Menorca's Tsunami

Ciutadella’s harbour in Menorca, like the city’s streets is narrow and compact which has restricted the amount of trade that comes here and thus the growth of the city itself, preserving its ancient character. For some unknown reason probably due to a combination of the moon, atmospheric pressure and other factors the water level in the harbour sometimes starts to flow in and out. 

Boats can be left high and dry dangling from their moorings and just as quickly the sea floods the dockside area completely. In as many minutes the waters can rush up and down several times. On some occasions it will happen again within a few days and can be unusually violent dragging the larger vessels up to the top of the creek and sinking some of the smaller ones. The wharf side shops and restaurants can be submerged under almost two metres of water. For a supposedly tideless sea this is an amazing card for the Mediterranean to have up its sleeve. Have a great day now.

South Tyrol Cuisine

The good thing about walking in the South Tyrol is that beside the numerous shelter huts there are many old farmhouses that have huts that have been converted to excellent cafes where you can eat and drink on the way. We tried a couple of these and there’s not much to beat apple strudel with cream, a cold beer and a fantastic view after a three-hour walk.

In fact the cuisine here is superb as it is mixture of German and Italian as is demonstrated that before the apple strudel I had some home made spinach ravioli whilst Deborah our guide tucked in to Kaiserschaam (Above), a cross between a pancake and an ommlette that had been cut into strips, covered with sugar and served with home made cranberry jam!

Have a great day now. 

The Naveta des Tudons

The Naveta des Tudons is about 3,000 years old and is found in Menorca. It is the oldest roofed building in Spain and has a horseshoe shaped interior. The building resembles an upturned boat therefore this kind of prehistoric building is known as a "naveta" (vessel).  As you can see it was a bit overcast and raining when we were there but in someway this added to the visit. I hope you enjoy your day now.

Red Based Jezabel Butterfly

This picture of a red based jezebel butterfly was taken on Hong Kong Island. Only a mile out of the city and you are into jungle and forest. We were walking along the Dragon's Back Trail which gives amazing views of the island. Have a great day day now wherever you are.

Wedding Party in India

Well here we are somewhere on the road between Ahmedabad and Jamnagar in Gujrat, North west India. It was really strange to be the centre of attention! The people here don't see that many tourists so practically the whole of this wedding party on a coach wanted us to have our photograph taken with them!

Really nice, generous people and a lovely, fascinating country

Take care now and have a great Christmas and New Year wherever you are.

Seven Sisters Waterfall

This is the Seven Sisters Waterfall in the Geiranger Fiord, Norway. You can get some idea how high it is from the cruise ship below it!

Have a great day now and enjpoy all you do.

Goldsmith, Bosa, Sardinia

This goldsmith is making the most equisite jewelery from the red coral that is found in the waters off Bosa, Sardinia. Fascinating to watch and beautiful to see the finished product. Have a good day now

Lunar Eclipse this morning

I've decided not put a picture on today. Well done to Mother Nature for this morning's eclipse. Watching it with six layers on and standing in a foot of snow made it even more memorable! Have a great day now

Snowtime again

Woke up to another foot of snow this morning and we are all rushing out with our shovels at 9 a.m. to dig out the old folks doorways etc. It really is bad this year, still nothing like what they get in Europe and the States each winter mind! Take care now.

Carriage Driving on the Somme beaches.

I just love this picture. I took it on the beach just to the north of the mouth of the River Somme in northern France. We were on a press trip for Pas de Nord/Calais and these horses were so powerful and so gentle. To get to the beach we had to drive through sandunes with pine forests whilst all the time we were being watched by wild boar and goats. Have a great day now.

Who needs freezers?

Well this really is fresh, home grown cooked food. This restaurant was in L'Ainsa, Huesca in Northern Spain. Have a great day now.

Tundra at Europe's most northerly point.

This is the tundra at  Norway's most northerly point also the most northerly point in mainland Europe. How any thing can live here is beyond me, yet it does.

Have great day now.

Melrose Abbey

This is Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders where the heart of Robert the Bruce is buried. AS yu can see it it was one of the first pictures I took professionally as it it is underexposed, washed out and the cloisters are on the horizon line.! However I still like it. Take care now and have a good day. 

Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary

This a group of top birders at sunrise in the Khijadyiya Bird sanctuary, near Ramnagar, Gujarat, India. I had a great day there getting loads of life ticks including Uperts Warbler. I wouldn't have known what it was but using my eyes and their knowledge. You have a great day now.

Asiatic Lion, Gujarat

This juvenile Asiatic Lion male is walking through the woodlands in the Gir National Park, Gujarat, India. The park is the only area in the world where lions still live in the wild outside of Africa and is a major success with over 700 animals now living in some nineteen prides.

Belford Wheelbarrow races

The last competitor crosses the line in last years wheelbarrow races. Actually it's Denise falling over it as the brakes went on too quickly! Have a great day now.

The Dead Sea, Jordan

Sunset from the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. We had just walked down a gorge for some 6 hours, swimming, wading and climbing down waterfalls, clambering under and on top of boulders. It was a great experience! Have a good day now.

Crested Serpent eagle

ThisCrested Serpent Eagle was clutching a snake in its talons when we first saw it in the Gir Forest, Gujarat, After spotting us releasing its prey it flew effortlessly up into at tree to wait for us to depart before returning to its meal.

Rather a majestic bird isn't it? Later on one of our party saw one flying with a snake it ins mouth which it then sucked up like we would a string of spaghetti.

Have a good day now.

Flower Market, Kowloon

This is the Flower Market in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The market is some three streets big with literally just about every type of plant you can imagine on sale. Some three jumbo jets fly into Hong Kong everyday full of flowers to ease the locals desire for fresh blooms.

Mar Girls in Gujarat

These girls are from the Mar people. A semi-nomadic tribe of cattle herders in northern Gujarat, India in the Katch region. I just thought the colours were stunning. Have great day now.

Off to India

Hello everyone, ha, that's optimistic!   Am now away travelling and wont be posting again until my return on December 6th. Hope life treats you well during that period and you get what you hope for.

Pantiles. Menorca

Funny how your eye catches things and you feel you just have to take a picture of it. Thes pantiles are on a roof overlooking the harbour at Ciutadella in Menorca. Have a great weekend wherever you are.

Sails off St Lucia

It's freezing again in Northumberland so we're back to the Caribbean with the luxury cruise ship Royal Clipper. This is her off St Lucia as the sun starts to go down. Have lovely day.

Barley In early Summer

Now that winter has truly arrived in Northumberland I thought I'd put this shot of barley in the summer on today. Have a great day now wherever you are in the world.

Ferreries. Menorca

This is Ferreires, the highest town on Menorca and just about plumb in the middle. Have a good week everyone.

Ross Sands, Northumberland

Early morning walking towards Holy Island on Ross Sands. You can make out Lindisfarne Castle on the right in the distance. Have a lovely day now.

Rocks above Craster

I've always liked this shot of rocks on the shore below Dunstanburgh Castle walking up from Craster. I just think the way the sea has drastically changed the colours is quite amazing. Have a good day.

Iceland, temperatutre extremes

I love the way these volcanic steam outlets are in front of the snow covered mountains at Hverir in Iceland. Talk about extremes in temperature. Have a great day now.

Llamas in Northumberland

Not taken in the Andes but in the hamlet of Detchant just down the road from us. The farmer uses them for keeping the foxes away from his free range chickens. Enjoy your day now.

Belford in the snow.

This was the village when the snow started early one morning last year. Doris our cocker spaniel seems bemused! Have a great day.

Pelicans

Back to the Caribbean this morning. I walked about two hundred yards to get this picture on coral lumps and as you can see I slipped when I took it. Hence the reason the sea is sloping! Have a great day

Corsica

Here we are in Corsica in the bay opposite St Florent. I just love how clear the water is in this picture and the cattle  on the beach. I hope you ahve a good day wherever you are.

Landing on Staffa

Here we all are landing on Staffa. Zodiacs really are the way to explore when you're cruising. I just couldn't do any of those 2000 people on ship cruises I'm afraid! Have a lovely day now. 

Brittany Parliament Buidling

Today's picture is the Brittany Parliament building in Rennes. A really strange city as you can walk from a medieval labyrinth to this in about thirty seconds! Have a great day now.

Belford Market Square

The Market Square in Belford in June. It not always this quiet it can be absolutely full of people when the village holds it's events! Have good day now.

Seal Pup, Farne Islands

This seal pup was taken on Longstone one of the Farne Islands. I was supposed to be going out there today to photograph the wardens marking the new born pups but the wind is too strong and we can't get out to the islands. Have good day now.

Tobago Cays

This is Royal Clipper anchored off the Tobago Cays. As it's an awful day in  Northumberland I thought I'd put this on. Have a great day now.

The Sperrin Mountains

These are the Sperrin Mountains in County Tyrone. When we set off it was a beautiful sunny day by the time we got to the top this happened! Have a great day yourself now. 

Morris Dancers

These are the Morris Dancers perfroming in the Market Square one evening. Have great day!

Bread

Isn't bread wonderful?!!! Wherever I go I am  amazed at the differrent varieties, colours and shapes of it I see. This picture was taken at Ponteland Farmer's Market in Northumberland. Have a great day now.

The Dolomites

This is Debra our guide when we were walking in the Dolomites.  Although she speaks German like the rest of the the population in the South Tyrol she is an Italian citizen. Although fiercly proud of her Austrian roots these people want to remain in Italy as they have their own radio and TV stations. There are even some valleys where they speak Ladan, an ancient form of Germain Latin. Have a good day now.

Seven Sisters Waterfall

Not many waterfalls are over a thousand feet high but the Seven Sisters in the 15 mile Gieranger Fiord  in Norway is one of them. I hope your day turns out to be everything you hope for.

Sardinia Mural

Here's another one of those murals from Sardinia. I love theway the artist has painted the man and horse in black and white and put the local man in front. The icing on the cake is that artist has also painted in the man's shadow, a very clever touch. Have a great Wednesday.

Isle of Man Railway

This is the Port Douglas railway station on the Isle of Man. This is a cracking little train with engines dating from the nineteenth century. Have lovely day wherever you are.

Lobster potting, Amble, Northumberland

This a lobster fisherman hauling in his pots off Amble, Northumberland. That's not the horizon behind him but the five foot swell we were out in. Not at all rough but still quite worrying! Have a great day wherever you are.

Hadrian's Wall

This is one of the first photographs I ever took when I decided to try and make a living out of my camera. It was actually shot on colour slide (Velvia) and I scanned it into my computer. As you can see it's a bit grainy! The image is Hadrian's Wall near Blackcarts on the old Military Road. Have a great Sunday wherever you are. 

Belford Village, Northumberland

This is the view of our village from the top of the church tower. It doesn't look like this today! Wet and miserable and quite cold. I hope it's warmer where you are.

Sardinia Murals

Here's another one of those murals in Tinnura in Sardinia. I rather like this village as there are some thirty of these scattered around on the walls and each has some quirky element added n to them. I this case it's his boots which have been cemented in to the wall. Have a lovely day and a great weekend.

Isle of Staffa

As promised yesterday here is the Isle of Staffa with Fingal's Cave on the right. The Basalt hexagonal pillars so evident on The Giant's Causeway are clearly seen. Take care now and have a great day.

The Giant's Causeway, Ulster

This is the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. A wonderful place with wonderful people. Look out for the Isle of Staffa and Fingal's Cave tomorrow, the other end of the causway!

In the rigging

This was taken from halfway up the main mast on Royal Clipper. I wanted to go up to the crow's nest but they wouldn't let me! Have a great day now wherever you are.

Market in Mallorca

I just love continental markets with their same day freshness. I often wonder what they must think of our fruit and vegetables when they come over here. This one is in the tiny village of Campos in Mallorca. Have a great day now.