152 photos from Madrid
(Madrid, Spain)

2005-09-27 - 2005-10-02

Tim travelled to Madrid for the ECCB 2005 conference. He visited the Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace, Parque del Buen Retiro, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, and more.

MORE

316 photos from Sanya
(Hainan, China)

2016-07-18 - 2016-07-21

On this third trip to Sanya, we visited resorts in Sanya Bay and Haitang Bay.

MORE

964 photos from Moscow
(Central, Russia)

2013-06-26 - 2013-07-02

Moscow is the capital city and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural and scientific center in Russia and in Eurasia. According to Forbes 2012, Moscow has the second largest community of billionaires in the world. Moscow is the northernmost megacity on Earth, the most populous city in Europe, and the 5th largest city proper in the world. It is the largest city in Russia with a population of 11.5 million. Moscow is situated on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District of European Russia. In the course of its history the city has served as the capital of a progression of states, from the medieval Grand Duchy of Moscow and the subsequent Tsardom of Russia to the Soviet Union. Moscow is the site of the Moscow Kremlin, a medieval city-fortress that is today the residence of the Russian president. The Moscow Kremlin is also one of several World Heritage Sites in the city. Both chambers of the Russian parliament (the State Duma and the Federation Council) also sit in Moscow. We visited Moscow during our Russia trip in the summer of 2013.

MORE

512 photos from Xiamen
(Fujian, China)

2013-12-26 - 2014-01-17

Xiamen (also known as Amoy) is a major city on the southeast (Taiwan Strait) coast of the People`s Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with a population of 3.67 million. Its built up area is now bigger than the old urban island area and covers all six districts of Xiamen (Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong`an, Haicang and recently Xiang`an). The Jinmen (Kinmen) Islands administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan) are less than 10 kilometres away. Xiamen and the surrounding southern Fujian countryside are the ancestral home to large communities of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. The city was a treaty port in the 19th century and one of the four original Special Economic Zones opened to foreign investment and trade when China began economic reforms in the early 1980s. It is endowed with educational and cultural institutions supported by the overseas Chinese diaspora. We visited Xiamen at the end of our China trip in 2014. Highlights included Gulangyu Island, Zhongshan Road and Nanputuo Temple.

MORE

46 photos from Loudi
(Hunan, China)

2009-09-09 - 2009-09-12

Loudi is a city located in central Hunan province, China. It is situated about 110km south west of the provincial capital of Changsha and is considered a small to medium size city within the province. The population of Loudi is just over 4 million while the city proper itself has a population of 1.3 million. We visited Miaomiao`s grandparents at the countryside near Loudi.

MORE

132 photos from Zhouzhuang
(Jiangsu, China)

2007-10-26

Zhouzhuang is a town in Jiangsu province, China. It is located within Kunshan county-level city, 30 km southeast of Suzhou. Zhouzhuang is a popular tourist destination. It is one of the most famous water townships in China, noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs. It has been called the `Venice of the East`. We visited Zhouzhuang on a day trip from Shanghai.

MORE

197 photos from Granada
(Andalusia, Spain)

2010-12-29

Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. The Alhambra, a Moorish citadel and palace, is in Granada. It is one of the most famous items of the Islamic historical legacy that makes Granada a hot spot among cultural and tourist cities in Spain. Tim and Miaomiao visited the Alhambra and the city center on a day trip from Seville in December 2010.

MORE

161 photos from Antwerp
(Antwerp, Belgium)

2019-10-26

On this tenth visit to Antwerp, we visited the Antwerp Zoo.

MORE

53 photos from Echternach
(Grevenmacher, Luxembourg)

2014-06-09

Echternach is a commune with city status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in eastern Luxembourg. Echternach lies near the border with Germany, and is the oldest town (current population 4,610) in Luxembourg. It grew around the walls of the Abbey of Echternach, which was founded in 698 by St. Willibrord, an English monk from Ripon, Northumbria (in present-day North Yorkshire, England), who became the first bishop of Utrecht and worked to Christianize the Frisians. As bishop, he was the Echternach monastery`s abbot until his death in 739. It is in his honour that the dancing procession takes place annually on Whit Tuesday. Tim and Miaomiao visited Echternach and its abbey in June 2014.

MORE

117 photos from Phillip Island
(Victoria, Australia)

2014-09-11

Phillip Island is an island about 140 km south-southeast of Melbourne, Victoria. Named after Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, Phillip Island forms a natural breakwater for the shallow waters of Western Port. A 640 m concrete bridge connects the mainland town San Remo with the island town Newhaven. In the 2011 census the island`s permanent population was 9,406. During the summer, the population swells to 40,000. 60% of the island is farmland devoted to grazing of sheep and cattle. Phillip Island is a tourist destination visited by 3.5 million people annually. The Penguin Parade at Phillip Island Nature Park, in which Little Penguins come ashore in groups, attracts visitors from all over the world. They come to see one of the few areas where this species of penguin can be seen. The western tip of the island contains the Nobbies Centre, which offers a view on the The Nobbies and the Seal Rocks, home to Australia`s largest colony of fur seals. We visited the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory, the Nobbies Centre and the Penguin Parade.

MORE

184 photos from Lokrum
(Dalmatia, Croatia)

2022-08-01

Lokrum is an island in the Adriatic Sea 600 metres from the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. It stretches from northwest to southeast and receives regular ferry service from the Old City port. Austrian archduke (and short-lived Emperor of Mexico) Maximilian once had a holiday home on the island. A monastery and a botanical garden survive from his era. On the island`s highest point at 96 metres above sea level stands Fort Royal Castle, which was built by the French during Napoleon`s occupation of Croatia, though it was later named `Maximilian`s Tower` by the Austrians. We visited Lokrum on a day trip from Dubrovnik in the summer of 2022.

MORE

260 photos from Ubud
(Bali, Indonesia)

2017-05-25

Ubud is a town on the Indonesian island of Bali in Ubud District, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills of the Gianyar regency. Promoted as an arts and culture centre, it has developed a large tourism industry. Ubud has a population of about 30,000 people. Puri Saren Agung is a large palace located at the intersection of Monkey Forest and Raya Ubud roads. The residence of Tjokorda Gede Agung Sukawati (1910-1978), the last ruling monarch of Ubud, it is still owned by the royal family. Dance performances and ceremonies are held in its courtyard. A number of Hindu temples exist, such as Pura Desa Ubud, which is the main temple, Pura Taman Saraswati, and Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal, the temple of death. The Gunung Kawi temple is the site of the royal tombs. Goa Gajah, also known as the Elephant Cave, is located in a steep valley just outside Ubud near the town of Bedulu. We visited the Puri Saren Agung palace, the Ubud Traditional Art Market, the Pura Desa Ubud temple, the Pura Taman Saraswati temple, the Goa Gajah temple and other places in the town center.

MORE

91 photos from Mycenae
(Peloponnese, Greece)

2009-03-10

Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 6 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north. From the hill on which the palace was located one can see across the Argolid to the Saronic Gulf. In the second millennium BC Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae. In March 2009, Miaomiao and Tim visited the ancient citadel of Mycenae and the nearby tomb of Clytemnestra as part of a day trip from Athens to the Argolis region of Greece.

MORE

95 photos from London
(England, United Kingdom)

2019-12-09

Tim visited Piccadilly Circus, the Horse Guards Parade, Parliament Square and some other spots in the city center of London in the autumn of 2019.

MORE

104 photos from Luoyang
(Henan, China)

2007-11-01

Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People`s Republic of China. We visited the famous Longmen caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Longmen Grottoes are one of the three most famous ancient sculptural sites in China. There are over 2100 niches, more than 100,000 statues, some 40 pagodas and 3600 tablets and steles in the caves of Guyang, Binyang and Lianhua.

MORE

99 photos from Thingvellir
(Southern Region, Iceland)

2018-07-06

Our second visit to the Þingvellir National Park, in the summer of 2018.

MORE

238 photos from Costa Adeje
(Tenerife, Spain)

2018-12-29 - 2019-01-05

Costa Adeje was once an overlooked fishing village filled with the world`s most fascinating beaches. It was only a matter of time before tourists discovered its golden shores and clear blue waters that lead into the Atlantic. Side by side along its just as desirable neighbors, Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas, Costa Adeje has quickly risen from its quiet beginnings to one of the most coveted resort destinations in the world. During the Spanish colonization in the 15th century, Adeje was one of the capitals of the many kingdoms of the original Guanche inhabitants on the island. Adeje is the latest addition to the slew of high-class resort areas in Tenerife. Its current developments have come from the recent tourism boom on the island and the need for space to accommodate the growing number of visitors. More than just gorgeous sprawling beaches, Costa Adeje is also home to world-class entertainment and recreation. It houses Siam Park, one of the largest and best water parks in Europe, Golf Costa Adeje, a world-class 18-hole golf course, and many other attractions. We stayed in the La Caleta neighbourhood of Costa Adeje in the winter of 2018/2019, and visited Siam Park.

MORE

115 photos from Peterhof
(Northwestern, Russia)

2013-06-25

The Peterhof Palace is a series of palaces and gardens located near Saint Petersburg, Russia, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These Palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the `Russian Versailles`. The palace-ensemble along with the city centre is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited Peterhof on a day trip from Saint Petersburg in June 2013.

MORE

17 photos from Corinth
(Peloponnese, Greece)

2009-03-10

Corinth is a city in Greece. In antiquity it was a city-state, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. To the west of the isthmus lies the Gulf of Corinth, to the east lies the Saronic Gulf. Corinth is about 78 kilometres southwest of Athens. The isthmus, which was in ancient times traversed by hauling ships over the rocky ridge on sledges, is now cut by a canal. Corinth is now the capital of the prefecture of Corinthia. The city is surrounded by the coastal townlets of (clockwise) Lechaio, Isthmia, Kechries, and the inland townlets of Examilia and the archaeological site. Geophysically the city is likewise surrounded by the narrow coastal plain of Vocha, Corinthian Gulf, Corinth Canal, Saronic Gulf, Oneia mountains, and the monolithic rock of Acrocorinth where the medieval acropolis was built. Miaomiao and Tim visited the Corinth canal and saw the Acrocorinth during a day trip from Athens to the Argolis region of Greece, in March 2009.

MORE

357 photos from Barcelona
(Catalonia, Spain)

2011-10-20 - 2011-10-23

After Miaomiao`s conference in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, we went together to Barcelona for the second time. We visited the Ramblas, La Pedrera, the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell and more, and went to the football match FC Barcelona - Sevilla FC at Camp Nou.

MORE

1082 photos from Dubrovnik
(Dalmatia, Croatia)

2022-07-28 - 2022-08-04

Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, a seaport and the centre of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Its total population is 42,615 (2011 census). In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its outstanding medieval architecture and fortified old town. The history of the city probably dates back to the 7th century, when the town known as Ragusa was founded by refugees from Epidaurum (Ragusa Vecchia). It was under the protection of the Byzantine Empire and later under the sovereignty of the Republic of Venice. Between the 14th and 19th centuries, Dubrovnik ruled itself as a free state. In 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, Dubrovnik was besieged by the Yugoslav People`s Army for seven months and suffered significant damage from shelling. After undergoing repair and restoration works in the 1990s and early 2000s, it re-emerged as one of the Mediterranean`s top tourist destinations, as well as a popular filming location. We visited Dubrovnik in the summer of 2022.

MORE

90 photos from Lille
(Hauts-de-France, France)

2022-08-14

Lille (Dutch: Rijsel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France`s border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord department, and the main city of the European Metropolis of Lille. The city of Lille proper has a population of 234,475 in 2019 within its small municipal territory of 35 km2, but together with its French suburbs and exurbs the Lille metropolitan area (French part only), which extends over 1,666 km2, has a population of 1,510,079, the fourth most populated in France after Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. A garrison town (as evidenced by its Citadel), Lille has had an eventful history from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. Very often besieged during its history, it belonged successively to the Kingdom of France, the Burgundian State, the Holy Roman Empire of Germany and the Spanish Netherlands before being definitively attached to the France of Louis XIV following the War of Spanish Succession along with the entire territory making up the historic province of French Flanders. Lille was again under siege in 1792 during the Franco-Austrian War, and in 1914 and 1940. We visited Lille on our way to Paris in the summer of 2022.

MORE

195 photos from Antwerp
(Antwerp, Belgium)

2023-02-19

On this fourteenth visit to Antwerp, we visited the Antwerp Zoo.

MORE

79 photos from Haikou
(Hainan, China)

2007-10-22 - 2007-11-16

A second visit to the city of Miaomiao`s parents and sister. We visited some spots in the city center, and had a traditional Chinese Cupping massage.

MORE

60 photos from Glasgow
(Scotland, United Kingdom)

2004-07-31 - 2004-08-04

Tim visited Glasgow for the ISMB/ECCB Conference of 2004. Glasgow is the largest city of Scotland and the third most populous city in the United Kingdom.

MORE

188 photos from Grenoble
(Rhône-Alpes, France)

2010-10-22 - 2010-10-25

Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, situated at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère. The proximity of the mountains has led to the city being known as the `Capital of Alps`. We visited the city and the nearby town of Vizille in October 2010.

MORE

23 photos from Aix-en-Provence
(Provence-Alpes-Côte d`Azur, France)

2014-08-20

Aix-en-Provence is a city-commune in the south of France, about 30 km north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d`Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix numbers approximately 143,000. Its inhabitants are called Aixois or, less commonly, Aquisextains. We briefly visited the city in 2014 on our way from Avignon to the airport of Marseille.

MORE

72 photos from Mechelen
(Antwerp, Belgium)

2018-08-05

Mechelen is a city and municipality in the province of Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium. The Dijle flows through the city, hence it is often referred to as the Dijlestad. Mechelen lies on the major urban and industrial axis Brussels–Antwerp, about 25 km from each city. Inhabitants find employment at Mechelen`s southern industrial and northern office estates, as well as at offices or industry near the capital and Zaventem Airport, or at industrial plants near Antwerp`s seaport. Mechelen is one of Flanders` prominent cities of historical art, with Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, and Leuven. It was notably a centre for artistic production during the Northern Renaissance, when painters, printmakers, illuminators and composers of polyphony were attracted by patrons such as Margaret of York, Margaret of Austria and Hieronymus van Busleyden. We visited the St. Rumbold`s Cathedral, the Grote Markt square and some other spots in the city center in the summer of 2018.

MORE