Category Archives: Travel

Island Views: ‘Martinique – Caribbean Sea’ (Video)

Martinique is a rugged Caribbean island that’s part of the Lesser Antilles. An overseas region of France, its culture reflects a distinctive blend of French and West Indian influences. Its largest town, Fort-de-France, features steep hills, narrow streets and La Savane, a garden bordered by shops and cafes. In the garden is a statue of island native Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Caribbean is a region of the Americas that comprises the Caribbean Sea, its surrounding coasts, and its islands. The region lies southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and of the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.

Views: ‘Renegade Ranch – Telluride, Colorado’

The Telluride Renegade Ranch, offering 602± deeded acres of vacant land (which has also been surveyed into 17 – 35-acre tracts), is just 25 minutes to Telluride Regional Airport, and 30 minutes to Telluride and Telluride Ski Resort. The land is well located on the western edge of Hastings Mesa, nicely positioned off a year-round county-maintained road, and within close proximity to Highway 62. The property is comprised of a combination of aspen groves, giant ponderosa pines, rolling meadows, ponds, native grasslands, rock outcroppings, and 360-degree world-class views of surrounding mountains. The topography provides a mild gradient yet has enough transitional land to create a very private enclave. Explore the caves where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out in the mid-1880s and the remnants of historical cabins. A variety of migratory wildlife, including big game and small game species, traverse through the property.

Aerial Views: ‘Sarajevo – Bosnia And Herzegoina’

Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a compact city on the Miljacka River, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps. Its center has museums commemorating local history, including Sarajevo 1878–1918, which covers the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an event that sparked World War I. Landmarks of the old quarter, Baščaršija, include the Ottoman-era Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its countryside is home to medieval villages, rivers and lakes, plus the craggy Dinaric Alps. National capital Sarajevo has a well preserved old quarter, Baščaršija, with landmarks like 16th-century Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque. Ottoman-era Latin Bridge is the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which ignited World War I. 

Walking Tour: ‘Château de Sceaux’ – Paris, France

The Château de Sceaux is a grand country house in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, approximately 10 km from the center of Paris, France. Located in a park laid out by André Le Nôtre, visitors can tour the house, outbuildings and gardens. The Petit Château operates as the Musée de l’Île-de-France, a museum of local history. 

Views: ‘Cycling In The English Countryside’

I live in a faded seaside town called St. Leonards-on-Sea, in Sussex, on the south coast of England. If you’ve not heard of it, you’re in good company. It’s not on anybody’s list of celebrated English beauty spots. Indeed, most of my riding is across flat coastal marsh or down-at-the-heel seafront promenades.

A year ago, as a travel photographer grounded by the pandemic, I started bringing a camera and tripod with me on my morning bicycle rides, shooting them as though they were magazine assignments.

It started out as just something to do — a challenge to try to see the familiar through fresh eyes. Soon it blossomed into a celebration of traveling at home.

Read full article in the New York Times

Village Walking Tours: Itri – Central Italy (4K Video)

Itri is a small city and comune the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy. Itri is an agricultural centre divided in two parts by a small river, the Pontone. It lies in a valley between the Monti Aurunci and the sea, not far from the Gulf of Gaeta. 

Artistry: Making ‘Hikihaku Obi’ Textile In Japan (Video)

Nishijin-ori textiles are known for their exquisite detail, and have been made in the Nishijin area of Kyoto, Japan for over 1,200 years. Follow the intricate process involved in creating obi (the sash worn with traditional Japanese clothing), using a specialised technique called hikikaku – weaving with precious metallic thread. From the making of the thread itself, to the weaving on the loom, watch as three obis are made – one from 100-year-old silver foil, one from mother of pearl, and one from the semi-precious stone, lapis lazuli.

Processes: Silver foil obi: 1:26​ Mother of pearl obi: 4:17​ Lapis lazuli obi: 6:35

Nishijin-ori (西陣織, Nishijin fabric) is a traditional textile produced in the Nishijin (西陣) district of Kamigyō-ku in KyotoJapan.

Originating in Heian-kyōto over 1200 years ago, Nishijin weaving is known for its highly-decorative and finely-woven designs, created through the use of tedious and specialised production processes. It is well-regarded for the high quality and craftsmanship of the resulting fabrics, commonly used for high-quality obi and kimono.

Views: Greece & Portugal Reopen For Business

Greece and Portugal are beginning to reopen parts of their countries and economies, even while other European countries enforce stricter lockdowns. Small retailers in most of #Greece​ reopened on Monday, with a limit of 20 people indoors at a time. Critics say it is a paradox to reopen shops while Covid-19 cases continue to rise and hospitals remain under pressure. Meanwhile in #Portugal​, café terraces, gyms and secondary schools are opening.