Several years ago I had the pleasure to live in Branson, Missouri for a couple of months while taking a break from the restaurants. I did alot of reflection, visited the Moon River Theatre, stayed at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel with my significant other, took a weekly drive to the Osarks where I hiked the trails and rode horses, and visited the Titanic exhibit which is the worlds largest. Let's not forget Silver Dollar City which features more than 100 demonstrating craftsmen, 60 unique shops, 40 live shows daily, roller coasters.

Recently, I heard about the Cooking School Weekend that's taking place in Branson, Missouri October 16-18 and I'm just so disappointed that I won't be able to attend. However, if you are in the area during that time, there are several packages and deals being offered specifically for that weekend.

As a guest, you will arrive to an extravagant Wine Tasting Reception followed by a cooking demonstration with the Hotel’s very own Chef Nathan Read. The following morning you will learn to prepare the appetizers being presented at the wine tasting.

Saturday evening participants will learn to prepare a scrumptious four course meal, as well as learn which wines can compliment those specific dishes to make the meal a complete success.

The experience doesn't stop there! You and your guest will be treated to deluxe accommodations at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel Friday and Saturday evening all for just $398.00 plus tax for both nights! As a guest of the Hilton, you will be pampered and have access to designer boutiques, restaurants, the River Walk, and those are just to name a few.

Your friends will be increasingly jealous of your weekend, and not only that, you'll learn to prepare an extravagant dinner for the upcoming holidays. If I was going, and I expect all of you to tell me about it, I would love to try the Smoked Newman Farms Pork Loin, Wild Mushroom Risotto and Dried Cherry Vanilla Demi, the Fried Butternut Squash with Aged Balsamic and Parmesan Cheese, and the Shrimp Fritters with Green Chile Salsa. They all sound to die for!

What I wouldn't give to have some one on one time with the chef. However, with my experience, I'm sure I could still give him a run for his money.

Okay Blog is a free blog hosting site powered by Wordpress blogging software. You can create a blog at your own url provided for free by okayblog.net. The most important aspect of setting up your blog at this location instead of using blogger is that you get to play around with the wordpress themes or choose one of your own. It's a great site for beginners! You have free reign to post whenever you want, there are no restrictions on content, and the fact that's it's free sounds pretty great to me.

Okay blogs has several options for you to make your blog a success including:

• easy to use widgets and tools
• several wordpress templates and themes for you to choose from
• ways to make money like AdSense

When I initially started out my blogs a year ago, I found the templates to be completely boring and I just felt that the overall message I was sending with my sites was not the one I was trying to. That's why I definitely think if you are just starting out and you want the option to make your blog look the way you envisioned it, you must try Okayblogs.

Ed Gein was born in 1906 in a town with a population of around 632. While growing up on the farm in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, his father George was often drunk and distant, while his mother Augusta was an overbearing, religious zealot. She preached that all women, not just prostitutes, were bad and she would often read from the Bible, choosing scenes that involved bloody murders and divine retribution.

Throughout Ed Geins life he was both verbally abused by his mother, as well as his classmates. Although, even as a troubled child, he still remained an excellent student excelling in reading, yet still detached from those around him except his mother.

As an early adult, he still remained disconnected. While his brother Henry was rejecting his mother's warped view of the world as well as Ed's attachment to her, Ed was planning a scheme to have his mother all to himself.

While fighting a brush fire in 1944, Henry and Ed were separated and Ed proceeded to murder Henry with a shovel with a swift blow to the head. While Henry's death was being investigated, Ed led police directly to the body. The police quickly dismissed the death as an accident.

At this point, Ed had his mother all to himself. However, within a year she died of a heart attack and Ed was left alone in the farmhouse to take care of himself. It was said that Gein had desecrated her body after she passed.

His oddly displaced personality led him to dig up corpses of women from the nearby cemeteries, collecting vulva's and keeping them tucked away in a box in his home. He would often practice necrophilia with all of the bodies, however Gein ultimately grew bored and decided to claim his first living v ictim.
In 1954, Ed Gein murdered Mary Hogan, a 200 lb bartender who's skin was stored in paper bags for a woman's suit Gein was fashioning. Three years later, Gein murdered Bernice Worden, a 58 year old grandmother.

This time, suspicion fell on Gein. Police were tipped by a source that had seen or heard stories about the human masks and shriveled bodies. When the authorities finally entered the farmhouse, they found Worden's body hung upside down.
"Mary had been decapitated, her headless body hung upside down by means of ropes at her wrists and a crossbar at her ankles. The torso was empty, the ribcage split and the body "dressed out" like that of a deer. These mutilations had been performed postmortem; she had been shot at close-range with a .22-caliber rifle."
They also found chairs upholstered with human skin, skulls being used for soup bowls, faces hung on the walls like trophies from hunting season, and the refrigerator was filled with body parts preserved to eat. Additionally, there was a woman's suit made entirely out of human skin that Gein would wear around the house and pretend he was is mother.
Close to 13 women were identified in the farmhouse that day, and when asked why he did what he did, he believed that he had to experience the fruits of his labor. He had to convince himself that he had actually killed those women, so living in a sort of hunting lodge setting with his trophy kills on the wall and in boxes was a reminder of what he was capable of.
While in custody, Geins famed farmhouse burned to the ground and his 1949 Ford Sedan, which was used to transport the bodies, was being auctioned for $760.00 to carnival sideshow operator Bunny Gibbons.

Gein spent 13 years in Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, Wisconsin. He died in 1984 from respiratory and heart failure.

Over the years, Geins grave has been vandalized, with the bulk of his stone being chipped away by visitors and cult followers. It was later discovered "in June 2001 near Seattle and is displayed at present in a museum in Waushara County, Wisconsin."



Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six

Even now, Hollywood continues to immortalize Gein. His character was in part the inspiration for Norman Bates "Psycho", "American Psycho", and then once again in "The Silence of Lambs".
Being an enormous fan of the Hannibal series, it's quite evident in the movie that there is no documented evidence that states that homosexuality or trans-gender confusion is what causes serial psychopaths. Furthermore, what's interesting about Gein was that he lacked emotional intelligence and I think he admired women, for lack of the better sense. He chose to shed his victims skin since he couldn't shed his own, and even then, it was still never enough.

Also Check out :

• Cachtice Castle, Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and the Murders of Vienna
• Murder Ballads Top 10
  
• Robert Hansen: Alaskan Murderer
• The Infamous and Bizarre Vampire of Brooklyn Albert Fish
• The Bizarre and Twisted Evolution of HH Holmes Castle of Horrors
• Serial Killer Jane Topan

Picture Sources

• Source
• Bernice Wordens Body(graphic)
• Source
• Source

Mnofdichotomy says We love Google. Virtually all of the accumulated knowledge of mankind at our fingertips at any given moment. But there is one thing we look up far more often than any other; female celebrities. We have always been a society enamored with famous people, and the internet has taken that obsession to an entirely new level. We now know everything there is to know about them. We stalk them. We have pictures of them on our computers.

So who are they? We all know who we prefer to look up (and let’s be honest; we’ve all done it.), but who make up the creme of the crop? Let's find out the women we google the most often?

It's my Birthday Today everyone, so I decided to take a break from Blogging and relax. Talk to all of you soon, I have a big dinner to attend.


glitter-graphics.com

Evolution in the animal kingdom has caused species to partake in an armed race, which ultimately causes their adaptive traits to change over time within their gene pool. This trait may have been caused as a side affect of another adaptive mechanism or the dominate trait took over the adapted to protect the animal.

In many cases, a new bizarre defense can hinder an animals behavior or a relationship between a predator and it's prey can change which then presents another problem for the weaker of the animals.

If the species cannot adapt to the environment with their new trait, they will go extinct, therefore allowing the species with that new trait that are adaptable to inhabit the pool.

This idea of Natural selection is one of the cornerstones of modern biology and was introduced by Charles Darwin in his 1859 groundbreaking book "Origin of the Species". This book explained the process by which the desirable traits of animals and plants are favored by the environment.

Goldenrod Spider

The Goldenrod spider changes colors by secreting a liquid yellow pigment into the outer cell layer of the body. On a white base, this pigment is transported into lower layers, so that inner glands, filled with white guanine, become visible. This defense, as you can see, allows to capture insects that are completely unaware that the spider has masked itself within the flower.

Peppered Moth

Image via Wikipedia

Source

The peppered moth comes in two forms, both white and molted. Before the industrial Revolution, they were commonly found with just a white coloration, however due to the pollution in the factories the molted coloration became for common. In all actuality, the molted trait allowed this species to blend with the environment, therefore this camouflage became the dominant trade.

Carolina Anole

When an anole is nervous, they will begin to turn a dark brown. Green means that an anole is happy, healthy, or relaxed. Some anoles, when relaxed, on a hot day will turn a soft yellow-green in color. There are many shades of brown and green. The darker the shade of brown, the more stressed, cold, or possibly ill the lizard is. Of course, when you take into account the defenses of this creature, having the ability to change into so many colors allows them to blend into the ever changing environment.

Hammerhead Shark

Image via Wikipedia

Hammerhead sharks, amongst many other species of shark, are darker colored on their dorsal side and lighter on their ventral. This coloration allows them to blend with the colors of the sea, as well as warding off predators from below. Also, the head is mostly used to make swift turns while looking for food, therefore the movements and placements of the eyesockets are not a predatory defense. However, there are electroreceptory sensory pores called ampullae embedded throughout the body which allows them to detect prey by a type of sonar.

Rock Ptarmigan

Image via Wikipedia

The ptarmigan lives in a snow covered environment for most of the year, so white plumage on their ventral side allows them to blend. However, when the snow melts their dorsal feathers change colors to a light brown. What's fascinating about these creatures is that they act very much like assassins, covering themselves up with dirt and mud, with only an eyeball showing.

Variegated Urchins

Source

The variegated urchin tends to pick up debris such as sand and shells and holds them over their body like an umbrella to avoid detection. They also use this defense to protect themselves against sharks and other predators.

Hagfish

Source

Hagfish are the slimiest fish in the ocean, which of course is a very bizarre and useful defense. When they are overly stressed or being attacked, they will produce an enormous amount of mucous and the predator can not get a hold of them and may suffocate. Hagfish will also tie themselves in an overhand knot so when the predator tries to take hold, the slime makes it easier to get free.

Bluelashed Butterflyfish

Source

The butterflyfish has dark, rounded spots on it's caudal side, which fools the predator into thinking it's biting the head, instead of the tail. If the fish does get bitten it will still be able to swim away injured.

Monarch Butterfly

Image via Wikipedia

The Monarch is not typically toxic, although the plants that it consumes are. The butterfly will store the toxins in their tissues, therefore when a bird or or another predator tries to eat it they will fall ill. Although the bright coloration of the butterfly is an attraction for predators, the fowl taste usually allows for the Monarch to remain unharmed.

Tephritid Fly

Jumping Spider

Source

The tephritid fly resembles the jumping spider in that it waves it's antennae to warn other flys that a predator is near. If the fly encounters a spider and mimics the same behavior, it avoids being attacked and even eaten.

Adelie Penguins

Source

When Adelie penguins leave their breeding grounds to feed, they form small groups and jump into the water together. Doing this allows the penguins to escape a seal attack considering it's more difficult for the seal to capture a group, rather than one individual penguin. While swimming in the groups, the penguins are able to reach their feeding ground.

Hognose Snake

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Source

The Hognose snake will flip on it's back and roll up if being attacked. It will release an odor resembling a dead animal, therefore it wards away predators and no one likes the taste of spoiled meat.

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• 11 Ridiculously Cute and Cuddly Zoo Babies Throughout the Globe
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The cleaners may still be sweeping up what remains of this year’s Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, which wrapped up yet another year of crazy fun on August 31, but with the ever-increasing popularity of this festival that can mean only one thing: it’s time to start planning for next year.

The 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe (as it’s properly known) is set to run from August 6-30, and as anyone who’s been to the festival before will tell you, it’s a whopping good time - and it crowds the city like just about nothing else. Read more about the Fringe Festival

Compliments of Jessica

Waterfall: Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall

Everyweek, or rather everyday, I'm am rushing to the mailbox to send out all of my correspondence letters to friends, family, and business partners. The one thing I despise most is handwriting every address with my trusty caligraphy pen.

During the holidays you just can't do this by hand. You have to have already made return address labels to make your life easier, as well as stop your hand from cramping up. Considering I have already purchased my holiday cards, I decided to go on a hunt for a company that makes some fun and stylish address labels.

I was trying to stay in the spirit of Christmas with the ones I have chosen, so now I need all of your opinions. These are the ones I like the most.

How about you? Will you be ordering labels this holiday season?

Traveling around Bali can be an enlightening experience and there are times when you come across places that you find delightful as well as surprising. Then, you probably start to wonder if any other traveler has been there before you and if you should share your treasured find with friends and other travelers to Bali. I tend to keep the many places I have found over the decades to myself but occasionally share them with select folk who have similar interests. Knowing that if you open your mouth, it won’t be long and that special place becomes touristic and spoiled.Read more about destinations and traveling to Bali

Compliments of Barrie

Also check out:

• What NOT to Forget on a Road Trip in Bali
• Six Fabulous Scenic Spots in Bali

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Now, this is my kind of contest. LG is a running a contest that includes the ugliest things you want to lose. The contest runs from September 11, 2009 thru November 6, 2009 and all you have to do is upload an image or video of anything you consider ugly and want to lose. All users are free to to submit photos or videos of objects they consider ugly on the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/LGBliss

There will even be a Gallery of the Utterly Ugly where you can lose your ugly stuff to clear the way for more Bliss, as well as browse through other people’s ugly picks. You can check out some of the ugliest shots at the LG Bliss Facebook Fan Page. There's some real lookers there.

If you have any ugly and freakish clothing, beat up cars, pictures of you in one of those ridiculous prom disasters, an old monster of a CPU computer, or maybe one of those old game systems that hooks into your TV screen and you play with a keyboard then you're all set. Pick out the ugliest and let loose.

If you have a facebook account, you are allowed one entry into a contest for a chance to win a brand new LG Bliss phone. The grand prize is the new LG Bliss phone and the secondary prize is a $50 gift card so you can buy your own bliss. There will be five grand prize winners and fifty secondary winners. You must be 18 years or older.

My favorite animal guru papaleng gives us another fascinating and bizarre look into the animal kingdom.

The animal kingdom is full of strange, interesting and amazing facts. Read on to learn 30 fascinating things animals can do, traits them alone own and amazing facts good to be included in Animals Guinness book of records.

Featured at PurpleSlinky and Scienceray

• Interesting and Bizarre Predatory Animal Defenses
• Amazing Exotics: Evolutionary, Strange, and Bizarre Species of The World
• Animal Kingdom: The Misconceptions
• Animal Kingdom: Fashion Trendsetter or Disaster?

I have been with my fiance now for close to 8 years. During that time, he has expressed to me that wanted to set up a saltwater fish tank, however we were really never in a location that was conducive for us, or the fish for that matter.

Now that we are more settled near the University, I thought for Christmas this year that I would have a tank set up as a surprise. I remember he mentioned before that his original tank had live coral that the fish used as a hiding place. He also had a huge array of different species that he had collected over the years from breeders and friends.

Reef aquariums are something that I'm to familiar with, so I was hoping all of you could help me out with some tips before I started the initial planning of the tank. I know which kinds of fish he loves including Clown fish, Blue Tang, and Mandarin Goby, and I have found a place to get them directly from the reef with 2 weeks time and with free shipping.

So what should my first step be? And what's the best way to make the tank a success?

Patrick Bernauw says" Biologists at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, California, wondered whether cats could sense the presence of X rays. Researchers exposed the felines to X-radiation and found the greatest effect occurred when the radiation was aimed at the olfactory bulb. According to a report in New Scientist however, the cats still retained some sensitivity to X rays after the olfactory bulb was removed. So, there may be more than one sensory receptor capable of detecting X rays, the scientists concluded." Read more about Paranormal pets

mzmax100 says "Sultan Kosen stands at 2.46metres tall – 8.9 feet high! This is a new world record for tallest man beating the last height by 10 cm, at 2.36metres tall. The man started growing rapidly at the age of 10, due to a pituitary tumor which was removed just recently in 2008, stopping him from growing any further."~Read more about the Tallest man

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• World's Most Ridiculously Fantastic and Fun Water Slides
  
  
• Amazing Exotics: Evolutionary, Strange, and Bizarre Species of The World
  
  
• Totally Extreme and Historic Roller Coasters of Today and Yesteryear - Part Two
  
  
• Illustrious and Historical Legends, Tales, and Myths of The World

Insect: Fox Moth Caterpillar

The American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada; and Cleveland Museum of Natural History presents Extreme Mammals.

After all of the recent research I've been doing on eveolution and bizarre behaviors of prehistoric and historic animals, I was thrilled to hear about this exhibit. The show is running through January 2010 and includes several displays and activities explaining extinction, the evolution of the animals and what actually happened to them, an extreme 3D experience, as well as many kid oriented fun spots.

If you like to learn more, visit the Extreme Mammals page on the American Musuem of Natural History site

Victoria Blackmore has put together an impressive list of haunted locations in Hawaii, Florida, and California. Of course, all of you already know how much I love ghostly haunts, paranormal activity, and stories of gruesome murders so I love stumbling upon articles like this.

Aiea – Aiea High School – This school is built over an ancient burial ground and there have been reports of strange figures in the R building area and strange noises have also been reported all over campus.

Ford Island – BEQ 51 – Witnesses have heard footsteps, the galley doors open and shut by themselves(these doors are locked at night), they have felt cold drafts of air in the same location, also, a figure walking from the mess decks wearing dungarees and a white hat has been seen.

Hamakuapoko – Hamakuapoko [former land division and town] – between Paia and Haiku – This place holds great power. Once a thriving plantation town complete with sugar tycoons’ mansions now razed, the only remaining structures is the former location of Maui High School; which is now a research facility. It is said that this area has many ghosts roaming this former land division. Ranging from ancient Hawaii, to missionary and plantation days, there are many spirits that wonder through out this region. Among them are choking ghosts that target students playing ‘hooky’ [not in participating school session]. There are also reports of a spirit of a girl who haunts the girl’s bathroom in old Maui High. Hiding in the now boarded up restroom, you can hear sobbing and crying behind the doors.

Read More about Haunted locations in Hawaii

Read More about Haunted locations in Florida

read More about Haunted locations in California

Thestickman says "Two ‘ghost hunters’ were exploring (and trespassing in so doing) the University of Toronto building on the rooftop when the male jumped from one rooftop to another, and his female accomplice failed to make the necessary jump and fell four storeys to her death. This is the building (below) where the death occurred." Read more about the horrible death of the ghost hunter in Toronto.

The truTV's Rehab series just premiered on September 1st and will be airing all new episodes:Tuesdays at 10p/9c. So what's so different about this show?

Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel gives you a full frontal view, in your face, action packed front seat to the hottest party in Vegas. Every hotel on the strip is trying to compete with this fresh new party, but how can you can't pass up surprise celebrity guests, music performances, knock down brawls, and all of this drama seen through the eyes of some of the newest Rehab staffers learning the ropes.

I think the hottest parties I have been to were back in college at the old Beta Fraternity House. I remember 26 kegs in the back yard, people falling into the bushes, the guys doing keg-stands. Awe the memories and all the headaches. Of course, that was 13 years ago so for me, I love to watch people making fools themselves on live television when they think no one is watching.

The best part about the show Rehab is that it's not reality and it's not staged. If a pool goer loses their bottoms or someone accidentally loses a bikini top on live television, well those people will never know millions of viewers are watching at home and laughing. It's one of my guilty pleasures, although if it were me, I would not want the entire world to see me in all my glory.



If you love The Hard Rock, and I know I do since I went to the location in Tampa today, I encourage you to join the sweepstakes to win a chance to party like a rock star at Rehab at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino pool.You can enter by visiting:http://www.getrehabready.com/index.html#lin

The Newest Triond Anthology is out, so if you have the time, these articles are focused on every subject, from poetry to travel. You asked for more creative writing, so I'm delivering.

For those unfamiliar, Triond is a social writing site; and a gathering forum for some of the best undiscovered talent on the internet. The list of authors, artists, and poets who have gone on to success is long and varied. Here you will find a collection of writing from some of the premier authors of today. You will find the collection amazingly diverse… men and women from all over the world; young and old. The styles vary greatly, from short tongue in cheek pieces to some rather epic in nature selections. From the macabre to romantic, all sorts frequent the halls of triond . Whatever your tastes… Short Stories , poems, how to articles, political, cultural, or religious pieces… You’ll find it here. The common thread being that they are written by some talented authors. Read more of the Triond Anthology

Compliments of Mnofdichotomy

• The Triond Anthology: Poetry Vol. 2
• The Triond Anthology: Poetry Volume 1

I am to jealous about one of the new Myrtle Beach Resorts called the Towers on the Grove. Of course, with my mom and step dad being the obsessive travelers, and heading off on a moments notice once again to South Carolina, they stayed at this location to take a break from a long and grueling ordeal at their house in Michigan.

This Myrtle Beach Resort, as you see by the photograph, has the most appealing of amenities. Who wouldn't want to swim in this pool with such a serene view of the sunset. They also feature condos with private balconies and full kitchens, which is great for any traveler looking to entertain their party privately.

Also nearby is the Myrtle Beach State Park where my mom and stepdad spent one afternoon hiking on the trails, forests, and venturing into the wildlife habitats.

If you are in the area, and are looking specifically for Myrtle Beach Hotels, you have to look into Towers on the Grove.

During my weekly meetings with my mentor, we like to exchange articles about compartive psychology, anthropology, archaeology, etc-to give me a well rounded perspective. I happened to stumbleupon a book review about Darwins Dangerous Idea of evolution.

Zashuna says "It may seem odd to read the book Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, by Daniel Dennett, for a science class and then write a review on it. After all, as Dennett himself warned, it is not a work of science in the usual sense of the word. A work of science would present empirically gathered evidence and then draw natural conclusions based on the evidence. Afterwords, it would be peer-reviewed under the scrutiny of fellow scientists." Read more about Darwin's Dangerous Idea

Reflection: Cox's Cave

I was recently looking at the downtown historic Columbia SC Real Estate really by accident after reading about the Congarees, a frontier fort on the west bank of the Congaree River, which was the head of navigation in the Santee Riversystem.

I have always had a passion for old houses and history, which explains my present direction towards my PHD in Archaeology. And so I thought it may be a good idea to expand my horizons and research locations in the United States since recently my research has been strictly centered on Middle Eastern and European countries.

South Carolina does not fall short of anyone's expectations looking to relocate there for business or pleasure. I was pleasantly surprised. Oh, and the houses! The real estate in Columbia SC is amazing and so reasonable. I figured, since staying in Florida for the rest of my life was not really a great option for someone that misses the change of seasons, that South Carolina might be a place to look into after I finish my doctorate. If you already live there, your lucky already.

BradONeill gives the Republican view about Obamas school speech saying "first of all we would like to thank President Obama for this opportunity to reach out to the young people of America and we applaud his sincere desire to help young people create the America of tomorrow. We share his opinion that government has a responsibility to provide each and every student a chance to succeed." Read more about Obama's school speech

Duff D Moss says one could be tempted to think that I am about to dive into the theoretical madness of physics and expunge my vast library of intelligence onto a disinterested audience that would prefer to hear in intricate detail the reflection of the full moon off a drop of dew resting delicately on a virgin rose petal.

Going green, traveling green, and seeing green is the topic of this Monday Montage. So sit back, relax with your coffee or tea, and enjoy.

Nicaragua

San Juan Del Sur

San Juan del Sur is popular among surfers and is a vacation spot for many Nicaraguan families and foreign tourists consider it an unspoiled alternative to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica

El Silencio Lodge and Spa

Set in Costa Rica's central volcanic region, El Silencio Lodge & Spa will be a sanctuary for soft adventure and inspired wellness. Offering a 500-acre private reserve, gently flowing rivers, and hidden waterfalls, it will embed 16 suites and a full-service spa in the thick of pristine tropical cloud forest.

Grandhotel Lienz in Austria

Grandhotel Lienz, a stunning new five-star property that opened in Austria’s medieval city of Lienz in May, is the greenest hotel in the country. Created by Heinz Simonitsch, who was previously Managing Director of Half Moon Club in Jamaica, the first hotel in the Caribbean to become an environmentally friendly hotel, Grandhotel Lienz is a paradigm in energy conservation.

Switzerland: Overnights in a monastery

The monks at Disentis live according to the rule of Saint Benedict, which may still serve as a guiding principle for people questioning their soul and looking for God. A Benedictine monastery seldom remains without guests. Guests and visitors are welcome at the liturgy of the hours and the daily Eucharist. Disentis also has an exclusive proposal for men, the «temporary monastery», which allows guests to partake in the life of the community and spend some days of contemplation.

More than ever, people are asking how to redirect their lives. As Edith Stein once said: “everyone has his or her very own path”. Women interested in learning more about the life at the cloister are welcome to share a few days with the sisters. The guesthouse is simple and offers room for quiet living and days of contemplation. Individual guests and groups are responsible for their own arrangement and meals.

This cloister is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Its guesthouse welcomes guests eager to retire from the bustle of daily life and spend some days in contemplation. Twice a year, the nuns propose professionally guided fasting weeks. The cloister church, which also serves as parish church, allows visitors to say their prayers. The house chapel welcomes guests for quiet times and mediation, though they remain free to organize their own stay.

The Franciscan Cloister of Mariaburg sits atop Burgstock hill in the heart of Näfels. The cloister is open to anyone interested in the life of the Franciscan order and for individuals (men and women) and Christians, who wish to temporarily retire from daily hustle and bustle to lead a life of contemplation. Guests may have a brother as a guide during short stays of up to one week. They participate in the daily life of the cloister and possibly add some spiritual exercises.

Read more about the accommodations in the monasteries

Upper Loch Torridon from Inveralligin

© Carolyn Lee

Bealach na Gaoithe

© Dave Ferguson

On Ardsheil Hill

© Richard Webb

Loch Sunart

© Dave Fergusson

Gardens, Scotstown

© Richard Webb