I heard a couple of weeks ago that I was a finalist in the TripBase Graphical Impressive Blog Award. This award is done completely in-house and is not based on nominations or rounding up votes so I'm extremely pleased given the huge number of travel blogs out there.
The sector description follows:
"This is the award for the best looking/most accessible travel blogs. The award is handed out to the sector's stars; those who lead the way in terms of graphics, layout, accessibility and design. It takes a creative touch to stand out from the crowd and only the leading inspirational travel bloggers will survive the rigorous selection process.
Our panel of travel industry experts have scoured the internet to search for the biggest and the best technically impressive travel blogs. The initial long list is then discussed and whittled down to the shortlist of award winners. We believe that each of our chosen bloggers is at the head of their field. The winners deserve the public recognition for their hard work and are worthy recipients of this prestigious accolade.
Travelling is aspirational, it is creative, and it is about adventure and learning new things. Bloggers in this category will have the rare ability to convey this to followers through page design, images and layout. A travel blog is also a forum for advice and tips on destinations, accommodation, modes of transport and things to see and do. Therefore we also look for a blog that can facilitate easy access by those looking for help or information."
Congratulations to the other winners, especially the top three place-getters in this category who are the impressive Gridskipper blog, WorldHum and the National Geographic blog.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
TripBase Graphically Impressive Blog Finalist
Friday, August 7, 2009
Time Phenomenon
At 12:34 and 56 seconds on the 7th of August this year, the time and date is 12:34:56 07/08/09.
That is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 in order in a freak of numbers.
For Americans that tend to write the month then the day, this same phenomenon happened around a month ago on the 8th July.
In 80 years time for those of us around, the same thing will happen in 2090 with the added zero on the end.
Just a bizarre combination of time and numbers.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Naval Riches (Portsmouth, England)
The historic dockyard in the Royal Naval Base of Portsmouth is a treasure trove of British naval history throughout the centuries. In the one area, the Mary Rose from the mid-1500s, Admiral Nelson’s famous HMS Victory from the late-1700s and Britain’s first iron-armoured battleship, HMS Warrior from 1860 stand proud from the era where naval power was a passport to military dominance. A combined ticket offers good value to see all three ships along with a handful of museums.
From the seafaring figurehead at the front of the ship, elegant yellow and black paintwork, the network of rigging on the masts and the superbly constructed (though smallish) admiral quarters encased in numerous windows at the stern of the ship, HMS Victory has a regal feel. The hull is constructed from two feet (60 centimetres) of solid oak.
By contrast, the cramped conditions with over 100 cannons and 800 men in a tight space must have made sea battles a hell on water. Utilising every inch of space, the men’s hammocks swayed over the cannons while even the dining tables hung from ropes. People of even average height today need to duck to avoid striking their heads on the beams below decks.
With the pride of victory at Britain’s most famous sea battle at Trafalgar, HMS Victory remains in commission as the navy’s oldest ship. A plaque marks the location where Nelson was shot in the shoulder by a French musket ball. He died below decks three hours later, victory having being secured, supposedly uttering the words “Kiss me, Hardy” to the ship’s captain. On 21 October every year to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar, marine flags representing Nelson’s famous expression “England expects that every man will do his duty" are hoisted.
Remarkably, one of HMS Victory’s large sails (around 25 metres by 15 metres), scarred with an estimated 90 shots from the French navy in the Battle of Trafalgar is on display in a special separate room.
Nearby is the Mary Rose, or more accurately a cross-section of it. Having capsized and sunk in 1545, King Henry VIII’s flagship lay on the seabed until she was retrieved in 1982, the portion that lay above the seabed having being consumed by marine woodworms. Today she sits in a ghostly mist of glycol behind Perspex windows, using the same longwinded but successful preservation method as the Swedish Vasa. A staggering number of artefacts are displayed nearby.
HMS Warrior reveals the life of a seaman in Queen Victoria’s time. This giant iron-hulled warship, replete with both steam power and sails never fought a battle. Her mere foreboding presence, power and heavy armory supposedly deterred all enemies. Again the starkness of the living conditions between the senior officers and the seamen and the cramped living conditions are visually striking.
Though a dull town, the harbour is a flourishing centre of activity with modern naval craft competing for space with the hordes of ferries heading for the neighbouring Isle of Wight or the European mainland. Portsmouth dockyards are a travel wonder making a wonderful day reliving naval history through three well-displayed and exceptional ships of their day giving a small sense of the harsh lives that the seafarers lived, especially in battle.
Other British and Irish Posts
All the World's a Stage (Stratford-upon-Avon)
Soaking Up Culture (Bath)
The Illuminated Manuscript (Dublin, Ireland)
A Bit of British (Gibraltar)
Photo Source: Mary Rose
Monday, August 3, 2009
Photo of the Week - Tuscan Beauty (Pitigliano, Italy)
The southern Tuscan town of Pitigliano (about 100 kilometres south of Chianti) perches splendidly on a volcanic plateau, its ancient honey-coloured houses, city gates, aqueduct, churches and fortress built right to the edge of the rocky ridge. Etruscan tombs over 1500 years old dot the hill-face. With some of the more timeless Tuscany hotels, it is a wonderful small town that warrants exploring for a day with typical narrow alleys of houses that date back centuries and tiny hidden wine and food bars serving local wines such as the refreshing and light white, Poggia Al Tufo. In a surprise, along with a cathedral and a number of churches, there is also a Jewish history with a synagogue, kosher butchering area and bread oven which date back centuries.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Drinks Around the World: Becherovka (Czech Republic)
A group of travel bloggers are in their third month of celebrating a drink of the month.
With a recent focus on the Czech Republic with a tour of Prague and a guide to seven of the best Czech castles, this months offering comes from this popular central European country.
Becherovka is a drink based on a bewildering array of secret herbs and spices including cinnamon and aniseed. It has an intense fragrant flavour that is slightly bitter. Many enjoy it with tonic or soda water though I preferred it neat. Though previously difficult to find, it has started to appear on occasional shelves in Sydney and undoubtedly other countries around the world.
To add mystery to the product, only two people are rumoured to know the secret recipe handed down through the last two hundred years.
So here is a na zdraví to all those international drinkers at our mid-year cocktail party.
Other Drinks Around the World
Chimay Beer (Belgium)
Pisco Sour (Peru and Chile)
