Usually this layer is a soluble carbonate rock, such as limestone or its purer form, chalk.

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Details such as limestone and oak flooring, carved marble bathtubs, and a private tower with panoramic views punctuate the beauty and meticulous design of this American palace.

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Touches such as earthy limestone, wooden archways, and black and white photos of Italian streetscapes will set the tone of the dining room.

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The rich diversity is also apparent in locales such as a river that springs from a limestone cliff, where one can engage in quiet contemplation amid the sound of gushing whitewater worthy of a kayaking epic, or an ocean beach where surfers share the sand with camels and casbahs.

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In the 17th century the cays' hidden inlets, coves and limestone caverns were the favorite haunts of such pirates and privateers as Blackbeard, who plundered Spanish galleons leaving the New World.

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