Let me say this about that.

Yesterday, LMSTAT began a listing of the 10 most beautiful places in the world, based on the personal experiences of the author. As such, it could be argued that the selection of these locations as the ’10 most beautiful’ is biased and subject to revision with locations contributed by the readership.  I readily admit this flaw and welcome input from you good folks if you have visited some ‘paradise’ that did not make my list.  However before you do, take a look at the remaining five locations that make up the best of the ’10 most beautiful places’.  If you have been anywhere more beautiful than these, please send me a photo and description and I’ll publish a revised list …. right after I…    make my airline reservations to go there. 

Norwegian Fjords

5)  NORWEGIAN FJORDS:

The fjords of Norway … imagine Switzerland with an ocean.  The fjords are saltwater ‘rivers’ that push into the interior of Norway’s mountain ranges through pathways left by ancient melted glaciers.  The only way to see these snow-capped mountains is by boat.  The most practical is to take the ferry that makes up the transportation and supply infrastructure of the small farming villages that rim the waterways.  The most visited fjord - and one of the most scenic -is the Sognefjord.  To get to the headwaters, take a train from Oslo to the mountain top village of Myrdal.  There you will transfer to a cog train that will take you on a heart-attack inducing ride down the shear mountain cliffs to the village of Flam.  There is a ferry service from Flam to the village of Balestrand that will take you through a fairyland that Disney would envy. 

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

4)  BORA BORA, French Polynesia:

Tahiti never did much for me, but the rest of the “Society Islands”  of French Polynesia are incredibly beautiful.  This is especially true of the island of Bora Bora.  Bora Bora is an ‘atoll’ meaning it is a collapsed volcano who’s rim forms a barrier reef.  Few people actually live here, but the one’s who do are great.  The local baker delivers fresh french bread to the local’s mail boxes each morning.

Agincourt Reef, Queensland, Australia

3)  AGINCOURT REEF, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA:

Agincourt is one of the series of reefs that make up Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.  The Great Barrier Reef stretches for nearly 1,600 miles along the coast of northwest Queensland, Australia.  Lying 30-50 miles off the coast, getting there requires a two hour boat ride, or if you really want a mind-altering experience, a helicopter flight.  To get there, fly into Cairns and drive north up the coast to Port Douglas. In Port Douglas, you can catch a boat to the reef.  Going by boat allows you to snorkel or scuba dive among 1500 species of fish and incredible coral formations.  I was especially impressed by the discovery of a giant clam the size of a VW Beetle.

Bernese Oberland, Swiss Alps

It’s hard to find any place in the Swiss Alps that is not breathtaking.  But the region making up the Bernese Oberland simply defies description.  The region’s crown jewel is the area in and around Interlaken.  Interlaken is a two hour train south of Zurich and is the kicking off point to the ski slopes at the higher altitudes.  Take a local train to the villages of Grimmelwald and Murren for incredible views of the Monk, Jungfrau, and Eiger mountains.

1)  THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE WORLD:

I’m normally not a bait-and-switch kind of guy.  But, having acquired an over-developed sense of drama – probably from watching too many reality shows – I am going to award the title of “The Most Beautiful Place in the World” in a posting tomorrow that focuses only on this location.  Don’t miss it.  This place is out of this world !!

And, that’s all I have to say about that.

Shambo