“It’s man-made, and it’s croc-free!” The voiceover announcer seems to beam with pride at this statement as we ride past a lake surrounded by palm trees. “Croc-free? Do they actually have to mention that?” It’s a Sunday afternoon in Darwin, the city that sits at the very top of Australia. I landed at 3 AM […]
It’s Always Croc Season in Darwin and the Top End Read More »
Ever since I’ve started visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites more conscientiously, I’ve discovered that there’s something that makes these destinations special: they might not be the best known attractions in the world, but once you learn a bit about them, they are incredibly impressive. I didn’t know much about Kakadu beyond that it was one
The Brutal World of Kakadu National Park Read More »
If you’re familiar with Lake Ohrid, one image probably comes to your mind: a tiny red-brick church overlooking the vast expanse of blue lake, faint mountains in the distance. This church is Sveti Jovan, and it’s probably the most famous image in all of Macedonia. As soon as you arrive, you’ll want to photograph it
Scenes from Lake Ohrid: Macedonia’s Summer Beauty Read More »
I was so nervous about visiting Malta. While some of my friends had been to Malta and loved it, others had been and told me privately that they found it, well…a bit dull. What if I felt that way, too?! As usual, I was worrying far too much about nothing. Malta is the least dull
Malta: A Beautiful, Crazy, Formidable, Vibrant Island Read More »
Picture it: Lloret de Mar, Catalonia. 2012. A young girl stands in a blue tank top and hopes her flimsy strapless bathing suit top will withstand the vigors of a hike along the Costa Brava coast. Well, um, except that young girl was me, and that top, a magenta bandeau that I found for $12
The Crashing Coast of Lloret de Mar Read More »
With this week’s #FriFotos theme of trees, I thought this would be a great opportunity to share some of my favorite tree photos. It didn’t occur to me until I started that I’ve visited quite a few near-treeless places in the past year! Iceland is mostly treeless, as are the Faroe Islands and parts of
Trees Around the World Read More »
Cape Town, as I’ve said time and time again, is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. But to really appreciate that beauty, you need to go beyond the city limits — out to the Cape Peninsula, which is home to plenty of beautiful attractions. We spent our second full day in Cape Town tooling
A Glorious Day on the Cape Peninsula Read More »
When I was in high school, I was in a performance of Brigadoon. The show — cheesy, but featuring some very beautiful songs — is set in the Scottish Highlands. Brigadoon couldn’t have painted a prettier, happier picture of life in the Highlands — weekly markets filled with cheerful merchants, beautiful fields of heather, proud Scottish
The Dark Side of the Scottish Highlands Read More »
“Change of plans. We’re going up Table Mountain now,” David told us. Now? We had literally just stepped off the Blue Train. “There are no clouds on top of the mountain today. The weather probably won’t be this good again.” It turns out that although Cape Town has a fantastic climate, Table Mountain can be
View from the Top of Table Mountain, Cape Town Read More »
This week’s #Frifotos theme is “peaks” — and I had quite a few from which to choose! I love mountains. I was never really much of a mountain girl until I started traveling — then I fell in love with them. They give me a level of peace that I’ve struggled to find elsewhere in
Peaks Around the World Read More »