【推荐1】Around the globe, sometimes in the most unexpected places, a handful of towns and villages stand out from the crowd, drawing the world’s attention and attracting thousands of visitors every year.

Bo-Kaap, South Africa

The ancestors of the residents of Bo-Kaap are mostly from Africa, Java, Indonesia, Malaysia and other parts of Asia. These diverse cultures contributed much to the interesting architecture of the town and the houses are repainted in rainbow colours each year, with neighbours conferring to avoid a clash.

Tobermory, Scotland

One of the most biodiverse areas in Europe, many nature lovers are attracted to the island but Tobermory is perhaps best known for the brightly painted houses and buildings that line the waterfront.

Wroclaw, Poland

The old town of Wroclaw, Poland, has a complicated history. For decades as Europe warred around it, the city became in turn the province of Germany, Prussia and Austria. Now the town’s new Municipal Stadium, built for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, is covered with glass fibre mesh coated in Teflon, which can have any colour projected on it to reflect the mood of the event.

Patidad, India

In 2009, a small village called Patidad in Gujarat, western India, underwent a radical colour overhaul when a prominent local family decided absolutely everything should be painted pink. Believed to be a divine colour in Hinduism, every house, every gate and every temple was trans-formed with this color.

【推荐3】With a new year come new opportunities, and there’s no time like the present to start learning more about parts of the world you’ve never dreamed of before. Forget the standard bucket list: Machu Picchu, Mt Everest, Galapagos Islands—these places are over-visited. And besides, why follow the beaten path when you can get off it?

Lush green forests, amazing surf breaks, and village ruins greet visitors to El Salvador. Compared to the popular Costa Rica, the country’s coastline is a surf-enthusiast’s dream. If you’d rather be under the water than gliding along it, then grab the chance to dive in a live volcano. Lake Ilopango sits 460 meters above sea level, near the capital of San Salvador. Freshwater sponges, along with freshwater fish, lava flows along underwater cliffs and pillow lava deposits are just some of the incredible sites. Thanks to the hot vents in the lake bed the water is a balmy 85F.

Hike the multicolor peaks in Zhangye, Gansu Province, which is also home to hidden caves, rock formation, and temples balanced precariously on cliff faces. The otherworldly colors look just like a painted rainbow and give Peru’s much-visited mountains of the same name a run for their money.

Made up of 10 islands, two large and eight smaller ones, there are very few tourists who make it all the way to Samoa. Packed with natural wonders: ocean trenches, epic waterfalls, and stunning beaches, it’s a must do for outdoor enthusiasts. There’s ample hiking too, from World War II heritage trails to a “cloud rainforest” hike and a trek up to the peak of Mount Alava.

Technically an external territory of Australia, Christmas Island is dominated by around 50 million red crabs. Head to this remote island to witness the stunning spectacle of their annual migration, plus keep an eye out for manta rays, dolphins, and whale sharks that patrol the 80km of coastline. It’s not an easy place to get to, but the near-deserted beaches and friendly community make it worth the adventure.

【推荐1】Cornwall Council apologised to the public after a citizen complained that one of its buildings was lit up “like a Christmas tree” at midnight during an energy crisis.

On Saturday, a dog walker, Stuart, discovered a brightly-lighted Chy Trevail building in Bodmin, which accommodates more than 600 staff. The witness said, “How can the council explain for leaving all the lights and TVs on? We’re constantly told there is an energy crisis. They put our council tax up. For what reason? Because they employed staff that forget how to use a light switch?”

There were complaints about a similar issue last summer when Lys Kernow, formerly the New County Hall in Truro was pictured with all the lights on past midnight both inside and outside.

A council spokesman admitted it was an error. “Following an investigation, we can confirm some lights at Chy Trevail were left switched on accidentally,” he said, “Training will be given to the workers who made the mistake to ensure this is not to happen again. Cornwall Council is committed to reducing its energy use and has taken many steps to do so, including the installation (安装) of solar panels at both County Hall in Truro and at Chy Trevail. A new lighting control system has also been installed in Truro to ensure the amount of time lights are left switched on is minimised.“

Chy Trevail includes a central hall for the main reception and public facilities, as well as open- plan flexible workspaces over three floors. The building has “a special design driven by a challenging display energy certificate rating and includes 200kw photovoltaics (太阳能光伏) to generate on-site renewable energy, low energy LED lighting, improved insulation, air-tightness and measures to reduce water consumption.

Cornwall Council previously declared a climate emergency and hopes to be carbon neutral by 2030.The local authority has invested in LED lighting at Lys Kernow and uses renewably-sourced energy to power the building, including solar energy from panels installed on the roof.