Northern Ireland
The Giants Causeway is an area is 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. The Peace Bridge is a footbridge of the River Foyle in Derry, Northern Ireland. It was intended to symbolise the improved relations between the largely unionist Waterside on the...
The Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines with sheep meadows separated by dry stone walls and plentiful walking trails. Malham Cove is a huge curbing amphitheatre-shaped cliff of eroded limestone, 80 m high.
Zurich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and it's located at the north-western to of Lake Zurich. One of the most recognisable landmarks is the Grossmunster Church.
The Swiss Alps
Traveling from Tirano in Italy to Chur in Switzerland in the Bernina Express train across the Alps.
Lake Como
One of the most beautiful lakes in the world, surrounded by mountains that tumble into the lake. The slopes are down with picturesque villages.
Le Due Torri
Bologna used to be known as the city of towers as there were once over 100. Only 24 now remain, including the distinctive Due Torri, the Two Towers, both leaning.
Bologna
Bologna old town is a lovely place to wander around and it's porticoes are an important cultural heritage, mostly dating back to the Middle Ages. Together they cover more than 38 km in the historical centre and were declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city of porticoes
One day in Bari
An overnight ferry took us to Bari. We wandered around the Old Town before catching the train the following day to Bologna.
Sivota
Beautiful hotel on the coast for our last stay in Greece.
Kastraki
We stayed in the lovely village of Kastraki, nestled under the Meteora. We enjoyed breakfast in the hotel courtyard.
Brief stay on Mykonos
Due to a rescheduled and then hour and a half late ferry, we arrived at 2:15 am! So we only spent 12 hours in this lovely hotel.
The Meteora
The Meteora is a rock formation hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of six (of an original twenty-four) monasteries established between the 13th and 14th centuries, built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area.
Greek islands
The historic island of Samos, where Pythagoras was born. Beautiful waterfront with lots of lovely tavernas.
Ephesus
Amazing site of ancient city, originating in 10BCE and rebuilt, expanded and restored during Greek, Roman, and Ottoman empires, and extending over a huge area.
Theatre of Hieropolis
Originally built in 129 CE for a visit of Emperor Hadrian and faithfully restored in recent times, it could accommodate 15000.
Travertine terraces
This area is famous for the travertine deposited by the following of thermal spring water.
Hadrian's Gate
Still surviving in Old Muratpasa built to commemorate Emperor Hadrian's visit in 130 CE.
Duden Falls
I don't think I've ever seen a waterfall tumbling 40 m into the sea
Fairy Chimneys
Geologically, Cappadocia is an ancient region shaped by millions of years of volcano activity, tectonic movements and erosion. The landscape consists of easily erodable volcanic tuff sculpted into a variety of shapes by wind and water.
Cappadocia
We stayed in Goreme in the historic region of Cappadocia where the ancient rocks have eroded into spectacular pinnacles and ridges. We arise before dawn to see this from a hot air balloon.
Taste of Istanbul
Our brief 2-day visit to Istanbul gave us a glimpse of this very busy city full of smoking people and honking cars bustling through narrow lanes with broken pavements plus of course some beautiful mosques
Mount Fuji
We captured this view from our Shinkansen (Bullet) train from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Toilet talk
Toilets in Japan are a story in themselves. They are invariably electrically controlled. This one in our Kyoto hotel room automatically raised the lid when you opened the toilet door and sprayed water into the bowl as you sat on the heated seat and turned on an exhaust fan. Then automatically flushe...
Bamboo Grove
Visited the Bamboo Grove near Kyoto
Kinkaku-ji temple
The impressive Zen temple (Golden Temple) set in beautiful gard ens. The top 2 stories of the pavilion are covered with our gold leaf.
Food
Dining has been challenging for someone (me) that doesn't like noodles. Noodle bars everywhere but very little else. And every one has photos of menu items outside. I've seen that before but. new to me, was actual models of the meals!