Welcome to our travel website! This site contains all our travel photos since nov. 2003 :: 538 series :: 77985 photos Number of countries: 32, number of U.S. states: 7, number of Chinese provinces: 12 All photos have copyright © Tim Hulsen and Miaomiao Zhou. All images on this site are 1024x768 or 1024x683 pixels; larger images (mostly 2816x2112, 4000x3000, 4896x3672 or 5184x3456) can be obtained on demand. All photos shown are original and have not been altered except for some basic exposure and contrast corrections. | ||
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![]() 129 photos from Delphi 2009-03-09 Delphi is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, when it was a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew the Python, a deity who lived there and protected the navel of the Earth. His sacred precinct in Delphi was a panhellenic sanctuary, where every four years athletes from all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games, one of the four panhellenic (or stephanitic) games, precursors to the Modern Olympics. Delphi was revered throughout the Greek world as the site of the omphalos stone, the centre of the earth and the universe. In the inner hestia (`hearth`) of the Temple of Apollo, an eternal flame burned. After the battle of Plataea, the Greek cities extinguished their fires and brought new fire from the hearth of Greece, at Delphi; in the foundation stories of several Greek colonies, the founding colonists were first dedicated at Delphi. Tim and Miaomiao visited the ancient site of Delphi and the nearby town of Arachova as a day trip from Athens in March 2009. ![]() 17 photos from Manacor 2019-10-17 Manacor is a town and municipality on the island of Mallorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Manacor has one of the busiest street markets on the island, held every Monday morning. Manacor is famous for furniture manufacture and artificial pearls. We visited Manacor and its Parròquia de Nostra Senyora dels Dolors church during our holidays in Mallorca in the autumn of 2019. ![]() 868 photos from Kos 2019-04-28 - 2019-05-05 Kos or Cos is a Greek island, part of the Dodecanese island chain in the southeastern Aegean Sea, off the Anatolian coast of Turkey. Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese by area, after Rhodes and Karpathos; it has a population of 33,000, making it the second most populous of the Dodecanese, after Rhodes. The island measures 40 by 8 kilometres, and is 4 km from the coast of the ancient region of Caria in Turkey. Administratively, Kos constitutes a municipality within the Kos regional unit, which is part of the South Aegean region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Kos Town. We went on holidays at Kos in the spring of 2019, and visited Kos Town with the Casa Romana and the Odeon, the Asclepeion, the towns of Zia and Kefalos, and much more. ![]() 563 photos from Beijing 2007-11-06 - 2007-11-11 Beijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People`s Republic of China. Beijing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Beijing is China`s second largest city, after Shanghai. Beijing is recognised as the political, educational, and cultural center of the People`s Republic of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields. The city hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. We paid a visit to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Old Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and much more. ![]() 161 photos from Durbuy 2017-10-13 - 2017-10-16 Durbuy is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. On 1 January 2007 the municipality had 10,633 inhabitants. The total area is 156.61 km2. In medieval times Durbuy was an important centre of commerce and industry. In 1331, the town was elevated to the rank of city by John I, Count of Luxemburg, and King of Bohemia. In 1628 Anthonie II Schetz obtains the Seigneurie of Durbuy, by permission of Felipe IV of Spain. One of the people connected to the city was the son of Lancelot II: Charles Hubert Augustin Schetz (1662-1726), Count of Durbuy. In 1756 the decendants of the House of Schetz obtain the Castle. Since then the House of Ursel resides in the Castle. The current castle was built in 1880. The Ourthe river flows through the municipality. Tourism and recreation are its main activities nowadays. Durbuy is often presented and promoted as `the smallest town of the world` - but it is not. The smallest town of the world is Hum, Croatia. We visited Durbuy in the autumn of 2017. ![]() 108 photos from Cannes 2010-10-20 Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Communes of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department. The city is also famous for its various luxury shops, restaurants, and hotels. Tim and Miaomiao visited the city on a daytrip from Nice in the autumn of 2010. ![]() 480 photos from Seville 2010-12-25 - 2010-12-30 Seville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos or hispalenses, following the Roman name of the city, Hispalis. The population of the city of Seville is around 700,000, ranking as the fourth largest city of Spain. Tim and Miaomiao visited Seville during and after the Christmas of 2010. ![]() 95 photos from Wenbifeng 2012-01-24 Hainan Wenbifeng Taoism Park is a large-scale cultural scenic business cooperation dealing in traveling, sightseeing, entertainment and cultural research. Its buildings have the forms of Chinese traditional pavilions and halls, especially in Song Dynasty style, and are orderly scattered all over Wenbifeng Mountain in an area of nearly 1000 Chinese acres. It also contains Yuchan Palace, the only Taoist temple authorized by Hainan govermment. We visited the park in January 2012. ![]() 48 photos from Granadilla 2018-12-29 - 2019-01-05 Granadilla de Abona is a municipality of Tenerife, located in the south of the island, occupying an area of 155 square kilometers. Its population in 2013 was 43,608. In recent years, the population has greatly increased due to an influx of immigrants, many of them illegal, from Western Sahara, Colombia, Cuba, and other African and Latin American countries. The municipality extends from the altitudinous center of the island -Mount Guajara (2,718 m, the second-highest mountain on the island, after Teide) is situated in this municipality- to the Atlantic Ocean. Reina Sofía Airport is located in this municipality, as well as the beachside town of El Médano (`The Sand Dune`), where many important windsurfing competitions are held. La Montaña Roja (`The Red Mountain`), a volcanic cone located in El Médano, is a protected natural preserve, along with five other `espacios naturales`, which comprise 25% of the municipality`s total area. We visited the airport and the surrounding area in the winter of 2018/2019. ![]() 384 photos from Montpellier 2018-09-16 - 2018-09-18 Montpellier is a city in southern France. It is the capital of the Hérault department. Montpellier is the 7th-largest city of France, and is also the fastest-growing city in the country over the past 25 years. In 2014, 589,610 people lived in the urban area and 275,318 in the city itself. Nearly one third of the population are students from three universities and from three higher education institutions that are outside the university framework in the city. Located near the south coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, it is the third-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille and Nice. Tim visited the city for work in the summer of 2018. ![]() 117 photos from Phillip Island 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. ![]() 31 photos from Felanitx 2019-10-16 - 2019-10-17 Felanitx or Felanich is a municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands, located in the southeast of Majorca, 48 kilometres from the capital Palma de Mallorca. Since 1603, when the St. Agustí convent was founded, Felanitx has been famous for Els Cavallets dance, in which seven boys of between 10 and 13 years of age, wearing white trousers, red tops and green hats, dance around La Dama, another child in a dress who waves a handkerchief to the music. All dancers were male until fairly recently, when young girls were permitted to join. The town, dating back to the 13th century, lies near the medieval Sant Salvador Monastery with its Gothic architecture. We briefly visited the town with its Parròquia de Sant Miquel church in the autumn of 2019. ![]() 126 photos from Shanghai 2007-10-25 - 2007-10-28 Shanghai is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. Located on China`s central eastern coast near the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality with province-level status. We visited the Bund, Pudong, Oriental Pearl Tower, Nanjing Road, and the Old Town with the Huxington Tea House and the Temple of the Town God. ![]() 260 photos from Genoa 2013-10-08 Genoa is the capital of Liguria and the sixth largest city in Italy, with a population of 604,848 within its administrative limits on a land area of 243.6 km2. Over 1.5 million people live in the metropolitan area. Genoa is one of Europe`s largest cities on the Mediterranean Sea and the largest seaport in Italy. Genoa has been nicknamed la Superba (`the Superb one`) due to its glorious past and impressive landmarks. Part of the old town of Genoa was inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006. The city`s rich art, music, gastronomy, architecture and history allowed it to become the 2004 European Capital of Culture. It is the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. Tim and Miaomiao traveled to the city on a daytrip from the Cinque Terre region in the autumn of 2013, and visited the Royal Palace, the Aquarium of Genoa, the St. Lawrence Cathedral and more. ![]() 94 photos from Vik 2018-07-08 The village of Vík (or Vík í Mýrdal in full) is the southernmost village in Iceland, located on the main ring road around the island, around 180 km by road southeast of Reykjavík. Despite its small size (300 inhabitants) it is the largest settlement for some 70 km around and is an important staging post, and thus it is indicated on road signs from a long distance away. It is an important service center for the inhabitants of and visitors to the coastal strip between Skógar and the west edge of the Mýrdalssandur glacial outwash plain. In 1991, the US journal Islands Magazine counted this beach as one of the ten most beautiful beaches on Earth. Its stretch of black basalt sand is one of the wettest places in Iceland. The cliffs west of the beach are home to many seabirds, most notably puffins which burrow into the shallow soils during the nesting season. Offshore lie stacks of basalt rock, remnants of a once more extensive cliffline Reynisfjall, now battered by the sea. We visited the town of Vík and the nearby Reynisfjara Beach and Dyrhólaey peninsula. ![]() 265 photos from Avignon 2007-08-02 - 2007-08-06 Avignon is a commune in the Vaucluse département in southeastern France with a population of 90,000 in the city itself and a population of 290,000 in the metropolitan area. The city is well known for its Palais des Papes, where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to early 15th centuries. We visited the Notre Dame des Doms, the Palais des Papes, the Pont d`Avignon, and much more in and around the city center. ![]() 123 photos from Valldemossa 2019-10-18 Valldemossa is a village and municipality on the island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is famous for one landmark: the Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa, built at the beginning of the 14th century, when the mystic and philosopher Ramon Llull lived in this area of Majorca. Since the 19th century Valldemossa has been promoted internationally as a place of outstanding beauty, largely as a result of the affection of distinguished traveller and cultural writer, the Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator. Valldemossa is a very attractive tourist destination, Some main attractions include the 13th century monastery, where the musician Frederic Chopin spent a winter (1838-39). The monastery was originally built as a royal palace, however in 1399 it was converted into a monastery. We visited Valldemossa during our Mallorca holidays in the autumn of 2019. ![]() 132 photos from Zhouzhuang 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. ![]() 238 photos from Costa Adeje 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.
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