“Touring the Koko-en Gardens adjacent to the Himeji castle was an unexpected highlight of our visit”, wrote Jeff Solar, 64, of Silver Spring, Md., about his trip to Japan. “The fall colors were outstanding and the gardens were both amazing and a bargain (just a few Yen added to the cost of the Himeji Castle admission)”. (Photo by Jeff Solar/2017 Washington Post Travel Photo Contest)

“Sniff out the Appenzell Cheese”. Alexander Hunter, 30, of Greenwich, Conn., took this photo in Appenzell, Switzerland, in September 2014. (Photo by Alexander Hunter)

“Russia's emergencies minister accused local officials on Monday of not doing enough to prevent 171 deaths in weekend floods that raised new doubts about the country's readiness for natural disasters under President Vladimir Putin”. – Andrey Kuzmin via Reuters

A column of sand and front of clouds are seen by dash cam as the car drives near a tornado in Dragalina, Calarasi county, Romania April 30, 2019 in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media. (Photo by Alexandra Puscasu via Reuters)

Hugo Gonzalez of Lake Worth works to put final strokes on his rendition of a Raksha demon. (Photo by Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post)

A Tibetan woman with horses in a remote area of the Yushu Autonomous Prefecture of the Tibetan Plateau on May 31, 2016. (Photo by Giulia Marchi/The Washington Post)

“The RSPB’s Snettisham Nature Reserve lies on the edge of The Wash, one of the most important bird estuaries in the United Kingdom. The Wash, on England’s east coast, supports over 300,000 birds, and Snettisham sometimes holds more than a third of them”. – The Palm Beach Post. Photo: Waders flock together seeking new feeding grounds during the incoming tide. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images via The Palm Beach Post)