Lebanon - Crossroads of Cultures

 

In July 2019 a wedding of one my best friends gave me the chance to visit another place in the Middle East: Lebanon. The history of the country and its natural setting result in a truly diversified experience. Assyrian, Hellenistic, Roman, Phoenician, Persian influences are evident throughout the country, which features everything from beaches, green mountains, nightlife, skiing in the winter, and some of the most impressive ancient sites in the world. While there is work to do to improve the traffic situation and general conditions of its major attractions, and the political situation remains challenging, it’s absolutely worth a visit (or two). During the 5 days, I visited Byblos, Harissa, the Jeita Grotto, Baalbek and explored parts of Beirut. Oh, and even passed by the Casino du Liban, once my mum told me my late grandfather and uncle had been there in the 1970s.

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Contrasts

The traditional Lebanese house overlooking the Mediterranean sea is situated just next to the ruins of the Byblos castle area.

Artifacts

The museum in the castle features ornaments going back more than 5000 years. Byblos was first occupied in 7-8000 BC, and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Ruins of the Roman City

The rendering on the left shows the eastern entrance to the Roman city, while the real ruins are currently undergoing reconstruction.

Trains

These tracks inside the castle district have not been used in a while - my guess is they were laid to transport stones and rocks during the excavations.

The King's Spring

Once the source of water for the city.

Temple of the Obelisks

Built over 3000 years ago, it was used for religious offerings.

Entrance

Looking towards the Sultan Abdul Majid Mosque, built in the 1600s, at the exit of the Old Souk from the castle.

Open Arms

A local man was happy to have his photo taken.

Preparations

A man - possibly the local Imam - preparing the area in front of the mosque for the Friday prayer.

St John the Baptist Church

The church was originally built during the crusades in the 1100s.

Interior

It isn't always open, but I was lucky to catch a glimpse at the sparse but imposing interior.

The Squad

Obligatory cat photo.

Messages

A door in the historic city quarters of Byblos.

The Fossil Museum

The Lebanese mountains are home to many fossils from up to 100 million years ago, some of which are on display and even for sale in the local museum.

Hiking Trip

I took a few hours to explore the Lebanese mountain ranges, here in the Bentael Nature Reserve.

Greenery

The mountains of Lebanon are home to a wide range of Flora.

St. John’s Chapel

Inside the reserve, you can find this hidden 12th century chapel cut into the rock. This is one of the three caves.

Up

Another one is not reachable by foot, and most likely was used only for shelter.

Beaches

The coast to the south of Byblos.

Byblos Old Souk

At night, the old souk in Byblos turns into a street of bars and entertainment. (Taken on iPhone XS)

Wedding Fun

The primary reason for my visit? The wedding of these two amazing people. NB: Lebanese weddings are crazy.

Historic Quarters

Much of the central part of the city is now filled with restaurants and courtyards.

Bay Views

Moving southwards to Jounieh, and the view from the Harissa mountain area.

Notre Dame du Liban

The statue is a Marian shrine & pilgrimage site for Christians & Muslims alike.

Modern Basilica

The moden cathedral next to the statue has a spare but impressive interior leaning on Brutalist architecture.

Echo

It produces amazing acoustics - I was lucky enough to hear a choir while visiting.

Basilica of Saint Paul

Just a few hundred metres away is the Basilica of Saint Paul, with its impressive mosaic lined walls and roof.

Detail

The decorative features of the illustrations in mosaic are incredible.

Téléphérique

The gondola lift taking you up and down the mountain. Note the manual release mechanism of the gondolas.

Squares

Beirut offers many interesting architectural details.

Crossroads

Lebanon's population is more or less half Christian, half Muslim. Churches are built side by side with Mosques.

Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque

This modern mosque was built in 2008. During its construction, archeologists discovered Roman ruins just next to the site.

Saint Georges Maronite Cathedral

With the Roman ruins of the Beirut downtown area in the foreground.

Ottoman Style

The mosque follows the monumental Ottoman architecture.

Artifacts

A decorated wall somewhere in downtown Beirut.

Bechara El Khoury

Zokak el-Blat was one of the more affluent Beirut areas, and home to many palaces, now abandoned, like this one.

Streets

The rarest thing in Lebanon? A helmet.

Parking

An empty lot between two buildings in Beirut.

Exhibitions

The Beirut souk area features regular exhibitions and events.

Prince Monzer Mosque

Greenly lit at night.

Into the Mountains

We took a trip to Baalbek into eastern Lebanon, which takes you over the central mountain ranges. While sparsely populated these days, parts of it become very busy in the winter when the skiing season kicks in. Yes, you can ski in Lebanon. The white statue of Saint Charbel in the background.

Tents & Huts

Local farmers live in temporary tents up in the mountains.

Unusual Crop

No comment.

Stairs

The stairs leading to the Temple of Jupiter in Baalbek's complex of ancient ruins. It is the largest of the Roman world, but today only a few columns - currently under restoration - remain.

Temple of Bacchus

This second century temple, dedicated to the god of wine, is one of the best preserved ruins of the Roman empire.

Columns

Another view of the temple from the Great Court.

Friends

A local that is selling Roman coins and guidebooks to tourists wanted to be part of my album.

Great Court

The exterior walls of the Great Court. A basilica was later built inside the courtyard.

Bustan al-Khan

The ruins of Heliopolis, as Baalbek was called in Hellenic times, are today some of the most significant in the world. This section, south of the Temple of Jupiter, is a portico with twelve columns.

Stone of the Pregnant Woman

The podium of the temple complex includes 3 stones weighing 800 tons each. Even larger ones, among them this one, were found in the nearby quarry, weighing up to 1800 tons each. The original method of construction remains an archeological mystery, but the quarry was slightly higher than the temple complex, so some form of folling the stones to the site was probably used.

Overview

I hiked up a nearby hill to get an overview of the site. The Temple of Jupiter is visible with the pillars under restoration at the moment, thus covered in scaffolding. The Temple of Bacchus just in front. The entire complex was fortified later under Arabic rule, but not touched much anymore since the 14th century. There is a third temple, the Temple of Venus, not visible here, to the right of the Bacchus temple, as well as the Temple of Mercury, on the same hill this photo was taken from, but very little is left of it. To the very left is Bustan al-Khan.

Sayyida Khawla Mosque

The golden roof makes this mosque hard to miss.

Military Presence

Given the close boarder to Syria, military posts and check points are still omnipresent in this area.

Digging

A team led by a German archeologistc is digging in the area east of the temples, to determine if further excavations would make sense.

Raouche Rocks

These two rocks are probably the most famous of Beirut's landmarks.

The New Lighthouse

While this one opened in 2003, it has been the same family that is responsible for Beirut's nightly guiding light for the past 150 years.

The Old Lighthouse

It was built in the 1920s, but when an influential businessman constructed a taller building in front, a new one closer to shore was needed.

The illustrious M

The BMW M badge seems to be highly coveted in Lebanon, and thus applied generously.

La Maison Rose

Another one of Beirut's abandoned palaces, this one is located directly on the hill on the north western tip of the Ras area. While the door was open, a very official letter posted at the entrance, and the questionable condition of the staircase, didn't quite give me the confidence to walk inside.

Power

Lebanon is famous for its regular power outages. One can only guess as to what may be the reason for such occurences...

Alignment

A bit of planning and the right spot allowed me to get the postcard shot, with the sun setting between the rocks, while a boat of tourists cruises around them.

Flying

A couple watches a plane approaching Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Cave

Unbeknownst to the diners above, the coastline in front of the famous rocks features a beautiful cave structure below.

Strange Things

What are they, why are they here, and how did the car get in between them - these and other questions come to mind.

Mini Marina

A small harbour is perched in between the rocky coastline of Beirut.

The Dark Side

One is sometimes tempted to apply a little photoshop and get the perfect photo - but the reality of the site is full of garbage and plastic, as seen here. In general, the country would be well advised to take better care of its beautiful setting.

Jeita Grotto

The small road leading up to the cave is closed for cars - a cable car brings you to the top if you don't want to walk.

No Access

One of the team members of the Grotto's staff waiting for the next group to arrive.

Respect the Grotto

The rules are strict, and phones and cameras are not allowed to be taken inside. Having met and listened to the General Manager of the site who has build and looked after most of the attraction since it reopened after the war in 1995, it was clear that his passion for keeping the attraction in a pristine state is behind the rules, and they seem to be working.

Artworks

The office of the General Manager of the Grotto features paintings of school children as part of a competition. As he explained to me, judges made them draw an outline of the painting on the back while evaluating the submissions, to be sure it was really the children who were responsible for the work.

Opportunity

However, after a brief exchange I was deemed trustworthy enough to visit the Grotto after hours. While I didn't have much time inside, it was an incredible experience, for which I'm very grateful.

Lighting

One of the most impressive feats is the way the Grotto has been lit up by the team, accentuating the shapes, contrasts, and colours, in the right places.

Tunnel

About 50m in, visitors walk through a tunnel connecting the accessible chambers.

Puddles

While there are several spots where the water drips from the ceiling (side note - this is much more amazing if you get a chance to be in the cave in absolute silence like I was) water collects in only a few spots in the Upper Grotto.

Scale

Note the viewing platform on the top left, providing a sense of scale in this photo. The space is enourmous.

Depth

The total length of the two interconnected caves is almost 9km, but not all of it is accessible.

Into The Deep

Looking down into a part of the cave not accessible on the walkway, past the third and tallest chamber with an impressive height of 120m.

River

The underground river that runs into the second ower grotto, provides drinking water to more than 1 million people. You can get a glimpse of it on the bottom center in this photo.

Water

A close up between the tight gaps in the rocks reveals the river, 50m down from the platform.

Walkway

A total of the three chambers are accessible to tourists in the Upper Cave, lined with walkways to avoid damaging the natural environment.

Climb

As you make your way up the 5th or 6th flight of stairs, you truly start to appreciate the size of the chambers.

Upwards

A view upwards in between the karstic limestone rock formations.

Flow Control

Water dams and valves have been set up to control the power of the river out of the grotto.

Classic

There are many old cars in Lebanon, but not many in this condition.

Owner

The owner is visibly proud of his vehicle.

Last Evening

The end of my stay came with a beautiful red sunset and a nice dinner with the people that were the reason for the trip.

Puglia - Italy's South at its Best

 

A recent wedding invitation gave me the opportunity to explore the south of Italy a bit more, specifically the region of Apulia, or Puglia in the native language. 2 days of driving from Bari through Polignano a Mare, the Grotte di Castellana, Alberobello with its Trulli houses, and the white city of Ostuni gives you a great impression of the typical architecture, cityscape, and nature around this part of Italy.

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Polignano a Mare

One of the most famous towns on the coast of Apulia, with the Lama Monachile, also known as Cala Porto, beach area surrounded by cliffs and houses.

Statua di Domenico Modugno

Famous for the song Nel blu, dipinto di blu - or commonly known as "Volare".

Coast View

The view from the northern cliffs towards the cirty.

Postcard Beach

The city's most famous spot, seen through the rails of the Roman bridge.

Little Church

A tiny church in the older parts of Polignano a Mare.

Up

Looking towards the sky between the tightly built houses.

Cliffs

There are many small balconies and other spots in the city to enjoy these views.

Cityscpe

Typical southern Italy impressions.

Riverbed

What I presume is a riverbed that was once flowing into the sea, and now leads to the famous beach, crossed by the Roman bridge.

Roman Bridge

The aforementioned bridge connecting two parts of the city.

The Adriatic Sea

Beautiful water and good temperatures in July.

Unnatural Cliffs

Built on top the actual limestone rock are the houses framing the famous beach.

Unused

No one has been sitting here in a while.

Don't Come Closer

Obligatory cat photo, as I moved on from Polignano a Mare to the Grotte di Castellana.

Trees

While Dubai does have more greenery than one would expect, you do miss this kind of view from time to time.

Grotte di Castellana

The main cave of the system, which is 3km overall. It's the only one with an opening to the outside, and also the only one you can take photos in.

Stalactites and stalagmites embellish almost every wall in the caves. Humans for scale...

Backward

Looking backward to the main cave as you descend deeper.

Downwards

This is the hole connecting the main cave to the outside world - it's hidden by trees and bushes, but can be viewed directly from the street.

Alberobello

The next stop was Alberobello, famous for its Trullo buildings.

Trullo

The traditional Apulian dry stone hut with its conical roof.

History

Generally thought to be temporary storage or accommodation, these houses have been around for 200 years and more.

Legend

It is said that the houses were made of dry wall so they could be easily dismantled when tax inspectors were in the area, as historically Apulia had high property taxation.

Protected

The area is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian

The centre of the religious history of the city.

Casa d'Amore

A national monument, named after its former owner, for its role in the victory against the tyranny of the counts in the 18th century.

Conversion

Most of the Trullo houses have been turned into shops, tourist attractions, restaurants and small hotels.

Ostuni Streets

One of the many stairs in the city.

Ostuni

Or aptly nicknamed "The White City"

Interior of Ostuni Cathedral

The ceiling creates an impression of additional space beyond the roof.

Succulent Door

Typical scene with plants framing doors and windows.

Streets of Ostuni

The arched streets are a typical feature of the city.

Just Chilling

The life of a cat.

Narrow

Even for humans, this is a one way street.

Modes of Transport

Not made for anything bigger than a Smart.

Support

The city was remarkably - and pleasantly - quiet. Not sure it would withstand hords of people.

City Walls

The wall surrounding the elevated plateu on which Ostuni's historic centre is located.

Tight

As I said, not much space for anything bigger than a Smart.

Plant Stairs

Even without a door, stairs must be decorated with some plants.

Blossoming

One of the main streets of Ostuni.

Landscape

Views over the Apulian landscape, with its many olive tree fields.

Towards the Sea

A road leading eastwards.

Olive Trees...

It's said that there are over 50 million olive trees in Apulia...

And more Olive Trees

...producing 40% of Italy's olive oil.

Malta - The Intriguing Island

 

On the way back to Dubai from a wedding in Puglia, I took the chance to stop over on the island of Malta. The small nation in the Mediterranean Sea features rich history, amazing nature, cute cityscapes and more things to see and do than I had expected. Having walked over 50km in just over 3 days, I took a few hundred photos, a short selection is below.

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Coastline

The country consists of three major inhabitated islands: Malta. Gozo and Comino.

Courtyard

The interior of the hotel I stayed in, a renovated building in central Valletta.

St John's Co-Cathedral

The nave of one of the most famous cathedrals in Malta, completed in 1577.

Steps

The Steps near the Valletta city gate, designed by Renzo Piano.

Walls

A tree growing in one of the many trenches around Malta's fortified walls.

Cat Cafe

There seems to be a special place for cats in Maltese hearts, as I found a few spots for shelter and food.

Unusual Parking Lot

A parking lot inside the walls remaining of this building.

Contrasts

Huge moden cruise liners, fortified walls, churches, and port cranes all come together. Special mention to whoever came up with the idea of painting this crane like a giraffe.

Mein Schiff

One of the ships of the Mein Schiff fleet from tour operator Tui. The Valletta waterfront is regularly home to large cruise liners.

Cabins

With a capacity of 2500 people, this one is not quite yet up there with the largest in the world.

Feline Friend

One of the beneficiaries of the cat cafe.

Pride

Unusual street crossing.

Judging You

Since 1951 or so...

Backstreets

Malta has an unusual charme - it's clearly old and parts feel run down, but yet not dirty or unsafe.

Waterfront

Looking westwards from Valetta into the harbour. There's quite a lot of cranes in the skyline, the economy is doing well and the government invests in infrastructure.

City Views

The north eastern side of Valetta, with the dome of Our Lady of Mount Carmel church.

Walls

The typical building walls with colorful offset balconies.

Looking out

He did have binoculars just a moment ago.

Street Views

You'll climb and descend a lot of streets in Valletta.

Auberge de Castille

The prime ministers office..

Singers

Amazing guitarist in the streets of Valletta.

Nightlife

While Malta's entertainment district is elsewhere, Valletta's streets were still busy in the evenings.

Chatting

Two girls discussing life's ideosyncracies on the city walls.

Entrance

As with many mediterranean cities, people like to keep plants outside the doors, windows and balconies.

Patterns

A cafe near the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

Stairs

Looking down the stairs of the Barrakka lift, connecing the waterfront with the streets of Valletta.

Yacht

A large yacht passing Senglea and Birgu, two of the cities opposite Valletta.

Senglea

One of the "three cities" on the other side of the harbour, largely unknown, yet equally interesting as Valletta.

Barraka Lift

The aforementioned lift and its stairs, seen from the bottom.

Cul de Sac

A small side street in Senglea.

Game On

Although this football field had a peculiar trapez like shape, it's location on the waterfront is unbeatable.

Lookout

The little tower in Gardjola Gardens provides good views of Valletta - and usually some large cruise liners.

Navigation

This boat is parked high up in the city, with narrow twisting roads - I do wonder how it got up here.

Downwards

Looking from Senglea to the Birgu waterfront.

The Saluting Battery

Up in the Barrakka Gardens.

Fire

At 12 noon and 4pm, one of the cannons is fired daily out of tradition. Having said that, I have a feeling the Maltese like their historic guns and batteries, I did hear regular shots all around. Sidenote: Loving 60 fps high speed mode on the Olympus OMD-EM-1.

Piano

Another great musician playing in the Valletta streets.

Justice

Unfortunately these are not love locks, but a cry for justice for the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, one of Malta's leading investigative journalists, assassinated in 2017.

Narrow

While cities built before the 1900s were not made for cars, people adapt - it's rare to see large SUVs in places like Malta.

Finding a Way

A tree growing through a concrete hole in the ground.

Dusk

The bustling city life in the evening.

Vertigo

Roaming around empty side streets in the blue hour.

Exploring

A group of young people discovering the city.

The only light

This taxi took me out to the coast on the south western side of the island, on my hunt for the Milky Way.

Milky Way

Shot about 40min drive outside Valetta at Miġra l-Ferħa.

Moonset

Yes - this is the moon setting, not the sun.

Nightscapes

Probably my favourite shot of the trip, with the moon just disappearing on the horizon, casting a faint light over the landscape, while not overpowering the Milky Way.

Watching the Cosmos

Couldn't quite keep myself still enough on the windy (and steep and tall) coastline. The glow from the left is the airport I believe.

Nighttime

Not so bustling anymore at 2am.

Filfla

The island of Fifla is the southern most point of Malta.

Blue Grotto

One of the most famous attractions in Malta, this is actually a combination of multiple sea caves where water, light and rocks create colourful patterns.

Light & Water.

One such pattern.

Blue Hand

Our boat captain showing us why this cave is said to turn divers blue.

Colours

The spectrum of shades you can spot here is amazing.

Cave Swim

It's possible to swim and dive in the caves.

Radiating

Probably the most intense blue I've seen in the sea.

Downwards

There's a great viewpoint on the road leading towards the small harbour used for the excursions to the Blue Grotto.

Blue Wall

The so called blue wall is one of the most spectacular features of the Maltese coastline.

Framed

Filfla seen through two trees.

Falconry

Surprisingly, Malta has a falconry centre - although this is an Eagle I believe.

Prehistoric

Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra are among the most ancient religious sites on Earth and over 5000 years old. Protective tents were built over them a few years ago to minise impact of sun, wind and rains.

Chair

I doubt anyone has sat here for a while. The tent over Ħaġar Qim in the background.

Coastal Features

Another beautiful arch on the Maltese coast, not far from the ancient sites.

Mdina

One of my highlights of the visit was Mdina, the former capital, almost 3000 years old.

St. Paul's Cathedral Mdina

The frescoed interior was covered by red clothes - unsure of this is permanet or for a special occasion.

Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady

The dome of the second major church in Mdina.

The Lady in Blue

The streets of Mdina leant themselves for some Instagram snaps...

Domvs Romana

The ruins of this 1st century BCE Roman theatre with the background of Mdina.

Pastizzi

One of the most famous Maltese specialties - indeed, it's delicious.

Inconspicious

Local man enjoying an evening drink in a place serving what is said to be the best Pastizzi in Malta, and doing so 24/7, located in Rabat just outside Mdina.

Mdina

Mdina seen from a distance shows its elevated position.

Family Happiness

Or dinner?

Parade

Officers practicing on St George's square.

Restauration

Stumbled into this little workshop. restoring figures and other parts of the nearby Our Lady of Mount Carmel church.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel church

The interior of the aforementioned church.

Hidden Spot

On my last morning, I discovered this gem - the Teatru Manoel.

Manoel Theatre

Said ot be Europe's third-oldest working theatre, it isn’t as big as it looks here, with only 623 seats.

Work in Progress

This view gives away that the theatre is actually quite small. Note the woman on the bottom right, doing restoration on one of the decorative paintings on the wall.

Minneapolis & "The Quietest Place on Earth"

 

The yearly trip to HITEC - the world’s largest hospitality technology show - this year brought me to Minneapolis, MN, in the United States.

Since I’m always up for exploring a new place, I couldn’t resist to stay an extra day to make the 26h trip from Dubai a little more worthwhile - and it definitely was!

Minneapolis has a rich history as the milling capital of the US, owing to the Mississippi River running through the city, and is home to a few interesting sights.

As I only had a few hours, I didn’t take my camera along, so all the photos here are shot on iPhone XS.

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Bob Dylan

One of Minnesota’s most famous sons has his own mural in Minneapolis. It was commissioned by the buildings owner, and cost $50,000.

Blue Skies

Minneapolis has very cold winters - luckily, June is more pleasant.

River

The city owes a lot of its development to the Mississippi river.

Mill City Museum

The museum pays homage to the milling history of the city, which was a major driver for its economic development.

Damage

In 1878, a spark ignited airborne flour dust within the mill, creating a huge explosion that demolished a big part of the building and killed 18 workers instantly.

Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum

The Frank Gehry-designed building is located just on the river cliffs in the University district.

Crossing the River

Walking over the Stone Arch bridge, which originally opened in 1883.

Leftovers

The mill was rebuilt in 1880 as the largest in the world at the time, and ran until the 1960s. A fire gutted it in 1991, after which it was turned into a museum.

Water Power

Minneapolis developed around Saint Anthony Falls, the highest waterfall on the Mississippi River and a source of power for its early industry.

Revived

A view over the newly rebuilt mill district on the banks of the river, still showing the tunnels leading the water to the underground hydrpower generators.

Westminster Presbyterian Church

The 1897 church is one of many in the city.

Up

Minneapolis is home to a few interesting skyscrapers.

Orfied Laboratories

The studio is located outside the city in an inconspicious building.

Lobby Relicts

The entrance features copies of the recordings that were created in the studio, and even a poster of the movie "A Quiet Place", as the Anechoic Chamber was used to promote the release.

Directional Microphone

An impressive demo of the lab's directional microphone that allows to pinpoint the source and frequency of sound generated in the room.

Research

The lab provides all types of acoustic services, from product design and testing to building material selection and more.

Studio B

Tracks like Funky Town were recorded in this studio. Prince and Bob Dylan made records here as well.

Reverb Rooms

One of the lab's reverb rooms, with the metal plates acting as diffusors.

The Quietest Place on Earth

Until 2015, the Anechoic Chamber in the lab held the guiness world record for the quietest place on earth. I was able to spend 20min in side in total darkness and silence, and it's a humbling experience.

Man of Wisdom

Mike is one of the labs consultants and has worked there for 20 years, accummulating incredible knowledge.

The Rub Al Khali and the Emirates National Car Museum

 

A three hour drive from Dubai takes you the Rub Al Khali, the largest uninterrupted sand desert in the world, with its beautiful tall red dunes. At the edge and close to the border to Saudi Arabia lies Qasr Al Sarab, a beautiful Anantara hotel with amazing views.

On the way there you can find the Emirates National Auto Museum, definitely one of the more unexpected UAE attractions. Situated in a lonely pyramid-shaped building off the road towards Liwa, it features the collection of HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. Cars include such special vehicles as the world’s largest truck, a Rolls Royce used by the Queen, an 1885 Mercedes and his rainbow colour collection of S class

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Took the opportunity to shoot a timelapse video of the Milky Way over the desert from 2 am into the sunrise. Watch below.

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Milky Way Panorama

My first attempt at a Milky Way Panorama, shot over the Rub Al Khali.

Rub Al Khali

While this is the "empty quarter" there are still a few sources of light, mostly power lines and oil fields.

Multipresence

A stacked exposure with the obligatory flashlight.

The Core

The bright star is Jupiter - what else can you spot?

Castle in the Sand

The Palace of Mirage truly lives up to its name.

Sunrise

An early morning shot after a night out on Milky Way hunt.

Castle Walls

Like a true palace, Qasr Al Sarab has a few wall around it.

Architecture

Typical arabic architecture and lamps adorn the building.

Green bits

Plants are a rare luxury in this part of the desert.

Entrance

The main gate into the hotel.

Palace Quarters

The building features several wings spread over multiple floors.

The Royal Pavillion

Somewhat secluded (even more so) are the Royal Villas of the resort.

Dunes

The dune in front of the hotel is a popular sunset spot.

The House Dune

The Rub Al Khali features some of the tallest dunes in the world. The white spots in the bottom third? Gazelles!

Water Hole

A small pond attracts gazelles and other animals.

Up

It's a tough walk up the house dune.

Sunset

Desert sunsets always evoke a special atmosphere.

Qasr Al Sarab

A view of the full resort.

Sand tones

The sands in the Rub Al Khali are darker and of more intense colours than in the northern parts of the UAE.

Dawn

As the new day begins before sunrise, the air is clear and fresh.

Spots

Every corner brings a new view of the desert and the palace's architecture.

Valley

A small valley between the dunes is home to a few spots of greenery, with the Milky Way behind.

Shadow

The iPhone flashlight made for a different type of selfie.

Panorama

Qasr Al Sarab was built in between three dunes.

Oryx Warning

Didn't spot one this time - but what majestic animals they are.

Valleys

The typical Rub Al Khali scenery, showing valleys with afew plants surrounded by tall dunes.

The Earth on Wheels

Scale unknown.

History

The oldest car in the collection is an 1885 steam powered Mercedes.

The Museum

The building is pyramid shaped, and completely open inside, with two floors of cars.

In the Distance

Many of the UAE's and Saudi's largest oil fields are located in this part of the Arabian peninsula.

Mix

Yellow taxis, police cars, you name it!

Rainbow Collection

One of the most famous collections of Mercedes cars, as Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, was also known as the 'Rainbow Sheikh'.

Guiness World Record

The world's largest Jeep - it actually runs! For scale, the tires are about 4m in diameter.

Abu Dhabi - A weekend of Sights

 

While I do prefer Dubai over the capital, Abu Dhabi features a lot of interesting sights. A weekend trip in March 2019 took me to a few new ones: The Presidential Palace, the Founders Memorial, Qasr Al Hosn and the Etihad Towers observation deck, with a quick stop at Emirates Palace as well.

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Ritz Carlton, Grand Canal Abu Dhabi

A strange hotel in a Venice style setup, that could be straight out of Las Vegas.

Overlap

The entrance gate to the Ritz Carlton with the mosque in the background.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

It was designed by Syrian architect Yousef Abdelky. I've been inside in 2016 and more photos are on my blog - defintely worth a visit.

Contrasts

Pink glass facades with minarets in Abu Dhabi city.

Confidence

Company name = Win!

Qasr Al Hosn

The evolution of the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi city.

Exploration

The fort is now open for the public with exhibitions on its history.

Gates

The former gates to the fort with Sheikh Zayed the first in the background.

Hallways

Each door to the left features small exhibitions on the history of the country and the ways of life of the Bani Yas.

Fort

The fort with the old watch tower in the center in a darker brown shade, originally from 1761.

Local Spices

Guess them?

Growth

The tree in the courtyard of the fort.

Crossroads

A local woman and man cross paths in the courtyard of the building.

Entrance

The entrance doors to Qasr Al Hosn.

Emirates Palace

The main lobby of Emirates Palace featured an exhibiton on culture of determination, as the Special Olympics World Games are taking place in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

Looking Up

The roof of the main lobby and the surrounding corridors.

AccessAbility

In 2017 the UAE passed a law that describes all people with any disability as "people of determination".

Colours

One of the art pieces on display.

Views

One of the wings of the building, with ADNOC HQ, Etihad towers and Hyatt Pearl in the background.

Observation Deck

Etihad towers features the highest observation deck in Abu Dhabi with a view of Emirates Palace and the Presidential Palace to the left.

Presidential Palace

It opened to the public earlier in 2019.

Entrance

The entrance to the Presidential Palace is relatively simple...

Wow Moment

...so that the moment you step inside is even more impressive.

Corner

One of the 4 courners of the Great Hall.

Details

The palace features rich and rare materials from Italy, India, China and elsewhere.

Mirrors

A photo of the mirror cubes on the 4 sides of the main hall (the meaning of which I could not figure out).

Main Hall

Its sheer grandeur is hard to understand until you visit in person.

Sheikh Zayed

The portrait of the late father of the nation in one of the rooms.

Seating Areas

Official government meetings take place here.

The Great Hall

100m by 100m in size, it's the centerpiece of the palace.

State Gifts

The palace includes a room displaying gifts brought by officials from other nations visiting the UAE.

Ornaments

These include several official medals, bracelts, necklaces and more.

Artifacts

Jordanian and Greek gifts.

Circle

The room where GCC and Arab Nations council meetings take place.

Architecture

The level of detail and ornamentation is breathtaking.

Looking Up

Upwards view of one of the wings of the building.

Exterior

The exterior courtyard at night.

The Library

One section of the building features a library.

Archives

It includes many reference works on the history of the UAE.

Palace in Motion

A daily light show takes place each evening.

A Story

The 15min show tells the story of the UAE's beginnings.

Outlines

The show uses projection technology to create 3D imagery on the palace facade.

Founders Memorial

The fireworks in the background were probably for the end of the Special Olympics World Games.

Founding Father

The tribute to Sheikh Zayed, including a three-dimensional silhouette of his face.

Emirates Palace

From the bridge towards Marina Mall, with Etihad Towers on the left.

Close Up

A close up of the hotel, which opened in 2006.

Mainz - German history on the Rhine

The pleasant occasion of the wedding of one of my best friends gave me the opportunity to expand the (embarrassingly short) list of German cities I’ve visited. While it was only a short weekend visit, the city of Mainz has a few beautiful spots that I was able to capture. Since I didn’t bring my camera along, the below photos were all shot on iPhone - the capabilities for even advanced photography on smartphones keeps growing exponentially. 

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The Wood Tower

Mainz is full if historic sights. This is the mediaeval Wood tower, with its Gothic appearance from the early 15th century.

Lunch

We had lunch in a great old restaurant with its own brewery.

Beer Tower

... which serves 5L beer towers...

Courtyard

The courtyard of the St Stephan's church.

St Bonifatius

A copy of the original statue which is in the cathedral. Note the dagger through the bible.

The Mainz Cathedral

Over 1000 years old, but restored several times.

Interior

The main nave of the cathedral.

Heiliggeist Restaurant

Situated in what was the oldest hospital in Germany from the 13th century.

The Roman Theatre

The backdrop of this train station features the Roman Theatre. Escavated in the late 1990s and over 2000 years old, it once had a capacity of over 10000 and was the largest north of the Alps.

Side view

Another view of the theatre with the new railway station in the background.

Citadel

The Mainz citadel with the old fortress walls. The buildings now house government offices.

The church of St Augustin

Completed in 1771.

Rococo Architecture

The outside doesn't quite give away the impressive interior features.

City Centre

The old centre of the city features some beautiful frame houses.

Ruins of the church of St. Christoph

Destroyed in the second world war, the church is now a war memorial.

St Peter's Church

The Rococo interior was recreated after the church was almost destroyed in the second world war.

Pipe Organ

The beautiful organ on the choir side of the church.

Christ Church

The Christ Church on Kaiserstrasse.

Balance

The protestant church is about 100 years old an was intended as a balance to the catholic cathedral.

Promenade

The promenade on the Rhine river that runs through Mainz.

Theodor Heuss Bridge

Crossing the Rhine and connecting Hessen and Rhineland Palatinate federal states.

Across the River

Looking towards the Reduit building in Mainz-Kastel.

Cityscapes

Mainz has a lot of charming buildings and restaurants.

Town Square

The Saturday market on the square just next to the cathedral.

A place that leaves a taste for more - 24 hours in Shiraz, Iran

 

A short flight from Sharjah took us to beautiful Iran for 24 hours, where we visited the city of Shiraz and the Persepolis. Iran is full of history and culture and its unique rich atmosphere definitely made us keen to come back.

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Umm Al Quwain

The wetlands in the smallest UAE emirate, seen from the plane flying out of Sharjah.

Iran

The rugged mountain area of southern Iran.

Approach

Landing approach in Shiraz.

Maharlu Lake

The seasonal salt lake is famous for turning pink in the summer months due to the red tide algae blooms.

Naqsh-e Rustam

The rock reliefs the Achaemenid and Sassanid periods, part of which date back 1000 B.C, are just a few kilometres from the Persepolis.

Ka'ba-ye Zartosht

The cube of Zoroaster in front of the tombs at the necropolis of Naqsh-e Rustam.

Persepolis

The western walls of the Persepolis. Notice the huge single pieces of stone used to construct the perimeter, with the humans for scale...

The Capital of the Achaemenid Empire

The earliest remains are from 500 BCE.

Ruins of the Apadana

One of the oldest buildings in the Persepolis.

The End

Alexander the Great is said to have destroyed the Persepolis in revenge for the Persian's attacks on Athens.

Overview

An aerial view of the site.

Tomb of Artaxerxes II

King of Persia from 404 BC until his death in 358 BC

Grounded

Some griffin capitals which fell from their columns are kept on the ground now.

Cypress Trees

The 18th-century gardens features beautiful tall cypress trees. The garden is a Unesco World Heriate site.

Eram Garden

A couple posing in front of Qavam House, built almost 150 years ago.

Shopping

A stall outside the Eram Garden.

Old School

Seems there was a time where people made a lot of calls.

The Pull for Knowledge

A statue close to the Tomb of Hafez.

Tomb of Hafez

The memorial site for Shiraz's and probably Persia's most well known poet.

Gardens

The tomb has been expanded with gardens and fountains lined with orange trees in recent years.

The Tomb

It was a busy public holiday weekend and the tomb attracts a lot of local visitors, reading the poet's work at the monument.

Shop

The place to buy the poet's works - crowded! Might be worth a read...

Joining the Master

Several tombs of other artists and poets have been added in surrounding buildings.

Arts and Crafts

Shiraz is a vibrant cultural and artsy city - Jahan Nama Garden is currenty being enhanced with wooden pillars featuring bird sculptures.

Morning Views

Looking out the window into the courtyard in the morning.

Iranian Hospitality

Taha Traditional Hotel in the old city was a good place to stay.

Entrance

The northerly entrance to Shāh-é-Chérāgh Mosque complex, with its beautiful tiles that Iran is famous for.

Devotion

A man kissing the entrance door to the complex.

Facade

The facade has intricate tile and paint work.

Tile glory

The site is full of beautiful tile walls and ceilings.

Passage

The passage way next to the Holy Shrine.

Shahecheragh Holy Shrine

The Shia Muslim mosque was built in the 12th century, although the dome has been re-constructed several times.

Watching

A man sits on the entrance wall of one of the shrines.

Persian Architecture

Beautiful spots all around.

Quiet

It was a public holiday and many shops were closed and streets less busy than usual.

Pedestrian Area

Shiraz features beautiful public places.

In the Sunshine

A couple enjoying the winter sun rays.

Naranjestan Qavam

A 19th century building with its lush gardens, now housing a museum with archaeological artifacts.

Influences

Many paint and tile works feature European features, such as this church like building.

Colour matching

A woman poses in front of the tile walls of the building.

Interiors

The crystal and mirror features of the porch.

Focal Point

One of the main features of the house.

Carpets

Persian carpets for sale.

Pots

For all your cooking needs.

Delicate Work

Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art.

Smiles

Locals were friendly and welcoming.

Citadel of Kareem Khan

The interior courtyard of the citadel is now lined with orange trees.

Doors

The main building features several rooms connected by wooden doors.

Flexible

The citadel has been a government building, prison, living quarters and museum since it was built 250 years ago.

Glassworks

Some rooms featuring beautiful coloured glass windows.

Baths

Decorated walls lead through the various bathing areas.

Marble & Tiles

The main ḥammām of the citadel.

Leaning Tower

One of the four 14m towers connecting the citadel's walls isn't quite upright anymore.

Weighing as a Service

Warning: Iranian food is amazing.

Birds

Many shops keep birds, which are said to attract luck.

Gatekeeper

Who kindly let me into the building's courtyard.

Gallery House

A building with art and craft galleries in the ancient centre of Shiraz.

Black

Can never miss out on a cat shot.

Vakil Mosque

The entrance to another 18th century mosque, near a beautiful public square.

Laughter

The people of Shiraz are said to work to live, rather than the other way round.

Creative

The city is full of small art installations.

Tiles & Minarets

Another mosque near our hotel.

Alleys

A street in the historical centre.

Martyrdom of Fatima

Fatimah bin Muhammad was the youngest daughter of prophet Muhammad. Her death is commemorated during a public holiday in Iran, following Shia Islam.

The Buried Village of Al Madam

 

On the surface, a desert doesn’t offer much, but many times there’s more to things than the eye sees on first glance. The same is true for a little strip of land behind the village of Al Madam on the old Dubai-Hatta road, where you can find a lost and abandoned set of houses and a mosque that is slowly taken over by the relentless dunes composed of the fine UAE sands.

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Garden Entrance

Some of the houses in the buried village still feature their garden walls and entrance doors.

Who was here?

According to locals, the village was inhabited by the Al Kutbi tribe but no one is really sure why they left.

Moden facilities

A few houses still feature some interior amenities - they seem to have been built in the 70s or 80s.

Identical

The houses all follow the same style, with the exception of the mosque visible in the background.

Interiors

Dunes have made it into most of the rooms.

Disappearing

I wonder if the village will ever disappear completely.

Desert Views

Looking westwards from the village.

Sunset

The late afternoon is probably the best time to visit.

Remains

One wonders what the remains are - a bed frame?

Haunted?

Legend says people left because of the jinn, supernatural creatures that Arabs and Muslims believe exist in this world but not visible to human eyes; the creatures are also mentioned in the Quran.

Mosque interiors

The mosque still features remains of its previous carpet floor.

The Mosque

The only building following a different archiectural style.

Sand

The sand is very fine in the area - one reason it has found its way into every house.

Sunset

Desert sunsets in the winter on a clear day are always special.

Up on the dunes

Unfortunately most dunes around the village feature a few more footprints than this one.

Perspectives

The big and the small ball.

Exploring

The village is about 1h from Dubai, totally worth the trip.

Life

Always finds a way.

Sir Bani Yas Island - Greening the Desert

 

Bani Yas Island has always been on my UAE To Do List. The island is about a 3,5 hour drive and 30min boat ride from Dubai and lies off the coast of Abu Dhabi in the western region. It’s the largest natural island in the UAE. Its rich history, incredible flora and fauna and the story of how it evolved into a major conservation project truly makes it a globally unique destination.

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Peacock Central

One of the more common animals on the island are peacocks - in fact, a ranger told us they are considering to introduce some desert foxes to control the population, as culling is not allowed by law.

Bird Life

Some might say this one could be straight out of Angry Birds.

Gazelle

Probably the second most common animal on the island, after the Peacocks.

Turkey

I guess this is a female turkey, who didn't end up on a Christmas plate.

Desert Rose

With only a few days of rainfall per year, a huge irrigation system taking desalinated water from the shore was implemented over the last decades.

Peacock

Both green and blue types can be found.

Hyraxes

Believe it or not, these animals are closely related to Elephants.

Horns

Of an Arabian Oryx, if I recall correctly. Having seen them in the wild in the desert, these have become some of my favourite animals.

Show Off

Proud of its horns.

Ostrich

A male ostrich, with its pink legs signalling the mating season.

Battles

Two Barbary Sheep (if I am not wrong) measuring their strength.

Resting Deer

Several kind of deer can also be spotted on the island, although we heard they are Cheetah favourites...

Tribute

Workers are said to have planted the UAE's national tree, the Ghaf tree, on top of the mountain in honor of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who started the initiative on the island in 1977.

Hungry

There are only 8500 of the Somali Giraffe in the wild. The island is home to about 30.

Encounters

They are free roaming in the reserve.

Nom Nom

The cheetah had just made a kill before we spotted them.

Rest time

So of course it was time to rest after the meal.

Leftovers

This was what was left of the Gazelle after they were done.

Morning Walk

A guided walking tour through the nature park is the best way to truly get a feeling for the animals.

Conservation

The island is home to many critically endangered or vulnerable species, such as Barbary sheep, and Arabian tahr.

Sunrise Views

Many thousands of animals have been released back into the wild to help local and international conservation efforts.

Giraffe Family

After the last young has been born, male and female giraffes have been seperated on the island to avoid further population growth, as giraffes eat a lot...

Wildlife

More than half the island is made up of the Arabian Wildlife Park, which is home to more than 10,000 free roaming animals.

Under Observation

As we came closer during the walking tour, we were monitored quite intensely...

Car Tracks?

Actually - these are tracks from gazelles walking towards one of the feeding stations, they like to keep in line...

Greenery

Over 3 million trees have been planted on the island over the last 40 years.

Full Moon

Staying during full moon meant nights were bright.

Desert Islands Hotel

The first hotel on the island opened in 2008 and used to be Sheikh Zayed's guest house.

Dinner Time

It's getting cold in the Winter out in the sea, but a fire on the beach and some arabic food makes it more than bearable.

Wadi

The rugged mountain area features some beautiful Wadis which fill with water during (rare) rainy times.

Cemetary

Many animals are said to come here for their last hours.

Oxidized Iron

Haematite I believe?

Colourful

Gypsum mixed with iron turn into brown and red colour shades across the rocks.

Barren

The central part of the island has not been planted much, and shows the barren yet beautiful mountainous landscapes.

Nature & Culture

Aside from beautiful nature, the island is also home to the UAE's only discovered Christian monastery from around 600 AD - it is currently being renovated and can't be visited though.

The First Rays

Salt and sediments squeezed their way to the surface, creating the patterns in the rock.

Shadow Selfie

Sunrise always makes for the best light.

Green Dot.

Even in this landscape, some plants survive, although very few are naturally occuring.

Exploring

You can explore the island with a 4x4 or also by foot - although at 87sqm it was a lot bigger than I had thought.

Beach Life

The natural variety of the island is amazing.

Hotel Views

The island now has three hotels run by Anantara, with a total of less than 150 rooms. Al Yamm is located on the eastern shores in the mangrove area.

Fattie

Unsure of what kind.

Terrace Viewpoints

The Al Sahel hotel is located towards the centre of the island surrounded by greenery, with gazelles and other animals regularly passing by.

Seychelles - Island Beauty

 

After my first visit to the Seychelles in 2010, it was time go back for another trip to the Indian Ocean archipelago, this time staying on Praslin island and visiting La Digue, after having seen Mahe and the capital Victoria during my last visit.

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Island Paradise

The Seychelles probably represent some of the most stereotypical island beauty features there are.

Island Transport

The best way to get around! We took the trip from Mahe's airport straight to the hotel.

Praslin Island

We stayed on Praslin, the second biggest island of the Seychelles. Its most famous beach - Anse Lazio - in the foreground, seemingly voted one of the Top 5 beaches in the world.

The Raffles

The hotel is located on the north eastern side of Praslin, with its close to 100 villas nestled along the hillside.

Room Views

The Raffles has some gorgeous ocean view villas.

Night Views

The clear skies and lack of light pollution make for good stargazing, but no Milky Way this time of the year.

Tastes Good

Someone must have spilled something here...

Kiln

An old furnace from the early 1900s, now serving as Tortoise home at Raffles hotel.

Giant Tortoise

The Seychelles giant tortoise is clost to extinct in the wild; there is only one large population of more than 100000 in the Aldabra Atoll.

Climbing

Giant tortoises are not made for climbing obstacles, but they can find their way around.

Orientation Issues

Can't say I observed any effort by this misguided tortoise's colleagues to correct the situation.

Warning

The roads aren't in the best condition, but at least there are attempts to make drivers aware.

Out of Order

Temporarily or permanently?

Green Roads

The Seychelles are full of greenery - and not so full of proper roads like this one.

Private

Not sure what the Teddy on top of this sign is meant to represent.

Souvenirs

Didn't manage to visit this souvenir shop.

Anse Lazio

Referred to as one of the Top 5 beaches in the world (don't ask me for sources), I took the 30min walk from the hotel. Worth it? Yes. Top 5? Maybe...

Sunset

The beach doesn't get to see the actual sunset as the sun disappears behind the peninsula to the west, but the view is nice enough.

Fame

Owing to its Top 5 fame, there are always a few boats in the bay and a few dozen people on Anze Lazio.

Inlet

Like many beaches on the island, some water inlets run into the forests from the beach - tides and waves generate some beautiful colours in the process.

Sunset Colors

The typical granite stones in the water make for beautiful scenery on Anse Lazio.

Moon

I was lucky to see the moon rising as the sun was setting, just peaking through the red and purple clouds.

Bat Attack

As sunset approaches, you start to see the large Seychelles fruit bat in the sky - at least half a metre in width.

MS Europa

This cruise ship anchored between Praslin and Curieuse islands for a day.

Islands and Islands

The Seychelles consist of around 115 islands, 45 of which are the typical granite islands the country is known for.

Le Digue Island

We visited Le Digue, which is the third largest of the country's islands with a population of just over 3000. This is the local pizza and burger joint.

Beach Bar

The famous beaches are frequented by quite a number of tourists, and the locals surely have found ways to monetize their presence.

Beach Bliss

Postcard material around every corner.

More Beach Bliss

Did I already meniton the postcard material?

Greenery

The hot and humid climate classifies the island nation as tropical rain forest.

Granite

The country is famous for its granite rocks sprinkled around the beaches, but less than half of its islands actually feature them, the others are coral islands.

Old Cemetary

The old cemetary is an eerie location with the dying tree in the back. Watch for the new (and more colourful) version a few photos down...

Origins

The group of Granitic Seychelles are fragments of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.

Rocky Religion

90% of the population are Christian, the majority of which roman-catholic.

The Elusive Flycatcher

Sadly, less than 300 are still in existence in the wild, and the island of Le Digue houses most of them, except a few pairs which were moved to another island to preserve the species. It took half an hour of wandering in the nature reserve to spot this male.

Houses

The island features some beautiful houses of different styles.

Phone Booth

Showing off the lack of football taste that is or was once present on the island...

New Cemetary

More colorful for sure, although its worth mentioning these flowers aren't real.

Houses

More of the local architecture.

Island Lifestyle

Stress didn't seem too common.

Fishing Circle

Marine life is abundant and fishing is the largest export of the country.

Transport

Given that I have just completed my up to 12m skipper license, I thought it would be a good idea to bring the new boat along.

Yacht

Just kidding, this is mine.

Baby Shark

Small reef sharks live around the rocks until they grow into adults.

Ray

And occasionally, smaller rays also pass by.

Leaping Blenny

Funny little creatures that live on the rocks perching out from the water, walking and jumping with help of their fins if danger approaches. They are able to breath outside of water.

Leaping Blenny - Large version

It's bigger cousin, captured under water with an iPhone XS (as are the few other underwater photographs).

Coral

Some snorkeling around the beach was enough to spot a few beautiful corals.

Coral World

A variety of stony coral colonies.

Marine Flora

I think this is some type of Gorgonian or Sea Fan.

Smile

The most common fish roaming the shallow waters on the beach.

Unknown Fish

Anyone knows the species?

A point of view.

A crystal ball can't always predict the future, but it can give you a different perspective of the present.

Toys

Glass balls are an interesting tool for photography... if you don't overuse them.

Physics

One point to note - be very careful when using a crystal ball in direct strong sunlight, the refraction can immeditely burn whatever you put the ball on, including your hand...

Home in a Hole

A crab village.

Snails

An early morning rain triggered this guy to come out from hiding.

Sunrise

Worth getting up for at 5am.

The Red Fody

A common bird in the Indian Ocean, this one took a bath in the pool.

Feline Friends

Cat photo can't be missing. This mum was hanging out in the hotel grounds with her two kitten.

The Alpine Route, Liechtenstein, Lake Como, Genoa, the French Riviera and back!

In August 2018 I finally took a trip I had on my mind for a few years, following the route on the map above. The drive took us through parts of the famous German Alpine Route, past castle Neuschwanstein, along Lake Constance, through Liechtenstein with its tiny capital Vaduz, into the Swiss Alps, for a stop at Lake Como and onwards to Genoa, and finally the coastal beauty of the French Riviera with Monaco, Nice, Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez. Aside from driving a lot, we also walked and hiked quite a bit as my trusty Pedometer app showed. 

It was all worth it though and I can definitely recommend the trip. Below is a selection of photos taken along the route. 

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Neuschwanstein

One of the most famous sights in Germany, the palace was built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat - unfortunately it was never fully finished, but nevertheless attracts over a million visitors a year.

Landscapes

Neuschwanstein overlooks two lakes, the Alpsee and Schwansee. After a very hot and dry summer, you can clearly see how little water the lake had in late August.

Hohenschwangau Castle

A second and less famous castle is located just a few hundred meters away. Hohenschwangau Castle was built by Ludwig's father and served as the family's summer residence.

Marienbrücke

Lookign down into the gorge from the Marienbrücke, arguably providing the best view of the castle.

Fairy Tales

It's been confirmed that the castle served as Walt Disney's inspiration for his famous Disney castle, inspiring countless childhood dreams. The king himself viewed the building as representative of a romantic interpretation of the Middle Ages, as well as the musical mythology of his friend Richard Wagner.

Alphorn Concert

Sheer luck meant we were able to attend the annual meeting of the regional alphornists (yes, that's how you call them) in Wengen.

Alphorns

The Alpine Horn used to be a method of communication in the Alps - nowadays it's a musical instrument.

Up the Hill

The musicians getting ready for the grand finale...

The Finale

... which consisted of 300 Alphornists playing at the same time. Impressive sight and sound.

City Hall

Onwards to Lake Constance, this is the Lindau City Hall.

Lindau Island

The view over the island of Lindau, part of the city on the Bavarian side of the lake (the shores of which cover Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Taken from the lighthouse.

Bavarian Lion

The statue on the entrance of the Lindau harbour.

Lindau Centre

The town centre of Lindau island with its typical south German atmosphere.

Moonrise

We arrived in Liechtenstein in the evening, just before the moon rose looking westwards over the Alps.

Full Moon

A clear night and the full moon made this shot possible.

The Alps at Night

A view over the Rhine towards Switzerland.

Vaduz Castle

While parts of it date back to the 12th century, the Liechtenstein princely family still lives in the castle. Today it is one of the few countries in the world that maintain no military.

Church of Balzers

The church in the city of Balzers, sitting on the foot of the Gutenberg castle hill.

Empty

The church was completely empty when we entered - except for the organist practising, which was both eerie and amazing at the same time.

Pigs

Found these two when we stopped in a small mountain village in the Swiss Alps.

Nufenen

The small town of Nufenen, where we stopped briefly on our way to Lake Como. Population: 150. Unemployment: 0%.

Alp Views

The village is located in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.

Views

The view into the valley towards the south.

Lake Como

Our next destination was Lake Como, specifically the namesake city.

Transport

You can cross the lake with the "flying" ferry.

Como Cathedral Interior

The roof of the Como Cathedral, construction of which began in 1396 but didn't finish until 1770.

Penguin Style

Found this concrete post in the city centre.

The Como Gate Tower

The building was part of the former city walls, 40 meters high and built in 1192. Weirdly, the lower arch is off-axis from the 8 upper ones. The tower is empty on the inside, even the floors are no longer present.

Tempio Voltiano

A museum on the shores of the lake dedicated to Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electrical battery.

Hotel Bristol

Our hotel in Genoa occupies a building from 1905.

Staircase

It's main feature is the grand central staircase, looking upwards from the lobby in this photo.

St Andrew Monastery

St. Andrew's Cloister are the remains of an ancient monastery from the 12th century in the middle of the city right next to the childhood home of Christopher Columbus.

Old Town

While Genoa doesn't enjoy the same reputation as Milan or Rome, it does have beautiful spots in the town centre.

Church of Santa Maria in Passione

Destroyed during the second world war, some areas of the ruins are now closed off, while other parts of the complex have been re-built and are in use by various organisations today.

Santa Maria di Castello

In close proximity to the Santa Maria in Passione is this church, definitely in a better condition and full of frescos from the 16th and 19th century.

Popular

The church is probably the most famous in Genoa, located on the Castello hill of the city and flanked by the large Tower of the Embriaci.

Ventimiglia

Our next stop on the way to Monaco was Ventimiglia, on the border to France.

Old City Centre

One of the buildings in the ancient medieval city centre, perched on a hill overlooking the new town

Street Scenes

The typical Italian streets - Ventimiglia's old city is no different in this respect.

Cat Convent

Got to have a few in each album.

View

A few over the Monaco and Monte Carlo districts of the Principality of Monaco, seen from the Palace du Palais square.

Hairpin

The infamous Formula 1 Hairpin curve just in front of the Fairmont Hotel.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral

The romanesque Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Nicholas is the largest in Monaco. Unfortunately it was already closed when we got there.

Palace of Justice

A fisheye shot of the building housing the Monaco Supreme Court.

Swimming Pool

The construction of the Rainier III Nautical Stadium and its swimming pool forced the Formula 1 track to be adapted in the 1970s.

Rich

In 2014, it was noted about 30% of Monaco's population was made up of millionaires.

A City Circuit

Michael Schumacher once said before the 2012 Grand Prix that the additional risk is "justifiable once a year", as the circuit is not quite up to modern Formula 1 safety standards.

Moonrise

Another moon rise, this time seen from the Monaco harbour, looking over one of the ships anchored at its cruise terminals.

Sunrise

The sunrise seen from the Fairmont hotel, which sits just next to a €2 billion operation to reclaim six hectares of land to counter Monaco's notorious shortage of building space.

The Cars Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco

The collection houses several Formula 1 cars from throghout the history of the race.

The Cars Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco

The museum includes the Bugatti Type 35 that won the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.

Casino de Monte Carlo

The most famous casino in Monte Carlo, owned largely by the ruling family, opened over 150 years ago.

Sainte-Dévote Chapel

The name of the chapel is used to identify the first corner of the Monaco Grand Prix track.

Eze's medieval town

While the location is beautiful and the city sports a beautiful botanical garden, the rest of the village feels very touristy.

View from the Top

Eze is famous for the view of the sea from its hill top. Walt Disney spent a significant amount of time here, and Nietzsche appearantly walked up the hill path daily from his residence on the coast.

Northerly View from Eze

With the coastal road and its bridge over the canyon.

Local Spices

A spice shop in Eze with local spices from the Côte d'Azur.

Le Flore

The real reason for the trip.

Nice

The view from the terrace of the NH hotel, looking along the Boulevard Risso.

The Square Head Building

A habitable sculpture, is 30 metres high, has 7 floors, and accommodates 40 administrative staff members of the administrative office of Bibliothèque Louis Nucéra.

Modern and Contemporary Art Museum

A view from the Traverse Garibaldi road looking upwards.

Cat Shop

Ran into this window display in Nice.

Tour de l'Horloge

Looking down one of the roads leading to the tower opposite the Palace of Justice.

Beachfront

The view towards the east with Nice's beautiful beachfront.

Selfie Time

Should have taken a few more in hindsight!

Palace of Justice

The aforementioned courthouse with its neoclassical architecture.

Nice Nightlife

The evening atmosphere in Nice was very lively, with lots of busy restaurants and streetlife without seeming too crowded or touristic.

Hold your breath

One of the many narrow alleys in Nice.

A Cigarette on the Balcony

In pleasant late August temperatures.

Indeed

I was positively surprised by the city, 1 day definitely wasn't enough.

Invisibe Man

We even got a handshake!

A morning in Hill Park

The castle used to stand on the hill from the 11th to the 18th century, but today just a few ruins remain.

Port of Nice

The port of Nice from the Castle Hill.

Antibes Market

Onwards to the west brought us to Antibes, with its markets.

Fort Carre Antibes

With its unique star shape (check it on Google Maps)

Fort Carre Antibes

While star shaped in the outside, the interior features a round open atrium.

Fort Flora

The Antibes fort sports several large cacti, which tourists used to inscribe their various messages for future visitors.

Cannes Hand Prints

The hand prints in Cannes in front of Palais des Festivals on Esplanade Pompidou, where famous film actors and directors leave their mark for posterity.

Cannes Old Town

Walking up the old parts of Cannes towards the Église Notre-Dame d'Espérance.

Slim Houses

The view from the top towards some of the horizontally challenged houses.

Organ

The pipes of the organs in the Église Notre-Dame d'Espérance.

Scenes

The church features this display, including blinking lights and moving figures. Cheesy or not, I'll let you judge.

The Red Carpet

The famous red carpet of the Cannes film festival - everyone wants to bath in the glory.

Rooftops

The view from the Citadel in our last destination - St Tropez - shows the colourful roof of the Chapelle de la Miséricorde.

Citadel Occupants

The citadel has a few unexpected habitants, such as these peacocks.

St Tropez Homes

Some of the large villas on the eastern side of the citadel.

St Tropez Port

The port of St Tropez, with a few large yachts in the background.

Sunset

Another view of the port, this time the northerly side with smaller sailing boats.

Sports in the Park

It seems a local sports club uses a sandy park in the city as their practice ground for this Bocce type sport - what's it called?

St Tropez Alleys

The alleys were not particularly busy anymore, the touristy season is coming to an end in late August.

The Local Gang

Ruling the town.

In the Clouds

A church near the Brennerpass over the Alps into Austria on our way back.

Roadtrip

Over 2000km later, we were not in the best state of mind anymore.

Lunar Eclipse & Blood Moon over Dubai

July 27th saw the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century, which - astronomically speaking - should have been perfectly visible over Dubai. Unfortunately it was one of the very rare summer days where the sky was cloudy, making for some dramatic moments, but mixed with the usual haze not creating the best environment for taking good photos. Below the results nonetheless. These were shot in the DIFC area after having scouted out the location the day earlier using the Photo Pills app (which is amazing).

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A Day Earlier

The full moon passing Burj Khalifa's spire, a day before the lunar eclipse.

Between the Spires

The lunar eclipse progressing to about 1/3 and seen between the spires of the Address Boulevard Hotel.

Passing Burj Khalifa

Progressing to around 2/3 and passing the Burj Khalida (I switched the vantage point for this angle).

Next to Burj Khalifa

The blood moon next to the tallest building in the world.

On the Ledge

This was the shot I was actualy aiming for, but the clouds and hazy weather didn't quite bring out the moon as intended.

Blood Moon

Early into the full lunar clipse which lasted over an hour, this was one of the few moments where there were little clouds.

The Fossil Rock Area

In July 2018 I took another drive into the UAE deserts, this time heading out to Sharjah's famous Fossil Rock area, a beautiful rock formation around the town of Maleha. While not as dark as other spots in the UAE (and therefore not ideal for Milky Way spotting), it makes for an amazing place to venture out at night. Aside from the natural beauty of the rocks dotted into the desert dunes, we spotted a desert fox and scorpions as well. 

 

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Flashlight

In fact - it wasn't as I missed to take it along, which is a mistake if you venture out into the desert at night. Luckily, today's phones have good flashlights built in.

Rock Formations

The Camel Rock is located just off the small town of Maleha, which surprisingly houses very signficant architectural discoveries of the human journay through the Arabian peninsula.

Faint Milky Way

While visible with the naked eye, there is quite a bit of light pollution, making the Milky Way only a faint glow.

Energy

Development doesn't stop in the desert, so large power masts cross the area.

Camel Rock

This rock formation in the middle of the dunes makes for amazing photos. Looks more like a dragon to me.

Macau - The Las Vegas of Asia, but not only

 

When you're in Hong Kong, it's hard not to consider a trip over to the Macau, the other "Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China" just across the South China sea, about 1h by ferry. While often seen as the new gambling capital of the world, the city actually has a little more to offer with its unique Portuguese influences that can at times make you feel like in Europe. Worth the trip and 2 days well spent (including winning at Roulette, as always).

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Macau Views

As seen from the Sofitel Hotel at Pointe 16 in the old city parts. The architectural atrocity that is Lisboa Palace Casino in the background.

Sign Factory

In case you decide to open a McDonald's tomorrow.

St Anthony's Church

Owing to the Portugese history, there are several Christian churches in the city. Macau only fully transfered its souvereignty from Portugal in 1999.

Got to Look Good

For the big casino night!

Lunch Time

A stylish restaurant in a somewhat unexpected location.

Templo de Na Tcha

A small shrine near the ruins of St Paul's.

Just the Right Angle

Taken from the hillside fort, which was built by the Jesuits in the early 17th century.

Above the Ruins

The sunset view from the fort over the ruins of the St. Paul's church.

Sunset Views

Macau lies on the peninsula formed by the Zhu Jiang and the Xi Jiang rivers.

St Paul's Church Ruins

The 17th century complex is part of the Unesco World Heritage site of the Historic Centre of Macau.

Sensory Confusion

Cobblestone pavements with southern European architecture and narrow alleys give the city a surprisingly medittaranean feel at times - if you choose to ignore the large Casinos.

Ruins on the Hill

While maybe by itself not one of the most significant historical artifacts, the utter unexpectedness of seeing this in Macau made an impression on me.

The Mix

Macau is a city of unusual combinations, with its Portugese heriate, the modern Casino buildings, the typical Chinese crowded city atmosphere, all topped with quiet temples on the city's hillsides.

Flair

What looks like it could be in the Venetian with its fake blue sky is actually the Largo Do Senado square, the main pedestrian area of Macau.

Casinos

The city is now often referred to as the gambling capital of the world.

Nightlights

The traditional European street lights created a unique flair when walking Macau's old city roads at night.

Black Swan

Spotted in the Giant Panda Pavllion park area.

Monkey Business

Part of the Giant Panda park are also a few other animal enclosures, which can be seen free of charge.

The Giant Panda

Macau's Giant Panda Pavillion, home to four of these amazing bears, costs just over 1$ to visit.

Meal Time

Since the Pandas were in siesta mode when we came to the Pavillion the first time, we decided to go back after their lunch was served. Unsurprisingly they were way more active then, munching on part of their 20kg per day bamboo intake.

Shade

Many Asians wear sunhats to prevent their skin from getting tanned. While this may be because it is more in line with the traditional perception of beauty in China or Korea for example, it also reduces the risk of skin cancer, which is far less common in Asia compared to Western countries.

A-Ma Cultural Village

A short ride up the hill from the Panda Pavillion lies the beautiful temple of Tin Hau.

Stone Works

I a saw a similar photo in the breakfast room of the Sofitel, which was reason enough to go and explore the temple. Worth it for sure.

Lucky Dragon Turtle

Throw a coin into the bowl of the shell of this strange animal for good luck. Or hit a goldfish.

Temple Hall

The interior of the main temple with its Buddha collection on the walls

Stone Carvings

Impressive figures carved into the supporting pillars of the temple.

Chips

While the main currency of the region is the Macanese pataca (or short: MOP), you will find this type of money in a lot places as well...

Streets of Taipa

A street of the historical town of Taipa with the Galaxy Macau in the background.

Platform

The view over Cotai - the main casino district - from a nearby viewing platform reachable by almost vertical elevator-style escalator cabins - which are free!

Cotai and Taipa

A panorama over Cotai and the village of Taipa to the right.

Repair works

Being carried out on this overpass. Macau seemed well maintained.

River Views

Anyone know the function of these red ships?

Hong Kong - China, but not really

 

It was finally time to visit more of Asia, which I still haven't explored enough. Hong Kong seemed like a good starting point as any, with the former British territory now officially being a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The city didn't disappoint, with its unique urban character and plenty of opportunities for photography.

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Hong Kong Island

Being a bit of skyscraper geek, the skyline was definitely my favourite part of the city, with its unique blend of sea, highrises and hillsides.

Dog Toilet

A very common sight in Hong Kong in an effort to keep the city clean.

Nan Lian Garden

The city has a few nice gardens, the most beautiful one I got to see is the Nan Lian Garden, just next to the Chi Lin Nunnery.

Chi Lin Nunnery

The Tang dynasty architecture style temple with its flower gardens is worth a visit.

Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple

The actual number is a bit higher, or so they say.

Guess...

.. who gave them money?

The Arhats

The status on the stairs up to the monastery.

Faces

Each statue has different features with unique facial expressions.

Mountain Views

The temple is located north of Lion Rock, with a view over the mountains.

Contrasts

The greenery and hilly landscape makes the skyline's density extra special.

The Pagoda

The monastery - which doesn't actually house monks - opened in 1957.

Choi Hung Estate

The basketball court in front of the coloured building facade is one of Hong Kong's most famous Instagram locations - and it shows with dozens of tourists up there on this weekend day. I chose to go with a slightly different shot, capturing the residents, but you can see the selfie action in the background.

Kowloon Walled City

One of the lesser known stories of Hong Kong. This part of the city became a largey ungoverend enclave in the late 1800s, with the population (and the buildings) rising to 50000 by the 1990s. With a lack of municipal control and high crime rates, the district basically governed itself through organised syndicates.

Remnants

Not much is left today - the area has been converted into a park after the city was demolished in the early 1990s, with only a few monuments reminding visitors of what once stood here.

Greener Pastures

The Walled City park is now filled with greenery.

City Views

The residential high rise architecture style of Kowloon is characterised by slim buildings optimised to house as many units as possible.

Lights

On the other side, the Central district of Hong Kong island with largely hotel and commercial towers presents a colourful architectural diversity.

Central and Wan Chai

The skyline in its full dusk glory.

Nighttime

And an hour later, with the red sailed tourist junk (ancient Chinese sailing ship) crossing the bay.

Light Show

The daily 8pm light show is best viewed from the Tsim Sha Tsui pier, although admittedly it is not particularly impressive.

Chinese Junks

The famous boats with the red sails today act as restaurants and entertainment ships.

Strange Sights

There is something unusual on every corner, such as this abandoned painting in the upper parts of Central.

Wildlife

Who knows the name of this species?

HSBC Tower

The lobby under the HSBC tower (and in general half of Hong Kong island) was filled with Filipinas setting up little personal spaces out of boxes on this particular day - we never found out why.

Trams

The outside view of one of the many double decker trams on Hong Kong island, which started operating in 1904.

Double Decker Tram

Taken from the upper deck of the famous tram line running alongside the coast of Hong Kong island.

Views

A great and affordable way to explore the streets.

Urban Colours

Hong Kong's skyscrapers provide endless patterns.

IFC ||

The IFC II Tower from the roof gardens of the IFC Mall.

Soaring

While architecturally not as quirky as the Bank of China nor as sleek as the ICC, the IFC II tower remains the tallest building on Hong Kong island.

Big Brother

It's only outshone by it's neighbour across the bay, the ICC at 484m, now the 11th tallest building in the world.

Central Escalator

The longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world takes you up slopes of Central - although a few parts are under renovation now, which will be ongoing until 2021.

Couple

Spotted on the path up towards the Jamia Mosque.

Jamia Mosque

The mosque sits surrounded by high rises in muted tones, complemeting its soft green colours.

Porcellain

One of China's main historic exports.

Instagram Hotspot

Another popular Instagram photo is the murals on Graham street - at any given time there'll be 5 or so people posing.

Man Mo Temple

One of the most beautiful temples in Hong Kong.

Closing Time

Unfortunately I only made it there shortly before it closed, so the members were busy cleaning up for the day and removed many of the incense spirals.

Who can translate?

And what are these for?

Detail

The temple origins from the 1800s.

Wishful

Didn't take the chance to try this though.

Diversity

While over 90% of the population are classified as ethnic Chinese, Hong Kong does feel diverse with global tourists and a large expat community,

The Hong Kong Wheel

At just over 60m it isn't particularly high, but does come with a good view over the bay.

Walls

Another photography hotspot is the Fok Cheong building in Quarry Bay - it's easy to see why.

Pink Walls

Another opportunity for a shot that exemplifies Hong Kong's urbanity is the nearby Tak Lee building.

Wall of Windows

The scarcity of land and the need for residential units has resulted in densely built mass housing projects, such as this one.

The True Ruler

Of 16 Hong Shing Street.

Density

Taken from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority educational floor in the IFC, which offers some good (and free) views, albeit with a lot of window reflections.

Lamma Island

... greets you with the view of the three chimneys of one of the largest power plants in Hong Kong.

Harbour

Looking past that though, the island offers a few nice beaches and quiet villages with restaurants offering fresh sea food, just 20min from Hong Kong island.

Car Free

There are no cars on the island, resulting in a bike centered mode of transport.

Wait!

Did I say car free? They do have some type of cars.

Signage

Simple and personal.

People

And so are the people - this farmer had a lot to tell, although I didn't understand a word.

Views

A tourist enjoying the shaded views of the beaches at Lamma island.

Flying

Ornithology certainly isn't one of my specialities - what kind of bird is this?

There is indeed!

Favourite animal.

Dragon Boat Festival

The flags were put up for the Dragon Boat festival, which took place at Lamma just a day before our visit.

The Lion Pavillion

One of the lookouts on Victoria Peak.

Victoria Peak

Often covered by scattered clouds rolling over the hills, this is the highest point on Hong Kong island.

Views

And consequently offers what is arguably the best view over the city, with Central in the foreground and Kowloon on the other side of the bay.

Lookout

The best position - with the fewest crowds - is at Lugard Road lookout, just 15min walk from the Peak tram station.

Soaking it in

The view from the Lugard street lookout.

Dusk

When the sun has set, and the lights come on, Hong Kong shows its magic.

Skyscrapers

Hong Kong is home to over 2700 buildings taller than 100m - the largest number in the world.

Night

The last step in the amazing transition from daylight to nighttime seen from the Peak.

Footbridges

I really enjoyed the large number of footbridges in the city and the general effort to make it pedestrian (and photographer) friendly.

Neon Signs

There isn't a street without them.

Maintenance

And many of these lights need frequent repairs, carried out by guys like him.

Ferry Rides

Crossing the bay with the Star Ferry always makes for nice perspectives.

A Step Forward

With this new law for Hong Kong.

Concert

A creative city.

Decorations

While the omnipresent (and omnidripping) AC units don't make a for a pleasant facade, a surprising effort is placed on making exteriors look presentable, usually with muted colours and simple shapes.

Street Yoga

Caugt this woman engaging in some morning routine.

Contrasts

The high rises stand in sharp contrast with many of the simple low rise sheds still present in some parts of the city, such as the fruit and vegetable market seen here.

Shopping

Hong Kong is a primary shopping destination for many Chinese mainland tourists. Good or bad? Depends who you ask.

Chinese Proverbs

Or something like that.

Need a Goldfish?

The goldfish market in Mong Kok offers all sorts of acquatic and other life in very questionable packaging.

Reptile Food

Or so it seems.

Fish in a Bag

The primary way to sell fresh water fish on the market.

Tough Days

A long day selling on the flower market is what made this woman use her table as a napping spot.

Bamboo Transport

In many places in Asia, bamboo replaces steel or aluminum when building support structures for construction - see some of the later photos for evidence.

Markets

The Mong Kok area is where you'll find many of Hong Kong's busy markets.

Seafood

Including the fish market.

Games

Anyone know the name of this game?

Symmetry

Another one of the photographic highlights of Hong Kong is the Oi Man Estate.

Upwards

A view of the building to provide some perspective, shot with my widest angle lens. Only the odd laundry hanging from the corridor breaks the pattern.

Sunset

From the Star Frerry, with the IFC II in the background.

Back Alley CCTV

Many areas of Hong Kong are fully covered by CCTV, highlighted here by a projection at the entrance of this alley.

Park Gate

The entrance to a small park near the Temple Street night market.

Market Stalls

As seen from a nearby parking building (which is always a good place to get elevated views).

Neon World

A big neon sign just off the night market, tinting the area in pink and purple hues.

Temple Street Night Market

The entrance of the night market, stretching down several blocks.

Organized Chaos

One of the sidestreets in Mong Kok seen from the elevated walk way at Mong Kok road.

Colours

Nights are colorful in the city.

The Dubai Desert - A few impressions of Al Maha

 

In April 2018 I visited the Al Maha Desert Resort, a place I've had on my Dubai to do list for over 10 years. Having been owned and managed by Emirates, it is now operated by Marriott through its Luxury Collection brand. The hotel is set in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, and is definitely one of the nicer ways to explore and experience the beauty of the desert. Below are a few impressions.

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Serenity

Each of the resort's villas comes with its own infinity pool overlooking the desert.

Al Maha Interiors

The villas are kept quite traditional and blend well into the surroundings.

Tent Feeling

The exterior is meant to reflect Bedouin tents.

Yellow

Have not figured out the name of this guy.

The Arabian Oryx

A majestic animal, in its typical pose on top of a dune.

Sand Waves

The sand patterns in the dunes always make for amazing photos.

Horizon

While the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve isn't in fact huge (at just over 200 square km), it's still big enough to not see many signs of civilisation around.

Footsteps

Should make for a few Instagram likes...

Dinner Time

The resort's main restaurant, overlooking the desert.

Sunrise

Had the pleasure to do a 6am morning walk, where it is still cool, and the light is beautiful. Each villa has a field guide that explains the local flora and fauna.

Signs of Life

These walks tell the tales of what happens in the desert at night - it isn't as empty as it would seem on first glance.

Patterns

Most of the area is covered in dunes, but there are a few planes as well.

Differences

Shifting sand dunes in the foreground and the plains in the background, which still show signs of having been under water many thousands of years ago.

Oryx Tracks

There are about 400 Oryx in the DDCR - the breeding program started in the 90s, when this species was almost extinct. Now the species is claissifed as vulnerable, with about 8000 remaining.

Oryx in the Sunrise

The amazing morning light makes them stand out even more in the dunes.

Gazelles

Not as impressive the the oryx, yet still elegant to watch.

Pride

The Arabian Oryx is the national animal of the UAE. You will also find the country's national tree here, the Ghaf tree.

Desert Flowers

Not as barren as it would seem.

Six Senses Zighy Bay - A Musandam Refuge

 

The Six Senses Zighy Bay on the Musandam Peninsula, named after the small fishing town right next to it, just off the UAE boarder at Dibba, has always been on my list of must see places. This April I was lucky enough to spend a few days at the resort. 

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Stuck

Some parts of Zighy Bay and Musandam feel stuck in the past, sometimes willingly, sometimes less so.

The True Rulers

Rumour has it there are more goats than humans in Musandam. Can neither confirm nor deny that.

Bay Views

The north easterly view of the Zighy Bay

Graveyard

The same mountain contains an old village, the remnants of its graveyard are still visible.

Hiking

I joined a group of people on a hike up the mountain - rock climbing is the more appropriate description.

Hidden Bay

The southern view revealed this beautiful empty beach, appearantly owned by a local private person.

Lonely

It's amazing how some of the trees can grow on this soil, with almost no water.

Stone Villages

The ruins of these kind of houses are common in the Hajar mountains - some are still occupied, usually in a slightly more modern form though.

Ruins

The scenery is amazing around every corner. In the past, many of the locals used to live in the mountains on the bay to be able to spot pirates from far away.

Zighy Bay

A view of the bay with the Six Senses in the background, and the houses that were built for the local fishermen alongside the resort, replacing some of the previous stone houses.

Dining On The Edge

One of the restaurants of the hotel is located right on the cliff next to the road crossing the mountain.

Pathways

This path runs to the top of the mountain, for a private dining spot and a great view.

Into the Mountains

We took a drive into the Hajar mountains, with their narrow cliffs and gravel roads.

Riverbed

The colour of the stones reveals the riverbed, filled with water when it rains - which isn't often.

Upwards

The path leading upwards was built by an old local, who still lives on top of the mountains, carrying water and food with a donkey. The small hut is a storage area he built.

Mosque

And the award for the most minimalistic mosque goes to...

Houses & Goats

The few signs of life in the mountains. We did spot two small foxes as well.

Power

A new power line is being built in the north from Khasab to Dibba, to serve most of the Musandam peninsula.

Signs Of Early Civilisation

I am not convinced whether these are genuine - we've been told they're a few hundred years old.

Barren Land

One of he houses still in use in a small village on top of this mountain - most likely for storage.

Signs

Fierce wars were fought decades ago in this area. The remnants are still visible.

Flora & Fauna

Signs of life are sparse.

Scenery

The view and rock shapes and patterns are amazing, this is up at about 1200m, half way to Khasab from Zighy Bay. The photo doesn't do the size of this canyon justice.

Mountain Terraces

Goat territory!

Soaking Up The Views...

.. and trying to find answers.

Not A Bad Spot

The beautiful Zighy Bay beach front villas.

Paragliding

One of the many activities at Zighy Bay - aside from arriving by boat or over the mountain, you can also paraglide to your check in. I was already checked in, but didn't want to miss the opportunity.

Flying

It was my first time, and it was defintely a great experience - unexpectedly we caught a lot of thermal winds, which meant at some point we were higher than when we took off.

Goat Parade

Not sure where they were heading, but they did so in an orderly fashion.

In The Air

While the flight was calm, my pilot decided the descent should be a bit more action packed, with fast circles and a few moments of weightlessness.

Six Senses Zighy Bay

A view of the resort taken from the air. It's a stunning location.

Another Option

If you don't like paragliding, this motorised option also exists.

Mountain Views

The views of the mountains from the sea are stunning.

The Dubai Frame

The Dubai Frame opened on January 1st, 2018, and at 50Dhs only is definitely worth a visit to get a view of the Dubai skyline. Located at Zabeel Park, the 150m tall landmark is intended to frame the older historic parts of Bur Dubai and Karama against the modern metropolis growing westwards. 

The Dubai Frame

Officially opened on January 1st, 2018.

Westward

The view towards the west shows the "new" Dubai.

Eastwards

The other direction, showing the older areas of Bur Dubai and Deira.

People

We went on a Saturday afternoon, and it was definitely quite busy.

Sunset

Offiically you can only stay at the top for 15min, but with some clever sneaking around you can prolong your stay...

Downwards

The view through one of the many glass floors, looking down almost 150m.

Glass Floors

Another view showing the floor and window views.

Framing

Looking through the cladding panels of the skybridge, the shapes of which were inspired by the Expo 2020 logo.

Reflection

The Emirates NBD tower always makes for a nice view at sunset.

Karama Style

A street full of amazing wall art.

Skyline

My favourite in the world.

Spectators

Watching Burj Khalifa in the distance.

Fellow Photographer

And one of the best people all around.

Night Views

Post sunset vibes - the blue hour.

Pink

While nice to look at, the evening illumination inside the skybridge makes for quite a few reflections with the angled windows. Not ideal for photography.

Photographers

There aren't many Dubai spots where you can get these kind of shots.

Looking out

The skyline has literally mushroomed over the last 20 years.

Skybride

A view of the 93m skybridge.

Dubai Frame

The building is 150m high, and its colour changes at night.

NYE 2018 - LightUp2018 - Dubai

Some shots from tonight's LightUp2018 New Year celebration in Downtown Dubai.  

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

New Years Eve 2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018