UBC 20 - GBE2 - Breathless

This is post 20 for the Ultimate Blogging Challenge on  GBE2's prompt  "Breathless"

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away ~ Unknown

So here are some of the moments of my life that took my breath away (in no particular order)

The birth of my kids - they were the sweetest babies I ever saw and they brought and still bring joy to my heart

Paris at Christmas - oh my, that was magical - nearly 20 years ago and I can still hear myself say "OMG this is so beautiful"

The Sistine Chappel - absolutely amazing - I was completely lost for words

Statue of David in Florence - the sheer size of it was astounding 

Inside the Colosseum in Rome - I think I just stood there and stared. Wow what can I say – in it’s time this must have been something magnificent.

Under the Niagara Falls in the maid of the mist – Actually it’s quite scary to hear the thunder of the falls but the ride was so worth it.

First glimpse of the majestic Himalayas – that is a sight to behold. I would love to go back and see them again.

Manali in the Himalayas – I think this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  I can close my eyes and see the place in my mind – it was so beautiful, it’s imprinted in my mind. 

The Houseboat on Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, India – I was 11 at the time and it was just so different. To my 11 year old mind this was just amazing. And the shikara (boat) ride across the lake with the mountains all around was breathtaking.

Taj Mahal at Agra – one of the 7 wonders of the world – to be experienced as one can’t describe it in words.

Fatehpur Sikri near Agra– Now this was a place that truly amazed me – I enjoyed every moment of it. Our guide was so awesome, one could actually transport oneself to the time of Akbar the Great. If ever you visit India, don’t miss this one.

Marlborough Sounds, South Island, New Zealand – New Zealand has many places that take your breath away including my beautiful city of Wellington, but I chose this one as this was my first view of the South Island from the Interislander ferry and I was just blown away by the views.

Pohutu geyser, mud pools and Waiotapu in Rotorua – the thermal activity in Rotorua is also something one has to see. The Pohutu geyser erupts approximately every 1-1.5 hours so we were lucky to see one eruption that was quite spectacular.

The snow in the freak snowfall we had all over New Zealand. I had so much fun in the snow, I was like a little kid and the views from my house were astounding.

And then there was Donny Osmond … he held my hand for a moment or two while singing Puppy Love at the Wellington concert in 2006 – oh what can I say – my heart stopped beating for that moment.

I’m sure if I spent some more time on this post I would come up with many more breath-taking moments but will have to leave those for another post another day.

Wish you all many awesome moments.

Here are pics of the snow on the hills around Wellington that truly took my breath away.

Warm Regards