Home
© Davide Seddio/Getty Images
The beach of As Catedrais (The Cathedrals) we show you in our picture is one of the most beautiful and mysterious in northern Spain. It’s on the Way of Saint James (Camino de Santiago), very close from Galician town of Ribadeo, and its real name is Aguas Santas beach (Holy Waters). Everybody calls it The Cathedrals because of the arches growing from the sand tongue, which look like the buttresses of a Catholic church. They’re supposed to be natural carved by the action of salty water and wind over millions of years. And the most superstitious locals belive there’s a door in this place connecting with the beyond.
Today we celebrate the island nation of Madagascar, located off the southeast coast of Africa, which became independent of France 60 years ago today, in 1960. Madagascar's national tree is the stately baobab—impossibly tall and imposing, but a little silly at the same time. In fact, its nickname is the 'upside-down tree,' since it looks like it was planted with its roots in the air. Six of the world's nine baobab species are native to Madagascar. The trees we're looking at today are the Grandidier baobab, the largest of them all, lining the Avenue of the Baobabs near the western coast.
This species can grow up to 100 feet tall and 36 feet in diameter, a measurement that can actually change as the trunks store water during rainy seasons to help them survive in times of drought. Baobabs are also known for their longevity; those growing along the Avenue of the Baobabs are estimated to be 2,800 years old. Locally, Grandidier baobabs are referred to as 'renala,' or 'mother of the forest.'