Blegny Mine - Liege, Belgium

The coalfields of Wallonia(the french speaking province in Belgium) were once the most productive in western Europe almost for 8 centuries, but in the 1970s there was a spate of closure of these mines,as the precious black thing became uneconomical to extract.

The Blegny Mine, near Liège in Brussel, was one of the last to cease production (in 1980), but the authorities decided to preserve it so that future generations could appreciate the physically punishing work the miners had to endure, and the huge contribution they made to Belgium’s prosperity.Blegny is the only mine in continental Europe where you can descend to the underground  at a depth of 30 and 60 metres.
English speaking guides and audio guides also are easily available at the ticket counters for assistance through out the trip.

Visitors have to wear all safety gears before going down, a video documentary also is shown abt the evolution of coal and its life cycle.
The guide once after the documentary, discusses about the do's and dont's, further takes small groups one after another in the miners lift down to 30m and then further to 60m.
Some of thedrills are still in working condition and the working demo is also shown.
Every nitty gritty about the process can also be founddisplayed in form of charts and diagrams on every trails.
The trip literally makes us ponder about the hardships and efforts faced by the coal miners amidst suffocation , such far down underground with no light and air.

Giethoorn, The Venice of Holland

Giethoorn - The Netherlands

Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel, known in the Netherlands as Venice of the North , some times also known as the Venice of the Netherland, though it is debatable topic when you think about Amsterdam.
All transport in this location are done by water ways over a spate of canals.There were no roads in the earlier times, but these days there is a cycling path parallel with most of the canals.

What i could understand from the villagers is, the canals/ lakes are formed as a result of peat digging.
Peat is a brown, soil-like material characteristic of boggy, acid ground, consisting of partly decomposed vegetable matter (courtesy : Internet).
The excavation of peat by the villagers led to these canals. This village used to rest on the mine of peat.
Peat is pretty soft and compressible. Under pressure, water in the peat is oozed out, further upon drying peat can be used as fuel.
Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world. In countries, where there are scarcity of trees, peat is traditionally used for cooking and domestic heating.

Activities:

• Rent a bike(bi-cycle) and pedal along the canals, where ever the cycling path leads you. 
• Rent a motor boat / row boat
• Pit stop at good pub, if its a sunny weather, then perfect, dive into the world of booze..
• Shop, if you are an antique lover or souvenir collector.

It is literaly a paradise, full of canals, all lustic green trees overshadowing, with small cafes, pubs,souvenir shops seen in the nooks of the village.It was a wonder to see the dutch canal village with no streets at all. These canals also leads you to a lake as well.

Athirapilly Waterfalls - Kerala, India

Athirapally - the  largest waterfall in Kerala is a  major tourist attraction,  in the sholayar range  rain forest .
 Chalakkudy river, Charpa, Vazhachal and Athirapally are the ideal places where the monsoon can be enjoyed.

The sholayar range of the western ghats is a critical habitat of many important species, including the endangered Great Indian Hornbill, the Nilgiri Langur, Lion tailed Macaque and many more.
The Western Ghats is one of the most important biodiversity spot in the world
These waterfalls in thick green forest are a part of the Chalakudy river .

Athirappilly is popular among tourists. Athirappilly Falls is one of the best places to visit in Kerala. Another popular waterfall to visit is the Vazhachal Falls. Athirappilly Falls is a part of Chalakudy river and it is approximately 80 feet in height.
Athirappilly is easily reachable from Chalakudy by taking a vehicle for rent or by bus from the Chalakudy private bus terminal.

Vazhachal Waterfalls
The Vazhachal waterfall is another scenic and popular waterfall in the same stretch. The Vazhachal is part of the Chalakkudy River. Its cool, misty waters cascading down  and the rocky terrain sight is breathtaking.

Nearest Airport
Cochin- Nedumbassery International Airport