Nagoya, capital of Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, is a manufacturing and shipping hub in central Honshu. The city’s Naka ward is home to museums and pachinko (gambling machine) parlors. Naka also includes the Sakae entertainment district, with attractions like the Sky-Boat Ferris wheel, which is attached to a mall. In northern Naka is Nagoya Castle, a partly reconstructed 1612 royal home displaying Edo-era artifacts.
The Spanish city of Valencia offers a colourful mix of a beautiful old town with impressive Art Nouveau market halls, futuristic architecture, many green areas and wonderful beaches. There is a great joie de vivre, which is not surprising at all thanks to the Mediterranean climate – even in November, when I was visiting. The pleasant atmosphere and weather encourages you to spend time outdoor. I start my camera tour from the former defence towers Torres de Serranos and the impressive old town. And those who know me or my videos know that I am a big fan of old towns, and in Valencia there really is a lot to discover. Side trips to the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias with its futuristic architecture and the beach are of course are also a must.
Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean has influenced many aspects of its culture: salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, the Algarve’s beaches are a major destination and much of the nation’s architecture dates to the 1500s–1800s, when Portugal had a powerful maritime empire.
Burgos, a provincial capital in Spain’s autonomous community of Castile and León, is marked by its intact medieval architecture. Its most recognizable landmark is the French Gothic Cathedral of St. Mary, whose 3 main doorways are flanked by ornamented bell towers. Inside is the Chapel of Condestable, decorated with figures of saints, and the tomb of El Cid (Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar), the 11th-century military commander.
Mikulov is a town in Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,500 inhabitants. The historic centre of Mikulov is well preserved and historically significant and is protected by law as urban monument reservation.
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is a metropolitan area and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta in South China.
Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar, with Arabic influences, and Mafia, with a marine park home to whale sharks and coral reefs.
The tradition of horseback fishing for fish and shrimp goes back to the 16th century. Large Belgian Draft horses trawl across the beach with fishing nets attached to their saddles. In Oostduinkerke, at the Belgian coast, this 500-year-old shrimping tradition has remained unchanged, except in 2015, when a small but significant change occurred: for the first time ever, 2 women joined the ranks of what was long considered a “man’s job”. We met up with the women who brave the waves on Belgians weighing up to 1 ton every day.
Iceland, a Nordic island nation, is defined by its dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs and lava fields. Massive glaciers are protected in Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull national parks. Most of the population lives in the capital, Reykjavik, which runs on geothermal power and is home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history.
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