travel books
The Galloping Valkyries of Port-Manec'h
By sheer chance and great good fortune we arrive at a small, pretty car park in a grove of trees just a few metres from the beach at nearby Port-Manec'h. A friendly French couple come over to tell us that campervans are allowed to park here overnight. They have been here four days, but are now leaving. We must be very careful, they warn, because two nights ago a gang of drunken youths had attacked them. No damage was done, mais quand même ….. ... Full story
The Jewels of the Basque Country
The Basques, who spread over both sides of the Pyrenees and are one of the oldest ethnic groups in Europe, are living through a historic moment of peace and hope. It is the perfect time to visit and learn about an ancient language with deep-rooted traditions, to taste a rich gastronomy, discover their troubled history and to enjoy colorful festivals whilst admiring the wild scenery. This area has a lot more to discover than just the 'Guggenheim' in Bilbao - these are our highlights: ... Full story
Mysteries of Grenada's Crater Lakes
Experts are puzzled by the mysteries of Grenada’s unique crater lakes. Its depths are home to Orisha, the goddess of water: to followers of the old African faith, Grenada’s highest crater lake is a sanctuary. Yet beneath its dark water surface, the "Grand Etang" is still keeping a number of other secrets. Bizarre myths are woven around this natural wonder surrounded by dense mountain jungle. ... Full story
Devilish Drums and Parisian Sounds in the French Caribbean
The drums of Africa get married to elegant court music from Paris No church Sanctus: drums were nothing other than the devil’s work in the eyes of the clergy. Nonetheless, the rhythm of the slaves from Africa found fertile ground on the French Caribbean islands. It blended with quadrilles, polkas and waltzes from Paris to create new Creole sounds with their own distinctive identities: bélé, gwo-ka and biguine are the counterparts to the reggae and calypso of the English-speaking islands. ... Full story
Grenada - Drummers Spicing It Up
Grenada‘s drummers spice up the fire of Africa with Asian discipline. “When we play, the audience gets something to watch,” says Livingston Nelson confidently. He and his Tivoli Drummers have taken Grenada’s traditional drumming and developed something completely new out of it: a meticulously composed spectacle combining hot rhythms and fascinating choreography. ... Full story
Tobago Weddings - anywhere but the Church
Wedding in Tobago: People get married anywhere but in church or at the registry office There’s no place too adventurous to say "Yes". Monika Schenkel has arranged marriages on deserted beaches, in the jungle and even on the bottom of the sea. ... Full story
Tobago's Forest Guardian
Guardian of the tropical jungle: Tobago's forest spirit really exists He puts the fear of God into careless hunters: if you kill too many animals, Papa Bois will come and get you, goes the legend. And that’s what Tobago’s inhabitants now call David Rooks in their old Patois language: "Father of the forests". Since, just like the legendary character of the same name, the lively 67-year-old is considered as the guardian of Tobago’s jungle, the oldest rainforest reserve in the world. ... Full story
Secluded beach idylls - Where to enjoy sand, palms and sea all to yourself
Have you been dreaming of having a palm-studded beach all to yourself? – Where the only traces of human life are your own footprints in the sand? – Where there is no sound to be heard except the rush of the waves? – Grenada’s south-eastern coast conceals more than a dozen such Caribbean paradises, hidden away in dramatic tropical fjords – usually accessible only over bumpy roads or on foot. If you know how to find them... ... Full story
Dominica's Caribs chasing 'tasty' Pirates of the Caribbean
Johnny Depp only narrowly escapes coming to a tasty end on the grill. He is chased through the jungle by gruesome figures with grinning skulls decorating their heads and wearing necklaces made of human bone. How the charming pirate manages to escape the cannibals without getting cooked is revealed in the second "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, much of which was filmed in Dominica. ... Full story
Mountain biking in Trinidad - parrots and orchids are greatest obstacles
Trinidad’s jungle is full of challenges for mountain bikers: uprooted jungle giants blocking the way, steep muddy tracks and streamlets that suddenly turn into huge waterfalls. But what finally makes even the toughest pedalling knights get off their bike are the wonders by the wayside: no-one rides past flowering orchids, giant butterflies or colourful exotic birds that easily.. ... Full story
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Huntsville - a touch of southern comfort.
The city of Huntsville, nestled amongst the hills of north Alabama, is certainly not the backwater southern town that I perhaps expected. It manages to combine a delightful historical old-town with a state of the art high-tech modern city built around the U.S. space programme. ... Full story
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