Plage du Ricanto on the southwestern side of the Isle of Corsica. Tourists flock to this narrow sandy beach not far from downtown Ajaccio during the summer season. And yet when I visited the first week of September, I had the warm sand and calm, shallow waters almost all to myself. The only minor downside […]
Replica of the HMS Endeavour that Captain Cook sailed into Botany Bay (Sydney) in 1770. Cook’s “discovery” of Australia was a huge surprise to the local aboriginal tribes. Until he arrived, they hadn’t realized Australia was missing. This replica is part of the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Entrance to the main […]
Memorial to Georges Guynemer, French top flying ace in World War I. Although his flying career spanned only two years, he managed to shoot down 54 enemy aircraft in that time. By the time of his death in 1917 at the age of 22, he had become a national hero. In addition to his remarkable […]
Ski Dubai is quite an anomaly in a country where the average temperature in August is 107F (42C). Even in mid-winter, nightly temperatures hover around 59F (15C), so it’s not a place you would expect to find snow. Located inside the Mall of the Emirates, this mini ski field maintains a constant temperature of around 32F […]
Laser light show on the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Aside from minor cropping, this photo is unedited. The light beams, colors, and dotted lights around the building appear exactly as they did during the show. Originally staged as part of Dubai’s New Year’s Eve 2018 celebration, the light show drew such […]
Ferris wheel and winter sunset in Place Massena, Nice, France. Tickets cost about US $8 and you sit in enclosed cars rather than in swinging seats. The result is an enjoyable ride, even if you aren’t a fan of heights. In all, it’s a great way to spend a leisurely half-hour or so. Nice erects […]
Dubai al Arab Jumeirah Hotel, which bills itself as the most luxurious hotel in the world. And it’s not just the hotel operators saying that. Travel agents and industry analysts consider it one of the only true 6-star hotels in the world. Completed in 1999 for approximately $1 billion, it sits on a man-made island […]
Skyline view of Valletta, Malta, the smallest capital city in Europe. With a population of just 6,400 people, this 16th century walled town covers a mere .3 square miles (.8 square kilometers). Despite this, Valletta is a bustling town during the day. Thousands of cruise ship passengers wander its streets nearly every day taking in […]
Rue Obscure, Villefranche-sur-mer. This 425-foot (130 meter) passageway runs parallel to the shore in Villefranche, about 5 miles from downtown Nice, France. Dating from 1260, it was originally an open-air section of the original defensive ramparts of the town. Over the centuries, the town grew up around and above it, transforming it into a covered […]
Boaters enjoying a warm summer afternoon on the Estanque Grande (Great Pond) in Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain. Dating from 1636, the pond covers an area of 9 acres (37,000 sq meters). It was originally a reliable source of water for the royal palace and gardens that stood nearby. When the City of Madrid took ownership […]
Vertical garden at CaixaForum square, Paseo del Prado, Madrid. Created by Patrick Blanc, this 78-foot (24-meter) tall living wall contains 250 species of plants that survive on sunlight and water and no soil. Since its creation, the wall has changed dramatically. The original simple latticework interspersed with struggle seedlings is now a lush, green landscape […]
Iglesia Santa María de los Remedios (Church of Saint Mary of the Remedies), Estepona, Spain. This beautiful old Catholic church dates back to 1772 and sits on the crest of one of the highest hills in town. Los Remedios replaced an even earlier church, built in 1473. Due to the striking pattern on its steeple, […]
U.S. Army tank parked in front of the Monument aux Morts (Monument to the Dead) in Nice. The tank was part of the 74th anniversary ceremony honoring the bravery and sacrifices of the French Resistance. On August 28, 1944, they rose up against the Nazis who were occupying Nice. By the end of the day, the […]
Giant trompe-l’oeil mural on the side of a building in Estepona, Spain. This artwork is part of the ongoing “Murals of Estepona” project initiated by the local city government. The intention of this public art project is two-fold. Firstly, it aims to brighten up and enliven less-touristy neighborhoods in town. Secondly, it aims to encourage […]
Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace) inside Retiro Park, Madrid. Built in 1887, this striking building served as a greenhouse for the Exposition of the Philippines held that same year. In its modern incarnation, the Palace functions as an art gallery for temporary exhibits. The architect, Ricardo Velazquez Bosco, also designed the art exhibition space now […]
Entrance to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, which opened in 1997. This striking building is the brainchild of Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry. Like most of Gehry’s creations, it exhibits a post-modern “deconstructivist” approach to architecture. What that means is that elements of the design appear to be fragmented …. chaotic or disjointed. Despite this, […]
Summertime hiking at Auron Ski Resort in Mercantour National Park, southern France. The base camp — not shown in the photo — sits at 5,250 feet (1600m) and some of the 43 runs rise nearly 3,000 feet above that, so skiers and snowboarders (and hikers and bikers in the summer) have a lot of terrain to […]
Winter market in Vorosmarty Square, Budapest. Although local arts and crafts and Christmas knick-knacks are sold in many stalls, the main focus here is on food. From goulash in bread bowls to pigs’ knuckles to fresh garlic cheese flatbread, the food is hot, hearty, and heavenly.
A race car passing the spectator stands during the Monte Carlo Formula 1 Grand Prix qualifying heats. The race includes 78 laps on a course laid out on the narrow streets of Monaco. Each driver makes roughly 3,666 gear changes during the race, where top speed on the straightways can reach 183 mph (295 km/h). […]
American jeeps with pin-up girls parading through the streets of Villefranche-sur-mer on July 4. The US 6th Fleet was based in Villefranche from 1948 until 1966. As a result, the community has long had close ties with America. Every American Independence Day, they host a day-long series of events to honor that friendship. Visitors can […]
Burning of a fishing boat during the Fete de la Saint-Pierre (Festival of Saint Peter), Nice France. Held on or around June 29, which is the feast day of Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen, the festival begins with a marine parade and the blessing of the fishing fleet. Afterwards, a procession of religious […]
The Eiffel Tower viewed from a park across the Seine. Built in 1889 for the World’s Fair, nearly 7 million visitors ascend the tower every year. Despite its current popularity, it originally drew significant criticism. For example, Artists against the Eiffel Tower described its potential impact on the cityscape in ruinous terms. They wrote, “. […]
This 2012 sculpture, Twice Twist, sits on a bluff just south of Bondi Beach, Australia. Called Oushi Zokei in Japanese, the name is an anagram of the artist’s own name, Keizo Ushio. According to a study of Ushio and his works, the words “Oushi Zokei” in Japanese can be interpreted in a variety of ways. […]
Photo taken from a train of the rain in Spain falling mainly on the plain. Well done, Professor Higgins. Well done!
Parade of traditional “pointus” fishing boats during the Nice Port Festival, June 9, 2018. Pointus boats derive their name from their pointed stern and tall bow sprit (“pointu” means “sharp” in French). These little boats were originally powered by latin sails and by oars, but now use standard motors when fishing the Mediterranean.