There is only 3 km between the isle of Sicily and the mainland Italy but Sicily is nowhere near to the rest of the country. There are no well-maintained tourist attractions, no pristine streets here. Instead there is an exquisite cuisine, scorching sun, lively and chaotic street markets and people distinctly more relaxed than in any other part of Italy. There is something a bit raw, at times murky but so real and seductively beautiful that the only option you are given to is to succumb to its charms.
Of all of the walls built so far in the human history this is probably the Greatest. It is said that Great Wall of China can be even visible from the space. Do not read the next sentence. It might completely shatter your illusion and perception of the world. The Great Wall of China is NOT visible from the space.
It is said that Greenland got its name from Erick the Red – who was exiled from Iceland as a punishment for the committed murders. He searched for a land where he could settle and he found it. He called it “Greenland” and painted as a wonderful lush place in the hope that it would attract some more settlers.
Fresh grilled fish, a bottle of frosty San Miguel, the juicy sweetness of mangoes and pineapples, stunning gold beaches, virgin islands, limestone cliffs and happy to go lucky Filipinos. There is an island here (precisely 7641 islands to choose between) that suits everyone’s taste and there is something here everyone would love.
Chamonix is one of the most alluring places for mountaineers, skiers, snowboarders in the world. The dramatic mountains entice more and more to ride the steep faces, or simply get to the top and feel the liberating void. It is simply a winter wonderland but even outside of the snowy season you will find here plenty of activities/sights that can fill your itinerary with excitment and awe.
It is said that Greenland got its name from Erick the Red – who was exiled from Iceland as a punishment for the committed murders. He searched for a land where he could settle and he found it. He called it “Greenland” and painted as a wonderful lush place in the hope that it would attract some more settlers.
This is one of the most remote and untouched places on the planet Earth. It is cold, unpredictable and so weird. Setting foot in Oqaatsut – a tiny settlement on the west coast of Greenland in the Disko Bay, gives you a feeling of awe and humility at the same time.
A few bright and colourful houses are scattered across this rocky terrain. You can describe this place through the sounds: the calls of seabirds, the crunch of the ice, and the roaring silence. Every element of the surrounding landscape sharpens your senses and magnify emotions. There is a bench on the small hill so sit down and listen.
Oqaatsut is a home to 38 residents (5 kids incl.) They all seem to be completely oblivious to the ideals of the western world. The life here is solely dependent on fishing and a bit of tourism. There is a single small grocery, a tiny restaurant, a hotel, a church and a schoolhouse in the village. The kids have old toys, bikes and a trampoline. There is no sewage system. There are no roads, no cars, just a few pathways.
The settlement is accessible from Ilulissat (the name of the town – Ilulissat literally translates to “Icebergs”) by boat or kayak in the summer or hiking 21 km path. In winter only by snowmobile or dog sledding. In fact kayaking among the impressive icebergs and exploring the artic nature is the main goal of the visit in Oqaatsut.
But meeting a local family and sharing the meal - a bowl of the home made fish soup (and seconds) served in a dining/living room, decorated with family photos, balloons and the Greenlandic flags’ chains (the youngest member of the family got baptised the day before) and overlooking the surreal pieces of the ice emerging from the sea, and that single bench on the hill, is how you understand: this is their reality (so different than ours) and the life they have chosen. As odd it might sound, they are happy, genuinely. Are you?
