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A stroll through more of the Marais
The Place des Vosges must be one of the most beautiful corners of this beautiful city. Like the Place Dauphine it owes its existence to the city planning ambitions of Henri IV. It was laid out as an elegant residential square where the upper echelons of Parisian society could live and socialise. Much has changed since then, not least due to the Revolution, but it remains as elegant as ever.
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Welcome back to Paris
When you first arrive in a new city, you can’t wait to get out and explore. There are new sights to be seen, new experiences to be had. But if it’s somewhere you’ve visited many times before there isn’t that urgency. New sights can wait for tomorrow. Today, on arrival, your desire is rather to reconnect, to regain that sense of feeling at home. And for me, in Paris, that means a walk by the Seine.
Or what about ...?
Gallery: not just any day!
Corcovado: a walk in a rainforest
Finding peace in Medellín
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The palenqueras of Cartagena de Indias
You won’t have to walk far in Cartagena’s old town before spotting one or more of these colourfully dressed women. They stand on street corners, bowls of tropical fruit ready to balance on their heads for any tourist willing to tip them a dollar or two. And most visitors will feel it is worth that tip to get a photo of such an iconic sight.
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Tak Bat in Luang Prabang
The traditional ceremony of Tak Bat, or almsgiving, isn't unique to Laos, or even to Luang Prabang, but has become particularly associated with this town because of the sheer number of temples in a concentrated space. Every morning the monks leave the temples to walk the streets, carrying a pot in which local people place food, usually sticky rice. In this way the monks have food to eat, and the people receive good karma and blessings in return for their giving.
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Gallery: faces in the crowd
With 7.888 billion people in our world it shouldn’t be hard to find someone interesting to photograph. Yet, among so many, how do we find the ones that stand out from the crowd? Which are the faces that speak to us? Which seem to tell a story that can be captured in a single shot? Perhaps it’s their clothing, their expression or what they are doing?
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Songdowon International Schoolchildren’s Camp
On the same day that we visited the Kosan Fruit Farm near Wonsan we were also taken to this children’s holiday camp on the outskirts of the town. And while, like the apple farm, that might not sound especially worth visiting, it was, like many places in North Korea, unexpectedly interesting.
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A brief look at the Lofoten Islands
I had heard a lot about the stunning landscapes of the Lofoten Islands. They promised dramatic mountains, pretty fishing villages and a beautiful coastline. So when an evening excursion to see a little of the islands was offered on the Hurtigruten ship, I was quick to sign up.
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Breaking boundaries while travelling
Jane Austen is one of my very favourite authors and I couldn’t agree more with her remark that, 'If adventures do not befall a lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad'.
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Gallery: two by two
When Ansel Adams said that, 'There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer' he was of course talking about shots of individuals, but the maxim applies too if there is more than one person in your image. How you choose to portray them defines how the viewer will see them.
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Gallery: kitchens in time and place
A kitchen can tell you a lot about a home. Whether it’s a basic one in a simple home or a much more elaborate one in a grand mansion, the kitchen will reflect not only the physical nature of the house but also the lives of the people who live or lived there.
