Glide or Google the world at your finger tips

 

 

 

 

The world at your finger tips: From scaling Mount Everest to visiting Captain Scott's hut in Antarctica - The INCREDIBLE tours you can take for FREE (and you don't even have to leave your sofa) Google Street View offers users the chance to see some of the world's most exotic locations at the push of a button Be transported from your desk to mangrove swamps, volcanic rock formations or a 13th century salt mine in Poland I've you've ever wanted to spot wild and wonderful creatures on the Galapagos islands, scale Mount Everest or visit Captain Scott's hunt in Antarctica, but don't have the budget, all you need to do is log on. You won't actually feel the snow beneath your feet, or breathe in the air of the Rio Negro, but neither will you exhaust your piggy bank. Google Street View (GSV) is about to take you on a 360-degree adventure to some the world's most exotic destinations. +9 Up close and personal: You don't need to leave the comfort of your sofa to get a good look at the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil It's the city of the moment, but if you weren't lucky - or rich - enough to bag a ticket to the World Cup, GSV can take you to the 98ft Christ statue above Rio de Janeiro's Corcovado mountain. While you won’t be able to behold the full splendor of Corcovado on screen, you also won’t have to climb a 2,300-foot mountain. +9 Follow in Darwin's footsteps: The Galapagos Islands are a dream destination for wildlife fans, but you can 'virtually' visit without breaking the bank Sierra Negra Volcano Crater - Galapagos Islands Walk - or at least imagine walking - in the footsteps Charles Darwin, among unique endemic species such as the giant Galapagos tortoise and the blue-footed booby. By logging on to GSV, you'll be transported to pristine beaches, mangrove swamps, and volcanic rock formations. +9 Under the sea: Google Street View can even take you for an underwater adventure, visiting coral reefs and shipwrecks Hourglass Reef - Bermuda No Padi? No worries. Cruise the big blue without donning your dive mask. GSV offers a selection of ocean tours, including an 1864 shipwreck, coral reefs and swimming with marine life. +9 Effortless adventures: You can scale Mount Everest, in Nepal, without even standing up Mount Everest Base Camp - Nepal Not all of us were born to scale Everest, check out the views from Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal by switching on your computer and pressing a couple of buttons instead.  +9 Amazonian adventure: Cruise along the Rio Negro, the Amazon River's largest tributary, without having to brave the insects Rio Negro - South America It's the rainforest - but without the gruesome bugs. Virtually sail down the Amazon River and trundle through the rainforest with Google Street View. +9 Great explorations: Take a peek at Captain Scott's snow-clad cabin in the South Pole, Antarctica Scott’s Hut, Cape Evans - Antarctica Always wanted to reach the South Pole? These days it is much more accessibale that it was in the time of Scott and Shackleton, but it's easier still thanks to GVS. You can check out Scott's historic cabin, a selection of world flags planted in the ice, and of course plenty of penguins. +9 Back in time: The arresting Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland dates back to the 13th century Wieliczka Salt Mine - Wieliczka, Poland You can travel back to the 13th century, when you virtually visit the Wieliczka salt mine in Poland. It features a cathedral carved out of rock salt and an underground lake, as well as salt artifacts contributed from various artists. +9 Access all areas: You can even visit the world's largest particle physics laboratory in Geneva Large Hadron Collider Tunnel, CERN -  Geneva, Switzerland The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, in Geneva, is the world's largest particle physics laboratory, used by the world’s best physicists and engineers - but you don't need to be a genius to peek inside. +9 Truly magnificent: Inside the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates It's the size of five football fields and once banned Rihanna, thanks to some provocative photos she posed for on site. Your online journey can take you around the marble facade and plazas inlaid with gold and precious stones inside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Out of the blue! Join British glider pilots in the air as they capture gobsmacking bird's-eye view images from around the world From the Britain's Severn and South Africa's Orange River to the desert in Namibia and Black Mountains in Wales, the best view of all is that which can only be achieved by a bird... and the closest humans can get to that is a glider. British gliding enthusiasts have captured these scenes and more in a series of stunning shots taken from above and below clouds, coasting over snow-capped or sun-soaked mountains, at sunrise and sunset all around the world. The images, taken by eight members of the London Gliding Club over the past four years, were shot on mini cameras attached to their glider's wing tips or nose cones of the gliders. The are on display at London Luton Airport’s Gateway Gallery in an exhibition entitled The Art of Powerless Flight. Whether the pilot photographers are upside-down over the Pyrenees, swooping over Ivinghoe in Buckinghamshire or launching through the mist in Bedfordshire, their work is a sensational way to see the Earth. 'My favourite picture shows a glider climbing upside down over La Cerdanya in Spain as it’s a stunning photo and reminds me of a brilliant flight,' said Adrian Hobbs, a member of the club. 'Guy Westgate, one of the leading aerobatics pilots, was flying and there were fireworks attached to the wing tips.' +13 Explosive: London Gliding Club's Guy Westgate climbs over La Cerdanya in France with fireworks on his wings +13 Mountain air: Westgate goes the wrong way up as his fireworks-shooting glider does some aerobatics over the Pyrenees +13 On the tow: The view of a tug pilot through the rear view mirror as a K13 glider gets set to be released +13 Out of this world: Pilot Stephen Lynn took this shot from 8,500 foot above the desert while flying from Kiripotib in Namibia +13 Journey: Lynn had this bird's eye view during a 600km journey via The Severn Estuary, the gateway to Britain's longest river +13 Shapely: The varied colours of these East Anglian Fields were captured as Lynn made his way out of Dunstable in Bedfordshire +13 Bird's eye view: Is there a better way to see the Southern Alps of southeastern France than from the cockpit of a glider? +13 Out of the mist: A tow takes off amid heavy fog towards Invinghoe Aston +13 Ready for lift off: Robin May flies out of the Black Mountains in Wales, heading towards the next possible lifting air under the cumulus cloud ahead +13 Rising over sunset: A glider climbs above the horizon line over Ivinghoe in Buckinghamshire +13 On the turn: Look down the wing of an Ash 25 glider to South Africa's Orange River, which runs from the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho to the Atlantic Ocean +13 Ready for action: It's a frosty morning here as an Ask 21 training glider stands stationary with the Dunstable Downs as its backdrop +13 Crop circling: Lynn turns his Binder Ash glider over farmland on the Isle of Wight

'The Sistine Chapel of Rotterdam': Gigantic digital mural covering the interiors of new market with images of nature fills visitors with wonder The Horn of Plenty is a digital mural on the walls of De Markthal market in Rotterdam It covers 36,000 square feet and consists of 4,000 tiled pieces depicting produce which will be on sale at the market, which will open in October The artist behind the mural, Arno Coenen, said the artwork is about nature The hustle and bustle of markets create a lively and exciting atmosphere, making them a good place to start getting to know a city. A new indoor market in Rotterdam will not just offer visitors the chance to browse through fresh produce – it will also mesmerise them with the largest artwork in the Netherlands. Measuring 36,000 square feet – the size of two full size football pitches - the massive digital mural on the walls of the De Markthal market has been dubbed the ‘Sistine Chapel of Rotterdam’. +6 Images of nature: The digital mural depicts the products which will be on sale at the market when it opens in October The artwork, called the Horn of Plenty and designed by Dutch artist Arno Coenen, consists of more than 4,000 tiled pieces which are covered in bright images depicting fruits, vegetables and other produce that will be on sale at the market when it opens in October. Arno said: ‘You could just look at the wonderful, almost psychedelic picture for its beauty, but the reference to the “Horn of Plenty” points out the miracle that food is there for you. ‘It is a work with a spiritual, religious feel to it. However, its larger-than-life size is not a tale of religion; it's about nature.’  +6 The biggest artwork in the Netherlands: A digital impression of the The Horn Of Plenty artwork covering the interiors of the De Markthal market in Rotterdam +6 Psychedelic: Artist Arno Coenen said the digital mural is a work with a spiritual, religious feel to it +6 'The Sistine Chapel of Rotterdam': The artwork covering the interiors of the 40-metre high arched building The high resolution, large-scale images were possible thanks to the help of Pixar and a team of 3D animators, special effects specialists and a photographer. Once the market opens, the artist will project moving animations on the walls of the 40-metre high arched building. The indoor market, designed by local architecture practice MVRDV, will host fresh food stands including bakers and fishmongers, along with restaurants, retailers, 228 apartments and 1,200 parking spaces. +6 Shop and dream: The indoor market will host fresh food stands including bakers and fishmongers, along with restaurants, retailers, 228 apartments and 1,200 parking spaces +6 Detail: The high resolution images were possible thanks to a collaboration with Pixar

It is perhaps not the destnination you would immediately associate with an authentic Tibetan experience, but this quirky B&B offers just that - in the South of France. Holidaymakers can see what life is like for a Buddhist monk, all in the middle of the French countryside, less than two hours from Toulouse. With its oriental decorations and secluded spot amongst the trees you could be forgiven for thinking the Nest of the Red Dragon was a Tibetan creation, but it is actually owned by a Frenchman and an American. +10 Crimson retreat: The unusual B&B is built in the style of a Buddhist temple, but is actually located in the South of France +10 Room with a view: The unusual temple looks out over the Haut-Languedoc natural park The bizarre B&B houses tourists in simple wooden accommodation with a balcony extending from the cliff side, an outdoor shower and incredible views over the Haut-Languedoc natural park. Or for those seeking a more luxurious break there's even a sun terrace and private pool. Just as the builders of Buddhist temples would have done, owners New Yorker Liam Salter and Frenchman Thomas Lestelle sourced all the materials for the Nest locally and before building it by hand themselves using chestnut trees from the nearby forest. Unusual experience: Guests say it is like they have left France and stepped into an entirely different country In contrast to the décor of the traditional houses in nearby villages, the ornaments filling the master bedroom and twin room for children are all treasures brought back from their time living in Asia. Liam and Thomas will even cook you an authentic Asian meal in the Tibetan kitchen while you get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and reconnect with the surrounding nature. Although the Nest has been a private retreat for the last ten years, the temple-like property is now open to paying guests from £120 a night. +10 Making a splash: The B&B has just opened tot he public and allows holidaymakers to experience life like a Buddhist month Going for gold: With traditional Tibetan decor and outdoor showers shaped like elephants, guests will feel a world away from the South of France +10 Take a dip: While the B&B may seem basic, it has plenty of additions such a a pool tucked in among the foliage Liam said: 'The first thing people say when they come in is always: 'We are in another country'. 'It's often people looking to escape who come and visit but our clientele also includes people coming for a few days of love and romance. 'The project started when we quit the rat race because we wanted to get away from administrative work. 'We decided then to work for ourselves, building our home, our furniture, etc., etc., only taking small jobs to get by. Breaking with tradition: The Tibetan temple-style B&B is nestled in the French countryside near a picture-perfect village Inner peace: The spectacular setting is worthy of a Buddhist retreat 'Thomas and I have travelled a lot in Asia and Africa and at the beginning it was just a place for friends to stay inspired by our travels. 'Now we feel lucky to be welcoming people to a different kind of South of France experience.' Despite being open less than a month, Liam and Thomas have been overwhelmed by the interest from prospective guests. Jess Waters from QuirkyAccom.com handles bookings from the UK for the property. She said: 'The nest is an exotic and fabulous Asian temple with views to die for. 'It really has the feel of being far from its location in the South of France. 'It is always thrilling to find somewhere so unique and inspirational like this.'