Monday, November 16, 2020

Famous Islands: Pitcairn Island

 

 

Pitcairn Island, final destination of the Bounty mutineers, and sometimes called the remotest place on earth.  The mutineers burned the Bounty when they reached the island.

 

 

Exploring Pitcairn Island by Drone



Take Me To Pitcairn

  One man attempts to re-trace the romantic voyages of the most infamous fugitives in British naval history


The forgotten history of Pitcairn Island




We head to Pitcairn Island from our expedition ship:


 We land on the sea battered pier:

 

And begin our trek with a climb, retracing the route of the Bounty mutineers:

 

On the strenuous way up, we can pause to look back down at the pier far below:

And there are lots of interesting trails to explore on the island.  Just click on the yellow peg man to view and access the streetview trails:
  



Sunday, November 1, 2020

Famous Castles: Chillon Castle, Switzerland




Chillon Castle is at the eastern end of Lake Geneva, near Montreux, Switzerland:



Video Fly Over of the Castle:


Some history of the castle:

   Chillon Castle Official Website - History of the Castle

From the Exploring Castles Website: 

Chillon Castle: A Fairytale on the Banks of Lake Geneva, Switzerland

 

The poets Shelley and Byron sailed up Lake Geneva and visited the castle.  Byron was inspired to write his famous poem:

The Prisoner of Chillon


We begin our trek through the castle at the main gate at the bottom left of the above plan:

 


 Or enjoy spectacular views from the battlements:

 


 Or explore the famous dungeons that inspired the poet Byron:

 


 

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Famous Castles: Orava Castle, Slovakia

 

Wiki Media Commons

Orava Castle is located in northern Slovakia on a hilltop overlooking the Orava River.

 


 

The Orava Castle Official Website provides an overview video with special guest appearances by Nosferatu:

 




 The Medieval Heritage Website provides an excellent and detailed historical and architectural overview:

Oravský Podzámok – Orava Castle

 

Castle Layout


We begin our trek at the First Gate (17 in the above plan):


 Magnificent views from the battlements:



The castle was one of the settings used in the ground breaking 1922 vampire film:  Nosferatu



 

 

Monday, October 26, 2020

Famous Castles: Almourol Castle, Portugal

 

Flybyzion on Dronestagram

Daniel Feliciano, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

 Almourol Castle, Portugal is located on an island in the Tagus River northeast of Lisbon in the very heart of Portugal.


 Panoramic Overview Video:


Some history and description:



We begin our trek at the imposing main gate:

 


From high up on the battlements enjoy some panoramic views of the Tagus River and surrounding countryside:


And after a climb up to the top of the highest tower, the view is even more stunning:





 

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Famous Castles: Cahir Castle, Ireland

 

Heritage Ireland

Cahir Castle dates from the 13th century and is one of the largest castles in Ireland.  It was built on an island in the river Suir not a long way from Tipperary.

 


An aerial view of the castle:

 

The Enjoy Irish Culture website provides some excellent...

History of Cahir Castle

 

History Video from Experience Ireland:



We begin our trek at the portcullis gate:


Or take the scenic trail around the exterior walls of the castle:





Monday, September 7, 2020

Famous Castles: Hohenwerfen Castle, Austria

 


 

Hohenwerfen Castle is located in a picturesque area of the Austrian alps, south of Saltzburg.

 
 

Aerial Tour of the Castle

 

How the castle has changed over the ages:


 The castle is renowned for its falconry:


Some History of the Castle


The castle by night:



We begin our exploration of the castle at the...

Main Gate



Several floors of the castle museum can be explored and there are some wonderful scenic views from... 

 

The Fourth Floor

  

 

The other floors explore various subjects and change from time to time.  Below are some of the displays when the subject was Leonardo da Vinci.  The theme of the third floor is flight and includes some fascinating displays of...

  

 Leonardo's research into flight 

  




Thursday, September 3, 2020

Famous Castles: Osaka Castle, Japan

 


 Osaka Castle features eight fascinating floors of art, history and vivid panoramas.

 


A Fly Over of Osaka City and Castle Area:




Some history of the castle:

 




Our exploration of the castle begins at the front entrance and proceeds through the eight floors:

 

Front Entrance to Osaka Castle


 On the eighth floor, we may walk around and take in magnificent vistas of the city and the grounds:

Eighth Floor Viewing Area

The seventh floor features some historical displays such as this one about the castle's violent past:

Osaka Castle's Violent History


The fifth floor features some historical panoramas such as this battle scene:


Fifth Floor Battle Panorama


 The fourth floor features some of the castle's art, such as this screen:

Fourth Floor Art


The third floor features more art as well as historical artifacts such as this...


 Battle Armour


 

Pacific Crest Trail

  Official Pacific Crest Trail Website :  A good overview of the entire Pacific Crest Trail: This Pacific Crest Trail thru hike documentary ...