Views en Route
Archive for July 2012
The Stone Circles of Wiltshire
You can find two stone circles in Wiltshire in Southern England. Everyone knows Stonehenge and it’s probably the most famous stone circle of all. But if I say Avebury you’d maybe reply with “Huh?”. I had heard of both of them before going on my tour around South England and I’m so happy to have … Continue reading
Staying in a Samoan Beach Fale
When I say paradise you probably won’t be thinking a wee hut with no walls with just a mattress on the floor. But I do. In fact, I believe the only way to get the ultimate Samoan experience is by staying in a beach fale. A beach fale (pronounced fah-leh) is an oval or round shaped … Continue reading
Show me Denmark
It’s my experience that most people forget to see their own country. They travel the world, but skip what is in their own back garden. When meeting fellow travellers, who have travelled to their home country, they suddenly get embarrassed about how little they have seen of their own home. To some extent I’m one … Continue reading
The Temple of Poseidon
On my last day in Greece I had to decide what to do. As I had seen what I wanted to see in Athens, I was debating whether I should go to Corinth or Cape Sounion. I chose the latter. It’s very popular to go see the site later in the day and enjoy the … Continue reading
The Ruins of Tintern
My first stop in the beautiful country of Wales was Tintern Abbey, just 8 km north of Chepstow. The abbey lies by the River Wye, which makes the border between England and Wales – at least on this particular stretch. Built in 1131, there are only ruins left of Tintern Abbey today. But you can … Continue reading
The Medieval Town of Conwy
I fell for Conwy the minute I arrived. I love places with a medieval feel to them and this town has is all. The character of this place is greatly defined by the 13th century castle and town walls, which are still surrounding the town. Our driver made a spectacular entrance to Conwy, crossing the … Continue reading
Pictures from Brecon Beacons
A trip to Wales is not really complete without spending some time in Brecon Beacons National Park. My visit in this beautiful area wasn’t long, though, as there was just too much to see in too little time. But I did get to go for a walk around a wee forest area in the beautiful … Continue reading
Rugby-Ignorant Foreigner at an All Blacks Game
The first game of the Tri Nations rugby season of 2009 started in Auckland. The All Blacks versus the Wallabies. New Zealand versus Australia. This was going to be huge and as part of my New Zealand experience I had to go. I generally don’t like sports. Like, at all. But for some reason I can watch … Continue reading
The Longest Place Name in Europe
It contains no less than 58 letters. It would take you quite a bit to say the name and of course it doesn’t help that it’s in Welsh, which is not really the easiest of languages for foreigners to try to speak. I’m talking about the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Now you repeat! The name means … Continue reading
Going Underground – Visiting a Welsh Coal Mine
Wales is famous for its coal mining, which has been an important source of income throughout the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. One of the mines across the country is Big Pit. It was a working mine from 1860 until 1980, when it closed down and instead opened as a museum. Being a national museum … Continue reading
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