2011 has again been a good year for me to discover wonderful new places in the world. Rather than bore you with a very brief and inadequate description, I thought I’d rely on the old saying of “a picture paints a thousand words” or rather in this case a photo. Here are my favourite photos I took during the last year.
Kronborg Castle
My first trip of the year was to the Danish capital of Copenhagen. I’ve been there many times and decided to head up the coast to Helsingor and the famous Kronborg Castle. It is said to be the setting for Shakespeare’s famous play “Hamlet”.
Kronborg Castle – One of Northern Europe’s finest Renaissance castles
Sveti Stefan
I spent a couple of days on the Montenegro coast at Sveti Stefan overlooking this iconic iselt.
Sveti Stefan – Famous visitors here include Elizabeth Taylor and Sophie Loren.
Mandarin Fish
My first diving trip to Manado was extremely rewarding. On a night dive I managed to capture a couple of pictures of the elusive Mandarin Fish on a night dive.
The elusive Mandarin Fish on Bunaken Island, Manado, Indonesia
Queens Colours 1/24th Regiment
The Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 was the greatest defeat a British force ever suffered at the hands of a native army. On that fateful January day, the Queens Colours of 1/24th Regiment were lost in the Buffalo River. Two weeks later, against all odds they were recovered. Queen Victoria added a wreath of immortals around the crown as reminder of what happened to those colours at Isandlwana. Today, they are hanging in the Havard side chapel in Brecon Cathedral, Wales.
Queens COlours of 1/24th Regiment that were lost and later found after the Battle of Isandlwana in January 1879.
Burning Bush / Fire Extinguisher
High in the Sinai Mountains in St Catherine’s Monastery. It is a hugely significant religious site and this picture is of the Burning Bush. I found it slightly amusing that there is a fire extinguisher next to it…just in case.
In 2011, the Burning Bush is less of a safety risk that back in the days when it was described in the book of Exodus thanks to a fire extinguisher.
Soldier on guard, Hall of Valour
The Battle of Stalingrad was an horrendous fight to the death for hundreds of thousands of Russian and German soldiers. Today at the Hall of Valour at Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, there is a permanent guard.
A soldier stands guard in the Hall of Valour, Mamayev Kurgan, Volgograd
Petra through the Siq
The Siq at Petra is a long passage all visitors have to travel through to reach the famous Red City. As you approach the end, you get your first glimpse of the Treasury in Petra.
Nearing the end of the Siq and catching a first sight of the Treasury at Petra.
Kotor – cruise ship
The old walled town of Kotor in Montenegro is a popular cruise destination.
A cruise ship docked at Kotor, Montenegro
Pufferfish
This photo isn’t so much a favourite, I just want to highlight a problem (excuse the blurriness). When threatened, Pufferfish expand their bodies. Its a rare sight and is incredibly stressful for them. On this night dive in Aqaba, the guide annoyed this Pufferfish enough for it to puff out it’s body. I was really annoyed that someone meant to educate and protect the marine environment could do this. It was at a 5* PADI centre in a marine park.
This poor Pufferfish was annoyed by our dive guide and felt it had to expand it’s body to defend itself.
Ma’In Hotsprings
If you want to visit a fantastic spa resort in a stunning setting, the Ma’In Hotsprings 260m below sea level in Jordan will not disappoint.
The main waterfall at the fabulous Ma’In Hotsprings in Jordan.
I regularly update my Flickr account with my latest photos which you can find here:
http://www.flickr.com/bbmexplorer
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Thats all from me for 2011, now I’m looking forward to 2012 which will take me to more new places and the Euro 2012 Championships in Ukraine.
