Travelweekly

 Some of these travel experiences remain within you even after you are back home and one of them is turtle watching in North Cyprus at the Alagadi beach. The Turtle Beach, as it is referred to, is not only a beautiful piece of golden sand but it is also a nesting place of two endangered species: loggerhead and green turtles.   My visit to Alagadi was not a normal visit to the beach. I got there in the evening, when the sun was setting behind the Kyrenia Mountains, and leaving the sky a kind of orange and pink. We were met by Volunteers of the Society of Protection of Turtles (SPOT) who introduced us to the conservation work they undertake.   They were so much in love with these animals that I was immediately swept up in the same spirit, and felt as though I were a member of a larger enterprise than a night outing by the sea. When the night fell we were ushered to the beach in groups. The atmosphere was muted and the waves and the sand crunching under our feet were the...

 When I entered the Ice Hotel in Sweden the first thing I felt was the silence. And it was not that hush of a snow-white city, but a crystalline hush, or rather an extreme hush, such as existed only in the disappearance of the walls themselves.   Side note: If you want to have a stress-free start of your trip then you should book  meet and greet at Luton . It was as though one was walking into another world, a world cut out of frozen time.   The Ice Hotel is constructed every winter out of ice blocks cut right out of the Torne River, built in Jukkasjarvi, well north of the Arctic Circle.   The rooms are painted and decorated by new artists each year, so that no two of the stays can ever be identical. It was not a hotel, it was a hotel and a gallery and a dream-space.   Frankly speaking, I was afraid to sleep in a room that is maintained at -5degC. I fancied how I should shiver at night, and reckon the hours before sunrise. The staff, however, gave me ...

 There are places that seem to have been very well kept out of the stream of modern life and it would be by chance that you will come across them.   One of those places is Visby, the medieval capital of the Gotland island of Sweden. And the day I crossed its gates of stone, I had the impression that I had entered another century. Walking the Walls   One cannot help noticing the city wall which extends almost 3.5 kilometers. Its towers and gates are raised against the sky, but they are not smooth and clean, they are battered in the loveliest manner.   As I strolled through the cobblestones along its side I fancied traders, warriors and city men who had passed along these same streets before me, and continued their daily business with its stern stare upon them.   I climbed to the top of one of the towers, and looked down over the red-tiled rooftops, and the Baltic Sea beyond, and it was a scene that had not changed in centuries.   Remember: Check...

 You go to cities and you get to cities. The second category also belongs to the small but mighty capital of Malta Valletta.   It is hard to find a capital this small, not even a square kilometer, but every cobblestone, balcony and fortress wall tells a story. One day here is a living museum experience, but with cafes, music and sea breezes on every corner.   Note: If you are travelling for a day then you can book  Heathrow airport cheap parking   and keep your vehicle safe. Morning: The city wakes up   Begin your day in a local cafe with a hot pastizz, a flaky ricotta filled pastry of Malta. As the city wakes up, you sit outside and the church bells will be fighting with seagulls. Walking a few minutes, you will see St. John’s Co-Cathedral whose unappealing facade conceals a jaw-dropping Baroque interior. Afternoon: Tales in the Stones   The streets of Valletta shine in the Mediterranean sun in the middle of the day. Climb up republic stre...

 You have travel moments that you plan and then you have those moments that you know have transformed you.   Whale watching in Azores is in the latter. This Portuguese archipelago is considered by some to be the best-kept secret of Europe and is located in the mid-Atlantic and to me, the sea told its own magic. Departing on the Sea   Salt air and soft gray clouds had been the morning fare. We moved slowly in our small boat in the harbor, and the guide, a native, with a weather-beaten face and a voice that told tales, told us what we were likely to see.   He smiled and said: Patience, the ocean decides. So we shoved off and the land crept steadily behind us as the horizon broadened.   Side Note: Always check  Meet And Greet Stansted   before travelling and book accordingly. The First Look   The next thing was the sound of waves and the engine of the boat, which lasted some time. Then it came. A spout of spray burst up in the distance....

  Begin Your Day at Old Town Square   The heart of Prague is the Old Town Square. Go there before the crush begins and see the Astronomical Clock strike the hour.   The pastel facades are radiated by the morning light and street musicians begin to warm up their instruments. Take a fresh trdelnik off the nearest stall, cinnamon sugar will give you energy during the first part of your walk. Walk Charles Bridge at Your Pace   Take your time and wander over the Charles Bridge and gaze at the statues that flank the sides. The Vltava River gently reflects beneath, and swans are passing.   There are street artists and vendors lining the cobblestones, selling everything including sketches and hand made jewelry. You may even get a violinist performing some haunting Czech tune, if you are lucky enough.   Side note: If you are travelling for a short period then you can book long stay parking Luton   and keep your vehicle safe. Get Lost in Less...