New Years Eve in Manchester
Much has happened since the Roman fort of Mamucium was established in 79 AD. After becoming the world’s first industrialised city, Manchester went on to become one of the most famous music cities of the world.
Posts of year 2012
Aliens in Nevada and New Mexico
I recently went for a road trip through the presumably alien-infested territory of the American Southwest. First quest of the day: Area 51. In order to get to Area 51 you will have to drive through the Nevada desert along Route 375, also known as the Extraterrestrial Highway!
Road trip across the American Southwest
After driving over 3800 miles across five states and two time zones, it feels good to be home. It had been almost a decade since last time I drove a car along the busy streets of Los Angeles, but it was just as chaotic as I remembered.
Presidential election in Utah
I’m currently in the small town of Kanab, Utah. Tonight is the presidential election and Obama squares off against Romney. The state of Utah is pro-Romney as expected, and there was much about it on the local radio.
Driving through Death Valley
As I drove into Death Valley in the dark hours before sunrise, I silently pondered why the area got its name. It’s one of the hottest places on the planet and the record temperature of 56 degrees Celsius was measured here in 1913. As gold diggers struggled to cross the area in the 19th century, their fatal attempts made the valley earn its name.
Review: Urban Safari
If you prefer to spend your vacation on a sunny beach instead of walking through crowded cities, this book is not for you. This is a love story about the big cities in the world.
Halloween ten years later
Tonight the annual Halloween parade was planned to roam through Greenwich Village in New York as usual, but it has been cancelled due to the emergency situation in wake of hurricane Sandy. It’s the first time in 39 years that the parade gets cancelled. I guess somewhere Jack Skellington cries out in agony.
In the footsteps of Mozart
The city of Vienna is closely associated with Mozart. When he was six, Mozart played his first royal concert at Schönbrunn palace in the presence of Austria’s ruler, Maria Theresa and the royal family in 1762. The Orangerie on the palace grounds was also the place of his musical duel with the arch nemesis Salieri (which the latter won).
Alive in Bratislava
When the kids of the movie Eurotrip arrived in Bratislava, they frightfully whispered “Dear sweet mother of god, we’re in eastern Europe”. Well, I’m in Bratislava today and for the record, it’s nothing like the that scene. No angry dogs, severed hands or dodgy characters.
Inspirational travel writers
I’ve earlier mentioned some people in the travel industry, such as Anthony Bourdain, Megan McCormick and Michael Palin. Their faces are well-known from television series where they travel around the world. I’ve also written about a few authors in the Travel book section.