I remember the first time I saw the steeps of Columbia when we drove to Yellowstone avoiding the main highway - it was amazing! The coastal mountains familiar to us were replaced by fields, and suddenly out of nowhere steep cliffs with orderly rows of basalt pillars grew around something that, with a stretch, could be called a canyon several kilometers wide. A few minutes - and again there are only fields around. Then I said, “Wow, what was that?! We will definitely need to come back here!” However, around the same time in Wuhan, a Chinese man was going to the market to buy some rice and a couple of bats, and then you know.  

The capital of Mexico, Mexico City is one of the most populated in the world. Now about 9 million people live in it. within the legal boundaries of the city and over 21 million - within the urban agglomeration (9th place in the world). It was built on the site of the Aztec Tenochtitlan, which at one time was also one of the largest cities (up to 500 thousand inhabitants, it is believed). But little is left of those days. Modern Mexico City is a combination of Spanish colonial architecture, art deco style, glass skyscrapers and numerous poor neighborhoods on the outskirts.

Saudi Arabia today and Saudi Arabia three years ago are different countries. Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who came to power, decided that it was time to change and carried out a bunch of reforms. It used to be very difficult to get a visa here, but today it's as easy as shelling pears - you pay a fee and in a couple of minutes you get an e-visa via the Internet.

Malcolm Island is a small island in the north of Vancouver Island, where you need to get two ferries and drive a little more than 400 km. I probably would never have found out about its existence if my wife hadn’t been making fun of it on social networks.

A few miles off the western coast of mainland Canada, on the north side of Vancouver Island is the small Cormorant Island, where Native American culture is still alive and well. True, no one calls him that - everyone calls him by the name of his only settlement, which occupies almost the entire area - Alert Bay.

Mid-spring 2021, the eighteenth wave of coronavirus and the associated severe restrictions on travel in the province with roadblocks and the cancellation of ferries (this was not even in 2020) found us in the Northern Okanagan - having traveled pretty much the south of the valley, I suddenly realized that I had a very vague idea about her north. And here, for a minute, is the town of Vernon, which has been repeatedly named one of the most desirable places to live in retirement in Canada.

I first became fascinated with New Orleans when I watched James Bond's Live And Let Die (1973) as a child. Then there was the film Angel Heart (1987) and the game Gabriel Knight. I decided that I would definitely find myself here someday. I was attracted by the stormy mishmash of cultures and the atmosphere of an eternal holiday. And I must say that New Orleans did not disappoint me, even though it was half-empty, half-closed, and it was not possible to fully experience the atmosphere of this place.

The city of Bergamo is located in the north of Italy, in the foothills of the Alps, 40 km northeast of Milan. The city is average by Italian standards - 120 thousand inhabitants. It has an interesting topographic feature - it is clearly divided into two parts: the Upper (Citta Alta) and the Lower City (Citta Bassa). The lower part is larger and more modern. But the historical center with the main attractions is located at the top, on a high hill surrounded by fortress walls of the 16th century.

Napoleon was born in Ajaccio 3 months after France trampled on the independent Corsican Republic. Of course, Poles and residents of the United States claim that it was theirs that had the first constitution, but this is not so: the first constitution of the modern era was in Corsica, 40 years earlier.

The old town of Würzburg is located on the flat bank of the Main River in Lower Franconia. The city is quite ancient, the first mention of a settlement in these places dates back to 704. Until that time, the Celts lived here. The majority of tourists are Americans, fans of the wine traditions of Franconia and lovers of the Baroque. The main attraction is the Würzburg Palace, which is one of the three most magnificent palaces in Europe, along with the French Versailles and Vienna's Schönbrunn.

The city of Brescia is located in northern Italy, in the foothills of the Alps, roughly halfway between Milan and Verona. It is not as popular in terms of tourism as its famous neighbors, but there are many sights and ancient monuments preserved here, so a walk in Brescia is like a journey through time - from one historical era to another.

In the northern part of Lanzarote, in the upper part of the Risco de Famara massif at an altitude of 474 meters, on the top of the cliff, there is an observation deck - Mirador del Rio. It offers views of Lanzarote's volcanoes, beaches, the endless ocean and an excellent view of the islet of La Graciosa. All details with photos under the cut.

Our next trip is in September in Western Canada. Alberta and British Columbia. As usual, I am drawn away from widely advertised and massively visited places, so I planned our route so as to spend maximum time in beautiful and little-known places, away from the crowds.

During the raging flu virus, every journey becomes a difficult test for the psychological state. You look not so much at the list of attractions as at the reports from the fields of medical battles. In this regard, my August visit to Latvia and Estonia seemed ideal. The virus spared these countries and nothing interfered with a quiet tourist vacation. I spent most of the trip in my native Riga, but I allotted only one day to Tallinn. Let's see what I managed to see there.

The Great Ocean Road is an iconic road route and one of the most scenic trails in the world. Australia is made for road travel. Good roads, long distances, beautiful views. Along the busy trails, there is always a place to have coffee, snacks and rest.