Places

60 articles
2023
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Place

RegionSouthwest

Southwest Cameroon

After a few hours in the car, I cannot claim to have seen the whole of Cameroon. But I have a sense of what it is like in at least one small region. As in many African countries, the streets are very busy with shops, people, stalls, street food, farmers, cattle, police, military and petrol…

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Place

RegionVilnius County

London to Vilnius

Flying from London to Vilnius with a very short stop in Warsaw, Airlines has a one hour delay and there was a high chance that I would miss my flight to Vilnius. There wasn’t much i can change while on the plane, so I relaxed, looked out the window and took some pictures of cities…

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Place

RegionSão Tomé Province

São Tomé Island

This island is very green, with a few sandy beaches, delicious food and friendly people, even if many of them carry machetes. Everything went very smoothly and easily in this tiny country. Hiring a car from the local hotel was a great experience; we got the keys at the airport and they asked us to…

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Place

RegionSão Tomé Province

Diogo Vaz

After descending from Pico de São Tomé, we had about half an hour before sunset, so we decided to explore the west coast with no particular destination other than sightseeing. We soon stopped at the beautiful beach south of the village of Diogo Vaz and enjoyed the colourful sunset. Rob climbed some sea stacks, the…

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Place

RegionAin Guezzam

Lisbon to São Tomé

The journey from Lisbon to São Tomé is long, but the scenery is spectacular. The aircraft passes through Portugal and Spain before crossing the Mediterranean and entering Algeria. After flying over the Sahara, the route passes through Niger, Nigeria and a small corner of Cameroon before reaching the island of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea and…

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Place

RegionBerlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital of Germany and one of the most vibrant cities in Europe. It is home to a rich culture and history, with a wide range of attractions for visitors to explore. From world-class museums to beautiful parks and gardens, there is something for everyone in Berlin. The city also has a bustling…

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Place

RegionBerlin

Pergamon Museum

The Pergamon Museum and Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin, Germany is a fascinating experience for the curious traveller. It offers exquisite exhibitions of antiquities from different civilisations and contains over twenty different collections such as ancient Middle Eastern architecture, classical sculpture, Islamic art and Roman mosaics. We choose to go to the museum instead of wandering aimlessly around the city. I am glad we did, as there were some really fascinating relics and artworks on display.

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Place

RegionZürich

Zürich

Long stop at the airport. I check out the nearby mountains and peaks that might be accessible at this time of year. Nothing really attractive, so plan B - sightseeing in the city. I buy a return train ticket and spend half an hour wandering around the streets of Zurich.

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Place

RegionDelaware

San Jose to Newark

The plane took off from San José in Costa Rica and flew over the east coast of the United States before landing in Newark. Many places can be seen from the plane's window, including Cuba, Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York. We also flew over parks, rivers, oceans, beaches and cities. There were lots of fun places to see!

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Place

RegionChinandega

Nicaragua

Exploring Nicaragua for the first time was an incredibly enjoyable experience. From the picturesque hikes to the active volcanoes and the hospitable locals, I was left with fond memories and a greater appreciation of the country and its culture. The food was organic and delicious, and the people I encountered were always welcoming and helpful.

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Place

RegionGreenland

Brussels to Chicago

As I head towards Nicaragua, the airlines’ marketing departments have made sure that the route that is “most convenient for me” has at least three connections. The first is in Brussels; the second is in Chicago. I have flown a very similar route across the Atlantic before, and I know that I will be able…

2022
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Place

RegionPrague

Prague

After a hearty dinner and the greetings sent and received, it’s time for a walk. The city is packed with people, apparently still trying to recover from a couple of years of global restrictions. The large number of people does not prevent us from enjoying the city’s streets at dusk. I still find it beautiful…

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Place

RegionMasovian Voivodeship

Warsaw

Christmas is coming, and we’re in no hurry. We stop in Warsaw on our way from Vilnius. Correct decision because we discovered a great restaurant, Christmas-themed streets, a comfortable hotel, and had a good time. What else.. Walking late in the evening, we are surprised by how many people are on the streets. Maybe it’s…

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Place

RegionVilnius County

Vilnius

Winter, night, few people, a bit of a chill, fresh and clean snow on the streets. It’s the perfect time to wander around the lovely city of Vilnius and see what’s decorated for Christmas and how. After the scorching heat of Argentina, this was a welcome change.

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Place

RegionCatamarca

Argentina food

I am by no means attempting to give a comprehensive overview of Argentinian gastronomy. That would require its own book. Our destination was the mountain tops, not the culinary heights. So in this short article, I have only stuck to what we found along the way, what we managed to taste in a few short…

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Place

RegionCiudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Tucuman to Buenos Aires

The plane lands at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), a few kilometres from downtown. The size of the city and the illuminated streets will leave few indifferent. And the clarity of the picture and lights only confirms the origin of the city’s name. We land and very quickly collect our luggage. At the entrance, with my…

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Place

RegionSalta

Ruins of Quilmes

After Cerro Malcante, we head towards Cerros de Pereyra. However, not far from Cerros de Pereyra, we stop, turn around, and go back. In heavy rain, the chances of us coming up the river bed to the trail are slim. Our plans changed due to rain, and we rolled south towards Cerro Bolsón de los…

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Place

RegionSalta

Museum of the Vine and Wine of Cafayate

It would be hard to miss the Wine Museum when walking around Cafayate. Modern, inexpensive, and interesting. We saw the exhibits and found out how the grapes that make such delicious wine are grown in Cafayate’s land and climate. We learned about the history and tasted red wine at the end of the exhibition. In…

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Place

RegionSalta

Cafayate

A cosy town at the foot of the mountains in Valles Calchaques. We even have to spend a couple of nights there. The first time was on the way from Cumbres Calchaquies to Cerro Malcante, and the second time was on our way from Cerro Malcante to Cerro Bolsón de los Cerillos.. So I feel…

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Place

RegionSalta

America Cultural Center

In the morning, we have a few hours, and we head to the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology. But it doesn’t open until 11 a.m.; it’s now 9 a.m., and we are not in the mood to wait. We go back, and on the way, we see an open door and, behind it, a magnificent…

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Place

RegionSalta

Los Cardones National Park

We descend from Cerro Malcante and follow the national park road. Cactus lovers will be ecstatic; there are thousands of them here, in every conceivable size and shape. The park gets its name from Echinopsis terscheckii, also known as the Argentine saguaro or cardon grande cactus. Lovely. It’s worth coming and exploring the park vistas….

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Place

RegionCatamarca

Calchaquí Valleys

The Calchaquí Valley stretches across several regions of Argentina, from the southern regions of Catamarca and Tucumán to the northern regions of Jujuy and Salta. We have driven this road several times; most of the photos were taken through the car window, but this is just the tip of the iceberg of what this valley…

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Place

RegionSulawesi Utara

Siau

Nutmeg, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes and tarsiers. These are the first things I remember from Siau Island. Then there’s the heavy rain, the delicious food, and the locals waiting for tourists. The tarsier is a very interesting nocturnal creature. It only comes out of its hole in the evening. They are best found…

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Place

RegionSumatera Barat

Sumatera Barat

West Sumatra is the place where you can find the highest mountain on the island, tigers, the best coffee (locals confirm this), active and dormant volcanoes, lakes, jungles, peaked houses, cinnamon, chili peppers, rendang, and many more interesting things. We only had a few days and took a good quality but extremely slow road from…