Nikedun Blog

This photo is of the Bolivia Salt Flats, or Salar de Uyuni, and might be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Travellers flock to South America to see them, and it's no surprise - they're a real natural wonder. They were part of a prehistoric salt lake, and the awe-inspiring vast salt desert that's left if simply stunning.  Due to the lack of perspective caused by the flatness and whiteness you can take great photos - just do an internet search for Bolivia salt flats and you'll see what I mean! 

Crane beach is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Barbados. It is so called because it was a small commercial port in the mid-18th century, and they raised and lowered cargo by crane. It has been rated as one of the ten best beaches in the world - and I have to agree with that tag! It's not just the wild waves; wonderful sea breeze, or the beautifully warm turquoise water but also the incredible pink sand....yes pink!  My first step on the sand on this beach always has to be done barefoot, because it's the most powdery sand I have ever walked on. The pink colour comes from pink coral that has been pulverized and washed up over time. This beach is on the south east side of the island, but is well worth a trip from the west coast if that's where you're staying. Top tip: Park at the Crane Beach hotel and enjoy the view while having lunch or a drink in the kafe before heading down to the sea.

When I think of Rome, it conjures up images of sightseeing on warm sunny days, and sitting at cafes watching the world go by. I have decided to visit the city in the winter time, to see it without the huge crowds and long queues at the main sights. The reason for my trip? Well pop back to my blog next week and you'll find out! Arrivederci!

I absolutely love flying - for me it's when my travels begin, and my holiday starts. On a recent trip, I flew over the Mont Blanc range of mountains, which straddle across France and Italy. Mont Blanc is the highest point of the Alps; the highest peak in Western Europe, and is nicknamed the roof of Europe! There are small planes that take you over this incredibly beautiful mountain range, but I was lucky enough to fly on a beautiful clear day and experience it while making my journey to Italy. This is just one of the reasons I love flying - the window seat gives us a view to a world we'd never otherwise see so if you're flying this year, lift the window blind, and enjoy the view!

Close to home for me for this one, and today's pick is an incredible feat of engineering. The Forth Bridge towers over the turbulent waters of the Firth of Forth is a wonder of the modern world. The bridge, which carries 200 trains each day, links Fife with the Lothians.  minecraft coloring book In 1964 the rail crossing was joined by the Forth Road Bridge, and this month a third bridge, the Queensferry Crossing will open - a real reason to visit this iconic Scottish landmark. 

While my photos usually feature a fabulous scene that I've captured on my travels, today's photo is a little message that suits me down to the ground. I'm a very positive person, who tries to see the good in everyone, and when I saw this sign in a shop window, I knew I had to feature it on here! So whatever your plans are for the weekend, try to be optimistic and see the glass as half full! 

If you're going to be in New York in the next few days, get yourself along to the Rockefeller Center quick smart! There's a large-scale public art installation but it's only there until the 5th of July. Seated ballerina, by Jeff Koons, is an inflatable nylon sculpture which is hugely eye-catching - no surprise given it's 45 feet high! One of the things I love about New York is the amount of things you just happen to come across when walking around the city, and there were crowds of people, locals and tourists alike, taking photos when I was there. So if you're in the city, pop along and take a look - and bear in mind that during inclement weather she has to be deflated for safety reasons, so check the Rockefeller Center's official twitter account here  for the latest update before going. 

I think New Yorkers would forgive me for saying they don't mess with their words - I mean that in the nicest possible way, and it's sometimes a refreshing attitude that they say what they mean rather than skirting around things as many British people do! This attitude even extends to their street signs.  In the UK, it would probably say "No Parking"....but in New York, it's "Don't even think of parking here"! I love it!

Regular readers of my blog will know I love taking photos of amusing road signs. On a recent trip to the Caribbean I saw one of the best signs I've ever seen. You've heard the one about the chicken crossing the road? Well what about the sea turtles? If you've spotted an amusing road sign on your travels, why not get in touch and share it!

I love a silly travel photo every now and then, and this one really tickles me! I was wandering around a beautiful area of Rome, with gorgeous gated houses when I spotted these two nosey parkers!  They weren't barking, they were just sniffing around but they did make me chuckle. A travel photo with a difference - look up, look down, and keep your eyes peeled when travelling..you never know what you'll see!

As the saying goes, you can't have a rainbow without a little rain! Don't you love it when clouds clear after a rainstorm and a beautiful rainbow appears? That happened to me on a recent trip - and I was lucky enough to capture it on camera. Rainbows don't stay around for long, so I had to get my camera out quickly and snap away! Sadly I didn't find the pot of gold at the end of it, but rainbows always make me smile anyway, so it was a lovely moment. Have you ever managed to get a photo of something beautiful in nature? If so why not send it to me - details on my contact page.

What's the difference between street art and graffiti? I believe graffiti has a bad reputation because it can be seen as destructive and a form of vandalism. Street artists want people to be engaged by their work, and to have an emotional response to it.  I took this photo when travelling in Portugal, and love how it seems to totally transform a building that has seen better days. Have you photographed street art on your travels? If so why not share it with me. I'd love to see it!

As this is my last travel photo before the end of the year, I thought it was fitting to feature a snowy scene that Santa would be very happy with! Many of my friends and family have visited Lapland this year, and I don't blame them - it's a stunning place, and the perfect way to build up to Christmas! It's not long now until Santa and his reindeer will be getting the sleigh ready to deliver all the presents, so I hope you've all been good boys and girls this year! Stay cosy everyone.

Today's photo was inspired by a television series I watched recently, with British actor Julie Walters travelling round the UK by train, and it got me thinking about rail holidays. 'As seen on screen' travel is a growing trend, with film and television locations becoming holiday hotspots.  In Scotland you can follow in the footsteps of Harry Potter on The Jacobite steam train, which crosses the 21-arched Glenfinnan viaduct made famous by the film. The 84 mile round trip from Fort William to Mallaig has been described as the greatest railway journey in the world. Who could resist that stunning scenery? Not me....it's now on my ever-growing list of destinations I'm determined to travel to!

I recently had a wonderful flight up to Edinburgh. Normally the cloud cover in the UK drives me crazy, but on this day, the skies were clear and I had a fabulous view over the snowy hills below. I love taking photos from the plane - it just feels like you're in another world when you're flying high! Have you got any photos you'd like to share that you took on a flight? Feel free to get in touch via my contact page.

Today's shot comes courtesy of Paul Ashley who took it on a recent trip to Brussels. It might take you a moment to work it out, but what a clever shot! This is Grand-Place, the central square of the City of Brussels. It's considered as one of the most beautiful places of the world, and was registered on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO in 1998. The square is surrounded by public and private buildings dating mainly from the late 17th century.  It follows on nicely from my recent blog post about photography - if you look at things differently, this is proof you can get an amazing shot unlike your fellow travellers - thanks for the donation Paul!

The Greek island of Skyros is so picturesque that I really struggled to pick one photo to feature - I could have used a whole lot more, but to me, this one sums up what the Greek islands are all about. Baking heat; stunning scenery and beautiful islands in the distance longing to be explored!  If you've got a top tip for a particular Greek island you've enjoyed visiting, I'd love to hear all about it! 

Did you know that watching the sunset has been proven to relieve stress? To me, that's just the best excuse to take a few moments to sit and enjoy the wonder of the world! The best thing is no two sunsets will ever be the same; and when I return from travelling, I find my photos are full of stunning sunsets all full of different colours. This one was taken in the Caribbean this June and was one of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen - the white cloud glowed a fiery red after the sun went down, and it almost looked like an alien spaceship hovering overhead! If you're having a rough day, take a moment to appreciate the sunset and let your worries drift away - it always works for me.

I'm sure that readers of my blog from all over the world will recognise Eilean Donan Castle. The stunning castle was first inhabited around the 6th century, and the first fortified castle was built in the mid 13th century. Since then, after being partially destroyed in a Jacobite uprising, at least four different versions of the castle have been built and re-built.  Sometimes as a photographer, you just get lucky....and that's what happened to me on a recent trip to the Scottish Highlands. I stopped to visit the castle, and before going in and starting my visit, the rain cleared, and a stunning rainbow emerged perfectly over the iconic landmark. Some say it's the most beautiful castle in Scotland, I say it looks even better with a rainbow over it! 

This cleverly titled giant sculpture is called 'Waste of a Dolphin', and is on display at marinas throughout the Portuguese Algarve this summer, and for the next five weeks it's on display in the outdoor space at the Portimão Museum by the riverside. The dolphin is about eight feet long, and is by Algarve artist BJ Boulter, and is completely made out of discarded plastic.  It's safe to say we're all becoming more and more aware that the oceans desperately need our help, and the idea for this project came from a voyage into South Africa by boat years ago. BJ sailed into the harbour in Durban, and the water was glittering like diamonds - but it was actually a sea of plastic bottles. So sad, and very shocking.  The work is part of a show entitled 'Listen to the Ocean', and is part of a winder initiative powered by Marlagos and CIMA, the centre for marine investigation at the University of the Algarve. We can all do our bit to make the world a be...