Travel And Tourism

VATICAN CITY, MAR 14, 2007 (VIS) - Following today's general audience, Benedict XVI went to the
headquarters of the Fabric of St. Peter's to greet the people who work there. Among their other duties,
they are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the Vatican Basilica. The Pope also greeted
Archbishop Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica and Bishop Vittorio Lanzani, delegate of
the Fabric. In his remarks to them and to all the staff of this pontifical institution he recalled how they
undertake their duties "in a place, the venerable basilica of the Apostle, that is the heart of the
Catholic Church. A beating heart, thanks to the Holy Spirit which keeps it alive,
but also thanks to the activity of those who daily ensure its upkeep.

"Slightly more than 500 years have passed," he added, "since the first stone of the second
Vatican Basilica was laid. ... And yet it remains a living place, it is not a museum,
it is a spiritual organism, and the stones also reflect this vitality."
Benedict XVI thanked the staff of the Fabric for the work they carry out
"with commitment and competence, so that this 'heart' of the Church
... can continue to 'beat' with perennial vitality, drawing to herself men and women
of the entire world and helping them to enjoy a spiritual experience that marks their lives."
Pope Benedict concluded: "Thanks to your efforts, ... many people are able to draw fruit from their
pilgrimage or visit to the Vatican Basilica,
and take away in their hearts a message of faith and hope."

One of the world's most famous yet least visited archaeological sites, Easter Island is a small, hilly, now treeless island of volcanic origin. Located in the Pacific Ocean at 27 degrees south of the equator and some 2200 miles (3600 kilometers) off the coast of Chile, it is considered to be the world’s most remote inhabited island. Sixty-three square miles in size and with three extinct volcanoes (the tallest rising to 1674 feet), the island is, technically speaking, a single massive volcano rising over ten thousand feet from the Pacific Ocean floor. The oldest known traditional name of the island is Te Pito o Te Henua, meaning ‘The Center (or Navel) of the World.’ In the 1860’s Tahitian sailors gave the island the name Rapa Nui, meaning ‘Great Rapa,’ due to its resemblance to another island in Polynesia called Rapa Iti, meaning ‘Little Rapa’. The island received its most well known current name, Easter Island, from the Dutch sea captain Jacob Roggeveen who became the first European to visit on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1722.

In the early 1950s, the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (famous for his Kon-Tiki and Ra raft voyages across the oceans) popularized the idea that the island had been originally settled by advanced societies of Indians from the coast of South America. Extensive archaeological, ethnographic and linguistic research has conclusively shown this hypothesis to be inaccurate. It is now recognized that the original inhabitants of Easter Island are of Polynesian stock (DNA extracts from skeletons have confirmed this), that they most probably came from the Marquesas or Society islands, and that they arrived as early as 318 AD (carbon dating of reeds from a grave confirms this). It is estimated that the original colonists, who may have been lost at sea, arrived in only a few canoes and numbered fewer than 100. At the time of their arrival, much of the island was forested, was teeming with land birds, and was perhaps the most productive breeding site for seabirds in the Polynesia region. Because of the plentiful bird, fish and plant food sources, the human population grew and gave rise to a rich religious and artistic culture.

The beautiful Venice is surrounded by water all over and is located on the north of Italy. The capital of Venice is Veneto. It is commonly known as the city of lovers, water and also the city of bridges. It is spread over 118 Islands, not very big in size. Venice is very famous in the worlds because of its canals. The city has in total 150 canals and the most important canal in Venice is called the Grand Canal. It is responsible for managing the traffic in water by corridor management. Instead of visiting any place by transportation means of roads or air, it is very common to find water buses and water taxi. It seems that the people here live in a different land and world altogether, During the day time, the city is very much crowded with visitors all across the world trying to experience love and romance in the city. Narrow yet beautiful canals, bridges streets give a very different feel of the place. Anyone who visits this place immediately falls in love with it. The nights on the other hand are quiet and peaceful.

What an adventure. Should I even call it that? Year 2009, you were not as I expected. A time of mindfuckness; please, pass me a cup of tea, I cannot lay forth the storyboard in one breath. I have learned a lot walking through the 10 foot deep gravel where my face became buried amongst the sharp, hard edges—how heavy and cold they were and how difficult it was to change the positions of my movement. Breathe. There are little holes that lead to the surface. I miss air. I want to go to a place where people can breathe. Unlike the city.