Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England’s west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, 17.5 miles (28.2 km) northwest of Preston, 30 miles (48 km) north of Liverpool, and 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Manchester. It has a population of 142,900, making it the third most populous settlement in North West England, and a population density which makes it the fourth most densely populated district of England and Wales outside Greater London. Throughout the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, Blackpool was a coastal hamlet in Lancashire’s Hundred of Amounderness, and remained such until the mid-18th century when it became fashionable in England to travel to the coast during Summer to bathe in sea water to improve wellbeing. In 1781, visitors attracted to Blackpool’s 7-mile (11 km) sandy beach were able to use a newly-built private road, built by Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Hoghton. Stagecoaches began running to Blackpool from Manchester in the same year, and from Halifax in 1782. In the early-19th century, Henry Banks and his son-in-law John Cocker erected new buildings in Blackpool such that its population grew from less than 500 in 1801 to over 2,500 in 1851. St John’s Church in Blackpool was consecrated in 1821. read more…
Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban, commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them. He also advised Louis XIV on how to consolidate France’s borders, to make them more defensible. Vauban made a radical suggestion of giving up some land that was indefensible to allow for a stronger, less porous border with France’s neighbours. read more…
Simferopol is a city on the Crimean peninsula. It is the administrative centre of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. As the capital of Crimea, Simferopol is an important political, economic, and transport hub of the peninsula. Simferopol serves as the administrative center of Simferopol municipality, one of the regions Crimea is divided into, and of Simferopol Raion, although it does not belong to the raion (district). read more…
Nordkapp (or North Cape in English) is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Honningsvåg. Nordkapp (originally named Kjelvik) was separated from Porsanger on 1 July 1861. The western part of the island of Magerøya was transferred from the municipality of Måsøy to Nordkapp on 1 January 1984. The municipality encompasses mainly the island of Magerøya, but also parts of the mainland east and west of the fjord of Porsanger. Most of the inhabitants live in the town of Honningsvåg, but Nordvågen, Kamøyvær, Skarsvåg and Gjesvær are also important places. read more…
MS Freedom of the Seas is a cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International. It is the namesake of Royal Caribbean’s Freedom class, and can accommodate 3,634 passengers and 1,300 crew on fifteen passenger decks. Freedom of the Seas was the largest passenger ship ever built from 2006 until construction of the Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships in late 2009. The Freedom of the Seas was built at the Aker YardsTurku Shipyard, Finland, which built the ships of the Voyager class as well as the other ships of the Freedom class. Upon its completion, it became the largest passenger ship ever built, taking that honor from Cunard‘s Queen Mary 2. Freedom of the Seas arrived in New York Harbor for its official naming ceremony on 12 May 2006 which was broadcast live on NBC’s The Today Show from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey (the ship’s official New York berth), and thereafter traveled to Boston for the weekend of May 19–22. It began operations out of Miami with its first cruise and maiden voyage on June 4, sailing to western Caribbean locations in Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica as well as Labadee, in Haiti, one of Royal Caribbean’s private resorts. Although the ship is registered in Nassau, The Bahamas, it is home ported in Port Canaveral, Florida, after moving from the Port of Miami. read more…
The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m), and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 feet (443 m) high. Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world’s tallest building for nearly 40 years, from its completion in early 1931 until the topping out of the original World Trade Center‘s North Tower in late 1970. On the open space on the 86th floor and on the 102nd floor there are publicly accessible viewing platforms, which are among the most visited sights in the city. The two platforms are visited by 10,000 visitors every day. As a result, the proceeds from ticket sales exceed the income from letting the office spaces in the building. read more…
Marine life and vital coastal habitats are straining under the increasing pressure of global use. The ocean, which was once considered inexhaustible and resilient, is, in fact, finite and fragile. Sailors for the Sea is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers the boating community to protect oceans and local waters. The boating community has a profound passion for – and understanding of – the world’s seas and Sailors for the Sea was founded to galvanize the sailing and boating community around ocean health issues. read more…
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 14,000. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the district of Lauenburg. read more…
Trouville-sur-Mer, commonly referred to as Trouville, is a commune in the Calvados department in the Lower Normandy region region in northwestern France with 5,000 inhabitants. The town’s inhabitants are called Trouvillais. The village of fishermen is a popular tourist destination in Normandy, approximately 200 km north west of Paris. read more…
