Christmas in Ipanema

Planted in the middle of the lagoon behind Ipanema, in Rio de Janeiro, this 82-metre high Christmas extravaganza arouses both delight and frustration each year. Traffic jams are inevitable as people stop to admire this tree of trees...


Photo courtesy of marginalrevolution.com 2006

Banksy goes to Bethlehem

The city of Bethlehem in the West Bank has commissioned Banksy, the elusive British graffiti artist, to paint over a dozen images on the 8m-high (26ft) concrete wall that surrounds the town.
The city's economy is highly dependent on tourists, especially during the Christmas season, but few visitors are now willing to take the time to cross the Israeli checkpoint at the security barrier.
Read about it in the Timesonline by clickinghere
photo courtesy of the Timesonline