7 MAN MADE WONDERS - What did they end up being?

Have you been wondering which man made wonders of the world made it as the top 7?

But first. How did they get the NEW 7 wonders? Well! A contest was organized by the New7Wonders Foundation and voted on by over 1 million people. (Remembr i sent that email around to vote for Sydney Harbour Bridge!!!) Hm...

Here they are!!

7 MAN MADE WONDERS OF THE WORLD

The Great Wall, China
Petra, Jordan
Christ Redeemer, Brazil
Machu Picchu, Peru
Chichén Itzá, Mexico
The Roman Colosseum, Italy (The only one we've both seen! 2007)
The Taj Mahal, India

7 NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Mount Everest , Himalayas (Greg's seen this..and climbed them too!)
The Northern Lights, Alaska (1995)
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Africa (2007)
Great Barrier Reef, Australia (1998)
Grand Canyon, Arizona USA (1995)
Paricutin Volcano, Mexico
The Harbor, Rio De Janeiro


And for some more Natural Wonder categories look at these...


The Seven (Natural) Underwater Wonders of the World

* Palau
* The Belize Barrier Reef
* The Galapagos Islands
* The Northern Red Sea (2003)
* Lake Baikal
* The Great Barrier Reef (1998)
* The Deep Sea Vents

The 7 (Man Made) Ancient Wonders of the World

* The Great Pyramid of Giza (2003)
* The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
* The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
* The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
* The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
* The Colossus of Rhodes
* The Pharos of Alexandria

The 7 Forgotten (Natural) Wonders of the World
* Angel Falls,Venezuela
* The Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada
* Iguaçú Falls, Brazil / Argentina
* Krakatoa Island, Indonesia
* Mount Fuji, Japan
* Mount Kilimanjaro,Tanzani ,Africa
* Niagara Falls, Canada & New York,USA

The Seven (Man Made) Wonders of the Modern World

* The Empire State Building
* The Itaipú Dam
* The CN Tower
* The Panama Canal
* The Channel Tunnel (2007)
* The North Sea Protection Works
* The Golden Gate Bridge (1996)

The Seven (man made) Wonders of the Medieval World

* Stonehenge (2007)
* The Colosseum (2007)
* The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
* The Great Wall of China
* The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
* The Hagia Sophia (2007)
* The Leaning Tower of Pisa (2007)

EXHAUSTED IN BRUSSELS!

Day 144

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England is flooding again! Geepers...

DOCKERS AND EAGLES won over the weekend..whoohooo.......
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Brussels

Well! Here we are, still in Brussels..i think the last few days has caught up with us. Especially because we haven't really had a break since our tour in Normandy (which i'm about to go back and fill in!)

So...after finding accomodation here in Brussels on Sunday night at the Ibis, going for a real belgian meal of belgian stew, frita's, and waffles for dessert washed down with a bottle of red wine.....

We realised we needed a rest!

From eating, drinking, touring and sightseeing..

So we decided to take advantage of the rain, booked another night at the Ibis and sleep in till noon...and pretend we were in our comfy bed in perth!

We didn't venture out until the afternoon...mainly because we were hungry. So what did we have? More Frita's! After being told the story by Jaak that french fries were really belgian frita's we decided that was all the excuse we need to indulge in the national food!

And of course..have more chocolates! Actually we went to the chocolate factory..and saw how it was all made...and ate more handmade choccy's. Dear me.

After we ventured out to the Grand Place again. We saw it after our dinner the night before, twinkling and sparkling to wonderful opera music, so we decided to go back again in the daylight. What a spectacle that was by the way...seeing it all lit up at night! During the day...you could really admire the beautiful 15th century architecture...and so many wonderful shops too! Chocolate, lace, rolex, (worth 25,000 euros!) diamond's, bags, (worth 800 euros) florist (that was amazing..so creative!)

Dinner...was....

Belgian beers....kwak which is served in a vase shaped glass supported by a wooden bracket and chimay....

And chocolates!

What do they say...

When in Rome...

Okies, will write from the next place..which is either the Netherlands or Switzerland..whichver has the best weather!

FAROUT BRUSSEL SPROUT

Day 143

Antwerp - Brussels, Belgium

Antwerp - city of Rubens!

We woke up really early so we could see Antwerp before we headed out to Brussels. (Bruxelles) The first thing we really wanted to do was to see the extremely ornate Cathedral of our Lady (Notre Dame) which is an exquisite building..(gothic spier and baroque) and houses Rubens paintings...and it was just amazing. We somehow got there while there was a service going on and got accepted as, i guess, as catholics because we didn't get booted out until we tried to get really close to take our Rubens photos!!

Having a Japanese moment i think. hehe (Clicking at scenery)

Afterwards we walked along Antwerp main centre and River Scheldt and were gobsmaked at the amount of modern monuments there...at least, that's what they looked like. There was one that was pretty funny, made us laugh anyway (and did also when Jaak told us the story of it in the car on the way to Franks)...Apparently on Steen (stone) Castle the willy of a little boy over the gate of the castle was chopped off due to the prudishness of the woman of the day....haha

It looks more naked now with nothing there!!

While we spend a couple of hours walking around we really felt we were absorbing the place, the history, the sense that it is a genteel place...really quiet and almost a place where you could imagine the kings and queens walking along and saying..'oh what a lovely place'. Just seemed like the city of the gentleman or something. Not sure what it was..or if i can put my finger on it..but it probably has a bit to do with the main centre being closed off to cars....

And we noticed that alright...

As we were walking the cobbled streets...we saw a crane literally removing the cars that shouldn't be parked in the street!!! What a way to keep the peace in a city!!!! Was funny...we saw about 4 or 5 cars being removed. We're not sure if this only happens on a Sunday, which is what day it was, or whether no cars are allowed any day...

It could have been quiet too because it was a holiday the day we arrived...On 21st July it's the national holiday where Belgium celebrates their liberation from German Occupation. This year the holiday stood under the sign of the liberation (the 12 allied countries that worked together celebrated with them) because in September it'll be 60 years since the liberation.

And all the flags were out on the buildings!!

We thought we'd celebrate the National Day (on the Sunday) by reindulging in some more chocolates...!!!! (we had quite a few at Franks the night before..oh yes!! I forgot about the Belgian Chocolates there!!!!)

So off to Alisa's we went...to pick out our selection...

And to be honest, i've never eaten so many chocolates in my life..!

We also checked out the diamonds..being that Antwerp is the diamond place to be!!!!

After our walk..we headed to the train station...and off to Brussels!

And were picked up by Greg's friends there....and had more belgian beers! And they reminisced. And then it turned into one of those experiences that remained beers..and never quite got to the heights of Moet & Chandon........

FAROUT BRUSSEL SPROUT.

But that is a story for another time.........

ANTWERP BELGIUM

Day 142

Antwerpen, Belgium

Our last morning in France was a bit of a painful goodbye really...because we both loved it so much in Paris. It's a place that has such history and so many things to see and do..it's a place of romance..and of husstle and busstle in a good way. We became familiar with the metro's and way of travel and always felt rejuvinated because there was so much to be amazed about...it's a place we know we'll go back to...because it will beckon..we know.

It was also exciting to be leaving to go to Belgium. My friend Jaak, whom i've been corresponding with for 10 years lives in Antwerp and we were off to meet up with him and his family and some of his friends. We were both looking forward to it.

Especially because we were about to put a real face to the face behind the words and pictures we'd seen for so many years behind a computer screen! I was nervous really, wondering what what each of us would think..

And so we arrived in Antwerp, via a high speed train. (at an extra cost, beyond the eurail pass of 50 euro..which we weren't impressed about!) But it was first class, we had allocated seats and a snack was served!

Antwerp Central train station is amazing..it has the highest ascent to the top platform!!! And it's arty..and gorgeous. The clock was a stand out, as was the statue of the steer!!

The outside of the train station had a series of elephants pointing toward the zoo that is right next door!

What a quiet, relaxed, beautiful atmosphere that awaited us....it was weird, everyone is so quiet...the 'feel' of the place was quite different to any other city i've been to. We found the hotel easily, and Greg commented that the layout of the city was really well organised! Very important when you're on foot trying to find things!!!!

We booked into the Billard Palace and msg'd Jaak because the phone was unhooked in the room (there's always SOMETHING remiss!)

And he, Anne and Shana came to collect us in the hotel. AND...it was like meeting old friends....just so strange, considering we'd never met face to face before. Like family almost. We all trotted off to the car and headed to Frank and Karine's house for dinner...

But first we did a tour of the city with Jaak as the tour guide! And gorgeous Shana also filling in the gaps. 16 years old with a wisdom and beauty that does not reflect her years! We learned very early on that Jaak and Anne had a great humour..and we felt right at home.

Then to meet Frank and Karine! And Pasquale and Robyn.

Which is where the belgian hospitality really continued and then really exploded!!!

The food, the belgian beer, Duvel which Greg was very impressed with..and a better one with a long name that he can't now remember the name of...? (he was um..what's the word - slightly obliterated) the sunshine, the food, pasta, chile con carne and the almond cake...all homemade! By Karine! (hehe) (ok, not quite, and was helped by Frank!) haha

The wit, the jokes, the food, the WINE.....and the french, the sicillian wine..gosh....what wasn't there in the way of wonderful drinks...the belgian chocolates...and the russian tea...which was so beatiful...I learned what tea lights are for here at Karine and Franks...they are actually used to heat up the tea pot of all things. Of course. But iàd never thought of that before.

And then the Isle of Jura whiskey came out...for Greg. He felt so privileged!

What wonderful hospitable people.

Just being in Antwerp, with these people felt so wonderful. We heard about the likes and dislikes of different countries and different cultures..and had a humourous conversation about the Moroccans, the French, the Germans, the Polish and everyone else and of course, heard about the Dutchman! (Shana's friend!) Who got the approval vote in the end!

Antwerpens have their cultural tastes it seems..it made us really laugh! They even seem a different breed from Belgians somehow...which we noticed in the shops we went into.

Even to the extent Antwerpens seem more advanced than even the Brussel ians? They speak excellent English in all the shops and it is almost as if it is their first language. Jaak and Frank certainly sound very English even though i know Flemmish is their first language. (which is likened to Dutch). Frank sounded more Aussie than we did...which could be because he works with Aussies./

The diversity in the European way of thinking also made us think of the origin of their attitudes and after some research of the history, we could see why. One thing that Europe has, that we in Australia do not, and that is a very long past, with takeovers upon takeovers and a deep response to these takeovers.

I have realised since being in Europe that we are very tolerant of other cultures and have very high acceptance of other cultures.

Perhaps, at times, we let down, only our own. Our Aborigines. Thats an ongoing political issue and a ,which seems very covert, as other countries dont seem to be familiar with the issues surrounding this. Or maybe Australia is so remote, our issues are too insignificant to try to understand.

We have such a mix of races and cultures in Australia though and our countrz made up of such a diverse bunch. So we accept all and sundry and dont know much different. Especially being that we are only a young country. (We get told we are New World, just as America does as well).

Although, with John Howard at the realm i think we are also aware as a countrz of our limitations.

Thatàs one thing iàve noticed too, and that is people from Europe seem to think little Johnnz is a complete legend for his stict immigration policies and his handling of such things as prohibiting our cricket team from going to Zimbabwe (Due to Magabe).

Interesting what people think of Australia...

I feel they are very tolerant of Australians...or are they just being polite???

I can see why the countries of Europe are so deeply ingrained. And to a certain extent opinionated about itàs neigbours. They are very culturally aware. And very stubborn and proud about their own countries. Seems verz complex.

BACK TO ANTWERP+


















We had a great night that night thats for sure..and one day hope these wonderful people can come and experience aussie beers and Aussie hospitality!!

Our first night (and only night, for now) in Antwerp will always be memorable!

Maybe we will make it back there for Franks birthday. I hope so. Not sure where we will be at that point though...but if there is a high speed train...well be on it./

Felt sad leaving here..aw.