tourism

2024: One year in 7 photos

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A Happy New Year to you all! We might be wondering what lies ahead in 2025, but the old year can be neatly packaged.

I’m pulling together 2024 in just seven photographs. It was a year punctuated by more travel since the pandemic, including some unheralded destinations.

Spells at home were spent stalking the changing buildings of Manchester and waiting for the next departure – a rollercoaster ride. 

Do you have just a few photos that bring the year to life?

1. FAMILY HOLIDAY

A family of four enjoy a sunset walk on the shores of Costa Calma in Fuerteventura.

I went on a summer break to the Spanish island of Fuerteventura and observed hundreds of family holidays, including this beautifully-placed one taking their sunset walk along the beach. It was for me an unusually relaxing, enjoyable week in the sun and I found a fascination with resort architecture in this holiday playground.

• See more from this sun-kissed isle here

2. LITTLE CORNER OF THE MARKET
A market street scene in the capital city of São Tomé e Príncipe.

The African island nation of São Tomé e Príncipe was an adventurous trip to a virtually unknown destination. The main island had a lively, chaotic capital city and amidst the natural beauty was still processing its colonial past. I’d found my gateway to seeing more unusual corners of the planet with this memorable visit.

• See more of fabulous São Tomé here

3. CUBES AND THE TOWERA conical tower block and famous yellow of the Cube Houses in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

I visited the Dutch city of Rotterdam with the intent of chasing the city’s varied and bold post-war architecture – and wasn’t disappointed. Even the zany cube houses, seen by millions of tourists, were a delight. Rotterdam, basking in summer sunshine, was a pleasant place to spend a long weekend.

• See more of ravishing Rotterdam here

4. PERAST AND BEYOND

A scenic view of Perast and beyond on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro.

This was a first trip to Montenegro’s stunning Bay of Kotor – an inland sea with the qualities of an Alpine lake. The town of Perast (pictured) and a beautiful hotel were quieter out of season in April, while my relaxing stay also included a whistle-stop tour of Montenegro’s ruggedly scenic north.

• See much more of Montenegro here

5. TINY ISLAND CAPITAL

Tall palms hold sway over the town of Santo Antonio on Príncipe island.

You can’t visit São Tomé without hopping over to sister island Príncipe – much smaller, less developed and natural. It’s become a far flung destination for small-scale more sustainable tourism and has turned a legacy of plantations into high-end accommodation offering relaxation and adventure. I could easily go back for a two-week holiday.

• See more of this little paradise here

6. CENTRAL HALL, MANCHESTER

An interior view of Manchester Central, the city's former railway station.

The one Manchester highlight that has squeezed into a travel-rich 2024. This building, not far from where I live, started out as a railway station and is a well-known city centre landmark. It was opened to the public this year and stepping inside made its true scale and ingenuity apparent. It’s not all about new skyscrapers in this city.

• See more of this engineering feat here

7. OUTSIDE THE STORE, ANJOUANTwo brightly clothed women outside a neighbourhood general store in Mutsamudu, Comoros Islands.

The final trip of the year took me to a country which took a long time to reach and was barely touched by tourism, possibly the most obscure destination I have ever visited. The Comoros Islands was beautiful, its people fascinating and wonderfully photogenic even in mundane settings. I’m still digesting my visit as 2025 takes hold.

• See more of unknown Comoros here

Manchester v Liverpool: A tale of two cities

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A visit from my photographer and blogging friend Kiki saw us take two photography walks around two great British cities over two days.

My home city Manchester was closely followed by a trip to Liverpool on a couple of chilly December days, mainly peering up at architecture.

Is it possible to compare the two cities? Is one more photogenic than the other?… CONTINUE READING BELOW

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What was Kiki’s take on Manchester and Liverpool? Find out here

Our wander around Manchester city centre was extensive, taking in everything from the industrial red brick of Ancoats to New Jackson’s gleaming skyscrapers.

Of course this was very familiar territory for me, although accompanying a visitor alters your vision and perspective.

It was all very different in Liverpool which isn’t very familiar to me. I also became a tourist and allowed my eyes to be drawn to majestic buildings, from the iconic old Liver Building to a good dose of Art Deco magnificence.

Christmas tree lit up at night in Manchester city centre.

Season’s greetings to all from Manchester city centre’s Christmas tree

I’d say that if you’re heading to Manchester, you’ll be spoilt for choice with new and tall buildings which have rocketed up during the past decade.

The parts of Liverpool city centre we walked around are full of grand, traditional architecture – but it’s a place that needs further exploration. Comparisons to my own adopted home city are tricky to make.

So is Manchester more photogenic than Liverpool? I couldn’t possibly comment. It’s best to visit north-west England and spend time in both its great cities. Just take a camera and keep looking up!

Do you have stronger opinions? Let me know!

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Fuerteventura: Island architecture

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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

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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.

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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 :)

Montenegro: Rugged and wild

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Do you find it difficult to relax on a sunbed for an entire week?

When I stayed in the charming Montenegrin town of Perast, I was eager to travel instead of taking it easy.

So I booked a day trip with 360 Monte to visit the north of Montenegro and see some stunning landscapes. CONTINUE READING BELOW

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I was picked up early in the morning to join a small multi-national group also keen to see the north of Montenegro, a contrast to the sunshine resorts of Kotor Bay and the Adriatic coast.

The first delight was climbing high above Perast for stunning views of the water below and soaring mountains bathed in beautiful morning light.

A view over Kotor Bay in Montenegro as dusk settles.

A view of Kotor Bay at the end of the day

The journey north was at times slow and on winding, lofty roads. Here are the highlights of north Montenegro that I saw:

Ostrog Monastery – A religious compound cradled in the mountains, dedicated to Saint Basil who is buried there. It’s a place of Orthodox devotion where his relics are kept in a tiny chapel. This was like entering another world far removed from my own.

Black Lake – Its waters are blue and fringed by pine forests and mountains in Durmitor National Park. A really impressive slice of nature.

Tara Canyon – The dazzlingly blue waters of the Tara River pass through this deep gorge. For engineering lovers there’s the vast Tara Bridge to cross. I decided against riding a zip wire over the gorge.

Salt Lake – An artificial body of water dotted with little islands near the city of Niksic. The lake looks steely blue if the skies are clear.

This was a long day on the road and there was one last treat on the way back to Perast – another view across Kotor Bay as a golden dusk was bedding in. 

For a small country, Montenegro has more than its fair share of natural beauty, well worth seeing if you can tear yourself away from your sun lounger.

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Montenegro: Kotor day trip

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

This is the beach getaway to Spain that turned into a break in the small Balkan nation of Montenegro.

I stayed in the historic town of Perast on scenic Boka Bay, and a trip to nearby Kotor was an obvious way to spend a day.

Was this old city worth a visit? CONTINUE READING BELOW

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The journey from Perast to Kotor took half an hour on one of the regular local buses, costing a princely €2 each way.

As soon as I walked into the old town, it lived up to all my expectations.

Honey-coloured stone, small piazzas with churches and bell towers, and a labyrinth of alleyways studded with small shops and cafes were vying for attention.

Raise your eyes up a little further to see the cloud-topped mountains that tower above this old architecture, while the town is incredibly feline-friendly and a place to watch locals going about their lives.

It’s a tourist magnet and welcomes cruise liners, so expect these well-worn streets to get busy as they did even at the start of April. Arriving early and avoiding the summer months might be a wise move.

The old fortress high above the town of Kotor in Montenegro.

You might find yourself high above Kotor

Getting away from the city is a big part of its charm – if you’re feeling energetic you can climb above the old town to the tune of 1,350 steps, visiting the old fortress for stunning views over Kotor and the bay.

I think that going down can be trickier, but was glad to land back in the old town where there are no shortage of places for refreshment and to rest your legs.

As I returned to Perast, I wondered what it would be like to stay within Kotor’s walls and see it by night. I think my smaller base was the more tranquil option.

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