Wine Fountain

On the way to Santiago de Compostella, in Spain, near the town of Estella, the pilgrim, after walking many kilometers feels thirsty and weak.

As soon as he passes Estella, an hour later, he reaches a monastery called "Monestario de Irache". This is where the gods finally listen to his plea and offer him this divine sight: A fountain of Red Wine!

Yes yes my friends, I do not joke. This very fountain here delivers free red wine to everyone that passes by. Just open the tap and drink!

The wine fountain was built in 1991 for the pilgrims. Of course, you can't just go and fill your buckets with wine, there are cameras and probably monks will come and scold you.. Or maybe the gods will cast lightning upon you!

So, next time you happen to be walking near Estella. Just continue a bit to reach the monastery and taste this gift from the winery to the pilgrims.

You can also view a live webcam by visiting the official site of the winery here.

Cheers!

Wat Doi Suthep

Wat Doi Suthep (Wat means temple in Thai) is located North of Thailand, in the city of Chiang Mai, on the mountain carrying the same name (Doi Suthep).

It is the most famous temple of Northern Thailand and a highly respected place among buddhists. It also is home of an Emerald Buddha statue (actually made of jade).

I had the occasion to visit it with a thai person who also showed us how to pray and pay respect to Buddha through various rituals.

From the top of the mountain, there is also a gorgeous view of Chiang Mai city when the weather is clear (which it is most of the time actually hehe).

Enjoy!

Ao Phai - Koh Samet

When I visited the island of Koh Samet, I mainly stayed on the beaches of Ao Phai, located on the eastern coast of the tiny island. Most resorts are located on this side.

During weekdays, it is a very calm and laid back island with very few tourists and locals. It might not be as beautiful as Koh Phi Phi but it still remains a little bit of paradise on this earth.

This was taken at sunset, while wandering on the beaches before having a yummy dinner and a bucket of cocktail!

Enjoy!

Tuk-Tuk?

In Thailand, no visit is complete without a tuk-tuk ride.

Tuk-tuks are motorized rickshaws, three-wheelers mainly found in South-East Asia. While walking in the streets of Bangkok (or anywhere else), you will ALWAYS bump into someone offering you a tuk-tuk ride or a tour of the city for a ridiculous price. Most of the time in touristic places, it is best to avoid these tours as the driver will just take you to commercial streets where you will be tempted to buy products you don't need (they get commission...).

But tuk-tuks are also a fast and easy way to get around town, if you are not afraid for your Life that is!

So.... tuk-tuk? tuk-tuk? 10 baht!

Ao Phrao - Koh Samet

Koh Samet, one of the many islands in Thailand.

Koh Samet is a tiny island where most local people run away during weekends as it is the closest to Bangkok (only about 5-6h away by bus/ferry). It is a very laid back island, with much less tourists then most famous places like Koh Samui, Phuket or Koh Phangan.

This is Ao Phrao. A resort on the West side of the island, and probably the only resort on the west side as most beaches are crammed on the East Coast.

Definitely a place to choose if you are looking a calm, laid back paradise-island. But don't expect wild party nightlife as it is almost non-existent during the weekdays.

Crisis?

An abandoned Kids Toy House on the beaches of Netherland, North of Amsterdam...

Has the real estate crisis even hit the children where they can't afford to play and maintain a Beach villa anymore?

Sad..

:)

The Lighthouse

"In my empty bottle, I built a lighthouse while others were building a ship"

** Shot taken north of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.