Iceland horses are cute to look at and known as most pacific creatures. They also feature a kinetic characteristic unique to them: Their ability to shift into an auxiliary gait called „toelta“ offers a heart-warming sight and ideally transmits a pleasant feeling throughout every rider’s body. Due to Iceland’s isolated location, the genetic foundations of these pretty horses have not been shaken; their sturdy physique and adorable mentality remained unaltered ever since slender viking ships brought them ashore more than eleven hundred years ago. Why not exchange four wheels spun by noisy mechanical horse powers against four legs and a few happy neighs at the speed of one single leisurely HP lollop style? To explore the country by pollution-free means and to watch the fluffy blond manes flying from a horseback perspective, is a challenge rewarding like no other.
Posts in category: Feature
Kyoto: For Protocol and ancient Venues
“A natural medley of willows and cherry blossoms weave themselves into a brocade, the Heian-kyo” romanticises an ancient verse about Kyoto, Japan’s capital and residence of emperors between 794 and 1868. Wars and raging fires destroyed Kyoto – formerly called “Heian-Kyo”, Capital of Peace – repeatedly over the course of many centuries. Astonishingly, not so during WW II: thanks to its precious historic value, and the presence of mind of acting warlords, the city was spared the fate of being melted into contaminated grounds by a malign nuclear bomb or of being struck by hostile air raids. Other Japanese destinations were less fortunate. A wealth of cultural properties of the past like temples, shrines and other traditional structures was, thus, successfully preserved in Kyoto.
The fastest Guide in all of Mexico
A Jungle Safari at Cyberspeed
Arrribaaa! The bright red jeep perfectly fits the fiery temperament of its driver. Juan virtually swathes the participants joining in the excursion into the hinterland of Puerto Vallarta in his lively personality. The wiry bundle of energy with an endearing Spanish accent and sly eyes sparkling under comb-resistant hair resembles an information automat in human form.
Austria. Alpbach in Tyrol: Beauty meets sustainability
Alfons Moser was known as a successful businessman and – from 1945 to 1979 – as the dedicated mayor of Alpbach, a Tyrolean village nestled in a dulcet valley cutting through the Kitzbueheler Alps. He had a vision worldly enough to become reality: according to a law passed in 1953 and prevailing since, all newly built houses had to comply with the existing traditional architecture in local alpine style. Basta!
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Germany. Frankfurt: Trading places with the blind
A Dialogue in the Dark
I had decided to join a group on a guided tour through a museum that functions vise versa to the regular ones: here the exhibits are invisible; they only become apparent to the touch. The guide cannot rely on his eye-sight, he has been blind since childhood. Still he convinces me that I will be safe in his care these next 90 minutes of absolute darkness. For more reassurance, he takes my hand and strokes it softly. I am surrounded by a merciless sea of black. No ray of light gives away where I am.