Thursday Thirteen #1

This is my first installment of the Thursday Thirteen. I hope to make this a weekly event of 13 travel , food, or adventure-related lists. This week, I'm listing my 13 favorite sites that usually only ever make the travel guide "B" list. I think they're deserving of "A" list status! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

1. Glockenspiel, Munich - At the Marianplatz dating back to 1908. This quaint attraction chimes at 11am every day.
2. Topkapı Palace, Istanbul - Palace of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853. This amazingly beautiful architectural gem gives a picture of what royal life would have been like for the Sultan and his family. There are gilded rooms for harems, pools, and amazing views. Truly a must see!
3. Cloud Forest, Monteverde, Costa Rica - I went ziplining through the ceiling of the cloud forest (re: Rainforest) here in 2005. It's a totally amazing and freeing experience. But don't be like me and get going so fast you can't stop and end up slamming shins first into a tree hundreds of feet into the air.
4. Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg Russia - the largest collection of Rembrandt paintings in the world. It's also the place where the Bolshevik's seized power in 1917 from Russia's provisional government. The level of artistry here is breathtaking, parquet floors and the most intricate mosaic work I've ever seen. The Hermitage Museum, also known as the Winter Palace, was built in 1754 and was home to the Russian tsars from Catherine the Great until Nicholas II abdicated. Here you will also find treasured artworks not only of Europe and the west, but also pre-historic artifacts, antiquities, and Asian artworks spanning centuries.
5. Valle de la luna, Bolivia - Amazing rock formations just outside of La Paz. With the backdrop of a royal blue sky, this moon-like terraformation is breath taking!
6. Panecillo, Quito Ecuador - I flew over this coming in to Quito a couple of years ago. She is a giant figure of Mary crowned with stars, and is probably one of my favorite renderings of the Holy Mother.
7. French Quarter, New Orleans, LA - Street performers, jazz music, outstanding food, and nightlife that never stops!
8. Oistins Bay Fish Fry, Barbados - this is a can't miss in the caribbean! For the best fish you've ever tasted with all the Bajan fixins to go with it, you must go here. The party lasts all night after everybody's done eating, and there's plenty of dancing and rum punch to keep you satisfied!
9. Peterhof, St. Petersburg Russia - Peter the Great's summer palace with glorious gilded fountains. The fountains you see are not the originals however, as the true fountain structures were stolen by the Nazis during the 900 days siege of St. Petersburg during WWII. In any case, the reproductions are stunning!
10. Reichsparteitagsgelände, Nuremburg - This area include a German reproduction of the Colosseum (Kongresshalle), the Great road (Große Straße) where the bricks all measure exactly 2 Prussian Goose steps, the Zeppelinfeld and Grandstand, where the propaganda film Triumph des Wills was filmed, and where the government placed the exhibition of Faszination und Gewalt that now resides in the documentation center.
11. Stocherkahnfahren, Tuebingen Germany - One of only 3 European cities where gondolas are still used, this is a must experience event in this South German city. Make sure that you get a gondolier who sings, and if you're lucky, he might even let you steer the boat!
12. Calle le las brujas, La Paz Bolivia - This is quite the experience shopping here. You can get mummified llama fetuses alongside amazing Amara cloth creations and herbal remedies. Be sure to haggle for the best price!
13. Virginia Wine Festival, Leesburg VA - the one time a year where all Virginia Vintners sell their wine in one place! For $10, you get all you can taste wine and discounted prices on all of the wine you buy. There's plenty of music, sunshine, and food to go around, and it's a great way to spend an afternoon on goregous Virginia fall days. Be sure to stop by my favorite, Tarara Winery as your first (and last!) stops.