Random Windows Spotlight images

The south coast of England’s Devon county is blessed with a cluster of bayside boroughs much loved for their temperate climates. So pleasing is the weather in one of these, Torbay, that it’s even been dubbed ‘The English Riviera.’ Sandy beaches and placid waters such as those here at Galmpton Creek draw tourists to the area from rainier, colder parts of the British Isles. And what seaside resort is complete without a few palm trees? Torbay sways with palms (actually, lily plants imported long ago from New Zealand) that provide touches of the Mediterranean in this thoroughly British turf facing the English Channel.

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The city has a rich Scottish, Chinese and Māori heritage.

Many rivers flow across the Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska, and you're looking at one of the most notable, the Kasilof. Originally known as Ggasilatnu by the Dena'ina people, it was later called Reka Kasilova by early Russian settlers, and its current name derives from that. The milky blue hue of the river is due to rock flour from Tustumena Glacier, where the Kasilof's waters originate. Salmon and trout abound in the river, and it naturally attracts anglers to its shores—or to slow-moving boats for a day of drift fishing. Those interested in something a bit more boisterous can book whitewater rafting tours along the Class II portions of the Kasilof.

A mountain lake surrounded by pine-covered shores may not be the first landscape that springs to mind when picturing Thailand. But rolling hills and tall mountains make up much of the terrain here in the far northern province of Mae Hong Son. Located within the Thai highlands, it's a region of the country bordered by Myanmar on the west and Laos to the east. In our image we're gazing over Pang Ung, a pristine natural reservoir area developed in part to protect the area from deforestation. It's been nicknamed the 'Switzerland of Thailand' for its resemblance to that country's Alpine scenery, and its year-round cool climate.

Santa Cruz de la Sierra is Bolivia's largest and most cosmopolitan city, where modern skyscrapers mingle with colonial architecture and indigenous markets. The city offers a vibrant nightlife, a rich cultural scene, and a variety of cuisines to suit every taste. Santa Cruz is also the perfect base for exploring the natural wonders of the region, from the tropical rainforest of Amboró National Park to the sand dunes of Lomas de Arena. Whether you are looking for adventure, culture, or relaxation, Santa Cruz de la Sierra has something for everyone.

It's no exaggeration to say that when it was unveiled to the public, this painting caused a major sensation. Frederic Edwin Church's sprawling 5-foot-high and nearly 10-foot-wide canvas is so detailed, grand, and immersive that it not only drew long viewing lines, but reportedly caused dizziness and fainting in some spectators. The hype around this composite illustration of vistas seen in Church's travels around South America was well-deserved. The work shows the hand of a master landscape artist at his zenith and is widely considered Church's most famous painting. After several years of public exhibition, it was sold for $10,000, an enormous sum at the time and the highest price paid for any work by a living American artist. 'Heart of the Andes' by Frederic Edwin Church is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.