Archive for the ‘Worth a Visit’ Category
Love London
“Local is lekker”, a popular phrase in South Africa is well worth embracing. To give you an idea of the meaning, the Afrikaans word for a sweet (candy) is lekker. So basically, local is sweet!
This weekend in London was one of the warmest in 100 years, perfect for a stroll along the Thames. Walking through London reminded me how sometimes the best travel locations are often in your own back yard. Local truly is lekker…
Also, check out Warren’s post from the same shoot.
Worth a Visit – Vik
Fog drifting in from the ocean covers the headland and nearby mountains
We feature places to visit on this blog because the place stood out to us and we know that readers would benefit from visiting the place too.
Occasionally, we feature a well known location, but most often, this section is reserved for lesser known spots that deserve more attention then what they’re getting. We love spots that are interesting, surprising, authentic and un-crowded.
Worth a Visit – Salzburg
A padestrain bridge leads to the Salzburg old town, revealing the Salzburg castle in the distant left.
Over the holidays we went for a skiing trip to Austria. Whilst there, we took the opportunity to explore Salzburg. The city has the most beautiful setting I have ever seen. It is surrounded on three sides by mountains. These mountains are no ordinary mountains either. They seem to rise up from nowhere and tower dramatically over the city.
With this picture perfect setting, it should come as no surprise that the city of Salzburg is a remarkably beautiful city. The prominent architecture of the city centre is baroque with a few Gothic styled buildings to break up the uniformity. The centre is one of the best preserved centers north of the Alps and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
A gothic styled church towers over the baroque architecture of the Salzberg old town.
From almost anywhere in the city, the most notable feature is a large castle overlooking the city. This castle is known as the Hohensalzburg Castle and is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. The castle has never been conquered in battle, only changing hands when it was surrendered without a fight to Napoleon.
As photographers, the best photo opportunities we found were from the top of the castle overlooking the Salzburg old town. The combination of mountain scenery, classic architecture, snow and atmospheric conditions was one of the most visually inspiring scenes I have ever witnessed.
Mountains, sun-rays and snow combine to create a magical scene over Salzburg.
Another great view for photographers is from the pedestrian bridge leading to the old town centre. When the blue hour descends, the old town is lit up and is reflected by the Salzach River (the opening photograph).
The city has two high seasons – predictability, over July and August for the European summer months and also in January/February as a base for skiing. I highly recommend a visit to Salzburg – reserving at least 3 days to experience the city in the best possible lighting conditions.
Worth a Visit – Belalp
A scene just outside of Belalp
Nestled in the Swiss Alps, 2100 meters above sea level is a village called Belalp. Belalp is predominantly a ski resort with a peak season in winter. During the summer months, most of Belalp is empty, making it an ideal spot to relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery of the dramatic Swiss Alps.
Worth a Visit – Plitvice Lakes
I have a love/hate relationship with guide books. I’ve been to numerous places that have been recommended and been sorely disappointed. I’ve also visited places that I never would have seen had it not been for guide book recommendations that became the highlight of my trip.
Iceland – A Photographer’s Mecca
Iceland - Seljalandsfoss
Iceland. Just that word brings up imagery usually only seen in a Peter Jackson movie. Giant glaciers, active volcanoes and steep mountains all bathed in arctic light and all of it very dramatic. Iceland is a Mecca for nature photographers, offering sites found nowhere else in the world.
I started planning my trip to Iceland over 6 years ago. As a budding landscape photographer, the Luminous Landscape was a constant source of inspiration and information. Sometime 6 years ago, the website author, Michael Reichmann made his first trip to Iceland. He returned to post an article that had tantalized and tormented me every day I wasn’t able to see Iceland myself.
A few weeks ago all that changed. Armed with a bit more skill and better equipment then I had 6 years ago, Tina and I left sunny London for a trip around Iceland. What follows is a part travel, part photography report of what must be one of the most photogenic countries in the world.
Worth a Visit – Marrakech
The medina comes to life after the sun has set, making night time the most interesting time of day to explore.
In the northern hemisphere, the leaves are telling us to brace down for the cold. Whilst some people are preparing for a white Christmas, others will be preparing to escape somewhere warmer. Marrakech in Morocco may just be the perfect destination.
Worth a Visit – Cabo de Gata Natural Park
Twlight decends over the peaceful fishing village of La Isleta in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park in Spain.
It has taken a week, but I feel that I’ve finally recovered from a 17 day road trip through Spain. As tiring as the trip was, it was the 33 hour trip from Barcelona to London (thanks to the ash) that was the killer.
Of all the places we visited in Spain (and there were many), the Cabo de Gata Natural Park was by far my favorite.
The park is situated about 50 kms from Almeria. This is quite convenient as Almeria has an airport and many car rental companies.
Why should you visit the park? Pick from any of the following reasons: