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Auckland – a metropolis on a volcanic minefield
Auckland isn’t actually the capital of New Zealand, though it tries very hard to look like it is. Historically, it did hold that title between 1841 and 1865. Today, its modern business district, with towering skyscrapers and cosmopolitan cafés, still feels like the country’s command centre. The city regularly ranks high in quality-of-life surveys, because life here is simply good. Sure, it’s more expensive than other parts of New Zealand, but that clearly doesn’t put anyone off, least of all tourists. Auckland can boast a pretty unique setting. It sits on the Auckland Volcanic Field, a volcanic area made up of roughly 50–53 volcanoes. They’re all dormant now, but the…
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Dubai – MegaStructures
Dubai had been on my mind for quite some time. I still remember watching an episode of “Mega Structures” about 10 years ago, fascinated by the extreme project of building this city. Today, when observing this ultra-modern metropolis, it’s hard to believe that not so long ago, Dubai’s land was a desert inhabited by nomadic Bedouin tribes. The city’s rapid development followed the discovery of oil deposits in the 1960s. Dubai’s futuristic vision slowly started to materialise. The skyscrapers reaching the clouds like Burj Khalifa leave an incredible impression. However, the scale of this project becomes even more astonishing when you consider the challenging conditions in which the city was…
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Kuwait – space towers and Operation Desert Tire
I visited Kuwait quite accidentally and spontaneously. Accidentally, I found cheap tickets there, and I spontaneously visited it regardless that from a logistical point of view, this trip was completely pointless. However, let me start from the beginning. One day in August, I started browsing flight offers and noticed that a well-known budget airline had opened new connections from Rome and Vienna to Kuwait. Return tickets were for €40, including weekend flights. I didn’t have to think long, I quickly looked at the map and estimated that 2-3 days would be enough to see the entire country. I didn’t consider a longer trip, as visiting Kuwait’s neighbours was out of…
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Brooklyn Bridge-21 elephants and 17 camels…
The Brooklyn Bridge – an icon of New York and one of the most recognisable symbols of the Big Apple. I admit I didn’t expect that it would make such a big impression on me. By the way, just knowing that this is one of the oldest span bridges in the world it’s a sufficient reason to be under big impression. Actually, when it was built in 1883 was also the longest suspended bridge in the world. Less than a week after its opening ceremony, the bridge became a place of tragedy, 12 people died on it. During Memorial Day celebrations false alarm about the alleged risk of bridge collapse…
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Girl on a Trail, New York for a song!
New York is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world. After a week’s holidays in the “Capital of the world”, I admit it’s so damn expensive. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to lose your shirt to see this city. On the contrary, a large number of attractions is available there for a few dollars or even free of charge. Drink on the roof Entrance to the terraces of New York skyscrapers can be pricey, on average it costs 40 $. You need around spare 120$ to visit viewing platforms in Empire State Building, Top of the Rock in Rockefeller Center and One World Observatory. However,…
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Moscow – seven sisters
Reportedly, after the war, Stalin was going to say the following words: ” we won the war… foreigners will come to Moscow, go for a walk, and there’re no skyscrapers.” I don’t know if this quote is true, but the fact is that just after WWII, USSR set the wheels of great rebuilding machine in the motion, including the realisation of the great Stalin’s vision – project called Seven Sisters. Seven Sisters are in fact seven skyscrapers which were designed to be higher, prettier and more modern than these in the United States during that time. However, the name of seven sisters is not popular in Moscow, Muscovites have their…
