The Amalfi Coast is situated in southern Italy between Sorrento and Salerno. This breathtaking stretch of coastline with its picturesque towns, sloping hills and sheer drops offers the most spectacular views in southern Italy. While approaching the Amalfi Coast by boat is awe inspiring, making the trip along the coastal highway by car or scooter, is an experience not to be missed. While not for the feint of heart, this drive along the narrow curving highway is a feast for the eyes and the senses. With the sparkling waters below and the deep blue sky above the expansive vistas are spectacular. You can do no wrong in planning a visit to the Amalfi Coast.
Europe
We climbed up mountainsides, unshaven and sweating heavily in the late summer heat – we must have looked like bandits – then picked our way down the other side of the mountain and visited remote beaches or tiny white churches. We drank, ate and swam, then set off in the opposite direction to try and walk a different way back. One evening we were returning from a long, long walk, towards the setting sun. We were dropping down from a high pass into the top of Apolonia, the capital of Sifnos. We still had some way to go to get back to our rooms, and the sight of a taverna as we entered the outskirts of the town, with a terrific view across the Kastro valley to a glorious strawberry ripple sunset, was too much to pass up. We fell gratefully into the seats on the raised balcony, under a canopy of bougainvillea and grape vines, and removed our backpacks and hats. We were tired but happy and this was just what we needed – a scene of earthly perfection.
Never have I been so wet. And cold. I hate myself for only bringing a light cardigan sweater with me for my weeklong vacation in Croatia. The cardigan is so soaked through that it now feels like it’s a part of my skin. The only jeans I brought are covered in mud, as are my Converse. I had to buy a poncho at the gift shop. Needless to say, I’m not looking my best today. In my experience, being wet and cold means only one thing: I am miserable. But today that isn’t the case because I’ve just spent the day in a place whose beauty the most talented artist in the world couldn’t even conceive: Plitvice Lakes National Park.
I originally found this on Shuttersalt and was completely amazed when I saw this video. The video was made by TSOPhotography. Over on the Vimeo page itself, Terje Sorgjerd explains how it was done. It’s pretty impressive and especially at 32 seconds. Have you been to El Teide in Spain?
I have a confession to make: I am an anglophile. I’ve wanted to be British for a while. At first it was so that I could say things like “brilliant” or “cheers” or “knob” in everyday conversation, but now my desire to be British stems primarily from my desire for EU citizenship. I know it’s not exactly cool to harbor such an all-consuming love for Great Britain in the backpacking community, where the further off the beaten track a place is the better and English-speaking countries are considered the easy way out, but I can’t help it. I love England.
Last summer I was walking to the beach in Alicante at 1:00 in the afternoon when a drunk British man dropped his trousers and peed into a trash can on the most popular street in town. Do not let this be you. These days it seems everyone and their dog wants to come to Spain, and I sympathize completely. There’s a reason foreigners bombard this country, particularly in the scorching summer months. The weather, the beaches, the sangria, the nights out that end well into the morning…it’s all so tempting that it’s almost difficult not to ditch your own country for a few weeks (or, in my case, years) and visit the land of paella and calimocho (red wine mixed with Coca-cola—not as disgusting as you might think). But there’s no reason to act like an idiot and certainly no reason to reduce Spain’s culture to the availability of alcohol, so my advice to you, world traveler, is this: Come during Easter when you can see Spain and its people truly come to life.
Just half an hour’s bus ride from central Dublin, the Dublin Mountains are a top spot for Dubliners to spend their weekends – but there’s no reason why backpackers can’t also combine a stop at one of the many hotels in Dublin with day trips out into the mountains. Enjoy the best of both worlds: city sightseeing and Dublin’s buzzing night life, coupled with some fresh air, outdoor challenges and cosy country pubs.
I’ll admit I was one of those people who didn’t know a thing about Scotland apart from Mel Gibson’s Braveheart and yet Edinburgh captured my heart and made me want to stay forever. Whether you like history and culture, mystery and scary stories, parties and pubs, you will have a great time. Apart from the fact that it is a fabulous city, it is friendly to the budget traveler as there are many free or cheap things to do.
You’ve arrived at the home of your dinner host, who is likely a distant relative or a several times removed cousin of someone else whom you’ve met in Switzerland. These gracious country folk will feed just about anyone who is some how associated with their family members. Even if you don’t speak one of their four national languages, just arrive on time and you’ll receive a warm welcome. On the menu this evening is a traditional Swiss repast: fondue.
When you arrive in a new city, you’re not likely to know the best hangout already. So you may take the easy way out: the pub crawl. Now I’m not bashing pub crawls, since I’ve gone on them myself, but it’s easy to get hammered when you only have a set amount of time at each spot.
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