Exploring Luleå and the church town of Gammelstad

Exploring Luleå and the church town of Gammelstad

Luleå (Luleju in Northern Sami, Julevu in Lule Sami, Luulaja in Finnish) is a coastal city and capital of Swedish Lapland in the northern province of Norrbotten. It is the largest city in Swedish Lapland as well as a modern city focused on the digital economy. Indeed,...
The Sultanate of Oman in the time of Castles

The Sultanate of Oman in the time of Castles

Some 500 forts dot the mountains of the Sultanate of Oman. No matter where you go, you will run into a fort or a castles. There are so many you can’t visit them all! Those inland were influenced by Persian architecture, those on the coast by Portuguese. They dominate...
A visit to Valparaiso, the Chile’s Colorful Coastal City

A visit to Valparaiso, the Chile’s Colorful Coastal City

A stop in Valparaíso (Valpo to locals) is a must-do when visiting Chile. Valparaiso is located 70 miles northwest of the capital Santiago and is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Its name means “Valley of Paradise”. In 2003 the historic center of...
New Orleans: Let’s Get Together And Swing !

New Orleans: Let’s Get Together And Swing !

The lyrics of Les Acadiens by French singer Michel Fugain (Les Acadiens) run through my mind, “Y a dans le sud de la Louisiane / Et dans un coin du Canada / Des tas de gars, des tas de femmes / Qui chantent dans la même langue que toi. Tous les Acadiens, toutes les...
Saint Augustine: Back to the Future…

Saint Augustine: Back to the Future…

Can we take the wheel of the DeLorean Speed Machine on display at Universal Studios and at 88 miles per hour create a time vortex ? We are in the middle of “Back to the Future” as projected on to a small, historic and picturesque town along a beach lined with by sand...
Feel like a child again !

Feel like a child again !

If you don’t want to become an adult, just don’t grow up. Peter Pan succeeded in Neverland surrounded by his lost boys and the fairy Tinkerbell 🙂 . Let’s face it, it is tempting to rediscover a carefree childhood… even for a single day ? So, direction Orlando, a giant...
All Quiet on the Key West Front

All Quiet on the Key West Front

The first thing that comes to my mind when talking about Florida, “The Sunshine State” and the Land of Flowers in Spanish, is, I confess, Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs in the TV series Miami Vice: a warm climate, streets lined with Palm trees, the long white sandy...
With Time, Everything goes away…

With Time, Everything goes away…

Havana, a last dive into Cuban culture… The colonial capital is a movie set lying somewhere between decay and sparkling beauty! With time… / With time everything goes its way / Even the dearest of memories…, sung by French singer Léo Ferré. Who would not dream of...
The Old Good Days

The Old Good Days

“Muchos recuerdan los viejos tiempos…” (Let’s recall the old good days) Trinidad is a town full of history, not revolutionary history but architectural. It is located in the province of Sanctis Spiritus in central Cuba from about 225 miles from Havana and was founded...
Ella, LA / I don’t know what this is / That others do not have

Ella, LA / I don’t know what this is / That others do not have

Beverly Hills (even without Brandon & Branda), Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu (I am sure you already have a mental image of Pamela in a red swimming suit running along the beach to give mouth-to-mouth to a careless surfer)… are evocative names glittering on the...
The Streets of San Francisco

The Streets of San Francisco

San Francisco in Northern California, commonly abbreviated SF or more colloquially Frisco, is one of the most beautiful cities on the West Coast of the United States. Go, relax, close your eyes and imagine yourself for ten minutes at the wheel of a Ford Mustang...
A taste of India

A taste of India

Namaste, The Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the South bank of Yamura River in Agra, is the most admired and photographed edifice in India. The building was and remains the most perfect ever built by man. It was commissioned in 1632 by Emperor Shah Jahan...
Fast and Furious

Fast and Furious

Namaste, I left the airport in New Delhi at 1.30 am local time… All my senses are immediately overwhelmed with smells, colors, and sounds… the heat is still overwhelming: it is still 100 ° F (currently the temperatures hit 116 ° F during the day – in the shade of...
The Blue Lotus

The Blue Lotus

您好 (ni hao), You have surely recognized (or not) the reference to the adventures of Tintin, the comics series by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé… I’ll let you guess the stopover? Come on, make a small cultural effort. I’ll give you another hint: it is the city where...
The garden city and its magic lanterns

The garden city and its magic lanterns

Sated with futuristic buildings, we find another side of Singapore when walking down the streets of its ethnic neighborhoods. Arab Street, a small shopping street, is a labyrinth of colorful houses, bustling day and night and quite near the must-see Sultan Mosque with...
On the narrow streets of Singapore…

On the narrow streets of Singapore…

Ladies and gentlemen, Let’s explore a city, a country, and an island by visiting only one place: Singapore, located off the coast of Southern Malasia. The Asian city-state known as “The Garden City” is a global commercial, financial and transportation hub with tall...