Even when the sun was absent during our recent visit to Broadstairs, we found enough colour around the town to brighten even the dullest day. The traditional seaside beach huts are the source of much of this colour.
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There is something rather haunting about standing on a spot occupied by people millennia ago. Stone circles such as that of Stonehenge, the Treasury and other tombs of Petra, the pyramids and temples of Egypt …. Sardinia too offers just such an experience, or rather, 7,000 of them!
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Wherever you go in Mexico you will see skulls. Why? Because the skull in Mexican culture represents death and rebirth, the cycle of life. People here believe that the afterlife is as important if not more important than your life on earth. The skull symbolises both sides, life and the afterlife.
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When I told people we were going to Mexico, a frequent piece of advice was, make sure you visit Oaxaca. It’s beautiful, they said, and the food is amazing! The advice however was unnecessary, as the city was already on my must-see list. And Oaxaca de Juárez, to give it its full name, definitely lived up to my expectations.
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Of course Madagascar is a wonderful place in which to see unique animal species, iconic baobabs and beautiful landscapes. But it’s also home to diverse communities of people. It would be a shame to come here and not see something of their lives too, as well as those of the wildlife.
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Three enormous fists reach skywards, dominating the cityscape at the end of a long grassy avenue. Linked by a massive concrete belt they loom over visitors and passers-by. However this monument makes a statement not just through its grand scale but also the details of its design. This is a story told in numbers and in symbols.
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Yes, London can be different things to different people, and different parts of London can be different to each other. Contrast Mayfair with Camden Market, or Soho with the South Bank. As a Londoner I have lots of favourite areas of course, and love to visit all of them. But I always enjoy a walk in London’s Spitalfields and Brick Lane areas, and even better when I can introduce a friend to this lively area.
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Tromsø is in many ways a surprising city, and full of extremes. Located well inside the Arctic Circle it experiences both Midnight Sun (in summer) and Polar Night (in winter). It can boast the world's northernmost university, its northernmost botanical garden, northernmost cathedral – and northernmost brewery!
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The Hurtigruten line is first and foremost a postal service and ferry, although it caters well to tourists too with a cruise-like offering of quality food, excursions and on-board lectures. Many of the stops the ships make are brief, typically twenty minutes. Supplies for these small coastal towns and villages are off-loaded, post and parcels collected. A few passengers embark or disembark. Most are locals, visiting family or returning home after time away. Only a handful will be tourists, hikers perhaps.
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Opinion is divided on street art / graffiti. Some consider it vandalism, others (including me) enjoy the way it brightens a city. Great street art can be beautiful; it can make you think; it can transform a district. So of course I was on the lookout for street art in Tirana, as I am everywhere I go.
