[ FOTO ] DESTINATII DE VIS : Global Seed Vault in Norway

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Norwegian: Svalbard globale frøhvelv) is a secure seedbank located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near the town of Longyearbyen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago, about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) from the North Pole. The facility preserves a wide variety of plant seeds in an underground cavern. The seeds are duplicate samples, or "spare" copies, of seeds held in gene banks worldwide. The seed vault will provide insurance against the loss of seeds in genebanks, as well as a refuge for seeds in the case of large-scale regional or global crises. The seed vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement between the Norwegian government, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen).

Construction of the seed vault, which cost approximately NOK 45 million (US$9 million), was funded entirely by the Government of Norway. Storage of seeds in the seed vault is free of charge. Operational costs will be paid by Norway and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Primary funding for the Trust comes from organisations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and from various governments worldwide. (link)

[ FOTO ] Race Santa Claus in Liverpool

More than eight thousand people gathered to take part in the annual marathon Santa Claus Santa Dash in Liverpool in northern England on Sunday 4th December . Race distance is 5 kilometers. According to preliminary information, marathon Santa Dash-2011 set a world record for the number of participants. In addition, Santa Claus race was held in Greenwich Park in London. The money collected was spent on charity.

[ FOTO ]The First Cover Page of Magazines

What were the very first cover of the most famous magazines in the world. It seems that Rolling Stone was originally a newspaper. It turns out, Vogue came out already in 1892, and Lifestyle in the nineteenth century!

[ FOTO ] DESTINATII DE VIS : The Longest Straight Staircase in the World

The longest straight staircase in the world is on the island of St. Helena — On the island of St. Helena, where the very living out his days Napoleon, is one of the steep staircases in the world. This long straight staircase was built back in 1829 and still serves as a true faith, residents and visitors of the island. It 699 steps, drop height of 200 meters. Has built its railway company to lift loads from the port of Jamestown. 05 more images after the break...

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[ FOTO ] DESTINATII DE VIS : The Smallest Five Star Hotel

The Wedding House, the smallest 5-star hotel in the world, is located in Amberg, Germany and has only 53 square meters. Eh Hausl or The Wedding House in Amberg, Germany, is listed as the smallest 5 stars hotel in the world; and that for a good reason. It has an opening of only 2.5 meters and a total area of 53 square meters. The five-star hotel has an intimate air, so those who will choose to stay here will not regret it.

The hotel is cramped between two other buildings in the area, but if the external image will not impress you, then the inside will definitely do so. However, there are obvious reasons for it carries the rank of five stars hotel. Here, you will enjoy all the comfort and pampering in the world. Customers from China or Mexico pay 240 euros for one night at Eh Hausl, and, believe it or not, the demand for accommodation is extremely high. (let’s not forget the hotel can only accommodate 1 couple at a time)

As you probably figured out, The Wedding House was not always a luxury destination. It was built in 1728, while authorities in Amberg allowed young people to marry only if they had ownership. A trader in the area came up with the idea of building smaller and cheaper buildings for future newly weds. That’s how the hotel got its name: Eh Hausl (The Wedding House)