Yosemite National Park. USA

Situated on the Sierra Nevada of California, and a World Heritage site since the eighties, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls and scenic landscapes. Photos from 1995.

Telouet. MOROCCO

Telouet is one of the Kasbahs of the El Glaoui dynasty and is situated along the former route of the caravans from the Sahara over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. The palace is marvelously decorated and appears as a surprise as it comes out of nowhere in the middle of a chaotic space of ruined buildings and damaged structures, menacing to collapse at any given moment. Photos from November 2012.

Schonbrun, Viena. AUSTRIA

Schonbrunn is a former imperial Palace, summer residence and house of the successive Habsburg monarchs since the XVII th century. The palace and its gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are probably the number one touristic attraction in the country. Photos from 1998.

Smiles from ZIMBABWE

Wonderful memories from the few days spent among the Zimbabweans in 2011.

Derry. NORTHERN IRELAND

Albeit mostly everybody, including some of the unionists, know it as Derry, the city remains legally called Londonderry since the XVII th century. Interesting walled city that will be European 2013 capital of culture, Derry is mostly remembered by the events of the Bloody Sunday, that lead to the troubles and are displayed in some of the painted walls of the city (see restoration of the wall of peace on third photo). In Sunday January 30, 1972 (date that was to be known as Bloody Sunday) thirteen unarmed civilians were shot dead by British troopers during a pacific civil rights march in the Bogside area. Photos from summer 2012.

Angkor Thom. CAMBODIA

Literally, Great city in Khmer. Built in the 12th century, this walled city is one of the jewels of Jayawarman VII. Angkor Thom includes a lot of buildings in an area of 9 km2, with the state temple on the center: the fabulous Bayon with its hundreds of mysterious smiling masks. Photos from spring 2012.

Bruges. BELGIUM

I took a short three day trip to Flanders, in early 2001. I arrived to Bruges the afternoon, strolled a bit through this beautiful city and the night it started snowing. The next morning the city woke up covered with a marvelous white layer. Just magic.

2012 Folkloric Festival, Montréjau. France

Many folkloric groups from different countries gather during the festival to present their dances and traditions.

1. Guyane

2. Auvergne, France

3. Ukraine

4. Spain.

5. Sénégal

Skeleton Coast. NAMIBIA

Shipwrecks scattered all over one of the most inhospitable coasts of the planet. With the cold Benguela stream, the fog, the desert and the ever blowing winds, no wonder the bushmen called it “The land that God made in anger”. Photos from 2011.