Travel Archives - Nicola Ann Art

Jul 29

by Nicola in Adventure, Sailing, Sunset, Travel 0 comments tags: Albania to Montenegro, BeanOn Photography, Montenegro, Montenegro Police, Oyster 545 Yacht, Sailing

PART 4: ALBANIA TO MONTENEGRO | BELLA ROSE, OYSTER 545, UP FOR SAIL | SUMMER of 2019

BELLA ROSE, OYSTER 545, UP FOR SAIL, AN INDELIBLY SENSATIONAL SAILING ADVENTURE FROM MALTA TO SICILY TO THE GREEK ISLANDS TO ALBANIA TO MONTENEGRO TO CROATIA TO VENICE. SUMMER OF 2019. Part 4: SAILING FROM ALBANIA TO MONTENEGRO Batten down the hatches! A stunning night engulfed my being upon departing Albania for Montenegro; a band of fiery orange exploded along the horizon, beneath a sparkling indigo sky. What a farewell to an enthralling adventure in Albania. Further excitement ensued the moment we dropped anchor at a bay just outside The Bay of Kotor. The police by RIB descended upon us like a honey badger on a swarming beehive. I’d prefer not to refer to the word ‘arrested’… So… with great theatrics, the police escorted us to the nearest customs office. The responsibility fell completely on us, of course. We attempted to push the boundaries but got caught. The consequences dealt by draconian hand! Indeed, I shall share further in the article to be published by the sailing magazine. Please Note: For copyright purposes I have considerably reduced the resolution of each image below.

Jul 25

by Nicola in Off-Road, Sailing, Travel 3 comments tags: Albania, BeanOn Photography, Off-road, Sail & Trail, Sailing, Summer, The Greek Islands

PART 3: The Greek Islands to Albania | BELLA ROSE, OYSTER 545, UP FOR SAIL | SUMMER of 2019

BELLA ROSE, OYSTER 545, UP FOR SAIL, AN INDELIBLY SENSATIONAL SAILING ADVENTURE FROM MALTA TO SICILY TO THE GREEK ISLANDS TO ALBANIA TO MONTENEGRO TO CROATIA TO VENICE. SUMMER 2019. Splice the mainsail! Part 3: SAILING FROM THE GREEK ISLANDS TO ALBANIA Albania… Yes, Albania! A surprise indeed. Let’s sail to Albania, Captain! Albania? You heard correctly! Okay! Really? Yes, you too heard correctly… I know what! Let’s do the other thing we do best… Remind me, Captain said nudging gently. Trail… Of course, Sail & Trail. We attempted to hire a 4×4; however, ended up with a Fiat Panda. We can’t take this off-road, or can we? Of course we can, but we’ll keep it to ourselves. Well, let’s just say the Panda made it. We almost didn’t and turned back a few times, for dongas the size of the Fish River Canyon and sheer drops along single tracks as high at the Rockies caused a few near-death experiences. Fffff… Formidable! For at least 100 kilometres, we took on rugged terrain. Brave or plain… irresponsible? I really prefer not to judge!

Jul 15

by Nicola in Sailing, Travel, Uncategorized 5 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Greek Islands, Ionian Sea, Navagio beach, Shipwreck beach, Siracusa to Zakynthos

PART 2: SICILY TO THE GREEK ISLANDS|BELLA ROSE, OYSTER 545, UP FOR SAIL | SUMMER 2019

Bella Rose, Oyster 545, Up For Sail, an indelibly sensational sailing adventure from Malta to Sicily to the Greek Islands to Albania to Montenegro to Croatia to Venice. Summer 2019. Shiver me timbers! PART 2: SAILING FROM SICILY TO THE GREEK ISLANDS First stop, Zakynthos. A Greek Island in the Ionian Sea. Navagio beach, aka Shipwreck beach, brings in more tourists, accessed by boat only, than any other tourist attraction in Greece, including Athens. Second, third, etc., stops included: Kefalonia, Poros, Sami, Kisaka, Kioni, Lefkados, Antipaxos, Paxos, Corfu and Erikoussa. However, they are going to have to wait until magazine publication… I know! A killer! The rest of the words in images… Feel the sounds, smells, throbbing heat and rejuvenating tranquillity…

Feb 24

by Nicola in Adventure, Beach, Cities, Sailing, Travel 2 comments tags: Adventure, beach, BeanOn Photography, Gelato sandwich, Published Work, Sailing, Sailing Today Magazine, Sicily, The Med

Sailing Today Magazine Hot Off The Press

A Med-Time Story Majorca To Malta: Island Hopping On A Grand Scale By Nicola Beykirch Published By Sailing Today Almost a year had passed before stepping back on the deck of Bella Rose, our year old Oyster 545. Berthed at Palma, Majorca for the winter, we couldn’t wait to throw off the bowlines, once again crisscrossing the Mediterranean…

Jan 18

by Nicola in 4x4, KwaZulu-Natal, Travel, Wildlife 0 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Big 5, Early morning, KwaZulu-Natal, nature, Off-road, South Africa, Sunrise, Wildlife, Zululand

Amakhosi Safari Lodge KwaZulu-Natal South Africa

This time, our adventure through Swaziland, as much off-road as on-road, prevented us from making the evening game drive at Amakhosi Safari Lodge, northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. With hunger at bay, three trips to the waffle station at The Royal Swazi Spa Hotel near Mbabane, Swaziland later, we thought we’d given ourselves enough time to explore off-road and make the game drive. Speaking of Swaziland, or now known as The Royal Kingdom of Eswatini, I ponder whether they’ll change their flag, as South Africa did… After checking Google Maps (yes, as mentioned before, not always a good idea), we decided to head for the 4×4 only dirt tracks from Nhlangano through to Mhlosheni in Swaziland, straight through the Swaziland / South African border post as shown on Google and then onto the N2 freeway towards Pongola. Around thirty kilometres later we’d then arrive at the private game reserve, Amakhosi Safari Lodge, just in time for the sundowners in the heart of the African bushveld. U-Turn Well, Google maps indicated a border post that did not exist, which was supposed to lead straight onto the N2 freeway about twenty kilometres outside of Pongola. A camouflage army tent […]

Jan 12

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Off-Road, Travel 0 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Exploring, Goba Border Post, Off-road, Swaziland, Wide Horizons Farm

Offroad Adventure from Mozambique to Swaziland (Eswatini)

Resistance was futile when it came to surfing at sunrise on our last day in Ponta. Soon, we were to swap surf for turf, heading from Mozambique to Swaziland (Eswatini) and for the rest of the trip the surfboards had to sadly stay tied to the roof racks. Hundreds of people started waking up on the beach and many others arrived to set up camp, all eager to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Ponta D’ Ouro. So sorry we missed it, but there’s always a new year to enjoy with the locals and ‘Mapushkins’, who would all definitely teach us a thing or two when it came to partying… With topped up provisions from the hubbub market, we reluctantly bade farewell to an incredibly laid back charm that oozed vigour and spirit. It took us thirty minutes to exit the market parking area because of a man in a bakkie unloading his stock of water bottles. Keep calm and…relax even more… was definitely the motto of Ponta life. In the direction of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, we drove over a hundred kilometres. Moments after passing through the outskirts of Maputo Special Reserve, a haven for elephants […]

Jan 10

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Beach, Travel 0 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, beach, BeanOn Photography, Exploring, Indian Ocean, Malongane, Mozambique, Off-road, Ponta, Ponta do Ouro, Ponta Malongane, Rugged Terrain, South Africa, Zululand

Offroad adventure of a Lifetime around South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland

A total of two thousand and five hundred kilometres turned into an off-road adventure of a lifetime around South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland. Completed in a speedy nineteen days. From 20th December 2018 to 7th January 2019 we spent three-quarters of the time off road than on road in my 4×4, deliberately seeking off the beaten tracks, tracks invisible on Garmin GPS. Forget Google Maps and Waze! Unless you have endless time to get back on track. If only… Naturally, I expected to be excited by the trip. New places to explore, different cultures to experience; so much of the unknown to delve into. My expectations were dull in comparison to the constant stream of stimulation engulfed at every turn, wishing every moment would last so much longer. Three countries: two out of the three I hadn’t set foot in | Two provinces, almost opposite ends of South Africa | Exploration of surf and turf | Beaches | Surfing | Luxury | Rustic | Gourmet | Basic | Braaied fish | R&Rs | Peri-peri | Unforgiving heat | Dripping humidity | Rural | City | Welcoming natives | Friendly foreigners | Electric thunderstorms | Blinding rain | […]

Dec 12

by Nicola in Adventure, Sailing, Sunrise, Sunset, Travel 4 comments tags: Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Early morning, Exploring, Oyster 545 Yacht, Sailing, Sunrise, Sunset, The Mediterranean Sea

Oyster 545 Yacht Always Up For Sail

Recently, I submitted an article, together with photographs, on the striking Oyster 545 yacht from Palma to Djerba, Tunisia via Sicily and Malta to a sailing magazine. It will be published as a feature in their spring edition. The photographs instantly transported me onto the deck of the Oyster 545 and now being back ‘home’ in South Africa – sun, sea and surf – I can appreciate every sensation all over again. I felt myself slipping into a mesmeric trance while watching nature at its best. Clouds dropped like a curtain over the tangerine sun. The luminous light and wind created patterns on the water, a constant movement of change. Soon the blood-orange ball reappeared. A tall, thick band of haze then gulped the sun. The clouds and haze turned a pomegranate pink. The blushing sky broke through sections of the barriers. The water below took on every shade from the sky above, reflecting, sparkling, dancing, rippling over the sea. A smorgasbord of colour and evolution all for the soul to spectacularly drown in. With nothing but sea and sky around in every direction, it’s effortless discovering a peaceful bliss.

Apr 08

by Nicola in Architecture, Travel 0 comments tags: Architecture, BeanOn Photography, Exploring, Eze, French Riviera, Monaco

Nestled between Nice and Monaco a trip to Eze is obliging

Nestled between Nice and Monaco, a trip to Eze is obliging. Five out of five stars. Instantly transported to medieval times, Eze also requires a bit of effort to experience. Rugged stone streets lead through narrow passages to boutique stores. Fortunately, not all of Eze has been touched with the expensive wand and the flowing surrealism vistas easily help one turn a blind eye to the tourist trap… Gardens sprouting exotic plants are spotted everywhere. I’ve never tasted a better coffee than at Chateau Eze, also the most expensive but worth every cent! I had to have a second. Oh, the views! In every direction. Monaco! What can be said… other than… when sitting at a café with the view of Monte Casino directly in front of one’s eyes, the luxurious sports cars cause the head to swivel. The McLaren 570S coupe even starred on a film set of sorts. A great pity for the cold, windy weather! Isn’t the French Riviera meant to be sultry at all times?!

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Kirkstone Pass, Lake District

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Whaligoe Haven

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: John O'Groates

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Dunnet Head

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Cairngorms National Park

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Yorkshire Dales

Impromptu Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head

With a change of plans over the festive period, we bravely set off on an impromptu road trip from London to Dunnet Head, the most northerly point in mainland Britain, Scotland. Heading to Scotland we travelled through the Lake District, exploring Kirkstone Pass; Lybster; Whaligoe Haven where the famous Billy Connolly filmed part of his television series titled The World Tour of Scotland; John O’ Groats; Dunnet Head; North West Highlands, Inverness; Cairngorms National Park with the snow-capped CairnGorm mountain range where disappointed skiers turned to sledging. Such serene vistas almost all looked fake, too perfect. Lost in its beauty, I experienced another side to Scotland (Fort William and Ben Nevis previously posted) that appealed to all of my senses in dramatic force. Forcefully dramatic; dramatically forceful. Four days later, the journey back to London took us through the Yorkshire Dales with miles of moors, valleys, waterfalls, hills and stone-built villages. Remote, rugged and rejuvenating, travelling the UK during the Christmas holidays proved to be an adventure that has to be repeated. With only Indian or Chinese restaurants open or rather still with availability at the last minute, I didn’t mind eating Indian food two nights in a row. […]

Dec 04

by Nicola in Architecture, Cities, Travel 0 comments tags: Architecture, BeanOn Photography, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Moscow's Metro, Red Square, Russia, St. Basil's Cathedral, The Kremlin, Travel

Moscow: Russia’s gleaming gem

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is the twelve most populous city in the world, and the largest city on the European continent. Four nights worth of exploring such a marvel of a place isn’t anywhere near enough time to have visited all on my list. I particularly enjoy discovering at night, when the temperatures fell to -6 degrees: crisp, dry and exhilarating. Besides the incredibly arresting landmarks pulsating around Moscow’s core, being underground appealed to me just as much as being on top. Moscow’s metro is a life-changing experience! Public transport that is never delayed. Can you even begin to imagine what that must be like? The Moscow Metropolitan is the world record-holder for on-time departures and arrivals. According to the Moscow transport department, its accuracy equals 99.99%. Impressive! considering that the interval between trains during rush hour is only 90 seconds. Having the station names in both English and Russian goes a long way, following the number (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) of the lines instead of the colours will allow you to breeze through to any desired destination below ground. Known as the most beautiful subway in the world, the Moscow metro’s 44 out of 200 […]