Fast forward to 2011, countless fundraising activities, 327 blog posts and 548 comments later, the 7 Wonders in 7 Days trip is much closer to becoming a reality than ever before.

Our regular readers, and that’s over a thousand of you every month(!), know that 7wondersin7days.com has become hub for inspiring ideas and aspiring adventurers.

What started off as an audacious idea in April 2009 has spawned a round-the-world charity fundraising adventure in which 7 strangers will raise £777,000 for 7 charities by visiting the new 7 wonders of the world in 7 days.

The new 7 Wonders of the world are Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, India, Petra, Jordan, Colosseum, Italy, Machu Picchu, Peru, Christ the Redeemer, Brazil and Chichen Itza, Mexico.

And it keeps growing.

Through our 7 Wonders of Britain poll in February which received over a thousands entries, we uncovered the 7 Wonders of Britain and in May embarked on a tour to visit these British treasures of natural beauty and history.

In a trip that spanned the length and breadth of the land: from Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland to Peterborough Cathedral to the White Cliffs of Dover, the 7 Wonders of Britain tour demonstrated the power of sharing a travel experience simultaneously with thousands via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Aside from winning an unexpected mention on the Guardian website, it also gave me a once-in-lifetime opportunity to meet people from all walks of life across the UK and gain a deeper appreciation of what makes this country great.

Apt then that shortly before the 7 Wonders of Britain tour began we partnered with Great Exhibition 2012, the organisation planning a celebration of everything great about Britain next year to put our 7 Wonders on their their map of the British Isles.

Through the tour and daily campaigning by 7 Wonders in 7 Days Social Media Co-ordinator Kyle Jackson, the last 3 months have seen the profile of the 7 Wonders of Britain raised on the Great Exhibition 2012 website and with our thousand strong online community.

Peterborough Cathedral, one of the 7 Wonders of Britain is currently the top voted Landmark on greatexhibition2012.co.uk.

We recently met with Great Exhibition 2012 and shared our plans to turn a personal dream into a round-the-world celebration of what makes this country such a great place to live in.

Vote for the 7 Wonders of Britain on the Great Exhibition 2012 website

We have twinned the 7 Wonders of Britain with the new 7 Wonders of the world and during the 7 Wonders in 7 Days trip will celebrate Britain’s links to the countries in which the 7 new Wonders of world are located: China, India, Jordan, Italy, Brazil, Peru and Mexico.

You may be aware that Great Exhibition 2012 themselves have recently emerged victorious from a David and Goliath battle with the organisers of the London 2012 Olympics (LOCOG) who threatened them with a lawsuit if they didn’t drop their application for a trademark.

At the time, LOCOG was objecting to the use of the word “2012″ by The Great Exhibition 2012.

With the threat of a lawsuit hanging over their heads when we met, we could do no more than present our plans for working with them and ask them to sponsor the 7 Wonders in 7 Days trip.

We plan to meet again with Great Exhibition 2012 in August and hope to come away with concrete plans for how the 7 Wonders in 7 Days trip will happen.

All these developments mean that we have had to reassess the timeline scheduled for the 7 Wonders in 7 Days adventure.

We’re days away from the target trip date of 7 July (7/7/2011) and face a bit of a dilemma.

Should we cancel/postpone the trip or change tack and plan towards a new date that is mutually convenient for us and a potential new sponsor?

I’ve gone for the latter.

So… the 7 Wonders in 7 Days trip will happen as soon as possible!

Thanks so much to everyone that has supported the 7 Wonders in 7 Days project so far.  Your tweets, comments and messages of support have been invaluable and brought us this far.

Keep the faith and stick with us, the best is yet to come!

We’ll keep you posted this blog and through Facebook and Twitter.

Till then, take a minute to vote for the 7 Wonders of Britain on the Great Exhibition 2012 website.

And, if you have any questions at all, please share them in the comments below.

Image credit: bentalib on flickr

Boldly dominating the centre of ancient Rome, the Colosseum was built at the epicenter of an empire that stretched for thousands of miles in each direction. In the west, the dominion stretched to the tip of Iberia – and in the east, to the shores of the Red Sea. Towards the north, Roman rule stretched to all but encompass the entirety of Britain, including the village of Cheddar.

Following an exploration of the Mendip Hills, a Roman villa was built in the small commune of Cheddar. It was built on the site of what is now St. Andrew’s Church, but it was to be the only major settlement of Britian’s invaders in the area. To the north-east the city of Bath with its luxurious warm springs drew the select of Britain’s Mediterranean occupiers. Cheddar, on the other hand, without springs or military value was only likely to be considered as a retreat by the Romans.

Yet the Romans did leave an important gift to the inhabitants of Cheddar. Before the end of their 400 year sojourn, the culinary delight of cheese making was imparted to the British natives. Without that knowledge, the food that has made Cheddar a world-famous name may not have existed.

Cheddar Cheese in Gough's Cave

When the Romans weren’t maturing their curds they also enjoyed the marvels of the natural world. Within the walls of the Colosseum entertainers would hunt the exotic and the magnificent wildlife acquired from the four corners of the Empire to delight the bewildered crowd.

In much contrast to the well-renowned barbarism of the gladiator skirmishes, recreations of natural scenery, known as sylvae, were also held in the arena. These scenes were produced by painters and architects to construct an authentic simulation of a forest or desert. They were then populated by animals to much sensation from the crowed, who undoubtedly had little knowledge of the landscape beyond the city walls.

It’s possible that the Roman audience may have even witnessed the reimagining of a scene like Cheddar. The village and its surroundings may be lacking the remarkable predators that the Colosseum has become famous for displaying but even so, Cheddar is a place of tremendous ecological fascination.

As a Site of Special Scientific Interest Cheddar is home to many rare and protected species including adders, dormice, butterflies and goats; in particular, Cheddar Gorge is known for its plethora of birds of prey such as falcons and kestrels.

Click here to vote for Cheddar Gorge!

The gladiators may not have been placed in much peril hunting these buzzards and goats but we think the Roman audience would be just as impressed by these rare and beautiful creatures.

To continue to share the incredible landscape and wildlife of Cheddar Gorge, please vote for the site to be part of the Great Exhibition in 2012.

7 Wonders in 7 Days is a fundraising project that is campaigning on behalf of your votes for the 7 Wonders of Britain to be included in the Great Exhibition which will be held up and down the country during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year. By twinning these amazing British locations with the new 7 Wonders of the World, we’re looking forward to our next charity-driven round-the-world challenge while looking back at our inspirational explorer’s hitchhike to each of the 7 Wonders of Britain.

If you like what we’re doing, please donate to one of our seven sponsored charities: Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester.

Alladdin's Cave, inside Gough's Cave, Cheddar.

One is the grandest of all ancient stages and an exemplary piece of Roman architecture and engineering. The other was carved into the Earth’s surface by almighty meltwater floods during our planet’s last ice age. So what could possibly link Rome’s famous Colosseum with the chiseled landscape of Cheddar Gorge?

To find out, you have to look deeper. Literally. Because both of these Wonders have hidden their true gems underground.

It is deep beneath the Mendip Hills where you can find the sublime otherworldly caverns and chambers that are the real highlight of a visit to Cheddar. The surreal chasms are decorated with ubiquitous stalagmites and stalactites, ancient carvings and astounding reflective pools of Britain’s largest underground river.

More than that, the catacombs provide Britain with the earliest link to its prehistoric past. Sheltered by the labyrinthine network of passages and coves, Cheddar Man, who was found in 1903, has bequeathed to his ancestors a window to a world that was once unimaginable – a vision of Earth when mans very existence as a species was under serious threat.

In that, the substructure of the Colosseum during the heydays of the Roman Empire wasn’t too dissimilar. Underneath the arena’s spectacular façade lay the ominous antechamber. The hypogeum (‘underground’) as it was known, precluded the fight for existence for many many men, all in the name of entertainment.

The hypogeum’s ingenious network of subterranean tunnels and platforms hidden under the arena were used to transport these men, gladiators, and animals to centre-stage.

As impressive as the architecture of the stadium certainly is, it is within these narrow, claustrophobic corridors where the complex thinking behind delivering the grotesque Roman blood sport is really evident and all the more fascinating.

A myriad of machinery populated the hypogeum along with the awaiting participants. Complex pulleys and elevators raised and lowered scenery and animals to set the stage and to increase the stakes of the games. Evidence has even been found hinting at the existence of hydraulic mechanisms, more than a thousand years before the founding of modern hydrodynamics.

Know of any other links? Let us know. Follow us on Twitter @7Wondersin7days or become our friend on facebook at www.facebook.com/7Wondersin7days. We’re keen to hear how else these two supreme Wonders are connected.

Click here to vote for Cheddar Gorge!

Remember, voting continues in the Great Exhibition poll following yesterday’s news, so make sure you place your vote for your British Greats.

By clicking here, you can cast your vote for Cheddar Gorge.

7 Wonders in 7 Days is an ambitious fundraising project that has already traveled to the 7 Wonders of Britain and aims to go one better by traveling to the 7 Wonders of the World – all for seven exceptional charities: Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester. Please consider donating a small amount by clicking on the charity of your choice.

Julie Benson

The nationwide celebration of Britain’s finest features had come under threat following a complaint issued by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) which objected to the festival’s use of next year’s date, ‘2012’.

“I am extremely proud to announce that The Great Exhibition 2012 will shortly be receiving its Trademark and the event will go ahead as planned,” declared Julie following the withdrawal of Locog’s complaint. “Thank you to all the people that emailed me with advise, support and encouragement – it gave me the strength to carry out our right to celebrate everything that is Great about Britain in 2012!”

Our own Peterborough Cathedral currently leads the Great Exhibition vote.

The ‘London 2012’ team had reasoned that legislation prevented the creation of unauthorized associations between the 2012 games “between a person, organisation, business, goods or services and the London 2012 Games,” and considered the use of ‘2012’ as a widely used reference to next year’s Olympics.

However, The Great Exhibition 2012, which 7 Wonders in 7 days is supporting as part of its 7 Wonders of Britain campaign, has been backed by several MP’s in the House of Commons.

Speaking hours before Locog’s withdrawal, Andrew Turner, the MP for the Isle of Wight, sought to reassure “Julie Benson and printers of diaries and calendars everywhere that the Act does not confer on Locog exclusive rights to any number or date.”

Like Julie, Chi-chi and everyone involved with 7 Wonders in 7 Days are relieved that common sense has prevailed. Having met with the events organisers and with the event now confirmed, we’re thrilled that we can continue campaigning for the 7 Wonders of Britain that have been voted for by you to be included in the celebrations.

“Keep voting and in the next few weeks you will see the introduction of competitions, prizes and ways to get involved,” adds Julie. So what are you waiting for?

To vote for your Great of Great Britain, click here to head over to the Great Exhibition 2012 website.

On the 20^th May, Chi-chi, our 7 Wonders in 7 Days intrepid explorer, completed a 7 Wonders of Britain hitchhike in the name of Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester. If you wish to donate to any of our sponsored charities, please give what you can via our Virgin Money Giving page. For every donation, the charities will receive an additional 25% Gift Aid. Thank you.

But let us not forget the seven charities behind our project. Diabetes UK, in particular, has been extremely busy this week.

The 12-18^th June is Diabetes Week and the UK’s leading Diabetes charity has been encouraging everyone all week to be more open about the disease.  All week their ‘Lets Talk About Diabetes’ campaign has been hosting live diabetes dialogues via Twitter and Facebook for anyone affected by the disease to air their questions and concerns. Counselors and Clinical Advisors have been on hand all week answering those queries.

According to The Co-operative Pharmacy, an estimated 1million people keep their diabetes a secret. Diabetes UK is hoping that by promoting free and open discussion both online and offline that it can put an end to this worrying trend. To continue to do that though, the charity needs your donations.

You can donate to Diabetes UK with 7 Wonders in 7 Days via our Virgin Money Giving page. A small amount can make a big difference to thousands of peoples’ lives, so please give what you can.

Meanwhile, for the last few days 7 Wonders in 7 Days has been discussing the merits of our twinned locales.

Click here to vote!

Monday and Wednesday delighted us with the luscious gardens and the esteemed personage that are woven by the loom of history into the Wonders of Peterborough and Agra. Once again the Cathedral proves that it can rival world-renowned Wonders like the Taj and testament to that it remains top of the Great Exhibition poll by some distance.

On Tuesday we turned our attention turned to the cobblestones of the Giant’s Causeway and the cobbled stone of Jordan’s Petra. These rocky idylls have spanned time for longer than any of their fellow Wonders; they have miraculously survived largely unaltered by the rise and fall of Empires and have fortuitously escaped the wrath of vandals and pillagers. Yet both are subject to the forces of nature. On Thursday we examined how the elements have had the greatest effect on the past and the futures of these memorable locations.

The Giant’s Causeway is still in need of your votes to be part of the Great Exhibition’s celebrations in 2012.

To vote for Ireland’s geological spectacle or any of the 7 Wonders of Britain or indeed anything that makes Britain great, please head to the Great Exhibition’s website and have your say on what should be featured next year.

7 Wonders in 7 Days is supporting The Great Exhibition 2012 as part of the 7 Wonders of Britain charity campaign. On the 20^th March, Chi-chi, our intrepid explorer, completed a 7 Wonders of Britain hitchhike in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester. Now we aim to go one better.

To donate to any of the projects seven sponsored charities, visit our Virgin Money Giving page and select your favoured cause. Please give what you can. Thank you and enjoy your weekend.

Giant's Causeway by Stephen (@worshipVJ)

The Giant’s Causeway and Petra are the eldest of our group of Wonders. Yet, while Petra dates back several thousand years, with buildings recorded as early as 1200BC, the remarkable rose-rock city is a veritable newly-born pup compared to Ireland’s famous geological marvel.

The Giant’s Causeway was formed during the Tertiary period of Earth’s life: an era of supercontinents, unstable volcanic eruptions and the death of the dinosaurs. Yes, it’s that old! Fifty to sixty million years old, to be precise.

That it has survived so long may not be surprising; the Giant’s Causeway, is after all a natural phenomenon, part of the Earth’s crust and made of hardened volcanic rock. However, it is becoming increasingly under threat of being eroded and submerged as the undulating waters of the Irish Sea continue to rise.

Petra by Sherry (@sherrystern)

In 2008, it was reported that the famous rocks could soon be the victim of serious, irreversible damage resulting from increased water levels; water levels which have gone up rapidly as the world’s climate continues to change.

Queen’s University and the University of Ulster concluded that large parts of the Causeway could be under water for much of the winter by the end of the century.

Water shouldn’t be painted as the villain of every Wonder, however. For all its erosive effects, many Wonders would not be here without it; in fact, the city of Petra was able to thrive because of it.

An ingenious water management system of damns, cisterns and water conduits enabled the city’s ancient inhabitants, the Nabataeans, to collect and store water from the relatively common flash floods. It was thanks to that system that the city was able to prosper despite the arid desert surroundings.

It was only after an earthquake in the 1^st Century AD, which severely crippled the water system, when Petra’s decline as a trade city become terminable.

Click here to vote!

Your vote could give this unique geological shoreline the chance to be part of nationwide British celebrations in 2012.

Click here to see what Chi-chi made of the Causeway on her fundraising 7 Wonders of Britain tour.

The 7 Wonders in 7 Days project is raising money for 7 charities. Donate by visiting our Virgin Money Giving page and clicking on your choice of our 7 charities: Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester.

Mughal horticulture is known for its orderly shrubbery and the Taj’s garden is no different: the pathway and reflective pool are each precisely separated in parallel. Those three elements combine to form a symmetrical strip leading towards the Taj from the main entrance – a symbol of the four rivers of Islamic Paradise (Jannah).

The gardens are not in their original state, however. When the Mughal Empire fell into disarray, the maintaining of the Wonder came under the responsibility of the British colonial administration. While renovating Agra’s jewel, they used the opportunity to change the landscape of the grass to resemble the trim lawns of London. But that change doesn’t detract from the spectacle.

Peterborough Cathedral has equally lush surroundings. The grounds, which date back to the Middle Ages, have recently been renovated and are now open for public tours several times during the summer months. The two acre enclosure may not be as impressively regimented as the Taj’s but the flora and fauna on show is just as delightful. The perfect place to spend a British summer picnic perhaps?

It’s slightly disappointing to know that neither gardens are in their original state, but it’s hardly surprising giving their turbulent histories. In fact, both Wonders have been caught up in the quarrels of the British.

Unsurprisingly, it was the English Civil War that took the biggest toll on Peterborough Cathedral’s original architecture. Stained glass and medieval choir stalls were destroyed, the high altar and reredos were demolished, and the cloisters and Lady Chapel were severely damaged. It wasn’t until the 19^th century when extensive renovation on the church began.

The Taj Mahal, meanwhile, was caught up in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The building was defaced by British officers, many of whom were chiseling out the precious stones that were embedded in the walls as mutinies and uprisings engulfed northern India.

Click here to vote for Peterborough Cathedral!

Though separated by thousands of miles, by religion, by architecture, it seems that these two Wonders are not as different as you would imagine.

Vote for Peterborough Cathedral to be part of the Great Exhibition of Britain in 2012 here.

Donate to the 7 Wonders in 7 Days project by visiting our Virgin Money Giving page and clicking on your choice of our 7 charities: Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester.

Petra: Twinned with Giant's Causeway

It seems no work of Man’s creative hand,

by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned;

But from the rock as if by magic grown,

eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!

John William Burgon’s poem Petra describes the disbelief found in the etched chasms of Jordan’s rubicund rock city. So dramatic, so extravagant, so skillfully tailored are the sculpted desert dwellings, he claims, that is impossible to believe that human hands had a part to play in their creation.

It’s a convincing diagnosis. Meander through the Siq (the main entrance to the city) and beyond the famous Treasury hewn into the sandstone cliff opposite and you’ll find a landscape seemingly alive with homely caverns and inviting temples. It is tempting to think that Mother Nature played her part.

The Causeway: Chi-chi's first 7 Wonders of Britian hitchhike destination

The Giant’s Causeway of Northern Ireland gives the reverse impression. The vertical, hexagonal columns appear too organized, too structured to be of nature’s mould. Like high rise flats, a city in miniature, they share the resemblance of a sculpture of intelligent design. The Irish legend that surrounds them adds weight to that fancy.

Yet, this beehive of rock is the eldest of all our Wonders. It stretches far back beyond the reach of human craft. This time, the happenstances of nature have contrived to create a magnificent shoreline playground.

How do these Wonders compare for you? Are you fascinated more by the ancient history of Petra’s populace or charmed more by the myth of Finn McCool and the stones of the Irish Sea?

Click here to vote for Giant's Causeway

If you’d like to get involved in our 7 Wonders of Britain and 7 Wonders of the World comparisons, follow us on Twitter @7Wondersin7days or be our friend on facebook at www.facebook.com/7Wondersin7days. We’re always keen to hear your opinion on the Wonders.

Voting is continuing for the Great Exhibition 2012 and, currently, thanks to your extraordinary efforts Peterborough Cathedral is featuring proudly at the top of the poll.

If you’d like to see the Giant’s Causeway topple the current leaders, make your vote count now! Click here to vote for the Giant’s Causeway.

7 Wonders in 7 Days is an ambitious fundraising project that has already traveled to the 7 Wonders of Britain and aims to go one better by traveling to the 7 Wonders of the World – all for seven exceptional charities: Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester. Please consider donating a small amount by clicking on the charity of your choice.

While Catherine drew the affectations of Tudor England, Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal) captured the wonderment of the Mughal Empire. On the day of their wedding, the infatuated Emperor Shah Jahan, described her as the ‘character elect’ among all the women of the time. Despite being the Emperor’s third wife, she was unquestionably his favourite; the two – it is said – shared a bond of great intimacy and deep affection that wasn’t evident in the Emperors other marriages.

The Taj Mahal

When she died, Shah Jahan’s undying devotion to his beloved commemorated her life in a building that, like Catherine, represented both her importance and her beauty. He implored his architects to build a mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, to stand in glorious white marble, to shimmer in the Indian sunset, and to stupefy visitors just as Mumtaz had done to him.

Peterborough Cathedral and the Taj are the final resting places of two highly revered women of the past. But how else do these two wondrous monuments compare?

7 Wonders in 7 Days will be investigating further this week in an attempt to define what makes a Wonder and what makes them uniquely special by comparing the 7 Wonders of the World with the 7 Wonders of Britain.

Click here to vote!

To get involved follow us on Twitter @7Wondersin7days or contact us via Facebook at www.facebook.com/7Wondersin7days.

If you haven’t yet, make sure you vote for your favourite British Wonder in the Great Exhibition’s online poll. Click here to vote for Peterborough Cathedral!

7 Wonders in 7 Days is an ambitious fundraising project that has already traveled to the 7 Wonders of Britain and aims to go one better by traveling to the 7 Wonders of the World – all for seven exceptional charities: Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester. Please consider donating a small amount by clicking on the charity of your choice.

The charity is committed to improving the emotional wellbeing of children and teenagers across Britain and so was honoured to be part of an event that brought together the idols of many young people in the country. On the night they were delighted to present the award for Best Album to Sheffield-based band Bring Me The Horizon.

Backstage, meanwhile, the charity was hard at work collecting signatures on an Orange amp, kindly donated to them by Kerrang! Magazine. From this weekend bidders will be able to fight it out on eBay to become the proud owner of this prestigious piece of kit. All proceeds will go towards the charity’s continuing support for young people. Click here and make your bid now!

If you’re not a rocker, however, 7 Wonders in 7 Days has been exploring the more tranquil surroundings of our 7 Wonders of Britain once more this week.

On Monday, we reacquainted ourselves with Peterborough Cathedral and found out more about the celebrations and events that perpetually surround it. Even a cursory glance at the Cathedral’s busy schedule reveals the essential role that this Wonder plays for the community in Peterborough – be it a prayer service or a medieval festival!

Click here to vote!

So there can be no real surprise that their amazing community has got behind their cultural epicenter in the Great Exhibition 2012 poll.

Right now, they’re sitting pretty atop of the overall vote, with York Minster (another of our 7 Wonders of Britain) not far behind. Incredible!

In fact, we’ve been indulging ourselves on Wonders throughout the week.

On Wednesday we began comparing the 7 Wonders of Britain with the 7 Wonders of the World. As we reflect on Chi-chi’s outstanding achievement of hitchhiking to all the 7 Wonders of Britain last month, and look forward to our future fundraising attempt – a 7 day dash to the Wonders of the World – we have begun contrasting the intriguing histories, the inspiring myths and legends and the ingenious engineering, of some of the most memorable locations on the planet.

Hadrian’s Wall and the Great Wall of China were first up. And we found that there are a great many similarities shared between the two, both in construction and their defensive duties. We also found that the great debate about the Great Wall’s visibility from space had finally been put to bed by NASA. To see for yourself, click here.

We’ll be continuing to explore these paralleled Wonders in the coming weeks as we step up our Great Exhibition poll campaign and look towards to our upcoming fundraising excursion.

Remember, this is all in aid of 7 exceptional charities: Alzheimer’s Research UK, Young Minds UK, Diabetes UK, Feed the Minds, Open Doors, Sport Relief/Comic Relief and the Victory Outreach Manchester.

Please donate a small amount to the charity of your choice today.