Saint Lucia - Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

Post published:8 January 2019
Post category:North America Saint Lucia

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Only country in the world named after a woman

One more island, and another country before a last one in this trip. Moving on from Antigua onto the exotic Saint Lucia, docking at its capital city Castries. The only country in the world named after a woman; pulled back and forth for 14 times between the French who were the first to settle in the island and the British; it became permanently a British Oversee Territory until 1979 when it gained full independence. The Queen of England, Elizabeth II, however, is still the head of the state as Saint Lucia is part of the Commonwealth Nations.

Among its key sights in such a small land, nature and landscapes are somehow unique. The incredible rain forests, such exuberant vegetation and truly paradise beaches all around, but something unique adding to the excitement, it is one of the few islands in the world that contains a drive-in volcano. This is self-described by the word, you can be driven right there to the very edge of the boiling water springs, but do not expect any height, instead a rather hilly area at the backdrop of Soufriere with marvellous views towards the colonial city, the coast and the world famous Pitons Mountains.

Both cities of Castries and Soufriere, the “largest” in the island yet tiny when compared to normal standards of size and population are straightforward to visit. It’s merely an hour or so and you have completed all the nice colonial buildings around, hence when planning your time be mindful of this, while sticking to the limitations if you’ve come on a cruise which generally gives you from the morning around 8.00am until 18.00pm. That’s well enough to actually enjoy the best sights in the island which are along the west coast and in between Castries and Soufriere and the Pitons, some 40 kilometres apart from each other. (more…)

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Antigua - Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda

Post published:7 January 2019
Post category:Antigua and Barbuda North America

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Land of 365 Beaches

After such a little piece of paradise that was Tortola, although anywhere in this trip and all the islands we are visiting are pieces or paradise, we dock in the capital city of a new country in the list of countries visited so far to date, Antigua and Barbuda. That’s 97 as of today, exactly the half of the world’s currently independent nations (it’s 195), and still 2 new ones to come in the next few days to rise to an astonishing 99.

The country name was, likewise almost all other islands in the region, given by Christopher Columbus in 1493 in his second voyage in honour of the Virgin of La Antigua in the Seville Cathedral. It was nevertheless not a priority island to form a settlement, and has been for majority of the history part of the British Empire and Kingdom, until gaining sovereignty on the 1st of November 1981. Since that date, it remains a member of the Commonwealth, where Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state.

The twin islands country, an other islets in between has some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean, hence why its fame, especially the island of Antigua. Barbuda, while smaller and more secluded, is by far less visited, rarely included in any cruise trip, and as of today is still recovering from the almost total destruction that caused Hurricane Irma in 2017. (more…)

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Saint Kitts - Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Post published:1 January 2019
Post category:North America Saint Kitts and Nevis

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The Mother Colony of the West Indies

A new day, and with it, a new port of call after Saint Vincent two days before. This is the turn for another country, Saint Kitts and Nevis, docking at its capital city Basseterre. This is now making the already serious number of country 95 visited so far up to date. Yet again, the count can easily go up here in the Caribbean especially if on a cruise. The only real way for enjoying the islands to be honest at a decent overall cost than if going on your own planning yourself the trip. Inter islands flights are quite expensive not to mention the hotels. Yes I agree is nice to stay longer at some of these pieces of paradise, but for now, getting an idea of the region seeing the most we can is the best option.

Basseterre, meaning low land as it’s located in the lowest height in a rather flat area of the island was founded in 1627 by the French. Then made the capital of the island of Saint Kitts in 1727 following the French expulsion full British control, and remained ever since the capital of the country counting the second island of Nevis as part of its territory after its political independence on 19th of September 1983.

Although small, it has lots to offer, especially that is completely surrounded by lush green hills and mountains, hence beautiful scenery and nature. It’s also home to spectacular Georgian manor houses once home to wealthy sugar plantation owners. It was the main economy back in the colonial days, production of sugar, like in all of the other former colonial islands. The remains of factories are scattered in both Saint Kitts and Nevis islands, while manors and houses have been turned into museums and luxurious hotels.

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Barbados - Barbados

Barbados

Post published:29 December 2018
Post category:Barbados North America

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The Bearded Ones

One last trip of the year, and beginning of the next to discover some Caribbean islands on a winter cruise, escaping the cold weather back in Europe. A cruise is actually the only feasible way to visit these islands, many of which are tiny independent country-islands and therefore, rising the total count of countries visited so far to date to 99 by the end of the cruise; over half of the world’s total which stands as of December 2018 at 195. So starting with one of the largest, Barbados, all the way up towards the farthest port in the trip, Puerto Plata, and plenty more in between.

Its beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site listed colonial capital, Bridgetown, is one of the major international ports in the Caribbean for cruises. Founded by the British on 5th of July 1628 as a traditional English medieval market layout town, was raised to city status from 1842 after the Saint Michael’s Parish Church was elevated to the status of Cathedral. Then considering all other islands and their respective capital cities, Bridgetown remains as one of the largest and one of the most historic and therefore, touristy due in part for the large amount of colonial structures so well preserved and of course, the beaches and great resorts around the rest of the island.

Now, considering the fact of how small it is and how straightforward it is to visit, there won’t be too much more to add rather than the obvious section of what to see and do. Still, Barbados has more to offer than just Bridgetown or what many see it as their port of arrival. The island was visited by Spanish navigators in 1511 who claimed if for the Crown, however not much they did until the arrival of the English, developing it into an important sugar cane production, and leaving quite a large legacy of structures all over the island.

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Baku - Azerbaijan

Baku – Azerbaijan

Post published:7 October 2018
Post category:Azerbaijan Caucasus Europe

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The City of Winds

Quite of an unexpected last minute trip using the last remaining holidays allowance left for this year, it does also mean this is the very last country in Europe as a continent I have not been. With it, I’ve stepped in all of the 51 countries that are as per-se considered Europe, one way or another, although it is a trans-continental country with soil in Europe and Asia. So completing the Caucasus region coupled with Georgia and Armenia that we’ve visited just few months ago, it is coming closer the time to get farther to the big empty space in my travel map that is Central Asia now that East and Southeast Asia is almost fully completed as well.

Baku, the capital of the country, and actually the only metropolis in Azerbaijan, contains almost every sight worth visiting in the country, together with the nearby natural attractions of the mud volcanoes and fire mountain, and the prehistoric hieroglyphs of Qobustan. Easy to visit it all in merely 3 days without any rush, so imagine that we calculated 4 full days for this trip, that was well an over-estimation, however we knew it. After all, Baku is not just next door from London, and flights are not cheap at all, so we rather enjoy a bit more time and discover other facts and corners outside from the touristy landmarks.

With a history dating back to the Stone Age, the true “modern” Azerbaijan and Baku itself as we know it today with its great architecture is the result of an idyllic location, cross-roads for centuries of trading between Asia and Europe, and Iran taking over its rule in the 10th century from the native Shirvanshahs for centuries, switching thereafter hands to Russia back and forth in the 18th century, including the Ottomans eager for this land, until the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 where it became irrevocably part of the Russian Empire and remained as such part of Russia until the Independence in 1918, however captured as part of the Soviet Union until the fall in 1990. (more…)

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Philadelphia - USA

Philadelphia – USA

Post published:2 September 2018
Post category:North America USA

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The Birthplace of America

Yet onto another of our day trips from Baltimore, the second main base in the trip so far. While the day before we enjoyed a great escape to Washington DC, the capital of the nation, today we would do so at the city that is referred to as “the birthplace of America”, Philadelphia. For me it’s the second time here, but luckily in this occasion the time spent was way longer than back in the 2012 trip where I was only for just around 4 hours, and even so, still managed to visit almost everything. Running yes, rushing for sure, not the nicest way. Now it was a different story.

While I totally refrain from copying anything from the internet directly into my blog, I must say that the following text given in Wikipedia best describe some of the key facts of the city: “I was founded the city in 1682 to serve as capital of the Pennsylvania Colony. Thereafter played an instrumental role in the American Revolution as a meeting place for the Founding Fathers of the United States, who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 at the Second Continental Congress, and the Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. Other events occurred during the Revolutionary War including the First Continental Congress, the preservation of the Liberty Bell, the Battle of Germantown and the Siege of Fort Mifflin. Philadelphia was one of the nation’s capitals during the revolution and served as temporary U.S. capital while Washington D.C. was under construction.

Summarising some of the nation’s first, then by yearly order would be the first Library in 1731, the first hospital in 1751, the first medical school back in 1765; of course as mentioned before, the first national capital in 1774 until Washington DC was built. The first stock exchange was created in 1790, the first zoo in 1874, followed by the Centennial Exposition in 1876 which was in turn, the first official World’s Fair in the United States. Lastly, in 1881 the creation of the first business school.

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New York City - USA

New York City – USA

Post published:29 August 2018
Post category:North America USA

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The Big Apple

New York City! The most vibrant city I’ve ever been and probably without a rival, with only Tokyo coming closer but still, impossible to beat the vibe and thriving live of New York. Since the moment you land and until you depart it’s rather feeling like in a real movie. Nonetheless of course, arch known from the many movies, TV series, documentaries, news papers… just everything; being there in person and you are part of a real movie. From the police cars, fire fighters engines, the huge lorries, if lucky a Coca Cola truck; the subway trains, to the smoke coming out from the sewers, the bagel and hot dogs vendors… and that without going into it’s many symbolic architecture.

You need to be in the city to experience all this. And either you like it or… you actually like it!. No, just kidding, I know some people who did not feel too comfortable after all, but it might actually be a bit claustrophobic for some while others won’t appreciate its architecture and will consider it as all “the same”. Well, from my experience, definitely none of these are my case. It is still my favourite city ever, and I doubt this feeling will change any soon. Since the very first time I step in back in the year 2000, this is the 4th time I return, and for the many more to come (hopefully).

This guide is a mix of what I’ve created over the past trips, hence why it is now way much more complete and better altogether than otherwise, the older versions of the city guides here in my blog. It’s good I keep returning to many of the cities I’ve already been, and as such, I will continue with the same trend in order to update or create a better than before guide for your help and information. (more…)

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Leon - Spain

Leon – Spain

Post published:28 July 2018
Post category:Europe Southern Europe Spain

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The cradle of Parliamentarism

Finally my hands are on the most awaited travel guide ever since I started my blog project. And why is that you might ask? Certainly the answer is direct, Leon is the city I was born, hence why it hosts a special place and meaning in my heart. Of course, I will try to make it one of the most complete too, as are the likes of Madrid, Barcelona or Brussels to name a few of the cities I travel very often. With Leon nowadays, it’s a different story, not only I left to study in Madrid, but then left Spain itself to come to London where I made my living for the past 13 years. Unfortunately, travelling to Leon for a weekend is not possible since there are no direct flights, nor flights to the next nearest international airport at Valladolid where Ryanair scrapped the flights to London long ago. In the other hand, there is really no need for finding a suitable airport nearby, since the high-speed train links Madrid in barely only 2 hours.

Leon is a city of over 2000 years history, and a very very rich past. All started as a small Roman camp and base for farther extend the empire up north towards Galicia and Asturias, but due to an ideal location at what became to be a cross-roads in the north, northwestern of the country, with easy access to the rest of the country, and the newly discovered gold mines Las Medulas, it soon reached the status of a city during the Roman times. This is something quite unknown to most people, however these Roman mines were one of the richest and largest during the Empire, with the gold taken to Rome. The mines are now listed an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and are west of Leon some 130 kilometres, beyond the city of Ponferrada, in El Bierzo region, once so rich through the coal rush years until the industry collapse in the 1980’s.

While you can admire in Leon some of its Roman past, noteworthy the city’s walls, it is not the place you come for this, but instead, to admire its impressive medieval and Gothic architecture. One of the most complete of any city in the country, being its iconic highlight the Cathedral, finest example of French-style classic Gothic architecture in Spain. (more…)

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