Graffiti and I have a true love/hate relationship. Although I love Italy dearly, each and every time I go back, I am aghast at the amount of graffiti painted onto architectural masterpieces.

I can’t imagine what sort of person would scrawl their name on the side of the Duomo.

On the other hand, I have seen some truly inspired street art from all over the world and have taken photos of much of it. The central part of Bogota was one of the first places I broke my camera out, solely on the quest for great street art.

There are some great street artists working all over the world, quite worthy of respect and support, as long as they also appreciate the appropriateness of the locations where they conduct their calling.

My appreciation for street art starts with the mere aesthetics. Simply put, do I like how it looks? But excellent street art takes it to the next level with a good message. Art that not only is visually appealing, but also makes you stop and think for a moment – that is what my eye in on the lookout for as I wander.

This street art I found down an alleyway in Valencia, Spain before I headed south to Denia aced both of my criteria. Simple, meaningful, and well done.

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I absolutely love dogs, but I never would have guessed how much I’d immediately take to dog sledding during my trip to Finland. I only got a chance to do it for a few hours, but as soon as I got off the sled, I turned to the folks running it and asked them if it would be possible in the future to do something like a two or three day sled ride, with some camping out in the wilderness also.

Yes, I was that taken with the entire experience.

The best I can come up for an explanation is that, when the dogs are running and you are standing and holding on to the back of the sled, but not really needing to pay that much attention to things so you can just watch the world go by, an utter feeling of peace washed over me. I felt like I could do this for hours and perhaps even get some quality thinking done at the same time, freed from the addiction of modern life, a.k.a. constant connectivity.

I did both dogsledding and snowmobiling on this trip for the first time (another video coming soon) and for those that haven’t done it before, I’d compare them to sailing and power boating, respectively.

A fast motor boat has some appeal to me, but give me the peace and quiet of a sailboat most every day of the week.

Now I can add dog sledding to that level of enjoyment.

One little thing you need to be aware of before you hitch yourself to a dog sled is the smell. I am a dog lover beyond compare — don’t bother with trying to convince me that cats are remotely as good — but there is an accompanying oder with most outside dogs, the pungent whiff of urine.

I was at the very end of about a dozen dog sleds going through the forest, so I think I got the full combined brunt of the 50 or so dogs’ fragrance.

All that being said, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, I might need to see about that 2-3 day sledding and camping idea for next winter…

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I was a guest of the Finnish Tourism Board as part of a Navigate Media Group project. Thanks to  Visit Finland and  Phyä-Luosto Tourist Board from sponsoring my eye opening journey through Finland in the winter. Though this trip was sponsored, obviously all the views (and photos and video) expressed herein are my own.

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If you are headed to Spain, get your taste buds ready to enjoy one of the great culinary treats in the world, tapas (also called pinchos in some parts of far northern Spain).

Tapas are bite-sized food portions, not only served in restaurants, but also in almost every bar and pub in the country from early afternoon onward. They come in both hot and cold varieties and can either be eaten as a way to tide you over to the traditionally late Spanish dinner or as a meal unto itself. This shot came from my stay in Valencia, but you will find tapas all over Spain.

A couple of questions usually come up the first time you wander into a bar serving tapas:

Do I just pick some of the ones displayed and eat them? Absolutely. They are put out fresh daily and replenished as needed. If they are on display, as in the photo, just grab a plate and pick some up and start eating.

How do they keep track of what you’ve eaten and how do I pay for it? In most places, you will just keep the toothpicks, some of which are different colors or sizes that represent different prices. When you are ready to pay they will either just ask you what you ate or count toothpicks. It can be a bit of an honor system, so do not tempt the travel karma gods by cheating.

How much does it cost? In my experience, a portion of tapas will usually run from 2€ to 4€, tending towards the lower end of that scale more commonly. A wonderful glass of Spanish wine will usually cost around 3€ or so and you can do a fairly filling meal and drinks for under 15€.

So next time you are in Spain, dive right in and enjoy one of the best food traditions you will find anywhere on the planet.

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this is A quick guide to tapas from Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, Write - overland travel, RTW travel, adventure travel

One of the things I enjoy about doing some of the sponsored trips I get to do these days is that there invariably are a few things on the schedule that they come up with that I’d never have done myself, if left to my own devices. I definitely fall into the “whatever you want to do” camp of trip planning, which sometimes means that when I get to a place I tend not to do very much, unless prodded on by people I meet, or in this case by the great tourism boards I was working with.

Because I am up for just about anything though, I have afternoons like I did at the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine during my trip to Finland. Unexpected.

view from the mountain top, mine entrance to the right

This is Europe’s only active amethyst mine, but now that I think about it, I’m not sure I could have successfully listed any country in the world that mined amethyst. Then again, that does lead to a bit of an odd confession:

Amethyst is my birth stone.

How I know that amethyst is my birth stone is a complete mystery to me. Did my mother tell me that decades ago and somehow it got lodged in my brain? Did some woman I was dating mention her birth stone as a possible gift idea after telling me what mine was and it has taken up valuable neuron space ever since?

I have no idea, but I am 100% sure that it is my birth stone — even more sure than I am at I am a Sagittarius.

(See, I just had to look that up to make sure. Yep, December 15th. I am the archer.)

even with these skies, everything was so beautiful

“Amethyst Pendolino,” my ride up to the coffee hut, then the mine

The actual part of the tour where you went into the amethyst mine and dug out your own wasn’t all that exciting — on your hands and knees with a little pick banging away on the ground, but there were a good number of amethysts to be had. I ended up with five of them (don’t tell my nieces… their Christmas presents are pretty set this year, once have someone make a couple of these into necklaces or whatever).

It is certain to be a good time for any families traveling with kids. “Look Mom, I dug up a pretty stone!”

Then again, I have recurring nightmares of traveling with kids, so I should move on from that thought.

The tour guide for the entire thing was great. After getting taken up to the mine in that pendolino thing (sorta cool in and of itself), everyone went into a warm hut to hear about the mine’s history and the powers of amethyst, according to the local legends of the Sami people. It has the power to heal kidney aliments, can aid in the recollection of dreams, and protect against psychic attacks among various other amazing attributes.

It was a fun little talk, prior to heading down to dig for our stones.

But my favorite amethyst story came not from the tour guide, but from the magic of the interwebs, when I did a quick search:

The Romans used amethyst to protect against intoxication and the name comes from the Ancient Greek “amethystus,” which means, “not intoxicated.”

My birthstone. I’ve never been more proud.

the actual digging part is a little less photogenic than the up-top part

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I was a guest of the Finnish Tourism Board as part of a Navigate Media Group project. Thanks to  Visit Finland and  Phyä-Luosto Tourist Board from sponsoring my eye opening journey through Finland in the winter. Though this trip was sponsored, obviously all the views (and photos and video) expressed herein are my own.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my feed.

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It was right that on the agenda that the Visit Finland folks emailed me. I wasn’t sure they were serious or whether it was part of some sort of Finnish joke.

Finnish sauna is for every occasion in Finland, for business as much as for leisure. The Finns believe that due to its social nature and relaxing effect, the sauna is an excellent place for negotiations, and exchange of ideas and opinions. In ancient times, the sauna in Finland was linked to spiritual and religious ceremonies and healing. The sauna meant a quiet, peaceful place and a clean and warm haven. Saunas have always had a very strong significance and social importance.

The health benefits of ice swimming have been thoroughly researched. Due to the drastic changes in temperature the discharge of stress hormones is increased and both blood circulation and metabolism are improved. Studies have shown that people who swim regularly have significantly lower blood pressure and a better tolerance of the cold. Many swimmers say that all aches and pains disappear in the water.

You can feel the effects of ice swimming even after the very first dip in the icy water. Blood rushes through your veins, your body is pumped with adrenaline and the feeling of achievement brings a smile to your face: “I did it!”

Whaaaa?? Sauna? Fine, even if naked.

But Ice swimming??

What the heck had I gotten myself into on this trip?

My First Effort

My first sauna was in a small house in the Phyä-Luosto area up in Lapland that I was staying at for most of my trip. The sauna was male-only, and therefore we did the sauna portion naked, which was fine. Bit odd to be talking to a couple guys about the weather and such in the nude, but not that big a deal.

But before that, when I pulled up with my two wonderful local tourism folks/drivers/guides, they told me that it was easiest to just do the ice lake swimming right in the beginning, before your body warmed up in the sauna too much which would only highlight the difference in temperature more.

Big mistake.

By the time I shuffled down the frozen path from the sauna building to the lake, my feet were frozen solid and I was completely and totally mentally psyched out by the whole experience.

Semi-failure.

(Side note here is that I didn’t do the lake swimming part naked, not only because I was going to video it, but because my camera person was one of my guides, both of which were women).

My Second Try

After my stay up around the Arctic Circle in Phyä-Luosto, I hopped back on a train and headed down to meet one of my favorite people in the world, Ayngelina of Bacon is Magic, for a couple days of hanging out in Tampere.

still not sure I believe it

As soon as I got there, I told Ayngelina that we would be doing the frozen lake swimming. She had already done a sauna or two and loved the experience, but hadn’t jumped in the lake yet.

Time to overcome that mental hurdle.

A couple things to note. See that blurry photo over to the right? Those are the various temperatures in Celsius.

First is the temperature of the sauna. Below that is the temperature of the water. Last is the temperature of the air outside the sauna.

So, the water was 0.3 degrees Celsius — that is 32.54 degrees Fahrenheit. The temp inside the sauna was 91.4 degrees Celsius — that is 196.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Science review: water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit) and  boils at 100 degrees Celsius (212 Fahrenheit).

We were just slightly short of being able to put out a glass of water and watching it boil in front of our eyes. I actually am more shocked by that than the water temperature.

The second oddity on this visit was when we learned that our local Finnish guide, a truly great guy named Ville who runs the Tampere Dream Hostel in town, had never gone ice swimming before. He was a regular sauna-goer, but had never jumped in the lake.

We were going to fix that oversight.

Lastly, do the sauna first to warm your body up. It doesn’t matter a bit once you hit the freezing water, but the steam that comes off you as you walk down to the water keeps you body warm for that part, at least. It makes a big difference.

Video Proof

In the continuing effort to work on my video skills, I give you my video proof of all the above…. with a good song (wait for the timing of “fool” about 20-25 seconds in).

I’m still working a lot on my shooting and editing skills, so any feedback that you have is more than welcome. I know I still have a ways to go, but if you’d like to subscribe to my YouTube channel to keep up with my progress, you can either click on the link that shows up in the lower right on this video or just click through here.

Thanks!

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I was a guest of the Finnish Tourism Board as part of a Navigate Media Group project. Thanks to  Visit Finland and  Phyä-Luosto Tourist Board from sponsoring my eye opening journey through Finland in the winter. Though this trip was sponsored, obviously all the views (and photos and video) expressed herein are my own.

And if I get to go back later this year… yes, I WILL be doing this a few more times.

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this is Ice swimming in Finland. Ice swimming??!! from Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, Write - overland travel, RTW travel, adventure travel

Finland shocked and surprised me. As you may recall, my primary purpose for taking this winter trip to a final destination up around the Arctic Circle was to see and photograph the Northern Lights for the first time in my life. I spent ten days in Finland and the only clear sky I received was on the first day, as I took a train north from Helsinki to the Phyä-Luosto region.

Primary plan failure.

I am already making tentative plans to go back, but the Northern Lights might only be my secondary focus of the next trip.

What do you know about reindeer?

I dare say that I didn’t know much more than they pulled Santa’s sleigh and the unpopular ones had red noses before I took this trip.

The first thing I learned about reindeer is that they are delicious. 

If I counted correctly, I had nine dinners in Finland. I believe that I had some version of reindeer meat in six of those meals. Frankly, I could have easily had it a few more times and been happy.

a few of the reindeer meals I had (also helping to prove I am not a food photographer)

In the hierarchy of “best meats I have ever eaten,” reindeer slides into a firm second place on my worldwide list, only trailing southern African game meat such as kudu, springbok and zebra — all of which are currently tied at the top of the list and requiring me to head back down there to do more tasting.

Where is Argentinian beef on my list, you ask? Incredibly overrated.

But it wasn’t just how tasty reindeer were that fascinated me; it was the whole culture that surrounded them.

I took a nighttime reindeer sleigh ride… but no photos, so here’s a daytime one for you

Sami Culture, Reindeer Herding and more

The Sami are the native peoples of this Nordic area, spread out over northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and some of Russia. They are spread out over about 150,000 square miles of land up at the top of the world, speak a variety of dialects almost unrecognizable to each other though not separated by much distance, and back to the point of this post, have herded reindeer for centuries.

There are somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 reindeer wandering free in the Lapland area of Finland, depending on the time of year.

Although they wander about freely — they are all owned.

I had the chance to talk to a few reindeer herders during my visit, both Sami and non-Sami. What I learned has just made me want to go back and learn more.

some of the Sami craft works, including knives with reindeer horn sheaths and handles

Most of the reindeer owners in Finland have a very small number of them. Government statistics show that about 4,100 people, or approximately 75% of all reindeer owners, have fewer than 50 reindeer and the income from reindeer herding for these people is only a supplementary income. There are less than 1,000 families making their full-time living from reindeer herding, but that doesn’t lessen the importance of reindeer in the culture (Source).

Some more reindeer facts:

• Both sexes grow antlers, which (in the Scandinavian variety) for older males fall off in December, for young males in the early spring, and for females in the summer.
• Reindeer hooves adapt to the season — in summertime, when the tundra is soft and wet, the footpads become sponge-like and provide extra traction. In wintertime, the pads shrink and tighten, exposing the rim of the hoof, which cuts into the ice and crusted snow to keep it from slipping.
• Mating occurs from late September to early November. Males battle for access to females. Two males will lock each others antlers together and try to push each other away, which is why their antlers don’t fall off until after the mating season in Autumn. The most dominant males can collect as many as 15-20 females to mate with. A male will stop eating during this time and lose much of its body reserves.
• There is a website dedicated to international reindeer herding. It is run by the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry and I admit that I geeked out and spent a couple hours browsing around.

But what interested me the most was the whole herding concept. Finland is divided into 57 regions for the purposes of reindeer herding by the Finnish government. The animals wander about freely, but twice a year they have a massive, nationwide reindeer roundup to bring them all together in each of the regions.

In May, the reindeer are all brought together because they have just recently birthed calves that needed to get their ownership mark. Each herder has a unique mark that they cut into the reindeer’s ear, so that each herder knows who owns each and every reindeer wandering around.

In October, they round all the reindeer up again, this time to cull the herds (you can read that as “get some meat onto my dinner table”) to keep them to an overall population of about 200,000 total in Finland. They do these roundups in modern times using helicopters, snowmobiles, dogs and more and it sounds like a huge, fantastic spectacle…

Ergo me talking to them about going back this October to see it all in person.

I want to go back and talk to more herders about their lifestyle, talk to chefs about cooking reindeer, talk to more Sami about how reindeer played a role in their culture and still do, and see a couple of these massive roundups in person.

Am I the only one that finds this stuff totally fascinating?? What do you think of it all?

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For more reading on reindeer in Finland… and less emphasis on how truly tasty they are, go check out my fellow Navigate Media friend Stephanie’s post: Reindeer: More Than Just Santa’s Helpers.

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I was a guest of the Finnish Tourism Board as part of a Navigate Media Group project. Thanks to  Visit Finland and  Phyä-Luosto Tourist Board from sponsoring my eye opening journey through Finland in the winter. Though this trip was sponsored, obviously all the views (and photos and video) expressed herein are my own.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my feed.

this is Why Rudolph might bring me back to Finland from Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, Write - overland travel, RTW travel, adventure travel

Jon and Tina

I not exactly sure how I stumbled across Jon and Tina Reed’s photography, but the moment I did I realized that it was a stroke of good fortune.

If I remember correctly, the first place I saw their photography might have been via their Facebook Fan page, A Year of London. Their blog is Nomadic Vison and what drew me to them was their current photography project, where they are highlighting all of the great photography in London.

As I have been spending a fair bit of time there, and have already told you that it is a not only a very comfortable place for me, but also a spot I like to photograph myself, I thought I’d ask them to do a guest post where they could give you a step-by-step guide to photographing this great city.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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London is a world-class destination with something to impress even the most discerning traveller. For a photographer, it is a playground with endless photographic opportunities. I’ve just completed month two of my year’s guide to Photographing London. Despite taking a year, I’m going to try guide you through taking photos of London in just one day.

We’ll start at dawn, before sunrise when London is asleep. This is the perfect time to photograph the iconic sites without the crowds. At this time, it can be difficult to get around, so it will help you to be based in zone 1, along the river Thames. The Tower Bridge is the perfect dawn location – it is lit by floodlights, which will help it stand out against a pastel sky. Whilst photographing the bridge, turn your focus along the river towards the Shard, catching the reflections of the skyscraper in the river.

early morning light at Tower Bridge

Just before the sun crosses the horizon, get onto the underground and head over to Westminster Station. Rush across the Westminster Bridge to arrive opposite the Palace of Westminster just in time to capture the first rays of sun striking the palace and the world-famous clock, Big Ben.

sun rises over Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster

Once the light gets too bright and contrasty for photography, head back to Westminster Station and take the district line to Kew Gardens. On your arrival you’ll feel like you’ve stepped out of the city and into the idyllic English village.

Kew Gardens in the Spring

Pop into the Bread Stall to pick up breakfast and your choice of caffeine supplement. The breakfast calories will help power a speedy trip through the Royal Botanical Gardens. By now, the light will be challenging for photography, so use the shady areas to flatten the contrast.  Even a whirlwind trip through Kew Gardens will take you up to lunch.

Head back to the underground and get out at London Bridge. If you’ve picked the right day, street vendors in the Borough Food Market will be serving lunch. Whilst looking for the perfect treat, keep your camera out as the area is great for street photography. For the coffee lovers, don’t leave the area without sampling Monmouth Coffee – the queues are much shorter if you order beans to taken home.

After lunch, the light will be horrible for any photography in the daylight. This is the time to explore London’s hidden interior architecture. The Astor House at 2 Temple Place was built by a wealthy American who loved all things British. It is a beautiful example of lavish Victorian architecture and the perfect escape from the harsh daylight.

I’ve now got two options for you:

Option 1 – The East

The old shipping yards have been rejuvenated and are now referred to as the Docklands. From Temple, head to Bank Station and jump onto the DLR to Canning Town. Canning Town leads onto the Royal Victoria Docks. Here you can experience London’s only beach, complete with a wakeboarding course. The area is great for photography with a mix of converted warehouses, old shipping cranes and interesting residential sites. Take the Emirates Air Line across the Thames and photograph the O2 from the sky.

dramatic lighting at Victoria Docks

From the 02, take a bus to Greenwich town centre. From the town centre, it is a quick walk to the Greenwich Naval Colleges.  Take a few moments to appreciate the Painted Hall which is a dinner hall designed by Christopher Wren and it is full of interesting paintings by James Thornhill.

From the Painted Hall, it is a short walk up the hill to the Greenwich Observatory Point. From this point, there is an amazing view over the Baroque Naval Colleges contrasting with the modern architecture of Canary Wharf. Enjoy the sunset and watch out of the Meridian Laser, a beam of light projected from the Observatory Point.

a view of the laser from the Royal Observation Point

Option 2 – The West

Take the underground line from Temple to Victoria and then take the over ground-line to Battersea Park Rail station. Battersea Park is a large park, that is worth exploring, but because you’re taking photos, head straight to the Peace Pagoda – a large Buddhist monument built on the banks of the Thames River. The contrast of the Buddhist architecture and English park makes for an interesting subject.

From the Peace Pagoda, walk along the Thames River and cross the Chelsea Bridge. The bridge is a great location to photograph the Battersea Power Station – an iconic London site – that is possibly best known for being on the cover of a Pink Floyd album.

sunset from Oxo Tower

After watching the sun set at the power station, get onto the underground at Sloan Square and head to Black Friars Station. From the station, it is a short walk to the Oxo Tower. Few restaurants in London have a better view. Take in London at twilight whilst enjoying a cocktail and then settle down for a meal to top the day off.

the Shard in the distance

The Perfect Day

From this guide you can see how much you can actually do in one day in London, provided you have the stamina and energy to get through it.  Try to pick a day when you know the sun will be out as it helps to make the day more enjoyable and leads to better photography.

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this is A one-day guide to photographing London from Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, Write - overland travel, RTW travel, adventure travel

To say that I had a good time on my trip to Finland would be a gross understatement. I’ll be writing a lot more about my trip in the coming weeks, but I wanted to post up a video that I did from the first day of the trip.

I will be doing a lot more video, now that I am getting more comfortable with shooting them and also editing. Bear with me — just like my photography, I am hoping that my skill level improves as I try new things, talk to more experts, and just get my hands dirty with effort. For now, though, I hope you enjoy this effort (and please feel free to subscribe to this YouTube channel also — that would be much appreciated)

Frankly, I wasn’t anticipating that I would do up a post or a video about the train ride I took from Helsinki up north on day one of my trip, but… this was the best train I have yet rode on. The room I stayed in was wonderful and the bathroom, and the really cool shower, was first class.

Plus, you know how much I love trains.

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Thanks to  Visit Finland, Phyä-Luosto Tourist Board and VR – Finnish Railways from sponsoring my wonderful journey through Finland in the winter. Though this trip was sponsored, obviously all the views (and photos and video) expressed herein are my own.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my feed.

this is Finland by Rail (Video) from Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, Write - overland travel, RTW travel, adventure travel