Unloxit 2024

Some travels both domestic and distant, kicking off with the very first day of the year.. もっと詳しく

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2024年1月1日
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日1
2024年1月1日月曜日 12:00
☁️ 9 °C
海抜: 23 m
イングランド Green Park 51.505439, -0.14492551°30’20” N 0°8’42” W
New Year, new colours
2024年1月1日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
It's 2024 and while many people were enjoying the fireworks by the river last night, I choose a morning start to enjoy London's New Year parade. After 2 years hiatus it's becoming a regular fixture again and well worth braving the January weather, This time I watch most of it from Piccadilly, at a spot before the main parade begins. Hence I can beat the crowds and get a better view of the performers as they get ready to make their way towards Parliament Square.

It's so nice to see ordinary people getting a release from their office suits or overalls to become special for a day. With London's diverse population, there's a huge choice of ethnic costumes. I particularly like the Bolivian team bringing a rare colour to the sober tube station.

If this is the only carnival I see this year (and I hope it isn't!), 2024 has got off to a colourful start.もっと詳しく
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日46
2024年2月15日木曜日 18:00
☀️ 26 °C
海抜: 18 m
ドミニカ共和国 Punta Cana International Airport 18.56849, -68.36627918°34’7” N 68°21’59” W
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Pilot of the Caribbean
2024年2月15日, ドミニカ共和国 ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Airborne for the first time in 2024, I'm spending a fortnight in Santo Domingo. Not to be confused with Dominica, it's the Spanish-speaking part of Hispaniola island. Punta Cana is the only place with direct flights from the London area, and the journey is comfortable and seamless. Apart from a scare at Gatwick, that is, which nearly finishes my journey before it's started. I've forgotten to complete the return half of the immigration form! Fortunately a helpful airline staff member completes it and I'm on my way.

Arrival at Punta Cana is seamless as well. The hotel booking agency have arranged a taxi for the 20 km. drive to my hotel. They prefer US dollars cash but the local banknotes (about 55 to the US$) are attractive and portray characters in local history. Next morning, the view from the hotel balcony reveals what is typical of Punta Cana: a mass tourist destination, like Cancun in Mexico, which satisfies desires for sun, sea and sand but for me is a jumping-off point for more typical experiences.

Without a doubt the beaches, though busy, are spectacular. But there's still space for traditional street art.もっと詳しく
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Speak, World I wonder what the three sisters are famous for. I’ll look them up! (on the currency) The beach pictures are superb!
2024/03/15返信する翻訳する
旅行者Thanks---more to follow!
2024/03/16返信する翻訳する
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日48
2024年2月17日土曜日 14:00
☀️ 30 °C
海抜: 59 m
ドミニカ共和国 La Agustina 18.493508, -69.94021518°29’37” N 69°56’25” W
1 1
La Capital
2024年2月17日, ドミニカ共和国 ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Punta Cana used to be cut off from the rest of the island but since the construction of new roads, getting around is now quite easy. A taxi ride to the bus station and a bus so air-conditioned that I wear two layers of clothes, gets me to the capital in 3 hours.

Santo Domingo was founded a few years after Columbus' landfall in 1492 and boasts the first street pattern, the first cathedral and the first university in the New World. While lacking some of the timeworn atmosphere of Havana in Cuba, it's a vibrant bustling city of 2.5 million people.

The Colonial centre is the soul of the city's history and Parque Colon (Columbus) is the focus of much human life, with a non-stop parade of people watching. These three men are playing merengue, an up-tempo music style with evident African roots. Not that this seems to impress the young lady advertising a local restaurant! In the same plaza we see a Dominican version of a "beer bike" which some European cities are trying to eliminate but flourish here. No one promised the Dom. Rep. to be quiet.
But there are some quiet corners and I enjoy resting in Parque Duarte, a few blocks away, and the colourful back street housing.

A brisk walk westwards leads to the Malecon, the waterfront where people relax at weekends. The fresh sea breeze is a good foil to the powerful Caribbean sun.もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldI’ve never seen ANY pictures of Santo Domingo, so your post is great! It looks so laid back in you photos. I especially liked the pink-hued house with the interesting plants.
2024/03/15返信する翻訳する
Speak, World I would love to hear them!
2024/03/15返信する翻訳する
Speak, World What a jolly idea! The young ladies are lovely.
2024/03/15返信する翻訳する
旅行者Yes, the Dom. Rep. makes more US$ from its all-inclusive beach hotels than its historic and natural attractions but as you can see, they are considerable and the infrastructure is quite good. Merengue and bachata are two endemic music forms but salsa is popular as well. I was delighted not to hear too much reggaeton (not to be confused with the much more acceptable reggae). Common practice is for people to listen to salsa recordings and augment them with their own percussion (more to follow on this!)
2024/03/16返信する翻訳する
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日50
2024年2月19日月曜日 14:00
☀️ 28 °C
海抜: 13 m
ドミニカ共和国 Punta Las Galeras 19.290839, -69.20282819°17’27” N 69°12’10” W
Almost the Caribbean
2024年2月19日, ドミニカ共和国 ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Thanks to another good road, the 3-hour bus journey from the capital to the town on Samana is straightforward. Moving on isn't quite as easy: it's hard to work out where to get transport, until a helpful policewoman walks me to a place where I can flag down a guagua. Pronounced "wa-wa" and seeming to mimic the noise from their horns, these redoubtable vehicles are vans seating around 15 passengers and will stop anywhere on the route to pick up or drop off people. Yet again I appreciate the value of travelling light, with the small backpack on my knees.

The Samana pensinsula is several things that Punta Cana is not: low rise, quiet and peaceful. Its' actually on the Atlantic but might as well be the Caribbean. I'm staying at an excellent French-run hotel in the small town of Las Galeras. and a view from the balcony shows that it's not short of plant life. The streets have a pleasant outdoor atmosphere and the town is well worth a few days stay.

Some people come to the peninsula for whale watching, this being the middle of the calving season. I'm here however mainly to indulge in the world-class tropical beaches, for which the two men outside the tour agency are negotiating a trip. Complete with a supply of cold drinks. But there are two caveats: my guide book has several nasty little warnings about robberies on the beaches. It's depressing to have to be careful even in idyllic places like this and I hope they just advise not to leave valuables on the beach while going for a swim. Another discomfort is the boat trip to what's advertised as Las 3 Playas. It's by speedboat carrying about 12 passengers and with the choppy water, it's a rollercoaster. Every 30 seconds my heart is in my mouth as the boat takes a plunge to a trough and then peaks to the next wave. It's a wonder my back stays in one piece.

But...but...the ride takes us to Fronton, Playita (for lunch) and Rincon beaches and they are all world class. And for the final picture, I don't need a boat at all---just a 10-minute walk from my hotel to watch golden hour.もっと詳しく
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日55
2024年2月24日土曜日 14:00
☀️ 29 °C
海抜: 70 m
ドミニカ共和国 Carlos Guerra 18.476219, -69.93891718°28’34” N 69°56’20” W
Back in the S.D.
2024年2月24日, ドミニカ共和国 ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
A reversal of last week's trip (guagua, bus, taxi) takes me back to a few days in the capital. This time I'm right in the heart of things, in a classy hotel on Parque Colon and a prime view from the roof terrace. At first I hope it won't be too many times that he plays "My Way" and "La Vie on Rose" on the saxophone, but after a couple of days I get to like him. Some sort of dancing display usually takes place in the afternoons. The quiet backstreets show an unhurried pace of life, even if the bronze sleeper takes it to the extreme.

Indeed, music is never far away. It's good to know that as well as the local styles, salsa is popular---maybe from Cuba or Puerto Rico. I follow the sounds blasting from a neighbourhood bar, and then a colmado (corner shop). The music is recorded but they like to juice it up with their own percussion.もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldGosh, there is so much music everywhere! At least it seems like it. People coming out and taking their instruments with them and then playing— I think it’s marvelous!
2024/03/22返信する翻訳する
旅行者That's right. It was a nice surprise that most of the music was traditional, not much electronic stuff (call me old-fashioned!)
2024/03/23返信する翻訳する
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日58
2024年2月27日火曜日 16:00
⛅ 27 °C
海抜: 60 m
ドミニカ共和国 Bella Vista 18.464837, -69.94362518°27’53” N 69°56’37” W
Almost a carnival
2024年2月27日, ドミニカ共和国 ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
To my immense frustration, there have been no Sunday carnivals as the tourist guides had led me to believe. What does happen, on 27th February, is the annual Independence Day celebration. Independence not from Spain as one might expect but Haiti, which by the early 19th century had freed itself from France and abolished slavery. As the first Latin American country to gain independence, Haiti then occupied the Dom. Rep. for 20 years, to be driven out on this day in 1844. Sadly of course, the downward spiral in Haiti's fortunes---reparations to France, the Papa Doc regime and the 2010 earthquake---have led to its becoming the lawless state of today and the border with the Dom. Rep. is closed.

Dominicans however are hugely proud of their heritage, with the colours of red, white and blue everywhere. School parties, marching bands and soldiers parade the streets in full regalia. The Malecon brings out dozens of street food sellers to satisfy the spectators while back on Parque Colon, a lone reveller has her moment in front of the camera.

Would I go back to the Dom. Rep? My having been there 20 years ago and with the attractions of Cuba and Mexico next door, probably not but it's been a satisfying trip.もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldWell, if it’s not a festival, then it’s actually a “feria.” Any chance to celebrate, and it looks like everyone did their Independence Day up, really big! I loved all the photos with the red, white and blue, including that amazing red hair!
2024/03/22返信する翻訳する
旅行者Absolutely. And talking of going back to the Dom. Rep., regardless of whether I go back or not, grains of sand that had been lodged in my shoes from the beaches were still falling out after my return. You can take a person out of the Dom. Rep. but you can't take the Dom. Rep. out of a person!
2024/03/23返信する翻訳する
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日100
2024年4月9日火曜日 12:00
🌬 10 °C
海抜: 19 m
イングランド Ramsgate Ferry Port 51.332304, 1.41873251°19’56” N 1°25’7” E
DFL again
2024年4月9日, イングランド ⋅ 🌬 10 °C
Once again I'm in Ramsgate, Kent, joining the other DFL (down from London) types. As before, accommodation is at the peerless Royal Temple Yacht Club, with its magnificent view of the harbour---which our family used in our yachtie days. At quayside level is the Victorian sailors' church, a beautiful Victorian oasis of peace and quietness.

More secular delights can be found with views of the beach---not fashionable but good and sandy---from the former casino. It's been converted into a Wetherspoons pub, the largest in the chain and very elegant it is too. A far cry from when I visited it in 2021, with Covid restrictions forcing me to order not from the bar but on the app---which I couldn't get to work! There's also time for a more traditional pub, the Horse and Groom, hidden in a back street in the town centre.

Ramsgate always fascinates me with its intimate squares and gardens, that could almost be in Islington or even Kensington. The architecture is DFL too! The final shot is of a Victorian block of flats designed by the son of Augustus Pugin, architect of the Houses of Parliament and one-time Ramsgate resident. Its forbidding profile might be more suited to a prison or an asylum. Regrettably some of the block is empty and it all goes to show how even in this era of housing shortages there is so much wastage. But to look at, the building does have a je ne sais quoi.もっと詳しく
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日112
2024年4月21日日曜日 11:30
☁️ 10 °C
海抜: 13 m
イングランド Bermondsey 51.498042, -0.06442851°29’53” N 0°3’52” W
Keep on running!
2024年4月21日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
This 1960s chart hit is often played to celebrate the London Marathon. It's got a carnival spirit that has returned to the streets in the spring, following closures for Covid. It's a lovely event---maybe less so for some of the exhausted runners, although even they should be satisfied by completing the challenge. More than 50,000 people take part, including many elite runners but mainly charity fundraisers. There's also the handful of celebrities; the comedian Romesh Ranganathan and the newsreader Sophie Raworth are reported to be in the mix.

To get there, I become a sardine on the Jubilee Line, which disgorges me with relief at Bermondsey station. This spot is on the edge of the southern arm of London's docklands. It's not quite half-way along the route and a strategic place to watch, less frenetic than both the starting point at Blackheath and the finishing line in Hyde Park.

For people-watching, the spectators are at least as interesting as the participants. Some runners, knowing where their friends will be along the route, take time out to be greeted. Others, knowing they're goal is not to win but just to finish, communicate remotely. As the day wears on, people are reduced to a walking pace but still receive refreshments along the way. The watching crowd have other ideas!もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldWhat an interesting post! I haven’t really seen such a close-up of a marathon before. It looks like it was quite a chilly day for the onlookers. As for the runners, it appears to be a quite casual event, and it also seems like there weren’t that many people who were in great shape! Do you have any idea how much it cost to actually be able to run in the marathon? Were there any prerequisites other than the cost?
2024/04/22返信する翻訳する
旅行者You're right, it was quite cold for late April but I expect the runners liked it. I deliberately didn't get started until 2 hours after the start (ETA at the finish about 4 hours) because slower people are easier to photograph, plus the crowds start to thin out.
2024/04/22返信する翻訳する
旅行者I don't know how much it cost to take part but collectively they raised £67m (including contributions from onlookers). Presumably they have to pass a medical but one of the key sectors of the race is the wheelchair contingent. There were about 53,000 participants.
2024/04/22返信する翻訳する
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日123
2024年5月2日木曜日 15:00
☁️ 13 °C
海抜: 59 m
イングランド Ouse Burn, Ouseburn 54.96751, -1.59162454°58’3” N 1°35’30” W
House of the absent sun
2024年5月2日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
(to paraphrase the famous no. 1 from the Animals, who came from here). Yes, I am in Newcastle and yes, the sun is in hiding. Not that it matters too much because there are plenty of indoor options. My hotel, next to the railway station, is a classic Victorian pile with this stupendous staircase where you can imagine the local grandees in full evening dress sweeping down to the ballroom. The view through the window gives an idea of nearby 19th century architecture.

An elegant arcade hosts an old-fashioned music shop, while the covered market is well up to the standards of those I have seen in southern Europe. The M & S shop easily outranks the Oxford Street branch which is threatened with demolition. Venturing outside, I marvel at the perspectives allowed by the steep slope of the upper city, where the railway station and shops are, to the riverside.

Finally, to a famous watering hole, named after the Duke of Northumberland. His surname matches that of a good friend of mine but as far as we know, no relation (as they say in Private Eye).もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldThat staircase is stunning. I can’t think of anything to match it. Look at those landings! I’ve never been to Newcastle, and I admire your wandering spirit. My sister and her husband are in northern England walking about.(May 13, ‘24)
2024/05/13返信する翻訳する
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日124
2024年5月3日金曜日 12:00
海抜: 海水位
イングランド River Tyne 55.009213, -1.42849455°0’33” N 1°25’43” W
North to the border
2024年5月3日, イングランド
The land around Newcastle was disputed for centuries between England and Scotland, and there's a border feeling about this region. It's a great base for day excursions. Tynemouth and Whitley Bay are straightforward bus rides from the city but at the former, due to recent storms access to the harbour wall is resolutely locked. Further up the coast, Blyth was once an industrial port but is now more popular for fishing.

Further north still is the imposing hulk of Bamburgh Castle. It's best reached by train to Berwick-upon-Tweed (which some say still lies in Scotland) and the occasional bus south. It saw conflict between the English and the Scots in the Middle Ages but despite the overcast weather, it now oversees the peaceful activities of croquet players. There's a beautiful medieval church nearby.

Finally, in the other direction is Durham, whose ancient cathedral needs no introduction.もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldOh, impressive to see that you’re traveling to get again into a new country. It would be fun to know that your total number of countries that you visited. I visited 26, or 29? Anyway, fellow violin teacher, friend of mine in the Washington DC area is from Romania, and I made a big mistake of saying that it must’ve been hard for her to come to America. She became immediately infuriated and said, “America is heaven compared to Romania and I will not hear a word of criticism.” She left in Communist times, of course.
2024/06/13返信する翻訳する
旅行者Yes, it's one thing to visit a country for ten days and quite another to live there---I enjoyed Romania immensely but lots of people have left the country. In total I've visited about 40 countries. I had been in transit in Bucharest on a long rail journey in 1976, starting in Warsaw and finishing in Istanbul. Also in the 1980s en route from London to Cairo; Tarom were just about the worst airline I had ever used!
2024/06/15返信する翻訳する
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日145
2024年5月24日金曜日 17:00
☁️ 29 °C
海抜: 86 m
ルーマニア București - Ilfov 44.431645, 26.11008244°25’54” N 26°6’36” E
What did the Romanians ever do for us?
2024年5月24日, ルーマニア ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
They created a wonderful country, that's what! It's not an obvious tourist choice for Brits but that's what we like about it. Firmly ensconced in eastern Europe, it's the only country in the region whose language is related to Latin and hence, Italian, Spanish and the rest. Although in the EU, Romania has its own currency, the leu (plural lei), a quirky infrastructure and is the home of Dracula, but since the downfall of Communism it definitely has ambitions to go places.

So the three of us (Russell, Alan and I) arrive on a balmy afternoon where the temperature is perhaps 10C higher than that at home. The first full day we get to see that while Bucharest is nothing like as famous as say, Budapest or Prague, it's a dignified place with broad boulevards and 19th century monuments. The main branch of Christianity here is Orthodox and there are numerous tributes to this, mainly in a Byzantine style.

Bucharest is packed with both quiet corners and noisy avenues---some of which boast outrageous parodies of styles from earlier ages. And it can be proud of a handsome population. Which is more than can be said for the President's palace, the giant folly from Ceausescu's time!もっと詳しく
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日147
2024年5月26日日曜日 12:00
⛅ 21 °C
海抜: 431 m
ルーマニア Sibiu 45.795056, 24.15616345°47’42” N 24°9’22” E
Trainspotting in Romania
2024年5月26日, ルーマニア ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Our first foray from Bucharest is not the smoothest. At the Nord railway station, the indicator shows Platform 7 for our departure but when we get there, it has gone blank. Shouting the single word "Sibiu" to the one uniformed official on the platform, we find that the train sitting there is to a different destination. But not to panic: after this train has pulled out, it's not long before our train heaves in and we are ready to board. Albeit the coach numbers are not in numerical order and are pasted on sticky windows to the train carriages.

The rolling stock dates from the early Ceausescu years but the seats are quite comfortable. Sibiu is less than 200 miles north-west of Bucharest but it's in no hurry and takes a nearly 6 hours to get there. But hey, we get there! A taxi from Sibiu's station takes us to an airy apartment with separate rooms for the one unit (not easy to find for a threesome) in the city's modern quarter. And we're now in Transylvania............

It's easy to see how Sibiu, a city of about 150,000 people, has become an UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are three squares of varying size and a wealth of ancient city walls, churches and public buildings. Well worth a day of our time. There are various gastronomic pleasures of the naughty-but nice persuasion, even if at the outdoor bar we ourselves become naughty-but-nice pleasures for the midges. Maybe they like our northern European hides, even though these are rapidly darkening in the Romanian sun.もっと詳しく
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日149
2024年5月28日火曜日 12:00
☁️ 17 °C
海抜: 442 m
ルーマニア Sighișoara 46.210422, 24.79418546°12’38” N 24°47’39” E
Dracula was here
2024年5月28日, ルーマニア ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
The train from Sibiu to Sighisoara is not in a hurry but fortunately, neither are we. When it pulls into our stop, a walk across the river takes us to some beautiful lodgings with charming staff, two double bedrooms and a living room with sofa. And here are some views of the Orthodox cathedral, from a window under the eaves of our hotel, and from its restaurant.

Having hit Sighisoara during an outbreak of thundery weather, we virtually write off the first day but on the following day are treated to the medieval delights of this UNESCO-listed city. Due to its small size (25,000 people) it's very walkable---or would be, but for the steep gradients. In keeping with its backwater nature, the 13th century clock tower is anchored on early afternoon while numerous towers and spires survive from the following centuries.

Over the years the city changed hands between Germany, Hungary and Austria but is best known as the lair of Romania's most notorious son, Vlad the Impaler---whose father Vlad Dracul gave rise to the Bram Stoker legend. But luckily even those miniature bloodsuckers, the midges of Sibiu, are absent here!もっと詳しく
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日152
2024年5月31日金曜日 17:00
☀️ 23 °C
海抜: 566 m
ルーマニア Centru 45.656679, 25.60650845°39’24” N 25°36’23” E
Castles and palaces
2024年5月31日, ルーマニア ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Another unhurried train ride to Brasov. The two train staff sitting near us don't have a lot to do; the lady at the buffet counter manages one trip up and down the carriage while her colleague passes the time on his phone or asleep. The station at Brasov is a delight, the wall paintings giving a foretaste of what is to come.

For my money, Brasov is the nicest of the cities we visit outside Bucharest. There's a lively pedestrian area and in the improving weather, dozens of choices to eat and drink outside. Some of the architecture reflects its German heritage, besides which there's a wealth of elegant but now decaying 19th century piles.

There are two must-do excursions from Brasov. The first is Bran Castle, a Saxon/German fortification whose tenuous connections with Dracula are much exploited. To be honest, at a weekend it's got something of a theme park atmosphere and we prefer Peles, reached on the following day by train. Regrettably it's under repair but we get a taste of late 19th century grandeur enjoyed by King Carol I. And the railway station of 1913 is fantastic.もっと詳しく
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日156
2024年6月4日火曜日 14:00
⛅ 29 °C
海抜: 102 m
ルーマニア Gară Filaret 44.4171, 26.08489344°25’2” N 26°5’6” E
My other football team
2024年6月4日, ルーマニア ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
For the final time we wind our way down the hill from our eyrie in Brasov to the station. As you can see, the trains are a bargain at about 5.50 lei to the £, and are built sometimes for comfort but never for speed. At Bucharest we evade the posse of taxi drivers who refuse to use their meters and walk a couple of blocks to find an honest one. There are alternative forms of transport and while the underpass looks like a metro station it is what it is, an underpass with shops.

The balmy weather has returned but it's always a bittersweet feeling to be back in a place we like but knowing it's our last full day. There's an open-air World Press Photo exhibition, which is studiously ignored. And little corners of the city show contrasting places of worship: the predominant Orthodox practice and the surviving Jewish community.

Eleven days past and time to get back to Stansted. But the good news is that in the days to come, Romania win their first Euros 2024 match 3-0!もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldI admire your splendid penchant for exploring new places. And now accompanied, which is such a new twist. it all looks very jolly.
2024/06/25返信する翻訳する
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日181
2024年6月29日土曜日 13:15
☁️ 13 °C
海抜: 83 m
イングランド Portinscale 54.60012, -3.14789554°36’0” N 3°8’52” W
North-west passage
2024年6月29日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
It's the end of June and time for our annual trip to the Lake District. Eleven of us converge in Keswick to stay in two cottages near the river, for walking, talking and drinking. The start of an excellent week.

It's good to see evidence of unspoilt wildlife. But it's a slightly ambiguous sign: do people think red squirrels are dangerous? We don't see any on our walks but we enjoy the beautiful rolling scenery and this tiny chapel at the hamlet of Littletown. On another walk we pass the elegant mansion of Rydal Hall, now converted into a hotel. and the oddly named Grot summer house. The end of that walk leads to Grasmere, and Grasmere means Tweedies, a favourite watering hole to shelter from the water from the sky.

The wettest day of the week takes us on a boat ride on Windermere. It's combined with a steam railway which leads almost to Morecambe Bay. Finally, despite the uncertain weather, it's time for an ice cream back at our base in Keswick.もっと詳しく
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日194
2024年7月12日金曜日 18:00
☁️ 17 °C
海抜: 207 m
イングランド St Rayn Hill 50.880429, -2.86365850°52’50” N 2°51’49” W
1 1
A different ball game in Somerset
2024年7月12日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Well, not the game exactly, but Cricket St. Thomas is the name of the Somerset village where I spent a recent weekend with some friends. Lying just off the A30 in beautiful rolling countryside, it's a former stately home converted into a smart hotel. The word cricket comes from the Saxon word "cruc" meaning hill or ridge. And this settlement dates at least from the Domesday Book, although what we see now is this lovely pint-sized early 19th century church and the 18th century mansion which featured in "To the Manor Born". A stroll around the grounds allows us to fantasise about how it must have been for Viscount Hood, whose family had connections with Lord Nelson.

An excursion is seldom complete without a nod to Monty Python, so it's a must to drive to Ilchester, the village whose "fermented curd" is referenced in the famous cheese shop sketch. Ilchester---the most popular cheese around here! Sadly, although the village has three pubs it has no cheese shops. Plenty of beer but no Cheddar!もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldYou’ve done it again! Made me want to drop everything and moved back to England! The green! The flowers! How can I resist??!
2024/07/21返信する翻訳する
Speak, World My favorite photo
2024/07/21返信する翻訳する
Speak, World Such a splendid gate!
2024/07/21返信する翻訳する
旅行者Yes, one thing I like about a place like this is to imagine what it must have been like for the lord of the manor, back in the day.
2024/07/22返信する翻訳する
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日225
2024年8月12日月曜日 15:00
☀️ 24 °C
海抜: 8 m
イングランド Weymouth Quay Railway Station 50.609384, -2.44877750°36’34” N 2°26’56” W
Weycation
2024年8月12日, イングランド ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Holidaymakers have left London in their thousands and it makes sense not to beat 'em but join 'em. I was last in Weymouth during that strange period in late 2020 either side of a "lockdown lite", when everyone knew there was likely to be a deeper lockdown after Christmas. This time however the town is enjoying what is mostly sunshine in August. My lodgings are, unlike the barracks-like place on an industrial estate I stayed at in 2020, are bang in the town centre in a quiet back street a stone's throw from the railway station. It's called the Dolphin but there's healthy competition from other pubs. There's a friendly atmosphere downstairs and it's in the Good Beer Guide!

Weymouth is an unassuming place, a bit like Ramsgate which I visited in the spring. It's got a lively promenade and has had some illustrious guests:
in the early 19th century King George III was brought here in the hope of curing his insanity. It also has a prestigious sporting history, having hosted the sailing events of the 2012 Olympics. The lift bridge which links the inner to the outer harbour was completed in 1930, has a mechanism modelled on London's Tower Bridge and opens every 2 hours in the daytime.もっと詳しく
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日226
2024年8月13日火曜日 10:30
☁️ 18 °C
海抜: 87 m
イングランド Blacknor Point 50.547276, -2.44504450°32’50” N 2°26’42” W
St. George's in the South-West
2024年8月13日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
This amazing church would seem more in place in a big city, as in St. George's in the East, London---with which it is roughly contemporary. Or even Italy, looking at the baroque spire. But here it is on the almost-an-Isle of Portland, connected to Dorset's mainland by the Chesil Beach. And what a contrast to my last visit in the greyness December 2020, when the country had emerged from a "lockdown-lite" only to descend into a deeper lockdown until the spring of 2021. A walk from the nearby village of Southwell takes me to Portland Bill, with onlookers viewing the lighthouse (or their phones). The Chesil Beach is a famous example of the stones being graded so that those on the southern end are larger than the ones up towards Lyme Regis. It's said that smugglers could tell where they had landed from the size of the pebbles.

Lyme Regis itself, an unhurried 2-hour bus ride from Weymouth, is a resort popularised by the novel and then the film, "The French Lieutenant's Woman". The final two images show the village of Abbotsbury, known for its swan reserve but also the warm brownish limestone of its historic buildings. Much less troubled by crowds one might find in the Cotswold villages.もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldThe photos of St George’s Church and surroundings are truly beautiful. The others describe exactly what you did: a tranquil place without the crowds.
2024/08/24返信する翻訳する
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日256
2024年9月12日木曜日 18:30
☁️ 19 °C
海抜: 16 m
スペイン la Verneda i la Pau 41.429563, 2.19858641°25’46” N 2°11’55” E
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Barceloner
2024年9月12日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
While solo trips can be very quiet at times, their benefit is giving photography my undivided attention. And Barcelona, where I am staying for 7 days, fulfils this to perfection. A metropolis of at least 2 million people, it's been a major port since Phoenician times and with its cultural attractions, is thought by many to outrank Madrid. They might also say that I'm not in Spain at all but Catalonia.

Arriving at dusk, I dive into the restaurant next door with its warm welcome and seafood paella. Almost immediately I see a reference to a northern city of a different kind, but am thankful to be staying by the warm Mediterranean. Barcelona is the scene of numerous elegant plazas, including Medinaceli, my favourite, and Merce, site of a baroque church. But the building that gives this corner of the city the Barri Gotic is the huge medieval Cathedral. Its cloister has a cool, calming feel, and the resident geese (13 in all) are said to represent the age of Santa Eulalia at the time of her martyrdom.

Back in the streets, there are some glorious antique shop fronts while returning to Placa Merce, I'm in the right place at the right time for a procession. The Maradona shop shows the Hand of God in a different light while politics take a hand in this rally calling for a free Iran.もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldYes, it must be nice to have your photographer identity all to yourself again. This shows in your shots
2024/10/05返信する翻訳する
Speak, World I like yoor composition.
2024/10/05返信する翻訳する
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日258
2024年9月14日土曜日 11:00
☀️ 20 °C
海抜: 12 m
スペイン Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes 41.40339, 2.1867141°24’12” N 2°11’12” E
1
Setting a good Eixample
2024年9月14日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Not that this fascinating quarter of Barcelona means Example, but its name means "extension", since it was added on to existing parts of the city in the 19th century. You don't see that many grid patterns in cities outside the Americas (although Valencia has a smaller version) but this one is remarkable. After it was conceived, the architect Antoni Gaudi and his followers latched on to it in a big way, using his unique take on Art Nouveau called Modernisme. Other architects clung to a mish-mash of French chateaux and Scottish baronial. Wonderful!

If you want to know why there are no pictures of the famous Sagrada Familia church, the queues outside other major sites put me off, plus I did go there in the 1970s. But there was enough local life in the Concepcio covered market to keep me occupied.もっと詳しく
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Speak, World I love the Gaudi-esque effect so much. Especially melting buildings
2024/10/05返信する翻訳する
Speak, WorldI was in Barcelona in 1980. It was well- visited, but not like now. You made some wise choices in what you saw.
2024/10/05返信する翻訳する
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日259
2024年9月15日日曜日 12:00
☀️ 23 °C
海抜: 36 m
スペイン Parc de Joan Miró 41.379835, 2.1525141°22’47” N 2°9’9” E
Little Barcelona
2024年9月15日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
A half-hour walk from the Barri Gotic leads to Barceloneta---or a train ride from the grand Francia station would lead out of it, if one were inclined. It's a lively quarter on Sundays. The fascinating criss-cross streets go back a century before the Eixample, in what used to be the fishing port but is now getting gentrified. Cafe society abounds in the main plaza, complete with 2- and sometimes 3-piece band, while I dip into a small corner restaurant for an eggy lunch. Everybody else is taking up some rays!

7 days in Barcelona are not really enough.もっと詳しく
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Speak, WorldVery nice gritty street shots. Relaxed, authentic, and definitely not touristic
2024/10/05返信する翻訳する
旅行者That's right! The trusty pocket guidebook took me to lots of secret places.
2024/10/06返信する翻訳する
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日260
2024年9月16日月曜日 11:00
☀️ 21 °C
海抜: 海水位
スペイン Bogatell Beach 41.360427, 2.22412741°21’38” N 2°13’27” E
CATalonia
2024年9月16日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
If you want to know why there are no pictures of La Rambla, one of Barcelona's most famous sights, that's because improvements are turning it into a giant road works. But there's another Rambla across from there, in a quarter called El Raval. Rambla, by the way, takes its name from Ramal, an Arabic word meaning seasonal stream, although there are few other signs of the Moorish occupation. This Rambla was part of a project around 2000 to clean up a sleazy neighbourhood. Partly successful, the area retains an authentic look little visited by tourists.

The giant cat is a creation by the Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero, and nearby I get a break for tapas in a local bar. The area is no stranger to street art and ordinary graffiti, and it has a vibrant covered market, the Sant Antoni. Also notable are signs of immigrant cultures, from the Arabic and sub-continental worlds.

Back in the Gothic Quarter, the high life carries on untroubled. 7 days in Barcelona? More like 7 weeks!もっと詳しく
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日288
2024年10月14日月曜日 12:00
☀️ 26 °C
海抜: 27 m
キプロス Argaki tou Vasilikou 34.768421, 32.42209234°46’6” N 32°25’20” E
Island life
2024年10月14日, キプロス ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
October brings on another Mediterranean trip, this time with my partners in crime Alan and Russell. The beer mats are a giveaway; less time is spent on culture than on some trips and more on refreshments. I have to say that the beer in Cyprus could be better but it's cold, wet and alcoholic!

From the international airport at Larnaca, we travel to Paphos on the west of the island, and are pleased to find out that intercity buses are convenient, with several stops in each city and ticket payment on board. Oh, and they drive on the left.

Cyprus has a noble history and there are signs of it with the fortress remodelled by the Ottoman Turks when they were in occupation, and some attractive Orthodox churches. However the focus is resolutely on tourism and relaxation, which we are keen to enjoy. The weather is perfect and in the ten days that we spend on Cyprus, it's often warm enough to sit outside in the evenings.もっと詳しく
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Unloxit 2024 旅行者
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日292
2024年10月18日金曜日 14:00
☀️ 26 °C
海抜: 27 m
キプロス Limassol 34.688338, 33.03270634°41’18” N 33°1’58” E
Cyprus by the sea
2024年10月18日, キプロス ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
It's little more than an hour's bus ride from Paphos to Limassol and thanks to a previous visit by Alan, we have the inside knowledge to get off at the right stop and walk to the apartment. Getting into it, unstaffed as it is, is like accessing Fort Knox but once we're in, what a view!

The next day we're on again to the capital, Nicosia, our only inland stop. We pile into another choice apartment in a quiet part of the city. Historic monuments are thin on the ground; historic music, less so with sounds from the Doors and Creedence Clearwater Revival from the nearest watering hole! Nicosia is one of the world's few divided cities and while there are Greek-style churches on our side, a simple checkpoint takes us to the Turkish side for a few hours. It's fascinating to see at least one church in French Gothic style, dating from the 14th century when a motley crew of Franks and Crusaders occupied the island before the Ottomans took over.

And so and with some regret, back to Larnaca, which is very much a holiday resort. Here's a sample of some of the eating and drinking places we have visited along the way. Nowhere in the world (except presumably Afghanistan) can one escape an Irish pub. Note the spelling of the Flinstone Snack Bar in Paphos, actually rather a nice bar. Although most of the local food has been very good, perhaps our best meal is chicken tikka masala, also in Paphos. It's up there with anything in Brick Lane or the Balti Triangle!もっと詳しく
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旅行者Just to add that the final image refers to eateries and drinkeries we have used. Sorry if the print is a bit small but the pick of the bunch is perhaps the Jayanta in Paphos (top right), as good an Indian restaurant one might to find outside Delhi. At the Friends, also in Paphos (bottom, middle) is where we hear a Rod Stewart act. Does anyone think we're sexy?
2024/11/04返信する翻訳する
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