• Group of men sitting among fishing boats on a beach
    Coast & seascapes,  Friendly Friday,  Gambia,  People,  Travel galleries

    Gallery: a traditional fishing village in Bakau

    The catch was brought in hours ago. But the fishing quay in Bakau, in northern Gambia, is nevertheless a hive of activity. Many of the colourful pirogues are pulled up on the beach. Others are floating offshore, as the fishermen check and mend their nets and other equipment. Those that have finished their work sit chatting or try to make a few extra delasi by showing tourists around.

  • Lake set among pine forests
    England,  Landscape,  Monday walks,  Sunday Stills

    The Lewis Burn inlet walk at Kielder Water

    Set in one of the more remote parts of Northumberland, Kielder Water may be man-made, but it is a haven of tranquillity. This lovely stretch of water is surrounded by forest; at over 250 square miles, the largest working forest in England. The lake is a popular place for water sports, while the forest offers miles of walking and biking trails. It is a haven for wildlife, one of the few places in England where you can see red squirrels. And on a clear night its skies are full of stars, as this is an International Dark Sky Park with…

  • Small round temple-style structure among trees
    England,  History,  Lens-Artists,  Rivers

    King John was not a good man: Runnymede

    The barons of early 13th century England would have agreed with A. A. Milne (the creator of Winnie the Pooh) that 'King John was not a good man'. In 1215 England was in political turmoil. King John had become vastly unpopular; his disagreements with the Pope over the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury led to a papal interdict against the country and the king’s excommunication, while the imposition of high taxes to fund the war with France led to mounting anger.

  • Rough wooden fence
    Landscape,  Lens-Artists,  Washington State

    What a difference a day makes

    It is well known that mountain climates can be unpredictable, and Mount Rainier in the US North West is no different. After a perfect day in Paradise we had fallen asleep under clear skies; but we woke to thick fog obscuring all the surrounding mountains and indeed everything apart from the trees closest to the lodge. A perfect demonstration for us of the way that the mountain creates its own micro climate, although not an especially welcome one.

  • Aerial view of green swampland with river channels
    Botswana,  Friendly Friday,  Landscape,  Video

    Video: flying to the Okavango Delta

    Sometimes how you travel to a place can be as much fun as the place itself. The small planes that serve the various camps in Botswana’s Okavango Delta operate much like buses, dropping off and picking up passengers along the way. For some people, a flight in a small prop plane would be their worst nightmare; for me it was almost as much of an attraction as the destination itself!

  • Several bridges over a river
    Architecture,  Challenge Your Camera,  England,  History,  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  Rivers

    Newcastle: a city and its river

    Rarely is a city defined so clearly by one single feature in the way that Newcastle-upon-Tyne is defined by its river. The city’s history has been shaped by the river, especially by shipbuilding; and now that the ship-yards are largely lost to history, the life of the city, especially its cultural and social life, continues to flow from the banks of the Tyne. A favourite walk in the city is along the Quayside past the Tyne’s famous bridges.

  • Mountain road with car on verge
    Architecture,  Friendly Friday,  History,  Landscape,  New Mexico

    Following the High Road to Taos

    There are two ways to get to Taos from Santa Fe. There is the quicker (but still pretty) Low Road, and the more dramatically scenic and historically interesting High Road. This winds through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains through high desert, forests and tiny communities. On the way there are stories to be discovered, stunning landscapes to marvel at and picture-perfect churches to explore.