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My last full day in Korea and it has been action-packed, exploring more of Jeju’s volcanic world heritage sites. First, I headed underground into Manjanggul, the most famous of several lava tubes on the island. These cave-tunnels were left in the path of molten lava when Jeju was formed. I’d seen a small section of such a tube before, in the Azores but was staggered by the scale of this one. It was cath edral height in places and with … [Read more...]
Costa Classica at Jeju Town port I took a flight last night to Jeju, an island off Korea’s south coast and the stop on my trip I’ve been most looking forward to. Jeju is volcanic and has several UNESCO-listed features. My first brush with the lava came this morning at Dragon Rock, a piece of headland shaped like… well you’ve guessed it, on the coast at Jeju City where the airport and port are based. Later, in the south at Jungmun … [Read more...]
I awoke this morning to glorious sunshine and a view of Busan’s wide, strangely deserted Haeundae beach. Later, I saw a photos of it a month ago - peak Korean holiday time - choc-a-bloc with parasols. Favouring fair skin to a tan, they don’t so much sunbathe as ‘shadebathe’ here. Busan is Korea’s second biggest city and the port is building a new cruise terminal scheduled for 2013 completion. It’ll be the start of a swanky new seafront … [Read more...]
This evening I’m in Busan (pronounced Pusan) a port and beach resort on Korea’s southeast coast which I’ll see more of tomorrow. … [Read more...]
My first full day in Korea and I took an excursion from the port of Incheon to near Seoul (about an hour and a half) to spend the morning in the Dimilaritised Zone (DMZ for short). … [Read more...]
Day 5 (or is it 6?) I’ve lost count. I also have no idea what the date is, though I do know it’s a Friday. I also have no idea what the date is, though I do know it’s a Friday. I have no idea what’s going on in the UK in terms of news, in fact the only paper I’m reading is the Freestyle Daily, Norwegian Epic’s on board information sheet. This is unusual for me, especially after such a rich news period (I was devouring the phone … [Read more...]
Regular readers of my blog (yes I know there must be some of you out there apart from my mum) will know that in the words of the Crowded House song, I always bring the weather with me. And, as it was pouring with rain on Monday in the UK, you can guess what it was like in San Remo. Yes, I was surprised too, this is after all the Med in June, but hey what can you do? The good news is that the sun did peek out of the clouds earlier today and it’s … [Read more...]
The events that have been taking place in Belfast over the last couple of months to mark the centenary of the Titanic's launch have been extensive. They culminated not just with the commemorative service held on the original slipway, but also with the opening of a new Titanica exhibition at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, with never-before-seen artifacts retrieved from the wreck. That said, this is nothing compared to what will be happening … [Read more...]
One of the things I've been most surprised by, visiting Belfast, is the sheer volume of output of the shipyards here, in their heyday. Employing some 35,000 people at its peak, the Harland and Wolff shipyard was a behemoth of industry, established in 1860 and soon becoming a huge part of the city's industrial landscape. It wasn't just the Titanic. The White Star line had other ships too – the Olympic, launched in the same year, and the Brittanic, … [Read more...]
I'm in Belfast for the centenary – 31 May, 2011 – of the launch of the most famous passenger liner in the world. The Titanic is remembered more these days for its tragic fate than for its spectacular creation, but of course back in 1911 it was an engineering marvel, opulent beyond compare and built using the very latest in maritime technology. Its launch was an achievement that Belfast's Harland and Wolff shipyard was justly proud of, and it is … [Read more...]
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