The Scots are a fearful people. So fearful that they should be kept out of the empire at all cost. At least they were in Roman times. Known simply as the ‘Barbarians’ to the Romans, like all people outside their large empire, the Scots were a bridge too far. Emperor Hadrian built a wall to protect the Northern end of the empire from the Scots, just north of the Tyne river, around the year 122 AD.
Travelblog
Since 1970 I have traveled the world for work and pleasure, visiting over 50 countries. This travelblog tells some of my stories.
Flying a Junkers 52 over Amsterdam
This could have been the title of a report of a German pilot in 1940. The thought crossed my mind several times, while watching Amsterdam city center from the lowest altitude I had ever seen it from a plane window. Of course I was thrilled when I received the invitation from Lufthansa to be on a VIP flight over Holland on board their oldest still flying aircraft, the 1936-built Junkers Ju-52. This plane has a very international history. Built in 1936 and operational in Germany, Norway, Ecuador and the US, until purchased by Lufthansa in 1984 and painstakingly restored. It is now used to showcase the old days of flying, to over 10,000 passengers a year. Continue reading
40 Years of Ferries
I blame this shipmodel on board the DFDS ‘Princess Seaways’. I saw it at the deck 6 lounge of this modern ferry a few weeks ago. It is a scale model of the “Prince of Scandinavia”, a 1975-built ferry that sailed for DFDS Seaways from 1981 to 2003. One of my oldest childhood holiday memories is of this ship, which was originally registered as MS ‘Tor Britannia’, sailing for Tor Line in 1979. I still have a postcard that I got on board that ship, as an eight year old kid.
Newcastle: Bridges over Tyne and Toon
What is it with people on the side of a river? Is the grass always greener on the other side? The two opposite cities of Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne are linked by as many as seven bridges within less than two kilometers. These famous Tyne bridges were once a symbol of British industrial engineering. Now they make great landmarks in a new tourist destination in Northern England, that forever shed its coal dust in favour of science and great nightlife. The bridges still dominate the cityscape, where they carry party goers and football fans from one side of the river to the other. Remnants of a rich industrial past, now functioning as pillars for a rich future. Continue reading
Winterhike blog – Barents Sea Expedition 2012
Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz explored the seas around the Northern tip of Norway three times, looking for the infamous northern passage to Asia. On his third journey, in 1596, he stranded in heavy sea ice on the barren island of Nova Zembla, where he ultimately perished after spending the winter in the famous ‘Behouden Huys’, made of the wreckage of his ship in 1597. In an urge to relive some of the crew’s endurance, a small Dutch expedition ventured out to Kirkenes in Northern Norway, to see the part of the Arctic Ocean named after our national 16th century hero, in the middle of the Arctic winter. Continue reading
DFDS Seaways – Slow travel over the North Sea
It takes about an hour to fly from Amsterdam to Newcastle in Northern England. A quick and cost effective trip, especially on one of the lowcost carriers. So why would you even want to consider taking a ferry on this route? A question that DFDS Seaways helped a group of Dutch travelbloggers answer, when travelling to Newcastle upon Tyne for the #Traverse14 travel bloggers conference in February 2014. Continue reading
Citytrip to Almaty, Kazakhstan
Here is one totally off the beaten track. Literally, because the tracks that lead to the largest city of Kazakhstan are long and virtually unknown to tourists. Cramped in the south-east corner of this immense country, at the spot where the flatlands meet the outskirts of the Tian Shan Mountains, this is not your average weekend city destination by any standards. Nevertheless, it is a city well-known to many Dutch sports enthusiasts. Usually the bell starts to ring when using the old Soviet name of the city: Alma-Ata. Alma-Ata was one of the first destinations in the world offering a high altitude speed skating rink, where European top skaters broke their early world records. Today’s tourism still mostly focuses on winter sports. The ski resorts are within easy reach of city center. Almaty lost its status as the capital of Kazakhstan to the smaller, but more central and hyper modern city of Astana in 1997. Continue reading
Bern: Unesco jewel in the Swiss crown
Switzerland is without a doubt one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. Nevertheless it is not yet known as a destination for citytrips. Most tourists flock to the beautiful and lavish resorts in the high Alps for mountain walking in summer and great skiing in winter. But the country has a few additional hidden gems: its cities. Swiss business capital Zürich and United Nations city Geneva are among the most visited, mostly by business travelers. But from a cultural and historic point of view you should definitely consider visiting the ‘other’ cities in this small mountain country. These gems include Luzern, Basel and the even lesser known capital city of Bern. Continue reading
Shades of Green, Aurora Hunting in Finland
It is that time of year again. Or better said, it is that time of 11 years again. This winter marks the solar maximum, at which solar activity is at the highest point in its 11-year cycle. The astrophysics behind this phenomenum is very interesting, but the effects of solar activity here on Earth are much more interesting. At Solar Max the display of Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis around the Arctic Circles is at its most spectacular. This magical aerial show is on many people’s bucket list, so last year I organized a special Aurora hunting trip for my social media followers, better known as #AuroraTweetup. Continue reading
Back to the Future – River cruising in Europe
River cruising is one of the fastest growing sectors in worldwide tourism, outgrowing even the expanding ocean cruise sector: “River cruise lines are having trouble keeping up with the demand,” says Julie Walsh, the director of marketing for Cruise Travel Outlet, a booking website. “We are booking most of our customers on river cruises for 2014 because space is sold out for 2013.” (Source: Marketwatch) Continue reading