Following up on my previous post regarding my desire to visit Menorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands, another Spanish island that I have on my “wishlist” is Tenerife, one of seven Canary Islands located off the northwest coast of Africa. Known as the “Island of Eternal Spring”, holidays to Tenerife are perfect for a wide variety of travelers. Those looking for an active nightlife should plan to visit during the island’s Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which apparently rivals that found in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Since I’m more of a nature lover, I’d probably opt to go at a quieter time to enjoy the beaches and mountains. Tenerife is the home of Mount Teide, the highest point in Spain. Still an active volcano, Teide is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited national parks in the world. Cable cars take park visitors to about 500 feet below the summit, offering incredible views of Tenerife.

For those more inclined towards watersports, Tenerife offers a variety of breaks for beginner to experienced surfers as well as plentiful opportunities to snorkel or SCUBA dive. Of course, there is always the option of simply laying on the beach absorbing some much needed Vitamin D, with cocktail in hand.

As you might expect, the local cuisine in Tenerife is heavy in seafood. Canarian dishes also incorporate pork and meat (The popular Cuban dish “ropa vieja”, Spanish for “Old Clothes” was actually a Canarian dish that was introduced to Cuba by Canarian emigrants). Although I am a steadfast beer fan, I’d have to try Tenerife’s wines while I was there; this island is so renown for its wines that William Shakespeare often referenced them in his works.

The last attraction we used on our CityPass was the Argosy Harbor Cruise. The weather wasn’t nearly as nice as it was when we visited the Space Needle, but nevertheless the boat ride was fun. Here are a few shots taken from the boat as it cruised around Elliott Bay.

California Sea Lions at rest

California Sea Lion out for a swim

West Seattle

Seattle skyline

More sea lions

Cargo ship

USCGC Healy, recently returned from escorting the Russian Renda through the Artic ice to deliver an emergency supply of fuel to Nome, Alaska.

More photos here.

A few weekends ago we went snowshoeing at the Summit at Snoqualmie Nordic Center located about an hour’s drive from Seattle. It was our first time snowshoeing and we loved it; the snow-covered Cascades were incredibly beautiful and it was nice to get out and exercise despite the sub-optimal weather. In fact we enjoyed it so much that we ordered snowshoes shortly after returning from our trip.

Here are a few photos from that trip…

At the start of the black diamond section of the trail. It was pretty tiring.

The snow was a bit deep

Keechelus Lake

After snowshoeing for six miles we were pretty tired and hungry, despite consuming a bunch of Clif bars, so we stopped at Snoqualmie Falls Brewing to replace all those burned calories with beer and “super” nachos:

The rest of the photos are here.

Contrary to popular belief, winters in Seattle aren’t a constant stream of depressing rain and clouds (although having grown up a desert rat, I quite enjoy the rain). The sun does occasionally make an appearance during the winter, as occurred a few weeks ago when we had nearly an entire week of incredible blue skies and sunshine.

Earlier this winter we purchased the Seattle CityPass, which lets you visit a bunch of touristy things for a ridiculously low price. With the appearance of blue skies, we seized the opportunity to use our ticket for the Space Needle.

Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle quickly became the symbol of Seattle. At a height of 605 feet, the Space Needle offers amazing views of the Seattle city skyline, Elliott Bay, Mount Rainier, and the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. One trip to the top and you’ll quickly agree that this is the most beautiful city in the United States.

Downtown Seattle

Ships in Elliott Bay

Lake Union

Mount Rainier in the distance

The rest of the photos are here.

Though my travels usually take place in Eastern Europe, I have been increasingly fascinated by the Mediterranean region since visiting Croatia and Montenegro. The beautiful scenery, extremely hospitable people, and delicious food I experienced there are just some of the reasons that I wish to return to that area. In particular, I’d like to visit some of the many islands that dot the Mediterranean, such as Menorca. Unfortunately, Menorca isn’t the easiest island for me to get to, requiring multiple flights and at least two days of travel. Once you’ve reached the island, though finding car hire in Menorca is relatively easy, so you will be able to explore the island at your own leisurely place rather than rely on public transportation.

Considered the most peaceful and undeveloped of Spain’s Balearic Islands, Menorca has miles of unspoiled beaches with far fewer visitors than neighboring Ibiza and Mallorca. In October 1993, UNESCO designated the island a biosphere reserve in an effort to protect Menorca’s unique wetlands and archaeological sites. The island is well-known for its stone monuments that date back to the Bronze Age, and the island was once invaded and occupied by the Roman empire (and, subsequently, the Moors and British).

In addition to its beaches and historical sights, Menorca offers its visitors plenty of outdoor activities, including scuba diving and horseback riding. And, what better way to end your day than by enjoying a sumptuous feast of caldereta de llagosta (lobster stew) and paella, with a few tall glasses of Gin Xoriguer?

After a particularly long stretch of foul weather, including a week of snow and ice storms, we were coming down with a slight case of cabin fever. So, despite the cold and rain (this is the Pacific Northwest, after all) we decided to head over to Whidbey Island for a short hike at Deception Pass State Park. We hiked from West Beach to Goose Rock, and this has definitely been one of my favorite hikes so far (I just wish it were a little longer). The scenery is absolutely stunning – a combination of driftwood-choked beaches, small offshore islands, and old growth forests.

The rest of the photos are here.

On New Year’s Eve we took the Clipper to Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria has been on my to-do list ever since we’ve arrived in Seattle and I figured the extended New Year’s weekend would be a good opportunity to finally make the trip up there.

We left early Saturday morning and after a comfortable three hour ferry ride, arrived in Victoria. Our hotel was just a short walk from the downtown area, where we spent most of our time. There is stuff to do in Victoria, like visit the famous Butchart Gardens, but I’m not really the garden going type, so we spent most of our time walking around with the occasional pub stop. We had brunch at Canoe Brewpub, where I had poutine for the first time in my life. Fries covered in cheese curds and gravy – yes, it is as wonderful as it sounds, especially when paired with a Red Canoe Lager.

We spent the evening at Garrick’s Head Pub, which was really laid back and served the local Dough Head Gingerbread Ale. We also smoked a Cuban cigar, because Canada is the land of freedom.

British Columbia Parliament Building

Victoria is known for its afternoon tea, especially the afternoon tea served at the fancy Empress Hotel, and since I acquired a taste for those delicious finger sandwiches and scones during my time in London, I was determined to have afternoon tea in Victoria. The Empress is ridiculously expensive, however. $47 for tea? WTF? So instead we went to the Venus Sophia Tea Room in Victoria’s Chinatown. It was half the price of the Empress, and did not disappoint. They have a million different teas to choose from (Monk’s Blend was pure heaven) and the sandwiches, scones, and sweets were delicious. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for a great afternoon tea in Victoria.

After tea, we took a long walk through Holland Point Park and Beacon Hill Park.

Looking across the Salish Sea toward Port Angeles, Washington, USA.

And then, prior to heading back to Seattle on the afternoon ferry, we ate more poutine.

I love snow. Probably because I grew up in a place where the average winter temperature is 74 degrees, so I never had the whole winter wonderland experience. We woke up to our first snowfall of the year here in Seattle. It doesn’t snow here very often, so the entire neighborhood was outdoors throwing snowballs and sledding down the city’s many hills (and, of course, there were plenty of idiot drivers out). Here are a few shots I took on a walk around our First Hill neighborhood.

View from our apartment. It started to come down pretty heavily around noon.

Yes, Venice again. I know it’s quite possibly one of the biggest travel cliches out there, but I adored this city. We spent a few days here during our holidays in Italy, after visiting Rome. This is the Grand Canal, the major water-traffic corridor in the city. You can take either the water buses (vaporetti) or gondolas. Since the gondolas were way out of our price range, we stuck to the public transportation. The canal is is 3,800 m long, 30–90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters (16.5 ft). The buildings that line the banks of the Grand Canal date from the 13th to the 18th century. We had an excellent lunch at a nice little cafe along the canal and loved watching the boats go by as we chowed down on pizza. Since boats are the main form of transportation in Venice, there are ambulance speedboats, police speedboats, mail boats, and even UPS boats so the locals can receive their packages.

This portrait of “Great Leader” Kim Il-sung and “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il was hanging in a Pyongyang souvenir shop when I visited North Korea in September 2009. The pervasive cult of personality that surrounded the Kims ensured that every building you set foot in prominently displayed portraits of the two leaders. Now that Kim Jong-il is dead, it will be interesting to see if 28 year old Kim Jong Un, Kim’s youngest son, is able to consolidate power and take the helm of the state. I do not have much faith that he will be any less cruel or dictatorial than his father and grandfather, but regardless I wish the North Korean people the best of luck.