of the world, both by cruising ( 88 in 18 years ) and on land trips. I've been to 45 countries ( sometimes for just a day, as in cruise ship ports ) & 25 Caribbean islands. Still, I've missed some wonderful places!

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  2. First Carmen, I'd also like to say "Welcome!" and I hope you'll enjoy sharing posts for Thursday Thirteen in the weeks (and perhaps years) to come!

    Second, I must say "Wow!" You've been to a lot of wonderful places - many of which I've long wanted to see! Impressive! So far, of the places on your list here, I've only been to Pisa. I hope to make it to more, one day.

    Happy TT!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! You have really explored the world, and chronicled it through photos and poems too! These days I've been chronicling the spiders and chickens in my backyard!

    I've been doing 13 Thursday almost since it started by a woman named Leanne. She started it to be a random listing about ourselves in order to get to know each other and I tend to still do it that way.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You've been to some great places. I'd love to see even half of these.

    Welcome to T13!!! My site is not a hub. I put the linky up because years ago when I started doing this it was common courtesy. Now it looks like I'm the only one, but when I don't do it, people complain. *shrug* Maybe because I tend to be more consistent than the official hub.

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  5. Beautiful pictures! I'm SO in the mood to travel after reading your post. Happy Thursday!

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  6. Welcoem to Thursday Thirteen, Carmen. Looks like you have been to some amazing places! My T13: Banned Books Week 2013

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  7. Welcome to Thursday Thirteen! Enjoy it! I love these photos - such a wonderful reminder in some of them that mankind can do more than destroy - we can also create great beauty.

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  8. Anonymous5:41 PM

    Wow - you've certainly seen some of the best the world has to offer. I would love to see the pyramids some day. I've always been fascinated with Egypt for some reason.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Double Wow! You are a world traveler with awesome stories and memories, I'm sure. Thanks for sharing.
    The Food Temptress

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  10. Well, that is quite a list of fantastic places.

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