Tag: free
Hydrangea Festival at Takatôyama Park (Kitakyushu, Japan)
If you know anything about the Japanese, it is that they love their monoculture gardens. Many Japanese people also know when different flowering plants are in full bloom. Plum blossoms early in the year, cherry blossoms in April, Wisteria in mid-May, Peonies in late May/early June, etc. So what about mid-June? In mid-June the hydrangeas […]
Peony Garden in Fukuoka’s Ohori Park – Japan
Just like the bees that pollinate them, the residents of Fukuoka flock to the peony garden in Ohori Park in early May. Like the nearby Wisteria Garden, you will find many Japanese people coming here to photograph the peonies. Peonies, or 芍薬 (しゃくやく, shyakuyaku) in Japan (some species are also called ボタン (botan)), represent symbolise […]
A Garden After Blooming – Wisteria Garden, Ohori Park, Fukuoka
We see the effects of flowering plants year-round: sniffling and sneezing because of pollen, bees and insects invading picnics, and a sweet smell in the air. What many of us fail to realise is how fast flowers come and go. Nowhere is this more evident than in a single-species garden – also called a monoculture […]
Fushimi Inari and Mt. Inari, Kyoto – The path of 1000 gates
If you are travelling to Kyoto on a budget, you don’t like spending money or you just like hiking, then Fushimi Inari is for you. Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is a Shinto Shrine in Kyoto that is dedicated to Inari, the god of rice. It is free to visit and is open 24/7. Fushimi Inari […]
Wisteria in Fukuoka – Purple cascades
If you are a fan of purple flowers, wisteria (フジの花) may be just the thing for you. Wisteria typically blooms in Japan in late April and early May. Because it is further south in Japan, the wisteria in Fukuoka usually blooms before the wisteria on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. One of the best […]
Texas Canyon, Arizona – Smooth Round Boulders
Halfway between Tucson, Arizona, and the border with New Mexican lies Texas Canyon. Interstate 10 (I-10), which crosses the southern US states from California to Florida, runs right through the canyon. There is also a convenient rest stop here with restroom facilities! What makes this canyon unique are the rocks. The rock formations in Texas […]
Agua Caliente, Tucson, Arizona – An Oasis in the Desert
Tucson sits in a desert and has the climate to match. Everywhere you look, there is sand, dust, Saguaro cacti (cactuses) and other spikey plants. You can see a perfect example of the typical, unspoilt landscape at Saguaro National Park, Arizona. However there is also some water here as well – Agua Caliente. Agua Caliente […]
McCaig’s Tower, Oban, Scotland – The Scottish Amphitheatre
Located in the Scottish Highlands, the port city of Oban is the gateway to the Hebrides. McCaig’s Tower stands tall on Battery Hill overlooking the city and the bay. McCaig’s Tower was the idea of John Stuart McCaig, a banker who wanted to do two things: The result is McCaig’s Tower, which is an open […]
Zentralfriedhof, Vienna – The same size as Zurich and twice the fun!
The Zentralfriedhof (main cemetary) in Vienna lies on the edge of the city not far from the Vienna airport. With a “population” of over 3 million, it houses twice as many people as currently are alive in the city. But why would you ever want to visit a cemetery when you go to Vienna? Maybe […]
Pen y Fan, Wales – At the head of the Valleys
In the centre of Wales lies Brecon Beacons National Park, which contains a mountain range of the same name (Brecon Beacons). One of these mountains is Pen y Fan. Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in central and southern Wales. It sits just southeast of the town of Brecon, which is related to the […]
Ardchattan Priory, Scotland – A garden of contemplation
Ardchattan Priory sits approximately 10 miles/16 kilometres outside the port city of Oban in Scotland. Its history dates back to its founding in 1230. History Ardchattan Priory resulted from Duncan MacDougal, the Lord of Argyll, located in Dunollie Castle. He invited the Valliscaulian Order to set up a local priory. They had been given a […]
Bridge Over The Atlantic, Scotland – Clachan Bridge to the Island of Seil
Just south of Oban in Scotland lies a bridge built in 1792. Connecting the Island of Seil to mainland Scotland, the bridge is known as Clachan Bridge. It gets its name from the body of water it crosses, which is the Clachan Sound. However it has a second name, which is the “Bridge over the […]
Falkirk Kelpies, Scotland – A tribute to Scotland and strong horses
Situated between the towns of Falkirk and Grangemouth in Scotland, the Kelpies are an art installation by Andy Scott, an artist of renown famous for his other installations around the UK. This installation is of two “kelpies”. The myth behind the Falkirk Kelpies A kelpie is a mythical creature said to be like a seahorse […]
Rest and Be Thankful – Scotland A83
In 1753 there had been a recent Jacobite rebellion; General Wade had the task of subjugating Scotland. One of the many things they built were roads to improve connectivity, This would allow troops to move faster and react to these crises in the future. One of the results was Drover’s Road (the old A83) and […]
Brean Down, England – Down to the Sea
On the Somerset coast just outside Weston-Super-Mare is a small holiday village: Brean. Apart from the beach and holiday homes, there really isn’t much there. There is just one exception: Brean Down. History Brean Down formed about 60,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age in southern England. Glaciers retreated across the […]
