The interior ceiling of the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya / Ἁγία Σοφία / Sancta Sophia,) originally a 6th century church later converted into a Mosque in 1453. This amazing structure was the architectural inspiration for thousands of churches and mosques around the world. When it was completed it became the world's largest interior space and held the title as the world's largest cathedral for nearly 1000 years. A must-see on a visit to Istanbul, I've visited this incredible…
Members of the Batak tribe on the island of Palawan in the Philippines. The Batak have lived on the island for centuries, combining a hunting/gathering lifestyle with some limited agriculture. They have only recently started to emerge from the dense interior of the island but still occasionally venture into the jungle to forage. I visited some of the Batak tribal members on a visit to Palawan back in 2017. #Travel
Looking out a window in the Château de Gruyères in Switzerland. Constructed between 1270 and 1282, it is an important castle in the history of Switzerland and overlooks an area famous for its cheeses. I had some of the best fondue of my life in the villages nearby when I visited back on 2007, and I learned to always drink hot tea with fondue to avoid it congealing in your stomach too quickly as might happen if you eat it while drinking colder beverages. #Travel
View of the Gulf of Alaska from the Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site on Kodiak Island, Alaska. The island of Kodiak was settled by the Russians and includes the oldest building in Alaska and a rebuilt Russian Orthodox church. The island also contains a population of the largest Brown (Grizzly) Bears in the world, and it is recommended to carry bear spray with you at all times when you are out hiking on the island. I visited here in July 2019 on a rare warm and clear day.…
Christchurch Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand before two large earthquakes in 2011 and 2012 destroyed the tower and the western wall and rose window shown in this photo. I was fortunate enough to visit Christchurch in 2010 before the earthquakes tore apart much of the historic center of this beautiful city. #Travel
Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) in the Northern Territory of Australia. Just one of the many beautiful stops along the main road from Darwin in the north to Alice Springs. I took this journey on my way to Uluru (Ayer's Rock) back in 2011. #Travel
Horseshoe Falls, part of Niagara Falls, on the border of Ontario, Canada and New York, USA. These falls are the most powerful waterfalls in North America as measured by flow rate and while Niagara Falls has a reputation as a tourist trap they are certainly worth a visit at least once during your lifetime. #Travel
The Spanish exclave of Ceuta, a tiny piece of land in North Africa bordering with Morocco. Ceuta has a long and fascinating history and is a great destination to take a ferry to across the straights of Gibraltar, something I did on a trip there back in 2013. #Travel
The Kesklinn (Old City) of Tallinn, Estonia, one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe as seen on my visit there in 2013. Tallinn is a beautiful city and Estonia is a fascinating country, whose language is one of the few official languages of the European Union that is not of Indo-European origin (it's actually very close to Finnish.) #Travel
Close-up of an intricate gargoyle on the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre in Paris, France. These stone gargoyles serve as a rain spout of sorts, redirecting water from the roof of the structure away from the building. Paris is full of small details like this on many of the famous structures often surprise and fascinate me. I took this particular photo on a visit to the Basilica back in 2008 and have returned to Paris several times over the years. #Travel
Progression photo of the eruption of the Strokkur geyser in Geysir, Iceland. If you look at the first several frames you can see the gas coming up which then bursts the bubble and explodes upwards. I took these shots on my first visit to Iceland back in February, 2010 and have returned several times since then to visit this beautiful country. #Travel
A look towards the Castillo San Cristóbal in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the largest Spanish fortifications built in the New World. While a part of the US, Puerto Rico has a very different character and culture and is a delightful place to visit. I was here in 2011 when I took this picture and returned again a few years later. #Travel
A quokka on Rottnest Island near Perth, Australia. Quokkas are marsupials about the size of domestic housecats and are abundant on this beautiful island, which can be easily reached via a ferry from Fremantle or Perth. I visited Rottnest in 2010 and hope to return sometime soon. #Travel
The iconic Reichstag building (Deutscher Bundestag – Plenarbereich Reichstagsgebäude) in Berlin, Germany on a snowy winters day. After reunification, it was rebuilt and became the location of the German parliament (Bundestag.) I explored Berlin in the dead of winter in 2007 when I took this photo and have returned several times since then. #Travel
The historic Ben Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo, Egypt, built on the location where folklore says that baby Moses was found. Visiting the Old part of Cairo is fascinating as it is filled with beautiful Coptic churches and this synagogue which I visited in 2009. #Travel
Close-up of the intricately carved Māori meeting house Te Whare Rūnanga (House of Assembly) in Waitangi, New Zealand. Waitangi is famous as the location of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between the British and the Māori, a document of great importance and national mythos. #Travel
The ruins of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. These ruins are over 800 years old and were built by the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited this area. They are the largest cliff dwellings built in North America. I visited the park and these ancient ruins back in 2014 on a trip around Utah and Colorado. #Travel
The Flame Towers (Alov qüllələri) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Covered with LED lights, they glow and project images that can be seen across the city. I visited Baku in 2014 and dropped by to see the towers at dusk. #Travel
A child runs through a field in the African mountain country of Lesotho, which at an average elevation of 1,800 meters (5,906 ft) is one of the highest countries in the world. I took this photo on a trip there over the Sani Pass from South Africa in 2008. #Travel
Ruins of some of the prehistoric settlements in Byblos (جبيل), Lebanon. Byblos is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world and is an archeological dream. I took this shot on my first visit to Lebanon back in 2010 and have returned to Lebanon as recently as 2019. #Travel
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