The Travel Nugget

Cathedrals are wonders of architecture which stores exquisite treasures, hidden secrets and rich histories, each unique in its own right. DUOMO DI MILANO, MILAN "...an anthem sung in stone, a poem wrought in marble... They say that the Cathedral of Milan is second only to St. Peter's at Rome. I cannot understand how it can be second to anything made by human hands "    Twain, 1869.  I've never seen a structure more beautiful than the Duomo cathedral. This majestic beauty appears to be fit for royalty, for a King of the highest esteem. If I can't see any other cathedral on my list, I must see at least this one. One of my favourite feature is that visitors have access to the roof, where I'd willingly climb stairs just to enjoy that breathtaking view across Milan and examine the exquisite detail of the sculptures which crowns the structure. This artistic monument was officially started in 1386 and took thousand of workers over approximately 6 centuries of ...

Geothermal hot springs can be found all over the world, but these are some which hold most of the Travel Nugget's interest.  Although some are lethal, the colours are surreal.  THE BLUE LAGOON This shade of blue is so pretty, I can't believe that it's the natural colour of this hot spring. Yes, blue is my favourite colour. The Blue Lagoon is Iceland's most popular feature and I just want to jump into it. Its spectacular shade of blue water comes from a composition of silica, algae and minerals which reflects in the sunlight. The blue lagoon drink was actually named after here. However, the water itself is actually milky white. The lagoon contains 9 million litres of water, renewing itself every 40 hours from beneath the floor. The deepest area in the spring is 1.6 meters with a temperature of 37 to 40 degrees Celsius; both perfect for Travel Nugget bathing. GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING, USA I've seen pictures of this spring before, but I didn't reali...

Looking for an underwater adventure? Blue holes are usually found in shallow coastal areas and the darker the shade of blue, the deeper it goes. The Travel Nugget won't venture into these depths for 2 reasons. Firstly, diving in these places has a prerequisite of logging over 25 dives so an extreme amateur, like the Travel Nugget, can't. Secondly, the mystery of the creatures that lurk in dark, deep waters scare me. GREAT BLUE HOLE, BELIZE The Great Blue Hole of Belize is the most popular blue hole and I have no idea what its appearance reminds me of. It measures over 300 meters across and 124 meters deep. The blue hole rests in the middle of Lighthouse Reef where an island of corals encircles the shallow area, giving it a beautiful turquoise colour. Many visit by boat and aerial tours while the more adventurous opt for skydiving into the waters. I imagine myself screaming at the top of my voice until I touch the water if I ever attempt that one but maybe, just maybe, ...

I may not exactly want to visit all these places, but their  uniqueness and weirdness deserves them a right to be blogged about by the Travel Nugget. They're definitely places to go to if you're seeking an adventure. GRUNER SEE, AUSTRIA Gruner See or "Green Lake" is a lake found in the village of Styria, Austria. The name originated from the beautiful emerald green colour of the water. However, the pretty colour isn't the main reason why I'm interested in this spot. During the winter, the lake is merely 3 to 7 feet deep and people enjoy the surrounding county park facilities. However, as Spring approaches and the temperature rises, the snow melts away and the water is collected in this emerald basin transforming it into a beautiful version of a snapshot from the 1995 movie, Waterworld. The water level rises to a maximum depth of 39 feet which swallows the park and many scuba divers explore this water-world. Venturing under these waters, the theme song ...

This post makes me think  of the Ice Age movies. I keep feeling like I should see Manny slowly walking along and Sid and Deigo fighting somewhere in these pictures. Then the little squirrel thing, I don't know his name, will try to hide his little acorn somewhere in the glacier, which will of course cause some avalanche almost killing everything in its path. HUBBARD GLACIER, ALASKA Hubbard Glacier is located in eastern Alaska and spreads for 122km and goes 1,200ft deep. The glacier is quickly advancing toward the Gulf of Alaska which results in breaking off the large chunks of ice at its edges. There's something terrifying about imagining being on a cruise ship, being surrounded by empty seas, while being confronted with a mass of ice, rumbling as pieces crash into the freezing waters below...but not terrifying enough to take it off my to-travel list. PERITO MORENO GLACIER, ARGENTINA The Perito Moreno Glacier  is located  in the Southwestern Province of S...

As a child,  when you were taught to draw a mountain, it was always some form of an inverted triangle with a rounded top. Drawing a flat-top mountain or multiple pillars would definitely be considered incorrect in art class. However, these mountains prove otherwise. CAPPADOCIA, ANCIENT REGION OF ANATOLIA Cappadocia is a historical region which lies in the plateau of central Anatolia, Turkey. It's most amazing feature is the unique chimney fairy rocks which were formed by volcanic eruptions and erosion which shaped the pillars. Humans burrowed into these chimneys and made it their own, building underground cities which I’d like to venture into, just for curiosity's sake. Although I’m fascinated by these structures, I don’t want to see them from standing on the ground. I’ve never been hot air ballooning and the thought of floating in the air always seems scary, but with the amazing view of the Cappadocia landscape, I’ll be willing too.   UNESCO World Heritage Site ...