Travel Photos and Travel

Italy is without a doubt one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe. It’s famous for its warm climate, pizzas, delicious ice creams, golden beaches, and of course for its big cities: Rome, the capital with its historical buildings, Milan, the fashion Mecca and Venice, the fascinating “swimming city”. But there is so much more to Italy than these popular sights: A thing not to miss out on when travelling to Italy are the exceptional Italian Lakes, Lake Garda and Lake Como.

Lake Como and Lake Garda are the true beauties of northern Italy. Lake Garda, located about half-way between Venice and Milan is the biggest lake in Italy. It’s surface area measures 369.98 km² and it lies between the provinces of Verona, Brescia and Trento. Lake Como, also known as “Lario”, has with 146 km² a smaller surface than Garda but stretches out to 46 km and at over 400m deep it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. Together with Garda, Lake Como is regarded as being the most beautiful lake in Italy. That’s also why may celebrities, such as George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone, Gianni Versace, Ronaldinho and Madonna own villas at the shores of Lake Como.

Therefore it’s not a big surprise that most of the leading travel agents and tour operators offer more and more holidays to the lakes, where tourists enjoy the stunning views of the deep blue water, high mountains, and idyllic little towns along the shoreline. Another big plus is of course the warm climate and the atmosphere that is much more characteristic and personal than in the conventional Italian holiday destinations, such as party town Rimini and other cities at the seaside, where loud parties go on for 24hours and in the daytime the beaches are overly cramped.

Tourists that decide to treat themselves with a holiday to the Italian Lakes and still like to relax on a beach don’t need to go all the way to the coast. There are beaches spread out all around the lakes. Some are small and romantic, some bigger with a wide range of water sports. In the evenings the towns meet everybody’s wishes: From fine dining restaurants, live jazz music to clubs with party sounds, you can find pretty much anything and live life at your very own pace at the Italian Lakes.

I took a two and half week trip to Peru, which was my introduction to South American travel. I had always wanted to see Machu Picchu in particular, as well as experience South American culture. I thought a shorter trip would work out well to start me off. My Peru trip took me to Lima, Paracas, Nazca, Arequipa, Puno, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu. My tour of Peru also included the Sacred Valley, Colca Valley, and the highest navigable lake in the world – Lake Titicaca.

While in Arequipa, I was able to tour the unique White City as it was built from the white sillar rock that spewed out of the Volcano Misti. While touring the districts of Yanahuara and Chilina, I was able to experience magnificent views of the Misti Volcano. I drove from Arequipa to the Colca Valley, where I was able to climb the Pampa Canahuas at the Aguada Blanca National Reserve which is protected habitat for a llama relative, the vicunas. While in Colca Valley, I enjoyed being able to see the towns which appeared to be untouched by time as each town had passed on the traditions to the younger generations and maintained their original appearances.

I thoroughly enjoyed my motorboat ride on Lake Titicaca to visit the floating islands of the Uros – a water tribe. Also while on Lake Titicaca, I visited the natural island of Taquile which is inhabited by quechua-speaking natives who have developed, through generations, both an efficient and original social system and a fine hand weaving technique. Being this high up actually affected me, as I felt light-headed for the first couple of days.

On the way to the Cusco area, I was able to visit the Pre-Columbian complex of Pucara dating back to 200BC and which consisted of six, stepped, stone pyramids. The temple of Raqchi was surrounded by warehouses and other buildings that served as dwellings for priests, servants, and farmers. There is also the largest and most spectacular temple there which was built during the splendor of the Inca Empire.

Finally, the sacred valley of the Incas and Manchu Picchu made up the highlights of my trip. The valley consists of several picturesque towns and many archeological sites, including the Inca Fortress which guarded the entry of the valley and protected it from possible invasion. I had the opportunity to walk through the nearby town, which the design and foundation of the buildings dated from the Inca era. The Lost City of the Incas was truly a majestic site, as it is situated over a mountain ridge surrounded by tropical forest. My favorite part though, was my early morning hike up Huayna Picchu peak which provided me with a fantastic view overlooking Machu Picchu.

My favorite part of my Peru experience ended up being the opportunity of viewing and interacting with many different small villages and communities that had managed to retain their unique culture and heritage throughout time. It was amazing seeing all the different tribes who were so distinct from one another and who lived so close to another.

In the pantheon of world capitals, London has to rank as one of the most dramatic, vivid and photogenic. The superlative home of Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, St Paul’s Cathedral and Hyde Park is huge on charm and needless to say, remarkable photo ops as well. From key points of interest like Buckingham Palace and Wembley Stadium to quiet borough gems from Barking and Dagenham to Wandsworth, London is peerless. One theme of study avid photographers in the English capital may want to focus on is the city’s collection of marvelous Grade I landmarks.

England and Wales share over 6,000 attractions on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Quite predictably, some of the very best and most unusual are smack dab in the middle of London. From the Cutty Sark clipper ship to Cleopatra’s Needle, British Museum to the Tower of London, the city unfurls a brilliant array of Grade I monuments. Other magnificent Grade I jewels to capture in the paragon UK metropolis include the Geffrye Museum, Athenaeum, Charles Dickens House and an exquisite London hotel unlike any other – The George Inn in Southwark.

The prestigious designation includes other popular, household-name attractions in London as well. Attractions like the Royal Opera House, Scotland Yard, London Zoo, National Portrait Gallery, National History Museum and London Paddington Station. Indeed, with well over one hundred Grade I landmarks to choose from and photograph, what better way is there to appreciate and explore the extraordinary city of London?