Unposted pics and countries

I've managed to recover some pictures from our server at work and realised that many of these have never been posted on the blog (though some may have made it onto the old yahoo travel group site). I've decided to blow my lunch hour putting them up.

The picture above is from NYC and is a cast of the roots of a centuries old tree killed as a result of 911.

Istanbul

I've been to Istanbul many times and it remains one of my favorite cities in the world. The cross roads between Asia and Europe, it's steeped in history and is a vibrant buzzy city. The people are incredibly friendly and there is much fun to be had. I urge you ALL to go and visit.

Northern Ireland

I was born in Belfast and my sister lives there so I go back and forth quite a bit. People visiting for the first time can't get over how green it is. The troubles seem to be over and the city is listed as a "Must Visit" destination in the Lonely Planet Guides for 2007. Long may the peace and prosperity continue.

London

London is a great city.

Speaker's corner, which is heavily represented above, is one of its more unique attractions. Every Sunday at the Marble Arch end of Hyde Park, the crazies of the capital gather to prosthesis, preach, debate, and exercise the right of free speech. Zionists and Palestinians, religious zealots, atheists, and all shades of the political spectrum rant and rave at each other. Originally the site of gallows upon which traitor's met their fate, it has been a place of interest since the mid 1700s. Shaw, Orwell, Marx and many other famous thinkers have stood on a soap box here over the innumerable Sundays the past 300 years.

Many of the pictures above have been posted before but have since been deleted. I thought they were worth another look.

Stonehenge

Ive been there many times but never cease to be amazed.

A Prehistoric monument whose purpose is still hotly debated, it rises out of the surrounding lanscape and appears almost fake-like a movie set. The stones are not native to the area and were transported 100s of miles. The thing is HUGE.

Worth the trip.

Paris

The most beautiful city in the world.

Romania

Romania is a strange place.

Part 21st century, part stone-age , it's a place of contrasts.

Downtown Bucharest still bears the bullet holes of the overthrow of Ceausescu, and has memorials to the fallen scattered over the streets where the worst fighting took place. The country is rushing headlong towards membership in the EU in 2007, but still has the obstacles of corruption and a faltering infrastructure to overcome to achieve real prosperity. Something also needs to done about the packs of wild dogs roaming the capital.......

Rio

Super cool city. I'll be there again mid January

Alleyways

I've always had a fascination for the little out of the way nooks and crannies in the cities I visit. The above pictures were taken in Tallinn, Hong Kong , Genoa, Bucharest, Porto, NYC, Paris, Rome, London and Amsterdam. Which ones were where?




That's it for today folks.

Hope you enjoyed this round up of the stuff that fell through the cracks over the past 18 months.


Love T