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easypeasyflytravel · 1 year

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5 Top European Destinations To Visit In Winter

5 Top European Destinations To Visit This Season - Easy Peasy Fly

5 Top European Destinations to Visit this Winter

Embrace the Winter Wonderland of Europe

Escape into a winter wonderland and embark on an unforgettable journey through the enchanting destinations of Europe. From snowy landscapes to cozy villages, Europe offers a plethora of magical winter getaways that will leave you in awe.

Immerse yourself in the charm of European winter destinations, where fairy tale-like scenes come to life. Picture yourself sipping hot chocolate by a crackling fireplace in a traditional Alpine chalet or strolling through cobblestone streets adorned with twinkling lights.

Whether you’re seeking thrilling winter sports adventures or simply longing for a peaceful retreat, Europe has it all. From the majestic Swiss Alps to the picturesque villages of Austria and Germany, each destination offers its own unique blend of beauty and tranquility.

Indulge in the warmth and hospitality of European hospitality as you explore historic cities draped in snow. Wander through Christmas markets brimming with festive cheer, where the aroma of mulled wine and freshly baked gingerbread fills the air.

Embrace the magic of European winter vacations as you witness iconic landmarks transformed by a blanket of snow. Marvel at the glistening Eiffel Tower in Paris or take a romantic sleigh ride through the fairytale-like landscapes of Lapland.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to experience Europe’s captivating winter wonderland. Whether you’re seeking adventure or relaxation, these magical destinations are sure to create memories that will last a lifetime. So bundle up, embrace the chilly temperatures, and let Europe’s winter charm captivate your heart.

1. Experience the Enchanting Beauty of Lapland, Finland

Welcome to the enchanting beauty of Lapland, Finland — a destination that will captivate your senses and leave you with memories to last a lifetime. Nestled in the northernmost part of Europe, Lapland is a magical wonderland that offers a unique blend of breathtaking landscapes, fascinating culture, and unforgettable experiences.

One of the highlights of Lapland is the famous Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. Here, you can step into the whimsical world of Santa Claus himself, visit his official post office, and even cross the magical Arctic Circle. It’s an experience that will make you feel like a child again as you immerse yourself in the spirit of Christmas.

But Lapland has so much more to offer beyond its association with Santa Claus. Prepare to be mesmerized by the awe-inspiring Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis. This natural phenomenon paints the night sky with vibrant colors and dances across the horizon, creating an otherworldly spectacle that will leave you in awe.

For adventure seekers, a Husky Safari through Lapland’s pristine wilderness is an absolute must-do. Feel the thrill as you glide through snow-covered forests and over frozen lakes while being pulled by these friendly and energetic huskies. It’s an exhilarating experience that allows you to connect with nature and witness firsthand the untamed beauty of this Arctic paradise.

Whether you’re seeking tranquility amidst nature or seeking thrilling adventures, Lapland has something for everyone. From snow-covered landscapes to cozy log cabins and traditional Sami culture, every moment spent here is filled with enchantment.

So pack your warmest clothes and get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey through Lapland’s enchanting beauty. Let this winter wonderland capture your heart and create memories that will last a lifetime.

2. Discover the Charming City of Prague in Czech Republic

Welcome to the enchanting city of Prague, located in the heart of the Czech Republic. Known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture, Prague is a must-visit destination any time of year. However, it is during the winter months that this city truly comes alive with a magical charm.

Experience the winter wonderland of Prague as you stroll through its charming streets adorned with twinkling lights and festive decorations. The city’s Christmas markets are a sight to behold, offering an array of traditional crafts, delicious food, and warm mulled wine. Immerse yourself in the festive spirit as you browse through stalls filled with handmade gifts and listen to live music performances.

One of the iconic landmarks that becomes even more breathtaking during winter is Charles Bridge. Imagine walking across this historic bridge while snowflakes gently fall around you, creating a picturesque scene straight out of a fairytale. Capture unforgettable moments as you take in panoramic views of Prague Castle covered in a blanket of snow.

Speaking of Prague Castle, don’t miss the opportunity to visit this majestic fortress during winter. Explore its grand halls and admire stunning Gothic architecture while enjoying stunning views over the cityscape. The castle’s gardens may be covered in snow but still exude an undeniable beauty that will leave you awe-inspired.

Whether you’re exploring historical sites or indulging in delicious Czech cuisine at cozy cafes and restaurants, Prague offers an unforgettable experience during winter. So bundle up and get ready to discover all that this charming city has to offer during this magical season.

3. Uncover the Captivating History in Budapest, Hungary

Uncover the captivating history of Budapest, Hungary, and immerse yourself in its enchanting winterscapes. From the stunning architecture to the rich cultural heritage, Budapest offers a unique experience that is sure to leave you mesmerized.

One of the highlights of a winter visit to Budapest is indulging in the city’s famous thermal baths. These thermal baths provide a perfect escape from the chilly weather, allowing you to relax and rejuvenate in naturally heated pools surrounded by beautiful architecture. Imagine soaking in warm mineral-rich waters while admiring the snow-covered rooftops of Budapest — it’s an experience like no other.

In addition to its breathtaking winterscapes, Budapest is also renowned for its culinary delights. Hungarian cuisine is a fusion of flavors influenced by various cultures throughout history. From hearty goulash to delectable pastries like chimney cakes, your taste buds are in for a treat. Embark on a culinary journey through Budapest and savor traditional dishes that reflect the country’s vibrant culinary heritage.

As you explore this captivating city, you’ll uncover layers of history woven into its streets and landmarks. From the iconic Chain Bridge connecting Buda and Pest to the grandeur of Buda Castle perched atop Castle Hill, every corner has a story waiting to be discovered.

Whether you’re seeking relaxation at thermal baths or craving an unforgettable gastronomic adventure, Budapest offers an enchanting winter experience that will leave you with lasting memories. Immerse yourself in this captivating city’s history and indulge in all it has to offer — from winterscapes to Hungarian cuisine — for an unforgettable journey through time and taste.

4. Skiing Adventure in Zermatt — The Alpine Paradise in Switzerland

Welcome to Zermatt, the ultimate alpine paradise nestled in the heart of Switzerland. This charming ski resort is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, world-class skiing opportunities, and a plethora of thrilling adventures that await you.

One of the highlights of any visit to Zermatt is conquering the majestic Matterhorn peak. Standing at an impressive 4,478 meters, this iconic mountain offers an exhilarating challenge for both seasoned climbers and adventurous beginners. The sense of accomplishment and awe as you reach the summit is truly unparalleled.

But Zermatt isn’t just about adrenaline-pumping activities. After a day on the slopes, indulge in a delightful experience for your taste buds with Swiss chocolate and cheese tasting. Sample some of Switzerland’s finest chocolates and savor the rich flavors of locally-produced cheeses. It’s a culinary journey that perfectly complements your skiing adventure.

Whether you’re a seasoned skier or new to the sport, Zermatt has something for everyone. With over 360 kilometers of ski slopes catering to all levels, from gentle beginner runs to challenging black diamond trails, there’s endless excitement awaiting you on these snow-covered mountains.

Beyond skiing, Zermatt offers a charming village atmosphere with traditional Swiss architecture and cozy mountain lodges. Take leisurely strolls through car-free streets lined with boutique shops and quaint cafes offering warm beverages to keep you cozy during chilly winter days.

In conclusion, Zermatt is not just another ski destination — it’s an alpine paradise that promises unforgettable experiences. From conquering Matterhorn’s peak to indulging in Swiss chocolate and cheese tastings, every moment spent here will leave lasting memories. So pack your gear and get ready for an adventure like no other in this picturesque corner of Switzerland!

5. Immerse Yourself in Romance at Vienna Christmas Markets in Austria

Indulge in a romantic winter wonderland at the Vienna Christmas Markets in Austria. Immerse yourself in the enchanting atmosphere as you stroll through the charming streets adorned with twinkling lights and festive decorations.

The Viennese Christmas markets are renowned for their magical ambiance, offering a unique blend of tradition and modernity. Explore the various stalls filled with handcrafted gifts, exquisite ornaments, and delectable treats that will surely delight your senses.

While visiting the Vienna Christmas markets, be sure to experience the world-famous Viennese coffee culture. Warm up with a cup of rich and aromatic coffee at one of the traditional coffee houses, where you can savor every sip while enjoying the cozy ambiance.

No visit to Vienna during winter would be complete without a trip to Schönbrunn Palace. Admire its majestic beauty as it transforms into a winter wonderland, with its stunning gardens covered in glistening snow. Take a romantic stroll through the palace grounds and immerse yourself in its captivating history.

Whether you’re looking for unique gifts, a taste of Viennese culinary delights, or simply want to soak up the festive atmosphere, the Vienna Christmas markets offer an unforgettable experience that will leave you with cherished memories.

Prepare to be swept away by romance as you embrace all that Vienna has to offer during this magical time of year.

Embrace the Winter Bliss Across Europe’s Top Destinations

Embrace the enchanting winter bliss across Europe’s top destinations and embark on a journey filled with unforgettable travel experiences. From the snowy landscapes of the Swiss Alps to the charming Christmas markets of Germany, there is no shortage of magical moments waiting to be discovered.

Imagine strolling through picturesque streets adorned with twinkling lights, sipping hot mulled wine as you immerse yourself in the festive traditions of each destination. Whether it’s building snowmen in Austria or witnessing the breathtaking Northern Lights in Iceland, Europe offers a wide array of winter wonders for every traveler.

Indulge in exhilarating outdoor activities such as skiing, snowboarding, or even dog sledding amidst stunning mountain backdrops. Or simply cozy up by a crackling fireplace with a cup of cocoa and relish in the warmth and tranquility that only winter can bring.

Each European destination has its own unique charm and allure during this season. From the fairytale-like beauty of Prague’s Christmas markets to the romantic ambiance of Paris adorned with holiday decorations, you’ll find yourself captivated by the sheer magic that surrounds you.

So why wait? Embrace the winter bliss across Europe’s top destinations and create memories that will last a lifetime. Let yourself be swept away by the charm and wonder that awaits you amidst these snowy landscapes and festive traditions. It’s time to embark on an extraordinary journey into Europe’s winter wonderland.

#easypeasyfly #flights #travel

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icelandoffbeat · 1 month

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Discover Iceland: Adventure Holidays, Exploration Tours, and Off-the-Beaten-Path Experiences

Iceland, known for its dramatic landscapes and otherworldly beauty, is a haven for those seeking adventure and exploration. From the thrill of chasing the Northern Lights to the serenity of capturing stunning photographs, Iceland offers a variety of unique experiences for every traveler. Whether you’re looking to embark on an Iceland adventure holiday, explore off-the-beaten-path destinations, or immerse yourself in the magic of Iceland’s natural wonders, this incredible country promises memories that will last a lifetime.

Iceland Adventure Holidays

For thrill-seekers and nature enthusiasts, Iceland adventure holidays offer an unparalleled experience. The country’s rugged terrain provides the perfect backdrop for a wide range of activities, from glacier hiking and ice climbing to white-water rafting and volcano trekking. Adventure holidays in Iceland are designed to push your limits and allow you to explore the island’s untamed beauty in a way that few other destinations can match.

One of the most popular adventure activities in Iceland is exploring the country’s glaciers. Guided glacier hikes take you across ancient ice formations, revealing stunning ice caves and crevasses that sparkle in shades of blue. For those seeking even more excitement, ice climbing provides a challenging yet rewarding experience. Other adventure options include snowmobiling on vast glaciers, exploring volcanic landscapes, and diving between the tectonic plates at Silfra, where crystal-clear waters offer visibility of over 100 meters.

Iceland Exploration Tours

Iceland exploration tours are perfect for travelers who want to dive deep into the island’s diverse landscapes and cultural heritage. These tours offer guided experiences that take you beyond the typical tourist routes, allowing you to discover hidden gems and learn about Iceland’s unique history and geology. Whether you’re exploring the volcanic highlands, venturing into remote fjords, or visiting ancient lava fields, these tours provide a comprehensive and immersive experience.

Exploration tours often include visits to iconic sites like Thingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, and the powerful Gullfoss waterfall. However, the real magic of these tours lies in the lesser-known locations. For example, you might find yourself wandering through the remote Westfjords, where dramatic cliffs meet the ocean, or exploring the colorful rhyolite mountains of Landmannalaugar in the Highlands. These tours are ideal for travelers who want to experience the true essence of Iceland’s natural wonders.

Off-the-Beaten-Path Iceland Tours

For those seeking solitude and serenity, off-the-beaten-path Iceland tours offer a chance to explore the country’s hidden corners away from the crowds. These tours take you to remote and untouched areas that few visitors ever see, providing an authentic and intimate connection with Iceland’s wild landscapes. Whether you’re hiking through the remote Hornstrandir Nature Reserve or discovering the hidden valleys of the East Fjords, these tours offer a truly unique experience.

Off-the-beaten-path tours are perfect for nature lovers and adventurers who want to immerse themselves in Iceland’s pristine wilderness. The tours often involve activities such as hiking, wildlife watching, and exploring secluded hot springs, all while surrounded by stunning scenery. With the guidance of local experts, you’ll uncover the stories and secrets of Iceland’s most remote regions, making for a truly unforgettable journey.

Iceland Northern Lights Tours

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are one of Iceland’s most sought-after natural phenomena. Iceland Northern Lights tours provide the opportunity to witness this mesmerizing display of lights dancing across the Arctic sky. These tours take you to areas with minimal light pollution, maximizing your chances of seeing the auroras in all their glory.

Northern Lights tours are often combined with other winter activities, such as snowmobiling, ice cave exploration, or visits to geothermal hot springs. With experienced guides who understand the science behind the lights and the best locations for viewing, these tours ensure a magical and memorable experience.

Iceland Photography Tours

For photographers and visual storytellers, Iceland photography tours offer a chance to capture the country’s stunning landscapes through the lens. These tours are led by professional photographers who provide guidance on composition, lighting, and technique, helping you capture the essence of Iceland’s beauty. From the glacial lagoons of Jökulsárlón to the basalt columns of Reynisfjara, photography tours take you to some of the most photogenic locations in the world.

Iceland’s ever-changing weather and dramatic landscapes create the perfect conditions for breathtaking photographs. Whether you’re capturing the vibrant colors of the Northern Lights, the rugged beauty of the Highlands, or the tranquil reflections of fjords, these tours provide an opportunity to hone your skills and create stunning images that tell the story of Iceland’s wild and untamed beauty.

Conclusion

Iceland’s diverse landscapes and unique experiences make it a top destination for adventure seekers, explorers, and photographers alike. Whether you’re embarking on an Iceland adventure holiday, exploring off-the-beaten-path locations, or chasing the Northern Lights, Iceland promises an experience that is both exhilarating and unforgettable. With the guidance of local experts and the freedom to explore at your own pace, you’ll discover the true magic of Iceland’s natural wonders.

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angeliana2023 · 2 months

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Chapter 19: The Mysterious Beyond

Author's Note: Hello, dreamers! I've been excited to write this because it's something I've been waiting for since I first started this version a year ago. When I started writing, I had this idea for Dire. I've cultivated it more over the months, and I can't believe I'm finally getting to write it... The Land Before Time mission will be crucial because Dire and Lilith are searching for the Heart. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what it is until NEXT chapter, but it's what I've been leading up to since the first arc. So, with that out of the way, enjoy!

Disclaimer! Any of the characters, ideas, locations, or stories that aren't my OCs or part of my personal ideas aren't mine and I do not claim to own them.

Characters introduced (or mentioned)

The gang of five (The Land Before Time)

King Frostgale (OC)

Frostellia (OC)

Frostgale (OC)

Snowy Dawn (Geronimo Stilton: The Quest for Paradise)

Ice Dusk (OC)

Master Tonpetty (JoJo)

November 2012

The team had returned from their trip, with memories to last a lifetime. Once everyone was settled back in, Dire and Lilith were at the Multiverse Hotel, preparing to leave for their mission.

"Now, listen up. In the future, Lily is destined to travel through all 14 Land before time movies. She'll be able to meet the characters, but you two have to steer clear of them.

"Ok, Aurora, but why aren't we allowed to interact with them?" Lilith asked.

"Because Lily is destined to meet them anyway. I don't want to risk the plan being thrown off course. And I also don't want the children meeting you yet, because even though you're traveling through their world, they don't need to get involved with Etherian affairs yet. I don't want to worry them.

"I understand, now. We'd better be careful." Lilith said.

"Ok, are you two ready to go?" Aurora said.

"Yes, we are," Dire said. He and Lilith stepped through the door.

When they emerged, they saw sights they had never seen before. The land was nothing like back home. It was an unforgiving, barren, wasteland.

"This must be the mysterious beyond," Dire said.

Lilith responded. "This is much different from anywhere else we've traveled since we first started going on missions."

"Yes, it is, and that's why we both must be on our guard. We must try to steer clear of danger." Dire said. As soon as he said that, he sighted a Nightdreamer monster. He and Lilith hid behind a big rock.

Monsters already? Those Nightdreamers are cruel! Lilith thought.

"Let's wait for it to pass us by." Dire whispered, as quietly as he could. The monster passed by, and the two of them heaved a sigh of relief.

"Ok, now, let's check our plan," Lilith said, checking where they needed to search for the Heart.

The rock that looks like a Longneck The Mountains that burn The pond

"That's all?" Lilith asked. "It's so cryptic! Well, I guess we have our work cut out for us..." Lilith said. She and Dire began the long walk.

As the two of them trekked, Lilith spoke to Dire. "I was wondering what exactly the Heart does. I know it's extremely important, but what is it?" Lilith asked.

"I don't know. It could be a powerful weapon like the one Coletta told me she used to decimate the Trix's Army of Darkness. Maybe it can grant a wish?" Dire asked. Lilith's heart fluttered when she heard 'wish.'

"I-I know Lily will need to use it herself if it could grant a wish, but if it was mine, I would ask for one thing only," Lilith said.

Dire was curious. "What would it be?"

"Mortality. I was created by Anankos, an ancient dragon. He created me, along with the other Astral Dragons centuries ago. I have great power, but I'm also cursed with immortality. I want to be able to experience things that a normal human being would, like falling in love, growing old, and dying with them, not outliving them." Lilith said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I understand completely. Who would ever want to live forever? I would rather be with the ones I loved forever.

"You know, Dire, you remind me of someone," Lilith said.

"Who?" Dire asked.

"His name was Frostgale. I fell in love with him years ago, but sadly, he died. Something about you makes me think of him." Lilith said.

Dire's face turned white. "Frostgale? What did he look-" Dire was cut off by a rumbling sound.

"Earthquake," Lilith said.

The ground began to shake harder and split open. Dire fell through a crack, and Lilith tried to pull him up.

"Let me go! I don't want you to fall with me!" Dire said.

"It won't matter if I fell in, as long as my gem sustains no damage," Lilith said.

"But what if it's damaged when you fall in?" Dire said. "Lilith, just let go. I'll be ok." Dire tried to persuade Lilith to save herself, and she almost let go, but she saw Frostgale in Dire's eyes. She tried to tighten her grip, but his hand slipped, and he fell.

"NO! I won't let you die!" Lilith shouted. She jumped into the pit after Dire.

"Dragons, give me strength!" Lilith shouted. Her body glowed with blue light, and she transformed into her Astral Dragon form. She managed to catch dire and bring him back to the surface...

Meanwhile, Percy and Megan were looking out for the heroes.

"So, where do you think they would be?" Megan said.

"I don't know, and I don't even know why we're here. If we're not allowed to wreak havoc on the heroes of this story, what's the point of even coming here?" Percy said.

"You know what my mother said. We need to defeat Lilith's guard and get that gem for mother! On top of that, we need to get that special weapon that was rumored to be here!" Lilith said.

Percy scoffed. "We don't even know what it is, let alone WHERE it is, so how will we get it?" Percy asked.

"Easy. Just try to silently follow behind Dire and Lilith! Wherever they might be-" As soon as Megan finished speaking, she saw a blue light in the distance.

"That was easy. How could those heroes be so dumb?" Percy asked.

The two followed where they had spotted the light.

Meanwhile, dire was still recuperating from his fall. But when he saw Lilith, he almost fainted. "What are you doing? You need to transform back! The Nightdreamers will see you!" Dire said.

Lilith transformed back. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to die like Frostgale. I couldn't bear losing another lover." Lilith said. "There's something I forgot to tell you. Even if my gem is just taken, and not destroyed, my spirit can never truly pass on. It will still be trapped within the gem. So I could never be with Frostgale." Lilith said.

"I understand how that feels, but, who is Frostgale? I-I think I might have known him, long ago.

"He told me he was from an ice kingdom. He was very mysterious, so that's all I ever really knew about him." Lilith said.

"Lilith... Did I ever tell you?" He was cut off by a blast of dark water.

Percy and Megan had found them! Percy was already using his new dark powers.

"Lilith, stay behind me!" Dire said.

"But dire, I can fight, too! Didn't you see what I did in that chasm?" Lilith said.

"I know, but I don't want you getting hurt!" Dire said.

"Enough talk, let's battle! Percy said, drawing his sword.

Dire drew his, also, and the two of them clashed.

Megan approached Lilith. "If those two dummies want to fight, I'll just take the gem myse-"

"STOP!" Lilith cut her off.

"How dare you tell the future Queen of Dark Etheria to stop!" Megan said.

"Why are you doing this? Look around! You can't just keep hurting people, because it isn't right! All Lily wants is for everyone to love each other, not fight each other!" Lilith poked Megan. "And you're trying to unravel it all, by turning good people bad! Dire shouldn't be fighting Percy, we should all be helping each other!" Lilith said.

But Megan wasn't convinced. "Listen. You need to respect us villains. My mother only wants to heal what Alessandria has broken!" She said Alessandria like it was a bad word.

"You guys will learn soon enough..." Lilith said.

Dire and Percy were still fighting, but it look like it would end badly... Percy sent a blast of dark water at Lilith. It hit her, and Dire prepared to use his Thunder Cross Split Attack.

"NO!" He's good, remember?" Lilith screamed.

Dire came to his senses and stopped his attack.

That gave Percy an opportunity. He aimed a blast of dark water right at Lilith's gem, and fired it!

NO!" Dire said. He lept in front of the water, but instead of hitting him, it froze in place...

"Wha-? Lilith said.

Leave now." Dire said, coldly.

"Cmon, Percy, we need to get away from them! They're obviously overpowered!" Megan said.

Percy stood down. "You're right. We should regroup. Percy said.

The two of them fled, but Megan looked over her shoulder, and said, "Don't think you haven't seen the last of us!"

"They're smart, fleeing from us! We make a great duo!" Lilith said.

But dire didn't answer. "Those ice powers you saw... Have you seen them before?" He asked.

Lilith remembered. "Frostgale uses to use powers like that! Do you know him? Lilith said.

"Did he have long blonde hair?" Dire asked.

"Yes, he did," Lilith said.

"Then it must be him... This may be painful for toque to recall, but how did he die?" Dire asked.

"I never truly knew how, but he was rumored to have been in a storm at sea with his entire family. He and I made an agreement that he would never tell me about his family, because I didn't want to grow attacked, because of my immortality." Lilith said.

Dire's face turned white. "It must've been him..."

"Who?" Lilith asked.

Dire took a deep breath. "I think I should finally tell you the truth about where I come from. Frostgale was my younger brother."

Lilith's eyes widened. "I-I knew you two were connected all along, but it's still shocking..."

Dire continued. "My father was King Frostgale, the king of the snow people. One day, it snowed for 700 nights and days in his kingdom, leaving our homes completely covered. He saved us all by making us board a ship to a new land. Onboard were my father, my mother Frostellia, my sisters, named Ice Dusk and Snowy Dawn, my brother Frostgale, and I. The voyage was going smoothly, but something horrible happened. There was a storm at sea, and my father ordered everyone below deck, but my youngest sister, Snowy Dawn was left behind by mistake. She was swept away by a wave, but I survived. I washed up to shore, and Master Tonpetty found me and took me in. My true name is Snowhawk." Dire told his story with pain in his voice.

"That's horrible..." Lilith said.

"But there's still hope. I've heard rumors that Snowy Dawn is still alive somewhere. In the future, when we go on more missions, I will search for her." Dire said.

"Well, at least you have hope. I feel your pain because I am the last of the Astral Dragons." Lilith said.

"Thank you for understanding," Dire said. He remembered. "We're behind schedule! We need to continue the search." The two of them stared at the ruined world around them. That earthquake almost completely changed the land. It looked as if the Nightdreamers did it themselves, even though it was only a natural disaster. So Dire and Lilith cautiously trekked forward, finding the rock that looked like a Longneck.

"Wow... it's beautiful..." Lilith said, marveling at the majestic rock's beauty.

"Let's start the search..." Dire said. The two of them began to search for the Heart, even climbing to the very top of the rock. Alas, they didn't find it anywhere.

As Dire and Lilith descended the rock, Lilith stopped and realized something.

"Dire... This is just how searching for your sister feels, right?" Lilith said.

"Yes, it does... Searching so futilely, but never finding anything." Dire said.

Lilith shook her head. "I didn't mean that. What I meant was, even though we didn't find the Heart here, it could be at the Mountains that Burn! Even though you can't find your sister in the places you look, there are still other places where she could be." Lilith said.

Dire smiled at Lilith. "When you say it like that, you give me hope. Thank you." Dire said before the two continued on their journey.

Meanwhile, Percy and Megan were already at the Mountains that Burn and were prepared to surprise attack the heroes!

"Alright, Percy, when the two of them get here, you know what to do! I'll use my powers to get the gem, and you'll face Dire!" Megan explained.

But Percy wasn't listening. What Lilith said about the villains trying to unravel everything the heroes were working for was awakening something inside of him...

Megan's eyes widened. She realized what was happening. "Percy, listen to me. I know you're having doubts about who's side you should be on, but know this! Those heroes are just trying to lure you in! Before I started going on these missions, I actually wanted to make friends with Lily! If villainy can change me, it can change you!" Megan said.

"Ok, Megan..." Percy said. He was just pretending to agree with her because the spell she cast upon him was slipping. The deep red color of his eyes was lightening.

"Don't worry, Percy! You'll love being a villain!" Megan said before she saw something in the distance.

"It's them!" Megan said, springing into action. She looked behind her and noticed Percy wasn't following her. "C'mon, Percy! We don't want them to get too far ahead!" Megan grabbed Percy's arm and pulled him along. Percy's eyes turned dark red once again.

"There they are!" Megan whispered, laying low, staring at Dire and Lilith. "Are you ready to do this, Percy?" Megan asked.

"Of course," Percy said. He was now under full control by the Nightdreamers.

Percy conjured a blast of dark water, and prepared to fire it at Dire! Lilith heard the rushing sound of him conjuring the blast, and jumped in front of Dire!

"Lilith, no!" Dire said, as the water collided with her. but in her place was a magnificent Astral Dragon! She used her stronger form to take the attack.

Yes, I've got you right where I want you! Megan thought, preparing to face Lilith when she turned back into a human.

Wait, what am I doing? They've seen my Astral form, and how powerful it is! Lilith thought. When she used her astral form to save Dire from falling, she turned back before Percy and Megan could see her. Now they'd both seen it!

Human form Lilith stood in front of Megan, not afraid to face her.

"I won't let you get away with this, Megan! You think you have to hurt my new friends because your evil mother tells you to, but she's wrong!" Lilith held her hand out for Megan to take. "Come home with us, Megan! To a place where no one will make you be evil ever again! Randall, Waternoose, Tex Richman, and others are already living happily at the Mansion of Lucidity! Lily's not here right now, but if she was, she would do the same thing! She would try to bring her cousin Megan away from the dark!" Lilith said.

Megan's gaze softened for the briefest of seconds but turned right back icy. "Nice speech, Dragon of stars, but I have a responsibility to uphold. I'm the future queen of Dark Etheria, so I can't waste my time listening to heroes blabbering." Megan stretched her hand out, and Lilith felt her powers leaving her!

N-NO!" Lilith screamed as Megan began to take her gem. She felt light-headed and swayed on her feet.

Just as the gem was about to leave Lilith's forehead, a blast of clear, pure, blue water blasted Megan's hand! "What the heck was that?" Megan shouted.

It was Percy! His formerly red eyes were back to their normal sea green color!

"You're back?" Lilith asked.

He turned to Lilith. "Yes. Those words you just said about Megan going home with you were enough to break the spell I was under!" Percy said.

"Uh, um... I should get back." Megan said, before teleporting away. At least she was smart enough to realize when she was outnumbered!

When she was gone, Dire ran to check on Lilith. "Are you ok? He said. He examined the gem for any cracks.

"Yes, I'm fine. It takes a lot of power to take an Astral Dragon's gem, and since Megan isn't powerful enough yet, she didn't have enough strength to take it." Lilith said.

Dire was relieved. "I'm glad." He turned to Percy. "Thank you for helping Lilith." Dire shook Percy's hand.

"You're welcome. I can't believe I turned dark..." Percy said.

"It's alright, Percy. After all, you weren't even in control of yourself." Lilith said.

"It won't be as easy in the future to break Nightdreamer spells. Megan is still practicing, and when she gets more powerful, words alone won't be enough to bring them back. Until then, Lily should practice using her powers." Dire said.

"We can think about that after we find the Heart. Let's go to the next location!" Lilith said.

The three heroes trekked to the pond, which was the next location on the quest. When they arrived, they were greeted by a beautiful sight. It was a pond with a rock overlooking it. The body of water looked majestic, Like the site of an old kingdom.

"Wow. Could this be where it is?" Lilith asked.

Just then, the three of them heard footsteps off in the distance.

"The characters!" Dire said. "We need to get the heart before they get here, so we don't interfere with their story!

The three dove into the pond, in search of the Heart. Their efforts, however, were futile. Lilith, Dire, and Percy surfaced empty-handed.

"It's no use..." Lilith said. Just as the three of them were about to give up, Lilith thought of Lily and the others back in Haventown, and how much they needed the Heart. "No. I can't let any of my new family get hurt." She turned to Dire and Percy. "If the Heart can't be found, or falls into the wrong hands, we all could die." She had renewed resolve.

Lilith stepped over to the pond's edge and looked at the water before her.

"Lilith," Dire said. Lilith looked back at him. "Good luck." He said, with a warm smile. Lilith nodded and dove into the water.

As she swam deeper, she found it harder to hold her breath. She was about to resurface when she thought of something.

Since I take the form of a fish in my Astral Dragon form, I need to take a chance and use it, even if I'm detected by villains again! My friends are counting on it!

"DRAGONS, GIVE ME STRENGTH!" She shouted. A brilliant light surrounded her, and she was transformed! Lilith swam deeper and deeper until she could see a faint pink glimmer shining from the dark depths.

Just a little closer... She thought.

She swam with all her might, harder than she'd ever swam before, and finally...

She got it.

Lilith grasped the Heart in her hands. In a split second, two things happened. First, Lilith was surrounded by a light more blinding than the brightest star, then She felt herself falling.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" She shouted, not knowing where she would land, or if the landing would be soft.

The next thing she knew, she was in a world made of pink clouds.

Dire and Percy were beside her. Lilith looked at Dire with a 'What the heck?' look, and he shrugged in return.

Power of the Gods - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Just then, a brilliant light appeared before them. From the light, a woman emerged.

Lilith knew immediately who she was. "Q-Queen Alessandria?" Lilith was in awe.

"Yes, it is I. Thank you for finding the Heart." She said, with a warm, motherly smile.

"Does it belong to you?" Lilith asked.

"It belongs to all of us. Every Etherian and Fictonian is an owner of the Heart. Even the Realiteans rely on its light because, without it, the real world would be completely overtaken by the Nightdreamers' power." Alessia said.

"What makes the Heart so powerful?" Dire asked.

Alessia suddenly got a serious look on her face. "This Heart not only possesses immense power, but it possesses the truth. The truth about who I truly am, and where we all came from." Alessia said.

"When will it be revealed?" Lilith asked.

Aurora had already started to fade. "I can't talk to you for much longer." She was almost completely transparent. "But I've entrusted Colette with the information." Alessia said. She was gone, but her disembodied voice said one more thing, before it faded completely. "Tell Lily I love her..." Alessia herself was probably more exited to meet her daughter than Lily herself was...

Lilith, Dire, and Percy began fading away, also. They were transported to the foyer of the Mansion of Lucidity, where Coletta, Aurora, and Cadenza were awaiting their return.

"You found it..." Coletta said. "I know you did, because the instant you got here, I could feel Alesia's intense power.

Lilith approached Coletta. "You bet we did!" She said.

Coletta turned to Dire. "Dire. Thank you for protecting her." She said.

Dire bowed. "You're welcome, but Lilith is the one you need to thank for saving me. During the mission, she risked her safety by using her dragon form to save me twice ." Dire said.

Lilith intervened. "But, wait, you sheielded me from one of Percy's attacks, remember?" She turned to Percy. And if you wouldn't have stopped Megan from taking my gem, I would've been lost forever, and the Nightdreamers would have an Astral Dragon's power!" Lilith said.

Dire looked at her. "But you got the Heart. If not for your Astral Dragon form, we wouldn't have it." Dire said.

"Thank you, but I think we all deserve credit." Lilith said.

"Yes, you all do. It takes a special person to put their life on the line to protect a friend." Coletta said.

"One more thing. What about the 'truth' Alessia told us about?" Lilith asked.

"It's what I was just about to tell you." Aurora said. Lily was playing outside at the moment, so Aurora called her in.

"You're back!" Lily ran up and hugged Dire and Lilith. She saw Percy, with his original eye color, and hugged him, also. "You're purified? That's awesome! But how did you do it without the staff?" She asked.

Aurora explained. "Since the villains from the movies you've already traveled through were made evil by their creators, who have ultimate power over their characters, only the power of the Daydreamers could save them, because, as rulers of the world where anything could come to be, we also have dominion. But since Megan's powers are untrained, she didn't turn Percy evil all of the way." Aurora explained. "Now, I'm going to reveal the truth of everything to you." Aurora said to the room.

Listen well... Aurora thought.

Author's note: Sorry I'm late again, but I was kinda nervous about this chapter... I don't know how well you'll receive the whole Dire secret thing... The next chapter is going to be the big one. It's the start of the final arc of this book, and I'll reveal the big secret... I'm more nervous about next chapter's secret than this one's! I also can't believe it's been over a year since I first posted this version! What's even more weird, is the fact that the first chapter and the chapter before this were both posed on September 24th! I wasn't trying to make that happen, but it did. So, stay tuned for the next chapter, and don't forget to Stay lucid!

#etheriacadenzauniverse #book #fanfiction #fanfic #story

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europeincomingei · 2 years

Text

Travel Operator for Christmas in Europe

A tour operator or travel operator is a company that provides packaged tours, which include transportation, accommodation, and activities. Tour operators are responsible for putting together all the elements of a trip, and they often offer a wide range of packages to choose from. Tour operators take care of all the details, so you don't have to. From booking flights and hotels to arranging activities and transportation, everything is done for you. Tour operators often offer packages that allow you to experience local culture and customs, which can be a wonderful way to immerse yourself in a new place. We are a group of specialists in European travel and events who help agents, event planners, and their clients from all over the world benefit from our extensive destination knowledge and planning expertise. We provide agents and event planners with streamlined solutions for clients in leisure and student groups, as well as FIT, corporate MICE, and Destination Events including Weddings, from planning to departure. These solutions include accommodation, transport and ground transfers, escorted tours, event venues, special event support, and entertainment. We are committed to developing vacation packages that make it possible for a wide range of long-distance travellers to learn about Europe's fascinating history and rich culture, view iconic landmarks, and take in breath-taking bavarian christmas markets scenery.

Bavaria, a region in southern Germany, is known for its traditional Christmas markets, which are held in cities and towns throughout the region during the holiday season. These markets are a charming mix of festive stalls, mulled wine, and live music, making them a popular destination for travelers from all over the world. The Munich Christkindlmarkt is one of the most famous Christmas markets in Bavaria and attracts thousands of visitors each year. This market is held in Marienplatz, the central square of Munich, and features stalls selling handmade gifts, traditional food, and festive drinks. Bavarian Christmas markets are a must-visit for anyone looking for a festive and charming holiday experience. With their traditional stalls, mulled wine, and live music, these markets will get you into the holiday spirit and create memories that will last a lifetime. As a leading European destination management company, we are experts at creating bespoke events and itineraries for agents and event planners who serve a wide range of travelers. We go above and beyond to cut out all the red tape so that vacationers can remember their trip fondly. We meet all of your clients' requirements for ground services, travel arrangements, lodging, venues, guided tours, and wedding celebrations while supporting them every step of the way.

Rovaniemi, a city located in Finnish Lapland, is a winter wonderland during the holiday season. From the Northern Lights to the snow-covered landscapes, there are plenty of reasons to visit Rovaniemi for Christmas. One of the most famous attractions in Rovaniemi is Santa Claus Village, where visitors can meet Santa Claus and learn about Finnish Christmas traditions. The Northern Lights are a magical sight in Rovaniemi, and one of the best ways to experience them is through a guided aurora hunting tour. The Christmas in Rovaniemi is a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit. Over the past four decades, we have created European experiences for tourists from all over the world. As a result, we have established ourselves as one of the most prominent destination management businesses. Our team is devoted to developing bespoke itineraries, events, and solutions for travel agents and event planners serving a wide range of travellers. Our close relationships with suppliers and knowledge of Europe's various regions and diversity set us apart. We are able to find the ideal package for your clients because we enjoy traveling and appreciate European culture, history, and heritage.

#bavarian christmas markets #christmas in rovaniemi #travel operator #europe #travel

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philipcharmont · 2 years

Photo

the charmont family tree

past gen

the parents;;

hubert charmont ( nick hargrove / derek jacobi ) - the king who is trying his best to not only save his sons but keep his kingdom as well. feels he has let down his sons after the passing of their mother. he just wants what is best for them especially as his time on this earth draws to a close.

adele charmont (née friedrich) ( abigail cowen / bryce dallas howard ) - the queen with a fire burning in her soul that matched the hair atop her head. loved fiercely and was adored by all. she was truly a diamond. tragically passed away leaving behind three beautiful boys and a broken hearted king.

present gen

kit charmont ( richard madden / colin farrell ) - the eldest charmont son. future king of ulstead. the golden son who had far too much responsibility placed on his shoulders from a young age. his entire life has been given to his kingdom. but now does he listen to duty or follow his heart ?

florian charmont ( chace crawford / ewan mcgregor ) - the middle child. the rebel prince. he onced believed love and hope could save all until it couldn’t save the most important person to him. anger and resentment now lay within this lost prince but is it still possible to save him from the edge ?

philip charmont ( zac efron / james marsden ) - the youngest charmont. future king of ylisse. the prince who’s heart threatens to leap out of his chest and ride into the sunset. he’s on a mission to complete his hero’s quest but has learned that the journey to becoming a hero is not always the easiest.

aurora capulet ( phoebe dynevor / amanda seyfried ) - future queen of ylisse. the dreamer who still seems to be figuring out exactly who she is. she’s been hidden away from the world for so long she’s ready to discover it. happily ever always seemed guaranteed but when darkness and a curse linger over who will the ending ever some true ?

sorrel white ( park soo-young ( joy ) / seo yeji ) - the fairest of them all. her beauty and kindness made her a target to someone who was meant to care for her. now in a new city is she finally free from the wicked queen ?

next gen

william ‘ liam ’ charmont ( brenton thwaites ) - the oldest son of philip & aurora charmont.

seviathan ‘ seth ’ charmont ( jacob elordi ) - the middle child of philip & aurora charmont. older twin to rose.

rosalie charmont ( emily alyn lind ) - the youngest child of philip & aurora charmont. younger twin to seth.

arthur charmont ( josha stradowski ) - the oldest child of kit charmont. father to isolde charmont. older twin to vivienne.

vivienne ‘ viv ’ charmont ( florence pugh ) - the youngest child of kit charmont. younger twin to arthur.

cosima charmont ( adeline rudolph ) - the oldest child of florian & sorrel charmont.

basil charmont ( huening kai ) - the youngest child of florian & sorrel charmont.

#got in my charmont feels so i made this lmfao #* .・ fearless child broken boy; tell me what it’s like to burn » musings.#* .・ destined to last for a lifetime and beyond » aurora.#* .・ you save everyone but who saves you? » kit.#* .・ whatever you do you’re still my brother. » florian.#* .・ heavy is the head that wears the crown » liam.#* .・ under love's heavy burden do I sink » seth.#condolences to seth's four kids i didn't have room for u besties

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thorne93 · 5 years

Text

Unforeseen Chasm (Part 1)

Prompt: Two sisters fall for men that are absolute enemies. The love they have could tear all of them apart, or it could bring them together.

Word Count: 2191

Warnings: Language,

Note: This is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written (including my novels). It’s a collaboration with the amazing @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo. It started as a funny “What if...?” and it evolved and got huge. This took two years to write. We are both proud and happy and we hope you enjoy it. It follows from Thor 1 to Endgame in the MCU. Some of the timelines may be off in order to fit certain people, and some characters may show up earlier or in different ways than they have in the movie. But for the most part, it follows the MCU. It also has a bit of crossover with some other Marvel characters throughout the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once in a lifetime, and sometimes not even then, people meet someone who can be described as their better half. The person who knows them better than anyone. The person who completes them. Sometimes it can be found in a lover, or a sibling, or sometimes...once in a blue moon, it can be found in just a friend -- a stranger you cross paths with one day. A stranger that eventually means more to you than anyone else in the world.

That’s how it was for you and Shannon.

It was freshman year of college when she walked into your life. The two of you were set together as roommates. She had a touch of pluckiness to her, drive that you’d never witnessed, intelligence that rivaled yours, and a take no shit attitude.

Of course, she was shy at first, so were you. But within just a few minutes, you realized that you two were destined to be best friends. Her major lied in anatomical mutation and molecular engineering with a minor in foreign language. Meanwhile, you majored in physics and engineering, minoring in Norse mythology.

Shannon definitely teased you for that. She wondered why or how you would ever need that, but your reasoning was simply that you enjoyed it. If you were going to spend thousands upon thousands studying something for a career for the rest of your life, the least you could do was study one thing that was a little different that fascinated you, even if was just for four years.

Your areas of study may have overlapped, but your upbringing didn’t. Shannon had parents, who loved her, and according to her “sent her to a prestigious academy to refine all skills”. And you saw these skills in the way she moved, talked, carried herself, and focused her skills. She was all things a lady should be. In fact, she did so well in this so called “Red Room”, that Howard Stark (founder of Stark Industries) caught wind of her accomplishments and decided to invest further in her. He gave her a full ride scholarship to any college she wanted, to study whatever she wanted. He thought maybe, one day, she might be of use to his son Tony.

In fact, they became good friends too. Tony and Shannon, that is. He was a few years older than her, but he helped her with her work, and became curious as to why Shannon was always hanging around his dad’s company. It didn’t take a genius to see why Shannon was selected -- she was elite, one of a kind.

You on the other hand, you were the nerd. The little bit dorky type. All you ever really loved was science, math, technology. You were raised by foster parents, but they weren’t the greatest. They didn’t ever give you any attention past making sure the foster money cleared for you. The only person you had was Remy, another boy that lived in the foster family with you. Kids were in and out of that house for years, but you and Remy seemed to stay, that is, until you left for college. College was where you met Shannon and her family, and ever since then, Shannon’s family was now your family, making you far closer to Shannon than you’d ever been to anyone besides Remy. You went to her house for holidays, even met with Tony a handful of times.

Once the two of you graduated college and decided on grad school, you didn’t want to separate. Four years of living together had made you two almost inseparable. Not wanting to lose each other just yet, you grabbed an apartment only thirty minutes away from your graduate school. Graduate school was surprisingly a breeze, and when you completed it, the two of you moved into a studio apartment together.

After being best friends for nearly a decade, you got a dog together, both of you animal lovers and you thought it might add some more character to your home. And he certainly did.

While the both of you, yes, were involved in STEM, for the most part, your paths slightly diverged.

After graduation from graduate school for both of you, Tony Stark offered a job to Shannon at his company as his assistant. She would help oversee nearly every operation, invention, gizmo, gadget. All of it, would be under her supervision. Through this, she became good friends with Dr. Bruce Banner, and Tony, being at the labs day in and day out with them.

It was actually in those labs that her… well… accident happened. A lab malfunction caused a chemical gas to react with her molecular structure causing a strange reaction. By strange you meant, well, unusual. She developed a mutation, but not like a third eye, or another pinky. No, she gained the ability to manipulate the weather and drain people of their powers. It was the most magnificent thing to watch. She accidentally discovered her powers at home, in the kitchen, and you witnessed it, but you swore yourself to secrecy for her. You could never hurt her and betray her like that.

Tony knew, of course, because he had to help her figure out what was wrong with her. And Bruce was an expert in lab experiments gone wrong. Between those two helping her control her powers, and your emotional support, she was just like a normal person -- until you pissed her off.

Just another crowning jewel on an already nearly perfect woman. She was the epitome of a femme fatale -- beautiful, genius, deadly, and powerful beyond human strength.

As for you? Your work placed you in the field. Your physics took you to some crazy locations and you picked up work wherever you could find it. You loved physics, you were good at it, damned good. But you weren’t winning nobel prizes, you weren’t heading huge projects for Stark Industries, you weren’t getting offers from MIT for research. No, you were scrounging for contract jobs, for little pick me ups with NASA. It wasn’t that you didn’t like it, or that you were desperate for work. People knew of your work, you spoke at conferences, you were in high demand.

But by your dumb luck, it wasn’t you that ended up with the glitz, glam, and glory that came from working for Stark.

For the last few months you’d been in the field with Jane Foster - a highly respected physicist -- with barely any funding. The two of you could barely split the research grant you’d been given and you had to hire an intern. You were all the way out in New Mexico while Shannon was still in NYC, living the dream. You missed her like crazy, but this work you were doing was important… At least that's what you kept telling yourself…

---------------------

Jane and you had set up camp in Small Town, New Mexico, you’d been out here for a few weeks now. There were these strange atmospheric phenomenon that were going on that Jane felt were connected to the research the two of you were involved with. She called Dr. Selvig out to study it with you two, seeing as he was a pioneer in this field.

Just before you all headed out to the site, you decided to give Shannon a call, a strong case of homesickness hitting you.

You propped open your laptop and selected her contact and called. The familiar ring only went through twice before her wonderful face filled the screen.

Y/N! Hey!” she greeted delightfully.

“Hey!”

She stepped away from the computer and back to her workbench in Tony’s lab -- a very familiar sight to you.

“What’s up?”

“Just missing you. We’re about to go study that aurora again tonight, but Selvig is here now, so it’ll be another set of eyes,” you explained.

“Ah, yes, the light in the sky. Any headway on that?”

“None. Hopefully he’ll have some insight because I’m growing tired of staring at clouds each night. I’m not out here to be a storm chaser…”

“What’s this about storm chasing?” Tony suddenly said, entering your field of view.

“Hey, Tony,” you greeted in a friendly tone.

“Why don’t you ditch the desert and come to a real lab?” he asked as he walked backwards, looking at the camera before spinning to stand next to Shannon and work on the tool she was soldering. “You could have unlimited technology here. I could really use someone with your expertise on physics when it comes to landing gear for my suit. What do you say, Y/N? A real job, in air conditioning, not out in the dirt…?”

“Tempting,” you said with a smirk. “But I’m gonna stick to real work for now.”

“Did she just insinuate I don’t do real work?” Tony asked Shannon, pretending to be offended. She merely rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head.

“You two…” she lovingly chided. “When are you going to come home? I miss you. I need your world famous tacos.”

You laughed. “My tacos are trash and you know it.”

She returned the laugh before becoming serious again. “Seriously though. When? Things aren’t the same without you.”

You sighed, wondering the same thing. “I don’t know. I’m trying to get all this data, but since we have to wait every night… There’s no telling.”

“Well work hard,” she requested, sadness but understanding in her voice.

“I’m trying.”

“Seriously. Y/N, pick up the pace, I can’t take another week of this. She is killing the morale,” Tony remarked, gesturing to her with a tool.

“Okay, Tony, for you, I’ll try,” you said with heavy sarcasm, making the two of them smile. “Oh, shit, gotta go. Time to go watch the sky give me some pretty colors.” You rolled your eyes and told them goodbye before signing off of your laptop.

The four of you set off about twenty miles west from your little lab in the middle of town. You sat out there for several minutes, nothing happening. Selvig started to question Jane and you, and Darcy was getting restless. Jane was pleading that he just hold on a few more minutes. Finally, Darcy saw something and drew your attention to it.

This was no subtle aurora. This was… something else.

Jane ordered Darcy to drive, and all of you launched back into the camper full of equipment, bumping and knocking things as you went over the rough terrain of the desert. Darcy was pushing the camper to full speed, zooming towards the odd light in the sky when suddenly a funnel of light and wind swirled toward the ground. Jane was filming it all and you were taking in what you could.

Just as you were about to go through the tornado-like event, Darcy cut away from it.

“Darcy!” you shouted, needing to get inside this event.

“I’m not dying for six college credits!” she yelled before Jane tried to take the wheel from her.

The two of them fought over the steering wheel for a few seconds before -- THUD. You hit something… actually, you think it was someone. Darcy slammed on the brakes and all of you jumped out of the camper.

You ran over to a man lying on the ground as Jane said, “Do me a favor and don’t be dead.”

“I think legally that was your fault!” Darcy called.

“Get the first aid kit,” you commanded as you knelt beside him. You grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse -- there was a strong one, good. Next you looked at his face to examine any damage -- but before you could do that, you were taken aback by his beauty. He was… handsome, very handsome. Then he opened his eyes.

He jumped up, muttering and stumbling around. Jane noticed the markings on the ground, and you saw them too, and they should’ve been important to you, but right now all you could focus on was this stranger.

“Hammer...Hammer!” he suddenly yelled.

“Yeah we can tell you’re hammered, that’s pretty obvious,” Darcy noted.

Jane began trying to note the markings on the ground, telling Erik to look at them, but he was telling her they needed to get this stranger to a hospital. Your mind wasn’t exactly focused on either thing as you watched him. There was something… familiar about him, but you were sure you’d never seen him before in your life.

“Father! Heimdall! I know you can hear me! Open the Bifrost!” the man commanded, making your hair stand on end.

“Bifrost,” you muttered inaudibly. You’d heard that a lot. Actually you’d heard that in Norse mythology. Clearly this man was delusional and thought he was some Viking God…

“You! What Realm is this? Alfheim? Nornheim?” the man asked of Darcy.

“New Mexico?”

She pulled out her taser and aimed it at him. “Darcy, no!” you demanded.

“You dare threaten me, Thor, with so puny of a weapon?!”

She pulled the trigger and he dropped, just as a mortal man would, making some of your suspicion (and hope) fizzle out. Of course gods weren’t real, that was just silly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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#unforeseen chasm #loki x reader #tony stark x ofc #loki fic #loki #loki odinson #tony stark #thor

87 notes · View notes

mrs-dragneel-stark-solo · 5 years

Text

Unforseen Chasm

Part 1 of Unforseen Chasm

Prompt: Two sisters fall for men that are absolute enemies. The love they have could tear all of them apart, or it could bring them together.

Word Count: 2191 Warnings: Language, Note: This is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written (including my other fic series). first major Collab with my best friend @thorne93 what was first a simple "what if" moment turned into a two year writing session and I've never been more prouder of myself than when i started my first series. goes through most of the MCU plots there are some changes to accommodate for what we wanted and there is a bit of a crossover between the MCU and other characters. I hope you guys enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it.

___________

That’s how it was for you and Shannon.

After being best friends for nearly a decade, you got a dog together, both of you animal lovers and you thought it might add some more character to your home. And he certainly did.

While the both of you, yes, were involved in STEM, for the most part, your paths slightly diverged.

Just another crowning jewel on an already nearly perfect woman. She was the epitome of a femme fatale -- beautiful, genius, deadly, and powerful beyond human strength.

As for you? Your work placed you in the field. Your physics took you to some crazy locations and you picked up work wherever you could find it. You loved physics, you were good at it, damned good. But you weren’t winning Nobel prizes, you weren’t heading huge projects for Stark Industries, you weren’t getting offers from MIT for research. No, you were scrounging for contract jobs, for little pick me ups with NASA. It wasn’t that you didn’t like it, or that you were desperate for work. People knew of your work, you spoke at conferences, you were in high demand.

But by your dumb luck, it wasn’t you that ended up with the glitz, glam, and glory that came from working for Stark.

____________

Just before you all headed out to the site, you decided to give Shannon a call, a strong case of homesickness hitting you.

You propped open your laptop and selected her contact and called. The familiar ring only went through twice before her wonderful face filled the screen.

Y/N! Hey!” she greeted delightfully.

“Hey!”

She stepped away from the computer and back to her workbench in Tony’s lab -- a very familiar sight to you.

“What’s up?”

“Just missing you. We’re about to go study that aurora again tonight, but Selvig is here now, so it’ll be another set of eyes,” you explained.

“Ah, yes, the light in the sky. Any headway on that?”

“None. Hopefully he’ll have some insight because I’m growing tired of staring at clouds each night. I’m not out here to be a storm chaser…”

“What’s this about storm chasing?�� Tony suddenly said, entering your field of view.

“Hey, Tony,” you greeted in a friendly tone.

“Tempting,” you said with a smirk. “But I’m gonna stick to real work for now.”

“Did she just insinuate I don’t do real work?” Tony asked Shannon, pretending to be offended. She merely rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head.

“You two…” she lovingly chided. “When are you going to come home? I miss you. I need your world famous tacos.”

You laughed. “My tacos are trash and you know it.”

She returned the laugh before becoming serious again. “Seriously though. When? Things aren’t the same without you.”

You sighed, wondering the same thing. “I don’t know. I’m trying to get all this data, but since we have to wait every night… There’s no telling.”

“Well work hard,” she requested, sadness but understanding in her voice.

“I’m trying.”

“Seriously. Y/N, pick up the pace, I can’t take another week of this. She is killing the morale,” Tony remarked, gesturing to her with a tool.

This was no subtle aurora. This was… something else.

Just as you were about to go through the tornado-like event, Darcy cut away from it.

“Darcy!” you shouted, needing to get inside this event.

“I’m not dying for six college credits!” she yelled before Jane tried to take the wheel from her.

You ran over to a man lying on the ground as Jane said, “Do me a favor and don’t be dead.”

“I think legally that was your fault!” Darcy called.

“Get the first aid kit,” you commanded as you kneeled beside him. You grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse -- there was a strong one, good. Next you looked at his face to examine any damage -- but before you could do that, you were taken aback by his beauty. He was… handsome, very handsome. Then he opened his eyes.

“Hammer...Hammer!” he suddenly yelled.

“Yeah we can tell you’re hammered, that’s pretty obvious,” Darcy noted.

“Father! Heimdall! I know you can hear me! Open the Bifrost!” the man commanded, making your hair stand on end.

“Bifrost,” you muttered inaudibly. You’d heard that a lot. Actually you’d heard that in Norse mythology. Clearly this man was delusional and thought he was some Viking God…

“You! What Realm is this? Alfheim? Nornheim?” the man asked of Darcy.

“New Mexico?”

She pulled out her taser and aimed it at him. “Darcy, no!” you demanded.

“You dare threaten me, Thor, with so puny of a weapon?!”

She pulled the trigger and he dropped, just as a mortal man would, making some of your suspicion (and hope) fizzle out. Of course gods weren’t real, that was just silly.

Tag list:

@reigningqueenofwords

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#marvel #MCU #loki x reader #tony x ofc #unforseen chasm #tony stark #thor #loki

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laresearchette · 4 years

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Saturday, February 27, 2021 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: IT WAS ALWAYS YOU (W Network) 9:00pm WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT GIRL IN THE BASEMENT (Premiering on February 28 on Lifetime Canada at 8:00pm) BEYOND THE HEADLINES: SURVIVING CHILD ABDUCTION AND IMPRISONMENT (TBD - Lifetime Canada) NEW TO AMAZON PRIME/CRAVE/NETFLIX CANADA/CBC GEM: AMAZON PRIME UDHAM SINGH SACHIN RE SACHIN SNEHASTAL

2021 SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS (TSN/TSN3) 2:30pm: Championship Round (TSN/TSN3) 8:30pm: Championship Round

MADE FOR YOU WITH LOVE (Global) 1:30pm: A woman breathes new life into used wedding dresses for brides who cannot afford pricey dresses. When she meets the perfect man, she is afraid of giving her broken heart a second chance.

NHL HOCKEY (SNEast/SNOntario/SNPacific) 1:00pm: Flyers vs. Sabres (SNWest/TSN5) 1:00pm: Flames vs. Sens (SN1) 3:00pm: Blue Jackets vs. Predators (SN/CBC/City) 7:00pm: Leafs vs. Oilers (SN/CBC/SN360) 10:00pm: Habs vs. Jets

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 8:00pm: Pelicans vs. Spurs (TSN2) 8:30pm: Mavericks vs. Nets

W5 (CTV) 7:00pm: Horsemeat; Video Game Addiction: Investigation into the Canadian trade and export of horse meat; a growing problem being recognized by the medical community.

GESPE'GEWA'GI: THE LAST LAND (APTN) 7:00pm: The raid of 1981, an event that changed everything in Listuguj.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE WILD WEST (APTN) 7:30pm: After being gifted great power from a gopher, Red Crow raises the quality of life for his people.

CRIME BEAT (Global) 8:00pm: The Evil and Senseless Plot Against Ray Johnson

A BONE TO PICK: AN AURORA TEAGARDEN MYSTERY (CTV) 8:00pm: Aurora Teagarden, librarian and proud member of the Real Murders Club, finds a human skull hidden in the window seat of her house.

BIG FOOD BUCKET LIST (Food Network Canada) 8:00pm: John's en route to Calgary, Alberta for ramen so amazing people line up all day; a super-stacked pizza with an amazing crust in Kamloops, British Columbia; a perfect cheeseburger in Toronto.

PARALLEL MINDS (APTN) 8:00pm: After the head programmer of a revolutionary contact lens is murdered, Margo teams up with Thomas to uncover what happened.

IRRESISTIBLE (Crave) 9:00pm: A Democratic political consultant helps a retired Marine colonel run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town.

THE SWING OF THINGS (Super Channel Fuse) 9:05pm: A groom-to-be accidentally books his destination wedding and honeymoon at a swingers resort in Jamaica.

POP LIFE (CTV) 12:05am: The Perfect Pitch: Tracy Deonn: Making the perfect pitch from books to TV to film.

HOT ONES (Global) 1:00am/1:30am: Kenan Thompson/Ronda Rousey

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv #canadian tv listings #W5 #gespeg'gewa'gi the last land #the secret history of the wild west #crime beat #big food bucket list #pop life #curling #nhl hockey #nba basketball

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citizenscreen · 8 years

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The first image that comes to mind when I think of Cary Grant is the classy gentleman that ultimately became his signature style. Most brilliant of all in Grant’s impressive repertoire perhaps was his ability to add the bumbling to the suave sophisticate. That’s the man I adore, but that man didn’t come about easily. It was hard work and perseverance that led to the archetype that’s still recognized as the domain of just one man. One.

Cary Grant was born Archibald Leach in Bristol, England on January 18, 1904. From 1932 to 1966 he appeared in over 70 motion pictures becoming one of the greatest movie stars in the world. Ever. And that’s not an exaggeration as you well know. Beloved and admired by the masses and his peers Grant mastered various film genres turning in memorable performances in broad comedies, murder mysteries, adventure stories and romances.

On that road to becoming Cary Grant the image, Cary Grant the actor played men with numerous careers and from different walks of life. It’s quite the impressive resume, one that goes well beyond a gorgeous exterior. Why don’t I show you?

The Cary Grant Résumé

Cary Grant

1 Handsome Movie Star Way, Hollywood, CA 01184 – (000) 227-9472 – [email protected]

Summary:

At least twelve rich, playboy types if you don’t include the five successful businessmen.

Ten soldiers

Six newspaper men/writers

Six doctors/scientists

Five artistic types

Four government agents

Three pilots

Three advertising executives

Two supernatural beings

One Earl, a policeman, an engineer, a lawyer, an economist, a politician, a few unsavory types, half a dozen or so times involved in espionage.

The handsome, rich bachelor often, but was also a loving husband and father to several women and numerous children

Highlights:

Hard-working and reliable

Energetic, well-executed pratfalls

Distinctive double-take

Proficient at fast-talk

Style Icon

Unique voice

Exceptional romantic skills

Great with pets and children

*Experience:

Rich men and playboys (1932 to 1962)

Philip Shayne in Delbert Mann’s That Touch of Mink (1962)

Johnnie Aysgarth in Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion (1941)

C. K. Dexter Haven in George Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Alec Walker in John Cromwell’s In Name Only (1939)

Jerry Warriner in Leo McCarey’s The Awful Truth (1937)

Ernest Bliss in Alfred Zeisler’s The Amazing Adventure (1936)

Gerald Fitzgerald in Elliott Nugent’s Enter Madame! (1935)

Jack Clayton in Wesley Ruggles’ I’m No Angel (1933)

Jeffrey Baxter in Paul Sloane’s The Woman Accused (1933)

Romer Sheffield in William Seiter’s Hot Saturday (1932)

Charlie Baxter in Dorothy Arzner’s Merrily We Go to Hell (1932)

Ridgeway in Alexander Hall’s Sinners in the Sun (1932)

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Businessman (1934 to 1966)

Sir William Rutland in Charles Walters’ Walk Don’t Run (1966)

(and widower) Tom Winters in Melville Shavelson’s Houseboat (1958)

Clemson Reade in Sidney Sheldon’s Dream Wife (1953)

Julian De Lussac in Frank Tuttle’s Ladies Should Listen (1934)

Malcolm Trevor in Lowell Sherman’s Born to be Bad (1934)

PS – If you’re thinking that Cary Grant as business man looks very similar to Cary Grant rich playboy – well, yeah.

Men of science (1934 to 1951)

Physician, Dr. Noah Praetorius in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s People Will Talk (1951)

Chemist, Dr. Barnaby Fulton in Howard Hawks’ Monkey Business (1952)

Neurosurgeon, Dr. Eugene Norland Ferguson in Richard Brooks’ Crisis (1950)

Pediatrician, Dr. Madison Brown in Don Hartman’s Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)

Paleontologist, David Huxley in Howard Hawks’ Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Maurice Lamar in Harlan Thompson’s Kiss and Make-Up (1934)

Soldiers (1932 to 1959)

Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman in Blake Edwards’ Operation Petticoat (1959)

Cmdr. Andy Crewson in Stanley Donen’s Kiss Them for Me (1957)

Anthony in Stanley Kramer’s The Pride and the Passion (1957)

Captain Henri Rochard in Howard Hawks’ I Was a Male War Bride (1949)

Captain Cassidy in Delmer Daves’ Destination Tokyo (1943)

Sergeant Cutter in George Stevens’ Gunga Din (1939)

Captain Andre Charville in George Fitzmaurice’s Suzy (1936)

British Officer, Micahel Andrews in Charles Barton’s and Louis J. Gasnier’s The Last Outpost (1935)

Lietenant B. F. Pinkerton in Marion Gering’s Madame Butterfly (1932)

Lt. Jaeckel (naval officer) in Marion Gering’s Devil and the Deep (1932)

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Writers and newspaper men (1934 to 1944)

Mortimer Brewster in Frank Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Reporter, Roger Adams in George Stevens’ Penny Serenade (1941)

Patrick “Pat” O’Toole in Leo McCarey’s Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942)

Walter Burns in Howard Hawks’ His Girl Friday (1940)

Reporter Charlie Mason in Richard Wallace’s Wedding Present (1936)

Newspaper publisher, Porter Madison III in Marion Gering’s Thirty Day Princess (1934)

Spies or government agents (1933 to 1964)

Including this one because it borders on “spying” – Walter in Ralph Nelson’s Father Goose (1964)

Peter Joshua in Stanley Donen’s Charade (1963)

Devlin in Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious (1946)

Captain Cummings in Lowell Sherman’s She Done Him Wrong (1933)

Con men, grifters, a thief and a politician (1932 to 1955)

Retired Cat Burglar in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief (1955)

Gambler and grifter, Joe “the Greek” Adams in H. C. Potter’s Mr. Lucky (1943)

Con man, Nick Boyd in Rowland V. Lee’s The Toast of New York (1937)

Con man, adventurer, Jimmy Monkley in George Cukor’s Sylvia Scarlett (1935)

Gambler, Ace Corbin in Louis J. Gasnier’s and Max Marcin’s Gambling Ship (1933)

Nick Townsend in Josef von Sternberg’s Blonde Venus (1932)

Pilots (1933 to 1939)

Geoff Carter in Howard Hawks’ Only Angels Have Wings (1939)

Ken Gordon in James Flood’s Wings in the Dark (1935)

Henry Crocker in Stuart Walker’s The Eagle and the Hawk (1933)

Men of the arts (1937 to 1957)

Nickie Ferrante in Leo McCarey’s An Affair to Remember (1957)

Dick Nugent in Irving Reis’ The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)

Cole Porter in Michael Curtiz’s Night and Day (1946)

(Crooked) Showman Jerry Flynn in Alexander Hall’s Once Upon a Time (1944)

Jimmy Hudson in Robert Riskin’s When You’re in Love (1937)

Drifters, activists, miscellaneous fellows or regular Joes (1932 to 1944)

Ernie Mott in Clifford Odets’ None But the Lonely Heart (1944)

Mill worker and activist, Luopold Dilg in George Stevens’ The Talk of the Town (1942)

Farmer, Matt Howard in Frank Loyd’s The Howards of Virginia (1940)

Johnny Case in George Cukor’s Holiday (1938)

Film debut as javelin thrower/jealous husband, Stephen Matthewson in Frank Tuttle’s This Is the Night (1932)

A lawyer, an economist and an engineer (1940 to 1958)

Economist, Philip Adams in Stanley Donen’s Indiscreet (1958)

Engineer, George Rose in Norman Taurog’s Room for One More (1952)

Lawyer, Nick Arden in Garson Kanin’s My Favorite Wife (1940)

Advertising executives (1948 to 1959)

Roger O. Thornhill in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959)

Jim Blandings in H. C. Potter’s Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

An Earl (1960)

Victor, Earl of Rhyall in Stanley Donen’s The Grass is Greener (1960)

A police officer/detective (1936)

Danny Barr in Raoul Walsh’s Big Brown Eyes (1936)

An angel and a ghost (1937 and 1947)

Dudley in Henry Koster’s The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

George Kerby in Norman Z. McLeod’s Topper (1937)

References:

“the only actor I ever loved in my whole life.” – Alfred Hitchcock

Ian Fleming modeled pop culture phenomenon, James Bond partially with Grant in mind.

Has appeared on numerous “sexiest stars” and “greatest movie stars” lists.

On American Film Institute’s list of top 100 U.S. love stories, compiled in June 2002, Grant led all actors with six of his films on the list. An Affair to Remember (1957) was ranked #5; followed by: #44 The Philadelphia Story (1940) #46 To Catch a Thief (1955) #51 Bringing Up Baby (1938) #77 The Awful Truth (1937) #86 Notorious (1946).

Was named #2 on The Greatest Screen Legends actor list by the American Film Institute.

Has eight films on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Funniest Movies: Bringing Up Baby (1938) at #14, The Philadelphia Story (1940) at #15, His Girl Friday (1940) at #19, Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) at #30, Topper (1937) at #60, The Awful Truth (1937) at #68, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) at #72 and She Done Him Wrong (1933) at #75.

“The greatest leading man to ever appear on the silver screen.” – Aurora

“You see, he didn’t depend on his looks. He wasn’t a narcissist, he acted as though he were just an ordinary young man. And that made it all the more appealing, that a handsome young man was funny; that was especially unexpected and good because we think, ‘Well, if he’s a Beau Brummel, he can’t be either funny or intelligent’, but he proved otherwise” – George Cukor

He received a special Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1970. The inscription on his statuette read “To Cary Grant, for his unique mastery of the art of screen acting with respect and affection of his colleagues”. On being presented with the award, his friend Frank Sinatra announced: “It was made for the sheer brilliance of acting … No one has brought more pleasure to more people for so many years than Cary has, and nobody has done so many things so well”.

Audrey Hepburn in Charade, “Do you know what’s wrong with you? Nothing.”

Additional references available upon request.

♦

As I perused Cary Grant’s filmography for this post I noticed a few things I’d never realized. The first is that there are far too many Cary Grant movies I’ve yet to see. Then I noticed that Cary Grant never made a science fiction movie, which is interesting. In addition, Mr. Grant never made a Western. Huh. It seems he did forge a few Western connections, however. For instance, Grant appeared as himself in a cameo in Mervyn LeRoy’s Without Reservation (1943) starring Claudette Colbert and Westerns legend, John Wayne and he turned the Northwest upside down in Hitchcock’s 1959 masterpiece.

Anyway, no one can dispute Mr. Grant’s versatility as his resume illustrates. When one thinks of a “Jack of all trades” it’s usually followed by “master of none,” a person who can do passable work at various tasks, but does not necessarily excel at any of them. That is not Cary Grant. Cary Grant excelled at everything he attempted in the movies, which is why the mark he made is still felt. As film critic and historian David Thomson states in The New Biographical Dictionary of Film – Cary Grant “was the best and most important actor in the history of the cinema.” I’ll add that it was due to his versatility and the persona that is forever defined by only him that his importance as an actor and film icon never diminishes. There is only one man who has a resume like Cary Grant. When asked, “who is today’s Cary Grant?” filmmaker, Robert Trachtenberg who made Cary Grant: A Class Apart replied, “No one.”

NO ONE.

♦

Happy birthday wherever you are.

*Notes: Mr. Grant’s film roles are separated by categories of my choosing in the resume. Keep in mind that there are quite a few instances where roles (categories) overlap. As such any number of roles can be noted under a few categories, but I chose not to repeat movies.

More on Cary Grant:

The A-B-Cs of Cary Grant

The Inimitable Voice of Cary Grant

Cary Grant: The Road to Suspicion

Cary Grant’s Greatest Co-Star, Irene Dunne

Self-Plagiarism is Style: Hitchcock, Grant and North by Northwest

Charade: Grant, Hepburn and Paris Never Looked Better

The Bishop’s Wife

Howard Hawks in His Own Words

SHE DONE HIM WRONG, Will Hays

High Society in The Philadelphia Story

The Hitchcock Signature

Set a Thief…To Catch a Thief

The Awful Truth…the matter of Mr. Smith

Cary Grant is by far the actor that has been mentioned most often on Once Upon a Screen. Oh, and by the way, Mr. Grant made two movies with titles that begin “Once Upon a…”

Cary Grant’s Résumé The first image that comes to mind when I think of Cary Grant is the classy gentleman that ultimately became his signature style.

#Cary Grant #Cary Grant Film Roles #Cary Grant Filmography #Cary Grant&039;s Resume

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torontoseoulcialite · 6 years

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Next Stop: Reykjavik

Can you believe I made it to Osaka, Shanghai, Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Taipei, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Bali, Orlando, and Korea (duh!) over the past 3 years? When I was in Korea, all I wanted was to escape the freezing temperatures and fly to warmer climates. Now that I’m in Canada, I’m eyeing Europe – particularly the Nordic countries! While I only just started my “new” job in August, I’ve already earned enough vacation days to take a little trip. Hello – dream job! If you’ve been following along on social media, you’ll know that I just got back from Reykjavik, Iceland. With Wow Air flights this cheap, I couldn’t not go!

Toronto – Reykjavik

First things first – my flight to Reykjavik’s Keflavik International Airport was an absolute steal. I’m not fussed over having luxuries like in-flight entertainment or 5-star dining. Let’s be real – I flew Air Asia practically everywhere. I flew Wow Air and paid $235.92 CAD for my round-trip flight from Toronto to Reykjavik. This price was inclusive of HST, Airport Improvement Fee, Air Travelers’ Security Charge, ZU passenger fee, and IS Airport service charge).

Once I arrived in Reykjavik, I booked an Airport Direct shuttle from the airport to the Blue Lagoon at 7:30 AM. My total transfers from the airport to Blue Lagoon and then along to my hostel came to a total of ISK 5,500 ($58.35 CAD). Not exactly a steal, but a great option when things in Reykjavik can be quite pricy.

I decided to ball out at the Blue Lagoon and treat myself to the Premium experience:

Entrance to the Blue Lagoon

Silica mud mask

Use of towel

1st drink of your choice

Second mask of choice

Slippers

Use of bathrobe

Table reservation at Lava Restaurant

Sparkling wine when dining

From ISK 9 900 ($105 CAD)

The Lamb fillet and shoulder of lamb: Rutabaga, carrots, rhubarb, thyme set me back ISK 4 900 ($51.97 CAD). It’s a once in a lifetime event and I wanted to enjoy every second, but honestly? Not worth it to get the premium – don’t bother with the crappy food at Lava. It’s plated beautifully but lacks any sort of flavour whatsoever. Save your ISK and just get the comfort package. The only extras you get are flip flops, a robe, and an algae mask.

The lagoon itself is gorgeous and relaxing. I didn’t indulge in the spa treatments, but the silica mask you get leaves your face and shoulders feeling baby soft. Heed warning about your hair, though. I thought that covering it in conditioner would be enough, but my hair was a wreck. Trying to pull a comb through it was incredible painful wet or dry, and it lasted for days. Heed the advice of other bloggers and put your hair up in a bun!

Arctic Adventures – Iceland’s South Coast

4 days in Iceland is plenty to scratch the surface. I can’t imagine how many gorgeous places there are to discover. If you’re like me and have limited vacation days, Reykjavik is a great adventure destination even if just for a few days away! Over the course of 10 hours on an Arctic Adventures minibus, we got through the tight schedule of:

Skógafoss Waterfall

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Sólheimajökull Glacier

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Reynisdrangar Basalt Sea Stacks

Vík in Mýrdalur

Included

Pick-up & drop off from Reykjavík

Guided Visit to South Shore Highlights

English Speaking Tour Guide

Free WiFi on Board Your Bus

Seljalandsfoss

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I went chasing waterfalls in Iceland. I climbed icy rocks to step behind Seljalandsfoss and make my wish. I couldn’t find any evidence of Icelandic folklore to support the idea of making a wish behind the falls, but I had on my trusty HBC boots, my Columbia snowsuit, and propensity for mischief, so behind Seljalandsfoss I went. Can you guess what I wished for? Hint – it wasn’t surviving the climb up out and down the other side!

Skogafoss

Skogafoss waterfall (by the way – that’s redundant as “foss” means “waterfall”) was certainly safer than Seljalandsfoss! To get up to the top and get an aerial view of the falls, you can walk up some stairs. It takes about 5 minutes – the record is 3 minutes, apparently. Legend has it that there was once a treasure chest buried at Skogafoss and those trying to reach it would experience delusions. You can read all about it here. I’m sure glad that my wishes come from the heart, and not for the wallet!

Reynisfjara

The iconic black sand beaches and basalt sea stack formations featured in “Game of Thrones” are found at Reynisfjara. There are a few legends as to how the stacks were formed. One involves two trolls dragging a three-masted ship into land and failing. The other is of a free-spirited woman pulled away from her husband by the trolls, destined to spend eternity among the rocks and sea. As stunning as the landscape of Iceland is, I’m sure it would be even more breathtaking with a partner. I felt incredibly calm, but especially lonely at this beach as a solo traveler.

Vik

When I told people that I was visiting Iceland, they told me I absolutely had to go to Vik i Myrdal. I certainly wanted to see the iconic church (Reyniskirkja), but beyond that I wasn’t sure. We only stopped here for a quick view of Reynisfjara and the town of Vik, then we were on the bus and headed for a 3 PM “lunch”. The food in Iceland is already incredibly expensive, so imagine being in a town where a truck stop is your only option for food on the tour. I think I paid $25 for the crappiest, tiniest curry ever. Stick to the hot dogs and burgers, when available. They won’t be cheap either, but at least they’re dependable! I was surprised that in a country like Iceland their fish would be frozen, square, deep fried pucks. Bring food with you on the tour, for sure!

Aurora Borealis: The Northern Lights

If you really want great images you must really know how to use your camera and have a much better tripod than I did. Also – avoid these huge tour groups. They’re big ole money grabs. We were taken an hour in one direction to a chalet where we were expected to buy drinks and souvenirs. The lines were insanely long and it was just pretty uncomfortable. Then, we were brought back in the direction of Reykjavik and further down to the South Coast to a small area near a very brightly lit church. It was very hilly and quite windy – not ideal for a tripod and camera. With drunken idiots stumbling in front of your tripod trying to see the lights through your lens and littering water bottles full of vodka, we were incredibly lucky to actually see the lights dance! This is what it actually looks like chasing the Northern Lights with a tour group.

Photos from my Samsung S9 – I was pretty impressed with the image quality they were able to produce:

Food and Drink in Iceland

Since food and drinks are so expensive in Iceland, your absolute best is to stock up on vodka or even champagne when you get off the plane. Drinks at bars in Reykjavik will cost about $7 – $10 during “Happy Hour” (very common in Reykjavik due to the obscene prices) and $10 – $20 otherwise. Most people who have visited ask me if I survived on hot dogs. I must admit, I ate a couple as moderately cheap sustenance! I took myself out on my first night and a bowl of olives and a pint cost me $20. i suggest you pre-drink at your hotel or even get an AirBnB so you can cook. “Bonus” is the cheapest grocery store around, I’ve been told. Liquor stores are closed on Sundays, so prepare in advance. People in Iceland leave to go out quite late at night, too.

Last Day in Reykjavik

On my last day in Reykjavik I rounded out some of my other bucket list goals. I visited Perlan – Wonders of Iceland. I walked around the city getting great views of Hallgrimskirkja, the iconic Catholic church in Iceland’s capital city. On the way back to my hostel in Hlemmur Square, I saw an incredible mid-afternoon sunset behind the Sun Voyager.

Perlan – Wonders of Iceland is a museum which will really need a post all to itself. The incredible architecture makes way for a 360 observation deck, and since it’s up on a hill you get a phenomenal view of the city, the glacier, and the water. Ut i Blainn, the restaurant inside Perlan’s dome, was another example of overpriced food (better than Lava, however) and piss poor service, but the ambiance was nice and it was a good way to relax before making my way through the impressive exhibits and the brand new planetarium.

Reykjavik for Romance

Iceland is a wonderful place especially for couples and especially around Christmas. It’s an inexpensive flight from Toronto, you can get pretty good deals on AirBnB’s, and there are plenty of ways to relax together or get an adrenaline rush. I would absolutely suggest heading over even if you, like me, only have a few days to get away! Absolutely DO go chasing waterfalls. Let me know if you head to Seljalandsfoss and we can compare notes on waterfall wishes, too – I hope they come true ❤

Have you been to Iceland? Where was your favourite place to visit? Let me know in the comments!

The Perfect Stopover in Reykjavik, Iceland! Next Stop: Reykjavik Can you believe I made it to Osaka, Shanghai, Bangkok, …

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yellowknifetourguideexperts · 6 years

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Yellowknife Tours Offers Customized Chinese Tours in Northwest Canada

The Yellowknife region of Northwest Canada has become a popular destination for Chinese tours as visitors from China prefer this region for the plethora of activities it offers. One of the most enticing features of Yellowknife is the Aurora Borealis that is visible here for nearly 240 nights of the year. On clear evenings, visitors can go to the aurora viewing stations to watch the magical display of the Northern Lights.

At Yellowknife Tours, we offer a range of activities and custom tours for our guests from China and our Chinese tour guides are proficient in speaking English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. We also have tour information printed in Mandarin and Cantonese so that our guests can have an easy time in reading about all that the region has to offer.

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#Chinese Tours #Yellowknife Aurora Best Time

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guyawks · 7 years

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Tasmariner

I fell in love with the Southern Lights, and he was kind to me.

It has become a regular occurrence for me to be asked question upon question about what I do. The curiosity of those who follow my work still astonishes me, even with me having participated in this tawdry routine for years. They want to know who I am, where I came from, what that one, secret catalyst behind Travis McArthur’s success was. Where is the mystery in a public figure nowadays? What ever happened to the culture of character? These same questions reach my solitude by airmail, email, radio interview, and I answer them all as I have learned to.

“I lived a simple life. Nothing to write home about. What you’d expect to imagine”, I say. Perhaps I’ll contribute a staple insight, another “Remember to study your trade” or “Write down every idea”. But, in truth, there will always be a second, a small, fleeting lapse, where I consider telling them the real story. Even a lifetime on, as I stare out across the rusted canyons of an east Tasmanian mining town, clad in a navy smoking jacket, it’s a story I can recall almost instantly, as if it happened yesterday. Eventually, I’ll sit down and commit it to lasting, binding print, I think. But then again, there are stories better left in one’s mind. And, selfish as it may seem, I like to imagine that I can keep his memory as mine, alone, for just a little longer.

It is of note to me how often it has been said that I have an old soul; that I seem so much beyond the thirty years I’ve lived. I never disputed this, although it is never a description I claimed, either. But, regardless, this aged mind was once young. When I first arrived in Tasmania, eagle-eyed and full of wonder, it was an eighteen-year dream realised. I don’t believe I’d ever smiled as furiously as I did the first time I stepped off that wooden boardwalk and into the shadow of Mount Wellington. Roads and houses seem to cascade from that point, inviting me onwards and upwards to whatever came next. It seemed so grand to me at the time and, I suppose, it still is. Those were my golden years; years when I was less self-important and more yielding to the world’s will.

It had always been my dream to be a writer. Back then, writing wasn’t necessarily how I gave to the world, but how I sought to realise my own. In beaches far north, under overbearing tropical warmth, I would write myself away to somewhere more my liking, with my pen as my mast and my page my sail. Somehow, it had only occurred to me during the closing flurry of my high school graduation that I now had the option to render my metaphorical departure a real one. No more would I be bound by the expectations of my parents or the bloodlust of native insects. Even if it was just for one, exhilarating winter, I could find peace and fuel for my writing in the place I’d always seen on postcards.

Unfortunately, time is rarely a patient benefactor to creative minds. The end of my trip was nearing and I hadn’t found any sort of masterstroke of inspiration. Sure, I now had a rich and detailed landscape to work with. I could visualise the fantasy world of my novel, filled with snowcapped mountaintops and bustling shipping ports, clear as day, thanks to my travels. But this epic canvas lacked human presence. All I had was my protagonist and, as far as characters go, he wasn’t particularly likable. Senick Shadowland was a sneakthief who took from every purse that he encountered to get by. He was cold and otherwise shut off to the outside world, with a high opinion of his own traits. My narrative was as empty as his morals.

Meanwhile, back on the mainland, my family had grown restless waiting for my return. I knew that there had been talk among my relatives of me going to work at a local accounting firm in the business district of Brisbane. In a sense, I was grateful to the encroaching sill on my window of opportunity. I had seen the sights, sampled the food, the wine, the coffee, and was only truly leaving without my story. Beyond that, I lacked any real reason to stay.

That was when I met Dale.

Souvenirs were always an absolute essential whenever I travelled anywhere. Regardless, I had put off searching for the right gifts during my three-month sojourn, and in my last week, needed to find them quickly.

Walking through Salamanca market at the beginning of my final week, my eyes settled on a rich, earthy-looking store amidst the painted white buildings at its shoulders. Standing outside was a tall, well-muscled man with a golden pocket watch swaying from his wrist. Almost as if he sensed my stare, he looked up to meet my look with his own. His eyes were a piercing silver-blue, a pair of barracudas that seemed as if they could hover in place for days.

“Looking for something wonderful for someone?” he beamed at me eloquently, revealing with his smile a set of bold white teeth and rugged creases in his face. Dressed in a warm maroon sweater and loosely draped scarf, he looked entirely at ease, and I comfortably followed him as he ushered me out of the winter cold and into the warmth of his shop. His store was both impeccably organised and wildly eclectic, in a way that felt inviting and inviting of questions. Each item seemed to have a story, and a character to it, arranged in a static performance of their history. Eventually, my attention was caught by a fishhook keychain that would be perfect for my older brother.

“Tell you what, love,” he said, eyes glinting. “I’ll give you half off for this one- if I see you again tomorrow.” And so I did. Each following day, I returned to Dale Breckenridge’s enchanting pawnshop. On Tuesday, I purchased an ornamental lamp for my sister. On Wednesday, I gained a silver pen for my childhood friend. On Thursday, I bought a velvet rug for my parents, and so on. With every purchase, I learned more about the salesman, who seemed more interested in me than my steady patronage. He asked me what had brought me here, sensing innately that I was not anything remotely local. I unloaded on him my passions, my search for inspiration, my aversion to my past life, and he listened intently. He was, in a word, extraordinary.

It’s embarrassing to admit that his smooth, unwavering confidence unsteadied me. Every time I entered, I felt as if I could trip and take the entire store tumbling with me. But if Dale noticed, he didn’t seem to care. If anything, it pleased him, as if every foible of mine was something he longed for in himself. It regretfully occurred to me that there was something left to explore in this man, and that if I had only met him earlier in my stay, I would be able to.

It was on the last day before I was due to leave, that Dale decided I would learn the truth. On a parchment note left outside my rented flat that sleepy, Sunday morning, he told me to meet him at a special destination, that there was something he needed to show me before I left. It transpired that this place was the peak of Mount Wellington, not far from the trails I had walked when I first arrived. Tentatively, I followed his wishes to a T. Hovering at that meeting point, the sun barely having just set over the horizon, my heart thundered when I saw him emerging over the hill. This would be it, where I finally said goodbye. But rather than continuing towards me, he paused. And together, in that moment, our lives changed.

His body illuminated by an endless stretch of stars, his physical form faded and gave way to a familiar cyan mixture of cosmic light. It undulated and rippled majestically as it spiralled into the sky, as if Aurora Australis had been there from the start. I would be the only human to know different.

Dale glowed, and I glowed as well, my neck craned backwards in awe. I was less so in shock, and moreso at inner completion, a realisation of everything I’d already hoped to be true about the world. There was more to this planet than the hustle-and-bustle of the working world, everything I’d left behind. I was in the presence of something miraculous.

While I was lost for words on that one, breathtaking night, we made up for the silence the following eve. As explosions of imitation neon shined out from the Dark Mofo festival beneath us, we camped out in grassy serenity, under the sky Dale called home. There, he told me everything; how his moments on Earth were unpredictable and painfully short, what he sees when he traverses the skies, what the meaning was behind his beloved timepiece. He explained how it had been given to him by the man who made him like this, back when he was a mortal being. One man in the all the world would become the Southern Lights, and that is how it has always been. A weary soul, Dale lamented the impermanence of his days, how he was used to people coming and going, and how such was the nature of his life. But no more would he need to worry about that.

“I won’t go. This is my home now, Dale. I will never leave you.”

I fell in love with the Southern Lights, even when our love was barred by nature and man.

It only took two weeks for my sister to arrive to bring me home. A busy public relations consultant, Laura McArthur had been harangued by our family into flying down to Hobart and talking sense into me. With my dark blonde hair and mousy brown eyes mirrored in her, we had always felt a sense of immutable kinship, despite our greatly different approaches to life. My optimism had motivated her when she was down, and her discipline had kept me grounded when my life lacked order. Out-of-place, attired in pantsuit and bunned hair, she sat for hours in a local tavern, debating with me my options. But, while I pled a convincing case, it was ultimately Dale that won her over. Strolling into the bar in immaculate form, his charm worked as effortlessly on her as it had on me. A few days later she left town, unconvinced, but convinced enough to let me stay.

Shortly after, I got a job as a bookkeeper in a nearby bookstore. It was a setting I had always sought after, and I couldn’t imagine a better fit for myself. With the store not often busy, much of my schedule allowed to me steal away to work on my writing. Adding to my content, on treasurable, rare occasions, Dale would visit, inhabiting an oak rocking chair to read a classic while I worked. It felt like the life I always should have been living. After I had settled into the parochial confines of this routine and the epic secret of my new love, that was when my journeys began.

I began charting the places across the isle where I could see Dale when he disappeared away, predicting where his aura was strongest in the Southern Hemisphere sky. In those days, or even weeks, when he was elevated and unreachable, I could be with him and be witness to his true beauty. Impelled, I did it all. I hiked to the highlands surrounding Cradle Mountain, waiting out the freezing mid-July winds bundled in polyester shields, hoping I may too be carried away into Dale’s reach. I wandered the coast of Dover, watching Dale at his strongest, most unclouded visage, hugging the shore of the island’s southernmost town and staring onto Antarctica. In later months, I travelled by steam train through the damp forests of Western Tasmania, emerging from the shroud of vibrant green into an antipode of arid brown. It was here, in Queenstown, where Dale’ colours truly shone, amplified by the copper-tinged cliffs. Normally a shower of blues and greens, Dale had exchanged these tones for violet and red, and I raptly watched this unique display until the dawn warded him off.

It occurred to me as I left, how much I could sink into the tranquillity of one of these destinations, buy a house, settle in complete isolation. Yet, that was a dream for another day.

In the midst of my love affair with the elements, success struck. A draft for one of my signature fantasy concepts, “Zanotharia”, had made its way through to a Melbourne publisher. I found myself deposited somewhere between euphoric and lost. On one hand, I was elated at the sudden follow-through in my dreams. It had been as if some missing piece in my mind had fallen into place, as if the joy and compulsion behind Senick had presented itself, out of nowhere. But, before I knew it, my first novel was published, I was considered a novelist, and my life of retreat was in question. As the campaign process begun, Laura stepped in to lend assistance, not wanting a second of my victory to slip away. It was at this point where she made her most persuasive pitch for the city.

“You can’t have career- a real career, as a writer- out here. This is really huge, Trav. Don’t ruin this.” But, alas, I had made a promise to Dale. Furthermore, the equilibrium of my life worked. I could balance writing, with promoting, with the voyeuristic pursuit of Dale. In my naivety, it seemed all but attainable.

That wasn’t to say that there weren’t obstacles.

The Kingsley family’s disputes over Dale’s property ownership had become significantly more public in recent years, and it was Vincent Kingsley, the youngest of the land baron clan, who had taken to confronting Dale at every opportunity.

“This is prime real estate, and you’re hardly even around to use it. Now, I wonder why that might be?” he questioned venomously, tilting his head ever so slightly, as his cropped red hair emanated a seething resentment that his voice did little to hide. Dale had occupied the pawnshop for decades now, and it wouldn’t take more than a wary eye to discern that something was unusual about the elusive pawnbroker. Vincent Kingsley’s suspicions were burning like a wildfire, but even with veiled threats of violence and vandalism scouring the air between them, Dale stood his ground and didn’t let his mask of calm fall.

“Thanks so much for your continued interest in my shop, Mr Kingsley- or can I call you Vince?” Dale jabbed coolly. “I’ll make sure I’m here if you ever want to take that tour.” To this, Vincent merely scowled, turned on his heel and strolled away, his eyes flickering over me as he retreated. Throughout all of this, I had kept my head down and out of trouble. If I had thought this approach would immunise my life from collapse, I was wrong. It had to fail some time. And after this long, it finally began to.

Years passed and, without me even noticing at first, things began to change. My book had become a book series, with Senick’s love affair with a young mercenary, from whom he’d stolen, warming his heart and carrying him into grandiose exploits. But, while the well of inspiration that had propelled this intrepid character hadn’t yet run dry, I knew that it was beginning to go stale. Like the slow filling of an hourglass, I could feel a weariness growing inside me. Dale’s moments with me became, as I should have predicted, progressively more rare. On our chance meetings, he told me of how his calling to the heavens agonised him, how he wished he could stay here with me, throw everything away. I knew he longed to release me. Yet, as transcendent as Dale was, he was still only human.

Life continued. My latest novel’s reviews arrived, falling far short of my expectations. It seemed that Senick had nowhere to go, that he should have settled down long before now, that he was just biding time until a grisly death. Death proved equally present in my world, too, when I learned when of my parents’ sudden passing in a car accident. Upon returning to Brisbane, at last, for the funeral, it occurred to me more than ever how solitary I had become. Loneliness had stowed away inside for quite some time now, but was only now making its presence known. By the time of my return to Hobart, I was a thoroughly fragile human being. And fragile men are vulnerable.

Mitchell Edison was one of the few interjections of a social life into my routine. Without him, I probably would have left Tasmania long before I did. A local tour guide with a passion for community activism, we fell into rousing talks one night outside the town hall. As an admitted fan of my writing, he had nothing but intrigue for my minor celebrity.

“You’re nothing like I expected you to be” he remarked, his shroud of black hair rustling imperiously against his leather jacket. “I bet you that I can find the real Travis McArthur.” He set out to do just that, and a new series of trips began. My expeditions across the island to see Dale had long since halted, and I welcomed this immersive return to the realm of nature. Hearing that I had canoed through Northern Queensland in my youth, Mitchell compelled me to white water raft with him through the drenched temperate rainforests of Tarkine. It became a regular occurrence, every weekend without fail, as a hole I had never noticed within myself mended itself discretely. I fell asleep under glistening canopies, and felt snowflakes chill the dashboard of his truck on long, alpine highways. The thrill of youth had returned to me.

We clashed frequently, with disagreements erupting over the most menial of things. Pitching a tent, dealing with native wildlife, taking the right route; it was one issue or another. Our dynamic was so far from what I had shared with Dale. But, in honesty, the friction gave me the warmth I needed not to freeze. As Mitchell learned more about the man he’d read in book jackets, he began to form tangible opinions on him, although I was seldom interested in hearing them. I was always reclusive, unwilling to commit to him, lacked any signs of moving forwards.

“You’re wasting away”, he would say indignantly, tugging at the knotted laces to his boots. “It’s like nothing even matters to you.” How could I tell him how wrong this statement was, or just what had been keeping me here all these years? Moreso, I didn’t even know how could I answer it to myself. He was right, an increasing part of me felt.

I gave out eventually. On one midsummer night, we slept together in the back of his truck, while eucalyptus trees rustled behind us in the temporal still of twilight. Moments after, while Mitchell lapsed into slumber, I lay on my back and fixed my eyes on the pressing glare of the moon.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry”, I murmured. At an empty indigo sky, I murmured all night long.

I fell in love with the Southern Lights, in a place far away from the rest of the world.

Not having seen Dale in years, there was little tying me here anymore. The foundation that had defined me had almost fully eroded. I was an untethered soul, looking to label myself instantaneously. When Laura contacted me with a job offer to work for a publishing house in Melbourne, for the first time, I was unwavering. I didn’t shed a single tear the night that I left. I hadn’t cried for the loss of Dale for months, and it seemed appropriate to remain composed now. It was the flight that I hadn’t taken, and I was taking it a decade too late. Yet, I could never resent Dale. All I wanted still, deep within my heart, was to be with him.

The call soon came telling me that I never would.

I can barely remember the details of the message, what I was doing at the time, the blinding rush of the plane trip back. All I knew was that I had to see him once more, to atone and to be complete. Arriving at his shop, I found Dale’s imaginarium, the site of so many untold stories, in flames. Police ringed the blaze, evidence of an altercation clear, and a manic series of shouts rang out from the handcuffed baron I had once underestimated.

“He’s a spectre, a fiendish spirit. I saw him!” raved Kingsley wildly. A shell of his dignified persona, Vincent’s eyes mirrored the inferno he’d started, his faced a twisted mass of desperation. “That man doesn’t die, I can prove it!” Oh, but Kingsley was wrong.

Looking back, I can see no other place my love would have been. Dale could never be in bad shape. As graceful as the day I met him, he lay silently upon that same hill on Mount Wellington. A single bullet hole of blood stained into his white shirt, he had fled to the one mountaintop that meant everything, to everyone. Reaching him at last, I dropped to his side, and finally my tears were freely flowing. He was a man ready to die. Perhaps, he even wanted it. Any knowledge Kingsley had learned would die with Dale. And he would finally take his long-sought place on Earth.

“Love. I wanted…to see you one more time” Dale whispered fondly, the ghost of a smile ringing his lips. “Of all the times and places and things I’ve seen…you were the best.”

“Thank you so much for everything” I choked back. Silence overtook the scene as Dale’s century of life slowly ebbed away. Gone was the majesty of his past disappearances. All there was that night was a quiet display of mortality, exactly as it should be. That was how the journey ended; how the bountiful spill of inspiration that had defined me, set itself alight, and burned slowly out.

Pacified, I turn my head away from the window and polish my reading glasses. Focus returning, my sight catches the wall of books, manuscripts, and writings upon the selves in front of me. It’s hard to believe that all of this would never have existed if not for the presence of one magnanimous man in my life. There were those few books about Senick’s exploits; and then the tide of books that sprung from it, after Dale’s passing, about every character, place and adventure that fell in his wake. These figures have become my only true companions. I wasn’t ready for solitude back then, but I am now.

Sensing the imposition of approaching sunset, I swiftly exit my cabin. Walking into the ruby embrace of the town I once dreamed of settling in, the full circle journey of my life is not lost on me. I soon arrive at the border of the town, a rocky cliffside spiralling down into the mines.

“You shine. You are always shining”, I whisper gently. As I gaze into the distance, I grasp the pocket watch that he’d given me in exchange for one, meaningful favour. My eyes are now two stonefish in their focus, ready to wait out eternity. But they needn’t have to. I can tell, instinctively, that I am expected. As the last blood red embers of the sun die, I feel my body ascending, branching into flaxen tendrils of light, yielding to same celestial force that commands the universe. It is a force that I never truly understood, but never needed to. All that I need to know is that I can see for miles around me, all of the world for what it is, and for what I am as well. I am light in the coming dark and, regardless of where I am taken; I will set foot on Earth again to tell my tale.

I am the Southern Lights, as was he. And we will never want for inspiration again.

#tasmariner #drama #short story #southern lights #gay #gay love story #jeremy c. north #guyawks

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philipcharmont · 3 years

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𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎: 𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚙'𝚜 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎

#insta #ft. rosalie #i forgot i made this man a leo #* .・ this is the story of becoming a hero the hard way » future.#* .・ destined to last for a lifetime and beyond » aurora.#* .・ you save everyone but who saves you? » kit.#* .・ heavy is the head that wears the crown » liam.#* .・ under love's heavy burden do I sink » seth.#* .・ hold my hand we’re using the buddy system forever » hercules.#* .・ whatever you do you’re still my brother. » florian.

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newstwitter-blog · 8 years

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New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/02/07/cnn-20-destinations-travel-experts-say-everyone-must-visit-2/

CNN: 20 destinations travel experts say everyone must visit

Here they share are their favorite destinations, and why they think they shouldn’t be missed.

“Wayag has hundreds of thickly forested limestone karsts and islands, resulting in sheltered bays with white sand beaches and coral reefs,” he says.

There aren’t any villages, let alone tourist accommodation, and guests can only really arrive by boat, adds Travers.

“I’d definitely recommend climbing to the lookout point on the western side of the main Wayag Bay. It’s not for the faint of heart (picture a 30-minute ascent through forest and over jagged limestone), but there are the most staggering views of paradise at the end.”

Visit Egypt without the crowds

“I’d highly recommend going to Egypt now,” says Geoffrey Kent, founder of Abercrombie & Kent.

“I traveled there at the end of 2015 and it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see these sites with few crowds. For instance, at Abu Simbel, I was in Ramses temple and had it all to myself for a few minutes.

“As I was climbing up the narrow staircase into the center of Cheops Pyramid, there were only a few people that I had to sidestep. It’s a very different experience doing that when the crowds (and heat) are at full force,” says Kent.

Bathe in Tbilisi’s Abanotubani District

Move over, Istanbul. There’s a new European city brimming with East-meets-West culture and natural sulfurous waters that give Cagaloglu Baths a run for its money, according to freelance photojournalist Sarah Freeman.

“I suggest visiting the Georgian capital’s bath quarter: Tbilisi’s Abanotubani,” she says.

Situated on the south side of Metekhi Bridge, its low cupolas house baths where water bubbles from the earth at about 90 F (32 C).

“When I went, I sipped on Turkish tea and indulged in a massage by one of the mekise (masseur).”

Watch animals in Namibia

“I’d suggest heading to Skeleton Coast, Namibia,” says Lucy Jackson, co-founder and director of Lightfoot Travel.

Wild and eerie, this remote desert “seeps into the soul”, she says.

“I’ll never forget the sight of the Namib Desert sand dunes crashing into the Atlantic Ocean. Flying over the Hoanib River by Cessna, it’s easy to spot giraffes and elephants beneath,” Jackson recalls.

“Afterwards, I always grab a drink on the beach, where water laps at my feet and there’s a shipwreck just behind.”

See the Northern Lights in Canada before they go dormant

Canada is celebrating its 150th year since Confederation so the country is offering free admission to its national parks for the entire year, says Hannah Tydeman-Klassen, founder and director of Curio Trips.

But as most people flock to the bright blue lakes and snow-capped mountains of Banff National Park, she recommends heading to the Northern Territory of Yukon (where Leonardo DiCaprio movie “The Revenant” was filmed).

It also provides a chance to catch the world’s greatest natural light show, the Aurora Borealis.

With scientists predicting 2017 as the last year before the Northern Lights enter a dormant phase, “this really is the year to see them,” she says.

Find spider monkeys in Minas Gerais

“I think it’s time that Minas Gerais in Brazil gets some attention,” says Matthew Lapolice, luxury travel manager at Absolute Travel.

It’s home to the mining heartland of the country and the financial capital Belo Horizonte.

Yet there’s another side to the state where travelers can experience untouched wilderness, a flourishing art scene and delicious cuisine, he says.

“I recommend staying at the restored 18th-century farmhouse Reserva do Ibitipoca.

“From here it’s possible to explore the nearby national park on foot or horseback. Keep an eye out for the exceedingly rare wooly spider monkey — the property’s owners have really focused on conserving the Atlantic Forest, the animal’s home.”

READ: The world’s most spectacular floating hotels

See dozy dolphins in Komodo National Park

“I suggest heading to Komodo National Park in Indonesia, where [in a hidden cove] a pod of dolphins rest at night,” says Eddie Widnall, founder of Ultimate Indonesian Yachts.

“There’s nothing quite like sleeping outside on the boat with the sound of the dolphins beneath.”

Then there’s Tomolol in Misool, where it’s possible to swim through cathedral-like caves and stalactites into a blue lagoon with limestone walls, he says.

“Some have century-old paintings while others are coated in orchids and carnivorous pitcher plants.”

Visit untouched beaches in Vilanculos, Mozambique

“I didn’t know much of anything about Mozambique before I went,” says Kristin Addis, CEO, Be My Travel Muse.

There was very little online about this coastal country in southern Africa, she says.

“When I traveled there I was blown away by the gorgeous white sand beaches that were mostly free of tourists.

“Each day in Vilanculos, the sand bars appear when the tide goes out. It was great watching fishermen grabbing their catch and locals playing soccer in the sand.”

Explore the glaciers and hiking trails of Greenland

When most people think of Greenland, snow and ice comes to mind, says Matthew Karsten, adventure travel blogger and photographer at ExpertVagabond.

But summers are actually quite pleasant along the coast: rolling hills, green tundra, and wildlife everywhere, he says.

“I’d suggest spending a day walking the ice cap near Kangerlussuaq, go on a wildlife safari, or trek for 10 days across Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail,” Karsten adds.

Learn to surf at Nosara in Costa Rica

The province of Guanacaste on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast is a haven for surfers, according to ExpertVagabond’s Matthew Karsten.

Many surf towns can be a bit crowded. “That’s what’s great about this place — the small town of Nosara doesn’t get as many visitors,” he says.

The nearby beach of Playa Guiones boasts enough waves to keep both beginners and experts happy.

For non-surfers, yoga classes and horseback riding are popular activities too.

MORE: Sleeping with the fish: Underwater hotel on remote African island

Ride the rails between Belgrade and Montenegro

Mark Smith, train expert at Seat61, says the 296-mile journey between the Serbian capital and Montenegro’s Adriatic coast is one of Europe’s most spectacular train rides.

“I think it’s absolutely epic. It summits at over 3,000 feet above sea level in the breathtaking Montenegrin mountains,” he says.

“It’s also an engineering marvel with 254 tunnels and 435 bridges, including the world’s highest railway viaduct,” adds Smith.

And it all costs just $22 a ticket.

Discover something wild at Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka

The oldest and largest national park in Sri Lanka, Wilpattu allows travelers to track the elusive leopard and sloth bear, says Skandha Ponniah, marketing manager for SriLankaInStyle.

Even better, it all happens in relative serenity, as the park remains mostly untouched and unknown.

“The roads require four-wheel drives and a driver who knows how to use one, so I’d suggest exploring the area with a tented safari camp such as Kulu Safaris or Leopard Trail,” suggests Ponniah.

“Be sure to park off at the banks of a villu (a shallow natural lake filled with rainwater and surrounded by open grassy plains). Then just wait for the animals to come by for a drink.”

Cycle and sample clam chowder in San Francisco

Will Swinburn, senior first officer at British Airways, recommends picking up a bike from one of the many friendly cycle shops in San Francisco.

“Cycling past the ferry building and piers along the harbor gives a great feeling of the maritime history of the city,” he says.

It’s always worth dropping into Pier 39 for a bread bowl of clam chowder and a drink, then heading onwards to the Golden Gate, Swinburn suggests.

“There are many great lookout points en route to take in the bustling bay.

“Cycle down the last bit of the bridge and veer towards the right at the end down the steep hill to Sausalito. This town is beautiful — and the perfect vista point for fog city itself.”

Pretend you’re James Bond in Jamaica

“Jamaica is such an amazing destination. There’s stunning scenery, fabulous food and an unbelievable musical history,” says Matt Vlemmiks, head of product and commercial at Elegant Resorts.

Days can be spent hiking in the mountains with a Rastafarian guide who will take travelers to secret waterfalls or off to explore stunning coffee plantations, he adds.

Vlemmiks recommends staying at Strawberry Hill, where guests can see the city’s twinkling lights beyond the mountains while hearing faint reggae beats.

Or head over to Goldeneye to channel James Bond. Ian Fleming used to live where the property is situated and wrote many of the Bond novels there.

READ: Bara Bangal, the Himalayas’ most remote village

Discover an eco retreat in Kenya

“It’s not a hidden gem to some, but I’d recommend Segera Retreat in Laikipia county, one of the 47 counties in Kenya,” says Michelle Karam, founder of Travel Junkie Diary.

The property sits on 50,000 acres of land, run and owned by conservationist Jochen Zeitz.

“The retreat is nothing like I have seen before. It’s a place to reflect with nature and solitude, a place where guests learn about the community and Kenya’s wildlife,” adds Karam.

The focus is on a sustainable way of travel using solar energy, recycling and growing food in-house.

“The property educates farmers how not to overgraze, bringing the wildlife back to life by building man-made waterholes and adding rangers to protect the animals from poaching.”

Watch baby turtles in Blanchisseuse Beach, Trinidad

Katelyn Smith, founder of The Remote Nomad, suggests heading to Blanchisseuse Beach in Trinidad surrounded by rolling hills and lush palms.

“It’s quite the drive and public transit is not an option, so travelers should make sure to rent a car or have a local driver,” she says.

“The beach itself is a great spot for surfing. Across the road I’d recommend grabbing some ‘bake and shark,’ a popular local dish, along with the local brew, Carib.”

Depending on the time of year, travelers might even get a glimpse of the baby sea turtles hatching, she says.

One tip: Slang is everywhere, even on on public signs. Spot a sign saying “no liming?” It means no “hanging out” or “chilling” in that spot.

Catch the sunrise over a whispering volcano

For an extraordinary experience, it’s hard to beat visiting the ninth-century Buddhist monument of Borobudur, says Sophie Marchant, travel editor of LuxuryExplorer.com. Overlooking the Kedu Plain in central Java, “this spot fills me with awe,” says Marchant.

“I stayed at Aman’s Amanjiwo, which I definitely recommend. I woke up at 4 a.m. and climbed the summit for unbelievable views of Kedu as the sun came up over Mount Merapi, a whispering volcano.

“I’d suggest bringing a picnic to eat at the nearby waterfall. My guide (from the hotel) took me there.”

Trek through the mountains of India

Maxine Headley, Smith24 travel expert, says she really wants to dispel myths surrounding India: that it’s difficult to travel around and that visitors are likely to get sick.

“I don’t know where all the negativity comes from,” says Headley.

For a different take on the country, Headley recommends experiencing a Shakti stay up in the Himalayas where there are fewer hotels, and more nomadic journeys into the Indian mountains where days are spent adventuring and nights are in a series of base camps under the stars.

“I loved trekking trough through beautiful orchards, treading canyons and stopping to take in and admire the Buddhist temples with giant gold statues dotted around the landscape.”

MORE: The world’s top 25 tourism destinations

Sleep under the stars in Kenya

Nicky Brandon, director of sales and marketing and Africa travel expert for Ker & Downey, advises heading to Kenya’s Northern Frontier for a truly off-the-beaten-track journey.

She recommends a stay at Sasaab. In addition to game drives, travelers can go quad biking, ride camels and do safari walks.

“I believe the village visit here is the most authentic and genuine experience. Go way out and sleep under the stars at a private fly camp.

“Also keep an eye out for the Samburu Special Five: reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, Somali ostrich and beisa oryx,” says Brandon. These animals are unique to this region in Kenya.

Go for a peaceful walk in Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

People don’t really think of walking in Hong Kong, but the city’s great for it, says Charlie Stewart-Cox, Cathay Pacific general manager for South Asia, Middle East and Africa.

There are fantastic hiking tracks and mountain paths — both inside and out of the city, says Stewart-Cox.

“I particularly enjoy a soothing walk on Lugard Road, Victoria Peak. Sections of the path are on the cliffside, meaning it offers the best views of the Hong Kong skyline,” he says.

The entrance for Lugard Road is adjacent to the Peak Tower.

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