Tag Archives: Mount Etna

Culture, Magazines, Photography, Previews, Reviews, Travel

June 2023 Cover: National Geographic Traveller UK

May 5, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

National Geographic Traveller Magazine (June 2023). The latest issue features Canada’s greatest outdoor adventures, summer guides to Oslo and Lisbon, the quetzals and rivers of Costa Rica, and explores the Silk Road route of Central Asia.

Breaking bread: dining with sheep farmers in the Faroe Islands

Óli and Brim the dog, on the coast close to Velbastaður.

On their farm in the Faroe Islands, where the sheep roam the hillsides and the chickens put themselves to bed, Óli and Anna Rubeksen dish up a feast of local ingredients ranging from rhubarb to lamb hearts.

Also inside this issue:

Oman: A rich history and striking landscapes, from the Arabian coast to the Hajar Mountains.
Costa Rica: Explore Central America’s wildest corners, where quetzals hide and rivers lead to jungle lodges.
Laos: In a corner of this Southeast Asian country, life is shaped by the flow of the Mekong River.
Lisbon: Tram rides, street art and al fresco meals: Portugal’s lively capital is best explored outdoors.
Oslo: Summer is the perfect time to discover Norway’s flourishing premier city.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Discover this Balkan country’s turbulent history, wild nature and surprising food scene.
Barbados: Inventive food and drinks projects are redefining the Caribbean island’s culinary landscape.
Paris: The French capital beckons with accommodation options to suit every pocket.

Plus, it’s the anniversary of Vienna’s World Fair; new exhibitions in London; a taste of Corfu; archaeology and Indiana Jones in Syracuse; Manila’s design-led hotels; family trips to the UK seaside; sand, sherry and Spanish history in Cádiz; a Cornish escape to Falmouth; great reads on British nature; and packing essentials.

Culture, Magazines, Photography, Previews, Reviews, Travel

May 2023 Cover: National Geographic Traveller UK

April 7, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

National Geographic Traveller Magazine (May 2023). The cover story this month takes a fresh look at the classic destinations of Italy, a country that offers enough for a lifetime of discoveries. From a coastal road trip through Calabria to street art tours in Turin and dining in the shadow of Mount Etna, we round up 21 experiences that cast the peninsula in a different light.

This issue also comes with a free Ecuador guide. Inside, we discover the country’s striking wildlife and landscapes, try the dishes leading its culinary renaissance and meet is creative, resilient communities.

Also inside this issue:

Madagascar: The communities and eco-lodges preserving the island’s rich, endangered habitats.
Scotland: Canoe down the River Spey, the water of life for Caledonia’s malt whisky.
Germany: Creativity, community and craftsmanship in the magical Black Forest.
Kyoto: Turn up the volume in Japan’s cultural heart, where live music fills cafes, bars and historic houses.
Cape Town: South Africa’s ‘Mother City’ is finding a new groove with edgy bars and excitinghotels.
Punkaharju:Spend a weekend in the Finnish Lakeland.
Napa Valley:Discover local produce and craft beers in the US’s most famous wine region.
Mexico City:The Mexican capital’s hotel scene is booming in buzzing neighbourhoods.

Travel, Videos, Views

Island Views: One Day In Taormina In Sicily, Italy

Video December 16, 2022 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

MYGEMPICTURES (December 16, 2022) – Taormina is a hilltop town on the east coast of Sicily. It sits near Mount Etna, an active volcano with trails leading to the summit. The town is known for the Teatro Antico di Taormina, an ancient Greco-Roman theater still used today. Near the theater, cliffs drop to the sea forming coves with sandy beaches. A narrow stretch of sand connects to Isola Bella, a tiny island and nature reserve.

Due to the picturesque landscape, mild climate and numerous historical sights, the city developed into one of the most important tourist centers in Sicily in the 19th and 20th centuries. I only had about half a day to capture with my camera the many sights and the atmosphere that was unique to me.

Among other things, I was thrilled by the great views, the old town and the many palaces, decorated with Arabic style elements. The visit to the Greek theater is the highlight of my video. It is the second largest ancient theater in Sicily, built in the 3rd century BC.

Taormina was defined by Goethe “The greatest masterpiece of art and nature”, and the historical French travel writer Guy de Maupassant called the city a “painting in which we find everything that seems to exist on earth to seduce the eyes, mind and imagination”. But just see for yourself – in my video.

Travel, Videos, Views

Travel Tour: The Top Ten Places To Visit In Sicily

Video July 10, 2022 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, is just off the “toe” of Italy’s “boot.” Its rich history is reflected in sites like the Valley of the Temples, the well-preserved ruins of 7 monumental, Doric-style Greek temples, and in the Byzantine mosaics at the Cappella Palatina, a former royal chapel in capital city Palermo. On Sicily’s eastern edge is Mount Etna, one of Europe’s highest active volcanoes.

History, Travel, Videos

Great Train Journeys: ‘Palermo To Mount Etna’ In Sicily, Italy (BBC Video)

Video December 26, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Michael Portillo’s 1936 Bradshaw’s Guide brings him to the Italian ‘treasure island’ of Sicily, full of natural beauty and ‘scenery of the greatest charm’. But the interwar guide book also tells Michael that the head of government in Italy is the fascist leader Signor Benito Mussolini.

On a railway journey from the capital, Palermo, through the ancient town of Agrigento and the port of Siracusa, to Europe’s largest volcano, Mount Etna, Michael explores Sicilian life under the dictatorship. Michael finds out how the dictator took on the mafia and asks whether it is true that under Mussolini, the trains ran on time. In Palermo, Michael takes in the art and architecture of the futurists and feasts on a Sicilian speciality – spaghetti and sardines – in the city’s Ballaro street market. In the Capo district, Michael learns how the island’s distinctive puppets are made and is enchanted to see them in action.

Among the spectacular ancient Greek and Roman temples of Agrigento, Michael hears of the passionate ten-year search by a British archaeologist at the time of his guide for a long-lost ancient Greek theatre. The drama of the interwar period comes to life in front of Michael’s eyes as he joins six characters in search of an author at the Teatro Pirandello.

Michael takes the helm to explore the port of Siracusa by boat before visiting a controversial monument, which depicts a dark chapter in Italian history. He concludes his Sicilian journey on the circular railway around Mount Etna, aboard the sleek, futurist-inspired train inaugurated by Mussolini in 1937 – La Littorina.