-
Gallery: seeing the English coast in black and white
It’s August, so where better place to be than the English seaside? Although truth be told I like our coastal areas much more in the winter months and maybe even more so in spring and autumn.
-
Gallery: the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Unfortunately summer seems to have deserted the UK this August, as it did in July! We’re told it’s the jet stream to blame. In July it shifted southwards, flowing directly across the UK and Ireland. This is close to its usual winter position and carries low pressure systems directly towards us. It also meant that warm air was contained across central and southern Europe, creating a severe heatwave, while dragging in cooler air over us.
-
Bleak landscapes of Kvaløya Island
Why do people choose to settle in some places and leave others almost deserted? The reasons are many, but natural resources play a big part, and so does climate of course.
-
Gallery: seeing the Norwegian landscape in black and white
Much of the Norwegian landscape looked a little unreal to me even in its natural colours. The drama of its mountains, the almost eerie light around midnight, even the snow and rain. All these lent it a magical air.
-
Gallery: in the land of the Midnight Sun
If you’re looking for summer warmth this isn’t the place to come. On my recent trip to Trondheim (south of the Arctic Circle) and Tromsø (north of it) I experienced some sun, yes, but also rain, hail, sleet and snow!
-
A walk in Tayrona National Park
Four indigenous groups consider Tayrona National Park part of their ancestral territory. The park management acknowledges this, saying that ‘the sacred sights within must be protected and respected as part of the cultural heritage’.
-
Gallery: changing environments around the world
My own 'natural' environment is a city. I grew up in London and have lived there most of my adult life too. I enjoy the buzz of city life and the easy access to a wide range of restaurants, galleries and other culture. But when I travel I like to experience totally different environments.
-
Gallery: blowing the cobwebs away at Druridge Bay
Just a few miles north of built-up post-industrial Tyneside lies the wide expanse of Druridge Bay. Its seven miles of sands are lined with sand dunes and are just perfect for a winter walk. The landscape is an interesting mix, with wind turbines visible in the distance but otherwise feeling rather remote.
-
Gallery: an ode to beautiful Northumberland (shhh!)
Are there places you know and love which you hesitate to tell others about, because you are tempted to keep them to yourself? Places relatively unknown that you fear might become spoiled if discovered by too many? And yet, they are so lovely you can’t resist singing their praises!
-
The black lava beach of Reynisfjara
On Iceland’s beautiful, but dangerous Reynisfjara black lava beach signs warn of the risks of getting too close to the water’s edge where ‘sneaker waves’ have been known to catch out unwary tourists and drag them out to sea. This has to be one of the classic Icelandic landscapes.
