Orvieto, perched atop a volcanic tuff cliff in Umbria, Italy, is a town that effortlessly combines history, art, and striking landscapes. Its dramatic position overlooking the surrounding countryside immediately captures attention.
Called "La Metropolis del Sol Naciente" (The City that guards the Sun of the Caribbean), Fajardo was founded in 1772 as Santiago de Fajardo. Fajardo's perfect beaches are bounded by calm, clear water ideal for snorkeling, Seven Seas Beach, offers plentiful water sports facilities, offshore points for sailing, snorkeling and plenty of scuba diving.
Providenciales, often called “Provo,” is the most developed island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago and a gateway to some of the clearest waters in the Caribbean. Its coastline is famous for long stretches of white sand and shallow turquoise seas that seem to shift color with the sun. Grace Bay Beach, the island’s most celebrated shoreline, runs uninterrupted for more than 19 kilometers and is consistently ranked among the best beaches in the world.
The Quiver Tree Forest, located just outside the town of Keetmanshoop in southern Namibia, is one of the country's most captivating natural wonders. This unique forest is home to hundreds of towering quiver trees (Aloe dichotoma), some of which are estimated to be over 200 years old. These trees, named after the San people who used their hollowed-out branches as quivers for arrows, are an iconic symbol of Namibia's arid landscape.
Photo Credit: Photo by Göran Erlandsson on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Serge Taeymans on Unsplash
Kalmar Union, combination of the crowns of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, effected at Kalmar, Sweden, by Margaret I in 1397. Because all three crowns were elective, the union could not be maintained by inheritance. Margaret's successors controlled Sweden intermittently until Gustavus I of Sweden dissolved the union (1523). Norway became independent in 1814.