In the Blyde River Canyon, one can find these rock formations called the "Three Rondavels" named after the traditional South African round house with a conical thatched roof. This is one of the "must-see" spots along the Panorama Route.
Location: South Africa
I shot this at 5:17PM as the sun set behind these trees laid bare by winter at Thornybush game reserve, South Africa. Not a sound could be heard in the stillness of the jungle as light gave way to darkness.
Location: Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
We stayed in a small, cheap, but clean hostel with very basic amenities. However, the view from the room was priceless. This is St. James Cathedral's spire early in the morning as I stood by the window with my coffee, listening to the bells toll and watching the first rays of the sun slowly illuminating the craggy mountain peaks in the backdrop.
Location: Innsbruck, Austria
The highway to Vienna leads into the mountains in the far distance. It's a 3-hour drive via beautiful alpine countryside from Salzburg where we stopped along the route to picnic and savor the great scenery all around.
Location: Salzburg, Austria
The Greek word Meteora means "suspended in the air", and the words meteorite and meteorology come from the same root. The conglomerate rock at Meteora, Greece, has fantastic peaks upon which medieval monks built monasteries, several of which are still active. The Grand Meteora Monastery, founded in the 1300's AD, was built on this steep pinnacle.
Location: Meteora, Greece
A lifeless juniper tree clings to the edge of this lookout point overlooking the Grand Canyon. We drove all the way here from Vegas on our way to L.A. and decided to spend the night in order to watch the glorious sunset. It was a beautiful sight and quite a surreal experience which, unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture on camera. The reason? I run out of batteries! Wanted to jump off the cliff but my family assured me that there would always be a next time.....
Half-dome, the famous natural landmark in Yosemite Park, towers 2-1/2 kilometers over the deep valley below. Formed by glaciers millions of years ago as they retreated, the park has flat, curved and mountainous terrain with varying degrees of vegetation. After driving 'round and 'round, we got to Glacier Point and were rewarded with this breathtaking view. Awesome!
Location: Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Southwest of England in Cornwall lies the Eden Project. Sited on an old clay pit, the complex includes several giant, climate-controlled, transparent, biodomes that house various species of plants from around the world. They emulate a tropical environment and a warm, temperate Mediterranean climate. The project took 2½ years to construct and opened to the public in March 2001. Part theme park and part educational experience, it is a very interesting place to visit. We spent a whole day there meandering through the indoor landscape and the outdoor terraced walkways lined with sculptures and numerous plants.
Location: St. Austell, Cornwall, England
The Ciutat de las Artes y Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) boasts of a complex of truly mind-blowing architectural masterpieces. Here, the majestic Opera House (left) and Planetarium look like antediluvian creatures wading across a prehistoric sea. That's how I thought of them while bracing myself against an exasperated wife since I had no tripod to take a steady, 1/2 sec, slow-shutter shot. Think I pulled it off!
Location: Valencia, Spain
Eleven kilometers outside the city of Jaipur stands this magnificent structure called Amber Fort. With a wonderfully medieval flavor, it is a complex filled with numerous palaces, the handiwork of three of the old kingdom's rulers. We took an elephant ride up the steep rampart that cuts diagonally across the forbidding walls, giving awesome views of the river below and the surrounding mountainous terrain. Great fun!
Location: Jaipur, India
The spanking brand-new Hauptbahnhoff cost one billion dollars to build. Most of the money must have gone to this gigantic glass roof and facade that mirrors some of the city's famous landmarks.
Location: Berlin, Germany
The somber atmosphere of the newly-opened Jewish Holocaust Memorial contrasted sharply with the gaiety a block away where a street party celebrating the start of the World Cup '06 was going on. Berlin is a city of contrasts rich in symbolism; both historically and architecturally.
Location: Berlin, Germany
This realistic tableau depicting the Crucifixion can be found on the topmost hilly section of the hauntingly beautiful "Way of the Cross" in Lourdes. It is a 2-km. path tracing the fifteen stations of Jesus Christ’s suffering.
Location: Lourdes, France
This from a high vantage point above the Elevador de Santa Justa where you can see one of the seven hills that make up the city. Sitting on this hill in the far distance is the Castelo de Sao Jorge, a Moorish castle built atop an old Roman fort.
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Just one of the breathtaking bends that the Royal Gorge train passes through on its 12-mile winding journey across these mountain canyons in Canon City, Colorado. We stood on the open-deck car and it was quite an unforgettable trip as every turn brought amazing panoramas right beside the fast-flowing Arkansas River.
Location: Colorado, USA
When night falls, the lights around the Tivoli Garden lend a magical air specially by the reflecting pool surrounding the Chinese pagoda which is actually a restaurant. They have evening laser light shows right above the water that makes the place a lot more enchanting.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
