Fuerteventura: Costa Calma

September 22, 2024September 22, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

My recent island travels have taken me to São Tomé e Príncipe and Cape Verde, which were all about exploration.

This time I visited Fuerteventura in Spain’s Canary Islands, where the emphasis is on sun, sand and relaxation.

I stayed at Costa Calma in the south-east of the island, settling down to days of hotel buffet meals, lounging around and sunset wanders.

But there was photography too, capturing the essence of this popular destination.

Would you like to kick back and take it easy here?

Tap/click first image to see gallery

Fuerteventura: Island architecture

September 8, 2024September 8, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

I recently went on a good old-fashioned beach holiday to the Spanish island of Fuerteventura.

It’s a destination blessed with a sunny climate, beautiful beaches and has relaxation at its heart.

But on Fuerteventura’s Costa Calma, especially popular with German holidaymakers, I became fascinated with the resort’s architecture.

Could your attention be turned away from the beach? CONTINUE READING BELOW

Tap/click first image to view gallery

I stayed at the SBH Crystal Beach Hotel, a large confection of concrete and marble made for hundreds of holidaymakers.

It was a layer cake of whitewashed tiers, confusing to navigate, but boasted a beautiful view over the long beach.

The coast has been developed over the years with several large hotels and a little resort town, packed with white and pastel buildings guarded by sturdy desert plants.

The neighbouring Taro Hotel took the prize for architectural exuberance, topped with peaked concrete slabs like southern Fuerteventura’s rugged mountains.

Down on the beach, the bright yellow lifeguard pods became something of an architectural obsession in their own right.

This little getaway reminded me of family holidays to Spain in the 1970s and 80s, when the big hotel was king and you didn’t have to go far.

The beautiful skies, stark lines and rich colours were a joy to photograph – it wasn’t all snoozing and swimming on this sunshine break!

Has your simple beach holiday turned into an architectural joy? Let me know :)

Inside Manchester’s history

August 25, 2024August 25, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

One of my summer highlights was the chance to see inside an iconic Manchester building.

Manchester Central – now an exhibition and conference centre – started life in 1880 as a grand railway station until its closure in 1969.

The building, with its lofty arched roof and station clock, was empty for visitors to marvel at its scale and the prowess of Victorian engineering.

It’s part of a complex which has hosted everything from rock concerts to the Nightingale Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic and is a Mancunian landmark.

What do you think?

Tap/click first image to view gallery

An interior view of Manchester's former Central Station, a feat of Victorian engineering.

The historic Midland Hotel can be seen through Manchester Central’s vast window

Manchester's ornate Tower of Light rising above the roof of Central Station.

The Tower of Light is a more recent Manchester landmark next to the former rail station

Rotterdam: Architectural dream

August 11, 2024August 14, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

I chose to visit Rotterdam for my first stay in the Netherlands, lured by a city positively brimming with eye-catching modern architecture.

The city centre was almost completely destroyed during World War II and was reconstructed in the decades following the conflict.

Rotterdam is now filled with modern buildings, many of them high rise with contemporary designs. Enjoy the photographs and read about my highlights below.

Tap/click first image to view gallery

Here are a few Rotterdam buildings that really caught my eye.

The Cube Houses are an unmissable Rotterdam tourist attraction with their blazing yellow colour and impossible angles. Surprisingly tricky to photograph while you can take a look inside.

Rotterdam Central Station with its sweeping curves and diffused light is worth spending time in as well as being your likely arrival point in the city.

Groot Handelsgebouw is a large block I stumbled across next to the station. Built in 1953, it’s quite tall, studded with windows and has an elegant concrete facade. I was captivated.

The Maastoren Skyscraper soars upwards from a low-level neighbourhood and shimmers silver, high above its riverside base. It’s also a great landmark to navigate your way around this district.

My advice would be to walk around Rotterdam and just keep looking up. There’s so much architecture to feast your eyes upon. Are you ready to make a detour from Amsterdam?