Fascinating Photos Of Abandoned Rail Tracks Around The World

Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture, France

Abandoned railway track in Texas

Abandoned mining track, Taiwan.
[imgur]

Little Belt Railway, France

Helensburgh, NSW, Australia (Photo credit photobotos.com)

Then And Now: Photos Of D-Day Landings (Part 2)

On June 6, 1944, allied soldiers descended on the beaches of Normandy for D-Day – an operation that turned the tide of the Second World War against the Nazis, marking the beginning of the end of the conflict.

Today, as many around the world prepare to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the landings, pictures of Normandy’s now-touristy beaches stand in stark contrast to images taken around the time of the invasion. 

Reuters photographer Chris Helgren compiled a series of archive pictures taken during the 1944 invasion and then went back to the same places, to photograph them as they appear today. (Reuters)

A Cromwell tank leads a British Army column from the 4th County of London Yeomanry, 7th Armored Division, inland from Gold Beach after landing on D-Day in Ver-sur-Mer, France, on June 6, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

A couple walk inland from the former D-Day landing zone of Gold Beach where British forces came ashore in 1944, in Ver-sur-Mer, France August 23, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. Army paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division drive a captured German Kubelwagen on D-Day at the junction of Rue Holgate and RN13 in Carentan, France, June 6, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Girls run across the street at the junction of Rue Holgate and RN13 in the Normandy town of Carentan, France, June 21, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

The body of a dead German soldier lies in the main square of Place Du Marche after the town was taken by U.S. troops who landed at nearby Omaha Beach in Trevieres, France, June 15, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Tourists walk across the main square of Place Du Marche near the former D-Day landing zone of Omaha Beach, in Trevieres, France August 23, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

Canadian troops patrol along the destroyed Rue Saint-Pierre after German forces were dislodged from Caen in July 1944. British and Canadian troops battled reinforced German troops holding the area around Caen for about two months following the D-Day landings in Normandy. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Shoppers walk along the rebuilt Rue Saint-Pierre, which was destroyed following the D-Day landings, in Caen August 23, 2013. British and Canadian troops battled reinforced German troops holding the area around Caen for about two months following the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

A crashed U.S. fighter plane is seen on the waterfront some time after Canadian forces came ashore on a Juno Beach D-Day landing zone in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, France, in June 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Tourists enjoy the sunshine on the former Juno Beach D-Day landing zone, where Canadian forces came ashore, in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, France, August 23, 2013. British and Canadian troops battled reinforced German troops holding the area around Caen for about two months following the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

Please click for: Then And Now: Photos Of D-Day Landings (Part 1)

Then And Now: Photos Of D-Day Landings (Part 1)

On June 6, 1944, allied soldiers descended on the beaches of Normandy for D-Day – an operation that turned the tide of the Second World War against the Nazis, marking the beginning of the end of the conflict.

Today, as many around the world prepare to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the landings, pictures of Normandy’s now-touristy beaches stand in stark contrast to images taken around the time of the invasion. 

Reuters photographer Chris Helgren compiled a series of archive pictures taken during the 1944 invasion and then went back to the same places, to photograph them as they appear today. (Reuters)

The 2nd Battalion U.S. Army Rangers, tasked with capturing the German heavy coastal defense battery at Pointe du Hoc to the west of the D-Day landing zone of Omaha Beach, march to their landing craft in Weymouth, England, on June 5, 1944 in this handout photo provided by the US National Archives. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Tourists walk along the beach-front in the Dorset holiday town of Weymouth, England, July 13, 2013. The port was the departure point for thousands of Allied troops who took part in the D-Day landings. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. troops wade ashore from a Coast Guard landing craft at Omaha Beach during the Normandy D-Day landings near Vierville sur Mer, France, on June 6, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Tourists take part in a land sailing class on the former D-Day landing zone of Omaha beach near Vierville sur Mer, France August 22, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. Army troops congregate around a signal post used by engineers on the site of a captured German bunker overlooking Omaha Beach after the D-Day landings near Saint Laurent sur Mer June 7, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Tourists walk past a former German bunker overlooking the D-Day landing zone on Omaha Beach near Saint Laurent sur Mer, France, August 24, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. Army reinforcements march up a hill past a German bunker overlooking Omaha Beach after the D-Day landings near Colleville sur Mer, France, June 18, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Youths hike up a hill past an old German bunker overlooking the former D-Day landing zone of Omaha Beach near Colleville sur Mer, France, August 23, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. Army troops make a battle plan in a farmyard amid cattle, which were killed by artillery bursts, near the D-Day landing zone of Utah Beach in Les Dunes de Varreville, France, on June 6, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Farmer Raymond Bertot, who was 19 when allied troops came ashore in 1944, poses on his property near the former D-Day landing zone of Utah Beach in Les Dunes de Varreville, France, August 21, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

Please click for: Then And Now: Photos Of D-Day Landings (Part 2)

Photos: Hidden Gems Of Europe

Lisse, Netherlands

Here are photos of some of the less known beautiful places in Europe.

Cappadocia, Turkey

Lecce, Italy

Sintra, Portugal

Dijon, France

Delphi, Greece

125th Anniversary Of The Iconic Eiffel Tower

1889: View at the ‘Exposition Universelle’ across the River Seine towards the Eiffel Tower, and the ‘Globe Celeste’. The Eiffel Tower, built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, was the central focus of both the 1889 and the 1900 Paris Exhibition site. (Photo by London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images)

Eiffel Tower or La Tour Eiffel celebrates its 125th anniversary on March 31, 2014.

It was named after an engineer, Gustave Eiffel, the owner of the company that designed and built the tower.

1900: Visitors to the World Exposition walking under the Eiffel Tower, with a view of the Chateau d’Eau in the background, Paris, France. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair or Exposition Universelle of 1889.

Now it is a global cultural icon of France.

The construction of the iconic tower was officially completed after 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days.

Now let’s take a look at some photos of the Eiffel Tower during its construction…

(Please click the photos for larger images)

1887: One of the steel struts of the Eiffel Tower at the start of its construction in Paris, 18th July 1887. (Photo by FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

7 December 1887: Construction of the legs with scaffolding.

20 March 1888: Completion of 1st level.

15 May 1888: Start of construction of second stage.

21 August 1888: Completion to 2nd level

26 December 1888: Construction of upper stage.

15 March 1889: Construction of cupola

1950: Tourists queue up to climb the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1950. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)

From Metal Scraps to Beautiful Animals By Edouard Martinet

Butterfly by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

Edouard Martinet from Brittany, France, creates sculptures of insects and other animals from salvaged parts and junk, including car and bicycle parts, typewriters, and medical equipment.

Each intricate insect takes about a month for Edouard to create and he works on two or three models at a time.

Please click the photos for larger images:

Rhinoscerous beetle by by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

Raven by by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

Moth by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

An ant by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

Fish by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

Wasp by by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

Beetle by by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

Three spined stickleback by by Edouard Martinet (Photo by Edouard Martiniet/CATERS NEWS)

Major Atlantic Storm Killed 11 In Northern Europe

Large waves break against the dyke Monday at the port of Boulogne, France.

The death toll from the major Atlantic storm rises to at least eleven across northern Europe on Monday.

Four people were killed in Britain, three in Germany, two in Netherlands, one in France and one in Denmark.

According to Britain’s Met Office national weather centre, winds reached 99 miles (159 kilometres) per hour on the Isle of Wight off the southern English coast.

Please click the photos for larger images:

Waves crash onto the cliffs surrounding Porthleven, Cornwall, southwest England, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. Forecasters say a severe storm will hit the southern half of Britain later Sunday, bringing heavy rains and gusts of 60 to 80 miles per hour (100 to 130 kilometers per hour, with the potential to cause widespread and severe disruption from falling trees, power cuts and flooding. (AP Photo/PA, Ben Birchall)

A fallen tree blocks a road after overnight storm in Brighton, southern England on October 28, 2013 (AFP Photo/Glyn Kirk)

Engineers look at the damage as a crane working on redevelopment at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall, near to Downing Street in London, was brought down by high winds, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013. A major storm with hurricane-force gusts is lashing southern Britain, parts of France and Netherlands, causing flooding and travel delays with the cancellation of many flights and trains. Weather forecasters say it is one of the worst storms to hit Britain in years. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A man tries to rescue a tree during a period of strong winds in Duesseldorf, Germany, 28 October 2013. Three people were killed by falling trees in England and the Netherlands 28 October as a powerful storm continued to wend its way up both sides of the Channel, disrupting life in large parts of Britain and continental Europe. (EPA/MARTIN GERTEN)

Theo Harcourt, a 13-year-old student, jumps over a fallen tree as he makes his way to school in Islington, north London October 28, 2013, after strong storm winds and rain battered southern parts of England and Wales early on Monday, forcing flight cancellations, disrupting trains and closing roads and major bridges before the start of rush-hour. Local media dubbed the storm “St. Jude”, after the patron saint of lost causes who is traditionally celebrated on October 28. REUTERS/Olivia Harris

A fallen tree blocks the road after the St. Jude storm in Islington, north London October 28, 2013. Strong storm winds and rain battered southern parts of England and Wales early on Monday, forcing flight cancellations, disrupting trains and closing roads and major bridges before the start of rush-hour. REUTERS/Olivia Harris

Waves crash against a lighthouse during storms that battered Britain and where a 14-year-old boy was swept away to sea at Newhaven in South East England October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Police said rescuers were forced to call off a search for the boy late on Sunday due to the pounding waves, whipped up by the rising wind. (REUTERS/Luke MacGregor)

A cyclist carries his bicycle over a fallen tree in Islington, north London October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Winds of up to 99 miles per hour (160 km per hour) lashed southern England and Wales in the early hours of Monday, shutting down rail services in some areas during rush hour. REUTERS/Olivia Harris

Waves crash against a lighthouse during storms that battered Britain and where a 14-year-old boy was swept away to sea at Newhaven in South East England October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Police said rescuers were forced to call off a search for the boy late on Sunday due to the pounding waves, whipped up by the rising wind. (REUTERS/Luke MacGregor)

The roof of a pedestrian bridge which collapsed during strong winds is seen outside London Bridge Station in London October 28, 2013. Strong storm winds and rain battered southern parts of England and Wales early on Monday, forcing flight cancellations, disrupting trains and closing roads and major bridges. Local media dubbed the storm “St. Jude”, after the patron saint of lost causes who is traditionally celebrated on October 28. (REUTERS/Dylan Martinez)

People wait at a bus stop by a damaged tree in Brentford, west London October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Winds of up to 99 miles per hour (160 km per hour) lashed southern England and Wales in the early hours of Monday, shutting down rail services in some areas during rush hour. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Emergency services work at the scene of a fallen tree at Bath Road in Hounslow, west London October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Winds of up to 99 miles per hour (160 km per hour) lashed southern England and Wales in the early hours of Monday, shutting down rail services in some areas during rush hour. (REUTERS/Toby Melville)

Waves crash against the seafront as a train travels along the coastal railway line at Dawlish in Devon, south west England October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Winds of up to 99 miles per hour (160 km per hour) lashed southern England and Wales in the early hours of Monday, shutting down rail services in some areas during rush hour REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

People walk as waves crash against the seafront at Dawlish in Devon, south west England October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Winds of up to 99 miles per hour (160 km per hour) lashed southern England and Wales in the early hours of Monday, shutting down rail services in some areas during rush hour. (REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth)

Waves crash against the seafront as a man walks along the promenade at Dawlish in Devon, south west England October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Winds of up to 99 miles per hour (160 km per hour) lashed southern England and Wales in the early hours of Monday, shutting down rail services in some areas during rush hour REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

A man walks alongside a yacht washed up on the beach after storms battered Brighton in south east England October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. (REUTERS/Luke MacGregor)

Tree surgeons clear a fallen tree from a street in Brighton after storms in south east England October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. (REUTERS/Luke MacGregor)

People walk along a path as waves crash onto a seawall protecting the harbor of Porthleven, Cornwall, southwest England, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. Forecasters say a severe storm will hit the southern half of Britain later Sunday, bringing heavy rains and gusts of 60 to 80 miles per hour (100 to 130 kilometers per hour, with the potential to cause widespread and severe disruption from falling trees, power cuts and flooding. (AP Photo/PA, Ben Birchall)

Large waves break against the harbor wall in Dover, England, on Monday.

Large waves break along the coast in Porthleven, England, on Monday.

Father and son play on the beach in Brighton, England, on Sunday.

Weather forecasters had said before the storm arrived that it could be the region’s worst in a decade.

Large waves break against the dyke Monday at the port of Boulogne, France.

Emergency crews in London clear the wreckage of a house after a fallen tree caused a gas explosion there Monday, October 28. A major Atlantic storm brought wind gusts close to 100 mph Monday, knocking out power to thousands and disrupting travel in England, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

A contractor works on clearing the debris after a tree fell on car in London on Monday.

A fallen tree branch partially blocks a pavement and road in London, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013. A major storm with hurricane-force winds is lashing southern Britain, causing flooding and travel delays including the cancellation of roughly 130 flights at London’s Heathrow Airport.Some rail lines shut down Monday morning, and some roads were closed due to fallen trees and power lines.Air travelers and commuters were advised to check conditions before starting any journeys. Widespread delays were expected as major London train lines delayed their opening because of the winds and tree hazards.(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

People stand on the sea wall at Porthcawl, south Wales, as heavy seas pound the harbour, 28 October 2013, after a storm hit overnight. Three people were killed by falling trees in England and the Netherlands as a powerful storm continued to wend its way up both sides of the Channel, disrupting life in large parts of Britain and continental Europe. (EPA/GEOFF CADDICK)

Engineers look at the damage as a crane working on redevelopment at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall, near to Downing Street in London, was brought down by high winds, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013. A major storm with hurricane-force gusts is lashing southern Britain, parts of France and Netherlands, causing flooding and travel delays with the cancellation of many flights and trains. Weather forecasters say it is one of the worst storms to hit Britain in years. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

People watch as waves crash against the harbour wall at Porthcawl in south Wales October 28, 2013. Britain’s strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters. Winds of up to 99 miles per hour (160 km per hour) lashed southern England and Wales in the early hours of Monday, shutting down rail services in some areas during rush hour. REUTERS/Rebecca Naden

Lao Airlines Flight QV301 Crashed, 49 Killed

Lao Airlines Airplane (Photo: Sydney Morning Herald)

Lao Airlines plane crashed into the Mekong River in the southern city of Pakse, near the border with Thailand, just before 16:00 (ICT) on Wednesday.

Lao Airlines Flight QV301 crashed in the Mekong River, killing all 49 passengers and crews.

The state-run Lao Airlines said in a statement that the plane took off from the capital Vientiane and “ran into extreme bad weather conditions” as it prepared to land at Pakse Airport.

AP reported that 17 of the victims were from Lao, seven from France, five were from Australia five from Thailand, three from Korea, two from Vietnam and one person each from Canada, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States.

The airline said it had yet to determine reasons for the crash of the ATR-72 aircraft which was virtually new and had just been delivered in March. 

Please click the photos for large images:

In this undated photo provided by the Rhodes family, Phoumalaysy Rhodes, second left, and her husband Gavin Rhodes, right, hold their children Manfred and Jadesuda, second right, near the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The four are among 49 passengers and crew believed killed when a Lao Airlines plane crashed on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, en route from the Lao capital Vientiane to Pakse in the Southeast Asian nation’s south. (AP Photo/Rhodes Family)

Victim: Aid worker Michael Creighton who was travelling with his father, Gordon (Photo: Sydney Morning Herald)

Victim: Michael Creighton (L) with his ex-wife , former Tasmanian state MP Kathryn Hay (R) (Photo: Sydney Morning Herald)

Photos Of The Ruins of Normandy

War is bad and it hurts a lot of people.

People, animals and plants were killed and injured, buildings were destroyed and damaged to rubble and dust.

And it will take a long, long time and lots of money to build up the place again.

The ruins left behind after warfare speak a language of their own.

And no matter where the conflict has taken place, the destruction is very often the same.

All we see are sad pictures of destroyed buildings and twisted, rusting, abandoned vehicles. 

Please look at these pictures, do we want all these to happen to the beautiful places where we live?

Please click the photos for larger images:

Beached shipping, Allied beachhead, Normandy, summer 944.

Ruined tank near St. Gilles (or perhaps Hambye), France, 1944.

American troops in courtyard of ruined building, northwestern France, summer 1944.

American troops clear wreckage in Saint-Lô, Normandy, 1944.

Ruined tank near St. Gilles (or perhaps Hambye), France, 1944.

Ruined building and sign in French and German, northwestern France, summer 1944.

Armored vehicles on the move past civic buildings in Avranches, summer 1944.

Jeeps (including a press vehicle) in the town square, Marigny (Manche), Normandy, 1944.

An amphibious “duck” comes ashore from its landing craft, Normandy, summer 1944.

American troops, northwestern France, summer 1944.

Post-D-Day destruction, northern France, 1944.

Ruins, northwestern France, summer 1944, after D-Day.

Ruins of a town in northwestern France, summer 1944.

Saint-Lô, Normandy, summer 1944.

Unloading vehicles and supplies from an LST (landing ship, tank) at Normandy beachhead, summer 1944.

Destroyed town in northwest France, summer 1944.

New World Record In Hot Air Balloon Mass Take-Off

A new mass take-off world Record of hot air balloons was set at 408 balloons!

The new record was set at the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons at the former NATO air base of Chambley, France on July 31, 2013.

The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week.

It is really amazing to see the sky and the ground dotted with colourful hot air balloons.

I like the hot air balloon with the bug shaped balloon the most.

It is cute and funny.

Please click the photos for larger images:

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA

New Mass Take-off World Record was set at 408 balloons, on July 31st during the 2013 edition of the world gathering “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons” of hot air balloons on the former NATO air base of Chambley, France. The previous record was 343 which was set at the same festival earlier in the week. (SipaPress/SipaUSA