Category Archives: Architecture

There is something ineffably sad about an abandoned city or town. Ibra is one of the oldest cities in Oman, and home to some of the biggest tribes in the country. It grew rich because of its location on the major trade route between Muscat, Sur and Zanzibar, becoming a centre of trade, religion, education, […]

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The Sultanate of Oman is a land of forts and castles. Sitting at the southeastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, this Middle Eastern country has always been a centre of regional trade. As early as 120 AD, a branch of Nabataean Arabs arrived in the vast desert interior. By the 1600s, the Omani Sultanate was […]

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Two of the great joys of travel are eating and shopping! Any visitor to these pages know I love exploring markets. I love the colour and the chaos; I love the photographic challenges they present; I love the insight they give into local people’s lives. I don’t even mind the pseudo ‘workshop’ visits that are […]

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When you are trekking at altitude in Nepal, the Sherpas will tell you: Go high, sleep lower. In the Peruvian Andes, the guiding companies seem to take the opposite approach. Cusco, in the south-east of Peru, is the starting point for most Inca Trail tours. This little city in the Central Peruvian Andes sits at 3350 […]

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The little city of Santander with its sheltered natural harbour on the Bay of Biscay has a long and rich history. It is thought to have been the location of the 26 BC Roman port: Portus Victoriae Iuliobrigensium, but no definitive archaeological evidence has been found. The first documentary mention of the settlement was in 1068, although […]

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