The boats of the Barcolana Regatta near the Faro della Vittoria

The copyright for this photo is managed by CORBIS

Photographer: unknown

Location: Trieste, Italy

I am a sucker for lighthouses :) SO though this picture is not as exceptional as some of the other, it still is quite good.

Faro della Vittoria (The light of Victory): Built in 1854 (Architect: Moring Karl) and replaced due to the increased demand of a better lighthouse in 1927 (Architect: Arduino Berlam), in the presence of  King Vittorio Emanuele III (hence the name, I assume)

For more information on the structure, go here, you may need to translate the page (hint: use chrome :D)

These are the numbers of the Faro della Vittoria:

is 67.85 meters high 

is 116 meters high from the sea

the average intensity of the light is of 1,250,000 candles

has a range of 35 miles

weighs more than 8,500 tonnes

then total cost of 5,265,000 lire

Here are a few more pictures from the web

showing both the sculptures of the lighthouse

 unknown soldier (sculptor Trieste John Mayer (1863-1943)) height 8.60 m, represents memory of all the sailors who died in WW I

Winged Victory Statue (sculptor: John Mayer) height 7.20 m

Some locations for travel in and around Trieste can be found here

The Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo

The copyright for this photo is managed by Getty Images

Photographer: Frans Lemmens

Location: The Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo with Mount Cook National Park in the background on the South Island of New Zealand

New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Lake Tekapo, background: Mount Cook National Park, Unesco World Heritage Site. Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area. Maori: Te Wahipounamu. Foreground: Church of the Good Shepherd.

Church of the Good Shepherd: Built in 1935, it is considered the most photographed building in New Zealand, It is a registered historic place in New Zealand. The church contains a significant collection of Gurnsey's carvings and features an unusual altar window, which offers visitors a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding lake and mountains. It is built from local materials and surrounded by indigenous plants makes it very much part of the surrounding landscape and gives it a timeless quality.

Lake Tekapo: Summer or winter, snow-covered or golden yellow, the surrounding mountains and turquoise lake make a spectacular backdrop for the Church of the Good Shepherd. The unforgettable night sky reveals why Lake Tekapo has a reputation for clear air.

Travel information and other information can be obtained from this website

More interesting information

The magnificent Mackenzie has a startlingly clear night sky and is about to become the worlds first "Night Sky National Park".

A few images of the night sky are here

Another image of the same landscape on Getty Images (Managed Rights) taken by Hideo Kurihara

Fraser Gunn, a resident of Lake Tekapo has a photography site.

Other interesting information, Aurora Australis can be seen from this location and it seems amazing. The above website has breathtaking pictures

 

Waterfall on the Arroyo del Salto River near Mt. Fitzroy

The copyright for this photo is managed by CORBIS

Photographer: Momatiuk - Eastcott

Location: Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina

Waterfalls of Arroyo del Salto River flowing from glaciers and snowfields of Mount Fitzroy and cascading over rocks.

wiki page

Los Glaciares National Park is located in the area known as Austral Andes in Argentina, in the south west of Santa Cruz on the border with Chile. By his magnificent natural beauty, it constitutes a wonder in the world, and was declared "World Heritage" by UNESCO in 1981.

It's purpose states  

Besides offering an imposing landscape and being a great attraction to travelers all over the world, Los Glaciares National Park accomplishes many functions related to preservation and conservation that are not always known by others.

These purposes aim to promote the public knowledge of the natural characteristics of the area and the understanding of their importance.

The website has comprehensive information about how to plan your trip, travel agencies for your convenience and even has recommendations what to look for, where to stay etc.

You can start planning using this page called "Useful Information" :)

San Rafael (Coca) Falls on the Quijos River

The copyright for this photo is managed by CORBIS

Photographer: Kevin Schafer

Location: Cayambe-Coca Reserve, Ecuador

More information from This is Ecuador and Exploring Ecuador

180 kms. from Quito, passing Papallacta and Baeza, you will find the San Rafael falls. These spectacular waterfalls are where the the Quijos river enters the mouth of the Coca river at 1650 mts. ... On a clear day, from the river Reventador you will see the active volcano of that same name and you may see the explosions and lava flows.

Recent articles have highlighted how this fall may not be this spectacular in near future. One such article says

The 1,500 megawatt Coca-Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Project will divert water flow away from the 480-foot San Rafael Falls, leaving it "high and dry." Worse, the project, which is scheduled for completion in 2016, will be pressure on Sumaco Biosphere Reserve, an area so renowned for its biodiversity that "even the oil companies spared this area...

Ciao till there is another image in Bing that inspires me to do some research :)

Bing's Bling

Though I am a chronic basher of Microsoft, I do believe that they have done many things right. it is just the expectation that they could do many more things right :)

I cannot vouch for bing's search capabilities or algorithms and if it is better than Google. Calling it a Decision Engine makes it look like a "segment" ploy. But one thing I do like about bing is the image on the homepage that changes everyday. I have noticed that most of the images have piqued my interest and as a result I learnt a couple of new things. This is just an attempt to catalog all the images that I have liked (it could be either an interesting animal/plant life, landscape or just excellent photography.