Åland is a group of islands at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea, just 38 km from Sweden and 25 minutes from Stockholm in a small propellor plane. Home to some 29,000 people, Åland is part of Finland but has autonomous status. It is the only region in Finland where technically Swedish […]
Mention Iran and many people will think of classical Persian architecture in ancient cities surrounded by desert. While such places do of course exist, there is much more to Iran than ‘just’ tiled domes and minarets. Iran is a big country – 54 times the size of Belgium – and its landscapes incredibly diverse. From […]
Tajikistan is a mountainous country nestling in the heart of Central Asia. Traditionally, it has been at a cultural crossroads and over the millennia has formed part of various empires that have straddled the region. Over two thousand years ago it came under the sway of the Persian Achamenids before in 336-330 BC falling to […]
In ancient times the port of Berbera in Somaliland was known as Malao. Ships would sail into its harbour on the Gulf of Aden bringing tunics and cloaks, cups, copper and iron and left carrying frankincense, myrrh and cinnamon. Berbera is also thought to be the town of Bobali, referred to by the 9th-century Chinese […]
When I told people I was going to Somaliland most people thought I meant Somalia and once again assumed I was trotting off to a war zone – something I do not actually do but for which I seem to have acquired a reputation. In fact, Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1992 but has […]
The fortified town of Harar in predominantly Christian eastern Ethiopia is said to be the fourth holiest city in Islam. Although as a trading place it is a melting pot of African and Islamic cultures, historically Harar was relatively isolated in the region. As a result, it has developed certain unique cultural aspects, such as […]
The Danakil Depression on the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea is one of the hottest places on earth. Temperatures can exceed 50 degrees centigrade, with the year-round average being 35 degrees. For most of the year, there is virtually no rain. The Depression is also one of the lowest points on the planet, reaching 125 […]
As the new year gets into the swing, it is time to look back on 2015. Our world has many natural and cultural riches and I was fortunate to be able to experience some of them. The first big trip of the year was to Ethiopia, a country with a wonderful mix of culture, history […]
